Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Fuel for your Spirit
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."
II Timothy 3:1-7
II Timothy 3:1-7
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Focus of the week: Witnessing (Exciting stuff.. Really.)
Today was finally a GREAT day! I had been recovering from an intense spring break for a week and a half (some serious spiritual things were going on in the fam), and each day the light grew brighter and brighter to the point where today the light HAS chased away all the darkness.
Over the past couple of weeks, the Lord has been putting it to my attention that I have been acting as if I am ashamed of portions of the Gospel. If I was un-saved or still in High School, my thought process would have gone like this:
Okay.. So I gave up my voice, I only sing for You..
I gave up my HEART for You... NO ONE ELSE is allowed in the VIP section of the party known as my life except You, Your Son, and YOUR Spirit..
I gave up FRIENDS for You (if they disrespect my DAD they better not chill around me!)
I first gave up my Sundays, then Thursdays, then Fridays, then Wednesdays, Then MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, AND SATURDAYS FOR YOU!
I gave up Heroes (bc it was stealing my time from You...)
WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?!?!?!?!?!?
BUT, I am saved (Hallelujah) and He's changed me, so now I say,
"I understand, FORGIVE ME I'M WRONG"
Because I understand why He says this...(I know that EVERYTHING means EVERYTHING and when He says "Take up your cross and follow Me" He MEANS IT!), and I REFUSE to give the devil any means to work mischief in MY life (HE BETTER RECOGNIZE, I am NOT the one!). So then I said,
"Show me what I'm doing wrong and I'll fix it."
TIME TO WORK!
Haha.. He showed me that although I pray to Him, it's too shallow, and I'm still hiding my Prayers from others knowledge.
He also said, "Good job, you've made a point to show Love to others daily, BUT now it's time to show REAL Love!". So I say "COOL! What's real love?"
And Guess what comes next...
(Drumroll Please)
WITNESSING!!!
My heart stopped a couple times I think..
You see, I knew in my heart that I should be witnessing, BUT I was not about to have people lookin at me crazy and calling me a "bible thumper", NO WAY!
And all this was simply a front to mask the fact (which I was showing through my actions although not verbally confessing) that..
I cared much more about what others thought of me, than what He thought of me..
I was MUCH more interested in people pleasing than I was God-pleasing..
So I hid under the front of:
"I don't have to tell them they already know..."
and
"I'm just gonna show them Jesus in the way I live my life".
Now don't get me wrong, that's great! BUT, one question... "If they do see 'Jesus' in your life and your actions, how will they know that it is Jesus they see if they have never encountered Him before??"
We presume FAR too much in this belief that everyone knows who Jesus is and what He stands for.
Yes, America has been EXTREMELY churched, however, alot of it has been in vain due to the majority of the population proclaiming the name of Jesus (in the past) with their tongues, but not with their lives... So much that MANY believe they understand Christianity and the church, even JESUS CHRIST from this surface level faith of people who know what is right and wrong and yet choose to teeter-totter on what is a sin, instead of what is pure and holy in the sight of God.
OR as I've heard Joyce Meyer say..
"We want just enough of God to stay out of Hell, but not enough of Him to live in victory."
Exactly.. how sad is that...
So You and I've got to be REAL Christians, to be an example to both Christians and non-christians alike.
BUT ANYWAYS, the point is WITNESSING. I told Him I'd obey if He instructed.. That's what He instructed, and I obeyed.
Two weeks ago, the Friday before spring break, I had a two hour drive to the airport with a driver from Super Shuttle. That's when the Lord pricked me and said, "I'm instructing, now do it!". I was SO embarrassed, so I kindof eased into it.
"Hey I'M NOT CRAZY."
(Good start right?? I know.. sheer genius.)
"I have questions so I decided I'm going to start asking random people their viewpoints.. Is that cool with you?"
[Driver] "Yes no problem.."
He's from Somalia by the way, just thought I'd throw it out there.
[Me] "What do you think about... g-g-God? Yea, What do you think about God?"
[Somalia] "What do I think of God?? What do you mean?? I mean He's...uhh.."
[Me] "What do you think of when you think of God?"
[S] "He's everywhere? Sorry, I don't really know how to answer that.."
[Me] "I think of Love.. etc I'm Christian..etc (I explained my viewpoint) So what about you?"
[S] He's read several teachings, is from a Muslim family where his father was a teacher of the law, however he never really identified with that. He starts explaining his life to me and invites me to sit in the front (haha Movin' on up!). He then asks a bunch of questions and I got a chance to clear up some false doctrine (An anglican-christian teacher he drove told him that Adam and Eve were not the first humans on this earth, so I whipped out the Truth and read the verses to him).. the rest is History..
