The Journey Towards 50.

Oh my gosh, Jordan, what the heck did you start!


I am currently praying over a personal challenge and I invite you to join me… The Journey towards 50!


What the heck am I talking about?


I am going to formulate a plan and work out how I can pay off debts, be credit free, shop and live more frugal, work wiser, and even make more money, so that I can reach a point in my life and walk were I am living off of 50% of my income and the rest is given to those in need… social justice causes, missions, the poor, etc.


It freaks me out a bit even writing about it… This has been stirring heavily on me since this sermon series started and hearing the message last night about helping the poor and how the Bible speaks to this over 2,000 times has said much to my soul… Please pray that I can get there and I’d sure like you to join me on this journey towards 50… the journey towards living off 50%.


All tips and suggestions for us are welcome…


The Lord with Cattle on a Thousand Hills ROCKS!


Keiger

A Worthy Theme for a Worthy Story

All week I've been waiting for tonight - a space in time void of noise and other distractions - to compose a simple short story, the final assignment for my Creative Writing class. But tonight has thus far been a failure in both creativity and writing. I've been sitting here for two hours now, and all that I've been able to squeeze out is a tiny puddle of tearfully boring sentences that reeks worse than a cesspool. Some Drano is in order because I swear that my brain is clogged!

Whenever I used to feel like this - malnourished of creativity and drained of passion - I would get into awful reflective moods. Convinced that silence is the most deafening sound, the worst kind of tyranny, I'd eagerly invite the chaos of yesterday for the mere sake of disrupting the melancholy of today.

In great desperation, I tried this trick tonight, but it failed to clear the imaginative pipes. Instead, I pondered my inability to remember chaos, then realized it's because there is no such thing. Duh, God knows what he's doing. But what about excitement? An exciting memory ought to inspire a song. Yet all I hear is silence.

So here I am, now in even greater desperation, turning to YOU, God. You inspire life. Certainly you will inspire me!

God, what inspired YOU to write the human story? What inspires you to continue creating?

Do you ever get writer's block?

Do you ever need to pace the floor the of heaven from time to time, like how writers in movies pace the floors of their bedrooms?

.....................

I must have been annoying him with these stupid questions because he SPOKE, thus ending for him my torturous jabbing, and thus ending for me the torturous silence. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!  (I just figured out that he's more likely to speak if you talk his ear off!)

Anyway, the key to writing a story, he said, is to first decide upon a theme. The main idea sets every detail. If the theme is worthy, then the plot, the characters, the setting, EVERYTHING, will naturally weave into a worthy story.

I still don't have anything to turn in for my English class, but I DO have a story. It was written by God. :)

By God's grace we are worthy characters in his story, and we are woven together by one theme - one purpose.  

And God's purpose is....?  

I learned from the Perspectives Course that it is the Call of Abram:

1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you." 

This is what the Perspectives workbook says about his purpose: "For His glory in global worship, God purposes to redeem a people from every people, and to rule a kingdom over all kingdoms."  Or more parsimoniously stated, "God's Ultimate Purpose: To draw loyal worship from every people, displaying His greater glory and manifesting His fullest love."

But I wonder if his purpose is even higher... too high for us to understand, furthermore summarize.  Besides, I doubt it's important that we know what his purpose is.

Perhaps it's more important that we have faith and trust his purpose without having to comprehend it.

Wouldn't you agree that the coolest part about being in God's story is that our purpose is his purpose?  I think that's all we really need to know.  :)

The Only Thing I Own

I'd first like to thank John for causing me to ponder his point and now the source of this blog entry.


Hmm, so we have nothing, absolutely nothing (except one thing) that we can truly give to God, because in reality everything is His. He created everything, and everything exists for His glory (John 1:3; Romans 11:36). Our life is His really. Our health is His. Our possessions are His. The world...His.

God promises us so much doesn't He? He will never leave us nor forsake us, and we are granted this wonderful thing called freewill; allowing us to chose what to do things for God and in His honor:

We can build monuments to God.
We can give away all our wealth to God.
We can read the Word of God for hours on end.
We can translate the Word of God into every known tongue and dialect.
We can feed the poor.
We can tend to the sick.
We can let people live with us.
We can donate cash to a charity.
We can give our old clothes to the poor.

These can all be great things and also can be things we do with the wrong motive, for our own pride and sense of worth, and for our own glory...and none of these are the core thing God really wants from us

As John pointed out so eloquently; there really is only one thing we truly own, that is ours, and ours alone to give to God. And interestingly enough it is the one thing He simply wants from us.

Our heart. For us to choose to give God our heart... the core of who we are given over, surrendered to, living sacrificed to God. Out of this position can come many of the other things that are gifts, fruit, disciplines, forms of worship, sacrifice, and blessings to the Lord. When we give God our heart we give God His rightful place in our heart...seeking first His Kingdom, loving Him with all that we are and with all that we have. Choosing to serve God rather than choosing to serve "other stuff".

So, here is a challenge that John shared as well as his point that the only thing we really own that we can give to God is our heart:

Try going 7 days (it will make one weak/week) with out using the "mine" or "my" type of personal possessive pronouns (I hope I got this right).

So, I can't say...I am going out to MY car and driving to MY apartment. The stereo is MINE. That is MY money and that paycheck is MINE too.


Let's track our progress via the comments for 7 days.... FUN STUFF!

Money—It’s a Gas!

Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you’re okay.
Money, it’s a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I’ll buy me a football team.
(Money, Pink Floyd)

In the midst of the world’s pursuit of money, where consumerism, affluence, and a place where there is nothing for free, here comes Jordan, challenging us to think differently about money…

I am even struggling to write about all that I have been discussing with God and with my friends. How am I supposed to live out a life free from the bondage of “substance abuse”?
I am trying to figure this one out…

I clearly understand that money in and of itself is not bad… it is amoral, neither good nor bad. It is, “ …the love of money that is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wondered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1Tim. 6:10 NLT).

I had an interesting discussion with a dear friend some time back. We were talking about love, marriage, and finances. I remember it being said, “Sometimes, love is not enough,” Along with it being said that financial stability and security were more important. I saw a special friend whose faith was in the bank account, the property, and the career.

How many men and women place financial stability and security by taking the right job, going after the right career, and owning the right stocks as something prudent and within their control? Walk in to Barnes and Noble and there are loads of books on money, finances, wealth accumulation, investments, and career plans.

Owning a home, living in a good neighborhood, kids going to a good school and participating in soccer leagues, dance lessons, a car, etc. are important. Or are they?

Perhaps they are important, in the right perspective…hmm. Then why would a married couple move to Bangladesh? Why would they risk like that? Something is very wrong!

I think it does not make any sense by the world’s standards and makes complete sense with God… Can I serve money and God? God says, “no.”

Nor do I think God wants us to toss everything away…or maybe He goes… He does talk about being a good steward, he does show that people did have wealth that also were devote followers of Him, in fact, those people provided for the needs of Jesus, the disciples, the poor, and so on…

So, how do I walk forward…? By being a good steward of what God has given me, frugal much more than wasteful; generous to those with needs much more than greedy for the “bling-bling” in my life; by seeking DAILY to please God, serving His purposes, double and triple checking the Word of God against my wants, desires, and cravings that may lead to “substance abuse.”

I need to give God room to provide beyond my control… I need to surrender… I need to seek first, the Kingdom of God.

Hey God, what will please YOU? What will put a smile on YOUR face? Where should I spend YOUR money?

Let’s pray for each other as all sorts of people struggle with the hold that money has over their lives…there are millionaires who struggle with depression, alcohol, drugs, and suicide. There are also the poor and destitute who struggle with depression, alcohol, drugs, and suicide… it is the LOVE of money…

Do you have any money stories? Please share them; I need your testimony to help me see my LORD in action more.

