Dry Bones

I was listening to Casting Crowns Song "Spirit Wind." I haven't listened to it before, and when I heard it, I wanted to read the bible verses that were behind this song. When I looked it was the story of Ezekiel in a valley of dry bones. The first three verses in Ezekiel 37 goes, "The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' I said, 'Sovereign Lord, you alone know.'" Just stop and imagine for a second. You are led into a valley of dry bones, and God asked you if the bones could come back to life. To be honest, I would say no because these bones are bare bones lying in the middle of no where, how can they come back to life. But I like Ezekiel's answer when he says, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." He wasn't going to rely on what he knew and the knowledge he had, but he was going to rely on God and what God could do. It would be cool if we could have the confidence of Ezekiel, to have the ability to know that only the Lord knows what is going to happen. We wouldn't have to live in fear or worry, because we know God has it.
The next three verses is God telling Ezekiel what to do, which goes, "Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord, says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath it you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' '" It might have been weird at first just talking to a field full of dry bones, but Ezekiel did what he was told to do in the nest two verses which goes, "So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise,a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone by bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them  and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them." That must have been a cool sight to see. Imagine you are out in the middle of no where, talking to dry bones, and all of a sudden they start to form bodies with tendons and flesh. That is truly something only God can do.
As the story continues, the next verses are about getting breath into the bodies. "Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord, says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' ' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army." Now we have living, breathing people that came from a pile of bones in the middle of no where, and the bones turned into an army. This is amazing in itself, but what God says next truly amazes me. "Then he said to me: 'Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off '" All of this that just happened was to show Ezekiel how Israel was. No they weren't a pile of bones, but spiritually, they were dead. They were living without hope. They were no better then zombies, because they were living but there was no emotion, or any hope, or joy. Verse 14a says, "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live."
Now this did happen a long time ago, but today there are still people who are spiritually dead. They are no better then a pile of bones. Our job is to speak life into them. We do this by sharing the gospel. When we share about the love that Jesus freely gives, then we give a chance for the Holy Spirit to enter, and make them Spiritually alive again. With the Spirit in them, we are able to create an army for the Lord. So who are you going to share the gospel with so that they too may be spiritually alive, and able to serve in God's army?

What Did You Say?

How many of us had said something that we later regretted, and it hurt a friend or family member. We all have at some time in our lives. For me it happened last night. I was really angry at something and I took my anger out at my dad. The person who was there to help me, I just pushed him away. We did make up, but I was hurt by the way I treated him. Then later that night I found Psalms 141:3 which says, "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Pretty much the verse is asking God to help you watch what you say., and sometimes saying nothing is the best way to avoid a problem. I know that it is easier said then done, but with prayer and God's help, you can learn to watch what you say more and more.
I know that when we are angry or upset, we are much more susceptible to lash out at someone or say something you don't mean. In my Theory of Knowledge class we call that getting hooked. We read an interview in class and the main speaker said that when you do something you don't want to do, then you are getting hooked.  To show you what getting hooked means, imagine a fish swimming in a lake. A fisherman walks to the lake, places bait on his hook, and cast out his line. The fish, knowing he shouldn't, but he swims to the hook and bites it. Then the fisherman reels the line up and the fish is in a lot of trouble. The fish in this story is us, and the bait on the hook is the things that we want to avoid but it is so tempting. For example, your bait could be drugs, to anger, to the words that you say. Then once you are hooked, things start to rise quickly, like being reeled up. If you say something to someone to hurt them, then they could turn around and say something back to you, and then the problem begins to escalate quickly. To take a step farther then we did in Theory of Knowledge, God in this story represents the fish that is in your way, the fish that won't let you bite the bait. Using the verse above, if you get hooked because of the words you say, then ask God to set a "guard over your mouth," and to watch over the "door to my lips." What you are asking God is for God to stand between you and the hook with the bait you so want to bite. There are still going to be times when you completely avoid God and swim around him to bite the hook, but the more you pray and the more you try, God will become a bigger and bigger barrier in front of that hook. You will stop to think about your words before you say them more, and you won't hurt many peoples feelings. 

Our Time

For all of us in high school, most of us just think about getting out and going to college. We just have to get through high school, and then you are free. But the thing is, you only go through high school once. There is no second chances when you graduate from high school. But just stop to think about what opportunity you can miss if you just try to get through high school. One day you are going to be sitting in a rocking chair at an old folks home thinking, "I wish I would have done ... during high school." Or you tell your grand kids, "I wish when I was in high school, I would have done..."
Psalms 90:12 says, "So teach us to number our days that we may grow a heart of wisdom." What would you do if I told you that you weren't going to make it to college. Or a family member that you are close to dies and you didn't get to do what you wanted to do with them. I bet you would live your life a little differently. You might gain some wisdom of what you need to do, like accept God into your life, or forgiving someone who hurt you. You would stop worrying about the future and what you will do or become, and you would focus on the now because it is all you have. 

