we will run to You...

i have a new favorite song. i have a bit of an obsessive personality, so when i want to listen to a cd, i usually do so for weeks at a time. i've loved gungor since i experienced a worship service where they performed about a year ago... and have listened to their cd dozens of times. but for some reason this morning when kris and i got into the car, i felt like we should listen to their cd today. beautiful things. (that's the album title)

well, i heard a song for the first time today. i don't know how i don't remember it, but i really don't think i've ever heard it... it's called "we will run." i didn't discover it until our ride home this evening, but i've listened to it at least 20 times now... (i SO wish i was tech-savvy enough to have this song play while you read this...) i am completely and totally blown away with what God has spoken to my heart today using the combination of this song and a message titled "game changers".

on this Easter morn, we were "churched" twice. the first time at our home church (northstar church) where we we worshiped with around 800 people (one of 3 services).

our second was at a tiny little church (compared to what we are used to...) in oak ridge called lifehouse church. our friends from kimber rising sang there... (they live in nashville, so it was a rare treat to get to have them in east tennessee!) their voices are amazing and they are talented enough to not only belt it out a capella, but to move you to tears. their version of "it is well with my soul" is the best i've ever heard...

we thought that we were going to be able to slip out right after they performed to head to the easter dinner festivities at kris' parents house, but there was no way to make a clean getaway. when their pastor, jeremy songer, stood up, within a few seconds, he actually said, "you didn't think you were just coming for show, did you? i'm going to give you the Word today." thanks, Lord, for showing up in the places i least expect you to... :)

in part of his message, he shared that the disciples "ran away like scared little girls", even denying that they ever knew Jesus. he then went on to tell us how each one of the disciples died; all but one a horrific death, reminding us that it was surely the RESURRECTION POWER that turned these men who ran away from the brutality of how Jesus was beaten and crucified for fear of their own lives to living lives completely sold out to share the gospel fearlessly...

of course, seeing the POWER of the Lord in an empty tomb and the nail scarred hands and feet of their friend who had been dead for three days was enough to turn cowards to sold out champions of the cause of Christ.

now if the disciples, Jesus' closest friends, who physically walked with Him in ministry, ran away seeing that their lives were in danger, WOULD I DO THE SAME? john 20:29 says, “because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." would i run away? or would i run to Him? even if it means losing my life? or the people i love?

here are the words of my heart's cry:

Create in me a clean heart, a clean heart
For I have turned my face from You
Teach us of Your ways oh God, oh God
For we have turned away from You
Lord have mercy

We will run to You, we will run to You
Turning from our sin we return to You
Father heal your world, make all things new
Make all things new

Your love and mercy build and shape us
Break us and recreate us now
Lord have mercy

Oh, bring us back to You