Have a little talk with Jesus

There is nothing that makes my day more than having a little chat with Jesus in the morning. Not a one way conversation with me talking all the time but an actual back and forth dialogue. This morning from the moment I woke up I began praying. I prayed for everyone and everything that came to mind. Then I had a little talk with Jesus. No wise and eloquent words, no shouting no fireworks, just a normal conversations between two friends. I told Him how I felt about everything going on in my life now. Things thats bother me and things that don't. He then reassured me through scriptures. It was awesome. It is amazing what you can learn from Jesus once you sit and speak to Him like a friend. I encourage you today to take a few minutes out of your busy schedule and talk to Jesus. Not a one way conversation but listen to what he has to say also. I assure you He will have something to say. God Bless You!

He wants it all.

So this morning I was reading a devotional that made mention to Luke 14: 16-20. This is the story about the man who planned a feast for many of his guest and sent out invitations. The persons he invited were all to busy with there jobs, purchases and relationships to come to the feast. I know what your thinking, we must be prepared for the coming of God and be sensitive to his soon return or never turn your backs on God, he doesn't need you for heaven to go on.

Unfortunately, that's not what I am thinking. This morning I realised something that i didn't before. The guest of the feast who turned it down were people who knew the feast was happening. They knew in advance that the feast was going to happen they were just not sure of the time. But they had an idea of when the time came.

God is calling us at present to take a stand in where we are at with him. He is calling us back to him. We have made school, our jobs and yes even our significant others idols. Its now or never people. I don't know about you but i want to get to heaven. I have served God diligently on this earth and I do not want to be distracted from the ultimate prize. The return of Jesus is sooner than we think, it really is time we get serious and establish and acknowledge the Sovereignty and His Lordship. Acknowledge Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Don't be to busy for your Creator. All he wants is all of you.

Love the way you Lie...

Most person's reason for not giving there lives to God and finding a church is because 'they are filled with hypocrites'. And it is true, church is filled with hypocrites. You cannot get away from it. People lie. It just happens. People lie to protect themselves. People lie. Should that though keeo you away from having life everlasting. So you allow people to keep you out of heaven. When you come into the knowledge of God you are held responsible for what you do from then on. The entire church could be living a double life, does that mean you do too. Will we contiue to blame people for our mistakes. Will we contiue to pass the blame and lie to keep ourselves out of trouble. The same bible everyone reads is the same one you should own. Search the scipture yourslef. What does it say about sin? What does it say about you? What does it say about Jesus, who cared so much for us that he died even though ther was a chance that we would turn away from him? Do we see the extent of that love. There was no surity that anyone would serve his Father but he chose to die just in case we did. That love is unconditional. So guess what people will lie, people will cheat, people will stab you in the back, but God wont. Dont allow people to keep you out of what is promised to you. Do not allow the lies of the enemy to mess you up. Do not allow people to keep you from your blessing.

God Bless you!

My Testimony Part #6

The text basically said that they had a dream about me and in that dream i was dead. They were crying out to God for my sake and God said that to long I have been warned and i needed to get my life in an order or i would loose my life. Now i dont know if this was spiritually of physically but i didnt care either way. I did not want to die any death. It was though like a confirmation of all that I was feeling. I knew that the message was for me and right there and then I spoke to God. I had meant it all the other times I said it but this time I asked for forgiveness making an extra effort to live right.

At this point I dont know what I was doing right from wrong, what i did was to try and live as morally right as possible. My life began to reflect truly who God is and I became the light he called me to be. I knew many biblical principles but now i was living them. God had a lot of things to work on in me and I was okay with him taking them away.

Since then I have been doing my best (with the help of the Holy Spirit) to become the wonam he wants me to be. I have been blessed with many people in my life who has promoted the growth of my Spiritual Life. I have lost quite a few friends though. God requires sacrifice and one of the things I had to sacrifice was me and my wants and my desires. I was asked to surrender my self completly and I did. God asked me to leave the choir and I did. Some friends didnt understand I took for God and I lost them. Some thought I became too 'Holy' and ran in the other direction.

It has been truly awesome with God and my life has changed for the better. I do miss the friends I have lost but I know God has a plan in store  for me and His opinion is THE opinion.

And do not get me wrong. I am not perfect. I still fall on occassion. But God is and awesome God! And by his grace and mercy I will get through.

At this point I am...I not to sure what I am...but I am sure that I am not where I was and I thank God for that!

He is with you

The weather today was gloomy and rainy and my mood was just the same. I was tired, sleepy, i didnt want to go to class, I wanted to have no school work to do, I just wanted to exist. Just dwell, just be, not having to do anything or be anything to anyone. I just wanted to exist. Just be. I knew it couldnt be the rain cuz i love the rain but it is that time of the semester and everything affects your mood.
Through it though I have to remember that God is with me. That feelings come and go but the love of God is constant. He is with me when I have gieven up. He is with me when I feel like crying. He is with me till the end. And I bless God for that. As you go through your days keep this in mind. He is with you.

He is with u- by Mandisa

There's a time to live


And a time to die

There's a time to laugh

And a time to cry



There's a time for war

And a time for peace

There's a hand to hold

In the worst of things

In the worst of things



He is with you when your faith is dead

And you can't even get out of bed

Or your husband doesn't kiss you anymore

He is with you when your baby's gone

And your house is still

And your hearts are stone

Crying "God what'd you do that for?"

He is with you



There's a time for yes

And a time for no

There's a time to be angry

And a time to let it go

There's a time to run

And a time to face it

There's love to seek

In all of this

Through all of this



He is with you in the conference room

When the world is coming down on you

And your wife and kids don't know you anymore

And He is with you in the ICU when the doctors don't know what to do

And it scares you to the core

He is with you



We may weep for a time but joy will come in the morning

The morning light



He is with you when your kids are grown

When there's too much space and you feel alone

And your worried if you got it right or wrong

Yes He is with you when you've given up on ever finding your true love

Someone who feels like home

He is with you



When nothing else is left and you take your final breath

He is with you

Stress, Stress, Stress

When I was younger and I asked for stuff i seldom got it. Becuz of that I stopped asking all together. If I asked and didnt get it, I would be so disappointed and so if I didnt ask, and I got something, I would be elated. I took that attitude into my relationship with God. I asked for nothing because I felt i deserved nothing and that it would be another disappointment. I am learning day by day that its not always so. Sometimes we get answers we dont want. Like 'wait' and we think its the end of the world. I know I do sometimes. In church on Sunday though, all I wanted to know was that I was on the right track and that God was pleased with me. Becuz I have been asking and getting no response. And after all the cryiing and tarrying I did get my answer. He sent in through a friend without me even voicing it. God hears  us, he sees us, he hurts with us, he feels with us, he cries with us. God hears what we want before we ask for it. Trust and believe that he is there with you every step of the way. The word of God say that we have not becuz we ask not. Are you asking? Do you really want to hear the answer to the questions u ask? Seek forst God's kingdom and watch him work it out for you!

God bless you!

Message from a friend

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
As Christians, we have been called to spread a message of love – to tell others of the love of a Father, our Heavenly Father, for His children (the whole world). Sometimes, we forget this love that lifted us, this love that is so patient with us, this love that chose to sacrifice what was most precious to Him because He saw value and worth in His creation, in us, even though we’re filthy - our lack of love is demonstrated in our actions...
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on LOVE, which binds them all together in perfect unity” – Colossians 3:12-14
We live in a world today where it is difficult to spot love, sometimes even in the church. We should always be conscious that we act in love in every situation. So,

To those who grow impatient when dealing with those who are slow learners, or who irritate you, or who require that you sacrifice your time to listen to them to those who often choose "hurried conversations over a listening heart" because you just don’t have the patience to listen to othersAGAIN, be patient
…..Love is patient


To those who look on in disgust at persons who may not be as well of as you are – “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing…..” - Prov. 28:27



To those who are quick to cast judgement on people, know this: “mercy triumphs over judgement” (James 2:13),



To those who speak ill of others (including your best friends and leaders), evil words are not KIND, FULLY clothe yourself with kindness for



…. Love is kind





To those who look at others with their material riches and wished they had it, you are already rich, richer than a vast majority of persons in the world,



To those who are look at others with their spiritual gifts and wish they had that gifting and work towards having that gifting and neglect their own spiritual gifting,



to those who see others achieving success by the world’s standards and wonder why as a Christian you don’t have that kind of success, understand that God’s plan for your life is UNIQUE to you and in the same way, God’s plan for another person’s life is UNIQUE to them. At the end of the day, God’s plan is being fulfilled once YOU are obedient to Him, there is no need to be jealous