We don't know the last day or hour that we will die, but we should live like each day is our last. It is okay to think and plan for the future, but that shouldn't be your only focus. Your focus should be on the now and what you are doing, so that you don't miss anything. Below are a few songs that can help you wrap your head around how short our time is on earth and how precious our time is now. 

*Slip On By-Finding Favour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrrXghWl0bM

*One Life To Love- 33 Miles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NouK3fxgZXI

*Blink-Revive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvuxFdM3S58

Willingly Giving

Growing up, we all learn that we need to give.  We are suppose to give our time, money, or resources to the needy.  I feel like that has fallen out of style as we have grown up.  I mean some of us volunteer, and I'm not saying to stop doing that, but when it comes to everyday life, we don't tend to give.  I know that in my school, one of the programs you can take require you do volunteer for 75 hours junior and senior year.  Some people just get there 75 hours done because it is another thing to do.  I think some of us think that if it doesn't count for those hours then why do it.  If it meant that we might make a few enemies along the way, then that's fine.  We would rather make enemies and hold grudges then forgive and give.  This is probably because it is easier to make enemies then it is to give to someone.  But 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."  To put this in modern terms, if you give generously, then it will be given back to you.  If you don't give generously, then you don't get as much back.  Doing 75 hours of volunteering will give you something back, but those 2 minute exchanges that won't show up on a college transcript will also give back. When you combine the two services together, then you are giving generously, and all that you have done will be returned to you.  It may be a year, ten years, or two hours for it to be given back to you, but it will be given back.
To show you an example, I had a experience of given, and getting that back yesterday during Valentines Day.  I had this friend.  We were best friends growing up, but we had a really bad fallen out in the beginning of this year.  It was so bad that for a while we couldn't speak to each other.  I had an extra Casting Crowns "Coming to the Well" CD, that I could give to anyone.  I thought of this friend, because there were some songs on there that I thought she could relate to, and they could encourage her.  So I wrapped it up, and thought what better day to give it to her then on Valentines Day, because she is still single, so she didn't have anyone that will give her lavish gifts.  I gave the gift to her in the morning and she loved it.  Then at lunch, there was a girl making balloon animals, and my friend got me a purple monkey with a banana.  I was talking to my brother about how he should go get me one, but he didn't have to because my friend got it for me.  She didn't know that I wanted one, but she got it for me anyways.  It is so cute, and at the end of the day, my friend and I aren't besties again, but at least we are able to talk again with out it being awkward.
Now this is just one example of what could happen.  You may not want a purple balloon monkey with a banana, but you may like something else.  I shared this story to encourage you to give generously because you never know what may come back to you.

My Balloon Monkey

Who Are You?

Growing up, we all want to be accepted, and we would do anything to get accepted. If you want to be a nerd, you make yourself look smarter. If you want to be popular, you might flaunt some money around. We all act differently around different people so we can all be accepted.  But what if it doesn't have to be that way. To show my point, I have a few photos, that I would love to share.

 

This is a bird that I drew during math. Let's say that this is you. You are being yourself and you aren't trying to please anyone.



 

This is the same bird, just with a few changes. This might be how you act around you parents. You try to hide something's that you don't want them to know, and so you cover it up. The black and white is covering what you are trying to hide, while the purple is everything your parents want you to be.

 Now these three pictures are a representation of how you are at school. You are different at school, then you are at home, and with each changing backgrounds, you are with a different group of people.

Now the question is, how does God see you? Which of the above pictures does God see you as. Does he see you as the person that you are around your parents, or the person you are around your friends?

There are two ways to look at the question and there are two answers, but they both end up at one picture.

For the first way, I'm going to rephrase the question a little. What if I were to say, how do you act around God? Do you try to act like a good person like you have done nothing wrong? Or are you yourself? God doesn't want you to put on an act, because he can see right through it. Psalms 139:15 says, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth." God knows your deep inner thoughts because he made you, so there is no put in hiding it. God wants you to be open with Him, to ask for help, and to admit your weaknesses.

The second way to look at this question is, through all your different acts, how does God see you? Does He see you as a different person every time you  change groups, or does he see you the same no matter what? Ephesians 4:24 says, "And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." We were made in God's image, and when we believe in God then we are like Him. God doesn't see your flaws. It's not that He has amnesia, He chooses not to remember. He sees you for you, and not for the things you have done, or the person you are trying to be.

So do you change who you are around different people, or are you just being you?

