I am currently at New Tribes Bible Institute where I plan to invest two years of my life into studying that will give me almost no worldly gain at all. So why am I here?
I came here not really know the answer to that. I felt a deer in headlights really. I was completely blown away at first. I realized that I had really no idea what I had signed myself up for. I came knowing that I needed a deeper understanding of who God was, but that was about it.
So far this semester I feel like I been having a real struggle trying to balance my life between study, personal time with God, and building relationships with others. Study and relationships seem to have been fighting for first while, sadly, most often personal time with God gets left behind. Some recent events and struggles I'm dealing with have really convicted me of how I've used my time here. And I think it all comes down to why I'm here. Not knowing why I'm makes what is most important for me to do incredibly subjective and pragmatic. So, I took the time a few minutes ago to think through this and seek what God has brought me here for, and this is what I've come up with.
1. To Know God
2. To Learn From His Word
3. To Prepare For Ministry
I do not believe I will ever know God fully, or learn everything I can from His Word, or ever be completely prepared for ministry, but these are what I am seeking after while I am here. From these I will seek to base my choices and from these I will evaluate my time. For the next two years (and possibly life) these will be primary.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." -- Paul
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
"be renewed by the transforming of your mind"
I've been at New Tribes Bible Institute now for about 2 months. God has truly been working in my life here. Looking back, it's amazing to see where I started, where I am, and where I'm heading. It's so incredible what God can do through His word, if we only let Him. He wants to transform our lives and bring us closer to Himself, and the only thing stopping Him for doing so is ourselves. If we only trust Him and die to ourselves. We are not our own, God owns us and our lives, let us live every moment for Him and seek Him only.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
... because God is God, and I am not.
I like control. I like knowing whats going on and to have an input in it. I enjoy when things work out the way I'd like them too; I get frustrated when they don't. I get prideful and want my 'rights' protected and insured.
But it's not about me and what I want or would like.
It's all about God and His Glory. It's all about His Mercy and Grace; His Compassion toward us and His Love to us. He is the Creator, Savior and King. How dare I that I would place myself above God. God has given so much; more than I will ever deserve. Yet I complain; I doubt.
The Lord God Almighty YAWEH made room for me in his glorious plan; and I, created man, have the gall to complain.
I have no place to question God and what He does. He is God. He has promised to be with me and to give me everything I need.
I don't need control. I don't need to know whats next. I don't need comfort or security.
All I need is God.
All that is required is myself.
All that is asked is that I follow.
In Christ, the Glorious King
dk
But it's not about me and what I want or would like.
It's all about God and His Glory. It's all about His Mercy and Grace; His Compassion toward us and His Love to us. He is the Creator, Savior and King. How dare I that I would place myself above God. God has given so much; more than I will ever deserve. Yet I complain; I doubt.
The Lord God Almighty YAWEH made room for me in his glorious plan; and I, created man, have the gall to complain.
I have no place to question God and what He does. He is God. He has promised to be with me and to give me everything I need.
I don't need control. I don't need to know whats next. I don't need comfort or security.
All I need is God.
All that is required is myself.
All that is asked is that I follow.
In Christ, the Glorious King
dk
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
My God
This is a poem that I rediscovered. I wrote this when I was a junior in high school for an English Lit. class. Hope you like it.
My God
Oh God, the God of Moses
How powerful You are.
You have created all
And see everything from a-far.
Oh God, the God of David
You are ever present
You give comfort from pain
And Your peace is never spent.
Oh God, my God
You are my mighty savior.
I was lost and you saved me
Never to see hells door.
My God
Oh God, the God of Moses
How powerful You are.
You have created all
And see everything from a-far.
Oh God, the God of David
You are ever present
You give comfort from pain
And Your peace is never spent.
Oh God, my God
You are my mighty savior.
I was lost and you saved me
Never to see hells door.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Fire
Most of you people who know me probably know that I like fire. Not in some crazy burn-everything-in-sight-pro like, but I enjoy making fires and watching them, and burning different things to see what burns better, faster, and things like that.
Well anyway, lately I've been thinking about how fire is often used as an analogy for the passion we have for God. And the more think of it, the more I like it. I'm just going to talk about fire for a bit here and I want you to try and see how they compare to the Christian life.
