Lost!
Coldplay

Just because I’m losing
Doesn’t mean I’m lost
Doesn’t mean I’ll stop
Doesn’t mean I won't cross

Just because I’m hurting
Doesn’t mean I’m hurt
Doesn’t mean I didn’t get
What I deserved
No better and no worse

I just got lost
Every river that I tried to cross
Every door I ever tried was locked
Ohhh, and I’m…
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off

You might be a big fish
In a little pond
Doesn’t mean you’ve won
‘Cause along may come
A bigger one

And you’ll be lost
Every river that you tried to cross
Every gun you ever held went off
Ohhh, and I’m…
Just waiting until the firing stopped
Ohhh, and I’m…
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off

Ohhh, and I…
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off
Ohhh, and I..
Just waiting ’til the shine wears off

4The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. 6My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
7"Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
10Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
"For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Ezekial 34 (ESV)

7So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."
John 10 (ESV)

Are you losing or are you lost?

New Beginnings

September always seems like the beginning of a new year for me and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.

I'm going back to school. Teacher training, with three children in school. My children are starting new things too; first time ever in before and after school care so I can be at school; first time I'll be busy with more than just them, the house, and their father. I'm going back to school without the support of my husband; not financially or emotionally. He doesn't want me to go. But I am going ahead anyway, and it's right, and it's good.

Fresh and new is such a great feeling; but change can also bring anxiety and stress. I need to spend extra time in prayer and studying the word to ensure that my eyes are open to what Jesus has in store in the midst of all that is going on. I want to see with His eyes so that my worry disappears. I need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can walk in His strength.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

Jesus says;
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Matthew 6:25-34

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Romans 14:17

Jesus also says;
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
John 14:27

"Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
"Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you."
Isaiah 35:3-4

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Hebrews 12:12-13

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Romans 5:1-6

I misplaced my Bible. I have others here at home, but the one I'm missing is my only ESV translation and has all my recent meanderings marked. It is lovingly autographed by my friend Sandra who gave it to me. I went nuts yesturday looking for it. I think I left it in the pew at church... but this thought didn't come to me until 11pm.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly..." Colossians 3:16. It's in me, I just want it back in my hands.

A Psalm for this time and season...

The LORD Is My Light and My Salvation
Of David.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, "Seek my face."My heart says to you,
"Your face, LORD, do I seek."

Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
Psalm 27

"If you are following Jesus, if you've committed your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, he may discipline you - with a purpose - but he is not punishing you.

The follower of Jesus does not have a burden of guilt wondering 'What did I do wrong?' There is no karma in the Christian life. What goes around doesn't come around to me; it comes around to the cross and stops there. If I confess my sin and forsake my sin, it stops at the cross.

It doesn't mean I never have trouble it means I never have punishment."

Ted Klassen "Hope When It's Hopeless" Culloden Church 2008

Habakkuk 3:17-19
Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Matthew 7:11 (ESV)

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Luke 11:13 (ESV)

... how much more... what a thing our Saviour said to us.

Ask and see how much more. I'm going to.

NANCY HECHE
the truth comes out
The Story of My Hearts Transformation
Read it!!

Nancy's story has something for everyone.

Blessing - from the book...

" That's me. That's me when I'm stuck in self pity and frustration I can see only the sting of the moment. I can't stand back far enough to get God's perspective,... I'm right in the middle of it, feeling hopeless and angry, not a plan in sight. " pp.132,133

" ... I know that He works together all of the things of my life to make me more like Jesus (Romans 8:28)...
It's not just that God waves a magic wand over my troubles and abracadabra! it's all better. It's God and Nancy working together. He does His work - holding, illuminating, guiding - and I do my work - praying, reading His Word, obeying - and I grow and heal and learn to wait and be patient, and then I become more like Jesus. " pp. 134

" It's not fair! Not fair? Leif Enger in his beautiful book Peace Like a River, writes, 'Fair is whatever God wants to do.'
" I cried and yelled and screamed at God and told Him I would not do this. Period. I would not do this. This is more than I can bear. Don't You get it? THIS IS MORE THAN I CAN BEAR.
Is this what I was being prepared for when I sang those songs and prayed those prayers about the fellowhip of Christ's sufferings? Did you take me at my word, really? I didn't mean it to happen this way... why me? " pp. 135

Acts 3:26
God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.

Read that verse again.

" God sent Jesus to bless me, and that blessing turned me from my wicked ways! I wondered if I had ever read that verse before. God's blessing is what turns me from my ways to His way. "

... I thought in my 'Christian' lingo, that blessing [her] would be the same as agreeing with [her]. I didn't agree with [her] position, but I loved [her] and longed to have a relationship with [her]. It was so hard. Most of the time I didn't know what to do or say.
... I confessed my hard heart and I blessed [her], and I blessed [her] friends. "
pp 138 ( []brackets mine)

" I believe that the Bible is a book of what God is doing, what is happening, not just what God did, or what happened hundreds of years ago. God did not speak in Bible times and then go mute! He is speaking things into existence all the time. "

" I learn what to expect today by reading what God did yesterday. It's very scientific, actually. If a scientist performs an experiment over and over and gets the same result each time, she can expect that the same things can and will happen each and every other time. "

" I got out my Greek lexicon to study the word 'blessing'. Here's what I read: to bless is to ask God to interfere, to take action in one's life, to bring them to the desired relationship with Himself so that they are truly blessed and fully satisfied. "

" To bless is to ask God to interfere, to take action in one's life, to bring them to the desired relationship with Himself. . . Do you get how powerful that is?
... blessing releases God's power to change the character and destiny of the one being blessed. WOW! "

" I wanted us to learn to bless each other,... with a knowing, informed, passionate, intentional "BLESS YOU!" We committed to blessing those who annoyed us in traffic, collegues who frustrated us at work, friends and family who hurt us at home. "

" God bless you. God bless me. " pp. 139,140

Seriously, read the book!

