jesus' cheerleaders

No one likes waking up from a nap and seeing that their friends all hungout without them. It’s not like they asked and you were just sleeping, but they never even texted you. 

It’s like one of those days where it’s rainy at the beach and you go to read your bible and 15 minutes in it stars pouring on you, and on top of that it’s windy and sand is blowing everywhere and the thinly sliced pages of your bible won’t stay down....

Today was one of those days

Woke up.

Felt forgotten.

SO what did i do...

It is all about choices. I was going to text a friend to go to chat and have coffee at Alta, but i knew if i talked to that friend that they wouldn’t fully understand how i felt about being forgotten. So instead, I called Chelsea.

Chels and I went to Alta, and brought our bibles inside to sit and do devos....but it was crowded and there were no seats available and it was raining outside. While in line a lady in front of us turned around and started talking to us about Alta and how it was so crowded in here she would never get a seat. She saw the bible in my hands and touched it and said, 

“yup read my take this morning with my small group”

I said, “yeah me too, on the beach”

She expressed how she too wished she could have read on the beach and that she had such a small knit group of girls to do devos with. She said that her small group was more formal and they all read the same thing (Acts) and they had homework and workbooks also to go along with it.

Despite meeting that lady in Alta and chatting with her while we got our coffee, chels and I went to the wedge to talk some more about life. 

We talked about Gods path and how his path made out for us is based on our choices. The choices that we make depend on how we get to the end point of Gods plan for us.

After coming back from the wedge driving down Newport Blv, we stop at Del taco for a quick bite and to go to the bathroom. As we are sitting down at one of the tables, Chelsea says to me,

“You know when you know God is telling you to go and talk to someone you don’t even know and you just really don’t want to...”

I reply with, “yeah, who is it?”

Chels points to a man sitting in a booth on the other side of the room. He was alone. Wearing a jean jacket with white wooly fur on the collar. It had buttons but was unbuttoned. He had a yellow raincoat on the seat across from him that was damp and a book on the table that he had been reading. 

As we were looking at him, another man from a different table stands up and This guy with the raincoat asks him if he was saved. He and the man were talking for a moment and then guy with the raincoat picks up the book and says this is the truth. Jesus is the way. And the other man walks away with a hardened heart. 

So, we get up and we go over to him and introduce ourselves and he says what’s up...

We tell him how we saw what had just happened that that Chelsea felt led to come and talk to you. So he picked up his raincoat, and he moved it aside next to him and he said to have seat. 

We sat and talked to him for about an hour about his testimony and what led him to Jesus.  He said that he has been homeless for the past couple of years and that he sleeps outside an Italian restraunt down the street, but it was raining tonight so he came inside the Del Taco. 

He talked to us about how he really appreciated our encouraging words to keep on keeping on and to plant seeds into people and let God do the rest of the work. 

He asked us to pray for him to find employment so we all bowed our heads and Chelsea and I both prayed for him separately out loud for God to open doors for him. 

He then in return prayed for us a beautiful prayer of encouragement that we may keep encouraging and being cheerleaders for Jesus. He prayed over our spouses that God may provide us with the right spouse in our lives. He prayed that we wouldn’t not care what other people think of us so much. That we would listen and understand our teachers better in school. That we would not be afraid to speak truth into people and not be afraid to speak out loud the words of Christ. He prayed that we would be armored and ready for what is to come when Jesus returns. That we may carry daggers with is to fight against the devils demons that try to bring us down. 

Meeting this man, William Zamora, tonight was incredible. It was all in God’s plan tonight to end up in that del taco at 10:30 at night. NO matter what choices we would have made that night, whether i went with Chelsea or another friend, God’s plan was to end up at del Taco and meet William and hear the truth that he had to say to us and for us to speak encouragement to him.

And on top of all of that....it just so happens that William attends the Friday night, Lifelines, service at the Crossing Church :) SELAH!

Deliver us

"But he brought his people out like a flock;

he led them like sheep through the wilderness.

