7 x 70

So this past summer, I went to Spirit West Coast, and I heard this song by Chris August. It caught my attention and I really liked it, so I'm sharing it with you!

This song ultimately is about forgiveness. It basically talks about how in childhood, Chris August's life was difficult because he grew up in a broken home. He speaks in his commentary on it about how people look at their childhood and say "well, it's shaped me to be who I am," without understanding the true repercussions of it. Not that it makes you tough and independent in a good way, but rather in a way that you can end up finding yourself disconnected from the people you used to love.

When I listened to this song, it didn't relate to me in that my family was broken, or that I had unresolved issues with my biological relatives. However, sometimes, I do realize that I become bitter because of the people in Christ's family. Thinking on that, I realize that it's so sad that people who we think are supposed to be uplifting can really tear you down. And that, in turn, can make you senseless and unfeeling, or it can make you angry and untrusting.

This song draws from the verse, Matthew 18:21-22, which says:
Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

That's basically saying that no matter how much resentment you feel towards someone, or no matter how much someone has hurt you, it's not up to you to judge them. Leave that to God. The worst you can do is not forgive someone, because it doesn't just hurt whoever "wronged" you, but it hurts you the most. The feeling of being unable to accept something in the past is very difficult to deal with, and forgiveness sometimes can seem just as difficult. But the repercussions of forgiveness are far better than the repercussions of holding a grudge.

7 times 70 times
I’ll do what it takes to make it right
I thought the pain was here to stay
But forgiveness made a way
7 times 70 times
There’s healing in the air tonight
I’m reaching up to pull it down
Gonna wrap it all around

God isn't calling us to forgive "just this once," or even "490 times (for all you smart people)," but he's calling us to forgive continuously. Yes, you can learn from past experiences, but you can either grow cold or grow up. Me and my trust issues have a hard time accepting this, but this song reminds us that there's healing in the air tonight when we can let go and let God.

Boop Boop Beep Beep, it's getting late, so thanks for reading!
P.S. Chris August's story behind this song is on youtube, as well, if you wanted to look at it. :) TTFN!

Lord, Break My Heart

I found this song after listening to songs by Megan Nicole. A friend of mine on Youtube liked this video, the artist was Jonny Diaz. I'm not sure if this song was shared or not, but if it was, oh wells! Having double songs are fun! XD

This song is about how there are so many hurting people out there and most of us don't do anything because we're busy in our own world. And all of you know how Jenny went to Zambia to help those poor orphans out there, and this song reminded me of her sharing. And that picture she took of that little girl who couldn't go to their VBS program popped into my head. I'm sure she felt left out of the big group of children who were having fun and learning about Jesus. I know I would.

We're so consumed by all the things that we are blessed with, and those things aren't even ours. They were given by God, so they are rightfully His. There is this one Bible verse I'm sure you all know. I'm not sure where it is in the Bible but it said to not store up treasure here on earth. Because these things are all temporary. God is eternal not money, not computers, not grades, not our failures. But God only, and we should get out of little world and do something to help the orphans. Yes, paying and sponsoring a child is awesome, but we can do so much more than that.

I believe the chorus of this song can be a prayer to God to break our hearts for what break His.

So help me see through the eyes of the hurting
Come break my heart, come break my heart
True grace sees a face not a burden 
So come break my heart, won't You break my heart?
Come break my heart 


So let's pray this prayer, and see where God is calling us to help.

Oh and there is a video of Jonny Diaz talking about this song. You can watch it after you finish listening to the song, the video should be one of the recommended ones.

The Redeemer (can make anything new)

~Sanctus Real "The Redeemer"

This song is for the broken, for those who are aching for redemption in their lives and aching for God to make something new out of something ugly.

For me, this song is just an amazing reminder of the amazingness of our God to make anything NEW. From my ugly self-righteousness to the brokenness of our fellowship and church, our God is The Great Redeemer! Sometimes the bleakness of whatever's in our face can cause us to lose hope.. We don't know why God allows the brokenness in our lives.. but this song reminds me hoping and praying that God will make the broken things new in His timing, which means NOT giving up. If He can make our screwed up souls completely new by His blood, He can certainly redeem every bit of our broken relationships, lives, and hearts. He redeems me from my sinfulness and makes me new. He can make anything new.

But I'm still a dreamer, a believer
Oh I lost my faith in so many things
but I still believe in You

Cuz You are the Answer, the Redeemer
Oh I've given up on too many things,
But I'm not giving up on You

Cuz You can make anything new


Also, the band has a little behind the song video which first made me think deeply about all these things.. It's pretty inspiring, and I hope we can all identify parts of our lives where we need to submit ourselves to the Redeemer.



I don't have every answer in life,
But I'm trusting in You one day at a time
Cuz you can make a weak heart stay alive
Forever

Perspectives

"Perspectives" - by Kutless

Haha, sorry, I've been kinda MIA from this blog. But I decided I'll do a quick sharing today.

