jake-vanderwaal

well, for everyone who actually reads these i've missed you and also apologize for taking FOREVER on writing this. But i feel in my heart that i should write about something so devastating to our faith, relationships, prayer, reading, and ministry (not in priority listing). So i would like to just take some time to encourage and uplift....i hope.

1 Corinthians 6:20 "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (KJV i felt like using this translation cuz it's old school.)
Anyways that's the scripture for today, but i do want to say a couple things before i encourage you guys.

           It's so easy to get tired doing ministry, serving and sometimes being a christian and we think about our old lives and think about how much easier or more fun they were, when in retrospect, they were worse. much worse. Think about who you were before Christ, think about what you were before Christ...were you anything? Did you do anything remotely worth anything substantial? Were you good to people? Did you like people? Or were you an alcoholic?  Honestly the bible says that no man and is good and that there is no good in him alone. The truth is before Christ you weren't good and never had the chance to be good. But with the breathe of God there is a new start a fresh beginning, a brand new day!!!! Praise Him!

          I think we get tired and isolated and get away from the Lord and people, is because we forget what God is to us, we forget what He did on that cross as our savior, we forget the Blood of our precious Jesus. Also, i think we forget and get isolated is because we get scared of responsibility for us and other people's lives which cause us to retract into a hole and become none existent to the world aka friends, family and God...THAT CAN'T HAPPEN. People depend too much on you to let that stuff just slide. (I really hope i am making sense right now.) But the simple fact of the matter is, is that we have lost touch with our loving gorgeous amazing creator. We need to get back in our prayer closet, get close to Him and realize Oh God, how i have missed you and i can't live without you or i fail! I can't breathe without you! There truly is no one like you!

         So here's the deal remember the price paid for you we are not our own anymore Praise God! Because if we were our own we would be great without Him.Get back to square 1 remember the love once shared remember the joy the passion! the excitement! no more being tired! no more being lazy!!! time to wake up oh sleeper! Return to your first love friends turn back to the Lord and run with endurance the race that God has set before us...look if these are helping you at all, please leave some feedback so that i know people are getting fed by these things so i can be on the ball to write more cuz if not it will take me freaking really long to write one (like this one did.) i love you guys....

sincerely yours in Christ

Jake

1 John 3:16 - "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

            Who have we laid down our lives for? what are we really giving to people? are we sacrificing?


John 15:13 - " There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

             Who are we devoted to? Ourselves? The World? The Church? Work? The Ministry?

Those things are all good, but why?

Right now more than ever do i have a passion for the cross, my savior, my guys, the church as a body, and the lost...dear Jesus we need holy passion again! That the church would rise up as a whole and believe what the bible says about us. I wish so bad that the body of Christ in America would ACTUALLY do it's job, other than serve coffee and krispy kreme!!!!

1 John 3:18 - My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Dear Lord when will we stop entertaining Christians and start seeking the lost!

We want to have fun and play games, who cares about your games and religious rhetoric and biblical jargon! Who cares if you're a good communicator or not, if you're called you're called. If you're saved you're called to preach. Jesus said He was here to seek and save that which is lost. So what are we doing hanging out in churches? Yes it's a great thing to be in church for fellowship and friendship, but what is the true nature of the gospel?

Raw, Real, Offensive, Powerful, SHAKING, nation changing, heart tearing, unrelenting, perfect, awesome, amazing love!

So why do we want to feel happy, have an emotional experience then do nothing? We hunger and thirst for righteousness, but don't fight for it. If you don't work at a relationship, it dies. So we don't fight for our father's affections nor do we lay our life down for Him, like WE SHOULD. And we say we believe what the Bible says? not according to what is said here.there is no greater love....than to lay his life down for his friends.
When did this become a game of how good we can feel??? Jesus promised persecution, but we've never faced it cuz there's absolutely no way we would be able to handle it...we think it hurts when somebody calls us bible thumper, or holy roller...Well what are you? Oh my goodness they called you a Christian how terrible of them? What nerve do they have calling us Christians? exactly.

Dangit, i wanted to talk about love in this blog so bad, but apparently this is what's supposed to be said about love, red, passionate fiery love!
we need to be on wreckless pursuit for people's hearts...giving up what you want so other people can have what they need, when are we going to go without sleep because someone needs us? Ministers, when are we going to rise up and be ministers?!?! When are we going to kill our plans and serve with a Great heart about serving?
if you think that you've done all these areas perfect, shut up.
i've rebuked myself this ENTIRE blog.
The Lord has burned this in me this morning and the last week or so...
please don't be a hearer of the word but i doer.

Until Death...consumed
Jake.

Trials and tribulations....there's so many times i feel like it would be so easy to quit, to back down, let up, pack up and run. what does that solve? does it solve anything or are you just the first one to meet yourself with all your same baggage when you reach your destination? There are a couple things that have really been burning in my heart lately...
and this is what it is please take and do whatever you want with it...
   
        Romans 5:3-4 "3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope."

We need to take glory in tribulations, really push through! This is the time we pray! This is the time we really need to desperately seek God with everything we have! This is the time we are to bombard heaven! Glory glory glory, take Joy in what you go through...know that when these things happen (when tribulations aren't YOUR fault; like falling into sin and dealing with the consequences not those tribulations)

Like Hosea 10:12 says "plow up the fallow ground of your hearts!" when God shakes your world, when your heart has been torn apart...perseverance friends walk strongly through it. Upright. God gives you the grace for the situation you can handle it friend. bite down grip your word hard and walk through the storm, press on friends. We all know it's hard let's grow up and quit wining, and do this thing for real, let's preach the word, let's evangelize, let's do the works of Jesus:

    Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give."

Honestly, why are we the ones afraid???? Doesn't our word say "Lo, i am with you even until the end of the age." Please, why are we the ones that are nervous? why are we scared to minister? Let's be the church friends!!! I'm sorry, Jesus promised persecution...

Perseverance...Fight...Be strong...With Honor...Run...Run Hard.