Top Recommendations: December, January and February

Let the recommendations roll….

I received this super awesome prayer journal for Christmas from a friend that is just amazing! 

Valmarie Prayer journal http://www.valmariepaper.com/prayer-journals/

 

Books:

–Miracle Works: A Down-To- Earth Guide to Supernatural Ministries by Jordan Seng 

Growing up in JFC, you may have some questions about things like oh why are we laying hands on people when we pray etc. This book does a really great job at explaining things and empowering us to use our spiritual gifts.

 

–The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change by Brenda Salter

In the wake of events that once again rocked our nation (Ferguson, Eric Garner, etc.) I needed a book to read (because that is what I do). This is a book that artfully and practically explains how we are called to partner with Jesus in social change.

Books I’m working through:

I haven’t finished these yet (I read multiple books at the same time) but I am confident thus far that these are pretty solid books.

Spiritual Warfare for Ever Christian: How to Live in Victory and Retake the Land by Dean Sherman

I’m pretty sure some of your parents have read this book.

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Payson Prentiss

Starting from her 16^th birthday, this book contains Elizabeth’s journal entries…. Although the book takes place in 1800’s I feel like she is here in the 21^st century. Favorite quote so far “I knelt down and tried to pray. But my mind was full of all sorts of things, so I thought I would wait till I was in a better frame of mind” This book humorously describes the struggles of being a Christian teenager.
Anxious: Choosing Faith in a World of Worry by Amy Simpson

Good advice so far…

 

Devotionals

For my Utmost Highest by Oswald Chambers

God Calling by A. J Russell

 

Music:

 

We Will Not Be Shaken by Bethel Music (2015)

Just get it. You’ll thank me later.

Becoming Who We Are by Kings Kaleidoscope (2014)

Such a fun CD. It’s different and refreshing

Swan Song- EP by Hunter G K Thompson (2014)

You. Will. Weep.

Inland by Jars of Clay (2013)

Quality band. Quality music.

Banner by Desperation Band (2014)

Great worship CD to jam to… and Kari Jobe is on a track so yes, it is awesome.

Greatest Hits by dcTalk (2000)

Please don’t judge me.

 

I don’t really watch much TV to make a list…

What are you guys watching?

Any recommendations?

The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me?

Let’s get into the habit of studying our Bibles shall we…

In my early teens (guys I’m only 19 so don’t think I’m old) I had an on and off again relationship with the Word of God. You see, like some of you, I thought it was boring. I thought it was overwhelming, irrelevant, and confusing. When I actually tried to be faithful in reading it, I would just get confused and give up.

I was wrong- so very, very wrong.

The bible is actually pretty dope.

 

Is bible reading difficult? Sure, it can be at times. In order to properly read it, it requires a certain amount of willingness to strip as much bias as you can and read it from a different lens. It requires an open heart. It requires the Holy Spirit to guide you. Theologians, still wrestle and debate on heavy topics such as predestination, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, etc. So yea, it can be a daunting task to study the Bible.

But I figured I could give you all some practical advice that has helped me to comprehend it much more in my later teen years.

 

• Get a teen study Bible: My suggestion- NIV Study Bible by Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford

• Pray before you read and ask God to reveal things to you

• Use highlighter, pens, pencils, etc.- Mark it up! What words stick out to you?

• Get a journal to write any impressions you have

• Ask questions! Not all questions have to be/ will be answered, but what do you want to know? Share your questions with your parents, pastors, youth group leaders, etc.

• Get a devotional or create your own reading plan: I’m currently using God Calling by A.J. Russell and I’ve used For My Utmost Highest by Oswald Chambers in the past. (the latter is pretty hardcore and requires critical thinking) But you could also use a Youversion Bible plan.

• Start a Bible study or get together with some friends– one day I’ll share with you all my Bible study adventures… for now all I say is the hour a week or so, is totally worth it. Community is key!

• Know that these are REAL stories- This happened. You are happening. They connect.

***watching Hollywood adaptations of the Bible is pretty cool too. Just make sure you can treat it as a movie and not the actual word of God. There are usually a ton of inaccuracies.

 

There are different/ fancy ways to study the word like inductive style or manuscript style, etc, etc. Here is what I do that I learned from the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship from my school (this is slightly different than what they taught me)

 

• Read and Observe what is going on in the text
• Read again, ask questions, and try to interpret what it meant then and what it means for us now.
• Apply what is going on to your own life.

 

What’s worked for you? What didn’t work?

