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#24 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #23 This
issue is a story from the book “Jesus Freaks” by dc talk and voice of the
martyrs. Ivan
Moiseyev 18
years old U.S.S.R. 1970 ~ Although
he had never been there before, Private Ivan “Vanya” Moiseyev knew what
awaited him at the major’s office. The communists were endlessly calling him
to head quarters for talks, trying to “re-educate” him, to talk him out of
his faith in God. It
was lunchtime. The sun was shining brightly in the blue sky and the snow was
glistening. As Moiseyev walked along
the snowy sidewalk, he praised God for this time alone, to sing and pray. The
morning was so bright, at first Moiseyev didn’t notice; suddenly it caught
his eye. A bright star began to fall from heaven. Like a comet, it came closer
and became bigger and bigger. He
looked up to see an angel above him, bright and powerful. Moiseyev’s heart
was filled with joy – and fear. The
angel did not descend all the was down to earth but hovered about two hundred
yards above the ground. He walked in the air above Moiseyev as though walking
along the same road. Then the angel spoke: “Ivan, go. Do not be afraid. I am
with you.” Ivan
couldn’t speak but his Joy was like a fire within him. Somehow he made it is
Major Gidenko’s office and knocked quietly on the door. Major
Gidenko, head of the Political Directive Committee, looked up as the young
soldier entered. Ivan Moiseyev had been interrogated again and again by many
others and had never backed away from his faith. Still, Gidenko was certain
he could solve this problem. “Moiseyev
you don’t look like a poor pupil to me. Why are you not learning the correct
answers?” “Sometimes
there is a difference between the correct answers and the true ones,” Ivan
answered. “Sometimes God does not permit me to give ‘correct’ answers.” “So
God talks to you? Who is this God of yours?” As soon as he had asked the
question, Gidenko regretted it. Ivan leaned forward in his chair his face
glowing with joy at the opportunity to share his faith. “Sir,
he is the one who created all the universe. He greatly loves man and he sent
his son…” Gidenko
interrupted. “Yes, yes, I know the Christian teaching. But what does it have
to do with being a soldier? Do you disagree with the teaching of the glorious
red army?” “No,
sir.” But
you do not accept the principles of scientific atheism upon which is based
out entire soviet state and military power of the army?” “I
cannot accept what I know to be untrue. Everything else I can gladly accept.” “Moiseyev,
no one can prove the existence of God. Even priests and pastors agree on
that.” “Sir,
they may speak about not being able to prove God, but there is no question
about knowing him. He is with me now in this room. Before I came here, He
sent an angel to encourage me.” Gidenko
Stared intently at Ian. At least he spoke wearily, “I am sorry, Moiseyev,
that you will not be reasonable. Your persistence will do nothing for you
except bring discomfort. However, through the years I have found that men
like you often come to their senses with a little discipline. “I
am ordering you to stand in the street tonight after taps are played. You
will stand out there until you are willing to reconsider this nonsense about
talking Gods and angels. “Since
the temperature is likely to be thirteen degrees below zero, for your sake, I
hope you quickly agree to behave sensibly. Tomorrow we shall make a plan
together for your political re-education. You are dismissed.” Gidenko
expected Moiseyev to hesitate, to reconsider. Instead, he squared his shoulders
and walked quietly to the door. “Private
Moiseyev!!” When
the soldier turned around, Gidenko noticed he was a little pale. Then he had
understood the order! “You
will obey my instructions in summer uniform. That is all.” That
night as the bugle sounded, Ivan made his was down the stairs of the barracks
and into the snowy street. He recoiled from the icy blast of wind that burned
his ears and made his eyes water. His thin, summer uniform was no help in the
bitter cold. He glanced at his watch. It was one minute after ten o’clock. Tonight,
he would have a long time to pray! But for the first time since he had been
in the soviet army prayer did not come easily. He was worried. Could he stand
out there all night? What if he froze to death? Would they let him freeze to
death? What if he got so cold he gave in to their demands? The
“what ifs” flooded his mind and left it spinning. He knew he had to think of
