La Princesse Nana: Daughter of the King

Do not grant what I ask if it offends Your love, which must always be living in me. Let me die to myself, that I may serve You; let me live to You for You are the True Life. Amen.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one an despise the other.  You can not serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24, NKJV).

In this passage Jesus is directly telling us that we can not serve two masters.  We must choose who we will serve.  This is not the first time that this topic of choosing masters have come up.  Joshua poses this question to the Israelites: “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt.  Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose this for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell” (24:14:15a).  Though, he asked the people concerning who they want to serve, he answers his own question stating “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (24:15b).

These past couple weeks have been hard on me emotionally, mentally, physically, financially and especially academically.  It’s been tough.  Though I prayed and asked God to sustain me.  It dawned on me today that through it all, I allowed my emotions and feelings to control everything I did, felt and treated those around me.  Sad right? I know.  The above passage (Mat. 6:24), talks about choosing between “God and mammon”.  The word ‘mammon’ is a reference to wealth and riches (NKJV, 2010) or according to Dictionary.com  is it “the personification of riches and greed in the form of a false god”.  Jesus asks us to choose between God and money (mammon), God and work, God and school, God and anything else you think of.

Like I stated previous, these last couple of weeks, I have allowed my emotions to control my every waking moments.  That is what controlled me.  Yes, mammon is referring to money, wealth, riches, but one could insert other words to replace ‘mammon’.  As a Christian, I do my best to live by the Word of God, allow the Holy Spirit to lead me, and try my best to be the hands, feet, arm of Christ.  But, by allowing my emotions (my mammon) to control me, I was not controlling what I serve, but instead allowed it to control me.  

Galatians 5:22-23a talks about the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace……..then we get to verse 23a gentleness, self-control.  By allowing my emotions to control me, I was not exercising self-control.  By allowing my emotions to control me, I was not allowing God to have priority in my life, nor was I allowing the Holy Spirit to lead, because I was just not a nice person to hang around. I was very unhappy, sad and moody (which are totally normal emotions that we as humans have), but the thing is that it affected everything I did.  I became a slave to my emotions. But today, I decided that I would not let this little vacation continue, I asked God for forgiveness, claimed my victory, and kept moving.

Money, wealth, riches (cause I ain’t got none), may not have been my mammon, but my emotions were.  So, today, ask yourself this question: “what is my mammon”? What have I allowed to take hold of me and shake me to my core? What have I allowed to control me? Where have I left God hanging in the process of allowing other priorities to take over?  I literally asked my self these same questions and the answers that came with them were not at all cool.

So, as Christians who profess to have faith in Jesus Christ, if we say that we “live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25).  And if you are not a Christian, you can still ask Jesus to come into your heart and to send the Holy Spirit as your guide.  Salvation is free to all, but only a few will choose to take a hold of it.  Will you?

Father, God I just thank you today for who You are and what You have done in my life.  I thank you for revealing to me how I have sinned against You.  I pray and ask that you forgive me and make me whole again.  Lord, I pray that whoever reads this blog will be convicted of their mammon and turn away from their sin and fix their eyes on You, the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Lord, you are Holy and True and I pray that you will just continue to lead me in the right path.  I pray this prayer not because I’m worthy, but through Your Son Jesus who became the ultimate sacrifice to save me, my family and friends from a wretched future. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV) “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Our best way of communicating with God is talking to him [prayer].  His way of communicating with us is through reading of the scriptures.  I love these two verses posted above because [for me] - it hits it right on the nail.

As a Christ follower, prayer is an important part of one’s relationship with God. You’re probably wondering what? Well, think about this…..you’re in a relationship with someone and yet you and that person never have a conversation.  How do you expect to get to know the other person, their thoughts, feelings, fears, etc. You honestly can only find those out if you talk to them.

Does God hear our prayers? Yes, yes he does.  Does he chose to answer them in his own time? Yes, yes he does.  Can it be annoying sometimes when you are praying for something [guidance, help, etc] and you receive no answer ? Yes, yes it can be.  Does that mean you stopping praying/talking to God? No, no it does not.

I have a list of things that I have bought before the Throne.  And honestly, I don’t think that half have any responses yet, but one thing I do know is that the list that I did present before God, he literally took those most important and help me through.  One of the things that I’d been praying for was for guidance with my spiritual life.  I wanted to be able to feel God’s presence at all times.  I know he’s there, but I wanted to feel him - and yes, I feel him.

