music monday// Christ in me

hi there! i hope you had a restful weekend. :) 
mine was productive and good! i spent a bit of it crafting new pieces of hand lettering art. you can check out my new crafts shop (Delali Creates Shop) here!

sooo today I'm sharing this song by jeremy camp that just wouldn't leave my head. 

i keep humming it unconsciously in between the buzz of these past days. 
the words carry so much weight and i'm hoping it means something to you as much as it does to me. :)

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Christ in me ~Jeremy Camp

In this obsession with the things this world says make us happy
Can't see the slaves we are in all the searching all the grasping
Like we deserve much more than all these blessing we're holding
So now I'm running free into an ocean of mercy unending

So come and empty me
So that it's you I breathe
I want my life to be
Only Christ in me
So I will fix my eyes
'Cause You're my source of life
I need the world to see
That it's Christ in me
That it's Christ in me

Done with what holds me down the things I once was chasing after
Throw off these heavy chains that I have let become my master
So now I'm running free into an ocean of mercy unending

So come and empty me
So that it's you I breathe
I want my life to be
Only Christ in me
So I will fix my eyes
'Cause you're my source of life
I need the world to see
That it's Christ in me
That it's Christ in me

In this obsession with the things this world says make us happy
Can't see the slaves we are in all the searching all the grasping

So come and empty me
So that it's you I breathe
I want my life to be
Only Christ in me
So I will fix my eyes
'Cause you're my source of life
I need the world to see
Only Christ in me
Only Christ in me
Only Christ in me
Christ in me 

 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."// galatians 2:20

I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me."// John 17:23

"If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness."// romans 8:10

"The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."// 1 John 3:24

  This planet called earth is a world full of decay and sin and death and the only Source of life here is the Word of Father God as His Holy Spirit moves and brings the Word alive in the lives of those who seek salvation in Jesus Christ by believing in Him. 

If you're a Christian i'd like to encourage you not to give up or compromise on your faith in Jesus no matter what.
If you're caught in a cyclone of doubts and unbelief and wondering if this Jesus you keep hearing about is real, well let me just say He is soooooo real, closer than your breath and He is waiting, yearning for the time when you would eventually put your faith and trust in Him.
it is worth it. i promise!

dear you, please do not allow yourself to be polluted by this obsession driven world. more money wouldn't satisfy the void inside, more stuff wouldn't bring fulfillment, more relationships with guys and ladies wouldn't do it either. we're all broken cisterns and only Jesus truly satisfies the thirst of the human soul. only He can fill the void in the human heart.
Christ in you and i is the hope of glory! :)

xoxo,

 Delali

music monday// yearn

It'sssss mooodaaaay! I'm sharing this song i've come to love so much by shane barnard and shane everet. it helps kindle the fire within me and reminds me that the sole purpose of my life is to seek my Father in heaven, to seek His specific will for my life, to find Him and be sure not to wander away from Him.

 

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yearn// shane & shane

 

Holy design
This place in time
That I might seek and find my God
My God

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
And over You
And only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You
And only You

 Lord, I want to yearn

Your joy is mine
Yet why am I fine?
With all my singing and bringing grain
In light of Him

I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
And over You
And only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
And over You
And only You

Oh, You give life and breath
And in You we live and move
That's why I sing

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
And over You
And only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
And over You
And only You

Lord, I want to yearn

The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.// psalm 14:2 

 

 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him// hebrews 11:6 

 

Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, and to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. // isaiah 55:6-7

 

 For in Him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'// acts: 17:28

Our Father in heaven is on high, and His Spirit is searching the hearts of men to see those who are seeking for Him, looking and thirsting for Him and hungry to know more of Him, of His ways. it'll be such a tragedy for me to be on this earth and live selfishly for myself. the whole purpose of any human on this earth is to continually chase after God and live for Him.

