Forever My Friend

I adore this sappy song by one of my favorite artists. The lyrics make me swoon.  I guess I'll always be a hopeless romantic. :)

Ray Lamontagne | Forever My Friend

Who am I to tell her
Who am I to play God?
Who am I to think I can go it alone
Something tells me girl this is bringing you down
Something tells me girl this is bringing you down

We've been through some changes
Always seem to hold on
Lately it feel like you can't take anymore
Something tells me girl this is bringing you down
Something tells me girl this is bringing you down

Forever my friend
Forever my love
Forever the woman that I'm thinking of
I just think if we keep our hearts together
I just think if we build on this trust that we have for one another
Baby we can make this last a lifetime

Who am I to tell her
Who am I to play God?
I don't know just what's for real anymore
Something tells me girl this is bringing you down
Something tells me girl this is bringing you down

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right
Maybe it's the last thing you want to hear me say
I just think if we keep our hearts together
I just think if we build on this trust that we have for one another
Maybe we can make this last a lifetime

Forever my friend
Forever my love
Forever the woman
That I'm thinking of
I just think if we keep our hearts together
I just think if we build on this trust that we have for one another
Maybe we can make this last a lifetime

 

Will you let Me?

This morning I went to meet with God.

In the quiet place, in the stillness of my spirit, He asked me...



"Are you willing to scrap all of your elaborate plans? Lofty expectations? Wildest dreams?"

"Burn them?"

"Put them on the altar and burn them?"

"Remember I told you that I would give you your heart's desires?"

Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart's desires. {Ps. 37:4}

"Remember I told you that I wanted to give you something infinitely better and beyond anything that your beautiful but finite mind could conceive?"

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. {1 Cor. 2:9}

"I know what you want."

"Better yet, I know what you need."

"Better still, I know the deepest longings and desires of your heart."

"And I am the only One who can satisfy those longings and desires."

The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it. {1 Th. 5:24}

"The question is: 'Will you let Me?'"

 

Lord, I Believe! {Help My Unbelief!}

“Believe ye that I am able to do this?” (Matt. 9:28)

God deals with impossibilities.  It is never too late for Him to do so, when the impossible is brought to Him, in full faith, by the one in whose life and circumstances the impossible must be accomplished if God is to be glorified.  If in our own life there have been rebellion, unbelief, sin, and disaster, it is never too late for God to deal triumphantly with these tragic facts if brought to Him in full surrender and trust.  It has often been said, and with truth, that Christianity is the only religion that can deal with man’s past.  God can “restore the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:25); and He will do this when we put the whole situation and ourselves unreservedly and believingly into His hands.  Not because of what we are but because of what He is.  God forgives and heals and restores.  He is “the God of all grace.”  Let us praise Him and trust Him. —Sunday School Times

 

Thank you to BIENELISA, for another beautiful guest post!

 

 

It's Not The Critic Who Counts!

Been receiving some healthy and not-so-healthy criticism lately, and the Spirit brought to mind this wonderful quote by Teddy Roosevelt that someone gave me when I first started my recovery...

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." 
(Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910)

When I googled this quote, I found some additional quotes from him related to this famous, later quote. Brilliant man ol' Teddy was!!!!

"...the man who really counts in the world is the doer, not the mere critic - the man who actually does the work, even if roughly and imperfectly, not the man who only talks or writes about how it ought to be done." (1891)

"Criticism is necessary and useful; it is often indispensable; but it can never take the place of action, or be even a poor substitute for it. The function of the mere critic is of very subordinate usefulness. It is the doer of deeds who actually counts in the battle for life, and not the man who looks on and says how the fight ought to be fought, without himself sharing the stress and the danger." (1894)

 

Too Glorious To Forsake

 

 

 "A woman who fears the Lord will not run away from God to satisfy her longings and relieve her anxieties. She will wait for the Lord. She will hope in God. She will stay close to the heart of God and trust in His promises. The prospect of departing into the way of sin will be too fearful to pursue; and the benefits of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty too glorious to forsake." 

