TEO 4 - No Power Without God

I repented today.  Jesus died for me but I thought that I can accomplish something without him.  Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t being blatantly disrespectful but had fallen for the plow that my thoughts had power.  I started focusing thoughts on my wants only allowing positive thought in.  There is nothing wrong with this but I eliminated God from this process, telling him I have the power.  I can’t lie to you and say that it didn’t work temporarily but after while my thoughts were sad, full of insecurities and stress.  Then in church my Pastor brought up the topic of thoughts having no power and all power belongs to Jesus.  The crazy thing was I had been looking for evidence that the bible, prior to this, stating the so popular saying, “as a man think so is he”, and found a scripture taken out of content.   My pride convinced me I wasn’t looking hard enough.  This belief I have adopted for years couldn’t be wrong.  Now here I sat my Pastor or should I say God is shattering my belief.   Still I left church rebellious and still thinking this can’t be true.  That following week I prayed for God to increase in my life.  Welling asking God for this comes with a cost.  The price is to die to self and take up your cross.  Well God is killing my flesh in more ways than one.  By Friday he sent two more confirmations that my belief was false.  I stopped right then and repented.  I knew deep inside he had all power but my actions and beliefs were demonstrating something different.  I apologize to all I led astray with this belief.  All power comes from Jesus.  From this day forward I am abiding in him.

John 15:5 (NIV)

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

TEO 3 - Love Can Hurt

Do you believe that if someone truly loves you they wouldn’t hurt you?  They would never hurt you intentionally.  I received a revelation from God that this is not true.  Someone can truly hurt you and love you.  When a person thoughts or attention are not on you it’s easy to become selfish and hurt you.  Think of a person who cheats on their mate.  They may truly love their mate but their attention starts to slip away.  They are focused on something that feeds their desires.  The distraction could be another person, work, partying, or even hobbies.  Due to hurt I know some won’t agree so let use ourselves as an example.  Have you stated that you love God but have been unfaithful to him?  You were going to give him your all but have fallen short?  Does that mean you love God less or is an expression that something else has your attention?  Are you focusing on self?  If this is true for you why can’t it be true for the person who may have hurt you?  We are all human and make mistakes.  Forgive, let go of the baggage and move forward on your journey.  This is to remind you to love like God.  Keep your eyes on the prize, God, and he will show true love and how to love others.

Freedom's TEO 2

Stop expecting perfection and understanding of your trials from family and friends.  When you are going through things you should run to God.  Talk to him about the trial and let him work.   People are not perfect no matter who they are.  People may let you down and that is okay because we are all a work in progress.  That doesn’t say anything less about the person or their relationship with you.  It means you need to pray for yourself because if you can get easily offended mean you are not as close to God as you think.  It may also mean there is a deep rooted seed inside that you need to work on.  Let the person off the hook from your victim mentality and run to the perfect friend in your life, GOD.

Psalm 18:30 (NLT)

God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

Freedom's TEO 1

So I am trying something new called Transparency Encourage Others (TEO). I will give you little notes (no more than 200 words) on life challenges but expressed to keep you encouraged and focused God.  This is TEO 1.  Enjoy and please share with others.  Love you guys
Crystal ‘FREEDOM’ Baskin

Sometime I wish God made me like people who, as soon as they get hurt, as soon as they are wronged, as soon as they are lied to and lied on, as soon as they are cheated on, as soon as they are pushed to the edge, JUST GO OFF.  Let you know the pain you cause.  Let my anger be expressed by busting your windows out, flattening your tires, scream to the world how you are no good and a selfish bastard, tell everyone you know you are full of crap and even get angry enough to appear on SNAPPED…….I stop and BREATH.  Get on my knees.  Think about JESUS on the cross for YOU and me.  I let the tears flow from the pain and I pray.  I pray that God give you nothing but blessings in your life.  That he continue to use you for his glory.  That you be shaped into the perfect image of him.  I pray that he take away any ill feeling I have about you.  That he teach me how to forgive more and more.  That his love for you will be instilled in me and shown by me no matter what. 

Luke 6:28

²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you

My Idol was The Idea of Being In Love

Jonah 2:8 (NIV) - Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.

