Break Through that Mountain

Do you ever feel like you keep going around the same mountain? That you're living this Christian life from breakthrough to breakthrough? Maybe you just feel plain defeated, like this whole Jesus thing isn't really going ANYwhere.

Every time you turn around it's something else! Or maybe it's the same thing.

I've felt that way too. 

But what I realized not that long ago from a post on IG is that while I was crying "Jesus! More of You less of me!!!" He was crying the something quite similar: "Ventura!!! More of you! I already gave you ALL of ME!"

So the way to move your mountain isn't MORE JESUS. You have ALL of Him. The way to move your mountain is to give Him more of YOU! EVERYTHING!

You go to church and you sing "I surrender aaallll!!!" And "I give myself awaaaaayyyyy!!!!" And even "NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS, LORD!" But EVERY time there is an opportunity outside the walls of corporate worship to choose His will above yours, you FLAKE!

Hmm. Did that sting a little? Make you cringe? Feel like a punch in the gut? Yeah. That's called conviction. And you haven't felt it in a while. Or maybe you've felt its evil cousin condemnation. There is a difference. 

Conviction is a means to an end. It is the tugging of the Holy Spirit to ignite change in your life. It is a Godly sorrow that leads to repentance. 

Condemnation is a passing of judgement. A decision that what you did is unredeemable and beyond forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit convicts. Our enemy, satan, condemns.

So if you are feeling condemned go read Romans 8. 

If you are feeling convicted go read Romans 6.

We have to get away from this feel good Christianity. It's not gonna always feeeeeellll good when you are presenting your members as instruments of righteousness. Especially since they are used to being used for unrighteousness. 

For example. Say you grew up

In England where the driver is on the right side instead of the left. You learned to drive there and did so for about 20 years. Fast forward to today. You're older and you've never driven from a left side drivers seat in your life. But now you've moved to America for a new job and that's the way it is. And for you it's extra awkward, uncomfortable and even frustrating at times because everything is backwards. You have to learn new traffic signals and speed limits. All while commuting to your new job who didn't find it beneficial to give you an easy work load for your transition. Now you have to learn to shift gears and do turn signals with opposite hands than you're already auto tuned to. Sometimes you feel like an idiot and that you have to learn to drive all over again. You have to reposition your members to do the same things but in a different order and a different way. 

Now you wouldn't think it strange to give that guy some grace if you were carpooling with him. But you would want him to learn eventually to do it right. And the only way he could is if he practiced, maybe he will relearn in a lot fewer than 20 years, but still it takes work. 

But when it comes to this Christian walk we have a different standard. We expect God to do some magic trick on us. Or conduct our every move away from sin. That is not the case, dear ones. 

We are given a new heart. All things are made clean and new in us when we are born again. But repentance isn't a one time thing. We must continually and consistently turn away from sin. The difference in a sinner and a saint is a sinner pursues sin and a saint pursues righteousness. 

So you keep going around the same mountain because while your heart has changed your pursuit hasn't shifted in that certain area. 

Instead of pursuing God when your money is funny, you pursue more hours at work or tell your boss "I mean I can miss one Sunday of church." Or think to yourself I need these tithe money now. You think yourself out of the situation instead of pursing the word of God on the topic. 

Or maybe when you are emotional instead of seeking God or looking for a righteous way to deal with your emotions you go to your safe place. Maybe that's venting to your friends, or lashing out on social media. Or maybe that's dipping back to your ex or turning on a little pornography. Sex relieves stress after all, right? 

What about when someone at work or home makes you mad? I mean just steps on your toes and gets you heated. Do you run to the word that says a soft answer turns away wrath or do you jump to gossip about that person or go off on them immediately?

Do you have the tendency of laying your new life aside when circumstances come to shake you up? 

Listen, honey, you will never be victorious if you keep on presenting the members of your body (your mouth, your mind, your legs) for unrighteousness. CONTROL YOURSELF and pick up the Bible! You know. That book you couldn't get enough of when you first found Jesus that now sits in your car waiting for Sunday morning to roll around?!

There are a couple of common themes in Jesus' ministry. For one, the word often says "He had compassion on them so he healed them." Before Jesus healed on several accounts compassion preceded the miracle. So you must know that Jesus indeed loves you. He feels a deep passion concerning His people and seeing them set free, healed, delivered. 

Second, when Jesus healed people before and after He made sure they knew to go and sin no more. He actually told one guy who He saw a week after He healed him to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him! Jesus took holiness just as serious as He took our breakthroughs. 

So, I urge you, let your next break through be the last of that chapter. Stop going around the same mountain. Pass the test. Surrender that area to Jesus. Stop pursuing sin and present your members as agents of righteousness. Take ACTION concerning your walk with God. You have faith, now put it to work. Put yourself to work. Get free, test out of the minor league so that God can use you!!! ALL of you!