— John Piper

~  ~  ~  ~

 

I didn’t like the woman I was when I didn’t seek after the Lord’s heart and sought the desires of my own. And you know you’re a child of God when He chastens you. I’m very thankful for His discipline that installs the fear of the Lord, mercy, and unconditional love. And His grace enables women to recover from setbacks and be used for His purpose. His Word portrays such women for proof. The benefits of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty are too glorious to forsake.

Way too glorious to forsake. 

— BIENELISA

 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Water and The Blood

I love Sojourn's rendition of the old Isaac Watts hymn, The Water and The Blood. 

You can check it out here:
http://sojournmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-water-and-the-blood


Lord we confess our many faults

And how great our guilt has been

Foolish and vain were all of our thoughts

No good could come from within


But by the mercy of our God

All of our hopes began

And by the water and the blood

Our souls are washed from sin

Our souls are washed


It’s not by the works of righteousness

Which our own hands have done

But we are saved by our Father’s grace

Abounding through His Son


But by the mercy of our God

All of our hopes began

And by the water and the blood

Our souls are washed from sin

Our souls are washed


Oh we are saved by our Father’s grace

Abounding through His Son

Abounding through His Son


But by the mercy of our God

All of our hopes began

And by the water and the blood

Our souls are washed

Our souls are washed

Our souls are washed from sin

You can purchase the album directly from the link above or from itunes or the music store of your preference. If you are broke, like me, you can get it on Spotify. :)

I promise you you will not be dissappointed! It has blessed me and strengthened my faith so much.

Peace, Love & Blessings!
~Jo

Dilemma? I think not!

After an amazing encounter with God this morning, I encountered a religious person.
Like immediately after.

Don't you just hate how the devil always comes along to try to undermine the divine work of God?

Needless to say, I left church offended today.

At first I cried about it, then I felt some righteous indignation, then after dialoguing with God about it and receiving some encouragement from compassionate, Jesus-loving people like myself, I was okay.

Three things God kept bringing to mind:

"Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart."

"Focus on me. I love you and I will never hurt you."

"Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Then later on in the evening, I had this funny thought:

Worldly people think I'm religious and religious people think I'm worldly.

Thank God I don't let what people think about me define me anymore.
Glad I already know who I really am.

Who I am IN CHRIST, that is!


Peace, Love & Blessings Y'all!
><> Jo (Loving my new identity!)

Just Pray

I woke up this morning and checked my inbox and found the most lovely new jewel of a song. It was written and recorded in honor of the shooting victims in Aurora, Colorado, but it is relevant for anyone, anywhere, anytime.

It's called Just Pray.

Can someone please pass the tissues?

Just Pray by Moriah Peters & Rhett Walker

I woke up to the news
Half awake and half confused
How easily could I have been the one

All the questions in my head
Weigh me down back into bed
But what’s said is said, what is done is done

Woh…
Though I can’t find the right words to say
Woh…

I’ll just pray
I’ll just pray
Though this world is dark
And my heart is hard
And the answers seem so far away

I’ll pray
I’ll still pray
When I’m weak alone
On my knees I’m strong
And I know you’re listening
So I’ll just pray

I know it’s hard to do
And I know there’s hurt in you
But now’s the time to cast your doubts aside

And just pray
And just pray
Though this world is dark
And my heart is hard
And the answers seem so far away

I’ll pray
I’ll just pray
When I’m weak alone
On my knees I’m strong
And I know you’re listening
So I’ll just pray

Woh…oooh
Woh…oooh

So I’ll just pray
So I’ll just pray
Though this world is dark
And my heart is hard
And the answers seem so far away
I’ll just pray
I’ll just pray

When I’m weak alone
On my knees I’m strong
And I know you’re listening
So I’ll just pray

You can download the song for free here: Just Pray.

Moriah Peters and Rhett Walker playing "Just Pray" with
Scott and Kelli from K-Love in Denver, CO on July 20th, 2012; the day after
the tragic shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, CO

The Road Not Taken

When I was younger, I loved to read poetry. Recently I have rediscovered my love of poetry and even have written some myself, though I rarely share my own. This is one of my old favorites by Robert Frost. Someone gave me a copy of it when I started on my road to recovery. So now it's even more special to me. :)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Happy Birthday to a hero!

