Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Easter Blessings

With Easter just around the corner, I am reminded of something I was taught during my time at YWAM. (YWAM or Youth With A Mission is an amazing organization that encourages youth to step out of their comfort zone and change the world for God. )

During one of our weeks at YWAM we had a phenomenal speaker that we called Rev Nev. He was from a church in Byron Bay, and he was absolutely Fantastic. Everything he had to say gave insight and brought new meanings to old words. He spoke on Covenants both from the old "Testiment" and the new "Testiment." In Latin the word Testiment actually means Covenant, so if you look at the Bible with that knowledge we've got the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.

In the Old Covenant or Old Testiment there are very strict details for the Cutting of the Covenant. These include:
1. Exchange Coats
2. Exchange Weapons
3. Exchange Names
4. Blood Cutting & Seal
5. Splitting an Animal
6. Promise & Oaths
7. Blessings & Curses
8. Memorial
9. Covenant Meal
10. Covenant Attorney

Being in Covenant with someone means you are closer than blood brothers, it means that your wealth is their wealth, your poverty is their poverty.

Different Covenants through the Bible.
1. Covenant of Works (Hosea 6:5)
Created in Covenant

2. Covenant of Eden (Genesis 3:14-21)
Prototype of Covenant

3. Covenant with Noah (Genesis 8:20-22, 9:9-17)
Covenant with All the Earth

4. Covenant with Abraham (Gen 15)
Covenant with Father & a Nation

5. Covenant with Isreal (Exodus 19:5-24)
Covenant with Priests

6. Covenant with David (2 Samuel 17:12-16)
Covenant with Kingdom

7. The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
Covenant with the Church

All this being said... The New Covenant is what reminds me of Easter. For Jesus made a Covenant with God on our behalf. He took care of everything for us. He gave us the "Helper" (our Covenant Attorney) and he said, "It is Finished!!" That also means that God's wealth is our wealth. If you need anything health, finances, love, a friend. God has you covered. He is our Covenant holder.

God Has our backs and he wants to take care of us.

Remember that this Easter season. It's not about the candy or the bunnies, it is about the beautiful gift God gave us through the death of His ONE and ONLY son!

Blessings on you this Easter Season!

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Cry of the Father's Heart from Genesis to Revelation


The Father's Love Letter


My Child,
You may not know me but I know everything about you (Ps 139:1)
I know when you sit and when you rise up (Ps 139:2)
I am familiar with all your ways (Ps 139:3)
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matt 10:29)
For you were made in my image (Gen 1:27)
In me you live, and move and have your being (Acts 17:28)
For you are my offspring (Acts 17:28)
I knew you before you were conceived (Jer 1:4-5)
I chose you when I planned creation (Eph 1:11-12)
You were not a mistake (Ps 139:15-16)
For all your days are written in my book (Ps 139:15-16)
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live (Acts 17:28)
You were fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14)
I knit you together in your mother’s womb (Ps 139:13)
And brought you forth on the day you were born (Ps 71:6)
I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me (John 8:41-44)
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (John 4:16)
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you (1 John 3:1)
Simply because you are my child and I am your father (I John 3:1)
I offer you more than your earthy father ever could (Matt 7:11)
For I am the perfect father (Matt 5:48)
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand (James 1:17)
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs (Matt 6:31-33)
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jer 29:11)
Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3)
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Ps 139:17-18)
And I rejoice over you with singing (Zeph 3:17)
I will never stop doing good to you (Jer 32:40)
For you are my treasured possession (Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you with all my heart and with all my soul (Jer 32:41)
And I want to show you great and marvelous things (Jer 33:3)
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me (Deut 4:29)
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4)
For it is I who gave you those desires (Phil 2:13)
I am able to do more than you can possibly imagine (Eph 3:20)
For I am your greatest encourager (2Thess 2:16-17)
I am also your father who comforts you in all your troubles (2 Cor 1:3-4)
When you are broken hearted, I am close to you (Ps 34:18)
As a Shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart (Is 40:11)
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes (Rev 21:3-4)
And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth (Rev 21:3-4)
I am your father, and I love you even as I love my son Jesus (John 17:23)
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed (John 17:26)
He is the exact representation of my being (Heb 1:3)
He came to demonstrate that I am for you; not against you (Rom 8:31)
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins (2 Cor 5:18-19)
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you (1 John 4:10)
I gave up everything I love so that I might gain your love (Rom 8:31-32)
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me (1 John 2:23)
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again (Rom 8:38-39)
Come home and I will throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen (Luke 15:7)
I have always been father, and will always be father (Eph 3:14-15)
My question is…… Will you be my child? (John 1:2-13)
I am waiting for you (Luke 15:11-32)

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Take Courage Again.

Hillsong United released the "Aftermath" album February 15, 2011. I purchased it that day and it hasn't left my cd player since. Track 1 is called "Take Heart." This song has been really pressing on my heart recently and has been a song of comfort to me in my weakest moments and in the moments of stress and fear. The chorus goes...

So take heart
Let His love lead us through the night
Hold on to hope
And take courage again


As I was driving home tonight from church, I had this song on repeat, and the part of the chorus that stuck out to me was "Take Courage Again." How often do we find ourselves concerned with the way the world sees us? How many times do we sit and wonder if we're good enough, if we make enough money, if we spend enough time with our friends and family, if we are providing the right amount for our family, how often to we worry. The Bible tells us in Matthew 6:25 - 34 Don't worry. I'm going to pull one scripture out of that passage and that is verse 34, it says "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has its troubles of its own." While driving I felt God just speak to me saying, "Don't worry, Take heart, Let my love lead you through the night, let to tomorrow worry about tomorrow, let's just get through the night. Hold on to the hope you have in me, and take courage again, you are a strong wonderful woman, and I will be beside you every step of the way."

God tells us that he will never leave us nor forsake us, (Hebrews 13:5), so why are we worrying. He says, "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest, for my yolk is easy and my burden is light" ( Matthew 11:28-30).


The rest of the song goes...

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome

All our failure
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome
All our heartache
And all our pain
God our healer
He has overcome

All our burdens
And all our shame
God our freedom
He has overcome

All our troubles
And all our tears
God our hope
He has overcome

All our failures
And all our fear
God our love
He has overcome

God our justice
God our grace
God our freedom
He has overcome

God our refuge
God our strength
God is with us
He has overcome



HE HAS OVERCOME! Everything we ever worry about, anything we ever feel burdened with, everything... EVERYTHING, He has OVERCOME!

(Take Heart - Aftermath Album - Hillsong United)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW_f8aO77sc