Do you ever have those times when it seems like God is using every possible area of your life to send you a message? This is definitely one of those times. And it's so good. Granted, there's been a little conviction involved, but I'm so ecstatic to be hearing the Lord speaking so clearly into my heart that I don't really mind. :P
First, this Scripture has been coming to my attention over the past couple of weeks:
"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God based on faith." ~Philippians 3:7-9
And then, this song has been getting stuck in my head for the past few days (I haven't actually listened to this song in several months, go figure):
"Use me, break me, waste me on You, Lord
Ruin me, take me, waste me on You
For to die is to live...
To starve is to feast
And less of me is more of Jesus
Lord, I want it all
Lord, I want it all
If I lose my life
I gain everything
And at the cross
Away with all death's sting
Lord, I want it all
Lord, I want it all
There is power in the blood
There is victory in Jesus
Come in power, wash me clean
Overwhelm me with Your presence
There is power in the blood
There is victory in Jesus
Help me glory in the cross
Help me find my gain in loss"
~ I Want It All by Shane and Shane
And then! As if the message wasn't already clear enough, last night at youth group, Koby gave us a copy of a prayer by John Wesley that goes as follows:
"I am no longer my own, but Yours. Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by You or laid aside for You, exalted for You or brought low by You. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, You are mine and I am Yours. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in Heaven. Amen." ~John Wesley
I can't tell you how many times I've read this prayer and made it my own in the past 24 hours. I don't know how to describe just how deeply the Spirit has been impressing upon me the importance of laying myself aside for the sake of Christ. I feel a physical ache in my chest to know Him more deeply. To find my purpose solely in Him and NOT my circumstances or position in life. Truly, as long as I have Christ I have everything that I need.
Jesus, continue to move in my heart and my life. Teach me to pursue You, and only You, wholeheartedly. Help me to walk in Your will and to relinquish control of my life to Your strong and capable hands. It is my joy and true happiness to offer my life to You to do with what You will.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Mission Connexion Northwest - Part 4
Okay, so I lost my steam a little bit. :P
However, the most extensive portion of my blogging about the conference is over. Mostly it's because I personally received more out of the first part of the conference than the second. But there is still a little more I'd like to share.
The last two workshops I attended were less class-like than the first two. I took very sparse notes in the third workshop and I took no notes in the fourth. They were very awesome though.
The first workshop of the afternoon was presented by Voice of the Martyrs. The gal who ran the workshop gave a brief overview of the organization and the history behind it (fascinating and moving story, by the way).
We were about halfway through the workshop when we had some technical difficulties and weren't able to view a video that had been scheduled as part of the class. The gal didn't have anything to do for the last half of the workshop, but it so happened that a guy she knew from a Portland church was attending and he happened to be part of a group that regularly prays for and supports the persecuted church in North Korea. God works in amazing ways - he was able to share what the group at his church does and offered a ton of insight on how we can effectively pray for the church in North Korea.
For more info about what they do, visit http://www.prayforthepersecuted.com.
A random factoid that the gal shared with us: there isn't a single established church in Saudi Arabia. During the workshop I wasn't sure why, but that fact stuck in my brain. I found out in the next workshop why the Lord kept it in my mind.
The last workshop I attended was supposed to be a Muslim man sharing his testimony of how he came to know Christ. The workshop was canceled, but nobody saw the notice on the door and so we all filed into the chapel anyway. Turns out the guy who was supposed to speak had been in an accident and wasn't able to make it (I haven't heard, but I assume that he is okay because nothing was said otherwise). Another Muslim-turned-Christian had attended the previous session in the chapel and one of the conference volunteers asked him to share his testimony in lieu of canceling a session everyone had turned up for anyway.
I'm not going to share his story, a) it's not my story to tell and b) he shared his story at great risk to his own safety and the session wasn't even recorded. However, he is from Saudi Arabia and as soon as he told us that I knew that I had been in the Voice of the Martyrs session for a reason.
Can you imagine what extraordinary lengths God goes to to pursue His precious children? He plucked a man out of a country that literally does not have a single church in it and brought him all the way over here so that He could save him. Wow.
