Refresh

Okay, I was cruising on the information highway looking for something in particular (can’t remember what I was looking for because this happened more than once) when all of a sudden the screen pauses. Bam! All I get are fragments of a page. I’m road blocked from reaching my destination. So what do I do? I hit refresh. I don’t want to go backwards, but I want to renew or revive the image on that present screen. Sometimes, don’t you just feel like hitting the refresh button in your life? You don’t want to start over or even go backwards, you just want a little reviving in your spirit. You just need to fill up again and keep going. I know I do. So this is what I’m going to do. I’m going to take a pause in this display screen called life, put down the phone, jump off the computer and take a moment to just REFRESH. Talk to ya tomorrow. Good Night.

Tip of The Week

Learn something new everyday.

Today I learned about Boanerges. I came across this during my internet reading. See Robbymac.org. According to Dictionary.com this means sons of thunder, a surname given by our Lord to James and John (Mark 3:17) on account of their fervid and impetuous temper (Luke 9:54). Prior to their spiritual maturity, James and John could be known as Boanerges. We definitely do not remember them as such.

It’s wonderful how God’s presence in a person’s life can be so evident in their character. As a teenager, I was once classified as "The Black Heart." I was brutally honest and at times (well many times) just flat out cold hearted. I can’t say that I am not brutally honest at times in my adult life, but I am definitely not known for it any longer. I have people asking me if I ever get angry. Now, they obviously do not spend much time with me because I still have to work out some of that road rage (all part of living in California), but there has been a change since I’ve allowed God to step into my life and take control.

As Robbymac put it, "What kind of a man [woman] do I want to be known as? Boanerges or the apostle of love?"

Soul Searching is Relevant to Spreading The Gospel

"There is a difference between making the Gospel relevant, and trying to make it suitable to culture. Relevant means that we discard the baggage that we have attached to the Gospel--such as theological jargon--so that our message can be better understood. Suitable is when we try to make the Gospel another positive thinking, get rich scheme which has all too often been the case with many North American churches."

I read this on Brian Leport's blog and it immediately struck out at me. He was summarizing an interview with Donald Miller who speaks on "hip" the Gospel. This instantly caught my eye because it is something that has constantly been on my mind. How do I capture the young adult crowd without them thinking I have lost touch with the times? How do I show them that what mom and pops believed actually works for us without being seen as an "old woman"? With my more serious nature, how can I show them that I have way more fun now than I ever did before, and its not because I’m serious but because it is simply enjoyable?

First of all, it took and is still taking some soul searching. I am always considered the older sibling when I hang out with my older sister. I can’t stand that. So, obviously there is something I needed to adjust in my life that would break me out of this old hag phase and back into the times when I could be the younger sister. This required and still requires much work, but the change is awesome. It is also an outreach tool for younger crowds. I am one of them and not an outsider.

Secondly, I am learning how to bring The Word to them in relevant terms. For instance, I would not go speak in my 5-year old son’s classroom using the vocabulary I would use at work. This is the age when story time is peak hour and animation will make you their best friend. Even a walk to the store can be a fun filled story when I bring it to their terms. So relevance is right on point, when spreading the Gospel. You have to think about who you are talking to, where you are, how you met them, etc. Analyze before you react. This way you can become proactive instead of dreadfully reactive.

I know there are many more points to touch on, but these are the two I have been working hard to develop. To reach a certain audience takes research and dedication. It takes adjustment where necessary and complete change when something is completely broken. It is not easy to evaluate yourself so seek the advice of others. I think my friends have been wondering about me because of all the questions I am asking about myself. Someone has even asked if I have been reading those self help books. I laugh because I believe this is self help that is relevant to spreading The Gospel. My way of discarding the baggage that has made my approach irrelevant. It took soul searching, soul breaking and soul shaping in order to begin in the direction I am seeking and what I believe God has given to me.

Where Did God's Burden Go?

Where did God’s burden go?
Was it devoured up by the beastly appetite of lust and deceit?
Did it fall on the stony hills of rejection and defeat?
Did it wither away with the scorching rays of pride and neglect?
Or did it get blown away by a disease with a simple name called “Forget”?

Did it get cast down or put aside, and forgotten as the days went by?
Did it drown in the depths of selfishness?
Or was it lost in the pits of self-righteousness?
It can’t simply be left and expected to progress.
Because it’s life and it is required to be fed.

So as you sit, take the moment to reflect
Do you know, where did God’s burden go?


God gave us the ability to give. To give in prayer, in fasting to give when we may never receive, to give our best when we don’t want to. Fortunately, God gave us a burden. When I have a burden for someone or something, I find that my prayers are more fervent, my desire is increased and my faith strengthened. It’s the burden that magnifies my belief when we’re against all odds. It’s that burden that keeps me going when my body is weak or my mind is tired. It’s the burden that puts me on my knees in prayer when my body aches. It’s the same burden that heals the weak and mends the broken. It’s the same burden that picks me up when the day drags on. It’s the burden of a mother for her child, the child for a parent, a house for a family, a friend for a friend. It’s the same burden that brought me into church, the cleansed my soul and granted me forgiveness when I was unworthy. It’s the burden that directs souls to a loving God. It’s God’s burden living in us all and fed by prayer.