Do You Believe in God?

I don't want much out of life. Just to live. Really live. To love. I mean really love. And to please God. Because I truly believe He is worth pleasing.

People ask if I believe God is real. I sometimes ask myself the same question. I mean, do I really believe this thing? 5 years and 2 months in, I must believe this is the best way to live. Maybe the only way.

But what actually happens here? What do I do? How can I truly LIVE like I believe this thing? Whole heartedly. Forever.

I mean, people are dying for the advancement of the God of Jesus Christ. Being tortured and killed everyday since Jesus walked this earth. And I can't say no to a cookie or to Twitter after dark?

They say anyone can be a martyr in an instance. It's easy to give your life on a whim, when you don't have much think time.

But who is willing to give their life everyday? Who is willing to lie down and die to sin every hour when the emotional high isn't there and the reward isn't immediately tangible, or even imaginable?

Who can stand in the day of trouble, in the wake of temptation, and choose to martyr their hopes, their desires, their wants, and their pride with the hope that it will all be worth it.

Can you?

Can I?

Well. I will. Because I believe. I don't believe there is any other option. I believe the Bible. Because it's been right too many times not to. I believe God loves me, because He has proven Himself time and time and time again. I mean, who else could it be? Who else paid my bills when I had no money? It wasn't you. Who else comforted me when I had no one? Who else doesn't reject me when I'm vulnerable? Who else made a solution for my total depravity?

Who else?

So, how can I not? How can we not LIVE what we talk about? I don't mean just not being a classic hypocrite. I don't mean I went to the club Saturday and church Sunday. I don't mean you shouting in church and then cussing someone out. It's obvious what's going on there.

I mean deeper than that. I mean us Christians who live EVERYDAY worried, stressed, depressed and anxious. I mean pastors and deacons and worship leaders who are experiencing these things. I mean seasoned Christians who have seen God bring them through time and time again. Those of us who know the faithfulness of God but have began to believe the report of the enemy.

We preach about, sing songs about and counsel others on second chances, grace, love, faithfulness and WE are the ones who have a hard time believing. And it's evident. Because we are defeated. We live in defeat. We would rather fight for another without first armoring ourselves.

Newsflash. Our fight won't last long because before we know it we will be taken out by our own unbelief.

So, what do you do? What do you do when you feel depressed? What do yo do when you feel anxious? What do you do when you are overwhelmed, when things don't go your way, when all the odds are against you? What do you do when you have financial troubles, when you feel deserted, when you need confidence, when you feel condemned, when you are doubting God?

Do you believe in God? Do you believe the Bible is true? Do you believe that Jesus died to pay the cost of your sin? Do you truly believe there is no other way to live?

Then live like it.

Nothing and no one else satisfies.

I don't know about you, but

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; HE IS A SHIELD TO ALL WHO TRUST IN HIM. Psalm 18:30

Finally Single

Soooooo...to be completely transparent, I want a man! I want to be pursued! I want somebody texting my phone and trying to come see me! I want to finally be in a relationship. I want to know what it's like! I honestly didn't even realize this! I THOUGHT I was content! I thought I didn't want a man! Why? Because I ALWAYS had one texting my phone and calling me and being my friend. I was being very disobedient because God BEEN done, yes, been done, told me that was bad for business.

What if my could be husband did try to talk to me but he seen I was constantly text Bob, Joe and Abram??? HOW can God send me a man when the spot is ALWAYS FILLED?!!! I was chanting "No randoms!!" because I wasn't dating anyone or sleeping with anyone, but I was USING my brothers in Christ to fill a void that only Christ can fill!

Smh.

So, here am I, brothers and sisters, letting you know for real for real, I'm tryna get a ring. Smh. Such a sad story.

I THOUGHT I was single, but in my heart I was not!

Upon this revelation of my heart, I immediately went to the Lord and prayed. I write prayers a lot, so I was writing it on my phone and I thought, man, this might help somebody! So, here it is, raw and real.

"I wanna be pursued!!! I want to have someone to text! I want a MAN on my team for once! Help me Jesus to give these desires to you and not let them consume me! Give me the patience to wait and the heart to want to please You more than wanting this. All in your way and in your timing, Lord. You are good and I know you have plans to prosper me and bring me that one of a kind love! And I know that if You want me, knowing me at my worst, that any man who doesn't want me is not for me. Help me to keep my worth ever before my eyes and to see myself through Your vision and not my own! Help me to see the ways in which you are pursuing my heart and showing me how it's done!!! Teach me to be submissive to Your Holy Spirit so that I will be a wife who knows how to be covered well. Show me what true love is so that when it comes to me I will recognize it and when the counterfeits come I will turn away! Help me to accomplish the dreams you have put in my heart during this season. I wanna court YOU Jesus! Remind me what romance is like and show me the truth of who I am. Love on me, Jesus, for you know best how I am to be loved. Lord, I devote my singleness to you. I don't want to want anything more than I want You. This is Your time to shape me, mold me, mend me, heal me, anoint me and exalt me. Make me who You want me to be. Rid me of my selfishness. Make me more loving, kind, and patient. In Your name I pray."

