Oxford recently put to rest it’s one word “test,” an entrance essay requiring applicants to write an essay using one “word” printed on the back of a piece of paper.

The essay was apparently so popular that non-applicants would line up outside just to write an essay. Apparently the essay did not have enough merit to actually validate an applicants actual academic aptitude. Sounds like a lot of fun however.

So, on that note, let’s start our own writing contest. Get your journals out. Ready? Here is our one “word” of the week. Write your best possible 150 word essay using the word posted below. I will post the best entry to the blog.

Ready?

Here is your word:

“Covenant”

I met the neatest lady today…her journey in Christ has been truly amazing. She lost her grandson about a week ago, but is holding up very well.

It reminded me of why I love Christ. Because He fills my body with a feeling of love that makes me want to explode like a popping balloon. I want to fly high in the sky and simply vanish into His mesmerizing arms of silky smooth white chocolate luxury. Christ is so luxurious! His light is infinitely brighter than ten zillion suns in a perfect galaxy, all pointed at you.

The highest high you can have is not as high as Christ. I guarantee it! No tingles, out of this world, visiting other planes, connecting with universal knowledge and consciousness has been as great as the high I’ve had with Christ. There is just nothing like HIM!

I don’t have much to say right now, because I am feeling overwhelmed by the glory of God. What I do have to say is this. If you want to feel Christ in your life, worship. Worship God, praise the Lord.

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are created…” Rev 4:11

“The Lord is pleased with those who worship Him and trust in His love…” Psalm 147:11

If you want to experience Christ, if you want to live in Christ, worship and praise Him. Thank Him for all you have in your life. Don’t just go to Him when you need Him. Remember Him right now, in the good times. In the “no” times when nothing is going on. Wake up with a “Hello Christ!!!”

You’d be amazed at what worship can do. It will bring you peace in times of sorrow. It can bring you everlasting love. It quenches thirst and relieves hunger…

Worship…it brings God pleasure, which brings you pleasure…which makes everyone smile.

Love, it is a great thing…

I love this quote from Paul, one of the coolest people in the gospel:

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” Acts 17:26

Here is another way to say it…

He caused to spring from one forefather people of every race, for them to live on the whole surface of the earth (Weymouth NT)

Paul is actually preaching to a bunch of heathens (Love that word), idolators, and what have you, atheists, pagans, Satanists, who knows…about the futility of worshiping to gods that won’t do a thing for them. But my point is, we are all made from ONE God.

Does not matter who we are, what skin color we are, what color our hair is, how many tattooes we have, what color our hair is, how many times we have f*d up, how many addictions we have, how many times we have divorced, how many times we have lied, stolen, crapped up, gone back to our screwed up lifestyles.

How many times we have cheated, screamed, forgotten the word. We are all made from the SAME God. And, He LOVES US. Oh, how he does LOVE us. And he craves our attention.

He WANTS us so bad. He really does! He wants us to come to us. He is not up there with a whip ready to beat us down. His arms are wide open screaming, “Children, come to me my darlings and let me hug you up and adorn you with my gifts, the gifts of my kingdom, let me nurse your wounds and let me heal you!”

For, our God loves us. His miracles are plentiful. He wants to lead you into light and pull you out of darkness.

And, we all look different. We have different ways. We think differently. Are there requirements with our Lord? Sure. He wants us to glorify Him, He wants us to love one another.

But once you start to really understand who God is and how He is working in your life, that becomes really easy, even if you screw up again, because our God is a forgiving God.

He will help you in times of temptation. He will guide you step by step as you learn to crawl, toddle, and walk the path of a true Christian.

Won’t you take the time to learn who this amazing God is?

Love, love, love…love is the answer, love is our God.

Food for thought…

I went to a cool place the other day; I like to call it the Rock N’ Roll church.  I was just reading Romans 14.  This is a great chapter in general but looking at 14:19,

Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

Romans 14 talks about the “foods” we eat, what is good and what is not. What we eat and what we don’t, whether we should judge what others eat or not. I wrote this post but am now changing it, because I think it sounded to “judge-E” the way I initially wrote it.

I think what God is trying to say is this…put in your mouth what you want, but do it in a way that edifies (glorifies) God. Don’t do things that will tempt, bring your brother down. If it is going to, just don’t!

So, the question of certain other things like say, puffing up comes up. Well ask, does this serve to PLEASE God or does it serve to please the SELF…if the latter, well you have a problem. If it brings your brother down, you have a problem.

