November 21, 2024

Same Power

September 13, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjvI can see
Waters raging at my feet
I can feel
The breath of those surrounding me
I can hear
The sound of nations rising up
We will not be overtaken
We will not be overcome

I can walk
Down this dark and painful road
I can face
Every fear of the unknown
I can hear
All God’s children singing out
We will not be overtaken
We will not be overcome

The same power that rose Jesus from the grave
The same power that commands the dead to wake
Lives in us, lives in us
The same power that moves mountains when He speaks
The same power that can calm a raging sea
Lives in us, lives in us
He lives in us, lives in us

We have hope
That His promises are true
In His strength
There is nothing we can’t do
Yes, we know
There are greater things in store
We will not be overtaken
We will not be overcome

Greater is He that is living in me
He’s conquered our enemy
No power of darkness
No weapon prevails
We stand here in victory

 Jeremy Camp
written along with Jason Ingram

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11

When asked if I would rather have Jesus walking this earth (like in Biblical times) or have the Holy Spirit, I really have to think.  Then I am reminded that Jesus could not be everywhere in body but the Holy Spirit can be with all of us, everywhere, all over the world.  How amazing is that?!

Have you ever thought about what Jesus said when He left here to go to Heaven to be with God?  He said that He was leaving a gift that was far greater than He.  We—that means you and me—have the same power in us that made Jesus rise again from the grave.  We have the same power that rose Lazarus from the dead.  And we have the same power that healed the leaper, made the blind to see, and fed the 5000.  So what are we to do with this power today?

  • We are to go out into this hard world and shine His light to those who are struggling.
  • We are to ask the Holy Spirit to give us the words to share with that one person that needs Jesus and meets Him for the first time.
  • We are to let the Holy Spirit be our Comforter in times of sorrow and share our comfort with others.

Oh, friend, the Holy Spirit is real and full of love for you and me!  So today, let’s praise Him for this gift and let us allow Him to work in us so that we can be all that we were created to be.

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Let us pray: Dear God, thank You so much for the gift of the Holy Spirit . And for the power that comes from allowing Him to work through us and in us. How amazing is it that when we accept Jesus in our hearts that the Holy Spirit is given to us.  Free!  Help us to use His power for Your good.  We love You and we praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Big House

August 17, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I don’t know where you lay your head
Or where you call your home
I don’t know where you eat your meals
Or where you talk on the phone
I don’t know if you got a cook
A butler or a maid
I don’t know if you got a yard
With a hammock in the shade

I don’t know if you got some shelter
Say a place to hide
I don’t know if you live with friends
In whom you can confide
I don’t know if you got a family
Say a mom or dad
I don’t know if you feel love at all
But I bet you wish you had

Come and go with me to my Father’s house
Come and go with me to my Father’s house

It’s a big, big house
With lots and lots a room
A big, big table
With lots and lots of food
A big, big yard
Where we can play football
A big, big house
It’s my Father’s house

All I know is it’s a big ole house
With rooms for everyone
All I know is lots of land
Where we can play and run
All I know is you need love
And I’ve got a family
All I know is you’re all alone
So why not come with me

Audio Adrenaline
Songwriters: Mark Stuart, Barry Blair, Will McGinniss, Bill Herdmann

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

We were up in the mountains camping this weekend when the chorus for this song came to mind.  I had first heard it at a teen camp with one of my girls.  It has been quite a while since I thought about it.  I kept thinking, “This is my Father’s house!”  And it was.  The new growth on the top of the pine trees looked like crosses.  The family in the next campsite had a worship service on Sunday night. It was in Spanish so I didn’t understand a lot of it but His Presence was there, I could feel it.  Too often I make the mistake of thinking “church” is my Father’s only house.  I forget He makes His home with us.  I forget about His heavenly home.

2 Timothy 1:14 (AMP) reminds me that Holy Spirit makes His home in us.

Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth]
which has been entrusted [to you],
by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us.

