WOW GOD IS SO COOL!!!
The Lord is so good. I am learning so much about Him. It is so beautiful that our God is never-ending. Never will I ever fully understand or comprehend Him. What a JOY that I get to continue to grow and learn more about the God I serve for eternity. Wowowow the God who created the universe, the universe that is currently expanding every second, loves me and you, wow God is so cool!!!
Here is a little update on what God has been teaching me lately:
I am currently in Gainesville Georgia for training. I have been here for about a month. Life looks very different here. My squad and I are living in tents, hand washing our clothes, and learning to love one another and work together as a team when we have never met before. We are also learning to let go of a lot of things. We are learning to let go of comfortability, the people we love, and our own space and belongings as we begin to live together as a family. Every day we are learning to let go of our old selves and step into our new selves through the power of Jesus Christ, the word of God, and community (Ephesians 4:21-24). It is a hard process to let go of our old habits and ways of thinking in order to step into more freedom and life with Christ. If you want to know more details I would love to chat with you on the phone and share more of that with you ?¨! I do want to share with you a few of the biggest things God has been teaching me during my time here in Georgia. And that is the power and promise of His presence, the reality of daily bread, the fullness of the gospel, and the beauty of the body of Christ.
The power and promise of God’s presence.
After Jesus rose from the dead and sent the disciples out, He promised that He would be with them always, even to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20). On my first night here I cried myself to sleep out of a fear of snakes. I was in a new place, sleeping outside in a tent, missing people I loved, exhausted and afraid, and feeling so alone. A few of my squamates came and prayed for me, this made me feel very loved. But after they left, I felt alone again. In this space, crippled by fear, I asked God for comfort. The Holy Spirit reminded me of this scripture in Matthew and what Jesus had promised to His disciples. After being reminded of this truth, I repeated it over and over again until the truth of His promise set in and I knew He was with me. That was when I finally fell asleep. I know this seems silly, being afraid of snakes, but it was real and terrifying for me at the moment and the only thing that brought me comfort was the truth that God had already spoken to me, that He was with me. Meditating on that truth until I believed it and knew that my God was true to me and would protect me from any scary creatures that roamed in the night was the only thing that brought me peace. Since that first night, I have been experiencing many new things, being taught many new perspectives on scripture, and have been missing many people as well as comforts in my life that I don’t have here. It is very humbling and stripping as I am processing a lot of new information in a place I am far from comfortable with, but God has continued to remind me through His word that He is with me. That truth has brought me more comfort and peace than any knowledge, person, or outward comfort has ever brought me in my life. And although at times I have been overwhelmed processing many of the things we have been taught, getting used to sleeping on the ground, and getting to know the people around me, I am stronger because I know my God is with me. My foundation is being rebuilt on the promise Jesus spoke to His disciples in Matthew 28:20, rather than my circumstances or the things around me. God’s presence is a promise to us as we continue to follow Him in obedience. And His presence is more powerful than our circumstances, knowledge, or the people and things around us. And with His presence, there is peace and joy that will last forevermore, wherever we go.
The reality of daily bread.
During my first week here, one girl shared a testimony. She told the story of how she used to struggle with eating. She said at first it was hard not to eat, but as you stop eating, your body stops producing the hormones to signal to your brain that you are hungry. On the outside, you seem and feel fine, but on the inside, you are slowly dying. The girl shared that when she got here and started eating meals three times a day, she found her hunger again! As her body was being taken care of, it started functioning the way it was made to and allowing her to walk in more fullness of life. The story with food is the same for every believer with the time we spend in the Lord. Jesus calls himself the “bread of life”. (John 6:35) We humans need to eat food, we are dependent on it and cannot live without it. It is the same with our time spent with God, in the word of God. To walk in freedom and life, we have to know the God who created life itself, and that starts by spending time with Him. Talking to Him in prayer, listening to Him, and reading His word. When I first got here, I was under the impression I was going to have a lot of free time to spend alone with God. Although, once I got here I realized that was not the case. We spent so much time in sessions and lessons, learning about the word of God and time with our squad processing the word of God, that I slowly let my alone time with the Father slip. I figured I didn’t need it because I was surrounded by Christians and being taught the Bible all day long. I was okay living this way for a little bit. But I began to notice there was something in me that was unsatisfied, something that was longing for more, something that was hungry. I found myself seeking satisfaction in the people around me, in food, in control over my schedule, and in missing home. None of this satisfied me or made me feel better. I was beginning to starve. