jueves, septiembre 20, 2007
Another season
Well, jovenes (or maybe just Grace because it seems like you are the only one who checks this blog), now Nessy is in Virginia, Ivory is in Kirkland, and Dahlia is leaving for Kirkland soon. We will each be posting about our lives this year on our respective blogs. There are links to each of our blogs on the right side of this page. And we'll be praying for you, Grace, and for the rest of the jovenes. Please pray for us also! If any of you have blogs, myspaces, livejournals, facebooks, etcetera that you'll be updating regularly this year, please let us know so we can all keep in touch. BYE, and God bless you all!
viernes, agosto 31, 2007
Anuncio!
Sunday, September 16th, is declared a jovenes-run service.
Grace, Talia, Eunice, Diana, Jacqueline, Dorian, Saira, Yvette, Gaby, Deicy, Dahlia, Ivory, Geovanna, Jennifer, Isaac, Gonzalo, Carlos, Elias, Adam, and anybody else who is willing:
you are asked to prepare a song, poem, verse, or word to share with the congregation on that day! Woohoo! Who's ready? (By the way, sorry to everybody whose names I misspelled and everybody I forgot to mention. If I forgot to write down your name, that doesn't mean you're off the hook! Muahaha!!!)
viernes, agosto 10, 2007
martes, julio 31, 2007
sábado, abril 07, 2007
Purity
“and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” –James 1:27
What is purity in the eyes of God? We can look at the word “purity” in many different ways. For example, in a relationship seminar we might end by committing to remain pure, but how deep does this commitment go? Does this level of purity simply mean that we will choose to maintain sexual purity until marriage or does it go further than this? What about kissing someone? What about guarding and protecting our hearts? What about exposing our feelings to someone before the time is right? (…not to awaken love until the time is right – Song of Songs 2:7)
The bible tells us in James 1:27 that “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” I want to focus on the last part of that verse: “and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” What is it to keep ourselves unstained by the world? It is to live a lifestyle of purity (pure and undefiled religion). But then we have to define what purity is. First of all, by nature, we are not pure. Our human nature is full of evil. This evil can be found in our movies, in our television, in our stores, on our internet, but where it all starts is in our hearts and who we choose to follow: our desires or those of God. We are sinners in a need of a Savior, and can only be made pure by committing ourselves to Christ.
Job was a man that wanted to live a pure and undefiled life. He saw that he was a sinner and nothing without God. This realization led him to make this commitment: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman.” (Job 31:1 NLT) This is a commitment of purity. It is a commitment of guarding and protecting what we let our eyes see (through television, movies, the internet, etc). Daniel was another man that knew that the human nature is evil. Therefore, out of his desire to be committed to a pure and holy God, Daniel made this commitment: “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank;” (Daniel 1:8 NASB) Here we see purity in a different light. Daniel wanted to keep his physical body undefiled from the foods which he consumed. His focus was on God and on being obedient to God.
These are two examples of men that chose to keep themselves unstained by this world. It began with them realizing that they were sinners and needed a Savior. They chose to be obedient to God and maintain a level of purity that their world did not practice. In our world today, there is much evil; the same evil that Job and Daniel faced. Are we willing to live a high level of purity? To commit ourselves to live a pure and undefiled religion by keeping ourselves unstained by this world?
*Feel free to leave comments, questions, or thoughts about what has been posted above. Your thoughts are valuable!
What is purity in the eyes of God? We can look at the word “purity” in many different ways. For example, in a relationship seminar we might end by committing to remain pure, but how deep does this commitment go? Does this level of purity simply mean that we will choose to maintain sexual purity until marriage or does it go further than this? What about kissing someone? What about guarding and protecting our hearts? What about exposing our feelings to someone before the time is right? (…not to awaken love until the time is right – Song of Songs 2:7)
The bible tells us in James 1:27 that “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” I want to focus on the last part of that verse: “and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” What is it to keep ourselves unstained by the world? It is to live a lifestyle of purity (pure and undefiled religion). But then we have to define what purity is. First of all, by nature, we are not pure. Our human nature is full of evil. This evil can be found in our movies, in our television, in our stores, on our internet, but where it all starts is in our hearts and who we choose to follow: our desires or those of God. We are sinners in a need of a Savior, and can only be made pure by committing ourselves to Christ.
Job was a man that wanted to live a pure and undefiled life. He saw that he was a sinner and nothing without God. This realization led him to make this commitment: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman.” (Job 31:1 NLT) This is a commitment of purity. It is a commitment of guarding and protecting what we let our eyes see (through television, movies, the internet, etc). Daniel was another man that knew that the human nature is evil. Therefore, out of his desire to be committed to a pure and holy God, Daniel made this commitment: “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank;” (Daniel 1:8 NASB) Here we see purity in a different light. Daniel wanted to keep his physical body undefiled from the foods which he consumed. His focus was on God and on being obedient to God.