something else. Then he remembered the angel who had visited him that
morning. The angel had said “Do not be afraid I am with you!” Suddenly he
realized the angel’s words had been for tonight! Although he could no longer
see him, Moiseyev knew the angel was still there with him. He began to pray
fervently. It
was twelve thirty when he was distracted from his prayers by the crunching of
snow. Bundled in their overcoats, hats, and boots, three officers were slowly
making their was toward him. “Private
Moiseyev, have you changed your mind yet? Are you ready to come in and get
warm?” “No
comrade officers. As much as I want to come in and go to bed, I cannot. I
will never agree to remain silent about God.” Even
in the dim light Moiseyev could see that the officers were amazed and
confused. How could he stand such cold? “Do
you plan to stand out here all night long?” “I
don’t see anything else is possible, and God is helping me.” Ivan checked his
hands – they were cold, but not too cold. He could still move his toes
easily. It was a miracle! He looked at the officers and could see that even
in their coats they were already shaking from the cold. They were stamping
their feet and clapping their hands, impatient to return to their heated
barracks. “You’ll
feel differently in another hour.” The senior officer mumbled as they quickly
turned away. Ivan
continued to pray for all the believers he knew. He sang Christmas carols. He
prayed for every officer he knew and knew of. He cried out to God on behalf
of the men in his barracks. But gradually his mind seemed to be floating some
where outside of his head. As much as he tried, prayer eluded him. Ivan
was dozing on his feet when, at three o’clock, the senior officer on duty
woke him up and let him return to the barracks. For
the next twelve nights, Ivan continued to stand in the street outside his
barracks. Miraculously, he did not freeze, nor did he beg for mercy. Ivan
continued to speak about his faith to the comrades and officers. He sang
about the glory or Jesus Christ in his barracks, though this was strictly
prohibited. To those who threatened him, he replied, “ A lark threatened with
death for singing would still continue to sing. She cannot renounce her
nature. Neither can we Christians.” Soldiers
around him were converted, impressed by his ardent faith. His
commanders continued to interrogate him, trying to get him to deny Jesus.
They put him in refrigerated cells. They clothed him in a special rubber suit
into which the pumped air into his chest until he could barely breath. At
the age of 20 Ivan knew that the communists would kill him. On July 11, 1972,
he wrote his parents, “You will not see me anymore.” He then described a
vision of angels and heaven, which God had sent him to strengthen him for the
last trial. A
few days later, his body was returned to his family. It showed that he had
been stabbed six times around the heart. He has wounds and his head and
around the mouth. There were signs of beatings on the whole body. Then he had
been drowned. Colonel
Malsin, his commander said, “Moiseyev died with difficulty. He fought with
death, but he died as a Christian.” The
father of the Christian hero writes to us, “May it be that this living flower
which gave the fragrance of its youth on the cross should be an example for
all the faithful youth. May they love Christ as our son has loved Him.” -- Letter
from Vanya to his parents – written June 15, 1972 -- “My
dear parents, the Lord has showed the way to me.. and I have decided to
follow it… I will not have more severe and bigger battles than I have had till
now. But I do not fear them. He goes before me. Do not grieve for me, my dear
parents. It is because I love Jesus more than myself. I listen to Him, though
my body does fear somewhat or does not wish to go through everything. I do
this because I do not value my life as much as I value him. And I will not
await m own will, but I will follow as the Lord leads. He says, Go, and I go. Do
not be grieved if this is your son’s last letter. Because I myself, when I see
and hear visions, hear how angels speak and see, I am even amazed and cannot
believe that Vanya, your son, talks with angels. He, Vanya, also had sins and
failings, but through sufferings the Lord has wiped them away. And he does
not live as he wishes himself, but as the Lord wishes.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ READ
IT: John
19:28 Later
