In Colossians 2:8-10, Paul wrote "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."

In school and college, we are bombarded on every side by supposed 'facts' that are directly in conflict with what the Bible says. One of the biggest areas we see this in, is the teaching of evolution, but this is not the only focus the enemy has used to challenge God's Word. We see in Genesis that the first thing the devil says to Eve in order to deceive and tempt her was "Did God really say..." (Genesis 3:10). He twists God's Word so that it sounds narrow-minded to be utterly convinced that it's truth in all perfection. However, our societies are plain examples of how, by not taking God's word as absolute, the demise of this world has taken place. It's time to take a stand and refuse to be wishy-washy in our convictions about God.

Read Job 38.
Not only are we being ripped off by failing to stand by God's Word, but it is also utterly conceited for man to think that human wisdom is above God's, when all of our wisdom comes from Him in the first place (verse 36)! The wisdom of Almighty God far surpasses even the questions of any philosopher (verses 19-20). How He must laugh at the wisdom of man, when His wisdom is pure and infinite. Any wisdom that we can have is at most a reflection of a part of God's wisdom, and all foolishness in comparison to His wisdom, in which He is perfect.

God's wisdom is the root to all truth, and by not adhering to God's Word as absolute, we are on a gradual slope to atheism. This is because in saying that God isn't responsible for Creation and all his works, His wisdom and sovereignty are nullified. Therefore, let's not be ripped off by the limited and contaminated wisdom of man, but let's stick to the Word of God and encourage other Christians around us in these areas - as any unified army would.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful...Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as we see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:23,25)

You Thought

Many times when people are asked about their relationship with God, their answers are not true. We sometimes fall into the trap of believing that if we give the correct answers, everything will be fine. If there is no love relationship with God, then the answers are never true.

In the pressure of answering the questions with the right answers that will not give us away, we have a confused and nervous reaction that not only uncovers the truth in our hearts but also causes us to avoid eye contact.

Therefore we can say great and positive things about our relationship with Jesus and be extremely absurd in our disposition. However, to a Christian who understands a love relationship with Jesus, it is no surprise when the lives of these people are inconsistent with their words. A man is recognized by what his life produces (Mt 7:18-20) and his life proves his convictions.

Boundaries

This song brings into focus the fact that God is more than just outside of you and more than just inside of you, but rather that the Spirit of God flows freely through those who are of Him, being both the indweller of men's hearts and the Spirit which exerts influence on the whole earth.

In Genesis, we see the picture of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of the earth, being God's creative force in the universe (Genesis 1:2). This Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, was released onto and into the first Christians at Pentecost, just as Jesus personally had promised them in Acts 1:5. This story is given in Acts chapter 2 and following. The followers of Jesus and all the new converts shared a dynamic life, full of activity very similar to that ofJesus: healing, preaching, teaching, and growing in God by the Holy Spirit (read Acts!). There is no reason to assume this way of life ended with them, as millions of Christians worldwide experience this kind of ministry today.

Here are the characteristics and actions of the Holy Spirit:

1. Fills every believer (Matthew 3:11, Psalm 51:11, Luke 11:13, Acts 2:38, 2 Corinthians 5:5) 2. Empowers us to do acts greater than that of Jesus (Romans 8:26). 3. Gives the peace of God. He is the Comforter (2 Peter 1:21). 4. Enables the believer to understand the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:10, 14). 5. Acts powerfully and specifically in the lives of Christians, at specific times for specific reasons and purposes (2 Thessalonians 2:13, Galatians 5:22). This is a re-filling, which happens consistently as we allow it. 6. He is the Counselor (John 14:26).

1. Love - action word describing affection, desire for another's best,
commitment to someone 2. Joy - deep contentment and happiness that is not dependent upon circumstances 3. Peace - calm resolve that everything will be okay and work out for the best 4. Patience - waiting without desperation or freaking out 5. Kindness - acts toward others that benefit them 6. Goodness - desiring good things for self and others, not bad 7. Faithfulness - true to one person or God without wavering 8. Gentleness - not abrasive, demanding, or selfish in action or word 9. Self control - able to keep from doing wrong and able to do right things

Yikes! Big list of what we all need, eh? Ultimately, these traits are what every
person in this world wants to have and to be shown to them. If this were to happen, we'd live in a new world. Let's begin with ourselves! This lasting fruit is only possible through the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Use the definitions provided above for these nine things and ask God to begin to work them into your life. Some of them come by hard trial and determination with cooperation with God, so don't be discouraged. Find a mature Christian that displays these things and ask them to help you walk it out. Read Galatians, especially chapter five, and see how the early church did.

