I long to be consumed with Christ!
I long to see His face
And to hear His voice
To daily deny myself
And submit myself to His rule
To everday decrease
So that He may increase
To faithful and obedient
To His commands
To make Him known
To those who've never heard
And to exalt Him
Displaying Him in all beauty, glory, and radiance
So that those who reject and rebel against Him
May repent and believe in Him
And no longer live for themselves
But for Him
Who for their sake died and was raised
I long to chase after Him
To go hard after Him
To please Him
And do all things for His glory
To savor and treasure Him
Above all else
To have Him at the center
Of every choice and decision
To have His glory and fame
Be the source of all my intentions and motives
To have Him fill every nook and cranny of my life
So that all may see
Who my life is about
And Who I live is for
Jesus...........enough said!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Disappointed With Myself
As of late I have been disappoited with myself. I looked at the fact that I'm not currently in college and other such things in my life, and couldn't help but be disappointed with myself. If only I could've done this or that better or differently then it wouldn't be this way right now. I guess the old sins of self-pity and discontentment that I've also been struggling with lately could have been the spring board for the self-disappointment. After being stuck of not going anywhere for about 2 years post-highschool I was getting restless; and with the wheels not turning there was no light at the end of the tunnel.
Yesterday as I was driving home with my mother from picking her up from work, it was raining like crazy! My mother was tired, and not in the best mood, and my driving wasn't helping that. Not to say that my driving at the time was bad, but apparently she just wasn't comfortable with my driving. So against my will she had mne pull over so that could take over driving. I wasn't happy about that, becasue I felt like at that moment she was pretty much saying that my driving was pitiful, and it got in the mood of being disappointed. Not only with that, but a lot of other things. I just felt disappointed with myself in regards with a lot of things that have happened in my life. Yet as I thought more and more of this, I couldn't help but become not only disappointed with myself, but angry as well. Why would I be angry with myself? Well I think only healthy reason to be angry with self is because of sin.
Yep, it sure was crazy how it took a twist from being diappoited with myself in a negative, putting-myself-down kinda way to being disappointed with sin. I started to look at things that have gone wrong in the past, a messes that that I've made, and became more disgust with my sin. It all reminds me of Paul in Romas 7 where he is expressing the struggle between the good he wants to do but doesn't do it, and the bad he doesn't want to do but keeps commiting. "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (Rom 7:15). Here in verse 7 expresses how he is not doing the good he wants to do, and is doing the opposite, what he hates, namely sin.
I can relate to Paul here, because quite frankly I'm getting sick of committing the sin I hate, and not doing the good that I want to do. Looking back how the messes that my sin has created, and how it makes me act makes me grow more in hatred toward it. This is how it should be. Growing in hatred against sin, and in desire to do good. Or better yet growing more in love with with Christ and all things that relate to Him!
Yesterday as I was driving home with my mother from picking her up from work, it was raining like crazy! My mother was tired, and not in the best mood, and my driving wasn't helping that. Not to say that my driving at the time was bad, but apparently she just wasn't comfortable with my driving. So against my will she had mne pull over so that could take over driving. I wasn't happy about that, becasue I felt like at that moment she was pretty much saying that my driving was pitiful, and it got in the mood of being disappointed. Not only with that, but a lot of other things. I just felt disappointed with myself in regards with a lot of things that have happened in my life. Yet as I thought more and more of this, I couldn't help but become not only disappointed with myself, but angry as well. Why would I be angry with myself? Well I think only healthy reason to be angry with self is because of sin.
Yep, it sure was crazy how it took a twist from being diappoited with myself in a negative, putting-myself-down kinda way to being disappointed with sin. I started to look at things that have gone wrong in the past, a messes that that I've made, and became more disgust with my sin. It all reminds me of Paul in Romas 7 where he is expressing the struggle between the good he wants to do but doesn't do it, and the bad he doesn't want to do but keeps commiting. "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (Rom 7:15). Here in verse 7 expresses how he is not doing the good he wants to do, and is doing the opposite, what he hates, namely sin.
I can relate to Paul here, because quite frankly I'm getting sick of committing the sin I hate, and not doing the good that I want to do. Looking back how the messes that my sin has created, and how it makes me act makes me grow more in hatred toward it. This is how it should be. Growing in hatred against sin, and in desire to do good. Or better yet growing more in love with with Christ and all things that relate to Him!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Jesus Is My Provider!
What come to your mind when you here the statement, "God provides"? Maybe it might be when God provided a car for you when you needed it, or possibly when he provided meals for you when you went through through that season of no job and very little income, or how about when you needed a kidney transplant an d someone from your church who was a perfect match offered one of his kidneys. We can all probably smile and look back in our lives to see how God has provided for us in many ways, thankful that we have a God who always provides for His people.
Although I want to remind you of the best way God has provided for us. He provided salvation through the blood of His beloved Son Jesus! Let me break it down.
