the Divine Hours - Phyllis Tickle
God's Gravity (the upside-down life of selfless faith) - Craig Borlase
Christianity 101 - Gilbert Bilezikian
Thoughts In Solitude - Thomas Merton - a little before i go to sleep
the Benedictine Handbook - a little before i go to sleep
the Spirit of the Disciplines - Dallas Willard
Ephesians
Acts
Romans
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
from the book "Simple Ways Towards the Sacred"
A Meditation:
Realization is a process of recognizing the real. It means repeated experiences of knowing. It means integration of those experiences.
Thatched roofs, mud-daubed roofs, tar paper roofs, asphalt and shingle roofs- roofs are so ubiquitous, who even notices them? The ones who have no roofs do!
To feel the roof over our heads every day is to realize the privilege of being sheltered. Any sense of gratitude for such shelter is only real if we act on it. To step under the roof would then become an act of thanks, as well as a deep awareness of the despair that homelessness of any kind must be.
Could we find ways to be part of the answer?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
The Show
The show tonight went really well. I really had alot of fun. I didn't think as many people would come as last time when I played there last month. Last month it was packed and this time there was like 20 more people...it was crazy the amount of people in that size of a room. Good stuff tonight good stuff
Show Tonight
So I've got a show tonight in the Gelato shop @ Macri's. I'm excited cause it's always amazing to me the amount of friends that show up to support me. The past few have been packed, and i'm humbled. Tonight Jeffrey Myers is joining me to keep the beats, it will be sweet, he adds alot and I love him. So tonight if your free, you should come! It's @ 8pm.
peace
Thursday, January 22, 2009
So I got asked last minute a few days ago to join in on the weekend festivities here @ GCC and the song they asked me to sing is one I'm quite excited about. It's really funny how everytime the song I get asked to sing that it's one that is something I'm learning about right then, or something I'm going through or need to learn or whatever. It's really cool how in the process of learning the song, it becomes my own, it becomes apart of me and makes my heart beat fast, I grow because of it.
This specific song is from God's point of view and is an inspiring reminder that just fills me with humbleness, joy, excitement, and greater sense of His perfect love for me. It's a good portrayal of the God who is endlessly pursuing us. Oh how it just makes me love Him more.
The song is by a band called "Tenth Avenue North" and it's called "By Your Side"
Downlode it, buy it, borrow it, do what needs to be done to listen to it and let it move you. Seriously, it will move you.
Here are the lyrics:
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run
And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go
This specific song is from God's point of view and is an inspiring reminder that just fills me with humbleness, joy, excitement, and greater sense of His perfect love for me. It's a good portrayal of the God who is endlessly pursuing us. Oh how it just makes me love Him more.
The song is by a band called "Tenth Avenue North" and it's called "By Your Side"
Downlode it, buy it, borrow it, do what needs to be done to listen to it and let it move you. Seriously, it will move you.
Here are the lyrics:
Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run
And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
New Song
You've heard it said that practice does make perfect
Well not quite but it is true that lifes a race
Practice gives the currently impossible a bright shining light
You can't lift it now but train and months later you might
So don't hold so tight onto who you thought you were
I become what I previously was not thinking of, now I give more love
Capable now of things usually beyond what I've got, and what I'm not
Pieces of me I give with hopes of changing
A little here a little there I give as much as I can
Over time I see the shine take off the blind and let it glisten
Take chances here advances there speak O Lord and I will listen
I won't hold on so tight onto who I thought i was
I become what I previously was not thinking of, now I give more love
Capable now of things usually beyond what I've got, and what I'm not
You can't sit here and wait for the train to come by
When all of the people on the side
Are waiting for you to learn to fly
It means realizing that not a thing that is good
And worth giving everything is instantaneously achieved
So take a bit of time and wait for the people talkin "find"
And work on the thing you got in mind
You know its the way to live alive
Now we're makin progress and takin steps within the race
Every day we're gonna make it
Closer to the prize
I become what I previously was not thinking of, now I give more love
Capable now of things usually beyond what I've got, and what I'm not
Well not quite but it is true that lifes a race
Practice gives the currently impossible a bright shining light
You can't lift it now but train and months later you might
So don't hold so tight onto who you thought you were
I become what I previously was not thinking of, now I give more love
Capable now of things usually beyond what I've got, and what I'm not
Pieces of me I give with hopes of changing
A little here a little there I give as much as I can
Over time I see the shine take off the blind and let it glisten
Take chances here advances there speak O Lord and I will listen
I won't hold on so tight onto who I thought i was
I become what I previously was not thinking of, now I give more love
Capable now of things usually beyond what I've got, and what I'm not
You can't sit here and wait for the train to come by
When all of the people on the side
Are waiting for you to learn to fly
It means realizing that not a thing that is good
And worth giving everything is instantaneously achieved
So take a bit of time and wait for the people talkin "find"
And work on the thing you got in mind
You know its the way to live alive
Now we're makin progress and takin steps within the race
Every day we're gonna make it
Closer to the prize
I become what I previously was not thinking of, now I give more love
Capable now of things usually beyond what I've got, and what I'm not
Friday, January 16, 2009
8 Years of Intentional Stepping
Proverbs 20:24 "A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?"
