He who has ears & eyes…

This earth is and always has been an opportunity to become more like our Holy God (Who is Love). It was not supposed to be this complicated or dark but we all know what happened in Genesis 3 when man met snake.

In my life, I have realized that God lights a fire big enough to purify me but not big enough to burn me up (Malachi 3:1-4; 1 Corinthians 10:10-14)  and you know why it doesn’t burn me up? Even though this world is not all as it should be, Christ came. He took  the load of our sin (Isaiah 59:2) leaving us only with grace (Isaiah 53:1-3). So now, I can meet with God and that changes everything (John 14:17-18, 14:26).

Every war is an opportunity to make peace the way God would (Matt 5:9). Every homeless person is an opportunity to provide shelter the way God would (Isaiah 58:7). Every hungry person is an opportunity to feed the 4000-5000 like Jesus would (Mark 8:1-13; Matthew 14:10-21).

So don’t look at the world like some sort of glorious mistake. When we were planted here, we were given a divine call to be responsible for what happens here. Instead of waiting on God to come do what He’s already called us to do, why don’t we rise into our calling to affect the world for the better?

Incomplete

^{[AMP]PHIL 3:10}[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [^[b]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

¹¹That if possible I may attain to the [^[c]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

What does it mean to attain?

Attain carries the connotation that we don’t just wake up day and have our goal but that each day we wake up, we have acquired just a little bit more of what we hope to have more abundantly one  day.

I think we miss out on that perspective if we are perfectionists. Perfectionists cannot deal with the middle time – the time when things are incomplete; imperfect; not quite shiny enough.

Here is how Paul encourages me (continuing in the above chapter):

¹²Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.

¹³I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Or as Joyce Meyer would say: “I’m not where I need to be but thank God I’m not where I used to be. I’m okay and I’m on my way.”

Praise God for that revelation. The believer bound up in fear, guilt and regret is ineffective (stuck). When we walk by grace, on the other hand, we continue to grow despite our imperfections, our incompleteness, and our lackluster state.

Remember, You cannot get to the finish line without running the race. You cannot get to perfection without passing through imperfection. There is no peak without a valley.

Vendredi Vraiment Vaillant

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” – 1 Peter 1:13[niv]

There’s something to be said about sober minds in a dark  world. It is hard to have. Sometimes, I think our emotions can be a coating and cause us to act against reality/common-sense.

Last night, I watched “The girl with the dragon tattoo.” Almost walked out twice but I knew there had to be a reason I was there.[Spoiler alert] At one point during the main writer’s investigation, he figured out that the killer was someone he knew and he went to the killer’s house  to investigate. The killer  came back home and the writer ran out the back door. When spotted, the killer invited him in for a drink. The  was an insidious look in his eye but our dear writer obliged.

Cut to the basement and our writer is now awkwardly strapped to a neck brace device. Anyway, the killer makes his speech and says something that really impacts me: “Why don’t people trust their instincts?” he asked smugly. “You knew I was the killer and yet you did not decline my invitation in.” He explained that sometimes, people’s desire not to offend will get them  in situations that they know will cause them pain.

I saw that theme over and over again in the movie. We knew what was about to happen and sensed that it could somehow be stopped but our hero or heroin was not suspicious enough.

It’s the same thing that happens when a woman knows a certain man is watching her in an alarming way but she doesn’t report anything to the police because  suspicions are not evidence enough and she is worried that she might offend either the man watching her or the police officers that are going to have to investigate the incident.

I want to submit that suspicions are a form of evidence. Please  believe that if you suspect something, you have a reason. Something is out of the ordinary and it might be more than you think. Don’t toss it out in the name of fear. Perhaps that’s the reason why we won’t ask a friend what’s wrong even when we  know that something is out of the ordinary (in the name of avoiding offense).

Stop and think… why do I think this. Pray for guidance. Do what makes the most sense and don’t let offense be your reason for setting your mind to the sidelines and allowing a problem to aggregate.

” ⁸Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [^[f]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

⁹Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset--rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (^[g]identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.” – 1 Peter 5[amp]

Our  worst mistake is thinking that we do not have an enemy. Pretending the problem isn’t there is NOT going to make it go away. Vigilance demands that we do not  treat ourselves like we’re crazy just because we’re worried that someone might not believe us or that we might offend somebody.

Submit your minds to God everyday and pray for Him to lead you.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/valiant

Vraiment Vaillant Vendredi

He is the Last

I feel like we complain about the things we suffer but Jesus is at the bottom of this pyramid holding us up. (Colossians 1:17) It’s not to trivialize your struggles but to say fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father. Consider Him who endured so much from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and loose heart. (I just basically quoted Hebrews 12:2-3)

His life always has been and is to this day about serving all of us (Mark 10:43-45).

He is the last. (Revelation 22:13)

And one day, the last shall be the first. (Mark 10:31)

So spend yourself… if you want to be like Jesus (Isaiah 58:10)

He’s not standing aloof, yelling at us from the sidelines to deal with it. He speaks truth yesterday, today, forever. He knows and has experienced the full extent of humanity plus an added bonus as its creator. (John 1:10-11; Hebrews 4:15-16)

The last to get married. (Revelation 19:7)

The last to drink the cup of wine. (Matthew 26:29)

The last to sacrifice his life for us.(Hebrews 10:10-12)

The last…

worLd CHANGERS

The people that changed our world were merchants of ideas;

connoisseurs of words like a gale force

moving the hearts of people in one direction

toward darkness…

toward light;

A mouthpiece for a cause;

A prophet inspired by a dream.

So if you do speak,

speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves;

speak up and judge fairly

and defend the rights of the poor and needy.

mental slavery

MENTAL slavery is a severe form of it.

They walk around convinced they are free

But their chains are made up of horses’ tails.

Their whips are steeped in hydroquinone.

Wishing away melanin, mercury is now condoned.

Dangerous seed are still being sown -moving through generations.

They live for today but the inevitable is drawing near.

He beats her, insults her, looks down on her

and her soul, so tied up,

begins to echo his remarks.

Death is knocking on the door.

Wake up, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead

and Christ will shine on you.

My recent “whoa!” moment

Zechariah 11
12 I told them, “If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.” So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.
13 And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”-the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter.

So I was trying to find that scripture where Judas got infected
and betrayed Jesus then was so crushed by guilt that he hung
himself. On biblegateway.com (awesome website), I noticed a
footnote in Matthew 27:10 that led to the above verse (and
Jeremiah…)

I had no idea this was in here. If I’d read it before, I probably
just skipped over it too quickly. I have to say that the bible
amazes me. GOD amazes me again and AGAIN. Apart from
the amazing epiphanies* I’ve gotten to experience (such as this
one), His love is so rich and satisfying. I just want to bite into
Him…that’s how tangible He feels sometimes.

It’s creepy and it’s beautiful to know that my God sees WAY into
the future and knows all things and has concluded all things
with hope, love, justice, mercy… with goodness.

It’s also amazing how He convinced Zechariah to write this
because standing alone, it doesn’t really make sense or
sound normal.

It’s like having a really weird dream about something
like being excommunicated from your group because you didn’t want to
adopt babies in a field and then having God tell you it might mean
something deeper. I would probably doubt it (and have doubted God’s
voice in the past) but at the end of the day, all that matters is that
Zechariah was obedient and as it turned out, Jesus was sold for
exactly 30 pieces of silver which was in turn used to buy “the potter’s field”
(Matthew 27:10)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Epiphany*
2. an appearance or manifestation, esp. of a deity.
3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality
or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some
simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
4. a literary work or section of a work presenting, usually
symbolically, such a moment of revelation and insight.
www. dictionary.reference.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dude! He was talking about the book

ok, so I’m reading this book called, “Every young woman’s battle: guarding your mind, heart and body in a sex-saturated world.” This morning, I brought it to work with me and when I thought about what to do next, it was as if God said I should look the book up online. I was thinking, “Find the website” but I ended up getting Amazon in my first address bar search. I decided to read the reviews and came up with some extreme criticism as well as praise. As I read, I found myself agreeing with people on both sides. Before this, I was just drinking in everything the book said but this activity was leading me to be a bit more skeptical about what I was reading; not necessarily out rightly rejecting everything I read but some things. While reading the comments on a review, I saw a strange word and I decide to look it up on www.websters-online-dictionary.com . GUESS what the quote of the day was!

“Choose an author as you choose a friend.” — Roscommon

That was what it took for me to go, “Lord? Is that You?”

I’ve stopped believing that the ONLY way to hear God’s voice is through the bible. God reveals Himself in so many ways especially when you’ve got this Holy Spirit inside of you. I mean, He has shown Himself in dreams, visions, burning bushes, talking donkeys (seriously, Read Numbers 22:28. It’s pretty funny), Angels, guest appearances… He’s extremely creative so if He wants to speak to me through reveiews, which I guess would be like wise counsel, then so be it. I’m not going to harden my heart because some of the reviewers were not Christians although I will be careful about what I fall into believing on both sides of the spectrum now.

“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” -Psalm 16:7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also see: Proverbs 15:22

Psalm 107:11, 73:24, 32:8, 16:7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hurting poeple hurt people

Too wrapped up in her own depression

To cast a smile in your direction

Too wrapped up in his busyness

To acknowledge your presence

It cuts deep into who you are

You’re left with a scar

You blame yourself

You live distressed

You zone out

You lash out

You are too wrapped up in your depression

To cast a smile in her direction

Too wrapped up in busyness

to acknowledge his presence

Victims of a treacherous cycle

Focus on one angle

Unable to see that they are the answer… the solution

They can be the end to all this dysfunction

But they are blind, all blind

No one pays it mind

With their baggage of pain

They carry on their agonizing days

Stop. Turn around

End this round

Walk into the light

End this fight

Overwhelmed

I’m tired. I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to work. I don’t want to study. I don’t want to figure out how to write this code. What is the deal with school?!! In today’s world, it feels more like a necessity if you don’t want to starve to death. Unless you have a rich husband in your back pocket or a huge trust fund, school keeps you in its clutches, making you work hard so you can leave and work even harder. For what? money? position? fame? houses? cars? SECURITY? And I don’t have either of those in my back pocket so what’s the derivative of sin(tan(cos(2x+3)))? As my acquaintance Damola Akande wrote, “damn the ‘x’! We [been] looking 4 it ever since I was in kindergarten. But I say ‘x’ is ‘x’! and dats wassup! so yo…[where] d nobel prize at?”

I mean, what’s the frickin’ point? (Sorry I sound mad but this is how I actually feel). All those things fade away. Maybe I should go live on the beach like my friend, Brittney, thought about doing (yay B. Whid.). Just me and my guitar. Have you seen the Aly and Aj video, “Rush”? Absolutely inspiring. I want to live like that. Making music for the world and laughing with friends (Actually, that could get placid but the point is, I want a simple life where my only obligation is seeking after my Lord ‘cuz I’m never frustrated that way. He actually comes through). I agree with Jesus when He said,

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…”

-Matthew 6 (NIV)

Frankly, I just don’t think it’s worth it and I’m not happy. Programming is awesome for me, don’t get me wrong but the whole, “Get A’s on our tests or else” is what pretty much pisses me off.

Where’s the stopping point? How can I make this about God and not about my teachers because I SO know I can offer this crap to Him somehow… invent something for the needy? bring some justice in the midst of corporate nonsense?  Anyone can make a difference. People have done it before… I just don’t like the hurdles I’m having to jump through to get to where I want to go. And now, I know I can’t study music ‘cuz I’ll just grow to hate it and I don’t want that. I like my guitar.

Oh, help me, Jesus.

Fearlessly

I’ve made excuses but I need to give.

I’ve said, when I’m rich, I’ll think about the boy in a remote region that has no food but I’m always going to need to buy something. Even though food grows on trees, I am not a farmer. I’m am subject to the economy’s whims. Though God is my provider, what I must understand is that I cannot keep pushing my duties into the future and making promises for tomorrow that I can fulfill today.

27. ^(AT) Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,^[e]
when it is in your power to do it. 28.^(AU) Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.”

-Proverbs 3 (ESV)

So, yes, giving stings somewhat right now but there will always be alternatives that I can use my money for. Sacrificing for others is usually hard at first but the joy you experience as a resul makes it so much easier every time; you get used to it. Think about the widow in Luke 21 who gave all she had to live on. WOW. Or the widow in 1Kings 17 that trusted God to provide for her as He had promised and gave some of her food to the prophet Elijah. Well, God came through.

Last night, I watched a thing about George Muller on Veggietales. He ran orphanages and there were times when he and his wife didn’t even know what they would feed the children for breakfast. He knew God had told him to pray and trust Him to provide for their needs. Without ever asking for donations, they were always provided for through the generosity of others, sometimes just hours before the children were to sit at the table and eat breakfast. Awesome, right? They trusted God for their daily bread daily, not worrying about “tomorrow” because it would take care of itself. I think they were worried sometimes but with each experience of God’s miraculous provision, they knew they were doing the right thing by living with the needs of the children in mind.

I mean, these people rock. Not because of their own merit but because of  how much they trusted God. I love that. It’s so attractive. I want to live on the edge like they did. They were dangerous. I mean, they took chances I’ve never taken because of fear. I want to live fearless but not in a stupid way. I want to love even when it costs me alot… but some boy somewhere will have shoes, and food, and an education, and a chance to hear the awesome good news about Jesus. Everyone should know Jesus. He rocks and changes lives like no one else.

10. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. 11. Never give up. Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. 12. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying. 13. Take care of God’s needy people and welcome strangers into your home.

-Romans 12 (CEV)

Children

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a] Do not be conceited. (NIV)

16 Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people. ^[a] (CEV)

16 Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but make friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are. (NCV)

Romans 12

How often are children passed over by adults? You know, this verse can shed light on how we treat those that are younger than we are.

The world can make it seem like kids have nothing worthwhile to say, like they’re too green to bring anything to the table.

That’s all, simply put, PRIDE. Being older doesn’t mean being better. The fact that I’ve lived a few more years than my friend, Anna, does not give me the right to look down on her.

It was because of this prevalent attitude that Paul admonished Timothy saying,

12 Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportant because you are young. Instead, be an example to the

believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life. (NCV)

1 Timothy 4

No one is worthless. No one ever has nothing to offer. We are each fearfully and wonderfully made. God Almighty saw beauty and potential in my messed up life. He saw potential in the darkness that engulfed your being. He got excited about the hope of all we could be and His faith was enough to convince Him that this was a worthy enough cause for Him to put His life on the line.

It’s always been this way… adults shoving kids aside. Jesus Himself was against that. He is all about some kids and He lets them be free in His presence.

The one person that actually has enough merit to be smog treats me with decency.

See, humans can be mean. So mean, in fact, that I feel afraid or small in their presence. Why should that be? In the presence of Jesus or my Daddy or this Holy Spirit, I feel like I can fly; like I can take on any hardship; like I’m beautiful; like I’m wanted; like I’m free… and I am.

Thank You for not looking down on me, Holy Ones. I love You and

I thank You for Your much needed awesomeness AND for loving

me.

YOU ROCK!!

(See Mark 10:13-15 or Luke 18:15-17 or Matthew 19:13-15)

From my journal entry for today(October 19, 2008).

I love enlightenment… it’s so unburdening

Me: Why do we hurt those who only think the world of us? I did it to You. I do it to [-------] like, I
just don’t care… I could care less about the fact that I’m breaking his heart and I know. I can see it.
I can see how cold I am; that’s why I want to know.

[**********************************]

Are we greedy? Always seeking out more?

Is life like some sort of conquest contest for us?  Do we stop trying to win the affections of others with our actions when they naturally praise us? (i.e. we just don’t try). Worse, we treat them like dirt because we know they’ll stay.

I’m sorry. I’ve been so proud; so evil. I thought so highly of myself that I looked down on him for loving me. I got so full of myself. God, I’m so sorry.

