the war within

How does one reconcile between equal yet opposing forces/ideas/emotions?  The struggle is real, ladies and gentlemen, and I need to vent about mine.

About my ex-boyfriend...

1. I hate that I even still have feelings for him. Like, especially after the way he treated me most recently... I must be a glutton for punishment.  He obviously doesn't want me. He's not even about that saved live. Why am I not over him already?? Why do memories and fantasies of him haunt the inner recesses of my mind?
2. In a twisted way, I wonder if my feelings for him are a sneak preview what unconditional love is.  I won't deny that selfish motives were involved on my part, but there is a deeper symbolism. [the desire] To love someone who pushes you away is exemplified by God all the time. They hurt you but you still want the best for them.  They ignore you but anytime they might need you, you'll be there.  This experience makes me more sympathetic towards the way we treat God and I appreciate His love all the more.

Every time I find out that someone else I know got engaged/married...

1. I'm happy that another couple is committed to each other in life and love, and I pray the best for their relationship.
2. A little piece of me dies inside because I yearn to have the same for myself, yet there are no prospects on the horizon.

When I think about the current status of my life...

1. It saddens me that I haven't accomplished so many things that I set out to do when I was much younger.  I want to do more, be more, LIVE more!
2. Yet, I feel like an ungrateful wretch to have what I do and long for more when so many others in the world are suffering. Their lives are the sum total of REAL suffering; and here I am whining about my 1st-world problems. Ugh!

Concerning my relationship with Jesus...

1. I know He is real because of amazing things He's already done in my life. I chose Him because He chose me... loved me... died for me. I feel honored to know that He used Himself as collateral for my sinful debts. I believe that whatever He does is in my best interest, even though I don't always understand.
2. I hate that I don't understand what God is doing in my life and it frustrates the crap outta me! I know He hears my prayers and is working behind the scenes but so much seems SO unfair. I'm tired of not getting any answers (or not the answers that I want). My faith feels worn out!

I'm well aware of the eternal battle between flesh and spirit but that doesn't bring me any comfort in dealing with these inner conflicts. Welp, just wanted to get this off my chest. As you were.

be blessed,
pVI

3>30: an Easter sub-text

I've never considered myself to be a math whiz but I do have a general understanding of how numbers work.  For example, 2+2=4... unless you've been tortured and brainwashed by Big Brother, and your power of independent thought has been broken to the point that if you were told that 2+2=5, you enthusiastically agree. (If you were thoroughly baffled by that reference, you need to read 1984 by George Orwell!)  I just felt the need to preface my post with this explanation because I'm sure you're wondering why I would infer that 3 is greater in value than 30.  Welp, I'm so glad you asked!

Jesus Christ came to Earth for a divine purpose and His mission, which He ultimately chose to accept, was essentially suicide.  That was a bitter pill for anyone to swallow, and even God in human form required preparation for it.  Jesus spent 30 years growing, learning and living as one of us before He officially began His Father's business [Luke 3:23].  Not much is shared in the Bible about His life between childhood and 30, but whatever happened during that 'buffering period' was necessary for Him to become the Jesus that would literally save the world.

Once He was baptized--or effectively ordained--Jesus' ministry did not stop until He rose from the grave and ascended to heaven.  It is taught that a span of 3 years separated His baptism and His crucifixion, and in that time He changed the course of history.  Jesus walked on the path of His purpose by preaching, performing miracles and making disciples.  In a mere 3 years, He revolutionized the way people approached and encountered God and each other by cancelling "the law" and replacing it with grace.  Jesus forged a new path to God through faith and love--NOT works and rituals.  He did more in those 3 years than could have been done in all of the time before His life and after His death... but only when it was His time.

God's concept of time, space, math and science are above and beyond what our crummy human minds can comprehend.  He orchestrated exactly when Christ's birth, death and resurrection would take place, and not a moment too soon or too late.  In His omnipotence, He surmised that 3 would be greater than 30.  That 3 decades would be the appropriate incubation period for Jesus to unleash 3 years of awesomesauce the likes of which the universe had never witnessed.  God made it so that His son lived and learned among Earthlings for 30 years so that Jesus could make His 3 years of ministry real and relevant to those whom He was dying to save.

Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday--the day we recognize as that which Jesus basically told sin, death and hell to kick rocks.  As we celebrate that our Redeemer lives, let's pause to think about the path that His life took while on Earth...  that even His life was subject to God's divine timing.  This is especially applicable if, like me, you are confused/anxious about why certain things in your life seem to be taking SO long to happen.  It's an appropriate reminder to us all that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and He will let us off our chains when the His time is right.

Happy Easter!

pVI

Patience in the cut

The other day, I was waiting in the checkout lane for an unreasonably long time.  Why would I call it “unreasonably long”?  Because I was in the EXPRESS lane.  The expectation is that having “10 items or less” means that the line would move faster in comparison to others that had more items, but not when I was in it at this particular time. 

I don’t know what the hold up was, but others in the line were pissed off with waiting and got quite vocal about it.  Some comments were being made intentionally for the cashier to hear and I’m sure that didn’t exactly encourage her to move any faster.  I know what it’s like to be in a rush and expecting to be in and out of the store, but I had nowhere in particular to be this time so I didn’t join the mini-mob in getting bent out of shape. 

There was plenty of time to kill while standing there so I let my eyes wander around to the other checkout lanes. I saw a toddler sitting in the front of a cart about 2 lanes over, and he intrigued me. Beside the fact that cute babies make my ovaries do the cat daddy, his manner was what caught my attention.  He was maybe just under a year old; eyes bright and taking in the world around him while contently sucking on his pacifier (a-la Maggie Simpson).  As young as he was, he had an aura of peace around him… Dude was just chillin’ in the cut.

What was so special about that?  Well, I took it as a lesson.  Yeah, I know that compared to me, babies got life made--eat, sleep, poop, cry, repeat (in no particular order).  But the Word tells me that I should take the same approach because worrying about life won’t do me any good.  Little things like waiting a couple of extra minutes to buy some things are really NOT.THAT.SERIOUS.  The fact that I had money to buy what I needed easily overshadowed the inconvenience of a slow-moving line.

By the time I made it to the register, the cashier’s shift had ended and she had to switch off with the next one—just my luck, right?   The express lane nazi directly behind me saw what was happening and expressed her displeasure with a ‘smart’ remark.  I just smiled and shrugged.  I waited patiently until the new cashier got set up and greeted her with a smile, as well.  She heard some of the comments and was glad to see that not everyone in the line was waiting to crucify her before she even started her shift. Even if mine was the only smile she saw that day, I felt good that I could share a little bit of Christ with her in such a simple way. Yup, as simple as that.

Fling Chune FRIDAY - Jesus

Wassup everybody?  How was your week?  Mine was slightly unnerving after suddenly finding out something about a co-worker. *sigh*  But life goes on...

Today's chune is simple and straight to the point: calling on the name of JESUS. There's nothing better than knowing the power that comes with it!  Debra Killings' rendition caught my ear the first time I heard it because of the bass on the track--literally.  This chick plays the bass guitar; naw, actually she murders it!  This song is mellow and allows you to take it all in while meditating on that name, but there's no ignoring the deep bass tones throughout. Oh yeah, and she can sang, too!

So go ahead and enjoy this urban worship groove to proclaim the name of JESUS!

pVI

church = kissing: relationship(s) with God, exposited

This is my first 'unofficial' post in a series in which I'm trying to analyze a supernatural relationship through a natural perspective.  I'm not quite sure how this analogy came about, but I'm about to go in on it! [For my ramblings on not-so-holy kissing, see here. #shamelessplug]

Sooo yeah... This thought kinda randomly occurred to me the other day when I was thinking about.... kissing.  Yes--this saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost-filled, water-baptized woman thinks about kissing.  But before you start throwing shade my way, I haven't even gotten close to any lips for some years now (you read that correctly: YEARS).  So imagine even my surprise when associations began to form in my mind between locking lips and the Lord's house.  

