What is important to GOD?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE

Where are we looking?

Outside /IN or Inside/OUT ?
By: Nathlee Grant

Outside-In

Going through high school I watched the pretty girls spend all day in the bathroom getting their faces right. They usually spend hours setting their uniforms which could never seemed to suit them, hairs were always in place, shoes spic and span, these girls were always neatly dressed, not a single pleat was out of place. This and other aspect of my life forced me to think that how I look on the outside determined my functionality and purpose. 

Inside -out

When a programmer writes a computer program; a program is a sequence of instructions, written to perform a specified task with a computer.  He actually place a portion of his thoughts (mind) on some platform which is tested for its functionality, performance and accuracy. Then when he is satisfied he creates an appropriate house/shell for protection, storage.

Aesthetics is usually the last thing on a programmer's mind during coding, testing and even implementation because in reality it cannot perform the functions required, e.g. how a calculator looks cannot not calculate sum of two numbers or any other calculations.  Actual a programmer is most proud when his program executes perfectly, rather than a fancy or beautiful design is.  The word beautiful in the world of a programmer is usually associated with perfect functionalities, “it is beautiful", is exclaimed ONLY when the program does what it is supposed to do. 

Observation

Dig deeper, the program and the house it is stored are inter related and interconnected relying each other for survival. In this context there are wires that run inside the house to create that communication between itself and the program (human body mind/thoughts).

Analysis

I would want to believe that when God created us in His image and likeness; he formed the house, blew into our nostril and when he was done said beautiful, it was merely for the fact that we could carried out all the purposes and functionalities that he intended for us do. I believe our earthly bodies are the house our spiritual being a very important role and should not be limited to beauty competition. Is God interested in our appearances or our functionalities?   Outside- In or Inside – Out

Man looks on the outside God looks at your heart

Food for thoughts

Food for thoughts, man put a portion of his mind in a computer which operates in our world but in a different world/realm, did God put a portion of himself in this, our earthly body to allow us to operate in a different realm (world) even though He is with us in this world?

He sends Adam and Eve out of the Garden, The scripture did not say God left the garden nor did he descend from them. My mind is going somewhere…but I would have to leave this for now.

Back to the story of computing, since we put our mind into a computer and it function in that way is it safe to say that we can operate like God to the extent of what he has deposited in us? Is God is expecting us to carry out a particular function he had designed us for? Hmm…could it be that we have not tapped into that aspect of our lives because of the limitation in our upbringing. Paul said don’t think too highly of yourself neither think low of yourself; hmm do we know ourselves, who we are? If I know who I am and aim to maximize just that, would I not think moderately of myself...?

The correlation of the house and the program; a set of instruction of the computer carry out a series of decoding and encoding so that the computer can be able to understand and interpret in its world (language) what it is we are saying  and  intelligently display a result to us in our world (language).. 

POST YOUR THOUGHTS!

Only God knows

Only God Knows
By: Nathlee Grant

“I knew you before you were formed within your mother’s womb” Jeremiah 1:5a...

Thus saith the Lord your God who has made you, therefore no one who has not consulted with God cannot tell you who you are. No mother, father, family, friend, husband, wife, enemy you name them.

Psalms 139

O Lord ….Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it.  You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

God is the only one who knows fully we are yet we haven’t checked Him out!

You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. Jer. 29:13

For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jer. 29:11

The next time someone comes up to you and offer to tell you who you are, ask this question, “Have you checked with God?”

We Have Forgotten that the Way is Narrow. (Paul Washer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hGBFVzYZ4

Tamara Laroux Shot Herself, & Went to Hell, Then to Heaven and BACK!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGQDkCi-OIY

A made up Heart Vs Mind

A made up Heart vs. a made up Mind?
By: Nathlee Grant

The Book Ruth (Chapter1: 6 -18)

Orpah vs. Ruth

It had never occurred to me before now, I guess it’s because I have never looked elsewhere when reading the book of Ruth except that Ruth married Boaz and gave Naomi a grandson that made her happy again.  Now as I stare at the beginning of the book. Orpah and Ruth jump out right at me. The scripture said they both were leaving Moab with Naomi to go to Israel.

