Where He Is, There I Shall Be

John 12:26

NKJV

“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

“and where I am, there My servant will be also.” I recall this past week with Pastor Donathan and the day he shared on John 3:8. The wind blows where it wishes, and likewise the Spirit of God goes where it wishes. Something I need to always be aware of is where He is heading. Attentiveness to the shifting of the Spirit is key for me to stay within the will of my Father. My hands must always be on deck and my eyes open and my ears hearing so I may know the appropriate time to adjust my sails to catch the wind of Gods spirit. Where Gods spirit goes, I desire to be right alongside Him, and behind Him as He goes before me preparing the way.

This is becoming more and more the cry of my heart as I grow closer to God. Not only am I more excited to serve Him and follow Him, I love being alongside Him in whatever He is doing around me. Being present is one of the valuable places to be for me as I’m seeking the Lord and committing my days to Him. There have already been plenty of opportunities I’ve gotten to participate in simply because I was present and put myself in position to be a servant. Oh and the blessings that have come from them!! They’ve been truly priceless, and most if not all have been purposed for deepening the well of my heart. I’ve discovered that the more time I not only spend present, but spend time in His presence, the deeper my well gets and the clearer the purpose for each day and week becomes. For example, this weeks theme is being a servant. At the beginning of this week, the theme just won't hold the weight for me that it will at the end. Through experience, prayer, and Gods word my well of servanthood will be deepened and my heart changed. At the end of all this, I will be honored by the Father too, either in this life or the one to come.

All Members Belong To The Body

1 Corinthians 12:14-15

ESV

“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body.”

Another reminder to not compare myself to the Moses’ in the world of ministry. I know God has called me to ministry and there were times where I had found myself shackled to comparisons. One of the leaders had shared a message about Joshua receiving Moses’ ministry that struck me deep in my heart and freed me from those shackles. If I’m a hand, I am not to fill a pair of shoes. I’m to have dexterity, flexibility and the ability to grasp and handle. I’ve seen this true plenty of times coming from a large church, where there are many different people who represent many parts of the body. It would be easy for the usher to look to the pastor and ask “Why am I here? I have no use compared to him.” But the truth is, the church wouldn't function as it should without the usher, and the same applies to the pastor, the volunteer, the media team, or the sound guy. Each part of the body plays a very specific role that is needed for the body of Christ to be healthy. I have found myself entertaining those same thoughts of feeling useless while serving before. But more often than not its looking to the pulpit and hearing the calling to it and feeling useless compared to who stands there. Little did I know, what I saw in myself as useless God is using to glorify Himself. I have certainly not reached the goal but I continue to press on, and feel the growth each and every day. I’ve learned to not compare my walk and calling to that of others, and having Pastor Donathan in this week surely helped to bring even more freedom to that. It could be easy for one to compare Pastor Don who oversees all of Calvary Chapel and Pastor Donathan who disciples a couple dozen young adults currently, and say that one position is more desirable or more successful than the other. But, it surely is not so in Gods eyes, and seeing how God is using both these men, who are different parts of the body of Christ, to glorify Himself, has opened my eyes to what its all about. Live a life of worship that glorifies God and follow where the wind of Gods Spirit blows you. Where it sends you is up to God, and don't look to your friend in the other boat and envy where God has sent them to. Be content and thankful that God has chosen you to partake in His glorious plan. You're still a part of His body and wants to use you to glorify Him in a way no one else can.

The Strong Support The Weak

Romans 15:1

NKJV

“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

There were numerous examples of this verse throughout my childhood, and many others as well. When I was too weak and too small to complete a task, someone who was stronger, older, and more experienced would come and help. Whether it be a parent, a teacher or a friend. Teachers especially are examples of this verse, for their life is centered around guiding the weak and underdeveloped into strength, and not to please themselves but to help the students. The pastors and staff here at IGNITE play the same role, but I’m not doing math equations and reading about Shakespeare. I’m growing to become spiritually strong in Christ. God is using those who are strong to bear with my failings and lead me into success and strength. I’ve already had my fair share of conversations centered around the ways I’ve failed. But, succeeding that, I am guided into the right path and now find myself stronger and closer to Christ than I ever thought I’d be. And I’m not done yet. Now, as I’m learning and growing, I’m able to come alongside those who are struggling to bear the things I once carried and help them carry it. I can comfort those who are discomforted with the comfort I’ve received. I can strengthen and encourage the weak through the word of my testimony and point them again to the one who gave me my strength, Jesus. As I look to Christ in the ways I minister to others, deny myself, and pick up my cross, I can say that no ministry is done with the intention of pleasing myself. It has become ingrained in my heart to love helping and watching the weak be helped by the strong. Most often its not being the one to strengthen but to watch others be strengthened by the strong that makes my heart leap in joy. At the same time though, I know there are times where I will pass the weak in fear of not knowing what to say or do to help them bear the weight. I could be related to the Levite or priest who passed by the man who was beaten and bruised and left for dead. I desire so deeply to be the Samaritan man all the time, but I also have my failings in weakness. But, Jesus always comes up behind those failings and strengthens me and gives me grace to carry on, asking and encouraging me to stop for the next man on the road.

Use Your Freedom To Serve

Galatians 5:13

ESV

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

This verse speaks a lot in conjunction with a verse I read today. God has put on my heart to begin getting up an hour earlier with Proverbs 20:13. “Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.” I surely have the freedom to sleep until 6, plus the occasional few extra minutes. However, God has convicted me that in this season of life that I’ll never get again, I should be taking advantage of all the time that's available. Sleeping in does have its advantages, but also has its disadvantages. For me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Learning discipline, commitment, perseverance, and relying on the Lord for my strength will be invaluable in future seasons. Plus, theres nothing like the stillness and quiet of being awake before the birds even chirp. I seek to use the extra time to, obviously, grow my relationship with Jesus.

