Saturday, October 18, 2014

Week One IBS- Ephesians 6:6-7


First Week-Field Time

Saturday October 18, 2014

Ephesians 6:6-7 “not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men,”

            Reading in Ephesians 6 today, I really loved this verse. It is something said quite often, but for a reason, it is so important. Every single thing I do is for the Lord; from playing with children, doing outreaches (which hasn’t begun yet here, in Cambodia), or buying bikes for our travels in Cambodia. All of it is for the Lord and is the work of the Lord. He is the Creator of the world, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, who sent His one and only Son to suffer and die for me…how can I not serve Him and do everything for Him?

            Unfortunately my flesh gets in the way from time to time, and I’m going to start off by saying it is really hot in Cambodia…that is a fact. I know I will have trouble with that at first, because at least right now I have the blessing of air conditioning, but complaining about it or not doing things with all I’ve got will get me nowhere. So with that, my prayer is to continue to die to self, because I have learned that is a daily task, and to continue to press on! If I don’t do things full heartedly, then what is the point? God has placed me here, at this time for a reason. I desire to build relationships with these people and these children and I don’t want something as small as the heat, which would in reality be my flesh, to get in the way of that. With God’s strength I can accomplish this and I’m excited to go into the village on Monday!

            Application: I need to do things with everything I’ve got and serve the Lord, so with that I will be sure to say a prayer every time I look down at my “Press On. Acts 20:24” bracelet.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Matthew 5:20 IBS


Friday October 3rd, 2014

Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

            Praise the Lord my sins are washed away by the blood of the Lamb. Something that keeps coming to mind is the Perspectives article we did with Pastor Steve yesterday. It talks about the Hindus and how they act and worship and whatnot. They do things to the extreme that we need to see as an example. Am I willing to give my life for my Lord and Savior for the truth as those in the cults do for something that is a lie? Man, they are full out and dedicated. Does that mean I go killing others? NO, of course not! But it does mean that I need to make sacrifices and put Jesus as the head of everything. I need to do works according to His will and glorify Him through it all. People need to see that I am a fan of Jesus and even more so than that. That Jesus is my life. Instead of people seeing that sure I love the color purple or I really like London, they need to see hey, that girl really is on fire for Jesus. That girl gets it and I want what she has. My actions should point directly to Him and through that others should hopefully come to know Him. I kind of talked about that yesterday. I am a Christ follower, and with that I should be reflecting Christ.

            Now, thank goodness that there is no competition to get saved, but I should desire to have higher righteousness than the scribes and Pharisees. I should desire to strive and have perfection. Of course that will never be the case and that isn’t the point of doing the works. I basically just want to become low and have a Christ-like mindset. Make sure my ways are that which reflect Jesus and His love for others.

            Application: I keep coming to the same conclusion, but I know that’s not just some coincidence, it’s God. I need to become not less, not high, but low, like Jesus and that is a daily task. The only way to accomplish that is to be walking in the Spirit. I will write “ask” on my hand to remember to ask God for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit all throughout the day.

Matthew 5:19 IBS


Thursday October 2, 2014

Matthew 5:19 “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

            So, knowing that I will break commandments because of my fallen nature, it’s kind of harsh to think of being considered “least”. But in a sense not really, I deserve Hell. But the beauty of it all is the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ. I can take it to Him and repent and ask for forgiveness and be washed clean. How incredible! But what I see that stands out to me is if you teach men do break commandments. That is for sure another story. To me that sounds intentional and that should definitely have the title of “least” in the kingdom of heaven. Now, I don’t consider myself to be teaching in that and be showing others to do wrong, but there is something that I thought of in a different way. I am a Christ follower and with that I should be reflecting Christ, so if I am not, then I am being a poor example. In a way I would be teaching others to do wrong. Of course sinful nature is in everyone, but by my example people can learn. Especially when I think about ministering to kids. They look up to me, to those older than them and if I am not being a light and reflecting Jesus, then they can learn that way and go in the wrong direction. Something I have learned here is everywhere I go is a mission field. I need to be showing Jesus and pouring out His love on everyone I come in contact with, especially in my home.

            I know at times I’ve been a poor example to my family members, by snapping at them or being sassy and whatnot and I’m so thankful I’ve learned so much so far that I can change that. Well that Jesus has changed me and can continue to change me if I am willing. I don’t want to teach others to break commandments by not acting Christ-like. I want to be the “little Christ” and do things with humility and love and point all the glory back to Him. I know I sin and fall short of the glory of God, but in repenting and giving it to Jesus I would be an example of what to do properly.

