Obedience

Blueberry Banana Pecan Pancakes, Sin, and Jesus

2011-03-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

As a waiter at Cracker Barrel I encounter some pretty odd dishes. None compared to the one I encountered last week. A man came in with his wife and was very straightforward and to the point. He said, "Yes I know what I want to drink and I'm ready to order." I was happy because I was getting a drink order and a food order on one stop at the table. I took the order and noticed something strange as he was ordering, he ordered a flavor explosion! He said, "I want the blueberry pancakes. Oh yeah, please put pecans and bananas inside please. I need two blue syrups and one maple syrup. Also I need sausage and sunny side up eggs. Please bring a large milk with the food as well." I was exausted just taking the order, not to mention wondering how he would stomach the food he ordered. I dashed off to plate up the palate pleasing plethora of pancakes. When I told my manager that the man wanted all the ingredients inside the pancakes he had this sour look on his face. I felt his anguish inside as well. My manager said, "There is a lot going on there." I thought that was funny because there was a lot going on there. There was way too much going on there. I just didn't see how that could tickle any man's fancy.

I took out the smorgasbord of a pancake breakfast and was delighted at the response of the man. He said, "I think this is the first time someone has gotten everything completely right. You have gotten everything perfect. You are the man. There is one thing I forgot to ask you for, and that's ketchup. But everything looks perfect." I scooted off to get the ketchup and returned shortly. The man and woman didn't really need anything for the rest of the time they were there. But as they left the man left a nice tip and thanked me again. I went back into the kitchen and reflected on what the customer ordered, what my manager said, and just soaked it all in. I really didn't know until just yesterday what God was trying to speak to me about.

As I was reflecting on this crazy man's order I began to see some parallels between the pancakes and the man and us humans and God. As disgusting and vile as I, my manager, or anyone of my friends at work thought those pancakes were, the man who ordered them couldn't have been happier with them. Even though there was, "a lot going on there" the man loved them all the same. I imagine our sin that separates us from God has us looking really ugly to a lot of people. Many people wouldn't want to touch us with a ninety-nine and a half foot pole if they knew some of the nasty things we have been a part of. But God loves us. When I brought those pancakes the man was very happy. He had everything he asked for. The one thing he didn't ask for, the thing that set the whole plate off for him, was the ketchup. When the man asked for the ketchup he introduced something to me that blew me away. Without the ketchup that plate of pancakes was useless to him. With the ketchup he was completely satisfied. In fact he said it was perfect. I believe the blood of Jesus can set our plates off! We are in a slimy stinky mess of sin. But when God looks at the blood of Jesus covering our sins, he is extremely satisfied. God has made a way through Jesus, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+2%3A13-15&version=NIV, and I would invite you to pour a little ketchup on your slimy pancakes.

Both Lord and Christ

2011-02-27T15:29:00.000-08:00

I have received many Gideon Bible's over the years. And to be quite honest nothing really "spiritual" had come out of any of them. Mainly because I grew up on the New International Version and the King James Version just seemed like it needed to be updated. I mean we don't talk with thee's and thou's anymore. But I'd like to tell a story about how God convicted me about my negative perception of His Word in the KJV, and how he gave me the sermon text for my message in preaching class all over the course of a weekend.

I am on a spiritual journey to read the Bible all the way through. I am in the School of Christian Ministries and I just feel like if I'm going to devote my life to the preaching and teaching of God's Word, I might actually have to know something about it. I'm not on the year plan, I just want to do it at my own pace. I have read Genesis through Deuteronomy and the whole New Testament but I want a fresh reading that is relatively close to each other. Towards the end of last year I read Daniel through Luke, and this year I read a chapter of John for 21 days until I was done, and then I moved on to Acts. On a Saturday morning I got up to get ready to go to Cracker Barrel for work. I read the second chapter of Acts and went on to work. But all throughout the day all I kept hearing was my voice reading and re-reading the scripture I read that morning in my mind. My voice said this, "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." This is found in Acts 2:36b. I would take someone some sweet tea, "both Lord and Christ." I would run some food out of the window to a table, "both Lord and Christ." I would be talking to a customer taking an order and hear my voice say, "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." It went on all day. I eventually made it home and spent the evening with my family and went to bed.

