L . O . V . E

Hey guys ..wanted to encourage you all to be strong and stay strong ..I know we are all very busy and in different places in our lives ..some of us might not see each other or interact with each other as often as we used to but lets keep our heads up and try and communicate and pray for one other as often as we can ..after all, it is Christ and His love that unites us and that bond, no matter what, can never be broken!! ..love you guys!

-Lisa

encouragement.

           Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for 50, Aristotle  for 40, and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's three year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures; yet, some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from him.
           Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in hymns, symphonies, and oratories they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth.

                                                                                                                         -Stephen F. Olford.

yeaaaaaaaah boy

New Song

Psalm 40:3

"He put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord"

the song I wrote to God this morning in my time with Him ...wanted to share:

Your heart is for me

Your eyes look on me

And I am undone

You see me for who I am

Tainted and scarred

Deeply wounded and ashamed

Yet Your love is constant

Through the countless times I've failed

All the times I've fallen

I can't look at You Lord

I don't know how to face You

You gently remind me

There's still a long way to go

Your heart is for the broken

Your wounds were for the weak

You always knew that I would fall

Still Your heart was set on me

I keep running back to You

You choose to love and always give

Knowing I'd often be unfaithful

You care for me the same

Your heart is for me

Always for me

When all else fails

When all else is falling

You are there

You remain

When I stumble

In the midst of my sin

Your heart is for me

Your grace, to catch me

Your compassion, it draws me

Your forgiveness, it covers my shame

Your mercy clothes me in humility

Your heart is for me ...yet again

-LM 11/11/11

At times, all else may fail but there is one thing that remains...

A love that never [fails]...that never 

[gives up]...that never [runs out]

Beautiful Things

Just a short video I made in my backyard displaying some of God's beautiful creations.
He really does make beautiful things :)

Watch in HD!

-There may be a copyright error so just click that youtube sign [↑] on the video box

Dr. Fink

Just because we receive a sign doesn't necessarily mean that what we had intended in our heart is the direction we should go. Many times God can give us a sign in order to prove our self control in that area. God is always concerned whether we are obedient to what He wants in regards to work...school...ministry and relationships. What is the will of God in your work...school...ministry...and relationships? We are farmers by nature *2 tim 2*, and so farmers gravitate towards those decisions and areas that are producing growth, but Satan knows this nature of ours and often times throws things in our way to get us going away from God's will. See, God has a perfect will.. there is the good, the greater, the best, and the blessed decision. The blessed decision is the decision that Lord had planned out for you way before He even created you. God is still able to make a crooked path straight, so despite poor decision-making, it is not too late for the Lord to turn things around. If we choose to be disobedient to the will of God in regards to work, school, ministry and most importantly, relationships, we will be cutting short of the wonderful pleasure that we have in Him and the work of His kingdom. Seek His will through the Word, His people, and His invisible spirit.

Enough Said

11 And do this knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therfore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

--Romans 13

God, my time grows shorter with each day. Let me not waste it on the worthless trappings of this world.

Grace

Lately I've been struggling with the concept of grace.

The fact that nothing we do or don't do can separate us from it.

There is no way you can drift so far away from it.

There is no way you can out-sin it.

All we can do is accept it, for what it is it's a blessing.

It's deeper than that it's a testament.

We are made new from the day we professed his name.

Even those days that we make his name an open shame.

At the end of the day it's your shell you blame.

Cuz God sees Jesus, believe me your appearance changed.

Sometimes the things I do I know I'm a disgrace.

But every time I check if I left-wait no I'm still there, I'm still caught up in his embrace.

This is grace.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him.

For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we shall live with him.

Sin has lost its power, death has lost its sting.

Break Free- Committed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8cRgDOYUxY&NR=1

This is my favorite a Capella group from The Sing-off...they kept their identity in Christ past the very last moment, when they won. Be committed.

Danny's Still playing

Borders

Blind Spot

Listen

I was reading a book this morning and I came across this quote that made me chuckle:

"God gave people two ears and one mouth because he wants us to listen twice as much as we talk"

Just wanted to let you guys think about if you've been listening more than you've been talking. When you're in a conversation with someone you care about are you really listening to what their saying? Or are you waiting anxiously for them to finish so you can say what you want to say?

Remember listening is different than hearing.

Let's be a fellowship of believers who intently listen to what people say.