Suffice to say, this man has an incredible story. I can't share specifics, but I can tell you that our God is moving in mighty, mighty ways and He is pulling out all the stops to reach His children.
This session really exemplifies why I believe that everyone should make an effort to attend this conference next year. You may not feel called to missions, but all of us are called to go spread the Gospel in some way, shape or form. If you're not being led to serve as a missionary, go anyway and find out what organizations you can support and pray for. We have brothers and sisters all over the world who are literally putting their lives on the line to make sure Jesus' name is proclaimed to all nations. We have to be aware of what's going on out there and find our place in God's plan for reaching the world.
The things I saw and heard and experienced that weekend have changed my perspective and my life...how can I know about what's going on with the persecuted church and all of the people that have yet to be reached and not be transformed?
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
~Matthew 28:19-20
However, the most extensive portion of my blogging about the conference is over. Mostly it's because I personally received more out of the first part of the conference than the second. But there is still a little more I'd like to share.
The last two workshops I attended were less class-like than the first two. I took very sparse notes in the third workshop and I took no notes in the fourth. They were very awesome though.
The first workshop of the afternoon was presented by Voice of the Martyrs. The gal who ran the workshop gave a brief overview of the organization and the history behind it (fascinating and moving story, by the way).
We were about halfway through the workshop when we had some technical difficulties and weren't able to view a video that had been scheduled as part of the class. The gal didn't have anything to do for the last half of the workshop, but it so happened that a guy she knew from a Portland church was attending and he happened to be part of a group that regularly prays for and supports the persecuted church in North Korea. God works in amazing ways - he was able to share what the group at his church does and offered a ton of insight on how we can effectively pray for the church in North Korea.
For more info about what they do, visit http://www.prayforthepersecuted.com.
A random factoid that the gal shared with us: there isn't a single established church in Saudi Arabia. During the workshop I wasn't sure why, but that fact stuck in my brain. I found out in the next workshop why the Lord kept it in my mind.
The last workshop I attended was supposed to be a Muslim man sharing his testimony of how he came to know Christ. The workshop was canceled, but nobody saw the notice on the door and so we all filed into the chapel anyway. Turns out the guy who was supposed to speak had been in an accident and wasn't able to make it (I haven't heard, but I assume that he is okay because nothing was said otherwise). Another Muslim-turned-Christian had attended the previous session in the chapel and one of the conference volunteers asked him to share his testimony in lieu of canceling a session everyone had turned up for anyway.
I'm not going to share his story, a) it's not my story to tell and b) he shared his story at great risk to his own safety and the session wasn't even recorded. However, he is from Saudi Arabia and as soon as he told us that I knew that I had been in the Voice of the Martyrs session for a reason.
Can you imagine what extraordinary lengths God goes to to pursue His precious children? He plucked a man out of a country that literally does not have a single church in it and brought him all the way over here so that He could save him. Wow.
Suffice to say, this man has an incredible story. I can't share specifics, but I can tell you that our God is moving in mighty, mighty ways and He is pulling out all the stops to reach His children.
This session really exemplifies why I believe that everyone should make an effort to attend this conference next year. You may not feel called to missions, but all of us are called to go spread the Gospel in some way, shape or form. If you're not being led to serve as a missionary, go anyway and find out what organizations you can support and pray for. We have brothers and sisters all over the world who are literally putting their lives on the line to make sure Jesus' name is proclaimed to all nations. We have to be aware of what's going on out there and find our place in God's plan for reaching the world.
The things I saw and heard and experienced that weekend have changed my perspective and my life...how can I know about what's going on with the persecuted church and all of the people that have yet to be reached and not be transformed?
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
~Matthew 28:19-20
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Mission Connexion Northwest - Part 3
And so we continue. :o)
After the first workshop about spiritual warfare, Katie and I parted ways for the second workshop. While she attended a workshop about missions fundraising, I went to one about woman to woman mentoring.
