27 days

Only 27 more days until Alabama opens up the season against Kent State. Preseason rankings just came out and Bama is ranked #2. It's high, but at least they are not #1 this year. Here are my predictions by game:

Kent State (win)
at Penn State (win)
North Texas (win)
Arkansas (win)
at Florida (win)
Vanderbilt (win)
at Ole Miss (win)
Tennessee (win)
LSU (win)
at Mississippi State (win)
Georgia Southern (win)
at Auburn (win)

Regular Season: 12-0

SEC Championship: Georiga vs. Alabama (Alabama is SEC champion)

National Championship: Alabama vs. Oregon (Alabama is national champions)

Seek and You will Find

Sometimes I and a lot of people don't understand the ways of God. A lot of people question God. A lot of aethists and science try to disprove God. The only way to truely understand God is to have a relationship with him. However, understanding God is totally different than just believing in God. If you understand God, then your aligned with God. You understand the decisions made by Him for you. You don't always have to agree with certain things, but you understand that what happens in life or whatever path life takes you is a path known and set by somebody higher than you. He is the ultimate decision maker. And if you understand Him, then you trust Him. If you trust Him, then you seek Him. Everything else becomes sort of numb when you trust God. The ways of this world become numb. Politics, violence, hurt, pain, suffering, sin....it just all becomes numb because you know that this life is just not the only life. This is just a flash before you enter eternity. And this life is just a testament before the ultimate judgment. God is forgiving, but were you truely sorry. There's a difference between being just sorry and repenting.


God does not want us to just believe in Him, but to understand Him as well. God has not hidden Himself from us. He gave us Jesus and his Word. He gave us the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is what helps you develop convictions. The Spirit leads us to the Truth. If we continue to question why God allows certain things to happen in life, you begin to question God's authority. Doubting only leads people to become double minded. Remember, God is always watching.

James 1: 5
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Again and Again

Acts 16:29-33
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they SPOKE THE WORD OF THE LORD to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were BAPTIZED.

Over and over and over again, the Bible, Jesus Christ, John, Paul, emphasize hearing the Word of the Lord, coming to faith, repenting, and being BAPTIZED!!

These are the steps to becoming a Christian and a lot of people don't believe this and I don't understand how they don't believe this when the Bible is very clear. Show me where in the Bible it says that you can pray Jesus into your heart and be saved? Where does Jesus say this? Where does Paul say this? The Bible will mention being saved through grace or faith, but in each of those passages its referring to either baptism after this, or being clear on those that were saved prior to the 1st coming of Jesus Christ (e.g. Abraham being saved - who was not baptized). The old and new testaments are complete different. Read it, study it...its clear.

This is me just being BOLD. Jesus was bold and scared a lot of people. I'm just trying to be more like Jesus.

A lot of religous faiths also emphasize baptism or christening for a child. There is no mention in the Bible for this. Children are already saved. Jesus Christ welcomed and blessed children during His ministry. Mark 10:13-16 reveals an interesting incident involving children.

"And they began bringing children to Him, so that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, 'Permit the children to come to Me; and do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter in at all.' And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them."

I was baptized when I was a baby, but this was something the Catholic church emphasized. Not the Bible.

Prayer

It has taken most of my life to finally realize that if I need the Lord, then I just need to call Him. Sounds kind of like a no-brainer, but for some reason, I spent most of my time with the Lord dealing with personal requests. I think we all do this a lot. I have prayed pretty much my whole life. I've only been a Christian for about a year now though, but I've always prayed. I have prayed very specifically at times and I have prayed in the bigger picture at times, but I have always prayed. What I did not necessarily pray about, though, were of "things to come." I think many of us tend to pray about the “here and now” or "me" issues, or the things that we want "to come," not necessarily asking the Lord to reveal what He is doing "concerning the work of My hands."

Why is this so important to understand? When I see verses that say to "ask" the Lord for something, then I know that must be His will. Instead of just focusing on the issues in our immediate path, we should ask the Lord about what He is doing down the road. He has a plan for all of us. Sometimes I get down or depressed when things go wrong, but I know that this is all in His plan now for me. I have been immensely blessed and have had huge increases in my own level of faith because I have learned to ask the Lord "of things to come" and have seen Him answer through circumstances or situations that have come to pass. My role is to ask, then to pray for wisdom and discernment in how to go forth in what He shows me.

We need to know that the Lord is more than willing to reveal things to us, if we are seeking Him with all of our hearts. As I grow in my walk with Christ, He will teach me His ways and mold my character into more of His image. When we spend time in His Word, we begin to see how verses take on a completely new meaning to us personally. This is the Word of God, and that's the first thing you have to believe. If you don't believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then you have little faith and it's impossible to take the next steps.

