My man and I joined some friends last night for the Winter Wonder Slam tour featuring Toby Mac, Skillet, and Shonlock. Wow. Not only was the worship amazing, but the entertainment factor blew me away. Fun times.
{Here is where I would insert a picture of us at the concert if I could figure out how to upload photos from my phone.}
I about held church at the gym today. I have taken up the habit of listening to John Piper's sermons while exercising and today I about "went on up." So, if you have 38 minutes to spare for some really good soul food--some truth to feast upon--then follow this link for the audio version of The Immeasurable Greatness of His Power Toward Us.
After listening to his message I followed it up with a fresh drink of bluegrass from the David Crowder Band with their rendition of "I saw the Light"--a different realm than my usual Lecrae. It was all I could do not to break out in dance right there among the weights. Well, I did bust a little move when no one was looking.
Keeping things on the lighter side this Saturday morning.
Our family pre-bought the new Toby Mac cd back at Christmas--yes, trying to brainwash the kids early. The actual release was a couple of weeks ago. There is a short rhyme on the album by Toby Mac's son--Trudog--and my three kids are obsessed. In fact, we have ridden around town numerous times with track 8 repeating and repeating and repeating, until even the 2 year old is "mixing it up." It's hysterical.
So I thought I would share an older song by Trudog that I found on YouTube. Maybe I will brainwash you as well.
The period was dark. There was no king. Everyone did as he desired. And the depravity of man evidenced itself in extremes.
When we as people are left to ourselves--looking inwardly for direction--distortion is sure. When we as humans simply go on what we feel or assume, turmoil follows. We are not God. We are not God. It sounds so simple, so evident, but in the moments of our day do we truly believe? I am not God. This calls for a happy-dance!
Freedom comes when we cease striving. Living Water flows into the cracks of dried ground as we submit to the Holy of Holies. This is how it is designed. For years I believed freedom to be apart from some God instilling His criteria upon my life. But He graciously pursued me. He graciously drew me to Himself and opened my eyes to the bondage in which I was entangled.
Apart from the God who is reigning over this universe--of which we are but specks of sand--it is hopeless. Only our Creator Designer can breath true life into a weary soul. And He promises that if we truly seek Him we will find Him. Why? Because He loves you and He loves me...infinitely.
When left to ourselves we are blind. Father, give sight.
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"Take Me In" by Kutless.
******************************************* Comments in response to my time in Judges 17-19 this morning.
There seems to be a disconnect--a disconnect in grasping our spiritual depravity and our gaping need for a Savior. In our culture we as humans tend to think we can do this "life" thing fairly well--at least on the outside. We can make a little money, get a house, have a family, work a job--all the while somewhat disconnected to our true spiritual dilemma. Truth is, when viewed next to the perfectly Holy, righteous, Creator of the universe, we are desperate for His mercy.
I have sporadically been working through the book of Revelation. And the one thing that continues to hit me is the complete "other-than"ness of this sovereign God. He is infinitely beyond our minuscule comprehension. He is absolutely just and abounding in love. By His grace He gives us--His creation--a glimpse of His glory...if we choose to look. And the closer we get to Him--the more defined His character becomes in our being--the more depraved we know ourselves to be.
By His grace, out of His unmeasurable love for you and me, He made a way for us to rightly enter His presence--namely through the sacrifice of Christ. His love for you and me goes beyond the intellect and invades the spirit. He desires for us to know Him intimately. He pursues and prods that we might trust fully in Him. Jesus came to die a substitutionary death for us--enduring a vile ripping on a rugged cross then crushing the power of sin under His feet when He rose again. We no longer have to drink the cup of wrath rightly due to our natural, rebellious selves. By faith in His sacrifice for our own sin we are made new--cleansed.
That is the victory.
Accepting His sacrifice does not mean life will always go as we think it should. But it does mean that we are now called His son or daughter--and He will never forsake His child. He gives peace in the most devastating of storms. He empowers and renews the faintest of hearts. All the while transforming us to the place of freedom through faith.
Just preachin' a little today. Run to Him, friend. He is worthy.
God is so faithful to discipline His children. Thank you, Lord. He does it perfectly with the motive of pure love for His own. If we would--I would--be quick to listen. Oh, that we would not grow hard of hearing or calloused of heart. Help us, Lord.
He is working in me, prodding me, to "put off" an attitude of my flesh. It is almost as if His faithful hand is on my back side pressing me away from a certain mindset--a mindset that tends toward the inessentials rather than the essentials. A mindset that most often surfaces in mommyhood. It is something He wants me free of, that I might walk these days with a lighter burden. Teach me, Lord.
Most battles of the heart begin in the mind. For a while I have been praying for awareness with my thought life--that my mind would not wander down roads that could lead to relationship destruction. God is so faithful to reveal if we truly want to see. Then I have been challenged to replace erroneous thinking with thoughts that honor and bless. Hence, my current dilemma of shedding. (I love that I can use the word "hence" in writing--it just isn't a word I get to say without strange looks.)
In the power of His might, in submission to the mind of Christ, we are able to "bring every thought captive to obedience." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) Honoring speech is not enough--spoken through clinched jaws. He wants our hearts, overflowing with His love, spilling out of our mouths. Change us, Lord. That is freedom. That is joy.
May we His people be a people pure of heart. Praise you, Lord.
Here is a song by Kari Jobe that just does not grow old, "Revelation Song." He is totally, completely worthy.
I just heard a poem last night by Elisabeth Elliot and this morning I spent a moment trying to find her words online--to no avail. I want to quote from memory the last two lines--not typically a very productive venture. She was speaking on suffering as a gift--the gift of a thorn. At the end of her beautifully convicting explanation she says, "God uses the thorn, to pin back the veil that covers His face."
