I just saw this and am now bawling my eyes out. Wow. Just wow.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
What do I see as Precious?
While watching Passion 2010 main session videos with my sister and Whitty last night several things jumped out at me but upon further reviewing it appears there is a common theme...
What do I see as precious? What do I treasure?
Precious = Highly esteemed (prized), greatly valued, beloved.
Treasured = To retain carefully.
"Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." -2 Peter 1:1-4
Do I treasure my faith, the Word (His promises), Jesus as precious?
Well, while that may be my intentions my life often shows that the execution of those intentions is sometimes flawed. Why? Because intentions without action is like a bar of soap with no water, it may look and smell pretty but without water it cannot fulfill it's purpose. Soap without water won't clean you up, it will just leave a gross residue on your skin. In the same way, good intentions will get you no where. Action must be taken before the intentions can come to pass. My friend Jesse told me Sunday that in order for God to speak through him, Jesse had to first open his mouth. Sometimes it takes a little initiative, and a lot of obedience, on our part.
Sometimes instead of realizing that God has made me (an over-competitive, over-complicator, over-analyzer of a person) a partaker of His divine nature, my heart struggles with discontentment which leads to a dulling of the sensitivity to the Spirit and that results in a hardening of the heart.
"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath." Romans 2:4-5
At Passion 2010 John Piper said, "Every time you sin you choose something else as more valuable than God."
Yikes.
After reading the verses in 2 Peter and trying to grasp the fact that God has given us EVERYTHING that pertains to life and godliness, I can't fathom why I ever struggle with discontentment- this says He's given us above and beyond what we need... yet I still sin, and by doing so I'm seeing something else as more valuable than the Creator of the Universe. Ridiculous!
Dear Lord,
Help me to truly treasure You and Your exceedingly great and precious promises as more valuable than anything or anyone else in my life. Thank You for Your unbelievably amazing love and mercy that has allowed me to become a partaker of the Divine... I certainly didn't earn that position. You are so worthy and while I'm completely worthless on my own, You see Jesus in me! Thank You for being my Father, my brother, and my King. You amaze me. Help me see You as supremely precious.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Let the Waters Rise
"Don't know where to begin
It's like my world's caving in
And I tried but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?
Sometimes it's so hard to pray
You feel so far away
I am willing to go where You want me to
God I trust You
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will swim in the deep
‘Cause You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach
God You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand
God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding on to You
And I tried but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?
Sometimes it's so hard to pray
You feel so far away
I am willing to go where You want me to
God I trust You
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will swim in the deep
‘Cause You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach
God You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand
God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding on to You
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
God your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You"Monday, March 8, 2010
Overwhelmed
I'm there.
After a lengthy discussion with a friend last night, my brain is hurting just thinking about the magnitude and might of the Lord and my heart is hurting with the fear of missing Him. Right now all I want to do is get alone with God and search the scriptures for myself, seeking the Holy Spirit to illuminate His Word and make it real in the deepest parts of my soul.
I'm so thankful for godly friends who are passionate about the Lord and His amazingness. They inspire, uplift, correct, challenge, convict and bless me over and over again.
"Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy." -Psalm 61:1-3
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Could We With Ink the Ocean Fill...
And were the skies of parchment made
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Let it sink in. Let it resonate through your being. The wonderful, amazing, relentless love of God. We can never absorb it all and we can never deserve any of it, yet unceasingly He pours it out on us. I'm amazed and overwhelmed at His love for me.
Friday, February 26, 2010
God needs nothing, yet He desires us!
I hope you guys are having an amazing, God-filled week. I've been doing a lot of studying lately and the following excerpt from the book "Wired for a Life of Worship" by Louie Giglio, really spoke to me last night and I wanted to share it with you:
"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things." -Acts 17:24-25
Standing before the men of Athens, Paul took a deep breath and unfolded the mystery that his listeners had been searching for. He spoke of "the God who made the world and all things in it." Paul identified Him as "Lord of heaven and earth." And this God, Paul said, "gives to all people life and breath and all things."
Men of Athens, meet the God of gods.
Turns out they were right all along. There was another God greater than all their idols, higher than all the objects inhabiting their altars.
