Unholy Drama During Holy Week

Jesus, he was amazing during holy week. he did alot during his ministry here on earth. but during the final week leading up to his death, he went through a lot of unholy drama for a very holy cause.

between monday and thursday: he was hailed as king and rode through the streets of jerusalem in style. the people shouted "hosanna!" then, it seems almost immediately he had to go all chuck norris in the temple with the money changers. then a healing service and a sermon. cursed a fig tree that did not bear fruit and it withered and died. now, let me interject my opionion here: i imagine he was frustrated with his disciples for not understanding the magnitude of the situation, for being clueless and so fully human.

then Jesus went back to the temple to preach his final sermon filled with parables. he was rudely interrupted by the high priest and elders. they questioned his authority, a personal attack on his character and spirituality. then a short riddle to end the attack, Jesus won that one, followed by more teachings. they want to arrest him, but they are scardy cats, afraid of the crowds listening to Jesus preach. chickens. they want to illiminate him because they were comfortable with their way of life and Jesus threatened that. they had pretty much elliminated God out of their rituals. they hesitated to touch Jesus for fear of riots.

Jesus spends some time teaching his disciples and then goes to Bethany to the home of simon the leper to eat and rest. a woman pours expensive perfumed oils on his head and it runs down into his beard and drips onto his robe. the disciples become angry. (remeber samuel annointing king david centuries earlier?)
"what a waste!" the disciples say.
"she should have sold that and given the money to the poor!" they murmur.
"She could have gotten a lot of money for that perfume!" grumble, grumble.
but Jesus stops them and says:
"why are you bothering this woman? she has done a beautiful thing to me. the poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. when she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. i tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (matthew 26)

judas can't take it anymore. money isn't flowing right for him or to him. satan creeps into the room and overtakes judas. he becomes a puppet in satan's hands. he goes to the chief priests and elders and offers to give up Jesus for a price. at the time thirty pieces of silver was a nice piece of change. i cannot imagine putting a price on a life, thirty pieces of silver seems so insignificant.

it's thursday now, and the unholy drama unravels as passover is celebrated.

questions
do you appreciate the unholy drama Jesus went through on your behalf? what will you do to show your appreciation?

read
Matthew 22-26

song in my head
'Jesus, we enthrone you. we proclaim you as King. standing here in the midst of us...'

Jesus Went All Chuck Norris At the Temple!

it's holy week and i can hardly imagine what Jesus was going through right about now, tuesday night. he was indeed fully divine, yet fully human. talk about the five stages of grief! there were so many human emotions he must have experienced in a short time! the Bible does give small clues. sunday he may have felt joy due to the triumphal entry, by monday, the Lord certainly experienced anger. anger? so soon?

well, he goes to the temple and finds people selling stuff. and he goes all chuck norris on them. seriously, you don't wanna make Jesus angry like that! but when he's angry, it for a good reason. and if the story is in the Bible, you better get a full understanding of it to see why. the hosue of God had been trashed. Jesus cleaned it up.

after he drove out the money changers and people selling stuff, he began to heal people. Jesus operated in neverending compassion. a healing service with Jesus right there in the temple! children shouted "hosanna!"

then, frustration as the chief priests and teachers of the law became indignant by all the comotion surrounding Jesus. why would they be angry at someone who was willing to come and clean things up and for free?

sigh, then Jesus leaves the temple and goes to spend the night elsewhere, at a place called Bethany outside of the city. a long, frustrating and emotional work day for the Son of God. i wonder if he stayed with mary and martha since they lived in bethany?

early the next day, probably tuesday, Jesus is up and back to ministry. was he still frustrated? he passes a fig tree and prophesies over it and it withers! grrr! bad fig tree for not bearing fruit! but Jesus had a point. what's the use of having a tree that does not bear fruit? the disciples cannot understand what's going on with Jesus. they are clueless about the meaning behind the withered fig tree.
"what's up with him?" they say to themselves.
"why did the fig tree wither so quickly?"
"that was amazing!"
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer," (Matthew 21).

sigh, a deep sadness seems to be setting in. but the Lord continues on to teach at the temple. he undergoes a personal attack once again from the chief priests and the elders of the temple.
"by what authority do you teach?" they ask him.
"by whose authority do you do these things?" they press further.

sigh, Jesus responds with a riddle. personally, i enjoy such word games, but this is not a word game i'd want to get into. they are confused, but smart enough to leave Jesus alone.

