First impressions?

I express myself by the way I look. The way I look does not define me. Who I think I am, I will be. Will I be, all God created me to be?

Don't let the way you look be unalterable. There is so much more you need to learn about yourself. You will change your way of thinking about yourself. Don't box yourself in.

(I was thinking about "body art" when I wrote this :)

Swept Along!

How can I describe the current that sweeps us along? The key word is current. Is it a warm breeze that makes us sleepy? Do we see the storm clouds? Swept along? A force that takes me where I don't want to go.

We think that the choices we make determine our destiny. NOT! Your choices are not disconnected from all the other choices everywhere around you that others make. Choices that can have significant impact into your life.. This is the current that sweeps us along.

The operative word is "choice". The current that sweeps us along is powered by the choices everyone makes. Choice is also the word that gives us the power to overcome the current that sweeps us along.

How?    

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

DOGMA!

Here is my "DOGMA"!

Romans 3:23 (KJV)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23 (KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 4:10  (ESV)        
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

John 3:3-5 (KJV)
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Luke 24:45-49 (KJV)
45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Joel 2:28-29 
And it shall be afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions. And also I will pour out My Spirit on the slaves and on the slave women in those days.

Revelation 17:14 (KJV)
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

1 John 5 (KJV)
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

The battle to overcome begins with our own heart and mind. As a man thinks, so is he.

What is "dogma"?

Dogma is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.^[1] It serves as part of the primary basis of an ideology or belief system, and it cannot be changed or discarded without affecting the very system's paradigm, or the ideology itself. They can refer to acceptable opinions of philosophers or philosophical schools, public decrees, religion, or issued decisions of political authorities.^[2]
The term derives from Greek δόγμα "that which seems to one, opinion or belief"^[3] and that from δοκέω (dokeo), "to think, to suppose, to imagine".^[4] Dogma came to signify laws or ordinances adjudged and imposed upon others by the First Century. The plural is either dogmas or dogmata, from Greek δόγματα. The term "dogmatics" is used as a synonym for systematic theology, as in Karl Barth's defining textbook of neo-orthodoxy, the 14-volume Church Dogmatics.

Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Pass on a Sharp axe, or introduce the axe Sharpener? What should you do?

I had a friend who testified of God working in his life. And I was encouraged to see that God could work in my life too, because I could relate to what God was doing in his life.

Then, much later, this friend started explaining how God works. He is a consultant to churches on the "Missional Movement". Recognized, labeled, packaged and sold as a sharp ax, many rely on their understanding of principles and miss the Lover of their soul.

When we recognize God moving, that's good. And allow Him to work in our life, that's good. Don't label it, package it, and then try to reproduce it. A sharp axe passed on only produces pride. Recognize the Axe Sharpener and bear witness to what He "is" doing in your life. He wants us to overcome.

Revelation 12:11 (KJV)

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Rev 19:10 ...I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

If God can do this in my life, He can do it in yours!

I'm all about being led by the Holy Spirit?

Overcoming what? Adversity or my own shortcomings?

ad·ver·si·ty (d-vûrs-t) n. pl. ad·ver·si·ties 1. A state of hardship or affliction; misfortune. 2. A calamitous event.

  short·com·ing noun \ˈshȯrt-ˌkə-miŋ, ˌshȯrt-ˈ\ : a weakness in someone's character : a personal fault or failing : a bad feature : a flaw or defect in something.

Well I think God is an opportunist...
"One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences."

Except God regards His principles and understands the consequences.

My calamitous event? My Euroclydon? May 14, 2012 God's Grace abounds! Lord forgive my unbelief.

I'm all about?

I find myself discussing with myself what I'm all about. I have read my blog in reverse order, there's an app for that, and I think I've come to the conclusion, "I'm all about overcoming".

I'm on a journey of discovery. The more I know about the Lover of my Soul, the more I know about who He created me to be. The more I see Him for who He is, the more I recognize my complete dependence on His guidance. The more I see of what exists, the more I recognize where my allegiance should lay. There is only one that desires I overcome. He is the Lover of my Soul.

To overcome?... I'm all about being led by the Holy Spirit. I've learnt a thing or two about that.