Seventy Times Seven

The spiritual journeys of seven young followers of Christ.

[seventytimessevendevos]

Jesus: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Me: But he--

Me: But she--

Me: But they--

Me: But what if--

Jesus: Did I stutter?

[seventytimessevendevos]

Humility: Come to Jesus

“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Luke 7:37-38 [NIV]

I’m reminded of the countless 3 am’s of utter weeping and raw heartbreak over not being good enough, physically or spiritually, and dealing with puffy eyes and a swollen heart the next morning.    

In this particular passage we don’t get very much background information about the woman, other than she’s been living a sinful lifestyle. We don’t know for sure the number of one night stands or orgies she’s participated in. We don’t know how many times she’s stolen or lied or even cheated. And we definitely don’t know the number of restless nights of wondering if she’ll ever be good enough or if she could ever escape the ever-present hole in her heart. 

All we know is that she heard Jesus was to be at a Pharisee’s home.

And she came.

Not only did she make her visit to Jesus in another person’s home, but she poured her everything onto Him. With a blurry mix of tears and expensive perfume, the woman kissed Jesus’s feet and wept over Him, and because of her faith, she was forgiven.  

Ladies, let me say to you:

You are beautiful. 

You are worthy.

You are enough. 

Jesus is waiting for you to just come to Him in full surrender. Just let go and let Him guide you to more life than you could ever imagine. 

Gentlemen, let me tell you:

I know there’s a large burden on you to be the strongest and most attractive and a leader, but eventually you’ll fail. 

You were never meant or designed to do it on your own.

Give Him your burden, for His is light. 

Brothers and Sisters, just come to Him. He’s waiting for your heart. 

Amanda //

[mariboom]

Ένα φιλί που δεν ήθελες να τελειώσει. Μια αγκαλιά που δεν ήθελες να είναι η τελευταία.

(via mariboom)

[seventytimessevendevos]

•H • A • L • L • O • W • E • E • N •

It’s amazing how this day has become so popular, however I am not at all surprised. However I say it people won’t like it so I’m just going to be blunt,

because Halloween is nothing short of one huge satanic party.

What are Christians called to be? Children of Light. A lamp on a hill.

So how are we children of light if we are dressing up as followers of darkness? What use is a lamp if you cover it with a bowl?

What about fear? Maybe you’re not afraid but creating fear in others is not the work of God.

Some may view this day as harmless because those are people who have either never looked in their Bibles, are dealing with pride or are deceived.

And if you don’t want to take it from me:

• Leviticus 19:31 • Leviticus 20:6 • Leviticus 20:27 • Acts 8:9-24 • Acts 13:6-11 • Acts 16 • Acts 19 • 1 Corinthians 10:21 • Ephesians 5:6-12 • 2 Corinthians 6:14

Are just a few.

People who celebrate Halloween are inviting the devil into their hearts and homes. Jesus overcame the darkness when He died on the cross and rose again. We have absolutely no need to celebrate death.

We celebrate the Life that is found in Christ alone and not in the darkness of Halloween.

// Lou

[seventytimessevendevos]

E X O D U S • 3 • “I AM THAT I AM.” •

The Hebrew word used at the burning bush for ‘I AM’, meaning YHWH, is solely made up of consonants. The word in itself is unpronounceable, but the individual letters can be ‘breathed’ one by one with no use of the tongue.

How beautiful that each of us can all at once fail to pronounce and comprehend His name, yet have it pass by our lips with every exhale.

When a baby is born, does he take a breath to let the world know that he is alive?

Or is he proclaiming the name of the One who gave him life?

At the end of our lives, is it that we simply take our final breath?

Or is it because we can no longer say the name of God that we die?

This morning my pastor stated that, just like how a sunken ship in the ocean cannot contain all of its water, so are we unable to fully contain God. There will always be something about who He is that is beyond our reach. Although we maybe often speak of God as though our concept of Him is complete, truly it is He who is holding us. We are the ship and He is the ocean.

When you feel that Christ is far from you, ask yourself this question: “How close is my God to me right now?”

And the answer will always be, “Closer than your breath.”

// Lou

[seventytimessevendevos]

Faith Like a Child

{"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14)}

I think I get it. 

I’ve read the passage where Jesus seeks for the children to come to Him, despite His disciples trying to stop them.

I think I now have a glimpse into how Jesus felt about children. I used to be reluctant in even feeling sorry for a child, much less view them with an open heart. But that’s what He did. 