He Is Faithful

Hurricane Irene

Hope you guys are okay. Be safe everyone

Follow the ... Shepherd

Music to Inspire: Natalie Grant - Your Great Name

I have just been schooled about my knowledge of all things sheep-y by Wikipedia. It is a commonly held notion that sheep are stupid animals that need to be herded, led and go astray easily. Well, that's only partly true haha. Did you know that sheep are mainly concerned about food? Isn't that just how we humans are? We are always concerned about what we're going to get. Will this friendship benefit me? Is this person going to listen to me and share my emotional burdens? What should I get for dinner? And when we don't get the things we need from one area, we move to another place to get it. I remember making a nighttime roadtrip with my sister and she wanted me to stop at a ghetto Wendy's in a really sketchy town. All I can say is thank God for drive-thrus. But seriously, we tend to put ourselves in dangerous situations to get what we want or what we think we need.


Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so i know the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd." - John 10: 14-16. Jesus is leading our flock. We need to trust that He will lead us to the right pastures to get what we need. How could we doubt His direction? He brought us dirty sheep in from outside, washed us, and allowed us to be a part of His special flock. Then, when we wandered off on our own trying to lead ourselves to a "better" pasture, He found us and brought us back. This is our shepherd. This is our Savior. This is our God. Always seeking to save the lost.

Praise God for the lost being found everyday!

ouch

300

follow?

this videos called, "Follow"

dont forget about the cost of following guys!

Prayer

Father, I don't deserve You.
I don't deserve You because You're holy and I'm not.
because You're righteous and I'm not.
because Your arms hold life, while mine hold pain, and rebellion,
and fear.
You make every moment worth living, but I complain that my life doesn't do me justice.
Who am I to call myself humble enough? Wise enough? Biblical enough? How dare I boast about who I am when I'm nothing more than a selfish, thieving, foolish, wretch? I don't open my Bible because I'm afraid that when I actually do, I'll begin changing into someone I don't know. Pride is my companion. You know who I am; You are more than familiar with the person I try to hide. And despite that You give me amazing grace. You tell me I'm worth dying for. You give me wings to fly ; You know just how much I love the feeling of soaring. My chains are gone- I'm a prisoner set free. My hope has been rising from beneath the horizon. You dwell in the shadows of these mountains of discouragement. You make yourself known to me through my failures. You stay true to Your promises despite the rain; You will never leave me or forsake me. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. I will be still. I will be weak. I will be less, that you might get glory. Here's my life, my love, my conviction. I want to do nothing less than change the world for You, Father, that Your name might be remembered. I want to bless Your name, Oh God. To You be the kingdom, the glory and the power, forever and ever. In Jesus name, so be it.

And He Said ...

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." ~ John 14:15

...But I can't do that ... it would be awkward.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
People will be offended if I say that.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
People won't like me.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
My friends will think I'm judgmental.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments."
(Insert other excuse here.)
"IF YOU LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."


It doesn't matter what we say, what excuse we devise to try and get out of things. In the end, when God asks us why we did not do something, His word will stand. If we love Him, we HAVE to do what He told us to do. We can't be afraid of what others think. We have to step out of the box and be not of this world!

The Word of God speaks!! -- James 1

¹⁹ Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. ²¹Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

²²But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

²⁶If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless

VBS

Blood of Christ

"The end of all things is at hand; therefore be sef-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has reaceived a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God: whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies-in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Chris. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Learning to love the community of Christ again takes effort, heart of servitude and God's grace. It's definitely not easy but the hope and faith that God will restore and rebuild His love in my church is much more than the hatred and bitterness that is going on. Let the blood of Christ run through our vein so we may love each other the way He loved us.

Let's Go Get Some Invisible Things!

 II Corinthians 4: 18

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things 

which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.








we outttttttttt

For Such a Time

Esther 4: 3-4, 13-16

³ In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish.

¹³ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

¹⁵ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶ “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

How do we react when we see people's needs? How do we respond?

When Esther found out that her people were grieving, she "writhed in great anguish."

She wasn't merely concerned; she saw and she responded.

After hearing the news of Haman's plot to destroy the Jews, she prepared to confront the king by praying and fasting and she asked all the people to do the same. Esther knew how to make decisions.

Guard your heart, just don't follow it...

Proverbs 4:23- Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.


