Power to the People!

So my writing has become less, not exactly what I wanted, and I will try to write more because there is so many things I want to share that I know some are helpful, they help me, and others are just random thoughts I want to let out.

Lately there is a lot been going on in different countries. Mostly protests against the government or the way they have been managing things, or against big corporations, save the planet type of activism. And I must confess I do Agree that we have been quite enough time, and it is time to rise up for a better world.

Even though I agree with lots of things the Anonymous Group do, I still have some concerns about their motto and the way they do things. "We are Anonymous, we are a Legion, we do not forgive we do not forget. Expect us." They don't forgive or Forget! Not your most Christian way of changing the world.
I do agree that we must Unite, more so as the people of God to bring down the Kingdom of Heaven and make changes in this World. Not like some of our ancestors have done, with crusades and killing so many innocent people, but like Jesus did. He is a great example of how we can change things. He saw how the leaders of that time weren't doing much good, using the word of God to their advantage instead of using it the right way. Kinda like what is going on now, the governments are using the laws to their advantage, using the peoples money to do the things that maybe aren't so legal. Violating our Rights, that they agreed upon to respect and honor.

But getting back to the Anonymous thing. We do need to stand up, and fight (in a pacific way) for our rights, and it will happen that when they feel threatened they will fight back, probably in a non-pacific way. If you know history, more even, if you know biblical history, if you just know the story of Jesus, you know that he fought against those who abused his people, and he was crucified. It had a bigger meaning of course. But when we fight, we will get a response, probably not always the "I surrender" type of response, like in Syria, but if we stand together, something will happen.

I guess that what I am trying to say is that, there are many ways to fight against the oppressor. But the best way is always the most pacific way. Stand up, Go out there, preach the Good news. If we all know where we stand and know that we have a greater purpose we won't need those corrupt politicians to fix things. We would only need God, our Lord, and our brothers and sisters. Working together we can go further.
All these protest have thought me one thing, when the people unite, the oppressors tremble. When the oppressed neglect the power they have, the oppressors gain more power. And the Power we have as Christians, is the greatest of all power.

So my encouragement for today is to acknowledge the power you have, people of God, for the Army of Heaven is fighting with us. Love is the greatest weapon we have, use it. Use it in excess, love everyone, teach love! It will bring change to this world. When we love, we give, we FORGIVE, we change.

Love!

Let it burn...

When I was little I went to the Catholic Church and I also visited a Baptist church for a little while. I never understood or saw much difference between the many different churches and their doctrines. When I was little I thought and still think that God doesn't judge us based on what church we visit, he doesn't put us in a group. He judges us based on one perfect example. Jesus Christ.  He judges us based on whether or not he sees Christ in us. So your church isn't as important as your relationship with Him. That direct link with God through Jesus Christ. In john 14:6 Jesus says: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Do you live according to His will or yours? Are you coming to church because you want to please God and try and work hard to live the life he wants you to live or just because your parents make you? Or are you coming because you want to go out with your friends after? What is the motive behind your actions? Is it God or is it your own sinful nature?

A true Christian isn't one who goes to this church or that one. A true Christian is one who has been washed by the blood of Christ and daily walks with God. And I must admit a daily walk with God isn't the easiest task. With our lives filled with distractions, we work, we study, and we want to do other things like sports, music. One day we are full of passion and a fire burning from within and the other our fire has totally dimmed and is barely holding. It happens, we set goals, “I will pray 2 hours each day”, then it becomes 1 hour than it becomes 5 minutes. And then we stop praying. The danger starts there.

I love reading and I read this book one time and it spoke about Romans 12 and Leviticus. He explained how in the Old Testament their sacrifices were animals and  How our lives have to be living sacrifices now. In Leviticus 6: 12 -13 the Bible says: `and the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order on it; and he shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. `A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

 The fire shall always be burning. Why? Because it’s hard to start a fire. It was crucial to burn wood on it every morning.  The altar is where we burn our sacrifices.  In Romans 12 we are asked to make of our lives the sacrifice, we want to be a beautiful aroma for God. But we need to have wood burning on our altar. The fire is the presence of God, in order to start a fire you need wood. Wood is our prayer, when we pray we are asking God to be present in our lives. So every morning we shall put wood on the altar is for us to pray every single day, and put our lives on the altar to be the living sacrifice God wants from us. Every day worshiping the Lord, repenting from our sin. It’s a daily walk, We keep on keeping on. We bring our sacrifices of repentance daily. We are daily washed by His Blood. We are daily igniting our fire, feeding the passion for our Father.  He doesn't want animals he wants You. It's like this, you brush your teeth everyday, if you don't you'll get cavities. If you don't repent everyday from your sins, your life gets filled with cavities, until it rots and falls out.  

