"Ten years from now, what do you imagine your life will look like?"
That questions gets asked often enough. For some people, the answer comes easily. Father's pass on their businesses to their sons. Those sons get married, raise a family, become a strong part of their community. The daughter grows up, maybe goes to college, eventually settles down. They answer easily that their lives will probably look like the lives of the generations who lived before them. For others, there are dreams of a successful career with lots of money. For others, it's of adventure and risk-taking. For others it's academia or politics or the arts. Ten years is long enough to be uncertain, but short enough to need vision and direction, and therefore it gets asked.
I wonder if Peter ever thought about that as a fifteen year old boy. Probably his estimation was that in ten years, he would take over the fishing business and continue the tradition of being a fisherman. LIttle did he know Who would walk into his life: someone who would call him to fish, but in a very different way.
"Follow me." Those words changed the fabric of his existence. Not just once, but continually. The initial call came in that way--no prerequisites that promised safety or ease. Simply an offer to walk with the man Who issued the challenge. Peter followed immediately
Three years later, after his life has been turned upside down about 20 million different ways, with every dimension of his being unable to escape the hand of God, Jesus comes and eats breakfast with him. This is after He has been resurrected from the dead; after Peter denied him; after Peter walked in his inner circle for three years, watching Him heal the sick in body and heart. After that, I bet you listen pretty carefully to every word someone says to you.
"Peter, do you love me?"
"Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
"Feed My sheep."
Then, Jesus outright told Peter, "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. Follow me."
Follow Me.
Jesus knew that Peter was fishing again, having returned to his former career after Jesus was arrested and crucified. And He knew that the fathers before him fished, too. But that didn't stop the call. Peter had a wife, and probably a family. That didn't stop the call. That didn't make the cost any less or the challenge any safer.
I was thinking about that today. There are nations on my heart. Nations consist of people, of "sheep". Yet, ten years from now, if I decide I want to follow a comfortable path and live for the will of man, building my own kingdom, that won't stop God from asking me to follow HIm. He'll look at me with those eyes that show an immensity of love that both pursues and knows when to let go, and my heart will have to decide. Christ's vulnerability and honesty call me to be real with the call. The cost has not decreased. Peter fed the sheep. And Peter died walking out this mandate. He didn't die from old age. HIs death was crucifixion, upside down. Jesus told him outright that this would happen. Peter counted the cost, and because he loved Jesus, he chose to feed the sheep. He could have stayed on the fishing boat, selling fish. But every day he would be restless, haunted, unfufilled. Intead, he laid everything secure at the feet of God, and followed him. I don't think he regreted that decision.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
"COME!!!!"
Word Dutch Sheets spoke on the CD Undiscovered by Rick Pino....
"They heard a sound in Jesus' day, but they couldn't identify the sound, they missed it. They even heard the sound of John the Baptist--they heard the voice crying out, but they couldn't get it! You must hear the sound of the Spirit. You must hear the voice of God saying, 'Come to Me!' You must hear Him. You must hear the sound of heaven drawing you. You must hear the sound of His presence. You've gotta get to that place where NOTHING matters but the VOICE, the sound....you must get there. It must drown out all else in your life, all of your cares, all of your other desires, ,all of your passions. Everything else has to be brought down to a level where the loudest thing you hear is His voice saying, 'Come, Come, Come!'"
"As you bring forth the sound of heaven, the Lord says, 'I will begin to fill the atmosphere. It will be not what you say--it will be WHO YOU ARE! You will no longer wonder what it means not to be able to minister or move because of the weighty presence....you will KNOW my weighty presence,' He says, 'You will know My glory.'"
"YOu must ask Him to come! You must create an atmosphere for His Spirit. You must give Him worth. You must value Him above your next breath. You must ask Him to come. You must cry out until the sound of heaven reaches earth. You must cry out until your voices are one with His. You must cry, you must cry, you must cry out for it!"
"Agh!!!! COME!!!!! COME!!!!! You must come to us!!!! You must come!!!! We must have You!!!!! COME, COME, COME! Spirit of God, Come, we plead!!!! Let the voice many waters be heard.....build a house for Your glory. COME, COME, COME!!! Holy Spirit, come with fire!!! FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!!! Come with Your fire!"
"They heard a sound in Jesus' day, but they couldn't identify the sound, they missed it. They even heard the sound of John the Baptist--they heard the voice crying out, but they couldn't get it! You must hear the sound of the Spirit. You must hear the voice of God saying, 'Come to Me!' You must hear Him. You must hear the sound of heaven drawing you. You must hear the sound of His presence. You've gotta get to that place where NOTHING matters but the VOICE, the sound....you must get there. It must drown out all else in your life, all of your cares, all of your other desires, ,all of your passions. Everything else has to be brought down to a level where the loudest thing you hear is His voice saying, 'Come, Come, Come!'"
"As you bring forth the sound of heaven, the Lord says, 'I will begin to fill the atmosphere. It will be not what you say--it will be WHO YOU ARE! You will no longer wonder what it means not to be able to minister or move because of the weighty presence....you will KNOW my weighty presence,' He says, 'You will know My glory.'"
