Sade: By Your Side

This is probably one of my all time favorite songs. The reason being is that this song echos my heart's cry for the kind of companion (wife) that I desire in life. But, even more, this song describes many of the qualities of my very real relationship with Jesus. "You think I'd leave your side baby? You know me better than that. You think I'd leave you down when you're down on your knees? I wouldn't do that." Jesus does promise to never ever leave: "surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Today, faithfulness is becoming more of a rarity. According to the latest statistics, the U.S. is rated 1st out of 34 counties in divorce rates (close to 50%). That's sad considering so many of us (if not all) desires a companion like the one described in this song. "Oh, when you're cold I'll be there to hold you tight to me. When you're on the outside baby and you can't get in. I will show you, you're so much better than you know. When you're lost, when you're alone and you can't get back again. I will find you darling, I'll bring you home. If you want to cry, I am here to dry your eyes and in no time you'll be fine."

Patient, faithful, loving tenderness. I don't know about you, but I want someone who will be careful with my heart. Someone who will love, accept and cherish me for who I am. Someone who sees that I am worth loving and will work at loving me, even when I am hard to love. But, desiring someone like this is only half the story. I believe we need to take our desire for someone like this and turn them inward towards ourselves and begin being this unconditional lover who patiently, faithfully, lovingly and tenderly cares for the lifelong companion that we desire for our own life.

For me, as I press deeper into my relationship with Jesus, who models perfectly the companion described in this song, I am in many ways transformed to be more like Him. Following His example has made me more like this unconditional lover, who understands that love is more than just a feeling, but that love is a choice, a commitment and that love oftentimes takes work. I love this song because it not only echos my heart's cry, but it also challenges me to love more fully than I do now.

Jonathan David Helser: Intimacy

This song ministers to me in the deep places of my heart. Whenever I am doubting God's deep desire to bring healing and restoration to my broken life, this song helps to remind me that God made me to be intimate with Him. That He's not a distant angry God who stands stoically by as trials and tragedies befall me. God is love (1 John 4:16). This doesn't mean that He has a lot of love or loves a lot, but that He is the very essence of love. I find comfort in this truth because this means everything God does or doesn't do must come from the depths of love. Is He not the Author and Creator of love?

We were created out of love and for love. I believe this with all my heart. We were made for intimacy both with our Creator and with one another. My deepest heart's cry is to be fully known and fully love. For me, this is the purpose of intimacy. Real intimacy creates a space in our hearts where we are able to meet one another without shame, guilt or judgment. I believe intimacy like this a product of heaven where the Kingdom of God breaks through in greater measure into our hearts.

"Intimacy includes so much more than just the physical, it also includes emotions (heart), thoughts (mind) and the will (spirit)....Intimacy comes when we share all of ourselves with another. But, we must understand that at its core, intimacy is more than just a constant level of relating. Intimacy is the experience of sharing life together. The only way to be fully known is to share your life with someone. Sure, I can tell you everything that I may know about myself, but there is so much more to me, if you just watch me for awhile" (From another of my posts:hospitality of soul).

"These hands You made to hold Yours my Love. These feet You shaped to walk with You in our garden. These eyes You placed to gaze upon Your face. These lips You formed to kiss my beloved."

"I was made, I was made - intimacy."

"These ears You made to hear Your rhythms of love. And this voice You placed to sing You songs of Grace. And this hair You wove, You've numbered every strand. And this gaze You Love that captures You in one glance."

"I was made, I was made - intimacy."

"Intimacy, it's what I need. Intimacy is calling me."

Do you hear intimacy calling to you? Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light" (Matthew 11:28-30 NLT).

Michael Bublé: Home

Whenever I hear this song, I think of being in heaven with Jesus. Now, I know that Michael Bublé is singing about missing his beloved here on earth and I get that (that's also why I love this song). But, there has been a scripture verse that has truly undone my heart for God which says: "I am my Beloved and my Beloved is mine" (Song of Solomon 6:3). For me knowing the Father's love for me changes everything. Knowing that He delights in me as his beloved whether I succeed or fail is enough for me because that shows me that He loves me for me and not for what I do or don't do. Again, knowing the unconditional love of the Father changes everything.

Now the only way to fully know the Father's love is through Jesus. The Bible talks about believers being citizen of heaven who eagerly await our Lord Jesus from there (Philippians 3:10). When I surrendered my life to Jesus, in that moment God filled me with the Holy Spirit and I became a child of God and a citizen of heaven. Too often Christianity is thought of as a religion of rules, but for me Christianity is a relationship of love. The reason I do the things that I do is because I'm madly in love with God. If I choose not to do something, it's out of love for Him.

