Freedom

Contents
- Introduction
1) Catch up on life
2) Books
3) Discernment & Reformission
4) Change
5) Cheapening the Gospel
6) Ordinary Radicals
7) Flesh and Spirit
8) Pleasing others
9) Fulfillment
10) Postmodernism
11)Agape
12)Poem

-Intro
I have been wanting to write this blog for so long, and i kept pushing it off cuz of time. Now its gonna be one ginormous punch all at one time. I didnt know how to word that, but u know what i mean. Its so long i broke it into chapters, lol. I have a hundred little thoughts that i wrote down on tiny pieces of paper for the last few weeks. Blogging is a way to collect n organize my thoughts, so i can pour out my head and share the things ive been thinking about. Its more of a serious blog, with not too many humorous hahas. I dont blame ya if u dont wanna read it all, cuz its probably my longest blog, so u can probably get away with jus skimming it.

1) Ketchup on life
Just to ketch everyone up, ive been super sick with stomach pains (ulcerative colitis) . In the last week it has gotten a lot worst with severe cramps in my small intestines. I would describe it in further detail but its kinda gross, lol. I've never been in such stressful physical pain before. I did have something similar a year ago, but it jus went away after 3-4weeks, so we didnt find a cause. Right now, I barely survive through classes, and im on a lot of medications. Sometimes i get super dizzy n feel like throwing up. I cant really eat a lot of foods, or else i end up suffering for it later. I can basically only eat starchy foods. Its junk not being able to eat ketchup, fruits n dairy foods. But the worst part is having to endure dozens of sharp attacks. The doctors are kinda unsure of what illness i have, and i have to go through some more examinations. Hopefully its nothing too serious, and it'll jus end up going away on its own.

Update
My stomach really hasnt gotten any better. However, it did test negative for parasites n bacteria. But there is some sort of internal bleeding that im concerned about. I thought i got the stomach pain from eating 100 frozen grapes one night. I thought the acid burned a hole through my intestines, lol. But apparently that wasnt the issue. I also thought it coulda been drinkin too much coffee, cuz that normally gives me an upset stomach for a day. Its been over a month, so it cant be food poisoning. Im not too stressed about anything else in life. So its probably some virus. I hafta go in to get a colonoscopy, which isnt a super fun procedure. My stomach has been going through attacks where it feels like my stomach was punched 100 times. I constantly get to fall to the ground, curl up, yell for my mom, pop some pills, moan, and cringe. Ive asked God to let this pain pass, but apparently im still supposed to deal with it. Its super junk knowing its a beautiful day outside, and im trapped inside all day. It really bites not being able to go out to exercise, swim, ball, etc. I jus home n try to read, :( Well least i get to blog, and make use of my bathroom, lol. Im also working on typing up all my highlighted bible verses. It'll be much easier to reference and share scriptures with people. So even tho im struggling with a lot of pain, God is still sovereign.

Update2
Saturday i hadta drink this gross liquid that cleaned my insides out. Then i went to get a colonoscopy. They made me dress up with this weird coat robe thing, and gave me a warm blanket. They laid me down on a comfortable bed, hooked me up to an IV, and in seconds the drug knocked me out in a deep sleep. The doctor used some sorta device that went up my butt and got to look into my stomach intestines. I didnt really feel anything, but jus the thought of it was kinda akward, lol.I woke up in a different room, and was super sleepy. I walked all funny kine, and then they gave me juice and crackers. The doctor says that i have ulcerative colitus. Basically my intestines is inflamed with internal pains. They dont know the cause, but said it musta took several months to a year to get damaged so badly. But so far the pills he prescribed are working great. Seems like its healing fast. But im still kinda immobilized from physical activity and from eating certain foods.

School has been pretty easy so far, with few easy exams. I enjoy teaching psych labs and getting to teach psychology fundamentals. The guys bible study at LHS has been pretty good, im still trying to move them from religion to a relationship w/ God. The bible study at UH, just started and hopefully it'll be consistent with more guys coming. I also started goin to this other guys bible study that he just started. We go over short chapters, and get to the main point. It's always humbling to relearn something deeper than before. The bible study with friends at home hasnt been consistent because everyone jus seems busy. Epic high school ministry at NHL, is goin pretty smooth. We're transitioning them into small groups, and lately having more discussion over relationships. I havnt gone to One Love church in a few weeks, cuz there's been family gatherings. My aunty from California came to live with us for a little. And my cuzin just turned 1, and she had a fun first birthday party. Now my little cuzin can actually walk on her own! Shes pretty wobbly and falls down a lot, but its super fun jus watching her explore the big world. In other news.. my beloved PC blew out, and i now i got a Mac. I still really miss my PC because it was more practical and could do more stuff. But i like the Mac because it's more secure from viruses, and it runs pretty smooth. I jus need more time to get used it. I tried to make a cool Christian utube video, with all sorts of cool pictures, and cool songs, but i had too much trouble with the mac, and gave up on it, lol. Oh i also went to a short seminar on motivation. The ex mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, gave a good talk on leadership.

In introspection n self reflection.. Im learning that i struggle with taking my role of leadership. It's always so much easier to sit back and let someone else do all the work. Leadership requires choke courage, and sometimes i rather just follow someone else, lol. But im starting to understand that i need to take more charge, get my act together, be more responsible, and lead others. I believe all strong Christians should become strong leaders for the glory of Christ. I know God will instill His Spirit and give me the confidence to become a stronger leader in Him. It's tough to maintain humility in leadership positions. But i need to learn to voice up and make tough decisions. One of the things i need to do is make sure i manage my time wisely, and stay productive. I have a bad habit of being lazy, and unmotivated to work at anything. The only way we can accomplish work joyfully, is if we value what it is we're doing. So i guess im saying that..I need to also value worldly things. I went so far off towards living for God, that i slacked off on taking care of physical things. I need to put my full effort into everything that i do. Even Jesus worked as a carpenter. Even tho He knew His life would come to pass, He still lived it out to the fullest. We cant ice out our earthy responsibilities, nor ice out God. However it is far greater to love. 1 Corinthians 13, poses the question, "What good is living a life, if we have not loved?" Treasure the eternal things. Take notice of the simple things. Take care of the earthy things. And above all, love.

