Selflessness

I know it has been forever since my last post. Sorry but hopefully this will make up for it. As I have been pondering and praying about what I should write it finally came to me. Imitation! Imitation of what? of Christ Humility. Every year I make 2 new years resoultions. One that personal, like lose weight or something like that, The other is a way to get closer to God. Example of that would be one year I asked God to teach me patience and O He did. Another year I asked for ways to control my anger over ridicoulus stuff, fast forward no anger anymore. But this year is a whole different thing. What is it you ask? Selflessness!!! Putting others in front of my self. Not just look at my own interest but the interest of others. This is something I feel like I need to do to advance in my walk with Christ. One day I was reading through Philippians and it really spoke to me and hit home kind of hard. it says

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

I mean yes I do care about people and would do anything to help them. But how many times do we not help someone or even show love to someone because they are different than us. How many times did someone ask me to help them with something but I was to tired and wanted to rest. That is when I have considered my self over others. Which is something I really want to change about myself. So that I may grow in my Walk even more.
You want another Example ok I have one Jesus Christ. He is the Ultimate example of putting others in front of himself. Well let me continue with some more from Philippians chapter 2

but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:7

Jesus came as a human not only a human but a baby. Not born in a palace but born in a stable with livestock. He could have came anyway He wanted but He chose to be born as a servant and not a ruler.

He humbled himself and became obedient to death-  even death on the cross! Phil 2:8

Jesus not only lived as a human but He also died. He did not die of old age or anything like that. He died the worst kind of death. Death on the cross! He was beaten, spat on, laughed at and even cursed at. Even with all those things happening He died for them. Not just them but for you and for me. He humbled himself to die the lowest kind of death for us. He considered every single one of us when He was hanging on that cross. That my friends is SELFLESSNESS. not only did He die for us. He did it for the Glory of God.
My goal this year is to be taught selflessness and humble myself. I want it to be done for myself but most of all that God may recieve all the Glory in my life.

Radical

What does radical mean? a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist. My church has recently started a study on one my favorite books called Radical by David Platt. I recently got to see David Platt at the Passion conference I was at last week. The book talks about how we Americanize Jesus Christ. He talked about taking back our faith from the American dream.
We are a country that can freely worship and not be persecuted, which is an awesome thing and I thank God everyday that I live in this nation. I also look at the fact that there are people that do not have this freedom. People in other countries, such as China, have to sneek around to an undisclosed location with other believers to worship. They will be in rooms the size of most of our storage rooms in our church. Packed in the room like a can of sardines, they sit on the floor. instead of there super comfortable chairs we have in our Sunday school rooms. All together they sit and worship God and study His word. Not only do they study the Bible they also live it and do what is says. We get to drive to our cars no harm at all, during daylight to go to our church buildings and worship. We are lucky we do not have to hide and sneak into a building during the night. They also crave the Bible and want to know what it says from the In the Beginning to the Amen at the end of revelation. Not everyone of them has a bible, and I might own 10, that our my personal Bibles. I just think about the people in other countries craving God's word, and they have to do it in secret. When I can walk outside right now and go sit in front of the police department and read my Bible and not be presecuted. But in America we grab our bible for Sunday and possibly Wednesday. While the rest of the week it sits on our shelves or in our car, collecting dust. I don't know about you but I want to crave the Word like they do. In China there is no such thing as people who just say they are Christians and don't live it etheir. Because to be a Christian there means to lose everything. Sometimes your family even disowns you and all you have left is God. But trust me when I say GOD IS ENOUGH! Yet our communities are full of people who say they are Christians yet live another life. We give God Sunday and sometimes Wednesday, but the rest of the week is ours. Guys God does not want a one day fling and He deserves every single day. 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, 365 days a year, EVERY SINGLE MINUTE! Are we to concerned about what other people think that we can not give Him everything we are. Because the believers in china are not, in India they aren't, in Iraq they are not, they give in everything because He is their Everything. They die clinging on to the cross and to God. They are Radical believers holding on to him till they die.

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  Philippians 1:21
To live is show to Christ to love like Him live like Him be like Him. But to Die that is gain that is the Kingdom of Heaven, that is to be right there in front of God Praising Him. They are dying everyday for what they believe. Are you willing to Die for what you Believe? Are you Radically in love with Jesus? Lets take our faith back from the American Dream, and just Radically Believe. Lets give Him everything and He will be our Everything.

My Life

I ask my self where to start off this blog. After thinking about it, I decided to start of with my testimony or Journey. The reason this blog is to have another way to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to make His name renown.  I recently returned from a conference with some of my greatest friends in Atlanta,GA. The conference is called Passion. It is a conference for college age Christians and after the conference I decided that I needed to start a blog so here we go. Now here is my journey so far. When I was five years old I had a speech problem and then when I was Six my parents got divorced. I was at a Summer church camp in 1997 when I became a Christian. I was the first time to fill a true unfailing love. During my childhood I did not have many friends and got picked on a lot, and I was always wondering God why am I even living, what is my propose in life. I can remember when I was 12, God telling me, via prayer and scripture, I have a plan for you to do great things for My glory. I was at a camp called Centrifuge when I felt God calling me into the ministry for the very first time. When I returned home from the camp my grandfather passed away, and it was really hard on my and my mothers side of the family. In long term I kind of ran from God's will. I mean I still went to church, believed in God and all that stuff, but I was not doing what God truly wanted me to do. During high school I was knew I was going to go into the ministry but I became selfish and was thinking what job will I make more money what should I really do with my life. Instead of listening to God and knowing He will always provide. After I graduated high school in 2008, I went to centrifuge for the 5th time. This time we went to Ridgecrest, NC. I remember not knowing what I wanted to do with my life what so ever. The first night of the camp, I remember God speaking to me in a clear voice saying "You know what you are suppose to be doing. SO DO IT!'". That week I fully surrender to the ministry and to God's will for my life. I took a year of from school before starting college. which ended up being a great thing, because that January I started working for my church as a church assistant. The summer of 2009, I went to a camp called Centrikid, as an adult leader for my church group. I had recently attended the camp as an adult the year before. As well, as going as a camper in 2002 at Mississippi College. That week God put it on my heart to apply as a staffer for the next summer. After applying I got the job May 6 2010. We started training may 30th. So I found out really late, but it was a way that God showed me to be patient. May 30th I met 30 of the greatest people I know. Just people who love God with everything they are. Last summer we grew really close and became like a family. God used us in amazing ways. I remember all the failure I had in my lifetime, and thinking God why am I going through this, and this summer God used my failures and lifetime to make His name renown. I got to share love and the gospel with kids who are going through the same things I went through. As well as kids that are not going through those things. God truly showed me one of the ways He was going to use me this pass summer. He also gave me a group of friends that are always there for me no matter what. I just praise Him for everything He has put me through, and how He has used me for His glory alone. My Journey has really just begun. There is still so much that God is going to do, and you can continue checking out this blog. I will continue to write about what God is doing in my life. This blog is to be used to spread His Love and gospel. So that He may receive all the glory.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens: let your glory be over all the earth. Psalms 108:5