tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63360775906061409492024-02-20T12:30:55.535-08:00Empowered Campus MinistriesAubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-58586468296934855242011-01-27T11:17:00.003-08:002011-01-27T11:17:41.667-08:00Revive the Urgency<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">After Pastor Ryan's sermon this past Sunday night on complacency, a category to which (before Sunday night) I thought I didn't apply to me. From then on, God has been showing me how wrong I was, even if it was a small, seemingly unimportant area of my life. God has been showing me how those areas we deem "unimportant" add up...and lead to disobedience, ultimately fulfilling the agenda of complacency.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So naturally, God has also been giving me scripture to back this thing up :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Go with me to Genesis 50:24-Exodus 1:1-14</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.” So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy[a] in all; Joseph was already in Egypt. Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Okay, I know that's a lot to take in, but I wanted you to see the context. Joseph dies and as he's dieing, reminds his brothers of that which God has promised them. A land that God has specifically ordained for them that would flow with blessing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But notice something...no where does it say that Joseph's brothers and descendants began to seek God and pray that He would come to their aid and lead them into this promised land. No where does it say they fasted and prayed until an answer came. At the beginning of Exodus chapter 1, it begins to list the new descendants that we being born. It tells of their new fruit, and how they Israelites "multiplied greatly" in the land of Egypt....but no where do you see any talk of following God's promise. Why is this? How is it that within such a short amount of time, the Israelites forgot about a promise that they had heard all of their lives?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I believe that they got comfortable. They had just left a time of famine, had reunited their family before Joseph died, and we now being fruitful, experiencing much gain in the areas that they believed made them successful and "blessed". Everything was right in their world, and surely they wouldn't need to leave when everything was going well...right? Wasn't this what God had intended? They had 3/4 of the promise already...Maybe they didn't need to completely follow His plan to be obedient...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">wrong.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Why is this wrong? Read down a few more verses. The Egyptians began to see the growth and strength of the Israelites and feared their possible power...leading them to enslave God's chosen people.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So if the reality they were living in was truly God's promise, would the leaders of that land have enslaved them?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Clearly, Egypt was not the land that God had promised. So what brought them to their enslavement? It was their decision to sit back, and enjoy the comfortable place that they were in. After a long battle with famine and familial conflict, in our mind, this would be justifiable. In our mind, we would deserve the break...but God told us to run the race set before us, not stop and pitch a tent ten miles from the finish line, deciding that "almost there" is good enough.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When it comes down to it, the Israelites failed to see the urgency in pursuing God's promise, and as a result became enslaved by the disobedience they chose to dwell in. By being content with Egypt when they should have been longing for the promise land, they became satisfied and inactive, when they should've been pursuing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When God promises us something, He doesn't always just hand it to us. While we can't try and make our own way to that promise, through our own scheming and planning, God expects us to do what He's told us to do; fast, pray, and read His word; and be obedient to His promptings that can lead us to His plan. Had the Israelites been doing this, they might have received instruction from God and entered the promise land before they ever became a threat to the Egyptians and became enslaved as a result.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We must pursue God so fervently that we will never become satisfied with where we are. We must pursue Him with such passion that we will be able to hear His subtle promptings that lead us into the fruition of His promises. We must keep our hearts in such a burning state that we burn for the dream of God, and cannot be content with a watered down version of it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If we fail to do this, we can become enslaved by the disobedience that surrounds our comfortable, complacent condition. If God's chosen can do it, so can we.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I don't know about you, but in this season of revival, I don't want to miss out just because I was content with having almost all of God's blessing. I want it all. I want to be a mighty flame that signals His glory to all the nations! I want to be a jar of clay, one that He has molded and can fill in order to pour out His glory into our dry land! I want to sit at His feet, night and day, studying His word and praising Him for His majesty and holiness!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know that I can't do that if I choose to remain where I am comfortable and not where I am consecrated.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Neither can you.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Aubrey</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-80395724798868890382011-01-27T11:17:00.001-08:002011-01-27T11:17:06.820-08:00Is it a Sacrifice or is it Love?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">After starting the journey of our 40 day Daniel fast, I began thinking of all the foods I was giving up for the fast...like milk, cheese, chocolate cake, garlic bread, Enrico's... And I kept saying, "You know, God, I hope you know what I'm giving up for you, because this is a lot more painful that I thought."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Seriously, how stupid is that???</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Extremely so.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Later, when God and I were talking, He asked, "Do you realize what I gave up for you?"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(Insert cricket sounds here).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Needless to say I practically fell on my face and repented for a good bit. He wasn't sugary sweet as we imagine Him to be when He speaks...this was a literal glimpse of His wrath. Something I honestly have never experienced in that form before.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now I understand what it means to fear Him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">He, the Creator, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Master, the Judge, chose to make human beings for HIS glory, knowing all along what He would have to give up in order to remove the veil and be close and intimate with them. He gave up Jesus, His precious and beloved Son, so that we may be His beloved sons and daughters. HE turned HIS back on HIS SON while Jesus bore MY pathetic sin on the cross. He did that for me....for you...for all of us.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And I can't give up a piece of chocolate cake for 40 days.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">You can't give up listening to certain music.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We can't give up our family or our friends.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The world can give up it's complacency and comforts.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Because what would happen if we REALLY got to know God? If we saw how fearful and awesome He is? If we saw how giving and selfless He is? If we saw how loving he is? We'd see how insiginificant and pathetic we are as humans. We'd see how much we so desperately need God Almightly, because without Him, we are nothing.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Yes, God is a loving God, but He is to be feared! Honestly, I'm to the point that I fear Him so much that I don't want to step one toe out of line because I don't want to do anything that might hinder me from Him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When I started thinking about all those who reject Him and say 'no' to Him, I cried. I said "Lord, but You're so beautiful and holy...why would anyone NOT want you?"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I felt like a child asking why her Daddy got fired from his job.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">God answered me with, "It's because they don't love Me."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">This absolutely broke my heart, because it breaks my Daddy's heart. His children, who He created with the upmost care, love, and affection, reject Him on a daily basis because He's not what they want. To them, He's not worth giving stuff up for.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">One minute I was fearing God, to the next minute seeing His heartbreak. Because this is what it's like to be fully engaged into a relationship with Him. He shows you every aspect of who He is when you're willing to notice and listen and see.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Through this fast, God has fully altered my way of thinking. Not just because I'm giving up food. But because I'm willing giving up stuff that ties me to the world and hinders me from being with Him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I'm encouraging you to remember why you do the things you do for God, and for you to remember that A) You can't do them without God's help and B) it's all for HIS glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We give up stuff for His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We kill our flesh for His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We say no the world for His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We love others for His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We love Him for His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We worship Him for His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It's all for His glory, everything we do, everything we are, and all that He has created is for His own glory.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-38808927334612204312011-01-27T11:16:00.000-08:002011-01-27T11:16:19.133-08:00Oh, Ouch! That Hurt!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Numbers 4:20</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">".... The Kohathites must never enter the sanctuary to look at the sacred objects for even a moment, or they will die."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">This in a weird way shook me up. The Kohathites were the ones who carried the sacred objects in the time of Moses, you know, the ones that carried the big poles with the "objects" on it. Now, you'd think that the Kohathites were pretty special people, I mean they got to carry God's sacred objects. Thats a pretty important job in my eyes. And even though these Kohathites were more special than most: they couldn't even LOOK at the things they were carrying, lest they die. DIE! Just by looking!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">A lot of the time we forget God's "not so pleasant" side. We have the loving merciful and kind God down pat. We sometimes forget that God is also Righteous Judge, and has a wrath unlike any other. We forget that the same God that is loving and kind in the New Testament is the same God that is in the Old Testament. You know, the God that poured out his wrath, and destroyed entire peoples.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The Kohathites couldn't even look at the thing, and we have ability to come even closer. The veil has been torn, and we can come into close fellowship with the Father. Glory to God, he allows us actually talk to him, and have him answer. US! Can you imagine? The Kohathites couldn't even look at the OBJECTS- and we were given opportunity to look upon His face!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And we don't take advantage of this. How dare we come to the living God, the Righteous Judge, with an attitude of pride and that he owes us.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">He owes us nothing. Not only are we saved and delivered, we have the honor to come upon him. We owe him more than we could ever repay. When we come to him with this attitude of "gimme gimme gimme" it's like a slap in His face. What about when we disobey him? Or blow him off? Or not talk to him because we are too tired? Or blaming him for the mess we have gotten ourselves into!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Imagine what the Kohathites would say to us?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"Dude, i couldn't even look at the thing I was carrying, and you get the opportunity to talk to the God who made it? What are you doing?"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We make excuses, all the time,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">" oh, I can't do my quiet time today, I just have ____________God is a understanding God, so will understand."