I want to start out by being honest. I have felt really disconnected from God lately. I feel like I'm going up a staircase and I am only 5 steps away from connecting with God but every time I try to step up to the next step, 5 more steps are added...
That being said, I feel like God really shook me today.
Our sermon today was about John 12:24-26,
ESV:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone: but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."
Amplified Bible:
24 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest.
25 Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]
26 If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [[a]to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
I put the verses in two versions because I wanted you to see different ways to say it. On just biblegateway.com there are over 100 different translations of the bible. In english alone, there are about 40 translations. Other languages include Spanish, Vietnamese, and German. There are even translations in Quichua. I am not even sure that language that is or where its from. The main point is...there are hundreds if not thousands of translations of the bible. And in some of the countries who's languages are listed,its illegal to be a christian. A friend of mine said she has to speak in code if she sends her friend a message about God in China because they monitor what words they speak. It is absolutely crazy to think that there are people FIGHTING to learn about God and get their hands on a bible. This is extremely convicting to me because I even have the nerve to complain and put off reading the bible because I make the excuse that I don't have time. I need to MAKE time. Because there are people who would do anything to even get their hands on a bible, let alone spend time reading it.
We watched a video about New Guinea and in the video, they were receiving bibles for the first time, translated in their own language. When they received these bibles, they were so overcome with excitement and joy and thankfulness that most of the people were sobbing. Others had walked miles just to get the chance to get a bible.
After seeing their passion and emotion about finally even Getting a bible and I live behind a christian book store that has an almost unlimited supply of bibles... I felt even more convicted. I am SO blessed. I have access to the bible in hundreds if not thousands of bibles and there are people hiding in their basements having secret church services because they aren't allowed to worship God. That blows my mind.
They talked about this girl who graduated college and was homecoming queen and an A+ student, couldve went to any college and instead she went to an African country and started a ministry. That ministry gives food and water to the citizens, leads bible studies, offers free schooling. She started a house where 13 young women live and she constantly serves those women, she helps clean up throw up when kids throw up, she fixes meals, she cleans their home. and she never stops serving those women. she was asked, "arent you tired?" and she said, yes, i get really tired. but im the happiest i have ever been. because shes sacrificing her life every single day for everyone else. Just as Jesus did. and shes so so happy.
That being said, I feel like God really shook me today.
Our sermon today was about John 12:24-26,
ESV:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone: but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him."
Amplified Bible:
24 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains [just one grain; it never becomes more but lives] by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest.
25 Anyone who loves his life loses it, but anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. [Whoever has no love for, no concern for, no regard for his life here on earth, but despises it, preserves his life forever and ever.]
26 If anyone serves Me, he must continue to follow Me [[a]to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying] and wherever I am, there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
I put the verses in two versions because I wanted you to see different ways to say it. On just biblegateway.com there are over 100 different translations of the bible. In english alone, there are about 40 translations. Other languages include Spanish, Vietnamese, and German. There are even translations in Quichua. I am not even sure that language that is or where its from. The main point is...there are hundreds if not thousands of translations of the bible. And in some of the countries who's languages are listed,its illegal to be a christian. A friend of mine said she has to speak in code if she sends her friend a message about God in China because they monitor what words they speak. It is absolutely crazy to think that there are people FIGHTING to learn about God and get their hands on a bible. This is extremely convicting to me because I even have the nerve to complain and put off reading the bible because I make the excuse that I don't have time. I need to MAKE time. Because there are people who would do anything to even get their hands on a bible, let alone spend time reading it.
We watched a video about New Guinea and in the video, they were receiving bibles for the first time, translated in their own language. When they received these bibles, they were so overcome with excitement and joy and thankfulness that most of the people were sobbing. Others had walked miles just to get the chance to get a bible.
After seeing their passion and emotion about finally even Getting a bible and I live behind a christian book store that has an almost unlimited supply of bibles... I felt even more convicted. I am SO blessed. I have access to the bible in hundreds if not thousands of bibles and there are people hiding in their basements having secret church services because they aren't allowed to worship God. That blows my mind.
They talked about this girl who graduated college and was homecoming queen and an A+ student, couldve went to any college and instead she went to an African country and started a ministry. That ministry gives food and water to the citizens, leads bible studies, offers free schooling. She started a house where 13 young women live and she constantly serves those women, she helps clean up throw up when kids throw up, she fixes meals, she cleans their home. and she never stops serving those women. she was asked, "arent you tired?" and she said, yes, i get really tired. but im the happiest i have ever been. because shes sacrificing her life every single day for everyone else. Just as Jesus did. and shes so so happy.