All I can say is “Jesus come quickly”. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m wondering where God is, and if He cares about earth anymore. Please pray for me now. I need it.
I’m updating this now (January 1, 2008) to say that this night marked a fresh renewal of my mind. My flesh died to complaining that night, and ever since I have learned to shut-up, and praise God no matter what my circumstances look like. He is always there!
I tried many times to break free. I knew I wanted to. I knew it wasn’t me. I knew it was killing me, but I couldn’t do it. I had so many unsuccessful attempts, and each time I’d be a little more weakened. Each time, I realized that I could never be free from this addiction, or so I was told…
I’m talking about my addiction to cigarettes. I was regularly smoking a pack a day, and I saw no end in sight. I would try to quit and I would be flooded with reasons not to. I believed it was enjoyable, and I would justify it in anyway that I could. I thought I deserved to have it as a crutch for the things that I have been through in my life. I thought it relieved anxiety, but now I know that it only caused the anxiety. The spirit of addiction feeds off of anxiety, rejection, depression, failure, and our sometimes helpless minds are the buffet.
Hey guys, I’m working on a more meaningful entry, but I wanted to let you know that I installed the Wordpress Plugin: Subscribe to Comments. Since, I’m finally starting to get a few comments, I thought it would be nice for me to keep up with the blogging world. I noticed that pretty much everyone else has this feature on their blog, and it really has helped me to keep track of followup comments when I want to know what responses there are to my comments.
I hope this encourages more of you to talk to me:)
Recently I posted about my friend Lisa and me doing a Jericho march around her apartment complex to stop the crime. Since then, we have marched around my complex, and her daughter’s complex.
Last night, I felt like God was saying to go to this particular Walmart to pray for the people there. If you live in Orlando, you may be familiar with the demon-infested Walmart on Kirkman Road (by Universal Studios). I have had many unpleasant experiences there, including my cashier throwing up a clear fluid everywhere when I asked her how she was doing. What was in her, apparently did not like Who was in me!
So we (Lisa and I) went to this pit to claim it back for the Lord. It is crazy to us sometimes to be walking around praying over people who don’t know us. Sometimes, I think to myself, “I’ve turned into one of those crazy Christians I used to make fun of”. However, when you have seen into the spirit realm, and the reality of the demonic forces that are present and operating all over the place, you will understand that this is a serious matter. It is up to us to put an end to it, and stand on the authority that we have through Jesus Christ!
We started walking around, and instantly we knew something was different in the atmosphere. This place felt so different! First, there was hardly anyone there, which is almost unheard of (for any Walmart), and second, everyone was busy doing their jobs. A strange concept, I know, but in this place, the workers are normally in groups talking and acting like they are at a club having fun, rather than working.
As we were walking, a piece of artwork caught my eye. I couldn’t tell what it was, but it caught my eye, and as I got closer I realized it was Moses parting the Red Sea. “Interesting”, I thought to myself. I moved it over, and behind it was a picture of Jesus! What?! Jesus in a Walmart?!
That wasn’t it. Right across from that was a display in the center of the isle that featured over 20 styles of Jesus t-shirts. I was in shock by this point. I couldn’t believe that in this day and age, with the people in this country worried about offending everyone, that a corporation like Walmart would carry a product like this! The shirts said things like, “Jesus Saves, Jesus loves you, etc.”
Did I miss something? Apparently, we weren’t the only ones being instructed to pray for this place!
I was recently reading a blog post titled, Are You Called to be a Missionary? at Guy Muse’s blog, and this caught my eye:
This couldn’t be more true! I have always had an idea of what I wanted my life to be like. I spent a lot of time planning how I wanted things to be in my life, and doing everything I could to make my dreams happen. Even when everything was fighting against me, I still had a voice in my head saying, “keep fighting, you deserve to have everything you want.” This voice was lying.
Shortly after I dedicated my life to Jesus, and after I had the revelation that inspired this blog, I really started to pray for God’s will in my life.
What did I get myself into? I had a preconceived concept of what God’s will was. I was actually thinking that my will was His will. Well, I slowly began losing everything that I thought was important. The more I prayed for His will, the more my life turned in a different direction.
I said I began losing things, but really I gave them up. It was only by surrendering to God that I was able to slowly get in His will. How many people aren’t surrendering? How many people never step out of their comfort zone? How many of us are believing that lying voice that tells us we deserve things that God never told us we could have?
