Hymn for the Missing

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I know there will be times in our lives where grief seems to have consumed every aspect of our existence, from the moment you wake up in the morning to the pause at the coffee maker, knowing you only need half a pot, to the silence throughout the evening as you get ready for bed, and the moments when you lie awake unable to sleep in the emptiness they left behind. There will be times when you go to call your mother or father and remember that no one will pick up the phone. There will be times when you want to text your friend about their favorite band playing in concert only to have the message fail to send. There will even be times when you go to wake up your child for school and remember that they've learned all they could from this earth.

But I also know there will be a time when there is no more suffering, no more tears. I know that there will come a time when everyone we have lost only temporarily will be with us for an eternity. I know that when that time comes, all the suffering we have felt here will be meaningless in the joy we are overcome with.

And, until that time comes, we will get through these days. We will survive. And with God's help, we might even thrive. He understands what it is to lose, He lost Adam and Eve to sin, He lost His son for three days following His crucifixion. He understands your grief, and He does not simply say move on, He promises to help us move forward.

Courageous

Never once in the Bible were we ever told to cower - flee fornication, yes - but in each story and parable Jesus told, and in the histories of the Bible and the early church, it was the just who stood strong against all oppression, even unto death. How can this be?

For we are mortal, and to all who do not believe, death is the end - be it conscious eternal darkness or the simple 'off' switch to the magnitude of their being. But that, in itself, answers the question. To all who do not believe, pain, death, and persecution are as curses. To the believer - to us - we are told to see them not as the end, but a test, one He has already passed in a war that has already been won. Death is nothing to fear then, if we know in our hearts that the Savior who came to this earth to redeem us is true to His promise that all who call upon His name shall be saved. Pain and persecution are the ill borne children of a fallen world, and they hold no more power over us than that which we give, because the One in us has already overcome the world. If we believe these things, beyond doubt, beyond what our "false human nature" tells us is rational, if we believe that the God who formed the endless universe, the planet we stand on flying through it at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, and the very God that did this made us with even greater care and purpose, then NOTHING we face is too dark, evil, or overpowering to overcome. If we believe - if you believe - that God is in You, then there will never be anything you cannot stand against in His name and for His Will.

1 Chronicles 28:20 “And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.”

Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”

Isaiah 41:10-13 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

Keeping Christ

It will be another 11 months before the phrase "Keep CHRIST in Christmas" becomes a daily occurrence, and the fb pages, bumper stickers, tshirts, and billboards are going to be plastered with it. Articles about the "War on Christmas" will be shared, facebook pages will call for a "Rally", your friends and family will discuss just how crucial it is to refrain from saying "X-mas" even though X is the symbol of the Christ. We will all get up in airs over the day December 25th and what the old church chose to have it represent. 

Now, hear me out: That's great and all, but allow me to challenge you to do something better that debate the origins of the tree, the materialistic nature, the lack of charity. You see, Jesus didn't ask for Christmas. He didn't ask that we do all this, all He wanted done as remembrance among ourselves was communion. His outreach to the world, the showing of His grace to the masses, was supposed to be our daily lives. It was meant to be an every day occurrence, for those who loved Him to show His love to others, with their prayers, gifts, time, and above all, the way we treat people. He didn't say "Do all this around Easter and maybe at Thanksgiving and definitely at Christmas time."  He didn't ask for any of the hype we endure each winter. He asked for every day. Keeping Christ in Christmas is awesome, but the reality is that the true battle we are up against is keeping Him in our every day life. Outreach doesn't end Dec. 26. Charity doesn't. Giving love doesn't. The church made it, the world commercialized it, we falsely fight for it, but the truth is that it isn't as big a deal to God as what we think it is. He doesn't want a birthday party. He wants us to live in a constant state of joy, thanksgiving, and love. Christmas is nothing compared to what Jesus really asked of us, to follow and live as He did, every. single. day.

So if you really want to "keep Christ" do it as He asked you to, always.

