and He set me on fire

And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive
With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone
And I cannot hold it in and remain composed
Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go
I am letting myself go

You are my joy
You are my joy
You are my joy
You are my joy

I need to catch my breath, I need to
I need to catch my breath, give me a moment now
I’m laughing so hard

-You Are My Joy, David Crowder Band

I AM SO DIGGING THIS SERIES ON SONG LYRICS!!!

If you have missed any, or you are just coming along on this ride, go back and check out the rest of the series.

Songs have a lot to say. Okay-some more than others. Even in the realm of Christian music, there are songs that make me change the channel and ponder the world for a while. But then there are songs that make my pulse quicken and my heart to beat louder. There are songs that make me realize that God is RIGHT HERE.

This song is one of them. The David Crowder Band is one of my favorite bands. The first time in heard them was in a college worship service put on by the traditional students. I, being a non-traditional student, was introduced to a new band of epic proportion.

I bought their CD and inserted it in my car’s player. I was truly shocked at first. Here was this man singing these intimate, vulnerable love songs to Jesus. I had never heard this much naked passion before.

Let’s look at the lyrics above. I want to take apart each line, because I need you to see what he’s saying, and where those of us that are sold out to Jesus are coming from.

“And He set me on fire, and I am burning alive,” For me, this is not an exaggeration. When I met Jesus, my whole life was completely changed. I used to live for nothing. Not my husband and not even my children. I was alone. I was an alcoholic and a drug addict and I did not care. But when I met my Savior, and He redeemed me, my life was truly set on fire. It’s been four years since our collision and I never stop thinking about God. He incorporates my thoughts. I am on fire, and it’s that fire that propels me to write this blog and to go out into my community and tell others.
“With His breath in my lungs I am coming undone.” I was devastated when I found out that it was truly His breath in my lungs. What a cosmic, eternal thought to ponder. Each breath is from Him. But this lyric also means something else for me. Something Jesus said resounds in my heart; “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.” Luke 9.24 If you think your life is the beginning and the end, and you are striving to ‘have it all’ then you are chasing after the wrong prize. If you lose your life; if you turn it over to the One who gave you the breath to live in the first place; then you will live forever. Think about it this way; for His children, this life is only a moment in time.

“And I cannot hold it in and remain composed.” When my life was overtaken, taken over, I was wrecked for Jesus. My old life means nothing to me-my house, my van; sure, they’re nice to have, but they're not what control me. I am sold out, to tell you the truth. I cannot remain composed either. My joy, my passion overflows in my heart. Don’t get me wrong, my life’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. We struggle financially. We still have our disagreements. But that never changes the Truth. That’s the ultimate beauty of the Lord-despite my situation, He never changes. He’s not a slot machine. You can’t put in the prayer and expect all your wishes granted. But He’s always present and He always fills you with joy and a sense of contentment that this world cannot give you.

“Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go. I am letting myself go”
This is what I’ve been writing to you-trying to tell you what this crazy Jesus thing is all about. I am head over heels in love with my Savior. I want you to mull over the word ‘redeemer.’ My handy dictionary says, ‘to get back full possession, to save from being a total failure.’ Jesus Christ came and died to get back full possession of me from the ruin I was heading toward. I am releasing control of my life because the love is overwhelming.

“You are my joy.” Well said David Crowder. He is my joy.

“If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." -Jesus

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” –Paul

what a fool

Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They will find peace
And I'll meet you in that place
Where mercy leads

-Rich Mullins, “Let Mercy Lead”


I am really starting to dig this song lyrics series. Worshipping Jesus through music is really something that works for me. I hope you are enjoying it as well.

Let’s start with some definitions today. I know they help me to grasp what biblical writers were truly trying to say. It also helps me to understand words that seem foreign to me really mean. Like fool. Why would anyone call God a fool? When I read the definition below, I begin to understand.

Mercy: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion, compassionate treatment of those in distress.

Fool: one with a marked propensity or fondness for something

I love this song. When I first heard it, I was seriously confused. I had never heard anyone mention God’s foolishness. Furthermore, I did not know what it was. How could God be foolish? How could I be foolish?

Those were things I used to think. Now, foolishness is a beautiful word to me. While I write this, I am searching for the words that can explain what foolishness means to me. Forgive me if I seem vague. I want so much to tell you how wonderful the foolishness of God and His children can really be.

