Today we can thank Tomy and Anisha for there brilliant work...
Untitled
Tomy Wilkerson
Foam from the surge lulls the sand
where my sword and helmet lie, glimmering
in the sun while Egrets search for thermals
to help them soar. Creatures, both mythic
and majestic, encircle me, waiting for my departure
knowing the King is waiting for me to arrive.
Perhaps, I should’ve prepared more for this moment.
Because I believe in Aslan’s Country and shades
of white so pure they’re blue and air so fragrant
you can taste it, but I am still afraid to approach
the stagnant wave, the resounding wall,
knowing Paul, Augustine, and Galileo await me
with seraphim and cherubim circling overhead.
And the very thought of God is enough to kill me again,
so overwhelmed with wonder I just might die,
so awe-stricken I’m forgetting to breathe, I am too big
for my body.
At the flaming bronze feet of the Father,
a mother dances with her daughter,
crying tears of exaltation and worship.
I think I hear her now.
FAITH
Anisha Cheryl Vashti Russell
Faith.
Faith is love.
Faith can be limitless.
Faith doesn’t have to be blind.
Faith can actually make us human.
Faith can see not just what is but can be.
Faith is trusting when there is no reason to.
Faith can make the blind see and the faint run.
Faith can make ordinary people do extraordinary things.
Faith requires the mind just as much as it requires the heart.
Faith is hoping in what we do not know and being certain of what we do not see. Faith is the understanding of powers and beings beyond human grasp. Faith is starting something you are not quite sure you can finish. Faith can be with reason. When it is blind, it is no longer faith. Faith is knowledge that has past the reach of tangible proof.
Faith is believing in what is perceived to be the unknown.
Faith in tiny tasks make us believe in the impossible.
Faith is inspiration, and always has been.
Faith is direction in a directionless world.
Faith in Jesus is unquenchable power.
Faith can be a resounding song.
Faith is the beginning of living.
Faith requires courage.
Faith is love.
Faith.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Week Of Poetry: Day 1
Today is the first day of a week of poetry. You can check here everyday for one or two pieces that people have written. These pieces are peoples expression of the love of God and the things he does to and through us, by written word. I hope you enjoy this week.
Cracked
Listen to me breathe as I breathe with the buildings
Breathe in the poverty
Let the truth sink in
Listen to me breath, listen to me breath, listen and just breath,
Breath with the buildings
So look at at that man cracked like the buildin’s
He Fallin’ hard like a tsunami hit ceiling
I fought to fight it but the funk of the streets brought that feelin
Of the man being cracked like the cracks of the buildin’
He grew up like me between four walls of a buildin’
But he now sleeps outside where cracks come by the millions
Feelins ain’t feelin’ they failin’ and Im flunkin’
Out of what I was schooled to know—old education been dumped and
I was following a Jesus neva walkin’ I was a runnin’…
Selfish ambition had me skippin’ and a jumpin’.
(ain’t that somethin’)
The kingdom’s comin’ in the form of cracked buildings
These are cracked souls that are left for some mending
But not until they are emptied and God does the filling
And they can see Jesus in the cracked man and love in cracked buildings
Not until the sovereign Lord beats the hard heart to soft feelings
And captives are proclaimed free…and released from dark prisons
Crowns of beauty sweeps ashes into the pasts madness
While gladness escorts mourning into my God’s glasses
And he drinks the burdens of despair and sadness
Splendor is displayed like the healing of leper’s rashes
Cracked men become souls saved—no more crashes…
No more crashin into the emotions of the man like cracked buildins
Because there is a God in this life made hard
But life made cracks can be spiritually filled in
Listen to me breathe as I breathe with the buildings
Breathe in the poverty
Let the truth sink in
Listen to me breathe, listen to me breathe, listen and just breathe,
Breathe with the buildings
-Brad Everett
Cracked
Listen to me breathe as I breathe with the buildings
Breathe in the poverty
Let the truth sink in
Listen to me breath, listen to me breath, listen and just breath,
Breath with the buildings
So look at at that man cracked like the buildin’s
He Fallin’ hard like a tsunami hit ceiling
I fought to fight it but the funk of the streets brought that feelin
Of the man being cracked like the cracks of the buildin’
He grew up like me between four walls of a buildin’
But he now sleeps outside where cracks come by the millions
Feelins ain’t feelin’ they failin’ and Im flunkin’
Out of what I was schooled to know—old education been dumped and
I was following a Jesus neva walkin’ I was a runnin’…
Selfish ambition had me skippin’ and a jumpin’.
