A Constant Battle

I've been wanting to write a post on lust for the longest time.
For the longest time.

But lust is just one of those topics... that we aren't supposed to discuss.

We hate talking about it because we all struggle with it.
Especially in America.
Especially males.

But I haven't talked about it.

I haven't posted anything.
Because I'm scared.

I've had to ask myself:
Do I have the credit to tackle this subject?
No.

Do I have the respect to stand firm and for the most part tell every guy in America, and in the world for that matter, to get their thoughts in order?
No.

Because I struggle with the same problem.

Who am I?

I should let others tackle it instead... but there are some things that I think I can say. I need to say. It is wearing on my heart.

Because I hate lust.
But I love God's church.

And I am sickened when what I hate infiltrates what I love. I know I can't fix it... but perhaps by posting this it will ease some of my own hurt.

Guys, we know what's up. We know that what we think is wrong, we know that what we do sometimes is wrong.

It's sin.
It's evil.
It's degrading.
And it needs to stop.

Because women are so much better than what we form them to be in our own twisted minds.

Women deserve more respect than ever before.

And we instead degrade them.

87% of conversations with women on MTV is negative.
This isn't just a christian issue... It is a culture issue.

---

When I was in high school some of my friends that I ate lunch with would start playing a game they called 'Hot or not'...after they got done eating of course.

I was never comfortable with the game, in fact many times I got up and left. I spent the remainder of our lunch period with some other friends. Other times I sat through it, til they were done or the bell rang.

God shed his grace on me in those moments for giving me the clarity to see how unhealthy and wrong participating would be. I know that it was God in those moments.

Every girl that would pass by would quietly get looked over and they would decide if they were hot... or not.

It disgusted me.

A guy, me, who in High School struggled with lust almost non-stop, felt disgusted about classifying and degrading God's beautiful creation. I didn't see the oxymoron in that. I got it, but didn't at the same time.

I won't rag on my friends only.
Because they aren't the exception, that was the norm for many of the guys.

Boys, stop calling 'hot' or 'sexy' what you don't even know is.

Your future wife is what defines hot for you.
Your future wife is what defines sexy for you.
And every time you classify someone else that... you degrade your spouse that you have probably never even met yet.

We put name tags on people we don't even know.

And it needs to end. Whether you think it is damaging or not. Learn the difference between attractive and hot, beautiful and sexy.

I will post in the future on this struggle for guys, because there's a lot of things to be said.
There are books and books and books and books and books and books and books on this subject... but I want to give my testimony and the testimony of others of how we can defeat lust in our lives. It will always be a struggle, never a complete end to it. But most guys refuse to even fight.

Christ calls us to a higher level.

Boys, Christ calls us to be men. And it's learning self control, putting on Christ, taking off what hinders us and removing ourselves from the temptations that can win the battles. Because we know that in Christ, the war is already won.

But although I had a lot to say to guys, this post was written for the women reading.

Like I said, I hesitate because I'm a nobody. I have no right to call any woman out on anything. So I will stop right here and turn it over to someone who has earned my absolute and undoubted respect, and the respect of many Godly women in my own life, for whom I am eternally grateful for their input.

He has a message for you:




Why would I post this kind of a post on Halloween?

I love the concept of Halloween. Free candy, and a chance to enjoy the childhood memories we had, and the ones we can witness being made through others. Despite it's pagan roots, I think the church has done a great job in redeeming the holiday for fun and fellowship.

So...

Why would I choose to 'tackle' one of the devil's best tactics on what is said to be his holiday?

Because costumes are getting racier and racier, and I dread this time of year.

It saddens me that during church festivals and alternate Halloween events, they actually have to ask people to dress modestly.

Even worse, I have to carefully monitor my Facebook account the week prior and the week after Halloween every year so as to not fall into a trap of lust. Christian women who I can truly view as my sisters tend to take this time of the year and pose in what they call 'costumes'.

It's not fair.

It's not right.

And though boys need to grab some self control and begin to act like the men God called them to be... it is so hard when we can't rely on support from the people we need the support from the most.

Please, consider what you wear.
Guys, consider where you stare.

Let's begin to care.

