PURPOSE

Our greatest purpose in the life that we have is to love and be loved by our Maker. Nothing else matters. No one else matters. Only God. He is our source of life, strength, might, courage, power, love, peace, fulfillment, joy and every good thing. Knowing God's love and experiencing Him on a daily basis is the greatest source of strength and encouragement to do all that He has commanded. We rely on His love. To do good works without His love would be good, but it would lack. Your purpose is to love God and be loved by God. Anything apart from that will always be wanting. But our God says, He is our sheppherd, we shall not be in want. Praise God.

In desperate pursuit of the love of an infinite God.

Affliction can lead to offense

Study of Matthew 11:1-19

Let us first look at verses 2 & 3

 ²Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
 ³And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 

Please note that it said that John had already heard of the works of Christ. That is not too hard to believe considering that at some point in time his disciples must have reported to him all that they had witnessed Jesus doing. They must have told him about Jesus preaching to Matthew and the tax collectors, or about the blind that received their sight and the deaf that now hear. And they also must have mentioned to John that Jesus was raising the dead, the lame were standing up and walking and incurable diseases were being cured.

Not only did John's disciples testify of the works of Jesus but John himself also testified of who Jesus was and witnessed with his eyes the Spirit of God descending from heaven upon him like a dove. It was John who saw Jesus approaching him and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" and "I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (John 1:29-36)

John knew who Jesus was and believe in Him. So then, why was he asking Christ if he was really the Son of God? Let us read on. After John's disciples asked Jesus John's question ...

"⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
 ⁵The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
 ⁶And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."

In verse 6, Jesus told John to not be offended by Him. Why would John, a man filled with the Holy Spirit since he was in the womb, be offended by Jesus? Let us use our minds for a moment to put ourselves in John's position.

John was a great prophet of God. He had a calling on his life that could not be shaken for even the prophet Isaiah spoke of him during his prophetic ministry. John spent his entire life in servitude to the Lord. He was humble and did not seek after glory, fame or riches. He faithfully stayed his course and when Jesus came to him, he was ready to receive him. Now there came a time when John got Herod the Tetrarch very angry since he reproved him for his brother's wife Herodias and his wicked lifestyle. For that reason, Herod threw John in to prison and John was in danger of being beheaded. Let us imagine his conditions in prison for just a moment. Picture the solitude of his cell, the darkness, his frail body laying flat on the ground as he lamented to God day and night. Imagine the smell - the air filled with a mix of pungent odors, the type that one never seems to get accustomed to. Food probably came every other day, if so much, and was not anything to desire.

John was an afflicted man. I could imagine him reflecting on the life that he lived, bringing to remembrance all that he had done for God. He must have asked God a thousand times, "Why?" "Why are you allowing me to suffer in this prison?" His prayers seemed to get no further than the ceiling and his soul found no rest. He refused to be comforted by the Holy Spirit who tried to tell him of the great reward in store for those who endure. I could also imagine his thoughts changing as his hope faded and anger and discontent surrounded him to "Are you really God? Because if you were, you would have rescued me by now? Why would God cause me to die like a dog in prison?" He allowed his flesh to get the best of him and that is when, through the bars of his cell, he commanded his disciples to relay his question to Jesus, "are you really the son of God?"

But God, in His lovingkindness, gently responded to John with an answer and a rebuke to comfort his soul during his affliction. Jesus then already forgave John for his sin and began to speak very highly of him to the multitudes that had surrounded Jesus. (Mat 11:7-19) Because he loved John and he understood his affliction.