He sees the innocence, the purity, the carefree laughter that comes from a child. He sees Himself in them.

Our church hosted VBS this past week, and I had my opportunity to work with the youngest kids from Pre-K to Kindergarten. I saw them having the time of their lives- all while learning about Jesus. It’s amazing to have your heart opened to little ones who see the world from such a clear sight with awe and wonder because they aren’t consumed with the world’s evil. 

They’re themselves. They’re beautifully crafted by the hands of the Father. They’re His. They’re a reflection of both His glory and beauty. 

So when Jesus formerly states that, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3), He doesn’t mean to become childish and immature again, but to change your mindset to become child-like.

To believe in miracles again.

To believe that nothing is impossible.

To have such an optimistic and wondrous hope in the future.

To not have consuming doubts but to have faith like only a child could have. 

That’s what Jesus is calling us to be like: His children. He bought us with a price and He’s invited us into His family. How incredible is that?

Happy Friday! 

(P.S. Sorry for the past few weeks I’ve been MIA; so much has been going on!)

Love you all, my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

//Amanda

[seventytimessevendevos]

O • R • L • A • N • D • O •

Heavenly Father,

We lift up the state of Florida. Where silence has been replaced by the deafening ricochet of bullets through the air. Calm the storm, O God.

We lift up the citizens of America. Where worried expressions are creeping across faces and heart rates quicken with panic. Come with Your peace, Holy Spirit.

We lift up the LGBT community. Where many feel unsafe and concerned. Be their shield and protect them, Father.

We lift up Orlando. Where too many lives have been lost and even more shattered to pieces. Bring restoration in a time of tragic loss, we pray.

Despite his cruel act that many of us will never understand, We lift up the man who committed this senseless act. We ask for mercy on him, God.

Finally, we pray for justice. No one deserves to be shot down. No one deserves to be targeted and killed whether it be for gender, sexuality or skin colour. The Lord will bring all injustices to justice.

We will not be shaken. We will stand together. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

// Lou

[seventytimessevendevos]

• C O L O S S I A N S • 3 : 1 2 •

How do you get dressed in the morning?

We can spend a lot of time thinking about what to wear. Some of us may change our outfit two, three or even four times.

Even more of us forget to walk into our biblical wardrobe. Take a look. Your shoes of empathy are untouched. Your shirt of humility still carries the shopping tag. Your scarf of patience is moth-eaten and covered in dust.

We are described in John as children of Light. Being a child of Light means that it should shine out from within. Naturally. Because it’s part of our identity.

But when we think no one is watching, we replace humility with pride. We take off our patience because it means endurance and we don’t want to wait. We take off compassion and chuck on selfishness because it’s easier to focus on us.

Learning to dress yourself is for toddlers. So why are we still messing about in the sandpit and splashing dirt up our freshly-cleaned clothes?

We need to learn to get dressed.

// Lou

[seventytimessevendevos]

Be Still. Whether it be sunrises with the early morning chill of optimism, or the mid-afternoon sun that plays hide and seek with the clouds, or at night when everyone and everything goes to sleep and the world seems almost empty of chaos. Those are moments that calm my soul. And it seems like the more we get caught up in this monotony of constant noise and work, we tend to forget what's really going on. What really matters. What is our purpose in this life? How can we keep from being caught up in this world of godless living, and when will all of the noise just stop? We all know that Psalm of, "Be still, and know that I Am God..." (Psalm 46:10), and it's personally one of my favorites. Mostly because it makes you stop for a second in this crazy, fast-paced world, and admire God for Whom He really is. But if you keep reading in the verse, it continues: "Be still, and know that I Am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth." This can be taken as admiration for all of the works of His hands (which He deserves tons upon tons of glory for the stars and ocean and quietness of a morning with all He's created), but the second part is what I think a lot of people forget to read (myself included sometimes). He's going to be exalted among the nations. Within the world. The first part is so calming, but the latter is what really drives home the message that He said He will reign forever and ever. He will be the one to fight the final battle against evil and win. Him. The Great I Am. God. The Creator. The One who made the beauty and splendor of all the universe. (And I was worried about what I was going to wear for Church on Sunday.) He's the reason we still breathe our next breath and beat the blood that runs through our veins. The Alpha and Omega. Perfection. So whenever you gaze at the awe-inspiring mountains or rivers or moon, just be still, and remember that whatever difficulties you may have, give them to Him, the Author and Perfector of our faith. He cares so much about you. I mean, He even sent His blood to die for you. His love will win in the end, I promise. Just be still. //Amanda

[seventytimessevendevos]

Quiet, Soul

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38,39)

So I don’t understand why my whole being still shrinks back in fear of the future.

