Limits

Does what you have limit you from wanting more of God?

We constantly want more in life. Clothes, cosmetics, toys, list goes on. We are never going to feel satisfied. There will always be a new need coming up. As we go on with our lives and provoke changes, accommodating for them will require us to change and, of course, to want new sort of things. 

But what about our spirits? What about the needs that come up with changes in our lives? 

Do you feel satisfied in your spirit? Do you feel comfortable with what you have? Would you sacrifice something or go an extra mile in order to get more of God? Hear Him more? Gain more wisdom, or get guidance? The list goes on. 

So what are our limits? Where are the stops that make us go 'hey no, I can't do that, I can't go there. That's too much'. 

Is your desire for God bigger than desire for anything else in your life? 

I'm writing this note because I am asking myself the same questions. 

Especially that we have only entered the new year, I want to take this feeling of freshness and put it into my relationship with Jesus. I want to check my heart and check my motives and make sure that they are right.

And if they are wrong, I want to put my priorities in the right order, I want to change my schedule, I want to say no to some things to get more of time with God. 

So again, what is it that is limiting us and is pulling us away from Jesus? My pastor once told me something that I'm sure I will remember forever: 'if devil can't make you bad, he will make you busy'.

Can you hear the truth of this sentence? If devil can't get you back into the worldly lifestyle, he will make sure to make you busy enough to not give time to God in your daily schedule. 

So I guess the point of my note is to encourage you to just look at your life and see what is it that devil is using to keep you away from Jesus. 

TV? Facebook? Laziness? 

Look at it and maybe make some changes? Even the smallest change will make you feel the difference and you will feel closer to God.

Go on, I'm doing it too :)

Are you selfish?

Seeing broken people breaks my heart. There's so much pain in this world. I strongly believe that we were made to carry each others burdens, to push each other towards Jesus, to make each other smile.
What I also believe is that selfishness is from the devil. I see it as a virus that spreads around. It blinds people, it makes them feel like giving to others with no profit coming back is a waste of time.
I hate it with passion. People go about their business as if the whole world evolved around them. They make others their slaves but they solely believe that they don't owe anything back. Doing something with no strings attached would probably kill them.

Are you THIS kind of person?
Are you selfish?

Children cry on streets.
Widows don't eat for days so their kids would.
Sick are all alone.
Poor are disrespected.

So much.
So much need.
And we are, are living for the pointless, dumb tv program's.
shopping. Food. Gym. Cinema. Party, one after another.

I wish you could feel my heart right now.
I wish you could feel the ache that I feel when I see broken people.

People who could, but never heard the words of hope.

Because you, my dear Christian friend, chose to watch yet another episode of friends.

I want this note to upset you.
I want it to make you mad.
I want it to make you check your motives and get your acts straight if I was right at any point in here.

God put me here to wake the sleepers. If you're asleep, please wake up. There is a message you need to deliver to this world. With love and compassion. With selflessness, cause you ain't gonna get paid for this.

Go and talk to someone. Someone you've just met or someone you've known for years. Hear their pain and give them love. Tell them.

'You see, we always have a choice. Even when things seem completely ruined, even when they are ruined, we still have a choice. To lie under those ruins, or make a castle out of them.'

1 Day Perspective

Today I'd like to share with y'all something I came up with while struggling with overcoming different things, like for example worry. Couple of months ago I've hit a stage where the amount of struggles seemed to squeeze the life out of me. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I thought about coming months and years with trembling. The perspective of YEARS was breaking my heart but only because, well, I couldn't imagine coming years.

And as I was praying about it, and more so, against it, suddenly light came through the darkness of my hardship.

I tend to write things on my wrist when I know for sure this is the only way to make me remember about something really important.

I got up in the morning and as I was giving that day to God, I prayed specifically against complaining. I thought to myself, that if I could only get through today, I could do more days.

So I wrote '1 Day' on my wrist.

I did it so I could concentrate ONLY on today, without worrying about the coming days.

The feeling of freedom that came over my heart was amazing.

Every time I looked at my left wrist I thought to myself: 'only today don't complain. Don't think about tomorrow, just concentrate on fighting for your today'.

On that day not one complaint has left my mouth.

Why am I writing a note about this?
Because I think it is really worth trying out.

We tend to plan things and we really want to look ahead of ourselves.
Sometimes we think so much about the changes we have to make that instead of being motivated to do something about our lives we get freaked out and discouraged.

But what if we thought ONLY about ONE day at a time?

What if we put our mind to that specific day? And the following day, to that day? And the following?...

How much easier would it be, thinking that you have a whole day to improve something in your life?
This would really make you think about the time you have on your hands.
It would make you realize of the multiple chances God is giving you each day.