Jesus has been in our position. He has been tempted, tormented, afflicted, persecuted, teased, beat up, alone, betrayed multiple times, forsaken by everyone, lied on, lied to, grieved, doubted by others, and every other situation you can find yourself in, Jesus has been there. He loves you, and wants you to understand that he knows how you feel. But do not lose heart, and do not be offended by him when it seems as if he is no where to be found, or it seems as if he doesn't care. He does because he LOVES you.

conscious christian reggae

Solomon Jabby - Prayer and Meditation



Lyrics:

We are living in a time of mass communication/ There are many sources of daily destraction/ too many voices are fighting for our attention/ we permit our minds to focus on the tension/
the solitude of creation will offer some prevention/ let us steal away to another dimension/ A little prayer and meditation/ We'll find strength in supplication/ Withdraw from all preoccupation/
It's the healing of all the nations/ We are living in a time of massive confusion/ We are suffering from mental intrusion/ You know mankind shall never live on bread alone/ Let us steal away
and seek the throne/ The solitude of creation will offer some prevention/ Let us steal away to another dimension/ A little prayer and meditation/ We'll find strength in supplication/ Withdraw
from all preoccupation/ It's the healing of all the nations/ Meditate in silent so the Truth can be found/ Distraction choked my seed that I buried in the ground/ Escape far away from all this
interference/ We will find our rest with a little perseverance/ The solitude of creation will offer some prevention/ Let us steal away to another dimension.

Cuzzzzz, My Daddy says so!

Have you ever found yourself worried about your life? Have your feelings or emotions ever gotten the better of you? Do you ever wonder about why you are the way you are?  I have. I know how it feels when it seems like no one else understands how you are feeling and I know how it feels to be completely alone even though I know I am not. It's times like these where I play back unchangeable circumstances in your mind wondering where I went wrong. Aw man, Satan is such a liar. He gets me sooo mad!! Grrrr.

You know what my Daddy said? He said that He will never leave me nor will he forsake me. You know what that means? It means that I am never alone. You want to know what else he said? He said that I should never worry about my life, because my heavenly Father knows what I need. He also said that he is my Healer, my Deliverer. He said that I am more than a a conquerer and that NOTHING can separate me from His love. He said that  "I will heal you so you can heal others. I will lead you, so you can lead others & I will love you so you can love others. Do not worry about your life. Live your life to help others, build up others and edify your brothers. I will take care of you."


I'm out folks.

My quest in life at this very moment is to discover who I am in Christ Jesus.

What's yours?

Bus Stop Bible Studies

Bus Stop Bible Studies Ministry

If you are a communter in toronto then you may have already had the pleasure of seeing the Bible Bus Stop Ministry in action! I remember the first time that I witnessed it. I was walking along side of a bus parked infront of my school and the huge letters posted on the side of the bus caught my attention. It read, "God, how can I reach you?" I remember how shocked I was that someone was actually promoting God - not just any God, but the One, True and Living God! I fell even more in love with God. It made me think of how He loves people so much that He puts it in the heart of a few faithful stewards to reach the world where they are - outside of the church. Well of course, as soon as I went home I rushed to my computer to check out their website. Everything was totally legit as far as I could tell. Bible believing, People loving, Up to the times ministry. It was awesome. Below I have shared a small portion of their mission statement so that you can see where they are coming from.

"The mission of Bus Stop Bible Studies is to present the Word of God to the general public, in the form of Bible studies, using advertising panels inside buses, LRT (Light Rapid Transit), subway cars, and similar mediums. Bus Stop Bible Studies will present God's Word in a clear and concise manner, challenging the reader to think about what they have read by posing thoughtful, searching questions. Through the use of our website and volunteer follow-up, we wish to provide encouragement and direction to those who are impacted by the Bus Stop Bible studies.

The vision of Bus Stop Bible Studies is to see the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly presented, in a way that will bring individuals into a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ, bringing glory and honour to God the Father. This will be accomplished by displaying the Word of God in every transit system in Canada, the United States and beyond. We believe that God is a God of grace, love and righteousness, who wishes that all humanity be restored to a personal and loving relationship with Him."

Also, I would like to show you how their bible studies are presented. 

This is just one of the 50 display panels found inside buses, streetcars and subway cars, or on the backs of buses. Click Here to see more.

Some transit companies do not currently allow "religious advertising" so God inspired Photothoughts.
Click Here to see more.

'Get the Word Out' Campaign has 20 different panels that are posted on the sides of buses all across the GTA. Click Here to see more.