As I was researching Scriptures for this blog, I found something that astounded me!  Look at the following Scriptures:

…the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him.
Mark 1:10 AMP

But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes
and fills you with power from heaven.
Luke 24:49 NLT

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove
from heaven and resting upon Him.
John 1:32 NLT

…the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
1 Peter 1:12 HCSB

So there are three witnesses in heaven:
the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One;
1 John 5:7 AMP

Do you see it?  The Holy Spirit came from Heaven to reside in us!  We carry a piece of Heaven inside of us!  (GASP!)  I had never thought about it that way.

When Audio Adrenaline wrote this song, they wanted to create a song that made Heaven sound fun…not scary or ominous.  “Big House” paints a picture of a large and loving family, spending time together, having lots of fun in the presence of a loving Father.  Since I have a piece of Heaven, I wanted to see how the Scriptures describe Heaven.  Here is what I found:

  • the sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard – Isaiah 65:19
  • death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer – Revelation 21:4
  • no hunger or thirst – Revelations 7:16-17
  • springs of living waters – Revelations 7:16-17
  • there will be rest and relief – 1 Thessalonians 1:7
  • a world filled with God’s righteousness – 2 Peter 3:13
  • a house with many rooms – 2 Chronicles 31:18

There are so many wonderful Scriptures regarding what Heaven will be like…too many to include.  But I love the physical description found in this passage:

The River of the water of Life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the Tree of Life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month.  The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him.

Revelations 22:1-5

I like the image of the river flowing from the throne.  It reminds me of the streams and waterfalls I saw this weekend.   Sounds like a happy place to me.  And there is a piece of that paradise living inside of me in the form of the Holy Spirit.  So, please, come and go with me to my Father’s house.  We may not be able to visit it physically but we always have part of it with us.

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father God, thank You for the beautiful Scriptures that show us what Heaven will be like.  I stand amazed, knowing that a piece of Heaven dwells within me.  Thank You for reminding me through the beauty of nature that I am always in Your House.  In Your Holy Name I pray, Amen – it is so!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sanctuary

May 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary
and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

From Dictionary.com:

  • Sanctuary – a sacred or holy place
  • Temple – an edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities

Paul was writing to the Corinthian Church, which was surrounded with idols and other pagan ways.  He was trying to encourage them to keep on the right path.  As with today’s church, we have to be mindful of the teachings that we submit ourselves to.

Oftentimes, when I hear someone speak of ‘keeping the temple pure’, I think of what I eat…not necessarily what I watch on television or what I might listen to on the radio, but those are important, too.  If I allow negative thoughts and feelings to enter my mind and stay there, I will become depressed and will struggle to focus on what is right and true.

It can also be the result of negative words spoken to us as a child.  Those can be overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells us to give us the power to overcome.

Just as the Spirit of God was there from the beginning.

Now the earth was formless and empty,
darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Genesis 1:2  NIV

The Spirit was also there when David fought Goliath and defeated him (see 1 Samuel 17).  David had no doubt that God would be there.  When the giant appeared to insult God, David knew he needed to defend Him. We know God could have struck down the giant, but this was the opportunity David needed to show himself worthy to be chosen as the next king of Israel.

What giants are you facing?  Have you faced them already?  I pray you will have the simple courage David displayed.  His faith was borne out of continued living in God’s presence and seeking God’s help in all situations.  Being a shepherd requires a lot of care and attention to the small things. David was such a man.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father, I thank You again for Your wonderful example of how to trust you and how to seek You in all things.  Forgive us when we forget to seek You first.  Holy Spirit, come back to us!  Do not grow weary with our stubbornness to not seek You first.  We need you—like a headstrong child needs a patient, loving, and caring parent—be there with us.  We want to have solid food from our Father.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Holy Spirit, Living Breath Of God

May 27, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole
Cause Your Word to come alive in me
Give me faith for what I cannot see
Give me passion for Your purity
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me

Holy Spirit, come abide within
May Your joy be seen in all I do
Love enough to cover ev’ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude
Kindness to the greatest and the least
Gentleness that sows the path of peace
Turn my striving into works of grace
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do

Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth
Giving life to all that God has made
Show Your power once again on earth
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see

Keith and Kristyn Getty
written along with Stuart Townend

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

On Sunday, the Church celebrated the remembrance of the Day of Pentecost—the day almost 2,000 years ago when the Holy Spirit was sent by God Almighty to take Jesus’ place in the lives of His disciples.  You can read about this dramatic, unique event in the Book of Acts, chapter two.

