Purity - James Mcdonald

At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
- Ephesians 5:8
When I think of purity, the craziest thing comes to my mind. I think of maple syrup. As teenagers, my brothers and I helped my grandfather collect sap from maple trees. We'd gather all the pails, take them to the sugar shack, and boil the sap down to make hundreds of gallons of pure maple syrup.
Now, you may think you've tasted pure maple syrup before, but just read the label. If it says, "Contains pure maple syrup," it's not the real thing. You can tell I'm a bit fussy about my syrup even today.
Here's the connection. Whether it's maple syrup or the life of a follower of Jesus Christ, if something else is mixed in, it's not pure.
The apostle Paul laid it out clearly in Romans 12:1-2: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world [don't mix in anything worldly], but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
Our personal habits settle down very quickly into how we live. And believe it, God knows. If your life pleases Him, then you're like a fragrant offering rising up to His nose. He breathes in your sacrifice. He receives your life as pure worship.
So where do you stand on the issue of purity? "Well, I'm kind of new in the Lord, and I have some habits." Well, great! Now you know, and you can break them and continue to get free in Christ. You say, "Well, I used to be there, but I've kind of lowered my guard a little bit." Okay - raise it again! Let's be done with anything not fitting God's called-out ones. Holiness means no more games.
Nothing tastes as sweet or smells as fragrant to God as a pure life. If you are willing for God to change you, then get ready to taste and see His goodness as He directs your life to pure living. Life mixed with any of the world's ingredients will never satisfy again. No matter where you are, start today.

-James Mcdonald

when was your last encounter with GOD?

awesome night.

wow. last night was awesome. There is a hunger to know our God in the midst of the apathy that fills our lives. Thank you GOD! I was so filled with joy after meeting Charity, Whan, and Stephanie. We're all babies in our walk with the Lord, but I do know that He's faithful. He'll remain faithful to all of us. He'll complete the work started in us... I pray that He'll continue to meet with us in Passion Church and move powerfully in everyone of our lives. The meeting went up til 11:52pm. We started at 8:30! So many things we needed to pray together about, shared, and explained how God was moving the past week or even in the past few months. As believers in Christ, we must continue to meet, to encourage our spiritual sisters and brothers, and help them to move forward toward the goal. I'm so thankful for the members. It doesn't seem like there's an age gap. Weird. Am I acting younger? or do they act older? But What I do know, is that when the holy spirit is flowing, there's just a lot of joy and openness to one another. I feel as though God just added more members into his family! More love. More hope. More building in the character of Christ. Love it! hahahahaha. I'm being overwhelmed right now with joy and peace. whoohooo!

Another thing that God's been pressing on my heart is to be wholly devoted to Him. This means not just when I want to devote myself, but devoting my eyes, my ears, my actions, my mouth, and my heart to Him. The Young Adult ministry has been going out to watch movies every week.. and now what I look at is if it's okay for my spiritual walk with God or not. If it's NC-17 or Rated R, I choose to lay it down. I don't want to be deceived or even grow apathetic toward those kind of contents. That'll make me more numb. I want to be on fire. I want to be passionately in love with Jesus! and because He tells me to give Him everything I will. I know I'll be facing alot of different opinions about this, but for those who think this is weird, and you're a believer please watch the videos below from p4cm. ESPECIALLY the one about spiritual famine and also you just lost one by Blair Wingo. Gets me so pissed at satan whenever I watch those videos. How easy it is for us to fall into temptation and how when we do compromise we are giving into apathy and glorifying ourselves and our flesh. SO, I deleted all my secular music last week. 40 gigs of secular music. No secular music in my ipod. I do not want to glorify my flesh or even myself, but glorify Him because He's redeemed me. No more of the temporary pleasure. No more of idolizing.

There's a part of me, that asked me how I'm going to reach out to the lost then. Yes there needs to be a connection.. in some way or form. I do have an imeem account to know the songs that are becoming popular these days.. to be able to connect with those who love music. That's one way I can actually connect with people.. through the topic of music. Yes, I will go watch some movies so that I can connect with people, but it wouldn't necessarily mean that I'm going there to watch the movie, but to spend time with people. I ask God for wisdom to help me distinguish and discern when he wants me to go and when he doesn't. ^^

How come we can't be wholly devoted to him? Why is it so hard for us to give up our lifestyle for God?! Why do you struggle and compromise and fall into the exact chains that Christ has freed you of? Church, we cannot be like the world because we are not of the world! Light and darkness have nothing in common. Just shine your light, show the love the Christ has for you, and for those who have an ear, listen to what the spirit is saying to you!

note on homosexuality.

sermon:
homosexuality.

p4cm:

nothing compares to you.

the movement - the dream.

I could search the world, but Ill never find all I have in you.
And I could live for me, but Ill never have the joy I found in you.
What else could I live for? Nothing compares to everything that you are.

Jesus,

Yes, it's he that makes me want to sing.

The reason that I live, to you, I want to give, every part of me,
Cuz you, Lord you saved my life. You gave me breath,
You became my all.

I'm going for you, Jesus.

Yes Lord, even if it means to forsake my life, I want to go after you. You have proven your love to me. Help me stand and continuously run to you. I have tasted the world. I have been drawn to it in the beginning, but now that I realize the pleasure, fame, wealth, success, has no satisfaction, I don't want it. I want nothing that this world offers. Even if it means, I need to let go. I will. Even if it means, not watching things that you hate, even if it means to crucify my flesh everyday, even if it means laying down my life to have you be glorified, I'll do it. Holy Spirit, I ask that you may fill me everyday, to teach me things that this world hates to even hear about.. and that is everything about you, your word, your truth, your beauty, your glory, your righteousness.. etc. I just want to know more about you.

if what you had no more excuses?

satan, you just lost one.