Comfort Zones

Let's all get out of our comfort zones this week and walk in faith, knowing God is with us, and always will be. For all things are possible with Him.

God's Love

God's love. Pretty much self explanatory right there. Okay. God loves YOU! Yes, you. He always has. God has known you before you were born, He knows you now, and He knows you in the future. You see, God exists out of our timeline, so to speak. God is all knowing, all powerful, and all, well, everywhere! Psalm 139:7,8 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there." God is everywhere, and what's even more awesome, He lives inside of you. Adding on to that, God humbled Himself as a human and died for you on the cross.

Amazing. God loves us, each and every single one of us, with unconditional love. Imagine that. God, the creator of all things, the alpha and omega, the beginning and end, loves you with all His heart!

Song of Songs 2:1 "I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one;" Did you know, God is constantly speaking to you. He wants to grow into a even more deeper relationship with us. Of course some people say, "well I can't hear Him." My friend put it this way to me one time. Imagine us listening to a radio station. God is on a station, we just have to find which station He's on. In other words, He could be speaking to us through music, through friends, through the Bible or other books. You just have to keep your ears, and your heart, open to Him.

Song of Songs 7:10 "I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me." Read this verse again, and think about it. We are His, and His DESIRE is towards us. Towards YOU. God's desire is towards you, and nothing can get in the way of that. I mean, who, and what, can get in the way of God's desire for you? He loves you with a burning passion. Amen to that.

Concealing a matter

It's been awhile since i've last put up a blog, but here we go.

I've encountered plenty of questions about God from the beginning of my decision to becoming a christian. Questions such as why does He let bad things happen, why is the galaxy so vast, and so on. Everybody has quesions, and there arn't enough answers. With this generation, i guess you can say that we want to know eveything. We want to know the answers to all questions at that moment, but is that really a good thing? What if we knew everything. How would life be? Who knows, only God does. He knows all, He knows everything.

And we don't. No matter how badly we try, we will never know everything. We even try to figure God out sometimes. Why does He do this, why did He do that, all that stuff. But we will never be able to wrap our minds around His plans.

I'm not saying that it's bad to search out a matter, to find the answer to something, I'm just saying that we will never be able to know the answer to everything and to know God's plans and ideas. He may allow us to know a part of what He's up to, but not the whole picture.

Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and it is the glory of Kings to search out a matter."

It's God's glory to hide a matter, no matter what it may be, and it's the glory of Kings (us) to search out a matter, but don't get discouraged if you don't find the answer. King Solomon is saying "it is the glory of Kings to search out a matter" and not that we will for sure, definitaly find the answer. We can search it out all we want, and we may or may not find the answer.

Back to the beginning of this blog, back to the questions I ran into, all i know is that I may one day get the answers to those questions, or I won't, who knows. One thing I know for sure is that God is real, and He loves each and every single one of us.

One little thing I want to add is something sick I heard on t.v. I was watching The Notebook (I didn't finish and I didn't watch the beginning, my brother was watching it and so I did too) and the main guy said this. "Science can take to you so far, then comes God" (or something like that)

Relationships...pt.3

Okay, now we're at our final part of this whole blog series. Yeah, i know, i said there would be 4 parts, but, what I realized was that the things that I thought I came up with on my own, were actually revelations given to me from God. So yeah. This last part is going to be about all the things God has let me known.

So one of the things that God has revealed to me about relationships is, are you sure he/she is the one. Like I've said before, a lot of people now adays, especially this generation, has mistaken lust for love. When they think they're in love, it's usually lust that they're feeling, and its lust towards someone you think you might be soul mates with. I'll tell you this right now, you don't know for sure who you're going to be with, but God does. If you trust in God, and be PATIENT, then He is going to set you up with that special one. Never try to pursue that person unless you're for sure it's God's will to, and for sure that it's the right time. It will not work out if you try to do it on your own. Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise." Be patient. Proverbs 19:11 "A mans wisdom gives him patience." The Lord WILL provide for you your wife/husband. All you have to do is to be patient and to trust in Him.