The next morning was a normal Sunday morning. We got our showers, brushed our teeth, ate our breakfast, and away we were out the door headed to Athens for the church service. It was the day before Valentines day. On the ride I told my wife about the strange occurrence of me hearing a scripture all day in my head on Saturday. I noticed we had three Gideon Bibles that we planned to give to some people at Safe House Outreach in Atlanta next to the console. I pulled one out and thumbed to the scripture, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2:36&version=NIV;KJV. I began to read it to my wife as she drove and became extremely emotional. I was talking about this scripture and weeping. I read the sermon that Peter gave in the chapter and explained to my wife that the Jews Peter was preaching to had killed Jesus only months before and that they should have killed Peter just like they killed Jesus because Peter was claiming the same thing Jesus was, that Jesus was the Messiah. But the Jews were pricked in their hearts, asked Peter what to do, and Peter told them to repent. They did and about 3,000 people were added to the church. I just sat riding enjoying the Holy Spirit's presence.

When we got to church the service was amazing. There was actually a ceremony where my wife Kathryn and I renewed our marriage vows along with all the married couples in the church. I had never been more in love with my wife than in that moment. We were both crying with tears streaming down our faces as I placed a red rose in her hands and committed my life to her all over again. God is truly a God who knows our innermost being. He spoke to me on every area of my life, all day long!

As Kat and I drove home with her sister and our son (we picked her sister up in Athens and she stayed the week with us) I shared with my sister in law about what God had been showing me all weekend and what a great time I had at church. I realized in that moment that I had a negative view of the KJV of the Bible. And that God spoke very clearly to me through that translation earlier that morning and for me to think less of people for reading that version of the Bible or that it was inferior to the NIV was absolutely wrong. God showed me His Word is what speaks, not who translated it. Any translation can speak to me because if it is God's timeless Word, it has power.

I knew that this theme of Acts in my life wasn't coincidental, so I took this as a sign from God that the scripture that was popping in my head should be the scripture text for my first sermon in Homiletics (preaching) class. My sermon is this upcoming Thursday and I'm super excited. God be with me, and speak through me!

Divine Appointment at Cracker Barrel

2011-01-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

When I was eighteen God called me to be a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I've never had a major crisis in the faith until recently. Sure I've had problems, but the existence of God has never bothered me. God has done so many miracles in my life that I'd be a fool to not believe in Him. He healed me from marijuana addiction and bi-polar disorder, He healed my dad from alcoholism, and He saved me from the power of sin. Every time I needed God he was there, so why did I have doubt in God after he'd done so much? I think it boils down to how I pushed myself last semester. I cancelled my Netflix subscription, cut my hours back at work, and submerged myself in studying. By the end of the semester I was running on fumes. I had just enough left in the tank to finish finals and then I gave in to temptation. I did what I wanted. I had a study plan for the break, but it went out the window about the second day into Christmas break. I played Xbox, I watched every movie I ever wanted, I ate doughnuts, I just vegged out. I forgot about my first love too. God was absent. The Casting Crowns song "Slow Fade" really sums up what happened, I slowly drifted from God http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QASREBVDsLk. By the time I realized where my relationship with God was, I was very cold to the Spirit. When this semester started I felt empty. I questioned what God had done in my life, and I wondered if God is fake and all this is in my head, what's the point? My teacher said last week, "How can you sit at the bed of a person dying of aids and give them hope if you don't know that you know that God is real and there is hope after this life." I thought to myself I couldn't do that unless I was positive God had called me and he was real. I would be faking, and I couldn't live my life as a faker.