Just the other night, I was praying and my heart was heavy, and I told God so.  I asked him to please help me deal with this pain and get me through this time.  And, guess what he did.  That’s what Phil. 4:6 is telling us “be anxious for nothing”, if you’re having a hard day - talk to God.  If you’re happy - talk to God.  If you’re sad, depressed, feeling blue, excited, envious, jealous, lonely, and so on - talk to God.  He’s here and he listens.  

Matthew 11:27 “come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He is the bestfriend anyone could ever ask for, because he listens, no matter what you have done or said or not done. He listens and he still loves.  I’m learning to not just talk to God to ask him for things, but also give him THANKS, during those times of complete joy and happiness.  Both Thess. and Phil. says to “give thanks” and “with thanksgiving”.  Meaning: be thankful. Remember that he is God, and we were initially created to worship him. So, learn to worship him and give him thanks - through prayer and with thanksgiving.

So……in everything, PRAY! Because his 1-800-PRAYER line is open 24/7 365 days a year!!! When you call God, you’ll never get a busy signal or hearing the operator telling you that your call is important and please stay on the line.  Its a direct line, the moment you open your mouth, the line is connected. So, just PRAY!

Long ago, one silent night, God revealed His glory bright; His own image came to man for salvation’s matchless plan.

Jesus, Savior, Shepherd, King - Lord of all to you we bring Praises, wonder, thanks, and love for this gift from God above

Merry Christmas and remember that Jesus is the reason for this and every Season!

Read Psalm 130 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps.%20130&version=NKJV

Out of the depths the psalmist cries to God (Ps. 130:1).  His problem surfaces: terrible guilt for things done and undone in the past.  ”If You Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (v.3)

But thankfully, God forgives.  He does not keep an account of past sings, no matter how many or how grievous they have been.  ”There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus’ (Rom. 8:1).  God’s forgiveness then lead us to fear Him (Ps. 130:4).  We worship and adore God, for grace and forgiveness cause us to love Him all the more.

But what happens if we slide back into old sin? What if sin lingers? We are to repent and “wait for the Lord” and be patient while God works (vv.5-6).  We are not hopeless cases.  We can “hope” in the One who will deliver us in His time.

We now have two assurances: God’s unfailing love - He will never leave nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).  And God’s promise of full redemption in due time - He will redeem us from all our iniquities (Ps. 130:8) and present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy (Jude 24).

We’re forgiven! We’re free! With the psalmist, let’s worship the Lord as we await His coming.

excerpts from Our Daily Bread (David Roper, 2011)

Below is a song entitled Broken/Don’t Pass Me By - it is a a beautiful interpretation of the psalmist cry.  Let this be our heart’s cry today, tomorrow, and forevermore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSUu3H3rFQQ&feature=related

I just finished watching “The Green Lantern”.  I must say it was a great movie.  I grew up on comic books and watching animated series of almost everything, so I love the fact that Hollywood is turning my comic book superheroes into real life. I love it.

The moral of story behind Green Lantern is about admitting that you have fear, fighting and overcoming it. While watching this movie a thought occurred to me - in life we all have fears. Some of us feel like failures, like we never measure up.  There are others who just think that they are just not good enough, not worth the time, effort, or strength.  And then there are some who start the journey and just never quite make it because they gave up to fear.

This past fall I started watching a show on USA called “Necessary Roughness”, its about a psychotherapist named Dr. Dani Santino who thought she had it all, the perfect family, husband, kids, job, and etc.  But then her husband cheats on her, they separate gets a divorce and she has to figure out life.  She meets a trainer who works for a pro football team, which lands her the opportunity of a life time - becoming the team therapist.  So, now to the reason why I bought this up:  There is one particular episode where she is having a counseling session with an athlete who has fear and because of his fear, he is unable to perform.  One thing I remember that rings in my mind today is how Dr. Santino described FEAR.  She told him fear is “false evidence appearing real” translation fear = fake!!

