Hello my Name is...Child of God!

Hello, my name is regret…I’m pretty sure we have met… Every single day of your life…I’m the whisper inside… That won’t let you forget… Hello, my name is defeat…I know you recognize me… Just when you think you can win…I’ll drag you right back down again… ‘Til you’ve lost all belief… These are the voices. These are the lies… How many of us have believed them And how many of us want to believe them, For the Very Last Time!! This world, our mind, the enemy daily pulls us down like the power of Gravity… Praise God, Scripture says otherwise…Let us start this new year with a new mind set… Hello, my name is child of the one true King I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free "Amazing Grace" is the song I sing Hello, my name is child of the one true King I am no longer defined, By all the wreckage behind The one who makes all things new, Has proven it’s true Just take a look at my life Hello, my name is child of the one true King I've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set free "Amazing Grace" is the song I sing Hello, my name is child of the one true King 1 John 3:1- Oh see What love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called His children… I am a child of the one true King What love the Father has lavished upon us that we should be called His children Hello, my name is child of the one true King I've been saved, I've been changed, I have been set free "Amazing Grace" is the song I sing Hello, my name is child of the one true King We must learn to retrain our thinking when we have become a follower of Jesus Christ, We are no longer slaves to those sinful thoughts, but are freed by the gift of the Cross Phil. 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” We must learn to 2 Cor. 10:5- “5 demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Jer. 17:9- The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" Those thoughts of defeat, disappointment, self hatered, regret, etc…must be prayed to refocus on the truth of God’s word…not the lies of our heart and our mind… Hello, I am a child of the one true King John 1:12 - to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…

The One who came, asks us to Go...

Tonight I want you to listen to this story very closely. At the end I am going to ask you tell me who all went to find Jesus? And who did not. Matt. 1: The Announcement of Jesus : “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Luke 2 : The Birth of Jesus : “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. The Shepherds: 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. Jesus Presented in the Temple 22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” 33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.... 37 a prophet, Anna...She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him. Matt. 2: Visit from the Magi : After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Purpose: There are Goer’s – Joseph, Mary, Shepherds, Simeon, Anna, Magi, : Just think about their experience, think about what it would have been like to see, hear and experience angels in real life, think about what it would be like to see the God of the universe as a baby… You see these people first had to leave their comfort to see Jesus... There are Hearers - not willing to leave their comfort...Those people who heard from the shepherds, King Herod, and many today will hear about Christ, yet will never be willing to go and see Jesus...to leave their place of comfort. Just think of the differences in these 2 groups of people with Jesus….those who went and saw…those who just heard…What impacts you more at times…hearing or seeing…if you heard about a miracle that would be pretty cool…but what if you were in the room where you saw the miracle??!!! Or hearing about about this really amazing Roller Coaster ride…isn’t it better to go, see and experience it than just hearing about it?? Many will profess to follow and worship Jesus, but the majority will never go and do anything for Jesus, because they were never willing to go in the first place to really meet Him, so they have nothing really share about Him personally…there is Joy in the journey of getting to know someone, that is how we have stories to share about our families, and friends etc…is because of our experiences with them…many people will never go and follow, Jesus, which means they will have nothing to share..which means they will never be able to worship Jesus..Seeing and worshiping Jesus and telling others about Jesus!!! The Joy of sharing what they found when they met Jesus!!!! Is better than anything I can ever imagine doing. No, it will not always be easy following God’s commands, we will take round about paths…but God still gets us where He wants us to go… His word has promised us that God is with us…He came to us first…now are you willing to “go” find and see Him so you too can be overjoyed and worship Him? Like Simeon and Anna, are you willing to wait on the Lord…being faithful and waiting on the Lord, and making excuses for not doing anything for the Lord are 2 very different things… This Christmas season, I Pray your realize the incredible gift Jesus is to you, and how He too had to "Go" to fulfill God's plan for the world...Jesus comfort zone of heaven...perfect and beautiful worship...to a world filled with hatered and mockery towards Him and all He did for us. God knew...Jesus knew what the cost of leaving His place of comfort would cost Him...my question to myself and to you who read this, is this...are you willing to go...see...experience Jesus...and worship Him? Amen...

A Substitutionary Ram for One Son, Another Son...the Sacrificial Lamb...

I have been walking through the life of Abraham and his family recently. As I was praying about what I should share with my teens last week, the life event of Abraham and his promised son, Isaac came to mind. Like many, I have read this event many times, and many of you have probably already thought about this. But for some reason it just really stuck out to me. And so I thought I would share it with you as well. Genesis 22(ESV) The Sacrifice of Isaac 22 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. 9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Now just stop with me for a moment. God asked Abraham to do What? That in and of itself is a hard thing to swallow. But let's look at Abraham's response- "So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him." 1st- It is not recorded what was going on in Abraham's mind...one can only surmise his extreme pain and fear...yet he went... He had plenty of time to change his mind. It says he arose early. He could have chosen to sleep in...he could have gone out and done his chores for the day, fed his family. He could have even gone to consult some God fearing friends of his, asked their opinion on what he ought to do. Prayed about it for a few days...but no...what was his immediate response? "He went." Do we have that close of a relationship with God that when He speaks, we know Him that well and do not question it...and respond as obediently as Abraham did? It's a question I have to ask myself. 2nd- Let us imagine for a moment, going and cutting the wood for the offering...which would be his son...his precious, promised son. Let's really think about that...let it sink in a bit. Don't rush over it...with every strike of the ax, he knew what is was for. He knew that after that ax was lain down, he would have to pick up a dagger to pierce his son upon God's request. Really? Could you be that obedient? I too must ask myself that question. For those of you who are parents, we could only imagine how excruciating that must have been. The extreme psychological anguish that must have caused him. Emotional agony. Even physical pain he may have endured knowing what was coming. Yet...he obeyed. 3rd- O', his precious son, "My father!...Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” You see Isaac was very much old enough to understand what was going on here. And O', Abraham's amazing response, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” I do not believe this is a man who does not know His God. Yes, as human as he was with all that I described above, he still held out hope that His God would come through and save his son from this horrific sacrifice from his very own hands. 4th- "So they went, both of them together... Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood." Again, let's stop here for a moment. Where is Abrahams faith now, again...it is now only moments until he must do as God has asked him to do...Imagine with me, could he look at his son Isaac? Was his son looking at him? Were they both weeping? Let us not forget once again that Isaac is fully aware of what is going to happen. He was old enough to run, to fight, yet he too submitted to his father's will...and was obedient to what they both believed was the very end. His death by his father's hands. 5th- Abraham raises his hands...what most likely felt like an eternity, broken and desperate, maybe just waiting one more second for God to call it all off...and then..."what was that?" "the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” (Oh in that very moment what would have he been feeling? Think, feel, put yourself in his place. Imagine his tear-filled eyes, his aching body, the extreme intensity of that very moment crying out) “Here I am.” (and the angels response,) “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Have you ever been relieved about something in your life? I am not sure if anything could come as close as to Abraham's relief. His shaking body, going from one extreme emotion to the next- Agony to Joy! Weeping to...well probably still more weeping but for another reason...untying his son as fast as he could...as they stared deeply into eachother's eyes!! "THE LORD IS FAITHFUL! Praise God Almighty, HE has saved my son!!!" Oh dear one's enjoy that moment...take a deep breath, Isaac was saved from the hand of his father. God removed the sacrifice upon him and placed it on a ram. (which should have been a lamb) But, let's not leave this the sacrificial altar entirely, just yet. You see, there was another life event that happened some years later between a Son and Father, with the same request. The Father was to sacrifice His Precious Son. His One and only Son- Jesus Christ of Nazareth. So, how do these two stories differ? (in many ways yes) but this is what I want to point out to you) This time, there was no ram to be a substitute...this time the Father had to crush and pierce His son... Like Abraham, God the Father, loved His Son...even more than Abraham, because GOD is Love...it is the fullness of who He is. It is the very fiber of His character and nature...Love is God and God is love. So when God chose to send His Son, to take upon the world's sin by crucifying Him, like Abraham and Isaac, both were fully aware of what all was to come. Yet the Father did not change His mind and His Son -Jesus Christ- the fulfillment of the Lamb Of God- the perfect sacrifice, not a ram, did not fight Him...He willingly submitted to His Father's will...and died for all mankind... Have you ever thought about how excruciating that was for God the Father? The agony of watching your creation destroy Your Son, because you called it to be? Yet scripture says it "Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him" Now then, why do we wait to respond to His great love? Why then do we turn our backs on Him? Why do we keep putting things of this world over Him, wealth, status, ourselves over and before Him! Look at what HE did for us! He knows and understands every pain you have...This is a good and loving God...