Thrive

Go take a walk. Not right now, but tomorrow, or later today. Get outside, breathe deep, and just walk. No headphones. No distractions. Just you, the world around you, and God. We forget that we are our mind, body, and spirit, and even if you're a genius but never exercise, your body will crumble, and even if you're a gym-rat but never pray, your spirit will suffer. We have to take care of ourselves. YOU have to take care of yourself. Redbulls, poptarts, computer screens, and praying less than 30 seconds a day is not living. It's barely surviving when God wants you to THRIVE. Have you ever even felt that? Thriving? I have - and it didn't come from money, or ease of life, it came from seeking Him, taking care of my self, walking and praising every day, and just learning to be healthy in all I do. Thriving is possible. Pray, and your choices will be clearer and your faith stronger. Get out and move and your hormones will level and your sleep will be deeper. Eat well and your skin will shine. Eat the Word and your life will shine. It's all related. Start taking care of yourself. You're one of His most favored creations.

Whether in Word or Deed

Do everything as unto God. How you speak with the grocery bagger; how you speak to your child's teacher; how you talk to your husband, family; how you do your job; when you clock in vs when you actually start working; how you drive; how you spend your time, money, and talents; how you raise your kids; how you speak to your kids now that they are no longer kids; etc etc etc. Do EVERYTHING as unto God. In excellence. In kindness. In meekness. In confidence. In grace. In patience. In love. Do EVERYTHING as unto GOD.


Col. 3

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.b 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Reboot

I want to apologize, for not being on here a lot, but I know why. God wants us to serve, that is the number one mandate for Christians. But - we also need to find time to seek Him, alone. My mother works now, so I do all the errands, and my gym is 20 min from my house (its really nice, so I don't mind the gas cost to go the 8miles to get there.) The times when I'm alone in my car are my worship hours. I turn on Air1 Radio and I just sing. It takes spiritual energy to get on here and post to you all, and if TonY ever breaks his phone I might actually get a chance to be the first to reply to a page message (jk, lol.) We sometimes need to recharge our spiritual batteries.

Our mom's know this, about needing that "me time." My mom has even said, "If you have a baby that's crying, for no immediate reason, and you are at your wits end: leave the room. Make sure they are safe, but remove yourself. Put on headphones, whatever it takes, and calm down. When you are back to center, then you can go take care of the baby, and have a better mindset about it. She'll even sense you're calmer and it will pacify her."

People of all ages need those "let it cry while I get back to center" moments. There might be things in your life that you know you need to do (ie: me get on here and talk to all you awesome little fireballs for God) but if there is something in you (other than laziness) that is keeping you from it, then address it. God will bring situations to our awareness so we will do something about them. That's not to say He wants it done this instant, you have to know His timing.

His timing isn't just about actual events, revelations of the mind and heart count too. He will always come through when He sees fit, and we have to be patient. Even if that baby is crying, you have to be ready to comfort him/her. Same with life. Even if things around you are falling to pieces (or in my case, the house is a wreck and you have 24 hours to clean it, paint a bathroom, and make 3 meals premade for the weekend) you need to get yourself center in Him before you grab the spackle and the paint and go to town on the shattered walls.

Reminds of this song I used to listen to almost every day (the CD's WOW 2000 to WOW 2007 were my childhood.)

Welcome to this heart of mine
I've buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I've made
Inside of me
Come decorate, Lord
Open up the creaking door
And walk upon the dusty floor
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remain
Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded

Come inside this heart of mine
It's not my own
Make it home
Come and take this heart and make it
All Your own
Welcome home

Right to Ourselves: Ego

An outsider looking into the current state of the population of most first-world countries would conclude, given the evidence found in everything from magazines promising perfect bodies by summer time to the number of social media accounts boasting our latest adventures, that we are a very egotistical society. In fact, we are not. Even if ego were the popularly defined belief of self-superiority, then the evidence of our image worshiping society does not support its existence, but lack of it. Therefore, this cannot be ego’s true nature.

