October 25, 2011

Emotions...


Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

When reading this passage of scripture today I am reminded of the power of emotions and the significance they play in our walks with God. Many people call the female gender emotional and as much as I do believe this to be true I also believe they are important for our spiritual health.

I know I've probably read this Scripture a million times in my life, but I have never put together a thought regarding it before today. Yes we mourn when we have lost or our hearts are hurt, however, I believe that Jesus was saying something very important than just the basic.

Studies show that if we do not mourn the loss of a loved one that it could have major affects on our physical and mental health. The more people try to make sense of life situations and take control with their own power the more you see the importants of walking with God. We say walking with God all the time but when it comes to letting our feelings speak to God we can't do it. As if we are like in a love relationship with God and we can't tell Him how we really feel. It sounds silly when you say it out loud but it is so true.

Last year at Ladies Retreat Sister Chavis spoke about how the Lord had told her when praying that she needed to turn her emotions back on Him. When she was lonely she was to pray those feelings back to God as if He was feeling distance from her. This idea was very powerful to me and when I applied it to my life allowed me to get passed my own lonely feelings.

If we never show or speak of our emotions to God, He can't always give us what we need. You receive not because you ask not. Sometimes we are so quick to talk in life when it comes to what we want in a vehicle and what we want in a house or even in a relationship, but when it comes to Jesus and us we can't really speak up. We can ask Him to heal our marriages and find us the perfect husband or wife but when it comes to just mourning about how bad we've treated Him, that's not going to happen.

Last night my friend asked for some advice and when we finished she said to me, "I never know what to say to people who are struggling because the only answer I have is prayer. Why is it that when we are struggling that is the last thing we want to do or can do?" I thought about this much in my time in the church and I've came to this conclusion. When it comes to us speaking to God and telling Him our heart, the enemy will do everything in His power to keep us from talking to God. If He can take away to extension cord to the power source he can take away the power.

So what am I getting at today? I'm saying that blessed are those who bring their hearts to God and truly mourn about their relationship with Christ because those are the ones who will be comforted.  It isn't any different than those we love, if we never tell them we love them or speak words that make them know that, then we will never give them the peace they need in trusting that love. God is the same way if we can't go to Him and speak our hearts and show Him the love then He can't give us the comfort in knowing His love. Don't let the enemy steal what you have by taking away your power source. Stay connected to your love and keep telling Him how wonderful He is. Life isn't worth living if you can't love.

Lord bless you all and keep you in this daily walk. I pray your blessed by this revelation I received and pray that it speaks to the hearts of those who read it. God is coming back for a spotless church and in that church for a bride that is in love with Him and His coming.

September 30, 2011

Be Ye Holy...

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1Peter 1:13-16


When talking about holiness I believe it is important to mention that none is holy without Christ and without holiness we are unable to be modest. It is impossible for us to please our Lord without being close to Him and to be close to Him we must be modest. The two go hand in hand together and can not be removed from our lives if we want to walk with Christ.

In this scripture we see that our mind is a huge part of holiness and I came to see this apply over a year ago. We so often put so much weight on modesty that we loose the real reason we need modesty and that is because we are serving a holy God.

Being holy in God's eyes is standing apart in mind and in dress. I think of it this way if I have a good spirit ,one which is connected to Christ, all the things about modesty becomes easy because we are following the voice of Christ. However, if we are modest looking in dress and our mind is full of comparison how can we be modest.

While you ponder on that fact think about your walk with God. Is the way you dress and act pleasing to God. Much of my walk with Christ I saw myself as doing good because I was modest in dress but in the mist of my modesty I stopped girding my mind and allowed my modesty to become "MY" own works. I lost holiness and in the mist I lost my connection with Christ.

We sometimes put so much on the way that we dress that we forget the real reason for modesty in our lives. Do not get me wrong I do believe in modest dress but do not agree in it when our dress becomes our security blanket to salvation. Which is why I talk about holiness instead of modesty.

With holiness we are given spiritual eyes to see and know what is expected of us. We are able to see that our Lord wants us to be separate, covered, and beautiful as He has designed us to be. In that there are things to be desired and to be unknown to others.

