Friday, April 13, 2012

The Crown


Create in me a clean heart
Make me more like You
Help me walk obediently
Down the path You choose

You’ve made me in Your image
Please change me day by day
I am the clay within Your hands
Do with me what You may

You encourage me to persevere
When my enemies arise
Reminding me You’re always here
Help me focus on the prize

Rid me of myself, Lord
Fill me with Your Spirit
Don’t want to walk in my own strength
For I know I’ll never make it

Faithfully You take me back
When I stray from Your will
Help me focus on the plans
You want me to fulfill

You promise me a crown of life
If I love You and endure the test
I need Your strength so I can stand
I want to give my best

I don’t want to disappoint You
Never want to let You down
Lord, I want to please You
So I’m worthy of the crown

4/27/2000


Monday, April 9, 2012

Vessel

 

Smith Wigglesworth, a man of God from the 1800's... it is recorded, "He would walk by people and they would come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and be saved. He began to see miracles and healings and the glory of God would fall when he prayed and preached."  I want that!

But...

We have to step back for a minute and remember - God will use a willing vessel. He will. BUT just because He is using us, doesn't mean He has placed a stamp of approval on our lives.  The pride we cleverly disguise, the glory stealing, the rudeness, callousness, anger, hidden sin - all of it still must be dealt with and surrendered to Him. In knowing that, we realize that nothing we do is of ourselves. We have nothing to boast of.  We all have "stuff" to deal with. We are not perfected. We are only being used by the Perfect One.

It is also not enough that we are just a "likable people." We have failed if our lives have only produced a bunch of people who enjoy our company because of the "good life" we live. We need to be very conscious of why we do what we do and for Whom we do it for.  God wants His Kingdom advanced.  Let's just make sure we remind ourselves every day that it is not the created that deserves the glory - but the Creator. :) 

Use us, Lord - whether it be through an encouraging word, a healing, a deliverance, an act of hospitality, an act of service - whatever You choose, to touch a lost and dying people. May our lives, our attitudes, our demeanor, our actions be a mirror of who You are so that people will be drawn to You. May You use us in such a way that it would be evident to all that it is You working and not that of ourselves... We realize that You are the Contents; we are merely the vessel You have chosen to pour Yourself out of... 

God pours Himself into us, for us to pour Him out to others. May we wake up each morning EXPECTING. May our desire and prayer be: "Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word. Stretch out Your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the Name of Your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:30) 

...and whenever and however He uses us, let's give Him ALL the glory and praise that only He is worthy of! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXH0MjGe10s

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spills



"I need ALL of you" I heard the Lord speak.  ALL of me. He wants the good, the bad, and the ugly.  He wants the things I am ashamed of. He wants the pains, the struggles, the frustrations, the questions. ALL. 

Notice He didn't say He "wants." Though He does want all of us, in order to work in us, He NEEDS our cooperation.

We have to quit shoving things under the rug with God.  It's impossible to love Him with all of our heart, mind, soul, body, and strength - as we claim we do, if we don't give Him all of it.  Just as an earthly relationship with secrets, it's those very things that destroy the intimacy and damage the relationship.  We need to expose to Him the things He already sees - which in turn grants Him permission to heal, mend, and adjust our mindsets so we can be all we are called to be in Him.

Anything unrevealed will not be healed; will not be cleaned or made whole. If I spill something on the floor and leave it undealt with or carelessly spot clean, the damage remains.  It may be visible damage or it may be damage that is only seen when the carpet is removed.  In order to restore or fix the "spills" in our lives, we have to confront them head on by allowing God in. We must allow Him to shine His healing presence on the condition.  When our "free will" chooses to let God in, He then has something to work with. 

Upon opening the door to Him in ALL areas, we then need to trust Him. Trust Him that whatever He tells us is for our benefit and the benefit of others. Trust Him that even if what He tells us is painful at the moment, it's always for our greater good.  He may require you to rip out the carpet to get to the spill.  You may be, along with God, restoring the floor. Not an easy task. Not a joy ride... but His purpose is always greater... It's always to get you to the other side - to the side of His will - because He knows that it is in His perfect will, in His presence, joy and fulfillment are found.

I challenge you to surrender your ALL. Expect Him to do some rearranging because He will.  His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts... He won't always do what we are comfortable with. The process isn't always a quick work because anything rushed is rarely done well.

Quiet yourself. Wait on Him. His voice is calling out, "Give Me ALL of you."