Foolishness. To send your only Son to earth to die. Not only to die, but to be beaten before and sent to Hell afterward.

Foolishness. To love people who turn away from You. To be willing to forgive sin, wipe away our pasts; if we are only willing.
Foolishness. To be eternally optimistic. To shine down on us. To smile down on us.

Our lives in Christ require a foolish God who has much mercy for us. I am an example of a person who needs many second chances. Why does He love me? Why is He after my heart?

The answer. Because He is. Because He is truly a God of love. We make the choice to follow when He calls. And when we turn our faces to Him, He is in love with us.

So, if I know that God is foolishly in love with me, what is my response? Do I approach Christianity with logic and direction? Is there a formula to follow? And, after I decide to love Him too, how shall I do that?

Let me quote something I found in my devotional I read. Perhaps it can explain it better.

“…rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought-in the realm of your will before God. Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself?”-Oswald Chambers

Foolishness. The decision to give up everything that the world deems necessary. A house, a car, possessions. What a foolish idea-giving up the American dream!

Foolishness. Stripping down your life until you are bare before Christ. Not even having a care of where He will take you. Trusting enough in this mercy so that you lay your life in His hands, knowing it will be good.

Foolishness. Caring about the world as much as He does. Feeding the poor, washing the dirty, loving the loveless. Abandoning fear and apprehension and jumping in. Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.

“Although their foolish hearts may break-they will find peace.”

I cannot lie and say that this is easy. I struggle so much. I want to give myself to Jesus but I want to be in charge. I want to make sure my work for Him is important (in my standards) and that people notice what I am doing. That’s foolish in the traditional sense. My worth is not measured by human standards. It is measured by God’s foolishness.

And so is yours. Think about it.

at the cross we remember

So, we pick up where we left off last week. I started this week feeling lost and alone. I did not have an answer to the question I posed last week; which was, “How can we handle our lives knowing Jesus is truly right beside us?”
Well, after talking with friends and counselors, I believe with my whole being that it comes down to this:

Jeremy Riddle - Sweetly Broken
From the album Sweetly Broken
To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing
For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is loveAnd God is just

Chorus:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified
You’ve called me out of death
You’ve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I’m reconciled

Chorus:
In awe of the cross I must confessHow wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness(2x’s)Chorus:
Label: Vineyard Music

That’s it. I have to cling to the cross and never let go. See, I kept trying to find the “secret” that would give me the faith to keep going. To believe all of this Christianity stuff was really worth something.

My heart knows the truth. My heart remembers what Jesus has done for me. how He pulled me out of a life of misery. How He saved me from myself-when I didn’t even realize what a disaster my life had become.
But my head wants to argue. My whole life people have let me down, turned away. I couldn’t stand the idea that God would grow tired of me and move on to someone better.

But when I come to the Cross; when I come to the place where precious blood was literally poured out for us; I can not longer argue.

I have to let the Cross speak for itself. I cannot give words to the price Jesus paid for us. How He wants to gather His children and spend eternity with us. So He lent Himself to torture and death; knowing the victory would be ours in the end.

So, I end this story with the chorus of another song. Consider it a bonus. If you ever search out a song, please listen to this one. It’s by Robin Mark and it’s called, “Wonder of Your Cross.” He sings these lyrics like a lullaby-like an offering.

The cross, O the wonderful cross
What Glory, what victory, I've found
I'll come to the wonderful cross
And my whole life I lay down

sometimes we forget

Well, sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

I'm singing hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

-Rich Mullins, “Hold me Jesus”


Sorry, another long song. Please take the time to read it all. I needed to give you the whole song because it makes so much sense to me. I actually was going to give you another song, but the Lord led me to this one. It works.

Sometimes I forget. God has presenting Himself so many times in my life, but here I sit waiting for more. I listen to songs about Jesus, I work at a church, and sometimes I still forget. Things we cannot see can sometimes lose out to our life that actually is playing out all around us.

When I am tempted by pornography, or I think back to my chemically induced haze, I feel like I am lost all over again. And I forget.

But take heart dear soul, because I am not the only one to forget. If you take your handy Bible and you look through some of the first stories, you find some people who forgot big time. I will show you a few.

Let us set up the story. Moses has been told to lead God’s people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and into their promised land. Remember that in Egypt, these people were slaves, and they were not treated very nice at all.

