Rescue Mission

Christmas was a rescue mission I think we often forget that.  In Luke 2:10-11 the Angels say this to the shepherds “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people: for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”  It was good news and it still is because without the birth of Jesus there could be no crucifixion, resurrection or sacrifice on the cross for our sins and no redemption for mankind. 

Years ago as a kid I heard a song I still sing to this day called We are the Reason by David Meece and most don’t consider it a Christmas song but I want you to look at it differently.  For those who like the behind the scenes blog stuff I’m doing this on my computer at home instead of my phone for a change.  I need the different technology for this.  I want you to consider this song as being about Christmas because in a lot of ways it is.  Without Christmas there would be no Easter. 

“As little children we would dream of Christmas morn
And all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

And we were the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by we learned more about gifts
And giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day a man hung crying
In the rain
Because of love, because of love

And we are the reason that He gave His life
We are the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

I finally found the reason for living
It's in giving every part of my heart to Him
In all that I do every word that I say
I'll be giving my all just for Him
For Him”

Wednesday night I was reading in the Youversion app and it presented this passage that reminded me of Christmas because indeed the story of Christmas is a rescue mission and I kept thinking about the tag line or for the wrestling fans the catch phrase for our current Real Life invite cards the line from “O holy night” that says “A weary world rejoices.”  Christmas is good news because “The gospel changes everything”!

Romans 3:21-26

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in his Grace, freely makes us right in his sight.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.  This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time.  God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.”

I want to present to you the Christmas song that can be sung all year because it is the gospel from Christmas to his return. 

Hark the herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn king"

Peace on earth, and mercy mild

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful all ye nations rise

Join the triumph of the skies

With angelic host proclaim

Christ is born in Bethlehem

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king

Christ, by highest heaven adored

Christ the everlasting Lord

Late in time behold him come

Offspring of the favored one

Veiled in flesh, the God head seen

Hail the incarnate deity

Pleased, as man with men to dwell

Jesus, our Emmanuel

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king

Hail the Heaven born Prince of Peace

Hail the son of righteousness

Light and life to all he brings

Risen with healing in his wings

Mild he lays his glory by

Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark the herald angels sing

Glory to the newborn king”

Gospel changeseverything by Meredith Andrews

Hark the Herald angelssing by Jewel

We are the Reason byDavid Meece

Creed by Rich Mullins

O holy night by SandiPatti

Time Constraints

Time constraints 

There’s something I have been giving thought to for about a month now off and on.  We can come to God in prayer for help at any time!   God is not bound by any time constraints.  We can come to him day or night.

Pastor Micah said something this last Sunday that I had heard preachers say.  “Do you ever feel like your prayers aren’t making it past the ceiling?”  I’ve heard it said a lot.   Micah quoted these verses Psalm 116:1-2 “I love the Lord because he hears my prayer for mercy.  Because he bends down to listen.  I will pray as long as I have breath!” That’s assurance He’s paying attention.

In Matthew 11:28-30 we find this

“Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Psalm 23:3 

“He restores my soul; he guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your anxiety on Him for he cares about you.”

Hebrews 4:14-16

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

When I said earlier there are no time constraints with God this is what I want to get across and something I have been praying and thankful to God for is he calls us to come to him. When? Anytime? Day or night yes it doesn’t matter your schedule he wants you to come to him in prayer he wants you to read his word so he can speak to you.  I read this thing in a Youversion app and it said this “How you view God affects the choices you make.”  If you have the idea he hates you then you don’t really want to spend time with him or get to know him.  But if you read the Bible it changes that perception.  It’s not us that he hates it is the sin we commit and that’s why we need a savior.  That was the whole reason for Christmas and the rescue mission of Jesus dying on the cross to redeem us.  God wants to spend time with you.  To give you the right perspective and it might be the first time this clicks with you I submit to you one of my life verses.  

Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

While you were still a sinner God loved you so much he sent his Son to redeem you and me. To the unbelievers  If you walk away with only one thing after reading this you need to change how you view God because he loves you and wants a personal relationship with you.  To you the believer in Christ learn this and be amazed that at any time God wants you to come spend time with him.  It’s simplistic and yet profound the God of all creation wants to spend time with you and me.  It’s a lot to wrap our finite minds around.  

