Posts tagged God
"Here am I. Send me." - Isaiah
I’m coming up with a list of questions that I am going to send out to various missionaries I know from around the world (as well as some I don’t know), and I thought I’d share these questions with you guys. Some of these questions may not apply to you, but if you could help me out in whatever way you can, that would be amaaaaaazing. :)
I know that I’m interested in doing missions in some capacity, but I don’t know that my ministry would necessarily look any ministry I’ve ever seen. And that doesn’t mean there isn’t a ministry out there that is like what I want, I just haven’t seen it. I don’t know exactly who my ministry would serve. I don’t even know if my ministry would be overseas or here in the states. All I really know is that I love people. I’m in the process of trying to figure out how to do ministry in such a way that I would be able to serve the people I am truly passionate about serving, and what that would end up looking like.
- As a pastor, how do you separate your personal growth from work?
- How does being a pastor affect your marriage and home life? Or does it?
- When you write a sermon, where do you start? After you have the idea, where do you actually start writing?
- Do you actually enjoy preaching, or is it kind of just something that comes with the territory?
- I’m in the process of writing my first sermon, and I’m kind of stuck. It’s a little discouraging. When you first started preaching, how hard was it for you to actually write a sermon?
- What are the things I should be prepared for going into ministry with a spouse?
- What is the most important thing you’ve learned since being in ministry?
- Do you have any books on ministry (or anything, really) that you’d recommend for me to read?
- What is the biggest surprise about ministry that you have found out and wish you would have known before entering ministry?
- To you, what is the biggest reward in ministry?
- What is the most challenging thing about ministry for you?
- When you look at the Church as a whole and the ministries the Church provides around the world, what are the missed ministry opportunities that you see?
- Is there something you are passionate about that the structure of your ministry does not allow you to do?
- What are some of my personal strengths you’ve observed that you think would help me with ministry? What are my weaknesses?
- Some people in ministry have a heart for a specific place or a specific people, but I don’t. I keep waiting on God to show me exactly what He wants me to be doing and where He wants me to be, but as time goes by, I just fall more and more in love with all people, everywhere. I don’t see how I could ever possibly pick. When you first started out in ministry, how did you figure out exactly what you wanted to be doing and where you wanted to be?
HELP???
I don’t care one tiny bit about where Tim Tebow does and does not speak. But when I hear about a church spending $130 Million on a building campaign, I get pissed off. That is money stolen from poor and homeless people, from hungry children unable to eat day-to-day, from programs that would have helped people survive. That is money stolen opportunities to stop God knows how many abortions, not by political campaigns but by caring for the impoverished mothers-to-be so desperate that abortion was the only way. And for what? Leather seats for the large dollar contributors while many families within the community have no furniture at all to sit or sleep on? Even get some designating seating, like box seats for folks who pay a little more? Numerous wide-screen TVs to read the songs lauding how much you love the Jesus who told you to give it all up and take care of the poor, the widows, the sick, and the imprisoned? A large fountain that pumps a massive number of gallons of water when people have no clean water to drink?
(via itsleavesremaingreen)
Letter to a Short-Term Missionary by: Bob Lupton
My childhood church was big on revival. We prayed fervently every Sunday for another “great awakening.” To a six-year-old whose reality was defined by his parents’ beliefs, it was clear to me a revival was the only thing that would save us from impending doom. How do you start a revival? I innocently inquired. Prayer, lots of prayer, and obedience, my mother counseled me. Do whatever God asks of us, she said.
Six-year-old minds are very active. What could I do to help start a revival and save our land? Then I had an idea. What if I offered God my burgeoning harmonica skills? Could God use that to start a revival? I asked my mother. She said it was a wonderful idea, that God could use any gift offered to accomplish his purposes. My sister smirked.
Sixty-two years later, I still believe what my mother told me—at least the part about God using any gift offered to accomplish his purposes. And another conviction remains: the belief that everyone, including six-year-olds, has an innate desire to make a difference in the world.
That’s why people—especially young people—sign up for mission trips. And because we know this, we play to this desire in our recruitment appeals. “You can save the world” is the alluring message. It has enormous heart-appeal. But can mission trips deliver on those promises? Are we actually changing the world with these short-term trips?
