I would, to say the least, consider myself a musician of some sort. I am not an instrumentalist but a vocalist. God has blessed me with the gift to open my mouth and allow musical tones and notes to be produced that don't sound too bad. I love music. I love the art of writing and creating a song. I don't do much of it but the thought of doing so excites me. I have not always been akin to singing songs about Jesus but from the age of about 18 up until now....if you hear me singing anything it will more than likely be to give praise to my God. Sometimes when I pray I sing to the Lord and I love to enter into His presence by worshipping Him through songs that I sing to Him (in my private times with the Lord). It is also an awesome thing to be able to lead, or as I would like to say, sing WITH other believers as we ALL lift our voices in praise to our God.
As a twenty something African American female I gravitated towards gospel music. Gospel music is essentially what the music industry has termed black folks singing soulful songs in the the name of the Lord about the Christian faith. Would I REALLY call this "gospel" music? I have my opinions and maybe some of those will be revealed as I go along. Anywho, this music (or the sound of the music) related to me on a cultural level. I could identify with the sounds of the voices and the instrumentation of the songs. I will honestly say that many of the songs have served a place in my life to connect me with God to a certain extent. The lyrics were uplifting and many served as a means to express how I felt about Jesus. I have performed, YES I SAID PERFORMED, with several groups and choirs from the time. We sounded great! If you weren't moved by the "spirit", whatever spirit it was, you would be moved by the sound. I didn't realize it at the time but it all had become a show....lights, camera, action, you're on!
Then one year, I had the privilege of being elected as El Presidente of my college gospel choir. We did the same thing as usual, we performed but with limited musicians and limited voices (quality voices truth be told). During my tenure as "El Presidente"(lol) I began to realize that this was so much more than just singing at what we called GospelFests (GospelFest - a day when several colleges get together to perform at a concert) and at other events around campus and surrounding areas but that most of what we were doing was futile if none of the members in the choir were growing spiritually. There were so many issues afloat amongst the young people in the choir that it wasn't even funny. They had so many questions about God and some weren't even sure if they were saved. Truth be told, I was not very confident in my relationship with the Lord either and had my fair share of "college mishaps". Most of us did not have our bearings in Christ and His word and didn't quite understand how to get there, but singing in the "gospel choir" was a means to maintain some association with Jesus regardless of what we did or said after rehearsal or those many performances. I will say this, I did experience growth while in the choir but it was definitely NOT because of the choir or because of any of the songs that we sang. It was because of the people I met in the choir and some the things I'd experienced while in college. And the fact that I actually had an earnest desire to know the Lord.
Then after college I was involved in a group of young people that sang but there were some bumps along the way and the Lord disbanded that...and rightfully so! Here is the point...while I believe that there is definitely a place in the Kingdom of God for music, we must know its proper place. Can Christian music change lives and convert others to live a life submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ? Possibly. David played his harp and and the evil spirit in Saul was lifted as he played but it was only a temporary solution. But as I have seen lately, Christian music (gospel, contemporary, rock, hip hip, rap or whatever genre it is in) has become rather self serving and tainted by many, many...(did I say many) strange and worldly spirits.
What makes (some) Christian music pretentious? Personal agenda and it bleeds through every pour and fabric of the song from the production choices to the lyrics. When listening to your Christian musicians/songs of choice ask yourself these questions:
- Does this song appeal more to my emotions or is it edifying my spirit?
- Are the lyrics Biblically sound? If the song is not actually Scripture, are the themes and content of the songs strongly based and rooted in the Word of God?
- Does the background music (beats, instruments, production etc.) take away from or drown out the message that is being portrayed by the lyrics? I have listened to Christian songs that I like just because of the beat where the lyrics were secondary. This is not wrong all together but should most definitely NOT be the first criteria. The beat can be hot but the lyrics could be garbage.
- Why do I like this song? What is it really that appeals to me? Be truthful with yourself.
- What is the actual focus of the song? Is it to give praise and worship to the Lord? Is it to edify and encourage the saints ACCORDING TO WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS?
- Does the song give me a false hope in my own ability to overcome?
Ask God to give you more discernment concerning this subject through His Holy Ghost. For those of us who love music, in all of its forms, it is a difficult thing to do but as we follow the leading of His Spirit we will find Truth!
