In Need Of... Abundance!

Sheep. They produce wool. They go "baa"..... Who cares?

I do.

I want to be a sheep..... Jesus describes himself as the shepherd... Who wouldn't want to be a sheep when it means u have someone watching over you as good and loving as Jesus?
He says in John 10:11, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
Jesus will protect you, guide you, shelter you.... Make sure you have enough to eat and drink.... Ensure that you are healthy and productive each day! Life so good! Love so great! Protection so strong! He gave up His life to make sure that YOURS was saved!

Why would we follow this Good Shepherd (in case you haven't figured it out yet)?

Because just before He said He'd give His life, Jesus said in John 10:10 - "The thief does not come exept to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

He DIED so we can LIVE. Live ABUNDANTLY.

In Need Of... A comfort zone :o)

It's interesting.....
So many people are worried about getting stuck in their "comfort zone"..... There's so much emphasis put on "getting out of your comfort zone" and "making changes in your life in order to grow in your faith."
I don't think it's always necessary to make a change in order to stretch your faith......

Many people reading this blog know me..... They know how, in the recent past, i've had MANY changes, relocations, etc... I've learned how to step out in faith when God decides to move me somewhere......

My problem is, I haven't learned to stay put. I haven't learned how to grow my faith when i'm standing still..... when i'm not trying to find a place to live...

Since i've gotten a job and an apartment (with a one-year lease!), God has found new ways to expand my faith, and to shape my character...... I've had to learn commitment (strange as it may sound).
God is still teaching me about this....
I'm excited! I've actually stopped feeling stir-crazy! When i hit the 4 month mark of living here (at which point i would normally be moving on) i went out and cut off my hair.... lol.... i needed a change.... january was a tough month for me... but as february and then march came in, i've stopped NEEDING a change.

God is sufficient for all my needs. He can provide enough change in a stable environment.... He can make my comfort zone exciting :o)

And if you think about it..... There are so many times when God said to someone "Go to this place to live".... He wanted them to stay there and claim that place.... (Ex. Abram/Abraham... Genesis 12)

But really... whether coming or going, moving or staying, all we have to know is...
John 15:4 - Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
It doesn't matter where u live or how often you move, as long as u abide in Jesus and continue to bear fruit.

In Need Of... Pruning.

so, yeah... Pruning hurts.
And i'm not talking about trimming those overgrown, over-thorned rosebushes, either. (Although that does hurt.)

When God cuts things out of your life, or when He points things out to you that He wants u to cut out on your own... That's the tough stuff...

Learning about yourself, and figuring out what those things are is tough, too......
I've brought myself into a new light recently, and found some things that look ugly.... Things that need to be adressed...

Proverbs 12:1 says "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid."

So i talk to people... People give me insight. And i talk to God... He corrects me. Sometimes the lesson is hard, but i know that in the end, it'll make me tougher, stronger, and more righteous. It'll help to turn me into someone i want to be... (and that's still a long way off)

It's like they say, "If it doesn't kill ya.... It only makes u stronger." 10points if u can find that in the Bible somewhere. ;o)

"In Need Of... Sushi???"

Just for the heck of it ;o)

I don't know if anyone in the Scriptures ever ate sushi??

In Need Of... A Voice that divides the flames of fire.

Just as i want to be heard, God wants to be heard.
If i want the sovereign Lord of the universe to listen to me, who am i to ignore Him?

This is amazing: (The lines in italics are the ones i was most taken with :o)

Psalm 29 -

Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes them also skip like a calf,
Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth,
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everyone says, "Glory!"

The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood,
And the Lord sits as King forever.
The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

It really makes me wonder how i don't hear Him when He speaks! I must be really out of tune if i can't hear a voice that shakes the wilderness...
But then, if i stop and think..... When i see a beautiful sunrise, or hear great music, or look at the contrast between a white building against a blue, blue sky -- I think of God. And how he created the world to be perfect and how he gives each person gifts to create beautiful things.
Isn't that like hearing His voice? Like getting a reminder that He is there and He is worthy of worship?

In Need Of... Desperation.

I want to be desperate for God. To be intense in my quest to find out who He is. To dwell on Him day and night....
The psalms contain great examples of desperation. Psalm 27:7 says "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me and answer me. When You said, 'Seek My face,' My heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.'"
So often in the psalms you hear David say, "Hear me Lord!" I can picture that... I can picture me doing that.... Sometimes i want to stand up and holler at God.... "LISTEN TO ME!!!!" lol
Even though i know He listens to me even when i'm whispering, and he hears my every thought.
I know i don't need to have a tantrum to get God to listen to me :o) But sometimes i just don't feel like i'm getting heard. Sometimes, i feel like i'm not desperate to be heard.
Talking to God should be the most important thing i could POSSIBLY imagine.
I want my heart to cry out to God. I want to seek His face with desparation, recklessly casting aside the world, and opening my soul to Him.

