Thursday, December 15, 2011

True Gifts Are Absolutely Free!

Romans 4:4-5 "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,..."

Christ's righteousness WAS and IS a gift. We don't get paid for "good works." Being a Christian is not a "job," but I think a lot of us treat our salvation as such. Jesus paid it ALL, therefore, anything we do cannot compare, add up, nor amount to what Jesus did on the cross, or what He did while He walked this earth in perfect love. If anything, we need to be paying Him... with our LIFE!

Being a good person has nothing to do with being a child of God. There are atheists that are "good people" who may feed the poor, donate to charities, and help an injured stranger on the side of the road. What makes a believer of Christ so different?
It is the inward change which becomes an outward display of HIS glory and affection for all mankind! It's not forced nor is it our own ideal that if we do good, then we may be accepted by man, and pay off any debt we owe to God.

Romans 9:30-33 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written,
 "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
  and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."


My dear friends =D we do not have to perform works to make ourselves right with God. Christ has already done a perfect finished work! And He expects nothing from you but your heart... your life. And He protects and nourishes your heart and life because it is apart of His heart and life! Please, rest in the salvation of Christ, and He will do all the "work" through and for you! And it will be a work that you'll enjoy and that pleases Him!


Kamaria

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Just Got Saved 101

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

People talk about how they want to stop living in sin. Sadly, they don't put forth any real effort aside form their own self will of trying not to do wrong. Jesus said himself, "if you abide in my word, you'll know the truth and the truth will set you free. 

The chapter goes on to talk about how anyone who sins is a slave to it. But if the Son (the Word (John 1:1)) sets you free, truly you are free indeed.


By abiding in His word, we renew our mind, by that regeneration we are set free from slaves of sin, to slaves of RIGHTEOUSNESS! 
  
Mari

Monday, October 10, 2011

Anyone Thirsty?


Setting: Sychar located in Samaria
Plot: Eternal Salvation
Star Players: Jesus, The woman at the well.

A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" ( For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11The woman said to him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." 13Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14but 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." 15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."16Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, 'I have no husband'; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true." 19The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship." 21Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 25The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." 26Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." John 4:7-26 ESV

There are 3 things that count against the Samaritan woman:
1) She was a woman
2) She was Samaritan and NOT a "pure" Jew (Jews often avoided going throughSamaria)
3) She was immoral

How beautiful is it that our God is so humble! Jesus humbled Himself. Despite Him being a Jew and her a Samaritan, Jesus showed no bias. Instead, He gave this woman life, and truth. In an one on one setting, He related to her, called her out exposing her sin and showed her how important it is to have a personal, intimate, one on one relationship with God [Himself].

We can drink of the living water and never thirst again because the living water never dries up. Because of what Jesus has done, we can always commune with God. We can always sit by His still waters and drink of Him. We should be like trees, planted next to rivers of water [God], that produces [GOOD] fruit in its season Psalm 1:3 
God's love refreshes, restores and fills us up with our cups overflowing IF we let Him pour into us.

True worshipers can commune with God anywhere. True worshipers drink of His living water. We worship God through Jesus! There are no limitations on where we can worship! We can worship God in school, at work, on the sidewalk, wherever! Worship comes from the heart, and the truth is Jesus and His word! We worship in our actions, by our words, and through our lifestyle. The important question is, how and whom do you worship?

Jesus dealt with this woman personally. How is He dealing with you today? What has Jesus spoken into your heart? What has the Holy Spirit convicted you of?

Everyday, our hearts are thirsty for Him. Sit by the rivers of water today, drink of God, allow Him to water the ground of your heart. Let us, let God fill us up.

*Interesting fact: when Jesus said salvation is from the Jews in verse 22, He was hinting that the Messiah would come from the Jewish people, Himself!

Mari

Friday, September 30, 2011

Well done or Well... you're done

Just wanted to share this, courtesty of my brother Phil...
“God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clear...ly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen” Romans 1:18-25 NLT

Brothers and sisters, the fact of the matter is God is real and we were created to worship Him and Him alone. My prayer is that none of us get too wrapped up in things of this world. This isn't some religious thing man has mandated to us but the fact that we ALL have been saved by grace and a life lived with faith in Christ is the only salvation for our souls.

Now you may be saying you already know this but I just want to reiterate that we are in the LAST DAYS. Though we have been saved by grace this does not give us a license to sin. The more we continue to “play around” with things we KNOW does not glorify God….God forbid we are cut off from his free grace. I’m not trying to scare anybody or talk down or sound condescending, at any rate, I just want to implore us people who say we are Christians that Jesus Christ is coming back quickly for a holy and righteous people….not those who are lukewarm. I must say this because it matters enormously if I alienate anyone from the truth. Knowledge and understanding of these things without application is very dangerous. I’ve been going through my own trials and thank God I’m forgiven. None of us are perfect so let’s come running to the King of Kings who is faithful and just to make us as perfect as He is. Please, I beg of you in the name of the Lord, because I love you all and would like to see you in heaven. Don’t waste your life away on things that don’t matter. Repent from cussing, lying, fornication, wild parties, etc. Do you want to hear “Well done!” or do you want to be well done?…..


To those who may not believe I promise you that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important relationship you can ever have. Don’t let anybody tell you different. Life in Christ is better than you could ever imagine. I plead with you to not look to things of this world to gratify you. Christ is the ultimate satisfaction. Trust me.
I pray we all set our minds on things above.
 
-Phillip Shobo

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Can't Box Him In


The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart one day and said, "STOP TRYING TO PUT GOD IN A BOX!"

I paused for a second and said, "wow, You're right." I began meditating on that and realized how much I WASN'T expecting because I was feeling like it was "too big" for God to handle. But, whenever I think something silly like that, I always go back to... "Wow, God of all the universe, the Maker of the Heavens and earth, the ULTIMATE Judge... can't handle my situation???? Really?" -___-

But ALL GLORY to GOD!!! 2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself. Then again, Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible. And again, Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

This is what God has been speaking into my life, "Just have faith and trust Me." Simple as that. But to some, and even to myself sometimes, it doesn't seem "that simple." But didn't Jesus say Himself, "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed..." [Luke 17] Jesus said this after His disciples asked Him to INCREASE their faith.