Jehovah Jirah (Lord Our Provider) ROCKS

Do You Know Who I Am?

I am the one who spoke the world into existence.

I am the one who promises to never leave you nor forsake you.

I am the one who parted the Red Sea.

I am the one who was whipped and beaten for you.

I am the one grieved.

I am a man of sorrows.

I am the bread of life.

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

I am the one who will strengthen you and help you.

I am the one who will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I am the advocate.

I am the comforter.

I am the Prince of Peace.

I AM

I am a man with no beauty or majesty to attract you to me, nothing in my appearance that you should desire me.

I am despised and rejected by men.

I am familiar with suffering.

I am the one who takes up your infirmities and carry your sorrows.

I was pierced for your transgressions.

I was crushed for your iniquities; the punishment that brought you peace was placed on me.

I am the one, that by my wounds you were healed.

I am the one who will give you rest.

I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul.

I AM

I am the one who sits at the right hand of the Father.

I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I am the one who will leave you with my peace.

I have plans for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I heal the sick.

I raise the dead.

I set the captives free.

I am the one you will find when you seek me with all your heart.

IAM



***
Do you know anything more about this person?

Please share them with us so we all can come into a deeper understanding, belief, and faith as to who He is.

I Surrender

I Surrender:


I surrender—I raise my hands over my head, bow my head, divert and lower my eyes, as I am led away.

I surrender—I give up and quit.

I surrender—I admit defeat and lose.

I surrender—I lay down my weapon and allow the victors to take my country, my town, my home, my family, my life.

I surrender—I tap out, throwing in the towel and leave the ring in defeat.

I surrender—I relinquish my position and resign.

I surrender—I abandon my home, walking away from everything I own.

I surrender—I submit, yielding my will and desires to someone else.

I surrender—I hand over control.

I surrender—I concede the race and pack it all in.

I surrender—I renounce my claims and capitulate.

Interesting, those are just some of the synonyms for surrender.



Hmm, so am I not to move a muscle until God directs me, I mean am I to wait each and every moment until I am instructed by the voice of God to do otherwise?

Am I totally surrendered because I won’t get out of bed and get dressed today—until the burning bush speaks?

At what point do I use the brains and motivation that God has given me?

How do I measure my level, depth, and understanding of surrendering?

What does surrender mean to you?

What, if anything, does the Bible say about surrender?

Where does the Bible discuss “surrender” and how do we achieve it?

I need YOU to help walk me through this one!

We’ll talk more…

Church as a Business or Church as a Community

I spent some years in a church organization that really pushes business-type books and models as a key element in forming and running church. They are quite effective at building their organization, empowering their ranks, and accomplishing their goals and objectives. Interestingly, as my friend considered yesterday morning; is this how Jesus wanted things to be like or that any of this is like true Christianity?

Some of the strong personalities of the leaders, as well as their streamlined effectiveness driving the leadership team leads to strong organizations…possibly strong yet missing the mark of what Christ says about His Body of believers, and the relationship we should be striving for and maintaining within the church.

So, after some extensive conversation, contemplation, and processing, this is where I am at:

When leaders think like business people the possible risk they run is thinking the end justifies the means. They become focused on the mission statement, organizational hierarchy, organizational structure, organizational goals and even organizational branding/marketing.

This may lead to the trend that reduces the people within to something less than God’s loved, special, possessions… a people that Jesus was willing to minister to, suffer for, and die for.

To this very day and until the end of time, Jesus will be there for each person, interceding before the Father for their every real needs, issues, concerns, and blessings.

What is more important, the “c” church or the “C” Church; the church or its people; and the resource or the individual?

When leaders think like business people then they consider the church attendee as an HR department does—a human resource. They become motivated to shape this resource to accomplish their mission, growing their organization, their specific church, and they “hire” and they “fire” with the same kind of mentality that a business does. They see the potential of the HR and begin to guide and position the HR into areas that will help grow the church organization. If and when the HR hits a wall; be it, they have taken offense with another leader; they’ve fallen into sin, they’ve wanted to refocus on something other than their organizational contribution, I’ve seen the church respond just like a business might.

They spend a number of resources; human, financial, and time, recruiting more resources. They spend a number of resources on developing them to work in the organization, and for the benefit of their specific organization. And they take actions like a business model would react if the human resource goes to a “competitor,” and they will even go after other church resources, happy to have them now on their “team”, as part of their organization, one of their human resources.

Rarely, if ever, does a church leader ask and require that the HR who left one church due to offense be reconciled with the other church first. Rather, more the norm is to consider what the HR may bring in the way of money, talent, skills, and other resources, FIRST. Then weigh those against any “lesser” priority or concern.

When the organization looks at a struggling HR, they will discipline the HR with progressive action, they may make an effort (if of measured, considered value to the organization) to get them back on track and going with the team, and God forbid, if it takes too long, or too much effort, then they “write them off,” and look for new HR to fill the gap: All to keep the machine running, even if it costs lives. It reminds me of the early days of the industrial revolution where business and commerce was more important than the people working—they weren’t even called a human resource back then…but the church still treats them (unintentionally I am sure) as fodder to feed the machine…the organization and its goals.

It is sad that the church can and does do this. How many wounded, hurt Christians are there that this has become a festering point to where they blame God for what the church (small “c”) has done to them…and they carry this pain and offense for a long time. It is sad that the leadership will use words like “family,” and “brotherhood,” and “sisterhood”, and the “body” and then dismiss someone in the blink of an eye.

They no longer call the HR, just to see how they are getting along, or show any kind of lasting, sincere love. They only see them as beneficial or not beneficial to the organization. It is very sad. I have a friend who was hugely influential in his church, literally bled for the church, and was called away to move from Hawaii. No one calls him or reaches out to him from the church he so blessed with his talents and skills.

Once, someone from the church did call him and it was under false pretenses. You know what I mean: “Hi there, I just called to see how you are doing and let you know I miss you… oh, by the way, come to think of it… I need….yada, yada, yada.”

He saw right through the introductory poop, and knew they just needed something from him that he had a special gifting, talent, and expertise in so they called. Otherwise, he would have never have heard from this person. He was still considered an HR for the purpose of the phone call. It is sad.

Okay, so is this how Jesus did things? No, it is not from what my friend and I talked about this morning.

He pointed to the string of stories, literally back-to-back, in the Gospels that Jesus used. The Gospel of Luke, chapter 15 speaks of three parables: Lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son. Read them and tell me that Jesus uses the business model…no way!

Jesus continually described the importance of leaving the 99 sheep to go after the one lost lamb, the thrill of finding the one lost coin, and the joyful return of the lost, prodigal son.

Shouldn’t our churches be much more like a community? Where we all hurt and mourn the suffering of someone lost and grieving. Shouldn’t this community go after them with all the love and determined expression of this Christ-like love? Should our leadership hold on to the 99 and let the one get lost…even help them get lost?

99 human resources in the pews, 99 human resources, you knock one down and let it fall down, 98 human resources in the pews.

98 human resources in the pews, 98 human resources, you knock one down and let it fall down, 97 human resources in the pews.

I think you get my point.

I know the average church considers itself a community, perhaps we need to think about our church in a smaller sense...I think of it more like a neighborhood within a community. If someone leaves the “church” (note the small “c” again), and they go off to another church, does it REALLY matter? Not if they are still in the Community. So they may have left our neighborhood because they were “offended”, or hurt, or slighted, or simply felt called away, moved, or the other neighborhood had a specialty ministry that addressed their needs better…good children’s ministry, move of the Holy Spirit, fresh insight addressing where their God directed talents could be used, explored and such. I think we should mourn over someone who leaves the “C”ommunity, not necessarily just if they leave the neighborhood.