Man was created to be in relationship with his Creator. We aren't truly human until we know Christ. How in the world then can we know what we are supposed to do on this earth unless we've given our lives over to the One who created us; the One who has purposed a perfect plan within each of us. Without Jesus, I can see why people live without hope, I can see why people live without purpose because they don't really have purpose without the One who actually created purpose.
Ephesians 1:7-10 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth."
So God's purpose, which was made possible through Jesus Christ, planned for when all time reaches it's fulfillment, is that all things in heaven and on earth would be united in Him. And He invites us to join Him in His plan for the redemption of this world, in bringing His creation, His people back to Him. He invites us to live a Way of life that is greater than one lived without Him. The King of the universe wants a relationship with each one of us and longs for us to be apart of what He is doing, how amazing!
One of my most favorite things about the relationship He longs to have with us is that it's a relationship where He won't relent until He has our whole heart, until He has every single part of us; and this is how I think is the way and reasoning in which I keep falling in love over and over and deeper and deeper with Him. It's amazing.
In 2001 I was on a mission trip in Port Au Prince, Haiti. While there, I remember making the life changing choice that I wanted to stop living for my own selfish reasons and give all I had, every single part of me for the rest of my days over to the One who had captivated me and stolen my heart. I considered my life before full devotion to Him, and chose the life that He had promised me, a purposed life, a life that would be so much better and fulfilling than a life ever lived without Him. I took Him up on His adventure and turned more of my steps in His direction.
Psalm 119:59 "I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes."
The Bible says that Christ is our righteousness and that what He did on the cross was sufficent for the washing away of our sins leaving us with the choice of accepting or declining His free gift, which is salvation by faith in His work not by our own workings.
Psalm 85:13 "Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps."
So Christ goes before us and prepares the way. God's plan is already drawn out, and as we seek Christ as the Lord of our life, He guides our steps.
Psalm 37:23-24 "The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in His way."
So God has already planned out for us a purpose, a life of steps, and when we delight ourselves in Him by seeking Him and getting to know His heart, we become more like Him; in doing so, we give reign of our lives over to Christ to guide and lead us.
The past 8 years, only by His grace, have been absolutely beyond words. In those years, God has been building in me a foundation, a sure rock of truth. My life has been being built on Jesus and I've been able to stand on Him through hardships and I've been able to make decisions based on the heart of God and what I know He would want. I look back at my life and see the things God has done and it moves me, it excites me so much. I'm moved to tears, my breath's been taken away countless times because He's come through over and over with what He promised in His word. He said if I would seek Him that I would find Him and that He would guide me, and so I've seeked Him and I've found Him and have been lead by Him over and over and over and over and over. I'm getting chills right now as I think about it because, despite my sinfulness, He has taken me places and used me in ways I could have never imagined beyond my wildest dreams. He has done things in me that I thought were absolutely impossible. He has called me to do things that were the complete opposite of who I thought I was. He has been my light in the darkness, in my weakness He has been strong and used me mightily. And to know that He is here with me even now!, in the good times and bad times with the power to use it all for my good for His glory is beyond my understanding but just sends me back to praising! His faithfulness is perfect and makes me want to worship Him forever. I want nothing less than all of Him. He's given me His all and I want for all my days to give Him my all. Lord, I'm Yours, all Yours all Yours all Yours all Yours.
Psalm 119:1-16
"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."
Man was created to be in relationship with his Creator. We aren't truly human until we know Christ. How in the world then can we know what we are supposed to do on this earth unless we've given our lives over to the One who created us; the One who has purposed a perfect plan within each of us. Without Jesus, I can see why people live without hope, I can see why people live without purpose because they don't really have purpose without the One who actually created purpose.
Ephesians 1:7-10 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth."
So God's purpose, which was made possible through Jesus Christ, planned for when all time reaches it's fulfillment, is that all things in heaven and on earth would be united in Him. And He invites us to join Him in His plan for the redemption of this world, in bringing His creation, His people back to Him. He invites us to live a Way of life that is greater than one lived without Him. The King of the universe wants a relationship with each one of us and longs for us to be apart of what He is doing, how amazing!