…. Love does not envy





To those who speak highly of themselves and their accomplishments in the midst of others so that others may think highly of you,



to those who believe that because they are at a “higher spiritual level” or in a better relationship with God than others, that it makes them better, be careful if you think you stand, lest you fall



…. Love does not boast





To those who cannot speak to or associate with or scorn those of a lower social status or of a different complexion or of a different race because you are a “higher quality breed of man or woman”



…… Love is not proud









To those who are disrespectful to different cultures and beliefs, to those who throw insults and harsh words at others when they are in a disagreement



….. Love is not rude









To those who are only concerned with their physical appearance, to elders who spend a lot of time and money seeking to look young, to those who are concerned with their own affairs AND are not mindful of others, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18



to those who fail to remember their Pastor, church members, the poor, the unreached and the persecuted Christians in their prayer,



to those who find it difficult to give to build the kingdom of God or to fight for injustices in the world,



to those who chose not to mentor another person or provide guidance to or show an interest in new Christians, we ought to be concerned about others and care for them, love others as Christ has loved us …. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers” – 1 John 3:16



...... Love is not self-seeking









To those of you who have a bad temper which causes you to be slow to listen and really quick to speak or act



…… Love is not easily angered









To those of you who have a “earthly gifting” for remembering all the bad things people have done to you and those who you love,



to those of you, especially women, who, out of spite and vengeance, are great at reminding persons of their horrible past and all the mistakes they have made and fail to tell them how much they have grown and developed as a Christian



to those who hold people (those who have hurt you and even those who have not) in mind and therefore host unforgiveness in your life,



….. Love keeps no record of wrong









To double standard Christians, I was there… It’s easy to be a "saint" in church and an "angel" to your parents and at the same time be the most disobedient “Christian” in school where no one can see you (except God of course – but you take it for granted that He loves you and will forgive you when you pray at nights),



to those who blatantly and consciously disobey the Word of God,



to those who work and perform an unfair day’s job,



Anything that is not in obedience to God is evil and



…. Love does not delight in evil but love rejoices in the truth.









When we act in love, love shelters and covers us, just as God does for us. “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.” – Proverbs 10:12, Love shelters those of us who are consciously trying to live a life pleasing to God from condemnation.



Love ALWAYS PROTECTS!









When we act in love, without much evidence to prove guilt, we are willing to give persons the benefit of the doubt. Love does not assume the worst.



Love ALWAYS TRUSTS!









When we act in love, we can see endless possibilities in the midst of an impossible situation. We see no darkness or failure…. Only light and success.



Love ALWAYS HOPES!









When we act in love, we will endure to the end. Love will never quit, never give up, never stop, never dwell on the past but look forward to a great future with Christ. Love is awesome!



Love ALWAYS PERSEVERES!









As Christians, when the hopeless, helpless, friendless etc come to us, we say “Jesus is the answer!”.



Jesus is God.



“God is the answer”



God is love.



So “Love is the answer!” .... it's the answer to almost ALL, if not ALL, our problems and issues. It is the answer to removing segregations in the church, the answer to overcoming generation gaps, the answer to achieving UNITY.... Love will make us ONE!









Finally, so many of us, leaders in particular, desire to see a lot of growth in the church … After all, through Christ, so much of ourselves have been poured into the work of the kingdom of God. At times, it seems to be to no avail.



Continue to press on! We know that what we sow, that we will reap. Let us sow love and therefore, we can be confident of this: Even if those who we have been led to mentor do not show signs of growth now, the seed of love that we passionately sow and water, will produce fruits of love in the (near or distant) future! Sow love!









While thinking of this, a friend reminded me of this scripture (For further inspiration):



“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-7









May God bless you all richly! I love you all :)







Leigh

My Testimony Part #5

In my opinion, i was happy. I was getting a degree although my grades were not all that hot, I would leave school, get a job ad continue on the way I was going, because nothing was wrong with it. It is around this time that  began hearing alot about havig an intermate love relationship with Jesus. Of course this wasnt as iinteresting to me, because again in my opinion there was nothing wrong.

On the 4th of January 2009, I realised that everything wasnt alright. I realised that there had to be more than what i was experienced. I didnt experience anything. I realised that I was not as hapy as I claimed to be. I was a shell, faking being always happy and it was killing me. I didnt notice it before. But God was calling me into a love relationship with him and I was tired of running. I was tired of being unsure of life or death. i was tired of being scared to travel or go anywhere for the fear of dieing in a not to Christian state. Fear began to grip me nor than anythiing. I was always afraid. It was not a good feeling.

That week I got a text message from a friend speaking to my present situation. i dont remember the exact text but it said...

You'll have to wait for it! hehehehe

I am Changing...

With every test and trial that comes my way there is one thing that I am pretty sure I can say about all of them. I learnt something. I know this because of the person I am becoming and because I know it would never be possible without the grace and mercies of God and the trials and hardshipshe allows to come my way to teach me his ways. The changes are so simpe and small that it takes me awhile to see them but when I do I celebrate them and thank God that I am becoming the woman of virtue that he wants me to be. How truly awesome our God is. So my challenge today is that we search ourselves. See where God's supernatrual transformation has been taking place in youe life and praise him for it. We are becoming the men and women he designed and created us to be. Amen!

Another thingy!

I have run out of things to write


My words no longer seem sufficient

Being silent in your presences is all I can do

I cry, I bow, I say oh God

But that’s all I can do

Your presence is so rich in my life

I no longer know how to express it

So when I say my very heart beats for you

The very breath that I take is for you

It is out of not knowing what to do anymore

Father I truly give you everything

All of me

It’s the only way I know how to worship anymore

Oh God, Oh God, Oh God

I love you, I worship you, I adore you

There is none before you

There is none after you

There is none greater than you

There is none who can compare to you.

There is no one so Holy

There is no one so beautiful

There is no one as faithful

There is no one who loves me like you do

There is truly no one

God how I love you

August 25th 2010 2

How I worship you

How I declare your greatness

How I exalt you

How I extol you

Hosanna in the highest

Be magnified

Be glorified

Be lifted up

Oh God

All glory all honour and all praise be unto you

The Great I am

Lord, Saviour, friend

How excellent is your name in all the earth.



Blessings!

Sigh!!!!!! 2

So what do you do when you don't feel like praying? When the feelings of hurt, pain, disgust, resentment, hatred, envy and defeat take over? The very feelings you ask God to get rid of in you, because you know you cannot do it on your own. What do you do when they come. What do you do when although you experience the favour of God on and in your life, the disappointments seem to out weigh them? When you feel as if no one cares? Although you know that God does in theory. You know God loves you, he cares and that he is working on you in theory? What do you do when you feel so unloved, uncared for and overlooked that you cry yourself to sleep most nights. Even though you still trust in the fact that you know God is with you and he will get you through it. How do you deal with the fact that everyone else is happy in their being blessed and in seems contiuous? That there not so happy times come few and far between and the ast a lot shorter than yours. How do you beieve that their is potential in you, when no one else seems to see it and notice it? How do you go through life when it seems that once your happy, something bad is soon coming> Something that disappoints you, hurts you so much that you start wondering if it would be easier in the world. How do you not use a measure your life against others because it is about you and God and not you and anyone else. How do you deal with changes in you not being noticed? How do you deal with the issues that arise when you try your best to do everything right or try your best and it is never acknowledged? When everything you had went into it and it is looked at as nothing? How do you deal with not being able to diffrenciate between your heart and the voice of God? How do you deal?

If I had the answers to these questions I probably would not have been writing this blog. At present, t is exactly how I feel. And I know people care. I know people love me. I know they are there. I still feel this way. I know it all in theory. I understand it because it is said. I guess i just dont feel it.

The only thing I know is that the promises of God are sure. That they stand and are sure. So is is the only thing I can put my faith in. It is the only thing that keeps me going. The promises of God are true! So no matter what you are going through or feel now, God sees you, he hears your crying and he promises that it will get better.
God said it and that settles it!

My Testimony Part #4

So yes..The Academy award could have gone to me. My double standard life was working out well. I could fit in with the Christians and I could fit in with the not to Christian. I was living it up! Or so i thought. In January of 2008, I was on my way to a practice for the school's choir when the car that I was in got into an accident. I was in the front seat and had just put on my seat belt and closed my eyes. By the time i reopened them, the car had already hit and people were screaming. I flew out of the car so fast and checked to see if I was bleeding anywhere.  I wasnt and so I started checking on everyone else in the car. Just to make sure everyone was alright. They were. That day was a long was a long one. Many things went through my head but I remember telling God that I would never sin ever again. And I was so serious. I had made up my mind to start living for Jesus.