Jeremiah 17:9- The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

A daring believer

Open the flood gates of heaven.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said. Matthew 14:22-29

We probably read this so many times at sunday school, sunday service, vbs, retreat, conference, qts and even in group discussion. In our head, we know this story back and forth (thats what we reason)

Forgetting what Jesus had done with the loaves of bread and fish, the disciples terrified and where the heck did ghost come from anyways.

The best part of this story is when Peter having conversation with Jesus through the storm. He did not say things like save me oh Lord(well later on yes) or go ahead calm the storm or God do what you always do and will watch it from the side line. Peter said "tell me.."

Is Peter challenging Jesus? haha Peter's confidence in Jesus blew my mind.. i guess God knew and have faith in Peter.

What a daring man and Jesus said come.

Science Confirms the Bible

Science Confirms the Bible

THE BIBLE (2,000–3,000 years ago)	SCIENCE THEN	SCIENCE NOW
The earth is a sphere (Isaiah 40:22).	The earth was a flat disk.	The earth is a sphere.
Innumerable stars (Jeremiah 33:22).	Only 1,100 stars.	Innumerable stars.
Free float of earth in space (Job 26:7).	Earth sat on a large animal.	Free float of earth in space.
Creation made of invisible elements (Hebrews11:3).	Science was ignorant on the subject.	Creation made of invisible elements (atoms).
Each star is different (1 Corinthians 15:41).	All stars were the same.	Each star is different.
Light moves (Job 38:19,20).	Light was fixed in place.	Light moves.
Air has weight (Job 28:25).	Air was weightless.	Air has weight.
Winds blow in cyclones (Ecclesiastes 1:6).	Winds blew straight.	Winds blow in cyclones.
Blood is the source of life and health (Leviticus 17:11).	Sick people must be bled.	Blood is the source of life and health.
Ocean floor contains deep valleys and mountains (2 Samuel 22:16; Jonah 2:6).	The ocean floor was flat.	Ocean floor contains deep valleys and mountains.
Ocean contains springs (Job 38:16).	Ocean fed only by rivers and rain.	Ocean contains springs.
When dealing with disease, hands should be washed under running water (Leviticus 15:13).	Hands washed in still water.	When dealing with disease, hands should be washed under running water.

Psalm 25:16-17

dont you dare forget

via Anna Srigiri

Prayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6nHLg1Y7-M

Hope you guys are blessed by this video ....it reminded me that God sees our pain even if no one else ever does ..and that He is always God no matter what life throws at us ..so be encouraged

on my own blog I spoke about prayer this morning ...here's a passage on Intercession by E. M. Bounds:

The men who have thus communed with God and who have sought after Him with their whole hearts have always risen to consecrated eminence, and no man has ever risen to this eminence whose flames of holy desire have not all been dead to the world and all aglow for God and heaven. Nor have they ever risen to the heights of the higher spiritual experiences unless prayer and the spirit of prayer have been conspicuous and controlling factors in their lives.

The entire consecration of many of Gods children stands out distinctly like towering mountain peaks. Why is this? How did they ascend to these heights? What brought them so near to God? What made them so Christ-like? The answer is easy -- prayer. They prayed much, prayed long, and drank deeper and deeper still. They asked, they sought, and they knocked, till heaven opened its richest inner treasures of grace to them. Prayer was the Jacobs Ladder by which they scaled those holy and blessed heights, and the way by which the angels of God came down to and ministered to them.

The men of spiritual mould and might always value prayer. They took time to be alone with God. Their praying was no hurried performance. They had many serious wants to be relieved, and many weighty pleas they had to offer. Many large supplies they must secure. They had to do much silent waiting before God, and much patient iteration and reiteration to utter to Him. Prayer was the only channel through which supplies came, and was the only way to utter pleas. The only acceptable waiting before God of which they knew anything was prayer. They valued praying. It was more precious to them than all jewels, more excellent than any good, more to be valued than the greatest good of earth. They esteemed it, valued it, prized it, and did it. They pressed it to its farthest limits, tested its greatest results, and secured its most glorious patrimony. To them prayer was the one great thing to be appreciated and used.

I hope each and every one of us is pushed to pray this week ...Pray without ceasing!! One thing I encourage us to do if we are struggling in prayer (and this works for me) is to help play a worship song while you're praying so you can focus (my mind gets distracted easily and this helps me focus) and also to just started speaking with God as you would with a friend instead of just going to Him with requests (which is fine but make a habit of talking with God as with a friend, that is what He is!!! a friend!) ..have a conversation ..let it be natural ..not rehearsed or planned out ..remember Jesus in the garden? He was talking with God but really just pouring out His heart ..share what's on your heart and as your desires line up with His desires you'll automatically start praying for the things you should!! just try it and you'll see :)

LIFE...

