~What Is On Your Canvas This Year?~

A couple of nights a go I was listening to a sermon on my laptop by Judah Smith. I found that God really spoke to me through this sermon. So I really want to share with you what God has put on my heart when I heard this sermon.

This is a new year. What does that mean though? With every New Year there are things that change, for the good and for the worse. Did you know that with every year it’s like we have this blank canvas, a new a fresh white canvas.

It’s exciting to think about a beautiful canvas every year. It’s up to us to find out from God what He wants to see on that canvas.

God gives us different seasons. It’s up to us to walk in obedience and walk in that season God has placed before us. As we walk out what God is calling for us on our lives then this will paint a beautiful picture on our canvas.

Now if we know what God is asking us to walk in and we don’t do it. Then the picture on your canvas will be blots of paints and it would really messy looking. It won’t be beautiful. Why is this? God wants us to be walking in the season He has placed for us.

We are His children and loves us, but it hurts Him beyond belief to see that His gifted and talented children are not walking in the calling He has set out for them.

I just want to relate these pictures together and how important it is for all to really press into God and His word and seek out what it is He has for us.

I think it’s important for all to ask the Lord what for in 2007?

What do want me to do?

As we seek after God more and more we become more intimate with Him. As you continue build a stronger relationship with God He will show you things that need to be taken away or possibly added on. God is our Heavenly Father. Like any Father is going to show us those things we need to put away.

For example when I younger I use play with Barbie’s, and dolls. I loved playing with them. As I grew older I came realize that I was getting too old to play with dolls. My mom decided to sell them at second hand store. After I got rid of them I felt better I even felt little older knowing I was ‘too old’ to still be playing to dolls.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

It’s the same with us today. Sometimes we carry things on from when we younger that shouldn’t be carry on as we grow older.

For example if you saw someone my age playing with a toy truck you would think that is really weird right. Maybe that is a little extreme but sometimes we don’t even realize t but we might we carrying on things we have not yet put away.

It’s important that each when have blank canvas we not only to ask God what goes on that canvas but also to ask him what do I need to put because I am older now.

God might want you to put away some things in the physical. It could be CD’s, tapes, books, clothes, magazines, movies anything. It’s you and God.

God might want to put away things in the emotional. It could be different attitudes, your way of approaching people,

As put things away we grow more maturely and also grow more intimately with God because are obeying what He is asking us to do.
I know that there are thing God has already layen on my heart that He is telling me to get rid off and to put.

He's showing the seasons I am to be walking. It's exciting, challenging, strentching all at once. Through it all we grow to know Him more which is so much better than anything else.

There are two questions I really want you two think about and leave with. I also want you to try to take time and ask God these questions as well.

1. What does God on my canvas this year?
2. What do I need to put away this year?

Take these questions to God

~Coffee and Conversation~

Yesterday I decided to go to Tim’s in hopes I would be able talk to someone about Jesus. I went by myself. When I got there I bought a coffee for myself and sat down somewhere central so I see where most of the people were. I pulled out a book from my bag and began to read. I read for a little while until I was caught off guard when I accidentally over heard some men talking about preachers and the different churches. My ears perked up.

Now let me tell you in the corner of Tim's there was this crowd of men ageing from 60's -late 70's. They were all in getting breakfast and their morning coffee. As soon I saw them I felt like there was someone there I needed to talk to. I was a little intimidate by them because there had to have been as least 8 guys all talking theirs trucks fixing and other people's trucks.

So I am still sitting in my spot far away enough so doesn't look like I am watching but close enough to see them. haha I continued to read my book or at least try because my mind was on the group of people and I was so nervous to talk to them. So as I reading I just began to pray for the right opportunity to arise and for God to be in control of the situation. Then something came to me. I really wanted to go to the Baptist book room to buy a Bible. I also didn't know what direction in was in from Tim's because I had never gone to the new BRB. Then a man walked in to Tim's and got his breakfast and his coffee. He ended up seating fairly close to me. As I was thinking about talking to this man about 5 of the other men left. I was just about to turn myself to say hello to this man sitting just down the bench from me when a man from the table to was looking at with all the men called to him and asked him to come over. I knew then God wanted to go to THAT table where those men were. I was still nervous.

I decided to go and ask to them where the Baptist book room was? So there I was went I got up out of my seat walked right over these men and asked them... excuse would you know where the Baptist Book Room is? They had to think about it for a second but they did end up helping me about. After telling me where it was I asked them if they came Tim's every morning. I also told them I went to school here and what I doing. From there we ended up talking about ministry, the church and how they see that there aren’t as many people in the church these days, we talked about what Taylor College, we talked about a lot of different things. After that one simple question where is the BRB? It went from there and we just talked about everything to do with the church. I remember asking them what their names were.... they told me their names and then younger of the two looked at me and said ' what are writing a book?' hahah I laughed and said no I just enjoy talking with people and getting to know them. They were both very surprised by the fact I was talking with them but they did enjoy telling me stories. I had such a good time talking with them and sharing with them about Jesus and then them sharing with me. It was really amazing.

