Letting Go and Pressing On

Last night a young lady gave her life over to God by being immersed into Christ. It was a pretty cool event. It's always good to see a young (or old) person commit their lives to Christ. I am happy for her and for her parents who have invested their lives in raising their kids to get them to this point - the point of giving it all over to God. But, it makes me think, too. This young lady is stepping into a new life! And by "new", I mean different than probably 95%+ of the kids at her school, most of the people she'll run into in life - we're talking very different!
But, that's what it is isn't it? That's what Peter was trying to tell the Christians he was writing to when he says, "So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy...And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests...You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession" (1 Pet 1:14-15; 2:5, 9 - NLT). We are different. At least we should be. And when you're in the 8th grade, surrounded by either ungodly punks or people who are pseudo-Christian, it's going to be hard. Well, truth is, I'm in that situation and I'm almost 40! That's where we all are. And it's tough to be holy, separate people.
My prayer for this young lady is that she'll hang in there. I think she will - she's a good kid. What I pray doesn't happen is what's happened to too many...the Slow Fade. Do you know that song? It's by Casting Crowns. Look at these words: "It's a slow fade when you give yourself away. It's a slow fade, when black and white have turned to gray. Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid, when you give yourself away. People never crumble in a day. It's a slow fade." (The song was in "Fireproof" by the way.) But isn't that the case. People rarely intentionally fall away from their relationship with God. It just happens...slowly...gradually...then one day they're back in the old life. This won't happen for this young lady - that's my prayer. We won't allow it, as her Christian family.
So, to prevent this Slow Fade, what can we do? Well, I'll answer with words from another "Fade" song. This one by Jeremy Camp: "Let it Fade", "Let this old life crumble, let it fade. Let this new life offered be your saving grace. Let this old life crumble, let it fade, let it fade." Nice words, Jeremy. But Paul says it best, "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Cor 5:17).

A Few Questions from Glenn Beck

Yeah - I'm stealing stuff for two posts in a row. But, I think this is pretty cool. Look it over and see what you think...

WE Surround Them
February 4, 2009 - 9:30 ET
GLENN: So I'm going to just ask you right now just to think of these things and just answer out loud. Just say to yourself yes or no. Yes or no. Is this who I am? Is this what I believe? Because I believe you and I agree on most of these.
1) Yes or no: Do you believe America is a good place, that we've lost our way over the years, that we have done bad things but generally speaking we tried hard. We try to make amends. We have tried to do the right thing. Just like everybody else, we fail from time to time and we have truly lost our way in the last 20 years. But gosh, if you look at America, she's good and our founders were good and our founding documents are good. We've just strayed too far away from them. Yes or no.
2) Yes or no: I believe in God. I may not go to the same church or synagogue or mosque as the majority of people in America, but I believe in God and he is the center of my life, and God does not tell people to behead others or to persecute others that see God in a different way. As long as that god is not telling them to persecute others.
Yes or no.
3) Yes or no: It is my responsibility to try to be better and a more honest person than I was yesterday. Sometimes I fail, I'll make mistakes, but it's my main mission to be better than I was personally than I was yesterday.
4) Yes or no: The family is sacred. I and my spouse are the ultimate authority under God when it comes to my family. I raise my family, and that comes with a grave responsibility. If I fail, I answer to God.
5) Yes or no: If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6) Yes or no: I have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but that is not a guarantee of equal results.
7) Yes or no: I work hard for what I have, and I will share it with others that I choose when I choose, should I choose. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8) It is not un-American for anyone to disagree with my opinion, but my opinion or others' opinions may be anti-American. Anti-American rhetoric would be anything that is destructive to the Constitution and our country as our founders understood it.
9) And the last one is the government works for me. The government answers to me. I do not answer to the government.
How many are there? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. There are nine of them. Do you agree with seven of them?
Here's what I want you to do. Step one: No matter where you are right now, I want you to take a picture of yourself. I want you to take a picture, and I ask you and you'll understand as we go in the next couple of weeks, I ask you if you could bring these and ask your children -- can we post these please on the Internet, on the website? I want you to ask as many people as you know, do you believe in these things? Just seven out of nine. Do you believe in them? Then will you please take a picture of yourself. If you ask your family and you ask your children tonight, do you believe in these things. Take a picture of your spouse. Not as a family. Take them one at a time and send them to me, e-mail them to me at -- what is the address, Stu?wesurroundthem@gmail.com. This is how much I believe that you are not alone.
Please, if you agree with these things, please send me a photo. I will explain on, is it -- do we know, is it going to be February 27th? We don't know? We don't have a date yet. And I'll explain on February 27th -- I think it's going to be that date, in the next couple of weeks -- and I'm going to do a special radio show and television show. It's going to be a live show. We are going to also have you have an opportunity to attend. I will tell you about that in the coming days. I will also tell you in the coming days that you don't have to come to New York to be a part of it, either. But this is all going to be grassroots. I believe it's going to be February 27th. Could be a week later. Don't be alone, and you'll understand why on that day. But I ask you today, do this one thing. Do you believe in these things? Do you believe in these things? If you do, then do me a favor, please, do your children a favor. Take a picture of yourself and send it to me at wesurroundthem@gmail.com.