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most.
We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?'
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us.
And when we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Nelson Mandela

Happy Birthday to a hero!

<3

Open Bible. Open Mind.

Lately I have been listening to Ashes & Fire, the latest album from Ryan Adams, alot. It has really gotten me thinking. I've even wept a couple of times.  His song “Kindness” especially moves me. It really makes me reflect on my own journey out of darkness, depression and addiction into the light of love, forgiveness and service to my fellow man...the glorious results of Jesus in my life.

If you’re so kind, can you let down your hand

Can you let down your hand, if you’re so kind

If you’re so kind, can you shelter the weak

Can you listen as the strangers speak

Bring them calm

The lyrics of this song remind me of the Beatitudes, where Jesus spoke of those that the world viewed as “less than” and called them blessed!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”–Matthew 5:3-10, NIV

These eight incredible statements that Jesus made have shown me what is truly important in life. They show me the values that Jesus cares about and what He wants me to care about too.

Kindness don’t ask for much, but an open mind

Kindness can cure a broken heart

Honey are you feeling kind?

Do you believe in love?

Do you believe in love?

Having a relationship with Jesus and getting to know Him by reading and praying over His Word has made me open-minded, not closed-minded. Gone are the false beliefs and stigmas of my past. Gone are the lies I believed as a result of the society and culture in which I was raised.

Racism. Gone.
Religiosity. Gone.
Bigotry. Gone.
Superiority. Gone.
Favoritism. Gone.
Making Excuses. Gone.
Unforgiveness. Gone.
Intellectualizing Everything. Gone.
Materialism. Gone.
The Endless Pursuit of Pleasure. Gone.

My mind has been completely renewed and I am a new person, just as Paul says in Romans 12:2:
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

God has given me:
A genuine love for all people, in place of racism.
An intimate and real relationship with Him, in place of religion.
Kindness, in place of bigotry.
Humility, in place of superiority.
Equality, in place of favoritism.
Accountability, in place of making excuses.
Grace, in place of unforgiveness.
Faith, in place of intellectualizing everything.
Contentment, in place of materialism.
Service to my fellow man, in place of the empty and endless pursuit of pleasure.

He has replaced my false beliefs with truth. And I know this is His will for me because His Word continuously confirms it in my spirit.

If you’re so kind, will you let down your hand

Will you try and understand when things go wrong

Days come and gone, and it's been said and been done

I will shelter you with my love and my forgiveness

Kindness don’t ask for much, but an open mind

Kindness can cure a broken heart

Honey are you feeling kind?

Do you believe in love?

Do you believe in love?

Yes, Mr. Adams!
I do now!

“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” –Galatians 2:20

“Don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” –Galatians 5:13

“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” –Ephesians 4:2

“You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.” –1 Peter 4:2

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” –1 John 3:18

“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” –1 John 4:8

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” -1 John 4:12

“We love each other because He loved us first.” –1 John 4:19

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” – 1 John 4:16

“This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.” –1 John 4:17

"You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." –Matthew 5:43-44

On a side note, I just had to chuckle a little when I was reading Jon Acuff’s blog SCL recently and I saw this sign he playfully created in response to the hateful picketers from Westboro Baptist Church.



Peace, Love & Blessings Y'all!
Jo
-Lyrics taken from Kindness, by Ryan Adams, Ashes & Fire © 2011, PAX AM, Jacksonville, NC. All rights reserved.
-Scripture citations taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation, Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved.

The Essence of Compassion

"Resolve to be tender with the young,

compassionate with the aged,
sympathetic with the striving,
and tolerant with the weak and wrong,
because sometime in your life you will have been all of these."
-Author Unknown

Thank you to my dear friend George Coolbaugh for this little nugget of wisdom.

