heh

over a year since i've written on here.

anyone miss me?

so who wants to be in the ministry?

there are at least seven different Greek words in the New Testament for "minister/ministry."  Every one of them includes "servant" somewhere in the definition.

ministry is not about big churches, flashy cars, being on television, saving the world.  ministry is about being the world's slave so that the world can see the power and wisdom of love (Christ) flowing through you.

please stand up

no, not slim shady (man i hated that song).

interesting point made by a preacher the other day.  when Eve ate from the fruit in the garden of Eden, nothing happened.  when Adam ate of it, the curse came upon them.  so hmmm... i think this shows that men need to stand up in their rightful place... i think this shows that a lot of the problems in our current society are due to the fact that men are not being the spiritual leaders that they need to be.

another thing re: Eve and the garden.  Satan lied to her (being in the form of a serpent) and said that if she ate the fruit, she would be like God.  well, guess what?  she already was like God.  God had creatred her and her husband in His image.  so, we can't allow ourselves to listen to the lies.

in response to some unbiblical movie on Mary and Joseph playing on TV...

do you think Mary asked to be used by God? 

was this like when Isaiah cried out, "here i am, use me!" and God gives him a very unpopular, painful, and hard task? 

i wonder if she ever had moments where she thought, God, I didn't ask to be the mother of the Messiah.  I simply wanted to serve You.

i only wonder this because it could be a possibility.  how many of us ask to be used by God, yet we have a notion down deep inside as to how we wish to be used?

altars in the midst of Egypt

Isaiah 19:19-22...

In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.  And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them.  Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it.  And the LORD will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the LORD, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.

Often in scripture, Egypt is a metaphor for the non-saved world.  in using the Exodus story, the new birth can be seen in the flight from Egypt into the Promise Land. 

here Isaiah writes how there will be an altar in the midst of Egypt--a place of worship in the midst of the world.  i walked through a mall yesterday with this scripture on my heart.  i thought of how God desires a place in the very center of "Egypt," a place where He can move.  and i also thought of how He can indeed move in a place like a mall, a place where the pursuit of happiness is priority #1. 

i want to be a pillar in the midst of my Egypt.

i want to build an altar in the midst of my Egypt.