Let's Go To War...

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 - 1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

The world we live in today is certainly a cruel place.  At any given day you can turn on the news and be overwhelmed by the horrible things that are going on.  Satan and his angels are fighting to keep everyone from hearing the truth of the Gospel. Personally, when I dig into scripture I get FIRED UP when I read about war.  Automatically I make the parallel to my life today.  Sitting behind the locked doors of our homes satan does his best to win this war.  What are we going to do about it? As followers of Christ we have to fight fire with fire.  We need to remember that God is always with us in this battle, and He will fight with us if we let Him.  Christ's power that lives within us is so much stronger than the powers of satan. (1 John 4:4)  With that being said, let's go to war against these evil forces.  The eternal lives of others are at stake here.  In the movie Scarface, Tony Montana said, "You wanna go to war with me, i'll take you to war!"  We can make Romans 16:20 a reality because God is with us...Let's go to war with these cock-a-roaches (satan's army)...

High Wire...- From Everything Counts...

Colossians 3:3 -3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Some people want you to believe that a life as a follower of Jesus is like walking the high wire in the circus.  Nothing could be more wrong.  Walking the tightrope is a better analogy to a life WITHOUT God.  Believers start the long climb up the stairs, and from our perspective the steps at the top look narrow and difficult to keep our footing on.  As we get higher we realize the steps are wider and easier to stand on than they were when we started.  To those back on the ground it looks las though we're in danger of falling backward, but where we are we feel more secure than we ever did before.  Jesus said, "Do not let your heart be troubled."  Once you get into an experience you know is from God, there's no way your heart can be troubled.  It isn't possible.  You'll feel the peace Jesus promised to leave with you.  Stop worrying.  Stop thinking you will fall.  Stop stressing.  You're in the presence of God, and nothing you can do will separate you from that.  From this point on nothing is the same as it was.  Stand firm.  Plant your feet.  Jesus is here, and He is not going anywhere.

Thumbin' For A Ride...

I was on the way to a meeting this morning and I passed a guy looking to hitch a ride.  Honestly, I felt that I should turn around and pick him up.  I didn’t hear a vocal voice from God, but I felt like the Holy Spirit nudged me.  The Bible is clear about the Holy Spirit’s presence in a believer’s life, and I try to obey when I feel it move.  Just for the record, any stories that I blog about are totally God’s doing and I want absolutely no credit.  ALL the glory goes to God.  Anyway, I turned around and picked the man up.  This kat had a beard of Zeus goin’ on and he was rockin’ a jean jacket makin’ no apologies.  (Like any of that matters)  I introduced myself and asked him where he was going and he said, “Name’s Kurt, goin’ to Wal-Mart.”  A lot of people would say, “What the heck are you thinking?  People are crazy these days and hitch-hikers kill people.”  I know as soon as my mom reads this she is going to call me and tell me not to do it again.  I know that advice is because people love me and don’t want to see me hurt, BUT I love Kurt and I don’t want to see him hurt either.  (Eternal Punishment)  Sure, just because you are a hitch-hiker doesn’t mean you are not a believer, but regardless it is an opportunity to help someone out.  Plus, you have a captive audience because they aren’t going anywhere until you take them there.  My fear of being hurt by someone, has been muffled by the scripture (aka THE WORD OF GOD) that I read.  (Psalm 46, 91, 125 - Acts 5:29 - Acts 5:38-39 – 2 Corinthians 1:10)  There is a possibility that I could be robbed, hi-jacked, or killed.  Honestly, a martyr’s death would be an honor.  If someone kills me because I am trying to show him or her the love of Christ, oh well.  I could think of other ways of dying that are just lame compared to dying for Christ.  Besides, one of my Christian friends will get fired up and evangelize even harder because of my death.  People might even accept Christ because someone tells my story.  The glory of God has been shown through the death of others all throughout history, DUH.  Moving on, Kurt said that he needed to deposit some money in the ATM, so I asked him what he did for a living. The ice had been broken so I asked Kurt if he knew Jesus and he said, “No not personally.”  BAM!!!  That was the reason that the Holy Spirit nudged me to pick Kurt up.  He didn’t know Jesus Christ PERSONALLY.  I gave Kurt a quick version of what Jesus did for us on the cross and told him how Jesus had worked in my personal life.  (The ride lasted 4 minutes)  I asked him if he would like to come to church with me sometime and he kind of changed the subject, so I didn’t push the issue.  I don’t know what has happened in Kurt’s life in the past, or what is going on in it now.  One thing I do know is, that Jesus wasn’t picky about who he served!  Jesus WASHED THE FILTHY FEET OF JUDAS, a man that He knew would betray Him.  God calls us to leave no stone unturned, so I want to try to impact EVERYBODY that I can with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Why be ashamed about it.  (Romans 1:16)  If you are calling me radical, then I am guilty as charged.  Jesus was radical, the disciples were radical, and Paul was radical, so I am just following those that have come before me.  I just can’t stand the fact of me crossing someone’s path and them not hearing the TRUTH, if I’m given the opportunity.  Kurt didn’t accept Christ today, and I’m fine with that.  God just used me to plant a seed in his life.  I told Kurt that anytime I see him, I will give him a ride and I dropped him off at Wal-Mart’s door.  I’m not sweatin’ it, because I know that if I see him again that I have another shot at sharing the Gospel with him.  Sooner or later that double-edged sword is going to cut his heart.  How many people do we know that are just living their lives just thumbin’ for a ride, just like Kurt?  I’m not even saying physically thumbin’ for a ride; I’m talking spiritually thumbin’ for a ride.  They need a ride to get to that destination, which is Jesus.  We drive past people like this every day.  We have the car; we have the map, yet they are still left on the side of the road with their thumb up in the air.  Let’s fuel up our cars, highlight our maps, and give someone a ride.  You know where they NEED to go; all you have to do is stop… 

This dude kept it real...