That night I read our required reading for the class in a book titled, "Spiritual Leadership" by Henry and Richard Blackaby. I got to about page 100 and came to a section on "Encounters with God." It was all about people who had amazing, empowering, life changing experiences with God. After they had the experience they were empowered for their ministry. I thought to myself that in order to minister I would need something like that to happen to me because I really felt dry. God was going to have to show up, or he may lose a soldier. I prayed that night, as honest as I could, for God to renew me. I wanted that empowering I was reading about for my ministry.

The next morning I told my wife that we would begin to read through Psalms and Proverbs as a family with our son, and that today we would be starting with Psalm one and Proverbs one. We read the Bible and I was off to work at Cracker Barrel. I arrived at 8:30am on the dot for my shift. I did my routine of speaking to Donna (the prep-cook) and clocking in. I stepped out the back vestibule to warm myself next to the fire and as I was walking out, a woman passed me. I said, "Have a blessed day" to her. Now I've said that a million times, but I felt God nudge me to say it this time. The woman stopped and said, "I receive that." We both looked into the fire and she said, "It's beautiful isn't it?" And in mid-sentence of my reply she said, "You're a born-again Christian aren't you?" I said, "Yes." She said that God had something to tell me and began to prophesy and pray over me like I'd never had someone do before. She looked into my eye's and told me she'd been on a twenty one day fast and that she was planning on going to Burger King, but her husband said, "Let's go to Cracker Barrel." I could have came out any other door at any other time, but I didn't, I came out right when God wanted me to. She told me I had the spirit of John. And that I was a prophet. She said that God was birthing something in me. She kept saying that I was being made new, "You're being renewed" she said. We were hugging and crying for close to thirty minutes. We moved closer to the door from the fireplace, but God still wasn't done. She looked into my eye's and said that all the people walking around us were going to leave me alone because God was going to protect me. They didn't understand what was happening all they saw were two people crying in the middle of the floor. The woman asked me did I have any family and I didn't get to answer her because we were praying and talking. but before she left I mentioned that I did have family. She gave me her business card (the last one she had) and told me she wanted to pray for me. She was a minister.

I wrote down my name and number so she could pray for me. She asked me to write the names of my family members down. So I began to write down the names. I was debating whether or not to write "Kat" or "Kathryn" for my wife, since normally people who don't know her call her "Kathryn." I wrote "Kathryn" and "Nolan" and gave her the sheet. She said, "Let me tell you how I know this is from God. I always ask God to confirm it's from Him through someone I know...my mother's name is Kathryn." I said, "Is it spelled the same way, I mean that's a unique spelling." She said, "It's spelled exactly the same way." I told her, "Do you know how I know this is from God? Last night I prayed for a renewal in my spirit, and while we were praying you couldn't stop saying that I was being made new and I was being renewed." We finally parted ways and I got back to work.

When I stepped back up to the food window a server asked me, "What was that?" I knew it was from the devil because of the tone and my spirit revealed it to me. I said, "She was just praying for me and stuff." See the devil tried to steal what God did for me right after it happened but I wouldn't let him. I had another server ask me, "Did you make that old lady cry?" I highly respect her and was glad she gave some humor instead of trying to judge me like the other server did. I said. "No, she made me cry!" I read the card she gave me and was awed at the scripture. It was about peace and that's all I wanted for my soul. After a minute or two I told God I didn't care if I made any money that day, that what he gave me was all I came for that day. And I really did have a normal day on tips after that. But one very cool thing that happened later that day was me getting my PAR 4 (the stars on our aprons). I had been promoted by the Spirit of God and now I'd been promoted at my job. It was an amazing day.

I am so happy that God answered my prayer the very next day after I prayed it. God knew that I was on the edge and he gave me that woman to speak into my life at the right time. I thank you and praise you God because you do draw near to those who draw near to you.

