Holiness

GUYS–
this has been on my heart LIKE CRAZY. It is something we are all lacking in, and no one is recognizing the drought. It breaks the very heart of God and weakens the believer.
that is a lack of HOLINESS. In 1 Peter 1:13-17 it says
“Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”…

So what is this? Is it a suggestion? A recommendation? NO! What separates us from the rest of the world if not a HOLINESS and PURITY? Yes, there are some costs, some things you’ll have to give up, some shows you will not be able to see. But what do you receive in return? A close COMMUNION with God, and an INTIMACY that it is impossible to receive any other way. Our calling is HIGHER. it is HARDER. it is BETTER. and IT IS WORTH IT. Guard yourselves! Prepare your minds for ACTION! Keep sober in your spirit, and FIX your HOPE completely on the grace of JESUS! and that is when you will be fulfilled.

Guard your heart...

“for out of it springs the issues of life…”

when I see these little elementary/middle school girls out at the mall with their “boyfriend”‘s or crying over a “break-up”, it puzzles me. Seriously? What do they even know about relationships? Sadly, this is the foundation for every other relationship they will ever have! It is a pitiful, sad imitation of what God intended a relationship to be. Now in high school, I see girls get their hearts broken every day, guys that just play with hearts for the fun of it, and it saddens me. There is a REASON why God said “Above ALL else, GUARD YOUR HEART. For out of it springs the issues of life.”

this is EVERYTHING guys. EVERYTHING. girls get their worth from what boys think of them, and guys lose the meaning of true love. we must WAIT on God’s best, and not settle for ANYTHING less! so that when that special person comes, in GOD’S time, the heart you have to give is not used and tattered by the many hands that misused it; but it is full and pure, a precious gift for the hands that will never let it fall.

I am.......He is.....

"Higher than than the mountains that I face...
Stronger than the power of the grave....
Constant in the trial and the pain....
                                                                This  one thing remains:

 

Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me..Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out one me, Your love..."

Through my every day, my every hour, my every second--Christ's love remains constant. If that is true, then why do I allow myself to become depressed and overwhelmed about all the cruelties of life? Why do I see my heart's desires and my spirit's dreams as an unattainable reality? Why can crushing depression seep deep into my heart until I've forgotten why I'm fighting in the first place?

  If God's love for me is truly unconditional, constant, and forever pursuing, why is it something I feel I have to earn to attain?

  I am nothing. Yet Jesus died to make me something. My heart is ugly. Jesus died because He saw something beautiful. I am weak. The Lion of Judah became a lamb to make me strong. I am empty. He came to make me full. I am broken. He was broken so I could be whole. I was rejected. I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine. I was jealous of others. He is jealous for ME.

 I am a failure. He is my victory. I am corrupt. He sees me as pure. I am  never enough.

"My grace is sufficient for you, My strength is make PERFECT in weakness." I am dead inside.

"I have come that they may have life, and have to the full!" I can do nothing. "With God, all things are possible."  I am..............

                                                              I AM.

"I am confident in this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philipians 1:6





waiting...

Psalm 27:14
"Wait on The Lord, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on The Lord!"
 This verse has become my rapture these past few months. As I am waiting on God to fulfill His promises, I am running dry. Waiting on something that you can't see...it is a task. A very difficult one.
  So why does God have us wait? Why do we seem to be left in the dark, with our dreams and desires just out of our reach?
  Hebrews 11:6 -- "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." 
Why does He ask us to wait? To see our faith!! We say we trust Him, but do we really? "He who comes to God must believe that HE IS..." How powerful is that? Do I believe that He is? Does my heart trust that He is enough? All-sufficient? Do I KNOW that He IS GOD? Do I live like it?

He is a REWARDER of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him. He creates the scenario. It would be oh-so-easy to dwell on self-pity and mourn about the wait, but I must choose to do the harder thing. To diligently  seek Him. And when I feel that it is all for nothing, I must remember that HE IS, and that is a rewarder. If we seek Him, and do not give up, He WILL be faithful. But He must first see if we think He is worth it. faith. I am in need of so much more!!

