Trials

God is Power.
Oh dear, my heart and mind have been racing every which direction this past week. My thoughts have been focused on too many things nowadays. There's school, work, life, church, love, and decisions about where I’m going in life. My one solace is the LORD. When I do my devotions in the morning, when I read my bible at night, or when I pray to Him throughout my day, I find comfort in His grace and by the peace that He provides. My heart aches at times, because my parents don't understand my passion for the mission field. They want me to go and become a doctor and have a career, but in all honesty, my heart's desire is to become a foreign missionary as soon as possible. I don't want to be comfortable here at home, I want to live the life of a missionary. My mother tells me I’m a bit high maintenance; kinda true; but I want to flee from those material and temporal things and just follow Jesus with my whole being. I dream of going to bible college and getting my missions degree. I dream of getting married and raising my family in a foreign place. I dream of going to the country(ies) that God calls me to. But most of all, I dream of the souls that I will be able to preach and teach the Word of God to while I am involved in foreign missions, and of the Will of God, that my life may follow it.

Sometimes I reminisce with myself about my childhood. I remember how my life has changed; for the better. I remember the experiences I have had throughout my whole life. I remember who I was before I was saved, and I thank God for who I am now; it is by His grace I am what I am. I thank God for Jesus, without whom my life would be nothing. I also think of the future. How my one desire is to do the Will of God, and I pray that I be able to accomplish this throughout my whole life. I hope that my effectual prayer would be heard by God, and that He would know the sincerity in my heart, and that He would soften the hearts of my parents so they could understand the deep passion I hold for the foreign people of this world, who are going to hell if they don‘t know Jesus as Savior. I pray that God would show them a piece of my heart, and then maybe they would be more willing to let me live my life as a servant of God; especially my mother, because I know she only wants the best for me, but this is it right here. I pray that she would be able to see that I seek not to lay myself treasures on this earth, but I seek to lay treasures in heaven. My job is to please God, and not the world, and what better way than to share of Jesus’ saving grace.

Well, I guess I’ve shared myself enough for one day.

In Christ,
Cody Enciso
Phil. 3:10

Oh Give thanks to God Messiah

School started today! It was weird being back after almost 4 months of not. I enjoyed being in volleyball class with my friend Chelsea, it was lots of fun!!! I have chorale practice tonight, that excites me because I like being in it. Hopefully this school year will go well.

I have recently made some decisions in my life that throw me into dismay. How am I going to accomplish all the things I want to? How am I going to fund the projects I endeavor to go through with? How will my decisions affect others? Through the grace of God my thoughts come back to Him. I tell myself that whatever I do, it should be for God’s glory. At night when I pray, I ask God to be with me daily; even though I know He always will be. I lay awake at times thinking of the future; how my heart desires to do the work of Lord. I talk to God at night and ask that He would strengthen me to tell the story of the Great Messiah. My heart aches for those who don’t know Jesus as savior, and I am convicted in my own heart knowing I don’t share His love as much as I want to. God is my solace, His Word is where I flee to, His throne is where I come boldly to converse with my maker.

In the past couple of days, I have experienced the attacks of the enemy. Before I never noticed, but know I see the attacks, and I feel rebuked when I acknowledge my wrong doing. I thank God for friends. I thank God for the people He puts in our lives to keep us accountable. I thank God for the local body. I thank God for a country where we can freely worship. I thank God for love. But above all else, I thank God for His Son Jesus Christ, for without Him we would be nothing.

It is by the saving grace of God Messiah that “ I am what I am”. Thank You Jesus Almighty!!

In Christ,
Cody Enciso
Phil. 3:10

Strength to Endure

Oh boy! School starts on Monday. My goal for this year is to be outspoken. When in school, I don't really talk much; I’m a lotta bit shy around people I don't know. But now that I think about, it seems quite selfish of me, because I have valuable information that some people out there don't even know! I pray God gives me strength and words to say as I start the new school year. I want to do my all for His name sake. “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Also, I haven’t told my parents yet, but some of my goals for the future have changed. I feel they have so I can be a better servant of God. My heart is for the foreign mission field, I don’t feel they fully understand that. I have aspirations to become a doctor, but I don’t feel 100% that’s what God wants me to do. I have ideas about going to bible colleges or Christian undergraduate schools, moreso than I do the schools my parents want me to go to. I fervently pray that God will give me the strength to tell my parents that I have chosen to follow God wholeheartedly. I know that if I am walking with Him, that He will guide my steps. God always provides for those who are sincerely trying to follow His will; but if I suffer persecution or even suffer in daily life, I know it’s all for God’s glory.