Another thing im also working on, is finding greater intimacy with God. Normally taking walks, waiting in silence, praying, and constantly thinking of Him allows me to grow more dramatically. So ya, i need to not only make time to spend with God, but i also need to make sure i get my earthly responsibilities done too. Another thing i need to work on is speaking the truth in love. I can efficiently speak God's truth, but i often forget to communicate in through His love. I can get so obsessed with teaching correct biblical doctrine, that i dont remember to say it in love. I really gotta work on genuinely loving others more.

2) Books
I finished two books. The first one is quite popular, and is actually made up of 66 books. It took me from March 8th, 2008 - February 11th, 2009. if u calculate that it took about 11 months to finish reading the Bible. I did slack off for a month or so, and missed many days, but it becomes easier the more u stick with it. I'm actually quite surprised that i actually stayed true to my commitment of doing daily devotions, which i picked up at a camp retreat. I have gained much insight, and grew choke spiritually. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the year was actually getting to meet the author more personally. I put much emphasis on God's word, because scripture should be our utmost authority. It really is a guidebook and manual to life. It had many verses which seemed debatable, and at times got really confusing, but all in all, God's word is sound.

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathedand is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Reading it has only strengthened, supported, and increased my faith in God. I learned dozens and dozens of things, and yet there is so much more to discover and learn. My uncle is reading it a third time, and i plan to read it a second. The Bible has allowed me to take my walk more seriously with God. I am convinced that Christ truly died for our sins. And i am committed to continue pursuing more truth and knowledge about God. We are told to eat the word, and write it on our hearts. We are told to be prepared and equipped with scripture. I feel like ive hit some sort of huge check mark in my life. I feel like i am renewed and rejuvenated in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In more detail, the bible is a tough book to read. I struggled through Leviticus talking about the law n sin offerings, i couldnt help but think that the bible didnt need long chapters of decedents in 1,2 Chronicles, i scarcely remember the many OT small books of prophets, I blanked out through the long books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, but still found huge chunks of knowledge in 'em. I learned that a donkey actually spoke in Numbers 22! I learned that there existed two powerful creatures called the behemoth and the leviathan in Job. I learned much about God's character, including His righteous anger, jealousy, justice and wrath. I probably gained the most from the books of the New Testament tho. It jus became difficult to start memorizing where key sections of scripture belonged. My favorite books are Romans, Acts, Corinthians, and Philippians. The Timothys and Johns were also makai'i loa. I loved the Psalms because it does nothing but rejoice and sing praises of God. However, i did have a hard time understanding some of Jesus' parables, and got super lost in the representations of Revelations. However i found much amazement in re-reading all the miracles that Jesus and other prophets demonstrated. It was interesting how God lead His people to the land of Israel, and how He spoke and worked wonders through people. It was interesting how He used average joes to lead and perform His works. Yes at times the bible can be frustrating to comprehend, but it shouldnt stop us from examining it closer. Just because the Bible is preserved 2000+ years old, written by many authors, and sometimes difficult to understand, It doesnt mean we should disregard it as truth or say that its too challenging to read. If u have a higher reading comprehension of me, then hopefully u'll have an easier time!

My advice to anyone who wants to start doing daily devotions, or want to become more consistent, is basically to desire to get closer to God. U arnt gonna like reading the Bible if you dont want to. Read it even if u don't believe in God. Hopefully it'll stir a deep change of heart or help u grow in maturity. It only makes sense that we cant understand everything about God, because His thoughts n ways are higher than ours. We take God's word for granted, when people in other countries are being persecuted for having a Bible. Anyways heres a short list of stuff that may help w/ devos..

1) Find or buy a suitable Bible, i recommend the NSAB, NIV, NLT, or ESV, Use sites like biblegateway.com, just1word.com and blueletterbible.com
2) Carry that baby around! Read it when u got nothin to do, or not paying attention in class. Get captured in God's words
3) Get connected with a solid bible study group to dig even deeper, and try finding an accountability partner to share stuff with
4) Highlight verses that stick out to u! it'll make it easier to find
5) Journal all your thoughts on ur devotions, write down verses, take notes
6) Start in the new testament, or balance reading OT n NT
7) A man used to read until God stopped him. Read until u have enough to chew on. Another dude made this rule, of "no breakfast, until devotions are pau."
8) Meditate n Pray on specifics, and try to Apply them in ur daily life
9) Find the best time to devote to God, Practice making devotions a daily routine and good habit, You may want to use a check list to stay on track.
10) Go over and re-read a book to gain more understanding
11) Ask Questions! and try to look up n research the answers..
12) Like i said b4, it gets much easier the more u stay consistent with it.

The 2nd book I read was called the "Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. Its about 250 pages, with easy to read chapters & fun examples. It challenged my attitude, and increased my view of God's loving grace. Its instantly become my second favorite book. I highly recommend every Christian to read this book, Especially if you find urself in a constant struggle. Its not the healthy who need a doctor. Jesus came to set sinners free from their sin. I highly recommend "The Ragamuffin Gospel" to anyone who may feel like they are doubting their faith, or confused about who God is. This book will, i repeat, will pick you up when u feel like a lazy, filthy, dirty slob. Its not for the upright but for ragamuffins. Its for sinners. Its for those who have a haunting past, for those who are going through tough addictions, those trying to let go of common sins, those with a lowered self-esteem, those who are condemning themselves, and even for those who are unsure of their faith. It is a reassurance that by God's grace, He still loves you no matter what.

I learned that we have a freedom in God. Yes we know we have a freedom, but do we actually take hold of it? Why do we still allow our old habits to get the best of us? Why do we allow our guilt and shame hold us back? If ur frustrated or lost, there is a hope of peace. If one has a faith that relies on God alone, God will help u to break past any temptations of lust, any trials or tribulations, and any difficult situation of fear, pain, doubt, sorrow or anxiety. Take hold of God's promises. Believe and trust Him, for He is always good, always faithful, always sovereign, and always reaching out with His loving arms and compassionate eyes. He never leaves you on ur own. He will constantly call you back to Him, and forgive like the father in the Prodigal Son. Even before u can repent or say sorry, He will lovingly clothe you, hug you, and throw a huge party for you. He celebrates when we are redeemed. He forgets all the wrongs we've done, and only sees the good in us. He treats us with unconditional love, n adopts us by His amazing Grace.

I wanted to quote every awesome passage in this book, but it would be super loong. It's mainly about God's infinite Grace, Forgiveness, and Love. I strongly encourage u to go buy the "Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. Buy ur own copy, cuz ull want to keep it.

