Mike Streezy

First Step: Pray for God to speak to you and let you hear what He wants you to know.

Jeremiah 33:5-13

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

5 The people coming to fight the Chaldeans will fill the houses with the corpses of [their own] men I strike down in My wrath and rage. I have hidden My face from this city because of all their evil. 6 Yet I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the abundance [a] of peace and truth. 7 I will restore the fortunes [b] of Judah and of Israel and will rebuild them as in former times. 8 I will purify them from all the wrongs they have committed against Me, and I will forgive all the wrongs they have committed against Me, rebelling against Me. 9 This city will bear on My behalf a name of joy, praise, and glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear of all the good I will do for them. They will tremble with awe because of all the good and all the peace I will bring about for them.

10 "This is what the LORD says: In this place which you say is a ruin, without man or beast—that is, in Judah's cities and Jerusalem's streets that are a desolation without man, without inhabitant, and without beast—there will be heard again 11 a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, and the voice of those saying,

Praise the LORD of Hosts,

for the LORD is good;

His faithful love endures forever

as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes [c] of the land as in former times, says the LORD.

12 "This is what the LORD of Hosts says: In this desolate place—without man or beast—and in all its cities there will once more be a grazing land where shepherds may rest flocks. 13 The flocks will again pass under the hands of the one who counts them in the cities of the hill country, the cities of the Judean foothills, the cities of the Negev, the land of Benjamin—the cities surrounding Jerusalem and Judah's cities, says the LORD.

What does this have to do with me? Why would God want to build up those who have done so many so-called wrongs to Him? Is’t this just a promise to His people?

Background: Jeremiah is considered to be both prophetic as well as an anthology. If you read and study it, you will find that it is ot actually written chrooloically. It is one of the few books of the bible of which an origin of its creation is included. The Jeremiah we read now is a second and more lengthy version of the original scripture written, read to, and destroyed by King Jehoiakim.

Life Application: If you read this passage, you will find a compassionate God. The Old Testament has been attacked over and over for showing us a mean, merciless God, but we can really begin to see His goodness coming through in this passage. The part I selected does begin with war. It was coming, just as trials and tribulations will come. We saw that in Day 3 and Day 4, but here we again see proof of God’s promise pointed out in our trials study. God will not put you in anything that is too powerful for you to resist and once you stand firm, He will bless you and make you better than you were before!

In the second portion of verse 5, God is explaining why the bad things came. In this occasion it is clear that God allowed the suffering because there was too much evil. This is why Jesus died for us. We all sin. Trials can be used to cleanse us and allow us to grow, but sin separates us from God. Sometimes, we have to suffer to get our minds right if you will. From there on it is just an amazing promise from God of restoration to a people who obviously didn’t deserve it. We as humans don’t always give second chances, why is it logical for God to do so to people who sometimes don’t even acknowledge Him or try to understand Him?

The poetry (or song) portion of verse 11 is beautiful as well and oh so true!

Praise the Lord of Hosts (Hosts are military forces consisting of God’s angels, sometimes including the sun, moon, and stars, and occasionally Israel)

For the Lord is good;

His faithful love endures forever!

God said that He would restore the broken cities and praises would ring out. People would recognize their flaws and come to terms with the important fact that though we as humans may give up and halt our faith, our God is an ever faithful and loving God who will teach us out of love, but more importantly restore us when we have learned!!!

I think we need to know this. God loves you. Bad things will happen. Sometimes because it is simply a growing and learning experience to equip us for God’s plan and sometimes because we have sinned. In the end, God is waiting to restore and bless us and He loves to hear us praise our understading of how glorious He is!!!

He deserves it doesn’t He? Why do’t you tell Him!

First Step: Pray for God to speak to you and let you hear what He wants you to know.

James 1:19-27

Hearing and Doing the Word

19 My dearly loved brothers, understand this: everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. 21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil excess, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you. [b]

22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face [c] in a mirror; 24 for he looks at himself, goes away, and right away forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts—this person will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone [d] thinks he is religious, without controlling his tongue but deceiving his heart, his religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our [e] God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Why must we do these things? What do they have to do with trials and temptation?

Life Application: Yesterday we looked into verses 2-18. They gave us the ability to see trials and temptations for what they are. We know that we need these things to grow and become what God has planned for us! Today, we see the latter portion of James 1 and it explains what we should be learning to do through these trials. Though this is not a clear list of all of the things Christians should be working toward, it is definitely a list of some important things we should focus on. This passage could be described as “How to Live the Life God Intended for You”.

I was reading a commentary online and it spoke on James 1 by saying, “He has just been telling his readers: When you face trials of various kinds, beware of the temptation to sin. It is not the suffering of the trial but the temptation to sin that is the most serious danger to you, because sin kills the sinner. Sin gives birth to death, whereas you have been given birth by the work of Christ to be delivered from sin and death. Because you have been given life in Christ, now live the righteous life that God desires.”

I think that is an excellent way of correlating the prior 18 verse with the passage we are now reading. You know why you can’t live the way that may seem natural or restricted. The flesh loves its natural state to be kept up, but the soul desires its natural state as well. That is why we have this constant internal conflict. This is why some things can seem both wrong and right in my opinion. Let’s look at Galatians 5:16-18, “ 16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

If you haven’t had an understanding of the war you are trapped in, or what the actual job of temptation and trials is, then you probably aren’t aware of the baby steps of how to live in the Spirit in order to move away from being controlled by your flesh to give way to your soul’s yearnings. That is exactly how I see the passage for today. Re-read James 1:19-27 again. Take note of the point to listening and not acting emotionally. Take note of the fact that you are called to rid yourself of evil and filth. You need to read and speak with a knowledgeable biblical Christian so that you can begin to learn what all is included as evil and filth. Listen to critique on where you are lacking. Listen to advice on biblical advice to defeat it.

Take note of how important it is to act as we are called to act and not just claim we are Christians as we dismiss our appointed duties! Learn what duties are required of you! Remember that you have to stay in the quest for knowledge and direction from God. We are forgetful. I think the illustration of the mirror is dead on. If you fall out of habit, you can forget what is going on around you. Comfort is a slow killer! And finally pray and meditate on verse 27. Can it get anymore clear? There’s your blessing. Think about that. How has God equipped you to do these duties including the responsibility of looking after others? I promise you that He has equipped you, but only you can figure out in what way.

I pray that you accept trials and temptation. Remember it is making you better and temporary. Look at it in this new light. Fight the flesh and come out better suited. Follow the baby steps and continue growing. To quote a VeggieTales movie (at least in context), “Sometimes the things we do to help others can make us feel good too!.”

Be strengthened my Brothers and Sisters!

First Step: Pray for God to speak to you and let you hear what He wants you to know.

James 1:2-16, 1:17-27

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Trials and Maturity

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.

9 The brother of humble circumstances should boast in his exaltation; 10 but the one who is rich [should boast] in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will wither away while pursuing his activities.

12 Blessed is a man who endures trials, [a] because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that He [b] has promised to those who love Him.

13 No one undergoing a trial should say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is not tempted by evil, [c] and He Himself doesn't tempt anyone. 14 But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

16 Don't be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. 17 Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. 18 By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth [d] so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures.

Are you being tested? Has a situation popped up in your life that makes you uncomfortable, insecure, uncomfortable, or aggravated? Do you believe God keeps His promises? Do you believe God wants what is best? Do you believe He has the power to make what is best happen?

When referring to verse 17, do you understand what generous acts are? What perfect gifts are?

Definitions:

Temptation-The Apologetics Study Bible refers to it as, “Broadly defined, temptation is the enticement to do evil. Satan is the Temper (Mt 4:3; I Th 3:5).

Generous Acts of God: In context (via my pastor Bro. David Harris), it is any generous or “good” act done through us by the Lord. He uses us to share with other people and give ourselves to other people.

