There had been many times in my life wherein I had overcommitted myself and I tried my best to deliver, but I ended up wrecking projects and relationships with people instead when, at the last minute, it finally hit me that I couldn't do it. Not because I really couldn't, but because my rebellious streak is making me passive-aggressive, and thus immobilizing me from being productive at all.
It's been an issue with me, this passive-aggressive streak. It's about time I asked God to heal me of this. It's been hampering my business relationships, and it harms my testimony for Christ.
I should learn to say NO.
No wonder Rick Joyner said "Human compassion is just as contrary to ME (God) as human oppression." (The Vision, I dunno if it's a paraphrase or it's verbatim, but that's what Rick Joyner said.)
To the people I've hurt, I truly am sorry. I should have just said "no."
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Flowers Out My Window
A couple of months ago, I had established a couple of "love symbols" with God: flowers and dogs. Whether I get to just behold a flower or a dog with my eyes, or I get to pick the flower and press it in my diary, or just look at and admire the beauty of the dog or pet and play and communicate with it, either is a reminder of how God loves me, to me.
This is a very emotional time in my life, and I just couldn't help but be "businesslike," meaning just try to rush through my morning prayers, do my "duties" with God, and be on with my day and fill it with as much moneymaking as I can muster.
But as I was praying for an authority figure in my life, I noticed my inner voice grow faint. This is usually a sign that God wants me to stop, or there is sin in my heart. I started to pray again, asking God if there is sin in my heart. He said, "Don't pray."
Startled, I opened my eyes. And this is what I beheld:
This picture certainly does not give justice to the true beauty of the (are these Narra flowers?) flowers out my window.
I purposefully moved from my desk by my bed in order to behold them again. God is so loving. God is so kind. Even in my disobedience, He made the Narra bear flowers to comfort me in these dark hours of mine. :)
Friends, our peace is not of this world. That only when the rest of the world is calm do we have peace. But our peace is that of Christ's: in the midst of destruction and desecration, we are unfathomably placid.
I love my Lord and Savior, my Master, against whom I am so remiss... He is a better Lover than any human man could get, and to think...
I'm engaged.
Take it from me, girls. I love being loved by my fiance, but Jesus tops him anyday.
This is a very emotional time in my life, and I just couldn't help but be "businesslike," meaning just try to rush through my morning prayers, do my "duties" with God, and be on with my day and fill it with as much moneymaking as I can muster.
But as I was praying for an authority figure in my life, I noticed my inner voice grow faint. This is usually a sign that God wants me to stop, or there is sin in my heart. I started to pray again, asking God if there is sin in my heart. He said, "Don't pray."
Startled, I opened my eyes. And this is what I beheld:
This picture certainly does not give justice to the true beauty of the (are these Narra flowers?) flowers out my window.
I purposefully moved from my desk by my bed in order to behold them again. God is so loving. God is so kind. Even in my disobedience, He made the Narra bear flowers to comfort me in these dark hours of mine. :)
Friends, our peace is not of this world. That only when the rest of the world is calm do we have peace. But our peace is that of Christ's: in the midst of destruction and desecration, we are unfathomably placid.
I love my Lord and Savior, my Master, against whom I am so remiss... He is a better Lover than any human man could get, and to think...
I'm engaged.
Take it from me, girls. I love being loved by my fiance, but Jesus tops him anyday.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Women, Be Secure! (Take it from Deborah!)
When I was younger, I had read about the story of the judge Deborah, and I had been impressed with her life to the point of sheer admiration, then until now. But it's only today that I understood another dimension of her personhood.
The main lesson in her life that was the lesson that God is calcifying in me in this season is exactly Pastor Jim Laffoon's point in this article: that a woman should know her place in ministry: it is always behind men.
I had been ignorant, even rebellious, of that principle, because my generation saw women glorifying feminism and the rise of women's lib. I grew up being told by my parents, my teachers, and most adults around me of my potentials for "greatness." I grew up thinking that I should be doing what men are doing.
And yet, gloriously, God started steering me towards submission to men and understanding that when I would already be ready to fit the shoes He's shining for me, I still have to work in submission to men in authority. Though I had started to understand the non-negotiability of that, it was actually just early this year that I started realizing one reason why women are supposed to be in the background.
As I was going through my Victory Weekend late February, I had seen been witness to several anointed women preaching in public. I noticed that when they would speak up front, there would be subtle changes in their tone, body language, and even words, depending on the audience's reactions, and probably depending on the state of their heart. This is not to disparage women, but let me get to my point. I realized that our true gift as women is that we are more attuned to the Spirit: to the emotions, to the things that are unseen to the naked eye.
This gift is both a good and bad thing: because we are more attuned, we can pinpoint how our friends feel and react accordingly, we can better understand what they need at the moment, and we can minister better because of our sensitivity.
And yet, the downside is that in terms of preaching, decision-making and the like, I believe that women indeed do have to give the floor to the men, so to speak. In my walk with God, I noticed that I get flighty, I decide based on what the circumstances tell me, and I go back on my word. These past few weeks, God had been showing me that He is a PLAN A God. Meaning, even if I make the most unwise of decisions, He steers me back to where He had wanted me to be in, in the first place. He is a God who prefers discipline. Because in being disciplined, you learn the wisdom when to make exceptions.
I noticed that women need more boundaries as regards to time management, to caring about others, and in reacting to situations, or even just body language. This goes back to the trait of being sensitive in that women just find it easy to prioritize the need of a person, over the structure or systems of the way things should be run.
That is why men take precedence in running the structure and systems of the church and the ministry, while women should be the ones to take care of those who are wounded, need healing, and who need to be taught how to fly.
Indeed, the man is the haligi ng tahanan, while the woman is the ilaw ng tahanan. We are uniquely made; we need each other. There is God's glory all over our differences. We should understand our Shape, and understand where we belong and rest in the knowledge that God uses us even as we work behind and in support of men. :)
It is strange to me that I learned to move in contentment of my role, but I can only attribute that to God opening my eyes, one layer at a time. :)
I love You, JESUS!!!
