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Anonymous asked: when i come back from retreats, im all fired up and i all i want to do is priase god. but when i go back to school, i get caught up from all the temptations. is there anyway to prevent this?
Retreats are amazing because we’re surrounded by people full of God’s unfailing love. We are on fire for the Lord, because we feel Him in our hearts, we’re learning about Him, we’re driven by His word but the main part of retreats is we are surrounded by people showing us Christ’s love. When we get home, go back to school, and find ourselves back in the ‘real world’ the problem is that. We think that our old friends, our everyday routine is the ‘real world’ and we have no way out of that. It’s wrong though. You need to reach out to people. Don’t hang out with people who put you into those tempting situations. We have to be the salt and the light of the earth.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” -Matthew 5:13-16
Basically what I’m trying to get at is living for Christ is hard. Yes, it’s very hard. He tells that over and over again, how we will be ridiculed by the world and the path to heaven is narrow. But when we live our life for Christ, we have Christ we have God, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us!! So yes, Satan will try to tempt us with our weaknesses, but we have to be strong. We have to reach out on our own. A church group is a great way to help encourage us and keep us going for the Lord, but when we step out of our Christianity comfort zone, that’s when we truly are the church of God. We have to show people who see us everyday that we have truly changed. Once they see that change in us, that dramatic, radical, life-altering change they will start to ask you questions. That would be an opportunity to show someone how amazing Christ is. Sorry I’ve gotten a little off topic, to answer your question, some ways to prevent this: change your life. Change your everyday routine, change how you act towards people, pray constantly, know that the Lord is walking side by side with you wherever you go. God will help you. You just have to take that step of faith. We change the world by changing ourselves first. I’m praying for you! God bless!! :)
We have forgotten the meaning of Christmas.
We get swept up by everything we have made Christmas into, and forget what it’s all about. Our culture tells us that Christmas is a time for feeling good and buying presents. Some people even try to ignore that it’s about Jesus, others don’t even care. It wraps us up so much that we forget that Christmas is about Jesus. The light of the world. Celebrating his arrival. Spreading his love.
We need to reclaim and rededicate it to what it is truly for!
John 1:4-9
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.”
Jesus is that light! He’s the true light.
Jesus came to his father’s creation as part of it. Why? So that you and I could become his people.
So that we have a chance of freedom in this life. He has made us free of our sins. Jesus coming down here and living like we did, not only gave us guidelines and a role model to look after, but it gave us hope and the chance to become his people. We are the children of God. How amazing is that! The creator of everything, the almighty God, chose us. He chose you.
Jesus is our light. He’s telling you, I love you and I am here with you.
God sent Jesus to us.
Who has faced everything we have, and encountered every temptation possible.
A god who became his own creation.
so that we can understand…
just how much he loves us
and that he wants us.
Christmas is about the fact that God became flesh and dwelt among us.
Emmanuel- means God is with us. Christmas has been defiled and it needs to be remade.
Jesus is here and he is our eternal light.
What things can you do to escape the patterns of this world and remind yourself what Christmas is truly about?
How can you remind yourself God is here?
He did it ALL for us!
Keep it the central focus as the reason we celebrate.
Spread his light!
-Kerry Snyder
We need the light of Christ. Make a difference, show that light again. We’re supposed to be the light in this world.
Chase the dark…
To chase means to put to flight or drive out. Dark is lacking brightness or having little light: evil characteristics of forces. If you combine those two, we are called to be the light in this world as Christians. The places that are difficult to understand, stem from evil characteristics or forces.
John 1
Everywhere you step bring the light of Jesus to that place. There is a lot of hopelessness and gloom in places like Haiti for example. Injustice, lack of compassion and love, and lack of community. So we as barriers of light bring it to those places and bright it to flight- chase it away. Haiti is just an example because it is such a poverty-stricken country that needs help. You don’t have to go out of the country to chase the dark. You don’t even have to go out of your neighborhood at times. THere is darkness everywhere that needs to be saved by Jesus’s love. You have to be that light and share his love. God’s love.
You are that light.
Jesus called us to be the light of the world. A city that cannot be hidden. To be on mission with him to bring light to dark places. Your light was meant to set the dark to flight. You were meant to be a light. What if it’s more. What if you were meant to go. What if you were meant to not only be the light to those who see you but to chase the darkness away. GO after it, don’t let it come to you.
Matthew 5:14-15 “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide under a bucket do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”
Proverbs 4:18-19 “The ways of right-living people glow with light; the longer they live, the brighter they shine. But the road of wrongdoing gets darker and darker-travelers can’t see a thing; they fall flat on their faces. Learn it by heart.”
John 8:12 “Jesus onces again addressed them: ‘I am the world’s light. No one who follows me stumbles around in darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.’”
John 1:5 “The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.”
Daniel 12:3 ” ‘Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.”
The book of Romans explains that all of creation is waiting for the children of God to stand up and show their light.
What are you waiting for?
-Kerry Snyder
