Romeo oh Romeo! What kind of Love are you oh Romeo?!

Well.... I guess it's time again for another blog... Actually it was time probably about 3 months ago.. but HEY!.. I've got something for you RIGHT NOW! Check it:

RECENT PONDERING-NESS:

Every human is CREATED with a desire to know God. Or maybe more so a "draw" to know Him. We all have a void that only God can fill and/or satisfy.

Why is it that so many (if not all) commit the highest level of pursuit, focus and achievement to finding love? Because God is Love (1 John 4:8) and we are created with a draw, longing, purpose... for and of love. This is why people are always searching for love. This is why people want to be loved. This is why people (even wicked people) want to give love, because we were created in the image of Love. {Gen 1:27+1 John 4:8=previous statement.}

Now people who have not met Jesus and thus encountered the perfect, unconditional Love of God, only know earthly love and therefore seek it as the pinnacle of life. To love and to be loved is ultimate... Although this is very true, it is not true within earthly relationships. To love God and to be loved by God is the reason we were created.. and honestly that should be flipped because we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19.) God created us to be loved by Him and to love Him. There lies our single primary purpose in life. The heart will NEVER be satisfied until it's purpose is fulfilled.

Most people not knowing God's Agape Love, seek for His void to be filled or satisfied with Eros (Romantic Love), which is SO exciting and pleasing that, when first found, can distract from that void and longing for the eternal love we were designed to know. When "Honeymoon Phase" is over, the void resurfaces driving one back to the pursuit of Love.

This is why "Game Night" with the guys and "Girls Night Out" often become more anticipated events than the Eros of a non-Christ-centered marriage. Being inevitably let down by the love that was thought to be ultimate, people who don't know Agape then move on to seek fulfillment in Phileo (Brotherly Love) and Storge (Familial Love.) Camaraderie, friendship, fame, social acceptance and gatherings.... are plenty in their opportunities to pose as "void-fillers." And they do their part in yet again distracting from the void of Love that remains unmatched and untouched because it is not understood.

No matter how captivating the Eros, the connection created there was one that God designed to strengthen the Love between a husband and wife, NOT to replace the Love of the Heavenly Father. If this Eros is not established on the firm foundation of Christ, the house will fall causing detrimental amounts of damage. This Love does answer one of the 2 primary purposes in marriage. The first purpose in marriage is to help each other (Gen 2:18) and the second , which is the one I'm referring to, is to advance the Kingdom of God by being fruitful and multiplying (Gen 1:22.) Marriage, a Kingdom purpose? Yes.. Marriage, the meaning of life? No! (Well unless you're referring to the Bride of Christ and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.. but that's not what we're talking about here.) If Eros and marriage were the meaning of life, Paul would not have said in 1 Cor chapter 7 that it is good for man not to marry if he can control himself. With Eros not being the meaning of life or the pinnacle as so many perceive it to be, it will fail to ultimately fulfill and satisfy.

No matter how enjoyable the Phileo and/or Storge, the time will come when friends, family, comrades, colleagues... will fail you. When all other relationships are absent, what sustains him who's purpose is found inside these relationships? Although these relationships are very important for edification, encouragement, strengthening, comforting, exhorting, sharpening.. really any and all social purposes as well.. they do not answer the meaning of life or that void that screams at you when lying in bed at night, silent and solitary apart from all others.

People are searching for Love. Only the ignorant (perhaps that's too harsh of a word).. the untold or uniformed search for fulfillment in the natural relatives of who God is. God is Love. Not Eros, Phileo or Storge, God is defined in Agape. His unconditional Love which is made available to us by His Grace (proof of His love) by faith in Him. When one finds purpose in His love AND ONLY IN HIS LOVE, that.. is when you are completely satisfied and fulfilled. No matter the circumstances or what your 5 natural senses dictate you, no matter your feelings or emotions, no matter what you could gain or loose... (time for the plug of my favorite verse):

Phil 3:8-"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ."

