This story is about serving those in need and sharing God's love with them during a difficult time in my life. I had been praying that morning that God would give me opportunities to serve others or share the gospel.
Around a month ago I was leaving the student center after getting lunch with an old professor at Southwestern seminary when I came across a young guy with a cane who was slowly making in through the tunnel by the Student Village apartment complex by campus. I saw him and asked him if he needed anything and he said "just some food." I didn't have a lot of cash at the time and the guy seemed like he had been walking for a while so I let him go back to my apartment to rest. I made him a sandwich, gave him a granola bar, M&M's. Also, I let him take a shower at the apartment.
I talked to him while he was eating about what he was going through in his life. He didn't seem like he was a bad guy, he had just fallen on hard times and done something in his past that he regretted. Lastly, he told me he was going to talk to the president of the school I had just graduated from Paige Patterson, because he has these visions and Dr. Patterson had helped him before.
As he was leaving the apartment I gave him a small pocket Bible and prayed for him as he went back to campus to talk to Dr. Patterson. The only regret I had was not sharing the gospel though he said he had gone to church in Fort Worth and Dallas. I just didn't know if he professed to be a Christian or not.
In Matthew 25:35-42, God calls all Christians to serve those who don't have much food or clothing. Verse 40 says we are supposed to serve even the least of these brothers. The meaning of verse 40 pertains to loving all mankind as a whole. God wants us to love and serve all people. By not loving and serving the least of people we are rejecting Jesus and therefore Jesus will reject us as it says in verse 41. If we do not serve those that have nothing, will we even serve the King of Kings Jesus in eternal glory in heaven?
God calls us to life of love and serving others every day. His will for us is to tell others about him on a day to day basis in whatever that entails.
How has God called us to share with Jesus today? How can we apply this passage and story to our life today?
Friday, February 21, 2014
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Turn my thoughts to you God
God, I give you my mind, my heart, my desire,
Turn my thoughts to you,
Turn my thoughts to you,
Verse 1:
Satan keeps holding me down O God,
Saying I’m not good enough, O God,
But you O God are good enough for me,
You’re all that I want,
All that I need,
Lord help me to trust in your plans for me,
Take away these doubts of mine,
That bring me away from you,
Chorus:
Turn my thoughts to you, O God
Turn my thoughts to you, O God,
Turn my thought s to you, O God,
Verse 2:
Lord, lead me where I can never go,
Because God you know me best,
Let your light shine in my life,
So that these thoughts of mine won’t prevail against
me,
God I want to feel your presence,
I want to hear your voice speaking to me,
Because Lord I know I can’t live this life on my
own,
I am nothing without you Jesus,
Chorus:
Turn my thoughts to you O God,
Turn my thoughts to you O God,
Turn my thoughts to you O God,
Sunday, October 27, 2013
God's will for my life practically speaking
Lately I've been battling God's will for my life. I will be graduating from seminary and this question has come up often. I have been wrestling with it because of my own struggles and a disability in my life.
I have been trying to decide the best route to take that would give me joy. I have a disability that has affected me in not being able to drive. This has affected some of the things that I want to do, in a sense I have to re evaluate and find the best option for me. It revolves around trusting God day to day.
In Mighty Men, the constant phrase Ken uses is God's will for us is for our holiness, meaning growth in him. This is also discussed in D focus study I went through. We always ask questions where does God want me? Does he want me to do this or that? In a sense, it is just depending on God daily and growing in him. Then if we do that he will lead us where he wants us to go in life.
I have been trying to decide the best route to take that would give me joy. I have a disability that has affected me in not being able to drive. This has affected some of the things that I want to do, in a sense I have to re evaluate and find the best option for me. It revolves around trusting God day to day.
In Mighty Men, the constant phrase Ken uses is God's will for us is for our holiness, meaning growth in him. This is also discussed in D focus study I went through. We always ask questions where does God want me? Does he want me to do this or that? In a sense, it is just depending on God daily and growing in him. Then if we do that he will lead us where he wants us to go in life.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Daniel and the Lions Den
The story of Daniel and Lions den shows us show we should depend on God and trust him in hard times. Trusting in God is key to helping us through hard situations.