Our desire is to develop inspired and inspiring young leaders, not disillusioned ones. It is certainly important for young people (of all ages) to believe deeply that they can make a difference in their world. It’s important for them to know that in God’s economy every act of love counts—every smile, every kind word, every thoughtful deed. “God can use any gift offered to accomplish his purposes.” But it’s also important for them to understand how helping can sometimes hurt. Passing out T-shirts and candy to excited village children may seem like pure loving kindness until volunteers learn how the village elders feel about these gifts—that they only encourage a culture of beggary. Eager to serve, short-term mission teams innocently offer to do things for others, not realizing they have wounded the pride and dignity of people who have more than adequate capability to do it for themselves.
I just wanted to nap…
Then the Lord had to go a put stuff on my heart, so lets talk about Prayer.
God loves you. Remember that. At your weakest, He is strongest. This isn’t hopeless, beloved; you serve the one true God, the One who holds all power in His hands. You are not alone. You have a purpose. Just don’t give up.
Keep your eyes on Christ and know that healing will come.
(Source: a-restless-wind, via favrius)
Worthless Lies
Oh, girl.
You’re beautiful.
Stunning.
Drop dead gorgeous.
Why can’t you see it?
All you see is imperfection
when you sneer for hours
at your reflection.
But I want you to know:
That’s just an infection
of perception
because,
the truth is,
the God of the Universe,
the image of perfection,
thinks you are
absolutely lovely and
wants to give you
all His affections.
He wants to shower you
with love
and adoration.
But you only have
objections.
He wants you to be
His bride.
His beloved.
Dressed in white.
And He loves you so
desperately.
Eternally.
Irrevocably.
He has done
the unfathomable
so that you can receive
the unattainable.
But.
You denied it.
Because despite the fragrant aroma,
You despise it.
To receive the unattainable
is painful,
and so you’d rather
improvise
and continue with the
lies
than to admit
The Truth and abide in it.
But you can decide
not to believe the lies.
The ones that Satan implies
time after time
when he whispers
in your ears
confirming all your fears
telling you again
and again
and again
and again
and again
that you are worthless
worth-less
unless
you weigh-less
wear-less
or have less
convictions
inhibitions
about committing sins,
you know the kind.
You can decide to listen instead
to the King of Kings who wears
a crown of thrones upon His head,
for He has died
but is no longer dead.
He was denied
by those He came to save.
Crucified.
And sent to the grave.
His message is one of truth,
the only one you can find
that will not wind
up
entwined
around your neck,
choke the life from you,
and steal your last breath.
It will revive you.
Supply you
with precious air to breathe
and water to drink.
He will
always
always
always
adore you.
Restore you.
Pay the price for you.
Because
girl, He loves you.
And He thinks that
you’re beautiful.
Stunning.
Drop dead gorgeous.
(Source: ashmariie)
(Source: wasted-and-wilted-rose, via livingabetterstory)
This is a ridiculously powerful picture.
reblog this twice, to make sure you really see it.
This gets even more powerful when you’ve seen both sides of it in action. It makes me want to scream … and then do something.
This picture just makes me so angry. The brokenness and despair in this world is heart wrenching and I just want to fix it. I hate that people are in pain, and I hate that the pain most of the world feels would be so easily and quickly solved if the wealthy of the world would do their part as He called them to do and that this would just become a tangible picture of God’s love for us.
I know in my head why there is evil in this world.
I know it’s because man is innately sinful. God is in control of it all, but bad things happen because Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.
…to put it simply. (if that can be done…)
I know these things.
But, sometimes, on days like today…
My heart aches for an answer to all of this that makes sense. My heart aches for Jesus to return and redeem His people from all this pain. My heart aches because children are dying and mommas and daddies are losing their babies. My heart aches because I know there are people who need someone to hug them tonight, but it’s not a hug they will ever get. It’s so hard not to overflow with ridiculous amount of anger at the kind of man who would steal joy and innocence and precious life from a bunch of children BABIES.
Sometimes, on days like today, I just feel like this world is too much to handle.
And, with a very heavy heart, I am off to bed.
Tonight, as you lay your head on your pillow, let all of the stuff from your day just fall off, and begin to think on Him. Meditate in your heart about His goodness. Read a verse or pick a word that describes Him and begin to connect your spirit with His. Take some time and practice being still before Him. Words won’t be necessary. One of the proposed meanings of the word selah is “to pause and ponder”. Ponder the things of God. As you practice this, you will soon be lost and caught up in His presence. You will begin to understand His world.
Beni Johnson
Love this. I’ve always found the word “selah” to be so beautiful.
(via deebella123)
(Source: chaseakingfindalove, via jordanonia)
