Trying to please a Holy God

I have tried to serve God. I have spent most of my time trying to serve Him, trying to please Him, trying to make Him proud. But that's exactly what has kept me far from Him, I been trying so hard to do things in my own strengths not realizing that I cannot do it on my own, I cannot please a perfect God with my imperfect ways. My righteousness are but filthy rags to Him, I don't have the right to present myself before His presence because of all the "good" I have done. I have the right to present myself before His presence because of all that Jesus did on the cross.

I cannot please God, I cannot serve Him, I cannot make Him proud. I cannot do anything on my own, it is Christ in me who is able to please the Father, He is able to serve Him and make Him proud. It is when I stop trying to do things in my own strength that I allow Him to act through me. I am but dust, I am but a creation, the master piece of my maker.

Why don't we just stop trying to please a Holy God and just allow Him to work in us. We are humans and we will fall, we will sin and things will not go as planned but in our weakness His strength is perfected. We find Him at the end of ourselves. It is only when we realize that there is nothing we can do that He begins to move.

Dear...

Dear Church,

I come to you hoping to find a place where I can worship freely without having to think about the person next to me. I come to you wanting to be free to cry out to God and not have to worry about offending or scaring those around me. I come to you hoping to make you my safe haven, the place I come to when my world is falling apart. I come to you  expecting to find God inside...


Dear People of God,

I come to you broken and scared, not knowing who to trust and what to believe in. I call you my brothers and my sisters hoping to find in you what I didn't find in my natural family. I come to you unashamed to worship a wonderful God not worrying about fitting in but just being myself. I come to you showing you my true colors believing that you will accept me just as God has accepted me...


Unfortunately the Church and the so called people of God have failed my expectations, but I guess that's my fault for believing people could be perfect. If I can't be perfect why would I expect anyone else Christian or none Christian to be perfect. I come to church and I am judge for worshipping a wonderful God, I offend some people with my desperate cries for mercy. The place I once thought I could make my safe haven has become the place I try staying away from because I'll get hurt. I show my true colors only to find out that if the colors do not fit their particular taste I will not be accepted. Sometimes it is easier to find God in the world than it is to find Him inside the church.

New Garments

The day I died for you, I took your filthy garments and exchanged them for clothing worthy of royalty. You no longer need to dress as a beggar, for I have made you heir of a great King.

What are you doing trying to wear your old filthy garments? Do you not know that the day you called Me into your heart, I clothed you with My majesty? I made you one with Me and thus one with the Father. Why do you then insist on dressing like a beggar?

I took your shame that you may have My glory. I took your pain that you may have My joy. I took your illness that you may have My wholeness. I took your anxiety that you may have My peace. I took your loneliness that you maybe feel My Love.

I carried your sins, I stood in for your judgment that you may be reconciled with the Father. Don't refuse the garments that I now give you, please wear them for they were made specially for you.

They are holy garments for when you come into My presence. They are garments of praise for when you want to please My heart. They are garments of prayer for when you want to get My attention and they are garments of humility for when you want Me to find your irresistible. They are garments of holiness so you can behold My face.

written 04.08.10

by: Ana Martinez

Glory

"For GOD to be GOD, He must care about His own glory. God must prize Himself above all else, for to prize anything or anyone else more highly than Himself would compromise His worth---and therefore imply that He is not GOD after all."

Matt Redman (Facedown)

=]

I don't know if any of you fast. I did a 40 hour fast (all day monday and today until 2 pm) and it was a bit challenging because I have never fasted from all food ever. I have done the Daniel 21 day fast where you restrict what you eat (can't eat dairy, sugar, processed food, etc) it's pretty much vegan on steroids. But I have never done just water fast so it was interesting. I finally had some food today and it was yummy. I am extremely full now. 

Anyway if you want to do a fast make sure you know what your petition is (why are you fasting? what answer do you want from God?) Fasting is one of the many weapons Christians have, the other are praying and giving. We need to do all three prayer, fast and give. 

Well I hope you all enjoyed great weather, I am in Chicago and we had great weather today!

Beauty for Ashes

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear

Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair

When sorrow seems to surround you

When suffering hangs heavy o'er your head

Know that tomorrow brings

Wholeness and healing

God knows your need

Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair

When what you've done keeps you from moving on

When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart

Know that forgiveness brings

Wholeness and healing

God knows your need

Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair

I once was lost but God has found me

Though I was bound I've been set free

I've been made righteous in His sight

A display of His splendor all can see

He gives beauty for ashes

Strength for fear Gladness for mourning

Peace for despair 

Crystal Lewis

=]

We have so much to smile about, but for some strange reason we choose to focus on all the bad things that might be going on in our lives. We forgot to be thankful for waking up, every time you are faced with a circumstance just smile and give God thanks for waking you up. If you were dead you wouldn't have any problems, you wouldn't have to think about the 44541326664 things on your to-do list. So rather than complain just SMILE

photo via lisaluvzzzz flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fluffyboo2/2665524211/

Happy New Year

New year, new expectations, challenges, trials, but lets try to stay positive!

Return to the stronghold,

You prisoners of hope.

Even today I declare

That I will restore double to you.

Zechariah 9:12

That is God's promise to you, if you did not take hold of that promise last year, this is the year. Have an expectation of things God will do in your life, hold on fast to them and just wait. God is faithful and He always provides for His people. Become not a prisoner of sorrow, envy, lust, anxiety but rather become a prisoner of HOPE. As prisoners are bound to jail, be bound to God, make Him your stronghold, make Him your refuge. If you don't understand something go to Him, for He is the wisdom of all ages. If you can't do something, let Him for nothing is impossible for Him. If you are weary, He will give you rest.

But you must become a prisoner of HOPE.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:13

"FAITH is what sustains you, HOPE is what propels you, & LOVE is what keeps you." -Pastor Nahum Rosario