tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27429484718305906132024-02-20T12:05:48.468-08:00Every day issuesRandom blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-51343851920010579402012-07-20T23:43:00.003-07:002012-07-20T23:43:54.485-07:00Glory of man vs Glory of GodOh what wouldn't people do to be famous. Many people desire to be famous. Although people desire to be rich and famous most people rather just desire to be famous, why? Primarily I believe the desire to be famous is founded on one fundamental truth. People want to be accepted. Fame gives off a perception of acceptance and popularity. Not only does this mean that people like you but they enjoy being around you. Popularity is such a gravitating social force. Popularity starts to be a factor in Middle school but is a bigger factor in High school. Athletes and those who have a good sense of humor tend to be the most popular students. Popular individuals are admired. This has large implications for people's self esteem and their identity.
At the most elementary level everybody just wants to be accepted, acknowledged, heard and understood. Societal norms that dictate whether we are popular can infiltrate our psyche and influence our decisions. In addition we internalize images from the media that cause us to act a certain way. The media sensationalizes fame, it deceives people into thinking that fame leads to fulfillment and happiness. Fame gives off the illusion that you are accepted but ultimately leaves you feeling alone. First it may give you feelings of euphoria but long term it makes you feel empty. Take it from me I always wanted to be popular and when I did it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. At first I felt happy accepted and admired. Those temporary feelings wore off within a couple of years and I became empty. Moreso I became dependent on other's acceptance and if people didnt give me complements my self esteem would drop. This is very precarious and can lead to a state of depression. This is why some celebrities end up committing suicide. They have developed an identity that is false and is dependent upon others' praise. Your identity is a virtual reality and is very unstable when your self worth is dependent upon your fan base! Society loves to worship those who are famous, usually not because of who they are but because they are famous.
There is a fundamental flaw in fame. It gives the illusion that you are accepted but it is a superficial form of approval. Egos usually flare up when somebody is famous. Fame is alluring, desirable and seductive. Although it is highly desirable and seems fulfilling it actually leaves you empty. This is the glory of man. All things we are supposed to do for the glory of God and not for the glory of man. Colossians 3:17 "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." Our desire is to make Him famous not ourselves. We must give glory to God in everything we do! This will only lead to more destruction and flesh. After man has perished there is no fruit remaining except somebody's accomplishments. When you live for God you work is eternal because we have everlasting life. 1 Peter1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The Lord Jesus wants the glory for everything I do. Praise God for his faithfulness! Man will fade away but God and His Word endureth forever! Let us not focus on fame or glory that brings attention to ourselves and gives us a false sense of acceptance, identity and love but let us put the attention on God and give glory to him! He is the one who we bring glory to and point people towards! Praise God and may His name be exalted and known to all the nations!
Isaiah 66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts: It shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues.Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-51975792398264403242012-05-24T18:47:00.001-07:002012-05-24T18:49:00.778-07:00Power in SurrenderWhat does it mean to surrender? When you first hear the word surrender you may think of an army on a field raising a white flag. This is the typical perception of surrender in our modern day world. Generally speaking, surrender has a negative connotation. However, in the kingdom of God surrender is not only a positive term but one of the most crucial principles in our faith!
Lets examine the word surrender and how it relates to humans. The textbook definition of surrender is to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress. The reason why it has a such a negative meaning in the world is because you are giving somebody else or another entity the power which would insinuate that you are weak. However the question shouldn't be did you surrender, it should be what are you surrendered to? If you are submitted to something that is weaker than you then your power will be minimal. However when you submit to something more powerful than you, you are operating under the same authority and power once that entity or person possesses you. Surrendering to the Almighty God will grant you the highest level of power available because you are under The creator of Heaven and earth's authority. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is in control of your life and who better to be the CEO of your life than the one who created you!
The closest words I found in the Bible to surrender is worship and submit. John 4:23 "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him". The word "worship" in the Greek means to prostrate oneself in homage. God can accomplish His Will when we surrender to Him. Even Jesus surrendered to God in order to operate in the power of God! John 6:38 "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." This gave him the ability and strength to obey the will of God and go to the cross for all of humanity while operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:1-13 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
Yielding to God's authority enabled Jesus to overcome sin, death, and evil! Whenever you are under someone's authority you will naturally inherit their characteristics. A common example is when Britain takes over a country they adopt the same currency, customs, and political system as well. This means that when we surrender to God his love mercy grace and joy that we inherit from his presence will remain with us as long as we remain surrendered. We can also oppose the realm of darkness through surrender. James 4:7 " Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." So far we have seen two verses in the Bible that identify surrender in relation to contradicting Satan. The only way we can overcome the devil is by surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ!
When we accept Jesus into our heart and become born again through regeneration by the Holy Spirit we have actually surrendered to the will of the Father which is for everyone not to perish. The only way you don't perish in the afterlife is through giving your life or heart to the Lord! Even these two catch phrases that are representative of salvation describe surrender. When you give your heart to something you are surrendering because out of the heart come the issues of life! When you give something or somebody your heart you are surrendering your life to that person which means that you have direct access to this person (God's power!) In addition when you surrender to something it has power over you and can influence you easily. For instance peer pressure can have power over you and make you submit to it. Once it has power over you it can control your thoughts and actions. This can be very detrimental to your growth and start affecting others around you. In a book I was reading "The Scorpion within" it speaks about the kings of Israel and when they were righteous (surrendered to God) the country flourished and became prosperous.
Going back to worship, when you worship (prostrate yourself before God) it is one of the most crucial forms of surrender because you're surrendering all your problems frustrations, burdens, and strongholds to Jesus! Psalms 95:6 "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." Worshiping gives us the ability to raise our hands and exalt him but also surrender our personal desires and letting Him take control of our trials, career goals, finances, family situation, future wife etc. If we don't surrender we cant live for him! IN order to do His will for our lives we must first surrender which leads to obeying Him and this results in glorifying HIM!
Surrendering to the Almighty god can only lead to one outcome, victory! Once we inherit the power of God that comes through surrender you are now operating in the anointing. Just how the Son of God came with power we too have power in us because Jesus lives in us. When we walk in obedience to His Word is where we surrender to His Will! The Kingdom of God will advance once we all surrender and come together in unity to seek His face! Once we get to the point of surrender we will prosper spiritually and bring glory to His name! Hallelluljah! Today and forevermore may we surrender so that souls can be saved and Christ may be exalted!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-45019171852897360592012-04-26T18:21:00.001-07:002012-04-26T18:27:38.274-07:00Revival Generation IIOn the brink of revival we need to have discernment. There are many people we will encounter that say they have our best interests at heart and may be deceivers. We need to know who to trust as some may pose as a wolf in sheep's clothing. In addition having this gift will help us grow in the kingdom, identify struggles, combat the darts of the enemy, and sense demons in order to cast them out. Discernment leads us to be aware of the devices of the enemy and how to battle them.
Another powerful weapon to be armed with is wisdom. Wisdom is necessary for the labor of the kingdom as well as everyday things such as household work or job duties at the workplace. This will lead to a fruitful life in Christ. Wisdom will help us make some great decisions and help us avoid many headaches. The Bible says to desire spiritual gifts. As we desire these gifts we should be focused on how we can use it to edify the body. These gifts will also benefit the world and draw people to Christ.
Faith is crucial for our walk and it allows us to live in the power of God! Without faith its impossible to please God Hebrews12. Matt 17:20 says if you have faith the size of a mustard seed and tell that mountain to move from hear to there it will move. Signifying is what triggers our worship and propels our action. This holds true not only in the kingdom but in the daily affairs of life. Mark 11:23 says " So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says." As another verse says we walk by faith and not by sight. This Christian journey is not dictated by emotion. The most critical component to the Christian walk is faith since we cant have salvation unless we believe it in our hearts that Jesus died on the cross for us, our walk is pointless if we don't believe. Even scientists and secular humanists have faith (believe) in their theories which confirms that faith is held in high esteem by the world. We have to believe, for everything in this Christian walk is based on faith! I believe that I have the victory, that I have overcome and that the Lord Jesus is coming back for His Bride (his church-Christians). When you ask somebody about their goals and if they believe in their capabilities, when they answer yes I believe, the probability to accomplish it will rise exponentially. We must believe in order to proceed. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God which means we receive any given measure of faith from the scriptures. This is one of the reasons I read the Bible (to gain faith). I believe in the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost! I declare that we are going to have a revival starting with the youth in NYC in Jesus Name! Let us never underestimate the power of faith!
After faith, love is the most important thing as faith works by love and Jesus died because He loved us! Conversely in the Bible it says if you love God you will obey his commandments. When you love somebody else you would do anything for them. Jesus loved us so much that He was mocked spit at, beaten, bruised, and crucified in order to take away our sins! Nobody will ever know the pain he had to endure to set us free from the bondage of sin. He died for us because He loved us! Also we love God because he first loved us. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor. In our society love is a word that is used casually which has which has diminished the value. On any given day you can see two "friends" that hate each other say they love each other. The love in the Bible endures all things and is patient. It does not matter If a friend backstabs you, if your son lights a match that accidentally causes a fire in the house when nobody's home, if a person smacks you across your face, if somebody made you lose your job and planned on it intentionally, even if your wife cheats on you, you must still love that person! In all of these situations it would be impossible to love without the Spirit of God! 1 Cor 13:4-7 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. This is God's definition of love and its purest form of love that we will ever see. When we embody Christlike love we will speak in a gentle manner and uplift somebody rather than saying something demeaning! Out of faith hope and love the greatest is love! As a born again Christian our fulltime job is to reflect Jesus in our lives and to love people to Christ! Love is very important. When we love people despite what damage they have done to us is a true testimony of God's glory and can only be the love that Christ can offer. Through Christ many people will change, people who weren't capable of loving will have the capability of loving. Somebody who did not love and had a hardened heart will love now. Individuals that may have been abandoned by their parents and felt rejected will feel accepted now. Love can touch people in the deepest part of their souls and will drive people to believe that God has a purpose for their lives (which he does) Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Once you have a supernatural encounter with Jesus and experience the Love of God you will not go back to the world! John 3:16
Forgiveness is one of the most revered principles in the Bible and one of the least popular. When you dont forgive it becomes very difficult to progress in your walk with God.The Bible says if you do not forgive yoyr brotehr your father in heaven will not forgiev you. Isaiah says that iniquities block us from God. This means if we harbor unforgiveness it will be difficult to communicate and nearly impossible to grow in your relationship with the Lord! When we dont forgive others our hearts develop a callousness and we develop bitterness with have negative implications for the psyche and the spirit. The power of forgiveness is often underestimated. When we fail to forgive we are not exhibiting God's love. forgiveness leads to healing from past wounds and can restore areas of our hearts that are hardened because of previous hurt. When we forgive somebody who wronged us we are not only showing love but we are moving beyond a previous injury to our soul. From what I hear forgiveness becomes easier as we mature spiritually. Unforgiveness can prohibit the empowerment by the Holy Spirit and prevent us from inheriting the promises of God. Furthermore forgiveness sets us free from that grudge and hate in our heart, it also removes guilt from the person that may have offended you. Forgiveness not only serves a key function in our walk with the Lord and increases the unity and power in the Body of Christ, the kingdom will experience even more amazing growth when we start to forgive. Let us choose to forgive in Jesus Name!
