Bandwagon fan?

This has been my verse the last couple weeks!

1 Peter 8-9 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.”

All this week and last I have been hearing about suffering, through my youth leaders, my own personal quiet time and even on commercials and things like that. What I have seen is that the world view of how to deal with suffering and the bibles view on how to deal and understand suffering are very different.

The world says that we should be happy and that anything that makes us happy is good! There is no absolute right or wrong, happiness is something different for everyone, and you shouldn’t have to go through hard times! Right now I want to talk about the last one the mind set of ‘Bad things shouldn’t happen to me!’

Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in out sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured put his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

It is easy to love God when everything is peaches and cream! God uses suffering to bring us closer! Like my youth pastor said once “No one grows in good times” it’s true! If we never go through trials and hard rough patches how are we going to cling to God? God never promised us that being a Christian would be easy!

Luke 9:23-24 “Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”

Being a Christian is completely laying down your will and letting Jesus take over. Suffering is a part of this; the world will hate us for following Jesus.

1st John 3:13 “Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.” Are you a bandwagon Christian, only following Jesus when it’s easy? Or do you cling to Him even when it’s painful?

We can choose joy in the midst of suffering by giving our troubles to God!

 

3 Comments
by luminosityblog on May 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Faith
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on May 4, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/bandwagon-fan/

One glass of poison please

The next line in 1st Corinthians 13: 4-8 is this “Love… does not envy”

This is a biggie in my opinion now you might say “I’m not the jealous type so this has nothing to with me.” The dictionary definition of envy is “Painful or resentful awareness of another’s advantages”

Do you immediately think of someone when you read this? Miss or Mister “Perfect” the person who always gets what they want, and they make sure you know just how happy they are?

Let me tell you a secret… no one is perfect. Shocking, I know. I believe God gave us rules (if you want to call them that) for our benefit. Jealousy is dirty and damaging. It can and will eat you up inside! The 10th commandment is “You shall not covet.”

Isn’t that what jealousy or envy is? Being painfully aware of someone’s seemingly better situation and getting angry that our personal bubble isn’t as shiny as theirs? Don’t drink the poison and become a little green monster walking around bitter and unhappy with your situation!

Jealousy hurts one person, you. The person you are jealous of doesn’t care; in fact they probably like it that way. You are giving them permission to think they are better than you.

Now the problem I see, in myself and most teenagers and even adults is they can’t admit to themselves they are jealous. I don’t want to sound like a commercial for rehab but admitting your jealous is the first step!

God knew that with diversity there would be jealousy, as humans we are different and very competitive!

But the bible says plainly “Love does not envy.” If we love our brothers like it says in 1st John 4:9-11 (“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an anointing sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”) Then we couldn’t possibly be jealous of them, rather we would rejoice with their advantages!

God wants us to be happy, how can we be if we spend all our time getting angry about this person. Jealousy is often driven by insecurities. If we could just be secure in who God made us and know we are worth so much to him, and then someone having a different strength than us would be solely viewed as another gift for the kingdom!

Are you loving your brothers and sisters in Christ with a Love that does not envy? Or are you getting eaten up inside by jealousy and insecurities?

 

*Picture Google images*

4 Comments
by luminosityblog on May 1, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Love
Tagged , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on May 1, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/one-glass-of-poison-please-3-2/

Check… Check… Check

In the last couple weeks God has been telling me the same thing over and over again It’s ok to just be!

What I mean by that is we live in a very ON THE GO culture, where we always have to be doing something! Work, school, we even schedule time for our quiet time with Jesus! That’s good we need to make time for him but… It’s ok to just be! Just to sit and wait on the Lord, I guess the best example I can give you is Martha and Mary.

Two sisters and two very different personalities! Let’s say for now that Martha was Miss Perfectionist. Everything had to be perfect. She was a type A personality, overachiever, a good little housekeeper and hospitable. All these things are ok or even good in of themselves! Let me paint you a picture.    Jesus is coming to visit your house. Your sister Mary is so excited she spends the day praying and waiting, what a daydreamer. She is waiting patiently for Jesus to come… while you’re doing all the cleaning. You’ve kept up on your chores and you just want to put your best foot forward.