Hallelujah!! (Praises Be To YHWH)
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Book of Eli
WARNING: If you plan on watching this movie you may want to read this AFTER you have seen it because I am going to straight up spoil it for you.
There have been some rave reviews about this movie among the Christian community. It has been heralded as a "must see" for Christians. My puzzled response to that statement every time is why...no seriously WHY?
My husband and I went to see the movie the second night that it was out. It was defnitely not my first choice but I went along with it anyway. For those of you who don't quite know what the movie is about here is brief synopsis http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/synopsis:
Eli (Denzel Washington) has been on a journey for 30 years, walking west across America after a cataclysmic war that turned the earth into a total wasteland. The world has become a lawless civilization where people must kill or be killed. The barren roads belong to gangs of cutthroats who rob and kill for water, a pair of shoes, a lighter, or just for fun. Eli is a peaceful man who only acts in self defense, and becomes a warrior with unbelievable killing skills when he is challenged. After the war and the "Big Flash", Eli was guided by a higher power to a hidden book and given the task of protecting the book and taking it to its final destination. Eli guards the book with his life, because he knows that the book is the only hope that humanity has for its future.
If you are looking for entertainment value, shootouts, fight scences, knife wielding with somewhat of a decent plot and a nice twist at the end then this movie will accomplish its purpose for you. Even if you are looking to explore an enlightened life path you may be inspired. However, if you are looking to find a message that is of any real intrinisic Christian value you will need to keep it moving. Now, this is not a bash on this movie. I actually found it entertaining because I like movies with action and that keep you wonderning "now how is he going to get out of this one," but as I watched this movie, I could not help but have a lump sitting in the pit of my stomach. Its like I could sense what effect it would have in the Christian community. Some days later, that feeling seems to have been confirmed.
The problem that I have is not with the movie itself. People of the world make movies to entertain and chock full of worldly messages. The problem that I have is how this movie has been received and perceived by those that call themselves Christians. I will hi light a few themes that would have some believe this.
- Eli's book is the Bible
- Eli quotes from the Bible (even before he slays like 20 men)
- Eli supposedly hears a voice that comes from within that leads and guides him (much like the Holy Spirit.) He admits that it is not his voice but just calls it a "voice." The voice also tells him that he will make it to his destination and being protected.
- Eli seems to be divinely protected. As he is being shot at it appears that bullets are repelled and have no power over him and he fights with an almost "supernatural" strength. Even when he is shot at nearly point blank range in the abdomen, although weakened, he survives.
- Eli is a very meek and humble man in attitude and appearance (but he will cut you if you mess with him so BACK UP)
- Eli refuses to have sex with a beautiful young woman
- Eli even seems to have a constant prophetic type of "knowing" about situations that occur.
- At the end of the movie(here is the spoiler)Eli recites the Bible verbatim from Genesis to Revelations. He was able to do this because he read the "book" everyday for 30 years. EVERYDAY for 30 years.
There are many more that I can come up with but I will stop here. I won't even touch the moral struggles that Eli has in my attempt to demote from the status of a "Christian" movie. My proof for this not being a Christian movie lies in the fact that although this character protected the Bible with his very life and quoted from it, was "divinely" protected he was not in pursuit of Jesus Christ. Its just that simple....1 John 2:24-27 (NLT):
So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit,and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
or how about 1 John 4:1-3:
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
If this were a Christian movie, the truth of the gospel would have been all up and through!!! To call anything Christian it must first adn foremost identify with CHRIST! And if this were a Christian movie even the themes that were used would have also lined up with the character and image of Jesus Christ. It is undeniable that most movies are made with the purpose of making the viewer think and to convey a message. I looked up the writer and the directors of this movie and they all say the same thing: THIS MOVIE IS NOT INTENDED FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES. As a matter of fact, one of the directors is an atheist (http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/01/the-hughes-brothers-on-the-book-of-eli-dethroning-avatar-and-tiger-woods.html.
