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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/10/2010 8:54:07 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
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I am not a member of a church... I HAVE been in the past and I miss it... thoroughly loved that season of fellowship, and I long to some day be in that place again. In the mean time, I am connected to two amazing churches. I will not compare them, but I will tell you what I love about each.
The first one that I attend most often and I refer to as my home church is a Nazarene Church. The pastor is an incredible man of such wisdom and compassion balanced with a strong hand, unafraid to do what God leads him to do no matter if it goes against the grain. He is very much a picture of I Cor 13, in how love operates and has such a sincerity and gentleness about him. He is very open about his imperfection, and yet, carries an aroma of sincerity and genuineness that is beyond expressing. So many churches tout themselves as a safe place, but this man's leadership is one that seems to truly protect the hurting and defenseless no matter the cost.
I love this church because it refers to itself as COMMUNITY OF HOPE and truly attempts to live up to that name. It's not a perfect place, which is perfect for ppl that aren't perfect, but the heart and core is sincere in seeking the heart of God and sharing it with ppl who are hurting - not enabling them to remain in that place of pain and unhealthy lifestyle, but loving them and challenging them and nurturing them to a place of healing and wholeness - seeking God with them and for them to restore their HOPE in Christ.
The denomination was formerly Methodist but separated itself to focus on the truly destitute and broken, those who find themselves without hope in life. They wanted such ppl to be the center of their ministry and have succeeded in this mission in my community. Outreach is the center of activity, not just fellowship among Christians, but reaching out in relationship to the homeless, to the drug/alcohol/sex addicted soul, the lonely and rejected and imprisoned and forgotten. I have been involved with many churches thru the years and I must say that it is a truly unique place.
The second church that I attend every chance I have, usually their third service at around noon, is part of the Every Nation Denomination and is called Bethel Community Church. I go to the early service at the Naz church, and then the last service at Bethel (when I'm willing to miss Sunday School). If I am doing a mid-week class of some kind at the Naz Church then I don't mind missing Sunday School now and then to visit the Bethel Church.
This church is one of the greatest discipling churches I have ever seen. Not only in the disciplines of the Faith, but just in living a healthy life style in your marriage, your career, every area of your life. Their focus is training and challenging ppl to hear to voice of God and to follow the leading of his Spirit without hesitation, without wavering in their devotion and passion to hear and to obey. It somehow instills a strength in those that it disciples that is truly built upon the Rock of their Salvation, upon Christ.
The Word of God is so spoken and modeled and revered that the very breath of God seems to stir the air in that place. I say that with complete honesty. Just the atmosphere upon entering the building stirs something in you to be still and ready to receive something from God that will empower you and enlighten you and equip you for service. The energy released is beyond a hyped up atmosphere, there is something spiritual that occurs, an awakening each time, a challenge to examine yourself, to be holy, to seek the will of God above your own, to be transparent and committed, full of passion and devotion... because you are loved by a great and awesome God, the one true God.
Neither is a perfect church... but both have a heart and a core that is right and holy and focused on the heart of God. Are they perfect? no. Does it bother them, and do they try to right the wrong when God reveals it? absolutely. Are they remorseful and sincerely troubled if they fail God or wound a person? troubled and sick at heart over it, determining to make it right before God no matter the cost.
They are zealous to hold themselves accountable before God in all things, they see their role as leaders as sobering and serious, and they are hard on their flesh to keep it under subjection. They ask more of themselves than those that they serve, not just out of a fear and reverence of God, but more so out of tender hearts that truly care about ppl. They desire to treat others as they would like to be treated, attempting to always be sensitive and attentive to every person that God has called them to minister to and to serve.
Sadly, I hate to even say it, but most churches I am familiar with are not like these two churches. Most churches live superficially and lack a depth of character. I can live with the imperfections that plague us all in some manner... only Christ is perfect afterall... just as long as the heart is right and true and purely focused on seeking the will of God and unafraid to do whatever is necessary to remain in it. Whether it costs them their pride or their reputation or whatever.
I love such ppl, such leadership, such churches who refuse to settle for anything less than the perfect will of God no matter how much it requires of them or how many times they have to try again to get it right. They are unafraid to confess their faults, to admit when they are wrong or mistaken, to listen with their heart and their spirit and their ears for the voice of God and to the ppl around them. They don't immediately disregard a complaint or concern that someone might voice, rather they pause and invite you to reason together with them before God, they seek wise counsel and the word of God, they commit the situation to prayer and truly ask themselves... "did I miss God in this?"
That is the sign of true character, imo... stopping and taking the time to truly listen to the negative and consider it honestly before God. To apologize when we are wrong, not just in word but with heartfelt remorse. Or else, to firmly defend what we believe God has revealed as Truth,not compromising and yet with all gentleness and genuine love, patient and truly seeking a peaceful resolution to accomplish God's will. Loving that person and putting yourself in their shoes, desperate to understand their perspective, and joining your heart to whatever they are wrestling with in theirs. Desiring that they know peace with God and Man, remaining on their side until they find it, no matter the conflict at hand.
Isn't that what Christ came to do for us, in the most intimate of ways, and yet with the express purpose of getting us and everyone involved to a better place, bringing all into the perfect will of the Father.
Sounds so simple on one hand, and yet, it sounds so complicated on the other. Thank goodness it is God who oversees such things and ensures the fulfillment of what is good and right and necessary.
So I am rambling now and distracted by the phone and the many ppl wandering into the room... perhaps someone reading this will make sense out of something I have said and be encouraged in some way =)
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/11/2010 9:33:49 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
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My Prayer Journal during New Years Fast beginning Jan 11th.
Day 1: Breatkthru40 Fast for 2010
http://www.facebook.com/notes/breakthru40/day-1-monday-desperation-devotional-january-11th/269934915972
Suggested Worship: My Soul Longs For You
http://www.myspace.com/mistyedwards
Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.
8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9 They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.
10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
Thoughts:
How interesting that my daily devotional from HEARTLIGHT DAILY speaks of that same crying out in anguish. How interesting to me that that was my prayer just last night as I continue to reel in pain from recent unresolved hurts. That crying out in a dry land, that pain and suffering that robs you of rest in your body and in your thoughts and in your spirit. There are times when it is so easy for others to say that "relief is so easy just speak peace to your situation, take authority over your hurts, command the enemy to release what is yours...."
And there is truth in that and I believe we can and should declare such things... but the pain and the hurt remains. What of that?
My God says that I can cry out in anguish in the midst of it, thru the entire process, for the duration of the torment. He lets me cry. He knows what it is to hurt and to cry and to need a God who lets you make your requests known to him. Our Lord is real, a friend who has walked this very road, who is acquainted with our sorrows. Pauls regret over his past rose up before him from time to time to haunt him and challenge him. So do the hurts committed against us. Some things fade and lose their bite, but other things, deep things, unresolved things that ppl inflict upon us... can often rise up in the road we are walking and challenge us anew.
But we can cry out to our God, and he will make us able to overcome. He doesn't want to rush in and do it all for us each time. He wants us to begin to own who we are. He wants us to experience that moment of breaking thru that wall that has risen up in our way and attempted to imprison us. He wants us to be violent and to taste victory that comes by our own hand in his name and by His authority and power. We are called to be warriors, fighters, not defenseless children. We are loved as his children, but we are to grow to be mature and wise, parenting others into the Kingdom.
Boldness, Be Holy, Rise Up, Cry out in your anguish but let it be a war cry that something is about to change in the name of Jesus!!!
Warriors cry. They scream and shout as they are cut and wounded, they are not machines, they feel, made in the image of God, emotions and passions, commitments and devotion. Cry out in your anguish, cry for help, cry for God to come and make you able. He will hear you, and he will come. He waits for that invitation, having prepared all, poised and expecting his child to make him proud. He sees the victory that he has placed within arms reach of us He has all confidence in us, in you, that we will reach and receive and accomplish great things. He is on our side and ensures our victory just by his presence. What power! What assurance! What Hope! What can man do to me?
My Heartlight devotion referenced:
Psalm 118:5-6
"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Our God knows us... and we know our God. He cannot fail us. He refuses to and nothing can stay his hand from reaching into our lives and performing every good thing that he has planned for us. What words can be spoken against you, what lies can be told, that God can not shine upon and expose? What deceptions? What injustice? What abuse or physical harm can he not stare down and cause you to overcome? He speaks and things appear. His name is mentioned and demons tremble. He thinks it and the mountains move. All power and authority belongs to our Father!!!
But in the midst of it all, as he moves those mountains, as the warfare heats up and the blows become crushing... he never forgets how fragile we are. His strong hand remains faithful and always protects us, threatening all that threatens to crush our very spirit. In the shifting of even mountains, he refuses to allow harm to overwhelm us or to get the upper hand. A measure of pain is necessary in growth and maturity. Warfare is not without sacrifice and scars. But there is a hedge of protection around the core of our heart and spirit and soul that God will not allow the enemy to cross.
