He Lives...Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a great Easter. Let us all celebrate that Christ loved us so much that not only did He lay down His own life on the cross for our transgressions; yet He rose up from His grave with all power in His hands, to be our living Lord and Savior so that we can live...now that's love! Aren't you so glad He lives!

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die (John 11:25-26).

That's My King...

This weekend I had the privilege of visiting the church of two of my dearest friends. On that note I want to give a big shout out to Grace Orlando Church...I had a great time! As the pastor was teaching he jokingly wish that he could fully express his point of all of who Jesus is in His entirety and then some. Kind of like how an old southern preacher man would've done way back in the day...and today. So up popped this video. Before I knew it we were all praising the awesomeness of who Jesus is! Check it out.

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Lows & Highs | S.O. ft Leah Smith

I love this song. It's by the Christian hip-hop artist, S.O. (Seun Otukpe). And yes people, I listen to Christian hip-hop. I'm sure that many have their reservations about it. But hey, God isn't partial to who or how He chooses to get the Good News Gospel out, so why should I be ? So take a listen...a good listen...meaning listen past the beats/rhythms but to the message.

hx

Verse 1:
Uh, here goes an odd moment when my heart bleeds, pen cries/Tears rest on my eyes, proceed to accept signs/speak and not let slide/decrease and detect sighs/Cease and accept I, its time/(I tell myself this) Over months I was struggling trying to love Him/Paying a high price but thinking that I could budget/Wanted I had to covet/Lusting and try to ruffle in/Who would have thought that depression would keep coming in/A suicide mother didn’t know either/That other side just let me go deeper/And so you get the message, I’ll put it in perspective/I was waking up at night asking am I still elected/Or rather was I ever, wanting to die since that’s better than living life as a hostage in time/Am I crossing the line?/Here’s some thoughts in my mind/This the lowest that I’ve been caught up in a rhyme/


Chorus:
I get low
I get high/
But I keep my hands to the sky/
I won’t break down, not this time/
But I keep on running, even through the lows and high/
Hold me God, pull me close and show Your nigh (x2)/
My lows and high


Verse 2:
I’m sitting talking to Stephen about the days when/I was dazed, sin had me so afraid had my world up in a maze/Was ashamed and amazed/Was caught up in her gaze/Wasn’t I over this phase/Hadn’t Jesus broke the chains/(because it seems to remain here), that’s what my heart say/And this is more than some dark days or lessons I was getting/Man who can see the blessing am I messing?/No I am talking facts back to back what is in question/Is my soul though, and I know/Right now it is so cold, I’m at a low/I write don’t what I don’t show, as though these verses are my journal/I’m a solider simply trying to please the colonel and so to speak/I wipe my tears off my pastors sleeve/Like can anybody here see what I can see/I disappear if I could/Move back to the woods/But these lows never leave, how I pray that they would/

Verse 3:
(So I ask myself) Why are you downcast my soul, hope in the Lord/See Him hanging there on the pole for the filthiest thoughts/The most wicked of hearts, He died for you S know it/This is truth, objective how do you then blow/Repentance and faith, bear fruit man show it/Have that cross up in face endure and know Him/Be strong in the grace that’s found solely in Him/Satan will pray tricks by reminding you of your sin/But He died for them all, remember Calvary again/Never let it leave your brain/and things will never be the same/The Lamb of God was truly slain, rose up from the grave though/And justified in His name up the praise go!/Yeah, and that will never change/This that high up on the ride that I better crave/My help and my God who is centre stage/And His Spirit in I no better way/

Give Me...

I'm loving the song, "Give Me" by Kirk Franklin ft. Mali Music! It really makes you think about the awesomeness of who God is. How He works and reveals Himself in our lives. And how we need Him. This song encourages you to hunger/thirst for more of Him. It just tickles your soul to say something (and feel that need for God) that's already been there all along: "Give me...God. Give me that joy I can't explain. Give me that extra peace that'll ease the pain...that hope and love that will never change...as much of You, oh God, that I can take!"

In a way I am reminded of Psalms 63:1-5... "¹ You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. ² I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.³ Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. ⁴ I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. ⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you." Take a listen for yourself...

