The Power of God and relationships

"I ain't have no role models, now I gotta be one, I bought the lie hiphop sold me, man I want a refund.., I feel like it's the real me, Feel me? Yeah, I been changed, But I'm still me, What I am now, Not what I will be, I'm trying to give life, But this could be the death of me." - Andy Mineo I was listening to this in my car and it came to mind when listening, that these lyrics don't just apply to someone who is "famous" because honestly as Christians we are all role models, we all are supposed to be exemplifying Christ. And honestly if only one person looks up to you, you are technically famous in Biblical eyes. It reminds me of Luke 15:7 which says, "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."  I love this scripture! Just remember when you are out in the world, you are a role model to everyone who sees you, hears about you, or knows of you. That one person you affect through your walk with Christ, will be worth more than living here on earth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLQc0jkc2Hw

"But the hour is coming, and now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24) Today in Sunday school we talked about the fear of the Lord and how we beat around the bush on that very subject. I look at this scripture about worship (meaning anything to praise/glorify God) and think about how unafraid we are of God sometimes. Most of the times we aren't truly worshiping God in spirit and truth. You need BOTH to worship Him. We usually leave our the spirit and every once in a while the truth. God wants and seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. I just find this so amusing and so scary how sidetracked we get from this truth.

God has seen the movie a million times over and knows/seen the ending, yet He is still directing His masterpiece. But there are a lot of bloopers because we don't always cooperate.

When God allows struggles in my life, He gives me growth and love in Him. When He blesses me, He also gives me love. Sometimes His biggest blessings are the struggles He allows because sometimes they are the only thing that brings us satisfaction and a desire for Him. God is good, God is love, and God is life.

“Teach us, O God, that nothing is necessary to Thee. Were anything necessary to Thee that thing would be the measure of Thine imperfection: and how could we worship one who is imperfect? If nothing is necessary to Thee, then no one is necessary, and if no one, then not we. Thou dost seek us though Thou does not need us. We seek Thee because we need Thee, for in Thee we live and move and have our being. Amen.” - A.W. Tozer We are not necessary to Him, but we are in desperate need of Him.

Only with God am I whole. Only with God am I at peace. Only with God can I do all things. I am broken, battered, and torn. But He put me back together while wearing a crown of thorns. He took my guilt and my shame with three nails full of grace. No greater love has been displayed, only on the cross could our sins be taken away. Only on the cross could we truly see Him face to face.

"Jesus said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.'" (ESV John 4:13-14) I have never thought of these verses this way, but everyone has a longing in their hearts for living water, but they try to replace it with other water that looks good, but is truly poisoned. They will continue to thirst for this poisonous water, never content and never filled. The people who drink of the living water will never be thirsty again because they are filled with the Holy Spirit (living water). Their search is satisfied, but they have to allow this water (the Holy Spirit) to well up in them producing eternal life.

"This is your chance to make your life count. Start living your future, stop living your past." - Days Are Gone by Confide I love how this says to stop focusing on your past and your past mistakes because they are part of the past now. You can't change them, but only God's grace can wash over you. Focus on the future and what God is doing in your life now. Focus on Him and life's troubles will seem so so so small. I think of 2nd Corinthians 5:17 whenever I hear this bridge, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." Pretty cool stuff (:

At the beach! Going to be bumming it! God has blessed me with a nice vacation, even if I still have homework to do while on vacation. (=

"I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Let your steadfast love comfort me according to your promise to your servant." (ESV Psalm 119:75-76) The part about "in faithfulness you have afflicted me" I found very amusing. As Christians we normally get mad, frustrated, and confused with God when we are afflicted, but in this verse it is saying that he is glad and that God is faithful by afflicting him. For he has grown from the affliction and is letting His steadfast love comfort Him.

How can I boast in what I do, if God created me with the ability to boast, and the ability to do? How can I be self-righteous, when Jesus had to die for my sin along with others? How can I call myself good, when the only human who was good died for me and rose again? Any good in me comes from the Lord, for anything evil comes from the flesh. For God is good; therefore, anything good is of/from God. Nothing can be good apart from God, for God is the depravity of evil, He is perfect.

Future, present, or past, God is there and always will be. He constantly protects/defends His children, but also disciplines them out of love. Fighting God's love is like trying to stop the ocean from crashing and the wind from blowing, it is out of human control. No ear has heard, no eye has seen, no mouth has spoken all the complexity and abounding love God contains. For God is love and God is complex in a way we will never fully understand.

I love how Christians will complain to God asking, "Why do I suffer so much?" It is quite ironic since Jesus suffered more than we could ever fathom, yet us Christians still complain from time to time.

Even Jesus is an example to this. He served us and gave his life as a ransom and now he is God's right hand man.

I find myself desiring and wanting a woman in my life so bad lately. I really need patience to find a woman worth spending my time with, someone that is committed to me as much as I am going to be committed to them. Also someone that will love the Lord more than anything else! A woman for me should not have to run after me, but after God. Once she has God as her desire, then she should start to be a want in my life. Pray for patience for me.

A worship leader should be leading in the spirit, not by his skills or talent, but by the words and feelings that come from the spirit. A selfless worship where pride cannot interfere.