01.24.10
Posted in Pictures, Randomness, Songs, Thoughtful at 11:42 pm by SapphiraAdi
Today’s negativity fast was on replacing lies with truth.
1. List 10 words of affirmation that have stuck with you since you first heard them.
2. Now list 10 words of death that have stuck with you since you first heard them.
3. Which list was easier to recall?
4. Which list had more emotional triggers?
Lies are what others have told us in our past. They may not have been spoken to us directly, but we’ve internalized them nonetheless. They are deceitful, downgrading and condemning. … They are so much a part of us that until we can see the lies, we won’t know we have them. We won’t know to see them, until we know who we are in Christ. … You heal the wounds the lies have sought to cover up by choosing to believe and live out of the truth.
If you go to http://www.40daysfromnegativity.com/ and on the left side there is a picture that says “Your Identity in Christ.” If you click on that you can select what you want to read, and if you’re a male or female. It puts your name in the Bible verses instead of words like “he” or “she” and it makes it more personal so that you can read the truths straight from the Bible as if they were a letter written to you. Which it IS! That’s the coolest thing about the Bible. It was written hundreds of years ago and yet was still written to you personally from the God of the Universe!
How does that make you feel? After you’ve gone to the site and read those verse (that was the challenge for the day, to read your “Identity in Christ” out loud and realize that that IS how God sees you and looks at you! You are precious and loved and valuable! And God adores you.) leave a comment and let me know how you felt after reading those verses. Did any one in particular stick out to you? Was there one that you didn’t agree with?
Declaration for today: I choose to believe what God says about me. I choose to live out of what I choose to believe. I choose to replace the lies that have attached themselves to wounds from my past with the truth of how God sees my situation and me.
Permalink
Posted in Randomness, Thoughtful at 5:34 pm by SapphiraAdi
The Negativity Fast devotions have been really good simple things to read every morning, I like having a little challenge to do and some new thing to think about as I go about my day. Day 8 I started writing about when it was day 8 and then went to school and forgot about it, so here it is now. 
Today was about reflecting the goodness of God, in the same way that the moon reflects the sun. Not just partly, like a solar or lunar eclipse but like a harvest moon reflects the full light of the sun as much as possible. The challenge for today is “If you could show God to the world in any way that reflects His goodness and Glory, how would you do it? Pray and obey. There are things you can do today that will see that prayer fulfilled. Do them.” I pray that I would be a reflection of God’s love to the people at school.
After class I was kinda disappointed because I hadn’t really met anyone, everyone just kinda left and I was kinda sad that I didn’t get to show God’s love to anyone, but I think that the first day of class was just the start of seeing my prayer fulfilled. Tuesday I got to talk to more people since I got there earlier and a week from that day, last Thursday, I got to class early and sat down and just minutes after I got there, a girl I had met the last class period came in and she sat down kinda far away, but then when she saw me she smiled and got up and came to sit by me and said “I want to sit by you!” We had a great class period, laughing and talking and discussing the book she was reading for Film class, The Da Vinci Code. I hope that I can talk to her more and show her God’s love and the real story of the Bible.
Permalink
01.16.10
Posted in Pictures, Randomness, Thoughtful, Travel at 9:38 am by SapphiraAdi
Yesterday night around 9pm I decided it was better late then never to start the 50 pic challenge. Where you take 50 pictures on a designated day (which happened to be yesterday) with whatever camera you happen to have by you at the moment. I didn’t get 50 pictures though and some are of the same thing, just different angle. But at least it got me taking pictures and I think I got some pretty cool ones. 
So enjoy the pictures! Leave comments if you think the pics are good, bad, interesting, or which picture you liked best. *lol*
Permalink
01.13.10
Posted in Pictures, Randomness, Thoughtful, Travel at 10:38 pm by SapphiraAdi
I am realizing more and more how much fun meeting random people is. (: Although the worst part about meeting people random places though is that I’ll probably never see them again and yet they absolutely made my day yesterday. So to Sarah and the three guys that were snowboarding and the lift guy that made riding the lift fun and the snowboarding instructor that made me actually want to keep boarding instead of give up, this post is for you.
Yesterday my family went skiing/snowboarding.
