Thoughts

okay...todays post has a lot to do with God. I have been in the word quite a bit lately and found quite a few things i have enjoyed or found interesting, and i have a desire to share them, so...i'm putting them out there.

A song by the worship coordinater at my church:

One Name Under Heaven
One name under Heaven, whereby we must be saved
One name under Heaven, whereby we must be saved.

Forgiven of our sins
Baptized in watrer
Filled with the Holy Ghost
Washed in the Blood of the Lamb

Free, truly free my friend
Free by the blood of the Lamb

God's gonna move in this place
God's gonna move in this place
God's gonna turn this whole world upside down.

Ok time for some sweet verses!

"Have no fear of suddan disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked." -Proverbs 3:25
---when i read this verse i kind of laughed. There has been so many "suddan disasters" in the last year its unbelievable, but God tells us or rather Solomon in Proverbs tell us not to be worried: "for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared." (3:26) sweetness if you ask me!

"Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord! why do you long for the day of the Lord? that day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snamke bite him. Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light -- pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness? "I hate, Idespise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. though you bring your choice fellowship offerings, I will have no rgard for them . Away with your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house ofIsreal? You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god-- Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus," says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty." -Amos 5:18-27 ---Basically i can't wait for the day of the Lord, i am eager, and when i read this i laughed. God's pretty funny sometimes. Yes i agree that the day will be of darkness, not light, but i still want it to come, and i know he tells us to be patient and i'm trying.

"The great day of the Lord is near--near and coming quickly. Listen! the cry on the day of the Lord will be bitter the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned agaisnt the Lord. Their blood will be poured out like dusta nd their entrails like filth. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth. Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's wrath comes upon you. Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. See righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger." -Zephaniah 1:14-2:3 --- ok wow...thats pretty intense! who reads Zephaniah anyways...and who would have thought such words would come out of it! it's pretty intense! I love it!

okay...recent random thoughts:

so i'm on my secular music fast and my tv fast right now, its a challenge let me tell you, there are moments when i really just want to veg out and watch some tv, but there are so many other productive things, that i have suddenly found time for ( like writing this entry to procrastinate walking the dog, and cleaning under my bed ) anyways...so last night, i'm driving along listening to KTIS, and on Saturday nights they play some pretty sweet music, more contemporary, more teenage type music i'd say. Anyways i was listening to the song and rather enjoying it until it came to the bridge. I don't remember the exact words, but paraphrased it was i love you because you died on the cross for my sins. Now, heres my thought. I disagree with that. I mean don't get me wrong, I love God for all he has done for me, but i think that we're supposed to love God for who he is, not just the things he has done or is doing or will do. I don't want my husband to love me because i love him, i want him to love me for me. I think that a lot of the time we put way to much focus on the gospel, which is super, and don't get me wrong its crucial to our salvation, but we're never told to love God because he's wonderful, or because he's merciful, or because of simply who he is. How many worship songs can you think of that don't have the word I, my, or me in it? I can't think of many. Many worship songs today are about being filled, or being healed, or Jesus come, or this is what i need, this is what i want. What about God, you are holy, you are king you are all! what about worshiping God simply for who he is? Now we are told that worship isn't just music, so worshiping God with our entire lives is huge. The love languages, i often resort back to thinking of the love languages. There are five of them, touch, gifts, time, words of affirmation, service. well, we can't really "touch" God, but rather i think he touches us. Gifts: offering, our gifts whether its music, or academics, or sports giving those things back to him. Time: prayer, reading his word, instead of watching CSI basking in his love. Words of affirmation: telling God how much we love him, telling him how glorious he is, basically worshiping without using words like I , my , or me. Service: there are so many oppurtunites to stretch God's kingdom, everyday, and i don't take hold of them very often. Working at my job, i have to think, no, I'm not just doing this for Mary Jo my manager or for any of the shift supervisors, i'm doing this for God, so i better do my best. He wants my best, he wants me to do everything wholeheartedly, because i'm serving him. That makes tons of sense to me. But back to the main point, and i doing these things because i truly love him for who he is, and how glorious he is, or because he died for me on the cross? I think both are essential, but the first one has to come before the second.

Well thats all i really have to say today, at least for now, I'll stop procrastinating, because basically i'm really good at that, its my expertise, and i'll walk the dog and get all the dust bunnies and random hangers out from under my bed. Have a great day! and for whoever read this entire post! thanks! i appreciate it a lot, i know sometimes when i see long posts i refrain from reading them as well, but if you did read it, thanks!

later