Here's something to think about:


We often think about things or events as a result of something 
right? Life happens, death happens, good things happen, bad things 
happen, but all these things are a consequence of something. 


When Lazarus died, and Jesus told Martha, her brother would rise again, she said 
in John 11:24 : "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection in the last day." 
She had the same mentality as most of us humans.  She believed Lazarus 
would rise again as a consequence of something.  As a consequence of when 
eternity comes, then only then would he rise.  But Jesus went on destroy that 
notion.  Notice what he says in verse 25, "Jesus said unto her, "I am the 
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live..."


What is Jesus saying?  Basically, it's not that Jesus has the ability to go 
get life somewhere and give it to Lazarus, or he could find some way to resurrect him.  
Jesus is saying, He himself is the resurrection, and He himself is life.  
Those things abide in Him. It's a subtle yet great difference. There's no caveat attached to 
life or death with Him.  Death couldn't defeat Jesus, because He is life itself.  

Psalm 103:1-5

Hey guys this passage has been on my heart lately, especially the last verse and the idea of our youth or our zeal being renewed, so I wanted to share it:

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good [things; so that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Extraordinary Commoner

Extraordinary circumstances call for unusual decisions- choices made against the prevailing messages of our day- against the decision to be content with an apathetic, unfruitful lifestyle.

Common choices lead to common mistakes, leading to common regrets. "Common", meaning people's usual decision to be content with things as they are.

When Paul said that he had learned how to be content, he understood that he was not in control of his circumstances, but he also understood that he could control his response. He chose to express joy in the face of possible death.

His choices were exceptional and uncommon.

His life was extraordinary.

rainbows are cool

LIVE

Ezekiel 16:6 :: And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood,
I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou 
wast in thy blood, Live.

Word

Don't Forget.....ever

Jesus Loves Me

One of the basic truths we learn as kids...That Jesus loves You. Just wanted to post some of the lyrics from You Love Me Anyway by Sidewalk Prophets.

"I am the thorn in your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas' kiss
But You love me anyway
See now I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then I turned away with a smile on my face
With this sin in my heart, tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night I still call out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life

But You love me anyway
Oh God, how You love me
Yes You love me anyway
It's like nothing in life
That I've ever known
Yes You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me"

Humbled... again

Isaiah 5:15-16

People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled. But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God who is holy shall be hallowed in righteousness.

Sometimes when I don't notice it, I manage to lose myself and lose control of my pride. It's amazing though, how God manages to put you back in your place. It's amazing how He humbles you and how He Himself is exalted in the process. It reminds me of King Nebuchadnezzar and how he was humbled to the point where he had lost everything that he had, even his sanity (Daniel 4:28-33). When God finally returned his understanding back to him, he realized that he had put himself before God and had forgotten all the things that God had done for him. After that old Neb worshiped God and said those famous words,

"For His dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom [is] from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And [among] the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?'"

 God's always up there showing us who's boss, it only matters if we take note and worship Him for who He is.

Bible Study

IBF was awesome there were many new things I learned, one of the workshops was taken by Mike Attwood called How to Study the Bible-Rightly Dividing God's Word. There was a couple of basics of the Bible he told us we need to master. They include 7 Kingdom Parables, 7 Dispensations, 7 Churches of Asia Minor, 7 Covenants, 7 Signs in John's Gospel, 7 Feasts, and 5 Levitical Offerings. I was really encouraged and want to start learning and mastering these few basics, right now I am starting the 5 offerings, and I want to encourage you to start mastering the basics.

"Learn" To Be Content

Your not born being content because its something you have to learn to be.
The Bible says “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
(Phillippians 4:11)

Because he holds fast to me in love...

Psalm 91
¹⁴"Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. ¹⁵When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him ¹⁶With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Through the good and the bad I find myself holding fast ....see, it doesn't matter what we are going through ..what matters is who we are holding on to ...and that person is Jesus ..

so long as we are holding on to Him, things will turn out more than ok in the end ...why? because He is constant, we can count on Him ...situations come and go, seasons change but He is the same always ...

we learn to hold fast in love ...and we learn that He delivers us ...we feel the security that comes from His protection ..we know whom we love, serve and worship and because of this we are confident ..We know that when we call to our God we have received an answer, it's a matter of figuring out what that answer is ..He has promised to be with us through trouble, to rescue and honor us ...all this because we hold fast to Him in love ...doesn't this make you want to love God all the more??