In the story of Daniel and the Lions den, there was an edict pronounced throughout the land that whoever makes a tribute to any god or man except the king shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel prayed to God three times a day like he always does. Darius' royal men in the kingdom found Daniel praying to God. Darius stood true to his order saying, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." Then Darius' men said in 7:13, "he makes his petition three times a day."
After this had occurred, Daniel was cast into the den of lions. The king said, "May your God, whom you serve continually deliver you." The kind knew Daniel's God was greater than anything he fathom that may be why he said this. Daniel's God delivered him before from the fiery furnace when Nebechadnezzar was in power.
When King Darius went in to see Daniel he was untouched. The king said to Daniel in 7:20, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Then Daniel replied to the king's astonished comments in 7:21-22, "O king live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." Daniel trusted in God and he saved him from the lions and he was saved by God. In a note in verse 23 says that Daniel was saved because he trusted that God would provide for him and save him from the lions den.
God gave me the strength to depend on him the summer after graduating from college. He led me a summer discipleship program which showed me show to depend on him in hard times. In the next year, God closed down the door in what I was trying to do after finishing college. I tried so hard to get into the Broadcast Journalism field in TV or radio and it never worked out. I applied for jobs non- stop but none ended up working out.
Soon after, God called me into seminary. I felt God calling me back into ministry. I had worked with youth all of my life in the para church ministry called Young Life and I knew I wanted to work with youth in some way, shape, or form.
In this story God is calling us to depend on him and trust him in situation we may face. God calls us to be desperately dependent on him for everything in our life.
What situations in our lives does God call us to trust him in? How does God show us our will in this passage?
In the story of Daniel and the Lions den, there was an edict pronounced throughout the land that whoever makes a tribute to any god or man except the king shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel prayed to God three times a day like he always does. Darius' royal men in the kingdom found Daniel praying to God. Darius stood true to his order saying, "The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked." Then Darius' men said in 7:13, "he makes his petition three times a day."
After this had occurred, Daniel was cast into the den of lions. The king said, "May your God, whom you serve continually deliver you." The kind knew Daniel's God was greater than anything he fathom that may be why he said this. Daniel's God delivered him before from the fiery furnace when Nebechadnezzar was in power.
When King Darius went in to see Daniel he was untouched. The king said to Daniel in 7:20, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" Then Daniel replied to the king's astonished comments in 7:21-22, "O king live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm." Daniel trusted in God and he saved him from the lions and he was saved by God. In a note in verse 23 says that Daniel was saved because he trusted that God would provide for him and save him from the lions den.
God gave me the strength to depend on him the summer after graduating from college. He led me a summer discipleship program which showed me show to depend on him in hard times. In the next year, God closed down the door in what I was trying to do after finishing college. I tried so hard to get into the Broadcast Journalism field in TV or radio and it never worked out. I applied for jobs non- stop but none ended up working out.
Soon after, God called me into seminary. I felt God calling me back into ministry. I had worked with youth all of my life in the para church ministry called Young Life and I knew I wanted to work with youth in some way, shape, or form.
In this story God is calling us to depend on him and trust him in situation we may face. God calls us to be desperately dependent on him for everything in our life.
What situations in our lives does God call us to trust him in? How does God show us our will in this passage?
Thursday, August 8, 2013
God's leading in my future
In this blog post I will be discussing about God's plans for my future. I will discuss how he leads in the area of our his specific will in our life. God's will is detailed we just need to trust him to where he leads.
The main two areas of his will in our life are the general will and specific will. God's general will is abiding in him and following his word. It is also knowing scripture and having a desire to following God. Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you." God calls us to surrender in our general will then he will lead us.
God's shows us his specific will for us when we abide and him then he gives us his attitudes. Philippians 2:5 says "have this attitude in yourselves which is also in Christ Jesus." God can show us his specific will through changing our circumstances, giving his mind or desires, or giving us peace. God can open or close a door in the the area that he wants us to go by changing a circumstance. God can also prompt us by giving us his leading in giving us his mind and desires. God can also give us peace in certain hard circumstances.
In another area of God's will in making decisions we need to present all the options in our life. Proverbs 16:9 says "we should make plans counting on God to direct us." One of the greatest ways we can worship God is to step out in faith. Sometimes it is hard for me to abide in Christ when making an important decision. After college I was trying to figure out what direction to go it was hard to abide and depend on God then he ended up leading me where he wanted me to go even though it wasn't what I had planned.