Just another day

I remember listening to a Paul Oakenfold track back in college titled "Just Another Day" by Skip Raiders and spun by Oakenfold himself. It is just another day. Like any other day. That's what it feels like.

Well, this weekend I have a 4 day weekend. I was off yesterday and I have Monday, the 4th, off as well. I was thinking about taking a road trip somewhere, but decided to just stay in town and relax. I'm actually pretty bored. So bored that sometimes I open up my laptop and do some work. Pretty sad.

So I found a new coffee shop called Copper Coin in Woodstock which is a really cool place. About 3 times as big as Starbucks and the coffee is decent. I really like coming here (where I'm writing from) because of the atmosphere though, not really the coffee. It's right in the middle of old town and there's usually some form of live music or stand up that I like to watch. I think this is my new hang out. Hopefully they survive.

Random note...but I officially miss my turntables. I had all the gear and I really thought I would hang on to them for a long time. I must have been desperate for some money or something when I sold them. Not sure what I was thinking then. But I miss just messing around with them and blending music. I remember blasting the music in my dorm room and everyone partying in my hall. Fun times. It didn't feel like it was just another day then.

Madison, Mississippi

This week I'm in Madison/Jackson, Mississippi for work. It's actually a nice little town and it reminds me a lot of Montgomery. It's going to be a really busy week because I'm trying to wrap up an audit, and I'm trying to stay devoted and faithful to Christ everyday. I had a rough weekend this past weekend. I was tempted a lot and surrounded myself with some worldly people. It was really tough and I struggled. I talked to some brothers who picked me up and encouraged me. I told them what I've been going through. I thank God for putting those people in my life. Father's day was good, although I wish Em could have been at church with me with all the other dad's. I was really sad, but I tried to focus my mind on being thankful. Being thankful for being a father. Being thankful for having the things I have and own. But most importantly, being thankful for salvation and forgiveness through Christ.

It's tough being a Christian. Everyday I face a new challenge. It's important to stay devoted. There's been so many times that I've struggled and wanted to give up. But I know that God is looking down on me and protecting me. There's a reason and plan for all of this.

This week, as I'm consumed with the audit, I'm going to attend a midweek here in Mississippi on Wednesday. My preacher is actually in the same town that I'm in this week. I think this was meant to be and a sign from God to keep encouraging me. There are only about 7 other people we are getting together with and I think we'll be going to someone's home. I'm really looking forward to that and encouraging the church here. So as this week passes by, I'm going to be focused on the following scripture:

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Family

Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you." But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it." Luke 8: 19-20

This verse always caught my attention. Jesus' love for God was so deep and unconditional, that he specifically says that his mother and brothers are those who not only hear the word of God, but PUT it into "practice" (in some versions). This is just an amazing scripture to me. Obviously, I could never get to Jesus' level, but I don't think I could ever deny my family.

However, Jesus was not denying his family here as most people probably read this. The crowds that gathered to listen to Jesus' teachings usually didn't fully grasp the true meaning of his words and teachings. In fact, most people didn't...which ultimately caused Jesus' fate.

It's here that I understand how important the church is and how important it is to attend church. Whether it be at a physical building or someone's house. Simply put, the church is considered the "body"

Yes, I have a family. A family that comes directly from my blood line. But, family is just not limited to the flesh. My family, or my brothers and sisters, are those people belonging to the body of Christ. Christians...simply stated. Those who accept Jesus, his teachings, repent and are baptized. What the Bible refers to as Christians. These are the people I will see in the next life. These are the people that hear God's word and put it into practice.

Boldness

Psalm 42: 1-3
As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”

Today, during my quiet time, I read this verse. It reminded me how I need to be more bold. But more importantly, how I need God each and every day in my life. It's easy to fall away into the dark. And in order for me to walk in my faith, I need God daily in my life and in everything that I do.

Sometimes I get caught up with my work. I try to think that my job is just a way to finance me and Emma. It's not my life and I try to not let it consume me, but it does. A LOT...It's just the nature of the business. A lot of the people around me are worldly people. Well, most of the people around me are worldly. Every single day I come across people that are lost. I know that they are lost. Its obvious by the way they are living their lives. And I wonder...and think how I use to be like them. I want to help. I want to share my faith with them, or just plant a seed. I just need to be more bold. And pray. I pray for boldness and I pray that God can be a part of my life each and every day. Give me the strength.

Disney World

What's your Goal?

