I Can Only Imagine

We live in a world that offers only a false rest and there are many that will urge you to find happiness here; but you will not ultimately find it.  Guard yourselves against thought patterns like; joy is only a diet away, a new job or transfer, a marriage or a baby.

Now, whatever it means to you, imagine a perfect world.  You want peace, envision absolute tranquility; would it be joy you are after, and then create your highest happiness.  Would your world have love, then think about a place that love has no bounds.

Think on this:  "No one has imagined what God has prepared for those that love Him".  Jesus, right now is putting together your place in His Father's house.  He wants you close by.

Whatever happiness you find in this world will soon slip away in a whirlwind of disaster when distress and troubles overwhelm you.  Ultimately being swallowed up by death and the grave.  The final event will be devastating if you have never reached out and took hold of the saving hand of Jesus.

He is only a breath away.  He will awaken you morning by morning to "open the eyes of your heart" and give you ears to listen to the heart beat of His teachings.  You will learn the truth which will live in you and be with you forever.  His commandment is to walk in love; love for Him and one another.

I wonder what it will be like when I meet Jesus face to face.  Will I jump for joy or in His presence fall on my knees and be still?  In awe of His beauty, will I be able to shout "worthy is the Lamb" as I reach out with trembling hands to take hold of Him for eternity; or simply whisper, "I love you Jesus"?

I can only imagine!

Max Lucado   Psam 146   Isaiah 50   Proverbs 1   2nd John 1

Twila Paris   Mercy Me

My prayer is that I may be able to sing this song when I see my Savior.

"Worthy is the Lamb"

By Hillsong

God's Enduring Love

We want to know how long God's love will endure.  Not when everything is all right in our lives, but when our actions are not pleasing to Him.  Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us?  The bible says that, "Nothing in this whole world will ever be able to separate us from His love".  To prove it God became flesh and dwelt among us.  He placed His hand on our shoulders and said, "You are something special".  What an awesome God we serve.

You can believe that God made us and we are His.  He wants us to "enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise".  He just wants to be with us so He can show us love each day; there is no one like our God.

We should lead a blameless life, for if we displease Him by just going through the motions, we cannot dwell in His house or stand before him.  If we let Him, He is ready to take hold of us and the mighty One will do great things for us.  If we are having problems; run to Jesus.  Spend more time with Him in prayer and bible study.  Seek fellowship in a church of unity and people who love you as well as Jesus; you will find great comfort with this.

Paul said to the church at Philippi, "To make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose".  We need that kind of fellowship.  Our attitude should be same as that of Christ Jesus, who took on the very nature of a servant.  We should do everything without arguing or complaining, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God.

Even in our weakness, Jesus loves us with an outrageous love that will endure forever.  He will never let go and will pull us through, as we continue in prayer-bible study and fellowship at a local church of likeminded believers in Christ Jesus.  O, how He loves us!

Philippians 2   Psalm 101   Phil Wickham   David Crowder Band   Isaiah 25   Max Lucado 

Romans 8:39   Luke 1   Matthew West Chris Rice   John 1:14 

A Total Eclipse of the Heart

Do you find yourself walking in the dark, and something is telling you that forever starts today?  You need something to fill that void in your heart.  You dwell in the fog of the lowlands with no vision of your Creator.  You know you have a need to turn about and change; you don't want your epitaph to read, "This world is the limit of your horizon".

Do not put your trust in mortal men, when their spirit departs they return to the ground all they have said turns to nothing.  Put your trust in the Maker of heaven and earth.  The One who can open the eyes of your heart.  He has not spoken in secret from somewhere in a land of darkness.  Before Him every knee shall bow; every tongue confess that He is the One.

Jesus says, "You are the ones who justifies yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.  What does He see when He looks into your heart today:  the spirit of man or the Spirit of God; they speak from the view points of the world".

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  This is how God showed His love among us:  He sent His Son into the world that we might live through Him.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he is in God.

