Tag: bride

Sunday Psalm: Worthy

Karla Lees

I crawl
humbly towards Your throne
on my knees
before You
Mighty God,
Maker of the Heavens & Earth,
my head bowed low
as I approach.

Overwhelmed
by Your beautiful Holiness,
Majesty & Mighty.
All glory, honor,
praise & adoration
belongs to You!

No sooner have i entered
Your Presence
then You rush towards me
to lift me with gentle
nail scarred hands,
bringing me to my feet
as You wrap Your strong arms around me
reminding me with a whisper
& a glance
that I am Yours
and You are mine.
No more fear, stain or shame
are allowed to keep me
from standing before You,
Your bride
presenting herself
to her Groom,
the Lover of her soul.

Only the One who is worthy
can make me worthy
to come into His Presence.
Only the blood of the Lamb
can cover & coat me
in His worthiness.

You are worthy of all I have to give
and beyond, God.
I stand tall
as You envelope me
with Your Presence
as Your Spirit breathes within,
and Your Son announces me
as His Beloved before all.

This is where I belong,
and I wholeheartedly
accept the hand of the One
who wants to lead our dance
into eternity.

#SundayPsalm

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His temple will stand forever

Karla Lees

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Do you know you are His temple?
God moved in when you accepted His offer of love, grace, freedom & belonging to His forever family.

He moved in to you & me.

Which if you have never paused to think about it before, is absolutely astounding in what that action reveals.

As God is Holy, if He lives in you & I, guess what that makes us?

Holy.

God lives in the Holiest of Holies, His throne room in Heaven, and also in each believer who makes up His living temple here on earth.

What an awesome humbling & fearful reality all rolled into one!

He truly not only somehow mindblowingly cleanses us completely when we follow Him, but His very Presence, His Spirit stays with us.

Wow.

We tend to think of Heaven being where we will fully experience His Presence, and somehow miss the stunning reality that His Presence has been with us all along!

We don’t need to wait until forever to feel Him.

And He didn’t choose to wait until we arrive in Heaven to be fully present with us.  He was 100% in front day one.

Double wow shocking stunner.

For God to live in His temple, it must be the way He wanted it.

He made us Holy so He can move in.

Not only did He supernaturally make us His temple, He arranged for the decor to be just what He needed: Holy.

You, and I, are His temple, and made Holy because of His forever Presence within us.

If like me, all you can see are the old pics you have pinned up within, or the boxes stuffed into your attic, please believe that He doesn’t see us that way.

He sees us as the most stunning treasure of them all, His Bride, whom He is ardently enamoured with, 24/7, and whom He always wants to be with, every moment of every day.

Take a moment today, and thank Him for this precious gift of His Presence.

He did all the work for us, preparing the perfect offering in Jesus to make us Holy.

Our part is to accept this gift, open & enjoy it.

His temple, where the Holy One dwells, forevermore!

Me, you!

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one

Karla Lees

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28 ESV

When I hear about people putting losses down by categories, my blood boils.

When your loved one leaves you, has cancer, or is shot while at the movies, school or church, it shouldn’t matter what social class you belong to nor the colour of your skin.

We all bleed the same when we are hurt.

For we all made by the same Maker, in His image.

We were meant to be one family, united in God.

Not broken into factions and splinters, so diverse we can no longer move past our preferences in approach to unite around Him.

Personally, I don’t care how you choose to worship God.  It matters that you do it, and know Him intimately.  Who am i to tell you not to listen to that worship group or Pastor, and likewise?

Holy Spirit is to be the One voice we listen to, discerning His heart and path for us. One voice, rising above the pain and hurts on this earth.

For did you know, God’s heart breaks as He cries over the broken?

Not just for each individual, but everyone.

The whole Bride was the prize for which Jesus went to the cross. God’s whole heart on display for us all.

For He knows we are all meant to be One in Him, because He designed us with that need.

When one of us is hurting, we all hurt when we are united in Christ.

The attack in Charleston has not only slaughtered the innocent, but attempted to breach the Kingdom.

May we rise as One church, One bride under our One Head, Jesus and lift our voices in prayer, inviting God to minister to the families left empty armed, and this local church which has been invaded.

May our prayers, those of the One family of God, regardless of colour, race, status, education or stature, arise like incense to His throne.