Obedience may be the single most important principle next to faith and love. Without obedience we would not follow Christ and bear fruit while living a Godly life! Obedience allows us to do God's will when we obey while strongholds are broken, lives are saved, suicide is prevented, sin is overcome, men's hearts are brought to salvation. Obeying God will only lead to to a prosperous, fulfilled, joyful, fruitful and inspiring life. God is good and only great things will come from obedience even if we experience some pain initially. This is one of the most important aspects of Christian living. Obedience demonstrates our devotion to God. The Word of God says if we love God we will obey his commandments. Which means our love for the Lord is expressed through obedience. It is so critical that it is the highest demonstration of our love for the Creator. Obedience will fastforward our walk and the Lord will begin to increase our responsibilities in the Kingdom. Obedience will save people from teh fire and deliver people even form suicide. If we dont obey God will find somebody who will. Thank you Lord for the power to will and to do! Revival is contingent upon the Holy Spirit coming down and meeting us and being obedient! The more we are obedient the more God's glory will be revealed upon the earth! Lord I just want to bless your name and thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon us! God you are amazing and have shocked us with your mercy and garce towards us! Lord please increase a desire for your kingdom and a fire inside our hearts for revival God! Use this generation to restore your throne upon the earth! Use us for your glory and to touch lives God! Help us to be faith filled, obedient and loving so that people will give their lives to you! We love you Lord and worship you! All dominion, glory, honour and poweer be unto your Holy Name. In Jesus Mighty Name Amen!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-53423904083558959532012-04-24T19:10:00.000-07:002012-04-24T19:10:03.078-07:00Revival in this GenerationThis generation is going to experience a revival with the young people of this nation and more particularly new York City! Our society that was once prosperous has found itself in financial ruins. Concurrently, preachers across America echo a cry coming directly from God's heart. People who were once lukewarm and backslidden will come to the house of the Lord. I have a strong feeling the revival is going to erupt in the prisons for the youth. Its hard to describe why this sentiment has risen in my heart but I think its because the population is especially broken and is highly aware that they need Jesus! Jesus came not for the righteous but to bring sinners to repentance. Young people are desperate for something real and life changing. Once they find the solution to all their problems (Jesus) they will surrender or veer off and ultimately come back to HIM! Jesus is looking for vessels that are ready to be used. Unfortunately, the youth in the prisons have been in certain circumstances that have caused them to make wrong decisions which landed them in prison. There is still hope for these adolescents.
Naturally speaking most people believe that they are defined by their past. However in Christ there is an opportunity for a new beginning.. Most people will be in utter disbelief when they discover that an ex-con or somebody who was formally incarcerated has abandoned the lifestyle and has been transformed into a new creature! This will spark others' interest in the affairs of God. Once young people are set free from the spiritual prison (sin), hopefully they will go on to be liberated from the physical prison. although being liberated from the spiritual chains are more important. As this revival moves beyond the four walls of the prison I believe its going to trigger synergy when it coalesces with the youth revival taking place outside of the prisons. The Lord is seeking the pariahs, rejects, suicidal teen, highschool dropouts, gangbangers, the party boys, and every other misfit in our generation so that only God will get the glory. This will befuddle the natural man since they expect people who have failed at some point in life to remain defeated! People will know this is an act of God because only a miracle can change a junkyard into a masterpiece (this is in no sense derogatory if you fall into any one of the above categories but a metaphor to illustrate how God transforms people. Once the fire spreads and people start getting saved there is no stopping the revival!
The youth is called to tarry in the prayer closet, become students of the Word, and to offer ourselves as living sacrifices unto God. Once we begin to growing wisdom and knowledge then the Lord can elevate us to the next level. The next level of faith entails being steadfast, sober, and built up in knowledge through understanding. After we begin to dedicated to what he has called us to do and remain consistent He will raise us up. God is calling us to a deeper place of Worship and study time in the WORD. Furthermore He is urging us to come to Him with hearts abandoned and to reach a place of complete surrender! He is calling us not to compromise! Once we are faithful in these things He will empower us with the Holy Ghost. Obviously these are not conditions for becoming empowered by the Holy Spirit but after you have done everything mentioned above you should definitely be able to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit! He is calling us to be strong and courageous, why not loving and merciful, or peaceful and patient. Well its very important to analyze the context where the scripture speaks about Joshua and how he was commanded to be strong and courageous. He does not give Joshua an option which means he had no choice but to be obedient. Before this verse The Lord speaks to Joshua and tells him to meditate on His Word day and night. This means that we wouldn't be strong in our own strength but God will provide it as in our weakness He is made strong! According to the sequence of the scripture the precursor to becoming strong and courageous is reading the Bible. We gain our strength from the Word of God because the Living God is found in the Bible. Also the reason why God chose the courage is becuase it is an antidote to fear! Conquering any fear is an amazing feat.Does anybody struggle with fear. Fear is one of the most effective and powerful tools of the enemy! Fear terrorizes, paralyzes, steals, and destroys. Fear of failure fear of man, Fear of th3 future, Fear of success are all valid fears! When our generation becomes bold and courageous we will be able to walk in the Light and oppose the forces of darkness by taking a stand and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ! We will not care what the people say and declare his name unashamed. We will live for Jesus with a passion that will draw men near!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-1187448895423647152012-04-06T20:31:00.003-07:002012-04-06T23:50:10.665-07:00ComparisonHave you ever compared yourself with other people! Did you grow up being compared to another sibling who was academically superior? Were you ever compared to someone on you team that was better than you? I am sure that most of us have undergone some form of comparison at one time or other. Join me as I explore this theme! <br /><br />A comparison can lead to many things. Often times its a standard that we use to measure our worth. For example if I see a guy walk in the room I may compare myself to him by observing how cool he is or if he's intelligent or not. Or I may compare myself to my siblings by asking myself if my Mom loves me just as much as she loves my brothers and sisters. Before I was saved I was a breakdancer who participated in competitions. During the competitions which were called (BBboy Jams) I would compare myself to other breakdancers (bboys). It was very restrictive and suppressed my ability to fully express myself and prevented me from maximizing my potential because I would be discouraged by people that had better moves or were more talented! I learned through personal experience that comparison can be very self-destructive. Also when I was younger (7th and 8th grade) I was teased about my looks, I was called a monkey and the girls I liked never reciprocated the feelings. I grew up with this complex and although I matured into a handsome young man and girls found me attractive I didn't think like what I saw in the mirror and would always compare myself. I still struggle with my self image to a certain extent but the Lord has healed me tremendously in this area of my life. Comparison also impinges upon us heavy blows to our self esteem. I believe that the root of comparison in instances where we say someone is better than us at something is believing that we are not good enough.<br /><br />Other times we autonomously draw comparisons between two entities because we are not content with what we have. A simple illustration of this point is when we go buy a new coat we compare different coats because we are not sure that a certain coat will meet our needs. The comparisons that people make between us are more detrimental to our psyche and our self image. For example when a Mom says "John you should be more like Bobby because He gets good grades and obeys everything I say." Or when a teacher tells one of her students "Devon you should be more like Matt because he was elected president". In saying this you are indirectly saying that the person you are comparing to is not good enough and that you are not satisfied with them. Its usually worse for women who are more sensitive and generally more insecure than men. The common comparison for women would be saying that one female is prettier than the other (whether it be a sister or a friend) which can actually lower their self esteem.<br /><br />The comparisons that others make about us seem to result in deeper conflicts that mar souls. They may lead to an inferiority complex and cause us to seek validation in places that will only hurt us more or leave us empty. Comparisons can leave scars in our hearts that torment us for the rest of our lives until Christ changes us and redeems us from that oppression. Furthermore the lies of the enemy can lead us to make internal comparisons such as a fatherless girl. Her comparisons will be rooted in rejections and her thoughts will be similar to "I guess he was better without me or his new kids are better than me". Her mom's thoughts will be he found a better wife than me because I couldn't offer what he was looking for.<br /><br />Comparisons can ultimately lead us to look for validation in vanity such as attention from man, drugs, alcohol, sex .... Comparison can propagate jealousy. In looking at others that display better skills than you, or are perceived as more attractive or have more money, or a higher position in the workplace, or have been accepted in the school you desire to attend, or pursue a profession you like, or date a person you like, or drive a car you want to buy, the list goes on and on and on! Jealousy is responsible for murder, maliciousness, fights, divorce, break ups, betrayal, and so much more. It is culpable of destroying families and causing bitterness in relationships and can destroy the fabric of any team or group. These are some of the main reasons comparison is not good and the Bible warns us of this peril! 2 Cor 10:12 "but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." It is not wise to compare each other with one another!<br /><br />On the other hand we can't just advise people not to compare we must provide an alternative. The alternative is the most complex idea in the world " be yourself" and be content with everything God gave you! The Lord made us unique for a reason because he knew us when we were in our mother's womb. Even if we have our flaws we must accept them and let the Lord change them. Everybody in the Body of Christ has a job or function so we shouldn't compare it with In addition we are unique because He chose us and created us for His glory! That enough, should lead us not to compare but to be honored that the God who created the Universe has called us Friend. 1 Cor 12:22-23 22 "No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty." Everybody is unique and can contribute to diversity in the body. As an individual Christian, our strengths will help the Body of Christ function more efficiently!<br /><br />Visualizing the way God made us and had mercy on us will help us to understand that I'm an individual. Once we understand that our identity is found in God and we belong to the Lord it will eradicate comparison, although comparison can spur healthy competitions more often than not it can lead to bad thoughts and jealousy. If we were all the same then the world and the body of Christ would be boring and mundane. Thank God for each one of us having special characteristics and being unique! Through God creating us different we can add something special to the world, even with our imperfections. The body needs an ear and an arm to function properly (Body of Christ). Diversity is a fundamental key to success in any area of life. Let us embrace our identities and the way the Lord made us! Let us be satisfied with the way God made us and stop measuring ourselves with others'standards. There is freedom in accepting the way the Lord created us!<br /><br />Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.<br /><br />Jeremiah 1:5 " Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations."<br /><br />God I ask in Jesus name that people will not be bound by comparison! I rebuke any spirit of comparison that may be lead to jealousy or be rooted in rejection or low self esteem! God has accepted us as we are, He is satisfied by watching us be who we are! My prayer tonight is that everybody will embrace who God created them to be and more importantly who they are in Christ! <br /><br />Lord, <br /><br />I declare and decree that people will be confident because God loves them the way they are. <br /><br />I declare and decree that they will embrace how God created them<br /><br />I declare and decree that they will see themselves as unique and precious<br /><br />I declare and decree that we will be open to our own flaws and imperfections as well as each other's <br /><br />I declare and decree that we will stop comparing and begin to see ourselves and each other the way God sees us (his children, blameless, with love and compassion)<br /><br />God to you be the glory, honour, praise and dominion! WE ask this in Jesus Mighty Name, Amen!!!!!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-38615160007754093592012-04-02T21:15:00.003-07:002012-04-06T20:30:53.662-07:00FreedomFreedom is a word that is often used. It is also something that is highly desired. But do we even know what it means? The standard dictionary for freedom is " exemption from external control, interference, regulation the power to determine action without restraint." In order to understand freedom we must fully understand slavery, imprisonment, and bondage. The textbook definition for imprisonment is " to be confined in prison" or a synonym is captivity. Knowing the two definitions we can now comprehend what it means to be in bondage or free. <br /><br />From a biblical perspective, in the book of Romans 6:18-20 it speaks about being a slave to sin and slaves to righteousness. In addition it gives us solutions on how to be free from imprisonment. In John 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." It gives us the opportunity to be liberated by the truth! In other parts of the Gospels they describe Jesus as the truth and the Word of God as the truth as well which is Jesus also. In the book of Corinthians it mentions "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. This means that the truth(Jesus)and the Holy Spirit are the only biblical entities that can set us free. <br /><br />When we think of imprisonment, we normally think of physical chains. However, the mental and emotional chains are actually the strongest and have the most powerful effect on us. The reason for this is that they are invisible and are more difficult to wrap our heads around and target. Controlling somebody's psyche, mood, and their emotions can trigger their next move and restrict their mobility! Being in bondage spiritually not only burdens you and prevents you from entering God's presence and obtaining his blessings but weighs people down around you!