In the past few months, God has been teaching me A LOT! I think I have especially been learning a lot since I got back from China. I am trying to become more disciplined with certain things. God has been showing me several areas that I lack in, which is awesome!
Patience and time management skills are my two biggest things at the moment. Most people say not to pray for patience, but it is something I know I need and I want to learn from God. My patience has gotten better, but I still have a long way to go. I think I will forever more be learning to be patient. Last week is when I realized that my time management skills STINK! I have several responsibilities in my life, along with school and work. Some of those things took a toll on me last week and I got behind in several things due to procrastination and just being lazy. It is all my own fault and I am definitely learning my lesson because of it. I decided that I spend way too much of my time on Facebook, so I had to say "peace out!" to it until I feel like I can use my time wisely. I went without Facebook while I was out of the country over Christmas break and I really didn't miss it that much. I am getting a lot more done now that I deactivated it. God is completely AWESOME!!
There are so many other things I am learning and coming to understand. There is also a ton of Scripture that is being revealed to me and breaking my heart. God is so so so very good to me and I deserve NOTHING..AT ALL!! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Sweet Memories.
I have been thinking a lot this week about my time in China. There is a story that I would like to share with you all.
On Christmas Eve, my team and I were preparing for the Christmas parties we were going to have the next day. We were wrapping Christmas presents, singing Christmas music, and just enjoying each other's company. Then, we get a phone call from the pastor of a government regulated church and he has asked for us to come sing. We were hesitant at first, but decided to do it. We practiced our songs all of one time and left to go. We were supposed to be there a hour. We walk in while the pastor is speaking and all the attention turns to us. Everyone starts clapping for us. They clear off the first pew for us to sit down and we do. Oh! Did I mention that I was under the impression that there were only going to be a couple hundred people at the most and the reality of it was that there were over a thousand, if not more?! My nerves set in at this point. Then, a lady from the choir comes down and starts speaking Chinese to me and I have NO IDEA what she is saying. What I got out of what she was saying was that we were going on stage in 5 minutes. Haha!! Two hours later...we are still sitting on our pew enjoying all this Chinese culture around us.
Also, Americans are a pretty big deal in China. There people constantly sticking a camera in my face and asking to take pictures with me and videoing me. This can make your ego increase dramatically, by the way.
The pastor is sitting with us at this point and I see that he has a list of the line up for the night. I then realize that I misunderstood what the lady from the choir told me. We were number 5 on the list, not going on in 5 minutes. There are 15 acts on the list for the night. That is right, this Christmas Eve service has been going on for 3 hours and we are number 5 and we have not went yet. :)
Our time comes up for us to get on stage. There is no translator of any sort, but we sing in English anyways. We sang some Christmas songs, Glory to God, How He Loves Us, and a little melody of songs. We were on TV too. Yeah, this was pretty legit. While we sang, the congregation just clapped and smiled with us. We only wanted to glorify God and praise Him, so that is what happened.
We finish and get off stage, gather our stuff to leave, and aim for the door. People follow us out of the church and we are swarmed by them. A lady comes up to Matt, who is a guy on my team, and says that she is an English teacher and she wants her son to know who the One True God is and that she will translate what he has to say. Spiritual warfare automatically hits! We have people all around us and she cannot understand what is being said. So, we go downstairs to the exit of the church and there is a very loud speaker system there blasting. We then tag team to gather people to come to us to take pictures and talk while Matt can be with this lady and her son to share the Gospel. Matt was able to share with her and her son. They were able to exchange contact information to get together so she can ask more questions.
We leave and 2 days later we get in touch with the lady's son so Matt can meet with him and talk. The son texts us back asking if we are tourists or missionaries. We automatically think this is sketchy and are not wanting to meet with him anymore. But, we came to the conclusion if we are going to get kicked out the country it will be because we are sharing the Gospel! Matt and Chris go to meet with this guy. I was not there for the conversation that took place. Matt came back and said that he went into the restaurant thinking that was going to be his last conversation to take place, but he came out so humbled and in awe of God than ever before. They were able to share the Gospel for 4 hours that afternoon!!!!! It was not sketch. This was a mother and a son genuinely seeking the Lord and they had legitimate questions about the Bible and our God! The mother has read through the Bible 3 times in the past year! How incredible is that?! It all started when her son asked her who the One True God was and she has been searching ever since for him. And by the way, one of the local believers was with Matt and Chris and got so loud and excited about the Gospel that the whole restaurant was able to hear that afternoon. Praise the Lord!!
