Lead Me To the Cross June 3, 2009

In Brooke Fraser’s song she sings . . . “lead me tot he cross.” As I was preparing for musical worship this week I was thinking about what that meant.  The cross an agent of death – a method of execution.  It was the place that Jesus died the final death.  So we come to the cross with our sins so that they can die.  It is a place that we rid ourselves from our human error and accept the grace of God in his resurrection and his victory over sin and death.   When I am on my knees in of Christ I am letting go of the “prison of me” and taking on the “freedom of God”.  

Savior I come, quiet my soul, remember
Redemption’s hill, where Your blood was spilled or my ransom
Everything I once held dear I count it all as loss

Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself, I belong to You
Oh lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I, tempted and tried, human
The Word became flesh, bore my sin in death, Now Your risen
Everything I once held dear, I count it all as loss

To Your Heart
To Your Heart
Lead me to Your Heart
Lead me to Your Heart

Brooke Fraser

making You my First October 28, 2008

It seems like I am oh too much like Paul when he says in Romans 7:15-16

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. “And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.” and 7:19 “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”

How do I create the spiritual habit of making God first?  For it is my desire to put Him first and yet I write this post instead of spending time with Him.  Ugghh

Okay – so I stopped writing the post two hours ago and spent some time with God – reading – listening.  He welcomes me back every time.  So that’s part of it – making the choice – not letting other things get in the way.  It is a spiritual battle and it demands my choice to say “Yes God, You are First.”  God doesn’t want me to do the things that get in my way of spending time with Him.  He wants me to get rid of them.  As it says in Matthew 18:7-9  

“Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

So for me the second step is to write a list and cut out the things that rob my time with God.  I have to get rid of them even if I love them.  I have to make some hard choices.

Thankful for . . . October 7, 2008

Going to Genesis Family Camp and for The Navigator’s Topical Memory System in which I have been hiding God’s Word in my heart.

Christ the Center
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away, behold, new things have come.

Christ the Center
Galations 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me, in the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who love me and gave Himself up for me.

fixed our hope on the living God October 5, 2008

1st Timothy 4:9 – 16

It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.  For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.  Prescribe and teach these things.  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.  Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

Labor Pains June 20, 2008

Oh so appropriate is this verse for today we welcomed baby Alaina into the world.

God – watch over Emily, restore her strength, heal her wounds, and soothe her pain.  She did an amazing job giving birth today.

Genesis 3:16

To the woman he said,
       “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
       with pain you will give birth to children.
       Your desire will be for your husband,
       and he will rule over you.”

send me April 25, 2008

What is God calling you to do next?
How is He asking you to take a risk?
It’s not going to be easy is it?

You feel inadequate – God knows this.
You feel weak – God knows this.
You feel small – God knows this.

He has chosen You to do His work.
He has chosen You to love others.
He has chosen You to speak of His Glory.
He knows it’s hard – He indeed knows.

He will be your adequacy.
He will be your strength
He will be the shadow that covers and guide.

Will you go?
Will you put the next foot in front of the other?
Will you not hesitate?
Will you say Yes?

Isaiah 6:  “Look. This coal has touched your lips.    Gone your guilt,    your sins wiped out.”
And then I heard the voice of the Master:
“Whom shall I send?    Who will go for us?”
I spoke up,    ”I’ll go.    Send me!”