Our Purpose; our existence: Worship; His Glory

There is so much pain that so many are going through. 2017 was full of destruction: natural disasters, shootings, vicious protests, mass murder/slaughter from terrorist attacks throughout the world, suicides/homicides, people dying of cancer and disease whether from a long drawn out process or suddenly with a shock, miscarriage that leaves single mothers or couples and their families with gaping, broken hearts, families broken from arguments, drugs, infidelity, or any number of painful struggle, division- whether socially, politically, physically, emotionally, spiritually, familial or relational. It is international, national, church-wide, city-wide, in our families and with us each personally. I could not begin to scratch the surface of the things that people are going through.

 We are weary. 2018 came and we were thankful. But, it doesn't erase the pain of yesterday. How do we deal with the heartbreak we have just endured? 

It is so easy to become distracted and discouraged; from the weight of sin, struggle, persecution, pain, hurt, disappointment, loneliness, etc. But, we do not have One who is unable to sympathize with us, but He has endured all things and delights in comforting us- not with an earthly comfort, but comfort, peace and joy that goes beyond all understanding, strengthening our inner being. We cannot do it. But, He can. This will show His power and glory; His great mercy and love for us, causing us to endure till the end. Until He returns. 

Praise and glory be to God! 

"O church, arise, and put your armor on; 
Hear the call of Christ our captain. 
For now the weak can say that they are strong 
In the strength that God has given. 
With shield of faith and belt of truth, 
We'll stand against the devil's lies. 
An army bold, whose battle cry is love, 
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul, 
But to rage against the captor; 
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole. 
We will fight with faith and valor. 
When faced with trials on every side. 
We know the outcome is secure. 
And Christ will have the prize for which He died; 
An inheritance of nations! 

Chorus: 
Arise, shine for your light has come! 
Arise, shine for the Risen Son! 
Lift your eyes, we are His radiant bride! 
Arise, o church arise!

Come, see the cross, where love and mercy meet, 
As the Son of God is stricken; 
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet, 
For the Conqueror has risen! 
And as the stone is rolled away, 
And Christ emerges from the grave, 
This victory march continues till the day 
Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him. 

So Spirit, come put strength in every stride; 
Give grace for every hurdle.
That we may run with faith to win the prize 
Of a servant good and faithful. 
As saints of old, still line the way, 
Retelling triumphs of His grace, 
We hear their calls, and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in Glory!

CHORUS"

— © COPYRIGHT 2016 GETTY MUSIC PUBLISHING (BMI) (ADMIN. BY MUSIC SERVICES, WWW.MUSICSERVICES.ORG)/ THANKYOU MUSIC (PRS)/WORSHIP TOGETHER MUSIC (BMI)/SIXSTEPS SONGS (BMI)/S.D.G. PUBLISHING (BMI) (ADMIN. AT CAPITOICMGPUBLISHING.COM

SONG CAN BE HEARD HERE 

One day, all this pain will be far behind us. And the glory to come is incomprehensible. It is unimaginable. We will look back and think, "Oh, that pain, as great as it was, and it was, is nothing compared with this glory of the Lord that we live in now and forever!" That is HOW powerful this glory will be!!! Paul, who endured most things, said it is not WORTH comparing!!! 2 Cor. 4:7-18. See 2 Cor. 4:7-18 here. This is Paul, who went through and does not minimize pain and suffering! 

Here is a song for encouragement to keep going, inspired by Heb. 12:1-17. 

And here is a message to encourage you in the love of God through your suffering. 

And when we get there, we will see what John was talking about: there are 4 magnificent creatures that exist for the purpose of worshiping God from the beginning of their existence for all of eternity. 

"And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.” 

-Revelation 4:6b-11

That's how glorious our God is. How amazing our God is. How magnificent His glory is. 

And His love will not let us go. It's rich and free because of Christ. 

Here's one more song to encourage you!

Learning True Joy: To Pray More Often, More Deeply

Holy,

Holy, 

HOLY 

Is the 

LORD GOD 

ALMIGHTY

Who was, 

Who is, 

Who is to come, 

ALL 

Praise, 

Honor, 

and GLORY 

be to HIM 

Forever 

and 

Ever! 

AMEN! 

I have been on my knees so many times this past month, begging the Lord for relief and to teach me to see and to feel His Presence and to know and believe the Truth, rather than my feelings. As I read the Word, I know it must be the Holy Spirit who directs me to how many times God commands us to rejoice in Him, to delight in Him, to know that He is God. It starts with understanding Who He is. 