Thank You Jesus for opportunities like yesterday where I could share and talk about You with other people I do not know. You are good!!

~The Pouring Out!~

Acts 2: 14 - 28

God’s promise is that He will pour His spirit out on all flesh. This began on the day of Pentecost where God poured out His spirit on the people. God continues to pour His Spirit until the day God will pour His Spirit on ALL flesh.

He does not say I will just sprinkle my Spirit here and maybe there, and I will chose who I want to sprinkle. No it does not say that. God will pour out his spirit out on to ALL flesh.

It’s like taking a big bucket of water and pouring it out on to soil so the seed may grow. God pours His spirit on us so we may grow more intimate with him.

What does God pouring out His Spirit on us look like?

Peter quotes on the day of Pentecost what the Prophet Joel prophesied. He prophesied about God’s fullness when he pours out His Spirit. You see what Joel prophesied was a fulfillment of the last days. The day of Pentecost was only the near fulfillment of the last days.
We know that we are living in the last days now.

Before this day God’s Spirit was only poured out in drops. In the Old Testament people would meet in the tent of meeting but it was only the priest’s who were allowed in the Holy of Holies. When you entered the Holy of Holies, it was only one person allowed in there at a time. They had to tie themselves to a chain so the people on the outside can pull them out incase they die there or fell or pasted out. This was not a pouring out of the Holy Spirit but it was God’s presences.

Now since Jesus’ crucifixion the veil in the tent of meeting dividing the Holy and the Holy of Holies has been torn and we are all free to worship as if we are in the Holy of Holies. But God had not yet poured out His Spirit.

What did the day of Pentecost look like?
What would it look like to see God pour out His Spirit on all flesh?

In verses 20- 21 Joel prophesy that even though the pouring of God’s Spirit will happen and it will be poured out on to all flesh. He continues to say that there will be judgment.

‘The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (ESV)

There is judgment. What are we willing to do? What are we willing to let go of for God to pour out His Spirit into us? Maybe we are holding we are holding on to things that are keeping us from getting closer to God, maybe our focus in our things not us God, Maybe our words and our actions are not reflecting God.

God is still going to judge us, this why we need to go to Him and confess our sins.

God has forgiven us. Peter quotes David in verses 25 -28.

'I saw the Lord always before me.Because he is at my right hand,I will not be shaken.Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope,because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'

We have been redeemed through Jesus Christ dying in the cross for us. His Grace is Sufficient for us. God continues to fulfill His promise by pouring out His Spirit until the day He pours it out on to all flesh.

Call out to the Lord and ask him to pour out onto you. We can live in the presences of God, God’s Spirit pours out on to us because the veil has been broken and we are free to worship God as if we all were in the Holy of Holies.

~Cleaning Out My Closet~

Happy New Year's Everyone!!!

Family time, Turkey, leftovers, game night every night, chocolate everywhere, late nights, many conversations, knitting with my older sister, movies…bad ones... and good ones, an exhausted dad day on Christmas day (he had 4 serves to do within 24 hours), and a family that is thankful to be together during Christmas and celebrate the wonderful birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and wait for His second coming.

It has been really interesting for me lately. I have been in the midst of cleaning out my room. I am actually really enjoying it. I am doing this because I really do not have any other time to do it other then the one month I am home in the summer. I have been finding all sorts of different things....papers, old poems I wrote when I was in elementary school, old notes I would write to friends during class, old dolls, and toys, pictures I had drawn( ha I was amazed with my drawing abilities at that age).

I felt like I walking through the very stages of my childhood all over again. There were pictures of me when I was all of 3. I saw a picture of myself and my best friend Holly when I live in Quebec. Oh it brought back so many memories. As I looked at all the things on shelves, in my closest it brought back the simple mind set I had about life. The imagination and the things I would believe triggered within me. I had such a creative nature.

One other I have been experiencing is how important it is to stay in touch with friends. I miss all my high school friends and I wish I had the chance to stay in touch with them. I do what I can by talking to them online. I wish I could spend time with them. There is only so much one can do. Part of it is that we have really grown apart. I know and understand that they are in different places in life but I wish they would see how important this is to me.

I am also realizing how important it is to stay in touch with those who don't go to school with you and live outside of the city and/or the province. I came to realize that I have been doing a horrible job at staying in touch with people. I think a lot have a hard time with this ... or am I on my own. What I want to do for myself is get into the habit of e-mailing and staying in touch NOW so that when I leave college and am out on my own I hope that I can still stay in touch with my closest of friends.

I am sorry to all my friends that I have done such a bad job in keeping in touch with all of you. Please forgive me. I really want to do a better job at staying in touch with everyone.

Well that is all for now folks. May God Bless you in this New Year!!