I pray that God will continue to build us up in faith, may we not focus on the temporal or the things of this world, but place our thoughts on the things above. May God's thoughts toward us become our thoughts. May God's ways become our ways. May what He desires for us become so deeply rooted in our hearts that we will live that reality!


LORD, INCREASE OUR FAITH!!

Mari

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

For Such a Time

A VERY brief synopsis!

The Book of Esther paints a beautiful picture of redemption, favor, grace, humility, and how a  devastating situation can do a 180 degree turn!!

Esther was beautiful woman who found MUCH favor in the sight of the king. Out of the many women who tried to catch the king's eye, Esther excelled above them all! The moment King Ahasuerus [a.k.a. Xerxes] first laid eyes on her, he pretty much fell in love [awwee how precious lol]. I would like to think it was her outer and INNER beauty combined that really captured his heart.

Haman [who thought of himself as most favored of the king], an enemy of the Jews who also greatly despised Mordecai [Esther's uncle] sought to annihilate all the Jews [out of pride].

Now, instead of using her beauty to glorify herself, Esther used it to redeem her people. Through corporate fasting, Esther prepared herself spiritually to face the king to attempt to redeem her people. Esther boldly took the chance of being killed to go into the King's courts to plead for the redemption of her people.  "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this." Esther 4:14 NKJV

Esther, of course, found favor in the king's sight! A chain of events unfolded where the circumstances changed, Mordecai found much favor in the king's sight, and Haman was no longer "the king's favorite." Long story short, the device Haman built to kill Mordecai [which didn't occur because the king favored Mordecai] was the same device that the king had  Haman killed with. [Esther 7:9-10 ~ Psalm 7:14-16, Psalm 57:6]

This is when Mordecai asked Ether to go to the king and make supplication: Esther 4:13-14 "And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" NKJV

Because of one woman's boldness, a people were redeemed! My friend, is there a place in your life where God has called you to speak up, speak out and be bold? You have two choices, you can either sit back and say nothing, or step out in courage and do what God has called you to do. Know this: there is ALWAYS someone else God can use to perform His perfect will. He doesn't really need you, so count it an honor to even be elected by God "for such a time as this." Take heart and be courageous... who knows? You just may redeem a people, a city, a nation through an act of selfless faith. God Bless!

Mari P.

Friday, July 8, 2011

A REAL LIFE Fairy Tale

I know many are wondering, and very, very few know the full story. I hope this post brings clarity, encouragement, and much joy :^)

So.... Kamaria (that's me!) got a man!! HAHA!! Not just "a man..." or "any ol' man" but a GODLY MAN!!! THE MAN she has prayed for! PRAISE GOD!!! HALLELUJAH!!! I know many are speculating but I'm here to clear the smoke and shine some light on this.

How did we meet?
Initially we were Facebook friends, but we never really "talked" to each other like that. Just were, I guess, "cordial" on Facebook. Jonathan stays in Alabama because that's basically where his entire life is. But we actually did speak a few times outside of Facebook, nothing real serious. Actually, the first time we spoke, we prayed for each other!! Much like how our relationship is now :o)
Anyway, while he was on Spring Break, he came back to Atlanta for a few days. Around this time, I was transitioning churches, so I actually JUST started going to a new church. THAT is where we met. The timing and how it happened couldn't have been more perfect... nothing BUT God! When we saw one another, we spoke, but kept the conversation fairly short. Or should I say, I kept the conversation short ;^) LOL We were actually in this orientation-type session for people who wanted to know more about the church. Afterwards, I left, and he texted me. And honestly, the rest is history.... nothing but God's hands all over, around, and through our relationship!

How long did you "wait?"
Long enough. LOL about as long as God saw fit! I came to a point in my life though where I said, "Lord, all of this is in Your hands." True enough, I expressed to God what I like in a man [as if He didn't know] but I also asked the Lord to keep my eyes and my heart open, so I wouldn't miss out on THE ONE He has for me. There also came a point where I realized that whether I'm single till the end of my days or not, I would always find my joy in Him. Nothing/no one else.
Fact of the matter is, I made up in my mind, and made a declaration that I was going to wait on the Lord. And in the meantime, I'd make sure I'm doing whatever my Father was telling me to do. WHICH INCLUDED [but was not limited to] no casual dating & no wasting my time just talking to people. God called me to cut a few people off and let some people go, and honestly, I was fine with it. LOL Single isn't really as bad as some make it seem either. It gives you time to prepare, and helps ensure that you have a strong foundation with Christ.


Are you happy?
Words cannot EXPRESS how happy I am!! Waiting on God was the best decision I have ever made! Jonathan is everything I've asked for and then some! Exceedingly, abundantly above all I could ask or think! God really SHOWED UP and SHOWED OUT with this one hahah! ;o) And I am not ashamed to say that I am so much in love with him!! The amount of growth WE'VE experienced these past few months is beyond amazing. All glory to God!!!


Is it REAL?
Is God real?? LOL Of course, thru many answered prayers, I can rest assured knowing that I am in God's will. Knowing that Jonathan and I are in God's will. None of this is just by happen chance or "coincidence." Our initial meeting and everything that happened leading up to us meeting was divinely orchestrated. But, it took obedience, prayer, and just knowing, hearing, and taking heed to the voice of the Lord.

My prayer is that many will be encouraged to wait! I will leave you with this scripture:
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. [ESV]


Grace be unto you,
 
 Kamaria and Jonathan

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Mirror in the Book

This is something I heard Pastor Gregory Dickow say, "Mirror, mirror, in the book, tell me how I really look."  Have you ever thought about how the Bible is much like a mirror? 
 

James 1:22-24 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was" NKJV

"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like" NLT 

As you would look into mirror, we should do the same with God's word. When we look into a mirror, we look for imperfections, blemishes, spots, wrinkles; a mirror reveals whatever faults we have. People may tell us we have a booger in our nose, or a pimple on our cheek, but sometimes it doesn't hit us as hard until we actually look into a mirror and see it for ourselves. Then what do we do? We go and try to fix ourselves up the best we can.