And if they left out of a bad relationship, situation, or similar, should we pursue them with love, seeking reconciliation, healing, and contending that God will turn this all into a blessing? Shouldn’t we rejoice over all of this and shouldn’t we hold on to showing love rather than showing disappointment and insult?

Jesus had every right to show disappointment and insult after his crucifixion and resurrection! His closest disciples abandoned him and one is even noted for denying even knowing Him. Instead, while they are all holed-up and scared, He shows up and says, “Peace be with you.”

Let’s be that community and quite making church a business. A business is a firm, cold, place that is NOT a model for Christianity. Christianity is a model of how to live individually, as a community, and as a model of how we should conduct our lives…and our businesses… and perhaps our churches!

Love the individual and appreciate the gifts, talents, and skills the person comes with, just keep away from considering the person as an HR.

I'm not saying this is easy either. I know what it is like to get so focused on the mission and importance of “my ministry” that I let past relationships and/or “less focused” people be unconsciously cast as resources too. It is hard to pursue people and it is time consuming to minister to, check up on, and love on someone who has shunned the church, someone in leadership, or myself. Hmmm.

A great book I read a number of years back and that still resonates with me is, “Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness”, by Jerry Cook. I enjoy his observation that some churches function as a “field” and other churches function as a “force”. To me, this helps me translate the business versus community concept I am writing here about. The book is worth tracking down via Amazon.com.

Well, this is where my discussion and thoughts have led me…

I hope no one is offended, unless you are offended for the right reasons…

I have fallen on both sides of this discussion, writing someone off and being written off…

I want to live like and live in a community of Christians that focuses on gaining individuals out of the realm of the enemy and the “world” and helping each other grow in Christ-like love, acceptance, and forgiveness…

Even another snapshot analogy would be to try to look at “the Body of Christ” just like the term suggests…a living organism. We need each other, and we need to tend to each other’s needs, concerns, and issues if the BODY is to be well and healthy. Each part has its purpose and function. You need me and I need you.

I want to seek first the Kingdom (King’s domain) of God, I want help doing this, and I want to help others do the same. I want to be a three-strand cord up the slopes of life—each of us pulling and linking; each of us being pulled and linked….hmmm, what are your thoughts?

Kapoho

Wanted to end the night on a happier note, so here's a lighter poem =)

The honu was trying fo' sneak
into the tide pool
but I saw the shadow
from all the way by the car.
I grabbed the snorkels,
was going run fo' see um
but the rocks was wet
so I put on the tabbis -
I no can fo'get the last time
when I buss my face
and got one big strawberry
on top the knee.
I figga more better I walk
cuz ho, the lava stay hamajang!

The honu was still cruising
when I got to the water,
so I put on the snorkels.
I wanted fo' scream
cuz my hair wen' snag
on the fat adjustable rubba band,
dam thing wen' yank
the hair from my ponytail.
I tried fo' make like nothing
cuz I neva like scare the honu
just in case the bugga can hear good.

But my lolo friend wen' come from behind
and push me inside!
I guess the honu neva mind
cuz it swam right by me.
I dove to the bottom of the sandbar
and watched um fly right ova my head.

Looking up at its white opu
reminded me of the other afternoon,
when we was lying on top the grass
watching God move the clouds 

all ova the blue sky.

Spoken Word, Topic 5: Paradise Interrupted

I read an article today that my professor wrote a couple of years ago about a woman named Almira who survived the 1954 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands.   She was 10 years old at the time and has been living on Oahu ever since.  She and her children (the few that survived birth) still suffer from the effects of radiation.  I never really learned about the nuclear testing from a victim's perspective, and I was so disturbed that I had to get it out with a poem. Somewhere in Shane Claiborne's book he wrote that God likes to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. I guess I must have forgotten how comfortable I am. :P Anyway, this is Almira's story:

Our voices have been silenced by their pens
our people have been hushed by their history,
so I'll whisper the radioactive story
of how I came to be a scientific experiment
in the laboratory of the South Pacific
and I pray the truth will spread
faster than the cancer in my body.

An old Marshallese from Rongelap,
I was born in the nucleus
of an atomic age -
a medical marvel
plucked from that island inferno
deep in the exploding sea.

Without evacuating us first,
the military detonated Bravo,
history's most lethal hydrogen bomb,
one thousand times more powerful
than the deadly sack they opened
over the homes in Hiroshima.

The contaminated mist blew downwind
and infiltrated every breath
as the archipelago sunk
under a heavy plume, bright and hot,
the earth had hurled itself
into the core of the sun.
A white blanket of hot air descended,
shadowed by thick gray particles,
and I fell back with the others,
coughing and gasping,
needles over my whole body.

The navigators of the steel naval ship
came for us, not caring
that their massive chemical cloud
blurred God's starry map.

They picked us from our land -
spoiled fruit from a poisoned tree -
our skin dry as coconut husk,
our milk and meat saturated
with radioactive chemicals.

The nurses in the clinic
poked at the bubbles on my skin,
scrubbed its raw, glistening craters,
and washed the matted ash from my hair.

Over the years they examined me
as I lay on sterile beds -
an aging stain on white sheets.
They monitored the mound
that grew tall on my thyroid
and they delivered my son,
born silent and still as my homeland.
He looked like a bunch of grapes,
a pile of jellied limbs.

My tears and their money
never filled the tragic void
that only God could,
for he has promised me
an uninterrupted paradise.

** Even though this is history and not news, please pray for Almira and all the other survivors and children and grandchildren who continue to suffer.  (Some children are born with scarcely any bones in their arms and legs, leaving only stocking-like limbs of flesh. Locals call them "jelly babies." ) Only God can take them to a paradise that is of eternal peace.

"When Heaven Invades Earth" Quote

I just feel compelled to have each of us, digest this quote from Bill Johnson's, "When Heaven Invades Earth".

"If I truly receive power from an encounter with the God of power, I am equipped to give it away. The invasion of God into impossible situations comes through a people who have received power from on high and learn to release it into the circumstances of life."

Our LORD God Almighty ROCKS!

I am chewing on this statement... I want to RISK more Faith Opportunities! I want to give these things away much more! I want to face more of the impossible for man situations, so my God can show up in RADICAL and MIRACULOUS ways....

PRAY BIG!

Keiger

Malia writes about: Dreaming!

Lately I’ve been contemplating this idea of the standard of living. This generation seems to feed off of living in the ambiguity of mediocrity, of aiming for the expectation level, of drawing satisfaction from just getting by... It seems like we’ve stopped dreaming and have settled for much too short of the fairytale... maybe ending up with the coachman instead of the prince (I’m not advocating that the coachman never get a girl, okay...) But we’ve trained ourselves to think this way so we never get hurt or run the risk of being...ouch...disappointed...


Anyway, this is not exclusive to meeting our ’S.O.’ (significant other). We’ve been conditioned with this capped expectation level in our careers, lifestyles, even friendships...

To an extent, it seems like this generation has been starved of hope and possibility to the point that it’s stopped trying…like that picture of the elephant held in captivity that’s leg is tied up...eventually without even having a rope on his leg, he will still stay in that same place because his mind has been conditioned to think that he is limited.

Well I think there’s a solution... In the Message Bible, it says "Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God....Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12:2). The world says you’re dreams are a waste of time, but I believe that not only does God want us to rise to a new expectation level, but promises that He’ll give us the stamina to get there (and heighten our maturity along the way).