May He respond with a pouring out of love & unity on His Beloved unseen before, right here and right now.

May the Church respond with such unity His heart will be blessed.

One Bride, shining as she walks ever closer towards her Bridegroom.

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Sunday Psalm: We Bring You Praise

Karla Lees

We bring You praise,
God.
All the honor
belongs only to You.
You alone are worthy
of a complete offering
where we pour ourselves out
like water before You,
a constant stream
of love & adoration
flowing from us to Your throne.

The fragrance
of a heart
100% sold out for You
brings a smile to
Your magnificent face.

Our praise
You do not need,
for You are complete
without us.

But how You long for
Your beloved
to return to Your embrace
like a mother longing to
hold close her children
after a long time apart.

Your heart beats fervently
for Your bride.
For although You were
already complete without her,
You chose to
woo her back to You,
and make the wake for
her return clear & straight,
though at great personal cost
to You.

Such love,
such devotion,
such arduous adoration.

By Your hand, all came to be on the earth, sky, seas, and above.
Because of Your love,
all have a second chance
at our true Home.
Because of You.

We lift You higher & higher
as we praise You for who You are, and all You have done.

You deserve our all,
our best,
our complete devotion
in return.

We bring You praise,
and honor You again, God.

We will never stop
raising Your praise
& proclaiming Your mighty Name!

#SundayPsalm

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the straw that loosened my tongue

Karla Lees

I have a confession to make.
After a particularly long & hot day at my far away job, hubby was chatting with me in the car as we headed home.  I was hangry, and looking back, just ready to blow.

Hubby shared about an email he got from a friend who is all riled up in his disappointment over the stand a public figure has made about what the church should do about a hot topic.

And i lost it, as i got revelation at the same time.

Strange but true.

I basically said quite loudly,
“Who the crack cares what he thinks about the church? Its more important what God says about it!”

We get all caught up in what he says or what she thinks, when we should be more focused on what He says, and seeking Him when things aren’t as clear.

His Presence, His Word is what matters in our present, not the words & actions of personalities.

I immediately apologized to my hubby for my yelling my comment at him, but we both agreed it was a true statement, despite the delivery method.

When did we accept what humanity has to say about the church is more important than its Head’s instructions?

When we judge, bicker, backstab & gossip about where we stand on church issues, we fail to see where Jesus took His stand.

The cross.

He died so we could find Him wherever we were, no matter what we have done.

He died to welcome us into His family.

He died so we could fully live, as He intended.

He died for us to be free from the world’s mindset & treadmill.

He died for us, so we could follow Him, where He leads.

Its time to stand on His words, and stop fooling ourselves that people matter more than His standards.

That’s what got us into the messes of our world’s history, and why He had to come rescue us.

How does Jesus feel about His church?

He died for her.

He doesn’t want us to settle for second rate or second best again.

He wants us to seek His ways first, in everything now that we are His.

Especially in regards to His bride.

As part of His bride, I want to be the bride He wants me to be.

Pure, spotless, whole.

As we seek His standards for the church He so loves, I pray we will press in to the Word, become more obedient to hearing His voice over all the distractions, and follow where He leads us.

#Hischurch
#Hisstandards
#Hisbride

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dirty to clean

Karla Lees

We don’t contaminate Christ with our brokenness, He makes us clean through His glorious presence!  Sheila Walsh

I confessed yesterday that I love the story of Cinderella, which i find to be a great allegory of the Kingdom.

I believe love is the central theme, around which brokenness, humility, ashes & grief swirled in an attempt of the enemy’s to snuff out the light shining in Ella.

Her position of beloved daughter was crushed by her cruel stepmother & harsh stepsisters.

Not content with making her their servant, they ridiculed her and made life even harder for her…naming her Cinderella, to remind her of her new position in the household, no longer daughter, but servant.

But the lessons Ella learned as a child at the feet of her loving father (and in the new Disney movie, her loving mother) lingered and refused to be completely snuffed out. Her kind nature and gentle manner were daily choices she made in response to the harsh circumstances she found herself in.

And when she couldn’t take anymore, grace stepped in and gifted her with revealing who she really was, despite her horrible living conditions.

A princess on the inside.