knowing that all was completed, and so that the scripture would be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” ~ Two of our most basic needs as human beings are for food and water. We can live without a roof over our heads; and depending on the climate we can like a long time without clothing. Human beings can even live without money. Human beings can live without other human beings. However, we cannot live without food and water. Our most basic instincts respond to that primal need. It is part of the human condition to know hunger and thirst. Jesus was God, but if he had been God only, then we would have a hard time relating to Him or follow His example. He was also human. He became one of us. He called himself “Son of man”. (Or son of Adam) (John12: 23) He felt the burning heat of the summer sun on his head and arms, the stick of sweat on his back, the taste of cool water in a parched throat, the ache in the legs after a long walk, the comfort of the first cool breeze of autumn. He knew hunger we may never know, the overpowering ravings following a fast of forty days and nights. He was fully God – and fully human. As a human, what we need, He needed. Thinking of that, I am reminded of two things. One: the number of times the Bible says that Jesus went off by himself to pray (Matthew 14:23. 26:36; Mark 6:46, 14:32; Luke 6:12, 9:28, 11:1). If Jesus with all his power and glory needed time alone with the Father, how much more do we? Two: Jesus’ declaration in John 4:32-34, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about. My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish his work.” Jesus connects His obedience to God the Father with our most basic need. Perhaps He is saying to us that our need to obey God is as fundamental and necessary as eating, drinking or breathing. If we don’t we grow weak. Id we stop altogether, we die of starvation or suffocation.
~~ DO IT: Are you more powerful than Jesus? It’s a crazy question
isn’t it? But take a moment to think about your daily routine. Do you take
time to be alone with God the father? Every day? Several times a day? Do we
seek to follow God, obey him, and tell others about Jesus with the same
energy or regularity as eating? If not, we must, in some part of our brain,
believe we are stronger than Jesus – because He needed those things and did
those things. The next time you feel a little depressed, think of it as a
spiritual hunger pang; and go to God the Father for spiritual nourishment.
Next time life seems a little pointless, eat of the same food that Jesus ate,
get back to doing the will of God the Father and finishing the work Jesus has
called every disciple to do, “Go into all the world and preach the good news
to every living thing.” (Mark 16:15) Then you will truly be eating with
Jesus. (Revelation 3:20)
~~ PRAY
IT: Heavenly
Father, thank you for Jesus, my Savior. But also for Jesus, my Mentor. He has
shown me repeatedly that I need to come to you for everything. You are my
provider. My life depends on you. Let me not be blind to my need. Let me
always come to you, the source of all my Refreshment. Amen. Dear Danielle, How is rebellion considered witchcraft? And why is it so wrong?
And because it is, is it always wrong to rebel even when something that you
are rebelling against is wrong? Kelly, Nevada Taylor, Indiana ~ Dear Kelley, and Taylor, and others who have sent in this
question; I have worked hard on this issue and have looked up everything
that has to do with it. And then wrote down what the Lord told me to. I hope
that I have answered all of your questions correctly. ~~ READ IT: 1 Samuel 15:23 And rebellion is AS the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry. Rebellion: Resistance against any authority that doesn’t agree Rebel: a person who resists or fights against authority instead
of obeying. ~ The Bible
doesn’t say that it IS witchcraft, but it says that rebellion is as bad as if
you were doing witchcraft. Witchcraft is the practice of worshiping the
devil. And when you do something wrong you are pleasing the devil. So
therefore this verse is saying that it is wrong to rebel because it is a very
bad sin just as bad as witchcraft. If you read before 1 Samuel 15:23 verse 22
talks about OBEYING the Lord. 22: Then Samuel
said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey
is better than to sacrifice, and to heed then fat of the rams. For rebellion
is AS the sin of witchcraft….” The definitions
make it seem to go back to “thou shalt honor (obey) thy mother and father.”