Someone was telling me the other day "Its just a movie. No one takes it seriously." For some, yes it is just a movie. They watch it, go home, go to bed and the end. But you reading this can attest with me that any movie that has had any kind of message has inspired people to do more, live better, try new things. It is all a matter of perception and many Christians have taken this movie and made it into something that it is not! I don't know if some are inspired to live as better Christians or if they read their Bible's more because of this movie. It could be that some believe that this is some sort of mass form of evangelism. I don't know what the deal is but I know what its not. So Christian people...PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT THE BOOK OF ELI IS A CHRISTIAN MOVIE. PLEASE STOP LEADING PEOPLE ASTRAY JUST AS YOU HAVE BEEN LEAD ASTRAY IN YOUR MIND TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY WAY THAT THIS MOVIE CAN BENEFIT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. THIS MOVIE DOES NOTHING TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN ITS MESSAGE AND IT DOES NOT GIVE LIGHT TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. I know some of you will disagree wholeheartedly with me about this but THERE IS NO POWER IN THE BIBLE OUTSIDE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, OUTSIDE OF JESUS CHRIST. THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN AS A GUIDE FOR WHO...CHRISTIANS AND THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED TO DO WHAT....SAVE SOULS!!! 2 Corinthians 3:3 - Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
Most, if not all, of what was referenced in this movie concerning the Bible was found in the Old Testament with no references to the new. To this day whenever the old covenant is read the same veil that covers the face of Moses covers the mind so that it does not understand the truth. The veil can ONLY be lifted by believing in Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:12-14). This movie has accomplished just that (veiled minds to the truth) for the non believers and unfortunately for some believers just the same.
You guys, don't be so blind as to think that just because someone or something gives reference to the Bible that they respect or promote your Savior or your Christian lifestyle! To many, whether they believe its contents or not, the Bible is a relic and that is all that it will ever be. We don't worship relics, we don't worship and live for books but to live is Christ. I am not trying to dissuade anyone from going to see this movie(heck I went and saw the movie) but what I aim to do is to keep things in proper perspective for you in the event that you choose to see the movie or you have already tucked this one away as The Passion of The Christ part 2 (I know that is an extreme comparison but you get my point).
The Devil would love for you to cross back over to the world's side in anyway that he can get you there. He is working through the media (movies, books, radio, music, etc.) Don't get sucked in but be sober and vigilant because your enemy the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He wants to devour your faith and belief in Christ. He wants you to believe that there are many ways to God. He wants you to get lost on a vain "spiritual" journey leading to Nowheresville. BE alert...be watchful...but don't be fooled.
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
With Love in Christ!
There have been some rave reviews about this movie among the Christian community. It has been heralded as a "must see" for Christians. My puzzled response to that statement every time is why...no seriously WHY?
My husband and I went to see the movie the second night that it was out. It was defnitely not my first choice but I went along with it anyway. For those of you who don't quite know what the movie is about here is brief synopsis http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1037705/synopsis:
Eli (Denzel Washington) has been on a journey for 30 years, walking west across America after a cataclysmic war that turned the earth into a total wasteland. The world has become a lawless civilization where people must kill or be killed. The barren roads belong to gangs of cutthroats who rob and kill for water, a pair of shoes, a lighter, or just for fun. Eli is a peaceful man who only acts in self defense, and becomes a warrior with unbelievable killing skills when he is challenged. After the war and the "Big Flash", Eli was guided by a higher power to a hidden book and given the task of protecting the book and taking it to its final destination. Eli guards the book with his life, because he knows that the book is the only hope that humanity has for its future.
If you are looking for entertainment value, shootouts, fight scences, knife wielding with somewhat of a decent plot and a nice twist at the end then this movie will accomplish its purpose for you. Even if you are looking to explore an enlightened life path you may be inspired. However, if you are looking to find a message that is of any real intrinisic Christian value you will need to keep it moving. Now, this is not a bash on this movie. I actually found it entertaining because I like movies with action and that keep you wonderning "now how is he going to get out of this one," but as I watched this movie, I could not help but have a lump sitting in the pit of my stomach. Its like I could sense what effect it would have in the Christian community. Some days later, that feeling seems to have been confirmed.
The problem that I have is not with the movie itself. People of the world make movies to entertain and chock full of worldly messages. The problem that I have is how this movie has been received and perceived by those that call themselves Christians. I will hi light a few themes that would have some believe this.
- Eli's book is the Bible
- Eli quotes from the Bible (even before he slays like 20 men)
- Eli supposedly hears a voice that comes from within that leads and guides him (much like the Holy Spirit.) He admits that it is not his voice but just calls it a "voice." The voice also tells him that he will make it to his destination and being protected.