He guided them safetly, so they were unafraid;

but the sea engulfed their enemies and so he 

brought them to the border of his holy land, 

to the hill country his right hand had taken."

Psalms 78: 52-54

This Psalm caught my eye because it is the simple story of Moses bringing the isrealites out of the hands of pharaoh, through the parted red sea, and through to Mt. Sianai, and eventually God leads them to the Promised holy land. In all of that, God never leaves them. He never forsakes them. He is always present, always watching, and though it seemed like pharoah had the upperhand, God ultimately was hardening Pharoahs heart to begin with.

WICKED!!!!

to think that maybe all of the "Let my people GOOOOO" talk could have been over with if God maybe just hadn't hardened Pharaohs heart to begin with, but then how miraculous of a story would that have been.

Moses: "Let my people GOOOOOOO"
Pharaoh: okay dude...see ya later...

like no!!!!

Without God hardening Pharaoh's heart, he wouldn't get to witness to people all of the miracles that the Israelite, and all of Egypt for that matter, would have witnessed at God's hand. We would not have gotten to see God show us how powerful and mighty he really is. We would have never seen all of what God would go through to set us free.

SO what?

This verse makes me think about real life. How thought we do not see God engulfing our enemies with waves the size of skyscrapers, but though we may not know or see it happening, God does guide us like flocks of sheep so that we are safe and unafraid. He does engulf our enemies whether it is here on earth or on judgement day. God will bring us to his holy land of heaven where Jesus is sitting at his right hand. Do not be discouraged when you feel that God does not see you, or hear you...because he heard the cries of his people way back then when there were not even the same amount of people on the planet as there are now, because he does hear and see you. He has the largest, keenest, eye anyone could ever have.

Love does...

Bob Goff
Wrote love does

Recently I have attended a sermon written and spoken by the infamous Bob Goff. He is truly such a cool, fun- loving guy. And without even meeting him you can tell that he already loves you. I have been trying to work on, this year, loving people in different ways. Whether that be taking someone out to breakfast, which I did this week with one of my girls before church, or it could be going on a hike with a bunch of friends and shouting at the top of the hill, "WE LOVE YOU JESUS", which I did after church with my girls. Love has just been a recent theme in my life, not being loved, but giving it.

So, for those of you who did not have to privilage to meet, or hear Bob speak, here is a rundown of somethings, and verses he shared that made my stomach tingle at the sound of it.

Bob Goff's words from here on out:

• Jesus told peter he was a rock because he saw who he was going to become.
• The more stuff you do the more u figure out who god has made you to be
• "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel"— (Galatians 1:6 NIV)
• "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. " (2 John 1:6 NIV)
• Forget bible study. It should be called bible doing.
• “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45 NIV)
• Jesus wants us to follow so closely to home that we flat tire his sandels when we walk behind him.
• Fail trying. Don't fail watching.
• 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. (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
• Don't stalk jesus anymore. I'm going to actually get to know this guy.
• Live a life worthy of the calling you perceive.
• Don't u wish that jesus would just touch you on the nose?
• For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25 NIV)
• Your defines by your love.
• God sees us as origami. A bunch of creases that makes up a beautiful price of art in the end.
• Live a life worthy of the calling you've received
• If were gonna do love, be more inefficient with our loving.
• Telling everyone that they're wrong doesn't make u more right. 

bobgoff.com

humility

hu·mil·i·ty

(h)yo͞oˈmilitē/
noun

Humility is a word that sounds like it should define someone. It is a noun which means it is not an adjective. Which means that it does not define or describe someone. A noun is a person, place, or thing. That means that if humility is a noun then humility must be a person, place, or thing. But how could humility be a person. The world uses humility as an adjective, the dictionary uses humility as a noun, but the Lord uses humility as a verb. A verb is an action. Like  run, jump, or hide. Well, humility's action word is to be humble.

