Monday, October 31, 2011

Good Times...

Man....God is so GOOD!!!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to stand in the very building that I gave my ALL to Jesus. God captured my heart at a church on the campus of a drug/alcohol rehab center in Bessemer, AL. (And, no...I was not enrolled in the rehab program.)

It happened 4 years, 13 weeks, and 3 days ago, and I just thought I was going to visit a family member in AL and come home. God had other plans though. God knew I had a divine appointment 300 miles away from home at a drug rehab center. God knew all along...

It felt so good to walk back into that building yesterday. During the church service, I began to reflect on how God has changed me in 4 short years. I'm not the same man I was 4 years ago.

I once was lost...BUT NOW I'M FOUND!!!
I once was blind...BUT NOW I SEE!!!
I once was dead...BUT NOW I LIVE!!!

In the Bible, altars were built as a memorial to God and for what He did for the children of Israel. That church will forever be an altar in my life. I can't wait until God lets me visit again in the years to come and reflect on all that He has done for me.

Check out the picture of the church below.

Adam F.



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

First Things First

Hello friends,

Have you ever been attacked by the enemy so much that you know you are the verge of a breakthrough?? Well, I do. I've experienced it the last few weeks. I've experienced the attacks and the breakthrough. I'm gonna try to keep this short and simple, but bear with me...

Coming back from Uganda, I knew I had to do something. I didn't (and still don't) know what that something is yet. When I landed back in the U.S. from Uganda, I knew that God sent me over there to do something about what I saw. I know he didn't let me touch some of the poorest people on the Earth just so I could come back to the U.S. and not do anything. He is going to require an action out of me sooner or later.

But, when I got back from Uganda, I wasn't seeing any doors open up yet. I got frustrated and felt distanced from God. I felt His presence so HEAVY in Uganda and felt it so little when I got back. I felt the enemy attacking me in ways that I wasn't even expecting. I wish I could go into it all, but I just got blindsided several times.

Here's what I've learned though. God has an order that He follows. He entrusts you with small things before He entrusts you with larger things. Coming to work today, I was praying about doing something about helping the orphans of Africa. I felt God speak to my heart and tell me to "hold up" (okay, maybe I'm paraphrasing, but you get the idea). I'm so ready to do all these big things for God, but I felt Him say that I've gotta be trusted with little before He trusts me with much. I wanna change the world, but the changing has to start in my own heart. I want to lead the world to Christ, but I've gotta lead my friends and family first. I've gotta walk through small doors, before God will open BIG doors.

My pastor spoke two weeks agao, about being trusted with little before God trusts you with much. It really hit home to me and I've been trying to meditate on it since I heard that. God just confirmed it for me this morning.

So, what have I done? Well, I followed through with something that I felt God telling me to do in the fall of 2010. I enrolled in M.A. classes at Liberty University's Seminary program. I know that is my starting point. I don't know what lies ahead. I do know that God is the "lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105) A lamp shines just enough light to show you your next step or maybe next two steps. I like to know what my whole path looks like, but God doesn't operate like that. He wants to know that you are going to take the first step before He shows you the second, third, and fourth steps.

So, I'm sure you want to change the world too. But what can you do in your own life to put first things first?

Adam F.