Another thing, actually, this will be last one i will say because I can't remember the rest, but, this is the most important one. If you can't say deep in your heart, that you love God more than anything, and ANYONE in your life, you're not ready for a relationship. What I believe is one of the most important things you need to declare before pursuing a relationship is saying that you love God more than anything, more than your life, and that nothing, and NO ONE will ever replace Him in your heart. This is very crucial. If you can't do this, then your relationship may work out, but I really don't think so. You're eventually going to idolize that person, if not completely ignore. Your love is going to fade. All these things are going to happen, and probably even a lot more heart breaking things. Once you begin to turn your heart away from God, things will begin to fall apart. You'll find out that your wife/husband won't be able to give you the guidance you REALLY need, the grace you really need, the support you really need, the love you really need, etc., hopefully you get the point. The only person who can fully give you what you NEED is God! I'm not saying don't get married and stuff, I'm just saying, once you begin to look away from God, you're going to have problems. You'll begin to fall into sinful actions and lust. It's like, a car driving itself towards the edge of a cliff, with no one to turn it's direction or to step on the brakes. Your relationship is the car, and the person who's supposed to be driving you, leading you, is God. When the driver isn't there, who is God, you're bound to hit rock bottom. Now, sure, they're times when you'll just run out of gas and stop halfway and be safe, so what? You want a congradulations? All that you have accomplished is staying in the same spot. Not moving towards anything. Nothing. You need God in your relationship to steer you towards a good lake or something of the sort.

Okay, so I'm sorry if this is coming off a little harsh, and a bit narrow-minded, but this is the way I see it, and believe it. I don't know. :P

Also, if you're really considering being in a relationship, I recommend reading "Boy Meets Girl" by Joshua Harris. Awesome book. I'm not done reading it but it's really good.

Relationships...pt.2

(This is super long, so, I don't know, if you don't really want to read it all, please read the stuff I highlight.)
(This is a continuation of the last blog, for people who didn't know that.)

Okay, so now onto what people have told me about relationships. Come to think about it, this is mostly from one person, with a little bit from other people. But anyways, let's continue.

So, I was kind of having trouble with this one girl. I repeat was. Anyways, I don't think she had any idea I liked her, I kind of acted like I didn't but yeah. I liked her since the 1st time I OFFICIALLY met her. We met once before but that was kind of informally because, well, if i went into more detail some people out there would know who she is so yeah, let's just leave it at that. Well, I had liked her for the longest time, and, she stuck out to me. Random. Of all the girls you would think I would like, she would kind of be the last one I think, but anyways. She was on my mind a lot, and it was kind of getting in the way. I have no idea if it was Jesus trying to tell me something or if it was satan tormenting me but either way, I kind of wanted it to stop. (again, it's naturally for ALL of us to like someone, or atleast, used to like some one.)

So I had lunch one day with my friend Eryck, and explained to him what was going on, as well as some other stuff but that's something totally different. He gave me some really good advice. For one, I'm still young. 16 years young. So, what he told me was to focus more on my relationship with God. And that is totally true! That should be the first thing you should work on before moving onto a relationship with someone else. Especially me, being a young christian and all. (I recently just became a christian. Been one since May of 2008, but I feel like i've been with God my whole life!) If your not strong with God before you begin to start a relationship with someone else, it may work out, but I believe that half the time it won't. For guys, 1) they either begin to worship their girl, 2) look for answers(validation) in them that only God can give them, and/or, 3) tend to mistreat them. 1. What men, and women, really need in their heart, is God. He is the only one that can fill up the emptiness inside a man and womans heart. When men don't realize that, they begin to believe that it is the woman, and that's when they begin to seek out answers in them. 2. The answers they seek are from the question they ask. For instance, a man usually doesn't feel like he's enough for his girl. I'm not saying that all men think this way, but i believe atleast half do. They are usually asking, am I the right one for you? Do you think you could find someone better? I don't think I'm good enough, am I? Am I a man?Stuff like this. In the end, the girl gets tired of these questions, and most likely breaks up with the guy. This also usually causes trouble in relationships. The reality is that God is the only one who can truly answer these questions. The girl can say yes every single time but the guy will still feel as if he is not enough. 3. Yup, some men do mistreat girls. They even sometimes get the idea that girls are only meant for one thing, and are seen as objects. And that's because they don't know God. For girls, if they aren't strong with God, they 1) usually stick with a guy even though he's a bad person, and/or 2) look for value in other people. 1 & 2. It's true. I've heard of girls sticking with their guys even though they mistreat them. And its usually because of one core reason, I believe, and that's they are looking to see if they are worth anything to anyone. This is usually because as a child, they never got love from their fathers. So they look for love in guys, even ones that mistreat them. They'll do anything to know that they are lovely and beautiful. And i just want to state this right now. ALL GIRLS OUT THERE, ALL OF GOD'S DAUGHTERS, ARE BEAUTIFUL. NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE TELL YOU, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. DON'T THINK THIS IS ME SAYING THIS, BECAUSE IT'S GOD TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Another thing Eryck told me was that I am young and shouldn't worry much about girls. I still have a whole future, so I should just focus on God, and other things like school, church, family, friends, etc. I believe he is right to an extent. I shouldn't worry much about a girl right now, and I should wait till a more proper age, but, there are certain cases where being in that relationship now is just right. The reason I say this is because maybe, just maybe, if God has put that special one for you right now, then maybe there's a reason. I believe that if that is so, the reason is so that that person will bring you closer to the Lord. You both will begin to push, and lift each other up to God. That's what I believe. I don't know. Just make sure that if you're in this current position, to make sure that it is God's will, and not your own.

