{"id":16242,"date":"2017-10-11T08:19:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T12:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=16242"},"modified":"2017-10-11T22:03:09","modified_gmt":"2017-10-12T02:03:09","slug":"worship-wednesday-the-cause-of-christ-kari-jobe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=16242","title":{"rendered":"Worship Wednesday – The Cause of Christ – Kari Jobe"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

For by grace you have been saved<\/strong> through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.<\/em> – Ephesians 2:8<\/a><\/p>\n

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. <\/em>For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save<\/strong> the world through Him.<\/em> – John 3:16-17<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus<\/strong>–the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.<\/em> – the Apostle Paul, Acts 20:24<\/a>
\n<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Saved. <\/strong>What does that mean? Saved from what? For what?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had been unchurched for most of my young life. When first exposed to the Bible, God drew me to Himself, and I was saved as a 9-year-old child. This holy and winsome God reached into the heart of a lost little girl and showed divine mercy. Saved <\/em>was something my mom couldn’t do for me, nor could I do it for myself.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even at 9, the wretchedness of sin was very real to me – both as a receiver of others’ sinful behavior and as a doer myself. People can be so hateful, uncaring, deliberately mean. Contrast that with a God who demonstrated such a love to us<\/a> that in our most messed-up nature, He made a way for us to come back to Him…through the perfect, sinless Savior, Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

For the moment, I’m not going to deal with how it is one can be saved but you can find more here<\/a>. Explore God<\/em><\/a> is a great resource.<\/p>\n

Since the day that I received God’s greatest gift, the life available only through Jesus, living for Him has always been my desire.<\/p>\n

Seasons come, however, when my heart’s desire is dampened by fears, distractions, and cultural messages that disguise lies for truth. I have not always lived for the God who saved me…definitely I have not always been faithful to speak the glorious truth of Him and His gift to us in salvation.<\/p>\n

Oh…the silence of wanting my own comfort over care of one who doesn’t yet know God’s love. My heart breaks at this.<\/p>\n

During worship at Movement Church<\/a>, on Sunday, we sang a song new to me. The Cause of Christ<\/em> <\/a>by Kari Jobe<\/a>. In the setting of church gathered, the Holy Spirit moved my heart deeply with the purpose of this life. Then Cliff<\/a> preached from 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20<\/a> (podcast here<\/a>). The focus of this scripture, teaching, and worship was to encourage us, as church, as saved peoples, to “persevere and refuse to be silent”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

We are never too old or too far gone down the world’s path to return to God and His great cause.<\/p>\n

What joy in those occasions when we enter into the cause of Christ and share the truth of God, in word and deed. He takes our feeble attempts and, through His Holy Spirit, gives us the opportunity to point to love and life in Him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: AZ Quotes<\/a><\/p>\n

What is the cause of Christ?<\/strong> We, who know Jesus, have been saved from the sin embedded in us from the first sinners and we have been saved from living ourselves in unbridled sin for all our lives. We are saved for God’s purposes – to live to serve Him and others in truth; to proclaim that saving truth in word and deed to all those God places in our lives. We are saved for fellowship (community) with God now and forever.<\/p>\n

How can we keep silent?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is not fame that I desire<\/em>
\n Nor stature in my brother’s eye<\/em>
\n I pray it’s said about my life<\/em>
\n That I lived more to build Your Name than mine*<\/em><\/p>\n

Worship<\/a> with me for the cause of Christ (music in the link):<\/p>\n

The only thing I want in life
\nIs to be known for loving Christ
\nTo build His church, to love His bride
\nAnd make His name known far and wide<\/p>\n

For this cause, I live
\nFor this cause, I’d die
\nI surrender all
\nFor the cause of Christ
\nAll I once held dear
\nI will leave behind
\nFor my joy is this
\nOh the cause of Christ<\/p>\n

He is all my soul will prize
\nRegardless of the joy or trial
\nWhen agonizing questions rise
\nIn Jesus, all my hope abides<\/p>\n

For this cause, I live
\nFor this cause, I’d die
\nI surrender all
\nFor the cause of Christ
\nAll I once held dear
\nI will leave behind
\nFor my joy is this
\nOh the cause of Christ<\/p>\n

Jesus, my Jesus
\nFor Your glory, for Your name
\nJesus, my Jesus
\nI will only sing Your praise<\/p>\n

For this cause I live
\nFor this cause I’d die
\nI surrender all
\nFor the cause of Christ
\nAll I once held dear
\nI will leave behind
\nFor my joy is this
\nOh the cause of Christ<\/p>\n

It is not fame that I desire<\/strong>
\n Nor stature in my brother’s eye<\/strong>
\n I pray it’s said about my life<\/strong>
\n That I lived more to build Your Name than mine<\/strong>*<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Ann Voskamp, Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n

“…how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children,<\/span> that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.\u00a0<\/span><\/em> For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.<\/strong>“<\/em> – the Apostle Paul, 1 Thessalonians 2:11-13 <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

*Lyrics to The Cause of Christ – <\/em>Writers: Kari Jobe, Benjamin Hastings, Bryan Fowler<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – Story Behind the Song The Cause of Christ<\/em> – Kari Jobe<\/a> – interview starts at 4:45 [also how to play the song]<\/p>\n

What Is the Cause of Christ?<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

A Cause Worthy of Your Life<\/em> – Andrew Corbett<\/a><\/p>\n

What Does It Mean to Be Saved?<\/em> – Steven J. Cole<\/a><\/p>\n

For the Cause<\/em> – Getty Music<\/a><\/p>\n

The Only Name (Yours Will Be)<\/a><\/em> by Big Daddy Weave (words & lyrics by Benji Cowart)<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube Video – When It’s All Been Said and Done<\/em> – Robin Mark<\/a><\/p>\n

Finishing Strong – Mildred McAdams – (our mom) – 1927-2002<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. – Ephesians 2:8 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did … Continue reading Worship Wednesday – The Cause of Christ – Kari Jobe<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[926,799,1705,1618,794,3208,1277,50,910,903,33,18,795,432,433,3751,3752,719,1456,1002,47,946],"tags":[1346,5268,5276,94,5269,5271,744,5272,5270,530,5267,1835,949,54,5274,2021,5275,5278,5266,1121,2777,5277,49,988],"class_list":["post-16242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-attending-or-focus","category-church-2","category-conversations","category-courage","category-faithfulness","category-finishing-strong","category-glory-of-god","category-god","category-gospel","category-grace","category-inspired","category-jesus","category-love-2","category-music","category-pray","category-purpose","category-purpose-in-life","category-reconciliationforgiveness","category-steadfast-love","category-transformational","category-wednesday-worship","category-worship","tag-ann-voskamp","tag-benjamin-hastings","tag-benji-coward","tag-big-daddy-weave","tag-bryan-fowler","tag-cause-of-christ","tag-finishing-strong","tag-for-the-cause","tag-getty-music","tag-gospel","tag-great-commission","tag-jesus","tag-kara-tippetts","tag-kari-jobe","tag-mildred-mcadams","tag-movement-church","tag-robin-mark","tag-saved","tag-surrender","tag-the-only-name","tag-wednesday-worship","tag-when-its-all-been-said-and-done","tag-worship","tag-worship-leaders"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-4dY","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16242"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16285,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242\/revisions\/16285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}