Quiet you with my love by Rebecca St James

Come to me by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Rest Easy by Audio Adrenaline 

Be still and know by Steven Curtis Chapman 

You are more by Tenth Avenue North

Still listening by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Commit, trust, seek and delight

Commit, trust Seek and  delight 

We live in a world where advertisers push us to be jealous of others.  If we only looked acted or dressed or used their product we will be fulfilled.  The closer we get to Christmas the more the advertisements will amp up.  God calls us to not be jealous of others especially evildoers.  He calls the believers to another way to live.  

Isaiah 26:9

“At night my soul longs for you, indeed, my spirit within me seeks you diligently; for when the earth experiences your judgments the inhabitants of this world learn righteousness.”

I get off work at 11:30 pm and before bed I try to go through a plan on the Youversion Bible app so the soul seeking at night I personally relate to.

Psalm 37:1-6

“Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious towards wrongdoers.  For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.  Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your ways to the Lord, trust also in Him, and he will do it.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.”

I read very big books I am often with a Warhammer omnibus to read and they’re three books in one.  I had a coworker see me with one at work one night when it was slow.  She said “This is really huge, you could read the Bible.”  Not only can I but I need to more often so I keep my heart right with God.  Don’t let so many things tempt you to fall into the trap of thinking you need an advertisement’s product to be fulfilled because what we need is to read God’s Word and learn from it.  If you need a good reading plan and you have a Youversion app on your phone I suggest reading Finding Rest in a Busy World.  My friend Ricky invited me to read it with him and others it’s only a nine day plan but very good.  We all need to spend more time in the Bible.  

Weak days by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Noonday sun by Margaret Becker

Adonai/Back to the Rock/Too big to fail by Petra 

Slip away by Kim Hill 

Glimpses

Glimpses 

I have been praying often late at night asking God why I’m once more doing call center work because I honestly feel like I’ve gone backwards work wise.  I very much dislike being on the phone and the stress of this type of work.  I dread going to work.   Two nights ago I slowly started getting glimpses and reasons why I’m there.  When you’re going through a struggle trying to make sense of the why and where God has you He doesn’t always give you a clear simple answer.  About three weeks ago I saw part of the why.  Being a former security guard my instincts lead me to be concerned about others safety.  As a guard I used to watch employees drive through my gate and work nearby it and if I saw any safety issues I would let them know that even included if something was not quite right with their vehicle.  During training for my new job a guy came in to talk to us and said that you spend so much time with people in training you become family dysfunctional yes but still family.  Example one of the trainers helped me attempt to jump start my car.  Weeks later as people were leaving work,  and we’re talking downtown Corpus Christi around midnight, I caught myself watching coworkers some I did and didn’t know going to their vehicles in a dimly lit parking lot.  They don’t know it but I try to ensure their safety and mine.  About a week and a half ago we were hit with a very violent storm and I had been asked to give a coworker a ride home but my car was across the street in a parking lot.  This newer girl and I came down the stairs at the same time and she opened the stairwell and the wind caused the rain  coming down hard to hit the pavement in the parking garage and fly back up.  I was going to run to my car with my shoulder bag and lunch bag in pouring rain. This girl practically demanded I get in her car and she drove me to mine as close as she could get and I came back for my coworker.  Then a few nights ago it was fairly calm when leaving but I saw this person walk from the building to her car.  There were only four cars in the parking lot.  I stayed till all got their cars started before leaving.  I have a point with all this because part of the reason I’m there at that job I believe God has been saying is because of my other job training.  I was reading a Bible study in Acts the other night and it talked about Barnabas in the book of Acts being an encouraging person and he was content to push others and stand up for Mark when Paul was opposing taking him on another missionary journey.  Sometimes God puts us in places that don’t make sense and sometimes it’s because you know how to do things others don’t.  Years ago when I was in college at Bee County College I learned one of my teachers was a Christian and I took my Bible to her and asked her to sign it.  She left a reference to two verses that have stuck with me for years.  See this week has been glimpses of things God has me doing.  I can’t make sense of it all but hopefully I can point you to also do little things to help others.  