Chosen Vessel




{source}

 

The Master was searching for a vessel to use;
On the shelf there were many which one would He choose?


"Take me, cried the gold one I'm shiny and bright,
I'm of great value and I do things just right.


My beauty and luster will outshine the rest
And for someone like you, Master, gold would be the best!"


The Master passed on with no word at all;
He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall;


"I'll serve you, dear Master, I'll pour out your wine
And I'll be at your table whenever you dine,


My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true,
And my silver will always compliment you."


Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass,
It was wide mouthed and shallow, and polished like glass.


"Here! Here!" cried the vessel, I know I will do.
Place me on your table for all men to view."


"Look at me", called the goblet of crystal so clear.
"My transparency shows my contents so dear,


Though fragile am I, I will serve you with pride,
And I'm sure I'll be happy in your home to abide."


The Master came next to a vessel of wood,
Polished and carved, it solidly stood.


"You may use me, dear Master", the wooden bowl said.
"But I'd rather you used me for fruit, not for bread!"


Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay,
Empty and broken it helplessly lay.


No hope had the vessel that the master might choose,
To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.


Ah! This is the vessel I've been hoping to find,
I will mend and use it and make it all mine.


I need not the vessel with pride of itself;
Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf;


Nor the one who is big mouthed and shallow and loud;
Nor one who displays his contents so proud;


Nor the one who thinks he can do all things just right;
But this plain earthy vessel filled with my power and might


Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay.
Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day.


Spoke to it kindly "There's work you must do.
Just pour out to others as I pour into you."


Author Unknown

He Wants It All...

This is such a beautiful song ("He Wants It All" by Forever Jones). If you listen, you'll hear God speaking. Are you giving Him your all? All of you? More of you? God is yearning for us to intimately know and love Him...that's why He wants "it" all.  

                                              Lyrics                                                    

There's a voice that cries out in the silence,
searching for a heart that will love Him,
longing for a child that will give Him their all,
give it all, He wants it all

And there's a God that walks over the earth,
He's searching for a heart that is desperate,
And longing for a child that will give Him their all,
give it all, He wants it all

And He says, love me, love me with your whole heart
He wants it all today
serve me, serve me with your life now
He wants it all today
bow down, let go of your idols
He wants it all today (x3)
He wants it all

There's a God that walks over the earth,
He's searching for a heart that is desperate,
longing for a child that will give Him their all,
give it all, He wants it all

And He says, love me, love me with your whole heart
He wants it all today
serve me, serve me with you life now
He wants it all today
bow down, let go of your idols
He wants it all today (x3)
He wants it

Oh oh oh, all of you, more of you
wants it all today oh oh oh (whole thing x3)
Today, today

He wants it all today, he wants is all today
so give it all

There's a voice that cries out in the silence,
searching for a heart that will love Him,
longing for a child that will give Him their all,
give it all

He wants it all

The Power Of A Praying Woman|A Book Review

Synopsis                                                                                                                                             

Book Excerpt: "I have come to know that God can smooth my path, calm the storms, keep me and  all I care about safe, and even make my way simple when I ask Him to carry the complexities of life for me. But these things don’t just happen. Not without prayer."

Prayer is powerful—but do you know how to pray for yourself?
It may seem easier to pray for your spouse, your children, your friends, and your extended family, but God wants to hear your requests for your life too. He loves it when you come to Him for the things you need and ask Him to help you become the woman you have always longed to be.

Stormie Omartian has led nearly 2 million women into deeper, more fulfilling prayer lives. Now, through her knowledge of Scripture and candid examples of her own epiphanies in prayer, she shows you how to:

* draw closer to God
* know His plans and purposes for your life.
* receive comfort, help, and strength for every day

Trust Him moment by moment with the concerns of your heart and discover the awesome power prayer will release in your life.

About The Author:  Stormie Omartian is a bestselling author who personally connects with readers by sharing experiences and lessons that powerfully illustrate how God changes lives when we learn to trust in Him, live His way, seek His will, and follow His lead no matter what the circumstances...click here for complete biography.

Book Review                                                                                                               

"The Power of a Praying Woman" is great for women of all ages who want to grow in their relationship with the Lord. To grow in the Lord you must effectively communicate with Him through prayer. This principle is the underlining theme of this book.