And i did. For like a week. I was back to my old self once I got over the initial shock of almost being killed. I was so over it. So it was back to the pornography watching, double life living me. And again I was cool.

The end results

I prayed a pray today that had even me shocked. Today was the beginning of midterm week and I was asked to pray for my class today before we began. I praed that our results would reflect the time spent studying for the exam. I prayed that pray to my detriment. I am a crammer. And so a few hours before the exam is when i realised the extent of the work we have done over the las seven weeks. I studied as hard as I could but I know that I would have done a lot better if i had studied and not crammed.

Like me and my exam today, we dont put in the work and expect the best result in the end. I visited a church sometime a back and a woman was giving a testimony. The one thing that stood out to me was when she said we often give a Cain sacrifice and expect Abel's blessing. Hmm. Interesting isnt it. We never give God our all, our best, yet we always expect his best. We always expect him to shower us with blessings we do nothing to deserve. My challenge is simply this, dont give God some slap dash work, or devotion and expect the best from him. You must give Abel's sacrifice to get Abel's blessings. God Bless you! 

My Testimony Part #3

While being in the choir, I developed a facination with late night television. The type that is not fitting for a Christian. I would come home late from rehearsals, sit in front of the television, and the most entertaining thing on television to me were the pornographic material that plagues the te;levision at those hours. I told myself it was ok, because I only watch it for the story line or its how I'm learning about sex, or I'm just watching it, I wont do it. And that became my song. I would feel so convicted after the fact, I would repent and then got the same thing again. It was now a habbit that I did not want to break.

So soon enough, the most important thing to me was this choir. Traveling not only around the country but around the world and I was happy. I was out of my house, around people who I soon began to imitate. I did not want to become like them but I had to fit in and it was the only way I know how. The year I strted college was an awesome one for me. It was bitter sweet because on the good side, I would be away from home, have control of finances intrusted to me and be in charge of my own life. The bitter part being that I would be away from the choir and it would suck not being around people who have grown to be friends.

I began school wondering how I was going to cope. I lived on campus, with a bunch of 'super Holy' people, who didnt seem t have a life outside of God. The frumpy type Christians. I was determined to be comfortable in both environments and soon I was the best actor ever. I knew how to fit in on campus witht he superholy and off with the not so Holy ones.

Thank you God

Why is it that we ever worry? Is there truly a reason. God promised that he would take care of us. Its in His Word. The very thing He holds over his very name. Why then do we worry. God knows, I have 2 dollare in my bank account. This two dollars to last me the rest of the month. At this point I would be panicing, because I have lots of traveling to do and I should have food to buy. I told God that I refuse to fuss and I refuse to worry. I told Him that was his to work out. This morning my Dad called me to tell me he will be putting money in my account tomorow. In the middle of them month. Thats not normal. It really isnt. So I want to thank God for taking care of me. For helping me to understand that He cannot lie. That He cares about me and you. So I challenge you not to worry. If God said it that settles it! No devil in hell can steal what is rightfully yours. Claim it the name of Jesus and watch him do it!

My Testimony Part #2

In Form three, I joined a choir that traveled quite a lot. Everyone new them and I wanted to be known. They were very talented and I would have loved to be classed with them. It would be awesome. Sure enough (because of my good looks and charm..lol..oh and because I could sing) I was accepted into this group of talented young people. It was awesome. I traveled all over with this group. Washington, Hollywood, Guyana; and these were just the places i went with the group. They did a whole lot more traveling. Living the dream right? How is this relevant. The choir was a singing and dancing choir, whose repertoire consited of not ony Gospel but all types of songs and dance moves. (Both fitting for a Christian and unfitting). I was a bit stomped at first because Christians dont dance this way or sing this. I at no time though thought about dropping out. This was the opportunity of a life time.

Soon enough I began to justify every decision, every song and every dance move that I know wasnt to Christian. I made myself believe that music is music and once outside of this I live a life that is Christian, that i was safe. And i truly believed it. The group was pretty active so we have to sing almost everyweek. Saturday especially and soon enough, it became too much for me to wake on a Sunday morning for church after getting in at 2 or 3 am the morning. So I just stopped. I didnt go to church and I was ok with it. No guit. I still read my bible occassionally and prayed once in awhile. I was cool. See next post...

My Testimony Part #1

In the year 2003, February to be exact, I decided to give my life to God. I had no idea what it entailed, I just knew, that on that day of Carnival Camp I had to. And I did. One that sae though, myself and a few others who also gave themselves to God almost drowned. It was quite traumatic for some but I just remember having this peace. It was so weird. It was like I knew that if I died, I would go to Heaven and I was ready. We were rescued and it was quite an interesting rest of camp.
 I came back from camp a changed woman. I started converts class and I was excited to be baptized into the faith. Of course still not knowing what to expect. My converts class was someone different in that the hurch had started one on one classes and I was assigne someone to go through a booklet with me. That didnt last long and i dont think that I even finished mine. I assumed because i wasnt finished that i would not get baptized because my mother needed to know that I was ready. (Even though I told her I was a long time before). The Saturday before I got bapptized I confirmed that I was and so for me I was back on track. So I was happy.
The issue with that was that I thought being a Christian and being baptized was all there was to it. And if this is so then it is easy. I dont see why people make a big fuss. I was in Secondary school at the time and I did everything a good Christian would do. I stopped cursing and tried to stop lieing because in my mind (because I grew up in a Christian environment) that there was nothing else to do. Christianity was easy right. Nothing to it. Boy was I mistaken. Stay tuned for the others!

Checking my motives

Why do we serve God? Is it because by doing so we stay out of hell? Is it because if we dont we wont be blessed? Is it because we know that it is the right thing to do? Why do we really serve God? Do we serve God with conditions? If he does this much for me, I will pray this much?I found myself asking this question the day after i did spomething really stupid. If my motives for following Gog were as superficial as the answers to these questions ,then i would never really live as God called us to; Holy. If my motivation for serving God is not going to hell then i am suceptabl to sin anytime and beg for forgiveness soon after and go back to it again. If it is because of the blessings that come what happens in the times when God chooses not to bless you? If it is because it is the right ting to do what happens in the days we dont want to or feel like doing the right thing. And when God chooses to go off the radar and be quiet, do we quit praying until he does something to 'deserve our pray'? 

When Jesus made the decision to die for us inspite of the pain and suffering he went through, he didnt do it because he was forced. He didnt do it to prove he could live after death. Jesus died because he loved us. He died because he wanted us to live. Jesus sacrificed himself for sinners like us. Persons that he wasnt sure would live for him. I dont know about you but anyone who can sacrifice themselves for me is someone i would do the same for. Jesus became nothing. He was persecuted, beaten and he suffered so that we dont have to. I really had to check myself and my motives after this revelation hit. Do I truly love God or am i terrified of death? I challenge us to check ourmotives. Is it a selfish one that is only thinking about self presevation of is it that we are moved to serve God because we love him. What motivates you?  

The Favour of God is upon me and I'm going up!

We often experience the favour of God and dont even really recognise it. This weekend I told God that i wont ask for favour because i know as a child of God it is already mine. However I made a concious decision to look out for it this weekend and Wow, God has been good. I had an interview on Friday to begin my counseling internship so that i could graduate in the May next year. I left a very crucial document for that meeting at school and had no way of getting it before the meeting began. I kept saying though, God favour. Your favour. I went into the meeting quite comfortable because i know the God i serve and what he is capable of. The entire meeting went by without him asking for the letter and I was happy. But then to my horror, one of my classmates (also there for the same reason) asked if he would like the letters. I began to think Lord, have mercy and for a second i began to doubt. To my surprise, one of my classmates had a copy of the document that I needed and handed it in for me. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Talk about favour. I could help but think, God truly is and awesome God. His favour contiued on through the entire weekend. I have so much to be thankful for.

It did have me think though, how often do we experience the favour of God and not notice. We dont even thank God for his goodness and choosing to bless us. God is truly and awesoe God who cares about us and wants nothing but the best for us. I challenge us today to really meditate on our days and acknowledge the goodness of God. Really see where if it wasnt for his favour we would fall short. See where there is nothing that we can do without him and how lost we would be without his direction. I challenge you to take notice of these things and thank God for them. He deserves it!

A Choice

A choice

It all boils down to a choice

We choose to live in sin

We choose to disobey

We choose to fulfil our selfish desires

We choose

But what if Jesus chose

Not to die

What if because Jesus knew

That we would still sin

He chose not to die

He chose to fulfil his human desire

He decided that we were not worth it

What if

What if God decided not to send his Son?

What if God decided that we were not worth it?

What if

What if the victory wasn’t already won?

