"His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah." Acts 5:40-42
The apostles were performing miracles and speaking truth.The people heard, saw, and believed. The Sadducees were enraged by this, and sent them to prison. These men of Jesus were held behind bars, their bodies beaten, mocked in every way, all because the high priests and his friends were jealous of what they had. Yet when the apostles were released, they became filled with joy because they were persecuted for the proclaiming the name of Jesus. Despite what they had just endured, they never stopped sharing the Good News. They knew what would happen if they continued to share the Love of Jesus, but they never stopped.
Can I say I would do the same? Would I willingly have my freedom stripped of me, my flesh torn, my dignity taken, be disgraced, all for the sake of a name? Would I joyfully do it again and again and again? Would I go to every corner of every city, door to door, person to person, proclaiming the love of Jesus, knowing what kind of suffering awaited me?
I pray that I would. I would never ask to be put in a position like that, but I pray that if it ever came down to it, that my faith in the Holy Spirit within me would keep me strong, joyful, and willing. Even though I am blessed enough to live in a nation where I would not be imprisoned for my beliefs, I still pray for that fiery passion that can not and will not be put out.
We are called to have this urgency that the apostles had every day no matter the nation we are in, free or broken. We should be willing to endure hardship all the time, not only when we are in a "forbidden" place. Our passion should be stirred up just knowing there are places like this that must hear about the Savior. It should be stirred knowing that there is something so Great in our lives that some countries try to force it out of their nation. Those are the countries that would explode in the Spirit, and Satan knows it. Hence, illegal Christianity.
So let us go forth with urgency. Let us go forth with knowledge. Let us go forth, being led by the Sprit. Let us go forth, willing to be considered disgraced for a Name.
"Do not put out the Spirit's fire" 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Boxes
We all got 'em. We think we can confine God. But we can't. We try and cram him into little boxes that we can conveniently put in our pocket and only take out when we need Him. He becomes our back up plan, our safety blanket, our secret weapon when our own fail us. I personally don't even realize I do it until He is breaking them, shattering them into tiny little pieces, leaving me with the most dumbfounded look on my face, because it didn't even cross my mind that He could do that.
He is going to break so many boxes this year. In my own life, in the DTS students life, my friends, my family. He is beyond ready to show us how big and powerful He is. He is not a God who sits in a church waiting for us to visit an hour on Sundays and twiddles His thumbs the other 167 hours in the week.
He is slowly fracturing the box I put Him in about money, but He is about to break it wide open. As I was driving home today, God gave me a picture of Him playing baseball. Yes, Jesus was standing at home plate in a baseball uniform, poised to smash the ball out of the park. When the ball crossed the plate, however, it turned into a glass box stuffed with dollar bills. He hit it full force, the glass turned into a rain shower of glass dust, and the money flew. Its going to happen. I know it.
I am so grateful when support checks come in. A little whooping and hollering goes on in our house. Support raising is going much slower the second time around, however. My 6 month staff fees are taken care of, but I am still about $6,000 short for Israel and outreach. $2,000 of that needs to be here within a month. I have absolutely no idea how its going to get here, but I am sure that I will have that same dumbfounded look upon my face when it does.
If you feel led to support me on my next 9 month journey with YWAM, please email me at kzboncak@blogspot.com. You all mean more to me than you know, you are forever impacting my life.
"Arise! Shine! For your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you" Isaiah 60:1
He is going to break so many boxes this year. In my own life, in the DTS students life, my friends, my family. He is beyond ready to show us how big and powerful He is. He is not a God who sits in a church waiting for us to visit an hour on Sundays and twiddles His thumbs the other 167 hours in the week.
He is slowly fracturing the box I put Him in about money, but He is about to break it wide open. As I was driving home today, God gave me a picture of Him playing baseball. Yes, Jesus was standing at home plate in a baseball uniform, poised to smash the ball out of the park. When the ball crossed the plate, however, it turned into a glass box stuffed with dollar bills. He hit it full force, the glass turned into a rain shower of glass dust, and the money flew. Its going to happen. I know it.
I am so grateful when support checks come in. A little whooping and hollering goes on in our house. Support raising is going much slower the second time around, however. My 6 month staff fees are taken care of, but I am still about $6,000 short for Israel and outreach. $2,000 of that needs to be here within a month. I have absolutely no idea how its going to get here, but I am sure that I will have that same dumbfounded look upon my face when it does.
If you feel led to support me on my next 9 month journey with YWAM, please email me at kzboncak@blogspot.com. You all mean more to me than you know, you are forever impacting my life.
"Arise! Shine! For your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you" Isaiah 60:1
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Update.
This is going to be the most random blog ever, as I am going to update y'all on all aspects of my life. Here we go.
Personally- Remember that little roadblock I had? It went on strong for a while longer. Praise the Lord for encouraging family members and friends, who I can call on for prayer day or night. Peace is such an amazing thing. I may not be hearing His voice, or feeling iIs presence lately, but His peace is all up on me, as is HIs grace. When I put God on the back burner and get caught up with my life here on earth, He gently pulls me back to Him with His grace and mercy. He is so good.
