Guest Post by Kathryn Forrest

The Biggest Sacrifice

By Kathryn Forrest

Comfort zone is the term used to describe being in a state of comfort in your surroundings and/or with your tasks. Being in your comfort zone is relaxing and feels good; leaving it is a decision that isn’t usually made. On the rare occasions where we do leave our comfort zones, there is almost always a good cause motivating us.

For example, you’re working on a group project in school and your team has divided the tasks equally between teammates. The due date is tomorrow. One of your partners comes up to you and asks if you could do their part because a family member recently passed away and they couldn’t do their job. This is a situation that is out of your comfort zone, but helping your team-mate would be the right thing to do. After all, their situation isn’t their fault. So, you would most likely leave your comfort zone by adding a little weight onto your shoulders.

Now, let’s look at this scenario. You’re in the same situation school wise, but this time your teammate asks if you can do their part of the work because they simply didn’t have enough time to finish it. Your teacher had previously given you time to work on your project in class and this person had wasted their time on social media and you know it. Would you leave your comfort zone for them? Jesus would. For all of them, for all of us.
  
We are all sinners, meaning we all make mistakes. No matter how good you are, your bad will always outweigh your good. God is good, He is perfect and has never failed. His perfect nature causes Him to be separate from us, but God didn’t let our sin get in His way. His love for us is unconditional and that means He will do anything to end the separation.
Jesus is God’s only son and is a part of God through the Trinity. God loves His Son and He loves us as well. So, God sent Jesus to our imperfect sinful planet with a plan in mind. God became flesh and left His heavenly comfort zone.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus was born in a place far from royalty: a stable. His cradle was a feeding troth. He was born to a carpenter in Bethlehem and grew up in Nazareth. These places were under roman rule, and sometimes the Romans could be quite harsh. Our Prince of Peace wasn’t exactly welcomed with the royal treatment.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7b

Growing up, young Jesus had to resist many temptations just like other humans. Although He reigned over us, He was on our turf, which meant that the Devil had access to Him. In order to fulfill God’s plan, Jesus had to resist even the smallest temptations, some that might be unrecognizable to man. Sinning was against Jesus’ nature, but was part a part of it at the same time because of His human qualities.

At this point, Satan was probably well aware that God had a plan on the go because His own Son was on Earth physically. Satan, being God’s enemy, had to make an attempt at making Jesus fail His mission. Satan was unable to do so, but made Jesus suffer anyway. Satan tempted Jesus at several occasions and would even show up to Jesus directly. In one case, the Devil tempted Jesus while He was fasting. Jesus was weak physically and was extremely hungry.

Then Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:1-3

Satan tried to use Jesus’ earthly desires to his advantage and failed. Jesus resisted to all temptations clinging tightly to the Word of His Father.

I can just imagine the worldly reaction to Jesus’ unworldliness. The carpenter’s son who never took risks and was just too good, could that have been the world view? As Jesus grew older the pressure from His peers was probably much harder on Him than pressure will ever be on us.

Jesus Christ’s mission was also to love us, to care for us, to protect us, to teach us, and to guide us during His stay on Earth. Plus, He had to fend off the Pharisees, who were planning His death at the time. Jesus had to do all these things for the people, and did them willingly even though He could see the people’s hearts, minds, and deepest regrets. He knew all these things and still went through with the plan.

Then came the crucifixion. Jesus knew it was coming and emotional pain would be inflicted upon Him. On top of that was the spiritual aspect, our sin. He would pay the penalty for our sin and would conquer death to save us from it. Now, Jesus wanted us to be sin-free and forgiven, but His earthly self did not want to go through that torture.

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, as you will.” Matthew 29:39

What Jesus prayed in this verse was that the plan could be changed because He did not want to die. But, in the end, He knew that God was greater and that His Father’s plan would succeed.

Next came the torture. First of all, Jesus was betrayed by a friend who cared only for money. Then, He went on trial as Peter, another disciple, denied knowing Jesus three times in a row. Jesus had gone before many important men for many trials all without getting angry, the Devil was on the move.

Then, a crowd shouted for His crucifixion. Crucifixion was an intense, roman method of punishment that involved nails being driven through your hands and feet and rubbing against your bones. These nails were the only support you had as you hung on a cross for several hours, even days, craving death as a crowd scorned you. This was what Jesus was condemned to. But before death, Jesus was mocked by Roman soldiers. He stood there as they tore His clothes, whipped Him, and placed a crown of thorns on His head. After this, He could barely even hold His cross. All this punishment was inflicted on an undeserving man. The mocking continued as He hung on the cross and His mother and other women He had helped throughout His life were weeping at His feet.