The Keith Green Story...Episodes 1-7 It may take over an hour to watch the whole story, but it is worth it!

WE can do it...

As Americans WE ARE BLESSED!  Deuteronomy 8:7-9 says, "7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills."  Maybe we don't see these EXACT things, but we do see far more.  We live in a land where we turn on a faucet and get running water, we can get wheat and barley etc at the grocery store, bread is not scarce, most of us lack zero of what we NEED from day to day, and the iron and copper have already been dug up all we have to do is purchase them.  There are two groups that live in America today.  Those that have an abundance of resources and lack nothing that is NEEDED, and those that do lack the things that are NEEDED to live.  I want to talk to those that have an abundance.  Deuteronomy 8:10-16 says, "10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you."  Then we are reminded in Deuteronomy 8:18 that we are to remember the LORD our God, because it is HE who gives us the ability to produce wealth.  and in Deuteronomy 8:19 we reminded19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.  Those scriptures are a refreshing reminder with a consequence at the end.  We need to push or pride aside and remember that WE have done NOTHING to earn or deserve the things that we are BLESSED with.  If we aren't giving ALL THE GLORY to God then we are DEAD WRONG [ :o) ], and if we aren't BLESSING the group that lacks we need to pray for direction.  Personally, I think that a lot of Christians lack the guidance of the Holy Spirit bc they don't understand that they have it.  (Acts 1:8)  In John 16:23,  Jesus said,  "23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."  Jesus is referring to the work that His Holy Spirit will do through us, when we ask God for the help.  We cannot harness this POWER anymore.  I always think of the things that the disciples did.  These were guys that society had shunned and deemed as worthless as far as education goes, and Jesus chose them to do many great things.  This makes me think selfish thoughts from time to time, kind of like a kid saying, "He did it, why can't I."  The disciples were human, just like us, so doesn't Mark 16:15-18 speak directly to us.  It was Jesus saying it, so we KNOW it isn't a lie.  If Christians stop listening to the lies that the enemy fills our heads with, start recognizing the POWER that God has given us, start using that POWER to affect other people's lives around us, then the world will be changed.  Acts 4: 32-35 says, "32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need."  Could you imagine the things that would happen if we would just apply God's word?  That group that lacks that I mentioned, would be ELIMINATED.(Acts 4:34)  I pray that I will see this Unified Movement in my lifetime.  WE can do it, GOD SAYS SO...

You Got Tha Power...

I'm reminded of a song that came out in 1990, when I was only 8, called The Power by Snap!.  When it was released in the U.S. it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on both the Billboard Hot Rap and the Hot Dance Club Play charts, as well as peaking at #4 on the U.S. R&B chart. Finally it was certified platinum in the U.S.  By worldly standards most would say they had made it.  If your song tops the charts then you are a household name among the fans of your music.  The lyrics go:

Chorus:

I've got the power hey yeah heh

I've got the power

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah

I've got the power

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah

Gettin' kinda heavy 

1st Verse:

Like the crack of the whip I snap attack

Front to back in this thing called rap

Dig it like a shovel rhyme devil

On a heavenly level

Bang the bass turn up the treble

Radical mind day and night all the time

Seven to fourteen wise divine

Maniac brainiac winning the game

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

Ok that is enough, you get the picture.  This guy, "Turbo B" is boasting about his rapping skills.  What if these Kats were rapping about their approach to the lost, instead of their lyrical skills?  The truth is, if Christians would put their time, talent , and treasure (BCoop*)  into loving God and loving people, this world would be a totally different place.  It is our job to get out there and serve others at all cost.  If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal savior, WE have the POWER to make a huge impact on the lives of others.  The same POWER that raised Christ from the dead lives within us.  Sadly, Snap! was a one time wonder in America with this single.  I guess "The Power" fizzled, but the POWER of Christ will never fizzle or fade.  It is always going to be chart topping and it will always receive platinum status.  It is still as strong today, as it was then.  A life that is wholeheartedly devoted to Jesus Christ will write the new pages of history documenting the POWER of Jesus Christ.  YOU HAVE THE POWER.  USE IT!  

The last step...

