How Can God...

If you type in the phrase 'How can God' into Google, the drop down gives you a glimpse into what our society's heart looks like. The top three answers that Google provides are (in this order): how can God help me, how can God use me, and how can God forgive me.

Truly these are some great questions, and ones that we have probably all considered at some point. No doubt we have all been in a situation where we needed help, and we wondered how that help could be administered to us. When we are grieving over the loss of a loved one, burdened by the financial stresses in our lives, or struggling with an illness of our own, we often wonder how God can help us.

The Psalms are replete with cries of help to the God of the universe. Should you ever find yourself in a situation where you need God's help, please remember these verses:

"Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, 'The LORD be magnified!' But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD things upon me. You are my Help and my Deliverer; do not delay, O my God." Psalm 40:16-17

While we may hurt in this present life and find ourselves in troublesome situations, our God and Father has salvation. If we will trust in Him, He will deliver. He is faithful to save!

There may be times, though, when we feel strong and confident in God's promises, and yet we feel aimless and without purpose, so we ask ourselves how God can use us.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." Should you ever question your purpose in life, or where exactly your focus should be, look only to these words of Jesus. He has given us a specific purpose: to teach others the way of salvation and bring them to Him. Each and every child of God should be out teaching other people how they can become a child of God. And if you aren't a child of God? Please read this post on how to get into the body of Christ!

Finally, the question of how can God forgive me. This is a question that I have personally asked time and time again. How is it that God can forgive all of my sins? How is it that God will remember none of my sins anymore? How is it that God won't get tired of me coming and asking for forgiveness for the same old sins? And yet, the Bible tells us that we can be confident that when we ask, He is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9).

I love the book of 1 Corinthians, and this passage may be one of the reasons why:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but your were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (6:9-11; emp mine)

Regardless of how many sins within this list you are guilty of, there is a way to overcome, and that way is by being washed in the blood of Jesus. These Corinthians had been homosexuals and thieves and drunkards and adulterers, and yet they weren't anymore. What changed? First, they quit practicing those things (repentance). Next, they were washed (baptized) clean of all of those past sins.

God can and will forgive you. How? Because He loves you so much. So much that He gave His only Son to die a cruel and painful death for you (John 3:16). How blessed we are to have such a God that will hear our cries when we need help, who will give us purpose and direction in life, and will forgive us of all of our sins so long as we confess them, turn away from them, and are washed in His Son's precious, cleansing blood.

When in Rome

In light of my most recent podcast over at The Light Network, I've had Rome on my mind a lot. It was absolutely one of my favorite places when I visited there over 4 years ago (wow, has it been that long!?), and has continued to impact me ever since. The architecture is breathtaking, the history is rich, and the gelato is amazing. Besides a really disgusting metro, I have nothing but praise for present-day Rome.

Located in the center of Rome is a place that is a country in and of itself: Vatican City. There, the hub of all things Catholic, I got to see so many beautiful structures and fascinating artifacts. At the same time, though, I saw so many things that made me sad. You see, there were dozens, maybe hundreds, of people that I saw who had dedicated their lives to serving the Pope, or serving Mary. These people had misplaced their trust and their focus, and while they were so dedicated to serving, I couldn't help but mourn for these people who weren't serving the right One.

As New Testament Christians, we must be more evangelistic. There are so many people who do not know the gospel, and who are spending their days working toward something that won't get them to heaven! Some of these people are even dedicating their lives to a false religion!

On Tuesday night, a group of young adults came over to our house for a devotional. During the course of the study, a question was raised about people who haven't heard the gospel--will they go to heaven? We know and believe what the Bible teaches, and thus we regrettably came to the conclusion that, no, they won't. In the moments that followed, all of us were pricked in our hearts to be more evangelistic, because it is a very real thing that people are dying every single minute and their final destination will be hell. If you are reading this today, please know that I did not post this as a rant against Catholicism or a pronouncement of judgment on any group -- I am SO thankful that I am not the judge! And yet, I do hope this post will make you think. Every single person that you come into contact with -- your neighbor, the people in your community, the people you see while you're on vacation -- every single person has a soul that is going one of two places. As people who know of salvation and know how others can obtain it, we must not keep that message in!!

Tomorrow, I will have a post specifically geared toward personal evangelism. Pray with me this evening that we can all do more to be evangelistic, and as the old hymn goes, "lead me to some soul today."