And the hearts and the minds of all men were cold

Would you still be here?

Would you be alive or dead?

Considered this

God chose to send Jesus

Who chose to die

Who chose us over himself.

He chose to give us the Holy Spirit

So that we would not be lost

So isn’t it selfish of us to

Choose to do as we please

To choose not to die to self

To choose ourselves over him

He did it for us why can’t we for him.

It all boils down to a choice

Well I have weighed my options

And I have chosen

I have chosen life

Over death

I have chosen

To be loyal to Jesus

I have chosen to be faithful

Have chosen to be obedient

I choose to deny myself

I choose to take up my cross

I choose to follow Jesus

I choose to be Holy

I choose to give all of me away

I choose to worship

I choose to love

I choose Christ

Because he chose me.

Taki

The Importance of humility

In my Conflict resolution class today we looked at conflict between males and females (which I believe is an entire course by itself). I learned alot of things about men and women that i found interesting. One thing that came out of it though is the fact that we really need humility. Recentlt I was readina a book and the thought hit me. Jesus was so humble and submissive to will of his Father. We want to be like Jesus so u know the Maths is simple.

If we are humble in our relationships with others and understand submission for what it really is then our relationships would truly bring glory to God. In every aspect. Jesus  knew it was the will of his Father that he should die and Jesus chose to do the will of his Father. Jesus cae to show us how to live as human beings. He showed us how to address authority, how to deal with our parents, how to speak to the enemy and deal with the temptations of sin. Study the life of Jesus and see, he provided us with an answer for every situation. So i think when situations arrive we should always ask 'what would Jesus do", think in terms of him being submissive to the will of his Father.

God Bless you!

All the Crying

Of late, I realise how much of a nothing that I am without God. It isnt even funny, how much of a mess I am in. Truly. But thats not my point. I often want to do so much for God and I feel like should be able to do it now. Right now at this second. You stand next to people who are 'perfect' and you see all your flaws and dissappointments. You see how truly inadequate you are and feel like you are not good enough. I am telling you, it happens to me. I wish that my growth would happen faster.

I sometimes look at the response people have when I worship lead to when others do. I compare who does a better job and deam myself not 'good enough'. I tell myself that there is something wrong with me. That the Spirit of God really isnt with me because the 'superspiritual' get a superspiritual response. That what i do or say is never good enough. What if I say the wrong thing. What if the word I think I hear God say is really what I am telling myself. Is God really with me?

We view most people and dont realise that these questions are things that come up. We sometimes never feel like we are good enough. We down on ourselves because we were not the Christian that called us to. That even though we are willing, it just never happens. We are dissappointed because to us God could never be as pleased with us as he is with the ones we deam as perfect. As the ones who really live the life of perfection. Why do we even bother. We feel like no one understands how we feel. That we go through these things all by ourselves and that we are the only ones who feel this way. We allow the fact that we think no one understands us, discourage us from talking about it. From letting people know how we feel. We feel left out of all the things that 'super holy' people should be involved in. We feel worthless. However...

We forget that probably the only one who understands is God. He sees our tears and our pain. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands our make up, he understands why we think the way we do, he understands why we cry for things that people think are stupid. He understands why sometimes we need to be alone. He understands our desire and passion for him. He knows our heart. And I know sometimes he feels like a distant friend our family member who we can only talk to on occasion but i encourage you to change that mindset. God is forever with us. He is always closer than we think. We must continuously run to him. When we dont feel him near we seek him harder. In the times when we feel worthless we search his words and fiind that we are fearfully ad wonderfully made. We search and see that He knows the plans He has for us. God has created us with purpose and plan. We were not by chance. We were not by accident. And I know it is not easy to not compare ourselves to others. Believe me I still do it and its the reason for the blog. We must know who we are in Christ and believe that we are His. Believe that his purpose for us is very important to the furtherance of His kingdom and that it needs you to be established. I pray that God Blesses you and reveals to you the plans he has for you. That you are worth more to him than you could think. That of He had to die for you only He would. Believe it by faith and watch God prove it.

God Bless you.

Me Me Me!

Our selfish human nature can really bring out the worst in us sometimes. Often we seek to please ourselves and do what we want because in the short run it looks better for us. In the short run it really truly looks like everything will be fine. We get a temporary fix, a short term escape from the things we dub the pressures of life. Anything that can ease our mind in the short term. Things that for the now allows us to forget. Anything that can work for the now to make me feel better.

But people guess what. Jesus didn't sacrifice his all for us so that we can in return think about ourselves and what is best for us. It is embeded in us to want to please self. Because of sin, it became all about me. But people really, as a Christian we are to be the light that immitates the life of Jesus. If we are to immitate Jesus and Scripture says that we have the mind of Christ, then really we in no way should ever think about what is best for us. How preserving self will work out better in the long run. If Jesus thought like that we would not be here. He would have chosen to die for our sins. He could have decided to live for him but he didnt. Jesus thought about others before himself.
He realised that he was called to be an example, a leader, a teacher and he lived a perfect life to show us that we can immitate it. He lived the life he did so that we can know that we can. Jesus sacrificed his all for us, why do we find it so hard to do the same for others.

I have really learnt that no matter what you think, there are always people looking at you. Just when you think that no one is watching and you can do this one thing for you thats when persons eyes are on you. Jesus called us to this life because he has placed within us the ability to defeat sin. We are not powerless. By the guidance of the Holy Spirit if we dont want to sin we dont have to. So my friends my encouragement is this: Walk in the way of Jesus. He showed us how to live and how to deal with the pressures of life. He has showed us and equipt us with everything that we need to know. Be that light that God has called you to be. Be the example that God has called you to be. Be the salt that God has called you to be. Do not allow the devil to use and  influence you in anyway.

The Awesome, Almighty, Magnificant, Blessed, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Ruler of everything, Sovereign Lord be glorified, magnified and praised. Amen

The Next Generation

People, this is a new time in our lives. The Lord is really raising up a generation of young people with such a fire for God. That so seeks to please their God. A generation that allows nothing to distract or distort them from receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A generation that will press and continue pressing until they get their victory/ breakthrough. A generation is so Rooted in the Word of God that the cannot be moved.

Where are you now? Are you a part of the Generation that has crazy faith? Are you a part of the generation that hungers and thirst after the things of God? Are you a part of the generation that is not ashamed of the Gospel? Are you a part of the Generation who is excited about living a Holy Life? Are you a part of the Generation that worships in Spirit and in truth? We have really come to a time that requires our faith to be strong, our worship to be true and our devotion known. For too long we have been silent, ineffective and lukewarm. Lukewarm no longer cuts it. We can no longer survive in once a week experiences and meeting times with God. Everyday experiences, different anointings, new encounters with our Almighty God is what we seek after.

I encourage you to move out of your lukewarm state. Not because God will bless you, or keep you. Not for me, not for family, not for friends. Do it because you understand that God sent his ONLY Son, to sacrifice his life for us. Do it because Jesus CHOSE to die for us. Do it becaue the Holy Spirit CARES enough to give us what we need to have everlasting life. Do it because you understand that we can never repay God for the sacrifices he made and the least we can do is give ourselves to him. Holding nothing back. Completly give ourselves to a God who truly wants fellowship and relationship with us. He wants to love us and for us to love him. Jesus wants us.

We have all done somethings we are not necessarily proud of. And we wonder how such and awesome, pure Holy, magnificant, Mighty, High and Lifted up God could want to know us. But God wants us people. He loves us and cares for us.

Allow God to love you. Allow God to make his desires your desires. Allow God to transform you into the young man or woman that he will have you to be. I can assure you that you will not regret it.

God Bless you!

A Psalm

Father I love you
And so I choose to give you everything
My life, my heart, my soul, my mind
My very being belongs to you
Everything I have is yours,
Every single breathe
Every single heartbeat
It is yours for the taking
Not out of obligation
But out of the need for you
The need for you
Because I cannot live this life without you
Because if it wasn’t for you
I do not know where I would be
Because you have saved me and blessed me with my families
Because you have seen it fit to get to know me
Because you want me
Even when at times I did not want you
You want me
Father I truly love you
There is none sweeter
There is none who can take better care of me
There is none who knows me better
There is truly none like you oh God Almighty
You sacrificed your son and
Your son sacrificed his life
Ahhh how magnificent you are
You loved me before I knew myself
And you continue to love me even now.
Oh God you are great
Oh God you are wonderful
Oh God you are awesome
Oh God how great you are.

We need to hear from you...