the book of matthew goes on to tell a few of the parables Jesus used in his teachings. all in a days work. whew!

exhaustion must have been setting in by now. It seems that he spent alot of time throughout tuesday and wednesday of holy week trying to preach one last sermon. he used parables, he took time he coverd a wide variety of topics including taxes and tithing and the kingdom of heaven. but the people didn't get it. such compassion for the very people who would demand his death by friday! but it wasn't just them , it was me too and you also. we may not have been there physically, but he did it for us too.

question
regardless of criticism, are you working tirelessly for the Lord?

read
matthew 21

song in my head
'how i got over? how i got over? my soul look back and wonder how i got over!' -vickie winans

What A Difference A Week Made

there is an old song sung by dinah washington, and some of the lyrics are:

'what a difference a day made, and the difference is you.'

for the triumphal entry story i'd sing it like this:

'what a difference a week made, and the difference is...me.'

"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna! Son of David!" they cried out in the streets. What enthusiasm, what joy! Jesus sat on a young donkey and the people cheered and threw their coats in the road for him to ride over. Others spread palm branches for the King of Israel, Son of David, the Messiah.

clarity can come so clearly and quickly one day, and be gone in an instant when the devil takes over. this same crowd saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, saw him perform miracles, and perhaps heard his teachings. those who had not yet heard of Jesus, asked about who he was and came to celebrate also. everyone in that city was excited about Jesus! but that same crowd turns on Jesus within one week. by friday he is crucified like a common thief.

john tells us that the disciples had no idea what was going on with the people. they did not understand why they were so excited about Jesus, not until after it was over.

during holy week, i will be thinking about the emotional rollercoaster Jesus must have been enduring. first he was up, then he was down, and then he was up again! after all, he was fully divine and fully human. of course, he felt every human emotion and now understands us as limited beings. sunday, the jubilant and triumphal entry, and everyone was treating him like a king ,but by friday death by crucifixion! wow! what a difference a week made! this is probably the most important week in history. no, it really is the single most important week in history.

boldly, now i may approach the throne of grace. when i get there, what will i do? what can i do but worship! Jesus made it possible for me to do this. hosanna! hosanna to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! hosanna to the Messiah! hosanna! it's holy week, the week that really made a diffrence for me! yes!

questions
how has God blessed you? what can you shout hosanna about?

read
Matthew 21, Mark 11, John 12

song in my head:
'hosanna! hosanna! hosanna in the highest!' -hosanna by hillsong united

Jesus Said What?!

did you know that Jesus talked back to his mother? this clearly defines him as fully divine and fully...a pre-teen. i will always wonder why the Lord included this story in the Bible?

before i go on...this story in the Bible bugs me because honestly, i cannot stand when kids are rude to their mothers. you see, my mother died about 11 years ago. she was my best friend and like a sister to me and my younger sister. so, naturally, when i see a kid being rude or disrespectful to his/her mother it bugs me because they do not know what they have.

what also bugs me is when i see mothers just taking it from their kids. why moms? teach your kids life values, manners, please! eh, oh, yeah, my mom used to uh, well, let's just say she used the rod of correction on me liberally, literally, freely, regulary, and vigorously!

here's my opinion, and please do not be offended by this. i take the Bible very seriously. i am a graduate of a univeristy that was at one time a seminary. we were required to take many Biblical and theological courses before we were allowed to graduate.

Luke tells the story perhaps with a smile on his face. Jesus was a twelve year-old boy, a tween really, (between the ages of 10 and 12). He goes on a trip with mary his mother and joseph his beloved step-father. they are traveling in a large group. they go to the temple, perform a ritual according to the high holy day called passover in the jewish tradition, they seem to be exhausted from traveling. and after the feast is over, they begin the long trip home assuming that Jesus was with them.

remember this is before suv's and the super cool transportaion that we are so privileged to uitlize today. it was the middle east during the time of Jesus, they probably used camel's or donkey's or something along those lines in addition to just walking. everything slowed down a great deal when traveling long distances.

it was a whole day's journey before mary the mother of Jesus realizes that her son, the Son of God, the Messiah is missing! they have been traveling in a large group. apparently Jesus was quite social as a tween. he was already showing signs of greatness. he is doing pre-ministerial things and getting ready for the next stage of his life. fully human, yet still fully divine...and completely a tween. symbolically and literally, he was between youth and adulthood, a lamb being prepared for sacrifice.

mary and joseph re-traced their steps and found him, the Son of God, a pre-teen, a tween sitting, no standing in the temple talking with the elders and confounding wise men with his wisdom.

mary the mother of Jesus, saw him first. she, already weary from the trip, had probably lost sleep. her eyes red from crying, her feet hurting from running.

how could i lose the Son of God? she must have been thinking. she looked everywhere. joseph must have comforted her:

"mary, he is the Son of God, God will protect him. we will find him soon."

after many hours of re-tracing their steps, they are back at the temple. mary spotted him first. she begins running. she stops. women are not allowed in this part of the temple. she slowly approaches her son. the miracle that came from her womb yet twelve years earlier. she is frantic. thinking that perhaps she has disappointed God.

