Song Writing Craze

These past couple of weeks I have been focusing on this particular exhortation of Scripture:

2 Timothy 4: 1-5

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is the judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Honestly I find this passage to be so completely rich, there is much to  "take out"  and dissect. Obviously there is an encouragement to be "doers" and studiers of the word.... "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with COMPLETE patience and teaching."  and not merely "believers" or hearers. We also find a contrast between two individuals one who lives the calling and one who strays and pursues "their own passions...and turn away from....the truth and wander...". 

Over these past two weeks of meditation and prayer I began to write a song during my quiet time one morning, and bequeathed it: "The Charge of Christ". I believe God's desire through this song was to encourage us to be even more "Christ-like" in our pursuit of preaching the Gospel through our lives, displaying itself more specifically with how we forbear with others believers and non-believers alike, through our humility and our service oriented hearts, showing compassion and love to those who do not love, suffering with those who suffer, extending grace to those who extend none themselves. I know that the Lord is wanting this for me, and is a daily battle to fight against my own selfish desires and my own proud heart. In my flesh, handing over my life to Christ is humiliating, it takes me out of "my zone", I am  WAY uncomfortable with being "out of control" of things. Pride, more specifically, Fear of Man is a BIG one for me, and is something that God is desiring to break down in my life, and he has piece by piece and at times bolder by bolder. I am so grateful! This song is a simple exhortation to allow God to take another piece out of that wall (whatever it may be, your lack of faith, Pride, Fear of Man, Fear of lack of knowledge...) so that you are less hindered with yourself and can be used as greater instruments in building up the Kingdom of God!

Charge of Christ (copywrited)

written by: Courtney Cooke

I charge you with Christ,

In the presence of my Lord I

 call you to live like you've died.

And I charge you with Faith 

To stand firm to stand in place.

And i charge you with Love

to hold onto those who hate his ways, oh

And I charge you with Mercy

to give to those who hate the cross

Be like Christ, Be like Christ

Be like Christ, Be like your Savior

Give your life, Take up the Cross

Be like Christ, Be like Christ

I charge you to suffer with those who suffer

and cry the tears of life, of life with them

and I charge you to grace to extend in abundance 

showing love through His name

Be like Christ, Be like Him

Be Like Christ, Be like your Savior

OH! Give you life, and take up the Cross

Be like Christ, Be like Christ