Wow, so it's been a while since I last posted and it's completely my fault. January and February were pretty rough months with work. I put in a lot of hours and worked on the weekends pretty much every weekend. I even missed mid-week on Wednesdays and church on Sunday's which certainly is not healthy for my soul. The body is important and at some points I felt disconnected from the body. Fallen. Broken. Depressed. And when I felt like this, I was tempted to sin.

1 Corinthians 12-27 states:

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

So whats my goal? Well, first of all, I don't want to miss church on Sundays or mid-week on Wednesdays. 2 or 3 years ago, even a year ago, if I was asked this question, I would have told you that my goals were those of this earth. Money, greed, pleasure, etc. Earthly desires...nothing but sin.

But now, my goal is to understand Christ. Develop a relationship with him. All of this earth around us is temporary. Nothing lasts forever. The only thing that will last forever is that not of this world. But of another. And I want to make every effort to build my wealth in heaven, not of this earth.

Just as Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 3:

Pressing toward the Goal
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

So what's your goal I ask. I sometimes fall into that category where Paul writes that "they think only about this life here on earth." So many times, this was my path. I didn't think getting drunk was a sin, or sleeping around was a sin. Or if I did, I always thought I could be forgiven just like that. I didn't truely understand what repentance meant. I didn't understand the meaning of living a life for Christ, through Christ. I didn't understand what the resurrection meant. I didn't understand what baptism meant. Because if I did, I would have turned away from these earthly passions and desires. But now my goals are different. They are not of this world. Only my brothers and sisters understand. Only followers of Jesus Christ know what I am talking about.

The Mission

The Mission - Both my Mission and the mission of Jesus Christ

Luke 19: 10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost

Clearly it is written here in Luke that the purpose of Jesus coming to this earth was to seek and save the lost. He didn't hang out with the righteous. He taught the poor, weak, sick and oppressed. He hung out with sinners. Why? Only people that walk in faith will understand why.

Acts 20: 24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace

Colossians 1:6-8
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

These verses are talking about conversions. A conversion summarized in one of my earlier posts.

1) You hear the message
2) You come to your faith
3) You repent. Repent just doesn't mean asking for forgiveness. It means asking for forgiveness and turning away from sin.
4) You confess
5) Baptism = Salvation = Eternal Life

I learned the gospel from Charlie and others that I studied with. I heard the message and came to my faith. I repented and confessed my sins and than I was baptized.

A lot of people think, "ok I got baptized and now I'm saved." And then they go about their business and sometimes fall from grace and get caught up in earthly ways and keep sinning and never truely repented.

Charlie and Onuwa baptized me, and I hope someday I can baptize people and study the Bible with others. This is my mission...but it doesn't end there. You build personal relationships, personal ministries, and friendships along the way. And you teach them and feed them milk. But the key is to be persistent with them just as my brothers and sisters have been persistent with me. The food will come.

When you study with someone and you baptize them, its key to check up on them and see how they are doing. In the world today, its easy to become earthly. I thought Jeff's message was awesome today about his message about prayer, faith, and trust in the Lord.

Habakkuh Chapter 1

Habakkuk’s Complaint
How long, LORD, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed[e]!
The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

Is this not the world that we live in today Jeff asked? There's violence everywhere, people killing each other, rapings, genocides, etc. And we ask God why is this happening? How could you let these things happen?

Answer: It's all in God's plan.

The righteous that walk in faith though and pray trust the Lord. God's plan will reveal everything. Just as the Lord said "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea."

Only those that walk with faith understand this. Those that do not will never understand this or get it.

Therefore, I go back to what my point is about the mission. The mission is to not only walk with Jesus and make disciples of all nations and plant seeds. A critical part of this mission is to make sure those that we help convert don't fall from grace. There are consequences:

1 Corinthians 3: 1-15
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Listen...get advice

Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool seems right to him,
but a wise man listens to advice
Proverbs 19:20
Listen to advice and accept instruction,
and in the end you will be wise
Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death

So many times I've gone about doing things before thinking. I've done things in the past and hurt many people many many times. I sinned, over and over again.

The Bible teaches us to seek advice. Because if we don't seek advice, a lot of times people fall from grace.

A lot of things that seem "ok" to people (cursing, sexual immortality, slander, etc), is NOT just as its exclaimed above. I thought some of these things were ok. But it will lead to darkness, not the light --- aka eternal life. A Christian lives a Christian life. You either follow Jesus or you don't. And their are plenty of people that say they do, but they really don't and put up a front. This is clear in the Bible. Read the story of Judas. That's the lesson that should come to mind. You can fall from grace. Period.

So now I'm trying to store treasures in heaven, because the treasures and pleasures here on this earth don't last. Its temporary. And I want to walk through the narrow door someday. And not shut out and burned.