<br /><br />Nothing is too hard for God, with God nothing shall be impossible! We all know these truths and we know " He who the Son sets free is free indeed". Through the blood of Christ that was shed on Calvary we are free from everything! We are free from Suicidal thoughts, violent thoughts, and thoughts of envy. We are set free from people pleasing, condemnation, others' expectations, other people's opinions about us, fear, sickness, sexual immorality, low self esteem sexual, mental, emotional, or physical abuse! I personally was set free from suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. Overall we are set free from sin which is the most important aspect of a freedom! Moreover we have the freedom to worship God and to read the Bible in public. I thank the Lord for the Freedom that is found in Him! Bless God for what He is about to do on Friday (prison outreach)! Even regarding incarceration the young and older people alike may think that there is no hope and that the physical bars are impossible to overcome. There is a decent population of Prison ex-convicts who come to know the Lord while in Jail. Once we have obtained the truth, let it dig deeply into our soul and reside in our spirits! <br /><br />Praise God for His faithfulness! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Thank you Lord for setting me Free in Jesus name. I ask that you set everybody whos in bondage FREE in Jesus Name. Whether it be Fear, Lust Pride or thoughts of worthlessness and having no sense of purpose. Thank God for His mercy we are free in Jesus Name! God Bless you!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-415192357333609822012-03-19T19:05:00.005-07:002012-03-19T21:47:12.708-07:00Jesus 2Righteousness is how Jesus transforms us. When we become righteous there is a transformation that occurs from the inside out. Your heart melts, especially when you see unbelievers and people who are lost. The symptoms are clear to others and are beneficial to those around you. One of the very first symptoms is very simple but powerful: being different. People will notice there is something different about you and you will begin to manifest a certain glow. Another sign which the world actually heavily desires is confidence: true confidence. Knowing that the Almighty is on your side comes with a true measure of confidence and boldness. Unlike the world a believer's confidence is in God and not ourselves (the flesh). The confidence in the Lord is the only confidence that shouldn't belittle people. Along with confidence should come humility which signifies that we are beneath God and nothing without Him. Another symptom of being Saved is having clarity in your life. I knew when I wasn't saved it may have seemed like I knew where I was going but I was lost. I had no direction and couldn't see past the nebulous future and dark clouds. Another sign is putting other people before yourself. When you deny yourself and submit to God's will it will become very obvious in terms of how selfless your behavior is: tutoring people who need it, staying up late to help a friend study for a test, and helping people move. All these things were sacrificial where I had to give up my comfort to do what God has called me to do!<br /><br />The ability to change your character has to be Jesus (it is so powerful). I don't understand how it happens but it is supernatural: you begin to do things you never did before: feeding the homeless, speaking to drug addicts, giving your last dollar to the poor, and tutoring people for free etc. You have a burden for the Lost and broken. Your heart begins to cry out for the outcasts, the ones nobody wants to interact with. Then a supernatural peace sets in. Also your lifestyle changes. The trails and things that affected you, don't affect you right now. Also your lifestyle changes: the things you viewed as significant and valuable are no longer valuable. The things of this world are no longer valuable, they don't matter as much. The emptiness in your heart is no longer fulfilled by the new girlfriend, or alcohol/drug abuse or poker addiction. As a person that is saved there is a strong desire to worship and seek the Lord at all costs. <br /><br />You display an earnest cry to the Lord and ask Him to use you for His glory and Kingdom. The Lord gives you the ability to stand before Him with boldness and present every petition and cast down every burden at his feet. In addition we will have power and supernatural ability to conquer sin. Before we weren't able to give up premarital sex but now we are fully capable: because the Holy Spirit which is promised . Furthermore the Lord is able to deliver you out of any dangerous situation, whether it be a train wreck, gang fight, or being surrounded by wild animals. He will answer prayers that weren't answered before. Hurdles that once seemed insurmountable they are now able to overcome. The ability to focus on the Lord and not get distracted is another sign. One of the most amazing things about being saved is the power to forgive. Many people walk around with bitterness and strife from previous wounds because of the deep level of unforgiveness that has taken root in their hearts. The ability to do this is done through the power of the Holy Ghost. Allellulia. Patience, gentleness, faith, goodness, joy, peace, longsuffering, meekness, and temperance are all other signs of righteousness and also fruit of the Spirit. Jesus says you will know the by their fruit (disciples).He was saying that a Christian has fruit of the Spirit.<br /><br />Love is the most important fruit. He also said by this will ye know that ye are my disciples, by their love. Not only the love that we have in the Body of Christ but for nonbelievers and others we don't know. John 8:32 Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We are new creatures in Christ and because Jesus died was buried and rose again, our sins are forgiven and we can have a relationship with God, enter the Holies of Holies, and worship and meet God in a powerful way. Also we have eternal life so after our physical death we can live in heaven for eternity and worship around the clock. Apart from all this we have the very special opportunity to impact the world around us, touch lives, transform souls, restore dead dreams, inspire, heal emotional scars and wounds on people's hearts through Jesus and finally change our generation and win it for Christ.Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-5986500893924310762012-03-19T18:00:00.003-07:002012-03-19T21:21:42.292-07:00JESUSI was at a Christian Concert Friday night. Yes, a Christian Concert, I never thought I would actually say that but I've been born again (Saved) or Christian whichever one you would like to choose for about a 1.5 years and I've seen live bands at conferences and other people minister (showcase craft for the glory of for God) in music. However, I've never been to a Christian concert and it was amazing. The atmosphere was filled with the presence of God. Also the Music artists ministered with such humility it was amazing. The Band's name is Casting Crowns and their name I believe comes from the Bible where you will cast crowns before Jesus' feet: different crowns (salvation, souls, life, victory). <br /><br />Their songs address the deeper issues of the heart: Jesus Friend of Sinner and Already There. Rather than speaking about the superficial needs and materialistic desires they speak about the true problems in life. Not only do they speak about the problems but they also speak about the solution. The solution can only be one thing: His Name is Jesus. All you have to do is be humble and ask Him to come in and He will enter your heart and change you from the inside out. When you have a real encounter with the Lord you will never be the same. The Lord will transform your heart and mind to be part of you. A verse in the Bible says a physician has only come for the sick (Matthew 9:12). Most standard medications only treat the symptoms rather than the actual disease. Well mankind has a disease and its name is sin. It has infected man down to the very core and although its our nascent state from birth until we get Saved the evil one (Devil) tries to deceive us into thinking its our permanent state. It is definitely not. The only cure for sin is Jesus and its mediated through salvation. Shattered homes, empty souls, broken hearts, sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, drug abuse teen pregnancy, gang violence, incarceration, and suicide have all plagued our generation. There are various societal factors that have contributed to these issues. However, the root and fundamental issue is SIN!<br /><br />There are multiple signs of sin. Hating your brother, gossiping, and tearing your brother down is not godly! Holding a grudge or avoiding a person you were once friends with, feeling empty, insecure, guilty, or condemned, having an ego, thinking life revolves around you, being obsessively consumed (idolizing) by any one thing be it reading books or sniffing coke are signs. Looking at somebody else's girlfriend or wife, not caring about the needy or marginalized groups in society (poor, homeless, drug addicts, mentally ill, prisoners), enough rage to kill somebody, looking at horoscopes, lying to make yourself look better, burning passion to have sex outside of marriage are also symptoms. All these are very detrimental to your psyche and soul and provoke thoughts of strife, murder, lust greed, pride, adultery, jealousy. Not only are these thoughts and behaviors self destructive but they can hurt others around us they can ruin relationships and damage lives. The Only one that can heal the wounds in our heart and make us whole is Jesus.Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-17301602292126295932012-03-04T19:45:00.003-08:002012-03-06T00:07:41.648-08:00Victory on the OutsideWhat does the word victory mean? A victory is a win! Have you ever seen somebody popular, successful, attractive, driven, sociable, loving, and caring. Does it ever seem like they have it altogether! These are the people that everybody admires. Most people would dream to be in their shoes. These individuals have attained the world's measure of success! However there is more to life! There are people that have all the material goods but are empty inside! The reason why is because all the things they have are temporary and will only lead to instant gratification or a momentary fulfillment. The Bible says in Matthew 16:26 "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?<br /><br />The individuals who glory in their worldly possessions will never be fulfilled because there is nothing real or eternal about worldly things and they will all eventually fail or evaporate. Putting our trust in worldly things and devoting our lives to idols that exalt themselves above God will ultimately lead to Ruin! 1 Tim 6:9 " But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. This is the epitome of a wealthy persons' life without Christ. Placing a high value on material possessions while finding your identity in those things will eventually lead to ruin. In addition it will cause somebody to be unstable. Instability can result from this. When the possessions define you the situation can be risky, such as the first car you were interested in but you decided not to buy it. <br /><br />Where a mans's treasure is his heart is also. Whatever you devote your life to or give your heart to will control you. In Christ the Lord died on the Cross and it seemed like a total debacle. The Bible says: 2 Cor 8:9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich." He made himself poor so that we could become rich. Now thats an amazing revelation. While He died on the cross, it seemed like a hopeless effort to help mankind's desperate condition. Jesus' death on the cross appeared far from victorious; how can one of the most tragic events in history be the most triumphant event in history! However he knew He was claiming the victory in the spiritual realm rather than the natural. This is why it seemed like a loss in the natural but a victory in the spiritual realm. What seemed like a loss on the cross was actually a victory because He overcame sin and death and He went to hell where defeated the Devil. Then He ascended and the prophecy came to pass.<br /><br />Internal joy. peace and love. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you accept Him into your heart where he the Holy Spirit regenerates you and enables you to live without Sin. Three months after I got saved I went to a Christian conference for the youth and I saw God move in a mighty way! As a christian, once you receive Christ you have the victory through Him. Its amazing because we did not die on the Cross but we have the right, honor, and privilege to claim the victory! When you are born again happiness does not come from possessions, career, nor people. The joy we have is in Jesus is remarkable! If we see a homeless person on the street who gave his life to Jesus he is now richer than the billionaire who is sure to have life all figured out. That homeless person has the richness in Christ and is victorious. Meanwhile his economic and social circumstance seemed contrary to victory and it seemed like he lost. He is victorious because he accepted Christ and through Him he was able to claim the victory (over sin and death)and chains were broken. In addition, He was able to have peace joy and a Christ like love! These are all internal victories. Executives in fortune 500 companies experience high stress levels and some have miserable lives with an emptiness in their hearts, meanwhile lawyers and doctors may be depressed because of what they see in their line of work. The custodian may be the most likely to be the one who has it all together<br /> in his soul. When you have gained the victory on the inside the external aspect of victory is not only less evident but less significant. <br /><br />Alellullia because the Victory is won in our hearts because we accepted Christ who gave hisself on the Cross so we can be fulfilled for eternity. In addition He gave us Life through His words which also exposes another aspect of the victory. A victory makes you fulfilled. The Victory is not found in your present situation neither the item of clothing you just bought nor the school you went to. We are still more than conquerors through Jesus who loves us even when we are going through some trials. For example when I was unemployed I was still victorious and I still had it inside even though I appeared like a loser on the outside. The internal peace and victory was displaying itself. Jesus is the way to show that you can claim the victory without the external seeming pretty! The heart and the soul is much more important than the outward parts of a human being! Thank God for the internal victory we have in Him!