As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across the following scripture:
"You did not choose me, but I chose you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last -and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other." John 15:16
He chose me and he chose you (no matter our past) to bear fruit. What does that mean to bear fruit. I feel there are many ways to explain producing fruit...but the one I'd like to focus on are the fruits of the spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. I believe this is what God is telling us to produce in our every day life. I know I definitely need some work on this...especially self-control (when it comes to food) :). But the most important of these that is mentioned in previous books of the Bible is love. Jesus even mentions that at the end of the above scripture. "This is my command: Love each other."
John 13:34 says "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Unconditional love, no matter what another person does. I know I have screwed up so many times, yet like a loving Father God, has not withheld HIS love from me. There have been many times where I have known the truth, but have willingly walked away thinking I could do it better on my own. That's like a slap in the face, but God still loves me even in the midst of it. That is the kind of love that God wants us to produce daily. It's so easy to get offended and bitter towards someone who has done us wrong (believe me I know this as fact in my own life) but in the long run we are only hurting ourselves. If we take the higher road and love rather than letting it get to us, God can use us even more.
Now if God chose US to produce that fruit, that means He has equipped us and given us the grace to do so. "It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Romans 9:16) So in this case, we know that we can't do it in our own strength, but God can in His strength and can empower us to do it. So, ask Him today to help you produce all those fruits of the spirit in your own life and He will.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday nights
Growing up in a pastor's home, there were very few moments where we had uninterupted family time. We tried our very hardest to not schedule anything on the weekends, but inevitably there would be a special service/meeting/event or my parents would be meeting with people in the church (especially in the beginning years of the church). Even when we didn't have things going on with church, some one from the church would call with a problem that would take up at least one parents time (this was the time when everyone in the church had our house number).
I am proud of my parents though for making sure that the weekends (over the past few years) are set aside for the family. Friday Nights and Sunday afternoon's are scheduled family time and rarely will they schedule anything else during those times. Even though Jessica and I don't live there any more, we still try to make it to my parents house on a Sunday night to hang out with them. I cherish these moments where we don't talk about work (or try not to) but just enjoy being in each other's presence.
Tonight all of us were at my parents house to watch a movie (Taken is an amazing movie by the way). I loved it. I haven't been over there in a while on a Sunday night because I have been busy, but am going to try to do it more often....because I am understanding more and more the importance of making time for my family even in the rush of life's busyness because they are who matter most to me.
I am proud of my parents though for making sure that the weekends (over the past few years) are set aside for the family. Friday Nights and Sunday afternoon's are scheduled family time and rarely will they schedule anything else during those times. Even though Jessica and I don't live there any more, we still try to make it to my parents house on a Sunday night to hang out with them. I cherish these moments where we don't talk about work (or try not to) but just enjoy being in each other's presence.
Tonight all of us were at my parents house to watch a movie (Taken is an amazing movie by the way). I loved it. I haven't been over there in a while on a Sunday night because I have been busy, but am going to try to do it more often....because I am understanding more and more the importance of making time for my family even in the rush of life's busyness because they are who matter most to me.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Traveling is on my mind
In thinking about my upcoming Italy trip... I realized that I love to travel. I love every aspect of it: the plane ride, the culture, the food etc.
Here is where I have been:
Here is where I have been:
- Israel
- Jordan
- Venezuela
- Australia
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Italy
- Spain
- Canada
Europe:
- Greece
- London
- Portugal
- Spain
- Austria
- Germany
- Switzerland
Americas/Caribbean:
- Brazil (I have already been here, but it was a quick trip)
- Barbados
- St. Thomas
- Honduras
- Jamaica
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Chile
- Hawaii (not a country but a place i want to go to)
Africa:
- South Africa
- Morocco
- Egypt
- Madagascar
Asia/Middle East:
- China
- India
- Japan
- Philippians
- Thailand
- Israel
Australia and Oceania:
- New Zealand
- Australia (Sydney)
i know there are plenty more place i would love to travel to....
Where do you want to go??
Saturday, April 25, 2009
2 quotes I just read:
I am reading this book called: Mad Church Disease. It's by a pastor's daughter who is talking about how easy it is to burn out....but is talking about ways to avoid it and how important it is to keep God in the mix. I will probably write about this later on. In the mean time, here are 2 quotes that I really like from this book:
"Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle-it is miracle in its first stage. If it's to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty, but impossibility."
"Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle-it is miracle in its first stage. If it's to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty, but impossibility."
-Lettie B. Cowman
"If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on him, and he will make use of you every minute you live-yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of him."
-Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Exciting events in the near future...
Our recent sermon series at church is called Anatomy of a Miracle. The first Sunday, Pastor Donna (aka Mom) spoke, she said, What is the one big thing you are believing God for? Well I want to share a couple things that I believe are miracles in my life that I have been believing God for over the past few months.
1.) Moving to a new apartment: I can't wait!!! Hannah (my room mate) and I have been praying for a new place to live over the past year with several specific items I wanted in the apartment or in the surrounding area as well. So we have been casually looking for some place else to live with in that time, but never really felt released to do much of anything else but look. FINALLY, in March, we heard about this new apartment building in the city. When we looked on the website, Hannah and I didn't really think we could afford it. But we both prayed and looked at our budget and realized that not only could we afford it, but felt released to look at it and sign the lease. I went and looked at it on a Thursday, the following Sunday Hannah went and looked at it and we signed the application to move in that same day. It was so God. This place has everything that Hannah and I have been desiring in an apartment building: A pool, a gym, zone 6 residency, 2 blocks from the metro, It's brand new, has 2 bathrooms, a DISHWASHER (You don't realize how much you love those things until you don't have one for 3 years.)...I mean the list goes on... We move Memorial Day weekend..YAY!!
2.) Rome, Italy: Over the past 3 months, I have been praying and asking God whether I am supposed to go to Italy for the MXG Conference in June. I wanted to go, but also wanted to use that money towards my own vacation; just me and God. I also didn't want to spend more than $600 on a plane ticket over there. To buy a ticket at that price would need a miracle in itself. So then Monday night I had a dinner with a friend and while I was talking to him about my dilemma, I had an epiphany/word from God... I can do both vacation and conference. So I searched for tickets where I could go on a mini vacation before the conference and I found one for $550, and completely felt it was God so I bought it. So I am going to be gone May 31-June 9. I get to Rome a couple days early so I can enjoy the country by myself, then I join my 2 sisters in Rome that Wednesday. I am so excited. I never would've imaged this to be possible, and God made a way. Now, I am just believing God that He will do something supernatural when I have to speak Italian. I feel so rusty. hehe
1.) Moving to a new apartment: I can't wait!!! Hannah (my room mate) and I have been praying for a new place to live over the past year with several specific items I wanted in the apartment or in the surrounding area as well. So we have been casually looking for some place else to live with in that time, but never really felt released to do much of anything else but look. FINALLY, in March, we heard about this new apartment building in the city. When we looked on the website, Hannah and I didn't really think we could afford it. But we both prayed and looked at our budget and realized that not only could we afford it, but felt released to look at it and sign the lease. I went and looked at it on a Thursday, the following Sunday Hannah went and looked at it and we signed the application to move in that same day. It was so God. This place has everything that Hannah and I have been desiring in an apartment building: A pool, a gym, zone 6 residency, 2 blocks from the metro, It's brand new, has 2 bathrooms, a DISHWASHER (You don't realize how much you love those things until you don't have one for 3 years.)...I mean the list goes on... We move Memorial Day weekend..YAY!!
2.) Rome, Italy: Over the past 3 months, I have been praying and asking God whether I am supposed to go to Italy for the MXG Conference in June. I wanted to go, but also wanted to use that money towards my own vacation; just me and God. I also didn't want to spend more than $600 on a plane ticket over there. To buy a ticket at that price would need a miracle in itself. So then Monday night I had a dinner with a friend and while I was talking to him about my dilemma, I had an epiphany/word from God... I can do both vacation and conference. So I searched for tickets where I could go on a mini vacation before the conference and I found one for $550, and completely felt it was God so I bought it. So I am going to be gone May 31-June 9. I get to Rome a couple days early so I can enjoy the country by myself, then I join my 2 sisters in Rome that Wednesday. I am so excited. I never would've imaged this to be possible, and God made a way. Now, I am just believing God that He will do something supernatural when I have to speak Italian. I feel so rusty. hehe
Friday, April 10, 2009
New Favorite Song
The other day I was looking at our worship team blog and they posted this video. I absolutely love it. I listened to it over and over again. As this woman was singing, I really could feel God's love.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Wheat Sifting
As I was listening to one of the segments in the Believing God series this morning, there were some things that really struck me. She referenced Luke 22:31-31.
