The other day I was reading the biblical account of the story of tower of Babel.  At one time, people spoke the same language. They settled in an area and decided to use their skills to build a huge tower. Thier goal and purpose was to build a tower that stretched into the heavens and reached into heaven itself. So, they set out to build the tower of Babel. The story goes on to say that God was not pleased. He scattered them and confused their languages so that no one could understand one another.

I have to be honest, at first, I was confused by the story. I couldn't help but ask the question, "Why would God do something like this?"

So, I asked Him to show me and help me to understand.

During the course of the next few days, I received a book called "Revolution in World Missions" written by a man by the name of K.P. Yohannan

K.P is the founder of Gospel for Asia. In his book, he speaks of his first trip to America. He had spent his entire life in a country where poverty is extreme. He knew the taste of human suffering and hunger. He was in awe at the amount of waste and wealth that he witnessed.

In his book, he describes how he had spoken at a church and was greatly pleased at the love offering he received because the amount of money would go very far in his native country. However, he was amazed that the same church spent more on a single meal than he received during his stay.

He was stunned that on one street corner he would see a huge church structure that cost millions of dollars and directly across the street, there would be yet another church costing close to the same. He noted how very few are preaching the gospel in his homeland and how a single church could be built for a very small amount of money, and contrasted it to the fact that we are spending billions of dollars erecting huge buildings on every corner. He noted the amount of money that was spent on Christian entertainment- the shops, the bookstores, the trinkets, the junk and he couldn't help but think of the suffering back home.

As I was reading this, I felt Christ speak to me about the Tower of Babel. That is what we are doing today. We are split wide open by denominationalism and many of huge churches are nothing more than symbols of pride. We are building Towers of Babel, falsely believing that we are reaching Heaven, but, in essence, we are only the formidable purveyors of confusion.  We may speak the same language, but we are not in one accord. We have become wasteful, and we can only wonder how angry God must be at our own inventions.

I can't help but think of the men who set out to build the huge tower of Babel.
They, falsely believed that they were doing good, and even believed that their efforts would reach Heaven..Perhaps, they thought they were pleasing God..but, in essence, all they were really doing was building a huge structure of pride. They were devoting their entire lives, including their time and resources to the building. Is that what we are doing when we essentially ignore the needs of the broken and the poor begging at our feet, the K.P Yohannan's of the world, looking for mercy but only finding confusion? What kind of Jesus are we showing them when we ignore their needs and cater to our own? 

This entire post reminds me of an article I read in the not too distant past by a man by the name of Doug Perry.

Doug wrote an article called Bread and Circuses. Certain governments once tried to rule the people and they suceeded by distracting them by filling them with food and providing them with entertainment. The mentality was, that if the people were fat and laughing, then they wouldn't have time to see what was really going on around them.
Doug noticed that many of our churches are feeding us with bread and circus routines. We miss the needs of the poor, the suffering, and the hungry, when we are busy filling our mouths with fellowship and attending church for entertainment. Here's the article...it is worth reading.. and please try nto to take offense.. the goal of the article is to get people to see deeper into what we are doing. http://www.fellowshipofthemartyrs.com/articles/44-about-the-church/82-bread-a-circuses-doug-perry-

Welcome to the Table

Welcome to the Table

Rethinking Faith and Church: The Confused Church: Investing in Business?

Rethinking Faith and Church: The Confused Church: Investing in Business?: Someone once said, “ Perception is Everything .” In reading an article in this week’s Globe and Mail , I perceived a rat; ...

http://www.fellowshipofthemartyrs.com/audio-and-video/73-about-church/289-church-history

http://www.fellowshipofthemartyrs.com/testimonies/216-dougs-trip-to-the-middle-east

http://www.fellowshipofthemartyrs.com/testimonies/216-dougs-trip-to-the-middle-east

The Truth About The Trinity

something beautiful happened today

today, i walked into a gas station. i was checking out and I met eyes with a man at the counter. His arms were full of tattoos. skulls. crossbones. there were so many that I couldn't count them all. His head was shaved and he had a swastika tattooed on the top of his head. By, all appearances, this was a bad guy. By all appearances, this was a "hide your wife" hide your kid"  type of man.

Occassionally, God allows me to feel a supernatural love for people. It is often marked by a deep love of strangers that I have never even met. Lot's of times, He lets me see other's  through His eyes. I wish that I could explain, in human words, how beautiful that really is.

I can't. All I will say is that today I saw a man that the world would look down upon. Many would have cast him aside with a glance. Many would not give him a kind word or even take the time to say hello.

Today, I saw this man the way that Jesus sees him. You see, Jesus doesn't look upon the surface. Often, the things on the surface..are simply a way to hide the pain within. 
I once heard that people are like onions. We all have many layers. People usually look at the outward skin and judge based on appearance. God can see into the heart. He sees the abuses that we have faced. He sees our fear. He sees the child who never knew the love of a father or the child whose mother was never home. He sees. He sees every wound and every tear and every bit of sleepless night that we have faced.