<br /><br />The Battle is already won which is why I am rich in Christ and victorious through him. The world defines wealth and a win when the whole world can observe your accolades. In Christ the true victory is won in humility and its shouldn't be publicized since the Lord will speak for Himself through our lives. In addition He gets all the glory for everything we do in Christ. We were created for His glory! Praise the Lord for his faithfulness! We got the victory in JESUS! <br /><br />1 Cor 15:55-57 O death, where is your victory? <br /> O death, where is your sting?[a]”<br />For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-51521453081688367102012-02-19T22:03:00.000-08:002012-02-20T00:57:43.617-08:00Scared of the TruthTruth is a term that is commonly used. However do we really know what truth is? I will tell you one thing, the truth is objective and is usually supported by valid evidence. Truth has the unique ability to separate the real from the fake. It offers knowledge to any individual who is ignorant to a certain piece of information. The fundamental basis of truth is characterized by exposing lies. <br /><br />Most people are thirsty for truth. The whole world is curious about the truth. Many humans will spend their entire lives in diligent pursuit of the truth. Albeit when they find truth they are not prepared to deal with the ramifications of it. The truth brings about change. Naturally speaking humans are resistant towards change. To be completely honest the truth really hurts especially if its pertaining to ourselves; which is why we rather be oblivious to it. The truth is a mirror and shows us who we really are! Once we discover the truth it may expose areas of our lives that we aren't too happy about. Although the truth hurts at first it eventually breeds a positive change. <br /><br />Another interesting thing about truth is that it has no boundary, no prejudice nor discrimination. Truth is raw and real, something that is beyond the comprehension of our five senses and cant be perceived with our finite minds. When truth is revealed there is nobody that can escape it. Sooner or later it will find you out! Truth causes great divide in the masses resulting in two populations. The people that are ready to accept the truth and to live and die for it and people who will reject it. Truth also brings about correction. Most people become defensive when corrected and find it psychologically infeasible to take correction. To reinforce the original argument, people rather not encounter the truth because it reveals flaws in one's character that need to fixed. Only masqueraded truth will make people feel satisfied the way they are. Real truth will make your heart unsettled about your present condition.<br /><br />"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32)!Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6). Here in these verses we see Jesus either has a strong affiliation with the Truth or is he the truth itself. According to the scripture the truth sets people free from bondage and oppression. Bondage from what, you may ask: bondage from sin. Sin is visualized as a prison because people's lives are governed by sin and they do not have the ability to overcome it. Once you accept the truth for what it is, you are changed and transformed forever. By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you become a new creature in Christ. After facing the truth you can either change or remain the same, either way the Lord is willing to meet us!<br /><br />There is freedom in a truth that says one man died for all of humanity in order to save us from sin (greed, hatred, adultery lust, envy jealousy, and fornication etc.). The great amount of liberty that is found in the gospel is amazing. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12)! In addition the scripture says there is power in His name which emphasizes the truth even more. "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 5:4). This truth has empowered so many people on the earth that they are living and fighting for this truth while others have been killed and persecuted for it! <br /><br />The truth has exposed many posers who appear to believe in the gospel but actually hold dearly to the temporary pleasures and falsities of this world. the truth also exposes Lies. Who fabricates these lies? Well satan (the devil) does: lies that Christ does not exist. he also creates lies saying that we are worthless and that we will always be failures. Truth is undisputed and will always stand the test of time, trials, and a revolutionizing world and culture. At first it may be difficult to accept the truth because it means change and we are naturally afraid of what we don't know or understand. As for me once I accepted the truth into my heart I was liberated and I can testify about what the truth has done for me. I was depressed, had suicidal thoughts, and fear in my heart now I have faith joy and peace among many other things! I have new desires, a new way of life and I approach situations differently. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" ( 2 Cor 5:17). This is why I will live and die for the truth! I found the truth and His name is Jesus!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-32007439577772493622012-01-21T20:38:00.000-08:002012-01-23T16:55:05.300-08:00To be LovedEverybody who is born into this world has a guaranteed desire! Everybody wants to be accepted, validated, and feel significant. Wouldn't this be a valid conclusion. The deeper reason why people want to feel validated and told they matter is because they long to be loved. Is love an emotion an action or just an abstract concept? Many people can describe what it feels like to be loved but most cannot define love itself! This is because love is so amazing that it would difficult to define it in one sentence.<br /><br />Love can change your direction in life, restore a relationship, give hope, or transform somebody. This is because love reaches the depths of our soul and penetrates our inner parts. The interesting thing about love is that different people seek it in different places. Every individual has a different background and set of circumstances in their life! These circumstances shape one's character and determine where and how someone will look for love. A prime example is of a young woman who didn't grow up with her father. This girl will grow up feeling unwanted, broken, hurting and desperate for that male attention she never received as a child. It is logical that she will seek love in males. Some fatherless females may view sex as a way of men expressing their love for them. Other women may look for men to buy them things and tell them that they are beautiful which will make them feel significant! The sad truth is that these females will carry this brokenness their whole life, until God steps in and heals their wounds. Another example is a teenager who just immigrated to the United States from Guatemala and is teased at school for his accent. He is constantly mocked and feels marginalized. There is a gang in school that says they want him to join. He becomes part of the gang where he finds validation, a sense of family, and loyalty. He gravitates towards the gang because of this. Others may have low self esteem and failed many tasks, tests, and have fallen short of their goals! These people seek love and acceptance through other people's recognition, awards, and prizes. Certain individuals felt lonely growing up because they were an only child and their parents worked all the time which cultivated a desire in their heart to form deep bonds. These individuals may know that you love them when you call them and spend time with them! Other people had both parents in their home but they weren't the kindest nor compassionate people. For these individuals love is manifested through a hug and a warm embrace!<br /><br />This is where humans seek love! Can love be found in these places? Sure it can! But unfortunately humans are limited in the love they can give! In addition when we love, it is often accompanied by conditions and barriers. Let me introduce you to somebody who will love you no matter what! He doesn't care about what you've done nor your past failures. His love will cure all the pain, regret, anxieties, and fears. He can change the way you view life and incite hope through His love! His love will penetrate a hardened heart and an emotionless person! He can even change the people that haven't expressed love their whole lives. His name is Jesus. Sometimes the Lord will put people in our lives who are difficult to love! He does this so He can fill us with his supernatural love that can only come from Him and for His name to be glorified! He loved us so much that He went to the cross and died for us! There is no greater love. He felt so strongly about it that he ranked His commandments and the the top 2 were spoken by Jesus (God incarnate). "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." This verse is from Matthew 22 in the Bible (Word of God)! The Lord took it a step further and said in the Letter of 1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." God said that He is love in this scripture. So whoever has a personal connection with God is supposed to be filled with love for others, yes, even our enemies and others that are difficult to love! God loves us so much that it is overwhelming, unimaginable, inconceivable, and amazingly beautiful. Once we come to this realization in our minds and more importantly in our hearts everything changes! There will be times when you will want to break down and cry just thinking about it for a brief moment! The other really cool part about God's love is that nothing can separate us from the love of God! Rom 8:38-39 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The deeper meaning and revelation in this scripture is that God's love will never leave us, it will always be available, and it is relentless! No matter what we do or when we do it God will still love us!<br /><br />God is sovereign and His majesty is represented here! His perfect love is the reason why young orphan kids in Iran will know that somebody cares about them. His love will transform teenagers from urban communities all over the United States who have lost hope! God's love will be the only love that young women and men who were were raised without fathers need! It will fill the gaping whole that lies in their hearts! His love has the capacity to restore young people who have been sexually, physically, mentally, and emotionally abused. His love will be the only force on this planet to deliver young women and teenagers from Red Light districts all over the world who are subject to the bondage of prostitution and sex trafficking! God's love is transforming, sovereign, groundbreaking and pure! God loved me so much that in His mercy He sent His only Son to die so that we can live! He saw all the pain and destruction that mankind would inherit and God sent his only Son to die for us! If you ever want to accept His Love, just cry out to Him and if its sincere He will respect you and fill you up with his life saving power! This is true love and the only love, God's love!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-75898223152911833542011-11-30T20:42:00.000-08:002011-11-30T23:31:16.859-08:00Normal to ExtraordinaryEverybody has weaknesses. This is because the Lord has crafted us in imperfection so we can depend on Him to be made whole! Moses was a murderer and he led the Israelites out of captivity. He also delivered the Holy Law (The Ten Commandments) of God. As Christians this is our standard of Holiness! He had a speech impediment and the Lord chose to speak through him. God's word says (1 Sam 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”) David was the youngest and smallest of Jesses's sons. However he was chosen to slay Goliath and to recapture the Ark of the Covenant from the Philistines. He lusted, fornicated with Bathsheba, and then murdered his mistress' husband. He was then eventually anointed King over Israel and Judah! Paul was a chief Persecutor of the early Christian Church. He killed many Christians and the Lord revealed Himself to Paul and he turned out to be the greatest evangelist of all time!<br /><br />All these strong men of God sinned and fell short of God's glory. Nevertheless God still used them for His Kingdom. He used their weaknesses to His advantage. Moses slew an Egyptian in defense of his people, here he showed how loyal he was to the Israelites. David was small in size but he was a man after God's own heart! The Lord used his child like spirit so that He can do amazing things through him and build him up into a warrior for his Kingdom. Paul was an extremely bold Pharisee and enemy of the Gospel. By God's grace he was saved and God used his boldness to preach the gospel. The Lord entrusted him with the task of setting up Churches and writing letters in order to edify them as well as addressing problems in each Church! One of the greatest prophets (Moses) stammered when he spoke. The Lord chose Moses' weakness so that He can be glorified and that His sovereign strength could be manifested through him! Moses was the leader of his generation and worked with the Lord to deliver the Israelites out of bondage. He spoke to Pharaoh numerous times and had to speak to the Israelites on behalf of God and command them to move, set up camp, or remain. He had a difficult task before him but he listened and followed what God called him to do! Although they all had weaknesses they were obedient in doing what the Lord called them to do!<br /><br />Sometimes in our lives we tend to think we must be the most righteous and Holy of God's servants to be used by God. The Bible tells us the exact opposite. According to the scriptures, some of the men and women of God were just as stubborn, doubtful, and imperfect as we are! However, God saw something special in each one of them! He took their weakness and turned it into a strength. He made a way where it would be infeasible for the natural man! This way everybody will know that only God was capable of doing it and His name would be exalted! Through God anything is possible, (Matt 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. As long as we have the right intention at heart (uplift people, edify, minister the love of Christ, and make disciples), remain humble and serve others God will continue to trust us with more gifts, anointing, mission trips, ministries, and souls! We may not be perfect but as we continue to be obedient to His Voice He will give us more responsibility. Jesus said (Matt 25:21 His lord said to him, Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord.) The Lord wants us to use our weaknesses to speak to the brokenhearted and to grow His kingdom! Paul says (2 cor 12:9-10 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.) The Lord will strengthen us so that we can do the work He has set before us and He also uses our weaknesses to keep us humble so that we may only boast in Him! The Lord will use us as vessels so that His Mighty Power and Strength can be manifested through us! All wisdom, power, glory, praise, and honour belongs to the King and may He continue to use our flaws to bring glory to his name!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-77024363856532907112011-11-17T01:18:00.000-08:002011-11-24T00:33:04.739-08:00Dont wanna Waste my LifePeople may see me as the good Christian boy or some of my friends call me Pastor Alex! I find it funny but honestly I think people view me as somebody who may be doing this in my own strength! On the contrary every piece of my flesh would love to act a fool but the Lord has opened my eyes to his love grace and mercy! How could I turn back to the things that seem like they were giving me instant gratification but were actually killing me slowly! I find the lifetstyle challenging I really do but I know that there is a greater reward not only on earth but in HEAVEN! I know the truth and I know I have eternal life, I also have the opportunity to reach millions of lives through the gospel and to make a profound impact on people’s lives! I would not want to live my life any other way! No longer am I a slave to depression, no longer am I a slave to suicidal thoughts, materialism, and no longer am I a slave to other people’s thoughts and opinions of me!