A carpenter who made a living out of making crosses was in his warehouse making crosses and a young man walked in with his own cross and made the comment to the carpenter that he wanted to trade his cross in for a lighter one. The carpenter replied "sure! Look around, try them on, and let me know which one fits you”. So, the young man spent hours trying on crosses. Some were too big, some too small. Some where to heavy and some were too uncomfortable. Finally after hours of sifting through the inventory of crosses he tried one on that fit just right. It was the perfect weight and height, and the young man yelled out to the carpenter “I found one”! He asked the carpenter “how much do I owe you”? The carpenter responded “nothing! That’s the cross you walked in with”. You see, you never how heavy some body’s burdens, issues or strongholds are until you’ve carried their cross.
You can never judge or assume that someone can easily over come what they are going through if you’ve never tried to wear their cross. In the Bible a man named Simon the Cyrene knew first hand what it was to carry without a doubt the heaviest cross the world has ever and will ever see. The cross of Jesus Christ!
Matthew 27: 31-33 - 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).
I can assure you that this man Simon was never the same again. His perspective of the cross of Jesus Christ and everything that Christ went through would compare to none another. This man was forced to carry this cross against his every wish and desire. Yet, after his duty was over his understanding of the man named Christ would change his life forever. All because he had been given the honor to share the cross on which our very salvation, healing, deliverance and lives hung on. We unlike Simon should not be forced but should out of compassion and love offer ourselves when we see a brother carrying a cross that’s too heavy for him. Although God will never put on you more than you can bare. He will also place Simon’s in the path of those in need of help with having their crosses carried. Never should we sit in the seat of judge. On the contrary we should put on the boots of servant hood and brotherhood knowing that we will come out with a better understanding of what it is to walk in that brother shoes.
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That’s the million dollar question ya’ll… Not one that I’m asking but that God is asking all of us. The Bible says in Exodus 8:1 - Let my people go, so that they may worship me. In other words, God’s simple condition or purpose for the release of the people of Egypt and you and I was and continues to be WORSHIP.
Just as the question was posed to them, God posses it to us. Where’s My Worship? He let you go from sooooo many things!! Addiction, sickness, horedom, poverty, depression etc… He held up His end of the bargain!! He did the letting go!! Then where is the worship?? The hunger to express to Him total gratitude for a mercy undeserved and grace that continues to give and sustain you and I till this day.
I’ve always said your process should match your praise. Your worship should match your testimony… So why is that not happening? Because we forgot to remember! What He did, who He is and where we used to be. God has not forgotten where He pulled you out of… Therefore, the question still remains… WHERE’S MY WORSHIP?! Either now or later, one day He’ll come to claim what rightfully belongs to HIM… YOUR WORSHIP!
Reply
Who enjoys crying? I’m sure nobody reading this is sitting at their computer with their hand raised saying “Oh me, me, me”. I don’t think anybody does. You see crying represents either a place of vulnerability or displays someone’s brokenness. This subject is one that is dear to my heart because I am one of those individuals who weep in the presence and in the discipline of God. I’ve been told that I’m too emotional… I’ve also been told that I’m a baby cry. Glory Be To God! One of the greatest gifts you can bring to your King is absolute sincerity. This type of sincerity is “sweet” to the Lord. This is when love is without hypocrisy. My soul longs for Him in sweet sincerity, even to the point of tears. When love is without hypocrisy, the sweetness of this sincerity is often accompanied by tears.
When it comes to the secret place, tears are either honest of they absent. Tears are liquid words! They can say more than words. Words can often contain pretense of fake attitudes, tears come straight from your heart. We cry because we desire or because we’re in pain; tears are the language of desire. Desire to either be closer to God or desire to be comforted during a time of tribulation. Do NOT despise the pain that gave you tears! Although to you it may seem that pain has the ability to draw you away from God. Tears without a doubt contain the ability to bring you right back to Him.
Psalms 56: 8 reads as follows: You have seen how many places I have gone. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? God not only notices every tear you have cried, but He bottles and stores them as an everlasting witness in His presence. So next time the enemy reminds you of all the hurt, pain and strife that have caused you so many tears. You remind him, that every tear that you have cried was actually water for the garden of your victory. Water that God has been using all along to help your grow into the man or women He desires you to be. Immediately, those tears will become tears of joy as you realize that like always God’s plan & purpose is perfect!
Reply
“Desperate times, call for desperate measures”… Have you ever been in a situation of desperation? Do you recall a time in your life when the immediate circumstance threatened your very life or the life of your family? I know very well what it is to be so desperate that I was willing to call on someone I had never even known. Jesus!