First I want refresh you all of the picture of how God provided for us through the death of Jesus, His Son, at Calvary by looking at Genesis 22 of where God commands Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. So Abraham does as he is commanded. In verse Isaac asked his father, Abraham, where the lamb for the burnt offering is, and Abraham replies to his son, by saying "God will provide for Himself , the lamb for a burnt offering my son." (vs. 8). Quite amazingly, Abraham trusts that God will provide a lamb for the burnt offering. Then going onward to verse 10 after Abraham has bound his son on the altar, he raises his hand, with the knife in it, to kill his son......stop. Right here we see Abraham being exactly obedient to God, following through with what God has commanded him to do. Now just add a sidenote, The whole chapter of Genesis 22 displays the parallel of Abraham's obedience to God and Jesus' obedience to God. Quite awesome right? Let's move on though, picking up at verse 11. In verse 11 an angel of the Lord stops Abraham from killing his only son, and says this, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." After this Abraham looks up to see a ram caught in a thicket. So he goes to offering it as a burnt offering instead of his only son. He calls the place "The Lord will provide". So what we see in Genesis 22 is Abraham's obedience and God's provision. That is pretty much the theme of the whole chapter.
So how does this parallel with Jesus sacraficial death at Calvary? Well first of all we see Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father. He was obedient to point of death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8). Jeus perfectly kept God's law, which we have failed to keep. He was obedient to the Father throughout His whole time on then earth, never once did but He rebel against the Father. If He did, then his sacrifice for us on the cross would've been insufficient and pointless. This is why Jesus is know as "the Lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pet 1:19). This parallels with Abraham in Gen 22 in where he was obedient to God every step of the way, even to the point of where he was about to kill Isaac, his only son whom he loved. Then noticed the more bigger picture of how, a different paralell in both scenes. God provides. In Genesis 22, God provides a ram that Abraham offers as a burnt offering. Then in the gospel we see how Jesus is not only the one who is offering the sacrifice, but is Himself the sacrifice. Remeber the O.T. system the Jews had of offering sacrifices yearly for the forgiveness of sins? There would be a high priest who would perform the offering in the most holy place for his sins and the sins of the people. Yet at the cross Jesus offers Himself as the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. "He entered once and for all into the holy places , not by the means of the blood of goats and calves but by the means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." (Heb 9:12). Here God provides the perfect sacrifice once and for all for the forgiveness of sins, and it is by the blood of Jesus, His beloved son.
So the title is: Jesus is my Provider. How? Well we as sinner cannot in and of ourselves provide the forgiveness of sins, just like the the O.T. sacrificial system couldn't (sufficiently) provide forgiveness of sins. We as sinners cannot provide the rescue from the punishment we deserved, which is hell and God's wrath. For we have sinned against an infinitely holy and righteous God, and have broken His law. All the good things we do cannot make up for the sin we have commited against God. All of our rigtheous deeds are just filthy rags in God's eyes (Is 64:6). So since He is perfectly just, He would have to give us what we desrve, which is hell for an eternity. Yet since God is also a loving and mercriful God, He sent Jesus His son to die in our place, taking the wrath that was reserved for us. Justice is satisfied, and we are forgiven of our sins. S
Thus Jesus is my Provider, and your Provider through His death on the cross, and His ressurection 3 days later.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus provides rescue from hell and the wrath of God
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus provides freedom from the bondage of sin
Through His death and ressurection, Jesus provides healing from the disease of sin
And it goes on and on.
May we reflect upon this, and be thankful to God that through the blood of Christ that was shed for our sake, Jesus has become our Provider in these things. To Him be the glory, honor, and praise forevermore. Amen.
So may we reflect on this glorious truth, and be ever thankful of to God for providing these things for us through Jesus Christ. He is our provider
Although I want to remind you of the best way God has provided for us. He provided salvation through the blood of His beloved Son Jesus! Let me break it down.
First I want refresh you all of the picture of how God provided for us through the death of Jesus, His Son, at Calvary by looking at Genesis 22 of where God commands Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. So Abraham does as he is commanded. In verse Isaac asked his father, Abraham, where the lamb for the burnt offering is, and Abraham replies to his son, by saying "God will provide for Himself , the lamb for a burnt offering my son." (vs. 8). Quite amazingly, Abraham trusts that God will provide a lamb for the burnt offering. Then going onward to verse 10 after Abraham has bound his son on the altar, he raises his hand, with the knife in it, to kill his son......stop. Right here we see Abraham being exactly obedient to God, following through with what God has commanded him to do. Now just add a sidenote, The whole chapter of Genesis 22 displays the parallel of Abraham's obedience to God and Jesus' obedience to God. Quite awesome right? Let's move on though, picking up at verse 11. In verse 11 an angel of the Lord stops Abraham from killing his only son, and says this, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." After this Abraham looks up to see a ram caught in a thicket. So he goes to offering it as a burnt offering instead of his only son. He calls the place "The Lord will provide". So what we see in Genesis 22 is Abraham's obedience and God's provision. That is pretty much the theme of the whole chapter.
