Lately, I've been trying to search my heart and find a place where I feel like I "belong". It just seems like my heart is somewhere but my body is elsewhere. I have been questioning my mind so much with thoughts like, "Do I really belong here? Is this really what God has for me?". I keep wanting to throw my roots down... but something keeps me from doing so.
While thinking about this tonight... a thought suddenly came to mind. "This world is not my home. I'm just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me... to heaven's open door. Lord, I can't feel at home in this world anymore." I think that's my problem. Constantly trying to "feel at home" somewhere. All I have to work on now is wanting to "commit" somewhere without feeling like I don't belong there. I want to do a work for God and I want my heart to be in it. Although... I'm having a problem with putting my "heart" into it if I feel like I don't belong.
Any suggestions? I've never really dealt with this before.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Conformed or Transformed?
Once again... another issue I see happening.
Change: TO MAKE DIFFERENT, CAUSE A TRANSFORMATION
So many people today claim to have a God in their lives... yet we aren't changed PERMANATELY. How can you say that you live for God... but continue to live as the world lives? Dress as the world dresses? Talk like the world talks? If it is OF THE WORLD it is NOT OF GOD.
Romans 12:2 (KJV) ~ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
conformed means 1. to give the same shape, outline, or contour to : bring into harmony or accord. 2. to be similar or identical; also : to be in agreement or harmony
transformed means 1 a : to change in composition or structure b :to change the outward form or appearance of c : to change in character or condition : convert
A Southern Baptist preacher named Paul Washer had an incredible message for this. I heard this message about 3 years ago. It still impacts me. In his message he states this,: (@ minute 30:47 on the video)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cncEhCvrVgQ
**Preaching at a youth convention***
Bro. Paul: "Let's imagine that I show up late and run up here on the platform. The elders angry at me say,'Bro. Paul don't you appreciate the fact that you are given the opportunity to speak here and you come late?' I say, 'Brothers, you have to forgive me.' Well, Why? 'Well I was out here on the highway, driving, and had a flat tire. I got out to change the tire. While changing the tire the lug nut fell off. I wasn't paying attention that I was on the highway and I ran out; grabbed the lug nut. As I stood up I saw a logging truck going 130 mph about 10 yards in front of me. It ran me over. That's why I am late."
(continuing)"Now, there are only two logical conclusions. Either, I am lying or I am a mad man. Why is that? Because, it is impossible to have an encounter with something as large as a logging truck and not be changed. My question to you is... what is larger... a logging truck... or God?"
Wow... How can we say we've been transformed when our entire COMPOSITION hasn't been changed? When everything about us isn't totally different? The things you did before God changed you are not the things you are going to continue to do after. The things you wore before God are not the things you will continue to wear. The communication you had before God will not be the way you communicate after.
Having God in your life... is a total reformation of everything. You are different. You talk different. You look different.
Now... time to evaluate. Have you conformed or are you transformed?
Change: TO MAKE DIFFERENT, CAUSE A TRANSFORMATION
So many people today claim to have a God in their lives... yet we aren't changed PERMANATELY. How can you say that you live for God... but continue to live as the world lives? Dress as the world dresses? Talk like the world talks? If it is OF THE WORLD it is NOT OF GOD.
Romans 12:2 (KJV) ~ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
conformed means 1. to give the same shape, outline, or contour to : bring into harmony or accord. 2. to be similar or identical; also : to be in agreement or harmony
transformed means 1 a : to change in composition or structure b :to change the outward form or appearance of c : to change in character or condition : convert
A Southern Baptist preacher named Paul Washer had an incredible message for this. I heard this message about 3 years ago. It still impacts me. In his message he states this,: (@ minute 30:47 on the video)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cncEhCvrVgQ
**Preaching at a youth convention***
Bro. Paul: "Let's imagine that I show up late and run up here on the platform. The elders angry at me say,'Bro. Paul don't you appreciate the fact that you are given the opportunity to speak here and you come late?' I say, 'Brothers, you have to forgive me.' Well, Why? 'Well I was out here on the highway, driving, and had a flat tire. I got out to change the tire. While changing the tire the lug nut fell off. I wasn't paying attention that I was on the highway and I ran out; grabbed the lug nut. As I stood up I saw a logging truck going 130 mph about 10 yards in front of me. It ran me over. That's why I am late."