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Fill in the blank.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It should be the highest honor to come before him, but the relationship has been perverted into the idea that God owes us. He is so amazing and glorious, it is a privilege to be called his child, to have access to his inheritance.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But so often it becomes a chore to us. Oh man, do I have to do my quiet time today? I'm just so tired. No! It shouldn't be "do I have too" it should be "glory to God, I get too"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Understand what I'm getting at? It's basically what God likes to hit me over the head with. That GOD let's us talk to him, and we blow him off! GOD! ( please insert the mental picture of me flinging my hands in the air saying God over and over. Think empowered )</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I don't know if this affects you in any way, but every time God reminds me who he really is- I have to take a step back and reprioritize my life, placing him in first because I have the privilege to be able to.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Oh God, forgive us.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Emma</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-28467929525121458202011-01-18T20:37:00.003-08:002011-01-18T20:37:44.287-08:00Excuses, Excuses<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Today, I was reading a piece of scripture in Genesis chapter 37. I'll share that first before we get into anything.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph was not in the pit; and he tore his clothes. And he returned to his brothers and said, “The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?” So they took Joseph’s tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.Then they sent the tunic of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, “We have found this. Do you know whether it is your son’s tunic or not?” And he recognized it and said, “It is my son’s tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces." Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his waist, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, “For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning.” Thus his father wept for him. Now the Midianites[a] had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">To give a little backstory, this scene occurred just after Joseph's brothers had sold him into slavery to the Midianites out of jealousy toward Jacob's favor toward his youngest son Joseph. If you want more backstory on Joseph and the intricacies of his story, then refer to the aforementioned chapter of Genesis and on (which I HIGHLY recommend...there are many good gold nuggets in the story of his life), but for now I want to focus specifically on the actions of the brothers.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The brothers felt entitled and justified in their actions that ridded their lives of their favored brother. They must've felt "We're older, we deserve better treatment....We've worked longer for father, we should receive gifts like beautiful robes of many colors....Just because we're the sons of slaves doesn't mean we should get lesser treatment...", and an assortment of other excuses that permitted them to throw their brother in a cistern and sell him to slave traders. But if they really felt they had every right to get rid of him, and that it was the right thing to do...why did they cover it up? If they TRULY felt they were justified...why would they make it look as though Joseph's absence was caused by the murder of a wild animal rather than the cruel treatment of his envious brothers?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I believe that C.S. Lewis provides us an answer. In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S.Lewis addresses many philosophical and theological arguments that have been present within the Christian community for quite some time, but one of the most interesting that I have read so far (although I'm not very far in) would have to be the following concept. He states that there is always an accepted moral standard, and that no matter how fervently we deny it, that standard (the standard of God) is always there, and always present within us telling us what is right and wrong. Many disagree with Lewis, and say that such a standard is mythical, and standards of right and wrong are what we make them or simply vary from situation to situation. It is then that Lewis argues, if there were no such standard...than there wold be no reason for people to make excuses. He masterfully states that for someone to make an excuse, they must first acknowledge somewhere inside of them that what they have done is wrong, and requires explaining. After all, if we were truly right in a situation, it would not have any grounds for questioning that required an "exception" statement attached to it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, really, by creating a cover up, and by making justifications and excuses in their heads, the brothers of Joseph were proving that what they did was wrong...if they had simply acknowledged that fact sooner, Joseph might've never ended up in bondage...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Think this doesn't apply to you...bare with me ;)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">How often do we make excuses? How often do we talk ourselves into making "exceptions" to the standard we know is right?...exceptions to the standard of holiness that God calls us to live? If "it's just ONE swear word...that doesn't make the whole movie bad", "He just wanted to show me how much he loved me, and it went just a LITTLE too far", "I'm just a teenager", "everyone expects me to do it", or "I just went to make sure he didn't drink too much, so what if I had one too" sound familiar...than odds are the speaker of such sayings has acknowledged what they are doing or what they have done is wrong...excuses just allow them to live in denial of that sin...a tactic that we use to live how we want, and the devil uses to keep us unrepented and out of communion with God.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">My question is, if Joseph's brothers lead him into bondage by living in excuses and failing to accept their wrong doing, how many could we as Christians have lead into bondage through our excuses?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">They don't have to be as bad as the ones I previously mentioned...they could even include spiritually applied ones such as "They wouldn't listen to me anyway", "They've already skipped church for the past four sundays, it's not like me asking them to come again will change anything", or my personal favorite "I'm too young".</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">How many have we lead down a wrong path because we were afraid to step out and tell them the truth? How many have we lead into bondage because we made personal compromises to live how we wanted?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">How many of these actions have we simply "band-aided" with excuses so that we don't have to take the blame for what we truly know is wrong?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">How many will go to hell as a result of our generation "excusing" ourselves from our responsibility as Christians?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">In the beginning of this year, let's resolve to own up to where we've failed and live an uncompromised, outspoken, fully burning life for Christ in 2011.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Press out sin, Press into God, and Press on.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Aubrey</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-4844376745177255302011-01-18T20:37:00.001-08:002011-01-18T20:37:14.919-08:00Leading Warrior Pioneers on a Narrow Road<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Hey everyone!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know we've been all out of whack about posting our devos due to various trips over the holidays, but God keeps telling me that we need to keep this up and remember why we started it in the first place!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, with that being said, I'm going to download into you all and remind you all of what it means to be a leader. I'm going to post a new aspect every day as the Lord reveals to me what He wants to be said (in addition to the other devotional posts), as this has been on my heart for over a month now. Today, I start with the basics...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"Lead"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Definitions of lead according to Merriam Webster:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to guide on a way especially by going in advance</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to direct on a course or in a direction</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to serve as a channel for (as in a pipe)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to direct the operations, activity, or performance of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to take charge of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to go ahead of</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-to be first</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Obviously, the word “pioneer” automatically jumped out at me when I read the definitions of lead, so I did a bit of dictionary referencing and found…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Pioneer: one of the first to settle in a territory. Originates from “foot soldier”.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">As a verb, pioneer means to open or prepare a way for others to follow.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok, now I know we’ve heard Pino’s ‘Pioneer’ song, along with ‘The Narrow Road’, but we’ve also heard his ‘You’re An Army’ countless times on Sunday nights…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The term foot soldier sent me on a tangent.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When you’re walking down a path that has yet to be traveled, you have to wrestle through the brush and branches to make the way navigable, correct? And this clearing out process is by no means an easy feat. You sweat, you ache, you tire, you thirst. But you keep on going, because you have some crazy passion inside of you to know what’s ahead. Not only are you paving a way for others to follow, but you’re walking on a narrow path that few will ever choose to follow.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Bear with me here…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">A foot soldier is defined as “a person likened to an infantryman especially in doing active and usually unglamorous work in support of an organization or movement”. A soldier’s job is to kill the opponent, to win the war essentially. But the battle field is a gross and gruesome place. The only way to conquer is to press on and fight harder, because the second the soldier gives up, he gives up his life and victory. The soldier also looks out for his fellow soldiers, stepping in when a friend is in need. Then he goes back to his task of combat.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">What exactly is the whole purpose for an army to set out into battle? They have an opponent trying to defile their mission, right? And by winning battles, the army clears the way for its people to do what they were called to do…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Therefore, not only are we leading warrior pioneers on a narrow road, we are the descendents of and ancestors to leading warrior pioneers on a narrow road (mouthful, isn’t it?). An army went before us to defeat an opponent so that we could settle into new territory. An army will come after us to continue the attack on the enemy that continually tries to ruin the destinies of the nations. But what are we doing as the here and now army? As the here and now pioneers? As the here and now leaders?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Are we fighting the devil (brushes/branches and enemy) with our God given weapon (sword) with all that we have? Or do we say “I’m starting to get tired and sweaty, and I’m hungry and I just don’t know what to do anymore” and start to give up because we don’t see the immediate results?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I’m telling you, we all have been granted the ability to fight and pursue and press on because we are all children of the King, the Mighty Warrior. We are mere reflections of Him. He came when no one else did. He fought with blood when no one would. He did not give up or say that the job was too hard. He was not discouraged or run down by the lack of enthusiasm or participation or attendance. He looked for hungry seekers. He looked for the soldiers who would rise up and fight with Him to defeat the enemy. He came so that we would be victorious in every battle, and yet we walk into our battles acting as if we’re already defeated.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">HE was the ultimate pioneer. HE is our narrow way. HE is our mighty warrior. HE is our leader. HE took the keys and gave us the victory. HE came and HE conquered.