A life well lived

These past few weeks I have been thinking about how we take life for granted...well most of us anyway... Those of us who are happy and healthy do for the most part. We wake up and get on with our life as is and how it always has been. Life filled with activities, family, food, and fun. But is this all that God has for us? I believe He loves watching us enjoy the life He has given us and He enjoys watching us use the gifts He has given us (if we are using them for His glory) But are we missing moments along the way of life and not living our lives to the fullest? I mean, most of will say at this point in my post, "Tiffany, my days are quite full, there is no way I could fill them any more!" But that's my point exactly! We are full of filling...but are we living like we are called to live...a life worth living for our Savior! What is our focus on? What are we stressing about? What are we forcing, pushing in our lives to make it full? And for what? For who? And for why? Jesus said that He came to give life and give it to full, not - give life so we can fill it up and be full of our stuff. Are we filling our moments and hours through out the day with the fullness of Christ and what He desires of us? Or are we just filling our days...with what we feel the world demands of us... This past week I talked with my teens about how we compartmentalize God all the time...we fill our time with school, work, activities, and family etc. But we have even more things to fill our time...it's no longer just TV, it's every App available our there is Cyber world, so that our minds never need to focus on Christ and Christ alone...because there is no more "alone" time...we are always being filled with something... I have had teens in last couple of weeks tell me they are deleting social apps because they feel consumed and overwhelmed with the constant pressure to "social network." One student even told me she was adding up how much time a year she is wasting based on the # of minutes she may spend a day on social networking, when she could be spending that time with God! Way to go teens!! Jesus tells us to, "fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Why would we want to fill our lives with anything else but Him. So today, I challenge you to ask yourself, what are you over filling your life with instead of filling it up with Jesus! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omFQJEAAVc

Dead Come to Life

A few weeks ago I was speaking to my teens on a series I am doing, “Dead Come to Life.” The Lord placed a vision of a pig’s pen in my mind. Now, I have never been to a pig’s pen, nor do I ever want to be near one, but from what I have heard, it is one of THE smelliest places to be, even worse than being around cows. The Lord gave me 5 different locations in which to speak about. The pig pen being the first, the second was a field cows, the third was of a beautiful peaceful duck pond, the fourth was of the ocean, and the last - refreshing rain. The passage of scripture in which this vision was born from was Ephesians 2:1-10 1-6 “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.7-10 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” I read that passage to the teens from 3 different biblical versions, the ESV, the NIV, and the last which I have above, The Message. I think it is important to read more than just one version of scripture to get a better read, feel, take, historical accuracy, etc. on what is exactly being said and also for more texture. (For those who know me, texture is very important to me in almost all things, ha ha.) The vision came especially from the first verse. “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin.” I hope and pray the following encourages you, challenges you, and spurs you to take an honest look at your own life and where you might be in your walk with or without the Lord. God Bless The Pig Pen: Represents those who are willfully rejecting and defying the Lord in their lives. Either as one who has never come to the Lord, or one who has turned away and is running full throttle in the opposite direction. Just like the Pin Pen which is filthy, so too the heart of an unbeliever. Evil is rampant and darkness rules the mind and heart. Sin has a stench that causes us to no longer be able to distinguish between filth and a pure pleasant aroma. The Field of Cows: Represents those who are not believers, but consider themselves good people. These people are those who don’t need God, because, well, they are already “Good People.” So, if you are good, who needs God to help you? These people live in a life of continual sin, chewing their own cud of sin, day in and day out without seeing their need for God’s living bread and His life giving water. They have the inability to digest their need for confession of sin and repentance. The Duck Pond: Represents those who are the “Church” goers. These people go to church, dress the part, sit in the pews, sing the songs, might even pray out loud if asked, might even be an elder, but have no genuine heart, mind and soul transformation in Jesus. There has never been a genuine repentance that has taken place and there is no relationship with Jesus, just religion, just tradition. This is a very scary place to be in life, because behind the pretty picture of their religion, they are still filled with a bacteria of sin festering within them and do not see it, because they have so beautifully painted the picture that is on the outside. If you look at most paintings or children’s books where “Duck Ponds” are painted, they are beautifully surrounded with flowers, lily pads, butterflies and cute little duck families with baby ducks swimming joyfully within their surroundings. Yet, if you really look closely at the duck pond, it is a stagnant body of water where bacteria and unclean living creatures are breeding within it, and all sorts of impurities float about that your eye will never see unless examined under a microscope. Just like these people’s hearts and minds, unless closely examined by God, one might never know how truly impure their hearts are, because they live a “Good life and they are The Church Goer.” The Ocean: Represents those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, and have made a genuine commitment to follow and serve Him. We would call them, “Born Again Believers.” Yes, these are the ones who are very active in their faith, in their church, bible studies etc., but they are still concealing, struggling and dealing with very personal sin areas in their lives that they fear being exposed or that they are simply unwilling to let go of. There is comfort in sin at times even though it may bring shame and self-condemnation. Just like the Duck Pond, at first glance, The Ocean can seem so beautiful, breath taking, refreshing even - until you run in and submerge yourself tasting the water - forgetting it is not fresh water, but very salty, bitter water. There is a sting of displeasure even in the midst of such great beauty and power. Just like that coveted sin we are holding onto, there is a sting of great shame and guilt that keeps us from living the abundant life that would allow to swim freely in Christ Jesus. The Rain: Represents those who are in a personal relationship with Jesus, and have made a genuine commitment to follow and serve Him just as The Ocean People, but the difference with these people is simply this; they want to be honest in their relationship with the Lord and desire the Lord to help set them free from their addictions, secrets, fears, strongholds, weaknesses, etc. They are willing to seek help if needed and then to do something about it. They are willing to let God be Lord over all areas of their life. They are willing to let Jesus’ shed blood on the cross purify them wholly and completely, inside and out. So today, just as I told my teens, I challenge you with the same questions: “You reside in one of these locations spiritually. Where are you in your walk with Christ? What are you filling your life with? Are you being honest with yourself and with God? Stop, “letting the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. (Stop) filling your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaling disobedience,” surrender today, “Instead, (embrace His) immense mercy and His incredible love, (because) he embraced us (first). Let me close with a Psalm. Psalm 40:1-10 “1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him. 4 Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. 6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—but my ears you have opened burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. 7 Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.8 I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.” 9 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know. 10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness from the great assembly.”

