No Worries

God is so faithful! There have been so many times on this journey that things have looked grim, but God has surprised me every single time! He always knows exactly what we need, and He provides right on time! This past Friday, while we were serving with a church in Arizona, I had a young girl ask what we hand out in our "love bags". I proceeded to tell her of all the goodies we fill the bag with, and as soon as I said,"...and of course a bible!", she got this look of deep desire in her eyes. I asked her,"Have you ever read the bible before?" She told me that she has heard it read before, but never owned one of her own! She wanted one so badly! As we were discussing it, some other children overheard. None of them owned a bible, and they all wanted one! I was so surprised that all these kids, who live such meager lives, desired so strongly to own a copy of the Lord's Word! These kids ranged from about twelve years old down to about three! I was stoked! "I have bibles in my trunk, friends!" The caravan of children excitedly followed me to my car, waving their hands, "Can I have one too? Can I have one too?" As they lined up at my trunk I felt a lump grow in my throat. I thought to myself, "I don't have enough for all these kids! Oh, Jesus help me! I can't bare to disappoint these beautiful children, and deny them your Word!" I started handing them out, one by one. The kids kept coming, and so did the bibles! Finally the last boy walked up and asked for one, and I smiled, "Here you go friend, my last one!" His little sister, maybe 3 years old, stood in front of him with the saddest look on her face. The boy said, "My sister wanted her own too." My heart broke! "Please Lord, let me have one more!" I dug in between all the rubbish of the trunk. I knew the bibles weren't there, they were in the duffel bag, but....wait....I feel something! I pulled up one cute little book of John! It was so perfect for her! She stared at it, flashed a huge smile my way, and then ran toward her home!
Whether it be seemingly simple things or more complex things, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can trust God with every aspect of my life! I know full well that my Daddy God will not leave me or forsake me! He would not have called me, if He wasn't going to provide for me! He wouldn't have chosen me, if He didn't want me! And He wouldn't have brought me all the way across the country with absolutely nothing but the clothes on my back and a beat up run down car, if He didn't have amazingly huge plans for me! So as I look at our current situation that appears hopeless, my fire burns hotter! Let's do this!!!
Run with me church!
*purusamor.com*

What does it mean to "be saved"?

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
This scripture seems pretty straight forward and simple, but what exactly does it mean? It seems the western world has softened it to the point that people think if you pray a salvation prayer and say your a Christian, then you are saved. Is this really all there is to it? What does it mean to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord? Paul's second letter to Timothy says this..."Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness1.'" Well that's not so bad. How many of us would actually consider ourselves wicked to begin with? Ah, but that's because we don't think of wickedness the same way as the Lord does. The Word describes wicked people as those who complain, rebel against authorities, put themselves first, or sin against God in any way! Man, that completely changes our look at wickedness, doesn't it? So when Paul says that those who are saved turn away from wickedness that must mean we now live lives of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control2. It must mean that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here3! It must mean that the Lamb of God really did take away the sin of the world4! Maybe, just maybe, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God5. What if being saved meant that we didn't only believe in Jesus, which by the way even the demons do that, but it meant that we give our lives in exchange for His6!?! What if when we read the bible we didn't have difficulty understanding it because we are the embodiment of it7!?! What if we didn't read the Word because we felt we had to "put in our due time", but we read it because we enjoyed it... because it is a love letter to us!?! What if when we read the Word we realized that it isn't broken up into chapter and verse, but that each letter, each book, each gospel, was written as a whole and should not be separated? What if when a born again Christian read the book of Romans they realized that chapter 7 wasn't a way to excuse the fleshly nature of humans, but instead was Paul describing the condition of those under the law before coming to grace!?! What if every time someone was inflicted with an illness they didn't chalk it up as a trial from the Lord and reference Job, but saw it as it really is...an attack from the enemy8?! And what if every time a born again Christian recognized that they were under attack, they claimed the fact that they have been given all authority to overcome all the power of the enemy9!?! Let's suppose for just a moment that every word in the bible is God breathed10and can be accepted as complete truth, thus meaning that once we are saved, we are free11! We are free from a life of bondage to sin12, free from excuses, free from ourselves, and free from everyone else! We are no longer a slave to sin13 and no longer have any desire14 to do anything that would compromise the clear conscience that we have before God and others! Let's not minimize the sacrifice of our Savior!!! Instead, let's live the lives that we've been promised!
Run with me church!
*purusamor.com*
1. 2 Timothy 2:19
2. Galatians 5:22-23
3. 2 Corinthians 5:17
4. John 1:29 
5. 2 Corinthians 5:21
6. Galatians 2:20
7. John 1:1-4
8. John 10:10
9. Luke 10:19
10. 2 Timothy 3:16
11.  2 Corinthians 3:17
12. Romans 8:21
13. Romans 6:6
14. Galatians 5:24

