10/20/16

 

Pause. Stop. Reflect.

There is a purpose for all things. Everything is on God’s timing, and He is outside of time and space. Seek the purpose, seek the reason, seek God’s guidance in all situations and circumstance. Find God’s purpose. Be willing and be ready to be used by Him, in and out of season. Ask God for opportunities where He can use you to encourage and speak life to people. In all reality,  at all times you have the ability and choice to do so. Show His love, let His light shine through you, give a reason for the hope that you have in Jesus Christ. Have eyes that see and ears that hear.

The opportunities to show and share Jesus are endless, there is opportunity everywhere you look. Why? There are hopeless, broken people in every direction we turn and in every direction we look. We know the truth, and the truth is Jesus. We lack absolutely NOTHING because we know Him. He is the one who has given us life and life abundantly, He loves us, watches over us, cares so much for us, provides all we need, hears us, answers us, is with us, lives inside us. We lack nothing, absolutely nothing. Those who don’t know Jesus lack EVERYTHING. You don’t have to be a missionary or a pastor to share Jesus. You just have to love and follow Jesus, to share Jesus.   His last command to us before He ascended into heaven; “18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Find the purpose when things don’t go as planned on your terms, know for certain they are going as planned according to God’s good, pleasing and perfect will!

Purpose, so whenever we miss buses, get stuck in traffic, take wrong turns so on and so forth, I look for the purpose. Who would God have us run into, talk with, give to, pray for. There are so many times since we have been here, when things don’t go as planned and it’s all God orchestrating opportunities for us to show His love to people! Always! We missed a few buses on our way back to ministry after serving at a local school ( we were helping the young students practice english) and right before we walked through the doors of our ministry we ran into fellow American Christians, studying abroad! (This was yesterday). And on our way back from ministry to our house, we squished and barely made it onto our bus. But again, purpose. My teammate and friend Abby  had a vision earlier in the day, seeing a woman with a pink scrunchy in her hair. While on the way back we were standing right next to a lady who kept looking at us the entire time, and on her wrist, a pink scrunchy. We ended up giving her a note with some scripture written on it in Spanish and Abby prayed for her. Find the purpose, because God’s purpose is for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for ALL PEOPLE…” ( 1 Timothy 2:3-6).

Today we walked through the streets of Old Town Quito and as I walked I literally just stared at people. Everyone has a story, and everyone has a purpose for existence. As I looked at everyone I couldn’t help but think, what are they doing, where are they going and where are they at? God skillfully, intentionally, and purposefully made everyone. And I kept thinking, “do they know the purpose for being alive?”. Walking within a crowd of people, all on a path, all heading in a direction. As followers of Jesus,intervene, pray that God will use you to tell this world about His great, unending, unfailing agape love!” For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you    when I was made in the secret place,when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;   all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God!  How vast is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:13-17).

 

Romans 10:12-15

12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[a]

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[b]

 

God bless you all!! Thank you all again for all your prayers, love and generosity!!

Seek God’s purpose in every situation, listen for His voice, and be guided as He directs your steps.