Amos 7 - People of God Tremble

I don't want to be a stubborn mule in any area of my life or in anything that I am doing for the LORD. Of course whether I am at work or in my house, I do EVERYTHING for the LORD. So, Verses like these make me tremble and remember that while the LORD is loving and prefers mercy over punishment, He sometimes goes with punishment when His children just don't learn.

In Amos 7:7-8 the Word of God says this:

The LORD has sworn by the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they (ISRAEL) have done.

8 "Will not the land tremble for this,
and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
it will be stirred up and then sink
like the river of Egypt.

Then, a few verses later in verses 11-12, Amos writes the following:

11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD,
"when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.

12 Men will stagger from sea to sea
and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the LORD,
but they will not find it.

I DO NOT EVER WANT TO HAVE THE LORD RESTRAIN HIS WORD, HIS VOICE, FROM ME BECAUSE OF MY ACTIONS OF DISOBEDIENCE OR STRAYING. He has done that before for a time and while it was what I needed to come back to Him in full force, I don't ever want to experience that thirst in that way again. That desert that I crossed was NOT fun.

Also, this is a warning to the Church. The LORD always speaks to His Church, but He will restrain His Voice and Word when His people are not doing His Will. And this goes to the Church, local churches, and to individuals all alike. Because in every level people can be disobedient to the LORD and not be taking care of the LORD's purposes...

My prayer:

LORD make me a servant and follower of your will. I don't want to stray even just a little bit. I don't ever want to stagger from sea to sea searching for your Word. I want to have it hidden within my heart; engraved into my being to beat down my flesh into submission.

Thank you LORD that you remind us about the past to keep us with You in the present.

Isaiah 55:8-12 - My God is an Awesome God

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

This is so cool because it always reminds me that whatever I’m thinking, dreaming, planning, the LORD’s has higher purposes than I can possibly imagine and dream up. So, this part always inspires me to think and dream bigger as I seek Him for HIS plans instead of my measly human-centered plans 

10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

This was the second thing that impacted me in this Isaiah chapter. I LOOOOVED the descriptive metaphor that the LORD uses because it also shows that the Bible could NOT have been inspired by people, but from God Himself! Verses 10-11 specifically show an understanding of how the cycle of rain works. First it rains, then the water touches the ground and nourishes the earth, and then that same water goes through a process where it becomes a gas and returns to the sky having done its job! I love the LORD and how His understanding really IS above ours as verse 8-9 say. In the same way that the LORD nourishes the earth with water, He nourishes our souls and spirits with His Word… either directly to us, through His written Word, or through the ministry that He has done through His people. His Word always achieves His purpose… ALWAYS!! How crazy is that! Talk about sovereignty!!

12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Verse 12 also touched me because it’s so true!! I have gone out with joy and have been led forth in peace in SO many occasions that I shouldn’t have had that peace and joy. But, when I did, I felt as if the mountains and hills before me and everything in them burst out in a song of praise along with me!! It’s so nice when I have an experience with the LORD that I later find written in His Word. It makes my relationship with Him SO much better!!

Blessed is my King, my Husband, my Protector, and Redeemer!!

Isaiah 54 and His promises to me

The Future Glory of Zion

1 "Sing, O barren woman,
you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,
you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband,"
says the LORD.

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.

4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

5 For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

6 The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.

7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.

9 "To me this is like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again.

10 Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

11 "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
I will build you with stones of turquoise, ^[a]
your foundations with sapphires. ^[b]

12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of sparkling jewels,
and all your walls of precious stones.

13 All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
and great will be your children's peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established:
Tyranny will be far from you;
you will have nothing to fear.
Terror will be far removed;
it will not come near you.

15 If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
who fans the coals into flame
and forges a weapon fit for its work.
And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

17 no weapon forged against you will prevail,
and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
and this is their vindication from me,"
declares the LORD.

Do I NEED to say more? I love it how the LORD uses things that He has said before-hand to others in the Bible to directly tell us basically the same thing! I will serve Him forever and ever and NO weapon forged against me will succeed!! My GOD is so good to his lowly servant. I do not deserve to be spoken to by Him but praise JESUS that He gave His previous untainted life so that the Father could see me clothed in white!! I am speechless!! I cannot describe the emotions and feelings that I deeply experience in my quiet times with the LORD... Especially when He speaks to me directly. However, I also love those times when He places thoughts in my head that He wants me to meditate on so that I can know Him deeper! HE is SO perfect!!!! Praise God!! And even if he never spoke to me and I was always in trouble, praise Him in the midst of all that as well because my strength literally... LITERALLY... is in the joy (not happiness) in the LORD!!! Praise HIM forever!!

