So, I don't know how this fast is going for others but it's been a real blessing for me. God has been clarifying a lot of things for me, including more incite to my calling and I'm stoked. I know part of what I feel I'm called to do and that is defend the faith with my writing. I'm tired of hearing over and over again that someone read one line from the bible in a book or heard it from a friend who saw it somewhere and then form a whole opinion based on that. I can say "the newspaper is only about sports and nothing else," then pick up the sports section and say "ah ha!" That's not me wanting to see the newspaper for what it is, it's me wanting to just feel right. The newspaper is supposed to be there to deliver raw, honest news. Some things people want to hear and some things people don't but it doesn't change the reality that these things happen. The bible is God's most raw, authoritative, and honest way of communicating with people. It tells us many encouraging things and it tells things that we don't want to hear because He is perfect love and love is honest. The bible isn't there to support to support what I think, it's there to change the way I think. Obviously, I would use scripture to back up a point that I'm making but what I'm saying has to align itself with scriptural truth first and foremost. It's not just knowing sripture either, Satan tried to misuse scripture to tempt Jesus (Luke 4:10-11). It is possible to know the teachings of Jesus, but not really know Him. If you really know Him your relationship with Him is intimate.

I am going to the Union tonight to evangelize, I don't like first contact evangelizm, I am more of a one on one person. My calling doesn't seem to be geared towards that but then again I really don't know, do I? I know what led me to God but to assume that is the same path for everyone isn't right. I felt God pressing in on me to be there, to put off my ideas of how the gospel should be spread and trust that He can use anything. Do I agree with everything about first contact evangelism? No, but it's not about me and there are shortcomings in every calling, that is why we're a body with different functions. When I taught karate, I had to know all the techniques. I was really good at some and others I hated, I thought they were useless. I still had to know them well enought to teach them to a beginner so I didn't limit them. I hated back kicks but then I'd see someone who was devastating with them and I'd think "one of these beginners might be geared towards that." It's our responsibility to try everything to go beyond what we think God wants to use and really just get out there and do it. I don't have to be the best evangelist, I just have to try and have faith that God will use it whether I see the results or not. If you believe that "the word of God is living, and powerful, and sharperthan any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit" then you must believe that when the gospel is shared in any situation with a spirit of charity it will not be for nothing (Hebrews 4:12). What I say to someone might not have any impact for years but even them giving it a passing thought when times get tough is something, better than nothing. I don't even know myself what affect the gospel has on me sometimes so I won't presume to know the affect it will have one someone else.

I like Djere's quote the other day, "Jesus didn't say, 'c'mon and follow Me, it'll be a hoot!"