I definitely am looking forward to a new year

I am not usually big on the whole new years thing. I have always been indifferent on the change of numbers, but to me life was still the same. This year on the other hand has a different meaning to me. Don't take me wrong I am not going to sit here and complain over and over again about my year to this point. Because in all reality it has not been a horrible year by any means. At no point this year have I not had a job to go to or food to eat or gas in my car to travel. So in all rights I am not complaining because I have no cause to. So when it comes to the worldly matters I have had a great year. On the spiritual side of things it has been quite different. This whole year it has seemed that I have been two-three steps behind in my walk with God. It has taken me (the stubborn idiot I am) a year to figure out the solution to that was to stop and go to God and dig into His Word to realize where my walk has been off. The last few weeks it seems like everytime I turn on the radio the song "Whatever You're Doing" by Sanctus Real has come on. In the song it says

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace

Complete chaos is pretty much my emotional and spiritual year in review, but just as it states there has been a complete peaceful feeling about it all. I know that God has been working in me all year and all year I have been fighting. I have tried to do stuff that I thought would make me happy without asking Him to guide me into situations and by using my judgment alone have made some pretty stupid moves this year. The next part of the song that has hit me is the very next lyric that says

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To...

To me that has become what new years is this year. Even though I know that the new year does not delete anything from this year it does show that it is a time for new beginnings. I believe that this year is going to bring about good things. I know that whatever God's plan is it will work out for His glory and His glory alone. So with this new year I am looking forward to whatever it is God has in store for me. I know that the trials of this last year will only make me stronger for the trials of the new. I feel that God has great things planned for me not only this year but for every year to come. My goal this year is not to be more adamant in my Bible study or prayer life or any of the many other cliches you hear this time of year. My one goal is to live in Christ alone and to not let the old in me rise up again as it did many times this year.

why evangelize? Just watch

Pyromaniacs: Penn Jillette on Evangelism

A Great Post on Founders Ministries Blog

Founders Ministries Blog: SBC and Calvinism: Three events that widened the divide

Christmas Time

No I am not going to give a speech on telling everyone you see Merry Christmas. That should be natural. I do however believe that non-Christians should not be forced to say Merry Christmas (because to me that is frankly blasphemy). On the other hand ALL Christians should not have to think twice about it. With that said I thought I would share what Christmas means to me. Up until around three years ago I never really understood what Christmas was. I used to think of Christmas time as running to get presents (stuff that people really do not need and probably do not want) and families getting together for a good meal. The latter is great but sometimes the first one gets in the way of everything. We get caught up in all of the other stuff and forget or never actually understand that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to be born for one sole purpose. We all have sinned this is made clear in Romans 3:23. That sin is punishable by eternal separation from God in hell. Christ died on the cross to make the one and only was of salvation possible. (Romans 5:8; John 14:6) Christmas time reminds me of two of the greatest things to ever happen in mankind’s history. The greatest gift ever given in God giving His Son. (John 3:16) and Christ giving His life for us. That my friends is an amazing love and love is the true meaning of Christmas. So when you think about Christmas this year remember what exactly you are commemorating on that day. And if you do not know Christ today is the day of salvation. Repent and turn to Jesus in submissive faith.

been awhile

When I started this blog (6 months ago) my plan was to post at least once a week. Wow I failed at that one. So to start over I am now going to post at least once a week. Guess we will see how that turns out.

Background

When I woke up on August 21, 2005 little did I know that my life was about to change eternally. For a few weeks in advance of this day my brother had been constantly inviting me to church. Each time I had a new excuse (lie) for the reason I could not make it. Little did I know then that all my lies and reasons would be coming to an end. My brother had invited me to a crusade that was being held that week by a group of local churches. I worked 3rd shift the night before and had already made my excuse up before I went to bed. I was going to tell whomever wanted to know that I had overslept and did not have time to get ready and make it. That day was one of the worst days I ever had sleeping. I could not sleep at all! Around 4:00 I went ahead and got up still telling myself I was not going.
I did not want to spend my time around a bunch of church people. I had better things to do. You see I really did not want anything to do with God. I figured I had made it the first 24 years of my life without God, and I was happy. In fact I was very happy with my life. I think we sometimes think that all lost people caught up in sin are miserable and hate their lives. Take it from me that is not always the case. So I could not figure out what the big deal was. Later that evening I would come to find out that it was by God's grace and mercy alone that I had even lived to be 24.
At this point of my day I got ready to go. Thinking to myself that I would make an appearance and maybe it would make people happy. Little did I know at that same time God was in the process of reconciling me to Him. That night I can remember one statement that the preacher said. "Many of you would split the gates of hell wide open if you died tonight." I don't remember that because it scared me. I remember that statement because it was then that God saved me. I knew at that time that Jesus had taken my place on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins. I did not walk the aisle (we were in the middle of a cow pasture) or say a magic prayer. I repented of the sins of my life and God had mercy on my soul and saved me.
I did not go that night for any reason of my own. God and God alone had 100% control in me being in that place that night. It might sound weird, but I find it pretty cool that Jesus brought one of His sheep into the fold in a pasture that night. You see that day I did not want to go, but God brought me. I did not want to leave my sin filled life, but God saved me. At that time I could have cared less about predestination. Today however I know that if God had not chosen me before the foundations of the earth. I would not have chosen Him at that crusade. I wanted nothing to do with Him, but He wanted me. That is the most humbling thought I ever have had.
In my 3 short years as a Christian I have seen "church members" destroy a church. Openly running off a pastor to replace him with a "feel good about me" concept of church. In which God has placed me in a church that sets out to glorifying God in all things. I am currently attending Clear Creek Baptist Bible College and seeking my degree in pastoral studies. As Paul says in Galatians 6:14 "But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." I pray that this blog will do one thing and one thing only. That it will boast only in the cross of Christ. In closing I ask that anyone who reads this to never stop praying for a lost soul and never give up on anyone. Where would we be if God had given up on us?