Simple Sunday: Tremble

Tremble and do not sin;
   when you are on your beds,
   search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
   and trust in the LORD.  -Psalm 4:4-5

---

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:1-2

---

Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
   or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
   whatever they do prospers.
 Not so the wicked!
   They are like chaff
   that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. -Psalm 1

How often do we tremble before our God?
How often do we truly offer ourselves as a living sacrifice?
How often do we recite the promises of God?

God is a God full of mercy, grace, love and passion for his people. To those who call out to him, whose delight is in his Word, he plants like a tree.

Like a tree planted by streams of water, full of nourishment, always being supplied what is needed.
And we are watched over.

That is the God I worship.

Can we rest in thinking of Him in this way this week?

It's God's very nature to care and to plant, to watch over, to prune, to supply.

Will we tremble at the fact that he is so good to us, so good. And none of which we deserve.

Will we look up one night at the breathtaking view of the heavens dancing before us... and tremble at the glory and might and power of our Heavenly Father?

He spoke a word and there was light
He split the sea and sky apart
And with a breath created life
This is the power of our God
The One who tells the sun to rise
And holds the keys of death and life
He sees our tears and dries our eyes
This is the kindness of our God

The angels sang a song of peace
For unto us a child was born
And with Him came the earth’s release
This is the mercy of our God
We drove the nails into the cross
He took the weight of sin for us
Because of love He paid the cost
This is the kindness of our God

Now here before us lies today
With every breath we make a choice
To love as He first led the way
This is the calling of our God

And when the final race is won
And we are under Heaven’s sun
We rejoice to hear Him say, “Well done”
This is the kindness of our God

The angels sing and we’ll adore
The One who sits upon the throne
We will live with Him forevermore
This is the kindness of our God
This is the kindness of our God

-"Kindness of Our God" By: Rebecca St. James

Tremble, and do not sin.

Search your hearts.

Be silent.

Offer your sacrifice.

Trust in Him.


For all of this that surrounds us, all that encompasses, all that gives us our next breath and the breath we just took. This. Is the kindness of our God.

Tremble and do not sin;
   when you are on your beds,
   search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
   and trust in the LORD.  -Psalm 4:4-5

Simple Sunday: Power in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:9
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

When things seem to go against us, we sulk in our misery and, sometimes, get angry with God. We feel as though He has forsaken us and brought trouble to us. Quite the contrary, actually. God rescues us from trouble and delivers us into His grace and mercy. Every problem we face is used to build us up in the Holy Spirit and make us stronger. We must rely on God in our times of weakness, for He is our strength and shelter.

In the example of Joseph, we find that his brothers sold him into slavery. Once enslaved, Joseph was mistreated and placed in circumstances so cruel; but, being filled with the Holy Spirit, God’s power flowed through Joseph and allowed him to overcome the hard times he was in. In Joseph’s weakness, God’s power was made known and Joseph was built up as a great man, devoted to doing the work God had commanded him to do.

Be confident in God’s power, for it will never fail. His power, being so mighty, should be the guiding force in your life. Nothing else should matter if it goes outside of God’s plan for your life. Sometimes God does not reveal His purpose for placing you in certain situations and making you experience certain things, but the point is that He has a divine purpose for everything you go through. Everything you experience and every time you feel weak, when you rely on the power of God, is used to glorify the Lord and raise you up in a new, humble, peaceful, devoted life.

Written by Joey Pope, Sunrise Devotionals

Dignity. Empowerment.

Dignity. Respect. Individuality.

These three things are what makes a human, well, a human.

Beneath the stone image of the man who refuses to accept your Jesus...

... maybe...                         

...there lies a man who just needs a smile, a look in the eye, a gesture of equality.

Social Justice.

Giving worth to someone in need.

You can't save a soul who thinks they don't deserve life...

...who has never been told they're wanted, needed... desired.

Restoring Humanity.

Have we been endowed by our creator?

Speak those words to a child who grew up in an orphanage, who isn't wanted by any prospective parents seeking to adopt...

What have they been endowed with? Life? To them... their life isn't life.

'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.' -Jesus

He has come.
He has come.

And now...

He sends us.

But the thief comes.

