The Introverted Evangelist

#JoyfulJune : Goodbye May, hello June! What a marvellous month you've been, but I'm ready for the new to begin. May has been a month best described as the first few miles of a marathon. Starting a new adventure. It's scary at first, but the key is to make sure you don't deviate your focus. Christ within, Heaven ahead, there joy abounds. May was the start of a brand new life for me. The entire month resonated with the sound of chains *smack* crashing down to the ground. Oh what a beautiful sound... He cut those chains off me, and now I'm free. I'm free from everything that once paralyzed me with fear, and it's all because my gracious Saviour heard my cry. He came and He rescued me. When my life had hit a DEAD END, God had a better plan. His BEST plan.  --> Redemption. Renewal. Restoration. <--  There's nothing He can't do. This new life exists to exalt Him. This healed heart beats to bring Him honour. These whole lungs breath to shout His praise...

All Your Ways are Good : " Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it?  I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert . " (Isaiah 43:19) God is working in our lives each and every moment. We must have faith that  He only has the best planned for us , for He loves us unconditionally.  All He plans for our lives stems from His unfathomably rich love and kindness . Even the dry seasons can and will overflow with abundant riches, because Christ paid the price. " For you are becoming progressively acquainted with and recognizing more strongly and clearly the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (His kindness, His  gracious generosity , His  undeserved favor  and spiritual blessing), [in] that though He was [so very] rich, yet for your sakes He became [so very] poor, in order that by His poverty you might become enriched ( abundantly supplied ). " (2 Corinthians 8:9 AMP) Thr...

Celebrate Baptism : " If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins,  He is faithful  and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will  forgive our sins  [dismiss our lawlessness] and [ continuously ]  cleanse  us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action] ." (1 John 1:9 AMP) He is faithful . When we repent, He remakes us. We are new creations ( see  2 Corinthians  5:17 ), and we are created to live in  the current of His unrelenting grace . One such manifestation of this undeniably, overwhelmingly miraculous grace is the  forgiveness  He offers to us through Christ's sacrifice. And baptism? Baptism is like our graduation announcements. We make the public proclamation -  the start of a life of beautiful newness . It's unlike anything we've ever ventured into before, but a completely welcomed and long anticipated  season of renewal and opportuni...

Take Heart : " And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” " (Matthew 9:2) Take heart.  Don't let your past paralyze you . Don't listen to the lies that say your mistakes are who you are. Remember that the Blood of Jesus has made you new ( see 2 Corinthians  5:17 ).  His atoning sacrifice cleanses us  from all unrighteousness. We don't have to live the way we used to. The grace of our generous Lord gives us  inner strength  to break old habits and create a life of newness, rooted and founded in Christ Jesus. His Holy Spirit comes and floods us.  His Presence washes over us like the waves of the ocean's tide ... Washing away the shame of our old self, and  replenishing our strength with His mercy . Take heart, He is for us. Take heart, we are new creations. Take heart, for  He is good and worthy of our trust and prais...

Release and Receive : " My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble. Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. " (Proverbs 4:10-13) Come, dear child, come receive My grace and strength for your every need - your every weakness.  I will carry you to a new beginning . I, your Great Redeemer, can  restore to you the joy of living life  unhindered. No longer will your muscles ache and body cry out - dying and wasting away.  I will prosper you , I promise you. Trust Me. Walk with Me. Come  take hold of My gracious gifts . I withhold no good thing from you. Therefore,  you're free to abandon all that you try to control in your own strength ...  Release and receive ... I have an amazing plan for you. Your  trusting obedience is the key that u...

The Lord Walks With Me : " For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory! " (Deuteronomy 20:4) You're constant,  constant above the chaos of the corruption  of this world. You are faithful,  faithful through my fears  that attempt to chain me up and imprison me.  You're with me , with me through the winds that want to weather me down into a withered, worried mess.  I'm running to you , though my legs are weak and breaking beneath the weight of this burden. I'm lifting my hands to Your heavens. Through it all,  I will choose to worship You  still. Through it all, I will bless Your holy Name. Through it all,  I will trust that Your plan is best. I will fight, fight to be still and to rest . -The Introverted Evangelist

Be Still : " My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him ." (Psalm 62:5) Slow down, my wearied and burdened soul... Slow down...  Enough fighting ... Enough stubborn resisting... Submit, silently submit to your God, for He has made a path before you. You can walk in perfect peace, relying on and  resting in His unending goodness  and grace. " Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.  Show me where to walk , for  I give myself to you ." (Psalms 143:8) My will for this world is released , and my hope is somehow resurrected in this relinquishing. As the heart, mind, and soul all agree His will be done, peace settles over me with an unearthly extent -  a measure only Heaven can permit . That peace? The one passing my understanding? " Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you  live in Chr...

