The Immune System of the Soul

            I wrote down the things that I love and the things that I hate; I did this so that when I wake up in the morning I know what things I want to fill my life with and what things I want to fill other people’s lives with. And on the flip side of that are the things that I want to defend my life from and help others defend and deliver their lives from. It created a deep passion for LIFE, really knowing life. And I began to feel the separation between light and dark in this world.

            I realized how many of the things that I hate I allow to creep in my life without even knowing it. This is the battle we face every single day: there are two sides, two kingdoms being established on earth. I am fighting for the things I love and against the things I hate. But it is only through the Spirit of grace that I even desire God’s gifts. We need to have an immune system of our soul.

Things that I love:

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and the interplay between heaven and earth, deep inter personal relationships that reflect God, revival, the loving of the poor and broken, the rescue of lost souls, God’s gospel, light, color, restoration of families and relationships, the beauty of nature, creativity, inspiration, dreams, passion, visions, miracles, signs and wonders, provision, activities that bring joy, giving, reliance on God, discipline, correction, humility, peace, structure, faith, hope, love, joy, perseverance, transformation, the Bible, moving forward, quality of life, hard work, persecution, bringing change, processing pain, purity, others centered, emotions, standing firm in beliefs, living for the approval of God, stepping outside of the comfort zones, freedom, angels, wisdom and understanding, worship, grieving losses, the gift of music, art, righteousness invention, friends, laughter, trust, divine comfort, being part of God’s family, His sons and daughters, the unique display each of us get to be of God’s love, grace, mercy, a God that pursues us…

Things that I hate:

Satan and demons and their desire to steal, kill and destroy, man made religion, ruined relationships, pride, perversion, twisting of love, depression, isolation, shame, guilt, people not knowing their identity, poverty, bondage, rape, adultery, broken families, arrogance, desire to be right versus loving, hopelessness, pornography, lying, stealing, deception, self-reliance, obsession with money, unbelief, laziness, entitlement, oppression, self-focused, comparison to others, pushing people down to feel better about yourself, drugs, abuse of alcohol, running from any hard situation, the easy way out, trying to stay comfortable, need for approval, fear, need to control, judgment, breaking trust, unreliable, insults, lust, mocking, manipulation,  darkness, suicide, murder, abuse, absence of nurture, neglect, not having purpose, crushed dreams, fantasies, false realities, sickness, torture, diseases, death….

Insecurity in the Soul

 Insecurity plagues the nation of America. It is how we are sold stuff; it is the number one method for marketing. Marketers constantly thinking, how and what can I make that will make them feel good about themselves. We see people on the TV screens on the stage wearing and acting a certain way and then we immediately think we NEED to be like them. We NEED what they have so we will get noticed. That’s all a lie and people need to know it to be free. Attention is only healthy when it isn’t needed to know who you are.

           Yesterday I found myself feeling empty and lonely, yet surrounded by tons of people. I wanted to show everybody who I am and the love and passion I carry inside of me, and the man God is making me of me. But fear kept it locked behind closed doors. Out of this insecurity, I instead wanted to show off my looks, my talents, the things I had, the people I knew, etc. When I got home I went before God and cried out, “Why did I feel so empty?” He reminded me that my security and identity can only come from Him; but he also reminded me of the many conversations I've had with youth and peers, and how these feelings reflect those of many in this generation. We/they NEED to know God's love and the individually, unique, and purposeful people He has made them to be.

            God is truly the only one that can make us feel okay. I started to remember how I was in high school and it made me cry- because of how lost I was. I now desire to live as a man led by the Spirit, because then I am living as a son of God (Rom 8:14-15). The Spirit of God is constantly reminding me of who I am and He will continue to until the day Jesus returns. The important thing isn’t investing energy being insecure in our relationship with God, or concerned about what He thinks of us, but rather, learning to know Him and listen to Him. If we would just listen and seek Him, we would begin to know and believe the incredibly powerful things He says about us and we would know… all we truly need is Him.

The Exchange Market of Love

            Jesus’ love is going deeper and deeper. God’s people are getting real with themselves, God and one another. The God of the universe is preparing His people. He is healing the hearts of man and restoring their souls, through the LOVE of God! He is healing the areas that we have been rejected, hurt, angry, sinful, etc. He understands His body can’t operate as one when we are wounded. Jesus knows that for us to have relationships like He has with His father we need healed and restored hearts. If we are crying out for love through our wounds, we will live unsatisfied bitter and disconnected. But if we live with whole and satisfied hearts, we will abound in joy, peace, and most of love! 

            Our needs are going to start being met through healthy and whole relationships, through which we can share love and not steal it or feel compelled to give it. The exchange market of love is going to be open in the church again!! With Christians relying and depending on God for their identity and celebrating it and sharing it with others, because they love themselves!!

