Preparation..
Posted on January 21, 2010 with 0 comments
Well today marks exactly 4 weeks until I leave for the Gospel Crusade in Kanja-Embu, Kenya. I am getting so excited to see what the Lord has prepared for this trip! I can already see the changes within as He prepares me for this mission.
Before I got "grounded" (so to speak) recovering from the break in my collar bone, I was veering onto a dangerous course of "works". 'Lord, what must I DO to prepare for this trip? Surely I must be missing something. How can I be more USABLE to you? I am believing for those great miracles, signs, and wonders to be made manifest in this crusade..what must I DO?'
We know that faith without works is dead..but, there is a difference in that type of "work" and the "works" which we believe will make us more righteous or advance in the Kingdom of God! I was definitely getting over into the latter...with good intentions, but still yet missing the mark!
Over the course of the last few weeks, God has brought me back to the simple beauty and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are able to do all things because Christ Himself lives IN us and works THROUGH us. While living a life of holiness is the evidence, it should not be the goal. The sacrifices that we make should not be thought of as a bargaining chip or signal of a greater status in our Christian walk. But rather a beautiful effect of walking after the Spirit and not the lusts of the flesh. He tells His disciples, 'if you love me, keep my commandments'.
As a born people-pleaser, I was beginning to take on the assumption that if I wanted God to use me more, I had to BE BETTER. While the truth of the matter is that He will use us IN SPITE of ourselves...simply because the need is there. His desire is to meet the needs of the lost and hurting in this world. Those that make their lives available to His Holy Spirit to flow through will be the chosen vessels He works through to reach the lost, touch the hurting, and heal the sick. I want to be one of those vessels!
For many of you, this is not revelation...but for me, I have been so liberated! It's as though I have been reintroduced to Jesus in a most beautiful way! How wonderful He is to us!! And the complexities that we add to living the Christian life are so far from the truth that He gives us in His word.
I am so appreciative of this time He has given me to get back into the pure and simple truth of His word, unclouded by man's doctrines and religious demands. I am more excited than ever to go to the nations of the world and share these truths! Even the songs I sing seem to be charged with a stronger and more pure love for Christ!
I cannot wait to share the testimonies with you all soon! Please pray for each part of this crusade with me! Believing for a great harvest of souls and that the wonderous works of God would be a revelation to those in attendance that He is truly a LIVING and LOVING God!!
I also found out this week that Amy and I will have opportunity during the days to go into the schools in the village of Kanja-Embu to minister the gospel to the children! Praise God! Jesus truly loves all the children of the world!
Before I got "grounded" (so to speak) recovering from the break in my collar bone, I was veering onto a dangerous course of "works". 'Lord, what must I DO to prepare for this trip? Surely I must be missing something. How can I be more USABLE to you? I am believing for those great miracles, signs, and wonders to be made manifest in this crusade..what must I DO?'
We know that faith without works is dead..but, there is a difference in that type of "work" and the "works" which we believe will make us more righteous or advance in the Kingdom of God! I was definitely getting over into the latter...with good intentions, but still yet missing the mark!
Over the course of the last few weeks, God has brought me back to the simple beauty and truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are able to do all things because Christ Himself lives IN us and works THROUGH us. While living a life of holiness is the evidence, it should not be the goal. The sacrifices that we make should not be thought of as a bargaining chip or signal of a greater status in our Christian walk. But rather a beautiful effect of walking after the Spirit and not the lusts of the flesh. He tells His disciples, 'if you love me, keep my commandments'.
As a born people-pleaser, I was beginning to take on the assumption that if I wanted God to use me more, I had to BE BETTER. While the truth of the matter is that He will use us IN SPITE of ourselves...simply because the need is there. His desire is to meet the needs of the lost and hurting in this world. Those that make their lives available to His Holy Spirit to flow through will be the chosen vessels He works through to reach the lost, touch the hurting, and heal the sick. I want to be one of those vessels!
For many of you, this is not revelation...but for me, I have been so liberated! It's as though I have been reintroduced to Jesus in a most beautiful way! How wonderful He is to us!! And the complexities that we add to living the Christian life are so far from the truth that He gives us in His word.
I am so appreciative of this time He has given me to get back into the pure and simple truth of His word, unclouded by man's doctrines and religious demands. I am more excited than ever to go to the nations of the world and share these truths! Even the songs I sing seem to be charged with a stronger and more pure love for Christ!
I cannot wait to share the testimonies with you all soon! Please pray for each part of this crusade with me! Believing for a great harvest of souls and that the wonderous works of God would be a revelation to those in attendance that He is truly a LIVING and LOVING God!!
I also found out this week that Amy and I will have opportunity during the days to go into the schools in the village of Kanja-Embu to minister the gospel to the children! Praise God! Jesus truly loves all the children of the world!