We need a constant reminder that life has already come, that even though the Devil is prowling now... Jesus has come so that he can send his church.
His people.
His bride.
His beloved.

Us.

"Look someone in the eye today. Bestow them with their worth.
We exist for relationships of love." -Mike Donehey, lead singer of Tenth Avenue North

"A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by men."
~Leonard Ravenhill

Love.

Choose to love today.
Choose to be sent.
Choose life...

For others.

Prayer and the Armor of God

I haven’t posted much on this blog since Nathan added me as a co-author; to be honest I have been in a major writer’s block. However this week has been tremendously powerful and I seem to have been lifted out of that rut. If you have read my blog at all some of this will be on a topic I wrote in there, in fact, my most recent topic in there. But I have had new revelations regarding it, and I am going a bit further.

I would like to open with the Armor of God, and the purpose I believe it holds.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6: 10-20 ESV

There is so much in these verses to look at! I will start with the obvious. To be strong in the Lord we need the armor of God, we cannot do this on our own, and we need Him to stand against the Devil. The battles we fight are those in which our physical bodies and weapons are of little to no use.

Now we dive right in to what the armor of God is.

First up we have the belt of truth. Imagine what you use a belt for; I am sure you have already said that it is to hold up your pants. And this is correct. Our belts help us keep on the clothing that protects the area of our body that we are not supposed to show publicly, our secret areas. God wants us to protect the secret parts of our lives, our alone time, and anything we don’t typically share with others, with His truth. If we can hold to the promises and truth of God in the parts of our lives that only we see, we can also do it in the parts that everyone sees.

Now that our pants are firmly secured we take up our breastplate of righteousness. For those unfamiliar with ancient armor the breastplate would protect our body and vital organs. Scriptures tell us that who we are comes from an overflow of the heart. So if we protect our heart with righteousness, it stands to reason that the overflow of our heart will be righteousness.

So we find ourselves standing in truth and righteousness, it is about time we started taking this battle out to the enemy, therefore we must put on the shoes of readiness which is given by the peace of the Gospel. We need to keep in mind when we go out and forward why we are doing this. We are bringing the peace and love of God to the world, and without that as our motivation, we stand outside of the will of God.

Now that we are moving we are sure to invite attacks from the wicked one, therefore the shield of faith is needed next. We need a strong faith to stand in spiritual battlefields, because with faith we know we can trust in the Lord, our strong tower, to protect us from our enemies, and to keep us safe.

The battle has begun, so we need to be sure we have on the helmet of salvation. To keep our mind focused on the end goal of salvation, as well as a purity of thought and focus that allows us to stay on task for the kingdom.

Now we take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This is the only weapon we need. God has equipped us with the knowledge and power that lie within His words, and these tools are far more powerful than any weapon we can make ourselves. Plus, unlike a normal weapon, the word of God builds up, and adds to the Kingdom.

The next thing we are asked is to enter with the Spirit into prayer and supplication, for our own walks, and that of all the saints. Paul also asks that we pray for his boldness in preaching the word. I want to park here for a moment, digest what we have been asked to do with all this armor.

See it? We put on all this armor and all God seems to want from us is our prayer. This is where the spiritual battles are fought. And the armor isn’t only for those on the front lines. It is for all the supporters out there too, praying for those more directly in the battle for the hearts and minds of God’s children. Paul did not expect everyone to step out and join him in what he was doing physically, and God doesn’t either. Some people need to stay back at home, they have the mighty power of prayer to strengthen those who are reaching out across cultural and social boundaries. Plus, those who maintain a more “normal” looking life usually have the ability to physically supply the needs of those such as missionaries and that of the local church. Those in ministry service rely on their brothers and sisters to carry the word of God, and power of the Spirit, to those that have never heard of it.

The Holy Spirit is such a blessing. Jesus has sent us the Spirit that we may have connection and closeness to Him. With the Spirit comes the authority that Jesus carried, and we must not neglect this. God wants us to partner with Him in prayer; we are asked so many times in scripture just to pray. Rely on the Spirit, pray whatever words you are given.  I will be talking more later on some of the gifts of the Spirit, as God has been revealing more of these to me as of late. I am so excited to reach out and share this with all of you. God bless you all, and remember to pray for all those that you know in ministry service for our God and King.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
... where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Bask in this prayer today, and make it your own.
Meditate on what this prayer really means for your life.