So I’ve been challenged, and extend this same challenge to you (haha...to all of you, my readers!), to DREAM BIG…to not settle for the hills and valleys of life only to return to the same, worn-out spot, but to up your faith to a higher point and believe that with a little work, a lot of heart, and God, anything is possible.

What standard of living do I dream about for my life? To change the stinkin’ world of course!

Captain's Log

I am an experienced sailor and fisherman by trade. The rest of the crew is just as experienced as I am with how our boat handles, how well we each can handle the tasks of manning a boat in all weather; and we know what the weather can be like out here. When we go out, we aren't going out without a solid understanding of what is going on out here.

Tonight, we are asked to take the boat out to sea. As we stow away our equipment, our passenger, and settle into a night navigating the sea, a heavy squall kicks up in our midst... nothing too concerning, at least not at first.

The wind, waves, and rain gets more and more radical and even with our combined experience and skill, this squall is beating us, the water level in the boat is getting more and more serious and we are in danger of capsizing and sinking in this hugangous storm. Okay, I admit it, I and the rest of the crew are afraid for our lives.

In the stern area of the boat, and seemingly the only dry place, our passenger is sound asleep during all this...odd and also amazing.

The crew can't understand how in this real life and death situation, we know we can and just might all drown, he is sound asleep. So we wake him up and ask, "Don't you care if we drown?"

He gets up and simply says to the storm, "Quiet! Be still!" And the weather dies out and we are now on a calm sea. AMAZING!

***

Okay, how often do I think I am facing a crisis; a life and death situation... fully knowing that Jesus is with me, yet also thinking that He's just going to stay dry and asleep as I perish... How often do I cry out, "Don't You even care?"

Then in the midst of all the storm in my life, he simply says, "Quiet! Be still!" And then everything is as it should be... My boat got rocked, my little world was in the midst of the storm, and Jesus is with me...where is my faith?

Why am I afraid?

Who is this Jesus? In know He is the Son of God, but do I KNOW, really KNOW in my heart and soul that He does care...

Jesus WILL see me through every storm. He won't necessarily remove every storm before me... Sometimes it is in the midst of the storm that I have the faith opportunity to grow, learn, and even participate in the miraculous.

In the boat, out of the boat, on the sea, or on land.... Jesus is with me and you. He will never leave us, nor never forsake us. When we call to Him, when we place our trust in Him, even when we come to Him in our doubt, He is faithful to answer us....it's a nice night for a sail.

Irresistible Revolution #1

I am thinking I'll make this post part of a series of entries as I read Shane Claiborne's "Irresistible Revolution." It's been leading me to do a lot of reflecting and questioning... and as much as I hope God uses this blog to bless you, I hope you won't mind participating in some faith-blogging mentorship. :P

Here's a paragraph from Ch.1: "I was just another believer. I believed all the right stuff - that Jesus is the Son of God, died and rose again. I had become a "believer," but I had no idea what it means to be a follower. People had taught me what Christians believe, but no one had told me how Christians live."

I've been blessed with a wonderful community that's full of people who really do follow Christ. I thank God for these role models. God uses them to encourage me to follow Him, too. I don't expect to be told what to do, for I know God will answer my questions in His own time, but still I ask, "I've been saved.. now what?"

To digress a bit..
It's been several weeks since I departed with my charcoal drawing of Jesus on the cross, but the experience of drawing Him has remained with me. I worked from a picture I found online that was taken from "The Passion of the Christ." I had never before seen an image that so powerfully captured the suffering that Jesus endured for us. Look at him, the body of our beloved Christ is dripping in blood.

This image, compounded with Claiborne's book, got me thinking... the 'body of Christ' is more than just a metaphor for unity in the church. It is real. It is literal. Shouldn't we hunger, thirst, bleed as any living body does, much less the body of our Saviour?

Some of you know that I'm studying political science and journalism. For a while now, my dream has been to be a political or foreign correspondent - to be at the frontlines of whatever it is that runs this world. Now I see that this mysterious force is much more than the economy or technological development or rising global temperatures (?!).. it's God!

I admire foreign correspondents and investigative reporters almost as much as I admire full-time missionaries. They actually have a lot in common; most significantly is their shared commitment to the truth. They believe that sharing the truth with others is worth living and dying for.

Now that I know that God is truth, I almost want to say "screw school" and instead focus all of my attention on getting to know God!!

But I think God knows that I'm just trying to get out of writing all of my term papers, so He's been using my classes to reveal some of the many invisible faces that humbly bear the truth.

He's there with me everyday in class, and He teaches my classmates and me about the various injustices that take place on multidimensional levels - from personal prejudices to systemic discrimination. For example, we've studied some the hidden and 'legal' patterns of human trafficking, from the exploited domestic servants sent abroad from the Philippines, to the Korean "entertainers" or "hostesses" who service the US military camptowns. We've also studied the hidden costs of being a minority in this country, stemming from pre-Civil Rights Movement legislation, which has left a legacy of discrimination and destitution, despite our "colorblind," politically-correct rhetoric. All these exemplify what Mother Teresa used to say: "In the poor we meet Jesus in his most distressing disguises."

Heck, you don't even need to be in a classroom to learn about the suffering that goes on, even amongst ourselves.
Take the Aloha Airlines disaster, for example. On the front page of yesterday's Advertiser, there's an article about a laid-off flight attendant who was just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but she can no longer afford her medications without health benefits.

There is so much suffering in our world, even in our community. Well, DUH. But seriously, so many are broken, so many are bleeding.

I'm a Christian, so therefore I'm part of the body of Christ. I should be there with them (whether it be physically or prayerfully), loving them and caring for their wounded souls. Isn't that what Jesus would do? He would do more than write articles about them, that's for sure. But if God is calling me to be a journalist.. is writing enough? It just sounds too simple.

Yet taking on all the world's problems sounds like too much. But if we unite.. if we become that literal body of Christ... perhaps then we'll start to see changes?

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth."
**(Am I right in assuming that the poor, the grieving, and the meek are blessed ONLY if they accept Jesus as their savior? Therefore we ought to share Jesus' love with them?)

"The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the lease of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" - Matthew 25:40

I find all this very inspiring, but at the same time, I feel like such a phony. You know what I mean? I'm a Christian, but I feel like don't know how to live like one. I'm comfortable with my life. I like my life. I'd have to be crazy to give it up!

Oh, but I am crazy. Heck, when it comes to Jesus, I'm radical. I identify with Claiborne when he says, "So I am a radical in the truest sense of the word: an ordinary radical who wants to get at the root of what it means to love, and to get at the root of what has made such a mess of our world." But how do I live like a radical? How do I bring my life to the cross, how do I breathe and bleed for Christ?


Anyway, all these are just some of my thoughts. I hope I didn't bore you too much. Perhaps you feel/felt the same?

Here's some other cool Claiborne quotes from what I've read so far:

Back at college, I had asked one of my Bible teachers if he still believed in miracles, like when Jesus fed thousands of people with a couple of fishes and a handful of loaves. And I wondered if God was still into that stuff. I wanted miracles to be normal again. He told me that we have insulated ourselves from miracles. We no longer live with such reckless faith that we need them. There is rarely room for the transcendent in our lives. If we get sick, we go to a doctor. If we need food, we go to a store and buy it. We have eliminated the need for miracles. If we had enough faith to depend on God like the lilies and the sparrows do, we would see miracles. For is it not a miracle that the birds find enough worms each day? He was right. On the streets of Philly, we experienced miracles. We would wake up sometimes with a blanket on us or a meal beside us that wasn't there when we went to sleep.

How can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?

The church became something we are - an organism, not an organization.

Over and over, when I ask God why all of these injustices are allowed to exist in the world, I can feel the Spirit whisper to me, "You tell me why we allow this to happen. You are my body, my hands, my feet."