Okay, from what my friend Whitney told me, who by the way is one of the most awesomest person on earth. She said not to develop a relationship with the opposite sex where you both tell each other everything. Unless you both are planning to have a future together as a couple. Reason being is because the people who should know about all of those things is God, and your future love. No one else. Plus, when you do develop a relationship like that, one of you is eventually going to fall for the other, and either you two become a couple, or it ruins your guys relationship. I, for one, developed that kind of relationship with a few girls, and now, my relationship with ALL those girls are ruined really. We barely ever talk to each other now, and for me it sucks so much, especially with one particular friend. Sucks so much.

If you come to think about it, a lot of the songs guys write now a days are about girls. That's because a girl has taken God's spot in their heart. They begin to worship her with songs. Just thought people should know that.

Relationships...

Okay, so before I begin this, I would just like to let everyone know, that everything I am about to type here is things that I've learned from books, from what people have told me, from what God has revealed to me, and on my own experiences and thoughts. So let's begin! I'm going to break this up into four sections. Books, people, me, and God! But, in this blog I'm only going to talk about the books, because this blog would be super long if I talked about all four sections, so yeah!

Books
Yup, so let's begin with the book of Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon, as my bible calls the book. So this book, i've read quite a few times. I, personally, like this book, It's definitaly in my top, but anyways, this book talks about the relationship between a man and a woman. But, most people see it as the relationship between God and His people, and/or, the relationship between Jesus and the church. The way i've looked at the book is in the way where it describes the relationship between a man and a woman. One of my favorite verses in this book is Song of Songs 2:2 "Like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." What this is basically saying is that, for a man, his love, the love that God will give to him, is going to stick out from other girls. She is going to stick out in a good way, not stick out in way where they are wearing short skirts, tank tops, well, you get the idea. She is going to lift him up in the Lord, and he is going to do the same for her. Song of Songs 2:3 "Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." And it will be the same for you girls out there. This man that God has given to you will stick out. But you always have to remember, make sure that it is love, not lust. One way that you can make sure that it is love, is to think about how you think about him/her. For example, when I liked this girl, now believe me on this, I had pure thoughts of her, most of the time. It's really hard to explain why I say most of the time, but i would'nt think about having sex with her or anything like that. Trust me, as God as my witness, I am not lying. But yeah, if you think about this girl/guy with lust, as in, you think about having sex with them or doing anything slightly related to that, then it's lust. But if all you think about is having a healthy relationship based on God with them, and how you would love to spend the rest of your life with them, then it's love. Song of Songs 3:5 "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases." This verse says it all. Do not stir up love until it pleases. Again, i repeat, do not mistake love with lust!

Now, another book I am going to talk about is Purity by Kris Valloton. This is such an awesome book, and I recommend a lot of people to read it. Also to listen to his message called Purity. Anyways, I love how Kris explains why we should keep our virginity till marriage. He puts it this way. Everyday is a battle against lust. The enemy is constantly taunting you, and it's your job to fight your sexual urges. It's natural for us to like some one. Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become on flesh." Man and Woman are meant for each other. Also, God gave us a sex drive. And the reason why, I think, He did so is so that we have something to give to our love on that wedding night. I mean think about it. We all struggle with lust, and we fight against it everyday. Imagine giving your love something that you fought for your whole life? I think that would be pretty awesome. And why not your virginity? Like i've said a million times, your fighting for your virginity everyday. But, if you've already lost your virginity, it's alright. You know why? Because God can restore your virginity, if you want Him to. There is nothing that God can't restore, or heal, or even do. He is the creator of all things, He can do anything! Kris Valotton has testimonies of girls getting their hymen restored, just from praying for them! That's pretty sick! (as in good, for people who are literal out there.) Anyways, before I end this blog, i would just like to state, that there are so much more in the book Purity. So please, take the time to read it :D

Also, did you know that the church doesn't really like to talk about sex, so much as relationships. It's not really their fault, but it's the American culture. As a matter of fact, the Bible talks openly about sex. What I believe, is that the more you know about something, the better. The more you try to hide something, or repress it, the worst it'll become. Did you know that the church has a 1% higher divorce rate than the world? There are three major reasons for divorce, 1) sex 2)money 3)communcation. We never talk about sex&marriage in church, and we rarely talk about money, unless it's about the tithe. We don't teach on these things. Or speak on it. Again, the Bible talks openly about all of these things. But it's not the churches fault. It's our culture. Our culture doesn't allow, what the Bible allows.