(continuing)"Now, there are only two logical conclusions. Either, I am lying or I am a mad man. Why is that? Because, it is impossible to have an encounter with something as large as a logging truck and not be changed. My question to you is... what is larger... a logging truck... or God?"
Wow... How can we say we've been transformed when our entire COMPOSITION hasn't been changed? When everything about us isn't totally different? The things you did before God changed you are not the things you are going to continue to do after. The things you wore before God are not the things you will continue to wear. The communication you had before God will not be the way you communicate after.
Having God in your life... is a total reformation of everything. You are different. You talk different. You look different.
Now... time to evaluate. Have you conformed or are you transformed?
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Things I Want To Say.....
Compiled is a list of things I have been wanting to say... but haven't or can't. I have to let it out somewhere... I'm dying inside.
1. Preaching Without Knowledge.
A. I understand some may not have as much of an education as others. However, this does not excuse you from STUDYING ALL ASPECTS of your message. You need to know everything that you are preaching. Research the words if you don't know what they mean. Your job is to reach the "lost". Smart & Intelligent people are lost as well. Being from the south doesn't mean you are stupid. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!!!!
Want to know why your ministry/ministers is/are not growing? CHALLENGE their way of thinking. Make them THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! God is not in a box... why should you think in one? When God gave Solomon to ask of Him ANYTHING... solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge... WHY??? BECAUSE IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY LEAD GOD'S PEOPLE YOU NEED WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE!!!
2Choron. 1:11-12
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
Maybe instead of praying for an increase in your soul winner numbers.. you should pray God gives you the wisdom and knowledge to reach whomever... however & wherever.
Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
B. THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT IS DRIVING ME BONKERS IS:
The Muslim Religion "ISLAM": IMPORTANT FACT TO KNOW... ALLAH is the word in the Arabic Language for "ONE AND ONLY GOD" OR "ONE WHO DESERVES ALL WORSHIP"
"Allah" is not a statue.. or a Sun God or anything like this. It is the word used for God in the Arabic language. JUST like "Dios" is God in Spanish or "Dieu" in French. He has MANY NAMES. Just because everyone does not call Him in english "God" does not mean they are referring to some OTHER Diety.
"Allah" is arabic for the one and only God. PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE Allah is a God OTHER THAN THE SAME GOD WE ALL SERVE.
Why is it that everything thinks they know so much about it, but fail to actually study? The bible says to know your enemy. How are you ever going to reach anyone of this faith or show them the truth without knowing where they come from? THIS IS SOO IMPORTANT. Muslims that have been converted to Apostolic/Christianity/Pentecostal/etc.... STILL REFER TO GOD AS ALLAH... because He is the one and only God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. God is Above all, through all, and in all of us! AND NO I do not believe in the islamic/muslim doctrine for all those who read this and ONLY see what you want to see.
2. Shouting Services are the "ONLY" Services
Something a lot of people fail to realize. Just because you have shouted doesn't mean a change has taken place in your life. You may feel good and it might help you overcome some of your fleshly battles.. but the spiritual conflicts are inside. How do you overcome those? Through INTERCESSERY PRAYER & WORSHIP. How do we grow closer to God? How do we GROW so intimate with Him that the thought of His name brings tears to your eyes because you are so overwhelmed with love for Him? A song sang very often in a lot of churches, but speaks perfectly of what I'm talking about is:
"The more I seek you, the more I find you,
the more I find you, the more I love you,
I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand,
Lay back against you and breath, feel your heart beat,
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand,
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming"
When you shout, you are usually thanking God for a victory or a blessing.
