November 20^th, 2017

John 15: 16a

“You didn’t choose me. I chose you”

Since the beginning of Ignite I have wondered how is it that this is my life? How is it that I was chosen by God to have this life I do? Since being here in Cambodia I have certainly been counting my blessings with thanksgiving this week and all naturally you start to thing more about the things that God has blessed you with. For me, I thought a lot about my family and childhood. You see I was born into a Pastor’s family and I loved it. The church is my extended family and I know that I have a lot of people that truly care about me there. But I didn’t get a choice about whose family I was born into. Only God has the power to decide that. So how is it that I ended up on this adventure and after such an amazing childhood only the grace of God I once heard a quote in a sermon about poverty that went something on the lines of this “Poverty is merely based off latitude and longitude not the lack of ambition some one might have or laziness.” It’s all because of grace. It’s undeserved and incomprehensible. All I know is that God has given me the chance to pursue Him in countries other than my native one, and teach children about Jesus and what he did for them.

Growing up I always belittled my testimony saying that there isn’t much to it, it wasn’t interesting. It wasn’t radical enough.  But I have come to the realization that there is so much more to my testimony than what I have or haven’t done in terms of sins. Obviously, I am not perfect, but God has kept me safe from so much and that is a miracle in itself. But again, it is all by His grace none of it has anything to do with me. So, my question is why did you choose me God? I am not any better than the person next to me, so why me? I didn’t choose you. It’s an interesting statement because so often we think that we choose God but really it is Him who chooses us. This verse is so simple yet so complex, I wish that I could understand it the way that God does. That I could completely understand how much He loves me.

Application: Pray for a glimpse of God’s amazing love for us.

November 13^th, 2017

John 15:1-8

“’I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit, so they will produce even more.  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.’”

During training I was talking to Shannon and she gave me this passage that a bunch of the RA’s were studying together, specifically they were reading John 15 in it’s entirety. This passage is all about abiding in Christ and what it means to remain in His love, and the importance consistently being in the presence of God not just to just have a feeling of closeness to God when worshiping or on missions. Although those are good times to feel a closeness to God it should not be the only time that you feel a closeness to him.

              The passage starts out by talking about how God is the pruner that will rid you of everything that isn’t producing fruit. When I read that I immediately thought to all the things that God has asked me to give up and all the things he is currently asking me to give to him. A lot of time when I read things like that and start thinking I become afraid. Having to give up things that you’ve done so long or have held onto for such a long time is challenging, it’s hard to cut things off and out of your life. Because once they are cut off you can’t put them back, they will die. The challenge I suppose it to not be afraid of the pruning process but to embrace it and accept because it is God preparing you to bear more fruit, to be more like him. For he says when you produce much fruit that is when you are his disciples. God identifies with you when you are producing fruit and becoming like him.

 November 8^th, 2017

 Luke 6:38

“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

“Exhausted yet pursuing” in Judges 8 Gideon was leading an army of 300 men across the Jordan. They were an undefeated group of men and although they were exhausted they continued to press on because it was what the Lord was asking of them.  They knew that God had something instore for them if they obeyed His commands and tried to follow on the path He had set out for them. Yet pursuing, when you put in your all and push yourself that much farther for him God will honour your sacrifices and the yes’ you said when you wanted to say no.  Give all that you are and have for Christ and he will give you back the best gift you could imagine; eternal life in heaven. Even though I may feel pressed down on, suffocated even, I know that there are better things to come. Take today for example, I really was exhausted for no reason, but I still had responsibilities to do and I still needed to show up, so I did, and I didn’t feel any different. I didn’t suddenly out of no where gain an insane super natural amount of energy. But even with out some amazing miracle I ended up continuing in my day and it was hard to press on and it was hard to remember that I am waiting on something that is so much more than this world and momentary gratification.  It’s not about what you want to do or about your feelings but about what God wants for you. I pray that I will be able to hear God’s voice learning to discern what He is saying so that I can better follow where He wants to lead me.

Application: Look for examples in the bible of people who new God’s voice and what exactly they did.

November 5th, 2017

Habakkuk 1:5

“‘Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.’”

Look among the nations. Not just look but see, and with that vision that I provide for you wonder. Wonder about me, wonder about creation, wonder about my love for you. Once you hit a point during your wonder you will be astounded.  There you will find that you can’t even begin to express or begin to comprehend the smallest bit of knowledge that you thought you had of God. It seems as if the closer you think you are getting to know more about God the father away you actually are.  For I am doing a work, I am. For God is doing a work in my days, not just my current day but my tomorrow and yesterday as well.  He is going to do something so amazing during my time here but also for the rest of my life. Something He won’t even reveal to us right now because if He did we would not believe Him, that is something that is so exciting about Christ. We never know what is going to happen next but regardless of what does happen we know that we are still guaranteed to go to the kingdom. And even if the work God is talking about, are the days while we are in heaven He still promises us that He will do them and that we won’t believe what that will look like even if He told us.

Application: Journal; ask God for a promise for my life.