Rise From These Ashes

Tonight I watched the movie "We Are Marshall." As the movie unfolded my heart reflected with tears the depths of pain and tragedy that surround us. It is remarkable how men and women are able to deal with the curves that life throws at them; to move on when it seems there's no strength to carry on. They rebuild; one brick at a time, reestablishing the foundations of what once was. Seeking always to maintain hope, they press on never willing to be defeated and with hearts as steadfast as stone saying we will not give up and WE WILL overcome.

I am in awe of families that were separated through events like September 11th, Indonesian Tsunamis, and other vast tragedies as they reestablish hope and live on their lives never forgetting what was taken from them, but never allowing life's hardships to break them. We are a resilient people. But why do people start over? Why do they attempt some essence of normal life in times of absolute destruction? I think it's because that's all they can do. When we truly begin to understand the words that "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" then we realize that in times of loss the Lord also blesses with the strength to carry on. That is why I know people press on. It's because the Lord is always with them; helping them cope with the loss, helping them feel the love they were designed to need. He is so close in those times of tragedy that our tears do not fall outside of his hands as he carries us in his palm, so close and so protected.

Oh brothers and sisters, with streaming tears I write these words hoping that you will stand in awe of the majesty of our heavenly father in times of loss and pain and sorrow. Rest in knowing he will never abandon you, and take heart because with his help and through his strength he will establish in you an unbreakable hope that will allow you to rise from these ashes.

Oh For A Thousand Tongues to Sing

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of thy name.

So come on and sing out
Let our anthem grow loud
There is one great love
Jesus

Jesus the name that charms our fears
That bids our sorrows cease,
Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
Tis life and health and peace.

He breaks the power of canceled sin;
He sets the prisoner free.
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.

So come on and sing out
Let our anthem grow loud
There is one great love
There is one great love
Jesus

He speaks a listening to his voice
New life the dead recieve
The mournful broken hearts rejoice
The humble born in need

Glory to God, praise, and love
Be now and ever given
By saints below and saints above
The Church in earth and heaven.

So come on and sing out
Let our anthem grow loud
There is one great love
There is one great love
Jesus
Jesus

There are so few words that never grow old
There are so few words that never grow old
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!

So come on and sing out
Let our anthem grow loud
There is one great love
So come on, So come on

So come on and sing out
Let our anthem grow loud
There is one great love
Oh, there is one great love
Theres is ONE GREAT LOVE
JESUS!



- originally written by Charles Wesley... new version by David Crowder Band on new "Remedy" cd being released on Tuesday September 25th.

Homesick

Lord,

I am so ready to go home. Fulfill your purpose through my days and may my joy always be found in you. But when that day comes for me to see your face, I can only imagine the peace that will wash over me as I realize I am finally home.

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You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

-Lyrics by MercyMe

Struck Down But Not Destroyed

"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.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 forsaken; 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. " - 2 Corinthians 4:5-10

Why does life change so fast? Why are there joys and rich blessings in one minute and then they are gone in the next? I don't understand it. Life seems so vain and full of pain to me right now. If it were not for the joy of Christ I would wish to leave it. I try to understand why things come about like they do but its a mystery hidden in the will of God. All I can do is pray that the Lord would bring light out of this darkness and use this time to make me more like Christ. I am afflicted in every way, but may these afflictions bring about a truer worship that would bring Glory to Jesus in a way I never could have before. Thats all I can hope for in these days. Give me strength to endure Lord because this storm is drowning me, throw out your life preserver and save me from destruction. Shine your perfect light through this encompasing and dispairing darkness.

My Hope is in You

" Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you." - Psalm 33:18,20-22

“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." - Psalm 39:7

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. " -Psalm 62:5-7

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." -Lamentations 3:21-26

Friends we do not serve a God of hopelessness. We do not serve a God who is far off. We do NOT serve a God who forsakes his children. The God we serve is a GOD OF HOPE! HE is FAITHFUL, EVERLASTING, AND NEAR! OH brothers and sisters where is our faith? Trust in the LORD for he does not disappoint!

Where did men and women of old draw their strength from? They were sustained by the HOPE of the LORD! Did not Abraham believe that God would provide a sacrifce rather than Isaac? Did not David believe that God would deliver Goliath into his hands as a demonstration of the power of the God of Israel? Did not Daniel believe that God would shut the mouths of lions? Did not Noah trust that the Lord would remember him and rescue him from the earth of waters? Did not Moses trust that the Lord would part the Red Sea and rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians? Did not the Israelites trust the Lord would tear down the walls of Jericho? Did not Ruth believe that God would provide if she remained faithful to Naomi? Did not Abigail hope in the Lord by emploring David toward righteousness with gentlenss and humility? Did not Jesus cry IT IS FINISHED and thus win victory over sin and death?! OH brothers and sisters let us HOPE in our Savior and KING!