How could Paul talk this way? I mean SERIOUSLY?!... EVERYTHING?!... GARBAGE?!.. It sounds to me like He had experienced the Agape Love of God. He found the Love His heart was searching for even though he denied it in his mind. He found the Love His heart was searching for even when he was persecuting that Love. Paul (formerly known as Saul) was WELL aware of all he had done against Jesus... and to think.. This Jesus still loved him.. still wanted to be with him.. still wanted to know him.. still wanted to use him.. still forgave him.. still pursued him.. Agape... Paul found his meaning in Agape and it changed his life.

Let the Agape Love of God be found in you today. No void.

Rom 5:8-"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The Channel or the Source?

Today's posting might take a little maturity to read. If you find yourself giggling and chuckling at the mention of human anatomy, then you might need to graduate from the Jr. High mentality before reading this one. Having said that... Let's get to it! :)

The Channel or The Source:

What's the ugliest word in western civilization right now?... Are you ready?.. Brace yourself! I mean it's hideous! Repulsive! Obnoxious! Just outright disgusting.... Here it goes:

"ECONOMY"

Woo!... See? Told you. That word has the same nasty aftertaste as brushing your teeth and drinking a cold glass of OJ shortly thereafter. You want to just wash it down with some water ASAP and forget what it ever tasted like. But unfortunately that taste doesn't go away quickly or easily. That word seems to demand a large majority of new media's attention and discussion. That word seems to send the hearts and minds of many on a long, bumpy, miserable road trip of depression.

Many hear the word "economy" then look at their current financial status and are bombarded with fear. Many "Believers".. sadly.. live in this constant anxiety.

I stumbled across a verse yesterday that could potentially be awkward (talking to the Jr. High mindset.) But as I read it again, the Lord showed me something I didn't see at first.

Psalm 22:9 (NLT)- "Yet you brought me safely from my mother's womb and led me to trust YOU at my mother's breast.

Now what is  the mother's breast to a newborn baby? It is the place of nourishment that the baby comes to continually to receive the milk that gives life. The baby is incapable of providing for itself and therefor returns over and over to it's mothers breast for that food, for that provision.

Now having established that, going back to the verse, the Psalmist David said, "and led me to trust YOU at my mother's breast." Notice that he wasn't led to trust his mother's breast or his mother. He was led to trust GOD... AT his mother's breast. He realized that his mother was not the SOURCE but merely a CHANNEL for the Source to send provision through. It's often easy for us to put our trust in our "Mother's Breast" A.K.A- Job, Stock Market, Economy.. our NATURAL means of financial provision or income. We tend to see the natural things that our provision comes THROUGH instead of the source that actually sends the provision through which is only a channel. Your job, stocks, partners.... etc, are only channels that God uses to get his provision to you. It's when you begin to trust in those Channels instead of The SOURCE that everything falls apart. That's when you lose peace. That's when you let fear enter. That's when you battle anxiety and depression.

We are not led to trust our Job, our boss, our stocks... We are led to trust GOD.. AT our jobs. Our means of income is only a Channel through which the Source sends provision. WE ARE LED TO TRUST GOD!

I was talking to my Dad on the phone the other day and he said some pretty profound things (which happens almost every time I talk to him. I'm blessed.) I'm about to do some MAD paraphrasing of what my Dad said. Here goes:

When an Ambassador is sent to a foreign country on behalf of his government with the purpose of representing his government, that Ambassador's provision is not determined by the economy of the nation TO which he was sent. He receives his provision from HIS homeland economy. It doesn't matter if he is sent into the most poverty stricken nation in the world. His provision is from those who sent him.

2 Cor 5:20 says, "So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” So if we are Christ's Ambassadors, then our provision is not determined by the economy of where He sent us to. As long as we continue to accurately represent Him and speak on His behalf and trust in Him, then HE will continue to fund our cause.

We need to release the fear that comes from trusting in our "Mother's Breast" and embrace the peace that comes from trusting our Source, the one True, Living God Almighty! The God who owns the gold and the silver and the cattle on a thousand hills. He will get His provision to you through whatever channel He needs to. He is not limited by our Jobs or lack thereof. He is not limited by the economy. Better news, He is not limited by ANYTHING! Trust Him.