"Son! My Son! Where have you been? We have been loking for you for days! we were worried sick!" mary exclaims. she cannot contain herself. the wisemen in the room turn their heads and scowl at her. no one moves. no one says anything.

but Jesus. He says to his mother something unforgettable. he talks back to his mother!

"mom! why were you looking for me? didn't you know that i must be about my Father's business?" he says to her.

fist, there is silence. the room is tense. then, the wisemen in the room begin to snicker and chortle. she let's go of his arm and backs away. she wonders what he will be like when he is a teenager? then she remembers that she was nearly his age when he was born! but she has no idea what he is saying to her. she looks at her joseph. he sighs, shrugs and says:

"come now, we must be heading back." Jesus respects his step-father. in silence, they begin the long journey home. mary the mother of Jesus cannot help stealing glances at her son, the Son of God. she hides all of these things in her heart.

what happened here? if i had talked back to my mother like that...well, i'll just leave it there, lol.

it is a wonderful thing the bond between mother and child. we see Jesus nearly 21 years later hanging on the cross. and his last order of business was to ensure that his mother was cared for once he died. fully divine, now fully grown up. as a man in his mid 30's, he took care of business, but he took care of his mother even with his last dying breath!

we read in the book of john:

'now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, mary the wife of cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. when Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, woman, behold thy son!
then saith he to the disciple, behold thy mother! and from that hour that disciple [john] took her unto his own home. after this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished...gave up the ghost.' (john 19:25-30)

questions are you between a prophecy and an unfulfilled promise right now?

read Luke 2:41-52

song in my head 'worthy is the, Lamb who was slain. holy, holy is He.'-revelations song kari jobe

Who Needs A Trip To Sleep Train?

in the mornings while i am getting ready for work, i listen to a popular radio staion on fm. the morning show is so funny and it helps to wake me up. the two dj's are hilarious. one dj refers to himself as cousin kevin and his sidekick is named nicki.

every morning, cousin kevin and nicki have a segment on the talk show to advertise their sponsor. this is really celebrity gossip. they talk and laugh about the latest celebrities who are or have messed up. the entire show is usually sposored by sleep train mattress centers.

"...well, he really needs to take a trip to sleep train!" nicki will say about the latest celebrity.
"that's right," cousin kevin will chime in, "because we all know that when you are sleeping on a good quality mattress..."
"yeah, when you can get yourself a good night's sleep," nicki continues.
"umm hmm, when you can get yourself a good night's sleep on a mattress from sleep train, you will not be making these kids of bad decisions!" cousin kevein will say with conviction. then the two will bust out laughing. cousin kevin in particular will lose control and begin to giggle. it's hilarious. but it's also sad because people need the Lord.

this got me thinking about God's people. how we really mess up sometimes and can get ourselves into some situations. a trip to sleep train and a new mattress might help, LOL, but let me suggest something better. go back to basics. when you mess up, go back to God based on the basic truths that you learned in sunday school, or in church, or from your grandparents.

God is love. God is a judge, but He also forgives. Jesus died for your sins. the blood of Jesus can wash away all of your sins. confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, ask Him to be Lord of your life and you will be saved.

rest in the fear of the Lord! rest in God's mercy and grace! rest in knowing God's love for you!

questions
are you tired of running? do you need to get some rest in the Lord?

read
proverbbs 19:23
the fear of the Lord leads to rest!

song in my head today:
'praise will confuse the enemy!'