I’ve been boarding for the past couple years but yesterday I seemed especially bad because I could barely get down the little run without falling all the time so I decided it was time to take a lesson… Best decision of the day! I made a new friend named Sarah (or maybe it’s Sara, I dunno) who had never boarded before yesterday and we were instant friends. Maybe 2 minutes into the lesson the instructor Bobby was like “Are you two friends?” and we both looked at each other and laughed and said “Nope, we just met” and he goes “Oh wow, you seemed like you had known each other longer then that! You must have a natural talent for being friends.” (:
After lesson Sarah and I both stopped for lunch and went our separate ways but ended up meeting up an hour later back at the Rookie Ridge run. lol
After only going down a couple more times we met 3 more new people! These guys had been skiing all day and decided to try boarding, honestly, they were not good at all. *laughs* But they were enjoying themselves and that’s all that really matters. Sarah was the first to meet them, one of the guys fell and she gave him a tip on what to do next time and then we all happened to be at the top of the run together and one guy goes “If I’m riding goofy [right foot forward] which foot am I supposed to take out before getting on the lift?” …and he had his right foot out of the board… I laughed and told him “The other foot” and then explained to him about how his board was set up and the best way to do it. It was quite funny and we had a good time talking before we all went down the run another time. Then we all went our separate ways but of course on a little mountain we couldn’t not meet up again. (:
I was going down Old Main, a green circle which means it’s pretty easy but it’s a very long straight run, and I saw one of the guys walking up the run carrying his board. He saw me and was like “Good luck! I just kept falling down so I decided to walk back up instead of trying to get down any farther.” I should’ve told him not to give up and had him come with me and try to teach him how to board properly (*I* had fallen quite a few times getting down it the first time too and had given up as well, but I wasn’t that quick and not quite thinking straight either. lol) but instead we just kinda stood there and talked for a couple more minutes before he went on his way up the hill wishing me luck and saying that his friends were down there somewhere. (:
An hour or so later… it’s dark and I’m cold and wet and tired and sore. I got off the lift of the little run, Sarah had gone home and I was wishing we could leave too because I was so tired and then I see my new friend sitting on a bench at the top of the hill and he sees me and is like “Hey! You made it! How was it?” Way to brighten my day. (: So we chatted a bit about snow and skiing and life and as he’s explaining that his friends were dare-devils and that they were horrible at snowboarding but that it didn’t stop them from trying harder runs the other guys were just getting off the lift and came over to us “We’re cold. And sore. Can we go home now?” 
So much for being dare-devils. They were all very nice though, I wish I didn’t have to leave everyone I meet…
During the course of the day I was on Rookie Ridge over half the time, it was little and easy and a good place to practice turning without almost dying. (; And I guess the guy operating the lift at the bottom started recognizing me from going on it so many times and so started making small talk whenever I’d get on, the only problem was you have like 10-20 seconds to talk. If even that. 
Him: “How are you enjoying your day?” Me: “Wonderful! This is so much fun! How about you?” Him [sarcastically] “Oh, just livin’ the dream.” *lift takes off* Poor guy… that would be a hard to just stand there all day and make sure little (and big!) kids get on safely. Next time around after hearing the same song on the radio for the second time that day I said “So does it get annoying listening to this station all the time?” Him: “Oh yeah, after the first hour it drives me nuts. It’s the only station we get [or maybe "that we can play"] down here.” That would get awfully annoying, especially being there day after day after day… Him (he would always start by saying this to me whenever the lift would come around. :”Here you go!” Me:”Thank you! So do you ski or snowboard too?” “Yep, I board.” I wonder if after manning the lift he teaches lessons… Him: “Almost done for the day!” Me: “Oh fun! Well I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!” Him: “Oh, I will. ” And then… I never saw him again… I feel kinda sad when I have to leave my new friends…I didn’t even know some of their names… ):
So that was my day yesterday. (: It was SOOO much fun! Friends always make things better. Next time I’m going to be smarter and actually ask their names first before just talking the whole day and leaving without actually knowing who they are. I hope they had as much fun as I did. (:
Permalink
Posted in Randomness, Thoughtful at 3:21 pm by SapphiraAdi
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you where sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV)
