“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.”—Prov. 14:10
Bitterness creeps into life easily. It happens when we allow the things that happen to us that seem unfair or wrong to control us, when we let those things hold onto our heart. But, when we release those things and our hearts to a loving Savior who already bore the burden for us, the joy is overwhelming and unexplainable. Trade your bitterness for unspeakable joy.
--Matt
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Perfect Love
You aren’t scared of people you love.
That’s a profound truth that I’ve never really thought about.
Sometimes I don’t do things God has asked me to do because I’m scared of people: what they think, what they can do to me.
A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love. 1 John 4:18 (CEV)
Let’s learn to love and stop being afraid.
--Matt
That’s a profound truth that I’ve never really thought about.
Sometimes I don’t do things God has asked me to do because I’m scared of people: what they think, what they can do to me.
A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows that we have not really learned to love. 1 John 4:18 (CEV)
Let’s learn to love and stop being afraid.
--Matt
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Half of My Heart
I believe there comes a point where you really have to trust God.
And I don’t mean trust Him with your mind.
I don’t mean trust Him with your words.
I mean trust Him in the deepest parts of who you are.
Trust Him with your heart, because to know something in your heart, is something all together different that knowing something in your head.
I can know that I should trust God all day long. I can know that He’s got a great plan and knows what’s best for me. But until I take that knowledge and really transfer it to my heart, it means nothing. God has a huge plan for you. Take it one step at a time, let Him lead you. He knows the path infinitely better than you or I do.
There will be steps you WANT to take.
Steps that seem to make sense.
Steps that WE think are the best for us.
But walk in His steps. Trust in His wonderful love, power, grace, and plan.
Because He knows best anyway.
We all know that.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart
Psalm 37:4
--Matt
And I don’t mean trust Him with your mind.
I don’t mean trust Him with your words.
I mean trust Him in the deepest parts of who you are.
Trust Him with your heart, because to know something in your heart, is something all together different that knowing something in your head.
I can know that I should trust God all day long. I can know that He’s got a great plan and knows what’s best for me. But until I take that knowledge and really transfer it to my heart, it means nothing. God has a huge plan for you. Take it one step at a time, let Him lead you. He knows the path infinitely better than you or I do.
There will be steps you WANT to take.
Steps that seem to make sense.
Steps that WE think are the best for us.
But walk in His steps. Trust in His wonderful love, power, grace, and plan.
Because He knows best anyway.
We all know that.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart
Psalm 37:4
--Matt
Monday, October 5, 2009
Change Your Heart, Not Your Clothes
Joel 2: 12-13
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
God wants us to come back to Him. But he doesn’t want our outward expressions of grief and repentance, our mere words. He wants our hearts torn with grief—grief for our sin.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
It doesn’t do us ANY good to just say we’re sorry for the things we’ve done wrong. It doesn't do ANY good to just wallow around in our guilt and shame. We have to truly see our sin as God does and let it break our hearts, like David did.
Psalm 51: 1-4a
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
David realized the gravity of his sin, acknowledging that he had sinned against God, and God alone. Our sins are against the Father. Period. The sooner you and I realize this, the sooner we move towards Biblical repentance. That means living a lifestyle of continually asking God to show us our shortcomings and a striving for all things that will make us more like Him.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
--Matt
That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.
God wants us to come back to Him. But he doesn’t want our outward expressions of grief and repentance, our mere words. He wants our hearts torn with grief—grief for our sin.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
It doesn’t do us ANY good to just say we’re sorry for the things we’ve done wrong. It doesn't do ANY good to just wallow around in our guilt and shame. We have to truly see our sin as God does and let it break our hearts, like David did.
Psalm 51: 1-4a
Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
David realized the gravity of his sin, acknowledging that he had sinned against God, and God alone. Our sins are against the Father. Period. The sooner you and I realize this, the sooner we move towards Biblical repentance. That means living a lifestyle of continually asking God to show us our shortcomings and a striving for all things that will make us more like Him.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
--Matt
Thursday, May 28, 2009
South Africa Day 4
God is in Africa too.
Really.
I just spent about nine days in Pretoria, South Africa, where God used our team to do some amazing things. For each of the next several days, I’m going to post my journal entries from the trip, starting with the first day, and ending with the last, excluding travel time. I hope the Lord uses these to touch your life like he did mine. Enjoy.