Love Is Sacrificial

2010-11-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

For the past six weeks, Kathryn and I have been hosting a small group in our home. Every Wednesday at 7pm we'd meet with some of our neighbors and some members from our church to get a deeper understanding of what the Bible has to say about love. There was a DVD lesson from Rick Warren each week in a series called "40 Days of Love." We also had a daily devotional book to accompany the teaching called "The Relationship Principles of Jesus." While on this journey something happened to me that has impacted my walk with the Father and my marriage.

Kathryn and I have been married three years, and as much as I hate to admit it, we have not spent much time seeking God together. In my mind I can go back and pinpoint times where we ripped down every wall around our hearts and leaned intently on the Lord for answers. But they are few and far between. Those times where we sought God together in one spirit, in one mind, and in one body are as precious to me as diamonds. I hold them close to my heart, and I yearn for that to be a daily experience. A couple of weeks ago on Friday November the twelfth, God showed up in our lives and I experienced a "gemstone" once again.

On the preceding Monday Kat and I did a devotional. We read this devotion book we got as a present for our wedding an we sang some of our favorite worship songs. It was truly an amazing night. The next day I began to feel a pain in my throat when I swallowed. I had no pain in the throat initially, but when I swallowed it really hurt. I thought I had something wrong with my tonsils. Well the next day it got worse. I began to have aches all over my body. I was extremely sensitive. If I would be touched just slightly all my senses would go to that place on my skin where I was touched. I was hypersensitive. In addition to that my throat started to hurt all the time, not just when I swallowed. Wednesday rolled around and I wasn't feeling any better. I took a nap before the 7pm 40 Days of Love meeting and survived it. Thursday rolled around and I had a huge project due. I was preaching in the Springs Church for my final project for Dr. Beatty. It couldn't have been worse timing. My throat felt horrible and I had to speak. I was able to deliver my message and then passed out on my bed for the next five hours. I woke up and prayed. I wasn't bitter at God, I was disappointed though. I really wanted to present my message well for the class and the professor. I wondered why I couldn't have gotten sick a week earlier, or the week after. So I prayed for God to show me what he wanted to show me during the time of suffering. Instead of being angry at God for my sickness, I prayed that he would reveal to me what he was doing. The Holy Spirit would reveal the answer to me the very next night.

I had a routine going for my Relationship Principles of Jesus devotional readings. For the most part I liked to do them early in the day so I could have the whole day to reflect on them. It was day 37 in the book, but this day I let other things get my attention and put my devotion on the back burner. When it was about 6pm I had just cracked my book open and as I was about to begin my time with God, Kat came to me and said, "Are we going to do our devotion?" Everything in me did not want to do it with her. I wanted to read my devotion all day long, and now Kat wanted me to spend some time with her. I felt the unmistakable leading of the Holy Spirit. "Close the book" were the words that echoed in my spirit. I knew what God was calling me to do, sacrifice my time for my wife. In my pain I wanted to sit there and read the short devotion, maybe do some homework and get to bed, I was sick! But God was leading me to give to my wife. Before I even read the heading of the chapter in the book I closed it and laid in my wife's lap. I was going to obey, but I wasn't going to over exert myself. So I told Kat it'd be better for her to read, and I could listen and rest in her lap. She began to read and I was just enjoying not having to read listening silently. She got to this part at the end that said, "As you read Hebrews 11 discuss..." Some how I was convinced the book said "if you want to read Hebrews 11 then discuss..." As she turned to Hebrews 11 I was telling her, "That's a long chapter, we don't have to read it. In fact I already read it this semester. I did a short sermon on Samson and he's in this chapter, we can just skip the reading of this." She was heartbroken. As I had waited all day to read my devotion, she had been waiting for me to have some time to do our devotion together. When I tried to blow her off she was hurt and was about to leave. I noticed how hurt she was and insisted she read it and that I honestly wanted to hear it. She sat back down and I assumed my listening position on her lap again. As she began to read Hebrews 11, (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=heb%2011&version=NIV) I began to shudder before God. When she got to the part about Enoch being taken and not experiencing death because of his faith, I lost it. I wept. The Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith. I was wavering in my faith in him. But Enoch, a man with such great faith was taken from this life, not even experiencing death, because of his faith. What an example to live by. To walk in faith. It was exactly the word from God I needed, at exactly the right time. Had I passed up the leading of the Holy Spirit this would have passed me. And mind you I wasn't going out and getting drunk or smoking. I was about to read a devotional! But I do believe that if I would have done what I wanted to do, instead of what God wanted. I would have been out of the Father's will for my life reading a devotional book.