One week ago I started this thing called the Negativity Fast. It’s a 40 day fast from negative thoughts, attitudes, actions, etc. I wasn’t really sure what to think about it when I first heard about it, but I figured having devotions to read everyday and challenges to do would be kinda cool and I’d see if it actually worked. Now, a week into the fast I can tell its starting to work, I notice a lot more when I do think negatively or say something that is negative. The hardest part has been when something happens that I don’t like it’s hard not to be critical and to instead let it go and not dwell on it. I’m trying to work on not condemning or talking harshly about things I don’t like, because even in my opinion its not good (like certain bands/songs/books or even people -mostly famous- that I’m not fond of) I don’t have the right to bash it or say anything bad about it. Its hard though not to say anything bad, but I’ve been finding that when I pray about it instead of rant about it I feel better about whatever it was and end up not saying anything at all. Or I try to think about at least one thing that I can find that is good about it. I’ve always found that it’s hard to not like/be mad at/get frustrated by something when you’re praying about it. (: So anyway, just some thoughts I had from today. I’ll try to write more about things I’m learning from this and cool stories that have happened because of it. (:
Permalink
12.06.09
Posted in Randomness, Thoughtful at 8:25 pm by SapphiraAdi
For English this week I had to write a 1,000 word essay on the effect advertising has on American youth and what I thought advertising taught them to value. I really wanted it to be an essay that would be helpful to someone, not just be something I wrote for a grade (If anyone wants to hear my opinion on THAT, email me and I’ll send you the essay I wrote two weeks ago about education. 
). So I’m posting it here for everyone to read. I added some video clips to watch, because I had to use visual images for the essay and in the process of looking for pictures I found these videos and since I couldn’t use them in the essay I wanted to be able to use them here. Hope you will get something out of this and please comment! I would love to hear thoughts on the subject!
The Truth About Advertising
In the world today youth are overwhelmed with images and advertising everywhere they look. Companies know how to advertise their product in a way that makes millions of teens want to buy it. But instead of promoting the truth, advertising sells them lies about themselves and about what they should value. American youth are taught to value beauty, but a false concept of beauty. Because of the misconception of true beauty they are also blind to what true love is. When their ideas of “love” fail them, they search for identity in other things, people, and ideas that will never give them satisfaction. Advertising creates a chain of events, as their view of beauty is distorted, they also lose the real meaning of love. With love being defined as something it is not, they search for material things to satisfy them.
Advertisements creates a false idea of beauty. Advertisers distort our perception of beauty by showing us what they want us to see, not what is reality.
Photoshopping an image can make even an average person look perfect but because of that, youth start to compare themselves to something that is not reality. (Watch Evolution) Girls are told that to be beautiful they must look the right way, be the right size, or wear the right clothes. But when they do not measure up to the world’s standard of perfection they are left feeling inferior. The world expects and promotes perfection then wonders why girls are anorexic, depressed, suicidal, and struggling with self esteem.
What if American youth were taught to believe God’s Word instead of the lies that surround them? David writes in the Psalms “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV). David wrote this Psalm, not to complain to God about his flaws and all the ways he was not perfect, but to praise God for how wonderful God had made him. God has a very different idea of beauty than American culture does. He made humans in His image as beautiful beings and their true beauty shines forth the more they learn to love Him and love like Him. (Farver & Wagstaffe, 2005) While that definition of beauty goes against what advertisements say, true beauty comes God and far outshines any physical beauty.
The way advertisements are used only shows a narrow definition of love, promoting love as being about sex and feelings. Advertisers know that sexual images attract people to buy their product, but in the process they pervert the true meaning of love; reducing it to nothing more than a way to please one’s self. Having been so saturated by sexual images everywhere they look, youth have started to associate sex with feeling loved.
Purity in young people is becoming scarce and sometimes is even looked down upon. But before youth will change their mindset they must first understand the true meaning of love. Author Ted Dekker (2006, p.171) writes, “Love is the purest expression of selflessness. It is the desire to please at the expense of one’s own sense of need. It’s looking for another to betray their desire so you can fulfill it.” In a world where everyone’s attitude is “Me first!” true love is rarely displayed. The Message paraphrases the “Love Chapter” of the Bible this way, “Love cares more for others than for self…Doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always ‘me first’” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).
