Obsessed with Celebrities

The internet is filled with articles about celebrities. Everyday the news stations talk about the famous. Our society loves to hear about them.

I can't deny that I do as well. I am fascinated by people in general, famous or no.

Before we begin, let me just say that there is nothing wrong with having admiration for someone. There are plenty of celebrities who I feel are good role models. I believe many of us even admire people in the bible, such as Queen Esther or Paul. When admiration becomes worship, it is a problem.

There is a young woman who has spent a lot of money just to look like Kim Kardashian. There are teen and tween girls who argue back and forth about whether One Direction or Taylor Swift is better. There are girls, even within the church who can tell you the most popular song on the radio, but can't even quote one scripture.

People have a tendency to put celebrities on a pedestal. Others talk about them as if they are the scum of the earth. The truth is both are wrong.

I have seen many Christians forget that celebrities are made in God's image, just as we are. They are not meant to be worshipped. They also have as much right to come to the Gospel as we do. 

When I see the horrible, hateful things said about these people, it breaks my heart. Whenever a celebrity dies, I have often heard some Christians say, "Oh boo hoo, they were super sinful horrible people. Not worth our mourning!"

First of all, we are also "super horrible sinful people" too-but God found us and saved us (1Corinthians 6:11)! Why shouldn't we mourn? If someone has lost their soul, that is tragic!

Jesus came to die for every person. Those in the spotlight are no exception. How could we forget these beautiful words:

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ever lasting life." (John 3:16)

"And He said to them: 'Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; but He who does not believe shall be condemned." (Mark 16:15-16)

We should make it a habit to pray for celebrities and politicians (1 Tim.2:1-2). It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from- God wants you and loves you. Also, there are some who are members of the Lord's body. Pray for them to stay strong in the difficult world of Hollywood.

Obsessed with Beauty

I attended beauty school last year. I have always had an interest in that area. It appeals to my artistic side. I still have an appreciation for the industry and I believe it does have its place in society.

Women have been beautifying themselves for thousands of years. We even read of many examples in the Bible. It is something that we will continue to do.

The problem is that women are prone to obsession with appearance. In doing so, they can end up destroying their self-esteem. This leads to them forgetting what matters--their heart. Even with the makeup and hair dye, many still hate what they see in the mirror.

In the modeling industry, I have heard it said that many thin models hate plus-size models. Likewise, many plus size girls criticize thinner models saying, "REAL women have curves."

Guess what? Somebody somewhere is going to complain about our appearance no matter how we look. No amount of makeup, surgery, or amazing clothes is going to change that.

God tells us that a woman's beauty should come from within and from her actions (1st Peter 3:3-4, 1 Timothy 2:9-10). He tells us to keep our dress in moderation and to focus more on being a woman of God.

Modesty is about helping us keep our focus on what is most important. It is about projecting our priorities to the world.

When we dress or put on makeup are we displaying pride or meekness? Is our outfit tasteful, feminine, and humble? God doesn't want us to be obsessed over our appearance. When we become obsessed with something, we take our eyes off of Christ.

I'm by no means perfect in this area. I've made some poor choices in my appearance. I've also compared myself to others in the past.

But I got tired of it.

We must stop shaming ourselves. Stop the fat shaming. Stop the skinny shaming. It is petty and un-Christlike. God loves us and created us (Psalm 139:13-16). We are made in his image (Gen. 1:26) and are therefore beautiful.

That's it. We need no other confirmation of our worth or attempts to measure up. God has spoken and that is enough.

Obsessed With Social Media

Recently, I was watching Girl Meets World. The main character Riley receives an assignment from her teacher (her Dad). The group she was in had to do the assignment without a cellphone, and without the internet. That left only one option: The Library. (Dun dun dun!)

So Riley and her crush were finally able to have a real conversation. Before that, they had only talked through text. By the end of the episode, her group found that real interaction was better. Riley even found herself liking the guy even more.

While cute and funny, this episode shows a big problem in our society. You can’t walk out into public without seeing multitudes of heads looking down at their phones. As a society, we have decided that we will die if we don’t check that Facebook status or tweet.

I admit I’m one of the worst offenders. Lately I've realized just how much I use my phone. I find myself getting irritated at how much I use it. I could get a lot more done by switching off my phone sometimes.

I’m sure we’ve all heard of the problems of constant phone use. Sara Thomee at the Gothenburg University of Sweden conducted such a study. She was a student who wanted to study the effect of constant cell phone and computer use on the minds of college students.

Her test subjects were computer science majors and medical students. She noted, “…intensive computer use…was a prospective risk for sleep disturbances in the men, and stress, sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression in women.” (Thomee, 65)

Also, “frequent mobile phone use was a prospective risk factor for reporting sleep disturbances in men, and sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression in women.” (Thomee, 65)

For a few days recently, I turned off my phone after breakfast. I didn't turn it back on until late at night. I noticed that it was easier to fall asleep and to focus.