Much Love!

Stephen

TBI Class of 09' Commencement

Well... this is it.. The BIG day! Today we will graduate the Texas Bible institute class of 2009! WOW! I'm continually amazed at God's goodness, especially within the student body. To be able to watch a group of hundreds of young people come and consecrate 9 months of their life unto God. A season to prepare them for all other seasons. A stage in their life that trains them for any stage they may stand ON in their life. I've watched them grow, learn, praise, worship, serve, minister, lead, love, forgive, endure trials, stretch their faith, experience miracles... I've watched them become the Men and Women of God that HE created them to be. I MARVEL at what God has done in, for and through them. Many people go through their lives just wishing and hoping they could see or experience a miracle. I have had the privilege of witnessing the MANY miracles of what is a TBI student. I am eternally grateful.

  Not only have I witnessed, but I have also had the honor of being a part of their lives. To have been able to sow, impact, affect, minister to, encourage them in anyway has been by the Grace of God. I am humbled to have been used by Him in their lives. All glory and honor is HIS! I can't help but feel like a proud Pop in this situation. And yet another one of the greatest things about it all is that not only have I had the opportunity to impart what I have into them, but their lives have blessed me more than they will probably ever know! I have learned from THEM!

What AMAZING caliber of Men and Women of God are the Texas Bible Institute students!

So now I have the bitter/sweet.... celebration/challenge of releasing them into their next season. Some will stay and serve along side us (which I am more excited about than a years supply of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.) I look forward to being able to continue a cultivation of what has been taking place in their lives over the past 9 months. Some will move on to college, trade school, ministry, the workplace. But I KNOW that God will continue to do AMAZING things with ALL of them!

Philippians 1:6- being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (NLT)

I'm confident in God and His ability to continue to grow the EVER-LIVING seeds of His Word in their lives. His Word NEVER returns void. It ALWAYS accomplishes what it was sent out to do! God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He should repent. Hath he said it and will he not do it? Or hath he spoke it and will he not make it good?

 

-To all TBI students (and truly to any born again believer)-

The seed of the Word of God has been sown into your lives. It is now your choice to be the fertile soil that Jesus spoke of in Matthew chapter 13. Be the soil that brings forth a harvest of all that was sown and invested into your lives. I believe you will! I look forward to hearing MANY testimonies down the road of how God used you in RIDICULOUS, HAD TO BE GOD, OUTRAGEOUS ways! So do tell.

Philippians 1:3-6

³ Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. ⁴ Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, ⁵ for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. ⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

I'm proud of you, I believe in you and I love you!

Your partner in spreading the Good News-

Stephen

The Kick Off!

Ok... So this is actually a blog I posted last year. BUUUUUT... it's the only blog I've ever posted.. AAAAND.. it was my first blog.. AAAND since I'm kicking off my new blog site (which will be updated on a regular basis) I thought why not just repost this one to get the ball rollin?!.. plus it's full of Biblical truths.. which don't change.. so the date it was originally created is irrelevant. As it says in 2 Tim 3:16- "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR CHECKING OUT MY BLOG!.. happy readings!

Here goes nothin! My first attempt at a blog... kinda nervous... kinda excited!... kinda wonderin what I'm gonna eat for dinner...

A sandwich probably... Ham, cheese (American at that), miracle whip (mayo's way cooler cousin) and finally spicy nacho doritos to give it some of that kick!...but Like a good friendly kick, ya know... non-offensive and what not!

Believe it or not, there is a purpose to this blog!

So lately I've been studying (I know it's hard to believe but it's true) and observing (who?.. you?... me?... Peter Frampton?) and thinking (it's dangerous!) I was having a very intriguing conversation with my two Y-named friends, Youngblood and Yoshi, and we were just coversing about whatever topic developed from the last. Very fun, interesting,...and INCREDIBLY sharpening! But there was a point where something was said along the lines of "...you come to TBI (texas bible institute for those who might not know) to learn more about God and to prepare for your future. At that moment a thought crossed my mind that would ammend such a purpose of attending Bible school. Although one might come to learn more about God and prepare for their purposed future, I believe we come and learn more about God, more about, people, and more about ourselves....maybe not as much of a "BAM" to you as it was to me. We learn more about God and the way he acts and reacts with people. We learn more about people and how they act and react with God. But I think mostly we learn more about ourselves and how we act and react with God and People.

