Philippians 2:8 IBS

Friday August 29^th, 2014

Philippians 2:8 “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

            Death. I talked about this in my last one, how Jesus CHOSE to die for us. Well, what if it came to that for you? What if you were in a position where you can either choose to die and save those around you, or walk away and they wouldn’t be saved? That might be a little easier said than done, especially if the people were the ones you loved. We can talk the talk, but can we walk the walk?

But see for Jesus, He loved every single one of us. I just wonder if as He was on the cross He was picturing every single one of our faces…I bet He was. Another thing that Jesus did was obey His father. His father sent Him to die on the cross for us. Jesus knew what was to come, yet He still went and still chose to do so. I’m so repetitive with all of this, but it’s so amazing.

Now, dying is an extreme, but it’s an extreme that Jesus was willing to endure. Is it something you are willing to endure for Him? I would like to say yes to that, but sometimes my human brain would like to think otherwise, but that’s because of pride. Which then brings in the whole lesson of humility and being like Jesus comes in. We’re all going to die at some point, why not go out in the “blades of glory” for the Lord? But of course be meek and give God all the exaltation. What a wondrous thing Jesus did for us, lets return the favor because we deserve nothing and He deserves everything! (Of course we can’t meet what the Lord did for us, but we can still go full out serving Him!)

Application: To remember what the Lord did for me I will draw a cross on my hand.

Philippians 2:7 IBS

Thursday August 28^th, 2014

Philippians 2:7 “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

            Reputation. What is the first word that pops into your head when you hear the word reputation? For me it’s what others think of me; my status. Which in our society today, especially in the United States is pretty prominent. We are always looking to have riches or to have the best image, or just point the finger to three people: me, myself, and I. Jesus came down to be amongst His people. He didn’t even make Himself equal with God, even though He is God (which I talked about yesterday). Seriously, why do we insist on everything being about ourselves? Talk about a slap in the face when the Savior of the World didn’t even make a reputation of Himself or equal with God.

Bondservant. Slave by choice. Jesus came to earth and chose to do the works and wonders He did. He chose to walk out a life as a man and to go through the Crucifixion. He chose to take the beating and scourging, mockery, and the weight of the world. How can I even have the thought of “I’m giving up a year of my life to serve, oh how marvelous and great I am”? He took lashes for me, He went through the most excruciating death…for me. Not only did He take it all, He chose…HE CHOSE to die. I know I’m repeating myself a lot here, but it’s just so much to fathom. No matter how many times I hear or read the story of what Jesus went through for me, it will never cease to amaze me.

But that is something to always look to. The Lord chose to die for me, why can’t I take on the form of a bondservant and choose to serve Him…without a complaint or praise to myself or reputation? I want to serve behind the scenes, only serving the Lord. I want to take any compliments I receive and give them to the Lord, like a bouquet of flowers. I want my reputation to be in the Lord. When people see me, I want them to see Jesus Christ shining through, so their eyes will be on the Lord and not on me.

Application: The sunshine is always such a beautiful thing and I always see God through it. So to remember that Jesus needs to be shining through me, I will draw a sun on my hand.

Philippians 2:5-6 IBS

Wednesday August 27^th, 2014

Philippians 2:5-6 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,”

            “Hah what?” Is my initial thought upon reading these two verses, but the first verse is what is striking to me right now. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” Obviously it’s talking about the verses to follow, but we are to have a mind like Christ. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Having Christ in us, He allows us to be renewed and to have new thinking basically. Jesus is the ultimate example of how we should be…obviously.

            Well the ESV version of verse 6 says, “Who though He was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” This version makes a little more sense, this is a form of humility. Jesus knew who He was, He knew he was God, yet He didn’t reckon Himself to that level. God is like at the top of the Tower of Doom in Elitch Gardens Denver and Jesus is the one at the bottom, staying in line among the rest of us. That kind of goes into verse seven, which is tomorrow, so I’ll stop there, but the point is Jesus humbles Himself and doesn’t even make Himself alike with God. Every moment of the Crucifixion, Jesus could’ve stopped it, because He is God, but He knew His Father’s will so He didn’t and chastened Himself.