I am going to put a disclaimer on this blog entry for the simple fact that if you are a Christian and you read this, your heart should break, and that should drive you to act.  If you are not looking to be challenged by this or touched, you should immediately go search for images of puppies running through flowers or something.  I had a life-changing experience today, to say the least.  If you know me personally, you know that lately I have been involved in a rescue mission for the homeless in Greenville, SC.  Today I had a meeting scheduled in Greenville with a pastor named Steve Stanley.  He is a master’s student at Southern Wesleyan and he is in my homiletics class.  We share the same passion to reach our community for Christ. I have been thinking about starting a street ministry to meet some of the needs of the homeless people that are on the street, and offer various other things to the community. I was having a look at the property that his church is on, to see if it would fit the vision, and it fit like a glove.  When he gave me a tour of the property my mind was blown.  The property is almost perfect for the vision that God has laid on my heart.  There is a separate building that has a gym, a kitchen, showers, etc, and the facility is barely even used.  You may ask, “Why in the world are you having this vision, or why is a gym a big deal?”  I’ll tell you why, because God’s heart is breaking, over and over again, and those of us that have received His gift of Salvation, through Jesus, are demanded to take the Gospel to EVERYONE that hasn’t heard the good news.  Sure, you may say, “We are in America, it is impossible to live a day without hearing something about Jesus.”  That may be right, but which voice is louder?  Picture a child or adult (ANY color), that hasn’t eaten a nutritious meal in a week.  Is the growling of their stomach louder than the Gospel of Jesus that they are hearing?  Is it louder than their single mother’s frustration that is constantly taken out on them?  Is it louder than the physical, mental, and emotional abuse that plagues the lives of many people?  Is it louder than their addiction to drugs, sex, or alcohol?  You get the picture; the fact is that many of them aren’t hearing the Gospel because the sin that surrounds them is far louder.  You may ask, “What can I do about that?”  I can relate because I have been in those exact shoes.  I am by no means trying to boast about my involvement in the community, but since I have gotten involved, God created a spark in my heart for these people.  The more that I serve these people, the more God breaks my heart for them.  Scripture has started coming alive, my prayers are deeper and far more meaningful, and that spark in my heart has started a fire. God clearly tells us that we can make a difference.  Timothy 4:11-16 - 11Command and teach these things. 12Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.  We have to be intentional in our approach to reach others.  Ron Carpenter, a pastor in Greenville, prayed, “I believe there is a generation that is rising up, and taking its place.  Lord we thank you right now that this generation is not hoping for anything, but they have faith, mustard seed faith they hope for nothing, so Lord we decree and declare that this generation will man their post, they will take their stand, they will march forward and take over this Kingdom, a Kingdom Revolution, Lord something that moves full beyond our imagination, and beyond our thinking. God do it in us, do it in us this day, the third awakening is here.”  We can make a HUGE impact, for Christ, on our community and then the world, but it starts right where we are.  Back to the story I was telling.  After Pastor Steve and I met, I went on down the road to the mission that I volunteer at.  There was a 6^th grade singing group there, and some volunteers with them.  There were a lot of extra people eating so that means extra dishes.  I ended up helping another guy wash dishes for most of the shift.  I had talked with “John” quite a few times, and he was a really nice guy.  The first couple times we talked, “John” was talkative and had an upbeat personality, but lately he has seemed troubled.  Double dish duty assures a captive audience, so I dove right into the opportunity.  I asked “John,” So what has been troubling you lately man.  You seem like something is on your mind.”  He said that he had a lot on his mind lately and apologized if I had been offended.  I assured him that I was just concerned about him, and that he had been in my prayers.  As we were talking, dishes were starting to pile up, and then something clicked.  That is the way life is.  Sometimes it is like the world hands us a lot of dirty dishes.  We are weakened by sin and the dishes keep on coming.  That is the way “john” felt at one time in his life, until he found out about the dish washing skills that Jesus has.  I had to remind him that Jesus is on his side, and if he would just cast his burdens on Jesus things would get better.  We continued to talk and he shared a really personal story with me.  This was a hand written account of how God got “John’s” attention.  This is where this blog gets intense.  “John” writes: “I was walking down the street, but I wasn’t on the sidewalk.  I was walking through my misery, loneliness, self-pity, and hopelessness.  I was wondering how I could make it end.  My life felt as if it meant nothing anymore.  I made a plan to walkout in front of traffic to end my life, and end my misery for good.  I was standing at a busy intersection and waited for the best opportunity to step to my death.  When it came, I started to take my final step and a hand, as strong as a vice, grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me from the curb.  When I turned around, I didn’t see a man of extraordinary strength.  I saw a feeble old lady that looked like someone’s grandmother.  It was clear that she had a frail little body, but she was very strong in her spirit.  When she saw my face and looked into my eyes, she lost her glow and her smile left her face.  With her eyes saddened, she seemed to remember something and perked right back up.  She reached into her purse and pulled out a pamphlet.  She took my hand and placed the pamphlet into it and said, “You are just the person I have been looking for today, may God bless you son.”  I thought, why would she be looking for me?  I have never seen that woman in my life, but as she walked away I took a glance at the pamphlet in my hand.  I read, “Let not your heart be troubled!”  I said to myself, “Well she did find someone with a troubled heart today.”  The more I thought about it, it wasn’t her telling me to not let my heart be troubled.  It was God working through her.  I looked up into the sky and made the decision to get in touch with a man I knew from a church.  One week later I was at the mission in the rehab program.  I feel that God grabbed my attention that day by using a little old woman.  I hope and pray that I get through this program, if I don’t, God might not try to get my attention again.”  WOW!  Personally, this really touched me, to say the least.  I was crying like I had lost a family member or something.  I just pictured millions of people in world today that are in “john’s” shoes.   What if that old lady would have decided shuffleboard was more important that day?  We would have never had the honor of hearing his story.   God used a little old woman to drastically change the direction of “John’s” life.  How could he use this generation?  The reality is that YOU know that there are “John’s” in your life.  Everyday we allow them to walk by us without sharing the Gospel or showing them the love of Christ.  They are just a step away from death and we occupying ourselves with whatever WE want to do. Jesus DEMANDS us to reach out to those that don’t know him, and if we don’t, there will be Hell to pay, literally. Matthew 25:40-43 - 40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of the brothers of mine, you did for me.’  41”Then he will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  42“For I was hungry and you gave nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’  What are we waiting for? The time is now!  We have to do something!  Lives are at stake.  Eternity is at stake.

Put me in coach...Im ready to play...

What are you passionate about?  Is it music, is it sports? Is it eating ice cream? (Random)... The true definition of passion is whatever a person is willing to suffer for, that kinda changes your answer to the question above huh?...I dont know too many people that would suffer for a bowl of ice cream.  Anyways... "Passion" has a root meaning that comes from the Latin word paserre, which means to suffer.  The word "apostle" means a sent one, or a messenger.  If you put those together you get "Apostolic Passion," which is a deliberate choice to live for the worship of Jesus. This commitment is so strong that it will drive someone to the point of death for the cause.  There have been many people in history that have possessed this "Apostolic Passion."  The fact is that God has called ALL of us to spread His gospel, and we can be assured ups and downs along the way.  These downs will consist of times of suffering for the cause, which is Christ.  We can decide to sit on the sidelines and be "comfortable" with our salvation, or we can get in the game and play as hard as we can.  I want to live my life with an Apostolic Passion to serve Jesus Christ.  Sure, I know there will be times when I suffer, but nothing can compare to the suffering that Christ endured for us.  We should consider it an honor to suffer, so that Christ's name can be glorified.  I pray that all of us can have a desire to suffer for Christ.  If you have received the free gift of salvation that Christ gives to everyone who will receive it, then you are in the game.  The question is, "Are you ready to play?"

