what am I here for?

Why am I here? What is my purpose? It’s one of life’s biggest questions and for years I felt like the answer eluded me. I looked around and saw that it seemed everyone had a talent or some big dream they wanted to accomplish. I looked around at church and it seemed that everyone knew their purpose, what they wanted and why they were here.
I was scared that everyone else had talent, everyone else had a purpose but I was just here slipping through the cracks with time just going by with no real purpose.

Psalm 57:2 says, “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.

I began asking God what MY purpose was. It didn’t come overnight but I began understanding how to fulfill my purpose and what it was. I began hearing the Word of God (through preachers and by reading my Bible). God put us here because he wanted to enjoy our company. He wants us to have a relationship with Him. That’s my purpose - to have a relationship with God. God also wants to use me to tell others about Him and that he wants a relationship with him. That’s also my purpose, to help bring others to Him – my testimony, witnessing.
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. (Psalm 138:8)
God has blessed each of us with gifts and talents. There’s something that you do well that God will use to fulfill your purpose. Whether it’s music, sports or whatever career you choose, whatever talents you have, he will use this! That is good news! You don’t have to turn yourself into anyone else. God has made you unique! He will use your humor, your love, your life, your music, your comedy, your business sense, your sport to help reach out to others! He gave you all these things to help fulfill your purpose and while you’re doing that you can also enjoy your life.
May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. (Psalm 20:4)

Be Blessed,
Arlene

Gay Christians?

[below was a 'letter to the editor' I sent for an article about "the Gay Christian debate"]

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"Firstly, I wanted to say you did a good job on the article. You presented both sides of the issue clearly.
On the issue, however, I think it's a silly argument.

You HAVE to change things (or add a little imagination) to even begin to take the side of believing God doesn't call homosexuality sin. I mean if we're talking from a Christian mindset and viewing things from a biblical perspective. The bible is clear that God calls the act an abomination. I don't believe God creates people homosexual. There's no biblical point to stand on that said that He does or would.
Is homosexuality the ultimate sin? No way, but what makes this issue so important is this very article. The fact that people justify it and say "God made me gay".

Stealing, murdering, adultery... sins that hurt people, there's no issue there because large groups of people aren't starting churches and debating that God made them that way.
Paul, in writing most of the New Testament, mentioned how some of his writings were to set things straight where others were bringing false teaching into the church.
The Bible does mention that in the last days people will seek after teachers that "itch their ears".
(I'm at work rushing this email, so I don't have the scripture reference with me at the moment)
In these last days people are looking for Pastors who can make them feel like they're okay, just the way they are. This just isn't going to work when they're facing eternity.
God wants us to come to Him just as we are, but He doesn't leave us that way. We become Born Again and our old nature is "buried" (represented when we're baptized), and we're new creatures in Christ Jesus. "Old things passed away, all things created new."

Homosexuality really is a perversion. I know gay people who I love and respect, who are REALLY nice people. I've had loved ones that have stolen cars, do heavy drugs, addicted to pornography, but we're discussing homosexuality.
I've heard the discussion that they're in love and God see's that (why would God want to deny them their happiness???):
It's one thing to truly love someone. You can be loyal, faithful, express appreciation, and share in life's experiences, but what God calls perverse is when that man or woman enters into a sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. He calls it unnatural. Like if a dad entered into a sexual relationship with his daughter (her being consensual); he could argue all day long about how they're in love with each other, but don't try to call yourself a Christian saying God made her for you.

Gay people say He created them that way.... No, the parts of their body they'd been given are literally created to join with someone of the opposite sex, and God ordained that for marriage.

Can a gay person be a Christian???
I don't think so, but I could see their being a Christian who struggles with Homosexual desires.
I'm a Christian, and I still have struggles and weaknesses. Some I'd be to embarrassed to discuss.
But I'm prayerfully trying to live Holy. Not saying "God created me this way, so it's okay."
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If I wanted to try and say God made me to be that way, I'd have to find a different religion to support that because the Bible just doesn't.

I am compassionate to Gay people because I know the confusion and the struggle they must be facing, but just like with anyone else- we have to call sin "sin", and accept God's word as the truth.

Atleast for those of us who call ourselves Christians...

[please don't mistake my words for "Gay bashing" or that I hate Gay people. I certainly do not. I only meant to discuss the issue of what God's Word says about homosexuality]

What am I doing?

There is a question that people have been asking for years. It has been a mystery to some but to others who have answered the question it has made all the difference in their lives. I believe it is a question that we should all be asking if you have not asked it already. Schools try to answer this question as best as they can but are missing a big part of the puzzle. College universities attempt to make a stab at it, but without the main ingredient it doesn't work. What is the question or the questions that people have been asking since the beginning of time? The questions are...
"What am I supposed to do with my life?"
"What am I here for?"
"Do I have a purpose? If so what is it?"
These are all good questions that we should all be asking. These questions sit deep inside of us. They sit deep inside of every man and woman. Some of us have seen the people we have grown up with and those around us as models for our lives who did not seek out their life purpose and it has made us believe that we do not have a great purpose in our lives. I am here to tell you that statement is a lie. You do have a purpose. And you are alive so that you can make sure that you do that purpose. God was talking to a pretty young man one day and He said "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...I have ordained you to be a prophet unto the nations." This means that before that young man was born God already knew him and He had already planned out what he was going to be. Wow!!! Sometimes I really don't understand that statement but for this guy (Jeremiah) God knew who He was and had made a plan for Him before he even came into this world.
You are alive in the greatest times the world has ever seen. You are not here on accident. You were born on purpose. I don't care if your parents did not want you or if they say you were a mistake. THAT IS A LIE. You were born on purpose to do something that would have a great impact on the lives of others. If you are breathing that means that your life has meaning and you better get going with finding the thing you were born to do. God turned to the same man and said "I know the thoughts and PLANS that I have toward you, thoughts of good and not of evil, and thoughts of an expected end." If you want to know those plans for your life, if you want to know your purpose, do not be afraid to be who you are. Stop trying to be like someone else. Do not be afraid to follow your heart. God has wired you to do the very thing you were born to do. You only have one life. Build a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, learn how to hear from Him, and He will take you on the ride of your life. It will be hard at times. It's supposed to be but it is all worth it. It will be an adventure that you will not want to miss. He will direct your wildness and use it. He is not boring. He is wild Himself. You really can't contain Him in the thoughts that you have about Him. He is not what you think or what you have heard about Him. You have to get to know Him so that you can get going with what you are supposed to do.

-Mick
Youth Leader
//Cross Over Y.M.