A Fire Shut Up in My Bones

The prophet Jeremiah is a supreme example of  a man on fire for God. A man who gave God his all no matter how he appeared to others. Jeremiah, like us, lived in a fallen society. A time when people became their own gods, ignored the word of God, and shunned those who were real Christians.

It’s becoming clear that we are living in the last days. Jesus is coming back! And he's coming back really soon. Throughout the Bible, clear examples on how we should live our lives are provided. In Revelation, there are seven churches mentioned, most of them are used as examples on what not to do. I’ve been going with my sister to visit a few churches to help her find a church home. One thing that I have noticed in the last two churches we visited is that they are dead.

How did I know they were dead? There was no fire, no mass excitement, for being in the house of God. People stood there during praise and worship and did nothing (a few people did really worship though). I can not wrap my head around wanting God’s prescense to fill the atmosphere, but doing nothing to welcome him there. I understand people have different worship styles, but we cannot worship God in the flesh. We cannot worship God by not stepping out of our comfort zones to give him glory. Can’t we clap, lift our hands, and sing unto the creator of the universe? We can and we should. 

 

“…I know thy works, that though hast name that thou livest, and art dead” Revelation 3:1.  

I don’t know about you, but I do not want God to tell me that I’m dead. I am not just saying that you can be dead in your worship, but you can be dead in your life. We’re being spiritual zombies when we do not give God our all. Are we being complacent with were we are? Are we not really striving to reach the true source of life? Are we just going through the motions? These are serious questions because I’ve been there and done that. It fulfills nothing, not you and certainly not Jesus.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colassians 3:17. Everything you do, do it for the true Vine. Go to work letting God lead you; go help your neighbor to give God glory;  go worship God for God, not yourself; go pray to God and don’t offer a 60 second prayer before you drift off to sleep; go pour out your all.
The beautiful thing about the word of God is that he restores dead things to life. If you’re feeling dead, ask Jesus to awaken in you a fire and a zeal to worship Him.

When Jeremiah was mocked for serving God and he attempted to hold in his praise, he couldn’t.“His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut uup in my bones” Jeremiah 20:9. 

 

My prayer is that we will not go through the motions with the most important relationship of  our lives, and that a fire will saturate and consume us. The beautiful thing about a fire is that it cannot be contained; it spreads to everything in its path. Be so on fire for God that it reaches the masses. 

(Note: This is not a piece intended to slam or throw shade. This is a piece that I hope allows the Holy Spirit to speak to you through, as it has fore me).

Peace and love.

Great songs: Matthew West "The Motions" https://youtu.be/FA6lC40Dlf0. Will Regan "Set a Fire" https://youtu.be/1nBa9a0lva8

Fill Me Up

I recently went to the 2015 Pinky Promise Conference in Atlanta, Geogeria, and let me tell you, it was AMAZING. Seriously, some life altering stuff went down there. Thanks to the Holy Ghost and some willing vessels. I can go on and on about all the things I learned there, but I’ll talk about what God laid on my heart.

 

So during one of the worship sessions, the crowd began to sing: “Fill me up so that I can overflow”

 

 I was out there singing out and enjoying myself, but then it really hit me when I made it back to my hotel.

 

I had spent majority of my Spring semester feeling entirely drained. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and drowning. I am over a few of the ministries at church including the drama team and accountability ministry. People would show up late to practice unapologetically, ignore my texts, and I felt pretty disrespected.

 

The thing is that I was over these ministries for a couple of years, but last semester really got me down. Why? I let people influence how I felt instead God. I let people dictate my emotions instead God. I would get annoyed and frustrated, when all I had to do was give it to God. (Matthew 11:28-30). If I had kept my eyes on Christ, instead of man and my situation, peace would have replaced my weariness. (Isisiah 26:3).

I didn't go into ministry to please people, I went to please God. I lost track of that.

 

I started to work unto man and not unto God. I wanted people to like the plays instead of keeping the focus solely on God. Yes, I got sidetracked part of the time, and for that I am deeply sorry. I put the woman’s ministry God told me to do on hold because I was tired.

 

You know why I was tired? Because I didn’t stay in God’s prescense like I needed to. The more you stay at Jesus’ feet, hungry and desperate for him, the more he fills you up.

 

God wants us to overflow.



If you keep pouring water into that cup, it will soon begin to pour out onto other things. That’s how we should be with Christ.



 

Let God fill you up until you overflow. Then, we could have our cups so filled with Christ that he keeps pouring out into us that we overflow. The more Jesus pours into us, all that living water will soon, then go out into the masses. You are so filled with Jesus that it gets to everyone else, and you are still filled.

 

I was boarderline dry last semester. I was over here dehydrated, and I was out there trying to give out what I didn’t have. I was not overflowing because I rushed my time with God. I didn’t go to him to get filled up like I needed to. How can we try to pour out what’s not in us? We can't.

 

He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:6


https://youtu.be/Inywc7hW14s Fill Me Up by Casey J


Blessings!

 

Forgiveness.