It made me think of this wonderful song:

Kindness by Ryan Adams

Peace, Love & Blessings!
Jo

Chemicals

A room sometimes is a body
With the loneliest view
And the porch lights grow dim
With every on-setting hour
Where the stars seem so finite to you

But love it ain’t like the chemicals babe
Cause the chemicals don’t hang around
While everybody’s drilling for a fountain of youth
Losing years on the way down

A melody can be exhausted babe
Short of friend and fame
Cause the birds they don’t sing
In the winter short of spring
And, even then, they only sing in the day

But love, it ain’t like a melody babe
Cause the birds don’t hang around
Well, everybody’s drilling for a fountain of youth
But sometimes in these fountains they drown
Sometimes in these fountains they drown

But I want to love you
When the blood of my veins
Don’t know how to call out your name
Yeah I want to love you
When the birds don’t hang around

But love it ain’t like the chemicals babe
Cause the chemicals don’t hang around
While everybody’s drilling for a fountain of youth
But sometimes in these fountains they drown

I Won't Back Down

I want first of all…to be at peace with myself. I want a singleness of eye, a purity of intention, a central core to my life that will enable me to carry out these obligations and activities as well as I can. I want, in fact – to borrow from the language of the saints – to live “in grace” as much of the time as possible. I am not using the term in a strictly theological sense. By grace I mean an inner harmony, essentially spiritual, which can be translated into outward harmony. I am seeking perhaps what Socrates asked for in the prayer from the Phaedrus when he said, “May the outward and inward man be one.” I would like to achieve a state of inner grace from which I could function and give as I was meant to in the eyes of God.” –Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift From The Sea (excerpted from Start Where You Are: Catch A Fresh Vision For Your Life, Swindoll, C.)

I am reading the most amazing book by Charles Swindoll right now entitled Start Where You Are: Catch A Fresh Vision For Your Life. The theme is basically about realizing your need for recovery, crying out to God for mercy and allowing Him to heal you. And then after allowing Him ample time to heal you, allowing Him to make a leader out of you. This is something I’ve just really come to grips with in the past few months. Leadership is not something I would have ever chosen for myself, rather it is something that God has instilled in me, and I have now sheepishly and somewhat begrudgingly accepted. If He would have told me this two years ago, I would have laughed in His face. Literally. It was only by allowing these past two years for salvation, regeneration and restoration (in a nutshell: recovery), that I have been able to realize this. And now He won’t let me back down!

Well I won't back down
No I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of Hell
But I won't back down

No I'll stand my ground
Won't be turned around
And I'll keep this world from dragging me down
Gonna stand my ground
And I won't back down*

We are living in depraved, desparate times where we need good leadership now more than ever! We have had enough of the deception, the flattery, the greed and the abuse of power that characterizes so many leaders today. And this is not exclusive to the “secular” world or our decaying governmental systems, but extends to the Church!

Today the theme that overrides any other is that of “me first” in blessing, “me first” in terms of material comfort and rewards. The bottom line of the contemporary gospel (the one that does not produce servants) seems to be: grab the crown; avoid the cross.” –Gordon MacDonald (excerpted from Start Where You Are: Catch A Fresh Vision For Your Life, Swindoll, C.)

Charles Swindoll vehemently opposes this! He says good leaders are born out of adversity. Strong leadership grows out of times of great stress and challenge. It produces leaders that operate with honesty, integrity and sincerity. They realize that they sometimes will not have the approval of people, because they will sometimes have to make decisions that are unpopular in order to maintain their integrity. They deny self-interest and the love of things, fame and pleasure in order to serve God and serve the people, not themselves. He uses the Apostle Paul, one of my heroes, as a model. Look at how radically God changed him and grew him to be the father of the Apostolic Church!

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. –Phillipians 3:5-7, NLT

So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery. For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. –1 Thessalonians 2:3-7, NLT

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. –Galatians 1:10, NLT

I want to be that kind of leader. I want to inspire others to greatness by my single-minded devotion to Christ, my service to others, and a noticeable lack of self-interest. Christ said that in His Kingdom you don’t become great by lording your authority over others, you become great by humbling yourself in service to them.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want You to do us a favor.” “What is your request?” He asked. They replied, “When You sit on Your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to You, one on Your right and the other on Your left.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:35-37;41-45, NLT

I know what’s right
I got just one life
In a world that keeps on pushin' me around
But I'll stand my ground
And I won’t back down

Hey baby, they're ain't no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
And I won't back down
*Tom Petty, I Won't Back Down

If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day. --Alex Noble

Bella Article

Really???

