Somebody's going to Emergency.

richie-zapata:

I want this so bad!!!

Check it out: http://vimeo.com/37336723

“-though my culture really meant a desert uncultivated by you, God. You are the one true and good lord of your land, which is my heart.” St. Augustine

How does our heart lie with God? Wholly? Partially? or Nothing?

     We sing songs of giving our whole lives to God every Sunday or Wednesday night, but are we translating these lyrics into action? Speaking as an American, I see God through a lens, the American Dream lens. I can try to remove the filter that is there, it just takes work. 

     Augustine, lived from 354-430. In such a long ago time he shows us how he faces the same trials we have today in the church. He is caught between his world’s culture and the culture of the Kingdom of Heaven: caught between what his parents expect of him and what the Holy Father expects of him. 

     I love how he describes his heart as a dominion, ruled by God or culture. He describes his heart as a desert when the Lord isn’t a part of it. Let’s make a culture reference….

The Lion King (I hope Disney doesn’t sue me for using it on the internet.)

When Mufasa, who oversees a kingdom touched by light dies, Scar his brother takes over, and the kingdom and when the Simba returns to the kingdom, it is dark, barren, and dying. I am not comparing Mufasa, a cartoon lion and his whole cartoon gang of lions to God, Jesus or the evil one. But, when a lion who was irresponsible and worldly took over and ran the kingdom it turned to poop. However, when a lion who was responsible took over rule, it came back to order and full of light. Is your heart, ruled by a pure being, or the world?

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5 NIV84)
Isaiah saw God and realized he was ruined and destroyed just by the presence of God…

What would happen to the body of Christ if, when we all entered into praise to God, we pulled our walls down and allowed ourselves to be ruined?
Come with an attitude of total surrender.

I like the movement of muppets and puppets, its abnormally fast….

(via matthewhasting)

Step one: present the Word.

10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 HCSB

Step two: application.

My weaknesses are numerous, so are yours. It may be relationships, family, truth, sex, drugs, alcohol, money, death, or just life.

However God is literally bigger and better than these things, and doesn’t wish for us to give up, or only periodically work on our weaknesses. Through God tearing down and rebuilding we are able to be made great, in Isaiah 26:5 

5 For He has humbled those who live in lofty places-
an inaccessible city.
He brings it down; He brings it down to the ground;
He throws it to the dust.

HCSB

This is an excellent example of how God tears down and strips us of what we crave, until we crave Abba, Father.  Then we are given rest and renewal. God wishes us to be our best. Through trials and admittance of weakness we are made strong by God.

bottom line: We are all weak and incomplete.

 Change comes through petition, and perseverance and real repentance*, not political or monetary means. The Kingdom of Heaven’s Jurisdiction supersedes the Jurisdiction of any government currently holding place in this world. that’s Power. that’s Glory. that’s Love. that’s Forever.

Step Three: reintroduce the Word

10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 HCSB

We are all able, through our Father, to overcome the lows of this world. As Sons and Daughters of God we are heirs in a Kingdom. We are given access to God the Father through Jesus Christ, who became like us.

Please don’t let your weaknesses keep you from allowing God to use you to build relationship.

**Truth: Jesus was perfect. He took our death. and through acknowledgement and belief (throughout life) we are given direct access to our Creator, Counselor, and Great Father. 

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

*: Real Repentance requires not just a moment of your time but an indefinite amount of time in order to turn away from the things that separate you from God.

**: The crucifixion and salvation are greater subject than the small passage I just wrote. I invite you to read the Gospel’s Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in their entirety then connect with me or a pastor in your community to discuss the story of salvation. At the least you just deepened your understanding of what you believe. but I do encourage you to find Christ yourself rather that looking at humans who will always let you down. ask questions, be inquisitive, gain knowledge.

When my dad was absent, and I felt different.

When men stepped up and tried to be my mentor or male influence in my life.