 Yes, waiting is hard. Painful. and many times feels impossible. But just remember, this too shall pass, and throughout this battle, we must prove ourselves worthy of the joy that is set before us.

"Wait on the Lord, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:14

1 Corinthians 13

   Hey! I have been meaning to put this onto a blog since last Wednesday, but I haven't really had the chance since school and all. Here's the deal: I went to youth group last Wednesday, and my youth leader really drove home a point. It has been put on my heart, and I felt like I needed to put this on the blog.... :) I know that most or all of you who are reading this are probably familiar with 1 Corinthians 13. That's right. The LOVE chapter. (It's actually where Liel and I got the name of this blog from ;)...) Of course, I've always read it and been like, "yeah well love, uhuh.... I get it. I need love in my life, and well... yeah..." But hearing God speak through Mr. Billy (my youth leader), it just brought a whole new perspective on this chapter.

Chapter 13 starts off saying, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." Think about what UT's football stadium sounds like when we score a touchdown, or if we were to win a game against Florida. (By the way, that would be LOVELY!) It is a huge roar. Or think about a whole bunch of people yelling because they're mad. If you weren't part of the noise, or even if you were, it would be pretty obnoxious to listen to, huh? It makes you want to plug your ears. Well, if we are speaking in tongues or ministering to people, and we don't have love, then that's how we sound to God; like a loud, obnoxious, annoying noise. It's sad to think about; I don't ever want to sound annoying to God so that He would want to plug His ears.

Verse 2 says, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge...". Let's stop right there. If someone has the gift of prophecy, what does that mean? It means that you can know what's going to happen in the future. But also take note, in the Old Testament, if you were a prophet and you didn't speak the exact words of God, or receive a direct revelation from God, and you said that it was true, then you were executed. This means, that you would have had to have heard from God Himself. So if you were in tune with God, knew the future; the next part of the verse says, "understand all mysteries and all knowledge". It's saying that you know everything! You're a braniac, you can know the future, and you understand all the "mysteries" of the past. BUT, here's the thing, if you don't have LOVE, it profits you NOTHING. The verse goes on to say, "and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." Faith that can remove mountains??? That's a lot of faith. And I can sure say that that's hard to have. If we had it, but didn't love, we are nothing,... nothing!

"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor..." If we sell everything we have, and give all the money away for a good cause, it profits us nothing. "If I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing". Really think about it. IF YOU GIVE YOURSELF TO BE A MARTYR, if you die for a cause, but don't have love, then IT'S ALL FOR NOTHING! It takes a LOT to even sacrifice your will or what you want to do for somebody. But to say, "I will DIE for my cause", if you're willing to sacrifice your whole life, but you do not have love, guys, it's ALL FOR NOTHING! What you really just did then was die. Nothing more, nothing less. You didn't receive any reward for it, it was all for nothing. 

Verse 4, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." Love is not jealous. Love is not prideful. It doesn't think of ways to get people's attention on you. It is not boastful. Love does not behave rudely; it doesn't yell at your sibling, it does not tell them that they are annoying and to shut up. This is really challenging. I have been struggling with the same types of things. God really convicted my heart with how I had been responding to my brother. "Love does not behave rudely, it does not seek its own, it's not provoked, thinks no evil..." Man....... When the Lord want to speak to you, He cuts deep to the heart... "Love does not rejoice in sin, but rejoices when the truth is spoken." When I think of that verse, it brings to mind someone who will just speak the truth, not with malice, but solely the truth. And when they speak it, if they are right with the Lord, then they will speak it in love, not pride, not for attention, but just in love. The Kathy family who owns Chick-fil-A, comes to my mind. We should be praying for them daily as they continue to make their stand, and are persecuted for stating the truth.