Often, pain makes it's way to the surface. Sometimes, it comes out in the form of a skull and crossbones. or even a swastika painted on the top of the head. Sometimes, these things are nothing more than a way to say. Notice me. You don't know what I have faced. I dare you to look at me.

So, today, I looked at him. But I didn't see him the way that many others might. I didnt cast him down with my eyes. Instead, I felt a deep compassion for him. I smiled and tried to speak to him. He looked very sad. Where others may have seen a "bad guy" I saw a field full of sheep. and there was this one who needed to be carried safely home.

Today, I kept thinking about how often we judge others. We are quick to preach condemnation and hell to those whose lives don't look like ours. We wave our little signs of judgment in the air. But today, God reminded me of something.  He never once told us to preach condemnation to others. He never once told us to preach damnation on anyone.

His command was always, "preach the  GOOD NEWS to every living creature."
Jesus said, "how beautiful are the feet of those who preach GOOD news." How often do we pull out the verses that suit our own agenda or pull out verses that will knowingly rip others in half? Why do place others in the flames without realizing that they have probably spent a good portion of their lives tasting hell already?

when is the last time we simply preached Good news?
"For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.."
Do you guys Remember the parable of the banquet  table?
The master of the house was having a wedding feast. Everyone had an exuse as to why they couldn't come. So, he went out into the streets and started inviting the poor, the blind, the lame, and the beggar. They were the ones willing to dine. The ones that the world had cast down were the very ones who gladly attended the feast.
Lately, that has been the one thing that I have wanted everyone to know.
You ARE invited.
No matter where you are in life, you're invited.
No matter what you look like, you're invited.
No matter what you have done, you're invited.
So today, when I looked at that man, I simply saw a man, invited to banquet table.
Please pray for him that he show up.

Lately, I have the heard the words, "Come Away, My Beloved,"
I read them in Reedming Love by Francine Rivers and I saw them again last night in THe Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning.
"Come Away,"
WHen I think of those words, I think of an adventure. I see images of distant seas and my mind conjures the smell of sand and the sound of rushing waves.
Last night I had a dream that someone wrapped their arms around me and whispered, "you are precious to God."
I woke up this morning believing it for the first time in quite a while. As humans, it is in our nature to often squash ourselves down and listen to the lies that we don't matter. We are quick to listen to the voice of self condemnation, but if we are to trust God, then we must learn to ask..Father, how do you see me? Who am I to you?

He summed it up best when He said that He loves you. It is His will that none should perish, but that all should enter into His saving grace.

Today, I thought of the concept of Christianity as an adventure. Imagine.  The disciples were oridinary fisherman. They engaged in the same routine ho hum existence day after day. They go home after a hard day's work, and the very next day is the same. The days merge together. one by one, the days pass, uneventful...
and then, one day a Man is walking along the seas of Galilee. He spends time with them, and they gather that He is no ordinary man. He says, "Follow me." "Come away, My Beloved," and they leave behind their ho hum lives and they follow. They have no idea where they are going. They leave behind all of their things, because those things no longer really even matter.

What matters, is that they know, in their hearts, that they are a part of something big and beautiful, and much larger than themselves.

They follow...not because they are forced to follow...Jesus didn't wave harsh words in front of them or threaten them with an iron rod. He spent time with them. He listened to their stories, and they knew that He loved them.... They knew that nothing on this earth would even compare to a single moment with Him, so they forsook all that they had, and they set out..trusting a loving Father to guide them.

They were never once sorry that they left behind their fishing gear. They never expressed pity or regret and spoke of missing their ho hum, lackadaisical life on the shore. They knew that they were with the one who leads beside still waters, and that the journey, although very difficult at times, was somehow, an adventure.

They met people. Interesting people. People from various backgrounds and socioecomic status. They dined with them. They passed out bread on a mountaintop and learned that, when we share the things that we have, the loving hand of the Father, takes what we offer, and multiplies..

No, they never once regretted their journey. Thier journey was one of  Truth. They set out to find Truth, and they found it by following a man who loved endlessly and unconditionally. A man who simply bid people to put down their stones, washed the feet of those who followed Him, and showed that the way to Heaven wasn't by being holy and self righteous, but being willing to love by putting others first.

I love how Jesus never preached His sermons in one place. He took his messages the seashores, to the tops of the mountains, and to the people on the street. He never deemed anyone unworthy of the love and the message that HE had to offer. 

This is the journey to which we are called. The journey of following the One who died for our sins, and somehow, if we look deep down into it.. if we read the story, we will see that it is an adventure. An adventure that was so real that even the disciples rejoiced in harship and even to the death, were able to speak, "To live is Christ, to die is gain,"

Come Away, My Beloved.. The more I hear the call of someone who loves me, the more willing I am to put away ho hum daily monotony and drudgery of routine, and simply walk the path that leads to life..where love abounds and, though there are the valleys of death, there is the One who comforts.