Why open a package that you already know what it contains? There is no mystery, there is no anticipation. I look at our modesty being the same way and it makes me feel happy to know that there is something more to me than just what I look like on the outside. There is something so beautiful when modesty and holiness walk together in harmony.

I'm grateful that I serve such a holy God because it makes me realize that without the Holy Ghost and without modesty I can't get close to Him. Because of His grace I can reach the gates of Heaven but because of His blood and Spirit I can get through them.

Salvation to me is more than getting into heaven it is spending the rest of my life with a man who loves a holy and modest woman. That man is the only man whom I know I could never truly be good enough for and that no matter what I do or say without Him I'm truly the farthest thing from Holy.

I'm praying today that God would give me a heart to become more like Him to become not more modest, not more holy, but more like Him. Let the fruit of the spirit be what comes from my pours and what falls from my lips.

July 1, 2011

I'm Trading My Sorrows

As I sang that song last night I realized why I really love this song. It isn't because it has an upbeat tempo and that it makes you want to put on your dancing shoes its because each line speaks to me.

I'm Trading My Sorrow... I'm Trading My Pain

Each day brings a new kind of sadness. You can just read the newspaper and feel sad as there are new situations every day. Its almost as if the more our country battles with debt the more prisons we need, the more mental health units we need, and the more you read about sexual sins and addictions. All the sin in this world makes me want to trade all my sorrows and pain into something better.

I'm Laying Them Down For The Joy Of The Lord

That's right there is something better than pain and sorrow something better than doubt and grief. God has a joy that makes all the things around me feel little. Not that sin isn't a big thing but that I don't have to live in it, I don't have to forever be surrounded by it. My God has given me the opportunity to trade all that in for something better... JOY!

I'm Trading My Sickness... I'm Trading My Shame

Lately it seems like everything around me is about sickness, doctors, medications, diets, and appointments. But when I sing this song I am reminded that I can trade all the sickness of the world into the joy of the Lord. No matter what happens I know who holds my future and yes I may not understand why I am sick but I do know that I don't have to live being sick. I maybe sick in my body but I am filled with joy in my soul. People may want to put shame on me for not being like the world or looking like the world but I'm telling you what I can have the joy of the Lord if I trade all the shame of the world on me in for His joy.

Amen that's why I can sing the bridge of this song.

I'm pressed but not crush persecuted not abandoned. Struck down but not destroyed. I'm blessed be on the curse for His promise will endure his joys going to be my strength. Though my sorrow may last for the night... His joy comes in the morning!


You may ask me why I'm writing this and I'm writing this because it is the lyrics to this song that remind me that I don't need to live in sorrow or in pain. I can trade it in for a better car to drive. I can drive in joy as some day this vessel of mine will be here while my spirit will be lifted out of here and go on to a higher place. I want to be living a life like I want to be in heaven right now. Not because of what life is like down here but because I can find the source of gas that makes me feel like dancing when everyone is around and feel like dancing when no one is around.

I'm filled with joy today knowing that no matter what I'm trading in my sorrows, pain, sickness, and shame in for some heavenly joy that makes me laugh til my guts hurt, that makes me smile til my cheeks hurt, and makes me be the witness that God has designed for us all to be.

There is something about the joy of the Lord and there is something about the beauty of a joy filled apostolic saint of God who is living and walking in the Holy Ghost. There is just something about my Jesus that can't be hidden by the enemies ways nor stopped by his destruction because I know the author of the true joy and I know that if I stand with God that no matter what happens my sorrow may last for the night but my joy will come in the morning.

I'm saying yes Lord, Yes Yes Lord!! It doesn't matter what comes my way I'm going to life my head up High and say hallejuiah anyhow. God is bigger than all this and I refuse to forget where I can tap in to some true joy and hope.

May 16, 2011

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:38-42

This last week I had a very inconvenient situation at work. My desire to do things quickly caused me a huge fall. Nothing was broken but my right palm has a nice long cut across it that was a constant reminder of my lack of gratefulness and slowing down. To make it even more of a reminder God allowed me to pass out which was something that He had healed me from. The rush of all the emotions that over took me caused my heart to stop and for me to pass out. A scary thing but after the stomach settled, the dizziness went, and the headache decreased I found myself reminded of my mom's words. "Maybe God is trying to tell you to slow down".