I realized somthing the other day... WE.. ARE.. HUMANS! Deep I know! Which creates and immediate challenge to all Christians. Because what is a Christian?... without getting in to all sorts of deep theological debates about what makes one truly a Christian or not... Last time I checked I believe the term "christian" simply meant something like "Christ like."

So here we are christians... Ones who are llke Christ... 2 Cor. 5:20 tells us that we are God's ambassador's, that God is making his appeal through us, and that we actually speak for Christ. We carry representation on the present earth for Jesus Christ, the HUMAN presentation of God's heart.

Galatians 5:17 says,
"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."

So we Christians are humans who have a "sin nature" AND have the spirit of Christ Jesus within us. They are constantly at war! We as christian human beings are not entirely Godly nor entirely flesh.

So we have this not so "petite" assignment of REPRESENTING Almighty God and his heart on the earth, yet we are flawed humans. Emphasis on the word "representing" b/c this is the catch that helps us humans out!

John 1:1 in the NLT says, "In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and He was God. The "He" referred to in this verse is Jesus. Then verse 14 says, "So the Word became HUMAN and lived here on EARTH among us." SOOOO... Jesus came to earth as a PRESENTATION of God in human form. Notice Jesus came as the ultimate PREsentation of God. We are to be the REpresentation of God. As flawed humans with a sin nature we are incapable of flawlessly representing God to the world. That is why God came to the earth in Human form as Jesus to PREsent himself to us. Now we know that Jesus, the human form of God was on the earth for 33 years and then he ascended into heaven which it talks about in the last chapters of Mark and Luke. After Jesus presented God's heart in the ULTIMATE display of love, he then went to heaven and left us with the assignment of REpresntation.

Jesus presented.... we represent or re-present.

The more I study Jesus, the more I realize I only need to be completely selfless!...ONLY.. :) I believe in every story and every account of Jesus' life, he only did what was the least selfish thing to do. He was selfless. Now in John chapter 11 we read about Jesus weaping and mourning the loss of Lazerous. In Mark chapter 11 we can read about Jesus cursing the fig tree because he was hungry and it had no fruit for him...(another whole can of worms). So we see in John chapter 11 that jesus dealt with emotions just like we do and in Mark chapter 11 we see that he dealt with physical human harships just like we do...yet he never sinned.

Why do humans sin?... because we're doing what pleases us. We're doing what WE want... Selfishness!... Think about it.. would any sin take place if there were no such thing as selfishness and every person only did things with others in mind and we were allll completely selfless?
*in a british accent*
I think not!
*back to American*
You see when Adam sinned he stepped into the sin nature that we've all known. He then passed it on to his children...then their children...and their children... ALL THE WAY TO US! Yet if Jesus was born a human through labor why is it that he was not born with the sin nature?... I believe it's because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and not a man (Matt. 2:18.) As it says in John 3:6- Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. He was the Son of God not of Adam, therefore having God's devine nature not Adam's sinful nature. 

So that is why we must be born again!!! Wooo-hooo for christian cliche's that can lose the depth of their meaning when said so much and not explained! =D Romans 8:9 says, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." When we become born again we are then born of God and receive his nature! Pretty amazing when you just sit there and think about that alone for any amount of time lastiing more than 10 seconds.

So it's the spirit of God within us that should be leading our desires... not our fleshly selfishness. 

I have found a new question to ask myself continually throughout the day that has helped me in so many ways.... it goes like this... *clears throat*.... "Stephen (that's me) what is the LEAST selfish way to handle this situation?"... I've found that asking myself that and then following it up with the actions of "least selfishness" is always the best and the right thing to do.

I'm hungry... So I'm going to go have a meeting with that sandwich now!

So the war wages on....

I love you, Stephen