“Saved by Grace” and “Saved by Faith”

I sometimes struggle with understanding these two statements and I hope together we can get our arms around this a bit more securely together... This blog entry is BY NO MEANS an all encompassing explanation, dissertation, or any other other kind of ation, other than perhaps a conversation... it is a starting point for us all to have a chat...fun stuff!

Saved by Grace

Okay, so first maybe we should define the word, “grace.”

We might say that it is “undeserved, unmerited favor.”
(AND MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THAT!)

I think it is a good place to start...so, it is the undeserved favor of God over us; He has provided a path to rejoin us to His original intent for Mankind and it is His amazing love shown through this unmerited favor—grace. Grace is His side of a two-sided equation. Now we could go on forever about being “saved” and this is not the point of this thread so we'll open that can another time. Grace, to me, is more about our reality than it is a past-tense action of God...more than something He did for us.

God's grace is alive and we live in His undeserved, unmerited favor...He really loves us (actively) and He loves to have a special and personal relationship with each of us. It is really why He created us in the first place—to enjoy and be enjoying a holy and intimate relationship between Creator and His creation.... Cool stuff!

Man, God was, is, and will forever be, in a good mood towards us!

So because God first loved us, He orchestrated a whole storyline to include us as the central characters around Himself (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), He brings us back into the original family structure and He defeats the enemy, and we are saved by grace.

I saw a cool acronym for GRACE.. “God's Riches At Christ's Expense”. I think that is pretty slick.

Now, I don't want to be too simplistic... Salvation is not all about me making it into the Book of Life by the skin of my teeth; covered in God's grace. Salvation is evidenced as genuine faith in an ongoing relationship with the Gracious God. It has been and will always be about God wanting a dynamic relationship with me...right now, where I am at...

Saved by Faith

So, I see faith as the other side of the equation that I need to provide. I not only believe that God is God; Christ died for my sins, and all the other elements of the classic sinner's prayer... It is about me LIVING and in RELATIONSHIP with God...living out my faith in action/deed. Faith does not get me into heaven without His grace FIRST coming upon me, nor does His grace come and save me with my faith in God. I need to accept His love; His grace; His redemptive power; His Kingship; and His proper position in His life...He's God and I am not. I'm working in stuff and working out stuff, all so I can be more and more properly aligned with the Truth...Literally, thank God I am saved by Grace and I will live out my life as I am save by Faith.

Now, please take notice that I haven't even touched on defining FAITH, that's cuz I invite you to help me take this one deeper.

What is faith?

How do we live out our faith?

What are the elements of faith?


**
Again, I am positive, I haven't explained this all clearly, nor is that my intent...way over my head. I laugh because I have bookshelves and e-documents and this would still be incomplete. It seems good enough for US to have a bit more conversation don't ya' think?

So, if you'd like to jump in, please do so, take this whole topic, a portion of it, or stuff I'm missing or that I got incorrectly stated...come and be your important part of the Body.


Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness. You ROCK GOD!

God is Love: I Give Him My Heart

I Give You My Heart

From the mackerel sky
Your spirit fell like a spring shower
Upon a land dead and littered
With the brown buds of failure
And other relics of memory and desire.

I wandered through the wreckage
Searching for my heart,
The birthstone I pawned years ago
When I chose to forsake you.

You opened your hand
And there it was,
Pristine and whole -
An immaculate gem,
An uncrushed bulb.

You were not blinded by
The fingerprints of all who mishandled it,
Those painful smudges of ruined purity.

In that first hour of daybreak
I knew I loved you
And I gave you my heart.
You wear it on your finger -
A mere stone in the cosmos,
But nothing is lost with you.

Check out these lyrics by Colin Gibson:

"Nothing is lost to the heart of God,

nothing is lost for ever;

God's heart is love, and that love will remain,

holding the world for ever."

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~Serlewis/wshp/nthg.htm

Missionary Hip Hop

WORD UP! K-girl is in the house, here to share with you a lil rhyme performed at the side of the magnificent Magdiel!  =P

Thanks K-Man for promoting our trip and for encouraging me do so as well by letting me post this poem.  And thank you all for your prayers and the support you've shown to my teammates and me.  Our presentation at Nightlife was a little rough around the edges, but we felt so blessed by your aloha!  Also, thanks to everyone who has helped me personally prepare for this trip - by equipping me with prayer tips,  books, offering to partner with me in fasting, etc.  

My missions-mate Magdiel and I spent almost an entire day sitting in one of the campus restaurants, working on a spoken word poem about our mission.  We had never collaborated before, and we quickly noticed the differences in our writing styles. I tend to write quickly, only to spend hours upon hours editing, whereas Mags takes his time, choosing his words so carefully that his work doesn't need any fixing.  So while it took us much longer to work together than if we were to work separately, there is something spiritually powerful in unity.  I learned that even though the body parts of Christ work in different ways, they work better in partnership, as long as they are committed to the same purpose.  :)

Before I start wasting your time, 

Here is our lil' rhyme:

I told some friends that I’m going on a mission
And they said, “What, I didn’t even know that you were a Christian”
They told me that they could tell I had changed
But they didn’t know how much of my life God’s rearranged
See, my family’s never been the church-going type
And I thought the Bible was just religious hype
But last semester I discovered that our God lives
And I accepted the salvation he freely gives
Now I’m like the Samaritan girl at the well
I worship Jesus with all my heart
And together with my brother Magdiel,
we pray that God will shape our words into Kingdom art

[MAGDIEL]
I heard about this mission and didn’t really want to step to the steeple
My reasoning was flawed, I know my resistance was feeble
I thought If I don’t even like your food, how can I expect to help your people
But the truth is my whole life it’s been my own dream I’ve been chasin
Repressing the reality that I’ve feared of facin
When I see my little brothers starving, my heart started racin
And plummeting down cus now their hurt I was tastin
Since none of my dollars ever helped to put food in they hands
And none of my thoughts and prayers had ever traveled to their land
I told myself it was Ok for me to just turn my head
Since I myself, never grew havin any bread
So how can I give something I don’t even own?
How can I possibly give, when I got 60 g’s that I owe?

I never thought that I’d give a rip about the poor
Never thought I’d want to spend my nights with them, sleeping on the floor
But I saw how much God loves people of every race
And How he comforts the suffering with a secure embrace
God’s shown me how to love someone other than me
Cus you know it’s the only way we’ll ever be free

[MAGDIEL]
But I know I’ve been blessed because I’ve made it this far
And though I don’t got a car, I’ve got a God that can give me the stars
Yeah, I’m cheap and got to keep track of my bills
But money ain’t a thang when you got the power of will
Since I’ve been transformed by His love, I have no more hesitation
Cus In my soul I can feel His heavenly vibrations
So by faith I’ll walk on water, so we can reach the distant nations

Transformed by God’s love
He blesses us from up above
He’s given power to our generation
To change the campus, islands, and nations
We’re on fire cus the Lord smiles when He sees us
We’re Intervarsity and we’re on a mission to follow Jesus
We’re gonna follow Aunty B and Jordan Seng to Chiang-Mai and Chittagong
You know this mission’s gonna be fly cus we’re singing God’s song!

