The Red Pill = Truth

The concept of the "red pill" in the 1999 film “The Matrix”. A hacker named Morpheus offers a choice to the film's protagonist, Neo, to take the blue pill, where "the story ends, you wake up in your comfortable bed and believe whatever you want to believe", or to take the red pill, where "you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbithole goes." - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Working in the industry that I work in and the communities that I serve, I have seen society deteriorate at a disturbing rate that is hard to keep up with. I believe that it may be due to our “need for speed” or in other words, our desire for instant gratification. This is the world of the blue pill. It makes you comfortable and life extremely convenient but it also supresses the truth. It's a false reality.

The red pill is truth. Can you handle the truth?

We live in an age of technology and convenience. As a child, I remember when we had to get up and turn the knob on the television, turn the dial on the rotary phone and if we needed to communicate from a distance, we probably had to handwrite a letter and send it through the mail. We had to wait for a video or cassette tape to rewind in order to watch or listen to it. If we needed to do research, we actually had to go to our local library and look through the index catalogs. We would cook our food more times than not, work a paper route to get something as small as a pair of Converse and more than half of my friends came from two parent households. Today, we have remote controls, plasma T.V’s, cell phones, laptops, internet, email, iPods, fast-food, prescription drugs, Google and single parent households are the normal family structure. We even want instant salvation without picking up the cross and the burden of carrying it.

So you may be asking, “How does this relate?”

When everything is at our fingertips, some of our most precious and valued fruits of the spirit are suppressed such as patience, contentment and gratitude. Not only does it suppress those virtues, but it also breeds bad character traits such as anger, selfishness and shallow desires. If we sit in traffic too long, we scream and shout. If the internet isn’t fast enough, we get irritated. If we have marital troubles, we file for divorce, if we don’t watch our step and trip in a grocery store, we file a lawsuit.

We live in a world where everything can be upgraded and replaced. The billboards, commercials and music lyrics surround us with messages of materialism and encourages us to upgrade. If you don’t like it, upgrade. If it gets old and boring, upgrade. If it requires too much maintenance, upgrade.

Instant gratification pours over into relationships and finances. Don’t believe me?

• We have the highest Bankruptcy filings ever in U.S. history.
• We have the highest Foreclosure rate ever in U.S. history.
• We have the highest Divorce rate in U.S. history.
• Single parent household count for 40% of all families in the U.S.

In January 2009, Apple made one of the highest net profits in history. If you remember this time period, it was also a time of economic disaster. Although our neighbors, families and friends were unemployed and on the verge of homelessness, we still bought iphones and ipods. It makes me wonder where the next generation is heading. If you don’t know how to wait on anything, how will you ever learn about patience, contentment and gratitude? At the rate of the bulleted stats above, I’m afraid two parent households and personal accountability will be a thing of the past. Satan is busy at work. With the second arrival of Christ, he is attempting to fill our heads and spirits will unnecessary clutter and noise to distract us from Christ.

He will not stop until our homes are filled with materialistic designer clothing that we cannot afford yet our home and our neighbors home is in foreclosure, our children are fatherless and we care so much about instantly gratifying our desires, that we forget that we are servants of Christ.

I encourage you this week to take a look at your life. Are you content or are you always looking for the next best thing? What is more important to you? A home full of “things”or heart full of joy? Are you falling into Satan’s trap or are you following the footsteps of Christ?

Excerpts from the Matrix:


Morpheus: Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Neo: The Matrix.
Morpheus: Do you want to know what it is?
Neo: Yes.
Morpheus: The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work... when you go to church... when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Morpheus: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind.

“Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another.” Ephesians 4:25

Have a blessed week!

© Copyrights, All rights reserved

Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Fall 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

God is Love

Have you ever entered into a relationship where those three words, I love you are spoken and no sooner than you utter them, secrets pop out from nowhere? Do you wonder why that is?

When you use the term love you are actually calling on God.

Why?

God is love. God is truth. God is the light.

When love is spoken, the truth and the light peeks through darkness. When you open your heart and reveal that you love someone, you are calling on God without even knowing it. You don’t have to recognize or acknowledge Him for Him to exist. He just does.