Perfect Gifts of God: (Found at http://bible.cc/james/1-17.htm) Every good gift and every perfect gift,Whether of nature, providence, or grace, and especially the latter; spiritual gifts given along with Christ, or spiritual blessings in him; every such gift is; as the Vulgate Latin version reads, the "best" gift; better than those which only relate to the present life: and is "perfect" such as the gifts of righteousness, remission of sins, adoption, regeneration, and eternal life. The Jews say (k), that the good things of this world are not truly good, in comparison of the good things of the world to come, and are not , "a perfect good." And every such an one is from above; is not from a man's self, from the creature, or from below, but from heaven, and from God who dwells there:

Background: Thought to be written by James, the half-brother of Jesus, this letter was intended to encourage the readers to live consistent Christian lives in the midst of persecution for their faith in Christ (Apologetics Study Bible). It is addressed to the 12 Tribes in Dispersion who were possible scattered due to the intense persecution that began in Jerusalem. The persecution is mentioned in Acts 8:1-4 and 11:9.

Life Application: This passage is amazing when we read it verse by verse and just think a little about how plainly it speaks. Beyond the three definitions listed above, the passage is clear. This is what I got out of it:

•  Maybe we aren’t looking at our situation through the right glasses.

Vs. 2-4: We should welcome trials. It is used to complete us by producing endurance. It is a BLESSING to be given trials; to be tempted. This is a chance to grow and reap benefits we would not be ready for otherwise!

•  God may be trying to tell you something!

Vs. 5-8: If you don’t know what to do, how to react, or what steps to take just ask for them! God will give you the answers. Sometimes we have to be in the midst of temptation or a testing period in order to get our mind in the right place to see what we really need or what has really got us puzzled. God makes a promise here! He promises specifically to give you wisdom. Think about how amazing that is!!! How often do we think, “I wish I knew what I needed to do” or “Should I pursue this?” I question quite a bit regularly. I pray for wisdom in many situations. I want to know what God wants me to do. Am I making a choice that He wants me to make? I have found that God’s blessing takes a huge stress off of our backs and makes the task go from impossible to a piece of cake! On the other hand, I have found that when I am trying to do something on my own that God doesn’t want me to do, it goes from guaranteed to impossible!

• God is getting you ready for bigger and better things!

Vs. 12: I love this verse!!! Let’s just repeat it! 12 Blessed is a man who endures trials, [a] because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that He [b] has promised to those who love Him. Wow!!! When we pass the test we will receive the crown of life!!! For those of us who are saved, this is so heartwarming. As a Christian, I have read of His promises and tested them. He has completed all that could be measured. I could tell you instance upon instance of miracles only God could arrange! This verse reminds us that tests are temporary. They do serve a purpose and the purpose is to mold us as we build a spirit that truly honors God. How do we pass the test though?

I believe we need to read our bibles and talk to God so that when tests come, we are prepared for them. If you deal with lust, turn and run from it like Joseph. If you are imprisoned, seek God and be a witness! Don’t blame Him and turn away! Find a way to represent and serve God as he requires. Joseph is still an amazing example. He ran from sin, got thrown in prison, and came out as the second most important person in the land he lived in! Only pharaoh had more power, but even when in power, he never misused it. See, I believe times of blessing can be tests as well! How do you act when you are on top? Does it reflect what the bible states God requires?

• Deception surrounds us but God is always good!

Vs. 16-18 What God brings is good! This is in both acts through us and by us. Beyond the good acts we can bring He offers something we can't, eternal life with God, if we accept Jesus Christ to be who He says He is and give our life over to Him fully!!! This is a calculated decision that each person must make. If you choose to follow Christ and accept Him as your savior there is no obstacle that is stronger than you are. You have chosen to defeat death!!!

Unfortunately, non-believers don’t have this hope. I can’t save them. Only God can offer His grace, but I can tell you about it and if you aren’t saved today, please speak with someone who has a thorough understanding of the bible. You need to be informed so that you have a fully fleshed out option. You don’t have to choose Christ. It will just make your life better by allowing you to become what you are supposed to be-a child of God!

Believers: Remember when times get tough that not even death can defeat you! When you died to this world and were reborn upon your acceptance of Christ, you overcame it. You have the ability to face anything the evil empire can dish out and beat overwhelmingly! Put on the armor of God (Eph 6:10-20) and pray for spiritual power (Eph. 3:14-21). Read your bible and seek answers in times of trials and temptation! It’s all for your good!

NOTE: Next, we will discuss verses 19-27 which give us instruction on what to do in times of temptation and why we should do these things.

First Step: Pray for God to speak to you and let you hear what He wants you to know.

Romans 5:1-5

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Faith Triumphs

1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace [a] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Also through Him, we have obtained access by faith [b] into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

What do you get from this passage? Do you understand what faith is when discussed in the bible? Does this sound like a “slippery slope” argument that might be impossible to attain the promised fruits of faith?

Definitions: Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1. I am using the New Living Translation (NLT) which I think makes it more easy to understand- “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

Background: The Book of Romans is full of information regarding the necessity and benefit of faith. Written to serve the growing church in Rome (whom he had not yet visited) while staying in Corinth on his 3rd missionary trip, Paul wrote this letter in parts to help grow the ministry in the west. The Apologetics Study Bible points out that Paul described the human condition from God’s perspective and set forth what God has done to forgive and restore human beings to right relationship with Himself including giving His Spirit to those who trust His grace (in faith). You can find evidence of this in Romans 1:17 which also references Hab 2:4.

Life Application: Why Does Life Seem Hopeless Sometimes?

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have, you will always find yourself feeling like something is missing. I heard a story of an actor who was very well known making mention of having everything he could possible want or that he might be interested in buying, but in the end he still had what he called “a God-sized hole” (see http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2009/06/shia-labeouf-mixed-up-life.html) . I think this is exactly what we have if we do not act in faith and follow Christ. I still have it at times, but I can honestly say that it has gotten much smaller as I have continued in my studies, testing God on His promises, and building my faith and relationship with Him.

Why Would a Believer have a “God-Sized Hole”?

It’s easy to point out that non believers can have a God sized hole, but what about believers. If someone knows God and accepts His son as their savior, wouldn’t God fill that hole? To answer that, I believe He does. We all have that hole inside that God has awaiting the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit allows us to be close to God. It allows us to communicate. It groans to God for us in times of need. What we have to remember is that Christians still fall short. When we sin, we can create a separation of sorts from God. Let’s talk a little about sin.

We all sin. This corrupted God’s perfect creation. We can trace it back to Adam in the garden. Once sin entered the world and became a part of our flesh, we have been at war. When I say that we have been at war, I am not just stating that this war is against evil spirits and principalities as is mentioned in Eph 6:12, but we are also at war with ourselves! Because of our sin, we find the Law of the Old Testament was put in place. None of us can live up to it. We ALL fall short. Paul mentions this very thing specifically in Rom 3:23. I recommend reading ALL of Romans 3, but at least check out Rom 3:21-26. This passage points to the need of having a real faith in the saving grace offered by God in the crucifixion and sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ.

When we revert to sin, we are showing outward proof of an inward lack of faith. Let’s look at an example. Let’s say that your sin is coveting i.e. wanting something so bad that it leads you to sin further. You want people to like you, you want success, you want a partner that cares for you like so and so’s partner does, etc.   You pray for this thing you want, but God does not seem to hear you or He simply is saying no to your request. The want becomes so deep that you decide to take steps to get it on your own. What will you do to get it? Is chasing this want coming between your relationship with God?  Perhaps replacing His importance?  Your want can consume you. Let’s say that you do get whatever it is. You get the girl or guy you were chasing. You get the riches. You get the popularity. It seems okay at first, but it diminishes and you are still unhappy. Maybe it doesn’t seem as great as it did when you craved it. Maybe it destroys you.

