Okay, so quick diversion from what I usually talk about.  Most of you can't vote, but you can do something a whole lot more meaningful.  Scripture says that God raises up rulers and he brings them down.  Pray that the American people will vote for the best candidate to be president.  Pray that whoever is elected will not ruin this country, or take away our freedom.  Pray that he will make this country thrive and make good decisions across the board.  Remember that whoever is elected, God ordained it, and it is right.  But pray hard, and long for this election.  I'm scared, and I'll be praying.  Will you join me?

I'm like most Christians.  I have trouble with sin, and I fail a lot.  Satan has got me targeted.  And sin is out to get me.  Okay, it sounds dramatic, but its true.  Paul talks about putting to death the sins of the flesh.  God is continuing to sanctify us, molding us into the image of Christ.  God is giving us the ability to say no to sin.  What is sin?  Sin is just an outward showing of what is truly in the heart.  Sin is in the heart of every man when he is born.  What happens when someone becomes a Christian?  We still have a sinful nature, but now we are given the ability to say no to the outgrowth of our sinful nature--our sinful heart.  Colossians 3:5 says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."  Romans 8:13 says, "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to say 'NO!' to sin that is in our hearts.  We can say 'NO!' to temptation, keeping what is in our sinful heart from becoming a sinful action.  I struggle with this a lot.  My sinful heart is trying to have power over me.  But I now have the power to resist.  I am still a great sinner, but I have a great Savior. 
   One of Satan's names is the Accuser of the Brethren (The accuser of Christians, in other words).  I struggle a lot with getting depressed when I sin, worrying about falling away from God, worrying about my sin.  Dwelling on it.  Satan comes in and accuses me, saying, "You're a great sinner...look what you did!"  Unfortunately, my response is to start getting depressed and feel bad.  This falls right into his plan.  What should I do?  I should agree with him!  He's right, I AM A GREAT SINNER, but he left out one part.  I have a great Savior who has paid for my sins.  My Savior if greater than my sinful heart.  He has the power to save me from my sinfulness, and He has.  I am a great sinner, but I have a great Savior. 
   When I face temptation, or begin to go into the depths if I give in, I usually forget this.  But it's so important.  One thing that I forget is that I am still in need to a Savior.  Christ paid for my sin once and for all.  The war is won, but many battles are still to be fought.  Christ is still fighting for me.  I need to continue to preach the gospel to myself.  The old self has been conquered, but I still have to fight it every single day.  And who is the One who can help me with the fight?  Christ.  Christ is my Savior, then, now, and forever more.  This is so important, and I forget it so much.  I hope this can help you too, as you continually fight sin.

As a teenager I've had my share of frustration in dealing with younger kids.  You can talk to most teenagers who have younger siblings and ask them if their siblings are hard to deal with, and I bet most will say yes.  Sometimes it's so hard to be patient with them, and hard to know when to set them straight and when to let things go.  It's also hard to put their wants before  your own.
   Today I scheduled some frisbee (and perhaps some soccer) with my friends.  So we get there and start to play frisbee for a while.  One of my friend's younger brother (who is 11) came as he usually does.  As usual, after a while he lost interest in playing and wanted to play soccer in stead (he likes soccer better too).  Well, I told him that we might a little later.  A little later I got everyone together and took a vote whether they wanted to play frisbee or soccer (I was one of the ones who wanted to play frisbee)...frisbee won out and we kept playing.  Later, a couple of the people left and we didn't have a whole lot for frisbee, so I said let's play some soccer.  But, we doddled for a while, doing other things, and then I decided to call my mom to go home, when I was walking over to the phone, the younger brother who had wanted to play soccer all this time said, "Are you leaving?  I thought we were going to play soccer."  I replied, "You guys can..." I felt bad, but asked my mom to pick me up anyway...then we got the goal set up and for a couple minutes played until my mom showed up.  Since I was leaving, another family decided to leave and they probably didn't have enough to play anything.  So, in short, I probably put my own desires above his.  I could have stayed and played soccer for a while...but instead I called my mom to go home. 
   It's hard to put your own desires aside to give in to the desires of someone younger (especially the ones who always want their way).  It takes wisdom to know when to say no, and when to do what they want to do.  Perhaps God has blessed me with not having a younger sibling...not that I haven't wanted one, but I might not have the patience for it.  So, a challenge and an encourgament to you all who have younger siblings.  Try to put yourself in their place, and try hard to be patient and kind.  Put aside your own desires sometimes and do what they want to do...with wisdom, or course.  Remember that God is watching He'll see your kindness to your younger sibling, even if it seems like they don't acknowledge it. 