I think it's safe to say that kissing is expected in a romantic relationship; it can also play a big role in other relationships, as well (i.e. parent-child). *Disclaimer* This assumption excludes 'courtships' in which the couple to be married chooses to abstain from all forms of physical affection until their wedding day.  But for the rest of us who aren't currently in or choose not to be in a "kiss-less courtship" when the time comes--I'm just keepin' it 100!--there is that unspoken presumption that, if nothing else, a couple will kiss each other in various ways to affirm their feelings for each other.  However, NOT kissing doesn't nullify a relationship but it is one of the best ways to foster endearment between people as they grow closer to each other.  In my humble estimation, going to church should be viewed the same way. How? I'm so glad you asked! *impish grin*

Kissing comes in various flavors and degrees of intensity: a quick peck on the cheek or forehead, a gentle pucker on the lips, and then, well... thank God for French ingenuity is all I'll say. ;o)  We can think of denominations of churches, or even "personalities" of congregations in similar fashion--each is unique in its expression but represents the same basic activity.

A kiss reaffirms the 'known' within a relationship.  Done regularly enough, it becomes a form of communication in which one person expresses familiarity, appreciation and good ol' love to the other.  Better yet, it can confirm the unknown; and by that, I'm referring to the classic first kiss; romantically speaking, of course.  For the most part, you don't know when, where or how it will happen, but you await in eager anticipation that it will. (or was that just me? *shrugs*)  The first kiss seals the deal and everything becomes official in some way because--assuming it was welcomed by both parties--what existed in the confines of your mind has taken on a tangible form.  

Now to bring things back around to church, the experience is a reaffirmation of your relationship with Jesus.  You've been spending time with Him on your own by reading the Bible and praying, so hearing the sermons and participating in praise and worship simply builds upon the foundation that you began laying for yourself.  If you've been going to church regularly for a while, it may become too comfortable because you feel that you know what to expect but this is where the 'first kiss' phenomenon kicks in.  Something in the middle of your church routine happens that catches you off-guard in a happy-smiley-fuzzy-bubbly-kinda way... A word from the pastor changes your entire perspective on a matter... The choir sings a song that you've heard a thousand times before in such a way that stirs your soul... Someone in the congregation shares a testimony that moves you to tears because you had no idea what they were going through as they sat in your row week after week.  Unlike with another person, 'first kisses' of the spiritual kind can/will happen many times over--they just feel new each time.

So what about that part when I said earlier that "NOT kissing doesn't nullify a relationship"?  I know you're already looking up that Scripture talking about "forsake not the assembling of the saints"; well, I got sumthin' for ya:

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another...

And if you wanna get really sanctified, we can take this back to the 10 Commandments and infer that God included a church-going clause when He said to the Israelites remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  Reading both Scriptures word-for-word doesn't say anything specifically sinful about NOT going to church.  So that settles it--I can be a legit Christian without going to church, right?  "Church is just a religious institution created to suck up tithes/offerings and offer false hope to the masses!" or "My home is the church, my sofa is the pew, my TV is the pulpit, and [insert televangelist/mega-church pastor's name here] is my pastor."  Umm, naw... I didn't say that either.

One thing I will say is that--back to my original thesis--church is like kissing: you feel more in tune with your significant other the more you do it.  Along those same lines, sometimes you may do it [kissing, going to church, or both (hopefully not kissing IN church, tho!)] just because you love that special someone and not because you necessarily want to at that particular time.  But guess what: being in a relationship means that it's not all about you!!  This is especially true when you add an omnipotent, omniscient, omni-everything being to the mix.  But the good news is that He wants this relationship even more than you do. :o)  So close your eyes, pucker up, and make it hot!  ...oh yeah, and then go to church!

be blessed,
pVI

relationship(s) with God, exposited: a series

exposit [ik-spoz-it] - to expound; i.e. "chop it up"

My intent is to look at salvation for what it really is should be: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  However, there are varying types of interpersonal relationships and I hope to describe how God is found in each one.

So this series will comprise the following relationships:

• savior-sinner
• parent-child
• spouse-spouse

Stay tuned, everybody... this should be good! ;o)
 ______________________________________________________________________________________________

addendum, 6/2/12: The idea for this series came about as I was mulling over ways to share my faith with others.  I've never been the Bible-thumping, "Ya need Jesus!!" kinda person so my personal approach has usually been using real-life examples in one-on-one conversations.  I can't say that I've won a lot of souls that way, but I think that non-Christians are generally turned off by their foreign perceptions of Jesus.  By the end of this series, my hope is to have generated sincere, and thought-provoking dialogues that anyone can relate to.  Forming new relationships with God is the ultimate goal.