(I’m listening to Craig David’s, “Rise and Fall” right now)
Craig realized how much a jerk he had become. His fame got to his head. The adoration of his fans made him feel like he could get away with doing whatever because they would always be there. He felt too safe. He realized his wrong when he had burned all his bridges and there was nowhere left for him to turn. It took that much for him to realize the error of his ways. It took absolute mental agony for me to even begin to ponder this subject I’m writing about.

Guys, don’t wait till everything sucks for you to make a change. What God wants is for us to treat EVERYONE with love and respect regardless… whether they’ll stay faithful or not. We shouldn’t treat people with respect only because we’re afraid of losing them. That’s what’s so flawed about our philosophy. We only give to get not give because it’s right. When we start to do all we do for the right reasons, we won’t worry about acting in such a hideous way and we will ALWAYS treat EVERYONE with respect.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 7:12 (NIV)

Religion? relationship?

So, I was reading the profiles of my new friends on facebook when I ran into a group titled, “Christianity is NOT a religion. It’s a relationship.” My interest was peaked. I decided to look it up and after a few seconds on the page, I realized something. I believe that Christianity is a relationship AS WELL as a religion… a healthy balance of the two.

I believe we often make the mistake of thinking that life is a mad jumble of extremes and everything has got to be either fully to the left or right but there are some things that simply need to be balanced out. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not talking about ambiguity or undue compromise because somethings need to be clear cut e.g. are you with Christ or against Him? (Revelation 3:14-16).

It seems we’ve invented another extreme in response to a previous extreme that we were opposed to. People can be extremely religious and think that their 10% giving, their regular church attendance, their involvement in 50000 bible studies etc save them. Not true. I guess people began to say that Christianity is not a religion in order to dispel such a nasty trait from the church.

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2 (NIV)

So righteous acts don’t save us but in the next verse, Paul goes onto say,

10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I’m not saying this group tries to completely obliterate our obligation to do good things. It’s just that I keep hearing people say Christianity is not a religion but if you keep hearing that over and over again, you can begin to fall back on the belief that you don’t have any obligations. If anything, I’d like to hear people say, “Yes, it INVOLVES religion but that’s not all it is.” Our relationship leads us to do religious things. Let’s not try to cross the word religion out of our doctrine but integrate it into our daily living in the proper way: not as our salvation but as fruit of the love God has bred in our hearts

After all, we’re judged by our works (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Make level ^[b] paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.

27 Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

Proverbs 4 (NIV)

Micah 1, 2, 3

Fair warning: Collectively, this study took me over 3 hours to read up for, comment on, and find extra scriptures to… so if you plan to study it and look up all the scriptures I’ve listed, remember that 3 hours of information is packed in here so you can set apart ample time to let it sink in. Of course you can just go through it without hardcore studying it. Up to you!

Micah was writing because people had become corrupt. Society’s moral standards had fallen because everyone had turned away from God, seeking their own selfish means, paving a new way (new “truth,”  new standard) to live by… “new truth” doesn’t make sense because truth is something that stands no matter what. It especially stands the test of time; that means you don’t get to just change it when you feel like it.

Others that still hid cleverly behind religion had begun to preach lies in God’s name further worsening the world’s condition. “Why?” you ask? Well, they wanted to be liked by the people so the false prophets filled the people’s ears with sweet sounding words instead of the conscience-piercing truth they actually needed. They even used their positions… I should say, self-given titles, to dupe unsuspecting God-seekers out of their money etc

They just sought selfish means.

God looked down and saw all this happening. He chose Micah, one of the few that had remained true/faithful to God’s original standards. God’s call for Micah had may benefits.

1. Micah’s heart was shown for what it was. When God called him, it was a chance for him to prove that he would stand up for what was actually true even when no one else did.
2. He would be one of the ones to spark a change in his community and be blessed by following the voice of God (which brings peace and many other such blessings).
3. God would show His great power. All it takes is one man for God to shake up the whole world. Of course, God could have showed up himself but everyone would have died (Exodus 33:20) and should He have to? Besides John 20:29

I like this (Micah)

It’s so interesting because there are references we can go to in the bible to show that the problem in the book of Micah was not new. In fact, we still experience it today.

• Romans 3:11-12 (roots —> Psalms 14:1-3; Psalms 53:1-3; Ecclesiastes 7:20… dunno which one)
• I Timothy 4:1-2
• II Timothy 4:1-8
• Hebrews 4:12-13
• I Timothy 6:3-10
• Psalm 14:2 or 53:2 —> same thing. Perhaps it was a popular saying back then or it could have something to do with the fact that both songs were written by King David…
• Isaiah 6:8
• I Corinthians 1:18- 2:5 —-> beautiful

God,

please help me learn this and live like Micah… better even. Help me be your humble servant so that others might be helped. *Hebrews 12:12-13* Help me walk in your perfect will, Lord.

♥

Buki

Thank You, Jesus.

A little bit about worship

Another note on fasting. That doesn’t mean you’ve got to go without eating EVERYTIME you’re about to pray. Fasting should be a sacrifice that comes from the heart. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7). Don’t ever force it.

Stale religious acts will never beat heartfelt devotion in God’s eyes.

*Isaiah 58:5

*Luke 21:1-3

Mere religion doesn’t go that far with God. It must be present with love for God and faith in Him.

*Matthew 22:37-38

*John 6:29

Matthew 22:40 lets us know that every religious thing we are supposed to do rests on the love in our hearts.

So stop working backwards.

Instead of trying to get all your religious duties in and thinking that is your only requirement, fix your gaze on the cross. No amount of bare religion can make you do anything remotely similar to that.

And if our aim is to be like

Jesus, mere religion fails woefully.

*It is the love we find in God that changes us. When we are filled with His love, it’s easy to dish it out to everyone because we have an unending supply!

So when you get saved, get to know your

Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him and He

will change YOU

*Colossians 1:22-23, 3:1-4

*Philippians 2:13

*2 Corinthians 3:16-18

(Sigh)

I did it the wrong way when I first go saved. I tried to do all the religious things: tithe, study the bible so God would get off my back, go to church, pray…

but I always ended up falling back into sin.

Not saying that I’m perfect now but I’ve got some Jesus in me for living. When I began to dig into the bible and try to actually understand God’s word, I discovered something  (Phil. 3:12-16 or -4:1)

LIVING AND ACTIVE.

All of a sudden, there was a Holy Spirit alive in me. My life was all of a sudden leading up to something.

I WAS AWAKE ♥ wow.

Praise God.

All of a sudden, doing what is right became so much easier.

♥ it’s one of those deep things

hidden in plain sight that it

takes the living, active Holy

Spirit in you to see.

Romans 8:1-17                                        Oh! Praise God!!

There are SO many things we can do that count as worship.

(sigh) ♥ Jesus rocks ♥

My heart is so full! This is the stuff of life.

WOW.

I love You,  Jesus. I feel You,

Jesus. I drink into You. I experience

You. You fill me. I am satisfied.

*Colossians 3:10

(Journal Entry Nov 12, 2008…………….. Comment freely

everyone! Account or no account Doesn’t matter)

In God’s name

NOVEMBER 16, 2008

Stop and read carefully.

21Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.

22Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?

23And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].

Matthew 7 (AMP)

In His name is not all it takes. In Him is what matters.

[8]What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
-Philippians 3(NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

My history… well, herstory.

In my younger days (considering that I am now already SIXTEEN…haha),

I began to seek God. I grew up in a Christian home and my mother was just

beautiful about her faith. She is one of the strongest, most amazing women

I have ever gotten the pleasure of experiencing and I hope the my future

son or daughter will be able to say the same thing about me.

My mother did her best to try to help me understand what it truly means

to be worship God. Every time I want to sing her praises, I highlight one

thing she used to do while I was growing up in Nigeria. Since we had to head

out to school around 7 or 7:30am, she would wake us up at 5:00am (“us”

being me, my sister, and my brother; daddy was usually asleep).  We would

all gather in the sitting room and have fellowhip together. We would sing

songs, study scripture and pray before we went off to get ready for school.

It was hard to stay faithful to morning devotions everyday and as time went

on, as we got busier, as we got more distracted, we just kind of stopped. I know

mommy tried her hardest. I could see that her intentions were good but after

a while we just stopped praying together.

I still felt wrong about beginning my day without morning devotions so

I started doing it on my own. No singing but I would sit in the sitting room,

open my bible to whatever page it fell on, read it, write down a few key points,

pray and go get ready for school. And thus began MY faith. It took that for the

faith to become MINE, not my mother’s. She started me off and taught me well

but no one can hide behind the faith of their parents forever. I’ve heard some

one say, “God doesn’t have grandchildren. He has children.” There has to be a

time when you start getting to know God on your own. For me, I think it was

about seven or eight years ago. Granted, I started out afraid that if I didn’t

pray every morning, God would hate me but that’s just it… after I began

learning more about God, I understood for myself that He is love and He

enjoys my presence like I enjoy His. He wants to lavish love on me.

The process of me growing in my faith just happened to me. I was not alone

through all of it. Looking back on it now, I realize how much I did not know

when I started out and it’s amazing how somehow I maneuvered through all

that to get here. That’s how I know that God was with me every step of the

way even when I was too young and too inexperienced to recognize His

presence and impact on me. Not saying that I’m perfect  but I am sooooooo

soooooooo different now than I was starting out.  I mean, I didn’t know where

to find different books in the bible  except Genesis, Revelation, and Matthew so

considering my minuscule knowledge of God and where to turn to next (literally),

I’m surprised I didn’t give up and that is a powerful testimony of this scripture:

12 My dear friends, you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even

more important that you obey now while I am away from you. Keep on working

to complete your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 because God is working in

you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.

Philippians 2 (NCV)

So, to anyone out there who still hasn’t found God or gotten to know Him apart

from some authority figure, go now; do it! I have not regretted it. I don’t think

you will either because my life is just SOOOOO much richer now. I wouldn’t trade

my Jesus in for anything.

Little black coffee/tea cup

This is a little snippet of my journal entry… Some stuff have been cut out and some words have been rearranged.

January 10, 2009 – 12:22am (Saturday)

Two deep thoughts:

First, Jesus is willing to share us with the world but only to a degree… after all, you can’t fully divide yourself between two masters. Jesus should take precedence, in my opinion (I’m sure it’s His opinion too… ooo. Wow. Things are changing. I just treated Jesus like one of my human-earthly friends. I said, “I’m sure it’s his opinion” instead of “That’s His opinion.” He’s an individual and if I can admit I don’t know my friends that well, how much more JESUS, you know?)

Secondly, sometimes the things you are not instantly attracted to turn out to be the very things you end up falling in love with. For instance, I saw this really cute coffee mug at the family dollar store. It had “coffee” written all over it whimsically and it had little whimsical swirls and stuff all over it. I LOVE WHIMSICAL ART. It was yellow and I instantly liked it. I had it in my hand when I decided not to get it on a whim because I might end up regretting it or not liking it. Well, a few days later, I was at Wal-mart and since I had just bought tea, I decided a coffee cup of some sort would be appropriate. Disposable plastic just won’t do when it comes to hot beverages. I saw this one plain black coffee cup and I didn’t want it. It wasn’t that fun. Plus, after my whole yellow cup experience, it just wouldn’t do. So I kept looking and looking but for some reason (probably because I ask God’s opinion on a lot of stuff even what outfit to wear) I couldn’t get the black cup out of my head and I had this semi-nagging feeling that I should go back and pick that one. I kept looking to see if maybe I’d see a better, more exciting, love at first sight type of tea/coffee cup. This thought occurred to me (and I believe it was the Holy Spirit):

(paraphrase)”A home is not made because it contains the chic & the mod components. It is made of memories and the clutter that contains sentimental & happy recollections. You feel a sense of wealth in your room full of junk simply because of the amazing memories they invoke. You BUILD your home but a beginning such as the makings of what you are seeking will not necessarily end the way you want it. If you pick something simply because it LOOKS cool, what will you do when you end up getting bored with it? (Inevitably, the excitement will fade. You know that, right?)” He was also speaking in reference my future plans to make purchases that would give my room a more “homey” feeling. He said, “Get this cup for the simple fact that it is functional. There will be no initial excitement that can fade into disappointment BUT you will grow to cherish this cup as well as every bag of tea or serving of hot chocolate that you have in it BECAUSE it will hold the precious memories of moments you decided to unwind and relax. You will appreciate it simply for what it is: a teacup.”

He was right. He was right…

So, when I go shopping, I will try to get things only because I want to use them, not necessarily because it looks awesome but they will be mine and I will grow to enjoy the warm, fuzzy memories they invoke, in due time. I’m sure of it. I want my mommy to go shopping with me. I love her.

(end of entry)

Ok, so, I had this entry as a draft a a few days ago but I would just like to reiterate my point. Last night was hard. For reasons I am still in the process of figuring out, it was painful and sad. It had it’s awesome moments, no doubt, but it pierced my heart and I almost cried. Seriously (and I didn’t expect that after spending the night with family but well…surprise!). When I got back to my room, I didn’t walk in immediately. I just stood outside my door, bags in hand, high-heeled boots hurting, jacket and scarf still on. I just stood there. I didn’t get why I was standing there but I did. This happened, like, forty minutes ago.  I finally walked in. It was 18 degrees outside. I wanted something warm. The cold was too symbolic. I washed my dishes and warmed up some milk in my little black cup. In went my organic Cascadian farm cinnamon raisin granola cereal. It was like really good oatmeal. I felt so relaxed. I popped in Relient K’s “Two lefts don’t make a right… but three do.” It was just Jesus and I (He’s my roommate). Nothing in the world is better than that little moment with him and warm food (I couldn’t do that with a plastic cup). Perfect combination and I thank God for it. This might not make sense to some of you but it means a lot to me. May God bless you all.

Buki.

Maybe redemption is stories to tell (Jon Foreman)

So, yea, I did something really stupid:

I straight up disrespected God, ignored His Holy Spirit and in the process, disrespected someone I really care about so… I decided to share this with people that I thought would appreciate a proverbial lesson.

My current facebook status says: “Adebanke has been such a sucky fighter. It’s not safe. It’s never safe as long as you’re alive. Why would you EVER let your guard down?????!!!!”

I have been very selfish. I thought I loved God but no, not really. I liked all the cool stuff He did for me and it made me feel all gooey inside. It is still my aim to learn how to love Him right but I so want to carry my cross and lay myself down. I’m sick of living for me. I want to live for Him and do what is right.

Amos 5: 14 (NIV)
Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.

I feel cold. It’s like He’s not there or I don’t have the guts to turn around and look Him in the eyes. Spare yourself the pain, please, and just listen to Him. Surrender if you desire peace and communion with the only source of life. This is a repeat of Adam and Eve. They knew what God had told them not to do. They listened to the devil instead and went with their carnal desires. The end result was shame, death, separation from someone so PURE, so PERFECT, so BEAUTIFUL. Why did I do that Him? He never hurt me like that. Why won’t I fight? Why? I need to fight. I need to fight me because me is killing me; it’s killing US (God and I). I want to repair the tie that’s been broken. I feel like I don’t deserve it but how dare I turn down His hand, right?

He has extended grace to me. This is what He sings:
Ephesians 2: 8-10(NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

I am so scared of failing again but I must rely on Him because in Jesus, I can do good. I must never stop fighting me. Not until the end.

James 1: 13-15 (NIV)
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

♪Running through the monsoon
Beyond the world
Til’ the end of time
Where the rain won’t hurt
Fighting the storm
Into the blue
And when I lose myself I’ll think of you
Together we’ll be running somewhere new
And nothing can hold me back from you
Through the monsoon♪ -Tokio Hotel (“Monsoon”)

I need that kind of passion. We all do.

♥Buki♥

Thanks for listening, guys.
The Lord bless you.

To all who grieve

How often does the reality of our insufficiency smack us in the face?