Can’t wait until May, when we’ll be on that plane
We’re so excited that we’re going insane
We’re gonna pray for orphans in Bangladesh
Cus the Holy Spirit always keeps hope fresh
We’re gonna work with kids at Home of Love
It’s an orphanage blessed with vision from God above
Even though they live in one of the poorest nations,
Where good news is received with great hesitation,
The children are God’s most beautiful creation.
Lord, I heard their government don’t like the Gospel being spread
So I pray you give us your daily bread
Cuz that’s all we’re gonna need to keep pushing ahead
Sometimes I get scared that we’re gonna have to suffer
But I know that this experience will only make me tougher
I think back to life before I ever touched the cross
And how selfish I was when I worked for the wrong boss
But now I know when I look into an orphan’s eyes
I’ll see the miracles and hope that only God supplies

[MAGDIEL]
In the land of Thailand, girls ain’t really given a chance
Just to make a livin, she got to get on her hands
And knees and become another picture on a sex catalog
Just another piece of meat that they can feed to the dogs
She’s only ten years old but it’s the only way she can make any dough
She may not even know any better cus it’s the only life that she knows
Afraid to leave the industry, cus the world shows her no pity
She knows a lotta sh*t can happen when she sets foot in the city
She’d be mugged or raped and have no financial stability
Because of this industry, she has no confidence in her own ability
Abused and objectified, this isn’t how it should be
Though her body isn’t bound, it’s her soul that longs to be free
But I’m not gonna sit here and talk about the wicked and start throwing stones
Because I know I’ve taken part of this through the thoughts in my dome
Through all of the porno that I’d ever seen with my eyes
I’ve helped built this market and wicked industry to rise
With every lustful thought, a part of my sisters soul begins to die
And if I don’t practice what I preach, than I’m just preachin a lie
But when my mind gets ugly, You tell me I have a beautiful face
God loves us regardless, and that’s what we call grace
And through grace, there’s redemption, now I have another chance
To show my sisters that my heart lies in my God and not my pants
And ask for forgiveness that they’ve become a product of lust
But through our Lord Jesus Christ, I may be a man they can trust
Cus we’re all members and parts of the body of Christ
And as lights, it’s our right, to restore the sight to the blind
So we can stand united and put an end to this fight


Transformed by God’s love
He blesses us from up above
He’s given power to our generation
To change the campus, islands, and nations
We’re on fire cus the Lord smiles when He sees us
We’re Intervarsity and we’re on a mission to follow Jesus
We’re gonna follow Aunty B and Jordan Seng to Chiang-Mai and Chittagong
You know this mission’s gonna be fly cus we’re singing God’s song!

Our Testimonies: Miracles, Signs, and Wonders

I either read or heard Bill Johnson say something about our testimonies of God’s work in our lives actually attracts more miracles, signs and wonders in our lives… I am beginning to believe this more and more. I also find that my prayer life is improving as I pray more.

This all gets me to think that just as when you develop a pattern of physical exercise you also can push yourself more and continue to lift more, run farther, and swim more efficiently, all with proper training. So as we develop a pattern of spiritual exercise we can push ourselves to pray, fast, persevere, prophecy, heal, and see miracles more and more, all with proper training.

So, here is space for us to share stories of miracles, signs, and wonders…. So please share your testimony seeds that will germinate and plant future testimonies of a larger harvest.

*** ***
In 2004, I woke up one Saturday and headed out to the laundry room at my apartment complex. As I passed the parking lot, I realized my car was missing from my stall. AHHH!

I checked to see if by odd chance the resident manager had accidentally towed my car. I called the police and filed a stolen car report. Since it was Saturday, I knew there would not be much more I could do other than cancel my car insurance to protect myself a bit more and AIG handled it all.

It was an older model car so my insurance was the bare minimum so if the car was not recovered I’d simply have to take the bus until I find another cheap car to buy…money was tight, very tight and I was worried about how to do my job.

After dealing with the police and the insurance company, I called two strong Christian friends and simply asked that they pray for me and that I was struggling against a panic attack so I was going to put on some worship music and pray… and pray I did. I asked for God to cover me in His peace and every other thing I could quote from Scripture and such. I knew that I had other things to get done that day, including a house blessing and party that evening for a friend. So I did my best to hand it all over to God and get on with the other stuff I needed to get done….and still do my laundry.

I got a ride to my friend’s home and enjoyed the blessing ceremony and party. Then caught another ride home and then tried not to worry, and instead pray and go to sleep. I knew I still had to stay on track and get to church on time as I had some responsibilities there in setting up. I told one of the other leaders there I was going to be a little late because my car was stolen. He said he’d pray for me and not to worry about helping. He said he’d like to talk more with me but there was a couple standing next to him as we were talking that obviously needed his attention, so we hung up. I remember telling him, not to worry, God would take care of me and that I need to get there and do my “job” and maintain my responsibilities…just a few minutes later than normal, and so I got a ride from another friend to church.

When I got to church, the leader I called had a very odd look on his face and he acted oddly, as he turned from me coming through the door to this couple that was walking towards me, crying. The wife gave me a huge hug and was crying as she said she just heard I had my car stolen.

I did the Christianese thing and said, “Don’t worry, God will take care of me.”

She replied, “I know He takes care of you, here are the keys and title to your truck.”

I was shocked and speechless.

They had bought a new truck over the weekend and they were praying as to what the Lord would want them to do with their old work truck. They felt the Lord wanted them to drive the truck to church, bringing the title and keys with them and to give it away to someone who needs a car.

They were the same couple waiting to talk to my friend, as I was telling him that my car was stolen. He was tripping out as you can imagine…turning to tell this couple that I would be late and why… then watching the couple trip-out as they showed him the keys and title to the work truck. Knowing that God was planning for someone in need to drive away in their old truck!

This is a great miracle of God, demonstrating His provision!

God ROCKS!


So, please share your stories too… let’s build some E-stone monuments—testifying of God’s grace, glory, power, and provision!

If by chance you don’t have any stories to share, tell us how you might/will release some miracle opportunities and faith opportunities for God to do His awesome stuff.

Remember, God is in a very good mood!

Hearing from God: Straight from His WORD!

I am writing to all of you who share the same precious faith we have, faith given to us by Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, who makes us right with God. May God bless you with his special favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better. As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature.

So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop these virtues are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. They have already forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin.

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away. And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.

Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.

God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.

Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.

And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever. Amen.

Are any among you suffering? They should keep on praying about it. And those who have reason to be thankful should continually sing praises to the Lord.

Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years! Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured. The grass turned green, and the crops began to grow again.

Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.

So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

*** *** ***

(All scriptures taken from NLT)



Jehovah Our Breakthrough ROCKS!

Let's find out what gives Our LORD joy....ask Him!

Sharing is Caring

Last week, I saw my friend from Hilo in the cafe near my apartment.  We got to talking about religion, and I was blessed with the opportunity to share my testimony with her. (She's the one I mentioned in my spoken word-testimony.)

To my surprise, she ended up actually accepting my invitation to Nightlife (I can't tell you how many times I am rejected.. sigh!)

Anyway, I'm sharing this with you all because today, while  I should have been working on an essay for school, I ended up wasting time on MySpace, and I came across her latest blog entry.  I should probably ask her if I can share what she wrote, so if this entry is gone later, you know why!  :P  

But she's an amazing writer, and I thought you'd all enjoy hearing what she experienced at Nightlife last Sunday:

"Meek and unfamiliar, I entered a family that was not my own. A pastor that was not my own. And songs that were not my own. The music was beautiful. Not just because it was music, but these kids’ souls were soaring out of their mouths as they praised. I didn’t get a cd because I was too shy to claim my virginity to their night. But I did get something else. And all I can say about that is how amazing it was. I came out to shine. Amazing.

There is an impression left on me that surpasses touch. I woke up the next day to spend it in the pleasure from the little touches of my love. And I could still feel the touch that was beyond physical. I am the moon in the day, and my thorns were honestly gone. Mentally ashamed no more, physically abused no longer. It worked, my Jesus, it worked. I come out now when it is appropriate and inappropriate, no schedule, my heart is not confined. My feet are not my only lillies. I flew around today. Mind, body, and soul. I always knew I have always been blessed, but proof came in corporeal touch, love came in phenomenal grace. I must have always had my wings. Like I have always had the dream to fly. And tonight, I fly to the moon. I am coming home."