*Please note that you can check out all of my previous podcast episodes here. And if you know someone who is more interested in travel than the gospel, point them toward this podcast. Perhaps through their hobby/interest, we can gain their trust and point their attention toward some very pertinent points. After all, it's all about spreading the gospel message of Christ. 

Navigating the New Testament: Episode 2

As most of you know, I am currently the host for a women's only podcast on The Light Network, a network of podcasts designed to teach and admonish Christians, and better equip them for service in the Lord's kingdom. Today, the latest episode of my podcast, Navigating the New Testament, came out. You can check it out here, or you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes!

This week's episode is all about Rome and the Mamertine Prison. Tradition holds that the Apostle Paul was held in the Mamertine prison right before he was executed for being a follower and proclaimer of Christ. Were this the exact prison Paul was held, this was the place where the books of 1 & 2nd Timothy and Titus were penned.

Upon my first (and only) visit to Rome, the Mamertine Prison immediately became one of my favorite places. It was so solemn and serious--quite a different mood than the rest of our travels had been. Knowing that you were standing in the place where an apostle of the Lord had been (if not in the exact spot, definitely within the same city!) was a humbling, moving experience to say the very least. The one picture that I have from the Mamertine prison with me in it, I'm not smiling (you're welcome for not using that on the podcast!). I just didn't feel right smiling and having a good time while hanging out in a place where so many Christians were tortured and beaten and treated with such senseless hate and rudeness.

It is so easy for me to get discouraged sometimes. Sometimes, it just seems that there are people that are out to get you and make your life more difficult. Sometimes, your entire day goes amiss. In those moments, I urge all of us to think of the Apostle Paul. In the midst of what could have been the roughest time in his life (though he had quite a few to choose from -- 2 Cor. 11:24-27), Paul chose to be joyful and anticipate heaven. He didn't get down and sit in his cell and wait to die. He didn't even have a pity party! Instead, he sat in a cold, damp prison cell and wrote letters of encouragement and exhortation to young evangelists. He urged them (and consequently hundreds of thousands of other Christians) to be better and to continue in the work of the Lord.

When we are having down days, truly the Apostle Paul is an incredible example to us. Had he chosen to just give up, we wouldn't have such wonderful sentiments as these, written from his final days in prison:

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17) 

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing."(2 Tim. 4:6-8)

The book of 2nd Timothy holds such beautiful words and more encouragement than you can probably take in a single sitting; and yet, the book is so short that I urge you to go and read it in its entirety now. How blessed are we to be able to have the Word of God, preserved through the ages so that we could be encouraged, enlightened, and empowered!

It's Finally Here!

If you have been keeping up with me for a couple of months, you know that the day we have highly anticipated is finally here! The Light Network (TLN) officially launches tomorrow, at 2 PM CST. If you'll hop on over to my husband's blog, he'll tell you a few more details about it all.

I would like to personally invite all of you to tune in live at some point tomorrow, and join us via our chat room to take part of the day! We would love to have as many as possible, not because we are attention hungry, but because we want everyone to be encouraged by the amount of people who love the Lord and want to see His borders increased!

If you would like more information about the podcasts that we offer exclusively on TLN, please check out this previous post. If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave me a comment, or email me at emily@thelightnetwork.tv

I am so excited about all that is The Light Network. Please continue in prayer on behalf of this effort, that God will receive all the glory, and that souls will be added to His kingdom because of these efforts.

Thanks, and see you tomorrow!

*Don't know how to get to The Light Network? Click the links on the right hand side of this page!

Want Some Encouragement?

The Light Network was designed to encourage, enlighten, and empower Christians across the globe. While the official 'launch party' isn't scheduled until January 5th, pilot episodes of most programs have already been released.

In case you haven't checked out the website, I wanted to give you a few details about each of the shows that have released:

1: Preachers in Training. This is a paneled podcast hosted by my husband, Robert Hatfield, and is specifically designed for younger preachers. Each podcast will have different guests (some younger preachers, some older), and will serve to encourage younger ministers in their work, as well as answer some questions that a lot of them have. If you or someone you know is a preacher, or is thinking of becoming a preacher, send them to this podcast.

