Aliens

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 2 Peter 2:11

I'm an alien. If you are a born again Christian, so are you in a sense. We are strangers to this world. Other translations call us pilgrims, foreigners, or exiles. The point is as a Christian living here on earth, we are living in our temporary home. Our permanent home in eternity will be heaven, praise God! The passage goes on to describe that those of us who are God's children should look different. We should look like aliens or foreigners compared to the world around us. Our lives should reflect Christ--which should obviously stand out amongst unbelievers.

For me, this is very convicting and very, very hard to balance. I think as Christians we tend to fall into one of three categories:

1. A Christian who is SO "foreign" that she isolates herself from everyone and everything, becoming legalistic, and so far removed from unbelievers she can't speak their language and reach them for Christ.
2. A Christian who is no longer learning the foreign language, but has compromised all the standards God has given her as a believer that when you look at her you can't tell the difference between her and an unbeliever. She walks, talks, thinks, and acts the same as one who has not met Jesus.
3. A Christian who has become bilingual. She maintains her foundation in God's word and truth, but through the Holy Spirit can obediently reach out to the world around her shining the light of Jesus on a dark world (Matthew 5:16).

My prayer is to be the last of these. I will admit this is a struggle. I have a long way to go.

However, I know I am not the same person I was before I met Jesus. As a result, some friends I love dearly have distanced themselves from me. Some even breaking my heart in certain ways. In short, because I'm now an alien some of my relationships have changed. While this saddens me greatly, I would exchange nothing for the gain I've found in the love of Christ. It is not easy being a weird alien from another planet, but I couldn't be more thankful for it.

Why Them, Not Me?

The disciple I can identify the most with is Peter. While God ultimately used Peter (shortcomings and all) for His glory, Peter had some qualities which often remind me of myself. Peter was impulsive, would often speak before he'd think, at times lacked faith to the point of denying his faith, and sometimes concerned himself with things he shouldn't.

For example, at the end of the book of John (John 21), after Jesus finishes telling Peter to take care of His sheep, Jesus tells Peter about what will happen to him when he is old and about his death. At that point Peter notices the disciple John and asks Jesus, "Lord, what about him?" (John 21: 21).

Have you ever done like Peter, and like me? Maybe you've had thoughts recently like:

• Why can she get pregnant so easily, with no complications--and not me?
• Why is God blessing them financially, when I'm living paycheck-to-paycheck?
• Why does he have perfect health, while I am in chronic pain day in and day out?
• Why did God give them such easy, compliant children and I have the most strong willed, rebellious spirited child?
• Why did God sell their house and not mine?

Peter was probably thinking, "so you are telling me I'm going to suffer and die, well then what about John?!"

Jesus' answer to Peter was, "...what is that to you? You must follow me." (Jesus 21:22)

That is His answer to me too. I find contentment when God reminds me--what is that to you?!

I don't need to concern myself with what God is doing for others compared to me. I just need to follow Him and remember that when I do that I am exactly where He wants me to be.

My only concern needs to be to follow Him and in His sovereignty I will be exactly where He wants me.

Crazy Love

I love when others recommend good books for me to read. So I have to recommend this book to you.

Want to read a book that is life changing? Something convicting...something that will change your perspective (in a good way!)? You HAVE to read Crazy Love by Francis Chan! It is amazing. It is inspiring. It is something I think every Christian should read.

If you've read it--share your thoughts with me!

Isaiah 26

The debate goes on as to whether the rapture will happen before the tribulation, in the middle, or at the end. In my wishful thinking and begging of God's mercy, I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. People use lots of different scripture to back up there point of view, but I love Isaiah 26, which I believe foretells of the pre-tribulation rapture.

But your dead will live;
their bodies will rise.
You who dwell in the dust,
wake up and shout for joy.
Your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.

Go, my people, enter your rooms
and shut the doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until his wrath has passed by.

See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling
to punish the people of the earth for their sins.
The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her;
she will conceal her slain no longer. (Isaiah 26:19-21)

Oprah

Oprah is the Antichrist! Do I sound nuts yet? I'm kidding people--I just needed an attention grabber. No, I don't think Oprah is the Antichrist. But I do believe she is dangerous. I know, I know, what's not to like about Oprah? She is charismatic, has great guests/topics on her show, and does such wonderful things for those in need. I agree with that completely. However, if you are a Christian, I believe Oprah is very dangerous. The beliefs she professes and the "spiritual" teachers she endorses on her show contradict the Bible (which I believe to be 100% truth) in so many ways. If you have never thought about or realized Oprah's dangerous influence, there is a book that I highly recommend called Oprah, Miracles, and the New Earth: A Critique.If you can read it with an open mind, it may shine some light on some things you may have never noticed before.