Truly, I have felt the goodness of God and experienced His kind and gentle touch in my life which only fuels all the more my longing to be at rest with Him in heaven where there will be no more pain or suffering. So, hearing this song really pulls at my heartstrings to be near Jesus. This is especially strong when I am going through a storm in my life. But, for me, heaven is more than just a place where there will be perpetual joy, heaven is where I will finally get to see my Beloved Savior Jesus face to face, that's where home is for me. Home for me will always be where Jesus is. "Let me go home. I’m just too far from where you are. I wanna come home."

John Mayer: Say

This song touches a spot in my heart right now because I am struggling with the fear of expressing my heart towards others. Is it wrong for me to express love and caring to people? Sometimes I feel like it is, which just tears me up inside. I get so frustrated with myself because deep in my heart, I just want to be real with people. I want to let people see and feel my heart. Let me explain, God's love is very real and tangible to me and His love for me moves me to love others. But, my fear is that this love will be misinterpreted. If you know me, then you know that I can be pretty intense. What can I say, I am a passionate guy, who loves people who are dear to my Savior Jesus' heart, which of course means everyone. But, there are those whom I am just magnetically drawn to sometimes. It's like God is bringing us together for some special purpose.

So, this song is a helpful reminder that I need to just "say what I need to say." I need to remember that "in the end, it's better to say too much, then never say what I need to say again." We only live once and sometimes moments (divine appointments?) may only happen once, so we need to make the most of every opportunity to say what needs to be said. I think one of the greatest gifts we can give someone is sharing our hearts with them. I love authenticity. It always draws me in and I feel so connected and alive in those moments. The more I think about it, the more I've come to realize that when we die, the only thing that we will take with us are our relationships, both with God and others. When I die, my relationship with Jesus will continue on in heaven where I will be fully known and fully loved by the people there.

Step out and take a chance. Tell someone that you enjoy being around them and you want to be around them more often. Tell someone that you like their smile because it brightens your day. Tell someone that you appreciate them for who they are and not for what they do. Tell someone that you find them interesting and that you'd like to get to know them better. Tell someone who is dear to your heart that you love and care for them! "Have no fear for giving in! Have no fear for giving over!" Just open up your heart wide and let your love flow out. Share your heart with someone today. Something that I need to take to heart and do more often! Maybe you can relate?

Rita Springer: Worth It All

Over the past few weeks, this song has been a life line to me as God has been testing my heart in challenging me towards faithfulness to Jesus. During this rough patch of my sanctification, I have been telling myself that: "It's gonna be worth it. It's gonna be worth it. It's gonna be worth it all. I believe this." At times, this has been the only thing I can stammer out of my mouth. But, the Holy Spirit who lives within me has brought to my heart and mind moment after moment when Jesus has faithfully healed, saved and restored me. In those dark and troubling times when the temptation of sin is so very great, this song suddenly comes to mind (has that ever happen to you?). I believe that the Holy Spirit is behind this, He is reminding me to remember that "Jesus is worth it!" That Jesus is worth far more than any fleeting pleasure or possession. That Jesus is worth persevering through every trial and testing. I share this in hopes that this song can be an encouragement to you during the testings of your heart. Jesus is worth it.

Sarah McLachlan: Blackbird

Whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of redemption which naturally makes me think about my own redemption in Jesus and the amazing miracles He's done in my life. More specifically, when I hear the lyrics "Take these broken wings and learn to fly - all your life." I am reminded that as God has healed and redeemed me of my drug addiction, He has in every way healed my broken wings and has now taught me to fly. Also, when I hear the lyrics "Take these sunken eyes and learn to see - all you life." I am reminded that I was once blind, but now I can see the light! Jesus has given me an eternal perspective on life where before all I saw was pain and suffering, but now I can see hope and healing.

Jesus has set me free to live, move and dance in the freedom of being a beloved child of God, who is loved completely and who loves freely. But, He has also invited and empowered me to bring the hope that He has placed within me to share with a lost and broken world. "Blackbird fly, blackbird fly into the light of the dark black night." That's how these words effect me. I am to take the light of the Gospel into dark places, "into the dark black night."

Norah Jones: Nightingale

Whenever I hear this song, it makes me long to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit ever louder in my life. You see, the Holy Spirit speaks to me through thoughts, images and feelings. In many ways, He sings directly to my soul about the Father's love for me, about the words of Jesus and His Kingdom, even about the way God thinks and feels about others. So, when I hear Norah Jones singing about longing to hear the love song of the nightingale to guide and direct her, I immediately think about the Holy Spirit, who's loving voice often guides and directs me through this life.

