To know You is to want to
tell the world about You
Cause I can’t live without
You
To know You is to hear
Your voice when You are calling
To know You is to catch my
brother when he’s falling
To know You is to feel the
pain of the broken hearted
Cause they can’t live
without You
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All am reaching for, I
live my life to know You more
I leave it all behind, You
are all that satisfies
To know You is to want to
know You more
To know You is to want to
know You more
To know You is to ache for
more than ordinary
To know You is to look
beyond the temporary
To know You is believing
that You will be enough
Cause there is no life
without You
All this life could offer
me, could not compare to You, compare to You
And I count it all as
lost, compared to knowing You, knowing You
“I tell you, do not worry
about your life…” matthew 6:25
" that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings..." phillipians 3:10
“I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. if you really
know Me, you will know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have
seen Him.” john 14:6-7
“these commandments that I
give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk
about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie
down and when you get up. tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your
foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9
My prayer is that I do not
get tired of getting to know my Lord, that I’ll keep on pursuing Him and when I
get weak and weary, pray for strength to
carry on like the faithful soldier that He’s called me to be in His kingdom. I
pray you pray the same too.
there’s a way that the bruises and pain of life can leave you
with the strong desire to run away. I would know because all I’ve ever wanted
to do is run away when it feels like it’s hard for me to breathe.
And I don’t necessarily mean running away literally. Although I would give anything to literally do. Running away in itself isn’t so bad…it’s what you’re running towards that matters. There were times when life just weighed on me and I run. I run to stupid movies and series to numb the pain. starved of affection and attention, the way I knew to deal was to run. I run to wrong friendships and relationships to escape some misery. But of course, there’s always a price to pay for such running. It leaves you more torn and weary in the end. Some run to food, alcohol, drugs, sex, negative peer pressure, pornography, crappy movies/tv series/songs…
but when you know better, you do better. I know better now to run to Jesus when I feel lost and alone. He’s my safe place.
This song reminds me of me, and how no matter what's going wrong now, I don’t want to be the me I used to be. the me who'd run to lifeless movies and songs and the wrong kind of people.
does anybody hear her~ casting crowns
she is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
she is trying but the canyon’s ever widening in the depths of
her cold heart
so she sets out on another misadventure just to find
she’s another two years older and she’s three more steps behind
does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she’s going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that’s tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
She is yearning for shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching for a hero to ride in, to ride in and save the
day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason and she gives herself away
If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can’t see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
He is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
“come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest.” Matthew 11:28
“here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they
with Me.” revelation 3:20
“brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who
live by the Spirit should restore that gently. But watch yourselves, or you
also may be tempted. carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will
fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians
6:1-2
“When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax
collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “how is it that He eats and
drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” when Jesus heard it, He said to them,
those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did
not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Mark 2:16-17
Perhaps you’re not the one running away from hurt or some pain
towards danger. Perhaps there’s someone around you silently screaming to be
noticed, desperately wanting for someone to listen
and understand, without necessarily fixing what’s wrong. Listening, I’m
learning is an important weapon in helping a broken heart heal. Are you
watching? Paying attention? The signs? Personally, I become withdrawn when I’m
dealing with stuff…uninterested in things that used to give me life. I’m
usually quiet but I become knee-deep quiet.
So, pay attention to the souls around you. You could make such a
huge difference by helping someone from running to the wrong things. your kind
smile or words could save someone from falling into the deep end. we're not called as Christians to judge and point fingers at people who're lost..we're called to love them to life. I’m not
saying to go pry into people’s lives in order to lend a listening ear or be holy ghost jr. But have
the knack for noticing the silent signs…It could be a teenager in your
neighborhood… a girl in your school seeking the wrong attention by showing way
too much skin…let’s do well to be the hands and feet we’re called to be as the
body of Christ. let's not be so wrapped up in our own worlds.
We were wired to crave God, and anything we crave in His place
becomes an idol.
