Posts
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."
C.S. Lewis
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Saturday Song- Wait for Your Rain- Todd Agnew
I cannot believe I'm this dirty
I'm ashamed to even ask to be clean
'Cause I can't think of anyone less worthy
I have nothing to offer or to bring
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
I'm not even sure how I got here
Wondered to this darkness from Your light
I still remember walking in the garden with You
Now I'm just stumbling through this night
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
Chorus:
I wait for Your rain to fall
The waves of Your grace wash over me
I wait for Your rain to fall
Strange how forgiveness comes so easily
When I call Your name
And wait for Your rain
Lord, this desert is killing me
My throat's dry from screaming Your name
I want to come home but the sands of time surround me
The dirt's finally covered my shame
So I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
I'm ashamed to even ask to be clean
'Cause I can't think of anyone less worthy
I have nothing to offer or to bring
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
I'm not even sure how I got here
Wondered to this darkness from Your light
I still remember walking in the garden with You
Now I'm just stumbling through this night
I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
And I wait
Chorus:
I wait for Your rain to fall
The waves of Your grace wash over me
I wait for Your rain to fall
Strange how forgiveness comes so easily
When I call Your name
And wait for Your rain
Lord, this desert is killing me
My throat's dry from screaming Your name
I want to come home but the sands of time surround me
The dirt's finally covered my shame
So I throw myself on Your mercy
I throw myself at Your feet
I throw my filth on the grace
of One who's beauty is beyond me
And I wait
Friday, August 28, 2009
Nightclub
When a nightclub opened on Main Street, the only church in that small town organized an all-night prayer meeting. The members asked God to burn down the club. Within a few minutes, lightning struck the club, and it burned to the ground.
The owner sued the church, which denied responsibility. After hearing both sides, the judge said, “It seems that wherever the guilt may lie, the nightclub owner believes in prayer, while the church doesn’t.”
The owner sued the church, which denied responsibility. After hearing both sides, the judge said, “It seems that wherever the guilt may lie, the nightclub owner believes in prayer, while the church doesn’t.”
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Make Me Clay
Author Phillip Keller, while visiting in Pakistan, read Jeremiah 18:2, which says, "Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will announce My Words to you." So he and a missionary went to a potter's house in that city. In his book A Layman Looks at the Lord's Prayer, he writes-
In sincerity and earnestness I asked the old master craftsman to show me every step in the creation of a masterpiece…. On his shelves were gleaming goblets, lovely vases, and exquisite bowls of breathtaking beauty.
Then, crooking a bony finger toward me, he led the way to a small, dark, closed shed at the back of his shop. When he opened its rickety door, a repulsive, overpowering stench of decaying matter engulfed me. For a moment I stepped back from the edge of the gaping dark pit in the floor of the shed. “This is where the work begins!” he said, kneeling down beside the black, nauseating hole. With his long, thin arm, he reached down into the darkness. His slim, skilled fingers felt around amid the lumpy clay, searching for a fragment of material exactly suited to his task.
“I add special kind of grass to the mud, “ he remarked. “As it rots and decays, its organic content increases the colloidal quality of the clay. Then it sticks together better.” Finally his knowing hands brought up a lump of dark mud from the horrible pit where the clay had been tramped and mixed for hours by his hard, bony feet.
With tremendous impact the first verses from Psalms 40 came to my heart. In a new and suddenly illuminating way I saw what the psalmist meant when he wrote long ago, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay.” As carefully as the potter selected his clay, so God used special care in choosing me….
The great slab of granite, carved from the rough rock of the high Hindu Kush mountains behind his home, whirled quietly. It was operated by a very crude, treadle-like device that was moved by his feet, very much like our antique sewing machines.
As the stone gathered momentum, I was taken in memory to Jeremiah 18:3. “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.”
But what stood out the most before my mind at this point was the fact that beside the potter’s stool, on either side of him, stood two basins of water. Not once did he touch the clay, now spinning swiftly at the center of the wheel, without first dipping his hands in the water. As he began to apply his delicate fingers and smooth palms to the mound of mud, it was always through the medium of the moisture of his hands. And it was fascinating to see how swiftly but surely the clay responded to the pressure applied to it through those moistened hands. Silently, smoothly, the form of a graceful goblet began to take shape beneath those hands. The water was the medium through which the master craftsman’s will and wishes were being transmitted to the clay. His will actually was being done in earth.
For me this was a most moving demonstration of the simple, yet mysterious truth that my Father’s will and wishes are expressed and transmitted to me through the water of His own Word….
