Author: Jeremy Sangtoki

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

–      King Charles III

We’ve all heard the news and seen the flags at half-mast. Today­ marks D-Day+4; the queen’s body is being prepared to be transported in a procession from Buckingham palace to Westminster Hall, where the body will lay at rest for three days. The Westminster Hall will be open 23 hours a day, where civilians can pay their tributes and condolences to HM the Queen. On D-Day+9, The queen will have her funeral, and the whole nation will pause to have 2 minutes of silence for HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her body will then be transported again in procession to Windsor Castle, where her body will be buried at her final resting place. 

The National Anthem will be changed to “God save the King” as King Charles is coronated. Currencies will change and have the profile of the new King. And all members of parliament must pledge allegiance to King Charles. Operation London Bridge has been brought to such detail in commemorating the queen’s passing. 

But I now want to bring your attention to a more significant death; a victorious death on a dark day. 

There were no processions. There were no flowers or deep condolences. There was only a display of humility, an exhibit of blood and suffering. Crowds only gave their deepest hatred and pride for Him to carry on His back. A walk of shame in Golgotha, to the hills of calvary. Bloodshed and suffering, in obedience to God, as our one and only King of Kings was crucified on a cross. 

There was no anthem. 

Only Love. 

Every person on this earth will pass. The monarchs, people of power, and civilians. Nothing can save you. No amount of money can prevent death. No power will last forever. There is only one sacrifice that saves us all. 

Because nothing can separate us from the love of God. 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? …  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What differentiates the deaths of Her Majesty the Queen and the lowly servant Jesus Christ? 

Great sacrificial love. Love for His people, in obedience to God. Although the queen’s death is a great mark of darkness, we can never forget the sacrifice that God made for His people.

There was a rainbow on Friday the 9^th of September at Buckenham Palace. Coincidentally, this was the day after her death. Rainbows are a sign of God’s Covenant with His people. It may or may not be a coincidence, but it is just another reminder of His love. 

My condolences,

Jeremy Sangtoki

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

I would very much doubt if you told me that you had never gotten angry before. I would also question if you said you’ve never thought badly of someone else. I’m going to delve deeper into a larger topic, but it is all going to be up in your head (Idk if that was even good enough to be a pun, but if it was, it was intended). 

Everything you see, learn, situation, and everything around you goes through your mind. You’ve probably heard this before, but your mind is very powerful. However, it is tough to control ­— just like a superpower. This makes it a great danger, especially for mentally unsound teenagers. 

Thinking about the process of thinking

You receive information from your five senses, whether it be knowledge or information.

From there comes the thoughts and perceptions, based on what you now know.

Then, what you think changes into something more substantial: a belief.

Afterwards, you start to develop emotions and desires.

And as these get stronger, these will lead to specific actions or behaviours.

This is how we process information; I am showing you this because when any one of these processes becomes negative, then as the list goes on, the impact will double. For example, suppose you perceive a situation as negative from the top of the list. In that case, everything underneath will also become negative. Your thoughts will be negative. You will start to have negative self-talk, and this negativity will develop into sinful thoughts and actions. 

According to  stats, in the next 24 hours in the United States:

• 1,439 teens will attempt suicide
• 2,795 teenage girls will become pregnant.
• 15,006 teens will use drugs for the first time.
• 3,506 teens will run away.
• 2 teens will be murdered.

As mentally unsound teenagers, we are prone to developing negative thoughts and perceptions. The stats above all start from thoughts, eventually growing into something bigger. Therefore, we must be cautious with our thoughts, and not only that but if we can limit the negative things that we see, do so. 

Sometimes we have negative thoughts because of our hormones; we quickly get moody and often get mad at little things. But at other times, we’re just angry. Sometimes we are just the stereotypical troubled teen. But it’s not right, and we must break that stereotype. How?

Then what must we do?

