An Indicator

   I know that if you follow Hope Ministries of the Upstate, you surely know of Celebrate Recovery. Or at least have heard of it. Well, here is the thing, for about a year now, I have been the active sound engineer since we moved to the auditorium. For a second, I am going to go into what that means.
   Actually I am more of a media director. overseeing the sound and lighting and video and consequently being the bridge between CR and First Baptist media wise And the one held responsible for all things that go wrong. The responsibility is great but it is another part of the position. I generally run sound but that is not by any means all of my responsibilities. Most say that, because of my training every week from a proffessional sound engineer, that my skills are good and are becoming better with time.
   Now I know youre thinking, this sounds very conceited. All he is doing is bragging. But no, bare with me. Here is why I say this. I come every week on the week not to be in the "Do" of Christianity, but because I know that my works are the indicator of my faith. I serve the church and the Kingdom because I have faith in the Kingdom of God. Do not let your works define you, but let them define to others your belief in the one True God!

Calculus and the Gospel

   Starting in the first grade when we first learned how to add and subtract, we never thought that we would actually have to use this stuff when we grew up. I know that I never did. I always as some would put it, would be smart enough just for the test. I would study or look over my addition and subtraction a day before test day to make sure I knew it for tomorrow, and that was all that I did as preperation.
   Little did I know that in the second grade, I would be adding on to adding and subtraction by multiplying and dividing numbers. At that point, I sort of wished that I have paid more attention to the basics of adding and subtraction so that I could be more prepared when multiplying and dividing.
   Now I am in calculus and we are working with definite integrals, or as some would call it, the area under the curve. Quick cal lesson, when you have a graph of a shape, for example parabola, to find the definite integral of the "y" with respect to the "x", you must multiply the two together basically and add to get the area under the curve. That is you definite integral and one of the main areas of studies in Calculus. Now imagine if I never actually took the time to learn how to add and subtract.
   My point, so not sped all of your time focusing on the outer things if you do not have the center of our Faith the Gospel. Christ dying on a cross, being buried, and raised from the dead three days later is the center of our Faith!! This is the saving grace. Not so much the tangents that our minds can go on in which we call "deep truths of the Faith". Do not get me wrong, nothing is wrong with studying like that and analyzing those deep truths. Sometimes it is necessary. But keep what is central central. The bible is the Gospel. Christ died for our sins!!

Riding the Tri-cycle

   When I was five years old, it was about time for me to learn how to ride a bike. Well at that time, a tricycle. At that time, my mom and I lived in a small apartment downtown. It was not a bad place, but it was a small community, consisting of a few blocks, just enough space for me to learn a skill that I would use to this day, how to ride a bike.

   The plan was, my mom stayed with me for the start, and then immediately tapered off so I could ride the bike by myself. Or at leat that is what I thought. So we started and I rode down one straight of sidewalk. I could visibly see my mother right beside me. Then we hit the curve, and at this point in my mind, my mom was going to stop following me and just watch me go from there. So I kicked up the speed and went for it. Eyes barely open, catching the speed.

   Little did I know, my mom was behind me the entire time. She was watching, making sure that I was safe, and there to help me along the way even though I could not see her face to face. Whats my point, it is almost the exact same with God. he watches us, even though we may not see Him face to face, He is always there. He is always behind you, in front of you, beside you, and in you! He is God!!! The difference between God and the story: eventually my mom really let me go on my own and learn how to be a better biker. But God is ALWAYS with you, teaching and training you to be a disciple of His!!