2: Culture Shock. This podcast is hosted by Torrey Clark, a MSOP grad and a minister in LaGrange, Georgia. The purpose of this podcast is to bring Christians' attention to current matters going on in the world, and put a Christian spin on them. If you are interested in current events, politics, our government, and the like, check out this podcast. Really, all Christians should arm themselves with knowledge of the world around them, and I would encourage you to check out this podcast weekly.

3: Biblical Manliness. The world defines manliness in some pretty silly ways. Chris Clevenger takes a look at what the Bible has to say, and presents the message in a clear and concise way. All Christian men should avail themselves to this podcast! We need more biblically manly leaders in the world!

4: The Salvation Podcast. As the name suggests, this podcast is all about salvation. Perhaps you have some tech-savvy family members who aren't faithful to the Lord. Maybe you have questions yourself about what constitutes true salvation. Whatever the need, this podcast will serve as a means of teaching the simplistic truth of gospel salvation.

WOMEN'S PODCASTS

5: Navigating the New Testament. I am the host of this podcast specifically geared toward women. Because of the generic nature of some of our other shows (salvation, current events, etc), this podcast will zoom in on one area of the Bible, namely geography. Because I have traveled to numerous countries and cities mentioned in our New Testaments, this podcast will feature geographically specific content designed to help women of the 21st century appreciate the biblical text more. Through pictures and a study of the 1st century culture, the aim of this women's podcast is to help us draw out lessons from the New Testament that we may have previously overlooked.

6: Under the Juniper Tree. Melissa Clevenger hosts this timely and much-needed women's podcast. Depression and anxiety run rampant in our society, and Melissa sheds biblical light on the shadows of life. If you or any lady you know struggles with these issues, please point her to this podcast. As sisters in Christ, we are all here to help and encourage one another. Or, perhaps you know of a women who is outside of Christ but struggles with these things. This podcast serves to point people with real problems to the true source of comfort.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Today is the official release of the pilot episode of my podcast Navigating the New Testament on The Light Network. If you are interested in checking it out, please visit TLN's website. Don't forget to mark your calendars for January 5th, either!! That's The Light Network's official launch party. We will have a live stream going and will debut a new podcast that day titled "Ready to Worship". You will get to meet the directors (one of which is my amazingly talented husband) and hosts of each of the shows.

Following the official launch party, my podcast (and all of them) will be released once a week (on a designated day). We are beyond excited about this network of podcasts. We feel that we will be able to reach an audience that perhaps isn't being reached with the gospel at this point in time. Please continue to pray for our efforts and for the hearts of all those who will be listening/viewing the podcasts.

I would also like to note that while my podcast is specifically designed for women, the podcast that was released yesterday is for men! So if you're a women and you're reading this, please check out my pilot episode, but be sure to send your husband over to the Biblical Manliness podcast.

Christianity and Entertainment Choices

Earlier this week, I read a news article about the young actor who plays on the popular show "Two and a Half Men." The actor, 19 year old Angus T. Jones, made a video about his faith (he recently became a member of the 7th Day Adventist Group) which went viral.

There are a lot of things to say in conjunction with this story and about the things he believes, but I only want to dwell on one. The things that Jones (who has been playing on the show since he was 10 years old) need to be heard by Christians across the globe. Here's what he had to say:

"Please stop filling your head with filth." 

"People say it's just entertainment. Do some research on the effects of television in your brain and I promise you, you'll have a decision to make when it comes to what you watch on television. It's bad news." 

"A lot of people don't like to think about how deceptive the enemy is. There's no playing around when it comes to eternity. People will see us and be like, 'I can be a Christian and be on a show like Two and a Half Men.' You can't. You cannot be a true God-fearing person and be on a television show like that. I know I can't." 

"I'm not ok with what I'm learning [about] what the Bible says and being on that television show. You go all or nothing."

How is it that Christians can fool themselves into thinking that it's ok to watch certain television programs and movies? Even some of those (though it is a minority to be sure!) who are in Hollywood can see that certain things are filth. And yet, I see Christians on a daily basis promoting shows like Glee (homosexual agenda much?), The Secret Life of the American Teenager (pre-marital sex), How I Met Your Mother (a show all about pre-marital sex and alcohol), and others. What Jones had to say was correct: what you watch does have an affect on you. If you are putting filth in, what does your heart look like? How much impurity can you ingest until you aren't pure anymore?!

One reason this is such a huge deal to me is because it's something I've struggled with, and still do to be honest. It's hard not to become calloused. It's hard not to justify it. It's hard not to get swept away in all of the fads and crazes. It's hard to be set apart, yet that's exactly what God expects of His children.