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It’s time for us to dust off our swords and start acting like the soldiers we are. It’s time for us to get up off the dirt path and start clearing the way again. We may hit rocks and hard places, but that’s when we turn to God and ask for help. That’s when we turn to the person next to us and ask for help. We may be clearing different paths, but we’re all going in the same direction. We may all end up in different ministries, but we’re all working for the same God. We are an army. We are not separate entities or individuals operating to our own accord. We are one body under God. One nation under God. And we need to start acting like it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-19162699348793135862011-01-18T20:36:00.001-08:002011-01-18T20:36:35.127-08:00Dont' Be A Piggy!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So I'm going to talk about farm animals tonight....funny how God makes us picture things, eh?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">As I was watching "The Biggest Loser" the other night, I began to contemplate the situations the obese contestants were in. I'm talking...these people were 300, 400, 500 pounds. I almost cried at the beginning of the show because I kept thinking, "How can someone gain THAT much weight, and keep going, keep gaining, even though they know they're doing something stupid?" Now, I can say that over eating and over indulgence is stupid because glutiny is a sin. Which leads me to my animal revelation.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I began to think of a pig, as we often call people 'pigs' when they eat a lot, or in a messy manner. The pig is fattened up for the slaughter (sad but true...I love me some ham...hahaha), but the farmer doesn't take the time to cuddle it or nurture it as someone would a "normal" house pet. The pig pens are messy and smelly, and so are the piggies within it. They eat all the leftovers out of a trough, and don't think a second about it. Needless to say, it's gross. The more they eat, the happier the farmer is, because all he sees is the $$ in front of his eyes.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Also on a farm, there are usually some horses. I think we can all say that they are generally respected breed of animals, and their competence has been valued for centuries. Horses are groomed, petted, loved on, feed fresh and yummy food. The farmer or rancher will saddle one up, and use it to go from one place to another, to herd other animals, or to just go on a ride.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Bear with me here.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When we sin, we're like the pigs. We're a mess in our sin, and the devil..aka farmer... just fattens us up with more slop and gross stuff only to slaughter us and bring us down. The pigs pretty much know what's going to happen, I mean, they see all their buddies disappear, so why not them, right? Isn't this how we are when we live in sin? Our flesh says, "see, it happened to all these people, so it's going to happen to me, too. Might as well just go with the flow. I'm pretty comfortable with this messy life."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Mark 5 talks about the possessed pigs being drowned in the river, when the demonic spirits asked to be sent there...interesting....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When we live in righteousness, we're like the horse. We're groomed and loved on by our owner, God...aka the farmer/rancher....but we're also used with a purpose. He saddles us, and uses the bit to direct us to the direction of His will.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">James 3:3 says: When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">He'll either bring us out to herd His lost 'animals', to travel to another city, or to just spend some one on one time.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The horse is more open to correction and obedience, the pig just squeals and runs.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Are we willing to be like the horse, open to correction and guidance? Or are you going to be a complacent pig, full of sin and ignorance?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(Now I know it may seem weird that I went from The Biggest loser to farm animals, but like I said, that's just how God talks to me. We're weird, ok? lol</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-14069076457944219762011-01-18T20:35:00.001-08:002011-01-18T20:35:35.371-08:00David Had the Right Idea!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">o I understand that this week everybody is away and doesnt have access to a computer: some are in Israel and some are in Chattanooga :) anyhow I will still write my devotion and expect you all to read it when you come back!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Down on the floor with David :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I was watching the ramp for a short time on their friday night service when something dameon Thompson said stopped me in my tracks: it was a simple comment, nothing really exciting to get worked up over, but...SHABAM!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">" i believe this is a generation that is tired of being comfortable"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now, you know what hit me immediately as he said that? David</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">David was a king, ruled over the land, appointed by god: A pretty legit guy. People watched him and followed his rule and reign. He was in all aspects a ruler, suposed to be calm and dignified and posses a royal air. Keep that in your minds:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">2 Samuel 6:17</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">" They brought the Ark of the Lord and set it in it's place inside the special tent that David had prepared for it."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">In the beginning David built a special "tabernacle" until the big permanent could be found.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now we know that David would curl underneath the Ark of the Lord to try to get as close to God as he possibly could get:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now imagine what it was like underneath the ark: do you think it was clean and no dirt anywhere? With lots of plush pillows and blankets for David to lie on? And we can't forget the electric fan that was placed under there to keep the area a steady cool temperature? I think not!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Imagine, David is this royal king, chosen to lead by God and here he is, crawling under the ark!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The floor (if there was even a floor: it may have been dirt?) was a floor: not exactly comfortable! And laying, curled up, onto that floor for hours would have to get pretty uncomfortable:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But, David didn't care about comfort, or appearances: he didn't care that he was lying on a floor underneath the ark: in fact he was so in love with God that he was willing to go anywhere, do anything to get into God's presence:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, I happen to agree with damon. This generation has gotten fed up with "comfortable". We've gotten tired of the plush thrones, and the lifestyle of ease. We are ready to get uncomfortable. Lying on the floor, crawling through the dirt, all of it gets us to God. We are a generation that is tired of sitting down with plush pillows and blankets, we are ready to get on the ground. Because we are so in love with our God, our Father, our Lover: we are willing to be uncomfortable if we can have him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So I challenge you to get on your knees these next weeks and crawl under that ark: get on the floor, get down in the dirt, do the uncomfortable! Be willing to anything that will bring you closer to his presence:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Always,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Emma</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-54031097306123795582010-12-28T07:46:00.001-08:002010-12-28T07:46:07.171-08:00Savor the Favor<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">With me leaving for Israel today (insert loud screaming, dancing, and spinning) I obviously found myself thinking about all of the many things that could go wrong. I quickly had to remind myself that God's hand is over me and I have nothing to fear...which lead me to this train of thought...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">How could I have forgotten that integral part of my faith? With everything God has sustained me through, how could I have forgotten that He is always faithful, true to His promises, and WILL continue to protect me because His love and favor are over my life?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">As I asked these questions, God lead me to 2 Samuel chapter 23.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The first verse that really stood out to me was verse 5. It says :</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">“Is it not my family God has chosen? Yes, he has made an everlasting covenant with me. His agreement is arranged and guaranteed in every detail. He will ensure my safety and success”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Yes! It is true! God is for you and His desire is toward you! When you entered into a relationship with Him, He made a covenant with you to direct your steps and never forsake you! A covenant that promised His hand will be over you and protect you, ensuring your safety and success...I know this part is a little elementary, but bare with me.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I then found it very interesting, the section of Samuel that follows the aforementioned scripture lists all the many mighty men in David's armies. It is no coincidence that the assurance of being God’s chosen and beloved is found just before a description of warriors. God is saying that we need not be afraid to go to war, because we are God’s favored, and we can trust in Him as we give our all. The following warriors did and they achieved honor for God and victory…so much so that their victories were recorded in the Bible. Do you want to make a difference that is noteworthy? Do you want to impact the Earth for Christ in such a way that people are forced to see the hand of Christ in your life and His mighty working through you? Than you must first come to the realization that HE IS FOR YOU! His desire is to see you grow closer to Him and prosper! It's easy to fight, giving your all, when you know that in the end, victory is yours!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Aren't we the same way? When we know that a situation is going to end in our favor, we are more confident in the steps that lie in between the beginning and the fruiting of that process. But when the ending is uncertain, we often question, doubt, flail, and try to do it on our own strength...which often ends in failure. The things is, with God, we are ALWAYS guaranteed victory! If we could just understand that we have favor with God, that He is for us and will never leave us, that He has ordained a favorable ending for every situation in our lives if we will obey Him, than we could be mighty spiritual warriors like the men mentioned in 2 Samuel 23 were!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So why do we not walk in that favor? I could say that it's the enemy....that he plants lies in our minds, and causes us to focus on what we can physically see to cause us to doubt that favor...and while that's true, it really isn't the cause I want to share with you today.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It's us.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If it weren't, then when we are confronted with the truth, wouldn't we change our thinking and live in the favor God has given us? When confronted with the truth…when we know His desire is truly toward us…do we deny it and hide behind it, because if we know He “likes us” it’s nolonger as thrilling? Many like to flirt and not date because it’s flattering and the chase is fun, and it requires nothing in return, but God doesn’t want you to flirt with Him…He wants your full committed heart, so He let’s you know “MY desire IS towards YOU…” however, again just like a relationship where a guy or girl reveals their feelings to the other who merely wants to have “flirty fun”, the opposite will often lose interest…not because the person is any less appealing, but when feelings are revealed they then must be acted upon, which requires you to actually do something about them instead of just flighily flirt with them. When God reveals His love toward us, we have the choice, ignore it and pretend like it’s not there so that we can continue to not have to respond to it with action, or respond…enter the relationship…commit ourselves…and become HIS beloved…HIS bride.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Once you’re committed, you can no longer flirt with other lovers. We don’t want to accept God’s love and commit because we like the sin we’re flirting with too much. If we never accept God’s love, we never have to commit, and consequentially we can continue living life as we like it, lukewarm and undisturbed.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Until we choose to stop flirting with God, accept His love and favor toward us, and accept the responsibility of such a revelation we will never see the victory that the soldiers listed in 2 Samuel 23 did…because we do not have their authority….because while committing may require action on our part, it also unlocks a door and gives us access to all that is God’s. When we become one with Him, and commit ourselves to be His bride, all that is His becomes ours, and we can cast out demons!