When Jesus was teaching the masses how to pray, He started with the awe, the glory, the REVERENCE of GOD. It starts with knowing, seeing and delighting in WHO God is. 
Matt. 6:9-13, starting in vs. 9, "Pray then like this:

"Our Father in heaven, 

hallowed be Your Name!" 

Then, Jesus continues, reminding us that we are to ask for God's Will to be done! I listened to an incredible message from John Piper (if you want to listen to it here ) about how we are to beg the Lord to give us new hearts, that we will "delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart." What is the deepest desire of our hearts? To know the One Who we were made for! To know and delight in our GOD and Creator! (Ps. 37:3-7) This is TRUE JOY, which leads to true peace. And peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:4-7).

Vs. 10:

"Your kingdom come, 

Your Will be done, 

on earth as it is in heaven."

Now, after praising the Lord, seeing and knowing His beauty and asking Him to give us hearts that desire His Will, then, we are to present our requests to God. So often, we only present our requests. Satan loves this. He wants us to be focused on ourselves and our needs, not on our Maker and a relationship with Him! (Another article from desiringgod.org here about praying) That's why Jesus directs us to pray in reverence and awe of God first, then asking for His Will!!! 

Vs. 11:

"Give us this day our daily bread," 

Then, we remember who we are and our deepest need: our sinful state, our need for a Savior and a pardon, and our need for reconciliation with our God and with His creation, others around us. But, we can only forgive in the overflow of the forgiveness that we have received ourselves from God because of Jesus' atonement for our sins. 

Vs. 12:

"and forgive us our debts, 

as we also have forgiven our debtors." 

Then, we ask for protection from temptation. Keep us SAFE, GOD! "For the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!" Jesus tells us (He knows us so well!) in Matt. 26:41. We are to work out our faith with "fear and trembling!" Phil. 2:12, and to ask the Lord to save us from evil! We need HIM to help us! 

Vs. 13: 

"And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from evil." 

Our treasure. Our lives. Our daily death. Our will. Our purpose... We no longer live for ourselves, as slaves of the flesh, but slaves of righteousness to Christ. He alone can help us, save us, and to Him be all glory forever and ever. 

"Charis. Grace. Eucharisteo. Thanksgiving. Chara. Joy... 
If eucharisteo had been the first dare, the first journey of discovery into a life of letting God love me and counting all those ways, could this be a dare for the next leg of the journey, the way leading higher up and deeper in, daring me to let all the not-enough there in my open hands- let it be broken into more than enough? A dare to let all my brokenness- be made into abundance. Break and give away. The broken way.
What if this were the safest embrace- the way of being wanted and held and found in the midst of falling apart? What did Jesus do? In His last hours, in His abandonment, Jesus doesn't look for comfort or try to shield Himself against the rejection; He breaks the temptation to self-protect- and gives the vulnerability of Himself. In the sharp edge of grief, Jesus doesn't look for something to fill the broken and alone places; He takes and gives thanks- and then does the most counter-cultural thing: He doesn't keep or hoard or hold on- but breaks and gives away. In the midst of intimate betrayal, He doesn't defend or drown Himself in addicting distractions, He breaks and is given- He gives His life. Because what else is life-giving? 
Out of the fullness of the grace that He has received, He thanks, and breaks, and gives away- and He makes a way for life-giving communion. A broken way." -Ann Voskamp from The Broken Way

It is all by Jesus and for Jesus. He made a way for us. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He saved us from our sins and we will receive His inheritance if we share in His suffering. 

"But, we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsake; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. 
Since we have the same Spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke" we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that He Who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into His Presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God. 
So we DO NOT lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight in glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." -2 Cor. 4:7-18 

This is one of my favorite passages. A reminder of WHO it is all about and is made possible by! A reminder that everything has a purpose- this pain has a purpose! The Glory of the Lord and that others may see and KNOW that it is God and not us. Praise His Glorious Name! 

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is names, that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 
Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power (the Spirit of God!) at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." -Eph. 3:14-21  

May the Lord grant for us to know that He may be known by us, that He may be glorified, that others may see and believe, profess and be saved by faith! He will SURELY do it! Praise the True Lord Jesus Christ. 

Rejoice always

Rejoice in the Lord always! 

And again, I say, "Rejoice!" 

Rejoice in the Lord always! 

And again, I say, "Rejoice!" 

I am such a striver. I won't go down without a fight. Or I will run the other way. It must be perfect- I must be perfect, but oh, oh... I know that it isn't possible and so I continue in the endless cycle or fighting or fleeing after what cannot be fixed. 

And, then, here come those hopeless feelings: defeat, failure, unworthy, not enough, too much. 