Seeing Jesus is what Christianity is all about.  Christian service in its purest form is nothing more than imitating Jesus.  Who are you listening to:  yourself, other people, or the Spirit of the most Holy One?

There you are standing in the dark, and you turn around knowing this day will last forever and you need Him more than ever.  He will be there to make your life beautiful: always holding you.  If you reach out to Jesus, He will pour out God's powerful grace on you and you will have:

"A total eclipse of your heart"

God, because of His outrageous love, and by faith and trust in His Son, just gave you a new heart.  He accepted you as His child just as you were, and lifted you into the heavenlies!  Now you are His and He is yours.  He did for you, what you couldn't do for yourself.  God became man to rescue all souls.  He became flesh and dwelt among us.  Now, He is waiting on you to become His child.  Turn around and take His hand, He is waiting on you.

Psalm 146   Francesca Battistelli   Isaiah 44   Max Lucado   Selah   Luke 16   1John 4 

John 1:14   Bid Daddy Weave   Bonnie Tyler 

What's Love Got to do With It?

God is at His deepest being "all love".  Then loving relationships with others is at the center of reality.  WIthout love for each other, we engage in self-centeredness and destroy the fabric of what God has made.  

It is the power in which we move and flow and derive life, love, and spiritual power.  In Acts 17:28, Paul says,"We move and live and have our being in Him," and so we see that absolute love for others is a commandment of Jesus.

Your life is like a breath; like a fleeting shadow, so if you are having problems with loving others, its time to ask God to "Part the heavens and come down" and show you the way you should go.

God is the One who says that He will take hold of your right hand and tell you not to fear for He will help you.  And we need His help because loving others can be a difficult proposition; especially maintaining that love.

God's word tells you not to love the world for if you do, the love of the Father is not in you.  "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever".

You might admit that loving others often ends in hurt, and you don't want to be hurt anymore.  Why not just live for yourself and not love anyone?

"To love at all is to be vulnerable.  Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.  If you want to make sure of keeping intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal.  Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries, avoid all entanglements, lock it up safe in your casket or coffin of your selfishness.  But in that casket-safe, dark, motionless, airless-it will change.  It will not be broken, it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable".  (Quote by C.S. Lewis)

So, what's love got to do with it?

Everything!

Psalm 143, 144   C. S. Lewis   Isaiah 42   Timothy Keller   I John 2

Tina Turner

Father, I've always believed in You and Jesus, but my heart's most fundamental trust was elsewhere in my own competence and decency.  This has gotten me into trouble.  As far as I know my heart, today I give it to You, I transfer my trust to you, and ask that you would receive and accept me not for anything I have done, but for everything Jesus has done for me.  (Prayer by Timothy Keller.)

My Prison

Why are you crying these days?  Are you reaching out for something but you don't know what?  Has all the adventure gone from your life?  You try prayers but they are timid, shallow and hollow, and you are in desperate need.  You lift up your voice to the Lord and cry out for mercy.  You are unhappy with your life and nothing satisfies you.

You are locked up in your own prison.  You remember how happy you once were and you want that feeling back.  Out of prison and back in the will of the Father is where you need to be.  God says to not fear for He will help you.  He gives strength to the weary when you stumble and fall.  God says, "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles: they will run and not  grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint".

Are you tired of living like a turkey, searching for acorns on the ground, while others soar on eagle's wings far above the earth?  God will free you from your prison and give you wings to fly if you will seek His face.  But you have drifted so far from the truth, that you feel you can't find it in your heart.

Its time to get off your feet and on your knees and cry out, "Hold me Jesus, deliver me from this darkness inside of me".  Realize that yesterday's gone and there is a new day just waiting on you.  Pray for forgiveness and He will restore you, for you will never be happy outside of God's will for your life.  He will take you by your right hand and lead you out of your own prison, away from all the turkeys in your life.

