Jun 12, 2012
I have many discouraging thoughts at times. What keeps me hanging in there is that Jesus is my ultimate example. Knowing His love for me and having faith in His sovereignty.
Jesus used scripture when satan was temping Him, we also need to do the same.
“However, I consider my life nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20:28
It doesn’t matter how old or young we are, we will either be an encouragement or discouragement to the people in our lives. We rub off on others, so we need to be careful with the choices we make and how we live our lives because are all accountable for our actions. We can make it more difficult for others if we live our lives in selfish ways. The decisions we make really do affect others especially through us justifying our own thoughts and actions. Often we don’t feel the need to try to be careful in those areas because the other person doesn’t seem to care. This is how Satan gets a foothold.
I have been encouraged to spend more time with the Lord. Even though I don’t understand everything, I ask God that He would give me more knowledge for what He wants me to know and do. He wants us to grow in our faith as we rely on Him and His promises, even though it doesn’t always make sense.
What is so great about our God is that He knows our heart and when we are trying! He doesn’t condemn us, but rather desires a relationship with us so He can guide us. When we spend time with Him we will know more of who we are. We see life and others from His point of view. We can only know more of the truth in life when we spend time alone with Him and are obedient!
Jun 11, 2012
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
I was at Gospel For Asia for a week of interviews. I was confident I was ready to be on staff. Thursday morning I was praying, and God said “Wait.” “Wait? For what? I’ve been waiting for over six months already.”
I went into my last interview with David and he asked me how I felt. I answered “I feel like God is telling me to wait a little longer to get some more life skills.” This answer was not easy. In fact, the whole day I cried about it. I felt like God had abandoned me though, in reality He was a lot closer than I felt at the time.
When I got home, my parents were getting all over me for my decision, just as upset as I felt.
The next couple of weeks were tough. Satan kept on taunting me for the decision, even though my parents came to realize I had made the right decision. I honestly did not feel that way at the time.
During this time God had to keep on reminding that He is in control not me. There were a couple of verses that kept on popping up at the time. The first one was Philippians 3:12-13, where Paul writes about pressing on and keeping our eyes on Jesus despite our difficulties. The other one was Philippians 4, where Paul writes about bringing our prayers to God.
Almost immediately I started looking for jobs. I applied for one job, and I got a rejection letter.
The second job I applied for at a nursing home to do food service. I got an interview for this job.
I was in church this past Sunday, and the pastor did a sermon on Ezekiel 37:1-14 about the valley of dry bones. He talked about how when things seem hopeless God comes and renews us by His spirit. The past two weeks I had felt like a bunch of dry bones walking around. I didn’t know what God wanted me to do next and nothing seemed to be happening.
On Wednesday of this past week, I got a call from the employer from the nursing home I applied for. She wanted to know if I had a third reference, since she couldn’t get a hold of my references. I gave her a name and she said she would call me back after getting a hold of the reference. That same afternoon, I got a phone call asking me to do a drug test the next morning, which I agreed to do.
A few hours after the drug test, I got a phone call. I didn’t get it till around 4:20 when my mom came home because I was in the pool.
I called back once I got it, and found out I was hired for the job at the nursing home.
It is amazing how God has been working this past month. God has taught me so much about contentment and what it means to seek Him.
God knows all our needs and will provide for them in his timing. We just have to continue to seek His kingdom before anything else.
I am thankful to God, because he has given me a job I never expected to have and I’ll get to share His love with the nursing home residents.
Apr 23, 2012
Recently I heard a message from Auntie Gisela. She is K.P. Yohannan’s wife, and every third thursday of the month we have a Gospel For Asia ladies meeting where she will share a message with us. This month’s title was “The Gospel is Good News.” It’s good news for all who receive it. Even though times will get tough, God can handle it and will dust us off again. Nothing is too impossible for God.
God knows. So why worry? I’ve had struggles with depression off and on, and until just recently I’ve had a hard time combating it and refocusing on the Lord. It finally clicked during ladies meeting, that whatever I entertain in my thoughts, or in my heart will bear fruit. So if I dwell on those thoughts and feelings of depression, it will bear fruit and make me useless in reaching the lost in Asia. So in order to protect my call, I need to not think on those things. Just like in Philippians 4, where Paul says “whatever things are true, whatever things [are] noble, whatever things [are] just, whatever things [are] pure, whatever things [are] lovely, whatever things [are] of good report, if [there is] any virtue and if [there is] anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things.” (NKJV)
So if I immediately combat all those negative thoughts that I am worth nothing, that God doesn’t care about my desires, that there’s no point in me doing what I do because it’s all worthless, with the TRUTH that the Lord clearly lays out in His word for me, for this exact purpose, then I don’t have to worry.
