LOVE YOUR ENEMIES!!!!

The reason that we are to love our enemies is because God loved His enemies first. His love was displayed when His Son, Christ Jesus, died on the cross to provide the only way for humans, enemies of God, to be reconciled to him. So we should praise Him for that.

Praise God as the One who provides justice to the sinners and also justifies the sinner. Praise God for redeeming those who trust in His Son alone for salvation. Praise God for the destruction of those who are lawless before him. Praise God for giving you one more chance to believe before you face eternal damnation because of your sins.

Praying to God

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7

A quick study of this passage might help us to understand this as it caught my attention. I have heard that all we need to do is pray about it and God will answer our prayers. This verse seems to says otherwise. Lets begin at the word abide. It is the Greek word menō, it means to remain or abide in reference to a place, a time, or a condition. In this case, it is used in reference of a place. This place is Jesus as describe by the speaker which is Christ. Abide is also used to describe where Jesus' words in us. Again, it is reference to a place by the in and the subject is the Disciples.

Lets go back to the beginning of the verse and talk about the word "if." This verse is an if/then conditional statement. The condition is the abiding in Christ and Christ's words abiding in us. Then part is that he will do what ever we asked.

Let looks at the verse as a whole in context. Jesus has just describe that the Disciples are a branch on the vine and Jesus is that vine. Everyone that is not attached to the vine will parish but those who remain will bear much. Verse 8 also gives us clarification of why God will answer our prayers. God answers our prayers for His glory.

So when Jesus tells His Disciples that He will do anything they ask, it is because they are remaining in His teaching. The Disciples desires are to be the same desires of Jesus. John would later clarify in 1 John 5:14, saying "(a)nd this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." (emphasis is mine) So our prayers should not be "Jesus, I need an A on this test." Instead, it should be something that He has or ordained according to His plan a purpose. Our prayers should be to help the advancement of the Gospel by praying to God that He will do something to glorify His name and not ours. We need to be reading His words, as written in the Bible, to understand His desires and purpose so that he can rightly pray so that God is glorified by His works.

It is Febuary and I'm stressed out.

I have successfully stressed myself out once again. I have a speech due in 22 days, a 300 page book due in 25 days, plus all of the other home work I have.

But today is a special day for you because I am going to post a article I posted on Ambassador Alliance. It is a site for street witnessers to get together to share witnessing encounters and also ask questions to get advice on dealing with different groups. It is also for people you have attended the Ambassador Training in LA with Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, and other members of Living Waters. It is a weekend in which you street witnessness, open-air preach, stop light preach, and other ways to share the gospel. This article is about my trip to the mall here in Lynchburg, VA. Enjoy.

Today, I went again to the mall. I was to meet one of my classmates. She did not show up but it was my fault for getting info. I might just have to make cards to hand out. Ed, the guy who normally goes with me, could not come because his street is icy and it started to snow again here in Lynchburg, VA after dumping a foot of snow this past weekend. As I was waiting for my classmate and watching for the security, I had get a couple of opportunity to witness to some guys. I figured the best way to have someone found me was to witnesses with some people since that is why I was there. The first person I talked to was Kevin. He did not know at first if he would go to heaven or hell but after asking the question again, he decided he was good enough to go to Heaven. He was joking around a little and laughing so I asked what he knew about hell. He realized that I was serious about him and did not want him to die and go to hell. He had to get to work so I let him go. The next person was Zack, I think, I am bad with names. He accepted Jesus when he was 4 but, what seems like lot Christians I witness to, he could not tell me the Gospel. I went through the good person test and shared the good news that Christ took our punishment so he did do not have to. I asked if he had every repent and trust. His answered surprise me a little, because he said no. I urge him to repent and trust in Christ because you do not know when you will die. After Zack, I saw a group of guys, there was 4 of them. I handed them million dollars and one a ticket to heaven. One actually tore it but it took him a lot of strength. All 4 were going to heaven because they accepted Jesus; I asked them to tell me the Gospel with 3 mins to live. They jokingly said that it is too late to be asking that. I went through the Gospel with them and express that they need to share the law to show the person they are sinners. I ended this conversation telling them that they to repent and trust in Christ. As I was talking these young men, I noticed the security guard walking with a sheriff, so I kinda left so I was not thrown out. I wanted to witness more but without getting in trouble. It was good day to preach the Gospel and I just pray that these people turn to Christ.

Sir, You are not allow to solicit here.

Going to the mall to witness to some people has been a highlight because you just do not know who you run into. When street witnessing in England, you knew they were not Christian, for the most part. I had 2 good conversations today while at the mall. The first was to 3 young men. I used the curve illusion with the ticket to heaven, and some MDB. There were 2 ladies but the left. Two out of the three guys said that will go to Heaven and the other said to Hell because he has been bad. I would take them through the good person test and would watch them seem pretty convicted. They would probably never guess that on a field trip for DECA that they would have been witness to. It was a nice conversation since 2 of they had cross necklaces on. Please pray for them. I do not remember their names but God knows.

