We only live because He lives.

John 14:19

The book of John is incredible, He explains Jesus to us as the divinity. The four tenth chapter is truly amazing, one verse that stuck out to me is nineteen. And Jesus says,

"Because I live, you also will live."

Just chew on that for a day...

Who we are.

God you are everything. To live for you is to live fully alive. Who are we without our creator? Without the One who has designed us, and shaped us, who knows who we are, inside and out? Have we forgotten who we are, to turn our back on our true love, or is it that we think we can do it better on our own?

We will always have questions in this life we live, whether its short or long. Questioning everything it seems like;trying to figure out why we are here, what were supposed to do, who we are to fall in love with, and where we are going.

I ran into a homeless guy today after work, his name is Ron. About a year ago, I met him at Monroe Park in Richmond, Va with a group of friends from church. We had an idea to go and hand out food and water, and build relationships with people. It seems like organizations that feed the homeless are just feeding them food and leaving. However, we didn't have much food or water, but we stayed and talked to people at the park, and listened to their incredible stories. Ron was someone who sat down and listened to the heart of why we were coming, and we saw him a couple weeks in a row. Occasionally I would see him at gas stations and street corners in the city, trying to get back on his feet.

After seeing him today, I stopped at the ATM and pulled out $20, drove back to the corner where he was standing with a sign, and asked him, “If you want to make some money, then hop in”. I had him cut the grass at the house, then had a interesting conversation about God. Like so many others, he is on his own, everything is in his control, and he holds tightly to his life. He asked me, “ If there is a God, then how come the world is so messed up?”

After he left the house, scripture was racing through my head, idea's and questions about this life, this world, this desert of a place. I thought to myself, God has given us a promise to live forever, yet it comes with a choice, and He loves us so much that he does not force any lifestyle on us.

It says in Galatians 5:13 “You were called to be free.”

Like so many other people Ron is weighed down by the cares of this world, and he is tired. We are not supposed to have affliction that weighs us down. We are called to be free in Christ. Yeah, the world isn't perfect, and neither are people. Since the fall of man, it's a constant pursuit by God to have communion with his people. But its us who turn away! We are ashamed of our sin, so we turn and hide, and think we have to do it on our own. Whats the first thing Adam did when he rebelled? He covered himself up, and hid from God.

We are born into this world at war with our sinful nature. Everything is carefree, until you mention God, and people don't know how to act. We have a hard time admitting to ourself that there is a God, when everybody around us is doing it their own way. Sure it looks good, they look put together, they have what they want, whether it's a new girlfriend, or a new car. But inside they are hiding, from who they really are, who their created to be, hiding from God. I guarantee they wonder and ask, is there something more, something better, something that provides wholeness?

Ephesians 1:4 “For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

I believe that over the years and generations before us, people have tried so hard to live a life without God, that we have obtained principles and ways of living that do not depend on God. That sin passed down through generations have caused us to find ways to suite our ways, and our paths rather than the righteousness of God. Just look at construction or tools, we are advancing in technology to make things easier for us. We have prefabricated buildings that involve hardly in labor, just a crane to set it in place. So with our human nature, we have advanced in our theology, and basic lifestyles that are very task oriented, and have an appearance of wisdom, with self-imposed worship, and false humility, but lack any value in sensual indulgence.

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

God had to send his son to save us, and He had to be in human form to take away sin and death from us forever. Jesus made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant, and being found in human likeness. He humbled himself and became obedient to death on a cross for our sake. So we don't have to struggle to fit in this world. Only through the washing of his life can we become forgiven. And he saved us not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing and rebirth by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

If we can just understand this, that there is a God, that there is a hope to live for, and stop judging people and making excuses for the reasons we don't believe or follow God. We were made in His image and created in His likeness.

Why would He send a savior, if we didn't need to be saved?

May the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you and keep you. May you attain the fullness of grace that has been poured out on you. May you run the race that is set before you, and only press forward to win the prize for which God has called you.   

A few thoughts from colossians

Reading from Colossians 3 

The chapter starts off with

(v.1-4)

 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.(2) Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (3)For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (4)When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

Paul writes to the church in colosse and is reminding them about the death that has took place, by the operation of grace. 

(v.1)All he is saying here is, now that you have put down your life, and have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated beside God.  Just as Christ died, he was raised up by the Father, and is seated next to him on the throne. When we die to sin, we undergo a death, which takes away everything that we want, our desires, our plans, our sinful nature and we leave it behind to follow Christ. We then, are raised up by God the father and seated with Christ. 

(v.2)We do not live by this world, or the position it is in at this current state. We have left all of it behind, and put our life in Christ. It is him who we focus on. 

