2 Corinthians 9:8-13:

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all suffieciency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

As is is written:

"He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever."

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God."
For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you."

Thursday, August 25, 2011

What to do now?

Well here I am sitting in South Africa with only one day left here in Africa! Tomorrow I board a plane back to the states.  This is such a stretching time in my life. I've had the most amazing summer of my life. I think I've grown more in the last three months than I have in my entire life. I am truly going from Glory to Glory in the Spirit. God is taking me to an all so greater Glory. But it involves Faith. What is Faith to you? I want some feedback on this topic so if you would please leave some comments at the end of this blog!  Jesus is calling me to LIVE BY FAITH, to WALK BY FAITH DAILY. What does this look like? He actually calls all of us to do this but like most of my life has been, we rely on the things of the world (ex. worldly income, family, friends, jobs and other people) instead of actually walking out FAITH. I've never had to rely on Jesus for daily bread. I've put my faith in my job and my ability to make money to provide my bread, and before I worked I relied on my parents to provide my food. I've done the same thing with my transportation, clothes and shelter. I've always relied on the "natural" or what my culture tells me is the "correct" way to live.  Jesus is taking me to a new Glory. It's a life laid down for His Glory, a life where I don't know where the next dollar or the next bread will come from. I'm truly giving it all to Him because I want to make His name known among the nations, among the "least of these."  So here I am thinking about coming back to the states in a few days. I have hardly any money to my name, student loan debt from college and the payments are to be made. I'm coming back with no job and I'm not sure if the Lord wants me to get one when I get home! This is whats so scary! I want to live in ministry, daily sharing His name and the testimony of His amazing works. I don't want to work in the world anymore...I really hunger to talk about my Daddy in Heaven and to share His goodness with everyone I meet! I want to be a world changer! I want God to change people's life through His testimony in mine. I want Him to daily be glorified in my life. God is asking me if I can truly "live by faith alone" and that faith in HIM ALONE. Not in man or in the things of this world, for they are passing away. Psalm 39:5-"Indeed you have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is nothing before you; Certainly every man at his best state is but a vapor."  This summer as the Lord has revealed my identity in Him, I see that my life is merely a vapor.  I don't have much time left and neither do you! He is coming like a thief in the night and we are to BE READY and ALERT.  What does this look like? What does it look like to be ready and alert? What do you want to be doing when Christ himself comes back for His bride?  For me this looks like WHOLEHEARTED SURRENDER. Surrender to HIS WILL and HIS TIME. Total dedication to making His great name known to everyone...to the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor!  I know it sounds absolutely crazy to come home with debt and payments to be made and not go straight to work! It even sounds absolutely crazy to me!! But I serve a JESUS who is BIGGER than my debt! He is bigger than any bank account and any bondage of the world! The last 3 months I have seen so so many amazing miracles its almost surreal. I've seen more miracles in 3 months than most will see in a lifetime because of their lack of FAITH.  So why shouldn't I have the FAITH that Jesus will provide for my every need? Not just part of it or some of it, but that He can truly provide for every single need I have! This is childlike faith! Faith is a gift from the ONE who created it. Faith is not of the world, it's supernatural. It doesn't exist in the natural realm of life. FAITH ONLY EXIST IN THE SUPERNATURAL!! IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN THE SUPERNATURAL THEN YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN FAITH!!  Faith is UNSEEN. It's not something we can grab or smell or talk to or hear. Faith is believing in something that's not of this world...its believing that there is a man named Jesus who came to earth over 2000 years ago and took my shame, my sin and my guilt to a wooden cross and HE DIED FOR MY DEBT. Every bit of it, not just some...HE DIED FOR ALL MY DEBTS, the spiritual and the physical. Now to Him I owe everything! My only debt is to serve Him with my whole heart. This is the new life that I want to live! I choose to serve God with my whole heart and everything that's in me. If this means totally relying on Him in EVERY aspect of my life including my daily bread then I'm ALL IN! I can't find any greater joy than to surrender my little life for the Glory of my Jesus! He gave it all for me and I want to give my all for Him in return. No matter the cost, no matter the suffering or persecution! Romans 8:35-37 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."  There is nothing in this world, no principality, no darkness, no man that can separate me from the love of Christ. He died just for me and He died just for you.  So, am I going to live by FAITH? Or do I return home and turn to the things of this world, to the comforts of the ordinary christian life?  NOPE. I'm not...  God is calling me back here to Africa in a very short time to live as a missionary. And to do this I have to learn to live by FAITH alone in HIM! I think this time begins now, not tomorrow.