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">However, we will never cast out demons until we have welcomed in God! We will never give sight to the blind until we have given God our full lives! We will never see an outpouring of souls until we have allowed an outpouring of our hearts, having been purged from sin and filled with God.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">No longer allow yourself to make a poor and untruthful excuse, the “poor pitful me…God doesn’t care, I’m all alone, I can’t do it, because He won’t help me do it” kind of attitude and receive the truth…GOD IS FOR US! And if God is for us, who can be against us? If God is for us, we can sacrifice it all and know that He will work it together for our good if we love Him and are His chosen! (does the scripture not say we are?!?)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It is time to realize that you are loved, and that love demands a response. You can continue to flirt with God and sin at the same time if you like, but God will eventually move on to someone who is ready to commit, and then…you’ll just be left with sin.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Today, choose to savor the favor. Stop ignoring the clear love and favor God has over your life. Stop flirting with the sin that you've allowed in your life for too long, and commit to God.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Aubrey</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-58837936690637076352010-12-26T20:39:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:39:14.548-08:00Mary, Did You Know? Nope, She Has No Idea...(Post from 12/25)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"Mary did you know? Nope, she had no idea"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Before I start: this is not completely my own; me and Aubrey were talking one night: and she actually initiated the conversation idea. So...... It kinda struck a chord in my spirit....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok, Luke 1:26-38:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(Emma's Paraphrase)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"Gabriel the angel shows up at Mary's doorstep and tells her that she should rejoice because she will give birth to Christ and she highly favored, she is confused because she is a virgin and cannot give birth without a man: Gabe then tells her that the holy spirit will overshadow her and place the seed in her: then they throw a Jesus party and rejoice"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok.... Sounds awesome! Now, you have probably heard about how this is sometimes a spiritual type and cast of us: the holy spirit overshadows us and places seed that we must carry! (ok, let's not get too deep into this, no: God is not actually making us pregnant, and there is only one Jesus... Ever: now that we've got that settled) We've all heard this preached and it's true: God places seed into us that we have to carry and let mature and eventually birth into the world: something not of our own flesh, but something holy, something that could change the world:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Alright back to Mary: when Gabe showed up, he told her the great news: that she would birth the Christ: but what he failed to mention was all the other things that came with carrying that seed; such as morning sickness, moodiness, weird cravings, getting sick, etc. All those unpleasant things that come with being pregnant; you guys know what I'm talking about. Yeah, Gabe didn't say anything about that.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">He also failed to mention the other things that went with it; the looks and stares that the other women gave Mary (since she was pregnant and her and Joseph hadn't been together yet) Imagine the gossip! Not too mention that Mary was carrying the savior of the world, don't you think it's possible that Satan would of wanted to stop that? I can only imagine what she endured. Maybe her family deserted her because they were ashamed to be with her, maybe her friends left her: who really knows what she went through: but the fact of the matter was that she went through it: she knew that what she would give birth to would change the world:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Maybe God has placed something in you? Whatever it may be, what if it was destined to change the world? You are going to go through things: spiritual morning sickness, spiritual mood swings :) who knows? Not to mention that some may abandon you, family, friends, etc.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Your body will change and transform in order to become prepared to give birth to this thing. And, if you are carrying something, it'll be obvious (how obvious is a pregnant lady?) and, satan will try to come against and throw everything he has at you: to try and stop that birth!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But, you must nuture that seed, bear it, carry it with you, provide it nutrients, let it mature: and when it is mature, you have to let it go: sometimes we give up our seed to early, and it doesnt mature into what it was supposed to. And, sometimes we hold on to it for too long: because we become accustomed to having it, and we are scared to let it go. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT ABORT IT! That is exactly what the devil wants!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But, you can do this! Keep that seed full term, let it mature, protect it, provide for it: and when it's time; give birth to it!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Who knows? You may be carrying something that could change the world!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Emma</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-14036278934295609842010-12-26T20:33:00.001-08:002010-12-26T20:33:45.152-08:00A Painful Experience<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So a week or so ago, God lead me to read about Jesus’ crucifixion in the book of John. I didn’t understand why, seeing as I have heard the story countless times of his blood being shed, but this time, God gave me a whole new perspective...and a good kick in the rear end.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The first verse I read was: In John 19:26-27, Jesus says to Mary, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">A lot of people tend to look over this verse, and focus on the “It is finished” line. True, it’s ALL important (otherwise it wouldn’t be in there), but verses 26 and 27 stood out to me the most.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So I did some more reading and came across where Jesus says, “I am thirsty” in John 19:28. This got the gears in my head reeling again…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Which lead me to read in Matthew 27:46 (and in Mark 15:34), where Jesus says, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” [My God, My God, why have you forsaken me...for all of you who live under a rock and/or don’t go to church].</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And then Luke 23:43, where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And finally, in Luke 23, verse 46, “Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Father, I give you my life.’”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know the scriptures seem “random” but notice their theme. Jesus said all of this while dying on the cross. That’s right… dying as in pouring all his blood out and enduring excruciating pain. While he was hanging by his hands, this is what he did:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Gave Mary and new son & the apostle a new mother</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Cried out for a drink</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Asked God why He left him in his time of need</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Saved a man</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Gave God his life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok, I don’t know about you, but if I were at death’s door…in this painful manor…I doubt I’d care about the dude dying next to me or anyone else around me for that matter. But see, this is what makes Jesus…Jesus. He didn’t even let the physical pain of abuse, or the spiritual pain of having all of God’s wrath poured out onto him, or the emotional pain of having God turn his back on him, distract him from fulfilling his purpose. Yet we can’t even go through one trial without thinking our whole world is falling apart.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Your horse isn’t looking to strong and mighty, now is it?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">What stands out to me about this whole thing is when Jesus cries out that he thirsts. Before when I read this verse, I always saw it as a physical thirst, but then I realized it was a spiritual thirst. Jesus had just bore all of our sin…sin is bound to us by chains…which we burn, correct? Well Jesus bore the sins, and then God’s consuming fire destroyed them all. Naturally, fires dry things out…so Jesus was thirsty. He was thirsty for a new life, to be with the Father, and to return home.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Do you thirst for God after he’s burned everything away, or do you use your own means of hydration and instant gratification?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I noticed after reading where God turns his back on Jesus that Jesus was so close to the Father that the moment he turned his back, Jesus noticed. Thankfully, God will never forsake us (well, the righteous, of course), but do we noticed when we don’t feel him? When we don’t hear his voice?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you look at the last verse…where Jesus gives God his life…do you notice a similarity, say, an example? I sure hope so! Dying for sin, only to be given new life…sound familiar? When we are in pain, when we suffer and lose things/people around us, are we willing to give it all to God? Are we willing to give every part, every aspect to God? Do we really though, even if we say we want to?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">This is my challenge to you: Be more like Jesus and less like the world. Hold onto Jesus, and let go of the world. Listen to Jesus, and ignore the world. Love Jesus, and hate the sinful world.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you think you’ve given everything, check again. And after you’ve cleared it all out, check again. Check again and again until every tie to this world has been broken. Give it all, no matter the cost. Because when you think about it, there is not cost –it’s already been paid</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-53377859859660345412010-12-25T07:34:00.001-08:002010-12-25T07:34:50.993-08:00There's a Place for Us!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">There's a place for us</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">There's a place for all of us, and it's right in Gods lap, right in His Prescence! A place where it's where it's quite, calm, and compelling.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We've turned Christmas into a time when we get to say give me, give me, give me... Instead of God, thank you, thank you, thank you.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Please don't get his prescene and presents twisted! The best presents can not take away the Glory of His prescence. The Father already gave the best present that could be given anyways. Jesus tore the vail, and now we can be in His prescence. Listen, I know as kids we would rush to the Christmas tree to open presents, but now as the Kings kids how many would rush to our knees to get in His prescnce. I mean, who doesn't want a Fathers prescence.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">There's a place for us! His prescence, is better than all presents under one tree.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Jesus came as a lamb, but he's coming back as a lion! The King of all kings!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Some say Jesus is the reason for this season, but I say he's the reason I can go through any season!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The best gift is salvation from the Most High! Have you showed anyone how to recieve it?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Merry CHRISTmas!!! (=</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Jerusalem</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-38087164104273672322010-12-23T20:43:00.000-08:002010-12-23T20:43:11.303-08:00Prayer Status: DELIVERED!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Let me share with you about my day...this won't be a typical devo from me, but hopefully it speaks to you :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">After a long day of hustle and bustle shopping, hectic pizza making, and stressful problem solving...I was more than ready to just sit back and soak. Not feeling like I had to energy to take out my guitar...or even utter a prayer yet, I turned on the International House of Prayer-Kansas City live stream from their prayer room to listen to them as they cry out and just wait for the Lord...hoping that somewhere in the process I could decompress enough to settle into some intimate time with the Father....obviously I was going about this rather wrong, and had the follow smack in the face from God coming lol.