<br /><br />Im not gonna lie though I miss being with friends and my loved ones! Im usually the only one going to Church on Fridays and Sundays. It’s a bit frustrating but its also comforting because I want to be the light amidst the darkness even though people don’t view the activities they engage in as darkness but its because the Lord hasn’t revealed Himself to them yet! I have no right to judge anybody, just 1 year ago I used to engage in the same activities and not see anything wrong with it! But the Lord allowed certain things to happen so that I could come running to HIM and HE could have total ownership of my LIFE! But now my Mom and I are the only Christians in my immediate family and Im the only young Christian in my extended family who we interact with. The rest of my family say they believe in God but they aren’t necessarily saved, I don’t think they understand what it means to be saved! Although they are wonderful people they aren’t Christian so it creates a certain rift in our connection! A Lot of my life revolves around Christ and its unfortunate that my Non Christian friends and I hardly hang out as much because I don’t do the things I used to do although some of us are still close! I feel like that intimate aspect is lacking! Yeah I know it kind of sucks that Im not able to share a deeper bond with some people but in obeying the Lord we have to let some things go, but I guess its part of life!<br /><br />Everybody has a calling in Life! The Lord has given me the privilege of being an evangelist and a prophet for his Kingdom! I am not boasting in myself but only Boasting in the Lord because without Him I am nothing and there is no egotism in my Blood! But I do know HE has equipped me with certain skills to transform the world, encourage others and to bring CHANGE to this generation! Our generation is so focused on theirselves, their own image, goals, and desires; its nothing short of ridiculous! Nobody wants to stop and speak to the homeless man or visit a family member who's in the hospital because it may be inconvenient! People are walking around in chains of abuse, hopelessness, perverseness, drug addiction, lack of love and fear just to mention a few things; they are looking to get delivered without anybody asking! Sometimes they want a way out but are either to afraid to say it and take a leap of faith or just aren't aware of the bondage they are in! This is where Christians come in!<br /><br />I personally want to build Community Centers for kids in the Bronx and travel doing motivational speaking! I believe the youth is lost but we can regain them by loving them, interacting with them, while being sincere and accepting! As for right now, lately people have been speaking about me being a Pastor! I don't doubt I have a pastoral calling, since many people have spoken that over my life! However the Lord has yet to give me confirmation for it! I love ministering to people and encouraging them! The Lord created me for a purpose! Even if I have to get persecuted I still have Christ in my heart and GOD as my GPS! I mus die to the flesh and all my earthly desires. I will proclaim His name Boldly in this generation until people understand that we are fighting for our souls! Its not religion its a relationship and as we read the promises of God to ourselves not only are we mighty in the Lord but that without the Lord we are limited! I was bought at a price and I live to please him and nobody else (1 Cor 6:20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's)! <br /><br />God is going to do an amazing work in this generation but he needs Leaders to carry His Promises and his VISION and to remind people of them! WE should love people unconditionally! Either way the LORD is amazing! I no longer live for myself but I live for the Lord! God has spoken to me in many different ways! WE must keep our eyes on Jesus and renounce any selfish thoughts or actions of the flesh while trusting in the Lord and the anointing that abides in us! In order to be part of the Christ movement that will shape this generation for the years to come, we must stand and Dare to be different and sanctified, anybody down?<br /><br />Blessings, <br /><br />ALEXRandom blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-25026403841687111822011-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:002011-11-17T01:18:22.846-08:00BrokenBroken, Alone, Empty, and Hungry! <br /><br />These are the ways that the Lord wants to see us in order to reach the depths of our soul! Sometimes I wonder why I feel empty inside and alone but I have everything! I have a family who loves me, two degrees, wonderful friends, and best of all CHRIST!<br /><br /> I finally had a revelation about why, after having a conversation with one of my Aunts. She had an encounter with the Lord after her son was diagnosed with Leukemia and she joined prayer groups in desperate need of emotional, social, and spiritual support! Sge gave her life to the Lord in the process and he got healed! If you don't believe in the supernatural power of God and have any questions please post any comments. She told me something personal about myself without me informing her, I was shocked; she was using the gift that God gave her through the Holy Spirit (Word of Knowledge)! Then she mentioned that we have to continue to fill ourselves up with God! While she was sharing, the verse about the cup overflowing came to my mind! The cup overflowing is getting filled u with the Lord , His promises, and His presence. As soon as she mentioned that, I thought about what I was experiencing the night before. I was feeling empty because I saw all these Christians in relationships and I felt like I should have been in one! But then I thought about the relationships I had in the past where the girls were great but the Lord had not ordained it and they became idols! If God is not the center of your life something else will become!<br /><br />My vessel was half empty but it was not getting filled to the brim with the treasures of the LORD! If a cup is half empty it must be filled with something and that something has to be things of this world that made me feel empty anyway! The drinking, the women, and the clubs would fulfill me for a while but then it would evaporate!<br /><br />So even when we have Christ there is still a sense of brokenness because we will always be incomplete without Christ or because we fail to fully inherit all the blessings in the kingdom! When we feel empty its because a huge part of our vessel longs for God! Maybe we need to hear a Worship song, preaching, Seek HIS FACE through prayer or read the WORD! Either way we can get filled up with more things of GOD! Thank you Lord for everything! You are ALPHA and Omega Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God! The Deliverer, Provider, Prince Of Peace! Jesus is all we need: Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:<br /><br />Now lets get one thing straight the Broken are the Lost. People think the most Broken are homeless people! It is true for the most part but not always! Someone who has every material possession, high status, and educational degrees is also broken! Their soul is filled up with all these temporary things that will fade away! It may be difficult to acknowledge it but even the most powerful people who look like they have it all together are walking around with a gaping Hole that says JESUS and they dont even know it! The guy who walks around like he's too cool for school and is Mr. Popular may be the one who needs Christ the most but his superficial image prevents him from getting to know the Lord! This kid may be dying to meet Christ but have had a rough life and these barriers and insecurities prevented him from fully engaging in a relationship with GOD! Others have lost all of their family and have no where to go or turn to, but CHRIST! Although I pray that everyone comes to Christ, I enjoy seeing when the Real Broken come to Christ because they offer their whole bodies as sacrifices for the LORD to operate and USE THEM! <br /><br />The homeless guy,the overweight kid who is ridiculed, and abuse victim is looking for the profound healing that only Christ can offer! It is not only the really downtrodden that need Christ, we do too! The Pariahs in society are the most thirsty because they have no back up plans and nobody to support them so they are looking for someone who will accept them just as they are (JESUS)! Many other people do as well and although we may not show it explicitly, the Longing for the Lord is still in our souls which is why we worship status, people, possessions (cars), idols, etc. Last weekend I went to a Bible study and found out that everybody there had a sense of brokenness! WE all needed to be mended and healed by the Lord! The next day we prayed for someones household and led a family member to CHRist in the household who was a recovering alcoholic and who the family gave up on and has isolated. In his face there was a little bit of everybody who is Lost and is in dyre need of Christ! His soul just crossed into eternity and so will many others if we continue to look for the opportunities to preach the gospel and love people! I spoke about the woman at the well in one of my previous Blogs! Jesus told the woman "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst". Everybody may be Thirsty, but HOW THIRSTY ARE YOU ????????????????Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-58322731259450360502011-10-06T21:03:00.000-07:002011-10-06T23:34:30.410-07:00Fear of FailurePicture this, you are standing on a cliff and are looking down! Trepidation is reaking from your face, you are totally speechless. Not only that but you cant move as you look down at the 20,000 foot descent! As you can imagine this emotion that you are experiencing is fear! Fear paralyzes, it impairs your cognitive function, inhibits your rationale, incapacitates your well being, steals your hope, and destroys faith! Fear is the biggest obstacle between you and the objective. If somebody who has arachnaphobia, wants to cross a road and comes across a spider, he/she will not cross the road!<br /><br />Fear is a spirit according to the Bible and it is from the enemy. Not only does it come from Satan it is the the opposite of faith! Fear will cause you to question what could've happened instead of knowing what should've happened! Fear has the power to block the destiny the Lord has for them! The enemy has designed fear to block the purpose the Lord has for somebody's life! Fear crushes people's dreams, sets them back in their endeavors, and minimizes faith! According to scripture Hebrews 11:1 "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The First man on the moon, first black president, Moses, Jesus? These were people that would be remembered as ones who were not overcome by the fear of failing! They took necessary risks to accomplish what the Lord created them to do!<br /><br />The only thing worse than Fear is Fear of failure! When people are looking for jobs applying to school, or even just talking to a girl the insidious nature of fear stops them from going forward! Its author is the Devil and its purpose is to rob people of the destiny God has for them. Fear can also b driven by insecurity and worry which also pertains to the kingdom of darkness!<br /><br />Fear can ruin a successful business, cause somebody to commit suicide, and even lead somebody to turn their back on the Lord! It can be destructive to relationships and can ruin something that was made beautiful in the Lord's eyes! It is the primary inhibitor of success and can disrupt peace in somebody's life. The awesome thing is that there is refuge for those that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Can I get a witness?<br /><br />The antidote for fear is faith! In the Word it says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! Our belief in Jesus Christ is based on faith, since we were saved by grace through faith. Finding out root of the fear of failing is the first step to conquering it. Maybe its being unsure about the future, a traumatic event from childhood, possible success if action is carried out, peoples'opinions and oppositions to our goals, inability to surrender to God, or unbelief! Without faith its impossible to please GOD! Fear actually annoys God so the next huge step in conquering fear is trusting in the Lord with all your heart! This will relieve most fear! Once you trust in the Lord you know He wont let you fail even if you take a risk. You may attempt to achieve your goal several times but ultimately He wont let you fail! Psalms 27:1 says "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear ? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid". Meditating on this scripture can dismantle fear and is used in Spiritual warfare books to combat the spirit of fear! Assuming the risk is half the battle the other half is overcoming the fear of a major or minor decision! <br /><br />Another way to eradicate fear of failure is found in the scripture 2 timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." The love that the Lord has for us drives out the fear! 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." The blameless and unconditional love that God has for us wipes away all fear because he wouldn't want to harm nor punish us so why should we fear! According to His word in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." <br /><br />God loves us so much that He wouldn't want to harm us nor cause us to fear! He has a plan for everybody but in order to fulfill the plan He has for you, you must let go of fear and surrender to the Lord's will! His power, love, faith and strength will be sufficient to carry you through to your destination even when the waters get murky! Remember the opposite of fear is faith and the Jesus is our exemplary for how to activate faith as we needed faith to believe that he is the King of Kings and that He rose again and we were granted eternal life! Fear is preventing you from who God has created you to be and what he has created us to do! Today instead of letting fear dominate our lives let us choose to activate FAITH!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-36752524482830502302011-10-02T21:17:00.000-07:002011-10-03T00:55:02.148-07:00Step into your CallingPicture this, one of foot is in the quicksand and my other one is on concrete! Automatically there in is an unbalanced state! The equilibrium is offset! All of a sudden you become weaker, there is disorder and you begin to stumble, you become confused, scared, and your foundation lacks stability!