            Application: To be an example of Christ, I will praise Him, daily pick up my cross, and ask for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit so I can be of the Spirit and not of the flesh. I will look out for ways I can be a salt and a light during my week home. (I know a lot of these applications are similar, but that is what the Lord keeps showing me, so I need to make it happen when I am home).

Matthew 5:18 IBS


Wednesday October 1, 2014

Matthew 5:18 “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

            Hmmm. Okay. Nothing will move, at least law wise. Yesterday Pastor Don talked about what the law does. It reveals the fact of sin, it reveals the occasion of sin, it reveals the power of sin, and it reveals how sin can be deceiving (coming from Romans 7:7-11). The law is the law and nothing can be changed from it, but by the grace of God and the blood of the Lamb, I will not be condemned. I still need to strive for perfection, although I know I can NEVER reach it, I need to still follow the laws and serve my God. I’m going to sin constantly and go against the law, but that doesn’t give me an excuse to just do it intentionally. It is still bad and it is still going against God. I need to remember to take it to the foot of the Cross, repent, and walk away knowing Jesus has it and it’s gone, He chose to forget it, so should I.

            I think sometimes that’s my problem. I repent and ask for forgiveness, but sometimes I allow it to linger and I don’t forget about it. I beat myself up sometimes for it, not literally of course (haha). In doing so, I am not moving forward with God and I am letting that sin basically stay there. It’s like a trap for me to do it again. And not only that, but beating myself up about it is pathetic. God knew I was going to sin, I’m a wicked human being. He let it go, so should I. If I don’t I will be stuck going in circles forever without actually moving to the next step. I need to “LET IT GO, LET IT GO-OH…” J It helps to revert back to the “On Being a Servant of God” book by Warren W. Wiersbe, because I know it talked about this in that book. It was such a good book that gave me wisdom on some things.

            Application: This is a continuous process, so when I sin, I know God will convict me. And with that I will take it to the Cross, give it to Jesus, knowing that He has forgiven me, and pray to move on, pray for a change in myself so I don’t do it again. Of course sin will continuously happen, but if the same one is happening all the time, then that is a heart matter, but that is a whole different topic…

 

Matthew 5:17 IBS


Tuesday September 30th, 2014

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

            There is a God shaped hole in our hearts. It’s like that game when you are about the age of two with the triangle, rectangle, and circle. Each shape only fits in the one it’s made for, you can’t put it in the other ones; it just doesn’t fit. As humans, we need to constantly be satisfied and nothing will fully fulfill that satisfaction except for Jesus. Sometimes seeking Him seems painful and like it’s going to destroy, but it really is coming to a total peace. Don’t get me wrong, the beginning process is definitely a destruction, a destruction of the flesh, which can be a painful thing. But in the end, He brings a sense of peace and fulfillment.

            I still sometimes find my satisfaction in other things. Not necessarily in over the top things, but things like conversation with everyone here or making sure that I feel, I don’t know, happiness from my friends, well family here. And that is wrong, so wrong. The key word in that sentence is “feel” and that is my first problem. I sometimes allow myself to operate on my feelings and being a human, not to mention a woman; that is not the way to do it. Only the Lord brings true joy, I shouldn’t be seeking that in anyone but God. I know when I start to do that is when I get disappointed in others because I’m placing an expectation on them that they don’t deserve. Also, in a way I’m committing idolatry, because I’m placing them before the Lord. No not in a way, I am. He is first and should always be first, no matter what. He came to earth to fulfill and that is exactly what I should allow Him to do. He is my ultimate fulfillment.

            Application: To remember He is the true satisfaction, the ultimate fulfillment, I will write “True One” on my hand and be aware of situations where I start putting my satisfaction in others so I can immediately turn to prayer and place it in Jesus’ hands and turn my eyes back to Him.

Matthew 5:16 IBS


Monday September 29th, 2014

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

            Purpose. That is my initial thought upon reading this. What was it that Jesus commanded His disciples and us to do before He ascended back into Heaven? To make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19). The only way to do that is to shine the light in us that is Jesus. Humanitarian work is great, it’s the next step that is important; bring them to Jesus. If we feed a hungry person, that is indeed helping them for their needs for that day or even a meal, but if you show them Jesus, then they will have eternity. That is the ultimate goal. Sometimes I get scared to go forth and share the gospel. I run through scenarios in my head of how it could go and there is a huge problem with that. I’m not getting anywhere. I can run through a lot of “what if’s”, but the fact of the matter is I didn’t move, I didn’t take action to show them something that is the most important thing.

