I Am Christian - Finale

 

1 Corinthians 12:28

And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, 

diversities of tongues.

    I am Christian and I am the body of Christ. With the help and guidance of The Holy Spirit, I am able to do the things which God has called me to do. I have been anointed with oil and fire, that I might proclaim with boldness and fearlessness The Word of God in all aspects of my being. 

    I am prophets who speak The Word of God which is to come. I warn of the coming judgment on the unrepentant souls. I speak the divine will of God in regards to current events. I interpret The Word of God that those who do not understand may hear and learn. 

    I am teachers of The Word of God. I explain The Word of God from my depth of knowledge and understanding to anyone who wants to hear and learn. I am Sunday School teachers. I am adult learning teachers. I teach The Word with both my words and my actions. In whatever setting I find myself I teach. As Philip taught the Ethiopian when The Spirit of God brought them together: Acts 8:26-40. 

    I am miracle workers and healings. I have the ability through God's power to heal the sick, the wounded and the dying. The deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, the mentally tormented are delivered and the addict restored. In my own self I cannot do this: it is God working through me. 

    I am helpers. Within the church there are many things that need to be done. As in Acts 6:1-7, when seven certain men were chosen to care for the needs of the growing church. 

    I am administrations. I have the divine gift of being able to organize, run and maintain the business end of the church. I am inclined to be mathematical (choosing where to use the tithes and offerings coming into the church coffers) and methodical (a place for everything and everything in its place). 

    I have diversities of tongues. I speak many languages and dialects that I might spread the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ to all nations, ethnicities, cultures and subcultures. This power is divinely gifted to whomever God chooses to give it to within the body of Christ. 

    I am Christian and I am the body of Christ. I am called to first obey The Word of God, and second, to serve with and in The Word of God. To serve Him with grace, integrity (honorably and ethically), divine wisdom, and in the love of God without which I am just a clanging cymbal (1 Corinthians 13:1). 

    I am the body of Christ and I am here to serve God. Romans 12:1-13. 

    

VOICE OF TRUTH - Casting Crowns 

WHOM SHALL I FEAR - Chris Tomlin 

IF WE ARE THE BODY - Casting Crowns

    

I Am The Body of Christ - Part One - Apostles

 

1 Corinthians 12:12, 13

The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Romans 12:4, 5

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another. 

   I am Christian and I am the body of Christ. I have been broken and poured out. I became a part of the body of Christ when I believed on The Name of The Only Begotten Son of God for my salvation. 

    My body is His. It is comprised of apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles. People with gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28). 

    Apostles build churches from the ground up: first we share the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ with the people we meet in the cities in which we live. As Paul wrote, "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23, 24). 

    An apostle is humble (1 Corinthians 15:9). Apostles are messengers, envoys, delegates, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel.  "To commission, send forth";  focusing back on the authority (commissioning) of the sender(Strong's #652). 

    We preach Christ, not ourselves, not a gospel of prosperity nor a gospel of self-sufficiency. We preach Christ crucified. Tortured, mocked, stripped of His garments, beard plucked out, face smashed, thorns forced into His precious head and nails hammered into His feet and His hands. Christ on the cross stained with His blood, mocked as He died. Speaking love and forgiveness to the ones who put Him there. Broken in body, but not bone. Strips of flesh dangling off His body of suffering. In front of His mother, whose heart was breaking at the sight of her firstborn Son's death. 

    But in death He did not remain, for Christ Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave now and forevermore! He rose from the dead and walked out of the grave with a new body.The same Jesus. The same voice. The same love, mercy and forgiveness. But a new and glorious body. The firstfruits of the resurrection, meaning He was the first to rise from the dead in such a way. 

     We are apostles and we are here in this body of Christ to tell you about our Jesus, The Christ, for Whom we are named. We are not worthy to be called apostles, yet calle us He did and still does. But when our heavenly Father sends His only begotten Son to bring His church home with Him, we will leave. And then .....

    What will you do with this Jesus and His message of salvation?

WALK WITH YOU    Michael Bethany

HOPE HAS A NAME River Valley Worship

SONG OF MOSES  Isaac Tarter

THERE IS ONE GOSPEL CityAlight 

TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS Songs and Everlasting Joy

I Am Christian's Closet

 

ROMANS 13:14

But put on The Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

    I am Christian's closet and I am empty. For everything Christian needs to clothe himself or herself is already on the body. It is a conscious decision to choose to clothe one's self in Christ. 