Enjoy the article, ladies! (Gentlemen, you can enjoy this too, if you have a mind to peer into our world. This was written by another man, after all.:p)
Lessons in the Life of the Judges: Deborah - A Mother in Israel
By Jim Laffoon
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.
She sent for Barak, son of Abinoam, from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariot and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” Judges 4:4-7
“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.” Judges 5:6-7
All of Israel had been cruelly oppressed for more than twenty years. Crushed repeatedly by the nine hundred iron chariots of Sisera, they had been reduced to an impoverished broken nation. The roads had been abandoned and normal life for many of the people had ceased. God, however, had not forgotten them.
In answer to their prayers, he raised up a leader. Her name was Deborah – a mother in Israel. Through her prophetic gifting and wise counsel, she challenged all of Israel to rise up and throw off the yoke of their oppressors.
Finally, because of her faith, an obscure warrior named Barak answered her call to lead the armies of Israel. Under their leadership, Sisera and his diabolical legions were utterly destroyed.
What lessons can we learn from this amazing story of how God used one woman to change a nation?
First, wherever you look in the body of Christ today, it is clear that God is calling women to rise up into their destiny. Whether they are students, professionals, or stay-at-home moms, God is calling them to take their place at the forefront of the spiritual battles that are defining our age.
Second, Deborah was a prophetess. If you are going to fully come into God’s unique purpose for your life, it is critical that you understand the gifts that He has given you. Whether your gift is evangelism, teaching, healing, or mercy, the understanding of how your gift operates is critical to your destiny.
Third, she was a mother. In an hour when much of society has denigrated motherhood, it is vital that you and I see its importance. Motherhood is at the very essence of God’s plan to change history, because he has given mothers the privilege of shaping the lives of their children in their most formative years.
It is typically the hand of a mother, not the hand of God, that carefully lays the initial blocks in a child’s spiritual foundation. These early moments in a child’s development cannot be minimized, because they will become the very foundation stones upon which the child’s whole life will rest.
Fourth, unlike some anointed women I have known, Deborah was secure enough in her anointing and her womanhood to understand and respect the role God had given men. Even though she was Israel’s prophetess, she realized that the responsibility of leading Israel’s armies belonged to a man.
Her acknowledgement of Barak’s leadership, despite his initial reluctance to obey God’s call, gives us a unique perspective on the role of women and men in ministry.
May your eyes be opened to the unique calling that God has placed on your life as you ponder these words today.
© Copyright 2005 by Jim Laffoon
The main lesson in her life that was the lesson that God is calcifying in me in this season is exactly Pastor Jim Laffoon's point in this article: that a woman should know her place in ministry: it is always behind men.
I had been ignorant, even rebellious, of that principle, because my generation saw women glorifying feminism and the rise of women's lib. I grew up being told by my parents, my teachers, and most adults around me of my potentials for "greatness." I grew up thinking that I should be doing what men are doing.
And yet, gloriously, God started steering me towards submission to men and understanding that when I would already be ready to fit the shoes He's shining for me, I still have to work in submission to men in authority. Though I had started to understand the non-negotiability of that, it was actually just early this year that I started realizing one reason why women are supposed to be in the background.
As I was going through my Victory Weekend late February, I had seen been witness to several anointed women preaching in public. I noticed that when they would speak up front, there would be subtle changes in their tone, body language, and even words, depending on the audience's reactions, and probably depending on the state of their heart. This is not to disparage women, but let me get to my point. I realized that our true gift as women is that we are more attuned to the Spirit: to the emotions, to the things that are unseen to the naked eye.
This gift is both a good and bad thing: because we are more attuned, we can pinpoint how our friends feel and react accordingly, we can better understand what they need at the moment, and we can minister better because of our sensitivity.
And yet, the downside is that in terms of preaching, decision-making and the like, I believe that women indeed do have to give the floor to the men, so to speak. In my walk with God, I noticed that I get flighty, I decide based on what the circumstances tell me, and I go back on my word. These past few weeks, God had been showing me that He is a PLAN A God. Meaning, even if I make the most unwise of decisions, He steers me back to where He had wanted me to be in, in the first place. He is a God who prefers discipline. Because in being disciplined, you learn the wisdom when to make exceptions.
I noticed that women need more boundaries as regards to time management, to caring about others, and in reacting to situations, or even just body language. This goes back to the trait of being sensitive in that women just find it easy to prioritize the need of a person, over the structure or systems of the way things should be run.
That is why men take precedence in running the structure and systems of the church and the ministry, while women should be the ones to take care of those who are wounded, need healing, and who need to be taught how to fly.
Indeed, the man is the haligi ng tahanan, while the woman is the ilaw ng tahanan. We are uniquely made; we need each other. There is God's glory all over our differences. We should understand our Shape, and understand where we belong and rest in the knowledge that God uses us even as we work behind and in support of men. :)
It is strange to me that I learned to move in contentment of my role, but I can only attribute that to God opening my eyes, one layer at a time. :)
I love You, JESUS!!!
Enjoy the article, ladies! (Gentlemen, you can enjoy this too, if you have a mind to peer into our world. This was written by another man, after all.:p)
Lessons in the Life of the Judges: Deborah - A Mother in Israel
By Jim Laffoon
Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided.
She sent for Barak, son of Abinoam, from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead the way to Mount Tabor. I will lure Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariot and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’” Judges 4:4-7
“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in Israel.” Judges 5:6-7
All of Israel had been cruelly oppressed for more than twenty years. Crushed repeatedly by the nine hundred iron chariots of Sisera, they had been reduced to an impoverished broken nation. The roads had been abandoned and normal life for many of the people had ceased. God, however, had not forgotten them.
In answer to their prayers, he raised up a leader. Her name was Deborah – a mother in Israel. Through her prophetic gifting and wise counsel, she challenged all of Israel to rise up and throw off the yoke of their oppressors.
Finally, because of her faith, an obscure warrior named Barak answered her call to lead the armies of Israel. Under their leadership, Sisera and his diabolical legions were utterly destroyed.
