Why I Won't Believe in Two Ways to God

I have heard it said that Paul affirms two ways to God- the Old Covenant for the Jews and Christ for the Gentiles. (This view is defended by Romans 11 and various other ideas from Paul's letters.) Setting Paul aside (it's a debate for another time), here are reasons why I refuse to believe it:

1. If God sent His Son to die on the cross, why would He send Him for only 3/4 of the population (or whatever the fraction is of Gentiles over Jews)? If God demands 100% of ourselves to serve Him (the Bible says He will spew us out if we're lukewarm), then why not die for 100% of the population of the earth? Why not make Gentiles become Jews? Okay, so the law is a curse to Gentiles. Then why not make it so it's not? Why send your son to carry sins and die if it's not for everyone? Why take the hardest route possible for salvation for Gentiles? 

2. Okay, so let's say it was just for Gentiles. Then why on earth would His disciples preach about Him and convert people to follow Christ- including fellow Jews? Why not just follow the Torah if that's all is required of Jews? Look at Paul himself. He was a devout Jew, Pharisee even, who ended up following Christ. What's the point if Jesus didn't die for Jews? Note the Great Commission. Who was that given to? Jews. 

3. If it's not for Jews, then why on earth would Jesus be born into a Jewish nation? Why not be born among the pagans? Why even bother the Jews? Why even perform miracles, choose disciples, and teach among Jews? 

4. Paul says not to boast. Honestly, if Jesus did come just for the Gentiles, then we really would have something to boast about. I mean look at us! We don't have to do anything! All we have to do is believe on Jesus and follow after Him! Granted, that often comes with struggles and sacrifices, but really, is it so bad? Look at the Jews. They have to follow the Torah and circumcision. Honestly I feel like that's much more work than we Gentiles have to do. 

5. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).

These are reasons why I cannot believe in two ways to God. I do not believe Jews have a different way than Gentiles. I do not believe Paul is saying that either. Perhaps it's just my traditional upbringing, but having two separate ways makes no sense to me and creates so many different questions in my head. If Jesus didn't die for everyone, then why do we even have the Bible? Why do we even have the Old Testament? Why do we care about the Jewish nation? Because they're God's chosen people? I believe we have the Bible because it shows us where we came from. It shows us how God started with the Jewish nation, sent Christ to redeem the Jews from their sin as the Ultimate Sacrifice, then sent the disciples to reach everyone- including Gentiles. I'm sure all of my reasons could be refuted in some way. And that's okay, but I know what ground I stand on. 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  ~John 3:16

It's Gonna Be Okay

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God.
~Russell Kelfer

I hope this brings some encouragement to your day! Strive on!

Casting All Your Care

Do you ever have those moments where you're like, "Whoa, I never realized that before"? Totally just had one, and let me tell you, it was mind-blowing.

As a kid, I memorized 1 Peter 5:7. I could quote for you in a flash. I knew it like I knew the back of my hand. "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you" (good 'ole King James Version days). My quiet time today was actually on that very verse (minus the KJV). However, it also mentioned the verses preceding that. 

Context is so important. I've seen that more and more as I've been digging deeper into the Word. 1 Peter 5:7 to me for years has just been one of those verses I pull out when I'm stressed- kind of like a "Get out of Jail Free" card, only it's a "Get out of Stress Free" card. I've used it so flippantly, which is probably why I never stopped to realize the context.

In the same way, younger people should be willing to be under older people. And all of you should be very humble with each other. "God is against the proud, but He gives grace to the humble." Be humble under God's powerful hand so He will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to Him, because He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:5-7 NCV)

This passage is talking about submitting to God and coming to Him humbly, not about calling on Him whenever you need help. Yes, you should call on Him when you need help, but God is not a genie. He doesn't exist just to appear whenever we can't do things on our own. We need to come to Him humbly, admitting to Him that He is much bigger than we ever could be. 

This passage really spoke to me because I am probably one of the most prideful people I know. I hate asking for help. I like to do things on my own. I usually carry everything on me until I am at my breaking point- that's when I go to God. That's not what He wants though. That's not the relationship He's looking for. That's really not a relationship at all. That's keeping Him at arm's length until I absolutely can't do anything on my own. I like to be in complete control, but what I've been slowly learning throughout the years is that I can't control everything. I have to trust God. 