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong, I knew God was with me and that He is more than enough, and I knew that I was where I was supposed to be so why was I growing so bitter? One evening I cried out to the Lord for help and the next day He revealed the truth to me through Romans 1. The end of Romans 1 talks about a people group that has turned away from God and into wickedness, rebellion, and sin. It is easy to read this and think, “that’s not me, I love God, I’m even a missionary living for Him.” But thank God for the Holy Spirit that opened my eyes to the condition of my heart through this chapter. Before Paul describes the people and sins they are committing at the end of Romans 1, he talks about how they got there. In verse 25, Paul says that these people; “exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.” (Romans 1:25) Paul also says that these people; “did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God.” (Romans 1:28) These people were Gods people, they knew Him, but instead of giving Him thanksgiving and glory and meditating on who He is, they began to worship the things He had given them and do their own thing, thinking it was fine that they disregard God (Romans 1:21). In this season of my life I am surrounded by God so it would be easy to assume that I was not acting in this way. But, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I was disregarding my alone time with God and focusing on “worshipping” the things I didn’t have in this season instead of thanking and glorifying Him for who he is. I was on the path toward the wickedness of those people that Paul talks about at the end of Romans 1. Although it didn’t look like it on the outside, my insides were slowly dying as I had stopped consuming the bread of life every day alone with the Lord. Through this God revealed to me the vital importance of alone time with Him, intimacy with Him, and abiding in Him (John 15:4). I can be surrounded by God offering me living bread and water, but if I am not choosing to consume it every day, then I am slowly dying. As I have repented of this and started prioritizing my alone time with the Lord every day, multiple times a day, even if that requires sacrificing sleep, I have experienced a radical transformation. My hunger is back! And I have been once again walking in freedom and fullness of life as my spiritual body is being nourished by the bread and water that comes from God and the Beaty of walking in relationship with Him. God is my satisfaction and life and everything I need comes from Him. All else outside of this place is a blessing, a gift, not what satisfies me, and definitely not something worth worshipping. All praise to the good Lord almighty who reigns forevermore, in Him is where I find what I truly need.
The fullness of the Gospel.
This has been the most eye-opening, renewing, and powerful thing God has taught me since being here at training camp. I grew up all my life hearing the Gospel, when I was fifteen I believed and put my faith in the truth of the Gospel and met Jesus. I have read the whole New Testament, including the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and I still did not understand the fullness of the Gospel until now. The American Church teaches and focuses on the part of the Gospel where Jesus died on the cross for our sins to atone for us and reconcile us in our relationship with God. While this is the Gospel, it is only part of the Gospel. The part that we forget to teach about is what happened after Jesus died. After Jesus dies, He was raised to life. We have heard this and we celebrate it at Easter, but what does it mean? When Jesus rose from the dead, He conquered sin and death. So not only did He remove our sins from us, but He also overcame their power and freed us from them so that in Him we no longer have to live under the law. We can have life and live free from sin. Sin leads to death, but we can live full of life when we live with Jesus! The restoration we will experience in Heaven has already begun through the work Jesus did on the cross. We don’t have to wait to be fully restored, we can walk free of sin when we walk in the grace God poured out for us on the cross. The truth is that we are nothing without God, even our good works are dirty rags compared to Him (Isaiah 64:6). God is pure and holy and good. However, we as humans, in our fleshly nature are not, we are slaves to sin because of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the garden (Romans 5:19, Romans 3:23-24). Yet, God still found us worth paying it all, suffering in our place not only to forgive us of our sins and be restored in our relationship with Him, where we were created to be but also to set us free from their power and reign in our life (Romans 6). Ever since I have been following Jesus, I knew He died in my place, a death I should have suffered instead of Him. I knew He loved me and made a way for me to be restored in my relationship with God, but somehow I missed the power and freedom found in His resurrection. Somewhere inside me, I believed I had to pay God back for what He did for me by living a holy life on my own, for Him. I have continually failed over and over and over again. Something inside me was still trying to work out my salvation and freedom instead of standing in and on God’s grace and the power of His resurrection. Not that I do nothing from that place, but I rely on Jesus and His power instead of my own strength (2 Corinthians 12:9). Who am I to think that I could pay back God for the free gift He has given, I do not have the power to live a holy life for Him on my own. But, I do have the access, the ability, and the choice to walk in freedom as I depend on His grace and what He has already done. God is so cool. I can’t even begin to comprehend or understand Him. But, I can have faith and stand in His grace and power, and truth even if I don’t fully understand it. I have seen as my understanding of the fullness of the Gospel expands, and as my faith in His power instead of my own grows, I am naturally living a sinless life. Not that I don’t stumble occasionally because I am still human and I am still imperfect. But, my focus is no longer on myself because I cannot save myself. My focus is on the cross, on Jesus’ power and resurrection and authority and abundant grace. Through that grace, I stand and sin is no match for the power of God’s grace. If there is something in your life that you feel enslaved to, that you have to do, or you believe is just not glorifying God, I want to encourage you to read Romans. Read it with a friend, a mentor, or a spouse, something. Just pray to God to open your eyes, to help you understand, and then read His word, it is so good. Resurrection power is more powerful than death. It is more powerful than sin. You can live in freedom and fulness of life with the God of the universe who created you and knows how you work best. Read His words and put your faith in Him and what He says is true instead of yourself and I promise you it will transform your life for the better. I’m a walking testimony of it.