Are you interested in finding out more about this ministry? Click on one of the links provided:
Bus Stop Bible Studies Home Page
Finding a Bible
Make a Donation
Questions concerning religious advertising in the public square

Study the Raven, Study the Lilies! Command or Suggestion?

A brief study of Matthew 6:24-34

Mat 6:26 Behold [to look at with the mind; to consider] the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Mat 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

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Please read Matthew 6:24-34 to get the full gist of the scripture.

In the above scripture reading, the Lord is telling His people to stop worrying about matters that shouldn't concern us. Things like what we should eat, drink or wear are all part of His provision for us and He is asking us to be more concerned with His kingdom and His righteousness rather than those things. It feels weird to say that we shouldn't be at least a little bit concerned with what we should eat, drink and wear because it is such a necessity in our lives. Just think, without food, we would go hungry and starve and without clothes we would be naked. However, the Lord acknowledges the need for those things in our lives in verses 32-33 when He says, "for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

The Lord already provides for us. Everything that we eat, drink and wear comes from Him whether we choose to give Him credit or not. However, the Lord desires to bless His children in abundance so that they will experience life in the fullness which is in Christ. I believe that this scripture is pointing us to where we should go in order to receive a revelation of God's willingness and ability to provide for His children. Jesus said, "Consider the fowls of the air." He also said, "Consider the lilies of the field." That seems very much like a command. Study the birds! Study the lilies! Then you will see what I am talking about! Then you will see and know that I am a provider! (is what Jesus might say). Whenever I read Matthew 6:24-34, I tend to skip over that command and I try to understand what this scripture is saying by reading it over and over. However, I feel like we have been given an assignment! For it is by studying these things - the birds and the lilies - that Jesus tells us we will understand why we shouldn't worry about food and clothes. Think of how perfectly and faithfully God provides for His animal creations. Knowing that His children are much more valuable than the animals He created we should never be concerned with wear our next meal is coming from or what we should wear.

I don't know about you, but I want a revelation of God's abundant provision for my life. And because I want my faith to grow I will do what Jesus has told me to do and study! I hope you join me! :)

I have already began a little studying. Follow these links to see what I've seen. ;)

All the places where the word "bird" is mentioned in the bible. We aren't the only bird watchers you know!

Study on the Sparrow & Bird watchers in the Bible

Different types of birds mentioned in the Bible

Everything you need to know about House Sparrows

Funny Story about a bird who wouldn't quit

Yellow Hammer birdie singing (YouTubeVid)

Black-Capped Chickadee - HD Mini-Documentary

Tanager - Bird watching in the Desert

I'm actually going to try and buy a pair of binoculars.. then maybe I can be a pro Bird Watcher hahaaa.

Friendly Stranger

I saw the most blog worthy scene on the train this morning. I was about 4 stops away from my exit and I was trying my best to finish the readings assigned for class that day when I heard giggling coming from the person sitting across from me. I looked up and quickly noticed that he was laughing at his friend who was standing about 7 feet away to my right. He was being tightly embraced by an older gentleman around the same height as the boy who looked no older than 18 years of age. I can boldly say that although I know very little about this boy, his actions told me a great deal about his character, and that it was strong, and that he had a great respect and love for others. It wasn't too long after observing the scene that I realized that the man who had his arms around the boy was mentally challenged, at least to some degree. I say this because he was making loud muffled noises and he began patting the boy's shoulders loudly and soon after, began kissing the boy's hand all with a big smile on his face. While all this was happening, the boy remained calm. He was clearly uncomfortable but he kept his composure and refused to disrespect the man by showing any signs of disgust or contempt towards the man. The public display of hugs and kisses were not scorned but bared with love. He did not push off the man, nor did he yell at him to stop what he was doing. Even the laughter coming from his friend at his 'embarrasing' encounter did not change the boy's disposition. I use the word encounter since it was only until two stops away when the boy and his friend exited the train and I realized the the man who was embracing him was a total stranger to him. All the while I was convinced that maybe it was his family or close friend or at least somebody that he knew. My respect for this young boy - really a young man - increased exponentially. I considered how he handled this unscheduled encounter - with great honour and love - and gave thanks to God.

Communication. One of my greatest weaknesses.

