We Must Praise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy67pI62-2s

Newflash: It's hard to be young and Christian. Really hard. Especially if you're not "wierd" lol and have a little bit of swag...it's a grind...it's that #Christstarlifestyle

These past 2 weeks have been trying mentally as I prepare to give a sermon at school (YIKES!) this Sunday and one at home the Sunday after...I love speaking...but I don't enjoy preaching...well I like seeing lives changed and transformed and see the power of God at work...but the lead up to it is just awful for the kid..I get depressed if I do anything slightly un-Christian, I look for ways to disqualify myself....just a whole lot of mental games to condemn myself . Trust, not fun. Even now as I write this. Not fun.

BUT I realized that's real self-centered..cuz true I have a standard to live by and need to set an example with the platform the pulpit gives but at the same time my shortcomings are not bigger than Christ or the message of the cross.

I'm writing this post and with the song (please listen) because a lot of us are sitting on gifts and talents and ministry that God wants to birth because we don't feel good enough ( imma post on that one more fully soon) but No matter who or what we are...we MUST praise.

So Be Bold and of Good Courage. In the words of the pslamist Wacka Flocka Flames, Praise "Oh Let's Do It."

It's needed.

What We Are Supposed To Be Doing Now

Hosea 10:12 (New International Version)

¹² Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes
and showers righteousness on you

Thoughts?

Fellowship of the Unashamed (An African Martyr's Last Words.)

I am apart of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear.

I won't give up, back up, let up or shut up until I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ, I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My colors will be blear. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ" (Romans 1:16.)

Let me touch you, and see if you are real.

I think I wanted to write something these past few weeks, but in writing, I would have to force the truth away from my peripheral. I don't think I've been doing anything blog worthy, or doing anything that anyone would want to write about, because I've been pretty much doing nothing. My interest in my city, my school, and my job has all but disappeared, and I wanted to write something that would inspire everyone, but this won't be that type of post.

Is it more important that people admire us or that they know the truth about us? I think that it's human nature to present the most faultless image possible to those around us. If we acknowledge our personal character flaws at all, we speak about them in very vague terms, so that no one knows exactly what our struggle is. If I told you that I did absolutely nothing productive today, skipped class, read message boards and watched the new Beyonce video all day, would that change how you felt about me? If I told you that I sent dirty pictures to someone I dated, would you think less of me? If I told you my credit card was dangerously close to its limit, would you not like me as much?

Our secrets are safe havens from reality, but it is our secrets that create self-loathing, and it's our self-loathing that chains us to sin. The human psyche is crazy, and the more we hide the disgusting, dark secrets shoved into the corners of our souls, the more we begin to believe that they don't exist. This is fine and dandy in the daytime when we're surrounded by the business of life, but when we come home to only ourselves, the sin seeps out, and we're confronted with the ugliness of our nature. We look in the mirror and we realize that we're lying. 

I'm learning that Brutal honesty is what saves relationships, the most important relationship of all being with our Heavenly Father. G-d knows all things, but it is our acknowledgement of our wrongdoing and pure desire to want better that sets us free. The Word states explicitly that we are to"Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." (James 5:16) There is power in confession. There is freedom in power. Grace and Peace unto Everyone this week. Let's vow to tell the truth to each other. If you can't tell anyone around you, send them to someone whose listening.... Us at giantslayersblog@gmail.com , anonymous or un-anonymous. We're just praying for your healing man, as you must pray for ours. Let's all get free.

One Thing That I've Desired...

Watch this clip fam, it goes in:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-0lfRz4shw

Psalms 27 (read it) has jus been in me the past couple of days...from the songs I've been listening to (One Thing by Marvin Sapp, Chasing After You by Tye Tribbett) to what I've been readin..

I'm convinced, really am, that as we seek His face and not His hand...God's going to move...I just know it.

How do you seek ? IDK how to tell you...but did you have to be taught how to seek after your boyfriend/girlfriend? money? success?

If you're really hungry for something and looking for something...You'll teach yourself how to seek :) lol

Listening In

Fam,

I'm on the first day of a week long fast from secular music..and already God is speaking...it's amazing what He has to say when we just cut out the static and listen. I spent a legit 5 hours today talking about positive stuff with other people- When does that happen?!

The best part was that 3 hours of it was talking about how to change culture and the existence of God in our life stories...Powerful. We also came to the conclusion that because Christians haven't been doing their job that God's name is profane, and almost a bad word ( blog post forthcoming on that point) and that to reach our generation we can't use the traditional conception of God....We have to show them God in the midst of their absent fathers, broken families, drug addictions, gang culture, etc. etc...and to stop limiting who God is, what God cna do, and where He can be ...based soley on our religious experience and rituals.

What was the most powerful for me was that other peers didn't realize it but they motivated and inspired me to continue to speak truth to power. I truly believe God used them to speak to me and to tell me to not get weary in well doing, to remember all that He has brought me from, and to realize exactly what my purpose is.

Finally, the most salient part of the conversation was the distinction we made between a good idea and a God idea..we recognized that we see God in the midst...when things we didn't concieve come to happen or things that weren't our original plan..and he orders them so well....

There was a bunch more but i need to go to bed :)

Wow, all in Day 1 of my worldly music fast.

I said all this to say that:

I really believe that God has something to say in this hour, especially those of us transitioning into new phases. He has a word that would put everything in focus and perspective ...

We just gotta quiet ourselves, be open to new experiences, and listennnnnnnn.