In Joyful Response

   In my ninth grade year at Dorman, I went out for a few days to try out for the soccer team. It was a fun year and soccer seemed to be a fun sport to add to it. Now it was not like I had no shot. I was pretty good and other than a medical problem acquired earlier that year, and some disruptions in transportation, I think that I had a chance of making the team.
   So on the first day of practice, we ran the cooper. This is a legendary run around the entire Dorman campus in which resulted in a 2.1 mile run because we took shortcuts along the way. The cutoff was 16 minutes. Now, my senior year, that is a run that I can do in my sleep. Back then, I was not so in shape so that was not the case. I completed my run in 16.21. Barely off. And my first day, surely coach will let me off of the hook and give me the benefit of the doubt right? Absolutely not. Coach told me to go run another mile after I had just ran two miles because I did not run in the time alloted.
   Of course I ran the extra mile. But why? Because I wanted to? Indirectly yes, but no. The real reason is because I trusted fully that the coach knew exactly what he was doing and all of the conditioning that he was putting me through was for my benefit and good at the end of the day. he had my full trust. So I ran the extra mile. Do you get where I am going with this one? We do God's Will because we fully trust that the Savior of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, knows what is best for us in the end. We know that in Romans we are told that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord... thats why we trust Him completely, to run that extra mile every time.

Running the Mile

   I remember a few months ago, I went to go run a break my PR. I started running long distance in the ninth grade. I ran my first official mile for PE class and got in the seven minutes. 7.02 to be exact. From there, my mile rate actually decreased over time. My times got longer and it in turn took me longer to finish races. Eventually I was in the early 9's as I ran the mile towards the end of my ninth grade year.
   So I decided that I had to start running as a routine to get faster in my mile and two mile and just faster in general. So that is what I did. At first, of course it was not easy at all! Actually it was a little discouraging. I ran and did not seem to get any faster. But there was something that I knew in the back of my mind that was very powerful. I knew that even though I could not see instant results of a great magnitude, I was still getting faster in the long run. I knew though that I had to keep it up with endurance.
   So I shattered my pr then and beat my old two mile record by over 4 minutes. What am I trying to get across to you? Growth requires endurance. I will say it again. Growth requires endurance. The full equation: Endurance in Growth tends to bring success. That is how it works in our relationship with Christ. We cannot just pray every morning and then live life however we want and expect to grow. We must have endurance in seeking God's face and Will for our life, or even just our day, so that we may grow. That is success.

What All Do You See?

   Have you ever been driving down the highway and seen a FedEx truck? At first glance, it just looks like another truck driving down the highway making deliveries to everyone in its route. At first glance it just seems as if the FedEx sign is just another logo created by a design company to give some artist on the other side of the world a nice picture to think of when they ponder about America. At first glance, it seems like nothing special.

   But now, since I have been told the truth about FedEx and its symbol, I think of it in a different way. Have you ever looked at the symbol closely? Really? Have you ever noticed the arrow in the sign? Thats right, the arrow. I bet most did not notice that before. It seems that FedEx has a pledge to always keep moving forward. And it is shown in their logo. So what point am I trying to get across?

   What is one of the main things that changed when you accepted Christ? Well other than the fact that you were eternally saved from the wrath of God in the form of the punishment for our sins here on Earth. The answer that I am looking for: worldview. How you see things. The cup is now half full. The world is now a field that we are sent to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ on. This is no longer a sad and distressful place, this is a temporary home until it is time to see Christ face to face! Until there is a new heaven and earth. Now, you do not just live in a house, you live in a house devoted to sharing the love of Christ in any way possible. The view that the Lord gives us in this manner is what brings us joy in a time of trouble or heartbreak. It is all how you see it. Trust God and see things differently, see things His way not your own!

Tragedy: Part 1

   With the news in Virginia today, some fear in the east coast has risen. In case you did not know, around two o'clock today, there was an earthquake that hit a 5.9 magnitude today. It has been said that the earthquake was powerful enough to be felt hundreds of miles away. Here in South Carolina, some reports of feeling the earthquake have been made. Of course most Californians do not fret with such a small quake (which leads to another powerful topic: perspective), but to the east coast it hasn't happened in a while so there was some pandemonium.
   Although I would not really call this a tragedy per se, most do not know how to deal with something even this small, yet a real tragedy, rather it be a national one or a family one. There are alot of aspects to dealing with tragedies. My best advice would be to immediately seek Christian counsel and let the Lord get you through this!
   This article focuses on the Part 1 aspect, the question that all of us get in our minds, WHY? You can take all of the theology classes that you like, and study whatever you like, but the truth is, the Bible says that God will never give us more than we can bear. The Lord never ever gives us more than we can handle with His guidance! So simply put, the answer to part 1 of WHY DID THIS HAPPEN, I do not know. For I do not know what the Lord could be doing behind the scenes of what we call a "tragedy." But I do know that He is and always will be sovereign, so put your trust in Him!!

