No condemnation

Alright... I'm hopefully back to blogging here more often... after not having done so for what? Almost 9 months?  I have an evil grin on my face for those who care.

Thanks, Es, for keeping this place alive! :-)

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Romans 8:1-2 (NASB)Therefore, no condemnation exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

I was JUST thinking about how I've changed so much this past year.
How my thinking has changed...
How my attitude towards life has loosened...
in that I just don't care that much anymore.

Or maybe I do?
And I'm just trying to avoid conflict?

But is that conflict really conflict?
Am I perhaps actually scared to be rejected or judged?

Silly me. I can only be judged. NOT condemned!

Why? I'm set free! There's no condemnation in Him.
I should NOT care about what people see me as.

I laugh when others are bound to live by others' standards of style and fashion, but I don't realize that I myself am always trying to please everyone at the same time, or keep everyone happy.
What an ego...

So, I can't please men, but I can please God.
I should be firm in my beliefs and not worry about "offending people" or getting on the politically incorrect side of arguments.

Who cares? And so what?

~Mizzoria

Rise up, children of this generation!

I saw this devotional online and it's riveting!

[Linktothe"online"version]

MATTHEW 2:16, "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men."

MATTHEW 2:16-23

Satan was the real motivator of Herod's actions. Ever since the Lord first prophesied that a man would bruise his head, Satan has been seeking out this "seed" of the woman (Gen. 3:15).

It appears that Satan is able to perceive when the Lord is making a major move in the earth. In the days of Moses, Satan moved Pharaoh to kill all the male children of the Israelite slaves, and here he motivates Herod to kill all the male children in Bethlehem. No doubt he was seeking to eliminate this "seed" who was going to bruise his head.

Once again, we see children being slaughtered today. This time it's through abortion. Our youth are also being attacked in unprecedented ways. Is it possible that Satan thinks this is the generation that is to bring in the second return of the Lord? Is he, in desperation, trying to stay off his doom by destroying this generation?

We need to have enough spiritual perception to recognize that just as in the days of Moses and Jesus, this slaughter of the innocent children today is an indication of an even more important struggle in the spiritual realm. We might be the generation that sees the Lord come back. Praise the Lord!

It's amazing to think that WE'RE the ones that are going to make a difference.  We need to fight for those children.  They are our warriors... the ones who will turn the world around.  The LORD is coming back soon!

Mizzoria~

Interconnected thoughts

Mark 3:33-35 (HCSB)

He replied to them, "Who are My mother and My brothers?"  And looking about at those who were sitting in a circle around Him, He said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  Whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother."

These verses really motivates us to seek out God's will and do what He's already to us to do ... and not just study and hear His word.  Of course, as we do what He says and constantly commune with Him, we draw closer and know what He wants in a better way.

James 1:22 (HCSB)

But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Along the same lines, to be a friend of Jesus', we have to obey His commands.

John 15:14 (HCSB)

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Which (I'm not backing this up with Bible, but I think it's fairly logical.  Feel free to argue if you see something wrong.) I would take to mean that being familiar (like family) with God is more than just following rules, and more of just loving Him and other people.

Matthew 22:37, 39 (HCSB)

He said to him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Which of course means:

Luke 6:31 (HCSB)

Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.

And we would follow Jesus' example of loving ... and living really.  Otherwise, He wouldn't give us this command:

Matthew 5:48 (HCSB)

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Cuz... you know... all those rules... They're not there so we can get on the "good side" of God.  They're for our own good.  For example the Sabbath:

Mark 2:27 (HCSB)

Then He told them, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath."

God loved His people so much, He literally commanded them to take a break, so their bodies wouldn't break down.
All He wants is to love us with His unlimited and unconditional love and that we would love Him back.  And you can't very well love someone if you don't obey Him.

Anyways... just some thoughts from Bible reading...

Mizzoria~

Great Exchange

It's ok, Esserita... as you can see, I haven't really been blogging in the past 2 months either.  Iill try to remedy that, but it may not work too well, once I start my 80-100 schoolwork weeks on January 7th.

I'll leave you all with this quote:

Jesus became what we were, 

so we could become what He is.

That's so encouraging to know that we're no longer in bondage to sin, but rather, since Christ became man (like us) and died for us, we can be a son (or daughter) of God, just like He is!  Praise God!!

Mizzoria~

Irresponsible

[Begin Rant]

Ok, so I'm not all huge on "save the planet and nature before saving humans" and I'm not sure about the reliability of the video above, but I do believe America especially has been irresponsible and terribly wasteful in the past and this video gives an inkling of the consequences of our actions.  Like, you don't know how annoyed I am at Americans being wasteful.  We are indeed commanded by God to be stewards of this earth and we're acting  like spoiled brats who don't care except that we get what we want.