Ok. So Moses is leading them out. God has a great big helping hand in this endeavor. Let’s look at a couple of examples of God in this adventure. They’re walking through the desert and-

“By day the Lord went ahead of them on their way in a pillar of cloud to guide them and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”-Exodus 13.21-22
Imagine God in front of you like that. Could you forget it?

Here is another one. This time, the Egyptians want their slaves back so they start chasing Moses and his followers. They reach the sea and panic. Maybe you have heard of Moses parting the red sea. Here is how it is portrayed in the Bible-

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.” Exodus 14.21-22 imagine that, walking through the sea, it raging on either side of you. Could you forget?

One more. The people are grumbling that they had it better off in Egypt. They are hungry. So what does God do?

“I will rain down bread from heaven for you.” Says God.

What luck. These people knew that the Lord loved them. How could they not? It was evident every day that God was front and center, loving them, feeding them, guiding them. Could you forget?

“…the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, Is the Lord among us or not?” Exodus 17.7 What? How could they not know God was among them?

Again. Moses goes up a mountain to meet with the Lord. He is gone for a while. Here is what happened.

“When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”-Exodus 32.1

Can you believe that? They ended up making a golden calf to worship. Which make God pretty angry. Not surprising.

I often wonder how they could forget God so easily. He rained down bread from heaven to feed them and they forgot Him. They had it so easy compared to us now. Now we have to believe something we cannot see at all. How can we handle our lives knowing Jesus is truly right beside us?

I will tell you next week!

control

You are God alone-Phillips Craig & Dean
You are not a God Created by human hands
You are not a god Dependant on any mortal man
You are not a god In need of anything we can give
By Your plan, that’s just the way it is

CHORUS
You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
Your are God alone
And right now In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You’re the only God Whose power none can contend
You’re the only God Whose name and praise will never end
You’re the only God Who’s worthy of everything we can give
You are God And that’s just the way it is

Unchangeable Unshakable Unstoppable That’s what You are

As you can see, I am still in my music lyric series. I was unable to feature just a few lines from this song; you need to read the whole thing to understand its depth.

I would imagine you expect me to write about Israel and the conflict unfolding as I write. This continuing saga captivates me, and as I write, I am listening to coverage of the crisis on AM radio.

This is a much larger issue then one may imagine. Many are saying that this is fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Perhaps, but for me this is not the most important part.

I am aware, and sometimes very guilty of forgetting God in these kinds of situations. Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami, the earthquakes in Pakistan; even the war in Iraq. Television coverage of said tragedies always features someone lamenting, “Why did God do this to us…” and, “Where was God during all of this…” It is easy to focus on the event at hand, rather than the God that is in control.

I had an email from a dear friend the other day. I will not go into detail, but she asked me why an unfortunate event happened in her life. She asked me what the Bible verse is that dealt with God being in control of all situations.

Isn’t that the essence of living on this earth? People base their belief in God on whether or not bad things happen to them. And if God is in control, why does He allow tragedies to occur?

I guess it is easy to struggle with these questions. Why isn’t God working the helm, preventing accidents and tragedies?

The simple answer is that this world is not as it seems. This world has sin, and it will until Jesus returns. This world has disease, death and suffering; it is the land of the dying. Let us look at what Jesus and Paul say about this world.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” –Jesus in John 16.33

“My kingdom is not of this world.” -Jesus in John 17.36

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” Paul in 1 Corinthians 3.19

Jesus solves the problem of pain and suffering in the first quote above. He has overcome the world. He has created a kingdom that will reign forever for those who believe in Him and love Him. While His children are here, we will suffer. But no matter how bad things become here, take heart because we know the end of the story. We can proclaim, “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4.9

If you are not one of His children, all is not lost. He desires a relationship with you much more than anyone else you will ever know. He wants your heart, and He wants you to know that in the end, everything will be all right. Just ask Him.

He has redeemed me from a life of misery and loss. I would never have pulled myself from the mire on my own. do I still suffer? Yes, but I take it in stride. Things will be better one day.

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes nor on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Paul in 2 Corinthians 4.16-18

“He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – God in Revelation 21.11

why i exist

I would like to start a series on music lyrics. One of my passions is music; and I would like to share some of the lyrics that really touch my heart and get my spirit moving.