I know that for me,
It's Revolutionary.

Jesus, not Judgment

Last night my heart broke.

I was following my usual routine of procrastinating on my homework and chatting on facebook, when my News Feed reloaded, what I saw as the newest posts started appearing shocked me.

It wasn't anything abnormal, just a picture.

A screen shot actually.

A friend of mine shared a picture from an album of one of her friends:

My. Heart. Broke.

I couldn't help but respond, but even more I wanted to do something to change this, to somehow erase it.

Eradicate it from the internet.

But we all know that is impossible.

The only way to fix this was to touch the heart of someone else who was feeling the same way.

The problem is... 

...huge...disheartening...out of control...

 

...it seems everyone feels the same way.

Even 'Christians'.

Especially 

'Christians'.

Why is it that we need more than, "the Bible says so"?

Is the Bible somehow not good enough or incomplete...

Or is it, rather, HOW we present it?

Why did this conversation ever take place?
Because thats what it was.
A conversation.
A real event.
This isn't some fake new 'tag your friends' kind of picture going around the internet.

Someone, somewhere had this conversation.

And someone, somewhere took a screen shot and posted it.



Church, what are we doing? 

We wouldn't dream of going to a third world country and preaching that because they don't love their enemy they are sinners going to hell... would we?

We would preach the love, grace, and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Their own consciences would condemn them, not our words.
The Holy Spirit will work in their heart in ways we couldn't fathom.

And we believe that.
Because that is what happens.
That is what works.
Those are the types of stories we hear from the mission field.

That is what Paul did in his first recorded sermon found in Acts 13.

From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”
Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. All this took about 450 years.
   “After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
“Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
“We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
   “‘You are my son;
   today I have become your father.’
 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said,
   “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’
 So it is also stated elsewhere:
   “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:
“‘Look, you scoffers,
   wonder and perish,
for I am going to do something in your days
   that you would never believe,
   even if someone told you.’”
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

He spoke of the forgiveness of Jesus, not His wrath.

Peter did the same.

So why... do we reverse this when we 'aren't on the mission field'?

"Homosexuality is a sin...and it is in Black and White in the Bible."


It doesn't matter if Homosexuality is a sin.

So is not loving your neighbor, so is not loving your enemy.

Are we innocent? 

No.

Why are we being so judgmental, so opposite of Christ?
And why is it that we elevate one sin over another?
Why is it that we don't have an accurate view and picture of the story and reason of the Bible?

Why, if we are Christians filled with Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and self control, does THIS exist?

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." -Matthew 7:1-2

When are we going to start taking these words of Jesus seriously?

The sad thing is that the response in that conversation was filled with all very correct statements. 
Those who believe in the Bible should be able to answer as well, if not better, than 'Lacey' did. 

It starts by reading the Bible in context and purpose. 

We live under the New Testament, but the Old Testament is the story of how we got here. 

And...

The story of what was is just as, if not MORE important than what is now.

The Old Testament has a bunch of ridiculous prohibitions, I won't try to defend them. In our eyes, in this culture, those rules are ridiculous.


And there is so much freedom in being able to admit that.

However, in those times these rules were necessary prohibitions due to health and keeping diseases at a bare minimum. They are mostly health regulations, for a people who did not understand or have the capacity to understand how disease spreads, what a germ is, or how to act civilized in the company of others.





Remember, these people have been slaves, treated as less than human, for hundreds of years.

Would YOU expect them to be able to function as a civilization... alone... in the desert... for forty years?


Hence the need for Divine intervention.



And the result are these rules from God that they did not understand.
But out of faith, they kept.

For the most part anyway.

And the other rules that fall under the umbrella of the Ten Commandments are God's demands for Holiness, for morality, for community, for equality and love for people.

He desired a nation that would be set apart and be a light, an image of the invisible yet powerful God of Creation to the Gentile nations around them.


An example of how things should be.




Christians need to stop acting like a judge and start living the way Christ lived, he didn't condemn those who were living in sin, he forgave them and showed them why He is the way to a better more fulfilled life.

