SWORD of the Spirit

Sword of the Spirit=
WORD of God.

 {Lessons from John Piper}

<If> Love Hates + Peace Fights <then> Make War!!!

Genuine Love must Hate (hate what is evil +that which destroys+hate sin) and Peace-Makers must Fight 

(it may look like it's against flesh n blood but it's really against the principalities that enslave).

Therefore, Make War!!! against all lust in ourselves, all enslaving desires, against indifference to injustice. The only foothold the enemy, Satan, has in our life is our flesh and our sin.

There's a mean streak in Christianity & it's not against anyone but ourselves; it's against the meanness of           ourselves against others. 

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 The Past 

The above was in my drafts from Summer and the original name of the post was "Make War." So last Spring, God was calling me to do something that I didn't want to do because I knew what the results would be. He told me to be myself and to use My Voice to expose the disunity that existed in the fellowship. I knew that it would lead to me being misunderstood and rejected which is why I didn't want to do it also because I knew that the Truth would hurt so I didn't want to expose it to protect some people's feelings. But God told me that it was inevitable and I had to do it if I loved Him and if I loved my friends because it would be worth it in the end. In my Shakespeare class last Spring, we were reading Richard iii and God spoke through the lecture. Yeah that's random and funny but it was like a prophetic word I needed to hear right then. I can't find my notes :/ but it was something like: though Richard is obviously a dark character throughout the play, the war he caused at the end (which he dies in) is in a way what paved the way for "Richmond being crowned King Henry VII. Promising a new era of peace for England, the new king is betrothed to young Elizabeth in order to unite the warring houses of Lancaster and York." (Sparknotes) So through that God was confirming to me what I had to do: make war (things will be ugly and it would lead to death of self) to make peace (in the end there would be unity). It's not a fun role to play but someone had to do it. Before, I was trying to get everyone to do it, to fight for Truth and Love, but I realized all it takes is ♫ one man ♫ to start something (check out this song by Pita (Praise in this Age), David Nkennor, a Nigerian artist: One Man)

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’" (Matthew 10: 37-39) Guess who said this?? JESUS. Yup. You see that's what His Word does. It tears you apart first (coz whatever you were using to hold yourselves together is shallow and temporary hence fake) then it mends you together with the real stuff.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

"It's better to be divided by truth, than to be united in error. It's better to speak the truth that hurts & then heals, than to speak a lie that will comfort & then kill. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie. It's better to stand alone with the truth, than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately die with the truth, than to live with a lie." ~Adrian Rogers. 

This was Sho Baraka's performance at the Believers Conference a while back. ♫ I got the Word on my lips, the Word in my heart... reading that Word, living that Word, digging that Word... I got my pride on low and my faith on high (shield of faith) .... ♫                          

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The Present and The Future 

So when I bring up the past when I talk to people they're like, "well that's the past." And it yeah that's right, it is the past. But the point of bringing up the past is to learn from it in order not to repeat it; to change. And I also hear, "Well InterVarsity is different now... new people, some new staff...." But the thing is the messages I shared is not for an organization it's for people. So if you look at the people from last year nothing has changed. There is still disunity... I don't think you get what I'm saying so let me shift gears...

Present: Disunity. Future: Unity. I went to Beatrice's and Chris Barcelon's prayer meeting. I got there late and they were praying for Nigeria. They prayed over various issues facing the country from this cool facts & prayer request book for missionaries. I just prayed for Nigerian students at UCSB and America for God to build them up in their identity and to guide them into the destiny He purposed for them. Then right after Tarra prayed for the Nigerian community in America, against racism. And she prayed for the Nigerian church... "that there shouldn't be any sects in the Church but that the Nigerian Church and the White Church would be brought to complete unity. That it would be like Acts 2 where all the believers had everything in common." I found it interesting that she prayed this... more confirmation, also because it's so easy to see what the problem is when looking at others and harder to recognize when the problem is among yourselves. Get to the point Charlene. Ok I will.

Remember in the previous section when I said that my role was like that of Richard: to make war (expose disunity) in order to pave the way for unity among the warring houses of....? Well let me explain that... What is disunity? I have exposed that in a number of posts such as Colors of the Wind, Let My People Go and Who Cares? But still nobody cares, it seems. So I think a better question to ask is what is unity? Unity, which has been the main goal and application for the messages God gives me for the Church at UCSB, is what is described in Acts 2. People sharing their lives (their "natural" lives as well as their spiritual lives). Do read Acts 2: 42-47 for yourself. So that's unity. People from different ethnicities treating each other as family, God's family and loving each other deeply in truth and with actions. Now look around you. Look at the group of friends you hang out with. And then now answer this question: Is there unity in the fellowship, multi-ethnic InterVarsity? Is the unity in the Church at multi-ethnic UCSB? Is there unity in multi-ethnic America? Is there unity in the multi-ethnic world??? If you are finally admitting that the answers to those questions is NO! Then What are you doing about it??? Why are you comfortable with the disunity in the fellowship? We need to Make War! against fakeness/shallowness (if the love aint deep, it aint real) and unequal concern. It's time to divorce the darkness (anything that keeps us from pursuing deep/real love with others and keeping us from loving God with our all). Children of the light (that's who we are), arise and shine! Arise and love! Check out this video I made. If you are wondering why the great revival God promised us hasn't happened yet, that's because it starts with us, the church. On an individual level and also God wants us to be united in His Love coz that's what it's all about: Loving God and Loving others. So yeah let's love each other deeply. As we do that a great revival shall break forth then God will send us out to spread the Love! Oh and I'm not talking about years from now. This year. This hebrew year (started in September). Yay! Revival! God please revive our hearts and bind us together with Your Love. In Jesus' Name, Amen!  =)

I'm behind on blogging so I have other stuff to share in my drafts that I should have posted before this one. But I did this one first for InterVarsity... to let you guys know that I love you all. I don't hate any Staff, I just had to say what God told me to. And The Word is not against them, it's for us all. I didn't abandon you guys, God was re-directing me to reconnect with "my people"- my family and the black community on campus and He was working on me - I was a broken mess and He wanted me to remember who I am- He's still at work though. But yeah, I still wanted to be a part of your lives not just confined to seeing each other at certain events. I can't take surface-level stuff anymore. My heart craves depth. I want to know you more. To love you more. Yeah I'm leaving soon but I still want to care while I'm here and we can always keep in touch. K, love you guys! (whoever reads this) Peace! :) 

Application: (If you didn't catch it go back and Read Acts 1 and 2) Last week at Impact Bible study the topic was community and we talked about the Acts 2 church and here was some questions were left with:

1. What can keep us from forming close relationships with other Christians?

2. What is one action you can take this week to begin to overcome those barriers?

3. Can you think of any of your relationships with believers that aren't as they should be?

4. Identify one or two those relationships, seek, reconciliation, or just take an active step to improve them.

Labels / Masks

This was part of a message I sent to a friend a couple of years ago but I had saved it in my notes and I ran into it the other day and felt like posting it here.

