God is good!

I just wanted to let you all know that we saw one of our visitors get saved tonight! God is awesome and he is doing great things at ASU! Please pray for him. His name is Kevin and he asked that we pray for him as he starts a new life. Thanks for all your prayers!

Testimony

I just wanted to let you all know what God is doing over here at ASU, because he is doing some awesome things! This week IBC and Tri-City have had some amazing messages about being filled with the Spirit and live a life of power and that has really set up what has been going on at ASU this week. If you get a chance go to their website, www.tricityministries.org and you can listen to some of them online. Tonight started our outreach week at ASU, and at first it was really discouraging. We had gone on friday night and plastered signs and posters all over campus about what was going on, but almost all of them were taken down sometime over the weekend. On top of that, a really small group from the church showed up. It was really discouraging, but God let it all happen to show that it isn't going to be us that does the work over at ASU. We started praying and just passing out flyers hoping that we could at least get some visitors to come later in the week, but God gave us so much more. We had two stay for the service and several other contacts who wanted to stay but "just couldn't" tonight. The guy who preaced gave a message about how only God can satisfy and one of the girls that stayed was telling us afterwards that that was her and how she had been searching for awhile. She did not not make a profession of faith, but I think she is very close, she did promise to come tomorrow and throughout the rest of the week. God is so awesome and he is so powerful. He will work through us as long as we are broken before him and willing to be filled with his power! Please keep praying for us!

"May it be my glory to be humble and broken"

Surprise! I found something in Jeremiah!

I’m reading the Bible in a few different places right now, one of them being Jeremiah. Jeremiah is one of those books that are a little more difficult for me to read, and I’m not always sure just exactly what I’m supposed to be learning from it. Well, Saturday night, I was feeling a little low when I realized I still had about half of the book left. I picked it up, and I happened to be reading chapter 29. With my little faith, I didn’t expect to glean a whole lot, but, I read anyway, so I could get "through it." Well of course, chapter 29 turned out to be really amazing! It has the famous verses, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

The idea of searching for God with all of my heart really struck me. Sometimes it’s easy to spend time with God, but not really have my whole heart there. I’ve been spending time lately in Psalm 119, and I’ve also seen this a lot there.

Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart (v. 2).

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments (v.10).

Give me understanding and I shall keep they law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart (v.34).

These are just a few of the verses that show David’s love and thirst for God and his Word. David wasn't haphazardly reading his Bible, or just spending a few minutes here and there with God when it fit in. He was continually meditating and rejoicing in God's Word!

When is it going to be? Will you be ready? - Revisited

Erika had a great article on being ready for death. I would like to pirate her title and add to the concept. Yet I don't want to necessarily think of death, but ultimately of life. When is it going to be? Will you be ready? Jesus is coming again. Some believers would mock and scoff and state that I make too much of the second coming, just another "dispensational date setter." But the second coming is intensely practical to our lives. 1 John 3:2-3 states, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

Do you want to live purely? Live as if Jesus was coming back today. If he came back now, would you be ready?

Prayer Request

I just heard this about 30 mins ago. Mrs. Schroeder is in the hospital. I am not really sure why because no one really knew why we just heard. I believe its because her heart rate went up. If you could just pray for her and the family. If anyone else knows anything else you can post it if you want to, and if I find out anything else I will also post.

When is it going to be? Will you be ready?

I wanted to ask. Do you know when you are going to die? No, of course you don't. But are you ready to go? The Lord can take you at any time. Whether you are 15 or 55 or 95 or however old. Are you really ready? When you go through your day what do you think about? What do you say to your friends, teachers, parents, and those around you? When you walk into a room and when you leave do people think you are serving God or serving yourself? Doing what God wants you to do or doing what you want to do?
Are you serving God and obeying what He tells you to do? Or is your point of view, "Oh I am just going to do what I want today and say whatever I want and be how I want to be."

I just want to encourage you guys to do what's right. The Lord can come or take you at any time. Are you ready? Will the Lord say Well done my good and faithful servant? Just think about how you go through your days. Is it for yourself or God?

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Deuteronony 13:4
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

Praise/Prayer Request

There is some good news and some bad news. Let's start with the bad.

Some of you know that last night someone or some people broke into the Waycaster's house. They took purses, wallets, all the keys to the cars and house, some food, and some other things. So if you could pray for them because they have to do a lot of things.

Well, the good news is that no one got hurt. I mean the robber could have hurt any of them. I think the Lord was watching over them all. Isn't it wonderful how great the Lord is? He protects us every second or our lives.