What lessons can we learn from this amazing story of how God used one woman to change a nation?
First, wherever you look in the body of Christ today, it is clear that God is calling women to rise up into their destiny. Whether they are students, professionals, or stay-at-home moms, God is calling them to take their place at the forefront of the spiritual battles that are defining our age.
Second, Deborah was a prophetess. If you are going to fully come into God’s unique purpose for your life, it is critical that you understand the gifts that He has given you. Whether your gift is evangelism, teaching, healing, or mercy, the understanding of how your gift operates is critical to your destiny.
Third, she was a mother. In an hour when much of society has denigrated motherhood, it is vital that you and I see its importance. Motherhood is at the very essence of God’s plan to change history, because he has given mothers the privilege of shaping the lives of their children in their most formative years.
It is typically the hand of a mother, not the hand of God, that carefully lays the initial blocks in a child’s spiritual foundation. These early moments in a child’s development cannot be minimized, because they will become the very foundation stones upon which the child’s whole life will rest.
Fourth, unlike some anointed women I have known, Deborah was secure enough in her anointing and her womanhood to understand and respect the role God had given men. Even though she was Israel’s prophetess, she realized that the responsibility of leading Israel’s armies belonged to a man.
Her acknowledgement of Barak’s leadership, despite his initial reluctance to obey God’s call, gives us a unique perspective on the role of women and men in ministry.
May your eyes be opened to the unique calling that God has placed on your life as you ponder these words today.
© Copyright 2005 by Jim Laffoon
Stay At Home Moms, This is For YOU (And me, too! In the future, that is...)
The day I had read Ms. Marie Bonifacio's blog last year, that was the day that I realized that it is truly important for a mom to make sure that her kids grow up right.
I am planning to be a stay at home mom when I become a mommy, and Jim Laffoon's sermon validated me. :)
I am planning to be a stay at home mom when I become a mommy, and Jim Laffoon's sermon validated me. :)
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Grace.
Hi guys, if you read stuff that I write that seem "off," I pray that you would pray for me more, rather than to think that I might be going off the "deep end," or that you would judge me for my "wrongdoing," whatever it is that you may see.
There are things that each of us deal with that would seem like we are getting lost again, but please be assured that I have people here who love me and who help me grow, and I pray that you would be surrounded with people who would find it a joy to help you grow too. I am a work in progress, and I may stumble at times, but the important thing is to get up again and walk on.
Sometimes you and I would need to run. Sometimes we need to slow down and just walk. Sometimes, we stumble and fall, and when we fall down and Jesus sets us back on our feet, we may limp. Sometimes we crawl, bruised and bleeding. Sometimes, we are virtually dead, and we need to be carried.
But remember that our God, our Jesus, the Lover of our Soul, had raised Lazarus from the dead. He can surely raise us from a virtual flatline*.
The peace of Christ is not the kind of peace that the world is crying out for: EXTERNAL, BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCE.
Instead, it is a kind of peace that wells up from within. An unfathomable peace, that allows you to be still, even as the world around you trembles and quakes.
Be still. Relish His peace. Relish His love. Relish His presence. Delight in Him.
He deserves our praise.
*flatline: when the heart monitor goes dead and there is only a flat line, meaning the person is already dead.
There are things that each of us deal with that would seem like we are getting lost again, but please be assured that I have people here who love me and who help me grow, and I pray that you would be surrounded with people who would find it a joy to help you grow too. I am a work in progress, and I may stumble at times, but the important thing is to get up again and walk on.
Sometimes you and I would need to run. Sometimes we need to slow down and just walk. Sometimes, we stumble and fall, and when we fall down and Jesus sets us back on our feet, we may limp. Sometimes we crawl, bruised and bleeding. Sometimes, we are virtually dead, and we need to be carried.
But remember that our God, our Jesus, the Lover of our Soul, had raised Lazarus from the dead. He can surely raise us from a virtual flatline*.
The peace of Christ is not the kind of peace that the world is crying out for: EXTERNAL, BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCE.
Instead, it is a kind of peace that wells up from within. An unfathomable peace, that allows you to be still, even as the world around you trembles and quakes.
Be still. Relish His peace. Relish His love. Relish His presence. Delight in Him.
He deserves our praise.
*flatline: when the heart monitor goes dead and there is only a flat line, meaning the person is already dead.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Forgiveness is a Choice.
I wish all those guys sending those postcards at PostSecret.com understood that forgiveness is a choice. It is not something they "must wait to feel." The moment you decide to forgive someone, the feelings will soon follow. I pray that whoever reads this would have an epiphany regarding forgiveness.
Lord, Vindicate Me!
It would be easier to project how wonderful my life is and to deceive myself, as well as my foes, that I am fine, but why not take the high road and finally admit to myself and humanity that I too am a blotched human being and the only reason why I am still standing...
...Is by the grace of Christ?
...Is by the grace of Christ?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Forgiveness
In the silence of the deep night
I long for Your voice
As I look at the trail of hearts I've broken,
It pains me that at the end of that trail
Is Your heart.
In those nights that I had longed for other lovers
I now wonder why
I could not even bring myself to long for You.
You who died for me
You who picked me from the dust
You who never wavered.
But as the dawn breaks
I see Your hand
Open
Nail-scarred
Inviting me
To come back home.
I long for Your voice
As I look at the trail of hearts I've broken,
It pains me that at the end of that trail
Is Your heart.
In those nights that I had longed for other lovers
I now wonder why
I could not even bring myself to long for You.
You who died for me
You who picked me from the dust
You who never wavered.
But as the dawn breaks
I see Your hand
Open
Nail-scarred
Inviting me
To come back home.
Ngano?
The day you died
Judas must have thought:
"This was a man who had loved me,
who gave me a chance when no one else could.
What have I done?!"
As the haze of deception clears from my eyes
All I could see is this crimson stain
on the floor
and it's all over my hands.
It's on my shirt,
It's even on my hair.
All I see is red.
The room is drenched in red.
Is this the gravity of my wrongs?