This God is powerful enough, Paul proclaimed, to invent the whole world and everything it contains. And He "does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything." Turns out, God doesn't live at the church after all. By the very logic of His immensity, He refuses to be contained by any church or structure.
What a shame. I guess we have to say good-bye to the warning we all were threatened with as kids, "SHHHhhhh! You're in God's house!" Although I have to admit it did strike the fear of God into me as I considered that the church building was actually where He lived.
It does make for a nice image, though. Can you see Him at the door after the service, greeting everyone? "Thanks for coming, appreciate you being here, glad you made it, hope you enjoyed it. Was everything okay? God bless. Oh yeah, I'm God--so, just...bless! Come back to see Me! Have a nice week!"
Is that God? Watching all the cars drive away, turning the church lights off, settling in for a long and quiet week, maybe playing a little on the organ, only to fling wide the doors again in seven days. "Hey! Glad you're back. Good to see you. Come on in!"
I don't think so. God isn't stuck in church-world. He might even care less about us running in the church halls than we think! Why? Because He's huge. Creator, initiator of all things. Way too vast to be stuck in some building all week. Far too interested in our lives to simply watch us drive away from Him. Much more worth of our time than just one hour of just one day.
This God is all-sufficient God. He doesn't need a thing! He made the world and everything in it. Paul wanted the men of Athens to know that He's the constant supply of life, breath--everything!
And he wanted them to know that God is near.
And He's near to us now.
I'm praying for each one of you. I hope we can all realize how much God wants to be involved in every aspect of every minute of our lives- He gave us those minutes, He wants to be involved in them. God needs nothing, yet He desires us! Ponder that one for a while... It's crazy awesome!
Blessings,
Sophie
"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things." -Acts 17:24-25
Standing before the men of Athens, Paul took a deep breath and unfolded the mystery that his listeners had been searching for. He spoke of "the God who made the world and all things in it." Paul identified Him as "Lord of heaven and earth." And this God, Paul said, "gives to all people life and breath and all things."
Men of Athens, meet the God of gods.
Turns out they were right all along. There was another God greater than all their idols, higher than all the objects inhabiting their altars.
This God is powerful enough, Paul proclaimed, to invent the whole world and everything it contains. And He "does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything." Turns out, God doesn't live at the church after all. By the very logic of His immensity, He refuses to be contained by any church or structure.
What a shame. I guess we have to say good-bye to the warning we all were threatened with as kids, "SHHHhhhh! You're in God's house!" Although I have to admit it did strike the fear of God into me as I considered that the church building was actually where He lived.
It does make for a nice image, though. Can you see Him at the door after the service, greeting everyone? "Thanks for coming, appreciate you being here, glad you made it, hope you enjoyed it. Was everything okay? God bless. Oh yeah, I'm God--so, just...bless! Come back to see Me! Have a nice week!"
Is that God? Watching all the cars drive away, turning the church lights off, settling in for a long and quiet week, maybe playing a little on the organ, only to fling wide the doors again in seven days. "Hey! Glad you're back. Good to see you. Come on in!"
I don't think so. God isn't stuck in church-world. He might even care less about us running in the church halls than we think! Why? Because He's huge. Creator, initiator of all things. Way too vast to be stuck in some building all week. Far too interested in our lives to simply watch us drive away from Him. Much more worth of our time than just one hour of just one day.
This God is all-sufficient God. He doesn't need a thing! He made the world and everything in it. Paul wanted the men of Athens to know that He's the constant supply of life, breath--everything!
And he wanted them to know that God is near.
And He's near to us now.
I'm praying for each one of you. I hope we can all realize how much God wants to be involved in every aspect of every minute of our lives- He gave us those minutes, He wants to be involved in them. God needs nothing, yet He desires us! Ponder that one for a while... It's crazy awesome!
Blessings,
Sophie
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Awakening
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." - 2 Corinthians 3:17
Liberty. What a word. For the American Patriot the word may swell their heart with pride. For another, it might just another word in the immeasurable sea of words. For me, it splashes water droplets of love on my dry, desert of a heart.
Over the past two months, but specifically the past three weeks, God has poured His love and grace on my life like no other time I can ever remember. Or, maybe He's always been there pouring out His love and I'm just now starting to pay attention. Yes, I think that's it.