"virginity" vs. "God" on Grey's Anatomy

I've been a die-hard Grey's Anatomy fan from the jump... and I'm still a Christian (imagine that!).  If you're not familiar with the show, it's about a group of young doctors working their way up the ranks of their medical careers, along with all the drama that swirls around in their lives while they do this.  Honestly, I like the medical content more than anything else but the characters have sucked me in. And I blame Shonda Rhimes for that, but anyway...  Something specific in the episode that aired last week, Let the Bad Times Roll, seriously disturbed me so I decided to chop it up here.

One character, April Kepner, stands out from the rest [at least, she did, until last week] as the only virgin in the group of mostly promiscuous physicians.  She confessed this one or two seasons ago but I don't recall if she ever shared why she never had sex up to that point.  Welp, fast-forward to the present where all of the young doctors travel to take their board exams and--to make a long story short--April gets drunk, gets aggressive, and gets laid (by one of her colleagues).  To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement... not just at the fact that she gave it up so casually, but her [physical] demeanor right after the act was portrayed in a way that I found to be simply unrealistic.

I was pissed off enough up to that point, but when April is shown coming to grips with her actions the next day--of her board exam--she becomes completely hysterical... and then starts talkin' bout Jesus... something to the effect that she had remained a virgin because she loved Jesus and now that she is no longer one, Jesus no longer loved her.

Now let me make it clear--I fully understand the guilt and shame that comes with doing something sinful and feeling like you let God down.  My angst is directed towards the scriptwriter [once again, that would be Shonda Rhimes] for playing the "J card" now that April did something 'wrong', as opposed to mentioning April's Christian convictions from the jump.  And to add insult to injury, April later delves into a monologue in which she basically questions why she even had said convictions to begin with. *spoiler alert*  Finally, she discovers that she's the only doctor of the group to fail the boards.

April's end result said one thing to me--and possibly to other viewers, as well: God punished her [i.e. "no longer loved her"] for losing her virginity outside of marriage.  Am I saying that God doesn't exact consequences for breaking His rules?  Not at all.  Do I think that this obviously non-Christian TV show should have used this opportunity to show an example of God's grace and mercy?  Possibly.  But the major bone I have to pick here is that Jesus was used as the 'fall guy'.  He is wrongfully accused by April on account of her own guilty conscience, after which she essentially dismisses her faith in Him and then she fails the biggest exam of her life (and that's His fault too, obviously).  How convenient to leave the Lord out of the picture until things start going wrong and then highlight His ineptitude/vengeance.  Seriously...

Fling Chune FRIDAY: Just For Me

Thank God it's GOOD Friday!  Today marks the most pivotal day of the Christian faith: the foundation of our beliefs is hinged on the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on behalf of humanity.  Although He died a horrible death, that Friday was good for the rest of us, in that we were offered an opportunity to reconnect, spiritually, with God the Father.

Around this time 8 years ago, I saw The Passion of the Christ...and never again, since.  I don't think my heart could take it.  While I'm not Catholic and Mel Gibson isn't exactly a poster boy for his faith--nobody's perfect, right?--I truly believe that God used that film to get a point across.  The scourging scene deeply impacted me, to the point where I cried uncontrollably bawled like a baby in the theater until I had a pounding headache.  And that's saying a lot because I am NOT one who is ruled by emotion... but a visualization of what Jesus must have endured for us, for me... overwhelming.

So today's chune is dedicated to the memory of what my Savior did just for me.  My college gospel choir used to sing this song so it has that much more significance to me.  But Donnie McClurkin sings the meaning of salvation as plain as day.  If you've ever thought, What's all the hype about Christianity and/or Easter, I beg you to listen in.

Have a blessed Easter,

pVI

Love is an ACTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

I've been revisiting the whole concept of love lately and what I came up with wasn't a ground-breaking discovery; rather, something of a personal revelation.  By now, most people have realized that love is more than just a word or a feeling.  But I contend that that infamous four-letter word is, in fact, an action verb.  Herein is my argument.