I'm a Martha I go and go without ever taking a brake to breathe. I run around to get things done and try hard to get things finished. I don't like things hanging over my head and even more so hate to leave things for the next day. If I start something I need to finish it and if I do something I want to do it the best I can otherwise I get frustrated.

My parents taught my brother and I that if you are going to do something you do it well. You don't do things half way and all work that is done must be done the right way. In that truth I have allowed my desire to do things good be the fall. You can still do things well even when you slow down. You can still do things correctly when you are not the first one done.

In the mist of my busy life I was forgetting to take the time to wait on the Lord. Take the time to slow down and enjoy the works of God. Take the time to slow down and be careful. All things are in His hands and things will be there tomorrow that are not of eternal value. Work will still be on my desk in the morning.

This week has been a great lesson to me. God has blessed me with a more scheduled life and easier way of making more time for him, but in the mist of getting things organized for this transition I have became a Martha frantically trying to get everything done for the work of God. But in the mist of my work God is saying "Krystina Krystina... slow down and commune with me. Let me guide your day and let me be the swiftness to your feet. I gave you this opportunity so you and me can have time together... not for you to spend time running around letting your life rule you."

God has opened my eyes and showed me the error of MY ways. I'm busy, I'm going and in the mist of it I'm missing Him. God is just saying the tasks of this world are not of value when I'm here with you. This call of yours goes forth every morning you walk into work don't be to busy doing the work for yourself that you don't hear my voice.

Here I am Lord guide my footsteps and make me walk swiftly in your ways. Guide me to those souls crying out your name. I'm working here because God wants me to and I must never lose my focus on why. I'm here to minister and to do that through my walk. Demonstrating the light of Christ.

I encourage you all today to take a little time. God is speaking and He is calling... are we just to busy to notice Him. I was so busy I needed a good shaking but thank God it was a cut on my palm and not a lost soul.

April 4, 2011

His seed shall possess it...

And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.

Numbers 14:20-24

The people in the wilderness saw many miracles and works of God. They had received blessings and been taken out of captivity, but even with that they were not able to be content with what they had and wait for the promises of God. Yes, God showed mercy on their lives but that mercy was not the blessings they could have had.

Today I'm convinced that I'd rather live in the boat of contentment that will get me to the promises of God than in the life boat of mercy. I want more than mercy and grace I want to live knowing that its there if I need it but not ride in it. I mean come on yes the life boat keeps you a float but the boat is much more promising to get to your destination.

I believe God was speaking just that to the people in the wilderness. Yes, he gave mercy but that mercy was not the promise. I want my promise and refuse to be satisfied in the life boat of mercy. I want to ride in the boat where the waves come and feel like they are overflowing but in the bottom of that boat there sleeps Jesus.

I want to always know that the life boat is there but refuse to live as the cast away in the life boat. Soon I would like to know that I trusted in the anchor and the keeper of the storm. Jesus is really smart He knows what we need. :)

March 10, 2011

God has spoken by His Son...

Hebrews 1:1-4

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged out sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.



These words are a great definition of Christ. The one who holds all the power and all the ways of this world. Who reigns higher than any other and who purged out the sins to sit in glory to wait for His bride. What a beautiful picture of who our God is.

While I look deeper into these scriptures I'm reminded of who I serve. This man called Christ was not a man but God. That as it states "express image of his person" God was not able to show himself until Christ came into the picture. This visual world we live in needed to see who God is. He gave us that and when we allow ourselves to search out the scriptures we can see just who God is.

I'm full of great hope today that I can know who the man is. That I can see Him, feel Him, and touch Him through the Word of God. I love feeling good when He touches me but we also need to know Him because it says in the Word.

Fall in love with the Word of God and know that each written Word gives us a deeper knowledge and understanding of Him. God came to us by His son to show us exactly what we can have through Him.

March 3, 2011

Bible Study and Discussion

Are you interested in joining us with our Bible Study Discussion.

Topic next week will be about who we follow. Are you a follower of the Apostles or are you a follower of Christ? Who are you living your walk with?