So how does this parallel with Jesus sacraficial death at Calvary? Well first of all we see Jesus' perfect obedience to the Father. He was obedient to point of death, even death on a cross (Phil 2:8). Jeus perfectly kept God's law, which we have failed to keep. He was obedient to the Father throughout His whole time on then earth, never once did but He rebel against the Father. If He did, then his sacrifice for us on the cross would've been insufficient and pointless. This is why Jesus is know as "the Lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Pet 1:19). This parallels with Abraham in Gen 22 in where he was obedient to God every step of the way, even to the point of where he was about to kill Isaac, his only son whom he loved. Then noticed the more bigger picture of how, a different paralell in both scenes. God provides. In Genesis 22, God provides a ram that Abraham offers as a burnt offering. Then in the gospel we see how Jesus is not only the one who is offering the sacrifice, but is Himself the sacrifice. Remeber the O.T. system the Jews had of offering sacrifices yearly for the forgiveness of sins? There would be a high priest who would perform the offering in the most holy place for his sins and the sins of the people. Yet at the cross Jesus offers Himself as the final sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. "He entered once and for all into the holy places , not by the means of the blood of goats and calves but by the means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption." (Heb 9:12). Here God provides the perfect sacrifice once and for all for the forgiveness of sins, and it is by the blood of Jesus, His beloved son.
So the title is: Jesus is my Provider. How? Well we as sinner cannot in and of ourselves provide the forgiveness of sins, just like the the O.T. sacrificial system couldn't (sufficiently) provide forgiveness of sins. We as sinners cannot provide the rescue from the punishment we deserved, which is hell and God's wrath. For we have sinned against an infinitely holy and righteous God, and have broken His law. All the good things we do cannot make up for the sin we have commited against God. All of our rigtheous deeds are just filthy rags in God's eyes (Is 64:6). So since He is perfectly just, He would have to give us what we desrve, which is hell for an eternity. Yet since God is also a loving and mercriful God, He sent Jesus His son to die in our place, taking the wrath that was reserved for us. Justice is satisfied, and we are forgiven of our sins. S
Thus Jesus is my Provider, and your Provider through His death on the cross, and His ressurection 3 days later.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus provides rescue from hell and the wrath of God
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus provides freedom from the bondage of sin
Through His death and ressurection, Jesus provides healing from the disease of sin
And it goes on and on.
May we reflect upon this, and be thankful to God that through the blood of Christ that was shed for our sake, Jesus has become our Provider in these things. To Him be the glory, honor, and praise forevermore. Amen.
So may we reflect on this glorious truth, and be ever thankful of to God for providing these things for us through Jesus Christ. He is our provider
Monday, May 9, 2011
Jesus Is My Everything
Before I was in Christ, I lived for myself, and myself only. I was King, and Lord. I was in the driver's seat, I was calling the shots, and I was running the show. I found temporary joy and satisfaction in my sin, and passions of the flesh. I was decieved that my own good works would get me into heaven. I believed that I was free, living in my sin, but blind to reality that I was enslaved to it. I was blind to the fact that living in my sin, would lead my to hell. I was just soaking it all in. My life was about me.
Yet, Jesus' death on the cross, and resurrection 3 days later radically change all that! My life is no longer my own, it belongs to Christ. I live for Him, because of Him.
Now Jesus is:
my joy
my peace
my contentment
my hope
my delight
my strength
my light
my wisdom
my song
my rock
my refuge
my rescue
my sustainer
my comfort
my freedom
my healer
my redeemer
my salvation
my assurance
my righteousness
my restorer
my mediator
my substitute
my salvation
my provider
my passion
my sanctification
my redemption
my boast
my one love
my reward
my treasure
my Savior & Lord
my life
my all in all
Oh, Hallelujah! All I have is Jesus
Hallelujah! All I need is Jesus
Hallelujah! All I want is Jesus!
Yet, Jesus' death on the cross, and resurrection 3 days later radically change all that! My life is no longer my own, it belongs to Christ. I live for Him, because of Him.
Now Jesus is:
my joy
my peace
my contentment
my hope
my delight
my strength
my light
my wisdom
my song
my rock
my refuge
my rescue
my sustainer
my comfort
my freedom
my healer
my redeemer
my salvation
my assurance
my righteousness
my restorer
my mediator
my substitute
my salvation
my provider
my passion
my sanctification
my redemption
my boast
my one love
my reward
my treasure
my Savior & Lord
my life
my all in all
Oh, Hallelujah! All I have is Jesus
Hallelujah! All I need is Jesus
Hallelujah! All I want is Jesus!
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