God made us all completely unique. Just imagine our fingerprints alone. If you searched the past, present and future, you will find not one person with the same fingerprint as you. God took the time to form each and every one of us all in His perfect glorious image. Being unique yet beautiful creatures as we are, we do things differently from each other. We look different, we laugh differently, the way we interpret the world is different, even the way we think is different. As amazingly cool as that is, it also means that we must consider the way we interact and communicate with each other.  Since we all have our own sense of the world and we all have our own way of communicating, the challenge in relating with each other lies on the basis that an action that is meant to mean one thing may be interpreted as something else. How do we find that middle ground in communication so that the message sent is the message received? Many have written books claiming to resolve all communication problems. Those books usually group mankind into a neat personas that all think and behave the same. Are you a Type A or a Type B? Because Type A people do this and react this way and Type B. .blah blah. People are not cut out dolls. We are unique and we need to figure out ourselves before we can figure out how to communicate with others. I don't claim to have all the answers. In fact, I don't claim to have any. Communication has always been a great weakness of mine and I have absolutely no clue how to fix me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. (2 Corin 12:9 NIV)

Chilling in downtown Toronto with Teesh.

Is not life more than food?

we are empty vessels

I hope you've read my previous blog about our purpose here on Earth. This post goes hand in hand with 'Jesus Jr.' In this post, I will talk about the importance of Holy Spirit. This is NOT a study guide on all that Holy Spirit is and does. However, I will tell you this, Holy Spirit is given to all those who are Sons of God, He is God, He operates in us to guide us and display God's power through us. I could give you many scriptures on who exactly Holy Spirit is and what He does which would be fun no doubt, but that is not the focus of this post. My focus here is to show us a bigger picture of who we are as members of the family of Jesus Christ.

First we must completely understand that we can accomplish nothing on our own. To put this into perspective, let's examine what you are probably doing right now. Which one of you can supply their own breath? Who here tells their heart when to beat and when to stop? Your eyes, how do they work? Which colour do you see was of your choosing? Your finger that clicks so that the page scrolls down, where did its strength come from? Was it you who provided the strength for your finger to move? If you broke that finger, would you by the word of your mouth straighten it and renew its strength? I think not. Mediate on every single action that you do that you believe is of your own doing. You will quickly find that none is truly of your own doing and it is the Lord who provides you with everything. It takes a wise person to admit their insufficiency and completely dependency on the Holy God of Israel. When you reach some point of understanding concerning this matter we can move on.

With knowledge that we are but empty vessels, completely dependent on the Most High God, our question to God changes from, "What can I do to glorify your name?" to "How will you use me to glorify your name?" God gave us His Holy Spirit so that we may showcase the glory of God here on Earth. Everyone of us are given a territory that the Lord has ordained for us to take over. There is a different piece of God's glory in each and every believer and it is up to us all to bring to full view God's glory here on Earth. The key to letting God's glory shine is allowing Holy Spirit to work in us. Obedience to Holy Spirit will cause God to be glorified. He is in us to guide our EVERY step. He equips us with God's power in order to make us stand out from the crowd. We are like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. We are the light of the world, placed on a lamp stand so that everyone around us will see God working in us. To understand that it is God working in us to bring Glory to himself changes our focus in life because now our only responsibility is to turn to God. Our focus turns from ourselves to God. Responsibility moves from ourselves to God. Burdens move from ourselves to God. Fears move from ourselves to God. Troubles are no longer troublesome because we know that we are being led by God to glorify God and do what it is He has ordained for us to do.

Jesus Jr.

For the past couple weeks I have been learning about my purpose as a Holy Spirit Filled Christian on this Earth. Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? I wanted to know the big picture. What is the purpose of every Christian here on Earth? The revelation that I received was not quite the big picture I'm sure, but it was definitely a much broader perspective from my previous way of thinking.

The Holy Spirit led me to John 3:16. Almost puzzled as to why He was directing me to one of the most 'famous' verses in the Bible, I flipped to John and began reading the verse.

John 3:16 (King James Version)


For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Let's look at the word "Son".