This song started playing on my playlist today, and it reminded me of some verses that encourage me a lot:

"Therefore, do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

Hope these encourage you!

I'll be back on this blog again! :D

Send Revival-- Start With Me

~Petra "Send Revival, Start With Me"

Lord send revival, start with me
for I am one of unclean lips
and my eyes have seen the King
Your glory I have glimpsed,
send revival, start with me...

God's been doing something really crazy in me, and I really pray that I don't easily forget it. He's been making my selfish pride evident in my face, and how I tend to use my self-righteousness to judge other people. As He convicted me of my self-righteousness and pride, He led me back to His Word in Matthew 7:1-5,

when Jesus says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way, you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Ironically, in my arrogance, I jokingly (but hurtfully) pointed out a splinter in my friend's eye, but failed to see the tree in my own eye. Often times I fail to first examine myself or let God work in ME, but I can so easily point out what other people need to work on. But after that incident, God reminded me of this song, that asks God to first work in ourselves first.

After looking more closely at this song, I found out this song is based on Isaiah 6. In that chapter, Isaiah is taken to see the glory of God, and he cries "Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty" (v5). Then God takes a coal to Isaiah's lips, atoning for his sin. It's only after this that God sends Isaiah to send a message to His people in His name.

A lot of times I find myself thinking about how much our churches, fellowships, and friends need God and need Jesus. But what about myself? I think its because I don't have the larger perspective; Isaiah first needed to see how ruined HE was before God Almighty. Revival needed to start in Isaiah before he could be sent out to minister of revival for God. And I know the same is needed in myself. Though I know I'm completely redeemed in Christ Jesus, He's still working to fully crucify the Pharisee and self-righteousness in me to love other people and be a minister of His love.

I know that I honestly desire God to be glorified in the lives of other people. But before I can ask God for revival in our fellowship, church, other people, I must first ask God to heal me. Lord send revival..start with me.

Oh My Dear

"Oh My Dear" ~Tenth Avenue North

I listened to this song for the first time while I was in China with Aaron, and I listened to it several times again. It's really good =]. It's like a story, and I like that too. It's a song about meeting people where they're at, and being there for them. It's also a song about grace, and loving people unconditionally.

I think there are two pictures being painted in this song:
One is of Jesus, and how He went the farthest mile to meet us where we're at. And once we're able to tell Him our things we feel the most disgusted with, our ugliest parts, He doesn't turn away, but He listens to us and STILL loves us and takes us as we are. It's kinda like what we learned at Family Retreat, that God can make the distinction between the person and the disease of our sin. It's pretty awesome.

The other is of people loving and showing grace to other people. I think its important for us and myself to ask ourselves if we love like Christ would; are we willing to go that mile? One really cool thing about this song is that the speaker initiates the conversations with his/her friend, being the one to ask how they're doing and asking if they could talk for longer. The thing is, even when we say "yes, I will," its really hard to continue to encourage them.. but that's why we need to draw strength from the love that God shows us.

I myself haven't been as motivated as i used to to that extra mile and ask how people are doing.. to stop listening to myself and make the effort to tune into other people's channel and listen with God's love. Or, on the other hand, to let others hear my pain, and share with brothers or sisters about the things that shame me, knowing that Christ's blood washes over all of it. Yeah. I just really like this song. I'm not saying we need to share our problems with absolutely everyone (unless we feel convicted do so!), but I do hope that I and we can move towards transparency that is centered on Christ's work of love on the cross for us, so we can be God's arms for each other when we need it.

You slowly lifted your hands from your head
You said, "I just don't think you'll understand"
You'll never look at me that way again
If you knew what I did"

And so your tears fell and melted the snow
You told me secrets nobody had known
Oh, but I never loved you more
Even though I knew what you did

Until this guilt begins to crack,
And the weight falls from your back
Oh my dear, I'll keep you in my arms tonight.

=].

Spirit vs the Kick Drum

"Spirit VS the Kick Drum" ~Derek Webb

I just think this song is really interesting. And I admit that it's a little weird. I'm still trying to understand some of the verses, but the basic gist of it I get, and I feel its worth sharing.

It challenges if we know what we want when we ask for the Spirit, the Son, and the Father. It's something I ask myself every now and then, especially as a worship leader. When I worship, am I really more moved by the music or am i moved by the Holy Spirit? Sometimes this question can be overly complicated, but it reminds me to be conscious to seek HIM out, and not just some fleeting emotions. It also makes me think about whether my perception of the Trinity is Biblically based. Do I live life seeking the approval of my peers (or coming out as 'better' than them) than i do the grace of Jesus? Do I expect Father to give me everything I want, or trust Him to give me everything I need?

I think this song it's a catchy and creative way to have us evaluate whether or not we really seek out God (all parts of Him; Father, Son, and Spirit), or if we seek a God that conforms to what we want. I pray that if I or any of us stray from a Biblical view of Jesus, the Father, or the Holy Spirit, that we would lovingly redirect me or them back to scripture. =].