Yes, it is hard to do. It’s so easy to entertain those thoughts. But I will NOT allow the enemy to get a foothold on my any longer. God loves me, He sent His Son to DIE for me, He rose again conquering death so that I may have a chance to live forever in His presence, and He is continuing to renew and transform me into His image. Who can be depressed when they can understand and grasp the depth of God’s unfailing love for them?
There is joy in the Lord. A Joy that will never fail. A Joy fed from His Spirit living in me. Even in times of trial and darkness, His joy is there to shine through me. And I’m happy about that. I am content in the Lord.
Anyway… that was my quick update of where my thoughts are at the moment. Hope it was a blessing to you! Remember that God knows what’s best for you. He knew it before you were born, and He knows how best to fulfill His plan in your life. So trust Him, and don’t worry. 🙂
Mar 12, 2012
So I just recently had a revelation. An “ah-ha!” moment, I would normally say. You know the verse Philippians 4:4 where Paul writes “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I will say rejoice!”
Gospel for Asia is an organization born from prayer. Literally, it started as a Tuesday night prayer meeting in our founders house, and still to this day, we are a living breathing organism grounded in the greatest gift given to believers in Christ – Prayer. We have Monday, Thursday, and Friday morning prayer before we go to our ministry areas, we have Tuesday night prayer every week, we have a Friday night all night prayer on the first Friday of every month, as departments we have prayer once, twice, or even three times a week, and of course there is personal prayer time. I’m not saying this to brag or anything, but just to make a point. With our lives grounded in prayer, you can bet that we see the effects of those prayer requests every day, sometimes immediately after we’ve prayed. I don’t know about you, but for me, this is a cause to rejoice.
Some of the answers to prayer may include, healing for brothers and sisters, people coming to know the Lord through the various ministries we have on the field, people faithfully giving to further God’s work, etc. Aren’t these amazing things?! But what about those prayer requests that we don’t get the result we had been hoping for? Say, we pray for healing for a brother or sister in Asia who was brutally beaten for professing Christ our Savior, we pray and we pray and we pray, but then that brother or sister goes to be with the Lord. How is that a good thing for the family that they left behind, or for the believers he was discipling in a distant village, or even for those who persecuted him? Doesn’t Paul say Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS?
Is the word “always” subjected to only the happy answers to prayer? Shouldn’t we also rejoice in the answers to prayer that aren’t as happy? Praise the Lord that brother is no longer suffering, but he is forever in the eternal presence of our Lord Jesus! Praise the Lord I didn’t get the raise in my paycheck, because HE knows what I need more than I could ever imagine! Praise the Lord for _______ (you fill in the blank).
Often times working in ministry I will get caught up in the numbers of the results. No matter how hard I try not to focus on the numbers, it seems to always creep into mind. Recently we have been praying for big things to happen on the web, but what happens if we don’t see that prayer answer? Or if the numbers go down? Will we still be praising the Lord for the lives transformed by the prayers and gifts given by those who were perhaps sacrificing what someone might call the “widow’s mite”? I want to say I would rejoice in this situation. I want to say I would rejoice in every situation, whether it be death, or new life, or sickness, or health. I will definitely be praying for the Lord to make this transformation in my heart and mind.
I am praying for each of you. I may not know your name, or what you look like, but I do know that God loves you more than you could ever fathom. And I pray that if you know Him, that you would grow in Him. If you don’t know Him, I pray that you will come to know and love Him just as He knows and loves you (even before you were born!).
Mar 1, 2012
My days are now full of family activities such as sledding, shoveling the snow from the driveway, and other things like raising my support to join staff at Gospel for Asia. Life is a roller coaster for sure. One moment I’m on the top of the world and the next I’m discouraged; wanting to climb in my bed and pull the covers over my head till the whole world dissolves. Today was actually a really good day till the afternoon but between lack of sleep and a few other stress factors I again got to the point where I wanted to hide from everyone. I cried a while and then looked through some pictures trying to find something that could help me not feel so gloomy. A picture of my family years ago… maybe just a goofy picture of my brothers and me. This is the one I found.
