An Amazing Opportunity

Have you seen whats been going on in our world recently? Massive earthquakes and countries protesting their governments... its crazy all thats happening in our world. Its getting close to the end I believe. Things in my life have been showing me this. On the way home from lunch after Church on Sunday we discussed this same topic in the car, even tonight after Bible Study we sat around a small table and while we were eating we were approached by a girl and she was giving out papers that said: Repent for the Kingdom is at hand. Now more than ever, we as Christians need to take a stand for what is right and go to the nations like we are told in The Great Commenssion. This past week for Spring Break I got to experience, stepping out on faith and hopefully growing the Kingdom for Him.

This past week I experienced what life was like in the Big City aka New York City.



I had no idea what I was getting into, I wanted to go originally just to see the sites because I had never seen the north at all. Then I began to pray for the trip, if God wanted me to go or not. I told Him that if He provided the way, then I knew that I was meant to go. I decided to fast while I was praying for the trip because I wanted to hear what God was saying to me. I knew He wanted me to go but I needed money to go. I had given up hope in getting the money for the trip. I found that my grandmother had but 200 dollars in my account and my parents in the end helped me get the other half. I was amazed and in awe at what the Lord had for me.

We arrived and we were told what we were going to be doing for the week. We were assigned a campus for the week to go to and pray for. I was assigned to Bronx Community College. When I found out that I was going to the Bronx I was okay with it, it wasnt until I was told that I would be one of three white people on campus.. thats when I got nervous. We arrived on campus and started to pray for the campus and what the Lord had in store for the students of BCC and the city of NYC. We divided up and we went around making conversation after conversation.. I talked to a guy named Ron, who happened to be a basketball player for BCC. We talked for a good while until He had to go to class. We talked about different things about the city, the Bronx and other things of that matter. Then it switched into a religious conversation and He told us that He was a Christian and I thought that was the time to encourage Him, so thats what me and the other person did. I talked to a girl who had NEVER heard the Gospel before( imagine it people, people in the US dont know Christ or even know what we believe, that should spark a revival.) We sat down with her and shared what we believed and the whole Jesus coming to die for our sins. She told us her father had died and I related to her because of the loss of my grandmother.

Then the biggest seed that I believed we planted was a guy named Christian, he wasnt saved and we shared the gospel with him for about an hour. It was an amazing time, He looked like he was intrested in what we were saying but asked alot of questions. Then another guy came up and saw us doing what we were doing. He thanked us and kind of took over the conversation. I didnt like that He kinda stole the show but I mean it was good to back us up with. I just felt that Christian felt uncomfortable in the situation, eventaully he had to run to class but he left with a grin.

Then we reached out to the poor. Like Jesus hung out with the poor. We made bag lunches and gave them out. This part for me was the hardest part of the whole week or at least for me. I was nervous and was alarmed at the number of people in New York that were homeless. We talked to a guy named Jason and he was very happy to take the meal. He told us he had just moved back up here. He loved the scene and that was where he was from. We prayed for his health and the ability to get on his feet. It was an amazing time.

The Song God of This City has been in my head and I always think back to NYC. I challenge you to Pray for NYC and the people that are there because He is there, b/c I felt Him.
I love the words
You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are
and
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here.

Matt

How lucky are we to have Jesus in our lives?

 Think about that Question for a moment. That question for me gives me the goosebumps. It makes me think about my life more and it makes me more humble and thankful. This question I believe would make us think about things internally. Picture a world, if Christ didnt come. What do you see? Without Christ, we have no hope, no future, no reason to keep living. That would not be a great situation to be in. Christ didnt have to come for us, He didnt even have to create us in the firstplace, He could have came down from the cross as He was being crucified BUT(this is the greatest 'but' in the whole Bible) He chose out of his love for His creation to come and pay for what we messed up. We messed up big time, we betrayed the Father's love.

Everytime I see "The Passion of the Christ" it always makes me realize and also I get a visual. I see that movie and I am so humble after watching it. I cry because I realize the reason that He was there was because of the worlds sin. Mine included. I struggled like as I've noted in the past blog posts about my addiction to porn. God saw that I would look at it and He still humbled himself for me. He have His life up for mine. When He was on the cross He said "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

I am glad that I chose to follow and trust in the one who gave me my life in the first place. He is worthy of all my praise and my whole being. I love to worship, because I feel that is where I connect with the Lord the most. Its just a one on one with God and I feel so close to Him during that intimate moment. God has began to pick me up and is in the process of putting me back together and im thankful for what He has done and what He will continue to do. I know I messed up but the Lord Jesus still looked upon with love and called me His own. 

For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good. Psalm 52:9

I will wait on You Father!