Tuesday, February 22, 2011

What Is Your Moment?

Believe it or not, everyone has a moment when God speaks to them about what they are called to do. You need to be able to measure that moment that you have with God. Everyday you have an opportunity to create your own moment and God doesn't just speak to you in only that moment. God is always speaking to you but you have to be open to really listen for God's voice and be able to distinguish God's voice from any other voice. In 1 Samuel 3, the story of Samuel is told where he was sleeping and woke up three times hearing a voice calling him. Each time Samuel gets up and goes to his father thinking that it was his father that called him but really it was Jesus who was calling Samuel. See, sometimes we get those voices confused especially when we aren't fully trying to listen for God's voice or when we get sidetracked we think it's someone else's voice when it isn't. We need to not miss our moment because God has a calling for each and every one of us.

My moment was 3 years ago when i was in Mexico on a missions trip and i clearly knew that Missions is my calling and that in that moment, God was saying to me, "Kriston, i have given you a passion for all people to see all people come to Christ and i want you to be the one who will be my hands and feet and who will take me to the darkest corners of the earth." I have no idea where that statement just came from, i believe that was the Holy Spirit! That was my moment!

What was your moment? Have you had one yet? If not, start to try and create that moment! Don't miss it! God is calling you!

Suffering Produces....

A lot of times when we are going through suffering, we think that it will just make things worse or that we won't get through it. Believe it or not, a lot of the time we NEED to be taught and challenged and that when the difficulties come we would know that God is still God and is still there.

Don't ever underestimate the power of what God can do and will do in your life. Lately, it's been really hard for me dealing with some things that weren't really for me to deal with, but yet watching it was tearing me apart and i just kept asking God why am i being torn by this, why do people have to go through this even though i'm not involved? Out of this struggle, it has made me stronger in God to know that if we just are willing to lay situations and burdens down at his feet that he will take care of them and that God will place a peace that surpasses all understanding if you just ask. It was only by the grace of God by laying it down at his feet that i was able to move on and truly be happy again.

As we struggle, remember that God is always there but also that God has conquered and you will be victorious in him. We must endure or suffer a lot in order to get into the Kingdom of God.

Suffering will produce Fruitfullness. For example, in 1 Samuel with the story of Hannah, Hannah called out to God knowing that even though she couldn't do anything, God could do something! When you know that there is nothing that you can do, that when you need to call on the Lord and trust him to know that God will work everything out for his plans and according to his purpose.

Suffering will also produce Growth Inside of You. It's amazing how much you don't realize that when you are going through a struggle that it's really growing you in God. The thing is, you don't really realize it until you actually come out of that struggle that you really did grow in God. I personally feel like it helps me to have a stronger faith in God, knowing that he holds it all in his hands. I love the thought that God holds everything in his hands even when we feel like he doesn't.

Lastly, suffering will produce Reward Over Your Life. I don't really realize right now that the suffering that i've gone through has and will produce reward over my life but i'm learning that. I don't quite understand  all of it yet but in the end it does. If anyone knows the answer to that, post a comment of how it produces reward over your life becasue i'm not quite sure yet.

All in all, i know that even though we don't like going through the difficulties, but it's through those times that we find God and that we grow in him. Remeber that Suffering is just a way for God to help you grow in him is the way that i look at it.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Revival in Gettysburg

This morning in prayer we prayed for the area of Gettysburg and there was the power of God! As i was praying i totally felt the presence of God within our prayer time. One thing within our prayer time that i was feeling was this wall that was standing between our church and the town of Gettysburg. As a church as our team of Master's Commission we really need to be praying that God breaks down the wall and that Satan is defeated in this town of Gettysburg! We need to be praying in the name of Jesus that these walls are broken down and that Satan has NO POWER in this area! To God be ALL OF THE POWER, glory, and honor!
C.S. Lewis talks about the "Law of Human Nature" that it tells us what we ought to do and not do. I think of it as our concience and that when we think about going out and spreading God's word in Gettysburg, i think it puts on your own consience what you are going to do about it. So, what are you going to do about seeing a revival in Gettysburg? I know i'm going to be praying hard for a revival within the Freedom Valley Church that will spread through the town of Gettysburg and i want to make points to be out using every opportunity i can to reach Gettysburg!
What will you do?

Monday, February 7, 2011

WE ARE NOT ALONE

There are always going to be times in our lives when we don't admit that we are wrong. I know that there have been times when we leave problems unresolved and don't bother to fix them. There is always a suffering that overwhelms us. We always want to avoid the overwhelming suffering that we can't handle, but then when we finally get free of it, there is this lack of something where even though we have everything it robs us of what we really can do and what we know and we begin to get bored because we have everything. If we don't start to do something about the problems in our lives and fix them, things are just going to get more frustrating and won't work out even if we do have the earthly things. Earthly things do nothing, God says in Matthew 6:19-21 to not store up treasures for yourself on earth but treasures in the Kingdom of God and that where you treasure lies, your heart will also be. See, the suffering that we go through somehow brings us to a point of being honest. Even though we go through so much pain, it has a way of working in us and allowing us to be honest. That's when that empty place inside of us begins to open up where we can tap into the life, energy, and the happiness that God gave to us even though at times it's painful. See, with God we go through struggles but that's how we grow in God!

Lately, i was really having a hard time really trying to get into my own personal devotions and prayer times. I committed to God on January 29th at Penndel Winter Retreat that i would give it all up to get it all back. This committment means so much to me and i felt that God wanted me to give up tv. I'll tell you, it's the hardest thing i've ever done becasue i enjoy watching my favorite tv shows, but at the same time, it is the BEST thing that i've ever done. I find myself being able to give God more time and just soaking in his presence and seeking after him with all that i have.

So, even though we go through struggles and sometimes let problems unfixed, we are not alone! There are other people that go through the same things that we do. As Rob Bell stated, "Know what needs to be taken away to get at the pure essence of what you are trying to create or design." Seriously, how awesome is that statement?! Really think about it. I mean if you know what you need to take out of your life in order to grown cloer God, THEN DO IT! Suffering allows you eliminate the things in your life that need to be eliminated. A lot of us suffer from the same things, people close to us that may have cancer, people close to us who may have an addiction, take realization to the fact that WE ARE NOT ALONE! So many people are going through the same things and what helps us to heal is that exact fact that we are not alone.

So, my challenge is what are you going to give up in order to get closer to God? What struggles are you going to go through in order to get closer to God?