Times are looking grim these days / Holding on to everything It's hard to draw the line Shut the …., get up… I can't wait to rip my eyes out and look at you / Peace through pain is precious 'specially when it's done by you / Itching is a pulse inside creeping out to come alive / It's just doing what it's gonna do Times are looking grim these days holding on to everything / It's hard to draw the line / And I, I'm hiding in this empty space / Tortured by my memories of what I left behind…” Read more: Korn “Get Up” These lyrics describe so many today… “I am clearly broken and no one knows what to do” Followers of Jesus…I ask you, how deeply do we care about these ones? Many, we see them and feel sorry for them, the broken, the homeless, the abused, the forgotten... IF we are followers of Jesus THEN there must be a response in seeking HIM how to help them. How often do we pass by them with s slight smile, or words of encouragement…words of hope …they are clearly broken…and have no answers to their pain and no one to turn to for answers of hope and freedom…yet we do... Precious ones screaming in the silence of their rooms with their blades and dripping blood… “Peace through pain is precious 'specially when it's done by you, Itching is a pulse inside creeping out to come alive” Followers of Jesus…these are the broken…many who walk among you…hidden are their scars, both inside and outside of their skin. What are we doing to reach these ones, love these ones, save these ones…Jesus has called us to be His hands to hold them, His feet to go to them, His mouth piece to speak love and truth to them, hope and freedom to them, His ears to listen without hate or condemnation to them, His shoulders to them to cry on, His heart to love them… “Times are looking grim these days holding on to everything” Followers of Jesus, these precious ones are grabbing on to whatever they can to find a false comfort... Many of us meet in bible studies and churches and we do our church thing…we may even talk about the hurting…but what are we doing for the hurting…. Let me encourage you today…that even though you are not a trained “somebody” Jesus is their answer…and prayer is the beginning for these precious ones…Prayer for their freedom, healing, and prayer for us to be willing to step out of our comfortable lives and be willing to hurt alongside them…with them…and in the midst of this…see and experience the Power of God…move in theirs and your life.. Matt. 25: 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

So Lord, as you know I have been recently thinking about the Church. After having several conversations with Christians of other denominations and knowing much about their "doctrine" and having experienced much from being with and studying about all denominations, I continue to see the Hand of God in all Christian denominations Lord. As you know...this confuses me. They have your Hand in all of them, yet at the same time...I see all of them far off from you???? Like the Catholics take for example, their focus on sin and confession, I wish more Christian church's focused on sin and our need of confession and their focus on praying for the government and their passion for the saving the unborn, or the Missouri Synod who has this very protective spirit of their people, to guard the Church against anything unholy or unbiblical. The Baptist for their conservatism, the Evangelicals for their desire to go out and reach the lost. The Assemblies of God and their openness to the move of the Holy Spirit in their lives and the Power He can bring. I am frustrated that Godly churches have parts of You...but not as a whole...what have we done? Where have we gone wrong? How did we get here??? I want the real church of God! I want the real deal Father! I don't want just church...I want you...and I am frusting....So what do I do...and where are in our churches today.... I really don't see a lot of You...glimmers...yes....but You....do I really see You?? Do I really Hear You??? You know I am not saying You are not moving in the church today....I just don't know how? Or maybe better yet...How much?? Father...help me see and know what Your will is for myself, my family, and our church, and the Church in general... Something needs to change....I love you Lord....Thank you for listening....always...

Matt. 13:18-23 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” So, who out there loves to garden? Or…who out there loves to farm? In the last couple of years gardening has become a bit more exciting for me…though I hate weeds and bugs…ha ha ha…but I love the harvest of fresh veggies n fruit! Don’t you?!? Let’s look at how God and gardening have similarities… In the spring we must till the soil, correct? Sometimes it is really hard, crusty, dry-almost rock-like soil correct? That tiller is just a digging and grindin and cutting through all that deeply packed soil to get down into the good, fertile moist soil down deep…right? There is something so beautiful about a freshly tilled garden…it’s so clean and fresh and just ready for those seeds to be planted!! So exciting!! This is what our spiritual journey is like with God…He desires to till up the sin in our lives to dig down deep into our being where He can begin to plant seeds into a fertile soul…but if there is a hardened heart towards Him, just like if you just started dropping seeds into a garden that was not tilled…it would not grow because it’s hard and dried up…and the seeds would not take root…they would just blow away. Tilling is not always very easy…it can be tough work at times…like us in our lives…sin has so hardened us, we build up these tough exteriors to keep God out and keep sin in, and when we do this…we dry up and God’s tilling gets tougher and tougher…Today…won’t you allow God to do some tilling in your life, so that the seeds of His truth can begin to take root and begin to grow and bring about fresh life into your walk with Jesus? I pray you will. “Father God, I know You are the living water and the Giver of Life, and that I need nourishment and life from You, and You alone…help me to hand over the control of the tiller in my life to You, so that You can begin to cut out the sin of selfishness and pride, etc… Lord, that You can begin to fertilize my soul with the Power and Love of Your Holy Spirit, so that I can begin to bear Your fruit. Amen.” May you all begin to find new life this Easter Season!