Times of Trust

Being fully surrendered to Christ is easy when things are all lined up, but it's when things look grim that the real test comes. When times are tough and it looks like real trouble ahead, do we continue to trust or do we freak out and try to control the situation?! When all the bills are due, there's no gas in the car, and you have no where to lay your head...what do you do?! Personally, I choose to praise God for all that I KNOW He is about to do! If we worry, do the bills get paid? If we panic, does it gas the car? Of course not! If we stress, all we get is high blood pressure, headaches, and wrinkles...not solutions! The Word says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27) It's so very true! Worrying does nothing but give the enemy the upper hand! However, if we choose to praise and give God glory through the trial, regardless of the outcome, we win! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! (Philippians 4:6-7) We are His children, and we need not worry for anything! Whatever it is that's causing you stress and anxiety today, give it up! Some may say, "easier said than done", but I say, "easier done than undone!"
Run with me church!
*purusamor.com*

WE ARE THE DIVINE APPOINTMENT

I love how God always brings us to the right place at the right time even when its perceived we're in the wrong place! Today we were scheduled to meet our new friends from New Mexico at a local McDonald's at noon. When we had discussed meeting, I was certain I knew where to go. When we arrived (on time, which is a miracle in itself if you know me), our friends were no where to be found. I called to see if they were running late, and it turned out we were at the "the wrong McDonald's"! At least that's how it would have seemed! However, while we were there we prayed with four people who got radically touched and healed by Jesus! A man with a bandaged up head from an accident, a woman in a wheelchair, a woman with an arm brace, and a woman on crutches! He healed them all because we were in "the wrong place"! When we got to "the right place" He healed a man with a cane and a woman with a sling! Not to mention the houseless friend that we got to bless and pray for, the soldiers we got to bless and encourage, the workers we got to love on and encourage, and my new friend, Sophia, who is turning three "Alakazam"! By the way, our new friends were running late so all our encounters did not disrespect their time either! I love Jesus! What I'm trying to say is, don't feel like you need to be "lead" to the right place or the right person for the divine appointment.

We are a walking, talking, living, breathing, divine appointment!

Where ever we are, the Spirit of the Lord is ready to be released! Whoever is around us has the potential of receiving an abundant display of His love and power. Don't keep it to yourselves! Run with me church!
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PRAISE CHANGES THE ATMOSPHERE