Desperation will turn you into a different person! It will cause you to get a look in your eye that appears like you’re crazy to others. At this point you’re willing to say anything, go anywhere or do whatever it takes to survive. You adopt the mentality – if you don’t move out of my way I’m going to HAVE TO run you over. I have somewhere or someone to get to and nothing will stop me!
Mark 5:25 speaks of the women with the issue of blood. A woman who had reached the end of her rope. A woman who was willing to act out of total desperation, to trust a man who she had only heard of. Hearsay basically… On the strength of rumors she acted out, fought the crowd, and believed that her healing was about to pass her by. You see she never once asked Jesus to touch her. On the contrary, she desperately desired to touch Him. She didn’t want to see Him from a distance. She needed to be in direct contact with Him! Nothing else was acceptable.
Desperation produces tunnel vision. Someone who is desperate doesn’t struggle with distractions or hindrances. This type of person has a focused intensity of the pursuit. For the women with the issue of blood it was Jesus. How is it that she didn’t even know him yet she desperately desire to touch Him? Yet, we call Him savior and we are content to keep Him at a distance.
What are you desperate for? God will use any situation to bring a sense of desperation into your life. Marital problems, a layoff, sickness even death of a loved one. But why do those types of things have to happen in order to trigger desperation in us? It doesn’t have to get there if today we just ask the Lord… “Lord, make me desperate for You!” Hardship is not the only pathway to desperation. Let’s ask God to unlock the secret in our lives for desperation. That just like the women with the issue of blood… We would be willing to do whatever it takes to touch Him! Desperation has to start with us and end with Him.
Reply
One of my Pastors taught me this a couple of years ago... Praise is when you invite God to manifest His Glory... WORSHIP is when HE ACCEPTS that invitation!! Awesome perspective! Thank you Pastor Efrain!! Make sure your praise transitions into worship... Dwell with Him and stay as long as you can!!
Love J.O.N.
Reply
I realized this morning that the ministry of music is such a process!! As musicians the majority of our songs and ideas for songs come from experience. So I started thinking that when God allows stuff to enter or happen in our lives... Instead of thinking of it negatively, I'm going to choose to look at it as God giving me more material to write about! Technically making Him the author of my music... LOL! I love it! I LOVE HIM!!
Reply
Jaime O. Navarro - The Book of J.O.N. / Blog
The Weight of Your Cross
A carpenter who made a living out of making crosses was in his warehouse making crosses and a young man walked in with his own cross and made the comment to the carpenter that he wanted to trade his cross in for a lighter one. The carpenter replied "sure! Look around, try them on, and let me know which one fits you”. So, the young man spent hours trying on crosses. Some were too big, some too small. Some where to heavy and some were too uncomfortable. Finally after hours of sifting through the inventory of crosses he tried one on that fit just right. It was the perfect weight and height, and the young man yelled out to the carpenter “I found one”! He asked the carpenter “how much do I owe you”? The carpenter responded “nothing! That’s the cross you walked in with”. You see, you never how heavy some body’s burdens, issues or strongholds are until you’ve carried their cross. You can never judge or assume that someone can easily over come what they are going through if you’ve never tried to wear their cross. In the Bible a man named Simon the Cyrene knew first hand what it was to carry without a doubt the heaviest cross the world has ever and will ever see. The cross of Jesus Christ! Matthew 27: 31-33 - 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). I can assure you that this man Simon was never the same again. His perspective of the cross of Jesus Christ and everything that Christ went through would compare to none another. This man was forced to carry this cross against his every wish and desire. Yet, after his duty was over his understanding of the man named Christ would change his life forever. All because he had been given the honor to share the cross on which our very salvation, healing, deliverance and lives hung on. We unlike Simon should not be forced but should out of compassion and love offer ourselves when we see a brother carrying a cross that’s too heavy for him. Although God will never put on you more than you can bare. He will also place Simon’s in the path of those in need of help with having their crosses carried. Never should we sit in the seat of judge. On the contrary we should put on the boots of servant hood and brotherhood knowing that we will come out with a better understanding of what it is to walk in that brother shoes.
Reply
Where’s My Worship?
That’s the million dollar question ya’ll… Not one that I’m asking but that God is asking all of us. The Bible says in Exodus 8:1 - Let my people go, so that they may worship me. In other words, God’s simple condition or purpose for the release of the people of Egypt and you and I was and continues to be WORSHIP. Just as the question was posed to them, God posses it to us. Where’s My Worship? He let you go from sooooo many things!! Addiction, sickness, horedom, poverty, depression etc… He held up His end of the bargain!! He did the letting go!! Then where is the worship?? The hunger to express to Him total gratitude for a mercy undeserved and grace that continues to give and sustain you and I till this day. I’ve always said your process should match your praise. Your worship should match your testimony… So why is that not happening? Because we forgot to remember! What He did, who He is and where we used to be. God has not forgotten where He pulled you out of… Therefore, the question still remains… WHERE’S MY WORSHIP?! Either now or later, one day He’ll come to claim what rightfully belongs to HIM… YOUR WORSHIP!