They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. Matthew 27:30-31

Well, there’s most of the bad stuff, although I’m sure Jesus’ life was much worse by our standards than I just described it. That isn’t the end of Jesus, though. After being placed in a tomb, Jesus rose again three days later and completed His mission, His plan to free us from sin and death so that we could live forever in paradise with Him. An undeserving man was tortured so that we, undeserving men, could have a purpose through Him. Isn’t that great!? Jesus loves us SOOOOO much!

Yet, we are still ignorant, we are selfish, we are liars, and the list goes on. No matter how many times we fail, He will forgive us. We don’t have to be labeled by our sin. At the beginning of the post, each of your teammates was labeled, the first one was a good worker, and the second had bad habits. Through Christ, we can have many labels: free, loved, saved, adored, adopted, forgiven, etc. Isn’t Jesus the best?! He is my Savior and He can be yours too. All you have to do is believe. After all Christ has done for you (YES YOU) shouldn’t you pay Him back? Obviously, it is impossible to do so, but serving Him and loving Him is all God needs in return. We must dedicate our ENTIRE lives to God. Jesus left His comfort zone for you, will you leave yours for Him?

For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for just a person – though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Romans 5:6-8

Poem: He Sees

He Sees

I see someone lost among billions of people

He sees someone who stands out in the crowd.

I see a girl who is weary and tired

He sees a girl with strength and endurance.

I see a person who doesn't match up to the standards of the world

He sees a person who is her own person in Christ.

I see a sinner

He sees someone saved by perfect grace.

I see a young child less than worthy

He sees a child of the King.

~ Poem by Rebekah A. Crozier

This poem was completely inspired by God.  I wrote it based upon something God has been showing me lately. 

Do you ever feel less than worthy to be loved by anyone, especially God?  Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I am not satisfied by what I see.  But, what we see isn't always the same as what God sees. 

When I feel lost and like God doesn't care about me, He's carefully watching every move I make.  When I don't feel like I measure up, He views me as someone made perfectly whom He loves.

We don't need to care about the world's standards and who the world says we should be.  Instead, we need to live uniquely and just be ourselves.  That's what will draw people to us and make them wonder, "why are you so different?"

One word God has been giving me lately is the word, enough.  He tells me daily, through different situations that I go through that I am enough for Him.  That I am enough and I don't need to change anything about myself because I am enough.  God calls you enough.  He tells you that you are enough for Him and for your friends and family.  You don't need to compare yourself to others because you are enough. 

Isaiah 64:8 says, "But now, Oh Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."  God didn't make you just like all the rest of the world.  He made you your own person.  He formed you specifically apart from everyone else.  He made you unique and different. 

This past Friday, I had the amazing chance to go to my church and hear Sadie Robertson speak.  Sadie is a senior in high school, and she is one of the stars of her family's reality tv show, Duck Dynasty.  She has done so much with her life to affect others like her.  One of the things she has done is written a book titled Live Original.  In her book, she talks about how God has called her to be set apart and live original or unique. 

While other tv stars and celebrities try to conform to the newest trends, Sadie made the choice a long time ago to stand out and stand up for what she believes in.

Don't be afraid to stand out.  Even if people ridicule you and judge you for not being like everyone else, God will help you through it.  He promises to always stay with you.  You will overcome any challenge you face because Jesus has already overcome the world and He stands with you.

Live original.  Live unique.  Be different.  Stand out.  Be set apart.  God made you special and He made you to be your own person.  You are enough so don't compare yourselves to others.  And whatever you do this week, remember God loves you no matter what.

A New Year, a New Start

Wow.  It’s 2016.  Time really does fly.  It seems like I was just in awe of the fact that it was 2015.  This is the time of year that, where I live, everyone is hoping and praying for snow.  I’m that one lonely person who doesn’t actually want snow this winter.  I’d much rather it be cold without the extra precipitation falling from the sky.

Anyways, there’s one thing that is on the mind of many a person at the start of a new year.  Can you guess what I’m going to say?  New Year’s Resolutions.  The first definition that pops up when you search this is, “a decision to do or stop doing something, made or announced at the New Year, which is traditionally considered a time for a fresh start.”