Stormie gives candid examples of her own prayer life which makes this book so relatable yet  encouraging to those of us who strive to include prayer in every area of our lives. In addition, it is quite evident that Stormie is deeply rooted in the word of God.

"The Power of a Praying Woman" has definitely made me realize the importance of an active prayer life and in someway lit a spark within me to become more of a "prayer warrior." What do I mean by "prayer warrior?"  Well let's just say I pray about everything...as I should, because my God said I could (Philippians 4:6-7). This potential was always within me but I really didn't realize it until I read this book.

If you're in need of a little encouragement in the area of  getting your prayer life in check I definitely recommend this book. And just in case you were wondering it's a great and easy read.

*Author's biography taken from http://www.stormieomartian.com/

Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage Of the Dawn Trader| Movie Review

           

Overview:                                                                                                                           

Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace, are swallowed into a painting and transported back to Narnia and the magnificent ship The Dawn Treader. They join King Caspian and a warrior mouse named Reepicheep for a mission which holds the fate of Narnia itself. The courageous voyagers overcome their own greatest temptations, as they travel to mysterious islands; have fateful confrontations with magical creatures and sinister enemies; and reunite with their friend and protector, the "Great Lion" Aslan.

Rated PG  

113 mins

Adventure|Family|Fantasy



One of my favorite scenes of this movie is when Aslan shows up to confront Lucy about the issue  of  vanity.




My Review:                                                                                                                     

Christian author, C.S. Lewis's, The Chronicles of Narnia book series are the inspiration behind all Chronicles of Narnia movies. Both the movies and book series are known primarily for valuable moral lessons, Christian analogies, adventure, and fun...all of which "The Voyage Of the Dawn Trader" (most recent movie) had.

The storyline was pretty straight forward and easy to follow. It had clean humor throughout the film, which is quite rare these days.  I must admit that this movie wasn't as great as the previous Narnia movies ("The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian"). None the less, it was still good. What made the movie good instead of great? Well, I saw the movie in 3-D. I think this took away from the quality of the visual effects. Most scenes did not have noticeable 3D effects...it didn't enhance the film as I thought 3-D effects should do. Maybe I should go see the movie in 2D?

Overall, I recommend this movie for all ages to see. Within this movie there are great lessons in vanity, ego, faith, and courage, something we all can get a little schooling on. Most importantly, I'm sure this was what C.S. Lewis hoped to accomplish when writing the Narnia books. 

Bless The Lord (Son Of Man)

Early one morning I heard the song, Bless The Lord | Son of Man by Tye Tribbett for the first time. It's been on my heart ever since. I immediately thought of Psalm 103. Before I knew it my hands were stretched high and my voice was full of praise and thanks to God for who He is and all He has done. What an awesome way to start the morning...

Psalm 103

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul and all that is within me,bless his holy name! ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,³who forgives all your iniquity,who heals all your diseases,⁴who redeems your life from the pit who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy...²⁰Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word obeying the voice of his word!²¹Bless the LORD, all his hosts his ministers, who do his will!²² Bless the LORD, all his works,  in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

        


Lyrics                                                                                     
Son of man, Son of righteousness
King of the earth for sinners slain
I was lost, in darkness found
You ransomed my heart and I will sing(repeat)


(You are )my Strength, (You are)my Deliverer
The One who rescued me
(You are) my Hope, (You are)my redeemer
Your love has set me free
(That's why I will)
Bless the Lord oh my soul (x4)


In the splendor of Your Majesty
from deep within my spirit sings, holy holy (x7)
Holy holy (x3)

Bless the Lord oh my soul (x12)

In Heaven! Experiencing The Throne Of God, Dean A. Braxton|A Book Review

Synopsis                                                                                                                                          

Book Excerpt: "When I first arrived in heaven and knelt before Jesus, all I could do was say,"YOU DID THIS FOR ME?!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and THANK YOU!!" I could have said this for the next 3000 years or more and still would have wanted to keep going......I know EVERYTHING - IS - RIGHT, where Jesus is, and THERE IS NOTHING WRONG!! Some say it is peaceful, but it far exceeds past peace because there is nothing to be peaceful from......"