            The “selfie” is a prime example of this misinterpretation. Take for instance teenagers on social media. As of May 2013, the average teen on the popular social media site Facebook has over 300 friends, according to a study titled “Internet Project” by PewResearch. The same study showed that 91% of the photos posted by these users are of themselves, taken by themselves, thus the term “selfie.” This practice has become so common that the Oxford Dictionary even added selfie as a legitimate word in the English language as of last year. One would think this practice of teen social media users immortalizing images of themselves so frequently would mean an overabundance of ego, yet PewResearch determined that, “teen Facebook users will manipulate their profile and timeline content in order to garner the maximum number of “likes,” and remove photos with too few “likes.”” The act of removing a picture solely because it did not reach the level of popularity desired is a strong indicator that this perceived ego brushing practice is in fact a well-disguised lack of self-esteem.

            A much darker reality stems from this lack of ego. Self-harm is the act of causing yourself intentional pain through cutting, burning, hair-pulling, or scratching, and can be as deadly as self-poisoning and intentionally breaking bones. The Truth Hurts conducted a study focusing on these things, and concluded that these symptoms and disorders have an onset in young people as early as twelve years old and as many as one out of every fifteen teens in the United Kingdom is affected by some form of self-harm. The study, published in Mental Health Practice, confirmed that, “It is very common for young people who self-harm to have low self-esteem, to lack confidence and to have a poor self-image.”

Has our misinterpretation of the term ego led to this? We live in a society that looks down upon those who boast in themselves, yet we accept a lack of self-confidence as the status quo by making the search of it through superficial “likes” as normal. In turn, we reap the deadly repercussions of a youth who believe themselves to be without self-worth.

A society that has lost this sense of self as described in the novella, Anthem, published in the United States in 1946 and written by famous novelist and philosopher, Ayn Rand. The novel’s working title prior to publication was “Ego,” and her work does a good job of personifying the destruction that comes when the word is misused, and worse, forgotten. She ends the novel by stating,

“And here, over the portals of my fort, I shall cut in the stone the word which is to be my beacon and my banner. The word which will not die, should we all perish in battle. The word which can never die on this earth, for it is the heart of it and the meaning and the glory.

The sacred word:

EGO.” (p.128.)

It is true that ego is the belief of one’s personal worth. It is not self-righteousness, neither is it the thought of your own superiority, nor is it the act of self-worship. A lack of ego and its widespread misinterpretation has led to a pandemic of people who are afraid to believe in themselves and their right to self-appreciation. Ego is in fact the one thing our society lacks. It is the personal conviction that your life, your actions, and your beliefs are worth something, and in turn, you are worth your own existence, effort, and faith.

Glimpse

I want to share a story with you all. This story is on going, and I want to share why. My mother and I were at a thrift shop a few days ago and I saw the most elegant dress, ever, red carpet worthy, brand new, never worn. I tried it on, just because. 

It was beautiful. 

I started thinking about how silly it was, for me to get it, having no where to wear it. I was kind of sad, to find this seemingly flawless dress, very much affordable, but to have no where to wear it to. I have never been to prom, and no one ever asks me to Army balls (my father is military.) 

I put the dress back and didn't think about it again until tonight, when God reminded me of something. 

He will give us glimpses of His plans for us, and we have to trust that He does stand true to giving us the desires of our heart. Even if it was just a dress, He saw how much I adored it, and I can promise you as clear as day He said, "Not that dress, not this time, but one day." 

He's done it before, and He has never failed on His word. At 15 it was a red corvette "Not that car, not this time, but one day." One day came a month ago when my parents and I bought a new Corolla, and though it isn't the corvette, it sure drives like one, and bonus: a backseat & gas mileage. 

That dress is nothing more than fabric, but His promises will last forever. Whatever it is, whatever glimpse He has given you, whatever your "not this and not now, but soon" moment is, take faith in it. I know things get hard, and as a teen I know that many battles lie ahead of both of us, but He is with you. He wants to bless you. He wants you to have a better job, a safer home, a newer car, a better state of health, and it will all come in His timing. Until then, treasure the glimpses, but never forget to keep looking up. 

-Arial "Lioness of God" 

Make it Count

There are no little victories when it comes to overcoming sin.

Smile when you do good, because He is too, and repent when you misstep, because there will always be a way to turn it around. Every choice we make will bear a consequence, good or bad depends on which path we took.