 Vs 6-7 “ She (Naomi) decided to return to Israel with her daughters-in-law, for she had heard that the Lord had blessed his people by giving them good crops again.” I am of the impression that the daughter in laws had no issue  going with Ruth, as a matter of fact I believe their loyalty to her was a driving force, but only Ruth went, why?.

Vs 8-10  “But after they had begun their homeward journey, she changed her mind and said to her two daughters-in-law, “Why don’t you return to your parents’ homes instead of coming with me? And may the Lord reward you for your faithfulness to your husbands and to me. And may he bless you with another happy marriage.” Then she kissed them, and they all broke down and cried. “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”

Naomi and her family must have lived an impressive and a good life, one of such to have these women clinging to stay with her and wanting to remain a part of her people. Again the question is, What happen to Orpah?

Vs 11-14   But Naomi replied, “It is better for you to return to your own people. Do I have younger sons who could grow up to be your husbands?  No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to have a husband. And even if that were possible, and I became pregnant tonight, and bore sons  would you wait for them to grow up? No, of course not, my daughters; oh, how I grieve for you that the Lord has punished me in a way that injures you.”And again they cried together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, and returned to her childhood home; but Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi.

I believe Orpah loved Naomi, and truly wanted to be with her, but when she assessed the situations she changed her mind. Could we be in the same situation as Orpah, we thought this is the thing for us and as soon as someone or something give another spin we return to our childhood home/ our old habit / to what we are familiar with. A made up Heart will take you thus far on the journey and no further, but look where a made up Mind can take you.

Vs. 15-18 “See,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; you should do the same.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t make me leave you, for I want to go wherever you go and to live wherever you live; your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God; I want to die where you die and be buried there. May the Lord do terrible things to me if I allow anything but death to separate us.”  And when Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind and could not be persuaded otherwise, she stopped urging her.

With a made up mind you not easily persuaded. A song writer said “I’ve got my mind made up and I won’t turn back” while another states “No power of Hell no scheme of man will ever pluck me from His (Christ) hands. How made up is YOUR mind? Only a made up mind will take you to completion.

As I  look even closer at Naomi, I believe Ruth saw something special or different about Naomi that . Something huge enough to have Ruth stuck with her, wanting her people and her God to be hers.   I want to think that Naomi represented herself, her people and her God well. This realization forces me to look into my life and think on these questions.

1.      How am I representing:

·        Myself

            ·        My Family
            ·        My Community
            ·        My Ministry 
            ·        The Church (The Body of Christ) ?

2.   How am I representing the places and peoples God allow me to be with and among?

Let us pray:

Father we thank you for your words, we thank you oh God, for the wisdom, knowledge and understanding you have bestowed on us. As we look now to you, to know and follow your way, we ask gracious God that you will help to have a one-minded mind. A mind that will stand strong holding on to YOU and never chaffed in the wind (situations and circumstances) and blown away. Help us to look to Christ always, that we will forever walk on WATER. Father for everything you have expected of us, you have given the resources, therefore God we ask that you will show us how to unlock these resources and use them wisely in ways that will bring Glory to your name and us. help us to know who we are and to whom we belong. Help us oh God to value and appreciate all you have given us in name of Jesus Amen!

You can depend on GOD to see you through - Paul Morton

Be Blessed my brother, 
Be blessed my sister, 
be blessed wherever this life leads you, 
let me encourage you, 
let me speak life to you, 
You can depend on God to see you through, 
You can depend on me to pray for you 

-You might be hurting, 
you might be crying, 
you might be worrying and frustrated to, 
let me encourage you let me speak life to you 
you can can depend on God to see you through, 
you can depend on me to pray for you 

-Pray im gonna keep on prayin, 
Pray im gonna keep on prayin for you, 
Pray im gonna keep on prayin, 
Pray im gonna keep on prayin for you 
you can depend on God to see you thru, 
you can depend on me to pray for you 

Bridge: 
I see you in the future. 
and you look better, 
I see you walking in favor and prosperity too, 
let me encourage you, 
let me speak life to you, 
you can depend on God to see you through, 
you can depend on me to pray for you 

-I pray for you, 
you pray for me, 
and watch God change things, 
Repeat 1x 

-I pray for you, 
you pray for me and watch God change things 

Repeat 6x