Most of the times in my
life, especially this season I’m in, I just can’t seem to figure God out and
what He’s doing concerning the prayers I've been pouring out to Him. life can
get pretty confusing and I begin to wonder if He’s doing something to rescue me.
but I take comfort in His word that says, “ ‘ for My thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts
than your thoughts.’ ” Isaiah 55:8-9
Everything may seem to be
falling apart and it may look like God is taking forever to help me but I
choose to believe His promises. Things could be way worse. And I know in the
course of time, His plan will become clearer and I will eat the good of the
land and I will see His goodness in the land of the living. I know He sees me,
and He’s watching for my reaction to the tests I face. It’s all just a matter
of time.
already there~ casting crowns
From where I’m standing,
Lord, it’s so hard for me to see
where this is going and where You’re leading me.
I wish I knew how all my fears and all my questions
are gonna play out in a world I can’t control
when I’m lost in the mystery,
to You my future is a memory
cause You’re already there, You are already there
standing at the end of my life,
waiting on the other side
and You’re already there, You are already there
from where You’re standing,
Lord, You see a grand design
that You imagined when You breathed me into life
and all the chaos comes together in Your hands
like a masterpiece of Your picture perfect plan
one day I’ll stand before You
and look back on the life I’ve lived.
I can’t wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit
the story behind the song
“He knows the way that I
take. When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10
“… I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End…” revelation
21:6
“and we know that in all
things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called
according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
“ ‘for I know the plans I
have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah
29:11
“and I saw the dead, great
and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was
opened, which is the book of Life…and each person was judged according to what
they had done.” Revelations 20:12-13
“and without
faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must
believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
What you do
during the time of test and trials reveal what is really in your heart towards
God. Choose to faithfully cling to Him during the storms, never letting go.
Refuse to complain against God. I know, I get so tempted to do that. But let’s
be careful what we say to Him. let’s use
the gifts and talents He’s given us to bring glory to Him right in the middle
of the storms. let’s choose to walk by the assurance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not see. Faith.
so, today's tuesday, but we'll still have our music 'monday.' connection crisis is to blame.
anyhow, this song, it speaks so much truth to me. heard it way back but i can't seem to have enough of it. it holds timeless truth.
slow fade ~ casting crowns
be careful little eyes what you see,
it's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
be careful little feet where you go,
for it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
it's a slow fade when you give yourself away,
it's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
thoughts invade, choices are made,
a price will be paid when you give yourself away
people never crumble in a day, it's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
be careful little ears what you hear
when flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
be careful little lips what you say
for empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
the journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you're thinking.
be careful if you thin you stand, you just might be sinking.
it's a slow fade when you give yourself away,
it's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
thoughts invade, choices are made,
a price will be paid when you give yourself away
people never crumble in a day, daddies never crumble in a day,
families never crumble in a day.
oh, be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little eyes what you see,
for the Father up above is looking down in love
oh, be careful little eyes what you see.
"how can a young person stay on the path of purity? by living according to Your Word. i have hidden Your Word in my heart that i might not sin against You." proverbs 119:9,11
"Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." psalm 119:105 "above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." proverbs 4:23 "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 corinthians 10:5 "My[Jesus] prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. they are not of the world, even as I am not of it. sanctify them by the truth; Your word is Truth." john 17:15-17 "do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will." romans 12:2 "so, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. and God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. but when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 corinthians 10:12-13 let's be mindful of the things we feed our minds-worldly movies/tv shows we watch, music we listen to, books/blogs we read, websites we visit. let's be mindful of the people we constantly surround ourselves with, both in person and the virtual world-our social media. let's do away with all that does not glorify our heavenly Father. in all you do, ask yourself: does this make me get to know the heart of Jesus better? our thoughts are a great deal influenced by what we feed our minds, and our thoughts influence our actions. so let's guard our hearts and minds with the Word from the excessive garbage of the world. let's ask Holy Spirit to give us the power to resist temptation and walk in the Light of Jesus.
so, today i want to share on guarding our hearts. our hearts are the wellsprings of our lives and from it come our thoughts, words and actions. i've been trying to guard my heart for a while now and the outcome compared to how i used to leave my heart unchecked is remarkable. before i intentionally started guarding my heart, i would watch certain movies/ tv series, read secular non-edifying books and listen to songs that didn't glorify God and didn't edify me either. i sometimes allowed certain friends who should remain simple friends become too close. simply put, i left my heart unguarded, no boundaries.
