notes to self | #heishere

"...in the chaos, in confusion, I know You're sovereign, still..."

#heishere

(lyrics from None but Jesus, by Hillsong United)

IT IS FINISHED - Easter Sunday

For the Cross- Bethel Music, Tides

End of Days - Hillsong Young & Free

"You authored life and wrote yourself in,

You dwelt in time that you designed.

Creator lived in His creation,

Completely man, completely God."

Personal: Trusting God

Life is fairly testing at the moment...awesome but testing. I'm finishing my current job at the end of July with the plan to start studying mid-August. It's a huge step for several reasons because:

1. I have quit my job not yet knowing if I have been accepted onto the course I plan to do.
2. I am supposed to hear back about the course this week but haven't heard anything.
3. Living arrangements whilst I study are foggy to say the least.

All that being what it is, I know that I know that I know that God has a plan for my life and I am in it right at this moment. I know He has everything figured out and it will all work out for my good because that is what He promises.

Now...as I'm sure many of you know, trusting God when you can't see how things are going to come together can be rather difficult. We are so used to relying on what we see or what we know that we find it difficult to envision things coming together, but thank God, He both sees and knows more than we do.

This morning as doubts crept in I encouraged myself in God and asked Him to strengthen my faith. Immediately after praying the song Oceans (below) dropped into my heart and I just started singing it. It reminded me that despite the darkness of the great unknown and all that it holds that I cannot see, I can still see Jesus, and He knows and sees everything.

It Is Well With My Soul, Hillsong Chapel: Forever Reign

Ever Living God - Hillsong, Hope

Praise

"Sometimes your praise can be a problem for your problem." - Carl Lentz

Isaiah 61:3 NKJV
"...The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..."

Holy is The Lamb - Trey McLaughlin and the Sounds of Zamar

Cornerstone - Hillsong Live, Cornerstone

I just got this album and this is my favourite track and I cannot help but smile when I hear it. Thought I'd share it with you. God bless all :)

10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman, 10,000 Reasons

♫ Bless the Lord oh my soul,

Oh my soul,

Worship His holy name.

Sing like never before,

Oh my soul,

I will worship your holy name! ♫

Never Once - Matt Redman, 10,000 Reasons

"Never once did we ever walk alone,
Never once did you leave us on our own,
You are faithful God,
You are faithful."

No matter how far you run, what you've done, who you think you are or where you come from, God remains the same; arms outstretched, welcoming you into His family. No condemnation, no guilt. The opposite. New and exciting ventures, hope, forgiveness, real everlasting life, and of course, LOVE.

Our God Reigns - Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Charlie Hall, Passion: Everything Glorious

 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!'

 - Zechariah 4.7

Our God is Holy - Newday 2011, We Are Yours

For the Gospel of the Cross is of mercy, grace and forgiveness

"Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots."

- Luke 23.34

It amazes me to know that even as Jesus died, nailed to the cross and soldiers dividing up His clothes between them, mocking Him, He pleaded with His heavenly father to forgive them in their ignorance.

Would you? Think about it; if someone had taken away your clothes, whipped you and made fun of you, would you want to plead on their behalf? Would they even deserve to have you plead on their behalf?

The most obvious and natural response is no.

And yet, this is what Jesus did for us. He died once and for all [Hebrews 9.28, Romans 6.10] for the people that daily mock Him, ignore Him, call Him a fraud, torture Him.

While we were still sinners Christ died for us [Romans 5.8], so that in divine sacrifice, He would take our sin on His shoulders and the suffering that came with it [John 1.29], so that in exchange we could inherit the kingdom of God; mercy, grace and forgiveness, once and for all [Hebrews 4.16, Hebrews 10.10, Proverbs 8.35].

I've played the song below on the blog before, but really feel it laid on my heart again. The lyrics are beautiful and I have posted them below the video:

To bring this world to life

To heal this heart of mine

Your grace enough

Your grace enough

To mend this world in need

To break the chains in me

Your grace enough

Now this means love

The weight of all our sin upon His shoulders

That we should all be called Your sons and daughters

Father,

Let heaven and earth collide in the endless wonder

Of Your love upon the cross

We will follow

And offer this life forever to see Your love unfold

Adopted as Your own

Alive to make You known

Now this means love

This means love

For the lost and for the broken

For the slave and for the orphan

For everyone to realize Your love

From the famous to the faceless

From the beggar to the king

For everyone to realize Your love

You restore the broken hearted

You bring freedom to the captive

For one and all

Forever this means love

All Your children come together

All Your sons and all Your daughters

Your grace enough

Forever this means love

Three Things To Remember

Just spoke to my dad, and before we ended the phone-call, he said this to me:

1. The Lord is always holding your hand and He never lets go.
2. He is the good shepherd - so you can't be led to the wrong place, it's not possible.
3. The Lord retains overall control all the time over all events

One Thing Remains - Bethel Church, Be Lifted High

Higher than the mountains that I face,

Stronger than the power of the grave,

Constant through the trial and the change,

One thing, remains.

This one thing, remains.

I Will Exalt feat. Amanda Falk - Bethel Church, Be Lifted High

Your presence is all I need

It's all I want, all I seek

Without it, without it there's no meaning

Your presence is the air I breath

The song I sing, the love I need

Without it, without it I'm not living

I will exalt You, Lord, I will exalt You, Lord

There is no one like You God

I will exalt You, Lord, I will exalt You, Lord

No other name be lifted high

There will be no one like You

And no one beside You

You alone are worthy of all praise

There will be no one like You

And no one beside You

You alone are worthy of all praise

A Promise

I am feeling a little stressed out at the minute with my Final Year Project for University. Coming home late tonight after work on it, frustrated, confused and worried, my bible fell open to a well-thumbed passage: Psalm 91.

When I lived at home I would read this everyday with my dad and my sister, and now I only read it every so often, but when I read it just now, I was particularly encouraged by the last few verses and thought I would share them with you:

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honour him.

With long life will I satisfy him

and show him my salvation."

- Psalm 91.14-16

All Heaven Declares - Noel Richards, Heaven's King

I'm A Lover of Your Presence - Bryan and Katie Torwalt, Here on Earth