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">As I'm finishing up some Christmas wrapping before I soak, Laura Hackett begins to sing "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"...now I know we're teens, but I'm sure you've heard it. Here are the Lyrics incase you missed this classic hymn:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">That basically hit me in the face in a very sudden way. We always preach "pray pray pray...and when you're done, pray some more", but how often do we let our casual American, pseudo-christian mindset that we're so used to dictate when that's appropriate? Sure, when everything is bad and the sky is falling we crawl to Jesus and beg Him to make it better, but how often do we do this when all is fine, and we're just...well...burnt out?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We assume, "God understands...He wants me to have rest! He wants me to be able to take a break every once in a while...He won't mind if I wait until the morning to spend some time studying and praying..." but that is not right at all. Yes, God wants us to have rest, to take a break, to decompress...but that shouldn't mean taking a break from Him. Since when did God become the first aspect of our lives we cut back on when things get hectic? When did He become the bottom of the "to-do" list? The bottom of the totem pole? The first to get laid off? Hasn't He been with us longer than the sports team? The musical or play? The boyfriend or girlfriend?...won't He stick by us long after?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So why is He the first one we leave?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The reason is, to many, He's no more than another "daily task"...amounting up to about the equivalent of homework in our lives...if this weren't true, than why would we need a break? Spending intimate time with the Lord shouldn't be another job, and therefore should not require added energy or stress! It shouldn't be the last thing we have to squeeze in before we can relax, it should be what allows us to relax...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">This, unfortunately is a mindset that is quite difficult to break...the funny part is, that spending time with Him...sitting at His feet and inquiring in His temple...is the very thing that brings us total peace and complete relaxation! It's just like the song says, "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer"! If we would just realize He is the solution to all our stress, fatigue, and worry...that He is the central point of our lives...that we will not have joy and peace until we sit down and talk with Him...we could finally see that spending time with Him is indeed a privilege!...that reading His word is not just "studying" but memorizing an intimate love letter from Abba!...that talking to Him isn't venting and walking away, but sharing and waiting, then listening to the gentle voice-filled with love and beauty...that communing with Him isn't just laying on a floor half asleep, but laying on the floor, face full of tears and sweat, while the peace, joy, love, and beauty of the Lord flows over you as you sit motionless in awe of Him!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So through all of this...i realized that I needed to spend time with the Lord, actively pursuing Him and waiting for Him to reach down from Heaven and meet me! He is my ultimate peace, and regardless of what my day has been, He still has something new to reveal to me, and will renew my strength in the midst of it all....after all isn't He supposed to be our sole strength...our soul's stregnth?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Making God a chore leads to rollarcoastering turmoil, making Him your core brings sustained peace.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If He's a chore...He'll never be your core. But when He becomes your core every chore of this world will cease to have power over you, and peace that passes all understanding will mark your daily life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And When we finally deliver our prayers to God, He delivers us from our tumultuous cares and worries!</span><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Aubrey</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-11638025601856688652010-12-21T19:42:00.000-08:002010-12-21T19:42:00.790-08:00Set Apart<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So I just came across this status from the Ramp while stalking the news feed(surprise surprise)...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"What sets us apart is not perfect circumstances or ideal situations. We're set apart by God's presence in our lives."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">You know, how often do we think that since we have God, life is just going to be easier? That we'll live on cloud nine, and we won't have any problems? While it is true that with God all things are possible, and He is our strength when we are weak, it doesn't mean our lives transform into a magical land full of rainbows and lollipops or that we no longer confront difficult or trying situations.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">By having God, plowing through homework, recovering from an illness, coping with situations at home, work, and school, all become "easier" in the sense that we know we don't have to worry about the outcome. How glorious it is to walk into a situation, though it may be rough, and say "Even though I have to endure this now, I will overcome this". The sorrow may last for the night, but my friend, the joy comes in the morning.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Remember that we are holy, not because of where we are or what we are able to do, but because of the One who dwells within us. He is the reason we are set apart, different, weird, loud, and all around crazy.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Would you rather be set apart from God, or set apart from the world?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Be set apart from this world, a live a radical life, knowing you give your all, no matter the cost, each and every day to the One who gave it all to you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Seek him in your darkest times, and seek him in your brightest. Even though all may seem lost, He is your guide. Your situation may not seem perfect, but there is always the perfect One helping you along the way.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-47709309263469066112010-12-20T21:47:00.001-08:002010-12-20T21:47:12.700-08:00Think About It...<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: black; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="messageBody" style="line-height: 14px;">So, i was watching some Jesus videos on youtube today: and i heard this phrase, and it shot through me like a bullet:<br />
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Dictionary Definiton:<br />
To Let Down: To fail to meet the expectations of; disappoint.<br />
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Obvious, right? When we say we let someone down, we say that we've dissapointed them; we've done something that wasn't up to standards, we've failed. A lot of times: We cry out to God and tell him that we've "Let him down." Sometimes we even fail to come back to God after a failure, because we feel that because we "let him down" we can't ever make up for that....<br />
<br />
BUT, there is another definiton to "Letting Someone Down"<br />
... Dictionary says: To cause to come down gradually; lower:<br />
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Actually, the true meaning of this word is to lower something, to make it lose it height. So when we say that we've "Let down God" that implies that we are holding him up! Think about it! To let down means you've been all this time holding it up! UNDERSTAND??? This is why it shot through me:<br />
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WE CAN'T LET GOD DOWN!! It's physically and spiritually IMPOSSIBLE!!! We are not the ones holding God up, God is the one holding us up. And he will never, never, EVER let us down. He'll never leave us nor forsake us. ( Hebrews 13:5) ... I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25)<br />
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SO STOP SAYING YOU'VE LET GOD DOWN! It's almost insulting, because you're saying you hold God up. :) He's got you, and he'll never let you down.<br />
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Never.<br />
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-Emma</span></h6><div><span class="messageBody" style="line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span></span></span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-40702348657820933732010-12-18T08:31:00.000-08:002010-12-18T08:31:18.968-08:00Who Said that Spring is the Only Season for Cleaning?Let me start off by saying that God hit me like a truck with this earlier, so all of this is a result of Him wrecking me...no judgement, just thought I would share incase it applied to anyone else :)<br />
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"All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.<br />
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Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.<br />
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Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."<br />
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1 Corinthians 6:12-20<br />
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Okay, I know that's a ton of scripture, but I wanted to post the full context of what's going on here, so you all can get the picture.<br />
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This is a pretty familiar passage, and we frequently cite it when having the debate over what is lawful to eat, old vs. new testament law, and refraining from sexual immorality...while this does present solutions to all of these arguments, God spoke to me specifically about another topic as well.<br />
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This morning, I was laying in bed, arguing with myself on how long I could push staying in bed before getting up and starting my day, when he dropped this old hymn into my spirit:<br />
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"Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary,<br />
pure and holy,<br />
tried and true.<br />
with thanksgiving I'll be a living sanctuary for you."<br />
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If there was any question left to whether or not I was getting up, needless to say, it ended there. I immediately thought of the aforementioned scripture began to search myself, and question...is my life a living sanctuary for God to dwell in? Is everything I let in my mind, soul, body, and spirit pure and holy? I personally, was not sure...<br />
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Now, I know I am not the only one who can question that in their life. While you may or may not be committing the literal act of sexual immorality, that 1 Corinthians 6 specifically points out, are there not plenty of other actions that constitute as sexual immorality to the spirit within you? That make you an adulterer to God?<br />
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When you let anything in that penetrates the purity of the one within you, that my friends is sexual immorality, even if it has nothing to do with physical temptations that can penetrate your physical purity. Be it a TV shows, music, movies, thoughts, words spoken, stories read, or actions committed that you know deep down shouldn't be coming into your spirit, we've all allowed the things of this world to desecrate the temple that God has created within us.<br />
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You may be saying to yourself..."The shows I watch aren't THAT bad...and the music I listen to doesn't have any swear words or illicit material...and they didn't actually have sex in that movie..they were just kissing..what does it matter?"...well ultimately friend, you are still giving the things of this world the opportunity to deposit small, harmless seed in your spirit, and give that temptation another opportunity to water, and develop into sin much grander than you had thought it would as you watched your two favorite actors cuddling it up on camera. You give it the opportunity to track mud into your temple, and if you let it sit there, thinking it's no big deal...that mud can engrain itself into the floor, and make it much hard to clean up when the unsightly mess is finally brought to your attention.<br />
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We also have to remember what Paul said to the Corinthians in verse 12 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."...So although that movie, song, or TV show you're allowing in may be okay to watch under the standards of what is acceptable and not acceptable in the church, does that mean it's really helpful? Is it planting good seed into your soil that will germinate and produce kingdom fruit? Because even if something you let in your spirit isn't depreciating your temple, that doesn't mean it isn't taking up space that could be occupied by something better, something from God.<br />
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Are the things you allow to enter you cleaning up your inner sanctuary, or cluttering it?<br />