Is this the depth of my depravity?
How long had I cultivated my pride?
How long had I sought my own adoration?
Exhaustion sets in my bones.
I had longed for this moment,
to fully grasp how it is to hurt
a tender Man that I love.
How I wish that I were born
into such tenderness
that even through murder I would still be loved.
To honor.
What does that mean?
To love?
Did I even know what that meant?
But as Your blood turns to water that washes me free...
Only then do I realize what a relief it is that those crown of thorns you wore were not pushed upon my own head.
I pray to love You in only the way You deserve.
Meanwhile I cry, in my self-imposed exile.
Judas must have thought:
"This was a man who had loved me,
who gave me a chance when no one else could.
What have I done?!"
As the haze of deception clears from my eyes
All I could see is this crimson stain
on the floor
and it's all over my hands.
It's on my shirt,
It's even on my hair.
All I see is red.
The room is drenched in red.
Is this the gravity of my wrongs?
Is this the depth of my depravity?
How long had I cultivated my pride?
How long had I sought my own adoration?
Exhaustion sets in my bones.
I had longed for this moment,
to fully grasp how it is to hurt
a tender Man that I love.
How I wish that I were born
into such tenderness
that even through murder I would still be loved.
To honor.
What does that mean?
To love?
Did I even know what that meant?
But as Your blood turns to water that washes me free...
Only then do I realize what a relief it is that those crown of thorns you wore were not pushed upon my own head.
I pray to love You in only the way You deserve.
Meanwhile I cry, in my self-imposed exile.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Stop the Fear, Dudes!
From Mark Diaz's Blog:
Leap year. - The length of one year - the time it takes Earth to rotate around the Sun - is 365.2422 days. If we didn't have leap years, the seasons would shift about a quarter of a day every year and after 100 years, the seasons would be off by 25 days. The extra day on leap year adjusts this drift. A year is a leap year if it is divisible by four, but century years- years divisible by 100 are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400.
The calendar we are using is the Gregorian, but the most accurate and much older calendar was the Mayan, which was passed on by the Olmecs, Toltecs and the last one to adopt was the Aztecs. Mayan calendar have the long count, "Haab" 365 days (the same numbers of steps on the stairs of The Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza) and the short count "Tzolkin" 260 days, astrological. According to the Mayan calendar the Earth was destroyed many times by fire, wind and the last was water, was this the great flood during the time of Noah? The sad news is the Mayan calendar will end on December 21, 2012, in which the I-Ching of China also ends on the year 2012!!!
My Rebuttal:
FACTS:
-Satan is symbolized as a serpent and a dragon
-The Chinese used to worship the Dragon
-The Mayans' main god was Quetzalcoatl, characterized as a serpent with feathers.
Notes on Quetzalcoatl:
The name "Quetzalcoatl" literally means quetzal-bird snake or serpent with feathers of the Quetzal (which implies something divine or precious) in the Nahuatl language. The meaning of his local name in other Mesoamerican languages is similar.
The Maya knew him as Kukulkna; the Quiche as Gukumatz. The Feathered Serpent deity was important in art and religion in most of Mesoamerica for close to 2,000 years, from the Pre-Classic era until the Spanish Conquest.
Gukumatz was a culture hero who taught the Toltecs, and later the Maya, the arts of civilization, including codes of law, agriculture, fishing and medicine. He came from an ocean, and eventually returned to it. According to Mayan legend, Gukumatz will return to the Earth during the End Times. He also represents the forces of good and evil, similar to the ying-yang paradigm of Oriental religions.
THINK ABOUT THIS:
-Satan masquerades as an "Angel of Light".
-Satan impersonates Jesus. (Teaching people, returning to the ocean; One of Jesus' symbols is water, while a symbol of Christians and Christianity is the fish)
-Satan was bound for a time, but will be let loose to make war against Jesus' Bride, the Church, and God's destined offspring by adoption and apple of His eye: humans.
-Azazel, one of the fallen angels who may well be the Lucifer we know, liked teaching humans. (The Mayans and the Chinese were well versed in "divine arts," Azazel taught men how to make weapons, women he taught witchcraft, and even the use of eye shadow :p Now I know, Satan must be gay!!!)
-Satan hates humans with a passion.
-One main weapon of Satan is INTIMIDATION.
CONCLUSION:
COULD IT BE THAT 2012 IS ACTUALLY SATAN'S DUE DATE TO BE TOSSED INTO THE FIRES OF HELL, AND THAT HE IS INTIMIDATING US AND KEEPING US SCARED WITH SETTING US UP FOR THE FEAR OF THE END OF THE WORLD BACK IN THE ANCIENT TIMES?!
Think about it.
We were meant to rule with Jesus.
No one's dying as long as he is with Christ!
(Revelation 1:17b-18: Jesus holds the keys of DEATH and HADES!)
Leap year. - The length of one year - the time it takes Earth to rotate around the Sun - is 365.2422 days. If we didn't have leap years, the seasons would shift about a quarter of a day every year and after 100 years, the seasons would be off by 25 days. The extra day on leap year adjusts this drift. A year is a leap year if it is divisible by four, but century years- years divisible by 100 are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400.
The calendar we are using is the Gregorian, but the most accurate and much older calendar was the Mayan, which was passed on by the Olmecs, Toltecs and the last one to adopt was the Aztecs. Mayan calendar have the long count, "Haab" 365 days (the same numbers of steps on the stairs of The Mayan pyramid of Kukulkan at Chichen Itza) and the short count "Tzolkin" 260 days, astrological. According to the Mayan calendar the Earth was destroyed many times by fire, wind and the last was water, was this the great flood during the time of Noah? The sad news is the Mayan calendar will end on December 21, 2012, in which the I-Ching of China also ends on the year 2012!!!
My Rebuttal:
FACTS:
-Satan is symbolized as a serpent and a dragon
-The Chinese used to worship the Dragon
-The Mayans' main god was Quetzalcoatl, characterized as a serpent with feathers.
