Feed one, Starve the other..

Ever see those starving children in foreign countries exploited on TV? Bones showing, skin frail, weak, hungry, desperate, sickly, susceptible. All because of malnourishment. Its a sad reality. Now flip the script: Ever see those figures who pose at Fitness Competitions? Muscle in hidden places, flexing without trying, ripped from head to toe, strong, well fed, poised, under control. All because of training and eating healthy. Imagine having both of those figures (the helpless starving child and the fitness buff) living inside of you. Well you do! One is called your spirit man and the other is your flesh. Reality is, one is surely stronger than the other. How did it get that way you ask? Because while we are busy feeding, training and giving disciplined attention to one, the other is sitting by helplessly starving and becoming susceptible to malnutrition. This sad reality gripped me as I took survey of my own life. My actions, thoughts, words and attitudes reminder to me of which "man" in me is being fed and which is starving. Either my flesh is becoming a glutton for the unhealthy things I watch, listen to and repetitiously behaviors thus revealing a toned and buff figure who struggles to say "no" to unhealthy desires OR my spirit is being given constant and daily nourishment through scripture reading, devos, podcasts, prayer, discipline and fasting (starving my flesh man) and thus yielding a godly woman who wants what God wants and hates what God hates! I must say I find myself back at the drawing board often because I want so bad for my Spirit man to be buff and my flesh to be frail...but if I dont feed the one AND starve the other, my demise is soon to follow! #truth

Memoirs of an Abusive Relationship

I was introduced to him
suspect from afar
yet seductive and intense ~ mouth ajar
Wooing and doting;
swag un-parallel
Love and attention,
filling my yearning well

Time,
control,
wanting only me
signs unfold
of wreckless jealousy
"Do what I say!" "
Be what I say!"
No moral fence
Each request
never enough,
growing more intense

Now hating myself,
Indulged in addictions
hoping myself to be free
Embarrassed,
needing to get out ...
abused effortlessly!

Killing my flesh is like leaving an abusive relationship that you hate that you love. It's realizing you've been attached to this person you've grown to love; accustomed to their ways and figuring out that all their actions have been mistaken for intense feelings of care or concernt. Sin habits abuse us physically be slapping us around; emotionally by teasing us and threatening to expose us if we leave; and sexually by raping us through experiences we don't necessarily desire to participate in. The ability to be free in Christ is possible and paid for at a high cost! Killing the pattern feels like escaping an abusive lover. It's necessary and the Spirit who lives inside can keep us free!

The Crater within

You ever feel like you just HAVE to be with someone? Be honest with yourself! Survey your life...think back for a second and see if you can remember a time when you were relationally "unemployed" (without a boy/girl friend) BY YOUR OWN CHOICE. Okay so maybe you have, then ask yourself if during that time, did you have any "dips" on the side...you know (friends with benefits)!? Well maybe you feel its "just not you" to be without someone. Or that its virtually impossible. Maybe you don't feel guilty about your 'friends with benefits' because you didn't do anything wrong (just some harmful flirting). Either way, you're justified. You were created with an internal gap called companionship that longs to fill itself with a companion of some sort. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has placed a hole in our hearts that only HE can satisfy. He wants to out-satisfy our desire for companionship. Once we ask him to and He does, he gladly sends people in our lives who come close to doing the same. Challenge: Take some time off (if you're single) and stop "shopping" for a relationship long enough to dare God to OUT-SATISFY and fill your crater with companionship.

YOU can't do it...

I know you didn't want to hear that, did you? Yeah, you've been trained to believe: "You can do anything you put your mind to" Well, that's not true when it comes to doing what's right in God's eyes. Try to stop cursing on your own...try to stop being addicted to those things that are destroying you. Yeah, not going to happen. Well, not consistently anyways. Well here's the truth with the hard core facts: 1. No one seeks after God! NO ONE! Romans 3:11 2. Your heart is desperatly wicked and deceitful! Jeremiah 17:9 3. There is NO ONE righteous...not even ONE! Romans 3:10 4. If a man says he has NO SIN, he is a LIAR (oops...you sinned) and has committed a sin! LOL 1 John 1:10 So see...no use trying to stop all that sinning after all is it? WRONG! Here's the other part of those hard core facts: 1. It is GOD WHO IS AT WORK IN YOU, to both WILL and WORK for His good purpose. Philippians 2:13 2. I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 3. God equips us to do right things! Hebrews 13:21 4. Greater is HE who is IN you. 1 John 4:4 So see people, its NOT about what you do...or stopping your habits yourself. YOU can't do it. God desires to work in you to remove thost things. He wants to change your thinking, capture your heart so that you desire to remove anything that doesn't please Him. Quietly whisper you desire and need for Him and watch Him develop it in you...start watching yourself shed those habits off like pounds! You cant...but HE can!

