Archives July 2012

These last two months have honestly been the best experience of my entire 19 years, I cannot thank God enough for the two months He allowed me to share with His precious angels.

On my second day in Colombia, I visited a little institution named San Miguelito, (little saint michael), I had visited this institution on prior mission trips and knew a couple of the children there but of course felt a bit uneasy and awkward at first, but my fears subsided quickly as I was led into a room full of the most adorable 2-5 year olds you can imagine. I spent about an hour playing with them. They love to sit on my lap and show me their elephant pictures made out of glue and macaroni pieces. I had been in that room for about an hour when I heard a familiar voice call my name. I looked up and peeking through the door was my friend Louisa, who I had met about a year ago and had not seen or heard of since. I cannot explain the joy that flooded my heart as I saw her smiling face. She took me upstairs and introduced me to all her friends and also to her baby boy Andres (Andrew). She is still seven months pregnant with him but she put my hand on her stomach and said, “this is my angel.”

I am so grateful to God that I was able to reunite with my friend and know that she is safe, we spent the whole day together just catching up and sharing dreams for the future, this was a major highlight for my time in Colombia, please keep Louisa in your prayers, and all the beautiful children of Colombia.

On January 30, 2011 I wrote a blog called Power Through Weakness that is near and dear to my heart and to which I received much positive response. Here is part II.

“Have you never yet learned the lesson that the Holy Ghost works with mighty power, while on the human side everything appears feeble?” – Andrew Murray

Jesus is our example in everything and readers of this blog and those who have attended mission trips with me know that I love to highlight certain areas in Jesus life that are heroic and admirable and encourage the imitation of such. But in re-reading Andrew Murray’s sermon Absolute Surrender, I remembered another area of Jesus life worth exploring. His weakness.

Some of the most anointed and powerful victories in Jesus life and earthly ministry occurred at moments of His greatest human weakness.

Take for example His being tested in the wilderness for 40 days. After fasting, being alone, no comfortable bed, no shelter, with wild beasts, and so on for 40 days Jesus must have been nearly as weak as a human being can get but no one can deny the incredible power of the Holy Spirit that was upon Him as He thrice defeats Satan, the arch tempter of the universe. Luke says, “Luke 4:13-15   When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.” In His human weakness the Holy Spirit was strong. And so with us.

Again, at the well of Samaria Jesus is so exhausted and hungry that the disciples leave Him there and go into town to buy food. But though He is weak in body Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit and He begins to witness to the Samaritan woman and a whole town gets saved. Power through and in spite of weakness.

There are others (asleep in the ship but rises to calm the storm, weary and seeking a quiet place but ending up feeding 5 thousand, and more) but one of the most heart-wrenching examples may be in the Garden of Gethsemane.

About this Andrew Murray says, “Look at the Lord Jesus Christ in Gethsemane. We read that He, ‘through the eternal Spirit,’ offered Himself a sacrifice unto God. The Almighty Spirit of God was enabling Him to do it. And yet what agony and fear and exceeding sorrow came over Him, and how He prayed! Externally, you can see no sign of the mighty power of the Spirit, but the Spirit of God was there. And even so, while you are feeble and fighting and trembling, in faith in the hidden work of God’s Spirit do not fear, but yield yourself.”

And who could miss the significance of Christ’s human weakness at the trial, the scourging, and the cross. And who could deny that though outwardly it appeared that the young Rabbi from Galilee had lost and lost big yet behind the scenes the greatest victory in history was taking place!

Let’s not get distracted with our weakness and our losses in this realm and forget that just behind the curtain God may be doing something incredible as long as we stay submitted to and resting in Him.

Blessings,

Matt

Read Part III HERE

 I find the hardest part of ministry is keeping the passion you started with. I think the reason the passion in our heart fades is because we ether get worn-out or we get offended at someone or something, so the passion dies out. I have found this in my own life to many times. At the beginning of my time here at the Dream Center every thing I was asked to do was a privilege and so much fun. But as time passed, I stared finding excuses as to why I couldn’t help out any more. With every thing in me I want to keep that passion. I want to wake up every day with joy in my heart to serve. So I started praying for Jesus to renew that passion in me. I also started looking into why I think passion fades. Passion is defined as, intense or overpowering emotion such as love, joy, hatred, or anger. So why would my overpowering emotion of love or joy fade? I started thinking back on why I came to the Dream Center in the first place and what started that passion in my heart. I came to the Dream Center because after I read Pastor Matthew book, I wanted to find a piece of the God he found. I wanted to know Jesus the way he did. You can’t have a heart for people the way Pastor Matthew does with out being closer to Jesus’ heart then your average Christian. I wanted to know Jesus more, I wanted to see His power in a way I never had. My first months here I came to know Jesus more then I ever thought possible. Jesus answered the cry of my heart with a closeness to Him that amazed me. But as time passed I let busyness make me forget the reason I was here. I slowly lost that closeness I had. As a result I lost my passion. Everything became a burden and I lost the love I had for serving. For the last few weeks I have desperately searched for that passion and love I lost. I know I can’t serve like I want and need to with out Jesus’ strength and love in me. I can’t go a day with out Him. I need Him as the air I breathe. The easiest way for my to grow closer to Jesus is through worship. I crave worship. As a way to not make the same mistake, I have set aside time every day to pray and worship. I need it so much. Please pray for my to stay strong in the last to months I have at the Dream Center