Fourth Day: May 21
Today it was my half of the team’s turn to go out in the community while the other half got to experience the labor side of things. I’m not going to lie—it was really funny to think about Marshall, Pete, and my sister doing manual labor. But they did a good job.
Anyway, I ended up paired with Katie Reno for the biggest part of the day. In one of our first visits, we went to see a lady who was well-known in the community; her house was in the very center and she was stricken with high blood pressure. Katie felt led to give her Bible to the woman, even though her understanding of English was minimal. We then prayed for her to be healed of her ailment, read Psalm 23 over her, and asked the Lord to give her clear understanding of His word. Katie felt like if that woman was healed and received Christ, the whole community would be led to the Lord because of the location of her house and the word of her testimony. When you see the picture, it is her “house”, remember it in prayer.
After visiting with several more houses, we went across the street to a shopping center where we ate lunch. It was one of the things that hurt me the most about South Africa. We could literally cross a street and go from extreme poverty to extreme normality. So many unmet needs contrasted with so many luxuries. Unbelievable. But God reminded me: it happens at home too. We have so much we take for granted.
Every day.
Following ministry, we went into Johannesburg and ate at a restaurant called Carnivore’s. It was amazing! They just kept bringing us meat—everything from chicken to crocodile to kudu. Most of the guys loved it, most of the girls were tolerant of it.
Anna, Katie, Jenna, and I are teaching the 4th grade tomorrow while the rest of the team works with pre-schoolers. It should be interesting/fun. We practiced and went over both the doctor skit and the sin-chair human video—they should go over well in the school assembly before we break off into classrooms.
I am exhausted.
Prayer for tomorrow: Patience, gentleness, kindness, discernment
Really.
I just spent about nine days in Pretoria, South Africa, where God used our team to do some amazing things. For each of the next several days, I’m going to post my journal entries from the trip, starting with the first day, and ending with the last, excluding travel time. I hope the Lord uses these to touch your life like he did mine. Enjoy.
Fourth Day: May 21
Today it was my half of the team’s turn to go out in the community while the other half got to experience the labor side of things. I’m not going to lie—it was really funny to think about Marshall, Pete, and my sister doing manual labor. But they did a good job.
Anyway, I ended up paired with Katie Reno for the biggest part of the day. In one of our first visits, we went to see a lady who was well-known in the community; her house was in the very center and she was stricken with high blood pressure. Katie felt led to give her Bible to the woman, even though her understanding of English was minimal. We then prayed for her to be healed of her ailment, read Psalm 23 over her, and asked the Lord to give her clear understanding of His word. Katie felt like if that woman was healed and received Christ, the whole community would be led to the Lord because of the location of her house and the word of her testimony. When you see the picture, it is her “house”, remember it in prayer.
After visiting with several more houses, we went across the street to a shopping center where we ate lunch. It was one of the things that hurt me the most about South Africa. We could literally cross a street and go from extreme poverty to extreme normality. So many unmet needs contrasted with so many luxuries. Unbelievable. But God reminded me: it happens at home too. We have so much we take for granted.
Every day.
Following ministry, we went into Johannesburg and ate at a restaurant called Carnivore’s. It was amazing! They just kept bringing us meat—everything from chicken to crocodile to kudu. Most of the guys loved it, most of the girls were tolerant of it.
Anna, Katie, Jenna, and I are teaching the 4th grade tomorrow while the rest of the team works with pre-schoolers. It should be interesting/fun. We practiced and went over both the doctor skit and the sin-chair human video—they should go over well in the school assembly before we break off into classrooms.
I am exhausted.
Prayer for tomorrow: Patience, gentleness, kindness, discernment
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
South Africa Day 3
God is in Africa too.
Really.
I just spent about nine days in Pretoria, South Africa, where God used our team to do some amazing things. For each of the next several days, I’m going to post my journal entries from the trip, starting with the first day, and ending with the last, excluding travel time. I hope the Lord uses these to touch your life like he did mine. Enjoy.
Third Day: May 19
There wasn't much spiritual about what we did today. Basically, my half of the group did hard labor today: clearing a field, shoveling gravel and sand, playing with machetes, etc. Don't get me wrong, we had to get this stuff done and it helped the community out greatly. However, as I was sitting on a trailer that recently carried pig slop, pulled behind an old Massey-Ferguson tractor, being beaten to death by the rough roads, I realized something.