(Exodus 20:12) Or “obey your leaders and submit to them” (Hebrews 13:17). So,
in this case yes it is wrong to rebel… it is like not obeying God, your
parents, or the people that are put above you. Rebelling is talking back,
refusing to do what you are told, ignoring your parents and elders or even
running away from what God is telling you. I don’t know
how to answer the last question, just let God tell you that one. That is
about as much as I can say. I hope I
answered your questions well enough Dear Danielle, Why is it hard to keep faith in Christ, even though faith as
small as a mustard seed can move mountains? Steve ~ Dear Steve, I have looked up the exact verses that say this and many other
verses. It took some time and some patience but in the end it all worked out
and this is what I found. ~~ READ IT: Matthew 17: 15 – 21 “Lord have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic, and is very ill;
for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him
to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” And Jesus answered and said,
“O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How
long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy
was cured. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could
we not cast it out?” And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your
faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall
say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it shall move; and
nothing shall be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by
prayer and fasting. ~ I was listening
to the radio not long ago and Pastor Ton Evans has said something very
interesting. “When you loose faith in God; it is not because you don’t have
enough faith. For when you become a Christian you are given all the faith you
need. But rather than more faith, it is more God that you need.” That quote just
answers everything! When you start to not see God as well, it is because you
don’t spend enough time with him, or something is getting in the way of the
relationship between you and God. I recently was going through a time when I
knew that I needed to repent. I repented of what I had done but I didn’t feel
better about it. So I sat on my bed and cried my eyes out telling God t take
my life and make it new. Eventually it led to a recommitment of salvation.
But if that’s what it took then very well. I have felt different ever since
that day. When I pray it
is different too. So Steve, you don’t need more faith, but rather a better
relationship with God – more God in your life. ~~ DO IT: Do you feel like you are far away from God, like everything you tell
him is just stuck in the sky somewhere between you and God? Like you can’t feel him in your life anymore? Look at your life is there something that you have done that you have
had on your mind for a while now? And you just can’t get it out of your head
no matter what you do? Give it to God. Are you just to busy to sit down and read the Bible? Sometimes even to
busy to pray before you eat, or before you go to sleep? Sit down and ask God to help you find that time. Tell God about
everything that is going on… God listens… he understands… Set aside a time
everyday to do this and tell him about all the things that happened that day…
he wants to know about it. Lets make this our new year’s resolution to set
aside a time EVERYDAY to read the Bible and to talk to God about our lives.
And I also want to know how you are doing on your new year’s resolution. I
can talk to you about mine also and we can share ways to set aside a time. ~~ PRAY IT: Dear Jesus, I don’t want to loose faith in you. Help me to set aside a
time for you everyday. I want to be closer to you. In Jesus’ name Amen. FROM THE TEXT: Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the whole
statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which
no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and
palm branches were in their hands. ~ THINK IT OVER: The world today
is full of prejudice people. Not as much as there used to be I might add. But
it is still a problem. Why do people look down at other people with a
different color skin? Clearly these
verses are saying that we should love them just as ourselves! And then the
verse from Revelation shows that no matter what color or race or tongue you
are, you have every right just as a person from a different race to go to
Heaven. And with this
whole terrorist thing going on, I am seeing even more racial conduct. There was a
Pakistani guy who owned a gas station in Houston… 4 days after
September 11th the guy was shot right in the heart by a
cold-hearted racist. I think that
instead of unkind words and actions, and even thoughts, we should extend
kindness to them just as Jesus would do. Here are some lyrics
from a DC Talk song about races and different colored people. I want you to
carefully read them and think them over. ~~ SOME LYRICS
TO THINK ABOUT: Pardon me
your, epidermis is showing. I couldn’t
help but notice your shade of melanin. I tip my hat
to the colorful arrangement ‘cause I See the
beauty in the tones of our skin. We gotta
come together, and thank the maker of us all We’re