When your child cries out to you in their suffering and their fear... Mom, but especially Dad, is a force to be reckoned with. He fights for us as he teaches us to fight for what is right and good and holy.
Today, there is blood and cutting and excruciating pain and suffering, the ppl of God are crying out, and have been for some time now. It has been a time of preparation, of bringing all hearts and minds to center, to focus on our Salvation. We are finally looking up. We are finally looking to Him instead of ourselves or the world or our spouse or other gods of wood and stone.
As we cry out he will heal our land, our situation, our heart, our family, all that the enemy has butchered and made bloody. God will heal, and he will make the enemy repay. Retribution is coming, by the hand of God as we return to Holiness as God is Holy. Be Holy in his name, in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior and Friend. Amen.
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< Message edited by selahgirl -- 1/11/2010 9:46:06 AM >
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/12/2010 1:38:29 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
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My Prayer Journal during New Years Fast
Day 2: Breatkthru40 Fast for 2010
http://www.facebook.com/notes/breakthru40/day-2-tuesday-compassion-devotional-january-12th/272070135972
Suggested Worship: How He Loves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C0ZGr9afI4
(focus on the line that says, I CAN'T MAINTAIN THESE REGRETS)
Isaiah 58:6-7
True Fasting
1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
3 'Why have we fasted,' they say,
'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?'
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Thoughts:
Step back and look at this picture of the Church. Selfish, rebellious, caught up in ritual but behaving badly toward the character of God and the ppl around them. This is the Church today... what have we become? what kind of reflection do we cast? Do ppl look at us and see Christ? We are sheep and we have gone astray as individuals and as a body. How fitting is it that one of the most contemporary Christian Music Groups SHOWBREAD has released a song on their new cd THE FEAR OF GOD, a song titled LOST CONNECTION WITH MY HEAD.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_FM9vQWCXE
(very edgy, so you may be offended, but they are one of the most prophetic groups I have heard in this generation... whether they realize it or not. Every album speaks to so much that God has spoken in each hour of the Church. You may rather read their lyrics, just remember that they say more than you may realize).
Lyrics: http://www.songlyrics.com/showbread/lost-connection-with-the-head-lyrics/
The Church walks around near Christ knowing who he is, but they have lost connection with him because they have embraced selfish ambition and wrong motives. They have redefined so much that God has ordained as Truth and made it into lies. They have glossed over the commands of God in the name of Mercy and demanded obedience to men rather than God. And the congregation has given it. Just like our nation is handing over it's freedoms one by one, so the church is handing over the freedoms that Christ died to give us. We willingly become slaves to mindsets and bondages that Christ freed us from, and has given us authority over. It is mind boggling.
Just thinking out loud... but it would seem to me that much of the issue and infection in the church in this hour is the direct result of the so-called "cutting-edge" teaching of such movements as the EMERGENT church. I'm not sure I can convey what is in my thoughts because it involves mindsets from the past several years as well as glimpses of what has developed from those mindsets in the current generation... strictly just one persons observations, and I could easily be mistaken. But there is a definite smell to it all that has brought these thoughts to my mind.
My pastor at the Naz church that I attend was teaching on DENIAL this past Sunday and made reference to something I had not heard before. He commented that so many ppl say that time heals all wounds, but that is not necessarily true. Sometimes TIME simply allows infection to set in. He went on to explain that HOPE is the only thing that truly heals.
That one insight has rocked my thoughts and echoed in my spirit with such revelation. HOPE. That is what brings healing, and that is what has been lost in this generation for some reason. There is a spirit of hopelessness that is devouring so many, suicide is up, desperation leading to destructive behavior is on the rise in marriages, individuals, and whole communities. And the question is how did we get here? Lots of reasons I'm sure, but I think the discolor of recent teachings has skewed motives and healing and Hope.
So much has been said about the IF/THEN order of mercy and forgiveness, and how this emergent church movement seems to disregard the IFs. This is difficult to put into words, but it connects so well to the comment made by my pastor about Time allowing Infection to set in. The sins a person commits are so glossed over thru the teaching of Mercy-mongers that there is no cleansing or true restoration that takes place. There is merely covering up sin and letting it fester. There must be some kind of outward manifestation of cleansing that echoes the spiritual cleansing performed by the Blood of Christ. Secrecy, putting things under the carpet, out of site out of mind... encourage infection. There is a healing when we bring things into the Light, the sun/Son shines upon things and all the impurities are burned up and everyone is witness of it. What beauty, what power!
In other words, when a person sins against another person or themselves or God, they should desire and be allowed to express remorse and make retribution. Not forced to, but it should be taught that that is the proper order of things. If I am forgiven of a fault, I deeply desire to express how sorry I am and to attempt to make it up to the ppl involved somehow. But instead the emerging Mercy doctrines teach, you're not obligated to apologize for anything. Saying I"m sorry, being pierced to the core, truly sick at heart over what you have done to hurt someone is hushed in an attempt to make everyone think you're okay, I'm okay, lets just not talk about it and everything will be alright.
That felt good at first, a nice neat tight bandage over wounds to cover it all up and soak up the blood felt snug and cozy. But time has gone by and infection has set in, because the dirt remains and healing hasn't occurred for the person who sinned or the person that was hurt. That comes back to the Showbread song, and the part of the lyric that says:
Oh Lord, I'm sick of myself
I'd rather bury it than carry it, I'm desperate for help
And barely sentient means just being me
Follow suit the destitute my modus operandi, yeah
... No one enjoys the party when they're stricken with anemia
A shallow sinking surface simply screaming septicemia
Peace of mind is hard to find...
You can't have peace of mind, until you have peace with God. That peace that Christ came to bring. But it is a peace that requires more than just saying yes, I sinned. It is a deeper thing that requires heartfelt remorse and personal accountability, not a demand for mercy, but a gift of mercy... the Godly Mercy that he speaks of in Isaiah 1:
17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. [a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.
18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;
Infection has set in because there has been no PERSONAL accountability required of anyone under such a doctrine. All the hurt and yuck has merely been covered up and glossed over rather than truly resolved and relationships restored. There is no True Cleansing and therefore no HOPE. The end result is that infection worsens to a critical state, and death is eminent if the wound is not scrubbed out and cleansed, and soon.
The Life is in the blood, but septicemia is infection in the blood, so life has become infected -- no matter how healthy the body appears or how zealously it attends the party, death is eminent if the blood is not cleansed and connection with the head is not regained. It will catch up to you, and that is what is happening in the Church, imo.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick.
Mercy has been extended, but so many remain sick at heart because it is not a Godly mercy... it is a discolored mercy designed by men for whatever reason... usually selfish ambition to say something trendy that will get them attention... or sometimes it is merely a recognition that change is needed, a positive realization, but a failure to seek God for right change. Whatever the reason, God has not abandoned us. Just the opposite it true, he has continued to fight for us, to discipline us, to allow us to endure the consequences of going our own way or burying our heads in the sand while other souls were being led into the ditch.
All the while, he has continued to speak with love and compassion and mercy as only he can... wooing us back, stirring a craving in our hearts to return to Truth, opening our eyes to the error we have embraced.... always ready to reach out his hand of kindness and bring us to repentance, so that our hearts and lives can be clay in his loving hands. The church is SICK OF ITSELF again referring to the Showbread song. It is at a place where it is crying out in anguish to God, but at the same time it is crying out in repentance... a cry of misery and pain and sorrow, and yet a cry of war and determination... a declaration of FREEDOM THRU CHRIST no matter the cost.
It goes back to the message of the Day 2 devotion... COMPASSION.
It is everything spoken of in that Breakthru40 devotional by Mike Cantrell, and it is everything commanded in Isaiah 58. It goes across age groups and across denominational lines, across races and politics. It is getting on the same page with the Spirit of God and with the Church as a whole. It is that one mind and one spirit and one accord that Christ said the end time Church must have. It is a time of Preparation for what we are about to face as a family. Something is coming, not sure what, but foundations are creaking and cracking, the whole world is shifting in the spiritual and that shift is being manifested in the physical. Prophecy will be fulfilled. Every word of Scripture is gonna be fulfilled to the dotting of every i and the crossing of every t.
My Heartlight devotion referenced:
Galatians 3:26-29
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
"One. Basic, simple, and easy to understand. When we become Christians through faith and baptism into Christ, we are made one with all other Christians around the world. Race, gender, and social status are gone. All that's left is One, the One, Jesus. Our lives are his and thus are connected to each other. Our destination is the same, heaven. Our family is the church. No barriers. No closed doors. We are one." (Phil Ware)
The Bride is being challenged and admonished to remove every spot and every wrinkle, and that means seeking Christ as never before because she cannot do it in her own strength or righteousness. There is a cry for personal accountability, of righting our motives, of petitioning God to renew us... and it starts by becoming sick of the infection we have welcomed into our lives, by wanting Godly change and not just something trendy and different and exciting by the worlds standards. It is letting our flesh be uncomfortable and denied, and it is becoming strong spiritually as we are fed by the True Vine, by Jesus Christ. Our ambition must no longer be of a selfish nature... rather, it must be an ambition that reacts to the Mercy of God and cries out, COMPASSION FOR ALL!