This is me the day I got the call saying I was accepted for the School of Discipleship. I was so excited that I ran outside in my socks to tell my brother who was taking pictures in the front yard. I’m not really fond of how I look in the photo but tonight it meant everything to me. It was remembering that God has specifically called me to do this job. He chose me to be in School of Discipleship and He chose me to keep serving by joining staff. I was more confident of God’s calling at this moment than I had ever been in my life and I felt a very similar (and maybe even greater) joy when I was sure God wanted me to join staff. So looking at the picture I had to ask myself what is different about life that makes me feel down in the dumps as opposed to skipping around in the dirt. Well it’s not God that’s changed and I’m sure that His call hasn’t changed either. The only thing that keeps changing are my emotions. But no matter what I do, or how I feel He is – and will always be – the same. That’s something I can bank on. He won’t let me down and He won’t let you down either.
Feb 27, 2012
Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata! Ain’t no passing craze
It means no worries for the rest of your days
It’s our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!
Hakuna Matata?
It means no worries for the rest of your days!
Feb 24, 2012
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psalm 8:4 KJV
I find myself asking this question today. What is my life, and who am I that God cares for me? I have done nothing good in my entire life apart from Jesus Christ. I find my thoughts consistent with Paul’s in Philippians 3:7-14: Everything that I used to hold onto and count as precious to me has practically turned into garbage compared to the glorious riches in Jesus Christ. For my first few days as a new student, I was completely shaken because my whole life since graduating college has been completely emerged in sin. I felt like an imposter being here. How and why would Jesus, the God of the Universe call me to give my life to Him? And why here at Gospel for Asia?
My whole life has earned me nothing but the wrath of God. Every “good” word and deed I’ve ever spoken and done have done nothing but store God’s wrath against me on the Day of Judgement. But after all of that, Jesus came and changed everything.
When did I start loving people? How are my passions the COMPLETE opposite of what they once were? I’m going to heaven? This is so hard to accept. But I believe Jesus. I believe God’s Word. While I was yet God’s enemy, He sent His son to take the punishment that I deserved for every crime that I’ve ever committed against God. The punishment for every single lie I’ve ever told, every object I’ve stolen, every woman I’ve lusted after, every ounce of anger that used to bubble in my being, every idol that I worshipped, every idle word and every curse against man and God that I’ve sputtered out of my mouth has all been taken from me and placed on Jesus’ shoulders. The love of God led me to faith and repentance, and I am now forgiven. I am forgiven because Jesus took my place.
Now, the only rational response is to abandon everything for this amazing King. The only decision that makes any sense at all in the light of this hilariously good news is to forget all of my dreams of “success” and to give up every fleeting pleasure on this earth in exchange for the only thing that will not burn away when all is said and done: The Kingdom of God. I can’t take ANYTHING with me when I die, so why not store up that which is waiting for me on the other side? God has made me a new man. He saw something in me and decided to call me His own.
Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!
May the whole world hear this beautiful news and know this same God that has rocked my world. Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel.
Feb 14, 2012
Today one in 200 American women suffers from anorexia. Simply put anorexia is someone who starves themselves.
In the same way the body of Christ is filled with millions of spiritually anorexic Christians.
There are many ways this happens.
1. By not reading and studying the Word of God daily.
2. By not spending time in Prayer (communion with God) daily.
3. By not fellow-shipping with our brothers and sisters regularly.
Unlike the eating disorder that is so obvious in the bodies of people today – Spiritual Anorexia is not something you can clearly see by looking in the mirror. However it is reflected in the words and actions of those who have it.
So many times we get caught up in work, ministry, school, and decide to condense or forgo the things of God.
Then one day we wake up and realize we are weary of life and wonder why God left us or where He is. When in reality the reason we are weary is because we haven’t gone to the Word for our nourishment, haven’t spent time with Jesus who said His yoke was light, have not met with brothers and sisters would encourage and edify us. We truly are a foolish bunch : D
This is a truly dangerous thing, it effects not only our own walk but also the body as a whole. When we don’t live all the things listed above we are
-easily deceived (there is a world of false teachers out there and a roaring lion ready to kill)
-easily discouraged and beaten down by life
-handicap in the minstry God has called us too
etc etc etc……
So I encourage you to spend time in the Word of God – IT IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE. It is like sitting down in front of God and listening to Him to speak to you!!!
Spend time in prayer both communing with God and interceding – YOU GET TO TALK TO THE CREATOR AND KING!! As well as being used by Him to change people and situations around you.
