A Postponed Trip!

well last weekend was quite frustrating and shocking I must say! God delivered a message unto me through my parents that started out fine and then ended up devastating! As you all problably know I was looking forward to an amazing journey in South Africa this summer, working at an orphanage in Pretoria called BEAM for a little over two months, sharing God's beatuiful love and mercy with the lost and broken in the community there. But there is a certain message God has been trying to direct me towards for the past 5 months, Luke 16:10 " He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much". This time when I read the verse I realized here I am wanting to further God's kingdom, but I have this idea that the only way to do that is by accomplishing something major and radical that everyone will hear about! I was clueless about the little things, in which God desires just as much. You know what I'm talking about right? Basically the silent years of your life when your being faithful with what God has for you, but no one really sees or hears about what you've been doing for Him and his Kingdom. We all will go through it! Look at biblical history, Paul was in the wilderness for 10 years before he started his ministry and what about Jesus Christ he didn't start his ministry till he was 30 years old! If you look at the most effective men in God's Church they all started out by being faithful in the small things and then one day being blessed with MUCH! So if this is you remember that God has something incredible for you, he knows best for you and his timing in life is perfect! Let him refine your heart internally and develop your faith, start with the small things and learn to work your way up the ladder, it takes time but it's the best way my friends!

And before I rap up this blog post I'd really like to share an encouraging story with you all that has a great message for each of us! As you know when I found out the trip to Africa would have to be postponed I was extremely disappointed and devastated, but because God is so GOOD he did something very comforting this week in my life! The story begins when I woke up Thursday morning and was instantly feeling frustrated and hurt! My emotions where all over the place, I wanted to go on this trip and still couldn't grasp the idea of letting it go! I told everyone one about it, people were already sending me money to go and here I am letting everyone down so I thought! I got down on my knees that morning and cried out to God, releasing all my anger, hurt and fury that I had held in for the past 5 days. I yelled to him "What is so wrong with me wanting to go, What is wrong with wanting to bring you Glory, I don't understand you, Please send me a message!" I got up off the floor and walked over to my phone and a good friend of mine sent me a message it said one word "Patience :)" I didn't think anything of it at first but about five minutes later, God opened my eyes and helped me realize, that was his message to me "PATIENCE". I couldn't believe my eyes, seriously God is mind blowing He is even using text messaging today to get his truth across to his confused children these days lol. So after receiving that I had to look for a verse of scripture that would encourage me and uplift me and here is the one I found Romans 5: 3-4 "And not only so but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope:" So friends how do you look at PATIENCE? Do you rejoice faithfully when God asks you to wait on him OR do you murmur, complain and doubt Him? If this is your situation as it was and is mine, let His Peace and Patience dwell in your heart, It is worth it!

What Am I Expecting God To Teach Me In South Africa!?

OK so I know I just recently put up a post about three days ago but I'm really liking this blog thing it's quite FUN and I truly felt God leading me to inform everyone about this topic as soon as possible! What am I expecting God to teach me in South Africa!? As I was sitting quietly in my room a few days ago praying, God intervened and gave me an insight about this trip I'm going on. There is no word to explain how I felt at that time, except for Captivated! I finally realized He picked me to go on this journey with him, not anyone else, He picked me. Of all his children, He gave me this privilege to go with him to learn. I don't mean that in a selfish manner at all, there are many times in our lives where God specifically picks us individually, to shine his light and glory rather than the person next to us, and we blow it so many times because our mentality is uhhh... I'm good someone else can do it, it's no big deal! I know that I've done that numerous times, and I think if we are all honest with ourselves, we will admit we've done it numerous times aswell. For example about a month ago I was heading over to my boy Trevor's house and on my way over there I saw two men pushing their car to the nearest gas station. As soon as my eyes spotted them, a voice in my head said turn around and help them Ryan. I replied "naahh they are only 60 yards away I'm sure they don't need my help." You see we miss out on so much of God's BEAUTY when we do that! Why not allow God to use us for every opportunity He lays before our feet, so that we can give Him the glory! I guarantee that if our hearts desire is to bring him glory in everyway we possibly can, we will take hold of those opportunities more than not.

Another thing I've realized is how I've kept God in a BOX my whole life! I tell him what he can use me for and what he can't. My intake on my spiritual walk was God there is no way you can use me to miraculously heal people, that's impossible! God there is no way you can use me to move Mountains, that's absurd! But I kept coming across scripture that disagreed with my view entirely! Such as Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, freely you have received so freely give." or John 14:12 Verily Verily I say unto you He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Why wasn't I pouring out rivers of living water as Christ said I would if I were to drink from him. It was because I had kept him in my God filled BOX all my life! So when I am boarding the plane to come back home after an incredible adventure in South Africa here is what I want to come back saying, "God you have strengthened my faith, I believe you are capable of all things, never will I doubt your power again Father, I lay before your feet and worship you my King!"

What in The World is BEAM!?

So your probably thinking why would an organization call themselves "BEAM"? To tell you the truth I had no idea at first either. Until I sat down to think about it for a little while. So here is what i came up with. A Beam is a bright light that shines in the depths of darkness, John 1:5 says "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not prevail against it." I then instantly realized how their name fit hand and glove with the gospel! Christ asks us to be the light in the darkness and to bring his Kingdom to this dark perverse nation! Christ overcame this world and everything in it, that's a huge reason why we follow him because we know that he is no phony. So I love how they came up with this name it truly speaks about God's GLORY!

So now that you understand the symbolism behind BEAM I should tell you a little bit about what they do!

BEAM is a non profit organization that is located in the very low income region just off the outskirts of Pretoria South Africa. The low income areas are known as "townships" basically underdeveloped urban settlements owned by the government, most of these citizens use materials like scrap metal, scrap wood and plastic bags to build their homes. It is one of the saddest sights you will ever witness in your life. It's honestly heartbreaking to imagine that Millions upon Millions of people have that to look forward to THAT when they walk back to there homes from their hard days of work! So what BEAM does for this broken community is absolutely incredible and mind blowing! They take in these children and adults who have NO HOPE and raise them up in the LIGHT. Giving them Food for their empty stomachs, clothes for their naked backs and encouragement for their future. These people of South Africa need care and emotional healing and through Christ Jesus we are able to make that happen!

I hope this blog post gives you a better understanding of what BEAM is all about and what their are doing to move God's Great Kingdom! here is a couple of verses I think you should check out that have alot to do with this movement God's creating in SA!

Isaiah 58: 6-7
verse 6: Is it not this fast which i have chosen: to lose the bonds of wickedness, to lose the bond of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and that you break every enslaving yoke?
Verse 7: it is not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house? When you see the naked that you clothe him, and that you will not hid yourself from the needs of your own flesh and blood?