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

My prayer is that the Lord stretches your faith just the way He is mine! I pray that you have to rely on Him more and more everyday. Sheesh, we must rely on Him for our daily breath for He is the Giver of Life!  Hopefully your faith is stretched and God is calling you to rely on Him in greater measure. I see it as pure JOY to rely in my Daddy in every aspect of my life and this life is a true blessing!

Please leave me some feedback on your view of Faith and what it looks like...I want to hear how God is calling you to live by FAITH and how He is stretching you in your Faith!!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

From GLORY TO GLORY...

SO....I have now graduated from the Harvest School of Missions! wow...I can't believe 10 weeks have already gone by here in Africa. Seems like just yesterday I was sitting at home in the states wishing I was here! Time has flown by!  Jesus is so so good. Alot has happened in the last two weeks...but the worst has been in the last 48 hours! ha.  I really hate the enemy! He has tried to still my joy the last few days but I praise Jesus while saying HE HASN'T and HE WON'T!  Two days ago I found out that I had used my debit card at a restaurant one night here in Africa and somehow someone hacked into my bank account and started taking money out! Yesterday I found out that they've pulled $500 out of my acccount!! Pretty much everything I have to my name..HA! Now I'm left with about $100 in my account and payments to be made before I even return to the states! Its ok though...JESUS is gonna MULTIPLY it! Shakanana! The bank for the credit card machine is going to start an investigation on Monday and I'm praying that Jesus will sort it all out.  Lots of companies and  are very corrupt here so I'm praying for Jesus to use this to change lives!! YES JESUS, use this to bring yourself Glory, let this be a testimony of your faithfulness! Hallelujah! I say this to say that Im not worried AT ALL! Jesus is still on the throne He is in control! It feels so good to be walking in His will and totally relying on Him. Its amazing....when situations like this arise and normally anyone would panic and worry, I have total PEACE! HA! Some of you might even think I'm crazy but Papa is really that good. My life and everything I have is in His hands and I know he knows my every need. I am His son, chosen and marked by Him for eternal Glory!  I pray that this peace be poured out on you as you read this blog. Any situation, any circumstance, it doesn't matter Jesus is the giver of Peace and Joy. Give it to HIM! He loves honoring our faith by providing every need. He is the giver of life itself! When we rest in the fullness of faith in Him we don't have to worry.  He is the best Dad in the whole world!  I pray you get wrecked in the Glory with an outpuring of His peace and joy! Jesus is amazing. Thank you Papa, you are the best in the whole world. I feel like a little kid...It's fun...never having to worry about anything! Childlike faith is the best. Just like when a little child falls down and scrapes his knee, he cries and he doesn't ask his Daddy to pick him up, hold him and kiss it and make it better...He has FAITH in his Daddy, he knows that his Daddy will pick him up and even kiss it and MAKE IT BETTER! Ha! I think this is a prophetic statement...not only will Papa pick us up and provide and love us, He will go beyond that and MAKE IT BETTER than it was before. Thats the kind of faith Jesus wants us to live in. Not only relying on Him to fix our problems or our trials but to know that HE is GOOD ENOUGH to MAKE IT EVEN BETTER! I love knowing that not only will Jesus replace what the enemy has stolen from me but He will MAKE IT EVEN BETTER! Sheesh we have a good Daddy. I pray right now in Jesus name that if you have any worry, any pain, any hurt, any trial or tribulation that you give it to Him and BE A CHILD. Trust Papa that He will pick you up and love on you and make you all better. He's that good.  If you don't know it...just read the word. The word is PROOF that He is always good. His love has never failed and it never will.  Well, Im off in the morning to Tete! We leave base here in Pemba at 6 in the morning on a 3 day drive to Tete...Tete is on the south west border of Mozambique near Zimbabwe and Malawi. We will be living in the bush for 18 days showing Jesus films, leading people to Jesus, praying for the sick, training young pastors, and working on renovating what was once a former brothel..now its our base and home to one of our amazing missionaries Marlene! Im really excited to see what all Jesus is going to do! I probably won't have any internet access for almost 3 weeks so I hope this blog will bless you for a while! Ha. I look forward to returning to the states for a little while to see many of your beautiful faces and hug your necks! I pray you are blessed in the fullness of HIS JOY, LOVE and PEACE! Blessings in Jesus amazing mighty name!