            That’s how we should be. Why is it as humans we think so highly of ourselves or greater than those around us? We are dirty rotten sinners. I like the story Pastor Jim told us about greeting people in church. Turn to the guy next to you, he’s just as much of a failure as you are. “Hi, I’m Brittani and I’m a failure.” Only through Christ am I lifted up. What an amazing thing Christ did for us. So just be like Him, be humble and make yourself low.

            Application: To remember to be like Christ and to be humble and to lower myself, I will write “be low” on my hand/arm.

Philippians 2:4 IBS

Tuesday August 26^th, 2014

Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

            Well my application from yesterday being to look out for ways I can help other people, it might be a little difficult to come up with something new, but God always shines through. And this entire week is one verse after another for a reason, so it’s okay. Let’s take a look at the first part of this verse. Looking out for our own interests. Well some might say that’s contradicting because we are supposed to die to ourselves right, and not even think of ourselves? Well true, but God’s word doesn’t contradict itself. Here I see looking out for your interests in the Lord and seeking out your personal relationship with Him. In order for us to even begin to help others and shine God’s light we have to first make sure our relationship with Him is in line. If our heart is not in the right place with the Lord, then things will be catastrophic. But to even suggest helping others without having your relationship right with the Lord first, leads into you doing it all for the wrong reasons, which is generally to have personal gain. Which then causes problems and we are not giving the glory to where it should be given, the Lord.

            So obviously, we are to look out for others’ interests and help each other, but first you have to seek the Lord. For me God has definitely grown me since being here and I know my heart is sought out for God, but in order for me to be of service to others I need to daily be in prayer that I will be in line with Him. I need to ask for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, not only daily, but several times throughout each day so He can lead me and guide me to do the works I need to be doing.

            Application: In order to stay in line with God I will constantly be asking for a fresh breath from the Holy Spirit throughout the day, still look out for my teammates and others’ if they are in need, and write “be in line with Him” on my hand/arm.

Philippians 2:3 IBS

Monday August 25^th, 2014

Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in the lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

            Humility. That is the first word that pops into my head upon reading this verse. Everything is to be done for the Lord and through His glory. And we are to lower ourselves so we can then help others. I have been reminded ever since the end of June about Jesus washing the Disciples’ feet in John 13:1-17. I did a skit with my church for one of the days at Vacation Bible School and we’ve talked about it here a few times. It’s such a good example of how we should be. Jesus, our Lord, our Savior bent down and did the lowliest of low jobs and washed His disciples’ feet! Let me say that again…FEET! But Jesus is who we are supposed to be like, right? Christian means “little Christ”, to be “Christ-like”. So this is just one of many examples, but this is what fits for today.

            The first part of this verse is so difficult, because we as humans are so selfish. Let me ask you something…how many times a day do you look in the mirror? I don’t even want to answer that myself, especially when we spend most of our time in a room full of mirrors here…I just can’t help but think how selfish of me. Looking in a mirror is just one illustration of how egotistical we are. I need to be looking away from the mirror and to those around me. Is there someone who needs encouraging or help and I miss it because I’m too busy looking in the mirror and worrying about myself? This verse just says it all: do things for the Lord; giving Him glory, lower yourself; play the background, and lift others up; showing them Jesus.

Application: This verse really reopened my eyes to things that I need to work on. So to act on that I will write “play the background” on my hand/arm and look out for things I can do to help others (i.e. pray, help with K.P., anything the Lord shows me).

           

Team Cambodia!

I am pleased to announce the country in which the Lord is placing me for my six month field time... *drumroll*... CAMBODIA! We found out two days ago on Thursday August 21st, 2014! I am so excited to get to know my teammate, Kaylee more and to see what the Lord has in store for both of us! :) GO TEAM CAMBODIA!

 

 

This photo was taken July 14th, 2014...only our 3rd day here in Antigua. We've grown so much since then as IGNITE Class Seven! I praise God for them and I am excited to see what He does for each of them in their field locations as well! :)

Angeli and Yasmin

This is Angeli and Yasmin, they are sisters. Angeli is 10 years old and Yasmin is 8 years old. This was their first week at Kid's Club Guatemala- 8/6/2014. I just clicked with them immediately! I have seen them come every week ever since and it brings joy to my heart to hear them sing to the Lord when we do the kids songs; they've grown so much since this day and I thank the Lord so much for these two lovely girls!

