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Inside Out or Outside In?

Cindy Jackson (no relation to Michael) has quite a record of elective plastic surgery. She’s had 27 operations in nine years. Remember, this is elective plastic surgery. No, she wasn’t in an accident or born with any kind of disfigurement. She was born on a pig farm in Ohio and has had three full face lifts, thigh liposuction, two nose jobs, abdomen work, breast reduction and augmentation, jaw line surgery, knee work and permanent makeup. Cindy has spent approximately $100,000 changing her looks and trying to feel better about herself.

Erik Sprague has spent 450 hours getting tattooed, has pierced several parts of his body, and has placed himself on a strict diet of bugs and pizza. He’s also had his tongue surgically split to give a forked look and has had horned ridges implanted above his eyes.

His teeth have been filed into fangs, and his tattoos are green to give him the appearance of a lizard. He calls himself Lizard Man and slithers around the country performing a live stomach-pumping routine on himself at various side shows.

It’s obvious that Erik Sprague and Cindy Jackson are determined to change who they are by altering their outer appearance. Too bad they’ve never heard that real change comes from the inside. They’re assuming by altering their outer appearance, they’ll actually change themselves. But genuine change doesn’t happen outside in. It always occurs inside out.

Once you’ve experienced a change on the inside, it will eventually be reflected on the outside. There’s a legend about a popular clown named Grimaldi. Each night he bought laughter to hundreds of people who came to see his performances at the town circus. A physician had taken his family to see the show, and they were ecstatic. Their trip home was filled with laughter as they recalled what the clown had done on stage.

The next day, a stranger came to see the physician in his office. “Doctor, I need help,” the man said. “I’m falling apart inside. I can’t sleep, I have no reason to live, and I haven’t laughed in months.”

The physician quickly recommended the man attend that evening’s circus performance. “It will do you wonders!” he said. “In fact, I’m making that my prescription for you. Go to the circus and be entertained by the wonderful Grimaldi. He’ll make you forget your troubles as you laugh the night away.”

The man left the physician’s office even more devastated than when he entered . . . for you see, that man was Grimaldi!

Know It!
God dreams BIG dreams for you! He offers you a life of fulfillment, joy and peace. And a smaller nose, bigger muscles, tattoos, jokes, laughter or popularity won’t bring happiness. Allow Christ to transform your heart and your mind. Those around you will definitely notice the difference!

Read It!
Proverbs 14:13; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:6-7.

Pray It!
Ask God to change you from the inside-out. Seek His help in refusing to believe the lie that your worth comes from outward appearance.

Is Your Baggage Labeled?

Just as you’d never consider running a race while wearing an overcoat, or entering a swimming event wearing sweats, hopefully you won’t carry unnecessary baggage in your relationship with Christ. What kinds of luggage do Christians hold onto that effects their walk with Jesus?

Go through the following packing list and mark any items you may have in your baggage collection.

— Bundle of bitterness. Someone hurt you, and you’re holding onto the hurt. It’s packed deep inside your heart, and it’s keeping you from experiencing the joy God wants you to have.

— Bag of anger. Something happened, and you’re so angry you can’t think straight. Instead of living out God’s love, you’re trapped within a cave of paralyzing anger.

— Box of jealousy. Someone else has what you want. You’re feeling insecure and jealous. It’s preventing you from sharing laughter, smiles and happiness.

— Briefcase of inferiority. You’re self-conscious about your weight, your face, your hair, your grades, etc. Instead of living with confidence, you’re battling self-esteem issues and have trouble believing you’re valuable.

— Bunches of unforgiveness. Let it go. You’re right—it shouldn’t have happened, but it did. Dad left the family. Someone broke up with you. Rumors were spread. Whatever the situation, you feel rejected . . . and you’ve become spiritually crippled because you haven’t forgiven. Release it. (As in right now!)