You had asked me about labels that people have given me and I answered being quiet and shy and you asked if there was any other label or if those were the two main ones and I said those were the main ones but just after I said that another one came into mind, the label that I am not caring; and that one hurts the most.

 I realized that the labels “quiet” and “shy” didn’t affect me that much since they are in some sense true; I am quieter than most people around me and I am reserved and shy about some things but what I don’t like about them is the interpretations of those observational labels. Just because I am quiet doesn’t mean that I don’t have anything to say, anything of worth and just because I appear shy doesn’t mean that I am. 

The label that I am not caring hurts me the most because I realized that it is true. It is not true that I don’t care about people but it is true that I do care but I have let stuff prevent me from showing that I care and so if you don’t show that you care about people then they obviously think that you don’t. If I don’t show it then people won’t know it. And then I realized that that was my main problem with all the labels that the world gives me: People think that I am something different from what I am because I don’t show who I really am.  Labels will be forever out there, we can keep fighting them but they will keep coming so what are we to do?...Keep fighting them! How? First by recognizing the aim of the label: to discourage you from believing in the one label that defines who we are: Children of God. Then by showing who you really are, who God made you to be. Thats how we fight, by standing firm in our one true identity in Christ. 

From my own experience, the label war has always been on but at one point I stopped fighting and slowly but surely, without realizing what was going on I started living out the false labels that were thrown at me. And I thought that I was still the same (as when I was firmly rooted in my identity in Christ) but I didn’t realize that by not showing my true self, my true label, I was actually changing and conforming to the labels that were given to me. Why should I stay quiet when I do have something of worth to say and the opportunity to say it? Why should I stay seated when I have the chance to stand up and do something that God has enabled me to do?

Here are some relevant quotes I found online:

"Often the wounding goes so deep that we create masks and walls to hide behind as protection against further pain while we struggle with overcoming insecurity. So we become the persona that we are prepared to show, and hide the real self away.

We then either create a projected image that is defensive and cutting, or fall into the trap of self pity, projecting a poor self image which displays little confidence." (Read more at: Journey to Authenticity)

This is how I see it: When we were young kids we had an innocent perspective of life. We had no biases, we dreamt wildly, we were simple, we knew we couldn't do it on our own, we depended totally, almost everything was possible until we were taught to be "realistic."

The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. Jim Morrison

Those quotes are true for myself. I got hurt by people close to me or those that I looked up to and so I created walls to prevent me from hurting. But then, "The walls we build through fear to protect ourselves become the very prisons that enslave us." ~Steve Foss. "...But perfect love drives out fear..." (1 John 4:18) So then I knew what I had to do: Just let go and let love flow. But that was the hard part. It was easier just to hide and run. But then it became a cycle and I wanted out. Through my experiences in college God has been forcing me to face my issues. I kept fighting which just made the process longer and more painful. When I started letting go, I gave Him room to renew my mind. And now I can finally see all the obstacles that were in my way (and they were so many! That's what you get when you to please the world, when you take on the labels the world gives you to try and fit in). And now I feel free! I got distracted the beginning of this quarter but God reminded me why I came back for this quarter. Not for school but for love. For relationships. Yeah the quarter is almost over but I'm still going to apply this while I'm here (yeah I had started to but I want to be more vulnerable and intentional) and just because my time in SB is coming to an end doesn't mean that relationships should end. They can be maintained. Now that I can see everything that was keeping me from pursuing all that I really want, deep relationships, and now that I surrendered that to God, I feel freed, healed and renewed. Praise God for His love, faithfulness and power! =) I'm Free to love and free to be! =)

Check out these songs. God reminded me who I am in Him and how He sees me and how He loves me. And that His Love is all I need =)

♫ All my life I have been called unworthy. Named by the voice of my shame and regret. But when I hear you whisper "child lift up your head" I remember oh God you're not done with me yet. I am redeemed, you set me free ♫ =)

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 Check out this really cool testimony :-)

The JOY of the Redeemed =D

Isaiah 35

1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;

they will see the glory of the Lord, 
the splendor of our God :-)

3 Strengthen the feeble hands,

    steady the knees that give way;

4 say to those with fearful hearts,

    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
    the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
    grass and reeds and papyrus will grow :)




8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; 
it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9 No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away :-D

A Prayer for myself and the Church: That we may be family. That we may love and treasure the individuals in our lives and put them before ourselves. That we may lay our lives down for LOVE :-)

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What is the Church?

{Hey :) If you don't have time for this you can skip the intro and start at "What is the Church?" or you can just read the last section, which is the main one, "The Family of God"-> A Call to Love. Or you can talk to me. I don't bite lol and I'd love to hang while I'm still at SB!}

INTRO: The Identity Crisis of The Church 

So if you haven't yet noticed I kinda went through an identity crisis which thrust me in desperate pursuit of Realness. This journey has been marked by points of achievement as well as major setbacks and failures. But God keeps telling me, "Remember who you are. Be yourself. Share your life with others."The first part is the easier part coz it's easy to find my identity by seeking the One who gave it to me. The next part has been the challenge but God is my help. He is still working on me and I can see some fruit already! It's Homecoming Season and I can feel the familiar Newness! I can feel the Change. I'm going natural! :) I start to flow when I let go. So through my own journey God also showed me that the church has also been going through an identity crisis and the messages He has been giving me to share with the church is the same thing He has been telling me. Here's an excerpt from the "What's Your Name?" post: This is "a time to break down and a time to build up" (#Ecclesiastes 3:3b). I've shared how God has been building me up and yes it is encouraging but it has also brought me a lot of pain. You see when He builds you up in your real identity He also wants to break down all your false identities and tear down all your masks." So that's what God has been doing in me and also through me. That's the thing that made me misunderstood because ♫ it sounds like destruction ♫ but it's actually part of His restoration plan for us. (Posts: Pruning and Family Matters)

Great news! It doesn't end there, there is a time to build up! And Now's the time!!! =)

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WHAT IS THE CHURCH? ~ A TIME TO BUILD UP ~