After Jesus had ascended to Heaven, the apostles and many disciples had been waiting as their Lord had told them to do.    They were gathered together…the apostles, Mary, the other women who followed our Lord, along with some of His disciples.  The Scriptures tell us that they spent their time praying.  After Jesus’ arrest, His trial, and His crucifixion, Jerusalem was not a safe place for them to be (as many of them were known to have associated with Jesus).  But they were obedient to their Lord, even in His absence, and yearned to receive His promise.

While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem,
but to wait for the Father’s promise.
“This,” He said, “is what you heard from Me; for John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea
and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:4, 5 and 8

Jesus had promised them, “If I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).  That promise was fulfilled on Pentecost.  Just as Jesus was always there to help them, and to guide them, and to teach them, the Holy Spirit would be also.   The Holy Spirit was, essentially, to be Jesus’ replacement.  Now they would have the Holy Spirit—One who would, just like Jesus, minister to them in all the ways that He had.

And I will ask the Father,
and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.
He is the Spirit of truth…
John 14:16 and 17

(click here to read the context in verses 15-26)

What an incredible promise!  Can you imagine?!!  During the Last Supper, Jesus taught His disciples much about much!  He was preparing them.  And He was helping them to know that, when the time came, they would not be alone.  He loved them SO much!  And so His communication with them during this time included instruction and encouragement regarding His promise to send the Holy Spirit.

Now before the Passover Feast began, Jesus knew that the time had come
for Him to leave this world and return to the Father.
And as He had loved those who were His own in the world,
He loved them to the last and to the highest degree.
John 13:1

Just as real as Jesus was to the disciples when He walked this earth, He is just that real to us (His current-day disciples) through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit continues to be Jesus’ presence with His disciples today—you and me.

Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s sanctuary
and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 3:16

To the same degree that those who were alive in Jesus’ time needed a Helper and a Comforter, so do we; wouldn’t you agree?  Our Lord loves us (you and me) also “…to the last and to the highest degree.”  His promise extends to each and every one who are His; who obey His commands.  His promise of One Who would take His place—the One Who would be Helper, Comforter, Teacher and Guide—is to you and me!  We are not alone!

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

This song conveys my heart toward you, and my prayer over each of you (and for me, too)!  May this incredible, miraculous gift of love—the indwelling of Jesus in your very heart through the Holy Spirit—give you agape love for others, joy, peace, patience, comfort, bravery, and strength.  May your heart be revived…renewed to love and serve the One Who loves you so!  ♥

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcoming People

September 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise You.
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
You do not want a burnt offering.
The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit.
You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
Psalms 51:15-17

My sacrifice [the sacrifice acceptable] to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and a contrite heart [broken down with sorrow for sin
and humbly and thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
Psalm 51:17 AMP

I have yet to meet a person that Christ has rejected.  There is no such thing as too sinful, too perfect, too young, or too old.  Not one person who comes to Christ broken and humble is turned away.  He never said, “Oh…that’s too much for me to handle.”  He has never turned His back saying, “Not today…I’m too busy.  Try again tomorrow.”  He is never off limits.  He has never said, “Ha! You puny human. I am God. You are too beneath Me to help.”  And He is always emotionally available.  He has never said, “I’m too bored or tired or angry.”

Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
Romans 15:7

Jesus is always available to the willing heart.  He was even available to those who didn’t know they needed Him.  So, why aren’t we the same way?  The easy response to this question is: ‘He was God and I am only human.’   Even though this is very true, I think there are other reasons why we aren’t as accepting or available as Christ, and it all comes down to motives.