Cuts to the core of me...

The Great Awakening...

Today I took a group of students; from NewSpring's youth group FUSE*, to the Greenville Rescue Mission.  I remember the first time that I served in a Rescue Mission and how it opened my eyes to a whole other way.  It was a joy to have the opportunity to see these students serve the men of this mission.  I think that many Christians pray for the lost and pray for Jesus to break their hearts for what breaks His, but are they putting feet to their prayers?  When you take a step of faith God may show you that you have a passion to serve others in an unusual way.  I know that is what happened in my life, and im pretty sure that happened today in the lives of 6 young men, and 2 other leaders.  It is such a joy to see men get fired up about Kingdom work.  One of the students walked up to me and said, "Man this is awesome, if I didn't decide to come I would have just been sitting around at my house."  That shows me that today there was a "Great Awakening" in the heart of a young man.  I am so proud of all the guys that went with me.  They have no idea the size of the impact that they had on the men of that mission.  The fact is that there could be a "Great Awakening" in the heart of EVERY Christian, all they have to do is answer the call that Jesus gives everyone of us in the Great Commission.  When we look at our lives; as Christians, do they reflect the life that Christ lived?  Are we making disciples of ALL nations?  Are we cross-cultural in our approach as a church or school? (Music, Outreach, Clubs)  Are we colorblind?  (We need to be) Are we going outside the camp? (Rough neighborhoods, un-reached regions)The fact is that Jesus did reach out to ALL nations and He made the first disciples, He was intentionally cross-cultural in his approach, He didn't pick and choose who He served bc of their color or status, and he ALWAYS went outside the camp to do His thang.  (Hebrews 13:13)  We need to check ourselves as Christians bc God has given us the power to do great things.  In the history of Christianity; in America, there have only been 2 "Great Awakenings," I think it is time WE start another one....

One Love,

B-Eazy

My heart breaks for this very thing...

The wheels up there are turning...

Here it is at 2:28 a.m. in the morning and I am still up.  I just have so many things running through my head right now.  I have been praying for a God sized dreamed to be laid on my heart and it seems that my prayers are being answered.  Of course, I understand it could take years for a dream to be reality, but doesn't something spark the dreams we have at night?  Since the incredible summer I had working with Kingdom Building Ministries, God has really challenged me to get involved.  As this semester started, I just tried to take advantage of some opportunities that God had put before me.  I started by getting the "Red Tape" out of the way.  The applications, interviews, meetings, etc...  After that I was cleared to work at a homeless mission, to be a mentor of a 12 year old boy, and be a small group leader at FUSE*.  Along with these things, my plan was to still have time to take 18 credit hours in school.  As the semester moved along I realized that God was allowing me to devote ample time to all these things.  I continued to pray that God would allow me to manage my time wisely, and He did.  The joy from all of this is seeing the fruit that flourishes from God using you for His purpose.  My friendship with Armondre (the boy I mentor) has now turned in to 5 boys, as I shared in an earlier post.  While spending time at Armondre's house, God has given me the opportunity to share Christ with his mother, sister, and even his neighbor.  That just blows my mind.  Next, I have been working at the rescue mission a couple times a week, and God is blowing my mind there too.  I have been working in the kitchen.  I try to get there so that I can help prepare, serve the food, and clean up after the meal.  During this time God has given me numerous opportunities to share the Love that God has for us with others.  Sometimes it's just a big smile and a "How Ya Doin?", or other times I may have a deep conversation with someone.  I have even got the opportunity to share Christ with a Gnostic.  The options are endless when it comes to how many ways you could be use at that place.  They need people to lead worship and speak in chapel, people to cook, people to clean, people to counsel, people to pray, people to prepare food, people to well you get the picture.  The point is that whatever you do well, they could use your services.  This place serves those that Jesus talked about when He said "The least of these."  These people may be drug addicted, alcoholic, bankrupt, homeless, sick, etc...  But the beauty of it is that their lives change when they enter the mission.  Day 1 they are trusted with a job and shown that they have a purpose there.  The more I talk to the men there the more my heart breaks for the community.  They don't only serve men,  there are several families with children that live at the mission as well.  Last, but not least, I have been working at NewSpring Church's youth group called FUSE*.  That is one of the things that I do with the boys that I mentioned.  They also like to go to the 6 o clock service on Sundays.  All the students at FUSE* are impacted every single week.  The worship is great, the small groups are stellar, and the messages are meaty.  God moves every single week there.  I am so blessed to be apart of all this.  You may be asking, "Where is he going with all this?"  The point I am trying to make is that all of these things are privileges.  I don't deserve a single one of them bc I am a sinner, but through Christ I have been forgiven and I now have life.  Before I was saved, I spent 23 years doing world business and now I want to be about Kingdom Business.  If the same POWER that raised Christ from the dead lives in me, then what am I capable of?  I'll tell you right now it is not meant to be used playing Halo 3.  Im not pointing any fingers or standing on a soap box, but it breaks my heart for there to be a list full of kids that need mentors, multiple surrounding cities with thousands of homeless people, and broken lives everywhere else you look.  In the middle of all these things there are churches, Christian Universities, and "Christians".  Are lives being changed?  Sure there are lives being changed all over the community.  The question is, are you willing to be used to change lives?  I am not trying to boast about what I do at all, I would post this as anonymous if I could.  It is just sad that so many people are capable of making a HUGE difference of the lives of many people that have just lost all hope.  I have just been challenged lately, to step it up a notch.  It's like Brad Cooper said, "Act before you preach."  That is the way I want to live my life.  I don't want depend on anyone but God, so I put my focus on him and just DO WORK.  The odd thing that I have realized about all this is that I get a real joy from serving others.  I guess that is why Jesus said, "Love God First and  Then Love People."  I pray that others will get on board with these kind of things.  I pray that God continues to break my heart for what breaks His and that He will reveal Himself to the students at FUSE*, my little crew of boys, and the homeless at the mission.  It isn't a question of is God going to move bc it is a question of how.  I think that He is calling other Christians to be a part of it as well.  I think that God is putting that very thing on my heart.  God is calling me to Act before I Preach and to move others to do that as well...Im going to continue to pray for all these things and God will do His thing...so now I just need to hold on bc I am going to be going on a wild ride...daggum it is flippin 3:45 a.m. I gotta hit tha hay we'll see ya...  