Friends, you are precious to God.

Today, I thought of the verse that says...

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter

Jesus revealed something to me today. Many of the problems in the Church today aren't because of false teachers and teachings. They are rampant, and the lies run deep, but do you know where the problem really lies?

Jesus showed us that false teachers would be amongst us..He didn't say they would be in the strange cultish religion that we like to point the finger at... He said they would be among us.. THE CHRISTIANS...

But, one thing that He showed me is the the problem lies within us.. False teachings and teachers would hold no power if we simply didn't listen to a word that they had to say. IF we truly sought the HOLY SPIRIT for guidance..(since Jesus did say it would be The HOLY SPIRIT who would lead us into ALL  TRUTH)... then the words of the false teachers would fall to ground without impact.

"IN their greed, they will exploit you"  IS there a day when we can't turn on the television when someone isn't selling Jesus over the airwaves? IS He being sold in our own churches? The words of Jesus never change.

"FREELY GIVE AS YOU HAVE RECEIVED"

So, maybe the problem isn't with the money hungry preachers and peddlers of the Word and sellers of miracles.. Maybe the problem is with US..  Jesus told us, in His Word that people, disgused as Christians, would expoit us, and yet... We faithfully give them our money.

What does Jesus say..clothe the naked? feed the hungry? take in the poor wanderer?

Guys, to make this message more clear. He loves us. Quit giving false teachers more power by listening to what they have to say. Don't assume that you know that you aren't listening to a false teaching until you ask God to send you the Holy Spirit to lead you into Truth.

Jesus never told us to let anyone direct our path but Him.

BUT in all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy path. THe good thing about the Holy Spirit, is that He is actually quite beautiful. Through His eyes you will be able to see yourself through the way that He sees you...You will be able to see others the way that He sees them.. You will love people you have never even met, and when His love flows through, you will experience compassion like you have never known.  

But be prepared. He may also show you how desperately things have gone and how sad He is that many of us are so far from His heart.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:6

Today, I read this from finallcall07 Youtube.  It rings true.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Those are the words of king David in Psalm 51:17. The only sacrifice that we can bring to God is our own brokenness because if we are spirited and strong in ourselves we will not listen to Him, we will not obey Him.
Jesus said:"Blessed are they who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 5:3. It is only when we are poor in spirit, poor in OUR OWN SPIRIT, poor in our own ideas and opinion, our own resources, it is only then that we are willing to OBEY the King, to LISTEN to Him, to FOLLOW Him and to be useful, fruitful in His kingdom. People who are wise in their own estimation, who lean on their own understanding and their own Bible knowledge WILL NOT LISTEN to the Holy Spirit. We need to empty ourselves of our SELF, of our own resources, of our own plans and our own opinions and totally submit to the Holy Spirit, TRUST Him, LISTEN and OBEY or else we will not follow Jesus, we will not do what is pleasing to Him.
As long as we lean on our own understanding and we are adamant about our own opinion we are in direct opposition, in rebellion against Jesus Christ because then we elevate ourselves and we think that we are God, we think that we are more clever and more wise than Him and we will not follow in His plan. God is not interested in our opinions or in our plans.
Jesus Christ is LORD and if we follow Him, we serve HIM as LORD. Wisdom that comes from the mind of man is satanic and in rebellion against God. Unless we deny ourselves, deny our own opinions and our own ways we cannot follow Jesus and we cannot be pleasing to Him, we cannot be part of the kingdom of God because we will not submit ourselves to Jesus. What He requires of us is utter and total submission to Him, We cannot please Jesus unless we submit to Jesus and totally obey Him.
May Jesus bless you.

Hello friends, today I want to discuss a few verses from Ephesians Chapter 2

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Today, I want to talk a little bit about the grace of God. The above verse tells us that salvation is a gift from  God. In this verse, we learn that there is Nothing that we can do to earn it..there is nothing that we can "do" to recieve it.. It is a gift that God gave us through His son Jesus Christ simply because He loves us.

We do not obtain salvation through works. It doesn't matter how many church services we attend (something we do) or how much money we put in the collection plate (also something we do)..

Salvation is God's gift to those who have faith. There is nothing that we can possibly do in our own human strength and power to obtain salvation. There is no amount of money that can buy salvation. It is our gift.

I think of the robber who was hanging on the cross next to Christ. This man did nothing to obtain his salvation, and Jesus, knowing his repentant heart, gave it to him freely. "Today, my brother, you will join me in paradise."

Consider the parable of the vineyard. A man hired workers to work in his field. Some workers worked for a full day. Others, started working late in the day, and yet they recieved the same wage. This tells me that salvation is a gift. It doesn't matter how much work that we do, it only matters that we are willing to go into the field.

Because we are saved by grace through faith, does that mean that we are deny works?