[End Rant]

Oh tomorrow are the presidential elections, people, so go vote!  Don't waste the freedom you have in this country!

Mizzoria~

Giving vs. Taking and Opportunities

Today is Halloween / Reformation Day
and it's one night where people don't mind as much if you knock on their doors...
which means it's a great witnessing / evangelistic opportunity!
Anybody else going door-to-door GIVING instead of taking candy?

Speaking of neat ways to witness... here's a cool magic card trick!!

Mizzoria~

Taken For Granted

Why is it, I always forget what I have ...
until it's been taken away from me?

For example, my 99% painless life is such a gift
and I'm not thankful for it.
I only remember to thank God for the use of my 10 fingers,
when my left middle finger gets an infection underneath my fingernail
and I can't grip anything tightly with that hand,
or when I accidentally and clumsily get wintermelon under my thumbnail so that it bleeds
and it also gets infected
because I decided to wash dishes without a glove or a water proof band-aid.
But seriously, how do you put a band-aid under your thumbnail?
And of course, it hurts to pressure that thumb
and I've been washing things with my thumb sticking out
like an awkward baby princess who gets mixed up with her pinky and thumb.

I also forget what a blessing it is to have the use of my 10 fingers and 2 hands
and the ability to play piano,
until I watch something like this:

And my heart starts clogging up my throat and my eyes sting.

I'm sure that's not all I've taken for granted.

What have you taken for granted these past few days, weeks, months, years even?

Mizzoria~

We're just doing it for God's glory...

Ok, that ^^[the title of this post]^^ is the lamest excuse of all time for the mediocre works of Christians.
Colossians 3:23 CLEARLY states that we are to do our BEST for God and not for people.

How many times have I heard people practice for some performance in Christian settings/circles
and they don't sit down and actually work the long, long, long hours
to make it beautiful, heartfelt, well-done, and obvious that the performers had tried hard to honor their God.

It's because you're doing it for God that you MUST make it perfect,
or at least to the best of your ability.
Don't give up,
allow mistakes unrectified,
and just leave it "at that"
saying, "It's ok [if we stink],
because we're doing it for God and His glory and not for ourselves."

UUGGHH, it makes me feel so frustrated when people do that.
I mean, go ahead,
admit you're tired and you're not doing the best you should,
but for the love of all that is good,
DO NOT USE THAT EXCUSE!

Dude!  People at the bottom or in the audience could care less if you messed up here and there
(assuming this is a true Christian audience),
but if your sloppy presentation is due to your slacking off
when you feel bored or tired or hopeless,
don't slip into the lie that since your apathy won't judged by Christians, you're off the hook.

Doing a lousy job does NOT honor God, 

whether the crowd pays you or not.

Ok, so maybe you as leader or even a participant didn't manage your time well this time,
and you were already working into the wee hours of the morning,
and it just didn't work out
(which I doubt if your heart was truly right that God would let such hard work go to waste like that),
but if you continue to mismanage your time
in service to God or anything really
(whether other people can see it or not),
you've either got too much on your plate
(but everybody says, if you need to get something done, give it to a busy person!)
OR some serious attitude issues.

In either case, you need to fix the situation.   By the way, I'm ranting at the latter.

Mizzoria~

Reading Radical

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDhhwi5Cr4lYaG_9sYBvcuTxHZqz0TcoQfV93mcnA72wztBalh4Q

I'm starting the book God at War [Amazon Link]and wow!  It is good!  It's radical to the point where it goes 100% percent against what I was taught in the 7 years of my homeschooling (I'm not including college, where I wasn't taught any theology). HOWEVER, it answers many of my questions about evil and spiritual warfare.  I would tell you more about it, but since I don't hold a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, I would HIGHLY recommend you read Gregory Boyd's above-mentioned book with an open mind and see for yourself! I'm not saying that I agree with all of it, even with my background, but the theodicy is quite convicting.

It just goes to prove a common saying that I use and I'm not sure if some famous person has created it before me, "Just because everyone else is doing it, does not mean it's right."

Mizzoria~

God's Will and Leading

To know the Will of God -

Read the Bible.

To be led by the Spirit of God -

Do the Bible.

-Lester Sumrall-

How many people do you know don't know what God's will is?  How many people don't know if they are led by the Holy Spirit?  I think the quote above sums it up VERY simply and truthfully.

Mizzoria~

Truth or Lie

Romans 3:4
Let every man be a liar, but God true. 

"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
Sherlock Holmes, in "A Scandal in Bohemia"

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For a moment, we will hypothetically equate man's words with "theories" and God's Word with "facts".

