olive thinks.

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

Luke 2:19

Better is one day with you, than a thousand elsewhere.

You reward those who earnestly diligently seek you.

I want to see your face. I want to know your ways.

I want you, more than this world.

More than my way, your ways are higher, your thoughts are higher.

I think Christians fail so often to get answers to their prayers because they do not wait long enough on God. They just drop down and say a few words, and then jump up and forget it and expect God to answer them. Such praying always reminds me of the small boy ringing his neighbor’s doorbell, and then running away as fast as he can go.
—E. M. Bounds

David Wilkerson:

I believe God’s vision for His last-day church is based on His revealed
Word—because the Bible clearly outlines what the church of Jesus Christ will
be like just prior to His coming.

The church in America is far from what God envisioned it to be. For the most
part, entire denominations today operate without the Holy Spirit. They are
devoid of the presence of Jesus and bankrupt of all spiritual gifts. They
practice a form of religion without any power, conviction or saving message.
They are cozy with the world and are more political than spiritual. They
appease sin, wink at divorce and ridicule the supernatural, while tossing aside
all teaching about heaven, hell, repentance and judgment.

The New Testament church made devils tremble! It drove legions of demons into
the abyss, prayed prison doors open, made rulers cringe in fear. Those early
believers had such faith and power that cripples rose up leaping and beggars
became evangelists. They believed in the supernatural and they opened blind
eyes, unstopped deaf ears and healed all manner of diseases. They even raised
the dead!

I am not saying God’s last-day church will be a repeat or copy of the
first-century church. No—I am saying it will be even greater than that! It
will be mightier, stronger, with an ever greater revelation of Jesus. It will
have greater unction from the Spirit than ever—greater even than at
Pentecost! God always saves His best wine for last!

The prophet Daniel confirms this. He said that certain prophetic truths were
locked up, only to be revealed in the last days: “For the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of the end… . And none of the wicked shall
understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:9-10).

Today the Holy Spirit is revealing these things to spiritual, discerning
saints! “It is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered
into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love
Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

The Lord is preparing a powerful yet humble army of shepherds after His own
heart and also a remnant congregation of hungry sheep who have turned away from
the deadness and sin of the modern church. The scene is being set for that
church which will be hot, not lukewarm—and it will rock the very foundations
of hell. No power on earth will be able to ignore or despise it!

hallelujah.

How dare I look down on other people’s form of worship to you, My Lord? I might as well been Judas looking down on Mary when she broke the alabaster jar.  

Lord, I repent for judging your pastors and your church just because they weren’t doing it the way I thought was correct or effective. My heart is full of filth and pride. 

I’m so sorry. 

“…the ‘hard work’ of sanctification is a continuous going back to your justification.”

“So why chase a dollar that somebody can print a ton of and trade it for a soul that you only have one of?”

“Satan’s just a hater who’s afraid of burning in hell alone.”

Bizzle: To whom it may concern

Lord, humble me. I want to see Your face.

What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and unchangeable object; in other words by God himself.

— Blaise Pascal

michellefaithlee:

“[Y]ou have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin. When you are pursuing love, running toward Christ, you do not have opportunity to wonder, *Am I doing this right?* or *Did I serve enough this week?* When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, and give thanks without guilt, worry or fear. As long as you are running, you’re safe.” 

-Francis Chan

Who am I Lord to walk with you? Who am I that I can even sing praises unto your name? Who am I to even imitate you, my creator? 

In all that I do, I am honored to worship you my Lord.

Learning how to stand and speak against injustice.

I’ve always been a coward when it comes to speaking against strangers especially when it came to defending a family member. It’s easy to crawl up and try to “handle” the mistreatment, thinking it’s my fault but I must go against this temptation. I am a child of God. Whom shall I fear? The LORD is my rock and my salvation.

Lord, give me courage today to speak and not shift the blame to those that are closest to me. I desire integrity in my heart so that I may stand stubbornly for what is just.

Update: I DID IT! Thank you Jesus. HA HA! Hallelujah.

“…. throughout all our personality we are God’s, and since God has made our whole selves, there is great joy in realizing who is our Creator. This realization is to permeate every area and level of life. In appreciation of beauty, mountains, music, poetry, knowledge, people, science - even in the tang of an apple - God is there, to reflect the joy of His presence in the believer who will realize God’s purposes in all things.”

-from Through Gates of Splendor.

Thanks, susan!

It’s saturday and it’s beautiful.  The sun is beaming and the rays are bouncing off my cheeks and I’m able to bask in God’s goodness. A word came to mind. Love. The rolling clouds, the birds chirping, and the leaves on a tree swaying is a reminder of God’s love for humanity.  

As I was folding the laundry and preparing breakfast, it suddenly dawned on me why the Japanese are so meticulous in their ways and do everything  with precision. Since the japanese culture consists of millions and millions of gods, they do it out of reverence and worship to whatever they are doing.  It’s karma. They fold their underwear because it’s a form of worship to the underwear god!!! Then it got me thinking, how much more would Christians be like the Japanese if we truly understood that all that we have don’t belong to us but are God’s?  Things won’t be wasted so easily and hoarded.  We won’t be so messy but organized knowing that we are just pilgrims on this earth. Pollution won’t be so bad. We won’t be wasting and accumulating so much.  The poor would be fed.  The widows and orphans taken care of.  People won’t be sold in exchange for money.  Underwears would be folded neatly.

Lots of things that we’ve done to this earth is because we’ve limited our way of worshipping God.  We are ignorant on HOW BEAUTIFUL AND GREAT AND AWESOME our GOD IS!

I remember as a kid I loved to be organized. I loved cleaning. There was this joy that came from seeing all the dust wiped off and things in its proper place. Today while doing the dishes and making breakfast, I understood the higher purpose of everything.  I was able to find such delight in placing the eggs in the right place, making them look beautiful and presentable because it was no longer out of fear or carelessness but truly out of acknowledging God’s presence and my form of worship to Him.  I no longer have to do it because I HAVE TO but because I GET to.  I do it out of my worship to God and He truly has no boundaries.  I’m now so excited to clean my room out of reverence to my Father! :)