Come Holy Spirit and lead us in this!
.
< Message edited by selahgirl -- 1/12/2010 1:58:31 PM >
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/13/2010 9:48:06 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
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My Prayer Journal during New Years Fast
Day 3: Breatkthru40 Fast for 2010
http://www.facebook.com/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?ref=mf#/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?v=app_2347471856&ref=mf
Suggested Worship: The Faithful Love of Jesus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8pzWYhjJoo
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 17Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.
John 12:32
32But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
Thoughts:
Last year I was asked to write about the topic TASTE AND SEE. So much of what came to mind then came back to me this morning. When we reach out with a heart of evangelism, we become that avenue for God to fill the lives of those around us with a sweet and intoxicating aroma. It is a smell that either draws them or repulses them, which manifests itself in their rejection of us and our God... or in their desire to draw near and perhaps to taste this thing that has moved them to the core of their being.
Imagine sitting in that restaurant, anywhere in the world, upscale or downtown, high class or lowly burgers... whatever. The waitress walks by with something that just steams with the most amazing flavor and immediately turns your head in her direction searching for the source. You can't help but wonder, "wow! what is that, it smells amazing." All your senses are stirred and you reach out to touch her arm as she walks by to ask her what it is that smells so good.
That is the response we should have as we carry the Gospel thru this world. We go where God commands and along the way, ppl smell the life-changing aroma, and they stop us and ask that we explain it, identify it, and allow them to taste it. Sometimes, actually always, it is not us that moves them to respond, it is the Spirit of God. But we so often forget that. We must remember that we are merely the messengers, the carriers, the conduits, and it is God who gives the increase, his Spirit that draws them to the cross of Christ.
That overwhelming moment when they request the same dish, when they inhale the sweet fragrance with great anticipation, when they take that first bite and it is beyond their expectation. We stand by their table witnessing their experience, getting to play a small part, but able to share in their great joy. The satisfaction they experience, their excitement. We watch them turn to those around them and exclaim, "you have GOT to try this!"
And that is the beauty and power of that sweet fragrance, the Gospel... it draws men to Christ, to taste and see for themselves. It moves them to offer it to others inviting them to experience something that changes their life, satisfies their soul, and moves their very spirit. They will never be the same, they will remember that moment always, and they will forever share the experience encouraging others to tast and see.
That is a picture of evangelism, of living the Christian life, of sharing that good thing with whoever God sends you to, but also offering it to those whose path he leads you to cross along the way. How exciting! How fun! What a privilege! What a great job to have! We are not the author, or the owner, we don't collect the profit or the money, and yet, the blessing is ours, the real treasure. It reveals itself as we are witness to the birth of a soul, a new born baby, a beautiful child of God who has become our brother, our sister. It's deeper than making some coin, its thicker than water, its full of life and health and wholeness, salvation and freedom... it's about the Blood, it's about family, the family of God, our family, our God who loves us and refuses to forsake us.
What a beautiful and frightening thing for God to entrust us to be a part of something so profound, to be witness to the greatest of miracles up close and personal, to nurture and welcome something so fragile and yet so earth-shaking, a new life. wow <3
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/14/2010 12:02:10 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
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My Prayer Journal during New Years Fast
Day 4: Breatkthru40 Fast for 2010
http://www.facebook.com/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?ref=mf#/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?v=app_2347471856&ref=mf
Suggested Worship: Worship at Church in Haiti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvgOKEfL63s
Genesis 18:1-15, Acts 11:14 , Numbers 23:19
"First:
Lord you are aligning our hearts to pray for our bothers and sisters in Haiti. We are desperate for your healing touch!! Lord move us by your Spirit because we know you have compassion on the multitudes who have survived this tragedy. God give us the boldness and courage to demonstrate our faith in you through our benevolent giving and actions. Amen " W
I watched this worship video this morning and halfway thru I was overwhelmed and began to cry, so deeply so that I wondered at myself. As those beautiful faces flashed across the screen, I saw my family, our family, brothers and sisters, worshiping our God with such passion... crying out that their soul was thirsting for more of him:
Psalm 42
1 As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
In the midst of this fast, as my flesh is desperate and uncomfortable -- hurting -- there was a connection, a revelation of sorts, that just absolutely hit me. There is a hunger and a passion in that nation, there is a spirit of evangelism, the same one that we are called to and crying out for. We are one, we are family... and the crisis at hand has devastated our family, those that we love and who God loves.
The writer of this devotion today asks several questions that seemed so very significant to me based on the Scriptures that God illuminated in this moment in this hour, here in TN and in Haiti.
#1. Ask yourself is anything too difficult for God?
#2. When He returns will he find faith in the world?
#3. Will he check for faith in one person, one couple, one family--your family?
Sarah laughed and we think she thought God's messenger was just silly or telling big windy's... but there was so much in that brief laughter. It was a laugh of disbelief sparked by YEARS AND YEARS of hope deferred. Sarah had lost sight of her faith and had yielded to doubt and disbelief without even realizing. That laugh seemed like a knee jerk reaction before she really thought thru the fact that these messengers had just shared a word from the Almighty God. When I am hurting from severe attack and absolute devastation, my walk becomes messy. I stagger and become disoriented, and I need those that love me to throw their arms around me and just love me. But I also desperately need them to pray for my protection, that I would cling to Faith and Hope in Christ, that God would bring me thru that time of crisis with great victory in every area of my life.
We could be quick to criticize Sarah, but we might do well to put ourself in her place for a moment. Have you ever been there? Have you ever sought God for something for a very long time, begged, pleaded, waited, believed, and when things in the physical began telling you things contrary to the promises of God... you gave up believing... you chose to embrace doubt and disbelief rather than Faith (without even realizing it)?
In the midst of that ordeal, what did it feel like? Do you know what it is to suffer loss? To be robbed of something or someone precious to you, to be denied and shamed thru no fault of your own? Do you know what it is to give all and to see nothing in return for a lifetime... and to be asked to continue believing what you cannot see? trusting what has manifested nothing in the physical?
Have you been gutted and left bleeding on the ground, trying to find your feet, desiring death rather than life because the pain is so very tormenting?... I think we have all been there at some point, and if you haven't I encourage you to remember this post if you find yourself there some day. But more importantly, remember the promises and character of God in the passages shared.
Genesis 18
10 Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." ...
13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."
Acts 11
14He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'
Numbers 23
19 God is not a man, that he should lie,
nor a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
In this breakthru40 fast, today, let us cover our brothers and sisters in Haiti during this devastating tragedy. AS they walk that road of great loss and tormenting pain, unimaginable for most of us, let us pray that God would increase their faith, that he would provide every physical and spiritual need, that he would restore ALL that the enemy has devoured in Haiti.
Come Holy Spirit, comfort those whom we love, those who you love, who are crying out to you in that nation. Guard their hearts, let all that the enemy meant for evil be turned to great joy a hundred times over in the name of Jesus. Put your hedge around their physical bodies and their families and their hearts and minds and spirits, and let no evil come near them.
Remind them of all that you have promised them, of the plans you have to bless them and prosper them, of your faithfulness and your great love for them. Silence every lie of the enemy, every voice that speaks against the good things that you desire for the ppl of Haiti. Loose your Holy Spirit in that place and bring direction to them as individuals, families, and community. Give your ppl your words to speak peace and comfort and encouragement to all who are suffering, to those who are afraid and angry, to those that feel overwhelmed by hopelessness and grief, those who do not know you and those who do. Walk among them.
Come Lord Jesus and set your feet in the soil of Haiti and carry your ppl thru this terrible storm. Be their comfort, their strength, their confidence... and restore Hope and Joy to them. Holy Father, we ask all in the name of your precious son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/15/2010 11:05:59 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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Tinted Windows
~ Life is complicated. I have given up on perfection because Life is truly ugly... what beauty can be found in a war zone? There is only Hope and Faith and Love, by the Grace of God. Hope that someday we will see him and finally behold perfection in all of it's fullness. Faith that there is a plan to this madness called life and that God will bring it to a good and just fulfillment.
... isn't it interesting that we can have Hope in something, and Faith in something, but not Love in something. The grammar of it just doesn't work and that makes me wonder at it?
... Perhaps because we can get a handle on Hope and Faith, so that we can hold it in our hands and heart with relative ease... but it is Love that so often escapes our capabilities and understanding. Who can fathom the Love of God? It is something we can taste and glimpse and smell, and yet we so often struggle to define it or truly possess it.
... God is Love. Perhaps that is why it is the greatest of the three, something that we reach for in all of it's perfection and beauty but never truly something we are full of. We can manage at times to be full of Hope or full of Faith, but to be truly full of Love is not something I have ever seen. How could we be when only God is Love and we are not God.
