Emancipation Song

So about a week ago I wrote a song - and I forgot to put it on here. I wrote a WHOLE SONG in ONE DAY and I forgot to put it on here! These things only happen like once a millenium!! Ha ha but really it was all God's goodness to me that I had time to really sit down and write it all in about two hours. And things just kept coming to me, whereas typically my creativity only comes in spurts. This song describes something I am very passionate about - our complete and utter freedom that comes from being in Christ and receiving the precious gift of salvation. If I had to contribute a particular verse to this song, it would be Galatians 5:1; "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Christ set us free just to be free - not to go back to our old ways and habits!! So I guess this is what this song is about. Oh and be grateful - I don't usually share my songs with anyone - but I guess I really like this and I am confident in it. I am even starting to write a piano accompianment to it, wonder of all wonders. ;)  Hope you enjoy.

Emancipation Song

The cell door has been broken

Yet we cling to the walls of our prisons

The greatest prize is standing before our eyes

Yet we push it aside

And try to find other things to fill our lives

Reality has become an impossibility

We refuse to believe your sufficiency

We strap our chains back on ourselves

We take Your grace and throw it on the shelf

We make up rules so we'll be right

We think we're strong so we go fight

And then we fail

We are so frail

And every time we fail

We believe the lies

That tell us we must fix up our lives

But we are so blind to see

That victory has been won

Victory has been won already

Oh Father, give us eyes to see

That in Christ we already have everything we need

We are no longer slaves - we are free!

Hear the shackles hit the ground

We will not be found in any other place

Than our Father's arms

Hear us make a joyful sound

Hear us sing outloud

Praises to our King

We will not be owned by any other

Than our Friend who loves us closer than our brothers

The lion has no hold on me

The Lamb is all that I shall need

Forever and ever!

I am free!

Jesus, by Your blood and Your mercy

I am free!

I am free.

Whispers

I listen to music. A lot. I hear a lot of lyrics, and something that stood out to me the other day when I was listening to some sort of praise Pandora station was the phrase, "you whisper your promises to me" or something like that - it was talking about God. I realized that so many Christian tunes have that idea planted in them - that God whispers His affections to us. This is probably more prominent in female songs, because the idea of whispering sounds intimate and familial.
But is this really who our God is? Does He just secretly tell us of His our love for us?
Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." Loud singing doesn't exactly imply quietness. The Lord takes delight in us as His children. The whole reason for salvation was for God's glory - so why would He not take joy when another child receives adoption into His family? Luke 15:10 says, "Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
We, as God's people, are His portion: "But the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage." He is our portion, and we are His. We both take delight in the other!
God's plan of salvation is flagrant and His love for us is so vast and deep that how can it not take up our universe!?!
If you wanted someone to prove their love for you, would you rather them whisper it to you occasionally, or rather stand up in a public place and shout a proclamation? Most people would pick the second option. It makes you feel out-of-this-world special. That what Christ does with us. How could we ever doubt His love for us when He humbled himself and died for us?! That in and of itself is a public display of His great love and mercy!
I heard a quote from someone I know that goes, "Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, continually interceding for us and proclaiming us as 'not guilty'". And He loves to do it!
Our Father is not shy about His love. Yes, He is intimate....but He's not going to let a day go by without loudly proclaiming His love for us. What marvellous and matchless love we receive as His children!! This only serves as reason to praise Him more and more.