After God answered my prayer, "Show me what you're trying to show me during this suffering." I shared it with Kat. I told her that I believed the Holy Spirit had answered my prayer in the reading of the scripture and that God wanted me to walk away with a stronger faith in Him because my faith had been wavering. She shared with me that the devotion was very helpful for her as well because she was having a similar issue with faith. We sat there with our hearts bare before God, just being honest with our feelings. Getting those tears out, letting God handle our problems, letting Him bear the load. When I finally did sit down to read the devotion I had waited all day to read the chapter was titled, "Love Is Sacrificial." I was thinking to myself, "I couldn't read a book about loving others for 36 days and not respond when I had an opportunity to love on my wife by sacrificing some time for her, even when it wasn't convenient for me." It was so appropriate for me to read that chapter after the experience with my wife. I was happy I passed the test.

1 Pet 5:8 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20pet%205:8&version=NIV) warns about the devil seeking to devour us like a lion. The next morning the enemy came strong to devour what God had done in our lives the night before. Like a lion eats and leaves nothing but bare bones, the devil wanted to strip the progress we made for Jesus from our bodies and leave us as nothing. Kat and I fought over something trivial and she used me not wanting to do the devotion as ammunition against me. I knew right where the attack was coming from. Of course I didn't want to do the devotion but she and I both knew what had happened as a result of the time we spent together, we drew closer to God. I knew that this was an attack from the devil because who else would try to get me to doubt what God did? We made up but this definitely set us back. Why such a set back after such a victory the night before? I don't understand how God works but I find comfort in the passages from Philippians in verse 29, "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him." And also Rom 5:3b, "because we know that suffering produces perseverance."

I wrote this post as an encouragement to those who are struggling with faith in God. It's so easy to trust God when he's meeting all of your needs. But true discipleship is measure by how you respond when your chips are down. It's measured by when you're not feeling the Holy Spirit. How do you respond to opposition of the furtherance of the kingdom of God in your life? Will you become bitter and blame God, or will you gladly accept suffering and seek the lesson God is trying to teach you? Stand firm on the Word of God that says the suffering produces perseverance. I want to leave you with something my Dad told me that I've never forgotten. "If you were always on the mountaintop, you wouldn't appreciate it." Basically he was saying you can't be on cloud nine with God all the time. Unless you go through some valleys you'll never fully appreciate the summit with God.

The Battle for Souls in an F-150 and La Modelo Prison

2010-10-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

When my son Nolan was three months old I led my first person to Jesus. Her name was Kathryn Collins and we have now been married three years. I had been struggling with anger, hatred, and bitterness toward people who had wronged me in the past, so Kat and I left Nolan sleeping in his bassinet with my Dad at his house and took off at three a.m. in the morning to joy ride and pray for healing. I was desperately seeking God's deliverance, but every time the evil was about to leave, I held on to it. It was as if I wasn't ready to let go of that demonic spirit that was controlling my thoughts. In my mind I wanted to be healed but my heart wasn't turned to God.