colored people, and we live in a tainted place We’re
colored people, and they call us the human race We’ve got a
history so full of mistakes And we are
colored people who depend on a Holy Grace. A piece of
canvas is only the beginning It takes on
character with every loving stroke This thing
of beauty is the passion of an artist’s heart By God’s design,
we are a: skin kaleidoscope We gotta
come together, aren’t we all human after all? Ignorance
has wronged some races And
vengeance is the Lord’s If we aspire
to share this space Repentance
is the cure Well, just a
day in the shoes of a color blind man Should make
it easy for you to see, That these
diverse tones do more than cover our bones, They are a
part of our anatomy. ~~~ TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE: I have no challenge for you this week except for the challenge that
Jesus has given us all. To love each other just as you love yourself to pray
for those who hurt you and persecute you. ~~ PRAY ABOUT IT: Dear Jesus, there are so many in the world that, are looking down at
other people because of the color of their skin. Please soften the hearts of
those people and show them that there is no difference between a Caucasian
and an African person, or a Hispanic and an Asian person. Show them that they
should love them just as they love themselves. In Jesus name, amen. FROM THE TEXT: Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you who when they revile and persecute you, and say all
kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in
Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Luke 9:23-24, 26a And he was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for my sake, he is the one who will save it. … For whoever is ashamed of me, and my words, of him will the Son
of Man be ashamed… ~ THINK IT OVER: Interesting
verses- wouldn't you say?? They do give me comfort though! Here's a good
example: Sally is
considered a "bible-thumper" a "Jesus-freak". She goes to
school everyday just like you and me. However,
whenever she feels that she needs to, she bows her head and she prays. When
people use the Lord's name in vain while playing in P.E. she corrects them.
When people are upset or sad, she gives them pieces of Scripture, which have
brought her comfort. But, kids are still mean to her. They tease
her when she prays. They play tricks on her when she tries to give people
verses of scripture. And are glad when people tell her to shut up. Well you know
what?? God sees all of this. When we do that to poor little Sally... he's
watching. When people hide her Bible from her
and she still keeps her cool. It's one point off for us, and one point on for
her. Don't forget
this: God is watching us. He's watching us be rude to people. He's watching
us take crap from people because we believe in him. He's got his scoreboard
and a ready permanent marker. Are you willing
to take up your cross and follow him daily just as Sally??? Or do you ignore
what you should do, basically denying the fact that you are a Christian. I
applaud my friend Amanda for handing out flyers in her school and slipping
them into lockers, inviting people to her youth group. Now I think that that
is denying yourself and taking up your cross. She did what she thought was
right, even if it meant persecution!! ~~ SOME LYRICS
TO THINK ABOUT: Part of a DC
Talk song Jesus Freak From the
album “Jesus Freak” What will
people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus freak? What will
people do when they find that it’s true? I don’t really
care if they label me a Jesus freak There ain’t
no disguising the truth There was a
man in the desert with naps in his head The sand
that he walked was also his bed The words
that he spoke made the people assume, there wasn’t too much left in the upper
room. With skins
on his back and hair on his face, They thought
he was strange by the locusts he ate. The
Pharisees tripped when they heard him speak, Until, the
king took the head of this Jesus freak. People all
around the world face persecution. The challenge for this week is for you to
ask yourself this; “What would I do in a life or death situation where I was
asked about my faith? Would I deny God and live?? Or would I tell the truth
and die for my Savior?” Not all the time is the situation as serious. But
really… what would you do? ~ PRAY ABOUT IT: Dear Jesus, Help me to deny myself and take up my cross daily. I trust
in you to guide me and if I ever come to a situation where I have the choice
to deny you and live… or to tell the truth and die. I just pray that you will
make me do the right thing. I pray that everyday as I face situations where I
am persecuted that you make me to do the right thing. QUESTION: Dear Kelly and Danielle, Is incense evil dose it
attract devils and is a smelly candle the same? And what attracts the devil? Rhona – NSW Australia
FROM THE TEXT: Exodus 30:34-38 Then the Lord said to Moses,
"Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with
pure frankencense; there shall be an equal part in each. And with it you
shall make incense, a perfume, a work of a perfumer, salted, PURE AND HOLY.
