Resounding in my spirit: Longing for the New Jerusalem by Matt Gilman.  Heard this while watching the OneThing 2011 conference (so glad they have archives for those who can’t make it!) at IHOP-KC.  Posted lyrics & chords, but of course, you can do without the modulation; and in “Better is One Day,” the “A Chord” is optional :)

Longing for the New Jerusalem (with Better is One Day) youtube link
Matt Gilman

VERSE 1:
G                              C                                           G
I’m looking for a city not made by human hands
.                                     C                                                                   G
I’m longing for the garden where God once walked with man
.            C                                        Em
For eternity is written on my heart
.                                                C                              D                    G
Lord, I’m longing for the day when we will never be apart

PRE-CHORUS:
.          Em                               C
Every tear will be wiped away
.                                                       Am                                         D
There’ll be no sorrow hurt or pain, there’ll be no more night
.     B                                   Em                                                C
All things will be made new - It will be a brand new day
.                                                     Am                                                     D
And In righteousness You’ll reign and the Lamb will be the light

CHORUS:
G                            G/B                                          C
Behold the Tabernacle of God will be with man
G/B  Am                    G/B          C                           D        G
And He will be our God and we will be His people
                G/B                                       C
And the Bride she will marry the Lamb
.        G/B          Am    G/B
But until that day
.       C                           D                    G
I’m longing for the New Jerusalem.

VERSE 2:
.                                    C                                                    G
I looked and saw a city, descending down from heaven
.                                    C                                    G
Prepared just like a bride, for the Son of Man
.                                     C                                        Em
For there’s a day of gladness written on His heart
.                                       C                           D              G
He’s longing for the day where we’ll never be apart

INTERLUDE
G – Am – Em – C

BRIDGE
G
I love the day of Your appearing
C
I want to hasten Your return
Em                                                                          C
The Spirit and the Bride say come for Your beloved ones

BRIDGE (with Modulation):
G
I love the day of Your appearing
C
I want to hasten Your return
Em                                                                           C                      D    C/E     D/F#
The Spirit and the Bride say come for Your beloved ones

CHORUS (Modulated):
D                            D/F#                                          G       D/F#
Behold the Tabernacle of God will be with men
.        Em                    D/F#        G                           A        D
And He will be our God and we will be His people
.              D/F#                                       G
And the Bride she will marry the Lamb
.       D/F#        Em    D/F#
But until that day
.        G                           A                     D
I’m longing for the New Jerusalem.

BRIDGE (Modulated):
D
I love the day of Your appearing
G
I want to hasten Your return
Bm                                                                          G
The Spirit and the Bride say come for Your beloved ones

.                                Bm
Come for Your beloved ones
.                                 G
Come for Your beloved ones

Better Is One Day
Bm                                     A
My heart and flesh cry out
G                                 A
For You the living God
Bm                                          G         A
Your Spirit’s water for my soul
Bm                              A
I’ve tasted and I’ve seen
G                                    A
Come once again to me
Bm                               A
I will draw near to You
G
I will draw near to You

.                                Bm
Come for Your beloved ones
.                                G
Come for Your beloved ones

source

So. I don’t think “Fully in Love” is the actual title, but this song has been resonating in my spirit since I heard Jon Thurlow sing it in the IHOP-KC Prayer Room on the Monday, June 20, 2011 Worship in the Word set.

I can  never “just” sing out this song, because it is a bold song; it is the recognition of the reality of the call of Christ, the reality of the cross, and still a genuine profession of devotion and commitment.  To ask God to put the flame of love in His eyes into our own eyes is not a mere warmth – it is a scorching, eternal gaze that singes pride and idols and fear.  Oh but if we ask Him to burn our hearts with love, He will set us ablaze! And what a beautiful burn, to stand in the fire and know it is a purifying flame…

the love that you have for Jesus
come and put it inside of me
come and burn it on my heart
like a seal, like a seal
that in the famines of Your presence
or in the floods of persecution
or in comfort of the culture
it’s still real it’s still real

oh.. i just want a heart that is fully in love!

it’s what you wanted in the garden
it’s what you wanted on the mountain
it’s what you wanted on the crossbeam
just a heart that is fully in love

burn your love upon my heart like a seal
that in the floods of persecution it’s real
set your love upon my heart like a seal
that in the floods of your presence it’s real

 

- jon thurlow

xo

There is no way I am anywhere near close to this.  Hence the reason I pray it.

I.

Jesus, how you so deeply desire for me to be ablaze!  And O, that Your jealousy would burn me into pure zealotry- a fervor fueled by a longing for Your heart.  Make the achings of Your heart become the aching of my heart… still,

A life of consecration always comes before a life of love.

- Watchman Nee

I must know You as my King before I know You as my Lover.  I must know You as my Master before I know You as my Friend.  And not that You are exclusive to this, but I nearly demand it of myself, because these sacrifices of servanthood are my acts of love before You.