What this passage has showed me is that God wants me to come humbly. "He gives grace," "will lift [me] up," and "cares about [me]." Why not live humbly for Him? It's definitely not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. 

I'm attaching a link to the song "My Sweet Lord" from Crowder's new album Neon Steeple. The song is a good example of coming before God humbly. Plus I just love this song and the whole album, really. If you like that song then you should also listen to "Here's My Heart" on the album. 

My Sweet Lord- Crowder

Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. (Proverbs 3:34 NKJV)

No Condemnation

As I was doing my quiet time tonight, two words stuck out to me: no condemnation. 

Immediately they hit me with full force. How can a big God Who deserves nothing but honor and glory forgive all the wrongs I've done? How can He look past them all like I never did them? 

You may be carrying something around that you feel terribly guilty about. You may feel like this guilt comes from God to remind you, or punish you, for what you have done. But that is simply not the case. Jesus forgives us of our sins and takes them from us. When Jesus went to the cross He paid the price for your sins, once and for all. You don't have to keep paying for your sins through guilt. You don't have to carry them around anymore. You don't have to live with shame anymore. If you are in Christ, you are forgiven. (excerpt from Transformed)

I will never understand how God can love me enough to send His Son for me, but I will always be grateful. As I was thinking about this, however, I realized, do I live like I'm forgiven? Do we live like we're forgiven? If a debtor is forgiven his debt, does he go out and obtain another one? If a beggar is given a home, does he leave and go back to the streets to beg? The challenge for those of us who have experienced God's forgiveness is to live like we've been forgiven. 

I think sometimes we hold onto the guilt because we're afraid if we let go then it'll be erased from our memory. Or if we let go then God is gonna smash us over the head. Or if we hold on long enough then the wrong will go away. Whatever the reason is, don't live with guilt. Trust me, it'll weigh you down and steal your joy. Romans 8:1 says, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Perhaps you're reading this, and you've never experienced God's forgiveness. Perhaps you're looking back over your life and feeling discouraged because of all you've done. Please don't be. All God wants you to do is just accept His gift. You don't have to understand why He would offer it. I never will. All I know is that the Maker of the universe desired to have a relationship with us so much that instead of turning us into robots, He sent His Son to die, conquer sin, and come back to life to give us freedom so that we can have fellowship with Him. We have a choice to make. Who wants to live with guilt? You don't have to be fancy, just talk to God like you would a friend and ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you. He's waiting for you!

We all have a past. We all have things we wish we could fix or just things we regret happening. One of my favorite verses that I have seen lived out so many times is Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. One of the sayings in the Transformed study that has really stuck out to me is Your greatest ministry will come from your deepest pain. God uses what we go through to help others, but we can't help them if we're still living in guilt. We'll never be transformed if we aren't emotionally healthy. Don't let Satan win by being burdened by guilt. Embrace God's forgiveness today and live a life full of joy!

No condemnation. Two words with a powerful meaning. 

Broken Hallelujah

I heard this song for the first time today while listening to K-Love radio in the Starbucks drive-thru. 

Let me back up.

The past 3 weeks have been an absolute struggle for me. I have felt lower than I have in months. It's like I've been crashing from a high- the school year. I loved being at Mercer. Each day flew by because I was so busy doing things. Well, now it's summer...and it has not gone at all the way I planned. I'm away from my friends, and I don't have a set schedule. Thankfully I have an internship that takes up 2 days a week, but it's still been a struggle, especially since I need to find a paid job. THAT has been so stressful and discouraging. I may have one, but I still don't know for sure yet. The past week I have felt so discouraged, stressed out, and depressed. I felt so distant from God. I prayed, I did my quiet time, and yet He still felt so far away. I cried many times. I took my frustration out on others. I tossed and turned at night. I'm not saying all this to play a pity card. I'm being real and honest. I've been trying to fill my mind with positive things the past week, especially with music. This morning, I got in my car and almost didn't turn on my radio because I was just so discouraged. 

