Well, I was reading a passage tonight, and this really jumped out at me. I want you to read this, and think about it. The end of “mankind” as we know it is really coming sooner than we think. The Bible says that we aren’t even guaranteed tomorrow. What are we doing with our lives? Why are we wasting them trying to please our “flesh” instead of trying to please the one who matters in the end, our God, our Creator, the One who loves us UNCONDITIONALLY?

I really want you guys to get this. I am not trying to force this down anyones throat cause that is not what I am about. I care about you guys believe it or not, and it makes me so sad to see and hear what I see and hear, and this coming from blood bought, redeemed, saved, Christian youth kids. You are the future of the United States, and you represent the future Christians of the United States. You guys have such a powerful anointing on you, it’s not even funny, and the Devil is trying soo hard to blind you guys so that you can’t see this. You guys are FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made. I want you now to read this passage, with all this in mind. May the Lord speak to your heart, soul, mind and spirit through this, and I love you guys :) .

Romans 1:18-32 (New International Version)

God’s Wrath Against Mankind

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God,(reading and memorizing the Bible) he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Hmm… Sound familiar? I am sure that all of you can relate to this passage in one way or another, myself included. God wants us to be close to Him. To love Him, just like He loves us. He doesn’t want you to live a life that doesn’t glorify Him, because He knows that you can be so much better, and that you were NOT created to be evil! That is right. You were NOT created sinful. You were created “good.” In fact, read the book of Genesis, and you will find that when God created man and woman he called them “good.” What makes us “bad” is us giving in to sin. We are NOT born with sin in our hearts. We learn sin, and then we live what we learn. Remember my little thing I said about “input output”? You guys laughed cause yea, it was corny but, it is the truth! What we put into our minds by what we listen to, etc. is what we will live. So… what are you doing with your life? Are you living to please God, or man? Just some things to think about… Love you guys :)

Pastor Erin