So, please, don't be like me and STOP acting like you don't want a man! You can say it all you want to your friends like I used to, but it won't change it! It's ok to want it, but it's never ok to want something more than you want God. Take that desire to Him and watch Him fulfill it! And if I call or text your phone talking bout some "I want a man like this" and blah blah blah, PLEASE tell me to shut up! Lol. WE have to STOP enabling each other, people!!! It's alright to know what you want and talk to one another about it; but when we singles are constantly talking about what we want in the next season, we will not enjoy this one!

So when your friend, male or female, comes talking to you about somebody, PLEASE, DON'T ENTERTAIN THEM!!! Now you KNOW that man or woman ain't for them, so WHY are you agreeing with everything they say and telling them to go for it??? Please, be helpers to one another and SHUT IT DOWN! REAL FRIENDS SAY NOOOOOO!!!

Point your friend to Jesus and the Bible and prayer! If God didn't speak that "advice" to you then do not share it. Unless the Lord parted the heavens and told you that's your homegirl's husband, do not giggle and help her pick apart everything he said to her. You might not be hurting her feelings, but you are playing a part in breaking her heart when that man walks into church with another woman! STOP being a PEOPLE PLEASER and be a GOD PLEASER. When you see your friend being crazy and planning her wedding to a man who has not even noticed her, please, love her by letting her know she is doing the most and she needs to focus on the Lord, give that to Him and let Him keep it until that man PURSUES her. (And I mean PURSUE with stated intentions, not saying hi or giving her a church hug. But that's a whole different blog.)

All that to say, praise God! I finally understand some more things now that I re-devoted my singleness to God. He truly is the best husband ever. Perfect even.

And now you know. Lol. I hope that this helped you and that it helps me! And if you need a listening ear, or you HAVE a listening ear please email me at ventura.ivory@gmail.com. Unless you're a man. Then don't email me at all. Email a brother, please. Lol.

Sincerely,
Your Finally Single Sister Ventura

Look Beyond Yourself Sometimes!

You know. I always look at these people who have degrees and children and people who have lost weight and gotten fit. Or people who walk in such power when they sing or preach or write. I realized that these people did stuff! It's HARD WORK earning a degree. Maybe they make it look easy; but that is not so.

You look at these people and you think "Man that's so awesome! I wanna be like them!!!" And you begin to COVET their PORTION. But you only want their portion of BLESSING. You want the FRUIT but you don't want the WORK. You don't know their story, their struggle or the heartache and pain it took to get where they are.

I would watch sermons and hear women preach and I would ask God to make me like them. But I quickly learned that prayer was not a good idea! Some people have gone through horrific things that I can't even imagine going through to get where they are! So stop wishing you were like somebody else! God has given you the portion just for you. The struggles, pangs, happiness and joys of life that you grow through were picked for you to make you stronger. GOD CHOSE YOU because the struggle you are in is not ALL ABOUT YOU!!!

I know, I know, how is it NOT about YOU?? YOU are the one with cancer. YOU are the one who got pregnant in high school. YOU are the one who was raped, hurt, abused, talked about, lied on, discouraged and mistreated. HOW is this not about ME?!!!

Let me tell you a story...

JESUS went through the UNimaginable. The undeserved horror that He experienced was awful. But out of LOVE He did it. He made it. He conquered it. Why? Because He understood that it was NOT about HIM.

God is taking you THROUGH THIS because there is someone NOW or DOWN THE ROAD who NEEDS your SACRIFICE.

God wants to teach you what it is really like to love. I'm always taken aback when I talk to women who have been through things that I know nothing about. I'm like, I don't know what to say to you! Thank God for the Holy Spirit who knows EVERYTHING; but it gets tricky when you cannot directly relate. And THEN God will send me someone who has been through a similar situation and I'm like WOW God!

For example, I've experienced a TON of rejection in my life. So when I can help someone who has been rejected overcome that fear, man. It is SO satisfying! And I can be like "Wow! God I THANK YOU for all the times I was REJECTED because it has allowed me to FREE SOMEONE ELSE!"

That's why I write in this blog! That's why I have confessed to all of you about my struggles with lust, rejection, fear and everything else. Why? Because God has taught me that the things I go through are not just about me!

