Also, Bob Kauflin is working on getting an album made from the conference (I’m gunna be famous! :P).  It is due out around September hopefully.  Keep your eyes peeled; I’m sure it will be posted on here when it comes out.

-Chris

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is You Lord
You hold the universe
You hold everyone on earth
You hold the universe
You hold

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63 NIV

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

——

Simple. True. Beautifully evident in my life are the truths put forth by this hymn. Sing it. Pray it. Sing it again.

-Chris

i believe you are the same today as you were yesterday

that Your blood cleanses me and sets me free

that You are my healer

that Your name is above all names and powers and principalities

You reign Jesus

I love the bridge:

I was made for love

I was made for love

I was made for loving You

Really, that’s it.  That’s why I’m alive.  Let me remember why I was made – to love God – and let my whole life be one giant pursuit of God’s presence.

I remember hearing RT Kendall speak at a conference maybe 10 years ago and he told a story about a couple who lived in Israel.  Two doves lived in their attic, and every day, all day they’d enjoy the sound of the doves cooing.  They loved the sweet sight of them nesting in the eves outside the house.  However, they noticed that every time they had a disagreement or shared harsh words where their voices were raised, the doves would fly away.  This bothered them, because they loved having those doves around.  Eventually, they came to a mutual agreement that if harsh words and raised voices made the doves fly away, then they would live in such a way so that the doves didn’t fly away.

When we love having the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, when we crave His presence more than anything else, we will make decisions about what we choose to do or say that don’t cost us His presence.

Actually it’s been almost non-existent the last two weeks. I feel like I’ve been in one big huge slump lately. Which is weird. I’m not really a slumpy kind of a girl. Lately though, I’ve really done nothing but go to work, watch too many episodes of my new favorite t.v. show, and sleep. No goals, no projects, I’m not even reading any books right now. I’m just sitting there, like a blob on the couch. Doing nothing.

I just couldn’t figure it out. Until this weekend. I have a confession. The embarrassing type. My confession is this: I have not sat down and truly spent time with the Lord in a while. It’s been a quick good morning prayer and that’s pretty much it. I’m not even keeping up with my daily Bible reading in order to finish the Bible in a year. I’m at least three weeks behind on that. So if you think this post makes me a little bit of a hypocrite, I understand. I need a gentle reminder to myself about how important time with the Lord is. How important daily time with the Lord is.

In Matthew Jesus said:

 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

It’s my own doing, my very own fault, but I do feel weary right now. In the mornings I feel like even getting out of bed is an uphill battle. Jesus provides the answer right here in these verses. I can find rest in the Lord. His burden truly is easy and light.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13

In the above verses Paul is talking to the church about their generosity in providing for him. However, he clearly states that he has become dependent on Christ to meet all his needs, and it is Christ who gives him strength to get through whatever circumstance he may be facing. Paul faced all kinds of hardship. He was imprisoned multiple times, he faced religious persecution at all turns, and often just got up and went when God told him to. I think that Paul was oftentimes weary and heavy-burdened, but he had learned to come to Christ for rest.

So here is my challenge to myself. Self, take your slump to the feet of Jesus. Time to lay your head to rest in the comfort of a Savior whose burden is easy and whose yoke is light. Rejoice in the many blessings He has showered you with, and to worship Him with gladness. Now go, pick up your Bible and be refreshed.

I’m not trying to sound mystical or weird, but something supernatural is released when these two open up their mouths and begin to worship.    There is a literal shift in the atmosphere when David and Nicole worship God.  I can’t explain it.  Psalms says “deep calls unto deep,” and it’s true… there is a depth in their worship that calls to something deep inside of me; it creates a stirring, a longing to go somewhere new with God, a yearning to get off of the well-worn paths into His presence and to go somewhere untouched and unexplored.  I had the honor of hanging out with them a bit at a gathering last year after Saturday’s Lovestrong session, and everyone gathered around the piano as we shared songs.  David sat down to play and Nicole sang Jesus Culture’s “Show Me Your Glory,” and all I really remember is ending up on the floor behind the couch with my face buried in my hands, weeping in the presence of God.  The Holy Ghost was straight up in that living room.  And then, the next day in church, it was like each service just soared to a new place…  I honestly don’t know how to explain it.  A 19-year-old boy was healed of cancer before our eyes during
worship.  Enough said.