I tap my foot uncontrollably. I look around in anxiety. My heart pumps at lightning speeds.

My heart, you of all things have to stop. How do you even think you have the capacity to pump at an increased speed?  Every single heart beat is signaled by my Savior. If God will keep me near Him unconditionally, why would God allow something detrimental to happen now? Heart, stop worrying.

We am loved by a Father that wants the best for us. Only it's so easy for us to forget...We are only human. But it gives no excuse not to:

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases (Psalm 103:1-3)

Quiet time with God each day causes our faith to increase abundantly. We won’t jump to conclusions as quickly. 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34) It is my obligation to get connected with God daily, especially in moments of fear so that I do not despair.

                //Leeza

[seventytimessevendevos]

Sometimes I want to just run away.

I see myself fleeing the shadows of my past that threaten to cast themselves over my present. But when I see the tip of the blackness begin to envelop my soul, that’s when I get my weapon.

I pick up my torch of Light. By the power of the Flame, dazzling fire bursts open the lies within my heart, Light comes and rests inside the depths of my spirit, hugging my internalised worry.

As long as I have my Torch, I have a guide out of the darkness. As long as I have my Flame, I have an indestructible weapon against the forces against me. As long as I have Christ, there is a fortress to which I can run. I will run up the staircases of my Father’s heart and slam the door shut to my past. It cannot enter.

The Light of God destroys any attack of darkness. While I still have God, I will never be in a dark room without a Candle. The Spirit of the Lord is like fire. And I am one with the Fire. The Torch is the Spirit of the Lord. And the Spirit of the Lord lives in me.

I am a child of God.

// Lou

[seventytimessevendevos]

Sometimes when I'm in the car and it's quiet on the way home, or when I'm lying in my hammock, or even when I've had a long and weary day, I think about how there has to be more. There has to be more than this life, because time is escaping and I'm growing older by the second, and I know that there has to be somewhere else that my heart yearns for sometimes. And that's home. Not the house or apartment you live in (or sadly shacks or even lack thereof in some places in the world), but the place where we're destined to be. Where our souls will one day dance and be free. And that's why I feel so called to write about this this week, because I know today there is a huge decline in the whole concept of urgency. Most people are simply living life to their own accord, and I feel like a lot of us have forgotten our purpose. We've all pretty much heard of the Prodigal Son (if not, check out Luke 15:11-32). And basically one of the themes is it's not too late to come home. Actual home, in our Father's arms. We see a son that pretty much wished his father dead and took with him his inheritance and basically spent it all and found himself at his rock bottom. But as he reluctantly made his way home, his father, the man that should hate him and banish him and disown his son sees him in the distance and not just walks at a brisk pace, but RUNS to greet his son with open arms. That's God. And that's home. With forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. I'm simply trying to give a humble reminder that it's not too late, and He still loves you. And once you accept Him, or come home, you'll have that peace of mind that is unlike any other. Darling brothers and sisters, come home. 💙 Forever and Always, //Amanda

[seventytimessevendevos]

On Selfishness

Selfishness manifests itself in so many more ways than you initially imagine. My mind is inclined to think first of not wanting to share...in the typical kindergarden sense. But as I've been thinking on it this week I’m much more selfish than i realized.

-I deny my strong feelings to assume some kind of superiority over others around me. I selfishly don’t want to feel weak and i want to be in control.

-I usually volunteer to complete my obligatory hours.

-I pass by someone who dropped their books or tripped without barely even flinching.

-I can't remember the last time I’ve given more than a few cents to a beggar.

-Less than 50% of my prayers include requests for God's action in a life not connected to mine.

-And even in my walk with God I've realized my selfishness. My preferred method of worship is through song. Nothing is wrong with that except that I've declined in my prayers. I’ve blocked myself off from that communication which would help Him to work out in my life. I am denying a way for God to work through me to show Him each day.

If I keep living like this, I wont look any different than the rest of the world. We all have to stop conforming to worldly patterns. I implore you also to look for instances in which you fall short, and recognize them. Then don't dwell on how bad you feel. Just offer up your problems to God and work out a plan for reform.

Finally continue on your day and consider yourself reformed because mindset is where intentions are first implemented !