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It doesn't end with media...words you allow yourself to read in a Facebook post, email, or text message that aren't speaking life can scuff the floor of your sanctuary...Words that you allow yourself to listen to that bring others down and judge, curse, or ridicule them...words that you eventually end up speaking, desecrate your spirit that God created to speak life, joy, love, and freedom into others...not death; be it emotional, spiritual, or even physical.<br />
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So don't allow these things to have power over you and your temple any longer! Allow God to speak to you and reveal what areas need to be cut away. If we are supposed to be members of Christ, we cannot be filled with the disease and malice of this world, because such things cannot dwell in the presence of God. If we continually live in such sin, no matter how small it may seem, we will eventually become diseased and fall away. Our temple will grow dark and dusty as a result of the absence of the Lord. He'll stay in the little room we've boxed Him into, and until you clean up, no matter how hard you cry for Him to come back, He will not reenter your sanctuary until it is a room fit for a King!<br />
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BUT, it's not all fire and brimstone...As you clean up, He'll step further and further in, until you are able to dwell with His full presence within you all the time! How exciting does that sound?!?<br />
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Although it may be difficult to prepare your sanctuary, and many changes may have to be made, it is truly an honor that God chose us to be vessels of His presence...to be conduits of His glory.<br />
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Wasting that honor is not only a travesty to ourselves, but a travesty to others, because when we are able to make our lives a full sanctuary to Him, God can then use us to pour into others and give them the same opportunity.<br />
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And if it ever becomes too difficult...remember "you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." (verse 20)<br />
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He gave up His life for us, so what are a few idols in comparison?<br />
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-AubreyAubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-28209370291866900152010-12-17T12:33:00.000-08:002010-12-17T12:33:04.751-08:00Worship; When Exactly Do I Do that Again?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">**This may sound crazy but my computer was not cooperating…after praying over it, it is now working just fine!! Thank you God!**</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Psalms 29:2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Psalms 105:1-4</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Worship- reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God (or a god); to regard with great respect, honor, or devotion</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So often we get caught up in “worship”. However, worship is not solely done to music; it is not merely the raising of hands, stomping of feet, dances, or shouts of praise that we often call worship. Worship is constant. It never ends. Even though there are moments where our worship becomes “radical” on the outside because of our “thrashing and crashing”, worship should and MUST be radical on the inside, as well as all the time. It may seem like I am trying to say that you must spin, shake, and cry in line at Wal-Mart, or in the halls at school to be a true worshipper. (If God is moving you to do that- DO IT!) But what I am trying to say is, worship is from the heart. It’s internal. Worship is giving all your devotion, respect, and honor to the Almighty God! To have the outward displays of praise and worship, it must FIRST consume us on the inside. “Be still and know I am God”. Us, as Christians, get so wrapped up on what we believe is worship: singing the loudest, raising our hands the highest, taking the most notes, watching the most Ramp podcasts, dancing the longest. But what we so desperately need to realize is…. If we can stand still, not saying a word, realize that our world is falling apart around us, and still have worship in our hearts, then it will overflow into everything we do. It will be evident in how we treat each other. It will be evident in the effort we put into our school work and jobs. It will be evident when our families begin to turn to God. And yes, it will be evident in how we dance, study, and pray. Just remember, worship never ends, and it is not for us, It is to give glory, honor, and devotion to GOD so that OTHERS will see His glory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Taylor</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-20810573948101436862010-12-16T20:17:00.001-08:002010-12-16T20:17:51.265-08:00"I Will Waste My Life"...Katie Style :)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Tonight, I’m giving a mini-testimony. I’m just encouraging all of you when people try to bring you down, or just don’t understand you. :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I encourage you to listen to “I will waste my life” by the fabulous Misty Edwards while reading this.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So lately, I’ve dealt with a truck load of attack from the dumb-dumb downstairs…Satan. Lol. Ever since I decided to apply for the Ramp’s school of ministry, all I hear people talk about is college. Literally 15 times in 2 days I had people ask me why I wasn’t going to a “real college” and said that it was scary and weird that I wanted to move to a state I’ve never been to. It didn’t bother me that people didn’t approve of my choice, but it just got annoying after awhile. Satan tried to make me doubt God’s plans, but I’m not that stupid, so I just ignored him. (Don’t get me wrong though— I’m fully excited for all my friends that are going to college. I am in no way jealous or bitter towards the people who are going to college…let me explain…lol)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I had my life planned out from A-Z…where I would go to college, what I’d study in, where I’d live, where I’d work after college, what I’d name my 5 kids, etc. Slowly, my college choices took my further and further away from home… but then all of the sudden God was like, “Nope, you’re going to the Ramp”. At first, I was honestly mad. I always wanted to go to a top college and get a degree, then get a high paying job and live happily ever after. I had never even been to the Ramp…or Alabama…or anywhere near this place, yet now I was being called to move there and sacrifice my dream? Needless to say, these thoughts ended 5 minutes later when God said, “You’re mine, remember? I would never let anything bad happen to you”.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Living a consecrated life doesn’t come without price. I never wanted to leave my family. I’ve always thought they’d starve if I wasn’t here to cook or would get put on a TV show for the messiest house if I weren’t here to clean… But one day God & I were talking and I asked why I wasn’t getting an answer about college (after praying for direction for over 5 years). God told me that I had something blocking my view from the answer. I wasn’t willing at the time to leave my family, and that hindered me from hearing from God. He was answering, but I wasn’t listening because at the time I couldn’t bare the thought of leaving my family.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">[[Side note: Now see, God already told me what I was supposed to do a long time ago…like eight years ago. I’ve known that I’m supposed to go into ministry, but I’ve always thrown it on the back burner. Funny thing was that I wasn’t even saved when I knew this. So I didn’t tell anyone (until now) and just went about my merry way. Over time, I let my plans pile on top of it and hide it, and then God uncovered it once I gave EVERYTHING else up. Weird how that works, huh? ]]</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Isn’t this how we are so often in life? We say “God, all I have is yours!” but then we don’t give up one thing, and He goes “That’s mine, too”. We’ve given up everything, so we hold onto that last string that tied us to the world with everything we have. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but it took a lot of pain and unnecessary events for me to realize I love God more.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Family is often the last thing we think of when it comes time to sacrifice stuff. We think of “stuff” like TV, movies, music, books, and even friends. But in all honesty, even Christian parents can hinder your walk with God. It’s their every right to protect you, but not control you. When the time comes for you to step out on your own, and God calls you to do something, DO IT. Don’t you dare let anyone, no matter who they are, lead you astray. Delayed obedience is still disobedience…don’t say God wants me to do missions, but then go to college first to please your parents. That’s what I was going to do –get my BA in nursing, then travel the world and help people. God said, “Now’s the time”. So I said “Ok!”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Is your love for God greater than anything else? Are you willing to sacrifice all you have known in order to know Him? Is there really a cost when you’re doing it out of love? I don’t think so. I’ve gained so much since I’ve sacrificed my life. I’m not boasting, I’m simply encouraging you to give up everything you have to serve Him. And to not be scared to serve Him. Don’t doubt who you are. Know who you are. You are a child of God, just like Damon Thompson or Billy Graham or Perry Stone or Ron Phillips. Don’t be afraid of your calling, but embrace it and proclaim it. Don’t let anyone influence your decision to follow God, and stand strong :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie"</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-25311658671312596412010-12-15T18:16:00.001-08:002010-12-15T18:16:13.128-08:00Stick Out Your Tounge and Go, "AHHHHHHH"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Well guys, I do believe I'll have to pull a "Dustin" on you; God's been speaking to me with LOTS of stuff, but stuff I'm not aloud to share yet..... darn. :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Anyhoo:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">You remember when you were a kid (or now) and you used to stick out your tounge and catch snowflakes on it? Well,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Receiving from God is like catching snowflakes on your tounge, each "snowflake" is unique and special. No two are the same. To catch these "snowflakes" you have to stick out your tounge. Which means you have to risk looking silly, or having your tounge get cold, but you won't catch snowflakes any other way!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, this week I encourage you to stick out your tounge and say, AHHHHHHHH!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(I love when God speaks to me through goofy things)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Emma</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-60405344679867666122010-12-14T19:59:00.001-08:002010-12-14T19:59:41.790-08:00Everything Has a Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ecclesiastes 3:all of it...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We all know that there is a season for everything, a time for this and a time for that. But do you recognize what season your even in?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">There are many different seasons, but you have to know which one your even in. I suggest we take a look at the scriptures. Verse 11 states that " He has made everything appropriate in it's time." so no matter what season your in, there is a purpose and something to be learned from it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">You can't run around in warring mode, when God is saying " no, you need to be at a time of peace." the reason being is because if you continue being in that warring state of mind, and not peace, then your going to wonder why your not feeling His prescence explode like it could, and then your going to start doubting why your not feeling him like you use to, your going to get frustrated, upset, on top of anxiety, and then your going to shut down... And more than likely your going to start blaming God for not showing up, when it's your own fault by being disobiedisnt in the first place!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I'm only speaking the truth... Take this for example... For some time I was having trouble hearing God... I remember when I would hear his voice crystal clear. And eventualty, it was as if He had disappeared. I was so desperate just to hear a word from God. It was driving me insane, and just like I said earlier, I stared doubting, anxiety was everywhere inside of me, I was frustrated with God, asking him " why won't you speak to me " ect... It was as if God was done talking to me forever, and it was killing me inside. Well friend, there was a reason for this season... Well, one random night, just as I crawled into bed, he spoke, and the only thing he said was this... " you seek my voice, when you should be seeking my face...... " man did I feel like and idiot... Lol. (crowd laughs)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">But in all seriousness, you wanna know why He said that? It's because I was, and still am in a season of silence. Friend, let me tell you something. There are very, and I mean very intamint moments when Daddy wants to get so close to you, that he just has to whisper it... Don't get me wrong, Abba loves it when we speak to Him, but i think he loves it when your so quit, that before he even whispers that one thing to you, that all you hear is his heart beat... Heart = Love, get it?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">My suggestion to you is to read all of Ecclesiastes 3. Find out what types of seasons there even are... But most importantly, let God show you what season your in.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know what season I'm in, do you?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Dustin</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-31468651085641922612010-12-13T14:11:00.001-08:002010-12-13T14:15:41.727-08:00Love's Great Mystery<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="color: black; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="messageBody" style="line-height: 14px;">This past weekend has been pretty earth shattering for me. I know we already plugged Narnia, but for real people, GO SEE IT! Many different themes and aspects of the plot through which the Lord spoke to me shook my earth (my flesh) and has reminded my spirit of many promises of God I had forgotten...one of them being love.<br />
