https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7O7LQpQaoc ** Play this song it's one of my faves
As I am in the last month of my Bible School (SBS) I have been thinking upon the change it has had on my life, how things are different and what I have learned. Upon reflection it's been one of the hardest things I've ever done yet I'm glad I've done it. I have gained truths that I can hang onto for the rest of my life; I came with questions and I'm going to leave with so many more.
The main thing that's happened is having a huge perspective change. The simple truth of God's goodness and character is not determined by our circumstances. We still have to be faithful every day, choosing to follow God everyday. Salvation is a process and a journey and a daily decision. Sickness is bound to happen, yet we should stay faithful. We will hear teachings that sound appealing but are false yet we should still stay humble and discerning. Thinking that Christianity provides a pain-free life is not only unbiblical, it is destructive to faith and discourages people, thinking they've been abandoned by God. I cannot stress this point enough, because until this understanding and revelation is received, one will always be confused without hope at all suffering
We will experience loss, heart break, confusion, depression, anxiety, illness, joy, peace, freedom, gratitude, prosperity and love. Is the Lord any different in each season? Perhaps we need a perspective change from our own selfish desires to the wonder of the cross and the gift of eternal life. No other religion exists where God gives himself as a sacrifice for humans to atone for their selfishness and make a way for humans to be forgiven and redeemed. It is unique and selfless and doesn't logically make sense. and through that sacrifice we can 'approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need' Hebrews 4:16. I think that we have lost sight of God's holiness and the fear of the Lord has been diluted amongst the comfort of immediate gratification and distractions. I've learned that I should pray less for comfort but rather for strength and endurance in the midst of hurt. I've learned it's more about our attitude and character in situations rather than the circumstance itself. Pressure can create diamonds. Don't give up.
But how does one apply the words of the Bible to today, I hear you say... Through this school we have to apply each book to our lives in a certain way, because that is how there is transformation. God's grace is sufficient- and that grace enables us to take responsibility and act on what we claim to believe. These are some of my most frequent applications:
1. Pray for others more / as much as I pray for myself. I see that as I pray for others I get a new compassion for them and my heart changes from my own problems and I'm able to shift my focus, putting things into perspective. Prayer changes things and only in the past few weeks did I actually realise that it does.
2. Be thankful. Especially on days when nothing seems right, gratitude shows me that there is always something to be thankful for. It's not about comparison and guilt tripping myself into thinking I have things better than others therefore I should be happier and more successful // vice versa. Rather thankfulness should lead to contentment and generosity.
3. Ask how others are doing. When I feel lonely and sad etc. it's natural to go into self-pity mode. One of my applications early on was to ask people how they are whenever I feel sad, because the reality is everyone feels somewhat lonely and is in need of that question. This is practicing that 'selfless love' stuff. Though I'm still definitely learning to ask that question more often because I'm terrible at it (sorry y'all).
4. Forgiveness. There is one verse in 2 Timothy 4:16 that changed my outlook to this. Paul is in prison and about to die, and he says, 'At my first defence no-one came to my support but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!'. When I read that I really was so challenged, because he had been through the worst stuff yet still extended grace and mercy to his 'friends' who left in his time of need. Forgiveness is a process. A wise woman once told me that 'the willingness to forgive is the hardest and first step'. The Holy Spirit definitely does a lot we cannot fathom to help us on that journey. But one way I have practically been able to forgive people, is to pray for them. This is obviously really hard, especially depending on the depths of hurt, but praying for the person that hurt you will soften your heart towards them, helping you forgive, and things change in prayer. *Science* has shown that forgiveness starts the process of the brain healing's itself. It's terribly hard and I'm still in the process of it atm and fighting it often, but I know this to be truth
I'm sharing those because it's so easy to have the concept of holiness and growth and transformation in our minds but lets be real, no-one really knows what that looks like. The practical step is often the hardest step to take to make a change in our lives. Changing mindsets and hearts doesn't have to be complex, often its the simple changes that can transform a life.
So here are my messy and random thoughts for the day, much reflecting my brain and current mental state. As you can probably tell I could talk about this topic forever but I will end it here. Only a few more books left, ending with Revelation, and then I will be coming home. I'm so thankful for the Lord and his provision to carry me through this school despite the mountains and valleys that have happened. Also, I am getting severe headaches / migraines that make no sense, yet as Paul would say, they are the thorn in my flesh and they are keeping me reliant on God. So if you want you could pray for healing and / or the grace to be patient through them... that would be cool
Now, as Paul would say again,
The Lord be with you
Grace and peace to all of you <3
As I am in the last month of my Bible School (SBS) I have been thinking upon the change it has had on my life, how things are different and what I have learned. Upon reflection it's been one of the hardest things I've ever done yet I'm glad I've done it. I have gained truths that I can hang onto for the rest of my life; I came with questions and I'm going to leave with so many more.