 

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Psalms 119:105

Spoken Word Poet David Bowden Throws Down

Pretty powerful stuff…

 

 

Check out his website for more:

http://dbpoetry.com/

 

Who God is to you?

The Nuns at Lunch

A couple of months ago I was sitting in the local Panera Bread sipping on a smoothie when two nuns came in and had lunch two tables from me. One was carrying a little dog in a bag, which was pretty cool to me.

Now I admit my perception of nuns is based solely on three things 1) the Sister Act movies with Whoopi Goldberg, 2) the play and movie Doubt by John Patrick Shanley (which I had to read and watch senior year) and 3) my friend’s stories of Catholic school.

Watching these nuns (I was probably rudely staring) as they ate their lunch made me think:

Those two women are automatically labeled as people of peace by their outfits. You know immediately that they are women of God, and no matter what your opinion is of them, you cannot deny how beautiful their dedication to their faith is.

 

And so I look at my life. Am I like a nun in the sense that people will know that I represent the Father when I walk into the room? Do I bring in light to shine over the darkness?

I would like to think so, but honestly I know it’s not 24/7, 360.

Let this be our prayer:

Father, please help me to show your love and light in the darkest places of my life. Please help me to not just show, but share your Spirit that is within me.

 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

Did You Know?

Christmas is near!!!

Ok, so this is how my mind works, Thanksgiving to me is pretty much the tailgate event preparing for the Big Christmas Event! We get the Carols going, Food and lots of it, cooking. The family gathers together to get our Christmas planning started. What are we doing, where are we going? Are we doing Secret Santa or white elephant? Our Christmas attire, traditional, casual chic? Then there’s the decorating, theme or no theme and just put everything on the tree? Christmas movies galore, Christmas shopping! Toys, clothes, stockings and their stuffers…

This all goes through my mind and quite possibly everyone else’s in some shape or form.

However when this hustle and bustle is going on, I have to stop and check myself. I sit back and just look at the main reason as to why this stuff goes on, because compared to what really takes place everything else is just that, stuff. We all know that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!” Do we really? This phrase is short, sweet and to the point. However, do we really look into it other than when we get to Christmas service on the Sunday leading to Christmas?

²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,^[i] for he will save his people from their sins.”²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,^[j]
which means ‘God is with us.’”

Matthew 1:21-23 NLT

The Child, a son was placed in Mary’s womb, by the Holy Spirit! First of all, that is a miracle in itself. Being a miracle, He is also a Miracle worker. As a mother goes through pains to bring forth or deliver life, Jesus was born to also go through pain to give us life. He is our hope as He was born to be with us, given His name, “Immanuel.”

God’s timing is everything. He chose a young girl to create a connection between all mankind even for the young women in the world today! The Holy of Holies was brought to Earth as a humble being who chose a young woman to be His mother. He was born in a stable rather than a palace, with a mother of age and great riches. It would have been the last thing someone would have thought for a King to be born in such situations.

The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Luke 2:11-14 NLT

The birth of Jesus created hope. He has given us hope through the opportunity to become born again with a new life, leaving the past. A hope for those who may feel inadequate or wouldn’t think they would qualify to become of great importance or bring forth greatness of any level. Ordinary people were chosen to be responsible for the raising of Jesus. Yes, He was perfect and blameless; however, God did choose parents who were obedient to God which comes from having a relationship with Him. Another hope that the birth of Jesus is that He will come again.

This is why we celebrate Christmas: We should emphasize Christ a little more. Christ-mas (-mas indicating a Christian festival- Dictionary.com) A festival of Christ, to celebrate Him.

Let us be thankful for the Hope we have been given, the present we have been given of new life, and His presence. He is the Great I Am.

So, a very Merry Christmas

With this I would like to leave you with my favorite rendition of a great song:

 

– SR

Ferguson

Whether you agree or not with the decision made in Ferguson, I think it’s important that it’s on our minds and that we are praying for our nation.

---

Last month the Office of Multicultural and Global Education (OMGE) sponsored a Candlelight Vigil in remembrance of the black lives that have been lost to police brutality. Originally I planned to attend the event to show support and pay my respects, but an hour before the program Andy, the protestant Chaplin on campus, called me and asked if I wanted to speak at the event. I accepted and went straight to work. After praying and spending twenty minutes here is what I came up with:

 I’ve lived a fairly comfortable and protected life.

As the world continued in its chaos, I stayed in bliss.

