Unity through love

Ephesians 4:16 "from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

The body of Christ is an amazing experience, when you are able take part in. Now I'm excited to write this because I haven't been a part of the body, and also I'm a part of the body right now. Just to say everything is better when you are a part of a body that makes you feel worth something, and purposeful. But being a part of a body that doesn't actually care for you and constantly put you down, sucks.

The body of Christ is put together so precisely, that if someone else tried putting it together it would fall apart and die. He puts the body of Christ together the same way He put you and me together in our mother's womb. It doesn't make sense on how it is put together but some how it works. The body I'm a part of right now is built with the oddest people in the world that wouldn't get along in the body of society, but it works perfectly in Christ body. The reason why it works so good is because the body of Christ is centered around Christ.

The construction of the body of Christ is built of many different parts, but all carry a very important role. Every part works together in perfect unison with each other, because Jesus is the head telling each part what to do. Each part has a different job that take a certain type of gift that God has given you, so He will put you where you are needed in His body to do the job that needs to be done. And someone else with a different set of skills to complete something that God needs for them to complete.

This reminds me of the body of Christ that I am able to be a part of here in Guatemala. We work so well together, and all have different set of skills that we bring to the table. But of you put us together in a social network it would be chaos, and nothing would be accomplished. What make this body work together so well is that we edify one another with the love of Christ, and that the love of Christ is the fuel we have to get through each day.

Keep Going

Hebrews 12:3 "For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."

Theme- keep going

So this is a verse that came across me yesterday while we listened to Pastor Joe Focht, and He started with this verse. A little back, my schedule of the day. So Tuesdays we teach english for two hours, then come back for lunch. But yesterday was a little different after lunch when we usually have time to prepare for other classes that we have later on in the week or just rest, I had to cut up this huge stump with a chainsaw that kept locking up every other minute. After getting that done I thought I would have time to catch up on some reading I have to do and do and IBS, but I ending up helping the new class of interns make blogs. Then we had dinner while we listened to Joe Focht, and I've been complaining that I haven't had any time to read or do an IBS. So when he started with this verse it was instant conviction.

So when it feels like you can't stay awake and you have so much to do, just ask God to help. Because after coming back from the states it continually felt like I was climbing a mountain that no man can climb. That is when I cried out for help to God, when I couldn't go anymore on my own strength. I needed help there was no more strength in my body, so when God answered my prayer He gave me a refreshing breath and only with His help I was able to continue on.

Afterwards, I realized that He was correcting my pride, I continue to feel Him breath for me because it almost seems like I forgot how to live my life without Him helping me everyday. Be corrected is never fun, "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." This is verse 11, being corrected isn't fun but it will profit us in the end. We are corrected now, so we don't make the same mistake in the future. I call this correcting training, no one likes training before the race, right? People just want to run the race not train for it, but it's necessary to win the race.1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." If we want to win the race we need to be prepared for it, don't reject His correcting because He corrects those He loves. And if it feels like you can't go any longer remember what He did for you on that cross, so that we might enter into the kingdom of God. He will give you the strength to keep on going.

Encouragement

Psalm 37:1-2 "Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb."

This verse came to my mind as I was thinking today, and I felt led to right an encouragement to anyone who is reading this. When I was in high school and living for the Lord I felt alone, because it felt like I was the only christian it was the same thing at work. So God gave me this verse to encourage me.

We don't have to fear the things of this world, because they are only temporary, and the relationship we have with God is eternal. When I was in school or at work I just felt suppressed by the darkness around me, either when I was in the darkness or surrounded by it. I felt useless for the kingdom of the Lord, well an encouragement is a revival starts with one person. Everything starts with prayer and trust me God will use you in tremendous ways.

After these two verse it goes on to say in verse three, "Trust in the Lord , and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness." "Feed on His faithfulness" thats a promise and God will bless you for doing just that. So a challenge begin to pray that God will use you powerfully in your school or at your work, and see what He will do through you.

By Faith Live Every Day

Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going."

Theme- Faith

This verse was a huge encouragement to me when I had to go home because of my knee injury. Before I came to Potter's Field for the the ignite program, God made it pretty obvious to me that I was going to be doing my field time here in Guatemala. So when God had me leave here I was so confused, because He originally promised me that I'd be here for my field time not home. God told me it was His will for me to leave, so willing by faith I left.

Those two words have made a completely different person. See God taught me so many things being home then being healed from my injury, and then coming back. God doesn't break His promises, sometimes it doesn't make sense but in the end God keeps His promises, and until the promise is fulfilled He is preparing you for that promise.

"By faith", we must do all things by faith. I thought I could tackle all the tasks of being on team Guatemala by myself, and that I would just be the perfect intern ever. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I was missing the last part of this verse, Christ has to be in it for it to get done. There are some days I have no idea how they went the way they did, but for me those are the best days. The Holy Spirit is there for us every second of every day as long as we confess that we can't do anything without Him, He will help us do the will of the Lord. Im praying for you.

The Time is Now

John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship."

The Time Is Now

At this point in this chapter Jesus was talking to a Samaritan woman that was a prostitute. So to give a little bit of background on this woman, she probably was hated by all the other women because she messed around with most of the men. She has had 5 husbands and was living with another that she hasn't married. Also the Samaritans were hated by the Jews, and the Jewish men would even pray and thank God they weren't woman, or a Samaritan. So this woman Jesus was talking about was at the bottom of the bottom.

So that brings up one point I'm trying to make, Jesus doesn't care about what you have done or what others have done. Why?, because all He wants for us is to live with Him one day in heaven. So if you're not saved or are serving the Lord don't think there is ever someone that doesn't belong or deserve to be given the chance to except Jesus Christ into their heart. Jesus the Son of the one true living God wanted and did give this women that despised by society a chance to live for Him. God likes to use those that are looked down upon in society to save others. Later on in this chapter Jesus tells her to go back to town and gather all those men and bring them back, and she did.

The second point I want to make is the title of the IBS, "The Time Is Now." In this verse it talks about it's the time that the true "worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth," its time for all of us to get on our knees and worship the Lord. In spirit is for us to truly live as one with Him, like when a man and woman are married they become one. In truth we are able it worship Him in the reading of the truth, and being able to ask Him to open our eyes to the truth.

I'll wrap it up with this we are called to serve Him, and tell all people about Him. Not just those that we think are good enough, but all people. And do these things as a "true worshiper".

Alone time

Whenever you need an answer to life look for a place where you are completely at peace, where you can focus, where you can just relax. Then you look to the One that has all the answers, and you ask Him to show you the answer, and He will freely give. He may not give the answer you always want but He will give you the best answer someone could ever give you. And follow those instructions with obedience, also in faith. Have God blessed day.

His promise

John 1:17 NKJV

For the law was given through Moses, but  grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Theme- promise

I using John for the last couple of IBSes because I'm doing John in my morning devotions. How beautiful of a promise this is that God gives us, we know not one of us can uphold the law that was given through Moses, this is a reason Jesus came to die on the cross. He knew like we do that no man can uphold the law, so He came lived a perfect life, and died for the sins we have committed.

This promise is made out of love, and the law is fulfilled by the love of Jesus Christ. Matthew 19:19, "‘Honor your father and  your  mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’"" I say that its Jesus Christ's love, because no man will love like Christ did. But through what Christ did for us, we may have salvation. And that is His promise, "... grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." The world grace means, re ie ing something you don't deserve, we don't deserve anything but Christ gave us Himself (truth), and so through Christ we are saved. This is why we have accepted Him into our hearts so that we might be saved, and we dedicate our lives to Him.

Application- pray for those who don't know the Lord