Answered Prayer...

I mentioned yesterday that I have been taking some kids to church with me...Well last night I gained two more...That would put me at five kids that will be riding to church with me...but the problem is that I can only sit four in my car with me...I started praying and asked for some prayer from some family and friends, for another form of transportation so I can get the crew to church...today I talked to a guy that had a van and he said that I could use it whenever I needed to...WOW, God didnt waste any time on this one...now I am just praying for these kids that go to see the importance of Christ in their lives...God IS going to work in their lives and I am honored to be a witness of it...I cant wait to see how he is going to move in the future...Until we meet again...

It's been too long...

I haven't updated this blog in ages.  I have been so busy with life I have actually put blogging on the back-burner.  I plan on updating it on tha reg from now on.  God has been working in my life in amazing ways.  He has given me multiple opportunities to serve others and it has been such a fulfilling addition to my life.  I have been going to the Greenville homeless mission a couple times a week.  There are so many lost people at that place, so God has given me plenty of opportunities to share the gospel and some have been very receptive.  I mentor a 12 year old  Afro-American boy and that has been quite a challenge.  God is def trying to teach me patience in that situation.  I have seen weekly progress in his life though, so it has been a great experience so far.  I really feel like God is showing me the importance of being ethnically diverse in my world view.  Since I started working as a mentor, it has given me many other opportunities to serve within y community.  I have been working with FUSE*, which is the youth group at my church, and through that I have met some really great people.  2 of the kids in my small group ended up living in my neighborhood.  I now take them to youth every Wed. and NewSpring church on Sunday nights.  As im writing one of them just brought 2 of his friends over to my house and now they all want to go.  God is really blessing my situation and his ministry through me.  I pray that He will continue to break my heart for the lost and that He will allow me to look at everyone and every situation through His eyes.  I am so thankful that I serve a God that wants to use me to make an impact on the lives of others.  I can't wait to see what happens in the future...hold it down folks...and keep your eyes focused on Him...

One Love,

B-Eazy 

Life...

One of my Dad's good friends died earlier this week and I am getting ready to go to the viewing.  It really took us all by surprise because he fell out of a tree, while deer hunting.  It really reminded me that our life could end at any time.  A while back one of my friends died in a house fire.  Another death that really took me by surprise.  I wrote some thoughts down after his death and thought I would post them again.  I think that everyone should constantly be aware that we aren't promised life tomorrow.  The ONLY promise of eternal life comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  

Life is short, most will say...With a snap of the fingers all is swept away...All feelings, all thoughts no longer there...Only memories remain in the air...Families and friends all shed their tears and wonder where to go from here...Loss of life just doesnt seem real...Just last week together ate a meal...Stories and smiles united you had...Thought of the loss just makes you mad...If only you could take their place...Them losing their life is such a waste...How did they stand on shaking ground...What did they lean on when no one was round...Did they trust in Jesus Christ?...Did their faith in Him Shine through their life?...If so, its time to wipe the tears...Because there was meaning for all their years...Their life was taken for a cause...Standing before their creator the angels applause...Well done my servent God will say...welcome to heaven and endless days...Thats how I pray people live their lives...Although others take life in different strides...They choose to be about theirselves...Never lifting hands for someone else...When their ground is shaking they strive alone...Pride leaves them empty as no one home...If only they would except the costless gift...That Jesus gives us with a sip...He shed his blood for you and I...Eat the bread for his body died...3 days later he rose from death...Our sins forgiven he says with breath....Take my story to nations he did preach...The life he lived we need to teach...To waste our time on worldly things...Just seems like cheating our Holy King...Down to business we should get...Copying his life every bit...Since life is short they still will say...We need to take advantage in every way...Of  time we have here on earth...To redirect this awful curse...When people see us in that final box...They know that Jesus was our solid rock...So all the tears can turn to praise...In Faith that they will see us another day...In Beautiful Heaven we all will live...those who chose to recieve that priceless gift!!!

Passion of the Christ...

