The Egyptians

You stand on a tall rock. You are untouchable, yet your brain tells otherwise. This five foot diameter fortress stands hundreds of yards above the ground with no ledges for climbing. You are untouchable, yet your brain tells otherwise. Because you see creatures, evil creatures, crawling at the base of the rock. Grabbing and scratching to try to get to you. This makes your forget that you are safe on the rock and you cry out for help! Then you see something else: Knights in armor and warriors are fighting for you. They bash and smash every creature that comes near the base of the rock; because, although you're safe on the rock, they are the ultimate fighters and they love you. Yet, in your human nature, your eyes fix once again upon the evil creatures. They seem too powerful regardless of all you know about their defeat. You once again moan and wail, "Help!" Suddenly, you look to your right, and you see an eagle. And you are raised up on eagle's wings. All you need to do is rest on the wings, on the rock, knowing who's fighting for you and who's defeated all for you.


Exodus 14:13&14
¹³ Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. ¹⁴ The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”


Exodus 19:4
⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.


Psalm 18:2
² The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
   my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
   my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Right v Wrong? No. Right < Gift.

Why do we treat gifts as if they're rights? Let me tell you something.. 

Christ, The Gift, (Rom 5:15) came and gave us the gift of salvation and eternal life (Rom 6:23). The gift of the Holy Spirit was then given. (2 Tim 1:6) The Holy Spirit gave us spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 7:7; 1 Pet 4:10) We all have different gifts. (Rom 12:6) God gives us gifts when He answers our prayers (2 Cor 7:7). You lack no spiritual gifts. (1 Cor 1:7)

This does not say.. Christ, The Right, came and gave us the right of salvation and eternal life. The right of the Holy Spirit was then given. The Holy Spirit gave us spiritual rights. We all have different rights. God gives us rights when He answers our prayers. You lack no spiritual rights.

Why doesn't this sound right? Because it's not! It's foolish.

"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge." (Psalm 51:4)

We need to recognize that every single good thing we get (including a breath) is a gift, not a right; and we need to begin to act as if this truth is truly true.

When God speaks, I know it's truth. Do you? Enough to change? Let's do it.

Calm Amongst the Storm

Patience. The unspoken truth underlying the sin.

Waiting is so glorious when it comes from within.

But we choose, as a people, to turn it from its design;

all along, knowing, it's lacking full define.

"Patience is waiting," so many would claim

but what if I told you that this is not the aim?

Patience is more than simply holding out

It changes your heart if you choose not to pout:

"Why me? Why this? Is this really Your plan?"

"My child, be still, and know that I can.

And I will, if you let Me, sit calmly, I ask.

Rest in My peace; in My holy grace, bask."

Indifference

How can I sit by and accept the striking fact that all these heart are dead?

How can allow my arrogant self to silently sit as if He never bled?

How can a church rise in numbers and nonchalantly speak the Word

while simultaneously ignoring the one whose bruised and unheard?

Go sip your coffee and eat your pastries while death knocks at the door

for this apathy is what, even more so than sin, is killing the whore.

For indifference is our right hand and disgust, our left;

if only we could pay someone to reach out to the theft.

We fail to realize that we are the thieves, 

stealing the joy of the one who believes

that there's more to life than clothing and shoes

and games and houses and filled up pews,

more than our safety and comfort and knowledge

and luxury and lust and "Oh, which college?"

Patience, Perseverance - Plenty

As this season of wait surrounds,

I pray Your glory expounds.

For in You I find my rest

amongst this heaving chest.

Although the tears flow steady,

I know that You are ready

and when the time is right,

occurs the end of this fight;

for now I'll trust and know

that You will overflow

into this stirring heart;

oh, God, set me apart.

For in this time of wait,

I'll knock at Your holy gate

and King, You hear my cry

for this, I choose to die -

die to my selfish timing;

ready to keep on climbing.