The Freedom of Christ

   Physical Boundaries can inhibit the best of us. Even the strongest of us dont too much like it when we are stuck in a jail cell or in a place where there is absolutely no way for one to escape on their own. Depression, anxiety, anger, all kinds of feelings can build up when we are upheld in physical boundaries. So what happens when those boundaries are released? Sometimes, those boundaries become mentally instilled in our minds and they stay there. We can be more than physically free, but in our minds we are still bound. The same circumstance is spiritual.
   When we receive Christ, we are spiritually set free. Fully free from the wrath of hell in the end of times. But this is not true for every aspect of our spiritual life. We, although free from hell by the blood of Christ, are restricted in our minds at times with certain things that we may be still dealing with from our past. Some like to call these things bitter roots. Some sins from the past or present that may have had or currently have us bound may have not been broken when we receive Christ.
   So what do we do? We need to realize something and that is that we will never get over these issues without realizing where they came from and realizing that they are only fully banquished through Christ Jesus. As you should know already, we can do absolutely nothing without him! So we must take the time to seek Christian counsel and work through this using the guidance of Christ Jesus! Break the boundaries and have true freedom of Christ, through Christ!

Our Focus (To Adults)

   With the economy looking like it is, the threat of terrorism not seeking to stop anytime soon, and the national tragedies around the world in the form of natural disasters, its not very difficult to shift our focus to the natural relm, looking at our nation and becoming very depressed by the state of our government. When our focus and trust is in the national government, or any human for that matter, this is what happens. Failure, and dissapointment. This is why we as Christians are told to put our trust in Christ. Christ is the only one with the power to save, to sustain, and guide us through life. Thats why we put our focus on Christ. Focusing not on the things of the world. Here are some common things adults face daily that can take their focus off of Christ. 

• Work
• Government
• Bills
• Taxes
• Gas
• Family
• Pier Pressure

So what is the key? Stay in the Word of the Lord. It continually strengthens one to the point where they can focus on God more clearly and diligently. So adults, dont get pressured by the cares or state of the world, but keep your focus on the one and only Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our Focus (To Youth)

   In the modern high school there are alot of things going on at the same time, all of the time. There are football games, pep rallies, all kinds of things that happen simultaneously. So, in turn, there are alot of distractions. Here are some examples of the modern high schooler:

• Peer Pressure
• Drugs
• Sex
• Pornography
• Dating
• Academics (if taken to the point of worship)
• Car
• Gas
• Reputation
• Approval of Others

But there is something that we MUST remember. We must seek God first and all other needs will be added unto us. We have to realize to seek God first, and we also need to realize what we need. Dating is not what we need. A relationship at this stage in our life may not last long, thinking in terms of college being the next step. Approval of others, not our focus. Or it shouldnt be. When we leave high school, go to college, and start our own lives, making the decisions of exactly how we live our lives by ourselves, the approval of those in high school no longer matter. Its all about God. So let that be our focus! God. And only Him.

What We Feel

   The pastor at one of the churches that I attend said a very powerful thing once. He said that, "what feels right and what is right is not always the same thing, in fact in our culture, it is rarely the same thing." Giving ten percent is what is right, but giving 5% if it still seems a reasonable amount is what seems right. Driving past the broken down car in the middle of no where is what feels right, but stopping and at least making sure help is on the way, if we cannot help ourselves, is what is right. God has given us all a sense of right and wrong. This sense is sharpened, defined, and solidified by the Holy Spirit. So in situations, the Holy Spirit convicts us to do what is right instead of what feels right. Besides, some times the "feels rights" lead to the fastest track to self righteousness. What does this all mean? This all means that when we go through our journey of life, looking for things that last for eternity instead of instant gratification and meaningless things, need to do what the Word of God says is right for the righteous person, and what the Holy Spirit leads you to do in life. This brings the joy of the Holy Spirit into your life, as you follow His Wisdom and instruction and seek Christ. Follow Christ instruction, simple and plain, thats all, doing what is right, not what feels right.