Consider the following verse: We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance fo us to do.

This verse tells me that before we were even born, Christ had a plan and purpose for our lives. We are saved not by works, but to work for the Kingdom of God.

Friends, God has something specific that He has called you to do for His Kingdom. He knew what it was before you were even born.  

Now is not the time to be idle, but to seek the face of the Father and seek His will for our lives.

One more quick thought..
Have you ever had someone who tells you that they love you, but often fail to back up their words with action?  Sometimes, it is not enough to simply say that you love someone. We must love in both "deed and truth" as the word says.
Our actions must back our words. IF we say that we love someone, then we will want to do all we can show that love. It is two fold. If we only speak of our love, then others will doubt the veracity of that love unless we show them what it means to love.

a few years ago, I was perusing the web and I came across a blog that made me feel loved and at home. I really think reading about the love of God and seeing it played out in someone's else's life, truly helped me to delve in the arms of my Father.
Think of the themesong from Cheers. Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad you came.
Superhyper religious people, take note, I'm not suggesting that we drink ourselves silly in seedy bars in the middle of Chicago..
I'm only saying that sometimes we gravitate towards wherever we can go to find acceptance.

Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, if people aren't feeling accepted in our prescence, if we aren't giving them a home, or a warm welcome, or even pretending that we aren't even quasi glad to see them, then naturally, they will gravitate towards somethings else.

I think of all of the young men and women who have dabbled in witchcraft simply because they percieve that they are accepted and loved in thier group. They have created a niche and a small space where they feel warm. Many may not even realize that they are playing with destructive spirits who only long to rip them into tiny pieces.

It's the same with drugs. How many turn to drugs or alcohol simply because they have never felt accepted. I want people to come to my blog and feel as if they have a home. I want people, when they are around me, to feel the radiant love of Christ.

It's funny how we can quote scripture all of the live long day, but if we can't bring our love to the table and have our arms spread wide open, then the lost will remain content in their pastures, not really understanding the beauty of Grace and the unconditional love that Christ has for them.

Everything begins in love. think of a garden. In the beginning, there is something small. The beginnings of life in a tiny seed. Things grow with care. Hands that pull gently work the soil. Things grow through time. Patience, watering, and love.
Is it any wonder that so many of the parables of Jesus were about vineyards and crops and growth? He wanted to show us that love is like a garden and He is the source of light from which all good things come.

Is Your Cross Too Pretty ?

Hurt by Church? Five stages of grief. - FOTM1

perspective..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNzJhCbKIho

Guys, give your feedback on this message. I believe it is very powerful. Your thoughts and comments are welcome as always. BUT..please do not comment unless you watch this in it's entirety.
Thank You.
:)

Terribly Interesting: A Study on Hosea

Terribly Interesting: A Study on Hosea: I am currently writing a bible study on Hosea, my second book, so many can understand the grace that led us to begin Gomer's house. Ple...

Terribly Interesting: Hosea's Hurt

Terribly Interesting: Hosea's Hurt: Uncle Mike and Laomai I have been studying the book of Hosea relentlessly in an effort to write a study. Hosea married a prostitute and spe...

Brennan Manning - God Loves You As You Are, Not As You Should Be

My Top Favorites (playlist)

My Top Favorites (playlist)

Rachelle confesses and repents.

I am a very emotional person. My heart breaks for people quite often. I know that it is something special, and that God has planted that concern deep within me. Ironically, I don't often like to get too close to people. I shy away from deep and meaningful conversations. Instead, I often pour myself out into writing or my latest rash of Youtube videos.
I like to feel deep sadness for others. It reminds me that God is near.
The other day I started to think that something was wrong with me. It took me two days to cry for Boston. Some days I recognize that there is so much tragedy in the world, that if I were to completely grasp it all, I simply could not handle all of it. I really don't think that any of us could. What's extraordinarily sad is that we have a tendancy to become numb to things like natural disasters or tragedy. We are inudated with so many images of violence everyday on television that it surely must numb us in some way.
When I don't "feel" anything at all, I find myself asking God if there is something wrong with me. He reminds me of the verse that we don't walk by feelings. We walk by faith. Our faith is often manifested in our actions.
Lately, I may have come across as harsh. I am sorry. Desperately sorry. I am full well aware that our salvation is not obtained through our works or the things that we do. It comes through faith, through believing that someone loved us enough to take our sins and die. Jesus died for us.

Some days I find myself angry at "our" passivity. I find myself angry that there are children who are exploited. I find myself angry that there are people in our own backyards who are in captivity. I find myself angry that we think that lies and backstabbing are ok, and that God is pleased with those sort of things. I find myself crying out for people every single day. I find myself angry that we have made television an idol.

the other day I noticed something.. in nearly every single house that I entered, there is a televison. The television is placed in the center of the room. We ignore the people around us. We don't open our Bibles. We don't visit the sick. We have lost our sense of community and replaced it with a big black box. People around us are dying every single day. Our brothers and sisters go hungry..and our neighbors walk in darkness because our lights are hidden and muted.