For a long time I thought that men were taking the place of God.  I mean I was giving men all that belonged to God.  But I have come to realize that it was not the men who became my idol but the idea of being in love.  Let me break it down this way.  During my life I seen the love my parents shared (50 years of love might I add) and when you get older you realize that with real unselfish relationships there are good days and bad days but through it all you stay.  It’s not about perfection, but about give and take and truly serving the other person.  I knew deep down inside that the fairytale love didn’t exist.  But somewhere down the line I lost sight of this.  Watching TV and listening to music altered my view.  I guess the seed was planted in my youth.  Truly think back to childhood cartoons from Disney showed me Mickey and Minnie mouse had the perfect love.  When I became a little older there were shows like, Save By The Bell, which portrayed the relationships that you dreamed of.  After graduating from high school every movie geared towards women had a romantic relationship with the perfect ending.  The man always managed to sweep the good girl off her feet.  And even when it seemed that the relationship wasn’t going to work out the friends and family would come to the rescue and manage to bring the confused couple together.  So being a person who loves love this type of things attracted me and took root in my flesh.  My heart fell right into imagination and put reality in the background. 

Experiences have showed me chasing the idea of falling in love I have been hurt over and over again.  Why wasn’t my prince charming acting liked the men I seen on TV.  Why wasn’t he coming to take away the heartbreaks and shout to the world just how much he loved me?  Why wasn’t he ready to stand in front of God and profess his love for me?  Well one reason is because the fairytale don’t exist.  Second thing is there is only one perfect love and that comes from God.  The third reason is no one is perfect and that includes the man that is meant for me.  God gives us instructions on how to love, such as:

Galatians 5:13(NIV) - ¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Now I can say experiencing the pain actually was a benefit because it pushed me closer to God.  It also allowed me to see my flaws and areas I need to work on.  Also I know the pain I have been through will help the next person look for reality instead of the romantic comedy and fairytale that we have seen all our lives.

So in conclusion, let me first say to ever man that have hurt me let me apologize to you for hold you to standard that doesn’t exist.  You didn’t even realize that perfection was mandatory.  I know now God is the only one who can love me perfectly.  Next, to Crystal ‘FREEDOM’ Baskin of the past, I apologize that I took you through the confusion and not letting you look at things in the true perspective.  I am back on track and trusting reality.  I am taking time out to allow you to heal from the lies I instilled inside.  Me, myself and I will walk in reality from this day forward.  Last but definitely not least God forgive me for not allowing me to let you guide me 100%.  I know I am growing for your purpose so I thank you right now for being the potter and shaping me into your image.  This life is all about you so please let this lesson sink in for the remaining days of my life.

Psalms 130:4 (NIV) - But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

God Uses Trials for His Purpose

I am sure you have heard that everything that happened to you in your life has already been planned.  If you haven’t now you know.  But with that being said we have a choice how to react to our experiences.  Your life is for God’s purpose rather you believe in him or not.  Even when you are not thinking about him God still loves you and doing things for you, yep that’s the God I serve.  So yesterday God reveal that he is giving me the desire of my heart.  Let me warn you; watch what you ask for because God will deliver.  I asked him to use me, to show me my purpose, and what does he want from me?  As soon as I made this my goal and started pulling closer to him, my world was turned upside down.  There were/are trials in every area of my life.  I felt Grief, heartache, career confusion, family issues, and issues with my body which made it hard to even look in the mirror. 

Well God showed me how he was preparing me for what I asked for.  In order for me to be used by him I have to go through some things to make me spiritually strong.  How can I help people if I haven’t experienced what they experienced? He allowed me to experienced anger, thoughts of giving up and frustration.  One day I was even ready to give up on love, yes the hopeless romantic love-a-holic told love goodbye.  That day I wrote this poem:

I’m Gone

I know I have told you this a thousand times

But this here is my final goodbye

I’m Gone

You took for granted, every part of me

Tired of crying and begging you to appreciate me

I’m Gone

I wish you nothing but the best

Because your actions showed I was second to the rest

I’m Gone

My heart has turned completely callous

Never thought I would hate you with so much passion

I’m Gone

The hopeless romantic has dematerialized

Exhausted for giving you a try

I’m Gone

My friends tell me your representatives just wasn’t the one

But I’ve Run this race to long, I’m overdone

I’m Gone

Starting over is so hard to do

Letting you in, believing your words were true…man

I’m Gone

I thought just because you knew God you would treat me better

But instead you threw me out in zero degree weather

I’m Gone

Behind this mask of happiness is hurt and tears

People are blind to the ocean that formed over these years

I’m Gone

So many pieces of me have died

That’s when I look at my reflection I’ve come to realize

Damn, I’m Gone

I never thought I would say this to you

But I am finally weak enough to say we are through

Love, I’m Gone

I swear the very next day God removed these feeling and opened my eyes to his truth.  He is getting rid of some distractions, closing the door on unhealthy situations and at the same time increasing my territory through the tears and pain.   Yes, he was building my spiritual muscles. 

