The Introverted Evangelist

We Need Your Love : Father, I pray Your  Great Will  be done in all the earth. I trust that  You love me . I trust that  You're on my team . I trust that  You've not forgotten  about me. I am confident  You can see my heart  so willing and yearning to serve Your Kingdom. I love that  You listen  to my prayer, and  You listen to my heart  even when I can't find the words to speak. So, kneeling here  I will declare that You, my God, You truly care . " Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully ." (1 Peter 5:7 AMP) How blessed it is to be Your child! I adore You, King who laid Your  royal life  aside for a  mangey manger  and down into the  deepest grave , all for me -  my soul to save . " being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in C...

All is Calm All is Bright : Be still my soul...  Salvation is found in the surprise of His stable-birth . Rest is in His promise: the Prince of Peace has come and He's given us His light of life...  Life everlasting ,  love never ending , and  joy multiplying ... " The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants— all their whips and cudgels and curses— Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian . (Isaiah 9:2-4 MSG) Victory ! Victory is tangible and triumphing, because  Christ is our Cornerstone , our  Everlasting Father . " For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be...

The True Essence of Christmas/Forgiven, Freed, Family : Though the days slip away as sand sifts through toes dipped in the tide of a  restless shore , may our hearts never cease to capture the true essence of just how glorious Your  Christ mas really is. May the ever-awe-inspiring Gift of our Saviour be the  sturdy foundation  on which we build our lives and in which we rejoice in  continual, unceasing celebration . We thank You Lord that Your peace-ensuing Presence is with us through it all. We're not isolated by this pain of shattered hearts and brokenness resembling fallen, fragile glass ornaments.  You're right here in the midst of our silent suffering. You're always holding out Your life-line of unwavering hope and joy . Your love will never fail us. And when Christmas seems as though it's been glazed over by  pain  and  rush  and  lack ? We can find  shelter ,  rest , and  perfect peace  and  provision...

On That Silent Night : " Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! " (1 Chronicles 16:29) Christmas , truly the most  divinely dazzling  time of year. I just love everything about Christmas, but my favourite part about Christmas is  Christ . Each and every time I begin to think about how He, Jesus, humbled Himself to the mire of a  manger birth , I'm completely awestruck. This  humble King , He is my Lord, the God who crafted the ornate stars - even those that scattered Bethlehem's sky on that Silent Night. This  Divine Saviour  entered into the arena of our suffering as a baby boy wrapped in swaddling cloth. " Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel ." (Isaiah 7:14) " And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, becau...

Reach for the Stars : " When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? " (Psalms 8:3-4) He is come, for the Lord God Almighty One took on the role of a Child - a Servant even unto the sentence of sin's death price. And here He comes now... " I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star... And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely ." (Revelation 22:16, 17) A starry night's jubilee burns bright; the Saviour, our long awaited Christ. Oh Holy Messiah,  You are a shining Star  in this world so strayed far.  We yearn for You ... Up 'till Your debut, the hope we sought 'twas skew. Then You came down, so gentle and mild, for all mankind now  reconciled . The glorious night You came down and touched our broken state, Your restoring glory illumined our falle...

It's The Most Wonderful Time of Year : " And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth ." (John 1:14 AMP) I love  Christmastime . This time of year is my favourite for so many, many reasons. It's as though all the  bright shining lights  and  joyous carols  ring throughout the whole earth in  a wave of worship  for the One whom we celebrate.  Immanuel .  Jesus the Messiah . His name is so beautiful, and I love the way it's the very forefront of this season. The Holy and exalted Name above all names belonging to our Lord headlines this holiday:  it's CHRIST-mas ! How splendid indeed! I also just adore the fitting manner in which we celebrate His birth. This whole entire season is  brimming with e...

A Season of Wonders : " Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. " (Isaiah 1:18) It's officially the season of flurries and fellowship, when families gather around and snow freshly blankets the ground. Cold, gruelling winds blow, but  the warmth of this hope of joy we have in Christ kindles ever so comfortingly inside our cheerful hearts . " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness " (Galatians 5:22) " Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart shall thrill and tremble with joy [at the glorious deliverance] and be enlarged " (Isaiah 60:5a) May this season of wonders ring in a  renewed sense of hope , as the dew of our Designer  refreshes all parched souls . May nearness to the Holy One whom we celebrate this blessed season capture your heart once again. ...