It is times like these where we need to repent (actually turn away from the sin, not just ask for forgiveness over and over without really trying to stop whole heartedly). We then need to look back to God to make the right choices for our lives because He has promised that He will give us the joy and contentment we need. Re read our scripture for today. The promise is right there. Practice your faith. Read His Word. Talk to God. Test His promises. Take a stand on yours to follow Him by dying to this world and taking up His cross to follow Him. Stand up for Him and try being grateful for what you have and you will have that happiness that you so desperately want. It might take awhile, but I promise it’s worth it and so does He!

First step: Pray for God to speak to you and let you hear what He wants you to know.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

1 Chronicles 15:1-15

The Ark Comes to Jerusalem

1 David built houses for himself in the city of David, and he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2 Then David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever."

3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the LORD to the place he had prepared for it. 4 Then he gathered together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

5 From the Kohathites, Uriel the leader and 120 of his relatives; 6 from the Merarites, Asaiah the leader and 220 of his relatives; 7 from the Gershomites, Joel the leader and 130 of his relatives; 8 from the Elizaphanites, Shemaiah the leader and 200 of his relatives; 9 from the Hebronites, Eliel the leader and 80 of his relatives; 10 from the Uzzielites, Amminadab the leader and 112 of his relatives.

11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar and the Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 12 He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levite families. You and your relatives must consecrate yourselves so that you may bring the ark of the LORD God of Israel to [the place] I have prepared for it. 13 For the LORD our God burst out [in anger] against us because you Levites were not [with] us the first time, for we didn't inquire of Him about the proper procedures." 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. 15 Then the Levites carried the ark of God the way Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD: on their shoulders with the poles.

What do you get from this passage? Is there a life principle or just a lot of random names and info of an event?

Background: The Chronicles are like history books. These scriptures were written with the intent of keeping up with certain facts that relate to culture like rituals, tribes, etc. as well as important people and events.

My bible (The Apologetics Study Bible) pointed out that this book was made in part to help provide an identity to the Jews who had just been set free after their 70 year Babylonian captivity. Samuel and Kings have documented many of the same events and the same time period written about in 1st and 2nd Chronicles.

Life Application: Re read verse 13. The author was speaking of the incident found in 1 Chron. 13:9-13 (read this). David had broken the proper observance of the law regarding transporting the ark. Levites were supposed to carry it on poles. David used a cart with no Levites. A man died because of the choice David made. He said, “Hey! Let’s just get it going where we need it,” and did it his way instead of God’s way.

We do that a lot of times. We speed past living how God has commanded. We think our way will work just as well. It won’t. God is 100% good. He has no evil in Him. His way is designed to bring you peace, joy, happiness, love, humility, and ultimately eternal life! There’s only one way it works though and that’s by doing it His way.

In chapter 13 verse 11 (read it again), we see David upset about the loss of Uzzah. He considered the response by God as unjust, but in verse 12 (reread it as well) we see respect followed. David realized he must respect God’s requirements. My bible also notes, “God’s holiness does not make exceptions, even when the result might be tragic.”

Stop and think about that. God’s way works and is guaranteed to bring you great things. Living our way brings death, not just physically, but spiritually as well. You know what’s right and you know what you take art in that’s wrong. Try to do one thing God’s way today that you might normally have done your way. Pray and tell Him what you need. Follow through. Life can be great-----if we do it God’s way.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For

if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his

natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway

forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of

liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work,

this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

James 1:22-25

 Once you become a Christian, it is easy to be fired up about spreading the Word.  It's hard to explain the rush of feelings you get when you accept Christ to someone who hasn't ever experienced, but I can say that there is no feeling like it in the world.  This emotion can get you in a gung-ho mood immediately to change the world and share what you just found.  One of the first things you learn when you study Jesus Christ is His unique love.  Everywhere He went, He shared the most amazing love with all whom He met.  He taught all of those who would listen the importance of this "new" love that seemed to go directly against most people's personal view of interaction.

This is the man who said the lesser is the greater, advocated turning the other cheek when you are wronged, served his servants, condemned judgment of our fellow brethren, and used parables to teach how even our natural enemies could show love as a good samaritan.  Jesus called us to work.  He commissioned us to spread the "good word" and continue showing His love as we reach out into our communities and abroad. 

I am so excited about Power of Praise: God Bless the Children on June 25th, 2011!  My church voted to step out in faith and show everyone willing to see that there are churches full of people who want to do Christ's work!  Like I said, it's easy to be motivated initially after becoming a christian, but life and rejection can take a toll on you.  Even through these things, we must continue to do His commissioned work.  We CANNOT let ourselves be stopped from reaching out and showing Christ's amazing and unexplainable love! 

As proud as I am about our church, I want to encourage you to find something that you can do to show God's grace and perfect love in your communities.  I want to encourage you to be lights in this dark world.  This mission is not limited to one church or one denomination.  Do not let the differences in our denominations keep you from doing God's work.  I pray that one day ALL of those who call themselves Christians can work together and separately to better the communities we live in!!!  Can you imagine that?  Baptists and Methodists, Lutherans and Catholics, Presbyterians, and Agapes out in the world spreading the message of Christ in our works by mowing yards on the same blocks for elderly, or visiting the sick and infirmed together!  How about working events to show the community how powerful God's Word and message of love are-together!!!

We all have talents.  They are God given and unique.  I pray you feel motivated to use what God has given you toshow others what He offers! I have faith in you! May your day be blessed!

OH!!!! Before I jump out of here, please click on this pic below and it will take you to our facebook event page.  Please SHARE it to show others Jesus is STILL alive and well and sharing His love in our community!

This article comes to you from one of my personal favorite ministers Greg Laurie.  I copied it directly from their link today.  I would definitely recommend making their devotional a daily read. This is from their Road to Ressurrection series leading up to Easter.

This has been so pressed on my heart today that I put it in both the Devotional/Blog section as well as my thoughts.  Please don't cast it off as unfounded.  God might be speaking to you.

I have to admit that recently I have found myself rather interested in the New World Order and the purposes it might serve in providing the plan for the Antichrist arrival.  Recently, I came across a YouTube video of the Prophecy Club as a speaker discussed the primary 13 families of the Illuminati.  It spoke in detail of the religions that are used to basically provide worship of a god, but not of God in the way Christians view Him.  Catholicism was referenced though.  This includes many forms of mysticism and Gnostic faiths.

One particular point interested me dramatically and I have pondered it in detail.  The speaker gave charts and information regarding free masons and their involvement.  It points out that lower level masons are not fully aware of the push for faith in a god with a continued teaching system that in essence allows them to be more open to certain characteristics being more important than whole heartedly believing that they should tell others that Jesus Christ is the only way, truth, and light.

As members move up, some are selected based on their acceptance of principles and willingness to go along with the agenda of masonry in regards to religion as well as other aspects.  The highest groups were said to be Satanists.  Satanists do not necessarily believe that Satan is all evil and bad in the form that Christians do.  As far as I have been told, Satanists worship life and freedom in a different way.  I would say it was a more existentialist form of religion.  Either way, I am opposed to it.  I do not need to know every detail nor have it fully explained to me because I have chosen.  I worship Yahweh and 100% believe He sent Jesus Christ to suffer and die for my sins.  I know Satan’s nature and his goals as opposition to Christ.  This will not change.

Well, back to the main point and question.  The speaker stated that the Masonic religion could be the one world religion prophesied in the Bible.  I take that to mean that people would accept the rules that are involved such as there is a power in the universe.  We don’t really know what it is, but we can follow some basic ground rules that we agree to be right and good in a general sort of way.  This is scary because I have been open to this in my not too distant past. 