Galatians 6:9-10

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.  So then while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are in the household of the faith.”  

My reading teacher shared those verses years back and they still apply. Maybe you too can’t make sense of the job you’re at or what you’re supposed to be doing.  You can still do good to others.  They may not even know you did it.  They don’t have to because God sees and knows your heart.  Maybe it is something simple like making sure they get to their car and get it started.  

Psalm 34:14

“Depart from evil and do good.  Seek peace and pursue it.”  

We get so wrapped up in trying to solve the big complicated issues of life we forget the simple stuff God told us to do in the meantime.  

Micah 6:8 brings God’s will for us down to the lowest common denominator.  Do you want to know God’s will for you?

“He has told you, O Man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”  

Simple things small glimpses.

Micah 6:8 by the Maranatha Singers

Meant to be by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Beauty Mark by Natalie Grant 

Dare 2 B different by DeGarmo and Key  Little known fact Dana Key from the band Degarmo and Key is a direct descendant of Francis Scott Key who penned our national anthem the Star Spangled Banner.  

He walked a mile by Clay Crosse

I will rise by Chris Tomlin

Beat the system by Petra

Cry Holy by Paige Lewis 

Live like that by Sidewalk Prophets

How do you know

How do you know

You often see me mention this is a blog about finding hope in God’s Word and one may ask “Well how do you know you can find hope there.”  

Psalm 34:18 is pretty clear.

“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  

When you’re struggling with some problems that pretty much sums up a person needing hope to me.  

Then look at Psalm 33:18-22

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, 

On those who hope for his loving kindness, to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.  For our  heart rejoices in Him, because we trust in his Holy name. Let your loving kindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in you.”

Those are promises people!  Hold fast to them!

We need Jesus by Petra 

 

Stay close to me by Margaret Becker 

Hope for the Hopeless by Sierra

Hope set High by Amy Grant

Your times

Your Times

I want to show you something beautiful we often need reminding of this.  First I want you to read the verses and I’m going to also share with you what the study notes in my Life Application study Bible say because you’re going to love this.  It’s easy for one thing to go wrong in your day to make you forget who’s really in control.  Saturday night at work I got  this call and I was dealing with an extremely frustrating customer.  I was trying to get roadside assistance set up for him.  A simple tow truck service he didn’t want to give me directions where he was then he wanted to fight me the entire rest of the call over the price because he was not covered for the tow.  By the time the call was over I wanted to just go in the nearby stairwell and scream in frustration because I had lost sight of who is really in control.  Some of you may be thinking it was just a phone call but I’m now working at a call center again and we are graded on a lot of things and length of time we’re on a call. The reps have a certain time to handle a call and we have to be calm professional and nice and some customers can just get on your nerves.  Then you have your emotions running high and have to take another call right after so it can feel like your whole day got ruined.  

Psalm 31:14-15 

“But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.” 

I want you to read that third sentence again.  Where are your times?  In God’s hand!  

This is what my study Bible says about these two verses.

31:14-15 In saying “my times are in your hand.”  David was expressing his belief that all of life’s circumstances are under God’s control.  Knowing that God loves and cares for us enables us to keep steady in our faith regardless of our circumstances.  It keeps us from sinning foolishly by taking matters into our own hands or resenting God’s timetable.

 

You don’t have to be in control because your times are in God’s hand.  

The very same God who tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”  He didn’t give you a limit on how many times you can come cast your cares on Him.  Some of you are reading the blog just for that last sentence.  If you get nothing from reading this I want this to hit you with the force of a sledgehammer on concrete.  God cares for you he wants you to trust Him and your times are in his hand! 

My life is in your hand by Kathy Troccoli 

I am on the Rock by Petra 

God is in control by Avalon 

Wide open spaces by Clear

Where is your hope

Where is your hope

I say often this is a blog about Hope found in God’s Word.  If asked what my favorite book of the Bible is I would have to say Psalms because although it’s a book of songs and poetry and there are different authors they take you on a journey.  The Psalms also encompass all emotions.  You may start a chapter with a problem or a complaint but in the end the writer takes you from the emotional journey back to God.  

