zeke is flawed

I was quickly reminded i need to learn patience and self control today. that is all

Take it back -- New Empire

Take it back! was a phenomenal band I saw this summer.  The lyrics are pretty much straight forward about the things a person can see viewing how christians misrepresent God.  These are my thoughts on them.


I've been tossing in my sleep
Plagued by the things I've seen
I see grown men in the streets
begging for food to eat
I see a young mom in the church
Shunned because her baby has no father
I see a war on the TV
That leaves orphans in the streets
And I think to myself
what a world we live in
where people use God's name
to expand their empires
They say its just the way it is
That I should just learn to accept it
Well I beg to differ man
I won't give in
You villainous men
With your treacherous hands
Have taken away all the meaning in this
Road you claim to travel
Is in the path of his steps
All the while your the shell of a Christian man
So I won't tread lightly
I won't go quietly
I won't speak softly
I won't let you get the best of me
This has to end here
This has to end right now
No longer can we wait for things to all work out
Just open up your eyes
And look past your front door
Your sisters in the streets and your brothers at war
Compassion has been lost
in a nation built by greed
But we could be a generation that is truly free
No longer will we answer
To a king who wears a crown
But a king who ruled through peace
Then laid his life down
Rise up
Rise up true sons of zion
I will be the change I want to see in the world






The first part. Up to where people use God's name to expand their empires.
SPeaks alot.  Look at all the wrong people continue to use the name of the Lord to do.  How often are people supporting their soldiers.  I'm not person protesting a funeral (i think those protestors are retarted, along w/ most protestors).  However how can a person Go to war, the killing of people and claim it in a God's name. Who has continually said to forgive people.  There's a difference in ending torture chambers going to war.  SO many people, who for 'the benefit of the church' have been hurt/kicked out by a church.  Not everyone has had this simple white collar life.  Where worship is easy.  And you dont spend your hour and a half at church worried about home.  Not everyone has had the easy way to worship God.


"they say its just the way it is"
Were told to jsut accept it?
And live with the problems?
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!
Thats not what standing up for what you believe is at all.
If someting is wrong spark a fire, and cause the change that is needed to happen.
The fact that these lyrics speak a sad truth about what happens to those who see problems in the 'christian' theology is what sickens me.  Cause a change. Speak your own mind. Find your SOAPBOX.


This song turns around as he calls out the person who claims christianity. and says I wont speak softly. I wont just let this happen.  I'll be the change THat is so desired.  Please start to live this out.  My prayer is that I be the change i need to see.  I pray that You be the change you so desire.  I pray that I will continue to grow into a socialistic mindset and give to each other as they need.


This nation built on greed, has destroyed our compassion,  As christians we still only care about ourselves.  We see fellow people in streets, people causing violence, and we leave it.  We dont do anything to fix the problems at hand.  When will You see someone hurting and go and help them? WHen will i do this.  When will I end my selfishness. and Give it all solely to the Lord.


I pray that we will stop following these earthly kings, and start following the king that truely matters. the one that laid down everything for us.  The one that laid down everything for me, and for you.  I wish to grow in ways that I dont know are possible.  God it is through you alone that I have conquered anything that enslaved me before.  Lord it IS you that is redemption.

progress in my life

This is not meant to brag.
This is meant to show a readers where I currently am.
This should help the readers know where the thoughts that are portrayed on these blogs are coming from.

This is where God has brought me.
This is not my whole testimony though.

I have had alot of change lately.

God has caused great growth to happen in me.
I have truely felt a calling to apply for the RA position for next year.  Whether that call is saying I will get it or not is a whole different story.  Just to apply.  I did this, and applying for RA has proven itself so far to be quite beneficial.

Lately God has shown me to not fear having money one day.  But to live at a lifestyle that I believe God would approve of, and then use all the other money to feed others. and protect those who need it, and to cause CHANGE for the Lord to happen.

God has helped show me some great friends, that have truely shown me a loving heart as of late.
My sense of humor has continued to become more cynical, and my hatred for corruption in power, and in churches has continue to grow into something that i cannot help but continue to write different song lyrics about.

I have found myself doing something God had asked me to do for a long long time.  That i never went through with.  I thank God that i did this, but i am semi-fearful of what he wants of me next, other than to continue my education and glorify him at all costs.  (which is something that i NEED alot of work on).

Growth is a weird thing how God moves us along.
Sometimes instead of growing us to say no.  God has us do something that eliminates the decision.  To where I can no longer say yes to some of the sins that have plagued my life.

God take control.
Lord remove my hate.
Make it something to cause change, instead of something to cause issues.
Give me the words to say to praise you the most.

THe idea of loving thy enemy.

Many times people say to love there enemies, but how often does this truely happen?
How does one actually show love to their enemy?