— Batches of the past. You blew it. Failed big time. You feel terrible about it and have never gotten over it. If only you’d never. . . but you did, and you’d give anything in the world to walk without this cloud over your life. Guess what! God will gladly trade you the sun for your cloud. And His Sonshine is brighter than any other sun in the galaxy. Know that He’s forgiven your past; He died for it. Accept His forgiveness and move on.

But I’m not sure what baggage I’m carrying. God knows. So instead of trying to read the labels yourself, ask Him to identify your baggage for you. And when He does? Thank Him. Seek His forgiveness. And get rid of your luggage by checking with Him forever!

Know It!
God wants you to experience spiritual victory—not spiritual depression. You can be victorious, and remain victorious, by refusing to carry baggage that gets in the way of your relationship with Him.

Read It!
Galatians 5:19-23; Colossians 3:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5; 2 Peter 1:2-11.

Pray It!
Ask God to remove anything in your life that’s slowing you down in becoming all He wants for you.

That’s Hard to Believe!

A few years ago, Stella Liebeck, from Albuquerque, NM, spilled a cup of McDonald’s coffee in her lap. She claimed the coffee was so hot, it caused her undue physical pain and sued McDonalds. She won the suit and became an instant millionaire.

Ever since that publicized lawsuit, attorneys decided to begin an annual “Stella” awards — giving recognition to the most outlandish lawsuits of the year. Check out the following candidates:

• June 1998: Nineteen-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical expenses when his neighbor ran over Carl’s hand with a Honda Accord. Carl apparently didn’t notice there was someone at the wheel of the Honda when he was trying to steal his neighbor’s hubcaps.

• December 1997: Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware successfully sued the owner of a night club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This happened while Kara was trying to sneak through the window in the bathroom to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental expenses.

• January 2000: Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $780,000 by a jury after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running wild inside a furniture store. The store’s owners were surprised at the verdict, since the misbehaving little boy was Kathleen’s own son.

Though all of the above accounts are true, you may be thinking, That’s really hard to believe! It may also be hard to believe that not all good people will go to heaven. Even harder to believe is that good people will spend eternity in hell.

But God is crystal-clear about who will spend eternity with Him and who won’t. Good people are fun! And nice. And considerate. And cool. So why would a loving God really send good people to hell?

The answer: He doesn’t. Good people send themselves to hell. God loves good people — as well as bad people — so incredibly much that He gave Himself (in the form of His only Son, Jesus Christ) to die an horrendous, excruciating death. Why? Because the punishment for sin is death. Since we’ve all sinned, we’re all doomed to die. Unless . . . Someone else would volunteer to take our place on death row.

That Someone was Jesus Christ. He died so you wouldn’t have to. If you want to accept Him as your Lord and Savior and live according to His will, you’ll get to spend eternity in heaven with Him. If you choose not to seek forgiveness for your sins and ignore Christ, you’ll spend forever in hell after you die—even if you’re a good person.

Know It!
None of us can be “good enough” to earn forgiveness for our sins. The payment is too high. That’s why God paid it for you.

Read It!
Matthew 23:33; Matthew 25:31-46; John 12:48 Acts 10:42.

Pray It!
Ask God to help you understand the reality of spending eternity in heaven or hell.

Are You Really Listening?

During their formative years, children sometimes hear phrases from popular songs incorrectly. Do any of the following sound familiar?

• “Olive, the other reindeer . . .”
• “Oh beautiful, for spaceship guys . . .”
• “He is exhausted; the King is exhausted on high . . .”
• “Sue and Mary Lou, they are goin’ to see the King . . .”
• “On the first day of Christmas, my tulip gave to me . . .”

It’s understandable why children would misunderstand the above phrases from well-known songs. If a child hasn’t learned to read yet, all he has to rely on for learning is his auditory senses.

But the older we get, we learn by reading and hearing. Still, we often listen with one ear and don’t truly hear what’s being said.

In our relationship with Christ, it’s important that we read His love letter to us (the Bible), and that we listen with both ears, our heart and our mind. If we fail to listen to God’s leading in our lives, we soon find ourselves living in disobedience to Him.

