Deep Fry

  The concept of “river” is quite unique, as it is a fitting symbol for life and the Holy Spirit. As a metaphor of life, a river possesses both positive and negative connotations. For instance, a river can have peaceful moments marked by tranquility, but occasionally be rocky and turbulent. Sometimes, we feel buoyant, enjoying the thrill of the rush; other times, we feel like we’re sinking, barely keeping our head above the water. As a metaphor of the Holy Spirit, a river is a current of God’s nature, channeled through the Spirit to us. Unlike the prior comparison, the river as Spirit is a purely uplifting allegory. For instance, a rushing river, according to Scripture, is a symbol of peace and intimacy with God, in addition to a place where we can feel safe and secure. In the Bible, multiple authors compare life with the Spirit to being known in a prosperous habitation, and life without the Spirit as being lost in a desert wasteland. In John 4, Jesus dialogues with ...

How often are we overcome by the world’s negativity and its effect on us? How often are we overwhelmed by depravity and despair fogging up our understanding of who we are, what we’re supposed to do and why it all matters? Why is it we’re afraid of being known, but also afraid of being overlooked (“I could use some friends for a change, some nights I’m afraid of you’ll forget me again ”)? Why is it we split our spiritual drive in half by occasionally pursuing the right thing the right way and pursuing the right thing the wrong way other times. Should we be surprised to end up dazed and confused, frozen by fear? What will it take for us to realize how turning the light on, even in weakness, is all it takes for God to do something powerful within us. The question then becomes: are we putting ourselves in position to do just that? Are we placing ourselves in situations to look up and reach out when the quicksands of life seek to pull us under? We can become blindly satisfied (“ I was ...

- In recent days, I've been contemplating what real praise and rejoicing looks like, based on biblical analysis and sermonistic inspirations. After refining my interpretations, here are five take-aways for thought: 1) The power of praise and the power of rejoicing are profound components to worship. While praise is accomplished in the present by aligning it to both past and future, rejoicing invests entirely into the future through the sacrifice of the present (circumstantial expectations and entitlements). "O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure." ~ Isaiah 25:1 (ESV) 2) If illumination is to be sustained, we must see the reason to worship as essential to human existence. For praise, in purest form, surpasses all modifiers and qualifiers in a given verbal arsenal. So until we drill down on its comprehensive significance, worship will abate into a “legalist...

February 23, 2013 : The past 27 hours, I’ve been aspersed amidst a sea of youth, meditating on the meaning of “Relentless Pursuit”. And though my contemplations are still settling, what I can say with utmost confidence is the pulse of this year’s Acquire the Fire is beating with these youth in a profound way. As luminous spheres of light encounter raised hands, God is breathing life like fire upon the altar of expectancy – as an infectious flame uniting desperation among an emerging Jesus culture. Truly God is molding slogan not only into an immediate battlecry, but also as a tangible, long-term reality. How magnificent it is to be surrounded by inspirational prayer, desperate to see spiritual highs offset by real transformation. When I consider the intersection between the emerging generation and the church, I wonder why theology and discipleship are inadvertently misplaced on the backburner of ministerial priorities, and if somehow, this has any connection to young minds bel...

In recent days, I've felt fairly overwhelmed with anxiety and stress. In a nutshell, I just wanna be married already (# sixweeksleft ) and know where Lyssah and I will be living post-honeymoon. I'm sure many of us have been there before in one form or another. But during this time, I've also been thinking about the Coke Zero  ' And'  commercials and how spiritual twists can be derived from secular advertising.  And the more I've connected effective marketing strategy to personal application, the more I've been able to gather important revelations from them. For instance, last week, I'm talking to God in my quiet time...doin' the whole Philippians 4:6-7 and James 4:2 thing...and then, out of nowhere,   the following dialogue  breaks out... " God, I'm worried about this not working out ." God says, "And !?!" Then I say, "I 'm also nervous about not experiencing immediate breakthrough in this area of my life....

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince Of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this” ~ (Isaiah 9:6-7). Shake Up the [JOY] As the advent of Yuletide approaches, festive musings step back into the annual spotlight. But instead of capturing the jovial buzzes, the grandeur of seasonal allure and heartfelt episodes of goodwill everywhere, my heart is centered on something more transcending. Not to diminish the splendiferousness of Christmas charisma or the abundance of charitable displays; however, I must confess my pondering this year is centered or whether or not the true meaning of Christmas is bein...