To Our Trinity Students (and everyone else)

TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!
Some names have been changed to protect the guilty:

Religious Randy: (aka. The Jews in Acts 17:6) “But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”

Soured Sue: “The problem you have is you are too focused on the Bible”

Devilish Doug: “You guys are just fanatics”

Loose Lipped Lynn: “He knows his Bible and uses it like a sword to defend every decision he makes”

Wow, these are real quotes, made by real people, about real believers and to be honest, I had a few more but couldn’t come up with anymore clever names. :) This is the first blog that I have explicitly called out to our students, but I want you to understand what I am writing to you. As you begin school this year, it is crucial that you understand that as a believer you are called to be different. If in fact there is no difference in you, if the world does not understand why you stand the way you stand, why you dress the way you dress, why you talk differently than they talk, then there is something wrong with you. Look at the above quotes - are these really negatives? I mean, is it a bad thing to turn a lost world upside down? Is it a bad thing to be focused on the Bible? I have often heard that a fanatic is someone who loves Jesus more than you do. Is it wrong to use your Bible like a sword? Isn’t this what It calls Itself? Rather than getting defensive or minimizing your stand for the cause of Christ this year, take joy that the world sees you as different - take joy that you have to endure even a little persecution for your stand. Wasn’t it Christ who said in Luke 6:22-23:
Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

He closes this thought out in Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.” It is not a bad thing to lose the applause of men for taking a stand - in love for Christ. The world will seldom see it as love - they will see your stand as judgmental, as being “better than us” or trying to be harsh, but God knows your heart, and you must do all for His glory. He calls us to live a holy, separated life and we must live it out to the best of our ability and to His glory! This year don’t get caught up in the fear of man - stand strong and be courageous! A couple of weeks ago you, as students, blessed us as you led our worship on a Sunday night… you have worshipped God even when the music may not have been your style in previous weeks, and did so with the same passion as you sang and worshipped the Sunday that you led. Thank you for your love, thank you for your passion – We should thank God for our parents, leaders and workers who serve you along side of Bro. Jeff and Bro. Bubba! In the coming days Bro. Brad Walker (whom I will write about next week) will be coming in to meet you. He will take the reigns from Bro. Jeff Phillips and continue to equip you, your parents and your workers to glorify God. But in the mean time, I want you to know I love you, and I value you as part of Trinity Baptist Church, a part of our Church family, and this year I challenge you to TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!