Monday, May 14, 2007
Rejoicing through Hard Times...
God's been talking to me in many different ways, like he always does; And my prayer has been that the Lord gives me sharp ears to listen to what He's saying.
Within this past 6 months, God's been telling me to rejoice through hard times, even though I sincerely have had the best six months of my life...God's made me whole once again and I honestly feel just like the Psalmist described on Psalm 91:1 :
" He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty"
This past week, The Lord spoke loudly and clear once again...and last night the perfection of his plan was shown by something I read on my daily devotional "My Utmost for his Highest".
Firstly, I'd like to post one of my favorite Bible verses and from the bottom of my heart...I hope it touches you as much as it touched me.
In him, Now and Forever...(listening to "We Fall Down" by Donnie McClurkin)
L.
Romans 5 3-4
3 And not only so, but we also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness;
4 and stedfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope
We have to develop godly habits to express what God’s grace has done in us. It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that "the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."
And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. Is my life exhibiting the essence of the sweetness of the Son of God, or just the basic irritation of "myself" that I would have apart from Him? The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me.
No matter how difficult something may be, I must say, "Lord, I am delighted to obey You in this." Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him.
You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30 ). You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self-pity. Our circumstances are the means God uses to exhibit just how wonderfully perfect and extraordinarily pure His Son is. Discovering a new way of manifesting the Son of God should make our heart beat with renewed excitement. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God’s sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to "supply all your need" ( Philippians 4:19 ).
Keep your soul properly conditioned to manifest the life of the Son of God. Never live on your memories of past experiences, but let the Word of God always be living and active in you.--
By Oswald Chambers
Friday, May 11, 2007
How Big is your love for me...
Hey...It's me.
You know, I haven't really written any comments down (besides little "explanations" on my point of view about the videos) on this site (blog).
Mainly, because...I lived a life that was very much egocentric; and my ideas, thoughts, conversation and whatever else...definitely reflected that.
When I decided to create this blog, which i had no intentions of doing...All I had in my mind was:
"I could care less about anything, as long as I reflect through this blog Who I'm really living for."
Today, I once again experienced how "sweet it is to be loved by you".
Maybe it was because my two and a half year old niece (whom I hadn't seen in 6 months) still remembered my name...
Maybe because my sister is graduating later on today and I see the wonders God has prepared for those who really walk in his path through her life...
Maybe because I drove eight hours straight listening to nothing but some old school Brazilian Christian Songs and truly felt the meanings of the words...along with my mom and her best friend Valda.
Maybe it was because I was surrounded by people that I love and that truly loves me...what a beautiful feeling!!!
Last but not least...by the miracles I can see God operating in each and every single detail...If "Perfection is in the details"...God is definitely spoiling me.
It's 2:08 am...I got to get up early tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to get home to share my happiness and whatever is inside of me right this moment ...so, I ask you? How big is his love for me? Giving his son to die on the cross was the fulfillment but also seems like just the beginning of experiencing a feeling mere words can't describe...ok, let me try...salvation, happiness, joy, grace,mercy...ok, let's stop here. The list could go on forever...and I gotta wake up tomorrow to go to my sisters graduation.
Just wanted to share this moment with you...
In him,
L.
ps*(typing straight from Evelyn's Dorm)
You know, I haven't really written any comments down (besides little "explanations" on my point of view about the videos) on this site (blog).
Mainly, because...I lived a life that was very much egocentric; and my ideas, thoughts, conversation and whatever else...definitely reflected that.
When I decided to create this blog, which i had no intentions of doing...All I had in my mind was:
"I could care less about anything, as long as I reflect through this blog Who I'm really living for."
Today, I once again experienced how "sweet it is to be loved by you".
Maybe it was because my two and a half year old niece (whom I hadn't seen in 6 months) still remembered my name...
Maybe because my sister is graduating later on today and I see the wonders God has prepared for those who really walk in his path through her life...