A verse i believe that is often just skipped over by many readers because it makes them feel uncomfortable is matthew 5:40
And if someone wants to sue you, and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

This is a lesson WE ALL NEED TO LEARN. ME YOU AND EVERYONE AROUND YOU.

how often are people constantly worried about their things?
Jesus the person Christians strive to be like, was/is SO loving and so unattached to this world, and attached to God the father,  Taht he says to give more than what someone is trying to take from you.

CLearly this is a love for an enemy that would not be explainable.  This love is something radical.
Losing stuff one owns to benefit someone else is one thing.  But giving to someone trying to steal from you.  I pray that someday I will learn to be able to do this.

That is revolutionary love.  Not just hugging your best friend next to you.

God is.

Today, Justin Mcroberts spoke at malone.

I really felt God move in me.
I realized this care for the poor that i need to have.
Thank you Lord. Continue to move, all praises be to you, anything good done through me, make it be only you, and not me, make it not to my glory.  Break my pride for you.

I fear owning money someday, however, I want to someday earn money, to give it.  Make more to give more.  Stay at a cheaper lifestyle, by giving away as much as possible.

He said something that made me think.
We put God in this limited mind, of what is sacred.
WHAT IS SACRED?!
God made everything.  He made this earth, who are we to limit God to where he can move?
Sacred is the Earth.  Limitting God like this shows that we are letting sin trample over our Christian walks

God is victory.  God has one the battles.  Yet we let sin control our lives.
God is above these sins in our life.  God can help us to not do these things anymore.  God can help him find us, in what we find to be the "secular" when really the secular, is the world that he died for.

THere is no sacred or holier than.  There is just God.  People expressing themselves are expressing themselves.  If we lived out the love that God so quickly shows us, then we can move on.  WHY IS IT SO HARD TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEONE THAT I LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT GOD FROM NOFX?! a band that hates God.

THese are the thoughts of today.
God created everything.
God is moving in people as they grow up and become stronger people
Whether they recognize God or not is a different thing, but when going somewhere we need to see that God already IS there.

Because God is, its not that we as people bring God. God just IS.

been a while since

Hopefully i'll do one tonight
I havent had any huge passions about anything lately, or even enough to write about.
Hopefully tonight i'll post

this song points out a sad truth that i see too often.

Think about how you were raised into CHristianity by the CHristian family/church/school, whatever influenced you towards it as a small child.

If youre story is anything like mine, You accepted Christ at a very young age, not knowing much about CHristianity or what it truely ment, ACCEPT that it was your "get out of hell free" card.  Then growing up things change.  However as I grew up, I became super close-minded.  I began to shut out other people's beliefs, even if they were similar to mine, and became your typical SUPER RADICAL CONSERVATIVE GONNA GO INSANE WHEN SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH ME FAGGOT THAT I HATE NOW.  sorry the caps was necessary.  Ummm... College hit, and i began to think things through alot more.  This hit in a weird way as for a few months, i had walked away from God b/c i had truely seen part of the darker side of "christian" churches.  (which, i will blog about this another day) the current churches do not actually represent what the Bible displays as a group of people meeting to worship.  As i was removed from a church that i was actively a part of by stating that I had different beliefs than them, and I am in fact supporting socialistic ideals, and am secure in my faith while voting democratic at times.  (I am very NOT partisan, i believe an issue should be tackled by the issue itself and what the results will be on which way the vote goes.)   With this, I had found that Christians had made me hate 'their' God.  The majority of this time, i found that the god i hated was the god of greed and i'm-better-than-you-syndrome.  Both of these continue to piss me off.

With this, as i am where i am today, changed, and broken for these people.  God has taught me HE is bigger than them, or any amount of hatred that can fester inside of me and cause me to forgive.  This song displays this fantastically.

smile

When life seems to be getting worse, and stresses tend to appear from out of nowhere, and the ability to focus has entirely left your mind.  Take a deep breathe, and smile.  Think about the positives.  Dont let thoughts of 'you being the only one going through this' take control of your mind.  Look where you are at. WHether in college, working, or in high school.  Realize you are getting education and the power you need.

Be reminded of this simple thing.
You are this small insignificant person.  In an infinite universe.  Be reminded when that girl or guy you like has a new bf/gf and it hurts you inside.  That you essentially mean not a whole lot because there is far more out there than humans can even acknowledge.  And with this that the creator God, who has continually shown us love and spoiled us with his blessings and growth. DOES NOT NEED YOU.  This is a pride level that we as CHristians tend to have.  That God has to use us to show his will to the people in our lives.  Realize he's omnipotent, and that we really arent needed.  He can do what he wants.

BUT! this si a big BUT, so i'mma say it twice

BUT!
He chooses you!
You are God's favorite.
This everlasting being who is far beyond anythign we can understand and more powerful than the mind can conceive chooses you, and wants you, and desires you.

Stop thinking you can hurt God, and that he NEEDS you.  His love covers those things.

Be loved,
Rest now.