Im here in Iowa staying with my friend Mitch and his family.  Mitch is the new pastor of the satellite campus of Heritage Wesleyan Church of Rock Island, IL.  It was awesome to come here and be able to relax for a few days after the stress of the past couple months.  Then I saw myself getting far too used to the laying around, and I had to get myself back in check.  Whether one is a believer, not a believer, an enemy or anything else, it is my job to serve them in any way I can.  In the last 2 months I learned that I have a desire to serve others.  I want to always be on my feet looking for ways to serve others, so I appologized to Mitch and his wife Ann and started to help with anything that I could around the house.  At times serving may mean that I have to suffer or give up my time, sleep, energy, or money, but through God's strength I pray that I can delight in suffering.  A KBM speaker, Adrian Despres, says in one of his sermons that, Jesus died for you, so you can suffer for him."  I think that he makes a good point.  He goes on to say that if you love Jesus then you will be passionate about it.  One of the definitions of Passion from dictionary.com is Passion- the suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion.  "Whoa," is what I said when I read that.  Do we have that kind of passion for Christ?  If so, this should flow out of our lives in every possible way.  I pray that I can have that kind of passion for Christ, like he had for me.  The problem is that we let things get in the way of that.  Whether it be things we struggle with, fear or shame of what others think of us, or just lack of knowledge.  Whatever it may be, we need to step up and start living righteous lives for Christ.  When we get scared to stand up for our faith, picture Jesus on the cross lifting his body up to take another breath and let it remind ourselves that we have no idea what suffering is.  But Jesus knew what it was like before he was crucified, during, and after.  When my walk gets lazy or when I worry about what others are going to think about me, I have to picture Jesus and it gives me what I need to press on.  God puts opportunities in front of us everyday.  There is always a chance for us to share our faith.  Whether it is through our service, our attitude, or our words.  I do not want to put myself in the category that so many other Christians have put themselves.  The category of being a hypocrite.  Naturally, all of us are going to be hypocrites in some way or another, but we can practice what we preach.   When we are labeled Christians, we are watched like a hawk by others.  Some of them are believers, some of them are not, some are curious, and still some are not.  But if we can allow those people to have an experience with Christ by allowing Christ to show his love to them through us, then what?  That might be "the straw that breaks the camel's back" for some of them.  The walls might be broken down because of that very experience.  But if they see a Christian that is doing, saying, or condoning something that is clearly not Christ-like, then that could build a wall that is going to make it that much harder to reach them.  Personally, I don't ever want to be a legalistic person.  Jesus died for us so we wouldn't have to live under the law, but under his grace.  But we do have to constantly be aware of what we are saying and doing in our everyday lives.  Also the things that others don't see can affect us too.  Those "secret sins" that no one sees need to be stopped as well.  Because God always sees them and they hinder us from growing closer to God and keeps us from experiencing everything that He has to offer us.  So if you want to make a difference in the world we live in today, then be PASSIONATE about what Christ did for us and return the favor.  Until we meet again...

It Has Been Forever...

I am really sorry that I havent updated this blog in so long.  It has been hectic in my life to say the least.  The second group of students arrived, we took off on the trip, and when we got to Seattle Andy and I drove the RV's all the way back.  That is just a little introduction to what I have been doing in the past days.  Starting from where I left off last time, we continued to prepare for the next trip.  The second group of students were in their classes while we debriefed the first group of students.  On July 2nd the office had a catered party for many of the surrounding supporters, so they could come and meet some of the students and see in action what their support was doing.  Im sure it was really cool for them to see what their contributions were going towards.  On July 4th the office had a cookout at a nearby park.  We had hotdogs, hamburgers, and played a bunch of games.  It was really cool to have a little break before the 2nd trip started up.  That night we went to the Colorado Rockies game, and there was a huge fireworks show afterwards.  The next day we went and got the RV's and packed them up and headed out later that night.  We had a short little drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming where we stayed the night at an RV Park.  The next morning we headed to Utah.  We drove all day and arrived there around 6.  Along the way the scenery is unbelievable.  I do not understand how someone can think that the earth was created in any other way other than by God.  Some thought had to go into the intense detail that you see in creation.  That next day we headed to Mormon temple square again.  Since we had been there before the Mormons seemed to be acting a little shady towards us.  A couple members of our group had on shirts with scripture on them, so we stuck out like a sore thumb.  There were a couple of heated discussions that went down with a couple of the elders that were walking around, but we weren't there to bust any bubbles so we kept our cool.  All I can say about the experience is that we should be in constant prayer for the Mormon people bc they had a jaded view of the truth.  I think that they have truly been deceived by the false teachers that the Bible warns us about.  It blows my mind that they can say that they believe the Bible and that they follow its teachings, when clearly the book of Mormon contradicts that.  John states CLEARLY in Revelation 22:18-19, "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.  And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away form him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.  It doesn't get any more black and white than that.  Did Joseph Smith skip over that part?  Who knows, but Mormonism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world now, so we have some work to do.  Maybe if Christians were driven enough to hop on their bikes and go from door to door sharing our faith, then the TRUTH would spread throughout the earth.  Clearly we need to sow for ourselves righteousness, and breakup the unplowed ground (Hosea 10:12).  The unplowed ground is all around us, especially where people have been subject to a false truth.  Anyways, after that we all went to a park in Salt Lake City for lunch.  This wasn't your average family friendly park.  Personally, I saw drug deals going down, prostitution, and some other shady activity.  Needless to say Salt Lake City Utah is a dark place, but it is encouraging to know that Jesus is the light of the world and that we take him everywhere we go.  That night it was a relief to be in the Christian environment of the Salt Lake City Mission.  As I wrote a couple weeks ago, this is an intercity homeless mission that we go and serve at.  We sat through the worship service that the Bikers For Christ put on and then we cleaned up the worship area and served the food to the homeless.  Afterwards we ate dinner with some of the staff that works there.  I got to hang out with Mike again, the ex con that I met the last time I was through.  It was a blessing to hear what God had been doing in his life since had stopped in last time.  I got his address and plan to keep in touch with him from now on.  The next day we headed out to Idaho.  This is a 600 mile trip.  Along the way we stopped for a little dip in the river.  The testosterone was flowing and most of the guys decided that they would cross the creek.  When on the other side a couple of the guy, including me, decided to climb some rocks that were going up the side of the mountain.  About 5 of us got to the top which was about 35-40 feet from level ground.  I wanted to take the "challenging way down" and as I started down the tree that I was holding uprooted.  To make a long story short, I beat everyone else down.  I fell about 35 ft. hit a tree on the way down, did a flip, and landed on my back.  Everyone thought I was dead, but I hoped up and exclaimed, "YEA, that was awesome."  This little event proved to be very preach-able for my future.  See if I wouldn't have hit the tree on the way down, then I would have free fallen 35 ft. to the ground.  But when I hit the tree it broke my fall and redirected my path.  Just like God does when we get off track, he breaks our fall and redirects ou im r path.  Maybe the only one that could get that from an experience like that, who knows...Then we crossed back over the river bruised and battered, knowing that we conquered the rock..haha sorry Mom.  We got to the 3 rivers RV park and went to sleep for the night.  We woke up and found out that our rafting reservations were not what we thought they were, so we could not raft that day.  We had no phone service of internet so we loaded up and headed for Washington.  On the way Terrence set up a rafting trip down the Wenatchee River for the next day.  We stayed in Wenatchee that night and rafted the next day.  It was cool for the leaders to get to go down another river this time.  Not as intense of a ride but we still got to wear the cool wet suits...haha.  After the trip down the river we loaded up and drove to Seattle.  When we got to the church, where the team was staying, the students cleaned the RV's spick and span.  Andy and I crashed for the night bc we had to drive the RV's back the next day.  We got up at 4:00 am and headed out for Colorado.  We drove a 21 hour trip in about 30 hours.  We stopped to nap for 3 hours, eat, and get gas.  We we got back on Saturday, Colorado never looked so beautiful.  I have rested for 2 days now and am back in the office to help out with whatever there is to do.  Tomorrow the students get back, so we will have to go pick them up at the airport.  This experience has been so great.  I have really learned the importance of looking at the world through the eyes of Jesus.  I have really gained a desire to serve others in my everyday life.  I am looking forward to taking these lessons home with me and applying them to my everyday life.  I appreciate the prayers that have been prayed for me during this time.  I can honestly tell you that they have truly been answered.  Until next time...God Bless...