Despite my many tentative plans for today, the Lord urged me to stay in our room and soak in His presence. Along with staying in the room comes the knocking of heads and the trying of patience. I am extremely blessed to have two of the most well behaved children, however we all get a little stir crazy locked in a small room together for the entire day. Just when I felt I was at my wits end, I began to give glory to God. Singing songs of praise and worship is the exact opposite of what I felt like doing at the time, but I knew it was exactly what I needed to do. Wouldn't you know it, the entire atmosphere of the room changed almost immediately. The kids were laughing and playing, and even at times singing along! The enemy knew that the Lord had set this day aside for the kids and I to commune with Him, and that snake was determined to put us off track. Problem for the devil is I know my Daddy, and He is worthy of my praise no matter my mood or situation. If we are willing to stop in the midst of a trial, put things into perspective, and praise God for who He is, He will fill the room with His presence, driving darkness far away! The enemy does not want to be in a room full of the Lord's praises, and will flee immediately! James 4 tells us to "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The definition of submit is to give over or yield to the power or authority of another. When we have totally submitted ourselves to the praise and power of the Lord, the devil IS resisted, and in turn must flee. So, next time you feel yourself getting angry, frustrated, worried, anxious, depressed, weak, etc.... Get your praise on!!! Giving glory to the Lord for He is worthy, regardless of what your life looks like. Your circumstances do not dictate how much God loves you! Jesus dying on the cross to restore you was enough! There will never be anything in your life bigger than that! 
Run with me church!
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The Approval of One

As the Christian race is run, more and more people will disapprove of our words and actions. The persecution increases and people try to give advice more often. This kind of devotion makes people very uncomfortable. With this crossroads comes a very important balance. How does one show love and appreciation to man, while still following the instructions received from the Lord? For this answer we look solely to the life of Jesus! When people screamed at Him, He held His ground. When people tried to stone Him, He continued to be love. When people falsely accused Him, He did not defend Himself but only spoke truth. When people disagreed with His words and actions, He only listened to and sought the approval of the Father. Because the world is completely upside down from the kingdom it can be a mental struggle for balance, but I am here to tell you that peace in these trials is completely attainable. Man will try to judge and question your motives. They will disagree with the way you speak and live your life. The most important thing to remember is we are called to seek the approval of only One...Jesus! Although it is human nature to want to be accepted by man, fight it! There is such a way to walk in love so as to not trample on people, but there will be times when people get offended! People will get upset! People will disagree! None of this matters! We need to press into our Father, hear His voice, and follow His instruction no matter the cost! Even if it ends up that we are completely isolated and seemingly alone, we know that our Father has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We will not always be the most popular. We will not always be accepted, but we ARE accepted in the beloved! Take courage brothers and sisters! The victory has been won and you are victorious!
Run with me church!
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WHAT DOES THE CROSS SAY ABOUT YOU?

This morning I was having a conversation with my mother about my last blog, and I became very passionate about the meaning behind the cross. She requested that I do a blog on the topic, so here it is!
A great multitude of religious teachings would suggest that the cross is symbolic of Christ's sacrifice because we are sinners. They teach that Christ had to die because our horrible nature is completely incapable of ever getting it right. He had to die for us because we are hopeless failures, sinners saved by grace or undeserved favor. While this does have some truth, I would like to elaborate on the Father's heart. John 3:16 says, "God so LOVED the world that He GAVE His one and ONLY SON, that whoever should believe in Him would not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE." I capitalized some of the words in that well known scripture to make a point. First of all, God loved.
1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us that love always protects, trusts, and hopes. If we plug that definition of love into John 3:16 we find that God so protected, trusted in, and hoped for the world that He gave. When someone gives a gift, they expect nothing in return. They do it out of generosity and love. God didn't give His Son so that we would give good works back. He gave so we could receive. He wanted us to receive eternal life. John 17:3 tells us that eternal life is that we would know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. "It's not about praying a prayer and going to heaven, otherwise you would have prayed a prayer and *POOF* you would have disappeared."(Todd White) Jesus came so that we may know the Father and have a relationship with Him, but God couldn't have a relationship with us while we were covered in sin. Jesus came to take away the sin of the world(John 1:29). He didn't come to mask it, or cover it up. He came to TAKE SIN AWAY! Once we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord we are saved.(Romans 10:9). Saved from what? A life of bondage and sin.

We are no longer sinners, but sons!