    It is a daily commitment to be arrayed in the salvation of Jesus Christ as outlined in Ephesians 6:10-20. For every piece of armor and equipment is on the body and in the hand. 

    My head covering is a helmet of salvation and I am wearing multiple crowns; not golden crowns, for one gold crown is heavy enough in itself. Christian wears the crowns of victory which are light and fragrant. These crowns do not sit in Christian's closet but on Christian's head:

One crown is imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25).

One crown is eternal life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10).

One crown is God's Lovingkindness (Psalm 103:4)

One crown is the anointing oil reserved for the high priest who could enter the holy of holies (Leviticus 21:12).

One crown is God-given glory and honor (Psalm 8:4,5).

One crown is  knowledge given to the wise/prudent (Proverbs 14:18).

One crown is righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8).

One crown is souls won for Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:1; Proverbs 11:30, Jude 3, Ephesians 6:12).

One crown is beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3). 

    I am Christian and my garments are many. 

    The garment which covers my skin is the righteousness of Christ Jesus. This goes on before any other pieces of clothing. Without the blood of The Lamb of God covering Christian's nakedness all other attempts to clothe one's self are vain and destructive. 

Therefore, as Paul writes in his letter to the church in Rome, "Put on The Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the lusts/desires of the flesh." In other words deliberately and with careful thought pursue a life of holiness, following The Spirit where He leads us as we keep near to our Lord and Savior. 

    Atop this garment of righteousness Christian places his vestment of love and righteousness. It is akin to a thick leather tunic,  which protects Christian both on the front and the back. A belt of Truth holds the tunic in place and keeps Christian on balance, unwavering. 

    Knowing that The Word of God is The LORD Jesus Christ we see that Christian has both Sword and Shield, two items one might not ordinarily deem articles of clothing. But since we know that Christian is dressed in Christ, then we now know that Christian's hands are the hands of Christ, as well. When Christian raises his hands, he raises Christ up and God is glorified. When Christian pushes his hands out in front of him, it is Christ defending Christian, it is as if the blood of Christ were pushing back against whatever and whoever is coming against Christian. 

    I am Christian and I wear a garment of praise. I have traded it for the garment of despair I used to wear before the moniker Christian was given to me (Isaiah 61:3). This garment is like a cloak, covering all of me from the neck to the ankle. It is protection in and of itself to me, for in this garment of praise is my GOD. This I know because The Word tells me that GOD inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). There are hundreds of verses throughout the Holy Bible and Scriptures which remind us that we are to Praise The Lord God not just every day but throughout our day and even our nights. 

    

    In Christian's closet is an empty shoebox. For on Christian's feet are the only shoes he will ever need to wear: the preparation of the gospel of peace. These shoes strap on to the foot first, then over the ankle and up the calf. To hold the straps in place is a leather greeve which will protect the shin and calf. Now Christian is fully dressed and ready to greet the day. 

    Wherever Christian steps he steps on the lies of Satan. Though the sting of death came through Satan's actions, the victory over death comes only by the death and resurrection of The Lord Jesus Christ. Christian has this victory. Christian will only taste death for death will have no power over him. And so the folly of Christian's antagonist(s) becomes their undoing. For the power of The Living Word of God, which is strapped to Christian's feet and legs has overcome and  destroyed that which has tried to destroy him. 

 

    I am Christian and my closet is empty because I am fully clothed in the garments which my Lord God has given me.  

JESUS MY RIGHTEOUSNESS - John Mark Pantana

COVERED - Planetshakers

OIL OF YOUR SPIRIT - Lindell Cooley

GARMENTS OF PRAISE - Robin Mark

UNDER MY FEET - Zach Williams

YOUR LOVE DEFENDS ME - Matt Maher

I Am Christian's Ears

 

ISAIAH 6:8

Also I heard the voice of The Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

    I am Christian's ears and I hear the voice of The Lord speaking to me, too. And like the prophet Isaiah, Christian's mouth said, "Lord, here am I; send me." 

    I hear The Lord speaking to me when I am silent before Him ~ Psalm 46:10; Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:13. 

    I hear The Lord singing over me ~ Zephaniah 3:17.

    I hear Him in the night ~ Job 35:10; Psalm 42:8.

    I hear His voice in the garden ~ John 17; John 20:18. 

I hear Him speaking to me in The Scriptures ~ Jeremiah 7:2; Nehemiah 8:1-6. 