Isaiah 44:10 says: “fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you.  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  John 16:33 tells us “in this world we will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I (Jesus) have overcome the world” (NKJV). See, God knew that we would have fears, but he didn’t just tell us to get over it and move on with life, nope, he gave us a promise that he would be with us till the end (Math. 28:20).  Our fears sometimes cause people to doubt  us, lose hope and not trust us.  That’s what happen in “The Green Lantern”, because of his humanity (because he had fears), Hal was thought to be incapable of harnessing the power of the Green Lantern, but he proved them wrong.  In the end he battled fear, and he won.

Many times in life because of our fears we lose battles, because we lose hope. We forget that God exist and he’s willing to fight our battles for us.  And sometimes because of our fears and failures those around us lose hope and have their own fears too: but Isaiah 40:28-31 says “have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary.  His understanding is unsearchable.  He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who (hope, wait) on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

When the Israelite left Egypt and was well on their way, Pharaoh decided that he wanted them back working for him.  When the people turned around and saw Pharaoh and his army they became fearful, afraid, scared (Exodus 14:10), but then Moses spoke these beautiful words “the Lord will fight for you, you need only be still (Ex. 14:14).  In life we just need to stop for a moment and remember the words of Jesus when he said bring all your burdens and cast them upon my alter, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Mat. 11:28-30).  We just need to be still and know that God is willing to take our fears and give us peace.

Hal wins because of his will.  We can win because of Jesus’ will.  His will that we would prosper and not harm, to give us a hope and a future (Jer. 29:11).  Will you do that today? Will you hand over your fears to Jesus, trusting that he will take care of you? Trusting that he knows best and that our humanity depends on him?

Father God, I thank you that you loved us so much that you gave Your only Son as the ultimate sacrifice.  A sacrifice that we did not deserve.  Today, I ask that you just continue to lead and direct us in the path that we are meant to follow.  Lord, allow us to just cast all our cares, fears included upon you, trusting that you will take care of us.  I pray this prayer not because I’m worthy, but through Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

“God will take care of you, through everyday, o’er all the way; He will take care of you. God will take care of you.”

Read 2 Samuel 7:1-17 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%207:1-17&version=NKJV

The Facts:

• God gave a message to King David (v.4)
• God made a promise to give his people (Israel) a dwelling place (v. 10-11)
• God promised David and his descendants a special promise a dynasty  of kings who would lead Israel, where God would have a special relationship with David’s descendants - treating them like a father does his sons (v.12, 15-16)

King David loved God.  And because God had been faithful to David and giving him peace from all his enemies, David wanted to honor God. He thought that it was important that the ark of God had its own dwelling place.  During this time the ark of God lived inside tent curtains (v.2).  David wanted to change that, he wanted a house where they could worship the one true God, and because of his heart, God also honored David with a promise.  

Why is this important: because God made a promise to David that he would establish a kingdom for David’s descendants.  Hundreds of years after David died, God sent his Son, Jesus, who came from David’s family to be the king of the Jews.

As we journey on this Christmas season - how do you want to honor God?  What ways should we honor God? Why is it important to honor God?

excepts from the family reading bible, 2010, Zondervan

The Lord will fight for you; you need only be STILL and know that I am God.  Blessed is the man who takes REFGUEE in him (Exodus 14:14; Psalm 46:10a; 34:8b).  GIVE THANKS to the Lord for HE is good; for his mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1).  Trials and tribulations come in all shapes, sizes and forms, but we are reminded to: “take heart for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).    These scriptures were bought to the forefront of my mind Sunday evening, after arriving from my wonderful Thanksgiving break.  I was confronted with something really dark. 

I am a person of action.  I act then ask questions later (horrible, I know), but that’s just how I’m wired.  With this particularly situation, I felt that I had to take action, I had to step up my game.  I’m very forward and at times blunt.  I’m obnoxious and loud.  At this point in time, my mind was whirling with different possibilities, responses, actions, but right there and then God just zapped me back to reality, reminding me that he is God and is in control of every situation in my life.

“The Lord will fight for you; you shall hold your peace” (Ex. 14:14 – NKJV).  Meaning, you shall be quiet, silent, no talking, tape your mouth, thoughts, actions and etc.  These words were spoken by Moses to the Israelites, during a difficult time.  Picture this – 400 years the Israelites are in captivity under the Egyptians, beaten and mistreated, crying out to God to deliver them.  He hears their plea and sends Moses to their rescue.  After many demonstrations and exchange of words Pharaoh finally agrees to let them go.  Somewhere between the Israelites packing their bags and actually leaving, Pharaoh decides he’s made a mistake and wants his property back.  I guess he thought he was the HNIC!