In Christ,
Cody Enciso
Phil. 3:10

Where I want to be

My greatest passion in life is to be "sold out" for Christ! God gave His all, why not give Him our all back? My greatest plea to God is for my eyes to be opened, my heart to be broken, and my actions be directed all for His sake. I sincerely have a desire go on foreign missions and see others accept the Savior. But how do i set out on such an endeavor if i am not first "sold out" here at home? So that also is my plea to God, that He would help me as i try to become more outspoken for Him, as i dive into His word even more than i do now, as i focus on talking to Him constantly letting His holy Spirit speak to me in response. I want to be as prepared as i can be for when i go to the mission field.
Everything for God's Glory! Amen!

In Christ,
Cody Enciso
Phil. 3:10

God Is In Control

God was, God is, and God will be.
God is of everlasting, he is the Alpha and Omega. By Him were all things created. God is Three in One: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is Almighty and ever knowing. He is omnipotent. He is the Great I am, the Great Deliverer, The Redeemer of the lost. He is the Saving Grace, The Word, and He is the greatest example of love that will ever be. The God of all creation is the ULTIMATE.
I have come to a realization in my life. Throughout my Christian walk, I have tried so hard to seek after God and for small lapses of time I felt close to Him. But I guess my problem was that I was never giving Him 100% and letting Him take control of my life. I didn’t want to listen to the plans He has in store for me. I was involved in my youth group and in church, but never as involved with God as I should have been. Well, I had a spiritual epiphany recently, and all has changed; hopefully ‘til the day I die.
For the past 3 weeks or so, my heart has been focused on God, more than it has been in my entire life. I think of God continuously. I see His hand in my life. I recognize the opportunities He gives everyday to share the wonderful news. I hear His will for my life resonating in my thoughts. I have a calling for foreign missions. I have wanted to go on a missions trip for awhile, but never have. Our youth group is planning one this summer and I was involved with helping see that through. Except, I never really felt at peace with my personal decision to go on this mission trip. Well, God had been speaking through my heart in various ways, He has seen fit that I pursue something a little different. I feel God has been telling me of His plan for me to go to Peru this summer. So that’s my newest endeavor. The most important thing in my life is to follow the will of God. I get a feeling beyond feelings when I think about God’s work and God’s plan. Whatever happens in life happens, and all is good as long as God is in control. Every situation can become an opportunity to glorify God. Hopefully, one day, I will get to suffer for Christ, because He suffered for us all.
Well, just some thoughts about everything that’s on my mind and a testimony from my life. Hope it was encouraging; and made at least some sense. Until next time…
In Christ,
Cody Enciso
Phil. 3:10

The first of many

Here am I, in a new effort to be a witness for Christ. Why not use every tool given to us to give God the glory? My sole purpose in being here is to spread the message, share testimonies, edify others, and bring glory to Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour, was the personification of a perfect man. Jesus Christ, the Word of God made manifest in the flesh, born of a virgin, lead a sinless life and in His valiant effort to follow the will of His Father, died once for the sins of every man past, present, and future, so we as sinful beings could be made free of our bondage to death and have eternal life by the blood of Jesus Christ and His magnificent resurrection.
Jesus Christ was the Messiah. He was foretold of by the prophets in the holy scriptures. He was God’s ultimate sacrifice for the redemption of sin. He was a man despised and rejected of men. He is the devil’s greatest threat. He is Master and schoolteacher. He came not to destroy the law or prophets, but to fulfill it and what they said. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus Christ is the King of kings. He is the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end. One day He will return and claim his rightful place on the throne.
Until the day of Jesus’ return, we should do everything to spread the message, bring God glory, and praise Him all the day long. After everything that God has done for us, why would we not want to give Him our all? As it says in Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” To serve God with our every being is what He asks of us; It’s the least we could do. We should die to ourselves daily, follow the will of God, and be ready to suffer for His name sake. We must be obedient and endeavor to have a closer walk with Jesus.
I could go on for hours on end about how amazing God is and about Jesus and His saving grace. But there will most definitely be more to come…
In Christ,
Cody Enciso
Phil. 3:10