Probably one of the most amazing experiences...ever

As I type this blog it is 3:33AM(Monday)7/19/10.

So, I come home for the weekends during the summer. I have class, work, church and bible study during the week in Tampa. Sunday night is when I usually drive back to Tampa.

I got invited to go to someone's birthday party at church on Sunday night. My friends Jessie and Stacey told me that they would drive me. I actually wanted to drive myself because I still had to go to Tampa and didn't want to be out late. I was like whatever, I will just go back later than usual. So we go to the party and then some of us hang out afterwards and play a board game. We played til about 1am. And I still had to drive back to Tampa. This night was just a weird night and I knew that I was going to be tired in the morning for my class. I was even contemplating whether or not to have my quiet time with God or not when I got back to my apartment in Tampa.


So, I finally get on the road about 2:00am. When I get into Tampa(around 2:40am) I decided to get gas. I was going to go to where I usually go off of Bruce B. Downs, but I just went to the nearest one that I saw on Fowler. So, I get out of my car to go give the attendent inside some cash for my pump. I had some guy ask me for 75 cents. Right away I thought that I shouldn't be giving him cash because he may just use it to get drunk. But then I told him that I would. That was God's 75 cents - not mine. I prayed that God would use that 75 cents in some way, shape or form to further the Kingdom of Heaven. I also prayed for the man. So, after I pay the cashier I come out to pump my gas. A different guy asked me if I knew where "30th St." was. I said that I really didn't know my way around here really well. But I figured that it had to be before 50th St. which is where I live. So, he is talking to me about how he hasn't slept for days, he is on drugs and he really needs to get to a hospital. Then he straight up asked me for a ride. He said that it wouldn't take long and I could drop him off on the side of the road. He seemed so sincere and truthful. He even offered to show me his I.D. He could see that I was sympathizing and thinking about it. I was just telling God that if I am supposed to take this man to the hospital that I will. It was only by God's strength that I did this. I also asked God for safety so that this guy wouldn't kill me or something. So, I decide to give this guy a ride. Keep in mind that it is 2:45am on Fowler Ave. in Tampa.

So, I know that this whole entire thing that was going on was all from God. I knew that I was going to be presenting the gospel to this man before he got out of my car. Even that morning at church, the message was on exactly how to present the gospel to someone. So, he introduced himself. His name was Mark Davis. He was about 40 years old and didn't look good. He was sweating, shakey and had a blood shot eye. He asked me my name and then said "Thank you for giving me a ride." I said "Do you want to know why I am giving you a ride?" He said "Why?" and I replied "Because of the love of Jesus Christ." So usually if I witness to someone, I will kind of lead it in with a "So, do you go to church anywhere?" but this time, I wasn't fooling around...I just went straight in for the kill. I knew this guy needed help and the Holy Spirit just gave me the balls to say it. It was probably one of the first things that I said to him.

We are driving along and I asked him "Do you have any spiritual beliefs?" He tells me that he knows about God and how he went to church and school when he was young. He said that he was is far astray from God. However, he said that when he was in school he memorized scripture - he even started to quote scripture right then and there! Mark didn't need any encouragement to talk, he was definitely going a mile a minute about everything! His whole life - and I was just patiently listening. He was telling me how he has not shut his eyes since Friday because he is on crystal meth. He said that he walked to Fowler from Busch Gardens. In his life, he hasn't gotten involved with cocaine, dealing, alcohol and homosexuality. And as soon as he said homosexuality - I got a little creeped out. But after being creeped out for about a nano second I realized that he is a child of God and God gave me strength to realize how safe I am talking to Mark because God was in my car with us. I was so amazed how calm I was talking to a random homosexual on drugs that I was giving a ride to the hospital at 2:45 in the morning.

Anyway, he asked if we could make a pit stop at another gas station and I said sure. So, we stop and we both go inside. On my way out, I had a women ask me if I had any money for her to get gas. I said "No, I am sorry." I go in my car and realize that I didn't use the full $25 to fill up, I had about $3 in change. So, I take the money and said "Here you go hun." She was sitting in the passenger seat of an SUV. She said thank you and I said "God Bless." Once again, not my money - God's money. And I prayed for that situation too.

So we get back in the car and Mark just started gabbing away - but in a good way. He was so lonely that he just needed someone to talk to. I told him that God is always there and will never leave him feeling alone - you can always turn to God.

We finally get to the hospital. I pull in a spot with my windows down and I just leave the car running. We are just talking for a little bit. He is telling me how he is just constantly turning his back on God and how he has dug such a deep hole of sin in his life (drugs, bad music, homosexuality). I told him that you can always turn to God for forgiveness, it doesn't matter what you have done - he will wash away your sin and make you clean. Mark told me that he was with a man recently who he thinks had H.I.V. Then he tells me that he may have it. At this point, I realized how much this man really needed God. He asked me if God could perform a miracle and make him H.I.V. negative. I said that God is all powerful and can do anything, if that is his will. He also told me that he has been wanting to committ suicide for a couple of weeks now. This is when I realized that I am potentially helping someone not got to hell by giving them hope. So as this is all going on I kept telling myself that he is not leaving my car until I pray with him. Not to accept Christ but just to pray for him. Sometimes when I talk to people about Christ I "plant a seed" well this time I planted a freakin bulb and fertilized it with miracle grow. So, I keep thinking "Okay, let's pray now!" and then Mark says "And before I go, I want you to pray for me." Holy crap - this guy is crazy!(in a really good way) So I was more than happy to pray for him!

