Coping: old way vs. new way

Heavenly Father,

I don't know what my future holds, but I know who holds my future. Even though powerful emotions of fear and doubt are foremost in my soul and feelings of abandonment overhwelm me; I choose to trust in your unfailing love, my heart will rejoice in your salvation. I will sing unto you Lord, for you have been good to me.

I trust your heart and your intentions towards me. I realize that there is power in powerlessness. I know that the way I was taught to cope with the transitions and changes of life when I was younger led me to illusions of my own strength. My mind would always obsess about what happened and my emotions would reel out of control. I would feel sad and depressed and nightmares would plague me. I would sometimes find myself filled with rage and hatred and yet other times, to my horror, I would find myself missing the good I saw in that person. The feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness were overwhelming. I always felt abandoned by you. As a solution, I would try to pretend as if it never happened, eventually letting anger and hatred fill my heart with thoughts of revenge. Then, I would shut the door on that part of my life and lock it tight, forcing my mind to never think of it again. Then I would set out to prove to the world and myself my true worth and competency. In the end, I would eventually just give up all together.

From then on, everytime I experience turn or transition in life I feel caught between my strenghts and my weaknesses all over again. All of the mental and emotional chaos of the abuse of my past is brought up again. It feels like I am trapped and there is no way out.

But I have come to realize that there is power in powerlessness. For that is when you heal the brokenhearted and bind up peoples wounds. I have learned to expect disappointment in life, but by trusting your faithfulness, I find hope.

Bring all of my pain, shame, and anger caused by this new situation into the light. I want to take notice of these things and offer them up to you. I no longer desire a quick escape but rather, true healing. I do not want to rely on drugs, alcohol, or sexual promiscuity. I do not want to be overwhelmed by irrational fear and extreme insecurity. Nor do I want to pour myself into work or achievement or pretend like what happened doesn't bother me anymore.

During this time of healing give me the eyes to see and ears to hear. Make everyones intentions and motives transparent to me so that I may know when to listen and when to disregard. Help me to see in advance what kind of effects each opportunity i'm presented with will have on my life, so that I may know what is beneficial and what is not. Make me extremely sensitive to your Spirit's warnings and encouragements. I want to do the right thing for you Lord, so have mercy on me, fill me with your Spirit, bless me with wisdom and understanding so I may be healed.

In your Son's beautiful name I pray....

Amen!

Commitment

As I was reading my bible today God began to reveal to me some things. Here is what I know for sure....

• I am not the same person I was 1 year ago, or even 6 months ago.
• I have been saved by the grace of God, and desire to give that grace to everyone in the world, no matter how great of a debt their record holds.
• I want God's will for my life, even if that means crucifying my own selfish ambitions and desires.
• I am a daughter of the King, I need not be afraid, for he will fight my battles for me. I do not have to waste my time worrying, being sad, anxious, fearful, afraid, scared, or anything. I know that he will provide enough love for me to be happy all of my days. And if he wills me to be married, then I know that that person will love and respect me the way God intended.
• I do have a family and a community who is there for me 24/7 and who really do love me sacrificially.

This is the point in my old life when I would typically go the wrong direction. I would be lead astray by the superficial love of other men. I went straight to another relationship, seeking to love and be loved.

But now, in my new life as a daughter of Christ, I am acknowledging that past failure and refusing to go down that road. I am going to take the time to grieve, be angry, forgive, heal, re-focus on God, and move on in a contentment of my relationship with him. I am going to delight myself in the Lord, knowing he will give me the desires of my heart (meaning love, security, acceptance, and respect). I will not fill this time of grieving with temporary fixes, nor will I lead another man's heart astray so I may experience temporary fufillment.

It is time for me and God to have some one-on-one time. His love always awakens my heart and rejuvenates my soul. He fills me with hope, joy, faith, love, peace, and other kinds of goodness. Pray for me as I go at this the right way for the first time in my life. I do not want to get caught up in any kind of emotional circumstance that will sway my heart one way or the other. I know I am being emptied so I may be filled again.

God is Faithful, God is Love, God is Just, God is True and I trust in Him.

Baptism

Today was amazing. Today was my wedding day with God. Him and I have been engaged for a quite a while, we've been off and on for even longer... but today was the day I made him the Lord of my life.

Strongholds = Gone

Lies from Satan = Forgotten

Sins = Forgiven

Me = Redeemed

All my doubt, guilt, and shame has been replaced with Joy and Love.

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." -- Zephaniah 3:17

Beauty

Serenity and inner beauty come when we wait upon God. 'Waiting' like that is not merely wasting time.

The recipe for beauty is to have less illusion and more Soul, to retreat from the belief of pain or pleasure in the body into the unchanging calm and glorious freedom of spiritual harmony.

Within each of us, just waiting to blossom, is the wonderful promise of all we can be.

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 loved?" 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 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 own 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.

Outer beauty catches ones attention; but inner beauty captures the heart.

True beauty is shown not in the sunshine of life but in the storms.

You Are More - Tenth Avenue North

I still believe...

I will praise the Lord with all my heart.

Great are your works; everyone who meditates on them is filled with joy.

Help me to remember your wonders.

Lord, you are gracious and compassionate.

You always provide and remember your covenant forever.

You have shown me the power of your works..

The works of your hands are faithful and just;

all of your precepts are trustworthy.

They are steadfast forever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.

To you belongs eternal praise!!!

You raise me up...

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.

You raise me up... To more than I can be.

Really??????????

God,

Everything about the situation just feels so helpless.
I have put everything I can into it.
I've Loved, I've Waited, I've had Self-Control, I've resisted temptation.
I've rejoiced, i've cried, i've prayed, i've pleaded, i've fasted, i've screamed.
I've been happy, sad, content, at peace, furious, confused, mad.
What else can I do?



It feels like my prayers have been useless.
Like my cries weren't heard and my plea's were ignored.
Have you forgotten your promise to me?
Did I do something wrong?
Am I supposed to just give up?



I've relinquished any control I had over the situation.
I don't even desire to control it anymore.
I've completely given the situation to you.
What else am I supposed to do?


Is victory coming?
Were your promises true?
Do your plans change?

I've believed and had faith, Lord.
I've acknowledged and submitted.
I've listened, I've questioned, I've asked, I've sought.

When will the harvest time come?
When is the season of joy going to arrive?
I'm tired, i'm exhausted.
I'm holding on to your promises with everything I have.
But it seems like this trial is going to never end.

Are the tears, pain, and fear going to end?
Are the burdens going to become lighter?
Until that day, I'm holding on to you Lord.

Though my soul is troubled, I am trying not to lose heart.

Am I not good enough?
Am I doing something wrong?
Is it impossible for you, God, to rebuild trust?
Is it impossible for you, God, to redeem?

Are his ears unable to hear your voice?
Are his eyes unable to see your will?
Is his mind controlled by the Father of Lies?
Is his heart hardened to your will?
Has he given up on your promises?

Is his resisting your guidance and your spirit?
Does he not have faith in your name?
Does he not believe in a God of Resurrection, a God who brings things back to life, a God who rises from the dead, a God who does the impossible?
Does he not believe in grace and compassion?

Am I stupid?
Should I give up on Love?
Is that even possible?

Well some words for you my friend...

Don't give up on love and throw it all away.
Don't give up on love and let it fall away.
When did it become so easy to run from your pain?
Don't give up on love and throw it all away.

I heard you say you can't change a stubborn heart.
I can relate 'cause that's how I feel when I talk with you.

But, Why should it take losing everything to realize it might be time to change?
Your restless heart won't win
'cause you take but you don't give.
And you'll keep moving on until you learn what love is.

I know because I've been there....

Do you believe our God is faithful!?! THEN PROVE IT!!!!
Do you believe our God is the Redeemer!?!! THEN PROVE IT!!!!
Do you believe that God keeps his promises!?! THEN PROVE IT!!!!
Do you believe that God is a God of Reconciliation!?! THEN PROVE IT!!!!
Do you believe that you can trust in our God!?! THEN PROVE IT!!!!
Do you believe that your God is faithful!?! THEN PROVE IT!!!!
Do you believe that God loves you as much as his own child!?! THEN PROVE IT!!!!