I thought that my belief was enough.  I believe in Christ.  Simply believing this, I could work side by side with others of different religions under the law of the land or particular group without “forcing” my religion on others.  I looked to find areas we could all agree on so that we could be comfortable to get whatever job done that was required.  Look around.  We are doing this in our schools.  We are doing this in public groups and places.  We are doing this with our government.  We do this everyday and we teach tolerance to our children because not only is it the American ideal and way, but it is just good for all people. 

This has to stop.  This is not right.  I truly believe that we cannot change the events God has foretold.  We can’t stop the Antichrist.  We can’t stop the One World currency’s creation.  We cannot stop the One World Government’s creation.  We cannot stop the One World Religion’s creation.  We can’t even stop the end time events.  We can’t pray enough to save the world and prevent the pain and judgment coming. But…..we can choose to stand up for Christ and not accept it. 

I live in the United States.  I was born here.  God put me here on purpose.  I will not run.  I can’t just leave because I know feel that this country is geared to accept things that Christians should not accept such as the one and only God Yahweh being declared the only God!  I can stand up for Him though.  I have to.  God has instructed us to do so.  Read Daniel! Read 1 Kings with Elijah!  My God is not okay with other gods being put before Him and us just accepting it to fit the ideals of the general public of any country!  He will bring judgment! 

Call me what you will, but you cannot say you don’t know where I stand.  I’ve wasted far too much time simply going along with the public so that I didn’t offend anyone.  I pray God forgives me for that.  I can’t do it any longer.  I am not your friend if I deny you the truth.  I am not your savior.  I am not going to simply accept social restraint on me telling the truth-that Jesus Christ was sent from Heaven by God to save our souls and that acceptance and TRUE belief in this is the only way you receive God’s grace and salvation!  If you believe otherwise, you ARE going to die and go to Hell!  You will not go to Heaven because you are a good person or have a high standard of morals, ethics, and values.  You will not go to Heaven if you act like Christ, but don’t accept Him as your savior.  You will not go to Heaven by works.  You will not go to Heaven if you believe in other gods.  You simply will not.

I call out to you fully aware that many of you will be angered by my words.  Some of you whom I call friends may distance yourselves from me.  As much as I do not look forward to that, I cannot sit by and “walk the line” to keep humans satisfied when I owe it to my God to profess His holy name and message.  I pray you see the truth and go away from your evil ways and choose to whole-heartedly live your life for the Lord.

If you don’t agree with me, all I can do is tell you to study the Christian Bible.  Study the prophecies.  Study the gospels. Read the Roman road in the devotional/blog section of this site.  It’s okay to question.  God might be using your questions to get you to come looking for Him, but do not run away or blow it off.  I have no reason to tell you to do this.  I will not suffer for your choices.  I am saved.  I say this because I care for you and I know God cares for you even more deeply.  His love for you is abundant.

We need to be vigilant.  We have been assigned the duty of being stead fast in our faith.  Prophecies are being confirmed.  God’s plan is still moving along exactly how He foretold it.  Have you chosen your side?  Do you know what you really believe?  Do you understand what is going on around you?  Is something sticking out to you and causing you to have questions about the Bible and its relevance?  Pick one up.  Read it and think on what you read.  Look around you and see if any of it makes sense or ties together.  You have just been given a mission.  Take it!

In the first three chapters of Daniel, we see that Israel is captured by the Babylonians and put under the rule of Nebuchanezzar.  Some of the Jews are selected to work directly for the king in his royal court.  Babylon would often wipe away the traditions and culture of the people they captured and this was attempted with Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah.  Certain foods and wine that were not allowed by God’s law were offered to them.  They took a stand to follow their God and they were rewarded. 

God garnered them favor and protection over the next two chapters as Daniel divinely interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and brought glory to God.  In chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar fell back into his old ways as he erected a massive gold statue and forced everyone in Babylon to worship it.  He threatened death if anyone chose not to bow.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused and were cast into the fiery pit.  God delivered them and Nebuchadnezzar again praised the God of Israel as the most high and ordered others to respect Him.  God has gone beyond earthly convention to reach Nebuchadnezzar twice at this point, but Nebuchadnezzar continued to revert to his old ways.  Chapter 4 shows us what happens when you become prideful and fail to give God the honor and glory for his gifts.

Verses 29-30 show Nebuchadnezzar shouting his own praises from the rooftop.  Now, what is worse is that not only has God revealed Himself as well as His ultimate power and control through amazing miracles, but recently He communicated to Nebuchadnezzar through a dream warning of being prideful.  He threatened to turn him into an animal and drive him out of his kingdom to the woods.

Daniel 4:34-37

 ^“34 But at the end of those days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven, and my sanity returned to me. Then I praised the Most High and honored and glorified Him who lives forever: 

    For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    and His kingdom is from generation to generation.

³⁵ All the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing,
    and He does what He wants with the army of heaven
    and the inhabitants of the earth.
    There is no one who can hold back His hand
    or say to Him, "What have You done?"

³⁶ At that time my sanity returned to me, and my majesty and splendor returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and my nobles sought me out, I was reestablished over my kingdom, and even more greatness came to me.  ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven, because all His works are true and His ways are just.  And He is able to humble  those who walk in pride.”

Daniel 4 gives us the picture of the corruption of power. This king had personally seen the power of God….twice!  He was warned in a dream from God yet again.  He still doubted the power of God and undervalued God’s ability to control ALL situations including whom He puts in control.  All Nebuchadnezzar had to do was repent and go away from his sinful ways.  He could avoid this promised pain quite easily.  He chose not to.

How many times are we just like Nebuchadnezzar.  God has surely spoken to you.  He has surely done something to remind you He is still out there.  Yet we continue on in our foolish and sinful ways.  I used to be one of those people who would praise God and draw close.  He would reward me through a miraculous blessing.  I would acknowledge it and give thanks and soon thereafter slowly slip back into my old ways.  God would at some point allow me to go through hardships that brought me right back to Him-begging and pleading for Him restoration and protection.  The same is true in the passage above. Neither king nor pauper is above or below the power of God.  All people are in the positions they are in because of God’s plan.  We need to remind ourselves of this sometimes.

 God put his in the Bible for a reason.  This is not mere literature.  It’s not a good Aesop tale.  This is both a warning and a promise.  God is in complete control.  This will not change.  He is due all of the glory!  Pride interrupts your personal relationship with God and can hinder your life being as fully blessed as it can be.  If we put ourselves in God’s place and lose sight of who is really in power, God will remind us.   Most importantly, I learned that God will NEVER give up on you.

This chapter is proof God will do whatever is necessary to give you the opportunity to receive the blessing of a personal relationship with Him.  Nebuchadnezzar saw things we may never see.  God directly communicated with him even though he was a sinful pagan with no real allegiance.  Regardless of all that, God approached Nebuchadnezzar again to remind him and create a relationship with him.  God does that for us as well.

Next time you find yourself in trouble, broken down, and in need of a miracle, look to God and give Him the glory and praise He deserves.  Maybe He is just opening your eyes so that you will restore Him to His proper place in your life.  Maybe He is offering to give you what you need in a personal relationship with Him.  Maybe He is reminding you that He wants to bless you, but you need to make some changes.  Listen.  Your life will most assuredly be better for it, both here on this corrupted earth and after this life in the restored earth!

Just as suredly as He can take away, He can restore.

I hope this gives you confidence and strengthens your faith.

Have a blessed day!

All glory be to God!

-Streezy

I felt the need to post the Roman Road.  I went looking for this as much for myself as for my readers.  If you are unsure of how to witness to someone, yet you feel the call, please read through this blog.  I actually copied the Roman Road and explanation from http://www.new-testament-christian.com/roman-road-to-salvation.html .  It is easy to follow along and I believe it will be helpful as you reach out to a spiritually dead world.  I hope this helps. 

