New Life

I grew up in the ghettos of Philadelphia, PA.  My dad was a violent abusive alcoholic.  We weren't Catholic but my mom put me and my sister in Catholic school to get a good education.  We also got a good dose of religion.  At five years old I began to learn about God and being a good student I developed quite a knowledge of religion.  I was taught many facts about God but also taught that when you die, God would weigh your good against your bad deeds and if you were good enough you would get into heaven.  So I determined to be good and try to please God.  I became an altar boy at eight years old, learned the mass in Latin and served in church at every opportunity.  My goal was to become a priest because I thought they were holy men. By the time I was an adolescent though, I knew that something about the Catholic church wasn't quite right.  I became disillusioned and stopped going to church at age fourteen. 

Home was very dysfunctional because of alcoholism.  I hated my father and tolerated my mother.  When I was a teenager, both my parents became Christians and they got involved in a Baptist church.  At that stage of life, I wanted nothing to do with religion and began hanging out with the hippies, living an immoral life, ingesting any drugs or alcohol that I could get my hands on.  At seventeen I left home to attend college in Tennessee, which was just a continual party.  One year later I was back home working with my dad in the construction business.  For the next three years, I was in and out of college, working various jobs, partying with my friends, trying anything that would bring happiness to my troubled, wounded soul.

At 21, while driving home from work one Friday, I stopped in a Christian bookstore.  I noticed this store every day as I drove to my apartment and was curious about what was inside.  The bookstore owner greeted me and let me browse through some Bibles.  We shared a brief conversation and he obviously could tell that I wasn't sure what I was looking for.  Before I left he invited me to church on Sunday.  I reluctantly agreed and quickly left the premises.

I had no intention of attending church but by Sunday morning God changed my mind and I went.  The people at church greeted me and expressed their joy at seeing me there.  The church was a very simple storefront building compared to the elaborate architecture of a Catholic church.  That morning for the first time in my life I listened and received the gospel message.  I already believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and knew that he died for the sins of the world.  But that morning I understood the significance when I heard this message, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" Ephesians 2:8-9. I realized that Jesus died for me, bore the penalty for my sins and I desperately needed a fresh start.  I prayed and asked God to forgive me, take over my messed up life and change me.  I gave control of my life over to God because I couldn't live a good life on my own and I wanted to be saved.

The changes were miraculous!  I stopped taking drugs and alcohol, stopped having premarital sex and instantly had a hunger for the Bible.  I spent many hours in my little apartment reading my Bible and talking to God.  I told all my friends that Jesus was now in control of my life and I was going to heaven.  They ridiculed me back then but now some of them are also Christians.  Since that day I have been far from perfect, but I know that the Spirit of God lives within me, my sins are forgiven and my purpose in life is to honor Him.  My life belongs to Him and I am submitted and surrendered to God. I am assured of my future in heaven and I openly spread the good news about Jesus and the change He has made in me.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17.

God loves you too and wants to transform your life and make you a brand new person.  Talk to him now, ask Him to forgive your sins and take control of your life!

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."  Romans 10:9-10

Groundhog Day

In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays meteorologist Phil Connors. He travels to Punxsutawney, PA with his producer and cameraman to cover the annual festivities where Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog is the star.

A blizzard develops and forces them to stay in Punxsutawney. Connors awakens the next morning to find it is February 2 again, and his day unfolds in exactly the same way. However, he is the only one aware of the repetition. Everyone else seems to be living February 2 exactly the same way and for the first time. This pattern continues for many days, maybe even weeks.

I love the fact that many great Bible teachers seem to find analogies in every day things. Rarely does this happen to me. But this movie seems analogous to trials in the Christian life. It may not be the best analogy but it works for me.

When Phil Connors realized that the same things were happening everyday, he began to memorize events, so he could manipulate people and take advantage of his situation. Later when he begins to get tired of being stuck in Groundhog Day, he tries to fight against it but the repetition continues nonetheless. Finally when he examines his life and priorities and makes the necessary changes, Groundhog Day stops and he wakes up on February 3rd a better man. Lesson learned.

The analogy may be loose but it just reminded me of the trials we go through as Christians. Whether it’s a “blizzard” in your life or just a minor testing of your faith, trials are inevitable. God is doing a work in the life of the believer and He allows things to happen along the way to develop our character. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

God allows trials in our lives because there is obviously something He wants us to learn from that particular situation. When we don’t pass the test it seems that God continues to bring that particular trial back into our life until we do pass the test...kinda like in the Groundhog Day movie.

Like Phil Connors sometimes we try to manipulate or take advantage of the situation we’re going through, other times we try to fight against it. But when we finally stop and examine our lives and priorities, then we pass the test and move forward. We learn and grow spiritually from the situation.

Many of us complain when we are tested. We pray for patience, and God allows us to be tested so we can develop our patience, and then we complain more. Our character is both developed and revealed by the testing of our faith. “When troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your patience has a chance to grow.” James 1:2-3

It's not a matter of if the storm is going to come, it's just a question of when. People have this idea that when you turn your life over to Jesus you won't have any more difficulties. Christians are not immune to difficulties and hardships but we are responsible for our reactions to the trials we encounter. The Apostle Paul probably suffered more hardship than any other Christian and yet he learned to welcome the trials. He said “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4