"The Maker of all things loves and wants me."

"Important things in life take great risk. We can only risk if we know outcome is not in our hands and failure does not define who we are."

words from a wise friend.

the cost of discipleship

The Apostles from DanStevers.com on Vimeo.

Prayer Intro from DanStevers.com on Vimeo.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

The sacred center of Christianity is Christ himself.  Coming personally to the Person.  Coming directly to the Mediator.  No one but Jesus can call us with such authority, and no one but Jesus can encourage us with such a promise.  No one else can give us rest.

If our primary purpose in church is to connect with one another, that’s what we’ll get — one another.  And we’ll end up angry.  Only Jesus gives us rest.  If we will put him first and come to him first, then we’ll have something to give to one another.

If our primary purpose in church is outreach and mercy and justice, we’ll end up exhausted.  Only Jesus gives us rest.  If we will put him first and come to him first, we’ll be renewed for endless mission.

There are as many false and disappointing centers as there are impulses in our hearts.  Everything else will let us down.  Everything.

Only One has ever said and can ever say, “Come to me, and I will give you rest.”

His offer stands.  And we don’t have to deserve it.  He gives it.  But he does come first.

"Come to me"

is a post from: Ray Ortlund

Did you know that you were made for His good pleasure?

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

 Revelation 4:11

=)

He's the Only One with Life

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead." Revelation 3:1

Don't live off your reputation. Go to the Living Water today, the Only One that gives Life.

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food."

Isaiah 55:1-2

Go! He's waiting!!

"Just showing up is not loving You.
Sounding good is not loving You.
Quoting books is not loving You.

I want to obey You."

Dealing with the Death of my grandpa.

"Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” Genesis 18:25

My grandpa passed away on Thursday, September 1st, 2011. I'm not going to assume that he received Jesus as his treasure, but I give deep praise for the Lord to reveal the gospel through pastor Mark to my grandpa two days before he died. My grandfather had a choice to make, and I don't know it.

Jesus, I trust You. You are just and I trust that You are Good. I am not the judge of those who are wicked or righteous for I am just man. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"

stir

‎"Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever any tie but the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart." — David Livingstone

Holy One, You have won my heart
Holy One, You have won my heart
Holy One, You have won my heart

I give You my affection
I give You my devotion
It all belongs to You

I give You my affection
I give You my devotion
It all belongs to You



Jesus You are Fairer than
The Sons of Men
Jesus You are Fairer than
The Sons of Men

Have you ever seen another more Beautiful?
Have you ever seen another more Lovely?
Have you ever seen another more Righteous?
Have you ever seen another more Holy?


Holy One, You have won my heart
Holy One, You have won my heart
Holy One, You have won my heart

"I don't want to spend my life trying not to sin. I want to spend my life lost in God."

Heaven is here now
He’s all around us
Heaven is Jesus
It’s the moments we meet

my mind is blowing up

The measure of a man is the measure of his heart
The measure of a man is the measure of his love

You don’t measure me like man may see
You’re looking at my heart, the core of me
Your eyes of fire see differently
Keep me in the gaze of love

The measure of a man is the measure of his heart
The measure of a man is the measure of his love

When it’s all been said, when it’s all been done
When the race is run, well it all comes down to love

Did you learn to love? That’s what You will ask of me
Did you learn to love? Not about my ministry
Did you learn to love? Not about my money
Did you learn to love? Did you learn to love?

The prophet Isaiah wrote to the believers of his day: “those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31). 

The Hebrew word from which this passage is taken takes these meanings even deeper.  To wait is a hopeful expectation.  It is looking forward with eager anticipation.  Isaiah is saying that those who wait with a hopeful expectation that the Lord will act will not be disappointed – they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, and they will walk and not faint.

The Scriptures encourage us that while we wait for the Lord:  to wait patiently (Ps. 37:7) – “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their evil schemes” (NIV); to wait quietly (Lam.3:26) – “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (NIV)’ to wait expectantly (Lam.3:24) – “I will say to myself: “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him” (NIV); and to wait in His Word (Ps.130:5) – “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and his Word I put my hope”(NIV).

Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.  Isn’t it amazing how exhausted we can get doing God’s work?  However, as we wait for his leadership and direction, and his coming, our strength is renewed.  Too often, rather than waiting patiently, quietly, expectantly, and in his word, we are fretting and anxious and non-trusting– and our strength is zapped.  Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength.

Those who wait on the Lord will soar on wings as eagles.  It is an interesting thing about eagles – They soar they don’t fly.  They wait for the correct wind, and then they ride that wind – soaring to the heights.  Isn’t that a great picture for us as we wait on the Lord?  When the wind of the Spirit moves and blows, we ride with wings as eagles to where he wants us to go.

Expectantly wait on Him. And when the Holy Spirit moves, when the wind blows, then soar on wings like an eagle, run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint.  In the meantime, wait for Him. And while you are waiting – renew your strength.


an excerpt by Dr. Foley Beach

Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes and do them;
I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Leviticus 20:7-8

=)

"And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD;

I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD.”

Ezekiel 37:14

=)

May my heart not be calloused to those who are dying without knowing Christ Jesus.

Wake my heart up to the reality of eternal death, Holy Spirit.

"For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live." Ezekiel 18:32

May my heart resound with Your heart, mind, and Spirit, Jesus.

Amen.

Wow

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways, and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominations. It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
“Thus says the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the LORD; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.
“Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

Ezekiel 36:22-38

this is Him

"And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst."

Exodus 25:8

"I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God."
Exodus 29:45

"If you find the Christian life presented as a formula where you plug in the right variables to get what you want from God, run the other way."

Stephen Venable

"But the LORD is in his holy temple;

let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Habakkuk 2:20

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

"When God spoke to Moses and others in the Old Testament, those events were encounters with God. An encounter with Jesus was an encounter with God for the disciples. In the same way an encounter with the Holy Spirit is an encounter with God for you."

"God speaks through a variety of means. In the present God primarily speaks by the Holy Spirit, through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church."

"God's commands are designed to guide you to life's very best. You will not obey Him, if you do not believe Him and trust Him. You cannot believe Him if you do not love Him. You cannot love Him unless you know Him."

“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes--all the time! It must be that way, for God's glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.”

“The Holy Spirit doesn't need to equip you for what you're not going to do, so if you're in rebellion against Jesus and refusing His right to be Lord, He doesn't need to send the Holy Spirit to equip you for service. And, tragically, you miss out on the joy that He brings. So let the Holy Spirit deal with anything that's keeping you from obeying Christ.”

Henry Blackaby

Yes, to sowing the Spirit!

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” 
Matthew 13:31-33

"When it seems like God is doing nothing; that's when he is doing the most."


For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:8-9

Hear me, O Lord, when I cry
I am broken, I’m thirsty, and I’m dry
God make complacency my enemy and Your fight
And let desperation be like David’s key in my life

Surely goodness and mercy follow me
My cup runneth over
My cup runneth over
And the broken and the contrite
You have yet to deny
I lay before You
I lay bare before You

And You’re never gonna leave me dry
No You don’t
No You don’t
No You don’t
You’re always willing
My cup You’ll be filling

You’re never gonna leave me dry
No You don’t
No You don’t
No You don’t
You’re always willing
My cup You’ll be filling

You fill us with Your love
Overwhelm us with Your love
Take us from the ashes and seat us with princes
It’s what You do
It’s just what You do

10 Things I Learned About Burnout & Missing Out

Editor’s Note: I’m a chronic “yeah I can do that!” girl. Saying ‘no’ is not in my natural vocabulary, and I can vouch for Kera. I too, used to look down on people who played the “I don’t want to get burned out” card. But burnout is real, even when you’re young. I’d argue particularly when you’re young. Taking care of yourself is more important than not letting people down. Today’s post is written by Kera, who blogs at www.kerapackage.com and tweets at@kera_package. – Lauren

“You know they say it’s better to burn out than rust out, but either way you’re out.”

When this adage is shared, I usually scoff at the hypocrisy or ignorance of the statement. “You are telling me about time management? Mr. Over-Commitment himself is suddenly an expert on this topic.” Or I think, “Really? You always play it safe; you rusted out before you even started.”