This is just ONE of the many awesome experiences we had while we were there! My God is amazing, wonderful, incredible, holy, majestic, great, mighty, powerful, sovereign, all-knowing, caring, loving, awesome, and He is my Everything! All I need is Him and nothing else. I seek to glorify Him in all I do and make Him known to the people around me. I want people to see Him before they see me because I am nothing with God.
On Christmas Eve, my team and I were preparing for the Christmas parties we were going to have the next day. We were wrapping Christmas presents, singing Christmas music, and just enjoying each other's company. Then, we get a phone call from the pastor of a government regulated church and he has asked for us to come sing. We were hesitant at first, but decided to do it. We practiced our songs all of one time and left to go. We were supposed to be there a hour. We walk in while the pastor is speaking and all the attention turns to us. Everyone starts clapping for us. They clear off the first pew for us to sit down and we do. Oh! Did I mention that I was under the impression that there were only going to be a couple hundred people at the most and the reality of it was that there were over a thousand, if not more?! My nerves set in at this point. Then, a lady from the choir comes down and starts speaking Chinese to me and I have NO IDEA what she is saying. What I got out of what she was saying was that we were going on stage in 5 minutes. Haha!! Two hours later...we are still sitting on our pew enjoying all this Chinese culture around us.
Also, Americans are a pretty big deal in China. There people constantly sticking a camera in my face and asking to take pictures with me and videoing me. This can make your ego increase dramatically, by the way.
The pastor is sitting with us at this point and I see that he has a list of the line up for the night. I then realize that I misunderstood what the lady from the choir told me. We were number 5 on the list, not going on in 5 minutes. There are 15 acts on the list for the night. That is right, this Christmas Eve service has been going on for 3 hours and we are number 5 and we have not went yet. :)
Our time comes up for us to get on stage. There is no translator of any sort, but we sing in English anyways. We sang some Christmas songs, Glory to God, How He Loves Us, and a little melody of songs. We were on TV too. Yeah, this was pretty legit. While we sang, the congregation just clapped and smiled with us. We only wanted to glorify God and praise Him, so that is what happened.
We finish and get off stage, gather our stuff to leave, and aim for the door. People follow us out of the church and we are swarmed by them. A lady comes up to Matt, who is a guy on my team, and says that she is an English teacher and she wants her son to know who the One True God is and that she will translate what he has to say. Spiritual warfare automatically hits! We have people all around us and she cannot understand what is being said. So, we go downstairs to the exit of the church and there is a very loud speaker system there blasting. We then tag team to gather people to come to us to take pictures and talk while Matt can be with this lady and her son to share the Gospel. Matt was able to share with her and her son. They were able to exchange contact information to get together so she can ask more questions.
We leave and 2 days later we get in touch with the lady's son so Matt can meet with him and talk. The son texts us back asking if we are tourists or missionaries. We automatically think this is sketchy and are not wanting to meet with him anymore. But, we came to the conclusion if we are going to get kicked out the country it will be because we are sharing the Gospel! Matt and Chris go to meet with this guy. I was not there for the conversation that took place. Matt came back and said that he went into the restaurant thinking that was going to be his last conversation to take place, but he came out so humbled and in awe of God than ever before. They were able to share the Gospel for 4 hours that afternoon!!!!! It was not sketch. This was a mother and a son genuinely seeking the Lord and they had legitimate questions about the Bible and our God! The mother has read through the Bible 3 times in the past year! How incredible is that?! It all started when her son asked her who the One True God was and she has been searching ever since for him. And by the way, one of the local believers was with Matt and Chris and got so loud and excited about the Gospel that the whole restaurant was able to hear that afternoon. Praise the Lord!!
This is just ONE of the many awesome experiences we had while we were there! My God is amazing, wonderful, incredible, holy, majestic, great, mighty, powerful, sovereign, all-knowing, caring, loving, awesome, and He is my Everything! All I need is Him and nothing else. I seek to glorify Him in all I do and make Him known to the people around me. I want people to see Him before they see me because I am nothing with God.