The Israelites are happily on their way and suddenly they feel the ground trembling beneath them, they hear whips hitting the backside of horses and those horses neighing and probably hear the Egyptians yelling at the top of their lungs for them to stop.  Their first instinct (like any human) is to panic (v.10a).  Next, they cried out to God (v.10b), and finally they turn on Moses (v. 11).   Moses makes a point to keep the scriptures clean, but I’m positive the Israelites probably had nothing positive/clean to say to Moses.   Exodus 14:13-14 says that Moses speaks to the children of Israelites telling them “do not be afraid”, “ stand still” and let God doing his thing, let him FIGHT for you.  Jesus wants us to know that he gives true rest (Matthew 28:11).  His arms are open wide and waiting, but he just asks one simple thing – the same thing that was asked of the Israelites all those years ago, to TRUST him, to BE STILL.

This passage is a great reminder to me because of the Pharaoh that I have to deal with, which does not make life any easier.  But life is however bearable, knowing that the God I serve, The Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End (Rev. 22:13), the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5), who existed yesterday is the same God today, tomorrow and forevermore.  Jesus has been there and done that and he lives and sits on his Throne!  The next couples weeks, months and even years are going to be hellish, but I’ll remind myself to “BE STILL AND KNOW” (Psalm 46;10a)  that the  “BATTLE IS NOT MINE, IT’S THE LORD’S” (2 Chronicles 20:15b).  Because the One who bought you to it, is faithful to bring you through it!  So, remember don’t tell God how big your mountains are, instead tell your mountains how big your God is.

A girl went to her mother complaining about how life was getting the best of her and how she was ready to just give up.  Without saying a word, her mother took out three pots, with water in each placed them on the stove, turning it on high.  Once the water reached boiling point, she placed carrots in one, eggs in the other and coffee beans in the last one.

After about 20 minutes or so she turned off the stove and took out the carrots, eggs and coffee and placed each in a bowl.  She then called her daughter over and asked her, “What do you see?”  The daughter replied, “I see carrots, eggs, and coffee”.  Shaking her head, her mother asked her again, look closely, “what do you see?”  The daughter replied “carrots, eggs, and coffee.”

The mother shook her head and said, “No, this is what I see, the carrots that were hard, once placed in boiling hot water and left there for 20 minutes, turned soft.  The eggs with the once fragile exterior with liquid inside turned hard.  And the coffee beans changed the waters that it was placed in.”  Turning to her daughter she said, which one do you want to be during this time of adversity?

 LIFE HAPPENS! But, Isaiah 40:28-31 says:

                        ²⁸ Have you not known?

                        Have you not heard?

                        The everlasting God, the Lord,

                        The Creator of the ends of the earth,

                        Neither faints nor is weary.

                        His understanding is unsearchable.

                        ²⁹ He gives power to the weak,

                        And to those who have no might He increases strength.

                        ³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

                        And young men shall utterly fall,

                        ³¹ But those who wait on the Lord

                        Shall renew their strength;

                        They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

                        They shall run and not be weary,

                        They shall walk and not faint.

 These words were spoken to Israel during a time when they were discouraged and afraid.  The Prophet Isaiah reminded them of the greatness of the Lord.  Our human strength is insufficient to deal/meet the challenges of life.  But the powerful Creator God gives power (v.29).  Those who wait on the Lord can “renew” their strength, meaning that we can exchange our weakness for God’s strength.  This exchange of strength is not a once in a while thing, but rather day to day.  One of my favorite songs goes like this:

“His strength is perfect, where our strength is gone

He’ll carry us, when we can’t carry on.

Great in his power, the weak becomes strong.

He’s strength is perfect, He’s strength is perfect.”

Another passage of scripture – Matthew 11:28 remind us to come and lay our burdens at the altar and there we will find rest.  God is speaking to us, directly, letting us know that he hears our cry, has felt our pains and is willing to comfort and hold us.  But in order for that to happen, we must give him the time of day.  Again, LIFE HAPPENS!! But my question to you is, once life comes knocking at your door, where will you place your hope, heart, body, soul, and pains when you have to answer?