Sometimes, those “aha” moments last WAY longer than a moment…

way longer than we want it to and hurting us way more than we

desire. It was supposed to wake us up but it left us in pain – a

seemingly self-inflicted plight. I feel like I deserve to feel this

miserable but some other part of me feels like God simply wants

me to learn and move on; maybe He does; maybe I should listen;

maybe it’s not His intention for me to be in a pit of sorrow, feeling

helpless against overcoming my nature… my selfishness and pride;

maybe He simply wants me to see my wrong, stop, turn and walk in

a different direction not stay at the place of my failure and lament

unendingly. There’s a point at which remorse for sins becomes a

poisonous trap. The self-hate holds you in chains that stop you from

moving and stop you from actually changing until finally, one day,

you rise up and say, “Enough of this. If the problem is my ego, then

I will throw my self off and submit to the Lordship of God in humility.”

and why not? Isn’t that what God wants after-all? Although, the thought

comes to mind: what if our state of lament is like a state of rest before

the work begins? Perhaps, in that moment, we are rounding up the

courage to fight our inner battles in the name and power of Jesus Christ.

Maybe it is a natural process that HELPS us change but what if the true

enemy is the LAZINESS that can follow prolonged rest? What if we never

get up and never change and never do what we’re supposed to do? What

if we never realize that an early morning work-out after a long night of

sleep can actually invigorate us and get our blood flowing? A-Ha! The

healthy balance. THAT is the question here. There must be time to lament

our wrong but then time to get up and move on just like the Isrealites. After

the death of Moses, the Lord allowed them some time to grieve but they still

faced the journey to the promise land. They could only grieve for so long…

The Israelites cried for Moses for thirty days, staying in the plains of Moab

until the time of sadness was over.

-Deut. 34: 8 (NCV)

One nation under God

I was just reading Jeremiah 1. It’s pretty amazing.

Something happens when you’re one nation under

God. There is a unity and an unseen source of protection

that keeps you standing. When the  people of Israel turned

their back on the God that had given them all they had,

this was God’s response as the prophet, Jeremiah, documented it:

¹³ The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?”

“I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north,” I answered.

¹⁴ The LORD said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured

out on all who live in the land. ¹⁵ I am about to summon all the

peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the LORD.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance

of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding

walls and against all the towns of Judah.

¹⁶ I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their

wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in

worshiping what their hands have made.

-Jeremiah 1(NIV)

Assuming you don’t believe in the bible, take this quote to heart

and analyze what it says:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of

government. It can only exist until the voters discover

that they can vote themselves money from the Public

Treasury. From that moment on the majority always

votes for the candidates promising the most benefits

from the Public Treasury with a result that a democracy

always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed

by dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest

civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have

progressed through the following sequence:

• From Bondage to Spiritual Faith

• From Spiritual Faith to Great Courage

• From Courage to Liberty

• From Liberty to Abundance

• From Abundance to Selfishness

• From Selfishness to Complacency

• From Complacency to Apathy

• From Apathy to Dependency

• From Dependency back into Bondage

---

— most commonly attributed to “The Decline and Fall of the Athenian Republic” by Alexander Fraser Tytler Lord Woodhouselee (1748-1813) (Scottish judge and historian at Edinburgh University)

Objectified

When you ARE objectified you don’t worry about it because you have lost

sense of the meaning of the word. You don’t even notice it when it is

happening to you. Being objectified  becomes something you just have to

deal with… So now, you live in your world objectified and you don’t even

know.

object  + ified

like nullified –> made null

simplified –> made simpler

stupefied –> made stupid

objectified

made into an object.

MADE INTO AN OBJECT

“Dehumanized” as Rob Bell put it.

You cease to be a special, LIVING, breathing, thinking, wonderful creation

of God.

The Lord made Eve, looked at her

and thought she was good.

She moved. She made choices. She was like God. Both she and Adam.

Women are not the only ones who are objectified.  Men are also

often objectified and we must not forget that. It’s all a product of lust.

We see the body and cease to acknowledge the existence of the soul

and spirit within. He or she, in that moment, is just a shell for our own

personal pleasure and satisfaction.

To objectify someone is to downgrade him/her from the status of God’s

image into something inanimate like a rock, kicked, tossed about, stomped

on, and then

Forgotten

To buy into that lie (based on what you’ve been called all your life, what

you’ve been treated like for as long as you remember or what hollywood

has sold you) is to close yourself off to the possibility of being that perfect,

powerful, precious image of the Lord God Almighty.

From where I’m standing, I see a flawed mentality- backwards thinking…

You- a once free, innocent, bold, confident child – became a scared, timid, tainted, prisoner because someone objectified you.

You responded to what you thought was a true assessment of your value.

A response involves personal consent and everyday, you cheapen yourself

(and others) by your words, your thoughts, your actions, your attire… you

continue to choose to live like an object instead of a human. Your body

becomes your only appeal to the world. Your mind becomes secondary.

⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance

or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at

the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance,

but the LORD looks at the heart.”

– 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

It is your choice everyday.

A rock cannot choose.

An object cannot decide.

An object can’t change voluntarily.

but YOU can.

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Live the words

If you’d asked me yesterday

for the definition of good

I would have pondered my answer wisely

and said it the best I could

(And) if you’d asked me yesterday

“What would you do if it were you?”

I would have given the perfect answer

from my theoretical view

Knowing good is meant to be done

And the time has passed for small talk

So speak up for those who cannot speak

for themselves

Say hello to the strength of my soul

To the rest of my being

And God is right in front of me

O my son

O son of my womb

O son of my vows

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves

For the rights of all who are destitute

Speak up and judge fairly

Defend the rights of the poor and needy

Say hello to the strength of my soul

To the rest of my being

And God is right in front of me

Psalm 112 & 37

Do good in the face of evil because AT THE END OF THE DAY (which is what really counts),

Light always wins out over darkness

The darkness does not understand light and cannot stop it. Those who do good will always see the fruit of their labor but those who do evil will end up

FRUSTRATED & FORGOTTEN

The legacy of the good will be rewarded. Evil, hurtful people will be despised.

Martin Luther King jr. —> was assassinated but succeeded

vs.

Hitler —> committed suicide & failed

Jesus —> was crucified but changed the whole world. Still lives today; His earthly legacy still continues even as He sits at the right hand of God.

vs.

King Herod (who tried to kill him) —>died and his legacy was forgotten

David —>became King after winning; strong legacy; ancestor of Jesus (Rev. 22:16)

vs.

Goliath —>Lost the battle and died. No legacy (that I know of)

God —> King of Kings forever; is love (1 John 4:8; Rev. 22:13)

vs.

Satan —>(Rev. 20:7-10) On death row; to face eternal damnation; spiteful & hateful

So who wins?

whose team should you pledge your allegiance to?

light or darkness?

Good or evil?

College minister/recent graduate, Kyle Kite (I don’t expect you to just randomly know him) pointed something out once in Sunday school:

if you have two adjacent rooms separated by an open door and you flip on the light switch in one of the rooms, the light always crosses over into the darkness but the darkness never crosses over into the light. Light wins out. Darkness is not stronger.

Trusting God

found and awesome article and decided to share:

Why is trusting God so difficult?

http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/trusting-god-faq.htm

Independence

I know personally, I’ve been one to pursue independence as if deep friendship and romance were signs of a form of weakness or a flaw. In a sense, yes but it is a beautiful weakness; a necessary vulnerability because the alternative is deadly. The alternative is not worth it; it is not enough; it is not complete.

Genesis 1:20(AMP) And Adam gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the air and to every [wild] beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.

I love the words of this song. It’s by Jon Foreman and it’s called, “A mirror is harder to hold:”

http://mikalatos.blogspot.com/2008/06/jon-foremans-mirror-is-harder-to-hold.html

You could stay a while longer

We could stay up and talk about last summer

We could go down to the water, watch the sunset goin’ under

Its not that I’m a stranger to lonely moments

I’ve had my share of those

Please don’t go please don’t leave me alone

A mirror is so much harder to hold

I could try to point a finger

But the glass points in my direction

Sure you’ve got your sharp edges but my wounds are from my own reflection

You’ve got nothing I could ever hold against you

Ive got fatal flaws to call my own

Please don’t go, please don’t leave me alone

A mirror’s so much harder to hold

I met a man who was looking for perfection

Said he’d never met a girl who was good enough

His eyes are getting old like they’d love to love again

Such a lonely man

Such a lonely man

I see him in my reflection taking steps toward me these days

So I hold you that much closer and pray we don’t throw this away

It’s not that I’m a man who couldn’t love you

I know what these arms are for

Please don’t go please don’t leave me alone

A mirror’s so much harder to hold

A mirror’s so much harder to hold

Please don’t go please, don’t leave me cold

A mirror’s so much harder to hold

http://www.jonforeman.com/

Discouragement

There are some strategies that I’ve
realized (through the Holy Spirit)
that he devil(s?) has(have?) been
using to try to make me fail.

One of them is discouragement.
If he can convince you not to even try,
he has already won. If you are internally
defeated, you will never know victory
because you won’t even try to attain
it even when it’s yours for the taking.

⁹Have not I commanded you? Be strong,
vigorous, and very courageous. Be not
afraid, neither be dismayed, for the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
-God speaking to Josh(Joshua 1:9 – AMP)

²⁰Teaching them to observe everything that
I have commanded you, and behold, I am
with you ^[c]all the days (^[d]perpetually,
uniformly, and on every occasion), to the
[very] close and consummation of the age.
^[e]Amen (so let it be).
-Jesus (Matthew 28:30 – AMP)

WE have that same blessing that Joshua got
from God so we too, should be

STRONG
VIGOROUS
& VERY COURAGEOUS

because we know that our LORD is with us
As long as we rely on our own strength,
we will always be discouraged because
whether we admit it or not, we are
painfully aware of our inadequacy and
“believing in ourselves” just doesn’t
cut it so BELIEVE IN GOD. Pray to GOD.
Trust in GOD.

¹⁰In conclusion, be strong in the Lord

[be empowered through your union with Him];

draw your strength from Him [that strength

which His boundless might provides].

¹¹Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a

heavy-armed soldier which God supplies],

that you may be able successfully to stand

up against [all] the strategies and the

deceits of the devil.

-Paul (Eph. 6 – AMP)

some thoughts…

Proverbs 31 (Contemporary English Version)

Proverbs 31

What King Lemuel’s Mother Taught Him

¹These are the sayings

that King Lemuel of Massa

was taught by his mother.

²My son Lemuel, you were born

in answer to my prayers,

so listen carefully.

³Don’t waste your life

chasing after women!

This has ruined many kings.

Lemuel was the answer to his mother’s prayer. She didn’t want

him to just waste his life and end up ruined.

⁴Kings and leaders

should not get drunk

or even want to drink.

⁵Drinking makes you forget

your responsibilities,

and you mistreat the poor.

There is no time to waste being frivolous. You could be the answer to

someone’s prayer. If you don’t buckle down in discipline and listen

to God speak to you, HOW will you help those people in the world that

have been praying for you to come????? You can’t afford to be wasting time.

People are depending on you!

⁸ “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.

⁹ Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character(NIV)

You can do for some people, what they can’t do for themselves.

If it were you in their shoes, you would want the same thing done

for you, right? Well then, Help!

Evidence of Perfection

“Can you see evidence of perfection?”

I have cried my last tear

The tears that represent all my fears,

my lack of hope, my lack of trust

in You.

Constantly pertirfied

Quite forgetful

Of all the times I saw your hand upon me

“Can you see evidence of perfection?

Look past the circumstance and find

some meaning.”

More tears stream

Tears turn to sobs

louder, once more,

“CAN YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF PERFECTION?”

He screams

The Lord speaks through Ivoryline

Remember me

Remember my faithfulness

He speaks through Ms. Kathy’s voice

A mother of mine

The time you saw your borthers and sisters

in the dark, singing my praises under the stars

Remember that time?

The time you met a woman with

Kindred spirit

A woman of different colors you now

call “mother”

remember?

The summer all your plans fell through

and the regular summer became a turning point

remember then?

“Can you see evidence of perfection?”

“Do you trust God?”

I sob

I confess

My head hurts

The truth is loosening the chains

that darkenss wrapped around me

Colors everywhere as I close my eyes

and pray to Jesus

Birds fly by

A wave of watery fire crashes before my eyes

Angels surround the earth

God breathes and we all look up

to see His face

I feel what I have been missing

I see like I used to see

but better, more colorful,

more breathtaking

The Lord is beautiful

His face is shining upon me

I will trust Him

“You should call her” He said

I see evidence of perfection

Questions?

In the beginning of Matthew 4, Jesus faced temptation in the desert after He had undergone a period of fasting. At one point, the devil tempted Him to jump off the highest point of the temple:

⁵Then the devil took Him into the holy city and placed Him on ^[b]a turret (pinnacle, ^[c]gable) of the temple ^[d]sanctuary.^(C)

⁶And he said to Him, If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will give His angels charge over you, and they will bear you up on their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.^(D)

⁷Jesus said to him, ^[e]On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, ^[f]test thoroughly, or ^[g]try exceedingly the Lord your God.^(E)

-Matthew 4 (AMP)

So, there are two things that stuck out to me here:

i) If you don’t know the bible as a whole, you are likely to misinterpret whatever little section you choose to read. If you are going to be a good student of God’s word, knowing it in its entirety is necessary to be a well-informed Christian (I am working on that right now and I think my brothers and sisters in Christ should too). So, even though the devil tried to side-track Jesus with one verse, Jesus had a full picture of God’s word and was a deep student of it (as is evident in other parts of scripture when His knowledge was challenged by other scholars)

ii)Many translations of the bible simply use the word “test” in verse 7, which although is accurate, is still slightly ambiguous and easily misinterpret-able (if that’s a word). Thanks to the Amplified version (and the Recovery version), I got to see a more precise definition of what it means to “test” God and that’s what I’ll be zoning in on today.  Perhaps some other time, I can talk about my first point (maybe after I’ve studied the whole bible so give me a couple of years. Haha. I’ll be studying this book till I die. It’s just that good).

ok.   Test  (original Greek meaning) —> “try exceedingly”   “test thoroughly”

When God as He is is just not enough for you. When you become a junkie for signs and you ask more questions than you need to .

When you want to make God out to be a maliable miracle monkey that you carry on your shoulders, giving you a show whenever you demand or desire it.

I can even remember once asking God to turn out the lights for me. Was I lame or unable to reach the light switch? No, not really.

Some call it faith. God calls it the exact opposite because:

Blessed and happy and ^[a]to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.

-Jesus to Thomas (John 20:29b – AMP)

When an All-powerful God, independent of our manipulation, asks us, a prideful people, for our allegiance, bowing becomes the toughest act for us. We desire things our way and on our terms, not His. We desire to be in control, not bow down to a provident King.

God is different

People cast idols and “worship” them but really they are still the ones in control. Idols only require sacrifice but no change of heart. You can stay as awful as you were born. It will not object or speak against your actions because you have danced around the fire.

God requires all of you without even showing you His face.

He is silent, yet everyone talks about Him.

Deep studies of His character are absent from our history books, yet He is at the center of human events.

You see, He gives us ample evidence to make our faith sturdy but only people who have a hard time simply accepting His pre-eminence and providence demand more than

a silent whisper in a chaotic world.

“Is that all you give me to go on?!”

“I deserve more for my troubles”

and He simply responds, “No, you don’t”

and He doesn’t give it to you.

Will you argue with the Lord?

Are you here for the flashy show or do you REALLY seek to know your creator? Only you can answer that question.

The one who comes with a genuine, humble heart will find what he is looking for.

The one who comes with a self-entitled, prideful, greedy heart will never have enough to satisfy his thirst. There is a hole within him where every divine blessing that is poured in slips out.

Read John 2: 18-25

The only proof Jesus left for people was his Resurrection (Seriously, that’s ample evidence and if that doesn’t sway them, then something is going on beneath the surface. They have a personal problem with Him).

²³But when He was in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast, many believed in His name [identified themselves with His party] after seeing His signs (wonders, miracles) which He was doing.