In Psalm 42 "...the psalmist preaches to his own soul. Verse 5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” O how crucial this is in the fight of faith. We must learn to preach the truth to ourselves. Listen to Lloyd-Jones take hold of this verse:

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them but they are talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. Who is talking to you? Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says,: “Self, listen for moment, I will speak to you.” (Spiritual Depression, 20-21)

On this side of the cross, we know the greatest ground for our hope: Jesus Christ crucified for our sins and triumphant over death. So the main thing we must learn is to preach the gospel to ourselves:

Listen, self: If God is for you, who can be against you? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for you, how will he not also with him graciously give you all things? Who shall bring any charge against you as God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for you. Who shall separate you from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:31–35 paraphrased)

Learn to preach the gospel to yourself. If this psalmist were living after Christ, that is what he would have done. "

John Piper, June 1, 2008. Spiritual Depression in the Psalms

A REAL CHRISTIAN IS AN ODD NUMBER, ANYWAY.
HE FEELS SUPREME LOVE FOR ONE WHOM HE HAS NEVER SEEN;
TALKS FAMILIARLY EVERY DAY TO SOMEONE HE CANNOT SEE;
EXPECTS TO GO TO HEAVEN ON THE VIRTUE OF ANOTHER;
EMPTIES HIMSELF IN ORDER TO BE FULL;
ADMITS HE IS WRONG SO HE CAN BE DECLARED RIGHT;
GOES DOWN IN ORDER TO GET UP;
IS STRONGEST WHEN HE IS WEAKEST;
RICHEST WHEN HE IS POOREST AND HAPPIEST WHEN HE FEELS THE WORST.
HE DIES SO HE CAN LIVE; FORSAKES IN ORDER TO HAVE;
GIVES AWAY SO HE CAN KEEP;
SEES THE INVISIBLE;
HEARS THE INAUDIBLE;
AND KNOWS THAT WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE.

A. W. TOZER

I said in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But behold, this also was vanity. I said of laughter, "It is mad," and of pleasure, "What use is it?" I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-3

There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
Proverbs 21:17

... the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Psalm 147:11

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalam 16:11

I'm considering these passages in light of the pursuit of happiness. It is in accordance with God's good pleasure to adopt us as his children through Jesus Christ and to make known to us the mystery of his will (Ephesians 1:5,9). God works in us for his good pleasure (Phillippians 2:13). Jesus promises life "to the full" (John 10:10) and he prays that we would experience the full measure of His joy (John 17:13). We have the fullness of his grace; experiencing one blessing after another (John 1:16).

Life needs to be redefined by these things. Even in light of our troubles. We must recognize that they are momentary and fleeting (2 Corinthians 4:17). I'm not making nothing of your pain, suffering, struggle, sin, or fear. We're merely stuck in a moment; this time is passing. The urgency to understand the grace you are being offered is even more pressing when you consider this.

If I could for just a moment, let out the breathe that I hold inside.

U2 - One Step Closer
I'm 'round the corner from anything that's real
I'm across the road from hope
I'm under a bridge in a rip tide
That's taken everything I call my own

One step closer to knowing
One step closer to knowing

I'm on an island at a busy intersection
I can't go forward, I can't turn back
Can't see the future
It's getting away from me
I just watch the tail lights glowing

(chorus)
One step closer to knowing
One step closer to knowing
One step closer to knowing
Knowing, knowing

I'm hanging out to dry
With my old clothes
Finger still red with the prick of an old rose
Well the heart that hurts
Is a heart that beats
Can you hear the drummer slowing?
(chorus)

Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

James 5:7-8
Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

Knowing my joy...
"... for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

I believe it, yet today, I struggle to find it living itself out as I am full of grief.

Sandra... I know she is with Jesus. Satisfied. Full. In her new glorious body. Worshipping. Never lonely again. No longer in pain. No more cancer. Just Jesus, all the time.

I will miss her. It will seem like such a long wait for me, but like nothing to her. I have loved her. She lifted me up. She took care of my fragile heart. I don't know how I will manange, but I will. The same Jesus who she sees face to face will fill me up and place my feet, one in front of the other, every day.

These are two word pictures that Sandra gave me to describe her faith and the transformation of her husband. I wrote this with her two years ago... soak it in.

The River
They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
Psalm 36:8-9

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 22:1-2

He believed
He was at one time standing on the shore;
Watching the River rush by;
Watching his wife drink in her God and savoir.
He stepped in to the family of God.
Getting his feet wet at a few church services.
Feeling bolder or maybe seeking more –
Eventually he was knee deep in the River;
Attending bible study, participating in God’s family, absorbing the love and acceptance.
He learned, got answers to questions, and embraced the scriptures as truth;
All the while watching his wife drinking it all in.
He was in the river, but he wasn’t drinking.
Soon, he could barely keep his head above the water;
As the waves of God’s love and Jesus’ power became intoxicating.
Yet, he kept his head up,
Not leaping in to drink in the Spirit.
“What’s holding you back? I know you believe!”
She was the Spirits speaker;
Jesus literally using her, their pastor, and a marriage conference to pour his water over him.
“You can’t stand in this River forever. If you don’t drink, you’ll die of dehydration.” She said.
Walking the ‘Christian’ walk is too difficult, too impossible, without Jesus in you.
His stumbling block; a fear of hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy is not the sinner repenting.
Hypocrisy is the good man claiming righteousness all on his own.
With his one stumbling block all but blown away – the damn of resistance was gone.
The River flooded in,
And he drank.