Beginning with a passage from James explaining why we experience trials, we look into the need to follow God in good times as well as bad.  We also look into how to follow God when the world around us is not welcoming to the gospel as they cling to false gods and false religion. 

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 18 Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.” Luke 8:16-18 (New International Version, ©2011)

    Writing Christian rap music is new to me.  Many of you know that I have been a Christian since the age of 9.  You also know that I have been recording rap music since around 2001.  What took me so long to link the two?  Well, I was avoiding the message Jesus gives us in the above passage. 

     Why would I avoid such a commonsense response to my salvation?  Why would someone refuse to use the gifts he knew God gave him to praise and glorify that same God?  To put it simply…..shame.

      For many years I strayed away from God and waded deep into the world.  I had anger and confusion masking the light that was there to lead me home.  I let a bitter hatred grow in my heart towards people I blamed and allowed it to change my view of church.  This further led me into a path of straying simply out of habit. 

     I had a way of turning back to God when problems attacked me.  Examples can be found when I faced distribution charges, was informed I was having a baby (or 5), and when shut off notices and eviction letters arrived.  I would pray relentlessly offering a change in my life for an escape.  I might show up to church for a few weeks and become involved to eventually just disappear for a great length of time again.  My promises were a joke and I knew I didn’t deserve God’s grace.  I also knew the difference between right and wrong and as a child all the way up through my school years for the most part limited my decision making to trying to make Godly choices.

      How was I supposed to just write Christian music?  Wouldn’t I need to correct my sinful nature first?  Wouldn’t I need to rememorize all of the books of the Bible and a ton of important verses?  What if a “real” Christian confronts me and asks me about a concept I’ve forgotten about or can’t locate in the Word?  Do I have to trash all my other music?  What about the albums I spent so much time and money on?  What would I perform?   Where would I perform Christian rap?  How would I afford to be able to record it?  What would give me the right to be a public representative of Christ???

     This was my battle.  I knew my heart.  I knew I just wanted to finally do what was right.  I wanted to leave the world behind and simply begin following Him.  I knew I couldn’t continue to toe the line thinking that one day it would all be right enough to switch over.  There just came a day I had to admit that drastic changes would have to be made and I had to start in the same manner immediately.  There is no slow drip escape when it comes to following Jesus.  Check the gospels and it is apparent He is not a stationary savior.  We are called to move.

     That’s the importance of the passage above.  It is just one of many illustrations used to remind us how important it is to remember what we are given.  I have a strong belief that God put certain messages in the Bible over and over because we do not respond the way we need to naturally.  It is in our nature to cover the light Jesus has given us-to just blend in.  Pride, shame, fear, and so many of our emotions can control us-can keep us from showing the world the light that is more important than any decision or blessing we will ever encounter again, but we still make the choice to suppress it!  WHY???

     There is NO good reason.  If we look at it in the simple way Christ put it in the passage today, we can’t deny it.  What would we say to Christ?  What “good” explanation would use?   Why would you tell Him His life and His death and everything He went through after death until His resurrection that saved you was not good enough to use the gift He GAVE you to tell others that same gift is available to save them? 

    I couldn’t do it anymore when I was faced with that same question.  I could no longer hide behind my feelings.  I could no longer justify a fear of not being good enough to represent Him.  I hope you can’t do it any longer either. 

    God loves you and so do I.  I pray you feel the burden to let God BLESS you by using what He gave you for WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO BE USED FOR!  I will be praying for you. I ask you pray for me as well because I am no different from you.  I still get afraid and ashamed because I fall short.  We can’t let the our humanity, our flesh, stop us from telling others about God’s grace which is only necessary because we possess the same traits.  Lead or get left. 

Are you ready to follow?

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[a] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.¹⁸ At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. ²⁰ In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. --Daniel 1:8-21 NIV

     I know this is a rather long group of verses for a devotion, but I feel they are very necessary for the point I want to impress upon you today. If you follow along in most Bibles, you will see that the verses above are divided into two sections. Verses 8-16 could be summarized as a description of faithfulness in God’s commands in an adverse and dangerous situation while verses 17-21 are an explanation of the rewards that were received simply because of the faithfulness these men displayed.

     The book of Daniel takes us into the time of the Babylon captivity of the Jews after capture by Nebuchadnezzar (or Nebuchadrezzar depending on how it is translated).  This captivity had been foretold a century and a half earlier by Isaiah (Is 39:7).  The idea of a warning is very important.  God warned His people.  He tends to do this.  We have a whole book of warnings for the future in Revelations. 

Likewise, the Jews had been warned.  There was time for preparation.  Parents could ready their children in the Word.  Teachers could strengthen their students by focusing their readings and lessons on withstanding temptation in the times they would come to face. If we look to verse 8 and then verse 13, we can see a clear difference in the response and outcome in a situation where loyalty to God’s commandments occurred. I want to talk about this for a moment. 

     I’m a parent. As a parent, I warn my daughters of pitfalls in their future as much as possible.  I give my advice based on experience and foresight.  My advice is always made in a way that I feel I am warning my daughters both of the signs they should see when a situation is possible, and what response to it they should have.  Let me give you an example.  My oldest daughter Alyssa is very outgoing.  She is also very daring and fearless.  I know that when we go to a party and the children are playing tag, that she will most definitely participate full heartedly. I also know that it can get very rough and she is usually one of the roughest around.  Kids tend to run further out of the designated area the longer and more physical the game gets and if there is concrete near the grass or playground, the results could be trouble.  I warn Alyssa to watch out when it starts getting more physical and to stay in the area the kids are playing.  Specifically, do not run out onto the concrete for any reason, because she could fall and get hurt.

     Now as a parent, we all know that this is not guaranteed to stop a child from running out on the concrete in the heat of the moment nor will it protect her from injury if she runs out of the grass and falls, but it is a fair warning. 

    Alyssa has the ball in her court and can choose to prepare for the moment the game accelerates and thus avoid the pain from falling on concrete, or she can totally disregard it.  I think that most children fail to heed good advice because of a lack of trust.  They trust themselves far more than they trust our interpretation of future reactions they will make.  It is easy for them to deny giving any thought to our experience and foresight because they haven’t built a healthy respect for it out of necessity.

     Now, let’s say things go as I stated, she runs out of the grass, slides on the parking lot and skins her knees.  She will have to suffer because she didn’t listen.  It is too late to escape the pain that could have been avoided.

     Looking at the other outcome things would still go as I stated, she stops short and backs away from the game when it gets too rough.  Instead she simply stands by me and watches.  I can hug her little head by my side, give her a drink, watch with her, etc. Meanwhile, someone else ends up falling and scraping their knees first. In both situations, the screaming halts the game, parents rush over, and lessons are just a little closer to being learned.

    My point is, we act just like children.  God is a caring parent that gives us a fair warning.  He has tremendous insight and experience.  He knows ALL things.  We show that we do not value either when we don’t listen or learn and prepare.  We show that we do not value either when we aren’t watching for the signs He gives us.  We have every opportunity to get prepared and learn one thing in either approach-listening or not listening- and that is: God is ALWAYS right!

     Many of us know the outcome of the Shadrach, Meshach. And Abednego story, but even here we see God takes care of you when you listen.  He draws you close, shares with you, and hugs your little head.  In times we show faith, He is able to comfort us!

     In verse 14, God grants a way for His law to be followed.  In verse 15, He provided the necessary results to continue to give them a way to follow Him.  In verse 17, He gave them power!  He gave them exactly what they needed to stand out and be rewarded with prestige and honor! In verse 19, He gave them respect from the highest earthly level available to them in their situation.  The rest of our passage shows this endured well past their initial temptation.