Friday, February 4, 2011
One of those days
Have you ever just needed to get away from everyone? Have you ever needed to just be with God and only Him? Have you ever felt like an epic fail? Well, I can answer yes to all of these questions.
I have been spending a lot of time with people and do not get me wrong, I love being with people, talking, and just fellowshipping. But sometimes I just need to be by myself and recharge my batteries. I could feel this coming on this week because I have been going non-stop since I got back in the country. I have been spending time with family and friends, going to school, working, babysitting, and speaking at different places. I kind of feel like I have not really soaked everything in from China and had time to write down all these things God has been revealing to me and just spend good quality time with Him.
Also, I was talking to a friend about music that they like. This person said that they only listen to Christian music and I asked why. They answered with this: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31. This verse hit me like a ton of bricks. I was immediately drawn to my memory of a situation in China. One Wednesday afternoon my team gathered together with some American English teachers to have worship and then hang out with some university students. That evening I was able to share the Gospel with a girl named Tibby. Tibby believed in Darwinism and I showed her what God's Word said. We had a pretty lengthy conversation about everything and she asked some pretty deep questions. After our conversation, we started singing and playing different songs together with the rest of the group. She then asked me to type in her phone who my favorite music artists are. So, I did. If I would have had this conversation with my friend before I left for the states then I would have never put the names in her phone that I did. I listed some Christian artists, but not all of them were. The music we listen to should bring glory to God. Everything we say, do, think, eat, and drink should be meant to bring glory to God.
And this evening I watched the worst movie I believe I have ever seen. It is my own fault though. All I really knew about the movie was that it had Ashton Kutcher in it and it was rated R. I should have never dropped my standard of not watching R rated movies. Never again will that happen.
So, I came to the realization that I am an epic fail and I need God desperately. I left the theater, came back to my place, got my stuff, and left for a couple hours. I turned my phone off and just drove and got alone with God. I really needed to do that. I am so thankful for a loving, merciful, and awesome God!! Without Him, I would be completely lost and not where I am today.
I have been spending a lot of time with people and do not get me wrong, I love being with people, talking, and just fellowshipping. But sometimes I just need to be by myself and recharge my batteries. I could feel this coming on this week because I have been going non-stop since I got back in the country. I have been spending time with family and friends, going to school, working, babysitting, and speaking at different places. I kind of feel like I have not really soaked everything in from China and had time to write down all these things God has been revealing to me and just spend good quality time with Him.
Also, I was talking to a friend about music that they like. This person said that they only listen to Christian music and I asked why. They answered with this: "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31. This verse hit me like a ton of bricks. I was immediately drawn to my memory of a situation in China. One Wednesday afternoon my team gathered together with some American English teachers to have worship and then hang out with some university students. That evening I was able to share the Gospel with a girl named Tibby. Tibby believed in Darwinism and I showed her what God's Word said. We had a pretty lengthy conversation about everything and she asked some pretty deep questions. After our conversation, we started singing and playing different songs together with the rest of the group. She then asked me to type in her phone who my favorite music artists are. So, I did. If I would have had this conversation with my friend before I left for the states then I would have never put the names in her phone that I did. I listed some Christian artists, but not all of them were. The music we listen to should bring glory to God. Everything we say, do, think, eat, and drink should be meant to bring glory to God.
And this evening I watched the worst movie I believe I have ever seen. It is my own fault though. All I really knew about the movie was that it had Ashton Kutcher in it and it was rated R. I should have never dropped my standard of not watching R rated movies. Never again will that happen.
So, I came to the realization that I am an epic fail and I need God desperately. I left the theater, came back to my place, got my stuff, and left for a couple hours. I turned my phone off and just drove and got alone with God. I really needed to do that. I am so thankful for a loving, merciful, and awesome God!! Without Him, I would be completely lost and not where I am today.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Recent Sermon Notes on Dating
So, I listened to 2 sermons today by Ben Stuart with Breakaway Ministries and these are the notes I got on them.
Sex and Dating Part 1- 1 John 4:7-11
Dating- It can either be a stressor or great thing. You will make it one or the other.