People are lonely. People are crying out for someone to show them something real and pure and good, and we are all buried in our cell phones and our  televsions. I'm not innocent of this behavior. I have shared in it. I am guilty. But, as a steward of time and talent, and as a carrier of the light of Christ, then I have to be aware that God wants more of me. He wants more of you. He loves and accepts us the way we are, but we are called to "walk." We are in a Christian walk..and to walk means that we get up off our couches and step out of our comfort zones and trust in Him.
Follow Him.

We need to get rid of our idols. Idols are not statues in this day and age. Idols are anything that we place ahead of Christ. For me, food is sometimes an idol. If God has called me to fast and pray, and I choose food over God, then food just became my idol. If God has called you to turn off your television and pray, and you fail to do that, then examine your heart and ask God if television is your idol.
Ask God to reveal the idols that are tucked away in your life. Trust that He will answer.

another fault that I have: I often expect everyone around me to love me like Jesus loves me. Often, I find myself disappointed. But, the truth is that one day when I stand before God, I won't be able to answer for them. I will only have to answer for myself. Jesus loved those who didn't love Him, and He expects us to do the same. We often rail and rave about unconditional love because we feel as if we lack it. We do. The world is sad, sick place, but we are called to GIVE .expecting NOTHING in return. Nothing. We are called to love hard people and show mercy to those least deserving. That is the way of Christ and His Cross. That is the narrow road.

Another thing that bothers me deeply. As Christians, we often use our Bible as weapon. When others don't agree with our way of thinking, we are quick to cut them into pieces with scripture. We can sometimes be arrogant and proud that we are "right".. We chop up the athiests. We chop up anyone with whose lifestyle we disagree. But, when we do this, our hearts surely cannot be right. What does the Bible say about how our Bibles should be used? The Bible says that it should be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path? What is the function of light? How does it operate? If God is truth and love and light, then we simply called to shine. As children of light, we are meant to Overcome every Evil with Good. ---with good...with good...I can't reiterate that word enough. We overcome the darkness, not by beating it over the head, but by loving those who are trapped in darkness and showing them that there is a better way.
The other day God a verse into my spirit. IN order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must first become as little children. I started thinking of the qualities of children.. What does it mean to be childlike under the guidance of a loving Father? To be childlike means that we are simply trusting. Children don't care too much about money. They aren't real big on idols. They simply trust that their Father knows what is best and they are willing to put their trust in Him and listen to what He says. I think back on the days when I was a child. I had no worries. I was carefree. I didn't worry about anything. I was content with simplicity, and there was beauty to be found around every corner.
Ask God to restore your childlike faith and trust that He will answer. Trust Him. Life became complicated when we became adults. Christ is simply calling us to surrender.

In surrender, there is freedom. I hear the words, "For you have been called to Freedom brother, Not freedom to fall back into your sinful nature, but to SERVE one another in Love.


I want to tell a story. When I first came to Christ, I went to a church service and someone told me that Jesus wanted joy for my life.  A  week later,  a complete stranger told me the exact same thing. A week later, another complete stranger, a person that I had never met, spoke the same word. JOY. I have learned that, in this life, there are trials and hardships. There are things that well up on the surface. But the deep inner things of God, something that He plants within us, in the surrender, is JOY.
Reader, Jesus wants JOY for your life. It comes in the surrender. It comes when stop wallowing in self condemnation, we rebuke the spirits of oppression, and we accept the Joy that only He gives.
Three different people spoke joy. During the course of a three week period. Three strangers.
Three days. Jesus died and rose again, to show us that in Death, there is Life and that His Spirit transforms us and renews us day by day so that by His Spirit we might look like Him. Clothed in complete love, trusting, and ready to do the will of the Father.

A long time ago, I could hear Jesus speak something into my spirit. "The Time is Now" He kept saying that to me over and over.  Friends, now is the time to get our lives right with God. Now is the time to seek. Now is the time to lay down the things that He wants at the alter of His feet, and trust that He is going to meet us where we are and help us on this journey.
Get where you need to be, and then I urge you..URGE... in the greatest sense of the word, to help your brothers and sisters. I urge you to LOVE them.
I urge you to forgive those who need to be forgiven just as Christ has forgiven you. I implore you to turn your back on darkness, and look solely toward Christ.
I once had a vison of a tightrope. I was walking a very thin tightrope. Below me there were dangers and ploys and futile entertainment. There was a bevy of distraction. But, in the vision, I knew that I had to look straight ahead or else I would fall.
At the other end of the rope, Christ was waiting.
Christ said to Follow Him. If we are to follow Him, that means that He is the one that should be in front of us. Not man. Not anyone else. Listen to Christ. He gave us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all  truth and He promised to speak to His children. "My sheep hear my voice."
Don't be so quick to have your ears tickled. Listen to Jesus and hear what He says.
Be blessed friends,
I love you. Pray for me as I pray for you.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians

FOTM1 - FOTM1 - FOTM1 - You're not, but we are - FOTM1 (playlist)

"Church" is MESSY! Please forgive me. From Doug Perry.

