Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for death....
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
No mind can fathom the ways of God, but I'm looking for a meaning, can you help me?
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Rose DeLong - My Grandma
So today I am going to read from Proverbs 31.
10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household,
16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “ Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.
I really feel that this passage was written by observations of my grandma At first glance you can see that it is an outdated passage and idea, that no one could ever meet every criteria listed, but I stand in testament that to a tee, my grandmother did, and she did it with great joy.
She was a virtuous woman, and more precious than I can even begin to describe the worth and value we all have in our heart today is extremely priceless. My grandma never boasted on how to do things right or how to be right, she instead made an example of how to be right by the way she lived her life.
Some examples I will never forget of my Grandma, are how she was
So strong, yet so caring and meek,
she was a fierce fighter, yet gentle beyond a doubt
she was frugal, yet SO SO SO giving.
She would give anything for those that she loved. There are too many memories to mention of our grandma, our gg, and mom. But there is one memory that I feel I must share.
My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was close to eight years old, and I still remember the effect it had on all of my family, it was a very hard time. I was not used to seeing my mom scared, or to see my mom cry, it was very frightening to me along with all the thoughts and ideas that followed her diagnosis.
but When the time came for surgeries, or even a trip out of state for my mom to seek a naturalist’s opinion. I remember without hesitation my grandma was there to help with Everything! She was my own ray of hope in a very dark saddened time. She always made me feel that everything would be fine. She was Grandma.
She left such an impression that I remember once when my friends were trying to tease me of how strict and stearn my grandmother was, I was very surprised at my own reaction...I broke into tears. I told them that they wouldn’t be able to tease if they knew about my grandma’s great labor of love to my family, and what hope she had brought to me in a sad time. And with that they knew never to tease me about MY grandma again. What an impression at only eight years old.
But then as I got older, and I understood that my grandma was also fighting cancer through everything, that she was taking care of my grandpa who had Parkinson’s, and along with so many other tasks, errands and visits to grandchildren, I held an even higher regard for her. She was a fighter and survivor even to the end.
For me to witness my grandma putting to action every statute of the Bible, has been greater for me than any sermon I have ever heard and I am sure better than any sermon I will ever hear.
So in short what I wanted to share is, I know that my grandma will forever in my heart be THE virtuous woman I strive to be like. And my desire is to someday soon see her again.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Becoming a Man/Woman After God's Own Heart: Goliath Pt. 2
(The Verses Below are taken from 1st Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath.)
VS. 28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle."
VS. 33 And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you [are] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same" That's a line from a song by the Fray, I thought I would add it because when we choose to stand for what is right, it is usually harder than going with the flow, isn't it? When David decided to stand up against the blaspheming Goliath you would think all would rally around him, and be so proud he made a brave choice, Instead he faces more "giants". So even when we are on the right track and making right choices conquering giants left and right, we face more "giants" in our own tents.
When Satan sees us moving for the glory of God, he does all he can to pull the rug out from under our feet. For me the greatest sucker punch comes from when he uses our closest of kin, maybe a brother or sister like David's oldest brother Eliab, or a highly respected peer like King Saul.
That hurts doesn't it? When even our family says "You can't", "You're wrong/ignorant", or even "You're too much of a Jesus freak". I know I have failed many battles because I couldn't/wouldn't even leave the camp. There is no easy way to get around this obstacle, this is the most defining moment as a Christian, can we show God's love to someone persecuting us, while still following God's will?
YES!!! But only if our every strength comes from God. We need to accept opinions or even criticism without lashing back in vengeance, but we need to still press on to what God is telling us to do. This is where I fail, I am not good at getting served up some good ol' criticism...I lash right back with self-righteousness, and "I'm more holy than you, nah nah nah!". It's hard, being a Christian isn't cookie cutter perfect, or easy, but showing love where it is not deserved is what defines a Christian from any other religion, that is what God did for us!
What we need to remember is that God's is the only opinion we need to worry about, and that our worth in God is just as great as we treat others. And when God stirs in us to do something, I think we all have learned, you had better do it! Jump the hurdle and continue running towards the goal God has given, don't let others around you steal your passion or your purpose.
It is healthy to get a God-fearing opinion from a spiritual leader, but be weary as our greatest spiritual leader should always, and will always be God Himself!
My Prayer: Jehovah-nissi, The Lord my Banner! God I pray we would only boast in You! That when we're in battle we would lift You high, and When we're in the camp, we would raise You up, so that others would know and see Your glory! God I pray we would always look to You, and not dwell on the harmful words of man, that we would see others as You see them, and show them compassion when needed. God I pray we would never turn to the right or to the left, but always march on to the purpose you have given us! Nothing is too big for You God! Whatever You call us to, You will see us through if we abide. God help us to stand firm in our calling! To love as You do! God we pray that in every day, in anything we do, that it would bring glory to Your name! That no matter what the circumstance might be, that You would receive praise from my response to that circumstance. God Our heart is toward the lost, who do not know Your love, help us to share it in the greatest way possible, by practicing it! You are soooooooooo patient with me Lord, and I thank You for helping pin point the areas where I have not given myself fully to You! Thank You for Your servant David and all that we are able to learn from him. You alone are God who sets up kings and nations and also who tears them down, who gives life and who takes it away, help us to follow Your command, we place our hearts in Your hands! It is only because of Jesus that I am able to make known my request to You and it is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Becoming a Man/Woman After God's Own Heart: Goliath Pt. 1
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Boast in the Cross
Read: Isaiah 53:1-10 (below)
Wow! Reading how He took it all, reading about how my Jesus was marred and bruised, and for what? Why did Jesus allow this torture? He did it for you, like we read last week how His desire was for us to know God, to be one with God. Jesus took on your every sin, so that the wall built between you and God, would be broken down, so that you could commune with God! That’s truly awesome. Think about it you wouldn’t even have the ability to pray to God, you wouldn’t have the ability to ask God’s forgiveness if not for Jesus breaking down the wall of sin and death. He was lowly and rejected, did He give up? Did He say after the first time people tried to stone Him “Hey Father? Yeah, well, you know the reason you sent me? Yeah, well, their too far gone, can you beam me back up now….” Is that what He did? NO! He said Lord forgive them, they know not what they do! Even when we don’t want forgiveness, Jesus prayed that the Father would show us forgiveness.