With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
John 7:37-38

The Cup
For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
2 Corinthians 5:4-5

We don’t come to Jesus clean and polished up.
We bring him our muddied lives.
We are like a cup of black ink.
As Jesus fills you with the living water of the Holy Spirit;
The blackness begins to fade as the ink is saturated with the word, teaching, fellowship songs, worship, and Jesus himself.
Your sins no longer written across a heart of stone in black ink,
But washed away with the Spirit of the living God.
We are continually being filled and transformed into a vessel of pure clear life.
Upon that day, when all the ink is gone, we are in paradise.

You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:3

Broken
I am broken...



I sought relief in the Word.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'" Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
Exodus 6:6-9

And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
Leviticus 26:12-13

"My spirit is broken; my days are extinct;
the graveyard is ready for me.
Surely there are mockers about me,
and my eye dwells on their provocation.
... My days are past; my plans are broken off,
the desires of my heart.
Job 17:1-2, 11

All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you,
and we have not been false to your covenant.
Our heart has not turned back,
nor have our steps departed from your way;
yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
and covered us with the shadow of death.
If we had forgotten the name of our God
or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
would not God discover this?
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
Why do you hide your face?
Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly clings to the ground.
Rise up; come to our help!
Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!
Psalm 44:17-26

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:7-9, 17

He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.
"O my God," I say, "take me not away
in the midst of my days—
you whose years endure
throughout all generations!"
Psalm 102:23-24

When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:17-19

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
but you are the same, and your years have no end.
The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.
Psalm 102:25-28

The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
Psalm 147:2-4

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.
Ephesians 2:13-16

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Romans 11:17-22

Hedonism: A way of life devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. The philosophy that pleasure is the principal good in life.

Christian Hedonism: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him. We all make a god out of what we take the most pleasure in. Christian Hedonists want to make God their God by seeking after the greatest pleasure—pleasure in him.

A totally new way of thinking for me...

Don’t Be Too Easily Satisfied
Hebrews 11:6 teaches, "Without faith it is impossible to please [God]. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” You cannot please God if you do not come to him looking for reward. Therefore, faith that pleases God is the hedonistic pursuit of God.

As Christian Hedonists we know that everyone longs for happiness. And we will never tell them to deny or repress that desire. It is never a problem to want to be satisfied. The problem is being satisfied too easily. We believe that everyone who longs for satisfaction should no longer seek it from money or power or lust, but should come glut their soul-hunger on the grace of God. We will bend all our effort, by the Holy Spirit, to persuade people that they can be happier in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35); that they should count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus their Lord (Philippians 3:8); that the aim of all of Jesus' commandments is that their joy be full (John 15:11); that if they delight themselves in the Lord he will give them the desire of their heart (Psalm 37:4); that there is great gain in godliness with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6); and that the joy of the Lord is their strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

We will not try to motivate anyone with appeals to mere duty. We will tell them that in God’s presence is full and lasting joy (Psalm 16:11). And our only duty is to come to him, seeking this pleasure.

By John Piper "We Want You to Be a Christian Hedonist!"

SATISFIED

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:10-12 (ESV)

"Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the LORD."
Jeremiah 31:13-14 (ESV)

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.
Psalm 17:15 (ESV)

So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
Psalm 63:4-6 (ESV)

When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
Psalm 65:3-4 (ESV)

What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
The fear of the LORD leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
Proverbs 19:22-23 (ESV)

I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.

"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
Joel 2:25-27 (ESV)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

Come Jesus, come! Satisfy your people! Do not let our hearts grow weary, even as we long for you. Come Lord Jesus, come!

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:9,10,12 (ESV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)

The Mercy Seat
"You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold.
Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you.
There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel."
Exodus 25:17-22

You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the Most Holy Place. Exodus 26:34

And he (the high Priest) shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony,
so that he does not die.
And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses. No one may be in the tent of meeting from the time he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place until he comes out and has made atonement for himself and for his house and for all the assembly of Israel.
Leviticus 16:12-17

But when Christ appeared as a high priest
of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places,
not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, "This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you." And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:11-22

Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is,
he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:23-28
All scripture ESV, emphasis mine

The Mercy Seat

In the darkness where everything is unknown
I faced the power of sin on my own
I did not know of a place I could go
Where I could find a way to heal my wounded soul

He said that I could come into His presence without fear
Into the holy place where His mercy hovers near
I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin' to the mercy seat
Where Jesus is callin', He said His grace would cover me
His blood will flow freely, It will provide the healing
I'm runnin' to the mercy seat, I'm runnin' to the mercy seat

Are you livin' where hope has not been
Lost in a curse of a lifetime of sin
Look, the illusions, they never come true
I know where there's a place of mercy for you

He said that you could come into His presence without fear
Into the holy place where His mercy hovers near
Come runnin', come runnin', come runnin' to the mercy seat
Where Jesus is callin', His grace will be a covering
His blood will flow freely, It will provide the healing
Come runnin' to the mercy seat

I was reading this and thought that I would share it. Here's the link to the whole article; Part 1 & Part 2

The root of all our disorders - sexual and social and physical and emotional - is the exchange of the glory of God for other things. The solar system of our soul and our society was made to orbit around the glory of God as its all-controlling sun. And the entire human race has exchanged the glory of God for weightless, substitute satellites that have no gravity and can hold nothing in its proper orbit.

John Piper; The Other Dark Exchange: Homosexuality, Part 2

The text is being talked about is Romans 1:24-28

Praise the Lord for answered prayer!

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you,
for you have made known to us the kings matter."
Daniel 2:20-23

I'm trying to memorize this amazing praise to God for answered prayer. When I stand before God and give thanks, I want these words to roll off my lips as if they were my own.
My heart is full today of all the prayers that he has answered for me and the answered prayers for those that I have prayed for. His miracles, mercies, and glory are more than I can fathom.