Anyone can get a date if you really want one..you just have to drop your standards, which is NOT a good thing to do. Questions people ask are: How do we date correctly? How do we glorify God through dating? Can you build something that will last?
People tend to freak out when it comes to dating. There are bigger things happening in the universe than dating. They do not see the bigger picture. It it like their hand is directly in front of their face and they are like "Wow! My hand is huge!" and you tell them, "Move it away from your face." And then BOOM! It is not that big of a deal anymore.
Marriage is to be the picture of how Christ loves the church. Singleness allows you to be fully devoted to God without distractions.
1- You HAVE to get your relationship with God right first. If you do not have a growing relationship with God, then you do not need to be dating. Adam and Eve had a great relationship going until they took their eyes off of God. So, without God in the relationship it will never be right.
2- God needs to be the One to fill your heart, not man.
3- Love is when you put someone else's needs before your own. God is love and if you love God then the rest just comes naturally. We are all called to love one another.
4- We have to be obedient to God. We are to obey His Word and commandments.
5- You do not want to date/marry a guy who you are having to drag to be the spiritual leader. Older women are to train the younger women. We are to chase after God no matter what and never stop. God will send someone who will chasing Him right alongside of you.
Sex and Dating Part 2- Matthew 6:31-34
We exist to know God and to make Him known. We are to bring God glory. Dating is meant to bring marriage, which is supposed to be the picture of how Christ loves the church. Dating is intended for the purpose of marriage. Any other type of dating is just stupid.
Who do you date?
1- A believer and follower of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14 Deut 22:10 You both need to be chasing after God.
2- Someone morally submitted to God. Watch this person's fruits of the Spirit. Girls- You need a Psalm 1 and 1 Timothy 3 guy. Guys- You need a Proverbs 31 woman. Guys you need to be the Psalm 1 and 1 Timothy 3 guy and girls we need to be the Proverbs 31 woman! You do not need someone perfect, but someone perfectible. The experience of dating is not always the mechanism you need to use to evaluate a human being. You should hang out in groups to see how this person interacts with others. Anyone can put up a front for 2 or 3 hours.
3- Someone who is moving at the same pace as you.
4- Someone theologically compatible.
5- Someone socially compatible. They are headed in the same direction as you. What you want to do with your lives mesh well together.
6- Someone who you are physically attracted to.
How do you date?
1- Date with clarity. God is not a God of confusion. You do not play games with people. Do not go into the relationship uninterested. Be honest with the other person. **Guys should be clear with their actions/intentions. Guys should not confuse girls. If you are interested in pursuing the girl, just tell her. If you start spending a lot of time talking to a girl and especially about spiritual stuff..the girl is going to think you are interested in her. Tell her your intentions. Do not go around asking each other's friends, just be truthful and clear. And ladies, let the guy initiate everything. Be patient.
2- Date with autonomy. You are brothers and sisters in Christ. Let people make their own decisions. You are not married to the person yet. Do not force the other person to do anything. You are not bonded with that person in dating.
3- Date with purity. Being impure can sabotage your evaluation efforts. Have God's love for this person and that will build your friendship. You want the person you marry to be your best friend, so make sure there is friendship there and not just physical attraction to the person. 1 Corinthians 7:4.
4- Date with wisdom. Be private in public. If you are going to be alone with this person, then be alone in public. Do not expedite the romance.
5- Date in community. Have your family and friends watch your relationship. Make sure you each have accountability partners to keep you accountable on everything going on your relationship and have them call you out on the things you do wrong.
6- Do not rush into forever. Give things time. Be patient and wait.
7- Pray and trust God. Seek first His kingdom and everything else will come later and in its' perfect time.
You can go to breakawayministries.org and look at their podcasts or look these sermons up on itunes. Itunes is how I listened to them. :)
Sex and Dating Part 1- 1 John 4:7-11
Dating- It can either be a stressor or great thing. You will make it one or the other.
Anyone can get a date if you really want one..you just have to drop your standards, which is NOT a good thing to do. Questions people ask are: How do we date correctly? How do we glorify God through dating? Can you build something that will last?
People tend to freak out when it comes to dating. There are bigger things happening in the universe than dating. They do not see the bigger picture. It it like their hand is directly in front of their face and they are like "Wow! My hand is huge!" and you tell them, "Move it away from your face." And then BOOM! It is not that big of a deal anymore.