My break through came at the Starbucks drive-thru.

I am so glad I turned on the radio. This song fit me so perfectly. I instantly identified with the first lines.

I can barely stand right now,
Everything is crashing down,
And I wonder where You are.
I try to find the words to pray,
I don't always know what to say,
But You're the One who can hear my heart.

Wow! I love music so much. There's always a song that describes how I feel. I'm not gonna write the rest of the lyrics because I want you to listen to the song yourself. 

I didn't blog to get pity. I didn't share for sympathy. I'm sharing to show God's wonders. He works even when you think He's far away. Yeah, my summer is not what I thought it'd be. But it's also not over. It's definitely a hard adjustment going from steady schedule and income to almost nothing. But God's not done. Today I began to make more friends at my church. A light is beginning to shine through the clouds. 

Storms are going to happen in life. It's the only way we grow. It's so painful to be molded by God. It's not fun, but the results are worth it. God strips me of everything when He wants me to focus back on Him and continue to mold me, and that's exactly what He's been doing. If you're in a storm right now, don't give up. God may feel far away, but if you look for Him, you will find Him. 

Here's my broken hallelujah!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo3DudOzV4k&feature=kp

Weaknesses- Good or Bad?

Weaknesses are good.

Wait, what?! You've got to be kidding me, right?

Nope, not at all! I am being completely honest with you, weaknesses are good. And for me, that is a VERY comforting thought!

I really love the Transformed series we are doing at Harvest. Today's quiettime was on 2 Corinthians 12:9, and it talked about how God uses our weaknesses. The journal listed three promises about weaknesses, and as I read them, I realized that weaknesses are good! Here are the three promises:
1. "God's power is present in your weakness,"
2. "God works through weakness to accomplish His task,"
3. "God allows limitations to become blessings in disguise."
I really felt relief just flow through me. I am a major perfectionist, and I hate having weaknesses. I don't like it one bit. I want all of me to be perfect. But that's not what God wants. Sometimes I think we think God expects us to be perfect. He doesn't! Not at all! He knows we aren't, and that's how He shows his power! If there was no weakness in us, how would He show His strength? God needs us to be weak. He has no reason to work in our lives if we're perfect. For me, this puts a whole new meaning to the fact that God loves me the way I am. I don't have to change, I don't have to clean-up, I don't have to be perfect to follow Him! 
"I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:14)

For most of my life, I have felt like God and everyone else expected perfection from me. I am a very self-conscious person because of it. Perhaps you can relate to that feeling. How wrong I am! I don't have to be perfect! I can embrace my weaknesses because God wants to use them and work through me! The devotional also brought up the fact that we are like jars of clay. "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Corinthians 4:7) We are breakable, and God knows it. We are a treasure to Him!

I hope this truth brings you comfort and joy as much as it did me. We as humans cannot be perfect, and God does not expect us to be. Embrace your weaknesses because that is how God will work!

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Personal Blog: Romans 8:35-39

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future,nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8:35-39

God transcends everything. His love cannot be conquered, it cannot be removed, it cannot be broken, it cannot be lost- which is very comforting for the future.

The future is scary. It is often times dark and unknown, but Jesus is the light we must cling to, I must cling to. Nothing separates us from God's love. No mater what we go through, His love is always there and forever will remain. I can't see my future, but I can trust in the One who does. He holds it all in His hands. Worrying will get me nowhere. It won't make the future any better.
 
As a kid I would sing the song "He's got the whole world in His hands." It often comes back to me. I can still remember the words and the motion that accompanied that line. As a kid, you'll believe anything. It wasn't hard for me to grasp the fact that God is big. Everything is big when you're a kid. But especially being in college now, that knowledge starts to become reality. So many times I get lost in the mystery, and God shines His light and says," See? I told you to trust Me." 

I am so glad God is real. There is no way I could live my life without the knowledge that there is a God up in Heaven orchestrating my life and waiting for the right time to bring me to Him. Life is so empty without having anything to live for. You can live for people, but they will only let you down. Everything in this world will let you down. God has never let me down. He is constantly by my side. His love knows no end. 

