My Last Blog

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas! I was thinking about my blog yesterday and what I should write next when I felt in my heart that God was done using me in this avenue. I felt He was telling me to focus on getting my magazine back together for the new year and to focus on getting my books (yes books I have successfully written two Christian novels over the past two years!) published. I just want to thank everyone who read, commented and supported me through this blog journey. I enjoyed passing on what I heard from God as I studied and spent time with Him. I want to thank Lashawn Barber who spoke to my Christian Journalism group and inspired me to start this blog and even though we bumped heads on many issues, I never stopped praying for her and that her walk with Christ is strengthened and blessed. Please go through my back logs of my blog by clicking on the month and year on the left hand side and continue to read and comment on them! I will get the comments and respond back! No blog is too old! I know my blog didn't reach readership and the worldly success of many other blogs but I felt my blog was successful in the sense that I was blessed by e-mails of people telling me how a certain blog I have written helped them in some way or opened their eyes in some way. I know that I am called to reach people through my writing, especially the youth. I also invite everyone to e-mail me telika8@elitemail.org for updates about the restoration process of my teen magazine and when my books will be published. I have faith that they will!

Now I just want to end this blog with this last thought: Don't forget about the Bible and hearing from God for yourself. I was reading Enjoying Everday Life Magazine, Joyce Meyer's magazine and she was celebrating that her book, Battlefield of the Mind has sold 2 million copies. There were testimonies of people saying that they don't know what they would've done without the book and how the book changed their lives. Now I am not against buying Christian resources (of course not I want to write myself lol!) But people still have to recognize that all of the answers are in the Word of God and that most Christian books and tapes and preachings all come from the Bible and are clarifications of the scripture, so make sure you don't forget to grab the Bible and read it and hear from God yourself as well. (2 Timothy 3:16)

GOD BLESS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!!!!!!!!

Throwing Away the Gauntlet for Good

God taught me yesterday that I was just as judgemental as the people I put my effort in trying to write to and teach about just loving and not judging. If you are a regular reader of my blog you may think that sounds strange, seeing that most my blogs are themed against being judgemental. I didn't know it myself, however I realized it and repented.

Let me start from the beginning, I grew up around drug and alcohol use. I'm not going to say exactly who but I was young and around it and I always knew it was wrong. I grew up hating drug and alcohol use and never used drugs or even tried smoking cigarettes. I very rarely drink alcohol and if I do at a celebration or something I don't get drunk. I realized that the people I know that heavily uses drugs and alcohol I have mentally judged. I don't think that I have made it obvious enough but I know it bothered me and I vented about it behind closed doors. I prayed to God for their punishment and proclaimed my hatred for it. It wasn't until yesterday when I was upset because I found out a new certain member of my family has started using drugs and I wasn't invited to her birthday party because she didn't want me to know this about her. I was so angry and threw a private fit to God. "Why God, why do they have to be like that?"

"Like what?" God asked.
"Why does everyone have to be weed smokers! Abolish this sin! Crack the whip Lord, Throw down the gauntlet!"

"It's a sin, yes a sin like everything else."
"Yes Lord I get it, I know I preach that I tell people not to judge but this is drugs! and she's only 20!"
"Pray about her salvation and leave it to me, why are you getting so angry? You still have your problems to work on."

"Because Lord...because....Oh you are right Lord, Praise You Father I need to repent about this."

I continued to pray until the feeling went away. I continued to pray until the pain of my past melted away. I continued to pray for their salvation and for blessings over their lives.

Today I write this blog freer then I have ever felt before. I believe that everyone has that one thing that the devil uses to keep them from praying for people's salvation and blessings. Satan put these dark glasses of judging a certain sin over our eyes to keep us from truly seeing how forgiving and loving God really is. For some Christians it's homosexuality, others it's fornication some it's liars but the truth is it's all sin and all paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ.

John 12:43-50"for they loved praise from men more than praise from
God.
Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does
not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees
the one who sent me.I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who
believes in me should stay in darkness.
"As for the person who
hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to
judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and
does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the
last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me
commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to
eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to
say."

To People with Problems with Certain Pastors, Teachers, Profits

When I was searching through Christian forums, I came across alot of discussion about certain high profile preachers, teachers, prophets and their imperfections, and most were rejecting their teachings because of that. Just because you may have a problem with certain preacher's wealth, lifestyle, etc doesn't mean that you can ignore their teachings and be judgemental (James 4:12), unloving (John 14:24), and untithing (Malachi 3:8) etc.

Now I could debate the validity of some of these high profile Christian teachers and I can plead for your mercy or prove that they are right or wrong etc but that really isn't the point. No matter what happens or what God's chosen leaders may or may not do you still have the Word of God for yourself. God is perfect and He will never leave, forsake or lie to you. (Titus 1:2-3, Deuteronomy 31:6) So if you doubt a certain Pastor's teaching because of his or her lifestyle then you should learn the Word of God for yourself.