Marriage is to be the picture of how Christ loves the church. Singleness allows you to be fully devoted to God without distractions.
1- You HAVE to get your relationship with God right first. If you do not have a growing relationship with God, then you do not need to be dating. Adam and Eve had a great relationship going until they took their eyes off of God. So, without God in the relationship it will never be right.
2- God needs to be the One to fill your heart, not man.
3- Love is when you put someone else's needs before your own. God is love and if you love God then the rest just comes naturally. We are all called to love one another.
4- We have to be obedient to God. We are to obey His Word and commandments.
5- You do not want to date/marry a guy who you are having to drag to be the spiritual leader. Older women are to train the younger women. We are to chase after God no matter what and never stop. God will send someone who will chasing Him right alongside of you.
Sex and Dating Part 2- Matthew 6:31-34
We exist to know God and to make Him known. We are to bring God glory. Dating is meant to bring marriage, which is supposed to be the picture of how Christ loves the church. Dating is intended for the purpose of marriage. Any other type of dating is just stupid.
Who do you date?
1- A believer and follower of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:14 Deut 22:10 You both need to be chasing after God.
2- Someone morally submitted to God. Watch this person's fruits of the Spirit. Girls- You need a Psalm 1 and 1 Timothy 3 guy. Guys- You need a Proverbs 31 woman. Guys you need to be the Psalm 1 and 1 Timothy 3 guy and girls we need to be the Proverbs 31 woman! You do not need someone perfect, but someone perfectible. The experience of dating is not always the mechanism you need to use to evaluate a human being. You should hang out in groups to see how this person interacts with others. Anyone can put up a front for 2 or 3 hours.
3- Someone who is moving at the same pace as you.
4- Someone theologically compatible.
5- Someone socially compatible. They are headed in the same direction as you. What you want to do with your lives mesh well together.
6- Someone who you are physically attracted to.
How do you date?
1- Date with clarity. God is not a God of confusion. You do not play games with people. Do not go into the relationship uninterested. Be honest with the other person. **Guys should be clear with their actions/intentions. Guys should not confuse girls. If you are interested in pursuing the girl, just tell her. If you start spending a lot of time talking to a girl and especially about spiritual stuff..the girl is going to think you are interested in her. Tell her your intentions. Do not go around asking each other's friends, just be truthful and clear. And ladies, let the guy initiate everything. Be patient.
2- Date with autonomy. You are brothers and sisters in Christ. Let people make their own decisions. You are not married to the person yet. Do not force the other person to do anything. You are not bonded with that person in dating.
3- Date with purity. Being impure can sabotage your evaluation efforts. Have God's love for this person and that will build your friendship. You want the person you marry to be your best friend, so make sure there is friendship there and not just physical attraction to the person. 1 Corinthians 7:4.
4- Date with wisdom. Be private in public. If you are going to be alone with this person, then be alone in public. Do not expedite the romance.
5- Date in community. Have your family and friends watch your relationship. Make sure you each have accountability partners to keep you accountable on everything going on your relationship and have them call you out on the things you do wrong.
6- Do not rush into forever. Give things time. Be patient and wait.
7- Pray and trust God. Seek first His kingdom and everything else will come later and in its' perfect time.
You can go to breakawayministries.org and look at their podcasts or look these sermons up on itunes. Itunes is how I listened to them. :)
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Complete 180.
So, I was talking to a couple of my friends today and we were talking about how God has been using me lately and everything that is going on in my life. And then it hit me.
A year ago, I was not thinking like I am now, I was not doing the things I am doing, I was not trying to start new things in my community, I was not caring about the people I come in contact with, and I was not living my life according to God's Word like I should. God has been able to open my eyes to the Truth. And I am truly thankful and grateful for that. I will admit that giving EVERYTHING over to God was not the easiest thing to do, but it the absolute best decision I have ever made. We have to surrender ALL to Him, not some or most, but ALL. I am now in complete and total peace about everything in my life. I have a joy I cannot describe! And I am the happiest I have ever been!
