Stepping out of My Comfort Zone (Hint: Officially enrolled in a School of Evangelism!📚🎉)
Hello beautiful friends! Long time no see! Apologies for the delay in sharing new stories due to several unexpected events and accidents in my life.
The last part of August was a tough and challenging month indeed. Won’t be going into much detail yet, until the Lord permits me to.
With so much going on and not enough time to process everything that happened, I began to ask the Lord what is it that He wanted me to learn from this season?
One thing for sure is that the Holy Spirit is leading me to, “trust in His perfect timing and to step out of my comfort zone.”
I don’t know about you, but does your personal growth require some stepping out into the unknown, being uncomfortable, inconvenient, or unsure about the potential outcome?
Certainly, every decision and action we make will have a great impact on our future self.
From the place or city you live in, the school you go to, the job you decide to take, the person you decide to marry, the friends you choose to surround yourself with, and what you decide to cook for dinner. Yes, even deciding what to eat for desserts too.
Life has an interesting way of teaching and growing us up in our walk of faith with Jesus Christ.
Over the years I’ve come to realize how the hardest lessons and seasons of my life were actually the fundamental ground used to shape me as a person.
How fear, rejection, disappointment, loneliness, trauma, and pain were the vital setup that led me to encounter God’s perfect and unending love. Knowing that I have a loyal friend who understands and accepts me just as I am. Who is ever ready to hear my frustration and cry whenever I call unto Him. With compassionate love, who comes to the rescue by embracing me and speaking words of life and comfort over me.
Oh, what a friend we have in Jesus.
I never wanted to become too familiar or too comfortable in failing to encounter God’s love and seeing His promises from coming to past.
Whatever He requires and calls me to do, I will do it. Because I know His plans are higher than my plans, His ways are higher than my ways.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8, 9
In spite of what had happened last month, I know for a fact that it was to prepare me to take the next leap of faith.
At the beginning of this month (9/3-9/5), Pst. Philip Mantofa (from GMS Church Indonesia) was going to speak at a conference in Fullerton, California. As someone who’s been following him through Youtube and Instagram, I wanted to attend the conference since I considered him one of my spiritual mentors. His personal wisdom and experience with the Holy Spirit have blessed me to know more about the Lord.
That being said I made plans with my big brother to attend the conference on Saturday & Sunday. Then something unusual happened to my brother that same week which required him to stay at the hospital.
In the end, I had the choice to attend the conference myself or not go at all. I asked my friend to come along with me too, so thankfully I wasn’t all alone.
Granted, leaving after the conference, I was not the same person. I felt the Holy Spirit stirring up a burning passion inside of me. I started to have a deep desire for intimacy and closeness with the Holy Spirit as my best friend and to share God’s greatest gift to anyone I may encounter. Long story short, I felt this won’t be the last time I’ll be coming to this church.
A week passed by and then the Holy Spirit led me to attend their Sunday morning service. Since I wasn’t serving that Sunday at my home church, I decided to obey. Well actually, I struggled and gave the Lord so many excuses, HA.
Have you ever had that feeling of knowing clearly the Lord has told you to do something and fighting it off? It is not pleasant. Because in the end, God always wins. So instead of wrestling with the Holy Spirit, I decided to be brave and attend their morning service.
At first, I questioned why God is telling me to come to this church when I’m already planted in my own home church. Well, good thing I went and obeyed His instruction anyway! Little did I know that my life was going to change drastically!
During the announcement, a slideshow presents the starting of their School of Evangelism which is starting that same day at 5 PM. I was shocked, took the picture, and sent it to my brother and mom. All I can say is wow God, you are not kidding!
There is something sweet and unique about being in a new atmosphere where you are freely open to encounter God’s presence. I still remember a moment during worship where I just cried and cried because God is faithful and true to His words.
For those of you who know me, you may know that I have been prophesied to be involved in a ministry. There has always been a desire in my heart to study more about the word of God and to share His goodness and gospel with everyone that I meet. Well, I did my best to study the word on my own with the Holy Spirit and to join Christian seminars here and there. However, there hasn’t been any opportunity for me to plug into a school of ministry before.
Even last year in January I considered attending City Harvest School of Theology after I got my Hospitality bachelor's degree from Cal Poly Pomona in the month of May. Well, we all know what happened last year right?
Oh and if you’re reading this in the future time, kindly note there was a pandemic called Corona Virus aka Covid-19 that hit the whole world. Basically, we had to quarantine in our homes, maintain a 6-ft distance, wear masks when traveling outside because this virus was contagious.
You can read my story of how I tested positive for covid and recovered here:
https://www.skillfulpen.com/post/my-experience-in-testing-positive-for-covid-19
Anyways I was uncertain if I would ever have the chance to attend a proper school to better prepare me for the ministry life ahead. But thanks be to God who is Faithful and true to His words.
Your girl is officially enrolled in the School of Evangelism with Grace Ministry International Church!
Plus it’s an 11 weeks course and the class is only on Sundays so it won’t interfere with my work schedule. This course includes a weekly OJT or on-the-job training (on the weekdays) where we actually go out together as a group of 3 to meet people, share the gospel, and lead them to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.
HOW EXCITING IS THAT?!?!?! Sharing the greatest gift that will ultimately impact one's eternal life? Sign me in!
Not only are we being trained to reach the unbelievers and lead them to Christ but we are also being taught to disciple other believers so that they too may take this mantle of preaching the gospel to the ends of the world.
Imagine living in a world where all believers are doing their part by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, what an amazing revival it would be here on earth!
Thus, I am so amazed at how God orchestrates and executes His plans so wonderfully for all of His sons and daughters.
Whatever your current life journey is at today, never ever be afraid to follow the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit.
There is always something good behind the unexpected, chaotic, terrible situation of our life. As we surrender, God will take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for our good.
Now I know why what happened to me and my family last month had to happen. It was entirely to defeat, discourage, and prevent me from stepping into the next journey and level of faith. But I know and I know that “ALL THINGS (not some things, but ALL THINGS) work together for GOOD to those who LOVE GOD and are CALLED according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Do not allow the lies, fear, and threat of the enemy to take you down from discovering God’s divine plan and purpose for you. You are attacked because the enemy sees your God-given potential and will do everything he can to kill it.
Remember the enemy’s job description is to come to steal, kill, and destroy. Whereas Jesus has come that we may have life and have it more abundantly. John 10:10
And don’t worry, you are not alone in this journey of life, you’ve got a Best Friend who is constantly there to heal, protect, and guide you every step of the way. His name is the Holy Spirit! Allow Him to continuously reside in your heart and you’ll start living your life more intentionally, purposefully, and powerfully.
Fan the Flame, Awaken the Spirit, and Be Activated. Let your life testimony bring Him glory!
With much love and faith,
Sharon