Notes on Quetzalcoatl:
The name "Quetzalcoatl" literally means quetzal-bird snake or serpent with feathers of the Quetzal (which implies something divine or precious) in the Nahuatl language. The meaning of his local name in other Mesoamerican languages is similar.
The Maya knew him as Kukulkna; the Quiche as Gukumatz. The Feathered Serpent deity was important in art and religion in most of Mesoamerica for close to 2,000 years, from the Pre-Classic era until the Spanish Conquest.
Gukumatz was a culture hero who taught the Toltecs, and later the Maya, the arts of civilization, including codes of law, agriculture, fishing and medicine. He came from an ocean, and eventually returned to it. According to Mayan legend, Gukumatz will return to the Earth during the End Times. He also represents the forces of good and evil, similar to the ying-yang paradigm of Oriental religions.
THINK ABOUT THIS:
-Satan masquerades as an "Angel of Light".
-Satan impersonates Jesus. (Teaching people, returning to the ocean; One of Jesus' symbols is water, while a symbol of Christians and Christianity is the fish)
-Satan was bound for a time, but will be let loose to make war against Jesus' Bride, the Church, and God's destined offspring by adoption and apple of His eye: humans.
-Azazel, one of the fallen angels who may well be the Lucifer we know, liked teaching humans. (The Mayans and the Chinese were well versed in "divine arts," Azazel taught men how to make weapons, women he taught witchcraft, and even the use of eye shadow :p Now I know, Satan must be gay!!!)
-Satan hates humans with a passion.
-One main weapon of Satan is INTIMIDATION.
CONCLUSION:
COULD IT BE THAT 2012 IS ACTUALLY SATAN'S DUE DATE TO BE TOSSED INTO THE FIRES OF HELL, AND THAT HE IS INTIMIDATING US AND KEEPING US SCARED WITH SETTING US UP FOR THE FEAR OF THE END OF THE WORLD BACK IN THE ANCIENT TIMES?!
Think about it.
We were meant to rule with Jesus.
No one's dying as long as he is with Christ!
(Revelation 1:17b-18: Jesus holds the keys of DEATH and HADES!)
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Coming Out
Finally, after years of hiding behind a "Christian" veneer: trying to be perfect, even though I am SORELY not perfect, I finally realized that I should stop trying to be perfect. I think I have finally come into my own; I finally feel safe in my own skin, and I am ready to allow the people who would need to learn from my life to know about my struggles: those I have overcome, and the current ones can be discussed with discretion.
Somewhere in the Bible, it says that what was once in the dark would eventually come to the light. There is no secret that can be hidden, and that is so true.
In my journey to victory, there were moments where my leaders were given insights into what I was facing, what I had faced in the past, and what I am a prisoner of. Those confrontations were not scary. They were loving, because as my sins got exposed to the light, I became free of them.
As one of my beloved friends prayed for me, to embrace rebuke, I encourage you, my readers (haha nagfifeeling, but then the faceboxes below do say that I have readers. Bleh. :p), to not run away from the Judgment seat of Jesus. If your leaders confront you, if you are shown areas of life that you should submit to God, embrace. Yield. Because these are healing, and these would help you.
Whether they said these in love or from a motivation that is less than love, consider these, and pray about these. If it was offensive, forgive, and seek God.
As John Eldredge (I think) said, Christianity is essentially a faith based on FORGIVENESS, just walk on, forgive, forgive, forgive the people who hurt you and continue to hurt you. It's the only way to shrug off all those excess bagages you're carrying. :)
And with that, here I am, signing off!
..With a sneak peek into my old coping-with-smoking-blog-slash-blog-when-i-am-sucidal that seems to have closure now. :)
Somewhere in the Bible, it says that what was once in the dark would eventually come to the light. There is no secret that can be hidden, and that is so true.
In my journey to victory, there were moments where my leaders were given insights into what I was facing, what I had faced in the past, and what I am a prisoner of. Those confrontations were not scary. They were loving, because as my sins got exposed to the light, I became free of them.
As one of my beloved friends prayed for me, to embrace rebuke, I encourage you, my readers (haha nagfifeeling, but then the faceboxes below do say that I have readers. Bleh. :p), to not run away from the Judgment seat of Jesus. If your leaders confront you, if you are shown areas of life that you should submit to God, embrace. Yield. Because these are healing, and these would help you.
Whether they said these in love or from a motivation that is less than love, consider these, and pray about these. If it was offensive, forgive, and seek God.
As John Eldredge (I think) said, Christianity is essentially a faith based on FORGIVENESS, just walk on, forgive, forgive, forgive the people who hurt you and continue to hurt you. It's the only way to shrug off all those excess bagages you're carrying. :)
And with that, here I am, signing off!
..With a sneak peek into my old coping-with-smoking-blog-slash-blog-when-i-am-sucidal that seems to have closure now. :)
Fascinating Take on Wicca
Being part of the mass of [former, hehe] teens who were fascinated by Wicca, as we grew up with massive exposure to pop witchraft schools of thought (i.e. Charmed, Harry Potter, etc.), I was link-chasing through AOL.com when I came across a post on Beverly Hills 90210, and I saw Shannen Doherty. Being a fan of hers when I was younger, and being a former fan of Charmed, I decided to finally catch up on the news on T.V. shows (I am soooo behind, but I don't mind; nevermind the puns and rhymes. :p). I knew that Charmed was canceled, but I didn't know why.
For me, the reason that underscores this would definitely because Jesus' Kingdom is on a relentless rise: The Kingdom is coming with a relentless, breakneck speed, and much of what we know before is just changing, in a drastic way, and God is tearing down our strongholds. Even shows like these, that seed the world with evil and indoctrinate our youth to what is not of God, have to go.
But it is inspiring, when a Christian has the courage to muddy her feet in something evil, even as Paul had admonished us to be "innocent as babes" when it comes to evil. I could only pray that Satan did not flog her family for her being a tool in helping people see witchcraft for what it is: a cheap substitute for our longings for Jesus.