I learned to not watch the news- it only blasted negativity.

I even conditioned myself to ignore the hatred and anger that surrounded and affected me.

I stupidly believed that if I ignored it, it would go away.

But let’s be honest- that is a selfish way to live life.

I cannot ignore the world and pretend that injustice is not alive.

I cannot pretend that everything is ok

Because it is not

And I am not ok

I am not ok with walking around this campus

Knowing that people do not know the horrors and pains that my brothers and sisters have endured.

I am not ok with sitting in a class, knowing that a large percent of my peers will never have to know the pain I do.

My heart hurts for the world.- I mourn it daily.

But scripture says in John 16:33

“In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”

So although I feel this pain, I have this hope that produces perseverance, joy, and love.

It is important to share our stories with others.

Ignorance simply cannot be an excuse anymore.

We must share our burdens, struggles, and pains with others.

Why- I’ve asked this question so many times.

And I realized that knowledge combats against ignorance. But even more than that, love does. Love conquers evil.

When we share our stories and the stories of others

Our peers, teachers, friends, family, and overall communities must make a choice.

They have to decided whatever they will make a change or ignore it- like I had.

I have this hope for those who ignore the truth,

Because one day I woke up from my artificial world and realized that life isn’t how it was intended to be.

And so we must love more than anything.

We must love each other.

We must love those who wrong us.

We must love those who do not understand

We must love those who choose to ignore.

Because I was loved. And I choose now not to ignore.

I choose to share my story because perhaps one day it will wake someone else up.

 

I’m sharing this with you all because as members of the body of Christ our hearts must break for what God’s heart breaks for. God cares for these problems. He cares when injustice is being done. Just like He cares for you and me, He cares about Mike Brown and the family that he left behind.He cares for Darren Wilson and his family.

So here is what I leave with you. A challenge. Or perhaps this is a question. Clearly I care about civil rights, and more recently than ever before my heart has been breaking for justice. Justice for humankind. In my speech I talked about how we must love. But I also believe that   we must trust in the fact that God will have the final say and that He is calling each and every one of us to share the hope in him. Are you living a comfortable life to the point that your heart is hardened to the realities of this world? I challenge you to ask God what it is in your life or the world that you can specifically be praying for.

-KJ

A Response for Stephanie

 It is very much indeed a touchy subject throughout this nation, and i could not agree more about emphasizing love.

I can’t help but zone in on injustice.  It just leads me to think of the one who had suffered the most injustice…Jesus.

Am I comparing Mike Brown to Jesus, absolutely not.

But I just can’t help to think if we would hurt so much, feel so much and shout out from the rooftops about Jesus and the injustice he suffered for us (collectively and completely colorblind), we would not be here.

  We would not have to hear about looters, protests, rioters that are endangering the lives of others, the work places being destroyed, that are the only source of income for families and now have nothing left.  People as well as their families are now being treated to an injustice because of an injustice they feel has happened to those that people may not have ever heard of or have even seen if these events had not occurred.

But Jesus- in one way or another someone has been to an Easter service, has a praying grandmother, a zany coworker that preaches on a lunch break; His injustice has been the talk of the town, but we still wake up, get our coffee, and are on our way to live our lives.

But back on track; Yes, do we need to love more definitely.  Do we have to pray, yes continually…

Educate, yes

Does he care for Mike Brown, his family and the many others who have been victims absolutely!  But we must remember God also cares for those officers and their families.

Ephesians 6:12

For we are not fighting against flesh–and–blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Matthew 5:45 [Full Chapter]

In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

 

 

So let us continue to pray for not just Ferguson but for our world.

Think Like a Squirrel

There is this particular path that I walk everyday to get from my dorm to the main part of campus where the library, dining hall, and classes are located. It is on a hill and next to the noisy freshmen dorm where smashed beer bottles appear every weekend.

The path from my balcony

Although at times dangerous, it is my daily dose of nature. Along the path is a wooded area (that is currently the epitome of autumn in New England) where there is a huge amount of mini wildlife- squirrels, chipmunks, and various bird species. To be honest, sometimes I am scared to walk this path. I am terrified of birds (irrational fear for another blog post) and sometimes the squirrels are bold and do not scurry away.

But I have learned to be grateful for these bold little animals because their actions say a lot to what their instincts tell them to do verses what they have learned. In any other neighborhood animals scurry at the sound of crackling leaves or the booming voice of a human, but some of the squirrels here do not. They have learned that harm will not come to them. They know that they are safe and trust that we students won’t harm them because of trial and error. I doubt they had squirrel meeting and said “Hey, the QU Students aren’t going to kill us. We can stay!” They had to have learned this through trial and error.

