Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”

This verse has been the front runner in my mind lately. It’s what keeps my eyes focused on him throughout the day. It reminds me of his grace when I’ve screwed up. It helps me know that no matter what circumstance, there is still reason to have joy in the lord always. Something also to notice, he repeats himself, knowingly because of the importance of the matter and the urgency for us to understand. He even capitalizes Rejoice both times. I pray that all who read this would comprehend the value of their joy in the Lord and that they would find it. So again I say Rejoice in the Lord always.

I’m Content With I Don’t Know

If you are like me, you like to know all of the answers.  You like to figure it all out and not leave with any unanswered questions. For example, when I sit down and study God’s word I love trying to think through, find the “Deep” truths and what not. But when I couldn’t understand something or when God did this and then did that, I would always try so hard to figure it out. If you  have ever been in the same place you know what I’m talking about. Anyways, the reason I’m writing this little entry is to say: Be content with I don’t know. For me that simply means don’t get frustrated when you don’t understand, but be in awe of the mystery of God. Instead of trying to figure it all out, be content and say “God I don’t understand this about you but you are who you are, and you are God. I will bring praise to the mysteries of you.” We serve a mysterious God, so be in awe of that. : )

Thanks God.

This just a little god experience that I want to share with you. Something I would like to state is that I’m not a big crier. Now I don’t say that to sound all tough or that I’m not emotional, in fact I’m probably the opposite. I just don’t express it through tears. A little more background info, for the past two weeks I have felt very dry, like I couldn’t reach God and It has been so hard to feel love and give love to others. But someone once told me that when you feel dry to keep pushing through as hard as you can because when you get through it God sees the fight you fought to get to him. Anyways, I can’t really remember last time I just felt God rush over me. I mean I’ve felt him here and there, which was awesome, but I’m talking about “Whoa…”. It doesn’t bother me because I have always been about worshiping God for who he is and not for a “feeling”. Nevertheless, I have been pushing through really hard these past couple of weeks and man it has been tough. But today when I was preparing for worship tonight, (oneighty service) I was soaking on a song called “Sweep Me Away” and then… whoa. God came rushing in like a dam that just disappeared and released over billions of gallons of water in less than a second, like a train coming out of no where. I just couldn’t hold it together as I sat before the lord and started to cry… I know, cry. Nonetheless, my mouth was sealed shut and I just sat as he came into me, a selah moment you could call it. Something I said to him was “God, I know the reason for my worship is not a feeling, but thanks a lot. I needed that and you knew it.” 

I just want to encourage you to take a minute and let God “whoa” you. : )

A Blessing In Disguise

Today I went and worked out with the Uprising interns. I wasn’t sure what it would be like. They have been doing these workouts for over a week now, so I thought could have the upper hand. The night before, I was thinking “They have to get up early everyday to go work out.” A little bit later God revealed to me that everyone has the goal of working out everyday and getting in shape but it is the hardest thing to stick to and be consistent everyday. Because they have to get up everyday, they don’t have to do it themselves. Brian does it for them by making them be there or there are consequences. So I consider them having to wake up and workout everyday a blessing in disguise.

The Cry of My Heart

Today as you read these verses, put them in my mouth for they’re the cry of my heart. I also want to encourage you not brush through these passages but to read them slowly. 

Note: The words in parentheses () are my insights.

 

Romans 7:8

8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. (Whoa, read that last verse again but slower this time. That is a very crazy verse to think about) 11For sin, seizing (Seize: to take hold of suddenly or forcibly) the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly (entirely, fully, wholly, totally) sinful.

 (Extra slow…)14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! 
      So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

(Back track to verse 4-6)

4So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5For when we were controlled by the sinful nature,^[a] the sinful passions aroused (no pun intended : ) by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. 6But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law (Thats a promise) so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Through Christ Jesus we are no longer under the law, but above it. Our sinful nature does not bring death to us but pollutes our hearts. So my cry continues…

Psalm 51:7,10

 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

I find that when I try and say something to God the Bible can always say it better. (Whoa! That was from god!)

Love

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

“I love you”. A phrase with so much depth but used with shallow meaning. A phrase said just because you think that persons cool or he/she does something good to you. But do we understand what we are saying, do we understand what we are doing? I have one simple question. Can we mean it when we say “I love you”? When you say “I love you” to your wife/husband have you been patient with her? When you do things for her do you have her in mind or are your motives self-seeking.  When you say “I love you” to your sister/brother have you not been easily angered, have you kept no record of wrongs against you?  How about this to the young people. When you say “I love you” to your girlfriend/boyfriend can you also say that you have conquered all of these traits? We should be able say that phrase and know that we have been all of the things stated in the verse earlier. 

My goal in this blog pinching is not to say “how dare you say ‘I love you’”, but to open our eyes to the greater meaning of the phrase, and to also help us understand when God tells us he loves us that he is saying more than just “I love you”.  His love is perfect because God is perfect and God is love.  

When I think about all of this I instantly think “how could I ever truly love someone and mean it when I say it. There is no way I could ever master all of these traits.” All I know is that we serve a God who is and has perfect love. “I can do all things through christ who strengthens me” Phillippians 4:13. So as I live each day I am going to truly love the best he can through me. 

Please share what god has shown you in this revelation.

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