If you ever find yourself justifying an action, don't take it. With God there is peace, so if the choice is righteous there will be no debate needed. You will be faced with questions and chances today. Questions about your faith. Chances to further it. Temptation. Trials. Keep in mind that even our thoughts must be guarded, from our thoughts comes our actions.

Every little thing counts.

Make today count in a good way.

Partakers

I know bad things have happened to you. I know you've done bad things. I know as you read this there's a hole in the pit of your stomach weighted by all the times you were wronged and all the wrongs you've done. But I also know this, more than anything else and clearer than anything else, He took care of that over 2,000 years ago. He bore our guilt, our shame, our disgust at the world and at ourselves. He suffered it so that in His name we wouldn't have to. There will always be pain, I'm not stupid to think otherwise. The world is going to hell in a hand basket, and things are getting worse by the day. But we aren't of the world. We aren't partakers in its demise. We aren't branded with the same curses anymore. He gave us forgiveness. He gave us freedom. He gave us the promise of eternity with Him and through the Holy Spirit He gave us His presence right here and right now. So don't fall into that hole in your stomach. Don't believe the lies that your doomed, that you deserve your suffering, because you don't. No matter how bad you've had it or how bad you've been, we are never past redemption. The world will keep going down until He returns (trumpets, big white horse, angels: Revelations) but we aren't meant to follow its lead, but His. You've been set on a different path and by grace you have been given the right to walk it . . .

One Nation

One nation.
Under God.
That nation isn't just the USA. That is His people. His church. His followers. When we stand UNDER GOD we too can be INDIVISIBLE. When we put aside silly battles and focus on the war for righteousness, when we look to one another not as enemies or a basis for comparison, but as friends and allies in this war, we will find that freedom isn't given by our government, but by our King. In HIM lies the ultimate freedom, freedom from sin, from shame, from fear. Freedom from insecurity, from hatred. When we put ourselves under Him, we too are indivisible.

Communion

com·mun·ion / /kəˈmyo͞onyən/

The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, esp. when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.

THINK on this. Jesus did Communion with His followers, the sharing of his most intimate thoughts and feelings, with God, with US. We are called to continue to do this, to ‘declare the Lord’s death until He comes.’ And we are to do it often. Why then should it be limited to once a month (if that) only in church? My family and I grew up doing it almost every night. I have never felt as safe and provided for as I did around our picnic table, a plate of Ritz crackers and grape juice in front of me, my siblings struggling to stay awake as our father prayed to our Father. We were each given a chance to pray after, my first exposure to seeking God openly.
More people need this. I am asked all the time ‘How’d you end up so good?’ – I’m not good, but we serve an amazing God, and communion is one of the most powerful means we have to declare HIM in our lives and hearts. YOU can do this. RIGHT NOW, Gatorade, fruit juice, even water, whatever you have. A crouton, a piece of bread, a tortilla, you have the physical symbols. Are you willing to allow them to become the supernatural?
Jesus Himself did this. He asked – He TOLD – us to do the same, to declare God, the power and the might of the Almighty, in our life, in our home, in the world until He returns. So many of you I know have never done this, and that is ok :) that is why I am posting this, to invite all of you to do it with me. That’s my hand, my plate, my declaration of God in my life.
Will you do this with me? Will you announce today and all days that He is King, that YOU accept Jesus as your Savior, as the payment for the sin that has the power to separate us from God, but that He covered with the cross? Will you declare God as Lord for all time, in your life? Will you take up your bread and your cup and break it with me, in Spirit and in Truth, worshipping God in this simple and holy act?

Luke 22:19-20 - And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Matthew 26:26-28 - And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

John 4:14 - But whosoever drink of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 6:51 - I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

John 6:53 - Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

John 8:12 - Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follow me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

