Acts 10 - Stretch

I am preparing for a women's ministry event next Monday night at my church. I have been asked to share my story. I have talked a little about this before.

For me, this is a stretch.

Once again I am going beyond the boundaries of what is comfortable and I am serving him in a big, uncomfortable way.

In order to serve him to the fullest we have to stretch ourselves. We have to be uncomfortable. For some that may be a big mission trip, volunteering to teach at VBS, inviting your neighbor to church, joining the choir...

We are not going to reach people for him by being comfortable. It just won't happen.

Today I am going to stretch even farther and invite every teacher in my school to this event. That is a BIG uncomfortable step for me but God knows who needs to hear his word through me. He has it under control. He will provide and work through the Holy Spirit.

Just like he always does...

Here is the link if you would like to attend.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15qBV1VoSy9vinn6fXlp82JNxybg9Pn7fuzVFhLdw9s8/viewform

Acts 10 - Fix Me

These past few weeks I have really been convicted on what I pray for. Lately my prayers have changed from "fix them" to "fix me".

It is easy to see others brokenness but very hard to see my own.

I pray for relationships to be healed, problems to go away and even for people to see their ways and turn towards God.

Today my prayer is simple. God fix me.

Lord, thank you for your word in Acts today. Thank you for helping me to see that I must be broken to receive your best for me. Today I pray that you fix me and not the laundry list of people on my prayer list. Lord, I pray that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit. I pray that you will transform my views on people and their situations and heal me of my brokenness so that I may help others. Lord, instead of just praying for these people, help me to be a doer. Help me to see what work you want done that you equip me to do. Thank you for allowing me to see where I get it all wrong. Thank you for your forgiveness. Thank you for clarity this morning. Amen.

Acts 9 - Interrupted Journey

God's timing is perfect! Amen?

Just yesterday I was having a conversation about some people in my life who are lost. They are far from Christ. They are living in darkness, dealing with deep issues, and in denial on so many levels.

I have become frustrated when talking about them. I am frustrated by their choices in life, frustrated by what others allow them to do.  I don't by any means feel that I am better than them or in a better situation. I just get frustrated because I feel like they should do better. This is definitely not how God wants me to feel or approach this.

For years I have prayed "Father lead someone to them who knows you. Surround them by your people to help encourage them." I prayed this mainly because I am not often around them.

This morning I hear God saying "I have been sending you. I have equipped you. You have what you need. The Holy Spirit will speak through you and your actions."

And here I sit thinking...

I don't want it to be me.
I prayed for someone else to do it.
This is risky.
What if I fail?
They will never change.

I feel like a whiny teenager.

But God, I don't want to do it!

In the next 6 months I will have multiple opportunities to interrupt their journey with my actions, words, prayers...

I will stop praying for someone else to do it and start praying for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me to do it.

Who comes to your mind when you read this? Who in your life is on a journey down the wrong path? Who can you, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, help move towards the correct path?

I hope that you find hope and courage in Saul's story, God can take the least of us and use us for his greatest!

Acts 8 - Sharing The Good News

I have to admit that I usually talk to people about Jesus who already know about Jesus. It is often comfortable and safe.

I am rarely find myself running up to the chariot and listening to the Holy Spirit when it is uncomfortable. I doubt my knowledge and ability to really have hard conversations with non-believers.

Stepping out on faith when convicted is so hard yet very rewarding. I know that when I personally follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit it is a beautiful thing. I am often the one who receives the blessing when others are the intended blessing receivers.

I have not looked at this app this morning. I have no idea what is being discussed. Sometimes I like to do this to see what God has given to me and not what I see through the app.

My prayer this morning is that I will be more open to the Holy Spirit working within me. I pray that my 40th year of life will honor God and bring many to him. I want to be uncomfortable. I want to step out. I want to receive the glorious things he has waiting for me this next year through my obedience and service to him.

Acts 7 - Beautiful Picture of Faithfulness

Stephen is really underrated in my opinion. I haven't really heard much about him in church. I am sure we have studied about him over the years but today was the first day that this really jumped off the page to me. 

Stephen was a servant to the needy.

Stephen was the first martyr.

Stephen died defending Christ.

The beauty here is that Stephen had such a passion for Christ. He clearly saw the vision that ALL people needed to hear about Jesus, not just the Jews. He was on fire for Jesus.

Hard questions come from this passage. Would I defend my faith while knowing that if I did, I would be killed?

I would hope the answer would be yes but I can't say for certain. I think it is easy to say yes to hard and difficult things but when the moment comes do we really hold true to what God calls us to be and do for him?