Don't claim to believe in this God with your words and deny him with your actions!!!! All you're doing his hurting yourselves and others.

Get a grip! Realize what you're doing and TRUST!

In Between

But it’s the time in between, That I fall down to my knees. Waiting on what You'll bring. And the things that I can't see. I know my song’s incomplete. So Still I'll sing in the time in between....

Good-bye

Oh Father,

What have I done? Falling in Love.... I feel so stupid to think it was really going to happen.

My life isn't some fairytale. I don't live in some movie. Dreams just don't really matter. Wishes rarely come true. Who was I to think mine would?

I'm not mad Lord. I'm not really sad either. I suppose I always knew it would happen this way. Some people just don't get to have their dreams come true.

And ya know what God? I'm not bitter either! Because I have you! You are my true love. My "one and only." And if I end up having no one in the world except you... I'm okay with that.

Thank You for always being there for me and never letting me down.


Yours Truly,
-Ariel

The greatest discovery of all time

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -Matthew 7:7

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." -Jeremiah 29:13

"You do not have, because you do not ask God." -James 4:2

Lord, I cannot handle this alone. I've hit the wall for the thirty-second time and I need you!

"Oh what peace we often forfeit,
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry,
Everything to God in prayer."

E.M. Bounds wrote:

"Prayer ought to enter into the spiritual habits, but it ceases to be prayer when it is carried on by habit only.... Desire gives fervor to prayer. The soul cannot be listless when some great desire fixes and inflames it.... Strong desires make strong prayers....

The neglect of prayer is the fearful token of dead spiritual desires. The soul has turned away from God when desires after him no longer presses it into the closet. There can be no true praying with desire."

if the times are as bad as we say they are.... If the darkness in our world is growing heaver by the moment.... If we are facing spiritual battles in our own homes and churches.... Then we are foolish not to turn to the One who supplies unlimited grace and power. He is our only source. We are crazy to ignore him.

In times of trouble.... PRAY. In times of distress.... PRAY. In times of joy.... PRAY. In times of fear.... PRAY. In times of anxiety.... PRAY. In times of pain.... PRAY. In times of confusion.... PRAY. In times of uncertainty.... PRAY. In times of brokenness.... PRAY. In times of healing.... PRAY. In times of weeping.... PRAY. In times of mourning.... PRAY. In times of silence.... PRAY. In times of laughter.... PRAY. In times of love.... PRAY. In times of hate.... PRAY.

Satan's main strategy with God's people has always been to whisper, "Don't call, don't ask, don't depend on God to do great things. You'll get along fine if you just rely on your own cleverness and energy." The truth of the matter is that the devil is not terribly frightened of our own human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we lift up our hearts to God.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Prayer. Just pray and God will intervene. "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need." -Hebrews 4:16

A time to wait....

I have come to the realization that you can never make somebody else receive love, you can never make somebody else know something or understand something. You can never try to sway them one way or the other because even if they do for a little while they will always go back. You can never try to manipulate or convince. The only thing you can control is yourself.

After much thought... I am okay with that.

Why?

Because although I am weak in my own patience and self-control and although I may be overcome by fear... I have the Spirit if the Lord in me and in all of my weaknesses he makes me strong.

Everyone experiences times of waiting... but enjoy the season that you are in. Just because God says "Not Yet" doesn't mean you should run in either direction. It just means you sit and wait for him where you are at. God will fight the battle for you! He is faithful and is always with you! Don't spend this season of your life looking forward in expectation of something. Being single isn't a time to wait to be married, its a time to be single and learn what God wants you to learn while your there! Being married isn't a time to wait to become pregnant, it's a time to be married and learn what God wants you to learn while you are there! Being in college isn't a time that you have to endure to get to your career, it's a time to be in college and learn what God wants you to learn while you are there! Live in this moment!

IN TIMES OF WAITING

Detours are not a time to shut down. They're not what we expected or wanted, but God can use them to make all the difference in our journey if we make the best of them and don't give in to discouragement or cynicism. (Behave during times of waiting like you are fulfilling God's plan during that time).

Detours are temporary. To us, God's timing and methods often look strane and meandering, but He'll get us to our destination if we trust him to do things his way.


Stop looking at whether or not you can do this and instead, think about whether or not God can do it.

Remember that obedience doesn't guarantee quick results.

We should put up with pain and inconvience for the sake of long-term results. (For example, you put up with pain and suffering after a surgury so that you will have better long-term health).

"Almost" & "Not Yet" does not mean "Never!"

The fact that God takes a long time to accomplish His purposes does not mean he lacks the power or will.

The destination isn't the only thing that matters.

Waiting is part of your calling; not just a preparation for it.

Pay attention to each season of life before moving to the next.

Remember what God has done in your past... make this a regular part of your worship.

Take your station: the Lord will fight your battle for you. (Exod. 14:13-14)

Trust him is not passivity.

Don't get into the pattern of: (1) Restlessness, because this leads to (2) Complaining, which will lead to (3) Disobedience, which leads to (4) A longer journey.

Don't let impatience, lust, and desire overwhelm our determination to wait on God and follow His leading.

How to... pray against demons

How to Pray for
Someone Being Harassed by Demons


1) Pray that the demons may be cut off from all communication and help from other demons and Satan.
2) Pray that the demons would be confused and weakened in their hold on the person.
3) Pray that the person would be strengthened in his/her faith to understand their position in Christ and to trust and obey God’s Word.
4) Pray that the person may be able to distinguish between their own thoughts and feelings and those of Satan.
5) Pray that the person might recognize the demonic presence and not be confused, but willingly seek godly counsel and help.
6) Pray that God would protect and guide His child and set angelic forces at work to break up every scheme of the enemy.


“Prayer is the Christian’s 1st line of defense against demonic influence. And when you pray, mean it. Fervent prayer thwarts Satan’s activity like nothing else.”
–Quote from a High Priest of Satan-turned-Christian

I AM FREE!!!!

For the past few months I have been painfully going through a rebirthing process I had no idea who I was or where I was going, writing in the “about me” section on facebook literally would put me in a bad mood. I was in the process of merging my flesh with my spirit. It seemed I was stuck in that stage that Paul describes in Romans 7. But I am proud to announce that today, September 20, 2010, I am FREE!!!!!

My chains are gone! Jesus Christ has set me free! I am no longer a product of my past; I am no longer a rape victim, no longer a walking mistake, I am no longer a recovering alcoholic or drug addict, I am no longer worthless, I am no longer angry, I am no longer anxious or depressed, I am no longer guilty or shamed. What I am is free, I am a new creation, I am a child of God, I am loved, I am joyful, and I am at peace, and I am happy.

Thanks to those of you who played a special part in the rebirthing process. God used you in ways you’ll never know. Some of you had very difficult jobs, and some of them may have seemed minor but they all played a huge part in the journey from old creation to new! Everything mattered; from a text message to a short conversation, some of you just listened to me, some of you just embraced me while I cried, and some of you just loved me with all that you had, and some of you did all of the above! Thank you for being so patient and for being who you are in Christ. May God rain blessings upon you for the rest of your days!!!

As for what comes next… who knows …

This story is TO BE CONTINUED….

Glory to God forever and ever! Amen!

My Hate Letter to Satan

WHO AM I? : A Child of God

WHAT IS MY GOAL? : Sanctification

TIMELINE TO COMPLETE? : My entire life


Sanctification is... difficult. At this point in my life, for me, I am trying to merge my flesh and my spirit to become one. I am already eternally free and have received eternal grace, but haven't allowed myself to receive it daily. It is as if I am trying to make my flesh and spirit agree on something or be "on the same page."

For some reason, it is quite evident that Satan does not want me to complete this.

I HATE HIM!

For real... he is Conniving little bitch (excuse the language). He is the Father of Lies; his goal every stinkin' day is to DECEIVE me into believing I am an unworthy sinner who is unloved and a complete and utter failure, and at that he wants me to think I am not beautiful, I will never amount to anything, and I am now and forever will be a product of my past. He deceives me into thinking I absolutely can't move past this, I are stuck in this junk forever and guess whos fault that is... MINE.

