Friday, January 27, 2012

Called


“The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

I came from dust and to dust I should return, but dust I am now not. I am called.

“And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:6)

I am called His special possession.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

I am His righteousness.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

I am His workmanship.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

I am called by a new name written on a white stone.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17)

I am called pure and holy.

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
(Ephesians 1:4)

I am not an island, but have been brought near through His blood.

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

I am no longer an orphan

“We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers like widows.” (Lamentations 5:3)

but I am called His child

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1)

His daughter

“Then he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’” (Luke 8:48)

a co-heir with His son

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17)

a member of His household

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19)

part of His body

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)

His temple, bought at a price

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

His sister, His bride.

“You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.” (Song of Solomon 4:9)

I no longer dwell in darkness

“The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead.” (Psalm 143:3)

but am light in the Lord.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).” (Ephesians 5:8-9)

I am called. I am called to freedom

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

to fullness in Him

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” (Colossians 2:9-10)

and fullness of joy.

 “‘I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.’” (John 17:13)

I am called His.

“But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (Isaiah 43:1)

I am His lost coin for whom he scoured the earth

“‘Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.”’” (Luke 15:8-9)

His lost sheep for whom He left the flock

“‘Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.”’” (Luke 15:4-6)

His precious pearl for whom He gave everything he had.

“‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.’” (Matthew 13:45-46)

And I am the joy set before Him, for whom He endured the cross.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

I am not a slave again to fear

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15)

and I no longer bear a yoke of slavery

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

but I bear His light and easy yoke

“‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’” (Matthew 11:29-30)

and am rooted and established in His love.


So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:17-18)

On my worst day, I am Christ in Kelsey Anne, and I live in the room of grace, not the room of good intentions.

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)

I am called by the One who calls into being things that are not and therefore, what I am called is so.

“As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.”
(Romans 4:17)

I am called a new creation, and what I am called is what I am.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

I am called by I AM.

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”’” (Exodus 3:14)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Fire Heart

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
 the flames will not set you ablaze.”

(Isaiah 43:2)

And I stand in the burning coals
White churls of ask fly up as the fire stirs
The fine grit soft between my toes,
Pleasantly warm, comforting

And the flames rise up
Bathe my legs and warm my heart
Fire heart. Lion heart.
Daniel. David.

But the smoke clouds my eyes
In the middle of fire-light
My vision is black
Be thou my vision

Where can I go from your presence?
Even darkness will not be dark to you
The night will shine like the day,
For darkness is as light to you

You hem me in, behind and before
And the embrace of the flames is your arms
And the fire brightness flies up to the evening sky
The shining light of the Morning Star

And the crackle of pine resin is your song,
The sweet perfume of your incense
And I stand before your alter, and I worship
I stand before you and I sing