Living in today's world, we are used to living life like a competition. We have to have the better house, the better car, go to the most expensive schools, wear the biggest name brands. It's a lifestyle of "reaching the top", of climbing up the social ladder, and messing up a couple people on the way.
Although this is a way of life in the 21st century, it seems to have become a way of life for many pastors/ministers/teachers. They want to get the latest revelation, a reason to be quoted, a reason to write a book that will "impact" many others. They treat the bible as a way for God to make THEM greater, instead of using it to make the name of God great. I see this on facebook, twitter, and blogs:
God is love, love is God.
- (insert name here)
And their groupies are quick to quote them, quick to like their status, or quick to comment. I think it's an issue when the people cannot see for themselves that these "revelations" are simple scriptures God gave to EVERYONE, so that we can learn to fend for our own salvation. Yet many pastors feel like they are the chosen ones, the only ones God can speak to. Don't misunderstand my blog, because obviously God has placed pastors, apostles, teachers, and other ministers to be able to minister to us. I have these people in my life, whom I look up to and respect as men and women of God that have been placed to feed me spiritually. My problem is with men/women who put themselves on a pedastal, abusing the authority God has given them.
These men/women make others feel like God can't speak to them. THEY alone can enter the holy of holies, and no other can be on their level. They are, for better lack of words, untouchable. They pray 10 hours a day. Fast 30 days out of the month. Seclude themselves from the world.
I think they might be just as holy as Jesus.
YES! I am being sarcastic. Sometimes I want to reply "duh!". But this is my only cry: that people read their bible. We have so many baby christians in the churches because they refuse to practice how to "hold their bottle, and grab their spoons". Have you ever seen babies try to feed themselves? at first they create the biggest mess in the world! but with practice and time they eventually get it right and then the job of the parents becomes simple: present them with the food, and they can feed themselves.
Paul says it best in 1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News--and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.
Many pastors put in their extra 12 points into the promises of God that make it more difficult, and sometimes impossible to walk a life of holiness because we don't measure up to their "requirements". But how much easier would it be to live a life of holiness if we all knew to just open our bible, read it, and ask the holy spirit to help us understand the words, the revelations, at hand?
Those in authority in our lives have just one job: to preach the good news. What we do with that information is entirely up to us. Don't be so dependant on your pastors and leaders because at the end of the day its just you and God. These "amazing revelations" are all in your bible! True leaders will push you to feed yourselves, and never make you feel like you cant do it on your own. Could you imagine if parents scolded their children for trying to learn how to feed themselves?
Revelations in the word of God are beautiful when they come, but they aren't only made for those who claim that God has chosen them only. They are for everyone, who would just take their time to read their sword. The power to understand it is in you already, and it only gets easier with the holy spirit. Learn to depend on HIM. Learn to feed yourself.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Leaving Ur
2011 is over.
Many people usually wait for the end of the year to realize all the mistakes and regrets and make new year's resolutions to make sure they don't repeat them again. I have done that for the past who knows how many years, and each and everytime I failed. This year, for once in my life, I didn't have any regrets. I didn't want the year to end.
Not to say that mistakes weren't made, because plenty were. I had loved the wrong people, let in the wrong people, I had invested all my energy in many friendships and potential relationships that were bound to fail from the get go. I made mistakes, but how can you look at the mistakes when so much good has also taken place in your life?
This year I left my Ur. A place that I never fit into, and yet it was my whole life. I longed and longed to be in a place where I knew that God had called me to, but fear kept me from ever moving. Finally God made the way, not in the way I expected, but nevertheless He made the way. My whole was completely turned upside down. In the bible, God tells abraham to leave his country, leave his family, everything in the past. In 2011, God told me to leave my past too.
Leaving Ur, I found myself when I left everything behind. I learned how to be independent, and yet to at the same time how to depend on others. I learned the true meaning of family, all the while I far away from mine. I learned how to be myself in a place where no one knew me. I learned how to worship extravagantly while no one was watching. I learned how to fend for myself while many held me up. I learned to walk the path God called me to, while many pushed me along the way. I learned the true meaning of happiness through brokeness and tears. It has been the hardest process being alone and learning to walk by myself, and yet having so many people around me who genuinely love me.
While I am writting this tears fall down my face because I can't believe I made it through again. I see the path more clearer than I have before. I am still scared, because life hasn't quite made sense and I know it will continue to surprise me at every turn. No matter what life brings ahead, I refuse to be like Lot's wife, who when God commanded the no one look back, she did and turned into a pillar of salt. I have nothing to look back to but broken dreams and shatter esteem. In my past lie my regrets and mistakes, the old me who was looked down and pushed to the back. But my future holds a new me, who will make a difference in the kingdom of God, who has a beautiful calling.