I was struggle with waiting for God's timing in my life. Right now, I am waiting to see where God will lead after I graduate from seminary. At this time in my life I can trust God will lead where he wants me to go, though the hard part is waiting for the right ministry job or best fit for me. In the area of God's will, the journey is more important than the destination. It's hard waiting on the future but the thing we have to do is be desperately dependent on God in everything in our life.
What has God shown us in finding his will in our life? How can he grow us in our faith in showing his his will? Is waiting the hardest thing for us to do in life?
The main two areas of his will in our life are the general will and specific will. God's general will is abiding in him and following his word. It is also knowing scripture and having a desire to following God. Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you." God calls us to surrender in our general will then he will lead us.
God's shows us his specific will for us when we abide and him then he gives us his attitudes. Philippians 2:5 says "have this attitude in yourselves which is also in Christ Jesus." God can show us his specific will through changing our circumstances, giving his mind or desires, or giving us peace. God can open or close a door in the the area that he wants us to go by changing a circumstance. God can also prompt us by giving us his leading in giving us his mind and desires. God can also give us peace in certain hard circumstances.
In another area of God's will in making decisions we need to present all the options in our life. Proverbs 16:9 says "we should make plans counting on God to direct us." One of the greatest ways we can worship God is to step out in faith. Sometimes it is hard for me to abide in Christ when making an important decision. After college I was trying to figure out what direction to go it was hard to abide and depend on God then he ended up leading me where he wanted me to go even though it wasn't what I had planned.
I was struggle with waiting for God's timing in my life. Right now, I am waiting to see where God will lead after I graduate from seminary. At this time in my life I can trust God will lead where he wants me to go, though the hard part is waiting for the right ministry job or best fit for me. In the area of God's will, the journey is more important than the destination. It's hard waiting on the future but the thing we have to do is be desperately dependent on God in everything in our life.
What has God shown us in finding his will in our life? How can he grow us in our faith in showing his his will? Is waiting the hardest thing for us to do in life?
Sunday, July 28, 2013
International YL staff
I arrived in Chiapas, Mexico in the afternoon of the 27th after a long flight that day. I helped the Young Life staff there Jay and Amanda Miranda get ready for the week we are going to have. Everyone didn't arrive until later that night.
When the Young Life international staff members arrived later that night we learned a little about Young Life international. We received a packet of information about the YL international program. Me, Kurina, and the YL international staff got to know each other that night until the last couple people showed up for that week later that night. We ate cookies until the last group came.
Today, we went to church, had a scavenger hunt, and have been learning about the different international ministries. After church, we ate at this restaurant we homemade tortillas from the North that someone the Mirandas' knows. God moved today at church and through the staff member we are staying at Jay Miranda. Some kids from the orphanage that knew the market well took us around on the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was fun to explore the city and see the different sights and sounds.
Lastly, we are learning about the different international ministries. It has been cool seeing God is moving throughout the world. Our God is a big God.
I am excited for these last couple days. It will be awesome serving with those on the trip these next couple of days.
When the Young Life international staff members arrived later that night we learned a little about Young Life international. We received a packet of information about the YL international program. Me, Kurina, and the YL international staff got to know each other that night until the last couple people showed up for that week later that night. We ate cookies until the last group came.
Today, we went to church, had a scavenger hunt, and have been learning about the different international ministries. After church, we ate at this restaurant we homemade tortillas from the North that someone the Mirandas' knows. God moved today at church and through the staff member we are staying at Jay Miranda. Some kids from the orphanage that knew the market well took us around on the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was fun to explore the city and see the different sights and sounds.
Lastly, we are learning about the different international ministries. It has been cool seeing God is moving throughout the world. Our God is a big God.
I am excited for these last couple days. It will be awesome serving with those on the trip these next couple of days.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
How faith changes us
Faith can change, transform, and leads us into maturity in Christ. Our level of faith shows how much maturity we have. When we trust God with more and more things our faith grows and our maturity in Christ does as well.
A life without faith is not pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 says "without faith it is impossible to please God." Verse seven continues to describe faith as taking place when we are earnestly seeking God. A growing faith has to go from our head to heart throughout our life and walk with God. The process of going from our head to heart happens when we first become a Christian and throughout our walk with God. This process takes place when we give credit to God where he deserves, it also shows a relationship instead of an obligation, it acknowledges God's presence in our life, and shows we are serious about what he says.