In the midst of this he had my sister give me Purpose Driven Life without her knowing what I was fully going through.  God revealed in the book one way to discover your purpose was to just look at your God given talent that you were born with.  This made me think back to a few days earlier when a few of my friends came to work with pictures of when they were toddlers doing the very thing they enjoy doing today.  One of my friends was in front of a computer at 2 years old concentrating hard, just like she does today.  My other friend had a picture of her riding a pony, now she has a horse and rides him at events on the weekend.  So it got me thinking about my talents.  I asked my mommy and sister, since they have known me my whole life ha-ha, what were talents did they see in me since my toddler day's and the first thing out of both their mouths was writing (you think lol).  God also showed me how all my other talents will assist me with my purpose, so he can get all the glory.  I think I found my purpose, what do you think?

I see that every tear, pain, victory and joy was for someone else.  It was for God to be seen in me.  God is showing me through it all just how much he loves me.  He is preparing me to truly live for him.  It makes me think back when I was first saved almost 12 years ago.  God told me saints would send me all over the world and to get my passport.  At the time being a baby in Christ I thought it was joke.  I even thought that the prophetess didn’t know what she was talking about.  But now I see that everything from that day until now was in divine order.  To realize God loves me so much brings me to tears.  All I can say is thank you ABBA.  Even though the events that happen so far 2012 has been confusing and uncomfortable at times I am ecstatic that I gained so much, God blessed me with gift of being used by him.

Tearing Up The List

I wrote this last year but the crazy thing is I forgot my own message and created a list again.  I will advise you when God give you a revelation, write it down and review it often, so you wont have to learn the same lesson over and over again.  Enjoy (I tore up my list again haha)

Tearing Up My List

Crystal 'FREEDOM' Baskin

10-31-11

            Well here I go again.  Let me first say I love when my heavenly father gives me a revelation and allow me to write again.  This is all coming from him, he gets all the praise.  I am just a vessel that don't deserve his love but so very grateful for the cross.  Now let’s get down to business.  So a couple of weeks ago I was in service and God asked me do I really trust him.  I mean really trust him in all areas of my life.  Of course I said yes because in my mind I couldn't see where I didn't trust God.  God took me through a stripping a few years ago and it made me realize that in certain area I was in control.  I had never given God a chance to take the lead.  But today I am so grateful for him taking away thing I thought made me who I was.  I took my hands off and allowed him to move.   

            So God showed me that I wasn’t trusting in him with my love life.  I told him that I always asked him to send me the man he has for me.  Then he said so why do I have the list.  Now come on people I know you know about the list.  We create the good old list that describes your perfect mate.  You may have spiritual, looks, attitude, finances, and family description.  So I describe the man I felt was perfect for me.  I mean this man was everything I would ever want.  I actually kept the list in my purse to remind me exactly what I felt was perfect for me

            Then God asked me who knows what’s best for you.  Now this really got me thinking.  I mean if I was such a good choice with men then some of the past hurts wouldn't exist.  Then I started to realize if God made me, knew me before the womb, knew what I was going to say before I said it and sitting with me right now as I type this, I think he knows me better.  Every day I am discovering something new about myself, God is saying let me show her a little more.  So how dare I think I should tell God what man is best for me.

            I know my friends and me who have had the list always say I will not settle and this list will show exactly what I want.  God told me, Crystal when you know your worth and truly love yourself you won’t need a list to stop you from settling, you will be so focused on me and my light shining through you will stop certain guys from even approaching me.  He will be the keeper of my heart and a man will have to come to him to get it.

            Then he showed me how I was putting limits and boundaries on him.  Now he could give me what I asked for but I might not get the full blessing he has for me.  The man he has for me might not fit into the mold I designed.  Which got me thinking, I have friends that tell me that they got the man they asked for and a little more.  Which lead me to believe God was still at work even with a list and when we don't fully trust him (what an awesome God we serve). 

            So with all that being said I decided to fully trust God.  Let him work while I build a deeper relationship with him.  I can even trust that even if he never sends me a man then I trust it was his will and he has a bigger purpose for me.  God didn't need my help creating me so I am sure he doesn’t need my help in creating me a man.  Forgive me God for not submitting completely.  I am tearing up my list and trusting you only.

Free From Bondage

I have been longing to write but for some reason just couldn't.  Then I started to be pulled to my notes on Facebook and God told me to share this message I wrote last year.  Hope this message truly bless you.