One of my most favorite things about the relationship He longs to have with us is that it's a relationship where He won't relent until He has our whole heart, until He has every single part of us; and this is how I think is the way and reasoning in which I keep falling in love over and over and deeper and deeper with Him. It's amazing.
In 2001 I was on a mission trip in Port Au Prince, Haiti. While there, I remember making the life changing choice that I wanted to stop living for my own selfish reasons and give all I had, every single part of me for the rest of my days over to the One who had captivated me and stolen my heart. I considered my life before full devotion to Him, and chose the life that He had promised me, a purposed life, a life that would be so much better and fulfilling than a life ever lived without Him. I took Him up on His adventure and turned more of my steps in His direction.
Psalm 119:59 "I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes."
The Bible says that Christ is our righteousness and that what He did on the cross was sufficent for the washing away of our sins leaving us with the choice of accepting or declining His free gift, which is salvation by faith in His work not by our own workings.
Psalm 85:13 "Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps."
So Christ goes before us and prepares the way. God's plan is already drawn out, and as we seek Christ as the Lord of our life, He guides our steps.
Psalm 37:23-24 "The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in His way."
So God has already planned out for us a purpose, a life of steps, and when we delight ourselves in Him by seeking Him and getting to know His heart, we become more like Him; in doing so, we give reign of our lives over to Christ to guide and lead us.
The past 8 years, only by His grace, have been absolutely beyond words. In those years, God has been building in me a foundation, a sure rock of truth. My life has been being built on Jesus and I've been able to stand on Him through hardships and I've been able to make decisions based on the heart of God and what I know He would want. I look back at my life and see the things God has done and it moves me, it excites me so much. I'm moved to tears, my breath's been taken away countless times because He's come through over and over with what He promised in His word. He said if I would seek Him that I would find Him and that He would guide me, and so I've seeked Him and I've found Him and have been lead by Him over and over and over and over and over. I'm getting chills right now as I think about it because, despite my sinfulness, He has taken me places and used me in ways I could have never imagined beyond my wildest dreams. He has done things in me that I thought were absolutely impossible. He has called me to do things that were the complete opposite of who I thought I was. He has been my light in the darkness, in my weakness He has been strong and used me mightily. And to know that He is here with me even now!, in the good times and bad times with the power to use it all for my good for His glory is beyond my understanding but just sends me back to praising! His faithfulness is perfect and makes me want to worship Him forever. I want nothing less than all of Him. He's given me His all and I want for all my days to give Him my all. Lord, I'm Yours, all Yours all Yours all Yours all Yours.
Psalm 119:1-16
"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
simple prayer
Into Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; For You have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth. Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
Monday, January 12, 2009
A Hymn
The love we give each other
Is that which builds us up.
We live in one another;
We share a common cup.
Our loves are each a whisper
Of one sweet voice divine,
And when we sing together
The chorus is sublime.
Glory to the Father
To the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
Blessed Three in One.
As in the beginning,
So it is now,
And evermore shall be.
- Haskell Miller
Is that which builds us up.
We live in one another;
We share a common cup.
Our loves are each a whisper
Of one sweet voice divine,
And when we sing together
The chorus is sublime.
Glory to the Father
To the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
Blessed Three in One.
As in the beginning,
So it is now,
And evermore shall be.
- Haskell Miller
Friday, January 9, 2009
My new favorite song
You'll have to hi light, copy and paste the link below cause I couldn't figure out how to make it an actual link.
It's called "You Are Here (Same Power)" from Hillsong London.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ju70CiH5Is
It's called "You Are Here (Same Power)" from Hillsong London.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ju70CiH5Is
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Have You Ever Thought About Modeling?
For real, have you ever thought about it?
I'm a model. Have been for quite awhile now.
Actually, you don't even really have to have good looks to do it.
The modeling I'm talking about though, as i'm sure you've figured out by now, is the kind where you realize that people of all sorts are watching you. Its a life you live because you realize that God has called you to His Son's standard of living. It's a life, because if we choose Jesus, then he calls us to be the same person at all times, everywhere, with people or by ourselves. We are at all times His representative.
Some people are looking up to you for how to live, some are watching, waiting for you to make a mistake. It's something I sometimes forget about but also is something I've learned that I do need to keep at the forefront of my mind. It doesn't matter who you are, everyone is called to be a model.