Often we desire a new and fresh word from God. What we had before wasnt good enough. We ask God, we plead with him for a new thing and he sends the message via one of his servants. We get the word and then we seek of our own accord to bring it to pass or for some of us who dont fully understand turn to ourselves or other men to find the answers. But who gave you the word? It came via a servant of God but it came from God. So why do we seek mens wisdom to help us understand God's vision. 1 Corinthians 1 states that "the foolishness of God is wiser than men's wisdom". God gave us the vision and we turn to men to explain it to us.
My encouragement this morning is this, seek the face of God in every aspect of your life. He may not answer when you want him to but he will answer you when the time is right. Again I say, Keep Pressing, Keep seeking be loyal and faithful to God and see him work things out for good. Bless the Lord!

A continuous Spirit of Worship

When we get to the point that our very heartbeat is worship to God then we have grasped the concept of worship. In Jamaica, Minister Russell Leonce drew reference to the fact that God requires our very breath. Our very existance is what God requires of us. When we sing I give myself away or I surrender all we are telling God that my very life belongs to do. That in itself is worship.

The very air that we breathe is worship. It is so easy to worship God in Spirit and in truth. If we live the life God has called us to our very heartbeat becomes worship. Isnt it wonderful. God really does require more than a song, are you willing though to give that to him. More than just lifiting your hands in church, more than just singing good songs, more than just saying i worship you but a lifestyle that reflects Christ. Having a transformed mind and clean hands and a pure heart. Are we truly willing to become the men and women God has called us to be. Allowing no thought, person, thing, talent be exalted over God in our lives. I challenge us to do some introspection and really check ourselves. Who do we truly desire and worship? God or things?

Moving Forward!

I have wrote about pressing on alot in this blog, mainly because i see the need to encourage persons to. And guess what, here it is again. Keep Pressing! I recently went on a trip (to Jamaica) with my school choir and the ministry was extra ordinary. I went to Jamaica expecting something from God and it is exactly what I got. I left Trinidd a bit like a ship without a sail, still seeking God, reading his word, not giving up. I didnt feel his presence any where near me yetI kept pressing. My breakthrough came because i did not give up. I continued to press in no matter what and God rewarded my efforts.

The dry spells in our relationship with God, when we dont feel him near, will come. How we handle them is what God looks at and rewards. I could have said Lord I dont feel you, you are not there so what should I pray, or read my Bible. But I didnt, I kept pressing and soon enough God was there. So friends Keep pressing. Dont allow the enemy to cause you to believe that God has left you. Because God cant. It is written in his word that he will NEVER leave you or FORSAKE you and God cannot lie. So guess what, we can never be alone because God cannot leave us alone. So again Keep pressing and see where it takes u!

To Choose or not to Choose, that is the question.

Recently God has been revealing to me the power of choice. If we as children of God would grasp the concept of the power of choice we would live much happy lives. Most things, if not everything in this world is a choice. You choose to read this blog. You choose to eat, you choose to go or not to go to church. Life is full of choices.
Their are two very important choices I want to highlight. The first is the choice to love or not to love. A sister of mine and I were discussing today love. The fact that love is a choice. I choose to be patient with persons, I choose to be kind, I choose to forgive, I choose not to boast. We choose, making a constant decision to love each other unconditionally. It is in no way a feeling that you can experience.
Another choice we make is to sin. We choose to sin. The way out of the sin is right there yet, for short termed short lived pleasure we sin. We, by the leading of the Holy Spirit can choose the right path but i believe that we believe that we can do it by ourselves. It is impossible to overcome sin without the Holy Spirit. We choose to tune out the Holy Spirit and choose to satisfy the pleasures of the flesh. So what choice are you going to make. Are you going to choose to love unconditionally and to walk in complete obedience to God through the Spirit. Or will we choose constantly to stay a prisoner to sin. Its up to you. Choose?

More than the Hype!

A Good friend of mine and I we speaking today and she made an interesting point. We usually get so caught up in how much time we spend with God that we miss God. Things like 'we spent three hour praying today' or 'that prayer meeting lasted all day'. I am not saying that youn shouldnt spend all that time with God but check your motives. In that three hours you spent with God, what new did you learn about God. What did you learn in the alnight prayer meeting. Was it all about you? Or was it to be able to say that I spent three hours or all day with God today?
Today I urge us to check our motives. It is not about us and it never was about us. It will also never be about us. Don't get caught up in the hype!

An Experience With God

On Sunday my choir had a fund raising concert entitled 'An Experience With God'. And people the name was exactly what happened. God came and moved and it was awesome. The presence of God was there and was felt. We expected God to move, We wanted him to show up and he did. It reminds me that we can only receive as much as we expect. If we expect it, and chase after it, it will happen. God wants to birth within us a desire for experiences with him. Not all being the same but each one different and more intense than the other.
My encouragement, Love on Jesus, hunger and thirst after him and see a Super Natural Transformation that only the Spirit of God can bring.

Keep Pressing

We often don't get the answer we desire the first time we ask. Sometimes we do but othertimes we have to press in and on with God. God requires that we chase after him for the answers we desire. He births in us this longing and desire for him that allows us to continue to pursue him.It is up to us to acknowledge that desire and pursue it. God requires so much more than a song. He desires that we chase after him, seek him, want him, long for him and he will answer our prayers. Note that the answer may not be the answer we desire but it will be an answer. I pray that we do not keep pressing when it seems that God is silent. God Bless!

Are you sleeping?

In the same story mentioned before another significant thing occured to me. So of us as Christians are sleeping. We are in a spiritual thinking that we will beable to snooze for awhile. we believe, like the five foolish virgins, that we have time. Guess what people we dont. In Mark Jesus speaks about the signs of the end times. Look around. Its happening. It has begun. The time is so near I can feel it. I bbeg of you dont be caught sleeping. Get up and Get prepared. The time is here!

Are you sleeping?

When Jesus took some of his desciples to Gethsemane he told them to wait at a particular place and stand guard. After praying for an hour he returned and they were sleeping. He woke them up and again went to pray, when he returned he was sleeping again. He again woke them up and left again to pray. When he returned he found them asleep again. The first time Jesus returned he said something that was very important. He admonished them to watch and pray so that hey would not fall into temptation.He ends by saying the spirit is willing but the body is weak.

As youths we always have a fire for God. We want to do so many things for God. But then bit by bit piece by piece life happens. You have responsibilities like school, family, church even work and you then have no time to commit to doing what u started. U become tired and weary and give up. Your spirit is willing but your body is shutting down. After the frustration u begin to feel like a failure. U stop praying and reading ur Bible mainly because u feel ur not worthy of that time with God. And even though people tell u that u are, u dont really want to hear them. You reach the point where you no longer feel the oresence of God with you. And soon enough you become the person that you dont recognise. Where did the willing spirit u had go? Where is the fire that was once there? Can you come out of it?

Jesus died so that we can be covered. Covered with his mercy and his grace so that inspite of our slip ups we can still come back to him. His arms are always open and he stands waiting for us to come back. So what are you gonna do? Are you going to wallow in what you are in and not wake up and return to you first love? The choice is yours.

The first shall be last!

My sisters and I were grown up to always strive for excellence. In everything that we do. Academically I think it was the hardest. Now don't give me wrong I am glad we were pushed because I don't think we would have worked as hard. But it birth in us this spirit of competition. Because we always wanted the highest GPA and to be the best at whatever we did, everything became a competition. I did not know how much so until after an exam in college, I looked over to my friend and realised he scored on point higher than I to take the highest score in the class and I was pissed. I was pissed at him and myself. He looked at me and asked me why and I couldn't tell him. I was embarrassed. I honestly didn't care about how I could help those who are not doing as well as me. My mind was now set on beating the score of those who scored over me. By any means necessary.
Last night I was reading the 10th chapter of Mark and came across the story of John and James. They requested the honour of sitting on the right and left side of Jesus. Immediately Jesus gave them a lessen in humility and servant hood. The basis that we mus serve others. The first mist become last. It reminded me about the high horse I was on and had to come down of off. We sometimes believe that we deserve certain things. We did this and that so we are entitled somethings. Then we need to be reminded to come off of the high horse that we are on and humble ourselves.
So my encouragement today is simply this: Lets do some introspection. Where do we need to humble ourselves and become a servant before we can lead.

I am reading some news and a statue of Jesus on the I-75 was struck by lighting. It was burnt to the ground. What is interesting to me is the number of comments written about it. Christan's and non Christians a like. What stands out to me the most is the number of non Christians with something to say about it. One even says "This is a sign saying stop worshiping me and get a life". I didn't know what to say. the blatant disrespect for my God.
Last night some of my friends and I were having a discussion on the fact that we as Christians sometimes compromise our Christianity so that we don't offend others. Interestingly enough, the non christians do not compromise for us. They curse in front of us, they call us out to work and they constantly have negative things to say. And we stay quiet in our churches and youth groups because we do not want to offend.
The fact is if The Word of God says its sin, then guess what, its sin. And nothing one can do or say will change it. So, we will be persecuted because we are no longer 'tolerant' of what the world is trying to deem as ok. But the truth is their is no lukewarm in sin. Its either you are obedient, or disobedient simple as that. So my encouragement is this. Study the word of God so that you can with all Boldness declare it. We can no longer be silent. No one else is.