So I was just sitting here, wondering what to post.  There were many things that I had wanted to post these last couple of days, but I decided not to...I just didn't feel like I should.  But, looking back on my short life, I realize how God has really worked everything out for my greatest benefit and He's used so many things to draw me to Him.
   I'm the youngest of three boys, and I was a crybaby...my brothers (and cousins) loved to set me off however they could...because they new how I would react.  Even my younger cousins saw me as immature and after family reunions I would usually wondered why I even got excited about going...it was usually filled with a bunch of family members picking on me and setting me off, it was my fault, partly...also, whenever I lost, I would lose it and bawl.  My brothers would also readily assert their dominance, ganging up on me and tickling me until I could no longer stand it.  One day I told mom that I thought Benjamin (my oldest brother) actually hated me...she told Benj that and he was surprised.  He didn't hate me at all, he just had fun teasing me, not realizing that I took it really seriously.  It wasn't until his senior year in high-school when we really got along well.  Well, he left for college...and that was sad.  He went to Bryan College which is only three minutes from my house, so I got to see him a lot, and we really got closer together. Meanwhile, my other brother, Evan, was still at home.  We bonded, but since I seemed to grow a lot taller, and he stayed the same (sorry Ev) there was always a sense of competition (at least in my mind). 
   During his senior year, I was going through a rough time spiritually.  I wasn't close to God at all...well, Evan left too.  He went off to Bryan as well, and so there I was, alone.
     But I wasn't alone, was I?!  You truly realize the importance of something once it's gone (like brothers)...but there was someone else who had a great idea.  God used the alone time I had to draw me back to Him.  It was a very painful first few months, trying to be reunited with my God, but He really used the time to draw me to Him.  I also have felt a lot closer to me parents as well.  They're really cool people! :-) 
   Looking back, I can just see how many things God has worked for my good.  I rarely cry anymore, and can take losing without blinking an eye.  I can keep my horrible temper (which has produced several wholes in our walls) in check, and, the best part of all, I can go to God with anything, because I have such a better relationship with Him.  Eight years ago, I would have told you that I couldn't see a day when I would get along with Benj...but that time has arrived.  There were time when I bet my cousins wouldn't imagine a day where I wouldn't wine :-)  that day has come as well.  All this to say, no matter what season of life you are in, God is working it all out into a great masterpiece that you can't even fathom. 
   And for you younger siblings out there who think older siblings are terrible, I am one hundred percent supportive of Older sibling abuse of younger siblings :-)  It taught be toughness and being able to handle hard situations without breaking down...they're a greater blessing than most people can't see.    

Okay, so I want to share with you a really cool passage from 1 Kings 22:19-22. It says,  "I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?'
      "One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.'  22 " 'By what means?' the LORD asked.
      " 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said.
      " 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'"
First, that's just really awesome, but think about it.  An all-powerful, all-knowing God asked His angels what should be done with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel.  Why didn't He just tell an angel to be a "lying spirit?"  God loves using His people.  God loves to let His people enter in to His Divine Will.  When you think of what the angels do, what do you think of?  The angels are servants, doing their Master's bidding.  They are always on call to do whatever God tells them, without question.  Does that sound familiar?  Aren't we servants of the Lord?  Aren't we called to do whatever God tells us?  So, be ready for God to let you enter in to His Will...be ready for Him to use you...be ready for the responsibility that God will place on you.  Any thoughts?