            I am tired of comparing myself to people around me to find out my self worth. I have done it for too long, all I am doing is crying out on the inside to feel good about who I am.  God has so much life to give me, he sees me and loves me. The more I believe it, the more I live it. The more I live it, the freer I become to be me. And me is an incredible individual set apart by the Living God to love Him and love others. I have much to give others and much to receive :) 

Who We Are

        God has a reason for everybody being here on earth, our purpose is to find that out. "Anyone who has discovered who God wants them to be would not want to be anyone else"Bill Johnson. Because in that identity is the fullness of of love, joy and peace. To know and be known by God is the most important reason we are here. Along with that is the way we were meant to express Him on the earth to others, we were created in His image and are meant to share his attributes with one another (especially love). On these two things our purpose and identity should be built, and God's attributes can be displayed in an infinite number of ways. They are essentially the two greatest laws that Jesus gives. But to live them we must know who we are. All of us are a unique and brilliant display of God. 
      God is creating a generation of people that move from being sinners to sons and daughters of the King. There is a huge difference between knowing that we sin versus identifying ourselves as sinners. King David over and over again refers to his righteousness and his blameless life. Believe me he was aware of his sin (murder, affairs, lying, etc.) But he also knew what Jesus thought of him and he CHOSE to believe what God thought of him versus what he could even think of himself or what others were saying about him. 
       Fear, pain and sin bring darkness and hardness to places in us so that we can't sense the love and presence of God. There is a battle for our identity. Satan is determined to keep us from knowing who we are and the things that God has in store for us. We need to get the sin out of our lives through repentance, the pain out of our lives through grieving and healing prayer, the fear out of our lives through perfect love and realize that once our hearts are detangled from fear, pain and sin our freedom is meant to allow us to run to Jesus. And once we get a picture of what He thinks of us and His purpose beyond living a sin-free, religious life we step into a fulfilling, purposeful existence. Our hearts and souls are what are at stake and His Spirit is constantly wanting to love and breathe on our hearts and souls, because he wants a tender heart and soul that is able to receive and know God. His people aren't going to need to look like the movie stars and American "idols" but are going to desire and crave to resemble Jesus!
      God's people are once again going to look into the face of God and not feel rejected but adored. It is impossible to feel rejected when we look to God, the only way to be rejected is by turning our backs on Him. He will never force us to return, unfortunately it takes us eating from pig pens to realize even being a servant in our Father's house is better than the situations we have gotten ourselves into. God is good and His arms are open and the only way to really know is to experience HIM!!!

We affect God’s emotions

          God in all of His majesty and glory has given man the ability to affect the way that He feels. God’s heart feels an enormous amount of love for every single person who has ever lived, individually on this planet. His heart He has opened through the narrow gate of the cross. Our unholiness isn’t the thing that keeps us out of His heart anymore, He has made it so it becomes a choice. Love always hangs on choice, it has never been the feelings before the choice but the choice before the feelings. That is why Jesus says to love me is to obey my commands. That is not an order, it is an invitation to choose to love Him. The purpose of His cross was to set us free from the slavery of sin; slavery means that we are under the control of someone else. But God didn’t free us so that he could control us, His plan was simply to free us so that we could have a fair choice.

            Now every choice that we make affects His heart, when we turn our backs on Him we cause Him grief. But the good news about Jesus is that He never gives up and is never discouraged to the point of abandonment. Because when we choose to turn back to Him, His heart is overjoyed and His love is there ready to flood over our hearts. His heart and His hand are never closed to us and His Spirit is always pointing us towards Him.

            I’ve made up my mind, to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. To serve Him with all of my life and to make the heart of my God glad and His lips smile. For I will sing praise upon praise and submit to His will. I am not controlled by God but I give Him control. My choice has been made, I am no longer a slave to sin but of righteousness. Because as I obey His commands of righteousness I show my love for Him!!

            

Believing

       We don't have to believe, we choose to believe. And that choice usually hinges on experiences we have here on earth. The moment I encountered Jesus' love for the first time on earth I made the choice to believe! That doesn't mean just going to church on Sunday because I owe it to God for saving me from my sins. No, that is waking up every morning and KNOWING that my God is by my side and that I can rest in His love.
        Every person that God has breathed life into has to make the choice whether to believe or not. And every time people come into contact with Christians affects that choice. Why would they want to believe in a God that is judgmental and religious. Now is the time for the world to experience real Christians who know a real God. Now is the time for a generation to see who our God is- He wants to show His face through us... He is a God of love, light and power. Not pews, pulpits and laws. Every heart was designed to live in relationship with God and people are being awakened across the earth to a fulfilling, joyful, and freeing relationship with Jesus!!!

Living in the Light

      Throughout the Bible God is constantly reminding us to live in the light. Well what does it mean to live in the light? It makes me want to stay inside during all night hours and emerge from my protective Christian dwelling during the day. But when God tells us to live in the light, He is speaking to our spirits because God is spirit and His words are spirit. Living in the light means to live in God, in His truth, His love and His joy.

      When Paul was worshiping with Silas in jail, I can guarantee that there was not a whole lot of light in those dungeon sells. In fact the jailer doesn't even recognize they're still there until he calls people to bring torches. But Paul and Silas were living in the light of the Spirit. They were worshiping in Spirit and in truth. God wants us to be reminded that where ever we go we are meant to be the light of the world. And once He has put His light in our hearts not to hide under a basket but to shine forth like a city on a hill. Sin always wants to blend in and feel like its "okay" because everybody else is doing it. But when we stand on a hill exposed to the world we realize our need for a savior. On the hill is where all sin was paid for and it's where we need to stand if we want to be washed white as snow. 

       We as Christians need to start shining forth like cities on a hill. The way to shine is by loving in a radical and real way. A lot of this world hasn't experienced the real and passionate love that comes from knowing Jesus. It is so cool to see this generation experiencing the love of God because then they can reflect it onto the earth. I have given my life to shining like city on a hill to see God's light pouring over the hearts of God's children in this generation.