Signs

Worship Beyond the Pews

A Worship- Hungry Heart

People on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common:

All are on a journey. Most are well-behaved and presentable. Some
doze, and others gaze out the window. For many, the mark of a good
flight and the mark of a good worship assembly are the same. “Nice,”
we like to say. “It was a nice flight" or "It was a nice worship service.”
A few, however, are not content with nice. They long for something
more. The boy who just passed me did. I heard him before I saw him. I
was already in my seat when he asked, “Will they really let me meet
the pilot?” The question floated into the cockpit, causing the pilot
to lean out.
“Well, come on in.”
With a nod from his mom, the youngster entered the cockpit’s world of
controls and gauges and emerged minutes later with eyes wide. “Wow!”
he exclaimed. “I’m so glad to be on this plane!”
No one else’s face showed such wonder. I studied the faces of the
other passengers but found no such enthusiasm. I mostly saw
contentment: travelers content to be on the plane, content to be
closer to their destination, content to be out of the airport,
content to sit and stare and say little.
Do you see why I say that people on a plane and people on a pew have
a lot in common? Enter a church sanctuary and look at the faces.
Content to be there. Content to sit and look straight ahead and leave
when the service is over. “Seek and you will find,” Jesus promised
(Matt. 7:7). And since a nice service is what we seek, a nice service
is usually what we find.
A few, however, seek more. A few come with the childlike enthusiasm
of the boy. And those few leave as he did, wide-eyed with the wonder
of having stood in the presence of the pilot himself.
_______________________________________- Max Lucado

Our faces, then, are not covered,

We all show the Lord's glory, and we are being changed to be like him

2 Corinthians 3:18

God desires to take our faces, this exposed and memorable part of our bodies, and uses them to reflect his goodness.

Take heart, children of God- come, let us worship and bow down

let us kneel before the Lord, our God, our Maker

For He, yes He- is our God

and we are the people of His pasture,

And the sheep of His hand.

Worship changes the face of the worshiper...until all who look upon her face see the unmistakable radiance of one who has seen God.

Who am I?

19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[h] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?" -Romans 9:19

I am an empty vessel yield to God's hand whom made me. It's striking how it says, not holding back, "who are you, a human being, to talk back to God" I am reminded im fallen into His grace and mercy everyday.

The Same

Hey guys,
So I wanted to share something that stood out to me during a message at my church this past Saturday. The guy who was speaking, Bryant Hutchinson, said that the new creation that the Bible talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:17 is the same as the pre-sin Adam.

That really stood out to me because i always thought of the "new creation" as a list of qualities we need to live up to. It is. but it's so much more. before Adam and Eve fell to sin, they had a close connection with God. not just all those qualities. They were close. They interacted constantly with God. that's what Paul was talking about to the Corinthians.

Rise Up And Walk!

Great message by Kenny Grant about the lame man at the pool! This is only part 1, but you should be able to find the rest in the related videos section.

Astrology

God condemns astrology as an abomination in both the Old Testament and New Testaments. Today millions of people from all different walks of life from the educated to ignorant practice this very ancient form of Occultism. I refuse to read or listen to horoscopes. Simply put, Christians are commanded to stay away from Astrology. In fact, the single most popular realm of the occult is astrology, which deceives countless amount of people through horoscopes that claim to interpret the affect of the stars and planets on the person life and the persons future. Astrology lead people to seek information from sources other than God himself and its dangerous and certainly not Christian.

The Bible says “The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.”
(Deuteronomy 18:14 New International Version)

CAKE

Hosea 7:8b :: Ephraim is a cake not turned.


I don't know much about baking, but I do know a cake has to be baked
even throughout.  If you leave one part too close to the fire, then that
part will be burned and the rest will just be doughy.

When God gives grace, do we feel it in our heart? Is His grace touching
only a part of us, or does it engulf us so we feel it at our core.  Is there one
part of us that feels extreme zeal, where another part is in bondage? Let's pray
that ALL of our being goes after God, and ALL of our being receives His grace
and mercy.  