About The Author:  Dean & Marilyn Braxton are licensed ministers. They currently attend By His Word Christian Center in Tacoma, Washington. They have been in the ministry for over 15 years, as assistant pastors with Marilyn ministering in music. They have been married for 25 years and have six children. For the past 3 years, they have been sharing their testimony of how Dean died for 1 hour and 45 minutes and was miraculously prayed back to life. He was told by Jesus, "No, it is not your time. Go back! "Marilyn shares about how she pressed into God through this experience, the medical side of things, and what it took on her part to believe for healing for Dean off his death bed. Their experience has given much life and hope along with a great sense of how much God loves each and every one of us.

Book Review                                                                                                   

 The testimony of  Dean Braxton's experience in heaven is amazing and impactful. As a matter of fact, it's made me more conscience of two things: (1)Life is short. (2) With this little time on earth, what am I doing now to ultimately glorify God. Not only have I been reminded that life here on earth is temporary but there's confirmation in the fact that there is life after we leave this earth and its for eternity. 

Everything Dean Braxton witnessed in heaven from what Jesus looked like, to the very being of who God is, to who's in heaven and what heaven is like, are supported with biblical scripture. Although it is evident that Dean's experience was so awing that the human language/vocabulary can not do justice in his description of  what was experienced and witnessed. None the less, Dean Braxton did a terrific job in making things as crystal clear as possible.

I definitely would recommend this book to anyone and everybody. It's definitely a great means to witness to non-believers and encourage  fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! 

Christian Art By Sevenapples

   


 Sevenapple's founder and photographer, Justin Ulmer is an artist that has some pretty amazing photography and graphic art skills. More importantly, his skills are being used to glorify the name of  Jesus! Justin Ulmer states "my prayer is that the Christian art composed by Sevenapples will illustrate, supplement, and portray in tangible form the beautiful truths of God's holy word." It's pretty creative and inspiring that he's using his artistic talents as a ministry to bring the Good News of Christ Jesus to many across the globe.

Each piece of work is deeply rooted in and inspired by biblical scripture and the powerful living message therein.  In addition, each piece of work is titled after a specific verse. 

All work is available for viewing and purchase at www.sevenapples.net . The prices range from $85-$250 depending on the size of the piece. 

Title: Deuteronomy XXXII 2 (shown on left)
The scripture that this piece is named for declares, "Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants."

Title: Daniel XII 3 (shown on right)
The scripture that this piece is named for declares, "Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever."

 

Title: Psalm CIV 4 (shown on left)
The scripture that this piece is named for declares,"The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants." 

Title: Psalm LXXXVII 7 (shown on right)
The scripture that this piece is named for declares, "As they make music they will sing, 'All my fountains are in you.'"


*all pictures are from CHRISTIAN ART BY SEVENAPPLES

Yahweh

Lately I can't seem to get a certain song out of my mind called "Yahweh." "Yahweh" is an awesome but simple song on the album "The 2econd Coming" by Mali Music. I think the reason why this song is permanently stuck in my head is because I've been listening to the entire album non-stop from this summer up until now. However, I'll save the album review for another time.


Oh, just in case you didn't know, Yahweh is Hebrew in orgin. It is the personal, distinctive, and literal name of GOD.  Similar to a form of the Hebrew verb "YHWH", which means "to be". Many scholars believe YHWH is related to a root word meaning "to be present" or "to exist" and probably meant either "He creates or causes" or simply "I AM", meaning that God did not depend on anyone or anything for His existence. This comes from Exodus 3:13-14, where Moses asks God what His name is, and God says "I AM WHO I AM."


Okay so go ahead and take a listen to the song and take a minute to read the lyrics.




Lyrics:                                                                                              
All the glory belongs to You/ all the glory belong to You, Oh God!
All the glory belongs to You/ all the glory belongs to You, Oh God!
Hal/ le/ lu/ jah (repeat) Hallelujah (repeat)Yahweh
Yahweh be praised/ Yahweh/ Yahweh be praised!



*video courtesy of  YouTube
*lyrics courtesy of http://www.malimusicnote.com/Lyricsinside.html