Ele Parrott led this workshop and I will be completely honest and say that as excited as I was to take this workshop, as soon as I saw Ele, I was bummed. I had expected a younger woman, bubbly and full of energy. What I saw was a kindly, older woman who greeted me with a smile and a handshake.
Please don't ask why I assumed what I did. I don't even know. And I'm horribly embarrassed.
So as my excitement dwindled and my level of skepticism rose, I sat in my chair and waited for the workshop to start. Women started filtering in and chatting with each other. As it got to be time to start, Ele kind of reined everyone in and asked to open in prayer. Once again, my embarrassingly naive attitude crept up on me and I braced myself for a formal 'old lady' prayer. I'm laughing at myself as I'm writing this. I'm also cringing...Oh Jesus, will I never learn?!
As soon as that woman opened her mouth to pray I felt some Holy Spirit conviction come down on me...whew! Ele has got more fire than women half her age and it's a fire born of tough life experience and years of walking intimately with her Lord. I was immediately transported by her vivacious spirit and praise the Lord, open to her message.
Before I get too far into what I learned at this workshop, I want to preface why I wanted to take it at all. A title like 'woman to woman mentoring' doesn't exactly inspire a ton of excitement does it? Au contraire...as soon as I found this one on the list I knew that I wanted to take it.
I spent many years really disliking women...I didn't trust them, I thought they were all backstabbers and lying gossipers (mostly because that's how I was once upon a time - talk about projecting one's own shortcomings onto the rest of the world!). The Lord really got a hold of me several years ago and showed me just how valuable my relationships with other women are.
He has definitely instilled in me a deep desire to help encourage women in their relationships. The heart of a woman can be complex at times, but the beauty in it is incomparable and to see that beauty reconciled to the Lord and to other women is so powerful. The strength a woman has when she is vulnerable with the other women around her is unreal.
So I wanted to attend this workshop because now that I recognize this passion to help mentor and encourage women, I needed a little direction. Ele provided some of that much needed direction.
Basically she laid out what spiritual mentoring is and what it isn't. Pretty basic!
Mentoring starts with grace. John 1:14 says that Jesus is full of grace and truth. Ele pointed out how important the word order is here. People need truth, but the truth can be brutal. Grace needs to be given before the truth.
She stressed how important it is to BE in someone's life, not just speak into it. In order to be in someone's life, I have to be certain things in my own life first.
1. I need to be a woman of the Word of God
-not a woman about the Word, but of it
-detox from all of the Christian help books and rely completely on the Bible
-I need to allow the Spirit to instruct me and interpret Scripture for me
-"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." ~1 John 2:27
2. I need to be a woman of faith
-"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." ~Hebrews 11:6
-I need to step out onto the invisible, not the non-existent
3. I need to be a woman of prayer
-"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." ~James 5:16
Authentic spiritual mentoring is coming alongside of another, partnering with who the Holy Spirit is being in their life, infusing truth into their reality in an appropriate and timely manner.
Spiritual mentoring is not:
1. Trying to fix someone - people are not projects and we don't have the power to change anyone.
2. Telling our story - it isn't about me, it's about them.
3. Imparting our wisdom.
4. Finding our significance or importance in mentoring.
-We are only here to prepare the way for Christ, making them independently dependent on Jesus. As the relationship progresses, I will decrease.
Her final word of advice was to know who to mentor. Look for the listeners and the ones who want to grow. The best relationships form when a woman seeks out a mentor because she is ready to be transformed.
I don't think there's anything I can add to this, pretty self-explanatory. I am really looking forward to taking this lesson and applying it to my own life. Definitely feeling more equipped.
Until the next post... :o)
After the first workshop about spiritual warfare, Katie and I parted ways for the second workshop. While she attended a workshop about missions fundraising, I went to one about woman to woman mentoring.
Ele Parrott led this workshop and I will be completely honest and say that as excited as I was to take this workshop, as soon as I saw Ele, I was bummed. I had expected a younger woman, bubbly and full of energy. What I saw was a kindly, older woman who greeted me with a smile and a handshake.
Please don't ask why I assumed what I did. I don't even know. And I'm horribly embarrassed.