We say all the time we are Apostolic which is right but have you lost what it means to be a Christian?

Please feel free to comment! Let me know what you think and we will bring you into the discussion on Monday March 7th at 7:30pm. If you'd like to join us please feel free to send me a message or email. We will be doing this live through Skype and encourage all young people to join but that you clear this through your Pastors as we want to keep everyone in the know.

May this discussion topic cause you to think and to see what you feel. What do you feel about being a Christian?

Use the Bible!

February 4, 2011

What to do next?

Overwhelmed, undecided, and confused is the best description I have of someone who's trying to figure out the call on their life. The purpose and the direction of where you're being directed is hard for the heart to figure out. As the Word tells us the heart is deceitfully wicked and truly goes towards what is pleasing to the person not God. I wonder often if we take that into consideration when we follow our hearts towards whatever God is calling us to do.

Prayer, fasting, and the Word of God are the three major things that I have found that will get you to answer the question... "what is this calling on my life?". To understand the voice of God and the direction that He is pulling you towards you must combined these three things to confirm your direction. It works and trust me never will you go wrong with these three things directly all your decision making.

The draw and call of God is sometimes overwhelming. How do we make sense of spiritual things and doing kingdom work with those things that we see everyday? We can't and that is why we must not follow a feeling. We must follow the voice, Word, and godly councel.

I can't tell you that I have made the right decision in every direction in my life nor can I tell you what tomorrow may bring for me, but I can tell you that the Word of God will give you faith to stand on your promises, prayer will give you the strength to follow after things which are godly, and fasting will give you the mind of God to understand what He is trying to speak to you. Within these three you are always going to get godly councel and you will always get a spiritual man or women to confirm this.

Now I'm sure you've heard all of this and wonder why I'm writing it again well I'm writing it to say that if you don't have faith and believe in these things you tie the hands of God to truly give you the revelation you are asking for. It took the doubting men and women in the wilderness 40 years to see their promise and I don't know about you but I don't want to be a doubter of what has been spoken.

Know that you are not alone while you figure out what is next in your life. Know that you are not alone when you doubt of what He is trying to tell you. We all have the must know now syndrome this medical disorder that is only curable with a big dose of GOD. As Mary Poppins sings "a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down"... well I will sing "a spoon full of God helps the frustration go away".

I encourage you today to take a look at your frustation and see what it is over. Are you frustrated cause you don't know or are you frustrated because you think you know and it isn't coming to pass. Trust me all things will come together. Just enjoy the time you have learning and getting to know who God really is. Enjoy knowing that God's will is not always a time line and not always in our ways but in the works of the soil. God makes sure the grounds are ready when we may not see the underlying issues he sees when really is going on in the depths of our soil.

February 3, 2011

Love... Passion... One Heart?...

Through out the Word of God we see and find the many ways and examples of love. We see the love of God, self, others, and the most important the love of souls. Ever single story throughout the Word of God truly has to do with love. It has to do with where our true heart is and where our passion lies. How the butterflies of a new found beauty can make us feel as if we have just won the jackpot.

Valentines day at this point in my life means really nothing. I usually spend the time with a good book and a cup of tea. Receive some cards from my family and maybe a little gift but besides that it isn't the day of "love" for me. However, even though it isn't for me doesn't mean that I don't recognize it as a day to give to those to show you care. Not because it is a national holiday but because you truly want them to understand what they mean to you.

As we become a world in love with pleasing ones self I find myself desiring more and more to have the heart of God. I have been able to hear of the wonderful heart of people in other countries who truly put themselves last and lift others up before themselves. How they prove that God's love lives within them.

Jesus said when he spoke to the woman with the issue of blood. Her reaching to Him in faith of healing could have cost her, her life if it would have been any other man. However, she was given an example of what love is and that is when you are in need those who care give and Christ has that heart.

Love is not vain nor is it full of self, it is if true love something that goes deeper than the two involved. It influences all that come in contact with it. Christ's love shows us that it impacts and it changes others when it is true.

