jesus_freak4God's Revelife

Thank you, Holy Spirit

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:54:50 GMT

I am fully convinced that unless we come to understand and see the weight of our sins (which we'll never fully grasp) more...we won't fall as helplessly in love with God as we can. I'm not saying I've got this all figured out by any means. I'd be a fool to attempt to claim such a thing. But, I am saying that we too often forget that we've not only been saved FROM something, but that we've been saved FOR something greater.

Revelation 2:4-5 says "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."

Jesus was writing a letter to the church in Ephesus. As members of the Church of Christ...we need to be aware of forgetting where we've come from. We've been made worthy of God's grace through Christ and Christ alone. No matter how mature we think we are, let's not forget we've all fallen short of God's glory.

Romans 3: 22-24 "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified FREELY by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

As Matt Chandler (my favorite speaker...oh man...) simply stated "If you throw a glass of clean water into the ocean and then scoop up water from the ocean, it's not going to be clean is it? You can't just throw one glass of clean water into an ocean of salt water and expect it to be clean." That's not verbatim, by the way. Haha.But all he's saying is...we can't save ourselves and we need Jesus every day because otherwise it's the same as trying to clean up the ocean with one 8oz glass of clean water.

But it's true. We must allow the Holy Spirit to do a transforming work in us and renew our hearts.

As my other favorite speaker, Francis Chan said in his book "Crazy Love"...we need God's help to love God. And we need God's help to know God.

Yep. Just some thoughts.

In Christ,

Alex

Oh yeah...and if anything I ever say is Scripturally unsound...let me know, please. I'd really appreciate it.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:48:50 GMT

....Praise God.

Run away, run away like a prodigal,
Don't you wait for me, don't you wait for me...
So ashamed, so ashamed but I need you so,
And you wait for me, and you wait for me...

-Prodigal by One Republic

God waits for us...

A Changing Heart

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:49:36 GMT

Well, to say the least...it's been a shocking year. How has everyone else's 2009 been so far? 2008-2009...God moves incredibly even when we're not looking. For anyone who responded to any of my blogs about that boy Bobby and offered prayer, I want to thank you. God changed my heart and He has been faithful always, as He promised. God is good.

Here's a song that I think everyone should hear at least once...if you're not an alternative rock person...then maybe not. Haha. The band is called Nevertheless. Gorgeous singing voice this guy has...not to mention a love for Jesus that's evident in his music. Song is called, "Oh Child".

"I want to come closer but you're so distant, lately your thoughts are so far. I want to show you all that you're missing, I'll meet you right where you are...
    Oh love, I've always known you and oh love, you've always been Mine. Oh love, I'm only asking you for your life...
Say that you need Me, I know what you're feeling, you cannot do this alone. I gave you My Word and I gave you My life so you'll never be on your own...
    Oh love, I've always known you and oh love, you've always been Mine. Oh love, I'm only asking you for your life...
    Is this what you wanted???
    Is this what you needed???
(You're waiting for this life to be what you've been waiting for...)"

anyway, God bless all.

Dios Te Bendiga or is it Dios Tes Bendiga??? lol

-Mei Li

Told you I would laugh.

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:41:00 GMT

I love how it's not even a month later and I'm already laughing at that poem. The emotions were real enough, but they weren't coming from a joy in the Lord. I let that joy fade away in light of Satan's enticing lies and painful memories.

I went to Summerfest again tonight, second night in a row (got home about half an hour ago...lol) and saw 12 Stones, RED, and SKILLET...whom I'm in love with, might I add. God spoke to me through those three bands. It was a strange healing process, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Praise God for His ability to speak to us in whatever medium He knows we'll hear. Praise God for creativity. Praise God for forgiveness and kindess. Thank God for life. Don't be afraid to have fun. You never know when God might be in it.

God's Beauty and Grace

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:45:58 GMT

Wow...yesterday...

I got home from my dear friend's about...an hour ago. Walking around the lake, buying gelatto (probably butchered that spelling) and watching a scary movie with he and a girlfriend was surprisingly relaxing. At 6:30pm yesterday, I was part of an X-Treme worship service that rocked my world. Two or three times the CD we were using died and we sang without it. God's awesome. We were depending on that CD to help us get through the night and have perfect singing and dancing...did that happen? NO WAY! When I was leading two songs, I forgot some words...and it was wonderful.

The summer seems to keep going and I keep thinking that the plans I'm making will eventually...make sense. Or work out, but they don't. I love that too. I made plans to break up with someone and forget about everything, I made plans to push my emotions away and move on. I made plans to visit colleges and go straight back to working every day of the week. I made plans to sleep early. HAHAHAHA. Right. I made plans to write a story for my friend, a book. I made plans to get up at 7 or 8 every morning and pray right on time. I made plans to pray every night at a specific time and to not bother with worship. (by the worship I mean, I never planned on leading any worship or being on a stage. Last night changed that. =D) Just about the only plan I had that has come through is listening to God and following Him despite any cost it might bring. God's crazy. In a good way.

I make plans to eat dinner at a specific time...let me tell you, I don't bother anymore. hehe. it doesn't matter.

God says in the Bible that we should lay our plans down before Him.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

i'm thinkin that's a good plan. =D

G'night...or...G'day, I suppose. Heh.

How Amazing Is Our God?

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:40:44 GMT

I can't even tell you how amazing he is. There aren't enough words in all the world to do that.

I was at a funeral today for Mrs. Judie Raether. I haven't met her, but she's with Jesus now and lives are still being touched by her. God used her in ways I can only dream of. She adopted I think...was it eight children? I'm not sure, but it was a lot. They were from Milwaukee and she loved them like her own. She also had her own children. The words spoken at her funeral that really blew me away were these ones. "If you have boundaries, take them down. Whatever you think is important or whatever boundaries you put up around yourself as far as people and time and effort, take them down. God will use you."

How many times do we put up boundaries for ourselves? Boundaries for how much time we can spend doing something? Boundaries for how much we can do for a person? Why not just let go of all our pretenses and let God do the boundary setting? God tells us in the Bible exactly how to live; Judie Raether was a living translation of the Word. Amazing. God puts up boundaries for us naturally. The boundaries that say to avoid what makes others fall down. Avoid bringing shame to others. Live at peace with one another as much as possible.

Above all...let's stop trying to "do the right thing" or "make the right move" and let Christ live through us. That's the only way we'll change. The pastor said that today. It's true. Really. We'll never be perfect because we were born sinners. But we have the LIVING. BREATHING. LOVING. God of all inside of us. Who can hide that?