... which leads to an interesting thought, we could not become Love and so Love became one of us. Christ did not come to make us into gods, he came so God could be with us, and in us, known to us in real and intimate and eternal ways. It was the serpent in the garden twisting the word of God that promised that we would be like God as in being wise, knowing good from evil. But it is not knowledge that enables us to take on life-giving Godly character while putting to death our sinful natures... it is Love... only that divine Love within us can restore us to the image of God.
... That is why Christ came to us, because we could not go to him. That is why his Spirit must reside in us as we wait for his returning because we cannot possess Love unless we possess God. His Spirit with us and in us, but one day we will be changed as he is... who can say what that will truly look like? What will be different about us as we are brought into that nature of perfection in body, mind and spirit? There will be a day, but this life is not it. We are somewhere between point A and point B, moving forward, ever improving, ever getting closer to the mark, to the immediate presence of the Lord. Then we will know perfection, when we are fully with him beyond the veil of the war zone in which we live, where all that is good and right and Godly is shadowed and glimpsed thru a darkened glass... tinted windows.
~ It is Faith and Hope in this truth that equips us and enables us to trust in Love... Love being that living breathing incredible being that is our precious and mighty God. It is the greatest of the three because without it there would be nothing to Hope in and nothing we could have Faith in. Our God is Love, there is NOTHING like our God.
~ Who can define normal in a way that isn't proved superficial soon after? Life without passion is irrelevant at best. There is no normal, there is only salvation thru Christ Jesus. I will always fall short, but my passion is to know him better each day, to see him face to face, to have Love fulfilled with me and within me. Some day, that is my Hope and my Faith.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/15/2010 12:32:42 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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My Prayer Journal during New Years Fast
Day 5: Breatkthru40 Fast for 2010
http://www.facebook.com/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?ref=mf#/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?v=app_2347471856&ref=mf
Suggested Worship: NOTHING BUT DIRT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzk0MMP917w
Isaiah 58:6 asks us, “is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?
"Walking on the college campuses and talking with young people, I’m constantly reminded that this generation is so oppressed and is held in bondage to their sins as well as the sins of their fathers. But with great hope, there still remains a purpose and destiny for their lives. I’m also reminded that almost every revolution started with students on college and university campuses. From Nazism, Communism and Marxism to the great university missionary movement such as the Moravian missionaries, the Azuza Street Revival and the Jesus People movement, every revolution – bad or good – started with or had a great influence on students who were hungry for change and willing to lay down their lives for a cause. " Nick Jones
Thoughts:
What a true and perfect glimpse of the spiritual state of the college campus! The key word to me seems to be oppression. Echoing the worship selection (which happens to be a song my daughter wrote) there is a mindset of being NOTHING BUT DIRT, forgotten, forsaken, unimportant, ugly and messy... for so many reasons in this generation. It has led to a tendency to give up, to suicide, to losing sight of the things that once seemed so clear and worth fighting for. This generation has lost it's fight for some reason, not just among teens and college students, but among their families, their churches, their communities. There is a smothering oppression that has drifted in like a silent unnoticed cloud, and it has unleashed raging storms from seemingly no where.
But something is happening...
It is teens and college ppl that I am hearing from and seeing that are finding solid places to stand in the midst of ground soaking downpours and fierce winds. They are beginning to ask God about some things. They are beginning to petition him with requests for Truth and for direction and for answers... oh my... and our God is a God who answers our prayers and with power. You can feel something stirring in this generation of the college campus. There are conversations between students and God going on in personal and intimate settings, like dorm rooms and in their cars, in their loneliness and among their many tears, thru their confusion and disappointments and within the walls of bondage that their own sins have built and others have built around them.
Communication is the key to positive change in any relationship, and this generation is communing with God one-to-one as well as in groups with their peers, It is moving out of those personal places and into the social climate where they are beginning to ask their questions outloud because others are asking the same questions. The oppression is losing it's grip in this hour. Prayer and Fasting has increased and there is a breaking of strongholds that is occurring. This generation is poised and hungry for God to appear in their midst. They are inviting Him and he will come.
We will see ground-shaking, life-changing revivals and soon among our teens and college students. I believe that and I claim it in the name of Jesus. Failures will fall to the wayside like chaff, personal failures, failures of parents, failures of churches and leaders, all things that have hindered the freedom and plan that God has ordained for them as individuals and as the current generation of the Church. God will loose a spirit of victory... the DAY OF THE OVERCOMER is upon this generation.
The last days are upon us, the great falling away and the greatest of revivals is on the horizon. God is about to take all that the enemy meant for evil, every attack big and small, and he is going to use it to equip this generation for greatness. That greatness will be manifested in a passion and devotion to God and to ppl, to Love because God is love. Their vision will include the individual before them, the mission in their own communities, and service beyond all borders and into all lands. They will be unafraid because they will have learned to trust in God because of the storms they have already weathered. Every oppression, every wound, every trial of the past will only serve to make them wise as serpents and gentle as doves. And every attack in this hour will only serve to make them more determined and more like Christ, in the name of Jesus.
God spoke some things to me at the start of this fast on Day 1, but they didn't seem to fit my prayer blog. On this the last day of my 5 day intensive fast... the Breakthru40 devotion by Nick Jones restated so much that was in my heart during that time of prayer. (I will be doing a less intensive fast the remaining days).
Here are some things that God spoke and seemed to say to declare:
~ Be Holy as Christ is Holy. Cry out in your anguish, in your current situation, in the midst of the mess that has swallowed your joy and staggered your walk. God will hear and he will answer.
~ (2 Sam 4:1-9) It was a time of sin and rebellion, but the thing that stood out was that they had forgotten to remember all that God had brought them out of. They had become unthankful and lost their focus for many reasons. God wants to renew the mind of this generation and bring them back to center, back to the Truth of Scripture and the plan and promises of God. I felt like God was saying to cry out, to make this declaration despite all that they are facing:
"God has delivered me out of all my troubles!"
Past and present and future. Be thankful, full of faith and courage, embracing passion and devotion, and speaking the word of God against all oppression and all that attempts to rob them of their Hope. God will give them beauty for ashes, joy in place of sorrow. Man can't do this, but with God all things are possible.
~ Even tho they face things that are not God's model and design, even tho the mud in on their hands and in their eyes and on their shoes, even tho the stench is overwhelming every where they turn... they must seek to see the promises and plan of God beyond what is accosting them in the physical. The storm may cause the rain to fall, but God will bring refreshing thru it.
~ Sing and declare and resolve to believe:
All is well with my soul.
I put myself in his hands.
The Blood of Christ, the Power of the Cross.
~ The Lord commands in this hour, in this generation of the church,
"Prepare the way, all who will call upon his name."
Excellent prayer challenge from Nick Jones on Day 5:
1) Pray for colleges/universities surrounding you that God would pour out His Spirit on that campus.
2) Pray that every oppressed student would be freed and every yoke broken.
3) Begin to call forth a revival for this generation!
Amen.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/16/2010 1:06:44 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
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My Prayer Journal during New Years Fast
Day 6: B40 Fast for 2010
http://www.facebook.com/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?ref=mf#/pages/breakthru40/200009189154?v=app_2347471856&ref=mf
Genesis 3
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
"With Adam as our example, we clearly see that leadership holds weighty responsibility, producing devastating consequences when misused. He was the point-man so to speak, not the woman. In fact, her bit did little to humanity. Why? The woman’s eyes were not opened by her bite; the bite of the leader hurled them both into the knowledge of good and evil. And thus, the knowledge of their uncovered condition. Oh, we leaders can do much harm to ourselves and to those who follow us when we act outside of the will of God. " Lyndon Allen
Thoughts:
I am absolutely undone by the necessity of such a word as is contained in this devotion, Day 6, addressing leaders from Adam to husbands to pastors to you and to me. We so often focus on the privilege of titles and power and position, but forget the responsibility involved as though it were a small thing. What fools we can be! What devastating consequences and destruction we cause when we yield to adultery, deception, theft, selfishness and abuse. We reap death for so many, we murder, we sin against God.
James 1
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check
We all sin, but leaders, ppl entrusted with power are judged with greater consequence and standards. Husbands, Wives, Pastors, Teachers, Older Siblings would do well to remember that, but so often the church is silent about such accountability. All too often, so much is swept under the carpet as tho the Mercy of God erases all consequence. But what of David and Paul, both who carried the scars of their sin, and were haunted by their failures. Were it not for the Mercy of God, they would have been overcome by them. Instead, God used their testimony to be powerful instruments for spreading the Gospel. But the memories were not without a constant measure of pain for them. I think this is always the case for those who are truly repentant.