Temporary VS. Eternal

   So you decide that you want to do something that will forever last. You say that you want to do something to  help other people. You want to do something eternal.
   You have a friend named Jerald. He decides that he wants to do something that will forever last. He says that he wants to do something to help other people. He wants to do something eternal.
   So you both do a cancer walk. Jerald organizes his walk to be in the center of town, inviting lots of people and giving absolutely all of the money raised to charity.
   You have your cancer walk in the outskirts of the city (location not really mattering) and you give all of your money to charity. But your cancer walk is centered around Christ, the walk is started in prayer, and the Gospel is spread and the walk given to God for what He has done. So tell me, whose is eternal?
  The truth is, only the things done for Christ are eternal. In no way can anyone justify any other argument! Only the things done for Christ will last forever. it is not about being nice, or even doing something "good" for humanity. The point of this life is the eternal and abundant life through Christ! Therefore, only things done through and for Him will stand. So what does that mean? That means that we should look for ways to do things for Christ with Him as the center and His Gospel the intention, not just good works. That way, we know that all that we do (involving Christ) will last!

Identity

   Walking into my senior year, it was a typical school day in the sense that high school had the same old problems that I remember in the ninth grade. Other than people obviously either not hearing or believing the Gospel and that being apparent, one thing that continually bothered me throughout the day was the fact that identities were shaking because of the fear of approval of others. People changed their dress, their attitudes, and their companions for the sake of getting along or the affirmation of their piers.
   Some say that Christians are some of the biggest hypocrites alive. Some say because we have such high expectations that could never be accomplished without help and guidance from the Holy Spirit that we are not real at all. The sad fact is, for the affirmation of others, some dont accept the guidance and wisdom from our life experiences and the experiences of other Christians around us so we end up just like everyone else, not holy and living by the Spirit, which does make us in a sense hypocrites. Which leads to a huge identity crisis. Here is the thing, we should never give up our hope in the Gospel, and wisdom and guidance by the Spirit. If we keep these things, our identities wont be easily shaken. Why? Because our identity should be found in Christ, the only one with true justice in his hand and salvation in his heart. He should be the only one we want to fully model in our lives. Keeping true to His Word and seeking His guidance will keep our identity in line.

A First For Everything, Keeping the Flame

  Does anyone remember their first day of school? Do you remember when your parents packed your lunch box, put on your bookbag, and sent you on your way? The night before you carefully packed and unpacked your folders multiple times, making sure that everything is absolutely perfect. You brushed your teeth like five times, said your prayers twice and loud, and went to bed at like 6 pm just to be fully awake the next day. You anxiously got in the car with your mom, riding illegally in the front seat because she let you that day, ready to walk through the school doors, seeing friends and making new ones at your school. But did you ever stop and think what you were really so ready for? You were ready for a moment that actually only lasted a few seconds but had a lasting impact on the rest of your time in school. you were so excited because you knew that what you did made an impression, a lasting one. You knew it was something that you thought mattered in the long run. So now its senior year. The first day. You iron your clothes, brush your teeth, and wash your face the night before. You talk to all of your friends on the phone before you go to bed the night before. You wake up, excited to drive to school, see all of your friends, and even get out early every day of the year. The lasting impression. So why do we let our flame for the Savior of the world, the Alpha and Omega, the one who pulled us out of the fire of hell and brimstone? The Gospel lasts longer than any school time. Let us live freely in it and spread it daily!! Let us not lose our flame for the love of Christ, the only thing that is ACTUALLY eternal. Let it last, always!

