Worthy is the Lamb!

Please check this out! Omg! I want to steal him! The key change brings tears to my eyes! also somewhere around the 2 minute mark. You really can't teach someone to have a voice like that. He was blessed with an amazing gift!!!

I'm Alive!!!!!!

Dang! "All because of Jesus" by Fee is so moving! It brings tears to my eyes! Part of the reason why I want to have a class prayer is just to share about the amazing things that God has done in my life! God truly raises the dead! He gives new life and gives it in abundance!

My life’s calling to serve and glorify God becomes more real every passing day. I truly can’t believe that less than 8 months ago, I was considering leaving my “imaginary” relationship with God (imaginary because it was sooooo without substance or foundation) and living my life indulging in what I wanted. But God completes what He starts! He loves us too much to leave us where we are. I don't know what you believe about how transcendent and personal God is, but I believe in a God who touches His beloved creation in a way that is so real, more real that its beyond physical! I can totally testify to that!

Anyway, all I can see is that Jesus truly raises man from the dead!

So happy! :D

The Gates of Zion

Just some reflections on my reading:

Psalm 87

The psalm is about Zion, where the Lord dwells, and how great it is. But in verse 2 it says that God loves the gates of Zion more than anywhere else in Israel. I thought, "why is that?" Then it occurred to me that there was meaning behind the gates/entryway. So the gates are the entrance to the city of God, where He dwells, where is presence is made known, etc. How glorious is it when someone comes to know Christ, when they come into the presence of God and begin a relationship with Him?! No wonder why God loves the gates! Its where He sees His people come to Him and enter his kingdom. How awesome it is to see a person come to God?! I think it would be so awesome to see that figurative scene of people entering God's dwelling and to share in God's delight at the sight of those coming to Him! What a sight to behold! I totally feel a sense of urgency to continue to evangelize to those who havent come to Christ yet in order to experience the joy that comes from God alone!

:)

Winding down but so stirred up!

Aside: God is in 2013. God never fails. So I can never consider this blog a fail. Even though this blog had very few posts we know that God is STILL working powerfully in our class! I can’t wait to hear how Courtney’s experience in rural China was, also from Jessi and her missions trip to Haiti and how Cindy and Octavia’s cultural/educational experience was in China. I also would love to share about my experience in Haiti for a missions trip. I really think that for the most part, things like those can be shared on the blog but I think I would love to hear them in person. So lets have a joint prayer first thing in the semester just to start things off right and praise God as a reunited 2013!!!!

So just to contribute a bit, I would like to share what I read during lunch today. I am going through the Psalms and it’s so wonderful. As I’ve shared the many people I’ve met up with this summer, it’s such a blessing to read the psalms that the worship artists have used to inspire their songs. This is awesome because it reminds me of the songs and puts me in a worshipful mood all day! Today I read Psalm 84. This was totally the psalm that inspired “Better is One Day”. It is such a wonder to be in the presence of God and really experience His touch in our lives. I really appreciated that verse about being a mere gatekeeper than a guest in the dwelling of the wicked. Choosing God over all else is totally worth it in my opinion ;).

One of the many themes that God has been allowing me to experience this summer is the theme of God’s presence in my life. At AMI Revolution it was easy to see that God would show up and bless us b/c it was a retreat. We took time aside to give Him glory for 3 or so days. But what impacted me the most was that it was in my city! I live there! God came to me in my hood. Usually we limit God’s presence to a remote place where all we do is talk about Him. But having AMI in the city I was living in for the summer showed me that the elements needed for God’s presence to manifest in our Christian experience are believers and a heart that longs for Him. Therefore, God’s presence ought to be where you are!! You can be moved to break out into worship, prayer, tears, just because God resides in His people. Most of what I prayed for at AMI was for God to make His home in my heart. It was the song of the summer, brothers and sisters, and it resonated so loudly.

God gave me the cry then showed me what it looks like to have Him in my heart. Later in the summer I read Psalm 48 (Read it, Not kidding, just do it! It is soooooo moving) about the fortress of God and how NOTHING can attack it or defile it. I was struggling with temptation and I realized that if God was in my life and I let him live in me, NOTHING could harm my spiritual life and my relationship with Him. God totally showed His mighty strength and granted me victory and a peace knowing that God is guarding my heart which is His home! Please tell me why anyone would choose to go on with life without our God!!

Then today in Psalm 84, the sons of Korah realize that we dwell in God’s presence and when he is in our hearts, we have nothing else to do but give Him praise! It is also true that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people! How lovely is the Lord’s dwelling place! Make sure you live there! Make sure you make His home in your heart and life! All you will ever do, then, is praise and glorify Him forever! He will be there.

Peace out yo!

-Patrick