This month I challenge you to see where your love lies and see if you give love for what you can get or you give it because you want others to see that you care. Not the kind of love that gets noticed nor the kind that makes you puffed up the kind of love that shows that what is important to you is the only true valuable thing you have and that is... God.

February 1, 2011

Missions...

My lovely mother just returned from the mission field of Uganda. Her life changing experience came directly from the love and passion of the native people. People whom live everyday fully for the Lord. Who sleep only four hours a night to wake up and pray two hours in the morning and adventure out to do God's work. Who daily work in spreading the Word of the Lord of the ONE TRUE GOD.

Do we as "western" Christian's really know what it means to be a Christian? The Word describes men and women who gave up everything to serve the Lord. Ruth giving up what she could have had to follow a mother-in-law's God. Do we know what it feels like to truly in our heart desire to give it all to God? I'm challenged to say I don't. I'm sad to admit that I have not sacrificed a lot in my life. Going to the mission field was not a sacrifice to me it was a blessing to me. Yes I didn't get paid for the time over there but what is money when we are talking about working for the kingdom of God.

Yesterday I was brought to realize something... Do we prepare ourselves for working for God or do we prepare ourselves for the blessings of God? Going on a mission no matter if it is home or foreign means setting forward in the direction of Christ. To be working towards a kingdom ending and nothing less. In the end we could loss everything when it comes to what is valuable on earth but THAT is what I believe makes us Christian.

If we are to be Christ like, we must give up our lives to the work of Christ. Does it not mean to follow after Christ? Well what did He teach us? He taught us that worldly gain and popularity was not of value to Him that what mattered most was that all were given the opportunity to make it to heaven. Now what are we called to do? We are called to spread the Word to all nations that all may be saved!

So in ending I ask.... what is your mission? Is it home missions, is it foreign missions, is it street missions, is it teaching bible study missions, is it taking care of the house of the Lord missions, is it testimony missions, or prayer missions. I'm talking about missions with a purpose with a focus with a centered vision of kingdom adding and nothing less. I challenge you today... what is your mission what is your heart.

January 31, 2011

Doubting Thomas...

Today I was reminded of something that has opened my eyes. Thomas a man of God who was chosen by Christ as one of the 12 apostles, forever lives as the man of doubt. However, today while speaking to my friend about her own doubts in herself she reminded me of Thomas the train. A child’s cartoon character who continues to be known as the “I think I can” train.

I often have referred to him during conversations talking about how she can do it through Christ. The laughter of this character and his trying to make it up the hill quoting “I think I can...I think I can...I think I can”. Sometimes is what we are like while working up enough courage in ones self to make it up the hills and mountains of this life we live.

The apostle Thomas was also a man who doubted but who's one little doubt gave him the opportunity to see just how big Jesus was. His lack of faith in Jesus Christ rising from the dead had given him the opportunity to see the holes in the hands of God. To witness by sight those things we only believe by faith. Talk about God wanting to reassure His people.

Today as I was talking with my friend she told me that she is like Thomas and I forgetting about Thomas the train referred to the apostle Thomas. Whom prior to my Pastor bringing him up had never heard about doubting Thomas but knew the story of Thomas. I than said that she should put her fingers in the holes in His hands. After some confusion I realized something that has spoken directly to me today.

Thomas really doubted in the power of the Holy Spirit just as much as the manifestation of Christ in front of him. As we walk through this life going up and down the mountains of life do we doubt the power of Christ? If we doubt that we can make it over the hills or we doubt that we can get past the trials of the day are we really doubting God? Yes. When we doubt the power there of and deny the mighty God we serve and whom lives in us we truly just make Him out to be nothing more than human.

Today I’m overly excited to know that with every turn of life we know that we have a source of strength that is much more powerful than the ways of the wicked. That we know that no matter what takes place that if we trust in the source which gives us the ability to face each day as it comes that we will be over comers by the Word of the Lord.

I am changed, I am made new, and the strength in which I find new every morning is up in a strong tower. How do I get up there I praise my way up there... to be next to my King. Where sin does not abound and where purity is more than a white robe but a relationship with the most High God.

Not Every Sorry...

 The other day I saw a post on Instagram that was so powerful to me. The picture said "Not every sorry... should be responded with a &q...