Coming Clean!

The point of creating this blog was to share the everyday (well almost everyday) life of myself as a Christian young person. To avoid all pretense and to be honest about my joys, sorrows, victories and struggles. The more I think about it however, I realise that I have been pretending. The very thing I despise is the thing that I am becoming. I never say when I am struggling. I always come with the victory story after.So here is me coming clean.
Most times when I have not writtn for awhile is because I have nothing to say. When I have nothing to say is when my relationship with God has taken a backburner and I am focusing more on something else. This something else being anything from school work to persons to a job I may have to do. It sucks because at those times I feel the furthest from God.
This also occurs when God ask you to do something and you are disobedient. School is out and for us at the school I attend we usually have one last big outing before we all leave for the break. This year like always we went to see a movie. We planned this outing for awhile so I was really pumped. While getting dressed God told me not to go. I reasoned with God so much about it being the last time most of us will see eachother because they graduated and I still went. Since then I have not been able to really feel the presence of God around me. I know I was disobedient and I have repented for it over an over again. And this isnt the first time.
So what do you do when because u dont feel God's presence around you? What do you do when u dont feel like worshipping because u feel like ur not being heard? What do u do when u dont feel like reading ur Bible because God is saying nothing to u through his Word? What do you do?
As Christians we dont operate on feelings. How we feel is never to be trusted. our hearts can lead us astray and into danger we dont see coming. So what do I do? I choose to worship. I choose to read God's Word and I choose to pray. It doesnt matter how i feel. God's promises are secure because he cannot lie. His WORD says that he will NEVER leave me or forsake me. And I hold firm to that promise. So even though right now I done 'feel' him, I know that he is here.

From a Friend of mine to you

Know God Even When the Odds Are Against You

Our relationship with God must be personal – relationship with God must be built on a personal encounter with Him. We must know where we stand with God, even when those closest to us do not raise the accolades of our persistence that we sometimes look for.

In reading about Job, we see that he was confronted with a very difficult situation. Job knew that he was blameless and that he had walked righteously before His God. He knew that he had done nothing to make God angry. But he also knew that the pain which he was experiencing was not inflicted on him apart from the permission of his God.

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar came to him, they had every intention of comforting him (Job 2:11). However, they failed to grasp the reality of the matter. They reasoned, from the outside, that there was no way that a righteous and blameless man would be allowed to go through the testing that Job was experiencing.

But Job had a personal relationship with God. This relationship enabled him to stand firm in the fact that he had done nothing to displease his God. Yet he trusted God enough to speak truthfully and honestly before Him and still, he knew that God would be God and bring His will to pass.

We must never allow ourselves to doubt God. We must always be in a tune with God and we must trust that He would let us know when we are out of step with Him. People cannot direct us in the paths of God. God can use people to speak to us, but it is God who gives the direction where His purpose and plan are concerned.

Job’s friends were sure that they knew what they were talking about. They were convinced that Job had gone wrong somewhere, somehow. He reprimanded his friends for trying to win favour with God. They were saying the things that they were expected to say; they were guessing (Job 13: 7 – 10). We must learn of Job’s friends:

- We must never judge people’s situations based on the difficulties that they experience. God is the only righteous judge. We must let Him be God.

- We must never seek to speak without first understanding from God’s perspective. Job’s friends failed to see the situation from God’s point of view, and as such, they posited invalid hypotheses.

- We should never seek to give people “spiritual answers” for their problems, unless those answers are directed by God himself. We may only cause their pain to increase. It is God who determines what truth is, not man, regardless of how pious the man may be. God is the Mighty Counselor. We must always seek His advice before we speak on His behalf.
Job knew where he stood with God, and although his situation pressed him, he held on to the truths that God had taught him in times before. Even when the vote was four to one, when his friends and wife were against him, he held fast to the belief that he was in right standing with God and God delivered him in the end.

Sometimes, Christians struggle and the church puts them through unnecessary fatigue because they simply do not understand the struggle. We must never poke our noses in other people’s struggles; we must not comment, unless the Lord gives utterance.

My relationship with God must be just that – between God and I. I do not need to consult with others to find out whether God is leading us or speaking to me. It cannot be denied, that seeking the counsel of Godly men and women is crucial when making decisions and it is certainly a Biblical principle that has been applied throughout Scripture. However, one must always remember, that when the day is done, one does not need a “majority vote”. I just need God’s assurance. How ever and if ever He chooses to bring confirmation, then Amen!
If He chooses to bring that confirmation through a human source, then praise God still. God never needed man’s concurrence with His opinion to make it right.

With or without us, God’s plan is the right plan and God’s way is the right way!
Kerese Harrinandan!

Smile Jesus loves you!

I have realised how much smiling improves not only my mood but the mood of persons around me. Then it cme to me. Jesus spread so much joy when he traveled and taught. He healed the sick and cast out devils. Made people happy and gave them such a joy that they could not help but share it. Has Jesus not brought us that same joy! Are we not so happy to be children of God. My challenge to you today is to share your joy with at least one perso everyday. As simple as giving a compliment works! be Blessed.

Wohooo!

So its been awhile this I know. Findind time to do anything around this time for me is hard. Today my encouragement is short and sweet. Relationship with God is the greatest relationship you will ever have! Try it!

What do you want?

The life of King Solomon has always intrigued me. He was a man truly blessed by God. His wisdom is still spoken of even to this day.His love for women and his fall are also spoken of to this day. His story lives on. While talking to God today, after reading about David and his encounters with Saul, I realised that David never made a move if God didn't tell him to. I also realised that whatever David enquired about from God he was answered. God never left David hanging. When God asked Solomon what he wanted most in the world, Solomon asked for wisdom to rule. I sat there thinking what would I have done in that situation. I smiled when i thought about it because I want so many things right now. But I can safely and honestly say that all i want at the moment is more of God. I want to please him, to bring him glory in everything that I do. Oh the awesomness of God! I am never satisfied with where I am in Christ. And I dont ever want to be. I want to chase after God all the days of my life. What do I want, I want more of Jesus, what do you want?

(lyrics are written by Tribbett, Stevens)

Verse I
Each and everyday I will seek Your face
My soul is crying out
for more, I want more of You
I won't be satisfied(Satisfied) nor content with where I am
So I will apprehend 'till I'm captured by what I'm after

Chorus
And I will go from faith to faith
From glory to glory (2x)

And I'll forever be chasing after You
I'll be chasing after You (2x)

Verse II
I will press towards the mark
for the prize and I won't faint
there's one thing I desire
and that's what I'm going for
I can't continue life day by day
growing dry
I need to be with You (Jesus)
I'll seek where You are

Chorus
And I will go from faith to faith
From glory to glory (4x)

And I'll forever be chasing after You
I'll be chasing after You (14x) [Build Up Included]

And I will go from faith to faith
From glory to glory (3x)

(I'll never get settled. I'll always want more of You, Jesus!
I'll always be chasing after You!)

And I'll forever be chasing after You
I'll be chasing after You

More then a song.

God truly requires more than a song. We sing it, we say it but do we live it. On my journey to really become like Christ I have really been examining how much we go thought the motions of our Christianity. The Christian thing to to is to raise your hand in worship, the Christian thing to do it to pray everyday, the Christian thing to do is to be a good person. Do we do these things out of routine, ritual and obligation or do we do them because we love the Lord. When we sing I'll give you more than a song he requires a living sacrifice. when we sing I give myself away, it means the same. God requires us not because he says we should but because we love him. So, is your service to God out of obligation or out of love. Think about it and then decide what your going to do about it.

Which game are you playing?