LOVE is probably the most over-used 4-letter word in the English language.  I love those shoes!; *ta-da-da-da-daaa* I'm luvin' it!; Can you feel the love?; I love you/him/her!!  So we're faced with a situation in which the strongest [human] emotion has been reduced to a mere cliche... a buzzword.  People throw it around without a second thought, ignorant to the weight of what they are wielding.  Don't believe me?  Just ask my homie, Jesus Christ.

The opportunity to have a personal relationship with God is a direct result of two distinct acts of love. The first one was committed by God Himself [as told in John 3:16]:  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (emphasis mine).  Next, the same Son given by God--Jesus Christ--enacted the greatest love of all [as told in John 15:13]: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  So both the Father and the Son took on the responsibility of expressing true love by performing the actions to back it up--surrendering the most important thing to each of them on behalf of others.

So the next time you use or hear the word love, think about how loaded it actually is.  Ponder how you would prove it.  Are you willing to die for the next person you say "I love you" to?  When someone else says they love you or something, ask them what they would give up to demonstrate that.  It's a legit question since they are openly making a claim of epic proportions (even if they are ignorant about it).

For Christians, the definition of love is provided in 1 Corinthians 13; this also serves as our instruction manual.  The Apostle Paul laid it out like this in verses 4 through 6:

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

His wording treats love as a live being but, in my mind, that simply translates to the person who is putting the love into action.  For example: One who loves is patient. One who loves does not envy, boast or is not proud.  One who loves always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. The onus is put on the person who is taking up the responsibility to love by using the word.

I have always been wary of using 'the L-word'.  The first guy I fell in love with was warned in advance that under no circumstances would I tell him that I loved him until I was 110% sure!  If I knew then what I know now about what love truly means, I probably wouldn't have been able to say it at all.  Would I have taken a bullet for him?  When he told me he loved me, was he thinking of the sacrifices that it would require?  Ummm, methinks the answer is NO.  But, if you don't already, please consider the commitment that you are placing upon yourself when you use the word love... that is, only if you really mean it.

be blessed,
pVI

What about Joseph?

I know that today is supposed to be about Jesus--and rightfully so--but I've been thinking about Joseph.  Earlier today, while watching The Nativity Story, his character (as portrayed in this film) really jumped out at me.  Not to spoil it for those who may not have seen it, but there are a few scenes that really make me admire the [kind of] man Joseph was.

Photo credit: Wikimedia.org

For example, his reaction to Mary's pregnancy was nothing short of remarkable--especially considering that his fiance` was not having his baby! This was even before he was tipped off in a dream, so his true character was one of integrity and compassion.  He wasn't tryna be spiteful and drag Mary's name through the mud, even though he had every right to, and more: the law actually called for her to be stoned to death (for the apparent charge of adultery).

Though I couldn't find corresponding illustrations in the Bible, the movie has an extended scene showing the journey Joseph and Mary took from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census ordered by King Herod.  He led them through the desert for several days, and he and Mary seemed to bond during that time.  But what really impressed me about the journey was how Joseph put his leadership swag on full blast. He walked until his feet bled and never uttered a complaint. While Mary and the donkey carrying her got rest, he prayed. He fed the family--including the donkey--first and took what was left.  And when Mary went into labor in Bethlehem, he was her doula... mind you, men weren't allowed anywhere near childbirth activity in those days. If these aren't the characteristics of a true man of God, then I don't what else to say!
.

Throughout the movie, I found myself becoming infatuated with Joseph's persona. Don't laugh, I know it sounds corny but it's true!  I was thinking things like "No wonder he was chosen to raise the son of God!"; and "Now THAT is the kind of man that I'm holding out for!"  Seriously, a man of integrity and Godliness is beyond sexy!!  See, for a man like Joseph, the whole wives submit to your husbands* thing immediately becomes a non-issue for me. #truestory  I would trust his judgement without hesitation because he would be completely submitted to God.  And though he would make mistakes, as we all do, I would still receive his leadership because he consistently demonstrates that our family is his top priority.