The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as a dove who comes to rest upon Jesus after He was baptized (Matthew 3:16) and who also leads believers into all Truth (John 16:13) and into greater intimacy with God (John 14:16-19) because through the Holy Spirit believers are adopted into the family of God (Romans 8:15-16) where they experience the deepness of God's Love (Romans 5:5).

I also completely relate to the lyrics that say: "All the voices that are spinnin' around me. Trying to tell me what to say. So can I fly right behind you? And you can take me away." Maybe you can relate as well? There are so many other voices in my life that get in the way of me hearing the Voice of God. My deepest longing is to know the depths of God's Love, but oftentimes these other voices get in the way of me knowing and experiencing this Love. So, these lyrics resonate my own heart's cry to want to be close to the Spirit of God. So close that I am literally right there with Him as we soar together through this life with me listening to the Spirit's sweet song of Love filling the air and my soul.

Finger Eleven: One Thing

Whenever I hear this song, it always draws me in. I haven't ever really thought about why until now. If you listen to the lyrics, the singer is musing about trying to understanding the one thing that he would trade it all in for. In essence, it's like he's asking himself this question: "Is there one thing worth giving it all up for?" To be fair, he seems to be asking this question in relation to his desire for a woman. On a deeper level, it sounds to me like the singer's restlessness is rooted to something greater than just his desire for a woman, but to the desire for greater peace and significance for his life.

Maybe that's why this song draws me in because I am drawn to the singer's heart's cry as he searches for this peace and greater significance. The evangelist in me would say to the singer: "Yes, there is one thing worth trading it all in for and that's Jesus. He is the significance that you are searching for and the peace that your soul is craving. The kind of peace that will give rest to not only your musings, but your very soul."

decisions, decisions...

Here's an interesting video that animates side-by-side Creationism (left) and Evolutionism (right). These videos are available for download both singly or together. At the end of the day, we all have to decide what to believe. Everybody is born with faith. Faith is a choice. What is it that you choose to put your faith in?

a great life mission statement

This song has always inspired and encouraged me to press into God's grace for my life because it reminds me of just how beautiful, wonderful and amazing a Savior King I have in Jesus. Even before hearing Vicky Beeching's story behind the song, I've always held this song close to my heart because it helps me refocus my gaze from whatever is going on in my life to Jesus. I am reminded of His faithfulness and goodness towards me. In many ways, I've made it my own mission statement, even before hearing the backstory. What truly fuels my passion in all of this is the reality that when God touches something, new life happens. His anointing brings life. After hearing Vicky talk about God's Hand in this song, I'm not surprised at why this song has such a great anointing on it. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him" (John 14:6, 7).

addiction

If you asked me what addiction looks like, I would probably describe it in ways similar to this video. Addiction has an almost insatiable appetite that cares not for anything or anyone, only to satisfy oneself. People create attachments to things all day, everyday, but when these attachments go unchecked, that's when they can turn in unmanageable addictions that suck the very life out of a person and of the people around them. But, here's the Good News, there is a living God who hears the cries of those hurting (Psalm 55:17; 72:12), who is near the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18; 147:3) and who listens to those who call upon His Name to be rescued (Psalm 91:14-16).

Over this past year, I've started the 420 Prayer Movement that specifically prays for people struggling with drug addiction. Drug use among the next generation has been steadily on the increase. More and more middle school (junior high) children are now experimenting with drugs. That which was the exception has very much now become the norm. The 420 prayers consist of praying that: 1) That the Kingdom of God would break into their lives in power (1 Corinthians 4:20); 2) That they would leave their current lifestyle, in order to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:20); and 3) That the Holy Spirit would transform their hearts into the good soil that hears and accepts God's Word and bears abundant good fruit (Mark 4:20).

Now, I am all for support groups that help people who struggle with addiction gain greater coping skills and accountability. But, for me, I want lasting transformation for them and the abundant life that Jesus promises those who follow Him, which from my understanding comes only from God.

Freedom Sunday is coming...

Freedom Sunday is coming! If you have a passion to see the oppressed set free. If you have this deep yearning to proclaim freedom to the captives. You are not alone. Freedom Sunday is for you! In three weeks on February 21, 2010, churches from around the Earth will be joining together with one voice in doing just this. If you are interested in partnering with this Not For Sale event, there are resources at the Freedom Sunday website. Join the anti-slavery movement and let your voice be heard!