My Mighty Defender : " But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father–[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father's will in every purpose, thought, and action] ." (1 John 2:1 AMP) O Heavenly Father, how at fault I feel. The mistakes I've made, the shameful deeds I've done... Condemnation and fear, they wear away at my heart. Bitter emotions, they tear me apart. Oh take me back, back to the start. The start of Your mercy, flowing from Your Heart. " Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. " (Lamentations 3:23) You never give up on me ; Your faithfulness endures even when my whole life feels falling apart. When I'm  drowning , You're still  defending . When I'm  losing , You're still  leading . When I'm  falling , You're the One  fighting for me . When I'm  sinking , You will  save  me. You will come to my  rescue . Yo...

Praise is the Portal to Peace : " Reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death. [John  4:10 , 14.] " (Proverbs 14:27 AMP) Praise is the portal to the peaceful Presence of our perfect Saviour . Worship presents us with an escape from the dread of the destruction so sprawled about this world. Thankful songs take us from the ashes of fear and worry up into the holy realm of God's hope. Our praising His goodness awakens our hearts to the reality of His unfailing love and joy. " My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. " (Psalms 71:23) Our praise unlocks His peace .  Let's praise our way through the day . He is always faithful, so we should always sing, " How holy and great You are, our good and gracious God! " -The Introverted Evangelist

Grace When We Need it Most : " So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. " (Hebrews 4:16) When our world crumbles to pieces, our hearts battered and bruised by burdens, and our hopes torn apart by perpetual mistakes, there is a place to which we can retreat and find refuge. There is a  Shelter of safety  called the shadow of His Wings. The Lord covers over me.  His grace is all need . " And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. " (2 Corinthians 12:9) The thing about grace is,  you can't earn it or deserve it . It must come to you  when you least expect it  and  when you're most desperate  for it. Love is who God is, and grace is the essence of His character . He couldn't leave us without ...

I Loved You at Your Darkest : " Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God ." (Psalms 43:3-5) Your  gentle whispers , O Lord, have been the foundation of what has sustained me and my hope.  Your joy is the song my heart sings  today, but the tune didn't always play so light and serenely.  I remember the nights , God, the nights in the darkest, most dreadfully uninviting bed chambers... But You were there, and somehow  You stilled the waves that threatened to drown me . You, in Your sovereign mightiness, spoke peace into the turmoil of my troubles.  You spoke light into my darkest night , and  You spoke hope into the trenc...

Thy Will Be Done : " For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them ." (Matthew 18:20) May the cry of our  united hearts  resound in this place today. We're gathered here in Your house this day, O Lord, with one desire:  to know You and make You known  throughout the earth. We hunger to serve, to seek out those in need of  Your saving grace . We're gathered here today, and with one voice we say, " YOUR Will be done, O Great Heavenly Father! " -The Introverted Evangelist

At times, our  speechlessness  is a  song  to the very  heart of  God. He loves the melody of our awe-struck adoration. " I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. " (Psalms 145:1-3) O, Heavenly Father, I am so overwhelmed by Your unending goodness. Thank You for all that You do. You're so wondrous, and I shall praise Your Name forever. Amen. -The Introverted Evangelist

He Has My Whole Life in His Hands : " For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. " (Colossians 1:16-17) Nothing slips out of Your care . You know my every thought; You count my every hair. You've known me from the very start; O God, pull me closer to Your heart. You calm my fears; You dry my tears. You're with me right now; before You I bow. O take this soul, for only You can make it whole. You've revealed Your  pure and gracious heart  to me in fragments flecked throughout each day of this gift called life. I have no need of grumbling through my difficult days when on You my eyes  fixedly gaze . You're my unshakeable foundation. You're my unsinkable joy. You're the God of  love ,  light , and  laughter ,  not of  laws ,  ...

Stay in the Stillness of His Presence : " Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! " (Psalms 46:10) Only a wondrous and mighty God can speak serenity into the most disrupted of circumstances. Only the God of  miraculous mercy  can make still a world of worry with just one little taste of His sweet Presence of perfect peace. Perfect... Peace... Lay it down , O my soul, lay down the fear. Let go, my wearied soul,  let go of all the trailing terrors in your head . Those ropes only lead you down the road of ravage. Don't allow the enemy to grip you in his gruelling fear tactics; don't allow His lies to take up residence in your mind. Can't you see? Your adversary has already used these tired old temptations on you before.  This is no different. This  weed of worry  and destruction is rooted the same as the ones of old, enemy territory of death-centred desire. " The thief does not come except to steal...

Expect Great Things : " For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. " (Jeremiah 29:11) Those  fears  about your  future , the ones that  strain and stress  your mind throughout each day? I've already  solved  them. Trust  My great plan . Those  anxious thoughts  that keep you awake at night? I offer you  peace and freedom  from them. The threats with which the world  dashes  your mind and  corrupts  your joy? I will  shelter  you from them all, and I will  restore   abundant joy  to you. " I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit ." (Romans 15:13) Confident hope  and  immense joy  are headed your way. My almighty power and complete sovere...