I'll talk more about this video in the last section. It poses the the question: "What is The Church?"So in this post I'll go over The Church as: The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, The Body of Christ and The Family of God <-main section (and in later posts: Children of the Light / Temples of the Holy Spirit and the Bride of Christ).
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The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit

I don't want to repeat myself much so here's part of the first email I sent to Staff on 10/2/11. Focus on what I highlighted:  "First thing, I'm really excited about what God is doing in us this year!!! Because before Pre-Fall I feel like a lot of things that we've been doing in InterVarsity has been really work-oriented and "us"-dependent instead of being inclined and fully dependent on the Holy Spirit. We have been concentrating on the last paragraph of Acts 2 too much and we made that our goal but we kinda did not really put emphasis on the rest of Acts 2 and recognizing the huge role of the Holy Spirit in making the community that resulted possible. And that caused a lot of the leaders including me to be burned out, stressed and harbor feelings of dissatisfaction and even bitterness towards leadership. Because we didn't emphasize the Holy Spirit's role that much, the work was mostly on us. We have been planning and doing things based on what we think we can accomplish, what seems reasonable like : let's pray for 20 people to get saved this year, that's a reasonable number right? Because if each leader evangelizes to like 1 of their friends then maybe 20 of them might get saved by the end of the year?- Yes that's pretty reasonable but the problem is that we are basing it on ourselves and what we think we can accomplish with our own strength. But thank God for Prefall and how He poured out His Holy Spirit and showed us that our focus should shift to the Holy Spirit, His purpose in our lives. He reminded us that it's not about us. It's all about Him. That's why He gave us the Holy Spirit coz we can't do it without Him. But with Him, and through His Holy Spirit, He will do exceedingly more than we've imagined. So we may keep our little numbers and little plans just to compare and be amazed by what God can and will do through His Holy Spirit this year. Look at Acts 2: 41 in just one day 3000 people were added to their number!!! In one day! That's something only the Holy Spirit can do!" {For the sake of clarity, I had a talk with staff about this email so to clear things up for you... I wasn't blaming anyone for anything, I recognize how God has been at work in InterVarsity in the past. And it's not a case of structure vs. Spirit. It's about Revival. I go over that in the posts: Unity is brewing up and Restoration.}

So the whole of last year the message God kept giving me for InterVarsity, (especially for the Class of 2012 & 2013 leaders who were there at the "crazy" prefall leaders retreat, and non-leaders as well) is that He wants to do something new. He wants to revive us, heal us and fill us with power so that we can be more alive spiritually (fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace etc) and to activate the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the body and to be His witnesses. God wants to bring increase in our lives!  HOW FUN AND EXCITING!!! :D And all He wanted us to do is wait on Him. And that's the same message He has given me this year. God wants to do something New. Revival is going to happen this year and it starts with His church. So let's Wake Up Church! Let's get together and wait on the Lord please. That's how we prepare the way for revival in the school. Unity is key. Read Acts 1 and 2 and the rest of Acts to get an idea of the New season that God wants us to step into (Acts of the Holy Spirit through the followers of Jesus) We are believers so let's believe and be prepared :-)

♫ We were meant to live for so much more! Have we lost ourselves [Church]? Maybe we've been living with our eyes half open. Maybe we're bent and broken. Broken. We were meant to live for so much more! ♫ Related post: Eyes Wide Open, Time to SEEK,  Remember who you are

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The Body of Christ

"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. (1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a) Related posts: A Call for UNITY in the Body of Christ,  Unity is brewing up! and Threats to Fellowship.
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The Family of God

Skit: (Family eating dinner together at dinner table at home- 2 parents and 5 children, age range: 2-10 years). Mary, the oldest child, isn't at the table. Family proceeds with the meal. Jane, the youngest asks where Mary is. The mother tells her that she hasn't seen her all day. They all go back to eating then they go to bed. After a week, the brother John shares a funny memory (that involved Mary) with the rest of the family then he stops and thinks to himself "Hmmh, I wonder where she is. I haven't seen her for a week." He shrugs his shoulders and continues with his story. The family listens, laugh then go back to their daily routine. Three months later, the parents take their kids to the park. Helen, 8 years old, spots Mary on a swing and says, "Hi Mary! How's it going? We haven't seen you in a while. Why haven't you come home?" Even without Mary's response can you spot what's wrong with this picture? What's missing?....

(Black Sheep Confessions) 

Where is the Love? :'("Ohana means family. Family means no one get's left behind... or forgotten!"The above skit sounds preposterous right? What family would treat their daughter/sister that way? Mary had a cell phone yet no one texted her or called her. No one went out to look for her. They totally forgot about her. And what's worse is that they didn't actually forget about her, they just... for some reason, didn't care to look for her. Though they mentioned her they seemed untroubled by her disappearance. Untroubled and unmoved. They just didn't care about her. And look at their response when they saw her after three months... What?!... Unfortunately this is the state of the Church. Some people are missing. Some people are not included (whether or not they have officially been excluded/rejected). I wanna focus on the "building up" part in this post but at the same time I want to be vulnerable. Like Rici said at InterVarsity's Common Ground last year, "Racial rec happens when you share your uncensored self with the rest of the fellowship." So yeah, we just have to be real.

I was going to share more and be vulnerable but I think it'll end up being a repetitive remix of the posts: Who Cares? The Stink Bug and The Harvest. So I've realized all the messages that God gave me last year (and this year) for InterVarsity fellowship and His body at SB were all aimed at unity. I realized that I'm in the minority and so I have a different perspective. I see others in the minority, I see the others who are forgotten and left behind so God was using me to speak on their behalf (and for myself) and shed light on the division that already existed. Anyway, God just wants us (the Church) to remember who we are, His family and for everyone to love each other deeply as brothers and sisters. He wants there to be no division but equal concern. People think "division" just means fighting but it can also be apathy and lack of deep love, lack of equal concern. People get away with it when they focus on friendship rather than family. Like I've heard, "I don't know if this racial rec thing is really going to happen because people are just friends with who they want to be friends with. People are just different. Different personalities, different interests etc. So they choose their friends based on what they have in common."- Charity. That makes perfect sense when it comes to friendship but that excuse doesn't fly when it comes to family, God's family, because it results in division. Division by ethnicity, culture, school year and the like. So yeah, "cliques" form and those who do not fit into one of them because of their differences are left out. Anyway, God is our restorer :)

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"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord!" (Mark 3:3b)

"And now I will show you the most excellent way." (1 Corinthians 12:31b)

A CALL TO BE THE CHURCH, TO BE GOD'S FAMILY. A CALL TO LOVE, TO LIVE.

