Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Reason #21 - He Is My Soul's Husband

Listen to this verse:

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called" (Isaiah 54:5).

Isn't that beautiful? I'm 19 years old, and I'm a girl, and girls love to dream, and girls love romance stories and fairy tales. Prince and Princess ride off in the sunset on a noble white steed into the sunset, and they live happily ever after. *sigh*

And so go the stories...stories that would have me believe I can never be happy as a single girl. Stories that would whisper in my ear, "You'll never be complete until that special someone comes into your life..."

I beg to differ!!

Right now, at this very moment, I have a Husband! I have a Lover! And this is no ordinary groom, but my soul's Husband willingly laid down His life for me.

Oh, how I wish I could know the extent of his love for me. How I wish I could understand the depth of His commitment to me. And how I wish that I could love Him more.

Yes, what a beautiful paradox! Right now, even as a single girl, I am married. I love being single, and I'm truly content right now! I love the freedom that comes from being unmarried, the freedom to be able to focus undistractedly on my Lord. And I don't want to lose sight of that. As more and more of my friends began dating or courting or getting married, I don't want to fall away from my Maker and my Husband, and began dreaming of an earthly man.

Yes, I look forward to being married one day, and falling in love with a man. But until that day comes, I am satisfied. I am more than satisfied.

I wrote the song below so I could sing it and remind myself: "I am His bride!"


MY FIRST ROMANCE

Castles in the clouds, Starry-eyed dreams

Fluttering hearts, “Does he love me?”

Fragile hopes, Shattered dreams

Broken hearts - all this I see.

I have found love – vast and free

Love that spilled its blood for me.


CHORUS

How could I resist His tender call?

How could I resist Love giving all?

My heart has found its One true Love

Oh, this is my first Romance.


Hand in mine, walks by my side

He’ll never leave , I’m asking “why?”

Somehow, someway, He wanted me

Here’s my heart, here’s all of me


CHORUS


A bride right now, I wait for my Groom

Clothed in white, He promised it soon

Can’t wait for the day I see His face.

My Groom will come, and take me away.



I love my Lord, because He is my soul's husband.






Thursday, September 15, 2011

Reason #20 - He is My Life

My life verse is Colossians 3:1-4. I LOVE this passage - it has changed my life! Listen to verse four:

"When Christ, WHO IS OUR LIFE, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

Isn't that amazing to think about?? Christ is my life.

I often hear people say, "Basketball is my life" or "Music is my life." Basketball and music are both lovely things - I'm not saying in any way that we shouldn't participate in them. I've done both and love them! But what would it look like if every Christian could honestly say, "Christ is my life"? How would the world be changed if each of us was wholly consumed by one goal, one passion?

Our life is like a sentence.

If our lives could be portrayed by one sentence, what would your sentence be?

Read the following Christian “life sentences,” and see if you can assimilate a clear view of the person being described.

“I love God, my boyfriend is cute, and volleyball is my favorite!”

“Football is great, I want to be rich, and I go to church twice a week.”

Are you confused? Unsure? Misguided?

Now read the following example:

“I love the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Here is power! Here is clarity! We have a crystal clear perception of this person’s life. There is no room for any extra goals. One theme comes clearly into focus.

Listen to Paul’s life sentence: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21) His life was Christ. Nothing more.

Let each believer realize that when we accept Christ, we die to our own life. Every previous goal, every former ambition, goes to the grave. A divided life is also an ineffective life that screams out opposite messages to its “readers.” Christ does not ask to be tacked on to the end of our life sentence. He asks to be our life sentence.

Romans 6:4 – “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Galatians 2:20 – “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Colossians 3:1-4 – “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above…Set your affection on things above, and not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”

If a Christian finds that his life goals are divided – that more than one focus claims his heart – it is time for him to do some editing! He must write out his life sentence, and then study it to identify his purposes and goals. There will be activities that he will need to drop from his calendar, much like words that simply do not need to be written. He must remove the unneeded extras that would distract from the main focus of his life.


I love my Lord, because He is my life.


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Reason #19 - He Became Sin For Us


2 Corinthians 5:21 - "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

Imagine this. The Lamb of God -

Perfect -
Spotless -
Without blemish -

- In intimate fellowship with the Father.

God's standard is perfection, is it not? Only a sinless Being can know our Lord God intimately. Christ knew no sin. He was one with the Father.

I wonder if any of us will ever come close to understanding the enormous impact that lay before Christ when God's plan for salvation was revealed. For Christ, Who had known no sin, Who had always enjoyed unbroken fellowship with the Father, must not only live in a sinful world, and in a fleshly body, but He must become sin.

Christ - the spotless Lamb -

SIN for us.

He became sin, that we might become righteous. By His choice, He lay aside that sweet intimacy, and God turned His back on His Son. Why? Because He loved us so much, that He would rather break fellowship with His Father than to see His people lost and separated from God.

Oh to see the pain written on Your face

Bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Every bitter thought, every evil deed

Crowing Your blood stained brow.


This the power of the cross

Christ became sin for us.

Took the blame, bore the wrath


WE STAND FORGIVEN AT THE CROSS.


~ "The Power of the Cross," Keith and Kristyn Getty


I am in awe. I love my Lord, because He became sin for me.