Brennan Manning on God's love

Supernatural - God doing what He does! (playlist)

Fasting (playlist)

Having a Form of godliness but denying the power thereof

some days I don't act like Jesus. Some days, I find myself doing Christian "things." ..aka..spending time on my Youtube channel, reading Christian literature, perusing Christian websites..

the truth is that not too much of that matters. When I stand before God, I truly don't think that He is going to care how many Christian memes we posted to our facebook pages or how many verses of scripture we had memorized.. He may not even care that we passively sat in a pew faithfully every single Sunday of our lives..

Jesus said that, in the last days, there would be many people who had a form of godliness, but denied the very power thereof..
He said that there would be people basically appearing like Christians, but not holding power of what it truly means to be Christlike..

He said that these people would be slanderers.. lovers of money, lovers of self..he said that they would be consumed with their own self interest and vain pursuits...

I think Doug Perry summed it up best when he stated that he had a vision of many Christians doing the dragon dance. Think of the Chinese dragon, dancing in the streets. Many people are playing follow the leader and more concerned with "church" things, than being concerned with truly following Jesus.

We have abandoned our Bibles, we no longer even do what it says.. The Bible says that, in the last days, God will send some a strong delusion, and we are so lost in our own brand of greed, that we will forget and deny the power of the Cross.



Ok, so what is the Power of Christ....if we are denying the power thereof, what is the power that we are denying?

The power is in the Cross of Christ. Jesus said that it is in our weakness that His power is made perfect. He said to take up the Cross and follow Him. We have denied the power of the Cross in our walk with Christ.
We say that we love others, but our actions often fail to show that love. Can we really look at our enemy and say that we love them?
Are we truly walking in the fruits of the Spirit? Love, gentleness, patience, longsuffering, self control, generosity?

I have to be honest. I feel most like Christ simply when I am serving others. I feel most like Christ when I am feeding, clothing, or praying for those who have hurt me... Christ cared for people while He was on this earth. He served them. The Bible said that He came as a servant. He taught us the upside down ways of the Kingdom of God. The least on earth shall be the greatest..and the greatest shall be the least..
There is power in humbling ourselves. When we humble ourselves, we show the true power of Christ, and, it is then, that we willfully pick up our Cross.

It is time that we do away with our sin. Jesus came and He loved sinners more than anyone else. He dined with them. But He also came with a message of repentance. When everyone was throwing stones at the prostitute, Christ bid them to put down their stones. He showed the prostitute tenderness, kindness, and mercy..but He also told her, "Go and sin no more."

Jesus tells us that sin separates us from God. If we want a close walk with Jesus, we need to lay down our sin at His feet, and trust that He is faithful and just to forgive us. In life, we will always face temptation, but Christ gives us the strength to resist.

Let's not be passive in our walk with Christ. Jesus tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.
He tells us that if we are to enter into His Kingdom then we must become as little children.
What are the traits of children?
Children put all of their trust in their Father. They are innocent...Here's a good news message. Christ can restore your innocence... He won't tell you to be like a child and then not give you innocence you need to walk in that childlike faith and innocence..
His grace is sufficent for you. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins...and He wants our trust.. Not all of our trust.. not ten percent of our trust..
He wants all.

He is the vine and we are the branches.. IF we remain in Him, THEN we will bear much fruit..

Today, my message for you is: Seek Christ.. Put on the whole armor of God...
Lay down your sin at His feet and accept His forgiveness,
Be not only a hearer of the word and deceive  yourselves...hearing the word and NOT doing what it says is like looking at yourself in a mirror.. you will quickly forget what you see..
ACT like Jesus... Remain in Him.. and THEN you will bear much fruit.

If you aren't acting like Jesus and picking up a Cross, then we are guilty of having a form of Godliness but we deny the power thereof.

The power is in our love.  Jesus said that people should know us by our LOVE for one another...not by our  "being right" about things.. not by our ability to quote scripture or memorize verses..not because we listen to K Love or even do Christian things.... this is just a form of godliness..
The true test is the LOVE test..
One day we will stand before God and He will say..
How many people did you clothe? How many people did you feed? When you cared for these people, you have cared for me.. You have carried your cross and through your LOVE.
WEll done good and faithful servant. You didn't just have a form of godliness, you trusted, you loved when it was hard, YOU remained in ME.
You bore fruit.. you carried your patience, love, generosity, kindness long suffering, with you everywhere you went.
You exercised self control when you fought temptation. Well done!



 He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie ¹² and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. -2 Thessalonians

This verse is telling us that there will be signs and wonders that will NOT be from God.. are we following "signs and wonders" are or are our eyes on Christ and carrying His Cross?

