Greetings, Ruby Readers!
Yes, I am still here and no, I haven't fallen dreadfully ill--just dreadfully behind! So, if you are willing, please put up with me until I get back on track. There is a way you can help me with that, though. Two ways, actually. First, by praying for me and this ezine. Second, by sending in some of your writing: devos, essays, poems--anything! We are in desperate need of some fresh material. Okay, on to this month's issue.
Love in Jesus,
Rebecca
What's up this month?
1. Devo--Extreme Make-over: Soul Edition
2. Real Life with Camy Tang
3. Journaling 101
Extreme Make-over: Soul Edition
Did you ever see that show, Extreme Make-over? Not the "home edition" where they would completely redo a person's house. But the original one where a person would be chosen for a variety of surgical "improvements." Teeth, hair, tummy-tucks, boob-jobs, face-lifts--the works. By the end of the show, the person would look completely different. And every time, they would comment on how the improvements would change their life.
There is another type of extreme make-over that's a lot less painful, but a lot more meaningful. It's the extreme make-over: soul edition. As in the song sung by Natalie Grant, God wants to "make [you] over, make [you] new."
God is in the business of doing make-overs. And though you might be uncomfortable, unsure, or don't think you're "good enough," you don't have to try to fix yourself before you approach God. He is able to take the most malnourished, broken spirit and make it whole again. Just take a look at some of what His Word says:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Romans 6: 5-7 (I recommend reading the whole chapter)5) If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7) because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
That doesn't even scratch the surface. The point is, Christ came to die for us so that we could be changed, made-over, able to approach God without fear or shame. That is what He wants from us-- to go to him and ask him to make us new. Because "...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 1:6)
Take a look at the apostle Paul, whose story is told in the book of Acts. He started out as a persecutor of Christians, but ended up as one of the strongest voices in the New Testament.
So go ahead. Go to God and ask him for your extreme make-over. No appointment necessary. And I know it really will change your life.
Real Life with Camy Tang, February 2007
Q: It’s hard to go to church when so few of my friends go, and my youth group totally sucks. Sometimes I only go because my parents make me. Why do I need to go to church?
A: It’s true, not everybody’s church is great. Newsflash—*most* churches aren’t perfect, so it’s unlikely you’ll find an ideal church to go to.
However, Jesus wants us to go to church.Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 (TNIV)
The reasons why are in these verses:(1) Hold unswervingly to your hope. Going to church each week helps you remember Christ more often than if you didn’t. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive some profound revelation from the sermon each week, but sitting there, worshipping, and praying with your church family puts Jesus in the foremost of your thoughts.It’s like a car engine. You can’t run forever without filling the tank once in a while.
If you go to church, that’s like filling your spiritual tank every week, which will keep you running smoothly and energetically.
(2) Spur each other on toward love and good deeds. That means doing good deeds, too.
There are tons of ways to serve in your church. You sometimes need to search, but there are lots of things God specifically wants you to do to serve His church. Ask Him, and He’ll answer you with opportunities.
Remember, church isn’t there just to serve you. Give back when you can.Remember that parable about the talents? The master says to the faithful ones, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” You want Jesus to say that to you when you see Him at the End of Days.
So think how you can serve Him faithfully, and please Him. It’ll not only help your church, it’ll help your own spiritual walk.
(3) Encourage each other, keep your friends accountable, and vice versa.Just the act of going to church and seeing your church family helps encourage you in your walk, being surrounded by people who believe what you do.
You also never know how you can encourage somebody else through something that happened to you that week, or something you read in your Bible. And the people around you will help you keep yourself accountable—to make right choices in the next week, to spend time with God. Knowing you’ll see these people the following Sunday makes it harder to hide sins from God or to blithely do what you want instead of what God wants. They can also encourage you when you’re struggling with something. Your church family is there for you.
So even though your church isn’t perfect—or maybe far from perfect—Jesus is pleased when you attend faithfully.Why not make a commitment to go to church every Sunday this year?
Do you have a question for Camy? Email us at _rubyeditor@aol.com_ (mailto:rubyeditor@aol.com) !
Journaling 101
Sometimes it can be tough to read the Bible and see how it applies to our daily lives. So try this exercise the next time you write in your journal. Choose a passage of scripture and rewrite it as if it was written specifically for you. One idea is to choose one of the Psalms written by King David as a prayer or praise to God. Write your own version to God, thinking of your own curcumstances as you write.