I also finished reading a shorter book called "When the Darkness Will Not Lift" by John Piper, and "The Radical Reformission" by Mark Driscoll. Who r still probably my two favorite pastors out there. I wanted to read "The Westminster Confession of Faith" which talks about John Calvin, and very sound doctrines of scripture. And i also wanted to dive into "Systematic Theology". But those two books are jus straight up, hard core biblical truths, without fun & interesting experiences. Kinda like my blogs. Sharp to the point, but not necessary the easiest or most exciting to read. I am currently reading "The Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne, which talks about a wave of revival in Christian hearts, looking for an authentic church, being an ordinary radical, having discernment for where "Christianity" is going, common deceptions in America, how "Christians" deal with the comfort n discomfort of following Jesus and learning more about our true identity in Christ.

I've also been listening to a lot of sermons from a 2007 conference called "Contending for Truth", which includes a super strong team of leaders, such as Piper, MacArthur, Mohler, Sproul, n Zacharias. They basically talk about how vital it is to have absolute truth, not rationalizing what truth is, and the danger of relativism. They also talk about Postmodernism and jus a whole bunch of super interesting Christian apologetics. I know most ppl arnt as excited about these things, but for me its super fascinating, it stretches my mind of reasoning, and helps prepare me for future teaching.

"But even if you should suffer for that is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit." 1Peter 3:14-18

You might wanna take a short intermission from reading my blog here. Go use the bathroom, cuz i havnt even started yet. lol

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3) Discernment & Reformission
Let me first say that the paragraphs below may start to sound kinda bitter. But try to fully grasp what im trying to say, and not take it offensive. Test to see if what i'm saying is true. We must apply the knowledge of God's word, and form unity as a body in Christ. Of course no1 is perfect, but Christians should feed off the one who is. I am work in progress, and constantly strive to get farther away from sinful and corrupt trends. We're gonna constantly screw up and make mistakes, But that's why Christ came down for us. We must reform our thinking, and blossom into what God has in store for us. The important part is to move forward and allow the Spirit to crucify our sinful ways. Until the day we die, we should be constantly growing, strengthening and improving our walk with God. I dont wanna be the guy who jus complains at the direction of where Christianity and Churches are going. Ive learned that i need to be more focused on building up what Christianity should look like, and what solid churches should be like, and focusing more on gathering groups of passionate Jesus followers. We're the future.

As a freshmen in college, i heard a guest speaker. He bluntly challenged us to analyze ourselves to see if we were truly in the faith. He asked "Are we living our faith out? Or are we hiding it to ourselves?" I was radically changed because i knew i only turned to God when i needed help. Even tho i called myself a Christian, I wasn't living like one. I wasn't bearing much fruit, or taking my journey with Christ very serious. So reader, this is my challenge to you. Analyze yourself, and ask.. "Do i wanna get closer to God? If so, what are the mandatory steps i need to take to follow after Him? Is God first in my life?" The moment we stop growing, is the moment we start drifting. Instead of following Christianity, we must follow Jesus. We must be willing to go the lengths of taking up our own crosses, and chase after Him. If you look at all Paul and some other strong followers, they left everything behind to truly understand what it meant to love God and love others. I look at that, and often think that i suck at living a Christian life. My life doesnt always reflect Christ. But God saids not to condemn ourselves, because thats why God has so much Grace. He sees our short comings and makes up for it. He gives us the love to love, gives us the hope in fear, and gives us the strength of the Spirit to tackle the weaknesses of our flesh.

For the rest of this blog i'm gonna talk about how we need a regeneration in this generation. Christians and myself included, need to reform their thinking and take the pursuit of God more seriously. We need to grow in maturity and faith. Many Christians are still sleeping! Many are being deceived by false beliefs and false teaching. We have fallen into lies and deception. We have become too passive and too comfortable. We as Christians often hold our tongues and dont preach the gospel because we fear man. We are afraid of what people might say. We value our reputation, so we hide our light, dim it down so no one will be offended. We Christians are often too scared to stand up for our faith. We cannot be ashamed of the gospel of Christ Jesus. We try to be normal so people dont think we're crazy or nuts. Well i think the foolishness of God should seem pretty crazy to people. But why are we so overly concerned with what others think of us, rather than what Christ thinks of us. Are we more concerned with saving a friend? or a friendship? Faith is only meant to be lived out.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1Cor 1:18

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." 2 Tim 4:3

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:34-38

Why are so many ashamed of our Father? Why have we fallen into acts of carnality. We who give ourselves the title of "Christian", need to always examine ourselves. Have we seen a change? or are we still living exactly like the world? Do we look, act and behavior just like a non-christian? Do we actually hate our sin? Are we convicted when we lie? Convicted when we laugh at a sexual joke? Convicted when we gossip about someone? Are we convicted when we see sin in media? Do we point out our errors, or do we find them to be jus natural? God not only tells us to believe, but also to repent of our wicked ways. And you know what the result of truly being convicted, and truly repenting is? Falling into the same sin less and less, and loving God more and more.

We can often get caught up with religion. We shouldnt treat the Christian walk like a religion. Religion puts emphasis on stuff you hafta do to gain salvation and look presentable. Religion puts emphasis on stuff u cant do. Make sure u dont smoke, make sure u dont drink, make sure u dont sleep around, etc. And religion barely talks about just being in a relationship with God. Church is commonly linked to religion. We still define church as the building u go to on Sundays. From intermediate to college, youth groups are more about having fun than anything else. Kids often go to youth group church to meet guys/girls, eat cheap junk food, and listen to cool bands. We must be careful that we don't make church jus a cool place to hangout and pretend we're good people. Church is a body of Christ, where one can share deep feelings, emotions, struggles, and have fellowship. Church is meant for strengthening Christians in God's word. Church is people you can worship God with. Church should be lead by the Spirit, and engulfed in prayer. We must be careful when we talk about super mega churches. Evangelist should not be trying to sell Jesus like a used-car salesman. Church and Religion are not God.

Im not here to bash young Christians, nor am i here to boast my image. I am here to challenge our values, principles and desires. Try to take something away without taking offense. The body of the church needs some discernment even if its sour. Do you know how bank tellers can tell a counterfeit fraud? You know how they can tell a fake $20 from a real one? They dont examine all sorts of fakes. They intensely examine the true $20 to separate the real from the false. In the same way, we must pursue truth, expose the wolves, and discern the false teachings, lies and deception.