Sometimes it is really hard. Sometimes you literally have to say out loud, “alright God, I don’t want to do this, but I’m going to because you told me to.” God has had me do many things that were not even in my character to do. I know for certain there are going to be even more things that I have to do, that I never thought I could. That’s one of the great things about God and His will for our lives! It turns us upside-down. I completely agree with Guy’s statement about God’s plan being “more glorious”. Obviously! Now all we have to do is trust in that!
I challenge you to do something different today. Maybe it’s something that God has put on your heart for awhile, but you have refused to surrender. I challenge you to get out of the boat, and to get into the will of God. It’s a scary and exciting place to be, and it’s worth it every step of the way!
Hola! I just finished my creamy pearl onions, and I’m heading to my mom’s house soon!
I love Thanksgiving! I am thankful everyday, but today I’m making it a point to be EXTRA thankful. Here are some things that I am thankful for today:
I know, I’m really original aren’t I? Anyway, I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving. God Bless!
Lisa and I had an amazing encounter with God tonight! I went over around 9:30pm, and we started with some good fellowship.
At church today, the pastor mentioned that about 60 people walked 50-something miles around Orlando, claiming the city for the Lord. During the sermon, Lisa passed me a note saying that she felt like God was telling her to do this around her apartment complex (located in a rough spot of town).
So, as we were talking tonight, she mentioned it again. I was a little hesitant because it was now about 10:30pm, and again, a dangerous part of town. However, I started to feel the presence of God, and I knew in my spirit that this is what we were supposed to do tonight.
I wanted to remember what scripture the pastor was talking about when he mentioned this walk, so I had some kind of foundation before our little mission. I couldn’t remember who the story was about though. Lisa says, “Well let’s just ask God to remind us.” Oh yeah, why didn’t I think of that? I got the answer almost immediately, and opened up to Joshua and the story of the march around Jericho. I love it when the Holy Spirit does that! I recognized this story, because I had done what I called a “Jericho March” before. I didn’t know the whole story though, so I got another little lesson from God. We stepped outside, and said a prayer for protection, and then started our own march for the Lord.
The first time around the complex we saw some sexual perversion going on in the back seat of a car. We cast out that demon, and kept walking. I said, “let it end now God. Put an end to that perversion!” We saw another suspicious car that was parked with its lights on, and they shut them off when we started getting close. Kind of suspicious, but we continued on. We noticed this little cat too that was following us the whole time, and the clouds were covering the stars.
The second time around, we noticed God had answered our prayer for the couple having sex in the car. They were outside of the car now, and hugging. It’s a step up, right? The cat was still following us, and the suspicious car was still there… being suspicious. The clouds were starting to clear.
The fourth time around, I realized the people in the suspicious car were smoking weed, and I went after that spirit of addiction, and drug use. I commanded it to leave, and I said to God, “Father, let them feel conviction for what they are doing, and let them put that joint out, and go home and repent.” Then I said, “I expect that car to be gone by the fifth lap, in the name of Jesus.” The clouds cleared some more.
The fifth time around, the suspicious car was gone. Praise the Lord! He was listening to us, and honoring our prayers! The sky was almost completely clear now.
By the seventh lap, the sky was completely clear of clouds, and the stars were shining brighter than I have seen them in a while! To me, it symbolizes the work that we were doing for God. The cat was with us every single lap. I’m not sure what it meant, but I felt like God sent it there for a reason.
We both felt a lightness, and oddly enough, we were not tired out from our walk at all. Normally I would be done after the first or second lap! God not only provided us with the protection that we needed, but the energy to accomplish what He set us out to do.
Afterwards, we had some personal time with God, and His presence really filled the room. Lisa fell down because the power was so heavy, and we had much joy from this encounter. I can’t wait until I’m reunited with Jesus in Heaven! Can you imagine how great it will be to worship Him 24/7 (if time existed), with no distractions? I mean, if we are able to feel His tangible presence on Earth, it is just going to rock when we are before His throne!
Last night before bed, I asked God to speak to me a specific word through the bible. I told Him I wanted a really good verse that would bring revelation to my spirit.
I heard in my spirit, “Habakkuk”. I said out loud, “Oh God, that doesn’t even sound interesting.” Well, I was wrong. I found the verse I was asking for, and it was so powerful to me, that it may just be my new favorite verse.
