You are my Rock, on You I stand...

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the Rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock.
But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

As I was reading this parable last night during my quiet time, I got a revelation of what Jesus was trying to say when He was telling it: When we go through tests & trials, & the storm comes, are we prepared to stand firm in Jesus' words? Are we strong enough in Him? In His word, to take everything the devil throws our way? Is our foundation truly on the Rock? Have we given Him everything? Have we let everything go? Or are we like the fool who built his house on the sand? Are we just living day to day for ourselves with out meaning or purpose, and setting a few hours of one day a week sitting in church to "spend time with God" while all we're really doing is wondering about all that we have to do today, or where we'll go for lunch afterwards? Not getting into the Word every chance we have but instead getting into the world? Are we prepared to fight against the devil and his schemes when the storms come and the waters rise? When the winds blow and the rain falls? Or are we just going to let it overcome us and wash us and our faith away?
But what I'm really wondering is...
Is your foundation on the Rock? Have you built your entire life on the Rock? Have you fallen on the Rock? Or has the Rock fallen on you after the waters washed everything away and everything fallen with a crash?

Someone I once knew [who was unsaved at the time, and didn't truly know THE God I'm talking about but had his own idea of Him] told me that one of his main goals in life was to "simply" make a few ripples in the world, [which to myself seemed like a pointless goal to have, because God didn't call us and set us apart simply to make some ripples in the world, but to make waves. Huge, tsunami, tidal waves] As I thought about what he said for a minute or two, I simply replied, In order to make even the slightest of ripples, you have to have the Rock in hand first.

Let the other's see you've got your victory...

There's a Light at the end of this tunnel shining bright, oh, so bright.
I can't take my eyes off of It,
It draws me in.
Everytime I blink, I long for every second my eyes missed a chance to gaze upon It's beauty, longing to see that picture of perfection...the hope that keeps me going.
I'm reaching...approaching
closer...closer...
My hand reaches out for It, I'm almost there...until...doubt rushes towards me, full speed ahead, knocking at my door, unresting, unending.
The Light gets further, and further away, as I pull myself from It, propelled by doubt...fear...anger...pain...
Why am I going through this fire, I thought I gave everything to You, I held nothing back from You...
or so I thought.
I wouldn't listen, I took my heart out of Your hands, and I let someone who it didn't belong to have it...hold it...crush it...break it...throw it away.
I lay there, crying out to anyone who would listen, my heart beside me...I frantically search for all of the pieces, but found one missing,
then I remembered...it was never there to begin with.

I hear the voice of One so gentle, loving, & kind...
I lift my head to find I'm back in the tunnel; there's the Light, I'm closer then I was before.
I see Him pointing to an object that's next to me, an object that has been refined by fire, it looks new, pure, unscathed,
I pick it up to see that it was the heart that had been broken, dashed to pieces, it had been mended, I find all of the pieces there, even the one that had been missing, it's shaped like the One standing before me.
I stand in awe, gazing into His loving eyes.
With tears running down my face, I reach over and hand the heart to Him...knowing it's now in the right hands.
He gazes into my soul and smiles, opens His arms, I run into them, unwilling to let Him go.
He holds my heart so close to His, I won't take it back.
He leads me further, I find I'm no longer in the tunnel, the darkness disappears,
now I'm standing in the Light...



"I was with you in the valley,
and up upon that hill.
So take just one more step in front of you,
for I am with you still..."

I won't fall as long as You're around me...

There's a song I love by the band Needtobreathe, called "Washed by the Water" and what it meant never really hit me until today.
A lot has been happening lately, tests and trials that we've been through before, and I know that
without God's hand in my life, I would be in a place where I shouldn't be, doing things I shouldn't be doing. And even though it seems like God is just sitting back watching us go through these things again, I know He isn't.
Even when the world crumbles under my feet, I won't be moved, I won't fall into the trap satan makes of the lies that God never listens, that He doesn't care and that He just sits back and watches us go to hell. He's our net when we fall, He's the hand that catches us, the shoulder we can cry on, the reason to go on living for tomorrow.
When all these tests and trials come and we've either failed or succeeded, learning from our mistakes, He washes all of our sins away. He died for this reason.
Even when doubt comes,
even when the strorms come,
when the water rises, and tries to wash us away,
the River of Life comes and drowns us and washes us away in His love.
We sink in His grace, our hearts become one.
And we know that He'll get us through the things that we fear we'll never get out of, the things that seem to consume us, and we can let go and give it all to Him, because that's what He died for, His love is towards us, not against us.

Spread His word, save the world...

