I am still learning, and finding that I enjoy learning now I'm not talking about school subjects, but Biblical subjects. I don't know about you but I grew up in the church, and if you knew all the Bible stories and the right answers, that's all you needed to know. I now of course know I am way wrong and have been dissecting God's word, and re-reading in order to understand the true meaning of what His message is.
I have been, mentoring two young ladies in our youth group, both of which have such deep questions all the time about God and because of those questions, it has really inspired me to dig much deeper than the surface level, Sunday school answer they have always heard. As a result of all my searching and diggin, I have been able to learn so much. Not only have I learned so much, but I have an indescribable passion to study the Word, and I know it is something the Lord has placed within me. I have had a lot of questions lately, not doubts about God, His love, sovereignty, or power, but questions. In searching for answers for my youth, I have begun to ask my own questions, and been searching for answers. Yet no matter how hard I try to figure everything out about God, and the grey issues and things that aren't talked about as much in scripture, I have found there are some things I will never fully understand. I was reminded of Deuteronomy 29:29 where it says,
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."
A part of me wants to be like, so what, tell me then! Haha But that is why we serve such an awesome God! He created every living and breathing thing and everything that is alive is dependent upon Him for LIFE. He created us, and our brains, with limits to not understand everything about Him. Isaiah 40: 17-18 says that if you compiled all the nations (billions of people) together in one place, that they would be "regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing." Does that not trip you out? Not only am I nothing compared to God, but even if every human being in the world gathered in one place, He would see us as worthless. Then verse 18 goes on to say who will you compare God to? What image? As if scripture is telling me, 'wake up, you can't try to make God something He isn't, you just have to follow and trust the words given in scripture, and honor, respect, and praise Him for being so un-comprehendible , because He is YOUR GOD.'
Now I'm not saying that my learning has been pointless and I have come to the conclusion that I can't figure God out, so why try? This revelation has not stopped my desire, but has grown it more. I want to search the things He has given and revealed to us, and I want to know them darn good too, not just the answer we are programmed to give, but the answer given that I truly believe. One that I have researched, one that I have scripture to back up, and one that I can answer with full confidence.
I have also learned one thing that I think is vital. When someone ask me where I stand on certain issues, or more importantly what the Bible says on certain issues, my response should not be 'well I think.....' but my response should be 'the Bible says.....' Something I'm still working in, hints all the learning...
So I challenge you to think about some issues. Think if someone asked you, who is God, What is the Holy Spirit, where does God stand with homosexuality, or what do you think about predestination? What would your answer be? One that you were taught and programmed to say, your 'I think answer,' or would it be an answer you KNOW is true based on research and knowledge of the Word.
I'm not there yet, getting there, but never perfect, and in need of Grace more than you know! Keep keepin' on, keep Livin' for Him! We serve an Awesome God!!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
An attempt to put it into words....
I have been meaning to write a new blog for a while now, but it has been so hard and as I began to write I found that it is impossible to put into words everything that is going on.
How can I explain the day at youth group when our students opened up more than ever? When a student confessed about how they were tired of acting like a perfect Christian, and another who said they weren't sure if they believe in God, when a boy said he struggled with purity, and another with anger. How can I express sitting in starbucks, answering questions about God and why to believe? How do I begin to create the picture of the MTR ride to thanksgiving dinner with a student, and how the Holy Spirit completely led my words? How can I explain the joy I felt when one of the students texted me and asked why getting baptized is important, and when another asked to meet me sometime to discuss Christianity and some questions she has.
How can I put that into words? "um, ya so we were all at youth group and in discussion time the students confessed some things that were on their chest, that had been eating at them, it was awesome you should've been there." You're probably thinking, "Man that is great, God is good, I'm so happy for you guys." No it's not the same, sorry to say but you weren't there. You haven't been spending time with these students for months, so how can I explain something so personal and so stinking amazing and paint a good picture! It makes me think of Jesus' ministry on earth. How do you put into words all the things that took place during his life? How can people honestly write books of the Bible as a biography of Jesus' ministry and make it believable? All I gotta say is thank God for the Holy Spirit who interprets things for us, and teaches everything. Man without the Holy Spirit how lost would we be?
It is so insane to me that a living, active, and powerful Spirit of God dwells within me. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of me, which is so crazy! (Read Romans 8)
I am so in awe of God. I honestly have been learning so much about the Bible, and it's truth in this past month that it’s also just as indescribable as everything that happened this month with our students. The Lord has really put a passion in my heart to know more about who He is. To not just say ya I did my quiet time today and read some scripture, but a desire, and burning passion to search, research, and search some more in order to discover what the text is truly saying. And the thing that I have discovered is that I can't even fully discover Him!
