I hope that YOU are enjoying this most beautiful day! I am led today to not share a teaching in particular, but to encourage you with a song! This is from the new "Glorious Ruins" CD from Hillsong Live. The song is the title song and the lyrics are here:
VERSE
When the mountains fall
And the tempest roars You are with me
When creation folds
Still my soul will soar on Your mercy
PRE-CHORUS
I'll walk through the fire
With my head lifted high
And my spirit revived in Your story
And I'll look to the cross
As my failure is lost
In the light of Your glorious grace
CHORUS
Let the ruins come to life
In the beauty of Your Name
Rising up from the ashes
God forever You reign
And my soul will find refuge
In the shadow of Your wings
I will love You forever
And forever I'll sing
VERSE
When the world caves in
Still my hope will cling to Your promise
Where my courage ends
Let my heart find strength in Your presence
When the mountains fall
And the tempest roars You are with me
When creation folds
Still my soul will soar on Your mercy
PRE-CHORUS
I'll walk through the fire
With my head lifted high
And my spirit revived in Your story
And I'll look to the cross
As my failure is lost
In the light of Your glorious grace
CHORUS
Let the ruins come to life
In the beauty of Your Name
Rising up from the ashes
God forever You reign
And my soul will find refuge
In the shadow of Your wings
I will love You forever
And forever I'll sing
VERSE
When the world caves in
Still my hope will cling to Your promise
Where my courage ends
Let my heart find strength in Your presence
Some people, when they mention the cross, are stuck in mental image of the suffering of our Lord during the crucifixion without following that through to the glorious Resurrection! The cross, in all of the suffering, would be meaningless to us with out the Resurrection! It would mean that God's plan had failed and the devil had won. But he DID NOT!!! He never understood the plan of God and actually thought that he had defeated Jesus, UNTIL!!! THEN Jesus grabbed the keys of death and hell and ALL AUTHORITY! Now the only power the devil has is the power to deceive! Whenever you face difficulty as a born again child of the Living God, remember this! Use this song as a point of contact that no matter what happens HE is always with you and out of the ruins of our former life and all of our mistakes, HE has made something glorious! HALLELUJAH! Here is the song:
Shalom in Him!