"I saw the dead, great & small, standing before the throne, & books were opened.
Another book was opened, which was the book of life.
The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books...
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Revelation 20~12 & 15

How can we sit back & just let this happen??
Everyday more & more people are dying, & little do they know that this will be their destiny.
That they will spend eternity being tortured, with no hope of redemption, no chance of freedom.
Tortured day & night forever with no end.
Everyday, this becomes someone else's destiny.
Not much to look forward to, is it?
Imagine spending an eternity screaming for help & knowing deep down inside that it will never come,
seeking rest, but in turn more torture.
No hope.
Torment unceasing.
No rest or sleep, no peace...
Just chaos and lament as they think about all the oppourtunities that they were presented with, or that you could have presented them with.
Writhing with bitterness because you knew the truth, but were too scared to share it with them, or because you lived the life of a "christian" and was no different from a sinner, and they saw that and didn't want it because it looked no different from the way one would live their life in the world.
Because people care too much about what man thinks, and says.
What does it matter??
Man's opinion is useless if it's of no help at all,
holding us back from sharing the love of Jesus with others.
With the world.
We need to go...we have to.
God appointed us to go out into all the world and tell it about Him and all that He has done, not to be ashamed or fearful of the world and it's lies.
Jesus was unashamed when He was on the cross dying for us, and taking away that shame and fear.
How can we be ashamed to tell of Him and His wonderful unending grace and love?

We who were called to be Your people...

This is what we are: a chosen generation.
A world full of people, both young & old alike
that God has set apart for Himself,
that He has a purpose and a plan for.
That He has designed.
It's irritating when people talk about us in a derogatory way,
saying that we're useless and hopeless, not realizing
that their words do have power, and that what you speak you get.
We're not useless, we're not hopeless.
God set us apart to glorify Him, to show others His love.
He sees in us what others don't; hearts that long for truth, for something real,
for true, real love. While others just see sinners, that they think are hopeless, and don't deserve any love.
God says otherwise, He looks at the heart, not the outward appearance.
He sees the sin and mistakes we've made and will make, and He forgets them, to remember them no more.
He doesn't condemn us, He has already forgotten the sins of tomorrow.
Now it's our turn. We need to let go of the lies that have been spoken over us, and connivingly whispered into our ears. The lies that keep us form moving forward, from accepting His love. We His children...His daughters & sons.
His set apart.
His people.
His called.
Nothing can seperate us from His love.
Nothing can make Him stop loving us.
Nothing.
He's always had a purpose for us, before time began, He knew our names and what our destinations would be.

"I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah 1~5

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.
"They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope."
Jeremiah 29~11

When He says those words, He doesn't say them just to say them.
He's not a flatterer or a liar.
He truly has a purpose for us.
We're no longer sinners,
no longer murderers,
liars,
or theives.
We're redeemed,
by this Love that conquered death.
This blood that frees us from all fear,
all guilt,
and all sin...



"We who were called to be Your people
Struggling sinners and thieves
We’re lifted up from the ashes
And out came the song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed

Can you hear the sound of melodies
Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You Rising up to You, God
The sound of melodies Oh, the sound of melodies
Rising up to You Rising up to You, God

We have caught a revelation
That nothing can separate us from
The love we received through salvation It fills your daughters and your sons
Your daughters and your sons."

I feel the wind of Your love...

I was in the car tonight, on the way home from church and I had the window down and was sticking my hand outside while we were driving, and the wind was so powerful. So me, being bored and all, tried to see if I could force my hand to stay still while the wind was trying to push it back, and I found I couldn't. I tried, and tried and even hurt my hand in the process of it, but the force that was coming from the wind...this element that we can't see... this element that is invisible, yet so powerful, was disabling me from doing what I wanted, so I just conformed to the way in which it was blowing and my hand started moving in the flow and direction of it and it just flowed the way it was supposed to, smooth & easy, no resistence. And suddenly I got this sort of revelation; God's Spirit & power is like the wind, in the sense that we can't see It, and we can't control it, yet It's so powerful, and when we try to resist the Spirit we find we can't move the way we are supposed to, we are moving, but down a path that could eventually hurt us. But when we conform to the Spirit, we start to move in a smooth, easy flow, we get in tune with the things of God, and with His heart, and our hearts start beating together, perfectly in tune...



"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will..."

Romans 12.2

Divine Romance...

My Father's heart holds true pure love.
An unending, overwhelming, deep love.
Nothing of this world can satisfy the need for the love we crave,
no man, no woman...neither can bring us to our knees in search of this love.

Just the thought of His love should be, it is breath taking.
In His presence I am overwhelmed with peace, I can't move.
My hands can’t stay by my side,
When I’m in His presence, I can’t stand it when they do.
How could I not raise my hands?
How could I not worship the One who gave me life?
How could I just sit there and ignore as His presence is so clearly in the room?

How could the purest of hearts,
love a creature like me?
How could He love a sinner? A liar? A thief?
How could He die, to wash all of that away, to make us like Him?
How could He want to embrace me, when I just sinned?
How does He do it, why does He care?

He satisfies my hunger, He quenches my thirst.
His blood frees me...every scar, every blemish disappears.
He took them all away, every single one, He lifts the weight off of my shoulders, and replaces my tears for joy.
I can't get away from this grace that saves my life...
This grace I'm sinking...drowning in.
I don't want to, I can't.




"...The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied..."