Likewise, people may tell us our faults, or our wrongs/shortcomings/sins but we often brush it off and tell them they're being judgmental , I mean holier than thou, I mean.............."rude." It's not until we look into a mirror, THE MIRROR, that we actually begin to try and either cover it up with "spiritual makeup" to give it a more appealing appearance, take it for what it is and just leave it alone, or take extra precautions to make sure it doesn't get worse, spreads and ultimately try to treat it.

So, the next time you glance into a natural mirror to make sure you look presentable, consider this blog post. Look into the spiritual mirror as well, but don't take a quick glance in it just because you may not like the reflection....conform your image to that of Christ so every time you look into The mirror [open the Book], you see a reflection of Him.

Mari

Friday, June 10, 2011

Mercy Cancels Judgment

The Mercy Seat
1 John 3:19-20 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. NKJV

1 John 3:19-20 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. NLT


We serve a God full of so much MERCY. To those who really love Him and desire to do His will, we often are more harsh on ourselves than we should be.  

Why?

Probably because we know as humans we can't amount up to His standards, but God discerns the heart and considers the pureness of it. Our Father is more compassionate and understanding than we may realize.

Even though our hearts may condemn us, the blood of Jesus screams, "MERCY!!" And God says, "you're already forgiven." Our Father is truly greater than our hearts.

-Mari

Friday, May 27, 2011

9 Relevant Truths

9 Interesting Events that Occurred in the Month of May
A few interesting things you may want to ponder on...and May isn't even over yet................................................................................................................................... 2011 alone has been quite an interesting year..................................................................................................................... wouldn't you agree???

In case you haven't noticed, the world has gotten even crazier in May. Just when you think that things can't get any more bizarre, events go to a whole new level. Sadly, millions of Americans seem almost completely oblivious to all of the world-altering things that are going on all around us. I recently got back from doing a bit of traveling, and the reality is that most people out there are so busy living their lives and trying to survive from month to month that they don't really have much time to pay attention to what is going on in the world around them. They are too busy working their tails off to make a living, they are too busy stocking up on groceries and foreign-made goods at the big box retail stores and they are too busy cheering for Scotty on American Idol. Unfortunately, what little information about the rest of the world that most Americans actually take in comes from the mainstream media. Most of the time the mainstream media is very adept at lulling the American people to sleep, but things are starting to get so crazy out there that a growing minority of Americans are starting to sit up and take notice.
When I was away on vacation I kept a bit of an eye on the news, but I had no idea just how crazy things were getting until I returned home. These days more seems to happen in a single week than used to happen in an entire month. The globe has become an incredibly unstable place, and you never know what is going to happen next.
The following are 9 ways that the world has gotten even crazier in May....
#1 What in the world is going on with the weather?  All of a sudden "unprecedented tornadoes" are popping up almost every day now.  Did you see what happened in Joplin, Missouri the other day?  There are very few things that will put sheer terror into you like an F5 tornado will.  If you doubt that, just check out this video.
The National Weather Service says that the Joplin tornado was the 8th worst tornado to ever hit the United States.  At least 122 people were killed and at least 750 people were injured.
Sadly, the Joplin tornado is part of a larger trend.  Many are already calling this a "100 year" tornado season.  It seems like a major tornado outbreak somewhere in the U.S. is a nightly occurence now.  For example, just tonight a huge tornado near Oklahoma City killed a couple of people.
In April, there were approximately 600 tornadoes across the country.  That is the most tornadoes that have ever been recorded in a single month inside the United States.  Usually, we only have about 1,200 tornadoes for the entire year.
There is nothing "normal" about these tornado outbreaks.  Something really weird is happening.
In addition, we have just experienced the worst Mississippi River flood ever.  That flood is also being called something that only happens "once in a hundred years".
Why are such horrible natural disasters striking the United States right now?
Can anyone explain why this is happening?

#2 The globe continues to inch ever closer to World War III.  Just consider a few of the headlines we have seen just this week....
*NATO Warplanes in New Bombing Campaign on Tripoli
*Obama's hidden war: US intensifies drone attacks in Pakistan
*US, Pakistan Near Open War; Chinese Ultimatum Warns Washington Against Attack
*Netanyahu's defiance on deal is 'declaration of war'
Sadly, it appears that the appetite for war is growing.  Many had hoped that Barack Obama would be a peacemaker, but that definitely is not the case.
The United States has been at war for so long that the American people have learned to accept it as a normal part of life.  As long as it is something that happens "over there", most Americans don't really seem too concerned about it.
But in the end, what is unfolding in the Middle East will have dramatic consequences for the United States.  Unfortunately, most Americans have become so "dumbed down" that they simply do not understand what is happening.

#3 The news from Japan just continues to get worse and worse.  Now TEPCO is finally admitting that there were at least partial meltdowns at three of the reactors at Fukushima.  Why we are only finding this out now is anyone's guess.
It has been more than 2 months since the tsunami and officials in Japan still do not have Fukushima under control.  Every single day the complex continues to release massive amounts of radioactive material into the environment and the effects of this disaster will be felt for decades to come.

#4 When all of the crazy new security measures went into airports, we were all assured that scanners and "enhanced pat-downs" would never show up in subway stations, bus stations, sporting events and public schools.
Well, sadly the ridiculous security measures that have been implemented at our airports are spreading.  In fact, if you can believe it, a "certified TSA official" was brought in to oversee student searches at the Santa Fe High School prom last weekend.
When TSA officials start showing up at high school proms that should be a major red flag for all of us.  America is becoming a much different place than it used to be.
Do you enjoy living in a prison grid where we are all being constantly watched, tracked and searched?  If not, you better say something now before it is too late.

#5 The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld an order from a three-judge panel in California that mandates the release of approximately 40,000 inmates from California prisons.
Yes, the prisons are so overcrowded that up to 54 prisoners are using a single toilet, but you can't just release thousands upon thousands of criminals on to the streets of California and expect that there will not be major problems.
California Governor Jerry Brown is proposing a "realignment plan" which would shift tens of thousands of prisoners to county jails, but the California legislature so far has not authorized the hundreds of millions of dollars that it is going to take to implement the plan.
Hopefully something can be done, because releasing more than one out of every four California inmates back on to the streets sure does seem like a bad idea to me.