Maybe because I drove eight hours straight listening to nothing but some old school Brazilian Christian Songs and truly felt the meanings of the words...along with my mom and her best friend Valda.
Maybe it was because I was surrounded by people that I love and that truly loves me...what a beautiful feeling!!!
Last but not least...by the miracles I can see God operating in each and every single detail...If "Perfection is in the details"...God is definitely spoiling me.
It's 2:08 am...I got to get up early tomorrow, but I couldn't wait to get home to share my happiness and whatever is inside of me right this moment ...so, I ask you? How big is his love for me? Giving his son to die on the cross was the fulfillment but also seems like just the beginning of experiencing a feeling mere words can't describe...ok, let me try...salvation, happiness, joy, grace,mercy...ok, let's stop here. The list could go on forever...and I gotta wake up tomorrow to go to my sisters graduation.
Just wanted to share this moment with you...
In him,
L.
ps*(typing straight from Evelyn's Dorm)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Has our perception of beauty become distorted?
My view of Beauty was distorted for quite sometime...don't get me wrong, the physical still has its importance...however when it did it become everything the main priority in choosing "right or wrong"??? Whatch the video and let me know what you think...
Steve Harvey Introduces Jesus Christ
How would you introduce Christ to someone? What about a Large group of people...why not try an unexpectable angle? check it out...
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Publicity Whose Business is it?
Ran into this text, found it very interesting...
Getting Cozy in an Institutionalized Manner
Six weeks ago, I broached the topic of Hollywood and the Church cozying up to one another in unseemly ways. In that article, I cited a real-life example of a publicist marketing a film directly to churchgoers, strategically targeting worship time as the platform for exposure.
Two weeks ago, I participated in an event of quite a different sort, and I’d like to use the incident as a means of dissecting the business of publicity—and the Church’s role in the whole thing.
As part of my editorial responsibilities with Past the Popcorn, I received a press pass for a promotional screening of a mainstream major-studio release. The screening time? 10:30 AM on a Sunday morning.
Did I go? Of course I did. My job requires me to work every third weekend anyway, so I’m not locked into a rigorous observance of the Sabbath on Sundays. (Perhaps I should be; but that’s an entirely different discussion.) And I wasn’t about to assign the film to any of our other writers, all of whom have regularly-scheduled Sunday morning responsibilities.
As it turned out, the reason for the odd screening time became evident: this family-oriented film was steeped in a worldview distinctly non-Christian. The studio was marketing the film directly to people who were the least likely to be church-goers.
So, how offensive is it that a publicist would think of screening a film for the press on a Sunday morning? How devious (or considerate) is it to screen a movie that Christians might find offensive in a context which prevents them from even seeing it? Are there precedents?
As rare as Sunday morning screenings are, I can think of one other similar occasion—a junket a couple of years ago. The talent for the film in question was only available on a Sunday, so members of the press corps were flown in on Saturday for the screening, and after a night at the hotel sat in on roundtable interviews during normal church hours. Needless to say, with such a schedule, the religious press contingent was a bit thin. Those in attendance of more orthodox persuasions managed to get in a local midnight mass and nothing was lost.
But the rarity of such events needn’t lead us to conspiratorial conclusions. Many factors influence marketing schedules: facility availability, talent schedules, print availability, access to the target demographic, budgets, and so on. The only ones whose schedules tend not to be considered are the critics; but hey—that’s our job, isn’t it? And nobody says we have to cover every movie.
I have to confess, though, to harboring a niggling suspicion that the screening I attended the other week was deliberately dodging attention from Christians. The content was offensively propagandistic, stopping just short of Da Vinci Code-style heresies. I found myself thinking, “Wow! They sure managed to sneak one by this time!” I had heard nothing from the usual suspects warning me about the content. Where were the AFA, the SBC, and A&F when I needed them?
On reflection, though, I realized that I was probably just being paranoid. Sure, the studio might have directed publicists to set up Sunday morning screenings. But my local publicist knows me very well, and knows that I write for a Christian publication. And the studios approve the invite lists. Nobody was trying to hide anything from anybody. I didn’t sneak into that screening.