Sorry about how long my last post was, hopefully this one won't be so long.  I have found out that I learn a lot better by experience.  I've grown up as a son of a pastor, which has enabled me to hear a lot of good, spiritual insight and truth.  I'm quick to answer questions that have to do with Scripture, but I find it takes more than that to get me to apply it.  The story that I'm about to tell you has a two-fold meaning.  One, is that God can answer prayers very quickly, and in different ways than we expect.  The second is that people worship in many different ways, and no one has to follow a set pattern.
    I was reading in some book (I can't remember what it was) and it talked about not getting angry at the person who gives you correction or points out the fault.  I prayed that if that ever happened, God would help me to take the meat, spit out the bones, and not get angry at the person.  When I prayed this, I was more thinking about if one of my friends offered me correction, but I soon saw that God would test me in a different way.
    I was talking to my dad about the idea of emotional forms of worship, and how it seems as if the contemporary style of worship is more emotional.  After talking for a while, my dad sternly said, "Then stop condemning them!" (referring to people who put more emotion into their worship--such as raising their hands and swaying and so forth).  And, of course, I would never admit that this form of worship was wrong, but dad was right, I had the tendency to have a negative impression of more emotional forms of worship, and the people who participated in that form of worship. 
    I had time to think about this, while I was cleaning bathrooms at my church.  I realized how I had been wrong and acted wrongly.  I'm the type person who doesn't like to be wrong and doesn't like others to be wrong as well.  I'm so glad God isn't like me.  He saw an area of weakness in me, and in His due time, He pointed it out.  He was patient.  I had several options.  I could get mad at Dad for pointing this out.  I could feel depressed because of what Dad had said, or I could bear it, pray about it, and try to do better.  I chose the latter, though I struggled through the negative emotions towards Dad and perhaps, myself. 
    I realize now that many people have different forms of worship.  I don't have a very emotional style of worship, but it is just as pleasing to God as the people who are very emotional in their worship.  I'm sure I would have said the same thing several months ago, but it took this experience to make me live it out.

A couple of days ago (Saturday, August 30), My parents, grandparents, aunt and uncle (along with their daughter, Elise) a couple from their church, an elderly woman, and I all went down to Greenville, South Carolina for a memorial service for the founder of a college that they all were associated with. 
    It was about six or seven hours round trip, plus we were there for several hours in the afternoon, and many cool things happened.  I was sitting in the back of my aunt and uncle's twelve passenger van, between my dad and a man named Ned, who, as it turns out, grew up with my dad.  They attended the same middle school and high school as well as attended the same college (though their terms there only overlapped six months).  It was fun to hear their stories, and to hear where some of their old friends have turned up.  Though they never actively try to keep up with each other, it's nice to see that they can pick up where they left off many years before.  I hope I can still keep up with my friends from over the years. 
    I arrived in Greenville and met a couple of the people that my dad went to college with, including a room mate he had named little Harry (he was like six foot six and at least two hundred and fifty pounds).  He told me that it was only by the grace of God that Dad was even alive any more :)   Memories are an amazing thing, and I pray that I can remember things and people from my past, and be able to commemorate past events. 
    I was also able to see a lot of my friends there as well.  It was good to see some of them, one of which I hadn't seen in two years.  I go down to Greenville (to that very college) every year for a youth conference.  I've made some pretty good friendships there.  I try to keep in touch via email.  After I left, I really wanted to still be with them.  The saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side" is so true.  Built into corrupted human nature is the tendency to be discontented with your current situation, wishing you had that other thing, or that other friendship, or whatever.   That's something that I've been praying God will help me with, and I think He is helping me through contentedness. 
    The ride home was much better than expected.  Elise, stayed in Greenville, so it was just me with nine other adults in the car for a three-hour trip, but the conversations between Dad, Ned, and I were really good.  Ned talked about his feeling on the institutionalized church as apposed to more of a home-church style, as well as some of the problems with Sunday-school.  He talked about a book he had read about heaven and how heaven isn't some distant place.   Once we die, we will go to paradise, but once God renews the heaven and the earth, we will be placed back on earth to serve Him like in the Garden of Eden.  It doesn't seem real to us most times, but just think about how from now until eternity, you will be serving God, always living in harmony with Him.  We will NEVER DIE!  You know how sometimes you feel like your really in a good place with God and He's given you an overwhelming sense of joy?  That is what we'll feel like all the time...that or something greater. 
    They also shared different stories of God's protection or stories of how angels have interacted with the world and things like that.  It was a really good time.  It also made me think about heaven and about the active work of God and His angels.  I hope you'll think about that too.

Periodically every month I'll write a blog post about how my life is going, and how my interaction with God, my family, and others have been going.  Hopefully this will help you understand what's going on in my life.  Feel free to make comments and tell me what you think about my posts.