O Blessed Sinner

IBS Application for Hebrews 6:17-18 “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” This small section of Scripture does a lot to flesh out the character of God towards His people. This shows us just how much He cares for us. This shows me just how much He cares for me. In reading through this passage as a part of our Joe Focht study sessions, I was shown just how misconstrued my view of His capacity for grace and love has been. You see, I held the belief that because God had been managing the view I had on where He had been leading me in my walk with Him that He would never show me where this path was taking me in seasons like this. I felt as though God was a crueler master than He is, and that l

IBS Application for Habakkuk 1:5 “Look among to nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” I have found this to be a very encouraging verse. I came across it recently while looking for another one, but upon reading it, I was reminded of my last IBS that I did on Esther 4:13-14, about being brought to where we are for this time. For us here in Ignite currently, we have been brought here for the Lord’s purposes. And those purposes are sometimes unknown to us. However, one thing that I believe that God has shown me is in relation to life at home here in the field. I can’t go into specifics about it, but God has promised to transform our home life in a grand way while here in Guatemala. But I don’t see how God will do that, or how He’ll use us to accomplish this. There are times when I feel like any transformation in the home is unnecessary, especially when compared to the ministry we do outside the wa

IBS Application for Esther 4:14 “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” I heard this verse referenced in a teaching that I heard recently, and it stuck out to me. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but I decided to read through the story of Esther again until I found it. Within the context, I was convicted in reading it. Here, Mordecai is telling Esther that she must move to try to save the Jewish people from slaughter at the hands of their enemies. He says this because if she doesn’t, as he says, she and her family will all die instead. But he also knows that their people will still be saved by God through some other means, even if she refuses to act. What I found convicting about this is hearing that, essentially, God would still get what He wanted to get done complete with or without th

IBS Application for Exodus 14:13-14 “And Moses said to the people, ‘Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.’” God has been saying a lot to me about spiritual warfare lately. He has made the fight more real to me than ever before, and I realize that I need Him more and more. In fact, I need Him to fight my battles some days. This isn’t easy for me to say. I have a natural tendency towards doing things on my own, and I hate this. I want to let go and let God do things through me, because we are all tools and soldiers at His command, to be sent where He would send us and do what He tells us to do. But I do not always trust in His judgement or in His might, and it’s a problem of mine. I want to fall and lean on Him, and it is becoming easier to do this. In a way, it’s freeing to know that God can an