Suddenly, as I watched, to my utter astonishment, I saw the stone stop. Why? I looked closely. The potter removed a small particle of grit from the goblet…. Then just as suddenly the stone stopped again. He removed another hard object….
Suddenly he stopped the stone again. He pointed disconsolately to a deep, ragged gouge that cut and scarred the goblet’s side. It was ruined beyond repair! In dismay he crushed it down beneath his hands….
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter” (Jer. 18:4). Seldom had any lesson come home to me with such tremendous clarity and force. Why was this rare and beautiful masterpiece ruined in the master’s hands? Because he had run into resistance. It was like a thunderclap of truth bursting into me!
Why is it my father’s will- His intention to turn out truly beautiful people- brought to nought again and again? Why, despite His best efforts and endless patience with human beings, do they end up a disaster? Simply because they resist His will.
The sobering, searching, searing question I had to ask myself in the humble surroundings of the simple potter’s shed was this: Am I going to be a piece of fine china or just a finger bowl? Is my life going to be a gorgeous goblet fit to hold the fine wine of God’s very life from which others can drink and be refreshed? Or am I going to be just a crude finger bowl in which passers-by will dabble their fingers briefly then pass on and forget about it? It was one of the most solemn moments in all of my spiritual experiences.
“Father, Thy will be done in earth (in clay), in me, as it is done in heaven.”
From Alone With God, by John Macarthur
In sincerity and earnestness I asked the old master craftsman to show me every step in the creation of a masterpiece…. On his shelves were gleaming goblets, lovely vases, and exquisite bowls of breathtaking beauty.
Then, crooking a bony finger toward me, he led the way to a small, dark, closed shed at the back of his shop. When he opened its rickety door, a repulsive, overpowering stench of decaying matter engulfed me. For a moment I stepped back from the edge of the gaping dark pit in the floor of the shed. “This is where the work begins!” he said, kneeling down beside the black, nauseating hole. With his long, thin arm, he reached down into the darkness. His slim, skilled fingers felt around amid the lumpy clay, searching for a fragment of material exactly suited to his task.
“I add special kind of grass to the mud, “ he remarked. “As it rots and decays, its organic content increases the colloidal quality of the clay. Then it sticks together better.” Finally his knowing hands brought up a lump of dark mud from the horrible pit where the clay had been tramped and mixed for hours by his hard, bony feet.
With tremendous impact the first verses from Psalms 40 came to my heart. In a new and suddenly illuminating way I saw what the psalmist meant when he wrote long ago, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay.” As carefully as the potter selected his clay, so God used special care in choosing me….
The great slab of granite, carved from the rough rock of the high Hindu Kush mountains behind his home, whirled quietly. It was operated by a very crude, treadle-like device that was moved by his feet, very much like our antique sewing machines.
As the stone gathered momentum, I was taken in memory to Jeremiah 18:3. “Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.”
But what stood out the most before my mind at this point was the fact that beside the potter’s stool, on either side of him, stood two basins of water. Not once did he touch the clay, now spinning swiftly at the center of the wheel, without first dipping his hands in the water. As he began to apply his delicate fingers and smooth palms to the mound of mud, it was always through the medium of the moisture of his hands. And it was fascinating to see how swiftly but surely the clay responded to the pressure applied to it through those moistened hands. Silently, smoothly, the form of a graceful goblet began to take shape beneath those hands. The water was the medium through which the master craftsman’s will and wishes were being transmitted to the clay. His will actually was being done in earth.
For me this was a most moving demonstration of the simple, yet mysterious truth that my Father’s will and wishes are expressed and transmitted to me through the water of His own Word….
Suddenly, as I watched, to my utter astonishment, I saw the stone stop. Why? I looked closely. The potter removed a small particle of grit from the goblet…. Then just as suddenly the stone stopped again. He removed another hard object….
Suddenly he stopped the stone again. He pointed disconsolately to a deep, ragged gouge that cut and scarred the goblet’s side. It was ruined beyond repair! In dismay he crushed it down beneath his hands….
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter” (Jer. 18:4). Seldom had any lesson come home to me with such tremendous clarity and force. Why was this rare and beautiful masterpiece ruined in the master’s hands? Because he had run into resistance. It was like a thunderclap of truth bursting into me!
Why is it my father’s will- His intention to turn out truly beautiful people- brought to nought again and again? Why, despite His best efforts and endless patience with human beings, do they end up a disaster? Simply because they resist His will.