Defending him in death is a little extreme for me as I sit here and my desk, in my air conditioned home being able to worship freely.

The conviction here is real. Am I serving him in all areas? Am I living for him everywhere? Is my life more like Stephen's than not? Am I dying to self to live for Christ?

I just love how Stephen was able to look up into the heavens and saw the full glory of God. I cannot imagine the beauty he saw in what was a dark moment of him, facing death for defending God. What a beautiful picture of God's love for him as a good and faithful servant. 

I wonder how many lives were changed that day through his "sermon". I know that God used it for his Glory. I just imagine women and children being on the outskirts of this crowd. Did they hear something here to convict them? Did any of the men have a change in heart based on Stephen's last words? I believe they did. 

Although few, if any, of us will die defending our faith, we can still look at this story and see so much. Our sin is real. It blocks our fellowship with him. It hardens our hearts. 

Lord, thank you for your word today. Thank you for the life of Stephen. Thank you for this reminder today that even as I am in your word, giving you praise, there is sin in my life. I pray that you forgive me for the sin that is holding me back from even greater fellowship with you. I pray that I don't settle for the word I receive today but that I crave even more. I pray that my eyes are opened to areas in my life that are not pleasing to you and that do not honor you. Father thank you for the beauty in this passage. Even in the face of death, we can see your love and mercy. Thank you in advance for your mercies for today. Thank you for forgiving. Thank you for saving, Thank you for loving. -Amen

Acts 5 & 6 - The word of God spread.

I love how the past 2 days of this study have spoken to me. I think Acts was God's perfect read for me this month.

These truths are just jumping off of the pages for me:

We must obey God, not man.
God judges us.
Man will do dishonest things.
Our character in Christ will be tested and tried.
God honors our obedience.
He has a specific plan for us.
Despite all of the trials and persecution, the word of God spread. (Acts 6:7)

I could write all day about how God has protected me from those who were clearly trying to tear me down. By his goodness and grace. my new position will remove me from several of those people. On the other hand, it will remove me from some wonderful sisters in Christ. I will miss seeing them on a daily basis but I am encouraged knowing that God has wonderful works planned for me.

The unknown is difficult. It is unfamiliar, scary. It is with complete faith that I move into this next stop on my journey. Faith makes that so much easier. I know I am protected by him and that the Holy Spirit will equip me. Only God knows what I will face but my faith in him makes it so easy to trust and obey.

I want to take a moment here to give a shout out to the teachers reading this since it is Teacher Appreciation Week. I love reading about Stephen. He humbly served God. He was a "man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" and he served food. He waited tables. Wow! I know at times I have felt that my job as a preschool teacher was not a job people were fighting for. Dirty diapers, dirty noses, sneezes all over me...I clearly understand through his word and revelations to me over these years that he is constantly preparing me for the next day of service to him. In the trenches your job may not be appreciated by many. You may leave that building at the end of the day questioning all that you have done, or haven't done. But know this my sweet teacher friend, you may be the only Jesus that they see today. We don't know their stories. Not all are sad or hopeless. God puts you right there today, in that classroom and gave you those students for a reason. Thank you for all that you do for these kids. I know your love extends beyond those school resources and into your pockets and prayers.

It is a rainy day today, may God bless you with a jam up indoor recess!   =o)

Acts 4 - Be Bold

Peter and John were.
The believers were when they prayed.
BOLD.

It was clear that Peter, John and the group of believers not only knew, but they BELIEVED that salvation and all power came from their Sovereign Lord.

The me a few years ago would be quick to accept an award, good word from someone at work in regards to my performance or pretty much any praise in general and become full of myself. I gave very little, if any, praise or glory to God.

Me today? I am bolder than ever! I tell people that it is not me, it is him. He is just using me to do his great work. When the principal called me this week and officially offered me the job my first words were "Thank you! Yes I would love to come and work at your wonderful school. This has been an answered prayer and I know that God has great things planned for me." Her response? She commented that what I was saying confirmed something for her and encouraged her. Wow! Thank you Jesus! What a beautiful moment that was. Stepping out in faith and sharing his name with my next principal who I have no background info about. We then had a great talk about how God always works for our good.

Once you are bold, like Peter and John, you see how beautiful that moment is. You see how God protects you and equips you with the Holy Spirit. And you know what? You want to feel that goodness over and over again.

While I am not selling everything I own and sharing it with all, I am going into this new role in my new school filled with the Holy Spirit. I will be in prayer this summer for him to reveal to me what he wants me to do for him at LLMS.

Be Brave.
Be Bold.
Proclaim his name.
Give him the credit.
Pray and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

God always provides. He always comes through.