     If you are reading this, God is telling you to listen to the signs.  Listen to His warnings.  He cares about you and is trying to give you everything you need in order to be prepared.  He has told us what will happen.  He has shown us what to look for.  He has given specific instruction on how to react in each situation we will come to face.  All we have to do is listen and respect His advice and foresight!  It’s that simple.

     We are living in difficult and trying times.  It will only get worse.  I recommend reading the prophecies and even checking out the Left Behind book series.  Find a simple daily devotion that can help sort through the good book and give you the information you need.  Most of all, I recommend trusting God and accepting Christ if you have not done so already.  We have the advice. We know what danger is looming.  What will your choice be?  Continue you on into pain and suffering or returning to your Father’s side to be comforted?  It’s in your hands.  Why not hold His?

-Streezy

Streezy examines dealing with temptation and its affect this time of year as we make resolutions.  This blog was spawned by the verses Galatians 5:16-17 as found on his Daily Bible app.  Streezy also stresses the freedom that can be found in knowing that temptation is normal and not a flaw, but that God has placed an escape for every temptation we will ever encounter.

Jesus vs Santa!  Christianity vs Pagan History!  Learn the true origin of Christmas, Santa, and how Christmas became what it is today!  Streezy looks deep into the history of the holiday and urges Christians and unbelievers to learn each others history on Christmas to embrace a season of love, kindness, and appreciation!

We all know the verse John 3:16, but today I want to look at a little more before and after that verse.  Check out John 3:13-19: “And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.”

We get consumed with Christmas.  There are presents to buy.  There are plays and parties that we take our kids back and forth to.  We can’t forget the shopping that now begins on December 26^th and leads all the way up to Christmas day the following year.  Through it all we tell our children about Christ and the real meaning of Christmas.  Then we sing songs and enjoy time with the family.  There is not a lot of time to reflect on what we may be missing, but this year something just kept bugging me.

God, a figure of which we have no real understanding of regarding His complexity, purpose beyond our life, and history, turned Himself into a man like you and I all the while knowing the pain such a shape would endure.  Think about that.

God, who for all we know feels no pain whatsoever and could possibly be experiencing an always active euphoric sensation created by His general being CHOSE to be put in a body that NEVER will feel that sensation.

I’m not talking about pain at the cross.  I’m not talking about pain from the beating.  I’m not talking about the emotional pain of being sold out, ridiculed, and turned on by those he loved.  I’m talking about chest colds, hunger, waking up sore with a crick in your neck, stubbing your toe, fighting against the confusion and chaos that comes from temptation.  How about dealing with human emotion every day while remaining completely clean?  Yes, the His final days were HORRIBLE and beyond comparison on a fear and pain level, but He chose to suffer the long way for us. 

God chose to give up control over his physical state and become susceptible to over 30 years of dealing with the day to aches and pains of human life.  Would you do the same if it were your choice? I mean its one thing to come down in one day and be beaten, ridiculed, and crucified.  No one would want to do that.  There’s no way.  But think about this: God CHOSE to come to Earth, suffer through 33 YEARS of pain all the while knowing that He was still going to be beaten, ridiculed, disrespected, and crucified by His creation of which there is no doubt He could craft a much better and respectful version of.  He left Heaven, a place we are taught is perfect, to do this as a way to forgive you and I even though we are no where near deserving it.

How many times have we avoided going to work because we didn’t feel like it?

How many times have we avoided going to church because it was inconvenient?

How many times have we avoided someone because they are disrespectful or rude?

How many times have we had to be carried when we were broken down and at “rock bottom”?

How many times have we avoided doing some type of chore because we might be tired?

How many times have you went past someone you knew could use some help and let fear of pain or danger pass over the opportunity?

How could God love you and I so much that He would give up 33 YEARS of His time to put himself through everything we avoid to be turned on in the way that He was…knowing He would be turned on in the way He was?  How about knowing how we would continue to turn on Him and almost forget Him 2,000 years later? He left Heaven for this.  We won’t even leave our bed for Him. SMH.

Well, obviously my realization affected me.  How could it not?  Something began to stir in me and the same day I received a letter telling me that my church was having financial problems.  God was calling me.  I began to work on drawing up plans for a benefit show called Power of Praise Mission: Deliverence.  Within 24 hours we had most of the details worked out and God provided our first sponsor in Warren Mobile Home Service.  The joy of DOING something for God flooded my body!  I felt a happiness that was otherworldly!

Today, I read a devotion on tithing.  I prayed prior to opening it unaware of its subject that it would help me with writing a blog on John 3:16.  When I saw the title, I had no idea how they would go together, but before I shut out of the devotion a statement caught my eye: “Today's reflection isn't about money, exactly, but it is about tithing.”  As I read further, I found that during the times Leviticus 27 was written, farmers gave of their produce and also enjoyed some of it in the form of a meal in the Temple.  The author further went on to call on us to use our talents and God-given gifts to give back to the Lord.  It is His and we OWE it to Him. 

God came down and suffered for YOU for 33 years.  Will you paint a picture to give it back to Him?  If your talent is music, will you make Him a song and share it with His followers?  If you cook well, will you prepare a meal to say thank you for all He has done?  Will you let God continue to bless you by exercising the talents that He provided for you in His name? 

I want to encourage you to think about what all God gave up to come here for so long and suffer when there was no logical reason a human could think of. 

I also want to encourage you to think of what YOU enjoy doing and do well.  I don’t care if its shopping, there is something everyone enjoys to do.

When you find this thing God has given you that you are good at AND find fulfillment in doing, find a way to share it with God and His people!

Do it because its just another way to be blessed by God!  I can attest to it! Do it because it is your duty and responsibility!  Do it because God has done so much for you! Just do it!

In closing I want to thank you for reading.  I also want to thank those that pray for me as I continue my journey and shift my music towards Christ!  It means the world! I do want to ask you to pray for the show I am organizing for my church.  Power of Praise-Mission: Deliverence, also known as P.O.P, will take place at Oak Park Baptist Church in Little Rock, AR on February 5^th, 2011!  Your prayers are a lifeline to God that I more than simply appreciate.

I also want to encourage you to check out the devotion I referred to.  Here is the link: http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/reflection-youll-probably-want-skip

I hope you are all blessed!  See you soon!

Oh!  Check out my YouTube video for It’s Big What You Did if you get a second.  It’s on my Video page.  This is my coming clean and moving on track.  It will be played tonight on unsignedhype radio.

Thanks!

-Streezy

Today I was reminded that God is good all of the time.  He is not good SOME of the time.  He is not good MOST of the time.  He is not good only in times where we feel as though we are receiving blessings because there is money in the bank and the bills are paid up.  No.  He is good ALL OF THE TIME!!!  Praise God!

In the past few months, I have faced financial difficulty and an even bigger lack of time.  I have never been rich or well off, but it seems money is always gone when I need it most.  In mid-September my oldest daughter moved back in with us and within thirty hours Laura and I were off to the hospital to welcome our newest daughter two weeks early.  We were not financially prepared to a point where we felt 100% secure with the added financial responsibility that came.  We were, however, extremely excited about all three of my children being at home with us.

As our savings and emergency funds shortened week by week, I was forced to go out searching for a second job.  This presented a huge problem because I was enrolled full-time at UALR and in the midst of the hardest semester of my college career.  Also, my music had taken off and I was performing five or more times a month at bigger shows and doing radio shows on my lunch breaks to get the exposure out.  Time was crucial.

I have now been working an average of seventy or more hours a week while trying to write new music as I take care of my relationships at home and stick to learning how to follow God’s path.  I get very little time to focus on anything but responsibilities and have felt the burden of thinking I am not doing enough.  It eats at me every day.  To make matters worse, I have not had enough extra cash to buy Laura or I new clothes or get our hair cut.  This might not seem like much, but when nothing fits and you’ve gone far too long without either, life seems to take a toll.

