Living Above the Sun Ministries

"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts." -2 Timothy 2:22 Last night at the Addiction Ministry, God convicted me of the music I listen too. God just spoke and challenged me to rethink what I listen too. Ultimately, does the music I listen too support Jesus or the sex, drug, and rock and roll life style? Is the music I listen too make me want to worship Jesus or have more of the desire to live the lifestyle of sex, and drugs, and rock and roll? Do I want to give up my rockin' awesome music? No! However, I want to worship Jesus. And I know listening to the radio station I listen to does not glorify Jesus. I get embarrassed at some of the things they talk about and mention. And I know if affects the way I think and talk. I don't think I need to pray about it, God told me and there ain't n...

Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’ -Zechariah 1:3 For the past few days, God has been burning this message on my heart. I feel like so many people need to hear it. There is so much doubt in the world, so much hopelessness, hurt, bitterness...the list could go on, and the excuses as to why we do not return to the Lord. But it's time to come back! Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is calling! There are many Christians who have wandered away from the Lord. Satan wants us to believe, that once we have fallen away, there is no way back. But this simply is not true. Do not be discouraged by your mistakes, but keep coming back to Christ over and over. Jesus tells a parable in Luke 15:11-24, which illustrates how God longs for us to return to Him if we have wandered away in sin. The parable tells of a son who took his inheritance and went away from his father into a f...

Yesterday afternoon I watched an episode of Spongebob Squarepants, most of the time the show wears me out it's so dumb and annoying, but this particular interest caught my attention because it lined up so well with the way a Christian is deceived, but also how we should act. The character of Plankton was trying to teach Spongebob how to be assertive, he tries to manipulate SpongeBob into becoming aggressive and mean in order to get more out of life. SpongeBob discovers that just because people obey you they don’t necessarily respect you. Besides, it’s just more fun to be nice to people and have them like you. Watch this clip. http://spongebob.nick.com/videos/clip/walking-small-clip.html In this clip Plankton is like Satan, he tempts us with good things to get our attention and get us interested. As Plankton is trying to teach Spongebob how to be assertive and get his way and the things he wants, Spongebob takes everything Plankton says the wrong way and ends up being nice to ...

"But you are a chosen people [son, daughter], a royal priesthood, a holy nation [son, daughter], God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." -1 Peter 2:9 Last night and into this morning, I was faced with a lot of doubting thoughts. Am I denying myself things I need? Have I really been deceiving myself? Have I been burying myself so deep in my work and things I do to avoid hurts and sorrows? Is God really not enough for me? These thoughts were not easy to think, were they true? But gosh, I think about all the songs we sing about our Savior, and think of all He has brought me through. Why would I want to feel the pain? Have I not thought about it enough? There is no where I would rather be than hiding in Jesus and His work and ministry. Am I wrong for that? Is He really not the answer? What can man do for me? I'd Rather have Jesus than anything. Are things ever going to st...

When I lived in Wilmington, things were going pretty well. We all bump along in life, but some of the bumps make you sick and nauseous and ready to get off this ride of life. I loved Wilmington, I had friends, I loved my church, I was playing in worship band using my talents for God, I had a job, I had a bank account with a little money, I had plans. However, when you are a preachers kid things don't go as planned, EVER. We had to move away to Charlotte. You all know my testimony. I kept asking God why. I was pretty happy. Since I have lived in Charlotte, it's been a very hard journey, things haven't been easy or like they were in Wilmington. I've not worked much with the economy being the way it is, my bank account was closed, just various things along the way that make me say, "I wish I were still in Wilmington." But then I stop and think, and get out of the emotional moment and think about all the blessings God has given since living here in Charl...

Since my struggle with this awful problem, and my survival, it is my goal to reach out to those who are in this helpless state of mind and show them the love of Christ, and that hope still exists even when it looks like the darkest hour of life. I struggled with these thoughts as a non-Christian and baby believer. Suicide is a frame of mind, it is more than just an action. The mind must be renewed and changed through the message and Hope of God's word, and His power that is put in us through the Holy Spirit. Can you be a Christian and consider taking your own life? If asked this question, I would answer yes. Though the Bible doesn't give a simple here is what God says specifically answer, the Bible does give helpful principles to stand on. One thing about life and someone contemplating suicide is that it's messy. There is no simple way apart from Jesus to try to manage or explain it. Believe it or not there is a prophet in the Bible who cursed the day he was born, ...

Working at McDonald's something I have come to realize is that on both sides of the counter we each don't know the first thing about each other. The customer doesn't know anything about me, and I don't know anything about the customer; all we see is the surface. This reality hit me last night as I was working the front counter. After taking a frail looking man's order, another customer came in that knew him. Overhearing their conversation at the counter I came to learn that the frail looking man had advanced lung cancer...all the while having 2 packs of Menthol Marlboro's hanging out of his shirt. Then the customer doesn't know anything about me. All I am is a crew member at McDonald's. They don't know I write this awesome blog, or study Theology and Philosophy. They don't know I'm involved in my church, or go to school. At times it bothers me, because there are some people who look down on me, and look at me like I'm stupid, and...

"Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise." -1 Corinthians 3:18 You'll need a Bible handy in reading this post, I hope you always have your Bible close at hand as I post scripture and give my take on things. Don't take my word on it, look it up for yourself. The Christian life seems to get harder and harder to live as the days increase. I know so many people today who are being deceived by, not only Satan, but by themselves. It's Spiritual Warfare! In the case of addiction, we call it Spiritual Bewitchment. The word deceive is a verb, it's an action, it means to be led astray; to cause to accept as true what is false. If we are really saved by the grace of our Father, then through that Salvation we have been set free from the deception of Satan. God has removed those spiritual blinders from our eyes and has revealed the truth to us. John 8:32 "You shall know the tru...