The main thing that's happened is having a huge perspective change. The simple truth of God's goodness and character is not determined by our circumstances. We still have to be faithful every day, choosing to follow God everyday. Salvation is a process and a journey and a daily decision. Sickness is bound to happen, yet we should stay faithful. We will hear teachings that sound appealing but are false yet we should still stay humble and discerning. Thinking that Christianity provides a pain-free life is not only unbiblical, it is destructive to faith and discourages people, thinking they've been abandoned by God. I cannot stress this point enough, because until this understanding and revelation is received, one will always be confused without hope at all suffering
We will experience loss, heart break, confusion, depression, anxiety, illness, joy, peace, freedom, gratitude, prosperity and love. Is the Lord any different in each season? Perhaps we need a perspective change from our own selfish desires to the wonder of the cross and the gift of eternal life. No other religion exists where God gives himself as a sacrifice for humans to atone for their selfishness and make a way for humans to be forgiven and redeemed. It is unique and selfless and doesn't logically make sense. and through that sacrifice we can 'approach the throne of grace with boldness so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need' Hebrews 4:16. I think that we have lost sight of God's holiness and the fear of the Lord has been diluted amongst the comfort of immediate gratification and distractions. I've learned that I should pray less for comfort but rather for strength and endurance in the midst of hurt. I've learned it's more about our attitude and character in situations rather than the circumstance itself. Pressure can create diamonds. Don't give up.
All of my losses have shown me that all I have is the Lord <3
But how does one apply the words of the Bible to today, I hear you say... Through this school we have to apply each book to our lives in a certain way, because that is how there is transformation. God's grace is sufficient- and that grace enables us to take responsibility and act on what we claim to believe. These are some of my most frequent applications:
1. Pray for others more / as much as I pray for myself. I see that as I pray for others I get a new compassion for them and my heart changes from my own problems and I'm able to shift my focus, putting things into perspective. Prayer changes things and only in the past few weeks did I actually realise that it does.
2. Be thankful. Especially on days when nothing seems right, gratitude shows me that there is always something to be thankful for. It's not about comparison and guilt tripping myself into thinking I have things better than others therefore I should be happier and more successful // vice versa. Rather thankfulness should lead to contentment and generosity.
3. Ask how others are doing. When I feel lonely and sad etc. it's natural to go into self-pity mode. One of my applications early on was to ask people how they are whenever I feel sad, because the reality is everyone feels somewhat lonely and is in need of that question. This is practicing that 'selfless love' stuff. Though I'm still definitely learning to ask that question more often because I'm terrible at it (sorry y'all).
4. Forgiveness. There is one verse in 2 Timothy 4:16 that changed my outlook to this. Paul is in prison and about to die, and he says, 'At my first defence no-one came to my support but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!'. When I read that I really was so challenged, because he had been through the worst stuff yet still extended grace and mercy to his 'friends' who left in his time of need. Forgiveness is a process. A wise woman once told me that 'the willingness to forgive is the hardest and first step'. The Holy Spirit definitely does a lot we cannot fathom to help us on that journey. But one way I have practically been able to forgive people, is to pray for them. This is obviously really hard, especially depending on the depths of hurt, but praying for the person that hurt you will soften your heart towards them, helping you forgive, and things change in prayer. *Science* has shown that forgiveness starts the process of the brain healing's itself. It's terribly hard and I'm still in the process of it atm and fighting it often, but I know this to be truth
I'm sharing those because it's so easy to have the concept of holiness and growth and transformation in our minds but lets be real, no-one really knows what that looks like. The practical step is often the hardest step to take to make a change in our lives. Changing mindsets and hearts doesn't have to be complex, often its the simple changes that can transform a life.
So here are my messy and random thoughts for the day, much reflecting my brain and current mental state. As you can probably tell I could talk about this topic forever but I will end it here. Only a few more books left, ending with Revelation, and then I will be coming home. I'm so thankful for the Lord and his provision to carry me through this school despite the mountains and valleys that have happened. Also, I am getting severe headaches / migraines that make no sense, yet as Paul would say, they are the thorn in my flesh and they are keeping me reliant on God. So if you want you could pray for healing and / or the grace to be patient through them... that would be cool
Now, as Paul would say again,
The Lord be with you
Grace and peace to all of you <3
CSBS class of 2015-2016 with founders Ron and Judy Smith :)
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