I was praying fervently. The 1993 white F-150 was filled with the Holy Spirit as it powered through the early morning darkness. The presence of God was so thick that it was like the air was heavier. I was praying in the Holy Spirit (tongues) and God was communicating with me. I felt urged to pray this prayer, "God I give you my mind, my body, and my soul." I looked over at my girlfriend who was clearly puzzled about what was going on. Even though she told me she was a Christian, she'd never had an encounter with Christ before (she couldn't remember a time when Jesus came to her and she made a decision to follow him) so I wondered if she was saved. Well when I looked over I told her to pray the prayer with me, I mean she should have no problem right? She's a Christian. I said, "Lord I give you my mind, my body, and my soul." She said, "I give you my mind and my body." I said, "Kat that's not the whole thing, you forgot to say soul." I then repeated what to say and asked her to pray with me. She said, "No!" I was startled when I heard this. I thought what's the big deal? So I just ignored it and kept driving, and praying. Well about thirty seconds later Kat began to weep bitterly. I pulled the truck over, got out, opened the door, hugged my future wife, and said these words, "Welcome to the kingdom of God." My wife never looked the same after that night. She has a sparkle in her eye now. She has the presence of Jesus in her mind, body, and soul. That night had nothing to do with me, or with what she prayed. In fact she didn't pray! God came and revealed himself to her in that truck, in the silence after she refused to pray the prayer I asked her to, she responded to the God who called her name and invited her into the kingdom. You see no man can save anyone. Only God. The Father had allowed me the privilege to be there when my future wife surrendered her life to Christ, little did I know that in Nicaragua three years later God had two more souls waiting to be added to the Lamb's Book of Life, and I had a direct role to play in them.

God delivered me from marijuana, Bi-Polar, tobacco, porn, and anger, pretty rapidly and then he called me to minister for Him. But in the Fall of 2009 my life was in shambles. I had been clean from tobacco and porn for two years, marijuana for three years, and then I had doubt about my call and what God is (I got the faith kicked out of me). I started smoking cigs and looking at pornography. I didn't smoke weed but I just about spit on what God had done for me by succumbing to the lust of the eye (porn), and lust of the flesh (cigs in my lungs).

My Dad wanted me to go to Nicaragua with him and the church. He said he'd pay the whole way. I reluctantly agreed because I didn't want to miss to much school. I made a promise to God (which I've kept) that I would not smoke cigs, drink wine-coolers, and look at porn on Dec 23rd 2009. The oath to God entailed letting my hair grow for one year. And if I was to sin, it would all come off! The trip was in the first couple of weeks in Jan (around the time we celebrate MLK's b-day). I did not pray if I should go, but I know now that God has a plan. Even though I didn't know what I was getting into, God did. He orchestrated the whole thing...I walked into a God trap!

When I got there I still had a stony heart. But around day three God opened my stony heart to Him. The way it happened was amazing. Our bus broke down and there was this guy by the road. He was under a street light reading the Bible. We would later find out that he had been coming there every night reading the Bible for three hours under this street light. Well the bus broke down and some member of the team went to talk to him. The guy accepts Christ and it turns out he's a mechanic! He comes and helps with the bus and we get back on the road. The amazing thing about this story is that it was like we lived out a Bible story in modern times. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%208:26-40&version=NIV. In this story in Acts a eunuch is reading the scripture when Philip asks him, "Do you understand what you're reading." The man says, "How can I unless someone explains it to me." This is what happened to this man in Nicaragua. He was seeking God and only needed someone to tell him about God.

My problem at this point was my heart. Everyone was praising God for the salvation and I felt bitter. Why couldn't God use me to get someone saved? I've only been given this honor once by God. Why is stuff happening around me but not through me? Everyone got back on the bus and I told my friend from Nicaragua about how I felt. He is so funny, he said, "Turn your heart to God." I was like, "How do I do that?" He was telling me to open my heart to God and let Him in. At this point God really started to move in me. When we went to the prison (which would be the ultimate battle for souls, the culmination of preparation all week), I was ready.

Here is a video clip of my testimony in Palanca.