When you worship, it's not about you. It's about Him.
Now, how often do we come to church with hands out ready to receive God's blessings?
Why not turn that around to God what can I bless you with? How can I make you happy today? Church shouldn't always be about getting your blessing. Stop being so selfish. Stop making everything about yourself. (In relation to God ofcourse) Show Him how much you love Him by going ONE SERVICE without asking God to meet a need. Show Him it's not ALWAYS about Him answering your prayers. (Prayer requests are so important so do not misunderstand what I am saying) Show Him how much He means to you even if HE NEVER BLESSED YOU OR ANSWERED ANOTHER PRAYER FOR YOU AGAIN.
Something I posted on Easter Sunday was this, "God... even if you never died for me on the cross... I would still love you. I would still live for you". Worship is God centered. Not US centered. A few scriptures to ease the mind.
1. Psalms 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
2. Acts 17:23 - "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
3. Hebrews 13:15 - Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Shouting is good and helps the flesh. However, there comes a time when you need to lay that aside and realize worship is where the true growth comes from.
3. We Don't Like Contemporary(Updated) Music. The only kind is the Old Southern Gospel.
You are strongly mistaken. We really should study the first church. When they received the Holy Ghost they were commanded to GO and PREACH EVERYWHERE, but they keep trying to come back to the Upper Room to recreate the experience; and finally God has to send persecution to them to get off their (posterior regions) to go evangelize the world!
I think we have fallen so short. We by err of being human try so hard to preserve the experience while missing the entire purpose.
We try to sing the "old" songs thinking that they were written under some stronger annointing mistakingly assuming that those are the songs that God moves through.
However, there is a reason that we are commanded to "SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG" not only because they are culturally relative, but because it causes men and women to seek for their own understanding of the Lord. It is all about pursuing personal revelation and relationship with Jesus.
Well....they argue how come I cry everytime I hear the "old songs"? Simple ... the same reason it excites you to see a 1957 Bel Air or visit the old burger joint in your town that still serves dinasour burgers ... NOSTALGIA ......
I look at old pictures and remember the good times. Nothing wrong with it, but it cant stop me from making NEW MEMORIES !
Please ... I beg the previous generation to allow us to build on the foundation you have laid, but build higher to know HIM better. You have swum your leg of the race . Now let us go deeper and see if there is even more to God than we could have ever imagined ....
This is it for now.
God, you are my all in all.
1. Preaching Without Knowledge.
A. I understand some may not have as much of an education as others. However, this does not excuse you from STUDYING ALL ASPECTS of your message. You need to know everything that you are preaching. Research the words if you don't know what they mean. Your job is to reach the "lost". Smart & Intelligent people are lost as well. Being from the south doesn't mean you are stupid. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!!!!
Want to know why your ministry/ministers is/are not growing? CHALLENGE their way of thinking. Make them THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX! God is not in a box... why should you think in one? When God gave Solomon to ask of Him ANYTHING... solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge... WHY??? BECAUSE IN ORDER TO EFFECTIVELY LEAD GOD'S PEOPLE YOU NEED WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE!!!
2Choron. 1:11-12
And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.
Maybe instead of praying for an increase in your soul winner numbers.. you should pray God gives you the wisdom and knowledge to reach whomever... however & wherever.
Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
B. THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTION THAT IS DRIVING ME BONKERS IS:
The Muslim Religion "ISLAM": IMPORTANT FACT TO KNOW... ALLAH is the word in the Arabic Language for "ONE AND ONLY GOD" OR "ONE WHO DESERVES ALL WORSHIP"
"Allah" is not a statue.. or a Sun God or anything like this. It is the word used for God in the Arabic language. JUST like "Dios" is God in Spanish or "Dieu" in French. He has MANY NAMES. Just because everyone does not call Him in english "God" does not mean they are referring to some OTHER Diety.