I HATE YOU SATAN!

Well guess what Satan. Do you remember um... about two thousand years ago when that man named Jesus came to this earth for about thirty or so years and died on a cross and then resurrected. Oh yeah, um... of course you do because that was the day you became a PERMANENT FAILURE! You think you are a God, but you are the farthest thing from it. You think you have power... not next to my God you don't. You think you can control my mind; HA! Fat Chance i'm not gonna let you do that!!!!

Oh and by the way, do you REMEMBER where your spending eternity? Don't act like you don't, you know God's Word... probably better than I do... you know that you are spending ETERNITY buring in the unquinchable fires of hell. Banished for ever and ever from the presence the one and only God of Perfection!!!!

SCREW YOU SATAN!!!!

I refuse to listen to you and your lies anymore! I am turning a deaf ear to you and your demons!!! All your tricks, REVEALED!!! We are stronger because we have the All-Powerful; we are Smarter because He is Omniscient; We are FREE & SECURE because He our SAVIOR; We are LOVED because My God is LOVE; We are worthy because He is our Father and we are his Children; We are worry-free because our God is IN CONTROL.

WE HAVE WON BECAUSE HE IS OUR LORD!!!!


So Satan... just give up! Take your lies, your schemes, your tricks, and your pseudo-power and GO TO HELL!!!!! Oh yeah... and stay the hell away from me and my fellow Christians; and if you don't... who cares because HE IS STRONGER, SIN IS BROKEN, WE ARE SAVED, IT IS WRITTEN, CHRIST HAS RISEN, and HE IS THE LORD OF ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See yourself for who you really are

Slavery in the United States was abolished by the 13th amendment on December 18th, 1865. How many slaves were there on December 19th? In reality, none, but many still lived like slaves. Many did, because they never learned the truth, others knew and even believed that they were free but chose to live as they had been taught.

Several plantation owners were devastated by this proclamation of emancipation. "We're ruined! Slavery has been abolished. We've lost the battle to keep our slaves." But their chief spokesman slyly responded, "Not necessarily, as long as these people think they're still slaves, the proclamation of emancipation will have no practical effect. We don't have a legal right over them anymore, but many of them don't know it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged."

"But what if the news spreads?"

"Don't panic. We have another barrel in our gun. We may not be able to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it. They don't call me the father of lies for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the WHOLE WORLD. Just tell them that they misunderstood the 13th amendment. Tell them that they are going to be free, but they aren't free yet. Tell them that the truth they heard is just positional truth, not actual truth. Someday they may receive the benefits, but not now."

"But they'll expect me to say that. They won't believe me."

"Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they're still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these free people were born as slaves and have lived like slaves. All we have to do is deceive them so that they still think like slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must still be slaves. They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do. The moment they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ear, 'How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that slaves do?' After all, we have the capacity to accuse the brethren day and night."

Years later, many have still not heard the wonderful news that they have been freed, so naturally they continue to live the way they have always lived. Some have heard the good news, but evaulated it by what they are presently doing and feeling. They reason, "I'm still living in bondage, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tells me that I must not be free. I'm feeling the same way I was before the proclamation, so it must not be true. After all, your feelings always tell the truth." So they continue to live according to how they feel, not wanting to be hypocrites!

One former slave hears the good news, and receives it with great joy. He checks out the validity of the proclamation, and finds out that the HIGHEST of all authorities has originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost the authority a tremendous price which He willingly paid, so that he could be free. His life is transformed. He correctly reasons that it would be hypocritical to believe his feelings, and not believe the truth. Determined to live by what he knows to be true, his experiences began to change rather dramatically. He realizes that his old master has no authority over him and does not need to be obeyed. He gladly serves the one who set him free.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

The above story is to illustrate the way we as believers still think of ourselves as sinners instead of saints. If you were to attend any Bible-believing church and ask the congregation, "How many believe that you are a sinner?" They will all raise their hands. Then ask, "How many believe you are a saint?" Few, if any, would raise their hands. Why is that?

Possibly because some have never been taught different. Others tend to think it would be prideful to identify themselves as saints. Many believe the label "sinner" best fits their present condition. They sin, so therefore they must be sinners. Even if you told them they are both saint and sinner, they will believe the latter and probably not the former because of their experiences.

Like the story, this way of thinking is from Satan. He is the Father of Lies. He has been studying us since the beginning of creation and he knows that even though Jesus has now proclaimed that we are the very children of God, and we are redeemed saints, he continues to try to and deceive us into thinking that this cannot be true because of our actions, our past, our experiences, our temptations, our thoughts.

The first thing we need to understand is that our minds, unfortunately, do not have a mental delete button. We were born into this world as slaves to sin, allowing Satan to rule over our hearts and minds. We learned how to live independently of God. And now that we are Christians, we must renew our minds. Jesus came, died, and rose so that we may have new life, true life. Well, new life brings new identity. It is not what you do as a Christian that determines who you are, it is what you are that determines what you do.

Start seeing yourself for who you really are. We're not trying to become children of God; we are already children of God who are becoming like Christ. If you want to defeat fear, failure, rejection, lust, porn, anger, depression, selfishness or anything else you must get right with God. Getting right with God always begins with settling once and for all that God is your loving Father and you are His accepted child. That is the foundational truth from which you live.

You are child of God, you are created in His image, you have been justified already and already declared righteous by Him because of Christ's finished work and your faith in him. As long as you believe that and walk accordingly, your daily experience of practical Christianity will result in growth. I promise that if you question this finished work of Christ, you will struggle, because you are trying to become somebody that you already are.

We don't serve God to gain His acceptance; we are accepted, so we serve God. We don't follow Him to be loved; we are loved, so we follow Him. It is not what we do that determines who we are; it is who we are that determines what we do.

Beloved, you are a child of God. To live the victorious Christian life you will have to believe what is already true about you. Will you have opposition to believing this truth? Of course! The father of lies has deceived the whole world, and he accuses us day and night. And if that isn't enough, others will put you down. We have to keep reminding ourselves of these positional truths.
We are neither saved nor sanctified by how we behave but by how we believe.

Stop trying to do for yourself what God has already done for you. Stop trying to earn a title of saint; it is already true about you! We just need to worship God for all he has done and rest in the finished work of Christ. We need to hear again and again the wonderful identity and position that we already have in Christ; then we will be better prepared to receive the instructions and assume our responsibility for living the Christian life.

Next time you become dominated by the flesh or deceived by the devil, remind yourself. "I am a saint by the grace of God and I intend to live my life as His child in the way He intended me to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit."

Freewill

Freewill and the Sovereignty of God
By Mark E. Moore

Notice that the title of this essay is not ‘Freewill vs. the Sovereignty of God’ for the
Scriptures affirm them both. Obviously God is sovereign—he has the right and power to make
any and all decisions. Logically, however, this does not demand that he make all decisions or
determine all actions; it merely demands that he has the right and power to do so. Part of
sovereignty must, necessarily, include the ability of the sovereign to delegate authority,
decisions, and actions. If he doesn’t have the power to delegate then his power is, to this extent,
limited. To illustrate, a king has the sovereign right to send an ambassador to carry out his
business and even make independent decisions. Likewise a president or CEO will hire staff. Or
the father of a house (adopting the Biblical hierarchy of Eph 5:23; 1 Cor 11:3) could rely on his
wife or first-born son, or for that matter, anyone he chooses, to carry out his daily affairs. These
are, in fact, the kind of metaphors used of God so the illustrations seem appropriate here.

