Love in Christ.

This past week i have been reading the book of 1 John. It focuses on warnings against false teachers, God's love, and how to love others. This week while reading through this scripture and having several thoughts pass through my mind. My eyes always lead me to the perfect Love and sacrifice of Christ. It reminds me of how beautiful God's love is and the gift that he freely gave to us. How important it is to feed our spirit with righteous things and to continue our walk with Christ everyday so that we will not be ashamed on the day of judgment. That we can stand with confidence knowing Christ has taken our place. As Christians we have the love of God in us. So we should share this love with others and with our brothers in Christ.
(4:16) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
I notice that it is so easy for us to try and rely on other things or people for that Love. Only in Christ can we find that perfect love.
(4:18) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
This week I have been realizing how much I do fear. When I do fear I notice that my heart isn't right with God, and I am not fully trusting in Him. I can find my self struggling in areas that I try to fix on my own. That's when life seems to be unclear, but when I hand them to the Lord. He suddenly unveils my eyes to see the perfect picture! There is no reason to fear because the Lord Holds EVERYTHING in his hands. When I act as a child without fear my life becomes more clear. The Lord has done so much already in my life! and i see the blessings that He gives when you just trust and rely on Him!
(5:14-15) This is the confidence we have in approaching God: That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.

CLEANING DAY/TRASH STORY!
While I was staying at my Friend Eva's flat, we decided to have a little cleaning day to finally get rid of things that needed to leave! It was funny! we had piles of shoe boxes and trash stacked high. John was taking the trash down three flights of stairs to the huge trash bin. The second time he came up, he grabbed me to come with him! I was a bit confused but he told me that I had to see something... We brought a "track" with us. (a track is a booklet that has the gospel in it in Hungarian. We use these when we go out street evangelising!) So he brought me down to the huge trash bin for all the flats. I noticed a family digging through the trash. The mom pulled out half a lemon and gave it to her son to eat. He ate the whole thing! my heart sank to my stomach. I mean we see so many homeless people on the street here in Budapest, and as I have been living here for a month, I really experienced the pain. We approached them, and her son seemed almost frightened, knowing that what he was doing prolly wasn't right. John spoke to her, and shared with her the gospel and how we wanted to help them. How we are praying for them! The lady understood us and was so thankful!! She rejoiced and said that she believed in God! She also told us how she had another son upstairs. We helped them out and went back to Evi's flat.
This break had made me realize to be content. It opened my eyes to see that the MOST important thing in our lives should be the ones we LOVE. We shouldn't think about the "things" we have. Who cares? things are just things... I'm sure you could live without having a car or warm water for a day. Reminds me of (1John.2:17)I realized how blessed I am, growing up without having these kind of experiences of having less than we should. I am even more thankful that I have now, and have seen the reality of what most of how the World lives. There is no reason to expect to have the things you have. Shouldn't we focus on People more than ourselves? What happened to the Care of the World? It breaks my heart to realize how selfish I have been. I took me a long time to get to this point of being content. I pray that I can continue to say this.

Hypocrite?
I had the privilege to stay with one of my best Hungarian friends from school over the break! We had several good conversations together and one of them was about being a hypocrite. I believe that everyone is!! It's hard to tell the truth sometimes, even when u don't realize it. I noticed that I need to start a change myself. Sometimes I just tell people what "they want to hear." And it's not what is truly on my heart. I need to start looking deeper and let my character express itself. And when i don't have an answer for someone, I should be honest and say i don't have the answer now. Being a hypocrite is... its like being a sinner. before being a christian you don't know that your a sinner. so why change. but once you are.. you start to change. but that doesn't make u a sinless person. you still will sin. once you realize that you are not totally honest. that you are a hypocrite. I believe that you can make some major changes in your thinking. and what you do and say. but that doesn't mean you wont still make mistakes even if they are smaller.
BUT their IS HOPE!! when we realize these kind of things. we can share it with others and put our focus on Christ, making ourselves more and more like him IN LOVE!! ♥

LOTS OF LEARNING AND GROWING!! Please keep me in your prayers as school is starting this week! My goals for this new year is to keep Christ as my first focus! so i can be mentally fit for my ministries! Pray for me as I disciple Evi, and others at school. That I can trust the Lord with my future plans and my needs for tuition to be payed would be met. My personal goals of being more neat and organized. Also putting the Most important things first. =)

Köszönöm!!!
Amanda Joy

"Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessings. Learn not to take....pleasures for granted."
J.I. Packer