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written 'Be holy, for I am holy'." 1 Peter 1:13-16

We should not continue to infiltrate our minds with things that we once did--in our ignorance. Now that we are holy--set apart--children of God, we are to do and think differently. Paul would urge those at Philippi to think/meditate on whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. If you watch something that doesn't adhere to all, yes all, of those principles, you probably shouldn't be watching it. After all, if you aren't truly holy, are you holy at all?

Being a Christian isn't about convenience. Being a Christian isn't about doing what's popular. Christianity is about being like Christ--because we bear His name. We are to walk in His footsteps (Col. 2:6), imitate His life (1 Cor. 4:16), and give up self to serve others as He would (Gal. 2:20).

Would Jesus watch what you watch? Would Jesus promote what you promote? If not, why do you?

Coming in 2013!

2012 has been an amazing year for us! We have been giving opportunities to serve at East Hill and various other places, and get to know some amazing people along the way. One of my favorite things about this year has been the friendships I have made, and the old ones I have rekindled. Out of one of those new friendships, a project has arisen. 

A while back, Robert came to me with an idea. Then, it was a simple, though remarkable idea that didn't have a lot of shape. When we met and subsequently got to know Chris and Melissa Clevenger, this idea starting becoming a reality. With the help and ingenuity of a few others, this project is coming to fruition in January 2013. 

The Light Network is "a group of netcasts dedicated to the truth of the Bible. We have three goals: to encourage, enlighten, and empower" (the rest of the quote is available here). In January, we will be launching a series of podcasts (several for men and two--initially--for women) that we hope will be a bright light for Christ in this dark and sin-ridden world. 

The reason we are telling everyone now (instead of simply launching in January) is this: we hope that you will give us your prayerful support. The world we live in is lost and dying, and with the resources we have available to us in the 21st century, we must do more things to spread the Good News. It is our aim to bring others to Christ and encourage those who are already in Him to remain faithful. We hope that you will get behind this effort of evangelism and edification, and that you'll point others to it. 

On the website (www.thelightnetwork.tv) you will find all of the information you need, such as host bios and descriptions of each of the initial shows we will be launching. If you have any questions or comments, we have an email address and telephone number where you can reach us. 

I will be hosting a show called Navigating the New Testament and I am extremely excited about it! As many of you may be aware, I absolutely love traveling. This show will walk through the places, people and problems of first century cities. If you have any questions or comments about my show, you can email me directly at emily@thelightnetwork.tv (and I hope you will!). 

As previously stated, we hope that you will support this effort to reach our technologically savvy world. Our aim is to be pleasing to God, and we know that with all of your help and support, The Light Network can do much good to His glory. 

Please check out our website and share this post and others on whatever form of social media you may be on. Also, please "Like" The Light Network on Facebook and follow us on twitter (@LightNetworkTV).

Oh! One last thing! We will be having our official launch party LIVE on January 5th! Please mark your calendars to tune in that Saturday afternoon for interviews and a live taping of one of the podcasts! 

Thank you again! 

Camp Rules for Life

Growing up, I attended a congregation that did not go to any huge Christian camps. Instead, our preacher and youth minister took a group of about 100-125 of us to the campus of Freed-Hardeman University where we were able to spend a week with the people that were in our own youth group.

There are so many memories that I could share with you from my years at "Freed Camp". Every year from the time I was in 3rd grade, that first week in June at Freed Camp was a staple. And looking back, I can still envision the piece of paper that Mr. Tim gave to us regarding the camp rules. After all, we had to know what to/not to pack. 

Thinking back, these are the rules that helped shape my life. As a pre-teen, I didn't understand some of them. As a teenager, I didn't especially like some of them. But now, as a twenty-something, I respect and appreciate them so, so much.

1: No electronic devices. Period. We couldn't even bring portable CD players/mp3 players for the 3 hour bus ride up there! Don't even ASK to bring some kind of personal gaming device. Nothing was allowed that would promote time alone. The entire week centered around getting to know and getting invested in the people around you. And if you thought that meant only the people you regularly hung out with, you were mistaken. Preteens spent time with teens, annoying boys spent time with girls that had cooties, teenagers spent time talking to the junior counselors and counselors, and everyone had an age-appropriate Bible class that required interaction. 