(Matthew 22:37, Isaiah 55:9, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 139:23, Psalm 51:10-12, Isaiah 53:4-5, Psalm 30:11, Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 18:4)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

His Love


Nothing could have stopped Him
From laying down His life
It wasn’t nails that held Him
To the cross that night

The love He had for the lost
Kept Him on that tree
With a word He could have come down
But He wanted us to see…

That He is the only and true way
By no other can we be saved
He became the sacrificial Lamb
To destroy death and the grave

He came to give an abundant life
To disarm the thief of our soul
Making a way for us to walk in victory
To be made completely whole

His love for us gives us hope
We don’t have to live in defeat
For by one single drop of His precious blood
are we able to be free…

Friday, March 30, 2012

Easter Story

 
 
Twelve men left all and followed Him

Miracles they had seen

They watched Him heal all who were sick

Those with unclean spirits were made clean



But one follower named Judas Iscariot

Betrayed Him with a kiss

Handed Him over to the chief priests

To be scourged and put to death



He was mocked by those that held Him

Asking Him, “So, are You the Christ?”

“You wouldn’t believe Me if I told you,” He said

For they accused Him of speaking lies



“Are you the Son of God?” they stammered

He responded, “Yes, I am He”

Accusations of blasphemy filled the land

An act deserving the death penalty



They all condemned Him to be put to death

As they struck Him and spit in His face

Even one of His disciples whom He loved very much

Denied ever seeing His face



Carrying Him away; they delivered Him to Pilate

“Are you the King of the Jews?” Pilate sneered

“You say rightly that I am a King,” Jesus said

“But My kingdom is not from here.”



Jesus, the Christ, and Barabbas, a murderer

Stood before the multitude

By custom one prisoner could be released

The one whom the people choose



“Away with this Man; release to us Barabbas,”

Insistently the people cried

“Then what shall I do with Jesus, the Christ?”

They shouted, “Let Him be crucified.”



A purple robe they placed on His body

A crown of thorns twisted on His head

“Hail, King of the Jews,” they mocked

As blood streamed from His head



His back took brutal beatings

His head they struck with a rod

Spitting into His face they scorned

“Save Yourself if You’re the Son of God!”



He didn’t fight back to prove who He was

For He knew His hour had arrived

To fulfill the very purpose for why He had come

For a lost people He would have to die



As they drove the cold nails in His hands and feet

His body exposed for all to view

Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them”

“For they know not what they do.”



Blasphemous words echoed throughout

Gross darkness encamped the land

And with His last breath He shouted aloud

“Father, I commit My spirit into Your hands.”



On the third day since His burial

An angel descended from Heaven

The earth quaked; the stone rolled away

The tomb was empty, for Jesus had risen



Two women mourned nearby the tomb

For they thought His body had been stole

The angel approached them and declared

“Rejoice, for He has arose!”



Quickly they fled to tell the disciples

Their hearts filled with great joy and fear

Some of them rejoiced while others doubted

And then in their midst Jesus appeared



They fell at His feet and worshipped

As He blessed them with His hands

“Go into all the world and tell them of Me,

I won’t be back ‘til it’s reached every land.”



“Remember you're not of this world

If you've received Me as your Lord

Be not like the world; keep from all evil

So that you may receive the final reward.”



“It’s time for Me to leave now,

You must carry out My ministry

I give you the authority to be My hands and feet

With My name you’ll set many free.”



“For it won’t be long before I return

For those who live for Me

They are who I will take as My bride

To Heaven for eternity.”



“Keep watch for the hour is so near

Be prepared to meet Me again

For in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye

As I am now, I will appear again.”



"But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." Romans 5:8

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Secret Place

 
 
Pour upon me

Your anointing

Fill me up

to overflowing

Flood my soul

with Your presence

A healing touch

straight from Heaven



Your presence

is so amazing

Your love, oh Lord

is unchanging

You put life within me

once again

Your faithfulness

never ends



The veil’s been torn

I can enter in

to that secret

and holy place

 
I want to be

where Your presence dwells

Where I can see You

face to face

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Satisfied Life



Temptations are an appeal to meet righteous needs in an unrighteous way." ~ Bill Thrasher

This is so true, isn't it? For peace, we turn to substance. For acceptance, we compromise our convictions. For love, we turn to ungodly relationships. For contentment, we lust after riches.  Our needs are real and God given, but He is the only One who can provide that which will truly satisfy. It pays to seek Him for every area of our lives.
 
Father, we don't want to be hasty in our decisions or careless in our actions. We don't want to give ourselves over to temptation for a temporary fix, but want to walk in wisdom and do things Your way - the only way that will bring true satisfaction. Help us to slow down, evaluate our life through Your eyes, and soften our ears to hear Your voice...

(Psalm 16:11, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Hebrews 13:5, Philippians 2:12-13, Matthew 6:33, 1 Timothy 6:6, Proverbs 28:20, Psalm 37:11, Proverbs 20:1)