The next conversation would get kick out of the mall for soliciting. This man is name Isa, Jesus in Arabic, who was Muslim. He was sure that he would be going to heaven because he has done enough work. I used the law once and now realize that I should have used it again. It might not have mattered since he would never apply the law to himself without having other people involve. His friend was not that great of help even if he claimed to be a Christian. His friend would say that he has a faith so he is good and who am I to judge Isa. I told me that I was not judging but if the Bible is correct, his friend would go to hell because he does not understand Jesus rightly and that he has sinned against God. Isa would also never admit that every deserved Hell because he had sin against a holy God. I did tell him that lying lip are an abomination to the Lord and that all lairs will be thrown into the lake of fire. One mistake that I took away was that I was trying to convince him with knowledge and not always with God’s word. I need to remember that I do not save people, it if God and that God’s word will convict him. Even though it was not a great witness encounter, I learned a little about my tactic. One thing that I thought was interesting was that he would never admit that he was working to Heaven with work-righteousness. He could never say that but that is all that he said.

So reason for the title. I was told this by a security guard from the mall to end the conversation.

God of this City

Here is a song we sang in convo today. It is by Chris Tomlin called God of this City.

[Verse 1]
You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

[Verse 2]
You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

[Chorus]
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
-------------------------------------------------------
I want to use this song to encourage us that God is never done with a city. There is always hope to change a community and it starts with out choose to reach the lost. Let us not forget that our God wants all people to be saved because he create people to glorify his name. Let us fight for the glory of God. Not all have been called to preach on the streets day after day but we all are called to share our faith. One person at a time. I feel that we have been praying for a revival but we fail to get out to start it. Let us start to be faithful in sharing our faith so God can start the revival.

The Difference Between Professing Faith and Possesing Faith.

In the last post, I mention that there was 150-200 people now have a professing of Faith in Christ. I wanted you to pray that it becomes a possessive faith. Some might not know I mean when I use these terms. First, let me began with what I believe of salvation. This will help a little to understand where I am coming from. I will use scripture to show the difference.

I do want to note that people might not have the same view. They are not heretics, we just do not believe in the same. They are still saved.

First, I believe that you are either saved or not saved. There is no middle ground called carnal Christian. The term comes because we have people who profess to have faith but do show signs. This happens because the church will pronounce them saved. We do not know if they are truely saved unless God tells us that person is saved. I know the promises and if they true repent and trusted there is more.

So a person who professes to be a Christian just says that they believe. They will have faith without works.

So a possessing Christian is a Christian that professes with their mouth and HAVE works to back up their claim. NOTE: WORKS DID NOT SAVE THEM, but merely prove that one is saved. We see this clearly in James 2:14 and surround verses.

The main reason I do not like it when people pronoun people saved when they first convert is because 98% of evangelicals will not be part of a church within 1 year. The sad part is that we proclaim to them that they are saved.

I hope this cleared up what I mean. Any Questions, please comment. I will do my best to answer but remember I am no preacher or a theologian. I am merely a college student with a desire to see people saved and to study the word of God.

200th Post.

This is the 200th post here on the England/LU file blog. I started it about 2 years ago and it has been a place that I could stop and think about my life. There are many painful posts to reread and there are also post that show God's grace for this sinner. I want to tell you all that there is going to be some posts that reflect the Spiritual Emphases week here at Liberty. I will be publishing notes as I get the typed up. It started today and it goes through Wednesday (I think). Today was about true conversion in the Lord. The highlight was that about 200 Liberty Students profess Jesus as their savior and repented of the their sins. I ask all to give thanks for their profession but to also try that their professing faith in Christ turns into a possessing faith in Christ for God's work on this world. More to come about tonight's sermon.

UPDATE: I guess it is the 201st post, my dashboard was wrong and is off by one. My apology.

A Refreshing Post

This post should not be so harsh in nature. I want to take some time a review what God has done my life lately. It is has been amazing watching God move as I got ready for college and now as I move into the college experience. I do still do not know what I want to do with my degree but I am waiting for God to move. A couple of ideas have been teaching and speaking as an apologist. I could also go into the ministry as a ministry or a chaplain in service. It has been a calm ride as I started school besides finding an apartment in 3 days ordeal. God was still faithful and provide an apartment at the last minute when I had to lean on him to work things out. Now as I go to find a church home, I get the joy of searching for a church that will lead me to a deeper faith and walk. I know that Liberty will do the same but a good church home is hard to find now-a-days. I will look at a couple more churches before I decided which one I would like to go to. Seeing how God has been faithful in finding an apartment, I can trust in him to be faithful in finding a good church home.

The church that I went to today and will go to the Sunday Night service to see how that works, was really great. The word was preached and it was not my first choice. It is done in the more traditional way with old hymns instead of the new repetitive lines songs.

God has brought a professor, who lead me to join the worship orchestra, to spent some time with. This could be a start to a new friendship with other Christians. He attends the church that I visited.

There is a lot that I still must trust God for like finding a wife and other friends. I also have been thinking about starting an evangelism group to reach Lynchburg. I think that Liberty needs to get out and witness to the community. I am praying that God presses on my heart so much that I have to act.

I hope this is more refreshing then the last couple of posts.