He is able to do abundantly more than I can imagine. Ephesians 3:20-21

Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount.
I will be adding to this post as I continue to read and listen.

Ted Klassen sermon series on the Christian Manifesto click here.
Desiring God; articles and sermons by John Piper click here.
The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson.

"The Sermon on the Mount establishes the Christian culture. The Church is not multicultural. It is monocultural; it has one culture. It is multi-racial, people from different countries and that speak different languages; it is multi-ethnic, people from different backgrounds, but it is not multi-culture. Multicultural is different values and religions co-existing and applies to secular institutions. No matter what denomination, the culture of the church is the same. Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead; people accept him as their savior and realize that he died for them; and then they live for him and want to follow Jesus. That's one culture; that's monoculture. It's about a person and not just about values. That makes it completely different."
Pastor Ted Klassen, Fasting for Jesus, (2008-01-06)

Fasting

"Fasting is personal; between you and God. Just as giving and prayer are between you and God. Fasting should increase our joy and our awareness of what God is doing in our lives and our dependance on him. It should remind us of the life we have in Jesus Christ. Romans 5:10"

"We need to put things aside, to fast from good things, to make us aware of the best thing; to make us more conscience of what the life of Jesus means to us."

"We put everything aside to be good in business, to practice music, to win and train in athletics; but how much time, what do we put aside, to maintain a passion for Jesus Christ? In order to maintain your passion for Jesus there are times when you have to put everything aside. Then you will be rewarded with strength from your Father."

"In Matthew 4, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, before he was tempted in the dessert. He preapred for this test by experiencing closeness with God through fasting. Jesus was at the height of his strength because he was at the height of his awareness of the love of God. We fast to become aware of God's love, not of our sin."
Pastor Ted Klassen, Fasting for Jesus, (2008-01-06)

"Jesus wants to point out to his disciples that there are dangers in the spiritual life when sinners undertake it. Conversion does not remove the presence of sin from our hearts, even though it is dethroned in our lives. Sin still works deceitfully in our minds."
The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson p. 112.

"Jesus has already made it clear in Matthew 6 that the single most important influence on the way we live the Christian life is how we think of God. For Jesus, theology (how we think about God) determines practice (how we live our lives)." The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson pp 118-119.

"You sum up the whole of the New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one's holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all."
J.I. Packer, Knowing God, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1973, p.182

"By our actions, we are really conveying an unspoken message... Christ and the gospel are always contemporary. We need to see to it that we live, speak, act, and witness in ways that are appropriate to him and to our times."
The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson p. 156.

Jesus and the Law

"Jesus came to fulfil the law, not to destroy it. In fact, as we have seen, Jesus teaches that the law of God is an essential diagnostic tool. Whether we break it or keep it, and whether we encourage others to break it or keep it, is an indication of our true spritiual condition. It is the standard for evaluation in the kingdom of God (Matt. 5:19), but not the standard for entrance into the kingdom."

"Were he to overthrow the teaching of the law in the verses that follow, he would do more than that; he would overthrow his own teaching."
The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson p. 79, 80

Read Matthew 5:21-32

"How, then, can we keep our way pure? Jesus' vivid illustrations suggest a number of important general principles.

1. Realise where yeilding to sinful lusts will lead you. Jesus says that hell is the direction in which all sin leads (Matt. 5:29-30). Fix that in your mind.

2. Deal with the real cause of your sin. ... failure to 'gouge it out' cannot be remedied by substitute offerings of obedience or sacrifice.

3. Act decisively, immediately, even if it must be painful. ... There will be 'withdrawal symptoms' after the amputation. ... Obedience cannot be negotiated, nor can heaven and hell.

4. Realise especially that your lust is not the whole of your life, and weigh against its influence all that will be yours by abandoning it. ... What happens when we are caught up in some specific sin? We become the objects of blackmail. We think, or Satan says, 'If you deal with this sin as Jesus says, what will be left for you? Think of the long road back to spiritual recovery. Think of what you will lose if you say no.' Such is the attraction and bondage of sin that it becomes all-consuming. It demands all we can give.

But Jesus gives us the hope of a new perspective. Gouge out the offending eye, but save your life. Yes, you may have committed sin the memory of which you will never be able to erase, even though it be forgiven. But you will have taken steps on the way to life and turned away from the doorway to death. Do not be deceived into a hopeless abandonment to sin."

The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson pp 89, 90

"It is better, says Jesus, to lose a moment, a day, a week, a month, a year, of stolen pleasure than to lose all - self, wife, family, grace - and finally be cast into hell for despising the word of the Lord.

Who can read such teaching without trembling? May God help us to be faithful - to our spouse (if we are married), for our spouse (if we are to be married in the future) - or simply to God himself (if remain single)."
The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World, by Sinclair B. Ferguson p. 93


"You are the salt of the earth..." Matthew 5:13

"Jesus is not urging his disciples to become something they are not; he is telling them what they are as kingdom people.

"... in Jesus' day salt was a vital preservative. Christians whose lives exhibit the qualities of the 'blessed' will have a preserving impact upon a society that, if left to itself, will rot and deteriorate... that in itself will not regenerate his society, but it will make it more difficult for sinful attitudes and habits and words to become the norm among his friends and colleagues."
The Sermon on The Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World. by Sinclair B. Ferguson pp. 56, 57, 58

"Christians should have zest! ... Everything about us should express the attractiveness as well as the holiness of our Lord."

