Showing posts with label a YA Christian Fantasy". Show all posts
Showing posts with label a YA Christian Fantasy". Show all posts

Monday, March 31, 2014

THE FATHER OF LIES: Devotional from "Am I Okay, God?" by Lorilyn Roberts





Jesus said [to some Jewish unbelievers]: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of liars.”
—John 8:44


Despite your blemishes, you’re a child of the king. But your beauty shouldn’t come only from your outward appearance but from your inward radiance.

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From Seventh Dimension – The Door, a Young Adult Christian Fantasy:

“I’ll make you a beautiful princess,” he [the serpent] promised.
The desire to be talented and sought after by handsome young men consumed me.
—Shale Snyder, chapter twenty-six

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The truth is, those provocative pictures of men and women on the cover of Vogue and other magazines have been edited with Photoshop to make the models look beautiful. Give me a photograph of yourself and I can make you as glamorous as you want to be.

The cover of Seventh Dimension   The Door was manipulated in Photoshop by a professional book designer. The girl had no blouse on—we added that. Her long hair dipped into the water so we cut it. I didn’t want a mermaid. We sprinkled golden glitter on the surface of the water and added a  waterfall to the background. We enhanced the bird and added highlights behind the girl to do one thing—to draw your attention to Shale Snyder, the main character in Seventh Dimension – The Door.



We can do that because we can manipulate what the eye sees. But what about what is underneath the skin or that outer layer that we can’t see? Shale was tempted to believe the serpent’s lie to make her beautiful on the outside. Save for her friend, Daniel, she would have been consumed by the temptation.

She wanted to be beautiful, but what she truly wanted was to feel valued by somebody. Her self-worth and self‑esteem had been bruised by others. She was persuaded to believe the lie because she was desperate for love.

Beauty, money, wealth—all those things tempt us into believing that if we had this or that one thing, then everything would be great.

Satan lives in the spiritual realm and when you enter that realm of questioning and seeking answers, you will be confronted with choices. The serpent wants to convince you that he can give you a shortcut to happiness.

If you spend all of your time making yourself beautiful on the outside but don’t spend time with God developing your relationship with him on the inside, you will be a trophy—a trophy of the devil.

God wants all of you. Don’t be led astray. Find your joy in the Lord, and if you have wandered, come back. Remember your first love.

Young ladies may find this hard to believe, but a man of God will seek the beauty of Jesus in you. A godly man will be drawn to your soul that is enraptured with the Holy Spirit. He will see your love for the king, your compassion toward others, your kindness for animals, and a heavenly beauty that surpasses the outward beauty you think you need to catch a young man.

Besides that, if God wants you to marry, he has the perfect man already picked out for you. You don’t need to compromise or do things you might regret later. You don’t need to wear dresses up to your hips or low-cut blouses to grab the attention of a handsome suitor.

If you’re a young lady, would you want a man who was attracted to you only because of your outward beauty? That kind of beauty fades. Breasts sag, hair turns gray, wrinkles appear, and varicose veins pop out.

If you are a young man, young Christian ladies want a man who “walks the walk” and not just “talks the talk.” A real Christian woman can spot a counterfeit Christian man within a few minutes of conversation. A real Christian woman can feel his lustful gaze and she can read his carnal thoughts. In fact, any woman will know when a man is not treating her with respect, even if she doesn’t say so.

I tell my daughters, if you want a Christian marriage, find a man who really, really, really loves the Lord, and then he will love you.

Sadly, in today’s world, there aren’t enough young truly committed Christian men. Part of it is probably due to our Western culture, where young men have bought into the idea that it’s okay for them to sow their wild oats before getting married. Beware, though, some of those wild oats contain poison.

In Hollywood, you’re given a star people walk on that symbolizes greatness. Is that what you want? In heaven, you will be given a crown, or even many crowns, depending on how you’ve lived your life. Would you rather have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that might be destroyed in an earthquake or a crown of righteousness that will never fade? In fact, there are many kinds of crowns to be awarded to the saints for their faithful deeds.

Here are some Bible passages that describe the kinds of crowns that await the believers when they arrive in heaven.

[II Timothy 4:8]  The crown of righteousness, given to those who long for the Messiah’s return.
[I Corinthians 9:25‑27] The incorruptible crown, given to those who have exercised self-discipline and self-control over their bodies and thoughts.
[James 1:12] The crown of life, given to those who have endured patiently through trials.
[I Peter 5:4] The crown of glory, given to pastors and others who have faithfully served God.
[I Thessalonians 2:19] The soul winner’s crown, given to those who have brought many followers into the kingdom.

The temptation to buy into Satan’s lies is great, but God’s love is greater. Remember your Lord and Savior at those moments when you are tempted, “…and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his mercy and grace.” [lyrics to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus].

Young men and young ladies, adorn yourself with thoughts that will captivate your soul. Thoughts of beauty when you embrace God’s creation. Thoughts of wonder at the testimony of those who have suffered because they love Jesus.

Look for good in the world because it’s there. It won’t be found in tabloids or on store aisles stocked with overpriced items promising fame, beauty, or fortune. God’s insurmountable beauty will be found in sunsets, in family relationships, in friendships that honor God, in Thanksgiving dinners and Bible studies and fellowship with other believers.

A smile on your face can lighten up a room. Acceptance in your eyes can reassure someone who is sad. A hug can make someone feel wanted. A kind word can tear down strongholds that Satan has built—you’re beautiful just the way you are.

Young ladies, you don’t need to do anything to make handsome men desire you—for the wrong reasons. Love the Lord your God with all your heart mind, and soul. He will send you the right soul mate and husband at his appointed time.

And young men, if you want God’s absolute best wife in the world, save yourself for the one he created to be your helpmate. Make women desire you because of your love for God.



Thank you, Jesus, for helping me to trust you in my relationships with the opposite sex. Help me to trust you for my future husband or wife.
Please help me to wait. Help me to grow in maturity so I can someday be the wife or husband you call me to be. I want to be content where you have put me, single or married. My hope for a future spouse is found in you.


http://bit.ly//Lord_Foulgrin_Letters Lord Foulgrin’s Letters, by Randy Alcorn 

"Am I Okay, God? Devotionals from the Seventh Dimension" is available on Amazon Kindle for $2.99.