"YOu must ask Him to come! You must create an atmosphere for His Spirit. You must give Him worth. You must value Him above your next breath. You must ask Him to come. You must cry out until the sound of heaven reaches earth. You must cry out until your voices are one with His. You must cry, you must cry, you must cry out for it!"
"Agh!!!! COME!!!!! COME!!!!! You must come to us!!!! You must come!!!! We must have You!!!!! COME, COME, COME! Spirit of God, Come, we plead!!!! Let the voice many waters be heard.....build a house for Your glory. COME, COME, COME!!! Holy Spirit, come with fire!!! FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!!! Come with Your fire!"
Adoration
Adoration
by Ian McIntosh
"There is a light that shines within me,
there is a hope that burns inside me.
Deep within my soul, my very existence,
there is a being waiting to be freed.
A child who knows no fear, pain, or rejection.
There is an emotion all encompassing of
excitement, joyfullness, gladness, and love.
The creative potential of laughter
and the undeniable power of an infants joy live inside me.
Unmeasureable are my limits for I call You FATHER.
Unimaginable my potential for You have called me son.
There is someone inside of me, waiting to be unleashed,
whom You embrace, whom I long to be.
There is an all consuming fire,
a light that permeates from my very being.
You have unlocked me, God.
The doors You open, no man can shut.
I will praise You for all my days, for You are good.
You have released me, God, with Your love.
You are EVERYTHING."
by Ian McIntosh
"There is a light that shines within me,
there is a hope that burns inside me.
Deep within my soul, my very existence,
there is a being waiting to be freed.
A child who knows no fear, pain, or rejection.
There is an emotion all encompassing of
excitement, joyfullness, gladness, and love.
The creative potential of laughter
and the undeniable power of an infants joy live inside me.
Unmeasureable are my limits for I call You FATHER.
Unimaginable my potential for You have called me son.
There is someone inside of me, waiting to be unleashed,
whom You embrace, whom I long to be.
There is an all consuming fire,
a light that permeates from my very being.
You have unlocked me, God.
The doors You open, no man can shut.
I will praise You for all my days, for You are good.
You have released me, God, with Your love.
You are EVERYTHING."
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Poverty lyrics
Lyrics:
"There's a power in poverty that breaks principalities
And brings the authorities down to their knees
There's a brewing frustration and ageless temptation
To fight for control by some manipulation
But the God of the Kingdoms and the God of the Nations
The God of creation sends this revelation
Thru the homeless and penniless Jesus the son
The poor will inherit the Kingdom to come
Where will we turn when our world falls apart,
And all of the treasures we?ve stored in our barns
Can?t buy the Kingdom of God?
Who will we praise when we?ve praised all our lives
men who build Kingdoms and men who build fame
but heaven does not know their names?
What will we fear when all that remains
Is God on His throne, with a child in his arms, and love in his eyes
And the sound of his heart cries?"
-Jason Upton (lyrics)
"There's a power in poverty that breaks principalities
And brings the authorities down to their knees
There's a brewing frustration and ageless temptation
To fight for control by some manipulation
But the God of the Kingdoms and the God of the Nations
The God of creation sends this revelation
Thru the homeless and penniless Jesus the son
The poor will inherit the Kingdom to come
Where will we turn when our world falls apart,
And all of the treasures we?ve stored in our barns
Can?t buy the Kingdom of God?
Who will we praise when we?ve praised all our lives
men who build Kingdoms and men who build fame
but heaven does not know their names?
What will we fear when all that remains
Is God on His throne, with a child in his arms, and love in his eyes
And the sound of his heart cries?"
-Jason Upton (lyrics)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Jesus' face--It'll wreck your theology
That's pretty much all this blog is about. Yeah. I wanna come undone.
"Je t'adore mon amie"
That's french for, "Your smile will have my heart forever."
Jesus, your smile, I want it to have my heart forever.
Cause when You smile, I can't resist. No one loves me like You do, and I want to know that face of Yours--just like lovers--who know each others' faces better than anyone else.
When Jesus' smile has your heart, you can't say no. He's too beautiful, too wonderful, too majestic. Your heart gets wrecked the moment He looks at you. And then, all you want is to make Him smile for the rest of your life.
Jesus, your smile, I want it to have my heart forever.
Cause when You smile, I can't resist. No one loves me like You do, and I want to know that face of Yours--just like lovers--who know each others' faces better than anyone else.
When Jesus' smile has your heart, you can't say no. He's too beautiful, too wonderful, too majestic. Your heart gets wrecked the moment He looks at you. And then, all you want is to make Him smile for the rest of your life.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
CREATE!
create:
to bring into existence
to produce through imaginative skill
to make or bring into existence something new
God created the world out of nothing. There are still things that need to be created--things that have never before been seen, but that God is wanting to birth through His people. And not just creative miracles. What about creative ways of preaching the Gospel? What about inventions and movies and companies that exist as a prophetic message, preaching the Gospel, testifying of Jesus to the very fabric of society that needs a clear voice that isn't caught up the religious "thee" and "thou" jargon of the churched. What about undercover prophets who are invading hollywood, the FBI, the military, dignitary meetings, concert halls, college campuses, the medical field, anti-God science establishments? Cause when you walk in authority, which comes from purity of motive, people listen. They may not like you, but you'll have their ear, just like Paul had the ear of Agrippa. But different. Because it's time for the unprecedented things that come from being led as sons and daughters.
