Refiner's Fire

Refine me like gold.
Purify me until I shine like the Son.
Purge my heart of all that does not belong...all that doesn't look like You.
Take me through the fire and consume me with Your love.
Refine me like gold.
Gold is a symbol of Your divine character.
When I am refined like gold,
I am shining with Your divine nature, Your glory.
Pure and spotless
without blemish
Like Your Church
Like Your Bride.
You will return soon
coming on clouds with fire
Your Bride will meet You
And we will reign with You forever.
We must be refined individually
as members of Your Body,
Your Church, Your Bride first
before we shine as a whole.
So stir up a desire in all of us
to be pure
and spotless
and holy
like You.
Refine us like gold.
Cleanse us with Your Blood
until we shine like You.

(written on 8/6/2012)

Consumed by Your Love.

You, Lord, are a consuming fire.

A fire of Love.

A holy fire of Love.

And You are Love.

And Your Love casts out all fear and darkness.

Consume us with Your perfect Love.

We will never be perfect but we are clothed in the Perfect One.

Therefore, in Christ, we are able to reflect Your perfect Love to the world.

And we are able to receive strength through Jesus to walk in holiness.

But we need Your holy fire, that is Your Love, to consume us

so that all we know and all we are is Your love.

You ask us to be holy because you are holy.

We cannot reach holiness and purity on our own and in our own strengths or actions.

(We could never pray, fast, or read enough to achieve it)

We need Christ to cleanse us with His blood.

We are made holy and pure when we come washed in the blood of Jesus.

We repent and You cover our sins in the blood and You see Jesus-the Holy One.

Jesus, the Perfect One.

We please You with our faith in Christ and in the cross, not with our works alone.

We need faith to empower us to do great works for Your Kingdom.

But we can do NOTHING if we have not LOVE.

Faith will pass away.

Hope will fade.

But Love will never fail.

Your Love Remains.

Consume us by Your unfailing Love.

Love Never Fails

Choose love over criticism.
Choose love over judgement.
You once wandered in darkness,
So show compassion to those who have gone astray.
They need love to help light their path.
Love them back to restoration.
Help them with their love walk.
Help them walk in the light where I am found.
Fill yourself up with the Word.
The Word lights your path.
The Word is founded in Love.

If we are full of Love
nothing else can have room in our hearts.
Deception, sin, unbelief, hate, pride...
It cannot stay because there is no room for it.
Love conquers all of it.
Love never fails.

As for right now...This is what I got.

The prayers and the blessings
My man and my dreams
God Above and Faith fulfilled
You're all I got.

Eager to please, eager to achieve
Crazy in love, crazy about You
Questions of how and questions of when
You're all I got.

Not the same, inside or out
Frustrations and joy
2 wants and 2 dreams
And you're all I got.

Selishness and you
Battles from within
Wanting to change, wanting familiar faces
You're all I got.

--------------------------------------------------------

Reaching for a spotlight that's going dim
Being pulled in two different directions
My eyes are slowly closing on what used to be
And I'm learning to finally see and love

Yet I look to my left
And there you stand
Holding a single red rose
And a tear running down your cheek

You whisper, "I love you...I need you by my side...ALWAYS."
And I'm frozen where I stand
Do I run into the familiar arms of the stage?
Or do I choose the new path laid before me?

Can't I have both?
What's wrong with that?
Thought I was Superwoman
But I forgot that I'm NOT.

I gave up my cape long ago
I gave up that path
I put away childish things
To have this, To have YOU.

I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry I made you cry
This is so new to me
I forgot what it means to live for someone else
And not be SELFISH.

I'll be here, by your side
Holding onto your hand
I promise I'm letting go
And I'm walking away from it all.

For all of you...

You are who you are for a reason. By: Russell Kelfer

You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb.
You're just what He wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones He chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into His likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!