If you love to worship God, here’s what I advise for you this weekend:

1. If you’re married, pay $60 to go to Lovestrong.  It’s worth it for the worship alone!
2. Come to City of Life at 9:00 am on Sunday.
3. Then, don’t leave.  Stay for the next two services at 10:30 and 12:15! Just stay the whole day. Bring a lunch box.

Here’s a great youtube video of David and Nicole singing a beautiful song “I Pour My Love On You” from a TBN worship special.  The video isn’t the greatest quality, but the worship is INCREDIBLE.

Your mercy flows
Like a river wild
A flood of love
That will never run dry
Pierced my heart
With eternal life
Opened my eyes
To the glory of Christ

Always faithful
Even if the love of all grows cold
Always by my side
Even in the darkest valleys of life

CHORUS:
You, tore down these prison walls
Calmed the raging storm
You are my freedom now
You, the bright morning star
Defender of my heart
You are my freedom now

BRIDGE:
All glorious, All glorious
Come breathe on my life
All glorious, All glorious
Come reign in my heart

every time i hear or see this song i so tear up… it stirs my heart for every nation, every people, every person – to know how GREAT our God is!  His Kingdom Come!

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.

There comes a time in everybody’s life in which we come face to face with the fact that “if we had to pay for our spiritual health-care plan we would not be able to afford it!”

Why?

Because none of us has anything worth enough value to afford the Gifts of God.

Which brings me to why we are in need of Spiritual Health Care!

As I reflect on this matter ( The Holy Spirit is allowing me to see) clearly that often, when we teach and preach the Word of God we speak of sin from the perspective of those willfully sinning. That is, being enticed or tempted by situations, or people of a nun productive and destructive nature. But the key here is the person’s own ungodly desires getting the best of them.

However, we also deal with the presence of sin.

There are cases in which we are minding our own business “In The Lord”, looking and seeking only to glorify HIM and we find ourselves dealing with presence of sin in someone else either by physical, emotional or spiritual modalities.

In this case, I’m speaking of believer, firmly on his or her own spiritual path with our Lord could then find ourselves the victim of  an evil plot to come against our platform in which to minister.

In these type cases, the ministering person can quickly find themselves needing a Spiritual Transfusion, by means of a mad dash to go to God’s Spiritual Emergency Room!

In the SER ( Spiritual Emergency Room) we must first confess our sins known and unknown then medication is administered directly into our spiritual bodies through intercessory prayer, because in many cases sometimes we may be too weak to pray effectively for ourselves.

God sees intercessory prayer as one of the highest forms of prayer, because it is done in the spirit of Agape love and with sacrifice.

Intercessory prayer teeming with love acts as “milk” and is fastest and most easily assimilated.

So, the milk of the Word is… God’s unearned unconditional love!

Nothing or no-one can heal without HIS ( Jesus Christ) love.

This reminds us that the “gift” of Salvation is free because it is steeped in God’s heart filled love. It is this heart that devised the plan and method by which all men, women and children would be saved!!!!!!!!!!!

Why would sophisticated spiritual heavy weights need to hear these basic doctrinal things at least quarterly?

To continue to grow we need to move deeper into the ripeness and richness of God’s fruit of love.

That means first we need to take more of HIS love into our own souls ( not necessarily more advanced doctrinal information) then we will be in a position to better do whatever God has called us to do, with whatever our skill level happens to be on the behalf of others.

If you think I’m over playing this remember people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care:-)

Luke 4:39 (NLT) Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them.

Read : Discipleship Practices Through Our Relationships

http://www.whole-listic-christian-ministries.org/newsletters/newsletter/7831542/78050.htm

Night of Visitation – TONIGHT @ City of Life!

