January 19, 2007 - Friday
if God speaks (written Nov 22nd-06)
I wrote this in my livejournal and found it 2nite..and thought i'd share cuz well i thought it was good.
22nd-Nov-2006 02:45 pm
..
If God speaks through the wind as it blows the trees in a bowing dance, then I need Him to scratch the branches upon my window with a distinctive answer. Cut and dry, Black or White, no gray mediums nor in betweens. Something's gotta give and I feel things are about to loosen up with each passing day. Change marches into the horizon and if i squint my eyes I can make out some sort of objects moving closer. But my eyes are not yet ready to see the vision that awaits me out there in the distance. If God speaks in the stillness and solitude of my prayer chambers I need every part of my flesh to be silenced/muted/frozen. So that even a pin dropping on the carpet floor would sound decimals of volume and ring in my ears. A quiteness so quiet that even if He mouthed the words, I could still hear and feel His breath upon my ears, my Spirit, my face. If God speaks in the faces and crowded places that I encounter and pass by each day, then I need to throw away my natural ears and cling to my spiritual ears. So then I will not be walking in my ways, my thoughts, my understandings, but will be guided by the Spirit who is further guided by His ways, His thoughts, and His understandings. And when I see the face of the man or woman with hurting eyes, I will act on my spiritual impulse and not by what my flesh is telling me NOT to do.If God speaks through the beauty of creation that encompasses me then perhaps I need to breathe in the fresh air a little deeper, stop to notice the beautiful array of the skylight, and give God the praise for the works of His hands, the depth of His love. Then maybe just maybe I could see that He is speaking to me through a sunrise, speaking to me through a perfectly arranged grouping of trees, or singing to me as the sunshine radiates upon my face. If God speaks through His word then my passion to read His word and dive into His love letters should not be able to be contained. How can I be approved to take His word with me if I have no knowledge of His word? My heart should be thirsty to open up the book and lose myself inside. Maybe if I took the time to read His word I could see the promises He has for me. If I allow Him, He surely will reveal Himself to me. If God speaks through all these things, (and He does) then certainly I should have no trouble hearing Him speak. But then again perhaps the problem isn't God...it's the person staring back at me as I gaze in the mirror. Then softly He speaks.."there are things you must crucify in order to hear from Me".. Yes God. You're Right. Forgive me for wanting it my way and not Yours.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Let not your worship be silenced
January 7, 2007 - Sunday
Let not your worship be silenced..
So three things motivated me to write this blog. David's dream blog, James Goll, and my prayer/quiet time before the Lord. If you haven't read David's dream blog I suggest you do. But I have included this snippet for it goes hand in hand with where my blog is headed. Do enjoy.
The enemy rt now is still attacking and just waiting rt now for us to be off guard and destroy us. Especially in our Worship to God. Remember, the devil wants to silence ur voice more than anything. That's what you worship and what you share the gospel, prophecy with. SO GET LOUD!! SEEK GOD!!! BEGIN TO CRY OUT TO GOD RT NOW LIKE NEVER BEFORE!! LOVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE, EVEN IF WE DON'T WANT TO!!WE TRULY WANT TO SEE GOD MOVE IN POWERFUL WAYS AND GREATER THAN THOSE IN THE BIBLE LIKE HE SAID, OR WE JUST WANT ANOTHER "NICE" CHURCH SERVICE!! IT'S TIME TO GET OVER OURSELVES AND THE LITTLE BOX THAT WE PUT GOD IN AND LET HIM TRULY DO WHATEVER HE WANTS!
I'm reading God Encounters by James Goll and his wife Michal and James was talking about visitations from angels and how lucifer was the fallen archangel. In his book he wrote : "Satan was an anointed and beautiful covering cherub with a professional understanding of music and worship."
I couldn't move away from this. Duh Jennie. It made sense what David was talking about how the devil is trying to attack our worship and I was like well I can certainly see why. The enemy knows the tremendous power of worship. How convient for him to attack our worship, the way we worship, the freedom of our worship. He is trying to literally silence our worship.
The Lord says, "take back your worship"!!!!!!! The enemy...the adversary is attacking our worship. All one needs to do is take a look around. The devil is putting on a puppet show in churches worldwide. He pulls the strings of religion so that the choir or worship team sings the songs they are comfortable singing, or the ones they know the congregation likes best. Or maybe the worship team is on point but the enemy has the church bound up by chains of insecurity and slavery so that they cannot even lift their voices nor raise their arms in extension towards the lover of their souls.
It's time to rumble and go to war. It's time to take back our worship individually as well as cooperately. So that in union we can release the things which need to be released. God is moving us into a new dimension and depth of worship. But He's not going to linger and wait for those who won't fight, who don't want to go to extreme measures to press into His soul.