Isaiah 51:12-16a - La palabra de Dios

Aca esta la palabra de Dios para Anna y mi:

12 "I, even I, am he who comforts you.
Who are you that you fear mortal men,
the sons of men, who are but grass,

13 that you forget the LORD your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?

14 The cowering prisoners will soon be set free;
they will not die in their dungeon,
nor will they lack bread.

15 For I am the LORD your God,
who churns up the sea so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name.

16 I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you with the shadow of my hand—


El dia anterior a que Dios nos dio esto Anna y yo estabamos un poco bajoneados por lo que esta pasando con los padres de Anna. Nosotros oramos y le pedimos al Senor que nos responda y nos respondio! El senor basicamente nos dijo que paremos de estar como prisioneros a la depre y nos recordo que El esta en control y de que las palabras que nosotros tenemos en nuestras hacia ellos son de El! Bendito sea el Senor. El dia siguiente, los padres de Anna nos escribieron un email diciendo que ellos dijeron lo que querian decir y que nosotros somos adultos que vamos a decidir y hacer lo que queramos. Finalmente Anna y yo sentimos que nos repotan :) Finalmente Anna y yo sentimos que aunque les duela a ellos, ellos nos estan tratando de amar.

Bendito sea El Senor y Su Palabra!!!!!!!!

Are Your Eyes & Your Computer Holy and Safe?

Many guys out there, here, everywhere struggle with keepn their eyes clean. Others might not struggle but the temptation is always there with all the spam and everything that they receive in their email.

Most have fallen.

If you have, or even if you haven't and would like to check what crap has gotten into your comp, please check out this web site :)\

WWW.CONTENTPURITY.COM

Also, if you would like some accountability, please check out XXX Church. It's an amazing program that WILL keep you accountable :)

Talking with Mike Beccio

Well, Mike called me yesterday and we talked about his newborn baby and how God has been ministering to him and revealing things with him that were not possible before he was a dad. Then, I caught him up on the whole Jenny thing, well not in detail, and we both remembered the time that Jenny had broken up with me in the summer of 2005. We remembered that I was devastated and that I reluctantly went to Saturday Night since I was dragged there by Laura. Then, when we got there and we started singing praise songs, I remember that I didn't want to sing them; well it was more that I couldn't sing them, it brought too much pain. Then, right before we were about to start, Mike stepped away and was talking with the LORD. God told Mike that He wanted to change the message for me! The whole bible study was then restructured to talk about promise and how God never fails when He makes a promise or a covenant...same thing. And, that when God makes a promise, He will fulfill it in greater ways than we can imagine. I don't remember how Mike came to the conclusions that I got, but I do remember that he talked about the same passage that God had been speaking to me and used to tell me a lot about Jenny. The message was great, but I couldn't receive it because my heart hurt so much. When one worships or gets spoken to by God, the heart melts and mine could not melt because I didn't want anything to touch my heart...it would cause too much pain. Well, people wanted to hang out, but I did NOT want to do that so I asked my sister to take me home. However, once I got to my doorstep, I knew that if I went in, I would be very lonely and very depressed, so I decided to take a drive even if it was 11:30 at night. I got in my car and just started driving. I had gotten into the habit, a good recurrence, of going towards Surf Beach every time that I needed to go talk to God and all I wanted to do was drive. So, this time was definitely one of those "pour my heart our completely and in tears" time and towards Surf Beach I went. I couldn't event speak to God and I remember only being able to say "I can't" - - but only in my head. As soon as I said that, I heard, "Just talk;" I knew it was God. So, I opened my mouth and all that came out for the next 15 minutes or so were tears. Every time that I would attempt to speak all that came out were tears. Looking back I remember, and have remembered before while I recollected this night, that verse in Romans (I think) that says that sometimes we cannot do anything but grown and that that grown is guided by the Spirit and understood by God. How awesome is that!! Well, I remember being SO HURT and asking God why... until He answered. He first put into my mind the picture of Jesus at Gethsemane. From this picture, the LORD said to me something like "You will suffer much to help many." I cried more and more even though I basically had no tears to shed. I was still hurt though, because I didn't know if I had lost Jenny forever. The next day, however, my family and I went to Community Covenant Church to have a joint worship service. I will never forget how the LORD spoke to me that day in the time of worship and through the sermon. It was as if He had put the message in Christian Schalesky's heart just for me. The sermon was about how every emotion in the spectrum was created by God and that all should drive us to Him. The worship through music time, though, He spoke directly to me. My dilemma was that I didn't want to be stubborn and think that Jenny was my wife if God changed what He wanted for me due to the fact that Jenny had broken up with me, but, I also didn't want to wimper out and allow my faith to go down the drain if He wanted me to stay faithful to His word to me when He had said that Jenny was my wife. Well, during the worship service He said, "She is my promise to You." And He reminded me of how I had sworn off girls in 2002 until He brought my wife into the picture.