So as my excitement dwindled and my level of skepticism rose, I sat in my chair and waited for the workshop to start. Women started filtering in and chatting with each other. As it got to be time to start, Ele kind of reined everyone in and asked to open in prayer. Once again, my embarrassingly naive attitude crept up on me and I braced myself for a formal 'old lady' prayer. I'm laughing at myself as I'm writing this. I'm also cringing...Oh Jesus, will I never learn?!
As soon as that woman opened her mouth to pray I felt some Holy Spirit conviction come down on me...whew! Ele has got more fire than women half her age and it's a fire born of tough life experience and years of walking intimately with her Lord. I was immediately transported by her vivacious spirit and praise the Lord, open to her message.
Before I get too far into what I learned at this workshop, I want to preface why I wanted to take it at all. A title like 'woman to woman mentoring' doesn't exactly inspire a ton of excitement does it? Au contraire...as soon as I found this one on the list I knew that I wanted to take it.
I spent many years really disliking women...I didn't trust them, I thought they were all backstabbers and lying gossipers (mostly because that's how I was once upon a time - talk about projecting one's own shortcomings onto the rest of the world!). The Lord really got a hold of me several years ago and showed me just how valuable my relationships with other women are.
He has definitely instilled in me a deep desire to help encourage women in their relationships. The heart of a woman can be complex at times, but the beauty in it is incomparable and to see that beauty reconciled to the Lord and to other women is so powerful. The strength a woman has when she is vulnerable with the other women around her is unreal.
So I wanted to attend this workshop because now that I recognize this passion to help mentor and encourage women, I needed a little direction. Ele provided some of that much needed direction.
Basically she laid out what spiritual mentoring is and what it isn't. Pretty basic!
Mentoring starts with grace. John 1:14 says that Jesus is full of grace and truth. Ele pointed out how important the word order is here. People need truth, but the truth can be brutal. Grace needs to be given before the truth.
She stressed how important it is to BE in someone's life, not just speak into it. In order to be in someone's life, I have to be certain things in my own life first.
1. I need to be a woman of the Word of God
-not a woman about the Word, but of it
-detox from all of the Christian help books and rely completely on the Bible
-I need to allow the Spirit to instruct me and interpret Scripture for me
-"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." ~1 John 2:27
2. I need to be a woman of faith
-"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." ~Hebrews 11:6
-I need to step out onto the invisible, not the non-existent
3. I need to be a woman of prayer
-"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." ~James 5:16
Authentic spiritual mentoring is coming alongside of another, partnering with who the Holy Spirit is being in their life, infusing truth into their reality in an appropriate and timely manner.
Spiritual mentoring is not:
1. Trying to fix someone - people are not projects and we don't have the power to change anyone.
2. Telling our story - it isn't about me, it's about them.
3. Imparting our wisdom.
4. Finding our significance or importance in mentoring.
-We are only here to prepare the way for Christ, making them independently dependent on Jesus. As the relationship progresses, I will decrease.
Her final word of advice was to know who to mentor. Look for the listeners and the ones who want to grow. The best relationships form when a woman seeks out a mentor because she is ready to be transformed.
I don't think there's anything I can add to this, pretty self-explanatory. I am really looking forward to taking this lesson and applying it to my own life. Definitely feeling more equipped.
Until the next post... :o)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Mission Connexion Northwest - Part 2
And so it continues. :o)
Saturday dawned neither bright nor early, but that was okay. Katie and I went out for a late dinner after the speaker the previous night so we took the opportunity to get a full 8 hours of sleep and a good breakfast before heading back out to the church.
We both had a full schedule of workshops and of course the keynote speakers throughout the day.
Katie and I did the first workshop together (astounding considering there was something like 70 workshops available that weekend and we could only choose 4). It was about spiritual warfare and it was AMAZING. I think that from time to time we need to refresh ourselves on how our enemy spends his time and the ways we equip ourselves to not only defend, but defeat.
The workshop was run by Kerry Kenyon who is a pastoral care team leader for the women's division of the Portland Rescue Mission. She was pretty fabulous...very spunky.
