So I have a new favorite dance show "So You Think You Can Dance" my room mate Jinder records it on Tivo each week and watches it religously. I must confess, I LOVE IT! I love the dance, choreography and talent. This dance has been my favorite this season so far "Chelsea & Mark" dancing to "Bleeding Love" its just super dope, full of passion, tite choreography and can I say "cute"? LOVE IT!!!
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.One of the most difficult prayers in life is to ask the Lord to search our hearts. The Bible says the heart is deceitful above all things. I know mine is. Many times, I think I know what is best for me, only to find out later that what I thought was best was completely wrong. God sometimes will give us what we want to show us what we really need. I'd rather know now than later what is the pure and perfect will of the Lord, even if it means I don't get my way. I am not afraid to ask the Lord to test me. Why? Because I know my thoughts are continually anxious. I always want things my way instead of His way. I go ahead of God instead of going with God. This gets me into a lot of unneeded trouble. A Bible teacher once taught "frustration equals flesh." In other words, when you are frustrated in your walk with God, in your relationship with others, in your daily work or anything in life, it is most likely because you are trying do things in your own strength rather than His. When we do things God's way and our led by the Spirit what we do is never frustrating, but there is a peace in our hearts that surpasses all understanding. We are confident in Him and walk in perfect love.
One of the best ways to save us from unneeded anguish, pain and regret is to pray
"Lord search my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, if there is any offensive way in me that does not please You, if there is anything in my heart that it selfish, self seeking, or proud, my Lord my God change my heart and turn me back to You and I ask You to lead me in the right way, in the way everlasting. Amen."During these recent days I simply keep praying, "Lord do not let me have my way, but let Your way be done in me. Give me a greater hu
nger for You and You alone. Be my satisfaction. Not these other things. For You alone are worthy!"
So I took up a new sport "golf" I'm lovn it! I hit under 100 on my first game which my golfing buddy Jinder say's aint to shabby :P haha, he says I'm a natural..."I'm like are you serious?" Well, I don't think I'll be the next Tiger Woods, but you can just call me "Tiger Ma" hahaha....my favorite thing in life to see is "green hills" that's probably why I like golfing so much. It makes me chill and feel God's peace. Word. Golf is GOOD!
Psalm 119:73-77
73Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.There is nothing better than to seek God in ones life. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. For many it is difficult to trust God in times of hardship. Many children, when their parents take things away from them it is not to harm them, but to protect them. The child may kick, scream and throw a fit because they think what the parent has done is cruel. They don't understand that the parent loves them and has the best in mind for them.
In life, we won't understand why things happen the way they do. We won't understand why God may take away the very things that we think we need the most. Whether it be our relationships, health, finances, careers, prestige, respect, ministry or anything else we can hold onto in our own strength. Even if God takes away everything, I will always trust that His judgments are right. His ways are above my ways, His thoughts above my thoughts and His wisdom is always trustworthy. God only acts out of love. He is a good Father and we can trust Him always. He knows best and always desires the best for us. In His faithfulness to make us more like Him, to bring us closer to Him and to make us perfect in His love, He will "afflict us". The affliction of the Lord may not feel good, it may not be understood, it may even seem wrong at the moment, but ultimately if we trust in Him it will produce fruit in our lives that will be everlasting. It is in those moments, when all around us fails, when everything we wanted, everything we held onto, everything we thought was God but turned out it was not or so it seems, it is in those precious moments that we pray,
76Lord, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.When Jesus was in the garden being arrested by the soldiers His disciple Peter tried to stop Him from facing the affliction by cutting off one of the soldiers ears. Yet Jesus knew God had brought about this affliction, it was His destiny to be crucified on the cross. Even so, did Jesus make a way for escape from the pain that was due? No, he answered Peter,
"Put your sword away! Shall I knot drink the cup the Father has given me?" (John 18:11)Shall we not drink the cup of suffering, the cup of affliction that Jesus drank? To take up our cross daily with Him? I'm not advocating that we look to "suffer for Christ" in order to prove our faithfulness to God. But the Word of God says those who desire to live a true godly life will suffer persecution. But let us not look to suffering as a negative, but as an opportunity for each of us to draw closer to Christ and to experience His infinite goodness in this temporary finite existence. For what is our affliction compared to His? Nothing at all. All that we lose in this life is for the sole purpose of understanding what He loss, yet what He gained for us.
2Ti 3:12
Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.His love never fails. His wisdom always knows best. His tender mercies are my comfort. His Word is my delight.
Lord Jesus do not let me have my way. In Your faithfulness afflict me until I am made complete in Christ. Let me decrease so You may increase oh Lord. Amen
Christ the True Vine
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.Apart from Christ we can do nothing. How true this Scripture rings in my spirit as I meditate upon it. Throughout my life, I have witnessed the miracles of God. His love and power never cease to amaze me. Miracles don't happen by chance, miracles happen because we abide in the Miracle Worker. Intimacy is the birthplace of miracles. When we are not close to Him, we tend to do things in our own strength and power. We can do work for God in our own strength, our own power, intellect and ability. But if we only do things for Him, not with Him, what we do is in vain. The more I minister in Hollywood/Los Angeles Ca, the more I realize each day how much I need Him daily in my life to fill me, empower me and give me the grace needed to face this dark dark land. I can't face the day, without spending time in His presence. I'm not talking about 10 minutes with Him, I'm talking about "adequate time" in His presence. Personally, I need at least an hour of just being silent before Him in prayer and meditation. We must daily wait upon the Lord and rest in His presence till we are filled with His tangible joy and then be ready to face the day. If we do not spend time with Him, we can do nothing for Him. I've made many mistakes in the past by becoming too busy for God. The moment I became too busy for time in prayer with God, it was in those seasons of life that I lost track of myself and my purpose. I began to take things into my own hands and the results were frustration, fatigue and fruit-lessness. Yet, if we abide in Him and He in us, the result will be fruit-fullness. Ministry will be easy, life will flow and His presence will be our complete joy satisfying our every need. We will not be in want, but content in Him.
I want to be the branch that bears fruit. Even if He prunes me. Discipline does not feel good at the moment, it can be harsh and even painful. These are the life lessons God brings into our life to humble us and make us more like Him. So this is why I welcome the discipline of God, for without it, I would be like a spoiled child gone astray and doing things on my own. I don't want to do things alone, I want to do things with my heavenly Father. Prune me Oh Lord, even if it hurts, don't let me have my way, but let only Your way be done in me and all of us. Show us Your great love for us this day! In Jesus name Amen
