I got out of my comfort zone!!!

As you know from some posts I did last week we had some Americans staying for a mission week. It really was an awesome time, I made some good friends who love Jesus as well as getting loads of people to hear the gospel. It really was so refreshing to have them around and hear their zeal that they have for Gods work.


I also went on to say how I should be looking to let God use me, not just be content in my little comfortable group of friends but I should be actively looking to talk to others and share the Gospel, obviously I can't do it by my own power, but at least let God use me, get myself out there so I can be used rather than expecting God to save with me sat down doing nothing.


After I wrote that post on getting out of my comfort zone I gave someone at church a text to ask how I could help out. I quickly got a reply asking for me to go in at 10am to help the Americans go out into Swansea and invite people to meetings as well as some other little jobs. 


So I went in for 10am, we were doing door to door which I have always found terrifying, especially in the particular area I was sent to, which was only compounded by the block of flats that I was sent to. I was with two of the Americans so we took the lift up to the 10th floor and then began knocking doors, asking people to meetings and working our way down. 


We didn't get one person to answer the door for the first floor and a half, then one of the Americans asked for us to pray together, so we did, asking that people would answer the door. Unsurprisingly we then had about 60% of people answering the door and people were really receptive towards it, which was awesome. But what was really sad was to see some of the people in complete states, and what's worse is they have been on my doorstep for years without me even paying attention to them.


Even though I was very anxious and pretty terrified (if I'm honest) of going out and talking to people I did get out of my comfort zone and I was amazed that God answered my prayers, he kept me safe and he used me.


I know I have only touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of what God can do with me, and I am not wanting to leave it at that. I just pray that God will continue to use me.


David

Earthquake and Tsunami

Today when I woke up I had no idea what the day would bring, following my usual routine I got my phone out and checked Facebook in bed, I quickly saw several people posting links about the earthquake and the destruction that it has brought. My heart was quickly very heavy for all the people of Japan and everyone who has been affected by the disaster. I then spent the rest of the morning looking at the BBC live coverage on the internet and seeing the utter chaos that was unfolding on the other side of the planet.


I then started thinking on what this meant in the bigger picture and my mind was drawn to the verse in Mark talking about when Jesus will return.


Mark 13v7-8: When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.


This is quite scary as it does talk about the end of the world as we know it. Obviously I don't know when it will be, as he will return like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5v2). However what has happened in Japan, Egypt and Libya in the past few weeks is just a reminder that Jesus is coming back.


I really like that in that verse it says 'do not be alarmed' as I was definitely initially alarmed about these things but it is very comforting knowing that God knew I was going to be alarmed and tells me not to be. I am not scared for myself as I know I have been saved through what Jesus did on the cross and I know where I am going, but my heart aches for people who haven't been saved, who don't know Jesus and are going the wrong way.


Even with all this destruction and sadness that is going on in the world I was really comforted today (so much so I tweeted about it) by the evidence that people (in general) still deep down believe that there is something out there, as on twitter there was the hashtag of #prayforjapan which hundreds of thousands of people used, where I'm guessing that the vast majority would not call themselves Christians (or any other religion) yet when there is a disaster as catastrophic as this people do call on God to help, which I found to be really encouraging.


My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan and neighbouring countries through this disaster and I pray above all things that people would call on the name of Jesus to help.


David

Why am I not crying?!

Last month we were reading Ezra and Nehemiah in RBT and countless times through these books people were so in touch with their emotions they broke down and cried when things happened (not in the sense that they cried for no reason but they cried in a God centred way). One example of many is: 


Ezra 3v12-13 - But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.


I was really spoken to with this verse as they were so in-tune with their emotions and open hearted they knew the significance of what was happening and it brought them to tears. I am not sure that if I was in that situation whether I would be brought to tears. Not only did they cry, they 'wept aloud' in the sense that they were so upset by what they saw that they screamed with anguish, so much so that they could be heard far away.


I am not saying that I am a macho man (I used to be the king of moaning about everything when I was little and I got upset and started crying at most things) but now I have grown up a bit, I rarely cry, yeah I get upset from time to time but it is very rare that I actually break down into tears. However I have seen from reading that verse and many others, it is good to cry and I am seeing that being emotional isn't a sign of weakness which is how I have been lead to see it. It's actually a really good thing to cry, especially when there is just cause for it.


This has also been backed up with the Americans coming over, it has been amazing to see how emotional they are (in an inspiring, God centred way) and how they really do have a heart for God, it is so amazing to see how they love Jesus and they get upset at things that I have come accustomed to (e.g the state of Swansea and how sad it is for people to go on living their lives without Jesus).


I will continue to pray that God will continue to cultivate my heart and I won't be blind to things that I shouldn't ignore.


David 

Out the comfort zone

We have had some Americans over this week for a mission week (which when said out loud sounds very 'American'...). However it has been such an encouragement to hear people talk about Jesus in another accent, I know that sounds really stupid, but sometimes I find it so easy to think that it is me, my Church in Swansea and God against everyone else. Amazing as that may be, I forget that there are millions upon millions of other Christians who love Jesus all over the world and with these small group of Christians coming over it has reminded me of how many brothers and sisters I have in Christ. Which is AWESOME!


I have been thoroughly encouraged by their servant attitude, their zeal and the way they have a heart to change Swansea, the way I should have a heart to change Swansea. Last night in the prayer meeting the youth leader from the church over in a America talked about how we should be wanting to change the world, get out of our comfort zone and not do it for our gratification but so that we can change the world for Jesus. 


It is very much in the same vein as how we should be missionaries in the places we work, which I did take to heart however I haven't really done much about it. I haven't talked to anyone about Jesus apart from Christians. Which is really challenging, I shouldn't be content in keeping to my little group and staying 'comfortable' but I should be looking to let Jesus use me. I've really been challenged to get out of my comfort zone and let God use me in a way I can't begin to comprehend.


David

The Job Hunt: Update!!!

As you know I had an amazing answer to prayer the other week with the closing of a door (my job) and I was eagerly awaiting the opening of another.... and lets just say two have been opened!!


Seeing as I had been handed my notice by work, my job was going to end pretty quickly. During my last day at work I got a call from the company I really wanted to work for (and still do) and I not only get invited to one interview with the head of one of the businesses within the company, but two!!! So a week after being handed my notice and I get invited to two massive interviews. So he closed one door but opened two even better ones!!!


I then went along to the two interviews this week and lets just say the first one was tough.... It was incredibly challenging with the interviewer asking very probing questions which put me under a lot of pressure. Especially as at the time this was the job that I wanted more than any other. I then had a day to brush myself off before I had to go travelling to the other side of the country for another interview with the head of the other business.


Two days after the second interview I get a call from the Company saying that both businesses want me and I have been offered both jobs and that I get to choose!!! Which is just crazy and makes me grin with excitement every time I think about it.


It is very scary with what is going to happen in the future but I know that God has me in his hand and he has a plan that I can't even begin to imagine. It is incredible with the timing of all of this, I can really see how he has laid down every stepping stone for me to go along and revealed it to me at the perfect time, whether it was passing my driving test the second time around to prevent me from applying to jobs earlier, to being handed my notice so I was available to go to the interviews, to giving me the drive and initiative to start my own website to help me apply for jobs (which I think is one of the major reasons I got this far with the company). There are so many other things which I can see him putting in place to allow me to do this.


I seriously cannot wait to see what he has in store. I hope I can continue to do it all for his Glory.


David