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So naturally, like God does, He proceeds to reveal new lovey-dovey things through many different venues, one of them being this song. I was sitting at home last night after a pretty long night, when this song played. It's called Love's a Mystery by Laura Hackett, a singer associated with Forerunner Music and IHOP (the p is for prayer...not pancakes lol).<br />
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Before I continue, here are the lyrics for you to read:<br />
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You can’t make somebody love you<br />
God won’t force a heart to move<br />
He so values our decision<br />
The human heart He won’t abuse<br />
You can’t make somebody love you<br />
God won’t force a heart to move<br />
He so values our affection<br />
The human heart He won’t abuse But still I say that...<br />
Love has laid hold of me<br />
And I can’t let go<br />
Love has laid hold of me<br />
And I can’t let go.<br />
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...You can see why I had a fit. It is truly amazing to me that God loves us so incredibly much that He sent His son to die for us, and yet He STILL allows us to make the decision of whether or not to love Him back. He loves us SO much that He will sacrifice having a stronger and deeper relationship with us from the start, just so we can learn the joy of seeking Him and pursuing Him for ourselves. He loves us so much that He respects us and does not interfere with our own choice. God, the RULER OF THE UNIVERSE, respects us when...let's face it...most of the time, we really don't deserve respect at all, let alone from God.<br />
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He would rather us enjoy the pursuit, as He enjoys pursuing us, so that we also might learn his heart.<br />
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And while He let's us do so, we discover all the many reasons why He is deserving of our love. The breath that He gave to us, the world He created for us, the blessings He bestows upon us, the joy He renews within us, the tears He wipes from us, the demons He casts out of us, the healing he pours into us, and greatest of all, THE BLOOD HE SHED FOR US!!!!<br />
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And that is why, like Ms.Hackett, we should not be able to let go of love. While God gives us the decision of following Him or not, for the true Christian, the answer should be an uninhibited YES! That answer should pour out from all of who we are...from our day to day conversation, to our everyday action. When someone starts trashing Christ and His church, when they blaspheme God with their lives and conversation, when they tell you that He isn't real, you should stand up for Him, because, I don't know about you, but for me, when I love someone truly and deeply...ain't NOBODY gonna talk bad about them to me and convince me not to love them!!! NO ONE can tell me they're not real! NO ONE can tell me they're not worth it! NO ONE can tell me that I've gone too far and need to let go because He laid His love over me, AND I CAN'T LET GO!<br />
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So it's my challenge to you today, as you start your week, don't let go of the love God has laid over you. Although He gives you the decision of whether or not to take part in it...TAKE PART! Open the door, because He's knocking, and if you choose to answer, He will be the friend you never knew existed...the mother that never cuddled you in her arms....the father that you never knew could love you. He's dying to be that for you. He's dying to meet your need and fill you with love. Just stand, refuse to let go, no matter what others tell you is or isn't true, and love Him with the radical, all consuming love that He has poured into you.<br />
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After all, He's never let go of us...so how could we let go of Him?<br />
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-Aubrey</span></h6><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="uiStreamSource" style="color: #999999;"><abbr class="timestamp" data-date="Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:10:01 -0800" style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial;" title="Monday, December 13, 2010 at 5:10pm">2 seconds a</abbr></span></span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-22105243567703813452010-12-12T19:38:00.000-08:002010-12-12T19:38:14.258-08:00Laying it ALL down...For Real This Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(katie's post from yesterday that I forgot to add for you all! Enjoy....and PLEASE see Narnia)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok guys, so how often do we "lay our sins down" at the altar? How many times have we fallen on our faces and cried out to God, asking for freedom, but when we get up, we may seem to have newfound freedom, but 5 minutes later we are still holding on to the old identity?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Tonight, Aubrey and I went and saw the new Narnia movie. For those of you who haven't kept up with the movies, or haven't read the books, they're by C.S. Lewis, and have a very strong anointing over them. This devotional tonight is based on revelations we both had when watching the film.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">First of all, I recommend ALL of you to go see this movie as soon as possible.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Ok, now the story line was a focus on eliminating the evil spirits that gripped the Narnians, which made them lose their focus. The evil spirits were the seven deadly sins, which were present throughout the movie in different characters.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now, in the first movie, Edmund was tempted by the White Witch (who represents the Devil) with food. She tells him she can make in a great king, and uses that power to persuade him to turn his family in for power.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">In this case, when Aslan (who represents God) forgives Edmund, it represents Jesus forgiving Peter for denying Him 3 times.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Edmund continues to fight the battle of not having this power --the power of not being good enough, of not being as strong and mighty as his older brother. He is in a continuous battle with envy and pride throughout the third movie, even though he was forgiven and seemed to have overcame all this sin in the first movie.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now in the third movie, the seven deadly sins were represented by seven swords carried by seven Lords. In order for the Narnians to be right again and at peace, the swords had to be laid down at Aslan's Table (aka the altar on which he died & rose again in the first movie). Once the swords/sins were cast at the altar, Aslan would restore peace.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">HELLO! Ok so does this rattle anyone else's brain? lol. In order for the evil to be gone, sins have to be casted at the altar. But it's always a battle to put down the sword you're used to fighting with in order to receive something greater, so we usually will put it down, and then pick it right back up. But we never win the battles with those swords, now do we?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Now that I've mentioned that.. :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Once all seven swords were placed on Aslan's Table, the sword Peter was granted in the first movie was being used by Edmund to fight off a representation of his fear. The connection of the swords resulted in a burst of power and confidence into Edmund and the ultimate sword, which enabled him to fight and conquer his fears. He tried overcoming the temptations of the White Witch in all three movies, but was using the wrong "sword" to fight them with. When he picked up the right sword, after laying everything else down, he won. Peace was restored, and they all came face-to-face with Aslan once again.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So how often do we pick up OUR swords and try to fight OUR sins? It's impossible to win when you're fighting fire with fire...you just get a bigger fire. But when we realize we've been corrupted by the sin and have allowed it to control us, and we realize that our swords just aren't doing the job, we come to the conclusion that we need God's sword. God's sword is the Word...which is Jesus...who is God...and the Holy Spirit, so you know that's automatically going to give you victory because our God is the Mighty Warrior. WE WIN!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">There is always a cost that has to be paid, because freedom is never free. Good thing we had someone come and die on a cross, in the most brutal way, to pay for our freedom. It's time to stop fighting our sins, in their many forms, with our own knowledge and experience (or lack thereof). Why do we let ourselves be controlled by sin when it clearly only harms us? Because it has a pretty cover? Or is it just because it's all we know?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">It's time for us to wake up. It's time for us to face our battles with the sharp, two-edged sword made specifically for our own victory, and not our harm. The swords of the enemy are used for self-inflicted harm because we don't really have any understanding of how it works. But when we have God's sword, He teaches us how to use it, when to use it, and who to use it against. We can't say "I've conquered this sin" until we've taken God's sword and slain it to shreds. We can't say "I have the Victory" if we don't give our battles to God.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Are we like Edmund? We will admit to our sins and fight against them? In the midst of the storm, he was the only one to face his sins and temptations, and he still won. When you feel as if you're the only one fighting, will you still fight? Because God isn't looking for someone who will give up. He wants strong, noble warriors who will fight until death for victory over sin.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Be a warrior. Be strong. Fight the Fight. Do NOT give up, give in, or tremble before the enemy. Be confident in who you are in the Lord. Be confident in the identity He has given you, and do NOT recognize yourself with the identity the sin gave you. Know He is always with you. He never leaves you, and when you call Him by name, He will answer you. Call out to Him when you need help, and you will have the victory.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">V-I-C-T-O-R-Y, VICTORY IS OUR BATTLE CRY!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Katie</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-62528556758342647652010-12-10T20:46:00.001-08:002010-12-10T20:46:43.935-08:00Where's My Safety Rope?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, I was a-walking down the road one day, and I saw this building being constructed. And, God gave me this metaphor…its not quite long, but here it is….