These are two examples of men that chose to keep themselves unstained by this world. It began with them realizing that they were sinners and needed a Savior. They chose to be obedient to God and maintain a level of purity that their world did not practice. In our world today, there is much evil; the same evil that Job and Daniel faced. Are we willing to live a high level of purity? To commit ourselves to live a pure and undefiled religion by keeping ourselves unstained by this world?
*Feel free to leave comments, questions, or thoughts about what has been posted above. Your thoughts are valuable!
jueves, marzo 29, 2007
Wills
And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,
Until it be according to mine?
But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather
I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine
~Amy Carmichael
sábado, marzo 03, 2007
Prayer
"Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.” -- Hudson Taylor
jueves, marzo 01, 2007
What Color is Your Water?
“…for the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God.” – 1 Chronicles 29:1
I know the question above may not make sense right now, but take a moment to read the following words and hopefully it will come into focus. To begin with, 1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us that we are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. Well, what is a temple? Some definitions say that a temple is a church or a place of public worship; however, I like this definition which says: a place in which the divine presence specially abides. In other words, like 1 Corinthians 3:16 says: the Spirit of God dwells in us! Now, as exciting as this is it leads to us to a whole different question.
If the Spirit of God, His very presence dwells in us than our bodies are not our own because 1 Chronicles 19:1 says “for the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God.” Our body is a temple. God’s Spirit dwells in that temple. That temple belongs to God.
So, what color is your water? Think of this: If we ignore the fact that our bodies are temples that belong to God and we do whatever we please with our bodies how is God going to feel? (Yes, God has feelings, but not necessarily on a natural level like us) As I was thinking about how God would feel if I ignored the truth that my body is a temple that belongs to him I had this following illustration come to my mind: Our own desires or doing what we want to do with our bodies is like oil. On the other hand, if we recognize that our bodies are not our own and we look to do God’s will with our body, then this is like water.
What happens then if we have some oil and some water? Our body or our vessel is contaminated. For example, think of an oil spill happening in the ocean. This contaminates the water and it kills any ocean life that is around the spill. The same thing happens in our lives when we choose to do whatever we please with our bodies. We add oil, and the oil kills the life that is in us.
In order to counteract this, we have to wash out the oil. Wash out the personal desires so that all that is left is pure water. We have to feed our bodies, God’s temple, with His Word. All the contamination must be removed so we can be pure vessels. If we are not pure vessels how can we fully please and serve our God? For our temple is not for us, but for God. Take some time to see if there is oil in your water and if there is, work at washing out that oil with the living water of God.
*Please feel free to post comments, questions, or any other feedback.
I know the question above may not make sense right now, but take a moment to read the following words and hopefully it will come into focus. To begin with, 1 Corinthians 3:16 tells us that we are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in us. Well, what is a temple? Some definitions say that a temple is a church or a place of public worship; however, I like this definition which says: a place in which the divine presence specially abides. In other words, like 1 Corinthians 3:16 says: the Spirit of God dwells in us! Now, as exciting as this is it leads to us to a whole different question.
If the Spirit of God, His very presence dwells in us than our bodies are not our own because 1 Chronicles 19:1 says “for the temple is not for man, but for the Lord God.” Our body is a temple. God’s Spirit dwells in that temple. That temple belongs to God.
So, what color is your water? Think of this: If we ignore the fact that our bodies are temples that belong to God and we do whatever we please with our bodies how is God going to feel? (Yes, God has feelings, but not necessarily on a natural level like us) As I was thinking about how God would feel if I ignored the truth that my body is a temple that belongs to him I had this following illustration come to my mind: Our own desires or doing what we want to do with our bodies is like oil. On the other hand, if we recognize that our bodies are not our own and we look to do God’s will with our body, then this is like water.
What happens then if we have some oil and some water? Our body or our vessel is contaminated. For example, think of an oil spill happening in the ocean. This contaminates the water and it kills any ocean life that is around the spill. The same thing happens in our lives when we choose to do whatever we please with our bodies. We add oil, and the oil kills the life that is in us.
In order to counteract this, we have to wash out the oil. Wash out the personal desires so that all that is left is pure water. We have to feed our bodies, God’s temple, with His Word. All the contamination must be removed so we can be pure vessels. If we are not pure vessels how can we fully please and serve our God? For our temple is not for us, but for God. Take some time to see if there is oil in your water and if there is, work at washing out that oil with the living water of God.
*Please feel free to post comments, questions, or any other feedback.
jueves, febrero 01, 2007
What is this thing called Love?
“Promise me…not to awaken love until the time is right.” – Song of Songs 2:7 (NLT)
I remember growing up in elementary, middle school, even high school, and February 14th would draw near. In elementary school, there would be an unspoken excitement in the classroom as we prepared our Valentine card and treat holders. When middle school rolled around there was the expectation that maybe someone would express to you that they loved you or liked you or for some having a boyfriend/girlfriend. Now for the guys this wasn’t so great because the other fellas’ would give you a hard time. The girls on the other hand…they would want to know all about it. By the time high school arrived though, it was now more of an expectation that you have a special someone to tell her/him how you felt about them. Well, at least, this is when I was in school-- I wonder if things have changed much…my guess is things are much the same. Like Solomon says “there is nothing new under the sun.”