People are Watching

   We sit in our homes, travel places, go out to eat, live our lives not thinking that anyone is intensely watching us. We claim to have Christ yet when we feel that we are alone, or that no one is watching, we do what we want. We become addicted to living an unseen, comfortable lifestyle. We believe that God is something we only have to claim when someone asks us what we believe in. Believing that He does not really care what we do when wee are on our own, as long as we claim Him in front of other people. But what we do not realize is that it is probably not in church where we spread the Gospel to those who have not heard it. I doubt that you are just sitting in a church service and someone interrupt you and ask you about the Gospel of Jesus. not saying this is not possible, but just not very likely. What we dont realize is that it is in the moment where we help the older woman get her groceries to the car, or we help the kids that are ten cents short at the store to get what they want by giving them a dime, or helping someone pick up all the change that they have dropped on the ground. Those are the moments when people wonder why you just did what you did. They wonder what inside of you is so different that you want to help and love others. What drives that love? Hmmm..... What to respond? The love of Christ!! Now you have the chance to explain the Gospel of Jesus. My two points, live the Gospel 24/7, and people are ALWAYS watching!

Tear Down the Walls

   Lets go on a journey. You are the one at school that was never the smartest in the class. But it was all your fault, for you were lazy. Very smart, just lazy. You did not study at all and it reflected in your grade and class rank every year. But now, you let things get away from you over the years and you must now pass this next test or you must repeat your senior year of high school. So now what must you do? You must do something that you may have never done before and that you definately dont like to do. You must study. And study. But lets go deeper. What must we REALLY do? We must break a wall/ barrier in our life. We must fight with everything we have done in our past to get something done in the future. We must break the barrier of in this case apathy. "Breaking down walls that we have set up over time to move forward." This is the Christian life. Leaving those things we did before truly knowing Christ for ourselves in the past so that we may be with God for all eternity. Sometimes the biggest enemy when it comes to this is ourselves. We are stubborn by nature. So we have to tear down the walls of our past and our old routines  and seek what Christ wants for us. We must tear down the walls of selfishness and hatred to show and share the Love of Christ. We must tear down the walls of seclusion to lead others to the Gospel. We must tear down the walls of pride to be submissive to Christ. We must tear down all other personal walls in our life as well that hinder us from the glory of Christ. Tear down the walls.

Better than a song

   Last night I was able to attend the Hillsong United concert at the BiLo Center. At certain points every stood with raised hands singing the chorus or verse or bridge to a song together. But then, in the middle of the concert, the music stopped for a profound statement. Well two. One, if you dont have the Gospel, these are just songs that cannot save your soul and dont come close to the Joy that comes from accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. As we were discussing before, it does not matter what concert you attend, or what church you go to, that will not save you. Only the Blood of Jesus washes away ones sins. He also made another profound statement. It was said that once we receive the Gospel of Jesus, we should show the Love of Christ. This is radical. That means that in ALL that we do, the Love of Christ should be obvious to believers and non- believers alike. We should shine His Love so that people may wonder who we have inside of us that makes us so different, and we can proudly say, it is Jesus Christ, spreading the Gospel! So, if you havent heard or accepted the Gospel of Jesus, make the greatest decision of your life now, accept Him as Lord and Savior. And if you have accepted Him already, do all that you can to show His love to a broken world!

Who Are You Telling

   The Gospel is the best news that we could ever receive in our lives. It gives us hope for the future, a reason for the past, and strength for the present. Knowing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead for the ones He calls His own, knowing that after this life on Earth is over, because of this news, we can be with God for all eternity is the best news that we could ever receive. So lets tell a story. We are riding in the car with our best friend. We are on a long trip and its time to stop for some dinner. You all pull into Zaxby's. But your friend has absolutely no money and you know that he is basically starving because you guys have not eaten all day. Earlier in life, you inherited this Kingdom with everything you would ever need and more so you have more than enough for you and your friend to eat. So tell me, do you really not pay for your friend to eat? Would you really separate him from the nutrients that he needs even though you have the money? NO! Thats how it is when it comes to spreading the gospel. Would we really starve people (friends or not) of what they need to survive for all eternity? Would you want to be the one not to be able to eat at the restaraunt? I cant stress it enough. One of the most unfair things that happen in this world is that we Christians are too scared or ashamed to share the news that saves the world! Get the Gospel, GIVE the Gospel!