"Allah" is arabic for the one and only God. PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE Allah is a God OTHER THAN THE SAME GOD WE ALL SERVE.
Why is it that everything thinks they know so much about it, but fail to actually study? The bible says to know your enemy. How are you ever going to reach anyone of this faith or show them the truth without knowing where they come from? THIS IS SOO IMPORTANT. Muslims that have been converted to Apostolic/Christianity/Pentecostal/etc.... STILL REFER TO GOD AS ALLAH... because He is the one and only God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. God is Above all, through all, and in all of us! AND NO I do not believe in the islamic/muslim doctrine for all those who read this and ONLY see what you want to see.
2. Shouting Services are the "ONLY" Services
Something a lot of people fail to realize. Just because you have shouted doesn't mean a change has taken place in your life. You may feel good and it might help you overcome some of your fleshly battles.. but the spiritual conflicts are inside. How do you overcome those? Through INTERCESSERY PRAYER & WORSHIP. How do we grow closer to God? How do we GROW so intimate with Him that the thought of His name brings tears to your eyes because you are so overwhelmed with love for Him? A song sang very often in a lot of churches, but speaks perfectly of what I'm talking about is:
"The more I seek you, the more I find you,
the more I find you, the more I love you,
I want to sit at your feet, drink from the cup in your hand,
Lay back against you and breath, feel your heart beat,
This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand,
I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming"
When you shout, you are usually thanking God for a victory or a blessing.
When you worship, it's not about you. It's about Him.
Now, how often do we come to church with hands out ready to receive God's blessings?
Why not turn that around to God what can I bless you with? How can I make you happy today? Church shouldn't always be about getting your blessing. Stop being so selfish. Stop making everything about yourself. (In relation to God ofcourse) Show Him how much you love Him by going ONE SERVICE without asking God to meet a need. Show Him it's not ALWAYS about Him answering your prayers. (Prayer requests are so important so do not misunderstand what I am saying) Show Him how much He means to you even if HE NEVER BLESSED YOU OR ANSWERED ANOTHER PRAYER FOR YOU AGAIN.
Something I posted on Easter Sunday was this, "God... even if you never died for me on the cross... I would still love you. I would still live for you". Worship is God centered. Not US centered. A few scriptures to ease the mind.
1. Psalms 95:6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
2. Acts 17:23 - "for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
3. Hebrews 13:15 - Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Shouting is good and helps the flesh. However, there comes a time when you need to lay that aside and realize worship is where the true growth comes from.
3. We Don't Like Contemporary(Updated) Music. The only kind is the Old Southern Gospel.
You are strongly mistaken. We really should study the first church. When they received the Holy Ghost they were commanded to GO and PREACH EVERYWHERE, but they keep trying to come back to the Upper Room to recreate the experience; and finally God has to send persecution to them to get off their (posterior regions) to go evangelize the world!
I think we have fallen so short. We by err of being human try so hard to preserve the experience while missing the entire purpose.
We try to sing the "old" songs thinking that they were written under some stronger annointing mistakingly assuming that those are the songs that God moves through.
However, there is a reason that we are commanded to "SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG" not only because they are culturally relative, but because it causes men and women to seek for their own understanding of the Lord. It is all about pursuing personal revelation and relationship with Jesus.
Well....they argue how come I cry everytime I hear the "old songs"? Simple ... the same reason it excites you to see a 1957 Bel Air or visit the old burger joint in your town that still serves dinasour burgers ... NOSTALGIA ......
I look at old pictures and remember the good times. Nothing wrong with it, but it cant stop me from making NEW MEMORIES !
Please ... I beg the previous generation to allow us to build on the foundation you have laid, but build higher to know HIM better. You have swum your leg of the race . Now let us go deeper and see if there is even more to God than we could have ever imagined ....
This is it for now.
God, you are my all in all.
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