And their boldness has benefitted them. I have seen multiple times squirrels munching on discarded goods that we students have left behind- definitely a feast compared to the ordinary diet of a squirrel.

So why am I writing about squirrels?

 I want to be like the ones here. Like the squirrels, I want to be bold enough to say “No” to my instincts and reap the benefits of being counter-cultural.

I look at what my instincts tell me to do- to sin, to not love properly, and to not seek righteousness. To run away at the first sight of trouble, and ultimately to not trust God. But where do my instincts get me? Death.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

I would prefer to access the gift of God, wouldn’t you? I want to feast, just like the squirrels. I want to be totally immersed in the love of God. It’s more than a want- it’s a need. Like the squirrels I want to be able to not scurry away at the first sign of unfamiliarity.

But at the end of the day I’m not a squirrel- and neither are you. We are humans and fortunately for us we have the opportunity to not eat discarded goods. We can have a real, authentic, freshly made feast. (I hope at this point you’ve caught onto the metaphor). We can taste the goodness of God for ourselves. We don’t have to be slaves to our instincts. We can freely take a stand and be bold to say “No” to whatever we’ve been born with or even learned to do. We can step out in faith and trust God.

My instincts will continue to tell me to do certain things, but they can transform. I have seen desires vanish as I’ve drawn closer to God. Haven’t we all? Through Jesus we are made alive.

 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”(Romans 6:1-5NIV)

 

And so to anyone who is struggling with obeying the instincts of this world versus the Creator of this world… I urge you to think like the squirrels. It is safe to say that God loves us and that we can rest in His arms. We do not have to run away from Him. Feast on his forgiveness, mercy, and love, because what He did on the cross was not in vain.

Roots

A few weeks ago my family and I were watching part III of one of the greatest trilogies: The Karate Kid. Yes, I must admit I never really gave these movies any thought. The only things I knew of them were the “wax on, wax off car washing scene,” and the “crane pose,” that everyone tries to imitate when they think of karate. However this time it was different. I was watching intently and a scene approached that left me in a moment of self- realization. In the third part of this trilogy, Mr. Miyagi, the instructor has planned in opening a bonsai tree nursery. Daniel retrieves a special bonsai off of a cliff that would salvage Miyagi’ shop after it was totaled by some of Daniel’s rivals.

The tree itself was also damaged, but Miyagi was able to nurture it back to health. The instructor then begins to tell Daniel;

“…this bonsai have strong root. Same you. This tree now choose how it grow. So must you choose how you grow.”

Scene from the movie with the bonsai tree

Then something triggered and a metaphoric light- bulb lit up. I was able to connect this to how we as Christians, especially to those of us who have been raised in the church have been nurtured to have strong roots. We are equipped with the knowledge of God’s love, who God is and who we are in Christ. Then just as the bonsai has been given the choice how it should grow and survive in its environment, so are we. Will we be placed in circumstances or an environment that could be harmful to our roots and well-being? Of course! Practically every day! But, it is how we choose to deal with such situations. Will we conform to them and let the environment win or will we sustain and dig deep into our roots to overcome such environments?

James 1:2-4

² Dear brothers and sisters,^[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

 

-SR

10 Memories of Growing Up At JFC

I’ve been going to JFC, like many others, since I was in the womb. It’s been a great childhood to say the least. Recently I have been feeling nostalgic since we haven’t met as a fully body in a while. Here’s a list of ten memories from my childhood that I know you’ve had too!

1. You knew these outfits were SUPER itchy. During Mr. Kenny’s plays you know you had to chant resist the urge to itch, resist it!

2. You were so embrassed when you confused your right from left during this song.

3.You know you flipped through this Bible to the picture sections when service was just a little too long.

4.. Step aside superman! This guy was truly the greatest hero of our childhood.

5. You still don’t understand how all these vegetables picked up objects without hands! [But you learned just about every Bible story from them.]

6. This show inspired you to become an astronaut for a solid day.

7. This show kinda creeped you out.I think it was because the doughnut sometimes rapped.

8. After the adults took communion, seeing who could collect the most of these was the realest competition.

9.You were actually the coolest person if you got to wave one of these flags.

10. Last , but probably the most memorable was this song. This was the SONG! Especially when the adults caught the spirit and started dancing hardcore.