Rely on God; you cannot rely on anyone or anything else. My brother bought me a book the other day about anger and calming your heart. It’s a 31-day daily devotional on anger. And on one of the days, taken from James 5: 13, it questioned, when you get angry or sad, what is your first reaction? It may be talking to a friend or putting pity on yourself for some. James 5: 13 says, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise”. But what James is saying is that in everything, go to God first. If you are in suffering, pray and go to God. If you are cheerful, praise God. We cannot rely on anyone else from God; our friends cannot sustain us, and they can fail us, but only our faithful God can sustain us. 

All in all, we must go to God; our mind is a Dangerfield to teens. Our thoughts may haunt us, but His rod and His staff will comfort us. However, we must be careful in what we think, see, and do because it may lead to something bigger – into sin. 

This is probably one of the shortest articles on this website, but the point of this is to warn you about your mind, and that we must go and pray to God and God alone, for His perfect and unfailing guidance.

Source:

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-happening-to-our-children-2606269

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

Welcome back from your first day back at school. How was it? Good? Bad? 

Well, now, lockdown is over, and we are all back to school, and our lives are starting to get normal again. Some of us have been vaccinated; some of us haven’t. Some of us have already been going out, some of us are still staying at home. Lockdown might have felt like an eternity, or the time might have flown by quickly. I don’t know about you, but these more than 100 days have gone by really quick for me. Of course, we all have different feelings about the lockdown and returning to normal. But what’s for sure is that all our lives are changing, whether it’s getting back into our regular lives or if your life has changed completely. 

It’s been two weeks since the locks have been lifted; I’ve got the chance to go out a bit. I went to the movies, cut my hair, went to church. But it all felt weird; I wasn’t sure if it was just a regular thing or if it really was strange to be back. I felt like I didn’t belong, like, I was separated from everything and everyone. It might have been the social distancing and the masks, but it just felt different. I felt vulnerable. I’ve realised that I’ve taken most things for granted. It made me feel that everything that we have could be taken away from us at any time.  

We are not in control.

We all come from different parts of the ‘excited or not-excited spectrum’ when it comes to normal life. But one thing is for sure, the life we are ‘returning back to’ is still only temporary. From lockdown, we got a glimpse of what it was like not being able to do normal things. Not being able to meet friends, not going to church, or not being able to do the things that were once so normal to do. Now, things are getting closer to what it was before, but the fact that our life is temporary has always been the same. Only after having these things taken away from me, I truly feel and realise this. Anything can be taken away from us at any time, including our life. Do you think that you are willing to let go of the wonderful things of this world? Do you think you are ready to have your life judged by God, looking at everything that you have done in your life? Do you think that you can say, “Lord, my work on earth is done.” I want you to realise that what we do matters. Take control of what you can control before the one who is in power takes it away. You have control over what you can do on this earth. Will you use your time and ability to serve him? 

Ultimately, God is the one entirely in control; he has the power to pluck you out of this world at any time. So do what God wants you to do before it is too late.  

Take every step like it is your last. 

Everything is temporary, our house, our world, and our life; it is all temporary. But there is something for sure that will last forever, the love of Christ, the knowing of Christ, that relationship and union with Him. That is the only thing that will last forever. If we take a look at Paul, while he was in prison, he wrote, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8). Paul says that everything is rubbish compared to knowing Christ. He knew that all the blessings on this earth would end and that the true treasure that lasts forever and is so great is the union with Christ. 

So, as we return back into our regular lives, know that it is all temporary. We must search for that treasure that will never end. I’ll give you a clue. It starts from your heart, alone with God. Take the time to contemplate, to meditate on His Word. It’s only through the personal relationship with Him that we can have the true treasure that never ends.

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

Procrastination,

I’m sure you guys are familiar with this idea. Whether it be trying to do schoolwork or getting your chores done, we’ve all come across it at some point in our teen years. It’s human nature, a nature to be lazy, to have complete control of what you want to do. But this nature isn’t good, and it shouldn’t be able to take control of your life.  