Informative Speech

The greatest love story ever told with the most perfect man ever known.
The King of everything is who He is; stronger and more powerful than
every other.
He is love, and He shows it completely and unconditionally to YOU.
He is joy, and He makes you this way every second that you're with Him.
He is peace, and when you're with Him, you are supernaturally calmed.
He is patience, and even though you constantly break His heart, He comforts you.
He is kindness, and everyone who is with Him becomes better.
He is healer, and everyone who calls His name is healed.
He is all these things and more.
Yet, in all His glory, He came - entrance, flawless - to in order to
save you from death.
He couldn't stand the thought of being away from you for a single
minute - He had to come for you.
He kept quiet as He grew up, waiting, longing to be with you.
He ran to the aid of everyone who called to Him, because His love for
you reaches to the skies.
He was perfect in every way, every day in order to remove all of the
separation that exists between you and Him.
People hated Him, and mocked Him because of His undying love for you.
They were so disgusted by this Lover that they wanted to kill Him.
This man that has given everything He has for you - they wanted to
kill Him - because of you.
They seized Him and locked Him up because even in the face of death -
He refused to deny His all-consuming love for you.
The cuffs dug in to His wrists and bruises formed as He was accused of
hatred and blasphemy - all because He refused to deny His love for
you..
The people wanted to flog Him; they wanted him to be tortured, because of you.
So they dragged him over to the stump and had his clothes ripped from
Him. Suddenly, razors sliced into his back and ripped out. Again,
blades dug into his back. Again. Again. Again. Red liquid spewed
everywhere. Blood poured out in rivers from His back. They beat Him
for hours and as His blood poured from His body - He looked over,
gazed in to your eyes and said, "This is for you, beautiful one."
because He needed you to know.
He was torn from the post and clothed in purple to be mocked. The
soldiers spat in his face. The blood soaked the cloth. He could hardly
move as they thrust hateful words to Him. He then glanced over, gazed
at you, and said, "This is for you, my love."
The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown and shoved it into His head.
As the thorns dug into His skull, streams of scarlet ran into His
eyes. In His mouth, the taste of iron as the blood poured in. At this
moment, He endured and kept silent, knowing that you are worth it.
But the people weren't satisfied. They wanted Him to die. Suffering
wasn't enough - death is the only thing that would have appeased their
appetites.
As the crowd cries out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Liar! Thief!" He
scans the crowd, and who does he see in the middle of it all? You. The
one who He is suffering for; the one who He is dying for, chanting
along side of them.
And He looked you straight in your hateful eyes and said, "I'm doing
this for you my love, because you do not know, yet, but you will. I'm
waiting for you."
He carried the heaviest wooden posts to His death place, though He
could barely walk. With every step, the cumbrous cross pushed into the
gaping wounds on his back from the previous lashing. Dirt flew into
them as He grimaced in pain. As the dirt burned, He could have ended
it all, but He had to make sure you realized just how much He loved
you. He was willing to give up everything He had to be with you.
Once He made it up the hill, you saw nails being driven into his
hands. With each pound, blood spewed and the hole grew. This perfect
Savior received an agonizing, massive nail into his feet. It pierced
each and every bone and vein. Then they stood Him up with ropes, as
was custom, and dropped Him into the hole. Shrieks and shouts came
from all around at the sight. And as blood dripped down and the man
who was guilty of absolutely nothing but loving you, dangled there.
With nearly all the clothes stripped from Him, He glanced over, gazed
you, and said, "This is for you, beautiful."
Hours passed as He hung there - like a stocking on a hook. And in the
last second, the man who held all glory and all power to do whatever
He wished, hung there, in unbearable pain, loving you - The one who
mocked Him, the one who laughed at Him, the one who spat in His face,
the one who called Him a liar, the one who hated Him, the one who
wanted His pain and death.
This is Jesus, and He is waiting for you with open arms, beckoning you
to come rest in His love.

Her Life, a Song, and I'm Still Singing

A whisper of the wind, yet You still know my name;
a toss of the waves, yet you call me the same.
Dust from the ground, yet you count every hair;
dust I'll return, yet you take up every care.
So this care I cry out, in mourning and in pain;
I cry onto you, for your peace to fall like rain.
I know right now I'm hurting, but you know this so much more;
right now, I'm in yearning, but your love's my solid shore.
Now I'll stand upon your beach, in which the grains are known;
I'll stand for now, knowing, it's her soul in which you own.

