Voice of Truth

Photo by Felix Russell-Saw on Unsplash

Satan will do his level best to get you to listen to him. He will whisper in your ear, “You’re not good enough. You can’t do this.”

Satan is a liar!

But there is a Voice that will overpower Satan’s if you just let it.  And that’s the Voice of Jesus Christ.  The Voice of Truth.

Don’t let Satan drag you down. Fall into the arms of Jesus. He won’t steer you wrong.

Voice of Truth-Casting Crowns

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I’m in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He’s holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I’ve tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. “Boy, you’ll never win!”
“You’ll never win!”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they’d have had the strength to stand

But the giant’s calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I’ve tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. “Boy you’ll never win!”
“You’ll never win!”

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don’t seem so high
From on top of them lookin’ down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

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Jesus, Friend of Sinners

God’s been working in me lately about being more compassionate towards certain people. You see, I have issues with certain people in my life due to unfortunate circumstances and I tend to have a bitter attitude towards them. That’s NOT something Jesus would do, this I know. And so I’ve been convicted of my sin.

There is a line in this song by Casting Crowns that says: “The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me.” WOW! Powerful, right? How many people are on their way to Jesus but because I’m in the way, pushing them away from the Lord they may not come to know Christ?

Another line from the song:

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah…
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

I hear God telling me, “Leigh, I love so and so just as much as I love you. I died for you just the way I died for them. OPEN YOUR HEART to them! Share me with them!”

“I will choose to listen to the Voice of Truth.” (another great song by Casting Crowns, by the way! It literally was the next song that played as I was writing this! How great is God?)

Will my relationship with these certain people in my life change overnight? No, I doubt it. But slowly God is working in me so that I can be a witness to them and stop being a hindrance. And my prayer is that I will have stepped out of the way just in time for them to come to know Christ. Because let’s face it, we live in such a fallen world these days. Christ could come back ANY MINUTE! We must stop wasting time and lead people to Jesus!

Jesus, Friend of Sinners–Casting Crowns

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth’s become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they’re tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I’m so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

CHORUS:

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who’s writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we’re for only what we’re against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did

CHORUS:

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they’re the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

‘Cause You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

CHORUS:

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeah…
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

 

Life

Life is weird. Life is crazy. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Life has a way of sneaking up on a person.

I’ve always been told that when life hands you lemons, make some lemonade! I can’t say I’ve always held that positive attitude.

But I serve a Savior who always has my back. Life has thrown me major curveballs throughout the years and I’ve let a majority of them take me out. But when I came to know Christ and know Him fully….He took those curveballs out for me! He always has my back.

When life tries to pull me down Jesus is there, pulling me back up. When life is going great, when things are going my way, Jesus is STILL there with me.

The point is this: Life will surprise you time after time but there is a God who will always be there for you. He loves you that much.

His love is greater than life itself.

I’m reading “Shaken” by Tim Tebow right now. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Tebow, he is a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who played for the Florida Gators and was drafted in 2010 by the Denver Broncos. He had a very successful college career but failed to succeed in the NFL, being traded to several different teams before finally being cut by the New England Patriots and is now out of the NFL.

Tebow has faced much scrutiny throughout his career due to his faith in Jesus Christ. He is very outspoken about his faith and was famously known for kneeling in the end zone and giving credit to God during games. He was mocked for this and he never fully gained success in the NFL.

His book, “Shaken” is about his journey staying grounded in the face of disappointment, criticism and intense media scrutiny. He talks about the lessons he learned throughout the way, building confidence in his identity with God and not the world.

Though traveling hard roads is not easy, it’s always worth it!

Some quotes from those who have read his book:

Tim has always inspired me with his dedication to grow and improve in all aspects of life, especially his faith. With this book, Tim encourages readers to keep moving and stay strong while battling life’s obstacles.

Cam Newton, quarterback of the Carolina Panthers

Tim is a remarkable example of one who combines strength and boldness with kindness and compassion.

Ravi Zacharias , apologist, author, and president of RZIM

Tim is a role model, an inspiration to those who have a dream and are willing to accept life as a journey full of ups and downs.