Mother's Day

Ruth 1:16
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God

As a single Mother, Mother’s Day normally leans more towards an average day. Since my son is young and still very dependent upon me, any events planned are planned by me. This Mother’s Day, I have been truly blessed with a wonderful eventful weekend. As Sister Terry has said, I’ve been emotional this weekend. The reason is because I realized, that although I have gone many Mother’s Day without a mother, I have the opportunity to make each Mother’s Day special with my son and adopted “niece and nephew”. These years are my second chance to give what I didn’t have and I thank God for such a blessing.

To all of the single mothers and all of the women who have lost their mother’s, I wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day.

To all of the women who have taken the time to teach me and guide me and love me, I love you and hope your day was even more blessed than mine.

To Sister Pryor, Happy First Mother’s Day in Orange County. Anthony and I appreciate you and love you.

Speechless

"Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart." -Martin Luther King

Miracle Living

There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
-Albert Einstein

Do you think this is Reality thinking vs. Dreaming or Optimism vs. Pessimism?
We don’t have to give up dreaming to accomplish what is reality, but you do have to stay optimistic to accomplish a dream. You must see the vision before you can live it and you must believe it in order to achieve it. I don’t konw anyone that said it could never happen and then went out and made it happen. I do know many people who dreamed a vision, remained optimistic when reality said it wasn’t permissible, and accomplished the dream. With God everything is possible even when it is humanly impossible. Just remember that He is the Miracle Worker and everyday we live a miracle.

I'm Off

I’m off to my piano lessons today. The lessons have become more regular now, which is always a plus. Today, I am really excited about my lessons because I have a new song that I would like to learn for our next Edge service. I already have some songs lined up, but piano is always more exciting when there is a new song to be learned. Kind of reminds me of faith, its usually more exciting when you learn something new. Practicing the fundamentals can become repetitive, but
it is refreshing when this dedication and commitment allows me to build upon my faith by freeing up time to learn something new and exciting.

Bringing Home The Church

I read something interesting today about spiritual disconnectedness. In "Are We Too Disconnected" the following was written:

"About half or more than half of the believers DO NOT attend a church service on Sunday." The fact is, the majority of these people are probably not connecting with what we might call a consistent spiritual community…Their most significant communal rhythms happen through a number of separate events and occasions in homes, coffee shops, clubs, festivals, etc. And in the past 7 years, the internet has become another of those places where spiritual gifts are shared and the accountability of relationship is maintained despite physical distance."

Though I am not in agreement with everything that is said in this blog, because God gave us a pastor after his own heart (Jeremiah 3:15), I do agree that there is a steadily increasing stream of disconnection taking place. In our efforts to adapt to change we have provided a very easy way for people to adapt in church without physically being in a church. We have brought church home with us, and many decided to keep it there.

Yes, we need to be able to find God even in our homes, in the coffeehouses or on the internet. However, I the intentions were never to replace the church house, but to allow a way for people to be connected when there was no other way. It was more of a ‘if they can’t come to us, then we’ll come to them’ approach. It was not intended as an option, but as the last resort.

Consequently, we have developed "Personal Christianity". Today is the "feel good" era. If it doesn’t feel right, then don’t do it. That mentality has seeped its way into the Christian hearts and convoluted the purpose of God’s joy. God gave laws, he reprimanded when they were broken and rewarded when they were kept. Man did not make them, but God did. Today we dangerously titer-tot on the fine line of God’s ways and our ways, His church or ours. Most of the time we sit and hang out on the "Our Ways" side without ever finding our way to His side. Ultimately, this has made the church into the enemy instead of the ally. God never intended for man to be alone, physically or spiritually. He would have never created Eve if this were the case. He would have created unreproductable creatures that would die on the very same lot on which they were created.

We all need church. It’s not the building that is important, but the spiritual support as well as the physical support. However, we must continue with global outreach in order to provide the support to those who are unable to find it elsewhere. I don’t care if church is held outside or in, but I do care for its presence and the fact that it is serving the purpose for which God intended: a founding structure, a support haven, a house of refuge, a house of joy, a house of learning, and a house of growth. It’s The House of God.

Awesome are Your Ways

Lord, awesome are your ways. You knew Lord what I needed to hear. When I asked I did received. To think that just a few words could be the blessing I was looking for. You used one person's weakness and anothers strength to create an equilibrium; the balance of a world that was unevenly shaped. You are awesome.

Amen

This Isn't the End, This is Only The Beginning

A blessing from the Lord is here! In the last two weeks we have experienced wonderful services. We have been able to participate in the Azusa Street Centennial Services. My home church has continued with the spirit of revival and has been blessed with a wonderful move of God. We've been on the move, God has been on the move, and it has been such a blessing. After all is said and done, our momentum continues even though we physically begin to decelerate. This is not the end of revival, this is only the beginning. Hallelujah!