The sobering, searching, searing question I had to ask myself in the humble surroundings of the simple potter’s shed was this: Am I going to be a piece of fine china or just a finger bowl? Is my life going to be a gorgeous goblet fit to hold the fine wine of God’s very life from which others can drink and be refreshed? Or am I going to be just a crude finger bowl in which passers-by will dabble their fingers briefly then pass on and forget about it? It was one of the most solemn moments in all of my spiritual experiences.
“Father, Thy will be done in earth (in clay), in me, as it is done in heaven.”
From Alone With God, by John Macarthur
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
They Never Saw It Coming
What's going on? Pick up a paper, turn on the TV or surf the Net. Unspeakable murders never imagined seem commonplace today. The Christian worldview is not accepted, and is even vilified and banned, in our schools and universities. The liberal view seems to be winning the election in the US. Christians are killed for being Christians in many parts of the world(and many in the church seem to care less). Perverse lifestyles are being accepted as the norm. Abortion rates climb. There is a moral decline and even depravity that is permeating our society. Why is this happening? We seem surprised.
I have many Christians I talk with asking this. Why are we surprised? If you believe that we are living in the last days of this world, like I do, you should know that these things are inevitable. The Bible is very clear that in the last days things will get worse(read 2 Peter 3 and 1 Timothy 3). But we seem to be surprised by it. We are not looking as if at a fig tree. We are not recognizing birth pains. We need to realize we are in a war. Our enemy is going all out surge, and half our army doesn't even know we are in a war.
Do I think we can stop it? It doesn't matter what I think, the Bible says it will happen. I know we can win spiritual battles, and we need to continue to fight those battles until the Lord returns. We need to use our weapons, not the worlds. God is still sovereign. Know that this is happening, and know we must stand firm and persevere until He comes back.
We do have battles to win. The war is already won.
I have many Christians I talk with asking this. Why are we surprised? If you believe that we are living in the last days of this world, like I do, you should know that these things are inevitable. The Bible is very clear that in the last days things will get worse(read 2 Peter 3 and 1 Timothy 3). But we seem to be surprised by it. We are not looking as if at a fig tree. We are not recognizing birth pains. We need to realize we are in a war. Our enemy is going all out surge, and half our army doesn't even know we are in a war.
Do I think we can stop it? It doesn't matter what I think, the Bible says it will happen. I know we can win spiritual battles, and we need to continue to fight those battles until the Lord returns. We need to use our weapons, not the worlds. God is still sovereign. Know that this is happening, and know we must stand firm and persevere until He comes back.
We do have battles to win. The war is already won.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Authority
His authority on earth allows us to dare to go to all the nations. His authority in heaven gives us our only hope of success. And His presence with us leaves us no other choice.
John Stott
John Stott
Monday, August 24, 2009
Called
"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world."
William Booth
William Booth
The Workers Sit In A Seminar
Many years ago a great Christian band, Degarmo & Key, had a song with a line that's stayed with me. "Children round the world will starve while we sit in a seminar". How sad. Is that what God called us to?
How many people not only do this , but would prefer to do it. Great fellowship, learning from the Word, a great and holy time. They're right, it can be a time of much encouragement and growth. We need that. But we also need to balance out that with being God's hands and feet. More people need to get out and show what God's love is. Remember, there are two of those important Two Greatest Commandments that Jesus gave us in .
Author John Bevere said that we have so emphasized who we are in Christ for the last 20-30 years, we've done it to the neglect of we are to do in Christ.
That same band had another song we should remember. Aliens and Strangers. That's what we are in this world. Our citizenship is in the heavenly realm with our Creator. This world is passing away, and it seems quicker each day. We can't afford to be in too many seminars.
How many people not only do this , but would prefer to do it. Great fellowship, learning from the Word, a great and holy time. They're right, it can be a time of much encouragement and growth. We need that. But we also need to balance out that with being God's hands and feet. More people need to get out and show what God's love is. Remember, there are two of those important Two Greatest Commandments that Jesus gave us in .
Author John Bevere said that we have so emphasized who we are in Christ for the last 20-30 years, we've done it to the neglect of we are to do in Christ.
That same band had another song we should remember. Aliens and Strangers. That's what we are in this world. Our citizenship is in the heavenly realm with our Creator. This world is passing away, and it seems quicker each day. We can't afford to be in too many seminars.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday Song- The Motions- Matthew West
This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life
'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
No regrets, not this time
I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I'm finally feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life
'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way ('cause I don't wanna go through the motions)
take me all the way (I know I'm finally feeling something real)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"
take me all the way (take me all the way)
take me all the way (I don't wanna go, I don't wanna go)
take me all the way (through the motions)
take me all the way
I don't wanna go through the motions
Friday, August 21, 2009
Stuffed
The weakness of our hunger for God is not because he is unsavory, but
because we keep ourselves stuffed with “other things.”