Everyone who has not put their faith in Jesus and been brought into fellowship with Him has an emptiness inside. Though it is rarely identified for what it actually is, every person experiences this void before Jesus saves them. Gods Word says that He has placed eternity in the hearts of men (Ecc 3:11). We all have this inbuilt desire for life and permanence, we were created for eternity. People try in different ways to fill up the deep desire inside of them, some in more drastic ways than others. Our generation is desperate enough to go further in finding this fulfillment than those of generations before us. If they are honest with themselves and dissatisfied enough to express the fact that they are empty inside, they begin on an adventure to discover what will satisfy this lack they know is eating them away. Gradually, as people grow deeper and deeper into numbness, their desperation turns into anger at the world they were born into. The desire to be accepted and fulfilled by anyone and anything grows and changes until what began as simply dabbling into new experiences becomes an unbreakable pattern of life. They spiral down, becoming more and more desperate for the one thing that will satisfy this yearning for something eternal.

There are so many young people who have been caught in the traps of drugs, addictions, wrong relationships, and they all remain unfulfilled. People knowingly demolish their bodies for the sake of fun even though the highs of the drugs dont outweigh the crashing come downs. They self-diagnose, explaining away their numbness in going through abortions, their phobias and lack of motivation to live, all in attempt to redeem their sense of identity. In order to find the answer, they fire questions about Gods existence to religious people, only to be met with condemnation and distaste. To every new experience, they scream out, Save me! Save me from my life! Surely this cannot be my legacy, how did my life end up like this? All day they are faced with others caught in the same web of depression and insignificance. Everywhere around them they see destruction of, and yet need for, relationships. Even though they are still in their teens they speak about their regret in wasting their life and yet fail to move out of it, for fear of the world in which they see people consistently lacking just like they are.

Matthew 9:10-13 says, While Jesus was having dinner at Matthews house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? On hearing this, Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.

The generation we were born into is screaming out for God and yet it is easy to become so focused on our own lives that people experiencing this unfulfilment are pushed into the deepest corner of our minds. We feel intimidated by people so different from us and yet claim to be Alien ourselves. Young people are making suicidal attempts every single day and we have the answer. All it takes is an expression of love and acceptance to our peers and to boldness to step into their lives just like Jesus did during his life. Jesus spent time with the outcasts, with the people who were steeped in obvious sin. He went to those people confidently because He knew that through Himself he could set them free from their captivity. We have to extend grace towards those who might put up a defensive front, and be willing to get our hands dirty sometimes.

We have great news for our peers. Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost (see Luke 19:10). Jesus will forgive every sin no matter how bad or shocking it seems to us. Sin is sin to God whether it is a lustful thought or a murderous act and Jesus blood shed is enough to cover it all. We must tell people about this wonderful salvation and direct them to the Lord so they can repent and receive forgiveness. God is more than able to heal any wounds that were caused in the past and completely restore people to wholeness. So, lets not be exclusive in preaching the gospel but reach all people, whatever their lifestyle, leading them to real fulfillment.

Kill Me, Heal Me

Have you ever noticed how, even though you are a Christian, there are still patterns of wrong behavior that exist in your life? Even though we are born again as New Creations, all of us still struggle with the flesh, old habits that still need to be dealt with as we daily pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Often, it is merely the desire for comfort or an easy life that robs us of living obediently to God. Our western culture drives our generation to live in convenience and ease, but this attitude of laziness and self gratification contradicts how God instructs us to live in the Bible.

God is so gracious in His dealings with us, even though every single day we can fail to live full-out for Him, because we don't want to deny our fleshy cravings. Praise God that He is full of grace towards us, He sent Jesus to die for our sins and rise from the dead, our guilt has been taken away and our sins are forgiven. God placed the punishment for our sins onto Jesus and removed all condemnation from us. We have been reconciled to God and all bondage to sin is demolished! All this motivates us to want to live the life for which He has called us, as Alien Youth in the world. Just imagine how different a people would be who are not interested in gratifying their flesh, but are fully committed to serving God all the time despite the fact that their flesh screams out for food, for pleasure, for rest. Even though those things are fine, (we have to eat and sleep, etc.) it is so easy to allow those things to become the steering force behind our lives, rather than our spiritual hunger for God's Kingdom advancing. Our fleshiness is ugly next to Gods pure holiness. But when we come before Him with sincerity of heart, He crucifies all that is of ourselves, cleanses us and restores us, not to the old way we were, but to be more like Jesus.

Paul was an amazing example of someone who knew what it was to deny himself for the sake of the gospel. He said, "...I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.... I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked..." (2 Corinthians 11:23-29). Paul was a man who laid down all of his life everyday and put his flesh to death so that God would be glorified.

We too are here for purpose and every day need to make the most of opportunities to kill the flesh, (remembering that we were crucified with Christ and no longer live anyway) and motivated, like Paul, by the grace of God, pressing on as if to receive first prize in a race. There's a bigger purpose for our lives than we often acknowledge, and in order for God to kill everything in us that needs to die, our focus is not to be on ourselves, but to be willing for the sometimes painful process of being broken... and then reset again. It is not to become righteous that we live like this, because we were made righteous by the grace of God when we were born again. Our goal is that we will decrease so that He will increase, that we become empty vessels so that all that flows out of us is Him, that as we live by the Spirit, we will stop gratifying the desires of the flesh. Alien Youth will display Jesus through their lives more than themselves as God kills and heals them continually.

The Thirst Is Taking Over