Daily Devotional: 7/10/2018 - ICMC

 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I just got back to the great state of New Yawk as I spent the last four days in Cincinnati for a church conference for campus students. So I basically spent the last four days with over 2,000 students my age from literally all around the world (Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, England, Spain, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and every state from West to East and North to South) learning and worshipping God. It took me awhile sitting here to think of a verse that can go with this weekend. I went with Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, because of the people I met, the friendships that I built and the ones that I strengthened. Words and this devotional will not in any way shape or form do this weekend justice, but I can try my best. I am going to be posting my notes from the classes/services that I want to soon (so be on the look out for those). I explained what was going on with the ICMC before (No Chains Pt. 1 - 6/29/2018). It is a conference for campus students, this year the theme was "Break Every Chain" based off Psalm 107:14-15. The description for the conference is, “The world is enslaved, but no one sees it. Chains are everywhere, but no one notices. Link by link and yard by yard, iron shackles wrap themselves around the hearts of men and women who think they are free. Our colleges and universities, our friends, our families are strangled to death by sin but in ignorance call it freedom. Knowledge cannot free us. Success cannot free us. No even religion can free us. Only Jesus can break out chains.” It was just an overall amazing experience and a memory I will cherish for a lifetime, I wish I can still be there right now. It all started with an overnight 13+ hour bus ride from New Jersey, it flew for me since I basically slept the entire time. We stopped a couple times for food, got some of God's food in Chick-Fil-A for breakfast. We got to the Convention Center around 12:30, we had to wait around until the rest of the squad showed up. During that time I met and talked with a sister from the Kentucky area that knew one of the brothers, then I saw one of the brothers from Jersey. By the time the rest of the squad showed up it was about 4:30, so we went to the hotel to check in, then we made our way back to play some card games, Spoons and UNO, then we had a little campus meeting. Before the card games we met some brothers from Atlanta and San Antonio. After the meeting was time for the Evening Session ("Let My People Go"), which I learned we all have a Burning Bush inside of us and we to let it flourish and spread. Then we went around meeting people. I really did not meet as many people as I planned because I let my shy anxiety filled self get the better of me. Friday was filled with classes, the Men's Outbreak that I went to was "Iron Sharpens Iron" (learned what type of friends to look for and what type of friend to be), then the Men's General was "Get Up and Win the Race!" (which is self-explanatory), then the General Outbreak class that I went to was "Life Changing Discipleship" (learned that sometimes we have to be the callers and we have to be the examples), then the Evening Sessions was called "From Generation to Generation" (where I learned we either make it out of the desert to the Promised Land or we die in the desert). Between the General Outbreak and the Evening Session, I went on an "encouragement date", which to sum it up is just a way to go out with a brother/sister in Christ and get to know them more, build/strengthen a friendship. Saturday which was my favorite day started off with about a 6am four mile run form the hotel to Great American Ball Park and back, after that we a session called "Power of Prayer" where we learned about the power of prayer and we got to pray three different times for 30 minutes in a big group. It was amazing to see so many prayer groups going on praying to God. After that there was a session called "Hear the Call" where if you heard the call into full-time ministry or had a feeling once to come through, over 400 student showed up; the room overflowed into the hallway and into the connecting room. After I went out to lunch with two other brothers and three sisters from one of the nearby campuses. After that me and another brother talked to another one of our younger brothers to encourage him and to see where he was at (praying to baptize him soon). After that I went on another encouragement date, which was really cool since this was the first time I ever met the sister so I got to learn so much about her and we shared interests and had a great time (think it lasted a couple hours, but felt so short - both encouragement dates lasted longer than we all expected; was just really amazing to get to know each other and spend time together). Then to one of my favorite parts of the entire weekend, Worship Night, it was just breathtaking to see over 2,000 in an auditorium worshipping God, then after I ended up talking to a sister unexpectedly for over two hours. Then to cap off the weekend we had Sunday Service which was called "Promised Land", which was beautifully preached and super convicting and gave me a lot of insight on how and why we should set out eyes on Heaven; then after two people got baptized. I met so many people this weekend and I learned so much. One of the biggest things that I learned was the importance of fellowship. Life is hard to begin with, it is even harder when you try to do it on your own. The good news is that we do not have to, we not only have Jesus on our side, but we have countless other brothers and sister around the world with us. We got brothers and sisters struggling with the same things we are. We also have a God that wants us to go to him and lean on him (1 Peter 5:7). The devil hates when we are together, there is extreme strength in numbers. If there is two or more of us we are able to pick each other up when we are knocked down and tripped by the devil. This, life and discipleship, is all a team sport (Team Sport - 6/5/2018). We cannot do this alone and we should not plan to. When we try we fail, we will always need help. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." We have to build each other up and we have to surround ourselves with people that will bring us closer to God. We all have chains and Jesus has the power to break them all. We just have to go to him and lean on him. There is strength in numbers. Constantly throughout the Bible people needed each other. One example is David, he has three type of people in his life. He has Samuel, who was the friend of zeals (the one that saw the best in him). He also had Jonathon, who was the friend of feels (the one that was his bestfriend, the one he was able to lean on and go to during the worst of times). Then he has Nathan, who was the friend of reals (the one that smack him in the back of the head when he did wrong and told him how it is). We need people in our life, there is no question about it. We do not have the strength to do this alone. I wanted to give a quick shoutout to Gabe, Naomi, Alyssa, Lina, Brandon, Brendan, Widler, Calvin, Devin, John, Micayla, Gigi, Julia, Josh, Khiry, Devin, Richie, Charis, Ashley, Charles, Gordon, Terril, Austin, Omar, Tiffany, and every brother and sister that was there. Thank you for giving me conversations, memories, and advice that will last me a life time.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them." Matthew 18:20

Lord, thank you for an experience and a memory of a lifetime. You truly are amazing. Thank you for every brother and sister that I met. Thank you for allowing every single one of us to get there and back safely. Thank you for every speaker. Thank you for you constant love, peace, mercy, and grace. You truly have the power to break every chain that is wrapped around our neck and ankle. You have the power to free us from this world. Help us focus on you, your glory, and the Promised Land. I pray you continue to help us grow in number and help us grow with and in each other. I pray all this in your son's glorious awesome name, Amen.

#LetsBeAMovement