Psalms 25:9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Have you noticed that God never gives a special task to someone who he has not already humbled. Take Moses or Noah for examples. Moses, before God used him to free his people, was a self-righteous, kind of guy who lived with the highest of highest officials, pharoah. He was treated like royalty and you would never think that the man who saved all of isreal would have been a murderer. Well after he did some wrong things and ran away from home, he found himself alone, unwanted, and in a place in his life that was a perfect timing to be humbled.

Exodus 3:11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

      Noah on the other hand, was humbled by the rejection, criticism, and mistreating that he was given by all of the people who thought that building a boat in the middle of the dessert was a kook idea. He was humbled by God's grace and set apart from the others (along with his family) and by that obedience, he was saved.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Aren't we all called to God. Aren't we all his children whether we are Christians or not. If so, then verse 14 in 2 Chronicles is a wake up call that we should all humble ourselves and seek our God. We should leave our recent bodies and actions and follow him. We should become new and turn from our evil worldly ways. If we do this, it says at the end of verse 14, God will hear us from heaven and look down upon all of us being humble in his eyes and he will forgive our sins and heal our world to become heaven on earth.

Here are some verses found in His truth that reflect humility and the effects of being humble in God's eyes:

2 Chronicles 12:12 And when he humbled himself the wrath of the LORD turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.

Job 22:29 For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.

Psalms 18:27 For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.

Psalms 149: 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. 

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Be Humble.

love is a someone

Tonight it hit me at small group tonight and I can just feel that 2014 is gonna have a lot to do with love. Loving in different ways to different ppl. Tonight I had to say good bye to one of my girls but with Love (God) by her side she will be the strongest women of God I have ever known. 

Love.
We were made for it.
Made to love. Made to be loved. Made to say love. Made to know love.
But did you know you were made by love?
Love thought you into existence.
Love knit you together in your mothers womb and then breathed life into your soul.
Love have you purpose
Love gave u a name
Love knows the number of hairs on your head and number of thoughts inside it.
Love knows your every move, your every secret, your every victory, your every tear, your every chuckle, your every sigh.
Love made you.
You see....
Love is someone.
Sure love is an action.
Sure love comes with feelings.
But above all love is a someone.
1 John 4:8 says, "God is Love".
Sit with God. Soak up God. Spend time with God. Because the more we get to know Love as a someone, the more we understand what love really means.

maker of miracles

mir·a·cle (noun)
1. a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.

That divine agency is God.
If you havent already noticed, God chooses people that feel like they are inadequette. He chooses people that feel like they cannot do what God is asking of them. He chooses people that are unnoticed, discreditted, and not counted. 
Why is it that when we need a miracle and go to God, we have all these reasons and excuses of why we need the miracle, or why we cannot do it ourselves?
Well, first lets take the miracle of feeding the five thousand.

¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

So here we have Jesus healing people and crowds following him to hear him preach and do miracles and the disiples have been working all day. Feeling tired and hungrey, because it never says that the crowds were hungrey, the disciples tell Jesus to send the crowds away so that they can get their own food.  

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

Here is where we make the mistake of giving God the excuses of why we cannot do something. When Jesus tells them to give them something to eat, the disciples explained  that they only have 5 pieces of bread and 2 fish. Why is it that when we get lazy and don't want to do something ourselves we ask God to help us when there is still work that we could be doing. Like when you ask God for a miracle to mend a relationship when you are avoiding someone when you could still mend it yourself with a conversation with them. The miracle will come when there is absolutely nothing that you cannot do yourself. The miracle wont come when you could still do something to help yourself and your just lazy or discouraged to do it. Help God, help you.

Then, as if Jesus, never even heard the disciple's excuses he says,

¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

What amazes me here is that Jesus gave thanks for something he didnt have. He gave thanks before the miracle had even happened. He gave thanks for the five loaves and two fish that would usually feed a family of five, yet ended up feeding a crowd of five thousand, just by giving thanks. And what amazes me even further is that it was a little boy who provided some of the food for the crowd. It was the uncredited and uncounted little child of God that fed his people that day. He gave the little he had to offer up to Jesus, and God did a miracle with that little that he had to offer.