Once we have that, which is the most crucial, the most important part of our daily walk. Others will see a difference in us. I mean it sucks when you've had a friend, your best friend, and you've been a Christian for over a year, and they don’t know that you are a Christian. It’s bad. Our lives are the most important testimony. When people see God in us, they will see and believe that God is God. People don’t listen to what you say. People listen to your actions. If you don't brush your teeth everyday, your mouth starts to stink.  

My mother always says: clean your house before you want to clean someone else’s house. Why? So you don’t come off as a hypocrite. If you can’t keep your house clean, you have no business judging my house. What I hear a lot from friends who aren't believers is the crusades and the Christians who killed in the name of Christ and the church killed people, the pastors who rape children, abortion. What god lets kids starve in Africa.  You know what,  yeah, I know this happens, God knows this happens, but it’s not God who does these things. It’s the greedy mean, evil filled, money worshiping people who do this. 

We are here to make a difference, when the church started, it wasn't the church chasing the people to convert, it was other people chasing the church to wipe out Christianity. So let’s go back to the roots. Of course not be followed and murdered, which still happens in some countries, but to give more value the being called a Christian, a follower of Christ. Let’s truly live what the word of God has for us. What God’s will is for our lives?  Let’s not be cold anymore, but ignite a fire that we keep on feeding, daily no matter what happens. Let’s put wood every morning on our altar, and bring our lives as a living sacrifice on that altar and give it all to God, in Worship. Let us be that beautiful aroma. 

I encourage you today, to start over, if you let your fire dim, feed it with prayer, God is there, waiting for you to take that step. He already made the first move. Now it's time for you to make yours.

God bless you and be a blessing for others. 

The Power of 300...

⁷ The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” Judges 7:7

 When I wrote the title for this post, I couldn't help but  think about the movie 300. But even though it sounds so Hollywood-like, imagine 300 men marching against "The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples who had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore." They were MANY MANY people, and God sent only 300 men. But He didn't need any more. He told Gideon that there were way to many people. God only needed 300 men. Who he tested before sending out. He needed men who are alert, and willing to do as he says. Willing to do as he does. 

At first Gideon couldn't believe that God would want to use him to save Israel. He was a simple man, with a simple life. Sound familiar? A lot of times we want God to use us, but when it comes down to it, why do we doubt Him so much? We aren't perfect, we lack so much, and yet God would use us. Gideon even tested God, to see if it was Him truly who wanted to send him out. TEST GOD?!?! Yes!! And We all do that. "God please send me a sign, to know it's really what you want." We love to put God to the test. Why?

Today my pastor talked about faith. I think we lack so much of that. Our modern lives consume so much of who we are, that we have no idea what God wants from us or even when he speaks to us. We don't know him, because we don't seek him. When the church started, the apostles and the first followers could be easily used by God, because their faith was strong. They not only believed that one day something will happen. The were convinced of its truth and they knew how to work for God to make these things a reality. They were not afraid of letting God use them. They knew what God wanted, because they knew who their God was. And this doesn't have to change. God still wants to communicate with us as he did with them. But it's up to us. What are you willing to do, what sacrifices are you willing to make. 

Our lives are so consumed by ourselves, we want God to do everything for us, but we aren't willing to allow Him to command our lives. This week I heard a preacher in the radio say: "We have to make God, ADONAI". Adonai means Master, Lord, Owner. God owns us. He bought us when he shed the blood on that Cross. We are slaves of Freedom. As confusing as that might sound, it's very simple. He explained that we were slaves of sin, of death and darkness. Then Jesus came along, he bought us with his blood and now we are free, but we are also slaves of Light, of Love. We are Children of God. As our father, just like a father is the head of the house, he is the head of the House. The King, in His Kingdom. A father knows what's best for his children, a master knows what's best for his servants. For God to become Adonai, we have to let him rule over our lives. Not think Woe is me, but know that if God wants you to face an army of millions, with just a 300 men, you will not just be an army with 300 men, but you will be an army WITH GOD, of 300 men. God was, is and forever will be. He knows the plans he has for us before we were made. He knows what will happen before we take each step. So why do we still doubt the great plans he has for us?