Friends- I don't know what the deal is, but it seems like this past week, Satan has picked fights with all my close friends. I'm getting pretty sick of it. A bunch of us have been down in the dumps recently, but we have learned together that its not up to us to fight the evil one. It is Him who is in us that takes on our battles. These attacks encourage us that we are doing something right. We want to know Jesus to the fullest while here on this earth, to see His children rescued, to see hope brought to those forgotten by the world, to love those who have never been loved. Satan does not like this. Nope, not one bit, and he lets us know that by putting us down, giving us annoying thoughts, miserable feelings, and a sense of unease, but he can never take away the fire within us. (Romans 8:38). (Also, you should listen to the podcast "Opposition" by Joshua Harris. It may be the best thing you ever listen to. )
Israel- This isn't so much as an update as a piece of news :) About a month ago, I had a dream that I was on stage praying for Israel at a prayer conference in front of hundreds of people. This rocked me, as I have never given Israel much thought before. Little did I know that God started to prep my heart during that very dream for a bigger journey than I could have ever dreamed up. In May, I will be going with some Awakeners to that very nation. Our time there will be spent gaining a heart for Israel, as God's beloved. All nations are on the Lord's heart, but He has SO MUCH history with this nation, and He longs for her to return to Him. We will also be setting up logistics there for possible future endeavors.
Travels- Tomorrow, I get to go visit my brother, friends, and so many wonderful people from YWAM in CALIFORNIA!!! It is going to be an amazing, fabulous, splendid time. In 3 weeks, I am going to Arizona to see family and friends that I have not seen in YEARS. I am so pumped to spend quality time with them. From there, I go on to Kona. It makes my head spin just thinking about it.
Fund Raising- AH! God is so good! Surprise checks! Unexpected donors! Church support! Jesus has already put me well on my way to reaching my goal for staffing DTS. However, I am about to see just how much He really does provide when He asks us to do something. Israel in May will cost several thousand dollars additionally to what I am raising for staffing. I am confident that if this is what the Lord wants me to do, then I have nothing to worry about financially. He does not call us to a country and then leave us high and dry. I have no idea how He is gonna do it, but He will :) If you would like more information on donating financially, please contact me at kzboncak@hotmail.com
THANK YOU to all who have supported me this past year and continue blazing down this path. You mean more to me than you know. May you feel His love and peace each and every day.
Personally- Remember that little roadblock I had? It went on strong for a while longer. Praise the Lord for encouraging family members and friends, who I can call on for prayer day or night. Peace is such an amazing thing. I may not be hearing His voice, or feeling iIs presence lately, but His peace is all up on me, as is HIs grace. When I put God on the back burner and get caught up with my life here on earth, He gently pulls me back to Him with His grace and mercy. He is so good.
Friends- I don't know what the deal is, but it seems like this past week, Satan has picked fights with all my close friends. I'm getting pretty sick of it. A bunch of us have been down in the dumps recently, but we have learned together that its not up to us to fight the evil one. It is Him who is in us that takes on our battles. These attacks encourage us that we are doing something right. We want to know Jesus to the fullest while here on this earth, to see His children rescued, to see hope brought to those forgotten by the world, to love those who have never been loved. Satan does not like this. Nope, not one bit, and he lets us know that by putting us down, giving us annoying thoughts, miserable feelings, and a sense of unease, but he can never take away the fire within us. (Romans 8:38). (Also, you should listen to the podcast "Opposition" by Joshua Harris. It may be the best thing you ever listen to. )
Israel- This isn't so much as an update as a piece of news :) About a month ago, I had a dream that I was on stage praying for Israel at a prayer conference in front of hundreds of people. This rocked me, as I have never given Israel much thought before. Little did I know that God started to prep my heart during that very dream for a bigger journey than I could have ever dreamed up. In May, I will be going with some Awakeners to that very nation. Our time there will be spent gaining a heart for Israel, as God's beloved. All nations are on the Lord's heart, but He has SO MUCH history with this nation, and He longs for her to return to Him. We will also be setting up logistics there for possible future endeavors.
Travels- Tomorrow, I get to go visit my brother, friends, and so many wonderful people from YWAM in CALIFORNIA!!! It is going to be an amazing, fabulous, splendid time. In 3 weeks, I am going to Arizona to see family and friends that I have not seen in YEARS. I am so pumped to spend quality time with them. From there, I go on to Kona. It makes my head spin just thinking about it.
Fund Raising- AH! God is so good! Surprise checks! Unexpected donors! Church support! Jesus has already put me well on my way to reaching my goal for staffing DTS. However, I am about to see just how much He really does provide when He asks us to do something. Israel in May will cost several thousand dollars additionally to what I am raising for staffing. I am confident that if this is what the Lord wants me to do, then I have nothing to worry about financially. He does not call us to a country and then leave us high and dry. I have no idea how He is gonna do it, but He will :) If you would like more information on donating financially, please contact me at kzboncak@hotmail.com
THANK YOU to all who have supported me this past year and continue blazing down this path. You mean more to me than you know. May you feel His love and peace each and every day.
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