Dream big. Cause one day you'll become that dream. One day, you'll be walking along the street, just like the two guys on the road to Emmaus, who could only dream of Jesus actually being alive. All of a sudden, Jesus will start walking right next to you...you'll be walking in that dream. Or you'll be like Peter, captured in a prison, about to be martyred. All of a sudden, an angel appears...and all you can say is, "Am I in a vision?" as you walk through the gate of the city into freedom, the angel disappearing into thin air. But still, different, cause it's time for the unprecedented. It's time to get with the Creator and ask Him to use you to create things that bring the real thing into the earth.
to bring into existence
to produce through imaginative skill
to make or bring into existence something new
God created the world out of nothing. There are still things that need to be created--things that have never before been seen, but that God is wanting to birth through His people. And not just creative miracles. What about creative ways of preaching the Gospel? What about inventions and movies and companies that exist as a prophetic message, preaching the Gospel, testifying of Jesus to the very fabric of society that needs a clear voice that isn't caught up the religious "thee" and "thou" jargon of the churched. What about undercover prophets who are invading hollywood, the FBI, the military, dignitary meetings, concert halls, college campuses, the medical field, anti-God science establishments? Cause when you walk in authority, which comes from purity of motive, people listen. They may not like you, but you'll have their ear, just like Paul had the ear of Agrippa. But different. Because it's time for the unprecedented things that come from being led as sons and daughters.
Dream big. Cause one day you'll become that dream. One day, you'll be walking along the street, just like the two guys on the road to Emmaus, who could only dream of Jesus actually being alive. All of a sudden, Jesus will start walking right next to you...you'll be walking in that dream. Or you'll be like Peter, captured in a prison, about to be martyred. All of a sudden, an angel appears...and all you can say is, "Am I in a vision?" as you walk through the gate of the city into freedom, the angel disappearing into thin air. But still, different, cause it's time for the unprecedented. It's time to get with the Creator and ask Him to use you to create things that bring the real thing into the earth.
Broken Chord
Broken chord. warrior lost.
I heard the news, far away
I was young. You were younger.
I wonder if I could have said something.
Would it have changed a thing?
Can we go back?
To the yesterday...
When you were still here. Before you got away.
When innocence still had a place.
Playing in the fields
Freedom as we ran
Unhindered by the circumstances--the ones that
would come soon
Yet in childlike simplicity we didn't know
I wish that I could see you
just one last time
give you a playful punch
make fun of your awful mudpie
Now I sit here in silence
Thinking on my day
the day you could have had
but you ran away. why did you run away?
I wish...
i could have been there
in the darkness
when night came with haunting thoughts
maybe i could have helped
to shift the decrees of death over your life.
maybe i could have challenged you
to stand up and fight
pleading with you--that today, there may be someone
who needed your life.
someday we'll embrace
in that place
where the grief and the pain
no longer grip your heart
no longer numb your ability to dream, to believe
where the tears that covered your face
are finally wiped away
now only peace...
finally you have ears to hear the song--
the one He is singing over you,
the one that has always been just for you....
If only you would have learned how to dream.
If only you would have learned how to receive--
love.
I wish you learned how to be loved.
I wish you would have stayed.
Why did you run away?
I heard the news, far away
I was young. You were younger.
I wonder if I could have said something.
Would it have changed a thing?
Can we go back?
To the yesterday...
When you were still here. Before you got away.
When innocence still had a place.
Playing in the fields
Freedom as we ran
Unhindered by the circumstances--the ones that
would come soon
Yet in childlike simplicity we didn't know
I wish that I could see you
just one last time
give you a playful punch
make fun of your awful mudpie
Now I sit here in silence
Thinking on my day
the day you could have had
but you ran away. why did you run away?
I wish...
i could have been there
in the darkness
when night came with haunting thoughts
maybe i could have helped
to shift the decrees of death over your life.
maybe i could have challenged you
to stand up and fight
pleading with you--that today, there may be someone
who needed your life.
someday we'll embrace
in that place
where the grief and the pain
no longer grip your heart
no longer numb your ability to dream, to believe
where the tears that covered your face
are finally wiped away
now only peace...
finally you have ears to hear the song--
the one He is singing over you,
the one that has always been just for you....
If only you would have learned how to dream.
If only you would have learned how to receive--
love.
I wish you learned how to be loved.
I wish you would have stayed.
Why did you run away?
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Falling Slowly lyrics (Once)
Glen Hansard - Falling Slowly Lyrics
I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along
I don't know you
But I want you
All the more for that
Words fall through me
And always fool me
And I can't react
And games that never amount
To more than they're meant
Will play themselves out
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly, eyes that know me
And I can't go back
Moods that take me and erase me
And I'm painted black
You have suffered enough
And warred with yourself
It's time that you won
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Take this sinking boat and point it home
We've still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You've made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I'll sing along
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