"Like salt, our lives and our speech are to bring out the 'flavour' of Jesus Christ. Too much of ourselves - too much of our talk - will like wise leave an unpleasant taste." The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson pp. 59, 60

"... But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men." Matthew 5:13

"The same is true for those of us who profess to be Christians. Cease to be different, and we cease to be Christians."

"If we have no moral 'bite' in the different quality of our lifestyle, then we are no longer salt in the world."

"What is it that helps Christians retain their 'saltiness'?... As we open our lives to the impact of the whole of Scripture, with its message of a whole Christ, then the whole of our lives will begin to radiate his saving power and grace."
The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdom Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson pp. 61, 62

"You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:14

"The implication is clear. Already in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is underlining the challenge which is stated so clearly in his Great Commission(Matthew 28:18-20): the whole world is to be our sphere of influence."

"Fulfilling this plan will demand that the whole of our lives be whole-heartedly devoted to him and to his service. That devotion will cost us everything. But surely those who are 'the light of the world' will give nothing less for him who is the light that the darkness can never overcome (John 1:5)."
The Sermon on the Mount; Kingdon Life in a Fallen World by Sinclair B. Ferguson pp. 65, 66

"Lead us not into temptation... " Matthew 6:13

"This comes from Psalm 141. In this Psalm, you can hear that David desperately needed God to hear him, to answer him and to protect him. True prayer begins with a recognition that we can't handle things on our own. To pray 'Lead me not into temptation' is to place a vote of no confidence in the flesh. It is to acknowledge that apart from God hearing us and protecting us, we will fall into sin every time."

"The greatest threat to your spiritual life, is yourself. We look for external factors that pull us towards sin; when in reality we should be looking in the mirror. In Psalm 141:4, David knows the reality of his heart. So for us, instead of pretending that everything is fine, acknowledge your deserate need for God because your heart continually leads you away from him"

"We need to pray; 'God, would you protect me from relationships that seem so attractive, but will only lead me away from you.' And pray the flip side of that as well; 'Surround me with people who will tell me the truth, even when it hurts." (Psalm 141:4, 5)

"Critism is not easy to take and that's why David prayed this way, 'Let my head not refuse it.' We also need to pray; 'God, would you help me not to be so stubborn that I fail to hear your words spoken to me from someone else.' It can be difficult to take, but we all need this; we need to know the truth about ourselves; we need people in our lives to perform this function."
"Lead us not into Temptation" Pastor Lee Francois (2007-11-11) at Culloden Church

Listen to this sermon! click here!

"It's one Jesus; the Lord who teaches and the Lord who works miracles. Nitty gritty and practical, medling in your lives; and He is supernatural and powerful, alienating himself from modern secular world views. And He presents himself as one Christ to be believed as He is or not."
John Piper: The Beatitudes and the Gospel of the Kingdom, Jan. 26, 1986

"The Sermon on the Mount is counter intuitive. It doesn't work the way we naturally think. In fact, the whole gospel of Jesus Christ is that way. The gospel says you can't earn your salvation it's given to you. God says you're a sinner, that you're condemned; but at the same time he loves you so much that he gives you salvation through his death and resurrection. And when He comes into our lives we don't just adopt a set of rules according to the way we live; we receive the Holy Spirit and we receive power to be different; to live counter intuitively."

"Being a Christian is supposed to change you; not just get you into heaven."

"In every Christian's life there comes a crisis when you have to decide that Jesus will be enough. And then He will give you everything you need. Jesus is enough; that's what it means to be meek."
Ted Klassen sermon: Blessed are the Meek (sermon archives July 2007)

"The sermon is Jesus' manifesto. It describes a regal lifestyle, the new behaviour pattern for the new kingdom we have entered."

"... Jesus himself is the King of God's kingdom. Where he reigns, there the kingdom of heaven is already present."

"... the day of the reign of God, was no longer confined to the furture - it was now." Sinclair B. Ferguson from The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World pp 7, 3.

"Every person's final destiny will be settled by whether Jesus 'knew' him or not (Matt. 7:23)"

"... there is no sadder commentary on our lack of this spiritual poverty than the readiness so many of us have to let others know what we think. But the man who is poor in spirit is the man who has been silenced by God, and seeks only to speak what he has learned in humility from him."
Sinclair B. Ferguson from The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World pp 5, 17.

"...forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matthew 6:12, 14, 15

"If I can forgive those that do me harm, I'm like Jesus! This is how you can know God is your Father because you can forgive like God."

"The evidence that you're repenting is that you're willing to forgive others. We need to question our salvation if we are unforgiving. If you can't forgive someone, you are proving God is not your Father but your judge."
Ted Klassen sermon: How to know God is our Father (2007-11-04)

A Covenant Prayer:

On Sunday our congregation read a covenant prayer together in preparation for 2008. As the words were read aloud, I found myself unable to follow the throng.

Stopping and staring at the words on the page that should have been crossing my lips; tears welled up in my eyes. I began to read it over and over. I thought back to all that 2007 has been and the taste it has left in my mouth. Can I make this covenant my own? What could be ahead that will cost me something I don't want to pay? Will I recognize the joy and the good things that He will provide in the midst of my sorrows? Is not the decision to walk as Jesus walked a decision to be under the command of Christ; and the re-birth transformation through the Holy Spirit what makes our will submit to Him?

I'm still staring at this prayer. The words of Jesus are surely a comfort.
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27

"Dear Heavenly Father,
I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Use me as You choose; rank me alongside whoever You choose;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You;
raised up for You, or brought down low for You;
let me be full, let me be empty;
let me have all things, let me have nothing;
with my whole heart I freely choose to yield all things to Your ordering and approval.

So now, God of glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine, and I am Your own.
In Jesus name, Amen."

For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
1 Corinthians 7:22-23

Romans 6:15-23

"He says to let go!"

"But how do you know something bad won't happen!?"