The Bible tells us that one quick way to measure our love for Christ is to examine our obedience to Him. If we really love Him, we’ll obey Him. And to obey Him requires listening very carefully. Do you remember the story of Samuel? He was a young boy living with Eli, an elderly priest.

One night, after Samuel had gone to bed, a voice calling his name woke him from his sleep. He rushed into Eli’s room asking what the priest wanted. But Eli responded he hadn’t called him. Samuel assumed he must have dreamed hearing his name called.

After he crawled back into bed and fell asleep, he was again awakened by a voice calling, “Samuel, Samuel.” The boy rushed back to Eli’s side only to learn that Eli had also been asleep and hadn’t called him. The priest was a wise man though, and he knew Samuel had been anointed by God. So he instructed the boy to respond to the voice as if it were his heavenly Father — if he heard it again.

Sure enough, after Samuel had fallen asleep for the third time, he was awakened again by the voice. He knew it was God and responded in obedience.

Are you hearing God’s voice when He speaks to you? Or, like a child, are you confusing God’s conversation with bits and pieces of the world’s conversation around you? Guess what — they don’t mix!

Know It!
God has important stuff to tell you. So make time to read some of His letter to you on a daily basis. You’ll hear His voice through Scripture, and you’ll also hear His voice through your prayers, your spiritual leaders (pastor, Sunday school teacher, youth minister, parents) and your heart.

Read It!
1 Samuel 3; John 14:15; John 14:23-24; John 15:10.

Pray It!
Ask God for sensitive spiritual ears to hear and recognize His voice. And as you hear His voice, commit to responding in immediate obedience to what He says.

What Kind of Tator Are You?

If we compared human nature to vegetables—potatoes in particular—we might be able to categorize people this way:

• People who are bossy and enjoy telling others what to do, but don’t do much work themselves are called “d**k Tators.”

• And there are always a few people who say they’ll help. They intend on getting involved. But they never actually get around to doing anything. They’re called “Hezzie Tators.”

• Some people seem to love conflict. If there’s not any current controversy happening, they’ll create something! They’re called “Aggie Tators.”

• Other people never seem motivated to get involved. They’re content to simply watch while others do the work. They’re called “Speck Tators.”

• Some people try to act like someone they’re not by putting on a front. They’re called “Emma Tators.”

• Some people never actually offer a helping hand, but they constantly find fault with how others do things. They’re called “Comment Tators.”

• And then there are the people who are really genuine. They’re willing to get involved. They help others in need. They make a conscious effort to be a positive influence on those around them. They’re called “Sweet Tators.”

Which kind of tator are you? Are you known for having a critical spirit, or do people truly enjoy being around you? Think about that person everyone loves hanging out with. Chances are, that person knows how to make others feel good about themselves. He/she is an encourager and affirms others easily. That person isn’t a trouble-maker, rather he/she enjoys bringing unity and consensus to problems and tense situations. No wonder everyone loves being around him/her. This person is a “Sweet Tator”!

The Bible talks a lot about unity. Interestingly, the apostle Paul tells us in Galatians 5:9 that it only takes one wrong person to effect an entire group. God doesn’t spread a spirit of discord and argument. He instead, is the Author of peace and harmony. Think about your reputation. Are you known as a peacemaker? Someone who enjoys people and has a positive attitude? Or do others see you as a complainer; one who doesn’t keep his word; or someone who’s trying to something he’s not?

Know It!
God wants to use you to be a positive influence at your school, in your community, at your part-time job, in your family. He can do BIG things through a willing spirit. Are you willing to forget sitting on the sidelines? Ready to hang up a critical spirit? Will you be a “Sweet Tator”?

Read It!
Proverbs 17:22; Romans 15:5; Colossians 3:14; Philippians 2:1-2.

Pray It!
Tell God you’re willing to be molded in His Image. Allow Him to break you and reshape you . . . into a “Sweet Tator”!

Undercover Christian?

