I got my issue of VOM for this month today and I read this story. Her poem brought tears to my eyes:

Another area where Christian conversion can equal death is in Saudi Arabia. Last August, a Muslim cleric is an eastern providence of Saudi Arabia killed his sister, 26 year old Fatima Al-Mutairi, after she proclaimed her faith to her family. Our contacts report Fatima’s fellowship with other believers was mainly limited to Internet forums and phone correspondence. Before he killed her, Fatima’s brother locked her in her room for four hours. During that time she wrote a final letter and posted a poem on the Internet. The poem is below. Pleas pray for our brothers and sisters in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan who seek God in the face of death. Pray the love of Jesus Christ will penetrate this land and people will come to know him.

And We For The Sake Of Christ All Things Bear:
…There are tears on my cheek, and Oh! the heart is sad

To those who become Christians, how you are so cruel!

And the Messiah says, “Blessed are the Persecuted”

And we for the sake of Christ all things bear

What is it to you that we are infidels?

You do not enter our graves, as if with us buried

Enough! Your swords do not concern me, not evil nor disgrace

Your threats do not trouble me, and we are not afraid

And by God, I am unto death a Christian-Verily…

…As to my last words, I pray the Lord of the worlds

Jesus the Messiah, the Light of Clear Guidance

That He change notions, and se the scales of justice aright

And that he spread His love among you, Oh Muslims..
-Fatima, 2008

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

Option A

This is my dream. I have grown up a NC State fan, following after my dad who never took part in the Duke/UNC rivalry in my family. I have worked my tail off all semester to be a candidate for transfer to this fine school. I am happy to say I have already received a conditional acceptance, meaning if I keep my grades up and get my A.A degree I am in! But just in case, I have applied at one more school.

Option B

ECU is a wonderful school and is number two on my list. If anything is to happen to where I can not go to NC State, this is my safety net. I have one of my best friends there right now. Its a beautiful campus, and a place where I could see myself going to learn and get my degree.

I do miss Raleigh, my friends, I miss my church SO much! I can’t wait to be back home there!!. Some of you may be asking, Why are you going to a secular school? Why not go to a “Christian” college?( That is almost laughable) Well there is a short answer and a long answer. Short answer, it is not for me, “Christian” college that is. I went to SEBTS last spring. Amazing school that is preparing men and women to share the Gospel to the nations, including this nation. I learned so much and I am very thankful for what I learned and the friendships I built there. It just was not for me. Will I go to Seminary one day? Maybe. Do I think it is beneficial to my growth in Christ? Sure. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. I have grown so much in the past 6 months under my mentor then I have in my entire spiritual life. I’m not going to go into the long answer tonight, maybe another blog. Anyways this is where I am at right now. Seeing God move. I must say I am itching to see whats next . I ask for your prayers. Pray that the Father of Mercy and Grace would put me where I need to be.

I must say I am pretty full at the moment. Thanksgiving was amazing as it always is. I give thanks, for my loving family, my blessed friends, a roof over my head, the great land we live in. I give thanks, for the ultimate gift of love…a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The gift he gave at the cross is what we should give thanks for most of all. Yet as I sit here writing this, at 4am tomorrow morning I have to open my store for what is know as Black Friday. I have participated in this for many years, and having open my store the past two years I am reminded of what our lord said.

Matthew 6:24-25

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on

I remember a few years ago I went with my mother to get some early Christmas shopping done. I remember being at a circuit city watching two women fight over the newest DVD portable players. Last year Independence mall here in Wilmington gave away 50 $50.00 gift cards to the first 50 people to get to the mall to shop. I remember seeing two men in a fist fight (I guess it wasn’t fun being #51). Police had to be called in and one of the men went to jail. I’m saying this all because I’m sure I will see my share of people’s selfishness tomorrow. I myself can be very selfish at times, yet this is why I try to memorize scripture, not using my humanistic side as an excuse but being the Change, because I have been changed. The sales are great, amazing even. Yet, debt isn’t. Debt leads to finical and even spiritual death if not kept in check. Let us honor our great God this Christmas. Let us be the difference. Let our Thanksgiving ring on…remembering the poor and being the Church, the body.

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

I have a hard time looking at churches, seeing this not being believed, and even by its laymen. I sit and look at scripture, read and pray about it, and see things going on in the church almost in direct contrast to what the Word says. I’m not a legalistic. My friends could back me up on that. I do however find non- negotiable commands and directions in the scriptures. One man I can praise for this is Mark Driscoll, a man who unapologetically preaches the Word of God, understanding its power. Understanding that you can be a contemporary church in todays society and still not preach, and ill be frank, a water-downed, feel good “gospel”. I can’t say that about many men I see today who stand behind the pulpit. Its time we let the power of the Gospel, the same power the raised Jesus Christ from the dead, speak. That’s just a bit on my mind this morning.

12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Any thoughts?

Romans 13

“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Well I wanted to sit back for a week and see how our nation would react to the election, and the people did not disappoint me. Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever you are. Believers in Christ, I address this to you. It’s time we realize how big our God is, how great and Awesome HE IS!! Remember what kingdom you belong to. A Kingdom not of this world. I feel like I don’t need to leave commentary on these passages, I believe God speaks through his word, and I don’t need to put my 2 cents in. I will leave you with this.

We need to be praying for the safety of our new president Barack Obama. I pray Lord you would guide him and lead his steps as he guides our nation. I also pray for his safety and wisdom as our leader.

Its time we stop being American Christians, and start being Christian Americans.

PS I left that part about taxes for my buddy Joe Carr

Romans 7:14-25 (The Message)

14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: “I know that all God’s commands are spiritual, but I’m not. Isn’t this also your experience?” Yes. I’m full of myself—after all, I’ve spent a long time in sin’s prison. What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary.

17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

21-23It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

24I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Now for all of you that just skipped over the word, please read the above. We think that the Apostles didn’t struggle. We try to please God with good deeds and works thinking we can win our way into his grace. I like what my pastor says. “We don’t wait to get into shape and then go to the gym…and we don’t wait until were good enough to follow God”. I have struggled so much in the past year, my ups and downs. I have struggled with what I’m gona do the rest of my life and when. I want to achieve great things in this life through our great God. I have battled my self and the flesh, knowing what is right and choosing to do wrong. We are at war with ourselves. I love what Paul says in Galatians 5

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Living in the Spirit…hmmm…well what is that? Paul answers that later in the same chapter of Galatians.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Brothers and Sisters, we all struggle. We are at war with the evil spirits of this war…and ourselves. Let Christ live in you, through you. He is our hope, our only hope. He is the light in our darkness that can defeat our flesh with his spirit. Just my thoughts tonight.