Love

For the past several months the LORD has placed on my heart "love." what is this word and what should it mean to me? I started digging into the Word looking and longing for love. I came accross 1 John 4:20 and it says, "If someone says, "I love GOD," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love GOD, whom we cannot see?" When reading this I myself was convicted and challenged on to love those who I do not love. But another thought came to mind, what does it look like to love? I sat there and prayed and thought about the the Bible and GOD and HIS love for us. Thinking I realized love started at the creation. Without the love of GOD and HIM wanting to pour HIS love into us there would have been no life. We see the love of GOD in the story of Abraham and the promise HE gave and fullfilled with HIS son JESUS. We see the ultimate love with the sacrafice of HIS only begotton son so that we sinners could once again have life. Love is all through out the Bible from the beggining of time and through all eternity. I had one more question, what does love look like in my own life? I was lead to 1st Corinthians 13:4-7  and it says, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I changed out the word love and substituted my name into it and WOW was I blown to see I was far from loving. I came to one conclution. . . love is not about me! DUH? But seriously love, real love is truly sacraficing you own personal desires, wants, needs to insure your brother and sister are growing and getting the love they need! All I have to say now is I have a lot of growing I have to do. Blessings!
IN HIM,
STEVEN

We Effect Others

Have you ever thought that others where watching what you are doing and decided whether or not it is worth following. If we saw Jesus saying one thing and turning around doing another (which we never will) would we want to follow? If not why do we think as Christians we can follow Christ and act any way we want. People watch us as Christians and decide whether or not it is worth following. In Hebrews 12:12 it says, "so take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." We cant go through life always worrying about our own survivial but how we are influencing others and being a good example! If we are living for Christ, as we claim to be then we have a responsibility in this world and that is to show the love of Christ and follow hard after HIM! I just want to leave you with a few Questions to think about. Does your example make it easier for others to believe in and follow Christ, and to mature in Him? Would those who follow you end up confused and misled? Let go out into this world and fight for VICTORY!!! Lets bring the weak to Christ so they may become strong.

Lost but now Found!!!

For the past several weeks I have been feeling lost. Having God calling me into his vision has been an enjoyable ride but the more I try to figure things out the more I find my self leaning on my own instincts. It came to a point that I was ready to give up and go back to a comfortable life that I had. But after last night with M.E.S.S I truly heard Gods voice of encouragement to continue on with his plan which re-sparked my excitement and joy to follow Him and only Him. Feeling the Spirit guide me to His plan is so exciting and so refreshing. Our God is so dangerous and His plans to man are so crazy but He is so Faithful and this is what makes HIM GOD AND GOD ALONE!!!! I love serving such a a powerful God.

Nicaragua

Sorry guys i did not get to the computer as much as i was hoping to but just a quick update on everything. we completed all we came to do and more praise God! the playground is put in we build the orphanage a chicken coop we also built them a path way to get the play ground as well as stairs to get to the chicken coop. The children are so excited and monday we will be able to get to play with them on it and enjoy our work. This has been such a great trip. Getting to know the lord better making friends and of course the great food has made this trip much easier to over come being home sick. Monday we will leave the orphange and go to Granada which is an old city near by and do some fun tourist stuff then we will be of to the Masya Volcanoe as well as the Masya Market which is the biggest market in Nicaragura. Please continue praying and thank you for your prayers.

Steven

Quiet Time

Last night at the shift we talked about devotion. Devotion unfortunately is not something I do on a regular basis. I made the comment last night to Heather it seems like the only time we pray (at least for me) it is when there is a wall and we cant get over it. I think many Christians have made Christ there back up tool and only use him when they have no other options. So while talking about devotion in our group Heather challenged us to take 20 min of our day and give it to God. In this 20 min we are suppose to read a proverb, pray, and have quiet time. Quiet time is so hard to find in my life and all I kept thinking about was the NOOMA videos we watched on Noise. I have so much noise in my life that it keeps me from reaching God to my full potential, but I still went forth to have the 20 min with God and allow him to guide me in what ever direction he wants. I read Proverbs 22 and the part that impacted me the most in the whole chapter was verse 17-19. it says, "Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to my instruction for it is good to keep these saying deep within yourself, always ready on your lips. I am teaching you today- yes, you- so you will trust in the Lord." I want to be filled with the word of God, I want to be ready in season and out of season with the word of God. I want my heart to in the word so that I may trust in the Lord with all my troubles, with the walls that keep me from continuing my walk with God. As I sat in Quite time at Mylar Park I heard God saying, "Trust in ME!" please pray for me so that I can trust more in the Lord and also pray that I may continue this quiet time with HIM.

Desperately seeking Quiet Time,
Steven

Giving up my Idol

WOW . . . God has been reveling today. All day I have felt the peace of the Lord on me. I have had so many little issues present themselves to me today and just allowing God to take them and deal with them made my day that much easier. I woke up this morning and continued reading in 1 Samuel 7:3 and I have been reading this the past week. I have some issues in my life that I have a problem letting God take care of. I decide to be leader and take care of them myself and we all know what happens when we try to do that we fail. Before I started attending Element Church almost a year ago I had stepped back in faith and lost the connection I had. Now that I have returned to Christ I still struggle but it is getting better. I read in 1 Samuel 7:3 and it said, “Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” I may be taking this way out of proportion but it helps me see something a little better. I represent the issues in my life as the idols (things that are keeping me away from God and what he wants me to do). If I give up everything and serve God to the fullest then he will rescue be from the bad (which to me are the Philistines). Like I said I may have taken this out of context or looked to deep into it but it has challenged me to be the Israelite and give up everything in my life that is not pleasing to God and seek Him more so He can rescue me from the bad.

God is Great

How many times have all of us heard someone say, "God is great?" How many times have we said it but not truly realize the greatness on God. At least for me I know I may say it but don't realize how great he is. These past couple months I have been tested to use more faith then I have ever used. I will be leaving to Nicaragua in a couple of weeks for a mission trip and the money has not been coming in like I would like it to and then there are times one part of me will say, "GIVE UP" but then the other part of me says continue seeking God. Having enough faith and trusting in God to provide for me is rough but I continued seeking God and now that there are only a few weeks left before I leave I realised God is truly Great. I now have enough money to go and everything is falling into place. Praise God for all his blessing, he is truly GREAT!

Steven