We can never truly know a person’s heart.  We can see their actions and listen to what they say, but even so, there is no way for us to know what is going through their minds or the motives they have or what they do behind closed doors.  How could we possibly know the internal struggles another goes through?  For example, you encounter a rude person and it’s easy to assume that person is just rude; but is that really true?  What’s happening on the surface is not always an adequate overall summary of the situation.  This is what the Holy Spirit is for!  (As well as it helps to remember to view situations in a “this is not about me” manner.)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

 

Lord, help me to welcome those around me the way You welcomed those to Yourself, so that I may be a light for others.  Please, help me to remember the big picture, and stay focused on You, so I can love people like You did.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Rain Down

September 10, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Looks like tonight, the sky is heavy
Feels like the winds are gonna change
Beneath my feet, the earth is ready
I know its time for Heaven’s rain
It’s gonna rain

‘Cause it’s Living Water we desire
To flood our hearts with holy fire

Rain down all around the world we’re singing
Rain down, can you here the earth is singing
Rain down, my heart is dry but still I’m singing
Rain down, rain it down on me

Back to the start, my heart is heavy
Feels like it’s time, to dream again
I see the clouds, and yes I’m ready
To dance upon this barren land
Hope in my hands

Do not shut, do not shut, do not shut the heavens
But open up, open up, open up our hearts

Give me strength to cross this water
Keep my heart upon Your altar
Give me strength to cross this water
Keep my feet don’t let me falter

 

Written by Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard / Delirious

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Living Water is the only water that satisfies… Father, “flood our hearts with holy fire!!!”

In order for the offspring of water to exist, everything starts in the rain..and Who gives the rain?  Where does it comes from?  It comes from God.

Then I will give you rain in its season, (…)
Leviticus 26:4

If I want to have the Living Water and become a fountain, I need to seek those waters from above, through my seeking of the Holy Spirit, through my surrender, my sincerity and daily sacrifice in order to obey God’s Word.  The Living Water will accumulate in us, forming our character and shaping us into God’s children, until the moment that God’s Presence also overflows and we become a fountain.  We will have for us and to give others.
excerpt from Elijah Blogfire

My prayer is to be filled with the Living Water that I may not be a reservoir that keeps it stored up for myself, rather, a river so as I am filled to overflowing it may flow freely to those around me…

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.
Isaiah 45:8 ESV

On the ‘Got Questions?’ website, we read this about the Holy Spirit:
“Fire is a wonderful picture of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is like a fire in at least three ways: He brings God’s presence, God’s passion, and God’s purity. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God as He indwells the heart of the believer …” (Click here to read the entire article!)

  *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Heavenly Father, “give me strength to cross this water…keep my heart upon Your altar…keep my feet, don’t let me falter” and “flood my heart with your Holy Fire” in Jesus name AMEN!!!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Big House

September 8, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I don’t know where you lay your head
Or where you call your home
I don’t know where you eat your meals
Or where you talk on the phone
I don’t know if you got a cook
A butler or a maid
I don’t know if you got a yard
With a hammock in the shade

I don’t know if you got some shelter
Say a place to hide
I don’t know if you live with friends
In whom you can confide
I don’t know if you got a family
Say a mom or dad
I don’t know if you feel love at all
But I bet you wish you had

Come and go with me to my Father’s house
Come and go with me to my Father’s house

It’s a big, big house
With lots and lots a room
A big, big table
With lots and lots of food
A big, big yard
Where we can play football
A big, big house
It’s my Father’s house

All I know is it’s a big ole house
With rooms for everyone
All I know is lots of land
Where we can play and run
All I know is you need love
And I’ve got a family
All I know is you’re all alone
So why not come with me

 

Singer/Songwriters: Mark Stuart, Barry Blair, Will McGinniss, Bill Herdmann
Audio Adrenaline

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

We were up in the mountains camping this weekend when the chorus for this song came to mind.  I had first heard it at a teen camp with one of my girls.  It has been quite a while since I thought about it.  I kept thinking, “This is my Father’s house!”  And it was.  The new growth on the top of the pine trees looked like crosses.  The family in the next campsite had a worship service on Sunday night. It was in Spanish so I didn’t understand a lot of it but His Presence was there, I could feel it.  Too often I make the mistake of thinking “church” is my Father’s only house.  I forget He makes His home with us.  I forget about His heavenly home.