They will look on me, the one they have pierced

So, it has been some time since i have posted...time is limited, but that does not stop my mind from reeling with all the comes our way in this life... It is as if daily, God stops moments in time for me to capture the progression of time in this world and what is to come in accordance with scripture...moments when I feel He says, "you know that scripture that says, this...this is how this is going to happen, very subtly Tiffany, do you see the direction we are moving?" The apathy of our nation, the indifference to pain and suffering, our buying into the subtlies of this life...it is like slow motion in my mind at times...constant little yellow flags, becoming darker shades of oranges into deeper reds... I cannot put into words the heaviness of my heart and the constant motion of life in which I see in slow motion...snap shots of God's direction for my life and how He desires me to pray and disciple those around me...my precious little ones He has given to Troy n myself to love and raise...is a scary world for me to let them go into times...yet even though I have been walking with the Lord for many years...He grows ever bigger and ever more powerful to me daily...He must increase and I must decrease His word says...it is a hard lesson at times...but as I learn slowly...it is the greatest truth...the less of me...means the more of Him...and this is what the world needs...is Jesus... We fight, argue, bicker about many things...but He is Lord. And there is no other... Last night I was reading in scripture and the verse from Zacharia literally hit me in the chest and knocked the wind out of me...the verse is..."They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn" Zach. 12:10... One day...I will stand before this great and mighty God who so beautifully loved me, and I will have to stand before Him, He knowing all things, will gaze back at me, knowing all of me...oh how this shames me to think of who I am, and who I am not...for Him... This is only another verse that spurs me to run the race that the Lord has set before me...not slowing or ever quitting...because I have been bought by unexplainable sacrafice...oh that we would see Him...and run to Him in all we do and say...

Forgotten God---

"The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives."
— Francis Chan

So what is our view God? I think this is a huge and defining moment to all mankind.
Our view of Him will ultimately define what we do with Him.
So how is my life defining Him? Again, we are called to be His embassadors, we are to be "Christlike." So, if that is the case, what does Jesus look like through the eyes of those around me who know I am a follower of Jesus Christ,

In essence we are moment by moment representing the very Creator of all things, a bit overwhelming I would say. So if I am to represent Him, I better understand Him, and to better understand Him, I need to dig deep into the mysteries of a 3 in 1 God Head.

Sadly as this book points out we (the church) either over exploit the Holy Spirit, or give little or no attention to Him. My life since I began my walk as a saved and redeemed child of God has always thought that I included the Spirit in my life, and maybe I have with the whatever level of maturity I was at. But now, I want so much more of Him, I realize that left to myself I cannot get to where God is leading without Him. I have always known this truth, but it has become my passion to know Him, love Him, and include Him more in my walk with the Lord.

So in this journey, I pray we all are passionately asking Him the tough questions we have...inviting Him into our daily lives and stopping first to seek His will before jumping into a decision in our lives so that we can in fact represent Jesus as He should be revealed to this world...

"The Spirit of God "moved" upon the face....

And The Spirit Of God Moved Upon The Face Of The Waters
I found this commentary while studying about the Holy Spirit...so great! I hope it will encourage you in your quest to know the Spirit of God more intimately...

"I have often said that learning to read the Bible in Hebrew is like being able to read in three dimensions when you could only read in two dimensions before. Nothing
illustrates that more than the material in this article. For years I read the second verse of the book of Genesis in English without ever understanding the most remarkable subtlety hidden there. Oh, I noticed the language and I thought it was a little odd to
say:
And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the
deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Gen 1:2)
How strange it seemed to say God moved. How did he move? Did He walk, or swim?
Did He sort of float in the air? In what way did He move, and why is that significant?
Now, this wasn't what you would call a burning question - only a curiosity. I would pause and think about the distinctive choice of words, but I would quickly move on to more pressing issues. Only after I learned to read in Hebrew did the marvelous meaning of that word moved come through. I actually stumbled across the meaning in a commentary once, where it was rendered as brooded. But, It still did not register because for me to brood usually meant to worry or fret. That made no sense at all. Why would the Creator worry over the face of the waters.
Later, when I delved into the meaning of the Hebrew word for moved, m'rahaphet, I
learned that it means to flutter or shake. I discovered the word is also used in Deuteronomy 32:11 where the context is very clear.
As the eagle stirs up her nest, flutters (m'rahaphet) over her young, spreads
abroad her wings...
Suddenly the meaning became clear for me. It was as if a 1000 watt light bulb was being turned on in my head. I knew I had witnessed that very thing many times.

Many years ago we had a flock of ducks in our back yard. There was a pond and
we enjoyed having the ducks around. They were relaxing and entertaining to watch.
It was especially interesting in the spring when the hens started to nest.
She had a proclivity for sitting absolutely motionless on the nest, settled in and flattened out, with their head withdrawn and lying flat into their breast feathers so as not to present a typical duck profile.
You could absolutely look directly at her and not see her unless you were really paying close attention. Though normally shy and skittish and unwilling to get too close, during nesting season she seemed to have nerves of steel. She wouldn't twitch or budge even when in danger, for fear of giving away the location of the nest. Only when the threat was sure and imminent, or when she was being harassed for her eggs would she abandon her nest.
You could tell when the hens began nesting because while they were normally with the flock, they simply vanished from sight. We knew then it was time to go nest hunting.

When a hen began to set it was remarkable to see her on the nest, keeping her silent
vigil for days and weeks, not moving a muscle. Only rarely would you notice her
leave for a few minutes to eat or drink. She would masterfully cover the nest with leaves and grass to make it virtually invisible and to keep it warm in her brief absence.
But soon she would be back for the next shift.
Finally after days on end something seemed different. As I made the morning rounds, she no longer was snuggled down quietly in the nest.
Something was changed about her posture. She now seemed to be sitting higher in the nest, almost hovering over it. Her head, no more hidden, was raised erect with pride, her wings slightly spread to cover more of the nest than before. As I look more closely, I could begin to see tiny pairs of inquisitive coal black eyes peering out curiously at me from beneath her wings, punctuated here and there by a small yellow and black bill. It was clear that the eggs were beginning to hatch.
She stayed in that posture for the next few hours or perhaps into the next day, until all the eggs hatched and the whole troop marched ceremoniously for the nearest water like so many tin soldiers. She would strut with pride having successfully accomplished the very purpose of her existence, obviously now aware of her changing role as teacher and protector.

But during the time she waited patiently over the nest, waiting for all the eggs to be hatched,a careful observer would notice something - something very subtle. As she held her slightly outstretched wings over the new brood, she would tremble or flutter ever so slightly (m'rahaphet), just like that eagle in Deuteronomy. Bird experts say this careful motion is intended to stir the air and keep the temperature just right for the new ducklings. Those precision movements reflect the meticulous focus and care that she now lavishes on the tiny downy creatures.
It was exactly this scene that is described in the very first verse of Genesis, when the Spirit of God brooded or fluttered over the face of the waters. What a magnificent metaphor this is for the meticulous planning, the tireless effort, the care, and the love that was exhibited at that moment. In taking that very first step to prepare the earth as a sort of nest for His own children, He made it into the ideal place for man to begin the adventure of life, to live out his collective
human existence, to learn the lessons of history, and to grow into maturity and wisdom, until finally a time comes when has taken on the character of his Parent, and the whole earth can be united in peace and harmony in the messianic kingdom.