"I don't...!"

I was watching Nemo a few weekends ago with a whole bunch of kids. Even in the middle of all the noise of eating breakfast while the movie was on, I still got emotional at that line.

What do I need to let go of? Is it something sinister, disturbing the leadership of the Spirit within me? As it says in Job 20: 12-14;

"Though evil is sweet in his mouth
and he hides it under his tongue,
though he cannot bear to let it go
and keeps it in his mouth,
yet his food will turn sour in his stomach;
it will become the venom of serpents within him."

Evil is such a terrible word; yet is not all that I do that opposes what pleases the LORD, evil in His sight?

I'm reminded of the wealthy young man who came before Jesus asking what he must do to enter into the Kingdom in Mark 10. He had so much that was in the way; as well as attempting to be 'good' enough all on his own. How often do I put 'things' in the way of Jesus; of experiencing Him. Jesus said to the man to give it all up and follow Him. He couldn't; can I? Can I be obedient to what Jesus asks of me? The young man went away sad because he couldn't obey. I used to look at that story and only see that he couldn't walk away from his wealth; but to give it all up - to let go - required the man's obedience. I must obey to experience the Kingdom; Jesus alive in me.

The Kingdom is Jesus alive in me, alive in you. Can I experience the healing wholeness of that while here on earth? Jesus said;

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Abundant life began in me when I let go and let Jesus. It is renewed or reinforced whenever I obey and follow in the footsteps of Christ; allowing myself to be saved from the slavery to sin and set free in obedience to Jesus.

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Matthew 6:10

Which means God's will is to be on earth too; I don't have to wait for eternity! I sell myself short to pray for less or to expect less or be satisfied with less. But what does that abundance look like? I don't think we have any clue. My eyes need to be washed clean to see it as Jesus wants me to. His Kingdom is not run by my rules or perceptions.

That brings me to learning to conform my will to that of Christ's.
Romans 12:2
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

What tremendous obedience that requires! My mind is so easily swayed to believe worldly knowledge and common sense. Yet God's will is good, acceptable, and perfect. I must learn to trust that and do that which may seem completely crazy without the eyes of the Holy Spirit; that which may seem impossible and hard without the supernatural power of Jesus; and that which is for God's glory and not my own.

Back to Nemo - when 'Dorie' said that she didn't know if something bad would happen, she still let go. I am securely in the hand of my God, my Father God. I can let go of anything and it will be OK. That is the joy that is in Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

That is a promise that I can rest in. And so I cry... because I am seeing how I must let go...

of my own opinion.

Jesus is not on the cross. He's not dead.

He's alive.

I love what Jesus did on the cross and what he did after - he arose!

Lately the Michael W. Smith version for the old hymn "The Wonderful Cross" by Isaac Watts, is being played a lot on PRAISE - a radio station I listen to often enough. Just about every time I hear it or start to sing it... I can hardly sing I'm so choked up. The new "Amazing Grace" version ('My Chains are Gone' by Chris Tomlin) seems to be doing the same thing to me.

And even thought these songs don't talk about the resurrection - the best and most important part of the power of the cross - I love them. Enjoy reading the lyrics.

The Wonderful Cross
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My Richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride

See from His head His hands His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
All who gather here by grace
draw near and bless your name

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an off'ring far too small
Love so amazing so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
All who gather here by grace
draw near and bless your name

Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all

and the beauty and the shame
in the glory of His name
Oh the wonderful cross

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
Bids me come and die and find
that I may truly live

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)
All who gather here by grace
draw near and bless your name

Amazing Grace (My chains are gone)
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbade to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine

You are forever mine

Let's read a familiar passage that has come to life for me in a new way.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

On Monday (Sept. 24) evening we spent some time pampering our hands, eating chocolate, visiting with friends, and meeting some new people. I’m sure some of the women who came were seeking rest; some relief from the crazy world we are in; or from the schedule that they are trying to keep. Maybe you’re tired.

This past summer a group of ladies met weekly and together we read through a book called Traveling Light by Max Lucado. Here's an exert from it…

"I'll give you the consequences of the burden; you guess the cause.

• It afflicts 70 million Americans and is faulted for 38,000 deaths each year.
• The condition annually costs the U.S. $70 billion worth of productivity.
• Teenagers suffer from it. Studies show that 64% of teens blame it for poor school performance.
• Middle agers face it. Researchers say the most severe cases occur between ages thirty and forty.
• Senior citizens are afflicted by it. One study suggests that the condition impacts 50% of the over sixty-five population.
• Treatments involve everything from mouth guards to herbal teas to medication.

Any idea what's being described?
Chemical abuse? Divorce? Long sermons? None of those answers are correct, though the last one was a good hunch. The answer may surprise you. Insomnia. America can't get to sleep."

I think it's safe to say that Canada probably can't either.

God ordained rest way back when he created and then rested (Genesis 2:1-3). And he wants to lead you there. Look again at Psalm 23 again…
He – makes me lie down
He – leads me beside still waters
He – leads me in paths of righteousness

Who is he? He is LORD. In the NIV, (New International Version), when the word ‘Lord’ is written in all capitals, it means “Yahweh” which is the Hebrew for “I AM”. I’m going to quote Max’s book again because he had a relatively simple explanation for this name.

"The name I AM sounds strikingly close to the Hebrew verb to be - havah. It's quite possibly a combination of the present tense form (I am) and the causative tense (I cause to be). Yahweh, then, seems to mean "I AM" and "I cause." God is the "One who is" and the "One who causes."

This is God’s name. We say, when we are telling people our name – “I am Sam or I am Kathryn or I am Maria”. God just says I AM.