<br /><br />This state is exactly what happens when we are in the outer courts. If one has one foot in the kingdom and one in the World it becomes difficult to attain the fullness of measure in Christ! It is similar to devoting half your time studying medicine and the other half studying architecture! Individuals will never be able to maximize their potential because an individual will only be half as successful as one could have been since their time and diligence is split in half! God's desire is to use us and anoint us with His spirit but it requires devotion to the things of his Kingdom and significantly less of this world! He said in his Word, seek me and ye shall find me when you seek me with all your heart! <br /><br />When you have one foot in the world you are not giving him your whole heart. Therefore it will be difficult to find Him and ultimately discover His will for your life! If you don't find His will for your life, you definitely cant find your calling! All of this leads to a domino effect and it starts with total submission to God's will by having both feet in the kingdom. Once we have both feet in the kingdom we can truly step into our calling because now the Lord can ordain our steps and we are seeking him with our whole heart and not a half heart! As opposed to when we have one foot in the world and one in the kingdom it becomes difficult to take forward steps as we will be taking one step forward and another backward since we are directing on our own steps while following the Lord's as well which is totally confusing and counter productive!<br /><br />Once we dive in head first and submerge our wholselves in the kingdom of God, it is then and only then that we can step into our calling! Our calling is very important because everybody has a calling and we must adhere to the calling if we want to make a difference in this world! The other very special thing about a calling is that its like a fingerprint and it is unique to us. What I am called to do nobody else can, even if its the same ministry. Lets say two different people are both called to be teachers in the same subject at the same high school. Each teacher may provide for the students differently and offer a different type of insight! How do we find our calling and what do we do once we find our calling? Well my belief is that we must first enter the Most Holy place and be in his presence through prayer and ask Him abut His will for our life and depending on the type of relationship you have with the Almighty, He will answer you quickly or reveal it to you step by step! Another way we find our calling is through reading and meditation of the word of God!<br /><br />Once we find our calling and know that it is our purpose in life and the way in which we are serve the Lord then we must sharpen our skills to represent the excellence of the kingdom of God! We will bear fruit and others will be blessed by the calling we have now accepted as an invitation from the Lord! May Christ be reflected in our lives as we ccept the calling he has for our lives! Much love and peace to tthe breathren!<br /><br />God be the glory Now and Forever,<br /><br />AMEN!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-51765690671541126532011-09-23T00:17:00.000-07:002011-09-23T02:39:52.541-07:00Dangers of RelationshipI might have discussed this topic before but today I will be going at it from a different angle! What makes a relationship! What makes it last, how do they form, what could go wrong! Usually people develop interest in one another through being around each other and familiarizing yourself with that person! After a while you may be interested in engaging in a relationship.<br /><br />A relationship is a serious matter! Not only is your life, heart, soul, and mind at stake but your future could be as well! Have you ever wondered why after somebody has a traumatic relationship and breaks up with the person they may either be emotionally unstable or may do irrational things. This is because this person's soul is now intertwined with their partner (soul tie). Once that person decides to break up with you not only are you taking a piece of them with you but they also have a piece you. They may have left stains and wounds in your hearts that will be there for eternity! Jesus in the only ONE that can offer true healing and restoration! People say that time heals wounds but there are plenty of people still suffering from these wounds that are damaging them internally and are having a difficult time overcoming this struggle.<br /><br />In order to illustrate my first point, take a scenario where a girl has cheated on a guy. He breaks up with her. Now when he engages in a new relationship with another girl he lacks trust while struggling to build a deep connection with his girlfriend. Another scenario is where a woman is in a physically abusive relationship. She terminates the relationship and engages in another one. Now any time she is in a room alone with her new boyfriend she becomes paranoid and hits him or has panic attacks and begins shaking! Insecurity is one of the most self destructive qualities an individual can have when it comes to building a healthy relationship. From experience I know it can inhibit intimacy and cause jealousy which is a big problem in certain cultures. Jealousy is usually accompanied by his brother possessiveness. A man/woman who is jealous is usually possessive! This can destroy a relationship because this person may not trust their partner or think that their companion is too good for them and self sabotage the relationship. Another dimension to this problem is that they may try to control all aspects of your life including mobility (leaving the house to run errands) or apparel amongst many other things! After the breakup this person may potentially become a stalker! All of these spirits: infidelity, abuse, and insecurity can cause serious problems in our personal growth and development as well as future relationships! <br /><br />People seek relationships for different reasons. Some people may feel alone, others may seek validation, some are looking for love they haven't received from their parents, others are pursuing a relationship in order to fit in with the crowd. For whatever reason people are seeking a sacred bond with the opposite sex (presumably)! This makes sense because God said it is not good that the man should be alone and He created his companion(a woman)! We intrinsically desire to mate or be with someone in a romantic manner because the Lord created man and woman so we can be attracted to one another, this is totally natural! Albeit, who do we engage in a relationship with is the bigger question! People have suffered through custody cases, stalking episodes, and horrible experiences because of jumping into relationships without testing the waters and did not realize they were venturing in perilous terrain! People have acquired psychological, mental, spiritual, and emotional scars after certain relationships!<br /><br />As children we are innocent and pure, however through the experiences of life our hearts become hardened and we begin to build walls around our hearts that impede formation of strong bonds. The stains left on our hearts definitely affect how we grow and how we become as an adult! Someone who has been through a traumatic break up may need sometime to reflect and see how God can search their heart to heal them before they embark on another soul venture! A relationship is more than just a relationship it is the union of two souls, literally! If God honors the relationship He will reveal it and it will be a fruitful relationship! If you wait on God for the optimal relationship He will sustain it and you will grow to love that person beautifully as the relationship remains healthy! Only the love of Christ can cause a relationship to THRIVE!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-44304213544579112972011-09-22T01:06:00.000-07:002011-09-22T02:01:09.771-07:00Impacting livesAs a human one of the greatest questions in life is how can I leave my mark on this earth, how can I contribute to the improvement of humanity? How can I change the world?<br /><br />As a Christian my answer would be simple: affecting change in society through Christ! Our society is full of quick fixes and self-helps techniques that fall short because we all have weaknesses that only the Lord can fix! If anybody reading this is perfect please stop now, this does not apply to you! If you admit you are not perfect and have flaws continue reading! There are so many people who need the love of Christ! Most people just want to know that they are accepted and that somebody out there cares for them! Once we show them that we do when everybody else is self absorbed they will listen closely to what we have to say even if they don't agree with everything we say! Christ has the supernatural ability to change lives! That means he will take somebody who views themselves as worthless or insignificant and give them value, significance, love, peace, power, a new heart and spirit, and a new life all at once! Its amazing, He also has the ability to heal both emotionally (some people have some deep wounds, scars, and stains on their hearts) and physically (disease) amongst other capabilities! <br /><br />Prayer alone can transform lives and I have seen it 1st hand! Because when I pray for people the Lord usually answers! An orphan who was abandoned, abused, and told they shouldn't have been born whether in Dominican Republic or Africa can be given a newfound meaning and HOPE in LIFE! That to me is amazing! This is because of the transformative ability of the love of Christ and his ability to provide a new life!<br /><br />Through Christ I have had the privilege of touching college students' lives as they have touched mine! When you have Christ you can effectively minister to somebody whos hurting and give them a true and permanent solution to their problems! I love to see how Christ is working at College campuses because this is where people wrestle with the grand questions and struggles in life! It is where people do the majority of their soul searching and are looking for something to follow whether its a philosophy or a religion! Whatever they're looking for they want to make sure its REAL, STABLE, AND THAT IT IT WONT LET THEM DOWN! Christ fulfills all these requirements and even more! <br /><br />Whatever people look for in relationships Christ can offer: love, acceptance, kindness, joy, caring etc. Humanity is hurting and they are searching for something in their soul that will forever fill the void in their heart! Only GOD can do that, anything else is a quick fix, temporary solution, and cheap imitation! I enjoy speaking to people about Christ because it reveals things they may be struggling with, makes people vulnerable so they can be helped, and causes people to recognize they are in bondage and that they can be liberated through Christ! They don't have to live like this and bondage is not part of "LIFE"! In the natural we have a limit to what we can do but through God there is no limit. Anything is possible with GOD! Through The Lord the impossible becomes possible! <br /><br />Miracles happen through Christ! This is the coolest thing because they literally change lives whether somebody gets cured of cancer or an abandoned child is reunited with their parents or homeless people become renowned speakers!<br /><br />I enjoy working with High School and College kids and just loving them the way they are, showing that I care, and that I am here for them whenever they need me! This encouragement and support is what broken souls need and that only Christ can provide! He is the solution to abuse, addiction, depression, anxiety,envy, jealousy, bitterness, poverty and many other problems! The students who live a life that glorifies GOD are rare but are an inspiration to their peers because they are unlike any of them and are TRUE leaders! These individuals are the ones that people confide in when they have burdens! These faithful servants of Christ allow the power of the Holy Spirit to change a generation and make a difference in this world!<br /><br />I currently mentor or guide a few people and they trust in me which I consider an honor! They share their deepest struggles, pain, and worst thoughts with me! If I didn't have Christ I would not be able to make a profound and lasting impact like the one I am making now! Only Christ has given me the faith, hope, love, strength, peace, understanding, and knowledge to connect with people and touch their lives! Making this profound impact is what I long to do! I also have to make sure I pray consistently and read my Bible so that when somebody comes to me with a serious life/death issue I will be ready to minister and let Christ's power flow through me! The visions I may have or the words I may speak are not mine they are God's! The feeling you get when you know you have made a lasting difference in somebody's life is invaluable!<br /><br />The responsibility of making an impact on people's lives through Christ and preaching the gospel is very serious and is not to be taken lightly! People's lives and souls are at stake! I am becoming more aware of that as I grow in Christ! What I say can either save a soul or LOSE one for eternity! <br /><br />Lord I ask that you continue to reveal my strengths and weaknesses and what areas of growth I should focus so that I will be better equipped to preach to the Lost and serve the breathren! Teach me how to love people even when it may be difficult and care for people when it hurts! Give me a vision, strength, wisdom, hope, and faith to serve the world and impact change forever! Thank You Jesus, in your precious mighty name we pray AMEN!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-46934174983111966982011-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:002011-09-22T01:01:41.756-07:00Fighting to LiveLife is hard. There are many struggles, so many emotions, heart breaks! But there are also a victory which can be eternally claimed only through Jesus Christ the Lamb that was slained! 1 Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.<br /><br />Many people wonder why they suffer so much in their lives, why they cant sleep at night, or why when they do everything right things don't go their way! The bigger question is can somebody save you from your misery, desperation and/or hopelessness? The answer is Yes! The Lost (everybody who does not have Christ) longs for something they cannot describe! There is a gaping hole they have in their heart that they try to fill with worldly things (partying, drunkeness, girlfriends/boyfriends). The absolute truth is that you can only fill it with GOD the almighty! Everything else will fade away and is only a temporary solution to a permanent problem! This is why people seek experiences that make them feel "alive": Bunjijumping, exercising, climbing a mountain, skydiving, sex, skydiving, scubadiving, and any other athletic activity! When you give your life to Christ and get right with God he will open your spiritual eyes to see the LOST! The reason why humanity has these confused looks on their faces is because We are broken and need a savior!<br /><br />Jesus is the living water. John 4:13-14 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, 14but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." After people drink from the well of everlasting life they will never drink from the things of this world because it wont satisfy their thirst! Jesus can satisfy our thirst! This leads me to my next point! People will hunger and thirst after Christ when they see us living lives SOLD OUT (all for) for Christ, my Pastor spoke about this (our lifetsyles must make people thirsty)! What do I mean by this? What I mean is, that when most of the words that come out of our mouths are more things about Christ's love and the gospel rather than Lil waynes song or the next Iphone and when we are choosing to go to a youth revival rather than a club! People (particularly The youth) must come to the realization that they are missing something and are not complete. <br /><br />The young generation wants something real they don't want anything fake as a man of GOD told me! Jesus called us the Light of the world (Matt 5:14) We cannot be the light and still be in darkness (clubs, strip clubs, drunkeness, premarital sex)! When we are truly the Light and separate ourselves from the world, people will begin to wonder what does this person have/do that is so much better or fulfilling than what I and the rest of society does/has? 1 John 1: This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. Walking in the light, pouring our hearts out at the feet of Jesus, and living a life of Holiness (one that is glorifying God) will create a thirst in people that will make them wonder about the deeper questions in life: what am I on earth for, what happens after we die, how can I impact other people's lives while I'm alive? The only way to get people to wonder, question, and thirst is to have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ and a true hunger for HIM! We cant make people hungry if we are not hungry!