That's why Peter said we REJOICE in suffering because like Christ we have the honor of suffering for the glory of God and for the salvation of others.

So I exhort you in these things:

1. STOP COVETING SOMEONE ELSE'S PORTION! You don't know their struggle! Be careful what you wish you had because you do not wish to go through what that person went through to get it. You see that person's amazing ministry or beautiful family or well paid job or delightful look when they hold their child, but what you did not see was the pain that they experienced during the birth of that thing. EVERYBODY wants a cute little kid to play with but NOBODY wants to go through LABOR! So think of that when you start to want someone else's life: Am I really willing to go through what they went through to get it? Eh, probably not. BE CONTENT with your portion and learn to MASTER your own temptations!

2. TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOU AND PUT THEM ON JESUS! Realize that what you are going through isn't all about you. But when you focus on YOU that's all you will see! When you are hurting or tempted to be depressed or angry FOCUS on the CROSS! FOCUS on where you're going not what you're feeling! FORGIVE somebody!!! Jesus died for what they did to you too!

Ventura Ivory at Women in Red-Unity Chapel 2014

"Whoa! Dream Big!" :: A Commentary on Submission

I remember I was at a retreat with my church. I remember hearing all about marriage and submission. I remember being taught that my mission as a wife was to help my husband. I remember also being very young in the faith and just young period at this time. So, I went to my pastor’s wife and asked her with all the sincerity in my heart, for I was truly concerned, “What am I supposed to do until he gets here?”

She looked at me sort of puzzled as she advised me to follow the path God had for me. She said some other helpful things that I do not recall, but what I remember most is that it seemed as if she was surprised that I had some idea that there was nothing for me to do! But I really did not understand.

There are so many extremes on submission in the church. I grew up in a holiness church where men and women alike would preach from the pulpit and minister to congregations and even be senior pastors. I’ve also served in churches where that did not happen at all. I’ve even been told I could not lead a ministry because I am a woman. All of this on top of coming from a background of women whose men abused their strengths by hurting the women they were supposed to love whether with words or with fists. So, it’s safe to say I’ve been around the way when it comes to the idea of submission.

From a young girl seeing my mother get jumped on by my dad during the short while he was in our home I decided that I would never let a man run me. Not I. No. And thank God that I’ve never actually been in love so that this inner vow hasn’t backfired like it has on most women. But that day at the retreat my born again heart was truly curious as to what a woman is supposed to do without a man. Especially since what I was being taught seemed so contradictory.

They would say don’t be so consumed with finding a husband, he’s supposed to find you, just serve the Lord until he comes, and all that jazz. And I’m like ok, cool. Don’t worry about a man, focus on God. And then comes the other lessons about submission and how a woman is made to be a helpmeet. These teachers talked so highly of being a helpmeet that I wondered if I’m made to do that what am I supposed to do in the mean time?

Is this making sense? I was trying to not focus on wanting a husband while focusing on becoming ready to be a wife. That just don’t make no sense in my head. Maybe I’m alone in this?

Well, it wasn’t working. And I soon found myself playing a waiting game and believing God for a man. I was praying to God asking Him to make me a better helpmeet. I was preparing myself to give it all up to help some man with his dream and his ministry. Boy, did I feel noble. I was surely like Jesus now, willing to sacrifice it all. I was sure that I finally understood submission when I was ready to give up all my dreams to help this man with his ministry.

Long story short, I was wrong again.

I mean, this man was going on to do something COMPLETELY unlike the life I wanted and the desires I knew that were from God. He needed someone who would stay at home and care for his kids and all that jazz. Not that I don’t want to do that. But God had/has something so different in my heart. I want to be ablaze spiting the fire of God from my big mouth all over the world, not sitting at home while my husband travels and spreads the gospel. There’s nothing wrong with staying at home, but my heart yearns to travel and preach.

I believed that submission meant giving up all of my dreams and goals to help my one-day husband accomplish his. That way of thinking was only half true. Yes, I am called to help a man one day, in God's timing. However, my helping him, though it will involve sacrifice, as all true love does, will not cause me to release God's plan for my life. I will not have to evict my dreams to make room in my heart for his dreams.

Ladies, submission does not belittle us, it empowers us. Submission does not muzzle us, it strengthens us. I encourage you to practice submitting to the Holy Spirit and you will learn, like me, that submitting one to another is in our best interest!

Besides, the man God has for you, and for me, man, our dreams will be one in the same and we will each play a vital part in bringing those dreams into reality.

So stop WAITING around to tailor your dreams to somebody else’s. DREAM!!! DREAM BIG!!! And believe God that your future mate will have the same dreams as you! And if a guy comes along that doesn’t, he might as well move around.

1 Corinthians 7:34b-35

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. ³⁵ I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.

Hey Y'all!!!

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