    I am Christian's ears and when I hear my Lord speaking to me, I am attentive and ready my heart to be obedient to His direction. 

    I hear Him call my name ~ John 3:16, 17; Romans 10:13 ~ I am a whosoever. First He calls me to serve Him, then He calls me friend ~ John 15:15. 

    I hear The Lord call me to obedience to His Word ~ John 15:14; 1 John 2:3, 5:3. 

    I hear Him calling me to pick up my cross and carry it ~ Mark 8:34.

    I hear His voice telling me that I will suffer for Him - 1 Peter 2:21.

    I hear the voice of The Lord calling me to forgive every offense and every slight and every sin against me, that He might be able to forgive me ~ Matthew 6:14, 15.

     I hear the voice of The Lord calling me to rest in Him ~ Matthew 11:28.

    I am Christian's ears. I hear, I listen, I learn. 

SANCTUARY

OVERWHELMED 

RATTLE 

WORD OF GOD SPEAK 

I Am Christian's Tongue - Part Two

 

I AM CHRISTIAN'S TONGUE - Part Two

JEREMIAH 15:16

Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my Joy and my heart's Delight. For I bear Your Name, O LORD God of Hosts.

    I am Christian's tongue. I can taste the differences in The Word of God. Both the bitter and the sweet land on my tongue before they ever reach my belly where I can digest The Word, which will then flow through me to land in my heart. 

    Not everything in The Bible is easy to take in, nor can it be understood on a mere human level. It is, after all, The Living Word of God and none can begin to understand (taste) until one actually believes God's Word is True an Truth. Before I read it, I believed it. Before I knew It, I believed It. But as I began to read The Bible myself, then I began to taste God's Word and take It in. 

    Some of it was hard to swallow because the taste was so bitter. The judgments of God against nations other than the one He chose for Himself were hard enough, but to know that God will judge His own people tasted bitter at first. But as I swallowed the bitter words of God they became sweet like honey, for my faith in God was growing and as it grew, it changed and it changed me. 

    Some of God's Word is sweet to the taste and strength to the bones from the beginning. God loves us so much He died for us. And in His dying, His blood washes away our sins as if they never were. God conquered death and walked out of the grave a Victor, the first Overcomer. That's honey on my tongue. 

    I am Christian's tongue. My tastebuds taste The Word of God going in and coming back out again. The joy that floods my soul as I delight in The Word of God gets digested in my belly and rises up within me to pour back out of my mouth: in speaking/preaching/teaching The Word of God and in singing/praising The Worship of God. The heartaches and the warnings pour out of me and into the ears of anyone who will take It into themselves. 

    I am Christian's tongue. Discernment is in me. The Word of God is what is best for this body to thrive, for I am a member, a part, of the body of Christ and I have a job to do, too.  Romans 12:4, 5 and 1 Corinthians 12:12. 

    Whether I have the power to bring forth words clearly, with a speech impediment or remain mute, I have a responsibility to share/testify what Jesus has done for me. If God chooses Christian's tongue to remain silent, then He will express Himself in some other way through this body in which I honor Him. 

OVERWHELMED - Big Daddy Weave

COME TO THE TABLE - Sidewalk Prophets

TASTE & SEE - John Mark Pantana

HONEY IN THE ROCK - Brooke Ligertwood & Brandon Lake

    

I Am Christian's Tongue -Part One

 

I AM CHRISTIAN'S TONGUE

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above 

is indeed first pure, then peaceable, gentle,

reasonable, full of mercy and of good fruits, 

impartial, sincere. 

    I am Christian's tongue. In me is the power of life and death. The words I speak can heal and encourage or cause pain and discouragement. As long as The Word lives in me and moves through me, changing me as it flows through my spirit and soul; as long as I remain God's faithful servant, God's Word will be spoken with love when it rolls off this tongue. 

    1 Corinthians 13 tells me I must speak with love. And for it to be sincere the Love of God, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, must absolutely be alive in me. Not just once, but all day and all night: every hour of every day. It is after all, a relationship with God's holy Son. We speak Love. 

    I am Christian's tongue. I speak The Word with knowledge of The Word, understanding of The Word, and in the wisdom of The Holy Spirit, who also lives and moves through me, strengthening my pursuit and endeavors in The Word.  

    To speak God's Word without any knowledge of God's Word is to bring a curse into your life, for you know not what you are saying: your knowledge is weak and your understanding is nil. Please, please read God's Word for yourself. Know The Word. Pray over your studies before you begin, while you are studying and after you finish each study. 