If you've ever seen Lock-Up Raw on MSNBC you'll know what I'm talking about...sort-of. On these documentaries they usually take us into the prisons in America. They show about the gangs and the way of life in a prison. Rarely do they show a third world prison in which there are thirty guards for 2,000 prisoners. And half of the guards are in watch towers, such was the prison I would be in. At any point the prison could be over thrown by the shear number differential of guards to inmates. Needless to say it was kind of scary. When we were pulling up to the prison, I was genuinely scared. But as we passed the fence into the inner ground I had an immense peace. God gave me peace and it was strange. I should have been on guard, but I was at peace. The medical team set up shop in the clinic, the dentists set up, and we had the women set up to give the medicine after the doctors evaluated the patients. In the atmosphere there was a presence above our heads. If I could describe it any way it would be in the form of horses of two opposing forces. Imagine the Holy Spirit as the dust kicked up by the horses when the horses fling the dust up in the air charging at the enemy. That was the feeling of the Spirit in the place. And by the way, Jesus' army was winning!

La Modelo Prison Nicaragua

As the prisoners were going in to see the doctors we had prayer lines on each side praying over the people before they saw the doctor. Five of us came together and set out to do it orderly. We designated who would pray. I was to be the third person to lead the prayer, so the third guy in the line was my guy. Naturally I looked to see who I was going to be praying for. The first guy was huge. A typical prisoner with huge muscles and a wife beater tank top (wow what a testimony I thought, what would it be like if this "thug" came to Christ, what witness of who God is, He calls anybody). The second guy was equally intimidating. But the third guy was like twenty to thirty years older than me. He came up to my shoulders. He had long black hair. It was like grandpa over there. I wanted to pray for the thugs, for the great "testimony." But God had other plans. The other men before him were prayed for and they just wanted prayer for their families, no biggie. We prayed over their families. So it was my turn now. I asked him his name in Spanish, he said Alejandro. I then began to use the interpreter because I don't know Spanish. I asked, "Do you know who Jesus is." He said, "Yes." I assumed he was saved and asked, "Is there anything I can pray for you about?" He said, "I want to pray to receive Jesus in my heart right now." I was stunned. This guy told me he knew who Jesus was, but it didn't click with me that just because he knew who he was, that didn't necessarily mean he was saved. I prayed the most simple and Spirit-led prayer in my life, "God I thank you for my brother Alejandro, I love him, You love him, I pray you put Your Holy Spirit in him right now." And at that moment with my eye's closed I felt in my spirit the Holy Spirit coming down into the room and resting in the man I was praying for right where my hand was on his heart. The man was was crying, the interpreter and I were crying, it was amazing how God moved.

We ate lunch. And then came the time I had been looking forward to since we got there. We were going to the cell block to hand out medical kits. My Dad had told me he was going to try to get me on that team and he did. We set out with hundred of bags loaded in suitcases deep inside the prison. When we reached the cell block the prisoners were in their cells. Sometimes there were over five men in a cell made for two in the United States. But the crazy thing was that the prisoners could at any point simply lift the door off the hinges and come out of their cells. Some doors locked, but some didn't. The prisoners knew it was better to stay in the cell than to get punished for not following orders. Well they directed all of the "good" prisoners into bathroom/shower area. A few team leaders preached to these prisoners and many were touched and gave their lives to Jesus. It was so great to see the hardcore guys crying out for God because of the sin that separated them from God. In the end many would walk away unchanged, but the few who received Jesus' forgiveness of sin were forever changed. We handed out the medical kits and left. As we were leaving the interpreter I told you about earlier saw one of his friends in the prison and threw him an extra medial kit, this almost started a riot because all the other prisoners only got one kit. We left and headed for the bus. That night we slept at the missionary camp and we came back to Atlanta the next day.

I shared this story because ultimately God is the one who draws people unto Himself. We are just the hands and feet. If we attempt to make it all about me and "my" ministry we will be met with defeat, bitterness, and jealously because nothing will happen. God has allowed me the joy of being there while leading people to Christ, but He is to receive the credit. I really hope God has called me to missions because this trip touched me so much. I love you all who are reading, and keep the hungry/thirsty/strangers/unclothed/sick/imprisoned on your mind. I leave you with this scripture http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25:31-46&version=NIV.

