Jason Upton - Lion Of Judah

Oohhh man, this song gives me chills every time!

I love thinking about Jesus as that roaring lion as I think I have previously mentioned.  I think of how powerful He is! In the words of Misty Edwards, "He's not a baby in the manger anymore, He's not a broken man on a cross, He didn't stay in the grave and He's not staying in Heaven forever!"
It gets me excited!
I have a hodgepodge of things I want to write about, they don't really go together but I don't mind if you don't mind, I haven't written in a while but I've been learning!!

Isn't it interesting how many Christians are stuck between Calvary and Pentecost? We receive what Christ has done for us by taking our sins upon Himself but we don't live empowered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus didn't do ANY miracles prior to being baptized in the Jordan by John and then the Spirit resting upon Him like a dove (Mark 1:10).  He was still born of the Spirit, he was born of a virgin!  But he didn't start living a life of significance until after that day.
Same with the disciples, Peter was a coward! Denying Jesus 3 times!  Then After Jesus is resurrected He breathes on the disciples and says to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.."(John 20:22) so they received it then and there but their ministry didn't start until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.  All of a sudden Peter is quoting the Old Testament explaining boldly what was going on to the outsiders who had heard the 120 speaking in foreign tongues (they thought the men were drunk) THEN the church begins. Then thousands are being converted by just a few men and miracles are happening and there's a power and boldness in the once scared disciples and there's a power and boldness in the new converts who are being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit.  He tells us to be baptized in it, John the Baptist told us that Jesus was going to baptize us in it (Luke 3:16), it is plainly two separate events and the evidence that lives are completely changed by it is undeniable!
So much of the church is trying to live like Jesus lived as a carpenter, a good, quiet life.
What if we started to live like Jesus did during His ministry? This world would be rocked by the church! As I believe was His intention!
People should hate us and others should be indescribably drawn to us. (We should always live in peace with one another but not compromise.)
We've become so grey when it should be so black and white!
I am preaching to myself more than anyone else but its a conviction and vision God has laid on my heart!
I know that when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit I was delivered from alcoholism.  The chains just fell off and I was empowered to never drink too much again.  To this day I am free! I have barely any desire to drink any kind of alcohol at all anymore when I had built my life around it for a good 6 years! I am free of tobacco as well and its so refreshing to know that I'll never have to be in bondage again!(As long as I keep myself in the love of Christ and keep a renewed mind)
That's my personal testimony of the night and day difference that happened to me when I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.  I began to prophecy almost immediately.  I became bold in my prayers and praying for others. A certain fear and insecurity left me and I was filled to overflowing with more love for people and more desire for Christ! All I want is to know Him better and die to myself each day so He can live through me, its all His power and His strength by His grace! Praise God for the work Jesus completed! Praise God that this life in this world is conquered, I've already won because of Him! Whom have I to fear?(besides man which I still struggle with sometimes)
"It is finished" has such a deeper meaning that what I originally had thought.  The law has been fulfilled! Death has been conquered! Sin and disease was taken upon Him and is no longer mine to bear! Hallelujah!

John Piper - Don't Waste Your Life

Who came up with retirement anyway? Probably some lazy people.

I guess it's not wrong to quit working an American job but our working and contending for the faith should never end!! No matter where you are or what you're doing you should be living as Christ. I hope I'm 80 and preaching somewhere! I would love to go abroad and share the gospel but I'm called to share it here in LA for now and I'll admit I'm not doing it as much as I would like to.

When you put your whole life in perspective of what you're going to give an account for before God it really gets you motivated to go out and truly live.

Not American Dream live but Kingdom live.

Misty Edwards has a song about the "inside, outside, upside down Kingdom where you lose to gain and you die to live" It's against everything of this world but it is the path to satisfaction and to abundant and eternal life.

I pass so many homeless people or people asking for money and I try to give something as much as I can, even if its just a dollar. Then the homeless person says, "God bless you!" which I appreciate and I say, "Yes and God bless you!" But I'm no different from the next girl. I don't give up my time to talk further with them, I don't offer them anything more than the dollar I gave them. I want to be like Peter and John and say, "look, I don't have much money to give you but how 'bout I heal you (and offer you a life-saving relationship)!? Sound good?"

That's what needs to be happening in this town.

I've decided that I'm going to start asking people if they would let me pray for them.

It's not ok with me anymore to just say, "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you" because that has become sadly cliche.

If I can't preach the gospel in my own neighborhood how am I going to do it across the world?

To me missions is selfishly tempting because you go, preach and then come back to a cushy life.

I'm turning in my cushy, comfortable life for Kingdom life.

I'm gunna hug the stinkers and listen to the people who are dying for someone to listen to them.

I'm going to give and pray and spread truth and hope where its lacking.

I don't know who reads these blogs but hold me to it! I'll begin writing my experiences and documenting the work that God is doing through me.

I want to be used by God.

I don't want to waste my life.

Wake Me Up

"We've tolerated Jezebel, we've given in to her seductions, everything is infiltrated with sexual innuendos, targeting to shut our spirits down and to keep us the walking dead, and we don't hear what God is saying to this generation. Sound the alarm." - Corey Russell

I've recently discovered Corey Russell, he is a preacher out of IHOP KC and though some of my favorite messages from him are almost 4 years old they are all relevant to today. He is calling the church to quit getting by, doing "business as usual" and start pressing in to the knowledge of God.

He is calling for Pastors to relay revelation knowledge.

He's tired of the church simply playing church on Sundays.

He also speaks about the 2 biggest problems in the US, abortion and pornography. It boggles my mind that we still say that we are a "Christian nation" We are NOT behaving like a "Christian nation." It makes me sad. We are behaving like murderers and adulterers. I am convicted by this because I'm not doing a thing to change this. I can talk all day and say I don't "agree" with abortion and porn but what am I doing about it? Nothing.

Am I seeking out the hurting girls who are considering abortion and showing them love and telling them truth and praying with them? No.

Am I seeking out those who have been wrecked from getting an abortion and in need of deliverance from shame and praying with them? No.

Am I showing love to porn stars? Yes. That I am doing. They come into my Starbucks everyday. Have I ever offered them a better way? No.

When people joke about sexual things do I laugh to fit in? Yes.

One of my old coworkers knew that porn was "against my religion" and so I didn't watch it. Did I take the time to explain to her that it's so much more than that? No.

I see the effects of porn and sexual immorality around me everyday. EVERYDAY. And I'm taking a backseat to the restoration of people's souls; to offering freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is more a blog to myself to start speaking up and searching out the captives.

We are living "as in the days of Noah" and I know the Lord is coming back soon so why wait?

I've already died to my flesh and as Cheryl Salem always encourages, you can't offend a corpse so who cares what people might say or think about you? I'm immortal now, my spirit is born again and I'm not going to die but there are a lot of people around me who are at this point and its my job to offer them eternal life, not just for the future but abundant life for right now.

God, I know your desire is to use me. As part of the church I am your hands and feet to go to the lost and be a witness of who you are and your love for the world. Empower me with the boldness to speak and not back down. Your love casts out fear so I am declaring that fear of man must go in Jesus' name. My whole life's purpose is to preach the good news and make disciples in the Kingdom, remind me of that everyday, every time I start to feel self-concious remind me that I am yours. You will speak through me and by your spirit convict the world of sin and their need for your grace. All you ask me to do is stay dead to my flesh! So today I chose to die to myself and live for You and by You. That is the only way to be satisfied. I love you, Lord and I thank you that you are completing the work you began in me.