#6 It is looking more likely than ever that the U.S. debt ceiling may not be raised and that we could actually see the U.S. government default on some debt.  The Democrats and the Republicans are fighting like cats and dogs again and there is such a deadlock right now that this could actually happen.
U.S. Representative Barney Frank certainly does not sound optimistic....
"It may be that we’re going to have to see some failure to raise the debt limit and some temporary hiatus in our ability to pay our bills (for lawmakers to act)."
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is using language that is even more apocalyptic.  Dimon says that a U.S. debt default would "dwarf Lehman Brothers" and that in the event of a default things will take place "that are not going to be pretty".

#7 The U.S. real estate crash continues to get even worse. This week it was announced that U.S. commercial real estate is now down 47 percent from 2007 and has now reached a post-crash low. The following is how an article by Bloomberg described the latest data....
U.S. commercial property prices fell to a post-recession low in March as sales of financially distressed assets weighed on the market, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
The Moody’s/REAL Commercial Property Price Index dropped 4.2 percent from February and is now 47 percent below the peak of October 2007, Moody’s said in a statement today.
But it is not just commercial real estate that is a giant mess.  New home sales also continue to struggle mightily.
In April, the number of new homes sold in the United States tied the lowest level ever recorded for that month.
These latest statistics just underscore the reality that the U.S. housing crash if very far from over.  As I have written about previously, the real estate crisis is absolutely crippling the economy and instead of signs of hope arising, things seem to be getting even worse.  For example, during the first quarter of 2011, home values declined at the fastest rate since late 2008.
So when in the world are things going to finally start turning around?

#8 Most Americans don't realize it, but Europe is closer to a financial meltdown than it ever has been before. Greece is either going to get another bailout or it is going to default.  If you do not understand the kind of chaos this would set off on world financial markets, just read this editorial.
The Greek debt crisis continues to get worse.  At this point, the yield on 10-year Greek bonds has now reached an astounding 16.76%.
But it is not just Greece that is in trouble.  All over Europe there are nations that are on the verge of financial collapse.  In Spain, nearly half of those between the ages of 18 and 25 are unemployed and the economic protests there have reached a frightening level.
Everyone hoped that a bailout or two would be enough to make the European debt crisis go away.  It has now become obvious that is not going to happen.
A financial meltdown in Europe is happening.  The only question is how it is going to play out.

#9 Over the past couple weeks, one of the most talked about people in the world has been Harold Camping.  I have avoided writing about him because there are at least a billion issues that are more important than what Harold Camping is saying.
But this is what the mainstream media loves to do.  They love to find a Christian with a crackpot theory and splash him all over the front page.
Camping has a very limited following and the vast majority of Christians think he is totally and completely wrong.
However, the mainstream media loves to talk about people like Camping because it is a tremendous opportunity for them to mock Christians and Christianity.
Look, anyone that put any stock in any of Camping's predictions is seriously deceived.  In case you didn't know, Camping predicted the date of the rapture before.  On September 6th, 1994, hundreds of Camping's followers gathered at an auditorium in Alameda, California waiting for the rapture.
So now Camping has been wrong two times.
Now Camping is saying that Judgment Day is going to be on October 21st and he says that he has figured out why he was wrong about May 21st.
If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you.
If you are a Christian, then you know that there are dozens of prophecies that still need to be fulfilled before "the end of the world".  What Camping is proposing is literally impossible according to the Bible.
Of course the mainstream media knows this, but they have no problem turning Camping into a household name while ignoring the thousands upon thousands of Christians around the world that are doing really great things.
But this is the crazy world we live in.  We are all talking about Harold Camping because the big media companies decided that was the way it was going to be.
It is time that all of us wake up and start thinking for ourselves.
Our world is becoming crazier by the minute and the mainstream media is certainly not helping things.  In times like these, it is going to be absolutely vital for all of us to engage our critical thinking skills and to not just blindly accept anything that someone else is trying to tell us.


Posted via http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/9-ways-that-the-world-has-gotten-even-crazier-in-may

Monday, May 16, 2011

False Professors Solemnly Warned

Who is the Charles H. Spurgeon of our time? Written over 150 years ago yet how relevant is this sermon..? Very.



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Consider These Crucial Questions

 Please, take some time and ponder on these. Pray about them, meditate on them. Search the scriptures.


-Who IS Jesus? Is Jesus the Messiah? Is Jesus the only begotten Son of God?
-How do you know you're saved?
-How do you know you truly believe?
-Why do you think you're going to heaven?
-Do you want to go to heaven? Why?
-Do you think that because you're a good person you have been granted access into the Father's presence, and heaven?
-Do you believe there is a hell?

-Do you think living a holy life is possible?
-Does God require holiness to enter into heaven?
-Do you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit?
-Do you really believe the Bible is 100% truth and God's inspired word?


Your answers to these questions are crucial. In fact, your very eternal resting place could depend on how you answer these questions. Where is your heart? It's time to define your faith. I pray that you will take much thought in these.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

If Jesus was on Twitter......

AWESSOOOMMMEEE!!

P.S. Worship the CREATOR not the CREATURE.......!!! [Romans 1]

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Testimony

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Revelation 12:11

"And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house." Acts 16:31

A friend and I actually had this Facebook conversation months ago, I assume...he doesn't mind me sharing his name... LOL meh... I won't though, I will just call my friend A.G. lol At any rate... he actually began ministering to me and didn't even know it! This message pretty much speaks for itself! Such an amazing, encouraging testimony. NEVER underestimate the power of God. I could go on and on about how he just started speaking over my life man, it was amazing. At any rate, here's a piece of our convo which mainly talks about his sister. I pray that God will soften your hearts, open your eyes, and allow you to receive this truth: Jesus is REAL the Holy Spirit is powerful, and God is sovereign!