Written By: Crystal 'FREEDOM' Baskin
9-30-11

I had a vision of myself duplicated 21 times in a single file line. 10 are shackled at the feet. When I look at the front of the line there is another me that has been released from the shackles and running towards freedom. There are an additional 9 empty shackles on the ground but no one in sight.   When I look at the back of the line I see 10 more versions on of me but are shackled at the hand and feet. Not looking up, scared, and timid. Then I realize this is how I am dealing with bondage in areas of your life.

For example, when I had an abortion years ago the pain struck instantly. I went into a deep depression and wore a happy mask while dying inside. I would drive by the clinic I had the procedure and just cry. If I shared my testimony with anyone the pain would automatically rise up. It seemed I couldn't let it go. Then one day while in service God spoke to me and said “I have already forgiven you why can't you forgive yourself.” That was the start of my release program. I tell you that the emotions and depression went away that day (not our definition of day – but in God's time). I was fighting with the shackles I had put on myself. But during the struggle God became my strength. He allowed me to see that I had the key all along. Before I knew it I didn't cry when I drove by the clinic. I was no longer mad at the protesters outside. I remember having a conversation about the abortion and stop in the middle of the story to give him praise because had been freed from the shackles. There was no trace of pain at all. This is a representation of the shackles left on the ground but no image of me in sight. The bondage had disappeared.

The image of me being released and running toward freedom is God working on my finances. I got a surprise today that I will be financial free in a month, owing no one but God my praise. I can't wait to say I have a positive net worth. Please understand that this is not to brag about money, it's to show God that I am walking the way he want me to in this area of my life. How can I truly be a financial blessing to his Kingdom robbing Peter to pay Paul?  I know most of you have heard the popular scripture Proverb 22:7 (The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is the servant over the lender) but my purpose is found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-14 (with the key verse being 7: Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver – Homework read Chapter 9). I have always dreamed of being able to pull up to a bus stop in the middle of winter and see a young single mother waiting for a bus and just give her the car keys. Can you imagine the glory God will get that day?  Just being able to truly love a total stranger. Also I know God has provided everything I need already and true wealth is in God not money anyway. It's time for God's children to be smarter financially and stop living above our means. If I can't pay it off that day I am not buying it. Thank you Jesus for opening the doors to teach me financial literacy. It will not stop with me either, I will teach others around me so they won't have to be in bondage.

Now the 10 versions of me that are shackled at the feet only are the issues that I am processing the release forms for. I know what those issues are and allowing God to be my lawyer. I have some minor mistakes (backsliding but not staying down) with the paper work that need to be addressed but I am determined to win no matter what. The funny thing is God showed me last night that he has cured me from backsliding (Jeremiah 3) so I am calling all my friends and family to tell you to get ready for a welcome home party. I have officially got the word that I am being freed soon (fighting flesh) but I don't have the release date (but I know victory was won when he got up).

The remaining last 10 images of me that are shackled at the hands and feet are the deep rooted seeds that I know are there but haven't discovered there true identity. The issues I hid in the back of the closet praying that God never reveals to others. If you don't know about these types of issue you are truly bless and I thank God that you never will. But for me I have not always been saved. I did things that I know I didn't care about. I have hurt people intentionally. I have had pride issues and felt I deserved so much. Yeah I was out of my mind, like I got on the cross and died for people. So those issues are hiding in a fetal position afraid to even fight. Afraid to look up at God because of the shame. The enemy is still whispering in their ears telling them they are not worthy of freedom. But what the enemy don't know that this group has a larger defense team behind them. Every one of my previous clones are ahead of them are yelling back don't give. Time to fight. We have the victory. You can do it. They are throwing shovels and saying, dig deep and pull the shackles out the ground. Even though I am humbled like a child with these issues I hear the voices loud and clear. I am getting stronger because I feel God's presence even if I have blinded my eyes. And deep down inside I know the truth. I am made in his image and in time I will be totally FREE FROM BONDAGE.

Lesson Learned: God's Challenge For The Month of May

So for the month of May I felt God lead me to show his love to a total stranger.  The assignment was to bless a total stranger every day in multiple ways.  He allowed me to share this challenge with all of you and at the end of the month we would share our experiences.  Now going into this challenge I was expecting so many people life being changed.  I was going to be used by God in different ways and people would be reminded of his love.  What I didn’t expect was I learned the biggest lesson about myself.  I realized how much time I spent thinking about me.  How everything I did in my life was for me to get some praise rather than God.  I discovered I was not living the purpose God created me for.  Yes I was living a selfish, prideful and self-centered life. 

So God revealed that the problem was that I had not surrendered my all to him.  How many people can relate to that?  We tell God I will give you this much of my life but I got this area over here.  Well the area I had my hands on was not peaceful.  There was confusion, hurt, and no rest.  I vowed to God that I would surrender everything in my life and my life to him.  I only want what God wants.  I even start disliking the words I and me.  I want to give to others from the heart and anonymous because I want people to see God only.  I truly understand what people mean when they say I just want to please him and hear job well done. 