Reply
The Secret of Tears...
Who enjoys crying? I’m sure nobody reading this is sitting at their computer with their hand raised saying “Oh me, me, me”. I don’t think anybody does. You see crying represents either a place of vulnerability or displays someone’s brokenness. This subject is one that is dear to my heart because I am one of those individuals who weep in the presence and in the discipline of God. I’ve been told that I’m too emotional… I’ve also been told that I’m a baby cry. Glory Be To God! One of the greatest gifts you can bring to your King is absolute sincerity. This type of sincerity is “sweet” to the Lord. This is when love is without hypocrisy. My soul longs for Him in sweet sincerity, even to the point of tears. When love is without hypocrisy, the sweetness of this sincerity is often accompanied by tears. When it comes to the secret place, tears are either honest of they absent. Tears are liquid words! They can say more than words. Words can often contain pretense of fake attitudes, tears come straight from your heart. We cry because we desire or because we’re in pain; tears are the language of desire. Desire to either be closer to God or desire to be comforted during a time of tribulation. Do NOT despise the pain that gave you tears! Although to you it may seem that pain has the ability to draw you away from God. Tears without a doubt contain the ability to bring you right back to Him. Psalms 56: 8 reads as follows: You have seen how many places I have gone. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? God not only notices every tear you have cried, but He bottles and stores them as an everlasting witness in His presence. So next time the enemy reminds you of all the hurt, pain and strife that have caused you so many tears. You remind him, that every tear that you have cried was actually water for the garden of your victory. Water that God has been using all along to help your grow into the man or women He desires you to be. Immediately, those tears will become tears of joy as you realize that like always God’s plan & purpose is perfect!
Reply
I'm Desperate For You...
“Desperate times, call for desperate measures”… Have you ever been in a situation of desperation? Do you recall a time in your life when the immediate circumstance threatened your very life or the life of your family? I know very well what it is to be so desperate that I was willing to call on someone I had never even known. Jesus! Desperation will turn you into a different person! It will cause you to get a look in your eye that appears like you’re crazy to others. At this point you’re willing to say anything, go anywhere or do whatever it takes to survive. You adopt the mentality – if you don’t move out of my way I’m going to HAVE TO run you over. I have somewhere or someone to get to and nothing will stop me! Mark 5:25 speaks of the women with the issue of blood. A woman who had reached the end of her rope. A woman who was willing to act out of total desperation, to trust a man who she had only heard of. Hearsay basically… On the strength of rumors she acted out, fought the crowd, and believed that her healing was about to pass her by. You see she never once asked Jesus to touch her. On the contrary, she desperately desired to touch Him. She didn’t want to see Him from a distance. She needed to be in direct contact with Him! Nothing else was acceptable. Desperation produces tunnel vision. Someone who is desperate doesn’t struggle with distractions or hindrances. This type of person has a focused intensity of the pursuit. For the women with the issue of blood it was Jesus. How is it that she didn’t even know him yet she desperately desire to touch Him? Yet, we call Him savior and we are content to keep Him at a distance. What are you desperate for? God will use any situation to bring a sense of desperation into your life. Marital problems, a layoff, sickness even death of a loved one. But why do those types of things have to happen in order to trigger desperation in us? It doesn’t have to get there if today we just ask the Lord… “Lord, make me desperate for You!” Hardship is not the only pathway to desperation. Let’s ask God to unlock the secret in our lives for desperation. That just like the women with the issue of blood… We would be willing to do whatever it takes to touch Him! Desperation has to start with us and end with Him.
Reply
Worship vs Praise
One of my Pastors taught me this a couple of years ago... Praise is when you invite God to manifest His Glory... WORSHIP is when HE ACCEPTS that invitation!! Awesome perspective! Thank you Pastor Efrain!! Make sure your praise transitions into worship... Dwell with Him and stay as long as you can!! Love J.O.N.
Reply
The Process...
I realized this morning that the ministry of music is such a process!! As musicians the majority of our songs and ideas for songs come from experience. So I started thinking that when God allows stuff to enter or happen in our lives... Instead of thinking of it negatively, I'm going to choose to look at it as God giving me more material to write about! Technically making Him the author of my music... LOL! I love it! I LOVE HIM!!
Reply