Let's go back to the second video: "The Church is you?" -> So last year I was dissatified, dry and thirsty. My life was a mess. My relationship with God was suffering and my relationship with others was shallow. I was like that for quite some time before that but it was last year that everything seemed to go wrong and I couldn't take living like that anymore. I would always hope for change but I realized that doing things the same way over and over and expecting different results is the definition of insanity (Albert Einstein). So God told me, "You want more of Me? Then come get Me." He called me out of routine to seek Him first and to wait on Him. It's during that time that He showed me how good things such as my desire to be leader (to pour into the lives of others) and even my desire to be in community had turned into idols because I put them before my own relationship with Him. So He first called me out of leadership then also Common Ground so I winded up in "The Desert" and it is there that He satisfied my thirst with His Love as I waited on Him. So through that experience (for more details you can go to this post: Remember) God was reminding what it was all about. It's all about Him. My relationship with Him. God wants us as individuals to be rooted in our identity in Him. To find our identity and security in His Love. He wants to fill us up with more of His Spirit of power and love so that when we come together with other believers we are not just coming to receive but to give. To be ourselves. To fellowship. And I'm not just talking about during set events, but in life. Yeah church, we are meant to be lovers. Lovers of His presence. And givers of His Love =)

We are in a season of increase and a great revival is just around the bend. That's why God wants us to  thirst for Him and wait on Him like the apostles did in Acts because He wants to increase in us (fill us with more love) and prepare us for the increase that's coming (so that we can love more). He wants us to fill us up until we overflow. That's why I'm "The Desert" and crying to others to join me. Also God is doing a New thing! so it's a season of New Songs. God wants us to worship Him in spirit and in truth and in one voice.  :-) "A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." (Isaiah 40:3) GOD IS BUILDING A HOUSE FOR ALL NATIONS!! WOOHOO! LET'S JUST PRAISE HIM!!! =)

Application:

• Let's do life together. Refer to the LIFE event I created on facebook. I had thought up the idea at the end of last spring after my observations: we were restricting fellowship to structured events. If we live like that we will be fellowshipping (treating each other as God's family) as well as loving our neighbors, "the lost sheep" and inviting them into a family rather than a club/organization. Love is all we need! :)
• Yeah that's it. Let's be family. Don't wait for a structured event to interact with someone else in the fellowship who's different from you (different year, ethnicity etc). Initiate. Invite people into your life. Share your culture, share your life. Love. This will prevent a lot of "miscommunication" problems and drama that results from not actually communicating. 
• Let's wait on the Lord together - Come together to worship, pray and wait. It it the Spirit of God that breaks down the walls that divide us and creates unity, creates fellowship, creates one body. That's why God wants us to wait on Him together. That's how we fight for each other. We love each other with the Love we receive. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes so that we can see more and love more :-) We can use the prayer shed or our own apartments! Just pick a time when you're free and invite others! So simple! And fun! (I'll be going to the prayer shed on Thursdays at 7. Let me know if you wanna join me. Or whenever you're free! :-)
• It's time to be the church without being confined by four walls and set times. God wants to increase in all areas of our lives so let's welcome Him. We don't need to take a break from our identity. Jesus wants to show us that He is Lord, The King of Glory, and He is Fun! Let's beware of the Threats to Fellowship.
• I'm tired of being a victim of circumstances and a failure. God's love is enough for me :) I've been crying out for unity but now it's time to lead by example and I'm finally stepping out this quarter. I'm leading! I'm doing it! It's been exciting and scary. Kinda like walking on water. When I look at the waves I start to sink but Jesus is so faithful. He keeps saving me! This is fun! Let's do it together! More application to come. Oh yeah, now you know my "secret agenda" -> I wanna know you more. I want to share my life. I want to Love! so I'm not letting my fears and insecurities hold me back no more. Love conquers all!  :)

My prayer for the Church: For us To be Rooted in Love (Listen to the song in that post: ♫Fellowshipping with the Father; Fellowshipping the Lord. Fellowshipping in the Spirit; Fellowshipping with the Family ♫ :)

Hair Revival :)

Going Natural - The Journey Back to LIFE =)

"Arise, shine, 

for your light has come, 

and the glory of the LORD 
rises upon you." 

(Isaiah 60:1)

*Identity ~ Know who you are, where you are from and where you are going~ *Ethnic Identity = One's sense of belonging to an ethnic group and the part of one's thinking, perception, feelings, and behavior that is due to ethnic group membership. (Rotheram & Phinney, 1983) *Pharoah is DEAD!!! =)

GOING NATURAL - Story of my hair. Story of my Life :)

I feel like my spiritual journey and that of my hair is one and the same: Natural -> Chemically Changed (damaged) -> Transition (Both natural and chemically damaged at the same time) -> Big chop -> Back to natural. So in this post I'll use my hair as an illustration as I share what God's been drilling me about identity. (I have pictures of my hair journey in the video at the end :)

1. Natural (Home) - I already shared about my relationship with God when I was younger in the The Bubble post. I described those years as "The Glory Days" coz I felt like I was flying - I experienced rest, safety, joy, peace and all that goodness that comes from relationship with God (Knowing Him as my ever-present Father -provider and defense, Jesus as my savior and best friend, and the Holy Spirit as my guide) and it overflowed from within me and into other areas of my life like school. As for my natural hair when I was younger, it was black, long and really thick and bushy. I remember crying every morning when my mum brushed it. I loved it though. Every night I loved combing it into an afro - I loved the big hair look - then I would braid it into matutas before I slept.

2. Chemically Changed/Damaged Hair - In the third grade my mum decided to perm my hair. She said it would be easier to manage. It was her decision but I didn't object, I just went with it. When it got permed it looked longer (obviously) but it was still thick and people loved it. People would always comment about it's length and thickness. I kinda didn't like all the attention I was getting just because of my hair's length so I usually had it up in a pony tail. In the first few years my hair looked good and healthy but then I had this bad experience at the salon this one time in the sixth grade when the hair dresser who intentionally left the chemical relaxer on my hair for too long (out of jealousy) and so my hair got overprocessed and like half of my hair in the back fell off (and the hair dresser was laughing. So cruel!). After that my hair was never the same. Yes it grew back after some time but it was thin, lifeless, unhealthy and brown. My spiritual life: I'm not done with the story of my life series but my spiritual life suffered the same fate. A slow fade, a breaking down process that stripped me of my freedom, my joy and rest and left me barely hanging on; enslavement. It got to the point that I didn't know how to be myself anymore. And this demise was also as a result of me choosing to trust other people's opinions of me (the world) rather than only trusting God- fixing my eyes on Him and standing firm in my identity in Him (His loved daughter). So yeah the world broke me, burst my bubble and what was natural to me at first seemed so far out of reach.