Pray: Thank Jesus for His ultimate gift! Thank Him for loving us when we didn’t even think or want to love Him.
Read: Isaiah 11:1-5, 10 (below)
"And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."
As we read in Isaiah 53, Jesus was lowly in all manner, He was not beautiful or glorious in his appearance, but what was Glorious about Jesus was, His Father; His resting place, the fear of the Lord He had, the way He judged righteously. Jesus Had nothing to boast in but His Father and the rest that He promised. He didn't boast in His own authority, He only boasted in the authority of His father, but not that His father would smite them all, He proclaimed God's Love. I know we live in a world where aknowledgment and pride are upheld in the highest places, but do we honestly have anything to boast in?
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galations 6:14
You and I may be complete no ones. We may be the lowest of low of all people. We have no glory no fame no money no unspeakable beauty, but what we do have, is the Glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on whom all the sin of the world was laid, and paid. And in that we can boast and sing into eternity.
Pray: That you would boast only in the cross of the Lord, that you would make it you mission in life as Jesus did, to only glory and only speak of the Kingdom of heaven and the Glory of the Father!
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
So God is giving to Jesus a portion of the greatness, to Jesus whom "people" esteemed lowly and unworthy of even a just trial. God is giving Greatness. Are we not now crucified in Jesus Christ, are we not now heirs to His riches? Beloved, never feel that you are not good, that you are unworthy, You have the glory of the Father in you. The same glory that Jesus had inside of Him. Jesus poured out His soul unto death, and now He is seated at the right hand of Almighty GOD. Can we fight a little longer, can we stand firm in this vapor of time, so we can be seated in Him, can we endure the slight suffering so to recieve our riches in heaven? Pour out your life to Him! He bore or sins, He eliminated our iniquity, He made intercession for the transgressors. We are capable of the same, eliminate sin in your life, pray for eliminated iniquity daily, and make intercession for all who you know need to know your Lord, who need to know the Gorious hope of Christ in them.
Pray: That you would be like Jesus and pour yourself even unto death if that is what God wills, though we are lowly and poor, we can share in the riches of Christ by giving our lives to God, and making intercession, praying for those who are transgressors and do not know our Lord. Pray about inviting someone to Easter service at your church. Pray that many would come and see that Jesus is Lord!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Wake Up!
Read: Luke 22:39-46
Read: John 17
Isn’t amazing to see how Jesus prayed and is praying for us? Here Christ is about to be brutally murdered and He is praying that we might know God as He knows God. His earnest desire was for us to know God like He knew God. Yet sometimes we can’t even stay awake for our encouragement from the Lord, The Spirit is willing, God will send His angels to us to strengthen us when we cry out to Him, can we stay awake?
The hour is at hand Christ has given us the righteousness and power to pray the same prayer Jesus did that night for everyone we know. We are given the priveledge of praying that our friends would know God like we know God. Are we sleeping when we should be praying for Christ’s inheritance? Jesus Died for EVERYONE! God loves EVERYONE! If you are too timid to share with your friends and classmates isn’t that essentially cursing them to hell? It spits in their face to say that you do not love them enough to share the greatest gift EVER given! If you don’t have that love for others, than you might not have God, 1st John 4:8 says that if we do not love then we do not know God. Do you know God? Are you showing love?
Long before we made messes of our lives God made a mess of His son’s life for EVERYONE! Wow! WAKE UP SLEEPERS! The spirit is willing to answer your prayer of salvation to all you ask, but your flesh is too weak to pray??? I don’t think so! WAKE UP!!!
Pray now:
"It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:24
Is God not good??? Before we even ask God for a friends salvation He will answer us, and while we speak He hears! Maybe right now this very moment at your request God is sending angels to surround the person you listed above, are you called to be an angel for someone in this moment?
If you prayed earnestly for a friends salvation and you desire them to know Him like you know Him, you can count that prayer as good as answered. The Lord gives us the desire of our heart when we humble ourselves and delight in Him. He is sovereign and He will be Lord of every heart, salvation is coming to those hearts!
Final prayer:
Thank God for His awesome promise to answer our prayers, Thank Jesus for giving us the ability to come before God, Thank God for grace through Jesus and for salvation that is free to all. Pray about the commission you have been given to be a harvester, God laid that name on your heart for a reason. Go to coffee with them and let them get a taste of the insatiable passion you have for the Lord, you don’t need church to reach out to your friends, first, YOU need to reach out to your friends! Ask God how you are to harvest the field He has given to you! Make this prayer real write it down, keep a journal to see how God will blow your mind with answers!
Will you fall asleep, and grieve Jesus again?? Or will you give God the sweet smelling aroma of a heart humbled before Him? His Spirit is willing!
I love you so much dear faithful one, but there is one much greater than I and He has a will and purpose for your life that is greater than you can imagine! Don’t believe the lie that you are not good enough for any reason!
Read: Jeremiah 1:4-12, 17-19