The Bible is the awe inspired living Word of God. If you think you can't understand it alone, pray before you read it and find guide books and a translation that can help you. It's also still good to attend church to help yourself clearly get a message from the Bible that you may have missed. But you can't rely on the pastor's perfection because there is no such thing. You can't rely on a perfect church because there's no such thing. We all need to approach Christianity as a relationship with God and to never forget that. You could attend the worst church in the world but if you have a strong relationship with God, He will still show you what you need to know and He still will help you grow. For an example you can turn on the TV and hear a passage preached in the Bible. If that Word is wrong God will lead you to the right meaning or the right meaning for you in your life as you spend time with Him in His Word.

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"

Making Others Thankful

Last year I blogged about thanksliving and how we should all live our lives thankfully. This year I want to take the attention off of our thankfulness. Not that we shouldn't be thankful or notice our blessings, but we need to focus on other people and their lack of thankfulness. We should take the time to be the avenue in which someone is thankful. We should cause others to say I am thankful on this Thanksgiving because God brought you in my life. No only giving to charities and food baskets etc that are popular during the holidays but stopping to listen, sharing a Bible verse that you know has helped you. Praying for others. This Thanksgiving let's be thankful for helping to make others thankful.

My Place/Our Place in this World

Pastor Scott Schilder of New Life Christian Church was talking about people's place in this world and how we all have a place that God has for us. This got me thinking about me always knowing my place and purpose. Seriously, as a young child probably 9 or 10 (I became saved and baptized at 8) God sent me a very real vision of me writing and teaching other kids the Word of God. Being so young at first I didn't quite grasp it and yet I did. I knew it was from God however I didn't know exactly what it was. For a time I wanted to become a teacher and a singer and then it evolved into a writer. (But this whole time I always had a love for writing and kept journals, diaries etc.) Knowing your purpose early is a good thing but at the same time it's harder then those who have a hard time finding their purpose because you are filled with impatience and eagerness as you continue wonder when God, when will this happen for me? A couple of years ago I had another vision where God when into specifics with me about exactly what he wanted to happen in my life but He also made it clear to me that I will hinder this manifesting in my life or at least the good timing of it if I didn't get control of my flesh, my emotions and grow more in Him. I had found myself making the same mistakes, lashing out angrily and becoming depressed at every pitfall in my life. My vision was that I was going to publish this young adult book and that I was also going to publish this blog and my ministry is going to jump from there. That book wasn't even written at that time but I am happy to say it is finished and in the process of finding publishers and I have a great peace about it. In the mean time I have been finding myself drawing closer to God and turning to prayer everytime something upsets me in anyway and I find myself stronger and my life better from it.

Anyway the Pastor made some very good clear points today about everyone finding their place and he cited in Genesis 2:8 how God prepared the place before he puts man in it. Just as he fashioned this world before placing man in it. and that He knows that you have a place but you are not in it yet until it's fully prepared and your fully prepared to receive it. How can you be prepared to receive it? Hebrews 11:8 Obedience will bring you to your place. Genesis 22:3,9,14 Passing God's tests will bring you to your place. The closer you get to reaching your place the more trials and tests you will have. This isn't punishment from God but a way for Him to see that you have learned from the Word and What He has spoke into your life and that you are ready to move on. And finally Pastor Schilder had this great quote I think we all should remember when trying to find out purpose: "Walk the path of faith to find the place of promise."

NANOWRIMO PROJECT AGAIN THIS YEAR

check out my second blog for more info about it!!

I am on the Threshing Floor

There are various scriptures in the NIV Bible that talks about the threshing floor, After the harvest the wheat would be gathered and placed upon the “threshing floor,” a floor of stones set into the earth on a hilltop. It was then beaten or trampled to remove the grain from the rest of the plant. The wheat was then tossed repeatedly into the air and the wind would drive away the “chaff” while the grain would fall back upon the threshing floor to be gathered for use.

While studying the Bible I saw how in 2 Samuel 24:16 "When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." I am enduring my attacks right now. I am being beaten and trampled in my job (the writing part is great but I also have to sell advertising and I am having such a hard time) my marriage (my husband lately has seen to be pulling further away from me) and our finances (my husband just lost his job.) However I also can say that I am at the closest to God I have ever been. I have been hungering and thirsting for righteousness so much lately and I have been sowing seeds of love, forgiveness and always making sure to tithe even when my checks are at the lowest. Last night and this morning I was just giving my sorrows over to the Lord and praying my hardest and reading the Bible and God showed me how I was on the threshing floor. My "grain" is being pulled out and I just have to endure this.
2 Samuel 24:18 David Builds an Altar ] On that day Gad went to David and said to him, "Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." David built an altar to God on the threshing floor and Ruth made a request to Boaz by laying by his feet on the threshing floor. Ruth 3:2-4 "Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

I am laying before the feet of my God now on the threshing floor. I have joy despite all that's going on around me because I know that through all of this blessings will manifest in my life.