I think my eye of discernment is super sharp. I need to be careful with how i communicate error. It's understandable that churches have flaws and make mistakes. I jus think that its important that we strive to build up a church with as much biblical truth as we can. The more we preach a cheap gospel, the more we'll end up with cheap faith. Remember in the movie "300", when their alliance army had over 1000 soldiers? Leonidas asked his spartan's for their profession, and he showed that He brought more soldiers. Dont get me wrong, the number of Christians is important, but what's more important is how devoted a group of Christians are.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25

We often get so caught up with His power to heal, or the gifts He's given us, that we forget to praise the giver. We are not to love the gifts more than the giver. We are not to love the blessings more than the blessor. We can easily get caught up with prophetic visions, revivals, spiritual power, blessings and miracles, that we forget to jus sit back in awe. We can easily get caught up with angels, demons, prophets, spiritual preachers, ministry, worship songs and miracle workers that we miss the Big picture of God's love. It's very very important to seek His will, and seek the Holy Spirit, but perhaps even more important is just joyfully praising Him.

"When we are most satisfied in Him, He is most glorified." John Piper

4) Change
Ask yourself, Am I still living for myself? or living for Christ? Phil 2:12 says to continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Are we confident of our salvation in Christ? Are we a new creature? Have we been BORN AGAIN? And if yes, then we cannot afford to be idle. We must keep careful watch for the bridegroom. He is returning, and many have been side tracked. We too often lose focus on Jesus. We still try to keep God as part of our lives, and dont fully submit our entire life. We are selfish in our pride. We want to have things our way. We cannot get by, by being Sunday Christians. God spits out the lukewarm. Every good tree much bear good fruit. Every strong Christian should grow n equip themselves with biblical discernment, sound theology, leadership, courage, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor 5:17-21

I have a feeling that we as Christians are losing our sense of change. Perhaps we were once transformed by the love of Christ. The question i pose is, "Are we still being transformed?" I have this strong feeling that we have become awashed by our secular culture. We cannot be of this world. I feel like many of us are being swept by today's culture. We cannot allow culture to pull us away from Jesus. We get caught up with new movies, popular celebrities, mainstream bands, big sport games, vacation trips, new relationships, hot restraunts, new clothes, upgraded technology, high paying jobs, and have become distracted from submitting to God. We must keep our minds on eternal things, and build up treasures in Heaven. Are our lives bringing glory to God's kingdom. Where is our focus? What do we value most? The things of this world are temporary. Things will come and go. Look at where we've changed from high school. Many friends have lost touch. Some of us moved out of state for school. Some of us are dating someone new. Some of us have found time consuming jobs. Things change, and don't always last. But one thing is for sure. God never changes. God IS, always and forever. Nothing can change His embracing and faithful love. God is always sovereign. He's the only one we can always count on, because He never changes or abandons us. No matter how many times we get spiritually drained, or how many times we take our eyes off Him, He will still always be our loving God. That should be enough reason to praise Him. Just by studying His character and supremacy, we should be in great awe. There is no one else like Him.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34

I think of the Samaritain woman who was getting water from the well in John 4. Jesus broke the customs of culture, because He cared to help this Samaritain woman. She was so ashamed of her sinful life, that she did her best to conceal it from others. As she fetched water from a well, Christ began to tell her of a living water than would satisfy for eternity. Heres the point. Are we fetching earthy water, that will still cause us to thirst? Or are we rooted near the spring of living water, that provides everlasting life?

I jus looked over Matthew 25. Go get a bible, and read chapter 25, and see what "The Parable of the Ten Virgins", "The Parable of the Talents", and "The Sheep and the Goats" all have in common. What does 5 virgins getting locked out from the wedding banquet, a servant who did nothing with what he was entrusted with, and a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats, all have in common?? It should be quite obvious what Jesus is saying.

5) Cheapening the Gospel
We cheapen the gospel. We preach cheap faith. God didnt tell the rich man to give up 25% of his stuff, He required him to go home and give everything to the poor. He doesnt want us to respond with partial love, He requires ur entire heart. We cannot rationalize the gospel to accommodate our preexisting beliefs. We say "I don't think it'd be fair for God to.." "Well i believe God wouldnt..or doesnt.." Lets get one thing straight. God has all authority, and has every right to do exactly what He wants, and it would be fair and just. Who are we to make ourselves God? We misrepresent God, when we claim to be Christians and manipulate His word. Talking to a Christian about the condom fair at school, he/she said i waited a long time for sex, and we're gonna get married anyway, so i think its okay. The Bible is quite clear about premarital sex, and yet we compromise so we can still get what we want.

Compromising the cost of discipleship will draw a bigger crowd. "Hey it's okay to manipulate the word if its more seeker friendly." Uh no! We allow our culture n society trends to change the imagine of Christ. Oh Jesus is my homeboy. Lets dress Him in cool jeans, blasting a loud punk radio, and crack jokes about Him. Belittling Jesus' image is honestly a huge disgrace. We walk around with necklaces of crosses, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and then bring shame to His name. If u wanna represent Christ, then let ur life reflect that. 90% of Americans claim they are Christians. I wish that statistic were more true. Okay so we've put the title "Christian" on our myspaces and facebooks. Big deal. Anyone can talk the talk, but do we walk the walk?

The cost of following Jesus requires and demands that we give up our entire heart. When we get married, do we love other men/women? When one is in a relationship, do u lust after another? This is exactly how we can cheat God. We say we love God, but then we become foolishly selfish. God is highly displeased when we choose sin over Him. God should be all that we want. We lack nothing when we have Christ. "The Lord is my shepherd, i shall not be in want." We need to continue dying to ourselves everyday. We need to seek His love and correction. We need to love His word, and hate our sin. Phil 3:19 warns us not to make our god our stomach. We need to change our desires!

Mark Twain once said "It's not the parts of the Bible I don't understand that scare me, but the parts i do understand."

Its important to acknowledge our sinful nature. I'll be the first to say that i am stubborn, prideful, selfish, a fool, a coward, and a hypocrite. But i also acknowledge that im a work in progress. We can no longer be mastered by sin. We must hate our evil ways, and look forward to constant transformation. But dont trust on ur own strength, trust on God to lead you. We are absolutely nothing without the blood of Christ. But if we claim to live by the way, the truth, and the life, we should be able to see a clear change. Every branch that bears no fruit will be thrown into the fire. But every good branch that is connected to the vine must bear good fruit. Do we see the fruits of the Spirit? Read Galatians 5:16-26. Are we living by the Spirit??