Immediately after that the story actually continues. You always here these two storys seperately but they actually happened right after eachother. 

Jesus sends the disciples into a boat out on the water as Jesus sends away the crowd he just fed with the loaves of bread and fish. He goes up on a mountain to pray by himself. After a while, it says at about three in the morning, a storm breaks out on the waters, thrashing the boat two and fro.  Jesus goes out on the waters and walks up to the boat which frightens the disciples thinking it is a ghost. Jesus tells Peter to come out on the water and Peter does walk towards Jesus for a couple steps then begins to doubt him and sinks screaming "Lord, save me!". Jesus saved him and the winds died down and all worshiped him saying "Truly you are the Son of God".

It had only been a couple hours since Jesus had just done the miracle with the loaves and fish, and already his disciples were doubting him.

Just as with Peter, we need to be reminded of the miracles that God does in our lives so that when a storm comes our way, we do not doubt him in these times of need so that he can provide us with a miracle that we could have never done on our own.

So what?

So trust in God, even when a storm comes your way and you feel discounted and discredited because when you have done everything in your power to make things right, he will do everything in His power to give you a miracle.

Not SO New Year???

What is a Fresh Start?
Why is it that Simply adding a new number on the calenders makes the entire world think that they are made new?
It is only a number. It is only a year. It starts with a new day, just like any other day starts new.
Why do people think that Janruary 1st is such a significant day to change?
Lamentations 5 explains a "Fresh Start" in the Old Testament.

5 ^1-22 “Remember, God, all we’ve been through.
    Study our plight, the black mark we’ve made in history.
Our precious land has been given to outsiders,
    our homes to strangers.
Orphans we are, not a father in sight,
    and our mothers no better than widows.
We have to pay to drink our own water.
    Even our firewood comes at a price.
We’re nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed,
    worn out and without any rest.
We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt
    just to get something to eat.
Our parents sinned and are no more,
    and now we’re paying for the wrongs they did.
Slaves rule over us;
    there’s no escape from their grip.
We risk our lives to gather food
    in the bandit-infested desert.
Our skin has turned black as an oven,
    dried out like old leather from the famine.
Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion,
    and our virgins in the cities of Judah.
They hanged our princes by their hands,
    dishonored our elders.
Strapping young men were put to women’s work,
    mere boys forced to do men’s work.
The city gate is empty of wise elders.
    Music from the young is heard no more.
All the joy is gone from our hearts.
    Our dances have turned into dirges.
The crown of glory has toppled from our head.
    Woe! Woe! Would that we’d never sinned!
Because of all this we’re heartsick;
    we can’t see through the tears.
On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined,
    jackals pace and prowl.
And yet, God, you’re sovereign still,
    your throne intact and eternal.
So why do you keep forgetting us?
    Why dump us and leave us like this?
Bring us back to you, God—we’re ready to come back.
    Give us a fresh start.
As it is, you’ve cruelly disowned us.
    You’ve been so very angry with us.”

This is the only "Fresh Start" that we should experience. Making a goal to run more often or loose 10 pounds is not a fresh start. Making a start to eat healthy, or spend more time with family is not a fresh start. Making an effort to be more financially stable and smart is not a fresh start. The only fresh start that which you are truly born again starts with Jesus Christ. 

A spiritual writer, Matthew Henery speaks about fresh starts in a similar way,

"If God by his grace renew our hearts, he will by his favour renew our days. Troubles may cause our hearts to be faint, and our eyes to be dim, but the way to the mercy-seat of our reconciled God is open. Let us, in all our trials, put our whole trust and confidence in his mercy; let us confess our sins, and pour out our hearts before him. Let us watch against repinings and despondency; for we surely know, that it shall be well in the end with all that trust in, fear, love, and serve the Lord."

So come January 1st, maybe think about adding to your resolution list a Jesus Centered goal to become closer to him. Live out that goal throughout your entire life. Don't just make it a two week, monthly, yearly goal. Because a life with Jesus is eternal and never ending.