Okay, I just have to come out and rant about this. It’s been sticking in my craw for days. The other day I was reading a post on a blog that I follow and I saw several photos of people picketing to protest gay marriage.

May I present to you Exhibit A:



All I can say is, “Really???”

No matter what your beliefs are, do you really believe God’s divine purpose and plan for your life is to be on a picket line protesting another person’s sins with hate signs?

Wake up and smell the Jesus!

Just look at these signs. They are an abomination! God does not hate anyone! God LOVES everyone. He may not like what we do, but He loves us just the same. His love for us is not based on our actions, otherwise we'd all be dead! Including the holder of this sign!

“But the Bible says that homosexuality is a sin.”

Yep, it sure does! It also says that about divorce. And pre-marital sex. And lust. And anger. All of which most Christians today are guilty of or have been guilty of at some point, myself included. I could go on and on and on about the myriad other sins that both Christians and non-Christians alike are guilty of on a daily basis.

So, with that being said, how could someone believe that God's divine purpose and plan for their life is to travel around the country and protest another person's sins with hate signs? How would they feel if someone was splattering their sins onto picket signs and protesting them and declaring that God hates them to the entire world?

The Bible clearly defines those things that God calls sin. God does not differentiate between your sin or my sin or their sin. There are no varying degrees of sin. It’s all the same to God. Sin is sin.

My gluttony and lust.
Your foul language.
His secret porn addiction.
Her latenight profession.
A kid cheating on a test.
That guy who always complains about everything.
The entire human population's immoral sexual acts.
The people that won't forgive.
The pedophiles.
The serial killers.
People that are rude to waitresses and janitors.
The guy next door that always steals your newspaper.
That guy you heard about on the news that murdered his entire family and then committed suicide.
Not to mention someone holding a sign that says "God hates you" which is a bonafied lie from the pits of hell.

You get the point.

It's all sin.

Sin is basically just another way of saying “anything God wouldn’t do” or “anything outside of God’s character, which is holy and pure and perfect.”

Sin is something we all have in common. It is inherantly a part of our human nature. We are fallen creatures. Depraved individuals. Objects of wrath.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. --Romans 3:23, NASB

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. --1 John 1:8, NASB

But God has given us remedy for our corrupt condition. That remedy is salvation and sanctification. That salvation comes to us by faith in Jesus Christ....

Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. --Romans 3:27, NLT

...and that sanctification by the transforming power of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. --2 Corinthians 5:20, NASB

When we ask Him to save us, He does! Then he deposits his Spirit into us whereby we become partakers in His divine nature. This is the moment of salvation.

Then God begans the work of our sanctification.  If we continuously seek intimacy with Him and yield to Him, He will gradually makes us more and more like Christ.

Now the deeds of the flesh (sinful nature) are evident: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these…but the fruit of the Spirit (divine nature) is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. –Galatians 5:19-23, NASB

No amount of picketing and protesting, especially with hate signs, is going to be the catalyst to this process. It is something that can only happen through a close, personal relationship with God. And hatred is not going to lead people to Christ.

It is only by love that they will be drawn into a relationship with God.

Now I would like to specifically address the sin of hatred.  If they don’t know anything else, they need to know that God is love.

And picketing with hate signs is clearly against God's nature, because God is love.

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. --1 John 4:8, NASB

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. --1 John 4:20-21, NASB

How about doing the true will of God and bringing the love of God to all people?

How about telling them the truth -- that God loves them and wants a relationship with them?

How about spending all that wasted time picketing and hating by actually telling them about the One and Only that loves them - Jesus Christ?

How about telling them that there is hope.  That God loves them and has never given up on them?

That it is not His will that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance?

Then leave the rest to God.

And walk away in perfect peace knowing that you did exactly what Jesus commanded.