That was the quickest two and a half hour drive I've ever experienced.. in case you were interested. It really wasn't awkward for either of us, and we a great conversation.
You see, God will provide a way. No worries, He knows what you know and don't know. What you strongly believe and what you doubt. Just Give Your Everything to Him and He will work it to be suitable for use and use you! And EVERY experience coming from Him is for both Your and others' benefit, because He is GOOD.
Mark 13:11
"...Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."
Remember, there is nothing you can't handle with Him! I'll touch on witnessing and various other things a bit down the line, I'm running out of time now..I have homework and stuff to do, but you know..
Peace and God Bless!
Obey Him and Trust Him,
Find EVERYDAY ways to bless others, advance the kingdom, and be a light to others
Again, God Bless and catch up with yall later.
Ryan
Over the past couple of weeks, the Lord has been putting it to my attention that I have been acting as if I am ashamed of portions of the Gospel. If I was un-saved or still in High School, my thought process would have gone like this:
Okay.. So I gave up my voice, I only sing for You..
I gave up my HEART for You... NO ONE ELSE is allowed in the VIP section of the party known as my life except You, Your Son, and YOUR Spirit..
I gave up FRIENDS for You (if they disrespect my DAD they better not chill around me!)
I first gave up my Sundays, then Thursdays, then Fridays, then Wednesdays, Then MONDAYS, TUESDAYS, AND SATURDAYS FOR YOU!
I gave up Heroes (bc it was stealing my time from You...)
WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!?!?!?!?!?!?
BUT, I am saved (Hallelujah) and He's changed me, so now I say,
"I understand, FORGIVE ME I'M WRONG"
Because I understand why He says this...(I know that EVERYTHING means EVERYTHING and when He says "Take up your cross and follow Me" He MEANS IT!), and I REFUSE to give the devil any means to work mischief in MY life (HE BETTER RECOGNIZE, I am NOT the one!). So then I said,
"Show me what I'm doing wrong and I'll fix it."
TIME TO WORK!
Haha.. He showed me that although I pray to Him, it's too shallow, and I'm still hiding my Prayers from others knowledge.
He also said, "Good job, you've made a point to show Love to others daily, BUT now it's time to show REAL Love!". So I say "COOL! What's real love?"
And Guess what comes next...
(Drumroll Please)
WITNESSING!!!
My heart stopped a couple times I think..
You see, I knew in my heart that I should be witnessing, BUT I was not about to have people lookin at me crazy and calling me a "bible thumper", NO WAY!
And all this was simply a front to mask the fact (which I was showing through my actions although not verbally confessing) that..
I cared much more about what others thought of me, than what He thought of me..
I was MUCH more interested in people pleasing than I was God-pleasing..
So I hid under the front of:
"I don't have to tell them they already know..."
and
"I'm just gonna show them Jesus in the way I live my life".
Now don't get me wrong, that's great! BUT, one question... "If they do see 'Jesus' in your life and your actions, how will they know that it is Jesus they see if they have never encountered Him before??"
We presume FAR too much in this belief that everyone knows who Jesus is and what He stands for.
Yes, America has been EXTREMELY churched, however, alot of it has been in vain due to the majority of the population proclaiming the name of Jesus (in the past) with their tongues, but not with their lives... So much that MANY believe they understand Christianity and the church, even JESUS CHRIST from this surface level faith of people who know what is right and wrong and yet choose to teeter-totter on what is a sin, instead of what is pure and holy in the sight of God.
OR as I've heard Joyce Meyer say..
"We want just enough of God to stay out of Hell, but not enough of Him to live in victory."
Exactly.. how sad is that...
So You and I've got to be REAL Christians, to be an example to both Christians and non-christians alike.
BUT ANYWAYS, the point is WITNESSING. I told Him I'd obey if He instructed.. That's what He instructed, and I obeyed.
Two weeks ago, the Friday before spring break, I had a two hour drive to the airport with a driver from Super Shuttle. That's when the Lord pricked me and said, "I'm instructing, now do it!". I was SO embarrassed, so I kindof eased into it.
"Hey I'M NOT CRAZY."
(Good start right?? I know.. sheer genius.)
"I have questions so I decided I'm going to start asking random people their viewpoints.. Is that cool with you?"
[Driver] "Yes no problem.."
He's from Somalia by the way, just thought I'd throw it out there.
[Me] "What do you think about... g-g-God? Yea, What do you think about God?"
[Somalia] "What do I think of God?? What do you mean?? I mean He's...uhh.."
[Me] "What do you think of when you think of God?"
[S] "He's everywhere? Sorry, I don't really know how to answer that.."
[Me] "I think of Love.. etc I'm Christian..etc (I explained my viewpoint) So what about you?"