In Need Of... Shakin' Up!!

I have discovered (again) that i'm far too complacent. Far too happy to settle for what i have.
I have no real aspirations or goals..... No dreams for the future.
I coast..... i don't have any aim.... i don't have any direction..... i just kinda go where the wind takes me..... Life may be giving me lemons, and i have no problem making lemonade.... but i want fruit punch...
and it's drivin me nutty :o)

I look at people who have goals and i envy them.... I look at people who dream (large or small) and i wish i could emulate them....

Someone just told me (as i'm writing this):
"I think that you... can do whatever you set your mind to. Now all we have to do, is find something to focus your mind on."

Me in a nutshell? Perhaps.

In Need Of... More humility.

I experienced a reprimand today. It may or may not have been called for, but it was definitely needed.
I was not living the way i am called to live in Christ. I was not doing things with a servant heart. I was not living I Corinthians 10:31.
So God granted me discipline... and by His mercy, there was no permanent damage.

God is willing to discipline us, IF we are willing to humble ourselves to accept it. Then we have to be humble enough to realise that we needed the discipline.

I thank God that He has shown me how to change my ways, and i know by His grace only will i be able to change.

I Peter 5:5b-10 - ...Be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about seeking whom he may devour.
Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

In Need Of... Holy words.

One speech that strikes me everytime i read it....that calls me to read it every now and then....Acts 7:2-53, Stephen speaking in front of the council and the high priest.

I tell ya... That guy knew his stuff!!

It's a must read. It's like the whole old testament in 2 pages :o)

Stephen was able to stand in front of the whole council... Some of the most important people in Israel and give them a history lesson. HOW did he do that?? (this should be on that tv show ;o)

Stephen had power given to him by the Holy Spirit. Stephen was "full of faith and power [and] did great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8)."

I want faith like that... To be able to stand up in front of people, or even just one person, and PROVE my faith! I want the Holy Spirit to be able to speak TRUTH through me!

Listen to this! Acts 7:55-56 - "But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' "

That's incredible faith!!

And moments after that, Stephen went to be with Jesus. Acts 7:59-60 - "And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep."

More proof of his incredible faith...

I want to be like that. I want to be filled with that Holy Spirit power.

In Need Of... The Walk.

If you think about it..... The way you walk says something about you.
It's easy for me to stereotype...... "These people walk a certain way." Example: Models, athletes, ganstas, girls, guys, guys with really big egos (lol... u know that swagger!)...........etc........

There's a special walk for Christians, too... It should be just as visible to people, but it's much more difficult to learn those steps. It's more about how you portray yourself to the world than about how you put one foot in front of the other.

Philippians 1:27 says: Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel...

Philippians 2:14-16 - Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God wihtout fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

That's the walk... Showing people through your actions that you are a Christian; that you are trying to live as Jesus lived. Proving who you are on the inside by what you do on the outside.

In Need of... Desire.

I had a bit of an eye-opener today... I've been all about trying to have enough discipline to sit down and study God's Word.
Today, while reading a devotional book, I realized that it shouldn't be about discipline. It should be about devotion. Not about dedication to doing something, but DESIRE to love Someone.
My study habits should directly reflect how much i love Jesus. How much i want to spend time with Him, be like Him, and LOVE Him.
I first need to LOVE Him. And then i will desire to spend TIME with Him. And then i will come to KNOW Him.

It's interesting..... The sermon in my church today was about marriages, and how men and women (should) express their love and receive love. Pastor Marc spoke about the differences between the genders and how it's tearing marriages apart, because people aren't willing to embrace those differences.
One of the text references was Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Something that JUST struck me....... God shares the qualities of love of both of the genders.
So when you say that men want to be respected, and that is how they receive love - God is the same. He must be respected.
And when you say that women desire time, and appreciation, and that is how they receive love - God is the same!
(See Ephesians 5 for more insight into how a relationships should be!)

To tie that into the original thought................

The same way i would want to love my spouse, i should love God. The same way i desire to be loved, i should love God. I need to repect Him, spend time with Him, and appreciate Him (among other things!)...
When that happens, i will desire to be with Him on a daily basis.

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord..." - Jeremiah 29:13-14

In Need Of... Fresh Water.

I was reading the book of James tonight.... Some great stuff in there.
I came across some great verses that stuck out to me.

James 3:10-11 - Out of the same mouth proceed blessing an cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

James is talking about "the tongue". Also known as, "things we say".

