Prayerful Revival

This morning I got some time to pray alone. I need more of that.

The other day in church the message was on the greatest commandments: loving God and others. The overall summary was we need to be intentional in loving God and out of that will an intentional love for others just flow naturally.

I need more intentional time with God.

I had really not intended to go to an outreach during the duration of this conference. I figured I was in no place to be preaching to others when I need so much time to work on my own relationship with God. But today God helped me to just choose to follow Him, trust His promises of forgiveness, and to obey His command to go with the gospel.

I hadn't signed up for city outreach. But I felt I should go. I was waiting to see if there was room on the bus for me. There was exactly one free spot left. And so I sat down at the back of the bus and prayed. It was so good. God really broke my heart for those around me and those we were going to. I then wrote down the following:

"The utter grace and majesty felt as you step fully into the hands of God.

I know I am fully unworthy of this chance to help God change the lives of people and families and communities; bringing eternity to the lives of thousands. Who am I to be a minister of reconciliation?

Coming completely empty to God and praying, begging, beseeching him to work in amazing ways in us and in the lives of everyone who we get to talk to.

Who am I to be a role model for others? Only by God's grace. But if I am relying upon his grace even now, that is an example to follow, eh? But again, only by His graces am I here now.
               
UTM. So much joy, overwhelming, when I speak of UTM. God is so great.

Seeing two buses of students go to the world with the gospel; the lost and unreached world with the gospel; ministers equipped and empowered by the gracious and mighty Holy Spirit at or in them.

May your Fire Fall Down on us this day. May we overflow with thanksgiving and praise as we take your grace to the nations.

Utter reliance upon an unchanging, loving, gracious, Father God.

May Your name be praised and exalted this day in this place and these hearts.

Amen."

The People

It's been a few days at the conference now. Well, I guess it's only technically day 2 of the conference. I got here a day early though.

Was really good catching up with HK and his girlfriend. We got to go to Richmond Hill Community Christian Church English service and I got to catch up with AC and his girlfriend, as well JC and BL.

But maybe the best part was Registration. I was in the line pretty much from 1 til 5 blending in as an intern. I got to briefly see and catch up with tons of the guys I knew, as well as help a bunch of people with housing cases, fund raising, and luggage carrying as well as other things. Some of this for random people. XP. It was so much fun. I had nothing else to do. I was free. I was able to serve.

In this situation I imagined and finally saw a taste of what serving others could look like in the context of ministry. To be so free that I could just help them in any way. Able to be fully released to care as needed and help organize and encourage others.

Honestly though there's pretty much nothing at this conference that I was really looking forward to other than seeing all of the people: old friends; new friends; amazing people on fire for Jesus. Ironically I'm not spending much time with Carleton.

There's no time for anything though.

I went to seminars today about marriage, new database technology, and biblical manhood.

Ttyl.

D.Fa

Application.

During the summer I was writing in a pseudo blog notebook and, although I have yet to reread it, one thing that I remember definitely having written is that when it comes to the Bible I shouldn't approach it so much as "I've read this already" or "I know this already" but more like "have I applied this yet?"

Also during the summer I had been reading "Knowing God" by J.I. Packer. I was about to continue reading it and to brief myself I was rereading the underlined parts. This is from page 20: "God is triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it and the Spirit applying it.

Application.

This is one part of Bible study that I think I am not as great in. I am fairly good at seeing the point of different passages, I can see connections, and by God's grace I have been blessed with a great memory of verses as well as often being privileged to be God's mouthpiece. But when it comes to applying verses to my own life it becomes a lot more challenging.

Sometimes I think I just don't take that time to think and pray through what it means in my life. Sometimes I think in the past I've been somewhat judgemental of how sometimes people jump to application completely out of context such as Phil 4:13 or Jer 29:11 and so I try to avoid doing that.

But the issue here is James.

1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Theory and understanding are not enough. There needs to be application. But the application cannot come from us. As Packer said the application of salvation comes from the Spirit at work in us.

May this increase. May His Spirit work more and more in me.