James 3:16 for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

[merodi-wa]

Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. Listen to the small voice in the background speaking truth. The lies are easier to believe because they line up with the world around you. But listen to the truth. The Word of God. It’ll be hard to hear at first, but the more you tune in to It, the louder it will become. Don’t listen to the lies that tell you you’re not good enough You’re not pure enough You’ll never make it You’ll be stuck in the rut forever You’re not loved

They are lies told by the enemy to keep you from living in God’s truth. To keep you from your full potential that God created you for. With Christ, you are good enough, you are made pure, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, He has great plans for you, and you are loved beyond imagination by the One who died to know you.

Please believe the truth.

With love in Christ, Alex

[seventytimessevendevos]

What is a Christian?

When we think of the term “christian,” some of us think high church attendance, or a mountain of Biblical knowledge, and some even think hypocrites. 

The term “Christian” is never defined in the Bible. Actually, it was meant to be a derogatory term used at Antioch to insult Christ followers, but we use it today to label those who claim to do good and believe in God. This I don’t have a problem with; honestly, there’s no certain standard for “christians” because there isn’t any in the Bible to define certain qualities or illustrate what one is.

However, what is defined is disciple. This is our one, true label to wear proudly as we struggle through this life. This term is most definitely defined and even exemplified through Jesus Himself. He said that, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). 

We’ve pretty much all heard this verse before, but do we really understand the implications it holds? Jesus carried-very selflessly and painfully- that old, rugged cross to Calvary to be literally tortured to death. 

He calls us to take up our own personal crosses (maybe not to be crucified in most cases), and it shouldn’t be easy; it wasn’t for Him. So why should it be easy for us? 

What does that look like today?

It looks like struggling to follow God’s word planted in your heart, despite what our narcissistic society says about being selfless. 

It looks like giving up anything that makes you sin: relationships, material possessions, anger, fear, and indifference.

It looks like going above and beyond what is asked of you when asked a favor in order to show selfless, sacrificial, radical love to neighbors. 

And it looks like standing up for what you believe to be true. Do you really believe in Romans 1:6? Defending the Gospel with your life? If we believe it, we should act like it. That’s what other people see.

We are the Church. 

So when I’m asked what a Christian is, I say it’s anything you want it to be: worldly or Biblical, selfish or a little giving, or Godly or not. 

But ask me what a disciple is? That’s what Jesus was fishing for: followers that would go to extreme measures of love to represent and save humanity. 

It’s not about having a perfect record of going to church (although it does help encourage and strengthen you with fellowship), or having the entire Bible memorized (which would be pretty amazing to be honest, but knowledge only goes as far as action), but it has to do with a mindset of putting the Creator of the stars and molecules and you and me first in your life. It’s possible, but it’s going to be difficult. 

But Jesus didn’t call us to live comfortable lives. He called us to take up our crosses and follow Him. 

Happy Friday! 

// Amanda

[seventytimessevendevos]

A few verses a day : A Poem

Slow down.

Deep breath.

The war is already complete (John 16 : 33).

Kneel down,

And pray.

He is all that you need (Hebrews 6 : 19 & 2 Corinthians 12 : 9 & Acts 17 : 28).

Reflect,

And be overjoyed (Psalm 16 : 11):

All this here came from nothing at all,

And was all formed for a reason,

Including you

And even your enemy (1 John 2 : 1-2).

Choose each one of your actions.

Filter each one of your thoughts.

Until you can be,

Totally,

A Christian inside and out (Psalms 34 : 10).

That's what we're striving for

A spot in the most glorious of His creations (John 14 : 2-3)

                             // Leeza

[seventytimessevendevos]

Read: Galatians 5:14

Love your neighbor as yourself. Sounds simple. But what does it really mean?

We feed ourselves, we clothe ourselves, we strive to be financially secure so we can buy ourselves whatever we want.

Lets also take a look at what love is. In 1 Corinthians 13 Godly love is outlined: it’s patient and kind, it does not envy or boast; it does not insist on its own way; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but in the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.

Okay, so we need to strive to love our neighbors that way.

But who are our neighbors?

Our neighbors are anyone who inhabits the world with us. That includes people of other races, tongues, social classes, religious groups, political parties, etc. There is no one specified in the bible that we are told not to love. We need to be reminded that Jesus died for all of us, he loves the world, and everyone in it, so unconditionally and so fully that he came down to be with us, and then to die on the cross for us. So we need to love and care for our neighbors the way Jesus loves us. We need to love our neighbors selflessly and inconveniently. Get involved in the lives of people that are not easy to love. We are called to first love our Lord God before anything else, and just after that, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Blessings, 

Alex