Nothing For Like, A Gazillion Years...No, Really

today, i decided to not take the freeway home. i estimated that i would use the same amount of gas and get home in the same amount of time since it was rush hour. brain calculates oddly things that seem so neccessary and important, but really are not.

so, i was driving along san leandro boulevard and i passed by a billboard for a well-known alarm company. the billboard had this catch phrase or tag line that made me think, in fact, it is driving me bonkers! i will paraphrase what it said:

'nothing has ever happened in like a gazillion years, and nothing ever will." -yawn n stretch alarm company

huh? i suppose this is their way of saying that their alarms are so secure, that nothing bad ever happens. now, i know people who have used this company, first of all, and alot happened. things were stolen, things were vandalized, you name it. the slogan on the billboard is a lie! it's a distraction for drivers too.

got me thinking about life: how boring it would be if nothing ever happened. i certainly wouldn't know how cool God is and has been when the going gets tough. and it certainly has. i would not have room to grow or blossom where i am planted. even if all i'm doing right now is standing and waiting, life is happening with Jesus!

if nothing ever happened, we would not need Jesus! growth often means getting out of our comfort zones. if you feel secure and cozy with your relationship with the Lord, you probably are gonna stay in that place for a while. life happens whn you go where Jesus would go and do as Jesus would do. security comes from fully trusting in Jesus. this is the life.

question
has anything been happening in your life that might be nudging you to grow in the Lord?

read
psalm 122
how else to be secure? pray for the peace of jerusalem!

song in my head
'i'm restored...i'm redeemed...never rejected, just reconnected 'cause i know His name! restored!' -j.moss

Blessed is the Man Who Walks!

i love reading the Bible and seeing something new. i always wonder what and exactly how was king david thinking when he wrote worship songs and poetry. was king david's thought process similar to william shakespeare's when it came to the written word? (of course, i realize that shakespeare lived eaons after king david!) but did the melody come first or the lyrics?

psalm 1:1 comes to mind. here's how i would read psalm 1:1 for example, and please forgive me as i child i had to memorize large portions of the bible in the kjv:

'Blessed is the man that walketh
not
in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth
in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth
in the seat of the scornful.'

if i were to put this in my own words here's how it would read:

'blessed! is the man who walks!
not
after taking advice from ungodly folks,
not
in the footsteps of sinful people, and
not
by taking a position of judgment.'

this is an amazing way to open up the book of psalms! it's about purity, about keeping your way upright before the Lord. it's about being blessed. but in one verse, he covers a lot. watch out who you take advice from, watchout who you mimick your walk after, watchout that you do'nt become a mocker! because if you don't you will not be blessed. it's very simple. Jesus said, love your neighbor as you would love yourself. it's the old 'do ye unto others as ye wouldeth haveth others-eth doeth unto you-theth.'

i gotta do it, everything psalm 1 says, but i gotta get it right. no room for error on this one.

question
can anyone mimick your walk with the Lord and still find their way to the cross? i'm not sure my walk today was mimickable. will try again tomorrow by God's grace.

read psalm 1

prayer Lord, help my walk! keep me on the straight and narrow! let me take great joy in your ways o, Lord!

song in my head: 'where would i be without your grace? i'd be lost without your grace. how could i live without your grace? the life that i have is by your grace! i am free, i'm forgiven by your work at calvary! you gave me life worth living now the chains are broken! i am saved by grace, love abounding mercy founding!' -israel houghton

Sonbeam

soak in the Sonbeam

let the light flow over you

let your bones be warmed

as the light comes through!


whatever you do

stay in the light

don't be ashamed

let it shine bright!


share it with the world

the darkness needs light!

the thing about sunbeams is that they are always moving and never stay in one place for very long. in order to soak in a sunbeam you will have to move right along with it.

to follow in the footsteps of Jesus you gotta move! if He is leaving footprints behind for us to step into, well then, that certainly implies that He is always moving forward. we must always move forwad with Him. It is not because He needs to move forward, but that He came to save us so that we might have the chance to boldly approach the throne of grace.

i don't want to miss one step, Lord! i'm going to follow you as closely as i can, and..as accurately. one step at a time.

question

where is Jesus going in your life?

read

psalm 119:133

song in my head: 'i wanna be your hands, i wanna be your feet. i'll go where you send me, go where you send me...i will go.' -audio adrenaline

God bless you

the thing about saying "God bless you" is that we tend to throw the phrase around a lot without really meaning it. sort of like when someone says "how are you doing?" and you reply "fine" regardless of how you really feel.

the phrase "God bless you" is a blessing that we bestow on others and we should mean it, especially if we need that blessing ourselves!

in the classic movie fiddler on the roof, the main character topol asks his rabbi: "rabbi, is there blessing for a tzar?" the tzar in russia at the time had treated them very badly and as a result the towns people were suffering and living in poverty.