My encouragement today is to Always Trust the Lord. He is Adonai, he is our master, our lord, our owner. He has great plans for us, if we have a willing heart, he will surely open the way for us and use us. 
If you are struggling today with this, you don't know what God wants for you, or have no idea what to do, start with the first step. Prayer. Surrender all of who you are to God. He Created you, and He knows with what purpose He did so. Why doubt? Let the one who knows it all take over, and lead the way. Like a father leads his children, Our father in Heaven will surely lead us to Him. 

Be blessed and be a blessing!

In the middle of a Storm....

¹⁶ When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ¹⁷ where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. ¹⁸ A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

 John 6:16-18

How many times didn't you find yourself in the middle of a storm, and you prayed and prayed but nothing changed? Well, I think we've all been there. You wake up one day and BAM! you're stuck in the middle of a storm, it can be a physical one, but most of the time these storms are in our minds. We struggle with our thoughts of not being enough, not being able to please those around us. Or we also feel like we aren't doing enough in the Kingdom of the Lord. We feel sad or empty, and we start thinking about all that we lack. Yeah, we've all been there.

The disciples were caught in the middle of a storm, a physical one, and Jesus was not there. They were afraid  they thought they were going to die, and Jesus was not there. They prayed and cried out His name, but he was not there, YET! You see, God is always there for us, we just can't see him, because we ignore his presence, it's like our spiritual eyes, are so focused on what we can see with our natural eyes, that we can't see God's work in our lives. Our focus is wrong. We torment ourselves because of what we feel, and see but we don't ask the Lord to show us how to see with His eyes, feel like He feels. We want Him to fix things, calm the storm so we can carry on, but we never stop to think, that maybe this storm is there to teach us something. Teach us to Trust in Him...

My mother always says, when a friend tells you your doing something wrong, listen. When the enemy is attacking you, analyse yourself, look for that open door or window that allows the enemy to enter and attack you. My mother is wiser than she thinks. Most of the time these windows or doors are in our minds. Our minds control everything. Our every movement is controlled by the way we think. We have to allow God to control our minds, not the enemy. The way we can overcome our storms, is by trusting God to let us see what he sees. Where we see an obstacle, He sees an opportunity to teach us something that He has always known, but we have to yet discover, sometimes about ourselves.

¹⁹ When they had rowed about three or four miles,^[b]they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened.

Jesus finally came to them in a very unique way, He walked on water. They thought he was a ghost, and they were afraid. When we are in a  storm,  and pray with no answer. When we finally get the answer, we don't want to believe it and start doubting, but then Jesus tells us, "It is I, don't be afraid".
We shouldn't be afraid, we should trust that with Him in our boat, with storm or no storm, we will always get safe to shore.

My friends, my encouragement today is a bit obvious. If you are right now in the middle of a storm, don't just ask God to calm your storm, ask him to come into your boat with you. And trust Him, to let you see with His eyes, the opportunity to learn and grow that He is giving you. Just like in the desert, we have to learn to trust Him, and be positive because He has a Perfect Plan.

Be strong, and God Bless you!

A good Future...

"11 For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

I love this verse from the Bible. The Lord promises us that He has a great plan for our lives.  Many times we forget about this. We forget that He does have a plan and that we should not worry about what the future holds, as long as we are following Him. When life hits us hard, and brings us down is then when we forget about this great verse, this great promise. Many things in our lives don't go as we plan and we try to blame others or God for this, instead of realizing, it's not part of His plan.

This week I've received a few bad news. Things people did that I completely disagree with. But what really struck me was when I saw my father in traffic yesterday, and he had no idea who I was. That SUCKS! How can the person that is my father, not recognize his own daughter?? It really bothered me :(

Then it came to me, my life has to be a testimony. All that happens or happened is part of the purpose and beautiful plan God has for my life. With all this I can relate to others and bring the message, with my own life. Being a Christian is not just knowing scripture from your head, but living the scripture and truly feeling it. When you know how it feels, you can touch others in a deeper way.

God did this, through Jesus Christ, He made himself human, poor, a simple man, just like us. Vulnerable to all the attacks of the enemy, to show us that we can do it. Through Him we received life, even though it cost Him taking all our sins and dying like a criminal. (Death that we deserved, for our sins)

The Lord makes a great promise in this verse. He promises a future, he promises Hope for those who have lost all. When you think you are unworthy, that not even God can use your life because everyone else has lost faith in you, even you, remember this verse. Remember all those great unworthy cases that God used in the Bible. Remember the apostles, remember the great Christian warriors around you, who are in this daily battle, and are victorious. It's not an easy task, but we have our shield  and we have our weapons.

I would like to encourage you today, to remember this verse, as you go out to the battlefield. Stay Strong for He has a purpose with this trial. It's not for nothing, He has a plan. Just trust Him and Carry on.