When someone deliberately chooses to care for another person above their own interests the world is shocked because it goes against all the lies they have tried to sell. Adam Agee from Stellar Kart sings, in the song Innocent, “Boys and girls, the real world is one that’s filled with consequence and all the lies that glamorize, it’s a life that’s broken…Take me back so I can see, the way that love was meant to be” (2008). Love was not meant to be about focusing on oneself but about focusing on something bigger then one’s own sense of well-being and happiness.
Youth are taught the lie that “the one who dies with the most toys wins.” Advertising makes youth want more and more but it is never enough to satisfy them. People will always want the “new” best thing but if they spend their lives chasing after material possessions they will find that in the end it was all meaningless. As meaningless as trying to chase after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Solomon, the wisest man to ever live and who had everything imaginable, opens his book called Ecclesiastes like this: “Meaningless! Meaningless! … Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, NIV) but by the end of the book he realizes that because of God everything has meaning: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, NIV). Material things will never bring anyone complete satisfaction. Instead of the media, youth should listen to the man who had everything and yet at the end of his life concluded that the whole duty of man was to fear God. There is nothing wrong with wanting material possessions, but youth should not get so wrapped up in wordly things that they lose sight of the real purpose of life.
In summary, advertising puts out a false image of beauty, making girls and guys alike feel inferior and worthless because they can never measure up when the standard is a perfection no one is able to achieve. (Watch Extreme (Photoshop) Makeover) It promotes love in a way that is all about “self,” instead of teaching young people to be selfless and to put another’s desires above their own. Finally, it makes them want trivial things that will never bring true joy and happiness because nothing material will ever completely satisfy their longing. America’s youth can be blinded to the truth of these issues because they are surrounded by the lies advertising assaults them with. When youth come to understand what advertisers are doing then they can be better prepared to withstand the lies that are sold to them.
Permalink
11.24.09
Posted in Book Reviews, Randomness at 4:04 pm by SapphiraAdi
Like so many other Dekker fans I anxiously awaited Ted’s novel Green and it definitely didn’t disappoint. (: The last book written in the Circle Series (Black, Red and White), it is also the beginning. Even though Green happens after White, it also takes place before Black. The start and the finish. Ted masterfully ties up loose ends from the first three books while at the same time opening up more questions. It truly is a “circle.” In Green, Elyon hasn’t shown Himself for quite some time and the Circle Dwellers are starting to doubt. They wonder if Elyon ever was real. If He actually cares. If He really will come back someday and save them from the Horde. Samuel, Thomas’ oldest son, doesn’t believe so, and thinks that the sword is the only way to make peace with the Horde. Not loving them as his father so old-fashionedly suggests. The circle is divided. Who is right? And is this the end of Other Earth, or just the beginning?
I absolutely loved this book and loved finally having the answers to so many of my questions! Although I would not recommend it to anyone that hasn’t read the original Circle Trilogy, Black, Red, and White. I would maybe even go as far as to say read Showdown, Saint and Sinner (The Project Showdown series) also before reading this. Only because you will understand the plot and point of the book having already met and known the characters. The characters aren’t really introduced, and I would think starting with Green would be like jumping into the middle of a story without knowing much about who or what is going on. But other then that, Ted once again amazes me with his ability to write such a wonderful story that makes you “dive deep” and to make biblical truths come alive in powerful ways.
Permalink
11.19.09
Posted in Randomness at 10:40 pm by SapphiraAdi
Twilight and the Bible
In honor of the newest Twilight movie coming out I thought I’d post this now. It’s been something I’ve been writing since a month or so ago. One night on the way home from driving Makari and Isaiah to Driver’s Ed I was telling Isaiah about the speech I heard at Liberty University about living life loved (see previous post) and somehow got on the topic of Twilight. After talking for a bit Isaiah and I had this profound revelation about how Twilight and the Bible fit together. (: We realized that a lot of the things that happen in Twilight and the love Edward and Bella have for each other is a lot like God and His love for us.
