Friday, December 30, 2011

Joy Comes to Stay

What do we do when the black cloud lingers?
When disappointments hang overhead?
What do we do when joy slips through our fingers?
When great expectations turn sour instead?

Where are God's answers at times like these?
Why is there silence from the Prince of Peace?

But He holds the tapestry of our lives
He weaves the perfect end
We are not losers, with Him we'll eventually win

It may be further down the road when we find the answer
It may be when we see Him face to face
But every tear, every pain, every scar He surely will erase

Pain comes to every life
Father God will hold us in His arms
Pain comes to every life
But Jesus heals us from everything that harms

Victory awaits the upright
Joy comes to stay
When we wait upon the Lord
He will make a way

Sorrow may visit for a night
But in the morning, joy comes to stay

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Change

Change don’t come easy for this old stubborn mule
But You know how to humble me
A sharp rebuke is sometimes the best thing for me
With Your help, Lord, I’ll gallop down the trail
The one that leads me to Your ranch

I’m sorry for messing things up
For being stiff like a stick in the wind
Help me to create new habits
Habits that round up for me your blessings
And that cause me to ride on with excellence and honor
Keep me true, Lord, until the setting of the sun

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Heaven

One day we shall cross the great divide
Those of us who have embraced Christ
Will find eternal, unspeakable joy
In the company of loved ones gone before
In the presence of the One
Who heals all hurts
Who will encompass us with glory

He is seated on the Throne
Justice and Mercy reign
He who is seated on the Throne
Is like no other
He is Love and Truth personified
He is our Champion, our victory

One day we will meet Him face to face
He will not turn His gaze
He will hold us in His loving embrace
Oh Lord, come quickly

Monday, December 19, 2011

What Gift Are You After?

Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:2 KJV

Of all the gifts you could obtain this Christmas, what would you like to receive? If you could have anything... anything, what would it be? What gift are you after? Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in hopes of being God-like. Cain desired the death of his brother. Samson coveted beautiful women. These represent individuals with desires that missed the mark of God's design. But Solomon sought wisdom, David longed for God's presence, and John desired to walk in love.

Temporal things have there place. God does care about our finances. He still heals diseases and causes mountains to move as we speak His word. But some things have a higher priority in God's economy. God desires for us to have a passion for Him above all else.

This Christmas let's set our affections on things above. If you haven't accepted God's gift of salvation to you, please pray the following prayer from your heart. If you're sincere, the Lord will save you from your sin, you will begin a wonderful relationship with the One who created you, and you will enjoy eternal life.

Dear Father God,


I admit to you that I am a sinner and that I have missed the mark of Your holiness. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I thank you for sending Jesus to die for me in my place, to take upon Himself the penalty of my sin. I believe Jesus rose from the dead. I believe I am forgiven, and I choose to live for You with all of my heart. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

If this is the first time you've prayed a prayer like this, let me say congratulations. You are now a member of God's family. You are born again, and one day you will enter into heaven. Let me encourage you to take the following steps.

Read the Bible – Read a little bit each day. Start with the gospel of John.

Pray daily – Prayer is talking to God. It is two-way communication. The Lord wants to hear your voice and your heart, and He also wants to communicate His loving thoughts to you.

Share your newfound relationship with Christ to others. They too need to hear the good news.

Ask the Lord to baptize you in His Holy Spirit.

Ask the Lord to lead you to a Bible-believing, Spirit-filled church.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Love Incarnate

Here is a poem I included as a post last year.  I hope you like it....

Centuries before the prophets foretold
Of the coming of the King
When the time arrived, on that blessed night
The angels began to sing

The shepherds were thrilled with the news that filled
The cold, crisp air that first Christmas
A Baby born to save the world
This suffering, Servant, witness

Behold the Lamb lying in a manger
Love incarnate
He comforts the lost stranger
Bethlehem's Savior

Ruler of every king
To Jew and Gentile freedom rings
He came to give us all we need
This Baby boy we worship

Emanuel, God with us
We live to honor You
You are the Life and the Way
And yes, You are the Truth

We worship You O God-Child
You soon will come again
In power and in glory
To judge the living and the dead

Help us to spread Your message far and wide
The true tale of Love personified
Teach us each to sincerely love
To view each one as God does

Let us worship the Lamb
Love incarnate
The Great I Am

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Choosing Humility

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

We find peace when we yield to the Spirit's way and do not push against it. When we take upon ourselves the yoke of our Lord, He helps us along the path of life. The way of the Lord is found by those who choose humility. It is an easy way – one where Jesus helps us carry the weight of our burdens.

But the proud in heart oppose God, and God opposes them. 1 Peter 5:5 puts it this way, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Grace is the Lord's enabling power. The Lord stops the proud but extends his hand to lift up the lowly.

When we surrender our lives to the Lord, we find rest. Peace saturates us, and the Father guides us in the way of peace towards Him and towards others.

When we embrace humility, we also find that Christ is there to teach us His precious truths. His wisdom daily transforms us and makes us holy.

Let's surrender our wills to God. Let's choose humility. Though we will still experience troubles in this life, we will find our burdens to be much lighter. We will find rest for our souls. Let's not push against God's way for our lives, instead let's dive into the plan and purposes that God has for each of us.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

No Ordinary Child

A Baby was born two millennia ago
This was no ordinary Child
Conceived by the Holy Spirit
Son of Joseph and Mary
Yet Son of God

Shepherds heard the angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Hosanna in the highest

Born in a manger
Surrounded by farm animals
The stuff of earth

This One now leads us
This One now saves us
This One is the Word made flesh

Fully man, fully God
The child became our Master
King of kings and Lord of lords

You were God before
You are God now
In ages past, You created the world
Along with the Father and the Spirit
The Three, One
You created paradise

When man fell
You made a way of redemption
You willingly came to earth
To live
To die
To live again

Your death paid the ransom for our souls
You were born as a baby
To live before us
To preach, teach, heal, and deliver
To suffer and die in our place
On the cruel cross

We gave you our sin
You gave us Your righteousness
Without You we are nothing

Thank you for leaving glory
To come and live among us
Lord, we owe you everything we have
And everything we are