- Eli seems to be divinely protected. As he is being shot at it appears that bullets are repelled and have no power over him and he fights with an almost "supernatural" strength. Even when he is shot at nearly point blank range in the abdomen, although weakened, he survives.
- Eli is a very meek and humble man in attitude and appearance (but he will cut you if you mess with him so BACK UP)
- Eli refuses to have sex with a beautiful young woman
- Eli even seems to have a constant prophetic type of "knowing" about situations that occur.
- At the end of the movie(here is the spoiler)Eli recites the Bible verbatim from Genesis to Revelations. He was able to do this because he read the "book" everyday for 30 years. EVERYDAY for 30 years.
There are many more that I can come up with but I will stop here. I won't even touch the moral struggles that Eli has in my attempt to demote from the status of a "Christian" movie. My proof for this not being a Christian movie lies in the fact that although this character protected the Bible with his very life and quoted from it, was "divinely" protected he was not in pursuit of Jesus Christ. Its just that simple....1 John 2:24-27 (NLT):
So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit,and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
or how about 1 John 4:1-3:
Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
If this were a Christian movie, the truth of the gospel would have been all up and through!!! To call anything Christian it must first adn foremost identify with CHRIST! And if this were a Christian movie even the themes that were used would have also lined up with the character and image of Jesus Christ. It is undeniable that most movies are made with the purpose of making the viewer think and to convey a message. I looked up the writer and the directors of this movie and they all say the same thing: THIS MOVIE IS NOT INTENDED FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES. As a matter of fact, one of the directors is an atheist (http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/01/the-hughes-brothers-on-the-book-of-eli-dethroning-avatar-and-tiger-woods.html.
Someone was telling me the other day "Its just a movie. No one takes it seriously." For some, yes it is just a movie. They watch it, go home, go to bed and the end. But you reading this can attest with me that any movie that has had any kind of message has inspired people to do more, live better, try new things. It is all a matter of perception and many Christians have taken this movie and made it into something that it is not! I don't know if some are inspired to live as better Christians or if they read their Bible's more because of this movie. It could be that some believe that this is some sort of mass form of evangelism. I don't know what the deal is but I know what its not. So Christian people...PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT THE BOOK OF ELI IS A CHRISTIAN MOVIE. PLEASE STOP LEADING PEOPLE ASTRAY JUST AS YOU HAVE BEEN LEAD ASTRAY IN YOUR MIND TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY WAY THAT THIS MOVIE CAN BENEFIT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. THIS MOVIE DOES NOTHING TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN ITS MESSAGE AND IT DOES NOT GIVE LIGHT TO THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. I know some of you will disagree wholeheartedly with me about this but THERE IS NO POWER IN THE BIBLE OUTSIDE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD, OUTSIDE OF JESUS CHRIST. THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN AS A GUIDE FOR WHO...CHRISTIANS AND THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED TO DO WHAT....SAVE SOULS!!! 2 Corinthians 3:3 - Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
Most, if not all, of what was referenced in this movie concerning the Bible was found in the Old Testament with no references to the new. To this day whenever the old covenant is read the same veil that covers the face of Moses covers the mind so that it does not understand the truth. The veil can ONLY be lifted by believing in Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:12-14). This movie has accomplished just that (veiled minds to the truth) for the non believers and unfortunately for some believers just the same.
You guys, don't be so blind as to think that just because someone or something gives reference to the Bible that they respect or promote your Savior or your Christian lifestyle! To many, whether they believe its contents or not, the Bible is a relic and that is all that it will ever be. We don't worship relics, we don't worship and live for books but to live is Christ. I am not trying to dissuade anyone from going to see this movie(heck I went and saw the movie) but what I aim to do is to keep things in proper perspective for you in the event that you choose to see the movie or you have already tucked this one away as The Passion of The Christ part 2 (I know that is an extreme comparison but you get my point).
The Devil would love for you to cross back over to the world's side in anyway that he can get you there. He is working through the media (movies, books, radio, music, etc.) Don't get sucked in but be sober and vigilant because your enemy the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He wants to devour your faith and belief in Christ. He wants you to believe that there are many ways to God. He wants you to get lost on a vain "spiritual" journey leading to Nowheresville. BE alert...be watchful...but don't be fooled.