<br /><br />People will hunger and thirst because he is the Living water (John 4:13-14) and the Bread of Life (John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." In order to draw people to Christ we have to make them thirsty with our lifestyles! Maybe its the joy that we have, or the unconditional love we demonstrate, or the zeal or the ability to forgive! In addition, devotion to God: Prayer, reading the Bible, fasting, and worship... will strengthen and give power to our testimony! The Boldness to share the gospel will also make people thirsty! They will ask themselves what is so important that a stranger stopped me to tell me something in NYC where most people don't even want to say hi! The peace we have will make people thirsty as well! Your compassion for others will make people thirsty!<br /><br />Since out of the heart comes, life Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life". When we accept Jesus into our heart he gives us a new LIFE! Through this New Life we show people what it means to be Born Again! We have new desires: we see, hear, walk, talk, and act different! Jesus can heal all the wounds we have in our hearts! In Order to receive anointing we must surrender all to Jesus and let Him take control! That is the only way the deaf will be able to hear and the Blind will be able to see! We need to display the power of the gospel and of Christ! How do we do that , through our lifestyles! People may not accept you or even abandon you but will never forget how Christ has changed your life and how you are a whole new person!<br /><br />Christ can offer a new Life! Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.<br /><br />Today, Christ can offer you a new life life. He has done it for me! All you have to do is say sorry for living a life of Rebellion against God, repent, ask for forgiveness, and acknowledge that Jesus was crucified, died for our sins, and rose again! Then accept him as your personal Lord and savior! Its a simple prayer that will Go a LONG WAY and change your life for eternity!<br /><br />Let us continue to lay our lives down, carry our crosses daily, and pour our lives out for Jesus Christ! I promise you this generation will become thirsty and revival will break out! A Christ Revolution is imminent! Are you going to be part of it?Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-14810798240073880702011-09-19T01:28:00.001-07:002011-09-21T22:32:50.375-07:00Trust in Him III was a bit confused and a bit mad at God for leading me on, but by the end of the week I figured it was all part of God's bigger plan and that it wasn't my time for medical school; I wasnt mad at GOD anymore! After that day I was just readjusting to life in the US and realized how spoiled people are and how ungrateful most people are in the US. After the readjustment I continued to go to Times Square Church and meet with people who needed guidance! Ever since the Mission trip and even before I have served as a counselor/mentor for many people in the faith who know and love God or others who are honestly seeking him! I have been told various times that I should be a pastor and although I have denied those claims or possible promises from God but the Lord hasn't spoken to me directly about that! Albeit, I know I can be a pastor and still practice medicine! I have a strong desire to grow his kingdom and a devotion to Jesus Christ! I just don't know what the Lord wants to do with them as of yet, but I'm still confused! <br /><br />Whatever it is though, Im ready, we have many disparities in our urban communities and I want to intervene as far as college placement and mentoring is concerned! I'm ready to be a vessel for the Lord! I do know this: whether I will be a youth Pastor, an evangelist, or doctor, I will pour out my all at the foot of the Cross! I know Jesus will change the people I interact with forever. I want to dive into the WORD like never before and learn more about the LORD and receive the blessings that the Lord has in store for me! I am building my faith so when the trials come in ministry I will stay standing and that my foundation is rock solid which will prevent me from being deceived! <br /><br />God has ruled sovereign and will continue to do so! I am looking to establish a Bible study in my house to fulfill the need for some of my friends and new converts or people that are looking to grow in Christ and need a word of encouragement! I must seek deep intimacy with Him and my desires need to be aligned with His desires in order to discover my destiny in His eyes! IN this journey staying the course is tough and time after time I have encountered perilous waters but the Lord calms those waters and manages to get me through the storm! I would love to fix my eyes on HIM and to love everybody regardless if they get along with me or not! I will continue to seek Him and to trust that HE will make a way or direct my paths!<br /><br />Prayer: Lord we thank you and bless your name for everything you are! You have come as a man to become our sin on the cross. You are strong and mighty, LORD! Father please give us the patience and steadfastness, faith, hope, and direction! I know You have a calling on my life I just don't know what it is yet! We worship you for who YOU are and are amazed and your wonders and glory! Help us to grow closer to you so that we can lean your will for our life! Give me a passion for your people and a fervent desire to grow in your WORD! I love you LORD! You said you will never leave me nor forsake me, I trust that WORD! reveal yourself to me again and also to my loved ones! IN the mighty, precious, beautiful, name of Jesus, IN Jesus Name we Pray AMEN!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-60272228187765347972011-09-18T21:48:00.000-07:002011-09-19T01:28:03.503-07:00Trust in Him IMatt 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:<br />[14] Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.<br /><br />I have reached a division in my life! Its a road that diverges and I must choose a path! This past year I was at Stony Brook getting my Masters and I had the privilege of being part of BASIC a campus ministry! As a new believer in Christ I had a lot of questions, confusion, temptations, and no support system! I could feel the devil attempting to destroy my testimony but above it all the almighty GOD kept me from the fire and delivered me from the pit! Everything happened for a reason and was perfect in its time! I had desired Christian friends and was totally isolated from the world in hopes of escaping temptation. God gave me the grace to sustain myself during this period of no Christian fellowship! I learned a lot about myself, God's children, His love, mercy and grace. I learned about mission trips and still remember the people who ministered in BASIC! I was inspired by the stories that I heard and the people that I met! But most importantly I appreciated the Love and affection that was offered by the people in the club(ministry)! A couple of days after my 1st meeting in BASIC with a girl in the meeting and it was a great pleasure to find out these people really CARED ABOUT ME! Instead of paying taxis, I would get rides home from (who is now) my close friend. <br /><br />BASIC became my family while I was there! I grew spiritually and prospered. I never expected that simply being a member of a club would open doors for my future career and opportunities to travel! Through BASIC I was bale to impact lives! Many young Christian men sought me for advice! I loved mentoring so me filling that void was meant to be!<br /><br />Now the Academic aspect of my year at Stony Brook had its trials! More than one time I was on the brink of failing a test or a class but by God's grace I was able to pass those classes/exams. The Masters I did was linked with the medical school! After all the challenges and close calls during the school year I still fulfilled the minimum GPA requirement but still had to fulfill the MCAT requirement! I took the MCAT in January 2011 and earned a 24 MCAT which is the score they required, however I fell short in one section by 2 points! So I retook it after I finished school in late June! However I went to Nigeria in Mid July and I left a couple of days before I received my score. I could have checked my results in Nigeria but I didn't want to get distracted from God's work and mess up my Missionary trip. Well when I returned from Nigeria with so much zeal the first thing I did was check my score. I checked one section first and saw a 5, then looked at the total score and was completely blown away. I was disgusted, ashamed, shocked, and felt like a failure and feelings of inadequacy began to sink IN!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-18786380189011730852011-09-16T02:00:00.000-07:002011-09-16T02:05:35.217-07:00Crucifying the Flesh IIMoreover being in the flesh can have some harsh consequences whether its damaging a relationship or falling into sexual temptation! The Lust of the Flesh is a tool the enemy uses to stifle self control! Whenever we let our guard down and stop praying, our worldly thoughts, ways, and worse off the Lust of the Flesh creeps up as the prince of the AIR swoops in, takes over, and attempts to quench the Holy Ghost! Recently I met with a female and my emotions got out of hand because of the way we interacted! When I was in the world I used to seek girl's love for validation as I was insecure! Satan saw this as an opportunity to keep me bound to the things the Lord delivered me from! I saw that the girl might have shown interest and my emotions began growing, however I was fulfilling the desires of the flesh that were in opposition to God! Proverbs 4:23 "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life". It is crucial for us to keep our hearts because life emanates from it just as well as it can give way to temptation. Mathew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. When I am not vigilant over my heart and all the emotions that spring from it, it will affect how I act. Dring this vulnerable state while my guard was down I behaved irrationally and said things I should not have said. Because my mind was not renewed by the Word of God and the flesh overrode the Spirit I let my feelings get the best of me! Self control is one of the most important aspects to living a Christ centered life!<br /><br />I learned so much from crucifying the deeds of the Body! Being sober-minded not only grounds you in firmness of faith but brings you closer to the Lord! Moreover one you are strongly rooted, you will be well equipped to preach the gospel and draw people near to Christ! As long as we are filled with the Holy Ghost and fix our eyes on Christ people will begin to thirst for the kingdom and our desire to get closer to the Lord and to serve him will grow! Prayer: Lord before we were slaves to sin Please make us slaves to righteousness and give us the strength to fight the lust of the flesh and the passions of our sinful nature! We thank YOU for pouring down your love upon us and showing us your grace and mercy! Please keep our minds purified and maintain us as sanctified Vessels! May we pursue holiness and righteousness with all our heart! We are ambassadors for Christ, now we must live like it! <br /><br />Galatians 5:24 "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. We must sacrifice the flesh in order to gain the Kingdom."<br /><br />Galatians 6:17 "From now on let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus."Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-74941811246864827122011-09-15T23:00:00.000-07:002011-09-16T02:00:08.554-07:00Crucifying the Flesh IAs a Christian my walk everyday is a battle and the flesh is in constant warfare with the body! Before I came to Christ sin was regular and I didn't view it as sin, I just viewed it as society viewed it: fun, normal behavior, and circumstantial! Although my sinful nature is inherited, it is purified by the blood of lamb! My carnal desires are driven by adultery, envy, greed, anger, strife etc.! Romans 8:13 "for if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. This scripture speaks about killing the flesh in order to live! Death resides in fulfilling the lust of the flesh!<br /><br />Whenever we quench the spirit, our flesh begins to rise up! Looking at a girls body and thinking sexual thoughts is already committing a sin through our thoughts which is why we renew our mind with the Word! In addition in Corinthians it says we have the mind of Christ! Christ has made us conquerors and he already claimed the victory! However most people don't know this and believe that we are defenseless against a bondage to our sinful thoughts, acts, and the devil's ploys. 1 John2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." In the Word of God we are told that we are called to be separate from the world and that our citizenship is in heaven! We are called to be consecrated for the Lord and be sanctified through the Holy Spirit! In order for us to be anointed and enter the Most Holy Place we must be clean and be purified, holy, and blameless before HIM! Although we still falter and have flaws! However if you want to receive all the blessings that the Lord has in store for us we must walk in the truth and speak it as well, live as slaves to righteousness! He wants to use us but when we defile the temple of the Holy Ghost we prevent the Lord from using us mightily! The pastor at Times Square Church said that when we live our lives people must Thirst for God and wonder whats so different about us! When we preach the gospel or speak the Word we want people to be engaged and we also want some miracles to happen! The only way the deaf ears and blind eyes are opened is through preaching the Word but you must be anointed if you want people's hearts to be opened and get convicted when you speak, to plant a firm seed, or lead people to Christ!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-33224657874618414312011-08-21T18:03:00.000-07:002011-08-22T12:23:36.089-07:00Trip to Nigeria IIBacktracking now, we arrived in Abuja airport when we landed in Nigeria, spent a few days in Enugu, Port Hacourt,and Jos. Before we went to Osunu village we went to a local university in Godfrey Okoye University Enugu where Uncle George (missionary leader, pastor, and biotechnologist) delivered a lecture on Genetics. He also taught a group of Junior Biochemistry majors about basic Genetics and one of our missionaries (Chioma) taught them basic lab techniques such as DNA extraction and Gel electrophoresis. The governor of Enugu state and the president of the university stopped by the lab. It was amazing to see the transformation over 2 days. The first day they could barely hold pippettes {lab instruments} and the next day they knew how to perform PCR {polymerase chain reaction} (fundamental lab technique) on their own. This was an awesome opportunity to minister to the college students. Two people gave their lives to Christ!