Procrastination is the action of delaying or postponing something. When we have responsibilities, we say in our minds that we will do it later, but in the end, we never get it done. For example, you have to study for a test, thinking it’s days away. You say, “I can study tomorrow”, but in the end, you leave all of it for the day before. 

Procrastination grows; the more you do it, the more often you will get caught in this sinful nature. Especially in lockdown, we think we have all the time in the world and can do things closer to the due date. But no. Having this mindset will create bad habits, and it can destroy our lives.

I’m writing this not because I’ve overcome this. I’m writing this because I see this as a problem for me and all other teens. I still get caught in this. For example, I had a maths test last week, and I thought it would be acceptable to study later. But the day before, I was stressing about how many formulas I didn’t know. I know I’m not alone and that this is a universal problem; we cannot let this be.

Distraction.

The most significant factor that tempts us to procrastinate is the endless amount of distractions that live at the touch of our fingers. These include the media, games, notifications, and other things that your mind will think are more exciting and important than your responsibilities. Especially in lockdown, where all the distractions become more appealing, our eyes are filled with screens. Our own room becomes our enemy. 

Now, anything can distract you, and it’s a matter of not getting distracted by the things that can distract you. It’s having that control over your desires, having control over what you need to do.

I’m sure all of us have responsibilities, and I’m sure you take them on. But I’m sure that you’ve been distracted by something or someone and end up not taking the responsibilities up. It’s hard; our heart yearns for everything except for what we need to do. And the truth is, we can’t do it ourselves. Ask God for help. Ask that we can keep our minds straight and do the task willingly.

Unwillingness

On the other side of the spectrum, it’s not things pulling us away from the task; it is also the things that make us unwilling to do our work. Whether it be boring homework, continuous study, or tedious chores, our willingness must have a purpose. 

Our purpose is to glorify God. Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”. 

We may ask ourselves, “how can I glorify God while doing my homework or doing chores around the house?” As students and teens, we are responsible for obeying our parents and doing our best in school. Our calling is to fulfil these responsibilities. And using our time and effort to fulfil our calling is bringing glory to His name.

If you know your purpose, that will drive your willingness to do something; that purpose will drive your determination. So we must learn that what we do, our tasks and our chores should be all for God’s glory.

Time flies, especially when we procrastinate.

Have you ever had that guilt, like after you were glued to YouTube or TikTok and when you realise, two hours just passed? I was writing an essay, and as I was researching, I somehow found myself on YouTube. Let me tell you, the recommendations on the side are tempting. By the time I realised, I had just wasted hours thinking that it was okay to keep clicking the recommended videos. 

There was also this other time; I said that I would do my homework at 5:00 PM. I kept looking at the time, “ahh, it’s fine, still got thirteen minutes left.” The next time I checked the clock, it was 5:12 PM. So then I said to myself, “Okay, for real this time, start your homework at 5:30 PM.” By the end of the day, I had not done my homework. 

Procrastinating doesn’t just affect the outcome of your responsibilities. It will change your life. And I mean, negatively. The habit will grow on you, and more problems will arise the longer you stay in this trap. Realise — it’s not a small matter. You may think so, but whether you realise it or not, it will grow on you. And this habit will devour your self-control.

All in all, it’s our decision—whether it’s getting rid of the distractions or having the willingness to take up our responsibilities. It’s having the self-control to do what has to be done. We have the choice to get caught in procrastination or use our time wisely for doing what needs to be done. Even though it is hard, being tempted by all the temptations that may come around, we must pray, ask God for help, ask for the strength to turn away temptation, ask for the willingness to fulfill our responsibilities. Walk away from this form of laziness; it’s a problem that is greater than it seems, and we cannot stay in this trap.

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music. 

If somebody gave you a gift, and this gift was the best gift you’ve ever gotten, the best gift that you have ever seen, would you not share it with others? 

If you ate at a nice restaurant and the food was cheap and excellent, would you not tell people to go to the same place and have the goodness you enjoyed? Would you not share it with others?