And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the
testimony in the tent of meeting, where I shall meet with you, it shall be
most holy to you. And the incense, which you shall make, you shall not make
in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord.
Whoever shall make any like it, to use as perfume, will be cut off from his
people." Leviticus 5:11 But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an Ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any Frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. ~ THINK IT OVER: No, incense is
not evil. It does not attract the devil. And in this verse it clearly shows
you that incense is PURE AND HOLY. And “smelly candles” are just to make your
room smell better. It is possible that some candles are used in practice of
devil worshipping, but that is beside the point. The devil and his fallen
angels are pretty well spread around the Earth (1/3 of the God's angels
became demons with Satan) between all of them usually one of them is waiting
for us to have a few moments of weakness, that's when they pounce. Satan
isn't omnipresent (always watching) like God, but it sure does seem like it
sometimes! So there is
your answer Rhona, incense is used for aroma- therapy, not for calling up the
devil. Incense is basically a smoke, perfumed with something. In the Old
Testament days it was pure and holy. Something that could only be used when
given as a: sin offering. ~~ TAKE
ON THE CHALLENGE: O.K.
well, I have a weird challenge for you this week. I want you to; if you can,
light a scented candle in your room and then once lit, pray over all of your
sins and/or things that have been burdening you. When done; blow out the
candle. This is maybe kind of like what they did back in the Bible times, if
you don’t agree with this and don’t want to do it that is ok… no pressure!! You
can say this next prayer or you can use your own. (Prayer
is from “The Prayer of Jabez Devotional”.) ~~ PRAY ABOUT IT: Dear Lord, Thank you for the priceless gift of knowing and serving the Lord Jesus,
forgive me for my frivolous attitude about sin. How deeply I desire to live a
life of holiness and to please you in every way. Today I echo the words of
Jesus when I plead, “lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil.”
Please, Lord keep me from evil, that I mat not cause pain to you, or others,
or myself. Instead may I bring delight to you and may your will be done on
earth as in heaven, beginning here with me. Amen. Malachi 1:2a “I have loved you,” says the
Lord. --NAS Proverbs 10:12b Love covers all transgressions
(sins). --NAS Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains may be
removed and the hills may shake, But my love will not be
removed from you, And my covenant of peace
will not be shaken,” Says the Lord who has
compassion on you. --NAS Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own
love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. --NAS Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, depth, nor any other created
thing can separate us from the Love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.
--KJV ~ THINK IT OVER: If you think
that you are a “valentine reject” think again. Not everyone has
a valentine sweet heart this week. But that’s ok, you know why? Because;
God’s love will always be there for you. He doesn’t give you flowers or
candy. But instead he gave you his one and only son. So that someday when you
die you can be with him in heaven. God’s love is eternal. It will never fade
but only get stronger. The verse in Romans clearly tells us that NOTHING can
separate us from God’s love. And in the verse from Isaiah, God is telling us,
that mountains will move, hills will shake, but he will always love us. God’s love is
greater than any person’s love on earth. He will never dump us, get mad at
us, he will ALWAYS be there for you to talk to. He is better
than any friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife. And he will
stick with us to the end like no one else will. Even if no one else likes you
or talks to you and there are people who make fun of you. God will be there
with you to help you through everything. He isn’t going to make fun of you
but he will encourage you through the Bible and through other people. ~~ TAKE
ON THE CHALLENGE: We
want you to find some sticky notes, if you don’t have any then just use some
little pieces of paper and some tape. On
the sticky not (or piece of paper) write; “Jesus loves ______” (where “____”
will be where your name goes or you can just write “me”.), on another “Jesus
loves you”, and another “God’s love is forever” and do as many as you like.