"Adam, the disobedient leader, caused a cascade of events because he did not say, “no.” to one bite of one fruit! “Food” was the context of the first sin. Yes, one bite did indeed matter. If there ever were a day for a leader to have declared a fast, it should have been Adam on that day. Could you see it? The woman hands him the fruit and he says, “I’m fasting honey; no thanks.” Things would be vastly different today. No doubt; he should have said, “no” to food. As a result, the first couple experienced horrendous loss of power, privilege, and position for themselves and we their descendants" Lyndon Allen
What a symbol of the sins of the flesh, that apple. If only in that moment of temptation, we would have the resolve to immediately declare a fast as the writer above so wisely suggested, to say no without hesitation, without pondering the pleasure of that sin, to look away. The result would be salvation without the need for death and destruction of all that we love, our children, and all who love us.
This devotion cuts me so deeply to the heart in so many ways. It is personal and painful, but I am so thankful that the writer of todays B40 devotion had the boldness to speak such a challenge, such Truth. Sometimes rebuke is the road to Holiness, the only way to bring ourselves to sincerely BE HOLY. What he has shared is Power and so key to the preparation that God has ordained in this hour of the Church!
Fasting is essential to living a holy life, it trains us in self-discipline and equips us to say no to the sins of the flesh. It should be a staple in the life of every believer, but especially that of leaders.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/20/2010 11:20:16 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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Breakthru40 Devotion Day 10:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/breakthru40/day-10-wednesdays-4-evangelism-devotional-january-20th/286088480972
""The harvest is plentiful and ripe yet there are not enough people out there to simply tell their own story, how they encountered and were transformed by the living God. Pray that God will give the courage to His followers to step out from all their fears and tell of His goodness and plan of salvation." GT
Thoughts:
~ How can we ever learn courage if we are never in a situation that requires us to face our fears? How will we ever hear God challenge us to not be afraid, if we are not honest about our humanity? Peel the onion... there is something powerful within us when we shed that layer of fear... Christ is with us, His Spirit is in us.
~ Every great warrior wrestles with that fear that gets all in your face, and then, he must make the decision to see beyond the enemy's attempt to intimidate. That is the place where courage is found, cuz that is where Christ stands calling us to come.
~ Servant Warrior... trust in God, be strong and courageous, give no thought to your defense, God will give you what to say in that moment, be wise as serpents, be gentle as doves, defend what Christ says to defend, be violent with a Godly violence, be angry with a Godly anger, be zealous as he was zealous about the things of God and the ppl of God... but sin not.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 1/26/2010 12:10:58 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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~ A coward lets someone else deal with necessary conflict, and then swoops in speaking gently as tho they saved the day so ppl will think more highly of them than they should. A HERO goes against his desire to stay comfortable no matter how unpopular it makes him or what is costs him or who gets the credit -- just as long as what God said to do is done.
~ Once upon a time Russia conquered America and the minds of US school children needed to be turned. So the teacher told the little children that their flag was so special they should all have a piece of it to keep. With great excitement the children watched the symbol of their nation cut to pieces never understanding the depth of the deception at hand. Out of site, out of mind is a powerful weapon...
~ It's not stupid, there is a great purpose attached. Piles of stones were often the representation, the reminder, of all that God had done. As someone recently challenged us to REMEMBER... we must seek to understand the importance of respecting the flag, memorizing the Preamble, keeping with certain traditions that seem lame. Those traditions protect our memories and keep our loyalties on task.
~ Switch up versions and translate the language, but the Holy Bible is the living breathing spoken word of God. To eliminate a book or to say that the writers were more influenced by myths and cultures than the Truth and Spirit of God is... yes... well... blasphemous. Big ugly word, but one that commands attention no matter how starchy it seems. Recent trends and off the cuff suggestions carry life and death dangers.
~ Cut up the American flag cuz it's just so darn special... Eliminate a book of the Bible because you feel it has no purpose or spiritual significance... stop going to church or meeting regularly with other believers to give and receive from the One God you serve... criticize the flaws rather than rolling up your sleeves and refusing to give up on your heritage and your family. Are we that self-centered?
~ The best ship afloat with all it's flaws is better than drowning in a black sea, alone and with nothing to hold onto. Clean the house, tear out a wall, but guard the foundation if you ever want to truly build something remarkable. Be careful when you are tearing down what God says to tear down... sometimes we can get carried away and bury ourselves and those we love in the rubble.
~ Pastors have a heart to nurture and build up. Prophets have a passion to tear down and clean up. Both are necessary, but both must remain under the direction of the master builder, the cornerstone, the foundation, the author and the finisher, the repairer of the breach, the purger of the chaff, the King of Love, who is full of mercy and yet no stranger to uncompromising holiness. Walk humbly with your God.
~ What was Commandment Number One again?... we have strayed so far from it as individuals and as the Church, personal and public, physical and spiritual. Pastor Mike's msg on DEVOTION was definitely a powerful and timely word if ever there was one. I honestly believe that what he shared is the preeminent thing that God would say to his ppl today. Devotion to God brings us into alignment with his will ♥
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/1/2010 11:38:32 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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~ if the news reports are correct... I pray misguided missionaries to be free soon and returned to their homes... but Kudos to the govt of Haiti for watching over their children and orphans!!! You can't go blindly into a nation and gather up children to take to a different country, especially when some of them are protesting that they are not orphans! What a mess for everyone involved.
~ Ppl judge situations based on the appearance of things and the gossip shared by their circle of friends and leaders. I thank my God that He sees all things and judges them based on Truth and Mercy. I pray for those who have made judgement calls about things they know nothing about. If there is any sincerity in their search for Truth, it is going to grieve them to the core when they find it ;_;
~ ... how will a persons conscience hold up when the whole Truth comes out? I guess that would depend on a person's measure of pride and how much of a conscience they actually have. Some ppl respond like Cain, others respond like David. Funny how we all think we're David in such matters.
~ "I do not see them as US citizens, they are kidnappers."
~ I pray mercy is shown cuz their heart sounds sincere, but what if they were trafficking children and claiming to be Christians?... Rules must be followed to protect the innocent, we cannot claim some arrogant privilege to disregard such things based on titles of "Chrisitan" or "US citizenship." Do titles give ppl the right to act in gross error no matter the motive? Especially when it bring harm to others?
~ So many ppl face their own mountain... but some day they will face something so massive and seemingly unbearable that they will see those former things as molehills... and perhaps they will grasp the poor judgments that they have made in the past about someone else's sufferings. No matter how smart you think you are, or how much you think you know, you will err... as do we all.
~ I don't need you to love me... I don't even need you to like me... definitely don't need you to agree with me... I just need to keep loving you... and to know that God is Truth, every man is a liar, and I'm doing the best I can knowing that He is judging our hearts with JUSTICE as well as MERCY.
~ The greatest sin of the Church in this hour?... being SUPERFICIAL in every area of our lives.
~ That's why the messages of Passion and Devotion are so strong right now, the two are yoked... Passion without Devotion to God manifests itself as Lust of the Eyes, Lust of the Flesh and the Pride of Life... Devotion to anything other than God manifests itself as Rebellion and Death and Hell. Everyone loves the TOUCHY FEELY... No one likes the IF THEN realty of God.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/1/2010 1:37:42 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
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~ I know a girl who shouldn't even be here. I know a girl that should've been dead so many times that she is like 100 walking miracles in one. I know a girl whose story is so offensive that words haven't even been found to tell it. I know a girl who knows a God who is bigger than anything in heaven or hell and everything in betwn. I know a girl that doesn't care who doesn't understand, cuz the Truth has set her free ♥
~ There is a God in this earth, one who came down from a Glory so high to immerse himself in the lowest of dirt, for one reason... there was something he wasn't willing to live without... a certain little girl, his rotten disobedient spoiled self-centered little brat... a daughter that he loved and refused to give up on until he spent his last dime and his very last breath... o yes there is a God in this earth.
~ He came to jerk a knot in her tail, to shake her and get her attention, to bind up her wounds and to speak Truth to her, to heal her body mind and spirit, to give her peace, to claim her, to tell her she is not alone and to prove it, to give her every good thing her heart has desired and freely...
He came so she could be with Him and he could be with her, so she would understand all that was in her Father's heart, so she would be a reflection of him in this place of dirt...
He came to teach her what it is to find your way out of the darkness, to be free from that grave after being buried alive for so long, to know what it is to truly LIVE, to breathe with spiritual lungs for the first time and to grow, to push and fight and move ever upward out of the darkness, out of the grave, and into the Light...
He came to give her insight to know that that field she is looking at, that flat dead empty plain of soil and rock that she is tied to can be spoken to and made alive, that there are words that her Father would teach her that would break up that hard ground and cause LIFE to come forth and children to be born into the Kingdom, into the family...
He came to risk it all, to give of himself, his only begotten son, to sacrifice what he held as most costly and precious, to be separated from him for a season, to allow him to suffer and die, to purchase the chance that she might be saved from her selfish self, not that she deserved it, but because he loved her and refused to give up on getting her back...
