Birthday in Christ

Greetings,

It is my 5^th birthday in the Spirit this weekend (Saturday, January 7^th 2006). Who would have guessed it? Certainly not anyone that knew me way back then. In fact, as I recall, one of my few friends disrespectfully didn’t believe it; in fact, he started to ask disrespectful questions every time I saw him just waiting for me to turn away. One guy I knew exclaimed “NO WAY! Not YOU!” My brother stated that I was too intelligent to become an “anti-intellectual.” Only a few select people that I knew gave me support. As I look back, the last few years have been some of my hardest. John 3:19-21 says that we will run from the light that is the truth of God. We run because our deeds are evil. Mine were very evil, but the Word is the mirror to show us who we are. And God is full of such love that He changes us upon our confessions to Him and to others. I don’t want to go into all the details, but I wanted to mention a few points. It was in 2001 that I became a Christian. I started to go to church in November, 11 months after my conversion. It was about a year later that I finished reading the bible through for the first time, and was baptized.

After that point in time, my past was coming back to get me. Not only did I live a life of sin, but I also was raised in a dysfunctional home, which made my life all the harder. I spent the next two years working daily on overcoming the struggles. God led me to one resource after another after another. I wrote out a detailed account of my life which was a total confession of all of my known sins before God. I also sought out the help and counsel of people that I could talk these issues out with. After all this, God saw fit to move me into children’s ministry. I have a desire to minister to and mentor kids in the truth of Jesus Christ, as I recognize Him alone as the source of all healing.

When I sent out this letter last year, I was in the midst of another spiritual battle. I did not include any details, but a few of you knew that the boy I was mentoring in Big Brothers program left unexpectedly. My heart hurt because I felt I was making so much progress with Him. I wrote one of my best poems during that struggle, I prayed, and I handed the whole situation to God. He did not restore this boy back to me, but I started to mentor a new boy.

In addition, I recognized an organization that I belonged to was a cult. My theology in my first year was deeply rooted in Word-Faith as a result of the teachings in this system. I was finally removed from that cult by the study of sound doctrine. It could have only been the grace of God, because a whole series of incidents all happened side by side which led me to some theologians with ideas contrary to Word-Faith. Under normal conditions, a member of a cult would turn away from such teachings, but God had removed me, just a week prior, to an indoctrination session. After this, I recognized what I was in and sought out sound theology. After a period of time of study cult theory and doctrine, I started a website designed to dissect the teachings of this cult (www.bwwsot.blogspot.com). This has been one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have done. I have had a lot of people giving me thanks for finally posting the details on the teaching materials, and a lot of people who have verbally attacked me for being ‘evil’, ‘of the devil’, and ‘broke, stupid’, etc. This is to be expected as we work for Christ.

Also over this last year, I have counseled at a kids camp for the first time. I recall the first morning waking up. I remember where I was and how I grew up. I remember how messed up I was, and how far I came, and that it was only by the grace of God that I had charge over five boys at camp. This was a time that I experienced the silent stillness of God: He was manifested in the darkness of the cabin, the chirping of the birds, and the light breathing of the kids. Five years earlier, that is the LAST thing that I thought I would be doing. I got the chance to get to know 12 great kids those two weeks, and I had the pleasure of praying with 3 of them for the first time in a profession of Christ.

Last year and this year I have been coaching at a Boys Club. Last year I got to know 1^st and 2^nd graders, and this year, 5^th ad 6^th grade. They are all great, full of the challenges of their age. This year, I started to teach 3^rd grade Sunday School. It is such a blessing to be able to minister the Word of God to these kids. Recently, I started to teach a Friday night youth group at a local Chinese church.

My victories over the past year include a recapturing of my finances. I have also started to rebuild the broken relationships in my family. It was this last year that I started to love and witness to the man I so desperately hated so many years ago, my step-father. I have gotten to know my father more; I have gotten to witness to him of the faith in Christ. I was also given the opportunity to share my testimony at church this year; I would encourage people to do that.

My major challenges as I move into my new year in Christ: I still need to recover my work ethic. When I go to work, I have a very hard time concentrating on what I need to do. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, it is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” I confess this sin before everyone today; I hope that some may be burdened to pray for me on this matter over this year.

I would also like to extend a thank-you to my friends and siblings in the faith. In the last few years, I have accumulated more friends than I ever had before, I felt the grace of God as he filled my heart with joy, I learned the meaning of love, and I learned the meaning of forgiveness. In all things, it is the Grace of God that carries us on.

Peace in Jesus Christ our Lord,

Xanadustc

I'm still Here

Greetings everyone,

I am still here. I have not abandoned the blog! I have actually been very busy (Much more than usual). I picked up and extra teaching spot, so I have classes with 3rd grade, 5th and 6th grade, and youth group on top of everything else I need to do. I have also been busy with posting about 3 times a week on my Standing Order Tape Blog, but I took a Christmas vaction from that even. It looks like I am back. I am planning anice post for this blog to be posted on Saturday, January 7th, so if I don't have one up before that time, check out that one.

Sorry for my distance,
Xanadustc