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Tuesday, December 20, 2016

The Thing That Could Ruin Your Christian Reputation

Hello Friends,
Do you care about your reputation? Do you want to be a good example for people?  This can’t be done if we are constantly doing something that God warns us against. The biggest sin that so called Christians have such a difficult time refraining from is swearing.

When you call yourself a Christian, people expect to see behavior from you that is different from the behavior of unsaved people. After making Jesus your personal lord and savior, you should immediately start cleaning up your life to become how God would have you be. This means dropping the immoral habits that you’ve acquired from your past.

I have met many people who claimed to be saved; but then a minute later they are cussing. This can offend people, and it will set a bad example of Christianity. When you see a child being impolite, that reflects on the parents, and people will think that they have done a bad job at raising their child. Do you want people to get this impression of God? God isn’t someone who will let just anyone into His kingdom, only people who have chosen to live for Him will go to heaven. Living for God doesn’t mean saying that you are a Christian, it means acting like it.

Matthew 12:36-37 says – “… On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Ephesians 4:29 says – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Matthew 15:10-11 says – “…Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

How hard is it not to swear? There are about 15 words not to say, and about 171,476 words that you can say (without sinning). If we claim to be Christians, then we need to act like it. God would have it that every person speaks in a clean respectable manner; not just for His glory, but for your reputation.

                                                         In Christ,
                                                    Noah Brewster

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Grace

Hello friend,

Have you ever sinned? We are all guilty of this, whether we’d like to accept it or not. Thankfully though, God sent His son to die on the cross to cleanse us of our sin. Once we believe that Christ died and rose again, and once we choose to make Christ our lord and savior, we will be able to receive God’s gift of eternal life. Without the grace that God gave us, we would all be destined for hell. What He did was truly remarkable, and it should not be taken for granted.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Does this mean that we are free to sin now because we are saved anyway..?  Absolutely not. It states in Romans 6:18 -“Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” We aren’t free to sin; we are free NOT to sin. We can’t just do whatever we feel like doing because we are saved by grace; we need to protect what goes in our eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. God wants what is best for us, and we need to want what is best for us too.

We all sin because we are human; and one of the greatest challenges in this life is to become more like God and to stop being the sinners that we naturally are. It can be tough, but we will have an easier time being morally upright if we surround ourselves with Godly things, instead of worldly things.

God is very forgiving, and we should thank Him every day for sending His son to die on the cross for our sins. He bestowed grace upon us, and we should try our best to show grace towards anyone that we meet. The world is better off because God was graceful, and we are better off because we were shown grace.

                                                   In Christ,
                                              Noah Brewster

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Rejection

Hello friend,

Have you ever been rejected by someone? Most people have been; whether it was from someone who isn’t saved who was offended that you are, or it was from someone who was saved, but thought that you were keeping them from growing. Some people just aren’t compatible; it is very important that we realize this. Thankfully, God is always there to help us get through whatever happens.

John 15:8 says - “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” When people find out that you are saved, and they see that you are growing, they may rebuff you. The main reason someone would do this, is because they are offended. When your life is improving, it will shine a light on what they are doing; this can lead to a friendship ending. The Bible states that something like this may happen when you choose to live for God. If someone does reject you because you are a Christian, You can have peace knowing that you chose the right side.

As for another Christian rejecting you; either that person is misinformed, or they are quite serious about growing. If they stop being friends with you because they think you aren’t at their level, then take a look at yourself. Search God’s word to see if what they are doing is Biblical, and also evaluate your life to see if you may actually be the problem. As Christians, we should constantly be growing; every moment that we aren’t, is a moment that Satan could get in and attempt to defile our minds. You’ve heard it said “idle hands are the devils workshop;” this will always be true. We should always be trying to increase our strength by growing in Christ.

Rejection from family can be especially difficult. It states in Matthew 10:35 – “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” This doesn’t mean that God wants to divide families, but this will automatically happen when you are unevenly yoked with someone because you are growing in Christ. Just saying you are a Christian won’t cause them to reject you, but once they see the change in you, (like they should), they will be offended. This is what the Bible is talking about.

It is truly sad when we get rejected, but at least we have God’s word and prayer to comfort us during it. As long as you stay in God’s word and continue to grow nimbly, you will have peace knowing that your loss was for the cause of Christ.

                                                 In Christ,
                                                        Noah Brewster