It’s easy to mock others for fearing burnout when you feel like you are invincible. “I’m different than them. I’m young. I’m innovative. I’m resilient.”

But the tide turns when you realize that you are only twenty-two and you’ve already had a complete burnout. Twice. In one year.

My career as a missionary officially started in August 2010. I was getting paid to share God’s love with college students. Life couldn’t get much better.

By May 2011, I found myself completely burnt-out. I became rather indifferent towards my job. I wanted nothing to do with my friends. I struggled to spend time with God. My body was rebelling against me in a constant stream of illness. I was battling insomnia, forgetting to eat, and hadn’t consciously exercised in months. Some days, I found myself too worn out to even leave my apartment. I had no energy to do any of the things that I loved and no motivation to change my circumstances.

Thankfully, summer brings a welcomed change of pace in campus ministry. The break began with a confrontation with my roommate. She was concerned that I was falling apart and frustrated that our ministry was suffering because I wasn’t fully present. I knew she was right, but I didn’t want to hear it.

Fast forward through three weeks of me attempting to pull things together. At the end of May, I boarded a plane and headed to Spain for the summer. There I worked with an awesome team of missionaries focused on prayer and street outreach. My teammates confronted my over-commitment issues, forced me to learn to rest, and taught me how to live life with a healthy rhythm of work, play, and prayer.

When I arrived back on campus in early August, everything I learned about rhythm was quickly forgotten in the busyness of a new semester. Long days, sleepless nights, forgotten devotionals, and the resurfacing of all my bad habits. By early October, my boss noticed an onset of fatigue again and confronted me because I was seemingly withdrawn. Later the same week, I found myself spending the night in the emergency room because the combination of a virus, anxiety, dehydration, and exhaustion had left my body completely wrecked.

The last three months have been a slow recovery, but in the meantime, I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities. By time my body forced me to reevaluate my schedule, I had to put myself on the bench for much of the game just to ensure that I could continue to be a part of the team in the future.

Burnout isn’t just a word that older folk use to scare and contain the younger generation – as I had previously thought. It’s a psychological term used to describe exhaustion and diminished interested.

Here are a few facts, verifiable by good ‘ole Wikipedia and more reputable sources:

• Surveys show that about one third of young adults struggle with burnout.
• The most committed, enthusiastic employees are the most likely to burn out.
• Burnout is a vicious cycle rooted in the compulsion to prove oneself.

For much of 2011, I tried to prove to myself and to others that I was making a difference. I worked harder, took on too much, and was fueled by a competitive desire to succeed. In doing so, I wrongfully attempted to take control of things in my life and simultaneously quenched God’s ability to work through my life.

As the new year rolls around and I prepare for another semester, I know that something needs to change. This time I’ve learned my lesson.Restoring a rhythm of work, play, and prayer is nonnegotiable.

I’m either an expert on this topic or a hypocrite for attempting to discuss it. Either way, I won’t try to prove myself to you. I’ll simply share some things that I know I need to keep in mind in this new year.

1. Get the rhythm right. It’s actually prayer, play, and work. – Did you notice I inverted the order? Priorities make all the difference.
2. Put God first and foremost in everything. – If I continually invited Him into every aspect of my life, I would have no reason to stress.
3. Allow God to defend you. – God is my defender. I don’t need to justify myself to anyone. He’ll do it for me or kindly correct me depending on the circumstances.
4. People who believe they can sleep when they’re dead never really get to fully experience life. – Sleep is so important. I can function on four hours of sleep, but what’s permissible isn’t always beneficial.
5. Rest is a form of worship. – Over the summer, I had to retrain myself to enjoy free time. I’ve never been so thankful for opportunities to exercise, appreciate nature, play my guitar, write, hang out with friends, read, and just explore the awesomeness of the world. Rest is about trusting God enough to take the time to appreciate His blessings.
6. Turn off the technology. – Let’s be honest, I don’t need my Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and three email accounts pushed to my iPhone every five minutes. I tend to idolize technology as in I spend more time with it than I do with God and with people God has placed in my life.
7. It’s okay to say ‘no’. – There is freedom in admitting that you can’t do everything.
8. Be honest with yourself and your friends. – To guard against burnout, I’m inviting more accountability into my life.
9. When you miss out, others are missing out too. – God placed me in my circle of influence to leave an impact. When I’m not fully present, I’m robbing people of what God wants to do in their lives through me.
10. God is God. I am not. – If I remembered who God is and who I am in Him, I would be less likely to work myself to the point of burnout. He is in control, and as long as I follow Him, I’ll be okay.

