I love the LORD!

There is a popular worship song by Israel Houghton and in it the words go like this, "What does it mean to be saved, is it more than just a prayer to pray? More than just a Way to heaven? ... What does it mean to be his, to be formed in His likeness, to know that we have a purpose..."

The idea behind the words to this song probably has different meanings to different people, and the idea that it makes me think of is one of forgiveness. There are so many people saved, unsaved churched, and unchurched that all have different understandings of the Cross. But one thing I have learned of the Cross is Forgiveness. I have learned how to be forgiven - and I have learned what forgiveness really means.
The bible says that "anyone that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved". So if you are someone that has called on the name of Jesus for Salvation and you believe with all your heart that He is Lord and Saviour, then you are saved.
There is so much more, though, that comes AFTER you say the name of Jesus.
Some people think asking for Salvation is the end.... I thought that. But it is only the beginning.
Forgiveness of sin is more than just asking to be forgiven, or in other words, asking not to be punished for doing wrong.
See, when you recognize sin in your life, and acknowledge it before the Lord, that is being aware.
See, He already forgave you when He hung on the Cross 2,000 years ago. In a way, you almost don't even have to ask... but the kicker is this... Since you ARE already forgiven... do you continue to sin? Do you still choose to do what is wrong in god's sight?

the Bible says that the wicked thinks that no one sees them...maybe not in the flesh (actually seeing them commit a sinful act or illegal deed), but the truth and core of the matter is... are you doing what is Right or what is Wrong? And there IS a difference.

Everyday is filled with choices, from the clothes you put on your back to the attidue you choose to have to the music you listen to to the choice of what you fill your mouth with (food and drink).
Everything is a choice.
The point being gotten and the question being asked is this:
Are you doing the Lord's Will for your life?

How do you know?
(You back it up with the Word of God... prayer... etc.)

The first two commandments, "Put nothing before the Lord thy God and love thy neighbor as thyself."

Where Faith Meets Life

Life is what we make it, so some say. And life is what you get, some others might say. But whatever you say, life is life, and to those that live, it is worth living for.
"To live is Christ, to die is gain", said Apostle Paul.
Yet sin is death, and Righteousness is the Way of life everlasting... so, I guess it comes down to your own personal understanding-perception- what you make your life about.

I recently watched the movie Shawshank Redemption. It is a favorite of mine, and there is a point where the main character says,
"Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'" in regard to a prisoner that had been let free, and didn't know how to live a free life.
And Christianity is like that. a prisoner set free.
Set free from sin.
But how many people set free from the chains of wickedness sin and unrighteousness have gone back into bondage because they didn't know how to live free?

I know it happens to people, but it doesn't have to.
People can learn to be free, without feeling weird.
And that is the trap of sin- people get comfortable with thier chains and don't know how to feel without them.
But I guess they need to realize that the chains are weighing them down. Holding them back.. making it harder for them to get to where they need to be in God.. or to "the prize" if you will.
People have needs. Not just physical, not only monetary, not just food for thier tummies. People have real emotional heartfelt needs to be loved, cherished, respected, and appreciated.
An observation would be that when people's emotional or mental or spiritual needs aren't met, they meet the need with something less than Love.

Love conquers all, and Love is the answer to the need. And I can't sit here and define it or say it's real easy to do, because it is and it isn't. But Love is the answer and part of loving is learning how to love, and live together in unity.

Life is beautiful, and I think love is what makes it so.

~Love~

O, Praise Him~

I have left off to write or post any update on i angel for a while, not only for a lack of what to write, but because I have been busy being blessed by the LORD!
All my life one thing that I have always desired and prayed for and asked the LORD for has been a holy relationship with a godly man, in marriage.
I had tried to force relationships before, cried and worshipped and waited and quit waiting and finally the LORD began preparing my heart ( I knew He was up to Something with the things He was revealing to my heart a bit before it began happening).
Now I have met the man that I desire to spend the rest of my life with, and how can I describe the Word to define the joy, pure love and sheer pleasure of being with the man God chose me for!?!? GLORIOUS!

I never thought just being around someone could be so mutually fun, enjoyable, loving, exciting, challenging and interesting all at the same time, and it is all those things~
I have really been wanting to come to my blog pot and write a good report and I kept delaying just because I hadn't made time to, but here it is. And my main goal is to tell everyone reading this, to never give up on what God promises you.
It may take a very long time to get to where He takes you, but if you keep Faith, and continue to believe and not give in or give up or sell out or settle for less, He will Keep His Promise. And they ARE better than we expect!!!