When starting a fire, an outside flame or spark has to introduced in order to start a fire. A bunch of sticks and kindling (probably) isn't going to just burst into flames. Also when starting a fire, it's easier to start with kindling and small branches rather than starting with a whole log.
Three essentials to any fire are: heat, oxygen, and fuel. If one of these is missing, then there is no fire.
When you have a fire going, you must keep adding more fuel if you don't want your fire to go out. But on the flip side, you don't want to add more fuel than the fire can take and smoother the fire.
Also a fire is only useful if someone is there to use it (duh).
Well, I think you get the gist of what I'm hitting at. Maybe.
But one more thing I want to point out. Christian culture is also whining about "where has the passion gone? where if the fire that we used to have?" Well, I would like to ask them when was the last time they feed the flames? How can you expect a fire to keep burning when you don't putting any more fuel on it?
Anyway, that's all I've got to say for now.
Well anyway, lately I've been thinking about how fire is often used as an analogy for the passion we have for God. And the more think of it, the more I like it. I'm just going to talk about fire for a bit here and I want you to try and see how they compare to the Christian life.
When starting a fire, an outside flame or spark has to introduced in order to start a fire. A bunch of sticks and kindling (probably) isn't going to just burst into flames. Also when starting a fire, it's easier to start with kindling and small branches rather than starting with a whole log.
Three essentials to any fire are: heat, oxygen, and fuel. If one of these is missing, then there is no fire.
When you have a fire going, you must keep adding more fuel if you don't want your fire to go out. But on the flip side, you don't want to add more fuel than the fire can take and smoother the fire.
Also a fire is only useful if someone is there to use it (duh).
Well, I think you get the gist of what I'm hitting at. Maybe.
But one more thing I want to point out. Christian culture is also whining about "where has the passion gone? where if the fire that we used to have?" Well, I would like to ask them when was the last time they feed the flames? How can you expect a fire to keep burning when you don't putting any more fuel on it?
Anyway, that's all I've got to say for now.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The more excellent way...
I've been hearing a lot about Christianity lately. About what it is what it isn't and what it should be. Different things we as Christians should be doing, should be acting like. I've been hearing words like FAITH, Just, Grace, Mercy, Courage, Bold, Kindness. I've heard of Destiny, HOPE, Passion, Eternal Life, Humility, Glory, Sacrifice, Offering, and Victory. People talk of Trust, Responsibility, Salvation, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification, Promises, Covenants, and of the Law. But I wonder if you notice whats missing from these lists. Do you see it? Because just as it's missing from these lists, so I think it is missing in our lives. It is the greatest commandment given by God Himself! and yet we miss it, we lack it in our lives. How can we skip over this?
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll help you out.
Matt. 22:37-40 'And He said to them, "You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And a second is like it: You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
John 3:16 'For God so LOVED the world...'
I Tim. 1:5 'The aim of our charge is LOVE that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.'
I Corinthians 13:13 'So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.'
The Bible puts this huge emphasis on love, but we never seem to talk about, to study it, to understand what it truly means to love in the way that God calls use to.
You have heard of loving your enemy, but when was the last time that you actually DID it? Are you prepared to Love? Tell me, if someone were to kill your family, could you love them? because that what God is calling use to do when He tells use to love our enemies. Because guess what? We killed His Son and HE STILL LOVES US. He LET us kill His SON that we, his enemies, might LOVE Him back! Love is radical. Love isn't easy. We throw the word Love around like it was a penny. Its easy to give up a penny. You leave them laying around all over the place. But what if we treated love like a million dollars? Would you still give it as freely?
And Love is not this mushy push over 'I'm going to hug everyone' crap. Love is fierce. Love has power. Love is powerful. But we have have forgotten what it is. Ha, we haven't forgotten, we've just ignored it. How could we forget it when the greatest example is the Defining thing in our lives: JESUS. We just choose not to look at it, not to notice it, because then we would be responsible to DO something with it!
We have this misconception about love that it's about us, about making ourselves feel good, feel better about our selves. Love is the opposite! Love is about others, it's about sacrificing our selves, giving of our selves that others might be benefited. And we have something that can benefit the world, the nations, more than anything else: the LOVE OF A SAVIOR!
Love also has to be willing to do the hard things. The things that no one wants to do, but must be. I like the analigie of a dieing horse. A horse is dieing and you know that it will probably die. So are you going to let it suffer for a while as it slow dies, or can you muster up the love to kill it quickly? Sounds harsh, but sometimes love is. Again, Love isn't about us feeling good.