Faith without works is absolutely dead. People with cheap faith who profess they have genuine faith are not Christians. Faith in Christ is not a one time flu shot. Faith is meant to be lived out, trusting God until we finally see Him. It's not enough to just believe that God exist. Its not even enough to say i believe that Jesus Christ is God. For even the demons know and believe He is God. What actually does save people, is belief manifested. Faith that is lived out in trust and reliance on Him. If you love Him, u will obey His commands. If one is connected to the vine ull be rich in fruit. My challenge to Christians is to wake up! Stop hiding ur light, dont lose ur saltiness.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10

Many will say "Ho who is Chris to tell Christians how were living?" Well my answer would be, it isnt Chris, its Christ. Scripture can often be confusing, but there are many parts where scripture is blatantly obvious and clear. I know how Christians are accustomed to living, because i myself have been there. I know what its like to go through the routines, and follow the religion, and not have a bit of intimacy with God. Christian religion is shallow, compared to a passionate relationship with our Creator. The reason Jesus got so angry at Pharisees and high priest, was because they were hypocrites. They had their halos on so tight, and held the law so strictly, they were blinded. Religious leaders were the ones who persecuted the King. We can often go to the other far end, and become too legalistic. We need to make sure we communicate in love, and be extra careful in disciplining others. Its easy for people to take things the wrong way. But as Shakespeare once wrote, "Sometimes 'tis necessary to be cruel in order to be kind." If ur neighbor was sleeping in a house that was burning, the most loving thing u could possibly do is bust kick the door down, wake them up, and drag them out of the house. If someone were to get hit by a car, the most loving thing you could do is tackle them out of the way.

6)Ordinary Radicals
My challenge is to be ordinary radicals. Stand firm in ur faith. Cry out to become closer to Jesus. Follow Him with all of ur heart. Have full assurance and confidence in our salvation. Live as children of light. Live as obedient children who are holy, pure, righteous and blameless. Read God's Word and seek to live a life of integrity. Dont cheapen the gospel, compromise the cost, or believe in ur own preferences of truth. Listen to the voice God and hear how much He loves you. Praise, glorify, worship, celebrate, rejoice, sing, pray and love the one who has set us free.

Without daily nutrition we become weaker. We need to get fed from God's word. We need to constantly renew our minds everyday. We need to strive for growth everyday. We need to increase in faith everyday. We need to move forward, and fill ourselves with the Spirit everyday. It would be wrong to assume that Christians should always be happy and optimistic. Christians are not perfect, but should follow in the likeness of the perfect one. There is no growth in Christ Jesus without some difficulty and fumbling. In order to keep growing we have to keep risking failure throughout our lives. And the more we spend time with Christ, the more we'll look and act like Him.

"In faith there is movement and development. Each day something is new. To be Christian, Faith has to be new, that is alive and growing." B Manning

"Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Eph 4:13-16

We cannot shy down, nor can we be too aggressive. We must also not condemn ourselves or others. Because it isnt ur fault. Its the sin living in us. It is the enemy who manipulates us to become lazy, idle and paralyzed. So whats the solution you ask? Live by the Spirit. For the Spirit doesnt gratify the evil desires. The sinful flesh and Holy Spirit dont get along too well. And you cant serve two masters. We are to serve one and hate the other. We must hate our sin! Sanctification allows us to move forward. Are we growing in the likeness of Christ?

7) Flesh and Spirit
There are no shortcuts in life. I know that first hand because i am used to doing enough to get by. For the first time i found myself angry at God. I thought, dang i think it'd be a lot easier if there were no God. Following after God is quite hard. Gotta be restricted from sins, gotta practice obeying Him, have to humble urself, have to give up worldly pleasures, and i'm always in a constant struggle to get closer to God. I went through a rough season of trials upon trials. Spiritually i could not stay consistent. It was so frustrating trying to die to myself and fleshy desires. I started to doubt myself and God's will. I was afraid to follow Him, and give up worldly things. I was afraid of the world, and what men would say. I kept condemning myself and allowed my rotten guilt to eat me up. So i got upset with God, and didnt want to pray or seek His face. I thought "brah i can do 'em on my own." In less than a day i realized how foolish and irrational i was. Believe it or not, life is actually harder without God. Because without God, there's no joy.

Life without God would be chaos. Because if there is no God, then there is no moral law, or ethics. There would be no order and no meaning. It would all be an episode of seinfeld, pure nothingness, and absurdity. Nothing to live for, no purpose and no hope. If we assume that there is a moral law, then we must also assume there is a judge, if we claim that a judge exist, then we must also infer that he is just and perfect, to uphold a law. If a supreme judge exist then he must also be all powerful, to throw us into what we deserve. Otherwise, if there is no moral law, we are just animals who try to govern ourselves with preferences.

Besides Jesus, I admired 3 men in the Bible. David, Paul, and Moses. David was a perhaps the strongest King that Israel ever had. He understood what it meant to praise God. I want to start mimicking David's passion in the Psalms. I see Paul as the greatest apostle who every lived, because he was so core to biblical truth. He stood up for his faith, preached the full gospel, and endured persecution and hardship. Paul also exhorted the churches, and built up many disciples. I really admire the leadership of Moses. He interceded for God's people. He prayed for forgiveness of His people, and found favor in God's eyes. Scripture tells us that Moses was the most humble man on earth during that time. But the one who mastered humility and love was Jesus. He descended to earth as a servant to all. Our King died for us! He lowered Himself into a man, and demonstrated what love is. He was obedient, compassionate and completely humble. All these men got one thing down right. They knew they had to submit to God will. They surrendered an easy cruise life, for the obedience and joy of the Lord. I feel God has given me the task of leading His people. I hear a similar call to those of the Bible. I must continue to learn humility and meekness, so God's Spirit can fully empower me to do His work.

I've been learning a lot more about the Holy Spirit. God has given us a helper and counselor to direct us on the path of righteousness. When we surrender, the Holy Spirit kicks in, and works through us. We can't even love God without His help. The Holy Spirit drives out our fears. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do God's will, and the Holy Spirit gives us peace when we are most down. The Holy Spirit also gives us pure joy to love others. The Holy Spirit's love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It's like being on autopilot. We give up our control and allow God to have His way with us. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, it prays for us, it helps us to understand God's word, it moves us closer in our relationship with God.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Cor 1:3-5

8) Pleasing Others
I couple weeks ago at church, Pastor Waxer spoke about how important it is to chase after agape love. We get so caught up with chasing the other 3, storge, philia, and eros. Storge is the love u seek from ur family. Philia is the love from co-workers, classmates, n friends. Eros is the love of finding a mate, bf, gf, spouse. These loves are nothing compared to Agape love. God's love never fails and always endures. Unlike the other 3, agape love is unconditional. God loves u no matter what. Often times the other loves seek something in return. These loves are conditional.