So what was going on? This, plain and simple: product being delivered to the target market. It was transparent business practice served straight up, no more or less calculated than Mel Gibson courting evangelicals for The Passion of the Christ. Heck, Gibson doesn’t even care for the theology of most of his “fellow” Catholics; so why should we expect studio heads in Hollywood to behave any less commercially than Mel? They’re all businessmen.
And that gets to the crux of the matter. Publicists exist to connect products to markets. That bears repeating. Films cost extraordinary sums of money to produce, and studios can’t earn a return on their investment if ticket and DVD sales projections aren’t met.
To explain this factor a little more clearly, I’ll borrow an example from when I was president of a local community theatre. Year after year, the outfit had struggled to survive; still, I was shocked to learn when I assumed leadership that no kind of return-on-investment analysis had ever been done. And in community theatre the principle is pretty simple: butts in seats—not great works of art—pay the bills. If you conservatively estimate how many butts you can expect to have in the seats, that tells you how many dollars you’ll have in the till. The estimated number of dollars in the till then lets you know what kind of shows you can afford to produce.
So back to film: the studios have already worked all those details out before they ever talk to publicists. What the studios are after at that point is merely hiring experts who know how to get the desired number of butts in the seats. Publicists know demographics; they are experts in networking; they are savvy with communications and advertising. They know their role and they stick to it.
And publicists are in business, too. But they don’t worry about butts in seats, really; they worry about projects in the pipeline. A lack of projects means a lack of business—so the pipeline must be kept flowing. And as in any other business, publicists are all in competition with each other, vying for a share of the studios’ project-allocated advertising dollars.
The implication for the publicist is the same: just as no movie theater is likely to turn away a paying moviegoer, a publicist has to think very hard about which projects to turn down—particularly because turning down a project might mean turning away an entire studio’s business for good. That damages the pipeline in a big way; so sometimes the pipeline has to carry some sludge along with the sweet stuff.
From that perspective, film publicists are no more suspect or trustworthy than any other promoter. They need to keep movies in the pipeline to pay the bills; but to maintain their connections with the target markets, they can’t come off as complete whores, either.
And also from that perspective, publicists are merely a special case of businessmen in general. Yes, there are probably publicity firms that are the correlate of Enron; but assuredly, none are the equivalent of Mother Teresa.
So is it execrable for a “Christian” publicist to accept pay for promoting films like The Reaping or Norbit?
I suppose one can only answer that question properly if one has a sound theological answer for the dilemma of ministry-as-business; and be sure to ask yourself: what church have you ever attended that was not incorporated? In my experience, God was the true Chairman of no board on which I ever sat—no matter how prayerful the meetings may have been. Those darn sinful people (including me) always got in the way.
So if anyone out there has a pat answer for the larger question, by all means start lobbing some stones. Until then, a little humility is probably in order.
Getting Cozy in an Institutionalized Manner
Six weeks ago, I broached the topic of Hollywood and the Church cozying up to one another in unseemly ways. In that article, I cited a real-life example of a publicist marketing a film directly to churchgoers, strategically targeting worship time as the platform for exposure.
Two weeks ago, I participated in an event of quite a different sort, and I’d like to use the incident as a means of dissecting the business of publicity—and the Church’s role in the whole thing.
As part of my editorial responsibilities with Past the Popcorn, I received a press pass for a promotional screening of a mainstream major-studio release. The screening time? 10:30 AM on a Sunday morning.
Did I go? Of course I did. My job requires me to work every third weekend anyway, so I’m not locked into a rigorous observance of the Sabbath on Sundays. (Perhaps I should be; but that’s an entirely different discussion.) And I wasn’t about to assign the film to any of our other writers, all of whom have regularly-scheduled Sunday morning responsibilities.