Last semester, I thought I had my whole future planned out. I was gonna major in Christianity, take Greek and French, go to grad school, etc etc. But this semester, I got thrown a curve-ball and now I have absolutely no clue what is in my future. Oh sure, I still want to go into ministry. But now that I might double major, I can't do all the classes I want to do, and I have no clue how I'm going to get everything done in 3 years. Not to mention, I have absolutely no clue what the summer holds for me. I am going through a dark cave now, but God shines just enough light for me to see the next step. I don't know what lies for me at the end, all I can do is continuously trust and rely on God.

I am so glad God's love is a constant. I almost didn't read my devotional today, but I am so thankful I did. I would've missed out on this truth. When I read Romans 8:35-39, the phrase that immediately stuck out to me was "neither the present nor the future." God gave me the reassuring truth that no matter what happens, no matter what is in store for me, His love is always there. He is always walking right beside me, holding my hand, and guiding me every step of the way.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)

Never Too Young

It's hard to believe this semester, this school year, is almost over. I'll be a sophomore and have successfully completed my first year of college. Whats even harder to believe is I've influenced two people this semester alone in their walk with Christ.

Wait, what?

There's no way. I'm only 19. I'm not in ministry yet!

Last night, I was utterly shocked when I was told that I had pointed yet another person to Christ. I burst into tears. What had I done to deserve God's favor that He would allow me to be a testimony for Him as a freshman at a liberal school? To someone older than me as well! It's absolutely overwhelming. You never know how big of a difference you're going to make. You never know how God is going to use you. He works in mysterious ways. Honestly, I didn't see myself making a difference until after grad school when I'm in the ministry. I've been so focused on following that path and wondering if it's right that I feel like God has rewarded my faith by using me to influence others. I'm not saying all this to brag. I'm saying all this to show how awesome God is.

The passage that came to mind last night was Jeremiah 1:5-10. God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet for Him. He says "Hey, Jeremiah, I formed you. I watched you as you were being made. Even before that I knew what you would do with your life." Jeremiah is like "Whoa, God! There's no way! I'm too young!"
"The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

God said "Hey, Melissa, I've got a great plan for you. I've known about since before you were formed in your mother's womb." And I'm over here like "Hey, that's great, God! In a few years right? Gotta get that master's degree!" He said "Nope, I need you right now."

I realize I'm interpreting the Bible lightly, but I'm trying to get a point across. Since when do we have to be out of college with a high degree to be an example for Christ? Who said that? The world will not change if we live under the umbrella that we're too young. Satan wants us to live that lie. He doesn't want us to be used by God. He knows that if teens and college students would stand up, a change would be made across the world. We really do have so much influence we just don't even know it. Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, "Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." That means when our friends are going out to party and drink, we stay behind so we don't appear to be just like the world. We shield and guard ourselves against sexual images and lyrics (hard to do nowadays isn't it?). We protect not only our purity, but our girlfriend's/boyfriend's as well. We treat others with respect even if they don't deserve it. None of these are easy, but Jesus never promised it would be. He said that since the world hated Him, it's gonna hate us if we follow Him. 

You're never too young to make a difference. Don't get caught in the trap that you are. Each of us can influence different people around us. God wants to do big things with us. Let Him begin His work through you! Step out in faith!

When I Am Weak, He Makes Me Strong

Last night when I got home from the basketball game, I kept thinking of the verse that says, "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." After finally finding it (I'm really bad with references) in Philippians 3, I started reading the verses around it, including verse 5, "circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee." Now I know you're probably like I was at first, "Oh that's cool, how about we go on," and just kinda ignore it. However, something struck me about it, "of the tribe of Benjamin." 

I don't know how much Old Testament history you know, but the tribe of Benjamin was the weakest tribe. King Saul actually came from that tribe, although that had nothing to do with his downfall (he brought it on himself). In Judges 19, there is the story of a Levite and his concubine. They were staying at Gibeah for the night with a man who had kindly offered his home when the men of the city (the ESV describes them as "worthless fellows") came and wanted to rape the Levite (sounds like Sodom and Gomorrah, huh?), but instead the Levite sent out his concubine. She was gang-raped, and when the morning came, she fell dead at the doorstep of the house. The Levite took her, chopped her up into pieces, sent a piece to each tribe of Israel, and rallied Israel to war against Benjamin. This left the tribe very weak. I'm not actually sure how much stronger they got as the years passed, but I know that for a long time they were the weakest tribe.