All of these considerations show me the importance that God places on the cohesive family unit.  Yes, Jesus was God's son but He still ensured that there was a positive father figure in His life on Earth.  Mary could have just been a single mother--which wasn't probable for that day and age, but neither was immaculate conception--yet both parents were chosen to raise Him together.  It's not always possible to do that nowadays; I know, being the product of a single mom.  But thinking about Joseph's role only solidifies my resolve to unite, under the hand of God, with a man who is worthy of starting and raising a family with me.

Christmas blessings ,

pVI

*referenced Scriptures: Ephesians 5:21-23 and Colossians 3:18

Fling Chune FRIDAY: Mama Bake Yuh Johnny Cake!

image credit: http://a242consulting.org

Welp, it's the last Friday before Christmas!! Got all your shopping done? Ask me if I did any this year... barely. I've refused to subject myself to the commercial counterfeit that contemporary holidays have become. What does that translate to? It simply means that I prefer to focus on the spiritual significance of a day such as this. I'm asking myself, "What gift am I gonna give Jesus this year?" Is that something you've thought about?

Anywhooo, on with the chune! Dis one yah is the U.S. Virgin Islands' official Christmas anthem: Mama Bake Yuh Johnny Cake. It's done in the style of a local folk music genre called quelbe--think the Caribbean cousin of bluegrass. Enjoy. ;o)

So, I bid all of thee a joyous and fulfilling Christmas this Sunday! God bless.
pVI

Be careful what you pray for... seriously!

Earlier this week, I sat down to eat my lunch and I blessed my food before eating, as I normally do.  I normally say something simple, like "Thank you Lord for this food. Bless it, purify it, and let it be nourishing to my body. In Jesus' name, AMEN". Well this particular time, I got as far as thanking God when the thought hit me: there are millions of people who literally have nothing to eat, and possibly haven't eaten for days. So I made it my business to add "Lord, please bless those who are starving and provide for their needs somehow."

That very afternoon, I drove through a fast-food joint to get something to eat before going to a meeting.  There are a couple of vagrants who frequent that spot but one in particular seems to have it as his personal turf.  So I placed my order and while I'm at the payment window, he appears outta no where and rolls up on me to beg for money.  I never give out money but I always offer to buy food for those who are less fortunate so they can at least have something to eat. So I tell the lady at the payment window to add nuggets and fries to my bill because I figure I can squeeze that outta the change I was gonna get back. All of a sudden, the man tells me "I don't eat nuggets, just burgers and chicken". So I had an instant O_o moment, and told him "Yeah, umm, nuggets are make from chicken". Then he has the nerve to retort "But I don't eat nuggets... I eat chicken sandwich."

EXCUSE YOU?! Let me tell y'all, that I could NOT believe I was having that conversation! Clearly, he didn't get the memo: beggars can't be choosers!! Isn't that in the Bible somewhere in red??  OK maybe not, but still, I couldn't get over the audacity of this man who is dictating what I should buy for him out of my hard-earned money! I mean, if he [lied and] told me he was allergic to chicken or was a vegetarian, I woulda been willing to work with him... So the end result was that I just ordered the fries alone cuz I wasn't about to argue with him.

Later that night I was talking to my mom about it and I couldn't help but laugh at how the day unfolded.  I started out praying for those who have no food and God saw to it that I had the perfect opportunity to help someone who needed food. Imagine that... the Lord used me to answer my own prayer. Not sure if I actually did, though. I mean, Jesus told us (in Matthew 25):

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, ....’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?...
   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

This man, a vagrant as I referred to him, would be considered one of the least in our society but Jesus begged to differ.  Now, reflecting on the conversation I had with him--and I still maintain that he shoulda been more humble about his 'request'--it makes me wonder if I would have acted the same way if Jesus was standing there.  Would my treatment of this man have earned me "the kingdom prepared for [me] since the creation of the world"? Or would Jesus have said " ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels"?

Things that make you go "hmmmm..."

be blessed,

pVI

Lead me NOT into temptation... no, seriously!!

