Embracing the Imperfect

I love that God embraces us even though we are not perfect. How can he do that? Why would he do that? God has a unique way of looking at us. Past our fears, and failures and many imperfections, God looks... Deep inside, at the very core of who we are, he sees us! he sees the remnant of what he has created. He sees the heart of his son or daughter. Yes, it is corrupt, and it too is imperfect, but instead of throwing it out and starting over, we serve a God who is into restoring. Just like the mechanic that sees a beat up old car in the junk yard, but buys it and fixes it up to perfect condition, this what Jesus does. he's not so concerned about the current condition, but sees the potential condition that it could be restored too. I want to see people the way that God does! I want to do the ground work for him, and spot the potential treasures. Simply because I love to see that restoring process! It is amazing! It takes time, and it takes patience, but it's worth it! I love to tell those that are broken, how wonderful they are! Sometimes I do see what God sees, and others may think, "why is he excited over them. What is he wasting his time there for... They are a lost cause!" NO NO NO! They are not a lost cause... They are actually the greatest of treasures!!! Just wait, and you will see!!!

Specifics

I was studying yesterday about prayer, and was reminded of something that I have not been doing a very good job of. Praying for things in detail. Being specific when I go to God. I learned the other day that if I begin to to get out of touch with the Lord, my prayers become more general, and less specific. for instance, I may pray for a person that needs it, and sometimes it starts out very specific, then after that It is, "Lord, help this person with there problem" Then "Lord, be there for them", and then I can get to point, where I am praying "Lord, be with everyone today", "Help everyone today"... As the prayers get more generic, they lose effectiveness. God wants us to "will" what we pray not simple "wish" for something to happen. When we will something we are willing to work for it, to go after it. basically, we really care about it and are passionate, to act on what we are praying for. Wishing, is kinda like praying for people to be saved, and not actually sharing Christ with them. We have specific things in our hearts that God wants us to pray for, things we are passionate about, and people we are compassionate for. We must go to God in certainty and in faith. As we get closer to him, his specific will becomes our will. When that happens we will truly see the power of prayer.

Thankful for My Part in the Big Plan

We had a mission's filled day yesterday, as we interacted with 2 different missionaries. As I listened to the testimonies of what God was doing, I was encouraged. We are all in this together! No one person can reach everyone. Yet everyone can do something. I am thankful for my part in a bigger plan. As I think about those whose lives I have been privileged to be a part of, I am reminded that relationships like this are happening all over the world! People are being led to Christ, and discipled. Peoples hearts break for one another, as we are filled with compassion to minister to those that are hurting, and need to experience the love of Jesus. I am amazed that when I feel over-whelmed and drained, and have nothing left to give, something deep inside rises up and gives me the strength to go on. That something deep inside is the Holy Spirit! I am reminded of the passage in Mark:

Mark 1:40A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." 41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"

Jesus was willing to touch the unclean, he was willing to enter into the unclean part of this mans life. Are we willing to touch the leprosy of our generation? Are we willing to deal with drugs, alcohol, sexual issues, and depression? Or are we to scared that we might become unclean ourselves? We need to be careful I know, but I refuse to live in fear of showing Gods love just because, I put myself at risk being around dangerous things. We are not called to live safe lives, wrapped in bubble wrap. I pray that God would protect us, and give us wisdom and discernment as we go, because not every situation is for us personally to deal with. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit. Lets change someones world today! Compassion wells up inside of me today... I am willing...

It's Amazing

It is amazing how it all works you know? As humans we are broken, flawed, and weak. We are so fragile emotionally and physically. The intelligence that we have been given is greater than any other creature on earth, yet on the full scale of knowledge we know a little more than nothing. A war wages for our souls, in a realm we cannot see. our choices although our own, are influenced by this war, and at the same time our choice (the big choice) ultimately decides the victor of war for our own soul. Loved ones are lost, hearts are broken, friendships are lost, we often time find ourselves living in fear. Some days, nothing seems to go right. Our lives are mess. we are unstable, unworthy, and ungrateful for any good things in our lives. We continually fall short of our goals. Failing over and over and over again. yet.... For some reason, God sees us. Even in our screwed up world, God plants hope, love, and power into our lives! It's amazing! We don't deserve that! Not only, does he give us hope for our own lives, but we are his plan to share this hope with the world! Sometimes I ask myself; "WHAT IS HE THINKING!!!" What amazing power he has! Even when we are beaten and bruised, emotionally and physically; something in our spirit can rise up contrary to everything in our lives that is against us in our surrounding environment, and in our head, and truth is spoken! Walls come down! People are set free! Something from God flows into us and out of us, like a mighty wrecking ball, and destroys the enemy. I think it is like driving down the street in a rusty old beat up car. Satan laughs at our attempt to lurch down the street, and then the NOS (Nitrous Oxide Systems) kicks in and his jaw drops.. and he is reminded...
2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.

Jesus is Amazing!