 

Camels and Needles

As I was reading my bible this week, I came across the passage of the rich ruler. As I was reading, the following passage stuck out to me, "When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come follow me.' When he (the ruler) heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 18:22-25) When you first read this, it is really depressing, and it seems impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. But then I did some research. My parents gave me a book that helps to understand scripture through the time period that it was written. First off, there were two types of needles in the time of Jesus. You have the eye of a regular sewing needle, and there other type of needle was a small door in a larger door. The larger doors were like city gates, and were normally closed in the evening. So if someone wanted to enter the city, they could walk through the small door, or the "needle's eye." The problem is that large animal could enter through the small door easily, like a camel. The camel would have to stop, and take of the load that it was carrying, and the camel would have to crawl through the door. Camels could enter the door eventually, but that was only possible when they unloaded what they had, and got on their knees.
So what does this new information mean in context to the verse above? The first thing it means is that the rich must lay down his burdensome "things", which could be anything from houses to cars to money. The next thing this means that that the rich have to kneel to enter the kingdom of God. Just like how the camels had to get on there knees to enter the city, the rich need to get off their high horse and get on their knees before God. This might seem difficult or impossible, especially if you are rich, but as the story goes on, verse 27 says, "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'" Nothing is to big for God to handle, and if you struggle with this ask God to help you lay down your burdensome "things" so that you may kneel before Him.

Heroes

Growing up, we all watch the princess and hero movies, and we all imagine that one day we could be a hero and do awesome things, and save people lives. When we grow up, we realized that we won't be able to fly or to become invisible, and that we aren't going to be locked up in a castle waiting for Prince Charming to come. What really happens is that we fall into a routine. We wake up, go to school, come home and do homework, and then we go to bed. The isn't much of a chance for us to be that brave hero that comes in and saves the day.

 What would happen if I say that in everyday life, you have a chance to be a hero. It may not be a big action, crime fighting hero, but you can save someone's life. Casting Crown's new song, "Heroes" explains how we can all be heroes. The second verse goes, "He walks the halls, against the flow / He sees his high school as his mission field / He’s broken ‘cause he knows / The hopeless road that they are taking / The empty feelings they are chasing only lead to futures wasted / So he’s willing to stand alone / He lives what he believes when they all say it’s not worth believing / Every night on his knees, he prays “God, won’t / You please help me reach them?”" You can be a difference in your school. It may require you to stand alone, but you can save someone's life from eternal separation from God. Now it may be hard to think of ways to reach your school, so I'm going to list some things that my bible study at school thought of, and some bible verses to go with it.

Positivity-When you can stay positive though what ever you are going through, people start to wonder why are you so positive. This then creates a good platform to share the gospel. 

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me,"

Loving on People-When Jesus was on Earth, He went around loving on people. Some ways you could love on someone might be as easy as introducing yourself, or sitting with them at lunch.

John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Speaking Up-When your class talks about something that you don't agree with, stand up for what you believe in. You may not win any argument, but you can get some minds thinking abut what they believe.

Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Standing Out-When you see people you are close with doing something that you shouldn't be doing, don't take a part in it. That way people can see that you mean what you believe and when they ask why, you can share with them why.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Honor Your Parents/Obeying Authority-No matter how uncool this sound, God put them in charge of you for a reason. When you do what they ask, no matter how uncool, people will start thinking and asking questions and this gives you a great opportunity to share with them.

Exodus 20:12 says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." 

Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

Reading Your Bible-This is killing two birds with one stone. You are growing in your faith, and when people ask you what you are reading, it gives you a great platform to share the gospel with them.

Psalms 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Pray-When you pray in school, people can clearly see the God you serve.

 Mark 11:24 says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours"

This is just a list of some of the things that you can do. Some of them will be easier then others, but when you start to show God's love in your school, you are bound to be a hero. So, how are you going to be a hero at your school?

Broken Perfection- Part Two

Wednesday, I talked about how God sees us verses how we see ourselves.Today, I want to give you the opportunity to believe that you are made to perfection.

The first picture today is a reflection of the perfection to the word believe. We can know that God sees us a perfection, but if we don't first believe that it is true, we won't be able to reflect who God is in our lives. When we believe that Jesus died for our sins, then we believe that Jesus was the one true reflection of who God is. Colossians 1:15 says, "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." Jesus is the one true reflection of who God is. It is when we believe that Jesus is that one true reflection, then it is possible to see the true reflection. The picture below is the true reflection once you believe. And when you believe you don't turn out as just a reflection that is upside down, but you are turned right side up, so that you can be truly perfect. You weakness or shortcoming, began to seem like perfection that only you have.

Once you believe that you are perfect, then it slowly becomes easier for you to accept your short comings. God made us each for an individual task that only you can do. God made you with your short comings so that you will be able to live out God's will. For example, let's say one of your short comings is the inability to focus for a long period of time. You practice, and work hard at trying to lengthen your attention span. You will have your successes and your failures, and one day, you may be able to help someone else with the same problem and offer any advice you have.
Bottom line, you are perfect just the way you are. God made you to be who you are, and you just need to believe it, and once you believe it, you start to see your weaknesses as perfection.