"Love never fails." That is self-explanatory, powerful. Love will NEVER fail. Even when the person is jumping on your last nerve, and you've had it with them. It doesn't stop loving the person who hates you. It never fails. "But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away." The verse is saying that all these things are going to pass away, they won't exist anymore. These things are mortal. When the earth is destroyed, the worldly form of these things will be done away with. I love the next couple of verses. Verse 9 says, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." Right now, we have limits to what we can know. That's easy to understand. The verse says that "when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away." Jesus has already come. He is the perfect one. And He is perfecting us as we walk in our journey with Him. But when His kingdom comes, when He takes us up to heaven with Him, then what we have here on earth, it will all be gone. The Bible says that the earth will be destroyed with fire and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. What we can know now is only "in part". It's only just a glimpse, but when we get to heaven, we can all see everything, and the veil will be removed.

Verses 11-12, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." It's true, Paul is saying that when we're children, we can only understand as a child can. But when the time comes, we put away that old life, and put on the new. "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face." Mr. Billy was saying that mirrors in those days were not the ones that we have today. What they had for mirrors was only just a polished bronze, that they could look and see what they thought was a reflection of themselves. Little did they know, it wasn't anything like what they really looked like. This really makes this point even clearer. We can know things now, but what things really are, is not anything like we think it is. "For we know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." We need to make sure that the lives that we are living are matching up to God's standard, because when we get to heaven, verse 12 says that we will "know just as I also am known". This is our chance to make our own choices in life, to choose to live for Him, and to enhance our relationship with Him. Why not make it as good as we possibly can so that when we are known, it won't be a shameful thing.

And finally, verse 13 says, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." Love. That's all we need. This chapter makes it clear that love is what we really need, it's what needs to be in all that we do. My youth leader closed us off by giving us this paper, that had some words on it. (duh...) These words are familiar to many, but are really challenging. It's from a song. And I'll type them out. Take the song out of your head, and just read the words like you have never heard the song before. It goes like this,

Sometimes I think  what will people say of me

When I'm only just a memory, when I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love when no one else would show up

Was I Jesus to the least of those, was my worship more than just a song?

I want to live like that, and give it all I have

So that everything I say and do points to You

If love is who I am, then this is where I'll stand

Recklessly abandoned, never holding back

I want to live like that

I want to live like that

Am I proof that You are who You say You are,

That grace can really change a heart, do I live like Your love is true

People pass and even if they don't know my name

Is there evidence that I've been changed, when they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that, and give it all I have

So that everything I say and do points to You

If love is who I am, then this is where I'll stand

Recklessly abandoned, never holding back

I want to live like that

I want to live like that

I want to show the world the love You gave for me

I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King

I want to live like that, and give it all I have

So that everything I say and do points to You

If love is who I am, then this is where I'll stand

Recklessly abandoned, never holding back

I want to live like that

I want to live like that

And so as my youth leader said, I want to challenge you in your walk with the Lord. Are you walking like you should be? Do you have love in your life? Can people see that love? Because if you really want to make a change in this world for Jesus, it all starts with YOU living it.

God bless you all. Jesus loves YOU! Don't be afraid to call on Him for help. Have a great day.

Your sister in Christ,

Mikaela

Renewed

Transformed~

Jesus promises to transform us into His likeness. I just got back from a retreat in Stone Mountain Calvary Chapel with a bunch of other on fire teens for Christ;) the theme was "living a life of worship." Worship is SO  stereotyped these days. The thirty minute thing before the teaching, the nice music, "worship time"...the list goes on. If you go to church, and all you get from it is the worship, its great that you enjoyed your time, but something is wrong. Worship COMES, is DERIVED from our response to GOD'S WORD. It is our way of saying thank you, giving something back to Jesus for what He has done to us. Living a life of worship is more than just singing songs. It is living a life holy and fully consecrated to Christ. TRANSFORMED.