Jon Bon Jovi, singer-songwriter

Whether or not you’ve followed Tim’s career, Shaken speaks to something we’ve all had to deal with–trusting God when the plans for our lives don’t work out.

Judah Smith, lead pastor, The City Church, New York Times best-selling author of Jesus Is____

I’m not very far into the book but what I’ve read is excellent so far. Here’s a couple of quotes from him:

I am a child of God. My foundation for who I am is grounded in my faith. In a God who loves me. In a God who gives me purpose. In a God who sees the big picture. In a God who always has a greater plan

It’s important to take God’s love personally, though it may not be an easy thing to do. Sure, God loves the world but he also loves each one of us individually. With billions of people on the planet, I know it can be hard to comprehend His love for us personally.

Sure, I struggle with God’s love for me sometimes. How on earth can God love someone like me? But He does and He always will. Is that hard to accept sometimes? Yes, but I work through it.

This is going to be a great read, I can already tell.

Have you read it?

When life hands you lemons or throws you curveballs…..what do you do?

 

Fix My Eyes

Have you ever just stopped and listened to this song? I hear it all the time but never truly paid attention to it until today. The message is a powerful one. We need to fix our eyes on our Creator who gave us life and longs for a relationship with us.

He loves us that much! So much that He sent His only Son to die for us. To die so that we might have life! That’s LOVE, y’all!

I especially love the line, “Find faith in the battle, Stand tall but above it all, Fix my eyes on You.”

Life is going to hand us trials and tribulations. We’re going to meet hardships throughout our life. But through it all, we must fix our eyes on Jesus! He knows what’s best for us and He is the only One who can get you through life’s trials. You may think you can handle it all on your own but you can’t. Only Jesus can and will carry you through life’s storms if you will just surrender to Him!

We can be confident that if Jesus did not leave us in HIS darkest hour, He won’t leave us in OUR darkest hours.

J. D Greear, Not God Enough

So when condemnation whispers “You are finished”, we need only look to the cross to hear Jesus’s triumphant answer: “No! IT is finished!”

J.D Greear, Not God Enough

(Y’all, I really recommend this book by J.D Greear. It’s AWESOME!)

For King and Country—Fix My Eyes

Hit rewind
Click delete
Stand face to face with the younger me
All of the mistakes
All of the heartbreak
Here’s what I’d do differently

I’d love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, on you

I learned the lines and talked the talk (Everybody knows that, everybody knows that)
But the road less traveled is hard to walk (Everybody knows that, everybody knows)
It takes a soldier
Who knows his orders
To walk the walk I’m supposed to walk

And love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, on you

The things of Earth are dimming
In the light of Your glory and grace
I’ll set my sights upon Heaven
I’m fixing my eyes on you, on you
I’m fixing my eyes on you, on you
I’m fixing my eyes

Love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on you, on you
I fix my eyes on you, on you
I fix my eyes on you, on you

Migraines

I suffer from migraines. Last Tuesday I started feeling one coming on and so I took my prescription medication for it. However, it didn’t do the trick like it usually does and as of yesterday, I still had the migraine so I decided to go to the ER. They gave me a cocktail of medications that did wonders for the severity of the headache. As in, I went from a 10 on the pain scale to a 4.

Today I woke up for the first time in a week without a headache. Yay! Praise the Lord!

I was feeling pretty good today so I decided to go out to LifeWay to look around. I found a book by J.D Greear called Not God Enough that seemed really interesting so I bought it.

“Your God is too small.
We like God small. We prefer a God who is safe, domesticated, who thinks like we think, likes what we like, and whom we can manage, predict, and control. A small God is convenient. Practical. Manageable.
The truth: God is big. Bigger than big. Bigger than all the words we use to say big. Only a God of infinite power, wisdom and majesty can answer our deepest questions and meet our deepest longings.
Ironically, many today seem turned off by the concept of an awesome, terrifyingly great God. We assume that a God you would need to fear is guilty of some kind of fault. For us, thinking of God as so infinitely greater and wiser than we are and who would cause us to tremble in his presence is a leftover relic from an oppressive, archaic view of religion.
But what if this small version of God we’ve created is holding us back from the greatest experience of our lives–from genuine, confident, world-transforming faith?
In Not God Enough, J.D. reveals how to discover a God who:

• is big enough to handle your questions, doubts, and fears
• is not silent
• is worthy of worship
• wants to take you from boring to bold in your faith
• has a purpose and mission for you on earth
• is pursuing you right now

God is not just a slightly better, slightly smarter version of you. God is infinite and glorious, and an encounter with Him won’t just change the way you think about your faith. It’ll change your entire life.”

