On my mind.
A few days ago I was listening to a sermon in Chi Alpha and it just left me with all these thoughts.
I was reminded of how much I’m slacking. Of how much I am NOT living out what my intended purpose is. And in the end, I am still humbled and blessed by God.
The Bible cannot be thrown around and only used when it applies sometimes. It’s either all the time or never. Your choice. I shrug a little when people question their calling. Maybe, I’m just being selectively biased when it comes to a person articulating his or herself but the Bible is pretty straight forward about the things it says.
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
- Love your neighbor as yourself.
- making disciples of all nations
- Mary-like heart.
I am left challenged.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
Then why are we in such a small Christian bubble? If we truly rely on God’s strength and Him alone, what is there to fear? And yet, I still have fear and I still create back up plan’s just in case God’s doesn’t go so well. Silly nathan.
Ephesians 5:16-23
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you wll not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that oyu do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of sinful nature are OBVIOUS: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,discord jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is now law.
God’s told me what He abhors and loves. Why the junk am I like this then?
Every day is a battle between flesh and the spirit. We’re stewards of our bodies. We’re representatives of Christ, yet I find myself at a point asking myself, what the junk am I doing? Life is fleeting. How am I taking advantage of it?
Romans 7:15 strikes a a chord in my heart
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
The best moments in life I have are when they’re spent reading the Bible, praising, praying, anything that has to do with God. But, I’ve become submissive to this world; a part of it. That I can no longer handle. I need prayers, guys. Prayer for me to do what I want to do. Prayer for me to do what God wants me to do.
I’ve been in a large season of thinking.
The way we interact with each other just seems to lack so much God. Why does there have to be light-hearted insults or whatever to have a conversation going? Why is asking how one is spiritually doing avoided? It’s accountability and knowing how one’s walk with the Father is going.
John 14:15
If you love me, you will follow my command.
My heart is just building up all these wrong things and it’s growing like a fire in me.
But if I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name,” His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
I’m trying really hard to find words to be edifying instead of being offensive.
I can’t even blame non-Christians for not believing in Jesus. There is not much differentiation between Christians and non-Christians other than a religious association.
The Lord’s prayer- Matthew 6:9-13
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
This is so beautiful. We say it regularly but when was the last time we thought about it? I have stuff to say about the Lord’s prayer but I’ll save that for later. For now….
“…. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Do you know what this means?! It means we’re suppose to follow God’s will as if we were in heaven. I know that it isn’t possible but we’re suppose to try, bringing heaven on Earth. And what does this mean?
No more sickness, no more tears, no more suffering, no more pain. This is our goal. I know it’s not very rational and expected but so is being as perfect as Christ. We’re still suppose to attempt to be like Christ though. This world has a lot of discouragement and hate enough. Why add onto it?
Encouraging a brother or sister should not be something new. Insults should be something rare, but it seems like it’s the opposite at times. Some of the things that make me the most happy is just a conversation of how one is actually doing. I’d prefer to know how someone is spiritually doing than knowing whom they’d like. I want to know where there salvation is.
Those that aren’t Christian should look at Christians at be able to spot differences, not see just another person with a different title. We are called to be different.
We live in the world, but we are not of the world.
Sorry, I’m just blogging stuff that’s on my mind. I guess, it’d be from a point of frustration; a sense of urgency in my heart. Just something I’m writing more towards myself and God? I don’t know, haha. Take from it what’s good for your soul and drop the rest.
On the note of some cool and really awesome things,
Y’all know what “hallelujah” means? It’s so precious and awesome. Many think it’s just what people say as a shout of praise, ya know? Well it is, but it is so much more. (this is all from John Piper’s Desiring God website)
Hallelujah is derived from two Hebrew words, “hallelu” and “yah.”
Hallelu means to praise. Yah is short for Yahweh. Yahweh is the name that God gave himself. Not just a name for any god, but a personal name. Yahweh also means “I am”
Instead of saying “hallelujah” think about what you’re saying and make it “hallelu….yah!”
And guess what Yahweh means? it comes from the foundations of “I am.” You know? “I am who I am.”
I was sharing this with my brother and he gave me even more insight.
When we think of “I am” it’s more of a present tense you know? Like that’s it. But, in Hebrew when God says that, He not only means just “I am” but it means “I am everything that I ever say I am.” Everything that God says in the Bible, He is. He is slow to anger. He is abounding in love. He is patient. errrthing. If that’s not cool, I must be missing something.
Also, the revelation of knowing what hosanna means. In today’s time, it’s usually used as a term of praise or shouting out to God. You know when Jesus was walking into the town with the people around him shouting “hosanna?” Hosanna in Hebrew is a shout out for deliverance. A cry out for help. A call for salvation. The people were literally saying to Jesus, “Save me!”
Yeah. That’s pretty tight.
Just some thoughts that came to mind:
One of the things I enjoy most in life is just life-sharing and fellowship.
I also enjoy it over a meal.
If I have no Christ in my actions, then I have failed you. And for that, I am sorry.
I am so thankful for my family. It’s the best group of people I’ll be forced against my will to be with for the rest of my life, I could ever ask for! :)
I love Jesus even more and more, everyday.
If you have prayer requests, let me know in any way, shape, or form. Please.
Being a teacher sounds appealing. Must pray.