We already have the upper hand because we have the freedom to worship our God. I'm not just talking about lip service here...I'm talking about crying out, groaning and trevailing, jumping, flipping, twirling, dancing, shouting...The kind of worship that is so free and unrestrained that lives are changed, healing flows like a gushing river, and breakthroughs are made in the spiritual as well as the natural. The kind of worship that is SOOOOOo God that it's contagious. We are already free to partake in the beauty of worshipping in Spirit AND in truth. Through Christ Jesus we are free, His blood makes us free, His Spirit makes us free. It's our for the taking. You are free to worship your God. (I cannot stress that enough). It doesn't matter what the devil may try to tell you or put into your mind..if you confess and repent you ARE SET FREE. The devil is a liar and it's time to stomp on his face and show him what's up.
It's time to go deeper and walk into the things we've never seen nor experienced before. Cling to your worship and let nothing take that away from you. God is saying "don't adjust your worship to look like what is around you" Worship the way YOU worship. If you sing, sing LOUD (even if it's off key be silenced not), if you twirl..twirl on sister, if you dance..dance harder than you ever have before, if you play an instrument prepare to be blown away with the sounds God will release through you, and if you like to jump, flip, whatever do what you do all in the name of the Lord. You were handcrafted to worship in your way. And don't let anyone tell you that you can't worship your God.
Who cares if you look like a fool. I know I'll be a fool for God.
Will you?????
Jennie Ingram .........January 7th 2007
Let not your worship be silenced..
So three things motivated me to write this blog. David's dream blog, James Goll, and my prayer/quiet time before the Lord. If you haven't read David's dream blog I suggest you do. But I have included this snippet for it goes hand in hand with where my blog is headed. Do enjoy.
The enemy rt now is still attacking and just waiting rt now for us to be off guard and destroy us. Especially in our Worship to God. Remember, the devil wants to silence ur voice more than anything. That's what you worship and what you share the gospel, prophecy with. SO GET LOUD!! SEEK GOD!!! BEGIN TO CRY OUT TO GOD RT NOW LIKE NEVER BEFORE!! LOVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE, EVEN IF WE DON'T WANT TO!!WE TRULY WANT TO SEE GOD MOVE IN POWERFUL WAYS AND GREATER THAN THOSE IN THE BIBLE LIKE HE SAID, OR WE JUST WANT ANOTHER "NICE" CHURCH SERVICE!! IT'S TIME TO GET OVER OURSELVES AND THE LITTLE BOX THAT WE PUT GOD IN AND LET HIM TRULY DO WHATEVER HE WANTS!
I'm reading God Encounters by James Goll and his wife Michal and James was talking about visitations from angels and how lucifer was the fallen archangel. In his book he wrote : "Satan was an anointed and beautiful covering cherub with a professional understanding of music and worship."
I couldn't move away from this. Duh Jennie. It made sense what David was talking about how the devil is trying to attack our worship and I was like well I can certainly see why. The enemy knows the tremendous power of worship. How convient for him to attack our worship, the way we worship, the freedom of our worship. He is trying to literally silence our worship.
The Lord says, "take back your worship"!!!!!!! The enemy...the adversary is attacking our worship. All one needs to do is take a look around. The devil is putting on a puppet show in churches worldwide. He pulls the strings of religion so that the choir or worship team sings the songs they are comfortable singing, or the ones they know the congregation likes best. Or maybe the worship team is on point but the enemy has the church bound up by chains of insecurity and slavery so that they cannot even lift their voices nor raise their arms in extension towards the lover of their souls.
It's time to rumble and go to war. It's time to take back our worship individually as well as cooperately. So that in union we can release the things which need to be released. God is moving us into a new dimension and depth of worship. But He's not going to linger and wait for those who won't fight, who don't want to go to extreme measures to press into His soul.
We already have the upper hand because we have the freedom to worship our God. I'm not just talking about lip service here...I'm talking about crying out, groaning and trevailing, jumping, flipping, twirling, dancing, shouting...The kind of worship that is so free and unrestrained that lives are changed, healing flows like a gushing river, and breakthroughs are made in the spiritual as well as the natural. The kind of worship that is SOOOOOo God that it's contagious. We are already free to partake in the beauty of worshipping in Spirit AND in truth. Through Christ Jesus we are free, His blood makes us free, His Spirit makes us free. It's our for the taking. You are free to worship your God. (I cannot stress that enough). It doesn't matter what the devil may try to tell you or put into your mind..if you confess and repent you ARE SET FREE. The devil is a liar and it's time to stomp on his face and show him what's up.
It's time to go deeper and walk into the things we've never seen nor experienced before. Cling to your worship and let nothing take that away from you. God is saying "don't adjust your worship to look like what is around you" Worship the way YOU worship. If you sing, sing LOUD (even if it's off key be silenced not), if you twirl..twirl on sister, if you dance..dance harder than you ever have before, if you play an instrument prepare to be blown away with the sounds God will release through you, and if you like to jump, flip, whatever do what you do all in the name of the Lord. You were handcrafted to worship in your way. And don't let anyone tell you that you can't worship your God.