Oh btw im writing most of this on valentines day! Yes God intended for us to love each other deeply. But in America we have shifted our values and priorities to finding a significant other. Like i said before, this love still wont satisfy the human heart. We must love God first before we can truly start loving others. But yah, who doesnt get all jittery over those shy butterflies. My argument is that we should leave those relationships in God's hands. When a couple is founded in their faith in God, it creates such a stronger relationship. Now days we often get infatuated and try to rush in just to be in a relationship. Perhaps we need to take a step back, and first try to understand ourselves, and our relationship with God. Then we wont be so dependent on our relationship status. We must not allow our selfish desires to get in the way of God's desires. Do we go to sleep envisioning our dream boy or dream girl? Or are seeking God's will? Seeking intimacy with Him first and foremost. Because instead of settling for good, we should wait on God's best. Settle for pleasure now? Or wait for sweet pleasure in God's eternal kingdom? When we're dependent on God's will, everything works out for the best.

We seek approval from our parents. We seek to be accepted by our peers. And we constantly try to be in a beautiful relationship with someone. Well heres the problem with those loves. These loves change ur behavior to please someone else. This is super important to understand. Look at how many times a day u change ur behavior or actions to impress or please someone. I notice how much i do things differently when i know other ppl are watching. I try to self present myself in a manner that is accepting to others. For instance look how much u change ur behavior when u sit next to someone u really like. You'll sit differently, u'll try to communicate extra friendly, you'll be kinder in gestures, you'll try to make urself look good, and do everything to seem more attractive to them. We like to be well thought of. When someone is watching, u wanna look cooler. You wanna say a funny joke to get people to laugh and like you more. You may pretend to read a book to seem more intelligent and sophisticated. Are we living according to God's will? Are we yoked by non-Christians? Are we bold in our faith? Or are we living for our own reputation?

I am a pro at pleasing others. I can change my behaviors as a chameleon changes his colors. I notice that im pro at relating to others. If i know what pleases someone ill do it. If i know what ppl like out of me, then that's who ill present. If i know what ppl like to talk about, ill try to agree with them in a conversation. Im good at it. And thats why i'm warning us all to check ourselves carefully. Dont be a chameleon. As the Genie in Aladdin once said, "Bee yourself!" Dont get caught up with trying to please others. Be honest to urself. Heres the even more dangerous part. Sometimes all we want to do then is to please ourselves. Without taking God's will into consideration we'll start to live for ourselves. What makes me happy?? Well then im gonna go do that. I'll do what i want, when i want. So there's a balance between being others minded, and when to take care of ur own needs. I didnt really explain this really well, but the bottom line is that we need to be first concerned with pleasing God. When we please God, we become real to ourselves, we understand our true identity in Christ, and start to genuinely love on others.

We rely on storge, philia, and eros to fill us. We hunger for love. We thirst for acceptance. So we base our self esteem with our appearances. Do i have the approval of others? Am i well liked? We try to make ourselves better by ourselves. No wonder self help books are so highly sold. We seek happiness in these loves because we think it'll satisfy us. But what happens when u put so much emphasis on relational happiness? You often get hurt, because u realize that ur dependent on someone else. These loves are not perfect, they can fail and are temporary. We like to wear nice clothes to feel better about ourselves, we light to have our hair just right, we like to have the newest gadgets, expensive toys, and pretty relationships to please ourselves. But what happens when that gets taken away? We're left empty inside, because they didnt truly satisfy. By no means am i saying we shouldnt be others orientated. Think about others, care about others, be concerned with their needs, but dont fake or pretend to be someone ur not to impress someone. Of course its good to have polite manners and class, its wouldnt hurt to shower and have good hygiene.

9) Fullfillment
We all seek fulfillment in life. We want significance and meaning. We seek acceptance. We want accomplishment. We constantly seek something to satisfy us. So we turn to the American Dream and the pursuit of happiness. Get a good education to get a good job, to make as much money as you can, so you can be happy, and have a security in a wealthy house. Well then what? Are you happy then? Money, relationships, material, expensive dinners, wealth, power, fame, comfort and securities still wont satisfy. Only the love, gentle acceptance, forgiveness and grace of God will satisfy the human heart.

"The gospel of grace calls out, Nothing can ever separate you from the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. You must be convinced of this, trust it, and never forget to remember. Everything else will pass away, but the love of Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Faith will become vision, hope will become possession, but the love of Jesus Christ that is stronger than death endures forever. In the end, it is the one thing you can hang onto." Brennan Manning

Its not about how long we live, its about how meaningful our life is. We all want to live a full and purposeful life right? The most purposeful thing we could ever do is live for God. Live to please Him. What is His will for you? His calling for me is to devote my life to sharing the love and gospel of Christ. It'd be a life worth living. Can you think of anything more productive than bringing others closer to God? God fills us with the Spirit to use us for His glory. Have you ever shown someone God's love? When u see someone having a tough day, or someone down in the dumps, tell them about the joy of God. It's the only thing that will fulfill our emptiness.

After i finished a Lutheran bible study with some high school guys, I actually heard God say "Good job Chris." And actually hearing that God was proud of me, really meant a lot. I forget how much God truly admires our obedience. He smiles down on us when we find satisfaction and glory in Him. It's always comforting to hear His voice and know that your life is being lead by the Divine Creator.

"Geniune self-acceptance is not derived from the power of positive thinking, mind games, or pop psychology. It is an act of faith in the God of Grace. The more fully we accept ourselves, the more successfully we begin to grow. When we accept ourselves for what we are, we decrease our hunger for power or the acceptance of others because our self intimacy reinforces our inner sense of security. We are no longer preoccupied with being powerful or popular. We no longer fear criticism because we accept the reality of our human limitations. Once integrated, we are less often plagued with the desire to please others because simply being true to ourselves brings lasting peace." Brennan Manning

Why are we so caught up with boyfriends and girlfriends. Why are we more excited about super bowl football, an episode of Oprah and more excited with President Obama, then we are with Jesus? They don't offer any salvation. People are looking everywhere for a solution. Tons of ppl are suffering from drug/drinking addictions, ppl are depressed, empty and completely lost. So they turn to therapy, and self help books. The bottom line is that we cannot satisfy our discontentment on our own. Only God's love offers a fulfilling peace.