"My King was born King. The Bible says He's a Seven Way King. He's the King of the Jews - that's an Ethnic King. He's the King of Israel - that's a National King. He's the King of righteousness. He's the King of the ages. He's the King of Heaven. He's the King of glory. He's the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that's my King.

Do you know Him? Well, my King is a King of knowledge. He's the wellspring of wisdom. He's the doorway of deliverance. He's the pathway of peace. He's the roadway of righteousness. He's the highway of holiness. He's the gateway of glory. He's the master of the mighty. He's the captain of the conquerors. He's the head of the heroes. He's the leader of the legislatures. He's the overseer of the overcomers. He's the governor of governors. He's the prince of princes. He's the King of kings and He's the Lord of lords. That's my King.

His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I wish I could describe Him to you . . . but He's indescribable. That's my King. He's incomprehensible, He's invincible, and He is irresistible.

I'm coming to tell you this, that the heavens of heavens can't contain Him, let alone some man explain Him. You can't get Him out of your mind. You can't get Him off of your hands. You can't outlive Him and you can't live without Him. The Pharisees couldn't stand Him, but they found out they couldn't stop Him. Pilate couldn't find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn't get their testimonies to agree about Him. Herod couldn't kill Him. Death couldn't handle Him and the grave couldn't hold Him. That's my King. " -Dr. Shadrach Meshach (S.M.) Lockridge

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." - Romans 15:13

Call On The Lord

When we are ready to listen, God speaks. The Lord has really been working on my heart tonight. He is revealing so many things that are not of him. I ache as new memories continually come to mind of how I've mistreated others, sinned against the Lord, and allowed my selfish nature to squander the many blessings the Lord has given me. So many opportunities, so many blessings, so many things that the Lord gave me and I never even stopped to say thank you to him. I never took the time to praise him for all he's done for me. Instead I wasted them, and once they are gone all I have now are the lessons I'm left with and the guilt I bear for my foolishness. I am a fool; a sinner to the foremost.

Tonight in my devotional it was talking of how prayer changes us. The chapter it followed was Matthew 6 and specificly verse 8. It reminded me that a big reason we pray is not to inform God of our needs because he already knows them. Rather its for our own benefit in revealing that we cannot create anything on our own. God provides for us in every detail of our lives. We pray so we can learn to say Thank You with a humbled heart to a God who so richly blesses those who so leastly deserve it.

Two verses the Lord brought to my attention for meditation tonight.
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. " - Matthew 6:33

"Out of my distress I called on the Lord;the Lord answered me and set me free." Psalm 118:5

These verses were of the richest truth tonight because I have realized all night how foolish I am, and how greatly my words and actions have hurt others. But these verses bring me hope. If I whole-heartedly seek the kingdom of God and his RIGHTEOUSNESS then he will most certainly CHANGE ME! Not only that but in my distress of knowing my sin and it being ever before me I cry to him and he sets me free from that knowledge of my sin against him. He doesn't want me to suffer alone. He carries my burdens for me. All I can say in summary is that God is humbling this foolish sinner and helping me to see that God will take my prodigal ways and use them to show me what a loving Father he is. Show me your Glory Lord, and may my life forevermore reflect the evidence of dwelling within your presence.

Song of Hope

All things bright and beautiful you are
All things wise and wonderful you are
In my darkest night you brighten up the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope sing along
God of Heaven come down, Heaven come down
Just to know that you are near is enough
God of Heaven come down, Heaven come down

All things new, I can start again
Creator God, calling me your friend
Sing praise my soul to the maker of the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope sing along
God of Heaven come down, Heaven come down
Just to know that you are near is enough
God of Heaven come down, Heaven come down

Oh sing a song of hope, sing along
God of Heaven come down, Heaven come down
Just to know you and be loved is enough
God of Heaven come down, Heaven come down

Hallelujah sing (x3)

By Robbie Seay Band (2007)

Breaking Free

I want to break free from the troubles of these days. I want to soar with the past to my back and my face to the SON. I want to strive to attain the seemingly impossible; to reach for the unreachable; to ask for the unfathomable.

