His love ALWAYS wins.
He makes radiantly beautiful things out of the dustiest of situations.
He never fails us, even when we fail Him.
His timing is perfect.
He is always there to remind us of His unfailing love.
OUR GOD IS SO LEGIT.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Come Awake!
pretty please watch this video:
Let no one caught in sin remain
Inside the lie of inward shame
But fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to Him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely You've bled for us
Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with Him again
Come awake, come awake
Come and rise up from the grave
Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bowed to none but heaven's will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold You down
In strength You reign
Forever let Your church proclaim
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
The glory of God has defeated the night
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
O church, come stand in the light
Our God is not dead
He's alive! He's alive!
let none be needy
how can we see this scripture and then sit by while poverty ravages this world, while hunger strikes it's fatal hand daily, and while broken nations struggle to provide even the faintest promise of good health?
"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them." Acts 4:32-34
We were meant to live this life together as followers. Providing for the needs that cannot be met alone. Being the hands and feet of Jesus.
this is our calling. to serve others, to give endlessly, to love unfailingly.
our call is to give.
Monday, January 3, 2011
a beautiful brutal confession.
today i fell off my bike.
well, fell being the most kind term i could apply to what happened. lets cover this as quickly as possible: i hit the front wheel's break coming down a steep hill, flipped and flew over the front handle bars, landed on my knees and hands, and got tangled up in the bike. not my most proud or graceful moment. but as my knees were throbbing and my hands and wrists ringing with pain, a completely random thought caught me off gaurd. "This is nothing compared to what Jesus suffered." what? where did that come from?
let's backtrack: i've been reading through Luke the past month, and it was the 23rd day of my readings.
Luke 23: the scene i had been dreading to read.
a scene so full of hatred and human evil that im ashamed to even think about it sometimes. a scene that forever changed the landscape of history, that altered our lives as Christians. This is the scene where the most undeserving man was sent up to a judge and then condemned to die. so after my embarrassing spill off the bike this onset of pain seemed like a way to make this reading more real. to feel a shred of discomfort in my hands and knees and compare that to being brutally murdered. how utterly shameful that i could even think to compare them. but it made me really ponder the crucifiction, something i try to stay away from so i dont have to shatter my delusion of Jesus's death being a non-violent act of love that didn't hurt at all.
blood. tears. an angry mob screaming for death.
we didnt accept Him. we mocked, ridiculed, tortured, and abandoned Him. after He saved lives, healed broken hearts, made the impossible happen. we traded His life for a criminal's, and brutally murdered Him. and in that bloody, gruesome, violent act, He made something beautiful happen. it's amazing that He still thought us worthy of dying for. on that very day, He took every curse word i've ever said in anger, every prideful thought, every ounce of hate, every wrong thought and gossiping word, every sinful lie and unrighteous action i have ever committed on to His spotless shoulders that were covered in sweat and blood. He took on the sins that i have knowingly committed against Him, every slap in the face i shoved His way, every conscious decision to not follow Him and died for me. He endured a beating. He endured a knife in His side, thorns piercing His head. He took nails tearing through muscles and tendons. He had His flesh ripped from His back and insults thrown His way. He had His modesty removed and mocking forced upon Him. and yet, He took it all. He died for the prideful, worldly girl who lived the first seventeen years of her life as a luke-warm believer, but never as a follower. He died for the girl who just realized what it means to live like you have been saved.
Hallelujah, what a Savior i have.
by not saving Himself, He saved me.
Hallelujah! Praise to the One who's precious blood has pardoned me. What a Savior i serve, my Redeemer and King, His love has rescued me
these two songs really helped me grasp this. please, even if you dont read a word i wrote, please listen to these two songs. it captures the tragedy and the beauty that gave us a new life.
Beautiful Scandalous Night.
Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified
Follow Christ to the holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flowed
For you and for me and for all
At the wonderful, tragic, mysterious tree
On that beautiful, scandalous night you and me
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white
On that beautiful, scandalous night
On the hillside, you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that poured
From our blessed Savior's side
How Deep the Father's Love for Us.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measureThat He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that helf Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Saturday, January 1, 2011
the year i decided to really live
what if this was the year that we all decided to truly live? to shout our convictions, to release our inhibitions, and to follow our hearts. i can pinky promise that this is how i want to live this year, to live the rest of my life. this year i have the opportunity to make every day count for my Savior. we all have that option. i know i normally make each day count for me, but its time to make a change. i am encouraged by Paul's writing, found in Philippians 1:20-21. "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." this year to really live i must die to myself, give up the world, and submit wholly to Christ. i have faith that Christ will give me the courage to live for Him and His glory. in light of this i have decided to make a list of goals. not resolutions that will last two weeks then slowly fade on to the list of almosts. these are aspirations that i think will keep me focused on Christ and living for Him.
Goals:
uplift more - complain less. (Philippians 2:14-16)
hold hands - not grudges. (Matthew 18:35)
love freely without expecting any in return. (Romans 13:8)
search out the hurt, lonely, and unsaved. show them Christ as best as i can. (James 1:27)
stop seeking the approval of the world - seek the approval of my Heavenly Daddy. (Galations 1:10)
be faithful in all situations. (Hebrews 11:1)
no lying, embellishing, or stretching truth. (Psalm 15)
stop being so darn selfish and prideful. (Philippians 2:3-4)
sacrifice for others. (Mark 10:21)
stop tearing myself and others down. (Ephesians 4:31)
lean daily on Christ. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
boast of my Savior - not of myself. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
shrug off the small stuff. (James 1:19)
be quick to praise God. (Psalm 54:6)
always encourage others. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)
to become a Bible warrior.
to chase Christ.
to stand for Him alone.
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