"Yes...My friend from Ga State actually visited me yesterday. He used to be my best friend. After high school I was totally changed through Christ...and all of my friends went off to college. It just seems like they don't care about where they are going...and don't realize it's wrong.
I need to pray so much for them We need to be so bold for Christ. Filled with His love and His power. He has the power to bring the lost through us.

My sister was on the wrong path. She's 29. She's been through marital abuse. She was beat up and had two miscarriages. She became an alcoholic for many years. She practiced witchcraft and voodoo for a long time as well.

Well I started praying for her over the summer. God really pushed me in deep agonizing prayer to declare her a child of God. I pleaded the blood of Jesus over her for so long. It seemed like every time I talked to her she was getting worse.

I remember one day a month ago, I was praying for her in the woods and she called me, saying she was hearing voices and was going to kill herself. Well, I rushed to her apartment and talked to her. She was crying, and had a big knife in her hand...It was so scary. I just listened to her. She wanted to go camping or get away from the place...

So I said okay we can go camping. I invited a few guy friends who were strong in Christ. We were all around the fire talking. The mood at first was awkward. She was really rude to my friends.
She asked if we would read a psalm to her. So one of my friends began reading. My sister started crying...then she started laughing in a bad way. She was possessed by an evil spirit.

I went off and started asking God to take over the whole situation.
I looked back and 3 of my guy friends had their hands stretched forth to her praying over her. She got very violent with us. She was cussing and yelling. We prayed over her all night. Rebuking the evil spirit. The things that were coming out of her mouth was not the sister I knew. At one point the evil spirit in her said, "Im not coming out of this body because it will be used for the Kingdom of God."
So we rebuked that and commanded it to leave in JESUS NAME!
We called our pastor and told him what was going on.

Finally she went to sleep at around 4 am. We kept praying over her. Declaring her a child of God and pleading the blood of Jesus.
The next morning we woke up...My friends already left the camp. I think they were scared. lol I was there with her alone...She was at peace. So i took her home and she kept saying I need to be saved...
I said you are and led her in prayer. She was saying she wanted to go to church...The next day she called me and said she threw away all of the darkness in her life. She read the bible and God told her everything she was doing was a lie.

That day she came to church with me at Free Chapel "the Turn"
It's a college ministry. She completely surrendered everything at the altar and was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was amazing. Last week she was baptized. I'm so thankful.

I'm trying to say that Our God will bring back the lost friends and family in our lives. No evil spirit in the world can hold on to them.
Fight the enemy in prayer and take back what is lost! Devil has NO authority! JESUS IS LORD OVER ALL."

-A.G. ---> he's awesome for allowing me to share this with you!
God Bless!
 
-Mari

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Q&A: Jesus is black? Catholicism..??

Just to catch you up....I was on Facebook, and a status caught my attention... well, it offended me. Now I know this particular person; they have come to me for spiritual advice, as far as where they should start to build. Anywho.. I commented on their status today because what they said REALLY disturbed, and not only that, someone else chimed in and it just... really started bothering me lol... and of course I did comment in a loving way :) So, after I commented the 2 people asked me to expound on what I said, and wanted to know more... In a huge nut shell I let them know what they were saying wasn't biblical, and the conversation that they carried on was blasphemy... so the conversation picks up where I'm stopping now... lol

Anonymous [people]:"well I need to be put on asap.." "...yea put mean on game cause man head is obviously not in the right spot right now u seem like you have knowledge so fill me in" -I'm sorry... I really needed a translator for this conversation because it was SO hard trying to read the "texbonics" lol

"what I want to add on to what I said earlier is.. it's not about what Jesus looked like...what's important is what He did, and why He did it. Now, not that I think you guys are incompetent but I just want to make sure, do you know what Jesus actually did? Have you read the 4 gospels [Matthew, Mark, Luke & John?] Do you know salvation doesn't come by confession alone [saying 1 prayer alone] but believing Jesus Christ is LORD over everyone [regardless if they believe] and a change of lifestyle, sacrificing who you are for who He wants you to be? Should I go on? lol"

Anonymous: Yes keep going. Cause ima ask you something in a second.

Okay, well what exactly do you want to know?

Anonymous: Why we don't pray for mary when she was the one who gave birth to jesus and the rosary people wearing them and don't know even know what they wearin

Good question! Now, why people wear those catholic bracelets? Sadly, I believe it's more of a fad. A lack of education..Hosea 4:6 says my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. People just don't care to educate themselves. They don't realize what those bracelets&necklaces represent. [I assume you're talking about the matching bracelet, necklace set that has mary and other pictures on there...which is yet another idol anyway but that's another discussion lol]
Why don't we pray for Mary? The answer simply put is, it's not Biblical. Though she did give birth to Jesus, and yes her womb was blessed, however we have never been instructed to pray to her. Was Mary free from sin, is Mary a God? No. She was a human just like us, God just chose her to perform a supernatural miracle! Moreover, she did not get on the cross and die for our sins. Only Jesus did. Jesus is our savior. Why give the glory to Mary... what more did she do than give birth to Jesus? Prayer is addressed to God, He's the only one who hears us, He is omnipotent, Omnipresent... HE sees and hears everything. Not Mary, the only One who intercedes to the Father for us, is JESUS NO ONE ELSE [Heb 7:25] He is our High Priest!
 
Yet, and still, there's so much more I could say! But I just wanted to share this with you guys. I pray that someone will be blessed by this. Let our prayer be to have a pure and open heart to receive the truth. I am SICK of the deception in Christianity. 
 