Choosing for Yourself

   Why do we choose to say that we are Christians? Is it because here in the South, because associated with Christianity has become the sort of norm? Is it because we you drive down the street, there seems to be a church at every corner? Is it because we feel somewhat pressured by Christians around us to follow Christ and give up the "unclean lifestyles?" Is it because we were born in a Christian home and our parents always told us that Christianity was the way to go? Was it because you said one prayer in your life, and it happened to be right before you won the lottery? Have you ever even thought of this question before? Have you ever made Jesus your Lord and Savior or just went along with the flow of "Christianity" because of one of the reasons previously mentioned? It is absolutely necessary to accept Jesus for yourself to be a true Christian. It takes the experience in Christ to believe and follow for yourself, that will truly change your life. Im sorry to tell you, but if you have not fully accepted Him because of what He is to you, for yourself, it does no good. You have not truly accepted. Even though you may go to church or your parents might be totally devout Christians, that alone does not save your soul. You must accept and believe for yourself to truly run the race!  However, once you choose to run, remember, God is with you so run with perseverance!

I Will Exalt You

   Its time to look inside for a second and see how we are glorifying God in our lives lately. How are we proclaiming in our lives that we will exalt Him? How are we telling Him that He truly is our God? How are we backing up what we say to believe when it comes to glorifying the name of Christ? How have you given Honor to the name of the Lord in your church, school, college, family, or even driving down the road this past week? If we believe that our God is for us, and with us, then we should have no problem with the pursuit of following and exalting the name of the Lord in every moment we have. Here are some examples of exalting the Lord in our everyday lives.

• Not engaging in mindless chatter in our schools or workplace, and even attempting to diffuse it
• Keeping peace in tense situations
• Respecting the wishes of others around you
• Taking extra time out of your week to spend as Family Time
• Driving with the intention of following the law and safety of others
• Outwardly and respectfully showing love for others because of Christ loving us

You can probably think of alot more examples than I can, so do them. Exalt the Lord. Follow Him and exalt Him, be an example to followers and non- believers alike. Shine the light of Christ in your life starting now!

Dont Take it for Granted

   If you live in a house, you are greatly blessed. If you have food for every meal of the day, you are greatly blessed. Here are some examples of everyday blessings:

• Food to Eat
• Television
• Family
• Music
• House
• Car
• Phone
• Internet

My advice, do not take these blessings for granted. People out there would kill to have all of their family back. Health. Or to have a car of house of some sort. Do not let our spoiled culture blind us from the Gospel by blinding us from who has blessed us greatly thus far, God Himself. Count your blessings. Love the Lord. Share the Gospel.
-AJ

True Beauty

   Our generation has a tragic misperception of beauty. You know how it goes, when we look for true beauty, we tend to look at the opposite sex. We look in magazines, on television, etc. So we turn to sex, dating, lust, etc to satisfy the yearning of true beauty. The problem is, that is not where true beauty lies, therefore, no true satisfaction comes from the lust of an outward appearance. Realize I said lust. In marriage, in your opinion your spouse should be beautiful to you, inside and out. Back to my subject, if you want to see true beauty, look at the bloodied Jesus about to say "It is finished" because He knows that we are beautiful and so He is about to die for our sins so that we can be with God in the end. That is love. That is true beauty. The cross. A chance to come to God through Christ Jesus. Jesus died. Jesus, the Son of God. God. The same God that created the heavens and the earth. The earth. The beautiful mountains, streams, and clouds that cover this earth that God created. That is beauty. Lets stop focusing on the curves of a woman (that is not your wife), or the abs of a man (that is not your husband) for the source of beauty. Even if you are married, realize that the most beautiful thing in existence is CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.