We budget to guarantee we will have food and diapers, warm clothes for the kids, and gas to get Alyssa across town to go to school everyday.  It has become somewhat routine, but there are moments when the stress and worry hit.  It can be hard to see how God is good all of the time in moments like these.  Sometimes I feel like a zombie floating through days completing tasks, though not awake or there enough to take note of anything beyond putting dishes up, taking the garbage out, or feeding a child.  This morning new life hit me and my perspective was renewed.

In the last few weeks, I have made some of the most honest music I have ever written.  These hard times have stripped the comfort I had found and forced me to look deep in myself for answers to how I really feel.  When I was comfortable, I could “coast” along.  The music was okay, but my mind was not enlightened in knowing how I truly felt about several important issues.  My relationship with God was more than it had been three years ago, but I longed for the excitement in growth and understanding.  My music has always been honest and a reflection of my thoughts and you could tell there was nothing stimulating or deep going.  I needed a personal revival.  God has done just that.

Isaiah 40:28-31 says, “Have you not known?  Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding.  He gives power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not be faint.”

I didn’t read that verse before I had my break through this morning.  Let me tell you a little secret about me.  I don’t know the Bible from front to back.  I don’t have a ton of verses memorized for times like these.  I have been in church so long that I just somehow know what I can find if I look.  I mean, I know and understand the principles, but I am by no means a scholar.  I learn new things about the Word and myself everyday. 

The point of this is that since I have been back in church and God’s hands there has been a comfort over me.  I have temporary lapses, but for the most part God has given me a strong security of which I can’t really explain.  I knew that God was good all the time, but I didn’t know how He was being good in my situation regarding the hardships.

God has pulled me close again.  I NEED Him and when I NEED Him I listen closer for His answers.  In times when the stress pushed me to drive in complete quiet, I thought on things I was too busy to think on because it was not a big enough problem for me to allot my time to.  I have readjusted many of my priorities and have been motivated to take action because…. if I don’t, I may not be able to recover! 

There are still many more answers I am calling out for guidance on.  I mean, I have set many of my priorities, but now I need to know how to get from point A to point B in fixing the issues that I am faced with.  I know God has the answers, but I also know I need to be close enough to Him to hear them. 

Music is my outlet.  I have begun to cry out to Him and it is reflected in the songs I have been writing down.  I hope all of you that listen can see I am sincere as I travel this journey because I am far from perfect.  It’s been hard on me to take the responsibility to know I must stand and say that I am a representation of Christ when I fall so often.  It’s often times embarrassing. 

The world doesn’t understand that a Christian is not perfect.  I fear turning those away that need God because of my actions in public.  Remember this: As I grow as a Christian, I may be learning to be Christ-like, but I will never be Christ.  I want you to see Him in my actions, but my actions can never show you the grace that can only be felt by a Christian when we fall and He still lets us know He loves us in some personal type of way.  God’s grace is why we care enough to even journey out to be Christ-like and feel remorse when we fall short.  He is ALWAYS good to us.

In closing, I want to remind you that there is always a reason that something happens and everything that happens is part of God’s plan to bless you.  He has your best interest at heart.  You may not understand why you go through the pains you are burdened with.  You may not understand why you have to suffer.  You may not feel that life has been fair to you.  Remember, in times like these God is giving you something you need and just like Job a reward is waiting for you on the other side if you simply keep the faith and open your ears and eyes to find what God wants to give you. I want to leave you with a quote I found. It has no noted author, but its words ring true regardless of who said them-“In many cases one doesn’t have to go that far to carry out the will of God; they just simply need to change the way they look at things.”

I pray you are blessed with the hope only faith in God can give.  I pray all of you who read this are blessed with an intense feeling of security that only faith in God can give.  I pray God brings you out of your pain and suffering swiftly and that you find the answers you never knew you were looking for.  I ask that you pray for me as I travel my journey as well.  I appreciate each and every one of you who have lifted me up.  I am reaping the benefits spiritually.

Thank you and God bless you! 

--Streezy

I was watching The Young and the Restless today while microwaving my Zatarrain’s rice bowl at lunch and I got sucked into an interesting situation.  One of the ladies on the show was with a card reader.  The card reader informed the sad lady that her pain was coming from conflict in finding the person she is supposed to share her life with.  Apparently, there is some sort of issue going on where this woman is forced to choose between two men whom she has feelings for.  I thought about this for a moment when the words “true love” popped up in the conversation.

Do we confuse the need for God’s true love for us with the love a partner can offer?

I think we do.  I can only speak from personal experience, but I know I always thought I would meet the right girl and fireworks would go off inside my body every time we came in contact!  As time went by, I would meet girls that would cause this sort of feeling only to later fade away.  When the intensity of the feeling would wear off, I would complain and slowly draw away.  I don’t think for an instance that I am alone in this.

I Google’d how many people feel lonely and found that Fox News reported that over one-third of people were found in a study to be lonely.  I believe that a slightly higher percentage is actually correct.  (link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,187665,00.html) I don’t know of a single person who hasn’t experienced loneliness.  Loneliness can be one of the most uncomfortable, depressing states to feel apart of.  To be completely honest, I was so scared of loneliness that I would jump into relationships far too quickly only to suffer later.  I guess we live and learn….

Let’s get back to the hypothesis.  Are people trying to fill the God-sized hole in their hearts with other people?  I think so.  I noticed in the same report that it quickly mentions “People who said they had “strong religious beliefs” were less likely to report being lonely.” 

In my personal journey, I have found that the uncertainty I faced during the times I was away from my church presented several different problems I do not experience much today.  When I was not worried about building a relationship with God, I definitely felt more alone.  When I wasn’t reminded of God’s blessings and Christ’s sacrifice to guarantee a promise of eternal life, I was uneasy and untrusting.  The people I hung around always felt temporary. Regardless of the relationships I was in (family, friend, and partner-wise), they all felt empty.  It was like something was always missing.

Lust could temporarily fill the void.  I could meet a new girl that was attractive or nice.  She would fill me full of excitement.  I would chase her and once she was caught all of the excitement would fade.  Then someone new would enter the equation and I would be drawn to her by the excitement.  In times like these, I would fill my free time with friends and situations where I could spend time with interesting women.  This was all to no avail.  I wasn’t spending enough time in thought or study to realize the real root of my problem.

I wanted satisfaction from a source that couldn’t provide it.  I put a burden on individuals that was built too heavy for anyone to hold.  I was unfairly counting on women to be more than a girlfriend or eventual wife…I wanted them to give me a peace and security that only God can provide.  I can’t say I saw this error before today because I didn’t.  I can’t say that I don’t ever feel lonely now that I’m back at church because I do.  I can’t tell anyone that suffers from an intense feeling of isolation or loneliness that the cause of my pain is the same as theirs because I have not walked their path.  There are some things that I can tell you though.

I can tell you that I feel fulfilled when I reach out to God whole-heartedly! I can tell you that I don’t feel lonely when I am listening for God’s voice!  I can tell you that when I am trying to build my relationship with God through prayer, reading, and meditation that all of my relationships flourish!  I can tell you that the excited feeling I would try to replicate in new love interests can come back week after week as I sit in a church pew quietly listening to the message and talking to God!  It comes back when I sing out loudly without fear of who will talk badly about my voice (or lack thereof)!  I can tell you honestly that I 100% believe you can find that satisfaction and happiness if you come to Jesus and begin walking towards God! 

I’m not saying I am perfect or near it when I feel this happiness.  Those of you that know me know that I curse, drink at shows, and have made many a mistake.  I will never be perfect.  Fortunately, you don’t have to be perfect for God to bless you with a peace that cannot be explained!  I can attest to that! 

In closing, I want to say that I know loneliness can be hellish.  Matter of fact, Isaiah points out a dreadful separation in chapter 59 verse 2. I can’t make you follow Christ.  I don’t intend to.  I will, however, place a link for an uplifting bit of information on 5 Ways To Conquer Loneliness and Depression.  I hope it can help someone.  You deserve to be fulfilled and happy.  If you are willing to let Him, God will grant you peace.

