There is Freedom

This morning my heart is fighting. It is gasping for air and calling out to GOD for strength, power and freedom. I want to be honest with all of my blog readers. My biggest fear in blogging is that I become a hypocrite. And that is something I absolutely do not want to happen. So I will start by saying that more often then not what I blog about has to do with something I am seeing and realizing I need in my own life. It is something I lack or am needing changed in my heart. And it does not always become a reality. Sometimes I give up. Sometimes some other monster comes up and takes me down. Sometimes I am just so weak that I can not seem to overcome or rise above what ever battle I face and many times I forget to seek the help that I need in Christ.
So all that to say I fight daily for GOD to break me and to show me exactly who I am in comparison to Him and His holiness. I fight for freedom from things in my life that hold me captive. I struggle with the world [1 John 10:16.]  and every day it tries to entrap me and sometimes it does. But I will say that my GOD is bigger and I am going to fight for my life. I am going to gain the ground GOD longs for me to gain because He is my Savior. Today I was again reminded that salvation is not just a one time thing. In fact it is a daily surrendering of ones self to the Holy One and allowing Him to set us free and to save us from all the ensnarement's that will come along.
To those of you that struggle with a besetting sin or habit whether it is anger or an immoral lifestyle, there is freedom....and no it will not come in just one shining moment, but that freedom will come with persistence and patience. It will come through prayer, Bible memorization, obedience, praise and thanksgiving. I have decided to pursue all that is good and holy through choosing to give thanks and praise even if it doesn't feel fun, exciting or even heartfelt. But I believe that obedience produces the fruit needed for victory.
So all that to say that I hope the things that I post encourage you all, but not because I am so great of a person, but instead because I am a sinner that is saved only because of GOD's mercy and His grace. And the only reason I can call myself His child is because of Him. 
One more parting reminder; Remember that even if you fail in whatever area you are longing for victory in, that failure is only a reminder that GOD's strength is made perfect in your weakness. So get back up and keep moving forward. Someday you will see the rewards of your perseverance.

We Are The Future!

 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" Acts 2:17

We so often wonder why the world is falling apart. We bemoan the fact that Christianity is fast disappearing, and our young people look just like the world and the parents are divorcing and going their own way. So we freak out and try to counterbalance the trend. We see how many fun activities we can have at youth group so that we can entice the youth to come. We try to pick just the right speakers for youth meetings so that we won't push any of the youth away and loose them all together because they don't want to hear the hardcore truth about their lives. And all along we are catering to and assisting their sin and worldliness. And no I am not talking about the outward form of worldliness. I am talking about the inward form. The outward is just an expression of what is inside. I am talking about the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." John 2:16  

I am humbled to say that I have fought and am fighting for freedom from the world. I am a young person, and the snares are so fine yet made of steel, they are so subtle yet obvious. And they fight to ensnare and trap me. But praise Jesus there is deliverance. 

Young people, as a fellow young person, I want to speak very straight with you and with me. Yes the things I say here are just as much meant for me as for you, if not more so. 

Adolf Hitler said; "He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.'' Who owns you? Who do you learn from and follow? 

Hitler tore apart Germany with youth. He did not target the old and the wise, no he targeted the youth. 

We are the future. The verse up above says the young men will see visions. I like to think of it as they will see and change the future whether for good or bad. We cant change the fact that the course of the world is in our hands. 

Evan Roberts was 26 years old when he started the Welsh revival. He was 3 years old than I and he chose to allow GOD to use him and because of that 150,000 people were radically converted, setting Wales on fire for GOD. How did it happen? Here is a quote I read online; "All this happened when young people began to experience the reality of God’s divine power, and teams of young people, such as the one led by the most noted of the revivalist, EVAN ROBERTS and his revival party, traveled the country revolutionising the churches." 

It was the young people. Oh we say that we need revival, and that it doesn't happen because it isn't starting with the older people. Well it shouldn't have to. We are grown adults. We are not infants that need to be spoon fed mush. No we are old enough to read our own bibles, get down on our own knees and pray our own prayers. We are old enough to serve and to give up those things that are hindering us. The Psalmist said; "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes....'' Psalm 101:3 

The things that enter our minds will always be there. The things we watch, read and listen to will affect our mental capacity and the outcome of our state of mind. Sherlock Holmes said that he only put those important things that mattered to a case into his mind, and that he could not afford to put in a bunch of fluff and nothingness [paraphrased by yours truly]. The same is true spiritually. If we fill our minds with a bunch of trash, fluff and nothingness, the devil can use all that as a distraction or an entrapping to our spiritual achievements. 

Young people, WE  ARE THE FUTURE! So lets change it for GOD. And lets do that on our knees and not our tee-shirts, with our tears and not our worship music, and our feet instead of our words.