    I am Christian's tongue and I have a responsibility to be ready to preach The Word and Testify whenever I am asked what I believe and why. Jesus Loves Me this I know, For my Bible tells me so is a song we learn in Sunday School as children. I believe my Bible is the infallible Word of God in print. I believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that He died for me and rose from the grave into newness of life for me; that He has gone to prepare a place for me in His heavenly home when my flesh and my soul separate. 

    Why do I believe all this "almost too good to be true"? There are times in my life when I should have been dead and didn't die because someone was praying for. I haven't always lived the good life. This Christian used to be a wicked sinner. But somebody loved me enough to pray for me. Their tongue spoke my name and my life into God's hearing and He saved me from certain death several times. Their love for me is still bringing me closer to God. My tongue prays Ephesians 3 over my family, my friends, the strangers I meet and the people who hate Christians.

    I am Christian's tongue. I speak Truth. 2 Corinthians 2:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 7:14. What is Truth? Jesus Christ. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, “I Am The Way, The TRUTH, and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me." 

    I speak Love. 1 Corinthians 13

(The Readers Bible)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be restrained; where there is knowledge, it will be dismissed. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial passes away.

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

    YOUR ARE WORTHY OF MY PRAISE 

YOU ARE MY PORTION 

I Am Christian's Heart

ROMANS 10:10

For it is by believing, in your heart. that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

I am Christian's heart: in me lives The Word of God. 

1 John 4:15

All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.

    I am Christian's heart and The Word declares that I am wise: Ecclesiastes 7:4 "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure." A wise heart tells people about Jesus and His gospel of saving grace. 

Proverbs 11:30 "

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise." 

1 Corinthians 9:19 "Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."

    I am Christian's heart and The Word tells me that I am broken: Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit (repentant heart)." 

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." 

    I am Christian's heart and I have hidden His Word in me: Psalm 119:10-11 "With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You." I am hid in God's heart, too. John 17:20-21 "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me." 

    I am Christian's heart. In me and through me the love of God moves. I am able to love like God because The Love of God lives in me: It thrives because I feed It with adoration and worship. I can love people because I love God and He loves me. He chose me to live in. 1 John 4:7-11

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; an devery one that loves is born of God, and knows God.

He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. 

In this was manifested (revealed) The Love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him (John 3:16-17).

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."

    I am Christian's heart. Jesus Christ called me to open my door and let Him enter into me. Just like He's calling you to open the door of your hearts and let Him live in you, too: Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if anyone hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to them, and will sup with them, and they with me."

MARANATHA WORSHIP 70's & 80's 

THE GOSPEL - Ryan Stevenson

ABIDE IN ME - Andrew Marcus

SHEPHERD OF MY SOUL - Rivers & Robots 

MY PORTION - Isla Vista 

I AM CHRISTIAN'S HANDS

 

PSALM 24:3, 4

Who may ascend the hill of The Lord? 

Who may stand in His holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not lift up his soul to an idol 

or swear deceitfully.

    I am Christian's hands and I am many things, but mostly I am busy. Although, in order for me to be busy going about The Lord's work, several things must happen first. I must be clean (Ps 24:4) and I must be holy (1 Timothy 2:8). 

    These hands of mine I lift up to pray and praise The Lord (Ps 134:2). Though I am frail, The Lord is strong and in His strength my hands become His hands. With my arms I can hug you, but with my hands I can comfort you. With my hands I caress your face and tell you how much God and I love you. 

    My hands have fingers and my fingers can lock together, one hand grasping the other, in prayer. With my hands, palms up, I pray and praise my God. With my hands raise above my head, I yearn for the touch of The Lord God, and I reach out to touch Him as He makes His presence known in my praises. For "God inhabits the praises of His people" (Psalm 22:3 ), a dwellingplace not made with hands but with heartfelt, sincere praise. 

    My hands are diligent (Proverbs 10:4, 12:24): I'm working in the fields that are "white unto harvest" and I'm praying for the lost souls to find Christ and receive Him into their hearts, for The Holy Spirit to fill them with the power of God and walk in His strength and wisdom all the days of their lives. In each field which I am sent to work in - - for no two fields are the same, yet all will be harvested in due time -- I pray for a steady and steadfast surrender and commitment to follow Christ. 

    I am Christian's hands and I have placed myself in God's hands: it is the safest place i know to be. Since I am in God's hands even now there is nothing for me to be afraid of, no one for me to fear. 