O yes, there is definitely a God in this earth, One True Almighty Loving Merciful God who is Father, Son, and Spirit... who is with us and for us as his children, forever.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/2/2010 9:55:17 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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~ "Many of the things we anticipate and dream about are much less glorious in real life than they were in our imaginations. There is one event, however, that is better than we can imagine and beyond our wildest dreams. When Jesus returns to take us home to be with our Father, it will be far better than we can ask, imagine, dream or think. Maranatha - Come Lord Jesus!" (Phil Ware)
~ 1 Corinthians 2:9
As it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
~ Yeah, so much in life can be disappointing and not what we had hoped for, even Biblical things are still thru a glass darkly and we don't fully grasp the glory involved. But when we see him in his fullness, with no veil of life and death, just the reality of Him with no distractions or barriers... he will not disappoint. Lately it seems that that phrase just rings in my heart... "he will not disappoint."
~ I'm not your friend... I'm just a person on your path... a neighbor, an acquaintance... what do you want from me, why does it matter to you so much, it is his attention you should hunger and thirst for... why is attention from ppl so important to you, or did you even realize that ur gaze is no longer focused on Him. Love ppl, but make no idol of man or beast. A tantrum for an idol's attention will always disappoint.
~ Suicide.. thought about it. Lost ppl to it. Couldn't leave ppl I love having to live with it. As much as we would like someone else to stand in our spot in life, there are just certain places that only we can fill. When any person dies, there is a void in the lives of every person that their life touched that is unfillable. Christ comforts and makes it bearable... but the void remains like the scars in his hands.
~ Suicide... thinking there is that someone that you just can't live without, that you just don't want to live without, that torments you to live without. We are to love and when love dies there is sorrow. But God says that we are not to sorrow as the world does... "Make no idol of man or beast, " that is what God said to me. If you are not willing to live without someone or something, you have made them an idol.
~ What is it to live for everyone else?... what is it when there is nothing you want in life, when your interactions with ppl are all that you remember from the day and are your only conversations with God?... what is it when you decide you don't want to leave this life just yet because you worry that no one will intercede for those having to truly suffer?... what is it that Christ told himself in that moment?
~ We see the greatness and authority of Christ and we imagine him to be a machine... but lest we forget his humanity, his emotions, that he wrestled with his feeling, that he knows anger and jealousy and grief... we lose sight of just how incredible and intimate, compassionate and personal... just how inexpressibly beautiful he is...
~ Why is our God above all others, why is there just nothing that can even stand before him?... perhaps because he is the only True God, there is no other... but even more, perhaps it is because he is who he is... alive and warm and strong and good. Perhaps, we have sanitized him and made him into a cold and glorious star in the sky, shiny and pretty, but cold and distant, seeing but unconcerned...
~ The word of God is not words on a crispy page... the word of God is a Spirit, His Spirit of Truth, the Sword of Truth.. it cuts and separates by speaking forth the perfect plan and will of God... you pick it up and it breathes in your hand, you pray and it talks to you out loud... hold a Beth Moore book (any good book) in one hand and the Bible in the other, and if you know Christ you should feel life in one of them.
~ The Word of God is something physical that embodies something from the spiritual... you can translate it and handle it to teach the heart of it... but if you try to change the heart of it you try to change who the Spirit of God is... what a scary thought... change the packaging but don't change the gift.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/16/2010 2:44:21 PM
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selahgirl
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~ The snow keeps falling, but somehow disappears when it hits the ground. It's not accumulating so I can build that igloo... but it sure is pretty. A nice compromise for those praying for a blizzard and those not. haha
~ In the case of a will it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood. .. the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Heb 9)
~ It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us... he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Heb 9)
~ Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Heb 9)
~ The blood of animal sacrifices postponed judgement, but no longer serve a purpose after Christ died on the cross. Covering everything in the temple with blood symbolized the separation and death to sin that was to come thru Christ, the one true sacrifice that all things pointed toward in the OT and all things point back to in the NT. Christ has set us free from that bloody place of death, from the constant stench.
~ Mankind married itself to sin and entered into a contract with it. She made herself one with it, committing herself and her life to that rebellion against God. She made herself a criminal, put a price on her own head. A debt had to be paid if she ever wanted to be free. The problem was that the only way to end that marriage contract was to die. And the fee to do even that was something she no longer had... innocence.
~ The only way to freedom was the death of some member of mankind, someone who had no sin, who did not owe a debt, someone with no guilt who was willing to die to end that marriage contract. Christ became man to be that innocent one to die. He ended our contract with death and sin. We are no longer married to it. Mankind is dead to it. We are re-born, a new creation, free to marry anyone we choose again.
~ The only choices are Rebellion against God.. or to be the Bride of Christ.. Death or Life. That sounds tyrannical, but when you realize that the former choice was Death or Death, it's a radically better covenant and proposal. Christ took on death in our place, so we could have a second chance at life. He became LIFE by becoming death, and altered that choice. Death or Death => Death or Christ (Death) => Death or LIFE
~ Christ was innocent but died as tho he were guilty. It was our guilt that he took upon himself... so what happened to that innocence that he gave up?... he willed it to us. He had to die, so that we could inherit freedom and Life, as he gave up innocence and passed it to us.
~ Christ married a whore, us. And then he died to will Innocence to us. We will not stand before God to be judged, because we are no longer criminals, there is no guilt upon us. We stand innocent as His Bride... but we have to accept his proposal. In Jewish custom, betrothal (engagement) carries the same contract as a marriage. When he returns for his Bride, then the marriage will commence and the consummation of all.
~ I love that Christ speaks thru parable and symbolism... what beauty, what simplicity and yet such depth. With a Word, the Spirit of God speaks volumes, with a picture he communicates glimpses into the incomprehensible mind of God. I am awed and full of wonder at Him. Our Bridegroom... he is beyond description and causes his Bride to blush for lack of words to convey his beauty. You LORD, oh my...
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/17/2010 10:07:02 AM
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selahgirl
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"They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away" (2 Sam 5). This verse was quoted in the Breakthru Devo today, and I had an "ah-ha" moment. God has been teaching me about ppl that I have held as idols, and the sin involved in that. As David defeated his enemies they abandoned their idols, those things that they once held as precious and divine and worthy of worship...
(If I am understanding this right. I am assuming David took the idols.. cuz it goes on to say there was a repeat performance by the Philistines. So David must not have carried away the men as captive, or they wouldn't have been free to attack a second time. idk)....
Then it goes on to say that David and his men carried those idols away with them... why??? The idols that God has been stressing to me lately are things that seem legitimate objects of our devotion: working to provide for our families, our husband or our wife, our leaders and the ppl deserving of respect. But somehow, we have multiplied our affection and devotion and sacrifice to good and Godly things more than the God who poured those blessings into our lives.
David's men carried off the idols because there was value in the materials that they were made of. The gold and gems could be melted down and sold or fashioned into things for service unto the Lord. The idols were wrong for their enemies cuz they were objects of worship, but for the ppl of God, they did not see them as idols, they saw them for the reality of what they were... God made elements of the earth made to serve and benefit the purposes of God.
Work and spouses and gems and valuables are not evil, they are established by God... but when we move them to positions of devotion in our hearts whether intentionally or not intentionally, we sin. "Make no idol of man or beast." David's men carried off items that they saw as stuff to accomplish the plans and purposes of God. We need to keep such things in right perspective as well. God grants us victory and puts such things in our hands, requiring that our heart maintains the right attitude toward them. We are not to view them as idols or as having some kind of power or sway over our destinies. It is God and him alone who determines the plan and purpose and prosperity of our lives.
Right motive... it just keeps coming back to that.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/17/2010 12:40:28 PM
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selahgirl
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REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS, hmmm...
~ "Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.. Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.. I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me.. Praise be to the LORD" Ps 41
~ "Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come... So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Lk 17... and if he doesn't repent... why do ppl never preach that scenario?
~ "When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself." Matt 27
~ Judas felt bad for what he had done, he was ashamed, he tried to undo what he could to, he looked to the leaders he trusted to rescue him from his sin, but they had their own agendas and were unconcerned... Judas trusted in everything and everyone... EXCEPT, the one that he had sinned against. If only he had cried out to God and repented. If only his tears and shame were due to some kind of heartache at the hurt he had caused the Lord, but instead they were selfish tears. They were sorrow that he didn't have control over the situation like he thought he did. Contrast that to Peter's denial, and response...
~ "Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." And he broke down and wept." (Mk 14) ...
"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times." But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." (Mk 14)
Peter's thoughts in that moment when his sin was revealed went immediately to the Lord and the intimacy of their relationship. Peter's remorse was not over self or controlling the situation or saving his pride... it was grief over how he had hurt the Lord whom he loved.
If ever faced with that situation again (which he later was many times) he would never repeat that error. Because had repented (turned from ever doing it again) and the motive of his heart was pure. Contrasted to Judas, who was concerned with controlling the situation and the ppl in his life, even those he cared for. I believe he loved the Lord, but he loved himself more. His remorse was genuine and deep enuff to cause him to kill himself, but it wasn't rooted in the right motive.
