Last Resort

It is sad to think that many Christians still face uncertainty when it comes to the power of prayer. Do we really believe in prayer or is it done out of obligation? It seems prayer is often our last resort, as many times we have heard the line, “..the least we can do is pray.” Has prayer really been lowered so much that it is the “least” we can do? I am not downplaying the great need for Christians to actually take action in transforming cities and nations, but prayer is equally important! Imagine running into battle without your armor, or jumping off a cliff without a parachute…it is through prayer we are made ready to act.

The Holy Spirit strengthens and guides us through prayer….He opens doors and prepares the way through our prayers! We cannot do it alone, that is why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit…to be our helper and instructor so that when we do take action we actually make a difference, because lets face it, offering the lost “humanity” never fixes the problem…it’s a spiritual issue that causes most worldly pain and destruction, and though humanity is important to survival, spiritual wellness is important for living. That is why people don’t understand when they see a wealthy man who is depressed or a poor man who is happy, having everything you need physically guarantees only bodily survival, not spiritual fulfilment.

As people of Faith, we need to remember that prayer is powerful. And even more specifically..that our words are powerful, as Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death..” Our words can either bring life or death to others. Yikes! This is an essential lesson for us all, especially here in America where we have abused the freedom of speech often by saying whatever we like regardless of who our words sting. Words are so powerful we often write them on our hearts as part of our identity. For example, a child being told he is stupid generally ends up believing he is stupid..carrying that word with him throughout his school career, failing his classes and limiting his dreams to what that word will allow. The words we write upon our hearts are hard to erase, how strange it is, that they leave our mouths quickly with ease, yet torment for years in their wake.

It was by the spoken word of God the world came into existence, and yet we still don’t believe that being made in God’s image, our words have power. Prayer can do what our hands can’t, and It’s time we recognize its importance in our lives again. I know part of the reason prayer has lost its vigor is because we live in an era that believes the spiritual works of God no longer exist. We read story after story about Jesus’s disciples doing miraculous works, such as healing the sick and raising the dead, and we think, “man…too bad that isn’t possible today.” But where is the biblical proof that it is not possible? Never did the Bible say that the spiritual gifts had died, or would cease in the times to come, in fact, there is a prophecy spoken by Joel that supports the latter, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” In other words, God’s not dead and nor are his works.

We place God in a box by our disbelief in his limitless abilities. Teaching people about God rarely ever brings them to salvation, it’s by an experience of God that their hearts are transformed and they are left with a lasting impression of God’s great love for them. If knowledge of God was all there was, then no one would be changed..even the demons know the bible, and notice..it doesn’t change them. That is why the spiritual gifts are so important! they bring about heavenly encounters and reveal the heart of the Father towards His people.

How do we awaken the spiritual gifts in our lives and in the church? I believe that it is through prayer we grow in our relationship with God and receive spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy. It takes trust on both ends, we have to trust God, and God has to trust us and that we are ready for what he gives us. This goes for every blessing we receive in life…if we are not ready for it we may abuse it or take it for granted. With each blessing/gift comes responsibility, like the parable of the three servants in Matthew 15:14-30, when we receive, we must be faithful with what we have been given and it will be multiplied.

Prayer is the key, it is not the last resort. Therefore, we must be, “..Joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)

More verses on prayer: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:6-7, Mark 11:24, James 5:16

 

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Sodom’s Fate

There stood a man upon a hill

His face was set, his body still

He stood because no one will

He stood for justice on that hill

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His gaze it fell upon the world

Where love was lost and hearts had chilled

He stared at Sodom on that hill

The fate of the world, standing still

So much sin, had it been filled

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In his hands he held it all

In one death, does Sodom fall?

In the other mercy, for some or all?

That’s why he faltered on that hill

He must make sure their fate was still

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If ten or more he will relent

For his love cannot be spent

Nor his justice be bent

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The truth is deep and deeper still

He loves that city on the hill

But deny himself he cannot

So does Sodom fall, or does it not?

 

Fairy Tales

We grew up reading and watching their stories, over and over we fell into their world and discovered that it isn’t so different from our own. Fairy tales, though impossible to many who have lost their sense of wonder, are in fact, portals into our very hearts. What we love, what we hate, and what we fear..all brought to the surface and given names. Why? to remind ourselves that good always wins, every dragon can be killed, happy endings are in store for everyone who believes, and hope still exists. We see ourselves when we enter their world, a world we created after all. Every world reflects its creator, including our own, which is a fairy tale brought to life by the spoken word of God. He is the ultimate creator and writer of our story, which is still in its beginning pages. In this world we live just as our fairy tale heroes whom we created for a reason. They reflect our inner most longings to be great and to be loved.

It seems most, if not all, fairy tales involve love. Love is our ideal happy ending because whether we deny it or not, it is what we need most. We were formed by love and rescued by the greatest love of all, the love of God. Which brings me to another point; love requires sacrifice. We see these “sacrifices” in the noble knight, risking his life to save the princess from a fire-breathing dragon, or in the young beauty, giving up her life and reputation, because she fell in love with the beast. Love always comes with a price. Jesus paid the greatest price of all, and in doing so, he defeated death and ensured our happily ever after. There is no villain that can rob us of that gift; however, satan holds one last weapon he can use against us, that being deceit. He may not be able to rob us outright of our identity and inheritance, but he can deceive us into disbelief in who we are and whose we are. He can rob us of hope, and in doing so, fairy tales remain just that…fairy tales, and we rob ourselves of what has been given freely to us, eternal life. We receive only what we think we deserve, and miss out on eternity.