    I am Christian's hands and I have laid my hands on others not to hurt, nor hinder them, but that I might pray for and prophesy into their lives through the power of The Holy Spirit Which resides in my heart and my life. Acts 6:6 and 2 Timothy 1:6. 

    I am Christian and my hands serve The Lord. With my hands I grip my Bible, turning the pages that my eyes and my heart might receive The Word which The Lord has prepared for me each day. With my hands I thank God for His faithfulness to me and His lovingkindness which He has extended to the people I pray for. Even you. 

HEART OF A SERVANT (cover)

GOD OF MY FOREVER 

HANDS & FEET - Audio Adrenaline

I Am Christian's Feet

 

MATTHEW 16:24

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your way, take up your cross, and follow Me."

    Just as Jesus called His disciples then, He calls each of us who want to follow Him even now. 

    Calling the disciples:

Matthew 4:16-22; Mark 2:13,14; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 5:1-11; Luke 5:27,28; Luke 6:12-16; John 1:35-51.

    Calling all people:

Mark 8:34 

And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 

 Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved. 

    I am Christian's feet and I am a "whosoever". 

    I am Christian's feet and I am beautiful. 

Romans 10:15 

And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Isaiah 52:7).  

Nahum 1:15 says to "look to the mountains for the one bringing good news". Therefore my feet have been made sturdy to walk upon these mountains. - - 

Psalm 18:33; Habakkuk 3:19. 

My path is broadened that I might not stumble -- Psalm 18:36. 

    I am Christian's feet and I walk in The Word {Exodus 15:26}. I walk by faith {2 Corinthians 5:7}. I walk in The Spirit {Galatians 5:16}. I walk in The Light {John 12:35}. I walk with wise companions, not foolish people {Proverbs 2:20}. I walk The Way of Holiness {Isaiah 35:8}. I walk the path of life {Proverbs 15:24}. 

    I am Christian's feet and I follow Jesus Christ...wherever He leads me. For I have taken up my cross and I would rather live and die with Him than without Him. 

Matthew 16:25, 26

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. 

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

1 Peter 2:21

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps.

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS - Lydia Walker

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER 

WELCOME HOLY SPIRIT - Hilde M. Bedsvaag 

WALK WITH YOU - Michael Bethany 

I Am Christian's Memory

 

JOHN 14:26

But The Helper, The Holy Spirit, Whom The Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

    Memories are funny things. Even in our memories we are all different. I may remember my name and forget yours. As our physical bodies age or succumb to various diseases, our memories are affected, too. 

    Faces, names, connections like family and friendships may eventually fade from our memories in this life. But The Word which is planted within us will never fade. We will never forget that we belong to Christ. We have The Helper, The Holy Spirit, reminding us who we are in Christ and Who Christ is in us. I am Christian's memory and The Word will never leave me.

    Even the gospel songs we love to sing may still linger on our lips. Psalm 77:6 "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with my own heart: and my spirit made diligent search." I am Christian's memory and songs that glorify God and praise His Holy Name will always flow from within me. For The Holy Spirit is my Helper. He draws this flowing river of melodies and lyrics from the hidden places in my heart. 

    I am Christian's memory. I remember that God loves me so much He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for me. I remember that Jesus not only died to take my sins away forever, but that He defeated death, hell and the grave. 

    As He died on the cross, the sins of the whole world from the beginning of people until the last person gets saved were laid across His shoulders and He became sin. The weight of it crushed Him. But He stayed on the cross for us, for me. When He took our sins upon Himself, God could not be in His presence, for sin is unholiness and God's holiness had to separate itself from His Only Begotten Son. 

    After He died, His body was laid in the grave, the tomb. But only His body was there. His spirit and soul were in hell. Hell, where He overcame Satan in a battle we know little about. What we do know is that Satan, the devil, can be overcome by The Word and The Spirit, for that is how we overthrow him in this life we're living now. We know He holds the keys of death and hell (Revelation 1:18). 

    We know He overcame the grave because He walked out of it in His new body, His resurrected body was changed from what He looked like before He died. We know this because when Mary Magdalene encountered Him in the garden (John 20:14-16), she thought He was the gardener. [which, if you think about it, He is: He is the Master Gardener]. 

    I am Christian's memory. Because I live in Christ and He lives in me, I, too, will be changed when my body leaves the grave. But know this: my soul will not remain with my body. When I die here, I will take His hand there. As I breathe my last here, I will inhale the perfume of heaven and my soul will be at peace in the eternal presence of my Lord and Savior. I am Christian's memory and I will go with Christian when Christian dies. 