We hear so many stories of Christ’s forgiveness. His dying on the cross to free and forgive us. God taking our sins and making them white as snow and throwing them in the sea of forgetfulness. But what if someone sins against us? What’s our responsibility to with forgiveness?

 

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: Matthew 6:14

 

I remember being a little girl, maybe around 9, and I was so infuriated at my mother. I went to sleep and woke up and was still furious. My mom called me in her room to talk, and that was something I totally didn’t want to do at all. Anyways, I went, and she told me about how not to go to bed angry. She showed me how this message was scriptural and how it was important to forgive. It was enough for me, and whatever I was mad at my mother I dropped it.

 

I’ve never been too much of a grudge holder, but those verse in Ephesians 4:26-27 recently spoke to me.

I had a summer school teacher who I seriously felt like was out to get me. She pretty much tried to cheated me out of an A. (If you know me, I’m an A student who really takes her grades seriously. I learning not to put my identity or worth in my grades, but that’s a whole other story). I was so aggravated that I told my friend and sister about it, and I went to sleep and even dreamed about my injustice.

 

 “In your anger do not sin”^[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26-27.

 

God mentions that it’s okay to be angry, but sin not. How did I sin? I went to sleep angry. You might be like, what’s the big deal with that, the thing is that it is a big deal. The Bible is a love letter with instructions on how to live a godly life. God’s word tells us not to go to sleep angry because it leaves us open to the devil’s attack. Staying angry, leads to bitterness and a foothold. A foothold is like having the devil’s foot in your door preventing you from closing it fully. Footholds become stronger, if you don’t kick the devil out completely. Ultimately, it  leads to a stronghold, which is when the devil has knocked down your door and is all up in your house. (What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19).

The devil wants us to stay angry so we don’t forgive. When we don’t forgive, the Heavenly Father will not forgive us.

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mark 11:26

I was  recently talking to one of my friends from high school, and we were talking about a guy who used to bully her. Even post-college, she has not forgiven him. I thought about how bound up we become with unforgiveness in our hearts, it is not freeing. That person is out living their lives, and we are stuck holding on to the past and what they did to us.

 

                                                                           

 

The pointblank picture here is that if we refuse to forgive, Christ will not forgive us. I’ve done some bad things, and my righteousness is like filthy rags. So, I pretty much really need a savior to forgive me. The thing is that hell is too hot and eternity is too long, so forgiveness is something I must do. For some, this may be a real task. Don’t try to do it on your own strength, rely on Christ to help you out. (Zecheriah 4:6, 2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

Let God take your heart one moment at a time.

 

 

Lord, teach us how to forgive.

 

Peace and Love.

https://youtu.be/-4h7XT1JNwk Andy Mineo's Bitter

In All Things…

Can we just take a moment to read James chapter 1 verse 1: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trails of many kinds. (And then continue to read the rest of the chapter. Some good stuff there).

 

Like for real? Count it all joy?

 

Well, ladies and gents. Yes. The storms of life will come, but Mark 4:35-41 reveals that even through the midst of it all, God is there. Now that is something to shout about!

 

Like many Christians today, I can find myself struggling to  to “count it all joy” in the midst of my storms.

 

 

When I was going through my struggles during my practicum (pre-student teaching), I didn’t realize that God was strengthening and preparing me to become better. When college was hard and I had allnighters, I didn’t conceptualize that it was preparing me for that degree. When I was going through sickness all last semester, I didn’t realize how much I turned to God to get me through.

 

You see that sometimes the storms of this life are God’s blessings in disguise.

 

In life we go through things so that we can go to Christ.

 

So the next time you don’t understand why you’re going through it, rejoice and know it will work out for your good.

 

 

God wouldn’t bring you to it, if he wouldn’t bring you through it.

Love,

Courtney

 

 https://youtu.be/T0RiyYbs5Ro Count It All Joy by the Winans

The Battle is Not Yours

“No matter what you are going through,

Remember that God only wants a chance to use you

For the battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s” -Yolanda Adams

 

Bear with me as I attempt to describe a professional wresting match for the comparison to the fight of life. Now, I watched a few wrestling matches back in the ninties, but other than that, my knowledge on wrestling is limited.  

Okay, so picture yourself as this awesome wrestler in the ring for the fight of your life. You think you are pretty good to go, until you see your opponent. It’s a guy 3 times your size, strong, skillful, and great on his feet.  You are in the ring fighting against the enemy, the devil.  You have jumped in the ring when you should have let your partner handle the fight from the beginning. Jesus, your partner, is on the sideline with his hand out waiting for you to tap him in so that he can defeat your opponent. But, we’ve carried on in a match that was never ours from the start.

 

We may be in this wrestling ring thinking we are doing pretty good. Life is going great. Everything is going smoothly and you are “winning” this match of life. But thank God for life’s hardships.

You see, life’s burdens aren’t meant to break us, but to bring us closer to God. It’s at this point when your burden seems too hard to bear that you realize that this match that you have thought you have been "winning" on your own, you have actually been failing at miserably. You’re bloodly, you’re tired, you’re outmatched. It’s then that you realize that your partner, God has been there all along waiting for you to call out to him.

