After a Year of Silence

So, it's been over a year since I wrote anything here...well, hopefully that is going to change. I will explain my future plans for this blog in a later post, but for now, I want to talk about a song that has become my favorite: "The Stand."

The first verse talks about how God, before the creation of the world, held eternity in His hand. In four lines, is expresses His awesome power...how He spoke creation into existance.

The second verse talks about how Christ is more powerful than any of my failures...how He boar a cross for me...my sin on His shoulder. This makes me want to cry...I am a sinful person, yet "... he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." (Is. 53). My God took my failures upon Himself.

This leads us to the Bridge. What can we say or do with this? what is our respondes? It is to offer our hearts to God. They belong to Him!!!

Verse three says that we now walk with God in His salvation. That He is alive in my life, declaring HIs promises!

The Chorus is screaming that we are abandoned to Him. We stand in awe of the God who gave up everything for us!

What is our response to these truths, to God's grace? To live a life of thankfulness and surrender that causes to want to grow in our spiritual lives. Jerry Bridges wrote in "Growing Your Faith," "Along with a sense of profound gratitude to God for HIs grace, we should be motivated to grow and obey God by a deep sense of reverence for Him."

That is my prayer, that I will grow in Christ...something that I have not been diligent in. I ask, no I plead for your prayers that I will grow. In return, I will pray for you, that you will grow. Sanctification is a process that will not end until we are perfect in Christ in Glory. Brothers and Sisters, we need to pray for each other's growth!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Josh

Lyrics to "The Stand":
You stood before creation
Eternity in your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your spirit alive in me
This life to declare your promise
My soul now to stand

So what could I say?
And what could I do?
But offer this heart, Oh God
Completely to you

I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the one who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to you surrendered
All I am is yours