Today I had the privilege of previewing the final mix of worship leader Joey Orate's EP recording, "Adoration".  For the past few months, every Friday and Saturday have been spent recording drums, bass, guitars, piano, as well as mixing background and lead vocals.  Watching and hearing each song go from lyrics and chords on a piece of paper to full production is nearly magical.  In fact, it's really a miracle!

Thursday, July 29, 2010 / 12:11 a.m.

JUST A THOUGHT: 

It blows my natural mind that God Himself has afforded me the otherwise unfathomable, unwarranted privilege of being able to identify myself as a member of His Royal family.  Because sin left its ugly birthmark on me, impossible access into God's kingdom became conceivable through the atoning blood of a King - God's ONLY Son Jesus Christ.   To trade a position of HIGHEST HONOR in heaven for thirty years to endure humiliation, dishonor and ultimate death is beyond sufficient reason for me to relinquish my selfish ways in exchange for His complete will for this life.  Therefore, I am not my own because a life has been sacrificed on my behalf and in my place (Romans 4:8).  How humbling it is to share in God's divine nature.

Because Jesus paid such an immeasurable price on a heavy, burdensome cross for me, I refuse to identify myself as the sinful man that He rescued me from.  I overcome sin in this present life as well as the wage of sin in the eternal life which awaits me.  The promised Holy Spirit fills my life and directs my steps as I listen intently to Him and lean securely upon His Word.  He leads me into a life of  righteousness and spiritual wellness and away from a world of sin.  I die daily; the Holy Spirit gives me all the power I need (2 Peter 1:3) to prevail against the attacks thrown at me by the god of this world - Satan.  "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!" (1 John 4:4).  I am indeed an OVERCOMER!

Eric Lige

I also find it interesting that we've really just focused on only the first half of the commission often disregarding the most uncomfortable parts:

Mark 16:15-18. 

After reading this, I also wonder if a part of the validity of being a believer is getting to a point in our Christian walk where this complete great commission is being fulfilled?  One may ask for an explanation to verse 18's "handling snakes with safety and drinking anything poisonous."  My personal belief and conviction towards this particular passage means that sometimes as believers we will find ourselves in situations and circumstances beyond our control and that the Holy Spirit in His power will be able to sustain us.  What it does not mean is that we are to live foolishly and test God.  Again, remember that Jesus is the example - did He live this way?  In the case where the Gulf waters of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida are so contaminated with spilled oil, it could come to a place where people's health will start being affected.  I truly believe that God is most powerful enough to allow believers to be supernaturally sustained through such perilous times.  He did it for the Israelites by feeding them manna from heaven and water from a rock when the resources were otherwise shut off.  It's the same sustenance we see after some people lose their jobs and yet they are supernaturally able to make ends meet.  It is found in the life of a missionary who gives up the good American life for working in the fields of a land that may not be as plentiful as his/her "homeland".  Yet, God sustains and provides, right?

I have a sincere desire to see God's people return to holiness.  I'm crazy enough to believe that as we set ourselves apart from the things of this world, we are able to see more supernatural workings in our lives.  God is STILL a God of miracles and I believe it whole-heartedly!  Therefore, I know that these signs are following me.  I have eaten the same meals as multiple friends and yet not come down with the same food poisoning as them in certain situations.  I've had hands laid upon my head and have seen supernatural healing take place within my own body.  I have also prayed for friends and complete strangers and seen the same thing transpire.  I have been to and lived in dangerous places and God has supernaturally sustained me.  I believe in the gifts of the Spirit and that they are for God's children today just as they were in the book of Acts and beyond - simply because He said so.  Call me crazy!  Well, crazy I must and will be if this is what it will take for Christ's call to be fulfilled in on the earth through me. 

I see where God introduced Himself as the Father from creation to the end of the Old Testament and beyond - and there were miracles!  I see where God introduced Himself as the Son and His role was highlighted in the four gospels and beyond - and there were miracles!  Upon Jesus' ascension into heaven (a miracle in itself) prior to leaving us with this Great Commission, I see where God introduces  to "the body of Christ" His role as the Holy Spirit - and there were, are and will continue to be miracles!  Probably the greatest miracle post Jesus's death, burial & resurrection will be His return as well as the resurrection of the dead in Christ.  In the meantime, it's time to set ourselves apart so that God's work can be done through us His servants.  So, crazy I am for believing that God created a world and filled it with His glory, God sent His Son and filled Him with His glory, God adopted us as His children and desires to fill us with that same glory, and that the very glory that has been a signature of God from infinity and beyond will be the same glory that will resurrect this mortal body upon Christ's return and clothe me with a permanent glorified body.  HE IS GLORIOUS and therefore I am choosing today to walk in it!

Have you ever wandered what Jesus meant when He said in Mark 6:33, "seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you"?  Being a product of the church, there are certain scriptures that most everyone in the church knows.  This is one of those passages - we sing it, we quote it, we write about it ... but do we really live it?

In summer of 2009 I released a CD titled "Surrender".  That title song was written when I was at a crossroads in my Christian walk.  I was running around singing songs about the kingdom of God and quoting the scripture, but I was not fully living up to Mark 6:33.  The kingdom was not the first thing on my mind when I woke up or when I went to sleep.  I had a CD to sell and gigs to book.  In the process, I started studying up on the kingdom of God.  I went through and read the new testament a few times underlining every reference to the kingdom of God.

As a result, I live my life much differently.  It's all about the kingdom.  I'm a worship leader,  singer, songwriter, and writer, BUT all of those titles fall subject to the title of the King and His kingdom.  I do not live my life to build my own empire or kingdom, but to bring glory to God.  I've adopted some new habits in life.  In fact, I've gone through and replaced my bad habits with one good habit - seeking first the kingdom of God.  The words that I used to speak are different today - I'm learning to speak the Word more.  I'm waking up each morning and putting "first things first" by spending time in prayer and reading the Word of God.  I'm hearing His voice clearer now than ever before.  One cool thing I discovered through my mom is a website called www.soakingwithapurpose.com.  I find worship songs there and just pray and worship as I have it playing in the background.  There's one song that lasts for 45 minutes and so I'm giving God those moments for the duration of the song to simply worship.  Remember to put first things first.  All of the things you're desiring will not "be added unto you" if you're not first seeking the kingdom.  You may discover that some of the things you are "seeking" may not line up with the one thing we should be seeking most of all -  spending time in the presence of God.

Eric Lige