So I re-read Twilight and New Moon looking for all the ways that Edward was like God, and the ways that Bella was like us. Needless to say… there’s a lot. Some of the ways aren’t written out in quotes from the book, a lot are just understood from the ways that Edward and Bella interact, but I found quite a few quotes from those two books that I thought showed the comparison. (:
I know that Edward is not perfect, but Bella believes him to be and she doesn’t understand how someone so perfect could so completely love someone as ordinary as her. “‘I’m absolutely ordinary…and look at you.’ I waved my hand toward him and all his bewildering perfection.” (Twilight 210) It’s like how I sometimes feel when I picture myself with God. How could God, who IS perfect, perfect in love, mercy, compassion, kindness, justice, etc, love such an imperfect person like me? There’s no logical reason for God to love me, certainly not because of anything I’ve done, and yet, for unfathomable reasons, He does. Bella can’t do anything half as good as Edward does, “Edward can do everything, right?” (Twilight 325) and doesn’t see how she can compare to him, but he still loves her because of who she is (and how she smells. lol), not because of what she does. – “Do I dazzle you?” “Frequently,” [Bella] admitted. (Twilight 168)
“It was amazing how instantaneously the choking fear vanished, amazing how suddenly the feeling of security washed over me – even before I was off the street – as soon as I heard his voice.” (Twilight 162) Is that how you feel when you hear God’s voice? When you know that He’s there with you, do you feel your fear vanishing and security washing over you? Because God is more in control of your life and can protect you more then Edward, or any guy, ever could. I think that while we say we believe God’s in control, sometimes we don’t act like it. I’m not saying that you can do whatever you want because God will protect you, “He’s given you a BRAIN, use it.” (Johhnie Moore, Campus Pastor at Liberty), just don’t let fear control you. Fear of things unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of the future. “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:6-7 (The Message) Something else to think about, what if we felt anxious when we didn’t talk to God for a while? What if when you didn’t read your bible one day, you didn’t like it, it made you anxious, not having had a conversation with God. “I didn’t like it. Not seeing you [Edward]. It makes me anxious, too.” (Twilight 190)
One of my favourite parts of the second book is at the end. For the sake of not giving anything away, the short story is Edward can’t believe that Bella would so easily believe he didn’t love her… and I think we do the same with God. He tells us He loves us over and over and over again, but then someone says “Oh God can’t love you. You’ve sinned too much.” “You’re not worth anything.” “No one could love you.” “[insert other lie here]” And we start to feel unlovable, unworthy of love, worthless. But God’s up in heaven saying the same thing Edward told Bella.
“But how could you believe me? After all the thousand times I’ve told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?
“I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn’t want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous concept – as if there were any way that I could exist without needing you!
“I’m here and I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you…
“You don’t believe me do you?” [Edward] whispered, “Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?”
“It never made sense for you to love me,” [Bella] explained, “I always knew that.” (NM 510-511)
We can’t even begin to comprehend how much God loves us, because in all honesty it doesn’t make sense for Him to love us. But thats the most wonderful part about it. That “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NIV) There’s nothing that we can do to deserve His love and there is nothing we can do that will take that love away. “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-29 (NIV)
This isn’t about Edward and Bella, but I loved this line. (: “It was Jacob himself. Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness with him like an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone was within his gravitational pull, Jacob warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was.” (NM 145) What if we lived like that? What if when people saw us they thought that about us? We should have some sort of “aura” that would attract people to us. People should be able to see a difference in us from the rest of the world. Do you attract people to you? Do people want to be with you?
Last little thing, “But how could I let him give me things when I had nothing to reciprocate with? He, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to be with me. Anything he gave me on top of that just threw us more out of balance.” (NM 13) God loves to bless us and give us good things. But there is nothing we can give God that He doesn’t already have. I sometimes feel like that, God blesses me with all sorts of good, wonderful things and I feel so insignificant because I can’t give Him anything in return. But that’s the beauty of it. He just wants me. He wants me to love Him in return and to be His child. His lover. His bride. To quote my friend Josh, “And that is why He has pursued you, not because you have anything to offer Him but because He has everything to offer you.”
That is the Great Romance.
Permalink
11.17.09
Posted in Randomness, Travel at 10:30 pm by SapphiraAdi
Convocation at Liberty University – Oct. 2nd, 2009 – Jamie George
While visiting Liberty I got to attend Convo with all the other Liberty students which was absolutely incredible. All 12,000 students together at one time is so crazy to think about, and I’m so excited to be going next fall and getting to go to Convo every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Maybe I’m just weird, but I can’t wait to hear more inspiring and thought provoking messages. Jamie George spoke that day, a message called Live Life Loved. Here are some thoughts on what he said, all quotes are from Jamie unless noted. And if you want to hear the message (I really really recommend listening to it. It was SO amazing.) you can download it for free on iTunes. Just search for Live Life Loved Liberty Convocation and you should find it.
Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
What would it be like to live as if you were loved?
Because God loves us.
“What if you just took today and walked around and just lived life as if you were loved by God? Like totally be good with JUST that.” Interesting thought. What would happen if you did that? Decided that it didn’t matter if you wore the right clothes or said the right thing or were included in that popular group, but that all that mattered to you was that GOD loved you. Because He does. “And be totally okay with the fact that God… well He loves you.”
“God is obsessed with me. He adores me. He loves having me with Him.” Did you know that God is obsessed with you? Maybe you’ve heard it in church that God loves you, but have you stopped and thought about how that effects you? That God, the Creator of the world, actually loves you. Not just in a Fatherly way, but as a lover as well? I won’t go into too much about God loving us like that, I have another post waiting to be finished devoted completely to that, but it’s so true. To quote one of my favourite authors of all time, Ted Dekker, “He chooses, He pursues, He rescues, He woos, He protects, He lavishes.”
So much of our lives are spent trying to figure out who we are and worrying about being accepted, “We wrap our identity in something else but not God.” “We’re scrambling for our story… I think that God has a purpose and a plan for our life. Like you’re supposed to live out a role in HIS story.” But if you’re content with the fact that God loves you, how does that change how you live? God created us to love and be loved.”We’re made to display love and receive love.” Once we can grasp this simple yet profound concept that God loves us, then we’re supposed to go out and share that love with everyone. Not just keep it to ourselves. We’re part of the greatest love story of all time. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” -Ephesians 3:17-19
I’m learning to play guitar again and right now I’m learning a song called How He Loves by Kelly Walker though I’m learning the David Crowder version. *lol* But the lyrics go along with this so well. You can also listen to it on my music player. Song 7.
He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.
We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
I saw a movie called We’re All in This Together made by Hillsong United and they used Ephesians 5:1-2 in their movie, but they shared it in the Message translation and I thought it was a cool way to put it. Ephesians 5:1-2 (Message) “Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” Love like that.
Permalink
11.08.09
Posted in Move at 2:20 pm by SapphiraAdi
God’s people exist to worship Him.
Mark Moore – Exodus 15:1-21
Mark Moore – Encounter message
Jeff Walling – Evening message
We were created to worship God.
Most of what we do here will be irrelevant in heaven. Besides worshiping God.
“God You are…”
“God You did…”
God put part of Himself in woman and part in man. We all want to be worshiped. Not in a hypocritical way, but in that we want to be loved and accepted. By completing the sentence “God You are…” you are tapping into the feminine side, or the part of Himself, God put in woman. Women want to be told that they ARE something, known because of what they are not what they’ve done. When you complete the sentence “God You did…” you’re tapping into the masculine side, or the part of Himself, that God put in man. Men want to know that what they DID was “cool” or “awesome.” Known because of what they DID not what they are.
1. You will worship something.
2. Anything you make with your hands will fail you.
Mark Moore (Next Level)
Proskuneo- to kiss the hand, bow down before, fear
Fear of God and love of God go hand in hand.
We don’t fear God enough.
Fear God because of His essence not because of the consequences.
Mark challenged us to go home and to ask our pastors for the keys to the church, and one night at 1am to go to the church, at the altar, and pray for 3 hours, till 4am. And to pray and complete the sentences “God you are…” and “God you did…” and he said that we would leave shaken and trembling after being in the presence of the Almighty God.
Leiturgeo- in relation to the temple- liturgy
Not what you do in the privacy between you and God but in the temple and with other believers. Serving the “temple,” the body of Christ.
The list of spiritual gifts in the Bible is incomplete.
Spiritual gifts become spiritual when you give them back to God.
We are to use our spiritual gifts for the body of Christ.
We are all worshiping something or someone because we were all created to worship.
Permalink
« Previous entries Next Page » Next Page »
How does that make you feel? After you’ve gone to the site and read those verse (that was the challenge for the day, to read your “Identity in Christ” out loud and realize that that IS how God sees you and looks at you! You are precious and loved and valuable! And God adores you.) leave a comment and let me know how you felt after reading those verses. Did any one in particular stick out to you? Was there one that you didn’t agree with?