Isn't that beautiful?  She's a super talented wahine, and it's so great to know she experienced grace.

There are so many times when I chicken out on being a witness.  I don't know why, but when it comes to talking about Jesus with people my age, I get really shy, especially if I don't know their views on Christianity.  I've been asking God for forgiveness on this issue, and I believe he used my friend's experience with grace to remind me of the grace I receive from Him as well.

I hope that I've learned my lesson by now... Jesus' love is to be proclaimed!

As I wrote in an earlier entry, God is HUMANGOUS, GINORMOUS, GABAZILLION METERS CUBED BIG --- there's no way I can contain Him within the narrow shell of my own life.

Of course, Jesus lives regardless of whether we share His love, but we can't deny that not everybody knows the reality of Jesus.  And when it comes to sharing Jesus, it really is a matter of life or death... maybe not to us (heck, we have nothing to lose), but to the person we don't witness to.

And I'm not saying that we should blab on and on about Jesus to everybody, but when God gives us the opportunity to share about Him, we might as well do it boldly.  I pray we attune our senses to the world around us so that we may recognize divine appointments amidst the fray of our daily lives.  And even when the enemy tricks us into being too shy or too lazy to share Jesus, I pray we will not be bogged down by regret or guilt and instead fix our eyes on the next opportunity.  

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. - Philemon 1:6

Here's a poem for you all... perhaps it has some relevance to this blog?  :P

As the guy in the movie "Into the Wild" says, happiness is only real when it is shared.  =)

Jesus' love is real whether we share it or not, but as any kindergartner will tell you, sharing is caring! 

There in the slippery gutter
I saw life today
Where there should have been none.

A single white flower
Grew from the cement's deep wound.
Its un-trampled brilliance
Was an unexpected lantern
For my downcast eyes.

I picked the holy blossom,
Snapped its fragile stem
And preserved its sweet petals
Under pages heavy with God's word.

In my bedroom I rejoiced --
This flag of hope
Was mine.

I placed it on my dusty windowsill
But it did not catch the sunlight.
I cried for its diminished luster
And wished I had understood
The purpose of beauty.

God is Love: Perfect love expels all fear.

Have you ever found yourself anxious, even fearful of something?

Ever been afraid of the unknown; of the future; of not being sure where you are going to live?

Ever afraid that you are going to grow old alone without the right spouse?

Ever fear that God can't/won't provide healing to your body, your marriage, your pain, your “issues”?

Ever been afraid that God is going to pull the rug from under you just as you are about to buy that house, make that big decision?

Ever been afraid of the backhand of the Lord? That He's not going to let you be happy?

Ever been afraid that God plans to punish you and hurt you for now on?

Does this sound familiar?

IT IS NOT FROM nor OF GOD!

It's not in His gracious nature.

I can start getting that way, and then I have to fight it and work hard to know the truth. I'm learning to go to God's Word for the Truth. See, God loves me, and He is love, and perfect love expels all fear.

In each situation I have to ask myself, where am I placing my trust?

Do I know that God will see me through and that I can COMPLETELY trust Him?

Fear is the tool of the enemy. Look how the world and the enemy uses fear...So many movies, stories, even practical jokes play on our fears. It makes us sweat, curl up in the fetal position, it catches our breath.

I am becoming more and more sure that many physical, psychological, emotional, and relational illnesses, conditions, situations and battles are based on the enemy's use of fear in us.

The word fear and it's related phrases sure are mentioned often in Scripture. To “fear not” is mentioned so much I gather that it is one of the top most commands/warnings.

The only acceptable fear is the fear of the Lord and that is so different....

I now believe the enemy wants us to react to fear and in fear; NOT relying on God's Truth and be crippled, paralyzed or reduced in our potential to see God's hand in our life. God wants us to respond in fear of Him—reverent respect... in love...in awe...in complete trust...in righteous worship... in faith.

So, I pulled a few word searches together and figure the straight word from God's Word will help bring light to this matter.

If you are fearful right now or find that is a common response/reflex in your life read these scriptures prayerfully and let the Lord work in the TRUTH and work out the LIES of the enemy.

“Do not fear” (NIV)
Ex 9:30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD God as you should.”
Dt 28:58 “If you refuse to obey all the terms of this law that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the LORD your God,
Ps 55:19 God, who is king forever, will hear me and will humble them. For my enemies refuse to change their ways; they do not fear God.
Ps 112:7 They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.
Ec 8:13 The wicked will never live long, good lives, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.
Isa 8:13 Do not fear anything except the LORD Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear him, you need fear nothing else.
Isa 35:4 Say to those who are afraid, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
Isa 44:2 The LORD who made you and helps you says: O Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid. O Israel, my chosen one, do not fear.
Je 42:11 Do not fear the king of Babylon anymore, says the LORD. For I am with you and will save you and rescue you from his power.
La 3:57 Yes, you came at my despairing cry and told me, “Do not fear.”
Eze 2:6 “Son of man, do not fear them. Don't be afraid even though their threats are sharp as thorns and barbed like briers, and they sting like scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls. For remember, they are rebels!
Mal 3:5 At that time I will put you on trial. I will be a ready witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.

“Feared” (NIV)
Ex 1:17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king and allowed the boys to live, too.
Ex 1:21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Ex 14:31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had displayed against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD and put their faith in him and his servant Moses.
Dt 9:19 How I feared for you, for the LORD was ready to destroy you. But again he listened to me.
Dt 18:22 If the prophet predicts something in the LORD's name and it does not happen, the LORD did not give the message. That prophet has spoken on his own and need not be feared.
Dt 28:60 He will bring against you all the diseases of Egypt that you feared so much, and they will claim you.
Dt 32:17 They offered sacrifices to demons, non-gods, to gods they had not known before, to gods only recently arrived, to gods their ancestors had never feared.
Dt 32:27 But I feared the taunt of the enemy, that their adversaries might misunderstand and say, “Our power has triumphed! It was not the LORD who did this!”’
Jos 9:24 They replied, “We did it because we were told that the LORD your God instructed his servant Moses to conquer this entire land and destroy all the people living in it. So we feared for our lives because of you. That is why we have done it.
1Sa 14:26 They didn't even touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.
2Ki 4:1 One day the widow of one of Elisha's fellow prophets came to Elisha and cried out to him, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
Ne 7:2 I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
Es 8:17 In every city and province, wherever the king's decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.
Job 1:1 Job There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.
Job 3:25 What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come to be.
Job 31:34 Have I feared the crowd and its contempt, so that I refused to acknowledge my sin and would not go outside?
Ps 76:7 No wonder you are greatly feared! Who can stand before you when your anger explodes?
Ps 76:12 For he breaks the spirit of princes and is feared by the kings of the earth.
Isa 18:2 and ambassadors are sent in fast boats down the Nile. Go home, swift messengers! Take a message to your land divided by rivers, to your tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction.
Isa 18:7 But the time will come when the LORD Almighty will receive gifts from this land divided by rivers, from this tall, smooth-skinned people, who are feared far and wide for their conquests and destruction. They will bring the gifts to the LORD Almighty in Jerusalem, the place where his name dwells.
Isa 66:4 I will send great troubles against them—all the things they feared. For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned—before my very eyes—and chose to do what they know I despise.”
Mal 1:14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the LORD Almighty, “and my name is feared among the nations!
Mal 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him.
Lk 22:2 The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively plotting Jesus’ murder. But they wanted to kill him without starting a riot, a possibility they greatly feared.
Jn 19:38 The Burial of Jesus Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take Jesus’ body down. When Pilate gave him permission, he came and took the body away.
Ac 10:2 He was a devout man who feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household. He gave generously to charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God.