 Romans 12:1-2 says: "I beseech you therefore bretheren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to the likeness of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
 Being transformed is  a LIFE LONG  process. So is being conformed. Which are we doing? Are we constantly being "conformed" into the things of this world, or "transformed" into the things of Christ?
          Living a life of worship means taking captive everythought unot Jesus Christ. He wants ALL of us. OUr lives, thoughts, actions, words, to be fully transformed into His likeness. this is our REASONABLE service, because He died to make us His own. He wants our minds and lives so we can prove His perfect will--to pour out His immense, abundant blessings into our lives. I had a major break-through this weekend. I got it. I got it. I got that to be fully His, I had to be fully consecrated. There is an intamacy that only comes when we fully surrender. What is the hardest, most important thing we must surrender? OUR MIND. Satan wants that SO badly. Because once he has that, he can control everything. And giving him just a little space is opening your door to a devil who wont stop until he has complete control. For "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly." John 10:10  If you have fallen into Satan's evil trap, Jesus promises in 1 John 1:9 that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

These truths are so  important, often drowned out. Letting our thoughts run wild may feel good, but we are really letting Satan dictate our lives and become slaves to him. When we no longer let Jesus rule in our minds, we are fighting a battle we cannot win. Yet Jesus promises to always forgive. If only we ask. Then we must turn and cut off our sin. LEAVE IT. WALK AWAY.  Satan WANTS our minds. To destroy us.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. " I wasn't doing that. Then I chose to surrender my thoughts to Christ. No more me, no more flesh, just Jesus. Totally surrendered. Totally transformed. And though it was hard,

 it was totally  worth it. It IS  worth it. And this is why we do it:  "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [Him], being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, [fn] the forgiveness of sinsAnd you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled . in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which [fn] is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this [end] I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily."

Colossians 1:10-29

 For "no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of a man what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9. And Jesus's will is that ALL  come to Him and are saved, Because nothing can snatch us from His hand;)"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of My Father's hand." John 10 :29~

"The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

 It is still a battle. It ALWAYS will be. Until we get to heaven. But lets allow our lives to be a beautiful melody unto Him.

Psalm 63:3-8

"Because thy lovingkindness [is] better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy nameMy soul shall be satisfied as [with] marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise [thee] with joyful lips:Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.  My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me. "

Spirit of Strength

A Sound Mind~

I've been talking to some friends of mine (young teens) that are saying how much they struggle with the fear of not going to heaven. They are saved, and they know it. The liar Satan has just taken control of their thoughts and is doing a good job of scaring them with his lies. I know, I've struggled deeply with these same fears and doubts myself. But one truth remains strong above Satan's voice, defeating the father of lies. That is the truth found in 2 Timothy 1:7--"For God has not given us the spirit of fear;but of POWER,  and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND."

            When the devil, the deciever and the father of lies, throws doubts and fears at us, telling us we aren't worthy, we aren't enough, we can supply with POWER. The truth that WE AREN'T WORTHY, we never have been and we never will be. But when we choose to repent of our sin, and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ who died on the cross and took our sin upon His shoulders, and rose again, WE ARE SAVED. And this truth stands strong for anyone!

John 6:51 says,

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."

His "flesh" he offered up was His life, for us on the cross, to take away our sin, the wrong things we've done. Lying, stealing, hating, cursing, all deserving of hell in God's eyes. BUT when we give our lives to Him,  He never leaves, He  never forsakes us, and He SAVES US. He is the "Author and the Finisher" of our faith and "nothing can snatch us from His hand" for He has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. So be strong, remeber His great love and grace that abounds forever, and stand strong, knowing that when you choose Him, He holds you until YOU choose to walk away.

Praise Him for His grace, and celebrate your eternal life.

Blessings!

Liel

IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SURRENDER YOUR LIFE TO JESUS, AND ACCEPT HIS FREE GIFT OF SALVATION. IF NOT, GOD IS JUST. HE CANNOT LET YOU INTO HEAVEN WITH SIN. "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND  FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD." ROMANS 3:23

 WE HAVE EACH MISSED THE MARK. BUT, "IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH JESUS IS LORD, AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART GOD HAS RAISED HIM FOR THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED." ROMANS 10:9