This essay not only affirms the sovereign rights and powers of God but even his privilege
to act in ways we might deem arbitrary. For example Deuteronomy 2:30 says God ‘hardened’ Sihon so that he refused to allow the Israelites to pass through his land in order that Israel would attack and beat the Ammonites and take their territory. In Judges 14:1-4 Sampson lusts for Philistine women because God ordained it! Here is a terribly troubling one: God incited David to number his troops and then punished him for doing so (2 Samuel 24:1). It gets worse: 1
Chronicles 21:1 tells the same story only replaces the word ‘God’ with ‘Satan.’ Apparently Satan
incited David to take a census because God bade him do the ‘dirty work.’ In a similar vein, in
Ezekiel 14:9 God ‘enticed’ false prophets and then punished them for telling lies. Even in
the New Testament God put a spirit of delusion on people so they would believe the lie
of the Lawless One (2 Thess 2:11). These hardly fits the flannel-graph God of Sunday School.
Hence, this essay is not an attempt to rescue God from seemingly arbitrary acts such as thirdworld poverty, historical human evil, or Pandora’s open box in the natural world such as viruses, earthquakes, chiggers, and country-music. If God is sovereign, as the Bible asserts, then he is perfectly capable of defending himself without my assistance.

Rather this essay is an attempt to understand and affirm several major aspects of the
Bible that affirm human freewill at least to some moderate extent.

1. Throughout the Bible, God develops relationships through covenant. Each covenant has
terms, promises, and punishments. If the terms are kept, one receives the rewards, if they
are not, one receives the punishments. Covenant is the macro-structure of the entire Bible
(we even name the two major parts of the Bible ‘Old’ and ‘New Testament’). Without
freewill, both the invitation to join the covenant and the punishment for breaking the
covenant is nonsense … or at least extraneous. If, after all, God predetermines the destiny
of every human being, why go through the extensive legal process of covenant? Just
reward those you like and those you don’t can go to Hell.

2. Conditional Prophecy, likewise, is an extraneous verbal waste. A conditional prophecy
is one that uses or implies the term ‘if.’ God says, “If you do this I will respond in this
way, if you do not I will respond differently” (e.g. Isa 1:19–20; cf. Matt 23:37). Ok, if I
have no choice, then why the ‘if’? It is empty language to offer someone a choice who
actually has no choice. It is like asking a teenage boy if he would like to grow 3 inches or
20. Furthermore, some prophecies to Israel did not, in fact, come to pass as God said,
precisely because the word of the Lord was not obeyed.

3. God does not want any to perish (Eze 33:11; 2 Pet 3:9). If our destiny is absolutely
controlled by God then (a) he is schizophrenic, or (b) these passages refer to the chosen
only. However, if these refer only to the chosen, why are the ‘chosen’ called ‘wicked’?
After all, our classification as ‘righteous’ as opposed to ‘wicked’ under total sovereignty
would be determined only by God choosing us—his choice makes me righteous.
Furthermore, 2 Peter says God is waiting patiently for the wicked to repent. How can he
wait for that which he determined before the foundation of the world? This is
nonsensical. Furthermore, to say that God wants the vast majority to go to Hell is a
horribly inhospitable thing of which to accuse YHWH. He is a God of love and it is
inconceivable that he be compared to a Musilini, Stalin, or Hitler, eradicating all whom
he does not arbitrarily deem worthy.

4. The Bible speaks as if people have choices. Cain apparently had a choice whether to do
what was right or wrong (Gen 4:6–7) and Joshua urged the Israelites to choose whether
or not to serve God (Josh 24:15). See also Proverbs 1:29; 3:31; 8:10; Isa 7:15; 56:4. In
fact, Israel, God’s ‘chosen’ rejected God and against His will set up kings and idols
(Hosea 8:3–4).

5. While none of us accepts the Lord without God’s prior choosing and wooing (John 6:44;
15:16) we are invited to respond to God’s invitation (Matt 11:28; 22:1–14). Why are
we invited to respond if we are predetermined?

6. Without human choice the categories or sin and love are both meaningless. How can
we be judged for doing evil that we were forced to do? That is tantamount to shooting
pit-bull because he mauled a bunny. That’s what he was bred to do; he is not culpable for
fulfilling his purpose. Likewise, manipulated or coerced love not only looses all its
beauty and charm, it is actually abhorrent. Pedophiles, kidnappers, slave-traders, and
pimps sometimes actually do have loyal ‘clients’ but it is because of a psychosis needing
treatment, not the gracious love generated only by a divine God.

7. God changed His mind on various occasions as a result of people either repenting or
praying (cf. Exodus 32:9-13, Numbers 14:10-20, 2 Samuel 24:16, Psalm 106:45, Isaiah
57:6, Jeremiah 18:8, 42:10, Ezekiel 24:14, Jonah 3:9-10 and 4:2).

8. We are made in the image of God. That very nature sets us apart from animals. One of
the essential characteristics of our imago dei is that we have volition. To remove that
would radically alter the creation account, making the whole narrative of the fall a farce,
not to mention the sacrifice of Jesus, which becomes unnecessary theatrics. For if God
made us sinners so that Jesus would have to die when God could have created us sinless,
then we have more significant problems than just figuring out what it means that God is
sovereign.

***ADDED BY ARIEL***

In short, maybe the whole sovereignty/freewill thing comes down to the fact that we make decisions and have freewill to do as we wish, but the sovereignty of God simply means that he knows in advance what we will choose to do. This seems likely since he is our very creator who knows us better than we know ourselves. So, when we are given a choice, we have the freewill to choose one way or the other, but God (being sovereign) already knows the direction in which we will choose.

Who I am... In Christ

I AM ACCEPTED

John 1:12 I am God's Child.
John 15:15 I am Christ's Friend.
Romans 5:1 I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17 I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him.
1 Corinthians 6:20 I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.\
1 Corinthians 12:27 I am a member of Christ's Body.
Ephesians 1:1 I am a saint.
Ephesians 1:5 I have been adopted as God's child.
Ephesians 2:18 I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:14 I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:10 I am complete in Christ.


I AM SECURE

Romans 8:1,2 I am free from condemnation.
Romans 8:28 I am assured that all thigns work together for good.
Romans 8:31-34 I am free from any condemning charges against me.
Romans 8:35-39 I cannot be seperated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21,22 I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Philippians 1:6 I am confident that God won't give up on me.
Philippians 3:20 I am a citizen of heaven.
Colossians 3:3 I am hidden with Christ in God.
2 Timothy 1:7 I haven't been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love
and a sound mind.
Hebrews 4:16 I can find grace and mercy in time of need.
1 John 5:18 I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.


I AM SIGNIFICANT

Matthew 5:13,14 I am the salt and light of the earth.
John 15:1,5 I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life.
John 15:16 I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
Acts 1:8 I am a personal witness of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:16 I am God's temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
2 Corinthians 6:1 I am God's coworker (see 1 Cor. 3:9)
Ephesians 2:6 I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10 I am God's workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12 I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Who are you?

"Who are you?"

It sounds like a simple question requiring a simple answer, but it really isn't. For example, if someone asked me, "Who are you?" I might answer, "Neil Anderson."

"No thats your name. Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm a student at OCC."

"No, thats what you do. Who are you?"

"I'm an American."

"No, thats where you live."

"I'm an evangelical."

"Thats your denominational preference."


I could say that i'm 5' tall and around 97 lbs. My physical dimensions and appearance, however, aren't me either.


"Who am I" is far more than what you see on the outside. Pauls said, "We recognize no man according to the flesh" (2 Cor. 5:16). Maybe the Early Church didn't, but generally, we do. We tend to identify ourselves and each other primarily by what we look like (tall, short, stocky, slender) or what we do (plumber, carpenter, nurse, engineer, clerk). Furthermore, when we Christians are asked to identify ourselves in relation to our faith, we usually talk about our doctrinal position (Protestant, evangelical, calvinist, charismatic), our denomination preference (Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Independant) or our role in the church (Sunday School teacher, choir member, deacon, usher).

IS WHO YOU ARE DETERMINED BY WHAT YOU DO, OR IS WHAT YOU DO DETERMINED BY WHO YOU ARE?

I believe the latter to be true. I believe that hope for growth, meaning, and fulfillment as a Christian is based on understanding who you are -- specifically, your identity in Christ as a CHILD OF GOD. Your understanding of who God is and who you are in relationship to Him is the critical foundation for your belief system and your behavior patterns as a Christian.

I am beginning this journey today, September 7th 2010. Pray for me...

Lend me your Hope...

Lend me your hope for awhile,
I seem to have mislaid mine.
Lost and hopeless feelings acompany me daily,
pain and confusion are my companions.
I know not where to turn;
looking ahead to future times does not bring forth images of renewed hope.
I see troubled times, pain-filled days, and more tragedy.