God granted me sonship, adopted me and gave me rights into the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven. Praise God for loving me enough to show me that He is the Abba, Father. The orphans have a home and a family. He was able to give me what mentor’s couldn’t. Rights and privileges of a name.

Note: I am grateful for every mentor God placed in my life past and present. the Great Counselor just trumps all human beings…ever.

Keep me safe, O God,

for in you I take refuge.

I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;

apart from you I have no good thing.”

As for the saints who are in the land,

they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those will increase

who run after other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood

or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand,

I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;

my body also will rest secure,

because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:1-11 NIV84)

Life currently is full of allotment. I’ve been given a ton of good stuff, a good church family, a sweet lady-friend, a shot at education. However when things don’t go “normally” I naturally get a little frustrated I forget to take a step back and see that what I have is the lot God has given me and I should be thankful for my lot and my breadth.

Your prayers would be sweet. Prayer that I can take a look at the bigger picture and see that all I have been given, no matter how “incomplete”, is still a gift. And should be treated as such and I should respond with praise and worship of the Almighty Giver.

-Ryan

          I’m so tired of pissed off Christianity that I could vomit. There is so much more to be joyful about. We, as a church can’t go out in search of rebuke-able offenses. Instead above all else let us love one another and allow the pure and holy Gospel ring out through civilization. In doing so we will put to death, a false gospel.

         If we spend every waking moment looking for negativity pretty soon, the prey become the predator. Rejoice that you are free, and declare freedom. Fight the worthless gospel with the true, clean Gospel, go live it out.

         Ive been catching myself thinking more about what I don’t like in church or how church is run, how we could do better. Rather than setting an example and making myself a tool for God to show and put into practice His will. I have recently grown to learn that there is a time and a place for correction, but not always. Guide gently and promote Love rather than tear down and expose the holes within the church without exposing the strengths of today’s church.

           Go. Sing, Shout and Declare that the Lord Jesus Christ has paid ransom and has taken our debt onto Himself. What is to fear when death itself has lost it’s weight. So in fear’s place we should place Joy.

Rejoice more, don’t worry it’s appropriate.

“⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

When is the time when we as human being realize that our worth doesn’t come from a paycheck, job title, relationship status or bank account? Because, quite frankly, we are nothing until we are given worth. This morning I was at work and I was low, real low. It came to me at how much I was basing my life off of worth, but where does our worth come from? How is it given to us? Who assesses our worth? A tax collector? Or an elder? I don’t see this giving us much worth, at least where the kingdom of Heaven is concerned. There is a supreme authority over the Earth and Heaven, that’s; YHWH, God, the Great Counselor, the Rose of Sharon, the Father.

There’s a huge mistake that’s been perpetuated throughout the land, and it is that worth comes from the quantity and quality of things. I have based the worth of my life off of what I have done, what I have accumulated, how I did and how I accumulated it. Ephesians 2:8 says that my deeds and possessions are not key into salvation the only way into eternal worth is through the sacrifice of Jesus. Which was given to us out of the obedience of Jesus the Son and the love of God the Abba, Father.

When we seek identity we seek ourselves but shouldn’t we seek God as our identity? as our possessor? the one whom gives us worth. I can put full stake into a relationship or I can put partial stake into a relationship but unless that relationship finds it’s identity through the blood of Christ and the love and grace of the Abba, Father it has no merit and holds no water. It will never survive. If I don’t immerse myself into the identity that is God than I have no worth or identity do I?

God really is the only being who has worth. Why worship and buy stock in worthless idols that exist only until this world ends?

This morning I had a heart to heart moment with God on my worth and where I had placed my image of worth and my perspective of myself. The Lord God put me in my place and showed me how my worth only comes from what He says I am. Seeing as how I am an adopted Son of God, He thinks I’m worth a lot. My Abba, Father brings worth and restores the worthless. His most perfect Son died as a sacrifice a horrible and tortuous death so that sin may cling to and cover him so that we may rejoice in Heaven with Him. The LORD never made us to die but to live, He created us to push love through the world not to destroy or cheapen it.

/ramble