²⁴But Jesus [for His part] did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all [men];

²⁵And He did not need anyone to bear witness concerning man [needed no evidence from anyone about men], for He Himself knew what was in human nature. [He could read men's hearts.] [I Sam. 16:7.]

-John 2 (AMP)

⁶But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].

-Hebrews 11 (AMP)

SO, if you’re still waiting for miracles to decide if you’re going to pledge your allegiance to God’s team, your heart is out of sorts because :

You believe He exists

You know He is God

But you refuse to do the right thing with that conviction(that’s is called a lack of integrity and is a huge display of pride ergo… a sin. Hidden, though it may be).

It’s all or nothing[a]. The bible is one book with one message, one God an done Savior. You don’t get to pick and choose[b].

As long as you continue to dance around that obvious truth because it is inconvenient for you, you will

never fully grab hold of the life found in Christ. You’re avoiding full submission to God, falsely thinking you are wise (only in your own eyes)[c] and free (doing as you please) but you are cheating yourself out of the fullness of what it means to be a Christian.

In avoiding the cross (full submission to God’s will and full sacrifice for all mankind), you are avoiding the resurrection and ascension to the right hand of God[d].

How long will you keep up this game? Your motives in approaching God are devoid of purity[e]. You’ll stick around for the blessing as long as He doesn’t demand your full submission. You don’t trust Him and you won’t let yourself submit to Him because you know what it means[f].

Did you think you were coming for riches[g], miracles, and power that you can squander?

Well, my dear, you were sadly misinformed about God. You see, there are indeed riches, miracles, and  power at His side but it only comes by dying to yourself and taking up your cross[h]. You HAVE TO humble yourself and submit to God[i].

Thus God ensures that only the pure in heart (intent/motives) shall see Him[j].

____________________________________________________________

footnotes to the scriptures are on an external website. Follow the link by clicking the scripture reference listed.

[a] Revelation 3:15-16

[b] Ephesians 4:5-6

[c] Proverbs 3: 5-8

[d] Hebrews 12:2-3

[e] 1 Samuel 16:7

[f] Galatians 6:7-8

[g] 1 Timothy 6:5-6, 6:10

[h] Matthew 10:38, Mark 8:31-38

[i] Matthew 18:3-4

[j] Matthew 5:8, Psalm 24:3-4, 15:1-2, 112:4

Also see, Matthew 6:33. Matthew 10:38, Matthew 7:6

Pinioned

I exalted myself to the heavens

to the unseen realm of battles

in the clouds.

I joined in the war with feeble

hands

and fell disgracefully,

Astonished that I could not

keep up with the spirit forces of

wickedness in the supernatural sphere

Perhaps they’re too strong for me.

My own Father opposed me

“This is not your battle” He said

“This is not your fight” He reminded me

“Go! Go! I will take care of it.”

But I picked up my arms,

steadied my feet and swung with

eyes closed

Only to be knocked down as the

devil trod on my back.

Perhaps this battle is too big for me.

Perhaps this fight is beyond me.

Perhaps victory is beyond my reach

and the crown will never sit on my head.

Perhaps the glory and honor only

belong to one Victor and it is not me.

Perhaps we shall all bow to Him.

Perhaps I’m too weak to fight

and too weak to win.

Pinioned.

More Temptation

⁸Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[d]“

-Matthew 4(NIV)

vs. 8 –>This is a hard one for me. As I write, I want to be watching TV right now. I have these thoughts where I don’t expect learning at God’s feet to be enough. I want “more.”

I’m like that seed that looks out the window at the shiny lights directing my attention to the things of the world and then I look around at my room at what I now feel is a boring display Suddenly, the life I’ve always had seems inadequate; the things that used to make me happy become mundane all of a sudden (IRONY – the devil presents things of the world & things of God as each other i.e. presenting light as darkness and darkness as light) - Mark 4:18-19

vs. 9 –> Perhaps he does it in a more subtle way but when you get right down to it, picking other things over God IS bowing to the devil.

⁷Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you.

-James 4 (CEV)

It’s caving to his lies because you’re imprisoned by deceit. It’s doing the opposite of James 4:7 and surrendering to the devil, resisting God & leaving His presence.

¹The LORD hasn’t lost his powerful strength; he can still hear and answer prayers. ²Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face.

-Isaiah 59 (CEV)

But what does James further advise us to do?

⁸Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you people who can’t make up your mind.

-James 4 (CEV)

In the very next statement, he urges us to draw close to God. You see, the points at which we’re going through those internal battles are the times we need to draw even closer to God.

My tendency has been to withdraw from God’s presence in an effort to clean up my life rather than drawing into God’s presence in an effort to clean up my life.

but as I confessed my struggle in verse 8, the issue was out there in the open.

I didn’t know what would come next. I was just there,  waiting on God, as Beth Moore described yesterday in (the Esther bible study video session 5). He had called me into His presence at a time when I was weak and unwilling; at a time when I had failed to rescue myself from temptation. I knew what was happening to me. I had seen it time and time again:

i) I’m enjoying seeking after God

ii) The world calls out to me

iii) As time goes on, I become spiritually weak due to my lack of the word (the fresh, daily word)

iv) In my weakness, the devil attacks full force at any and everything because I am ill-equipped to handle it and its all mental but it affects my relationships, schoolwork, job, peace, rationality, hope, joy, patience… I mean, I just suck at life because I’m not in the presence of my Lord.

and I’m bowing down to Satan

He doesn’t just randomly show up. He’s strategic. What seems like a small issue could reek disaster in your life.

So anyway, there I was waiting on God and wow. Compared to when I started writing? Big difference! I’m excited to be here.

Just like Beth Moore encouraged us yesterday:

³¹But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.^(A)

-Isaiah 40 (AMP)

When a certain temptation attempts to draw you away from God, don’t flow in its direction. Draw close to God because therein lies your

SALVATION.

Creation

(Modified journal entry – July 21, 2009, Tuesday)

Maegan just picked me up from the house & dropped me off at Wier Hall.

The last song we listened to was “Cannons” by Phil Wickham.

These are the lyrics:

♪

It’s falling from the clouds
A strange and lovely sound
I hear it in the thunder and rain
It’s ringing in the skies
Like cannons in the night
The music of the universe plays

(it’s singing)

You are holy great and mighty
The moon and the stars declare who You are
I’m so unworthy, but still You love me
Forever my heart will sing of how great You are

Beautiful and free
Song of Galaxies
It’s reaching far beyond the milky way
Lets join in with the sound
C’mon let’s sing it loud
As the music of the universe plays

All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours amen
All glory, honor, power is Yours forever amen

♪

(http://www.lyricstime.com/phil-wickham-cannons-lyrics.html

July 21, 2009 – Tuesday)

Isn’t that beautiful?

Doesn’t it just sum up what we’ve been talking about for so long?

I didn’t think Genesis 1 would be so full of wonder, information etc. that I would get stuck studying it. God is good.

And to my surprise, it has taught me about God’s character so that rather than mish-mashed opinions about God, I am starting to have actual knowledge about God developing in my mind (as Jesse Duplantis put it).

• I see that He had intention when He approached the earth project
• He has sovereignty in the sense that He could have created anything He wanted, however He wanted which leads to my next point
• he settled on standards that would suit His intentions
• He was specific in HOW He wanted to do it so He did not deviate from His intentions

In all of this, I see a God that had an idea and put His thoughts down on paper like an explosion of energy only the piece of paper was the universe and to this day, that energy ripples through us so that what we have humans that are similar to but less than God.

He is the lightening and we are the sparks that were left behind.

A thought:

you know how energy isn’t destroyed but rather transformed into a different form? Maybe that’s what our spiritual journey is like. Maybe we’re like light bulbs that never die out but just keep changing colors (i.e. life after the first death)

Anyhoo,

everything He made  was suitable to or fitted for a specific purpose which shows so powerfully that in the beginning, God had intentions

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intentions

(Tuesday – July 21, 2009)

… Synonyms:
2. goal. Intention, intent, purpose

all refer to a wish that one means to carry out. Intention is the general word: His intention is good.

Intent is chiefly legal or literary: attack with intent to kill.

Purpose implies having a goal or determination to achieve something: Her strong sense of purpose is reflected in her studies…

In this play,

the opening scenes reveal much about the main character. he had a wish and He very well intended to carry it out

but what we see is a tragic turn of events in which our hero and protagonist does not get what He wants.

Jesus refers to the Father’s broken dream so beautifully at various times. They share the same heart so on His visit to earth, the one who was intimately acquainted with God(John 1:18), showed us His heart:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!“

-Jesus – Matthew 23:37 (CEV)

-Jesus – Luke 13:34 (CEV)

If you’ve ever baked or just lived, you know that just because you long for something, wish for something, or intend for life to go a certain way doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.

The Lord God Almighty whom we fear and revere had a longing that did not come to pass.

I am familiar with the pain written on the pages of Luke and Matthew.

At the root of everything He asked of us,

WHAT DID HE WANT?

WHAT DID HE LONG FOR?

WHAT WERE HIS INTENTIONS?

(interesting how that carries the connotation of marriage –> Rev.19:6-9)

Jesus answered:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.“

-Jesus – Matthew 22:37(CEV)

He loved her.

He longed for her

but they were separated

from each other

and it rent His heart in two.

“Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God…”

-Isaiah 59:2a (CEV)

The LORD appeared to us in the past saying:

“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.“

-Jeremiah 31: 3 (NIV)

The context, in a way, limits this verse to Israel, so, for the general public, I have also decided to include this other verse as a means of showing you His love:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.“

-Jesus – John 3:16 (NIV)

You and I are caught in the middle of this conflict between

God (who loves us)

and

Satan(who hates God & attacks us in vengeance)

You know how much I love happy endings so you can imagine my thrill and satisfaction with God’s story.

How cool is it that we get to know the end while we’re going through the middle of it?

It doesn’t end saying, “Well, God had a good idea. Too bad it didn’t pan out.”

I am not pleased with the pessimism that is characteristic of tragedies. It’s like they’re saying

“The world sucks

That’s just the way it is

Deal with it.”

So, as you can imagine, I had a particular disdain for Romeo and Juliet (and tragedies in general) but I could not express why in words like I did above. Tragedies leave you hanging precariously over the edge of a cliff but before they deliver you to safer pastures, the screen goes blank, their palms are released and you fall to your death. They aren’t strong enough to rescue their characters from the pits they have fallen in so they just leave them there.

God goes further than the tragedy and He doesn’t stop until His intentions are fulfilled.

Dreams come true in God’s story and I love it for that.

Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]–

-Jude vs. 24 [AMP]

My 23rd Psalm

God is all I need in life.

He gives the peace I have tried to find in wealth and beauty.

He brings the joy I have tried to find in popularity.

He is all the calm I thought that achievement could bring.

When I am weak He is strong and because He is in me, I never have to be weak, come what may.

I never thought I could be righteous. I thought, “surely no one can redeem me from this pit, not even God. Can He?”

But He showed up and showed out. His word did not fall to the ground. Every good thing said about His wondrous power came to pass in me.

No one will see and laugh at me. No one will mock those who call on Jesus saying, “Your God has forsaken you.”

He has not forsaken me. He will not forsake me.

Even in those times of deep distress,

when I don’t know what foot to put in front of the other,

when I don’t know what path is the right one to take,

when I don’t know what is safe,

I can hold on to His hand and know that as I walk with Him, He will clear the road before me.

I can trust Him.

I can trust Him to fight off every evil that tries to engulf me.

I can trust Him to lead me down the right path.

I have many enemies that try to afflict me.

They attack my mind daily. They go for my soul. They go for my Spirit

but they must sit and watch the Lord love me.

They must stare in agony as He shows me favor and as He defeats their attacks.

The cut my flesh with knives. They aim to kill me. They have cut scars into my skin

but He pours the oil on my wounds. He increases my anointing. He sees my affliction.

He looks upon my bruises and pours wine in abundance to clean me. Though my enemies

desired to see me wounded,

it is the oil that remains,

and it is the wine that remains,

but the scar is gone.

The Lord has done this that I may be free and that I may look upon the afflicted and extend a fresh hand,

a hand of hope, healed of the same bruises they have been afflicted with.

They had evil in mind and they carried out their scheme but the Lord had good in mind and He carried out his scheme.

They hated me but the Lord loved me.

Every attack they formed against me was negated by the mighty power of God.

He has loved me in the past and He shall love me the rest of my life.

He has been good to me in the past and He will not stop now.

I am in covenant with Him.

He is unrelenting.

His love is strong.

It is strong enough to break every yoke and to carry out the good deeds He has in His heart toward me.

I belong to the Lord.

I am His temple.

I am destined to worship in the house of God all my life

and when this body is swallowed up in life,

I shall live all eternity in His household.

Never death.

Never sorrow.

Always life.

Always faith, hope, and love.

Selah.

Drown

I desire so much to drown in You

I need to get lost inside of You

Eat me up

Swallow me whole

So I can finally breathe

I am dead

I’m suffocating here

The biggest part of me has been sliced off

And I don’t know how to handle it

I can’t stay calm anymore

I beg You, take me with You

Don’t leave me here any longer

How I long to feel You

and touch You

O God O God O God O God O God

I have this hunger

There’s this strange thirst

There is a foreign desire

I am finally waking up to for the first time:

You

How have I lived so long apart from You?

Please make this end

How pathetic and pitiful… if this were it

Rescue me from turbulent waters

I beg You, let me drown in You

??

Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

What is my cross?

AM I bearing it?

War

genesis 4:1-16

………………………………………..A……………………………………….

Amraphel king of Shinar ……..G.……Bera king of Sodom

Arioch king of Ellasar…………A…….Birsha king of Gomorrah

Kedorlaomer king of Elam….I…… Shinab king of Admah

Tidal king of Goiim…………….N……. Shemeber king of Zeboiim

………………………………………..S…….Zoar King of Bela

…………………………………………..T……………………………………….

4 kings               vs.         5 kings

the 5 kings  were subject to Kedorlaomer, king of Elam for 12 years.

In year 13, rebel

hence, war.

We go down to the valley of Siddim

There are tar pits where the 5 kings have drawn their battle lines. Then, the 4 Kings defeat the 5 who rebelled.

Lot  falls within the cross fire since he’s in Sodom & gets captured by the 4 Kings.

One guy escapes the 4 kings & tells Abram what had happened.

Abram takes 318 men born in his household.

At night, Abram and his men attack the 4 kings & their army and the bible says he “routed” them (NIV, Amp.) which  dictionary.reference.com defines as any

“overwhelming defeat”

[see definition, "rout"]

These 318 guys go in, go out; clean break

They just went to rescue their kindred, you  know?

So I walk away scratching my head.

What happened?

And then it dawns on me:

The 5 kings drew their battle lines in the day-time.

“oh we’re going to war & we’re going to massacre these great powers.”

It was such a pride thing.

“and not only that, we’re going to do it in a valley full of tar pits.”

What were they thinking? the other guys would fall into the pits & somehow they would walk away  unscathed?
I think  they were so motivated & blinded by pride that they didn’t have a legitimate mission except to glorify themselves.

They were not content to gain their victory in the dead of night.

All we need are the bare essentials that will achieve the goal in mind.

It doesn’t have to be tricky or complicated.

We need to be humble enough to pursue things with purpose in mind

not vain glory.

^{PHILIPPIANS 2:3(Amp.)} Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].

Don’t waste your time and energy going for the things the world ooo’s and ah’s over

If you’re going to get something, get it because you have an actual purpose of use in mind for it, you know?

And by so doing, you will live the life you love and love the life you live rather than striving toward useless ends.

And more important than that,

you will actually have room in your heart & mind to focus on what’s truly important… rather who:

God.

^{GALATIANS 1:10(Amp.)}Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

Simplicity & Intricacy

^“A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.

A prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished [with suffering].

The reward of humility and the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the obstinate and willful; he who guards himself will be far from them.”

Pause. Look around.

You will notice that the things you see are very simple.

But upon closer examination, you will notice that they are very intricately designed.

