Open your eyes and look. What do you see?
I see pain and torment, a desolate city on fire.
Look again. What do you see?
I see people running around in despair, screaming for help.
I say, look again!
I see war and strife, no hope for peace. I see disease and sickness, hardship and evil.
Close your eyes. When you open them, don’t look at the city, or the fire, or the people. Look at me. Now child, what do you see?
I see light and glory. I see splendor and majesty. I see stability, peace, love, forgiveness, beauty, and strength.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
When All Else Fades
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord all his people.
Praise the Lord all you who call on his name.
Praise the Lord for his mighty deeds.
Praise him for his show of power.
It was him who spoke and by a single phrase created all we see.
Praise the Lord all you who are weary.
Praise him for his steadfastness.
He is your strong foundation in the storm.
Praise the Lord all you who are weak in spirit.
It is the Lord who holds you firmly in his hand.
He will not let you fall or be overcome.
Praise the Lord all the earth.
Praise him for his wisdom.
His plan is perfect and good.
He will direct your path and keep you from trouble.
Praise the Lord all his people.
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord all his people.
Praise the Lord all you who call on his name.
Praise the Lord for his mighty deeds.
Praise him for his show of power.
It was him who spoke and by a single phrase created all we see.
Praise the Lord all you who are weary.
Praise him for his steadfastness.
He is your strong foundation in the storm.
Praise the Lord all you who are weak in spirit.
It is the Lord who holds you firmly in his hand.
He will not let you fall or be overcome.
Praise the Lord all the earth.
Praise him for his wisdom.
His plan is perfect and good.
He will direct your path and keep you from trouble.
Praise the Lord all his people.
Praise the Lord!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Where Does My Help Come From?
I lift my eyes and see my enemy.
He stands over me and threatens to take my life.
I am in constant fear and worry, unable to defend myself.
I am weak and powerless.
I have no hope in myself or my strength.
But I lift my eyes again to see my helper.
He comes from high on top of the mountains.
He is the creator of the heavens and earth.
No evil will stand over me while my helper is here.
He defeats my enemy with a single breath.
He has all the power I do not.
My maker, he never stumbles, never sleeps.
He will never allow harm to come to me.
He is my everlasting protection and hope.
In him, I have everything.
He will watch over me at night.
He stands beside my bed and watches me sleep, warding off evil.
My helper is the Lord, the Lord almighty.
He alone is worthy to receive glory and honor.
He has saved me from my enemy and from the pit of despair.
He has set my feet upon a rock and I will not be shaken,
for he holds me steady in his arms and will never let me go.
I have a helper and he is GOD!
I am blessed and forever safe in his embrace.
May the glory be his, for he has given me everything.
This poem was inspired by Psalm 121 and the words were provided by God.
Psalm 121 (NIV)
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
He stands over me and threatens to take my life.
I am in constant fear and worry, unable to defend myself.
I am weak and powerless.
I have no hope in myself or my strength.
But I lift my eyes again to see my helper.
He comes from high on top of the mountains.
He is the creator of the heavens and earth.
No evil will stand over me while my helper is here.
He defeats my enemy with a single breath.
He has all the power I do not.
My maker, he never stumbles, never sleeps.
He will never allow harm to come to me.
He is my everlasting protection and hope.
In him, I have everything.
He will watch over me at night.
He stands beside my bed and watches me sleep, warding off evil.
My helper is the Lord, the Lord almighty.
He alone is worthy to receive glory and honor.
He has saved me from my enemy and from the pit of despair.
He has set my feet upon a rock and I will not be shaken,
for he holds me steady in his arms and will never let me go.
I have a helper and he is GOD!
I am blessed and forever safe in his embrace.
May the glory be his, for he has given me everything.
This poem was inspired by Psalm 121 and the words were provided by God.
Psalm 121 (NIV)
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sold Out
The following I stole from a book called "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Chan dedicates a chapter to telling the stories of real-life christians who are sold out for Christ. I'm going to quote two of them. Needless to say, the stories of these people's lives challenge me to be more than I am. My hope for you, and for myself, is that God would move us to change because of these stories, not to just think about changing.
Rich Mullins
"Rich was born in 1955 in Richmond, Indiana, the third of six children. He began to study music at a young age and wrote his first song on the piano when he was just four years old...His two most well-known songs are "Awesome God" and "Step by Step." His songs have been covered by artists and bands like John Tesh, Rebecca St. James, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Third Day, Caedmon's Call, and Jars of Clay. Despite his success in the music industry, Rich often ruffled the feathers of Christian music culture. He didn't consider music to be his primary purpose in life; to him, it simply enabled him to pursue the higher calling of loving people: children, his neighbors, enemies, and non-Christians. Sometimes he showed up to his concerts unshaven and barefoot. To keep others from putting him on a pedestal, he often confessed his sins and failures in public.
In 1995, Rich moved to a Navajo reservation in Arizona to teach music to the children who lived there. Rich never knew how successfully his albums sold because the profits form his concerts and albums went directly to his church. They paid him a small salary and gave the rest of the money away.
In September 1997, Rich and a friend were driving to a benefit concert in Wichita, Kansas, when their Jeep flipped. Both men were thrown from the car; Rich was killed when a passing semi swerved to miss the Jeep and accidentally hit him. He was forty-one years old."
Rings
"I don't know how old exactly Rings is, but he's definitely what you would call an old man. I also don't know where he was born or what his real name is; he simply goes by Rings. His home is the cab of his pickup, which he parks near downtown Ocean Beach, CA. He is a chain smoker, an ex-convict, ex-addict, and ex-alcoholic.
Rings likes to say that if Jesus saved him, then Jesus is able to save anyone and everyone. So instead of using his monthly check to buy alcohol or a hotel room for himself, he spends all of it on food at the local supermarket. He transfers the food he buys to coolers in the back of his truck, then he drives to the beach and makes meals for his fellow homeless.