But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
With Love in Christ!
Monday, January 11, 2010
On a lighter note....
I believe I am about ready to be a mother. Not pregnant, yet. But I am getting that motherly itch. Every time I see kids, especially babies, I get all gooey and silly on the inside. Does this mean I am ready for kids? Of course not, that is never a good indicator if you are ready for parenthood. But I have talked it over with my husband and he just says "Surprise Me." So I guess that means he's ready too...lol. I do believe the Lord wants us to be fruitful and multiply so LET THE MULTIPLICATION BEGIN!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!
We Fall Prey...
You know how easy it is to spread a rumor? We have all, at some point in our lives, either been a victim of a rumor or the spreader of the rumor. It spreads like gangrene and it doesn't matter how many supporting facts there are to disprove that rumor, there are always some that would rather take the rumor as the truth instead of the cold hard facts. It seems to be the same with "false doctrine."
It goes like this...a well known "Christian" figure (preacher, teacher, evangelist, prophet) comes on the scence talking about what God has revealed to them. More times than not, this person has gathered quite a nice size following has gained a significant amount of trust from these followers. Okay, so they go on preaching concerning their revelation or what thus saith the Lord. It is different. Its something most of the people have never heard before. To some something just doesn't seem quite right and there are questions raised in their minds. To others, they go right along with it because they trust in this person so much that everything they say MUST be of God. Now don't get me wrong, there are some that hold to the truths of the Gospel and most of the time what Lord speaks to them lines up with Scripture. Needless to say, these are those that are truly being led by the Spirit of God. I am not speaking of these. So back to my point....these strange and unbiblical teachings begin to spread like wildfire with no one to extinguish them.
What we are left with are well meaning believers in Jesus Christ who are being led to believe lies! At first thought, one would think "there is no way that the people who are being led astray could know the Word of God or even be led of His Spirit." One would think that statement is true. But how do you explain those believers that have are walking with the Lord and know what Scripture says and are born again but still choose to go along with it? Let me just say this, what I have found is that it is very easy to get caught up with certain things. The reason why we allow ourselves to get caught up could be to be accepted by others or as I stated above, there is so much trust in the deliverer of certain messages that it is difficult for us to separate what we know is truth in support of that person. Anyone that takes a man's/woman's word over the Word of Christ IS JUST DOWNRIGHT IN ERROR. AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT. IF YOU ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE LEADING AND PROMPTING OF THE HOLY GHOST AND FOLLOWING CHRIST YOU ARE FOLLOWING AFTER FLESH. It does not matter how well meaning that person is, it is your/OUR responsibility as disciples of the Lord to make Him(Jesus Christ) the final authority on all matters. So I would suggest to you that you make it your life's urgent matter to get with Jesus and get with Him good. Learn to discern and hear and know His voice when He speaks. Read His Word and learn how it relates to believers today. Let God minister to you first and foremost so when you hear preaching from others and when someone speaks a Word of prophecy you will know if it is from the Lord or some other spirit.
The point I am trying to make in all of this is: Don't get caught up in things just because that is what everyone else is going with. 1 John 4:1 tells us to not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. Test the spirit to see whether it be from God.
I am really probably the last person that needs to be speaking about this. In reality it may be coming more out of frustration than anything so take what I say for a grain of salt but please do remember that we are walking this walk and living this life to Christ (or at least we should be). Let me repeat...TO CHRIST! That is one thing no one should get twisted. Don't be decieved by every teaching and wave of doctrine that comes your way. Pray and ask the Lord to help you discern one way or the other. We have too much of a responsibilty on this earth as believers to be walking around believing lies and being decieved. 2 Timothy 3 talks about there being some that will not only be deceivers but they will be deceived themselves as well. I believe God wants to make a final impact on this earth before He returns and we have to be "sober and vigilant" enough in the truth to even think about being a witness for Jesus Christ.
I ask that you pray for me. Just pray that the Lord will saturate me in HIS truth and that I will be bold enough to speak against the lies of the devil as the Spirit leads me to do so. And to not reflect in my attitude how bummed I am about this all. :-(
Yall I love Jesus...I just don't understand why people (who claim to be His) would try and take anything from Him...okay..I'm done.
