Tag: believe

Change, Christian Life, love

New Logo

Kristiann

Hi Friends,

This is the logo for UTBW.BLOG.

The story behind the logo…

My sister asked me, “What is ugly on the outside but beautiful on the inside?”

I rather quickly responded, “A geode.” Now, it’s not that a geode is ugly on the outside but rather that it is plain and very much a disguise for the level of intricate beauty on the inside. So I knew a geode had to be part of the logo indeed.

Then I thought about who we are as Christians, truly. Just like our Savior and Older Brother, Jesus Christ, we are either called to be lions or lionesses. That is our true identity that needs to be revealed over time and through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

So you see in the image, a lioness who shows markings, scars or lines as she is bursting forth in her beauty and being less contained and restrained in a misleadingly outwardly plain shroud.

I am still very deep in the development phase of the various items that will be offered through the website including my books.

If you are a servant of Jesus Christ, please continue to pray with me for wisdom, guidance, direction and divine connections. God is up to something big. This whole ministry is His for whatever purposes He defines, in whatever way and at whatever pace He chooses and sets.

Blessings of God on you today.

Kristiann

Christian Life

Is Your Faith GMO?

Kristiann

Today, we hear so much about genetically modified food; but let’s talk about our faith and if that has become the equivalent of genetically modified in the spiritual realm.

It seems that there are so many who are teaching and preaching things that are not the full counsel of the Word of God. We’re told that God doesn’t raise the dead or perform other miracles, that that was all in the days in which Christ lived on the earth in the flesh and that such has passed away. We are told that the Holy Spirit and His role are very minor. I’ve had some people tell me that speaking in tongues is demons uttering and that you can’t really be sure that what you’re saying is of God.

We have people behaving on the lunatic fringe speaking and acting from positions of hatred all the while touting the name of Jesus.

I tell you it is time that we embrace the full counsel of the Holy Scriptures. Not only did Christ say that we would do greater works than He did when He was here in the flesh; but he also said that in these last days He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. He said that the old men will dream dreams, the young man would see visions and our sons and daughters will prophesy.

God is not limited by our mental models! We are the apple of His eye, if we belong to Him. Yet, we can do nothing apart from Him! He said that if we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him and that if we ask for bread He would not give us a stone. He said ask for wisdom and He will freely give it.

We are fighting wrongly. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty for the pulling down of spiritual strongholds. We need to pray that the blinders come off of those that are deceived, both in the church and external. Time is short! I don’t know how it can be any more plain as we compare the Scriptures to the news – the true news and the weather reports. I say to some Christians that the end is near and they look at me quizzically and almost as though they’re going to burst forth in laughter but are trying desperately not to so as to not offend me. I don’t want to offend anyone for the sake of offending, but I cannot be silent as people are dying and going into the pit of Hell from which there is no return, save the miracle of Christ resurrecting them through us. I see people who say they are my brothers and sisters deceived by the evil one. I see this world in a blind malaise. No good is that…no good!

Worship is the key to Victory. Check it out in the Bible. Who was sent into the battle first? And worship is not all the fluffy cotton candy songs talking about how wonderful we feel. Worship is extolling God and acknowledging who He is, His character. I don’t see or hear a lot of that in today’s church. And when we just about get down to the Holy Spirit moving, so often it is on to the next quick part of our program so we get ourselves out the door in a timely manner. Folks, we have all of eternity we will be living out, rather in heaven or hell. We better put on the full armor of God and fight on our knees and in our worship; because we don’t have all of eternity to wrap this thing up and get people to realize and accept who Jesus is. Wake up, Oh Sleeper!

Christian Life

Respect Does Not Mean Agreement

Kristiann

Respect is not synonymous with agreeing with another person. I think for some this is a real challenge on a regular basis and for many of us it can be on an occasional basis. It’s lovely when we can agree and see eye-to-eye on everything; but that is not realistic.

I was having a conversation with someone, as I have had in the past many times over. Unfortunately, there is a recurring meta theme that it is desirable to always see things the same way and if not, to sometimes threaten conflict. The need for total, unquestioning agreement is born out of insecurity in many cases.

What do we gain by always agreeing? What if we are agreeing on something that is dead wrong or feining agreement? In psychology, we call the latter, pseudomutuality. Isn’t it more respectful to speak genuine opinion and certainly of most profit, to speak truth based on the Word of God?

I also have had opportunity to dialogue with others recently about what it means to live your life as a Christian especially in these days, which I believe are the end of the age. It is concerning to me when I hear studies citing that up to 88% of Christians do not read their Bibles, at least not on any sort of regular basis.

I’ve had several encounters recently where I made comments about believing we are in the final days, the mark of the beast, being willing to be martyred for the cause of Christ and so on.

I am so concerned for the state of individual Christians and the corporate Church. (I am specifically refraining from using the term the Body of Christ because not everyone in the church is part of the body.) By no means am I saying that I have arrived or have it all understood or figured out. I do firmly believe, however, that we are to embrace the main purpose for our lives – being transformed and conformed to the image of Christ. I also believe that if one does not stand courageously through the power of the Holy Ghost now, that they will almost certainly be doomed as times get tougher.

I think that we/the True Followers, will be labeled as nuts and doomsday propagators as we take a stand. I think a lot of people are not benefiting from pursuing the deep level of relationship that can be had with Heavenly Father, Lord and Savior and Holy Ghost. I know I’m not fully satisfied and want to grow closer on a daily basis.

By the power of Holy Ghost, I’m all in! What does that mean exactly? The bottom line of it is that I want to seek a deeper relationship and hear from Abba daily, in fact several times a day, clearly. I want to stay in an attitude of prayer and be in prayer throughout the day. I want to go to the mat for the Lord! He has raised us up for such a time as this. Now is not the time to cower or shrink back. In Luke 9:62, Jesus said, “Anyone who puts their hand to the plow and looks back, is not fit for the Kingdom of Heaven.” Now is the time to stand, be radical as led by Holy Ghost (not provoking the satanic realm from your own desire), be bold andcourageous (not intimidated) just as we are encouraged in Joshua 1:9 because God is with us everywhere we go! It means being a martyr if that’s what we are called upon to be. Martyrdom is actually a great privilege.

While people are kindly silent when I express these sorts of what I believe to be truths based on the Word of God, I wonder, are they ready? Are they ready? Please, get ready. God, help me to stay ready!