the rabbi thought for a minute and said "yes, yes i do believe there is a blessing for a tzar, let me see...uh...may the Lord bless the tzar far and away from us!" and all the towns people rejoiced over the blessing.

i think about these lines from the movie quite a lot. i usually think about it when i am at church and the "God bless you's" are flying overhead. i wonder how many people would want God to bless me far and away from them? it's good to laugh at yourself. church culture is often times hilarious!

the truth is that words count beyond measure. watch your words. bless your friends, bless your family, bless your co-workers, but bless your enemies, bless those who curse you too, bless them all.

whew! that's a hard one! Lord Jesus, did you really mean that when you said it in the sermon on the mount? (matthew 5-7) because i'm not so sure that my enemies need to be blessed, not right now anyways.

gotta do it. sounds like i'm being weak blessing my enemies, but Jesus said...

what about God? how can i be a blessing to God? God? i bless you with my life. it's not much, but i am gonna bless you with my whole life, my whole heart, and all my strength. amen!

prayer
God bless my enemies. bless those who curse me and do things to me out of spite, God bless them.

question
who will you really bless today with your words?

read pslam 103:1-2
i will be a blessing to you o, Lord!

song in my head today
'blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful where your streams of abundance flow blessed be your name! ...every blessing you pour out i'll turn back to praise. when the darkness closes in Lord, still i will say blessed be the name of the Lord!' -matt redman

back to basics, again

it is a good thing to go back, to remember all that God has done. i keep a journal for such things. at the end of 2009 i tried to list all that God had done, all the blessings, provisions, miracles, healings, but i found that making the list was a never ending task! the list is so long and i still haven't finished it! everytime i remember something i add it to the list...and that was just for 2009! wow, how amazing is God?

this year is turning out to be filled with unique blessings as well. there is always something to be thankful for, and i find that when it gets bad, really bad, i can still say the words 'it could be worse.' God's grace and mercy once again.

it is a good thing to sit back and say thank you to God. i couldn't have made it through without him! God is on top of it all, i can rest in that. i can bask in the goodness of God.

read 2 Samuel 6:14

prayer: thank you God for it all! you have blessed me beyond measure! halelujah!

song in my head today: 'i'm restored and i've been rewarded. i'm redeemed from guilt and shame. never rejected just reconnected. now, i'm exalted, because i know his name! yes, i am!'
-j.moss

back to basics

you are God's child. you've been through some stuff you can't talk about, wish you could, one day you will...when you do everyone will totally trip and say:

"how did she/he make it through?" and
"we had no idea, you seemed so happy like everything was going alright!"

one day, you are gonna testify. just like in the old time revivals, stand up and say:

"ahhhh, i just wanna testify! i'm gonna tell of the Lord's goodness to me!"

then, you will help somebody through.

you should have died. you should not be here. silly mistakes. but it's all under the blood.

now, how is it that God can bless us so much? i keep thinking about how i do not deserve his blessings, his mercy and grace, his love. but i cannot, absolutely cannot live without it. i crave more of God with every breath.

getting back to basics after the storm and stress. after a particulary grueling trial, you can come out of a storm looking and feeling completely lost like in a fog that won't quit. don't quit now. don't give up on God yet. in fact, never give up on God. look at all he went through to get your attention.

go back to the basics. back to the word of God. pray like a little child. reach up to God for strength and wisdom. be filled with the Spirit. be encouraged. remember God's promises from the Garden of Eden (Genesis) until now, (Revelation). it started with God's grace, and it will end with God's mercy.

question have you breathed in God today or are you suffocating?

read psalm 23
'surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life...!'

prayer: dear God help me to remember the basics for everyday living with you!

song in my head today:
'let's get back to eden, live on top of the world!'
sung by donald lawrence and co.

waging war!

waging war!

angels flap their wings

heed the cries of a righteous soul

a saint has fallen, trapped!

whooshing down wielding flaming swords

to face a familiar enemy:

the hobbling thing with gleaming eyes

awaits in pride and greed.

oh! precious blood flowing from calvary!

demons fall away and tremble,

yet bare their jagged teeth-

scurry in confusion- knowing their defeat

the prayers of a few availed to much

rolls of thunder, lightning claps, swords ring

waging war against a common enemy

get up, dear soul, you are redeemed!

angels flap their wings

to bend the hearts of princes and kings,

to rescue a weary soul,

to perfect the will of the Father,

waging war against an invisible enemy.

all is quiet now, but it will be back,

slithering in darkness seeking to devour...

we gotta stay prayed up on this.

if we don't the angels lose power.

get your armor on child,

be filled with the Holy Spirit!

read psalm 91

questions are you ready for war against the unseen enemy? do you have your armor polished?

