Summer LINK Reunion Weekend

I’ve done Summer LINK for two summers and both summers were incredibly fun and great times of growth. This past weekend was our Summer LINK reunion weekend. Most of us who attended the trip were able to return for the reunion which included great BBQ, good tailgating food, and above all great fellowship.

One of the greatest parts of Summer LINK is the tight-knit friendships that are made on the trip that last after the trip. Most of us see each other on a weekly basis whether in church or just hanging out with one another. The reunions though offer an opportunity to see how God made us grow not only through the summer but since the summer. They are a time to rejoice and to praise God for not just what occurred over the summer but also for a relationship with Christ that has grown deeper and stronger.

The program is such a blessing because my faith in God and my relationship with Him have grown much stronger after returning from both trips. I am amazed at how what we learn throughout the summer becomes an actual lesson that we experience once back at school. During the reunion weekend I saw that others had experienced the same thing. The lessons God taught them through the summer they experienced once back at Clemson. I am forever grateful for this trip because our growth in our faith and relationship with God doesn’t end the morning the trip ends but continues once we are far-removed from our trip location.

Cultural Exchange Community Experience

Last semester I decided that I would live in the Cultural Exchange Community (CEC) for my last semester of college. After hearing about the opportunity, I reasoned that this living community would be in my best interest due to my growing interest in international missions. I thought that if I would probably being going overseas for an extended period I should attempt to live with others from different parts of the world as a preparation of sorts.

The CEC through most of my time at Clemson was the last thing I wanted to do. I had grown complacent with living with great Christian roommates for the two years prior to this one and never thought of myself as one who was very good at meeting and interacting with those from different parts of the world. Oddly enough though I had (and still have) intentions of doing overseas missions. Fortunately I realized I needed to take a step of faith, be a man, and go live outside of my comfort zone.

As we are now over half way through the semester, I realize that living is the CEC was and is a tremendous blessing. I have three roommates all from overseas representing the countries of Singapore, Australia, and Belgium. Through interacting with them and learning of their cultures, I have been better prepared for what I hope is a future in international missions.

Although I’ll be writing in more detail about my experience in the future, I’ve just realized lately at how blessed I’ve been to be a part of this program and my room in particular. Whether through watching TV or discussing everything from cars to politics to the Gospel, I’ve greatly enjoyed interesting conversations and times of learning from them. I hope that any Christian at Clemson with an interest in international missions would seriously consider the CEC program and the opportunity to know and befriend international students.

Hebrews 4:12-16

Hebrew 4:12-16 (NASB)

¹²For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

¹³And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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This past week at my church’s upperclassmen Bible Study, our leader and college pastor read this passage to us. Since then, the passage and especially the first two verses have weighed heavily on my heart.

God knows my heart. He sees the innermost desires and thoughts that I have. Nothing is hidden in His sight but all things about me and that I do are laid bare before Him. I can hide nothing from Him. He knows the sin that I commit both outwardly before the world and inwardly “hidden” in my heart. God knows what the rest of the world, including myself, does not know. How powerful and wise is the God of the universe.

The passage though states that not only does God know everything but that His Word, the Bible, is the same. The Bible cuts to the heart of man and exposes every sin that he has and every thought that has entered into his mind and heart. I know that God knows the every intention and thought that I have but I have yet to truly grasp that His Word does as well. The Bible allows us to see what God sees in us- our sin, our thoughts, our intentions, our desires, and every other thing about us. We should be grateful that the Bible is active and sharper than any two-edged sword so that we are allowed to see the glory, holiness, and righteousness of the Lord in contrast to our sin and depravity so that we might come to faith and repentance in Christ. The passage demonstrates not only the omniscience and power of God but also the power of His Word.

The passage also displays the love and grace of God. Jesus went to the Cross fully man and fully God. Christ understood human nature more than we ever will. He knows deeply our weaknesses yet because He was God was without sin. Out of love for Himself and for us our great High Priest went to the Cross so that we may live. We live because He is perfect and holy and thus fulfilled the law and because He is filled with grace and mercy He took compassion on us by being the atoning sacrifice for our sins out of love. How great is our Savior, our God.

The passage is truly humbling and encouraging. God’s Word examines our heart and exposes it’s true nature, the sin within it, and our need to be repenting of sin. God’s Word also demonstrates that Christ loved us, took compassion on us, and went to the Cross to forgive us our sin. Let us worship God for the gift of His Word for by the Word we see the glory of the Lord in His holiness and love, we see the true nature of our hearts in our sin and need for a redeemer, and we see the sacrifice of Christ who loved us and redeemed us of our sins. How great is our God and His Word.

Great Video

Testimony

Honestly, I do not know when God saved me. I do know that He saved me during my first year of college but otherwise, I cannot point to an exact date or recall the precise moment at which God saved me.

I grew up in a Christian home. At the age of 7, I “professed” faith in Christ and I think I prayed the sinner’s prayer. This moment though was not when God saved me and I am certain of that. I had no concept of sin and what sin is; therefore, I could not grasp what it meant to follow God. I was merely saying a prayer to be baptized. Unfortunately, this event led me for years to believe that I was a believer.

I was mistaken again, at the age of 12, into believing that I was a Christian. I made a “profession” of faith and prayed the sinner’s prayer after hearing a youth rally speaker discuss John 3:14. This profession of faith came because I was scared of Hell. I was only convicted of sin so that I would appear to be a “good, Christian” guy. I had not repented. I did not care about living for God; I only wanted to be perceived as a Christian to enjoy the praises. I never did turn to the sins that many teenagers fall prey to such as debauchery and drunkenness, but I was engrossed in the sin of pride more than I could have ever imagined. I had made myself my own god and I only used Jesus to feel better about myself. Nothing had changed and I was still going to Hell. Again, I was not repentant. I did not truly love Him and in reflection, I believed in a version of the prosperity-gospel. I did not believe in the true Gospel but rather I believed in my own version of the Gospel. I was by no means a Christian because I was not repentant of the pride in my heart and all of my other sins and I did not believe in Christ.

My damnation to Hell was more hidden to me than I ever could have imagined through high school. I believed that I was going to Heaven because of a profession of faith I made at the age of 12. Thankfully, by the grace of God, He chose to be glorified in me through my salvation. God did this through opening my eyes to one very important verse- John 3:30- “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John the Baptist said this in describing his role in serving the Son. God made me realize that all of my life, like the lives John the Baptist and all other Christians, was solely about Christ.

My wealth, my well-being, my happiness, and my life’s goals were completely meaningless. I was created to glorify Him, not myself. Although my dark heart did not want to be saved and I did not seek God to be saved, He broke me over my pride and my sinful being. God revealed how deplorable my sin was, especially the sin of pride. My sin was so deplorable that Jesus had to die (Isaiah 53:5)

God, by His grace, over a course of time brought me to a point of conviction so strong that I repented of my sins and believed in the Gospel- I was saved. I then loved the Lord and that is evidenced today by me loving the Lord through believing and following His Word, repenting of sin, and loving other believers and the lost. Although I still struggle with sin, God did radically transform me through salvation. He redeemed me and regenerated me. I now love the God I once hated. I now understand life is about loving God and glorifying His name. Otherwise, life is meaningless and destined for His wrath.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NASB)

¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

¹⁸Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

¹⁹namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

²¹He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Restarting the blog

I’ve decided to restart this blog after failing the first time due to my computer crashing and being without a computer for a few months. The blog will be a journal more than anything.