    All the bad memories, all the hard times, will pass from my memory permanently. For God has promised to wipe away all tears. For instance:

    Some time after my son Nick died, I had a dream. In this dream, as his car hit the pickup truck, Nick took hold of Jesus' hand which was extended to him and walked out of this life into his life eternal. He was not alone when he died; he was not afraid. The military chaplain who spoke at his funeral said that Nick was the "most Holy Spirit-filled young man he had ever met". What a testimony. This was the last time I cried. God put all my tears in one of His bottles (Psalm 56:8). 

    I am Christian's memory and I am filled with examples of the love of God, the merciful compassion of Christ, the guarded strength of The Holy Spirit. I may forget your name, your face, your connection to me. But I will never forget my God and my Savior. 

HOPE HAS A NAME - River Valley Worship

I Am Christian's Mind

 

1 PETER 4:7

The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.

    I am Christian's mind. I think with the mind of Christ -- 1 Corinthians 2:16 "For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ." Having surrendered my life and my body to the service of my God, my mind is also part of that package dedication. Though it will not show up on any x-ray nor be visible in any anatomy class, my mind is essential in being of service to my King and Lord. 

    The mind is the center of the soul. It controls the spirit and regulates the breath thereof. Just as in physiology the diaphragm controls the breathing and regulates the heart, so, too, does the mind control the center of its being. When I gave my heart and my life to Christ, I gave Him my thoughts, too, for they originate in the mind. 

    When I was a wretched sinner, my mind was given over to lascivious thoughts which were taking me down the road to hell. But when I gave my mind to Christ and He entered into my heart by my faith in His Name through the power of God's Holy Spirit, my mind had to align with His mind. Being stuck in this body of sin and having the mind of Christ there is a constant struggle to maintain a righteous way of thinking. But God didn't leave me there. He shows me in His Word how to get control over wayward thinking. 

    Philippians 4:8 tells me how to think with the mind of Christ. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

    My mind decides my actions. While we may think some things get done without much thought, that is decidedly untrue; for the mind is in constant motion, even while sleeping, and thoughts that we may be unaware of eventually come to pass unless we take control of our thoughts. Being Christian's mind self-control includes how I think. Though I take the reins of my thoughts, I am still Christ's and He is still guiding me and leading me throughout my day. 1 Peter 2:11 "Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul. " 

    I am Christian's mind. I meditate (think on) on The Word of God. I allow it to sink into my very self, my inner being, my existence. I seek His Word that He may fill me with Himself that there may be no room for anything else. No room for ugliness only loveliness. No room for lies, only truth. No room for deceitfulness, only honesty. No room for injustice, only justice and fairness. No room for impure thoughts, only a pure heart (Matthew 5:8). No room for propaganda, only prophetic and blessed. No room for deprivation and injuriousness, only virtue. No room for self-righteousness, only praise to our God. These things I think on. 

    I am Christian's mind. I meditate on The Word of God. 

Psalm 119:15 I meditate on His precepts and consider His ways

Psalm 143:5 I meditate on all His ways and consider what His hands have made

Psalm 4:4 I meditate within my heart while I prepare for rest

Psalm 119:11 Because I meditate on His Word it is hidden deep within my heart leading me away from a life of sin to a life of holiness

    I am Christian's mind. I think before I speak. I think before I act. I consider the consequences of my possible actions before I put my thoughts into action. I rest in the knowledge that I have the mind of Christ as well as the Love of God living in me and bringing me to fulfill the purposes for which He has chosen me to serve Him. 

    My conduct, the way I behave, originates in my mind. Therefore, I must constantly be on guard, be alert, to the ways in which the enemy of my soul attacks me. He is sneaky and underhanded. I must fill my thoughts with The Word of God that I may be able to defend myself against Satan's dart throwing (Ephesians 6:10-20). I am armed with The Word of God and The Holy Spirit of God. My mind remains focused on pursuing holiness and the desire to bring you all with me on this journey. 

WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE LORD - Christ For The Nations

THINK ON THESE THINGS  - K-8 Music (children's choir) 

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER - Vineyard

    

I Am Christian's Back

 

LUKE 18:33

"And having flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise again."