The person I have become over the last 6 months has all been thanks to wonderful people God has placed in my life over the past 6 months.
To the Gomez family: a beautiful family who God placed in my life. I never ever got close to my friend's family the way I have to them. They have not only taken me in as a friend, but as a fake daughter. Michelle, the most wonderful friend in the world! who has continued to be a rock in my life, and will probably never know how much I owe her for being where I am. Thank you for sharing your wonderful family with me.
To the Rivera family: my awesome Y.A. pastors who took me in like true shepards and stood in the gap for me through many prayers, and took a chance on a girl who was a mess and saw beyond it. You guys have made a bigger impact than you think in my life. I love you both so much!!
To my family by faith: la familia, who continued to love on me when many walked out. Your faithfulness has taught me the true meaning of friendship.
AND last but most importantly my family, who though didn't understand, have stood by my side and yet given me the freedom to walk the path God called me to. Who, although I miss very much, have seen my happiness and never manipulated me into going down the road they are. They have given me the liberty to walk my own steps and I could never thank them enough for this.
Leaving Ur has been a time full of oxymorons. But life doesn't need to make sense. Nothing in the bible made sense to people, until they started to trust in God and forget all and just took the first step.
2012, Im not looking back, but I sure am going to look forward.
Here we go.
Many people usually wait for the end of the year to realize all the mistakes and regrets and make new year's resolutions to make sure they don't repeat them again. I have done that for the past who knows how many years, and each and everytime I failed. This year, for once in my life, I didn't have any regrets. I didn't want the year to end.
Not to say that mistakes weren't made, because plenty were. I had loved the wrong people, let in the wrong people, I had invested all my energy in many friendships and potential relationships that were bound to fail from the get go. I made mistakes, but how can you look at the mistakes when so much good has also taken place in your life?
This year I left my Ur. A place that I never fit into, and yet it was my whole life. I longed and longed to be in a place where I knew that God had called me to, but fear kept me from ever moving. Finally God made the way, not in the way I expected, but nevertheless He made the way. My whole was completely turned upside down. In the bible, God tells abraham to leave his country, leave his family, everything in the past. In 2011, God told me to leave my past too.
Leaving Ur, I found myself when I left everything behind. I learned how to be independent, and yet to at the same time how to depend on others. I learned the true meaning of family, all the while I far away from mine. I learned how to be myself in a place where no one knew me. I learned how to worship extravagantly while no one was watching. I learned how to fend for myself while many held me up. I learned to walk the path God called me to, while many pushed me along the way. I learned the true meaning of happiness through brokeness and tears. It has been the hardest process being alone and learning to walk by myself, and yet having so many people around me who genuinely love me.
While I am writting this tears fall down my face because I can't believe I made it through again. I see the path more clearer than I have before. I am still scared, because life hasn't quite made sense and I know it will continue to surprise me at every turn. No matter what life brings ahead, I refuse to be like Lot's wife, who when God commanded the no one look back, she did and turned into a pillar of salt. I have nothing to look back to but broken dreams and shatter esteem. In my past lie my regrets and mistakes, the old me who was looked down and pushed to the back. But my future holds a new me, who will make a difference in the kingdom of God, who has a beautiful calling.
The person I have become over the last 6 months has all been thanks to wonderful people God has placed in my life over the past 6 months.
To the Gomez family: a beautiful family who God placed in my life. I never ever got close to my friend's family the way I have to them. They have not only taken me in as a friend, but as a fake daughter. Michelle, the most wonderful friend in the world! who has continued to be a rock in my life, and will probably never know how much I owe her for being where I am. Thank you for sharing your wonderful family with me.
To the Rivera family: my awesome Y.A. pastors who took me in like true shepards and stood in the gap for me through many prayers, and took a chance on a girl who was a mess and saw beyond it. You guys have made a bigger impact than you think in my life. I love you both so much!!
To my family by faith: la familia, who continued to love on me when many walked out. Your faithfulness has taught me the true meaning of friendship.
AND last but most importantly my family, who though didn't understand, have stood by my side and yet given me the freedom to walk the path God called me to. Who, although I miss very much, have seen my happiness and never manipulated me into going down the road they are. They have given me the liberty to walk my own steps and I could never thank them enough for this.
Leaving Ur has been a time full of oxymorons. But life doesn't need to make sense. Nothing in the bible made sense to people, until they started to trust in God and forget all and just took the first step.
2012, Im not looking back, but I sure am going to look forward.
Here we go.
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