(Sniff Sniff) "What is that I smell?" #CARNALITY!!!!

Well hello there! We are literally, smack dab in the middle of the first month of what is still considered a fairly new year. I can tell you that there's so many areas of opportunity for each of us to explore and no actual pressure to have these areas look a certain way according to any particular bystander. In other words, I know where I'm lacking, at the moment and you should for yourself. Now. it's time to figure out how to reverse these lacks and turn them into gains! 
Speaking of lacks...

I have a question for all of my believers and those who may be wavering and reading this post,"If Jesus paid the price for you, then what is your change?" I warn you now that this post may offend you. I actually want it to. 

When I decided to breathe life back into this page, I went from my first post in 2013 to the last post in 2015. I could see my tremendous growth. I could see my maturation. I could see my blood and wounds. My creativity. My demons. I could hear my dialect changing. I could pinpoint where I was spiritually in each post. I saw my desperation, my decline, and ultimately, I saw my death. I also saw in various posts, which is the motivation of today's post, MY CARNALITY. !GASP!

And I wasn't surprised at all. Most of my carnality was fostered by the environments I was in at the time of which merely fueled the works of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21
 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity (total irresponsibility and lack of self control),  idolatry, sorcery (witchcraft), hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, disputes, dissensions (antagonisms), factions (cliques that promote blasphemy), envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I actually want this post to be like a splash of cold water in your face. Or like somebody catching you before you fall. Because I personally know what a decline looks like and I know what the celebration of fleshly madness looks like too. The closer you get to God, the more He begins to make you uncomfortable with even the "cool" things about you. And on the flip-side the closer you get to Him the more He begins to embrace the things you actually can't stand about yourself. The parts of you that you would prefer to hide. He takes snapshots of it all like multiple X-rays for a dental exam. He creates a definition for your deliberate anonymity as well as your purposeful conspicuity.

Meaning, He breaks you down to the bone with the TRUTH because He is the way, the truth, and the life. As believers we are charged to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything He commanded us to do. which is the Great Commission (Matthew 26:16-20) but we can't do that if we're hiding the God in us, by advertising the flesh of us. So I need you to go back to Galatians 5:19-21 and see if you're in there somewhere and decide today that you're going to take that thing to the altar and BURN IT! If  you don't see yourself, wait one minute...

Proverbs 6:16
There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes (overestimating oneself and looking down on someone else), a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies (even half-truths) and a person who stirs up conflict in the 
community (spreading rumors).

FOCUS! FOR A MINUTE THERE I KNOW YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT THIS SOUNDED LIKE A DESCRIPTION OF SOMEONE ELSE! NO! NEGATIVE! THE SPOTLIGHT IS ON YOU!

THERE IS NO EVER LOVING LIVING WAY, you can say that you are a follower of Jesus Christ, not the white washed one. (Read an old post Jesus Has a Face?) and not have experienced MULTIPLE crucifixions, deaths, and resurrections and then not have had some visible transfigurations.

You should be monitoring your Christ-likeness daily and not in comparison to someone else, 
but in comparison to the One you claim to serve! You are not in a race to be more Christlike than your neighbor don't let that devil of comparison buck up in this hour! Rebuke that thing! You are in a competition with flesh self because flesh self is the enemy's BFF.

I can hear the enemy now, just laughing obnoxiously at believers who think it's OK to be blasphemous baffoons for the sake of a few social media likes and a following. Social media is not going to get you into heaven. How long do you want to spray perfume and cologne over your stinking CARNALITY and call it Christ-likeness? How long beloved?

You can still maintain your uniqueness and individuality WITHOUT being carnal. Without compromising the God standard in you. And there's a difference between having flaws and being plain out carnal! God can use your flaws and rough edges to draw the audience your call is designated to. But He can not use your carnality.  You can also be distinct and different while saving souls without an ounce of carnality. It's actually the parts of you that you've been trying to cover up with your carnality, i.e  your elementary banter and salt-less rhetoric, that He wants to use. See, it's your list of Used to Be's that needs to be larger than your Currentlies (I know this isn't a word), so God can do a NEW THING. How sweet the sound! If you've been comfortable in your carnality, you need to repent now! If you've been flirting with carnality to buffet the blows of rejection, give it to God, beloved.  It's all a matter of what you're willing to give up and bring to the altar in exchange for His transformative soul-winning power! (Sniff Sniff) What is that I smell? #CARNALITY!  

Hey, listen to this while you gather yourself! 

G.I.N.O 

God Is Number One