Who cares if you look like a fool. I know I'll be a fool for God.
Will you?????
Jennie Ingram .........January 7th 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
Take Heed I send out the Decree
December 30, 2006 - Saturday
Take Heed I send out the Decree...
During my quiet time with God this evening He began dropping things into my Spirit that I feel need to be shared and laid out on the table. The following are snippets of my journal entry. If you aren't going to read it in it's whole content dont' even bother lingering here. But if you genuinely are here to read with an open mind I encourage you to kick up your feet, grab some coffee, and read away.
CHANGE:
Has been the theme for the past couple of months. At times I've struggled with the adjustments but I believe that's typical. I am beginning to find acceptance with what's taken place as You are sustaining me. Plus when change stems from You, it's kind of retarded to argue against it. More and more You're opening my eyes to see how You work in the midst of changes. Because with each change despite how much it may have sucked, or how difficult it's been..something good has risen from it. (Next I listed some examples, which I will not share due to personal reasons. Thank you and please continue reading).
I started thinking about the Church and all the changes that have taken place within the church to which I began writing:
I guess I need to know my place within all these changes. Just as does the rest of the youth that are left to step it up. I looked around last Wednesday during service at the leaders of the teams (PJ, Tara, Glory, Amy, etc), and I saw hope for I know their heart has not been influenced by outsiders, nor tainted by religion, nor destructed by the changes. And as I sat there I couldn't help by breathe out in relief for the first time. For we can sit around and mope and play with the ashes of death, or we can look up into God's eyes and ask.'what's next" as He resurrects those ashes into beautiful life.
God doesn't turn His back on His children; it is we who shut the door in His face and hinder His hand moving in our churches. Those that are called to go have gone and will continue to go. Those who are called to stay will pick up their swords and run with their gifts into the sunset of new beginnings. Those who are called to fight will war in the Spirit until something breaks. Those who are called to stay put for right now will and fufill their God ordained roles. But life will continue to move forward, and God won't stop moving. God's not going to put His plans and purposes on pause just because the church is going through changes. God's not into how hard you fall but how quickly you get back up. I also believe God doesn't care who leaves and who stays, but He does care how we handle the changes presented to us. If we continue to look at what used to be how will we be able to gaze upon what could be…what needs to be? If we waste our time looking back to the past as Lot's wire did how can we progress forward? We can't and I don't know about anyone else but I don't want to be stuck in a snapshot of time. I don't want God to pass me by.
We as the body have allowed the mucus of religion to dominate our services. We've allowed a lot of crap to enter into the church that has brothers and sisters in Christ talking junk about one another. This should not be!. Why has the church been consumed with competition with other churches and concerned about numbers? If God's showing up and sweeping souls off their feet shouldn't we rejoice for we are ONE body. And if we hear of a misfortune of another church or that another church is struggling, shouldn't we be lifting them up and praying for them? This spirit of division must be broken. Satan's got a foot in the door because of it and it's time to start fighting for what is rightfully ours.
It saddens me for I feel some people are more concerned with making sure service looks and sounds pretty vs how souls are touched and affected because of the open-ness to the Spirit. I could care less if we sing 1 worship song or 15. I'll take whatever comes with the free move of God. If God wants us to sing 1 song over and over so be it. It He wants us to sing 15 songs 15 different ways we should be obedient to that and not cut it off because half of the congregations' stomachs are clearly saying "time for lunch". I'm pretty sure if God was standing before you and wanted 10 more minutes of our time you wouldn't ditch him for Cracker Barrel. (come on now). If the pastor preaches a word…fantastic, but if he's bent over in travail that's awesome too. I'm not going to sit and look at him like a bump on a log. If God dusts the service with a call to prayer by golly I want to be bent over in travail too!!
God's really been speaking to my heart lately regarding the church. The church has not been called to be sissified and oblivious to what's going on around and within it. We should be the first ones to notice what the enemy is trying to do but some of us will be the last. We are called to be inviting, to welcome the lost into our doors so they may taste and see that HE IS GOOD! Which is ironic because I've talked to so many broken souls who have been turned away from the church. Why? Maybe it's because they were covered in tattoos or piercing. Maybe they preferred the color black and were immediately labeled "gothic". Or perhaps they came dressed with holes in their clothes and reeked of alcohol or smoke. Why have they been turned away?????? Why have they been labeled misfits and thrown back into the pit of hell they were trying to escape from??
If God led them to our house of worship what right do we have to slam the door in their face?, or allow them inside but not even extend the love we are supposed to be known to give? Woah. Does it make you sick yet? Or what about the ones who enter our doors, attend services, but then fall or crumble taking a few steps back. So when they do show back up we just look at them not as the person they are, but as the sin they struggle with. Our approach is so backwards. Why do you think people leave the church and often times do not come back? A Jason Upton song comes to mind as I'm writing: We are one in the spirit we are one in the Lord. And we pray our unity will one day be restored..and they will know that we our Christians by our love".