    I am Christian's back. I have been created to house the spine, the backbone. In me is the source of life: blood is created within these bones. The blood is life. Without blood there is no life. And the sweetest blood flowed from the back of The only begotten Son of God, Who shed His blood on Calvary to atone for the sins of the world. This blood ran down His back from the whiplash marks across it. This blood streamed from His head where the thorns pierced it. This blood stained the rugged cross to which He was nailed. This blood dripped onto the ground and into the hearts of every believer who came to the cross and saw Jesus. Including mine. I am Christian and this blood covers me.

    On my back are the wounds and scars of the suffering I have endured. The sound of the whip hitting flesh is torture itself. I will not give in. Jesus' Name escapes my lips and I in Him I have strength to endure. As the apostle stated, "My life is not my own" -- Acts 20:24. I belong to Christ and Christ is not only with me, but in me. We take the whip together. We suffer together. In Christ I am His own. 

    As Christ's blood flowed from His body on the cross at Calvary, so, too, do I give my life in service to the gospel of salvation. I surrender all I am and have because I love Him so. God has given me breath and with my breath I will praise His glorious Name. God has given me life and it is only fitting and reasonable that I give my life back to Him -- Romans 12:1-8. And let Him use this life I have been given for His purpose according to His will and His Word. 

    My back is attached to my neck which holds my head up. Though my shoulders are bent from the burdens I have carried through the years, my head remains up. For Christ Jesus is the head of His body -- Ephesians 5:23, 1 Corinthians 11:3. Whose head sits on your shoulders? Your own, of course. Why would you expect it to be different with the body of Christ? 

    I am Christian's back. In me is the Strength of God's Word. Which I do, indeed, need for I have been called to suffer for The Name of Christ. May I fulfill the purpose for which God has created me with honor and faithfulness. 

WITHHOLDING NOTHING - William McDowell 

CALLING ME - Brian Tucker

     

I Am Christian's Mouth

 

PSALM 34:8

O taste and see that The Lord is Good! Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

    I am Christian's mouth. With my tongue I taste The Word of God, discovering both Its sweetness and bitterness. It is with my mouth, speaking what I believe in my heart, that I am no longer a sinner lost in sin but a saint saved by grace: Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Hebrews 6:4 tells me my tongue has tasted of the heavenly Gift (John 4:10) while Ephesians 2:8 tells me that this heavenly Gift is Salvation through Jesus Christ. This is what Grace tastes like!

    My lips are clean now. Before I came to Christ I was a wretched sinner and my lips were very unclean. I recognized my need for spiritual cleanliness and The Lord touched my lips with His fire, burning away the filth that covered them, as He did for Isaiah -- Isaiah 6:5. Therefore, because my lips are now clean I am able to speak clearly The cleansing Word of God. 

    I am Christian's lips. My lips -- Proverbs 20:15 -- have knowledge. But not just any knowledge: the knowledge of The Word of God. Proverbs 3:13-35 describe both the blessings of Wisdom and the ruination of those who choose to be unwise. There is no greater knowledge than the knowledge of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. In Him is wisdom and through Him is understanding. 

    My lips praise God -- Psalm 35:28. Psalm 71:23 confirms to me that my lips SHOUT for JOY! and the next verse brings me back to my tongue: "My tongue will indeed proclaim Your Righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are disgraced and confounded." Psalm 35:28 

    With my lips I kiss The Son -- Psalm 2:12. This means that I worship Him with everything that is within me. A kiss is more than two lips meeting, it is the signing of a contract between two people, as on the day they are wed. Though a kiss can also signal betrayal, as Judas did when Christ was arrested. But when I kiss The Son I am signaling my arrival in His presence. I am so filled with Joy to be near my Savior that I cannot contain myself and am compelled to sing His praise, declare my adoration for Him and throw myself at His feet in utter worship.

    I am Christian's mouth. And I am glorifying God with it. I sing His praises.

Psalm 109:30  give great thanks to The Lord

Psalm 89:1  make known His faithfulness

Psalm 66:17  His praise is on my tongue

Psalm 59:16 sing of His strength

Psalm 71:8 filled with His praise all day long

    Plus so many, many more waiting for you to search out in His Word for yourself, as I have and still do. I am Christian's mouth and I'm hungering and thirsting after The Lord to be filled with His goodness. 

THIS IS AMAZING GRACE - Phil Wickham 

TASTE & SEE - John Mark Pantana 

     

I Am Christian's Body

I am the body of Christ. I am the church, the bride of the Bridegroom. My body is being washed and purified through the power of God in His Holy Spirit: my Comforter, my Companion: The Friend of The Bridegroom, who prepares the body, the church, to receive her King. 