Analytical Ignoramus

If you know the definitions of these two words, you'll realize that they contradict one another. Analytical usually refers to dissecting information in order to understand it more accurately and fully, while an ignoramus is someone who is extrememly ignorant. So how can someone who gets into the nitty-gritty of information also be ignorant at the same time? I am living proof of this description. I am also living proof of other derogatory terms such as nincompoop, blind bat, and blockhead, to name just a few.
Alright, let's pretend you have a significant other. And for good measure let's just say that you were married to this significant other, so you were expected to have a tight relationship - and to be honest, you believe that you do. Now, your significant other (let's just call them 'SO') decides that they want to take a vacation with you. Just you, and no one else. What's your first reaction? Here's some options:
1. Whine and complain about getting a break from your hectic life.
2. Whine and complain that you have to go somewhere with only your favorite person in the world.
3. Whine and complain that vacation is not the right choice of what to do right now.
4. Whine and complain and tell SO to stop playing tricks on you.
5. Whine and complain that SO is being selfish.
6. Whine and complain that you shouldn't be punished for anything.
Ok, if you picked any of these options, chances are that SO will be led to believe that you don't love them as much as you say you do. You either have things or people that are more important to you than them, and you don't trust their judgement. Or you don't believe their motives for planning the vacation.
Now you're starting to think, "Duh! Why don't you just get the point! Those are all stupid reactions to SO's behavior towards you - unless you had reason to doubt them!" Let's pretend you have absolutely no reason to doubt their motives whatsoever. The reactions sound even more preposterous now. Why would you try to read into someone's motives if you trusted them?
Most people's reaction would be of happiness and thankfulness - and they would go on the vacation and have a wonderful time getting away from the world and spending time with SO. Am I right? Yes.
Now, back to Analytical Nincompoop Blockhead Blind Bat Ignoramus. Yep, that's me. I have been going through this same story with a very very big SO and yet I have chosen all the wrong reactions. I have tried to figure out why my Heavenly Father would place me in a position in life that does not allow for much interaction with people, or with things, or events, or really much of anything. Am I in trouble - am I getting punished for some sin? Does God not love me? Did He just forget about me, or put me on hold? I have been frantically worrying over my situation, and praying God for a way out of it, and analyzing what I did wrong to get me into it. But over the last few days, God has simply told me that He just wanted to spend time with me, and to allow me to spend more time with Him. When I've griped to Him about not getting enough interaction with other people (because I'm a "people person"), He has quietly asked me, "Am I not relationship enough?" He's not punishing me, He's not forcing me into some trial - He just wants to give me a vacation with Him. What more could I ask for?! Loads of free time to be with my Father, to learn more about Him and in turn learn more about myself! And now that I see the answer to why I'm in this place, I feel so stupid and ignorant - because it's so easy. And I screwed it up for a good while by hyperventilating and worrying.
Since I've come to this realization, I don't want to be out of God's presence. I actually had to force myself to go somewhere tonight and to be with people. I just wanted to stay home and dwell on the character and awesomeness of my Father, and abide in His creation.
I heard a new song tonight that describes my relationship with my Father. It's called "Without You" by Shane and Shane. Here's an excerpt from one of the verses: "Even though I believe / You've taken up a home inside of me / And you'll never leave / I still need to know you're here with me".
Father, don't ever let me whine about spending time with You. On the contrary, keep me yearning for it.

Enraptured

Dear Savior and Redeemer,
     Please don't let me forget that I am involved in the greatest Story ever told, and that there was nothing I did to be a part of it.
     Don't let me brush over the gospel, over your death, over your resurrection - as though they are mere facts that simply define who I am today. Let them be all that I am not - which is everything.
     I don't want to be a lukewarm Christian - or even a 212 degree Christian. Make me a flame that constantly is growing and burning brighter. Make my passion for You consume me, and let the gospel be the oxygen for my fire.
     I want to sing your praises when I get up in the morning, when I work, when I play, when I cry, when I smile, when I sleep.
     Don't ever let me belittle Your love for me, for there is no greater love than someone who lays down his life for his friends. That is what you did, Jesus! Was there no life more valuable than Yours? And yet You freely gave of it to redeem my poor and wretched soul. For you know that is what I am, Father, and yet You still love me more than I can imagine.
     Don't let Your Word go through one ear and out the other. Let me hold onto it, cherish it, nuture it. It is the Word of my Father, my God, and my King.
     Fill me with such awe and amazement for Your love for me that I have no other thoughts but for You. Keep me in raptures, Lord, and keep me ever full of joy because of the wondrous cross You endured for me.
     Lord, there is no greater love but Yours. There is no greater Word but Yours. There is no greater abundance of mercy and grace but Yours towards Your people. There is no greater relationship but the one I get to have with You.
     Never cease to fill me with Your Spirit, and never let me dim the bright and beautiful glory of the gospel.
    

