Right now I am in Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize.  Yesterday was the picture perfect beach day, and Jay sat in the shade reading a book while I splashed around in the ocean and feel asleep in the sun.  There really is nothing better than drifting off to sleep with the warmth of the sun all around you!

Turns out the warmth I felt earlier morphed into a real heatwave of pain as I discovered a nasty sunburn on my back at night.  I could hear the words of my mom, “you should have been more careful with the sunscreen!” echoing in my head, and the next day I was definitely seeking more shade.

Sin is like a sunburn isn’t it? Whether it’s gossip, lust, greed, pride, jealousy, or any of the other issues we struggle with as human beings, it doesn’t feel all that bad when we are “lying in the sun surrounded by it” so to speak.  In the moment it often feels quite satisfying actually.  But the Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death.  Death of relationships, death of joy, death of community, death of desire…or even physical death.

As summer approaches and we start enjoying the warmth of the sun, let us be conscious not only about our skin, but the health of our mind, heart, and spirit.

Have a great weekend!

Michelle

One thing I hear people say to me sometimes is this: “Michelle, you’re such a good person.”  Have you ever had this experience?  I think the world is sometimes fascinated when someone chooses not to get drunk at parties, attends church regularly, or goes on mission trips to serve the poor.  When people treat others with respect and dignity, go out of their way to do acts of kindness, have integrity in the workplace, or have a positive attitude despite circumstance, they are seen as radical and different from most others.  These are all things I strive for, so it should not be a surprise when others label me as a “good person.”

But to be honest, it makes me sick.

If people see me as a good person but fail to see Jesus, my good acts are leading everyone astray.  If people think that I am who I am and do the things I do out of my own ‘goodness’ and strength, they are led to think that it all comes down to human effort.  Subsequently, there is no need for a saviour. 

For those of you that know me and think I am a good person, here’s what I have to say: It is ALL Jesus.  If you think I love others, it is because Jesus first loved me.  If you think I have integrity, it is because the Holy Spirit convicts me to do what is right. If you think I have wisdom, it is because God gives it to those who ask. If you think I am pure, it is because Jesus died for my sin, cleansed me form all unrighteousness, and allows me to live in victory over impurity.  If you think I am going to heaven, it is not because of my good works but because of the Cross.  That’s it. 

SHAME ON US FOR TAKING THE CREDIT FOR WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES.  We must make it clear to the world that He is the reason we are different.  It would be cruel to mislead people by telling them that we are good on our own.  The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  But when we believe that Jesus died for us on the cross and ask Him to be our Lord and Saviour, He begins to mold us and shape us to be better people. 

If you are a Christ-follower and people see you as a good person, make sure you give credit where credit is due.

Michelle

I heard a message this week about decision-making.  The pastor outlined three important questions we should ask ourselves when we are facing a decision:

Is it the right or wrong thing to do?  This is when we must look to God’s word and examine what it says.  The Bible is clear about many issues being right and wrong.  Other issues it allows for some flexibility.  For those issues that are not necessarily black and white, the next question becomes very important.

What is the wise thing for me to do?  This is all about context.  In light of my past behaviour, past circumstances, family history, sinful habits, etc., is this the wise thing for me to do?  For example, the Bible describes wine as a blessing from God. But though it does not condemn alcohol itself, it is very clear that getting drunk on it is wrong.  Not because God is robbing us of fun, but because He knows the devastation that can happen when people lose control.  Rape, drunk driving accidents, abuse…the list goes on and on. The Bible is also clear that we should not drink alcohol around people who might stumble because of it.  Don’t offer a drink to someone a recovering alcoholic. Or to someone who has decided not to drink because of their family’s history of alcohol abuse.  If you are legal drinking age and are asking yourself whether to drink alcohol, ask yourself truthfully: is this the wise thing for me to do?  If so, in what context?

What is God leading me to do?  If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, the Holy Spirit lives inside you.  If you quiet yourself down enough to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice he will guide you into the right direction, even when facing tough decisions.  The Holy Spirit will never contradict God’s word (ie. the first question).  But he will certainly help you with the second question by giving you wisdom.  The guidance of the Holy Spirit, in my opinion, is the most exciting part about decision-making!

Are you facing a tough decision today?  Ask yourself: is this right, is this wise, is this where God is leading me? 

Love you so much girls,

Michelle

Today is the first post by Aaron McCartney.  He’ll be blogging at the Sex Rev twice a month or so.  Make sure you say hello!

“This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.”

Think is the first thing that caught my eye while reading God’s word about a month and a half ago, and it’s still rocking my world. I’ve read Romans many times, and this verse has never struck anything inside at all. It was the phrase “a slave of Jesus Christ.” So, doing what any human this side of the universe would do, I jumped on Google and typed in “define:slave”.

These were some things that stuck out:
1. Nowhere in any definition did it say slaves worked for free.
2. Slaves were loyal to their masters.
3. Slaves were very hard workers.

Then it really hit me: God even had a good intention for slavery. As humans, we have put holes in the ozone. God intended our World to be a beautiful place, a place where everywhere we look we see God’s creation, not steel factories and strip joints. We also have created bad intentions and ideas for marriage. God intended marriage to be a harmonious unity of bodies that are one.

As humans, we messed up the actual meaning of slavery. God didn’t mean it to be torture, abuse, and harassment of “workers” who are sold and bought with no wages, barely any food and clothing, and crappy sleeping areas. God meant it to mean loyalty, working for a master and while expecting nothing, given good clothes, good food, and a private room for the deeds the slave does for his or her master.

We need to sell ourselves into slavery, just as Paul did, and do it God’s way. How does this apply to us? We have to die to ourselves and be alive in Jesus. That’s the basis of being a follower of Christ. For guys, that means living pure, leading your spouse, fiance, girlfriend. That means living in God’s Word and letting it bleed out of you. For girls, that means cover your bodies. I don’t want other guys to see my fiance’s cleavage. That’s for me in marriage; that’s off-limits, for no one else to see. Girls, save yourself the heartache. If enough guys date you because you’re exposing your double-Ds, eventually you will have a DD heart: Done like Dinner.

It`s not worth it!

Someday I want to be able to say “My name is Aaron McCartney, and I am a slave of Jesus Christ”. I pray to my Father that you can too.

Aaron

That’s What He Said

“I can’t trust a girl that is known to gossip.”

Oh my gosh.  Girls, as a dude, there are few things I HATE worse than a girl who is a ’spreader’.  Problem is, most people don’t even realize that they’re doing it.  For example, I once was talking with a girl, explaining how she really needed to stop gossiping about another person.  What did she do?  She went and talked to them about it!  Missed the whole point.

One of my wife’s closest friends is a HUGE gossip-hater.  (that’s a good thing!)  She started attending a college group at this great church, but after every service, they would go out to eat and everyone would gossip.  SHE LEFT THE GROUP!  Try to gossip around her- she’ll leave the room.  She hates it.  And that’s a good thing.

God hates gossip.  Relationships get ruined by gossip.  Gossip is a sin.  Cut it out.  Get rid of it.  Don’t let it near you!

But the answer isn’t to simply NOT spread gossip.  The point inside just to shut up.  It’s to go in the opposite direction- speak the truth in love.  RUN AWAY from gossip.  Pray for those around you.  Tell GOD on them!  Let your conversations consist of encouragement, laughter, prayer, and admonishment.  Sharpen each other.

Have a great day girls.