Thank You Father, for Being SO Good to us, Your Children!
Love The LORD for He is good, His mercy endures forever~

Loving Others as Yourself

For work I do hair; I work one one one with people- touching them, talking to them and getting pretty upclose and personal, at least in ther face.
I think about people, in general, like, I guess you can say in almost a psychological way, but with the love of Christ- because we people are so complex and unique that we can only be truly seen through the eyes of God through Christ.
Well, yesterday at work I was a little busy. I was working on some boy's hair and a lady came in and askd how long for a haircut and I told her about ten minutes.
I was done and went to get the lady and do her hair cut, and it turned out to be a bit difficult than I expected. The lady had very short hair and wanted more and more taken off and when I was done she began complaining and it winds up she didn't pay and caused a bit of a scene - and besides all of this (because these kinds of things are somewhat "expected SOMETIMES" considering working with the public) the point I want to make here is I learned something from the lady.
For one she was angery. She seemed to have a major attitude problem and without going into all kinds of detail what I learned is pretty deep-

and it's about people loving others as themselves- and how some people who are hateful towards others, really have hatred indside for themselves.
When the lady had left the salon I had alreay went in the back and was praying because the lady was really argumentative- and I did not want to lose my job over her much less be in an argument or in a bad mood so I went away and prayed and I realized that her anger and bad attitude had nothing to do with ME- but she has a problem.
Some people have problems, and that is sometimes a part of life. But when people don't deal with thier problems - and deal with them the Right way, then they only get worse, even if they are hidden or covered up or disguised for a while- even a long while.
So, as I was praying I was like, wow, she was really hateful to me Lord, and He showed me that her anger and hurt and hatefulness was because she felt that way about herself inside, that that is the only way she knows how to express herself. No body has ever corrected her... or loved her right. Her parents nor friends. Because Love changes people for good- and if she had been loved she would love, because that is how love works.
And I think from seeing her in my chair for just a few minutes, that it looked like she had made some mistakes in life and maybe she regretted the choices she made and then hated herself for it- or maybe her parents or some other person was unforgiving toward her and maybe she depended on those peoples love who took away thier love when she made a bad choise- I mean it does happen.
Some people are biased in their love and if you make a mistake they might take away thier love- and this is the Ultimate Reason we need Jesus- because sometimes we do make mistakes but we if we have the LORD ~
If we have the LORD we for one try not to make such bad mistakes.
From the time I recieved Christ I changes my desicion making style. I have not always chosen the perfect choice, but I have learned and am still putting into practice seeking HIS WILL in my choices, and I learn that sometimes His Will is very different than what I Want. But it is also much much better.

I could go on and on today but the point I want to make is that other people's attitudes have much more to do with themselves than with who they are directed at. Love is unifying, where as hate is isolating.
Love is healing, hate is hurting.
Love accepts, hate rejects.
Love purifies, hate corrupts.
Sorry to be so gory but its true... and this is why we need to deal truthfully with ourselves and confront people in truth in love- especially the ones who need it most.
Tell the truth in love.
It seems challenging, but it is very simple.
Let Love Have It's Way~

Love today!

iAngel

believe like a child

There is something I have pondered that troubles me every time I consider… How the children of God that say they believe, never see the fruits of God’s Power in their lives.

Healings. Miracles. True Salvation. Deliverance. Spiritual Knowledge. Wisdom. Life Changes. Holy Promises Fulfilled.
Why ?
Why don’t people- especially “those of the household of faith” – ever see God’s “promises” come to life in their lives?

Doubt. Unbelief. Mistrust. Fear. Impatience.

These are a few reasons people do not see God’s fulfillment of His Truth in their lives~
But we need to ponder these reasons and ask, why DO people DOUBT God? Or WHY do people not believe Him and His Word in their lives? Or why do they think in fear, that they are less worthy than another person to have what God has promised to “ALL who believe”? And for people who don’t trust the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO then can they trust? For we all know that the “trust” of “man” is futile.
Where then is faith? It comes from a Knowledge of WHO GOD Really is.