I hope you always remember this. 

xoxo, delali.

soulful hymns// hark, the voice of Jesus calling!

heya! i'd like to introduce a new line of songs i'd be blogging about. guesssss!!!!

hymns!!! :D i grew up mostly catholic and got to learn and sing a lot of hymns plus i went to an all-girls catholic senior high school too. but well, with time i grew out of being catholic. i guess i desired something more, not to mention that i had a tad load of excuses to give not to go for mass on sundays especially during vacation times from school. a great deal of my sundays during my university life was my laundry time and watching unnecessary tv series + movies. 

lemme pause on this bit of the story and tell you about "why hymns?" considering it's 1:22 am and i awfully need me some beauty sleep.

via

so the long and short of my story about hymns is that, i sang them alright in church, but i didn't ever bother to actually hunt them down, learn the lyrics and collect them on my playlist. i found them too slow and well sometimes 'boring'

but these days, i've been pondering on how Father says in His love letters to us that we need to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to encourage ourselves. actually, all the 3 worship camps at which i recently served as one of the camp ministers had ephesians 5:18-19 as the key scripture. 

and i'm being reminded how hymns actually have deep meaning to their words. and you know ya girl, she likes deep. ;) i find the words of hymns carrying so much depth, so much weight. the depth that actually moves you to think some more on eternity and Jesus and the meaning of the lives we are living on this fleeting earth. this depth obviously comes from some of the difficult personal experiences of the composers. 

and this hymn...hark the voice of Jesus calling...there's just something about it. i came across it twice last month on 1st december and the second time a few days after that. the first encounter was when after going back to facebook after 3 years of deactivating my facebook account, i saw it on a friend's facebook wall. i didn't know why then, but the words meant something more to me than mere lyrics and i read each line with intrigue. 

the second encounter with this hymn was a few days after the first encounter. when i realized it was the same hymn that intrigued me on my friend's FB wall i went like, this hymn again! i shook my head in quiet disbelief but somehow smiled too. as i sang it with some lovely humans after a much convicting message about missions and missionaries, i just knew God was talking to me. as i sang this beautiful and compelling hymn, i couldn't withhold the tears. they flowed down unhindered and i wasn't in the least ashamed. i let them flow as Jesus was tugging at my heart yet again about what He had been telling me way back in 2013 before i actually went on a missions trip to south africa and swaziland about serving Him in ministry as a missionary. i just knew encountering this soul stirring hymn on both occasions wasn't some coincidence. (i'll fill you guys in on more details about the call Jesus has on my life to be a missionary + teacher).

so as i offer this hymn to you, as i share the richness of its lines with you, i hope it somehow moves you to ask Father what He wants you to do about its message, should you go for a short term missions trip? has He called you to be a full time missionary? ask Him, talk it over with Him. in matthew 28:19 Jesus says we should GO and make disciples of all nations. every Christian is a default missionary wherever they find themselves. 

there's just something about soulful hymns. really, there is.

enjoy this lovely goodness. :)

Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling// Daniel March

Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, 

"Who will go and work today?

Fields are white and harvests waiting,

Who will bear the sheaves away?"

Loud and long the master calls you;

Rich reward He offers free.

Who will answer, gladly saying,

"Here am I. Send me, send me"?

If you cannot speak like angels,

If you cannot preach like Paul,

You can tell the love of Jesus;

You can say He died for all.

If you cannot rouse the wicked

With the judgment’s dread alarms,

You can lead the little children 

To the Savior’s waiting arms.

If you cannot be a watchman,

Standing high on Zion’s wall,

Pointing out the path to heaven,

Offering life and peace to all,

With your prayers and with your bounties

You can do what God demands;

You can be like faithful Aaron, 

Holding up the prophet’s hands.

Let none hear you idly saying,

"There is nothing I can do,"

While the multitudes are dying

And the master calls for you.

Take the task He gives you gladly;

Let His work your pleasure be.

Answer quickly when He calls you,

"Here am I. Send me, send me!"

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”// Isaiah 6:8

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field." // Matthew 9: 35-38 

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. // ephesians 5:18-19

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts." // colossians 3:16

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose." // acts 16:25-26

singing hymns is a very powerful tool against the enemy. it causes miracles, it helps me to dwell and ponder on Jesus some more and on things that actually matter on this side of heaven.