God does put some people in a place where more people are watching, but that doesn't change the same standard of living each of us are called to. God has called each of us to live lives of impact and of transformation. We have been blessed to be a blessing. And I know from personal experience that it's just incredibly hard sometimes to live like Jesus, but then I remember my life is not my own, it's for Christ and the benefit of others. I remember that other people are watching, and maybe, just maybe, someone is struggling and just by watching you they can gain the strength and hope they need to continue on and move from darkness into the light.
...just a reminder, for you and for me.
Thank God for reminders
I'm a model. Have been for quite awhile now.
Actually, you don't even really have to have good looks to do it.
The modeling I'm talking about though, as i'm sure you've figured out by now, is the kind where you realize that people of all sorts are watching you. Its a life you live because you realize that God has called you to His Son's standard of living. It's a life, because if we choose Jesus, then he calls us to be the same person at all times, everywhere, with people or by ourselves. We are at all times His representative.
Some people are looking up to you for how to live, some are watching, waiting for you to make a mistake. It's something I sometimes forget about but also is something I've learned that I do need to keep at the forefront of my mind. It doesn't matter who you are, everyone is called to be a model.
God does put some people in a place where more people are watching, but that doesn't change the same standard of living each of us are called to. God has called each of us to live lives of impact and of transformation. We have been blessed to be a blessing. And I know from personal experience that it's just incredibly hard sometimes to live like Jesus, but then I remember my life is not my own, it's for Christ and the benefit of others. I remember that other people are watching, and maybe, just maybe, someone is struggling and just by watching you they can gain the strength and hope they need to continue on and move from darkness into the light.
...just a reminder, for you and for me.
Thank God for reminders
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
sway
So it's 10:32 am and i've been up since about 10 am yesterday.
Sleep deprivation, as i found on wikipedia, is a general lack of the necessary amount of sleep. This may occur as a result of sleep disorders, active choice or deliberate inducement such as in interrogation or for torture. In my case, active choice, due to a good friend of mine coming home around midnight 30 this morn from India! oh yes, i'ts good to have her back. Sarah Way, Sway is what i call her, is home from, what I hear from talking till 4am, an incredibly life changing experience. The past year that I've known her it has been so awesome seeing what God has been doing in her, and now having talked with her after the trip, I can see God has done some even more incredible things. I'm so looking forward to some more future conversations after she contemplates a bit more of her time in India.
Praise God for good friends, seriously praise You Lord.
Now i'm bout to join in on our GSM staff meeting so i'm out.
PEACE
Sleep deprivation, as i found on wikipedia, is a general lack of the necessary amount of sleep. This may occur as a result of sleep disorders, active choice or deliberate inducement such as in interrogation or for torture. In my case, active choice, due to a good friend of mine coming home around midnight 30 this morn from India! oh yes, i'ts good to have her back. Sarah Way, Sway is what i call her, is home from, what I hear from talking till 4am, an incredibly life changing experience. The past year that I've known her it has been so awesome seeing what God has been doing in her, and now having talked with her after the trip, I can see God has done some even more incredible things. I'm so looking forward to some more future conversations after she contemplates a bit more of her time in India.
Praise God for good friends, seriously praise You Lord.
Now i'm bout to join in on our GSM staff meeting so i'm out.
PEACE
Friday, January 2, 2009
Not W/out Grace
Jesus Christ has called us all to live a life of full devotion to Him. 1st John 2:6 says "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." He longs for us to live a life w/ the highest standards, such an incredible life beyond our imaginations, one with such a high calling that it can't possibly lived without grace. For 2 reasons I can think of right now. 1 because the fact is we are gonna mess up, we aren't gonna always keep the main focus on Him. We are human and we get off track. And reason 2 is because we don't really deserve the incredible life that He calls us to, yet because He is God and God is love, He lets us choose a life lived for Him.
Grace leads us to responsive living. We love because He loved. John 4:19 says "We love because He first loved us." And real love is never out of obligation. There is no hope for full devotion, for continual falling in love without grace because trying to live a life for Christ out of obligation is not a relationship, it's just religion. Real love leads to obedience because it's your natural response in return for what He's done. It's just like a relationship with a girl that you're head over heals for. Because you think she is so amazing you'll do anything for her. Jesus gave up His life for us and so our response is to give up ours for Him. 1st John 2:1-5 sums up pretty much everything I just said. It's flippin amazing.
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him"
Grace leads us to responsive living. We love because He loved. John 4:19 says "We love because He first loved us." And real love is never out of obligation. There is no hope for full devotion, for continual falling in love without grace because trying to live a life for Christ out of obligation is not a relationship, it's just religion. Real love leads to obedience because it's your natural response in return for what He's done. It's just like a relationship with a girl that you're head over heals for. Because you think she is so amazing you'll do anything for her. Jesus gave up His life for us and so our response is to give up ours for Him. 1st John 2:1-5 sums up pretty much everything I just said. It's flippin amazing.