John Piper
because we keep ourselves stuffed with “other things.”
John Piper
We're Like Dogs
I loved to take walks with my Golden Retriever. We had to put her down a few weeks ago, 13 years old and failing. Up until the last year or two, she still acted like a pup. Sometimes we'd walk down our long lane, over the creek and through the woods. She loved this time with me, bounding ahead, then back to me. She had to check out every hole and rotten log, occasionally dashing off with a yip, only to return all wet from the creek.
Although she loved the time with me, her attention wandered and she got distracted. While I enjoyed watching her explore her world, I liked it best when she was by my side. When she was digging a hole or chasing a rabbit, she'd be too preoccupied to hear me call.
Isn't that how we are with God sometimes? We bounce off after this thing or that...careers, new "must-have' toys, hobbies. Jesus called these weeds. Rich Mullins sang that the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance we owe our King. We forget what the walk is about.
This walk is about drawing closer to Him. But many people's lives are too busy to walk with Him or hear His call. We need to hear His voice.
Although she loved the time with me, her attention wandered and she got distracted. While I enjoyed watching her explore her world, I liked it best when she was by my side. When she was digging a hole or chasing a rabbit, she'd be too preoccupied to hear me call.
Isn't that how we are with God sometimes? We bounce off after this thing or that...careers, new "must-have' toys, hobbies. Jesus called these weeds. Rich Mullins sang that the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance we owe our King. We forget what the walk is about.
This walk is about drawing closer to Him. But many people's lives are too busy to walk with Him or hear His call. We need to hear His voice.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Slow Down
In this fast-food, microwave, click a mouse society, the last thing we want to do is wait. New technologies and their applications have made us impatient. We won't pull ahead in the drive-through to wait for another two or three minutes. We complain when our connection isn't fast enough or it takes awhile to download pages or files. We wait impatiently in front of the microwave. We want everything now.
Do we think that this rat race we live is what God has called us to? Is this how we are supposed to live?
But God wants us to slow down. He wants us to wait on Him, wait for Him, be still and know that HE is God. No matter what. And we are called to persevere.
It can be hard. Times are tough. The economy is rough, and it feels like cancer and disease is running rampant. We as Christians feel persecuted. James(one of my favorite books in the Bible) says that to be mature and complete we must persevere. Later he says that he who does under trial is blessed, and receive the crown of life God has promised. We've all heard stories of people who have prayed for a spouse's salvation, for 10, 15, 20 years. What if they stopped? Can we even pray or stand a trial for 2 weeks let alone that long.
Wait on Him. Persevere. Be still and know that He is God.
We are called to persevere, and what promises we have.
Do we think that this rat race we live is what God has called us to? Is this how we are supposed to live?
But God wants us to slow down. He wants us to wait on Him, wait for Him, be still and know that HE is God. No matter what. And we are called to persevere.
It can be hard. Times are tough. The economy is rough, and it feels like cancer and disease is running rampant. We as Christians feel persecuted. James(one of my favorite books in the Bible) says that to be mature and complete we must persevere. Later he says that he who does under trial is blessed, and receive the crown of life God has promised. We've all heard stories of people who have prayed for a spouse's salvation, for 10, 15, 20 years. What if they stopped? Can we even pray or stand a trial for 2 weeks let alone that long.
Wait on Him. Persevere. Be still and know that He is God.
We are called to persevere, and what promises we have.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A Commission
"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?" -- David Livingstone
Look Ahead
I grew up in the midwest, middle America as they like to call it. I lived in the country, a pretty typical upbringing. Someone asked me the other day about a reunion and some thoughts from my youth reminding me of our Christian walk.
I lived in a rural area and was raised on a small farm. My grandfathers had both farmed during their lives, and some of my uncles did as well. From the time I was 12 or so, one of my jobs was to hoe the bean fields. It was long, hot work.
I would start at one end and could barely glimpse the other end where I'd finish. I would go a while without any weeds, then one or two or a bunch would pop up. I'd get part way through and look up and know I still had a long way to go. It was hard work. I was tired and sweating. But I could see the finish, and knew how I'd feel when I got there.
I also played football when I was in high school. Not a bean field, but still a long way to go to score. You got hit, were rushed, got knocked down. Sometimes you lost ground. But you knew if you kept working, and hit back hard enough, you'd make it. You could see the endzone.
This Christian walk isn't only about the finish. It's also about what we do here on earth. We have a calling, a commission we need to fulfill.