Psalm 23 says that God will lead you into rest – even in the midst of trouble. Notice, in verse 4, walking in the valley of the shadow of death; we can count on safety and comfort so we don't have to fear. In verse 5, we are told that God will prepare for us a table in the presence of our enemies. He's providing for us in the midst of trouble. He's giving you rest beyond what we can find for ourselves.

We can experience a bit of physical relief, some comfort in conversation, the great taste of chocolate, and pamper ourselves with pedicures or massages. Even though these things are great…and I think it’s important to take time to slow your pace; they can never give you the true rest that you are seeking; because it won’t last.

The bath will get cold and you’ll have to empty the tub and get out. Your nails will break and you’ll have to get them filled. The massage will end, the lotion will wash off and your feet will ache after a day of working. You may lose a friend or family member to cancer; or tire of constantly holding it all together by yourself; you may even realize that finding inner peace just isn't working.

Jesus said... well wait a minute. Why should we care what Jesus says? Let's look at John 8:57
"Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!"
Did you see that!? He just used God's name! Jesus is God. He just said he was; so you can either believe him or think he's nuts. Look also at John 10:27-30
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one."
Again, Jesus says that he is God; that he is 'one' with God.

So, in Matt. 11:28-29, Jesus says;
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Rest for your soul is given by Jesus. You can find rest and peace in Jesus Christ. And I want you to know that rest and peace. You can have more than that too. We just read in John 10, that in Jesus we have eternal life and that no one can take us from him once he's let us in. Come before Jesus, repent, and learn from him. It's a promise; you'll find true, lasting rest.

I’ll close with some good advice from Philippians 4:4-9.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Go in peace and in rest. And seek these things in Jesus Christ and you'll never run out.

Memorization.

Recently, my dad memorized the Sermon on the Mount in the NIV (listen to it! The Christian Manifesto: The Sermon on the Mount). I haven't memorized a verse daily since I was in my Sunday school days as a child. I have memorized a verse here and there; but if I'm honest, I have probably forgotten them, as memorization is not a practice in my life.

Memorizing something from the Bible puts into your heart what God wants and who God is. There are some good reasons to memorize in
Psalm 119:1-11
"Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you."

What really hit me in the sermon, was the relationship between scripture and the working of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit needs the word of God in order to work on you, to change you.

John 17:17
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Sanctify means to set us apart, to make us holy, and to make us useful. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God - the Bible - as fuel to change you. If you are not reading the Bible the Holy Spirit doesn't have a chance! The Holy Spirit has nothing to work with; except your background, what you've heard from your family or your friends, and what you've heard for half an hour Sunday morning. He needs the word of God and without it the Holy Spirit starves.

This thought reminds me of something Jesus said in the Gospel of John 15:1-11

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

When Jesus says 'my word', I go back to what John says about Jesus in chapter one "...the Word was with God and the Word was God... the Word became flesh." (John 1:1, 14). Jesus can get 'into you' through the word of God, the Holy Bible, if you read it every day.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Don't starve the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God; is it in you?

The Rock of Obedience.

I learned something today and I want to share it with you.

John MacArthur is doing a series on his radio broadcast called "The way to Heaven." Today's message was called 'Empty Hearts' (listen!) taken from Matthew 7:24-27

"24Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

I have read this passage before, but learned something new this time. Read it yourself, again.

The people Jesus is talking about are the people who hear the message; they listen, they understand it; the wise ones do something about it, the foolish ones do not. The foolish builders have a head knowledge but not a heart knowledge or a real heart relationship. John MacArthur points out that the only difference in the two stories is what each builds his house on. Both build a house, both are involved in spiritual activity; both build in the same location because they are both subject to the same storm; and both apparently build it in the same way because Jesus only differentiates the foundations (which is not visible once the structure is up).

What is the rock?
The rock could be God; that's true. In Psalm 18:2 it says
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

The rock could be Jesus; that could be true too. In Ephesians 2:20 Paul calls Jesus the cornerstone; Peter re-states Jesus' own reference to himself as the 'stone rejected by the builders' as the cornerstone.

But Mr. MacArthur puts forth an idea I'd never heard before and makes a lot of sense. Look again at verse 24,
"Everyone who hears these words of mine and.... does them..." builds his house on the rock. (John said it sort-of like that).
The rock is obedience to the Word of God. Yes God is the rock and Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone. What Jesus is saying here is these words of His become the foundation of the true church.

The person who only hears and never does only has sand. Even though you listen, if you don't do it you're not on the rock. Having a rock foundation means obedience. The foundation is the key difference; and this story shows how God looks at the heart - what is not visible. Spiritual activity doesn't mean a true heart relationship or even a true obedience to the Word of God.

John 8:30-31
As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples."
Even here, Jesus says that you have to 'abide' in His word; continue in obedience to the Word of God.

Unless you build your life on Biblical truth you are deceiving yourself.
James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

If you're not doing it, it's not having any affect on your life. Dare I say, it's not having any affect on your destiny either.

1John 2:3
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

Titus 16
They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

I'm not saying this stuff, John MacArthur's not saying this, Jesus is, the apostles did. We ought to examine our lives and see if we are being obedient to the Word of God. If we go around claiming faith and don't obey - where is our salvation? Are we justifying our disobedience?

Obedience is the only validation of your salvation. It is the only possible proof of your profession of Jesus as Lord.

Building on the rock is obedience.

That's hard stuff. Narrow is the gate.

I'm tired. I know many others out there that are as well. It's an epidemic. We all have our reasons. Maybe we have a lot on our plate right now. Our mistakes have caught up with us and left us flat on our backs. The weight of responsibility seems just too heavy to carry. The plans we laid out are not panning out the way we'd thought. Family relationships are stressful. I could list more I'm sure, but it all falls under the same category; burdens that we pick up every day.