God gave you the perfect sacrifice – free salvation for the fate of your eternal soul, His perfect love, and a true internal satisfaction having a relationship with Him. And, all we have to do is declare with our mouth and believe it in our hearts. This is a free but priceless gift. Why aren’t we sharing it with others?

The good news

The gospel is by no doubt the best news we’ve ever heard. Yet, we often tend just to let the goodness of it pass by. This news is far better than the distressing covid daily updates. The Good news is that God died for our sins and rose again. There is no condemnation for those who believe, only eternal joy. The well-known verse John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

To evangelise, you must know the true meaning of this verse, and you must experience it entirely first. You wouldn’t have the urge to evangelise if you don’t truly think that the news is good. You wouldn’t recommend a restaurant to someone if you haven’t even been there yourself. You cannot give a gift that you don’t even have. We must learn to read the Bible more often, not only read it but study the depths of it. Delve into a relationship with God through prayer and knowing of Him.

You may be scared 

My question to you is: what are you scared of? Think about that deeply. You might be scared to lose your reputation, to be rejected, to be downcasted. But really, all those reasons are based on you. Those thoughts are selfish; you are trying to serve God by spreading the gift you have received. You shouldn’t fear these things; we must know that we are not doing this for us before we can evangelise. It’s for others and His Kingdom. If people reject your efforts, you aren’t the one being rejected. They are rejecting God, and they will have to deal with it for the rest of eternity. 

Usually, there are these three things that stop us from sharing the Word. (1) We doubt our confidence in the truth. (2) We lack love for others and God. (3) We don’t have the courage to go against unbelievers. 

Suppose you doubt the truth that you are proclaiming to others, only believing it half-heartedly. That will not work. You must believe and know the truth for yourself. 

If you love someone, you will want them to hear the good news as well, right? You would like them to have the opportunity to be saved and have the blessings and the special grace that God gives to all His children. The problem is our lack of affection for others which leaves us unmoved to share the Word.

You might be scared to lose your reputation or to be rejected. But, let me assure you; all these reasons are resolved when you put God at the centre of everything. 

If you have experienced the goodness and the fullness of Christ, there is no way you will doubt it. You still may reject it because of your stubborn heart, but no longer will you doubt it. And if you want to accept the truth, then you will know and be confident in the truth that you believe. 

It’s the same. If you have experienced Christ’s glory, then you will learn to love Him. And from His love, love to others will flow. You would want to share the goodness of his blessings with the people around you. 

If your life is centred around Christ, you would not be scared because you are no longer worried about yourself. You are no longer concerned about your self-image or reputation. You will also realise that the call to evangelise is not for yourself; it is for God and His Kingdom in heaven. 

Where do we start? 

Evangelising is not always going to the most primitive countries in the middle of nowhere and sharing the gospel in gruelling conditions. Evangelising is preaching the gospel or spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Evangelising can simply be talking to family or friends about God or bringing your friends to church. There are thousands of ways that you can get the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. It’s a call to all Christ’s children to share the gospel with everyone, to all nations. 

So together as one church, as one great body of Christ, may we share the gospel to those who need it, to all those around us and those afar. Some of you may be called to be missionaries dedicating your whole lives to sharing the gospel. Some of you may be called to be street evangelists. Some of you may be called to be a witness sharing the gospel to those around you. But I can assure you that all children of God have a calling to evangelise. So it’s just up to us to take that calling up.

Ask God for help

We cannot do this alone. We must pray. Man’s strength alone can do nothing. Only by the grace of God can we preach to others. It is through His love that we can love. It is by His power that we are enabled to share. May we realise the calling that we have received, take it up and share the gospel. 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

I hope that this encouragement can move people to share the gospel. Through the ministry that God has allowed me to be a part of, I pray that I may be a blessing to others and may bring glory to Him.

Jeremy Sangtoki (15) is a writer and videographer for RE Generation-Z. Through his passion for videography and photography, he hopes to proclaim the truth and bring more teens to Christ. Like his brother, he has a predilection for classical or baroque music.