My leg is merely a leg that moves until you see beneath my skin and into my flesh, to the cells and the DNA that lies within. Then you leap for joy and praise the God who made me…  the God who made you.

Pause.  Look a little deeper.

Simplicity is the garment that intricacy wears so that you must… PAUSE… come closer, take a few steps forward, to get to know her.

“All has been heard; the end of the matter is: Fear God [revere and worship Him, knowing that He is] and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man [the full, original purpose of his creation, the object of God's providence, the root of character, the foundation of all happiness, the adjustment to all inharmonious circumstances and conditions under the sun] and the whole [duty] for every man.”

Amen.

Matthew 4:12 plus some more

Matthew 4:12

That was so sad to read. It’s like the story of Job. Now, His dear cousin’s in jail?!

Back to back.

I mean, He was just facing temptation left and right & grew weary enough that God sent angels to minister to Him.

Honestly, I’m grateful He got that break to get rejuvenated before the next big thing would come around. Have you ever relaxed your walk to a glacial pace when you felt like the devil had left you alone?

Well, the truth of the matter is you need ministering to. That’s your chance to refuel so you can be ready when he comes back.

Paul admonished Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:2 to “Keep your sense of urgency [stand by, be at hand and ready], whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable.” (Amp.) when it came to preaching the word.

Peter in His letter to “to the elect exiles of the dispersion scattered (sowed) abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” warned them as Christians to, “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy… the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.“(see 1 Peter 5:8 – Amp.)

And I believe we too, as Christians today, should take our cue from examples like the ones listed above. We should always be watchful. We should always be singing, praising, watching out for bitterness and conceit (which makes one critical), LEARNING AT GOD’S FEET, allowing others to correct and teach us

so we can grow into full maturity.

Put pride aside and make it your aim in life to grow spiritually no matter what/how.

4:17 –> I think it’s amazing how as soon as it was time for Jesus to take over, John the baptizer, all of a sudden, could not do what he used to do. All of a sudden He was imprisoned and we find out, later killed.

Jesus’ time had begun.

It was as if John had done what he came to do.  He had prepared the way for Jesus. Now instead of John(Mt. 3:1-2), Jesus was the one crying out, “Repent.”

John had said that Jesus who was mightier would come… that though John baptized with water, Jesus would baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire(Mt. 3:11). In one account, John the baptizer said that unless heaven allowed it, he could receive nothing so he was content to do as much as God permitted(John 3:27-Amp.) and because of that, he could confidently say,

“[Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease. [He must grow more prominent; I must grow less so.]” (as told by John, the disciple & Apostle in John 3:30- Amp.)

Even in the previous verse, John the baptizer easily admitted that he was just Christ’s forerunner and he was okayw ith that,

Humbly accept the call of God on your life without stirring up strife or wasting time in jealousy.

We are all called to different things.

With a heart of humility and contentment, accept your lot in life (in the area of God’s plan for you) or else everything will always be a battle for you.

Part of living a truly peaceful life simply involves accepting whatever God gives you because He gives with a definite purpose in mind. Who else will give you anything even remotely worthwhile?

So John had to drop out of the scene because that’s the way the story was written… because he obeyed God (which is actually the reason he was arrested).

And all of a sudden, Jesus finishes his forty-day fast and He’s out there ministering.

Please don’t think He didn’t care about John’s lot. Jesus is full of compassion.

vs. 18-19 –> Nice metaphorical language there, Jesus (fishers of men).

“letting Me be your guide“

Rest assured and fight forgetfulness. Part of the call of Jesus to His disciples (which includes YOU) involves you willingly allowing yourself to be guided by Him. This involves obedience, humility, submission.

You must beat your being into submission to Christ. Subservience to Him must be a conscious choice you make when you say “yes” to Jesus

for life.

N.B. –> “Letting” is present continous.

Keep allowing Jesus guide you on each individual day by starting it at His feet. If you fail to do so on any day, you have seized to let Him be your guide.

If you think about fishing for men (not guys but humans in general), you don’t just kinda sit somewhere on the shore and wait for fish to come to you.

You gotta be out there in the middle of life, going after people and if you fail, you fail

but when you reel in a really big catch, it’s totally worth it.

Every catch is a worth it. Just get out there. There is an amount of waiting for the fish to come to you but you still gotta be out there where the action is.

Do not live a lackadaisical, “it’ll all work out” life.

Discipline yourself & be ready… always ready to preach like God said.

vs. 20 At once! they obeyed even leaving their nets. I know you’re in the middle of something right now & it doesn’t seem very cost effective to leave whatever awesome project you’re working on halfway

but leave it anyway

because the call Jesus gives you is more significant that anything else you’ll ever do

IN YOUR LIFE.

Pride & Prejudice

Sometimes it is possible to assume that someone is not
fond of you because of their rank or race. Perhaps as
a rich person, you think poor people are spitefully
jealous of you.

Perhaps as a poor person, you think that rich people
are arrogantly disturbed by your presence. Perhaps it
is true.

Perhaps as a White person, you think that black people
are not fond of you. Perhaps as a black person, you
think white people are not fond of you. Perhaps it is
true.

Maybe walking down the street, you are simply two
people who assume the other is not fond of you.
(S)he really could have feelings of pride and prejudice
towards you but (s)he could just be someone who is
desperately trying to reach out to you. Put a smile on
for the latter. If you find that you are rejected,
press on. But if not, enjoy your new found friendship.

Winterjam 2010

So, yesterday,

my darling friend Elizabeth Page, her boyfriend Brad, and her mom, Marti drove down from Meridian.

They picked me up from Oxford and we headed out to Tupelo for Winterjam. The doors weren’t scheduled to open  till 6pm but Brad wanted to be in line at 2pm. Anyhoo, I ate at a place called Danvers (really awesome fries… just saying)

I met Brad’s aunt Kim. This was also the first time I was getting to hang out with ms. Marti (Elizabeth’s mom). She was so beautiful as a person. I’m glad I got to hang out with her yesterday.

So, We get to the Bancorp South Center and we’re sitting outside in the blistering sun. These two guys walk over and start talking to us because they’re bored. Haha. It was awkward at first. Anyhoo, we got around to talking about music. Next thing you know, I find out Elizabeth’s guitar is in her car and we’re off. We grabbed it and had a jam-worship session out there.

The 2 guys eventually left (I  hope they didn’t feel ignored). 2 girls came up to us  and said, “Hi, my friend wants to know if she can come over and play for you guys. She has a great gift of music and song writing”. Those girls were super legit friends. I mean, they were singing all the words to her song and I was like, “Wow. They really love and appreciate their friend.”

The girl with the talent was Layna. They all came over and GUESS WHAT! They were Phil Wickham fans so we got to worship by singing “Canons.” Just being out there with those people I had never met before, I said, “This is what Heaven is going to be like.” There’s no experience like meeting sisters you did not grow up with.

We sang “Lead me to the cross” and “Marvelous light” and on and on it went. It was marvelous. Haha. God is so so good. Layna also sang a song she wrote. My jaw dropped. I loved it. Elizabeth, Brad, and I gave her our email addresses. She sent us some songs she had recorded and added us on facebook. I saw the e-mails about an hour ago and accepted her on facebook a little bit after. Praise God. I pray the best for her as she pursues music.

We got in line, we waited, we sweated. Elizabeth and I worshiped to some amazing songs on her ipod. I’ll tell you, she is just the person when it comes to music. If you ever go to a concert, go with Elizabeth Page. She was jumping, wooping, dancing… at one point when Third day was performing, she even whipped out some sign language. I was like, “Whoa.” Haha. I praise God for her. She is an amazing friend.

So, we got in and these guys called “revive” opened up. Elizabeth knew who they were. In her words, ” ‘Chorus of the saints’ is my song! ” They had beautiful Australian accents and they opened up with the overhead clap. I just love doing the overhead clap. I need to bust that out at church one of these Wednesdays… Haha. I LOVED them. I was like, “Why don’t I know these people?!!!” Well, cuz I don’t listen to K-love or have the gospel music channel… so, yea. I also liked Dave’s pants. Ok, side note, EVERYONE was in skinny jeans (if they’re made of leather, do you still call them skinny jeans or say “skinny leather pants”? Just doesn’t roll off the tongue as quickly. Anyhoo, I wondered if that was just a rock star thing. The crew was sporting the skinny jeans thing too… I want some. Seriously. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Sorry… long segway. These are the things that distract me, see?)

Right now, I’m listening to “Sit with me” by Revive. Wow. Praise God. PLEASE, MAY I TOUR WITH THEM, GOD? haha. No, seriously. I’ll sing back up…

It was an awesome lineup. After the show, I got to meet Revive and they were super nice. That night, I was encouraged. Fireflight taught me not to fear. Third day taught me to ask God for direction. Robert Pierre taught me that being young had nothing to do with it. I got to take a pic with Fireflight… woot! and Robert Pierre (French?) and Revive.

All in all, an amazing night. To God be the glory.

The truth and nothing less

There is more to your soul than religion. Life is not about finding a cool little club you can join. God made us and put us here and He is the goal that we seek. We were made to be like Him. He made us to be like Him but in our sin we fell short of that and what was meant to be a beautiful image of God became wrecked with hatred, fear, death, envy, duplicity and darkness. Lord, give me the words to speak. But until we turn back to Him, until we acknowledge Him as God we are a lost people. We are lost and we are condemned. Not just you; not just me; ALL of us. But God is also a kind, merciful, loving God. He will stand to judge us someday but we will not pass the test. We have lied, we have stolen, we have blasphemed, we have committed adultery, we have borne false witness, we have dishonored our parents, we have made idols of created things, we have hated our brethren which is murder, we have worked for money but we have not stopped to worship God, we have coveted what belongs to others. When we stand before God, we will have no excuse. The only saving Grace we have now is Christ. He came. He lived as a man. He walked this earth. He was the only blameless man and He was the son of God. When He died on the cross. He did it for all of us. He took the weight and punishment of our sin upon Himself. The sins we have committed are sins against God HIMSELF not just against people and for it, for our evil vile hears, we deserve nothing less than hell. But by turning away from those sins, to Jesus, believing in our hearts that He is Lord and confessing it with our mouths, we will be saved from the punishment we so fully deserve. He is good and He deserves our full devotion. That is why today, I ask you as a friend, will you accept the perfect sacrifice that Jesus made for you or will you reject His hand while it is extended? Do it now because on the day of judgment, it will be too late.

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the ^[g]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”

“Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is clear and lies open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived.”

-Hebrews 4:12(Amp) & 13 (NCV)

I really understand now…

^{ACTS 10:34-35(ncv)} Peter began to speak: “I really understand now that to God every person is the same. In every country God accepts anyone who worships him and does what is right.

Beautiful transformation of heart there. To grow up with the notion that certain types of people, certain tribes, certain people groups are just bad eggs… and then to have that heart change where you can look at them

and no longer see stereotypes

no longer see skin

no longer see sex

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but see people loved of God,

to see children created by God,

people that Jesus came and died for.

whoa! That’s a big deal and I praise God for His power & graciousness in changing hearts.

“Jesus is Lord of all people!” – Acts 10:36(NCV)

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³⁴ فَبَدَأَ بُطْرُسُ كَلاَمَهُ قَائِلاً: «تَبَيَّنَ لِي فِعْلاً أَنَّ اللهَ لاَ يُفَضِّلُ أَحَداً عَلَى أَحَدٍ،

³⁵ بَلْ يَقْبَلُ مَنْ يَتَّقِيهِ وَيَعْمَلُ الصَّلاَحَ مَهْمَا كَانَتْ جِنْسِيَّتُهُ.

(Arabic Life Application Bible)

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³⁴Petrus aber tat seinen Mund auf und sprach: Nun erfahr ich mit der Wahrheit, daß Gott die Person nicht ansieht;

³⁵sondern in allerlei Volk, wer ihn fürchtet und recht tut, der ist ihm angenehm.

(Luther Bibel 1545)

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³⁴ Entonces Pedro comenzó a decirles:

–Ahora comprendo que para Dios todos somos iguales.³⁵ Dios ama a todos los que le obedecen, y también a los que tratan bien a los demás y se dedican a hacer lo bueno, sin importar de qué país sean.

(Biblia en Lenguaje Sencillo)

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³⁴Alors Pierre, ouvrant la bouche, dit: En vérité, je reconnais que Dieu ne fait point acception de personnes,

³⁵mais qu’en toute nation celui qui le craint et qui pratique la justice lui est agréable.

(Louis Segond)

Concert for Rafiki Orphanage, Ghana

So, I’m from Nigeria which is practically right next to Ghana. I was glad to sing at something that had this goal  in mind, not just  bacause its Ghana but because it’s what we’re supposed to do… love, love, love and I need help with that. I need to be better. I want to do more.

Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself with sorrow in his soul? [Is true fasting merely mechanical?] Is it only to bow down his head like a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him [to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have]? Will you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?

[Rather] is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every [enslaving] yoke?^(B)

Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house–when you see the naked, that you cover him, and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?

The above quotation was taken from Isaiah 58:5-7 in the Amplified version of the bible.

So, the story (I like to document my life so here goes):

March 2, Pat Ward (Pastor at The Orchard -  super cool church) sent me a message on facebook and told me about a concert that was going to take place on the 26th. A member of their church, Katie Heckel was planning to go to Africa for a mission trip this summer and the concert was to raise funds. He invited me to sing at the concert.

Here’s the super coll thing, though  – I’d met him in the fall of 2008 (Oct-Dec???) when my friend Stormie invited me to church with her. At that time, the Orchard was still meeting at the Orchard and I had been doing shows too (like at big truck and a play… so I was still singing at the time). When I  met him, he had apparently heard about me  around town from different people which I found weird and cool at the same time. It was like, “Whoa, people actually like the music?” and “Whoa, they actually talk about it.” That first time I met him, he gave me an open invitation to sing at the Orchard.  I was psyched.

So, fast forward a year and a half or so, I just randomly remembered that day I met him and he gave me that open invitation. I wondered why I had never acted on that/why nothing had come together. That was the week he sent the facebook message.

Here’s another complication to the story. I had given up playing guitar and singing in shows… at least not as much because my parents seized my guitar mid-2008 or so, I think if not earlier. It took me a while to quit. I just would not. The reason they took it away was because it was distracting me from school but I just got a guitar from a  friend that didn’t play. He let me hold on to it for like, a year so I was still kinda doing my thing… finally, I just felt wrong completely about music. Not having the support of my parents really damaged it for me so I buried it. I stopped writing and I got sick of music. It literally sickened me after a while and even made me angry… angry because I loved it but didn’t feel like I should. It was anoverwhelming period where passion and confusion clashed.

If you’ve seen me sing in the past year and a half, excluding the past  2 weeks, I was battling that love-hate thing within myself. I was PLAGUED with fear and self-doubt. There’s something about not being supported

Oh, but God is my Father. God is my mother.

Approximately two weeks ago (March 18, 2010) I went to winterjam.

I watched.

These people on stage (not all of them, but a select few) REALLY propelled me toward God, like, REALLY. The words they sang were powerful and that’s something some people can pull off without being legit but somethings cannot be faked… at least, that’s what I felt. So that night, I realized that they used the music God had given them to perpetuate the aroma of Jesus Christ.

I journaled about that night. God planned it. This whole thing had been God in the making long before that night. That whole  day was just so huge that it kinda smacked me in the face and I couldn’t ignore it.

WHY ARE YOU BURYING YOUR TALENT?

WHY? STOP! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW.

[To Be Continued]

Awkward Silence

We are alive not because we’re riding a big static high but because we go though highs and lows.

Or heart pumps blood through our system: contract-relax-contract-relax-contract-relax…

If it were in a constant state of contraction, nothing would be flowing. If it were in a constant state

of relaxation, nothing would be flowing. The highs and lows have to be mixed in with each other.