“Fear not” (NIV)
Isa 54:4 “Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. The shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood will be remembered no more,
Je 46:28 Fear not, Jacob, my servant,” says the LORD, “for I am with you. I will destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not destroy you. But I must discipline you; I cannot let you go unpunished.”

“Was afraid” (NIV)
Ge 3:10 He replied, “I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
Ge 18:15 Sarah was afraid, so she denied that she had laughed. But he said, “That is not true. You did laugh.”
Ge 19:30 Lot and His Daughters Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters.
Ge 26:7 And when the men there asked him about Rebekah, he said, “She is my sister.” He was afraid to admit that she was his wife. He thought they would kill him to get her, because she was very beautiful.
Ge 26:9 Abimelech called for Isaac and exclaimed, “She is obviously your wife! Why did you say she was your sister?” “Because I was afraid someone would kill me to get her from me,” Isaac replied.
Ge 28:17 He was afraid and said, “What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God—the gateway to heaven!”
Ge 31:31 “I rushed away because I was afraid,” Jacob answered. “I said to myself, ‘He'll take his daughters from me by force.’
Ge 38:11 Then Judah told Tamar, his daughter-in-law, not to marry again at that time but to return to her parents’ home. She was to remain a widow until his youngest son, Shelah, was old enough to marry her. (But Judah didn't really intend to do this because he was afraid Shelah would also die, like his two brothers.) So Tamar went home to her parents.
Ex 3:6 Then he said, “I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God.
Jdg 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father's household and the people of the town. He knew what would happen if they found out who had done it.
Jdg 8:20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid.
Jdg 9:21 Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech.
1Sa 3:15 Samuel Speaks for the Lord Samuel stayed in bed until morning, then got up and opened the doors of the Tabernacle as usual. He was afraid to tell Eli what the LORD had said to him.
1Sa 15:24 Saul Pleads for Forgiveness Then Saul finally admitted, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.
1Sa 18:12 for Saul was afraid of him, and he was jealous because the LORD had left him and was now with David.
1Sa 21:12 David heard these comments and was afraid of what King Achish might do to him.
1Sa 31:4 Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines run me through and humiliate me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
2Sa 3:11 Ishbosheth didn't dare say another word because he was afraid of what Abner might do.
1Ki 1:50 Adonijah himself was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and caught hold of the horns of the altar.
1Ki 19:3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
1Ch 10:4 Saul groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and run me through before these pagan Philistines come and humiliate me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
Es 9:2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to defend themselves against anyone who might try to harm them. But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them.
Mt 2:22 But when he learned that the new ruler was Herod's son Archelaus, he was afraid. Then, in another dream, he was warned to go to Galilee.
Mt 14:5 Herod would have executed John, but he was afraid of a riot, because all the people believed John was a prophet.
Mt 25:25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth and here it is.’
Lk 8:35 A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, for they wanted to see for themselves what had happened. And they saw the man who had been possessed by demons sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet, clothed and sane. And the whole crowd was afraid.
Lk 19:21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn't yours and harvesting crops you didn't plant.’
Ga 2:12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who don't bother with circumcision. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these legalists would say.
1Th 3:5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the Tempter had gotten the best of you and that all our work had been useless.
1Th 3:5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the Tempter had gotten the best of you and that all our work had been useless.

“Do not be afraid” (NIV)
Ge 15:1 Afterward the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”
Ge 21:17 Then God heard the boy's cries, and the angel of God called to Hagar from the sky, “Hagar, what's wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy's cries from the place where you laid him.
Ge 26:24 where the LORD appeared to him on the night of his arrival. “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant.”
Ge 46:3 “I am God,” the voice said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will see to it that you become a great nation there.
Ex 4:19 Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, “Do not be afraid to return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.”
Nu 21:34 The LORD said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his entire army, giving you all his land. You will do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.”
Dt 3:2 But the LORD told me, ‘Do not be afraid of him, for I have given you victory over Og and his army, giving you his entire land. Treat him just as you treated King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.’
Dt 3:22 Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the LORD your God will fight for you.’
Dt 7:21 “No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your God is among you, and he is a great and awesome God.
Dt 20:1 Deuteronomy 20 Regulations concerning War “When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you safely out of Egypt, is with you!
Dt 20:3 He will say, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight today! Do not lose heart or panic.
Dt 31:6 Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.”
Dt 31:8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor forsake you.”
Jos 1:9 I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Jos 8:1 Joshua 8 The Israelites Defeat Ai Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the entire army and attack Ai, for I have given to you the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
Jos 10:8 “Do not be afraid of them,” the LORD said to Joshua, “for I will give you victory over them. Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”
Jos 11:6 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow they will all be dead. Cripple their horses and burn their chariots.”
Jdg 6:23 “It is all right,” the LORD replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.”
1Ch 22:13 For if you carefully obey the laws and regulations that the LORD gave to Israel through Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!
2Ch 20:15 He said, “Listen, King Jehoshaphat! Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
2Ch 20:17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out there tomorrow, for the LORD is with you!”
Ps 91:5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the dangers of the day,
Isa 8:12 Do not be afraid that some plan conceived behind closed doors will be the end of you.
Isa 10:24 So this is what the Lord, the LORD Almighty, says: “My people in Jerusalem, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you just as the Egyptians did long ago.
Isa 40:9 Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem—do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!”
Isa 41:13 I am holding you by your right hand—I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.
Isa 43:1 But now, O Israel, the LORD who created you says: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
Isa 43:5 “Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will gather you and your children from east and west
Isa 44:2 The LORD who made you and helps you says: O Jacob, my servant, do not be afraid. O Israel, my chosen one, do not fear.
Isa 44:8 Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Have I not proclaimed from ages past what my purposes are for you? You are my witnesses—is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock—not one!”
Isa 51:7 “Listen to me, you who know right from wrong and cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people's scorn or their slanderous talk.
Je 1:17 “Get up and get dressed. Go out, and tell them whatever I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, or I will make you look foolish in front of them.
Je 10:2 This is what the LORD says: “Do not act like other nations who try to read their future in the stars. Do not be afraid of their predictions, even though other nations are terrified by them.
Je 10:5 There stands their god like a helpless scarecrow in a garden! It cannot speak, and it needs to be carried because it cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”
Je 30:10 “So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel, says the LORD. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return and will have peace and quiet in their own land, and no one will make them afraid.
Je 46:27 “But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return and will have peace and quiet, and nothing will make them afraid.
Hag 2:5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.
Mt 1:20 As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Je 30:10 “So do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel, says the LORD. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return and will have peace and quiet in their own land, and no one will make them afraid.
Je 46:27 “But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return and will have peace and quiet, and nothing will make them afraid.
Hag 2:5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.
Mt 1:20 As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit.

“Fear of the LORD” (NIV)
2Ch 17:10 The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat.
2Ch 19:7 Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
2Ch 19:9 He gave them these orders: “You must serve faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the LORD.
Job 28:28 And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’”
Ps 19:9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
Ps 34:11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Ps 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Pr 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Pr 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.
Pr 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Pr 10:27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
Pr 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
Pr 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.
Pr 15:33 The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Pr 16:6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
Pr 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Pr 22:4 Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.
Pr 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
Isa 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD—
Isa 11:3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
Isa 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
Ac 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.


How are you feeling now?

What are you thinking?

Oh yeah,

GOD ROCKS!