The Cry in the Bed

Why does it seem like I can't see you?
Why does my flesh block the view?
I cry out in the desert, I cry out in the spring.
God, oh God. Take me on your wing.
Because we all know I'm a mortal with nothing of my own;
we all know I'm a sinner, yet you called me home.
I don't understand your plan, but I know it's worth, worth every tear
because you, oh King, take away every fear.
Of not finding a husband, not finding your plan;
Lord, oh Lord, you hold me in Your hand.
For now I will sit, waiting for You
Because God of all, it's You in whom
I find my peace, my resting place
my identity, my saving grace,
and God tonight, with no one here;
I rest and know that you are near.

All Glory

No words on a page could convey,
this longing I feel today.

I want to reflect your truth,

regardless of my blatant youth.

Your name is worth my all,

now I choose to answer the call.

The call to be greater than this,

to exemplify Your beauty and dismiss

all the lies the enemy mentions

as he tries to instill apprehensions.

To display your glory completely,
and in no way do discreetly

is my passion and desire

for You, oh King, my fire.

May my life exalt Your name,

for Your the lamb without the tame -

Your death expounded roars

with the power fully Yours,

in this way, You're a lion,

but You're gentle, as in Zion.

Oh majestic, shining Light,

how I long to be so bright -

so full glory goes back to You

and all else fades out of view.

God Loves YOU

And guess what? It's that Sunday school love!! Isn't that great?! Yes, because despite the claim people make that God doesn't love you that way, He does! He loves you the same then as He does now - unconditionally, irreversibly, constantly. When you were blameless, He loved you. When you were in the middle of your deepest, most secret sin, He loved you. When you were surrounded by people who were complimenting you, He loved you. When you were wiping tears from your eyes in your bedroom all alone, He loved you.


You think, "That's super. I get it; God loves me just like they told me in Sunday school. Yadda, yadda." Let me tell you something about the way He loves you. He loved you so much that He knit you together in the womb! The God of the universe chose to spend the time weaving the needles in and out in order to create an entire, beautiful product. He started with yarn and ended with a masterpiece. Knitting is one continuous strand, "Why?" because He wanted every part of you. Every part of you was in the strand - no one part is meant to be missing. Each part of the strand was necessary in order to complete the whole.
He not only knit you - the WHOLE you - into being, but He made you in His image. He physically made you as closely as possible to Himself in order for you to spiritually be able to draw as closely as possible to Him. He wanted to knit into you a gold strand, that being Himself, so that His word was written on your heart and that you could give Him glory simply by standing.
This creation that He knit and made into His image was wonderfully made. YOU were WONDERFULLY made! This word wonderfully in Psalm 139:14 in nifleiti in Hebrew. It means to be separated or distinct. He made you to stand out. Why do you think all human beings crave that? He made us this way; it is in our DNA (Dead, Now Acclaimed) desire! This word also means show marvelous. You show marvel to God. The way you were made shows His glory.