I wasn't created to do this kind of job.
Really.
I just spent about nine days in Pretoria, South Africa, where God used our team to do some amazing things. For each of the next several days, I’m going to post my journal entries from the trip, starting with the first day, and ending with the last, excluding travel time. I hope the Lord uses these to touch your life like he did mine. Enjoy.
Third Day: May 19
There wasn't much spiritual about what we did today. Basically, my half of the group did hard labor today: clearing a field, shoveling gravel and sand, playing with machetes, etc. Don't get me wrong, we had to get this stuff done and it helped the community out greatly. However, as I was sitting on a trailer that recently carried pig slop, pulled behind an old Massey-Ferguson tractor, being beaten to death by the rough roads, I realized something.
I wasn't created to do this kind of job.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
South Africa Day 2
God is in Africa too.
Really.
I just spent about nine days in Pretoria, South Africa, where God used our team to do some amazing things. For each of the next several days, I’m going to post my journal entries from the trip, starting with the first day, and ending with the last, excluding travel time. I hope the Lord uses these to touch your life like he did mine. Enjoy.
Second Day: May 18
2 Samuel 24:24—Psalm 74
Admittedly, I was a little anxious about the work we were doing this morning. The overwhelming responsibility of speaking healing over people’s lives wigged me out—a little. But then God reminded me it was His responsibility and His power, not mine. Got a real peace as we split up into groups and played with the kids—we were like rock stars—that’s because God answered our prayers and prepared their hearts for our arrival. First, we prayed for a guy whose family had some tragedy that had emotionally scarred him. Then, we prayed for a lady with epilepsy. So we held her hands to steady her as we prayed. There was a spirit of heaviness all around her. As we began praying together, she screamed and fell to the ground, still tightly gripping my hand. That’s when we knew we were dealing with a demonic presence. We prayed and cast out the demon—hoping that she knows it was Jesus who healed her. We prayed for two people who were dying—a little girl and an old lady. The little girl had full-blown AIDS—she was 5 and looked about 3, full of sores, it was so sad. But God reminded me that her greatest need isn’t being healed from AIDS—it is Jesus.
It's mine too.
We ate spaghetti for dinner and talked with Mariet about her 80-day mission trip all over the eastern hemisphere. It was cool to hear her passion and her accent. Kyle then told us to listen and sit across the table from God and ask Him specific questions. I did. No answers…yet. Tomorrow, we’re halving our group up—some doing construction and half doing what we did today.
Prayer for Tomorrow: Flexibility, listening ears, loving beyond circumstances.
P.S.: Marshall and Nathan say ‘hey’.
Really.
I just spent about nine days in Pretoria, South Africa, where God used our team to do some amazing things. For each of the next several days, I’m going to post my journal entries from the trip, starting with the first day, and ending with the last, excluding travel time. I hope the Lord uses these to touch your life like he did mine. Enjoy.
Second Day: May 18
2 Samuel 24:24—Psalm 74
Admittedly, I was a little anxious about the work we were doing this morning. The overwhelming responsibility of speaking healing over people’s lives wigged me out—a little. But then God reminded me it was His responsibility and His power, not mine. Got a real peace as we split up into groups and played with the kids—we were like rock stars—that’s because God answered our prayers and prepared their hearts for our arrival. First, we prayed for a guy whose family had some tragedy that had emotionally scarred him. Then, we prayed for a lady with epilepsy. So we held her hands to steady her as we prayed. There was a spirit of heaviness all around her. As we began praying together, she screamed and fell to the ground, still tightly gripping my hand. That’s when we knew we were dealing with a demonic presence. We prayed and cast out the demon—hoping that she knows it was Jesus who healed her. We prayed for two people who were dying—a little girl and an old lady. The little girl had full-blown AIDS—she was 5 and looked about 3, full of sores, it was so sad. But God reminded me that her greatest need isn’t being healed from AIDS—it is Jesus.
It's mine too.
We ate spaghetti for dinner and talked with Mariet about her 80-day mission trip all over the eastern hemisphere. It was cool to hear her passion and her accent. Kyle then told us to listen and sit across the table from God and ask Him specific questions. I did. No answers…yet. Tomorrow, we’re halving our group up—some doing construction and half doing what we did today.
Prayer for Tomorrow: Flexibility, listening ears, loving beyond circumstances.
P.S.: Marshall and Nathan say ‘hey’.
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