2 Timothy 1:14 (AMP) reminds me that Holy Spirit makes His home in us.

Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us.

As I was researching Scriptures for this blog, I found something that astounded me!  Look at the following Scriptures:

…the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him.
Mark 1:10 AMP

But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.
Luke 24:49 NLT

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon Him.
John 1:32 NLT

…the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.
1 Peter 1:12 HCSB

So there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One;
1 John 5:7 AMP

Do you see it?  The Holy Spirit came from Heaven to reside in us!  We carry a piece of Heaven inside of us!  (GASP!)  I had never thought about it that way.

When Audio Adrenaline wrote this song, they wanted to create a song that made Heaven sound fun…not scary or ominous.  “Big House” paints a picture of a large and loving family, spending time together having lots of fun in the Presence of a loving Father.  Since I have a piece of Heaven, I wanted to see how Scripture describes Heaven.  Here is what I found:

  • The sound of weeping and crying will no longer be heard – Isaiah 65:19
  • Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer – Revelation 21:4
  • No hunger or thirst – Revelations 7:16-17
  • Springs of living waters – Revelations 7:16-17
  • There will be rest and relief – 1 Thessalonians 1:7
  • A world filled with God’s righteousness – 2 Peter 3:13
  • A house with many rooms – 2 Chronicles 31:18

There are so many wonderful Scriptures regarding what Heaven will be like…too many to include.  But I love the physical description found in this passage:

The River of the water of Life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the Tree of Life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in it, and His servants will worship Him.

Revelations 22:1-5

I like the image of the river flowing from the throne.  Reminds me of the streams and waterfalls I saw this weekend.  Sounds like a happy place to me.  And there is a piece of that paradise living inside of me in the form of the Holy Spirit.  So, please, come and go with me to my Father’s house.  We may not be able to visit it physically but we always have part of it with us.

 *  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Father God, thank You for the beautiful Scriptures that show us what Heaven will be like. I stand amazed, knowing that a piece of Heaven dwells within me. Thank You for reminding me through the beauty of nature that I am always in Your House. In Your Holy Name I pray, Amen – it is so!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed

April 20, 2014 by

How can it be, the One who died
Has born our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death
Sing, sing Hallelujah

For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ’s disciples lift their eyes
Alive He stands, their Friend and King
Christ, Christ He is risen

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed
Oh, sing Hallelujah
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed

Where doubt and darkness once had been
They saw Him and their hearts believed
But blessed are those who have not seen
Yet, sing Hallelujah

Once bound by fear now bold in faith
They preached the truth and power of grace
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting

The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save
He frees our hearts to live His grace
Go tell of His goodness

He’s alive, He’s alive
Heaven’s gates are open wide
He’s alive, He’s alive
Now in Heaven glorified

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

Songwriters: Keith&Kristyn Getty, Ed Cash / Performed by Keith&Kristyn Getty

 *  ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~  *

It’s a traditional Easter greeting as old as the first-century Church.  One says, “He is risen!” the other answers, “He is risen indeed!”  What a joyous way to greet each other!

Easter has become quite a joyful time for me over the last few years.  Growing up, I was raised in a church tradition/denomination that celebrated Easter, but not with as much focus as I do currently.  Do you know what really made a difference for me?  One year I read my Bible from cover to cover.  (If you haven’t, you should – it’s amazing!)  Far from being outdated and irrelevant, the Old Testament showed me how much God truly loves His people.  Before Jesus, there were a pretty strict set of rules in relation to how you would be considered righteous before God.  When the Israelites fell short of the rules, blood was required in the form of sacrifice to cleanse sin.  In addition, only priests could come into the Presence of God in the temple/tabernacle. If you messed up, you brought your perfect sacrifice to the priest who would offer up prayers, petitions, and make atonement on your behalf.  As you can imagine, the priests were probably pretty busy, continually offering up sacrifices to cleanse the people of their sins.  This continued for hundreds of years!