Lend me your hope for awhile,
I seem to have mislaid mine.
Hold my hand and hug me;
listen to all my ramblings, recovery seems so far distant.
The road to healing seems like a long and lonely one.



Lend me your hope for a while,
I seem to have mislaid mine.
Stand by me, offer me your presence, your heart and your love.
Acknowledge my pain, it is so real and present.
I am overwhelemd with sad and conflicting thoughts.



Lend me your hope for a while;
a time will come when I will heal,
and I will share my renewal,
hope and love with others.

Learning...

How do you unlearn what has previously been learned? How do you overcome these "preunderstandings"?

A Paradoxical World

We live in a paradoxical world. A world where it is possible to love and hate the same person. Where we speak of peace but shelter enmity. Where every vice is hid by hypocrisy, every virtue is suspected to be hypocrisy . . . and the suspicion is looked upon as wisdom. Where truth gets lost in presuppositions. The same world is heaven and hell. Society, politics, commerce, literature, art and sciences, religion and ethics, all are full of paradoxes, contradictions, injustice, selfishness, and unreliablity. "To maintain an opinion because it is thine, and not because it is true, is to prefer thyself above the truth." (Venning)

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Do good anyway.

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

Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Honesty and love make you vulnerable.

Be honest and love anyway.

People need help but attack you if you do help them.

Help people anyway.

I've Found Today

I've shut the door on Yesterday,
It's sorrows and mistakes;
I've locked within it's gloomy walls
Past failures and heartaches.
And now I throw the key away
To seek another room,
And furnish it with hope and faith
and every sprintime bloom.

No thought shall enter this abode
That has a hint of pain,
And worry, malice and distrust
Shall never therein reign.
I've shut the door on Yesterday
And thrown the key away---
The Future holds no doubt for me,
Since I have found Today.

STINKING HILARIOUS

Jesus loves me...

Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. They are weak and he is strong.

The authenticity of this song is ironic to me. Who knew that what we were singing when we were 3 years old was full of undeniable theology.

"I pray that you... will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love -- how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is.... Then you can be filled with the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:18-19 (NIV)

In 2 Chronicles 33 it talks about a boy who had become king of Judah (Southern Kingdom of Israel) by the time he was only twelve years old. His name was Manasseh and he reigned in this Kingdom for 55 years!

The Bible tells us that Manasseh "did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, following all the detestable practices of the Nations...." He "rebuilt idols and alters for people to worship other Gods and built new ones." He "bowed down to starry hosts and worshiped them. He built alters in the TEMPLE OF THE LORD (the dwelling place of God). He built alters in both courts of the temple and He sacrificed his own sons in the fire. He practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger." The story continues on telling us that the Lord tried to speak to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. So finally, the Lord brought the army of Assyria to take them prisoner. These people bound him with bronze shackles, put a hook in his nose, and took him captive to Babylon.

While Manasseh was there he "cried out in distress as he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the Lord." When he prayed to him "The Lord was moved by his entreaty and listend to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God." It was only when Manasseh reached his lowest low, only when he became little or humbled, that he ran to God. He realized he wasn't strong, he wasn't invincible, and he wasn't powerful.

The reason i'm telling you about Manasseh is because of my earlier blog that said, "are people bad or do we just do bad things?"

My answer is that we just do bad things. After I became a Christian, I released a lot of the "strongholds" or "chains" that Satan had bound on me during my life. I felt the true love, peace, and freedom that only Christ can give. But then, I stopped guarding my heart to Satan's lure's and trickery. I assumed that once strongholds were released that they would never return. But nothing could be farther from the truth.

After a while of Satan's oppression, I gave in to the fear of rejection and allowed that fear to make all of my decisions for me. I ran away from God, His Will, and the people and relationships he had placed in my life. Slowly Fading Away. Satan continued to instill fear, insecurity, doubt, intimidation, shame, and hopelessness in my Mind. He made my life feel purposeless. He replaced my solid faith with doubt and disbelief. He planted in me a hatred, bitterness, and unforgiveness towards others. I became jealous, and envious of those around me. My entire being was consumed with anger. I no longer had patience or peace but instead had impatience, and irritability. The Joy of Christ was replaced with sadness. I allowed evil to overcome me and pride was my only companion. I began to alienate myself from my family and friends and created disharmony in all of my Godly relationships. I quarreled and debated every opportunity I got. Before I know it seemed as if this seed that Satan planted in my mind and heart grew into a full grown tree that produced no fruit but evil. It all seemed to happen fast to me while others saw it slowly disintegrate my soul over time.

Since them I have cried out to God for forgiveness and pleaded to him for help. It has been hard to forgive myself and I am still in the process of removing these chains in which Satan has me bound. But I need not feel any more shame or discouragement. I shouldn't feel like i'm a bad person. I shouldn't believe that I am worthless or that I have just messed it up tooooooo horribly this time. I must realize I made a mistake like many other people who love God.

I also must realize that God's love is based on mercy and not on merit. In 1 John it tells us that "God is Love." It is so hard for me to comprehend and believe in God's perfect love or atleast in his love for me. But lately I am learning just how true this love is. God's very "is-ness" is love. It is his inner-most being. For example... we all know that I am a woman. All the way down to my core, my inner-most being, I am a girl. Now, lets pretend I get in a terrible accident and somehow my physical being has been distorted. I am no longer physically looking like a woman. BUTTTTTTT, my womanhood still has not changed. I am still a woman. And it is like that with God. GOD IS LOVE. No matter what we do, we can't change the fact that he is love. Just as much as you are male or female, God is love. God loved me just as much when I was living a life defined by sin as he does now when I am going to a christian college, living a life bathed in prayer and bible study, and seeking his will in all I do. His love for me has not grown nor changed. It is the same amount and the same kind. He may be more glorified and pleased with my actions, but he doesn't love me more because of them.

Satan, knows our weaknesses... He has been studying humans for longer than we know. Satan is always going to use our past, present, and future to tempt us, to lure us into thinking that he can offer protection and security. But I am warning you to GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND! Do not let Satan deceive you. Watch out! He is always going to be whispering in your ear. Whispering thoughts of failure, rejection, fear, intimidation, depression, insecurity, and ultimately pride. GUARD YOUR HEART AND MIND AGAINST SATAN AND BE VULNERABLE TO CHRIST. Don't allow yourself to be crushed by Satan's tricks. Don't give him permission into your life by believeing him when he says that you are unworthy and unloved. Pray for God to reveal to you when Satan is trying to plant seeds in your mind and heart. Satan is never going to stop trying, but you can resist. And that's all God asks. He doesn't ask for the temptation to not be there, he asks for you to choose him instead! And if you mess up, don't count yourself out as a failure. Manasseh repented and felt the fullness of Christ, and so can you! Jesus Loves You!!!! Don't just know it... BELIEVE IT. Allow it to influence your actions. Allow it to define who you are! When Satan creeps into your mind and tells you lies, throw him back to where he belongs by bringing out the truth that God does Love you, no matter who you are or what you do or have done and that you are worth it!!!!!!

Help Me...

This summer has been a major healing time for me and will continue to be into the fall (at least!!!). It's time to for healing and time to move on. It's time to fix what has been broken for too long. Something inside of me has been wrong for a very long time, and it's time to make it right. Its time to find a way back to where I belong. There is the huge wave crashing over me and the only thing I can do is surrender. It feels like chaos but somehow I know its right. It's so hard to surrender to what I can't see, but I know that i'm giving in to something heavenly.

This is going to be a huge milestone. A time to begin again. Reevaluate who I really am. It's time to face up and clean out this old house. Time to take a breath and let everything out. Everything that i've wanted to say for so many years. It's time to release all my held back tears.

It's not very fun, but it has to be done. I'm sitting here wondering why. Sometimes the truth ain't easy to find. I want to know all the answers But I'm learning that these things take time. Is it easier to doubt or harder to believe?