That's not all. God made you in His entire splendor, but He wasn't ok with seeing you suffer. He wasn't ok with you being separated from Him. He HAD to come to be with you! "Why?" because He loves you. John 3:16 exclaims that "God so loved the world". This word, world, in the Greek is kosmos. One of the meanings of this word is adornment. Adornment means something that adds attractiveness. God so loved the one who adds attractiveness to all. God so loved you - for you add attractiveness to all. For you, He sent His son, Jesus Christ for the specific reason to die; to die for you, because you are worth it to Him.
Jesus was shackled and beaten as He was taken to Pontius Pilate. As the cuffs dug into his wrists and bruises formed, He glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
Pilate stood Jesus before the Jews - the people of which Jesus came to fulfill the promises to - and declared Jesus innocent, but the Jews wanted Him crucified. As they chanted, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Jesus glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
Pilate handed Jesus over to be flogged. Jesus walked over the stump and had his clothes ripped from Him. Suddenly, razors sliced into his back and ripped out. Again, blades dug into his back. Again. Again. Again. Red liquid spewed everywhere. Blood poured out in rivers from His back. As the pain nearly made Him unable to do so, He glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child." because He needed you to know.
He was torn from the post and clothed in purple to be mocked. The soldiers spat in his face. The blood soaked the cloth. He could hardly move as they thrust hateful words to Him. Jesus then glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown and shoved it into Jesus' head. As the thorns dug into His skull, streams of scarlet ran into His eyes. In His mouth, the taste of iron as the blood poured in. At this moment, Jesus glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
He carried the heaviest wooden posts to His death place, though He could barely walk. With every step, the cumbrous cross pushed into the gaping wounds on his back from the previous lashing. Dirt flew into them as He grimaced in pain. Then He glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
Jesus approached Calvary. Once He arrived, they threw Him down and drove nails into his hands. With each pound, blood spewed and the hole, larger. Then they moved to His feet. This perfect Savior received an agonizing, massive nail into his feet. It pierced each and every bone and vein. Then they stood Him up with ropes, as was custom, and dropped Him into the hole. Shrieks and shouts came from all around at the sight. And as blood dripped down and the King of Kings dangled there, with nearly all the clothes stripped from Him, He glanced over, gazed you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
Hours passed as He hung there - like a stocking on a hook. And in the last second, the one who held all glory and all power to do whatever He wished, hung there, in unbearable pain. He glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."
He went down to Hell to plunder the enemy of our souls. He took back all that was His. He went to the enemy's camp and shattered all chains. As Satan quivered and ran, Jesus glanced over, gazed at you, and said, "This is for you, my child."

Jesus tore the veil of the temple when He died (Matthew 27:50-51), but let me tell you something: He tore the veil of you, the temple, when He died. (1 Corinthians 6:19). He loved you so much that He couldn't stand the separation. He died to remove the veil so that you and He could be together.

He cared for you so much that after this, He sent a Helper for you, because He couldn't stand the thought of you being alone. (John 15:26) He also wasn't content with merely being able to hug you from the external, like all other humans; He wanted to hug you from the inside too. Jesus gave you the Holy Spirit because He loves you.
What is truth? God loves you - and it IS that Sunday school love.

2 Corinthians 12:9

NIV - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.


NLT - Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.


ISV - but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me.


is sufficient - arkei - provided

• the grace has already been provided by Jesus himself for "If righteousness could be obtained through law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21) because grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17)

power - dunamis - power for performing miracles; power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, or hosts

• He is the army for the armor of God is quite simply the characteristics that define Christ himself

weakness - astheneia - to restrain corrupt desires; to do things great and glorious; to bear trials and troubles

• Weakness is not only bearing trials, it is the actual restraint of those corrupt desires. It is not only restraining corrupt desires, it is doing great and glorious things out of that! If we believe this verse and that His power is made perfect in our weakness, then we can certainly agree that weakness is great and glorious!

perfected - teleitai - to perform, execute, complete, fulfill; to pay

• His power is completed in our weakness; our weakness shows his power like a child who has gotten a scrap and is in need of a band-aid - when the mother provides it, her true motherhood is shown.

gladly - ēdista - most sweetly; emphasizing an action done with full gladness (no regret or reservation)

• teleitai gladness, not only telitai power.

May rest upon me - episkēnōsē - to pitch a tent upon; and then to dwell in or upon.

• Once the work is done to pop the tent, it is dwelled it (def: to live or stay as a permanent resident; to reside)

Sorry, Self that I Can't Feed You More Sin

Self pity is a hole with a pile of leaves over it. It seems to be sturdy - who cares if you step on it? It wont hurt you - everyone else jumps in leaf piles. The colors and comfort of the leaves will make you feel better, right? But you never saw the hole. You jumped in, expecting comfort and peace but were left with lack of escape and an even bigger problem than you started with. You need someone to pull you out. They pull you out with a rope. Not with words that are going to feed your pride - words can't get you out of a hole. Not with a words telling you how great you are or how you deserve better - words can't get you out of a hole. They throw you a rope saying, "Come on up. We don't want you to suffer down their." Suffering. You suffer in self pity. It's not comforting. It's not going to make other people want to tell you awesome things about you. Its simply selfishness wrapped in pride and sugar coated with gluttony.

