Say "Yes" to Jesus!

Right afterwork today, I went to the Haven. Every Tuesday and Thursday, they have this 1 hour worship session for students just to relieve themselves from some school work. Typically I don't have the time to go but today, before studying, I decided to stay because somethings always attracting me towards it. The music was amazing. As I walked in, they were singing this song that kept saying "yes". I don't know the title or the artist, but right away, I could just feel God's presence so overwhelming in the room. It was definitely a wow moment.

Today, Tim Dilena, the associate pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, spoke. Not only was he hilarious, but he had SUCH a great message.

He spoke about: 

Scripture: 1 Samuel 26.

• Once you know what God wants you to do, it doesn't mean great things are going to happen right away the next day. The process is actually what happens the next day. God does not show you the process, he just shows you the ending. If God shows you the process, than it's a nightmare and he knows you'll say no. But if God shows you the ending, you'll definitely say yes. He used King David's story as an example.
• First, we need to attack the Ahimelech spirit. Ahimelech never said "no", but he also never said anything. It's not that we don't say "no", it's that we don't say anything. Ahimelech had the opportunity but he just sat there. In Christianity, God wants you to things voluntarily and you do it by saying "yes". Christianity is a very vocal religion; it asks you to do something. The problem is, in church we just know how to clap our hands to praise, but we don't know how to say and do something. We need to use our mouth because it's the tool that God uses. When your pastor's preaching, it's good to say Amen. When you open your mouth, that's when it becomes crazy. God says, I need you to open up your mouth, I need you to become a witness.
• Pastor Tim's story about meeting the Houston Rockets. Houston Rockets and him were staying in the same hotel, he told God, if you just let me talk to them, I'll evangelize to every single one of them. Be careful of what you pray for because that's exactly what heppened. He was stuck in an elevator with them for 29 floors, and he made it possible for them to hear the gospel in such a unique way.
• He flies Delta Airlines a lot also. One day he got to sit on the first class seating. A hilly billy just happened to sit next to him and that guy went straight to sleep for the 2.5 hours on the plane ride. It just so happened that he was sitting next to Kid Rock on the airplane. He lost his opportunity to speak to him and evangelize to him because he kept his mouth shut and never opened it up. He promised God that it will never happen again. He told God, "Please let me open up my mouth and let me volunteer every single time." 
• The devil always uses self consciousness, pride, insecurity that never allows us to want to open up our mouth. How will people ever hear if there is no preacher? Clapping doesn't do anything, we can't clap to communicate. All we have to do is raise my hand and volunteer to do it. It may be wrong motives but God can use it to change everything. God put the nature of Abishai in pastor Tim. He had said yes to everything that came him way. 
• Do things that need for God to show up. Do stuff that require a miracle. Challenge the youth today, they are crazy and can create their own olympics with the things they do. Kids today want to be challenged. They want to go to six flags they want to go to a mission trip to rwanda if it requires risking their lives. Kids want to be challenged. 
• Pastor Tim said that he'll evangelize even though he doesn't like to because he couldn't get the gift of healing. But God turned it around and told him he'll fix that. One day, he was at aprayer meeting with two intercessors, one Bible man, and one Demoniac. Pastor Tim's record of healing was very horrible and when he was praying over the person who needed to be healed, he even used the diclaimer: God, if it's your will, then heal him. At the end of the story, the guy was healed miraculously, even due to his lack of faith. When you volunteer, even if it looks stupid, God may just show up and may just do something. God's going to say and do something that needs a miracle. 
• Luke 5:3. There were two boats. Jesus went on one of them. That boat went out a little further and caught a whole lot of fish that they had to call the other boat who did not volunteer to come over. I'm sick of being the other boat. I want my own fish story. I want to volunteer. I want to be the one who can make the difference. 

Gifts on my lap.

After the start of graduate school, everything's been such a blessing. My perspectives on things have changed a lot and I'm just really glad everything's happening the way it is. God always works for the good of those who love him and I fully believe that.