We have cause for optimism about the destiny of man. God will not let us fail. Though we may have many bitter lessons to learn, He has great things in mind for man in the future. With that kind of resource behind us, how can we fail?
(C) Copyright 1999 by Wayne Simpson
Biblical Research Foundation
629 Lexington Road
Sapulpa, Ok 74066
Reproduction and distribution is permitted provided this copyright notice is left intact on all copies.
9/19/2010

Oh the Vastness of my precious God!

Eph. 3:14-19

"14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

For God is not powerful, He is power. God does not have authority, He is authority. If I am in Him, in His presence, then I am moving and abiding in power and authority, it automatically comes with being in His presence.

In His presence I am changed, In His presence I have fullness of Joy, In His presence mysteries are revealed, In His presence I am healed, In His presence, offenses melt away like wax, In His presence I experience eternity, In His presence is the essence of Hope, In His presence I dwell in power, In His presence the crossed wires of my dysfunctional life are uncrossed. In His presence I forgive. In His presence I forget. In His presence I count my brother and sister in Christ higher than I count myself. And of course, in His presence there is fullness of Joy. And since I am still in the flesh, in His presence I abide under the shadow of His wings, and even that shadow is brighter than a thousand suns.

And when I come out of that presence because this world demands my attention...or my children need me...(oh that I would dwell there forever) then I take a small portion with me, a portion of change, a portion of joy, a sense of His mystery, a portion of healing, I love more than I am offended because I care less about myself,my hope is increased, my knowledge of eternity and the eternal destination of my soul is greater, and I am less dysfunctional and more like Him. Then I pass on a small part of that to those I encounter and God is glorified . And I am encouraged and I begin again to hunger and thirst for that place and attempt to do whatever to come into that place again. I am totally addicted to the presence of God and it is my one and only motivation to even live.

I cannot be all things to all people...

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" Phil. 4:13

So, maybe it's just me...but since I was very young it has been my desire to make things good in people's lives. I was the happy one, the helpful one, the never have a bad day one so that you could cry on my shoulder and I could help you one....
Then High School came...and wow...Drama, guys and girl issues came...teen issues swelled all around me...and that cheerful dimeanor intensified...now I was a professing, born again Christian...so I HAD To be all things to all people...
For a while it worked...but then I would crash...tired, wasted, emotionally spent...becauase I had taken in everyone's pain, burden's, frustrations, etc...you name it, I took it to help them, to love them, to lighten their load...because that is what a Christian is supposed to do.....right?
Then College...CRASH! God brought into my life these "Christians" and just like I warn, caution, plead with my teen each year as I send them off to college...to watch and pray...because just because you think you are standing on solid ground in high school....does not mean college has the same ground...you are walking into sinking sand of all sorts...even in Christian college's...there is no safe place...
So, even though I didn't give into the "worlds" temptations that college life has to offer, partying etc...my spiritual life diffused...even though I went Cru...my heart was not in it...because sadly..I met these "christians" in Cru...and slowly drifted away...
My mindset became more and more like theirs...self absorbed...it was like I morphed into a different person...not a "bad" person...but someone I would look at and ask myself..."Who are you?" "Why are you becoming this?" "For who?" "For what?" My answer..."well they are Christians"
After a year...God woke me up...and set me free from that selfish mind set...
I have often told people that when I turned 30, it was the worst year and the best year of my life.
Worst...because God brought me to a place of complete and absolute dependance on Him and Him alone. He stripped everything I held dear to me...even my beloved husband could reach the pain I felt inside me...only my Jesus could...and after 4 long years of wrestling and struggling with Lord...His freedom gave way...and sent us on to a new mission in life...Cavalier...
I love it here...I love all the people I am able to engage with everyday...
Recently there has been much spiritual warfare I have been dealing with...I have been watchful and victorious...and I see things come my way...God has kept me alert and ready...
But as I settled into the victories...well...I settled in...and whenever we settle for anything...we begin to settle...and we begin to lose focus...
Which is what has happened to me these last 2 weeks...and today it all came to a head...
Oh Jesus...WHY!! WHY DO I DO THIS!!! Why do I let life take me away from your amazing place of safety and protection? What could possibly ever be as satisfying as You...I have allowed every kind of busyness to steal my joy...
Forgive me Father...forgive me...I am tired and weary...and I need Your refuge, Your peace, Your shelter...Your arms wrapped around me again...my love for you is so sweet and overwhelming...Oh God the ache of Your heart for the people that surround me here is too much at times...help me to know that is not me who can be all things for them...but that as I walk with you...not running ahead of you...but along side you...is when we can do the greatest things in others lives and in mine...
For I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength if I follow your lead...and not try to be You...that...is....just too tiring for any human to carry...
Thank you Lord for listening and forgiving me...

The hunger in our eyes...

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

— C.S. Lewis

Today, Troy and I had the privelege of haning out with a former youth. He has just finished his first year of college, and I got to see that look that I long to see in all the teens that either sit in the chairs on Wedbesday nights, the look I long to see when I have one on one time with a teen, the look I long to see in the teens that have graduated and moved on, the look I long to see in eyes of any believer I spend time with.

The look of, "I am so in love with Jesus that it hurts. I am so in love with Jesus that I cannot stop talking about Him, I am so in love with Jesus that I cannot learn enough about Him, I am so in love with Jesus that,

I need Him-period- He is my everything! So, the question now is, how do I deal with this life, a life of normal living, of everyday tasks, this world's pressures and demands...pleasures and distractions...when all I want is Jesus..."

This quote hits in right on the head...yet we live as though it is the other way around...that we are all about the body...and not about our souls. Yet it is our souls that will continue into the next and not our bodies.

This world SCREAMS--"LISTEN TO ME! WHAT I HAVE FAR OUTWAYS ANYTHING OR ANY OTHER"

Calendars, date books, cell phone scheduled appt. reminders, alarms, email notifications of reminders---

"OF WHAT MUST BE DONE!!!"

Our bodies ache of exhaustion as we toil and sweat and beat our mind, body and spirit to be "this worlds" human body...and all that comes with it. This award, this scholarship, this recommendation, this raise, this promotion, this...this...this...and our bodies simultaneously are dieing...yet this is all we can think of.

Our enjoyments!
Our successes!
Our desires!
Our feelings!
Our accomplishments!
Our....well...you can fill in the blank from here on out...

So, again the question being...how do we live passionately for Christ with all these demands and distractions? Do we throw off all cares and run like the wind and be completely carefree? No, even the Lord Himself cautions us not live like this. He has given us a call in this life, gifts to use, people to reach whatever our occupation may be.

And so He tells us this, "but in everything prayer..."

" 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Phil. 4

My heart feels the same as this young man...the struggle of just wanting to be with Jesus..to spend all my days surrounded by those who are passionate about the Lord, sharing, praying, worshipping, singing, serving along side them...just for Him...and nothing else...

