It's been a while...

Ok. So it has been a very long time since I've let you step into my world. I do apologize for the anticipation that I may have caused you. But during the past few weeks God has really been doing some work in my life. He has put some things on hold and He has opened up some big doors. He has opened a door for me to go to Peru in December. More importantly He has opened a door for me to become a big part in the missions of Summit Church down here in Charleston. I'm super pumped about this! If you know me at all then you know how big my heart is set on missions. You know the type of passion I have about going and doing whatever God wants me to do in some kind of mission trip. I'm seriously overwhelmed with all that God has done! I look now and see that He has put things on hold that I did not want to so that He could work more in my life. So that He can open more doors in my life. I'm super excited to see where God is going to lead me in this mission adventure! I do ask for your prayers and encouragement! I will definitely let you in on what God does!

False Security

Ok. As you know I did some traveling for the school. Marketing for the school at different Christian music events, giving away everything! We gave away shirts, water bottles, information, and 3 iTouches....[still a little bitter that I couldn't keep one] but anyways we stopped in Louisville, KY to see one of Nick's friends [George]. Let me start off and say that George is AMAZING! This guy is a real man of God. One of the coolest guys I know...fo sho! Anyways I may have fallen in love with George. [In the most Christian way possible plus he's married] Ok, so George took us to his church that he attends in Louisville that meets in a school. During worship a line from a song really hit me in the face. I don't really remember the exact phrasing of the lines but something to the affect of:

"No bleeding bird, no bleeding beast,
no hyssop branch, no priest,
no brook, no flood, no sea,
can wash away my stain from me
only His blood"

Ok. Let that soak in. Maybe even read it again. There is nothing that we can do or kill that will wash away our sins. We can do everything in our human boundaries to try to clean away our sin stain but its only going to mask it not take it away. Its going give us a false sense of security. The only thing that will save us and wash away our stain is Christ's blood. We gotta receive His salvation. Once again we have people who say they are Christians because of the things that they do. They think that because they give to needy people, don't cuss, or do anything morally correct they are saved from an eternity in hell. Its only God's grace that saves us. The Bible says that our works will not get us into heaven.

Being that I love music I try to relate everything to something that I listen to. Matthew West has a song that explains that "Its only Grace" that saves us from our eternal punishment. It's sad to look around and see and hear people who believe that since they have lived a good life and not done anything too terrible that they will be in heaven. The harsh truth is that they are going to stand in front of the Father and He is going to tell them to depart from Him and that He never knew them.

Bookstores

Ok. I was in a bookstore the other day [not gonna say which one] but i saw something that just really got me angry and at the same time concerned. I went to the Religion Section like I always do and then proceeded to the Christianity Section. Here 's the kicker! They had a book by Deepak Chopra entitled Jesus....AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Why is his book in the Christianity section?!?! Is it just because of the title?!?! That is the only reason I can think of! It took everything in me to not break the class Black Cherry Soda bottle on the shelf and go find the person who put that book in that section! We wonder why some Christians have this off the wall theology of Christ and what it means to be a follower of Christ. Its because of bookstores who put up books that take away from God and say that its Christian thinking! ITS NOT!!!! I don't know if yall know who Deepak Chopra is but this guy is way off his rocker! He had a debate with Mark Driscoll and got pounded by not only him but a total stranger in the audience...He thinks that there is no absolute truth...This guy thinks that Christ is just some being that Christians hide behind! He wants to take Jesus and add to Him...YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!! You take Christ for who He is and what He is! THAT'S IT! So to see books that water down Christianity and who Christ is and what i hold to be truth is really not cool! Seeing this book in the section that it was in made my ears turn red and my cheeks got red...my body temp went thru the roof! I started sweatin...AHHHH!!! Man I just wanted to tear down this place! In my mind I was thinkin 'You know if random peopl pick this book up and are searchin for who Christ is and whats so special about Him and read it, then they are gonna have this notion that Christ has to come with something else...' Thats where trouble starts...That is where we have people who believe some of the craziest things that are not even close to being consistent to what the Bible teaches...Personally I think that bookstores should have someone manages each section....thats when a Christian applies for that job and goes in the Christianity section and takes out the Deepak Chopra books and any other that doesn't go along with Biblical teaching! Even if that means gettin rid of the Joel Osteen books! Saying that Deepak Chopra is an expert on Jesus is sayin that Joel Osteen is an evangelical preacher! HE'S NOT!!

So once I cooled down a little I took the book in my hand and calmly walked ever to the New Age section and placed it where it belongs....

OK. Hey people! So today I got to hear and meet Francis Chan speak. And now I have a million things going through my mind! The Chan Said a lot of good things today that I can take home and chew on for a very long time. Chan asked one question that completely leveled me. He asked if we all knew what Revelation 2-3 were about...that's not the kicker...[in case you don't recall its the letters Christ wrote to the 7 churches] anyways he asked us "What if Christ wrote us a letter like He did the 7 churches? Telling us what He liked and disliked about the way we live and serve Him?" CRAZY RIGHT?!?! I kinda zoned out a little and began to think what would Christ write? Personally He would probably write this mile long letter telling me how big He is and how small I really am. I try to do so many things on my own and tell God "I'll let you know when I need you." If you're thinking 'Matt that's not right' you're completely correct! Then being a type of person who likes to link things together, I thought about the book by Louie Giglio, "I am not but I know I AM" in that book he goes on about how we are so small finite beings and God is SOOO HUGE! Whatever we can't handle He CAN! Back to the point of this scatter-brained blog...I began to feel convicted about how I had been trying to run my life...not giving God full authority of my life...becoming somewhat 'lukewarm' and if you know about the one church in Revelation who was 'lukewarm' [God spat them out of his mouth]

So here is my point to take home...read Revelation 2-3...see where you fit in to the 7 churches...see how you can fix whatever it may be in your life that needs to be fixed so that you can be fully on fire for Christ...I have to do the same...hopefully this blog made some since and wasn't all over the place...

First Time

ok so this is my first time ever on this blog. I'm pretty excited to see what all I can talk about so that you will still be interested and keep coming back to see what I have to say. To begin with its like 3:30 in the morning and I cant go to sleep. So I figured i could do something semi-productive. With this blog I just want to shed some light on things that I learn and discover. I might need to tell you a little about myself. I go to Charleston Southern University. I am a Religion major there and I plan to go to seminary after my undergraduate is finished. I really want to be a youth pastor or maybe a missionary. I've done several mission trips and i really have a heart for service. So yes this blog will have some things from my class and hopefully you as the reader can help me with a few things as I go on this adventure to find knowledge.