We have been restored to our original created value as co-heirs with Christ. The old has passed away, the new has come.(2 Corinthians 5:17) When something passes away we don't battle with it. The old man is dead! We are brand new creations, created in the image of God! God is without sin! Jesus came to demonstrate what it looks like to walk the earth without sin, so we would know what we are capable of with His Spirit.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.(Philippians 4:13) This includes righteous living! If it were not possible to live righteously (in right standing with God) then God the Father would not have sent His most prized possession, Jesus! In the western world we can completely understand the love of a child and how insanely sacrificial it is to give them up for others. In Israel, in bible times a man's success was based upon having a male heir. If a man had only one son, he would spend thirty years pouring everything he had into that son. At thirty years of age the son would inherit the father's kingdom in all of it's entirety. A son wasn't only his father's "pride and joy", but his most prized possession that would take over all his affairs. This was a very strong message to the Israelites, as it should be to us today! God the Father gave His heir to redeem the rest of His children. I'm sure everyone would agree that we are only willing to pay what we believe something is worth. If I were to offer my rusty 2000 Kia Sephia for $40,000 no one would buy it, because it's not worth that much. So why would heaven go bankrupt of it's most prized possession to redeem us, if we weren't worth it?! The truth is we are worth it!

The cross is a symbol of your amazing value!

It's also symbolic of our inheritance! Once we were redeemed we became co-heirs. This means that everything Jesus did while on the earth, (the sin-free life, the healings, the words of knowledge, the prophesies, the selfless love) we are capable of doing, and even greater.(John 14:12-14) By His Spirit we are restored to our original created purpose! It is not blasphemy! It's the Gospel!

Run with me church!

*purusamor.com*





The power of life and death is in YOUR tongue

My heart breaks when I share a word from the Lord with a couple young ladies, and their response indicates this is the first time they thought God loved them, because of how many "Christians" mentally torture them over their sexual orientation! I pray one day the church will see, as a whole, that Jesus died for each and every one of us! God does not see a person who chooses homosexuality as any worse off than one who takes office supplies home for personal use, one who looks at attractive people lustfully, or one who lies about their weight on their driver's license! It's all the same in His eyes! Just because something may be more taboo in society or in a particular church building does not mean that God sees it heavier on a scale of offense!
I was weeping last night with memories of people I have shared His love with, that have spent years in darkness because of the words or actions of "Christians"! My heart breaks for what breaks His! He wishes to see all of His children to come to Him and none to perish, but that won't happen if we can't manifest Him truthfully!

Last November my friend, Caitlin, and I visited Venice Beach. While there, we met a man dressed in a very small speedo selling goat horn drink holders. Most Christians reaction....steer clear! Our reaction....friend! After walking and talking with this man for a while we find out that the reason he rejects Christ is because a pastor's daughter hit him with her car, and left him in a river to die! Man, if that doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth about God, I don't know what would! Now he has walked around 17+ years believing that is Christianity! Not to mention all the "bible thumpers" that come to Venice Beach "in the name of God" preaching condemnation, telling them what horrible hell-bound sinners they are! After about twenty minutes of us talking with, and loving on this man, his heart began to soften! He felt the desire to clothe himself, tone down his lewdness, and watch his language! Twenty minutes in the love of Christ was enough to change his way of thinking! It wasn't Caitlin and I that changed his heart! It was Christ in us, the hope of glory! It wasn't from throwing scriptures at him! It wasn't from picking out all the obvious dirt in his life! It was straight up, untainted love!

Giving people value 

allows them to stop seeking their worth by other means! 

I, personally, spent over fifteen years seeking my value in men, drugs, alcohol, gangs, violence, vanity, etc because when I sought God at fifteen years old, He was horribly misrepresented to me by a church body! My life could have been grounded in His love from a very early age if the "Christians" I had encountered had only known who they were and who He is! I'm not saying it's their fault! Please hear me! They didn't know any better, because the "Christians" they learned from were also lost! It's a deadly chain of religiosity that ends in destruction!This is a call to action friends!
Does your life reflect the God you say you serve? Do your words, actions, and body language speak the same story as the cross? If not, you could be sending the lost running in the opposite direction!
Be love friends! Run with me church!
*purusamor.com*

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL AS SWEET ........ BUT A SKUNK NAMED ROSE STILL STINKS!!!