But look around. The finish line is drawing closer.
I lived in a rural area and was raised on a small farm. My grandfathers had both farmed during their lives, and some of my uncles did as well. From the time I was 12 or so, one of my jobs was to hoe the bean fields. It was long, hot work.
I would start at one end and could barely glimpse the other end where I'd finish. I would go a while without any weeds, then one or two or a bunch would pop up. I'd get part way through and look up and know I still had a long way to go. It was hard work. I was tired and sweating. But I could see the finish, and knew how I'd feel when I got there.
I also played football when I was in high school. Not a bean field, but still a long way to go to score. You got hit, were rushed, got knocked down. Sometimes you lost ground. But you knew if you kept working, and hit back hard enough, you'd make it. You could see the endzone.
This Christian walk isn't only about the finish. It's also about what we do here on earth. We have a calling, a commission we need to fulfill.
But look around. The finish line is drawing closer.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Turf Wars
A nation threatens another nation, saying it will be wiped off the face of the earth. A different nation wants to keep its money sovereign, even though it's committed to a group of other nations. A major power is thinking of building a long fence, to keep other people from coming in. In our country, two men spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try to become president. Everyone has their own little "turf", or kingdom, to keep and protect.
Larger than all these can imagine, is God's kingdom. Six times in Matthew 13 Jesus tells us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Like bad fish and weeds being separated and thrown away. Like yeast working its way through the dough. Selling out, giving up everything to possess. God tells us that His kingdom is attainable to all who believe. None of these man-made kingdoms can keep us from being part of God's kingdom. But there is one kingdom that can keep us out.
It's our kingdom, the kingdom of ourselves. If we want to be the king, if we want it to be about me, that can keep us out. If we spend our resources expanding or defending our turf, we have no time for Him. We are too busy with our own pursuits to pursue Him.
The band Mercy Me put this into words rather profoundly in "In A Blink of An Eye"-
You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe
Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom When I'm so wrapped up in mine.
How true. How can we further His kingdom when we're so wrapped up in ours. All the nations and kingdoms on this earth can't stand up to His. What kingdom do we want to be a part of? Whose kingdom will stand?
Larger than all these can imagine, is God's kingdom. Six times in Matthew 13 Jesus tells us what the kingdom of heaven is like. Like bad fish and weeds being separated and thrown away. Like yeast working its way through the dough. Selling out, giving up everything to possess. God tells us that His kingdom is attainable to all who believe. None of these man-made kingdoms can keep us from being part of God's kingdom. But there is one kingdom that can keep us out.
It's our kingdom, the kingdom of ourselves. If we want to be the king, if we want it to be about me, that can keep us out. If we spend our resources expanding or defending our turf, we have no time for Him. We are too busy with our own pursuits to pursue Him.
The band Mercy Me put this into words rather profoundly in "In A Blink of An Eye"-
You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe
Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom When I'm so wrapped up in mine.
How true. How can we further His kingdom when we're so wrapped up in ours. All the nations and kingdoms on this earth can't stand up to His. What kingdom do we want to be a part of? Whose kingdom will stand?
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Saturday Song- While I'm Waiting- John Waller
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
Friday, August 14, 2009
Kamikaze Christian
In World War II, after the US had started to decimate the Japanese forces, the Japanese decided to use suicide attacks on American ships. Pilots were willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good of the country. These attacks were coined "kamikaze" attacks. The word kamikaze translated actually means "God-wind". It originated when two major typhoons helped disperse Mongolian invasion forces in 1274 and 1281.
This phrase actually came to mind in relation to our faith many years ago. When DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" came out, it spoke of "kamikaze, my death is gain". It echoes Paul in Philippians 1:21, to live is Christ, but to do die is gain. We need to die daily as Christians. Die to sin and die to self. We need to have the same mindset that our life is nothing compared to the greater good (of God).
When Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and the others were killed in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956, they didn't know that they would die. But they were willing to, for the Lord's work to be accomplished. Through their deaths, who knows how many thousands were saved. The locals including the ones who attacked these men were saved, and as a result of their story hundreds who became missionaries have led so many thousand to the Lord. Elliot's quote was, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose".
This phrase actually came to mind in relation to our faith many years ago. When DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" came out, it spoke of "kamikaze, my death is gain". It echoes Paul in Philippians 1:21, to live is Christ, but to do die is gain. We need to die daily as Christians. Die to sin and die to self. We need to have the same mindset that our life is nothing compared to the greater good (of God).