This I command you, that you love one another. --John 15:17, NASB

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  --1 Peter 1:8, NASB

More Atrocities Committed In The Name of God

--Creating multi-million dollar businesses and calling them churches or ministries. (Christianity)

--Standing on a street corner waving a Bible and screaming at people that they are going to hell. (Christianity)

--Sexually abusing children. (Catholicism)

--Ritual flogging of oneself in an attempt to "kill the flesh" through self-torture. (Catholicism)

--Playing Jonas Brothers records in reverse to prove that these fresh faced Disney Channel stars are in fact worshipping Satan in their music. (Christianity)

--Bombing abortion clinics and killing the doctors, nurses and patients inside. (Christianity)

--High-jacking airplanes, crashing into the World Trade Center and Pentagon and killing more than three thousand Americans. (Islam)

--Stoning to death or throwing acid on any woman accused of adultery. (Islam)

--Making women cover every inch of their flesh including their face with dark, heavy cloth. (Islam)

--Mutilating adolescent girls and women by circumcising their genitals in an attempt to reduce their “libido." (Islam)

--Gathering in hate rallies with signs touting such slogans as "God hates you", "God hates Jews", "Fags are beasts", "God hates fags", "Obama is the beast" and "Thank God for dead soldiers.” (Christianity)

Relevant

"When you see something that isn't how it should be, you can do two things - you can either criticize it or you can be part of the solution."
- Cameron Strang, Founder of Relevant Magazine

This is my favorite piece of popular, albeit "secular" literature...ever. It is proof that having faith in Jesus Christ does not mean that you have to commit cerebral suicide or lose your love for music, art and culture.

I especially love the name: RELEVANT. God. Life. Progressive Culture.*

As Cameron said, God always comes first. That is the key to being relevant in any age. 

But it is strictly against the Gospel of Jesus Christ to hole ourselves up away from the entire world and become a "holier than thou" religious recluse. God has intentionally sent me into the world with my faith. This is the purpose of my life. This is how I am relevant. Through my witness of faith, speaking the truth in love, and intentionally living for God by serving my fellow man, I find that: "I am in the world, but not of the world."

Jesus prayed this to His Father:

"I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one."
"They do not belong to this world any more than I do."
"Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth."
"Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world."
-John 17:15-17*

Jesus preached at the Sermon on the Mount:

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
“You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
-Matthew 5:13-16*

The resurrected Jesus commanded His disciples:

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth."
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
"Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you."
"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
-Matthew 28:18-20*

My devotion today was in a similar vein:
If you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you place limitations on yourself from doing certain things — things God is not restricting you from at all. This means there is a missing quality that needs to be added to your life. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere.**

"Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.  The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
-2 Peter 1:5-8*

Recap:

• I am sending them into the world.
• They are the salt of the earth.
• They are the light of the world.
• They should give light to everyone.
• Their good deeds should shine out for all to see.
• They are commanded to go into all the nations.
• I am with them always.
• They should be at home with me anywhere.
• They should have love for everyone.
• If they continue to grow, they are more productive and useful.

Hmmm...

Isn't that just another way of saying relevant?

* Relevant Magazine. All rights reserved. www.relevantmagazine.com
** Holy Bible: New Living Translation, © 1996, rev. 2007 by Tyndale Publishers. All rights reserved.  www.biblegateway.com
*** My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers © 1927, rev. 1992. www.utmost.org

Grace

Grace by Eric William Gilmour

Whose grace has changed the face
Of the case upon my life
No price could erase
The sin base of my humanity
A walking calamity
Part of the rebel family
But he handed me remedy
For my corrupt condition
This decision made me one with my help
I was unable to save myself
He shows me how He felt
Seeing me born in iniquity
Sick with the infection of the age
Born a child of rage
Trapped and caged
In a maze made in my mind
If you search the world you’ll never find
A way out

That's right. There's nothing this world has to offer that can save you. No person can save you. No government can save you. No institution can save you. No wealth, power, success or achievement can save you.

And no religion can save you.

Christ is the only One who can save you.

When I came to Him I was a dark, polluted mess.  I was strung out on drugs.  I was a thief, a liar and a whore.  My spirit was dead.  I had a whole truckload of demons.  I felt evil down to my very core.  And I was teetering on the brink of insanity.

And then Christ saved me.

Me.

Not just from the fire.

But from myself.

He freed me from the self-made prison I was in. He delivered my mind from torment. He broke the strongholds of addiction and habitual sin from my life.


Now He continues to guide me, heal me and transform me every day.