''Millions call themselves by His Name, it is true, and pay some token respect to Him, but a simple test will show how little He is really honored among them. Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who is above, and his true position will be exposed. Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above. However the man may protest, the proof is in the choices he makes day after day throughout his life." - A.W. Tozer (The Pursuit of God)

Throughout my life if people would have asked my religion, I would have told them I was a Christian. I thought that being a Christian only meant that I believe in Jesus, however the true definition of Christian is Christ-like one, and that I definitely was not. The world is filled with people who call themselves Christian, yet don't exhibit any traits of the Savior.

I don't think that it's their fault!

I believe that the enemy has infiltrated the church for so long, and to such a depth that religion has become only a notion of verbal confession and nothing beyond! It's time we take Christianity back, and make it what it was meant to be! We, who call ourselves Christians, must be the light of the world! We must exhibit the kind of love, peace, and joy that the average person in this world searches their entire lives for, to no avail! We must be the race who rather than picking out the dirt in others, picks out the gold! We must learn to love our brothers and sisters in such a way as to surpass all judgments and stereotypes, and move straight to honoring them! We must stop letting our situation, our circumstances, and those around us dictate how we behave and what kind of day we will have! We must seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and not plug Him in where, when, and if He fits! We must stop trying to categorize our lives by level of priority (ie. God then family then business...or family first....) and realize that our lives were created to be in 24/7 communion with our Creator!

 It is not about putting God first,

it's about making Him our everything!

He must not only be our Sunday obligation, our fall guy in times of trouble, or the one we blame when things go wrong! This is a call to action, and it's not about doing!
 It's about BEING! In the words of the US Army, "Be all that you can be!" God's army is not a group of weak-willed, struggling, confused, anxious, suckling babies! We are powerful beyond measure! We are created in the image of the One who spoke everything that exists, into existence! We are co-heirs with Christ, called to do all that He did while He was on the earth, and greater! We are supernatural! Rise up and shine the Light that causes the darkness to flee! Take what's been given to you and run with it! Get to know your Father, that you may know yourself! Spend time in the Word, not because you have to, but because you get to and because it defines you! Don't let anyone or anything defy the completely clear conscience that heaven went bankrupt to give you! Set your mind on things above, not things below, because we are seated in heavenly places! Run with me church!
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What is a Christian?

A Christian is a Christ-like one
That lives from victory
Covered by the blood that Jesus
Shed at Calvary
One who's seated at the right
Of the Father and the Son
Who knows their worth and can confirm
The battle has been won
They exude a joy that others want
Their laughter is contagious
They're very purpose on this earth
Is making Jesus famous
Peace could be their middle name
Nothing rocks their boat
A song of praise rings in their heart
Glory in every note
One who knows their identity
As a pure and spotless bride
No past no grief no shame no hurt
No skeletons to hide
Every day is better than
The one they lived before
'Cuz each and every day they grow in
Intimacy with the Lord! <3

 