I do not why I have been so comfortable in everything I was doing and not caring about the Gospel being preached and heard, not having a right relationship with my God, and not pouring my life into others so that they can be encouraged. What was I thinking? How can you sit there and not want to bring God glory and honor? My mind has been blown by God everyday in the past month and a half. My mindset has completely and totally transformed and I am thankful for that. God has given me opportunities to share with others about Him and form new relationships. There are things are happening in my life that I am SO excited about! :)
What is going on in my life is definitely not what I had planned for myself, but I so glad that this is what God has planned for me. This is 100 times better than what I had planned for myself! :) God is so very good to me!!
A year ago, I was not thinking like I am now, I was not doing the things I am doing, I was not trying to start new things in my community, I was not caring about the people I come in contact with, and I was not living my life according to God's Word like I should. God has been able to open my eyes to the Truth. And I am truly thankful and grateful for that. I will admit that giving EVERYTHING over to God was not the easiest thing to do, but it the absolute best decision I have ever made. We have to surrender ALL to Him, not some or most, but ALL. I am now in complete and total peace about everything in my life. I have a joy I cannot describe! And I am the happiest I have ever been!
I do not why I have been so comfortable in everything I was doing and not caring about the Gospel being preached and heard, not having a right relationship with my God, and not pouring my life into others so that they can be encouraged. What was I thinking? How can you sit there and not want to bring God glory and honor? My mind has been blown by God everyday in the past month and a half. My mindset has completely and totally transformed and I am thankful for that. God has given me opportunities to share with others about Him and form new relationships. There are things are happening in my life that I am SO excited about! :)
What is going on in my life is definitely not what I had planned for myself, but I so glad that this is what God has planned for me. This is 100 times better than what I had planned for myself! :) God is so very good to me!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
REAL!
I have been back in the country for 3 weeks now. It doesn't seem like it has been that long, but a lot has happened and kept me busy so it has flown by. God has given me SOOO many opportunities to share about my time in Asia with people. I am thankful for those opportunities and it seems that everyday I get a new one!
God has drastically changed my life and it is change for the better. My eyes are opened and I feel like I am actually able to breathe. I have a renewed heart and spirit. I feel like I am getting bits and pieces of the "bigger picture" everyday. I am constantly learning from God whether it be through my prayer time, His Word, or His people.
I have learned that Americans have NO CLUE what it means to be a Christian. We have no idea what it means to lay down our lives for our Lord and Savior. We cannot get over ourselves for even 5 minutes in a day to spend time with God. What is up with that?? Geez! I mean, the only reason we live, move, breathe, speak, and everything else we do is because of God and we cannot give Him the time He deserves. We stink. Horribly.
We have been given a message to proclaim wherever we go and do we do that? No. This message (AKA: THE GOSPEL) is pretty important. I mean, it does save lives. Who are we to sit in our little comfortable houses, comfortable cars, comfortable churches and not share with others the most important message that they will ever hear? I know stepping out of our comfort zones can be a big deal and all, but Jesus said to deny ourselves, pick up the cross and follow Him. When someone dies and rises from the dead 3 days later and gives instruction to us..um, we are supposed to do it.
So, what does it mean to be a Christian? It means denying yourself DAILY, picking up the cross DAILY, being bold DAILY, sharing the Gospel DAILY, overcoming sin DAILY, giving glory to God DAILY, reading His Word DAILY, praying to our awesome God DAILY, and seeking in everything you say, do, think, eat, and drink to bring God's holy kingdom glory! As important as these things are, we tend to forget them or let our flesh become more important. We would much rather have something else have priority over God, right? It is easy to do though if you are not constantly keeping yourself in check. Watching tv/movies, Facebook, Twitter, boyfriend/girlfriend, reading other books, pointless conversations..these are just some of the things we put before God. Why? Why are these things so important to us?
American Christianity is so crazy to me. It makes me really frustrated. We take EVERYTHING for granted. Like praying in a public place, openly reading your Bible, not having to talk about your God in code, and everything else. You know, some countries you are not allowed to talk openly about God, the one who can radically change your life. You are not allowed to pray in a public place. You have to watch everything you say because if you say the wrong thing then you get yourself into trouble. What if the US was this way? Who would be left to fight for their faith? Who would proclaim the Gospel? Who would withstand the persecution and count it joy to suffer for Christ? Would you go through trials upon trials and never deny your faith? These are the things I have been thinking about for weeks. I was in a country where the above mentioned things are not allowed.