Some people are for this tradition of making resolutions, while others are against it.  I’m not against it because I think it is good to set goals for yourself for the year (or even for the day), as long as they are goals that will challenge you but are also realistic.

If we want to get somewhere with our life and be successful, but we don’t set goals, how do we expect to move in the direction we want to go in?  Without goals, we would just be ambling through life letting things happen.  Instead, we need to be intentional.  Being intentional means doing things with and for a purpose.  We need to live life with a purpose.  If we aren't intentional now, we may end up somewhere we never thought we would be.

Here’s the main statement for this whole blog post: Your intention determines your direction, and your direction determines your future.

Your intention determines your direction, and your direction determines your future. 

So, I’m going to ask you: what do you intend to do tomorrow?  Yes, I know.  Tomorrow seems like a long time away.  But, we need to plan ahead.  Do you think if a teacher didn’t know what he/she was teaching tomorrow, the class would be very organized?  Or course not.  Do you think you would learn anything?  Probably not.  Do you think if the President of the United States (or the leader of whatever country you live in) didn’t know what he/she was doing tomorrow or even next week, the government would be run very well?  Now, you may not think your life is as important as the president’s, but it’s important to God.

We need to live our life with a purpose.  We need to go through life, setting goals that will lead us in the right direction – closer to our Heavenly Father.  If you start going in this direction now, your future will great and will honor God, all because you decided to follow His direction for your life even in your younger days.

God created you to live with a purpose.  That’s why He made you.  He made you for a purpose.  He didn’t just say, “I’m going to create this person in this specific way. I don’t know why, but it looks interesting.”  Where would we be if God had created us to live our lives for no reason?

But, the Father of the universe (come one, the universe) made you (yes, you!) because He has a plan for your life.  Your life has purpose.  What you do tomorrow, next week, in this new year is all for a purpose.

“For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

God knew His plan for your life before you were even born.  Now, that’s some crazy planning-ahead!  I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel very special and grateful that God already has a plan for my future.  And to top it all off, He’s promised that it’s a good future (Jeremiah 29:11).

So, as Christ-followers, what should our New Year’s resolution be?

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness, into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

According to the verse above, we were created and chosen to honor God and proclaim His name always.  He brought us out of the darkness, and called us to praise Him and follow Him.  That is our calling in life. 

So, my New Year’s resolution is to grow closer to God.  This year, I intend to serve Him and be a light for Him.  He created me for a purpose, and I want to live according to that purpose.  If I plan ahead right now, I will go in the right direction.  And the right direction will lead me to a bright future.  One I want to use to honor God. 

What is your New Year’s resolution?

Let No One Despise Your Youth

I probably wouldn’t classify myself as an adult yet.  I still go crazy sometimes especially when I’m with certain people… (you know who you are if you’re reading this).  I’m not as smart as those people in authority over me, and I don’t have enough money to support myself without the help of my parents.  No, I’m not an adult yet.

But, does this mean I can’t stand up for myself?  Does this mean I can’t work hard towards my future?  Does it mean that I can’t have a close relationship with God because I’m not really old enough yet?

Not at all.

Just because I am young, doesn’t mean I can’t have as much of an impact on the world around me as accomplished adults.  We can all do amazing things as young people.  We can inspire people, teach people, and share our stories with people.  And we can do it well, for the glory of God.

1 Timothy 4:12 is one of my most favorite verses in the whole Bible (that’s saying a lot).  It says, “Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 

1 Timothy is the first of two letters that the apostle Paul wrote to a man named Timothy.  From what is understood, Timothy was a younger man, and Paul was kind of like a mentor to Him.  In chapter 1, verse 2, Paul called him a “son in the faith.”  Goodness, that’s a pretty sweet title to be called, especially by an amazing, godly man like Paul.

Timothy may have been a “son in the faith” but, like all of us, he needed some more instruction in how to be a church leader.  So, Paul decided to give him that instruction.

A few verses later in 1 Timothy 4:14a, Paul wrote, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you…” Paul was basically saying that everyone has a gift given to them by God.  Whether your gift is teaching, writing, singing, or you’re very good at sports, God gave that gift specifically to you!  But, He didn’t give you a gift just so you could throw it down and not acknowledge that it is there.  He wants you to use it for Him.  He wants you to glorify Him with your talents and special abilities. 

You may be saying, “I’m only a teenager. How am I supposed to use my talents to glorify God right now?”  That’s what Paul was saying to Timothy in the first verse we looked at (1 Timothy 4:12).  He said that you should “Let no one despise your youth…” Other translations say, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.”  