While preparing the food, Rings tells the gathering crowd about the freedom that Jesus brought into his life. He tells them that God is the One who told him to feed others with his money, and that it's because God loves each of them. This man gives everything he has to others- literally everything- because he knows he has nothing that wasn't given to him by God."
Recently I have been feeling God pulling me closer and challenging me to be something more. My two lingering questions are "What is He asking me to do?" and "Will I do it?"
Rich Mullins
"Rich was born in 1955 in Richmond, Indiana, the third of six children. He began to study music at a young age and wrote his first song on the piano when he was just four years old...His two most well-known songs are "Awesome God" and "Step by Step." His songs have been covered by artists and bands like John Tesh, Rebecca St. James, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Third Day, Caedmon's Call, and Jars of Clay. Despite his success in the music industry, Rich often ruffled the feathers of Christian music culture. He didn't consider music to be his primary purpose in life; to him, it simply enabled him to pursue the higher calling of loving people: children, his neighbors, enemies, and non-Christians. Sometimes he showed up to his concerts unshaven and barefoot. To keep others from putting him on a pedestal, he often confessed his sins and failures in public.
In 1995, Rich moved to a Navajo reservation in Arizona to teach music to the children who lived there. Rich never knew how successfully his albums sold because the profits form his concerts and albums went directly to his church. They paid him a small salary and gave the rest of the money away.
In September 1997, Rich and a friend were driving to a benefit concert in Wichita, Kansas, when their Jeep flipped. Both men were thrown from the car; Rich was killed when a passing semi swerved to miss the Jeep and accidentally hit him. He was forty-one years old."
Rings
"I don't know how old exactly Rings is, but he's definitely what you would call an old man. I also don't know where he was born or what his real name is; he simply goes by Rings. His home is the cab of his pickup, which he parks near downtown Ocean Beach, CA. He is a chain smoker, an ex-convict, ex-addict, and ex-alcoholic.
Rings likes to say that if Jesus saved him, then Jesus is able to save anyone and everyone. So instead of using his monthly check to buy alcohol or a hotel room for himself, he spends all of it on food at the local supermarket. He transfers the food he buys to coolers in the back of his truck, then he drives to the beach and makes meals for his fellow homeless.
While preparing the food, Rings tells the gathering crowd about the freedom that Jesus brought into his life. He tells them that God is the One who told him to feed others with his money, and that it's because God loves each of them. This man gives everything he has to others- literally everything- because he knows he has nothing that wasn't given to him by God."
Recently I have been feeling God pulling me closer and challenging me to be something more. My two lingering questions are "What is He asking me to do?" and "Will I do it?"
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
To Him Who Overcomes
If you are not familiar with the book of Revelation, it is written by John. John was chillin’ in the presence of God one day and God told him to write down everything he saw and heard. The following is some of what John wrote down. Each promise listed below is contained in a special letter to each of the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. My purpose in writing this is to share what encouraged me. The promises below are extraordinary. It is my hope that these promises are not just for the seven churches, but for all of us who overcome.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Rev. 2:7
He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. Rev. 2:11
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Rev. 2:17
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father. 28I will also give him the morning star. Rev. 2:26-28
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Rev. 3:5
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. Rev. 3:12
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Rev. 3:21
My personal favorite is the idea of a new name. I think it would be amazing to get a white stone from Jesus revealing my new name. I also love the idea of having the name of God written on me. To me, it would be physical proof that God has forever said, "You are mine!" Who am I to say, however, that Jesus is speaking literally here? But if he is, those things would be cool.
My encouragement to you, and to myself for that matter, is when life is hard, remember the promises of God. I know that God has amazing things in store for those who overcome. Remember also what Jesus said to his disciples when the time was drawing near for him to endure the cross: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)"
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Rev. 2:7
He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. Rev. 2:11
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Rev. 2:17
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father. 28I will also give him the morning star. Rev. 2:26-28
He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. Rev. 3:5
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. Rev. 3:12
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. Rev. 3:21
My personal favorite is the idea of a new name. I think it would be amazing to get a white stone from Jesus revealing my new name. I also love the idea of having the name of God written on me. To me, it would be physical proof that God has forever said, "You are mine!" Who am I to say, however, that Jesus is speaking literally here? But if he is, those things would be cool.
My encouragement to you, and to myself for that matter, is when life is hard, remember the promises of God. I know that God has amazing things in store for those who overcome. Remember also what Jesus said to his disciples when the time was drawing near for him to endure the cross: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)"
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Dwelling Place
I always peer into the glass hesitantly, knowing what it is that I will see, dissatisfied with the reflection of one who was meant, even made for more. They say that we will long to be what we will be. Nothing I have ever heard has been truer. This tent in which I live is falling apart. And I groan for the house that will soon be mine. Until then, I am stuck with this tent, burned and destroyed, not from the outside, but from within. The tenant doesn’t know how to take care of this dwelling place, setting fire to its walls and carving holes in it with a knife. I wish I could say that I don’t know any better, but I do. I hate this tent, this reflection. No one would dare live here, not even I want to, but this is where I remain, longing to escape and unable to stop mutilating my dwelling place. I often feel that I was meant for more than this tent, even to turn it into an exquisite mansion, complete with stained-glass windows and superb interior design. But this tent dweller is still burning the inside of the tent. How on earth can a charred piece of cloth be built into a mansion? I am so ill-equipped. There is no way that I can accomplish the task set before me…none. I think this is the contractor’s way of reminding me that a tent dweller is not made to construct; my only hope for success if to fully rely on the contractor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- ktkoell
- There's not much to know, except that I'm a teacher and constantly in pursuit of God.