For a moment, let’s forget what the television, media, jewelry commercials and Valentine’s Day advertisements say is the definition of love. To really understand love, you must go to the source.

The Word of God/The Bible

Love is

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” 1-3

Without love, we have nothing. If we think of love and are reminded that God is love and truth then that would imply that without God and truth, we have nothing. We can give everything we have to the poor, but if we do out of obligation or for recognition and without love, it’s pointless. Love should be our motivating factor.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 4-7

When God is invited in, of course being the truth and light, things will be revealed and your love will be tested. If someone is telling you lies, God will reveal it because you called on Him. If they are avoiding, hiding, covering up or with holding truth, that is the same as lying. Love protects, trusts and rejoices in truth, not lies.

God = Truth
Devil = Lies

Love is patient. No rushing, no guessing, no anxiety and no worries. It doesn’t seek itself, it’s wants to give, nurture and provide; not take, with hold or have ulterior motives. It does not envy or boast; always wanting to see if the grass is greener on the other side or walk around bragging with pride because you have it and others don’t. It doesn’t live in and throw up the past over and over again instilling guilt and shame, it forgives. It doesn’t take revenge or wish misery on others when wronged or hurt. Over time it heals, restores and looks forward to the future. It is not easily angered, looking for an argument or keeping one going. It doesn't compete, it compliments. It does not throw temper tantrums nor is it violent. It is not superficial or shallow, It is humble and deep. Love is sacrificial and unconditional. True love perseveres, overcoming obstacles and challenges.

“Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 8-9

This means of all spiritual gifts that you may have been blessed with, are useless unless you utilize them with love, a pure heart and in good cheer.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” 10

Ok, so what if lies are uncovered and the past revealed itself. We are all sinners, right? Now what?

Love never fails. Truth never fails. When truth does reveal itself, the reaction from the offended can make the offender run from truth or hold tight to it. Truth is perfect so when it’s revealed, the imperfection starts to fade away so the offended should take a deep breath and analyze the situation and react calmly.

In the spirit, truth is the main artery to the heart. When truth is hidden, you are cutting off the blood and oxygen to the heart and it begins to weaken and then symptoms begin to appear; signs telling you that something isn’t right. When the truth is revealed, the blood rushes back to the heart and revives it. It is important to recognize the symptoms and not ignore them.

When truth is hidden it can leave permanent damage and scarring called “bitterness.” If the heart isn’t treated with patience, kindness, care and concern nursing it back to health, it will not fully heal and the problem will progressively become worse. If truth isn’t fully disclosed and only is revealed in fragments, every time the heart heals from the last attack, more lies can end up hardening the heart creating resentment. Brutal truth (light) will overpower all lies(darkness)

Attempt to think of this before you react to truth in rage. The offender will be afraid to disclose truth in the future, so it will be revealed slowly or run from it and the artery will start building up slowly deteriorating. God reveals truth, but making the offender ashamed of it will determine if you receive it all at once or in pieces. It may also make them run from truth in all other areas in their life as well.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 11-12

Like a child means to have not reached maturity. Spiritual maturity is something you have to diligently seek and grow into overtime. You will not change over night. You have to learn to walk a new way, talk a new way and think a new way. If someone has not matured, then when it comes to love, they will be ignorant to it. As you grow older you may look in the mirror and see a man/woman in the reflection but if you have not sought truth, wisdom and knowledge, (God) your spirit is still that of a child. As you start to seek it, it will make itself known and you will then become fully known. This gives the old saying “To know me is to love me and to love me is to know me” a whole new meaning.

Loving and praying for your enemies is also calling on God. God is truth but He is also just. If you consult God with your conflicts, He will bring justice to the situation. Attempt to leave revenge in the hands that it belongs; The Lords alone. Not only will He settle the conflict, but you will also be blessed for your obedience.

Before you tell someone that you love them, ask yourself, Am I prepared for truth to be revealed? Can I handle the truth? Am I spiritually mature or am I still that of a child? This doesn’t just apply to romantic relationships, it applies to all relationships, whether good or bad.

