Finding the Hole in Me (session 2 from The Hole in our Gospel)

This Session is called Finding the hole in Me. What are we doing to embrace the Whole Gospel so we dont  leave a Hole in the Gospel? This is all about that. Finding out what our purpose that God created us to be on this Earth, so we are showing the world the WHOLE Gospel, & not just part of it.

Like it our not, we are judged by "walk" not JUST the things we talk about.
My Pastor in his Sermon, posed  a few questions that I am going to keep in front of me all the time because I want to be able to answer Yes to God when I am Asked them. They are :

Did you Live from the Life Christ died to give You?

&

How did you respond to the People God put in your path?

 God Says in Mathew 25 that When you treat the Least of these the way you would treat him, that you are doing them to Him. So, in light of that how ARE we treating the People that God puts in our path? This isnt refering to the Easy people that we like, its the Difficult people that Smell because they are homeless, Dont have a place to live, the Person that is a Prostitute that doesnt know any other life, the Homeless child stealing food because they have nothing to eat.



 So, what exactly am I doing with all that God has blessed me with? Will I at the End of my Life be able to Stand before God and say that I used all that he blessed me with to be a blessing to others? or will I find out that I fell far short of the mark?


WHEW! that's enough to keep you up late at nights if you were a worrier! Thankfully for me, long before i had ever heard about this book, God was Dealing with me on EXACTLY this topic!!

I think its the coolest thing on how God reveals his purpose for our lives, a little bit at a time. Kinda like bread crumbs in the forest. ( or at least that is how its been to me)

Way back in June of 2009 I participated in a Group Blogging Project on a Book called Servolution


That was when I can remember the first time I remember God starting to open my eyes to the purpose he had for my Life. Over the following months I would get bits and pieces of the general idea of the path he was taking me on.

He first used this song that I Blogged about in March of 2010 The song is called "Give me your eyes" By Brandon Heath. It came on the Radio on my way home from Church that Sunday and I was singing along with it, I felt the Holy Spirit tap me on the shoulder ( figuratively, of course) and seem to say " Listen to those words again, do you REALLY hear what it says?

Talk about a Light Bulb Moment!! ( Here's that Blog Post)

I always know that when I see a verse of scripture, referred to over and over in several different places & things I'm watching, things I'm reading, conversations I'm having, that's God saying "listen up! this is something I want you to get" So, when I saw matthew 25 referred to everywhere I went, I had my Listening ears on!!

Sure, you say, I'm so happy that you have realized some of what God wants you to do, but, what does the mean to me?

I'm glad you asked! It means engaging people from the healthiness of Christ, not from our dysfunction, & doing things for the least of these the way we would for Jesus. Figuring out what it is that we CAN do, & doing it, so we can change the world with the little part that everyone can play.

Related articles

• The Hole in our Gospel Session 1 (bonniesrandomthoughtsaboutlife.blogspot.com)
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The Inescapable Cravings of Your Heart | Spiritual Fuel ( or how God has plans for our day when we have other plans)

The Inescapable Cravings of Your Heart | Spiritual Fuel

 Whoa! I just had to share this devotional I subscribe to with everyone. I hope it speaks to you the way it did me!

I was fully planning on Job Searching today....

But, as i was checking  my email, I kept getting Facebook Messages concerning meetings & Information regarding  The Warehouse, my church's Youth ministry.

I really love serving as a youth leader for the Warehouse,but, because of some stuff I felt i needed to get worked out here my own family, I have taken a break from serving there temporarily.

As I am reading the messages, I am Feeling such a strong desire, a burden, longing to be involved in ministering to the Youth, but , at the same time a heaviness, because I know that i am suppose to be taking a break to deal with things here at home.

I have felt that I need to continue to deal with things but, I felt the need to be involved in some training comming up, as well as  a festival coming up. With my Kids permission of course. ;)  ( Thanks my wonderful friends that love me enough to hold me accountable! )

Then, I read this devotional.

It really encouraged me that even though I was not involved with the Youth right now, that the desire for it was not going to go away, and that by putting MY kids first, it was honoring him more than if i just did what I wanted to do anyway.

Obedience

This the word that is coming to mind as I write this post.

(this is my Desire)

Also, a Scripture Verse comes to mind.

James 4:10  (NLT)

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.



(This is my Challenge)

I am ready willing & able to meet it! 

1 Corinthians 13:7 MSG - YouVersion.com: Online Bible

1 Corinthians 13:1-7 MSG - YouVersion.com: Online Bible

This is my Favorite Online Bible. The You Version.      



Probably because not only is it an Online Bible, but, It has an App for Just about every Smart-phone there is!
so you can use this handy little app wherever you need a Bible.  it also has a Feature that I totally LOVE, you can Share Verses with Twitter and now for the Blackberry, you can Share Verses on your Facebook page!



But, anyway, your probably wondering why I have a Particular Verse attached to it.
This Verse has been Speaking LOUDLY to me over the Past week.

You know how you can read a verse of scripture and you think "yeah, that's nice" one time & then you can come back to that same verse, and WOW! It totally comes alive!

