My Birthday!

I have been allowed to live another day, another year!

Here I am with Jesse (6) and Joe(9), two boys I am tutoring in math and reading for the summer. They were just laughing hysterically, while being tested on multiplication tables (Joe) and writing a Bible verse (Jesse)--he takes forever to write, but he writes pretty well for a six year old.

I really like Joe’s Bible verse for today:
May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him... Romans 15:13

Indeed, trusting in God and all his promises has brought me much joy and peace.

One of the promises I have seen God keep recently was:
Draw close to God and He will draw close to you. James 4:8
The best thing I have seen come when people draw close to God is the joy and freedom He gives. This happened quite a bit at a junior high camp I went to. Several girls including many from churches other than my own, which hadn’t happened before, and is really awesome.

Most of the girls that came up for prayer asked God to give them strength to stop sinful behavior, such as getting drunk and having sex or to help their families or relationships with others. One of the girls that came up asked for prayer for her new family. It was so awesome because just the day before I had come across a verse that applied to her life perfectly. I think God put her in my path so that I could share it with her. She had been raped by her father and her brothers. She was able to forgive them, knowing that they were sinners just like we all are, and they too just need to trust and obey Jesus. It is so wonderful to see her shining the joy of Jesus!

Another promise I have seen God keep recently is this one:
I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5
I was chosen to be the 8th grade graduation guest speaker by the 8th grade students I served as a substitute teacher for from January - March. I felt this was an opportunity to tell commend the students for their wise decisions, encourage them to continue to make wise decisions, and tell them how accepting Jesus was the best decision I have ever made. I had a huge bout of fear the day of the speech. When I was on the podium I could see one of the teachers saying to cut the mic. God gave me strength to finish reading the speech. Several people told me they were encouraged. Just yesterday someone stopped me on the street with honking, saying they had heard about my speech and thought that was awesome. Praise God!

I added and cut and few parts, but this was the gist of the speech I read at the graduation:

Good evening. I am glad to be here for such a special occasion, and feel privileged and honored to have been chosen by the students. I had fun with these wonderful young ladies and gentlemen during my time with them as substitute teacher, from loving them through discipline, teaching, and one on one talks to singing Love Potion Number niiiine.

How difficult it is to teach; I want to commend all of the teachers and administrators at the middle school. I especially want to commend Mrs. Dunmire, who went above and beyond her duties. Thank you all for what you do.

I experienced the most rewarding time with these students during conversations and activities outside of school. One such activity was watching Spiderman 3. In it I saw a powerful message: you are responsible for the choices you make. These students have made some wise choices; one of the best choices they have made is not allowing what others have done wrong to stop them from doing what is right. Some students have also admirably chosen to help those around them.

I hope that as you go into high school and continue through life, you make the right choices, regardless of what others are doing or how difficult it may seem. Tonight, I would like to share with you how one choice I made changed my life for the best.

The summer before my senior year in college I went Costa Rica with Habitat for Humanity. I had seen poverty before, but never to that extent. The experience caused me to question fairness. During the same summer I interned with a congressman in Washington, DC. One day I asked one of my co-workers if he believed in God. He said, “I don’t want to believe in a God that condemns homosexuals to hell.” I thought, “Wow is that the first thing someone thinks about when they think of God.” I also thought, “What do I think about when I think of God?” Is He fair?

During my senior year at Harvard I chose take a world religions class. My brother had chosen to become a Christian the previous year and I had seen positive changes in his life, so I started attending the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship meetings and Bible studies. I enjoyed being around the people who attended, they had a special joy and peace and were very kind, but I didn’t really take what was being studied in the Bible or talked about to heart.

I had my first real trial at the end of senior year, when the Christian Fellowship had a retreat. I had to chose between attending that retreat or attending Senior Week during which seniors can attend Casino Night, “booze cruise“, and other celebratory events. All of my roommates and most of my friends were planning to attend senior week. I chose to go to the retreat. As I was headed to the retreat, I thought, “I am going to regret this.” Today, I know it is one the best choices I have ever made.

A speaker at the retreat impacted me. He said, “I don’t get tied down by how much money I make, what career I have, or where I live. I just live for God.” He had an abundant peace and joy. I wanted that peace and joy. I said, “If you’re real God come into my life.”

Shortly thereafter a girl whom I admired said in a loving way, “I think people don’t want to become Christians because they don’t want to change.” I thought, “What parts of my life would I have to change if I became a Christian? I help the needy; I am kind to people. My public life is “Christ-like”. I would need to modify my private life: stop being sexually active. I can do that. I would also have to believe that people who don’t accept Jesus will go to hell. I can’t do that.”

Then I thought, “Where would I go if I died tonight?” The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death, however the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” Where we go when we die is our choice. I said to myself, “I wasn’t there when you died for me Jesus, but I choose to believe it. You died for me, I will live for you.”

Before long I saw God changing my life. I was able to forgive and love people I hadn’t been able to. God was able to use me in wonderful ways. My favorite demonstration of God working through me was touching the life of a very angry fifteen year old girl who I mentored. One evening she told me she had been raped by her father. I told her about God’s love. A week later she told me she chose to become a Christian. She also confessed that told she had been cutting herself for sometime and had stopped. How wonderful that God was able to shine His love through me.
Since I chose to accept Christ I have developed a personal relationship with God, which is what He wants, by praying and reading the Bible. I have learned that over 300 things that were predicted have come to pass. Not only is the Bible the only book the predicts the future accurately, it is the best love story of all time. The Bible tells us how much God loves us. He loves us so much he came down from heaven to take the punishment for our sins.

Just as Spiderman could not take off Venom, neither can we take off our sin. The only way to rid ourselves of sin, as Spiderman rid himself of Venom, is by looking to the cross. In order to be free from the punishment of sin one has to choose to believe in Jesus.

Choosing to believe in Jesus has been the best decision I have ever made. Education is a wonderful thing, but the best thing by far is the wisdom and gifts, especially the gift of eternal life, God gives people who choose to accept Him. Will you accept or reject Jesus?

If you choose to accept Jesus (at loud or to yourself) repeat after me:
God, please forgive me for my sins. I believe you died in payment for my sins, rose from the dead, and are now in heaven, where I will one day be in heaven join you. I commit myself to following you from this day forth.

If you just said that and believed it in your heart, today is the first day of a wonderful journey of following Christ. In order to maintain this relationship read the Bible and pray. Also, please start attending a Bible believing church. I recommend Calvary Chapel that meets at the Food Bank and Grace Bible Fellowship which is across the street from the old library.

If you still haven’t chosen to accept Jesus, please don’t wait seek Him with all heart. God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts I have for you says the Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil. Thoughts to give you hope and a future.” Class of 2011: You were each made wonderfully. I pray the Lord bless you and keep you.