God Bless.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

40 Evidences That May Have Lost Your First Love

1. You can go hours or days without having more than a passing thought of Him.
2. You don’t have a strong desire to spend time with Him.
3. You don’t have a strong hunger for the Word; Bible reading is a “chore” – something to mark off your “to do” list.
4. Spending time in prayer is a burden/duty rather than a delight.
5. Your worship is formal, dry, lifeless, merely going through the motions.
6. Private prayer and worship are almost non-existent . . . cold and dry.
7. You are more concerned about physical health, well-being, and comfort than about the wellbeing and condition of your soul.
8. You crave physical food, while having little appetite for spiritual food.
9. You crave human companionship more than a relationship with Christ.
10. You spend more time and effort on your physical appearance than on cultivating inner spiritual beauty to please Christ.
11. Your heart toward Christ is cold and indifferent; not tender as it once was, not easily moved by the Word, talk of spiritual things, etc.
12. Christianity is more of a checklist than a relationship with Christ.
13. You measure spirituality (yours/others’) by performance rather than the condition of the heart.
14. Christianity is defined more what by what you “do” than who you “are” (“doing” vs. “being”).
15. Your obedience and service are motivated and fueled by expectations of others or a desire to impress others, more than by passion for Christ.
16. You are more concerned about what others think and pleasing them, than about what God knows and pleasing Christ.
17. Your service for Christ and others is motivated by a sense of duty or obligation.
18. You find yourself becoming resentful over the hardships and demands of serving Christ and others.
19. You can talk with others about kids, marriage, weather, and the news, but struggle to talk about the Lord and spiritual matters.
20. You have a hard time coming up with something fresh to share in a testimony service at church or when someone asks, “What’s God been doing in your life?”
21. You are formal, rigid, and up-tight about spiritual things, rather than joyful and winsome.
22. You are critical or harsh toward those who are doctrinally off-base or living in sin.
23. You enjoy secular songs, movies, and books more than songs or reading material that point you to Christ.
24. You prefer the company of people who don’t love Christ, to the company and fellowship of those who do.
25. You are more interested in recreation, entertainment, and having “fun” than in cultivating intimacy with Christ through worship, prayer, the Word, and Christian fellowship.
26. You display attitudes or are involved in activities that you know are contrary to Scripture, but you continue in them anyway.
27. You justify “small” areas of disobedience or compromise.
28. You have been drawn back into sin habits that you put off when you were a young believer.
29. “Little” things that used to disturb your conscience, no longer do.
30. You are slow to respond to conviction over sin – or you ignore it altogether.
31. You enjoy certain sins and want to hang onto them. You are unwilling to give them up for Christ.
32. You are not grieved by sin – it’s no big deal to you.
33. You are consistently allured by certain sins.
34. You are self-righteous--more concerned about sin in others’ lives than in your own.
35. You are more concerned about having the right position than the right disposition.
36. You tend to hold tightly to money and things, rather than being quick to give to meet the needs of others.
37. You rarely give sacrificially to the Lord’s work.
38. You rarely have a desire or burden to give, when you hear of legitimate financial needs within the Body, your church, or a ministry.
39. Accumulating and maintaining material “things” consumes more time and effort on your part than seeking after and cultivating spiritual riches.
40. You have broken relationships with other believers that you are unwilling or have not attempted to reconcile.



1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the
seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot
bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles
and are not, and found them to be false. 3I know you are enduring patiently and
bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you
did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place,
unless you repent. . . .
7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one
who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of
God.'
Revelation 2:1-7


© Revive Our Hearts. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.com
Info@ReviveOurHearts.com

Thursday, March 3, 2011

I will wait for you

This poem was so on time!! Lord knows... waiting is one of the hardest things to do, especially when it's been longer than you expected! Getting weary in my well doing.. I've been going back and forth with God as to why He's taking so long! LOL BUT... this was encouragement for me that... waiting is the best thing I can do... which is something I already knew, but you know how sometimes you can easily forget the most important things. Knowing I don't want to end up where I was before I got saved... I've managed to stand strong! So... like Janette said "I will be the one drenched in Proverbs 31, waiting for you." AND even if God calls me to a life of singleness :-/ lol... I have no choice but to accept it and continue to serve Him wholly! Amen to this poem!!

"But I won't need to identify you by any special Matthews, or any special Marks, because His word will be tatted all over your heart."

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Daily Devotion: Giving Without a Whisper

Faith's Checkbook

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in, secret himself shall regard thee openly. -Matthew 6:3-4

No promise is made to those who give to the poor to be seen of men. They have their reward at once and cannot expect to be paid twice.

Let us hide away our charity—yes, hide it even from ourselves. Give so often and so much as a matter of course that you no more take note that you have helped the poor than that you have eaten your regular meals. Do your alms without even whispering to yourself, How generous I am! Do not thus attempt to reward yourself. Leave the matter with God, who never fails to see, to record, and to reward. Blessed is the man who is busy in secret with his kindness: he finds a special joy in his unknown benevolences. This is the bread, which eaten by stealth, is sweeter than the banquets of kings. How can I indulge myself today with this delightful luxury? Let me have a real feast of tenderness and Row of soul.

Here and hereafter the Lord Himself will personally see to the rewarding of the secret giver of alms. This will be in His own way and time; and He will choose the very best. How much this promise means it will need eternity to reveal.

Charles H. Spurgeon


True Christians Do the Will of God

Sermon by Tim Conway
Con-vic-ting....


Monday, February 28, 2011

Operation Forward: Honor God

Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. KJV
Knowing our past doesn't make us who we are should be a driving force for us to look towards the future. Lord knows my past still tries to haunt me, but knowing that Jesus makes all things new for those who believe in Him passes all human understanding. To all my true believers, worship Him with a whole heart today & EVERYDAY! He makes ALL things new!
Honor God with all that you do, all who you are, and with all you have. 
1 Corinthians 6:20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. Amplified Version

Proverbs 3:9 Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income. Amplified Version

1 Corinthians 10:31 So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. Amplified Version

If Jesus comes back in our lifetime, let's be found in the process! Never stopping or going back to our past, but constantly moving forward, renewing our minds with the word of God [Romans 12:1-2], and walking IN LOVE with EVERYONE [1 Corinthians 13; Ephesians 5:2]. I know it's not easy, but through the blood of Jesus we have the ability to do all things! [Philippians 4:13

Jeremiah 3:14 says, "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:" KJV
If you've fallen down that slippery slope, don't be discouraged, lift up your face, pick up your cross, and follow Christ!! Luke 9:23 And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. Amplified Version


Peace be unto you! Amen!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Daily Devotion: Blessing on Littleness

Faith's Checkbook 

He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. -Psalm 115:1

This is a word of cheer to those who are of humble station and mean estate. Our God has a very gracious consideration for those of small property, small talent, small influence, small weight. God careth for the small things in creation and even regards sparrows in their lighting upon the ground. Nothing is small to God, for He makes use of insignificant agents for the accomplishment of His purposes. Let the least among men seek of God a blessing upon his littleness, and he shall find his contracted sphere to be a happy one.