Out of the Amplified bible Habakkuk 1:5 reads:
Habakkuk was crying to the Lord about the injustice that was being done with the Chaldeans. He didn’t think it was fair that they always seemed to prosper and be blessed even though their lives were wicked and evil.
Look around you. Doesn’t it seem like some people just do whatever they want, and nothing bad ever happens? Do you ever wonder to yourself, “when are they going to get what’s coming to them?”
I don’t wish bad things on anyone, but there is a time for justice to be served. I can relate to Habakkuk on this, and I’m sure we have all been in this situation at some time in our lives. We know that God determines the time for that justice to be served and He says that we won’t even believe the work He has in effect! I think this verse is just as relevant as it was when God spoke it to Habakkuk.
God says His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). He has said this to me a lot this month. It’s human nature to try and figure everything out, but we can’t. My circumstances haven’t been the best lately, but I know that God has a plan. Again the words, “you wouldn’t believe it if I told you”, ring in my ears. I’m glad His ways are not my ways, because His ways are better than anything I could ever dream of!
I’m fairly new to Christianity, but God has brought me up to speed with a lot of things very quickly. I’m quite amazed when I remember a verse, or I hear a sermon about a scripture that I am actually familiar with. I give credit to the Holy Spirit for leading and guiding me at all times.
During my short Christian life, I have noticed three types of Christians. There could be more, but again I’m new to this. These are the ones I have taken note of thus far…
I found this incredible video on YouTube regarding the rapture. You can visit the Potter’s House Christian Fellowship in Australia to view more of their videos.
I believe the rapture is closer than people know. All around, there are signs indicating that it is. The thing that worries me is the amount of people who still do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I watch a lot of videos on YouTube, and anything even closely related to God, is commented on by more people against Him than people for Him. Something is wrong with this picture! The most common theme I see in their comments is that it is more foolish to believe in God. There are so many people that actually think Christians are the foolish ones! We are the ones with the Truth, so what have we done to give people the impression that we are crazy idiots? Ponder that please…
I have some sad news today also. Takoda, the baby tiger that I was lucky enough to play with, has passed away. He caught pneumonia, and could not fight it off. Please say a prayer for strength to the owner, who is having a very difficult time with this!
See ya soon:)
I’m a little down. There’s a lot going on right now, but instead of talking about the bad, I’m going to share with you what God is teaching me these days.
I have recently come to the realization that life is really not what you thought it was going to be. You can do all the dreaming, all the planning, and all the organizing you want. You can work hard to fulfill your goals, but if those goals aren’t in God’s plan, you can kiss them goodbye!
I have learned that I was a very materialistic person, and that I was full of pride. I thought I deserved all the best things, and that I should be treated like royalty.
God’s taking it all away. I’m quickly learning the meaning of being humble…
I had my priorities wrong. Even after I had become a Christian. Even after I had been filled with the Holy Spirit. Do you think it can not happen to you? Do you think that you are so high and mighty that God can not cause you to fall?
We all fall down. I’m quickly learning the meaning of depending ONLY on God…
I’m happy to announce version 3.0 of Awesome Purpose! It’s not a complete tranformation, but it is fresh and new, and I love it!
What do you think of it?
Well, this topic seems to be growing, and is something that grieves my heart daily. The lies of Islam are spreading rapidly. It seems like everywhere I go people are captivated by this religion that appears to be so peaceful. The followers of Islam (not including terrorist) seem to be so nice, and so harmless. The majority act in a respectful way of our beliefs, and seem to worship the same God as we do.
What’s the problem then? They do NOT worship the same God as we do. I saw on a message board tonight a person that wanted to know more about Islam, and wanted to learn about it from people who were actually Islamic. The excerpt below is the questions and their answers by one of the respondents. Of course, I have added my own thoughts in italics..
What do you believe as Muslims?
We believe that Allah is the creator of this universe, and that life is a test, and everyone will get what they deserve. That’s basically it.
Really? That’s it? What about Islam’s five pillars of faith? What about the Qu’ran? What about Jihad? What about Mohammed sleeping with a nine year old when he was 57? What about the fact that Allah was orginally the pagan moon God (hence the moon symbol in the doorways)? It seems you have forgotten some things about your beliefs! Or are these the things that don’t appeal to your agenda? In Christianity we believe that we were made to worship and love God. Life is not a test, it’s an opportunity to serve God on earth!