You can see why that phrase from Paul stuck out to me. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. Not Judah, the strongest tribe where King David and Jesus were from, but the weakest! And Paul had to be one of the greatest apostles of all time. He followed so hard after God through every storm and trial. Never once did he give up. He didn't let his past define him. Which actually fits with my devotion this morning. It was about exactly that, beginning again.

"For most of us there is not a shortage of dreams for the future; there is a fear that we might not be able to shake our past." How true is that in my life! How many times have I fallen back into the same habits and attitudes, messed up terribly, or just plain-old been a bad example of Christ? And yet I claim to want to go into ministry one day? It's tough telling people that I want to go into ministry one day because it means already I'm being held to a higher standard. I have to be super careful about what people see me do and what I say on social media. People might not mean to, but I know they judge me. When you take a stand for God, you will stand out in the world. Looking at my past sometimes, I just can't see how to live like it doesn't exist. But that's okay because God's mercy is stronger than any wrong I've ever done. It's stronger than any wrong YOU have ever done. "Yet, though your past is real, this is the Word of God speaking to you today: You can begin again. What's done is done, but today is a new day, and with each new day arrives God's mercy blanketing us with hope for a new start."

I titled this blog "When I Am Weak, He Makes Me Strong" because He really does. He knows my every thought and need, he knows every dream I've ever had, he holds each tear that falls from my eyes. I am a new creation in God. It is no longer by my strength that I live but by His. I can't carry my own weight. I have to cast my burdens on Him. His yoke is easy. If Paul from the tribe of Benjamin (also a previous Pharisee who murdered followers of Christ) can be such a strong follower of Christ, then I can too! 

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Are You Making A Difference?

So tonight I was reading my devotion for the day, and it was about counting your blessings. The passage was Psalm 34:1- "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (ESV). And I was like, "oh that's all well and good. I can definitely try to do that. As a matter of fact, I'm getting better at it." But then I switched to my usual translation of the Bible, God's Word Translation (GW), and it stopped me in my tracks. "I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise him."

"My mouth will always praise him."

Wait....what? That's not what I read before!

Yep, totally stopped me in my tracks. It's all well and good to count my blessings, but is what I say pleasing to God? See, we're not here on this earth for us. We're here for God's glory. If all I do is count my blessings and not speak love, then what good are my blessings? Why should God give me blessings if I'm not going to praise Him with what I say and do? Being a Christian does not mean just living differently inward and reading the Bible. It also means that we shine a light to the world around us. This morning I read Matthew 5:14, and it's been on my mind since I had to read it for one of my classes. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." For some reason, this verse has just been going through my mind over and over since Monday.

It makes me think of a scene from the movie To Save A Life. If you haven't seen it, you should really consider seeing it. It's a Christian movie that deals with teens and suicide. But in this scene, Jake is at youth group listening to the pastor speak. He just came back from watching his girlfriend leave because she felt judged by the other youth. The pastor told the youth to take a few minutes in silence to think about who they've wronged, and the youth start whispering among themselves. Jake gets upset and tells them that his girlfriend just left because she felt judged. And he gets right to the point with this line, "What's the point of all of this if you're not going to let it change you?"

He's exactly right. What's the point of Christianity if we're not going to be a change in the world? What's the point if we're not going to be a light that people can look to? What's the point if our words aren't pleasing to God? What's the point if we aren't living for God instead of ourselves? We're the only beings who can celebrate and praise God's Magnificence and Power.

I have two song suggestions for you if this really spoke to you: "City on a Hill" by Casting Crowns and "My Own Little World" by Steven Curtis Chapman.

"I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise Him." Psalm 34:1
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14

Winter Wonderland

I felt like a little kid yesterday. Nothing excites me more than the prospect of snow. As the hours dragged on and the snow came closer and closer, I got more and more impatient. When it came, I almost cried I was so happy (almost screamed from excitement too)! I was just like a little kid on Christmas.