Among those who fear the Lord there are little and great. Some are babes, and others are giants. But these are all blessed. Little faith is blessed faith. Trembling hope is blessed hope. Every grace of the Holy Spirit, even though it be only in the bud, bears a blessing within it. Moreover, the Lord Jesus bought both the small and the great with the same precious blood, and He has engaged to preserve the lambs as well as the full-grown sheep. No mother overlooks her child because it is little; nay, the smaller it is, the more tenderly does she nurse it. If there be any preference with the Lord, He does not arrange them as "great and small" but as "small and great."

C. H. Spurgeon

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Sons of Confederate Veterans??????

SMH So, I saw this interview on the news. The interviewee was saying how basically the confederate soldiers were justified in their action because they were fighting for their liberty, saying how slavery was not against the law in the 1800s... the newsanchor then asked, about the slaves' liberty... how can they NOT be justified?? The interviewee then says... "well even Jesus Christ condoned slavery" *tape rewinds* say what!? Lol Uhm sir... I'm going to need for you to stop manipulating the word of God to work for your advantage... so many people lift scriptures out of context. So to anyone who may be confused about Jesus condoning slavery, know that slavery in biblical times was different from slavery in the 16th-19th centuries. People usually sold their own self into slavery to pay off a debt, they weren't forced to labor based off race, ethnicity, creed, whatever. It was pretty much based on your social status... meh... this article from gotquestions.org sums it up.. O Lord... smh have mercy on this world...


Question: "Does the Bible condone slavery?"

Answer:
There is a tendency to look at slavery as something of the past. But it is estimated that there are today over 12 million people in the world who are subject to slavery: forced labor, sex trade, inheritable property, etc. As those who have been redeemed from the slavery of sin, followers of Jesus Christ should be the foremost champions of ending human slavery in the world today. The question arises, though, why does the Bible not speak out strongly against slavery? Why does the Bible, in fact, seem to support the practice of human slavery?

The Bible does not specifically condemn the practice of slavery. It gives instructions on how slaves should be treated (Deuteronomy 15:12-15; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 4:1), but does not outlaw slavery altogether. Many see this as the Bible condoning all forms of slavery. What many fail to understand is that slavery in biblical times was very different from the slavery that was practiced in the past few centuries in many parts of the world. The slavery in the Bible was not based exclusively on race. People were not enslaved because of their nationality or the color of their skin. In Bible times, slavery was more a matter of social status. People sold themselves as slaves when they could not pay their debts or provide for their families. In New Testament times, sometimes doctors, lawyers, and even politicians were slaves of someone else. Some people actually chose to be slaves so as to have all their needs provided for by their masters.

The slavery of the past few centuries was often based exclusively on skin color. In the United States, many black people were considered slaves because of their nationality; many slave owners truly believed black people to be inferior human beings. The Bible most definitely does condemn race-based slavery. Consider the slavery the Hebrews experienced when they were in Egypt. The Hebrews were slaves, not by choice, but because they were Hebrews (Exodus 13:14). The plagues God poured out on Egypt demonstrate how God feels about racial slavery (Exodus 7-11). So, yes, the Bible does condemn some forms of slavery. At the same time, the Bible does seem to allow for other forms. The key issue is that the slavery the Bible allowed for in no way resembled the racial slavery that plagued our world in the past few centuries.

In addition, both the Old and New Testaments condemn the practice of “man-stealing” which is what happened in Africa in the 19th century. Africans were rounded up by slave-hunters, who sold them to slave-traders, who brought them to the New World to work on plantations and farms. This practice is abhorrent to God. In fact, the penalty for such a crime in the Mosaic Law was death: “Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death” (Exodus 21:16). Similarly, in the New Testament, slave-traders are listed among those who are “ungodly and sinful” and are in the same category as those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, adulterers and perverts, and liars and perjurers (1 Timothy 1:8-10).

Another crucial point is that the purpose of the Bible is to point the way to salvation, not to reform society. The Bible often approaches issues from the inside out. If a person experiences the love, mercy, and grace of God by receiving His salvation, God will reform his soul, changing the way he thinks and acts. A person who has experienced God’s gift of salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin, as God reforms his soul, will realize that enslaving another human being is wrong. A person who has truly experienced God’s grace will in turn be gracious towards others. That would be the Bible’s prescription for ending slavery.

-GotQuestions.org

You Just Never Know

My heart is so heavy right now; I hope you have time to read this...
Basically, the title says it all. You just never know... when your time will be up. Man, I was drawn to tears yesterday evening. I constantly find myself asking God, "What is going on!?" or "what's wrong with them Lord!?" It's so many things, chaotic things, unexplainable things, disgusting things, happening I just get SO frustrated. So many people walk around thinking that they have a lifetime to commit themselves to Christ, and that really hurts me. Especially when they're the same people who go to church and call themselves "saved" because they said a prayer... but now that I think about it, you saying a salvation prayer is vain tradition/religion if you're not working your faith in it.

The fact that people take their liberty in Christ for granted makes me so frustrated. HOW DARE YOU SPIT IN JESUS' FACE!? That's EXACTLY what you're doing when you say that prayer then go right back to the same lifestyle you were living. Where is the affection and the gratitude for the sacrifice that He made for US!? I pray that God will grace people with the same revelation I've had. That salvation, is not in a prayer, YES confession is an important aspect of it, but it's a change of lifestyle as well.... you HAVE to be Holy, we were called to be Holy as He is holy. [1 Peter 1:15-16] To me, it's scary knowing that tomorrow is promised to no one, because there are so many that I want to see FREE from sin, as I am now free from sin. NO I am not perfect by any means, but I strive for perfection in holiness everyday.  Proverbs 27:1 says "BOAST not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" KJV   Do you know what that means?? At any given moment you could take your last breath. GOD FORBID, you could get in some terrible accident and become a vegetable for the rest of your life. ANYTHING can happen in a day. ANYTHING! James 4:14 says "Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]." Amplified version

It makes me sad, so many people are walking around, lifeless, with no hope, feeling like there's nothing to look forward to. But I'm here to tell whoever this post is for, you have hope, HOPE in CHRIST, and Hope that He has given us the gift of eternal life [John 3:16]. John 14:1-4 says, "DO NOT let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. In My Father's house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you. And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And [to the place] where I am going, you know the way." Amplified Version    I want to encourage EVERYBODY believers and nonbelievers, we have hope! Christ has given us that! He has given us the key to eternal life... LOVE, PEACE & Holiness, follow those guidelines and you're as good as gold!