Sometimes I just wish we could say all the things that are easy to hear. But I'd rather speak honestly and wear a tattered heart on my sleeve 'Cause in the middle of my broken dreams, I know your redemption is here. I don't have every answer in life But I'm trusting You one day at a time, this is the only way my weary heart can even stay alive.

I think its time to find a better way to live my life than living in my security blanket of fear. I NEED stop loving the things that have left me so bruised, all the things that have made me so confused. I think it's time to write a better chapter of my life and leave those things that have kept me wrapped up so tight.

I just need a place to lay my head and Forget the chain that hangs around my neck. These guns are not as heavy as the heart that they defend, but I can't wait to get back home where I can find some rest. I want to lay down my guns and lift up my hands, surrender to love and just LIVE again. I want this desert to reach it's end where my new life begins again.

I have seen the devil in this place, this is where I lost myself and dug my own grave. When you're this far from Heaven, It's hard to keep the faith... I'm barely holding on. And I'm laying down these burdens, Taking off the weights. And I can't count the miles that I've walked to find my way To lay down these guns. Oh how I need to lay down these guns.

How I want to lay down my guns and lift up my hands surrender to your love and just live again. I wanna reach the place where this new life begins. I'll abandon my defenses and all that I fear. I'm trusting you and giving in... it's time to live to love again.

Hmm...

What makes someone a bad person? Is someone considered a bad person or do they just do bad things? Where is the line drawn between the two?

Imagine

Often times our prayers can be summed up into this sentence, “deliver us from evil.” We pray for inner-peace instead of inner torment, we pray for safe travels instead of trips ending in tragedy. We pray for God to guide us instead of us wandering around running into walls. We pray for political and ethical peace in the world instead of people wanting to be terrorists. We pray for children not to die from starvation everyday but for food, love, and protection to be provided for them and their families. We pray for comfort, we pray for love, we pray for joy, we pray for patience, we pray for kindness, goodness, and faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. All which seem to be the opposite of evil. In doing this we tend to suppress evil, placing it into a compartment in the back of our minds, hoping it will never make its reappearance in our lives. In doing this we neglect to realize that evil is real and powerful and by not recognizing this, we have gotten ourselves into a position where we react to the sudden appearance of massive evil, whether this be personally or nationally, in an immature and unwise fashion.

This is not to say that these are prayers that should be left un-prayed or not even selfish ones for that matter. God’s ultimate purpose after all is to ride the world of evil altogether and to establish his new creation of justice, beauty, and peace. And it’s clear from the very beginning that this was not intended as a distant goal in which all we can do is wait in passive expectation for this future fulfillment. God’s future has already broken into the present in Jesus, and the church’s task consists of implementing the achievement of the cross and anticipating God’s promised future world.

Anticipating God’s promised future world does not mean to imagine a world without terrorists and dictators, without communism and corruption. That would represent a kind of shallow, dualistic thinking. Though there are millions of people in the world who if invited to imagine the world without evil would include these things on their list of wishes, there is great danger in this dualistic way of thinking. It begins to create an us-and-them disjunction which says, “ ‘our’ way of life is ‘good’ while ‘theirs’ is ‘bad.’” Dualism also tends to breed this kind of paranoia. Where we begin to think that the whole system is rotten including congress, the media, the military, Hollywood, so on and so forth.

In the same way, anticipating God’s promised future does not mean to have a progressive way of thinking where ‘might is ALWAYS right.’ World War I was justified on the principal of the “survival of the fittest.” This kind of thinking has all too easily led to wars and rumors of wars. Today this doctrine is widely accepted and believed and even preached from pulpits in many parts of the United States. The whole way of thinking is absurd.

As Christians, we are called to contend with the problem of evil in a different way. If we desire to confront the problem of evil we must adopt an approach which is neither that of the dualist or progressivist. We must address the problem of evil on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus. We must learn to imagine a world without evil and then to think through the steps by which we might approach this goal, RECOGNIZING that we shall never attain it fully during the present age but that we must not, for that reason, live passively in the present day in the present world.

We need to awaken our creative imaginations which seem to have gone into hibernation after this long winter of secularism and point it in the right direction. We need to enliven our imaginations to be energized, and lively, not walking around in circles over the same ideas of the past. And the Christian imagination must be disciplined so that it is not easily swayed or thrown about between the ONLY two extremes offered by the political pendulum of today. Nor must we assume that all creative ideas and writings are serving the cause of the Kingdom of God. How can we as Christians reeducate our minds so that we can become conscious of living between the victory (won by Jesus) and the ultimate renewal of everything? Surely there is a HUGE opportunity here reserved for those Christians with an integrated worldview and with the longing to love God with heart, mind and soul to find this new way, perhaps to even lead the way forward. Perhaps this is a wonderful opportunity saved for those Christians who can capture this glimpse of truth without faltering into pantheism on one hand or negative “realism” on the other. Perhaps this is a blessed opportunity for those Christians who are creative enough to not only draw attention to the way things are but also to the way things are meant to be.

IMAGO DEI- Part 1

"So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." -Genesis 1:27

How does man resemble God? Did the fall destroy or hinder this image of God in man? Is Jesus Christ the exact image of God? How did God's Incarnation effect the image of God in man? Does this image differ with Christians and non-Christians? What do we do and not do to portray this image of God? Why are we supposed to portray the image of God? When will the image of God be made complete in man?

Man, every single man, resembles God. Whether black, white, male, female, american, indian, chinese, iraqi, african, baby, adult, toddler, teenager. Every person on this earth was created with a plan in Gods mind and God is constantly pursuing everyone, all over the World, at the same time.

Every man has four endowments from God--creative imagination, self-awarness, conscience, and independant will. Creativity give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.

Creativity and Artistry

Look around you. The birds, the trees, the oceans, the mountains, the colors, the noises, the lakes, the sea life, the desert, the stars, the moon, the UNIVERSE. It doesn't take a genius to know that God is creative. But God is creative from Genesis to Revelation. The Biblical concept embraces a much broader canvas than merely the physical creation in Genesis one.

God's creativity always contains something miraculous and mysterious. Deuteronomy 4:32 says, "Inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing [God's creative act], or has anything been heard like it?"

The Hebrew and Greek words for create, respectively, "bara" and "kitzo," are very similar in meaning and are employed sparingly to denote the pinnacles of God's achievements--creating the heavens and the earth, man, righteousness/justice, the nation Israel, the Church, reconciling Israel and the Church, the way in which he accomplished this, creating the New Jerusalem, and to regeneration and worship.

Basically, if the phenomenon can be explained away by natural means, it is no longer bara activity. As lofty and explosive as the word omnipotent, charged feelings of human astonishment accompany it.

Divine creativity - like all of God's characteristics - grow in proportion to our "connectedness" to Him. If we want to be more creative, we must draw closer to God

This is a quote from Ocho, an Indian Philosopher about the human's man's creativity. And althought he doesn't believe in Jesus Christ as Son of the Living God, he sure is onto something and his thoughts cannot be disregarded. He said, "Creativity is the quality that you bring to the activity that you are doing. It is an attitude, an inner approach - how you look at things.... Not everybody can be a painter - and there is no need also. If everybody is a painter the world will be very ugly; it will be difficult to live! And not everybody can be a dancer, and there is no need. But everybody can be creative. Whatsoever you do, if you do it joyfully, if you do it lovingly, if your act of doing is not purely economical, then it is creative. If you have something growing out of it within you, if it gives you growth, it is spiritual, it is creative, it is divine. You become more divine as you become more creative. All the religions of the world have said God is the creator. I dont know whether he is the creator or not, but one thing I know: the more creative you become, the more godly you become. When your creativity comes to a climax, when your whole life becomes creative, you live in God. So he must be the creator because people who have been creative have been closest to him..."

One of the best ways to know God is to see God as Creativity. All people are born creative, each of course in the unique way in which he/she was wired. We are creative in the way we write, the way we read, the way we face crisis, the ways in which we relate to other people. We are creative with our decisions, and with our intellect; the way we conceive, consider, imagine, think, and weave is divinly creative. We are creative in the way in which we pereive things, and the way in which we bring about change. The creative process is not controlled by a switch you can simply turn on or off; it's with you all the time.