 

Hebrews 13:17 IBS

Friday August 22, 2014

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

            Well this is something that all of us learn at a young age. Obey your parents, obey your teachers, obey your aunts and uncles, your grandparents, etc. All of the people above us, we are to be submissive to. I even would like to consider elders. They are the wise and we are to respect them. They know what they are doing, they’ve grown up and experienced things so that way we can learn from them and not make as many mistakes. I know I mentioned the government the other day, but Romans 13:1-2 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” God appoints everyone in the place they are in for a reason. Our president is our president for a reason, our parents are our parents for a reason, etc. And we were born in this generation for a reason to learn and grow from the authority given, so we can later (God willing) be examples in the Lord for the youth.

            Obeying brings joy to our leaders/elders. If we don’t obey we bring grief and disappointment to them. When we are not minding the rules in place for us, we are making it unbeneficial for us. In the moment we may think the rules don’t make sense, but in the long run it is for our benefit. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather have joy than grief in this sad, sad world, so just obey.

Application: So to remember to just obey and to keep the joy God intended for us, I will write submit on my hand.

Ephesians 6:1 & Colossians 3:20 IBS

Thursday August 21^st, 2014

Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey you parents in the Lord, for this is right.”

Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.”

            Well clearly this is important, it’s repeated several times. Like I’ve said before God uses repetition to get things across to our tiny human brains. It’s one of the ten commandments, Exodus 20:12 says, “honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” You would think we would get it, but with our sinful nature it happens. All you have to do is ask for forgiveness from your parents and R.E.P.E.N.T. to the Lord.

            One thing that keeps coming to mind for some reason is Charlie Brown. Weird I know, but it’s an example of the depiction of parents and that influences kids. All of the adults on that show apparently don’t matter because their speech is “wah-wah-wah-wah-wah”. Even with T.V. shows on Disney Channel today or just T.V. shows in general, the kids are disrespecting their parents. Oh what a world we live in…how unfortunate that we allowed sin to enter. But praise the Lord for our Savior, Jesus Christ. Anyways, bringing it back…or the parents are perceived as “uncool”…which I’m sure we can all agree to that from time to time (haha), but speaking for myself, in the end I don’t know what I would do without my mom. I have the privilege to obey her and my father as well. Not only do I have the privilege to obey them, but it’s a command from the Lord and He is the ultimate one we are supposed to follow and obey. Just like Acts 5:29 says, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” No need to go into that because we just IBSed that the other day, but just listen to the Lord and obey your parents. These verse are very straight forward and I thank God for that.

Application: I feel like this is such a good reminder and something that I can look to for when I return home, but right now in this moment to remember to abide by this commandment from the Lord in obeying my parents, I will write “parents>wah-wah-wah” on my hand. (Trying to get creative here, especially with not being anywhere near my parents, but regardless of that I need to obey them.) And I will call my parents to apologize for any disrespect and disobedience that I’ve done.

Romans 6:16 IBS

Wednesday August 20^th, 2014

Romans 6:16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?”

            Slave. Basically the person who does everything for their master. What a strong word and definition. The immediate thought most have is people wearing raggedy clothes and getting whipped…how awful. And it is quite dreadful, but in this perspective it’s a little different…

            What Romans 6:16 is essentially saying (in simpler terms) is that if you follow God you are a slave to Him or if you follow sin or Satan you are a slave to him. That leads me to what I mentioned yesterday, who do you put on a pedestal? Who are you serving? God is the one we are supposed to be serving, to be slaves to. This isn’t the context of the raggedy wearing, beaten slave. Free will of man, we have the choice to serve Him. We don’t have to do anything at all for Him…but we get the privilege to. The God, who created the universe, the Betelgeuse star that is ginormous and not even the biggest star in the galaxy, us…the cross shaped Laminin molecule that holds us together, and need I say more?! He deserves to be served!

If we don’t serve Him though, we are slaves to our sins and wickedness. There are only two ways to live…unto the Lord or unto Satan. If we don’t follow the Lord, we are slaves to the most unfortunate, depressing thing…sin and what separates us from our incredible God. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a slave to my sin and be eternally separated from The Creator, cast into a burning lake with gnashing teeth and a constant torture.