DreamStart - Dreams in Her Heart : " But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” " (Matthew 19:14) Her heart is  vast , and the lives of those suffering press deep into the soil of her soul.  The heart of God aches  for His abandoned children, so in harmony with His, her heart cries too. Another Christmas season to give and  spread joy , but she can't help but think of those in the  darkness of despair . The ones who need the Light. She cannot let one more Christmas pass without  making a difference . " Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. " (James 1:27) For the heart-wrenching sorrow of their plight, O God, may these burning dreams in us take flight.  We long to tell them Your Truth: " I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you ." (John 14:18) Let's put an end to homelessness,...

Let Faith Overcome Fear : " Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice ." (Isaiah 41:10 AMP) I must begin recognizing that  fear  is not an inevitable part of each day. Fear is not  unavoidable , what fear is is an  unwelcome   thief . Fear   is a direct, demonic attack meant to  demolish  any remanent of  joy  and  freedom . " The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly ." (John 10:10) I can hear You inviting me into Your Presence. A call to come and abide in Your unmistakably  miraculous mercy  and abundance. I must surrender my tendency to welcome in fear's  ter...

Grateful for Sunday Rest : " And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful ." (Colossians 3:15) " singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ " (Ephesians 5:19-20) " Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all ." (2 Thessalonians 3:16) I hope everyone enjoyed a very peaceful and tranquil Sunday of rest. I took this photograph of the most vibrantly coloured deciduous tree outside of my house a few weeks back. It's so nice to be able to look back and  reflect on all the glory  God has  painted  throughout the earth in this Autumn season which now draws to a close. Winter trickles in with every falling leaf and chilling breeze . In this cozy season, let us not become  entangled in busy hustling , but rather  enthralled with joyous reverence . May aw...

Declaring His Wonders : " Sing to the Lord, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods ." (1 Chronicles 16:23-25) So wondrous, so mighty, so holy. There is none like You, O God! How marvellously beautiful Thou art! How  spectacularly splendorous  are Your ways! We worship You, King above all kings.  You're the Lord over lords . Your name is higher than our pain, Your glory  greater than our works , and Your Kingdom more awesome than all the riches of this earth. Help us to seek Your face ceaselessly. Help us to know what is true:  You are the true everlasting One, our Father ! " being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ...being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the...

Fight On : " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. " (2 Corinthians 5:17) " Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage ." (Galatians 5:1) Temptation  presses unrelentingly on the walls of your soul, gripping and choking your courage and strength. You hear  screaming agony  blaring loudly, but behind all the madness you hear  My faint whisper ... " Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ." (Matthew 11:28) Rest ... Let your  fear-fogged  mind find perfect peace and relaxation in the flowing rivers of My grace, mercy, and security. I will keep you safe and protected. " He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your r...

Finding Joy in the Journey : " For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands ." (Isaiah 55:12) Look around, can't you see all the  little treasures  that surround? I've hidden My  joyous laughter  in the still and silent places, and only when you  slow down  and seek the  unhurried peace  of My Presence will it be revealed to you. With  childlike wonder  and merriness you shall unwrap this glorious gift that is My  never ending joy . Take My quiet path . Lean into the leisure of My leading. Trust the tides of My  oceanic grace-floods . I delight in torrentially drenching your soul in the mercies ever-pouring down from the pulpit of My  love-lavishing  heart. " You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness " (Psalms 30:11) ...

Shine Your Light : " The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day ." (Proverbs 4:18) I long to live in Your  gleaming courts  of unending love and light. You are wonderful, oh so magnificent. O God, You're more splendorous than even imaginable. Your beauty more picturesque than the most exquisite scenery on earth. Your wonder cannot be contained within the walls of our galaxy. Your plans exceed the dimensions of our time. You know all, for You are the One who was, who is, and who is to come. " We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. " (Revelation 11:17) You know my every ache, but You,  my Healer , have borne my burdens and won my freedom. You've cleansed my filthy unrighteousness in Your glorious, pure,  shining light of life and holiness . You're making me to be more like You! How  marv...

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...

My Eyes are on You Jesus: My   sight  will  deceive  me, but God's  might  will  deliver  me. There's more to this   life   than just our struggles and   strife . I must look beyond what these two eyes can  perceive . I must look to the Lord and  believe . He's here. He sees me.  He loves me . I'm on the path Home.  I'm held constantly in His mighty arms . Through all the pain and sorrows, O God,  I will look to You . I will trust Your plan, I will trust Your guiding hand. Lead me. I'm Yours. " You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. " (Psalms 32:7-8) -The Introverted Evangelist