Some things that have been happening lately:

• It's totally weird how when I kind of wanted/needed a job, things didn't seem to be falling into place. All of a sudden, about two weeks ago -- I had three things offered on my lap and then another one last week. The first couple of classes, one of my professors liked my smile... and she just recovered from a stroke and needed help cleaning her office after the move. She asked me and I helped her -- then she mentioned how she was considering offering me a job as an aid to direct their mentors program. That same week, my friend from school contacted me and told me about a job they were offering in the undergrad admissions. She remembered me because I asked her in the beginning of the school year, thank God. I went for the interview and was hired the day of. At the same time, Bobby was leaving LV and said that his manager needed people who spoke Chinese to work there and he just so happened to ask me. And then last week, Keisha, the front desk girl at the graduate school pulled me to the side and told me, "Joan, God has a place for you here in Nyack, I can just see it. Btw do you work?" And she said there were possibly openings for me. Fortunately and unfortunately, I already started my work as administrative assistant in the undergrad admissions. I don't understand this but I'm accepting these things as it comes. God does have a place for me here and I believe it, I'm loving it so far.
• I also realize that just living and breathing is such a spiritual battle. The more I look to God and spend time with him, the more the enemy will attack on my weak sides. That night after I got accepted the job from the interview, I had such a great night until I got home. Things became chaotic, I felt so helpless and I totally wasn't able to handle or manage the situation that was going on. It broke my heart so much to see my family torn to pieces and I really didn't know what to do. I know the more I play steady on God's side, there's gonna be a lot more of these, but I declare joy, peace, freedom over everything in my life. I trust that God will help us overcome it. He is and I believe it. I just continue to pray that as I go through struggles and such, God would keep me close to him and stay faithful no matter how hard it gets. I surrender it all. 
• Going to class is such an encouragement. I enjoy it so much, aside from my Saturday class, I think just because it's on Saturdays but I know my perspective has to change. I made my schedule for next semester already -- it's going to be Tuesday nights, Thursday nights, Friday and Saturday afternoon, and work during day times. Schedule and life is starting to get busy again but I'm thankful that I have all these opportunities in my hand and will strive in each one with excellence. If God's throwing these gifts left and right on my lap, why not receive it and glorify him with it? I'm still working on time management skills, balancing all of these things together, but it's doable.

God's good, I don't know how else to put him into words. 

This is a song that highlights my current life situation:

Praise the Lord @ TBN

Yesterday we went to TBN to watch live broadcast. Guest stars included: Joel & Victoria Osteen, Joseph and Wendy Prince, Cece Winans, Israel Houghton. I was so exhausted from the day but still went to go for support for EMC. About forty of us went I believe... didn't hit the fifty mark but it's all good. It was definitely a blessing though. 

Here are some things I wanna keep in mind:

• "If you surrender to God's will, then the will of God will surrender itself back to you."
• Where sin is, grace abounds. 
• Romans 6:14, Romans 5:17

Below is a GREAT song by Cece Winans called "Always".

Quotes

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just
like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price
we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal – Vince Lombardi

What you do with your time is a valued commodity.
If you can manage your life and use time well,
it'll be an amazing asset in your life. - John Maxwell

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is a success. – Henry Ford

One of things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy
is doing things for other people. -Dick Gregory

Know thyself means this, that you get acquainted with what you know,
and what you can do . ~ Menander
Who can I today and how can I today add value to someone else?

Peace

God, I believe you make all things new.
Please send peace in the places where I need it the most and only you know.

http://peacewithgod.jesus.net/

I feel very spiritually defeated today. What started off as an amazing week has led to a horrific day.
I don't even know what to say, I don't know what to do, I'm trying really hard to hope and faith in God.
Everything in life has been going great, but when it comes to the enemy trying to attack my family, that's not cool at all and I don't even know what to do about it. I feel so spiritually weak. Please God, help me to put all my hope and trust in you. I really need it. So many things are just collapsing or at least it feels like it out of no where. It's not funny.