I know i have trouble controlling mine on occassion (as many can testify to). I also know i'm not the only one out there with that problem...

James says: With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God (2:9).

Striking the difference, and the hypocrisy. I use my mouth to bless God - the fresh water - and i use it to say mean things about the people He created in His image - the bitter/salt water.

I am ashamed.

As soon as i read that verse i realized how easy it is to do. I realized that, unwittingly, i probably do just that more than once a day. I realized that i probably cut people down more often than i praise God.

I am very ashamed.

I can only pray that God will help me to see what i am thinking to say before i say it... and pray that God will help me control myself........ and eventually...... i will not even think up bad things to say. I take God at His word when He says: ...God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... (James 4:6-8)

So i draw near.

In Need Of... Instantaneous relief!

I am so excited!!!!! My last blog outlined the dilemma and process of changing, this blog comments on the results!

Today, I was soooooo blessed! God is SO GOOD!

The day did not start as any other. The day started with me handing it over completely to God. Something that i have been neglecting to do in recent times.
This day is God's day. Every day is God's day. Every day, Jesus can move in my life and bring me closer to being the person he wants me to be :o)

I was almost sucked back into my vortex of inferiority, but in that instant, i realized what was happening.... I realized that i was fooling myself or being fooled..... I realized that if i didn't hand over those thoughts and RE-hand over my day, that frustration would continue.

So, on the way to the lunch room, i prayed. Not elaborately, but enough i guess. Considering i was instantaneously relieved of the feelings plaguing me.

Praise God for His goodness... For His ability to show us to ourselves... To teach us how to change... To guide us on the path that leads us into His arms.

Colossians 3:9-10 (NKJV) - ...You have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him that created him...

It's all about knowledge. About learning enough about God to show me my own self.

In Need Of... a POWER source.

A few weeks ago, i started a new job... and a new inferiority complex.

NOT of GOD.

I have been having dreams about doing my job wrong, getting myself all worked up over whether or not i am capable of doing what i've been trained to do.

So i've tried my best to do my best so that i could give glory to God with my actions... And ended up warping what that verse was saying.

NOT of GOD.

I have been trying on my own strength. Trying to show them that i can do it. And by golly, it is NOT WORKING. I feel like i'm being examined under a microscope by almost every person i work with and i am found lacking.

NOT OF GOD!!!!!

SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE. This is all wrong. I should not be operating on my own power.
Jesus is NOT just a backup battery. He is the POWER SOURCE. Better than the sun in the solar panels, the uranium in the nuclear reactor, the water in the niagara falls.........
I should be drawing my strength from Him, leaning on Him, KNOWING that i can't do it without Him.

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

It should be Christ shining through me, working through me, building relationships with the people i work with THROUGH me... not through ME.

IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT ME! .... and that takes the pressure off!!!!!

Praise God for showing me that before i ran ragged into a nervous breakdown :o)

I had a lightbulb moment earlier with this verse...

II Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?...

Didn't i know myself?? JESUS IS IN ME.

In Need Of... Child-like-ness

Not the kind that screams "I NEED A TIMEOUT," but the kind that screams "I BELIEVE."
To be able to believe in things like: trust, a hiding place from bad things, goodness, safety, friendship, forgiveness. To react to life without cynicism. To speak without sounding jaded. To be able to get excited about things. To have FAITH.
Matthew 19:14 (NKJV) - ...Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
Shake off the things this world has taught you.... Forget that you've "seen everything" or "been everywhere"..... God has things in store for you and for this world that you wouldn't be able to imagine.
Try to remember what it felt like to be new.

In Need Of... *PASSION*

Yes, PASSION.
I was walking down the road today grinning like an idiot... and then i was driving in my car grinning like an idiot..... and again, i'm sitting here writing this.... grinning like a... an alligator, let's say ;o)
Jesus loves me. God loves me. Passionately.
Romeo and Juliet got nuttin on me n' Jesus.
It's one thing to kill yourself cuz you can't stand to be without someone... But it's another thing to let Yourself be killed because You can't stand to have someone be without You.
God couldn't stand the fact that i might have to live without having Him in my life. So He sent Jesus to die for me, so that i can be with Him forever in the kingdom of Heaven.
That's PASSION.
God loves me so much that He is willing to be with me 24/7... I don't know ANYONE else willing to do that ;o) His Holy Spirit is living in me and guiding me and directing me and has only my best interests in mind. He comforts me, supports me, encourages me, LOVES me....
Paul likens the relationship between God and His children to a marriage between a husband and wife. (Ephesians 5:20-33) That was the closest he could get to describing the relationship we can have with Christ.
That sounds fairly passionate to me....
Ephesians 5:29 (NKJV): For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

In Need Of... Dedication.