My eyes were opened to Christians who were truly real about their lives with Christ. If you are a Christian in that country, then you are risking everything and everyone you know. There is no lukewarm Christians there, praise the Lord! They understand the urgency behind the Gospel and share it everyday, day in and day out. They read their Word. They study their Word. They risk their lives everyday. God challenged me while I was there and still is because I cannot get these people out of my head. I know what they are going through and what they face and they are not giving up. Their country's Christians are praying to send missionaries to the US. They are also praying that we face persecution, trials, and tribulations so we can stand up for our faith. I am praying with them. The United States of America needs the Lord something fierce. We really do. We need to take the God seriously and fear Him.
I just want people to be real.
How can God change your life? How can God use you to impact your community, state, country, and other countries?
God has drastically changed my life and it is change for the better. My eyes are opened and I feel like I am actually able to breathe. I have a renewed heart and spirit. I feel like I am getting bits and pieces of the "bigger picture" everyday. I am constantly learning from God whether it be through my prayer time, His Word, or His people.
I have learned that Americans have NO CLUE what it means to be a Christian. We have no idea what it means to lay down our lives for our Lord and Savior. We cannot get over ourselves for even 5 minutes in a day to spend time with God. What is up with that?? Geez! I mean, the only reason we live, move, breathe, speak, and everything else we do is because of God and we cannot give Him the time He deserves. We stink. Horribly.
We have been given a message to proclaim wherever we go and do we do that? No. This message (AKA: THE GOSPEL) is pretty important. I mean, it does save lives. Who are we to sit in our little comfortable houses, comfortable cars, comfortable churches and not share with others the most important message that they will ever hear? I know stepping out of our comfort zones can be a big deal and all, but Jesus said to deny ourselves, pick up the cross and follow Him. When someone dies and rises from the dead 3 days later and gives instruction to us..um, we are supposed to do it.
So, what does it mean to be a Christian? It means denying yourself DAILY, picking up the cross DAILY, being bold DAILY, sharing the Gospel DAILY, overcoming sin DAILY, giving glory to God DAILY, reading His Word DAILY, praying to our awesome God DAILY, and seeking in everything you say, do, think, eat, and drink to bring God's holy kingdom glory! As important as these things are, we tend to forget them or let our flesh become more important. We would much rather have something else have priority over God, right? It is easy to do though if you are not constantly keeping yourself in check. Watching tv/movies, Facebook, Twitter, boyfriend/girlfriend, reading other books, pointless conversations..these are just some of the things we put before God. Why? Why are these things so important to us?
American Christianity is so crazy to me. It makes me really frustrated. We take EVERYTHING for granted. Like praying in a public place, openly reading your Bible, not having to talk about your God in code, and everything else. You know, some countries you are not allowed to talk openly about God, the one who can radically change your life. You are not allowed to pray in a public place. You have to watch everything you say because if you say the wrong thing then you get yourself into trouble. What if the US was this way? Who would be left to fight for their faith? Who would proclaim the Gospel? Who would withstand the persecution and count it joy to suffer for Christ? Would you go through trials upon trials and never deny your faith? These are the things I have been thinking about for weeks. I was in a country where the above mentioned things are not allowed.
My eyes were opened to Christians who were truly real about their lives with Christ. If you are a Christian in that country, then you are risking everything and everyone you know. There is no lukewarm Christians there, praise the Lord! They understand the urgency behind the Gospel and share it everyday, day in and day out. They read their Word. They study their Word. They risk their lives everyday. God challenged me while I was there and still is because I cannot get these people out of my head. I know what they are going through and what they face and they are not giving up. Their country's Christians are praying to send missionaries to the US. They are also praying that we face persecution, trials, and tribulations so we can stand up for our faith. I am praying with them. The United States of America needs the Lord something fierce. We really do. We need to take the God seriously and fear Him.
I just want people to be real.
How can God change your life? How can God use you to impact your community, state, country, and other countries?
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
What are you going to do about it?