Worthy of the best, to wear the dress, to not only meet royalty but destined to become royal.

Fear rose up and caused her to flee, but her Beloved moved heaven and earth to find her, for she was His counterpart, and He would have no other.

He not only restored her dignity, but elevated her with His love. Her background did not matter except to highlight her true character.

She was meant to be His.

And so are you.

You too may feel like Cinderella, like you are too dirty from what is going on to approach your Prince. You nay be beaten down by harsh words, stuck in a job you’d rather not be working at, be on your own struggling, have difficult family to deal with, or feel dirty from the weight of bad choices or sin.

God doesn’t care where you have been. He is more than enough to set you free, clean you up, heal you inside and out, and make you His. His goodness is not muddied by our sin, just the opposite. His goodness chases the sin and grime away, until the real us is all He can see.

I have said it before, but i need to hear the reminder again myself:

I am a Princess in His eyes.

As Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Son of the Most High God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, then the Bride He is pursuing? He reminds her that her shoe, the design He has for her, will fit in His hands and with His love accompanying her, always.

When we become His, we all are changed in His site to the beautiful ball gowned princess. He clothes us in white, and sets us beside Him at His banquet feast, at the marriage celebration He is throwing to celebrate we are His!

Once we agree to be His, our past only serves to contrast where we are headed to with Him. It is to remind us how far we have come, and how much we need to stay in relationship with our Prince.

Our Prince is not slumming when He chooses His bride.

He made us so exquisitely, just so, each one of us. Together we make up His heart on the outside.
The Bride He has always longed for, hidden across time until he awakens us through His love.

The Prince not only rescued Cinderella from her old life, he completely set her free from it, into a new identity, her true identity.

He broke the chains that bound her, and released her into the freedom He had in store for her once he found her.

Jesus offers the same loving hand to us.

Like the Prince in Cinderella, He does not plan on stopping His pursuit of His bride, ever. Until she is complete, and 100% whole.

It is His love that brought her to life again. His love which freed her. His love wanting to cherish her. His love He desired to spend the rest of His life sharing with her.

It’s His life that will bring you to life again. His love which will free you. His love wanting to cherish you. His love He desires to spend the rest of His life sharing with you.

This love passionately & permanently moved heaven & earth to find you. His love will always triumph!

If He says the shoe fits, it does 🙂

And since He lives for eternity, what a happy ever after we have in store for us!

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the gleam of glory through our story

Karla Lees

It is the mark of a good fairy-story, of the higher or more complete kind, that however wild its events, however fantastic or terrible the adventures, it can give to child or man that hears it, when the ‘turn’ comes, a catch of the breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears, as keen as that given by any form of literary art … In such stories, when the sudden ‘turn’ comes we get a piercing glimpse of joy, and heart’s desire, that for a moment passes outside the frame, rends indeed the very web of story, and lets a gleam come through. J.R.R. Tolkien

Many of us have lived lives that could fall under the dramatic, comedic or fairy tale romantic categories. At times, my life has glimpses of all three.

The drama serves to show the hard aspects of life. The ups & downs we all face as we journey through life. The losses, the griefs, the goodbyes, the struggles. The dramatic edge is stark, and realistic.

Comedy serves as relief. A good laugh can lighten our load, leaving us joyful despite the drama going on in our lives. I tend to be a bit of a klutz, pun quipper & at time funny gal, and try to help others enjoy life a bit more when they spend time with me.

But the fairy tale romantic aspect of my life?

That’s where the best action is.

Not because i spend all time reading or watching fairy tales, but because it is part of my story.

My Knight in heavenly armor rode in on a white steed to rescue me when I fell into the pit of my despair, helplessness and sin.

He lifted me up, cleaned me thoroughly, clothed me in the white of His pure love & crown of His presence, and took me for His own.

I am my Beloved’s and He is mine!

He not only gave me His name, but renamed me as only the One who can see the embers of promise can do to call them to life.

I had no idea that life held such promise, purpose or passion before I encountered Him so powerfully.

Romance entered my life along with His glory.

You see, when God makes us His, Holy Spirit enters us. The glory moves on in within.

Glory becomes part of my story.
And part of yours too!

We can catches these glimpses when we look back on our day, or hear another believer’s testimony. His glory will always shine through a believer who is choosing to be used by Him.