God loves you so much! ah, grace and mercy follow me!

song in my head: as sung by cece winans

'anoint my head, anoint my feet send your angels reigning down here on the battle ground for your glory were taking territory fighting unseen enemies like never before! we're waging war! tired of the devil stealing from me...i'm ready for the battle...i'm taking it back.'

a secret dream i found in a nap

i have dreams. they come to me in various forms: nightmares that scare me, bad dreams that make no sense, dreams that result from stress, and dreams based on dreams or life goals, you name it. but the dreams i remember the most are the ones that are from God.

i want to share with you a small part of a dream i had during a very much needed afternoon nap several months ago. it was after the women's meeting at my church on saturday. i went up for prayer and the guest speaker prayed over me, and my career, etc. etc. afterwards, i drove home thinking about what she said to me after the prayer. (sorry, i have to ommit the very personal stuff here, but hopefully, somewhere in this blog, i do have a point.)

now, you may take the interpretation of this dream in various ways, but i wll tell you what i think it really means. but remember, i am only telling you a small part of the dream. i believe it was from the Lord, and it jolted my prayer life into a new level.

in my dream, my entire life was in this vast airport filled with people going to various places. i was serving the people but never going anywhere. familiar faces coming and going as i was doing odd jobs....that's all i can tell you for now.

i awoke thinking about the dream and i quickly asked the Lord to show me what it means. stephen and philip in the Bible quickly came to my mind. the book of acts says that they were waiting tables. apostles in training, just waiting tables, like waiters or valets or something!

this dream bothered me a great deal. oh, it bugged me to no avail that i would be living my life, working in a place that was never meant for stationary people. in an airport everyone is always moving fast never sitting or standing long. sure, flights get canceled, but arrangements are always made for other modes of transportation or other flights! no one lives in an airport! and if you do- like that guy in the movie with tom hanks and catherine zeta jones- you'll probably get on the news.

philip and stephen, alongside other apostles in waiting, were always watching, learning, praying, studying, preparing. they had strong disiples to follow after such as peter for example, but first they served. like in an airport. then one day they were promoted because they were ready. anointed and prayed over for full-time ministry, they became full-time apostles. their ministry was significant enough to be recorded in the Bible.

don't get me wrong, what stephen and philip and the other apostle s in training were doing was absolutely neccessary. they weren't just loafing around at the corner store. they were church workers! we call them lay people. people who operate in the gift of helps, but as the church grew, and as they grew spiritually, it became evident that they were ready. God increased their territory!

once again, stand firm n wait! as the church grows we must grow also, but we gotta be ready while we wait. stay prayed up.

question what is God getting you ready for in your next level of mimistry?

check out Acts 6 (in fact, read the whole book it's totally interesting!)

prayer: Lord, as i wait tables, like stephen and philip, help me to get it done right and to be ready!

song in my head today:
'God came and spoke these words to me: praise will confuse the enemy...so, praise Him in advance!' -pastor marvin sapp, praise him in advance

regarding elephants and grace

today's random song in my head:

'oh, grace, oh grace amazing grace...'

or something like that. i'm learning new worship songs right now.

right now, i'm just blogging in between blogging. a half blog of sorts. i suppose it is easier to blog on the weekends, but i consider it work. i really love what i do for work too. which is why i do it as often as possible!

my all-time, hands down absolute favoite animal is the elephant. i admire them from a distance. eh, if i ever saw one up close, it wouldn't be all that close. i am terrified of such humongous creatures. i mean if an elephant wanted to smoosh me it could, right? just one stomp of its huge foot and...smoosh! it could, but would it really?

i like their shape. i have many elephants around my apartment. photos, figurines, calendars, and so forth. the trunk, the ears, the tusks, stong backs, and legs, cool toenails that fold upward, all topped off with a tiny little tail. to swat off flies.

i'm sure that you're aching to know why i like elephants. well, even if you're not, i'll tell you why since it would be pointless to go on without a point. here's my point:

elephants are so graceful. have you ever seen an elephant leap up a tree? or crouch down and crawl through tall grass to pounce on an ususpecting prey? do elephants chew bubble gum and blow bubbles jsut to hear the loud pop?