Just be held. Just be here. I did. I found you. You didn't find me- I found YOU. 

It breaks through and quiets me for a brief moment until I am washed again with the overwhelming worry and the craven fear that creeps in before I even know that it is drowning me again. 

I am with you always. My steadfast love endures forever. Jesus paid it all and His blood has washed your crimson stain white as snow. 

But... 

It's so very easy to doubt. To fear. To worry. To strive. To try to control. 

I am the LORD. I am holy. I did it. I can do it. I WILL do it. Trust me, child. I love you more than you know. I sent my Son to die for you, you know. My Spirit is with you and revealed that to you. 

I think half to myself, half to the Lord, But, my feelings are so very overwhelming and my heart condemns me... Are you even real? Are you even there? Will I always feel this way? 

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in ALL your ways acknowledge HIM, and He will make straight your paths. My dear, sometimes trusting is just letting me hold you. Give me your heart. Cast all your cares on me, for I care for you. I will not permit my righteous to be removed. The sacrifices of the Lord are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O Lord, you will not despise. 

Praise the Lord. I feel pretty broken. Body, mind, soul and heart kind of broken. 

Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS! I will say it again, "REJOICE!" 

Even now. Rejoice in ALL circumstances. Rejoice always. He doesn't say when you feel like it. But, at all times. 

I am not unable to sympathize with your pain and weaknesses: Jesus endured all and is interceding on your behalf. He loves you so- even in all the pain of the waiting in the garden, He endured the cross for the joy set before Him to honor and obey me. And in doing so, He ransomed you. You will have what He has. Eternal life and union with Me. All glory and honor and praise be to God forever and ever. Amen. 

His Word, not my feelings, are to be trusted. My feelings, yes, acknowledge them, even offer them up to the Lord, but do not trust them. Trust what is true, lovely, honorable- reflect on these things. Trust what is able to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges. Trust what is infallible and from the inspiration and authority of God Himself. Trust what has become flesh in Jesus Christ. Trust the Word of God. 

Praise be to God, that He found me and saved me and won't rest until He renews my mind and captures my heart, sealing it for His courts above. Praise the Lord that I am His. Not because I deserve it, but because of Jesus Christ. 

Forgiveness and Love for those who believe

As I could not sleep, I saw and felt more clearly how damaging and destructive self-pity, resentment, bitterness and pride are- they make me their god and cut me off from others. But, more importantly, they make it impossible to forgive, trust and love, ripping the union with Christ, making it difficult to discern His Voice. They cripple in a self-made prison of fear, isolation and self-condemnation, forgetting the power of the gospel, making me forget my rightful place. 

Praise the LORD because He died for these things and is causing me to turn from them and to trust HIM! His steadfast love changes my heart of stone to a heart of flesh, making it come alive, healing it of the decay and death. That fear that was produced is cast out and replaced with fear of God and love for Him. There is no condemnation for those in Christ and there is freedom in His grace. 

Praise the Lord for the sweet little baby Jesus, who set aside His glory in heaven to become one of us and to atone for our sins. He is with us. He has risen! He reigns! Praise the Lord! All glory and honor and praise be to Him forever and ever, AMEN! 

Psalm 130: My Soul Waits for the Lord: A Song of Ascents

That Silly Guy Peter

"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.' But, after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galiee." Peter said to Him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." But, he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same." -Mark 14:26-30

I am a person who overthinks and grows anxious easily. 

What if this doesn't work out? 

What if they don't understand? 

What if I say the wrong thing? 

What if I can't love them the way that they need? 

What if they reject me?

What if I fail? 

What if I don't truly believe in Christ? 

What if I betray Him? 

Then, I become defensive and harden my heart, saying, 

Oh, but I know the Truth! 

I surely would never do that to my Lord! 

I know better! 

They don't understand! 

Surely, I am in the right here! 

It's so easy to think that Peter was just a silly guy and we are stronger than he was or for our hearts to sink when we truly face our "failure" before the Lord. Yes, it is sin, but it is also the mercy of the Lord, showing us that, of course, we CANNOT do it. 

So, why should we not be defeated by this? 

Because Jesus not only knows, but the Father has shown Him what has been planned from the beginning of time. He knows when and where we will reject Him. He knows our hearts better than us. 

Jesus said, "Okay, my beloved followers. I know and this is GOING to happen." Not if but when. "And, I love you. I'm still doing it all for you."

And, He did. He is the One who still set it all aside and died for us, perfectly becoming the sacrifice that God's just wrath poured out on. Not only did God pour out His wrath on His Beloved Son, but His Son drank from this cup of wrath that we deserved. 