His Glory echoes through encouraging words, in glimmers of kind acts, radiates through love laid down to serve one another, glows as we worship and praise Him.

The end of my story? I have the best ending of any fairy tale imaginable, as I get to live with my eternal Groom forever more, not just while here on earth!

He cannot help but show more of Himself as we draw close & press in to His Presence. We were designed to reveal His glory to one another, making Him known through how we show love and care.

May you see the glimpses of His glory through all the drama, action, comedy, and fairy tale hopes & dreams you may have.

Unlike the movies or books, His glory will last forever.

And those who choose Him? Get to see Him move mightily through our stories 🙂

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I can hardly wait to see Cinderella, one of my fave fairy tales through which I believe God has revealed part of His heart for restoration for His bride. I know it is just a fairy tale. but I love sensing that echo of His love through it, and the thrill my heart gets when the prince finds her! ❤

I belong to You, forever You have my heart

Karla Lees

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Just like you, I need to be reminded regularly how much I am loved.

And just like you, I have come to realize that I can’t always have my needs met by those around me.

I fall into the mindset at times where I expect my loved ones to ‘just know’ when i need to hear I am loved, without needing to tell them.

I don’t think I am alone, for I believe we have all been hardwired to need affirmation, love and appreciation.

But we are not always prepared to dig in and seek them from their Source.

The best way to receive love?
From its Source.

But going to the source isn’t enough. God IS more than enough, but love takes effort on our parts.

We need to:

Believe it.
Receive it.
Appreciate it.
Reciprocate.
Express it.
Soar with it.
Encourage it to grow.
Never take it for granted.
Fight for it.
Protect it.

There are three main ways to receive God’s love.

1. From God, Love Himself.
Through prayer, spending time in His Presence, listening & resting in Him, He reveals His love to us – in as many ways as there are possible depending on the recipient!

Take some time daily, and go to your favorite place to connect with God. It may be your fave chair, room in your home, pathway or in your car during your travels to and fro. He will be found no matter where you go to seek Him! Just as you feel closer to your loved ones after time with them, make sure to date God regularly if you want love to grow & flow between you.

2. His Word.
This tangible touch of His love is written for all to be able to know this Love. For His love story began before Creation as a whisper in God’s heart, and will last forever as we love our way through eternity together.

Take a walk through the Word, and look for all the ways He showed love and made promises to those who draw near to Him. Write them down, highlight them. Leave a track record for you to remember & return to when you need another reminder of His love.

3. His children.
Through the love of other people, and the love they have found through God that they have recorded in word, art & song. Sometimes a piece of music, artwork or writing strikes the right chord within us, and opens our hearts to His love in a new way. And that child of God was just expressing His love for them, and their love for Him….and the overflow can remind the viewer, reader & hearer.

Pull out a source you have that reminds you how much He loves you. It may be your old photo albums, remembering how He has been with you every step along your journey. It may be a painting that speaks to your heart. It may be a book that sketches with words His wooing love for those who wander looking for Home.

For me, time with God involves seeking Him through His Word. Digging deep, wrestling with who I am and who He longs for me to be. Listening & chatting with Him, sensing and waiting in the quiet place where we gather. Worshipping through the Psalms, worship & music cds and singing a new song when it rises up out of me.

God is calling “I love you, come Home” to His bride, for deep love is constantly calling out for the one He loves.

There are a few songs recently that have been like arrows into my heart I would like to link in below for you to hear.

May His love for you echo loudly through the words, melodies and harmonies as you listen.

May you know where you belong, and who has Your heart, forever.

I Belong to You, Derek Johnson

Love Came Down, Kari Jobe

Yours Forever, Darlene Zschech

You Don’t Miss a Thing, Amanda Cook

when words fail

Karla Lees

Hearing about how Christians are being persecuted, tortured & killed for their faith hurts.

For we are one body, one bride, one church in Jesus.

And when one part of the body hurts, the whole body feels the pain. Sure, those closest to that part may feel it more intensely, but when the part is removed, the whole body has to readjust and learn to compensate.

God calls us to life down here on earth, in the midst battle over the ground the enemy is trying to conquer as his….each of us.

You see, the enemy doesn’t really want land mass, he wants to rule the masses.

