From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Performance Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:29:46 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0006_01C5EB8B.C45F7960" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C5EB8B.C45F7960 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable PERFORMANCE By "Rebekah" the Bride (Eph.2:8-9; Rom.7:18; 2 Cor.6:16 Heb.11:6; Phil.1:6; Rom.5:8) *** I cannot speak for everyone, But when I was a kid, I learned I had to earn God's love By good things that I did. If I did wrong, His punishment Would surely fall on me. This guaranteed for sure that a Performer I would be. *** At Christmas, kids are told to be Good little girls and boys, Or else when Christmas day arrives, They'll not get any toys. And when kids feel they have to earn The gifts you're giving them, They think that God is that way, too; That they must earn from Him. *** To teach dear little children that They must keep God appeased By them performing well for Him, To try to make Him pleased; To teach they must perform just right, Or else they're of no use; You may be shocked but you should know, That's spiritual child abuse! *** This pressure to perform for God To most has been applied; Since we were, oh, so very small, This teaching's been our guide. And now as adults, all grown up, So many of us find This teaching we have had as kids Is hard to leave behind. *** You say, "Why should I leave behind This teaching that I had? My Heavenly Father surely wants Me never to be bad. I should work hard to earn His love, And always try to be Obedient to His perfect will, So He'll be proud of me." *** Well, things within God's Kingdom are Completely opposite of The way that things are in this world, For we can't earn God's love. We can't deserve our Lord's blessings By trying to be good. If we do that, we build our lives With stubble, hay and wood. *** When Paul was a young Christian man, He tried hard to perform. He failed each time that he tried to; His actions he did scorn. He cried out to His Father God, As to Him he did bow; He said, in great frustration, "To perform, I know not how!" *** God doesn't want us to perform; Oh, this I want to see. For He's the Great Performer God Who lives inside of me. These childhood concepts, oh, so false, They really need to go. God lives and walks inside of me; In this truth I should grow. *** We need to know we can't perform To please the Lord each day. It is our faith that pleases Him; Oh, use your faith, I say. Faith to believe that He'll perform What He wants done, it's true. Instead of trying to perform, Let Him perform through you. *** What Christ performed upon the cross Shows that God's love is free. There's no conditions on the love God has for you and me. Perform, perform, deserve and earn, You'll let that thinking go, When you just let God freely love, And in His love you grow. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C5EB8B.C45F7960 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
PERFORMANCE
 
By "Rebekah" the = Bride
 
(Eph.2:8-9; Rom.7:18; 2 = Cor.6:16
Heb.11:6; Phil.1:6; = Rom.5:8)
 
***
I cannot speak for everyone,
But when I was a kid,
I learned I had to earn God=92s love
By good things that I did.
If I did wrong, His punishment
Would surely fall on me.
This guaranteed for sure that a
Performer I would be.
***
At Christmas, kids are told to be
Good little girls and boys,
Or else when Christmas day arrives,
They=92ll not get any toys.
And when kids feel they have to earn
The gifts you=92re giving them,
They think that God is that way, too;
That they must earn from Him.
***
To teach dear little children that
They must keep God appeased
By them performing well for Him,
To try to make Him pleased;
To teach they must perform just right,
Or else they=92re of no use;
You may be shocked but you should know,
That=92s spiritual child abuse!
***
This pressure to perform for God
To most has been applied;
Since we were, oh, so very small,
This teaching=92s been our guide.
And now as adults, all grown up,
So many of us find
This teaching we have had as kids
Is hard to leave behind.
***
You say, "Why should I leave behind
This teaching that I had?
My Heavenly Father surely wants
Me never to be bad.
I should work hard to earn His love,
And always try to be
Obedient to His perfect will,
So He=92ll be proud of me."
***
Well, things within God=92s Kingdom are
Completely opposite of
The way that things are in this world,
For we can=92t earn God=92s love.
We can=92t deserve our Lord=92s blessings
By trying to be good.
If we do that, we build our lives
With stubble, hay and wood.
***
When Paul was a young Christian man,
He tried hard to perform.
He failed each time that he tried to;
His actions he did scorn.
He cried out to His Father God,
As to Him he did bow;
He said, in great frustration,
"To perform, I know not how!"
***
God doesn=92t want us to perform;
Oh, this I want to see.
For He=92s the Great Performer God
Who lives inside of me.
These childhood concepts, oh, so false,
They really need to go.
God lives and walks inside of me;
In this truth I should grow.
***
We need to know we can=92t perform
To please the Lord each day.
It is our faith that pleases Him;
Oh, use your faith, I say.
Faith to believe that He=92ll perform
What He wants done, it=92s true.
Instead of trying to perform,
Let Him perform through you.
***
What Christ performed upon the cross
Shows that God=92s love is free.
There=92s no conditions on the love
God has for you and me.
Perform, perform, deserve and earn,
You=92ll let that thinking go,
When you just let God freely love,
And in His love you grow.
 
 
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