    I am the body of Christ. I have known pain and I have known sorrow. I have known delight and I have known sadness. My eyes weep over the lost and dying souls who refuse to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. I see the lonely, the forgotten and the ignored. I am a Friend to them all: I raise them up and they rejoice with me. 

    I hear the cries of the lost souls and I bring them the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, for He is the only way out, the only One Who can save anyone and everyone who believes. I speak under the anointing of God's Holy Spirit: The One Who is preparing this body of death to be raised in newness of life. 

    With my hands I touch the lame, the ill and the faint of heart. I encourage, uplift, mentor and counsel with my words: my mouth speaks truth and love. My feet walk on the high mountains delivering the gospel to faraway places. Through my actions and my offerings I send Bibles, whether printed or spoken, in other languages that all may hear and know and be set free from their sins. I am the embodiment of Love and I spread the Love of God where He sends me. 

    With The Holy Spirit this body consistently moves forward. Though I may fall I rise again and again until the day that I will fall no more; on that day I will see Him face to face. For this body of death longs to be clothed with life eternal. It groans inwardly to be with its God and Lord. I am Christian's body and I am being changed from glory to glory: day by day, moment by moment. 

IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE - Kent Henry

MY LIFE IS IN YOU LORD - Hosanna Music

JUST AS I AM, I COME BROKEN - Travis Cottrell 

I Am Christian's Belly

 

JOHN 7:30

He that believes on Me, as The Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

    Some versions of this verse render the word "belly" as heart, innermost being, deep within. But the belly is where we digest what we have been reading and hearing of The Word of God. I am Christian and in my belly are the deepest places of my faith where The Word gets rooted and grounded. 

    For according to Psalm 1:1-3 I am like a tree planted by the waters, whose roots are nourished by the river, causing them to expand and take hold of the foundation of The Word, The Rock. As a tree of righteousness, I spread out my branches for shade, comfort and seed. My soul prospers because I have filled the deep places in my belly with The Word of God. This happens when I study and pray over The Word as I go through It. 

    These rivers flow through me. Water that flows does not stagnate. Nor does it dry up and wither away. It is by The Power of God, The Spirit of God, that I am able to live in contentment and peace, regardless of who comes against me. For it is not I who is being fought against, but Christ within me. Jesus was hated when He preached the gospel in His time. And He warns His followers that whoever is faithful in following God's gospel plan of salvation that we, too, will suffer for our faith. But I have a river of life flowing through me that gives me strength to withstand against all the enemies of my soul. 

    I am Christian and in my belly the milk of The Word was first purchased by faith in The Name of Jesus Christ. As I grew in The Lord, the meat of The Word has been supplied to me. The closer we get to Jesus Christ the stronger our relationship grows. In Him I live and move and have my being. The song that keeps resounding in my thoughts is Jesus Have It All. And I wonder, "Did I give Him my all? Have I kept anything back?" Questions each of us must ask ourselves every day. I want Him to have every part of me. Including my deep within place. Every nook, every cranny. 

    And when He has prepared me, out of me flows the rivers of Life. Rivers of Hope. Rivers of Joy. Rivers of Peace. Rivers of the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ. There is no other Name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Oh, what Joy to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life and Savior of my soul! 

    Come, taste these living waters which The Lord has prepared for you today. Come, quench your thirst and fill your own belly/heart/innermost being with His Word, His voice, His Spirit. Come, sweet is the honey and wine. But take care, sometimes the meat will be tough. It's okay. The Sword of The Lord cuts right through it. Jesus told His disciples that His meat was to do the will of His Father (John 4:34). This should be our meat too.

    In my belly is the remembrance of the last supper which Christ had with His disciples.  They broke apart the bread and ate it in remembrance of how His body was broken and torn for our sins. They drank of the cup, the drink from the vine, in remembrance of His blood which flowed from Calvary. That blood washes away our sins when we repent of them (confess aloud to God our sins and stop doing those things of which we have confessed and been forgiven for). 

    Come, eat and drink with me. The Spirit and the bride say,  Come. Let he who is thirsty, come. Revelation 22:17 "And The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

    I am Christian and I'm calling you to come to the cross and see my Jesus. I'm calling you to walk with me and He. I'm calling you to the supper table. Come, take our hands, take up your cross and follow Jesus. It's the best hiking trip you'll ever take.