So, just because we are young in age, doesn’t mean we have to be babies in spirit.  (Now, this doesn’t mean that you should be allowed to watch R-rated movies even though your parents say you’re not old enough yet.  You should always obey your parents’ rules.)  Paul gives us 5 ways we, as young people, can be an example to others (even those older than us) and glorify God.

1.)   In speech – Ephesians 4:29 says, “No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” 

o   Think before you speak.  When you talk, always make sure that what you’re saying is encouraging to others and won’t put them down and make them feel bad about themselves.

o   People will notice if you almost always say nice, encouraging things, and it is a good example to set for everyone.

2.)   In conduct – A lot of times, your beliefs will determine your actions.  For example, if you believe that cars are safe to drive and you drive one, you probably shouldn’t act scared because you said that you believed cars are safe.  If you really believed that, you wouldn’t be acting scared to ride in one.

o   So, if you believe in the Bible and that everything it says is true, your actions/conduct should show that.  You should obey all the guidelines God has set for us in His Word.

o   This will be an example to show that you really believe in the Bible if you live out everything it says.

3.)   In love – God is the perfect example of love.  In fact, He is love.  He loves us with an unthinkable amount of love, and we should want to share that amazing love with everyone we meet. 

o   John 15:12 says, “This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.”  Short, sweet, and perfect.  We don’t deserve God’s love, but He still gives it to us.  So, not only should we love our friends and family, we should love our enemies, even if we don’t think they deserve our love. 

o   Those people that you don’t really like will be shocked when you start loving them.  It’s an awesome example to set and one that could lead lots of people to Christ.

4.)   In faith – Every believer has a personal story/testimony.  Someday, I’ll share mine with all of you.  But, even if you don’t think your story is great, God wrote it and He loves it. 

o   Don’t be scared to share the story of your faith with others. 

o   Whenever times get rough, remember to have a steadfast faith in Jesus, because He will protect you and He is always there.  In Matthew 17:20-21, Jesus explains how faith like a mustard seed can move mountains and work miracles.

5.)   In purity – This is the last one, but certainly not the least.  I love Psalm 119:9 which says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping Your Word.”

o   It is important, especially because of what society tells young people today, to guard your heart and mind.  If you don’t let bad things enter your heart and mind, bad things won’t come out.  But how can we stay pure in a world that tells us purity isn’t important, that it is old-fashioned?

o   David says it here: keep God’s Word.  Meditate on it every day; make sure you remember that time at least once a day when you talk to God and then pause and listen.  Reading God’s Word instead of spending your time on worldly things will lead you to a pure path.  You will be grateful for that pure path you followed once you are married.

Remember these 5 ways that you can be an example to everyone around you.  Even if you are young, God can use you in a powerful way.

Are Video Games the Best Thing for Christians?

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Video games are widely popular throughout our country.  People have become attached to them because they are a fun, entertaining time-filler.  I'm sure you've played a video game before, whether it was on your wii, phone, iPad, X-Box etc.  But, are they really the best things for Christians to do during their leisure time?

           

Some people play video games for pure entertainment.  But, do the games you play just entertain you or do they actually edify/build you up?  Find uplifting things to enjoy during your free time, not just what seems like the most fun.  Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.”  God created us to do good, productive works.  Are video games really worth the time that we could be using to glorify God?  Remember, everything you do and say will be accounted for in Heaven one day.  In my opinion, it would be really hard to try and explain to the God of the universe why you spent your time on things that don't really matter instead of helping others and serving God.

           

In 2 Timothy 3:4, Paul wrote that in the end times, people will love things of the world rather than eternal things.  If we are spending too much time a day on video games, that is showcasing the end times.  Instead, we should be a good example to those non-Christians around us who don’t serve God.  We should make God our number one priority.  Proverbs 3:6 says, “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”  When we put God first, He will protect us and make us successful in everything we do according to His will.  If putting God first means dropping something in your life like social media or video games, that’s what He wants us to do.  It should not become an idol.

Video games are not bad, but whenever you must choose between good, better, and best, it’s good to choose the best thing.  Remember the saying: 

Good, better, best

Never let it rest.

Until your good is better 

And your better is best.

Choose what honors God and glorifies Him to fill your free time.

Whatever you do this week, remember that God loves you no matter what! 