In the last couple days...

In the last couple days we have been in Seattle, Washington serving in various ways.  Since the last update, we went to a homeless mission in Wenatchee, Washington and helped around the complex.  Some of the students did landscaping, some picked peas, some tore down an old green house, some washed vehicles, and some dug out some stumps.  I tried to get a little of all of it bc I really enjoy hard work.  It was really cool to give the staff of this mission a little break from the everyday duties that they are responsible for.  They really seemed like they appreciated our help.  This particular mission is a Christian mission that can house up to 100 people.  While we were there they had about 30 people living there.  Some of them have jobs and some of them just work around the mission.  The students really seemed to enjoy serving the people at the mission.  I talked with a man named Robert that was a real hard worker.  I automatically assumed he was a Christian and as I talked to him more he informed me that he wasn't a believer.  But he mentioned that this was the closest he had ever been in his life to making that decision.  Pray for Robert.  On Sunday we went to the Famous Top Pot Donuts for breakfast and then we went to New Life Christian Church in Seattle.  It was a ethnically diverse church with no air conditioning haha.  It was a really cool experience but a hot one too.  It was fun to worship with the members there.  Monday was a really laid back day for us.  We packed our things up and cleaned up the church we had been staying at.  Tuesday we headed to the airport and flew back to Colorado.  Upon our arrival to the office, we got to meet the student of the 2nd 16 days.  They are a great group of students too.  It is an older group age wise, so I am pumped to get to know them.  Last night Bennett and I got to go back to our "Colorado Parents" (Loren and Cheryl Hayes) house for the night.  We washed all of our clothes and relaxed for the first time in weeks.  It was cool to just hang out and chat with Loren.  I have really enjoyed getting to know Him and his family.  I truly feel that God has a future for our friendship.  I am currently at the office preparing for the next trip.  I read 2 Peter today and have really been encouraged to continue to dive into God's word to increase my faith so that I can be productive and effective in my knowledge of Jesus Christ.(2 Peter 1:5-9)  Laurel and I are continuing to pursue God's plan for our life by fasting from our relationship, so prayers for that are definitely needed.  We need to continue to have prayer for unity on our team of leaders and that we can be the example of Christ for the students.  Thank you for your prayers and concerns.  Until next time...

 

Where do I start...it's been a while...

It has been quite a while since I updated the blog.  It is bc I have been driving an RV for over 1600 miles.  AHHAHAAAA...haha it has been an awesome experience so far.  When we left we went to Wyoming and camped for the night at a RV park.  Then the next morning we headed out to Salt Lake City, Utah.  We arrived there late and slept for the night.  The next morning we got up and headed to Mormon Temple Square.  When we got there we went on a tour and got to hear some of the history behind the "religion."  During the tour it really seemed like they tried to give a lot of credit to Jesus and recognize Him as their savior, but they forgot to add a lot about their other beliefs.  Being the edgy kind of guy that I am I wanted to asked a couple of questions so the students could understand our differences.  The tour really made it sound like their were no differences between Mormonism and Christianity.  Some more questions followed from the students and it seemed that the Mormons present were getting a wee bit uneasy, so I thanked them and we left the building.  I really learned a lot at Mormon Temple Square bc it allowed me to see how mixed up that some people can get when they are led astray.  The Bible warns us so much about false teachers and I got to experience it firsthand.  The tour guides really just seemed like they were robots and they really had no clue that there is another truth outside of Mormonism.  They are modern day people still bound by law (and ankle length dresses) and Jesus did not die so that we would be bound by law.  So we need to pray for them.  Later that night we went to the Salt Lake City Mission and served the homeless Supper.  It was really cool how they have the mission set up.  The homeless people that want a meal have to come in and sit through a chapel session, and then they get to eat.  3 men gave their lives to Christ the night that we were there.  I met a man that was serving there his name was Mike.  He had been in prison for 23 years and had been a member of a huge white supremacy gang.  He commented on how much encouragement he got from seeing the students serve and then he mentioned that minutes later he turned down a drug offer for the first time in his life.  It is so cool to be a part of something like that.  I hope and pray that Mike keeps up the good work bc he will influence so many.  The next day we drove all day to Idaho, and then the next day we went white water rafting down the Lochsa River.  This is a class 4 river and that is the roughest river that can be commercially rafted in the United States.  It was a huge rush to say the least.  The next day we drove to Seattle, Washington.  We are staying on the 3rd floor of a church that is located here.  Today we went to a home for mentally and physically handicapped children that cant be cared for by their parents.  There were 8 kids that were living at the home with the 24 hr. nurses that were on duty.  We got to help around the house and spend time with the kids.  None of them could talk and only one could walk, but they really seemed to enjoy our company.  It was really cool to see the students interact with them bc it really stretched their faith.  I was stretched too bc it is something that I am not used to doing.  I am missing my family and friends like crazy.  I am also missing Laurel and ask that anyone that is reading this to continue to pray for us over these 40 days.  This entry was a lot of info and I havent really reflected on it that much, but I will have these same experiences in about 2 more weeks.  God Bless everyone and stay tuned... 

