Risk

For the most part in life, people are going to give you their opinion in what you do and what you say. It's good to listen, and consider. But sometimes you just have to ignore what they say and keep going.
Many times in the past, I have gotten caught up in what people say to me, at least concerning my writing. I've heard so many authors say that you can't write well, until after you are done with college, and have lived a bit longer. I've also heard from quite a few authors that you will spend your whole life trying to find your voice in writing. I've heard that young people can't write, because they don't have enough experience. I've heard pretty much everything that would hinder a writer from doing what God has called him to do.
I don't have the most encouraging of people around me, but that's alright. It doesn't mean that I should halt everything and just strictly wait till I am a better writer. You get better at writing by writing.
I've been waiting a long time to write the story that I think God is calling me to write. And now that the time is drawing near, part of me is tempted to be stressed out. And yet the other part of me is shouting just to go on, and ignore what people say.
Sometimes you just have to risk it, sometimes you just have to keep going.
And in this situation, instead of taking everything step-by-step, right now, I just have to charge. If I go step-by-step, I will break, I will listen to all of the lies told to me. Right now, I just have to charge through, and trust God that it will all be alright, and that He will give me the strength to get through.


God Bless,
  A.W.

"Whether thou art eating or drinking, walking or sitting, buying or selling, working or sleeping, death is always making speed towards thee; the time of thy departure hence is concluded and resolved, beyone which it is impossible for thee, whether they work be done or undone, to stay one day; no, not one hour, nay, not one moment, and shouldst thou waste they time upon toys and trifles, as if thou hadst nothing to do, no God to make peace with, no Redeemer to lay hold on, no soul to take care of? He that hath a great way to go, or much work to do, and that upon pain of death, andbut a little time for it, hath little reason to laze or loiter. When we have but a little paper, and much to write, we write small and thick.
Oh how much work hath every Christian to do in this world, which, if he neglect, he is lost forever! how many head-strong lusts to subdue, how many duties toward God and met to perform, how many graces to exercise, providences and ordinances to improve, and can all this be done in a little time? The candle of our lives burns low; if, like foolish children, we play it out, we may thank ourselves if we go back to bed in the dark, without the light of comforts to our graves." --George Swinnock

Battlefield

Too often in our lives we grow comfortable and forget that we are in the middle of a battle. Whether you like it or not, each of us has a battlefield. And each of us is called to fight there.
Many people tell me, "I don't know what God wants me to do in life." and then they keep on thinking about it and going on with their normal lives.  I notice, at least in my own life, I do the same thing, except I know what God wants me to do right then, but I don't want to do it, I want to stay comfortable and keep thinking about what He will have me do later on in life.
Of course, that is the wrong way to look at it.
Maybe we need to gain a new perspective on our lives.
Our society has taught all of us to think about the future, and it sets so many of us aspiring to be missionaries and pastors, and from then on we try and just get through everything else so that we can get to the point where we can be a missionary or pastor.
Isn't that negligence to an extent? We ignore the battle where God has placed us in the present, and set our gaze on the future. That is no way to live.
God has placed each one of His children in a different place, it could be anywhere; at your work place, your campus, your church, even on a forum on the internet.

God has placed each of us at a church; and there is a battle there. There is a battle for souls, whether you want to admit it or not. There is a battle for truth in every church, there is a battle for becoming comfortable and shallow. There is a huge battle going on in your church today, and God has put you there for a reason. It could be to stand up for the truth against error, or it could be even challenging your brothers and sisters to go deeper in the Word. There is a battle there.
God has placed you on either a campus or work place, or even both. It's a battle for souls; and we all very well understand that battle.
And the same applies to the internet. 
See what I mean? All of us have a battle field. The question isn't so much, 'where is my battle field?' but rather, 'What am I doing to fight in this battle?'

The Sinner's Prayer

I've heard many times over and over that the sinner's prayer will lead more souls to hell more than anything else will. And not only have I heard that, but I've run into quite a few people who have grown up and claimed to be Christians because they have said a prayer when they were 5 years old, even though they live like the devil.
I have a friend who I was talking to last week, she isn't a Christian. In fact, she says she is Agnostic, but when we talk about eternity she says, "Well, I got saved long ago, when I was 5, but right now I'm not a Christian. But I'm still saved."
That's what the sinner's prayer does to people. That's a terrifying thing to hear someone say.
She had fallen into the lie that when you say a prayer you become a Christian.  So many people have fallen into the lie that if you say a little prayer you will be saved. What saves you is repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. But instead of looking back at the Bible, we have fallen into this heresy.