 One quality to used of God is weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9, James 4:8) This battle of life can never be done on our own. We must seek and depend on the heavenly Father. Even when life may appear to be going well on our own strength, realize that without God you are losing terribly.

 

All we have to do is tag team Jesus in and let him defeat the enemy.  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 2 Thessalonians 2:8. God is greater, stronger than any opponent. Without God we are nothing. We are no match to the powers of hell on our own, but with God, and with his Spirit we can do all things! (Phillipians 4:13, Mark 9:23, Psalm 18:29).  So, stop thinking you can make it through this life on your own. Tap God in. Let him fight the battle for you.

 

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,

God you are higher than any other.

Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.

And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.

And if our God is for us, then who could stand against.

                          What can stand against.

Content in Singleness (part 2)

Okay, so, my rambling in my previous blog serves as a precursor to what I want to discuss in this blog here. I was the girl who thought more about getting married than serving Christ (and this was me like last year), and now, God has changed my heart. I am so content in Christ. When I heard people talk about God being enough, I was like yeah right. But, now, I totally get it. Jesus gave me a visual for it, and I hope to clearly write it out for you :)

Okay, so picture your favorite buffet. I'll choose Golden Corral. Now, this metaphor compares God to the main course and a husband to the dessert. When you eat a huge meal, you are so full and not thinking of consuming another bite.  When you are truly full on God, he will be enough. You're so set on your life in Christ that it's hard to think of consuming another "bite." However, if you're like me, just because you're stuffed doesn't mean you won't think of dessert. Yes, you'll think about it (dessert/men), but you have to make sure you're ready to consume more, otherwise you'll throw up everything and make a huge mess. If you are not ready for your dessert, and you eat more anyways you'll end up worse than if you would have just waited patiently for your time to come. If we're not ready for a relationship and get up for our "dessert" anyways, then a huge mess will ensue.

 

Now, a man is like a dessert, but it's not something to substitute  for the real meal. Jesus is the real deal, the main course, the meat. Jesus is all you need, just how you need your substantive meals every day. A dessert (man) is nice, but it's not everything and something you necessarily need.

There is a reason we should eat our meat before our cookies. Our meals provide our nutrition to get through our days, and dessert provides a boost. We need to feed on Christ first. When he says it's time, then he'll send you may send you  a little dessert. :) So don't get discouraged when you see all your friends with brownies or cheesecake, focus on that steak in front of you now. Enjoy your singlehood, because hopefully it won't last forever!

Don't get me wrong here, there is nothing wrong with being in a relationship. 1 Corinthians 7 gives an awesome view of both the married and single Christian. But, people, when you're single you are free to do more for Christ. 1 Corn 7:34 says, "An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit." So while you're waiting on your (dessert) spouse to arrive, act like a waitress and serve. Be about the Lord's business and enjoy this season for there is a time for everything. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

Andddd, remember, just because you're single doesn't mean you're being punished or that there is something wrong with you. I remember doing small things in church like setting up the microphones, and this guy would always tell me, "You're next for a relationship!" And well, I wasn't, I wasn't even 5th. But God knows the heart, and when you work, do it for the Lord not for a particular blessing.

is to serve Christ.

Love you all.

Singleness

Singleness. Ugh. That one word that was enough to make me cringe in the years past has now become a blessing.

I remember being in middle school, and someone asking me if I was single. I lamely replied, "Single like a slice of cheese!" In high school, when asked the same question, I embarrassedly said, "yeah." Now that I am a 22 year old, college graduate (in 14 days!) this single season has now all of a sudden become no joke. Eighty percent of my friends are either married, with kids, or in a serious relationship. I'm not going to lie, this is not how I planned my life to be at all. I thought I was going to 21 and married, but God thought otherwise. And that is totally cool.

I am frustrated at myself bowing my head in shame or awkwardly laughing anytime someone asked me if there was a man in my life. The thing is that we are so much more than a relationship status. I am frustrated that I spent too much time and energy planning out of wedding, talking to no good guys, or just simply wasting my time because I thought I would be whole if I could somehow find my husband.

Ladies, we're not even supposed to be looking for our husband!
He'll find us in God's perfect timing.

The truth is in the Christian woman community, I find us talking more about our Boaz arriving or our Adam waking up than we do about Jesus. Don't get me wrong, it is totally cool to talk about these things, but not when they become all we talk about. I am talking to myself here, when I say, I yearned more my man entering my life than I did Jesus. God is not going to bless you with anything you make an idol of. -Heather Lindsey.
 
I'm writing this blog because I've seen it all too much. Too much emphasis on being a good wife and not on being a good Christian. We're here to serve Christ, then our husbands, then our children. The thing is that I got it mixed up for years, and I see it now in so many other young women and it hurts my heart.

*Drops mic*

I'll explain more in my next blog. Stay tuned for part 2!

Peace & Love