Mary meets him at the door while you’re cooking. You can’t believe all the things you haven’t finished yet! And he’s here!! You think ‘oh surely she will help me now that he is here’ but she doesn’t! In fact she sits down and rests at his feet.  You couldn’t be more embarrassed by your sister’s actions. What on earth is she thinking the house isn’t perfect yet?! You are positive that Jesus would want her to help you! You say “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” ~Luke 10:40 Jesus answers “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

At that point hopefully is where you stop talking and sit at his feet with your sister. It’s ok to just be! I think living in America we have forgotten that yes, Jesus was on the go a lot healing people preaching, and doing miracles, HOWEVER he often escaped from the craziness by going alone to pray.

If Jesus realizes that this can rejuvenate your spirit than we should too. It’s hard to slow down sometimes in this fast world, to just be home and be with family. Or to go off alone and pray and just sit and listen to God. But sometimes its better to sit and just be then be on the go missing out on things because you’re so focused on getting everything done. Are you Martha or Mary?

~Picture from google images~

4 Comments
by luminosityblog on March 29, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Character Study
Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on March 29, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/check-check-check/

Just for us Girls

Today is international women’s day! I can hear all the guys going “Ugh come on that is NOT a real day!” But it is and this post is just for that! (Sorry guys)

It is true that the Bible mostly features men HOWEVER it does give women many commands as well as the men, Jesus showed just as much compassion to the women in the bible as he did the men! A great example is the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her own hair and perfume!

~ Luke 7:36-50

Another one is the woman at the well

~John 4: 1-26

Or the woman with a bleeding problem who was healed just by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment.

~Mark 5:21- 34

All of these show how wonderful Jesus is; he gave us the model of how we are to be as people, but what about how we are supposed to be as women? Proverbs 31 explains it for us, it tells all the Characteristics of a noble wife, I’m not a wife and you might not be either but verse 30 and 31 are to all women of any age, stage, or mind-set.

~Proverbs 31:30-31 “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

Charm is a power; you have to choose your side. Beauty, for what its worth, doesn’t last, we will all be little wrinkled old ladies one day if we are lucky. The only thing God looks at is our hearts, not if we are doing our hair in the latest fashion!

It is so easy to get sucked into the mind-set of plowing through life on strictly women power and forget the men! I strongly believe that feminism killed the family! But that is just my opinion and I DO believe however that we are equal! The media will tell us we are superior… well aren’t we just as bad as the men for thinking that way? Just my thoughts. God told us to be compassionate and homemakers, eager workers and providers! We aren’t called to be slaves to the men either, but equals!

Proverbs 31: 20 “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.”

Proverbs 31:27 “She watches over the affairs of the household and does not eat the bread of idleness”

Proverbs 31: 13” She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands”

Proverbs 31:25 “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

Today is international women’s day and I hope that all the Christian women read over Proverbs 31 and see how God intended us to be! Not less or more powerful than the men, just different roles for the greater of the kingdom of God!

I can’t wait to be a homemaker one day!

2 Comments
by luminosityblog on March 9, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on March 9, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/just-for-us-girls/

On Call 24/7

Prayer has been very present in my life the last couple weeks! For me, for my choices, for my family, and for the kingdom.

Proverbs 16: 9 “In his heart the man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

I have noticed that I am most dependant on God when I have to be. This week was absolutely one of those weeks! Prayer is so many things; it’s a way to talk to God in a way you can’t talk to anyone else. God knows the parts of our heart and mind that we don’t even know! He is always on call 24/7 whenever we need him!

Psalm 34: 15, 17, and 19 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears hear their cry; The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; and delivers them from their troubles. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;”

Prayer is so important; it lets us talk to God! Jesus didn’t come down and only want a relationship with certain people; anyone can pray to Jesus and ask for guidance, deliverance, and forgiveness! In Matthew 6:9-13 is the Lord’s Prayer

“This is how you should pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Basically the prayer goes like this. First we should praise our Lord, because he is worthy. Second we should ask for his will and not ours to be done! Recognizing that he knows best and giving him full control over us. Third: ‘Give us our daily bread’ asking him to fulfill our physical needs for the day, depending on him for absolutely everything. Next ask for forgiveness and forgive those you have sinned against you! Know and admit your sins and realize we are all filled with faults! Forgive others easily and let go of grudges.

