I just want to change the world, no big deal.

You are Holy.

"And tonight, God wants to encounter you, and wants you to feel His love, His amazing love. Without it, these are just songs, these are just words, these are just instruments, without the love of God it's like we're up here just making noise. But the Love of God changes us, we're never the same, we're never the same after we encounter the love of God." - Kim Walker

"There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for the long apprenticeship in the what earlier generation of Christians called holiness." - Eugene H. Peterson

I've talked before about going through the motions, and living like christians who are all half asleep. Let's build on that.

I had a friend once tell me that what she felt to be holy, or recognized as sacred were things in the church like candles, the hand motions that they do during services, or the prayers that they've memorized and recite as a group. Now, I may be wrong, but I have a different take on the matter. See, what i feel to be holy are the things that God is involved in. That connection that I feel when I'm praying, and it's just me and God, raw and honest, out there working with each other, Father and daughter, I feel like that's holy. When a pastor delivers a spirit filled message that speaks straight to the heart, triggering a change in someone's soul, or when you're worshiping God in the simplest ways in your everyday life because you know deep inside you that that's what you're meant to be doing. That's what is holy to me, because God is in on them.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes the word holy as, "exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness." I know that i'm not worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness, but God is, and He makes me worthy. The church, the building, the candles, as elaborate as they may be, they aren't worthy either, it's God, it's his presence that makes things holy. And i'm making a promise, a commitment right now, to give God more reign in my life. I don't want to sleep through this. God, here I am, make it real, spread this fire that I have in my heart, share this love that I have in my soul. Use me to bless the people and the things that you want to bless. Lead me to the places and the problems that you want to touch. You are the master, you are the Father, we're nothing without you, and we need to accept that. Be present in my life Lord, and I will be modest before your commands.

Humbly,

Marley

Perfect Timing

Acts 1:7 (The Message)

^7-8He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."

Timing is a crucial part of our lives. We like to plan, schedule and route out our every day adventures in a orderly fashion. We like to be in control, the captain of our own ships, travelling maps that we've chartered for ourselves. The reality of the situation as we know it, is however that we aren't actually in control at all. And, if we are, then the path that we're travelling is one that is doubtful to lead to the destination intended for us. I believe that God placed within each of our hearts desires and goals for a reason, and if you don't act on those ambitions or chase those dreams than you're not living to your full potential. All of these things have a purpose, and are meant to be pursued at a certain time. Sometimes we have things going on in our lives that pop up at inappropriate times, and we don't want to deal with them, or we become unsure which signs to follow and we get conflicted. Follow your heart. It may not be what you had been intending, or what you had hoped for, but God has different plans, greater plans and His timing is far more precise than we'll probably ever realize.

Timing is the Father's business.

It becomes apparent to us, at a very young age that communication is key to our survival. We learn pretty quickly how to tell our parents our essential needs, even developing different kinds of cries to that help our care taker distinguish between things like hunger and pain. Some of us learn later in life, in a more gradual manner that our words and means of communication can unlock vaults and realms in our world. God never intended for the world to have it's own definition of beauty, we are all beautiful, because God made us in his image. Yet, we see and judge each other based on appearance and visual qualities. The purest way to truly know a human being is through the power or speech and words. They can let you inside their mind, spirit, soul and ambitions. It's an interaction on an entirely differant level. Same applies with God. We have to communicate our thoughts and fears with our Father in order to know what He makes of them. How often do you listen, really listen to what He's trying to tell you in your life? How often do you pray, straight from the depths of your heart, being honest and whole with your Lord? Tell Him your hungers, share your pain, let our your cries.

Wake up call.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (The Message)

Hebrews 12

Discipline in a Long-Distance Race

^1-3Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

God speaks. Today, a complete stranger shared that verse with me, and it couldn't have hit me harder. It's time to buckle down, I feel like i'm in that place between being awake and being asleep, where you're aware of reality but you keep your eyes closed, because you feel that at any moment you could let yourself slip, back into a world of sleep. I know God, I feel Jesus, I'm aware of the sacrifice that was made for me, and the sacrifices that I should be making in my own life. I've committed to embracing this way of life, but I feel like i'm doing it with my closed, going through the motions, standing on the fence praying I don't fall. Which is so foolish, when it is my own foot that will lead me to the other side.

I want to be like Jesus. My hands, my voice, my body, my soul, my feet - my everything. Jesus shared a love with this world that most people cannot even fathom. He extended his generosity and kindness to all walks of life wholeheartedly. He endured and prospered. He lit fires in the heart's of men, and ignited passion and understanding in souls. He lifted burdens, and educated men who were certain they knew all. He was simple, yet undoubtably complex. All of this, he managed backed up by God's glory. And for what ? So we can sleep? So we can close our eyes during the scary parts and hope that someone else will take care of the dirty work, hoping we will scrape our way through? Pick up your bricks, lay down your mortar, let's add onto the foundation that no evil could possibly shake. Let's give window's to this cause, and doors to these walls. Let em' see inside. Call em' in to join us! May my hands hold other's on their journey to find light. May my voice speak words from God to those who need to hear them most. May my body live not for it's own good, but for a greater good. May my soul be so filled with a fire for Love that other's can't help but feel it's radiating heat. May my feet take the great leap off of that fence, and never go back again.

Wake up world. Wake up, open your eyes and share what you see. Help each other. Let's do this together, let's hold each other accountable.

Love,

Marley