Monday, May 18, 2009

Life is Good

Hey everyone,So alot has happened since i last posted anything. I just been super busy with school and the occasional days i would work. My semester ended and i quit my job. I have an internship coming up in a couple weeks at Church By the Glades, the best church out there,im super excited about it. So i have taken two weeks to just mentally prepare and just chill and take a mini vacation.

Anyways since the last time i posted everything has changed for the better i just finished my 1st year of seminary. I have an internship this summer. I'm taken by the most beautiful,intelligent, smart, sweet, loving, caring, God-centered, up-lifting, encouraging, confident woman i have ever met. She amazing and and grow more intense feelings for her each and everyday. I look forward to every moment we spend together. She's the girl that everyman prays for, but i'm the lucky guy God has so generously blessed me with. I will take care of your Princess Daughter Father for as long as she is in my presence.

God has def. blessed me so much lately beyond words can describe. i have so much peace and joy with everything thats been goin on in my life. Back a couple months ago i had a diffferent feeling however. I tried to control everything and had no peace about anything. I was so very frustrated with everything. I was so frustrated i thought of leaving the very place that brought me so much joy, church by the glades,h however God has totally turned everything around and now ill be working for them and i love volunteering there more then ever. I preach at singles occasionally a place only a couple months ago was a place i found as a waste of time and hypocrisy. I love singles now more then ever and pray i can take it to the next level that God has given Jared and me the vision to.

God is just so good when you just submit to his authority. He gives you so much peace and joy and you realize this is the life worth living and want everyone to live. God throughout this whole year and actually always has provided me with my needs and at the appropriate God ordained time. Just be patient and dont ruch the timing. God may want something for you like a internship or a Beautiful Girlfriend but we must be patient with his timing. Thats a lesson i learned this past year. I was fruestrated i didnt intern last year and felt lonely and almost tried forcing some relationships that would have dragged me down, but this time around i waited on the God-ordained time and have an internship this summer and have the most beautiful, intelligent, caring, god-loving, uplifting Girlfriend and its all because i submitted to God and waited for his will and not my own. when we obey God and his timing, blessing pour out beyond you beleifs.

It's important we trust God with every aspect of our lives and not just some areas. God will provide for your every need and he knows when you it also. Just trust and obey what he has called you to. This past year i obeyed the call into ministry that i once used to run from. When i obeyed immedient joy covered me. God provided a job for me within a couple weeks of me obeying the call into ministry. I was able to support myself and pay for a years tuition and books at my seminary. God provided me with all my needs and then so much more. God is Good all the time.

Anyways i will end this blog now as im going to experience life to the fullest that God intened for me. Just remember trust in God always and obey his timing and commands. He is forever faithful to us, give him a try and see what God has instore for you. God is Good always.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Science and God

SCIENCE AND GOD
"Let me explain the problem science has with Jesus Christ." The atheist
professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new
students to stand.

You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a
moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and
you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does
he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to
Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that
one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from
a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From...God..."

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in
this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything,
then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle
that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred?
Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.
"Who created them? There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks
away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell
me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ,
son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have
you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that
matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has
with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His
own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room
suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have
lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white
heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We
can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any
further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be
able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits
energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.
Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is
only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.
Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not
the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding
like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't
darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of
something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing
light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness
darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be
a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. Flawed? Can you
explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You
argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God.
You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully
understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be
ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from
a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes,
of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where
the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot
even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has
subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me
give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has
ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the
professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears
to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical,
stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all
due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face
unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll
have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,"
the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it
everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in
the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These
manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does
not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like
darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of
God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man
does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes
when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Confrontation!!!

Hey everyone who reads this.. This blog isnt for everyone and isnt meant to be understood by everyone.Just to warn the very few people who read this.

Ok so its 2009 and every year we humans make New Years resolution, things we would like to accomplish this year or things we would like to change. For me my number one goal is Confrontation.. Now you might be saying to yourselves why would you want to make that your goal, do you enjoy starting drama...No!!! Actually i hate drama with a passion and i try to stay away from it completely. That is why confrontation is my goal this year.

Over this past year and even most my life i have let things go by me and never said a word about it. I hate confronting people about there problems, or short comings. I'm not afraid to do it but in the past i rather just go with the flow and not make a big deal out of things. I have come to realize though this past year that is a huge problem of mine. By me being comfortable and staying in that comfort bubble i have let friends go down the wrong path, i have let friends hurt other friends, i have even let my own family hurt eachother. Now you should see to an extent why im making confrontation a priority this year.

I think confrontation is needed in life. It stregthens us and others. One thing you have to keep in mind though is how we do it. The way i plan to go about confrontation is much like a double-edged sword. One side will come of judgemental but its just to point out what the problem is the other side is of coarse love. Love is the most important thing to remember in confortation. Anyone can point out problems but only love can help solve those problems.

I'm not here to start drama with my friends and even family. I'm trying to better myself through helping out others. Confrontation is a means of the media that has been chosen, simply because its a weakness of mine and the old way just isnt working. God will fill in where my weakness is and make it my strength.

I'm studying to be a minister and confrontation through love is going to be a huge part of my ministry. I have prayed about this and have asked others to pray for me in this. In the next couple weeks things might get a little stirred up but just know its purely out of love. This wouldn't be on my conscience unless it meant a great deal to me. The people that i need to confront mean a great deal to me. With that said if you are one of the people i have confronted or may confront just know i love you and i am only trying to do the right thing and bring you up where u fell.

Together we will all rise above where we fell and Christ will be the answer to all of it. This last year and couple of years have been lukewarm in terms of holding people accountable in what they need to be accounted for. i write this blog not to scare you or others but that it has been laid on my conscience and needs major attention before more hurt and pain occurs.