Spend time with believers – They have so much to teach you and vice-versa, they are so encouraging – and you might as well because you’ll be with them forever
May we not be Christians made up of only skin and bones – may we truly live life to the fullest in Christ, and for Christ.
Jermiah 15:16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
LORD God Almighty.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”-
Jan 31, 2012
It was the day before my bestest friend was coming back from Canada and I was super excited. Like most nights that week, I was headed over to hang with some friends of mine and I invited one of my roommates along as well. We were to bring drinks over, so a quick stop at TomThumb was necessary. As we perused the isles for some liquid to quench our thirst I had no idea that my car would be attacked. Attacked?? Well, here’s what happened. A family from Gospel For Asia had some ingredients for all night prayer that we had that Friday night and didn’t use. They weren’t sure what to do with the mushy corn, so they were going to take it home I believe. Little did they know my car would be conveniently unattended at TomThumb, so they disposed of the corn there.
From my perspective however, my roommate and I came out to find two packets of frozen corn from Target wedged between the antenna and the front door of my car. What?! Target brand corn, at TomThumb… on my car? Where in the world did this come from? And my windsheild wipers were up too… so strange! Who could have done this? and EW! The corn isn’t frozen! it’s all mushy and gross!! Anyway, I continued on my way and told the my friends what had happened. I ended up throwing the corn out, but was confused for a few days after that. Later however, the Gospel For Asia family confessed on my Facebook that it was them who placed the corn. Which was a great relief to my cornfused mind. 🙂
So, that was my mushy happenstance! Hope you enjoyed it!
Jan 9, 2012
“They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’” Rev. 4:10-11.
In the beginning of my School of Discipleship year I use to become distressed when I would think of that verse because every time I thought of that verse I would envision something that wasn’t pleasant at all.
My Dream: All the saints are before the Lord on that Day receiving their crowns. As they received their crowns they all fall on their knees, worship the Lord and give Jesus back the crown and all out of mere humility. As for me, I didn’t want to bend to my knees. I didn’t think it was necessary to give Jesus his crown back. With much pride I put the crown on my head and walked away as to say, “That’s right, I deserve this crown. I worked hard for it; I did the labor.” In the vision I walked away and that was it.
That dream of me before Jesus with that attitude was a reflection of how my life was here on earth as I served the Lord. I was selfish, self-centered, greedy and prideful. Yea, I know, gross! But God didn’t show me that to condemn me but to allow me to repent, become purified by the Holy Spirit and grow into the likeness of Christ.
What did I do? I prayed and prayed to become broken and humbled by the Lord so that my heart could change and Christ be glorified. After those prayers I started facing many challenging times in my life and all so that I could be purified and cleansed. (1 Peter 1:6,7)
The other night (Dec. 1, 2011) I was reflecting on my year and that night I was asking the Lord, “Lord, have I changed at all this year? Did I not take advantage of this year?” As I was praying that prayer the Lord brought me back to that verse in Revelations; I had that dream again but this time I saw myself in bended knees begging the Lord to take his crown back because he deserved it and I didn’t. I knew that brokenness and humility occurred this year in my life. I knew that I had more of an understanding of who I am and who God is and what he has done for me and for all the saints. In the midst of the dream I could feel the intensity so much that I wanted to cry; I never use to be eager to go before him because I knew of the condition of my heart but last night I was extremely eager to see him and worship him forever and ever as the creatures did in Rev. 4:10.
What God has started in me has not been finished. God continues but only if I truly yield to him, repent and allow him to change me.
How would I encourage you?: Pray, pray, pray and allow the Holy Spirit to search you and reveal your condition to you. When he reveals it to you yield to him, repent and allow the sanctification to begin. The process will be different for everyone but whatever the process may be remember that the painful process will be one that is good for you. Whatever situation God uses to purify you remember that it is about making you into the image of Christ so embrace the process with much joy and continue to walk in godliness. Brothers and sisters remain strong in the Lord because we will be with him soon and we will inherit the promises that he has given to us. PRAISE GOD!!!!
And another thing as you seek brokenness and humility: follow Jesus’ commands in Matt. 28:18-20. Make disciples of all nations… teach them the ways of Christ as you have been taught… in all this don’t forget that you go in the authority and power of Christ – remember Jesus will be with you until the end of the age.
I love you all with the love of Christ. The only love that lasts an eternity!
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