Application: Because we are human beings, we sin…always, so in a way we are slaves to our sin. But I choose to serve the Lord over my sin, so repentance comes in. To remember to repent when I do sin and to stick to being a slave to the Lord I will write “REPENT” on my hand.

Acts 5:29 IBS

Tuesday August 19^th, 2014

Acts 5:29 “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’”

            Who is number one in your life? Who or what do you put on a pedestal? Based on what you value that can be pretty clear. Some people may say they put family first or their friends, which is a good thing, but not when it is before the Lord. It’s like what I mentioned before in one of my other Inductive Bible Studies from last week, Luke 14:26. It says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” God is first always. The love we should have for Him is so much more divine that the love we have for our earthly family will seem like hate.

            But that is hardly the point of this verse or theme for this week, obedience. “We ought to obey God rather than men.” So again, God is always first. He is the King of kings, the Ruler of rulers, the ultimate leader. He created rules that we need to abide by and that’s what pleases Him like yesterday’s verse was all about. Although this verse talks about obeying God rather than men, we still have to follow laws in place by the leaders we have here on earth. Romans 13:1-2 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” God places the authority so we have to mind the rules in place here. But the fact of the matter is, are you putting God first? He is ultimately who we are supposed to obey. For example, if your parents are telling you one thing and God is telling you another, what do you do? –Obey God first. Respect your parents of course, but follow what the Holy Spirit is leading you to and what God is telling you.

Application: God is above all things, so to remember to obey Him first, I will write “He’s number one” on my arm.

John 14:15 IBS

Monday August 18^th, 2014

John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”

            This is such a simple verse, that sometimes I forget how important it is. We are to follow God’s laws in order to please Him. Some people might argue that we shouldn’t have to follow His rules, but if we don’t then we don’t love Him. It’s like obeying your parents. Not only is that a commandment from the Lord, but it’s a good example of what it is like to submit to the Lord. For example, I know my parents would have a curfew in place for my safety. I would have to check in with my mom sometimes throughout my time out, because “she said so”. We laugh from time to time by that response to our “why” question, but it’s just because they love us. It’s the same for God. He gives us these commandments, because He loves us; He cares what happens to us. Love is just all around!

            Who are we to not love the Lord and do what He says? He sent His one and only son to die for us. As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” What an amazing sacrifice that none of us can match. He first loved us, so how hard is it for us to obey Him? Obviously it’s very difficult because of our sinful nature, but it’s still a matter of trying. He did so much for us, so the simple thing is taking up your cross and obeying Him. I choose to serve Him, so I will abide by His rules. Keep means save, so save His commandments in your heart. There are morals to follow and it pleases Him if we do.

Application: To remember the simplicity of obeying Him because He first loved me I will write “He loved me 1^st” on my hand.

Psalm 17:15 IBS

Friday August 15^th, 2014

Psalm 17:15 “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

            Righteousness can mean a number of things: virtue, morality, justice, honesty, decency, glory…and blameless. Only Jesus can bring all of those things in a perfect way. So, “I will see Your face in righteousness”. What can that mean exactly? That I will literally see the face of the Lord? Well maybe God can use people and things to show Himself, but I won’t fully see Him until I enter the pearly gate. What I see in this is that when I am continually seeking after the Lord, I will see Him everywhere. I will probably see Him more clearly in His nature, to me that shows His glory and power. Take a flower for instances, it grows out of the ground, produces a pretty smell, has layers of petals with loads of details just on one petal, has pollen that bumble bees somehow transfer from place to place, and is just a stunning creation. I can just see Him everywhere, especially when I consistently seek after Him.

            The question here is, am I satisfied with only Him? If God were to take away everything, from the material items to even my family would I be satisfied with Him only? That’s some deep stuff man. Luke 14:26 says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” The first question most people have is hate? That can’t be right the Bible says you are supposed to love your father and mother. Well yes you are, but the love you are supposed to have for the Lord is divine and so much more, natural love will come across as hate. So yes love both your family and the Lord, but love the Lord more, way more.

            Application: To make sure all of my contentment is in the Lord and nothing else, because other things will only satisfy me for a limited time and people will always let me down, I will write out all the things I’m putting before God, pray over it, and give it to the Lord.

