Small groups today
Studying early Christians, the cultural context in which they lived and comparing it to how we live in the world today.
Its soo much easier to be a Christian when your persecuted than when your not.
In North America it seems dry like God isn't really present. In other countries across the world where its hard to be a Christian, God is doing amazing things that just blow my mind everytime I hear about it. In North America when we're NOT persecuted we get "bored." We end up doing more damage than good. We fight amongst each other, worry about things that aren't important and end up being so comfortable we forget about God. Whereas if we were being persecuted all the stupid things wouldn't matter and the important things would really be brought into light.
What really amazes me is that during times of intense persecution is when the body of Christ grows the most. I think to the past when the early Christians were persecuted by the Romans. They were being killed left center and right, but in the end Constantine ended up declaring the empire a Christian nation because of the amount of Christians! I also think of the countries today that are doing the best spiritually: China, India, Iran etc. I mean in China over the past decade over 130 000 000 people have become born again even under persecution.
In North America, its hard to be Christian when our nation is supposed to be "Christian." We do these things in the name of Christ that is completely against his word and tarnish His name. Leaving people skeptical of God.
Its almost impossible for the world to be able to tell those who have the light of Christ within them and those that don't and are using Christianity as a brand.
We get sucked into lies that cover the true light of Christ.
Its the small things I hear things like:
"Its ok to put school ahead of God"
"God wants us to get good marks in school"
"God calls all of us to get a degree and go to university"
"That idea is to crazy you got to be responsible God wants you to take care of your life"
All whack.
God calls us to give EVERYTHING up for His Kingdom.
That means we can't expect any of our plans to workout. We have to be open to what God is calling us to do day by day because it could change very fast and unexpectedly. Sometimes we're so set on something, we deceived ourselves into thinking that OUR plans is God's plan.
We're not called to get 90's in school and kill ourselves studying. We are called to do everything to glorify the name of God. That means to use the abilities that God has given to us to their full extent and to have a good attitude when working but not to lose sleep and to WORRY over it.
I've had some pretty crazy ideas but there are always these voices telling me that its stupid or that I haven't really thought about it.
We get this idea that being "safe" is "Christian"
but when I read the bible its COMPLETELY opposite.
I mean the early Christians weren't safe they SOLD EVERYTHING they had. They had NO security they depended on God for everything.
We tell God we long for Him and we question and ask Him why it seems like HE isn't working. Yet we don't give Him much of our lives to WORK with.
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Camp today was good. God is doing awesome things.
Pray for wisdom in how to train the older youth to be mature leaders.