I won't recap the entire workshop, but the main points are awesome. She spent some time talking about how Satan operates through distraction before deception (ref. Genesis 3:1-3). She then discussed how Jesus' time of temptation in the desert is the perfect example of how we should handle spiritual attack, that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted in order that we would always know exactly what to do.
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." ~Matt. 4:1-11
After reading this passage of Scripture, Kerry listed 5 things that Jesus did that show us just what we need to do to successfully withstand spiritual attack:
1. Be intentional about spending time alone with God.
-Listening, not just talking
-It's going to cost something - you will lose time you were used to having, you may have to re-prioritize, but it is essential.
2. We need the Spirit to identify the weapons and lies being used against us.
-I must be in the Word - I can't know the lies if I don't know the truth.
-"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." ~Eph. 6:11
3. Rebuke the lies, fear and shame with the truth.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth.
-"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." ~Hebrews 4:12-13
-"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." ~Romans 8:26
5. Replace the lies, fear and shame with the truth of God.
-Accountability - have your partner pray truth over you.
-"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." ~James 5:16
Overall, I was very pleased with this workshop. Kerry's passion and strength were absolutely inspiring.
And that's it for tonight - I'll have more from the conference tomorrow!
Saturday dawned neither bright nor early, but that was okay. Katie and I went out for a late dinner after the speaker the previous night so we took the opportunity to get a full 8 hours of sleep and a good breakfast before heading back out to the church.
We both had a full schedule of workshops and of course the keynote speakers throughout the day.
Katie and I did the first workshop together (astounding considering there was something like 70 workshops available that weekend and we could only choose 4). It was about spiritual warfare and it was AMAZING. I think that from time to time we need to refresh ourselves on how our enemy spends his time and the ways we equip ourselves to not only defend, but defeat.
The workshop was run by Kerry Kenyon who is a pastoral care team leader for the women's division of the Portland Rescue Mission. She was pretty fabulous...very spunky.
I won't recap the entire workshop, but the main points are awesome. She spent some time talking about how Satan operates through distraction before deception (ref. Genesis 3:1-3). She then discussed how Jesus' time of temptation in the desert is the perfect example of how we should handle spiritual attack, that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted in order that we would always know exactly what to do.
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." ~Matt. 4:1-11
After reading this passage of Scripture, Kerry listed 5 things that Jesus did that show us just what we need to do to successfully withstand spiritual attack:
1. Be intentional about spending time alone with God.
-Listening, not just talking
-It's going to cost something - you will lose time you were used to having, you may have to re-prioritize, but it is essential.
2. We need the Spirit to identify the weapons and lies being used against us.
-I must be in the Word - I can't know the lies if I don't know the truth.
-"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." ~Eph. 6:11
3. Rebuke the lies, fear and shame with the truth.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the truth.
-"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." ~Hebrews 4:12-13
-"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." ~Romans 8:26
5. Replace the lies, fear and shame with the truth of God.
-Accountability - have your partner pray truth over you.
-"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." ~James 5:16
Overall, I was very pleased with this workshop. Kerry's passion and strength were absolutely inspiring.
And that's it for tonight - I'll have more from the conference tomorrow!
Mission Connexion Northwest - Part 1
Katie and I went to Mission Connexion Northwest this past weekend at Crossroads Community Church. It was pretty much the most amazing thing I've experienced and I will say boldly that EVERYONE should go next year. Yes. Every single person. I know that personally, I wasn't aware of even a quarter of the stuff going on for the kingdom throughout the world right now. God is moving in HUGE ways my friends! I'm getting chills just thinking about it.
The first day of the conference there was one workshop (we didn't make it for that) and then a speaker in the evening. The speaker was Dr. Joseph d'Souza who is the president of the Dalit Freedom Network. Now, Katie had a heard a little about the Dalit people prior to this conference, but it was all new to me.
India's caste system is comprised of 4 levels ranging from the upper caste all the way to the Dalits, or the untouchables. In Hindu belief, the upper, lower and middle caste were each created from a part of God's body, but the Dalits were such horrible sinners in a past life that God deemed them impure and denied them access to Him. Even the shadow of a Dalit passing over someone from a higher caste will make them impure. Dalits will literally lie down in the mud when an upper caste person walks by to avoid casting their shadow over them.