So, we feel bad because we’re not on a spiritual high all the time but one of the things that set me free from a

heavy weight of guilt was realizing that being high all the time was just as bad as being low all the time:

It becomes static. THERE MUST BE DOWN TIME IN ORDER FOR MOTION TO OCCUR OR ELSE, WHAT

YOU HAVE IS STATIC… COMPLACENT (no matter what it is).

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Think about  sine wave’s amplitude pattern.

think about a person walking.

Think about your breathing pattern.

Think about how you rise at the beginning of your day but then fall asleep again.

The list goes on and on.

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One day, I got through with my office hours at 1pm and knew my sister would be in her building working

till 1:30pm. I called her and asked if I could come over. She said  “yes” and so I did. There was a girl standing

in front of the desk whom I briefly introduced myself to. I took my seat next to my sister and we said nothing to

each other. She had her headphones on while I sat in the chair next to her. I don’t even remember what I was doing.

The girl looked at us and asked, “Are y’all sisters?” And we both affirmed it. She said, “I could tell ‘cuz y’all didn’t

say anything to each other.”

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And isn’t that how it is with someone you know and love? Silence is not awkward. When there is nothing to say,

there is no fear… no need to pad the silence with useless words because you  know each other more than that.

And so it is with the Lord. He will speak when there is something to say but other than that, expect the steady

comfort of silence for He is STILL your God and He is STILL your Father and He is STILL your friend. It doesn’t

mean He doesn’t love you… Contrary to that, it actually means you are intimately acquainted enough with Him

for Him to not have to feel like He has to reassure you that He’s  still in the room. Padding silence is done to soothe

the insecurity of an unsure child who thinks her Father has left her alone in the darkness.

Like Job, know that your redeemer lives even when there is nothing but silence.

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He will speak again.

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Waste of space

You are not a waste of space.

You are not a waste of grace.

* 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 *

You are not a failure.

Mark 3 (NIV)

⁸When they heard all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. ⁹Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. ¹⁰For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. ¹¹Whenever the evil^[a] spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

Christ has healed many. Why not me? Why not you?

He Lords over any sort fo demonization. Press through and touch Him. Reach for His grace.

He is the Son of God.

You are not unworthy to be redeemed.

No one is unworthy to receive the free gift of redemption extended to you.

You are the only one stopping yourself from claiming it.

These people did not waste time thinking, “I’m not worthy.”

No! They went, “Mary Jo down the street got her healing. I need healing and Jesus is dishing it out so I’m running to Him.”

Whatever your past, God’s agenda is to make everything new.

Will you be a part of that today?

The saved church

I just listened to an amazing message. It was called, “The Love Revolution: Part 2.”

In this message, both Joyce Meyer and Chris Caine spoke. I praise God for what I heard them say because WOW. He is marvelous.

As Christians, we cannot afford to continue to cater to our flesh and be carnal without expecting a huge bill at the end of the day. We also can’t DO witnessing; we must BE witnesses. What a misconception it is when you think you can have a nasty spirit, put a gospel track in someone’s hand and expect them to want to be like you.

“I have come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth.” -Jesus (John 18:37 – Amp.)

Jesus didn’t just come to spew words out about his life, death, and resurrection that could not be clearly seen. His LIFE bore testimony to the truth and that was in addition to His bold speaking.

“The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.”

- John 1:14 Msg

We have to let God move into the neighborhood. Stop being afraid to let Him reside with you 24-7 and don’t settle for weekly visits on Sundays. What we’ve done is we’ve made church like an Intensive Care Unit where we come in and cry, “Pastor, Pastor, Heal me! I need to be saved again this week.” So the bulk of the time, the church spends time just trying to keep Christians saved. But if only  we’d get in the word and let God clear our hearts, we could actually get on with the job of reaching a saved and broken world with the powerful message of Jesus.

“…let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,  Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith”

-Hebrews 12:1-12 (Amp.)

Even our faults can be distractions. Let us fix our focus on God, get in the world and get on with the job.

Don’t sass me, boy!

Tonight, I experienced someone having a complaining attitude about helping me with something.

First of all, this person belittled me.

Second of all, said person didn’t even turn out to be that big of a help ‘cuz I don’t think (s)he even knew what (s)he was doing.

I felt angry.

Then I felt conviction.

The Holy Spirit has that way of telling me to be quiet when I want to lift up my voice to tear people down.

He allows my own sin to creep up on me so that I can see how I am no better than whoever I am angry at.

He said, “Romans 4:5″ and “Romans 5:4″ but it was like He was speaking both verses simultaneously. The first to encourage me that He had the ability to change people’s hearts and also to remind me that at the end of the day, He is the one who decides what the definition of righteousness is (therefore I had to right to judge).  The second was to remind me to be patient.

At the end of the night, I realized something. After this person had given me attitude about something so simple, I was just like, “Man, I don’t need you  out here with me. I can do this by myself. I mean,  I didn’t call you out here because I needed you (necessarily). I called you out here because I trusted that you could do this simple task for me and do it well but if you don’t want to, I can do it myself.”

And instantly, it hit me.  Isn’t that how we are with God? He calls us to do something and we act as if He needs us. We treat Him with contempt (as if He’s weak) but at the end of the day, we don’t even know what we’re doing ANYWAY. I mean, He can do this stuff Himself. Are you coming along for the ride or not? Don’t think so highly of yourself. God is fully capable of handling His business whether you get involved or not.

For me, having someone with an attitude is SO not worth the time and energy I could have saved just doing it myself. Nagging, complaining spirits just bring you down and I strive to avoid such company.

“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop [on the flat oriental roof, exposed to all kinds of weather] than in a house shared with a nagging, quarrelsome, and faultfinding woman.” -Proverbs 21:9(Amp.)

My friends, if you see that in me. Reprimand me.

3 things – 3 teachers

Today I learned 3 things

3 things from 3 teachers:

The Holy Spirit

Life

Myself

Sitting beneath raging trees and glimmering sun,

Sometimes we have to stop the noise and let God speak. That’s what Sabbath is about  -

The only time trees move is when the wind blows

Walking for no reason other than to walk in the cool of the day

It is easier to walk when you take nothing but the bare essentials. Extra weight slows you down and stops you from walking freely, running, dancing…

Strolling alone at night

It is easier to defend yourself quickly if your weapon is already up in the air not resting on the ground; your weapon must be strong enough to last through the heart of battle.

Open eyes

This morning, I didn’t take my bible with me when I left the house. I didn’t forget. my conclusion was that it would  be better for me to leave it at home then actually devote special time for bible study in front of a computer than for me to take it and forget it in my bag all day.

By 10 am, after my first class, the weight of all the things I have due this week began to settle on my heart and drain the very life out of my body. Coupled with that, I was running on barely any sleep.

I was at that point of such an intense stress that I didn’t even know what foot to put in front of the other.

His solution to everything is to have me sit and learn at His feet then go and do what He has taught me to do.

This morning, He gave me an admonition: ‘speak the truth.”

So, when the opportunity came for me to  do so, I did. I had an extremely  honest conversation with one of my classmates. It was someone I’m cool with but not like super-buddies, you know?

Anyway, through this conversation, I got to air some of my qualms and so did that person. We talked for like 50 minutes on the phone which was unusual but here’s what I learned:

When you’re not having honest conversations with others, you don’t see how your actions (or lack of action) affects them. I saw the impact of my actions tonight… or maybe I just finally opened my eyes to what I had already suspected but never admitted.

I realized that I have intense potential but because I’m not willing to put in extra time and effort or sacrifice my comfort, I’m not living up to that potential and that saddens me. That’s something my sister and parents have been saying to me since Kingdom come but my heart is open now… or maybe it’s my eyes that are open.

I thank God for His mercy. I really do. If His Holy Spirit hadn’t taught me to seek truth, I never would have found it and I wouldn’t know the things I do now… More than a sad realization, I want this morning to propel me to excellence. I want to be a better person. I really do.

Save me Father

and teach me how.

Buki

April 29, 2010 [Friday - 2:51am]

Fighting dirty

Proverbs 13:2(Amp.)

A good man eats good from the fruit of his mouth, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

I know just how easy it is to fall into thinking that you have to fight dirty to stay on top. Maybe you’ve been unfairly treated and you think you have to retaliate violently in order to be heard but common sense would beg to differ.

If you truly want peace and freedom, know that you won’t find it in dirty places so don’t waste your time fighting dirty.

Have you ever met someone that is truly at peace? They don’t waste their time trying to prove they’re tough. They enjoy life when other people waste time being treacherous. Don’t become the person that has hurt you.

I like the way Eugene Peteson said it,

“The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;
bullies push and shove their way through life.”(the msg)

So…

Mark 6:12

“So the followers went out and preached that people should change their hearts and lives.”

This was a very intense game of  “Simon says.” Jesus’ followers weren’t preaching things they hadn’t already experienced or done. They went where Jesus called and did what He told them to do even when it sounded a bit unnatural. They had grown to know enough about His power to know it was divine and worthy of the utmost reverence. If they were still battling skepticism about this Jesus Character, they certainly didn’t seem to show it.

Take no bread? no bag? no money?

“…the followers went out”

take only the clothes you are wearing? wear sandals?

“…the followers went out”

Rely on the hospitability of people in that town?

“… the followers went out”

What is the slightly odd thing Jesus has asked YOU to do? Perhaps forgive; love; be patient; hold your tongue; give something away; drop something in your life; talk to someone; DON’T talk to someone etc

Maybe you should trust in His counsel and wisdom and see where it takes you.

Look at the amazing things that happened when “…the followers went out.”

It’s so elementary and so divine. It might not even be about you as much as it is about the people that need to be healed.

“They forced many demons out and put olive oil on many sick people and healed them”

-Mark 6:13(NCV)

Flosslass

I used to watch Pokemon as a kid everyday.

This morning, my cousin woke up around the same time I did. I found him  in the living room watching TV so I went over and sat next to him. To my surprise, I realized he was watching Pokemon.  In the interest of seeing what it is about this show that captivated me as a kid, I stayed. At the start of the little segment I watched, the 3 main characters were wrapped up in blankets, caught in a blizzard (except Misty wasn’t Misty…. it was some other girl). They lit a fire with one of Ash’s fire pokemon but then a wad of snow fell on it. In the distance, they noticed a pokemon they soon identified as Flosslass. Flosslass was a snow pokemon that could freeze it’s opponent to temparatures as low as -60.

Flosslass  led  our heros and heroine to a warm cabin, fed them warm soup(let me just say; I found it a little wierd that a pokemon had a house all to itself and fed them soup like a  human) and drew a hot bath that one our heroine’s pokemon jumped in.  Instantly, her pokemon was trapped in what seemed to be an ice straight-jacket; they realized the “warm cabin” was really a frozen cave; and their warm soup was really shaven ice. Meowth (a talking Pokemon their belonged to their nemesis(ees?)) showed up in that same ice straight-jacket to translate. Apparently, Meowth and his owners had been caught in that same trap (blizzard, warm cabin…). Flosslass captured them because one of it’s friends was lost in the woods and it needed help finding it’s friend. Our heroine’s pokemon was bait – find my friend and you get your pokemon back.

INTERESTING… So, it started out with them caught in a really bad circumstance. Even some of their efforts at making the situation better failed. ALL  OF A SUDDEN, in comes what seems to be their salvation. They rush to it, enjoy a split second of bliss and then all of  a sudden, they’re trapped doing someone’s dirty work.  That’s about as far as a watched but I got the opportunity to see a great parallel in it. Our main characters just didn’t know where it would all lead up to. They thought they had found the solution to their problems. That’s what sin is like… a mask; and if we are uneducated about it then, like the characters in pokemon, we’ll find ourselves having to buy something we didn’t bargain for. It’s reminiscent of this scripture:

“People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble. Some people want money so much that they have given up their faith and caused themselves a lot of pain” – 1 Tim. 6:9-10[NCV]

The Amplified version puts it like this:

“But those who crave to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish (useless, godless) and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction and miserable perishing. For the love of money is a root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have been led astray and have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves through with many ^[a]acute [mental] pangs.”1 Tim. 6;9-10[Amp.]

But in all your endevours, do remember that God never entices you to sin and become educated about sin and its dangers (in the here and now as well as the life to come). He is the way out, not the cause.

“¹³Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one.

¹⁴But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions).

¹⁵Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.’ – James 1[Amp.]

“Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations.” – 1 Corinthians 10;12-13[CEV]

A sign

mark 8:12

Don’t wanna see

^{MARK 4:12[aMP.]}In order that they may [indeed] look and look but not see and perceive, and may hear and hear but not grasp and comprehend, ^[a]lest haply they should turn again, and it [^[b]their willful rejection of the truth] should be forgiven them.^(A)

It’s right there in front of them but they’re not going to see it because they don’t WANT to see it. The truth is being spoken to them but they’re not going to hear it because they don’t WANT to hear it. Jesus isn’t purposely trying to conceal anything but the way He presents the parable proves their condition of heart. They look and look but they’ve already formed their own conclusions so they can’t ever actually come to the right conclusion. They’ve concluded that Jesus is the son of God so why would they take His parables about the Kingdom of God as truth about the Kingdom of God?

Beware of forming conclusions too quickly. Beware of imprisoning yourself in ideology. Be open to the fact that you could be wrong and take the truth for what it is. Accept it as it comes, not just as what you want to see it as. And know you can always trust in the goodness, power, and wisdom of God. He will never cause you pain. He’s not that kind of God.

“¹⁶ My dear brothers and sisters, do not be fooled about this.¹⁷ Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.¹⁸ God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made.” – James 1[NCV]

“¹¹ I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.” -Jeremiah 29[NCV]

Don’t be hesitant to accept His truth. He is trustworthy.  You don’t have to be suspicious of Him.

Daily Bread

“…And protracted wrangling and wearing discussion and perpetual friction among men who are corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, who imagine that godliness or righteousness is a ^[c]source of profit [a moneymaking business, a means of livelihood]. From such withdraw.” – 1 tim 6:5[Amp]

Ok, maybe you’re not actually in a church leadership position you are getting paid for but maybe you still fall into the trap of this kind of wrong thinking. Maybe you treat your relationship with God as a means of livelihood… maybe you think you’re RIGHTEOUSNESS ought to be met with divine financial intervention. This is the kind of thinking that breeds confusion when you have nothing but your daily bread. You think God is punishing you when in reality, that’s not even what He’s really concerned about. He WILL take care of you but sometimes, it’s not in the sense that we expect. Maybe, He’ll give us only what we need… just enough to get by (not more than what we need just so we can have extra to show off).

Give us this day, our daily bread…

Maybe you should stop looking to the heavens saying, “But, I prayed and went to church and fasted. Why haven’t I gotten that promotion? that new car? that new house? those new clothes?” etc… Is you’re allegiance to God dependent on what He gives you. Is He just a source of profit to you? Will you still sit as His feet when you don’t get those extra things you want (but don’t need). What happens when life is normal? When it’s nothing but you waking up and praising Him and learning at His feet for no other reason but the air in your lungs? Don’t stick around just because you’re expecting something extraordinary. He sees your heart. He sees you’re motives.

“[And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for] godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of ^[d]inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain.” – Paul, the Apostle (1 Tim 6:6[Amp.])

^“11Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be ^[f] content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am.

¹²I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want.

¹³I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who ^[g]infuses inner strength into me; I am ^[h]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].” – Paul, the Apostle(Phil 4[Amp.])

ONe

“Ephesians 4:5, 6, 7″

“[There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”

If there is one Lord, then all other would-be Lords are nullified. If there is one faith, then all other would-be faiths are nullified. If there is one baptism, then all other would-be ceremonies of showing one has found the way to God are nullified. It is like Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.”[John 14:6 -NCV] There aren’t 2 or 3 Lords. I hear a lot of would-be Lords described in this world with all their varied personalities and ways of doing and being. Whoever says they all lead to the same place are unbelievably mistaken. We are not talking about the same God. There is no way to unify the personalities of a God that says “kill under [x] circumstances” and then swings around to say “Don’t kill.” There is no way to unify a God that sacrifices His life for His people and a God that says, “leave the poor be; that is their karma.” These are all different gods with different personalities from the true God and only one way can be right. All these paths lead somewhere different and only one outcome can be the right one.