I have recently felt some rather strong conviction about my study habits....
Actually... I've always felt strong conviction about my study habits.
That is... Studying the Bible and with school work and any other time i need to study.
I have no FOCUS. I just fly by the seat of my pants.... Which can be fun, but usually finds me wallowing in huge piles of paper (and guilt) at the last minute.
God has been abundantly gracious to me, making it possible for me to get this far... but i don't want it to be all about me slacking off and God picking up the slack.
So..... again..... feeling convicted.
So..... again..... trying harder.
So..... again..... just not making the cut.
What is it about "dedication" that is just so hard to do??
I have time, i have desire, but i just can't get it together.
I guess the answer is..... try harder, more oftener. :oP
Anyone have any ideas? I'm fresh out.

In Need Of... Hope.

I think everyone i know has at least one dream. More than likely, everyone i know has closer to 239487 hopes and/or dreams. Things that they look forward to... things that they wish would happen... things they pray for. Without hope, what would there be? What is life when you have no hope? I don't think i can answer that, because i've never been there. I don't think i'll ever be able to answer that. I just did a search in the concordance for "Hope". Have you ever done that? You may be surprised when you look up all the passages. Common trend among these passages... What did these passages say they hoped for? Salvation, most of them..... I hope for salvation.... Even when i know i have it. I gave my life to Jesus Christ, and i hope to be with Him one day.

Romans 5:5 - Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

In Need Of Enduranccceeeee..................

Like Paul said... "...Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us...(Hebrews 12:1 NKJV)"
Endurance: The capacity to withstand stress. Perseverance. (Courtesy of Webster's.)
I find that definition kinda funny... If you're anything like me, you'd think "endurance" meant "stamina"...? But "withstanding stress"..... that's different. Interesting thought... Don't really know where to go with that one! I wasn't expecting to see that when i opened up the dictionary! But God knows what He's about!
Well... after much contemplation, i think we have to see what the race is in order to know what the stress is.
The race that we are running is learning how to be like Jesus. It's a test of faith.
To win this race, we have to lay aside every weight and sin (Heb 12:1), that's the stuff that would be like carrying a 50lb knapsack while running a marathon. And we have to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and our hearts focused on wanting to be more like Him.
"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:2)"
So the stresses we are withstanding are all those things that we need to overcome on our way to becoming like Jesus, all the things of this world that are going to try to hold us back, and all the times when we mess up and need to be disciplined by God (continued in Heb. 12:3-11).

In Need Of... Guts... (NOT the digesting kind.)

Yes, I said, "guts". And i meant it.
We, as a nation, have become gutless. We want everyone to be happy, we want everyone to love everyone, and we want everyone to like us - which in themselves, are not bad ideas.
What we do wrong is to try and accomplish these things by becoming "politically correct (PC)". In a Christian, PC does NOT work! And if it does, there's something SERIOUSLY wrong with that Christian walk.
Jesus is a "no compromise" kind of God. Do you think Jesus was practicing being PC when he overturned the tables in the temple (John 2:14-16)? He seriously upset some very important people in Jerusalem. Can you see anyone in our government being that un-PC? They'd probably make a law saying that it was okay... Our government would have arrested Jesus for that. And we call ourselves a "Christian Nation."
Why do we insist on allowing people to commit all manor of sins? Why do we allow people to be condemned to hell?? Because we want them to like us. And they won't like us if we are mean to them. They won't like us if we tell them they are wrong. They won't like us if we don't sugar-coat the truth. And the truth is: Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven.
So what do we tell people? We tell them nothing; we avoid the issue. We avoid telling gay people that the Bible says it is wrong to be gay... And now if we do say it, we could be charged fines and/or thrown in jail. And this is a "Christian Nation." And many of us call ourselves "Christians."
But on the opposite end of the spectrum, there are "Christians" who would mock gay people (or people committing any other sin). "Christians" who would spit in the face of sinners. This, i believe, is an equal offense. Christians must be able to love the sinner; Christians must hate the sin. The sinner is a person just like you and i... You and i ARE sinners. The difference is that As Christians you and i have accepted Jesus into our hearts - giving us a reason to get out of our sin. Paul says in Romans 10:13(KJV), "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." That's how close we are to gay people - just a "call" away.

Matthew 5:44(KJV), Jesus says - "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you..." In short, love people and don't kick them when they're down, but don't do what they do.

Revelation 3:15-16(KJV), Jesus says - "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth."
If i may take some liberty to paraphrase this into everyday english... Pick your side. And have the guts to stand up for it or God won't be able to stand you.