When Jim Elliot, Nate Saint and the others were killed in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956, they didn't know that they would die. But they were willing to, for the Lord's work to be accomplished. Through their deaths, who knows how many thousands were saved. The locals including the ones who attacked these men were saved, and as a result of their story hundreds who became missionaries have led so many thousand to the Lord. Elliot's quote was, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose".
Break My Heart
"Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart"
-- Bob Pierce, World Vision founder
-- Bob Pierce, World Vision founder
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Will We Be Sodom?
I was sitting in my room in a hostel in Peru. A pastor friend who was on the trip with me asked if I thought that God had taken His hand off of the United States. What an interesting question. His question stemmed from things like 9/11 and natural disasters, but mostly from the moral decline in the country. We talked into the night about it, and my thoughts turned to Sodom.
Everyone knows the story of Sodom. God destroyed it with fire and brimstone because its sin. The Bible says that the stench of sin has risen to heaven. The perverse nature of life there needed judgment. But what was the sin that made it so bad?
Ezekiel 16:49 tells us that the sin of Sodom was being arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. Sound familiar? It says they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things. Their depravity was the result of their sin, and their depravity a result of God turning them over as described in Romans 1.
Please don't misunderstand. I believe we live in the greatest nation on the planet. We do so much more than most countries, and God has blessed us greatly. But in Luke 12:48 it says that everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. I feel that can not only describe our country, but sometimes the church as well.
Look at the moral decline in the country. In some areas, a slow fade. A gradual decline of compromise. In other areas, a swift change. Are these symptoms of a turning over? The same goes in the church. Who would have thought the divorce rate in the church would be over 25%.
I think the church needs more than ever to stand strong as righteous before God. As He spared Sodom for as little as ten people, so He will continue to spare our country if the church stays righteous. If my people, who are called by my name.........
Thomas Jefferson, while not exactly noted as a theologian, said, " I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever".
Arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. Is that our country? Our church? Us?
Everyone knows the story of Sodom. God destroyed it with fire and brimstone because its sin. The Bible says that the stench of sin has risen to heaven. The perverse nature of life there needed judgment. But what was the sin that made it so bad?
Ezekiel 16:49 tells us that the sin of Sodom was being arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. Sound familiar? It says they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things. Their depravity was the result of their sin, and their depravity a result of God turning them over as described in Romans 1.
Please don't misunderstand. I believe we live in the greatest nation on the planet. We do so much more than most countries, and God has blessed us greatly. But in Luke 12:48 it says that everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. I feel that can not only describe our country, but sometimes the church as well.
Look at the moral decline in the country. In some areas, a slow fade. A gradual decline of compromise. In other areas, a swift change. Are these symptoms of a turning over? The same goes in the church. Who would have thought the divorce rate in the church would be over 25%.
I think the church needs more than ever to stand strong as righteous before God. As He spared Sodom for as little as ten people, so He will continue to spare our country if the church stays righteous. If my people, who are called by my name.........
Thomas Jefferson, while not exactly noted as a theologian, said, " I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever".
Arrogant, overfed and unconcerned. Is that our country? Our church? Us?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
God Lives Under the Bed
I'm not one for forwarding emails. I don't know why, but I don't. I did get one that I wanted to pass along though. Like little children we should come to Him.
GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED
"I envy Bill. My brother, Bill, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Bill's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Bill lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Bill realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Bill to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Bill shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Bill is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Bill knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Bill is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Bill seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Bill has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Bill comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Bill won't be surprised at all!"
GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED
"I envy Bill. My brother, Bill, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Bill's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Bill lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Bill realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Bill to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Bill shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.
And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.
He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.
His life is simple.
He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Bill is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.
He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Bill knows how to relax.
He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.
He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Bill is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Bill seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Bill has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.
It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Bill comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Bill won't be surprised at all!"
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Christ's Call
Christ's call is to save the lost, not the stiff-necked; He came not to call scoffers but sinners to repentance; not to build and furnish comfortable chapels, churches, and cathedrals at home in which to rock Christian professors to sleep by means of clever essays, stereotyped prayers, and artistic musical performances, but to capture men from the devil's clutches and the very jaws of Hell. This can be accomplished only by a red-hot, unconventional, unfettered devotion, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the Lord Jesus Christ.
CT Studd
CT Studd
Shelter
When I was younger I would go out behind our garden to a large clump of trees. These trees had long, drooping branches. You were hidden there, safe and warm. The branches covered you, and no one could see you. You were protected from the wind and rain. It felt like a cocoon, a whole different world.
Some times in our daily life we need a little peace. Phones are ringing, horns are honking, and people are shouting. We have trials and struggles in daily life. We are fighting sickness and disease. We need a shelter from the storm.