That is the quest of our maturing...living this life that the Lord has called us to serve Him in...without messing it up with our own agenda's, without filling it up with "this world's stuff for the bodies enjoyment."

Rather filling our souls for eternity's everlasting joy's!

What are you filling your life with? Things that will make your "bodily form" happy...or...as Matt. 6 warns,

"19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Oh for the day that all Christians will actually take the bible seriously...

God Bless

"In The Garden"

“Once upon a time there was this exceptionally beautiful young girl. She lived in a home with only her father who dearly loved her. He was kind, attentive and caring, everything a girl could ask for. She was lovely in appearance both inside and out.
As this young girl’s days came and went she found herself growing into a very noticeable young lady. People would stop and take notice of her; young boys would find themselves staring at her. Her father had raised her to be humble and courteous, kind to everyone, but the temptation to play into the game of popularity began to draw her more and more away from the upbringing of her father’s wishes. Days would come and she would continue to move closer and closer to this juicy temptation…the temptation to just be who she wanted to be…free from her father’s wishes…to love whom she wanted and do what she wanted to do…”oh father…you just don’t understand…”

But how…how would she do this? Her father kept a very protective close eye on her…she had to think of a way to do this without her father ever noticing.

One day as she was alone in a beautiful park, enjoying all of its beauty…this very attractive young man tall, well built, with dark hair and an amazing smile came her way and of course took notice of her and decided to sit down next to her on the bench. After talking for a while this young man asked her if he could see her again…for lunch maybe…nothing serious…just lunch.
The young lady thought to herself… “lunch…nothing’s wrong with lunch…surely father won’t mind…I won’t even tell him…I mean it’s just lunch…right? I always go into the garden around lunch time…my father will never know.”

So the next day the beautiful young girl went off before speaking to her father into the garden to wait for the very attractive young man whom she was going to meet for lunch…but something just didn’t feel right in her stomach…she knew this was just not right…hiding things from her father…she had never done anything like this before…yet he was so attractive and seemed to be so nice and he said such complimentary things to her…he made her feel so alive so…special…so with not another passing thought she shrugged these feelings away and soon saw the young man coming towards her with flowers…and candy…

This went on day after day…meeting secretly in the garden for lunch…one day the young man decided he wanted more from her than just lunch…and began to make advances towards her…this made her very uncomfortable and she pushed him away…and ran for her father…as she ran the young man grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her back…and as he did another young man stepped in, a very tender and kind looking young man, a young man who worked with her father, he came out from the shrubs and struck the assailant down whom held this beautiful damsel in distress…

The small man took the girl from him bringing her to her father’s house making certain she was safe…as they approached the house the daughter noticed that her father was there at the door as if he had been waiting for her to come home…longing for her return home…hoping she come would back to him…

The young tender man looked into the father’s eyes as if to say all would be well…that he would take care of this dangerous young man with intentions that would certainly harm his daughter…and anyone’s else’s daughter for matter.

The young girl looked into this young man’s eye’s and saw a beauty she had never seen before…she had known him all her life…yet today…she saw him…really saw him…a hero…a true friend…a man who truly knew love…he had saved her…and then with that he was gone…disappearing through the over grown vined gates.

The pursuer of the young lady had now come to his feet and thought to himself, “How dare he intrude on him and his rightfully taken young girl, she belonged to him…no one will interfere with what he wants…because he always gets what he wants…and that was her…he would have her at any cost…

Just as these thoughts drifted in his mind, the tender garden keeper, the father’s helper, came into view…the dark brooding eyes of the strong man now glinted knowing this would be no challenge for him at all…and with one strike…took the gardener down… “there…finished…the girl would now be his…”

He would return to the garden each day…until she felt safe enough to return…and then when she returned…he would take her…and she would be his…for certain...

One day….no girl…
Two days…still no young beauty….
Three days...yet another day with no young maiden…but wait…was that her he heard in the distance? It was…he saw her…she was coming his way…so innocent and so naive to his looming presence…not knowing what awaited her at the end of the garden…

And just as the assailant sat awaiting her arrival…there stood before him a presence…a figure that seemed so familiar to him…he had seen this man before yet this time…something was different…there was a presence of power, of complete strength, a presence he knew he could not touch…fear over came him…he was terrified by this man’s eyes…he saw revenge in them and he knew revenge was his…and his alone…

With that the assailant fled…never to return to the garden…knowing he had indeed been defeated…now and forever…

As the young maiden approached the end of the garden, this man of strength, this man of power turned towards her…she stopped suddenly…stunned to silence…her heart beating and breath now shallow…who was this man? Surely this was not the gardener? Was it? She was drawn to his eyes…there was such a presence of peace, beauty, tenderness and love? Love? Did he love her? Why did he look at her this way…she had never had anyone look upon her this way before…so pure…so….perfect…a love that made her feel safe…a love like….her father’s love…

He reached for her hand…and slowly without thought…she reached out and took his…with a twinkle in his eye and a grin from ear to ear…he walked her home…enjoying a beautiful afternoon in his garden with this beautiful young girl.
The End.

1 John 3:1-3
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

John 14:1-21
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15“If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Ephesians 2
1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Eph. 3:12
12In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Why Turn Back?

Empty My Hands
The Power of the Cross Part 2
“Why do I keep sinning”
(1) You have been set free-why go back- We have the choice to sin…whereas before, we just did…sin was our master…now Christ is…so when we sin…we are choosing to reject the power of the cross and what Christ did for us! Returning to sin, rather than resisting sin, is like “A DOG [THAT] RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT” or a pig that returns to “wallowing in the mire”
Proverbs 26:11.
(2) Sin Suffocates and Imprisons you! WHY GO BACK! Sin is like using crack cocaine: it only takes one dose, and you are hooked by it. I’m sorry, I don’t care how strong you think you are…you CANNOT master sin, control sin, or even hide it! It will eventually master you!
Rom. 6:16 “All men are the slaves of sin or of righteousness”
(3) The Power of the Cross is life-giving…WHY GO BACK! Just like the Romans, we were once enslaved by sin, but that all changed when we came to faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Our bondage to sin was broken in Christ.
Rom. 6:17 “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.”
(4) The Power of the Cross is the beginning of an obedience. Our choosing to follow Christ is an act of obedience. This is the tough part of becoming a Chrsitian with many people…becoming obedient to Christ and to His Word. Being a Christian is often times "sold" as this amazing thing...which indeed it is...but many people don't like this part...the obedient part. The turning away from who and what we have been (and been doing, thinking, etc...) and turning to GOD is so difficult and can be painful at times...but to begin to live a life committed to obeying God means a life full of freedom and joy and holy living!!