(v.3)When someone dies, their presence is gone, we know them no longer. When we die to sin, we leave this world, and we are hidden with Christ in God. People of this world do not know, or understand our lives. There is no common ground what so ever;our eyes are fixed on completely different things. Our motives are not the same, beliefs, or ways of living.  We are hidden through our death to this world. 

(v.4)When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. "Who is our life", puts it in strong words. All that we live for is coming back, and when He does, we will appear with him in all His glory.

There is a lot more, unfortunately I have ran out of time. Hope to see you soon.

monday night.

There is so much space out here, the mountains are huge, and the wildlife is amazing. Before I left Richmond, I was in prayer for the for the Holy Spirit to awaken the body of believers set apart for the gospel in the area of Kalispell, Mt. The name of the church is New Covenant Fellowship, its non-denominational and a part of the MFI ministries. God has placed Craig Dyson and his awesome wife Cara in Kalispell to take over the position of Youth Pastors in this church. As a lot of doubts may occur, their attitudes are complete trust in the Father to where they have been assigned. Speaking here and there with the couple, the vision they have, is to blow up this area and raise a youth so large that the fire of God rests here and moves in a incredible way. The youth is just short of one hundred people, He sees close to one thousand in his prayers.

Prior to this conversation we had, My prayer for revival in their region is very serious. During prayer, for the leadership in the church, and the full measure of grace to be attained by the body, I felt a fire in my heart stirring. I see so much hope for this young couple here in Montana, and I feel this is exactly where they are supposed to be. As i continued to pray for the youth, and for the holy spirit to give me words for young leaders, the name Ryan kept surfacing in my heart. After my flight and arrival in Kalispell, I went out with Craig to get dinner, and we talked about the church, his vision, and what he wants to accomplish with the youth by the end of this year. He mentioned to me one of his leaders in the youth, and how he had been struggling with depression, and other things spiritually in his walk with the Lord, his name just happened to be Ryan. I feel sent here by the Holy Spirit, and I pray that God speaks through me to encourage and help the young men press forward in their calling.

One thing God has been dealing with me is life and death. When I became a christian, I had to give up everything I knew and crucify my sinful nature, that is who I was trying to be without God. He calls us to lose our lives to follow him. Without killing your old man, without giving up your pursuit to gratify yourself by what this world offers, you cannot obtain Life with Christ or any blessings that come with it. The light cannot be in the darkness, they are forever separated. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their sinful nature"(Gal5:24)

If you want to grow in God, and experience the full measure of Grace that has already been given, you need to stop trying to do it on your own and say, "God, its not about me, its about you. I thank you for this life, and i ask that you would take all things from me, so I can see who you are in my life. Take my reactions, my thoughts, the words that come from my mouth and tear what i have created on my own, I ask for your direction, your perspective and your thoughts. Help me put myself down to experience your glory in my life. Its not about my emotions, or the way I feel, its about your son Jesus Christ who has completely offered himself in every way to see me live in freedom. Thank you Father. I love you."

I hope you gain complete wisdom and understanding that he has lavished on you.

Trip to Montana.

Out of work date: March 27th

This time out of work has been refreshing and as another seasons starts, I'm growing more into the identity of Christ. I'm leaving on the 23rd for a 5 day trip to montana to see an awesome man of God and his family, and to spend time seeking the Lord. I want to blog daily and describe to you what the Lord is doing, through prayer and reading the word, until then, God bless and have a great week.

Hampstead NC.

The more I seek you, the more I find you O God.

Heaven or Hell

So the question has been brought up. And is mentioned once in the New Testament.

If you commit suicide, do you go to heaven or hell?

I understand sin is sin, but the bible says God weighs the heart. Of course its not comparable to stealing, or murder. These acts are to benefit yourself, and protect yourself, only to your gain. Which is selfish. You could also say these acts are out of greed, jealousy, anger, hatred, selfish ambition, and envy.

Suicide is losing hope, giving up, being convinced that your life that was given to you by God is nothing to be lived out. Circumstance might arise, but it tells me in the bible to overcome. Greater is He who is in me, then he who is in this world. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. The story of the bible is God constantly saving his people, over and over again.

If we are circumsied into Christ, "made ONE with Christ", the act of suicide would be killing both, which is clearly not an option. If you are a christian and live by faith, and denying yourself daily asking God to raise you with him being raised with Christ. Then thats as close as dying to self as we get. Suicide however, is holding on to yourself, not trusting God with the issues, and putting back on the yoke of slavery. I don't think after reading Psamls 139, that my purpose is to take my life, after God says that He has
"laid his hands upon me, created my inmost being, knitting me together in my mothers womb, all days ordained for me were written in His book before one of them came to be".