"Whoever does not take up His Cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" - Jesus

Matthew 25:31-46

New International Version (NIV)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” -from Hebrews

 

about the Red Dragon vision..

who are today's Pharisees? from my Youtube channel.

What's wrong with ... (playlist)

How To Sow A Seed

Once Saved, Always Saved ? ... The Final Word

The End-Times Outpouring Of Antichrist

The Spirit of AntiChrist in the End Times. True Miracles vs. False Miracles

Whose interpretation of the Bible is the right interpretation?

Guys, I find a lot of truth in this video. Agree to disagree, but please do so peacefully and in a spirit of love.
This makes a lot of sense to me, and I feel God has shown me the same things.
thanks for taking time to watch this. :)

the past two weeks

when Jesus promised the "full life, I didn't realize that he meant a life of constant ups and downs and twists and turns. But with every twist and turn, there is something marvelous around every corner.

The past two weeks were full. So full, in fact, that I know that I am not even going to touch the surface of everything that happened.  Relatives came to visit. My cousin John and his wife Sasha, their two boys..my aunt and uncle from Mississippi.
John taught Cade how to cook. Sasha loaned me a book.
I sat on a hammock with my aunt and it collapsed. I fell flat on my back and got the wind knocked out of my lungs.
My copy of Les Miserables came in the mail.
I got stung by a wasp. MY first time to be stung by any living creature..EVER. It hurt worse than I could've imagined.
My mom and boys drove to see my sister and her family in North Carolina. We slept late everyday. My sister took me to eat Ethiopian food. I marveled at how we weren't given utensils. Instead, we used a spongy delectable bread to pick up our food.
I took Cade for a drive to the state of Virginia. It was more beautiful than I imagined. There were rocks and crags and quarries and I truly felt as if I were driving in another place and time.
We found ourselves at a vineyard peering at wooden crates for storing wine and then we ate dinner at a house built in 1776.
a part of me felt overindulged and on the way home, I decided that I am going to cut back on eating out. But through all of the swordfish and steak and ethiopian cuisine..through the sleeping late, and the wasp sting, through the hurting back from falling out of hammocks, through everything..I could still feel the beauty of God's Grace.
Some days I am aware that I truly don't deserve all of the love that Christ lavishes upon me. I have learned to find beauty and solace in the simple things. For that, I am grateful.
I am grateful that I am able to appreciate the adventure of life.
Christ gives us that. There was once a time when I was so lost in depression and my life unraveled by drama, that weeks like the last two, probably would've gone unnoticed.
I am grateful that I can see and appreciate every blessing and every raindrop. Every turn and every crag.

On another note, I am sad. I went to the nursing home to visit my friend Rick and I was told that he passed away. He was suffering from cancer, but he actually fell and hit his head. He died from a fall.
But I am thankful that I knew him. I am thankful that God placed him in my life if only for a moment.
I am sad, but I can only embrace the thought that one day I will see him in Glory and in Paradise.

On another note, I've been rather ill. It started with a cold..then it turned into a stomach virus, and now..I just feel horrible. But, I still give thanks. God is good.
Life is full. This is the full life. The life of twists and turns. The life of victory over death and triumph over tragedy.


Here is my life in pictures over the last two weeks. yes, the first picture is upside down. I tried to adjust it, and it didn't work. another example of how, in this life, there are failures..things can sometimes be "upside down, but still beautiful to look at.

sarah and her friend, Christy Wilson at the Ethiopian restaurant

Ethiopian Cuisine. This was so good. there is lamb in the center, lentils with curry, and an assortment of goodness

My angel, Cade..on an ethnic excursion

My niece Ruth managed to get into my mascara. She also took a bite of my deodorant..haha

Olivia!

I managed to have a birthday also. Cade made this for me! I love that boy!

Atlanta. I hate driving thru Atlanta, but we managed to stop and have lunch with Dave's mom. We went to TGI Fridays. It was a wonderful visit!

Cade, sitting in the house turned restaurant from 1776. We took these photos with a gas station camera. I can't explain the dot in the center of Cade's head, other than the fact that the camera was defective. We had a great time. Cade ordered the swordfish. I ate steak. It wasa day that I will always remember.

1776 house/restaurant . somewhere in the middle of Virginia

This almost looks eerie.

The restaurant had a garden from 1776.

Backwoods, VA

This is in the back of the vineyard. The grapes were not in season, but we still got to learn a little of how wine is made.

Creepy garden from the olden days



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"Set your eyes on things above, and not on things below."

Here is my latest Youtube videos.. could I really look any uglier? lol.. oh well.

Be Encouraged!