Link: http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/five-ways-to-conquer-loneliness-and-depression-1896228.html

-Streezy

Some history, deep thought, and a call to be a blessing.  Streezy writes a personal letter to those that have been hurt and isolated by the world during the holidays.  Streezy reveals his own personal bouts with anger and hatred as he lived on the streets in high school and describes the blessing of joy he has received by giving to others this holiday.

I’m not sure if many of you know this, but I am currently enrolled in college as a Philosophy major with intent to receive a Juris Doctorate.  Keeping this in mind, you can probably understand why I would be pondering such things as I am about to post.  Recently, I have been feeling a deeper need to pursue my education of Christ and the Bible.  I have changed my focus to a more centralized Christian viewpoint with a focus on hope and spreading the message that I have been commissioned to bring. 

There are a few things I believe at the current time.  I believe that the true self is the soul.  Our soul is from the spiritual world.  I believe that our soul is susceptible to unnatural feelings and actions while it is present in its temporary shell (the human body) because sin is engrained in the “flesh”. While in the world we currently dwell, our shell is “alive”.  I also believe that the intent and purpose of the soul being separated from the spiritual world is to “sort” the souls inclined to follow the Father from the souls inclined to stray. 

I believe that the spiritual world exists around us and that other entities such as angels and demons are on the same landmass, but that the shell’s created separation blocks our perception to see the true reality. This allows the soul to focus on completing its mission.  I do believe that God is all knowing.  Being that God is all knowing, I cannot say I understand why the separation process works the way it does, but I can say that I believe God knows the outcome.  Why God lets some of his creation go to Hell, I am unsure.  That is not a matter that I could truthfully say the human mind could fully understand in a way well enough to make such a decision.

Let’s get back to the focus of this blog: Why the World is like it is.  This is all purely opinion and comes from a meditation I had the other day.  I found it to be interesting enough to put out here and welcome your thoughts and opinions as well.

I believe that God will not give you more than you can handle.  I believe that the people that choose to follow God may go through more tests, many that can lay claim to hard lives, because He is tempering that particular soul’s steel.  Those that are lost to Him are of no use after their place in this world comes to an end.  Only He knows who will really make the decision to follow Him (possibly on their death bed).  There is a spiritual war going on around us.  We will become aware of it after our soul is freed from this temporary shell.  God will not lose.  There is a plan to the tempering of our souls.  We should welcome our trials and temptations and rejoice as we overcome them by finding the strength only God can provide.  We should also welcome the blessings God has promised.

Now, I can tell you that this thought is far from fully developed and that I do not know all of the truth in it for sure, but I do honestly believe this.  I would like to invite your opinions and thoughts on this subject as well.  What do you think the real self is?  What is reality?  Why are we here?  Where do we go?  Why do bad things happen to good people?   Comment below!

I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.  Ever so often, I find myself evaluating where I am and the choices I’ve been faced with.  I’m pretty sure everybody goes through it, but it can be rough when you wonder if you chose the right route and where you might be if you did things a little differently. 

I look around and see folks getting opportunities with a lot less footwork put in.  Sometimes it can be hard not to let the jealousy lead you astray.  It’s a part of our sinful nature.  This hate only holds us back from our true potential and can taint the relationship we may have been able to have with someone else.  Who knows what blessings you are preventing yourself from having and/or sharing. Listen to Proverbs 14:30- A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy (or jealousy) makes the bones rot.

I also have to weigh decisions to buy equipment and build a booth instead of paying for studio time.  I’m basing my decision on long-term because I am not well off and don’t expect that to change, but would I be better off with a correctly mixed and recorded song that might get me signed or the ability to learn and make some decent songs on my own whenever I want in the mean time?  This is an unnecessary fight I am in with myself.  In times like these I need to remind myself of James 4:14.  It states, “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.  What is your life?  For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Our responsibilities can get overwhelming sometimes and their weight can become heavy.  As humans, it is normal to lose sight of what is really important and focus on our responsibilities to God and His call. When we are faced with these questions that we harm ourselves with, I think we need to be reminded that God is in control of our tomorrows as well as our today.  I fight with this all of the time-even though I know better!  Why do we feel we need to do things on our own without God’s approval?  I don’t understand how I think I can do it on my own if it’s not in God’s plan.  We tend to do that though, don’t we?

I’m going to try harder to remember it is all in God’s hands.  The hands that made the universe and designed all of life as we know it is more than capable of handling my concerns.  If God wants me to make it as an artist, I will.  Nothing can stop that.  If God wants me to be economically well-off, I will be.  No roadblock can hold God back!  My dreams have no chance in my hands alone or left to my own planning and strategy. Hopefully, this will help take some of the stress out of your life as well and allow you to see that you are not alone with this worry.  It happens to us all unfortunately.  These are little lapses in faith where we begin to sink in the water.  Fortunately, God is always there to remind us to take His hands and look in His eyes because He never loses faith in us!  With God we can walk on water and accomplish the impossible!

Streezy

Note: I am not a preacher, nor do I try to appear to be.  I am on my own journey and I am very glad I can share it with others along the way.  This is my interpretation and I encourage everyone to read for themselves and make their own educated interpretation as well.

Ephesians 4:29-Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

I was interested in this verse. It popped up on my daily verse app a couple days ago and I posted it (as usual) on my facebook.  My Sunday school teacher DeWayne has always told us that we should read what comes before and after a verse (or selection) to get some understanding.  I did that and was delighted to find a wealth of knowledge in this particular chapter of Ephesians.

The verse is a call from Paul for the Ephesians to accept the grace God has given and change their ways.  The verse above is only one request mentioned by Paul, but it is a very important one that we should all listen to.  The occasion that is being referred to in this verse can also be translated to: as the need may be.  Paul is saying that we should focus our speech to uplift and bring others to Christ.

Prior to this verse, Paul addressed anger, theft, and God’s righteousness.  In verse 4:25, Paul says “Wherefore putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members of one another.”  I find this interesting.  Paul has addressed speech very directly.  He has said to speak truth, good, and build up each other using our language because we are to give grace to those that hear as well as noting that we are members of one another.

He didn’t say pick and choose who you put down or offer grace to.  He didn’t say God’s grace is limited.  He didn’t say it was ok to overlook some people if they sin in some way or another.  No, he made it very clear in Ephesians 4 that God through Christ has died and ascended the depths of this Earth to give grace to us all (Eph. 4:7-9).  He also said we all have been given certain gifts and issued a call (Eph 4:10-16) to lift each other up and reach the masses and one part of doing that is to realize we are all linked as humans and sinners.  Being linked as we are and aware of the grace God has given and the extent that He went to give it to us, we should want to give it to others we are linked to and it is detrimental to do so while carrying vile, hurtful words! 

We can’t give God’s grace away.  We are all simple human beings.  We can practice sharing God’s grace by thinking about what we say!  Have you tried to lift anyone up lately?  Have you gone out of your way to sincerely compliment an enemy of yours?  Are you letting the Devil’s attacks force you to hold onto hate instead of appreciating the grace God has given you and the freedom you possess for all those you can bring it to?

Today, let’s try to think about what we say.  I know it’s hard and so did Paul.  That’s exactly why the direction is there in the word.  Who knows who could be helped by some kindhearted words.  Maybe you and I will help ourselves in the meantime.  There is no greater feeling than that which is found in following God’s direction and your heart’s pure response to it. God bless you!

Streezy

Note: I am not a preacher, nor do I try to appear to be.  I am on my own journey and I am very glad I can share it with others along the way.  This is my interpretation and I encourage everyone to read for themselves and make their own educated interpretation as well.