I was reading a friends blog and came across the familiar words of Jesus;
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

Putting our burdens on Jesus yoke is not a one time deal but an every day task. And yet, I think, like many of you, I seem to forget to do that as I start out each day.

Another scripture came to mind and I'm not sure of the connection here... so help me out.

James 4:13-17
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. (ESV)

Do these verses burden you or unburden you? Today I feel the load of them. I often do feel the load of knowing the truth and of understanding what God wants from me; because I'm tired. I am still looking for the balance of placing my burdens at the feet of Jesus and doing that which I know is His will. I have learned that doing His will is not automatic. It requires a constant checking of myself at the door. At times I am zealous and ready to fight and yell for what God is placing on my heart. But then I become drained and alienated from all things human it seems. It's as if my thoughts and notions are so 'other' that I'm uncomfotable to be around.

I am reminded, as I type, that Tim wrote about leaving our slavery to sin and becoming a slave to righteousness referring to Romans 6:15-23. Hopefully he'll write something about what he's learning and I can learn too.

I hope that you can balance the burden/freedom that comes as your walk with Jesus deepens. I love what Jesus has done for me and who he has made me thus far. I put him above all in my life; but I am tired. I await the rest of heaven with great anticipation.

Scripture never tells you to forgive yourself.

I'm not sure why I never realized that. I found myself telling someone that they had to forgive themselves and move on and then a week later heard this quote on a Beth Moore video. Scripture tells us that God has forgiven us through the blood of Jesus Christ; that we are to forgive as we have been forgiven; but never forgive yourself.

Ephesians 4:32 says;
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (ESV)

Beth Moore gave the Greek word for 'forgiving' in this verse and I went home to look it up myself. The word is charizomai, which is a word related to charis meaning grace. I liked how she re-worded the verse to say; Grace others as you've been graced. It really hit home for me.

I've walked in sins that seem larger than others, more public I suppose. The sins that plague me the most, however, are those that you have to step into my inner world to see. I've been forgiven for all of them. I've been given much grace; and yet I seem to lack the ability to give it as freely as I should. This to me is just another seduction of sin; to be judgemental without grace.

So, in accepting your forgiveness from Jesus and applying it to others, that covers our need to forgive ourselves. Scripture says that God forgives and forgets (Jeremiah 31:34, Psalm 103:12, Hebrews 8:12 etc.). We can't forget. We have to reframe it and allow God to take our horrible experience or our evil deeds and cleanse them in mercy. That way, we can use what we know to remember God's grace, His love, His faithfulness - and then in turn help others who have fallen in the same way. The legacy of your mistakes is grace. God's glory is seen in how he took your mess and made it beautiful.

2Peter 3:18 says;
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (ESV)

All glory to my King, my savoir, my God, my friend and my deliverer.

Not so unusual; a song has brought me to the words that I haven't been able to find for quite some time. I'm in the midst of Running to Stand Still (U2).

I have to do something about where I'm going, about where we're going. In order to keep my head up, I'm busy changing on the inside. Feeling like I'm moving way to fast. Not knowing what is and what is not. Learning to follow harder than ever before. And yet, it looks like I'm not going anywhere. It actually looks like I'm going backwards.

I've got to do things I'm not good at; talk without speaking - or listen, cry without weeping - or be empathetic, scream without raising my voice - or give my passion over to Jesus. I have to let the Holy Spirit be me. I know, I'm supposed to do that always.

I took a verse on last year as a challenge. I never knew it's power or really if I would ever actually be faced with it's truth. The challenge seems to have only just begun and I memorized it a year ago already. I memorized it in the NIV, but I like the ESV better.

2Corinthians 10:5
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.(ESV)

I have listened to much to the lofty opinions of our western abyss. I've listened to much to the lies that sit dormant in my mind; rising up when they see the opportunity to come up against the authority of Christ. There is only one way out. Out - off the path that too many walk, out onto the road that is less traveled and seems so uninviting to this world, and out from the lies that I have so easily swallowed.

I should have known better. I shouldn't have wasted all this time. But this is my time; I'm going to have to make this moment mine. Just know that I'm learning.

The storm has blown up in my eyes and I'll suffer the chill until things have changed.

Pray for me. Wait for me.

1 Corinthians 2
And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him"--

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. (ESV)

I love this chapter. As I have decided to take a leave of absence from my role as Bible study leader, I read this and feel a sense of oneness with Paul. As a leader I know that I don't appear to come before those that I teach with fear and trembling; but I do. Not because I am afraid of those that sit before me, but because I have been given the task of relating the very words of God in the Bible to those that have come. I have never taken that lightly. It is an awesome challenge and a gift that I did not go out seeking.

As I take this time away, I have such a sense of relief. I know that Jesus has commissioned my break. I have led Bible study consistently for nearly 11 years. What lies ahead is uncertain I suppose, yet God knows already; and so it is only for me to discover.

I will be using this site to get some of my daily teaching energy out. Sort-of like an online devotional journal.

May the mind of Christ in you continue to reveal that which the Father knows and that which the Word speaks.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
then I will answer the one who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
Psalm 119:41-42

Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:77

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
Matthew 19:14

"All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away."
John 6:37

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
John 7:37

"All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one."
John 17:10-11

Come to me you weary one..., you broken one..., you burdened one...
Jesus is calling us all. And He will give you rest, peace, and joy.

I know that you can find those things inside yourself, inside a marriage, within another faith, and even in the things we can buy. I have found them in the man called Jesus, the Christ. I have come to God. And he was waiting for me... just for me. He waits for you too. I don't think my words can convey the awesomeness of that.

I cry for those that have not yet come, who don't even think they need to.

kari jobe music - Come to me