He leads me into truth.  I found out I have an enemy. Long ago my Creator had a plan and a purpose for my life, before I was even conceived.  The enemy of my soul was there too with his own plan. His purpose was to deceive me.  He wanted to keep me from finding out my true identity in Christ. He used the painful things that happened to me to harden my heart, provoke me to rebellion, and ultimately make me a slave.  I was damned.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
-John 10:10a, NLT

He almost succeeded in robbing me of my destiny.

He almost succeeded in taking my soul.

But then, piercing through the darkness, came the glorious face of Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God.

Christ, who is pure, white light and holy love beyond all comprehension, saved me and gave me new life.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
-John 10:10b, ESV


Now everything is different.


He has given me a life full of purpose that I never thought possible.

And now nothing in the whole world compares to Him!

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. -Phillipians 3:8, NLT

Paradise Lost...and Found

Since you committed your original sin, there is really no true liberty anymore.
Liberty is linked to wisdom, so when a man is unwise or ignores what he should know, that's when unhealthy desires take over.
Then his mind becomes a slave to his desires.

(Ch. 12, v. 83-96: Adam and Eve are Expelled from Paradise)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They prayed sincerely. God's grace had removed all the bad emotions from their hearts.
Their sad sighs told Him more than any words they could have said.
They prayed that mankind could be restored.
Their invisible prayers reached Heaven, where the Son of God covered them with incense and brought them to his Father's throne.
"Father, let me show You the first results of the heavenly grace You placed on man," he said. "As Your priest, I bring You these sighs and prayers, mixed with incense, in this gold cup.
These are sweeter than all the delicious fruits he could have grown in Paradise before he fell.
Listen to his sighs.
He may not have the greatest skill in choosing the right words to pray with, so let Me speak for him. I'll be his Advocate.
I'll place my Spirit in him.
I'll help him perfect his good qualities, and I'll pay for his sins with My own death.
Let Me bring peace to mankind for the limited time he has to live.
I only want to soften his punishment, not eliminate it. He must die, after all.
But a better life waits for him.
Then everybody who is saved can live a new, happy life, joined with Me, the way I am joined with  You.

(Ch.11, v.1-43: Micheal Shows Adam The Future)

Excerpts from John Milton's Paradise Lost, In Plain English, by Joseph Laranza, c. 2009

Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. --Romans 8:34, NLT

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. --Galatians 5:1, NASB

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Stand fast therefore in liberty.  There is the liberty of grace, wherein lies freedom from sin; not from the indwelling of it, but from the dominion, guilt, and damning power of it; from the captivity and tyranny of Satan, though not from his temptations and insults.
Excerpt from Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible: Book of Galatians, by John Gill

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Hold fast my people and sing
Through peace and through suffering
All for the joy that it brings
To be free
It's gonna cost us everything
To follow one Lord and King
True love endures everything
To be free
The Resistance, by Josh Garrels

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. --James 4:7, ESV

True Colors

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
Its hard to take courage

In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
Are beautiful, like a rainbow


Show me a smile then,
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
Are beautiful, like a rainbow

If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors
True colors
True colors
Are shining through

I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors, true colors
Are beautiful, like a rainbow

True Colors, by Cyndi Lauper

Fully Alive!

I'm in love with my life now.

There used to be a time when I just existed. My soul was basically dead. I rarely found joy in anything. I always seemed to be striving and working towards something, for something, but I never quite knew what. I never could figure it out, much less attain it.  I never learned how to enjoy life because I was too busy focusing on what I didn't have and what I was striving towards.

I was a complicated puzzle with a missing piece.

Then I found God. I don't care if it sounds cliche. It's the truth. God was the missing piece. And He has made me truly alive for the first time in my life. My spirit is fully alive now.

I talk to Him all the time. I take time to thank Him for the little things. I find joy in the simplest things. I see God in everything now. And I cherish each moment. Because this moment is all I have. This moment is my life.

Fully alive
More than most
Ready to smile and love life.

Fully Alive, by Flyleaf

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

Excerpt from "Anyway - The Paradoxical Commandments: Finding Personal Meaning in a Crazy World", Kent M. Keith (G. P. Putnam's Sons, c. 1968, rev. 2002)

http://www.paradoxicalcommandments.com/

Three Nails And A Cross

Abba Father You must wonder why
More times than Peter I have denied.
Three nails and a cross to prove
I owe my life eternally to you!