I'm not ok with friends hurting eachother, im not ok with friends walking down the wrong path to incur major pain and heart ache, im not ok with family takin sides and takin advantage of others, im not ok with family holding grudges against eachother for stuff that happened many years ago. God is in control and he will bring good out of anything bad if given the chance. I can't just sit back and let things roll by me like i been doing. I apoligize if you get cut by the sword. just know ur wounds heal stronger then before. Satan will get a foothood wherever you let him and im here to block that from happening.

I want to hold people accountable for what they have done and what they struggle with as much as i want to be accountable too. As friends we should want whats best for our friends and we should be helpin them achieve that, not letting them destroy their life and destroy friendships and destroy responsibilities. I dont judge anyone only myself in this. I just want whats best for my friends and family and confrontation is the answer to that boggling question.

For some of you right now, you have no idea what im talkin about and thats ok. it probable doesnt concern you. For others your probable questioning if i have something i need to confort you about. If you are one of the people or become one of the people i may need to confront just know its on God's timing. Ultimately only God is able to judge and i am not trying to take that job away from him but me as your christian brother can and will hold others accountable for their actions and confront in love to better our lives. Make God, the lord Jesus Christ, your strength and let him transform you daily.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Greater Things At CBG

Ok so i haven't posted anything in awhile mainly because i been busy with school and work..well this week i have fall break so i have some relaxation time..

Anyways right now i feel really blessed and am ecstatic about the greater things happeing at Church by the Glades. This past month has been so awsome at the church. We been talking about whats to come in the history of our church. We the church are gonna build a 2000 seat auditorium with more parking. We are currently on 17 acreas which God blessed us with many years ago i think in 1992. In 2000 we started the Building campaign for our current building, by 2004 we were inside our new Building and location. The new sanctuary will cost anywhere from 15-17million. Just this past weekend Pastor David Hughes announced the church has pledged over 10.7 million dollars. Thats somthing to celebrate. This past series of Greater things at CBG has been my all time favorites. It has been so effective and God-driven. Its so awsome to see God's hand at work in our church and in our city and surrounding areas.

I'm posting this video below to show some of what has been happening at CBG.


Greater Things > Recap 2008 from Church by the Glades on Vimeo.


How awsome and exciting is that video. I get chills everytime i see for i know that this is in God's will and i'm gonna be apart of something huge. Im not just talking about the building but that im getting the opportunity with this people campaign to reach the lost and further the kingdom of God . How awsome. anyways tell me what you think about this Greater things campaign and How God is using you in this.

Also if your not familiar with Church by the Glades heres a link. Churchbytheglades.com

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

New!!!

Hey yall who will read this. Im new to this blog site but not new at all to blogging. I have most all my blogs on myspace and on facebook(they call them notes) w/e same thing. Blogging is fun and can be a very useful tool. Especially for the kingdom of God and reaching out to the lost or stregthening Our brothers and sisters in christ.

Anyways i was just reading "A basic christian theology" for my Christian Doctrine class, and i realized how confusing Doctrine and theology can be. Honestly i read like 20 pages and barely have a concept down fo what they have discussed so far in the book. The introduction was pretty confusing and basically what i got out of it was that As humans we can't put God in a box with our ideologies. I also took away that you can study theology for a lifetime and never quite know how God really is and when we start to think we know how God is were just trying to fit him into our box and our ideas. Honestly i thought it was pretty interesting how they started off the book, but hey its true our ideology shouldnt become theology. Theology is God's business in which he reveals something about himself to us. Or should i replace that definition with Revelation.

You see Revelation doesnt just mean the last book of the bible or the end times as many of us may have learned. Revelation is deeper then that. Theology and Revelation go hand and hand. No they're not the same, but through Revelations we can see the making of Theology. To better illustrate God reveals himself through revelations to people. He also reveals his power, his plan, his order, and ultimately his love. Think about it why did God give The REVELATION to John. He did this to demonstrate his power, his grace, his love, his justice, his plan, his character, his kingdom. He is revealing so much to us through this one revelation to john. So why did he do this? Simply so we may know him. He revealed this revelation for the same reason that He revealed himself to the Adam and Eve, Abram, Jacob, Israel,etc.. Out of these few examples we see how God has revealed himself to man. From this we get theology.

Theology you see is tricky. It even has a scary ring to it i think. When i was younger and heard theology my first though would have been you have to be smart to understand it. I honestly didnt have a good concept of theology until this past year when i took World religions at BCC. The professor said simply theology is the "Study of The". Now you might of laughed but he was pretty accurate on that statement. Break the word Theology down. "the" ultimately was used in the old world to mean God. "ology" means the study of something. So when you put it together theology means The study of God. Now that you have a better concept of theolgy you can see that no matter how much you study God, you wont quite understand him fully or at all for that matter. God is not meant to be understood i believe. Once you think you understood your God you just made him smaller and able to fit nice and snug in your mind. Who wants a God that you can fully understand and fit in your mind. I sure dont. If i did wnat a god like that i would choose my Dog Rosie. I understand my Dog. shes 16 years old, shes sleeps 80% of the day, eats occasionally, goes outside 4 times a day. Shes simple. God is not, hes not meant to be understood.

So to recap Theology is the study of God. You get theology from God revealing himself to man through revelations. So yeah thats pretty much what i learned so far from reading 20 pages in my christian doctrine book. Anyways hope yall tune in again to read more. I love blogging about what i've learned or what i just read. Read some of my other blogs on myspace or facebook. Look forward to writing more at a later time. Bye