Yes, I am still here and no, I haven't fallen dreadfully ill--just dreadfully behind! So, if you are willing, please put up with me until I get back on track. There is a way you can help me with that, though. Two ways, actually. First, by praying for me and this ezine. Second, by sending in some of your writing: devos, essays, poems--anything! We are in desperate need of some fresh material. Okay, on to this month's issue.
Love in Jesus,
Rebecca
What's up this month?
1. Devo--Extreme Make-over: Soul Edition
2. Real Life with Camy Tang
3. Journaling 101
Extreme Make-over: Soul Edition
Did you ever see that show, Extreme Make-over? Not the "home edition" where they would completely redo a person's house. But the original one where a person would be chosen for a variety of surgical "improvements." Teeth, hair, tummy-tucks, boob-jobs, face-lifts--the works. By the end of the show, the person would look completely different. And every time, they would comment on how the improvements would change their life.
There is another type of extreme make-over that's a lot less painful, but a lot more meaningful. It's the extreme make-over: soul edition. As in the song sung by Natalie Grant, God wants to "make [you] over, make [you] new."
God is in the business of doing make-overs. And though you might be uncomfortable, unsure, or don't think you're "good enough," you don't have to try to fix yourself before you approach God. He is able to take the most malnourished, broken spirit and make it whole again. Just take a look at some of what His Word says:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Romans 6: 5-7 (I recommend reading the whole chapter)5) If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6) For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7) because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
That doesn't even scratch the surface. The point is, Christ came to die for us so that we could be changed, made-over, able to approach God without fear or shame. That is what He wants from us-- to go to him and ask him to make us new. Because "...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 1:6)
Take a look at the apostle Paul, whose story is told in the book of Acts. He started out as a persecutor of Christians, but ended up as one of the strongest voices in the New Testament.
So go ahead. Go to God and ask him for your extreme make-over. No appointment necessary. And I know it really will change your life.
Real Life with Camy Tang, February 2007
Q: It’s hard to go to church when so few of my friends go, and my youth group totally sucks. Sometimes I only go because my parents make me. Why do I need to go to church?
A: It’s true, not everybody’s church is great. Newsflash—*most* churches aren’t perfect, so it’s unlikely you’ll find an ideal church to go to.
However, Jesus wants us to go to church.Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25 (TNIV)
The reasons why are in these verses:(1) Hold unswervingly to your hope. Going to church each week helps you remember Christ more often than if you didn’t. This doesn’t mean you’ll receive some profound revelation from the sermon each week, but sitting there, worshipping, and praying with your church family puts Jesus in the foremost of your thoughts.It’s like a car engine. You can’t run forever without filling the tank once in a while.
If you go to church, that’s like filling your spiritual tank every week, which will keep you running smoothly and energetically.
(2) Spur each other on toward love and good deeds. That means doing good deeds, too.
There are tons of ways to serve in your church. You sometimes need to search, but there are lots of things God specifically wants you to do to serve His church. Ask Him, and He’ll answer you with opportunities.
Remember, church isn’t there just to serve you. Give back when you can.Remember that parable about the talents? The master says to the faithful ones, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” You want Jesus to say that to you when you see Him at the End of Days.
So think how you can serve Him faithfully, and please Him. It’ll not only help your church, it’ll help your own spiritual walk.
(3) Encourage each other, keep your friends accountable, and vice versa.Just the act of going to church and seeing your church family helps encourage you in your walk, being surrounded by people who believe what you do.
You also never know how you can encourage somebody else through something that happened to you that week, or something you read in your Bible. And the people around you will help you keep yourself accountable—to make right choices in the next week, to spend time with God. Knowing you’ll see these people the following Sunday makes it harder to hide sins from God or to blithely do what you want instead of what God wants. They can also encourage you when you’re struggling with something. Your church family is there for you.
So even though your church isn’t perfect—or maybe far from perfect—Jesus is pleased when you attend faithfully.Why not make a commitment to go to church every Sunday this year?
Do you have a question for Camy? Email us at _rubyeditor@aol.com_ (mailto:rubyeditor@aol.com) !
Journaling 101
Sometimes it can be tough to read the Bible and see how it applies to our daily lives. So try this exercise the next time you write in your journal. Choose a passage of scripture and rewrite it as if it was written specifically for you. One idea is to choose one of the Psalms written by King David as a prayer or praise to God. Write your own version to God, thinking of your own curcumstances as you write.
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