PS I don't hate Oprah and am not an Oprah basher. I just think she is deceived.

To avoid giving just a general criticism, here are some specific teachings Oprah endorses that are extremely dangerous and contradictory to scripture:

"The man on the cross is an archetypal image, he is every man and woman." (Eckhart Tolle)
"Heaven is not a location but an inner realm of consciousness." (Eckhart Tolle)
"There is no sin." (A Course in Miracles)
"Do not make the pathetic error of clinging to the Old Rugged Cross. The only message of the crucifixion is that you can overcome the cross." (A Course in Miracles)
"Who you are requires no belief. " (Eckhart Tolle)

Prayer

I was recently amazed at an account I read in the Old Testament. I often struggle in understanding prayer because I believe so fully in God's sovereignty that I often wonder, do my prayers matter? If God is completely in control and omniscient (all knowing), which I fully believe He is, and therefore knows the future, can my prayer request really change His mind? Of course, in my head I would tell myself yes, but I still struggled with it. I was so encouraged by reading the account of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings.

In 2 Kings, the prophet Isaiah was told by the Lord to inform King Hezekiah he would soon die. Hezekiah turned to God in faithful prayer and...God changed His mind!!! God sent Isaiah back to Hezekiah to inform him, " I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you." 2 Kings 20:5 Amazing!

Now we can't know why God changed His mind. He has a plan and a purpose far greater than making sure we are always healthy, wealthy, and happy. And we know, according to Romans 8:29, that His main purpose is to make us like Jesus and that often involves trials. God isn't a genie in a bottle waiting around to grant us our wishes. But He loves us, He hears us, and He cares about us.

I'm thanking Him today for allowing us to be involved in His plan through prayer.

Jews

If I weren't already a believer, one thing that would be hard for me to deny is the legitimacy of the Bible and Jesus through the history of the Jews. God's hand upon the Jewish people is undeniable. The promises God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continue today. It is also undeniable that with everything God loves, Satan wants to destroy. God's chosen people were the Jews, therefore, Satan hates them and has wanted to destroy them; from Haman to Hitler. Satan has tried throughout history to annihilate God's chosen race, but his attempts continue to fail. There are countless tribes in history that are no longer in existence today, but yet the Jewish nation continues to survive.

As I learn more and more about scripture, I am amazed at the depth God has provided us. For instance, the Jewish feasts (which actually means "appointed times") which God instituted in the Old Testament, are an amazing testimony to Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus already fulfilled the first four of the seven Levitical feasts. I believe He will fulfill the rest, as well.

1. Passover CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS happened during Passover. During the Jews' escape from Egypt God instructed them to take the blood of an unblemished lamb and put the blood on their doorposts. He would then passover their house and the eldest son would not die. Today we are covered by the blood of the perfect, sacrificial lamb--Jesus, and because of His blood will not die.
2. Unleavened Bread BURIAL OF JESUS happened during Unleavened Bread. Leaven represented sin; pointed to the Messiah's sinless life.
3. First Fruits RESURRECTION OF JESUS happened during First Fruits. They were to offer the first ripe sheaf of barley. Symbolized Jesus' resurrection as the first fruit of the righteous. (1 Corinthians 15:20)
4. Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) HOLY SPIRIT came upon apostles and believers in the early church during Feast of Weeks. 50 days after Passover, the time to present an offering of new grain of the summer wheat harvest to the Lord. It pointed to the soul harvest at the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts.
5. Feast of Trumpets Also known as, "No one knows the day or hour." Begins the Jewish New Year and call to repentance with the blowing of the Shofar. Some believe the Rapture of the church will occur during this time. The Rapture is always associated in Scripture with the blowing of a loud trumpet (I Thessalonians 4:13-18 and I Corinthians 15:52).
6. Day of Atonement Many believe this points to the day Jesus will return to reign on earth.
7. Feast of Booths or Tabernacles A week long celebration of the fall harvest and a time to build booths to remember how the Hebrew people lived under God's care during their forty years in the wilderness. Many believe this points to God's reign over the world.