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sapphireseas
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Interests: God!, singing, writing, dancing, sports (mainly baseball), boys, penguins, ducks, puppies, baby bunnies that were in a lawn mower incident and get nursed back to health by Jerry Falwell, kittens, Sea lions, White Cherry and Coke Slurpees from 7-eleven, going to the beach with friends, Smiling faces on every Christmas child, laughing at and with various people, hot summer nights when the stars pierce the sky, going to foreign countries at God's call and worshiping Him for showing off His power, the perfect worship song at the perfect time that hits that spot in your soul and you feel God's presence so strongly that you must kneel and can't speak, bright colors, pretty flowers, palm trees, magnolia trees, coaching from the stands at baseball games, getting attacked by tiny fish while scuba diving then freaking out, spontaneous road trips, long walks on the beach (JKJK!!), watching the beginning of Lion King, watching my brothers play baseball, listening to music from Beauty and the Beast
Occupation: Student
Industry: Education/Research
Message: message me
AIM:  twycethaspice
Member Since:
7/29/2004
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| What strikes me about the sky after dark is how it can change so swiftly. It's as if it thinks no one is watching so the scenery progressions don't have to be slow. But they are still just as sneaky. You look at the moon and gasp at how gigantic it appears, and then a minute later its back to normal size like a puffer fish that has been deflated. The moon does a tricky dance. Sometimes its all shady and other times its glowing shamelessly. If I were to say what gender the moon would be (which is non-sensical because moons have no gender where I come from, though Mother earth does) that is if i had to say, it would be a woman as well. I chose female because the moon is both flighty, mysterious and glamorous.
It's no matter though, because I believe we can all relate to the moon. We play games. We are often hiding a portion of ourselves in the darkness or behind some clouds. It is rare that we glow to the intensity that we are capable of. Dullness is our comfort zone, but the true light remains constant. What does not is our exposure to the light. The less we are exposed to the true light, the less we shine, for we are only the reflection.
A reflection is never better or even as good as the original image. Humans were created in the image of God. God is invisible. Christ is the image of the invisible God. He's not a mere reflection, He is the image. We were created in Christ. True Christians reflect Christ. How brightly Christ is reflected depends on how much exposure there is to the light. (Gen 1:27; Col 1:15-16; Eph 2:10; 2 Cor 3:18)
We run and hide when we sin. It's as old as the Garden of Eden. But thats the opposite of what we should do. We should face God, take responsibility for our sins and beg for mercy and grace. If I know anything about God it's that true repentance=true forgiveness. The people we hurt might not forgive, and the bad consequences of our actions may not disappear, but God is faithful and just to forgive AND cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). The soul will be restored, though it may still bear the scars and weaknesses from the fall.
The point is, we may be able to just change faces and fool the world, but there is one who we cannot fool. He is the one who is powerful enough to speak the sun and moon into existence. He is the one we were made to reflect. In Him is life and that life is the light of men (John 1:4)
How much of the true light are you being exposed to? Are you a steady reflection or a dull rock? | | |
| I need to keep this before my eyes.
Jesus is my Strength and my Song. He is my Mighty Warrior and there is no one that has my heart like He does. He is my Rock and my Shelter, Through Him I know I can overcome anything. Though weeping may endure for the night, joy comes in the morning. He is my Deliverance. He is mighty to save. My Strong Tower, my Hope, and my Delight. He is my Love.
He is faithful to me. He adores me 100%, because He has committed Himself to me in lovingkindness and tenderheartedness. He alone has my best interest at heart.
He told me this morning that:
'Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion! Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land, everlasting joy will be theirs
I will rejoice greatly in my Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothede me with garments of salvtation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.
You will be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. It will no longer be said to you "Forsaken" Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate" But you will be called "My delight is in her" and your land, "Married" For the Lord delights in you.
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you.
And you will be called "sought out, a city not forsaken" '
--Excerpts from Isaiah 61-62 He is the source of my strength and the strength of my life so I will lift my hands in total praise of Him. He is the rock of my salvation, the mountain I can run to. When all other ground is sinking sand on Christ the solid rock I stand, I go to the Rock. There is a Fountain Who on earth can satisfy my soul like You?
Who on earth can comfort me and love me like You do,
Who on earth can be more faithful too,
I will trust in You, I will trust in You my God
Chorus:
There is a fountain
Who is a king
Victorious Warrior and Lord of Everything
My Rock, My Shelter
My very own
Precious Redeemer who reigns upon the throne
Living water rain down Your life on me Cleansing me, refreshing me, with life abundantly River full of life I'll go where You lead I will trust in You, I will trust in You, my God (Chorus) Bridge: Who could ever be more faithful and true
Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus,
Lord Jesus, there's none like You
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| "God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
I John 4:16-18
A close friend asked me today what my greatest fear in life is. My response was that my greatest fear in life was that I would disappoint God by living a mediocre life, not reaching my potential in glorifying Him. I consider it a good day when I don't worry so much about if I'm pleasing God or not. But that's not most days. On most days my mind is overwhelmed with worrying about if I did the right thing, if I'm doing the right thing, or if I will do the right thing to make God happy and make Him love me.