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him"
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Full Devotion
I was recently, as I said in my last post, leading worship @ a camp in michigan and one of the things that the speaker spoke to the kids about was about being fully devoted to Jesus Christ, goin all out, all in, giving our entire lives over for the advancement of the Kingdom.
Some of the verses he shared were Rev. 3:16, the one on being hot or cold, and Matthew 10:34-39 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " 'man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw— a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." The speaker pointed out that a sword is something that splits things in half.
So Jesus is saying here that He wants such a devotion to Him that compared to our friends and family, it looks like we hate them, like in luke14:26 where He says we can't be His followers unless we hate our father, mother, brothers, and sisters. The kind of commitment Jesus requires to be one of His disciples is amazing to me and will unfortunately split family's apart. It's crazy but it inspires me. I don't think He would have the title "God" if He didn't require our love for Him to be so much more than our love for everyone else that in comparison it looks like hate. I actually wouldn't want to serve any other kind of god. I truly desire deep down inside to give my entire life to someone who wants me to give Him way more than I give anyone else.
And so the morning after that specific evenings session, the leaders in one of the meetings said that alot of the kids thought that they needed to reach a certain status in order to be fully devoted. They didn't think it could be now. They thought that they needed to be perfect, to have their sin under control first to be able to say that they were fully Jesus Christ's. This is a terrible misunderstanding that I think commonly confuses people all the time, not just these middle and high school kids.
One of my very most favorite verses is Romans 5:8 "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
There is no greater example of love.
Here is what I take away from this verse in Romans, something that gives me so much joy:
Full devotion to Jesus Christ is a life you can live right now because it has absolutely nothing to do with you not having your sin under control, but has everything to do with Jesus having your sin under control. Jesus has washed you white as snow, so it has everything to do with you accepting being already forgiven for everything you've ever done and will ever do. And like in Matthew 10 and luke 14 say, it means you do your best to love Jesus more than anything else. It means that Your heart beats fastest for Him. It means we recognize that it's about taking continual steps in His direction because it's an ongoing process. It means we can be fully His right now by the grace of God, not by our own efforts, not by what we do but by what He's done.
So for those not all in...Right now it's possible and He wants it all. So come on! cause He is jealous for our everything, and not because our loving anything else over Him threatens Him, but because it threatens us.
James 4:1-6 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Some of the verses he shared were Rev. 3:16, the one on being hot or cold, and Matthew 10:34-39 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " 'man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her motherinlaw— a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." The speaker pointed out that a sword is something that splits things in half.
So Jesus is saying here that He wants such a devotion to Him that compared to our friends and family, it looks like we hate them, like in luke14:26 where He says we can't be His followers unless we hate our father, mother, brothers, and sisters. The kind of commitment Jesus requires to be one of His disciples is amazing to me and will unfortunately split family's apart. It's crazy but it inspires me. I don't think He would have the title "God" if He didn't require our love for Him to be so much more than our love for everyone else that in comparison it looks like hate. I actually wouldn't want to serve any other kind of god. I truly desire deep down inside to give my entire life to someone who wants me to give Him way more than I give anyone else.
And so the morning after that specific evenings session, the leaders in one of the meetings said that alot of the kids thought that they needed to reach a certain status in order to be fully devoted. They didn't think it could be now. They thought that they needed to be perfect, to have their sin under control first to be able to say that they were fully Jesus Christ's. This is a terrible misunderstanding that I think commonly confuses people all the time, not just these middle and high school kids.
One of my very most favorite verses is Romans 5:8 "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
There is no greater example of love.
Here is what I take away from this verse in Romans, something that gives me so much joy:
Full devotion to Jesus Christ is a life you can live right now because it has absolutely nothing to do with you not having your sin under control, but has everything to do with Jesus having your sin under control. Jesus has washed you white as snow, so it has everything to do with you accepting being already forgiven for everything you've ever done and will ever do. And like in Matthew 10 and luke 14 say, it means you do your best to love Jesus more than anything else. It means that Your heart beats fastest for Him. It means we recognize that it's about taking continual steps in His direction because it's an ongoing process. It means we can be fully His right now by the grace of God, not by our own efforts, not by what we do but by what He's done.
So for those not all in...Right now it's possible and He wants it all. So come on! cause He is jealous for our everything, and not because our loving anything else over Him threatens Him, but because it threatens us.
James 4:1-6 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)