I know there are many sound Churches, and many Christians are in fact diligently pursuing further growth in Christ. But yet all Christians still struggle. And if ur not struggling, then u know something is really wrong. We cannot get comfortable by settling for an easy earthy life. We should acknowledge that we arnt perfect, and that we are desperate for God's grace. In our humility, God offers His strength. God the Son made up for our bad mistakes. God the Father now declares us righteous in His sight. And then God the Holy Spirit lives in us, to do what we cannot do on our own.

Are you diminished by other people's perception of you or your own definitions of yourself? I know i often felt that pressure, of not living up to my own and other ppl's standards/expectations. That is why i loved the Ragamuffin Gospel so much, because it helps Christians to break free from the holds of darkness, discouragement, inconsistency, self hatred, self condemnation, fear, shame and guilt. We think we hafta be good for God to accept us, but the good news is that He came for sinners. His grace oversees our imperfectness. He paints a clear picture of how God's grace carries us through our more desperate times. Once we are justified by grace through faith, we are completely forgiven of all our sins. We must then learn to forgive ourselves of our sins. We must allow God's warm compassion to be greater than our filthy sinfulness.

"I long for you to let go of worry and allow yourself to trust God completely. It's one thing to know your Father loves you and quite another thing to experience it." Brennan Manning

I've done things that hurt my witness. I forgot to go do something for someone when i said i would. Someone relying on ur help, and u forgetting looks really bad. It looks worst when they know your a Christian. I had a quick temper with someone, and made it obvious that i didnt like them talking to me, that sorta stuff will ruin a Christian's witness. We are to constantly watch ourselves, and live with integrity. People watch Christian lives and look at our behavior. Our lives should convince others to seek God. There should be something different with us, so that people will want what we have.

10) Postmodernism
Perhaps the reason why we are to be hated by the world is because we should be completely against the machine. We live in this world, but we're not to be of this world. We must be careful when dealing with man's reasoning, logic and science. Instead of conforming to this world, we ought to conform to God's word alone. We cannot be lead by postmodernism. We fall into the new age of thinking. Universalism says that everyone will be saved. Just be a good person. No one is wrong, there are thousands of ways to salvation. Being a theist wont save you. You cant jus believe that there's a high source in the universe, and that's good enough for salvation. Religions dont save either. Its always stuff u hafta do to gain or deserve God's approval. Cults and Religions practice rituals, traditions, and good works, but that all adds up to nothing. We follow so many false preachers now days. We start to defend our preferences, and make truth relative. What does this text of scripture mean to you? People will come up with their own meanings and own truths and think they will be saved. Something is radically wrong.

Lets talk about postmodernism for a little. I too was confused when i constantly heard that word, postmodernism. We are in an age of shaping the world with new ideas. In this new age, we are coming up with new trends, and new age thinking. Now days everyone walks around with cell phones and ipods, including the young ones. Now days we cant live without a dish washer, microwave, television and air condition. Are those things wrong? Of course not, but with increasing technology, we have become distracted from God. Postmodernism is developing igods. Igods are people who think we can do everything on our own. Americans especially are very individualistic. Along with being individualistic, we build up a pride of ourselves. We figure that making money will allow me to use other high-tech resources, which will in return satisfy me.

A good example of postmodernism is architecture. If you havnt noticed, the buildings now days are beings designed quite different than before. Now days everyone wants a postmodern architect, because its creative, unique and has style. But no one now days wants a postmodern engineer. Who would want a engineer that subtracts vital pillars, or guesses on foundation measurements. Engineers must have their buildings precisely to the t. We have postmodern artist. You've seen the jagged lines, blue circles, and red spolts of paint. How can such simple artwork be worth thousands? Oh but the artist is a genius for it's emotion. There's a postmodern wave of sexuality hitting America. Politically its not right to say homosexual, we must say gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, and leave room for any other titles. We have postmodern music, where we can add in beats, synchronize tones, and manipulate the sounds to create a hot new track. Postmodernism is breaking through boundaries and leaves room for interpretation. Would u want a postmodern bank teller? Who says i dont think 2+2=4. That jus isnt working for us. I think 2+2=3. It would completely screw up civilization if everything we're open to interpretation. Yes its okay to have new clothes trends, yes its okay to have pop culture, yes its okay to have postmodern buildings. But its not okay to have postmodern engineers, bank tellers, and postmodern bible teachers.

If we as Christians truly want to follow in Jesus' steps, we hafta be prepared to face many trials. Following Jesus does not exactly lead us to the most comfortable life. It kinda reminds me of "The Matrix", when Neil had to choose the red pill or the blue pill. You can choose to go back to an ordinary happy fairly tail land, or you can choose to swallow the red pill which will show you the truth. Often times people want to swallow both pills, to have some truth, but mix in their own understandings so that they can also live more comfortable. One must be very careful not to add or subtract to God's word. You cannot chase after Jesus if we still want to live for ourselves, because they contradict. Its like saying "I love mac computers, they're the best. But i only like to use PCs." "I love basketball, its my favorite sport! But i only watch football and golf." "Ya i love Jesus, He's my Savior, But i practice my own spiritual beliefs and think its okay to have other gods." You cannot compromise truth, follow our preferences, or believe in only some parts of the bible that accommodate our truths.

Pastors, evangelist, preachers, and saints, must constantly examine the scripture to test if they are in His word. Postmodernism says we can come up with new ideas that work. Postmodernism says lets be super seeker friendly, so no one is offended, lets preach what people want to hear, and cover up the tough parts of the bible. Lets just not talk about sin, because ppl dont wanna hear that.

In politics, we govern ourselves. The population votes on what they find morally correct, and what is illegal. In democracy we come up with what we feel is right. Remember how dependent Moses was for God's law? We must look to the authority of scripture to define our ethics. Christians should strongly fight for God's standards and not human standards. Can u imagine children coming up with their household rules?