Now enter Jesus.  When John the Baptist sees Jesus and says “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), my heart always starts beating faster. Jesus was IT, the final and perfect Sacrifice.  The blood requirement for all time that would cover every sin for everyone.  Jesus was (and still is) the Son of God, a revolutionary person that loved you and I so much that he willingly gave His life so that you and I could live with God forever!

Understand me here, friends.  JESUS LOVES YOU!!  Jesus wasn’t tricked into dying for us.  He wasn’t forced into it.  He’s not sitting in Heaven angry with you for having to be crucified.  He willingly took our punishment so that we could be free!  LOVE died for you.  And guess what?  LOVE lives for you, in Heaven!  The grave couldn’t hold him!  Death couldn’t keep him!  Jesus kicked death in the face and told him – “you’ve got NOTHING on me!!” (My modern day translation…)  And the power, the beautiful power that raised Christ from the dead – you know, the Holy Spirit!– It LIVES in you and me when we give our lives to Jesus.  Hallelujah!!!  Just like our Lord, you aren’t a victim – you’re a victor!  Our bodies may decay, but our spirits are not bound by death – Jesus triumphed over death and evil so that we, too, could be triumphant!  If you can work through what that means in your life—if you can truly get your head wrapped around it and live like you believe it—you will be amazed at the change it brings in your life!  It did to me.

When I realized that Jesus LOVED me so much that He died for me…that He wasn’t mad at me…that He wanted me to live a full and abundant life…my life changed dramatically.  I went from being delivered from sin, to living a life of freedom in Christ!  You can too!  Jesus’ triumph over the grave means total freedom!  So, do I love Easter??  You bet!  It’s the ultimate celebration and glimpse of the glorious time we will be having in Heaven!

So I praise God and His glorious Son, Jesus with every ounce of my being!!  CHRIST IS RISEN!!  What say you, friends??

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We Believe

March 22, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only One Foundation
We believe, we believe
In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only One Salvation
We believe, we believe

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He’s given us new life
We believe in the Crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the Resurrection
And He’s comin’ back again, we believe

So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, we believe

Let the lost be found and the dead be raised
In the here and now, let love invade
Let the Church live love, our God will see
We believe, we believe
And the gates of hell will not prevail
For the power of God, has torn the veil
Now we know Your love will never fail
We believe, we believe

He’s comin’ back again
He’s comin’ back again
We believe, we believe

~  Sing this song with me as our prayer and worship today.  ~

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  

I imagine you can say along with me that there have been times of desperation in your life.  At some time we have all experienced doubt and fear.  Those things happen in this broken generation, and in our weakness and temptations.

BUT GOD—

My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever
Psalm 73:26

But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,
longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth
Psalm 86:15

With God, our Triune God, we find our One Foundation, our One Salvation.

I get chills as I sing this song. It is my statement of faith, because I BELIEVE!  I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in His Holy Spirit.  I believe in Jesus’ crucifixion, and in His resurrection.  I believe in New Life through Jesus Christ. I have experienced it!  I believe He’s coming back for every believer (you and me.)

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God
John 1:12,13

Because I believe, I agree that The Church (you and I) need to live love that our God will see.  We need to stand against the gates of hell, because our God has torn the veil, and is The Power and The Love we can depend on to conquer sin and death.  We believers need to show and tell that Good News to those who don’t know God’s love yet.