If you are ANYWHERE near Kissimmee/St. Cloud, Florida today, June 27, do whatever you can to be at City of Life Church tonight at 7 pm for Night of Visitation! We are filled with expectancy about what God will do as we devote the entire night to praising & worshiping Him! If you are struggling in any area of your life – your health, finances, relationships, your mind, maybe with depression or dark thoughts, maybe you feel spiritually dry or disconnected from God – GET TO CITY OF LIFE TONIGHT! It will be the exact opposite of what you feel like doing, but those times when we step out and do the exact opposite of what we feel inclined to do reap the greatest results in our lives! Healing and freedom will be in the house of God tonight so be there! If you live out of the area, watch online at 7 pm eastern time at http://www.col.tv.

Holy Spirit by Bryan & Katie Torwalt

Now, for our regularly scheduled programming…
David and Nicole Binion, two of the most anointed worship leaders and songwriters I’ve ever encountered [who will also be leading worship at Lovestrong Marriage Conference and at City of Life's Sunday services on July 15!!!], held a worship conference at their church called The Sound. Through the marvels of technology and the generosity of Covenant Church allowing us to watch via livestream, I was able to view all of the evening sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and they were so powerful! Not only did the Covenant Church team lead worship, but they had guest worship leaders like Martha Munizzi, Kari Jobe, and Bryan and Katie Torwalt lead as well.

I meant to get the Torwalt’s CD months ago. A friend of mine, Cindy, kept recommending their album to me over and over after it first came out, but I just hadn’t made the leap. After hearing them lead at The Sound, however, I immediately bought their CD. It’s called Here on Earth and it is SO GOOD. The songs on this album have an uncommon vulnerability and sensitivity to God’s presence. These are songs with a gut-level honesty towards God that you don’t hear often, like in the song “I Breathe You In God,” yet that still uphold the sovereignty of God and His worth of our worship despite circumstances:

When I don’t understand / I will choose You / When I don’t understand / I will choose to love You, God

The song I want to share with you is called “Holy Spirit.” What an incredible invitation to the Spirit of God. I especially love this lyric:

Let us become more aware of Your presence / Let us experience the glory of Your goodness

Check it out, worship, and welcome the spirit of our Living God right into the middle of wherever you are!

There’s no greater love than this
For You to save us Burdened with all our sin
You came to take this from us.
Verse 2:
As the heavens mourned
And all the clouds went grey
All the earth’s restored by Your saving grace
Verse 3:
Eternal love unfailing grace
The gift You freely gave
Son of God and son of man
At the cross You took Your stand
Pre Chorus:
As the barrier was broken
Between heaven and earth
All the heavens cried out
Chorus:
Worthy is the Lamb, Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne, Seated on the throne
You are God in the highest
Bridge:
You are the One
Who is and will be to come
Glory in the Highest Highest
Highest, Highest, You are God in the Highest

This show came to my mind this week while I was thinking about the sermon from a couple of Sundays ago. It was out of Ephesians chapter 4:

 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But you have not so learned Christ,if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Let’s focus on that second paragraph. Just like in the show, you must put off your old self. Throw that in the trash can. You don’t need those baggy pants of ignorance. That old shirt of blindness is so yesterday’s news. And let’s not even start on those shoes of lewdness and uncleanness.

So get rid of those things. Take them off. They aren’t the garb of a follower of Christ. You have been set free from those things. The Lord has called you to turn away from all ungodliness. The Bible says in Titus 2:11 & 12:

 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.

Now we don’t just take off ungodliness. Imagine if that show ended after a person’s wardrobe was all thrown away. They most certainly can’t walk away naked. That would be awkward. So also are we as Christians called not only to put away our old selves but to put on the new man created in righteousness and holiness. Putting off the old self is simply  not enough. That leaves us open and vulnerable to the world and the devil. Instead we are expected to cling to the new man God has created, holy and righteous. Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

It’s like the final outfit at the end of What Not to Wear. The participant comes out of the dressing room, wearing an entirely new outfit, bought under the instruction and & supervision of Clinton & Stacy. If we, under the direction of the Lord and instruction of the Bible, put on pure things of holiness & righteousness, we will be new. The old things are gone, and we are a new creation in Christ.