3. Transition- The first state of this stage is one of compromise. The dissonance and dissatisfaction that is caused by this state is what the leads to what I call the desert season. In Psychology, it's known as the exploration stage and it may have the following "triggers" (from my class notes):

• Cultural differences between own group and the dominant group. 
• The images and stereotypes of own group held by society. 
• Experiences of prejudice and discrimination. 
• Invisibility and lack of role models. 

MOSES in the Desert (Round 1) I faced all those triggers which forced me into the desert to figure myself out.  Like I said in the Self- Esteem post God told me that I'm going to be in the desert until I'm confident in my identity. But over Winter Break God showed me something else I hadn't  noticed about the desert season. Well, He probably taught me that before but I got distracted as usual lol :( ... so He reminded me about my people. When I was at home my mum was watching TBN and the story of Moses was on. I was on my laptop. And after that Moses movie was over another version begun. So I took notice and decided to watch it. This is what stood out to me: Moses was Hebrew by birth/blood but Egyptian by upbringing and culture. It reached a point in his life when he tried to claim both identities at the same time but then faced a trigger that sent him running away into the desert. What was the trigger? He faced rejection from his own people. First the Hebrews and then the Egyptians (those that raised him).

"One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. (Exodus 2: 11-15)

Moses stayed in the desert where he got married and had a son. "Moses named him Gershom, saying  "I have become a foreigner in a foreign land." During that long period, the Pharoah (king of Egypt ) died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them." (Exodus 2:22-25) Then Exodus 3 is about Moses and the burning bush. God called Moses and told him that he wanted to use him to deliver his people from slavery. This was Moses' response: "But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” You can read the whole chapter. So basically Moses felt inadequate. He felt like he didn't belong, yet God was sending him to the people who rejected him. But God told him "I will be with you." And in Exodus 4 after Moses whined  some more, God told him that He would send his brother Aaron with him. "Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped." (Exodus 4: 29-31)

4. Big chop-> Back to Natural - So how does all that apply to me and now? Let's tie it all together. In the Journey post I shared how this past Fall was the most restless time for me. Why? Because I was still in a desert season, I couldn't see any changes happen so that was frustrating for me. But at the end of the quarter when I finally stilled myself I started seeing what God was trying to teach me that quarter (which He then repeated to me over the break). So why are we still in the desert?

• My People = God was reminding me about my ethnic identity and my people. It's not that I had forgotten them, I just felt rejected by them. But during the break God showed me how that stemmed from my past experiences- how the devil used those close to me and those I looked up to bring discouragement. So God was showing me that it was not an issue of rejection (people actually hating me)  rather it was spiritual warfare - the devil's schemes that caused me to be insecure in my identity. God has been reminding me that I am a leader by identity so the devil brought in insecurities to keep me from initiating/ leading like I used to (positively influencing others just by being myself and sharing my life with others). I had started  going to BSU in the beginning of Fall and I put that to the test. I initiated with people and they were nice and friendly (The devil lied. I wasn't rejected :)
• "My People" part 2 - God was reminding me what He taught me about the prophetic destiny of  people of African descent. I re-read the REAL Identity post and this stood out to me: "The lady (she's white) who was leading worship at IHOP gave a prophetic utterance from God about the black community. She started by saying, "Many of you are confused and wondering why revival has not yet happened. That's because I'm waiting for the generals to take their place. I'm waiting for the African Americans to wake up and lead." She went on by saying that we are being called to rise up in leadership of the worship movement using our talents and gifts- to sing, to rap, to dance, to preach- and that we are going to have the loudest voice." When I went to BSU during Fall, I felt like crying when I saw and heard the stories of the challenges that black people still face (and I could relate with some of them). But I also felt like God was also feeling that pain even more than we do and I knew He's up to something big. 
• Preparation of Deliverers- God is great and mighty but He chooses to use weak humans to partner with Him for His power to be displayed and for all the glory to go to Himself; also because He is our Father, He loves us and likes to do stuff with His children :) So I was feeling like Moses, inadequate. But God told me that's the point. It's not about me. It's all about Him. I am weak. He is strong. And so what makes all the difference is that He will be with me so all I need to do is Trust Him -Find rest in His Love and just follow Him as He leads even when I don't see the full picture. Also, this is my diary if you haven't noticed lol so I usually talk about myself but this not just about myself. He is doing this on a larger scale. I can see this when I look at things from aerial view. This quarter is a blank page for me and I'm learning to Trust God and to go with His flow. He directed me to Impact. My friend Charity invited me. In the first meeting of the quarter they were sharing their experience from the Impact conference they attended over the break and Christina went over Impact's mission statement. It was really cool to see the fire they all had to share the gospel- the Good News of God's Love through Jesus Christ- to our campus. When Charles was sharing what He learnt from the Impact conference, what he said stood out to me. Something like,"God uses the most unexpected people to do great things. To show off His power." I'm not sure if he was referencing Gideon in the Bible. I think so. Can't remember. Anyway being there was really encouraging for me since I was a little down that week. So God was reminding me the bigger picture: We are not forgotten. He is preparing deliverers and uniting them for His harvest. I believe the harvest in the black community is coming soon. This quarter!  Praise God! =) "Y'all I am soo excited for what the Lord is doing in and will do through Impact UCSB! My heart is flooded with joy when I think about who we are becoming through the power of the Spirit of God at work in us! You all will be a part of changing first our campus, the community and the world through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Can't wait!" (Christina Blackwell 1/22/13) I went to IV church that Sunday and the team from YWAM gave confirmation that this is the year of great revival in America. It was exciting to see how ready IV Church is to bring in the harvest. We had a joyful celebration as we worshipped Jesus, The Lord of the harvest. Reminds me of my experience at the Real conference.
• InterVarsity- Like I shared in the REAL Identity post, God taught me about about identity through my experiences in InterVarsity which is a multi-ethnic fellowship. All the drama was due to the cultural differences within the fellowship. The devil preyed upon our differences and insecurities to attack and further divide us. God led me to call it out (bring it light/ make it public) and He told me it would lead to people misunderstanding hence rejecting me but He said that there would be unity in the end ["A time to breakdown and a time to build up"]. That's why I was frustrated when nothing had changed in the Fall. But then I saw this posted on the BSU wall during Kwanzaa: "There can be no black-white unity until there is first some black unity.... We cannot think of uniting with others, until after we have first united among ourselves. We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have first proven acceptable to ourselves. -Malcolm X [UMOJA (Unity) - Day 1 #aBSUKWANZAA] and "If the fingers of one hand quarrel, they cannot pick up the food."Kenyan proverb. If we cannot work together but are from the same place, same origin, and face similar struggles then our dysfunction can only end in our own demise. [Ujamaa- Cooperative Economics A BSU Kwanzaa Day 3] That was more confirmation why the desert season wasn't over. God wanted to re-unite me with my family and the black community on campus. As for InterVarsity right now, from what I've seen so far... God is moving in the Latino community and they have been focusing on Identity (which is cool since God showed me some stuff about their Real Identity and prophetic as well. They are having their LaFe (Latino Fellowship) conference this weekend so you can pray for them. And they are planing to have a LaFe Experience at InterVarsity's Common Ground (Leading Common Ground = Sharing their spiritual and cultural gifts with the rest of the fellowship- which is essentially what God has been telling me to do: Remember who I am, be myself and share my life with people).