During my period of playing Christian there were certain things you would and wouldn't do on a Saturday night before church. You will try your best to not sin in anyway. You would listen to gospel music all night because you are trying to create and 'atmosphere'. If for some you reason you were suppose to minister, thats when you are super Holy on Saturday and Sunday. After being repententant (sometimes) for the weekend, you turn right back to what you were doing before. Hypocritical don't you think?
So now we're saved and everything is great. We are on fire for Jesus and our ministry is great. But the things we use to do we still do. Things like what you ask? The music we listen to, the way we speak, the clothes we wear are all the same. We find ourselves saying I cant listen to this song tonight church in the morning or I cant go out tonight because I have church in the morning. If we believe we cant do it a night before church why do we do it at all? Dosent that mean in someway that we know what were doing is wrong. We believe we can do it every other day but the days surrounding church. Notice I say we because this is something God is revealing to me of late. On the road to living the Holy life we are called to there are somethings that God sees that we dont that he has to help us work on. Recently this is one for me.
Lets becareful of what we say and do. Our lives should reflect Christ always. So a few questions to ask yourself when you feel confused. What would Jesus do? Can I pray before it, through it or after it? Use these questions and I know that God would be able to choose wisely.

Love is in the air

I found myself asking the question lately who is God to me. Not the who people tell me he should be but who he really is to me. I came up with a few things. Father and friend being two of them. But then my mind ran on 'Lover of my Soul' and I wondered "is God the lover of my soul". And to myself I replied no. I went in search of the answer why. I asked friends what they thought, I spoke to God about it and I got no definite answer until tonight.
On the balcony with some friends, chatting about friendship and relationship it hit me. We don't know true love unless we know God. What it Love? 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 reads " Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
This is what love is. I made a checklist. Is God patient with me and I with him? Am I in anyway envious if him or him me? Does he boast or is he full of pride and Am I? And the list went on and on. After finishing my checklist i deduced on thing. God is the Lover of my soul. He loves me and I love him. There is no big spark that needs to take place. No physical reaction to happen. God loves me and I him. Not the love that is superficial and only comes about when we receive something we desire. Not the kind of love that slips away when we don't get our own way. Not the kind of love that is conditional, but true love. Real love. The kind of love that can only be shared once it is experienced. Now I can sing with all assurity "I love you Lord and I life my voice" Love is the most excellent way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who are you?

I often look at persons involved in ministry and see how sucessful they are and wonder how can I be like them. I've been to places where the opening prayer had the church in a disarray and on the ground. I've seen where one song could upset and entire meeting. I have seen where the piano being played invites a spirit of worship and have persons meet with God.I often asked God when will I be able to lead people into your presence like that. When will I be able to sing one song and just have people worship like that. When will I be able to pray and the sick be healed. Lord when will that be me.
And then sometime in the space of yesterday and today I realised how many times I said 'I' in those conversations.I didn't care about what God wanted, I cared about what I could do. I cared abput what I wanted to do. It was about bring glory to God on my terms and in my own way. I had to cry out to God this morning. Begging and pleading for forgiveness. All I want really is to please him. To be able to serve him not because I Know I should but because I love him. It really isnt about me at all. And we sing the song and I honestly believe that we mean it sometimes, but in some way we are still waiting to hear "You did a great job today' or "wow you killed it: or "You were excellent" when really it isnt about you. Those persons didnt come to see or hear you. They dont want you. They dont want me. They dont care about how well we can sing, preach, pray. They want Jesus. They just want Jesus.
I cried soooooooooooooo much this morning because I realised how much I was trying to take Glory for myself and it wasnt mine to have. And to me, my pride was dealt with but it came in so subtlely. I realised it when I would get upset that someone didnt choose me to minister or when after I felt i did a good job, no one commended me. God had to teach me that no other opinion mattered other than his own. And now I can comfortably say that nothing else matters if his presence lives in me. I dont have to sing one more note, I dont need to pray for anyone, I dont even have to be an usher, as long as I know he is pleased with me. I can with all confidence say "Its all about him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Its EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi my friends, I know its been a while. I had laptop woes! Blessing to you and yours on this blessed day. In church this morning I was truly blessed. Our Pastor spoke on the resurrection power that we have within us. Boy was that exciting. He went to almot all the examples of the dead being raised from the dead. It really had me thinking about the power we have as believers. Think about it man, we have the power to raise persons from the dead, to cast out devils. Ha...how wonderful God is to us. As we go through today lets not only reflect on the fact that we Christ ied and rose again but also of the power we have as believers. Be Blessed my people.

Questions, Questions, Questions!

Questions come to me a lot. Not questions that can be answered by man. Questions that if you ask man they will give you a spin around and leave you more confused than when you started. Some of these I have gotten answers to and others I'm still waiting on. The most recent of my questions though is "Since we have the joy of the Lord and he has given us so many things to be grateful and thankful and happy about, is it right to allow ourselves to have moments of depression or grief?" Even in the event of the loss of a loved one, we can only hope that we will meet them again when the trumpet sounds yet we still grieve and feel sad. I believe that if I feel this way there must be someone else out there who feels the same or maybe I'm wrong. LOL!
These questions I get most times can only be answered, at least for me, by Jesus. These questions are what cause me to search his word and really seek after him. Really chasing after God seems to be the only answer to my questions. Most of the people who were healed in the New Testament searched and chased after Jesus for their healing. They desired a word they followed Jesus all over. The concept of Chasing after God is a concept that I grasped recently and its a concept that I have grown to love and accept. My encouragement today is that. The answer to your situation, the map to your treasure, the cure for your sickness is Jesus. Chase after him and you'll see.

The Awesomwnesssssssssssssssssssssss of God.

God has the ability to speak to every situation going on in your life with everything that happens. Today I went to church and with every song that was sung to every side note made from my Pastor to the guest speaker it seems like God was saying I am able. I needed to be reminded today that God is able to be everything we could ever ask or think off. I just sat in church today and all I could do is smile. I was so overwhelmed by God's presence just being there and meeting with him it was like wow! I just had to sit in that church and smile...i couldnt really sing. Its like my very heartbeat was worshiping God. Oh the joy! Man God is really awesome and even if we dont think so he still is. Thank God for his presence.

What is it all for?

What o we really need as Christians. Do we need to do God's work and be an example of what a good christian should be. Do we need to be counted in the most Holy of them all? Do we need to be the best worship leader, pastor,minister of our church? Do we need to operate in the spiritual gifting that is placed on our lives. Do we need to hear the best preacher preach and the best song evangelist minister? Is that what we need to enjoy christianity? Is that all we need to sustain us as Christians. Is our christinity down to the who we minister to and if we were ministered to?
I have reach the point in my life where none of those things really mean anything to me if God doesnt say he loves me and I belong to him. All the ministry, the music, the opportunities, the life I live doesn't mean a thing if I dont know thhat God loves me. Its preety basic you may thing, really very simple. Of course God loves us, he created us and we do his work, we do all these things in his name. Why would he not love us. We speak these things all the time. But have we ever really taken a moment to bask in his love. To really feel the kind of love that he has for us and wants us to show others. I have recently and it was a life altering experience that will now and forever change my outlook on many things. The words of Fred Hammond's song simply put is a perfect example of what i'm talking about. Here are the lyrics:-

don't really need to tell someone their future
I don't really have to see the things that can't be seen
I don't need another hyped up church encounter
Or another clever New Year's theme
I'm not looking for another goosebump sermon
Or a word that leaves me passed out on the floor
My basic needs are really very simple

To know You love me, You like me
And I am Yours,I am Yours

My learning could go on throughout the ages
But I just need the plain and simple of what's real
I could memorize and quote a million pages
But I'd rather just express the way I feel

I tried so hard to know the deepest revelation
So I can still and tell the nation what it means
But I found the greatest gift
Wrapped in Your salvation
It's really much more simple, than it means

So I relinquish all my witty observations
Leave my so-called sacred knowledge at the door
When You died You answered every single question

You said You loved me, You liked me
And I am Yours, I am Yours

I pray this song ministers to you as it did me. What really is important? What is important to you? Is it really what matters?

Fire Fire Fire!

During crusades and camps we see God move in magnificent ways. We see him really do a new thing and set in us a fire. We leave these events on a 'spiritual high' and think that nothing can get us down. We believe we are invincible and we let our guard down because we are on top of our game. There is nothing the devil can throw at us that would ever bring us down.I have been there...I think I'm actually at that point now where I'm just coming down from a 'Holy Ghost High'. The question now is what next? After the hype and the living in the moment is gone what now?
Continue seeking God and stay around the people who will keep your fire burning. Sometimes we cant do it by ourselves. We need oxygen from someone and a little 'pitch oil' or some lighting fluid to help keep us as fresh as ever. Think about it in order for us to help other ignite, something needs to be feeding our fire. Between God and friends that should and would not be an issue. So two things my friends. 1- Lets not wait on a crusade or a camp to really have that fire ignited, allow it to be ignited continually. secondly, allow God and friends (persons God has placed in your life for your benefit) to fuel that flame that has been ignited. God has work to do in us and he needs us to be completely emmersed in his word and allow his fire to ignite the persons we come into contact with. Love ya'll.