I’m not saying that computers and phones are bad. Many people have received the Gospel because of them.The problem lies in the obsession of it all.

 Lately I have left my phone at home when I go to worship or bible study. It is because I have often browsed before and after church, missing out on fellowship. When we are looking at our phones, we miss those opportunities to encourage one another.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

If our heart is not in the fellowship, we might as well be saying that we are “neglecting to meet together”. If our focus is on the phone in our hands, how can we grow and encourage each other as God commands?

I'm saddened when people use Facebook and text during worship and study.

You are there to worship and learn from our almighty Creator. If God were sitting in the worship assembly, would you be browsing on your phone? What if Jesus were to return in that moment? As Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

I think we all, myself included, should consider how much we use our phones. When we are online, do we use most of that time to encourage others? When we aren’t, do we take enough time for fellowship and good works? (Ephesians 5:15-16)

There’s so much life to live. Why waste so much of it staring mindlessly at a screen?  (James 4:14)

Obsessed With Love

I think we can definitely say our society has an obsession with love. Often, people are so desperate to be loved and cherished. People want badly to be in love and feel like they matter. Many believe to not be in love would be a miserable existence.

People have bought into the lie that you need to be "in love" or romantically involved to be content and happy. The truth is, it's a difficult mindset to be free of. I can't deny that my thinking has gone this route before.

This mindset has led people to make terrible, often soul-costing decisions in their lives. I believe that a lot of it has to do with a great misunderstanding of love. Even religious people have fallen into this trap.

Many who do believe in God often try to make justification for why they should be in a relationship that the bible says is wrong. In their minds they say, "God is a God of love. So I should love whomever I want. He wants me to be happy, right?"

God is a God of love, right? Yes. (1 John 4:8, 16) And, as stated in the previous article of this series, happiness on earth isn't to be the end goal of the Christian. It is to honor God and to find happiness at the end of our lives here.

Back onto the subject of love. I believe many do have a skewed definition of love. Part of that may be because of how our language is. What do I mean? Well, the New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Greek language has many words to describe different kinds of love. We only have one word that describes them all.

Examples of the Greek love include:

• Eros (sexual/romantic)
• Storge (family)
• Philia (brotherly love/deep friendship)
• Agape (self-sacrificial) 

It may surprise you that the only two mentioned in the New Testament are "Philia" and "Agape". Even in the verses referring to the relationship of a husband and wife, "agape" is the term for love used. (Ephesians 5:25, Colossians 3:19)

Since we only have one word to describe all these things, it can make sense that there is some confusion about the subject. We must be careful in merging societal ideals with the word of God.

Agape love is a completely unselfish love. It means putting others needs before your own. We saw this in our savior when he washed His disciples' feet (John 13:1-17). We also saw it when He was scourged, tortured, and mocked (1 John 3:16).

In 1st Corinthians 13, the chapter describes in depth what "Agape" love is:

"Love is patient, and kind. Love does not envy. Love does not behave rudely, and is not selfish. It is not easily angered, and thinks no evil. Love does not rejoice in sin but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails..."-1st Corinthians 13:4-8

Go back and read that verse again, replacing "love" with "Agape", and remember what it means. It gives you a whole new perspective on God's definition of love, doesn't it? When interpreting God's word, word studies can be quite helpful in coming to the meaning of a passage (history can help as well). This is no exception.

This idea of love is pretty different from how much of the world views it. People make the excuse that they should be with who they want because God is love-but this idea of love is clearly not biblical. You can especially see how that gets blown out of the water when  you read verse six: "Love does not rejoice in sin, but rejoices in the truth."

In view of eternity, romantic love means little. People think that if they can't be with or find that right person, or "soul-mate" you life will be miserable. Even in the religious world, the idea is often pushed that if you just wait on God, He'll send the right person. God created marriage to be a beautiful and fulfilling relationship, but it isn't required. We see so many single people who were powerhouses in the work of the Lord-such as the Apostle Paul, for instance.

One thing that many miss and forget (I've forgotten it too) that there is absolutely nothing greater than God's love. Nothing (Romans 8:38-39, John 3:16). When you throw yourself into a relationship with God, He will never let you down. Even if you do find that "special someone", putting God first will help you love them even more.

In our world, people mistake that romantic feeling of love/lust for real love. Just because something "feels good" does not mean you are entitled to it. It may make you feel exhilarated or good to be with someone, but that doesn't make it right. Feeling that you are entitled to something is pride ("love isn't proud" 1 Cor. 13:4). People today are doing the same as in the time of the judges in the Old Testament. People do "whatever seemed right in their own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25).