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 13

Without love, hope and faith are lonely. They need love to survive. God is love and truth instills hope and faith. Without the clear and concise understanding of love, you cannot give it nor can you receive it and before you can give or receive it, you must seek it. Jesus, in His words said it best.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Matthew 6:33

With love, your humble servant of Christ,

Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Fall 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

Transparent Relationships

Transparent - easy to see through, understand, or recognize; without concealment; open; frank; candid

Would you say that you have transparent relationships?

Transparency is letting your guard completely down, humbling yourself and getting honest with others, yourself and most importantly, God.

Living in a world full of pride, we like to point out others sins, short-comings, habits and quirks but when it comes to our own, we hide in our closets from those that we fear may condemn, judge or reject us for own. Judgment and pride are such nasty sins to have and when they work together they are even nastier. You may judge others but justify your own behavior or maybe you justify others behavior but judge yourself harshly. This can block you from having an authentic and healthy relationship.

Transparent relationships are the deepest and most gratifying relationships to have. It’s when you confess and admit your short-comings and ask for forgiveness, support and accountability. They are real and establish a foundation of humility, hope and trust. You admit you fall short to everyone’s expectations and quite often your own. We can be own worse critics, can’t we?

When committing your life to Christ and walking that path with Him with each passing day as you draw closer to your purpose, your pride will drift away. In walking that long journey, your vulnerabilities, weaknesses and fears will be revealed and you will be tested on your level of faith.

So what do you have to lose in revealing all of your flaws to those you love? Your false, surface-level relationships. They will crack under pressure, hide from the truth and wither away.

In losing the false relationships, you gain much more. Your authentic and transparent relationships will come to the forefront and will strengthen during hardships, hold tight to faith and rejoice in truth.

No matter how much you try, we all sin and fall short in the eyes of God. We are all tempted to do wrong because it is in our nature to sin. When you deny the cross; hide from truth and authenticity, you are simply wearing a cloak of a false witness.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

“For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” Romans 7:23-25


© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

Sheild of Faith

While on your path to becoming holy, do you ever forget that you're human?

Not only do you forget, but others do too?

You think, I pray diligently, focus on God so much that there is no way I can get off track. Wrong!

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

While you are busy struggling carrying that cross and you stumble and fall, you beat yourself up over it and feel like maybe you’re too weak but then you remember God’s promise so you get back up, pick it back up, place it on your back and continue on. Then a spectator comes along, mocking you, ridiculing you, spitting on you and your purpose and knock you right back down. Then of course while carrying the cross, the devil starts whispering lies making you feel unworthy, insecure and fearful of the path ahead.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

That cross is so heavy isn’t it? And the road seems so very long, right?

You get so stuck on that “Deny yourself” part that you forget that you are just a simple man/woman and have feelings. Others who see that you are so busy working on moving closer to fulfilling your purpose, in their confusion as to why you are so set on what they consider a “pointless mission” they attempt to discourage you.

I know in the past few weeks I have been challenged with all of the above. It can be quite difficult to stay on that path. It is not for the weak-minded or the faint-hearted but for a noble heart with a fire in their belly and a love for God and his people.

When God calls you and gives you a purpose to fulfill, it will not be easy. In fact, when you answer that call and you start working on your purpose, you attract the enemy along with all of his bag of tricks. He will use the things closest to your heart against you to hurt you; the very thing he thinks will break you. He will reopen old wounds and pull out old fears. He will attempt to attack at every angle and when one weapon doesn’t work, he will upgrade to something stronger.

You have to remember, the more attacks that you receive, the closer you are to the purpose being fulfilled.

That’s when you have to pull out your faith and refer back to the truth. God’s word and His promise. God never breaks His promises to those who believe and trust in Him. He is the ultimate chess player and will line up everything in accordance to His perfect plan.

God is truth, the devil is a lie. God is light, the devil is darkness. God is love, the devil is hate.

“I am the way, the truth and the light.” John 14:6

As the enemy breaks out his weapons, break out your shield of faith!

“Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16


Be blessed this week!


© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25