David was probably attacked as much as anyone in the Scriptures. He was on the run from the Philistines, Saul, and even his own child. The Psalms are full of verses where he asks God to protect him or spare him. In Psalm 17:8, David uses a similar illustration to my trees. He asks God to cover him with His wings. This brings to me a visual of a great hawk or eagle, hiding her chicks from the storm. In Psalm 91:4, he says "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge."
A favorite scripture is Psalms 32:7- "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance". Jesus told the disciples that He gives us peace, and His peace is different that the worlds. It’s
permanent and fulfilling. What worldly peace can claim that?
Do not be troubled, and do not be afraid. Tuck in under His wings.
Some times in our daily life we need a little peace. Phones are ringing, horns are honking, and people are shouting. We have trials and struggles in daily life. We are fighting sickness and disease. We need a shelter from the storm.
David was probably attacked as much as anyone in the Scriptures. He was on the run from the Philistines, Saul, and even his own child. The Psalms are full of verses where he asks God to protect him or spare him. In Psalm 17:8, David uses a similar illustration to my trees. He asks God to cover him with His wings. This brings to me a visual of a great hawk or eagle, hiding her chicks from the storm. In Psalm 91:4, he says "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge."
A favorite scripture is Psalms 32:7- "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance". Jesus told the disciples that He gives us peace, and His peace is different that the worlds. It’s
permanent and fulfilling. What worldly peace can claim that?
Do not be troubled, and do not be afraid. Tuck in under His wings.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Saturday Song- Beautiful- Shawn McDonald
As I look into the stars
Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
What am I
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Fallow Ground
Fallow ground can be a good thing. When the ground is not tilled or planted and just left to rest for a season, it is called fallow ground. It was important enough to leave ground fallow that the Israelites were commanded to leave the land unplanted for one year each 7th year.
But fallow ground can be a bad thing as well. Today the Conservation Reserve Program can keep acres out of production for up to 10 years. The rain falls and lays, and the sun bakes it hard. Weeds grow, are mowed short, then grow again. There is no tilling, no planting or weeding, and no harvest. When it’s finally put back in production, it takes some time and work to get it producing.
Sometimes we Christians are like fallow ground. Occasionally we need a season of rest. We need a time to pray and wait on the Lord without ministry responsibilities. If we are Christians we have ministry responsibilities.
Christians can also be like the hard fallow ground as well. We know all the scriptures and sermons. Trials have beaten us down, or beaten us hard, or both. Weeds grow in our life, but they are trimmed to respectability, not hoed out. We aren’t producing. There are many fields of this type of ground filling the pews every Sunday.
My prayer for me and each one of us is that we allow God to be our farmer. Let Him refresh you from your work as you rest in Him. Or, let Him plow you anew. Let Him break up that hard crust on your topsoil, fertilize, and plant good seed in you. He’ll water and nurture, so you can be fruitful again.
But fallow ground can be a bad thing as well. Today the Conservation Reserve Program can keep acres out of production for up to 10 years. The rain falls and lays, and the sun bakes it hard. Weeds grow, are mowed short, then grow again. There is no tilling, no planting or weeding, and no harvest. When it’s finally put back in production, it takes some time and work to get it producing.
Sometimes we Christians are like fallow ground. Occasionally we need a season of rest. We need a time to pray and wait on the Lord without ministry responsibilities. If we are Christians we have ministry responsibilities.
Christians can also be like the hard fallow ground as well. We know all the scriptures and sermons. Trials have beaten us down, or beaten us hard, or both. Weeds grow in our life, but they are trimmed to respectability, not hoed out. We aren’t producing. There are many fields of this type of ground filling the pews every Sunday.
My prayer for me and each one of us is that we allow God to be our farmer. Let Him refresh you from your work as you rest in Him. Or, let Him plow you anew. Let Him break up that hard crust on your topsoil, fertilize, and plant good seed in you. He’ll water and nurture, so you can be fruitful again.
Peace
This is an interesting life we all lead. We deal with relationships, health problems, work problems,disease, finances, death,all on a daily basis. We each may have a different load to carry, but we each have at least one.
God didn't promise us that life would be easy. He did promise that He would walk it with us. He told us that He would promise us a peace that the world could not give us. And it would be an always peace.
You are feel peace when you're in the arms of a loved one- a spouse, a parent or a grandparent. You can feel peace sitting on a beach watching the sun set. Or holding that child or grandchild. But when that moment is gone, the peace can be gone.