(Everything I just said in the last paragraph is everything Kris Vallotton said. I just thought people should know this)

What do I do?

(Just to let you know, this blog may be a little sketchy but that's because for some reason I am having trouble typing this out. Sorry!)

What is your passion? What is your favorite thing to do? Have you ever thought that you have no purpose on this earth? That your just taking up space and are useless? Well, I'll tell you straight up that you are not useless. You have a purpose, actually for than one purpose, and your passion mixes in with your purposes. As matter of fact, you're more important than you think. Each and every single one of you.

1) God put you on this earth. He gave you life, and for more than one reason. For one, to love Him. To be in an intimate relationship with Him. I can't stress it enough that God just wants to be your friend. Your lover. Your husband. Your everything. A lot of people totally forget this, and obey everything God says. Not saying that's bad, but eventually it turns into a master and slave relationship, instead of a friendship that He wants. He wants you to talk to Him, to dance with Him, to be in a relationship where you even have a say in what He does. In the book of Genesis, in chapter 18, we read that Abraham intercedes for Sodom. God decided that He would destroy Sodom because it was so bad, but Abraham said to the Lord in Genesis 18:23-24 "And Abraham came near and said, "would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would you also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?" We read that Abraham tried to convince God not to destroy Sodom if there were 50 righteous people within the city, and God listened to Abraham and said He would not destroy Sodom if there were 50 righteous within the city. Genesis 18:26 "So the Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." See. Abraham has that friendship with God that he can even ask God to spare the city if there were fifty righteous within the city. Even then, Abraham still goes lower to where if there were ten righteous God would spare the city. It's sad to see that people forget about this type of relationship with God. Instead, they become more like slaves instead of friends. Not talking to God, not having some alone time with Him, but instead just doing whatever He tells them to do without even asking why just to know.

2) Your other purpose is to also be a light in someones life. Not saying to be someones everything, but to be that light that brings them to an even greater light, which is God. This world is in a crisis right now, always has been and always will. Satan is constantly corrupting people, and fighting against the righteous, and they're people out there that need to realize that God is the only one that can save them. I, for one, was heading down the wrong path, and if it wasn't for my friend Rio constantly inviting me to church, I would'nt be here right now doing this. She is such an amazing person, and God used her to get to me. That was one of her purposes, I know it, and it is for sure not her last. God has so much in store for her, and so much for her to do. All of us, whether we know it or not, are a light in someones life, and in one way or another, we just brought them closer to God. Even right now, as I type out this blog, I pray that it will become a light in someones life out there, and will bring them closer to God. Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Everything I do is for the glory of God, for our heavenly Father.

3) And last but not least, your passion. There is a passion in you. A passion that will minister to people around the world. God put this in you, and He may have even put multiple passions in you. This passion, if allow it to stir up, will do great things around the world, all for the glory of God. God may have put it in you to be a healer, to minister to people who are sick, injured, dying, etc., or even to be an evangelist, where you just want to see everyone around the world know the word of God. My passion is in the ministry of Worship. I just love to see people get moved in worship. When ever I see someone so deeply moved or crying during worship, it makes me feel so happy, and also makes me want to cry. The reason is because whenever I'm in worship, I feel His presence all around me, and I just get rocked, and when someone i see feels the same way, i get even more rocked. I also have always had a thing for music, ever since I could remember. I don't know how to really explain it, it's really hard to, but hopefully you get what I'm saying. If not, just ask God to interpret all of this :). Another example is my friend Zeena. I see her in the future going to far places spreading the word of God and making people smile. I see her as an evangelist. Eden, another friend of mine, I see her in the childrens ministry.

Everyone has a purpose. Never think that you don't have one. If you don't know what it is, dont' be afraid to ask God.

Also remember, God will not always let you know right away. Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter."

O Father in Heaven, I pray Lord that this site will be a light to people out there. That people will begin to realize who you are and will begin to turn to you. To run to you. To be in love with you. I thank you so much for life that you have given us, and for the passions inside of every single one of us. I know Lord that we all have a purpose, and that purpose is so important to you, just as much as we are important to you. Everything is for you God, everything for you glory and your name. I love you, we love you. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In your sons holy name we pray, Amen.