Coleman's Baptism

Coleman's Baptism: December 4, 2016

 

Chloe Asked Jesus to Save Her!

June 21, 2013 was Christy & my 10th Anniversary. It was a Friday, the Friday of VBS at our church. All week long Chloe had been asking about Jesus, something she had actually been doing for a couple of years (but I kept thinking she was too young for the talk). Anyway, on this Friday morning, Christy and I made a point to sit down with Chloe and talk about Jesus together. We asked her why she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart, why she thought she needed it, and why should would not do it.

With boldness and confidence our sweet Chloe girls calmly explained her need for Jesus. She told us she knew she was a sinner and need Jesus to wash away her sins. She told us she knew that Jesus needed to the boss of her life. She expressed a genuine child-like faith in God and His Son Jesus... then she asked Jesus to save her and her eternity will never be the same! (The picture was taken by Christy while we were praying, I love it!)

This was one anniversary and moment Chloe, Christy & I will never forget!!!

The One You Need by Shane and Shane

Thanks to Cody Brumley for sharing.

Rob Bell's "Love Wins" = a Loss for Truth

This is a link to an in-depth review of Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins. If you are unaware of the book or the author, you need to know who he is and what he is teaching. His popularity sets mainly with the younger crowds who tend to label themselves in the emergent church. In my opinion, this book is heretical in all it's forms and resembles anything but the truth of Christ, the truth of the Cross, and the way to salvation. Here is what an excerpt from Kevin DeYoung's review that I perceive to be the key thought: "If Rob Bell is right, then historic orthodoxy is toxic and terrible. But if the traditional view of heaven and hell are right, Rob Bell is blaspheming."

Click this link for the full review of God Is Still Holy and What You Learned in Sunday School Is Still True: A Review of “Love Wins” by Kevin DeYoung.

I believe his teachings are heretical blasphemy, and I do not enjoy even writing those words. If you are unconvinced about your stance, read the Bible in proper context for yourself and let it speak to your heart. This book just makes me sad.

Al Mohler's Take.

Born To Die

Bill Accepted Christ!

Today we had what we have been praying for, a person accepted Christ. Although it happened today, this story is months in the making. Last May we all decided to try an American restaurant. The food was the same, but different… meaning not exactly as it is back home, but close.

Anyway, when we left the restaurant last May, we left a copy of God’s Word as well. The next day, a couple of us stopped by to say hello again and noticed that he kept it and put it on his desk. He told me I left it and asked if I wanted it back, I responded with “no thanks, I don’t speak Greek, you keep it.” That led to an opportunity to talk about faith, God, and the plan of salvation. He was very close to accepting, but hesitated and said he wanted to think about it a little more.

Yesterday we stopped by, to see if he still worked there. When we saw him, we told him we planned on coming back the next day to eat lunch. Once we finished our lunch today, I asked him if he remembered our conversation and if he had thought about it any since the last time I was there, he said he had thought about it many times – the power of the HS at work! I went through the Roman Road and asked him what he thought. I asked him if he wanted Jesus to be his Lord and to save him his sins. He said he every much wanted to do so, but in private… then another customer interrupted to pay his bill.

A few minutes later, as Jamie and I were praying, I told Jamie that I was going to give him the “Share Jesus Without Fear” final question, “why wait?” I approached him and asked if I could ask him for permission to ask a question, which he replied yes to. My question was from our previous conversation, “if you knew that you could have peace with God and he would save you from your sins for all time, for eternity, why would you wait?” His response was awesome. He said, “I did not wait. I asked God to save me just now, here (in his office). I know I do not need a priest to talk to God, and He has forgiven me of my sins.”

I was totally blown away with his incredible response! Everything we had talked about, he acknowledged in his own words and his own way. He said that he would continue to read his Bible (which he said he had done a few times since he received it) and pray. Our friends from America who live here will also continue to follow up with him as well. Our hope and prayer is that he will grow in his knowledge, understanding, and relationship with Jesus. Pray for our new brother in Christ!

Athens Trip – March 2010, Day 6

Today we started by going to my favorite place in Holargos, the local tennis club. For whatever reason, I find it to be extremely relaxing and enjoyable. The main worker there, Helen, remembered me when I came in and even asked if Christy was with me – pretty cool that she remembers her too! We visited for a little bit, but had limited conversation as the club was extremely busy. (Whenever we walk from one place to another in town, we have been trained to constantly pray for those we come in contact with, Raymond taught us that!)


Next we went to visit another friend over lunch, someone we had the opportunity to share with last May. As we came in, he was excited to see us (he knew we were coming). We spoke briefly before we ate, but spoke for a good amount of time afterwards. Long story short, he not only remembered our previous conversation, he had been thinking about it and reading his Bible. After going through the plan of salvation and what it means for Jesus to be Lord of your life, he thought about it and asked Jesus to be his Savior and Lord! This was so exciting!!!

Something else of note today happened on our way to the municipality, we saw a group of teenagers reading and passing around a Bible. We had no clue what they were saying, but we do know it was a Bible and we also know they were reading and talking about it. In the same way that God worked in the man’s heart in the restaurant, he can work in these teenagers lives as well! He is so faithful and so able to break through anywhere at any time through anyone for anyone! God is so much better and capable than we can imagine. The Holy Spirit is always at work in the hearts and lives of people, we just need to instrument who declare His glory and exalt Jesus.

After our incredible experience, we went to the school we work at and played basketball with the kids. Usually we will run drills or participate with them, but due to cold weather they typically cancel… However, today there were about 14 or so kids who showed up, “because they knew we would be there.” HOW AWESOME IS THAT!