            I may not be so good at sharing the gospel, but I know at times, actions speak louder than words. This verse says to shine your light. If people see that difference in me, they may ask what it is that I have and they don’t. That is the perfect opportunity to turn them to Jesus. Or in situations of doing good works, it’s not my doing, but His and that’s what this verse says “and glorify your Father in heaven”. People may thank me for things that I’ve done, but in doing so I can tell them who ultimately does it and where I get my strength from. All of these things are perfect opportunities to let the whole world hear!

            Application: I know with the Lord’s strength I can approach people with sharing the gospel, but I can’t help but thinking of my family though. They know the gospel, but hearts are hardened. I need to let my actions speak louder than my words. During my six days home I will make it a point to do things that they see is Him and not me. (I know I had something similar last week, but as the time is approaching, it’s been on my heart.)

1 Corinthians 9:27 IBS


Friday September 26th, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

            We are all on the same level, the same battleground, no one person is higher than the other. I had a problem with this before coming here. And of course it’s a constant fight with that because of my flesh and the “I” factor, but before it was really bad. With my family situation, I really clung to the Lord to get me through and with that I became “big-headed” with my “so-called” faith. I say “so-called”, simply because it was there, but not fully because I still wasn’t in the Word every day and seeking His face. My family kind of took the other route and stopped going to church and their hearts became hardened. From time to time, whenever my sister would be in the wrong, I would call her out on it and in a way be a fire preacher and say things like, “you really need to go back to church” or “check your heart”. Every time I think of that, it breaks my heart that I would act that way! And that really has to do with Matthew 7:3-5, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” It’s a matter of first checking my own heart. I love my family and I want to see them turn back to the Lord in brokenness, but I can’t make them do anything. I have to let God work in my life and daily break me; “God will work in the other more through your brokenness than through anything else you can do or say.” (Quote from Chapter Six of Calvary Road)

            Application: I am supposed to be humble, to be low, and to put others before myself. Jesus, others, then me last. All I can do is serve God, serve my family, allow God to break me, and pray. So during my 6 days home, I will be sure to serve my family in as many ways as possible and really pray that they will see Jesus and not me, so that they will have that desire to be broken as well.

1 Corinthians 9:26 IBS


Thursday September 25th, 2014

1 Corinthians 9:26 “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.”

            The first thing that I thought of upon reading this verse was stepping out in faith. Of course I need to run with endurance like I talked about the previous days, but running with uncertainty is another story. I need to know that I know, that I know that God is calling me to something. If I know that, then I will be running the right race. If I don’t know, I could be running away from my goal and soon off the track. Of course the ultimate goal is eternity, but I don’t need to work for that thanks to the Blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God. And how do I know what His will is for my life? Well by the Lord of course. I’ve been learning that everything is a one step at a time, daily task. And that seems pretty self-explanatory, but it is really serious.

Sometimes God calls us to be in a time of waiting, but are you doing anything during your wait? God has given me breath for this moment and if I am not taking each and every opportunity to glorify Him or bring others to Him, then what is the point? I like to think of the movie “God’s Not Dead” with this situation. Spoiler alert (in a way): The Pastor and his friend the entire time are trying to go to Disneyworld or something and they always run into situations with the car not starting, so they get stuck there. In the moment they don’t understand why, but all throughout the movie God specifically placed the Pastor at each place to help others and even bring someone to know Him. God had him in a time of waiting, but through that there was a reason and he took each opportunity that was before him to do God’s work.

That kind of leads me to the next point of not fighting as one who beats the air. Beating the air gets me absolutely nowhere. Whether I do know exactly where the Lord is taking me or if I am in a waiting period, if I am not aware of the opportunities the Lord has for me today, then I will just be standing there doing something as pointless as punching the air and not moving forward. The first act is stepping out in faith, which I see is a daily task. The next act is staying out in faith and making something of each day, pressing on to see the things the Lord has for me. Each day is a new one, do I want to be caught at a standstill, just simply punching the air, or do I want people to see Jesus shining through me in a new way. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow the same way as I did today.

Application: I will write “put on the Lord’s eyes” on my hand/arm so I can be reminded throughout the day to look for things God may have for me in certain opportunities and situations.