April 25, 2024

Be One

October 18, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

We don’t feel ready, we don’t feel steady
Question what we really have to give

Stay where it’s safer, claim faith but waiver
Is this how we’re really meant to live

We pray but never move
We say but never do

It’s time to get our hands dirty
oh oh, oh oh
Be love – there’s a whole lot of hurting
oh oh, oh oh
Calling all hearts, calling all hands
Calling all feet to take a stand
Why sit around and wait for a miracle to come
When we can be one, when we can be one, when we can be one

A little somethin’ might feel like nothin’
But in His hands it’s all we’ll ever need

To speak life to the broken
Watch the blind eyes open
It’s who He’s calling you and me to be

We can be the change – be the hope
We can be the arms that don’t let go
We can be a light in the dark
We are, we are, where it starts

Natalie Grant

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A lukewarm Christian is not something that I want to be. Oh…I definitely have been. But I much prefer to be in the game; and when you’re in the game, you get dirty.  Jesus did.  He didn’t play it safe and protect himself and just associate with His disciples and followers.  No, He ate with the hated and He got close to the sick to heal them and He walked with prostitutes.  His main objective was to make sure that everyone knew His Father and that they would go to Heaven when they died.

This is exactly how we should be.  I am sure that around your area, there are homeless people who have needs to be met before they can even think about making a decision to know Him.  Hungry families live on streets near you.  There are women in your circle who may be fighting an addiction of some kind and need to know Jesus still loves them. There are marriages on the brink of divorce.  You are someones hope today!

So as you listen to this song, pray to God that He will reveal to you where to go and who needs to hear hope from you.  Ask Him to lead you to them and He will guide you and speak through you.  How awesome is it to actually be His hands and feet?!!!  There are so many changes that this world needs and it can start here with us….

Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
Psalms 96:3 NKJV

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV

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Dear God, thank You so much for sending Jesus to earth as a man, to walk among sinners.  He showed us what we should be like.  He was a Friend of sinners and loved  the ones who are hardest to love.  Lord, You created everyone and You love us all. Please plant in us that same love for our neighbor and give us the desire to walk through their hard with them.  Reveal to us who we are to share with and direct our steps and send us where we are to go.  You have blessed each one of us by living in us and granting us grace for each moment.  I pray that no one has to go one more day without knowing how much You love them.  Help us to get in the game and not be afraid to get our hands dirty.  We love You. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

 

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

I Love To Praise

November 21, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Holy One, Father of the Earth
Create in me a pure heart
So I can come in Spirit and in Truth
To worship You that’s what I long to do

I love to praise
I love to lift Your Holy Name
From the rising of the sun
And going down of the same
Your name is great
I will bless You all my days
‘Cause I love to praise

Righteous One, Lover of my soul
Age to age, forever still the same
Your name is like the sweetest melody
Here with You is where I long to be

You are Holy
My lips shall always speak Your praise
You are Worthy
Forever I will always sing Your praise

Singer / Songwriter: Miss Natalie Grant

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Oh, how sweet it is when we choose to look at our lives and the blessings God has given us with praise.  Praise to the One Who is the Provider, the Healer, the Vindicator (and the list goes on).

Life is better when we choose to meditate on and be thankful for the good things in our lives. There is always, always something to be grateful for! I found this excerpt on what a difference being grateful can do for our lives….

“Gratitude has been linked to increased levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Giving thanks is one of the most powerful ways there is to increase your well-being.” (Click here to read a whole list quotes about gratitude.)

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
— William Arthur Ward

When we choose to look at our blessings and praise the One Who blessed us, our whole perspective on life will change. I would much rather be looking at what God is doing instead of the circumstances surrounding me.

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 5:20

We are to give thanks in all things…not that all things that happen in our lives will be good. However God promises to work them for our good. ALL things…not just some thing. It is in the hardest of circumstances that we can grow and learn the most and God is ALWAYS working…

But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”
John 5:17 NLT

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are ALWAYS working and that You never sleep.  Thank You that You work ALL things for good for those who love You…and we do love You, Lord!  It is in the hard things that we become stronger and wiser.  So for this we give thanks for we become a better person because of them.  In Jesus’ name.  AMEN!!!

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

I Will Not Be Moved

June 26, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I have been the wayward child, I have acted out
I have questioned sovereignty and had my share of doubts
And though sometimes my prayers feel like they’re bouncing off the sky
The hand I hold won’t let me go
and is the reason why…

I will stumble, I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

Bitterness has plagued my heart many times before
My life has been like broken glass, and I have kept the score
of all my shattered dreams and though it seemed
that I was far too gone
My brokenness helped me to see it’s grace I’m standing on

I will stumble, I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

And the chaos in my life has been a badge I’ve worn
And though I have been torn
I will not be moved

I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

Singer / Songwriter: Natalie Grant
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What does it mean to be solid in your faith?

The definition of the word solid is “…firm and stable”.  How can we be firm and stable—solid— in our faith when the storms of life are threatening to take us down? Although not the easy path the answer is a simple one—it is a choice.

When life seems out of control and you don’t feel as though you are going to get through it, you have to choose to trust in God. He promises to get us through the storms and, if we don’t give up or lose hope, we will see the victory in the end.

A solid faith is not based on circumstances.  It is trust and hope in God in the midst of the circumstances…refusing to be moved from that place.  I trust in You, Lord, for You are faithful!!!

Although most of my circumstances have not been pleasant (and many I would not have chosen), God has been faithful. In each and every one, I have experienced Him in such a powerful way and learned lessons I would not have otherwise learned. When something comes my way, I am always looking for those blessings in disguise along with what God wants me to learn through it.

Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise,
like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise
and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish,
like a person who builds a house on sand.
When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house,
it will collapse with a mighty crash.
Matthew 7: 24-27 NLT

We must be building our lives on Christ the Solid Rock and refusing to be moved when the storms of life come.  Otherwise we are on sinking sand…and there goes our hope and our strength.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 ESV

Let us become a tree of life as we choose to put our hope in Him.

And let us not grow weary of doing good,
for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Let us choose not to become weary
Galatians 6:9 ESV

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Oh Father, life is hard—there is no doubt about it.  But You have told us to take heart because You have overcome the world.  May we choose to put our hope and trust in You and not grow weary and give up!  If we continue to fight the good fight, we will be victorious.  Thank You for that promise…in Jesus’ name, amen.

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

Hurricane

April 29, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

You’re spinning out of control again
Your life feels like a sinking ship
You’re wondering how it came to this

Is it too late?
Is it too far?
For Him to reach you
And come to where you are
Step out on the edge
Don’t be afraid of it
And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He’ll find you in the hurricane

You’re in the wreckage underneath
Your hope is buried somewhere deep
You’re wondering how long it will keep

It’s never too late
Never too far
For you to reach out
And take a hold of love
Step out on the edge
Don’t be afraid of it
And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He’ll find you in the hurricane

Don’t back down from the fight
He’ll shelter you tonight
Just hold on for the change
Call His name
He’ll find you in the hurricane

There’s a place, there’s a place you can run
When you fall, and it’s all come undone
You’ll be safe in the raging storm
So just let go
‘Cause you are held in His arms
Step out on the edge
Don’t be afraid of it
And when you feel the rain
Call His name
He’ll find you in the hurricane

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

Songwriters: Cindy Morgan, Matt Bronleewe, Natalie Grant
Performed by Natalie Grant

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Have you ever felt as though you had so much going on that things were literally swirling around you and you weren’t sure where to begin?  I know I have…it reminds me of the eye of a storm.  It is a calm place while things are swirling around you.  Do you have Hope in the eye of your storm??  Jesus is the calm in the midst of our storm.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psalm 34:14

So we should be in active pursuit of peace.  Not that we attain it once…and then we can rest; but this is a continuous process.

Why must we pursue something that is already given to us (John 14:27)?  We already have peace available to us. Jesus IS our Peace; it is found in Him.  We just have to utilize it by keeping our eyes focused on Him instead of the storm swirling around us. I love this excerpt from the book In the Eye of the Storm :

“What internal code kept His calm from erupting into chaos ? He knew the value of people… Interestingly the stress seen that day is not on Jesus’s face, but on the faces of the disciples… ‘Send the crowds away,’  they demand.  Fair request.  ‘After all,’ they are saying.  ‘You’ve taught them.  You’ve healed them.  You’ve accommodated them. And now they’re getting h ungry. If we don’t send them away.  They’ll want you to feed them, too.’  I wish I could have seen the expression on the disciples’ faces when they heard the Master’s response: ‘They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat…’

When we get outside of ourselves and the storms of our life, and begin to focus on Jesus, then peace will come.  Our storms will be used to minister to others and He will show us what to do in the midst of them.

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Heavenly Father, I thank You for the peace that has already been given to us when we choose to put our eyes and our focus on You.  Thank You that You are our peace in the eye of the storm and that You will never leave us or forsake us.  Thank You for showing us what to do in the midst of them.  In Jesus’ name. Amen!!!

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

Alive

March 20, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Who but You could breathe and leave a trail of galaxies and dream of me
What kind of Love is writing my story ‘til the end with Mercy’s pen
Only You

What kind of King would choose to wear a crown that bleeds and scars to win my heart
What kind of Love tells me I’m the reason He can’t stay inside the grave
You, is it You, standing here before my eyes, every part of my heart cries

Alive, Alive
Look what Mercy’s overcome
Death has lost and Love has won
Alive, Alive
Hallelujah, Risen Lord
The only One I fall before
I am His because He is Alive

Who could speak and send the demons back from where they came with just one name
What other heart would let itself be broken every time until He healed mine
You, only You, could turn my darkness into dawn, running right into your arms

I am His because He is…

Emmanuel, the Promised King
the baby who made angels sing
Son of Man who walked with us
Healing, breathing in our dust
The Author of all history
The Answer to all mysteries
The Lamb of God who rolled away the stone in front of every grave

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

~ Written by Vicci Martinez and Peter Anders Svensson / Performed by Natalie Grant ~

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What a powerful thought…that God was thinking of you and me!  What kind of Love is writing my story and yours until the end?  The love of the Father is something that I will never completely understand.  The love that loved me unconditionally when I was a sinner.  The same love that loved me out of darkness into His marvelous light.  Do you know the love of the Father?  It is a love like I have never known….

God loves with agápe—the love described in 1 Corinthians 13.  He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on the Cross for you so that you might have everlasting life. His love is not based on performance.  Christ loves you so much that while you were yet a sinner, He died for you.

God’s love for you is unconditional and undeserved.  He loves you in spite of your disobedience, your weakness, your sin, and your selfishness.  He loves you enough to provide a way to abundant, eternal life.  From the Cross, Christ cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing!”

Because of the Cross and because of Jesus I am no longer led by the old man.  I have been made new.   am a new creation because of Him!

What does it mean to be ALIVE in Christ?

Ephesians 2:1-8 NLT says this :
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.  (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.  God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

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Thank You, Father, that You have turned my darkness into light.  Thank You for Your unconditional love that won my heart.  Thank You, Jesus, that I am Yours because You are ALIVE!!!  In Your  Name, Amen.

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