A New Beginning in an Unlikely Place

Hey there! It’s been a while since I (Austin) have written a blog, but I’m here today to share with you something really exciting, and how God has been working. So sit back and enjoy.

Let me start off with Acts 8:9-25

9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles[b] performed, he was amazed.14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.23 For I see that you are in the gall[c] of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Now without diving deep into this specific passage we can see that Simon was a hypocrite, and was not truly born again but merely going through the motions followed with “baptism” or more accurately in his case a bath or swim.  

Now let me pause right there and tell you about another man.  This man is 23 years old.  He was “saved” at a young age, and he even took a warm bath but called it baptism.  He played church for years and years, getting better and better at it fooling many people including himself.  He went on several mission trips, and was pretty involved in the church.  This man put his comforts and career to the side to become a full time missionary in Honduras.  This man WAS me.

Now let me tell you about a third man.  If you notice in the last sentence of the previous paragraph i have the word “WAS” in all caps.  Why? Let me tell ya!  These last couple of months at our church we have been going verse by verse through the book of Acts.  And specifically these last couple of weeks I have been having an internal struggle, a struggle for the truth.  You see I had lived such a long time as a hypocrite, I had convinced myself that I was a born again believer.  I started doing some real down to earth soul searching, and examined my heart.  I came to the realization that I had never actually accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  Now for the exciting part…last week Oct 15, I started a real relationship with Jesus.  I couldn’t be more excited, and can’t keep this contained!

But wait…”you are a missionary in Honduras, how can you be a missionary and not be a christian?”
“you grew up in church all your life, isn’t that good enough?” etc, etc.

John 14:6

6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus is the only way.
No “if”, “and”, or “but” about it.

Matthew 7:21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

That was literally me and my life.  “But Lord, I went on all these mission trips in your name, but I was the sound guy at church, but I was a full time missionary in Honduras, etc”

Praise the Lord I now KNOW Jesus, rather than know about Him.