When you pray, is it directly to Allah?
We pray 5 times a day, in the dawn, at 12 o’clock or some time after it, at about 4 o’clock, and after the sunset, and in the evening.
and we pray to Allah, and to no one else..
This is not in the bible. Muslims, however, believe that the bible is corrupted even though the oldest original manuscript was in circulation over 300 years before the Qu’ran was written. If Mohammed was illiterate how would he know that the bible was corrupted? Did you know the first Arabic translation of the bible wasn’t written until 200 years after Mohammed died? The bible isn’t corrupted! Historical evidence aside, what about God’s promise that He will preserve His Word?
What happens to you at the end of everything (end of the world)?
We believe that at some time, Everyone will die, and then Allah will make us all alive, and Allah will reward the ones who have did good, and punish those who didn’t believe in Allah, and didn’t do any good in life..
They actually believe that your works determine whether or not you are saved. In other words, they have no idea if they are saved until they die. They then have to hope that when they step on the scale, the good will out weigh the bad. Sounds quite similar to Catholics doesn’t it? However, God says we are saved by grace, and not by our own works!
What do you think of Christians and their beliefs?
We believe that Christianity is a religion from Allah, and we believe that it has been changed (as in the bible) and we believe in Jesus as a messanger from Allah.
What?! How can it be a religion from Allah? Isn’t Islam the only true religion according to your beliefs? If Allah is perfect why would He create other religions? Jesus isn’t a messenger, He’s God in the flesh!
This is really just the tip of the ice berg. The Qu’ran contradicts itself so many times, and a quick study of the Islamic religion immediately reveals that Mohammed was nothing more than an illiterate, child-molesting, false prophet sent by Satan.
I’m sure there will be more on this topic in the future…
You can book a reservation to fly to space today…if you have $200,000. I’m shocked that this is actually a reality, but Virgin Galactic is offering tickets now.
If you want to know more just check out the site they have created for this space adventure by clicking here.
I think it would be an amazing opportunity to fly in space, but I can’t help to think that there are more important things to be concerned with here on earth.
I don’t know…what are your thoughts?
“Timmy, why don’t you hang around Billy anymore?” said Mrs. Peterson. “He’s a loser mom! He hasn’t even been to space yet!”
Is this where we are headed?
“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 KJV)
I woke up at 5:00 a.m., and I felt like God was trying to tell me something. I was half asleep so I couldn’t really hear Him well. I started to fall back asleep, and then I remembered an entry on Beppo’s blog titled, “Letting God Wake You Up During the Night“.
I instantly became alert (not wanting to miss a message from God). I said, “What is it that you are trying to tell me?”
Mark 6:36 came into my mind. I didn’t even know if it was a real verse. I also got the words, “you have made worldly decisions”. I promised myself I would remember these things, and I fell back asleep.
When I woke up later, I did remember, and I ran (with scissors in my hand..muhaha) to my bible to see if Mark 6:36 really existed. Of course it did. The verse didn’t make sense, so I did what I usually do, and I looked at the verse before it and after it.
36 Send the crowds away to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat.
37 But He replied to them, Give them something to eat yourselves. And they said to Him, Shall we go and buy 200 denarii [about forty dollars] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?
This is when the disciples fed 5,000 men with five loaves of bread and two fish. I was still confused, even though I was very excited that this was a real verse, and not something I made up. I pondered it more, and this afternoon, it all came together.
First, I’ll let you know that I have been wanting to do some kind of mission work, and what always comes to my mind is ministering on the street, and you guessed it…feeding the homeless.
However, with my own limited resources right now, I haven’t been able to commit to anything except trying to survive myself.
I love that they come to Jesus and basically say, “hey, we’re tired. Send these people away so they can go buy themselves something to eat.” Then Jesus (in my own words) says, “No. We’re going to keep them here, and YOU ARE going to feed them!”
Then the disciples wondered how they could feed all the men with the limited amount of food they had.
When I paired this story with the words, “you have made worldly decisions”, I realized God was telling me that His power is greater than mine. I have been trusting in what the world has taught me, instead of trusting the Lord. Of course we all say that God’s power is greater than ours, but how many people are truly believing it?
How many of us listen to what the world says is possible, and not what God says is possible?