So, I am starting this week with a song by a man named Lenny LeBlanc. The song’s title is, “Born to Worship.” Here are the lyrics I want to share-

So I testify of His mercy and love
Glorify my heavenly Father above
Just one thing that I am sure of
I was born you were born
Everything was made to worship Him

I was listening to this particular song while driving around Minneapolis this morning. Sometimes I listen to music and I sing out of habit rather than truly experiencing the song’s meaning. Today was different. I was focused on the music, and these words struck my soul.

I believe that everything was made to worship God. He created each and every one of us so that we may worship and love Him. I listened to the cacophony of birds singing their songs of joy. When I got home I watched my cats play, and I think about the wonder of God. That He would create everything is an awesome thought. Here’s a thought from someone else-

One thing is certain: God is not weak and has no deficiencies…everything that exists owes its existence to him, and no one can add anything to him which is not already flowing from Him”-John Piper

I have to tell the truth to you, otherwise I do this in vain. My heart broke when I watched the commuters racing to work. I watch the angry faces; I see the phones in their hands. I think about those hands that should be available to worship the Lord. I look around and I see people that do not realize what they were made for, and the true, rich joy they are missing.

Worshiping Jesus makes my insides warm. It makes my skin tingle. It makes my heart beat faster, and grow bigger. I forget my troubles, I lean on Him for truth and love.

When you finally realize the indescribable, unbelievable amount of love our Lord has for us, you cannot help but pour it back out to Him. I know I can never worship Him enough, but He loves me just the same,

Being truthful again, I admit I had a problem with the word worship in the beginning. I had a tough time bowing down to someone I could not even see. But then I found out for myself that He is indeed real.

My dictionary defines worship as, “An utterly devoted admiration for a person.” That’s it. when I became the Lord’s my life was so messed up that He really had to cle;an and fix my brokenness. My response since then is always the same. When it’s all said and done with my life, my only response to God is dropping to my knees and asking Him, “What can I do for You?” not because He needs my help, but He loves me just the same.

So, where are you in this whole great story of life? Do you give back to Him what He desires? Have you made Him your friend, the lover of your soul, your Redeemer? Think about it.

“I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong; but no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.” – Paul in Philippians 3.12-14

fireworks

For all of us in the great county of America, yesterday was the Fourth of July.  It is, of course, the day we take time to celebrate our independence from British rule.  We also pause to reflect on what our Armed Forces have done to protect that independence both here and abroad.

However you celebrated yesterday; with family, friends: at a barbeque or under a fireworks display, I hope it was enjoyable.  I had the pleasure of attending the party of a friend.  We had a great time playing volleyball, eating various dishes and fellowshipping with both old and new friends.  

There was something new at this party.  Toward the end, we all gathered in the living room.  I had no idea what was to come.  The host of the party, my friend, started out by asking what all of us had to be thankful for.  Then, we sang songs.  Although I struggled with singing a cappella in a crowded room, I was moved to tears by the sound of all these voices united in song.  We sang “My County 'Tis of Thee,” and “God Bless America,” and “The Star Spangled Banner.”  

After I left the party, I continued to reflect on what things made me thankful.  Then, it dawned on me.  I have another Independence Day.  

My Independence Day is August 18th.  It was that day I became free from bondage and oppression.  It was the day that my Redeemer came to save me.  My dictionary defines ‘redeem’ as:  to get back full possession of and to save from being a total failure.

To save from being a total failure-how beautiful those words ring true in my life.  I would never have made this life without Jesus.  I need to celebrate the day I became independent from the chains that tied me to darkness.

Funny thing though, this independence.  I was worshipping God today with music and a line from a song hit me, “for it’s only in your will that I am free.”  I became independent from Satan to become dependant on Jesus.  I think that is a great trade.

So, if you are the Lord’s, a Christian, then you need to claim and celebrate your personal Independence Day.  If you are not yet His, think about these things-

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Jesus in John 8.36

“The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.” – Romans 8.2

“Oh God, here I am, your servant, your faithful servant; set me free for your service!” Psalm 116.16

“But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God-the free life!-even out of the corner of their eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action.  That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.” – James 1.25

I am free!  I do not serve Jesus Christ because I am required to, because I am forced.  I am not brainwashed, not confused.  I have clarity that I never had before.  I serve Jesus because it feels so good.  It feels wonderful to have the blinders fall off, to have the Son shine down on me.

See the fireworks that light the night sky during this holiday?  To me, they represent my heart bursting for joy at the thought of my Redeemer.  Think about it.