What happens when we turn back to sin…when we give into sin…
-We suffer
-Others suffer
-Our testimony of being a follower of Christ suffers
-God’s identity because our actions can suffer—meaning if we continue to choose to live a life a sin after professing a relationship with Jesus, yet you continue to live a life of being selfish, or being unforgiving, or using a abusive language to others…people will think to themselves… “I sure don’t want to be a Christian if that’s what their God is like”
-EVERYTHING SUFFERS!

SO AGAIN I ASK---WHY GO BACK! Is this sin that so easily entangles us (pride, pornography, cheating, lust, gossip, etc..)
Is it worth the “fix” you get from it? Really…when you consider what The Cross is all about…Your Freedom so that God is glorified…Let’s be honest here..I know I need to be
(5) The Power of the Cross is to give you grace! WHY TURN BACK!! To turn back to sin is to turn away from grace. Sin is stepping out of the realm of grace, Like that umbrella I have talked about. The umbrella of grace keeps us safe from the pouring down of sin that surrounds us...
Sin removes us from that place of mercy and forgiveness and leaves us in a place of darkness, hopelessness and spiritual death. I’m not saying that you can lose your salvation…but the Cross is more than just a free ticket into heaven…it is life, freedom and joy here on earth with Christ…in our lives…not on the back burner while we party it up thinking we are free from the punishment of sin, just because we are Christians…
(7) To turn back to sin is to walk in the way which leads to death, rather than to life. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). To leave the path of righteousness and to turn back to the path of sin is to leave the path which leads to life and to return to the path which leads to death. If we accept the truth and the Power of the Cross and the Word of God, then I ask you one more time...

WHY TURN BACK?

Love is a Many Spledored Thing

“Love is a many splendored thing”…so the song says…
“…It's the April rose that only grows in the early spring, Love is nature's way of giving a reason to be living…”

“There is only one happiness in life -- to love and to be loved.”

“Once you have learned to love, You will have learned to live.”

You know quotes from humans can be so great, they can really speak to us at times, encourage us, cause us to stop and think, we can at times relate…but I know that nothing is greater than hearing from the Word of God.

Did you know that there are 393 scriptures that mention, or contain, the word love in them. Obviously God finds this word to be very important. So important that He packaged it throughout His word starting with His amazing gift that He called good…all His creation—all the way through to the final Wedding Feast with Him in Heaven...with His promise of, “Yes, I am coming soon” Rev. 22:20

John 21:15-17
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."
16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.

Have you ever had someone, or you yourself ever felt so passionate about something that you keep repeating over and over again, just to make sure the person you are speaking with really gets what you are trying to say? Like your children? You keep telling your kids over and over and over what is best for them, and you get this...
"I know mom/dad look" from them...this is what I see happening in these verses above.

I hear in Christ’s heart a deep longing for Peter to really "get" Jesus question of love...yet in His voice I hear a deflating and saddening in His voice...in these verse’s as He speaks to Peter…
1.“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” (said with great longing)
2."Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" (again…with subtle slowing)
3."Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" (saying it in a way that shows Peter just doesn’t get it)

Did you hear the intensity in Jesus heart yet the sadness in His voice? Did you hear the longing, the “Please Peter think about what I am asking you! Think about what you are saying! Think about Who you are responding too! Remember “I am the way the truth and the life, I am the Bread of Life, I am the Light of the world, I am the Door, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the resurrection and life…”

Now in our modern English, we may not hear what Jesus is really asking, but if we look at the passage in the original Greek, it does make a difference.
There are two different words translated as 'LOVE' in this passage. Listen closely

15 "Simon, son of John, do you agapao Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I phileo You."
16 "Simon, son of John, do you agapao Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I phileo You."
17 "Simon, son of John, do you phileo Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I phileo You."

If you look closely, there are two Greek Words used for the Word "Love".
Agapao - This is a very special and deep kind of love. It means to love dearly.
Phileo- This is a friendly kind of affection.
~In Strong's Exhaustive Concordance it states the difference between agapao and phileo is that agapao is more of a heart love and phileo is more of a head love.

Listen again closely. You will see:
15 Jesus asks Peter, "Do you LOVE me more than these?" Peter says, 'yeah I like you Lord.'
16 The second time, Jesus simply asks, "Do you LOVE me?" Notice that Jesus lessens the level of love. Sigh... Peter still only responds... 'yeah I like you Lord.'
17 Finally, Jesus asks, 'Peter...do you like me?' And Peter agrees, 'yeah I like you."

**Remember Peter has walked, talked, eaten, lived, seen, experienced SO MANY THINGS WITH JESUS AND YET his response is… “Yeah, I like you”

Today, what is your response to this question? Really, stop and think about it…
Jesus is standing in front of you, gazing into your eyes, you can feel His breath, you can see the love in His eyes, you can hear the tenderness in His voice…What is your response…would He have to ask you more than once to get the answer HE so longs to hear from all of His children… “I (agapao) love you (Abba) Daddy…Father” I LOVE YOU!

Here is what 1 John 3:1
“1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
LAVISHED! Do you hear that intensity again…HE LAVISHES ON US! That is why when I speak about my teens I never just say, I love them, but that I get to LOVE ON THEM…there is a difference…there is a sense of pouring out, emptying out of oneself for another’s sake…just as Christ Loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Eph. 5:25 says…

These last couple of months I have been speaking to the teens about how they need to move from just a belief in God to a conviction. Researchers show that by the age of 7rs old, many children today have already come to a conclusion about God…7years old!! I took a survey at the beginning of this year asking questions like, do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He rose from the dead, questions like do you believe that Jesus is the only way, do you believe that all religions have the same God…and many other Q’s. It was absolutely SHOCKING to me when I read the surveys….I would say 80% of the teens answered completely contrary to the Word of God…People they are not getting it…they do not Know this love...Why you many ask?

The world today has become so full of information, so many spiritual belief systems, and they have access to it. But it’s also because many people say they believe in God, but are not completely convinced that He is who He says He is, that nothing or no one could ever change their heart, soul, and mind because many adults today do not really KNOW HIM, many do not KNOW THIS LOVe! Some of you may think I am talking about “people out there” but I am talking about people in the Christian church around this nation who truly do not KNOW THIS PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING Phil.4:7

Many have heard Rom. 10:9
9 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Many believe that the “believe” part is just a professing it…then moving on with your life, business as usual. But Belief and Love must go beyond…just a “yeah I believe in Jesus or yeah I like Jesus” it must move to a “I am desperately in love with my Jesus, because I KNOW my Jesus because I have walked, talked, eaten, lived, seen, experienced SO MANY THINGS WITH JESUS, just like Peter had…

Let me close with our youth ministries mission verse for you today:
Eph. 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

My Walk Through Heaven

The following post is a lesson I did 2 weeks ago. It came from my flight back from Jamaica as I was listening to my Ipod and just reflecting on how beautiful God's creation is and wondering and pondering and asking the Lord, "oh how I would love to have seen what John did in Revelation or what Isaiah saw..." and as I listened to my "Ka" soundtrack from the Cirque Du Soleil...which has amazingly intense instrumental music along with powerful vocals of a "made up language"...I felt as though I was ushered into heaven...and this is what came to my mind's eye as I walked through heaven progressively with the music that was ushering me to the Throne Room of God...