Beautiful Christ!  When You washed Your disciples’ feet, John said of You,

Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love…

- John 13.2

Ah!  The groanings of my spirit cannot comprehend this!  The full extent?  And so what are my weak words before You? I sputter out these immature, incomplete, and still completely innocent words “I love You…”  Yet how have I showed You the full extent of my love?

No.  This is not about religion: about working or purging myself to gain Your love, about performing as a servant before a King, a slave before a Master- oh this would defy the power of the Cross that tore the veil between us!
This is not about the necessity to do these things in order to earn Your love, but this is of my willingness to be a servant as You have been.

This is about giving my offering.  This is not about the tithe that You commanded, this is about the free-will gift that I choose to give to You, the humble sacrifices – taking treasures I have long held close to my soul, and declaring that they are no longer my treasures, for You are my Treasure.

Because the elements of time and resources and earthly gain and ego, what will stand the heat of Your gaze?  What will endure into the eternity we spend together, what will last forever?  I must be consecrated!  Willingly consecrated!  A willing circumcision of my heart!

O the circumcision of the heart!  I must be willing for You to make the painful incisions in every hidden part of me!  Little Heart, you love as much as you know love, but you are wounded and offended and bitter and scared, Little Heart, He must make the careful, excruciating severance…

But willingly I do this, my loving Master, I want to be set apart, marked by my King, separated from the world, consecrated… willingly consecrated… Serving out of love, different because of love, giving out of love, giving giving giving…

II.

And all the while You know my heart.  You know my heart only longs to be closer to You.  I wait on Your every word, I rush to satisfy Your requests, Your demands.  I love Your commands, Your law.  So I find myself in Your presence more oft, and I learn Your ways – the way You like things set, how You want it done.  I learn Your favorite things.  And I would go above and beyond what You ask of me, solely because I love You, and I delight in seeing You delighted.

I know You intimately, just being Your servant, and in the fullness of Your grace, You know me (fully)… You love me.

And He talks with me, and He walks with me, and He tells me that I am His own

- “In the Garden” C. Austin Miles

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

- Jesus.  John 15.15

I am a friend who chooses to serve my Friend.
I know You, my King, in Your chambers.
I have found that I am Your treasure.

xo

Currently Listening: IHOP Prayer Room
Currently Watching: The Phantom of the Opera (because “All I Ask of You” is much like Jesus)
Currently Reading: Song of Songs, by Watchman Nee

in case you were wondering
if you mattered to anyone
if your thoughts mattered
if your feelings mattered
if your dreams mattered

if the things which are important to you are important to anyone else
if anyone would care so much to make these things important to them
if you are valued, or thought of, or desired

if you’ve been waiting for someone, anyone, or a certain someone(s)
to ask you how you’re doing (and genuinely, intently wanting to know)
or to ask you how you’re feeling (and sincerely empathizing)
or to hold you accountable to the dreams you’ve once had
(and selflessly making sure you don’t shrink backwards)

or to pursue you, because you’ve run so far you forgot your way back
or to fight for you, because the battle has deeply wounded your confidence
or to cry out on your behalf, because your tears have been spent on searching

or to break down the walls you’ve built
“not to shut people out
but to see if anyone cared enough to knock them down”

if you mattered to anyone so much
that they would knock those walls down…

in case you were wondering if you mattered to anyone,
you matter to Him.

–

it’s so elementary…. but it’s so true… maybe we forget that He wants to be the first one we run to. maybe we make ourselves forget because our flesh longs for the tangible… (after all, i am not crying on His shoulder, i cry on my pillow. i do not feel His strong arms surround me, i feel the warmth of the layered blankets.)

yes His love is supreme – He is the comfort of our spirit, the soothe of our soul, the balm for our heart, the calm of our mind. but because we matter so much to God, because we still long to FEEL that embrace, He has given us the BODY of Christ – extensions of His love. “Isolation won’t be your protection.” You matter to people. And even though we’ve been hurt a million times over by them, here’s where we must find the deepest security in the love of God, then step out and LET ourselves be loved by others too.

Go. Be loved. Your faith has made you whole. His love has made you whole.

xo

Currently Listening: “Daughters of Jerusalem” – Immersed by David Brymer (IHOP)

a single bottle
filled with a year’s wages
not spent on the needs of the world

but here it is, poured. washed.
absorbed into the skin of the Christ.
embedded in the skin of Christ.

and there, before the world
fiercely whipped
there, on the back that bears their burdens
fiercely pierced
there, on the side that they embraced
fiercely struck
there, on the cheek that they kissed

as He bled, as He sweat,
off of His skin,
He could smell the scent of her devotion.
with every slash,
the scent of her devotion
with every curse
the scent of her devotion
with every piercing thorn
the scent of her devotion
with His last inhalation
the scent of her devotion.

And the angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
“Woman,” He said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward Him and cried out, “RABBONI!”

-John 20:13-16

And He remembers her devotion….
He remembers my devotion.

xo

Currently Listening: The Reward by Jonathan David Helser