</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, constructing a building is like building the kingdom of God:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">To start off constructing a building, you must first have a plan, and a purpose. Then, you need to have an architect come in and design the place… then a group of people come together to build it. You have to clear the land where the building is set, get rid of all the obstacles and weeds on that plot of land, and you must have a firm, set ground, or the building will sink. You then need to build a foundation of the building, and start from the bottom. You can’t go for building the roof when you’re still at the base. Notice how the framework of the building is set in place first. Walls, furniture and other accessories come in after the initial frame is set. So, you start building. Some builders work with blowtorches, others with their tools, some read aloud blueprints: to help the construction move along. There are cafeteria workers who provide food for the builders, and “frame-builders” and wall-builders. Some builders, like the wall builders, don’t come in until later, for they need the frame to be set. Eventually, and gradually, this building will be constructed, bottom to top; and serve as housing, a place to hold meetings, and a place to get things done:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Alright- Constructing the Kingdom of God:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">We have to start off with a plan and a purpose, God’s purpose. We have to be careful that we don’t try to construct the kingdom with our own purposes in mind. Then, God is the ultimate architect, for he must design the place himself, or it won’t work. Then, we are the builders. We come together as Christians under one purpose: to build the kingdom of God. The next step is to clear the land. We must get rid of any weeds or obstacles in our way, or they will prohibit the building process. Same goes with the steady land, we have to build it upon God, for he is the steadiest rock of them all. Then, the foundation sets in. Jesus is the foundation, the chief cornerstone for all… (Acts 4:11) After he has been set in place, we have to start at the bottom. I know it’s hard to not go for the big and glorious “top” but we have to build the study, strong “base”. If we don’t, the “top” will come crumbling down. And about the builders, there are all kinds of “builders” that work on the construction. There are people who work with fire/revival (blow torches), people who work with their tools, people who read aloud the blueprints (the bible), and people that provide for the builders (the cooks). And, not all of these people start off right away, you’ll have people join you as construction continues…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">And now to the main showing:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">When I looked up at that building, the first thing that caught my eye, were the workers that were dangling off the ledge. They were just working along, doing their thing. I thought to myself, how can they not be terrified? They’re so high up in the air. Then I saw the safety lines. Theses safety lines are big thick “rope” that is tied around the builder’s waist, and attached to the building, which led me to….</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">At the beginning of construction of the kingdom of God, we don’t have a “safety line”. That’s because if we fall off the building, it’s only falling like 2 feet, and we can suffer little to no harm, and just get back up. But, when we start getting higher and higher, that’s when God attaches the safety line that connects to the kingdom. So, what if you stumbled, what if you fell, what if you “tripped” off the building? Would you fall 324 feet to your demise? No! You are attached to the kingdom, but… you are in a sticky situation. You are hanging in mid-air. Sometimes, it’s hard to get your footing, so that’s when you call for help and other builders pull you back up…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So, concluding….</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Be strong, be confident, work hard on constructing the kingdom. Rest assured in the fact, that why’ll you may fall off, and be in an unpleasant situation, you won’t fall to your demise. You won’t fall so far that you can never get back up. And, you’ll learn where not to put your feet next time!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Yours,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Emma</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-15696916877906099732010-12-09T19:44:00.001-08:002010-12-09T19:44:45.627-08:00Who Do You Surrender To?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Who do you surrender to, God or sin?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">To start this devotional I'd like to ask, does anybody know how Jesus was sinless, and was perfect in every way? Well, being the great out of the box thinkers that we are, our typical response would be, well he's Jesus, he is the son of God... Well you see, I have a problem with that response, because even though He was Gods' Son, the dude was still being tempted by the exact same things me and you are today.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So how'd He do it? My answer to you is that it's because He fully surrendered to the Father. Jesus simply did what he saw the Father do, he only said the things he heard the Father say. He was fully surrendered to God!!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I'm so sick of Christians coming up with excuses.... Well I'm gonna sin, and I'm not perfect, I'm not Jesus... You said Jesus was sinless and perfect... Yes I did, but he was also fully surrendered to the Father. My question is, are you? Yeah I know your not sinless and perfect... But when you fully surrender you will sin less, and be perfected... Did you catch that?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Who do you surrender to? The Father, who, helps us sin less and perfects us, ot are you one you surrenders to your sin? It's pretty simple, God= life. Sin= death... Do you surrender to one who is alive forever more, or one who will be destroyed (is actually already destroyed)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">You can either surrender to sin, and give in to temptation, or you can surrender to God and he'll get you out of it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Do you even know why YOU, of all things were created? It because God himself wanted a family!!! That's why, you hear us go around talking about how great Daddy is... because even in our weakest moment, he is strongest. Daddy is leterally saying, son, daughter... Just give it to me. I'm not mad at you. I just want you to seek my face, I want you to know how beatiful you are. Daughter, I gave you my eyes, they shine like the sun. Son I gave you my smile, and when you laugh, joy floods the atmosphere. Your always going to be my princess, don't let anybody tell you that your not. I love it when you crawl up in my lap son, we tell each other secrets.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The Father delights in us. He made us in His image. He always makes a way out. All you have to do is give it to Him.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">People, If your reading this, I just pray over you know as you read this. I pray that your heats are awaken, that religion becomes relationship. I pray that your hunger to get lost people saved deepens. That you would just give it all to God!!! Father I ask that as they read this, that you would begin to awaken spiritual senses! That your Love floods their lives right now God. Destroy any religion in their live Abba. Help them know relationship Abba!!! In the name of Jesus, so be it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">People, this Christmas, don't let presents take away from His prescence.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If you don't know Jesus as your LORD and SAVIOR and want to, let me know. I will pray with you. It doesn't matter what you've done, He will forgive you. Nothing can stop Him from loving you unconditionaly. Who knows, you might just get the best Christmas gift you'll ever get... (':</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Gods' seeking you, are you seeking Him?</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Dustin</span></span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-43882291722576195442010-12-08T19:58:00.001-08:002010-12-08T20:01:49.567-08:00The Word is for War!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but recently I've been experiencing a great deal of attack and have therefor have begun taking a crash course in spiritual warfare from God. Naturally, that's what I've been getting a lot from Him about, so if this is just for me, I am sorry, but I still hope you read it :)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">First, I want you to answer one question for yourself and use the most immediate response you come up with.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">What is the first thing you do when you get upset? For some, maybe it's cry or scream, for others maybe it's drown the pain or anger out with music or TV. For others, it may be painting-out or writing-out your emotions, getting the pain out and immortalizing it in a written or depicted eternity. For another group of you, it may even be to mute the pain with drugs, alcohol, cutting, or some other form of addictive mechanism to keep the unbearable thoughts away and life manageable. Are any of these really healthy? No, they are not. Because in every situation listed above, the pain is being avoided, drown out, shut up, or kept as a memory and therefore allowed to continue to operate in your life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">While you may guess my response would be to "Just Deal With it", as is the solution many preachers provide, I do not believe that such an answer is the proper solution at all. God NEVER intended us to have to "Just Deal" with pain in our lives. He never intended us to just deal with the pain of a broken family...to just deal with the abuse we receive...to just deal with the fact that the enemy is tearing us down at every chance he gets and smile at the end of the day and say "I'll Just Deal". NO! Paul said in Romans chapter 8 that "We are MORE than conquerors" because "If God is for us, who can be against us?"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I don't think conquerors accept defeat.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So what is the proper response? It's a pretty simple answer. The Word of God. In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us of the armor of God, and how we are to gird ourselves in order to fight the principalities and powers that war against us in this spiritual battlefield that we march upon every day. At the end of these assembly instructions Paul says:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (v.17)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Do you realize that the sword of the spirit is the only weapon mentioned in this whole passage? Don't believe me, check it out. There are helmets, shields, breastplates, belts, and shoes but the WORD OF GOD stands alone as the weapon by which we wage war. So, clearly, we need to utilize it, not use our solutions and our own weapons that we tend to think work better like "talking the situation over" and never do anything, stay silent and "take it" like a "real" Christian (which NO real Christian would do who gets in the word and knows there authority, by the way), or just deny it's an attack altogether.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know this seems pretty simple, but it's not. Reading your Bible is usually the last thing you want to do when you're upset, be it sad or angry, and your alternate solutions are so much easier to understand and handle. Why do you think that is? It is because the Devil is afraid of what might happen if we all actually read the word, God directed us to the passage we needed, we understood it, and USED it to pierce and slice open the attack of the enemy, killing it before it had a chance to injure us or weaken our armor.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So what am I saying?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Get out your Bible! Read it out loud! Proclaim God's truth to drown out the lies of the enemy! Let His infallible love letter to His children (that's us) ring through your home, school, or work place and change the atmosphere from defeat to victory as each word, chapter, and verse rips veils and tears down strongholds placed around us by the enemy. Slice up the arrows of attack before they reach you!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">After all, a sword is sharper than an arrow.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If we do this, than we will be victorious, for God says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">If we would only draw the sword and unleash the word, we could even bring our thoughts into alignment with Him!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">So I say DRAW YOUR WEAPON and fight for the cause of Christ!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Defeat is not an option,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Because He ALREADY WON!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Aubrey</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6336077590606140949.post-40158841252580030012010-12-07T18:02:00.001-08:002010-12-07T18:02:18.011-08:00Love Never Fails<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Psalms 25:10</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Exodus 15:13</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Isaiah 55:3</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">Micah 7:18</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">The world has redefined "love" as comfort, peace, and kindness; its a mother's touch, or a friends shoulder when you need somewhere to cry. What do you actually think about when you think about love? Is your "significant other" the first thing to pop into your head? What about your parents? or best friend? Even your favorite sports team or candy? Your precious puppy? While all of theses things can be good and do demonstrate love in some way, they can never compare the the Father's unfailing love. Unfailing means (straight from the dictionary) not falling short of expectation; completely dependable; constant; everlasting; inexhaustible; and sure. He will never fail you, even if things of this world do.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">I know it was short tonight but I just wanted to encourage you to forget what this world calls love, what they sing about, or what tv portrays as love. God is love, and His love never fails. ever.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">-Taylor</span>Aubrey Meekshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10801651076028013649noreply@blogger.com0