Do they recognize us by our love? Do they feel love when they step foot into our churches? Are we praying and seeking that union as ONE body? The church cannot stay where it is right now. And this is not to one specific church in one specific region. This is cross-categorical and cross cultural. This is not just a call to the Baptists or the Pentecostals. This decree does not come by invite only. This is not for the faith movement only. This extends to the entire body of Christ. Every believer of the most High God. It doesn't matter where you are in your walk with God or how often you read your bible or pray. If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that you may have life and life eternally, then I'm speaking to you.
God is speaking to you. Stop for a minute and allow God to open your eyes to what's going on around us. He calls us to action. No more of what we've been doing-which hasn't' been exactly much. I surely do not want to stand in front of God when He asks, "So Jennie what did you do when the church was covered in thorns and pesticides crawled up and down the walls? "oh you know God I just went to work, got on myspace occasionally, hung out with friends. Oh yeah, I prayed a few times and read my bible when it was convenient for me". HAH yeah right are you kidding me? I want to be able to look into His eyes and truthfully say that I did everything I could to help restore the church to her rightful state.
Wake up to what's around you. Get off your butts and start seeking His heart..start falling on your face and cry out for the church. My gosh, how can we help those around us when we can't even attend to family business? How can we pour out our love to the lost if we're in quarrel with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Change has walked through our doors but with it did not come Crippled and Paralyzed. Change is often necessary for growth. I pray God begins burning burdens for the church, the kingdom, for souls. I pray an impartation of love finds you and explodes into your spirits. I end with two things.
1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2. Why do you go to church?
Jennie Ingram. 12/30/2006
Take Heed I send out the Decree...
During my quiet time with God this evening He began dropping things into my Spirit that I feel need to be shared and laid out on the table. The following are snippets of my journal entry. If you aren't going to read it in it's whole content dont' even bother lingering here. But if you genuinely are here to read with an open mind I encourage you to kick up your feet, grab some coffee, and read away.
CHANGE:
Has been the theme for the past couple of months. At times I've struggled with the adjustments but I believe that's typical. I am beginning to find acceptance with what's taken place as You are sustaining me. Plus when change stems from You, it's kind of retarded to argue against it. More and more You're opening my eyes to see how You work in the midst of changes. Because with each change despite how much it may have sucked, or how difficult it's been..something good has risen from it. (Next I listed some examples, which I will not share due to personal reasons. Thank you and please continue reading).
I started thinking about the Church and all the changes that have taken place within the church to which I began writing:
I guess I need to know my place within all these changes. Just as does the rest of the youth that are left to step it up. I looked around last Wednesday during service at the leaders of the teams (PJ, Tara, Glory, Amy, etc), and I saw hope for I know their heart has not been influenced by outsiders, nor tainted by religion, nor destructed by the changes. And as I sat there I couldn't help by breathe out in relief for the first time. For we can sit around and mope and play with the ashes of death, or we can look up into God's eyes and ask.'what's next" as He resurrects those ashes into beautiful life.
God doesn't turn His back on His children; it is we who shut the door in His face and hinder His hand moving in our churches. Those that are called to go have gone and will continue to go. Those who are called to stay will pick up their swords and run with their gifts into the sunset of new beginnings. Those who are called to fight will war in the Spirit until something breaks. Those who are called to stay put for right now will and fufill their God ordained roles. But life will continue to move forward, and God won't stop moving. God's not going to put His plans and purposes on pause just because the church is going through changes. God's not into how hard you fall but how quickly you get back up. I also believe God doesn't care who leaves and who stays, but He does care how we handle the changes presented to us. If we continue to look at what used to be how will we be able to gaze upon what could be…what needs to be? If we waste our time looking back to the past as Lot's wire did how can we progress forward? We can't and I don't know about anyone else but I don't want to be stuck in a snapshot of time. I don't want God to pass me by.
We as the body have allowed the mucus of religion to dominate our services. We've allowed a lot of crap to enter into the church that has brothers and sisters in Christ talking junk about one another. This should not be!. Why has the church been consumed with competition with other churches and concerned about numbers? If God's showing up and sweeping souls off their feet shouldn't we rejoice for we are ONE body. And if we hear of a misfortune of another church or that another church is struggling, shouldn't we be lifting them up and praying for them? This spirit of division must be broken. Satan's got a foot in the door because of it and it's time to start fighting for what is rightfully ours.
It saddens me for I feel some people are more concerned with making sure service looks and sounds pretty vs how souls are touched and affected because of the open-ness to the Spirit. I could care less if we sing 1 worship song or 15. I'll take whatever comes with the free move of God. If God wants us to sing 1 song over and over so be it. It He wants us to sing 15 songs 15 different ways we should be obedient to that and not cut it off because half of the congregations' stomachs are clearly saying "time for lunch". I'm pretty sure if God was standing before you and wanted 10 more minutes of our time you wouldn't ditch him for Cracker Barrel. (come on now). If the pastor preaches a word…fantastic, but if he's bent over in travail that's awesome too. I'm not going to sit and look at him like a bump on a log. If God dusts the service with a call to prayer by golly I want to be bent over in travail too!!