Bonus*
When you wanted to leave church but you knew that wasn’t happening.

Zara Shares the Gospel

It is my last year of college at Monmouth University and life is just flying by! I’ve been learning so much about God’s character and myself. I am simply amazed at how He is working tremendously in my life and in the students at my school. On campus I am involved in Cru, which is a well-known college ministry. One of the main goals of the club is to lead people to Christ.

Class at Monmouth University

It’s kind of strange to think, but I see myself as a missionary. I know that when most people hear the word missionary they think of someone who goes out to a foreign land to share Jesus with people who don’t know him. Well, I see myself as doing just that. I’m on a college campus, which is almost like a foreign land; college is so different than the real world. Everyone is trying new things, experimenting with drugs, sex, and alcohol all while trying to figure out who they are, what their purpose in life is, and why the world is the way it is. A typical student a Monmouth University knows about God, or knows that Jesus is a religious figure, but they have no clue who Jesus really is and what he did for all of us. Through all of that I’m trying to share Jesus with thousands of people the truth of who Jesus is.

I see it this way; we can all be missionaries right where we are. There are people everywhere who do not know the gospel. They know about church but most people do not fully understand the weight of the gospel and its relevance to their life.

A couple weeks ago I was sitting in my literature class dosing off, because lets face it I am a health studies major, and literature is not my cup of tea! So was sitting in class, and my teacher mentioned that our next assignment would be to read the first couple chapters of Genesis. So I immediately woke up and was super excited. I was so happy because I was like wohooo I know Genesis I’m totally going to Ace this assignment! I went home, wrote my paper on how Adam and Eve’s actions, when they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, affected all of mankind.

I got to class the next week and my teacher asked for some volunteers to share what they wrote in their papers. Now if anyone knows me you would know that I am probably the quietest person in the whole entire world. I do not volunteer to speak in public; I hardly speak in small group settings! As the teacher was asking for volunteers I felt like the Lord was telling me to share my paper with my class, and not only share my paper, but also share the whole gospel with my class of 25 students! So in my head I was like ummm no God, I’m not doing that today! I really just wanted to ignore the Lord’s voice because I was super scared! I knew sharing the gospel with my class would be uncomfortable. I was scared of what they would think of me. It’s so nerve wracking to talk to people about God especially in a college setting where there are many people who claim to be atheists. So because of all those reasons I just sat back and listened to what my classmates were saying about God.

As they started speaking I began to realize that these people had no idea what the Bible really has to say about the fall of mankind. One girl in my class said, “Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God there is sin in the world and now we all have to do good things to get rid of the sin.” I cringed when she said this because so many people think that is the case. They think that by doing good things they can gain their way into heaven, but the Bible says in John 1:12:

“ By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”

Jesus is the only way to heaven; we can never do enough good things to reach God.

I was sitting there thinking to myself well I know the truth, but none these students do, so I finally listened to God and decided to share my paper and the gospel with my class. I stood up and began by saying; God loves all of us so much. We can even see it in the story of creation. The Bible says He took so much care in creating mankind. He intended for everything to be perfect and for us to have a perfect relationship with him. Then the fall happened and our perfect relationship with God was broken. We were separated from God because he is so holy and perfect and we are not, so we cannot reach him. But God is so great he doesn’t leave the story like that. Later on in the Bible God sends his one and only son Jesus to die on the cross for us to bridge the gap between God, and us so that now our relationship with God can be restored. Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days and now we all have a choice to make whether to accept this awesome gift or to not.

After I shared this everyone in my class looked at me like I was crazy! They had never heard someone talk about Jesus like this. They all just thought he was a good man who died for our sins, but they never really understood why he had to die and what that really even meant for their lives.

I just think this is so awesome because 25 people heard the gospel that day! 25 people who knew nothing about Jesus learned about who he was and how amazing his gift is to us. 25 people had seeds planted in them and are now thinking about God and his relevance to their life!

Zara sharing this testimony at Jersey Cru

God is so amazing I can see him working in and through me so much this year. A year ago I would have never done something like this, but today through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can face my fears, and be bold because I know I find my identity in Christ. It doesn’t matter if my classmates went home that night and talked about the crazy girl in their class because I know what God thinks of me. He sees his beautiful creation and that is really all that matters. Stay encouraged and take a moment this week to thank God for the gospel. Thank him for his precious gift to us, and I pray that we all start to realize how relevant the gospel is to our every day life!

ZJ