I know He has a plan for me, for my family and for all who surround me. Let them see your life as a living testimony of the Word of God and touch the lives of those who need it.

Be blessed and Be a blessing.

Leaving Egypt...

6"Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will free you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with mighty power and great acts of judgment. 7 I will make you my own special people, and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the LORD your God who has rescued you from your slavery in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It will be your very own property. I am the LORD!'"

(Exodus 6:6-8)

Last Sunday, we had a service at our church to offer our First Fruits. I love this service because it gives me a chance to thank the Lord for so many things that He has given me. During service however, our pastor preached about when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and they lived under the yoke of the Pharaoh. He explained how some of us, who work have bosses that treat us like the Pharaoh treated the Jews in Egypt. This made me think about the time when I was a little girl, and my mom worked really hard to be able to raise my brother and I. She was under the yoke of a few Pharaohs, but she never let them bring her down. Actually even when I told her that she was under their yoke, she denied it, telling me that even though they tried to bring her down, she wouldn't because she is the Daughter of The Father. My pastor tried to teach us this mentality. To keep the Faith in our heavenly Father, for he has so many promises for us.

But I think we shouldn't see this Pharaoh thing, only as a foolish boss, who tries to make our life impossible. We have pharaohs in our everyday life. Surrounding is, even in our family. Pharaohs come in all shapes in sizes. It could be a friend, that makes you feel bad about yourself, it could be one of your parents, who just won't listen to you. It could be your husband, who treats you disrespectfully, it could be anyone. But you have to remember this promise of God. He will free you from Slavery, He will redeem you with mighty power and great acts of Judgment, He will make you his own special people! We are His own special people who he has rescued from slavery. From mind slavery, from Sin. We are God's property sealed by the blood that Jesus shed on that cross for us. He is our Lord and Savior.

Don't ever let Pharaoh think he has power over you, for you are the Daughter or Son of the KING, He who reigns over the Earth. You have to keep your faith, and like my pastor says: You have to take your promise in God. He promised us prosperity, for we are His people. We are co-inheritors with Jesus.

My encouragement today is very simple. Keep the Faith in this moment of darkness, for He has promised you and I so many great things. When you feel like Pharaoh is getting to you again, trying to bring you down, read this verse again, and be reminded of the Promises He made to His people. And tell Pharaoh who your God is.

Be blessed, and be a blessing to others.

Change the World!

My year has started Great! With exams but GREAT! I've been watching a lot of movies lately, and the last movie I saw was Les Miserables. As tragic as the movie may be, I did enjoy it. And I would like to take one part of the movie that touched me.

The guy who was a prisoner, had been marked as a dangerous man, and this pastor showed him mercy and grace when nobody else did. Even when he tried to pay this mercy and grace with stealing from him, nothing changed, the pastor showed even more mercy and grace. This mercy and grace shown by a man of God, in the name of God, made this man marked by his sins, a new man.

This is how we should always be. Even when people turn against us, let us not be fast to judge them or condemn them. We should show grace like God has shown us. We have been forgiven of so much, who are we to not do the same to others? What changed us to be better people, is the grace and mercy, the forgiveness that God has given us. This change can be contagious, we can help to change others, by showing what God has done for us. And not only telling people what He did, but doing the same as he did, with those who surround us. Like I have written in previous posts, we have to be like a river, flowing with water, but then it flows into the sea, which is part of an ocean, which is connected to other oceans, and it keeps exchanging this flowing water, that came from the mountain with grace and mercy. As human beings, we are all connected. As Christians, as sons and daughters of Our Heavenly Father, we are all one BIG FAMILY. An always and forever growing family. And for this to be possible we have to share and love each other and be united with the love that God has shown us.

When we become Christians, we become part of a body that is moved by the Holy Spirit. Let us be truly moved all together as one, connected like rivers are to the sea and that to the oceans and all of them sharing and being one big life source. We have to be the ones to move this world into what God wants it to become.
One time in a preaching I heard a preacher say, We are the ambassadors who bring the Kingdom of God to the world. With our prayers, we move God.

Today I would like to encourage you to be that river, that starting point, that domino that starts a chain reaction of mercy and grace. I know this world can truly change for the better if we can see how our action can affect others. Good or bad, we always move each other. Let us make it a good effect. Let us as Christians and even if you are a non-believer, lets make this world a better place for all of us, by starting with our own everyday actions.  Lets be a blessing into the lives of our neighbors, so they can be a blessing to others around them.

Be blessed and keep being an awesome blessing to each other.