God's really been speaking to my heart lately regarding the church. The church has not been called to be sissified and oblivious to what's going on around and within it. We should be the first ones to notice what the enemy is trying to do but some of us will be the last. We are called to be inviting, to welcome the lost into our doors so they may taste and see that HE IS GOOD! Which is ironic because I've talked to so many broken souls who have been turned away from the church. Why? Maybe it's because they were covered in tattoos or piercing. Maybe they preferred the color black and were immediately labeled "gothic". Or perhaps they came dressed with holes in their clothes and reeked of alcohol or smoke. Why have they been turned away?????? Why have they been labeled misfits and thrown back into the pit of hell they were trying to escape from??
If God led them to our house of worship what right do we have to slam the door in their face?, or allow them inside but not even extend the love we are supposed to be known to give? Woah. Does it make you sick yet? Or what about the ones who enter our doors, attend services, but then fall or crumble taking a few steps back. So when they do show back up we just look at them not as the person they are, but as the sin they struggle with. Our approach is so backwards. Why do you think people leave the church and often times do not come back? A Jason Upton song comes to mind as I'm writing: We are one in the spirit we are one in the Lord. And we pray our unity will one day be restored..and they will know that we our Christians by our love".
Do they recognize us by our love? Do they feel love when they step foot into our churches? Are we praying and seeking that union as ONE body? The church cannot stay where it is right now. And this is not to one specific church in one specific region. This is cross-categorical and cross cultural. This is not just a call to the Baptists or the Pentecostals. This decree does not come by invite only. This is not for the faith movement only. This extends to the entire body of Christ. Every believer of the most High God. It doesn't matter where you are in your walk with God or how often you read your bible or pray. If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross so that you may have life and life eternally, then I'm speaking to you.
God is speaking to you. Stop for a minute and allow God to open your eyes to what's going on around us. He calls us to action. No more of what we've been doing-which hasn't' been exactly much. I surely do not want to stand in front of God when He asks, "So Jennie what did you do when the church was covered in thorns and pesticides crawled up and down the walls? "oh you know God I just went to work, got on myspace occasionally, hung out with friends. Oh yeah, I prayed a few times and read my bible when it was convenient for me". HAH yeah right are you kidding me? I want to be able to look into His eyes and truthfully say that I did everything I could to help restore the church to her rightful state.
Wake up to what's around you. Get off your butts and start seeking His heart..start falling on your face and cry out for the church. My gosh, how can we help those around us when we can't even attend to family business? How can we pour out our love to the lost if we're in quarrel with our brothers and sisters in Christ? Change has walked through our doors but with it did not come Crippled and Paralyzed. Change is often necessary for growth. I pray God begins burning burdens for the church, the kingdom, for souls. I pray an impartation of love finds you and explodes into your spirits. I end with two things.
1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2. Why do you go to church?
Jennie Ingram. 12/30/2006
Intimacy Awaits
November 12, 2006 - Sunday
are you Intimate???
While in the shower this morning I felt a press to steal away and spend time with God. Not just half heartedly either and not just lip service. I began praying and God reminded me of His heart. And how I've treated His heart, how I've handled it. As I stood there praying and pondering, my own heart started to ache with a hurt I couldn't find the words to describe.
It was as if my heart was breaking in the same way His was. Then the words rose up so clearly, just as they did last Wednesday: you're neglecting my heart beloved, they're neglecting my heart..the church suffers from neglectance. He was so intensely right (duh He's kind of God) that I wanted to drop to my knees and cry out. Intimacy..It always goes back to INTIMACY. My level of thinking and knoweldge was being challenged to step up and dig deeper as God dropped things into the pit of my spirit woman.
Intimacy reaches out to touch the heart and digs down into the chambers of the soul. Intimacy does not woo the eyes. It does not aim to wet the lips or produce electric touches. Intimacy presses inward to the heart, down into the soul. So if intimacy is so connected to the heart, that would mean if you were intimate with someone you were seeking to find what lies there in their hearts. For surface encounters are very casual and anyone can skim the shallow waters.
Going deeper involves risk taking, doing things that may make you feel uncomfortable. You may even find yourself naked and exposed, completely transparent before the most Holy of Holy Gods. But if we are to be intimate with the Father, we have to know His heart. And if we want to experience His heart, we are going to have to take risks, and yes you're going to be exposed.
That's the beauty of letting go and falling so deep in love that all gaurds are down and although you may be scared it doesn't matter, because TRUST has got your back.
Then I got to thinking, intimacy just doesn't stick with you as a packaged bonus gift the day you get saved. It's something you have to work for, fight for. First comes the beauty of unwrapping the experience that YES you can be intimate with the Lord. But then we as His children have to cultivate and maintain that intimacy. When man and woman marry, they don't gain a lifetime supply of intimacy that will always be there in abundance. No, they have to take the seed of intimacy that was planted within them and nurture it, water it, give it sunlight; the things necessary for growth.