Felix (on the far right) actually accepted Christ on this trip

Me tossing Jose Francisco in a stream

Me tossing Eddie

Edgard, the interpreter present with Alejandro and I (also my best friend down there).

God's Giant Vacuum

2010-09-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

I always wondered, "What if God had a huge vacuum cleaner and sucked up all the money laying on the streets, how much money would he have?"

A few weeks ago God started dealing with me about some movies that I had that were coming between God and I. At first it took me a long time to get rid of them, but I eventually obeyed (partially). I had held out on the most expensive movies because of the money I'd spent on them. The other movies were tough to get rid of, but I got rid of them. With these movies I kind of ignored that I heard God speak to me about them, but a few days later God brought it up again when I was journaling. When he brought it up again, unable to ignore God again, I had an Old Testament burnt offering in the backyard. Even though I was in the middle of God's will, I felt like someone had hit my heart with a sledge hammer. It didn't feel good doing the right thing. I had no idea what God was preparing me for the next morning.

It was a Tuesday and I hopped on my bike to take my son Nolan to school. As I pedaled off in the cool air with the beautiful sun poking out over the hills I noticed some money lying on the road. I stopped and picked it up. I thought to myself, "Should I go to this person's house to see if they lost some money (because it was in someone's yard about three inches from the road)? I just hopped on my bike and took my son to school, I was going to come back and ask later because I didn't want to be late for my eight a.m. class. I called my Dad and asked him what I should do, he told me there was no way to know who's money that was, it could have blown in the wind and rested in that yard. So I thought I was so lucky, God had given me some money because of my obedience to him when I burned the movies, right...? Wrong. I told my friend about the whole incident and he stated, "You should pray to God and ask Him what he wants you to do with the money." Huh, that thought had never crossed my mind. Maybe God had a use for this money. I went home and did the dishes (inspired by the Holy Spirit, He wanted me to bless my wife). I shot up a quick prayer in my mind and God spoke immediately. He said, "I want you to give it in convocation." Okay so now I knew where he wanted it, but I was thinking to myself, "I have brought money to convocation every week and never been able to give it, if they don't take up the offering this week I'm going to have to find someone to give it to, I don't even know who's in charge of that." We when I got to convocation minutes later all I heard was this worship in a different tongue. I immediately knew that it was missions day and they would take an offering. I was relieved, I finally had a grasp on what God wanted to do with this money. The cool thing was that because I had set money aside for convocation every week and they never took it up, this was the first day that I didn't set aside money for offering, I was so sure they weren't going to take it up. So when God provided this money it left me my School of Christian Ministries Chapel offering still intact for Thursday.

Thursday as I was riding my bike I saw this homeless man (like I do every morning) and God spoke to me about the money in my wallet, "Give him the money." I said this can't be God, he provided me the money for convocation so that this money could be devoted to SCM chapel. This is clearly the devil trying to take God's money. So I took my son and put him on the bus. As I was riding the bike back to school for class I saw him again. I heard the Lord and I stopped, laid my bike down, and dashed for the elderly gentleman. I placed the money in his hands and hugged him, I told him, "God wanted me to bless you with this." I got back on my bike and as I peddled I began to break down in tears, I knew I was in God's will. After I got back from class God reminded me of some money stashed in the car that I could give in chapel. I would find out later that even though I gave less that I'd planned, the offering was the largest the SCM had ever received. God got the glory, not me for giving.

I wrote this to share with you about how God is working in my life on the issue of money and obedience. Instead of hoarding what God has given me, I'm trying to be a channel so that the blessing flows through me. God is not going to keep blessing someone if they just hold it all to themselves. My pastor talked about two types of people onetime, givers and takers. The givers walk around happy and fulfilled because they realize their purpose is to give. The takers walk around mad and unfulfilled because they think everything is about them, and the world owes them something. I have one question for you. Are you a giver or are you a taker...