May this message Bless and Encourage you. It blessed me, and reminded me of a few things that I NEEDED to hear.
God Bless you, Monica :)

Jen Hatmaker - In the Basement

Jen Hatmaker - In the Basement

A Letter to my Pastor

Dear  Pastor ,

First of all, I want to thank you. You have been a light to me in so many ways. I can't tell you how many times I have prayed for specific answers to specific questions. There were times when I was sitting in church and the message that you delivered pin pointed my exact problem.

There have been times when Christ has put a verse in my heart. I would go to church the next day, and, out of the entire Bible, the verse in which Christ revealed Himself, would be the central point of your message.

I Know that Christ speaks to you. I've seen it countless times. It is unquestionable.

I thank you for the freedom that we have to speak. I love how you give us a voice to share what Christ is doing in our lives and in our hearts. That is a freedom that a lot of churches do not have.

Are we perfect?

No. But, this I can say. We have love for one another, and I can see and sense your love for the lost and the "least of these."

Why I am writing this letter?

I have sat silent on too many occasions. While others were sharing their testimonies, I should've spoken. But, speaking is not my virtue, I am a writer.
I was born to write. Writing is the reason that God created me.

I have spoken numerous times about my encounters with the darkness. One night I was sleeping. I could feel a darkness enter my room. My head was held down and I could not move. Truthfully, I don't know if I was awake or dreaming, but I felt a pain in my belly that was unfathomable and excrutiating. I felt as if every demon in Hell was trying to rip apart my insides. I was asleep, but the pain was more suffocating and real. I dreamt that I walked downstairs to my mom's computer and I started writing.
I wrote, as I wrote.. the lies of the enemy were exposed.

A few days later, I was in church. Mrs. Mitzi looked at me and told me that God was going to use me in my writing. You spoke the very same thing. I had not told a single soul, at that point, about my dream.

God is moving among us.
The one thing that He showed me is that in order to build something new, we must first tear down the old.
We do that with the Truth. The Truth tears down the lies. I have found that we are so engulfed in centuries of lies, that we aren't even aware of how deeply we are affected.
As a Body of Believers, we are hurting. Church is not what it is designed to be.

Christ showed me something in the Book of Acts. The early church. The one that was unstained by demoniationalism and religous hatred. The one where the Believers used their gifts and functioned as whole...The ones who didn't look at sharing as a "hippie" concept that left with the 60's. The one's who were so engulfed with Christ and others that were willing to give up every single thing they owned.
Miracles abounded. The numbers being saved increased daily.

I once read that people are so disallusioned with the institutionalized church that many will return. And think of the disciples. They took Christ with them everywhere. They didn't confine Christ to a building. Instead, they took Him and His message of the Cross wherever their feet would take them.

We are those disciples.
I once had a vision. I saw thousands of people walking on rough terrain. They were marching towards something. The climb was laborious, and the journey was difficult. There was immense darkness, but each person was walking in unision.  Each one was carrying a lampstand, containing the very light of Christ. It lit up the darkness and made for something beautiful and extraordinary. They were the city on a Hill, and the place that they were marching was the Cross.

The world is dying and the message of the Cross has been diluted amongst today's false teachings.
We need to bring it back.
Christ is calling us out of our comfort zones.
So many churches look alike today, and very few represent the real Jesus.

I once heard that church is not a building, but about the Body of Believers acting in one mind and in one accord. I read that we are the living stones, not carved by human hands. I believe that.
I am going to share some things I have learned with you over the course of the next few weeks and months.
They will be hard to hear and hard to read, but the one thing that Christ has been showing me..is what is wrong with our churches today. There have been times when I have wept over the things that I have seen. There have been times when I have spoken against things that I thought were wrong, only to be shoved to the side and told that I don't matter. I have been called names because I dared to write about what is wrong in our churches.
Christ said that He is coming for a spotless Bride, and we are anything but...

I am in a humbling place. I can only hope that the things that I present to you don't offend. That is not my purpose or intent. I simply want to see us grow. I want to see us walk in the miracles that Christ has promised. I want us to be more unified, each using our gifts in the capacity that Christ has called us to use them.
I want to see the lost seeing the light of Christ in us and through us..
I want to see the world begin to see that hyprocrital Christians and a loving Christ are not one in the  same.
I want to feed, to clothe, to care for the least of these and show the world that faith without works is dead.
I want to remind the world that God prospers us, but the prospering comes through sharing. When Jesus shared the loaves and fishes, He taught us that when we do the will of the Father, when we share, He multiplies..

anyhow, I want to thank you for all that you have done. My prayers are with you, and every Christian in every denomination. My prayers are with every man, woman, and child in this dark world.
If the Christians would realize that we are all family and begin to treat the lost and the unsaved like family also, then Christ's glory would be revealed.

On another note, as I reveal to you the things that Christ has shown me..over the course of the next few week and months, I encourage you to let me know if there is anything that doesn't line up with the Word and the Spirit of Christ. We are to test all things. I am humble enough to admit that I can and do make mistakes, and that, as a Body of Believers, we all need one another.


Love and God Bless
Rachelle