To me, there is nothing more absolutely breath-taking than watching snow fall. It's so quiet and peaceful. It's like a hush just falls over the city while the flakes turn the landscape into white dust. I sat by my window watching the snow fall for 2 hours. It was like watching a movie scene the way the snow was falling. It was an absolute dream come true for me.

Isn't our God amazing? Watching the snow fall in Middle GA made me realize once again how big my God is. People know we rarely get snow down here. And to get the inch that we did is a miracle. I'm sure most of us have heard that no two snowflakes are just alike. But have you ever really stopped and thought about that? Imagine how many snowflakes fell last night. Probably trillions! And yet none of them are the same. How incredible is that! I cannot fathom designing trillions snowflakes. I cannot even imagine designing all the stars, galaxies, and people that exist! God is so awesome! It reminds me of the song "Indescribable" by Chris Tomlin. I have loved that song for years. I normally equate it with outer space, but honestly it could go for snowflakes too.

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
    night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
    their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
    and their words to all the world."
(Psalm 19:1-4 NLT)

Listen to me, O family of Jacob,
    Israel my chosen one!
I alone am God,
    the First and the Last.
It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
    my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
    they all appear in order.”
(Isaiah 48:12-13)

“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—
    glorious in holiness,
awesome in splendor,
    performing great wonders?"
(Exodus 15:11)

"O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
    Your glory is higher than the heavens.
When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them?"
(Psalm 8:1,3,4)

I praise my Maker for showing me His majesty once again! How anyone could look at the world and believe evolution, I'll never understand! Creation screams out God's name. Thank You, Lord, for this winter wonderland!

Personal Blog: Mind-Blowing Day

So today started out like any other Sunday. Woke up at 7, got ready for church, headed out at 8:20. I work as a greeter for the 9am service so I have to be there at 8:30. After that, I actually go to the 10:30. So I'm at Harvest from 8:30-11:30. When it was about 10 o'clock, I got super tired. It didn't make any sense to me either because I hadn't gone to bed later than normal and technically I was sleeping in half an hour. I almost went home to sleep- after all, I had already heard the service. But I persevered and made it through the service. It helped that they played Not Ashamed which is one of my favorite songs.

After church, I went to Stevie B's to eat with my sis. I don't know if you know anything about Stevie B's, but it's a pizza buffet (with the BEST cheeseburger pizza) and a game room. Besides cheeseburger pizza, the game room is the best part. So I'm in there using my tokens, just playing the games, you know the usual. Trying to get a lot of tickets. Out of nowhere, I hit the jackpot on one of the games and won 1,155 tickets. No lie. Okay it actually gave me 1,105 because it ran out of tickets at the 50 mark (shame on it), but hey I was still amazed. Never done that in my life. On another game I got the 500 ticket bonus. I end up with 2,000 tickets and hadn't even used all my tokens. I was utterly speechless. Mind = blown.

When I got home, I took a nap. But it was not just any nap- I actually dreamed (or is it dreamt?). I NEVER dream when I nap; I only dream at night. It meant that I was sleeping deeply. Very usual for a nap. For that reason, it just struck me as amazing. Naps rarely help me that much. Mind = blown again.

Then it came time for homework. Yippee right? I was doing my Biblical Texts & American History assignment which was to identify different statements as academic history, religious studies, devotional, or hearsay. It wasn't that bad, but a couple of them I was just like I have no idea. I started thinking to myself that I needed to find someone to get there opinion on it when Justin messaged me. Literally the moment after I was thinking that. He wanted to compare answers! Mind = blown once again.

It really was just a mind-blowing day. After the jackpot and bonus I thought to myself, "What did I do to deserve this?" After my nap I thought, "This has been a mind-blowing day. What good did I do to deserve this?" And it was in that moment that God spoke to me. It has nothing to do with the good I've done. I was blessed. See, that's the point of blessings. We don't deserve them. We don't even deserve God's love. But He bestows all those things on us because of His love and mercy.