In this process I met some wonderful people.   I gained new friendships, which one I would have never seen formed but God.  I am boldly stepping out on faith and when he tells me to move I am obedient.  Nothing matters more than God’s purpose. 

I also became conscious again.  It’s easy to fall asleep to the world when you take your eyes off God and focus on yourself.  We complain about so many things that are frivolous.  There are people around the world that are thanking God for the piece of bread they have last all week, praying for clean water and dreaming about one day coming to the United States.  Please remember there is someone who wishes they had your problems.  My heart longs to pray for people who need God or have lost their way.  I was created to be used by him.  My prayer every morning is for the Lord to use me for your purpose and open my eyes and ears so I know exactly where you need me.

There has also been a tug on my spirit to go on a mission trip.  God has given me gifts to use for his will and for so long I have allowed them to go to waste.  Are you taking advantage of your gift today by hiding it within?  God wants to use you the question is, are you willing to put down your will and follow him? 

If you didn’t participate in the May challenge it’s not too late.  You don’t need a particular month to express God’s love.  Start today.  Pay for somebody grocery, pray for a stranger that you see struggling, donate some clothes, or simply speak and smile at someone.  You never know how these simple things can change a person life.  If you are asked why you are doing what you are doing just state because God loves you more than you know. 

Love You Guys

Crystal ‘FREEDOM’ Baskin

Intimate Relationship with God

Have you asked yourself how do I build an intimate relationship with God?  Well I pray this will insist you in doing just that.  So many times in the past I would wonder what people meant when they said they had an intimate relationship with God.  I would pray to God and ask Lord how this was even possible.  The whole concept was foreign and confusing to me.  Not that I haven’t experienced intimate relationship before this but those relationship was so full of pride on my end that I couldn’t draw a parallel to that same type of relationship with God but I was seeking a deeper experience with God.  Longing for what all these people had experienced and wanting to clearly hear his voice, I went on a search.  I decided to look up the definition of the words relationship and intimate and it states:

Relationship: The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

Intimate: Closely acquainted; familiar

So after reviewing these definitions I started thinking what came with being in a relationship.  Then I started thinking about when being in intimate relationships there is fellowship.  I thought what step do you take to truly fall in love with a person?  Then I was blessed with an answer at a woman’s conference at my church.  The woman of God that was speaking that night topic was, Relationship with God.  She described how she set-up a date night with God weekly.  She shared with us how when we are dating someone we get all dressed up.  We cook meals and clean our house.  We will go all out.  She asked us why we don’t give the same effort to God.  Why don’t we spend uninterrupted time with God?  She explained how she would set-up candles like a date.  This woman would talk and reveal her feelings to God.  She even described how she would sing and dance. 

I was so ecstatic that God had finally provided me with an answer to my prayers.  Giving it a try was the best thing I had ever done.  I dressed up and cooked a meal.  Lighting candles to set the mood was a must.  I turned my phone off and shut the television off.  God and I shared a personal praise and worship time.  This time allowed me to grow spiritually.  I realized that I could really express how I felt.  I would find different ways I could truly show God how much I appreciated him.  I was able to sit in silent with him and allowed him to become my best friend.  My week was not complete without my date night. 

Now that some years have passed I have gotten away from doing my date night.  As I reflect on that time in my life I was truly seeking God not for blessing but just to show how grateful I was because I am already blessed.  Entering a new transition in my life right now I feel God is calling me to his purpose and to surrender my all to him.  With the revelation that this life is not about me how can I not give God all my time.  Just like some relationship that have been together for a while we let the spark die and take our significant other for granted.  Well it’s time to put the flame back in my relationship.  It’s time to make every day date night and give God my life. 

I will recommend that no matter where you are in your walk with God that you invest more time with him and watch you mature spiritually.  Start slow if this is a new relationship for you.  Start off by committing to a date night a week.  Let the butterflies ring in your spirit like you would with any new relationship.  Tell your family and friends about him.  When that thought of him appear smile or just when a thought cross your mind give him a call just to say hi.

If you have been in your relationship a while, it’s time out for games and time to show God that nothing else matters but him.  You heard the saying the things you do to get them is the same thing you need to do to keep.  So what was your excitement level and effort when you first got saved?  Look, he has a purpose for your life and when you take your eyes off of him you are not walking in your full potential that you were created for.  Run back to your first love and rekindle the flame.

Love you guys

Freedom