I hope this hymn means something deep to you after sticking it out with me, reading all my words above. i promise, i didn't mean to write so much, it just kinda happened. ;)

well, so Jesus desires for us, His children and friends to obey Him and share His gift of eternal salvation with others. you are a default missionary where you are. what is your response? 

xoxo, 

gen delali.

music monday// well done

i know very well that my life on earth here is a journey, a pilgrimage, a non-competitive race, yet an important marathon still. and there's a prize- eternal, unending number of days in the beautiful presence and light of God in heaven. and sometimes the troubles of this life and its fruitless worldly pursuits try to obliterate, blot out my hope and the precious knowledge of this prize. the cares of this world try to derail me of my purpose as a pilgrim, traveler in this world to show forth the praises of Jesus who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light, to love God and people, to share the Good News of the salvation of Jesus with others through the unique and specific abilities and giftings the Lord has placed in me. 

via

and when encouragement to finish this journey well floats to me like a song, and weaves into my heart like a story, i smile and get a new surge of determination to keep moving forward towards my Home. my real, forever home- Heaven. that's what this song brings me- encouragement towards the upward call. and i hope you find it too.

i'm gonna share some words that stuck out to me in the story that goes with the song...(find the video of the story here.)

...and she said, "when i stopped and looked up, all i could see was the fog. but if i could have just seen the land, i think i could have made it. 

to me[moriah], that is a beautiful picture of heaven. so many things that we go through here on earth-all the struggles, all the distractions- it's like a thick fog that's between where we are here and where we're going to be. my prayer and what i'm hoping to do through studying scripture, praying, and seeking the Lord is to cause that fog to slowly lift so i can begin to get a tiny glimpse of what heaven's going to be like. i hope that this song, well done encourages you to put your hope in heaven and to continue to run this race to hear those beautiful words being spoken from afar that, "well done, My good and faithful servant."

well done~ moriah peters

i'm headed down this narrow road, chosen by a few

and all that i know is You told me to follow You.

i'm taking a risk and leaving it all, not knowing what i'll go through

but i'm not alone as long as i follow You.

so when my life's a leap of faith, i can hear You say, well done, well done.

i'm gonna chase You, Lord. i'm gonna show the world Your love, whoa.

i'll run, i'll run. i'm gonna run this race to hear You say well done.

if people walk with me, talk with me, looking for truth

they're gonna find out soon.

if they're following me, then they're gonna follow You.

so let my life speak loud and clear. Lord, i wanna hear, well done, well done.

i'm gonna chase You, Lord. i'm gonna show the world Your love, whoa.

i'll run, i'll run. i'm gonna run this race to hear You say well done.

i'm so glad that i get to serve You, Lord.

You're the only one i'm living for, whoa.

and i'm gonna run straight into Your open arms

i'm gonna follow You with my whole heart, whoa, whoa.

well done, well done.

i'm gonna chase You, Lord. i'm gonna show the world Your love, whoa.

i'll run, i'll run. i'm gonna run this race to hear You say well done.

i'm gonna run this race to hear You say well done.

i'm gonna run this race to hear You say well done.

well done.

"do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." matthew 6:19-21

"enter through the narrow gate. for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." matthew 7:13-14

" 'His master replied, 'well done, good and faithful servant! you have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. come and share your master's happiness!' " matthew 25:21

"but whatever were gains to me i now consider loss for the sake of Christ. what is more, i consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake i have lost all things. i consider them garbage, that i may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ...but one thing i do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, i press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus." philippians 3:7-9;13-14

"do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? run in such a way as to get the prize. everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. they do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. therefore, i do not run like someone running aimlessly, i do not fight like a boxer beating the air. no, i strike a blow to my body[a daily dying to self-saying no carnal pleasures/sin] and make it my slave[subjecting thoughts and actions to the obedience of Christ] so that after i have preached to others, i myself will not be disqualified for the prize." 1 corinthians 9:24-27

"therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. for the joy that was set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." hebrews 12:1-3

i pray that you, yes you, reading this will not lose sight of heaven as you walk with the Lord to accomplish your purpose on this earth. i pray you don't lose hope when life gets messy and hard. i pray you get to fully know the specific talents, abilities and spiritual gifts God has given you, and i pray you choose to use them to honor only Him by using them in a specific, unique way to share the Gospel, the Good News of Christ to a dying world. i pray you finish this journey on earth really well and relish in your heavenly reward of eternal life + you get to hang out with the hero of your story-Jesus! the super loving, caring man to ever walk the face of this earth! ahhh, the best life ever! :)

xoxo, gen delali.

Still I Rise

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. And their righteousness is from Me. Says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17

Have you had one of those moments where God is evidently trying to tell or warn you of something? The other day I went for praying meeting with a number of my fellow missionaries, and my sweet God didn’t fail to speak to a number of us. I was happy for His Word... It shows He was definitely in our midst and He heard our prayers. 

After the meeting, we were all happy and chatty when a good friend of mine drew near and started speaking words of life to me, inspiring, encouraging words about never allowing anyone to belittle me or steal my joy. I was like okaayyy. It was getting a teensy awkward, the way he was stressing it. Lol I was wondering why all of a sudden he was telling me such things, cause nothing had happened and like I said, the atmosphere was all happy and chatty. I wanted to ask why but I was like nah, lemme just take it in. 

O, how God works! The next day, the devil struck and it all began to make sense. You see, God knew way ahead that the enemy was going to try to disturb me. But I had a heads up from my God and had on His full armor. I always do, ready for any attacks. Sometimes God’s care for me leaves me speechless. There are a billion people who call to Him, but He still makes time for me and warns me ahead of battle. Isn’t He an amazing God! He knew the enemy was ready to get at me with meaningless, useless, empty words so He spoke to me through my friend before that. 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” Ephesians 6:10,11,16

There are two forces behind words. One is good and the other, evil. God speaks to us through people, people who have made themselves available for the Holy Spirit to use them, just like my friend. But then again the devil also speaks and he also uses people who invite him in to use them for malicious purposes. And it’s so obvious the differences between the two. As the Spirit-led folk speak life-giving words, the ones who allow the devil to freely use them speak lies and detestable words... What have you been saying lately? Don’t allow the devil to use you. You were made for something greater, I promise.

The devil knows how precious the children of God are because of our great inheritance! Eternal Life! Plus we get to see and be with Jesus! Yes, that super cute, gentle Lover of my soul. :) Ahh, that day will be glorious! Anyways, as I was saying, the enemy who has been kicked out of Heaven is so jealous of our inheritance in Christ, so he roams this earth, searching for someone to devour. You know how the saying goes- misery loves company. This low life goes about using people to spread hatred and lies to eventually lead them off the path of God. Do you ever wonder why some people lose it and commit suicide or become alcoholics or do drugs? They allowed the devil to lie to them that they are not worthy. But hear me, YOU ARE WORTHY! You are so important to God, it’s mind-blowing. If only you opened your eyes to see and be attentive to listen. He whispers gently to your heart. You need only to tune out the devil and his accomplices by feeding your Spirit with God’s Word. Yeah, sometimes it’s not ‘fun’ to read His Word because it convicts you, but truth be told, that’s the best thing you need. And surround yourself with positive, godly people. You do not have to put up with negative people/lukewarm ‘Christians’ who do not support your growth in Christ! 

“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you of My mouth.” Revelations 3:16

 I’m not perfect and I don’t intend to be but I know who I am in Christ and I can’t allow negative people slow my walk down with HIM. Yes, it’s that serious. This is my eternity we’re talking ‘bout here. And I can’t care how ‘odd’ this may sound to people. God tells us to flee from temptation. Acting on temptation leads to sin. So anyone who tries to tempt me to say things I shouldn’t say or listen/watch things I have no business with, I flee from them. Simple.

