Wake Up Sleeper

Wow. 

Wow. 

God is good. He is good when we are in pain, He is good when we aren't. He is good when sucky stuff happens and he is good when incredible things happen. 

For me personally, many things have happened lately. The dynamic of my life is changing daily. But God is not changing. The God I worship today is the same God i worshipped yesterday, same one i will worship tomorrow. 

I never blog without first jumping into God's word, and I love the fact that He never ceases to blow me away with the truth of scriptures.

Isaiah 62:6-7

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the name of the LORD, give yourselves NO rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

That is the word of God saying, "You believe in me? Don't miss a beat. Even when your down and out, even when you want so badly to sleep, CONTINUE to call on my name." It even goes on to say, give Him, God, no rest! It's not saying that, as if there's a fear that God will sleep. It is pleading with us to call on his name so constantly and so passionately that we never rest, we never stop, and God never has to slow down his process because of us. He will never have to stop or rest and wait on his people because his people will be so passionately pursuing and crying out His name, seeking His will. 

That is the church and that is beautiful. 
This last weekend God called me to leave the place I had been worshipping and follow his lead for my life into a new adventure that we have come to call Rising Church. The pastor Aaron Young and staff, Ryan Nelson, Lori Cotter, and Sarah DeLotelle are all people who God used to make me and many of my closest friends who we are today. My old church will be missed dearly, but like Aaron pointed out at our first meeting sunday; though churches may take different paths from each other, we are all sons and daughters of the living God and we will all worship the same Jesus in Heaven forever! What a joyful thought! I am excited to take part in this next chapter of my life that God has put me in and to lead a body of believers in musical worship of the Almighty on a weekly basis. I have never felt so blessed and so  close to my Father. Great things are coming. 

I want to end my post with this.
Rather you are catholic, protestant, episcopalian, non-denominational, whatever you may affiliate yourself with... If you are a believer in Jesus, YOU are a person of the rising. In an incredible song by Brett Younker, the chorus says, "Jesus! Jesus! There is power in your name! We sing Jesus! Jesus! You have pulled us from the grave, we are the people of the Rising."

So to the followers of Christ reading this, WE are of the rising! Ephesians 5:14 says "Awake, Oh sleeper! Rise from the dead and Christ will give you light!" 

He has risen us, so let's live like it! Jesus has lifted us out of the grave so why would we ever still live as if we are dead? No matter the church, denomination, or any of that. Tomorrow, ask God how you can reflect his light. Ask how you can live fully, listen to what he says, and do it. I'm going to try doing so. 

Thank you for all of you who read this and encourage me. I truly am blessed beyond belief and humbled by your collective love. 

Let's truly live.
God Bless! 

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