Christ is Risen

I really love this song, maybe after taking a listen to it you'll understand why

The words of Jesus

Mark 5: 35-36

³⁵While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

³⁶As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, "Be not afraid, only believe."

I'm reminded of Reepicheep's words from Narnia :) "We have nothing if not belief."

Here, Jairus faced the impossible. His daughter was sick and now he had lost everything that meant anything to him. The world told him not to bother anymore. It was over. With Jesus, however, there lay hope.

When the world tells us it's over (and it often does), when life's troubles come our way, when we find ourselves losing courage, when it seems like there is no hope whatsoever, remember the words of Jesus "Be not afraid, only believe."

He always comes through for us. We are to only stand our ground.

Take a listen...

Just posted up the set from last week... click here

and Jason's teaching on Grace... just click here

Get refreshed on last week when you get a chance, I even made it easier for you by giving you the links, so no excuses :)

later

Traders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqQueZwIuzk&feature=player_embedded

watch this!!!!!!

It's only 2 min.s 24 seconds!!!

~~~~

are you a trader?

not a traitor...

a trader!

7x70

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born
These walls have seen me happy
But most of all they’ve seen me torn
They’ve heard the screaming matches
That made a family fall apart
They’ve had a front row seat
To the breaking of my heart

7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I remember running down the hallway
Playing hide-and-seek
I didn’t know that I was searching
For someone to notice me
I felt alone and undiscovered
And old enough to understand
Just when I’m s’posed to be learning to love you
Let me doubt again

7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

I lost count of the ways you let me down
But no matter how many times you weren’t around
I’m all right now

God picked up my heart and helped me through
And shined a light on the one thing left to do
And that’s forgive you
I forgive you

7 times 70 times
If that’s the cost I’ll pay the price
7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way

7 times 70 times
There’s healing in this house tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around
Yeah
I’m gonna wrap it all around

I’ve been living in this house here
Since the day that I was born

Heard this at a wedding and really burn my heart, what God's love is to us.

Amazing Love

I'm forgiven, because You were forsaken 

I'm accepted, You were condemned 

I'm alive and well, Your Spirit is within me 

Because you died and rose again

Amazing love, how can it be? 

That You my king would die for me? 

Amazing love, I know it's true 

And It's my joy to honor You 

In all I do, I honor You

This song has really been on my heart today.

I was trying to think back to the moment when I was saved. And that thought of how unworthy I am of Christ's sacrifice struck me. How can the Father,  the creator of the universe, the one and only holy and righteous God, even think about sending His only Son to die for me?

Leave the past, Don't be last

Philippians 3:13-14 (not whole verse)

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ"

My fortune cookie from last night :)  

Justin Thomas©

The One and Only True God Speaks To Us.

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” - Isaiah 55:11

How great it is it that God can speak to us! Through everything he continually speaks to us. He's a living God who continually cares about us. It's something iv'e been thinking about lately,how our God truly loves us.How He speaks to us through many instances in our lives to show us the right way and conforms our minds to him. Thank God he speaks to us and helps us discern right from wrong. It's something that continually humbles me, it continually reminds me how we would be nothing without him continually speaking to us throughout our lives. He's Amazing.

Make War

Be not afraid, only believe.

-        Jesus

Mark 5:36

God's Patience

In Jonah 4, Jonah was depressed to the point of wanting to be killed, when God gave Nineveh another chance.  He turned into kind of a brat, and questioned God's judgment.  Yet God was 
patient with him, and soothingly restored him.


I was thinking of how sometimes it's so easy to be impatient with God, when circumstances
around us annoy or anger us.  It causes to have sparks of ingratitude and ignorant 
questioning of God's sovereignty.  Yet God looks at us like He does Jonah, as a foolish
little child, who needs just to be comforted and restored.  You hear people, who question how God could wipe out whole nations, and send plagues  and this and that.  The truth is, God gives chances, again and again, even after people hurt him over and over.  God's patience is abundant.  It's the reason we're not consumed by our sin.  Instead of being easily driven to anger, God sees through our surface level emotions, and comforts and restores us on an intimate level.  

Life.

I know I'm sorta late with this but I'll write this anyways...
So these past couple of weeks God has really showed me how , thankful and grateful i'm supposed to be with my life. Let me give you some examples.