Philippians 4:11 IBS

Thursday August 14^th, 2014

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”

            I used this verse as a reference for the Luke 3:14 IBS this week, I keep referencing the verses we are supposed to actually do. I guess it makes sense though because they all link together…This is such an awesome verse and something that should be an anthem for life. The initial thought most people have is to be content between riches and rags or being full or hungry. These are pretty severe and learning contentment in both is important. But what I see in this is through the tough times and through the marvelous times.

            I need to find joy in every situation, whether it be in a trial during the storm…”Keep my eyes above the waves”…or when I’m on top of Mount Everest. Part of my testimony is a good reminder for this. After my family lost our house and my parents split I had a difficult time. But God pulled me through, He showed me to keep my eyes on Him and to not worry because it will get better; to be content with where I was at. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Like what I said in my last post, God knows and that is a gift. He knows what will come out of the trials, so resting in Him is important. Be content in the here and now, no matter what your situation is. I want to be able to praise the Lord for the storm. I know it can be hard in the midst of it all, but that’s where prayer and continually seeking after the Lord comes in.

When I’m on a mountain it’s easier to praise God for the blessings and what not…or at least I would like to think. I know that contentment can sometimes be difficult in that though. Being the greedy human being I am, I always seem to want more instead of being satisfied with where I am. I need to rejoice in what I’ve been given. Who I am to not celebrate when everything is fine and dandy, how selfish and inconceivable of me. The whole point is to be joyful and thankful through anything! God blesses me through the pain and happiness. Like my tattoo says, God is greater than the ups and downs!

Application: To remember to be content in every situation I will write be content on my hand, because my tattoo is a permanent reminder. J

Hebrews 13:5 IBS

Wednesday August 13^th, 2014

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

            Okay, so I used this verse as a reference in the first IBS for this week of 1 Timothy 6:6-8 not even realizing that this verse was for today, whoops! But it’s okay because I’m feeling like God is showing me something different today anyways.

            Last time I was making a reference to the covetousness part and about being envious about other peoples’ clothes/hair, and how I need to be content with what I have and what God has provided me with, but now we’re looking at the whole picture. I feel like since God already showed me the first part of this verse and that I shouldn’t be jealous and be content, that He’s making a point about the second part. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” What a comforting statement.

            Contentment and anxiety kind of go together. In order to be content we have to not worry. God has everything in control for us. Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Worrying about tomorrow causes you to think about the future and to not be content with the here and now. Right this second is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present. The past is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. I’m pretty sure that is a quote from somebody, but I have no clue who, so I am just not going to claim that statement (haha).

            Psalm 42:11 says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” The key part I see in this is hope in God, He will always be with us, so why worry? Be content with the unknown. God knows and He will provide.

Application: To remember to be content with the here and now and the unknown, I will write “God knows and that is a gift” on my hand.

 

Luke 3:14 IBS

Tuesday August 12^th, 2014

Luke 3:14 “Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, ‘what shall we do?’ So he said to them, ‘do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.’”

            In this context soldiers are asking John what they should do so they can bear good fruit. Being a soldier you have to be aggressive, so John is telling them to not scare someone or jump to conclusions. Which is something that is true of course, do not jump to conclusions. It’s just like the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover. Or when someone tells you something about someone else. Not only is that gossiping in a way, but that is giving someone a perception of another person before they even got to know them themselves. It’s better to find out information, before accusing someone or jumping to conclusions, which as humans we tend to do. Or at least I can speak for myself here.

            The other part of this verse says, “Be content with your wages.” For the soldiers, they may not get paid as much as they would like, but they need to be happy with what they get. Like what your parents tell you, you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit. Philippians 4:11-12 says, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am in, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.” With whatever God places before me, I need to be pleased. When I think of this as more general though, wages doesn’t always mean money. God may have me do something and I may not get something in return. I shouldn’t expect anything in return in the first place. I need to be content with where God places me and what God gives me. I need to be doing things in love and keeping in mind that I’m serving the Lord and that I don’t need anything in return, as much as my flesh would like something because I am selfish. The thing that I get in return is that I get to live for eternity with my Lord in heaven! I get to serve my King (I know this is what I said in my last IBS, but it’s important), I don’t need or deserve anything in return for that matter.

