On Wednesday nights, we did a study on the Five Solas, followed by a study on World Religions from a Christian perspective, which of course had a large apologetic element to it. Tonight, Lord willing, we begin the Study Series on Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper. I look forward to what God is going to do through this.
In America, we love numbers. In one of my classes at school we read an account of someone baptizing 4,000 Indians in one day. Now whether or not this is a true account I do not know, it seems a stretch to me. It is wonderful to see God moving in massive ways like that, but we all (should) know too well by now the kind of thinking this produces. A love for numbers can lead toward a love for pragmatism, and eventually you lose the teaching of sound doctrine because the teaching of sound doctrine often diminishes the size of a local body of believers. Why would someone want to hear about their unbelieving friends and family going to hell for their sins, about a gruesome death on the cross for sins, and about sanctification and holiness when they can go to a church which does this on Resurrection Sunday:
I praise God that I have been in churches all of my life that, while certainly not paradigmatic, are nevertheless preaching and teaching the Word of God. I am extremely thankful for the position God placed me in at my community college, where an apathetic student body became the target audience of this recently converted sinner set on fire by God's redeeming grace. For over half a year I lead a ministry on campus which attracted:
1. Me
and
2. The faculty advisor
It can be extremely discouraging, especially to someone with almost no experience in teaching and ministry, to prepare a lesson and have dreams of an entire community repenting of its sins and coming to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord to come into a classroom and find that nobody else cares. While there was a visitor or two every now and then, this continued for quite some time.
The rest of the story can be told another time. Suffice it to say that this was God working in my life and preparing me for the future. (Yes, I do know that this is not even close to comparable to what I may experience in the future.)
Usually there are only two people in my Wednesday night class at church. I love it. I would not want to be anywhere else at that time. I look forward to it every week. I have two great students who are committed. Both are freshmen in college. Praise God for the opportunity to spend my time with these two. Praise God also for visible signs of fruit. What follows are some comments I read on one of my student's blogs. All glory goes to God, I just wanted to share this with you and hope that it encourages you in whatever area you are currently worshipping our Lord through service!
Well, as I haven't done a note in a while, I think it's about time I wrote another one. Plus, I actually have something to write about.
First off, this has been a very long and trying past few weeks, especially since Spring Break. A lot has happened to me, from school work, to finally declaring a major (English with an emphasis in Creative Writing, for those of you that didn't already know), to practicing (lots, due to the three different instruments I play), to reading, to cleaning out my great-grandmother's house (you collect a lot of stuff in ninety-some-odd years!), to trying to find free time, and finally, to getting questions answered and having light bulbs clicking on.
I am a very emotional person, and these past few weeks have been very trying for me. I'm shaking just thinking about it. But the thing that shoved me down the hill was going to my great-grandmother's house for the first time since before her death. I was helping my great-aunt and my grandparent to clean some of the stuff out and pick out things that I wanted that hadn't been claimed yet. I kept remembering things whilst I was there, and it was all I could do not to break down in from of my aunt and grandma.
Due in part to the above, I started thinking a lot about various things. It's kind of hard for me to explain it, and I've yet to stop shaking. Let me attempt to put into words the thoughts in my head.
I am a Christian, currently attending a Southern Baptist Church, which I have been going to for a few years now. I was saved (to use the Christian phrase) when I was seven years old, after being raised in the Christian faith all of my life. I wasn't baptized until I was eleven, shortly after my sister was. However, for the past few years (I've forgotten since when), I've been questioning my faith, and why I believe what I do. It's been a burden to me, but I never told anyone about it, not even my family.
The past few Wednesday nights at church, my Sunday School class has been doing a study of other religions, comparing them to Christianity, and explaining why Christianity is the only true faith, and why the other religions (and their worldviews) are self-contradictory.
Last week, I was thinking about everything I had learned and had ever been taught. I was also reading my Bible at the time (somewhere in Proverbs, I think). All of a sudden, I felt as if a light bulb had clicked on; like I had reached the bottom of the hill and landed safely. I realized that everything I had ever been taught about God and Jesus and Christianity was true--God is the creator of our world, and He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die on the cross (one of the most painful and demeaning ways to die) just for us, to forgive us for every sinful thing we've ever done and will ever do. All we have to do is believe that, and put our faith and trust in Him, and we will be saved, and have eternal life.
I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I can only be grateful to God and my Christian friends who have helped me to make this discovery simply by being my friend. I can never say thank you enough.
Oh my, this is rather long. But I do feel a sense of relief by writing this, even if no one will read it. I feel like a child who has made a discovery for the first time, as foolish as that may sound.
I do hope that everyone will at least have a nice day, despite all of life's challenges, and I will be praying for all of you.
Sayonara for now!
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