Read that again and pause for a moment.
What if it's really true, just as the "cloud of witnesses" has testified? What if seeing the face of God, in greater detail and majestic fullness requires our suffering--even our breaking? Don't get me wrong--I, like you, enjoy the seasons that are comfortable, happy, and prosperous, without the pain of a thorn. But more than that, I live and breathe by catching a clearer view of this God that absolutely blows my mind.
True, the trials can be fiery-- hot and smokey. But if the grace found while the thorn pierces our sides, reveals the face of a Father we would not otherwise see, then our joy is sure...in spite of circumstances. He is that good! His glory outweighs the trials against our flesh. Our only responsibility is that we look--look into the face of the God who is not arbitrary, who is motivated by His unfailing love, and who is faithful to His promises. We will not be disappointed!
Oh, that we who call ourselves children of the living God, would take the happenings of our lives--both the good and the difficult--as gifts from Him, meant for our good. Therein lies the victory! Keep on, friend.
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Just a little tune to get your blood pumpin' today. Turn it up and dance while you look forward to "That Great Day," by Da Truth (that's right "Da" Truth).
Are you free to dance? I am not talking about gyrating or pulsating in the clubs--I say "clubs" more like "cluuuuuubs." (Why do I think you care about things like this?!) Anyway, freedom to dance... The most amazing dance is freely dancing before the Lord, in worship and praise. I can say this because I have been in the cluuuuubs in my younger days.
This is the dance that overcomes you simply because you are overwhelmed with the majesty of God. This is the dance that stirs your spirit and strengthens your soul. Oh, how I love Him. This is the dance that flows from love and awe. This is the dance that drops the chains and looks to an audience of One.
So are you free to dance? Get alone with Him today, turn up the tunes, and worship Him in dance. I dare you.
This is an older song by Mary Mary but it has been one of my favs for years..."Shackles"
Or as I like to say 'da funk. Have you ever been in it? I have learned a sure-fire way to get us out of the funk. Are you ready for this? Rejoice!
Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) Always. Not just when things are going like you or I think they should. Always. In fact, rejoicing in the Lord may be even more powerful when things aren't so good. It is then that our minds need to be set back on the Sovereign One--He who is reigning on high with loving hands and holy plans.
Maybe you are in the deepest pit of your life, maybe you're not, either way the answer is the same, friend...REJOICE.
You have to watch this video! This guy, walking the streets of NY, cannot stop himself from praising. Let's join him...and David Crowder.
Let's just be real honest for a minute. Life can truly be crapified at times. How about that to start your weekend off on a positive note. :) My dad used to say, "Either you just came through a time of trial, you are in the midst of a time of trial, or you will unfortunately soon be in a time of trial." It is the nature of this life and the world in which we live. Sounds pretty hopeless doesn't it. Yet that is the beauty of it all.
Time is slowly creeping its way between my now and my most devastating time of trial. I am in the process of writing a book so it is not easy for me to forget. But as I reflect on this particular season of my life, the truth of Paul's words testify to my existence--and hopefully yours as well.
"We have this treasure (the treasure of the knowledge of the glory of God) in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck-down but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:7-8)
That is the hope found in this God we call Father. His power enables us to live these fleeting days in victory--no matter the circumstance! That has been true for me. When I should have been crushed and in despair, He made me strong and sure. When I should have felt forsaken and destroyed, He allowed me to sense His healing touch and ever-present grace.
Friend, this life will be crapified at times, but there is such hope found in God Almighty. In the midst of your moments get to know His face, you will not be disappointed. "We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus!"
God is so very uncontainable. The closer I get to Him, the more I realize that what I "know" is a tiny scratch on the surface of His immeasurable character. His grace astounds me. His mercy humbles me. His love strengthens me. His patience motivates me. His wisdom overwhelms me. His infinity confounds me. His near-presence awes me.
Praise You Lord!
As I was spending time with Him this morning, reading from the book of Joel, I was reminded of His great purposeful interaction in this life. He is not removed from sorrow. He is not unaffected by immorality. He is there, and right here. His ways are high above us and completely multi-faceted. Yet He cares for your and my days, hurts, struggles, and victories. He is invested in our becoming--our maturing. He has abundance to give.
If we are here, on this dusty earth, then He has a purpose you and me. If you call Him "Father, Daddy" then He calls you "my child." He is working--even when we cannot see. He is able--even when we don't know how. He is faithful--even when we are not. He is worthy of our praise.
This day, whom will you and I serve? Nothing else will fill those cavernous gaps. No one else will lovingly heal those hollow places. Seek His face and find peace everlasting. Oh, how He loves us! Dance before Him, friend!
In 1985 Madonna released a song entitled "Material Girl." The chorus actually says, "You know that we are living in a material world and I am a material girl." Wow. Was she declaring truth or what? Twenty years later our world is so steeped in materialism that finding true fulfillment in Christ proves difficult.
As I was reading in Acts this morning--which I often love to do--I was, again, both encouraged and amazed at the growth of the early church. I find myself longing for God to do big things through my little life. That He would somehow use me--if He so wills--in His bringing revival to our materially-minded nation.
Oh how my heart beats to a song by Shawn McDonald entitled "All I need." The chorus says, "All I need is your love to come and fill this heart of mine; my heart is a desert that has gone dry, and I need your love to carry me by." Material thinking will leave our hearts dry and wanting. Christ alone fills. Christ alone waters the dry, thirsty land of our souls. He is the living water.
And just so you don't spend your day remembering Madonna's song in your mind, click on the link below to hear and then meditate on the truth found in Shawn McDonald's lyrics. Be blessed today, my friend.