"If you have to deny reality to get peace, you are not exercising Biblical faith. But, if you allow yourself to meditate on the realities of a fallen world, you're going down. So, you face those realities, but meditate on the glory of God! Awe is a longing! We are hardwired for eternity. Everything that is difficult and hard is a cry for a better world and everything that is good and beautiful is a taste of a better world.... We long for paradise because God will be in the center, unchallenged! And we will be in awe of God forever and ever and ever!" -Paul David Tripp (in an interview concerning his book, Awe.)

He receives sinful men. 

The ones who emphatically insist that they will never betray, let alone deny, their Lord, but do.  

The ones who say that they will die for their Teacher, but instead listen, ashamed to be associated with Him, by the fire as He is on trial falsely. 

The ones who fall asleep when He asks them to stay awake with Him before He is taken for their sake. 

He died for them. He drew them to Himself. He saved them. Not because they were the cream of the crop. Not because of their ability to believe, figure it out and obey. 

He made them His sons and daughters, saying, "Now, because of what I have done, you will share with Me what the Father will give me! Life with Him eternally!" 

This is for US!  

Do not fear. Do not listen to the what-ifs. The One who came to save us is greater than the one who whispers lies and tries to draw us away. 

Do not despair when you sin, but go to the One who will delightfully forgive you and change your heart. 

Because of Christ.

I am Peter. We are all Peter. We say, "I will follow you, Lord." And, we fail Him. But, praise the Lord, it is not our ability to obey that saves us, but Christ Jesus's life, death and resurrection that saves us. And through this saving grace, our hearts are changed to follow Him more and more. So we say, "No, no. It could never be me. I am not strong enough. It was always Him. Praise be to God. He saved a sinner like me." 

"New Every Morning" - Audrey Assad from Inheritance https://open.spotify.com/track/2J99v7FF6WQDMxaWPqM2Hg 

"He Will Hold Me Fast" - Keith and Kristyn Getty 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=936BapRFHaQ

Parable of a Dead Man- original song 

A prayer for the nation

Fear is irrational and illogical. 
It distracts from what is most important. 

Respect slows down and acknowledges a position, station, authority. A PERSON. 
Saying, "I see you. You are valued. Even if I don't like you or agree with you. I don't have to agree with you, but I value you." 

What happened in Charlottesville, VA with the alternative right was unacceptable, but we must not react hastily, instead have perspective seeing that what has happened is not uncommon to man. 

It's not a race issue. We are the human race. It's a heart issue that is looking at the differences, whether that be socially and skin-deep or culturally and historically rather than the similarities: We are all humans with souls and made in God's image. 

There is hate where God's love is absent. Where Christ is not at work in hearts, sin will abound, but it will not win. And God will bring justice because of His Love and inability to be in the midst of sin. 

Oh, Israel, how long will you run from your Father, dealing only with the surface issues or creating issues that should not even exist? 
Am I exempt?! No! But, I am one of them, running from You in my sin. 

Have mercy on us all, Father. 

For we sin against You, doing what is right in our own eyes for our glory and not Yours. 
But, may You be glorified, this day. Even now. 

This is not an uncommon day, though it is very sad. 

And we SHOULD mourn. And it should wake us up to the injustices around us, but greatest of all, our own rejection of our God, our Creator, our Lord. 

We have replaced You with a counterfeit, and if we do not repent, we will be given over into our sin and it will define us. 

Oh, praise the One who paid our debt, and raised His life up from the dead. 

We can have life in Jesus Christ. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

We mourn, longing for the day of no more tears. But, LORD, You are AT WORK on this earth. Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven! Continue to save us from ourselves, causing us to be firm with the gospel of truth and compassionate with love and mercy, as You have shown us through Your Son, Jesus Christ, the God-Man. We need you desperately. 

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. 
Congregavit now in unum Christi amor.
Exultemus, et in ipso iuucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemuus Deuum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Simul ergo cum in unum congregamur:
Ne nos mente dividamur, caveamus.
Cessent iurgia maligna, cessent lites.
Et in medio nostri sit Christus Deus.

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Simul quoque cum beatis videamus,
Glorianter vultum tuum, Christe Deus:
Gaudium quod est immensum, atque probum,
Saecula per infinita saeculorum. Amen.

Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ's love has gathered us into one.
Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are, God is there.
As we are gathered into one body,
Beware, lest we be divided in mind.
Let evil impulses stop, let controversy cease,
And may Christ our God be in our midst.

Where charity and love are, God is there.
And may we with the saints also,
See Thy face in glory, O Christ our God:
The joy that is immense and good,
Unto the ages through infinite ages. Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SulSN3jZN1g