Jesus, when walking to the cross, did NOT say, "Oh, why me? I shouldn't have to do this. These people around me get every good thing and all the riches, and I get nothing. No one cares about me." He said things such as these: Phillipians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.", Colossians 3:11 " Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.", John 1:14 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth".

Isaiah 40:3

Why do we treat evangelism like it's a "when-convenient" scenario, when it's actually a "now-or-never" scenario? We need to wake up because not only are the "people around the world" perishing, the people in front of our faces are perishing. The "Now just isn't a good time" excuse doesn't work. Guess what: we serve the Author of time - every time is a good time. We serve the God in whom all things are good - every time is a good time. We serve a God who is never changing - every time is a good time.

Today, time stood still as my car spun out of control. I could have died. What did I think about during these moments? Did I think, "Now is just not a good time, God." ? No. In these few seconds, I thought to myself as my passenger yelled "Jesus, Jesus!", "Jesus, keep me here. I haven't told all of your  name and proclaimed 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' Keep me for I have been stagnant - I'm ready, now, to move."

Now IS a good time for Jesus said, "Go!"

Matthew 28:18-20

Our great commission is the God-breathed, huge transition to provide ultimate ammunition after complete sin abolition calling for the full - out extradition and removal of opposition to the Spirit's inhibition of you're flesh's precondition saying Christ was sipmly a logian and never an actual patrician, therefore, requiring no submission to remove this malnutrition yet He chose the acquisition of your life, because its very definition lies within the proposition that is called the great commission.

God Reigns

Freedom reigns because God is freedom, and God reigns.
Love reigns because God is love, and God reigns.
Grace reigns because God is grace, and God reigns.
Salvation reigns because God is salvation, and God reigns.
Peace reigns because God is peace, and God reigns.
Justice reigns because God is justice, and God reigns.
Mercy reigns because God is mercy, and God reigns.
Righteousness reigns because God is righteousness, and God reigns.
Joy reigns because God is joy, and God reigns.
Kindness reigns because God is kindness, and God reigns.
Beauty reigns because God is beauty, and God reigns.
God reigns because God is God, and forever shall He reign.

God, The Father

As I cried, I had a vision. God cradled me in His arms^{1, 3} and rocked me back and forth to sooth my crying², whilst catching my tears⁴. He sang me lullibies.⁵  And I was calmed.<sup>6



1</sup> Deuteronomy 33:27 ~ The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, ‘Destroy them!’
² Psalm 34:15 ~ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.
³ Psalm 37:23-24 ~ The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
⁴ Psalm 56:8 ~ Record my mistery; list my tears on your scroll - are they not in your record?
⁵ Zephaniah 3:17 ~ The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.
⁶ Psalm 107:28-29 ~ Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

Galatians 6:3

³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. - NIV
³ If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. - NLT
³ For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is only fooling himself. - ISV

We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are important. We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are needed. We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are worthy. We are fools to think we, by ourselves, are something. We, by our selves, are nothing.

He, by Himself, is importance. He, by Himself, is needed. He, by Himself, is worthy. He, by Himself, is something. Without Him we are nothing, for He, by Himself, is everything (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Psalm 136:8&9

[To him who made]⁸ the sun to govern the day,
            His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
            His love endures forever.
--Psalm 136:8&9

The light rules over the darkness wheter it surrounds (day) or is surrounded by darkness (night); it is the light that governs and dominates because His love endures forever.

Fight Fire with Water to Create Fire

Because we have the living water in us (John 7:38 - Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”); and people will be spending eternity in the "lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14); and our job is to "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19); and "narrow the road that leads to life" (Mtthew 7:14), we are firefighters. We walk on a narrow path, surrounded by burning souls. With the living water, we spray the so that they may have life and join us on the path. We rescue the burnt from damnation to become burnt from righteousness.

Ephesians 6:13-17

Since "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (James 1:17a), the devil can have no piece of the armor. He is left bare with swings and whatever else he can gather for defense. We have the protection and the only withstanding weapons. We are the attackers, his attacks are a mere finger prick. He stands, bare, and we have the sword; let us charge and plunge. Let us "plunder Hell to populate Heaven." (Reinhard Bonnke)