well, there aren't a whole lot of elephants around here where i live, but i tell you i have never ever seen one do anything like that in those nature videos! elephants move with grace. they are very family oriented. everbody takes care of the babies and keeps a close eye on them just in case the enemy is out there waiting to hurt the baby.

elephants move in groups. they travel together. this really implies beyond any doubt that they communicate quietly and well with each other.

i'm always amazed for some reason by nature and how it reflects God. we should have better communication with God, we shouldn't go anywhere or do anything without Him. we should protect our youngsters better. everybody keep an eye out for the youngsters! the enemy is at large!

even if you don't have kids, be a good example of a person living under grace- God's grace. we should move with grace. we should show grace and mercy just as God has done for us. spread the word! we serve a God of grace and mercy!

i should have died years ago. i don't deserve His grace. i don't deserve what Jesus did for me on the cross. shake my head every time i think about it. what if Jesus said "mmm, nah, i don't wanna do that, Dad."? if Jesus had not died on the cross, i surely couldn't fix my life all alone. couldn't fix it at all...that was grace! declare that Jesus is Lord of your life today. come and rest under the grace! amazing! grace!

'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.'

Ephesians 2:8 NIV

The Truth

Believing a Lie Rather Than the Truth

Romans 1:25 NIV

as a music teacher at a local university here in the bay area, I want to share my opinion on american idol. this is a reality show where people from all over the u.s. come and audition in various cities for a chance at getting on tv and showing off their vocal talents...or lack there of in most cases. at the end of the competition one person gets a ton of money and a recording contract plus tons of publicity.

the 3 judges travel to various cities and sit through hundreds of painful auditions. what we don't know is how editied this show really is thus causing us, the viewers, to believe lies rather than the truth.

what really bugs me about american idol is the fact that it leads kids to believe many lies about music. yes, kids who now have nothing to do really, because their schools have eliminated their music programs and fine arts programs. so they do what? go home to watch more tv? about a quick-fix career in music, a career that cuts corners? who gets held accountable for this? a career that shoves you into the spotlight, unprepared. compromises are often bred by unprepared circumstances.

how should american idol be changed? i'll tell you how.
make the top 20 take music theory! test them on every song they sing.
for example if a contestant, let's say a girl contestant, sings a song made famous by whitney houston (a difficult artist to mimic), the judges should test the contestant on the songs key signature, time signature, any modulations, and the basic chord progressions. hey judges, ask real music questions such as: 'what clef are you in?' 'who wrote the song?' 'does it have any chord inversions?' 'any plagal cadences?'

make her sing whitney's song using solfesh! fixed do? no! moveable do! ha! a difficult thing to do, but it'll make you a good artist, not a one hit wonder. sure, artists like barry white and yani both made it to the top without going to music school.

but look at famous artists like mariah carrey, alicia keys, (even jamie foxx!), kathleen battle, marion anderson, and so many more who've had solid careers because they studied with professionals, learned the craft well, and they know the stuff! all of these are classically trained artists.

the truth is, by not cutting corners in your musical career, you get down to the nitty gritty hard work. being over-prepared. researching the back story on a piece of music you are performing. staying up late to study when everyone else is going out to have fun. working hard when no one notices. taking lessons from professionals who can tell you the truth about how you may improve. eh, i might be rambling.

the ultimate truth? practice makes perfect. like rehersal, like performance. enough with the cutting corners and american idol! how about a real reality show about music?

in the last days, this is what people want to believe: all lies rather than the truth. what other lies have we told ourselves?

prayer focus: liars and those who believe lies.

prayer: Lord, help! help me to get the truth about you out to a world filled with people believing lies!

The Capstone: Stand Firm n Wait!

the thing about standing firm and waiting is that you can often feel as if you are doing nothing. the waiting can get to you.

but the waiting can mean deep intense preparation. gotta get ready.

the song in my head today is a song i posted in part on facebook.

it's an old song that vickie winans just put out:

'how i got over?
how i got over!
my soul looks back
and wonders
how i got over!'

ephesians 6:13-18 niv reads:

'Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.'

the thing about prayer is that it is so important and vital to our walk with the Lord! you cannot have a relationship with God unless you pray to him. it took me a very long time to learn all that i know now about prayer, and i am still a small fish in a very big pond if you read me.

in order to stand firm n wait you gotta be prayed up, or getting yourself prayed up. waiting doesn't always mean that you are doing absolutely nothing. you can still grow in the Lord, pray for others, seek spiritual gifts, find something nice to do for someone today.

i don't want to sound preachy, but this is a subject very close to my heart. God is super cool, laid back, easy -going, and yes he is also the ultimate judge, yes, he chastises those whom he loves (kjv word sorry!). but how he loves us so much that he wants to have a personal relationship with us! he will do amazing things to get our attention, to make us turn our heads, our hearts fully towards himself.

there is where i want to stand firm. right under God's hand. right there, no where else. Lord, if you want me to go somewhere, just tell me ok? oh, so you're saying 'not right now'? ok, i'm gonna stand firm n wait here. right here.

how deep and wide is the love of God? no one can really truly know.