(ain’t that somethin’)
The kingdom’s comin’ in the form of cracked buildings
These are cracked souls that are left for some mending
But not until they are emptied and God does the filling
And they can see Jesus in the cracked man and love in cracked buildings
Not until the sovereign Lord beats the hard heart to soft feelings
And captives are proclaimed free…and released from dark prisons
Crowns of beauty sweeps ashes into the pasts madness
While gladness escorts mourning into my God’s glasses
And he drinks the burdens of despair and sadness
Splendor is displayed like the healing of leper’s rashes
Cracked men become souls saved—no more crashes…
No more crashin into the emotions of the man like cracked buildins
Because there is a God in this life made hard
But life made cracks can be spiritually filled in
Listen to me breathe as I breathe with the buildings
Breathe in the poverty
Let the truth sink in
Listen to me breathe, listen to me breathe, listen and just breathe,
Breathe with the buildings
-Brad Everett
Friday, May 27, 2011
Worship: Defined
Tammy Charles teaches us that worship isn't just defined by how we sing and dance when the band is playing but challenges us as christians to worship God in everything we do...
The true meaning of worship is one of the most overlooked aspects of our walk with Christ, yet is one of the most important ways in which we honor and reverence God. Most of us who attend church services, conferences, etc. view worship as a part of the musical portion of the service. We entitle this portion “Praise and Worship”, where we sing songs such as “Oh How He Loves Us”, or “Here I am to Worship” to name a few. The piano, the guitar, the singers, all the elements of what we have called “worship” is one of the biggest misconceptions in the church. I must admit it, I am also guilty of incorrectly defining worship. Because this is just a GLIMPSE of what true worship is.
In John 4:24, Jesus answered to one woman saying that those who worship God must worship Him in “Spirit and in Truth”. What kind of worship is Jesus referring to? Worshipping God “In Spirit and in Truth” means that we must worship Him according to what is said in the scripture. Therefore, adding our own ways of worshipping God may not be acceptable, and at the end of the day if God does not see what we may be doing as worship then we need to be aware of that because it is Him whom we want to please, not ourselves. Even if we may feel that our “worship” is good to us, it would not make any difference if it is not honoring God. Also, worshipping God must be in the Spirit. This is very, very important. Because true worship is pure, holy, spiritual worship, one that comes from the heart and not just from the lips. Matthew 15: 8-9, Jesus says “These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me”. Therefore singing alone or praising God with our mouths is not worship, if our hearts are not in it.
One the most important components of worship that is rarely mentioned in our church today is worship being a lifestyle. Our lives are total worship. My pastor said something powerful one sermon; “when worship begins, it never ends”. From when we wake up in the morning, to sleeping, working, having dinner, the decisions we make, the conversations we have with others, what we watch on television, what music we listen to, etc. all constitute ways of how we ought to worship God. Now if we look at it that way, that should stir up some thoughts in our heads and make us wonder, wow, what have I done today that was worship to God. When somebody treated me rudely, did I not lash back and confront them with respect? If yes, that was worship to God. When I had a conversation with my unsaved co-workers, did I share with them the love of Jesus Christ? If yes, that is worship. Here is a good one, when I ate lunch today did I decide to eat a healthy salad and drink juice instead of eating a greasy burger and drinking soda. Yes! That is worship. When we take care of our bodies we are showing God that we honor His creation. Deciding to stay a virgin until marriage is worship. Trusting in God in difficult times as well, these all constitute as worship.
