Lord, it was upon this place
Seek; I did, your truth, your face
Your hand extended and drew me in
You cleansed my heart; washed away my sin
You filled that hole deep down inside
The missing link for which you died
You rose to give me life anew
Free from sin; alive in you!
Into me your Spirit breathed,
Bringing comfort, strength and shield
Armed in grace; your word my sword
Blessed to call you Eternal Lord!
No more doubting, nor wondering why
A life of purpose, Jesus, you satisfy
To you surrender all I am
My trust in you, my Savior, Friend
Undeserving as I may be,
Thank you Lord for loving me
Freedom at last, transformed by grace
Now, I long to see your face!
My personal prayer, poem
Jennifer Bolen
March 6, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Dancing on Galilee
I certainly do not "walk on water," but I have danced on the Sea of Galilee. I still do every time I reflect on the love Christ has brought to my life. A life with Christ is not a promise of prosperity or wealth in human terms. He does not promise us days without suffering, in fact he even warns us of the times when others do not understand us, do not agree, etc. How can we? Once we have Christ we are 'grafted' in to his kingdom. Although we currently live on this earth we are not of it! Our source of love, hope and happiness comes from Christ himself. He is the only way to God, the 'sacrificial' lamb.
I had the priveledge of traveling to Israel in May of 2008. It was a trip of a lifetime, it was a spiritual pilgrimage, a history lesson, and Bible clarification all rolled into one! It was not a "feather in my cap" that makes me any better than everyone else. I am a amazed at the lessons Christ continues to teach me every day of my life.
Our sufferings help us to draw closer to him and identify with his sufferings. We do not suffer in vain, nor did Christ. He mourns for those who turn away and do not accept the gift of life he so freely gives. I once heard an African proverb, that is so applicable to the "human condition," vis-à-vis our relationship with Christ:
"Every man dies, but not every man lives."
We all experience a "physical" death at some point, however some never learn to live by refusing God's gift of salvation. It is so freely given. There is nothing that we can do to earn it. Just as I don't walk on water, I could never be good enough to "earn" the love of Christ. His love is perfect, kind and unconditional. He loves us as we are. As we accept his love and engage in a personal journey with him, we enter into the land of the living.
Just as in any relationship, we need to remain plugged in by getting to know Christ better through his word, our service to him as well as our dialogue with him through prayer and petition. Life in Christ, despite any physical or other suffering, brings hope of things to come. Suffering without Christ is hopeless and futile. No matter what life brings, God has sent us his Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us.
I had the priveledge of traveling to Israel in May of 2008. It was a trip of a lifetime, it was a spiritual pilgrimage, a history lesson, and Bible clarification all rolled into one! It was not a "feather in my cap" that makes me any better than everyone else. I am a amazed at the lessons Christ continues to teach me every day of my life.
Our sufferings help us to draw closer to him and identify with his sufferings. We do not suffer in vain, nor did Christ. He mourns for those who turn away and do not accept the gift of life he so freely gives. I once heard an African proverb, that is so applicable to the "human condition," vis-à-vis our relationship with Christ:
"Every man dies, but not every man lives."
We all experience a "physical" death at some point, however some never learn to live by refusing God's gift of salvation. It is so freely given. There is nothing that we can do to earn it. Just as I don't walk on water, I could never be good enough to "earn" the love of Christ. His love is perfect, kind and unconditional. He loves us as we are. As we accept his love and engage in a personal journey with him, we enter into the land of the living.
Just as in any relationship, we need to remain plugged in by getting to know Christ better through his word, our service to him as well as our dialogue with him through prayer and petition. Life in Christ, despite any physical or other suffering, brings hope of things to come. Suffering without Christ is hopeless and futile. No matter what life brings, God has sent us his Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us.
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