[S] He's read several teachings, is from a Muslim family where his father was a teacher of the law, however he never really identified with that. He starts explaining his life to me and invites me to sit in the front (haha Movin' on up!). He then asks a bunch of questions and I got a chance to clear up some false doctrine (An anglican-christian teacher he drove told him that Adam and Eve were not the first humans on this earth, so I whipped out the Truth and read the verses to him).. the rest is History..
That was the quickest two and a half hour drive I've ever experienced.. in case you were interested. It really wasn't awkward for either of us, and we a great conversation.
You see, God will provide a way. No worries, He knows what you know and don't know. What you strongly believe and what you doubt. Just Give Your Everything to Him and He will work it to be suitable for use and use you! And EVERY experience coming from Him is for both Your and others' benefit, because He is GOOD.
Mark 13:11
"...Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit."
Remember, there is nothing you can't handle with Him! I'll touch on witnessing and various other things a bit down the line, I'm running out of time now..I have homework and stuff to do, but you know..
Peace and God Bless!
Obey Him and Trust Him,
Find EVERYDAY ways to bless others, advance the kingdom, and be a light to others
Again, God Bless and catch up with yall later.
Ryan
Testimony (just so yall can begin to know me a bit)
The Lord recently said through a prophet at church, that if you're ashamed of your hometown, or where you're from, then He can't use you to bless and heal all those in that specific locale that He purposely placed you in. You must accept your place (past and present.)
So, I'm not gonna let fear hold me back from letting the Lord use me to bless His people.. My testimony is that I went from loving God to being hooked by porn, to thinking I might be homosexual, bisexual, to being straight, and back to God again.
I was always interested in church and God as a kid, it always amazed me. I loved the feeling I got and how safe/comfortable I felt in Spirit-filled places. I lived under my Grandparents prayers for a while. I knew there were things I wasn't supposed to do (so I didn't do them), thanks to a spiritual family even though I didn't actually read much myself, and we only went to church a couple times out of a year. So I had a form of righteousness, and I was a great kid by the world's standards (didn't cuss, didn't do anything sexually, etc.), but I had no foundation so I still swayed with the currents of what everyone else did and whoever seemed cool to me said was right and when there were attacks on my faith or questions of sin, I didn't know how to answer.
The first time I ever saw pornography was on an orchestra trip at the end of the year in 9th grade. We went to San Antonio and stayed in a hotel and for the first time I started hearing the types of conversation that hormonal teenagers have. (Prior to, I was always called innocent--which I HATED at the time-- btw so I really didn't know much about all this) The more they talked, the more I thought there was something wrong with me because I hadn't done or even thought of half of what they had (come to find out now that there was something wrong with them, but I had no basis or foundation to my faith, so it didn't protect me from sin). They talked about there being something on HBO that night and something told me not to watch but I did anyways. BAD idea.
This led to a very bad and tough journey through that world of lust and into a pornography addiction (which led to thinking that I might be gay) and bad mindsets. Nobody knew about all the issues swirling in my mind, although they were obvious. It seemed as though I could never just relax, my mom would always say "Ryan, you're always thinking.. What is on your mind". All these things were going on in complete silence and secrecy because 1) I did not want ANYONE to know bc they'd look at me funny, and 2) I knew the bible said it was wrong, and I trusted that God who created all the world and had blessed me thus far knew what He was talking about. 3) I liked girls, but I was confused about alot of things. Therefore NO ONE was told ANY of this. But, It rode on me almost to death (I hated it so much, but I couldn't rid myself of it.) I started feeling depressed and started wishing I was gone, and that was what drove me to God. The devil was using everything he had.
However, God used what Satan meant to kill me to call me. This spiral which led me further into the belief of the whole "if it feels right, then do it" foolishness, called me to be serious in my relationship with God if I ever wanted to get free from this trap I had been caught in.
In tenth grade (after the most stressful and exhausting school year of my life) I was baptized and began reading my bible (for answers on how to get free) but it still did not work. I prayed more than I ever had before and slowly I began to change, I could go longer periods of time without jumping back to the comp. But then I'd binge. This continued through my junior year, although I began to do it less due to different things.
I continued to pray and He healed me more and more. Senior year, I still had these thoughts, although they were way less often than before and I could push them off mostly. Me and ex-gf got back together and everything seemed all good. Things were going right (outwardly) I was juggling everything correctly, grades were going back up, but there was still something wrong and I knew it, bc I was acting too much. And although we did not have sex, things bothered me about the purity of the relationship. 4 more months, we broke up again, God grew larger in my life, etc. And this year I finally had a christian friend to show me how to really be a Christian, so things began to go well.