1 Corinthians 11:26 - For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

1 Corinthians 11:28 - But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of [that] bread, and drink of [that] cup.

Isaiah 53:5 - But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Perception

I can't stand young adult fiction right now. Specifically, the paranormal romance. I feel I have a right to judge, because I am a published author, but beyond that, there is a spiritual dislike I want to share with you.
Almost every teen love story has the 'boy whose smile made me dizzy' or 'his eyes were like lightning bolts down my spine' (huh, that actually itsn't half bad...) or 'he was so mysterious, like a magnet between us.'
*Gags* Why do I hate this? Some of these books I have read. Some of them are actually pretty good. But there is a reason WHY this bugs me.
Jesus.
Isaiah 53:2 He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Basically, "He wasn't ripped, he looked like any other average guy, and no one would take a second glance at him. Everyone hated him, he was full of sorrows, and we didn't even want him to look at us. We didn't even care about Him."
If we are led to believe that the heroes, our Princes in Shining Armour (or Ladies in Silks and Lace, for you guys) are all supposed to be these glorious, jewels for eyes, pretty as a magnolia in May type characters, we are missing one of the points Jesus made. I am not hating on pretty people, I am simply reminding you that the one person you should look up to, the ONLY person you should idolize, and the ONLY 'team' you should be on, wasn't what you've been led to believe.
Even the Jesus paintings depict a sort of Caucasian looking guy with flowing hair, thin nose, shiny beard. Geographically, none of that was real.
I know, I know, Jesus' purpose has nothing to do with how He looked, but it does matter how we perceive Him, and in turn, those around us. The 'mystical' boys in the books and shows, the alluring women on tv, the 'beauty is power' mindset, NONE of that honors God. Jesus changed the world. He is your idol. Not because of how he looked, but because of what He DID. Who He IS. And who YOU are in Him.

Be Watchful

Who has seen Breaking Bad?
Who has heard the term ICE, Tina, T, or Crank? Who has heard of METH? If you have seen it, you know. I have gone to a local school, talked to some kids, and found almost HALF of them have done/or know someone on it. If you are a parent, beware. It is everywhere. All states. All classes. All races. All parties.

1/20 college students have tried it. And that’s only the ones that admit it. Please, please, don’t ‘trust’ your children. Don’t think ‘Oh, they’re fine! I know ___’s parents and their good people. They’ll be ok.’ It all starts when they are young, and if you aren’t there to guide them then, they will end up destroying themselves. Why? Because society makes it cool.
Because even if they know better, it is ‘fun’.
Because they think their alone.

It is up to you, the parent, to keep them from ever being alone. Install God in them, install the fear of God, the respect of God, the purpose He gives. Don’t be their friend, don’t be their pal, be their guide. Save them.
...
http://www.methproject.org/

James 2

1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the grand clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well:

9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Between the Lines

John 2:1-11

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman,^[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.^[b]

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Day 3: A symbol seen many times to recognize the death and resurrection, most famously of Jesus.

Wedding: The church is described as the Bride of Christ many times in the Bible.

Wine: Represents His Blood during the last supper.

Washing – same as Baptism washed us clean, the washing of His blood redeems us of the stains of our sins.

Draw some out – We’ve been set aside by God, separated from the world, sanctified from our past, removed from the path of destruction. It is both an action HE did for us and one we must do for ourselves by choosing to follow Him.

Saved the Best – The last shall be first and the First shall be last. We are all inheritors of His Kingdom, regardless of how long we’ve served, it only matters that we did.

Black Walnut Oil

My mother and father used to make me take Black Walnut Oil years ago. Worst tasting stuff. Ever. Period. Most horrible taste I can imagine, even though they had ‘hidden’ it in juice. It’s like dirt, and bark, and all things bitter. (So much so that I cringe years later... )But it kept me from getting sick. Something in it was good for me, something that to my young eyes was hidden by the immediately horrible taste. My parents saw through that though, they knew that no matter how bad it was, I needed it, and did their best to mask it, even if it was always leaving a bitter coating on my tongue.

Why am I telling you this? Because it is relevant. You're the parent, not the friend, so sometimes parents have to make their kids do things we don't want, for our own good. No matter how bad we say it tastes, no matter how ‘unfair’ we claim it is, you know it is better for us. God has told you to do it. So if you have to put a bitter taste in your kids’ mouths, so be it. We’ll remember it years later, but we’ll also learn to see how it helped us. That bitter medicine today, be it a cell phone taken away, a laptop being monitored, a door staying open, a party we don’t attend, a youth group we are dragged to every week, whatever it is, it is saving our souls from sickness later on.