In 2011, I tried really hard to be the best person I could be in my position. Obviously, I failed. I attempted to succeed through my own strength, and it quickly ran out.

I’m sharing this experience rather light-heartedly because I am truly grateful for the lessons I’ve learned this year. It’s much better to burn out in year one than to face the possibility of a vicious cycle of fatigue in the future.

Overall, I’ve learned that I’m simply supposed to love God, to love people, and to laugh whenever possible. This year, I’m going to just focus on following Jesus and my guess is that His strength will get me much farther than my own.

What can I do with my obsession?
With the things I cannot see
Is there madness in my being?
Is it wind that blows the trees?
Sometimes you're further than the moon
Sometimes you're closer than my skin
And you surround me like a winter fog
You've come and burned me with a kiss

And my heart burns for You
And my heart burns

And I'm so filthy with my sin
I carry pride like a disease
You know I'm stubborn God and I'm longing to be close
You burn me deeper than I know
I feel lonely without hope
I feel desperate without vision
You wrap around me like a winter coat
You come and free me like a bird

And my heart burns for You
And my heart burns for You

this is Him

Psalm 89:13-14
You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

Isaiah 41:13-14
For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 43:1-2
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 51:12-13
I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor?

Deuteronomy 1:30
The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes

Deuteronomy 31:8
It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 33:27-29
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before you and said, Destroy. So Israel lived in safety, Jacob lived alone, in a land of grain and wine, whose heavens drop down dew. Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.

Psalm 63:8
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 144:11
Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. (the enemy)

Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 60:19
The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Psalm 46:1-2
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John."

Luke 1:30
And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."

Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

John 8:54-55
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word."

Ephesians 3:16
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being

Psalm 16:1-2
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

Psalm 16:7-11
I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 94:9
He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?

prayer meeting is dull and full of sorrow when we're talking to ourselves.

It’s good

The longer I live, the more I care about fewer things, and it’s good.  Here are those fewer things:

1.  God is patient.  “. . . the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience” (Romans 2:4).  Where would I be now, if God were not patient with me?

2.  My wife is my most precious earthly treasure.  “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12:4).  And how I delight in my family!

3.  Everything man-made will fail.  But it’s okay.  Everything God-made will last.  “God’s firm foundation stands” (2 Timothy 2:19).

4.  Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture.  “If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11).  When the gospel gets through, our relationships becomebeautiful.

5.  I will die in just a few years.  What matters now is lifting up a bold new generation for Christ.  “I endure everything for the sake of the elect” (2 Timothy 2:10).

6.  God visits weakness with power, suffering with blessing, setbacks with progress.  “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

7.  The Bible is my oxygen.  “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).  How could I live a single day in this world of illusion without God’s inerrant Word?

8.  The grace of God is the endless resource for everything I face.  “Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).

9.  The highest truth is God’s mercy for the undeserving.  “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  It’s all I want to talk about.

10.  Whatever else I lose, I must keep my own walk with the Lord.  “But for me, it is good to be near God” (Psalm 73:28).

is a post from: Ray Ortlund

For the broken-hearted

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.  Exodus 34:6-7

“Well, you say, but though God is able to help me, I fear that God is not willing to help me, and therefore I am discouraged.  But be of good comfort, says the Lord, for my name isMerciful, and therefore I am willing to help you.

But you say, though the Lord is willing to help me, yet I am a poor unworthy creature and have nothing at all to move God to help me.  Yet be of good comfort, for the Lord says again, My name is Gracious.  I do not show mercy because you are good, but because I am good.

Oh, you say, but I have been sinning a long time, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years.  If I had come to you long ago, I might have had mercy.  But I have been sinning a long time, and therefore I fear there is no mercy for me.  Yet, says the Lord, be of good comfort, for my name is Slow to anger.