Almost Kinda like God Saying " Did you really catch what I am trying to tell you?" and we don't see it
& then the next time, WHOA! There it is!

I dont know about you but, MAN, I think to myself WOW! that was there This Whole time!!! What a Gift!

Its like finding money in a coat or a Pair of Jeans that you didn't know you had, or perhaps, you forgot you had.
Here's This Verse, it has been Speaking VOLUMES to me from the Message:

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.2 If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.3 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

4 Love never gives up. 

Love cares more for others than for self. 

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have. 

Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,

5 Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

6 Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

7 Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end

Wow! That's Powerful! Especially in light of the Fact that THIS is how God Wants us to live our Lives! 

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YouTube - Hillsong-Devotion

I am a Youth Leader at the Youth Group at my Church called the Warehouse. The Warehouse is held every Wednesday Night & this is one of the Songs that we did during Worship Last Wednesday.  I really love this song. You could say its one of my favorites :). But, that night I really felt that God was using this to speak to me. Here are the Lyrics: (they are attached to the Video as well.)

Hillsong United - Devotion lyrics

Verse 1
I've been running, trying to be one who sees
I've been working salvation out on my knees
There is nothing better than knowing
that we are redeemed
I'm believing, trusting in creative hands,
I am praying for our world to bow to your plan
And this one thought is unmistakable:
I take up my cross and follow you Lord

Chorus
When you stand the tall trees and mountains bow
When you speak the fiercest of oceans is still
And I see the sinner seek devotion
The lost become chosen, and I fall to my knees

Verse 2
I'm forgiven; my Savior who did not deserve death
He was blameless and I was lost in shamefulness
I'm delivered, but it doesn't seem right
unless I keep my eyes focused on the savior who gave his life
In the middle of a world that denies it believes
It is breaking apart at the very seams
There is one thing to be alive for
And it's to take up my cross and follow you Lord

Bridge
I will take up my cross and follow Lord where you lead me
And I will take up my cross and follow wherever you go



Lyrics | Hillsong United lyrics - Devotion lyrics

WOW! These are some very POWERFUL Lyrics!!! 

 From a Very Powerful Song! But, when we were almost thru the Song, the Youth Pastor Exhorted the Youth saying " Listen to the words we are singing....

I will, Take up my Cross &  follow Lord where you lead me,
I will take up my Cross & follow where ever you go.

He asked them to search themselves and ask themselves, " would  you really go where ever God asked you to? If he asked you to go to Africa, would you go?

He asked If he asked you to go to a Place like they went, ( a Group from  the Youth  group just came back from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic) where there was no air conditioning, & the Living conditions were poor. "would you go?"  He asked if God Asked you to work just a 9-5 Job and influence people by the way you Live your Life would  you  do it?

WHOA! I felt an Instant check in my Spirit!

I Have been REALLY  frustrated with things in my life concerning work. I haven't felt like i have been getting enough Hours at work,I have Mentioned something about it, but, it hasn't changed, so, I have Started Looking for either another part- time Job, or a Full- time one that Pays more. Both of those efforts have Been very UN-fruitful. I have also Been frustrated with things in my Personal Life and Church life relationally. But, when The Youth Pastor said what he did, I felt like the Holy Spirit Nudge me, as if to say, "Yeah, what he said!"

I needed to Remember what Paul said in Philippians 4:11-12:

11 Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances.12 I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.

Just Because we aren't where we think we should be, or where we are trying to be, doesn't mean that we aren't doing  what God wants us to do.

Sometimes all he wants us to do is to set the example for someone he's trying to reach.

It's that simple. We are the ones that make it so Complicated.

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Waiting on God.... and Trying to Not Get ahead of Him.....

*sigh*



I sigh because once again I think i have gotten ahead of God.

I really felt like I was suppose to go on this mission trip with my Daughter and her Youth Group.


But, then, as much as i tried to get money raised, our van broke down, then our boiler broke down, then our Washer broke down!!! I thought, OK, God I really felt like you told me to do this, so, I am gonna have faith that i am supposed to on this mission trip.



Time went by.. and I got a email from the Youth Pastor, asking me if i was still going, I still felt i was suppose to. Right up until the the last minute when i had to make a decision, because things needed to move forward, plans needed to start being made, and i didnt want to be the one that was holding things up. So, i decided to refocus my energies into making sure my Daughter got the opportunity to go.



This is Something that is So totally Gonna change her life in a GOOD way!
I am really Starting to think that, even though i KNOW missions is my calling,i don't think its global missions, not right now anyway! The last thing i want to do is  put God in a Box,but, in my zeal to jump into what i finally realized was what i was meant to do, I'm pretty certain I got ahead of God.


That is such an EASY thing to do!!! So, now i am just going to keep pushing forward  knowing that the things that work, are  more often than not the right things, and the things that don't work aren't meant to work.

Things work SO much better when we Let God do the directing, and we let him orchestrate it all,  and quit trying to make it happen on our own!


The hard part is... remembering that!