In crazy times, the ability to stop and worship God is key to releasing the burden.   I have to magnify the Lord.  That word magnify in Psalm 34:4 means “grow, promote,  and become great or important.”  He’s already the greatest and most important, but when I magnify Him, I make Him so in my own eyes.  I forget about the towering pressure and overwhelm and realize how huge He truly is!  His Word, His truth, is higher than what we see and feel in moments of stress.  I have been meditating on these verses in the midst of the craziness:

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me… (Psalm 138:8)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble… (Matthew 6:33-34)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28)

I love the song “Come to Me” by Bethel Music because it’s written as if God were speaking to us. I put this song on, close my eyes, and hear Him sing over me, words of peace and comfort, reminding me He’s my everything!

For those who are interested, the other songs on my “Peace” playlist are:

All I Need by Rita Springer

Amazed by Lincoln Brewster

God I Look to You by Bethel Music

His Glory Appears by Darlene Zschech

Take Heart by United

In Christ Alone by Keith & Kristyn Getty

Like an Avalanche by United

Your Presence by Bethel Music

Sanctified by Your Grace
Was once wounded but now You’ve removed all stains
Cleansing me with tender mercy
I will abide in You
There is no one that is like You Pure is this love You’ve bestowed upon us It is our privilege to worship You oh Mighty God
All of the earth is Yours
You’re our delight, You are Lord of All
You have the Dominion over all the earth
And with all that’s within me, I will bless You Lord
All of the earth is Yours
You’re Alpha and Omega
All of the earth is Yours
You’re our delight, You are Lord of All
You have rescued me, You have rescued me
You took a wretch like this
You loved me, saved me

LYRICS:
Strip everything away
‘Til all I have is You
Undo the veil
So all I see is You

I will pursue You
I will pursue Your presence
I will pursue You
I will pursue Your presence

Open my eyes
Search me inside
I can’t live without Your presence
I can’t live without Your presence

I’m pressing into You
So do not pass me by
I’m breaking through the boundaries
I will not be denied

I can’t live without Your presence
I can’t live without Your presence

I will pursue
I will pursue
I will pursue
I will pursue You

i think this is my new favourite song… i think i’ll be putting it on repeat…

Encounter me
Let all heaven collide with
All that’s inside me
Encounter me
Just one glimpse of Your glory
Spirit take over me
Bridge:
Have Your way
Have Your way
Have Your way
In me

I just love weddings. If I weren’t a grown-up, responsible adult, I would be a wedding crasher. For reals. There is just so much happiness at a weddings, and it’s such a beautiful time for a couple starting out together in holy matrimony. I cry every time.

Seriously, ask the wedding party. They didn’t think I was gonna make it.

Marriage is a forever thing. I don’t care what Hollywood says, how divorce lawyers chop it apart, or who tells you you’re better off on your own. God specifically designed marriage to be between one man and one woman, until death do them part. The seriousness and weight of that commitment between two people is almost too much to handle.

There are some well-known verses in Ephesians chapter 5 that speak of marriage:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body,of His flesh and of His bones. Ephesians 5:22-30

We’ve all heard the corny jokes about wives submitting. My own husband makes that his personal mantra in life. But what always warms my heart and really gets the tears rolling are the verses directed to the husband. The verse that speaks of Christ loving the church and giving Himself for her.

John 3:16 says,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

We live in a fallen world. A world filled with sin and the evils of the flesh. The Bible is clear that the punishment for sin is death. But Jesus Christ gave Himself, to die a nasty awful death on a painful torturous cross, despite the fact that He had lived a sinless life. Praise the Lord He rose from the grave three days later, defeating death and laying down THE way for me and you to have everlasting life. We, who are covered in the dinginess and the filth of our own sin, are made spotless, as pure as snow, a glorious church, who may be presented holy and without blemish.

So next time you’re at a wedding (or reading through Ephesians) take a moment to think about what Christ did for us. And rest in the assurance that God sees you as holy and without blemish because of what Christ did.

sickness can’t stay any longer / Your perfect love is casting out fear / You are the God of all power / and it is Your will that my life is healed

Here’s a video that explains the story behind the song, and also includes an unplugged performance of the song by the writers:

Here’s a freebie that I’m throwing in here from an older Deluge album, a song that I love called “Worshiping You”:

 

See you at City of Life Church tonight for a supernatural time of worship & ministry! If you can’t be there in person, join us via livestream starting at 7:00 pm EST – access it at http://www.col.tv.