LOVE BEYOND COMPARE

As I sat by the noisy hotel pool talking with an amazing woman of God I just met, with a rocky past similar to mine, I was reminded just how precious each and every one of us are to the Lord! His desire is for every single one of us to have a deeply intimate relationship with Him! His plans for us are so amazing that they're completely beyond our understanding! It's so awesome that despite all that we have gone through, we can see how He was right there comforting and encouraging us every step of the way. I frequently hear people having the same mental struggle that I once had...if God loves me so much, why did He allow me to go through the things I went through?! The answer, though it alludes many, is quite simple. God is a gentleman! He does not force Himself upon anyone! This includes the people who have hurt us in the past, and the damage we have done to ourselves! When I was in abusive relationships in the past, God was not absent, nor was He egging on the men abusing me! He was shouting into their ears to stop, while He was whispering comfort in my ear to help me remove myself from what was happening! The problem lies in whether or not people choose to listen to His voice! He has never once abandoned me, just like He has never once abandoned any of His children! Unfortunately, so many don't know the Father's voice! The only voice they know, and the only voice they have ever listened to, is the voice of the liar. This voice echoes in their ears that what they are doing isn't so bad. "Its not like you're hitting her with a closed fist or killing her." "She wants this just as bad as you do." "She should have known better than to mouth off to you." We can always tell what voice people are listening to by the words that come out of their mouths. When someone is speaking words of hate, fear, condemnation, selfishness, and the like, we know that they are listening to the liar. It may not be their fault though. They may have never come face to face with their true identity. They may have never had someone be bold enough to share the love of Christ with them, and tell them how amazing they are. They may have never been able to discern between the voice of the liar and the Voice of Truth because the world speaks so much louder. The world tells you that if it feels good, do it. The world tells you that if you're not hurting anyone, that what you're doing is ok. The truth is that you could be hurting YOURSELF very much in the long run. When I first started dating an older man involved with gangs I thought to myself, "This will be fun! He always has a different fun car, all the drugs and alcohol I want without paying, never being told what to do, fun parties, lots of money, and I get street rep! What could possibly go wrong?" Before I knew what I had gotten myself into, I was stealing cars, jacking old ladies, selling drugs, robbing my friends, getting so high and drunk I couldn't remember what happened, getting gang banged, getting smacked around, and getting choke slammed against walls! When I finally realized how deep I had gotten, it was too late...or so I thought. The truth is that it is never too late to turn your life around. You are never too deep, too dirty, or too messed up for God to come in and change your life around! He is always pursuing you! Always waiting for you to accept the offer of salvation through His Son! And even though the religious spirit tries to make it seem like a long drawn out process...IT'S NOT!  Once you fully surrender your life to Christ the old is gone, and THE NEW HAS COME! The only "process" is growing in intimacy with God, and moving from glory to glory! There is no more "struggle"! Does this mean that you will never have tough circumstances in your life? Of course you will! The difference is that now you know the Voice of Truth and He guides you into ALL righteousness! He gives you such amazing joy and peace that nothing in this world can take it away! You see people through eyes of love, not self-seeking! You pray for people from a place of deep desire for them to experience the sublime joy that you yourself have, not from a place of making your life easier/better! It's a total surrender though! You can't be both of the world and live for Christ! Does that sound hard? If your answer was yes, then you are holding onto a false sense of control and a life that you were never created for! The harder is to keep living two lives like you have multiple personalities. It is a huge struggle to hold onto "yourself"! I know! I did it for 6 1/2 years! I would preach the gospel while getting drunk or high with my friends. They all saw me for what I was...a hypocrite! Unfortunately I left a bad taste for God in a lot of people's mouths. I have many, many friends that have since died of overdose, suicide, drunken driving, etc that could have known Jesus and be living today if I had only taken Him seriously! Now don't get me wrong...I am not living with any sense of guilt or condemnation, which is exactly what the enemy would love to have me stuck in. If I had known then what I know now, they would still be alive. I am confident in this claim, and I boast that confidence in the Lord! The difference now is that I have determined to never hide my light again! My love for Christ will shine so brightly that it will be a beacon of hope to every single person I encounter for the rest of my time on this earth! Jesus is desperately in love with you, and I promise you will never, ever find a better offer anywhere! Won't you quit this silly charade of making excuses and just give Him your life today?! I promise it will be the best decision you have ever made! Jesus loves you, and so do I!!!

Passion

A deep desire's rising up
inside this heart of mine!
I want to shout it from the roofs...
His love is so divine!
I proclaim it day and night
His power's beyond measure!
To walk through life hand and hand
Would be my greatest pleasure!
I want to see the very depths
Of His endless glory...
To know Him more than anything
And be part of His story!
I want to be the word made flesh
As closely as I can...
Demonstrating life sacrifice
Like Jesus... Son of man!