Holy Spirit Retreat

This past Saturday I attended a Holy Spirit Retreat that my church (River Valley Church) put on and it was like nothing I've ever experienced. The Lord showed up in amazing ways that I can't even begin to explain. All I can say was that the Lord moved in me during that retreat and He showed up. There were many different topics that were discussed at this retreat that I'd love to get into, however, there are just a few points I'd like to point out.

The first point I'd like to share is this quote; "We are saved from something and we are saved for something." My friends, the Lord has saved me from my sins! He's saved me from my abortion and He did it willingly. Here's the thing, we must come to Him in order to receive that salvation. Romans 10:9 tell us, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." My friends, it's that simple to invite Jesus into our hearts and lives and to seek forgiveness for our sins. Now, being a Christian is a lot harder than believing and confessing. Being a Christian is challenging because we are fighting a war against sinful flesh. As Mark 8:34 says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." My friends, that means every day we must deny what the flesh wants, what the world says, and follow Him. Every day we must make that choice over and over again. It's not easy and we will fail many times and that is just the beauty of Christ. He's there every time to pick us back up, to offer us unending grace if only we're willing to confess and repent. My friends, I was saved from my abortion and saved for sharing about it. Just as I was saved from something and saved for something, so you too are saved.

The second point I'd like to make is this analogy, we base what we're investing in based on others' reviews. When we're looking to buy something online we look through the reviews. We want to see what others have experienced before we invest. Sometimes there are great reviews and there's no hesitation in buying it. And, there are times when bad reviews keep us away from investing. Same with Christianity and it's sad to think that people have received bad reviews of Christianity that have made them question or turn away entirely. As sad as it is, it's true. So, as Christians, what kind of reviews are we leaving for others to observe? Perhaps an individual's only interaction with Christ will be with you. What kind of review will you be leaving them with??

The third and last point I'd like to make is something that the Lord revealed to me in the time of worship and prayer. Ever since stepping back from my schooling (check out my blog Acceptance: When I Didn't Believe Possible) I have struggled with what it is I am doing, and why I am currently living in the cities when I have the flexibility to go anywhere. I have been filled with such doubt and unsettled about what I'm doing. At this retreat I wrote this out on my paper; What if You brought me up here for more than school? What if You brought me up here to know You? My healing journey really didn't start until I left my hometown and moved out on my own. I needed to leave the place that hurt me. I needed to leave the place where my faith was stagnant. I needed to leave in order to find the Lord again. And found Him I have. I know my journey won't be perfect. I'll continue to fall short, as we all will, but I have found and strengthened my relationship with the Lord. Sometimes it takes a while for us to understand the plans the Lord has for us. It's been 7 months since I moved and it hasn't always been easy and I've been filled with a lot of doubt. My friends, do not be discouraged if we don't get answers right away. The Lord answers in His perfect timing and not ours. He knows what and when we can handle things. I wouldn't have been able to understand what He's been working on in my life 7 months again. And yes, while I sometimes wish it doesn't have to take that long, it builds character, allows for growth and maturity to develop, and allows us to trust in Him. If He answered us right away and with what we wanted, we'd never have to rely on Him. We'd claim what's happening in our life based on our works and not on His.

The Lord is working in all of our lives. My friends, don't allow doubt to seep in. Doubt is not from the Lord. He only brings peace. Doubt is from the devil. Be careful with the doubt that seeps in . Trust Him. Turn to Him.

Lord, we thank you that you reveal things to us. Sometimes it takes time, but Lord, you are always working things out for our good. Thank you that you are a good good Father. Thank you that you have saved us from something and saved us for something. Amen.