Application: To remember that I don’t deserve anything in return for my services, I will write undeserving on my hand.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 IBS

Monday August 11^th, 2014

1 Timothy 6:6-8 “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.”

            Contentment…satisfaction…serenity. All meaning the same thing, but where do you seek contentment; where do you feel a full joy and fulfillment? Only the Lord is where full contentment comes from. I tend to become jealous of others, especially when it comes to clothes or hair. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” There are so many pretty girls here with such great styles and I get jealous of their clothes. I know it’s a pretty minor, silly thing, but even in that I am not pleasing the Lord. I am allowing materialism to take the place of my Heavenly Father. I am blessed to even have articles of clothing in the first place. And just as this verse says, we are not going to bring anything with us into heaven, so why even have a second thought of something as silly as clothing?

            This brings me to something called inheritance. Where are you placing your inheritance? In earthly things or in the Lord? Psalm 16:5 says, “O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.” Overall, of course I place my inheritance in the Lord. I don’t need earthly things, but even the fact of having that jealous thought causes me to place my inheritance elsewhere. This place, earth, is not my home, it is a temporary home…a house is a better word for that, but heaven is where my home is. So, why seek things of this world and material items when that all just withers away? I am going to have a mansion in heaven, I will be right there with God, so I need to be seeking things He wants me to accomplish in His name. I want to proudly wear crowns for the Lord in heaven; to show off God. I want to be told I was a good and faithful servant simply because I am blessed to serve such a King. Who am I to even be discontent with my clothes or be jealous because someone has different hair than mine (that I obviously like)? If I’m jealous of someone else, even as small as someone’s hair I am basically disgracing God’s creation, because He created me. So I need to be content in ALL things.

Application: Even with the smallest of discontentment, I am not looking to the Lord. So in order to keep my eyes fixed entirely on Him, I will write my discontentment on a piece of paper, pray over it, and rip it up, giving it to the Lord.

Hebrews 6:12 IBS

Friday August 8^th, 2014

Hebrews 6:12 “that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

            Sluggish. That is such a cool word! Sluuuugish. When you think about the meaning of it though, it’s not so cool. What are slugs like? Super slow. Lazy. It’s like when you’re watching T.V. and you sit down before getting the remote and you realize that it’s so far away so you just don’t get it. Or when you’re chillin’ on your bed and you want to get something off your desk or dresser, so instead of standing up you reach as far as possible only leaving your feet still on the bed. You are basically doing this acrobatic act to grab something that could’ve been done more efficiently if you hadn’t been lazy.

            The fact of the matter is, God may place things in your path that you have to run to achieve, to reach your goal…well God’s goal for you. Imagine if you were running the race, jumping over hurtles and feeling good and then you just get tired and decide not to finish. In the moment you might think that’s the right choice, but in the long run (haha long RUN), you’re missing out on a shiny trophy. God’s got great plans. What’s the theme…perseverance! We have to keep going, even through the hard times. We may not see a shiny trophy in that moment, but the perfect reminder is the ultimate shiny trophy…heaven.

            I tend to get tired…a lot here. I feel burnt out and my mindset starts to be not so good. It’s not that I don’t do the work it’s that I start complaining about it. I don’t want to have a sluggish mindset and complain about the work, because I know this is for my benefit and my relationship with the Lord. I want to reach that shiny trophy and grow closer to God along the way, I just have to remember to persevere. Press on! I plan on running the race, do you?

Application: To remember to NOT complain and to keep running the race, I will write complain with an X through it on my hand.

Revelation 1:9 IBS

Thursday August 7^th, 2014

Revelation 1:9 “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."

            As you can see, patience, endurance, perseverance, etc. is the happening of all these Inductive Bible Studies. Repetition is a tool God uses to get a point across to our tiny human brains and I am truly thankful for that. God is so good! He’s been continually breaking me, showing me things I need to work on and to focus on Him and not myself. I need to rely on Him for EVERYTHING; I can’t do anything in my own strength. Although, this has been the theme, I’m going to take this in another direction. Clearly in a way God is showing me today.

            This verse starts out with John saying he is a brother and companion. All of us here are brothers and sisters in Christ. We all go through trials and rough times, so we need to be here for each other. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” God gets us through things and He helps us to persevere, but we can encourage each other to press on. We can lift each other up and pray together. Not only today, but tomorrow, the rest of our time here, on the field, and continuing on into my own life after the program with others at home. We gain our patience in resting in the Lord, so look to Him, but also remember that we can hold each other accountable for not resting in Him. Just having each other’s back and reminding each other to persevere and to pray for God’s strength is a blessing.