Recently my parents told my brothers and I that one person that we knew which was young and just settling down with his family died from a heartache...around a week ago... I was walking on the street from home and a bus was coming REALLY fast. & I didn't even see it coming...  but thank God someone yelled at me and told me and the I stopped and the bus stop too... 10 feet away............ last week at echo while we were playing sports volleyball, and basketball, i chose to play basketball with a couple of guys and i was going up for a layup and the floor was slippery cause of the rain... and I fell right on my back and i couldn't breathe right for like the next 2 minutes and i really thought i was going to step into eternity, even though my back , shoulders legs, and arms are still hurting... I THANK GOD THAT I have one more breath and heartbeat.

James 4:14-Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

But the thing I'm amazed about... is how I love my life so dearly, but i'm a sinner destined to go to hell and the wages of sin is death... yet, GOD loved me so much, to send his only begotten son to take my place and suffer and die GIVE UP his life... people didn't take his life... but he layed it down for us... i find that amazing...that he would love me that much.. come on now.. how many of you will give up your OWN LIFE FOR SOMEONE , to get beaten so harshly that your face would disfigure so no one could figure out who you are... to get humiliated in front of everyone you know... to get despised and rejected by men ? 

i know you won't... but GOD will.. he did for you and me.  

Fearless

These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing

2 Corinthians 4:17 CEV

What about the tragic changes God permits? When children are sexually abused or the sick lose their dignity...do such moments serve a purpose? What makes no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next. I have proof: you in the womb.

Some prenatal features went unused before birth. You grew a nose but didn't breathe. Eyes developed, but could you see? Your tongue, toenails, and crop of hair served no function in your mother's belly. But aren't you glad you have them now?

Certain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary. Holocausts. Martyrdom. Monsoons. If we assume this world exists just for pregrave happiness, these atrocities disqualify it from doing so. But what if this earth is the womb? Might these challenges, severe as they may be, serve to prepare us, equip us for the world to come?

-Max Lucado

Mark 4: 36-41

Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They became much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

When Jesus was on the water with His disciples, keep in mind that other boats were with Him on the water. Who knows who the people were on these other boats. Some were probably those who believed in Him and some just along for the ride for whatever reason. When this storm arose they were all at Jesus' mercy. But what was Jesus doing? He was sleeping peacefully. Yes Jesus needed sleep. So many came to Him with all kinds of need and Jesus always gave of Himself. He needed to rest too. But was He sleeping because He didn't care about the storm or the people? Of course not. It is because He knows. His knowledge and power made Him aware that they would all be more than fine and sadly even though these men had been with Him all this time, they still lacked faith. Aren't we often like this?

Despite God's sovereign hand in our lives, aren't we quick to doubt at the first sign of trouble? Do we really think that the very God who created the universe and everything within it cannot handle the details our lives? After all this time of walking with Him (I've been walking with the Lord for 13 yrs now) do we still find ourselves asking "Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him?" Hasn't He proven Himself to us enough times. Don't we know that He will never fail us? His track record is unmatched and perfect. He is able to quiet the storms and bring "a great calm." He is able to bring us to it and carry us through it. He fights for us and when He is with us, there is no doubt that you will come through victorious. It is a matter of how we perceive things and our level of faith. The disciples had much to learn. Often, so do we. But He is loving and more than patient with us. Thank God for that :)

Another Jesus, Another Spirit, Another Gospel

Jesus asked Peter the most important question that ever been asked in the universe. He asked, "Who do you say I am?" Many religions and groups claim they know and believe In Jesus but that doesn't mean they are referring to the same Jesus of the bible. For Example:

• Mormons believe Jesus was the spirit brother of Lucifer. That is not the Jesus of the Bible.
• Jehovah Witnesses believe Jesus was Michael the Archangel. That is not in the Bible!
• Muslims believe Jesus was just a prophet. That is definitely not what the Bible teaches.
• Bahai teaches Jesus was simply a messenger.

Notice how none of these Cults and Religions teach what the Bible says, that Jesus is God in human flesh. The devil always attacks the Person and Work of Christ so their are a lot of counterfeits out their. One way to have discernment and to know the real from the counterfeit is simply to know the real very well. This is how you discern between a fake dollar bill and a real one, by knowing how the real dollar bill is you can easily detect the counterfeit. That is why I believe every Christian should be an expert in Christology. We are not only commanded by God to Share our Faith but also to Defend it and it's because we the Church haven't done our Job in defending the faith that now we see great uprising in the Cults. WHERE ARE THE APOLOGISTS!?!?

2 Corinthians 11:4-"For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with [him]."