God is the ultimate good. Trying to find complete happiness in earthly things will only be temporary. Whether you want to admit it, things that are defined as sin in God's word will have consequences-here and in eternity. God is the only constant there is and He will never let you down. Sure there are bad things in this world, but He will help you through them. (Hebrews 13:5, Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10) All He asks is for you to love Him with "all your heart, soul, and mind" (Mark 12:30). And, if you do love Him, obey Him (John 14:15). This brings joy (John 15:10-11).

It is incredibly difficult to break away from the world's mindset on things and to not fuse them with what God's word says. But with a humble and obedient heart, one can ask God to help them separate fact from fiction in study. Love is no exception.

Obessed With Happiness

Our world has an obsession with happiness. A lot of people are constantly pursuing happiness; often in positive ways, and often in negative ways. Happiness is not a bad thing at all-yet, many base that happiness on things that won’t last. People are so obsessed with the idea of happy, that it has led many to distort God’s word in the process.

Does our wish for happiness for ourselves as well as others get in the way of how God would have us to live? If that’s the case, we’re looking for happiness or encouraging others to find it in ways God never intended for us to find it.

Many religious people today have bought into the lie that a person’s happiness should be preserved at all costs. Many believe that it is wrong and unloving to tell someone that they are doing something that displeases God.

As soon as you tell someone that they are wrong, they always say, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

They are throwing this part of scripture horribly out of context. The problem lies in the fact that many do not take the time to read ahead or study the context in which it is being said. (As a matter of fact, when you tell us we're wrong for judging you're also judging us for judging. Interesting paradox, huh?)

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or, how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your own eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  (Matthew 7:1-5)

Jesus is not saying here that we shouldn’t judge . He’s saying to make sure to be careful in how you approach the situation. We have to remember that when we are making a judgment we must also remember that we also are not above the law (the religious leaders of Jesus' day often thought this way). We must examine our intentions behind bringing this issue up to the person. We must also consider if we are committing the same sin.  If we were not supposed to judge in any way, Jesus would not have said in John 7:24: “…judge with righteous judgment.”

When we judge, it must be done from a place of wanting to help others and to please God.

The bible says, “to speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). We are to tell the truth of the entire Gospel, including what God expects of us as His followers. To speak this truth, we must speak it with patience,  and kindness. We must speak it without jealousy, and without pride or arrogance. We must speak it without rudeness, without selfishness, and without anger (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).

 In this passage, in verse 6 it says, “[Love] does not rejoice in sin, but rejoices with the truth.” The bible also says in Ephesians 5:11, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless seeds of darkness, rather, expose them.” (emp. Added)

So we are to judge, but in the way described above-with great care, love, and honesty.

If we as Christians wish someone happiness in something God has deemed wrong, we are being dishonest to our fellow man. In Romans chapter one, it lists things that God has deemed sinful (26-31). In verse 32 it says, “…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.” (emp. Added) Those who applaud and encourage those doing wrong are just as sinful in God’s eyes.

Encouraging others in their sin, even in the name of happiness, would be dishonoring to their God to show support of something He has said is sin. 

That being said, you can live anyway that you want, you have that free will to do so, and we can’t stop you. That is a decision you have to make, but know that God's word says it won't lead anywhere good. (Matthew 7:13)

Happiness in this life is not our main goal. Our goal as Christians should be to live for the next life, so that we can be with our savior in Heaven. That and only that is our ultimate prize (Philippians 3:14, 20-21). We as Christians find happiness in this life knowing that we are doing God's will and that He is going to take care of us (Matthew 6:25-33). We find contentment no matter what situation we find ourselves in because He is with us (Psalm 23, Philippians 4:11)

 But, the true followers of Christ see the physical things of little importance in the long term. We fear God first before man. (Matt. 12:4-5)

Sure, there are a lot of wonderful blessings in this world given to us by God, but there is also pain-and a lot of it. For us, we know that after we leave this life, there will be nothing but pure, awesome joy in the presence of our God (Revelation 21:4). When we tell you of His Word, and tell you something that may not be what you want to hear, we have the best of intentions. We just want the same joy and peace for others that we have for ourselves. 

I know what I've said isn't popular, and some may hate me after this article. Yet, I encourage you to go back and read the scriptures in the article. I'm only a messenger trying to spread God's word. I am writing this because I want everyone to know of the joy and peace that comes from God when you fully submit to Him and release the grasp on your life. The truth is, it's hard to keep what you are passionate about to yourself. I care about every soul reading this. You are loved very deeply by God (John 3:16).

Romans 10:17

Mark 16:16

James 2:17-26

Acts 2:38

Romans 10:9

Luke 13:5

Revelation 2:10

"Shake the Dust Off Your Feet..."