He is jealous for God’s kingdom, and will not stop trying to destroy it until Jesus comes and puts an end to him once and for all.

The enemy knows this, which is why he tries so hard to discourage, stir up dissent, distract & decoy us from Kingdom living.

He thought that if this slaughter of His lambs were made public, he could turn the flock away from the Lamb.

He was wrong.

God’s people begin to pray all the more and share Jesus all the louder when we hear & see His people being taken out.

For where the enemy leaves wounds, God brings healing.

Where hearts are broken, God binds up & makes anew.

Where anguish is the cry, God brings His peace.

These are not just platitudes, but hard earned truths I have experienced in my life.

You see, a few years ago now, my lovely sister in law decided she couldn’t take the burdens she carried any longer, and listened to the enemy’s lie that she was better off dead.

She succeeded.

And almost destroyed her husband, rocked our world & stirred up the mental strongholds the enemy has over a few of the family.

If it hadn’t been for God, there would be no family left. Honestly.

God showed up so powerfully at her funeral, and the gospel was fully shared for all to hear…for she was a believer.  I know, because i witnessed her genuine acceptance of Jesus as she poured out her need for him.

Had I not been there, I couldn’t have reassured her husband and mine that she was in God’s hands.
Not the enemy’s greedy clutches. as he had hoped.

God honors our heart’s cry for Him, even if we wander lost for a season or two in the desert.

The peace that God brought into this situation was beyond capture-able in words. 

He revealed His love and grace, mercy and calm beyond words.

We hardly had words to speak in our grief, but He knew.

So my prayer for all of us in the body who are dealing with traumatic loss, heart break, illness, family chaos, debt?

May you press into His Presence with everything you’ve got.
He will be there when you seek Him.
He will hold you together when you begin to fall apart.
He will never leave your side through the lows.
He will rejoice with you in the highs.
He will lavishly love you every step of the way for the rest of your life.

When words fail, the Word steps in and intercedes.

Because what breaks our hearts matters to Him.
When His children hurt, He hurts. When His children die, He cries for our loss as He gathers them Home.

Our words may fail us in the storms that come, but our Word never will. Ever.

If your heart is heavy, draw near to Him and ask Him to lighten your load.  If your soul is parched, ask Him to quench it with life & hope again. If you hunger for more, He will meet your need.

And if you find yourself facing your ISIS one day, He will more than equip you to stand your ground, and lead you into heaven at His side.

And what about the enemy? He knows his days are numbered, and he knows who will win.

He knows it isn’t him.

One God rules, forever and ever!

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belovered

Karla Lees

A character in a book I am currently reading used the word ‘belovered’ by accident when trying to describe how God loves us.

I like it!

So being me, I decided to break it down and see what the pieces contribute to the whole 🙂

Be– God loves us with an astounding love, because of who we are. We can BE ourselves BEfore Him, He who never changes.

Love– outpouring care and adoration towards its targeted recipient- whether they accept it or not.  God so loved the world He gave His very own Son, to help us make our way back to His great love for us.  Love like His never fails, never runs dry and never gives up on those they love. Never ending LOVE.

Red– Red has been the universal colour of love for centuries. (Just think Valentines Day.) His blood poured out on the cross in a fantastical display of love for all to see. Instead of seeing RED of the anger He is entitled to over our wrongdoings, He chose to offer His love on the cross to demonstrate His extreme love.
Red represents all in love. Given to His last drop.

Lover– God just doesn’t like us as a parent loves their children. God loves us with all the passionate desire of a lover longing for the one they adore. That’s right: God adores us.  He longs to embrace His bride, which we are all a part of when we are His children. It is a mystery beyond our full comprehension this side of heaven.

Beloved: As His Bride, He will never stop pursing us. Never stop loving us. Longs to spend time with us. Hear our voice. Look into our eyes. How we long to be with the ones we love is a faded recollection of His longing for us.

Belovered– when we rest in His love (Be) we will walk as His beloved.  Loved beyond measure.

Are you ready to be loved like that?

Take His love letter out for a spin. 

Let His love flow over and into you.

Be.

Loved.

Beloved.

By the Lover of your soul.

I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love & more love!

~God; Jeremiah 31:3 MSG

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.

~God; Jeremiah 31:3 NIV
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