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<br />Later on that weekend Auntie Ude (missionary Leader, wife of uncle George, and Nurse practitioner) delivered a lecture on Breast Cancer. We left Enugu and traveled to Port Harcort where we visited some family and stayed at a friends house. From there we flew back to Abuja and then drove to Jos. Recently Jos had some Christian-Muslim conflicts where they were bombing churches and killing Christians. Although most people pleaded us not to go we confided in the Lord and had faith that the Lord would protect us from all harm. Our missionay leader was bold and lived a lufe for God: it was total self denial. The Lord literally delivered us form teh mouth of a Lon at Jos we had the blessed opportunity of touring the Faith Alive Hospital: A Non profit organization founded by Brother Chris who studied and Case Western and went back to Nigeria to serve. The organization offers free medical care for the surrounding community in Jos. They have a free HIV clinic, social work, pharmacy, surgery, OB-GYN and regular general physicians. I was fortunate enough to witness 3 surgeries:2 herniographies and 1 herniotomy! It was amazing because patients prayed before their surgeries and the doctors did as well! The faith the patients demonstrated was startling! They barely had local anesthesia to use for the patients. So they numbed the area and sometimes the anesthesia would wear off and the patients would feel the excruciating pain and scream! There were no big lights and no machines to detect the vitals except a blood pressure cuff. In addition there was an aluminum bed tray that the patients layed on with a cover for the patients body and that was it. The resources were scarce but the surgeon was a woman of God and she operated with so much grace and seemed so happy to serve her people. She inspired me to give back to a developing country when I become a trained medical professional! So then we left Jos and went back to Abuja!
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<br />We went back to Abuja and attended a youth conference on Saturday which was really cool. Uncle George preached a sermon, His kids and Idara (other college student and aspiring Physician assistant) sang a song, Idara ministered a solo spoken word, and Chioma delivered an exhortation (minisermon)! The youth seemed really engaged and some went to the altar call and accepted Christ! I pray and hope that the Lord touched their hearts! The last day(Sunday) before we left we went to an orphanage in Abuja I believe. The orphanage housed orphans, mentally ill, HIV patients, street boys and street girls(young teens that run away from home and live in abandoned buildings). Nuns ran the orphanage and you could see ghe love of Christ in them. They really cared for the orphans. We brought toys and other gifts for the orphanage. I would have loved to spend more time in the orphanage but the schedule did not allow! Then we visited Pastor Gary's house (college friend of Uncle George). After that we went back to the mission guest house and got some rest before departing in the morning!
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<br />The vision Uncle George is to help Nigeria expand their exports by genetic engineering and cultivation of certain crops. He also wants to teach his community and the country of Nigeria how to sustain themselves, train Nigerian professionals that will travel to the US and establish themselves, come back to Nigeria, help rebuild the country and spread the vision of redesigning Africa! We traveled from Nigeria to the UK and from the UK back to the US. During the trip back home I meditated on the journey and was convinced that I would never forget the experience and that no experience I ever had either home or abroad could compare! It was truly an eye-opening experience that made me realize all the amenities and resources I have in the US. In addition it proved to me that God brings hope to those who are in despair, he transforms people, and that he is powerful, mighty, majestic, performs Miracles whenever he wants to, and He will protect in you in your darkest hour and when you are most vulnerable! I want to thank all the saints (Christians) who helped us while we were in Nigeria, gave us shelter, food, love, and warm welcomes! I will never forget any of the breathren I met while in Nigeria and you will remain in my prayers! God Bless you and may the Lord continue to prosper you until we meet again!
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<br />Ruth 2:12
<br />May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2742948471830590613.post-41462971902712845672011-08-21T16:21:00.000-07:002011-08-21T18:03:08.727-07:00Trip to Nigeria IThe Road is bumpy in the back of my mind I wondered if we would make it in one piece! As we approach our destination I was thinking to myself I haven't seen this many potholes since the Bronx. The natural rocks and the abundant greenery has formed picturesque scenery, man it looks like its straight out of a catalogue. The air has left a fragrance of incense! I saw a goat on the side of the road. As I noticed the faded red cross on a stone building I figured it was a hospital. Then reality hit me when I saw the sign that said Osunu Village, I woke up and told myself DUDE you are in Nigeria lol!
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<br />Although my trip didnt start there, these were one of the many adventures I had while in Nigeria. It was a whole new world, with new people, new customs, new culture, new politics, new social norms, new foods, and best of all a new faith experience! Before going to Nigeria I had many expectations and desires for the trip however I had no idea of how Powerful God was. Matter of fact prior to this year I did not think He could move the way He does. Ever since I accepted Jesus as my Lord in Savior (last summer) He has been doing incredible things in my life! He brought me out of the captivity to drunkeness, addiction to club life, low self esteem, and suicidal thoughts! Ever since I have been putting my trust in Him he has done miracle after miracle and he ceases to amaze me! Nigeria was no different!
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<br />For the two weeks while we were in Nigeria there wasn't one day God didn't surprise me!
<br />Every day was a surprise from God, I didnt know what to expect. Our first experience was a village outreach. The people gathered in the venue where the village has community events. In Nigeria the major tribes are Igbo, Yoruba, and Housa. The people in the Osunu village were from the Igbo tribe. As the people came in I observed that most of the adults wore natives while the younger kids wore plain clothes. In addition there seemed to be more women than men as they registered on a paper and received a number for their names to be called for assessment of vitals (Blood pressure, temperature), a consultation from a doctor, medication, and pastoral counseling! Everything was FREE 99. Yes you heard me FREE! The system was efficient and flowed nicely! Everybody was delegated a task except me. I didnt see it as any negligence but I decided to take initiative and felt the Lord telling me to go speak to people. As I saw 3 young women congregate I seized the opportunity. I approached them, introduced myself, and we began talking about God. While we were conversing I asked them if they were "saved" or when they gave their lives to Christ. A young lady named Marrit answered yes, I was born Christian! I responded in a polite tone: how is that? She answered well I have been Christian since I was a little girl, my mom is a Christian. I began to explain salvation to her and told her that one must be born again in order to be a true Christian. When she understood salvation I asked her a simple question: would you like to accept Christ into your heart. She was skeptical and was a bit uneasy. I reassured her how her life was going to change as a result of her commitment to Christ. She agreed to say the prayer with me and gave her life to Christ! Her sister did so also! I felt an enormous amount of joy in my heart! After the outreach we shared stories and some of the ladies had sky rocketing blood pressures (200s). About five or so people gave their hearts to Christ! I didn't expect that! The next day it was twice as many villagers and more people helping out.
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<br />The Lord always has a twist in our lives. I had the privilege to meet Marit's Mom who claimed to be a born again Christian. She began to speak and she was like a fire-breathing dragon: the word she preached was intense! So intense that my missionary leader came over to me and asked me if everything was alright. I told him everything was ok. Although she was so humble, she was very passionate about the Lord that her speech and face showed it. In my whole year of being Christian I had never encountered somebody with such fervor, desire, and passion for Jesus. She briefly spoke about sanctification then began talking about persecution in the village and the spiritual warfare that exists. She pointed out two men who she identified as idolatrers (men who worshiped ancient gods and offered sacrifices). She began saying that they lash out against the Christians and seek to do harm against them by conjuring spirits and wishing horrible things upon them. Some of her family members developed these skin lesions as a result of their spells and demonic assaults. However through prayer and covering with the Blood of Jesus the demons fled! As I ministered to Marrit, her Mom, a friend, and a woman with a baby I heard a loud and uncanny noise in the back of the room! I turn to see what was all the commotion and I see a guy yelling in agony, twitching and shaking as if he just came out of an arctic pond. I speculated and thought it was a demonic possession. My speculation was confirmed when I asked uncle George (Missionary leader) if it was a demonic possession. He calmly answered yes and said"its a minor one though". One of the pastors on the deliverance team gently placed his hands on his neck and side and casted out the demon. I thought to myself if its a minor one I don't think I am ready for a major one lol! This was an incredible experience that strengthened my faith as the gospels where Jesus and the disciples casted out demons came to Life. This reminded me not to doubt the power and might of our great God. The authority vested on us through Christ allows us to do awesome things like cast out demons.
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<br />Later on that day I had a small conference with all the young men and boys in the village where I got their name, email, age, and any health complaints. The most common health complaint was worms in their stomachs. Most of them were still in the world and ranged from ages 9-17. One particular young man sticks out in my memory Onye which was an abbreviation for his Igbo name. He began telling me about the stress and social pressure he was experiencing from his family: he was the oldest (first born) and in the igbo culture the firstborn is in charge of the family and takes care of their financial, medical, spiritual, academic, and any other needs. However he was out of a job and had no way of providing for his younger brothers and sisters (juniors). As I gave him some funds it broke my heart to know he did not have the funds to sustain himself nor provide food or medical attention for his family. The worse part of the story is that all the weight beared on his shoulders! However the miraculous part of the story is that I prayed for him and I trust that GOD will provide. If its one thing that I have learned about God s I have drawn closer to him is that HE answers prayers. When we trust Him, have faith in Him, believe with our heart, and prophesy based upon His word He is faithful to grant us our desires if its in His Will!
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<br />Before we left Osunu Village Uncle George declared and decried prosperity and liberation from bondage in that whole village. He also rebuked the ancient Gods (idols) that people worshipped. He has forever shown me to claim and establish Godly authority over any house I enter. The power of the Lord was present and was so much more than I expected!Random blog about every day issueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08804361722887442287noreply@blogger.com1