The same goes with our relationship with the Lord. And so God posed the solution to this heart neglectance issue. "It's time to re-evalutate our intimate encounters with the Lord". What is your heart like when you sit down to chill out with God or love on Him? Could you imagine what it would be like for husband and wife to sit down together and be intimate yet one's mind and heart was somewhere else? Are you even making an effort to spend time with the Lover of your soul? If we aren't attending to it (our relationship) how can we ever be intimate with it? Have we lost the vision of love within our hearts? Shouldn't it be so etched upon our very souls that when we come before Him, all we want to do is love on Him, reach out and touch His heart.
I want to know the Father's heart. I don't want to seek His hands, and as much as I've wanted to seek His face, I want to go deeper. I want to seek HIS HEART. The time has come to quit playing love affair and go back to our first love. Stop dabbling with lust and let go, fall in love. Don't settle for butterflys and do not rely on feelings. Dig in, press forward..reach out. Intimacy Awaits......
are you Intimate???
While in the shower this morning I felt a press to steal away and spend time with God. Not just half heartedly either and not just lip service. I began praying and God reminded me of His heart. And how I've treated His heart, how I've handled it. As I stood there praying and pondering, my own heart started to ache with a hurt I couldn't find the words to describe.
It was as if my heart was breaking in the same way His was. Then the words rose up so clearly, just as they did last Wednesday: you're neglecting my heart beloved, they're neglecting my heart..the church suffers from neglectance. He was so intensely right (duh He's kind of God) that I wanted to drop to my knees and cry out. Intimacy..It always goes back to INTIMACY. My level of thinking and knoweldge was being challenged to step up and dig deeper as God dropped things into the pit of my spirit woman.
Intimacy reaches out to touch the heart and digs down into the chambers of the soul. Intimacy does not woo the eyes. It does not aim to wet the lips or produce electric touches. Intimacy presses inward to the heart, down into the soul. So if intimacy is so connected to the heart, that would mean if you were intimate with someone you were seeking to find what lies there in their hearts. For surface encounters are very casual and anyone can skim the shallow waters.
Going deeper involves risk taking, doing things that may make you feel uncomfortable. You may even find yourself naked and exposed, completely transparent before the most Holy of Holy Gods. But if we are to be intimate with the Father, we have to know His heart. And if we want to experience His heart, we are going to have to take risks, and yes you're going to be exposed.
That's the beauty of letting go and falling so deep in love that all gaurds are down and although you may be scared it doesn't matter, because TRUST has got your back.
Then I got to thinking, intimacy just doesn't stick with you as a packaged bonus gift the day you get saved. It's something you have to work for, fight for. First comes the beauty of unwrapping the experience that YES you can be intimate with the Lord. But then we as His children have to cultivate and maintain that intimacy. When man and woman marry, they don't gain a lifetime supply of intimacy that will always be there in abundance. No, they have to take the seed of intimacy that was planted within them and nurture it, water it, give it sunlight; the things necessary for growth.
The same goes with our relationship with the Lord. And so God posed the solution to this heart neglectance issue. "It's time to re-evalutate our intimate encounters with the Lord". What is your heart like when you sit down to chill out with God or love on Him? Could you imagine what it would be like for husband and wife to sit down together and be intimate yet one's mind and heart was somewhere else? Are you even making an effort to spend time with the Lover of your soul? If we aren't attending to it (our relationship) how can we ever be intimate with it? Have we lost the vision of love within our hearts? Shouldn't it be so etched upon our very souls that when we come before Him, all we want to do is love on Him, reach out and touch His heart.
I want to know the Father's heart. I don't want to seek His hands, and as much as I've wanted to seek His face, I want to go deeper. I want to seek HIS HEART. The time has come to quit playing love affair and go back to our first love. Stop dabbling with lust and let go, fall in love. Don't settle for butterflys and do not rely on feelings. Dig in, press forward..reach out. Intimacy Awaits......
So how is it that....
October 21, 2006 - Saturday
So how is it that....
those that claim to be representing Christgo to church on sunday talk the talk but then spend their friday and saturday nights hollern at the Captain, vodka, and gin n tonic on some ice?
Which side of the fence are you riding? Your balance may be alright for now, but believe you me it won't be on point for too long (you're bound to crash and burn) You'll fall and I fear to think which side you may land on.But God don't put up with those that claim to be living for Him one day, then cursen and defiling the next.
And just cuz it may look good in the flesh it aint always good for your soul..where's your self control?
Your motives are nothing but selfish as you continue on this ramage of "i done bumped my head and lost my mind". Let me dress all sluttish, I think i'll go out and get crunk tonight..Oh snap let me shake my bootay all up on some dude not knowen what that does to him...I think i'll start cussen cuz I don't care how unattractive i look".. WAKE UP~
You're either hot or cold..there is no inbetween. As for the lukewarm, they will be spewed out of His mouth. WOAH.