As it turned out, the reason for the odd screening time became evident: this family-oriented film was steeped in a worldview distinctly non-Christian. The studio was marketing the film directly to people who were the least likely to be church-goers.
So, how offensive is it that a publicist would think of screening a film for the press on a Sunday morning? How devious (or considerate) is it to screen a movie that Christians might find offensive in a context which prevents them from even seeing it? Are there precedents?
As rare as Sunday morning screenings are, I can think of one other similar occasion—a junket a couple of years ago. The talent for the film in question was only available on a Sunday, so members of the press corps were flown in on Saturday for the screening, and after a night at the hotel sat in on roundtable interviews during normal church hours. Needless to say, with such a schedule, the religious press contingent was a bit thin. Those in attendance of more orthodox persuasions managed to get in a local midnight mass and nothing was lost.
But the rarity of such events needn’t lead us to conspiratorial conclusions. Many factors influence marketing schedules: facility availability, talent schedules, print availability, access to the target demographic, budgets, and so on. The only ones whose schedules tend not to be considered are the critics; but hey—that’s our job, isn’t it? And nobody says we have to cover every movie.
I have to confess, though, to harboring a niggling suspicion that the screening I attended the other week was deliberately dodging attention from Christians. The content was offensively propagandistic, stopping just short of Da Vinci Code-style heresies. I found myself thinking, “Wow! They sure managed to sneak one by this time!” I had heard nothing from the usual suspects warning me about the content. Where were the AFA, the SBC, and A&F when I needed them?
On reflection, though, I realized that I was probably just being paranoid. Sure, the studio might have directed publicists to set up Sunday morning screenings. But my local publicist knows me very well, and knows that I write for a Christian publication. And the studios approve the invite lists. Nobody was trying to hide anything from anybody. I didn’t sneak into that screening.
So what was going on? This, plain and simple: product being delivered to the target market. It was transparent business practice served straight up, no more or less calculated than Mel Gibson courting evangelicals for The Passion of the Christ. Heck, Gibson doesn’t even care for the theology of most of his “fellow” Catholics; so why should we expect studio heads in Hollywood to behave any less commercially than Mel? They’re all businessmen.
And that gets to the crux of the matter. Publicists exist to connect products to markets. That bears repeating. Films cost extraordinary sums of money to produce, and studios can’t earn a return on their investment if ticket and DVD sales projections aren’t met.
To explain this factor a little more clearly, I’ll borrow an example from when I was president of a local community theatre. Year after year, the outfit had struggled to survive; still, I was shocked to learn when I assumed leadership that no kind of return-on-investment analysis had ever been done. And in community theatre the principle is pretty simple: butts in seats—not great works of art—pay the bills. If you conservatively estimate how many butts you can expect to have in the seats, that tells you how many dollars you’ll have in the till. The estimated number of dollars in the till then lets you know what kind of shows you can afford to produce.
So back to film: the studios have already worked all those details out before they ever talk to publicists. What the studios are after at that point is merely hiring experts who know how to get the desired number of butts in the seats. Publicists know demographics; they are experts in networking; they are savvy with communications and advertising. They know their role and they stick to it.
And publicists are in business, too. But they don’t worry about butts in seats, really; they worry about projects in the pipeline. A lack of projects means a lack of business—so the pipeline must be kept flowing. And as in any other business, publicists are all in competition with each other, vying for a share of the studios’ project-allocated advertising dollars.
The implication for the publicist is the same: just as no movie theater is likely to turn away a paying moviegoer, a publicist has to think very hard about which projects to turn down—particularly because turning down a project might mean turning away an entire studio’s business for good. That damages the pipeline in a big way; so sometimes the pipeline has to carry some sludge along with the sweet stuff.
From that perspective, film publicists are no more suspect or trustworthy than any other promoter. They need to keep movies in the pipeline to pay the bills; but to maintain their connections with the target markets, they can’t come off as complete whores, either.