Disorder? Really?...try SIN!

I'm so baffled by all this talk about disorders! Every time I turn around, some Psychologist coming up with a new disorder to help someone excuse themselves from dealing with the BIG ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM!!!! Check this out: Paranoid Disorder- excessive distrust and suspicion of others Schizoid Disorder- excessive detachment from social relationships Narcissistic Disorder- excessive need for self-involvement lacking empathy for others Emotionally Unstable Disorder- impusive actions & chaotic relationships Dependent Disorder- overly reliance on others Really tho? I mean who diagnoses people with such seemingly regular issues? I mean who DOESN'T deal with distrust, making relationships work, selfishness, impusivity and reliance on others? We all do on some level. And when we feed those issues/needs...they become excessive. Let's explore the REAL issue: Sin! Galatians 5:18-20 says our sinful nature is OBVIOUS!! "immoral ways, filthy thoughts, shameful deeds, worship of idols, practicing witchcraft, hating others, hard to get along with, jealous fits, angry actions, selfish obsession, constantly arguing and causing trouble!" Sound familiar? Lets stop running to man made mental wisdom for answers to issues God created the void in us to fill! Man's wisdom is a joke in comparison to HIS wisdom. He is able to deal with our disorders because He desires to make us whole/complete! Jesus, PhD, Psychology

It's NOT about Hell...

Lately I've encountered numerous conversations with people who have expressed that they "think" they are going to Hell...(here's the kisser)...because they aren't doing right by God.

Christians (yes, believers) are being miseducated or starved of the truth of the matter. Salvation is NOT about Heaven or Hell. Sadly, it's been degraded and watered down to the "Fire & Brimstone" picture; but salvation is MUCH MORE than that.

We are some twisted individuals! We crave any and everything that God hates!..by nature! Our love for ourselves and all the putrid things that disgust God inwardly drag us away from wanting anything to do with Him.

Yet, He relentlessly pursues us...

We are saved so that we can be FREE from our own sinful desires! Hell is just a consequence of rejecting Jesus Christ. Heaven (eternity with God) is simply a benefit of trusting Jesus Christ. But on the journey as we wait for Heaven, we are NOT expected to live perfectly as best as we can; we are expected to ask for and rely on the Holy Spirit's power (now within us) to choose to live unselfishly.

Friend! You CAN KNOW that you are saved! (1 John 5:12-13) and that your salvation is SECURE! If God could take salvation back then that means :

1. He's an indian giver (which is against His nature as faithful)

2. He never had the power to save you to begin with....ALSO FALSE!

Check this out! When yo'ure saved, you're given the Holy Spirit as a permanent deposit (almost like a BRAND so He can recognize His kids). So that means you have the power to make impossible choices! You get convicted when you do wrong!

Finally...quit trying to STAY SAVED! You still live in the house with your flesh so while you're still alive you will still struggle with issues and sin. Walk in His grace as He works in you to slowly get rid of sin in your life. Confess quickly and frequently what you did and set up fences around yourself to keep away from falling again. Quit expecting not to ever struggle/fall again!

It's NOT about Hell,...its about the wickedness that dwells inside of you eating away at your sould like a hidden cancer. He wants to save you from THAT! And when you trust Him to...He will give you everything you need to live that out daily...PLUS the bonus of spending eternity with Him!

~Deep Waters

What's Your Story?

When I think back to my Junior year in college, I am reminded of a semester where I had no money to pay for my classes and books in time without being kicked out of school. I had no choice but to trust God to provide for me.

Thankfully, I had a caring mentor who not only prayed for me, but took action. God laid it on her heart to share my prayer request with people who didn't know me who also took it upon themselves to pray for me. This prompted the hand of God and opened up His floodgates on me. Within 24 hours of finding out my classes would be dropped if I didn't come up with $3,000; my mentor visited me holding an envelope full of checks that more than covered my need. Checks from people who had never seen me and knew nothing about me. God met my needs!

Now, today, some 10 years later I look back at the "stones" I placed there to commemorate what God had done in my personal life. Those stones served as my "story" that I draw upon when faced with an insurmountable issue that challenges my faith.

When my dad passed away last month (May 2011), my family had no life insurance to give him a proper burial. In need of $8,000 my mind and heart were at ease. I could fully expect God to some how, miraculously provide above and beyond our need. I can't, in words, explain my peace of mind but those "stones" laid in the spring of 2000 served as the platform upon which my faith rested. I put my faith into work as I made others aware of my family's need and sat back in hopeful expectation, watching God pour out his riches on my family. In less than a week, we were able to tastefully celebrate my father's homegoing and take care of some of his debts.

This too has served as "stones" that Joshua chapter 4 speaks of..."when my children ask 'What do these stones mean?'" I can speak to God's faithfulness in my life. What is YOUR story?