We pray together and I asked God just to give Mark strength and for Mark to seek God's strength in every trial that comes his way. Then I asked Mark if he had a bible. He said not with him. I said "Would you like one?" His eyes lit up like crazy, he said "Really? You have one with you?" So, I pull out a pocket bible that I had in my console and write his name in it. My name was already in it but I put my phone number. He asked if he could call me and tell me how he was doing. I said yes and that I would be praying for him.

One of the things that I have always wanted to do was pull an all-nighter and I never that it would potentially happen with a druggie off of the side of the road at a hospital. So, he is getting ready to leave and he thought he lost his wallet. He starts flipping out and getting really nervous. Then I calmly said "Did you check all your pockets?" Realize that by now, Mark has taken his necklace off, he has taken his shirt off and used it as a rag to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. He stops franticly searching for his wallet and checks one of his pockets. He found it. I explained that even something like that can be a trial and that we all need to seek God's strength.

He starts to leave and one of the last things that I said to Mark was "Mark, have faith in God." He said thanks a billion times and then was on his way to go in the hospital.

I started to drive away. I was absolutely speechless. I just kept saying wow. Not even that fact that this guy's life was so broken but just how God lines everything up. I thought about the events that happened that day. How if some things didn't happen I would have never met that man. I went to someone's birthday party and my friends drove which caused me to stay out late. I stopped at a gas station that I never stop at. I didn't used all of my $25 and had $3 to give to that lady. I randomly had a pocket bible in my car. The sermon this morning was about presenting the gospel. God knew that I would be presenting the message to Mark even before my mom or dad were born - that is how amazing God is!

It is funny because the whole night I was thinking "Okay, Keith - you are dumb! You are going to get back to Tampa so late and you have class in the morning." With all of that and just being nervous about picking someone up off the side of the road - it was all worth it if someone else can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

The cool thing about this experience is that usually I feel nervous about going up to talk to someone about Christ and I may not even go up to them. With this situation, I was put on the spot by this guy for a ride while I was pumping gas. This man literally watched me become convicted by the Holy Spirit to give him a ride. I didn't pursue this man - he pursued me. By God's strength, I embraced the opportunity and encouraged this man to break free from his sin and give up his life to Christ.

All the pretty things

"All the pretty things" by Tenth Avenue North.

This song kind of says what I am going through right now and what I think a lot of christians in America go through.

There are so many things in this world and in our country that can just keep us from our relationship with God. At the time they might seem like cool things to do or keep our energy focused on but it really just takes our focus off of God's glory and more on man-made things.

The things that I am talking about are like clothes, physical attractiveness, worshipping false idols(people on TV), false teachings, judging others, attention on ourselves. I mean it really comes down to - pick your weakness. The ones I just listed randomly came to my mind but there are so many things in all of our lives that just keep us from God. They maybe things that we don't want to give up to God but we need to. God wants to strip us of all that crap and just be the human being that God created.

It may take a lot of spiritual warfare to get to where you need to be but includes a lot battle fighting with the enemy. My weapons of the spirit that I recommend using are: truth, God's rightousness, peace, faith, love and the Word of God.

I just rambled...but a random thought.

It's been a while...

It has been a while since I have written a post.

I recently went on an adventure trip called "Slammed" with a ministry called Going the Distance (goingthedistance.org). This trip was a complete blessing from God which I now realize. This summer isn't really anything extravagant but this trip really made it the time of my life. My friend Tiffany said she was going on it and then my best friend Tim won a free trip with GTD, so then I figured I had to go or I was going to be missing out! Then we got two of our other friends to come also and it was all very last minute. I thank God and my parents for the finances because I know that I didn't have the money to go on the trip.

Anyway, we went to Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia and camped there for 4 days. We tubed the Hooch (the chattahoochee river), rock climbed and repelled 7 stories, hiked and went down sliding rock. It was so much fun and there was a lot of adventure. It is weird because I am not a very adventurous person or much of a camper but I had so much fun! Everyone just kind of did everything without thinking twice. I am terrified of heights and I was so amazed that I actually rock climbed.

Okay, now God stuff. =)
My verse for this week is 2 Timothy 3:16
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straigtens us out and teaches us to do waht is right."
Paul is giving our shy friend Timothy some encouragement in this verse.
This verse kind of sums up the last couple years of my life. My senior year in highschool I was a very strongwilled person and tried to be a good christian leader in my church and in my school. Then in college I kind of started learning things about myself and realizing that I am not some "superhuman" that can do it all. Well this verse tells us basically that if you keep reading God's word you will find the flaws in your life you may not have known you had. Mine specifically would be selfishness, judging others, wanting attention(popularity)...blah blah.
It may take some sort of a "wake up" call for a christian to realize the things that are important in their lives. I think that once you have that wake up call and start to change, you will thank God that it happened.