Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Uprooting Sin




I went through the ten commandments in Bible study and I got convicted about helping out mom. So today i went and pulled some roots out of the ground chez maman, they were deep, weak and all over. They were the remenants of a thorny bush. So after lots of quiet reflection and unwillingness on my part. I started to apply faith to what i was doing; A deeper meaning for the chore at hand.

I thought how in coming to Christ there we have new life and are changed. But the sin and my life in darkness are still present in the roots. yes I'm forgiven, but its is up to sanctification -the Holy Spirit indwelling to labor with the shovel, pushing aside the earth to attain the roots of my sinful ways. With leverage, force and time one by one the roots of the thorny bush are uprooted. So that the persistant ones cannot resurface and claim slavery on me. There was this one root that my mom attacked with the shovel and me with my hands pulling up on it. suddently, it gave way and we fell on ours behinds. Laughing at how that root just gave way at once and we didn't expect it. Just some observations about what God uproots so we can grow with Him. This makes me think that eternity doesn't start when we die but rather when we have placed our portion of faith in Jesus.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Dare 2 Share Weekend

I just finished chaperoning my youth group at a Dare 2 Share conference at the Pepsi Center. Their mission is to equip youth to share the gospel of Christ to everyone. Some churches call them dare to scare because they feel that they over emphasize evangelism or that youth haven't been grown enough to take that stand. I just think they've never given D2S much of a chance. Its solid from what I see.

I got lots out of it. They had this skit between two girls dressed all Hip-Hop one quoting scripture like an angel of the Lord and the other like a demon. They'd recite verses from the Bible about God, His promises, wrath and Revelation to persuade us the importance of memorizing verses it blew my mind and I was convicted. I enter my battles with sin, Satan and temptation with prayer and hope. But this adds the sword of the Holy Spirit, being the Bible.

Another eye-opener for me was prostration during prayer. Praising God for who He is was done on my feet with out-stretched arms. Petitions are next, seated hands folded head bowed. Lastly confession to Jesus is done on my knees. Interesting method that I think might help section out my prayers.

There was this moment where I (all the youth leaders) and had to place my hand over the youth in my group and pray out loud for them. Talk about putting aside everything and just counting the moment to usher the right words to express God's love for them uniquely. How there is hope in owning a faith in Christ.

The conference then went door to door, All over Denver and collected cans for the Denver rescue mission. The main reason they went was to share the gospel as they went door to door. Intense! We raised 15 tons of canned food. We heard stories of persecution, lives changed and some other awesome stories after. I was really challenged and faced the fact that I have a fear of evangelizing to strangers, similar to the fear I have in living out repentance and not falling again.

The conference speaker asked us to call someone from our seats in the Pepsi Center and share the gospel with them; A friend or family member that doesn’t know Christ. My heart was pounding when I made that call. I got an answering machine but still I left a message and that seed was planted.

Then lots of laughter and praise songs. Jesus rocks my world. They had this shirt that said:
“Fo
‘Given
Fo
‘Sho”

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Second Faith Birthday, Discovering Leadership

"Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus, Oh how I love Jesus because He first loved me." Love that hymn. Love has met me in the Agape form (Godly love). It was that day where Christ showed mercy on my first prayer to Him in over a decade. I hope the testimony I live illustrates how God uses sinful, undeserving people to work for Him and receive His grace unconditionally. I submitted my life to Jesus Christ two years ago! It was only fitting that today at Awana we learned about how to ask Jesus for forgiveness from sin. That message of Jesus has sustained me these last two years! Although my mother is starting to admit that this might not be just another one of Nic's phases; I pray that my life rescued by Christ, grown by God doesn't go unnoticed. I mentioned at my "Jesus is invited housewarming party" that it is the people who've known me the longest and have seen the impact of God's changes in me the most that I have the hardest time witnessing to. Conversely, my communities of friends, co-workers, and fellow believers have the hardest time picturing the way I was when I lived a self willed life.

So here I am now. After a stirring lesson/lecture of asking God to use me, "May you not let me rest God until you have placed me according to Your will." I write to you because God has grown me. I am a leader, yeah I do it for a living, I do it with church groups but now I seek out those opportunities to lead. I am going to give a lecture on community in two weeks. In my mind, this is one more thing that will season my service to the Lord and usher me into the nervous unknown (gasp). It's a gift to be a leader and I'm sure not everyone sees that in me... then again, could you see me as an undercover secret shopper either? Similar to that lesson, God places my weakness where I can't ignore them. Maybe I won't be a leader my whole life maybe this is just a season to repair the hell my body and mind went through before.

Nonetheless, I have become more attentive to others in leading. Listening used to be hard for me especially if I was under any narcotics, I enjoy listening now. I think encouragement is the best way to lead. Leading is a way of me loving my neighbors and helps me be others-centered. Courteous delegation is win/win. Leading forces me to think critically about organization, execution, and results. It helps me listen to myself more closely to notice when I grumble, gossip or gas.

All this to say that I'm looking to God to use me. I still pray for guidance, corporate retail will always be corporate retail but I am ever changing and conforming to Christ. I'm fluent in French -its not for nothing. I feel like I’m discovering who I am in the light of God. And I'm trying to be patient yet responsive upon God's call. Tonight's lecture was how Peter stood up, unscripted, perhaps surprising other apostles and he spoke at the Pentecost and 3,000 souls became members of the church. What an awesome passage (Acts chapter 2) about the Holy Spirit using Peter for His glory. What would have happened if Peter didn't stand up?

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

In Praise Of Jesus

Lord God Your Son, Your Son is here.
Jesus the messiah whom evil does fear.

"Devil get out!" in Christ's name I shout.
No time to reside, no place you can hide.

Inside of me: God dwells, teaches and trains
of His life cut, punctured and drained.

To complete love completely and marry His bride,
Jesus died for His grace to provide.

I count on God's will so I am not still
Lest He requests me for Him to refill.

What i want to do for God is done when i say:
What are You about to do here, on this day.

Tonight I write to dance with the light
of a life of forgiveness, faith, hope and sight.

Humble is next, service and heart.
Still there are setbacks like funky farts.

Nothing like what could have been
If Jesus Christ didn't save me from sin.