Philippians 3:20-21 "But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior,Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself." Amplified Version

I just want to leave you with this, (read the whole book of Romans!) Romans 8:1 THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. Amplified Version

Heaven is a real place, and I'm going, if I have to, I'll be fighting off demons until I enter the gates of the kingdom. I have already made my reservation, prayerfully my name is in that book!!! (Revelation 21:27)

Man I love you all so much!! I wish I could give each and everyone one of you a hug, I'll do it electronically lol   >--^__^--<   there is HOPE!! Let's hold each other accountable so we can all make it to the FINAL Promised land!! AMEN!!

"Life is temporary preparation for eternity, die still unprepared and you're gonna burn eternally" -Prophet

Friday, February 11, 2011

A Woman's Worth

My bestest friend in the whole wide world (lol) wrote this. I wanted to share this, so much truth to it! I pray this touches someone's heart!
Do you know your value? What is your worth? Have you devalued yourself for someone who was really unable to afford your worth? Christ paid a very expensive price for you! Why have you given yourself away, sold yourself short for something or someone unworthy? I’m speaking of things such as a so called expensive meal at Red Lobster, a “sweet” gesture of opening the door (something he is supposed to do anyway), sweet NOTHINGS being whispered in your ear. To some it all up, COUNTERFIT LOVE! Or do you simply give yourself away to fill the emptiness or heal the brokenness inside. Have you sold yourself short because you don’t know your worth? Have you sold yourself short in relationships by tolerating foolishness, knowing you could do better? How many, “I’m sorry” EXCUSES have you accepted? At some point you need to take heed to what the man is telling you, he is SORRY!!! You deserve to be treated, loved, and spoken to in a certain way.
I especially want to touch on the area in which I notice that most of my ladies are devaluing themselves, S-E-X! “I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and Holy sacrifice-the kind He will accept. When you think of what He has done for you, is this too much to ask?...” Romans 12:1-2
“God purchased you at a high price. Don’t be enslaved by the world; be ye not the servants of men” I Corinthians 7:23
God showed you your value and worth when He sent His son to die on the cross for YOU! Why then would you devalue yourself after God has shown you how valuable you truly are? “He paid for you with the precious blood of Christ, the sinless spotless Lamb of God” I Peter 1:19
This may sound very “old school” but it is a BEAUTIFUL thing in the eyes of the Lord, any guy who wants you should pay the most expensive price for you, and in the eyes of God that price is marriage. NOT, telling you how much he “loves” you, how he wants to marry you one day, or spoiling you with things. The price is placing a ring on your finger FIRST, and making a vow before God to love you as Christ loved the church. Your body is not the Goodwill, stop taking donations, and make him pay FIRST!
Some people think that “no sex before marriage” is an old rule and way of thinking. FALSE!!! If you are having sex before marriage you are having “ILLEGAL SEX” God expects us to take His word and apply it to our lives! Enough with this calling ourselves Christians and not living like one, (I’ll touch on that more in another note).
Let’s take a look at what the word has to say about it. “But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs.” I Corinthians 7:2
Uh oh, wait a minute! The Bible says to fulfill your HUSBAND’S sexual needs! Not the boy you met at the party last night or the guy you’ve been dating for five minutes or ten years, or your baby daddy, or the guy you plan on marrying, but your HUSBAND!!!
“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”         I Corinthians 6:18-20
“God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” I Thessalonians 4:3
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”Hebrews 13:4
God takes fornication very serious, not only because He knows your worth but He knows the awesome price He paid for you. This letter was not written to condemn anyone, because we all make mistakes, Lord knows I have. I simply want to expose how comfortable we are in our sin, while calling ourselves Christians, and how precious you ladies are. Now, I know some of you may be reading this thinking, “Well it’s too late for me.” ”I am no virgin.” “Shoot I just finished fornicating five minutes ago.” “I’m shacking up with my boyfriend right now.” The awesome thing about God is that He knows us and our value. He loves us so much that He sent His only son to die for our sins because we would mess up sometimes. Therefore, faith in the precious blood of Jesus can cleanse you from any and all of your wrong doings. Romans 8:38 says that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. You can find some more encouraging scriptures in; John 3:16, Romans 3:25-26, Colossians 1:21, I Peter 1:19, and Romans 5:8-9 (and if you need prayer concerning any of this please feel free to inbox me). So for those of you who are living this immoral lifestyle, there is hope, but I do not want you to misunderstand what I am saying concerning forgiveness. The blood of Jesus was not made to be used as a green card to continue sinning. Example: “I’ll have sex with this dude tonight and then I’ll just ask God for forgiveness when I’m done.” NO MA’AM, IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!!! Proverbs 28:13 says,” People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess AND TURN FROM THEM, they will receive mercy.”
I want to leave you with this love story; it’s the story of Jacob and Rachael, Genesis 29. Jacob worked  for Rachael’s father for SEVEN years to receive her hand in marriage, and even after being tricked into marrying her sister, he was still willing to work another SEVEN years to receive her hand in marriage. Let’s stop making ourselves so easy that these guys don’t even consider putting in work. Make it known that you will not be sleeping with him until he marries you, and stick to it! I just want to encourage you all today. Operate in your worth, don’t settle for less, and stop devaluing yourselves to meet someone’s cheap budget. Remember God loves you and He wants the best for you!

-Vania M.