But what about this topic of love? As we mature, I’m sure you’ve all noticed, that attraction to someone of the opposite gender has perhaps…increased. Maybe not for some. Maybe some of us are still like “Boys, eww!” or “Girls, yuck!” Whatever the case, a time comes when our bodies change and we begin to notice others, and think we like them, and be attracted to them, and then peer pressure soon enters the circle, and then….well, and then what!?
What takes place at this point, or even before this point greatly determines what happens next. At this stage, our emotions and peer pressure can win and soon we find ourselves “in love.” Next thing you know we are “walking in the clouds.” Is this real? Sure, the emotions are real and the desire is real, but it’s an immature real because we are being driven by our emotions. Emotions are great but if we let them go unchecked they get us into trouble: take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ - 2 Cor. 10:5.
Song of Songs challenges us in quite a different direction. It says: Promise me…promise me, not to awaken love until the time is right. What does this mean? Let me say this. I think God knows something we don’t. I think He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is saying to us: I know you have emotions and I know you are attracted to other people. I have given these things to you. I am the One that created you and placed these desires in you. However, you must hold your emotions in check. You must guard your heart above all things. There is a time when you will pursue your love but that time has not yet come.
This is the heart of God. Right now what He desires most is that we would seek Him, pursue Him, and learn how to fall in love with Him. When we find this place, then we will be able to say: I know I’ve found this thing called love. Until then, promise Him, not to awaken love until the time is right.
*Feel free to post comments, questions, or share what you thought.
I remember growing up in elementary, middle school, even high school, and February 14th would draw near. In elementary school, there would be an unspoken excitement in the classroom as we prepared our Valentine card and treat holders. When middle school rolled around there was the expectation that maybe someone would express to you that they loved you or liked you or for some having a boyfriend/girlfriend. Now for the guys this wasn’t so great because the other fellas’ would give you a hard time. The girls on the other hand…they would want to know all about it. By the time high school arrived though, it was now more of an expectation that you have a special someone to tell her/him how you felt about them. Well, at least, this is when I was in school-- I wonder if things have changed much…my guess is things are much the same. Like Solomon says “there is nothing new under the sun.”
But what about this topic of love? As we mature, I’m sure you’ve all noticed, that attraction to someone of the opposite gender has perhaps…increased. Maybe not for some. Maybe some of us are still like “Boys, eww!” or “Girls, yuck!” Whatever the case, a time comes when our bodies change and we begin to notice others, and think we like them, and be attracted to them, and then peer pressure soon enters the circle, and then….well, and then what!?
What takes place at this point, or even before this point greatly determines what happens next. At this stage, our emotions and peer pressure can win and soon we find ourselves “in love.” Next thing you know we are “walking in the clouds.” Is this real? Sure, the emotions are real and the desire is real, but it’s an immature real because we are being driven by our emotions. Emotions are great but if we let them go unchecked they get us into trouble: take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ - 2 Cor. 10:5.
Song of Songs challenges us in quite a different direction. It says: Promise me…promise me, not to awaken love until the time is right. What does this mean? Let me say this. I think God knows something we don’t. I think He knows us better than we know ourselves. He is saying to us: I know you have emotions and I know you are attracted to other people. I have given these things to you. I am the One that created you and placed these desires in you. However, you must hold your emotions in check. You must guard your heart above all things. There is a time when you will pursue your love but that time has not yet come.
This is the heart of God. Right now what He desires most is that we would seek Him, pursue Him, and learn how to fall in love with Him. When we find this place, then we will be able to say: I know I’ve found this thing called love. Until then, promise Him, not to awaken love until the time is right.
*Feel free to post comments, questions, or share what you thought.
lunes, enero 29, 2007
Long Time Indeed
Well, it has been many moons since anything was posted on here, but I just wanted to take a moment and point out a couple of new features and things to look forward too. To the right of this post you should find a couple of song links (musica)that you can click on and listen to music while visiting the site. If you have any song suggestions feel free to leave them in the comments section. No guarantees since it would be impossible to locate any song.
Secondly, if you look below the music section you should see a section that is titled My Utmost for His Highest. This is a link to a devotional that. If you click on the words just beneath it, it will take you to the devotional for the day. I encourage you to read it. It may be a little challenging to read and understand but it's worth it. If you like I hear there is a youth edition that you could buy and it may prove to be more understandable.
Lastly, begin to check back here at the beginning of each month to find a new mind-engaging, thought-challenging post.
Secondly, if you look below the music section you should see a section that is titled My Utmost for His Highest. This is a link to a devotional that. If you click on the words just beneath it, it will take you to the devotional for the day. I encourage you to read it. It may be a little challenging to read and understand but it's worth it. If you like I hear there is a youth edition that you could buy and it may prove to be more understandable.
Lastly, begin to check back here at the beginning of each month to find a new mind-engaging, thought-challenging post.
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