I have to tell you it has been an amazing season already!  Weather in Jr. High, Sr. High or College.  It seems like God is blessing boldness (2nd Timothy 1:6-8).  How did I ever forget that as we boldly proclaim the gospel of Christ, his Spirit has prepared those to react accordingly.  To some it is the stench of death to others the aroma of life (2nd Corinthians 2:14-16)!  Thank God that we are seeing students respond to the living Christ by repentance, and devotion!  My hope and prayer is that his people continue to boldly proclaim the risen Jesus and the redemption that come though him alone (John 14:6)!  Please pray with me as I’m sure that the evil one will begin his attacks any day!

“God prepare these young people of yours to fight the coming battle in your power and for your Glory.  Lord please do mighty things in and through these students, calling a generation to yourself!”

Recently I discovered ( with the help of the amazing Tim Golden leader of our IT team) that I have some sort of Super Terminator Virus, attacking my computer!  And I quote “Oh look its disguising itself as something else…. that’s not good”.  I was dumb founded as I watched Tim unload his arsenal of virus killing weapons (W.M.V.D.’s).

On one level it was pretty cool to see Tim unravel the devious mystery behind the destructive binary megalith.  On the other hand I can’t get past the images that the language produces…. Trojan?… (s.t.d.’s)? …. Worms? … as in yuck! Infected with worms (I had those once as a kid, not cool!)  Virus?...as in in need of an antibiotic?  You know Virus’s.  We recognize them by their symptoms.  Take the common cold.  We treat symptoms rather than attacking the source, which often masks itself as remain ever illusive!

I was thinking that this is just like SIN! We as Christian’s (I’m certainly no exception) often treat the symptoms.  “I’ll Stop doing ____________ ( you fill in the blank, unless of course you find your life devoid of sin).  ” I’ll Start doing  ____________” (I know ill just will my sin away with the power of my great strength of mind).  Just like a virus some time we need more that what we posses to deal with the root of our sin.

Yet how often do we go to the great physician and ask ” Lord show me the hidden source of my sin, Jesus change my heart, heal me from my history, from which this sin flows” I certainly see this in my life as well as students lives all the time.  We get into behavior modification, and on the out side look like pretty little Christians.  Most of us know better.

When we look in the mirror there is no hiding.  The person looking back at us reveals the truth.  People we live with, and who know us, they see it too.  There is no running from sin.  We fool ourselves into thinking that we can hide it….. but it always comes to light!  One of my favorite sayings is from our beloved DR. Wiswell. (be sure to comment on his blog by the way) “Why do we wait till life is all over the road in bits and pieces before we change?” Our sin always finds us out!

” Jesus be my vaccine, shine your revealing light into the cracks of my life. show me the depths of my depravity.  Heal my heart and sanctify me from the inside out as I wrestle with you over my past.  Help me not to put on the pretty Christian exterior, while inside I’m kidding myself and running from you and the soul work that you have called me to.”