Hope

"Hope…, unlike optimism, is independent of people's circumstances. Hope is not based on the possibilities of the situation and on correct extropolation about the future. Hope is grounded in the faithfulness of God and therefore on the effectiveness of God's promise...it is the future that comes not from the realm of what is or what was, but from the realm of what is not yet...Optimism is based on the possibilities of things as they have come to be; hope is based on the possibilities of God irrespective of how things are. Hope can spring up even in the valley of the shadow of death; indeed, it is there that it becomes truly manifest." - Miroslav Volf

Praise Ye the Lord

Psalms 150
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

A Soldier In God's Army

I sang a song not too long ago that I heard from our ladies conference about not letting the devil drive with you. The speaker noted that when she was a little girl, her mother never allowed her to hate anything. My father was the same way. "Hate" was too strong a word so I could say that I disliked something, but never "hate". But there is one thing we can hate, that’s the devil. I’ve come to realize that if I don’t hate him, then I must in some way support him. Since I can never trust him, than why should I stand on his side. I cannot seem to shake this image, but I keep thinking about how the devil hates me because I live for God. Every time I give thanks to God, I imagine a black eye to the devil. Every time I give praise or worship to God, I imagine a kick to the shin. Every time I tell the Lord how much I love him, I can imagine the heart attack that the devil receives when he hears me (that’s right, the devil doesn’t have a heart). Basically, if I am not against the devil, then I am for him. His fate is already decided. In Luke 10:18 it says "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." His fate is already decided, there is no way I will let him decide mine too. I will keep fighting with praise, with prayer, with worship and most importantly through God. I will keep spreading the word and testifying of God’s goodness. God will win every time.

Thinking on the Positive

I’m a morning person. When I wake up, my mind automatically begins to shift into gear. At night, I am quite opposite. My mind begins to hibernate. I am easily distracted unless I totally submerge myself in a calm quiet environment. Over the last couple of years I have learned to adapt because my son is quite opposite of me. He is groggy in the morning and totally awake at night. So one thing I have learned to do is to think in the morning, ponder on those thoughts throughout the day and wrap everything up at night. I have cycled my thinking process so that I give myself my best work environment when I am at my best.

This is why it is important that I begin the introduction to and conclude my day with positive thoughts. What I do in the morning and at night influence my thoughts and actions throughout the day. If I end my day with negative thoughts, I wake up with them. If I start my day with negative thoughts, my behavior will be reflective of those thoughts throughout my day. So it is important that I keep thinking on the positive because influences and consequences of negativity is just not worth it.

Don't Consult the Experts, Consult The Expert

"If you want to achieve something, give yourself permission to believe it is possible-no matter what experts might say." – John C. Maxwell

"Never tell a young person that something cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for somebody ignorant enough of the impossible to do that thing." – John Andrew Holmes


Azusa Street 1906:

The experts said it was nothing of importance. The experts said it wasn’t even worth mentioning.

"We made no mention of the matter in the Messenger, not deeming it of sufficient importance to demand attention from outsiders…Locally it is of small account, being insignificant both in numbers and influence. Instead of being the greatest movement of the times…it is of small moment. It has had, and has now, upon the religious life of the city, about as much influence as a pebble thrown into the sea." – Nazarene Messenger, December 13, 1906

They made it out to be like a beast in the night.

"Night is made hideous in the neighborhood by the howlings of the worshippers who spend hours swaying forth and back in a nerve-racking attitude of prayer and supplication." – Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1906

The "ignorant" ones believed.

"The meetings in Los Angeles started in a cottage meeting, and the Pentecost fell there three nights. The People had nothing to do but wait on the Lord and praise Him… Many churches have been praying for Pentecost…" - Azusa Street Mission Newspaper, September 1906

And The Expert said well done!

"The great Shekina glory is still resting upon us as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day, where hundreds and thousands of souls have come and been blest through the mighty power of our blessed Lord. Hungry and thirsty souls are coming from hundreds and thousands of miles to get their personal Pentecost, and receiving and taking the glad tidings back home to hungry and thirsty souls that are waiting their arrival." – Azusa Street Mission Newspaper, December 1906

"Waves of Pentecostal salvation are still rolling in at Azusa Street Mission. From morning till late at night the meetings continue with about three alter services a day…The fire is spreading." – Azusa Street Mission Newspaper, October, 1906

And the fire still falls!
2006

"Azusa Street was the seminal revival of modern Pentecostalism." – www.firestillfalls.com

"Prominent theologians consider Azusa Street ‘the birthplace of the modern Pentecostal movement,’ " –www.christianpost.com

"Pentecostalism has earlier roots, but the Azusa Street Revival launched it as a worldwide movement." – www.wikipedia.org

Who will you believe?