Be Joyful Always

Be Joyful Always

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 & Philippians 4:4-9

Rejoice in the Lord always

I will say it again, Rejoice

Not an easy decision

But we all have a choice

You see, joy is not about being happy

Take it from Paul

Used to be Saul

A ‘holier than thou’ man of religion

Thought he was a good man

Raised in the faith

Until Jesus met him face to face

He saw the error of his ways

And turned to God to give Him all praise 

But conversion was not easy

His life became hard

Rejected by his friends

Always on his guard 

Not received by the Christians

He was a murderer 

In a state of repentance

Looking for acceptance

He was beaten and bruised

Stoned, shipwrecked, even abused

Thrown in jail and put in chains

 Told he would fail, and nothing else remains

He found a secret that carried him through it all

He said, “I have learned to be content in all situations”

And all life’s stations

In plenty or in need

So what is this secret

I need to see

Can’t stand to live in want

But I can’t get free

No matter how much I receive

It never satisfies

This life is born in lies

So what does Paul say?

What’s this secret that so few seem to find?

Be Joyful Always!

That’s the start, but it doesn’t end there

If it did, it wouldn’t be fair

Paul gave us instructions 

On how follow this command

Pray Continually!

Like streaming On Demand

Your conversation with God 

Should never end

Like a chat stream blowing up by the minute

It’s always exciting when God is in it

Like wigglesworth said 

“I rarely spend more than a half hour to pray

But I don’t go more than a half hour 

without something new to say”

So keep that prayer line open 

And continue to share

Cause God’s always listening

And will always care

Then take time to listen as He talks to you

Prayer is a conversation between you two

If your prayer time is like a monologue 

Something is wrong 

Your talking too long

It’s time to stop

And now we can move on

But before we do

Let’s recap from the start

Be Joyful Always

This comes from the heart

Pray continually

Is the second part

So to wrap up this story

The final piece, gives God the glory 

Give Thanks in any and all things

And what does this Thankfulness bring

A new focus is the first thing I see

Takes our eyes of the negative 

Going on around me

And allows me to thank God 

For the blessing he brings

As Corrie said

“Thank you for the fleas!”

I may not always see a reason

It may seem like the wrong season

But many seasons of growth

Begin with seasons of pain

God uses the circumstance of the world

To teach us new things

He doesn’t bring the pain

I want that to be clear

But He’ll use the pain

To guide us through the fear

“What doesn’t kill me

Makes me stronger”

Since I’m not dead

I must stay on the path longer

Pain produces perseverance

Because it puts faith to the test

Without facing struggles 

We would never see God’s best

Think about the cross

Ultimate pain and loss of Hope

Jesus was dead and in the grave

His friends facing the most horrible pain

But Joy comes in the morning

So don’t give up now

And find reason to give thanks! 

Like Christ’s death brought ultimate life

Your struggle will be bring new things

So, Rejoice in the Lord, for he is near

Pray all the time, even through your fear

Present yourself to God

With thanksgiving in your heart

Then comes the most amazing part

His Peace that passes all understanding

Will guard your heart 

and mind

And you find

The final passage

Phillipians 4, verses 8  and 9

Whatever is true, noble and right

Whatever is pure, lovely and admirable

Anything that is excellent or praiseworthy

Think about these things!

Focus your mind on the good

And find yourself in the Lord

And contentment will come

No matter what you can afford

And Paul wraps up this verse with this:

Whatever you have learned or heard from me

Put it into practice 

So Be Joyful and always pray

Give thanks in all you do

And all you say

And the God of peace will be with you

Now and always!

Troubled Heart

Troubled Heart

My heart is troubled

And I can’t seem to think

My mind is cloudy

Like I’ve had too much to drink

I’m drowning in my sorrows

But what does it mean?

I’ve sinned and I can’t get past it

At least that is how it seems

But is that the truth?

Can I really not get past my sin

Is there proof?

That God won’t let me in?

Has His voice grown quiet

Can I try and fight it?

Is it even something I can earn?

What have I learned?

Is it even based on what I do?

If it is, there is no way I can get through

So I look to the Word that was planted in me

When God’s Love poured out

Was it enough to set me free?

God’s Word says no condemnation

For those who believe

God’s word says new life

For those who receive

So what do I believe?

What have I been given?

I’m talking about Christ 

Who was dead, but is now risen

He conquered death

But that’s not all

He took sin and pain

When the world thought he’d fall

Jesus came back

And conquered it all

But what does it mean for me?

How does what Christ did 

Change the things I see?