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine shared a photo that dealt with a current moral debate. It was completely wrong, and had a horrible misuse of scripture. I wanted to speak up because it broke my heart that this photo was going around giving such a false impression of God’s Word. I had a whole argument built up, backed up with scripture. Yet, Facebook malfunctioned that night and I was not able to send it to them.

That night, something dawned on me: most of the verses in my argument were ones I had given to them before in previous conversations. I shared God’s word and tried my best to encourage them to change. That night, I knew then that this person does know the truth. They just don’t want to change, or are too afraid, for whatever reason. That is such a scary pill to swallow because they are forfeiting their soul.

As the adage goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

The truth is, you just have to let people go sometimes. This is difficult for me because I care about others so much. I have had a few people tell me in the past that I care too much about others and that I should stop. On one hand, they are right-I can’t let it wear me down. On another hand, it goes against my nature and who I am at a deep level. Much of what I do is because I want to help others and encourage them.

In the end, we have to remind ourselves that people have free will to live as they wish. Arguing God’s word will get you nowhere most of the time. We need to make sure that when we talk about it to others that we are coming from a place of love, honesty, and gentleness. At that point it is in their hands. To get to the point of arguing with someone will only serve to push them away further.  Jesus instructed the disciples to “shake the dust off their feet” when they came to a place that refused to accept God’s word. (Matthew 10:14)

 I am sad when I’m not able to lead others to Christ, which I know many of you feel that way as well. Often, whether it be a situation with a friend, or issues with the world as a whole, there is usually only one solution: prayer. If you are about to teach someone the gospel, or you already have and they did not accept it, take it to God in prayer.

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous man holds great power.”

You never know how God is working (Eph. 3:20). For whatever reason, a person’s heart may not be at a point that they can accept Him, and need more time. Maybe they never will come to Christ. Either way, you can never go wrong praying. Not only can it help to bring about change, but it will also build your faith as His follower. It helps Christians to let go and relieve them of some of the burden. Isn’t awesome that our Savior bears our burdens with us? (Matt. 11:28)

Do what you can, the best that you can (Eccles. 9:10) and let God handle the rest. If you do your best and others exercise their free will, do your best to move on and give His word to someone else. Take comfort in the fact that God has your back.

Freedom Isn't Free

On Memorial Day, we take the time to pay respects to those who have fought for us and all of our freedoms. Those men and women who have lost their lives for our nation deserve the utmost respect for their sacrifices.

Our Lord said, “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Jesus understood this better than anyone. He did just what He stated in the verse above. He loved everyone in the world so much, that He was willing to die for us.

At the beginning of our nation, our founding fathers fought to be free from a government which sought to control everyone. Jesus fought spiritually for us to be free from Satan’s oppression of sin—if we choose to love and obey him. (Romans 6:7-9)

His sacrifice was so great that He claimed the ultimate victory over sin (Romans 6:8-10). While the victor has been declared, all humanity now has a choice which side they will choose: the winning side, or the losing side. There is no middle ground to stand on, or fence to straddle. These belong to Satan.

For us to be free, we must make a choice. The Christian life requires sacrificing those things that hurt God. Do we want God in our lives to the point that we’re willing to do whatever He asks? Because that is what it takes! (John 14:15, 21-24, Matthew 10:37-40)

The world so often pushes things that we deem important, but in view of eternity, mean very little: love (romantic), money, jobs, social status, and sex. Not to say that any of these things are necessarily bad in and of themselves, but are we using them in the way God intended us to have them?  Also, just because we want these things, doesn’t mean we should have them. That is what gets people in trouble spiritually-people think they are entitled to something and so therefore they do anything they can to get it.

On the warfront physically, and spiritually, you’re not entitled to anything. As a matter of fact, for soldiers to be victorious, they must remove all selfishness and realize that the cause is much bigger than them.

“Finally, my brethren, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against principalities, against powers, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness 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. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication for all the saints…” –Ephesians 6:10-18

It’s not about us. It’s about God, and sharing His message of salvation to mankind (Mark 16:15). Just as a soldier in a war, we as Christians must learn that God has given us a great task to fight for and to endure, no matter what happens (Revelation 2:10, 1st Timothy 6:12). There may be times when we may be afraid or be uncertain of what to do, but God will always fight with us and give us strength (Exodus 14:14, Philippians 4:13, 2^nd Corinthians 12:9-10).

The truth is, freedom isn’t free. It isn’t free because to gain freedom, we must realize that we need to put away selfishness and pride to obtain it. Whether it is our freedom we have in our nation, or that we have in Christ, we must realize that freedom for both came with a price. We must never forget that.