One of the problems I see with young people today is that they aren't forming relationships within their youth groups. In order to grow and thrive, you need those relationships. You need to form deep, spiritual bonds with people so that they can help you remain faithful during a very difficult time. Plus, forming bonds with people of every age, and even with people with personalities you might not normally want to--you are learning how to function in Christ's body. As adults, we are very aware that there are certain groups of people we feel more comfortable sitting or conversing with, but as the body of Christ, we are called to all be in fellowship. Learning how to get along at such a young age (when getting along with anyone for an extended period of time is tough) will be such a benefit later in life. 

2: No immodest clothing, at all. No spaghetti straps, no shorts that didn't go down to your knee, no white t-shirts going to or from the pool, no low-cut shirts, nothing tight, nothing see-through. There are two instances that vividly stick out in my mind in regards to "camp attire". Every year before camp I would have to go to Old Navy and stock up on boys gym shorts, because they just don't sell girls shorts that are long enough. But, if you were going to play walleyball or raquetball or basketball or anything else (and you were going to play--group activities were mandatory, even if you weren't athletic), then you wanted shorts. And, unless you wanted to be sent back to the dorms to change, you had to be wearing something appropriate. The other instance that stands out in my mind was when my preacher called out some teen girls and made them go change their shirts. They were pretty low cut shirts, but they had something under them. Still, he said that it drew attention to them and he was not going to have that. All these years later (probably about 10), I still remember that conversation and I still think about it when I get dressed. How important to have people who will challenge young people to dress in a way that reflects their Savior!

Aren't these great regulations for all us to continue practicing? I simply won't wear things that I wouldn't have been able to get away with at camp. Why? Because if I couldn't wear them there, and I wouldn't want for teenagers to wear them now, why would I promote that on my body? Why would I wear something I wouldn't be comfortable with every single person copying? 

3: Spiritual things come first. Every morning we would get together and have some "wake-up" songs by Lonnie (and you better be on time if you don't want to be singled out!), then we'd all go to breakfast together, then we would all come back and have a devotional. After the devotional, we would break up into Bible classes that lasted about an hour. After our Bible class, we came back together and had another devotional, and by that time it was time for lunch. Our entire morning was spent praising and learning about God. After lunch, we had group activities that always had a spiritual application thanks to Lonnie. Then, it was time to play sports or do crafts for a couple of hours, then we would go swimming (separately, of course). After swimming we had dinner (and you had better take modest clothing or else you would not be permitted back into the dining room), and after dinner we had about 30 minutes to shower and then be back for yet another devotional. The majority of every day was spent focusing on the spiritual, as it should be.

What a great lesson for life! What percentage of your day is spent focusing on the spiritual? Maybe Sunday's the majority is spiritual emphasis, but what about Monday through Saturday? How much time are we devoting to prayer? How often do we praise God through song? How many times do we get out our Bibles and study from His word? I know that I can learn a great deal by looking back at the schedule I kept when I was at camp. In my adult life, I definitely need to do better. 

4: You do not act silly when you are praising God. When it was time for devotionals to start, we would have periods of 20 or 30 minutes where we just sang praises to God. During those in between moments when it's oh so tempting to cut up or laugh or yell out the number that you want...we just couldn't. Those moments were precious, because we were offering the fruit of our lips to God. It wasn't a time to joke around or act up. It wasn't a time to sleep or nod off. It was a time to focus. 

I am so thankful that I was taught at such a young age that when it comes to praising God or worshipping Him, it is a time of reverence. In an age where everyone wants to be entertained and "get something out of" worship, what a great thing to acknowledge why you're there--it's not for selfish reasons at all. 

5: Respect your elders. This wasn't a suggestion. If someone older than you came in the room and you had a seat on the couch or in a chair, you got up. If a counselor of any age told you to do something, you did it. There was no such thing as usurping authority, because the threat of making your parents come get you was real (and even happened on occasion). 

In the church today, there are countless people who disrespect the elders. Jesus Christ has given authority to specific ones in the church (and it's His body, so we don't really get a say on whether we like it). Yet some people bash the elders, completely disregard what they say/ask, and speak ill toward them. I wish I could say, "Respect your elders. This is not a suggestion." If they show you something in your life that you need to change, change it. Don't act like the 13-year-old who doesn't think her shorts are too short and defiantly states she isn't changing. Have a heart that wants to submit. 