In my life I see pain

Caused by the things I do

I’ve hurt so many people

Forgiveness can’t be true

Everywhere I look

Is another reminder

As I go through life

I could really use some blinders

But then there’s this story

Of a man who became a king

As I read on 

I discover a curious thing

He was said to be a man

After God’s own heart

But then he sinned

And his life fell apart

In his apathy

He took another man’s wife

Then on the verge of exposure

He took that poor man’s life

So what started as a thought

Ended in 5 broken laws

And God forgave Him

And now I have to pause

And reflect

What God did for him

He could also do for me

I see Ephesians 2 verses 1-10

How God truly set me free

Because I was dead 

In transgression and sin

Following the ways of this world

I could never win

But then

There was God

And what He did no one could change 

He gave His Son

So that I could be rearranged

It is by mercy

That I don’t get the death I deserve

And by grace

That I receive the place that is reserved

For me in heaven

That’s what I see in verse seven

Then in eight 

It breaks it down plain

It is by grace, through faith

Salvation is God’s gift I gain

Nothing I’ve done

Or will ever do

Could ever bring this gift

To me or to you

It is a free gift

That comes straight from our Savior

But once we get it

It should change our behavior

For we are God’s workmanship

It says in verse nine

To do works that were prepared

Before the beginning of time

Now created in Christ Jesus

We now begin to shine

So whoever you were

You are no longer

Whatever bound you before 

God has made you stronger

You’ve been saved and set free

Your sins thrown into a forgotten sea

Now to live a life 

That reflects His glory

From this day forth

Jesus is weaved into your story

So when you look at your life

You may see a mess

But God sees Jesus blood

And only your best

So stop looking back 

Look only to the Lord 

Looking to God

And your eternal reward

Cause today is a new chapter

A new page in your story

That will take you step by step 

Into His Eternal Glory!

Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

By Terence Wright (based on a message from Matthew Wright)

Prayer. What do we say? What can we see?

Why do we pray and tell God our needs?

First and foremost because God said

In the morning, during the day and right before bed

In the Word it mentions prayer over 400 times

And prayer is the reason I’m writing these rhymes

So let’s start by asking a question or two

About why the bible says prayer is the thing to do

Prayer builds relationship with our Father God

And brings His will on this place that we trod

So that’s why, but now how? 

What should we say?

We need to start by glorifying God everyday

Next? To bring His will from the bible 

Cause we know what it says is reliable

Now for our needs, in trouble or peace

No matter the situation we should be on our knees

What about forgiveness? Let’s focus on that now

We ask for forgiveness, but let’s break it down

He will forgive us

But this verse is connected to another

We are forgiven to the point that we’ve forgiven our brother

And last but not least to keep us from sin

And then it ends in glorifying God once again

Each day the same as Jesus directed us to pray

In Matthew 6:9-13 He told us what to say

So one more question, one more thing that I ask

If God is so sovereign why is prayer our task?

Because God has given all power and authority to us, through Christ

And He wants to help us in our life

So, in closing let me say this last thing broken in two

Prayer is exercising the authority 

That Jesus took back for you

And invites God to move on this earth in all that you do

Will you be Jesus to me?

Will you be Jesus to me?

A tribute to the victims of human trafficking

All I see are walls closing in around me

I’m surrounded by darkness

with no glimpse of light

All I know is pain

with no end in sight

and if I fight?

The abuse comes more frequently then

No, all hope is lost

There’s no way I can win

You say that there is hope?

I’ve heard that before

from the one lying next to me

passed out on the floor

You say I’m not forgotten

but no one knows my name

When I open my eyes

I see darkness and shame.

And even worse is the fear

It creeps in and all around

And I cower and cringe

every time I hear a sound

From a creak in the floor

to a rattle at the door

Not knowing what’s in store

Or the horrors that await me

So I wait and see

As fear engulfs me

and swallows me whole

I’ve lost all hope

Which my circumstance stole

Then, in the midst of my suffering

While I am lost in my fear

A voice cuts through the darkness

And this is what I hear:

“I know your pain

I’ve been where you are

You may find it hard to believe

But let me show you the scars

I was beaten and bloody

and raised up for all to see

Displayed on a cross

with nails in my hands and feet

But worse than that

The pain that comes from within

Left all alone

and betrayed by a friend

I was abandoned

as I took on the world’s sin

I was in utter darkness

The grave, hell and beyond

Separated from God

All hope seemed gone

But then...

On day number three

I was resurrected by the power

That is inside of me

Now, I am with you in your darkest hour

I’m setting you free

I am with you in your darkness

I’m the light that you see

I am with you in your pain & shame

And even though it seems you are forgotten

I know your name

I came to earth for you

I died for you

I was resurrected for you

Now I live for you

Hope is not gone

Because I’m bringing you near

Let my perfect Love

Drive out all your fear

In your pain and despair

Rest in the fact that I am here”

Then it goes quiet

and my mind begins to wander

In this new-found silence

I begin to ponder

Who is this Jesus?

who comes to me in my dreams

Who is this Jesus?

who says life is not as it seems

He’s brought me so far

but I have so far to go

He’s shown me so much

but there so much I don’t know

What is coming tomorrow

and what will I do?

So many struggles

How will I get through?

These questions and more

still echo in my mind

but now a truth that’s louder

Jesus helped me to find

I know where I am going

I know who holds my eternity

Right now I may be held captive

but one day I will be free

So as you sit and listen

and wonder, “What can I do?”

I want to ask you a question

that will show your Love true

Will you continue in life

and pretend that you do not see

Or will you open your heart;

Will you be Jesus to me?