• PHAROAH IS DEAD =) Moses stayed in the desert until the Pharoah who wanted to kill him died and it was after that that God sent him back as a deliverer (Desert- Round 2). I was thinking back to the visions that people received at InterVarsity's Prefall Leaders Retreat and all the conflict ones took place last year and the remaining ones that haven't yet come to pass involve unity in the Body of Christ and revival breaking out on campus. At the beginning of this quarter I remembered Marissa's vision (feel free to correct me on the specifics) : There was a shooter on campus and Marissa and Ekaete ( UCSB InterVarsity Staff at that time) were running away from the shooter while holding hands but then their hands part since they ran in different directions. Marissa was running looking behind coz she thought he was behind her but once she looked ahead he was right in front of her with the gun pointing her... At the end her and Ekaete were together again but there was a dead body in a bag. That was a weird one and I didn't understand what it meant at all last year. I was just praying that it was not to be taken literally. So when I remembered the dream at the beginning of the quarter I thought it represented how the staff leaders that InterVarsity started with Fall of 2011 went their separate ways: Ekaete was the first to leave since she couldn't fundraise, then Marissa stayed on staff still Spring 2012 then moved to Wisconsin, then Paul left SB after Fall 2012, then for the month of January InterVarsity doesn't have staff since they are not all fully funded yet. But what about the dead body in a bag? I didn't quite get that until now. As I was writing the previous bullet point God gave me a revelation! I noticed the ethnic differences. Marissa is white and Ekaete is black. They were holding hands at first: unity through Jesus (their common ground) but then there was a shooter on campus which made them ran and they ran in different directions = spiritual attacks from the enemy to the multiethnic body of Christ which brought division (segregation). BUT in the end... guess what??? Somebody died!!! Who's the mystery corpse??? Well let me break it down for you: Both Marissa and Ekaete were there in the beginning and they are also present in the end. So the mystery corpse is... <drum roll>... THE MYSTERY SHOOTER!!! Oh wow it get's more interesting ( I love it when Jesus let's me in on mystery solving! Thanks Jesus! This is fun! :) Do you remember that suspense between when the shooter had the gun pointed to Marissa's head to the end when there's a dead body in a bag but both Ekaete and Marissa were present? What was that??? Why the suspense? Where was Ekaete at that time? How did the mystery shooter end up dead and in a bag?????
• 
  
• HAHAHA I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED!!! :D (I'm getting a little excited here if you haven't noticed LOL) The mystery shooter is sly. He made Marissa believe that she was running away from him yet she was actually running straight to him and he was ready to finish her off. But Ekaete who had exited the scene was actually practicing her fighting skills so during the suspense scene Ekaete jumps in like a ninja and kicks his butt. And she doesn't just slap him around, she seals the deal by killing him until he's DEAD lol and putting his DEAD body in a bag. So in the end Marissa is saved and reunited with Ekaete. The threat to life and unity is done away with. HALLELUYAH! Do I need to decode? Well, in case you didn't get the last part... God is just giving me more confirmation about what He reminded me in the Prison Break post. Well before that, in the Colors of the Wind and Let My People Go God showed me that He created diversity not just for the sake of beauty but also as a safeguard for us. Multiethnicity in the body of Christ is actually a weapon against the devil's schemes to keep people from seeing the whole Truth due to generational and cultural blindspots. He showed us through the visions He gave people at Prefall and before that how different forms of racism such cultural and institutional racism exist and create unequality hence disunity. And He showed me that what was happening in InterVarsity was representative of what's happening in America. Anyway, back to the previous vision... The Mystery Shooter is Pharoah who wants to kill the deliverers (the body of Christ) before God uses them to deliver others. He is also Racism -a wall that divides the body of Christ by ethnicity/culture [Note! When I say racism I don't mean hate. Check the Colors of the Wind post for definitions. It's more like barriers to sincere/deep love as a result of inequalities] The shooter, the wall of racism, has a gun pointed at Marissa (reps white people) -God gave me the meaning of the vision He had given us: Racism was going on and was the reason behind the unequality hence disunity in the fellowship. All the staff we had were white (Ekaete was the first to leave) and so they didn't notice since they shared the same cultural perspective so God was using different students (from different ethnicities) who saw this to bring it light for there to be true unity but they were silenced or ignored as a result of being misunderstood. Now let's get to the fun part.
• God was telling us that He is the only One who can fight our battles and bring down the wall of racism (just meeting up to talk won't cut it since it's an unseen wall-> spiritual warfare). So He just wanted us to wait on Him together. Wait for His Spirit to break down the wall and bring unity (same vision: seeing the whole Truth) but the devil brought disunity and separation. So God has been using this desert season to prepare African Americans to lead the worship and intercession movement ("waiting on God") which leads to spiritual walls coming down. Yesterday I just started singing: Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down!  And it's totally what's going to happen! Halleluyah! The wall of racism is going down! Pharoah is dead! We're about to seal the deal! Well, God will seal us with His glory as we wait on Him (being still, praying and worshipping) and it is His great power that will seal the deal! Glory to God! =) So yeah, let's not fight each other church; the battle is against unseen principalities. Let's love each other and worship Jesus. He is fighting for us! :-)
• Back to me and my hair lol. So after a year of transitioning I decided to do the big chop! I cut it myself and it was the best decision of my hair life. Before that the half that still had relaxer would always get super-tangled and it would take forever to detangle. But now I'm free! My hair is super curly but it's easy to manage when it's wet. I had braids for a while (protective styling). My sister bought me some hair products for natural hair so I've been trying different styles. (Oh yeah, I inspired her to go natural as well! :) As for my spiritual life, I'm still going natural. I'm still transitioning. I'm letting go and letting God. He is renewing my mind. Writing really helps! ("Freedom by Expression) I should be blogging everyday. But I know I need to do the big chop! Letting go completely (Psalm 24: 7-10). I have before, like at prefall but all the obstacles I faced keep setting me back. But God gave me hope that I'm on my way home. I need Him. I can't move forward without His presence. His glory. I know He wants to show me His glory but one thing that keeps me from drinking it in is I feel guilty going there alone. Resting in His Love and drinking His living water. I feel selfish, like He's too good for me to experience by myself that's why I try to invite people to join me in waiting for Him but then the disunity discourages me. But yeah, God told me to stop worrying about people, fix my eyes on Him, find rest in His Love and that's when He can use me to invite others in. I can't do it on my own. I need Him. So yeah God, I'm letting go. I want to flow. To overflow. So bring me to Life =) Let's wait on Him everybody! He's going to breakthrough! AMEN :)