Why do I do that? Why am I so paranoid that God is going to one day decide that I'm just not worth the sacrifice He made in purchasing my pardon? Well, I know the cost is great and the debt that I owe is greater than I could ever fulfill. Isn't that why the Bible says to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil 2: 12b) ?
And also,
"But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (I Pet 1:15-19)
So how are we supposed to be living in this fear, but also living in love that casts out the fear? It sounds so contradictory. It's got to be a beautiful paradox somehow. It's got to make sense. I'm just starting to delve into the mystery of the harmony of love and fear.
Looking at the context in I John 4, "fear" is in reference to judgment. When love is made complete in us, it gives us confidence for the day of judgment, but when it is not matured in us, there is fear when it comes to an examination of our works. This part makes sense to me. If you aren't truly doing works out of love, it will be consumed in the fire of Jesus' eyes. He sees through the "good Christian" act that we put on by doing good deeds. If those deeds aren't done in love they make a clanging noise (I Cor 13). Imagine if you were God and you had to hear that clanging all the time. How annoyed would you get? Just think of how you feel about your alarm clock. That's probably an idea of how God feels when we just won't stop repeating the awful noise of good works with selfish ulterior motives. You may look good to other people, but they won't be judging your works in the white throne judgment. (Rev 3 :15-19)
If you know that your works are shallow, and that Jesus can see your real motives, then you'll be afraid of how your works will be judged by Him.
The "fear" referred to in the I Pet reference, as well as the one in Phil 2 both mean a different kind of fear. It is what made Moses take off His sandals. It is what Isaiah felt when he fell on His face before the Lord in Is. 6. It is the effect of the Lord's long-anticipated answer to Job from ch's 38-41. It is what David expressed in psalm when realized that not just anyone could stand before the Lord, and that no one could without His great mercies. It is what John stood in awe of when recieving the revelation.
That fear is in direct response to God's holiness.
...to be continued...
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| I'm up pretty dang late tonight and I don't know whether to attribute it to the fact that I had a big Sobe energy drink, or the fact that there's just a lot on my mind right now. As of lately I have not been very good at expressing myself because myself has often confused me into perplexity. Sometimes I think that life would be so much easier if my heart and my mind were on the same page, at the same time, all the time. I wish it not only for important decision-making, but even for the times when my feelings are so uneasy and there is really no good explanation that my mind can tell why. This has been my state for oh so long and I fear I will never exactly learn how to cope with it.
For at least a couple years back I can remember being tortured by the sometimes a blessing but more often a curse of a deep mind. They are like the seas, deep minds, for the deeper they are the more treacherous the storms. These high waters have been my home and these violent seas my abode. It seems, at times that I am stuck there needlessly. Like I brave the tempests only to survive and not to hunt a giant whale or discover new worlds.
Of course I know there exists purpose in a general way. There is a God and I do have a relationship with Him. But I am simply not convinced of my specific purpose and that derails my soul's motivation. Of course I see many opportunities that look wonderful and would be great to choose, but that's just it. I can't seem to choose. I used to think that taking it one day at a time is the very key to unlocking one's future, as it comes of course. But I am starting to understand that I need to look well into a future plan for my life because decisions I make now will choose a course with or without me. The captain of a ship knows where he's setting out to (never mind Jack Sparrow). The point is that he has a destination. He doesn't just move out from the port, let out the sails, and let the wind and water him wherever they fancy. That would most likely end in destruction.
I still don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight, but someday I will.
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| In my New Testament Backgrounds class on Thursday I learned some specific details about the crucifixion that I had never heard before, or at least had never realized. He was truly stripped of everything: honor, clothes, even his flesh. But even worse than all of that combined is the excruciating pain of sin's curse.
The separation from His Father who He was so close to that they were one, was unimaginably depressing as His soul cried out "My God, My God! Why have You forsaken me?" I cringe when I hear those words read from scripture. Such hopelessness and despair! I know now that even my darkest night and my fiercest storm will never even touch the beginning of the sorrows that were inflicted upon my Jesus.
The physical pain was more than any man had borne before or has ever borne since. Some wonder if the movie the Passion of the Christ overdramatized the injuries inflicted on our Lord. I personally was astonished that someone even thought that! If that doesn't prove how much we belittle the cross, I don't know what would make it more obvious.
Unless, of course we look at our lives. If we really knew the depths of the agony that He went through in carrying our sin, I don't think we'd commit half the sins that we do.
And we wonder why the world doesn't believe He really died for our sins!!!
Yeah, I know He died for me. Yes I know that He bore my sins and that He loves me, but if I really grasped the extent of the pain and sorrow and shame that He took for me how would I live differently? How would you live differently? How WILL we live differently?
"...Only Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ..." (Phil 1:27)
(2 Cor 5:7; Gal 6:14; Col 2:13-15; Is. 53; Ps 22)
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