You’re the parent – same as God is our Father. You are not just a source of resources, you are not just a support system, an ATM, or ‘the old man’. You are our leader, so act like one. Too many kids are lost to the world because the parents ‘didn’t want to be a hypocrite.’ God has given you these children, and He has told you how to raise them. Your past is irrelevant in this, for these are the gifts God has given you, and they are just as likely to turn on Him as they are to serve Him, it all depends on YOU. Are you going to be their “friend?” Give them sodas? Or their parents? And slip in some black walnut oil in their juice?

Relevance to the 21C

He asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”  Luke 10:29-37

The story of the Good Samaritan could be retold as...

After a shoot out, a Blood saw a Crip had been hurt pretty bad. All his buddies had ditched the moment the cop sirens sounded, leaving him to die on the side walk. Even though the Crip was a sworn enemy and was more dead than alive, the Blood took him to the ICU, paid all his medical bills and his rent for the next few months, and went on.

A retired Al Qaeda operative saw that someone had been in a car wreck. Tons of cars slowed down to see what happened, but none had stopped to help. Despite the 'WWJD' stickers and American flags all over the back, he pulled over to help him, payed for the tow truck and all the damage to the car, and went on.

Or...
A Mac fanboy learns his monstrous ex's Windows laptop broken after her little brother spilled milk all over it. Even though they'd been fighting even before they broke up and hadn't spoken in months since she'd cheated on him, he pays to retrieve all her lost data and buys her a new one, and went on with his merry life.

We forget how RELEVANT the Bible can be. These parables Jesus told were given to the people in a way they would understand, same as I have humorously attempted to do here. The lessons He taught so long ago still have the power to make a huge impact on our lives today, if we learn to seek out the meaning and are willing to apply it to the choices we make everyday.

With my Love and His -

Cleanse

1 John 1:5
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Notice this, we do not have to be free of sin to be 'living in the light' - we only have to do it, and through seeking God's light, His fellowship, Jesus' sacrifice will and has cleansed us. We have to be HUMBLE enough to admit to our faults, but have faith that if we are 'living in the light' - SEEKING GOD - that He is just to FORGIVE us and CLEANSE us from ALL wickedness.

Think about that. It doesn't say "If we have confessed everything we've ever done and stopped doing it and become perfect people, then we can live in the light and only then will God forgive us" ... NO! It says if we are living in the light and seeking fellowship that Jesus 'cleanses' - not 'cleansed' not 'will cleanse' but actively, this very moment, 'cleanses us from all sin'.

What does that mean, for Jesus to do this? Well, cleanse is a verb, an action, something that Jesus DOES for us. Definition, to MAKE CLEAN. Synonyms: absolve, clarify, clean, clear, depurgate, dispurge, purify, refine, restore.

All this, all this that he does, Restores us, cleans us, absolves for us our sins, and all he asks is that we seek Him and His Light. We do not have to go before Him perfect. We do not have to sacrifice for our past. He's provided sacrifice. There remains no sacrifice for willful sin, He was the only sacrifice we need, and if we will only confess Him to be that, and confess to Him our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and Cleanse us, from all that we fear has spoiled us forever, our Lord offers it to be resolved.

With my Love and His – LionessofGod

Bible + Sex

Now that I have your attention, take a minute to read just a bit of what the Bible has to say about this.

Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

(^ Wow. Did God just say our body is a temple? The fact God is in you not only sanctifies you but also requires of you to be sanctified. You want to honor God? Honor Him by taking care of His temple - YOU.)

1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

(Ouch. The Bible just told us to FLEE - to RUN AWAY, to HIDE, to ESCAPE from it. We aren't even strong enough to be around the temptation, much less 'stand up to it'. If you don't get into situations where you can fall, you won't fall!)

Matthew 5:28
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

(Guard your mind. Hardest. Thing. Ever. I know. But God doesn't play around with this. If we are the temple of God we have to be careful what we expose ourselves to.)

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

I know this might hit home, you might be feeling guilty right now, you might hate this, but no matter how far you've gone God can forgive you. Wherever you are in this battle for purity, you are not alone.