Both Peter and Judas acted selfishly in their sin. The difference is that Judas acted selfishly in responding to the remorse he felt, while Peter responded with a broken and contrite heart that his relationship with Christ was damaged.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/22/2010 9:55:37 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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If you are reading this I pray that God would walk beside you today, that he would talk to you about the big and the small, that you would hear him like never before and be blessed. I pray that the Light of Christ would flood your life in every way and you would see things with a greater clarity, that an understanding would come to you about things that have grieved you or confused you or made you wonder.. and you would know peace like you have never known it before. I pray that even if that situation doesn't change that God would reach inside your heart and body and mind and change you so that you would walk this walk today with victory and passion. I pray that no matter what is staring you in the face, there would be a knowing that God is greater and he is the one fighting for you. You win no matter the appearance of things!!!
I pray that if you are reading this TODAY would be the start of something new in your life, something fresh and beautiful that God has planned and reserved for this moment of your life. I pray that each day new blessings and insight and strength would overwhelm you, and you would find yourself smiling without explanation. I pray that thanks and praise and awe of our God would pour from your lips and your heart effortlessly, no matter how much you are hurting, no matter how great the challenge, no matter the sacrifice you are having to put forth... I pray that God would give you spiritual eyes to see the end result, to trust in the goodness of God, to know that he will multiply and seal all that you have invested no matter how overlooked or neglected or forgotten you feel by ppl... God sees you, right now, right where you're at.... he is beside you and with you and for you, you are the apple of his eye, and nothing can touch you without poking the Almighty God in the eye... whatever attack the enemy launches against you is gonna have God's attention, and he will fight for you. He loves you and will NEVER forsake you.
I pray that you are blessed today. I pray that you are refreshed and zealous and encouraged. In the name of Jesus. Our precious Lord and Savior, our Mighty God who is so great and gracious and active in our lives. Amen <3
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/23/2010 11:10:15 AM
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selahgirl
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~ If you are not married, if you are in the early years of adulthood, then pray over your parents and your future relationships. You have an authority that is unique to who God fashioned you to be and in the family that he has placed you in. You were not born by the will or decisions of your parents...
"12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1)
...you were placed exactly where you are in that specific family, in that specific country or community or economy ... because God ordained it. He set you in that place with a plan for you to advance and to prosper as His child and his ambassador above all else. Make your daddy proud. He believes in you if no one else does. You have a power and an authority in his name, walk in it with boldness ♥
~ If I see a six, it is just another number. If I see 666, it's just another number as well. But I love to bump it up when I can, not because I fear the heebie jeebies of Satan's number (that God set upon him)... rather I want to see the number 7 because it is God's number of perfection and there is only one who is perfect. I like setting things before my eyes, big and small, that put my thoughts on HIM.
~ God's name is not used in the bk of Esther. Luther said he wished that it didn't exist and Calvin never wrote a commentary on it... traditional Christianity had trouble embracing it even tho God ordained for it to be in Scripture. Beth Moore brings to light that it is a book very much for us today, "God still works thru miracles, but there are times that God works thru the natural, thru very ordinary ppl." POWERFUL!
~ Esther is a book about HOPE and PROVIDENCE. Holman defines Providence as, "God attending not only to apparently momentous events and ppl (miracles), but also to those that seem both mundane and trivial... Indeed, so all emcompassing is God's attention to events within creation that nothing happens by chance." God's name may not be spelled out, no miracles may occur, but the hand of God is still at work in us.
~ 2 bks in the Bible by women: Ruth is a pagan who marries a Jew, and Esther is a Jew who marries a pagan. That speaks volumes to us today. We tend to measure ourselves with ourselves tho God warns us not to. We feel less than that woman with a big flashy testimony coming out of gross sin... Or we feel like failures when we are pressed to engage the ungodly in our personal lives. Even tho God strategically places us.
~ Lessons from the book of Esther "God raises up a person who must trust God's providence without receiving a miracle... God is gonna fulfill Christ's destiny with or without me... but God will not fulfill my destiny without me." Beth Moore
~ "Some of our biggest problems of being a woman are other women," Beth Moore.
~ In the closing prayer, Beth begins to thank God for calling out a woman's name... I found myself hearing God in that moment calling out my name... it was a surreal moment, to hear the voice of God not just saying my name but calling out to me. It was overwhelming and humbling and I pray that you would hear him calling out your name today. I found myself thanking him from a new and deep place of my heart ♥
~ Lately the Songs of Solomon keep coming up... I have heard ppl talk of God wooing us, but now I am beginning to hear God himself. I never imagined being able to love him more than I do after having known him as Savior. But it's as tho he wants something new and more intimate, as tho he wants to be known as LOVER, he wants us to respond, he has come after us, and with passion, hyper-responsive to our response.
~ That hyper-responsiveness of GOD AS PASSIONATE LOVER... that is what I see in the current spiritual climate... and this is why intercessory prayer is the KEY on which so much hinges that is coming very soon, NOT JUST MUCH SPEAKING, rather true intercession, with a strong caution and a desperate plea for a RIGHT SPIRIT, his HOLY SPIRIT to lead us in it. Bathed in worship and reverence and being real.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/23/2010 3:14:24 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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~ A powerful anointing is being unleashed on those leading worship and those leading intercession. God has drawn near and his presence is sparking a response from his ppl. It is a time to guard yourselves, to examine yourselves, and to discipline yourselves. Each time such a thing is stirred in the spiritual, Satan preys upon our weaknesses in the physical. As Michelle said in intercession last week -- PRESS IN!
~ Chaos and confusion lie at the door when revival is about to manifest... the body must keep all things in line with ORDER as laid out in the word of God. Accountability and Submission to Godly leadership, measuring all things to the Word of God, must become a PERSONAL discipline. Leaders are being called to a narrow line, and God himself is holding them accountable as never before. Encourage and Pray for your leaders
~ Young adults and children hold a special anointing as they pray for parents and leaders. A call to this rising generation to INTERCEDE is going forth. They don't realize the power and authority they possess, but God is about to lead them into a revelation and is leading them even now. Be careful of MUCH SPEAKING is a constant warning for intercessors.. a RIGHT SPIRIT of intercession is about to move some mountains.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 2/24/2010 10:01:34 AM
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selahgirl
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"6Honor and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary" Ps 96. His presence/dwelling/heaven is a safe place, a secure place, but not the cold lock-down we would imagine.. for it is also a place of beauty, to be desired, a place to be enjoyed and to the fullest. LIFE with Christ after death is like THE BEST DAY EVER that never ends, it continues on to eternity with all your best buds and family ♥
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 3/2/2010 12:35:14 PM
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selahgirl
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~ For the first time in my life someone accurately touched on what it's like to lose your mom as a child... at 45 years of age I am undone...
~ It was a Beth Moore study on Esther and she equated it with losing a child... few ppl understand the loss of a mom to a child.
~ that reminds me... where in the Bible does it say that being angry is a sin?... I thot it was Be angry, but sin not... sounds more like a lack of self-discipline and self-control is more the issue. God gets angry... but he is without sin. So tired of ppl condemning ppl for being angry at the stupidity and authentic sin committed against them by selfish ppl. It is possible to love and forgive, and yet be angry.
~ as my friend mentioned, "Remember Jesus was angry in the temple before Passover for turning it into a den of thieves and robbers."
~ yeah, feelings are real and can't be ignored which is what happens when you start condemning ppl for having them. That always leads to some kind of explosion or breakdown eventually.
The key to so much concerning our integrity and behavior as Christians is being honest about what we are feeling and yet making the choice to respond with actions that often go against what we are feeling. That is bringing our bodies into subjection with the will of God. In time, as we seek God in the matter and walk in sheer obedience, He brings our heart into agreement with what is right in the matter.
It's not easy being cheesie. haha
~ I love that Christ's right response in that situation was to throw tables over and chase ppl out of the building with a make-shift scourge. haha. He wasn't being very Christian by today's standard of RELIGION. I would rather live my life passionate about the things that God has put in my heart, unafraid if I seem angry or hurt or emotional. Always seeking God to help me keep it reeled in under his watchful eye ♥
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 3/3/2010 1:43:17 PM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
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My daughter and I dream alot and God often speaks thru them, tho not always. We have both been in dream cycles the past couple weeks, and she came to me this morning with one that kinda made my heart stop initially. She said that she had never dreamed of dying before, where she actually died in the dream, so this one kinda stood out to her.
She was in a room with a large window or entrance way to the left. She was aware that it was there but not focused on it. She was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall to the right of the entrance, and the room was filling up with water. She knew that she was about to drown and die and that as the water rose over her head she would begin to breathe it in. She struggled to breathe.
Suddenly, she stopped struggling and could breathe freely tho the room was full of water. She looked up and there was a small white dove flying toward her with a little branch in it's mouth. (She is crying at this point as she is telling me the dream). The sudden realization hit her that she was now dead. She cupped her hands and as she held them out, the dove landed in them and sat there a moment. Then it quickly fluttered away. She sat there dazed for a moment thinking how strange it felt that she was dead. And the dream jumped to another dream that brought further clarity to what God was speaking.