A lot of times we treat the sinner's prayer just like any other tool for evangelism. And we say, "Well, what if the person doesn't know how to pray? Then can't you lead them?"
Honestly, I don't know how I feel about that.  I don't know if it's the best idea to pray for them, I would lean towards saying no. But I know that others would differ.
Considering how much destruction that the sinner's prayer has caused in the church, I would back away from treating it like it is a wonderful tool for evangelism, when in all reality it will lead many souls to destruction.


God Bless,
  A.W.

Activities

Too often, I think that we forget in our Christian life our duty here. Many of us fill up our lives with activities with friends and family. And even if they are church activities, we forget about the lost. We forget about the sick and dying world around us. We get so involved in our activities, that we don't break for the lost and dying people around us. So many times, we forget to have a passion and heart like this:

God Bless,
  A.W.

The Few

Just a Thought

I know it's been a while since I have posted, I've been writing a lot. But now I am going to try and get back into blogging more consistently.
Almost posted something yesterday, but I wasn't sure how exactly it would go. So I decided to just try and write it today.
I was thinking yesterday about faith. It always seems like everyone struggles with that forward step. The step that one must take into the darkness, and trust that God will give them a platform to stand on. But what about the backward step? We don't talk about that too much, do we?
We don't very often talk about how we have to let go, and letting God take over. Sometimes that can be even harder than taking a step of faith in a situation.
It's hard to let go of your loved ones who are headed to hell, it's hard to let go of your friends who are led astray. It's hard to let go and leave it all to God.
And when I say 'letting go', I don't mean you give up on a person or for what you are fighting for. But rather to do all that you can but in the end, realize that God is in control.

So many times we forget that God is Ruler of our lives, so many times we forget that we are powerless over the hearts of men. In and of ourselves, we can do nothing. So many times we forget that it is God who changes hearts. It is God who changes lives. It is God who is sovereign over all of creation. It is God who is sovereign over all the events in history. God is sovereign over all things, not man.
Perhaps, that is why it is so hard to let go. Because we have developed such a high view of man.
We are powerless, our works are tainted with sin. What good can we do in and of ourselves?
Letting go is letting go a pride of self. Letting go is the thing that will make you look weak to mankind. Letting go is the thing that will drive you to your knees in tears and prayer.
And after all that is said, I come to think that it is a bigger problem than we realize. The faith issue. On both ends. On one end we must have the faith to step into darkness and trust that God will give us a platform to stand on. And on the other hand, we must have the faith to step away from everything, and say, "God is sovereign."

God Bless,
  A.W.

A Place in History

Yesterday I was listening to a sermon by Steve Lawson. It was a sermon in his Reformation series. I love learning about history, and it's always blown me away to look at how God used men like Martin Luther and John Calvin to change the world. One thing that stuck out to me that Lawson mentioned is that everyone has a place in history.
He went on to say that every little detail is just as important in the big picture. And it's so true, if the little things didn't happen in history, nothing would have ever happened. It's the little things that make up the big things.
I never really thought of that. I have always felt that there are two groups of Christians in the world. The ones who God uses to change the world, and the ones who are just there, trying to live faithfully in Christ. But now that I think about it, maybe I was wrong.
There are many great men, strong men of God who will not be known to the world. They are the men and women who God will use to shape and mold the people who He will one day raise up.
God might not use you to change the world, or to lead a Reformation, but he may indeed use you to change a person. Isn't that incredible to think about? Each and every one of us has his or her role in history.
Perhaps you will be one of the men or women who God raises up for something. And perhaps you will be one of the names mentioned in a man or woman's journal, because you have greatly impacted their lives. And you may never know that you were used to mold someone into who God wanted them to be.
Isn't that something incredible to think about though? It blows my mind away just to think about it!
Each one of us has a place in history.

God Bless,
  A.W.