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:6-8 NLT)

I am so thankful for God's blessings. I don't deserve even half of what He's given me, and all that He gives me is truly mind-blowing. Wanna know how I know this semester is going to be amazing? Because in the first week of school, I have become so much closer to two girls I practically consider family, started gaining more friends, found out how awesome BCM is, and had my mind blown three times today. My God is an Awesome God and I know He has big things planned for me!!!

"For the Lord your God is living among you.
    He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
    With his love, he will calm all your fears.
    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

"For you have rescued me from death;
    you have kept my feet from slipping.
So now I can walk in your presence, O God,
    in your life-giving light." (Psalm 56:13)

A Look into 2014- Psalm 56:13

As I mentioned on Facebook and Twitter, my verse for 2014 is Psalm 56:13. My verse for 2013 was Psalm 86:11, "Teach me Your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to Your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor You." As I look back over the year, He did exactly that. He chastised me when I needed it, and over the past several months, He brought me closer to Him more than I've ever been. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a purpose. I can see what He wants me to do with my life. But He had to break me to do it. Why do we think we can live our lives on our own? Why do we think God is just an option, something we can use when we are in desperate need? He is the source of life. He created us to have a relationship with Him; we'll never feel fulfilled without Him.

I've been saved since I was 5 years old. I grew up going to church, so God was not a foreign concept to me. I could tell you every story in the Bible, front to back. I knew Scriptures. I considered myself a good kid because I went to church and even used a Christian curriculum at home. Oh, I tried to follow God. I really did. But I'd get close and then get pulled away by something else. But I considered myself good because I didn't drink, cuss, smoke, do drugs, etc etc. I didn't do any of the really bad stuff. Through the years of being on the same rollercoaster, I was slowly going farther and farther away from Him. So He did what He always does, He took away my distractions. He broke my stone-coldness and started warming my heart with His love. This last semester of college was my biggest spiritual growth period. Finally, I started yearning and hungering to read the Word. I read through Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians- I was reading more than I'd done in years. Then, a knew feeling came to me, something that I'd never felt before- I wanted to go into ministry. I wanted to use what I'd learn to teach others and point them to Christ. I am sadly disappointed by churches in America. They preach one way but act completely different. Everything Christianity stands for is being torn down because Christians no longer act like "little Christs" but like the world. Christians no longer stand for the truth but are calloused of things in the world. We're not going to change the world with judgment and condemning; we're going to change by loving others and following Christ's example. I have a passion in my life to bring revival in America. I want to make an impact in this world and nation like George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards. I don't know how God is going to use me. But I'm hoping this blog is a start. I'm hoping one day this blog will impact hundreds.

God's love amazes me. How can He love me so much? Why would an Almighty God send His only Son to take on all of the sins of the world and die to save us? We don't deserve it. No matter how "good" you are, we don't deserve God's free gift. Psalm 56:13 is a reminder to me of what God has brought me through and that it is only by Him that I live. I don't want to forget last year. I don't want to forget anything of my life. He used it all to mold me a certain way. He made me special, unique, so that I could make an impact in someone's life with His love. "And yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and You are the potter. We all are formed by Your hand." (Isaiah 64:8) Being molded and shaped isn't easy. Sometimes it hurts, but I'm thankful. I can be a light for Him now. "You are the light of the world- like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise Your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16) I want others to see Christ in me, not for my glory but for His. It reminds me of part of a song- a song which happens to be my song for 2014:
"Give me one pure and holy passion,
Give me one magnificent obsession,
Give me one glorious ambition for my life-
To know and follow hard after You.
To know and follow hard after You,
To live as Your disciple in the truth.
This world is empty, pale, and poor,
Compared to knowing You, my Lord;
Lead me on, and I will run after You."
(One Pure and Holy Passion)

It's not going to be easy. Satan is going to throw everything he can my way. But I hope that I can be like the Apostle Paul and run the race with everything I have. I hope that when I get to the end God will say to me, "Well done, my Good and Faithful Servant!" Wouldn't that be so amazing to hear that after everything you've done in your life? Who's with me?!

Psalm 56:13, "For You have rescued me from death; You have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in Your presence, O God, in Your life-giving light."