Phil Keaggy - Salvation Army Band

That's some mad skills.

Brand New Day

Every day is a fresh start. We try to live each day to the fullest and live according to God's way.
As Psalm 19:14 states: "May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my defender."

I start each day with a simple prayer for God's guidance in whatever comes my way. Some days I rely on Him and His patience, love & kindness shines through. Other days, I get frustrated, upset and impatient. I know I have failed Him and yet He does not leave me. Because of Jesus Christ, I come before Him and admit my failings. Through His grace and only by His grace, I am granted another second, another hour, another day to live for Him. There are no 3 strikes and you're out.
I am forever grateful for that. I am learning more and more each day what it means to follow Christ.

I’m waking up
The world is turning
The sun is shining again
I’m holding on
To things I shouldn’t
It’s time to let them go
I’ve been on a losing streak
Hit so hard I couldn’t speak
But when I hear Your voice it fades away

And I can hear You say
It’s a brand new day
The pain goes away
I’m headed for the door
And I’m going home
I’m going home
I’m going home
I’m going home

--Fireflight "Brand New Day"

Mind Games...

I've come to believe that some of Satan's most effective lies have to do with convincing believers that God is angry, frustrated, and impatient with us. The focus is not on the loving God but rather the Holy God who cannot stand the sight of us because of our sinful nature.
While God is a just God who cannot tolerate sin in any degree, we are considered pure and children of God when we believe in Jesus Christ. So even when we stumble, God is not frustrated or angry and ready to kick us out of the family. Rather He will discipline us and love us no more or no less than ever.

Here's a song I've been listening to lately by Natalie Grant:

I have been a wayward child,
I have acted out,
I have questioned sovereignty,
and had my share of doubts,

And though sometimes,
my prayers feel like they're bouncing off the sky,
the hand that holds won't let me go,
and is the reason why...

I will stumble, I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache,
But I will not be moved

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand,
I will not be moved

--I Will Not Be Moved

As believers in Jesus Christ, we no longer need fear the wrath of God. It is well-deserved, but Christ has already paid the penalty for our sins. As much as Satan might try to convince me that God is ready to kick me out of the nearest airlock (figuratively speaking, of course!) He is ever-patient, holding me firmly in His grasp. I am secure.

Back on the Rock

After spending perhaps the best year of my life in Germany, I decided after much prayer to return to Newfoundland and accept a new job as youth director. It has been challenging in the first few weeks as I adjust to many things but I believe that God has placed me here for a reason and that as I rely on Him, He will use me.
We often pray that the things that break God's heart would break ours but in a world where we are told to look out for #1, it is imperative especially in ministry to always have our eyes open to the needs around us.

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten.

--Brandon Heath "Give Me Your Eyes"

I'm a Christ Follower

Relying on Him

The lyrics of a new Sanctus Real song really spoke to me as I end one journey and begin another. Just my utter dependence and need for Jesus Christ. I am nothing. I am a broken, sinful man whom has no hope but Christ.

If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then cool is just how far we have to fall
And I am not immune; I only wanna be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall
Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth- I need to confess

I'm not alright, I'm broken inside, broken inside;
And all I go through, it leads me to You
It leads me to You

No matter how self-sufficient I think I am or how many successes I have. I must never forget that it is only by the grace and mercy of God. I am not alright on my own.

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Till everything I hide behind is gone
When I'm open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on
Cause honestly, I'm not that strong

As I begin a new ministry I must not try to do it on my own or forget where I have been. Rather, remember the words of Moses to the Isralites.

"...Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live!" --Deuteronomy 4:9

I feel like a man with a second lease on life. The Psalms in particular seem to jump off the pages as they resonant in my heart.

I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak His praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are discouraged take heart.

I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him for help will radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

I cried out to the Lord in my suffering, and He heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him!

The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help.
He rescues them from all troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
He rescues those who are crushed in spirit.

--Excerpts from Psalm 34

Christ is Everything

One of my devotions from earlier this week. I liked it so much I wanted to post it.

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." --Philippians 1:21

'For me, to live is Christ.' Those words don't work any other way. Try it: a) For me, to live is money...to die is to leave it all behind. b) For me, to live is fame...to die is to be quickly forgotten. c) For me, to live is power and influence...to die is to be replaced by others. d) For me, to live is possessions...to die is to depart empty-handed. Somehow the words fall flat, don't they?
When money's your obsession you can never get enough, and you live in constant fear of losing it. When fame's your goal you become competitive and manipulative lest others upstage you. That makes you insecure. When power and influence drive you, you become self-serving and strong-willed. That makes you arrogant. When possessions become your godm you become materialistic. That makes you greedy.
Whether you have or don't have, are known or unknown, live or die; only Christ can satisfy! And death? That only sweetens the pie. J.B. Philips writes, 'Living to me simply means Christ, and if I should die, I merely gain more of Him.'
So what's the bottom line? It's this: the secret of living is the same as the secret of joy; both revolve around Christ. Don't try to pursue happiness, just cultivate a Christ-centred, Christ-controlled life, and you'll have more happiness than you know what to do with!