When done: stick them around your house where you most often look. On the
bathroom mirror, computer monitor, above the kitchen stove, in/on your
refrigerator, etc. Don’t
take these down for a while, I would say maybe 2 weeks, or until they fall
off. =) ~~ PRAY ABOUT IT: Dear Lord, I thank you so much for loving me. Your love will never leave me, and that
is more than I can ask for. I love you Lord, and now I know that I will NEVER
be a valentine reject. Thank you for loving me so much that you sent your
ONLY son to die for MY sins. I love you and thank you once again. In Jesus name Amen. FROM THE TEXT: Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. -NAS Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled
with the Spirit. -NAS 2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 So then, brothers, stand firm and hole to the teachings we passed
on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ
Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal
encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in
every good deed and word. ~ What’s that mean?!?! Dissipation: too much indulgence in sensual or foolish
pleasures; intemperance. ~ THINK IT OVER Every one faces
peer pressure… especially that of drinking and smoking. About 60% (or more)
of teens today have gotten drunk or currently drink on a weekly basis. There
are so many people who try to get you to do stuff like that. Clearly you know
that it is wrong, and these verses prove it to you. But what can one taste do
to you??? But before you answer that question… doesn’t God say to obey the
law? And isn’t the law for all people under the age of 21 not to consume
alcohol? Every one makes mistakes and
that is why God is forgiving… he will forgive you and help you not to make
the same mistake twice. But he will also help you to not make the wrong
decision. Here is a story
that I found in one of my devotionals: When I was 16 I
was invited by a friend to go river rafting with a group of her friends. I
had a blast until we got halfway down the river, at which point I had to make
a decision that ended up changing my life. Another group
of rafters passed by us, and they began talking to all of us. The noticed
that we were all young, so they made us an offer – a case of beer to “liven
up the rest of our trip.” Since I really only knew one person in our group,
the pressure was on for me to fit in with everyone. Everyone in our raft
though it would be cool, so they accepted the beer, opened a can and passed
it around from one person to the next. As the can got closer to me, my heart
started pounding, and I was terrified about what I should do, especially
since everyone else was drinking it. There I was, surrounded by people who I
wanted to like me, not to mention the fact that we still had at least two
more hours to get down the river. I knew it wasn’t right to drink, but I
wasn’t sure one sip was worth having everyone else “hate” me for the rest of
the way down the river. Finally, the
beer reached me and, feeling as if my heart was about to pound out of my
chest, I said it: “No, I don’t drink.” I watched as the girl sitting next to
me exhibited a major change in the look on her face. “That’s really cool,”
she said. I knew from the sound of her voice that she must have been going
through the same inner turmoil. After that
incident, my whole outlook changed on standing up for my beliefs, especially
when the eyes of everyone else are upon you. But remember that the best way to
make a difference in someone else’s life is to be different. Stand up for
what you believe in and God will give you the peace and strength you need.
Your reward will be great even if no one around you rewards you for your
decision. God is the One you want to make proud, not your friends. Don’t give
up on your beliefs for the sake of a few seconds of approval; you never know
when your decision to stand firm will change someone else’s life. ~~ TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE: Do you know what you would
do in a situation like this? I want you to ask yourself that question and
then answer it truthfully. You may need to use your answer someday. Ask God
about what is pleasing to him; then ask him to give you the strength to stand
firm and not give up if you are ever tested. He will tell you what to do and
give you the strength to do it! ~~ PRAY ABOUT
IT: Dear Lord, sometimes it’s hard to make the right decision when the eyes of everyone are upon me. I want to fit it, but more I than that; I want to please you. Please help me to focus on you whether or not I am accepted by those that I hang out with. There is nothing more important than pleasing you, and that is what I want to do! Amen <><
FROM THE TEXT: ><> |