I'm not saying it would change your life.
I am saying it would change your day.
Try it. :)

my Dear, says Jesus

There is NOTHING as great, as comforting, as heart warming, as life saving, as beautiful, as soft, as quiet, as gentle, as great and tender, as the love of God.


I NEED TO SAY WHAT MY SOUL IS SINGING
I NEED TO SAY WHAT MY HEART IS SCREAMING
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Qj0dxcSIG6M&feature=endscreen)

Nothing will ever satisfy your heart
Nothing will ever bring you peace that LASTS
Nothing will ever help you through troubles
As the love of God would.

Wake up singing your soul into His presence.
Wake up with a thankful heart

A heart that recognizes its sin
A heart that recognizes that HUGE, UN-MEASURABLE, DESPERATE
need
for His presence.

A heart that is known so well by its Maker.
By its Designer.

Why not trust God?
Why not give your life to the ONLY one who loves you so much He DIED so YOU could LIVE?

Why not?

There is so much He has for you.
So much.
To be blessed, not cursed.
To be loved, not hated.
To be forgiven, not punished.

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Revelation 3:20

Face your God, talk to Him, pour your heart out to Him.
He will not push you away nor will He remind you of your sins.
Accept His gift of death on the cross and believe that Jesus resurrected.
Give your life to Him.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

You will be saved.

Jesus says: I love you my Dear.

Qualification?

God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

***

What is your qualification?

When God called me, mine was Zero.

I couldn't put together a sentence that would make sense, I couldn't concentrate, I couldn't lead, I couldn't preach. My level of development was not the top notch, to say the least. Mostly because of the environment I grew up in, I lacked hope big time.

And while feeling broken and incapable, I've had only one thing.

Desperate faith that God is bigger than me and that if He wants to do something through me, He will find a way.

He did.

Out of a dark room, He called me.

Out of hurt, pain, sleepless nights.

He whispered my name.

If you ask, I must tell you that I was petrified beyond explanation.

I thought God was making a serious mistake.

For real, I knew nothing. I had zero qualifications, I could't even control my emotions.
No discipline, no sense of self- worth, no faith in myself, only holding on to hope that God truly cares.

You know, I understand the feeling of doubt. I know it too well.
Fear so strong, it makes your body shiver? Yup, know that too.

Hear this.

Jacob was a liar.
Moses was a stutterer.
Gideon was a coward.
David was an adulterer.
Rahab was a prostitute.
Esther was an orphan.
Balaam's donkey was...well, a donkey.

And yet God used each one of them to impact His kingdom.

Unqulified, definitely not perfect, some so immoral and hopelessly bad, that their whole family and all people they've ever known, didn't want to have anything to do with them. They would cast a stone at them whenever they got a chance.

Yet God goes for people who are far from perfect.
God  has the power beyond human abilities.

God WANTS to use everything you've gone through for His glory.
Your testimony will change lives.
Your story of getting out of trouble and depression will give people who have gone through similar things, hope, that they could get 'there', too.

He doesn't care if you're unqualified.

The only thing you need to put in your cv is:

I SUBMIT.

This is all God needs.
All of you.

He will make you qualified.
As you pray and dig into His word, He will pour His wisdom on you.
He will take you out of your comfort zone to get you to a totally new, different place.

You can't move on as long as you put your trust in you.
Or till you think that God is someone equal to you.

Have faith and hope,
Let Him use you.

Listen and go wherever He'd send you.

Learning is a process, so give it time.

He will send you.

Be open, and your life will change.


There is only one thing I can guarantee you:

God will never leave you nor forsake you, nor give up on you.

***

God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

In Him alone.

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6 NLT)

Be sure that your faith is in God alone.

Wow. This hit me. I pray about situations. Some of them include decisions people are making. I trust the leaders that I work with at church, so when I pray about certain situations, do I pray trusting that leaders would make the right move, or do I pray having faith in GOD to guide their hearts according to His will?
How easy is it to have faith in people who don't have the power to turn a black hair to white? How HARD is it to unconditionally have faith in God who created heavens and earth and every single living thing on here?!

Why is it so?

James called it 'divided loyalty'. This is serious business. He doesn't call it lack of faith. He calls is being disloyal towards our God.
We're not to have faith in earthly things or treat people and their wisdom as our gods or best helpers.
We're to believe in God, at all times, no matter what.
We're to be loyal to Him.




Not easy, but it is fundamental.

The most safe place

My heart filled with love
And joy overwhelming
Your goodness
Spreads
Your hope
Heals lives
Everyday fresh
Everyday new
Your mercy is
In my life
Thank You God
For loving and caring
Unconditionally
And so selflessly
That all I can do
Is praise Your holy name.

Forever I want to stay in this place
Of feeling with everything in me
That I am saved.

***