Such as the Samaritan woman at the well found in John 4, Zacchaeus the rich, greedy tax collector found in Luke 19, and of course the woman caught in adultery we can read about in John 8.

What would happen if we treated Homosexuals like Jesus treated those people?

Because here's the reality...

...it doesn't end with homosexuals for the 'Christian' community.

Because we judge people, mock people, and try to suppress people based on: race, color, family background, appearance, politics, denomination, language, heritage, money, and even what kind of coffee people drink.

What happened to equality? Uniqueness?
What happened to: "God so loved THE WORLD"?

What would happen if we treated all sinners, including us, ABSOLUTELY including us, like Jesus treated 'the sinners' in his day?

We would finally stop being Pharisees.
We would become Disciples.

Isn't that what God calls us to through Christ?

Not everyone believes Jesus, not everyone has the faith to, not everyone is willing to or sees a reason to... but to those who do, we should stop acting as if we are 'holier than thou' and start caring more and more about the people without Christ.

Christians are the most messed up people on Earth, which is why I depend upon the grace of God in every waking moment. 

I need a Savior. 

And I'm very sorry for the way I previously acted, the way I used to look down upon others, the way I'm sure I will look down upon others even in the future... it's just evidence that I'm more corrupt, even more immoral than 'the sinners'.

I won't run from that.

I'll admit it. 

Jesus ushered in a way of redemption for the worst of sinners, of which I am a part, and it is only by the grace of God that I am made new.

We need to focus on Jesus, not judgment.

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  -Ephesians 2:4-10

Jesus on Twitter

"What if we could follow Jesus on Twitter?" my dad asked me last night. He and my mom surprised me for my birthday yesterday, and came to youth group last night to listen to me teach and lead my students. I was introducing them to the new name and theme of our youth group: theFollowing. The idea is that everyone follows someone, or something. Maybe it's a sports team, fashion trends, movies stars, or our favorite people on Twitter. We are connected with what they are doing, where they are going, their general activity in the world.

So what if we could follow Jesus on Twitter? Wouldn't that be pretty cool? I mean the tag line of Twitter is, ["What's happening?" Well, Jesus is happening, but are we on board as well?] Wouldn't that be amazing if we could have a direct line into the activity of Jesus? It might make it a little easier to answer that ever evasive question,

"What does God want me to do with my life?"

He followed his initial question with a statement: "Because through the Holy Spirit we should be able to."
Christian, did you hear that? Through the Holy Spirit we should be able to keep up with what Jesus is doing in this world. (Maybe that's what Paul meant when he said, "pray without ceasing.") We should constantly be "checking in" through the day to see what he is up to and how we can get involved. We should constantly be signing in to see what Jesus has posted or said. Maybe it's through Scripture; maybe prayer; maybe through spiritual conversations with other believers. Jesus, after all, did promise better, more powerful things when the Holy Spirit came!

Maybe our world we be just a little different if Christians followed Jesus with the same intensity and regularity as teenagers (or adults for that matter) check their twitter or facebook status. 

Maybe if Christians got as excited about Jesus as their favorite sports team, more people in this world just might be introduced to the Savior we so desperately need. Maybe if Christians knew the words and travel plans of Jesus as well as their favorite band or movie star, then this world would be a better place.

Connect with Jesus today.
Check in.
And do it often.
Do it with intensity and passion.
Probe every situation for the activity of Christ.
Examine Scriptures, the words of Jesus, with an ever increasing joy and fervor.

To end, I'd like to pass along a prayer I came across my sophomore year in college that has stuck with me to this day. I still have it taped up in my house.

Maybe you can do the same:

O Holy Spirit, visit now this soul of mine, and tarry within until eventide. Inspire all my thoughts. Pervade all my imaginations. Suggest all my decisions. Lodge in my will's most inward citadel and order all my doings. Be with me in my silence and in my speech, in my haste and in my leisure, in company and in solitude, in the freshness of the morning and in the weariness of the evening; and give me grace at all times to rejoice in thy mysterious companionship.

-Josh Moore, originally posted here.

Formatting edited by Nate Bryant.