with time, i began to filter everything and anything that came to me with the Word of God. if this friendship continues what fruit will it bear? if i watch/read/listen to this what implications and fruits are going to result? are they good fruits or bad fruits. i began to ask myself. i had to let go of some dead weight and people/things that were obviously going to have negative influence on me rather than me having an impacting influence on them. i had to evaluate the people i constantly surrounded myself with and ask, how much of influence do these people have on me? does that influence bear good fruits? - the fruits of the Spirit [love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, gentleness and self-control. galatians 5;22-23] do i desire to be godly when i consistently hang with this or that person? my interactions with certain people had to greatly reduce and some things simply had to go! this doesn't mean i lock up my heart, throw the key somewhere and not be able to even feel or be empathetic, no. i simply allow God's sure and true Word be what i use to filter/check what does come into my heart. if the thing isn't making me grow into the stature of Christ, i let it go. here are some words and a story from joshua harris' book i kissed dating goodbye, illustrating how important it is to keep watch over what comes to our hearts. the Bible is replete with warnings about the nature of the human heart and with instructions to make our top priority watching over it. proverbs 4:23 tells us, "above all else, guard your heart..." how should we do this? first, picture guarding your heart as if your heart were a criminal tied in a chair who would like to break free and knock you over the head. in other words, protect yourself from your heart's sinfulness. keep a wary eye on your heart, knowing that it can do you damage if it is not carefully watched. "the heart is deceitful above all things...' we read in jeremiah 17:9. "who can know it?" though the advice of many well-meaning people today is to "follow your heart," the Bible warns that your heart can lead you in wrong, even deadly, directions. our hearts lie. something can "feel" right and be completely wrong. in his book 'first things first', stephen covey uses an analogy that can help us understand the knack our emotions have for bending reality. if you take a flashlight and shine it on a sundial at night, you can make the sundial tell any time you want. but while this method gives you a time, that time won't be accurate. why? because you've manipulated the source of light. in the same way, our emotions can "shed light" on our circumstances from any number of angles. they can tell us whatever we want to hear. but we can't place all our trust in these heart readings. ...next, picture guarding your heart as if it were a fresh spring of water that you want to drink from daily.
an elderly , quiet forest dweller once lived high above an austrian village along the eastern slopes of the alps. many years ago, the town council had hired this old gentleman as Keeper of the Spring to maintain the purity of the pools of water in the mountain crevices. the overflow from these pools ran down the mountainside and fed the lovely spring which flowed through the town. with faithful, silent regularity, the keeper of the spring patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches from the pools, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water. by and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants sparkled. years passed. one evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. as the council members reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary paid the obscure keeper of the spring. "who is this old man?" he asked indignantly. "why do we keep paying him year after year? no one ever sees him. for all we know, this man does us no good. he isn't necessary any longer!" by a unanimous vote, the council dispensed with the old man's services. for several weeks nothing changed. but by early autumn, the tress began to shed their leaves. small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. one afternoon, someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. a few days later, the water had darkened even more. within a week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor emanated from the spring. the mill wheels moved slowly, some finally ground to a halt. businesses located near the water closed. the swans migrated to fresher waters far away, and tourists no longer visited the town. eventually, the clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
***
the shortsighted town council enjoyed the beauty of the spring but underestimated the importance of guarding its source. we can make the same mistake in our lives. like the keeper of the spring who maintained the purity of the water, you and i are the keepers of our hearts. we need to consistently evaluate the purity of our hearts in prayer, asking God to reveal the little things that contaminate us. as God reveals our wrong attitudes, longings, and desires, we must remove them from our hearts.
here's a song that speaks to me a lot on this matter.
slow fade- casting crowns
people never crumble in a day. it's a slow fade.
which people do you consistently surround yourself with? do they breathe life and speak truth into your life? what behaviors/activities do you engage in? are they drawing you closer to Christ? the movies/tv shows, books, music you feed your mind, do they feed your Spirit or your carnal pleasures? let's be intentional with guarding our hearts guys. it's important! what consumes your mind, controls your life.