Christ's resurrection and forgiveness of sins is sufficient for our salvation. Christ demonstrated perfect love, and is the only one to have conquered death. Muhammad, Buddah, are dead. Christ is alive. He's the only one who even claimed to bring God to us. He's the only one who dealt so radically with human wickedness. He's the only one who offered atonement. Can u think of anyone else who resurrected, and still lives with us? When Thomas said i dont believe Christ appeared to more than 500 ppl after His burial, unless i stick my finger through the holes of His hands i refuse to believe. And Christ appeared, and said okay Thomas go ahead. God didnt hafta give us any way out. God just giving us one way for salvation is enough and sufficient. If God says I am the only God and there is none but me. And if God says salvation is found in no one else, and Christ says im the only way, then that's what we are to believe. Sure itd be nice if everyone was right, and that there were a hundreds of different gods, and hundreds of ways to salvation. But that's just not how it is. There is one God who is supreme over all, and there is only one way to Him.

If Christ never resurrected, then there is no resurrection for us either. If there is no God that saves us, then everything under the sun is meaningless. As Paul says, if the dead are not raised at all,.. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." But the truth is that Christ has risen. He has conquered sin and death. IF u look at the bible closely, ull see that all the main characters went through a Redemption. The Bible is all about being set free from sin, and having redemption in our Savior. True salvation is dependent on Christ's atonement and resurrection. Hallelujah! He has risen! We are saved by His Grace! We have Freedom, Love, Peace, and Joy everlasting!

11) Agape
One of the greatest things i learned in the book was to just allow God to love on you.
The emphasis is not on what we have to do, such as the "do-it-yourself spiritually, self disciplining, and doing things to gain acceptance. But rather on what God is doing. He tends and loves His sheep. Let Him soften your heart. Let Him take out ur trash. Let Him take hold of you with His warm embrace. Allow God to love you. He accepts us just the way we are. He loved us even before we were in our mother's womb. He takes us in unconditionally, removes our hearts of stone, and gives us eternal life + infinite love. God welcomes and invites us to take communion with Him. Jesus would have died for us even if we had been the only person on earth. He calls us to come to Him now with all our brokenness, insecurities, fears, and sinfulness. He takes us jus as we are, and not the way we think we should be. Your mind should want to explode when u truly experience God's love firsthand. Nothing else in the world will seem more beautiful or more desirable than the love of Christ. Brennan Manning says to pray these simple prayers over and over throughout the day, "Abba, Father I belong to you." and "Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing." Our lips should sing pslams and hymns of praise to Him all day. We need to put more emphasis on the family. We should pray for marriages, pray for blessings, pray for the sick, and pray for God to have His way with us.

God loves what in us is not yet. What has still to come to birth. What we love in a person is what already is: virtue, beauty, courage, and hence our love is self-interested and fragile. God, loving what is not yet and putting faith in us." Carlo Carretto

"A little child cannot do a bad coloring; nor can a child of God do bad prayer." Brennan Manning

Dont take God's love for granted. We dont know how much God loves us. He is uncontainable. And the moment we think we understand it all is the moment we do not understand. Faith begins to shrivel and shrink when we become bored with the Christian life. When prayer, scripture, worship, ministry become routine, thats when we need to be desperate to find God in a new and surprising way. It takes serious reflection to grow deeper, more passionate, more mature and stronger in commitment of faith. Enjoy the simple things, be grateful for ur blessings, and stare up at the sky in awe.

"By and large, our world has lost its sense of wonder. We have grown up. We no longer catch our breath at the sight of a rainbow or the scent of a rose, as we once did. We have grown bigger and everything else smaller, less impressive. We get blase and worldly-wise and sophisticated. We no longer run our fingers through water, no longer shout at the starts or make faces at the moon. Water is H20, the stars have been classified, and the moon is not made of green cheese." Brennan Manning

One thing that we could all use is, more compassion for those different than us. I know ive treated others different because of their attitudes, age, race, apperance, weight, gender, disabilities, economic status, sexual orientation and just because someone is different. Why do we look at ppl differently? I treated someone differently cuz they were older. I got irritated with this boy because he kept talking to me, and became unfriendly towards him, even when he was mentally challenged. I got super pissed off one day because it seemed like everyone was a bad driver. People speeding up to block you, people not paying attention, people cutting you off, etc. I got super angry at people. I saw an old bully from high school at church, and tried to ignore him, instead of greeting him. I looked at someone differently because he liked boys instead of girls. I kept my distance and ignored the poor and homeless. I was superficial. I chose to love on only those i care about. God demands that we love on people even if they dont care about you. God doesnt jus teach us to love our friends n family, He commands us to love everyone and treat everyone equally. We must learn to truly pray for others and be others minded. Love those who dont have many friends, love the unpopular, love the ones who are lonely, love those who can get on ur nerves, love bad drivers, love your enemies, and love people genuinely regardless of how they look or act. If we could apply any scripture, we should seek to apply Matt 22:36-38


"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 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. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Eph 3:14-21

12) Poem
I got inspired to start writing psalm poems like David did. I dont like to take lines from other songs, but its already embedded. Its too much work to incorporate syllables, rhymes, and all that jazz. But i think simple prayers and poems are one of the best ways to glorify God.

I will wait upon the Lord
For I am so desperate for more
My soul cries out for your Holy Spirit
Engulf me, fill me, and surround me
Whisper your words unto my heart
For you are my Holy Father
and I am your precious child

Oh that I may have a genuine heart
That only seeks to praise you
For you loved me first
You rescued me and gave me a home
You fed me, you clothed me
You delivered me out of the darkness
and comforted me in your light

For I will only move forward
closer and closer to you each day
The old has gone and the new has come
I no longer want to live as before
For when I am weak you are most strong
I will surrender to your sovereignty
and put all my trust in you

For you are my rock, and my foundation
Your love never fails, and you never let go
You shine as my sun, reign as my King
and you lead me as my Shepherd
Your grace pours out an everlasting love
You've covered my sins
And you washed me clean

For you are always there
Even at my lowest of lows
You never gave up
You rooted for me all the way
You looked upon me with your compassionate eyes
You gave me hope, protected me,
lifted me out, and saved me

You sit high upon the clouds of Heaven
And you sprinkle your grace like rain
You are so powerful, and yet so gentle
You love and bless all your children
For you alone are worthy, and you alone are King
I cant wait to enter your heavenly gates
And finally see you, face to face

Oh how your love endures forever
Your love is so incredible
It is perfectly wonderful
Your love is so overwhelming
My spirit races with joy and laughter
And yet at the same time
you grant your calm stillness and peace

Oh how great is your complexity
Oh how divine is your simplicity
The war has been won
I have victory in your strength
Renew the tired, awake the sleep
The King is coming,
Be ready for His return