 “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10

Be friendly to all but friends with few. Those you call ‘friend’, must also be on a journey living for God. And if people try to make you feel guilty for weeding them out of your space, let ‘em know 1 Corinthians 15:33. They cannot call you judgemental if you are quoting the JUDGE! Yurp, that’s right, HE set the standards, not you or me.

Note that I was busy seeking God’s face in prayer with friends when His Word came to me. God can’t speak to you if you keep shutting Him out and not making time for Him. Tune out the wrong crowd and seek Him like a thirsty, panting deer. You must desire to grow deeper in Christ. No lukewarmness. Remember, this battle is not a physical one. We contend not with flesh and blood so prayer is a very powerful weapon. 

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 

So as the devil tried pathetically to speak negativity to me that day, I simply laughed like always and thanked God for His Word. I do not speak that messy language. I speak positivity! Victory was and is already mine. I thought of how God never speaks in vain. His Word is Life itself. Was He not the one who called the whole world into being with words? O, I serve a living, mighty God! The God who walks with me through fire, the God who intricately formed me in my mother’s womb, my sweet Jesus who calls me Friend. Yes, He calls me friend. John 15:15 How cool is that! :D His ways are higher than the thoughts of man and the wicked plans of the enemy. I’m more than thankful to be serving such an awesome Father.

Do not entertain the devil at all. Sure, he’ll always try to work his way to you but be ready and alert. And like I say, there’re some battles you don’t even bother fighting, cause the armor of God shields you from them plus your level of overcoming is way above it cos you keep growing Spiritually...so the devil’s tricks become petty and old news, more like a broken record. LOL

Hear me, you matter. This world needs you. God needs you to fulfil so many wonderful purposes. Believe it or not, that is why you are alive right now. While you’re still finding your way around your purpose, the devil will try to lead you astray and knock you out. He will use people against you. Don’t let him have it easy. Don’t put up with the devil! Fight him off with God’s Word. Never believe a word the enemy utters against you. Allow God to work in you and wait patiently for the day when God will prepare a table for you before your enemies, the day when they become a footstool for you! Know that the people who continually plan bad things against you will have no choice that day than to praise you. The people who are seeking your downfall, waiting for the fallout, the ones who are desperately waiting for you to breakdown... trust me, these people will have no choice than to celebrate you very soon! As painful as that will be for them, they will. Why? Because God will make them! Psalm 23:5 says so! They should know better than to be messing around with HIS beloved children.

I’ve gone past the point of having petty fights and exchanges with the devil and his partners in crime. Nah, they’re just not worth my time! When the enemy struck that day, I had joy in my heart and kept singing praises to my Jesus. HIS Word about my life is the ONLY thing that ever matters to me. Bits of this poem from Maya Angelou came to mind as I joyfully relished in the beauty of that day. 

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still, I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops

Weakened by my soulful cries?

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise...

The next time the enemy tries to disturb you, let ‘em know that aint nobody got time for that! The devil is attacking you because you have a super high value and he hates it. He’s jealous of it. Seriously, think about this. The devil wouldn’t bother attacking someone he’s already got pinned down. He’s after you with his hateful words and evil actions because you are still out of his reach! Boom! Be glad. In fact, you should be a worried if the world doesn’t hate you. Cos it’s a given, part of the deal. Jesus made it clear that as children of God, the world will hate us because it does not know Him/us.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:18,19

So, is the devil screaming lies into your eyes? Tell him, aint nobody got time for that! Is he struggling to make you feel guilty and belittled? Let him know, aint nobody got time for that! No thwarted word of the enemy can prevail against the mighty, wonderful Word of God concerning your life. I’m not letting any insignificant nobodies dull my shine, and so should you! Like my dear friend spoke life to me that evening, I encourage you to never allow anyone to belittle you. You are a child of God, live accordingly. No one can compete with that.

No matter what the devil says, I’m an incredible wonder, a child of the KING of kings and the Lord above ALL. If this disgusts anyone, ha! Tough luck. This is who I am and nothing and no one can change this! I will continually be loved by my sweet Jesus into eternity!

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38.39

 Still, I RISE. xoxo

Delali.