::"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers."
It seems that God let the sifting happen with Simon, because God knew that the end product with in Simon would be greater than if he hadn't gone through the tough time.And once he repented and turned back to Christ, he would be able to strengthen and build up other people.
One thing that Beth Moore said was "God will never give the enemey permission to sift us like wheat unless we have something that needs sifting."
If we go through that sifting period then there is something that God wants to deal with inside of us so that He can move us on to greater things. He wants us to let go of certain things that would hold us back (ie. pride, victim mentality, bitterness, offense, sexual imorality etc), so that He can move us in the amazing purpose He has for us.
The word sift in the greek is siniazo which means to sift, shake in a sieve, fig. by inward agitation to try one's faith to the verge of overthrow
WOW.... If this meaning of sift doesn't describe what I have been going through in the past few months I dont know what does. It has been hard time in my life but I am encouraged, because that means that God is bringing things to the surface that need to be dealt with so He can bring me into His awesome purpose for my life. This makes me so thankful that God loves me so much that He doesn't want me life my whole life struggling with all this, but he wants me to shed all of that. I would rather live free and in God's purpose than to carry all that extra baggage HE wants me to let go of.
Another way to look at it....is to look at an open wound...you know the kind from when you scraped your knee when you were a kid. Remember how your mom or dad would put hydrogen peroxide on it and all the impurities would bubble to the top. So the process of cleaning all that out was painful but necessary for the wound to heal. That is what God does with us. He wants to use us, but wants to clean some stuff out first that would hinder us moving forward later. He doesn't want us to live in pain, but to live free and whole.
The best part about that scripture is that Jesus said, "I will plead in prayer for you, that your faith will not fail." so that means that while we go through that uncomfortable but necessary process, that Jesus is praying for us that our faith will not fail. That also means that he hasn't left us hanging and He knows EXACTLY what is going on, even though in those times it feels like it.
So if you are going through something like that now, know that God hasn't left you, but is there praying for you. AND most importantly don't fight the process, submit everything to God. There is no way you can do it in your own strength (believe me, I've tried), but trusting God and declaring scripture will get you through it. :)
::"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers."
It seems that God let the sifting happen with Simon, because God knew that the end product with in Simon would be greater than if he hadn't gone through the tough time.And once he repented and turned back to Christ, he would be able to strengthen and build up other people.
One thing that Beth Moore said was "God will never give the enemey permission to sift us like wheat unless we have something that needs sifting."
If we go through that sifting period then there is something that God wants to deal with inside of us so that He can move us on to greater things. He wants us to let go of certain things that would hold us back (ie. pride, victim mentality, bitterness, offense, sexual imorality etc), so that He can move us in the amazing purpose He has for us.
The word sift in the greek is siniazo which means to sift, shake in a sieve, fig. by inward agitation to try one's faith to the verge of overthrow
WOW.... If this meaning of sift doesn't describe what I have been going through in the past few months I dont know what does. It has been hard time in my life but I am encouraged, because that means that God is bringing things to the surface that need to be dealt with so He can bring me into His awesome purpose for my life. This makes me so thankful that God loves me so much that He doesn't want me life my whole life struggling with all this, but he wants me to shed all of that. I would rather live free and in God's purpose than to carry all that extra baggage HE wants me to let go of.
Another way to look at it....is to look at an open wound...you know the kind from when you scraped your knee when you were a kid. Remember how your mom or dad would put hydrogen peroxide on it and all the impurities would bubble to the top. So the process of cleaning all that out was painful but necessary for the wound to heal. That is what God does with us. He wants to use us, but wants to clean some stuff out first that would hinder us moving forward later. He doesn't want us to live in pain, but to live free and whole.
The best part about that scripture is that Jesus said, "I will plead in prayer for you, that your faith will not fail." so that means that while we go through that uncomfortable but necessary process, that Jesus is praying for us that our faith will not fail. That also means that he hasn't left us hanging and He knows EXACTLY what is going on, even though in those times it feels like it.
So if you are going through something like that now, know that God hasn't left you, but is there praying for you. AND most importantly don't fight the process, submit everything to God. There is no way you can do it in your own strength (believe me, I've tried), but trusting God and declaring scripture will get you through it. :)
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