Interpretation:
There was so much symbolism in the dream that all fear of it being something prophetic of her actual death left me. It was instantly clear that she had been praying for direction in choosing a career path and which college to attend next year. She had made it a matter of prayer especially recently. I felt that the dream was God saying that he has heard her and is responding by preparing her for what is to come as he sends the answer.
There is something that she holds as key or essential to her life or to who she sees herself to be, her identity, her life, whatever... that something is about to die, as God brings life to something else in her, that career path he is leading her to, that person he is fashioning her to be in ways that will be very contrary to anything she expected or foresaw. It will feel like death as change comes, it will feel uncertain and strange, but God is promising LIFE and abundant LIFE at that, a new thing, a new walk, a new direction as God moves her more fully into the WAY he would have her to go, and who he is calling her to be for his glory.
It was a dramatic and clear and startling dream... but contained some of the most beautiful symbolism that I have seen concerning death. So many details were made so clear. She was not trapped in the room, so whatever is coming... she will have the option to walk out of God's will and leave at any time, but she chooses to submit to his will even unto death... that submission is what prompts God to send a newness, LIFE, to her. The entranceway (escape) being to her left emphasized that it was not God's will for her to be afraid and to run from death. Rather, she was to remain in that place, despite what she was about to face. It was a decision, a freedom, a choice, which is how our God always works in the big and the small.
In the end, she realized that the change that is coming felt strange and was dreaded and intimidating, but it was actually nothing like she expected and had none of the negative connotations she was expecting. The things she thought she would lose or not be able to do any more, she could still do. Things she thought would be hindered, were not hindered at all. Understanding came only after the time of testing, and then she was able to walk fully in the newness.
God speaks in such beautiful ways.
Dreams are often pizza, but sometimes they are God conversing with us <3
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 4/9/2010 12:34:20 PM
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selahgirl
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Bloody and heartbroken.. Christ let me rest there on the ground, he let me cry and still does. Then he whispered "grieve, but stand while your grieving." And so I took his hand and I did. He stood beside me, and we just stood there for the longest time as I adjusted to this new posture.. and now he asks me to step tho I have forgotten how, and I wonder at his patience as I try to remember how to walk again ♥
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 4/15/2010 9:35:52 AM
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selahgirl
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~ "Holy God, I thank you that I am free in you and belong to no man or power. Yet because I want your name to be respected, I pledge to obey the laws of this land as long as they do not run directly in contradiction to your will. At the same time, I fervently pray that you heal our land. Through Jesus I pray. Amen." (Ware)
~ Some decisions aren't quickly made... some decisions can take years to make... some decisions depend on time to fully reveal the fullness of the situation at hand. God's timing is not our timing, sometimes it is ahead of us or behind our time-table, but He is always on time and always working all things for our good. "Wait, I say, on the Lord."
~ Oh what a privilege to be as filthy rags in his hand! Our dirt, their dirt, serving the kingdom, washed in the blood... such is life on this earth. Some day we will wear those rags without spot or wrinkle. We are beautiful in his eyes in this moment, because he sees us in that one ♥
~ I'll tell you if you stink and I'll pray that you'll seek God to clean you up, but I'm too busy dealing with my own stink to judge the measure of yours. I'll help you the best I can, but in all honesty at a certain point, ur on your own with Christ. He is the one that saves and heals and cleanses. His reflection is the one that should shine from you cuz he is the one that polishes you.
~ Tell me if I stink, pray that I'll seek God to clean me up, but be sure to deal with ur own stink as well rather than obsessing over the measure of mine. Help me the best you can, but I know that there is a point where I am on my own with Christ. He is the one that saves and heals and cleanses. His reflection is the one that should shine from me cuz he is the one that polishes me. We're all just rags in his hand.
~ Showing mercy when someone deserves to be slammed. Holding ppl accountable when it makes you disliked and unpopular. Obeying the voice of Godly authority, when those close to you want you to obey them instead. Loving yourself, but loving others equally. Putting God first in everything no matter how much it annoys ppl around you who don't. Godly love isn't partial Scripture, it's the whole megillah. merciful yet holy =)
~ It's not that Love Stinks, it's that ppl stink. The tricky part is loving ppl despite our stink so that God can clean us all up. Never forgetting that love isn't syrup, it can be tough and unpopular when it's real. I'd rather be scrubbed and polished until I shine than covered in a sticky mess. Be wary of the world's kinda love, cuz Christ warns that the world hates you and him.
~ war... not a soapbox rant... not a feel good recitation... not hype or art or eloquent words on a page... war is righting wrongs, holding the ground, breaking the grip of the enemy even unto death, it is exhausting physically and spiritually, emotionally and socially. Death: when happiness and comfort decay. War without sacrifice, even unto death will never result in victory. There is Victory but there is a price.
~ Got ur checklist out? First Aid kit (anointing oil), Food Supply (fruits of the spirit), and Weapons (Sword of the Spirit and the Word of our Testimony)... COUNT THE COST and be sure you have MADE UP YOUR MIND, with victory comes great sacrifice, are we ready for war and all that goes with it? Cuz I think you are right on the mark... it is time for something to breakthrough, not just apart! For too long the ppl of God have struck the enemy and run away when he strikes back. If we're going through, we gotta grit through, dig in, and stand our ground. Determined to not give up an inch, even to death (death: when being happy and comfortable decays).
~ "Holy and Righteous Father, I thank you for Jesus, who is at your side and knows my heart, struggles, and world. I thank you for your constant care and protection through all of my difficulties and triumphs. Please make your presence known more clearly today than ever before as I try to serve you with wholehearted devotion. Through Jesus I pray. Amen." (Phil Ware)
~ "Precious Lord.. Thank you for your sacrifice, which saved me. Thank you for your sustaining presence in our universe. Thank you for your daily intercession. Thank you for being God for me at the Father's side. To the glorious, majestic, and holy God, who sent Jesus as Savior, be glory, honor, and adoration forever and ever. Amen." (Ware)
~ The love of God... who can fathom it... so deep, so full of life, such beauty, such mystery... pressing and painful in it's discipline, and yet as gentle and warm as a whisper in your ear. God is near, he is ever present, strong and holy, merciful and compassionate, Almighty God and yet Patient Lover... to whom shall we go but to him, he is life, he is father, friend, sustainer, healer, he is LORD... he is love ♥
~ In a war zone, with bombs busting up the earth, screaming and death.. that tiny flower stands diligent in the breeze. After the crash and the twisted metal burns, as bodies are pulled from the wreckage.. that tiny bird perches on the wire above and sings. What a strange world we live in. What pain and complexity mixed with such peace and simplicity. Life and death are reality, and yet hope remains in the mix.
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RE: Did I just think that out loud?... - 4/16/2010 11:23:11 AM
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selahgirl
Posts: 630
Joined: 5/20/2005
From: God is with you, never forget that <3
Status: offline
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from a news forum with ppl claiming that opposing the gay lifestyle is a hate crime...
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Men that love children are convinced that they love to be touched and to feel good sexually, so they are pushing for legislation to allow children to have sex at any age with adults... it's all about love and what feels good, but is it right... is it righteous.. is it what God planned to keep relationships healthy.. no, it is not.
Would it feel good to enjoy sex with anyone at any moment that arises whether married or not? sure. But how would that truly affect a relationship betwn a man and woman... bringing more than two ppl into intimate matters complicates everything and often ends in divorce. That would be messy enuff, but what happens when children are involved? Even adult children, wanting to spend holidays with their whole family together, mom, dad, and the grandkids? Yes, there are alternative methods that are doable and workable... but what of the best way? That's it... God wants the best for his kids, for his family. He created us for the best life physically, spiritually, emotionally, and relationally.
Sex with kids, Sex outside of marriage, Sex with the same sex, Sex with your loving little dog or donkey... if someone wants to do it, it's good and right in their eyes... but in the big picture it's not. It's harmful in so many ways. No one likes to hear or admit that, but it's just how it is. Any snippet of behavior can present a good and seemingly reasonable argument, until you consider the true well being of EVERYONE involved in the long run.
God gave us the best plan, he laid it out in Scripture, we choose what we want, and he judges as he will. He has made a way for anyone at any time to choose his way over the world around them and their selfish desires (desires that are fun and meaningful and feel-good for the moment). I'm not here to force anyone to believe or do anything. I'm just here to tell you what Christ said to tell you, and to love and protect the innocent and defenseless from being victimized and abused.
It's all about choice, make yours. God ensures that you are free to do that, his way or your own. You make the bed you choose to lie in... but just remember that you gotta lie in it forever after you take that final breath. "The choice is set before you betwn Life and Death... choose LIFE (choose to follow Christ, he is the way, the truth, and the LIFE)."
Love to you <3
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