That is why it is no wonder Jesus called us to be like little children in this, that we would believe all things are possible, that our God doesn’t fit into the box of our understanding. He is larger than us and our thinking, and yet he speaks to us as a father and friend. The great enemy satan has been defeated, the power and authority he once had are now in our hands. We are the heroes following after our Savior and God. It is the greatest story ever told, and it’s only just beginning. A fairy tale brought to life.

The Final Battle

A scene indescribable, Armageddon begins. The battle of battles, yet knowing who wins. Victory! Victory! On everyone’s lips. The demons stand shaking, losing their grip. Their eyes cannot stray from the man on the rock, whose eyes are ablaze, zealous for God. He points with one finger, and the angels take flight, attacking the demons, a fearful sight. Nothing can break the explosion of light! The darkness scatters, eternal delight.

Chasing After Heaven

What’s your greatest memories?…I know for me, it was when I was laughing with friends, being chased in the yard by my dog, going on exciting vacations, and of course the unforgettable moments being in love. Unfortunately, many of those wonderful memories fade or become tainted by the storms of life. The innocent bliss we shared in our youth has a bitter-sweet taste now, as the friends we thought would never leave us go their separate ways, and our favorite pets, we soon realized, don’t live forever. We break up, we fall down, we lose loved ones and those many happy memories become only a reminder of a world we once knew, and can never return to…

Happy moments are tastes of heaven in a world ruled by darkness. Can you imagine happiness without an expiration date? I struggle with it, so does the world. That is why we see people asking the question of whether we would get “bored” in heaven. In your happiest moments were you bored? No way right? We can’t even imagine the joy of heaven. God in his majesty has always existed, no one created him! And he has never been bored! And his joy? It is so great that he wanted to share it with others. Like a loving couple longing to have children to share their great love with…all this life, is building up to the great celebration, NOT the great destruction, as the world would have us Christians believe. We belong to heaven, not the world, which is awaiting its demise. Our excitement should be building! Our joy increasing! We should not fear death because in that moment when we die we actually come fully alive, reap our reward, and see Jesus face-to-face.

I believe the fear of death stems from the fear of the unknown, and the fear of leaving the world (family/friends) behind. To the majority those sound like rational fears, but as people of Faith we need to start living as though Christ were coming today! If he came today would you be ready? would you let go of the world and chase after heaven? A particular verse comes to mind, “he who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25) We should hate our lives in comparison to our love for God, that goes for our spouse/family/and friends as well. If we truly long for God more than we long for the world, death will lose its sting.

So how great is heaven? Well, knowing we won’t ever get bored or feel pain again, it sounds pretty amazing! It seems the more I draw to God, the more I see heaven..my greatest memories now I must say, are the moments when he’s talking to me, whether it be directly or through a messenger, through words or emotion. It makes me long for heaven in those moments when I get to see a glimpse of him, I want to know him more.

You know, I don’t believe any religion has the power to bring a man to his knees (literally), with tears in his eyes, hands raised, and heart aching for another world…that power only comes from the love of God. When we realize we have a home, and it isn’t a broken home, or an abusive one…it’s a heavenly home that we have belonged to before we were ever born..why else did Christ say, “I’m going to prepare a place for you..” (John 14:3) Our God is working excitedly, creating things for you! Like a father preparing his new baby’s room, he rushes to put the crib together, he crafts toys in his workshop, so excited to see your face light up when you see them. When the rooms completed he keeps pausing when he walks by, his face beaming at the very thought of you living with him. That’s our daddy! That’s our home!

 

Welcome!

Hey everyone! For my first post I really just want to share a bit about myself, as well as why I’m even starting a blog. In a world where it seems that freedom of speech is often taken for granted, or used as a means to hurt and restrict others, it is no wonder that many have turned to blogging to simply vent their feelings/beliefs without having to worry about “offending” anyone, or causing an uproar. It is not my goal to offend or to vent in this particular blog however, that is why I’ve called this blog, Hope Song. To build up others, not tear them down.

For starters, I am 21 years old and have been happily married for 2 years. Church has been my life, as well as family and friends. It wasn’t until my late teens that I really started having a deep relationship with God and thirsting for more of Him. I have seen both sides of the Christian faith. The religion and the relationship, or in other words, the form (law) without power (love) vs. the utter simplicity and joy of knowing Him and who we really are. Kings and queens of a kingdom that will never fade.

I enjoy writing about God, what I have learned, and what He has shown me. Sometimes the only way to describe Him is through music though, maybe that’s why I’ve always enjoyed singing. From school choir class, to church, and being in a Christian rock band, singing has been my way of spreading the gospel. It was through music I met my husband and now we both play together at various occasions. In the moments though when I can’t think of a tune, poetry seems to be my go-to. Which means, poems may pop up on here from time to time when other forms fail to express our multi-faceted God.

For some time now I have longed to be a writer, and it is that longing which has driven me to blogging. Some of the topics you will see me write about will be on faith and marriage. I will also discuss worldly issues and how we can make a difference, and in fact, are called to! as Matthew 28:19 makes clear that call to, “..make disciples of all the nations..”, we are to impact not just our friends and neighbors, but entire nations! How do we do that? well, we can start by showing the world God’s love instead of our biases. By speaking the truth and not backing down!…blogging can very well be a first step in that direction, it is my hope to make disciples, to awaken the church to its great call, and to uplift anyone who reads this blog…God loves you! He isn’t mad at you! Amen.