The rain started falling on my heart in Atlanta, Georgia for Passion 2010, a gathering of college students from around the world uniting to make God famous. "Yes, Lord, we walk in the way of Your truth, waiting eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." -Isaiah 26:8
Passion was an unforgettable experience, filled with heartache, joy and too many life lessons to mention. Funny how you can experience heartache and joy at the same time, isn't it? Oh, but it's possible. You can be hurting, and yet clinging to the promises in God's Word that supplies us with "joy unspeakable." Praise God for joy and peace in the midst of painful situations.
Through the days at Passion, God showed me how unbelievably merciful and holy He is, He gave me a taste of how much He truly loves me, despite myself, and most importantly: He gave me an awakening.
He woke me up to liberty.
It never ceases to amaze me how unbelievably fast my heart hardens after distancing myself from the Lord. I do it to myself; I make the choice to get on facebook rather than picking up the Word and reading the letters of love from my Maker, I make the choice to separate myself from the God of the Universe and the God of my heart, to make my own way, to plan out my future and set out to make it happen. But God's love pursues. The Maker of the mountains and the Tamer of the oceans doesn't want to be a part of my life, He wants to BE my life. My all. My joy. My peace. My only love. And I make the conscious choice to put something else above Him. Despite that, He still desires to be my everything.
I can't get over that kind of love. And I don't want to.
Liberty is such a gift. It is because of liberty we can read our Bibles in America freely (for right now). It is because of liberty we are no longer slaves at a plantation. And it is because of liberty we are no longer slaves to sin. We have been granted freedom through the cross! Isn't that amazing?! God gives us liberty, ahem, freely.
The last few weeks God has shown me a lot about my future, He has called me to Africa for missions. He has called me to Murray for school (I'll be starting in the fall). And He has called me to be obedient to the rest of His callings, whenever they come and wherever they take me.
Living in Liberty and encouraging you to do the same,
Sophie
Liberty. What a word. For the American Patriot the word may swell their heart with pride. For another, it might just another word in the immeasurable sea of words. For me, it splashes water droplets of love on my dry, desert of a heart.
Over the past two months, but specifically the past three weeks, God has poured His love and grace on my life like no other time I can ever remember. Or, maybe He's always been there pouring out His love and I'm just now starting to pay attention. Yes, I think that's it.
The rain started falling on my heart in Atlanta, Georgia for Passion 2010, a gathering of college students from around the world uniting to make God famous. "Yes, Lord, we walk in the way of Your truth, waiting eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." -Isaiah 26:8
Passion was an unforgettable experience, filled with heartache, joy and too many life lessons to mention. Funny how you can experience heartache and joy at the same time, isn't it? Oh, but it's possible. You can be hurting, and yet clinging to the promises in God's Word that supplies us with "joy unspeakable." Praise God for joy and peace in the midst of painful situations.
Through the days at Passion, God showed me how unbelievably merciful and holy He is, He gave me a taste of how much He truly loves me, despite myself, and most importantly: He gave me an awakening.
He woke me up to liberty.
It never ceases to amaze me how unbelievably fast my heart hardens after distancing myself from the Lord. I do it to myself; I make the choice to get on facebook rather than picking up the Word and reading the letters of love from my Maker, I make the choice to separate myself from the God of the Universe and the God of my heart, to make my own way, to plan out my future and set out to make it happen. But God's love pursues. The Maker of the mountains and the Tamer of the oceans doesn't want to be a part of my life, He wants to BE my life. My all. My joy. My peace. My only love. And I make the conscious choice to put something else above Him. Despite that, He still desires to be my everything.
I can't get over that kind of love. And I don't want to.
Liberty is such a gift. It is because of liberty we can read our Bibles in America freely (for right now). It is because of liberty we are no longer slaves at a plantation. And it is because of liberty we are no longer slaves to sin. We have been granted freedom through the cross! Isn't that amazing?! God gives us liberty, ahem, freely.
The last few weeks God has shown me a lot about my future, He has called me to Africa for missions. He has called me to Murray for school (I'll be starting in the fall). And He has called me to be obedient to the rest of His callings, whenever they come and wherever they take me.
Living in Liberty and encouraging you to do the same,
Sophie
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