But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us
Romans 5:7, 8

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord
Romans 6:23

Ladies, Jesus is coming back! Do you believe? If not, today is your day to surrender—and take a stand for the One and Only True Foundation and Salvation by which you can be saved, and live eternally with Him.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved.
Romans 10:9

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CHRISTLife — Twenty: Alive With His Life

February 7, 2014 by

cl alive with his life

When you were born again in Christ, did you sense that your innermost being was passing from death into life?  Ephesians 2:1 and 2 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air.  But….”  (read on, dear sister!)

But God—so rich is He in His mercy!
Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful
and intense love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead (slain)
by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses,
He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ;
[He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life
with which He quickened Him, for]
it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve)
that you are saved (delivered from judgment
and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).
Ephesians 2:4 and 5 AMP

To satisfy His intense love for us, God through Christ made us alive in union with Him.  He gave us the same life He gave Jesus Christ so we could be saved!  Oh, what mercy and grace!

“Alive” what does that mean to you?  To get a good perspective, I looked up the definition of “alive.”  Some definitions that struck me were—’not just living but alert…active…vital…and energetic’.  Romans 6:11 NLT, “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive [alert, TLB] to God through Christ Jesus.

Then I found this quote from Adolf Deissman, a professor of theology in two major universities in Germany from 1897 to 1935.

“Just as all men live in the air, and cannot live without air,
so the Christian lives in Christ…To be in Christ is to live a life
in which Christ is the atmosphere which we breathe.”

Christ is the very atmosphere in which I “live and move and have my being” (Acts 17:28 NIV).  As Michael W. Smith’s song, “Breathe” states,

I’m desperate for You, I’m lost without You. You are the very air I breathe!

This union with Christ has given us full access to “the life-giving God” (1 Timothy 6:13 Message). Even Jesus refers over and over to God as His/our source of life:

…I (Jesus) live because of the Father…
John 6:57

For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself.
John 5:26

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.
Luke 20:38

John 17:20-26 records Jesus’ prayer for all future people who would become believers (that includes us).

I pray also for those who will believe in Me
through their (the disciples’) message,
that all of them may be one, Father,
just as You are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be in Us
so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
I have given them the glory that You gave Me,
that they may be one as We are one—
I in them and You in Me—
so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that You sent Me
and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

Do you see that, ladies?  Jesus asked His Father to spiritually unite us as He and the Father are united.  The only way that is possible is for each of us to have the same Spirit—“I in them and You in Me.”  Our spiritual aliveness is from the life of Jesus Christ Himself, “The very Source, the Author of life” (Acts 3:15 AMP), and our unity is because of that oneness in Christ.

When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He was determined that we would remain in Him—to be alive, alert, vital, and active—so He gave us the wonderful gift of His Holy Spirit to help us.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you
another Advocate, who will never leave you.
He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth…
you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.
John 14:16-17 NLT

It is the Spirit who gives life…
John 6:63 NASB

How do we continue to grow in this aliveness?  We need to renew our minds (Romans 12:2 KJV).  We do that by daily feeding on “The True Bread of God… anyone who feeds on Me will live because of Me” John 6:33 and 57 NLT.  This is Jesus’ promise to us.  The world would like us to think that if we satisfy our own cravings and lust that we will really live.  Oh, they are so misled (1 John 2:15-17)!  Those things will never satisfy the hunger that was placed in us when we were created.  It can only be satisfied by Christ, Himself.

I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”
John 14:6

…the man/woman who does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:17

As I learn and grow by spending time in His Word, I know Christ better.  As I know Him better, I fall more in love with Him.  In that love, I am alive, alert, active, and vital for Him.

“You are the God who preserves alive all living things (1 Timothy 6:13 AMP).
I acknowledge that all of my life—physical and spiritual—
is in Your hands and under Your control.”
—Ruth Myers, page 87

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Dear Lord, thank You for desiring us to be alive in You.  We are desperate for more of You.  You ARE the very air we breathe.  Help us to renew our minds and satisfy our hunger by feeding on Your Word daily.  Thank You for Your Holy Spirit who sustains, comforts, and guides us in our aliveness in You.  In the Name of our Living Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen.

 

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