            Application: In knowing that I need to place my rest in the Lord, I will continue praying for that and His strength. But, to be there for my fellow brothers and sisters, I will ask for prayer requests from all throughout the rest of week and encourage them. Of course I can’t accomplish this without prayer for the Holy Spirit to come upon myself and for the Lord to give me perseverance.

Colossians 1:11 IBS

Wednesday August 6^th, 2014

Colossians 1:11 “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;”

            Funny how the theme for this week ties in with the theme from last week, which was wisdom. Verses 9-10 of this chapter say, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” and then it goes into verse 11.

One of the verses from our “wisdom” week was Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” In knowing my days are numbered here and I have an excellent future ahead of me in heaven, is having wisdom; not living for the world, but living for God. Although my days are numbered, I still have to live here on earth for as long as God has me here for and in that I have to persevere. Patience and longsuffering may be required for that. My life is indeed but a vapor, but I can still go through longsuffering. God may ask me to wait for something, I may never know until I get to heaven, but it’s the fact that I’m going to heaven is the joy in it.

In knowing that I will be longsuffering here on earth, I have to remember to lean on Him. He will give me the strength when I am weak or when feel like I can’t keep going. Exodus 15:2 says, “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” He strengthens me and lifts me up. Isaiah 40:31 states, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” This is a pretty well-known verse, but it’s such a good reminder to place my trust in the Lord; He will help me to keep going and persevere.

Application: To remember to place my trust in Him, that He is my strength, and He will help me to persevere, I will draw wings on my hand with “Isaiah 40:31” written in between the wings.

Luke 21:19 IBS

Tuesday August 5^th, 2014

Luke 21:19 “By your patience possess your souls.”

Can I be the first to say what? To be honest doing these IBS’s can be frustrating sometimes. After reading the chapter and surrounding verses a few times, hearing other versions, remembering perseverance is the theme for this week, and tuning into my worship music on my iPod I think I got it! Or at least what it is God is trying to show me.

“Patience” in this verse can also mean to stand firm and “possess your souls” can mean to win over souls. So in standing firm your soul will be won over. Standing firm in what though? Well standing firm in the Lord of course. Verses 12-18 of this chapter speak of persecution and basically bad things that will happen to you for being a believer. Through all of that God will be with you though. Use all of the bad things that come your way as a testimony; spread the gospel to all. He is with you always, He is your rock to lean on. Psalm 31:3 says, “For you are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.” This verse kind of reminds me of the song “Oceans”, especially the line that says “Your sovereign hand, will be my guide.” I need to allow God to be in total control and stand firm in Him. I have to remember the salvation God has given me through Jesus Christ. Who am I to be stuck in my own ways? Standing firm in Him will win over my soul; I will be with Him in heaven for eternity!

But what exactly does this have to do with perseverance? Well perseverance means to be diligent; to press on. I need to be diligently seeking the Lord and stick with what He knows and not what I know. I need to seek Him daily. Mark 8:34 says, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me.” God always seems to connect other IBS’s to each other to get the point across to me. I need to deny myself daily and stand firm in Him. Picking up my cross allows me to follow God and not myself.

Application: To remember to deny myself and stand firm in Him, I will draw a cross on my hand with arrows pointing up in representation of picking up my cross.

Luke 8:11-15 IBS

Monday August 4^th, 2014

Luke 8:11-15 “’Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.’”

            Context is a pretty important thing with this. Just reading this, it’s like um what? And I’ve read this many times before, it’s just remembering to read a little earlier in the chapter. In verses 4-8 Jesus talks about this parable. The seeds that fell on the wayside got devoured by birds (verse 5), the seeds on the rocky road (no, not the ice cream hah) withered away because there was no moisture (verse 6), the seeds on the thorny road were choked by more thorns (verse 7), and the seeds on the good ground grew crops (verse 8).