And also from that perspective, publicists are merely a special case of businessmen in general. Yes, there are probably publicity firms that are the correlate of Enron; but assuredly, none are the equivalent of Mother Teresa.
So is it execrable for a “Christian” publicist to accept pay for promoting films like The Reaping or Norbit?
I suppose one can only answer that question properly if one has a sound theological answer for the dilemma of ministry-as-business; and be sure to ask yourself: what church have you ever attended that was not incorporated? In my experience, God was the true Chairman of no board on which I ever sat—no matter how prayerful the meetings may have been. Those darn sinful people (including me) always got in the way.
So if anyone out there has a pat answer for the larger question, by all means start lobbing some stones. Until then, a little humility is probably in order.
By Greg Wright
Have you played Bible Kombat?
Have you heard about it? I'm not a video game fan..but couldn't help to upload this picture...I hear you can choose different Bible characters to "fight against evil"...if you heard anything about it, let me know...
Remember Stryper? They are back.C'mooooon!!! I know that unlike me, you loved them! I've never been a fan, even though I give'em a lot of credit because once...I tried to talk about Jesus to a taxi driver and he said..."Oh...I like Christian Music, I went to a Stryper concert in the 80's and they gave out Bibles at the end of the Concert"! Well done boys!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Starbucks...what do you think?
An Ohio woman is steaming after reading an anti-God message published on the side of a Starbucks coffee cup.
The message that got Michelle Incanno's blood boiling reads:
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."
Michelle Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, holds a cup part of Starbucks' 'The Way I See It' campaign (Dayton Daily News)
The message that got Michelle Incanno's blood boiling reads:
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."
Michelle Incanno of Springboro, Ohio, holds a cup part of Starbucks' 'The Way I See It' campaign (Dayton Daily News)
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Face of The Earth - TobyMac
Another video I made...for some reason, I've seen myself in the situation the singer describes in this song.
I know I can't take time back, however...I'm willing to show true friendship as talking about the love of Jesus to everyone I become friends with.
Straight up simple and efficient.
May God Bless you.
L.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Yeshua Hamashia - Santa Geracao
second video I made, to a song I heard when I was in Brazil...It talks about God's love for us and everything he's done!
Words can't express how grateful I am everytime I think where I (We) could be if It wasn't for his sacrifice! May God Bless you!
L.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
All In ( Letting Go) TobyMac
I'm actually getting good at this...hahahah...if not, I'm at least enjoying it! Anyways...I think these videos are a powerful tool to preach the Gospel and that's what matters the most.
This song in particular has so much meaning to me, because that's exactly what i feel right now and ever since I decided not to hold back and go HEART first with Christ! I hope you enjoy it...God Bless! L.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Check this out...
If you had the fear ( just like I did) of allowing Jesus to work in EVERY aspect or area in your life or still have that feeling...read this:
Have you deliberately committed your WILL to Jesus Christ?
It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction.
If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.
Oswald Chambers, My utmost for his highest
Saturday, April 14, 2007
My notes from the Youth Conference.
The Youth Conference titled "You Shall be my witnesses" (April 6-8) was truly a Amazing!
I hope what I wrote down will bless you as much as it blessed me!
In Him,
Lp.
I hope what I wrote down will bless you as much as it blessed me!
In Him,
Lp.
Saturday, april 7th
Best way of Witnessing, is to witness in the Character of Christ.
3 Things Jesus did as a Witness:
Jesus always treated everyone as God’s highest creature.
You’ve never heard Jesus say things derogatory towards anybody, when he looked at a somebody, he saw a person before a sinner
What made Jesus so approachable, was he way HE approached people.
Always with Grace and Truth.
How could he love Judas? He washed Judas’ feet
Because Jesus, has a wider vision, This person has a purpose in God’s plan. We need to have this vision also.
His Words Save, never alienate.
Jesus ALWAYS gave himself first
We got to break away from our comfort zone!
Live your life according to what the LORD has designed for you!
Jesus was always an advocate, a witness!
Satan, stands (means) “adversary”.