And it's time
To get down on my knees and pray
Undo me!
Put away my flesh and bone
'Til You own this spirit through me Lord,
Undo me

Undo Me, by Jennifer Knapp

“A day off work is not what makes this Friday "Good", this is the day when all our sins were nailed into the wood." -Lecrae

The Things We Say

I am always talking about the power of words, so I was pleased when I opened my email today and found that one of my sisters had forwarded me this recovery meditation.

:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:
"Handle them carefully ...
for words have more power than atom bombs."
- Pearl Strachan Hurd
:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:. .:~*~:

A friend wrote to me tonight about the "healing power of words."  I began to think about that and she was right. Words can truly heal. I thought back to times in my life when the right word at the right time by the right person made an enormous difference in my life. I also thought of the times when
words devastated me.

Many times I get busy and don't think about what I'm going to say and words just come out.  In the "busyness" of the moment, I don't realize that my words could have a double meaning.  It is afterwards ... many times days afterwards .... that I realize my choice of words was inappropriate. We speak and listen to tens of millions of words in our lifetime.  Perhaps, we need to weigh the words we use more carefully. I hope, however, that I don't ever find myself saying words to others that I don't mean or out of fear restrict words that need to be said.

Although this British politician of the 1930s, Pearl Strachan Hurd, said that "words have more power than atom bombs," there is something that I find even more powerful. Silence.
Silence when there should be words can hurt. Silence when someone should have the courage to speak harms. I tend to think of silence as the ultimate insult.

And yet some of the most beautiful words ever spoken to me were the silent ones.

ONE DAY AT A TIME . . .
Let me choose my words carefully but not so carefully that I become calous.
Let me use words to heal and not to hurt;
to make things better and not worse;
to express feelings, even negative feelings,
to and about others, kindly ... courageously ... carefully.
Excerpt from "One Day at a Time" Recovery Meditations
© Copyright 2012 THE RECOVERY GROUP

As most of you know, the Scriptures are now my source of all spiritual wisdom and guidance. I am a follower of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ was "the Word made flesh." John 1:14 Therefore, I follow the Scriptures as the inerrant, infallible Word of God.

The Scriptures are full of cautions about the power of words to do both good and evil, contrasting the destructive power of careless words with the encouraging power of wise and well thought out speech.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

"They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows." Psalm 64:3

"The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them." Proverbs 12:6

"The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." Proverbs 12:18

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

"The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered." Proverbs 17:27

"The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts." Proverbs 18:8

"The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools." Ecclesiastes 9:17

"On the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

"The things we do, the things we say
Are gentle rays of hope that touch us all each day
The things we do, the things we say
These are the greatest gifts we'll ever give away"

The Things We Do, by Yolanda Adams

Coolest Jewish Guy Since Jesus

I just love the faith-filled music of my Jewish brother Matisyahu.

His perfect blend of humanity, heartfelt lyrics, and smooth reggae, rock and blues rhythms is like pure honey to my spirit! He inspires me!

Enjoy.

"One Day"

Sometimes I lay
Under the moon
And thank God I'm breathing

Then I pray
Don't take me soon
Cause I'm here for a reason

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around

Because
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play

One day, one day, one day
One day, one day, one day

It's not about
Win or lose
Because we all lose
When they feed on the souls of the innocent
Blood drenched pavement

Keep on moving though the waters stay raging
In this maze you can lose your way (your way)
It might drive you crazy but don't let it faze you no way (no way)

Sometimes in my tears I drown
But I never let it get me down
So when negativity surrounds
I know some day it'll all turn around

Because
All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play

One day, one day, one day
One day, one day, one day

One day this all will change
Treat people the same
Stop with the violence
Stop with the hate

One day we'll all be free
And proud to be
Under the same sun
Singing songs of freedom like

One day, one day

All my life I've been waiting for
I've been praying for
For the people to say
That we don't wanna fight no more
They'll be no more wars
And our children will play

One day, one day, one day
One day, one day, one day

Ooooooooooooooooooohhhhh...

Shalom!