Hello family and friends. God has been doing some incredible work in the life of our ministry as well as my personal life. Wherever we World Racers go, we make sure that the glory of God is seen and heard by everyone. That could be us picking up trash, doing construction, painting, teaching English classes, evangelizing, helping at orphanages, or doing bar ministry. It's not what we do that defines us, but it is Jesus living in us that sets us free and allows us to serve passionately and wholeheartedly. All the glory be to Him!
I have seen many beautiful sites and wonders of this world. I have been on many interesting adventures that always leave me breathless. I have met many amazing people that I will never forget. However, all this is meaningless under the sun if I don't have Jesus in my life.
I'm going to be really honest with you all. All my life I have always been searching for affirmation from people, especially women. I have always felt like I was never good enough or amounted to anything. When things in my life got tough, I immediately would run to people seeking attention longing to fill my emptiness. I did not know who I was, nor did I really know my identityin Christ. I may have looked good as a person and seemed to have a lot to show for, however if I were to be real with myself, my actions weren't in sync with my heart. My heart was all about looking good and pleasing people rather then becoming a man after God's own heart. Like I said earlier, it's not what you do that defines you, but it is allowing Jesus to live in you that sets you apart from your own fatal flesh and insecurities. When you stand before God someday, He is not going to be examining how well you lived, for good works don't secure eternal salvation. However, he will be looking for Himself in you.
Do I see Christ in me?? I can gladly say yes, yes, yes a thousand times confidently and boldly! For the peace I now have and the freedom I walk in isn't from me. My goodness I'm a mess! However only through God alone did I find my identity as a person and a follower of Christ. Jesus has set me free, now I'm free to be broken, living arms wide open each day. There is freedom when one denies himself and admits they are broken, then hops in there father's arms allowing Jesus to live in you. Here is a powerful story that God taught me one night about love and what a relationship looks like to God.
Two Fridays ago was our off day and all of us decided to make a trip down to this island in Malaysia for the night. So we get there and it was absolutely beautiful. We were all enjoying our time on the beach as well as enjoying the wonderful shops and food places. As night time approached, most of us decided it would be fun to chill at this open bar right on the beach called Babylon. We get there and immediately I felt the presence of God saturate my whole being. As I was talking and hanging out with my world race team, I felt God saying to me to buy a drink and start socializing and loving people. Immediately red flags hit my heart and I told God don't you know how I feel about drinking? Again He whispered to me, it is not what you do, say, or think that earns you the keys to my kingdom, but it is do I see myself in you. If a relationship with Jesus is the only way that earns us salvation, I'm guessing the most important thing we can do on this earth is form relationships with people. So that night I got me a beer and started interacting with people, not because that is my duty, but because Jesus was living in me. I was meeting people from all over the world. I talked with people from England, South Africa, and different parts of Malaysia. Throughout the night my team and I sang, danced, and laughed together enjoying every moment that God was giving us right then and there.
All my life I have been striving to become a better person. I was always searching for perfection and holiness. However, in reality, God can never love me more or less, for his love is unchangeable. So here I am telling God as well as to you, I am broken, I have nothing significant to offer from my own self, but I do have Jesus, and that is enough to say, I AM FREE! That night I did not find freedom sitting on a church pew, but I found freedom on a bar stool loving and living like Jesus.