Lastly asking Him to protect us from the temptation of the world, admitting that we as humans cannot stand against the evil one without Jesus. If you have a hard time praying, or words don’t come easily to you follow this pattern of praying, just because you have an outline DOES NOT make in insincere! Prayer helps tremendously with your walk! Its something about being close and personal with the creator of yourself… its life changing!

Prayer helps me more than once a day; as soon as temptation does come (and trust me it will) I say a quick prayer in my head to help me through it! It doesn’t matter if you don’t have the right words what matters is you calling out to the Lord instead of trying to deal with things yourself. The Lord loves it when we come to him with our troubles! Big or small.

Proverbs 15:8 “The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.”

Pray to the Lord, he is always on call!

4 Comments
by luminosityblog on March 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Faith
Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on March 4, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/on-call-247/

Get your foot wash here!

I’ve been going through devotional books, talking to pastors, reading the gospels and what I have noticed about Jesus is he was always serving! He didn’t come in all high and mighty saying “Bring me food peasants!” NO! Jesus showed compassion, he healed the sick, cast out demons, washed his follower’s feet, and fed the 5,000.

John 6: 10-11 “Jesus said, “Have these people sit down,” There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” ~ Originally there were only five loaves and two fish; it was Jesus’ prayer that multiplied the food.

John 9:10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

Luke 4: 33-36 “ In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are- the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out”

John 13:4-5 “He got up from supper, and laid aside His garment; and taking a towel, He girded Himself. Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciple’s feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.”

So you see Jesus served people all the time! If you are more introverted like me then you don’t go around talking to everyone you see. Personally it FREAKS ME OUT to talk to a stranger at all let alone about Jesus. I have had two occasions where I felt the need to say something to this random person, so I did. But it still terrified me. I’m getting better, but serving is a way to jump into a conversation about Jesus. We are to be Christ-like, and in order to do that I think serving is essential!

In our every day life there are so many opportunities to serve one another whether it is surprising your family by doing all the dirty dishes or helping an old lady get the can of soup on the top shelf! Just taking initiative shows people that we are different that if we saw a need, we wouldn’t just keep walking. Are you living your life like the foot-washer Jesus? Or do you scan over small and even big needs everyday.

 

6 Comments
by luminosityblog on February 17, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on February 17, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/17/get-your-foot-wash-here/

Healing

I’ve always been a writer; it helps me put what I want to say in words in writing.  I noticed a drastic difference in my writing before and after I accepted Christ.   I want to encourage everyone out there who is lost. In all simplicity I was lost; true I was also broken, confused, and worried.

But mostly lost. I think that words best describes what most people are.   If you are like I was, know there is hope you can’t find it in friends, you can’t find it in booze, drugs, writing or even church. The only one who saves you and gives you complete assurance that there is something greater to this life than working 9 to 5 is Jesus!

HE HEALS!!!! Give him your mess of a heart, your failed relationships, your addiction, your past, your finical troubles, he wants it all! He went to the cross for you; he created the world for Pete’s sake! I think he knows how you are going to pay your house payment! Jesus makes everything good for those you love him! I strongly believe that!

“He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40: 29-31

Listen, life sucks with out Jesus. Point blank SUCKS, now you may disagree. But do yourself a favor and stop pretending that everything is peaches and cream, Jesus knows life sucks, that’s why he came! There is sin, poverty, murder, prostitution, death, and disaster! Give your life to Jesus, it’s hell without him!

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passes away” Revelation 21:4

 

1 Comment
by luminosityblog on February 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Love
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on February 15, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/healing/

Definition: Love

Love is a brand new mother

Love is laying down your life for a brother

Pink, red, purple, white

Admitting you’re wrong to end the fight

 

Uplifting words even behind your back

Encouraging you during the attack

Rose petals, embellished hearts

Through the good and bad from the start

 

Which means more

The love of a friend or chocolates from a store

Cupcakes filled with cream

Supporting you to pursue your dream

 

Dear children, Be mine

Not just on Valentines Day, all the time.

