RED REVIVAL
A young woman is challenged to forfeit her black and white life to live in the world of color.
A student film of University of Miami School of Communication, written, produced and directed by Allison Basham, starring Lauren Hagan. Filmed on a 16mm Bolex Camera.
God made His kids like sail-boats; when the wind comes, we glide with it. If followers of Christ really believe they’ve been wholly redeemed and liberated, why do they keep their religious motor handy? The control of religious behavior in the church has overridden the wind of the Holy Spirit, but soon, we, the bride of Jesus Christ, are going to run out of gas…
Religion that doesn’t lead to a God encounter only serves to make me more religious…
“Knowledge puffs up…” (1 Corinth. 8:1) …
The pride that comes from mere Bible knowledge is divisive. It creates an appetite for one’s own opinion. “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him,” (John 7:18). Those trained without a revelation that takes us to Him are trained to speak from themselves, for their own glory. This drive for knowledge without an encounter with God wars against true righteousness.
Not only does righteousness suffer, so does faith. “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” (John 5:44). That desire for glory from man somehow displaces faith. The heart that fears God only- the one that seeks first His Kingdom and desires God to receive all honor and glory- that heart is the heart where faith is born.
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More Than Conquerors
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
![Song of Solomon 5
Beloved
2 I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe— must I put it on again? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?
4 My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening; my heart began to pound for him.
5 I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my lover, but my lover had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. [a] I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. They beat me, they bruised me; they took away my cloak, those watchmen of the walls!
8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you— if you find my lover, what will you tell him? Tell him I am faint with love.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9sokjyahi1qdizoio1_500.jpg)
Song of Solomon 5
Beloved
2 I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My lover is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my flawless one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe—
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
must I soil them again?
4 My lover thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
5 I arose to open for my lover,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my lover,
but my lover had left; he was gone.
My heart sank at his departure. [a]
I looked for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!
8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you—
if you find my lover,
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love.
This is Michael Gungor, from the band Gungor, having fun with his version of the Doxology. I went to a concert of theirs last month and was thoroughly blasted by their creative melodies and fresh worship. They’re talented and deeply passionate. Check em’ out.
We don’t think fun - we have fun. Receive fun, because guess what? God is so much fun, and He loves having fun with us the way we like to have fun. And His fun plans are always successful.
Say amen.
A portion of AllyBash! Portfolio Photos
If you would like a print of a painting of mine, feel free to contact me at a.basham@umiami.edu or find me on facebook. If you would like an original painting done with you in mind, I receive commissions as well.
“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Romans 9:13
(1) Esau, as the eldest son, was meant to receive birthright from his dying father, Isaac. However, Jacob’s lust for the birthright’s blessing and authority drove him to deceive his father and brother to gain the birthright for himself.
“Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents”. Genesis 25:27
Isaac loved Esau the most, and Esau was complacent and took his father’s blessing and authority for granted. He did not recognize his need for the birthright until he sold it away to Jacob for a simple meal.
Why does God proclaim he loved Jacob when Jacob had covetous motives?
God desires an extreme heart of hunger over pious righteousness.
Even with the wrong motives, God the Father desires that we zealously lust after His power, authority and presence. HE WANTS TO GIVE US HIS POWER SO HE WILL BE GLORIFIED THROUGH US. All of us are meant to have spiritual gifts of God to encourage, strengthen and comfort those around us in the name of Jesus (2) (“in the name of” meaning “in behalf of; by the authority of; in the represented or assumed character of”).
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill… The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18
God despises a lukewarm lifestyle in Him and would rather have your heart with its false motives than your indifference: “So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth”. Revelations 3:16
A complacent heart does not change and is not teachable. If you aren’t teachable, you cannot receive wisdom and revelation from God. Apathy and complacency only leave when there is hunger in its place.
If your faith seems stagnant, a step worth taking is to loosen the reigns of control and entrust your unstable life into the peaceful hands of God. Taking the safe and easy route of complacent faith is a form of control because you are preventing change in your way of thinking, (which will block you from revelation and feeling the love and presence of God). God is calling you “to be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom. 12:2.
“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Romans 8:5-7.
Change is intimidating because every new stage of life tends to begin with a mess.
“Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox” Proverbs 14:4.
All births in life are messy. There’s no way around it. If you want increase from the Kingdom of God, you must shift focus from honoring order to honoring life. Parents go through the mess of birthing life, THEN train their children in the direction they should go. In the same way, we must release our control to God, persevere through the pain and discomfort of change, until we receive the increase God promises. Life is worth far beyond the trouble of cleaning up a mess.
“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10
When you consistently live in hunger for God’s presence, authority and power, (which gets easier the more you encounter and experience God’s endless love for you) the fruit of the Spirit becomes tangibly evident and full in your life, almost effortlessly.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Against such things there is no law.” Galations 5:22-23
Thanks for takin’ the time to read up what I learned today! I hope your mind has shifted for the better! Remember that God is good, and He is terribly in love with you as you are. He is jealous for your affection in return.
With love,
Allybash!
(1) Jacob and Esau discussion inspired by You May All Prophesy: Practical Guidelines for Prophetic Ministry by Steve Thompson
(2) definition of “in the name of” http://dictionary.die.net/in%20the%20name%20of
(3) All the verses are from the bible… ;P
