Slice of life of 18-year-old Hanaya Oki living in Kamakura, Japan, as she learns to do life with Jesus.
Hanaya Oki Series: https://superdifferent.com/hanaya
Hanaya:
Lord, teach me to set my mind on things above, and not on earthly things. I don't want to live just to consume. I want to live effectively. I don't want to end up simply having visited this world. I want to make my life count. When I meet you face to face, I want to hear you say well done.
There are many distractions and temptations. So I ask for discernment. With this gift of time you have given me, I want to choose wisely until the end. If my life is like a shooting star that appears briefly, I want to burn brightly for you and your purposes before fading away.
Jesus:
Hanaya, you're in this world, but you're not of this world. I chose you out of this world. I bought you. You're mine.
When compromise knocks on your door, remember this, you're better than that, you're royalty.
I love you even in your weakness and immaturity. When you mess up, don't hide, speak to me, ask for forgiveness, and I will cleanse you. I also discipline those whom I love. So don't be discouraged if discipline comes your way. It will perfect holiness in you.
Always seek understanding. It's not just what you read or hear, it's what you understand and grasp. The devil wants to quickly steal the words of life from people's hearts, lest they understand, and bear fruit. It gets stolen by distractions and their love for other things more than the love of the truth.
Many think they don't have an enemy. They think they are in control, until, they get hit. They become casualties of the devil's schemes. He prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He uses seduction and temptation to draw people away from the absolute truth.
To be spiritually minded is life and peace. There are far too many unnecessary noises and visuals that entertain the soul but add no spiritual value. And a lot of it is designed to convince you of a certain narrative, to affect your imagination, and make you ineffective.
It comes from the entertainment of this age, the news reports, talk shows, and other outlets. Not everything is bad, but you need to filter out things and discern what you let into your imagination and how it is shaping your perception.
Evil spirits are waiting for a response. If you don't give it, they will go to someone else whom they could devour. The deception is to convince you of something about yourself which is not true. They will try to keep you in a victim mindset, in cycles of rejection, to make you ineffective. They try to make you predictable. Let the Holy Spirit make you unpredictable.
The natural man cannot discern everything. But you're not of this world, you're born of the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is in you. He searches the deep things of mine and reveals them to you. He is your helper. Listen to his still small voice. He is already counseling you to design your life so that you could stay effective.
People have unrealistic expectations because they don't check in with the Holy Spirit. They become presumptuous.
Take time to pause and ponder. You will discern what needs to stay, what to pull back from, and what needs to go out of your life. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all reality.
Things are not always what they seem to be. Truth is greater than the facts. My Word is the truth. But you need to be fully convinced of my Word and enforce it over the facts by speaking to the mountains in your way.
When deep darkness covers the earth, my glory will rise over you. If you have the correct narrative, you will be an overcomer in these times.
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