God… The “God of our Fathers”.. the God of Jesus Christ… And David the King of Israel, and Isaiah the prophet, and Elijah and Elisha the miracle workers… and Esther the queen who saved a nation and Moses who lead the Israelites out of egypt, is that same yesterday, today and forever~ It is the same God that has always been~ And if we really want to have what God has promised through the Word of His Son Jesus Christ, the first and foremost we have todo is DARE to Believe.
I say Dare because it takes COURAGE to STEP OUT IN FAITH, it takes momentum, courage, passion, faith with reckless abandon~ to have the good things that God has for His Children! Why? Because there is a world out there full of thives imposters and liars that don't want (God's People) to have what (HE) wants (us) to have, because they don't have it. Have you ever heard that saying "Misery loves company"? And we see it all around, envy, lust, competitavteness...such things will never bring true peace or glory~ Only recieveing the Blessing from GOD, for the Bible says, "every good and perfect gift comes doen from the Father of Lights.."
(God is no respector of persons) he doesn’t compare us with each other… he compares us by our selves… meaning… He doesn’t say, oh, Sally is better than Trina, because of this this and that. NO. He has placed within each individual person a unique purpose, design and value that only HE can create and fulfill– and His value is based in His Word, and He judges according to HIS standards for us, not other’s people’s, and certainly not against other people’s, or their’s against us.

So we have to decide… what do we (each individually) expect and or desire from life, from the LORD?
What is our purpose for being here? What has God placed in Your’s and my hearts, and you and God know…
The LORD said to me that many of the desires that I have in my heart are desires that HE has FOR ME. God is not some God that makes people and ignores us. NO! He is a Loving, intimate, attentive, caring, compassionate Father.
That is what He created us for.
So we must dare to believe. For Himself. He Delights in us... He loves it when we come to Him for help, or for answers, or for anything we need, because in us is HIS Glory, and in Him we are fulfilled and gratifyed and blessed better than any other way possible. Because GOD IS GOOD!!!

One thing besides the list that I wrote earlier also keeps the LORD from fulfilling His Promises in our lives, and that one thing (which ALL the others fall into) is SIN.

Unbelief is sin, fear can be classified as sin, doubt is certainly sin, mistrust is sin( 1 corinthians 13 the love chapter claims that love always trusts) so if we do not trust we are not living in love therefore it is sin.
So, I would like now, to encourage your faith.

I want to use a few examples from the Word, to open your minds, hearts and spirits to the Power of The Holy Ghost; And to realize and discover what kindof God we really serve.
I hope you all can catch all this, and may the Holy Spirit give understanding as He so pleases.

Let’s consider the Gospel, it means “Good News” in the original text… some of the things that have really made me question MY faith and say, well, if God can do that, then…what can't HE do??!!???!
Are for example, when Jesus awoke Lazarus from death. In John chapter 11. The Lord Jesus Christ (not only was resurrected by God Himself) but rose a man from the dead. The Bible says that Lazarus “stank” as dead, and if you read the gospel carefully, you will read that they had to also take the grave clothes off him.
You know what I really want to say?? Why Can’t God be goodto us? He is good! So Why do people not believe in Him like they say they do? Because they really don’t believe.
God is good all of the time. Anything that we perceive as wrong or evil from God, is not really from God but is from the devil. And the fact that we humans “believe” that something evil would come from God is a LIE from the Devil, whose name means “Deceiver”. Does that make sense now? He will try to reduce your faith in God by putting bad things in your life or causeing problems to the point thta you think God is against you, but in reality it is one of Satan's main tactics of "DECIEIVING" you (into fearing God, distrustung God, giving up on God, not believeing in God).
We have to KNOW who our enemy is in order to be able to fight and destroy him.
His name is also “Accuser”,
“Accuser of the Brethren”,
“Liar”,
“Adversary”,
“Enemy” ,
“Imposter”, - just to show you who the devil really is.

I just want to challenge your all’s faith, because I can sit here and list a bunch of faithful things that the LORD has done, (in the Bible) but in my perception that would be like rewriting the Whole Bible here… so I just want to challenge your faith, and ask you,
“Why can’t God do something awesome in your life?"

And

“Where is Your faith?”

JESUS said that if we have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, that we can say to a mountain to move and it will obey us, and that we can say for anything to happen and it will.
What is a mustard seed, and what does it look like?
What mountains do you want to move out of your way~ into the depths of the sea?

All you have to do is simply believe.