Let The Games Begin...HEYOHHHHHHHHH!!!

We are leaving today for our road trip from CO to Seattle, WA.  Along the way we will be experiencing many things.  From meeting the students and interacting with them for the last 2 days, I would say that we are in for quite an adventure.  I appreciate all the prayers going up for us and encourage as much as possible.  I know that God has me here for a reason and I want to be the best example of Christ that I can be.  These students come from a wide range of backgrounds, so each one of the have to be cared for differently.  KBM wants them to grow close to God during this time as they can.  I have also been praying that I will be humble and understand that even though I am a leader, I can learn a lot from these students.  They are practicing the faith at the high school age and unfortunately I didn't do that.  With that being said, the good thing is that we serve a God that specializes in those kinds of people.  It is amazing to me that God wants to use us no matter where we have been or what we have done in our past.  More and more each day I have been realizing that God has me here to stretch me and to reveal His perfect for my life.  I am so excited to see what He wants to do through me.  I am so thankful for the Godly parents, Brother, Grandparents, My Lady, Extended Family, and Friends that God has put in my life.  They have been such an influence on who I have become.  I always remember after I became a Christian the note that I found in my Bible from my Dad.  He referred to the story of John the Baptist when he Baptized Jesus in Matthew 3, when Jesus came up out of the water heaven opened up and the spirit of God descended on Him.  Then in verse 17 God said, "This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased."  That forever changed our relationship because I finally understood how much I was loved by my Dad and I had made him proud, and he was proud bc my heavenly father was proud.  Anyways, to sum all that up I LOVE all the people in my life.  Laurel (My Lady) and I have decided to take 40 days from each other while I am out here.  We want to hear God's voice and allow him to totally bless our relationship by revealing to us what direction it needs to take.  I am truly blessed to have a girlfriend like Laurel she is great.  Please pray for us and ask God to show us his plan for our relationship.  If you know Laurel please encourage her and help her through this.  She is very strong but she needs encouragement just like I do.  I am pumped to see what God is going to do throughout this trip that I have embarked on.  Well I gotta go so I will update soon...God Bless!!!  

Here We Go...

Back Stage At Crowder

The time is here...16 Days starts this morning...i am about to go to the airport and pick up our first student...as you can see i got a new haircut for the occasion...Go Big or Go Home is what i always say...haha sorry Dad its not a part but God still loves me...haha...anyways be in prayer for our team and for the lives that will be changed on this trip...i plan to be the best example of Christ that i possibly can...i have a passion for the younger generation and it is a blessing to have an opportunity to pour into their lives...Ichthus was awesome...even though we had to bust our tales the whole time and missed most of the acts...we still had free time when we hung out with the speakers and fellowshiped with each other...Charlie Alcock and Johnny V are nuts...I also strolled backstage at the David Crowder Concert, one of the perks of working for an awesome ministry...well the time has come...there will be limited posts for the next 16 days bc of limited internet availability, so be patient on the updates...i plan to type them up and post them later...hope everyone is doing well...Live in Love and God Bless...

Love You All,

Matt

Catching Up....

I know it has been a long time since I posted a blog...like over a week.  We have been really busy preparing for the 16 days trip and Ichthus.  I had had the opportunity to hear Caleb Bislow speak and then go rock climbing with him in Colorado.  that was an absolutely awesome experience.  He is an outside the box kind of guy, and it shows in his ministry.  He thrives to go where no one else will go and do God's work.  I encourage anyone that is reading this, to click his link from my blog page and check him out.  Tuesday of this week we leave Co for Wilmore Kentucky for Ichthus.  This is a huge Christian music festival on the Asbury Campus.  I am promoting all the different programs for KBM here.  I actually got to introduce Caleb Bislow before he spoke today.  That was awesome bc i wasnt expeciting it, but that was a cool way to stretch me.  Lately, I have been watching some of the recent episodes of the Real World Hollywood.  I felt led to pray for the guy named Joey in the house.  I actually wrote him an email about Christ on myspace.  I wasnt expecting to get a response, but he wrote back and he even asked for advice on some things.  I want to ask anyone that reads this to pray for Joey.  He has struggled with drugs and alcohol for a while in his life.  He said in a blog of his that, "addiction is like having cancer."  But I told him that our Lord and Savior can Cure that cancer.  So pray for Joey's salvation and also pray that he will continue to talk with me and that Satan will not have any pull in that situation.  We are on a break bc there was a huge storm on the festival grounds with thunder and lightning.  Some of the people were jumping in the mud like wood-stock.  Thanks for all the prayers for me...I will update asap....We'll See Ya

The Promo Movie Is Finished...I Think It Went Pretty Well...

This is the video that I have been working on at KBM...Blood, Sweat, and tears went into this 

jewel...It is a promo video for an upcoming summer camp in 2009...an office parody seemed to be the best way to go...enjoy...haha