A Cry of Relinquishment

Precious Father,
     I am not my own. Take me as you will. Use me as you will. Use all of me, to my very last breath.
     I don't want to be the item used only once a month and put on the shelf at all other times. Use me every day, hour, and minute.
     It's been said that Christians are broken pots that shine your light through the cracks. Father, I don't care how cracked and broken I am as long as more of Your light shines through!! Break me more, Crack me more, in order to display Your glory!!
     I don't want part of my life to be devoted to You. I want it all!! I surrender that which is not even mine to give.
     Exhaust me with opportunities to proclaim Your wondrous name. I want to be weary with the gospel, if that possibility even exists.
     Transform me, create me, and change me into someone I am not. Let others see You, and not me.
     Take my life, and let it be consecrated, LORD, to Thee!! Take it all, Jesus!!! Don't let any part of my life be for my personal use.
     Give me trials, give me suffering, for then I will become more like Christ - the greatest privelege ever given to mankind!!
     Take my voice, my dreams, my ambition - and use them as Thou shalt choose!! Let me sing always and only for my King!!
     Let me love others with the greatest love that only comes from You. Let me give everything I possess for the sake of Your name because I already have all I need in You!! Become my all in all, Lord Jesus!!
     Take my will, and make it Thine!! May I only strive to do what You deem fit!!
     May I never retire from Your work, but rather press on for the sake of Your glory!!
     When I reach the glorious gates, may I hear You say, "Well done, my good and faithful daughter!" And I will reply: "It was all for Your sake and by Your grace, my Father!!"
     Take it all, Lord. Take it all. It is already Yours.

Habits

     Habits are a funny thing. Dictionary.com defines them as, "an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary". So you do something so many times that you don't even realize that you do it anymore. Cool. That's all fine and dandy - until sin comes along.
     Sin, with its pull on you like gravity can break any habit at any time...especially if it is spiritually-related, such as reading your Bible or praying. And once a habit is broken it can become extremely hard to put back in its "involuntary" place. I used to describe my Christian walk as always taking two steps forward and one step back. Now I believe it can be more accurately depicted as taking two steps forward, completely forgetting how to walk, learning how to walk again, taking two baby steps forward - and then repeating this cycle over and over again. When you are in the grip hold of sin and the devil sometimes you forget who you even are, or who God created you to be.
     When we are in the throws of sin, it can be a nasty place - and we can become nasty people because of it. I have my good days and I have my bad days. The bad days reveal that I am still a sinner and have not reached heaven yet, and the good days reveal that I have a Savior whose grace is more than enough to keep me from falling. I completely agree with Paul when he says, "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." (Romans 7:15). As Christians we want to serve and obey God but because of our sin we do not always (or usually ever) complete that desire.
     This is why we must preach the gospel to ourselves everyday, and if you're like me you'll probably have to punch yourself with the gospel everyday. This is why we must have a fierce determination to actively oppose Satan and his lies and to live for Christ as soon as we get up in the morning. This is why the Christian life is called a battle and a race because it calls for strength, stamina, courage, determination, endurance, grit, and hope.
     My parents have this contraption - don't ask me what it's called - where you hang upside down. Weird, right? Well I didn't think it was that cool until I realized the purpose behind it. And that was to be Batman. Just kidding. The reason for this thing is to benefit your spine. Apparently, throughout the day, gravity pulls down on your spine so that all your discs become crunched together - probably causing pain and tightness on the nerves. Terrible, I know. But by hanging upside down at the end of the day for 5-10 minutes, it elongates your spine and (supposedly) puts it back in the correct position. I don't really know how well this thing works - all I get is a headache whenever I use it so I wouldn't advise purchasing it.
     Anyway, what that contraption thing supposedly does for your spine is what the Word of God really does for us. Earlier I said that sin pulls on you like gravity, and it's true. It's always with you everywhere you go, and it affects every human being. It causes pain and disorder among your soul, whereas gravity does it to your body. Being in God's Word daily, hourly, minutely - that is what is going to bring relief.
     Paul also says in Romans 12:2 - "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind". As Christians we have already been transformed tremendously through the miracle of salvation, but we are to be continually transformed and renewed daily. One of the definitions for renew is, "to make effective for an additional period." That means that we have to keep on renewing ourselves, implying repeated renewing, and we can become even more new through excessive renewing!!
     It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to "Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Sometimes we will have to press on, and sometimes we will have to body slam our way through the race - either way Christ is indeed Immanuel - God with us. And when we fall or when we forget, He never fails to pick us up and remind us of His promises. When we have no strength, "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength." (Isaiah 40:29).
     "Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father! Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth! Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow! Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!" Even though I constantly fail to be faithful, YOU never are!!! Thank you, Blessed Savior!!