I remember hearing this at the conference and feeling so sick to my stomach. How wrong is that? I challenge anyone who just read that to tell me that all religions lead to the same God. I do not worship a God who denies His beloved children access to Him. My God stepped down from His throne and DIED so that I could be with Him. I didn't deserve it, but God said I was worth it.
Dr. d'Souza went on to talk about how the Gospel has impacted the Dalit people. So often, we think that spreading the gospel means sharing with someone how their sin has separated them from God and that Jesus died to reconcile us to Him.
The Dalit people know they are sinners separated from God - it's all they know! But when they are told they are made in the image of God...whoa. This people who has been made to believe that they weren't even worthy to be made from the soles of the feet of God. Made in the very image of God? The transforming power of knowing who they truly are and who God really is...it's beautiful.
And that was just the first night of the conference!
This may have to be a multi-post report... :P
"So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" ~Genesis 1:27
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." ~John 3:16-17
The first day of the conference there was one workshop (we didn't make it for that) and then a speaker in the evening. The speaker was Dr. Joseph d'Souza who is the president of the Dalit Freedom Network. Now, Katie had a heard a little about the Dalit people prior to this conference, but it was all new to me.
India's caste system is comprised of 4 levels ranging from the upper caste all the way to the Dalits, or the untouchables. In Hindu belief, the upper, lower and middle caste were each created from a part of God's body, but the Dalits were such horrible sinners in a past life that God deemed them impure and denied them access to Him. Even the shadow of a Dalit passing over someone from a higher caste will make them impure. Dalits will literally lie down in the mud when an upper caste person walks by to avoid casting their shadow over them.
I remember hearing this at the conference and feeling so sick to my stomach. How wrong is that? I challenge anyone who just read that to tell me that all religions lead to the same God. I do not worship a God who denies His beloved children access to Him. My God stepped down from His throne and DIED so that I could be with Him. I didn't deserve it, but God said I was worth it.
Dr. d'Souza went on to talk about how the Gospel has impacted the Dalit people. So often, we think that spreading the gospel means sharing with someone how their sin has separated them from God and that Jesus died to reconcile us to Him.
The Dalit people know they are sinners separated from God - it's all they know! But when they are told they are made in the image of God...whoa. This people who has been made to believe that they weren't even worthy to be made from the soles of the feet of God. Made in the very image of God? The transforming power of knowing who they truly are and who God really is...it's beautiful.
And that was just the first night of the conference!
This may have to be a multi-post report... :P
"So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" ~Genesis 1:27
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." ~John 3:16-17
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Perspective Adjustment
I need to tweak my attitude a little bit! I was convicted tonight over the fact that lately I've been living in the 'what-ifs,' 'maybes,' and 'somedays.'
When did I lose my contentment in where God has me now? When did I stop enjoying the journey? Savoring the lessons and joys of today?
"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4
How can I delight in Him if I'm too busy looking ahead of what's in front of me, trying to carve out my own future? Trusting God means believing the He holds my future, whatever that may be, and knowing that what transpires then will be the best for me.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." ~Ephesians 3:20-21
I continue to spend my time dreaming up a future that is as finite as my human mind...that's lame.
Jesus, it's all You. And right now, I'm going to place my hope in Your promises and trust that no matter what comes, it will be for Your glory alone.
When did I lose my contentment in where God has me now? When did I stop enjoying the journey? Savoring the lessons and joys of today?
"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4
How can I delight in Him if I'm too busy looking ahead of what's in front of me, trying to carve out my own future? Trusting God means believing the He holds my future, whatever that may be, and knowing that what transpires then will be the best for me.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." ~Ephesians 3:20-21
I continue to spend my time dreaming up a future that is as finite as my human mind...that's lame.
Jesus, it's all You. And right now, I'm going to place my hope in Your promises and trust that no matter what comes, it will be for Your glory alone.
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