Check out Psalm 139

prayer: Lord, show me what i am supposed to be doing, or not doing, as i wait on you.

John the Baptist

As a new blogger on the scene, forgive me if I seem to be rambling on and on about ridiculous things. I am afraid to write about the truly important subjects that I believe are worthy. I suppose I've gotten cautious about who reads my really heavy stuff that I hope to publish one day. This happens when you let too many people in on your dreams...

the truth is, for this blogging thing, i'd like to abandon all the rules and write in all lower case letters with only the simplest of punctuation. a comma here a period there.

i will capitalize words like God, Jesus and Lord. it's a resepct thing that i was taught in grammar school.

now, about the man john the baptist

i always have a song in my head at any given time of the day. if you see me, i dare you to ask me what are you singing in your head today?

today, a choir is singing in my head. drumms are beating, an orchestra is playing and the dynamics are going from piano to double forte! here are the words:

'prepare ye the way, prepare ye the way of the Lord! Yeshua, you reign on high! you reign on high. almighty God your love is like no other!'

powerful stuff! it really brings tears to my eyes! i am overwhlemed by this song. a simple song with an amazing message quoting john the baptist. prepare ye the way of the Lord! Get ready he's coming! be on your best behavior it's the Son of God! clean up! beat the rugs! pick your finest goat or calf and cook some good food! prepare the way for the coming of the Lord! Messiah is here! mind your manners. make a good path in the street for his feet to walk.

Oh the dust john the baptist must have stirred up trying to get folks to get ready for Jesus! What a guy! he came into the world kicking (he lept in the womb of his mother elisabeth when she was 6 months pregnant) and even in death he went out with a wowee wow!

you just don't forget john the baptist once you've taken a real look at his life. these are the thoughts on my mind right now during this pre-Easter season.

a little scrawny guy, in my mind, very sunburnt with a wild mane of hair and a scraggly beard. he wore this dusty camel hair robes with a leather girdle and strappy sandals and he didn't care what anyone thought about him. he had a message, a mission and he was gonna get it out there. i think he did a lot of running too. what do you think? i mean, how would you act on a diet of locusts and wild honey?

and what an honor for john the baptist to baptize his cousin Jesus! this was pretty much the highlight of his ministry in my opinion. how old was he at that point? 30 or 31? hmmmm. incredible how God uses young people!

prayer focus for tonight: Lord, prepare the way in my heart for the Messiah! wheeewoo! halelujah!

Scripture: Matthew 3

VINAIGRETTE

The thing about names is that it means everything when you remember. I'm terrible with names unless I give someone a nickname on top of their real name. Amazing how the brain remembers things when you give it more to remember. Oh, what's his name? It's on the tip of my tongue....ahhh! I can't remember. I'm sure it'll come to me in the middle of the night. Of course it will. When I don't need it.
People tend to remember my name very well. Even if I cannot remember theirs. Why is this?! It really bugs me sometimes. I can remember everything about you: how I felt the moment we met, I even saw an angel light upon your shoulder, there was a car wreck behind you, a bird flew overhead, the sky was blue, it was sunny, the clock on the church tower chimed, I wore my rain boots, you were eating a granola bar...but I can't remember your name. Sorry. Eh, yeah.
My name is unusual in that my Mother liked the name Ruth Ann, and my Father liked the name Angela. So they came up with a compromise of sorts and here I am: Ruth-Angela!
The hyphen can be such an issue with people. DMV for example has alll kinds of computers that do not utilize the hyphen. My drivers license runs my name all together like some kind of rare disease: ruthangela. ruh-thang-ella
I hope to have a daughter one day and I entertain the thought that I will give her a name like no other! I was eating a fabulous salad that I made the other day with Trader Joe's Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing. I thought what if I had a daughter and named her Vinaigrette? This totally beats my original plan to name her Allegra!