I’ve had some low days emotionally but I’m finding hope and I’m trying to share it with you.  

Psalm 27:13-14

“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord.”  

If you’re still in the land of the living there’s still hope to be found in God.  He gave you life and breath and your story isn’t over.  In the words of Rocky Balboa “I didn’t hear no bell ring.”  The fight’s not over!  Get up!

Psalm 28:6-9

“Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.  The Lord is their strength, and he is a saving defense to his anointed.  Save your people and bless your inheritance be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.”

Did you catch that?  You’re not expendable.  You’re not just a warm body doing a job taking up space.  God hears you and he’s defending you and he armed you for battle.  

God is faithful by Sheila Walsh

Where truth and mercy meet by Sheila Walsh 

Desert song by Natalie Grant 

Stand fight win by DeGarmo and Key

One more round by Barlow Girl

Even if by Kutless 

Seek

Seek

So I’m going to give you a little behind the scenes first.  Tuesday night I was exhausted from work.  I basically stayed up past my normal 1:45 am bedtime because I wasn’t working on Wednesday.  I knew I needed sleep and it was about 2:45 am but I picked up a Bible that once belonged to my Paw Paw(grandpa Campbell). I started reading Psalms chapter 27.  Then Wednesday morning I woke up to my brain thinking about some verses I had read.  See when you’re a writer your brain doesn’t always shut off.  

We as humans get distracted by so much.  I want to show you two examples.  For those who may be fans like me I am not attacking these bands but showing you some lyrics to make you think.  

“You can spend all your time making money.  You can spend all your love making time.”  The Eagles sang this in their song Take it to the Limit.  “Everyone wants something, just a little more.  We’re making a living and what we’re living for.”  Bon Jovi sang  this in their song What do you got.  See my question is with all the distractions in life and the things you can pursue who are you seeking?  I’m guilty myself of falling prey to distractions.  When I read Psalm 27 David gets asked a question and it’s pertinent to all of us.  I read this saying that basically Satan will do everything in his power to keep us from reading the Bible.  Just keep us busy to the point we don’t think to do so.  You can seek a lot of things in life.  

Psalm 27:8-9

“When you said ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; You have been my help; do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.”  

Don’t let life keep you from God’s word because like God asked David he wants us to seek his face.  The night that I read this I had some bad calls at work and I typed a statement that said “these calls do not define who you are”.  I left it on my notepad and I started thinking while it was slow about who I am in Christ and it changed my attitude.  God says to seek his face.  Are you doing so with prayer and Bible reading because I can’t make you it has to be your choice.  We have missiles in our military that seek heat you’re the missile what are you aimed at?  

Psalm 63:1

“O God, you are my God; I shall seek you earnestly.  My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

“Seeking you as a precious jewel Lord to give up I’d be a fool you are my all in all.”  

We seek his face by Twila Paris

We wear his name by Newsong 

Yeshua Ha Mashiah by Scott Wesley Brown

All in all by Charmaine 

Worn by Tenth Avenue North

Believe me now by Steven Curtis Chapman 

King of my heart by Love and the Outcome 

River of Life by Rebecca St James 

Teach me your paths

Teach me your paths

I’ve had a rather rough week and it’s only Wednesday.  Since I started working at a call center again I’ve very much questioned why I’m there.  It’s not the kind of work I want to do.  Sunday we got thrust on the phone we were getting calls we hadn’t been properly trained for they finally changed that but by then two people had quit.  Monday my car battery died and I had to call roadside assistance.  My wife and I have both had colds I almost wanted to call in sick on working on this blog.  When things aren’t making a lot of sense that’s when you need to to turn to God’s word.  I don’t understand where things are going but I started reading in Exodus about God providing food for the people of Israel then I turned to Psalms and found a reminder for all of us.  Maybe you’ve had a rough start to your week or even month.  I think Psalm 25 can help you too.  