I had long agreed that the want of the power that witchcraft can offer is based on that need inside us to have Jesus in our lives. We Christians know that we are created to be spiritual beings, and we know that God the Father had created us the desire to reach out to Him. We had been created to Walk with God, and even through sin and through all the hurts that humanity had experienced, nothing else has changed: we still desire God, and we could only experience Him through Jesus.
For me, witchraft is a pitiful substitute to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. True, we cannot levitate. We cannot command our laundry to disappear; I cannot command my stack of papers and books on the floor to arrange themselves and let me skip my chores. If there's anything I realized when I got more and more domestic, it's that God wants us to go through all this hard work, so as to birth character in us. As Paul said,
"..We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)
I am of the strong opinion that Witchcraft is nothing more than a pitiful attempt to make shortcuts for life.
Before I used to really, really want these shortcuts. Oh how I would love my laundry to disappear in the blink of an eye... Or a wave of a hand!
But alas, and alack, my God wants to birth righteousness and character in me. And so, every Monday, as Karess terms it, is my Labbath day. :p (Today is my personal Sabbath, along with Saturday, half-day. :p)
I can rant on and on about how witchcraft renders a person powerless instead of powerful. I hadn't practiced witchcraft, but I had ancestral roots, and I was close to dabbling in it, and I had participated in other supernatural activities that were detestable to God, in the past. These only seeded me with demons who wanted to exalt themselves over God, and who wanted to get me to exalt myself over my God!
So you can imagine how much I abhor witchcraft, or power that is not of Jesus, or even the lust of Jesus' power, of Simon the Sorcerer proportions! Yes, power should never be the reason why we come to Jesus and ask for the Holy Spirit. The only reason why we should even exercise the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is that we LOVE the person for whom we are praying or prophesying over or asking for healing for. To want Jesus' power for the power itself had turned me into a creature I now loathe, as I look back, and I pity all those men and women who were duped into loving themselves and into loving power for its sake. I hope they would soon see that they eventually turn into nothing more than replicas of Gollum, writhing after the One Ring of Power.
I pray that the men and women who are into witchcraft will see that they are nothing but slaves of satan, and that he has nothing but horrid plans for them: plans to drag them into hell, which was NEVER meant to be used for human spirits.
I pray that people would see how counterfeits like the lust for power that give birth into a desire for and bondage to witchcraft are no more than cleverly-designed red carpets to hell.
I pray that they would see the pestilence that they are opening into their lives via these practices. I pray they would get to look into the mirror and see the wan look of their eyes, the eyebags, and the weariness that comes from being battered by demons nightly.
It is not fun to be enslaved by demons. It is more, infinitely more fun to be a slave to Christ, a slave to righteousness. While they may say that we Christians are to be pitied because we seem to be un-free, they do not see the reality that it is better to be led through a narrow, strict, middle path to LIFE, than a wide, "happy" path to DEATH.
So now, without any further blabber from Lorie (Isn't it soo obvious that I seriously loathe the prison I just got out of?! A few more prisons to bolt from! Woohoo!), I bring you the article that inspired me.
And yes, I found it unethical to have you clickie the linkie, so I am instead requesting you, that after you read my posts, please make me a little happier by hopping on to my other blogs. :) (Multiply doesn't allow Javascript/CSS, so I can't put AdSense on here. Aww. :'( )
Multiply is essentially the Premiere of my ramblings, but I do write elsewhere. Please help me earn by clickie on the linkies. :) Tenkshu!
http://loriethereselocara.blog-city.com/
Enjooooooooooooy!!! Happy Tarsdi!!!
For me, the reason that underscores this would definitely because Jesus' Kingdom is on a relentless rise: The Kingdom is coming with a relentless, breakneck speed, and much of what we know before is just changing, in a drastic way, and God is tearing down our strongholds. Even shows like these, that seed the world with evil and indoctrinate our youth to what is not of God, have to go.
But it is inspiring, when a Christian has the courage to muddy her feet in something evil, even as Paul had admonished us to be "innocent as babes" when it comes to evil. I could only pray that Satan did not flog her family for her being a tool in helping people see witchcraft for what it is: a cheap substitute for our longings for Jesus.
I had long agreed that the want of the power that witchcraft can offer is based on that need inside us to have Jesus in our lives. We Christians know that we are created to be spiritual beings, and we know that God the Father had created us the desire to reach out to Him. We had been created to Walk with God, and even through sin and through all the hurts that humanity had experienced, nothing else has changed: we still desire God, and we could only experience Him through Jesus.
For me, witchraft is a pitiful substitute to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. True, we cannot levitate. We cannot command our laundry to disappear; I cannot command my stack of papers and books on the floor to arrange themselves and let me skip my chores. If there's anything I realized when I got more and more domestic, it's that God wants us to go through all this hard work, so as to birth character in us. As Paul said,
"..We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope." (Romans 5:3-4)
I am of the strong opinion that Witchcraft is nothing more than a pitiful attempt to make shortcuts for life.
Before I used to really, really want these shortcuts. Oh how I would love my laundry to disappear in the blink of an eye... Or a wave of a hand!
But alas, and alack, my God wants to birth righteousness and character in me. And so, every Monday, as Karess terms it, is my Labbath day. :p (Today is my personal Sabbath, along with Saturday, half-day. :p)
I can rant on and on about how witchcraft renders a person powerless instead of powerful. I hadn't practiced witchcraft, but I had ancestral roots, and I was close to dabbling in it, and I had participated in other supernatural activities that were detestable to God, in the past. These only seeded me with demons who wanted to exalt themselves over God, and who wanted to get me to exalt myself over my God!
So you can imagine how much I abhor witchcraft, or power that is not of Jesus, or even the lust of Jesus' power, of Simon the Sorcerer proportions! Yes, power should never be the reason why we come to Jesus and ask for the Holy Spirit. The only reason why we should even exercise the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is that we LOVE the person for whom we are praying or prophesying over or asking for healing for. To want Jesus' power for the power itself had turned me into a creature I now loathe, as I look back, and I pity all those men and women who were duped into loving themselves and into loving power for its sake. I hope they would soon see that they eventually turn into nothing more than replicas of Gollum, writhing after the One Ring of Power.