The first time we meet Nicodemus is when the Scriptures show him coming to Jesus at night. Nick was a Pharisee. And they were the respected religious leaders of Israel. Jesus didn’t have a lot of good things to say about this specific group of people who seemed more concerned about keeping petty man-made rules than they did in genuine worship.

The Pharisees were the ones always questioning the people Jesus healed. When they noticed the paralyzed man by the pool (John 5) had been healed and was now carrying his mat, they didn’t rejoice in his healing. They were angry because he was carrying his mat — which qualified as “working on the Sabbath” and demanded to know who gave him permission to do that!

The Pharisees “talked the talk,” but they didn’t “walk the walk.” In other words, they quoted Scripture, dressed nicely and went to church, but they weren’t genuinely concerned with the well-being of those less fortunate.

Nick was one of these guys. So it’s really no surprise that he came to Jesus during the night. He knew a lot was at stake. He’d heard Jesus preach, seen His miracles and believed He truly was who He claimed to be — the Messiah.

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly when Nicodemus committed his life to Christ, but if we study the Scriptures we can see definite signs of spiritual growth. The next time we see Nicodemus in Scripture, he’s part of the Supreme Court, and they’re trying to decide how to get rid of Jesus. Nicodemus stuck his neck out and spoke for justice. Even though he was ignored, it took boldness for him to speak out. Quite a difference from when he approached Christ during the night!

The last time Nicodemus is shown in Scripture is after Jesus has been crucified. Nicodemus, along with Joseph of Arimathea, took a huge risk and asked if they could Jesus a proper burial in a special tomb. Nicodemus was no longer an undercover Christian. His spiritual boldness was shining bright.

Though Nick began as a shy Christian afraid to be known for his association with Christ, he definitely made great spiritual strides. God isn’t concerned with how fast you grow spiritually. He doesn’t expect you to become a spiritual giant over night. But He does want to produce steady growth in your relationship with Him.

Know It!
Make time to evaluate your own spiritual growth. Are you growing steadily in Christ, or are you simply standing still? A Christian who stands still for an extended period of time is in danger of falling backward in his relationship with Christ.

Read It!
John 3:1-21; John 7:5-52; John 19:30-40.

Pray It!
Tell God you want to grow closer to Him. Ask Him to deepen your faith and to help you become more bold in your witness.

He Knew all the Words

When Nicodemus made an appointment to talk with Jesus at night, he wanted more information on being a Christian. Actually, the term “Christian” wasn’t in use yet; it was coined after Jesus died and the Church was organized. But Jesus spoke boldly and publicly about the necessity to be born again and to experience the forgiveness of sins.

As a Pharisee — an important religious leader — Nicodemus thought he’d heard it all. He knew the Scriptures. He obeyed the rules. He went to the temple regularly. He gave offerings and was a kind and considerate man. Yet, as Jesus spoke about eternal life, Nicodemus realized he was missing something.

So he made an appointment to talk with Jesus. He wanted more information. Jesus told him that in order to enter heaven—to gain eternal life—he would need to be born again. Nicodemus didn’t get it. He asked Jesus how it would be possible for a grown man to become a baby again and be born of his mother a second time.

But Jesus wasn’t talking about a physical rebirth. He was talking about a spiritual birth. Though Nicodemus knew a lot about God, he didn’t actually know God personally. Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he needed to come to God in humility, admit his need for a Savior and seek forgiveness for his sins.

Nicodemus finally understood and became a follower of Christ. Though it was slow, his lifestyle eventually began to reflect his newfound faith. What about you? Do you actually have a personal, growing relationship with the Creator of the universe? Or do you simply know a lot about Him? It can become easy to settle into a good reputation and develop a good habit of church attendance. But if that’s all our Christianity consists of, we’re lacking a great deal!

Know It!
Head knowledge is great, but it won’t get you into the Kingdom of God. You need heart knowledge to have eternal life with Christ.

Read It!
Luke 1:77; Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16; 2 Corinthians 7:10.

Pray It!
Ask God to help you evaluate your relationship with Him. Are you where you need to be spiritually? Or are you merely “talking the talk” without “walking the walk”?