There are so many other things that I could tell you that I learned from my time at camp. Instead I will close with two valuable lessons that I learned:

 Spiritual people are more attractive. Everyone knows that the camp atmosphere produces severe crushes for young people. The thing is, at a camp like the one I went to, no one was really drawn to or attracted to the person who cut up during class or zoned out or was rude. Instead, the boys in the youth group who were the most sought-after were the ones who would lead prayers or songs. The ones who always brought their Bibles and would talk to you after Bible class to share what they'd learned. 

Why aren't more people interested in dating/marrying spiritual people? Why are spiritual people not the most attractive outside of the camp setting? I am so, so thankful that I learned that lesson so many years ago, otherwise I may have been tempted to go to Freed-Hardeman and find a "man" who slept during chapel or skipped all the devotionals or slacked off in Bible class or refused to be a leader at the Henderson 5:45 student-led service. 

You have a responsibility to those younger than you. I can remember being a 3rd through 7th grader and how fun it was to hang out with the "older kids". I'm sure we were annoying and I'm sure we didn't add much of anything to their camp experience. But wow, did they make mine that much more enjoyable! I remember hearing Mr. Tim talk about how if the older didn't invest in the next generation, the youth group would fall apart. 

I wish this lesson could be taught to every single member of the Lord's body. Take responsibility for those younger than you, because they are the future of the church. If you're 80, teach those that are 60 what they can do to fill your shoes, etc. etc. 

What kinds of things did you learn as a child that you are so thankful to have learned? 

Who Do You Follow?

Last week, one of my best friends (and a fellow preacher's wife) wrote a post about the types of things we call entertainment. If you haven't checked it out, you can do so here. In that post, she challenged me to take a closer look at the things I watch and listen to and call entertainment. Are those things that would please my God? Are those things that I would feel comfortable watching/listening to with Jesus? Sadly, some of my answers were no. 

The more I got to thinking about it, though, the more I realized that it wasn't just the things I watched; it was where my heart was. Immediately, I found myself battling callouses that had formed on my heart. This is an area where I truly struggle, and I hope that you will help me on this journey of bettering myself and calling attention to Christians who are looking too much like the world.

For those of you who are tech-savvy enough to follow my blog (or at least find it on Facebook), I'm sure you're aware of what Twitter is. For those of you who are not so familiar, it's basically like Facebook---except you can only post 140 character status updates--aka tweets.

One of the reasons Twitter has become so popular is because you can 'follow' your favorite sports teams, athletes, actors, comedians, TV shows, news stations, and friends. There are a ton of celebrities on the site, and following their updates makes you feel like you know them on a personal level.

After reading Emily's post, I went to my Twitter to see who I 'followed'. Knowing my heart had been so hardened by the world, it was no surprise to me that I was following openly gay/lesbian actors/comedians, actors who openly ridicule Christianity/Jesus, and people who use coarse, crude language. Once again, I disappointed myself. How had I let myself start looking so much like the world?

Jesus spoke often about people following Him. I'd like to notice just a few passages to help us refocus our lives on Him.

First, let's look at Matthew 16:24.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.'"

In order to be true followers of Jesus, we have to deny ourselves. Living a Christian life is not an easy thing; it requires a considerable amount of self-control and self-denial. When I choose to be buried in baptism with my Lord, I give up self (Rom. 6, Gal. 2:20). My wants and my desires become secondary to that which my Lord requires. Why, then, do we constantly indulge ourselves with crude humor and tolerance of all kinds of things that God deems abominations? Being a true follower of Jesus means walking in His steps. Consider the people you "follow" and ask yourself if they are walking in His steps? If they are not, why are you following them? Are they not leading you away from Him?

Next, let's notice Matthew 10:37-39

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."

Jesus tells us that when we put others (even others we are supposed to love) above Him, we are wrong. How much more wrong are we when we put things we are NOT supposed to love ahead of Him? How is it even remotely ok for me to endorse a TV show more than I endorse my Lord? When I promote certain agendas or certain shows known for affairs, homosexuality and the like, how am I promoting my Lord? How am I showing that I put following Jesus ahead of following those things?

Now, look with me at Matthew 19:21. In this passage, Jesus is speaking to the man we commonly call the rich young ruler.

"Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

While there are numerous applications that can be made about material possessions, think about the young man's response especially. He was sorrowful because he considered the things he had and the things he liked to be more valuable than following after Jesus. Is that sometimes how we feel regarding the TV shows and movies we like?  I have too much invested (maybe six seasons?) to turn away now. Giving myself wholly to Jesus is too much to ask; it would make me too sad to stop watching that show now.

Finally, I want to look at what is to me the most eye-opening passage of all, John 8:12.

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'"

In order to follow Jesus, we have to get out of the darkness. As intelligent human beings, we know that light and darkness cannot exist in the same space. Why, then, do we think we can follow after Jesus (walk in the light) and hold onto worldly things (darkness) at the same time? The two cannot exist together.

We cannot keep "following" people who use profanity and vulgar language, promote or engage openly in homosexuality or extra-marital sexual activity, and mock the Lord's name/cause, and continue calling ourselves "followers" of Jesus. We are either following Him and forsaking all that would hinder our walk, or we are following after Satan. Romans 6:16-18 tells us that we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness, but it is either one or the other, never both.

Today, choose the one that you will follow. I pray that we will not continue following after those whose ways lead to destruction, but will instead choose the narrow path that Jesus trod.

Think Before You Pin

I love Pinterest. At least once every two weeks, I am whipping up some recipe for Robert that I've found through the popular website (the pizza cupcakes were the biggest hit, though I love the greek yogurt cake). If you aren't on Pinterest, you're definitely missing out. You can find everything from recipes to workout tips to movie quotes to decorating tips to photography to weddings to kids' birthday themes and every single thing in between. It's magical.

Unfortunately, the website makes it so easy to "repin" things, that I think we sometimes fail to think through what we're repinning. I love looking through recipes, getting tips for organizing my house, looking at pictures of places I've visited around the globe, and even motivational quotes for running. There is some amazing stuff out there, all gathered together on this lovely little website for my convenience.

But with the good comes the bad.

Every single day that I'm on Pinterest it seems that my friends are repinning skimpy outfits or girls working out with nearly nothing on or pictures of actors with the captions "mmm!" or "lustworthy" underneath. Every time I see one of these things, I have to double check who has pinned it, because it can't be that person I went to Freed with, or it can't be that member of Christ's body. They wouldn't be doing that--they wouldn't like those things.

But, sometimes we just get in a hurry and we don't think about the negatives. We think that something as harmless as Pinterest can't be affecting our influence. After all, we're simply pinning funny quotes or pictures of actors and TV shows we like. What's the big deal?

Philippians 4:8 says,

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things."

I don't know about you, but when I'm "pinning" things, I'm generally meditating on them. I'm salivating over some dessert, I'm thinking of ways to implement a certain technique in my workout, I'm daydreaming of standing beneath the Eiffel Tower with my best friend. I DON'T want to be meditating on lust, on immodesty, on profanity, and the like. I definitely DON'T want people to think I condone such things. And please, don't get me started on the disrespect we're showing our husbands and future husbands by objectifying men and lusting over them. I would HATE for Robert to be looking through things I've pinned and find a board labeled "mmm!" with pictures of barely clothed, attractive men. What I'd hate MORE than that is finding a file on his computer titled "mmm!" with pictures of attractive women in it. That would make me feel terrible, insecure, unwanted, and just not good enough. Why would I ever want to invoke those same feelings on him? He's my husband! I'm supposed to make him feel safe (Prov. 31:11).

I have a hard time with this--especially on Pinterest where it's so easy to just save it to my board, but I'm doing my best to condition myself to "abhor what is evil; cling to what is good" (Rom. 12:9).

Please, sisters, help me out with this. Let's all take a Pinterest inventory and an inventory of our hearts, and make sure they're reflecting the same things. And if we see something on our boards that God doesn't want in our hearts, let's be willing to change.

This is only a test

On Saturday, I got the new iPad. My wonderful husband took me to the Apple Store at Green hills and we decided that instead of getting a MacBook air, I would just get an iPad in the place of my personal computer. I'm pretty excited about it, especially because there is dictation on the iPad. That's exactly what I'm doing now--I'm talking to my iPad and it's typing. So that's why I am calling this a test. I'm testing the dictation on my iPad; I'm testing the new way I'll be blogging. I hope you enjoy all of my upcoming posts as much as I will.

So that's it then. This is only a test. Hope you enjoy all my posts and I hope you will tune in and comment. Thanks!