ALRIGHT finally this school year (09-10). At the beginning of the first semester (09) I still had trouble with lusts until one day I was sick of it and said "GOD WHY ME!? HELP ME!", and He said back "I need you to feed my sheep, those who need a way out and help getting free." And He set my heart completely and totally on Him (and not to mention freed me), to the point that my goal in life is to be His favored instrument and to bless others (whether its through my experiences or whatever) however I can as much as I can. So, I know for a fact, whatever you're going through, it's not over, and if you cling to Him, you will be freed. The quicker you decide to put Him first, the sooner you will be healed and fulfilled. I've been on the fast track ever since, He's perfecting me daily and I now trust Him with my all and everything within me! Although I am free from this one I'm not saying there will be no more struggles, but there is nothing He can't handle.
God Bless and live free through His Mercy and Peace
Ryan
So, I'm not gonna let fear hold me back from letting the Lord use me to bless His people.. My testimony is that I went from loving God to being hooked by porn, to thinking I might be homosexual, bisexual, to being straight, and back to God again.
I was always interested in church and God as a kid, it always amazed me. I loved the feeling I got and how safe/comfortable I felt in Spirit-filled places. I lived under my Grandparents prayers for a while. I knew there were things I wasn't supposed to do (so I didn't do them), thanks to a spiritual family even though I didn't actually read much myself, and we only went to church a couple times out of a year. So I had a form of righteousness, and I was a great kid by the world's standards (didn't cuss, didn't do anything sexually, etc.), but I had no foundation so I still swayed with the currents of what everyone else did and whoever seemed cool to me said was right and when there were attacks on my faith or questions of sin, I didn't know how to answer.
The first time I ever saw pornography was on an orchestra trip at the end of the year in 9th grade. We went to San Antonio and stayed in a hotel and for the first time I started hearing the types of conversation that hormonal teenagers have. (Prior to, I was always called innocent--which I HATED at the time-- btw so I really didn't know much about all this) The more they talked, the more I thought there was something wrong with me because I hadn't done or even thought of half of what they had (come to find out now that there was something wrong with them, but I had no basis or foundation to my faith, so it didn't protect me from sin). They talked about there being something on HBO that night and something told me not to watch but I did anyways. BAD idea.
This led to a very bad and tough journey through that world of lust and into a pornography addiction (which led to thinking that I might be gay) and bad mindsets. Nobody knew about all the issues swirling in my mind, although they were obvious. It seemed as though I could never just relax, my mom would always say "Ryan, you're always thinking.. What is on your mind". All these things were going on in complete silence and secrecy because 1) I did not want ANYONE to know bc they'd look at me funny, and 2) I knew the bible said it was wrong, and I trusted that God who created all the world and had blessed me thus far knew what He was talking about. 3) I liked girls, but I was confused about alot of things. Therefore NO ONE was told ANY of this. But, It rode on me almost to death (I hated it so much, but I couldn't rid myself of it.) I started feeling depressed and started wishing I was gone, and that was what drove me to God. The devil was using everything he had.
However, God used what Satan meant to kill me to call me. This spiral which led me further into the belief of the whole "if it feels right, then do it" foolishness, called me to be serious in my relationship with God if I ever wanted to get free from this trap I had been caught in.
In tenth grade (after the most stressful and exhausting school year of my life) I was baptized and began reading my bible (for answers on how to get free) but it still did not work. I prayed more than I ever had before and slowly I began to change, I could go longer periods of time without jumping back to the comp. But then I'd binge. This continued through my junior year, although I began to do it less due to different things.
I continued to pray and He healed me more and more. Senior year, I still had these thoughts, although they were way less often than before and I could push them off mostly. Me and ex-gf got back together and everything seemed all good. Things were going right (outwardly) I was juggling everything correctly, grades were going back up, but there was still something wrong and I knew it, bc I was acting too much. And although we did not have sex, things bothered me about the purity of the relationship. 4 more months, we broke up again, God grew larger in my life, etc. And this year I finally had a christian friend to show me how to really be a Christian, so things began to go well.
ALRIGHT finally this school year (09-10). At the beginning of the first semester (09) I still had trouble with lusts until one day I was sick of it and said "GOD WHY ME!? HELP ME!", and He said back "I need you to feed my sheep, those who need a way out and help getting free." And He set my heart completely and totally on Him (and not to mention freed me), to the point that my goal in life is to be His favored instrument and to bless others (whether its through my experiences or whatever) however I can as much as I can. So, I know for a fact, whatever you're going through, it's not over, and if you cling to Him, you will be freed. The quicker you decide to put Him first, the sooner you will be healed and fulfilled. I've been on the fast track ever since, He's perfecting me daily and I now trust Him with my all and everything within me! Although I am free from this one I'm not saying there will be no more struggles, but there is nothing He can't handle.
God Bless and live free through His Mercy and Peace
Ryan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)