iheartjesusculture-blog

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The people who have chosen to walk with you, they want to help you up. They want to be your people, honestly and genuinely. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be around.

Lauren Penna, “Four Lessons I Learned Recovering From Anorexia” (via twloha)

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Isaiah 28:23-29 & Mark 4

Isaiah 28:23-29

23 Listen and hear my voice;

pay attention and hear what I say.

24 When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?

Does he keep on breaking up and working the soil?

25 When he has leveled the surface,

does he not sow caraway and scatter cumin?

Does he not plant wheat in its place,#

barley in its plot,#

and spelt in its field?

26 His God instructs him

and teaches him the right way.

27 Caraway is not threshed with a sledge,

nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin;

caraway is beaten out with a rod,

and cumin with a stick.

28 Grain must be ground to make bread;

so one does not go on threshing it forever.

The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it,

but one does not use horses to grind grain.

29 All this also comes from the Lord Almighty,

whose plan is wonderful,

whose wisdom is magnificent.

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

9Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,

“ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’#”

13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

A Lamp on a Stand

21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”

24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

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Jon Thurlow - Your Word

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K-LOVE - Israel Houghton “Your Presence Is Heaven” LIVE (by kloveradio)

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Yahowah has provided mankind with a book of answers and directions, teaching us everything we need to know about Him, about us, about the Covenant and salvation. But rather than reading it, most men and women have chosen to believe other men and women, to trust their religion and country instead of God. This perversion is accomplished by molding a caricature of god into the fabric of religion and politics.

http://dlvr.it/24J3D7

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Romans 1

8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading...

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Lauryn Hill question & answer section to high school students. (2000)

Just listen. Then read John 3.

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Yahowah does not respond to those who do not know Him. He does not hear nor does He answer the prayers of those who speak to a god by any other name or description. That is the antithesis of what the masses have been indoctrinated to believe.

http://dlvr.it/24HC81

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It's been a while

I haven't been blogging on here very often in a very long time. There are too many reasons to explain why. I have not been in church since last year shortly after my uncle's sudden death. I haven't been struggling with my faith, but I have been going through a lot of unexplained changes. I had a lot of questions as to why I felt attacked in church and why certain things happened to me in church where I was lied to and made to believe things that were not true.

I might not ever get answers as to why certain things happened to me. But yesterday someone posted something on tumblr about a concern they had in a teaching in their own church. Out of no where I felt I had to respond and I definitely got an answer that even I had no idea it would answer my own questions. I understand why I felt like something was off at my church. I was replaced as a children's bible teacher and was also replaced in the media department with no explanation. People at church were no longer reaching out to me. I knew it had something to do with what happened to me. It's too much to explain right now really. I went through a lot of things and saw things and heard things that were very disturbing. I was warned by people that were leaving the church but I held on to forgiveness and knowing that God would prevail.

Gladly God gave me an opportunity to leave the church and I took it. I also thought that if God needed me there he would keep me there. 

While I answered that post I saw on tumblr, I realized in reality what was really happening. Why I was treated differently, why no one was sincere with me and how some people made me believe that they were "chosen" and I was  less than. There was a false sense of entitlement that I was being forced to adapt to and support. A word of mouth mentality that seemed non biblical at times and it seemed more like a command more than faith in action.

I have no other way to explain it. It was very twisted and tormenting to see other's practicing it and others telling me that I was using God as a crutch. I've never considered God as a magical genie and I believe I'm lead by the spirit of God. In short, things that were not of God where trying to find a way into my life. I'm not perfect but I really didn't need all the trouble that church was creating in my life. 

I don't know if church is right for me. I'm going to try to serve God everyday in my own life where ever and however he decides to lead me. In love of course, but a little more knowledgeable now in knowing that not all things are as they would want me to believe they are. If that makes any sense. I choose to live in truth and I make room for God to make all the corrections he needs to make. 

There's more I could say, but that's it for now. 

May God Bless You, lead you and keep you.

[iheartjesusculture-blog]

Not of myself, but by God’s mercy.

Not of myself, but by God’s love.

Not of myself, but by God’s sacrifice.

Not of myself, but by God’s forgiveness.

Not of myself, but by God’s election.

Not of myself, but by God’s calling.

Not of myself, but by God’s justification.

Not of myself, but by God’s sanctification.

Not of myself, but by God’s glorification. 

Not of myself, but by God’s salvation. 

Not of myself, but by God’s work.

Not of myself, but by God and God alone.

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Your relationship with God is an amazing journey that not even death can end.

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