(My intentions are not to judge , point fingers, nor riducule. I just call it like I see it cuz I cant' help but notice that some are slippen. It's more and more evident that things are starting to become Exposed, and just remember whatever is done in the dark that YOU may think nobody knows about..will be made known in the Light. I pray this moves deep in some of you reading this blog and God begins cleaning up some areas in your life. I don't walk on eggshells so if I step on toes it's cuz My Lord gave me the words to deliver cuz you need to know..)
So how is it that....
those that claim to be representing Christgo to church on sunday talk the talk but then spend their friday and saturday nights hollern at the Captain, vodka, and gin n tonic on some ice?
Which side of the fence are you riding? Your balance may be alright for now, but believe you me it won't be on point for too long (you're bound to crash and burn) You'll fall and I fear to think which side you may land on.But God don't put up with those that claim to be living for Him one day, then cursen and defiling the next.
And just cuz it may look good in the flesh it aint always good for your soul..where's your self control?
Your motives are nothing but selfish as you continue on this ramage of "i done bumped my head and lost my mind". Let me dress all sluttish, I think i'll go out and get crunk tonight..Oh snap let me shake my bootay all up on some dude not knowen what that does to him...I think i'll start cussen cuz I don't care how unattractive i look".. WAKE UP~
You're either hot or cold..there is no inbetween. As for the lukewarm, they will be spewed out of His mouth. WOAH.
(My intentions are not to judge , point fingers, nor riducule. I just call it like I see it cuz I cant' help but notice that some are slippen. It's more and more evident that things are starting to become Exposed, and just remember whatever is done in the dark that YOU may think nobody knows about..will be made known in the Light. I pray this moves deep in some of you reading this blog and God begins cleaning up some areas in your life. I don't walk on eggshells so if I step on toes it's cuz My Lord gave me the words to deliver cuz you need to know..)
I'm not tryning to be rude
September 27, 2006 - Wednesday
I'm not tryna be rude...
But I cant' help but notice by mere observation that some people are really trippen and slippen as of late. I think it's safe to say you need to check yo-self before your wreck yo-self.
*Be cautious to the company you keep because who you hang out with does reflect a lot upon your character. For example (this is used with my students so no one's toes will be stepped on) if you roll with someone who steals all the time and you're with them 24/7 , people are more than likely going to associate you with the stealing behavior as well).
*Living double lives is so not cool right now. Standing up against peer pressure is pretty hot. No body holds a gun up to your head and makes you do any of the things you chose to partake in. if you truely desire to change, CHANGE...if you continue to say one thing and do another, people will not hold you true to your word.
*Where are your priorities? Are you seeking the things of God or seeking the things of self? Trying to figure out who your next boy or girlfriend is going to be is not a priority.
*Watch out for shady, two faced, promisicous, devious, deceitful folks. They're everywhere (some even roll deep as wolves dressed up in sheeps clothing) so watch your back. These are the type of people who don't care how hard you fall. And they sure won't be there to pick you back up.
*Some things are not as they seem. For example: Robert could come up to me and be like "hey what's up you wanna go with me? but then on the sidelines he's still telling his X girlfriend that he loves her. Hmmmmmmm that is not okay so why waste your time with Robert? (names have been made up this is not a real case scenario)
*If you say you're going to do something, please follow through. Dont' talk about it, be about it. Then you won't look like a liar.
God has called us to a higher standard and it's time to step it up. I'm not saying I'm perfect because Lord knows I am not. But some things just need to be said and put out in the open. Especially the little, petty things that get in between you and God. Holla!
P.S Forgivenes is incrediably hard and it's something God has been stretching me in. So remember when you forigve someone who has hurt you it releases you from that person and places you in a position of power. What goes on in with the other person is really not of concern to you. God's got you!! Stay trusting in Him to pull you through.
I'm not tryna be rude...
But I cant' help but notice by mere observation that some people are really trippen and slippen as of late. I think it's safe to say you need to check yo-self before your wreck yo-self.
*Be cautious to the company you keep because who you hang out with does reflect a lot upon your character. For example (this is used with my students so no one's toes will be stepped on) if you roll with someone who steals all the time and you're with them 24/7 , people are more than likely going to associate you with the stealing behavior as well).
*Living double lives is so not cool right now. Standing up against peer pressure is pretty hot. No body holds a gun up to your head and makes you do any of the things you chose to partake in. if you truely desire to change, CHANGE...if you continue to say one thing and do another, people will not hold you true to your word.
*Where are your priorities? Are you seeking the things of God or seeking the things of self? Trying to figure out who your next boy or girlfriend is going to be is not a priority.
*Watch out for shady, two faced, promisicous, devious, deceitful folks. They're everywhere (some even roll deep as wolves dressed up in sheeps clothing) so watch your back. These are the type of people who don't care how hard you fall. And they sure won't be there to pick you back up.