            We are all taken back from Satan from time to time, or are tempted by things and fall away, or allow things of this world to consume us to where we don’t grow in the Lord. If I was asked to say which road I’m on most of the time, I would love to say the last road, with the good soil, but that’s not always the case. I fall short of the glory of God constantly. In this moment though, I think I’m on a thorny road…we had to switch rooms as interns a couple days ago and it’s been hard for me. It’s not the roommates at all, I love everyone here; it is the stuff and the room itself. I got so used the way things were that I was kind of annoyed to have to get used to another room. Admittedly I still am annoyed. I’m allowing something as silly as not having an extra shelf in the bathroom, for instance, bug me. God is just so good and I’m so happy these are the verses for today.

            Keeping in mind perseverance is the theme for this week, I have to remember to press on and to keep moving forward. Acts 20:24 says, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” I cannot let something as little as changing rooms shake me. I need to learn from God’s word; hear it with an open and loving heart, and take action upon it in my life. Keep moving forward. Persevere. God has great plans.

Application: To remember to keep moving on, I will draw an arrow on my hand with the words “keep going” by it.

James 1:5 IBS

Friday August 1^st, 2014

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

                God is almighty; powerful. We can ask Him anything and it will be given to us. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Of course if I pray and ask for a Ferrari that is probably not going to happen, but if I ask anything according to HIS WILL, then He can provide. He knows my desires, but everything has to be according to what His plan is. I know this is kind of off topic of wisdom, but this was my initial thought. Be sure to pray for your desires, but remember that it may or may not be all part of His plan. We don’t want to be disappointed when He shows us something else. For instance, with this time here at IGNITE I don’t want to get too attached to a certain country. I don’t know what God has in store and I want to be so excited when they announce where I will be going, it’s all a part of His plan anyways! If it’s His will, it had better be my will, because my way will never work.

God gives liberally, or in simpler terms, freely and without reproach or in simpler terms, without blame. Although we are all sinners and don’t deserve anything, He still gives to us, all we have to do is ask. When it comes to wisdom as well, just ask for it. I’ve been discovering throughout this whole week that it’s that simple. Wisdom in the Lord is really important, it can help us discern things, of course with the Holy Spirit as well. I just need to pray for it and seek it in His word. I have to believe full-heartedly that the Lord can allow me to receive His wisdom. If I don’t believe and have faith in Him then praying for wisdom is just an empty prayer.

It’s really great how everything ties in together in God’s word. He clearly wants us, me to learn something. Last week our theme was faith and I think it takes a lot of faith in the Lord to ask for wisdom. We don’t just randomly receive wisdom, we have to faithfully pray for the Lord to give it to us. All you need is faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust…just kidding. All you need is faith, trust, and prayer, the Lord will provide the rest.

Application: In all of this, I will write faith, trust, and prayer on my hand/arm to remember that is what it takes to receive wisdom from the Lord.

Colossians 3:16 IBS

Thursday July 31^st, 2014

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

            God’s word is powerful. As I said in the previous Inductive Bible study, the Bible is our sword. We should keep His word hidden in our hearts. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” The knowledge and application I’ve been receiving just from reading and digging deeper of one to five verses is astounding. Keeping the word close to you (as in memorizing, but not just because, but to know the power of the Lord) can help you in the battle. We are constantly at war with Satan, 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Be sure to have your weapon ready whether you have it physically on you or in your mind.

            Not only do we need to be fed by the Word ourselves, but we are to share the Word with the world. As Matthew 28:19 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We as Christians need to teach each other and lift each other up but with wisdom from the Lord. Where do we get that wisdom you say? Well of course by prayer and allowing the Word to dwell inside of you. We have to let the Holy Spirit come upon us when going out and sharing the gospel or teaching each other and pray for God’s wisdom and the right words.

            The next part of this verse talks about singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Praise. God is worth praises for eternity. Most of the book of Psalms talks about praising Him. More specifically Psalm 150 stands out to me; there are so many ways to praise Him. Verse three of Psalm 150 says, “Let them praise His name with dance; let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.” Be thankful for what it is He has done for you, and that is a lot considering He sent His Son to die for your sins.

            Application: So praise, dwelling in the Word, and sharing it with others is what I see in this verse of Colossians 3:16. I want to word to be hidden in my heart so to do so, I will pick a verse that stands out to me in my morning devotional time and memorize it. Not to memorize it to mark off some checklist, but so I can genuinely get to know God more and share that with others!