I’m already on Chapter 3! It’s AMAZING!

Some quotes I found to be thought provoking:

Most Christians haven’t rejected God; they have just reduced Him

True worship is intimacy grounded in awe.

His love at the cross didn’t move me because his magnificence in the heavens hadn’t humbled me.

A God we can predict, instruct and control is not a God who will captivate our affections or command our devotion.

I haven’t even finished this book and I can already tell it’s going to be a favorite!

What’s on your reading list?

 

 

 

 

Sunday is Coming!

It’s Good Friday.

Why do they call it Good Friday? Nothing about it is good when you think about it. Christ was nailed to a cross, taking on our sins. He suffered an excruciating death. And all of it was for us! I guess that’s where the good comes from. He saved us from dying a sinful death.

I don’t know about you but every time I think about how Christ took my sin upon his shoulders, I get chills. Who am I that Jesus would die for me? I mean it, who am I?

Well, without Christ, I am nothing. Without Christ, life is meaningless.

But WITH Christ, I am FREE! God loved you and me SO much that He sent His ONLY Son to the earth to die a horrible death so that we wouldn’t spend eternity in Hell.

Today we remember the day Christ was crucified for our sins. He was beaten, mocked, tortured. It was a horrible day.

“It Is Finished” were Christ’s last words. But what many didn’t know was that in 3 days, Christ was going to rise again and prove to the world He is who He says He is!

Take a moment to listen to this song by the Gaithers. It’s such a powerful song!

There’s a line that is drawn through the ages
On that line stands an old rugged cross
On that cross, a battle is raging
To gain a man’s soul or it’s loss

On one side, march the forces of evil
All the demons, all the devils of hell
On the other, the angels of glory
And they meet on Golgotha’s hill

The earth shakes with the force of the conflict
And the sun refuses to shine
For there hangs God’s son, in the balance
And then through the darkness, he cries

It is finished, the battle is over
It is finished, there’ll be no more war
It is finished, the end of the conflict
It is finished and Jesus is Lord

Yet in my heart, the battle was still raging
Not all prisoners of war had come home
These were battlefields of my own making
I didn’t know that the war had been won

Oh, but then I heard the king of the ages
Had fought all the battles for me
And that victory was mine for the claiming
And now praise his name, I am free

---

But Sunday is coming, you guys!

Sunday is coming! Christ rose up from the dead!

He conquered death and we are FREE!

Praise His Name, I AM FREE!

 

 

Stop Remembering What God Has Forgotten

Do you have a tendency to remember your past sins that the Lord has already forgiven? Do you tend to harp on them?

I know I do. Sometimes I will harp on them, wondering how in the world God could forgive me. But here’s the thing: HE HAS!

If you have asked God to forgive you of your sins…..He has and He forgets them!

Psalm 103:12 says,

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgression from us.

And look at Isaiah 43:25!

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and remembers your sins no more.

Why harp on something that has already been forgotten?

I tend to harp on my past sins, thinking to myself “how could God forgive that?” I’m slowly learning to stop doing this. I’m slowly learning that when God has forgiven me of a sin, I am to do what he does: put it in the past and forget about it.

Is it hard? Well, yes, of course. It’s in our human nature to dwell on things. At least it is for me! 

But once God has forgiven our sins, we are FREE! Free from the bondage of sin. There is NO condemnation!

Romans 8:1-2 says:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you FREE from the law of sin and death.

What can separate us from Christ once we become a believer?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?……….No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:35, 37-39

Simply put, God loves you. And He longs to have a relationship with you. But until you confess your sins and become a believer, that sin you are harboring is separating you from Him.

Won’t you come to Him today?