*Some things are not as they seem. For example: Robert could come up to me and be like "hey what's up you wanna go with me? but then on the sidelines he's still telling his X girlfriend that he loves her. Hmmmmmmm that is not okay so why waste your time with Robert? (names have been made up this is not a real case scenario)
*If you say you're going to do something, please follow through. Dont' talk about it, be about it. Then you won't look like a liar.
God has called us to a higher standard and it's time to step it up. I'm not saying I'm perfect because Lord knows I am not. But some things just need to be said and put out in the open. Especially the little, petty things that get in between you and God. Holla!
P.S Forgivenes is incrediably hard and it's something God has been stretching me in. So remember when you forigve someone who has hurt you it releases you from that person and places you in a position of power. What goes on in with the other person is really not of concern to you. God's got you!! Stay trusting in Him to pull you through.
Meditate on the scribbles from the pen..the scribbles from within
August 21, 2006 - Monday
meditate on the scribbles from the pen..the scribbles from within
This first one really makes me laugh just thinken about it cuz i was messen around like I was a rapper putten it DOWN. haha so it's entitled my random rap (it is what it is)..drop a beat
Look God it's like I'm really trippen and right now i could use some divine intervention.
Please won't you help me I'm not tryna break but i don't know how much more of this I can take.
Too much is in the way and it's foggen up my vision.
The warrior in me went GHOST and is missing..in action and I really need to press through this distraction..but what's it gonna take to get a reaction from You God can you hear me?
Are you listening? are You there God?
My cars broke down and the signs point to nowhere. lift me right up out of all the dirt and debris, the trash, the trauma, the hurts yes please.
Weak in my own strength i cannot do this on my own. I can't stay centered on the mistakes and opportunities blown.
My heart beats for You but I'm begging i'm pleading ..come mend this broken heart that lies torn and bleeding. (jru-8/20)
This one is my jump off and i'm a little bit in love with it.
A love to fall into
How can it be that when You look at me you know my start to finish, my beginning to end?My rise and my fall-I cannot take this all in.
This love so high, so deep, and so wide. Not even with my wee little eye would I be able to spy a love like Yours.
For a love like this cannot be sold, bought, or worn. It cannot be broken, shaken, tattered or torn. You know my next step, my next thought, my next word, my next move.
And yet i find myself frightened yet fascinated at the same time. To surrender, to let go, to completely turn all that I am over to You.
For surrender means exposure, equals in transparent openness to gain a oneness with You. i cannot fathom this love, yet i have dreamed of this love, but am i worthy of this love?
I'm bi-polar to this love but i cannot live life without Your love. So please Oh please strengthen and fashion me in love. You know my dreams, my desires, my hopes and aspirations.
My hiddent secrets and whispered lies, there's none that escapes Your knowledge. So with this higher than me forseeing ability tell me Lord how long will it be before i let this love, Your love truely captivate me?
Jennie Ingram 8/20
meditate on the scribbles from the pen..the scribbles from within
This first one really makes me laugh just thinken about it cuz i was messen around like I was a rapper putten it DOWN. haha so it's entitled my random rap (it is what it is)..drop a beat
Look God it's like I'm really trippen and right now i could use some divine intervention.
Please won't you help me I'm not tryna break but i don't know how much more of this I can take.
Too much is in the way and it's foggen up my vision.
The warrior in me went GHOST and is missing..in action and I really need to press through this distraction..but what's it gonna take to get a reaction from You God can you hear me?
Are you listening? are You there God?
My cars broke down and the signs point to nowhere. lift me right up out of all the dirt and debris, the trash, the trauma, the hurts yes please.
Weak in my own strength i cannot do this on my own. I can't stay centered on the mistakes and opportunities blown.
My heart beats for You but I'm begging i'm pleading ..come mend this broken heart that lies torn and bleeding. (jru-8/20)
This one is my jump off and i'm a little bit in love with it.
A love to fall into
How can it be that when You look at me you know my start to finish, my beginning to end?My rise and my fall-I cannot take this all in.
This love so high, so deep, and so wide. Not even with my wee little eye would I be able to spy a love like Yours.
For a love like this cannot be sold, bought, or worn. It cannot be broken, shaken, tattered or torn. You know my next step, my next thought, my next word, my next move.
And yet i find myself frightened yet fascinated at the same time. To surrender, to let go, to completely turn all that I am over to You.
For surrender means exposure, equals in transparent openness to gain a oneness with You. i cannot fathom this love, yet i have dreamed of this love, but am i worthy of this love?
I'm bi-polar to this love but i cannot live life without Your love. So please Oh please strengthen and fashion me in love. You know my dreams, my desires, my hopes and aspirations.
My hiddent secrets and whispered lies, there's none that escapes Your knowledge. So with this higher than me forseeing ability tell me Lord how long will it be before i let this love, Your love truely captivate me?
Jennie Ingram 8/20
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