Anyway, we played with them for a little over 2 hours and then had to leave… because Jamie got his lip all busted up! One of the kids accidently hit Jamie’s lip with his head going to a ball. Fortunately, we were able to get some ice from a local music café and stop the bleeding. The poor kid who messed Jamie’s face up felt terrible and profusely apologized. Jamie kept trying to reassure him it was not big deal and not to worry about it, but the guy still felt bad.


For dinner, we returned to the restaurant we ate at the other day with our friends Kostas & Catalina. Believe it or not, we order the goat again, with some pork as well. It was a good dinner and a fantastic day. God is good!!!


There are 3 other things you need to know about this day that are quite funny:
1. Jamie wore shorts today. He has been bound and determined to do so since we first decided to come, and today he did. Never mind that it was below 50* all day (except for 15 minutes, maybe). It was so cold, the sports academy in our municipality cancelled the programs… but Jamie wore his shorts. To his credit though, we did see 2 other people in shorts, in a city that has more that 5 million people! (Notice the heavy coats and scarves the people are wearing next to Jamie... who is in his shorts)


2. We saw a dude with a man purse or as Jerry Seinfeld calls it, a European carry-all!



3. Jamie got his tail whopped by a 10 year old… (ahem, suffering for Jesus) then proceeded to eat an orange in a quite humorous way.


(Goat, it's what's for dinner)
(A health club with an interesting name, Gym N' Tonic)
(The tennic club)

Happy Reformation Day

Reformation Day commemorates Dr. Martin Luther's posting of his Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. This act triggered the movement in world history known as the Reformation. While the historical date for the observance of Reformation is October 31st, most churches celebrate it on the last Sunday in October.


While it had profound and lasting impacts on the political, economic, social, literary, and artistic aspects of modern society, the Reformation was at its heart a religious movement. The Reformation was the great rediscovery of the doctrine of justification, that is, the good news of salvation by grace through faith.

For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church had been plagued by false doctrines, superstition, ignorance, and corruption. Since most ordinary Christians were illiterate and had little knowledge of the Bible, they relied on their clergy for religious instruction and guidance. Tragically however, monks, priests, bishops, and even the popes in Rome taught unbiblical doctrines like purgatory and salvation through good works. Spiritually earnest people tried to justify themselves by charitable works, pilgrimages, and all kinds of religious performances and devotions, but they were left wondering if they had done enough to appease God's righteous anger and escape His punishment.

The truth of the gospel -- the Good News that God is loving and merciful, that He offers each and every one of us forgiveness and salvation not because of what we do, but because of what Christ has already done for us -- was largely forgotten by both clergy and laity. The Holy Spirit used an Augustinian monk and university professor named Martin Luther to restore the gospel to its rightful place as the cornerstone doctrine of Christianity.

Who We Are In Christ

A friend of mine wrote this yesterday and I wanted to share it as it was written. Knowing who we are in Christ establishes the foundation to be what He wants us to be in and through Him. Here are my friend’s thoughts:

Anytime I read a passage where I'm able to witness Jesus' power over the world I'm reminded of the authority God gave each one of us that we rarely if ever walk in. 1 John 4:4 "Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world". The same God that empowered his son over darkness has given us the authority over the enemy.

Too many times I forget who I am in Christ and I fail to understand what my struggle is against but in the few times where I have walked in my God given authority I have seen my creator move in ways I never thought possible. It is by our choice not God's that we allow Satan to have control over areas of our lives and we must remember that we have the right and authority to take back ground that we have given over to Satan. To walk in the same Grace and Authority that Jesus walked in we must first be reminded of who we are in Christ:

John 1:12 "I am God's Child", John 15:15 "I am Christ's friend", 1Cor. 6:20 "I have been bought with a price, I belong to God", Eph.2:18 "I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit", Col. 1:14 "I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins", Col. 2:10 "I am complete in Christ", Rom. 8:12 "I am free forever from condemnation", Rom 8:28 "I am assured that all things work together for good", Rom. 8:35 "I cannot be separated from God", Phil. 3:20 "I am a citizen of Heaven", 2Tim 1:7 " I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind", Heb. 4:16 " I can find grace and mercy in time of need", 1John 5:18 "I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me", Matt. 5:13,14 " I am the salt and light of the earth", Eph. 2:6 "I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm, Eph. 3:12 "I may approach God with freedom and confidence", Phil. 4:13 " I can do All thing through Christ who strengthens me".

These are basic truths about who God created when he made us in his image and if we can grasp all that he created us to be we can walk, live, teach, love, rebuke, and share in the same authority that Christ did we he stood before Pilate and an angry mob!

11th Hour Salvation

Hughie Jones passed away March 22, 2009. He spent all but 9 days of his life refusing to talk about Jesus or hear what anyone had to say about Him. However, on March 13, 2009 all of that changed and he was washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Lying on what was to be his deathbed, after hearing the Gospel, Hughie talked to God and said, “Jesus Save Me.” Before he made that decision he listened about how Jesus loved him beyond measure and that there was nothing he could do to ever be too bad for God not to love him.

It is my opinion that he believed God loved him from the simple fact that his family loved him. Despite anything he had done, his daughter (Rachel, my mother-in-law) was constantly there for him. He knew his family loved him, which was proven by the visits made over the years, especially those made in his last days.

Another key component of Hughie being able to receive the free gift of God by calling upon the name of the Lord was his identifying with other who made decisions far worse than his. Hearing of Abraham, David, and Saul/Paul, he realized that salvation was open to all… a fact of Scripture that should bless our souls beyond belief.

In preparing for his funeral, God brought me to a portion of Scripture that demonstrates the matter of rewards is under the sovereign control of God. God is the One before whom all accounts will be settled, and he can distribute His grace whenever and to whomever he wants! Here is the passage, Matthew 20:1-16:

1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 7" 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' 8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' 9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."