#badventist

[shehasworktodo]

Face Your Monsters, Don’t Embrace Them.

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."

-Romans 8:37

We all have secrets that we'd like to keep to ourselves. Our deepest and darkest fears we feel like no one on earth is worth that amount of trust to confide in. Our baggage takes its time eating away at our lives. As a young Christian, certain things are looked down upon. As a person of the world, society accepts all ups and downs and calls it a way of life. I listen to the music of drinking, smoking, objectifying women, and living life as if this earth had no end. Some of them put God in their music to seek Him out and level with Him, but it kills me that they don't know who He really is. It's cruel the words that I hear, and I justify what I listen to by telling myself that every word said reminds me why I'm on a "Godly path". I feel like I can "fix" these starving music artists and feed them with the Word, because they have an idea of who Christ is but have no way of getting to dive deeper. The only thing that has changed is my profane language.

Christians hide their worldly pleasures because it's a straight inevitable path of being judged by their peers, while others are fully embracing the lifestyle they've chosen for themselves. Some leave their Christ because His children don't show a good example of what He's like. You have things going on in your life, and that's okay. God wants you to come to Him as you are. That doesn't mean He's going to leave you in the same place that you started.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

-2 Corinthians 5:17

If you have demons in your closet, don't give them praise. They are not worthy of recognition and adoration. If you do something to forget about reality, that's not where God wants you to be. Outside of your grief is not a good place to find Him. If you have baggage, pain, emptiness, you bring that all to Him. You can ask Him to change your heart and flip you around. He transforms, He saves, He heals. It's not worth saying that you have an issue and continuing to stick with it. Don't choose to face broken people that downplay your demons. Those monsters do not define who you are, that's the job of the One that made you. You need to remember that you are so special, your God is greater than all the problems tearing at your soul. You have the One that holds the world at your fingertips.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

-1 John 4:18

You are not your fear. Facing your fears set you free. I'm always afraid, but that's because I don't trust my Heavenly Father with everything. Take that faith in realizing that He knows your demons, and He's willing to fight for you. You no longer have to embrace those monsters that hide in the corners in your life. Remember who you are and Who you belong to. The Warrior. The Fighter. The One of perfect love.

[thebadventist-blog]

I am a host. Generous and compliant. 

[asheleywoodruff]

Oops... I did it again. Lol #tattoos #diditagain #soaddictive #badventist

[gwen-the-thrush-knocks]

Neo from the Matrix kinda looks like Ellen White

kassidanae

[bfgoodridge]

All My Throwbacks

Heaven will be a reunion. We’ll get to pick up where we left off withthe people we loved.  It will be one ofthose moments where we remember that tears and goodbyes were never a part ofGod’s original plan. But even before or after the tears there were the good times. The question for this series on sacrifice is to ask what we think good times look like when you choose to follow God. We know from the two previous posts that the Christian journey is not always easy. But it’s all leading to something great.

When speaking of great, it can be said that my generation is nostalgic. It is all about reunions, sequels, and throwbacks to days gone by. Reboots are constantly in the work, and we like to see the cast from our favorite TV show come back together. It’s almost as if we can’t say goodbye to yesterday. Maybe it’s those were the good old days. Perhaps we want to recreate what made us feel good.

Another trait of my generation is the emphasis on accepting others. We don’t want anyone to feel rejected. In doing so, we rally behind a message of love. This would make sense for Christians. In 1 John 4:7-8, John tells us to continue loving one another. He goes on to add that anyone who does not love does not know God. In wanting people to feel accepted we desire for them to be a part of God’s reunion in Heaven. We think that love through acceptance will create for them a safe place. However, love and acceptance should not be without sacrifice on our part as individuals.

In trying to create (or recreate) the perfect “now” or future for a person; we tend to dismiss the issue of self-sacrifice. I want to make it clear that this is not a post dancing around the issue of one particular sin or social issue. It is a post designed to address the fact that sinners who give their lives to God want to please Him. The challenge lies in trying to deny our selfish ways. We know that God will not let us be tempted with more than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). Some believe they are unable to give up certain habits or lifestyles because it is a natural part of life or who they are. The question or fear is that by giving something up for God you will not be happy. On the flipside, the worry is that one will never be able to give up a way of life and be accepted by God. Christians find themselves wanting to be a part of the reunion, but may not trust enough to make a sacrifice on their part. We tend to show love to others or God without recognizing the sacrifice they or we ourselves must make.

Sacrifice is a part of knowing God. It is not separate from loving Him or showing love to others. If someone you cared about was hurting themselves would you call ignoring it love? Would you call ignoring it love because they told you that doing it made them happy? Isn’t that what Jesus came to save us from? Adam and Eve wanted to be like God. Look how that turned out. Nebuchadnezzar thought himself the greatest thing on earth, and he became like an animal because of it. What we think will make us happy can actually hurt us. That is the devil’s little secret. It doesn’t matter which sin you struggle with; he just doesn’t want you to think you can live without it.

When we throwback or reboot something from the past; it could be us saying that we are safe in what we know. We are safe in whatever makes us feel good. Maybe we look to the past because deep down inside we fear the future. For Christians, that future can be one where we think God will reject us; or one in which we believe that we could never be happy giving up our ways for God’s way. The thing about the Christian walk is that God doesn’t throwback to the past or look to make today the best day ever. Yes, every one of your days matter to Him; but He is working toward giving you a life that lasts forever. Can we trust that God has our best interest in mind? Can we believe that to sacrifice is to show God love? And can I give Him all my days and throwbacks to be a part of His reunion?

Note: There's nothing wrong with #tbt. There is, however, a problem with having too many sequels. I'm looking at you, The Land Before Time!

[onceyougoblaque]

Offering is happening still no Africans.😔

[onceyougoblaque]

Apparently the African Choir is running a bit late for our mostly white church. I can't stop laughing.

[onceyougoblaque]

Talking to my dad makes me want to walk out into traffic. He complains that Americans have corrupted his religion and that he thinks that c if we had Stayed in Zimbabwe we (my sisters and I) would be better Adventists like our cousins. First of all, has anyone seen the recent state of Zim these days? Second he just can't stand the fact that that we are strong and independent and we don't need him. All this because because I'm going to pierce my ears and nose. Is he for real!? Where in the world does he even think that Adventists came from. Honestly you follow rules given to you by people who don't even follow them!? REALLY!?