The creative individual has the capacity to free himself from the web of social pressures in which the rest of us are caught. He is capable of questioning the assumptions that the rest of us accept. When we allow ourselves to live in the creativity in which we were made, we are not only being true to the image of God which was established in us since the beginning, but we are allowing our minds to extend beyond the realities of the world and we permit ourselves to have an open mind about who God is and what He does. And when allow your view of God and what he does to be changed and not rest on the assumptions of everyone else... you are preparing yourself for REVELATIONS FROM GOD about the PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE. God reveals things to those who creatively have an open heart and an open mind... those creative geniuses who don't get caught up in the realities in which we live.

Creativity takes us from the world of reality to the world of imagination; it makes the limits of reality dwindle and suddenly everything becomes possible with God.

The bible displays a grand and sweeping image for humanity. In that we are people of creativity and change, we share the Spirit of the Creator. When God speaks and says: “look, I am making all things new…,” life itself is held up as a constantly changing gift of the Creator that will be, in a new heaven and new earth, profoundly full and rich. God will not rest until that vision is reality.

As I said before, Divine creativity - like all of God's characteristics - grow in proportion to our "connectedness" to Him. If we want to be more creative, we must draw closer to God.

Miracles

Today I was praying to God because lately I feel really discouraged. I was praying to God telling him that I know he is a sovereign God and that he is a God of love and forgiveness and so why does it feel like I keep reaping bad things. I understand there are consequences to actions but I do not believe that God sits there with his arms crossed and an "I told you so" attitude and rubs our face in our mess. If that is what you think then my whole life is proof that you are wrong. As soon as I became a Christian, asking for forgiveness for all the thing I had done was my consequence. Do we as Christians not understand that with prayer we are coming before the throne of God? Prayer is so intimate and me approaching the throne of God with all of that baggage was enough shame and consequence that He doesn't make me have tough times every single day now. Once you ask for forgiveness it is done and forgotten. You are no longer held accountable to that.

So lately, people in my life have been making me question that. So I was reading in the words of Job when Job curses the day he was born and this is exactly how I have been feeling lately. (Ch.3) and then in Chapter 4, Job's wis friend Eliphaz speaks. and he says:

"Think about how many people you have taugh and the weak hands you have made strong. Yor words have comforted those who fell and you have strengthened those who could not stand. But now trouble coms to you, and you re discouraged: trouble hits you,and you are terrified.
You should have confidence because you respect God; you should have hope because you are innocent.
But if I were you, I would call on God and bring my problem before him. God does wonders that cannot be understood; he does so many miracles they cannot be counted.
He gives rain to the earth and sends water on the fields. He makes the humble person important and lifts the sad to places of safety. He ruins the plans of those who trick others so they have no success. He catches the wise in their own clever traps and sweeps away the plans of those who try to trick others. Darkness covers them up in the daytime; even at noon they feel around in the dark. God saves the needy from their lies and from the harm done by powerful people. So the poor have hope, while those who are unfair are silenced.
The one whom God corrects is happy, so do not hate being corrected by the Almighty. God hurts, but he also bandages up; he injured, but his hands also heal. He will save you from six troubles; even seven troubles will not harm you.
God will buy you back from death....God will protect you from the tongues of others... You will not be afraid... You will laugh at destruction and hunger... You will know that your home is safe... You will know that you will have many children... You will come to the grave with all of your strength... We have checked this and it is true, so hear it and decide what it means to you."

This came after Job was even discouraged by his Wife! The one whom he loves and trusts! Even his wife was telling him that he was just reaping what he sowed and he was just getting what he deserved.

But we must understand that sometimes God is soooooooo big... he uses trouble to accomplish his will. Sometimes we are innocent and God is just doing something that our own minds can't even imagine. I believe that my God is Sovereign, I believe that God bandages those he hurts, and heals those whom he has injured, I believe God does protect me, and he will give me strength, I believe he will supply me with children when the time is right, and I believe that he will keep my home safe from demons, burglars, and other monsters! I believe he is an Almighty and Powerful God whose wonders cannot be understood and he does so many miracles that they cannot be counted... Do you?

Word Play

"The words of a good person give life, like a fountain of water, but the words of the wicked contain nothing but violence. Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs." Proverbs 10:11-12

Words... they have so much power. Words spoken can give a person hope, meaning, encouragement, dignity, and life. Words unspoken can be just as effective.

Words can make us lazy because although words should be used as a tool of communication, they are not a substitute for action.

Words can divide or unite.

Words can restore relationships of all kinds.

Words are the voice of your heart.

Words can impress the mind or words can prove foolishness.

Words are easy, like the wind; yet sometimes there are no words to express what the heart feels.

Words are often first steps.

Words can not be revoked. Words are permanent.

Words can accomplish a lie... but so can silence.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it will eat the fruit there of." Proverbs 18:21

Words are untameable. Words are unruly evil; full of deadly poison.

Words are used to bless and praise God and to curse men which are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.

Words often symbolize surrender. Silence often symbolizes defeat.

Words used to much have lost their meaning.

Words are used by both God and Satan.

"Watch you thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions. Watch your actions because they become habits. Watch your habits because this develops character. Watch your character for this determines your destiny."


God,
Help me with my Words! Anything that enters my mind that is not of you, seal my lips shut. Do not let worthless and violent words be spoken from your Child. Let my words give strength to the weak, hope to the hopeless, faith to the faithless, and love to those who need it most. Let my words bringeth the peace that passes understanding. Help me to speak gently and have a calm heart controlled by your spirit. Let my words bring life to anyone that I encounter. Let my words spur a passion and desire to know you into the hearts of everyone around me. Let my words be abundant with your wisdom, knowledge, and understand. Let my words be used by you and only you! I love you Lord.
-Ariel Nicole

Satan vs. God

Facing our worst fears is one of the hardest and most incomprehendable things to do. Satan, the enemy, and our own self-destructive natures combine to taunt us with "what-ifs."

Once we are in Christ, Satan has NO authority to destroy us, so he settles for the next best thing: threatening to destroy us. Based on our human histories and behaviors he deduces what we ourselves are most convinced would raze us. What we are convinced would be the "worst possible thing right now."

To the Devil, the irony is delicious: Our distrust in God tattles on us, telling our enemy exactly how to get to us. Many of us habitually rehearse, "If __________ every happens, then I'll just ___________." Our fears become like long, bony index fingers pointing at our vulnerabilities. Once Satan sees what we believe would be the end of us... he threatens and torments us with it.

Our natural human defense is to grovel before God and plead with Him not to let those things happen. Our "conditional trust" not only makes us an open target for enemy torment; it also positions us as negotiators and beggars before God instead of our real positions as secure children who trust their lives to their faithful Father.

Those times when our fears become reality, we feel devastated. We think that God is unfaithful, and Satan essentially gets what he wants--- us to believe that LIFE IS OVER!!!!!! Unless our belief system changes, for all practical earthly purposes, it is. After all, as a man thinks, SO IS HE. (Prov. 23:7)

Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge proponent of praying against what we fear and for the desires of our hearts. I also believe that we're free and safe to voice our worst nightmares to God.

But, in times of Crisis and demonic attack, however, our vulnerable souls need something more. The most critical breakthrough of faith you and I could ever experience is to let God bring us to a place where we trust him --- period. We don't just trustHim to let us avoid what we fear most. We determine to trust Him no matter what, even if our worst nightmare befalls us. We have no greater victory that can render Satan. There is no harsher blow than that.

FILL IN THE BLANKS....

"If ____________________, then God will take care of me."
"If ____________________, then God has a plan."
"If ____________________, then God desires to accomplish something moumental in me."
"If ____________________, then God's going to demonstrate his sufficiency to me."


Each one of those statements reverses the fiery darts of Satan and causes a ricochet back into his ugly, stupid face. Nothing about this approach is easy, nor am I anywhere close to mastering it.
No one welcomes suffering or crisis. Equally, no one can wholly avoid it. Though most of what we fear never happens, our lists roll out so long that some of it probably will. Our only steadfast defense against life's certain uncertainty is unconditional trust in a Savior who loves us more than His own life.