**If you click on the Title of this post it will bring you to Grooveshark where the 4 songs I was listening to while this came have been posted for you, so that you will be able listen to the music that ushered me along as I read this to my teens. It will navigate you away from my blog so maybe open another window so you can have them both opened at the same time. (note) if you want to try to get the most out of this post, you must read and imagine...maybe read the post first, the read it again with the music so you can "feel" the progression of intesity of each moment...and read it as if it is you walking through heaven...what would you see as you read, feel, smell...**

SONG: O MAKUNDE
The first song begins with a destinct Pounding of a Drum...."…and your heart begins to beat… …a pounding so deep, deep within you…you have never felt “THIS” before…life rising, building up, pouring through, filling your entire body…everything in you, awakening to something far greater than you have ever felt before…
…and then! something deep inside you prompts you to slowly open your eyes and you behold… Majestic Beauty …Creatures of Radiant Strength stand before you… and you are saturated in absolute beauty
You are overtaken by complete awe…

…a sound so pure, a voice so full of love…an ocean of song pouring out around you coming from a host of these Majestic Beautiful Creatures…
…a song that is so familiar to your spirit, yet a language not known to you, yet so familiar…
…this Majestic Creature reaches and takes your hand and ushers you into a presence of life so beautiful that peace washes over you…
…It is so beautiful here, so bright, so clean, sparkling in pure radiance…radiance of a King…so many feelings to experience at one time…your mind trying to take in as much as it can at one time…all of your senses have awakened to the newness of life…colors are brighter, sounds purer, smells so wonderful! And everything…so peaceful…
(break in singing then single voice)…voices so pure so…
SONG: PAGEANT
…then celebration breaks forth!
…And we dance! We twirling, we spin in complete freedom! FREEDOM! Beautiful, Joyous FREEDOM over takes you! We are one…
…This celebration brings you down a path of beautiful flowers draping Majestic gates of a narrow pathway…Angels, people of long ago…a cloud of witnesses all celebrating…celebrating the King!! Flowers are tossed to and fro, laughing joyous laughing, singing, and more dancing! Oh the smell of freedom…the joy of complete abandonment!! No worries, no fears…just pure joy…Music of welcome…music of worship…music of love…pure radiant celebration!!!
…(Deep deep men's voices in a thunderous chorus of worship) And you make your way towards greater celebration…the crowds grow larger, the space is now filled with an eternal dwelling of all people, all races, all of God’s creative expressions poured out his people…
…as you draw closer it is so loud yet so drawing, so fulfilling, you want to look to see more… ... but…something is happening…there is a sense of something greater to come…what is it you wonder…(this pure females voice of echoing worhsip)
…all of the sudden you feel as though you should fall to your knees…and bow in complete surrendered worship! What is coming….what is coming…(girl ahhhhhhh) dare you look?
…and the music ceases...
SONG: STORM
…and the singing of joyous celebration slowly fades away…and it is quiet and still… … … …
(deep violins)…A thunderous shower of deep and solumn worship over takes the celebration…and a heaviness falls upon this place…and you look around and every living creature is now bowing… …
…bowing before a brilliant light…where peals of lightning continue to break forth…

And just as quickly as the singing of celebration ceases of one kind…another kind of solumn, aching, worship arises…
…you have entered a place of eternal worship…
…thundering worship of the 24 elders surrounding the Throne erupts…so intense you can barely breathe, so overwhelming that the threshold of the floor shakes…and your entire body trembles…the fear of the Lord has over taken you…you have now entered the holy of holies…

(again deep men's voices in a greater, louder worship)…your eyes are terrified as they behold 4 Living Creatures...SO…Beautiful, yet terrifying at the same time, covered with eyes, Giants of Strength…creatures you have heard about your whole life, you now stand before them…trembling…the elders continue to lay down crowns before the throne!
…(Explosion of music)…and the ocean before you…the peals of lightning resounding deep inside you as they cascade from the throne,
…you fall to the ground…unable to stand, unable to look any longer…your heart is pounding, your breathing shallow, your mind spinning in wonder of what is to come…
…(drums!! SHOUTING) …you are lying before the Great I Am... (more shouting) The Lamb of God…the Prince of Peace…The Kings of Kings and Lord of Lord…
(greater shouting!) Jesus Himself draws nearer…(more shouting…and fading…) dare you look?
SONG: DEEP
And everything washes away…(a stillness of tender music rises...as if you feel love approaching....ever so quietly...)
… you lie ever so still, filled with so many feelings…feelings of regret, feelings of remorse, feelings of “If only and I wish I would have’s”…
…but wait…what is that? feelings of joy? Of freedom? of love? Washing all that pain and hurt and scaring and regret away…
Oh…what is that??? This love that is washing over you…something so warm…a love so real…a Living Love, your heart is free…your mind is at rest and…soul set at ease… …
…a touch of a hand upon your head…and tears…oh the flowing tears you have of love streaming down your cheeks as they hit the feet of the One to whom you have longed for…the One you have waited a life to time to see, to touch… to hold…Oh, dare you look…dare you gaze upon such beauty…such love?

…slowly you lift your head… and a hand reaches in… and lifts your chin and draws you to Himself…and you see…you feel… you now know beauty…love completely awakens inside you…His smile washes throughout you…(as music fades...)and He takes you in His arms fully embracing you in His love… you are home…He is home…"

Oh that I could show you what my minds eye experienced..I will try to find the music to post..it will help some...even so...I pray it encouraged you to remember...Our God Reigns...

What is your Christmas Song of Hope, Joy, and Peace?

Tis the season for so many feelings, so much activity and sounds of beauty, hope love, the songs of Jesus.
I normally can't wait for the first snow...because out comes the Christmas music and hot chocolate and Christmas lights! I love it!
Today I was thinking about all the songs I love that deal with my Savior's birth,
Silent Night, Away in the Manger, Oh Holy Night, just to name a few...
Have you ever just sat in the dark with your Christmas lights on and candles burning with Christmas music of worship to our Lord and thought about what it was like that first Christmas?
The feelings the shepherds had when they saw the company of angels?
"Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests!"
I'm sure many of you have heard Handel's Messiah...oh, how that song gives me shivers and brings tears to my eyes.
And yet, a Company of Angels broke out into Majestic Song of praise...now that my dear friends would bring more than goosebumps...that would bring me to my knees!
Oh how desperate I am to see the One these angels Broke out of Heaven to proclaim to the lowly shepherds...how I am desire to be that lowly shepherd this Christmas...and always...Jesus come again and speak...because your servant is listening....
I love you Jesus...Merry Christmas!