So, do you think you're brave enough to love? Do you have enough faith and trust that God will give you the strength to love? Is your hope great enough to move you to love?
If you haven't figured it out yet, I'll help you out.
Matt. 22:37-40 'And He said to them, "You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And a second is like it: You shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."
John 3:16 'For God so LOVED the world...'
I Tim. 1:5 'The aim of our charge is LOVE that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.'
I Corinthians 13:13 'So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.'
The Bible puts this huge emphasis on love, but we never seem to talk about, to study it, to understand what it truly means to love in the way that God calls use to.
You have heard of loving your enemy, but when was the last time that you actually DID it? Are you prepared to Love? Tell me, if someone were to kill your family, could you love them? because that what God is calling use to do when He tells use to love our enemies. Because guess what? We killed His Son and HE STILL LOVES US. He LET us kill His SON that we, his enemies, might LOVE Him back! Love is radical. Love isn't easy. We throw the word Love around like it was a penny. Its easy to give up a penny. You leave them laying around all over the place. But what if we treated love like a million dollars? Would you still give it as freely?
And Love is not this mushy push over 'I'm going to hug everyone' crap. Love is fierce. Love has power. Love is powerful. But we have have forgotten what it is. Ha, we haven't forgotten, we've just ignored it. How could we forget it when the greatest example is the Defining thing in our lives: JESUS. We just choose not to look at it, not to notice it, because then we would be responsible to DO something with it!
We have this misconception about love that it's about us, about making ourselves feel good, feel better about our selves. Love is the opposite! Love is about others, it's about sacrificing our selves, giving of our selves that others might be benefited. And we have something that can benefit the world, the nations, more than anything else: the LOVE OF A SAVIOR!
Love also has to be willing to do the hard things. The things that no one wants to do, but must be. I like the analigie of a dieing horse. A horse is dieing and you know that it will probably die. So are you going to let it suffer for a while as it slow dies, or can you muster up the love to kill it quickly? Sounds harsh, but sometimes love is. Again, Love isn't about us feeling good.
So, do you think you're brave enough to love? Do you have enough faith and trust that God will give you the strength to love? Is your hope great enough to move you to love?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Go
"And He said to them, 'Go...'"
Mark 16:15
Lately I've been having a hard time figuring out what to do with my life. I've been trying to find something to do that 'feels right' or that I think will be the best use of my life. I've looked into things and backed out, I've started applications and never finished them, and I've sent out just as many trying to keep options open. But my problem is, that I need to make a choice. I need to stop being afraid that I'll make a wrong decision and trust that God will take care of me and that His will will be done in me (because it will anyway).
The reference that I started this post with has been very convicting to me over the past couple of days. Jesus tells his disciples to go out into the world. He doesn't tell them to sit around and weigh there options or to wait for that one job or activity that 'feels' right. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't take time to understand what we're doing or that we should go charging into something without really knowing what we're doing. What I am saying is that we, as the body of Christ, need to stop worrying about how things are going to work out. We need to stop relying on ourselves to work things out and we need to put our trust in our Father, Master, Lord and Savior. He has a plan for us and no matter what happens He is in control.
"And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them..."
Mark 16:20
In Christ
Mark 16:15
Lately I've been having a hard time figuring out what to do with my life. I've been trying to find something to do that 'feels right' or that I think will be the best use of my life. I've looked into things and backed out, I've started applications and never finished them, and I've sent out just as many trying to keep options open. But my problem is, that I need to make a choice. I need to stop being afraid that I'll make a wrong decision and trust that God will take care of me and that His will will be done in me (because it will anyway).
The reference that I started this post with has been very convicting to me over the past couple of days. Jesus tells his disciples to go out into the world. He doesn't tell them to sit around and weigh there options or to wait for that one job or activity that 'feels' right. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't take time to understand what we're doing or that we should go charging into something without really knowing what we're doing. What I am saying is that we, as the body of Christ, need to stop worrying about how things are going to work out. We need to stop relying on ourselves to work things out and we need to put our trust in our Father, Master, Lord and Savior. He has a plan for us and no matter what happens He is in control.
"And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them..."
Mark 16:20
In Christ
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