Also, very importantly, music cannot produce worship. The origin of worship is not music. Rather music is just another form of expressing our love and adoration to God. We must be very careful not to confine what we believe worship is within the walls of the church because that is not the case at all.
So why do we worship? Why is it so important? Not only is this question important to ask, but the answer to it should be our motivation to why we present our daily lives to God as worship. God is a merciful, graceful God, whose attributes are holy, loving, just, and so much more. Just for who He is alone should motivate us to want to exalt Him and love Him in everything we do. When we worship God in Spirit and in Truth we seek Him through His Word and continually renew our minds and allow His Word to transform us. We sacrifice ourselves and live our lives not as if it were our own but the Lord’s (See: Romans 12:1-2). We worship God because He is deserving of our lives because He sacrificed His own for us (John 3:16). Therefore, living a life sanctified and set apart from the world, a life holy and acceptable to God is what is defined as true worship.
Therefore, the next time we think about worshipping God, we should think about what we are doing now at this very moment and continuously after that. Reading this blog is worship. Why? Because you are investing the time in learning more about God through this literature. The comments you write can be worship, if written from the heart and if it reverences God. The more and more we think of our lives as worship, the more it compels us to live obediently for God.
Tammy Charles
Tammy Charles is the new leader of Black Campus Ministries at the University Of Tampa and for a long time was a leader in her gospel choir. Her heart has been molded and shaped to show the African American community the love of Jesus. Her passion and need to know Jesus in a real intimate and personal way has sprung her into being one of the most influential leaders on the University campus.
The true meaning of worship is one of the most overlooked aspects of our walk with Christ, yet is one of the most important ways in which we honor and reverence God. Most of us who attend church services, conferences, etc. view worship as a part of the musical portion of the service. We entitle this portion “Praise and Worship”, where we sing songs such as “Oh How He Loves Us”, or “Here I am to Worship” to name a few. The piano, the guitar, the singers, all the elements of what we have called “worship” is one of the biggest misconceptions in the church. I must admit it, I am also guilty of incorrectly defining worship. Because this is just a GLIMPSE of what true worship is.
In John 4:24, Jesus answered to one woman saying that those who worship God must worship Him in “Spirit and in Truth”. What kind of worship is Jesus referring to? Worshipping God “In Spirit and in Truth” means that we must worship Him according to what is said in the scripture. Therefore, adding our own ways of worshipping God may not be acceptable, and at the end of the day if God does not see what we may be doing as worship then we need to be aware of that because it is Him whom we want to please, not ourselves. Even if we may feel that our “worship” is good to us, it would not make any difference if it is not honoring God. Also, worshipping God must be in the Spirit. This is very, very important. Because true worship is pure, holy, spiritual worship, one that comes from the heart and not just from the lips. Matthew 15: 8-9, Jesus says “These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, and in vain they worship Me”. Therefore singing alone or praising God with our mouths is not worship, if our hearts are not in it.
One the most important components of worship that is rarely mentioned in our church today is worship being a lifestyle. Our lives are total worship. My pastor said something powerful one sermon; “when worship begins, it never ends”. From when we wake up in the morning, to sleeping, working, having dinner, the decisions we make, the conversations we have with others, what we watch on television, what music we listen to, etc. all constitute ways of how we ought to worship God. Now if we look at it that way, that should stir up some thoughts in our heads and make us wonder, wow, what have I done today that was worship to God. When somebody treated me rudely, did I not lash back and confront them with respect? If yes, that was worship to God. When I had a conversation with my unsaved co-workers, did I share with them the love of Jesus Christ? If yes, that is worship. Here is a good one, when I ate lunch today did I decide to eat a healthy salad and drink juice instead of eating a greasy burger and drinking soda. Yes! That is worship. When we take care of our bodies we are showing God that we honor His creation. Deciding to stay a virgin until marriage is worship. Trusting in God in difficult times as well, these all constitute as worship.
Also, very importantly, music cannot produce worship. The origin of worship is not music. Rather music is just another form of expressing our love and adoration to God. We must be very careful not to confine what we believe worship is within the walls of the church because that is not the case at all.