It goes like this...a well known "Christian" figure (preacher, teacher, evangelist, prophet) comes on the scence talking about what God has revealed to them. More times than not, this person has gathered quite a nice size following has gained a significant amount of trust from these followers. Okay, so they go on preaching concerning their revelation or what thus saith the Lord. It is different. Its something most of the people have never heard before. To some something just doesn't seem quite right and there are questions raised in their minds. To others, they go right along with it because they trust in this person so much that everything they say MUST be of God. Now don't get me wrong, there are some that hold to the truths of the Gospel and most of the time what Lord speaks to them lines up with Scripture. Needless to say, these are those that are truly being led by the Spirit of God. I am not speaking of these. So back to my point....these strange and unbiblical teachings begin to spread like wildfire with no one to extinguish them.
What we are left with are well meaning believers in Jesus Christ who are being led to believe lies! At first thought, one would think "there is no way that the people who are being led astray could know the Word of God or even be led of His Spirit." One would think that statement is true. But how do you explain those believers that have are walking with the Lord and know what Scripture says and are born again but still choose to go along with it? Let me just say this, what I have found is that it is very easy to get caught up with certain things. The reason why we allow ourselves to get caught up could be to be accepted by others or as I stated above, there is so much trust in the deliverer of certain messages that it is difficult for us to separate what we know is truth in support of that person. Anyone that takes a man's/woman's word over the Word of Christ IS JUST DOWNRIGHT IN ERROR. AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT. IF YOU ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE LEADING AND PROMPTING OF THE HOLY GHOST AND FOLLOWING CHRIST YOU ARE FOLLOWING AFTER FLESH. It does not matter how well meaning that person is, it is your/OUR responsibility as disciples of the Lord to make Him(Jesus Christ) the final authority on all matters. So I would suggest to you that you make it your life's urgent matter to get with Jesus and get with Him good. Learn to discern and hear and know His voice when He speaks. Read His Word and learn how it relates to believers today. Let God minister to you first and foremost so when you hear preaching from others and when someone speaks a Word of prophecy you will know if it is from the Lord or some other spirit.
The point I am trying to make in all of this is: Don't get caught up in things just because that is what everyone else is going with. 1 John 4:1 tells us to not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. Test the spirit to see whether it be from God.
I am really probably the last person that needs to be speaking about this. In reality it may be coming more out of frustration than anything so take what I say for a grain of salt but please do remember that we are walking this walk and living this life to Christ (or at least we should be). Let me repeat...TO CHRIST! That is one thing no one should get twisted. Don't be decieved by every teaching and wave of doctrine that comes your way. Pray and ask the Lord to help you discern one way or the other. We have too much of a responsibilty on this earth as believers to be walking around believing lies and being decieved. 2 Timothy 3 talks about there being some that will not only be deceivers but they will be deceived themselves as well. I believe God wants to make a final impact on this earth before He returns and we have to be "sober and vigilant" enough in the truth to even think about being a witness for Jesus Christ.
I ask that you pray for me. Just pray that the Lord will saturate me in HIS truth and that I will be bold enough to speak against the lies of the devil as the Spirit leads me to do so. And to not reflect in my attitude how bummed I am about this all. :-(
Yall I love Jesus...I just don't understand why people (who claim to be His) would try and take anything from Him...okay..I'm done.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
I am NOT defeated
My last blog was an honest depiction of how I was feeling at the moment. I felt, in a way, a little defeated. Self defeated. I had allowed myself to be so consumed with myself that I was denying the truth of God operating in my life. While I do not believe that I was wrong for sharing what I was feeling at that time, I dare not allow it to be depicted as though my walk with Christ is not enjoyable to me. Anytime you focus so much on what is going on around you, you begin to become desensitized to the voice of God and you give the flesh leeway. You are able to become stressed out or over emotional or confused easily. Isaish 26:3 says that He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are stayed on Him because we trust in Him. So, anytime negative thoughts begin to rise up and you want to throw a pity party for yourself, think about what Christ went through for you. He took on the shame of the cross so that you would not have to. The veil was rent so that we could boldly approach the throne of grace. If we can approach His throne boldy then how much more should we be able to live in boldness for Him just the same. God wants us to be confident to come to Him. He does not want us to shy away from Him FOR WHATEVER REASON. THERE IS NO EXCUSE THAT CAN BE GIVEN AS TO WHY WE CAN'T APPROACH GOD AS A FATHER, AS A FRIEND.