The beauty of the body of Christ.
About a week ago my squamates and I went on a fitness hike. We packed our big packs and hiked 2 miles up a mountain to camp for the night and then hiked down the next morning. As simple as this seems, it took us three hours to go one way. One of our friends about a week before this hike broke his heel bone, so he couldn’t walk. He decided he would stay back from the hike, but we decided we were going to take him with us. So, we made a homemade stretcher and carried our friend Parker up the mountain. A hike that on our own would have taken us an hour and 20 minutes at max, took us more than three hours. With any group of people, this experience could have gone different ways. We could have gotten bitter toward our crippled friend for slowing us down, we could have complained about how uncomfortable it was to carry him and all of our stuff and he could have even complained and felt bad about us having to carry him the whole way up. But instead, I watched as my squamates, my brothers and sisters in Christ, joyfully hiked up the mountain. Together as a team, we took turns carrying our friend up the mountain so that we could all go together. This experience opened my eyes so much to the beauty of the body of Christ, (1 Corinthians 12:12 + 27) and what it meant to lay down one’s life for one’s friends, (John 15:13) and to leave no man behind. (Luke 15:3-7) It was challenging and hard but so so beautiful. I am so thankful to be surrounded by these people. They love Jesus and they love the people around them in a way that sometimes can only be explained through the power of the Holy Spirit. These people choose to pursue hard things and be grateful for them instead of complaining about them. They know the word of God and are passionate about learning more. And they don’t leave anyone left behind. The body of Christ is powerful, especially when we move as a team. Christ said they will know you are my disciples by the way you love one another (John 13:34-35). My squamates and I are different, and we have had disputes and disagreements, the disciples had these as well. But we also desire to love God and love one another over everything and that makes all the difference. The night we spent on the mountain was beautiful and cold and so much fun. Nobody slept well and we ate out of a bag filled with peanut butter for breakfast. Our hike was not glorious, or comfortable and we all smelt pretty bad when we got to the top. But we enjoyed just being in the presence of the Lord, depending on Him as our strength, and loving the people around us. This is what we were created for, to love God and love one another, to run the race together and it is a beautiful and powerful thing (Matthew 22:37-40). Not one of us could have carried our friend Parker up the mountain on our own, but together as a team, as the body of Christ, we did it and we rejoiced! Just as we will be rejoicing in the next 8+ months to come, as we carry the hurting, broken, and lost people in the world back to the feet of Jesus, together as the body of Christ.
Thank you for continuing to join me on this journey. You too are a part of the body of Christ. I know this was a lot of information and if there was anything you disagree with/ want to know more about I would love to talk to you. Leave your contact information in the comment section or give me a call and we can chat ?¨. As for what is coming next after my squad’s time here at training camp; we will be in Kentucky to help with disaster relief from the flooding that has occurred there for about two weeks. After that, we will leave the country to go to Nicaragua. We would appreciate prayer for the people in Kentucky that are suffering from the loss of their homes at this time. That through their suffering they would meet Jesus and build their new homes on Him, who is the rock that will never be destroyed.
Ephesians 4:21-24
When you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Matthew 28:20
Then Jesus came to me and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.”
John 6:35
Then Jesus said,” I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Romans 1:28
Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind so that they do what ought not to be done.
Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator— who is forever praised. Amen.
Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
John 15:4
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
Isaiah 64:6
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind, our sins sweep us away.
Romans 5:19
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous
Romans 3:23-24
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:6-7
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Romans 6:14
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so Christ’s power may rest on me.
1 Corinthians 12:12
Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay one’s life down for one’s friends
Luke 15:3-7
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine persons who do not repent.
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”
Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and prophets hang on these commandments.”