How many times us as Christians stand as WITNESS instead of ADVERSARY?
The key to the last example, is to approach in an unforeseen angle.
“Break the ice”, “Be kind”
Approach people, from an “unforeseen angle of elevation”.
Jesus treated the Samaritan woman, just like any other woman.
Live a life led by the Spirit, NOT doctrines.
Sunday april 8th
The importance of Worshipping and Witnessing.
Both things are essential.
The doing of witnessing – Acts 1 -8
How is our God being portraited?
Witness and Testify the incredible largness of being God’s creatures.
The World expects us to be “Moral Police.”
What if we come in an “unexpected angle”.
How Large is Jesus in us?
We are born to be witnesses, born with a compelling passion within.
It’s a real blessing to Witness
Watchman Nee once saind:
“The two happiest days in a Christian’s life is the day they are saved and the day they lead somebody to Salvation in Jesus Christ”
Get people in the “Witness zone”, The Holy Spirit is not only for our own consumption.
WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT.
Is Jesus, The Lord of your boat? If So, believe he’s LEAD you to that place.
If Jesus is not leading, than He’s NOT your Lord.
Follow the Spirits leading,it’s not hard to follow the leading and make sure you follow the WILLING.
Conduct yourself with Wisdom.
“Unexpected angle” = Seasoned food
Chinese people, call “non Christians” as “Gospel Friends”, that is an example of an Unexpcted angle;
Witnessing includes Sacrificing things you are accustomed to.
If Jesus Christ who is God, died for me, than there isn’t too big of a sacrifice We can do for him.
The Door waits before us, are you ready?
Best way of Witnessing, is to witness in the Character of Christ.
3 Things Jesus did as a Witness:
Jesus always treated everyone as God’s highest creature.
You’ve never heard Jesus say things derogatory towards anybody, when he looked at a somebody, he saw a person before a sinner
What made Jesus so approachable, was he way HE approached people.
Always with Grace and Truth.
How could he love Judas? He washed Judas’ feet
Because Jesus, has a wider vision, This person has a purpose in God’s plan. We need to have this vision also.
His Words Save, never alienate.
Jesus ALWAYS gave himself first
We got to break away from our comfort zone!
Live your life according to what the LORD has designed for you!
Jesus was always an advocate, a witness!
Satan, stands (means) “adversary”.
How many times us as Christians stand as WITNESS instead of ADVERSARY?
The key to the last example, is to approach in an unforeseen angle.
“Break the ice”, “Be kind”
Approach people, from an “unforeseen angle of elevation”.
Jesus treated the Samaritan woman, just like any other woman.
Live a life led by the Spirit, NOT doctrines.
Sunday april 8th
The importance of Worshipping and Witnessing.
Both things are essential.
The doing of witnessing – Acts 1 -8
How is our God being portraited?
Witness and Testify the incredible largness of being God’s creatures.
The World expects us to be “Moral Police.”
What if we come in an “unexpected angle”.
How Large is Jesus in us?
We are born to be witnesses, born with a compelling passion within.
It’s a real blessing to Witness
Watchman Nee once saind:
“The two happiest days in a Christian’s life is the day they are saved and the day they lead somebody to Salvation in Jesus Christ”
Get people in the “Witness zone”, The Holy Spirit is not only for our own consumption.
WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT.
Is Jesus, The Lord of your boat? If So, believe he’s LEAD you to that place.
If Jesus is not leading, than He’s NOT your Lord.
Follow the Spirits leading,it’s not hard to follow the leading and make sure you follow the WILLING.
Conduct yourself with Wisdom.
“Unexpected angle” = Seasoned food
Chinese people, call “non Christians” as “Gospel Friends”, that is an example of an Unexpcted angle;
Witnessing includes Sacrificing things you are accustomed to.
If Jesus Christ who is God, died for me, than there isn’t too big of a sacrifice We can do for him.
The Door waits before us, are you ready?
Friday, April 13, 2007
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