Oh, you say, but I have sinned extremely, so many sins that I am never able to reckon up and to humble myself for them, I have broken all my promises to God and all the vows I made to him, and therefore I am discouraged.  Yet, says he, be of good comfort, for I amabounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.  Are you abundant in sin?  I am abundant in steadfast love.  Have you broken faith with me?  Yet I am abundant in faithfulness also.

Oh, but though the Lord is all this to his chosen ones like David, Abraham and Moses, yet I fear the Lord will not be this to me.  Yes, says the Lord, keeping steadfast love for thousands.  I have not spent all my mercy on David or on Abraham or on Paul or on Peter, but I keep mercy for thousands.

Oh, but my sins still recoil on me.  I am the greatest sinner in the world, for I have sinned all kinds of sin.  I fear there is no hope for me.  Yet, says the Lord, be not discouraged, for I forgive iniquity and transgression and sin, even all kinds of sin.  This is my name forever.

Oh, but I am afraid to lay hold on this promise, for I think this is a doctrine of license.  Do not say that, says the Lord, who will by no means clear the guilty.  But if there is ever a poor, drooping, fearing, trembling soul that desires to know my name, here, says the Lord, is my name by which I will be known forever.

The name of God quiets the heart against all discouragements.”

William Bridge, A Lifting Up For The Downcast (London, 1961), pages 270-272.  Slightly edited.

is a post from: Ray Ortlund

Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Thank you for finding me
Thank you for finding me
Thank you for finding me
Thank you for finding me

Thank you for hearing me
Thank you for hearing me
Thank you for hearing me
Thank you for hearing me

Thank you for healing me
Thank you for healing me
Thank you for healing me
Thank you for healing me

La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la

Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Thank you for saving me
Thank you for saving me
Thank you for saving me
Thank you for saving me...

"if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

I Wonder

I wonder what will happen when Christians encounter God in the secret place daily?
I wonder what will happen when Christians hear from Jesus and Him alone about their life?
I wonder what will happen when Christians eat His Word and believe it?
I wonder what will happen when I start asking Jesus daily about what I wonder?

“No man is greater than his prayer life. The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”
― Leonard Ravenhill

"Christian Faithfulness & Homosexuality."

i'm looking for a city
not made by human hands
i'm longing for the garden
where god once walked with man
for eternity is written on my heart
and i'm longing for the day
oh we will never be apart


i looked and saw a city
descending down from heaven
prepared just like a Bride
for the Son of men
and there's a day of gladness
it's written on His heart
yea... He's longing for the day
where we'll never be apart yeah yeah


every tear it will be wiped away
there will be no sorrow nor pain
there will be no
things will be made new
and there will be a brand new day
in righteousness will reign
and there will a Light


behold the tabernacle of God will be with men
and he will be our God
and we will be His people
and the Bride she will marry the Lamb
but until that day
i'm longing for the new


i love the day of your appearing
i want to hasten your return
the Spirit and the Bride say come for your beloved ones

When I am weak, that's when You are strong
When I let go, I fall into Your arms


I take up Your yoke, I know that it's so easy
I take up Your burden, it's light

I look into Your eyes of mercy
I remember that Your heart, it's for me

I'm holding on to Your Divine Love
I'm holding on and I'm not letting go
It's not my zeal, it's that Your love is strong
It's not my strength, it's that You're faithful

embracing accusation

The more I see you, the more I know Your heart.
The more I know You, the more I fall in love.


Lord, I don't want You to be a familiar stranger to me.
Lord, I want the fullness of knowing You in intimacy.


Take me into the doorway by the Holy Spirit in wisdom and revelation.
Take me into the doorway by the Holy Spirit in wisdom and revelation.

“The more exposed I see that I am by the Cross, the more I find myself opening up to others about ongoing issues of sin in my life.  (Why would anyone be shocked to hear of my struggles with past and present sin when the Cross already told them I am a desperately sinful person?)  And the more open I am in confessing my sins to fellow-Christians, the more I enjoy the healing of the Lord in response to their grace-filled counsel and prayers.”

Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer, page 34.

The cross is a freeing power

is a post from: Ray Ortlund