Secondly, the fact that we were called to freedom is another display of Gods love for us. He called me from heaven itself, and speaks every day from heaven. While I was still a sinner, Christ died for my freedom. And even more, when I knew of what Jesus did for me, I continued to sin. There were times where I would try to take advantage of Gods grace and use it as an excuse to sin. To use the freedom to try to get what I wanted, which always wound up never being enough. But, then God called me higher. He sent me here to IGNITE, to turn off the noise and to transform me into someone who knows the freedom and grace but no longer takes advantage of it. The more God reveals about Himself, the more I want to please Him and worship Him and be thankful for everything He gives me, big or small.

Become All Things To All Men

1 Corinthians 9:22

NKJV

“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.”

What a timely verse this is in light of the Perspectives article we just read about adapting the Gospel to suit the culture of others. Not to say that we change the content of the Gospel, but we share it in such a way that they will be able to receive it within the context of their culture. And God fully supports it! As IGNITE alumni and leaders have shared of their past experiences, becoming ingrained in the culture I am going to enter is crucial to building relationship and leading people to Jesus. This doesn't just carry over into continental/country-specific cultures either, it carries into my home, my work, my friend groups and so on. Just as Philip met the Ethiopian Eunuch where he was at personally, I need to learn how to meet others where they are. At the time I didn't think I was, but looking back there was certainly instances of forcing the gospel down throats rather than sitting them down and getting to know their appetite and what they could handle. I should have found out what meal was next for them and not trying to feed them a three-course dinner when they’ve yet to have their morning coffee. I will meet people in vastly different stages of life and if I ever want to win a single soul, being able to come to their level and minister to them there is crucial. It not only provides an example of humility, but displays the love of Christ which will go to the depths of hell to rescue the one that left the hundred. There are friends and family who I know need Christ. I feel the tendency to want to go and save them all at once but I’m learning that each one has different timing and I need to understand where they’re at before I can come to them and introduce Christ. Jesus met them all where they were at, whether it be the woman at the well, to the paralytic, to the rich young ruler. He knew where each one was and what they needed and supplied the answer.

Out Of Reverence

Ephesians 5:21

ESV

“submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Lay down your life. Give up your rights. Toss them out the window. Jesus did, for though He was fully God and fully man, He didn’t count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Phil. 2:6). Jesus was fully submitted to the will of His Father in everything. There wasnt a word He spoke, place He went, or action He took that wasn’t what God wanted. Jesus submitted out of reverence for His Father. Therefore, I ought to submit to my brothers and sisters out of reverence for Christ. Submission can look like a lot of different things in many different situations but it boils down to being willing to compromise, to give up always wanting to do what you want and what you say. I don't have the greatest ideas but there are times where what I suggest does follow through. But, there's also times where I need to allow others ideas and vision to come into play and be willing to work with what they bring. For me, its just about being quiet more often than not and letting any ideas be meditated upon and prayed through. If it is from God, it will stick and it will happen, but I can't force something that I just pulled out of a hat. Christians aren't supposed to be magicians, we are followers of an ultimate magician who works wonders beyond imagination. I haven't got any rights then to come and say that what I come up with is the sole answer. God is infinite and wise and unendingly creative, and isn't limited to one idea. Since the one who created me, and billions of others, all uniquely, I should not be bound to myself, but silently submit to what others would like to do more often. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil. 2:4) While it is in my interest to participate in decisions, since its always a team effort, its also in others interest to be able to guide the direction of the decision and not feel like they've got to submit to my ideas. Again, it all boils down to tossing my self out the window in a sense. If Jesus submitted to the point of death for the good of others, so should I, and so shall I.

Do This With Joy

Hebrews 13:17

ESV

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Everyone is on my side here. They’re in the bleachers, cheering me on. They are the coaches, giving me pep talks during halftime and timeouts. They can coach me because they first were coached. There's nothing to be mistrusted about them, so therefore there is no reason to not follow what they ask. They never have truly have a day off. While they physically may, I am always lifted up in prayer each day by them, and they fight the battle alongside me. They freely give me the battle plans for success because they had been freely given to. They aren’t perfect by any means, and neither am I. What matters is they are putting in their best to represent the leadership skills of Christ. In one way or another, I’ve seen the character qualities of Christ displayed in the leadership and alumni staff. Secondly, joy is an advantage. As a Christ follower, my joy comes from the Him, and the joy of the Lord is my strength. I couldn't imagine how life would be without the joy I’ve found in Christ, but I can be sure I would have a lot more groaning, a lot more complaining, no joy and no strength. My joy is what allows me to look at a situation and see the good it can bring, to face it head on confidently, and confront it as a lion. And as a result, I have advantage. I take the win in Christ. I can recall plenty of times where receiving with groaning led me into a darkened mindset. Most often I would be asked to do one thing, and then when I finished they'd come back and tell me it was actually to be done another way. It would just make me bitter and impatient that I had to take more of “my” time to do it. But that wasn’t right in any sense. I've learned an immense amount of flexibility through those experiences to the point I can now welcome a change with joy and not find my heart darkened and hardened. There are times I slip but now God catches and convicts me of it, and I can quickly recover into joy and strength again. I can truly believe that there is a team of people on my side, fighting with and for me.