Psalms 119:117
Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Live Like a Christian

I was just reading an excert from a letter from an atheist to a Christian. He spoke of how Christians say they love God and then do nothing about it. He says we practically stand by and watch them all die. He compared it to standing on a street corner and watching people run in front of a bus and die. And we do nothing! How could we say we love God and not love the people He loves. Are we just being hypocrites? In 1 John 4:7 it says "Behold, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." So you say you believe the Bible. My challenge to you is start living like it!

Joseph

I'm telling a story about Joseph for Jr. Church on Sunday, so he's been on my mind lately. I think that Joseph is my favorite Bible character. There is just so much to learn from his life! A huge thing that always strikes me every time I read the story is how he was content and serving God in every situation. Joseph wasn't focused on himself and all of the things that had gone "wrong" in his life; he was focused on others. He did his best work for Potiphar and was a servant even in the prison. I love to read this story and see how God worked every detail out in Joseph's life, and how amazing His plan is. It's easy for me to read a Bible story I know well, and gloss over parts of it, but being in prison for two years and all the other things Joseph went through had to be really hard! I'm thankful for the reminder from Joseph's life to be content and trusting God in every situation, no matter what it is. Even though we can't always see it right away, His plan is always good!

When I was at camp this summer, I heard a very good message on Joseph called Prisons, Pits & Palaces...if any of you have time you can download the sermon and handout here.

Deuteronomy 31:8
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.

God Works in Mysterious Ways

Alright, my dad has been really straying from God for a long while. He used to be a really, really spiritual person and actually, I believe deep down he still is, because he has a good knowledge of the Bible and the Christian faith, he's taught me a LOT. It's been a long time since he's read the Bible, but here's my praise.

Last night, he was outside, and I started having an interesting conversation with him. It was basically about a lot of biblical stuff, the KJV Bible and about people from the Bible and such, and I got out a Bible, and he took it from me and read it! My mom told me that she really believes God is working. It's been 2 YEARS since he's read God's Word, so I'm just really, really thankful for that.

I understand and know that God IS in control and that He's working through everything, and He reminded me of that last night after I was done talking to my dad. Today, I just want to remind everyone to fully rely on God, because God NEVER fails and He always knows what's right for you.

Devotional Challenge

Here's a challenge for any of you who have some extra time on your hands:

Read your Bible cover-to-cover in 52 days.

In order to do this, find a year long Bible reading plan (such as http://www.verseoftheday.com/year1.html) and read 7 days each day. It should only take on an average of an hour and twenty five minutes (It takes 72 hours to read the Bible outloud at "pulpit rate.") each day.

Any takers?

Prayer Request

I have a prayer request.....My Aunt,Uncle,and Cousin are coming over from England in May!! YAY!!!! But they are not saved, and I would ask that you all pray for them! Their names are Auntie Vicki, Uncle John, and Emma. My mom has been talking to them about everyday to build good relationships with them and so far she has had a couple opportunities to wittness but they didn't accept anything.

They said that they would go to church with us when they were here which is very exciting so you all can see them! Just pray that God would do His will, and we could see them get saved! Thank you all so much for doing this for me!

I also ask that you would pray for my family right now as we are having a rough time with things going on in our family(like my dad adopting kids)!!!!!!

A Perspective on Forgiveness

Over the past few months I have been slowly working through The Lord's Prayer by Thomas Watson, a Puritan writer. While speaking concerning the phrase, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," he had these words to say (p. 245):

Forgiveness of sin is the sauce which sweetens all the comforts of this life. As guilt embitters our comforts, and puts wormwood into our cup, so pardon sweetens all. . . . Health and pardon, estate and pardon, relish well. Pardon of sin gives a sanctified title and a delicious taste to every comfort. . . . It is observable that Christ joins these two together, "Give us our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses," as if Christ would teach us there is little comfort in daily bread unless sin be forgiven.

This short quotation really made me think about how needy we are of God's forgiveness in order to even enjoy the blessings that He abundantly gives to us. Thank God for His matchless forgiveness!

Fear Not - Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

I just wanted to say Why fear? I mean we don't have to fear anything. God is with us every single second of the day and He will gave us the strength to get through everything that is His will. He will help you through and lead you the right way. He will give you strength whether its big or small. Like taking a test, playing an instrument, witnessing, playing a sport, when you are alone, or anything else. The Lord with protect you and keep you.