Deut 29:29 says that the secret things are kept for the Lord and the things revealed to us in the Bible are for us and our generations to come! So you know all that stuff that is unclear in scripture....eh um...revelation..., ya that's only because it’s a secret. Just think about it, Not only did He create everything and everything that has life right now is because of Him. So every living and breathing thing is dependent upon Him in order to survive, but He also created our brains and limits on our brains. We can't figure out everything about God! Isaiah 40:17-18 says if you put all the nations of earth together in one place, they would be "regarded by him as worthless."
That's kind of scary; all the billions of people together in one place are worthless up against God. The Bible says to whom will you compare God? What image? Well there is none!
Yet more amazing and in-comprehendible is that that Same God who is so powerful, sovereign and mighty so loving. So much so that He sent His son Jesus for me, that He intimately loves me, and that he desires a relationship with each and every person that he gives life to today. It's unbelievable, yet gives me an unspeakable joy as well.
Wow, ya so as you can see, I'm star-stuck, in awe of God. I can't stop thinking about Him, seriously. I'm like some love sick teenage girl; I am so lost and captivated at who He is. I am so intrigued by Him and who He is, that I keep digging and learning, and man do I love Him.
I love Him, I love him, I love Him. It's real, man I thought it was real before, but this is so much better. So much better.
Prayer.
Please keep praying for our students
Pray that the Lord will continue to woo and draw them to Him
pray that they will continue to ask questions and seek out Christ
Pray for my family
Pray for Me
For discernment in conversation
For stregnth
For continual humility.
God is good, Life is great!
Love you Mucho!!
Monica Zuniga
How can I explain the day at youth group when our students opened up more than ever? When a student confessed about how they were tired of acting like a perfect Christian, and another who said they weren't sure if they believe in God, when a boy said he struggled with purity, and another with anger. How can I express sitting in starbucks, answering questions about God and why to believe? How do I begin to create the picture of the MTR ride to thanksgiving dinner with a student, and how the Holy Spirit completely led my words? How can I explain the joy I felt when one of the students texted me and asked why getting baptized is important, and when another asked to meet me sometime to discuss Christianity and some questions she has.
How can I put that into words? "um, ya so we were all at youth group and in discussion time the students confessed some things that were on their chest, that had been eating at them, it was awesome you should've been there." You're probably thinking, "Man that is great, God is good, I'm so happy for you guys." No it's not the same, sorry to say but you weren't there. You haven't been spending time with these students for months, so how can I explain something so personal and so stinking amazing and paint a good picture! It makes me think of Jesus' ministry on earth. How do you put into words all the things that took place during his life? How can people honestly write books of the Bible as a biography of Jesus' ministry and make it believable? All I gotta say is thank God for the Holy Spirit who interprets things for us, and teaches everything. Man without the Holy Spirit how lost would we be?
It is so insane to me that a living, active, and powerful Spirit of God dwells within me. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside of me, which is so crazy! (Read Romans 8)
I am so in awe of God. I honestly have been learning so much about the Bible, and it's truth in this past month that it’s also just as indescribable as everything that happened this month with our students. The Lord has really put a passion in my heart to know more about who He is. To not just say ya I did my quiet time today and read some scripture, but a desire, and burning passion to search, research, and search some more in order to discover what the text is truly saying. And the thing that I have discovered is that I can't even fully discover Him!
Deut 29:29 says that the secret things are kept for the Lord and the things revealed to us in the Bible are for us and our generations to come! So you know all that stuff that is unclear in scripture....eh um...revelation..., ya that's only because it’s a secret. Just think about it, Not only did He create everything and everything that has life right now is because of Him. So every living and breathing thing is dependent upon Him in order to survive, but He also created our brains and limits on our brains. We can't figure out everything about God! Isaiah 40:17-18 says if you put all the nations of earth together in one place, they would be "regarded by him as worthless."
That's kind of scary; all the billions of people together in one place are worthless up against God. The Bible says to whom will you compare God? What image? Well there is none!
Yet more amazing and in-comprehendible is that that Same God who is so powerful, sovereign and mighty so loving. So much so that He sent His son Jesus for me, that He intimately loves me, and that he desires a relationship with each and every person that he gives life to today. It's unbelievable, yet gives me an unspeakable joy as well.
Wow, ya so as you can see, I'm star-stuck, in awe of God. I can't stop thinking about Him, seriously. I'm like some love sick teenage girl; I am so lost and captivated at who He is. I am so intrigued by Him and who He is, that I keep digging and learning, and man do I love Him.
I love Him, I love him, I love Him. It's real, man I thought it was real before, but this is so much better. So much better.
Prayer.
Please keep praying for our students
Pray that the Lord will continue to woo and draw them to Him
pray that they will continue to ask questions and seek out Christ
Pray for my family
Pray for Me
For discernment in conversation
For stregnth
For continual humility.
God is good, Life is great!
Love you Mucho!!
Monica Zuniga
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