Psalm 25:1-11

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust.  

Do not let me be ashamed;

Do not let my enemies exult over me.  

Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; 

Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.  

Make me know Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths.  

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, 

For You are the God of my Salvation; 

For You I wait all the day.

Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,

For they have been from of old.  

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; 

According to Your Lovingkindness remember me.

For Your goodness sake, O Lord.  

Good and upright is the Lord; 

Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.  

He leads the humble in justice; 

And He teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth

To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.  

For Your name’s sake, O Lord, 

Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”

See my week has been rough I don’t know why God has me where I’m at. Maybe I had to learn about working for roadside assistance by calling it myself to give me the right attitude.  I simply don’t know.  But I’m in a class full of trainees and when some of them learned I was a former guard they wanted me walking them to the cars at night.  I’m still seeking God to teach me his ways and keep me on his paths.  I don’t have even 99 of the hundred answers but I am trying to keep my eyes on God and that’s what we all need to do.  

Like incense/ sometimes by step by Hillsong 

Not by sight by Petra 

Big enough by Chris Rice

Here I am by Rebecca St James 

Life is hard but God is good by Pam Thum

What faith can do by Kutless 

Where there is faith by 4 Him 

Contrary

Contrary 

The world will often tell you there’s no point in even trying.  Satan will call you a failure.  He’ll tell you that God’s done with you.  I read some chapters and God has something else to say to these ideas.  Contrary to popular belief following God is worth doing.  

1 John 5:1-5 

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.  By this we know that we love the children of God , when we love God and observe His commandments.   For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome.  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world—- our faith.  Who is the one that overcomes the world, but he who believes Jesus is the Son of God?”

Did you catch that?  We who are believers follow God’s commandments and they aren’t burdensome!  Not only that we get to overcome the world.  The very same world and enemy who claims following God is not worth it and we will fail yeah if we keep following God we get win.  We can’t do it alone and in case you need a reminder of who is helping us well I found one of those for you too.  

Exodus 15:11-13

“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?  Who is like you, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?  You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them.  In your loving kindness You have led the people whom you have redeemed, in your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation.”  

So there’s a plan here.  Like Hannibal Smith would say “I love it when a plan comes together.”  

1.  Believe that Jesus is the Son of God
2. Follow his commandments and love his people.
3. You get to win in the end.
4. God isn’t done with you and I yet.  

It’s not rocket science it’s really not.  

And next time you think God’s commandments are burdensome read Psalm 119 because the author of that one chapter over and over says he delights in them and meditates on them.  God’s commandments are life giving.  He wants what is best for our lives.  

In the end by Natalie Grant 

Overcome by Jeremey Camp

If you want me to by Ginny Owens

Memoir by Audio Adrenaline 

Come to me by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Heart of hearts by Paige Lewis

The Why

The Why

Andy Rooney used to often ask the question.  “Do you ever wonder?” Often you see me say in the blog that this is a blog about Hope.  But I want you to understand The Why behind it all.  See at Real Life we have a literal plethora of life groups or small groups for Bible study.  I can’t explain why each person has signed up to lead them.  But I can share my heart personally.  I’ve gone through stress, I’ve felt alone, my wife and I have struggled through some stuff and sometimes you need someone to point you back to God.  Whether you are new reader or old I pray for you that God would draw you closer to himself and change you.  There’s something in these verses I’m about to share that I also want you to pay attention to.  See a lot of you signed up for a weekly Bible study blog and I don’t know what you were expecting when you did.  But God brought you to this blog somehow and I don’t understand it all because it’s something only he gets the credit for. I’m hoping and praying that you become more mature in Christ as you read this whenever you do.  I couldn’t make anyone read it and I don’t want to.  But I pray you draw closer to God and see his Word brings hope.  

Colossians 1:25-29

“I have become its minister according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints.  God wanted to make known to those among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ, I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.”