I pray that the men and women who are into witchcraft will see that they are nothing but slaves of satan, and that he has nothing but horrid plans for them: plans to drag them into hell, which was NEVER meant to be used for human spirits.
I pray that people would see how counterfeits like the lust for power that give birth into a desire for and bondage to witchcraft are no more than cleverly-designed red carpets to hell.
I pray that they would see the pestilence that they are opening into their lives via these practices. I pray they would get to look into the mirror and see the wan look of their eyes, the eyebags, and the weariness that comes from being battered by demons nightly.
It is not fun to be enslaved by demons. It is more, infinitely more fun to be a slave to Christ, a slave to righteousness. While they may say that we Christians are to be pitied because we seem to be un-free, they do not see the reality that it is better to be led through a narrow, strict, middle path to LIFE, than a wide, "happy" path to DEATH.
So now, without any further blabber from Lorie (Isn't it soo obvious that I seriously loathe the prison I just got out of?! A few more prisons to bolt from! Woohoo!), I bring you the article that inspired me.
And yes, I found it unethical to have you clickie the linkie, so I am instead requesting you, that after you read my posts, please make me a little happier by hopping on to my other blogs. :) (Multiply doesn't allow Javascript/CSS, so I can't put AdSense on here. Aww. :'( )
Multiply is essentially the Premiere of my ramblings, but I do write elsewhere. Please help me earn by clickie on the linkies. :) Tenkshu!
http://loriethereselocara.blog-city.com/
Enjooooooooooooy!!! Happy Tarsdi!!!
October 31, 2005, 8:28 a.m.
Bewitched
Wicca in America.
"Wicca has become incredibly popular in the past ten years," one witch in Salem, Massachusetts, told Catherine Edwards Sanders, author of Wicca's Charm : Understanding the Spiritual Hunger Behind the Rise of Modern Witchcraft and Pagan Spirituality. In her book, Sanders tries to find out just how big Wicca is (you'll find them in Salem but also in Topeka), what the attraction is, and what others can learn from them.
Sanders spoke to National Review Online editor Kathryn Lopez about Wicca for Halloween.
Kathryn Jean Lopez: Outside of watching repeats of Charmed, why would you want to give a moment's thought to Wicca, never mind write a book about it?
Catherine Edwards Sanders: When I asked five suburban Washington D.C.-area teenagers if any of them had Wiccan friends and they all raised their hands. This peaked my curiosity and I realized there was something more going on here. I actually received a journalism fellowship to write a series of articles about Wicca but was approached by a publisher right away to write a book. There was certainly enough subject material there and I realized that this was a growing trend, that had been reported on in books by Wiccans, but not by someone outside of Wicca...so I set out on a journey to learn why it was growing and to report on that.
Lopez: Isn't Wicca relatively harmless? Some pretty charms that can make decent jewelry, some nice scents, and easy Halloween costumes?
Sanders: It depends what kind of Wiccan you are. Some kids will pick up a love-spell book, say a spell or two and carry on with life. Others will meet in their coven to be part of a community, and then others will practice in a very ritualized way. I was surprised that almost every Wiccan I met, volunteered that there were darker elements to the practice.
Lopez: Who is your target audience with the book?
Sanders: The main target audience was...those of traditional religious backgrounds who are wondering what Wicca is; they might have a neighbor, daughter, or friend who is Wiccan and have no idea what to say to them and wonder what about Wicca interests them. I didn't want to only report that Wicca was growing, I wanted to report why.
Lopez: Are you one of those Harry Potter bashers?
Sanders: Since Harry Potter has nothing to do with Wicca, I didn't write much about the Potter books in my book. I do not bash the Potter books in my book, but I did find that they have led to corporate America wanting to get in on the witchcraft action — i.e. other publishers jealous of Scholastic's good fortune rushed to publish teen witch novels, teen witch how-to books, spell kits, etc.
Lopez: What would you like everyone — especially more traditional religious types — to know about Wicca?
Sanders: Everyone thinks they are Satan worshippers — not true. Also, that some of them have chosen Wicca because of failings of Christianity — as it has been practiced, not necessarily the gospel message. Most don't recruit or proselytize. Their beliefs are very postmodern — what they believe can be tweaked for each practitioner. They do not believe in absolute good or evil and don't really seem to care about the history of their religion — only the experiences they gain from it.
Lopez: Who is Gerald Gardner and why should I care?
Sanders: Gerald Gardner is the founder of Wicca. His life makes for a bizarre read. He was a British civil servant who lived overseas for much of the beginning of the 20th century. He lived in south Asia and became fascinated with local tribal culture, ritual knives, and nudity, among other things. He retired to the U.K. in the late 1930s and stumbled one day on what he called an "authentic coven of witches" practicing in the New Forest. He claimed that pagan witchcraft was the indigenous religious practice to those in the British Isles and that he, Gardner, was "re-discovering" this and called it Wicca. He coined the term "Wicca," which is an Anglo-Saxon word that he said meant "wise one." Wiccans sometimes say they practice the "Craft of the Wise." Gardner invented some rituals that included some of his own personal proclivities. He also added some rituals from the flamboyant Aleister Crowley who called himself the Beast 666 and said some atrocious things about women. Adding in a reverence for nature and the old Celtic calendar and you have the roots of Wicca. I was surprised that many young people who practice Wicca didn't know about either of these men.
Lopez: Have you gotten any Wiccan reaction to your book? Any curses put on you?
Sanders: No curses that I know of! Several Wiccans have said that I did a good job describing Wicca, but that because I was not a Wiccan, I could never fully understand it, which is fair. One recommended my book be required reading for clergies and seminaries! Several Wiccans and pagans simply attacked me on various blogs when it was evident to me as the author they had not read the book, which was irritating and somewhat mean-spirited, I thought. One blogger made several snide comments without having read it either so I asked him to read the book before commenting on it. He reviewed it and disagrees with my beliefs as a Christian, but I was glad he and other Wiccans have read it.