So why do we worship? Why is it so important? Not only is this question important to ask, but the answer to it should be our motivation to why we present our daily lives to God as worship. God is a merciful, graceful God, whose attributes are holy, loving, just, and so much more. Just for who He is alone should motivate us to want to exalt Him and love Him in everything we do. When we worship God in Spirit and in Truth we seek Him through His Word and continually renew our minds and allow His Word to transform us. We sacrifice ourselves and live our lives not as if it were our own but the Lord’s (See: Romans 12:1-2). We worship God because He is deserving of our lives because He sacrificed His own for us (John 3:16). Therefore, living a life sanctified and set apart from the world, a life holy and acceptable to God is what is defined as true worship.
Therefore, the next time we think about worshipping God, we should think about what we are doing now at this very moment and continuously after that. Reading this blog is worship. Why? Because you are investing the time in learning more about God through this literature. The comments you write can be worship, if written from the heart and if it reverences God. The more and more we think of our lives as worship, the more it compels us to live obediently for God.
Tammy Charles
Tammy Charles is the new leader of Black Campus Ministries at the University Of Tampa and for a long time was a leader in her gospel choir. Her heart has been molded and shaped to show the African American community the love of Jesus. Her passion and need to know Jesus in a real intimate and personal way has sprung her into being one of the most influential leaders on the University campus.
Sources:
Friday, May 20, 2011
Chapter Camp
If there was ever a week in my life that I heard and saw God speak to my fellow peers and me, it was all of last week. For people that don’t know what chapter camp is, it's a camp for college students who are affiliated with the organization Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. Students from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and other places across the southeast experience a week full of growth with Jesus in the north Georgia mountains. There were multiple tracks of study, like Small Group Leaders, Old Testament, The Call, Kingdom Life, and Leadership. These tracks lead students into a deeper understanding of the subjects. God filled the hearts and souls of all who attended. Many students raved about their experiences at Chapter Camp. For example:
Ryan Baker (University Of Tampa) "Chapter Camp allowed me to separate myself from all the things that aren't God in my life for five whole days, which was time much needed after the end to a long semester. In small group leaders track I learned how to effectively bring students on my campus to Christ, and by the end I felt much more prepared to lead a small group."
Michele Ashby (University Of South Florida) "It did so much! I learned how to truly be a leader for Christ, how to die to my flesh and live for Christ. Probably biggest lesson was to walk by faith and not by sight, and just put my trust in him, so he will lead me and not let me down."
Maureen (University Of Tampa) "It was great. I did The Old Testament track. It showed God's true character and I got to see why God punished the Israelites and destroyed the neighboring countries. He punishes sin because he is just. We learn that the sacrifices the Israelites did for cleansing themselves of sin was to prepare the way for Christ to take all our sins once and for all. God loves us even when we are unfaithful to him. We had our very own Passover and learned that it had a purpose. We learned that without the Old Testament we wouldn't have the New Testament. The track let me see God in a new way and how I grow closer to him."
Hannah Holmes (University Of Tampa) "Chapter camp was amazing. The Leadership track was a great reminder that leading in the kingdom is about giving your whole life to serving Jesus and engaging in his mission. I was convicted in several areas about ways that I am still so selfish in my life. Chapter Camp encouraged me to give my whole life away while reminding me of just how weak and helpless I am without Jesus and his cross. My identity as a leader is in him."
The trip was full of stories and amazing memories that will last in the students’ minds forever. Jesus displayed his glory in an incredible way and showed himself visually to one of our students, while others had visions and dreams. Walking away from a week of such experiences revived my awe, passion, and determination to know him more.
Chapter Camp has forever altered our lives and equipped us to go and share the goodness of Jesus to other students on our campuses. If you didn't attend and you have the opportunity next year, make sure you take advantage of it!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
An Urge To Move Forward
My heart tells me to stay focused even when my mind doesn't want to. I urge you to continue to keep your eyes locked on Jesus and move forward in the implications of the Gospel. Let this summer be a summer of growth!
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