See this blog is not about me.  I want to be the least important part.  The reader drawing closer to God and maturing in Christ should always be the goal.  The glory should always go to God alone.  If you need hope it is found in God’s Word that’s where true hope for your life and any situation can be found.  God has called me to encourage and that’s my why because I know what it’s like to look for hope.  If I don’t point my reader back to the cross with any advice verbal or written I have done them a great disservice.  I don’t know all of you the readers personally but I would like to one day in Heaven present you as being mature in Christ.  

Breathe Benediction by Newsboys

The Cry by Whiteheart 

Not to us by The Imperials 

When all is said and done by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

You are loved by Rebecca St James

When life gets broken by Sandi Patty and Natalie Grant

Fight for you

Fight for you

So many times we pray and ask God for help and we seem to forget who is fighting for us.  If you read about the journey of the nation Israel you see God leading and protecting them with fire and a cloud and using water.  We can’t always see how he’s working these days but sometimes we need a reminder that He still is.  Exodus 14 is an amazing chapter about God delivering Israel from Egypt but two verses were awesome to me.  It the previous part of the chapter God had already warned Moses that they were going to be followed by the Egyptian armies.  That’s the crazy thing too because during all ten plagues God warned Moses every time that Pharaoh was going to harden his heart.  So after ten plagues and fair warning the people of Israel are still whining and not trusting God and often we do the same and we need to be reminded who is fighting for us.  

Exodus 14:13-14 is what we need to remember when we pray.  Because God’s not finished with us.  

“But Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid.  Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.  The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.’”

When you pray and turn things over to God and trust him, the fight is out of your hands and sometimes you have to be quiet and trust Him.  The Egyptian army you face now you may never see again.  The same God who defeated the Egyptian armies would also later do this.

“The tomb where soldiers watched in vain

Was borrowed for three days

His Body there would not remain

Our God has robbed the grave

Our God has robbed the grave

Your name

Your name

Is victory 

All praise will rise 

To Christ our King”

“I try so hard to find the words to say

To let you know how great is this God to whom I pray 

Nothing can nor ever will compare 

To the peace that flows in your soul when He is living there

Oh I know you’ve been through so much

It’s hard to contemplate reaching out in trust

But I know the simple truth 

That love is here for you

So take him at his Word and see what He can do.”

This means war by Petra 

I’ll come out fighting by DeGarmo and Key

The Battle belongs to the Lord by Petra 

Jehoshaphat by Don Francisco 

Horse and rider by Shiloh Worship Haven't heard this in years and especially never this fast 

Resurrecting by Elevation Worship 

O Praise the name by Hillsong 

God so loved by Jaci Velasquez 

Snarfs and warts

Snarfs and warts    Growing up in the 80’s there was a cartoon some of you may have seen and probably already made a connection with by the title of the blog.  There was a character on Thundercats by the name of Snarf.  Some consider him to be the most annoying part of the entire show.  But there were times I could relate to the guy.  As an adult I still watch the dvds.  This guy was not always the brightest crayon in the box.  He would stress about things and then say what he was bothered by and follow it up with “Snarf, Snarf.”  One of my readers or more just got his voice in their head.  My grandma had a term for characters like Snarf because it ran in the family and she was one.  The term was “A Worry wart.”  I’ve been one lately and I’m sure you have too.  God has a better plan.  He offers peace and hope.   Philippians 4:6-9 “Don’t worry about anything,” The verse isn’t complete I want to stop the reader right there.  How much did Paul tell us God wanted us to worry about?  Anything!  Zip zero nada not a thing.  Stop it!  Don’t concern your pretty little head.  The deeper you get into these verses you’ll see why.  Ok carry on then.   “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable— if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise— dwell on these things.  Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me and the God of peace will be with you.”   It’s a battle for your heart and mind. God wants you to win it but you can’t without him.   Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”   Romans 8:5-9 “For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit; about the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set of the flesh is death, but the mind set of the Spirit is life and peace.  For the mind set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.  Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God.  You however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit since the Spirit of God lives in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to him.” Fields of plenty/ Be still my soul by Amy Grant  Peace by Rich Mullins  I’ll give you peace by Sandi Patty  Your love never fails by Jesus Culture   Closer to Jesus by Don Francisco  His eye is on the sparrow by Selah Holding out hope by Michael English