Paul was a man that knew the ways of God, who walked with God and lived a life of excitment, travel, adventure but he remained humble and never boasted.
Paul also allowed God to refine him in his weakness. May of times in my life I have gotten angry at God when in troubled waters but Paul had it right; he allowed God to become his strength in his storms.
2 Corinthians
9 ``...my grace is sufficiant for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness...``
When we are weak and we choose to still worship God then we have truely brought glory to God. Also in our weakness we learn so much about ourselves and can hear from God more clearly.
We get lost every easily when we allow ourselves to be lead by our emotions. I am not saying that emotions are bad, actually God created them, but we need to raise them up to the truth. Every morning we would all have to get up early to do devotions and worship, there were plenty of mornings that my heart was just not into it but as I pushed through and worshiped God because He is God, there was breakthrough.
In one of these moments this is what God told me...
When you feel the most helpless, alone, and at the end of your rop, cry out to me! There is no hole deep enough that can keep me from you. I will carry you on wings like eagles, I will be your shelter from the storm, I will be your strength amist the battle, for when you are weak my strength will come to you like the winds.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I'm Back...
Sorry, it has been too long! I was unable to blog during my outreach to Southeast Asia due to security reasons, then I have been adjusting to being back home in Canada, which has been a mission in it's self. But I am glad to say that I am back!
I have learned so much about God, relationships, and myself in the last couple of months that it would take forever to blog about it, so I will just give you the highlights and future hopes...
I have learned that you will learn so much more is a place of discomfort and personal struggles then you will ever learn from hearing about it from others, so firstly I would like to encourage you to put yourself into an uncomfortable place. It is in our weakness that God becomes known. This was what I learned my first couple days in Asia. I spent a couple of days overwhelmed with the situation that the locals have to face. Issues like human trafficing, sex trade, violence are to be seen everywhere. The value of an individual has a price in these countries. Knowing the value that Christ puts on all of our lives makes these issues that much more heart-breaking. I could not wrap my head around it and all I could do was cry. I was in my room for 3days with no food and all I could do was stare at the wall and it felt like I had lost my ability to process. By the third day I finally had breakthrough. God has reveiled to me what my purpose was for this season; it was to give all that I have to the poor and that generosity leads to equality.
2 Corinthians 8
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for YOUR sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty, might become rich.
13-15Our desire is not that others might become relieved while you are hard-pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty may supply your need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who has gathered much dd not have too much, and he that gathered little did not have too little."
So after reading that I had to ask the question, "well how much Lord? How much am I suppose to give?"
Give all of yourself to the poor but know that to give all of yourself you must have enough to sustain yourself. Give till it hurts but stop before it kills you.
One night after a day full of ministry in Asia, three friends and I went out for supper to a local restaurant. We sat down at a table that was open to the street. As we were waiting for our meal, street kids were coming up to tourists (including us) begging for money. I was overwhelmed again by to degree of poverty in this nation. We were all challenged with this question of what do we do? How do we effect change in this situation. My friend sitting across from me had a reply that still challenges me and I will never forget. He said," Jesus never turned a person in need away, yet gave all that he had (including his life) to them."
Wow! After that I approached every situation with this as my foundation. If we give all that we have to a person in need, we have not only anwsered their physical need but we have shown them to love of Christ! I have learned the generosity is a lot more than meeting peoples physical needs but it is also about feeding them spiritually.
There is no formula or set steps to what we must give but the answer is to keep your heart open to God and to each other always.
Also sometimes the things that we are most desperate for, is the very thing that we are meant to give to others.
I have learned so much about God, relationships, and myself in the last couple of months that it would take forever to blog about it, so I will just give you the highlights and future hopes...
I have learned that you will learn so much more is a place of discomfort and personal struggles then you will ever learn from hearing about it from others, so firstly I would like to encourage you to put yourself into an uncomfortable place. It is in our weakness that God becomes known. This was what I learned my first couple days in Asia. I spent a couple of days overwhelmed with the situation that the locals have to face. Issues like human trafficing, sex trade, violence are to be seen everywhere. The value of an individual has a price in these countries. Knowing the value that Christ puts on all of our lives makes these issues that much more heart-breaking. I could not wrap my head around it and all I could do was cry. I was in my room for 3days with no food and all I could do was stare at the wall and it felt like I had lost my ability to process. By the third day I finally had breakthrough. God has reveiled to me what my purpose was for this season; it was to give all that I have to the poor and that generosity leads to equality.
2 Corinthians 8
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for YOUR sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty, might become rich.
13-15Our desire is not that others might become relieved while you are hard-pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty may supply your need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who has gathered much dd not have too much, and he that gathered little did not have too little."
So after reading that I had to ask the question, "well how much Lord? How much am I suppose to give?"
Give all of yourself to the poor but know that to give all of yourself you must have enough to sustain yourself. Give till it hurts but stop before it kills you.
One night after a day full of ministry in Asia, three friends and I went out for supper to a local restaurant. We sat down at a table that was open to the street. As we were waiting for our meal, street kids were coming up to tourists (including us) begging for money. I was overwhelmed again by to degree of poverty in this nation. We were all challenged with this question of what do we do? How do we effect change in this situation. My friend sitting across from me had a reply that still challenges me and I will never forget. He said," Jesus never turned a person in need away, yet gave all that he had (including his life) to them."
Wow! After that I approached every situation with this as my foundation. If we give all that we have to a person in need, we have not only anwsered their physical need but we have shown them to love of Christ! I have learned the generosity is a lot more than meeting peoples physical needs but it is also about feeding them spiritually.
There is no formula or set steps to what we must give but the answer is to keep your heart open to God and to each other always.
Also sometimes the things that we are most desperate for, is the very thing that we are meant to give to others.
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