My heart is restless. I am a Dreamer. I plead before the Lord for great blessings flowing from his delight in providing for his children. Things that our faith can seldomly allow us to believe. I believe we were created for more than what our narrow perspectives allow us to see, for more than merely making it through these days of our dissappearing lives.

I am but dust. My time on this earth is but a whisp of smoke. Here one minute and finished in the next. Will my life be worth more than the foolish pursuit of selfish gain? More than temporal and carnal enjoyment? Oh LORD I want to break free from the entanglements of this life. How greatly I yearn to praise you! How desperately I cling to your promises pleading that you would use your chosen people to bring some praise to your name.

In this season my heart is downcast oh Lord. I am lonely, battered, yearning for the restoration of joys I once knew. Alas, in such a time as this your love is ever before me. Exceedingly more, I hide in the protection of your provisional care. You are my God, and I am but a thread in the woven fabric of your eternal story of your immeseaurable goodness.

Let me break free Lord. Let my past and sins of betrayal to your name be forgotten and removed as far as the East is from the West. Oh Father, grant your church the ability to forgive, the grace to love sinners who are seemingly unloveable, the hope that you can and will do all things for your Glory. Grant us Oh Lord the measure of faith we need to make it through these days as we seek to please you alone. Let your redeemed children break forth in songs of praise to your faithfulness as we wait for the day when at last our souls will find their resting place in the presence of our Almighty God. Until then Lord, I pray ... help us to rejoice in our daily tasks; basking in the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross.

God With Us

When once I mourned a load of sin;
When conscience felt a wound within;
When all my works were thrown away;
When on my knees I knelt to pray,
Then, blissful hour, remembered well,
I learned Thy love, Immanuel.

When storms of sorrow toss my soul;
When waves of care around me roll;
When comforts sink, when joys shall flee;
When hopeless griefs shall gape for me,
One word the tempest's rage shall quell--
That word, Thy name, Immanuel.

When for the truth I suffer shame;
When foes pour scandal on my name;
When cruel taunts and jeers abound;
When "Bulls of Bashan" gird me round,
Secure within Thy tower I'll dwell--
That tower, Thy grace, Immanuel.

When hell enraged lifts up her roar;
When Satan stops my path before;
When fiends rejoice and wait my end;
When legioned hosts their arrows send,
Fear not, my soul, but hurl at hell
Thy battle-cry, Immanuel.

When down the hill of life I go;
When o'er my feet death's waters flow;
When in the deep'ning flood I sink;
When friends stand weeping on the brink,
I'll mingle with my last farewell
Thy lovely name, Immanuel.

When tears are banished from mine eye;
When fairer worlds than these are nigh;
When heaven shall fill my ravished sight;
When I shall bathe in sweet delight,
One joy all joys shall far excel,
To see Thy face, Immanuel.

Written by Charles Spurgeon in 1852

A New Season Awaits

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1

There is a time for everything. A time for sorrow, a time for joy. A time for loss, a time for gain. A time for quiet reflection, and a time for laughter. Yet God makes all things beautiful in his own time.

Oh what joy springs from my heart at the thought of a new season approaching! I am so thankful for new seasons that dawn upon the horizens of our lives. I LOVE Autumn. I love the cool crisp air, the beautiful leaves, the fresh and peaceful way this earth changes from the heat of summer to the calm serenity of Fall. I love watching families playing catch in the park and children playing in the leaves. I love sitting beneath the towering presence of trees as I look across their grandeous display of gentle beauty. OH the artistry with which our Lord made this earth. With such unfathomable imagination did he craft the intricacies of life. My heart is captivated in wonder as I think of his unfathomable riches and depths of power and majesty.

This week as I met with my pastor he said something to me that gave me such great assurace of hope and peace. He said "this too shall pass." As I pondered his words, my heart filled with a quiet, peaceful reassurance that the Lord leads us through seasons in our lives for a distinct reason and each season bears its own pleasures and hardships. YET the Lord will continue to be with us. He is our shepard who protects his sheep from every danger and storm. Oh the joy at knowing seasons change! My heart is welcoming this new season of hope, adversity, and beauty because I know my Redeemer lives. My Savior and my God is with me! Thank you Jesus for giving us hopes and dreams in knowing that in the course of our lives each season gives birth to another, and each season helps us become more like you. For in you Jesus we are continually being made new. With gladness I welcome this change as I ponder the blessed assurance that.... a new season awaits.