Lopez: What is the "cone of power" and can I get a piece of it without going Wiccan?
Sanders: The cone of power is the name for a "cone" of psychic energy that witches claim to conjure up from the earth into themselves. The goal is to visualize energy in the form of a spiral rising from the earth into the body and direct it toward a specific goal or task. I am sure they would let you join in their spiral dance to raise a cone of power — whether you would want to, is a different matter!
Lopez: Since we're online here: There are Wiccan emoticons? Can't they just smile and frown like the rest of us?
Sanders: This was wild, and part of my chapter on the commercialization of Wicca. Several books I read gave tips on how to communicate with other Wiccans online and use emoticons to communicate typical Wiccan phrases.
Lopez: Still, teens being tempted to go Wiccan over the net: Isn't that just adult paranoia?
Sanders: Actually adults don't usually know much about this. Most teens are very net-savvy and some might attend church with mom and dad but have an entire virtual community of Wiccan friends and contacts they have met online. Plus most teens have learned most of what they know about Wicca on the Internet.
Lopez: There's "sex magic"? If they read your book, frat guys might start inviting more witches to their keggers. Can it put Viagra out of business?
Sanders: Aleister Crowley was fond of "sex magic." Wiccans have very relaxed sexual standards; some believe in polyamory and don't necessarily encourage monogamy, although some are monogamous. I have never tapped into the magic myself, but they seem to like it.
Lopez: You talk a bit about strong Christian women in the Bible. Why don't feminists focus more on them?
Sanders: Good question. We could learn a lot from them. They might be inconvenient though with the more radical feminist views that Christianity is oppressive and patriarchal. I think that their stories are inspiring. The early church and Jesus treated women with dignity unheard of in the ancient, pagan world.
Lopez: How much Wicca is about feminism?
Sanders: Because Wicca is a pagan spirituality, emphasis is placed on Mother Earth, the Mother Goddess. Wicca found an agreeable companion in feminism as the feminist movement grew in the 1960s and 1970s. As women were looking to change things in the culture at large, they also looked to religion and liked the idea of a goddess.
Lopez: Is contemporary feminism inherently pagan?
Sanders: There are so many types of feminists in this country, that I couldn't honestly paint them with such a broad brush. Sure, some are literally pagan in their beliefs. And others have experienced legitimate discrimination as women. But I think that we wouldn't have ever needed feminism at all if professing Christians throughout history had lived according to the tenets of their faith (which we often don't) -i.e. to respect all regardless of sex or ethnic background.
Lopez: Reporting on Wicca has made you a better Christian?
Sanders: This was a surprise to me. I realized, as I stated above, that so much of what Wiccans seek can be found in Christianity as taught in scripture: Dignity for women, respect for all, stewardship of natural resources, supernatural reality, ritual, etc. As French mathematician Blaise Pascal said, we have a God-shaped void in our hearts. Theologian R .C. Sproul says we are created to long for the Holy. C. S. Lewis called this sehnsucht — a German word meaning "the longing for the mysterious and the wonderful." In other words, I believe we are created by a holy God to be in relationship with a holy God. Wicca is a way to fill that void with another form of the supernatural. Because of the Trinitarian nature of God, Christians don't need to look outside of their faith for this. I sympathize with the spiritual hunger Wiccans have for something more, but I don't agree that the answer is to be found in Wicca. Because of the doctrines of grace and redemption, Christianity offers extraordinary hope that I don't think Wicca can match.
Lopez: If you were ever tempted by Wicca, what aspect of it would draw you in?
Sanders: The focus on the supernatural — it would seem exotic.
Lopez: Anything -non-Wiccans can learn from them?
Sanders: I was struck by how much they care for the environment, women, and one another. While I don't think that Wicca provides an adequate basis for human dignity and the need to steward our resources, the fact that they raise these issues regularly made me think a little more seriously about living in community, how I treat my neighbors, and my attitude towards the environment. You can always learn something from someone else. Everyone has a story.
Lopez: At heart, though, aren't Wiccans something of just another left-wing group? Embracing generic peace and anti-globalization slogans, and no real substance?
Sanders: Many Wiccans are of the left-wing type you describe above, but they are an eclectic bunch. I met a right-wing, pro-life witch in North Carolina and another who serves patriotically in the military.
Lopez: Will any daughter of yours ever be allowed to wear a witch costume?
Sanders: Ha! If she were acting the part in play like Macbeth, I wouldn't mind. If it was for Halloween, I guess I'd want to know why she wants to dress up as a witch, or as anything for that matter. A decision to do door to door in a halter top and hot pants dressed as Daisy Duke, for example, would provoke some questions from me.
Lopez: Here's the real question that is on people's minds: Will a Wiccan ever become president? Could that be the last acceptable prejudice?
Sanders: Actually, I did quite a few of my interviews with Wiccans right after 9/11 and was surprised when several told me we had no right to condemn Osama Bin Laden for his and Al Qaeda's beliefs and actions. When I asked them what they would have done after 9/11 if they had been president, they shrugged and said that well they weren't, so it wasn't their problem. So, I didn't meet many aspiring to the job. If they did run for president, I don't think most Americans would go for it. But since Wicca was indeed declared a religion [by a U.S. court] in 1986, you never know!
* * *
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
An Ode to My Lover
My Lover is the wisest man in the universe. He is wisdom himself. He teaches me how to cook, how to write, how to speak to people who are powerful and in authority.
My Lover is mindful of me. He takes care to see to it that I am fed. He takes care to see that I am a happy lil girl. He makes sure that I enjoy sunrises and the sunsets. He makes sure I get adequate sleep and rest.
And yet my Lover is much like a Lion: regal, and he knows when to yield power when he needs to. He won’t relent till he can perfect righteousness in me.
The love of my life, Jesus, never fails to break my heart when He reminds me of what He did for me on the Cross. He never fails to break my heart when He speaks, and the world has no other choice but to agree. He is.. The only concrete entity that I have, and without Him, I am nothing.
Lord, thank you for loving me first. I would never have been freed without You. :)
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