Weapon of Prayer

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Prayer- (n) 1. not something to be lightly covered in church  2. something used to defeat the enemy
3. a type of communication with a Heavenly being

Yes, I made this definition up because that is what I believe prayer should be.  This is what your relationship with God and others will look like if you pray consistently:

1.) You will have a better understanding of who God is
2.) You will be able to make wiser decisions (through God's help)
3.) You will have deeper conversations with God as you pray more
4.)  If you pray first thing in the morning, your day will most likely end up being great because you started it out with an attitude of prayer
5.)  God can work miracles in the lives of people you love through your prayers

Who doesn't want all of these things?  I know I do!  And I know God wants it for you as well.

So why is prayer so important that I would spend a whole blog post on it?

Let's think of God as your best friend.  How did you get to know that friend that you call your "best"?  It wasn't like poof! you were introduced to them and all of a sudden ya'll were best friends and your life was great and happy.  (If that's how it was for you, wow- your life must be pretty great!)

I know that to get to know my best friend better, I had to talk to her, learn about her and her family, learn her interests, get her number, text her etc.  And for some people, hardships and terrible circumstances is what brought them and their best friend together.

My point is, you can't start a relationship by doing nothing.  You have to go out of your way to talk to the person and spend time with them.  It's the same thing with God.  To get to know God and to have a relationship with Him, you have to pray and talk to Him just like you would your best friend.  The relationship doesn't start the moment you become a Christian; it starts when you start praying to God and reading His Word on a daily basis.

When the devil is tempting you or causing your family to go through a hard time, PRAY.  That's the answer to everything.  If you catch yourself thinking something impure, start talking to God and I guarantee you that those thoughts will go away as quickly as they came.  Whenever you need it, prayer can be your defensive weapon against the devil.  So use it!

Proverbs 15:29- "The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous." 

God will hear your prayers.  He's not too busy for you!  He always hears even if He doesn't answer right away.  And don't be tricked into thinking His answer is always a yes…I've learned this from personal experience.  Sometimes His answer is a "no" or a "not right now."

Whatever you do this week, remember that God loves you no matter what! 

We cry out "Abba! Father!"

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Last year in the Bible class that I took at school, we went over different names and ways to view God.  One of those, and my favorite, is viewing God as our Abba (Hebrew for father).

I don't know why this spoke to me as much as it did, but I guess that was God's plan.  My Bible teacher's words to us about this specific topic even inspired me to write a poem which I will now share with you.

Abba!

An overwhelming peace;

His arms surround me.

Nothing can get inside to me.

Of course bad things will happen!

But I am armed with God's truth

All the way through

He is my Abba Father!

I am His adopted beloved.

The spirit of God- His joy

Is inside me.

My heart smiles

At those that beat me and scorn me.

God is my joy.

He is my Abba Father! 

I am His adopted beloved.

He cares about His people.

We forget Him; we reject Him

But His love remains the same

No matter what.

He is my Abba Father!

This poem was completely God-breathed.  Every word of this poem came from Him and I have to say that it is one of the best poems I have ever written.

And it's such a true poem as well!  Let me share a verse with you:  

Romans 8:15 "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

I absolutely love this verse.  We are not slaves to God- that's not at all why He created us.  When He formed Adam and Eve on Day 6 of Creation, God wasn't thinking, "These humans will be perfect to serve me as slaves their whole lives."  Instead He was probably thinking, "I will love these people as my own and I will serve them."  

Did you catch that last one?  Now obviously, I don't know what God was thinking, but this is closer than the first!  God has loved us as His own and He has brought us into His royal family as if we were His own. 

He adopted us into His own family.  He doesn't treat us like less than His Son, even though we are adopted, but He treats us with love you and I could never even come close to imagining.

Do you believe you are a true son/daughter of God?  Are you?  Have you accepted Him into your heart, asking forgiveness from all your sins and surrendering your life to Him?  If not, do you want to be a child of God?  All you have to do is believe that God came and sent Jesus to die for you.  For you!!

God is a good, good father.  He is not a harsh father that only wants you to serve Him, but He wants to serve you!  Now for some homework… 

1.)  Look up the song Good, Good Father by Housefires because it is AMAZING and will show you what God is really like as a father

2.)  Go to your own father (your earthly one) today and do something special for him to show him how much you love him.  If you don't have a father, go to any special older male figure in your life.  

Then, comment down below and tell me what you did for your father because I would love to know! 

Whatever you do this week, remember that God loves you no matter what!