6 Comments
by luminosityblog on February 3, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Poems
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on February 3, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/definition-love/

Candy, Cards and Flowers oh my!

Valentines Day is one of my favorite holidays! Not just because I like the color red but I love knowing that people love me! Doesn’t everybody? Jesus loved everybody, and he showed it by going to the cross! I know people who really do love others, but they never show it so are they to know?!

For example I love my little sister, she is one crazy little girl who gives me a lot to love but I do love her. Some days, more than not, I know I don’t show her love. I assume she knows I love her and that’s that. Valentines Day is a great opportunity to show people you remember, think about, and care for them!     I think it was two years ago my mom made these amazing chocolate dipped strawberry’s and gave them to my sister and I. It would be a shame not to share them with the world!

  • First get some strawberries and take out the stems and middle.
  • Melt some milk or dark chocolate chips, whichever you prefer.
  • Dip the strawberries in the chocolate, but don’t get the chocolate inside the berry!
  • Put in the fridge until the chocolate has set
  • Get some Philadelphia ready cheesecake filling  and fill the strawberry’s
  •  Enjoy!

These are really delicious and pretty simple to make, you can find the cheesecake filling in most grocery stores!  I hope that you find a way to show your family you care about them this Valentines Day.

Last year my mom decorated our entire table (if you’ve seen our table you know why this was quite an accomplishment, it is very long!) for Valentines, her theme was birds and bird cages. She found a wrapping paper that had this theme and used that for place mats. We had ribbon with hearts on it that she wrapped around our silverware and the straws in our pink soda were bright red with a heart in the middle!

She used little candy hearts for confetti and our boxes of chocolate were are place cards. It was all a surprise as we came down the stairs! Maybe I’ve given you some ideas to show people you care about them. Unexpected deeds of kindness are the most remembered!

5 Comments
by luminosityblog on February 2, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on February 2, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/candy-cards-and-flowers-oh-my/

Obsessed!!

Our American culture is very interesting to me. A reoccurring theme comes to mind when I think of the way we all live. Idols. The most obvious of theses would be American Idol, now I like watching the singers and performances, but aren’t we setting ourselves up for this one?! It’s in the name, IDOL.

Next is celebrities, which is quite similar to American Idol, they are both people who seem more talented, better looking, or richer than all us normal folk. Media is wonderful for making us feel awful about ourselves. Am I right? Your supposed to look this way, act that way, if you don’t then your just an outsider and frankly… odd.

I am not saying that movie stars are malicious for being beautiful or talented! Not to say either that all this obsessive attention is definitely not helping either one of us. The celebrities or us “commoners” I could give hundreds of examples of famous people whose lives went down the drain, and I’m sure you can think of many as well. Lindsey Lohan… need I say more.

But I’m not here to take digs on all the famous people! My problem is with all of us the way we worship and obsess over these people.. Who are honestly no different from us, they have two arms and ten fingers.

So why do we feel the need to be obsessed?? Because that’s our design, we need something to follow, no I don’t mean on twitter. There is a hole in all of us that we fill with something of our choice. For most Americans it is Idols, not always people. It could be money, drugs, your job, schooling, or whatever you are passionate about!  Some of theses are good and others well… not so good.

No idol is beneficial for us! But as humans we can make anything an idol, decent or destructive. An Idol is anything that fills up your heart that is not God. Anything you are consumed with!

Exodus 20 3-4 “You shall have no other God’s before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.”

We can enjoy things, and have hobbies we spend time on, but God told us that nothing is to come before him. My biggest daily struggle is music, I know I listen to it more than I talk to God! We all have our things we don’t want to give up for God. But he is supposed to be first, before our family and friends, and definitely before my music!

6 Comments
by luminosityblog on January 20, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life
Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by luminosityblog on January 20, 2012

http://luminosityblog.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/obsessed/

« Older Posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.