So I just returned home from the most amazing experience of my life. I cannot describe in words what all exactly I experienced. I really cannot. It was definitely humbling and God revealed so many things to me. I was away from all technology and everyone I knew. Sometimes it really does take God getting you away from your comforts, your cellphone that is constantly going off, your family, your friends, your computer that is a constant distraction, and all sense of time to show you things. I am so glad that I was away from those things. To be completely honest, I did not miss those things. I did not even think about my phone until it accidentally went off one day while I was there. When I was asked what I missed about home my answer was that I wish I knew how my family and friends were and how their Christmas was, but other than having a small conversation with each of them I was good.
Things I learned
1- I lack a lot of things in my life starting with faith. I tend to forget that my God is real and alive and can do anything and everything He wants to. I do not take my faith serious all the time. It is so easy to get bogged down into a routine and get stuck in a rut in your relationship with Him.
2- Another thing I lack is boldness in my relationship with God. We studied the book of Acts everyday while in China and it was awesome to see the Holy Spirit leading in every verse of it. Peter prayed for boldness. He would preach the Gospel, go to jail for it, get out of jail, and then go back to preaching the Good News again! Who does that?? I should!
Side note:We should risk it all for the glory of God! I am not holding back anymore! I pray that I am intentional about everything I do and say and that it all brings my God and Savior the glory! We are pathetic!! China is a closed country to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christians there risk EVERYTHING for the sake of His holy and precious name and what do we do? American Christians have the freedom of religion, we risk nothing, and STILL sit around not doing a thing about sharing the Gospel! Who are we to not share the most amazing thing in the world?! They risk their lives day in and day out and we do nothing. We were studying one day and were talking and came to the realization that America needs persecution of our Christians. Maybe then we see everyone's true colors and stand up for what we believe. Our country NEEDS to hear the Gospel!! So, what are you going to do about it??
So since I shared with my team that I felt like I lacked faith and boldness and prayed about it..God gave me opportunities to share with others.
3- I lack a lot of patience. I thought I knew how to patient. I was wrong. Ha! What is new? I have NO IDEA where God is taking me and I thought I was okay with that..but I was wrong..again! I mean, for the most part, I am okay with God leading and guiding me. I just wish I knew WHERE He is taking me and WHEN I am going to get there and WHO will be around in my life once I get there. I just need patience and I have decided that I am not going to wear a watch anymore. I need not to put God on a time table. We holds the most perfect plans for my life. And that is all I need to know. He is sovereign. End. Of. Story.
This is just a little snipit of my time spent in China. More to come later.
Things I learned
1- I lack a lot of things in my life starting with faith. I tend to forget that my God is real and alive and can do anything and everything He wants to. I do not take my faith serious all the time. It is so easy to get bogged down into a routine and get stuck in a rut in your relationship with Him.
2- Another thing I lack is boldness in my relationship with God. We studied the book of Acts everyday while in China and it was awesome to see the Holy Spirit leading in every verse of it. Peter prayed for boldness. He would preach the Gospel, go to jail for it, get out of jail, and then go back to preaching the Good News again! Who does that?? I should!
Side note:We should risk it all for the glory of God! I am not holding back anymore! I pray that I am intentional about everything I do and say and that it all brings my God and Savior the glory! We are pathetic!! China is a closed country to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Christians there risk EVERYTHING for the sake of His holy and precious name and what do we do? American Christians have the freedom of religion, we risk nothing, and STILL sit around not doing a thing about sharing the Gospel! Who are we to not share the most amazing thing in the world?! They risk their lives day in and day out and we do nothing. We were studying one day and were talking and came to the realization that America needs persecution of our Christians. Maybe then we see everyone's true colors and stand up for what we believe. Our country NEEDS to hear the Gospel!! So, what are you going to do about it??
So since I shared with my team that I felt like I lacked faith and boldness and prayed about it..God gave me opportunities to share with others.
3- I lack a lot of patience. I thought I knew how to patient. I was wrong. Ha! What is new? I have NO IDEA where God is taking me and I thought I was okay with that..but I was wrong..again! I mean, for the most part, I am okay with God leading and guiding me. I just wish I knew WHERE He is taking me and WHEN I am going to get there and WHO will be around in my life once I get there. I just need patience and I have decided that I am not going to wear a watch anymore. I need not to put God on a time table. We holds the most perfect plans for my life. And that is all I need to know. He is sovereign. End. Of. Story.
This is just a little snipit of my time spent in China. More to come later.
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