Christian Cliches

"Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before" We all know the song, or we all should know the song. It speaks of our daily walk with God and the fact that everyday it gets better and better. I realised this week that for a long time I was lying to myself. I would sing the song and say it because all Christians do but it never really has been so. However this past week I have really been experiencing everyday with God being sweeter and sweeter everyday and I'm loving it. What caused it, nothing short of a direct touch from God for which I am grateful. It has been great living in the cliche and I am enjoying the journey.
But this week had me thinking about all the Bible cliches we use. God is good, All the time and all the time God is good for starters. And there are many more, PUSH pray until something happens. But do we really. Have we really seen the goodness of God through our own lives or are we living through the experiences of others. Lets really think and do some introspection of the Bible cliches we use and see if we are telling the truth or unbeknown to us we are lying. I have done some serious introspection on this and I tell you it is not easy, however I do believe that you will become better evangelist and carriers of the gospel for it.

The Power of Agreement

At this point there is so much I can blog about so I will begin with the most recent. There is a week of services going on at my school right now which focuses on the spiritual growth of the student. Today the message was entitled 'The Power of Agreement'. It seems simple and something we have heard over and over again yet still I don't believe we have really grasped the concept.
The essence of the message was simply this, before the two and three which are gathered can agree, and agreement must first be had between the persons and God. The first arrangement is between God and the individual.Then all you got to do is believe. Believe that God is going to do what he said he is going to. that he will do what he promised and Amen. So let it be.
Instantly that theory was put to the test and I have seen the power of Agreement work. God knows what he's doing and all we need to do it believe. 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen' Are you walking by faith?

Expectations...

I am a person who will try one thing if it works until it doesn't work. When it doesnt work anymore I get rid of it and start again. I, used to , however, never transfer that to my christian walk. I see God move in different situations and in different ways. However, I expect soooooooooooooooooo much sometimes that I try to dictate how God moves in any given situation. I try my best to do everything 'right' so that eveything can happen just like that again. u know because it was oh so good. In my own little way i was putting God in a box. I enjoyed the previous experience so much that I wanted to head back into that direction instead of moving forward. Soon i learnt that God dosent want us to have the same experience all the time. We cant be at a stand still. We must move forward. We cannot dictate the way GOD CHOOSES to move. That is not our business. Our business is that when he's ready so are we. I choose not to try to "invoke" the Spirit of God. I no longer go expecting or in anticipation of how i believe God should move. I just go. Because we can do all we ant, pray all we want, sing all we want, live a holy life all we want. God does as he pleases and he sees fit. God moves when he chooses too. Now and Forever. Encouragement for today...trust that God knows best. God's timing is the right timing.

The Master Designer

Lets for a second think about the earth, out solar system and the many other put there. God designed a universe full of colour and artistry that is unbeknown to us. God knew exactly where to put the earth so that we are not destroyed by the sun's rays. He knew exactly where to place the earth so that we dont freeze from the sun. Just think about the colours of the earth. The lucious greens of plants and the deep blues of the seas. The yellow of the sun and the brown of the earth. Oh my gosh. I got a devine revelation today sitting in class. As we discussed creation and the solar system my mind runs to the Milky way and all the other things we have not yet discovered. God really is a master designer. I am creative but never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought up a plan like this. Can you imagine what we would have been like if we were created to stand on our feet. How hard would it be to eat with our feet? I can go on and on about Gods creativity. Woooooohoooooooooooooooooooo. A God of that creativity thought of me and knows me by name and is concerned about my being. He took his time to craft me. How I look. Tonight I admonish us to really stop and think and listen and look at creation. Look at what our God created for us to enjoy. The aesthetic of this world is amazing. Wow! Lets really pay attention to and thank God for taking the time to think of me.

Friends are Like Flowers

At school being away from family is super hard. However, I have learnt to 'adopt' family. I got alot of brothers and sisters oh and lots of parents. I have a 'little sister' who helps me so much I dont think she even knows. Last night I was at a point of depression and her encouragement came without me having to ask. She is a blessing and I never ever forget to let her know it.
I say all this to say, God places persons in our lives to encourage and help us. We sometimes confuse these friends with the person who should just be passing through. We have faith in these people and we put our trust in them and then they dissappoint us in the long run. These friends end up being leeches that suck life out of us and rather than pouring into your lives. My point is this. Appreciate the people around you who dont need to be prompted to encourage you. Persons who can look at you and 'sense' that there is a need to encourage you. Persons who will be quick to listen and slow to talk. Persons who God uses to bless and encourage you no matter what. Persons who are praying for you whether you know it or not. Appreciate and pray for them.

Who's Who's

This week as what at a point that I beleive as Christian we all get to. The point of feeling like we are not worthy to be used. We slip up, we dont read our word, we bearly pray yet we are pushed to minister when we believe we are not ready. I thank God for friends and mentors in my life who dont let me come down on myself for it sometimes. They share their experiences with me and I soon realise that it isnt only me. Everyone goes throuth this phase of feeling inadequate.
What suck out to me is that 'WE' feel we arent worthy/ready. But really lets think about it. The only person really who can let us know if we are ready or not is God. We dont operate by human standards of readiness or by what man things is to be ready or not. So my friends very short and very simple here it goes. It may seem as if we are not worthy or inadequate but it is not for us or man to dictate whether we are ready or not. Trust that God knows best. After all he does. ;-)

Circumstances.

God wants to use us. Believe it or not we are not here on earth for ourselves rather we are here for God and to do his work. Last year I was so consumed with that notion that I completely forgot about relationship. Our relationship with God is more important than any ministry you can think of. This year I have dedicated to many things. One of these things is chasing after God. I want to know God so much that the desire consumes me at times. Recently I have felt though that the more I seek after him is the further away he seems.
Not the best predicament to be in I must say. Never is. I have been praying and reading the Word and I felt like nothing was working. I did all that I can to 'feel' closer to God but nothing worked. I then spoke to one of my youth leaders and who reminded me of something I told him God had asked me to do. In doing introspection I realised that I had some unfinished business to handle. I never ever thought that this one situation, this one small t hing that I had to do would be the thing keeping me from catching up with God.
Sometimes we pay no attention to the little things that may be keeping us from God. We wonder why we feel so distant from him or why he isn't answering us. Sometimes its just the little things. I did what God asked and immediately began feeling better. My encouragement today is examine yourself and your lives. Is there anything keeping you from God? If so what are you going to do about it?

Sigh!!!!!!

We constantly hear the saying "we are living in the end times...God is soon coming" and I am of the opinion that we have heard it to often that we believe God is coming anytime soon. What we fail to realise is that the more time elapses the closer his coming. We always believe we have time. Time to party, Time to play around and according to my District Youth Leader Time to 'Palance'. But do we ever sit and think about it. We have been getting warnings for the past 2000 years and yet still we choose not to believe. Most of us grow up in church and christian homes yet still we feel the desire to 'live my life while I'm young. I have time.' Well my friends I'm here to tell you that there is no time. The end times are here it is no longer coming. No longer is it a figure of speech. You either shape up or ship out. What decision are you making.
As a young person I know its hard sometimes because the level that is calling us to surpass the ones of the 'older heads' at our churches.Because of the level we are being called to we will be asked to do things and say things that adults may have an issue with. Because of the level that God is calling us to we will be unable to settle for mediocrity and the form of godliness that we are taught. Because of the level that God is calling us to we may lose friends. Because God requires Holiness from us we may be persecuted. As young people who have decided to take that stand for Christ we cannot be wavered by such things. All we need to do is to be obedient to God's voice. God's voice and no other. At times it may be hard and we may wonder if what we are doing is what God requires of us. I say if what we are doing is not what God wants then he will find a way to kick you back in line. So my fellow young people don't be discouraged but be on guard. God is ready to use you. Are you ready to give yourself a way and surrender all???

Consistency!

What a word. Today I excercised. Yes I did! Woooooooooohooooooo. I'm not in pain but I am expecting that later. While excercising today i though about how effective just doing it for one day would be. If i did it once a month, or week if i would ever get the desired response. Of course not. I must be consistent. Then the song read your bible pray everyday came to mind. The song pro motes that of you read your bible and pray everyday that you will grow. Some of us read or bible once a month and once a week and expect results. Well i have some news for you justg like excersise it aint gonna work for you. Reading God's word and praying everyday is food to our spirit. Just like our natrual body needs food to grow so does our spirit man. How well are you feeding your spirit. Is it once a month or once a week. For some its even once or twice a year. Just like if you deprive your physical body of food you will starve to death so to can your spirit man starve to death. So people I encourage us today to remain in Gods word. Seek his face daily and a supernatrual transformation will follow. Love yall!