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Confirmation Video Clip: Binding the Strongman over America. The Mystery Shooter aka "Pharoah" also goes by other names. We need to divorce this dude.

Update: Here's the video of my hair transition stage (aka compromise stage). Let's just say that times were tough hahaha. But Jesus kept bidding me to rest. To let Go and Let God. Baby Trevor learnt this lesson faster than I did =) Songs: Let me be your wings from Thumbelina and Once Upon a December from Anastasia. Featuring my cute nephew Trevor and my lil sis Olivia, the camera girl :) And Jesus singing over us with songs of deliverance: Restoration's Coming!! Haha =)

Prison Break! :D :D :D

"to proclaim freedom 

for the captives

and release from darkness 

for the prisoners"

(Isaiah 61)

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved —you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. (Acts 16: 25-34)

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I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D It took me the whole day to get myself to be still enough to share this (well I did other stuff like I had class and I drank lots of tea, took many naps and made chicken veggie soup from scratch to fight a cold I could feel creeping in. Shindwe!) So this post has been in my drafts since last year (like many others) but I've been too distracted to finish it and post it. Or maybe this is the time I was meant to share it? Idk (Well, I've been distracted a lot- not resting in God- but God is merciful and faithful! :) Anyway, last year God gave me many messages concerning the year 2012. I had named this post Prison Break 2012. I was convicted that there's something special about that year ("midnight"). It was God who led me to learn it's significance so yeah, I was certain about it even as 2012 was coming to a close. But in the Fall He told me that it's not over. I learnt that the Hebrew year started in September and I felt God telling me that it's not over since the prophecies He gave me were concerning the Hebrew year so it overlaps into 2013. He gave me confirmation which I shared in previous posts like "Revolution" and "Soon." Anyway let's move on to the exciting message of this post! :D

FREEDOM IS COMING!!! - BLACK STUDIES REVELATIONS :D

It's funny (and sad) how easily I forget things lol. It's good that I started blogging. So yesterday (and on other occasions this quarter) I got hit by a bout of hopeless, lazy disillusionment. One of those: "What am I doing here?" You see I didn't have to come back to school this quarter since I got done with my major classes last quarter. So yesterday during the BSU (Black Student Union) meeting I told Wisdom that I felt like dropping all my classes -I was joking but serious. Then after Gospel choir I went to Shayne's and I was catching up with Christie and she asked me: "So you're taking classes just for fun?" Which made me think, "Why did I even choose those classes?!!" Then I went to bed (I had a funny dream that's not really relevant lol. Moving on...) and the next morning (today morning) God surprised me with answers (more like reminders/wake-up calls) during my Black Studies class ("The Sociology of the Black Experience" with Professor McAuley).

With Professor McAuley & Wisdom :-)

I got to class like 2 min late and I walked in just as the Professor was saying something about Christianity. (We've been reading and discussing the book, "The Philadelphia Negro" by Du Bois and when I said "we" I actually meant "they"- I've been a bad student but I shall repent lol). I sat down and I heard the rest of what he was saying. He talked about how "The Good Book" aka The Bible doesn't discriminate people based on race yet during the slavery days the white church either refused blacks to attend or they had a separate sitting area. So the whites refused to have communion with them (Common ground in Christ) and because of that the black church became a protest against racist Christianity (the hypocrisy of the white church). As people continued discussing, I kinda drifted off and this song randomly popped into my head, "The Battle is raging" by Laura Hackett and then I randomly remembered that I had heard the story behind the song. I kept this at the back of my mind and I didn't really get what God was trying to say until later. So midway through the class people seemed tired (I know I was!) so they weren't talking as much then the professor shared this "random" story. He said something like, "Just as an aside: Yesterday evening it was hazy and silent and I could have sworn that an earthquake was going to hit. I usually can tell, I'm like a dog when it comes sensing them lol. When I first came here (California) I could sense them and my predictions would come true. But it didn't happen yesterday but today morning the weather was the same, 'earthquake-y'" People laughed and he moved on with the lecture. Then towards the end of the class, he was like, "Oh yeah! I now remember why I shared that story... Why I brought up the earthquake thing is because people (who were sleepy in class) would be more awakened if an earthquake were to hit... but I'm not wishing an earthquake happens just for the sake of my class. Don't come jump me in the next class if a 7. something earthquake hits haha." And the class laughed and left.

I was definitely awakened by what he said (even though he was joking) and it reminded me of this post that was in my drafts. On my ride back to my apartment the puzzle pieces started coming together and I got more confirmation when I got home and re-watched the story behind the song. I laughed in excitement coz God had answered my questions from the previous night. He reminded me of stuff He already taught me. Check out the video below! So I had wondered, "Why I am I here?" and "Why did I choose those classes?" So I'm taking 2 Black Studies classes (the other one is "Africa in Film" with Professor Akudinobi) and Music 11 (Fundamentals in Music). Haha! :D Do you get it now? It's pretty much the same thing that God taught me in the REAL Identity, Prepare the Way!  and  African Diasporic Appreciation posts but apparently I keep forgetting (getting distracted and falling asleep).

PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT! I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU! FREEDOM IS COMING SOON!!! :D

God is doing something NEW in the desert season we are in. Change is coming! A Second Exodus! REVIVAL!!! God wants to WAKE US UP to our REAL IDENTITY. Our community is still under lots of oppression (spiritual warfare) but We are NOT FORGOTTEN! God has a plan to REDEEM us and use us in REDEMPTION of the Nations. God will make a way. He will bring Freedom. Re-read the Acts passage in the first section: our freedom will lead to freedom for many others. The means (from the passage, the video, my previous posts and The Bible): Music of His Word. A song. A NEW SONG. So sing a New Song to the Lord Africa! SING! I have more to share in my drafts. Like I said, it's not just about us, God is uniting His body and building His house to be a house of all nations =) Praise the LORD! Our Redeemer lives! :D

Oh yeah, an actual earthquake is coming but don't get hung up on that coz we're in the calm before the storm but when the storm hits no worries, we will rise above on eagles' wings! Glory to God! Praise Him! WOOHOO! :D Here's my new song (a spontaneous prayer song) I sung last April. Be blessed :)
Application: Let's be prepared :) Let's Put on the FULL Armor of God (more info in that post), and just praise Jesus and Love outloud! Love, Charlene =)

 

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Update: 5/29/2013 GOOD MORNING!

I set my alarm for 7 this morning though I had class at 10 coz I've been waking up late... which has also enabled me to be spiritually lazy (asleep). So yeah I decided to wake up early to pray but I just went to the bathroom, looked at my sleepy eyes then I went back to bed lol. Shortly after I was woken up by an earthquake and my first words: "Jesus! Oh my God!" Now for the background story: .... (I give a lot of background so you can skip to the main section: EARTHQUAKE)

The previous night I was reflecting on some things... At the beginning of this year (Winter Quarter) I came back to SB because of what was on my heart ... God had revealed to me many things about the times we are living in which put an urgency on my heart to share the gospel and to love... it was so convicting and pressing that I would be pushed to tears many times when I was in a room with a group of people (BSU, gospel choir, Impact, with InterVarsity people, in my classes or just walking on campus) but I would leave to cry then go back when I had composed myself (though I couldn't hold back one time at gospel choir but I guess no one noticed). I was crying because I was a broken mess for a long time which kept me from being a part of those communities, sharing my life, sharing love and truth. I was crying because of the division I saw among people who didn't even see it as a problem. I was crying because of the shallow relationships I had with people and that people were satisfied with that. So yeah, God gave me another chance that quarter to give my all (post: What's your name?) but I held back once again since I did not want to inconvenience people's lives - by sharing my burdens and my emotions - so I failed :/

I thought I was done that quarter yet I didn't feel like I was done. So I moved out of SB and went home but the whole time I was there God kept telling me in different ways (mostly through music) to "Not forsake the call. And to risk all for the sake of the call" but then I was like "I'm not in SB anymore"... how am I meant to do that? I made some videos and I had started to blog but I didn't finish and publish them because I was just tired and it was too much for me emotionally... So yeah, when I saw the letter that I wasn't done with one class everything made sense. God hadn't told me to leave SB just yet so I went back but then I went right back into the swing of things. The only difference was that God directed me to check out different Christian groups- I hadn't done that before. He showed me that He's bringing unity in His whole body at SB and I later found out about the "With One Voice event"- when I read the description I was dumb-founded coz it's the vision I had on my heart. But I thought that God wanted other people to bring it forth instead of me so I didn't really do anything about it except tell people that I ran into. But then later on I saw how dumb that reasoning was... we all needed to work as a body to bring forth that vision... and it's the same vision that Judith and Alex saw (unity in the body -across fellowships) then revival happening. So I tried my best to do my part though it was last minute...

EARTHQUAKE

Anyway, back to the night before the earthquake... I was reflecting on the With One Voice worship night... and I remember saying that the only visions that haven't happened yet from Pre-Fall Leaders Retreat is Unity in the body and Paul's vision of an earthquake in IV then revival... I also saw this post on Kevin Mirasi's blog - a post about a 5.7 earthquake that God told would come to California... So I went to bed thinking about that... and I was still positive that revival would happen by the end of this school year... at least the start of it... So I went to sleep and woke up at 7 then went back to sleep and then BAM! the earthquake that Paul prophesied hit Santa Barbara... for me that really woke me up and I felt God reinforcing that it is time.

IT IS TIME! TIME FOR WHAT???

IT'S TIME FOR SLEEPING BEAUTY TO ARISE! TIME TO WATCH AND PRAY! FOR THE BRIDE GROOM IS COMING FOR HIS BRIDE! A NEW SEASON IS ABOUT TO BREAK THROUGH ! LET'S ARISE! THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL! BRIDE OF CHRIST ARISE AND SHINE! LET US PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE KING OF GLORY! CHANGES ARE COMING TO THE EARTH! ARISE!  (posts: SOON! Here Comes the Bride Groom The HARVEST)

So yeah, Jesus is coming (1.5 coming -the rapture) and before that a larger earthquake is coming to California and the West Coast as a sign of the times. At first I thought that it would take an earthquake to awaken the church but God showed me through the scripture at the top of the post the order of events: Unity in prayer n worship in the body of Christ then earthquake -> With One Voice unity worship night  then earthquake in IV. So yeah a larger earthquake has been prophesied so it's time for the body of Christ to arise in PRAYER and WORSHIP - for chains to be broken and eyes to be opened and Christ to be revealed. We need to come together and wait on God to give us His heart and to clothe us with power. That's how revival will break forth (Read Acts 1-2). It starts with His Church. So let's WAKE UP CHURCH! (post: Time to SEEK!)

Yeah I know finals are coming up... do you know what else is coming up? THE END OF THE AGE. So I think we need to do a priority check if that's our excuse not to pray. Take study breaks and PRAY. Wake up earlier and PRAY. Prefarably with others. LET'S PRAY TOGETHER! That's how the disciples applied the command Jesus gave them to wait on His Spirit in Acts 1 and even The Lord's Prayer was a communal prayer.  So yeah hit me up whenever if you want to pray with me. Also there's a prayer meeting tonight (Tuesday) at 10pm at 6517 Madrid Road. (post: A Call to Prayer)

Church, it's time to love. We need His power to love. Let's PRAY. TOGETHER. PLEASE.

Sorry this is super late. But God is gracious. Let's apply it still. It's not too late. It's ♫ just in Time. ♫ So yeah, there's no time to wallow in the past. Let's move forward together and partner with God in building His Kingdom here! Oh yeah, this update is mostly for a Christian audience if you have no clue what I'm talking about you can start here:  Behold!, The Kingdoms, My G.P.S, Pimp My Ride, Quick Testimony: FREEDOM! 

K feel free to ask questions. And hit me up for prayer and friendship. Blessings! :-)