What you need is to restore fellowship with the Father and with Jesus.  Also fellowship with others who soar like eagles is very important.  If we walk in the light, and He is the light, we have fellowship one with another, and Jesus who purifies us by His blood shed for us.  Now if we say we do not sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Don't settle for a second rate life; there is a rawness and wonder about it.  Listen to the voice of adventure, God's adventure, and build a fire in your heart.  Go ahead and make a difference:  teach that class, tell that friend about Jesus, and follow God's impulses.

You will find yourself flying like an eagle, but most of all:

Jesus will come and lead you out of "your own prison".

Psalm 141   1John 1   Big Daddy Weave   Isaiah 41   DC Talk    Rich Mullins

David Crowder   Robbie Seay Band   Max Lucado   4Him   Jaci Velasquez

Among the Thirsty   Tenth Avenue North

Lost in Love

Love bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back.  I felt the guilt of shame.  Love noticed my fear and doubts; not feeling worthy to be here.  Love said, "You are welcome here."  I the unkind, ungrateful, I cannot look on thee.  Love took my hand, and smiling said, "Who made the eyes but I?"  That is true Lord, but I have marred them, do with me what I deserve.  And not get to know you, says Love; it was I who bore the blame.  It was then I was lost in Love and sat at His feet, and said I will serve.

This translation of a poet in the 16th century says it all; Love came to me.  Jesus took my suffering on Him and felt my pain for me.  He called me out of death and into undeserved life.  I was under His wrath because of the sin in my life, now through His blood shed on the cross I am reconciled.  So lost in love for this priceless gift.

Through His Spirit He speaks to me, and my heart trembles at his words as He promises to watch over me.  My help comes from the Maker of heaven and earth.  Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, fear him who after the killing of the body has power to throw you into hell."  But with Jesus as my Savior, I do not fear.  I put all my faith in my deliverer.

Know the Lord for all that you do from the least to the greatest.  I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.  It was Jesus who paid the price as He was crucified.  Love bore the blame for me.

Now there is one thing I ask of Jesus:  that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life to gaze upon His beauty and seek His face.  For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His arms.  Hold me Jesus.  Oh what Love He has for me:  He lives inside of me by His Spirit.  So I can reach for Him anytime.  All He did He did for me.  What a precious Savior, no wonder I'm so:

"Lost in Love"...

Translation of a poem by George Herbert   Big Daddy Weave   Psalm 27, 119, 121

Luke 12   Isaiah 35   David Crowder Band   Hebrews 8  Jeremy Riddle

The Way of Holiness

Which way do you find yourself walking these days?  Are you fearful and indecisive about where you are going and finding yourself in the midst of trouble not known?  God is with you and if you give Him a chance, He will fulfill His purpose in you.  Where can you go from His Spirit, which way will you run?

Are you walking down a "lost highway" leading you nowhere?  God has a highway built just for you.  When you decide to walk with Jesus that highway will be there.  It's called the Way of Holiness.  The lost will not journey on it:  only the redeemed that walk in that Way.  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

God demands that you be Holy and separate yourself from the way of the world; walking in a way which is worthy of the Holiness of Him.

Those that choose to follow Christ are destined to bear his image becoming the sons of God.  The marks of the passion, the wounds of the cross, have now become the marks of grace in the body of the risen and glorified Christ.  Galatians 2:20, Philippians 1:21, for me to live is Christ.

He is the only "pattern" we must follow.  Since because he lives His life in us, we too can:

Walk even as He walked  (John 2:6)

Do as He has done  (John 13:15)

Love as He has loved  (Ephesians 5:2)

Forgive as He forgave  (Colossians 3:13)

Have this mind which is also in Christ Jesus  (Philippians 2:5)

It is only because He became like us that we can become like Him.  "Be you therefore imitators of God, as beloved children."  (Ephesians 5:1)  In other words:

Get on the highway called the "Way of Holiness."

MercyMe   Tenth Avenue North   Psalm 139  Isaiah 35   Hank Williams, Sr. 

Rich Mullins   Dietrich Bonhoeffer