There is no reason to be ashamed before God..after all, He innocently suffered the shame of the cross. Be repentant YES but ashamed NO!!!! That is a trick of the enemy and definitely not conducive to a relationship with God.
So in all....I am NOT defeated you guys. I have no plans of turning my back on God but at times I tend to focus on the things that are of no value to me. I tend to think a lot about what people think of me when in actuality they aren't even worried about me. I allow the enemy to toy with my emotions and it causes me to separate myself from my brothers and sisters because I am under the impression that I am not good enough or not deep like they are...it is ALL FUTILE, believe me, and has nothing to do with the Lord....so I send notice to the devil today that YOU HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED HERE. I AM NOT DEFEATED AND AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.
little i still loves big U. I can't do this without you Lord...
There is no reason to be ashamed before God..after all, He innocently suffered the shame of the cross. Be repentant YES but ashamed NO!!!! That is a trick of the enemy and definitely not conducive to a relationship with God.
So in all....I am NOT defeated you guys. I have no plans of turning my back on God but at times I tend to focus on the things that are of no value to me. I tend to think a lot about what people think of me when in actuality they aren't even worried about me. I allow the enemy to toy with my emotions and it causes me to separate myself from my brothers and sisters because I am under the impression that I am not good enough or not deep like they are...it is ALL FUTILE, believe me, and has nothing to do with the Lord....so I send notice to the devil today that YOU HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED HERE. I AM NOT DEFEATED AND AM MORE THAN A CONQUEROR THROUGH CHRIST JESUS.
little i still loves big U. I can't do this without you Lord...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
On my Heart
Can I have a love relationship with you Lord? My only and true first love you are but my love for you at times seems to be misdirected....all the while I know your passion for me grows deeper.
I heard someone say that you never forget your first love....but how is it that our hearts can still be turned aside from you Lord? You HAVE singed my conscience and tattooed my mind. I mean you are all that I talk about and all that I think about but I desire that my heart be captured all over again. Remember? Like the first time. I honestly want, no, need you to ooze from every pour and be knit in every fiber of my being.
My soul thirsts for you in a dry and weary land where no water is.
Lord there is no water here. There is no water in this well. I feel as though I have run dry. So what else is there to do but to redig the wells and search for more water? Lord I am searching, longing for a word from you that will spark what was once in me but I haven't found it yet. So my search continues....but Lord I am getting weary. I try and do what I think is right but still I am not fulfilled. I read (your Word), I pray, I read books and blogs and listen to sermons about getting closer Lord closer...because after all you said that if I draw nigh unto you that you would draw nigh unto me? You said that right? So..WHERE ARE YOU? WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS WALK? WHY DO I QUESTION EVERYTHING THAT I SEE NOW LORD? WHY? Don't get me wrong, I have never doubted you nor your Word...NEVER. As a matter of fact that seems to be my only source of real life but Lord I know there is something I am missing Lord...so what am I missing? The Spirit of God lives in me (check), I am pursuing holiness in my everyday life (check), I am trusting you the best way I know how but there is something about you or about this walk or whatever that just seems to escape me...
It seems that I have complicated a relationship that used to be so simple, so pure. My self consciousness has distanced you some so I go through the motions so that people won't know how I struggle with you at times. They don't know when I go to talk with you I don't have many words but a grieving heart that remembers the conversations we used to have. I used to be confident in our relationship...but now...my devotions have failed me. I have begun to feel the weight of a chore. Almost like a HAVE to and not a WANT to. But here is the thing...YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED! YOU HAVE NOT MOVED ON ME! YOU WERE THE SAME GOD THAT I MET WHEN I WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD. THE SAME GOD THE FORGAVE ME EVEN WHEN I KNOW I WASN'T DOING RIGHT BY YOU. YOU NEVER STOPPED LOVING ME AND DRAWING ME TO YOU EVEN WHEN I WAS A FORNICATOR, A DRUNKARD, A LIAR, A MANIPULATOR...A MISFIT. But now Lord...now that I am not any of those things anymore it seems as though I have lost a hold of our fellowship and our time together. Why do I shy away?