This verse actually simply speaks on the unity of our faith. We are not confused about who we serve (one Lord);  we are not confused about what we believe (one faith); and we are not confused about how we express that(one baptism). So, anyone that introduces an unbiblical version of who God is is like a cancer in the body of Christ; he or she is attempting to ruin something beautiful. We are secondly not to be led astray into believing the wrong things about what we believe. There is one faith and the understanding of that faith is made available to us through the presence of the Holy Spirit as Jesus said(it’s very simple), “But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will lead you into all truth. He will not speak His own words, but He will speak only what He hears and He will tell you what is to come. The Spirit of truth will bring glory  to me, because He will take what I have to say and  tell it to you. All that the father has is mine. That  is why I said that the Spirit will take what I have to say and tell it to you.” [John 16:13-15 - NCV]. He shows us the way so we need not be confused. If we are listening, we will be patient with others, loving of others and accepting of the way different people in the body commune with God because they have their own relationship with Him. If they’re not taking away from what God has said or adding extra stuff to His words, why fight about it? Calm down and have a good dinner with your family. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

“One God and Father of [us] all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us] all.”

As Children of God, nothing separates us from one another. We are brother and sister and just think how much we did to earn that: nothing. So, the distance between you and an unbeliever might be huge but it’s also very small. If He does not discriminate, why should we? We are not to feel like we’re better than someone just because of where we are in comparison to where they are in the race. Pride goes before a fall. Remember how easy it was to get saved: to believe in your heart and confess with your mouth and stop feeling like it would be an unimaginable step for other people to take. It IS possible for other people to come under the blanket of God’s love, just  like you did.

“Yet grace (God’s unmerited favor) was given  to each of us individually [not indiscriminately but in different ways] in proportion to the measure Christ’s [rich and bounteous] gift.”

Even though His grace was given to us in different ways, the way in which He apportioned it was the same. As much as Christ was willing to give is as much as you can get and He gave His life. I have had my own personal encounter with God and  have experienced the way  He draped ME in His grace and my story is different from other people’s stories but I have been bestowed just as much grace as the next guy and the same is true for EVERYONE in the world: “”

If He has been so generous with grace, we have no right to shut the door of the Kingdom of God in other people’s faces because it is not our gift to give. HE is the one that gave His life… not us. That would piss me off, honestly, if I bought something expensive for someone I loved and some 3rd party who had nothing to o with the purchasing of the gift went over and told it’s recipient that  it probably wasn’t for them. The nerve! How must Christ feel? Can He stand the injustice of someone being told that the Kingdom of God is not theirs to take when He freely laid it out for all the world? Don’t be that agent of wickedness. Be as generous as your Father and Brother.

Youth

“Let no one despise or think less of you because of your youth,”

Link: Dr. Seuss

Seuss, Dr., pseud. of Theodor Seuss Geisel, 1904-91, American author and illustrator of children’s books, b. Springfield, Mass. His books are known for their blend of whimsy, zany humor, catchy verse, and outlandish illustrations. His style is evidenced in such books as Horton Hears a Who (1954), The Cat in the Hat (1957),Green Eggs and Ham (1960), and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (1990). In 1986 he published You’re Only Old Once, about growing old. Although some early critics objected to his carefree style and sometimes violent illustrations, his books are immensely popular.

See biography by J. and N. Morgan, Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel (1995).

Let no one despise you. I know what it’s like to feel like you have to play the part of dumb teenager because that is what everybody expects but it is very possible to have good ideas and opinions regardless of how old/young you are. Don’t agree with them because you feel outnumbered. Let no one despise you. Don’t play the part because you’re scared. You don’t have to.

You are a human being with a capacity for knowledge,understanding, and wisdom just like everyone else around you. Don’t let anyone bully you into being less than you are: human. You too, just like they, can look at the world, process your observations and come to a logical conclusion. You have both  the ability to be wrong JUST AS MUCH AS you have the ability to be right (like they do).

“but be an example (pattern) for the believers”

You can be someone that other people look to, to learn from. You can be the trend setter, the one who got it right, the one who found the right method or the key to something. You can be a trail blazer,  a teacher, and a leader in your field. You have the potential to see something people have been missing. You have your own unique tendencies and set of gifts and those could come together to enable you to discover something other people before you did not. So continue to develop yourself as a human. Continue to learn and grow and enjoy your crafts.

“in speech,”

Speak up and let people hear you. You might be wrong and you will learn as you go along but remember: you might also be right even when other people disagree.

“in conduct,”

Be dignified in your actions instead of ashamed. Be someone good. Be patient. Be wise. Be respectable even when you are not respected. By respectable, I don’t mean be prudish; be someone of character and depth. KNOW more and BE more.

“in love,”

We have the power to correct the mistakes of the generation before us. There  have been great pioneers but there have also been great failures. Apathy has ravaged nations and destroyed lives all over battles for money and power. We don’t have to make those same mistakes. When we’re leaving the legacies of our lives,  we can be different. We could be the mother Teresa’s of our times of the Martin Luther King jr.’s of our time. We can be people of character who stand up for what is right and love others instead of stepping on them in our hasty climb to the top.

“in faith,”

I have had professors (who shall remain unnamed) that have tried to force their opinions on the class when it comes to faith and spirituality. With an air of arrogance, they laughed at what others believed because it was not what THEY believed (so naturally everybody else had to be wrong, right? WRONG). I later learned that they are human just like I am and I don’t have to feel intimidated because I don’t believe like they do. Set an example in faith. Don’t let others rob you of your mind by using fear.

“and in purity.”

Duplicity is like a plague that has spread throughout our society uncontrolled. Duplicity says that lying and cheating and deceiving are okay but purity says “I am whole” and “I am who I am not who I pretend to be.” I know I am feeding you ideas that you don’t have to take. Be human enough to form a personal, unbiased opinion about what you have read today,

Buki.

Growing up

So, I would never do this on my own but I’m babysitting my cousin tonight. He wanted to watch this cartoon about a turtle named, “Franklin.” I didn’t  want to watch  it with him but I ended up being sucked in when they started an episode entitled, “Franklin growing up fast.”

I was enraptured  (WEIRD).  The basic point of that episode was that sometimes people get caught up with the idea of growing up (obsessed even) and because they think of it so glowingly, they forget how beautiful what they already have is. They forget that their lives ARE happy and peaceful as is, simply because they get so carried away with how much better they think things will be “when they grow up.”

.

It was just like another movie I watched recently on Disney channel starring Debby Ryan called, “16 wishes.” In this movie (SPOILER ALERT), I walked into the life of a teenager who had always  felt she was stuck in an existence that was too small for her. Her main focus pretty much all her life was GROWING UP and getting past all the boring and annoying stuff to the good part – adulthood and all that came with it; having a car, cute clothes, more respect etc. When a supernatural window opened allowing her the opportunity to be granted 16 wishes, she wished (of course) that she would have a car, have the cutest clothes in school, be popular and then (the wish that ruined them all) that she would  be treated like an adult. She got what she wished for except (of course) it wasn’t what she wanted.

She soon realized how good her life was and that she wasn’t ready to grow up. Don’t worry; she got her life back.

I refuse to bash growing up (it’s not like you have a choice) but I do agree with what they’re saying. IN THE MEAN TIME, there’s nothing better than enjoying what you currently have. When the time comes, you’ll enjoy your new adventures but the mistake is in thinking that life as it is right now isn’t good enough. To quote the Hannah Montana song (DON’T YOU DARE JUDGE ME!), ”Life’s what  you make it.”

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So, I did what any respectable not-adult would do… I drowned some knock-off cocoa puffs in sweet strawberry yogurt and scarfed it down gleefully. Chocolate and strawberry mix surprisingly well. Sometimes, those tiny things really make me happy. I think I’ll go burn a lavender/Orange Blossom/Thyme incense stick and take some deep breaths before retiring for the day. My life is good.

Boiled Potatoes

So, I’m watching my cousin again.

I decided to make dinner. Obviously, I’m not going to leave him to starve. So, I spent and hour an a half working on dinner. Peeling, spicing, boiling, coating etc.

I gave him his plate and the conversation proceeded like so:

cousin: Is there pepper in this?

me: yes

cousin: I don’t like pepper

I was extremely disappointed. I responded with disapproval. No “thank you”… nothing; I mean, some people don’t even HAVE food to complain about. The first thing he did was complain and as I took that picture in, I caught a glimpse of God and me.

He prepared a beautiful life and the first thing I did was complain about what I didn’t like. Boo.

I mean, I am so blessed: school, food, shelter, a chance to explore my hobbies and develop my talents, entertainment, recreation, wonderful friends, family, and church… There are so many good things on my plate. It is shameful for me to complain about pepper.

I shouldn’t and neither should you.

P.S. Do you notice a trend in this blog entry and the last??? Haha. I do. I need to get the message.

I want to spend myself pursuing treasure

“Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Nothing you could want is equal to it.” -Proverbs 8:11(ncv)

Man, these treasures on earth, you know. Thieves steal them and moths and rust destroy them. Our treasure should be in heaven.

The pursuit of wisdom is synonnymous with the pursuit of Christ (we can go more in depth about that later).

If you cling to, trust in, and rely on Jesus in all you do, you are clinging to, trusting in, and relying on wisdom.

“Lean on, trust in and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight, and plain your paths. Be not wise in your eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil. It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.” -Proverbs 3:5-8[Amp.]

He is the treasure that we are supposed to spend our lives gathering.

Let Him be the center of your hunt not money, sex, fame, houses etc.

“Do not be seized with alarm and struck with fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom! Sell what you possess and give donations to the poor; provide yourselves with purses and handbags thaat do not grow old, an unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens, where no theif comes near and no moth destroys.”-Luke 12:32-34[Amp.]

The pursuit of happiness

“As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it,

and everyone who uses it will be happy.”

-Proverbs 3:18[NCV]

Wisdom:- Insight; Common Sense; Clear Thinking; Practicality.

There are a lot of things that mask themselves as wisdom. A lot of them are birthed in personal desires. What matters is the end result, really. Insight… “I have realized that…”    ”I have noticed that…” It is all around us which is why it is called common sense because we see it everyday. Everyday, we see another batch of people chasing the same thing that have ruined many since the dawn of time. Every generation, someone does it again (whatever it is) that  they thought would work for them this time around even though it has not worked for anyone else (but they are not thinking clearly so they chase the wrong things). What are you chasing?? What has masked itself as the practical thing for you to do? What are you  living for?

Last night, I watched “fame.” A lot of those kids were genuinely talented but the thing that got me later was the speech Kay Panabaker made at the end about how fame is not the measure for success but excitement for life. The people in our lives can add joy to our lives. Wisdom knows that fame is fleeting and money dwindles but people fail us sometimes to.

So what do we have left to hold on to?

“All I go through leads me to You.

I’m not alright.

I’m not alright.

That’s why I need You.”

And you shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.

Worship is Death. Worship is Life.

I see His figure on the cross

cast against sunset-sky

I kiss His face,

kiss His feet

and bow to Him

at the foot of the cross.

 

He splatters His blood on me

There is no blood on His body

He shines perfectly

His loins are covered in a white cloth

The blood grows

and I am covered.

 

I look like a monster

trying to rise through ashes of blood

I repulse my mates

I am wrapped in white cloth

and placed in a tomb

ruminating in His death.

 

I rise long after that

to embody His glory

to stand at His side

to reflect His image

His death still brings life even NOW

and I look upon it.

Plans

Proverbs 16:1-3[ncv]

People may make plans in their minds, but only the Lord can make them come true.

You may believe you are doing right,
but the Lord will judge your reasons.

Depend on the Lord in whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.

Today, I was talking to Brittney and Tonell about a dilemma I was having. I’m moving off campus next year for grad school. It’ll be my first time in an apartment of my own because I’ve spent the last 4.5 years in a dorm (partly because I was too young and because I became an RA). I remember going to visit one of my friends in her condo and really liking it and I always had this glorified memory of that house. I thought to myself, “If I ever move off campus, I want a place like THAT.”

Desire.

When I realized I would need an apartment, another Britney told me she would let me sublease hers because she was going to be transferring to another school.

Opportunity.

I put that condo out of my mind because I thought I would never get it (I mean, what was I going to do? kick the residents out?). Then all of a sudden, it seemed like my dream was coming true because I ran into one of the friends that lived in that condo and she said, “Hey, I’m moving out next year if you want to rent our condo.”

Choice.

So I went back with a potential roommate and looked at the condo. It didn’t seem to look like it did when I first saw it. I was looking at it with fresh eyes and pondering the intricate details pertaining to living with another person. Flaws in the house began to emerge and what I had thought I had always wanted began to seem a little less appealing (but I still wanted it).

Confusion.

Providence? What happens when you get what you’ve always thought you wanted but at the same time, you get something that you think (maybe) you would want more? How was I to answer this question? Was God allowing this desire of my heart to be fulfilled? or was He showing me that His way is always better and sometimes, we set our hope on things we should not (like that guy I’m not supposed to be crushing on or that job I’m not supposed to take)? Tonell said, “Just give it to God. He’ll show you what to do. I mean, it might take a minute but you’ll know.”

Trust.

“Give me a sign God!”

“Unless I put my hand in His side and feel the wounds myself…”

I wonder if my reasons for wanting the condo are super shallow. It’s not like it’s more cost effective or even furnished! I would be doing so much more work to live there than I would to move into an awesome, FURNISHED apartment that simply showed up on my doorstep. Sometimes, we receive these “out of the blue” blessings but we do not acknowledge them because we’re too busy holding on to our own desire. What if God wants to put you on a different path? What if the messiah shows up and He turns out to be completely different that what you anticipated? “Isn’t that Joseph’s son?” What if He destroys the fabric of your belief system? What if He blows your mind? takes your tiny perspective and expectations and replaces it with TRUTH? I’m talking about more than an apartment now (just F.Y.I.). Think about this idea. What if our vision of God is totally wrong? Can we accept Him when He shows up in all HIS glory not just our idea of Who He is?

Proversb 16:1-3[Amp.]

  THE PLANS of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the [wise] answer of the tongue.

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits (the thoughts and intents of the heart).

  Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.

The Answer

So… I’m doing it. I’m falling in love with my ministry to the world/others.

It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally doing it. SO instead of being future-focused and boy-crazy and bored, I’m living. Thank God.

It’s kind of amazing because ministry is coming in ways I wouldn’t have expected. Then again, I hadn’t really thought expectations through simply because I was busy making sure I was getting fed.

Are we educated beyond our level of obedience?

(Joyce Meyer said that)

It’s coming in a church building, at a cafe, at home, online… and (again) it’s funny because it is a job in itself. You can get quite occupied with it. I wasn’t feeling stressed out (because God gives His grace where He gives His calling) but I did get a little conflicted about whether or not I was supposed to be so busy. Here’s the scripture of the day (thank you “youVersion” Bible App!):

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be firm (steadfast), immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord [always being superior, excelling, doing more than enough in the service of the Lord], knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].

That was from 1 Corinthians 15:58 (long letter there, Paul). So, that said, a lot has been changing lately… I feel weird saying WHEN certain spiritual changes started in me (like salvation) because all things have been in Him from the start. There’s always been this thread from the very beginning and that thread is Jesus; He’s always been saving/re-creating me.

That thread existed long before me and has been permeating my whole life. it’s just that I noticed the thread at one point and then gradually began to study it and then, at another point, held on to it and to this day, I keep learning more and more about this amazing thread that holds the Universe together.

The thread continues to this day. One day, the thread led me to a church where I heard a message saying, “Be the one.” For someone that hopes to get married one day, impatience can become a pitfall. For someone living a pretty average, self-centered, bored life, it is very easy to become very dissatisfied with your today and begin to fervently wish for tomorrow.