Please tell me, I'm not the only one who has see people twist "facts" or the absolute truth of God's Word to suit man's "theoretically correct" plans and actions.  When have we also tried to fit God in our box, so we can accommodate out own mistakes and shortcomings?  It's convicting, really.

Mizzoria~

socializing... not much = unhealthy?

This was supposed to be posted last night, but it didn't format correctly on my phone... so, I'm posting today.

Awhile ago, at my Dr.'s physical check-up, the nurse asked me, "Do you hangout with friends and peers much?"
Me thinking for second:

"Nope, not really...

... well, some with my online friends."

Wow, I felt like a dork after saying that.

But, honestly, there aren't many godly peers in my area.  Thank God, I have several great friends all over the country who go against the flow. I just really need to spend more time fellowshipping with them.

Additionally, my mother has never been one for me hanging out and having fun. She's not completely anti-fun, but nigh close and very practical.  So, this might seem harsh, but I agree with her.  I only have one life and who knows how short it is.  I only have so much time to make the impact I should be making.

Now I'm off to do something productive...
like sleeping...
you really should, too.

Mizzoria~ 

Pawn... the shrimp kind.

Oohhhhhh boy...

I'm finally beginning to feel it.

I'm the youngest in my MBA class, 

probably the youngest MBA student 

in MBA history?  

*shrugs*

Seriously, half of the students 

are probably old enough to be my parents.  

Maybe young parents, 

but still.  

The few moments I don't feel

O.L.D.

So, here I go again, 

jumping into a class 

with the least life experience 

and relying completely on 

my God, 

my brains, 

and my imagination to keep up.

But mostly my God,

since He gave me the rest of all that, too.

Superficially,

not much for a 20-year difference,

if you ask me.

But you didn't.

So, I shall temporarily seal my buccal cavity,

or flying phalanges rather,

concerning this topic.

Except to praise God 

for having brought me this far.

He is the God of the Amazing.

Not to sound proud,

but God has plans for me,

and I can't wait to see what He's cached for me.

Praying I do well for God's glory, 

that I'm a Timothy to those around me, 

and that I would be a REAL

light and salt of the world.  

Mizzoria~

New HSs and HS

I'm really really excited!!

There's a family in our church, with a rising freshman daughter and rising 1st-grader son, who are about to start homeschooling... maybe even this year!!

New Homeschoolers and Highschooler!

I praise God for implanting the willingness FIRST in the Asian father, to have his children trained up in the ways of the LORD at home.  Too many families have I seen where the immigrant father wanted his American children to be Nobel Peace/Chemistry/Biology/Physics/etc. Prize Winners or at least entrants of an Ivy League School and failed to build up the character and spirit of his children.

I praise God for the humility and strength of the mother's heart, to admit that she was not capable of raising up her children in academics, but her faith in God leading her children regardless!  English is not her native language and none of the subjects (except maybe mathematics) will be simple to teach to a highschooler.  She is a brave woman... much like mother... especially to start her child at an older age!!

And finally, I praise God for the submission in the daughter's heart.  She has no objection whatsoever to be homeschooled.  I had a close friend in my childhood, who was homeschooled for only one year, because she refused to stay "unsocialized'.  Today, she does not follow Christ any longer.  And recently, another girl (actually, friend to this girl who will be starting homeschool soon) went through the same year of tension and strife with her parents.  Albeit, the father's primary goal for bring the second girl home was to boost her math grades, the chance to easily raise the child properly was dashed.

BUT - praise God, this family desires to please Him and raise warriors for Christ.  I'm on the verge of tears as I see this happen so infrequently in my community, a community where homeschooling is so desperately needed.  I'm really excited to join this family on their journey, help them select curriculum, and most importantly pray that the family would persevere through this road in life.

HALLELUJAH!

Mizzoria~

satan and Capitalization

I just noticed this, but my Bible instructor, Curry Blake, never ever capitalizes satan's name.... like... ever.

I think this a just a small inference of his hatred for sin, death, satan, and everything under him.  He will show no respect for the enemy of God.

I mean, he doesn't push it on other people to conform to his ways (which is admirable in itself), but it's a consistent, minor detail that shows a lot.

Thoughts?

Mizzoria~

Pollination

God is awesome.

I'm tempted to type:

'nuff said.

But God is amazing!

And - 

When we've been there

Ten thousand years

Bright shining as the sun!

We've no less days

To sing God's praise

Then when we've first begun.

~4th verse of Amazing Grace~

We'll never be done praising God!

Mizzoria~

Blinking...

Why is making someone blink such an accomplishment?  GOD MADE YOU SO YOU COULD BLINK!!

For your eyes' sakes, please close them when they should.  Training/forcing your eyes to NOT shut when they should, is simultaneously dumb and unhealthy for you.

All better!

Mizzoria~