God has been faithful in various times in my life. During my the junior year of high school I was in a car wreck. God pursued me in my doubt, fear, and frustration during that time in my life. He provided me with some friends and a mentor to restore me back to relationship with him at the beginning of my senior year. At the beginning of the year I rededicated my life to him. From that time I was able to trust God with future things.
God answered a prayer when he gave me direction in leading me to seminary when the Broadcasting jobs didn't work out. He lead me where he wanted me to go not where I wanted to go. I didn't realize in hindsight that God was in control of the situation. He also answered a prayer when someone I was praying for a while finally came to Young Life club and heard the gospel.
He changed my circumstance in closing the door on this Young Life internship program and leading me to D-focus so I could grow in him. He used D-focus to show me how much I need to depend on him. This time in my life helped me grow in maturity in him. I was able to trust in faith and grow in maturity in him in the next year of my life. God changed me during this time in my life.
Faith occurs when we present a situation to God, he acts, we start to worship God because of this, then we receive more the faith the next time we present a situation. Romans 12:1-2 says to present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conformed by the patterns of this world but be transforming by the renewing of your mind so that you can test- God's good, pleasing and perfect will." God will ""unconform" us from the world's way when we surrender a situation to him. Faith enables to present ourselves to the Lord and trust whatever he brings into our life is for our good.
Our faith grows as we surrender more situations to God. It starts out as a thimble, then grows to a cup, then a cup, and lastly turns into a pitcher when we grow in maturity in Christ. Maturity in Christ is the ability to trust God more quickly and with more things than we did in the past. This maturity takes place as our reservoir of faith grows. This process takes place over time and helps us become who God wants us to be.
Here's a few questions to end this blog. What has your understanding of faith been in the past? What are ways that God has given you faith through answered prayer, changing circumstances, or changing you? Read Galatians 5:13-26. What are some of the ways you have tried to please God instead of living by his Spirit to give you the power?
A life without faith is not pleasing to God. Hebrews 11:6 says "without faith it is impossible to please God." Verse seven continues to describe faith as taking place when we are earnestly seeking God. A growing faith has to go from our head to heart throughout our life and walk with God. The process of going from our head to heart happens when we first become a Christian and throughout our walk with God. This process takes place when we give credit to God where he deserves, it also shows a relationship instead of an obligation, it acknowledges God's presence in our life, and shows we are serious about what he says.
God has been faithful in various times in my life. During my the junior year of high school I was in a car wreck. God pursued me in my doubt, fear, and frustration during that time in my life. He provided me with some friends and a mentor to restore me back to relationship with him at the beginning of my senior year. At the beginning of the year I rededicated my life to him. From that time I was able to trust God with future things.
God answered a prayer when he gave me direction in leading me to seminary when the Broadcasting jobs didn't work out. He lead me where he wanted me to go not where I wanted to go. I didn't realize in hindsight that God was in control of the situation. He also answered a prayer when someone I was praying for a while finally came to Young Life club and heard the gospel.
He changed my circumstance in closing the door on this Young Life internship program and leading me to D-focus so I could grow in him. He used D-focus to show me how much I need to depend on him. This time in my life helped me grow in maturity in him. I was able to trust in faith and grow in maturity in him in the next year of my life. God changed me during this time in my life.
Faith occurs when we present a situation to God, he acts, we start to worship God because of this, then we receive more the faith the next time we present a situation. Romans 12:1-2 says to present our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conformed by the patterns of this world but be transforming by the renewing of your mind so that you can test- God's good, pleasing and perfect will." God will ""unconform" us from the world's way when we surrender a situation to him. Faith enables to present ourselves to the Lord and trust whatever he brings into our life is for our good.
Our faith grows as we surrender more situations to God. It starts out as a thimble, then grows to a cup, then a cup, and lastly turns into a pitcher when we grow in maturity in Christ. Maturity in Christ is the ability to trust God more quickly and with more things than we did in the past. This maturity takes place as our reservoir of faith grows. This process takes place over time and helps us become who God wants us to be.
Here's a few questions to end this blog. What has your understanding of faith been in the past? What are ways that God has given you faith through answered prayer, changing circumstances, or changing you? Read Galatians 5:13-26. What are some of the ways you have tried to please God instead of living by his Spirit to give you the power?
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