May God plant these convictions deeper than the thorns of earthly pain can penetrate. As hard as trusting can be, living with constant fears is harder.

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATH STRAIGHT!!!! (Prov. 3:5-6)

This Moment

there is only ONE ho knows
what's really out there waiting.

In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is that HE IS OUT THERE WAITING.

To Him the future's history
And he has given us a treasure called RIGHT NOW
And this is the only moment we can do anything about.

And if it brings you tears
then taste them as the fall
and let them soften your heart

And if it brings you laughter
then throw your head back
and let it go, let it go.

YOU GOTTA LET IT GO!

Listen to your heartbeat.

There's a wonder in the here and now
It's right there in front of you
And I don't want you to miss.
THE MIRACLE OF THE MOMENT!!!!

(Steven Curtis Chapman- - - "This Moment")

Deeper than that...

I was doing another Esther bible study when God revealed a little piece of a soon-to-be revelation.

The story was about how there was an edict issued in Persia to kill all of the Jews and when this happened, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews put on sackcloth and were mourning and wailing bitterly. When Mordecai went to the King's Gate, some maids and eunuchs told Esther (Mordecai's Cousin, who raised her) about Mordecai outside and what he was doing.

Whenever Mordecai told her of the edict that was issued by the King, Esther felt distressed and sent him new clothes to wear instead of sackcloth and ashes. Mordecai refused.

This is kind of what I have been doing with Jared. See, esther made no inquiry into what was wrong with Mordecai until he refused the clothes. But, Mordecai resisted the trivial treatment for his condition. And although Esther's deep concern for Mordecai was real, her remedy was wrong. He needed more than a change of clothes.

The same goes with Jared. If an injured heart covered with sackcloth and ashes isn't treated, it will manifest it's pain somewhere else. A superficial "boyfriend" & "girlfriend" title isn't the right remedy for the pain that was inflicted over the last semester. The problem is a world deeper than that. A title is a trivial treatment for the real problem and although my deep love and concern for Jared is real, my remedy that I am offering is wrong. He needs more than that.

Often times we are tempted to offer a quick fix to a problem before we even hear about it. Offering a quick fix to a hurting person can be more appealing to us than listening at length to the depth of his or her despair.

I feel like I did that with Jared because listening patiently would/will make me uncomfortable, incompetent, unworthy, helpless, and full of saddness and guilt. But I realize that I cannot apply a superficial dressing to a mortal wound.

I realize that if people around us helped us avoid every possibly unpleasantry, fixed every hangnail, and anesthetized every headache for us, we'd quit learning how to deal with difficulty. We'd forget how to cope and we'd crush under the least inconvience.

See, strength comes from muscle and muscle develops from working out. This is true spiritually and physically. My love for Jared used to be... dare I say... "superficial" or "infatuation." It was all about the butterflies, and the daydreaming.

And as painful as this process may have been and will continue to be of the tearing and healing of Jared and I's "relationship." It was definately necessary. That which shatters superficiality also shatters the fetters of our fragility and frees us to walk with dignity and might to our destinies. Instead of being some fragile flower, Jared and I are and will continue to forever be warriors of God. Instead of claiming a "superficial" love we will have a Strong relationship (with huge muscles!!! lol) and full of the real love, understanding, patience, and endurance that our destiny... whatever that may be... will require!

Abba, Father, Daddy...

I absolutely love this song. I heard it on KLOVE the other day and HAD to post it!

The topic I'm discussing today is Father's. What is their role? What does "dad" even mean? What are they there for? What are they responsible and not responsible for?

I was at the dentist when the pregnant dental assistant was telling me all about how nobody understands that just because you have a biological father doesn't mean that he is your real dad and so on and so forth. This spurred my mind into gear into thinking... what is it that makes a "Father" become a "Dad" ?

For the last semester I have been praying for God to reveal to me the whole "God the Father" role because I just don't get it. I don't think it's because my Dad was bad or anything like that. I just don't get it...

So far, this is what he has revealed to me through close friends, mentors, my own parents, my sister and brother-in-law, my cute nephew, the love of my life, the bible, and of course the holy spirit! :)

Jesus always prayed to God "The Father..." Only one prayer (the one on the cross) was not prayed to God as the father. The whole father relationship between God and us is KEY in my opinion and let me tell you it is quite frustrating when you don't understand. So the first place we will look is scripture...

"Yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands." Isaiah 64:8

So we know that God the father molds us and makes us into who he wants us to be. But how does he do this? So, let's search some more...

"When you pray, go to your room and shut the door; pray to the Father who is unseen. Then, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you!" Matthew 6:6

Seems to me as if God is kind of like our earthly fathers in a sense because it's like he wants us to be honest with me. See, when we are in our rooms, alone, praying we pray some of the most honest, earnest, and passionate prayers of our lives. When we pray in front of others a lot of times we pray for things we are supposed to pray for or put on a show to see who is the best "prayer warrior" of the group. (Not that praying in groups is bad... it definately has benefits (acts)). But I know that when I talk to my own father earnestly and just cry out to him with an honest and open heart, he is more willing to be gracious, more willing to forgive, more willing to see deep into my deepest desires, more willing to BLESS ME for my honesty.

"Our Father who are in Heaven; hallowed be thy name." Matthew 6:9

Hallowed litterally means sacred, blessed, sanctified, and holy. God is a father who as pure intentions and motives. A purity and innocence of heart and mind that we cannot even fathom. So respected and so honored. Not only is God supposed to be honored and revered but our earthly fathers are to be honored and revered as well. In Galatians it talks about how Women should love our Husbands like we love the Lord. With respect, reverence, and submissiveness. But that isn't all it says, it also says that Husbands should love their Wives like God loves the church; which is sacrificially, unconditionally, forgiving, peacefully, provision. and many other things.

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7:11

I love this picture of God the Father because it shows his provision and how God literally finds JOY in making us happy even though we are evil. I do not have children of my own yet but I do have one stinkin' cute nephew and I know that when I have money or the opportunity to buy things for that cute lil thing... nothing in the world feels better than to make him happy. Seeing him laugh and smile, nothing could warm my heart faster.

Not just that but also watching Ashley and Reid care for him. Caeden is one strong-willed child (from both his mom and his aunt ariel)... lol... and nothing reminds me more of us and God than when Ashley and Reid try to help Caeden with a toy, or help him walk, or stand up and he just wants to run. He also thinks he knows what is best for himself and ends up falling down and crying... waiting on his mommy and daddy to come save him. That is how we are with God! We often times think we know what is best for ourselves and our lives but sometimes God is just sitting there with loving eyes, waiting for us to say, "Okay, Okay... I need your help!" Just as much as Ashley and Reid know what Caeden needs... our Father in Heaven knows how to give good gifts! He knows how to give us what we need and desire! He finds joy in making us happy! We need to trust in him, his sovereignty, and his provision!

"At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children." Matthew 11:25

The way I have seen my own Father work is this... If you have a humble and accepting heart, he will reveal secrets, stories, and advice to you because he knows that you will take it seriously by following it or pondering it. Whereas, a child who is a "know-it-all" or prideful will often stomp all over the valuable information with arrogant feet because of their "knowledge" or "pride". God is the same with us. The more humble, open, innocent, needy, clingy, trusting, and patient we are with him... the quicker he will reveal things to us!

"Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48

"Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful." Luke 6:36

What is so interesting about these two verses is that they are both concluding the first chapters of the sermon on the mount. The are supposed to be the same sentence. But Luke puts more practicality on it if you will. The word "perfect" is translated "mature." Which is interesting because a huge part of watching my the "fathers" around me is how mercy and maturity often go hand-in-hand. Mercy is part of maturity! A major piece if not the whole thing!

"But an hour is coming and has already come, when the true worshipers will adore the Father in spirit and in truth; for such people the father seeks to be his worshipers." John 4:23

I love this verse because it equates worship with adoration of God. I find that loving God is more than just religion... it's more like falling in love, a marriage, a committment, a romance, an infatuation, being captivated by his Love. Adoring God the Father is how you Worship God. Interesting!

Anyway... this post is getting really long. So I am stopping here, but this "Daddy Talk" will be continued!