“Being the one” is all about shifting your focus

from

“Gah! I can’t wait till I meet the perfect person and then we fall in love and get married”

to

“Whoa! Sure, that person might be in my future but if I WERE to meet them, would I even be the kind of person that is compatible with my ideal mate?”

‘Cuz I think it’s easy to wish for someone that’s kind, wise, strong, beautiful/handsome, funny, winsome… and to have all these expectations but turn the question around: are we those things ourselves? Think about it, the person you hope to fall in love with might not even be attracted to you ‘cuz you’re lazy and selfish and immature (or whatever).

And it’s funny ‘cuz it turns out I’ve heard people say that before but when God speaks, He speaks. Sometimes, I find things on the thread that have always been there but I don’t notice it for a while. Today I was watching, “Beware of Christians” and one of the guys made the point about being the one. I saw that movie way before I heard the message: “Be the one”

Shortly after the trip to that church where I heard the message (“Be the one”), Abba started to convict me. I have fallen in love with the idea of falling in love. I think it was the movie “27 dresses” that had the line:

I don’t think you want a marriage; I think you just want a wedding

but it’s been a little bit like that for me: falling in love with love but not allowing myself to realize that it is more than that. I was officially a romantic but Abba said, “Hey, fall in love with your ministry. Give that a go. Try that instead of being in love with romance.” And when I trusted Him and took His hand, He lead me to a place that I really can’t describe. He took me to Land-Ineffable. I am happy that I trusted Him. I am happy that I gave my life over. I am happy that He is my guide and I am happy that He is the thread that has always existed and will never fade out for all of time.

Be the one.

Buki.

“Faith Like Potatoes”

So, like over a year ago, I was at Kroger and I saw this movie called “Faith Like Potatoes” in one of their movie bins. I ignored it because (although I am a Christian), I have a bias against Christians films and I went, “it’s probably going to be cheesy and badly acted. Besides, I’m not that crazy about potatoes. They’re adequate.” (uh! I can be such a stereotype-er sometimes).

About a month ago, I was on Netflix, surfing movies when I came across (you guessed it) “Faith Like Potatoes.” I decided to watch the trailer and see what the movie was about. I guess my Jesus-senses were tingling. I was curious. I LOVED THE TRAILER. My interest was definitely peeked so I added it to my DVD queue.

After watching the bajillion other movies in my queue, “Faith Like Potatoes” was up next but I had apparently forgotten the awesome trailer I had seen so I decided I didn’t care for the movie anymore. I tried to circumvent watching it before it was too late.

ALAS, it had already been shipped my Netflix before I could take it off my queue so I had 2 options:

1. Simply return it as soon as it arrived
2. Watch it, judge it, move on

I decided to watch it on Tuesday. I started during downtime at the office but 2 minutes into it, I suddenly had work to do. Those 2 minutes were all it took for my interest to be peeked again. Y’ALL, I just finished watching it and it was amazing! (it’s Friday now).

I just want to re-iterate something: when God speaks, He speaks. He obviously wanted me to see that movie. It blew my mind. I learned that much of our faith happens in the dark but we keep working and then the fruit comes. That is major trust in God. I hope you watch it. I loved it.

The Stoning of Soraya M.

Love

I had one of those desire-prayers recently. It’s when you don’t actually pray but you do… it’s when your heart prays even when your mouth or mind don’t (because God listens that closely whether we realize it or not).

Love is a big deal. Every one talks about it and tries to distinguish it from lesser things like infatuation, lust, interest, like etc. Everyone is still trying to figure out what it really is; but then, there are those Christians that have somehow cracked the hard shell of the coconut that is the study of love. They have grabbed hold of some awesome revelation and they’re running around saying love is the most amazing thing they’ve ever come across.

They don’t talk about love in a jaded way nor do they talk about it in a cliche way. They do not give a Sunday School answer without depth to back up their words. I must confess, I was not one of those Christians (but I wanted to be). That was my heart-prayer. I prayed God would teach me about love and show me it’s depth. I prayed I would have an inspired understanding of this “love” and become so impacted by it that my whole life would change.

I prayed that I would not be formulaic about it. Love is patient, love is kind… trying to “do patience” and “do kindness” etc without any substance to my soul or experiential knowledge of the ins and outs of love.

Unasked, I hear Michael Buble singing, “That’s All” and a new idea emerges: He loves me… for it is the love of God that leads man to repentance… not the hate/disdain/judgement of God:

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

(Romans 2:4-NASB)

LOVE SYMBOL

It is not birthed out of our actions. We can only love when we see God’s love. I hope your heart prays. Love is the movement and it does mean something deep as everyone suspects. I pray I get it and I pray we all get it… and then become love.

the sacrifice

^{PROVERBS 21:3[NIV]}

To do what is right and just 

is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

-King Solomon

I was l led to read this a lot when I first became a Christian. Looking back now, I see that it was something I especially needed to hear being the kind of kid I was. I mean, my “brilliant” idea to get around God and sin was to do whatever I wanted and then ask for forgiveness. At the age of 8, I thought I had found the loophole and would make an amazing lawyer some day. I even began to pray, “Lord, forgive me for what I am about to do.” I treated God like a machine. I was trying to work the system.

One day, my sister, without knowing I had developed this habit, said, “Sinning is bad but it’s worse when you do it anyway because you know you can ask for forgiveness later.” (she probably doesn’t remember because it was really long ago and I’m surprised I even remembered it)

We humans have a habit of that, don’t we? We try to make up for our wrongs with God by praying prayers, offering sacrifices, going to church, singing a song, giving money to a good cause… I mean, we can even get super creative with it and start using props: crosses around our necks, handling our physical bibles with the utmost care (whether or not His word is hidden in our hearts)… Do you notice how everything I mentioned is actually a good thing?

 ^{1 SAMUEL 16:7 [NIV]}

 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height,

for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at.

People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

It’s not rare for me to hear that Jesus came to cleanse us from our sins through His death on the cross.

HEBREWS 1:3[NCV]

 The Son reflects the glory of God and shows exactly what God is like. He holds everything together with his powerful word. When the Son made people clean from their sins, he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. – Unknown

I am SO grateful for His cross and there is no amount of guilt on my part to pay for that. I have been bought by His blood and am no longer my own but His. Here’s the thing though, Him cleansing us from our sins encompasses more than His death on the cross.

MARK 1:38[NCV]

Jesus answered, “We should go to other towns around here so I can preach there too. That is the reason I came.”

His teachings form the core of our new way of thinking and living. His was is the way things were always supposed to be. Jeshua did not come down so that people could have a sacrifice they could tote around to say, “HEY! I’m clean! I’m clean!”

He came to teach people how to be  like God. We are not called to live at the place were all we can do is ask for cleansing after cleansing. He showed us how to be truly godly and gave us to power to do it by His spirit. Don’t give up hope. There is grace and that grace is strong enough to change you.

I hope you’re not like I was as a kid, simply using the sacrifice of Jesus as insurance for your sins. Be cleansed from your sins to the core of who you are so that Jesus can reign supreme in your heart.

So when you hear that Jesus came to cleanse you of your sins, think not only of forgiveness but of transformation. (I urge you to read the next verse in context if you have time).

II CONRINTHIANS 3:18[NCV]

Our faces, then, are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings ever greater glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – Paul

Adul-atry

^{Mark 10:11-12 msg}}Jesus gave it to them straight: “A man who divorces his wife so he can marry someone else commits adultery against her. And a woman who divorces her husband so she can marry someone else commits adultery.”

Adultery is so much deeper than I thought.  The mere heart condition of abandoning your spouse for the prospect of something better is adultery.

In other words, we usually don’t consider it cheating until you can see the 3rd person in the love triangle but now, I’m starting to think it takes on a deeper shape.

The moment your heart abandons your spouse for another – whether that person has take on a physical form  or is merely a desire [figment of the imagination] – your heart has wandered and adultery has occurred because >>> will you not jump at the first opportunity to be with someone who fulfills those fantasies?

Idolatry has been described in scripture as SPIRITUAL ADULTERY (prime example – the book of Hosea).

The moment your mind/heart/body says, “I want something more satisfying than God” and you begin to pull away from Him in your heart, idolatry has occurred. SIN has occurred.

^{Mark 10:15 msg}}Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”

The adult in you will look for loopholes in this. The child will pray, “Let me be faithful to You, my Love.”

So let it be 예수

Tha stages of Christianity

We come first doing a lot

Paying God back for our sins with

daily devotions

scriptures on our walls

regular church attendance

The  Holy Spirit uses these disciplines

And by His power

These disciplines help us to come out of the pit

These disciplines help change us.

Pride sets in

We begin to boast in our strength

We look down on others like we don’t remember

what we were like two years ago.

The Father comes and knocks us off the hill

And so we learn

Saved By Grace through faith

Not by works lest any man should boast

So we  boast all the more in our weakness

We know that we rely on God’s strength.

Hatred becomes compassion.

Superciliousness becomes understanding.

Pride becomes repentance.

The first becomes the last.

Suddenly… there He is.

Truthful Talk Tuesday

Truthful Talk Tuesday is broken into three parts:

So Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32 Amplified Bible)

1. God speaks truth to us.

Today, Tuesday, we cultivate the habit of facing the truth, to turn our backs on the Eden reaction that runs and hides when the truth seeks us out. As long as we are afraid of the truth, we will stay stagnant. God’s word can’t build us up if we don’t give it a chance. That’s why abiding in God is not just hearing but also doing. Truth forces a response.

For instance, it is true that if I jump into a den of hungry lions, I probably won’t come out. My response? I won’t jump into a den of hungry lions.

When Jesus speaks, I am not just listening to an interesting guy. I am listening to the truth and I build my life on it; I subject my emotions to it and my actions follow suit. Even if it is painful, I know now that the way of the Kingdom is the opposite of what Adam and Eve did. The way of the Kingdom calls us to come into the light and be purified by fire.

For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved. But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are–wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him]. (John 3: 20-21 Amplified Bible)

Don’t go the wrong way. False humility runs and hides from the truth. Jesus calls His disciples to embrace the truth even if it means realizing you’ve messed up. You really are not getting the message of the Messiah’s new covenant if you’re still sewing fig leaves and hiding behind bushes when your conscience convicts you. Let us work hard to put that bad habit behind us.

Trust in, lean on, rely on, and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is a refuge for us (a fortress and a high tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

2. We speak truth to God.

I don’t know why we bother hiding our questions and problems from God like it’s going to shock and surprise Him.  Today is a day when we focus on hiding nothing from God.

If you’re worried about something, tell Him. If you’re confused about something, talk to Him. There is nothing He hasn’t seen and there is nothing He doesn’t know how to handle.

Sometimes, we think He will condemn us for our weaknesses. He came because we were weak and He came to make us strong so bring all your weaknesses and faults to the table. Bring all your complicated questions. Bring your past. Bring your hatred. Bring your anger… throw it at His feet because as long as you are holding on to it, probably nothing is going to get done to solve your problems.

We’re not called to pretend we’re perfect. God doesn’t play that sick game with us. That’s more a frail human thing. His culture is not like that based on what I’ve seen in scripture and experienced walking with Him.

Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. (I Peter 5:6-7 Amplified Bible)

Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another. (Ephesians 4:25 Amplified Bible)

And then as is characteristic of the Kingdom of God, it extends to our dealings with others:

3. We speak truth to others

only as God leads. In turn, this means that when others are speaking truth to us, we listen with discernment and with a mind to do what God would want us to do.

 

 

 

 

Mouthpiece

human weakness + divine calling to be a mouthpiece = distrust and despair.

The story starts out with God revealing Himself to you in powerful ways. You have absolutely no doubts. In fact, you are amazed and you praise Him for gracing you with His awesomeness. Then comes the call,

“Now, go and tell my people what you’ve seen and heard.”

You respond, “Of course! This is amazing.” but maybe people are not impressed. You’re saddened. You go back to Him and say, “Lord, I have done what you asked. Do not put me to shame. Please, show yourself true. Show them what I have seen.”

But the years wind down, the seasons change and the prophecy is not fulfilled… yet.

You begin to succumb to your fears like Peter did when he took his eyes off Jesus and planted them on the wind and the waves.

The second you doubt what you know to be real, it’s like the fabric of your mind begins to crumble. He has so burned His word into your heart that the presence of doubt is such a contradiction… an infection, in fact, it feels like. You know the doubt is out of place and so you cry again, like Peter, “Lord, save me [from death]!” or like Jeremiah, “Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts…Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?” (Jeremiah 15:16, 18 Amp.)

You cry out because you know what you saw. You cry out because you know what you heard. It is as if someone has doubted the fact that the sky is blue. You saw this sky but they did not. It would be a discontinuation in reality if you turn your back on what you have seen. Jeremiah put it like this:

” You tricked me, LORD,

and I was really fooled.

You are stronger than I am,

and you have defeated me.

People never stop sneering

and insulting me.

You have let me announce

only destruction and death.

Your message has brought me

nothing but insults

and trouble.

Sometimes I tell myself

not to think about you, LORD,

or even mention your name.

But your message burns

in my heart and bones,

and I cannot keep silent.” (Jeremiah 20: 7 – 9 CEV)

His voice… is like fire. It burns and brands the soul at a level that no amount of derision from your mates and the devil himself can reverse.

The Lord finally answers(Jeremiah 15:19), “If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece.”

Mark 10

 ¹Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.

Did  you know that it was His custom to teach those who approached Him? That was His “as usual.” If you lack wisdom, draw near. I understand now. I have experienced so many occasions where I was struggling with temptation and I turned to Him devoid of strength and said, “I feel [x]; I am weak in [x].” and even without my explicitly asking, He just gave me grace.

SOMEHOW, me crying out to Him was all it took for Him to solve my  problem. He’s so gracious.

He will not turn you away. Draw near to Him and He will feed you.

*Mt. 11:28-30     *I Peter 5:7     *James 1:5

*Heb 11:6     *James 4:8(vs. 6-10)     *I John 5:14-15

*Heb 10:19-22     *HEBREWS 4:14-16

 ² Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

I read some crazy things today about how women are treated in Islam. Jesus isn’t for treating anyone in such an objectified, disposable approach. Everyone is important to Him and we must treat our spouses as such if we are to follow in His footsteps as true disciples.

   ³ “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

 ⁴ They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

This whole, “He said we could” nonsense really gets a lot of people. It’s amazing what people will do if they’re given orders/permission from their superior.

Don’t do things just because you can

*I Cor. 6:12

*Gal 6:7-9

You must live to do only what is good. That is the goal in life.

Aim for God’s original intention.

*Mark 10:6     *Col 3:1-3

Aim higher y’all. Our vision has become too narrow.

   ⁵ “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶ “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^{[a] 7} ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^{[b] 8} and the two will become one flesh.’^[c] So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

A husband is supposed to be making this amazing sacrifice but these guys are really selling it short. They just want to get it, get what they want and pull out once satisfaction runs out, it seems.

That is not God’s highest good for you. It is most definitely NOT God’s will for you to spend your whole life seeking a false high, leaving a trail of people you’ve used and abused on the way (and this goes for everybody). We are to be living sacrifices who serve one another, not use one another.

*Romans 12:1, 9-10

The type of love God shows is there to support us and minister to us even when we’re being stupid. Hos love does not wait for us to get it together; rather, it is ferocious and hunting. It seeks us out in our darkness to shower us with blessing after blessing that will pull us into the light and THAT is how we are transformed. Emulate your Father.

*Matthew 5:43-48

⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Don’t ruin the beautiful ART God has made. He has designed something truly unique; the meshing of two already individually complex human souls. It is a process that takes time and is an experiment (to use a Scientific analogy) that must be performed only under all the right conditions: not too early, not too rushed, not for the wrong reasons, not apart from Christ…

I feel like it’s so complex that when done right, it’s MIND-BLOWING but when it’s done the wrong way, you have a catastrophe with a bunch of complex things lying around

 ¹⁰ When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.

So… what hard questions have you asked Jesus today? Draw near. It is His custom to help you understand. Listen patiently.