I hear you say, even now, that I cannot be righteous apart from Christ. That my righteousness is in Christ..so as I try to be what I have been made through Christ apart from Christ I will always feel the weight of a chore. I have not come to place a burden on you but that you might be free to live for me...to live in me.
Okay Lord so I ask that you free me...TODAY...of my chore and grant to me your pleasure in prayer and in reading your Word and even in fellowship with others(which has unfortunately become the biggest burden to me). Let none of these take place in my life as an obligation but as a joy. CONSISTENTLY. Teach me again how to pray as your Spirit guides and tutor me in your Word Lord and show me how to appreciate and love others as brothers and sisters and not as strangers. I'll live in you....I want to live in you. Just show me how Lord...
With ALL sincerety and out of a pure (yet broken) heart,
latika
i love U i love U i love U i love U i love U i love U i love U.............little i loves big U.
I heard someone say that you never forget your first love....but how is it that our hearts can still be turned aside from you Lord? You HAVE singed my conscience and tattooed my mind. I mean you are all that I talk about and all that I think about but I desire that my heart be captured all over again. Remember? Like the first time. I honestly want, no, need you to ooze from every pour and be knit in every fiber of my being.
My soul thirsts for you in a dry and weary land where no water is.
Lord there is no water here. There is no water in this well. I feel as though I have run dry. So what else is there to do but to redig the wells and search for more water? Lord I am searching, longing for a word from you that will spark what was once in me but I haven't found it yet. So my search continues....but Lord I am getting weary. I try and do what I think is right but still I am not fulfilled. I read (your Word), I pray, I read books and blogs and listen to sermons about getting closer Lord closer...because after all you said that if I draw nigh unto you that you would draw nigh unto me? You said that right? So..WHERE ARE YOU? WHY DO I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS WALK? WHY DO I QUESTION EVERYTHING THAT I SEE NOW LORD? WHY? Don't get me wrong, I have never doubted you nor your Word...NEVER. As a matter of fact that seems to be my only source of real life but Lord I know there is something I am missing Lord...so what am I missing? The Spirit of God lives in me (check), I am pursuing holiness in my everyday life (check), I am trusting you the best way I know how but there is something about you or about this walk or whatever that just seems to escape me...
It seems that I have complicated a relationship that used to be so simple, so pure. My self consciousness has distanced you some so I go through the motions so that people won't know how I struggle with you at times. They don't know when I go to talk with you I don't have many words but a grieving heart that remembers the conversations we used to have. I used to be confident in our relationship...but now...my devotions have failed me. I have begun to feel the weight of a chore. Almost like a HAVE to and not a WANT to. But here is the thing...YOU HAVE NOT CHANGED! YOU HAVE NOT MOVED ON ME! YOU WERE THE SAME GOD THAT I MET WHEN I WAS TWELVE YEARS OLD. THE SAME GOD THE FORGAVE ME EVEN WHEN I KNOW I WASN'T DOING RIGHT BY YOU. YOU NEVER STOPPED LOVING ME AND DRAWING ME TO YOU EVEN WHEN I WAS A FORNICATOR, A DRUNKARD, A LIAR, A MANIPULATOR...A MISFIT. But now Lord...now that I am not any of those things anymore it seems as though I have lost a hold of our fellowship and our time together. Why do I shy away?
I hear you say, even now, that I cannot be righteous apart from Christ. That my righteousness is in Christ..so as I try to be what I have been made through Christ apart from Christ I will always feel the weight of a chore. I have not come to place a burden on you but that you might be free to live for me...to live in me.
Okay Lord so I ask that you free me...TODAY...of my chore and grant to me your pleasure in prayer and in reading your Word and even in fellowship with others(which has unfortunately become the biggest burden to me). Let none of these take place in my life as an obligation but as a joy. CONSISTENTLY. Teach me again how to pray as your Spirit guides and tutor me in your Word Lord and show me how to appreciate and love others as brothers and sisters and not as strangers. I'll live in you....I want to live in you. Just show me how Lord...
With ALL sincerety and out of a pure (yet broken) heart,
latika
i love U i love U i love U i love U i love U i love U i love U.............little i loves big U.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Why Brian Welch Walked Away
Why did God put us on this earth? I believe He put us here to love us.
This is an awesome testimony of God's love.
This is an awesome testimony of God's love.
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