You always here "if your faith was as big as a mustard seed, you could move mountains". And you never really sit and think about it. I know that faith is "believing something can happen, before it happens, so it can happen". That is my view on faith. It all starts with believing. If I believe the labels on food, I'll know what will make me fat or health. If you have ever seen me, you know that example is not true...I could really care less what they say. I'll eat whatever sounds good at that time. I always tell everyone that I'm on the "See Food" diet...I see it, I eat it. Not really, but here's another example...if your driving in L.A. and you don't have a clue as to where you are going and you just bought the best GPS on the market. You believe what they say about that product...since it probably cost you $1,000. You got the best because you believe what credits and reviews say in that no one else created a better on. So now you believe in it, so you buy it. Now since you bought it, you have faith that now you will not get lost in L.A. while you're visiting. Before you even tried it out, you believed what they said and had faith that it would be what it says.
God is the best "GPS" on the market today. Even though all the reviews and credits say differently and sometimes say He's the worse on the market, you must have faith in what you believe. If you believe God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life...then have that He will show you the Way in life, show you the Truth in situation, and you receive eternal-Life for following Him. Some people say that the hardest thing to be a Christian is not messing up and sinning, but to me, I truly believe that the hardest thing as a Christian is having faith. Having faith is the smallest things as in "do I have faith in myself not to screw up today" or "do I have enough faith for when I pray for this person, they will be healed" or "do I have enough faith to do what God is telling me". When I starting blogging on this site, I have been sharing that God has put something on me and Val's heart as in moving into a different direction in our life/ministry. Since last October, we have been seeking God as to where He wants to move us. We already knew we were suppose to work with Network 21 Missions and the Culture Shock mission trips, but knew that God wanted us to commit fully and not spread ourselves too thin. Well, after school was over in the first week of June, Val and I really started seeking and praying for God's voice in this situation. I knew what God wanted me to do, but I didn't understand how it would work. I knew that God wanted me to be full time with Culture Shock and to preach the Word to High School and 20-somethings all over the world. In order to do that, I had to quit my job at the school. First thing I told God was, "WHAT!! the economy sucks, everyone is getting laid off, going bankrupt, getting bailed out by the government that needs to get bailed out its self...you want me to quit at the school, that I'm miserable at anyways but I know I was going back next year and had a pay check, and work for a NON-PROFIT missions groups and live on support?" I truly had a hard time BELIEVING that this would work...so I had no FAITH in quiting my job. After several weeks of God showing His hand in different situations and confirmation from other people that we asked to be praying with us, I knew that God will provide to those that follows Him. So on July 8th I went into the principle's office of the school and told her that I was resigning and explained why. She really didn't know me since she started in June, but she said she had a peace and knew I was doing the right thing. I really didn't know how to take that since, like I said, she only knew me for a month, but I had a peace too. The next morning I sent to go talk to the Assit. Superintendent of the school and I was afraid of a number of things could happen and really make the transition a lot harder. After talking with her and sharing my heart, everything went truly smooth and at that moment, I BELIEVED and had FAITH that God was directing me and my family. Now, we are starting to raise monthly support I know it's going to be hard. I will continue to get paid by the school until September so I have 1 1/2 months to start raising support. I am raising $3,500 a month to be able to go full time and fulfill what God has created me and Val do to...reach the lost.
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Being in the desert, to me, is not an enjoyable place. It's hot, dry, sandy (duh)...but being in the desert physically and being in the desert spiritually are 2 completely different things. I've never actually been to the desert but living in Oklahoma and Texas my whole life, I know how it feels being in middle of an open red dirt field with no wind and it's 110 degrees. That's not fun and I can only imagine what the desert feels like physically.
I can tell you how it feels to be in a desert spiritually but I believe everyone's spiritual desert place and experience is different from each other and different everytime. I know that right now the transition that me and my wife are in is put me in a desert place. I know that God has called my wife and I to work with Network 21 Missions in Culture Shock but that's all we've known for the last 6 months. Our next step has been a mystery to us but not to God. I know we have to wait on His timing and not our timing to make it work. In order to work like God wants it to and to work to glorify Him, it has to be done right and in His time. The desert place I'm at right now is frustrating me I've been there for awhile. I know that when God places you there it's for a purpose, but sometimes it's like the desert gets to you and messes with your mind. You start hearing things that you think is God and you follow those things because they're "leading you out" of the desert when really you're getting further away from getting out. Sometimes your mind will even play trick on you and you see things that will make you believe it's real or the way. Daily I have to remember to clear my mind and spiritually "clean my ears out" so I can hear God talking to me and leading me. Sometimes you will think you've become deaf or have a ear full of sand because you can't hear God's voice. In saying all that...the desert place sucks both physically and spiritually but the reward for fighting through it and the lessons learned are sweeter then giving up and getting nothing out of it to help you. One thing about giving up is (sometimes we don't think about this) if God's next step for us is to go through the learning experience in a desert place and we give up...we still have that step to go through to get where God wants us at. When we run from it, it gets tougher to go through it later than it would when God first brought us to that place. We just need to have clarity daily and have people praying with us to keep us encouraged to be able to finish the dreaded desert. Hebrews 13:5 & 6 says (The Message): "Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I'm fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?" if you like more traditional versions... Hebrews 13:5 & 6 says (NKJV): "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" |
Chad & Valerie TrinkleGod loves you more than you think he does. Archives
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