God wants us to do things that bring glory to Him, and help our neighbor. If edifying serves to please one’s neighbor; to please God…it’s ok, because the greatest commandments of all are to love GOD above all else and to love one’s neighbor;

Here’s some other food for thought.

Knowledge. Is it really valuable? Wisdom…what good is it? Really, love is the greatest gift of all; far better to have love than knowledge. For knowledge tells you… “All things are lawful for me,” such as…”all plants are made lawful for my use”…but…remember to ask…do all things edify God? (Or one’s neighbor)…do all things please thy neighbor, in LOVE???

Do they build up your spiritual temple? Or, do they simply please YOU, make YOU feel good, fool you into believing you feel good, are spiritually connected, help you relax…make you forget about love, your purpose…whatever. What are you doing, really?

When you eat the food of “idols”, which can be nothing more than things you crave or need day after day, things that you believe make you the real you, are you gaining true KNOWLEDGE or are you deceiving yourself?

Doesn’t God make you the real you? Are you using Satan’s tool, is he deceiving you into thinking you are using good medicine? Think about it…

Love is natural. Love is God.

This is the question you must answer, to ascertain whether you worship an idol, or follow Satan, or whether you practice the true Word of God. Are you puffing yourself UP with Satan, or with GOD?

I’ve heard a lot of people tell me lately that they “need” certain things for them to really be who they are. Whether that is food, medicine, certain herbs, people or what have you. That’s why I fell on this chapter I think. I believe (that’s just me) that the truth of what we need rests in God, in His Holy Spirit, in the Spirit of Christ.

There is some truth to that. Read Romans 14, see what you think. Just some God food for thought.

That’s today’s food for thought. A lot of holy babble.

1Corinth8…

Message for the day…

Hold fast to God, for there is nothing quite like Him. Nothing…

Hold fast to the truth, for truth will not betray…

Hold fast, hold fast, and all you imagine may He surpass…

Hold fast, I pray thee, I pray…

Do you hear the voice of God?

Do you? I can’t tell you how difficult it is to discern God from….OTHER.

There are millions of people today that believe they hear from God. Some are in insane asylums. No kidding. Some are just ordinary people on the streets. Some attend church, and feel it their obligation to consistently consult the pastor regarding his sermons. Some minister to the church. Some lead revivals. Some sit at home and preach.

But, who really HEARS the voice of God? Some people practice new age ministry and hear the voice of God as something other than God. Sometimes Satan disguises himself as God. So how the heck are you supposed to know what God IS and what He isn’t?

After all, in the bible it talks of the end of times, when Satan or the antichrist or whatever you want to call him, will disguise himself in such a way as to appear as an angel of light, as Christ himself. He will perform miracles and the like. He will even be able to make fire appear from the heavens. Will he also be able to slay people with the Holy Spirit?

Will he appear as kundalini, or the fire that climbs up the shaft of our spines as a serpentine Shiva? Do you even know what I am talking about?

Some of you may, and some of you may not. There is so much talk of what God is and is not these days, it’s enough to give an honest person an anxiety attack. It’s enough to have them running away from God, not flocking to Him. All the arguing about God has people fleeing the church, or arguing amongst each other.

It has people panicking about devils and the dark side and all sorts of things, rather than paying attention to the one thing God wants you to do most…love one another as God loves you, and love the Lord your God above all else.

(sigh)

Isn’t that what Christ wants you to do? Isn’t that what the bible tells you to do? Isn’t that what the dance of life is all about? Loving one another?

Who cares about the rest?

Seriously people. Do not spend your whole lives condemning one another. Giving hours of lecture on what is and what is not right. Here is what you need to do.

Love the Lord your God above all else, and Love one another as you would yourself. And you better love yourself as God commanded.

Stay away from immorality. Be a godly person. Was Christ godly? Yes, so use His example because that is what the good book tells you to do. How hard is that?

“Blessed is he man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods...”

As for this life, it is meaningless. God tests us, and we see that we are like animals. We see that all things pass, and they are not worth attaching to. We see that the flesh is nothing to be trusted. We see that our salvation awaits us in heaven. We see that there is nothing better than for us to enjoy the gifts God has given us, until the day we retire into His loving care.

Does the bible tell us to seek out supernatural gifts? No, it does not. The same destiny that happens to the supernatural man happens to the plain one. Have you seen a supernatural man ascend into heaven like Jesus Christ? No, you have not.

So do this. Bank on our Savior, because He is the one that will lead you into the arms of God. As for all this other nonsense, ponder where it comes from. Deliberate on it. There are many copy cats out there, but only one true God. You can take a manmade pill or a supernatural one, but they will all get you to the same place…no where. Only God will get you to God.