Lately, I've been in a situation where I'm staring temptation in the face. Literally.  See, I had been crushing on this guy for a while and it had gotten really intense at one point. I prayed about him--even dreamed about him [not that kinda dream, but I did have some 'impure' thoughts *sigh* forgive me again, Lord!]--then I finally got several opportunities to interact with him. On top of us being spiritually 'incompatible', it seems that he's not that into me... so yeah, there goes that. And while I'm not expecting anything meaningful to happen between us, I still respect him as a person and I think he's just a cool dude. The fact that I still consider him grade-A eye candy *rawr* is just a plus. LOL

So now that I've reached the point where I felt that I had let the desire for this guy completely go, I'm seeing him more than I ever did before--and in quite close proximity. I'm like, "Really, God? You show me that he's not for me and now he's all up in my face? WHY would you even do that? Dis a test Lawd, cuz ah gon fail bad!" Seriously, it's like taunting a a chocoholic diabetic with a slice of the Cheesecake Factory's Godiva special! ARRRGH!!

In the midst of this whole hot mess of a situation in my mind, I stopped and asked myself why would God actually do something like this to me. As it turns out, there's a bit of a debate in the Word when it comes to temptation. First, you can't get any more basic than The Lord's Prayer, the template for Christian prayer, where verse 13 says lead us not into temptation. Actually, Jesus said it--that's why I put it in red--and since He has direct insight into God's will, we can be sure that He wouldn't say something misleading. So Jesus is essentially praying for God not to lead us into temptation, implying that He could and would, right? Not necessarily.

image credit: http://www.churchcentral.org.uk/blog

Some sources point to the term temptation as being one of several words that could have been translated from Greek to also mean testing, trial or experiment. Somehow, this seems more plausible because now it lines up with other Scriptures--specifically where it says "When tempted, no one should say, God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone"; "when you are tempted, [H]e will also provide a way out so that you can endure it"; and "Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance". It's relieving to know that God won't be tempting us....BUT don't get it twisted--the fine print lets us know that we will be tested, it's just a matter of when and how we respond to it.

Even Christ was tempted/tested so we can expect nothing less, but let's look at how we can learn from His experience. The first thing to understand is that the devil is the tempter--plain and simple:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” [Matthew 4:1-3]

The devil was gunning for Jesus' biggest weakness at that point in time--extreme hunger while fasting. Looking back at my situation, singleness is and has been a major struggle for me so it would make perfect sense for satan to use my 'crush' to tempt me. But I love the way Jesus snapped back at Him [and in my vivid imagination, He said it all stank too]: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God". Two more times the devil tried to get Him to crack under the pressure but each time, Jesus countered with the Word. He didn't fantasize and play "What if...?" like I did #fail, but he immediately told satan where to go [Scripturally speaking, of course]. He effectively resisted the devil and true to the Word, the tempter had to flee.

This is a lot to digest, I know, but there are some concepts that are SO worth the reinforcement. We, myself being at the top of the list, may often gloss over admonitions to spend time in the Word but apparently it's kinda crucial. David's prayer to keep the Word in his heart as a deterrent to sin is not figurative. Saturating our [un]consciousness with Scripture is the only way to ensure that if when we are tempted, we will pass these tests with flying colors. #preachintomyself


Resist the devil... and blessed,
pVI

Fling Chune FRIDAY: Get Loose

*whew* What a looooonnnnnng week! I haven't been this excited to see another Friday since... last Thursday night. LOL  But I'm especially krunk today because of the upcoming holidays--that's right, I said holidayS with an "S"! Here in the U.S. Virgin Islands, we celebrate the 4th of July (because this is an American territory) but we also celebrate Emancipation day on July 3rd... our emancipation from slavery in 1848, that is. Here's some background info for the history buffs.

What does all that have to do with today's chune? I'm so glad you asked! ;o) I'm flingin' Get Loose by Trip Lee of the 116 Clique because it's just too appropriate. This holiday weekend, I'll be meditating on emancipation of a territory and independence of a nation but this track celebrates the spiritual freedom that we have in Christ. Can I get a "AMEN" someboday?!?!! *wheeze* [Yeah, I didn't even try to resist that one! LOL]  But as the track kicks off with Galatians 5:1, it's a reminder that ALL bondage was broken by Jesus and we are free to meet our fullest potentials! Now if that don't make ya wanna shake it up, this gospel banger definitely will!

Get LOOSE--and have a blessed weekend!

Image credit: http://www.hiphopjamz.com