God gave His Son to the world so that through His Son the world may see, hear and believe that He is God.

Why would the world believe in Jesus? 

Jesus acted like God, talked like God, walked like God and displayed God's power. God's Son is an exact representation of God the Father who resides in heaven (now with His Son). The world saw all that Jesus did and believed in Him/God because of it.

What does this have to do with us as Christians?

When a person becomes a born-again believer, having believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, that person literally becomes a Son/Daughter of God.(John 1:12-13) And so, they in turn are given in the same way unto the world as representatives of Christ Jesus (2 Corin 5:19-21) to do what Jesus did and live as He lived so that others will know God through His children and believe in Him who sent them.

You might even say, "God gave His Son/Daughter, __(your name here)__  so that others may see their actions which are the actions of Jesus and Believe in God."

How do we walk as Jesus did in love & purity?

In order to walk as Jesus walked, you must first know how He walked. Study the things Jesus said, His teachings, How He acted towards others, namely unbelievers or 'sinners' as well as those He loved. As you study Him, submit yourself to God and commit yourself to a change of lifestlye. For Jesus' way of doing things is completely different from the world's way. Set yourself apart to learn from the Master, Christ Jesus.

Secondly, become completely reliant on the Holy Spirit for guidance, conviction and power. Follow up blog on Holy Spirit coming up.

Prayer:

Holy Father, I ask for deeper understanding of what was just taught to me. Give me a revelation of my purpose here on this Earth. Show me the things in which I must do inorder to be more like you Jesus. I ask that you would transform me Lord. Thank You Jesus for listening to my prayer. Amen.

Disclaimer: There are very graphic pictures used in this video.

My sheep know my voice .. ok.. now what?

John 10:4  And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

In the past, I have asked spiritual leaders and friends whom I believed would be able to share some wisdom the following question, "How do I recognize God's voice when He speaks to me?" Every individual responded by quoting John 10:4 "the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." That was probably as useful to me as defining a word in the dictionary by using the same word. It did not help.

It was only two Sunday's ago when I began to receive clarity on the topic. It all started during a discussion that took place in my discipleship class. The leader of the class was explaining how sheep operate. She said that at night, shepherds would often gather their sheep together with other flocks since it was easier to protect them from predators. In the morning, each shepherd would call their sheep to them and only their sheep (who are now in one huge flock) would come out of the flock and follow them while all the other sheep would remain.

During the week, I thought about the matter even more and this is what I have concluded. Sheep know the voice of their shepherd because they grew familiar to their shepherd's voice. I do not believe that a sheep that is sold to another shepherd will automatically begin following his new owner's commands the very first day he is brought to the farm. It is the same with a new believer in Christ, or sadly, even long time believers in Christ. Before we can discern the voice of God we must become familiar with His voice.

Not every voice we hear in our mind is a friendly one. I believe that there are a total of three voices in every believer's mind and only one that is trustworthy. (1) Yourself (2) Holy Spirit/God (3) Satan/ The Enemy. That one trustworthy voice being that of God and no other voice is to be trusted. Everyday we hear all three of these voices in our mind and without a familiarity of God's voice, one can easily mistake the voice of God for one of the other two voices.

How we gain familiarity with God's voice is by (1) READING HIS WORD (2) PRAYING. Do both and do them often and you will naturally be able to discern the voice of God when you hear it.

This being said, the next time someone asks you the question, "How do I recognize God's voice when He speaks to me?" You can respond by saying, "You must first become familiar with God's voice before you can discern whether or not He is speaking to you. You will begin to recognize the voice of God as you submerge yourself in His word (Holy BIBLE) and His presence during through prayer."

Those who talk less think more.

we live in a microwave generation

You must first acknowledge how foolish you are before you can pursue wisdom with the intensity you desire.

Your love feels like the sun's rays on my skin

Your company is better than french vanilla icecream

Your whisper sends tingles down my spine

Your embrace feels like I'm swimming in a pool of warm pudding

As I re-read the above lines I shook my head. It's unfortunate that my limited vocab couldn't express the way I feel about my God. *sigh*