God's peace is different. It's like being held by a loved one all the time. It is knowing that as we have our head down in the struggles and battles of everyday life, that if we look up and ahead we can see the finish line. It's like playing a football game and knowing that you've already won.
We as Christians need to walk in God's peace than than we seem to do. Know that we've already won.
God didn't promise us that life would be easy. He did promise that He would walk it with us. He told us that He would promise us a peace that the world could not give us. And it would be an always peace.
You are feel peace when you're in the arms of a loved one- a spouse, a parent or a grandparent. You can feel peace sitting on a beach watching the sun set. Or holding that child or grandchild. But when that moment is gone, the peace can be gone.
God's peace is different. It's like being held by a loved one all the time. It is knowing that as we have our head down in the struggles and battles of everyday life, that if we look up and ahead we can see the finish line. It's like playing a football game and knowing that you've already won.
We as Christians need to walk in God's peace than than we seem to do. Know that we've already won.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Herd Mentality
Sheep can be pretty dumb animals. They have a certain herd mentality that taken to extremes
can be fatal. Do you know that their herd instincts are so strong that they will follow each other
into danger, maybe even over a cliff? Their herd mentality is stronger than their individual
intelligence.
They also tend to wander. They lose focus and get distracted, and before you know it, they're
gone. You hear stories of dogs or cats or horses being lost or getting loose, yet finding home
from miles away. Not sheep. They don't have a natural homing instinct.
Is it any wonder Jesus used the illustration of sheep and a shepherd for His followers? Don't
people have the same characteristics?
Peer pressure is not just for high schoolers. In and out of the church, we tend to follow what
everyone else is doing. Sometimes this is great, but many times to can be disastrous. We all
need to read the same book, or do the same ministry. We can follow the wrong leader for the
right reasons, or the right leader for the wrong reasons. Sometimes it’s over a cliff. We need a
Shepherd to guide us.
We are big on getting distracted. We have remotes, microwaves and ipods. Our society has
contributed to a mass attention deficit disorder. We have distractions that pull us away. Some
times they are important things like our kid's activities or family commitments. Some times it's
trivial things like hobbies. We look up and wonder ,"Where's God?" not realizing it was us
who wandered away. We need to rely on a Shepherd to keep us from getting lost
We are also defenseless by ourselves against attacks by our enemy. It helps when we are in a
large group. But he can still pick off the weak or slow ones, like a wolf does. We need a
Shepherd to protect us.
can be fatal. Do you know that their herd instincts are so strong that they will follow each other
into danger, maybe even over a cliff? Their herd mentality is stronger than their individual
intelligence.
They also tend to wander. They lose focus and get distracted, and before you know it, they're
gone. You hear stories of dogs or cats or horses being lost or getting loose, yet finding home
from miles away. Not sheep. They don't have a natural homing instinct.
Is it any wonder Jesus used the illustration of sheep and a shepherd for His followers? Don't
people have the same characteristics?
Peer pressure is not just for high schoolers. In and out of the church, we tend to follow what
everyone else is doing. Sometimes this is great, but many times to can be disastrous. We all
need to read the same book, or do the same ministry. We can follow the wrong leader for the
right reasons, or the right leader for the wrong reasons. Sometimes it’s over a cliff. We need a
Shepherd to guide us.
We are big on getting distracted. We have remotes, microwaves and ipods. Our society has
contributed to a mass attention deficit disorder. We have distractions that pull us away. Some
times they are important things like our kid's activities or family commitments. Some times it's
trivial things like hobbies. We look up and wonder ,"Where's God?" not realizing it was us
who wandered away. We need to rely on a Shepherd to keep us from getting lost
We are also defenseless by ourselves against attacks by our enemy. It helps when we are in a
large group. But he can still pick off the weak or slow ones, like a wolf does. We need a
Shepherd to protect us.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Hey God
I was on an overseas missions trip with 17 other people, trying to do VBS to 125 kids who didn't speak our language. Luckily, the missions organization had summer interns to help out. One girl was a high school senior from Alabama, with a high,lilting southern accent.
She always began her prayer with "Hey, God". The first time I heard her pray, it surprised me, but I immediately thought, I bet that's how she talks with her dad. She was respectful and loving and imploring, and talked with her heavenly Father the way she probably asked her earthy father or things. She had a relationship with Him, and she was truly talking to Him.
Unfortunately, one of the "enlightened " men in our group stopped her later. He told her that it was OK, that it took him a while to learn to pray too. He told her that someday she would learn.
Gratefully, several in our group talked with at separate times, each one of us encouraging her, some even expressing envy at her ease in prayer.
That's what God wants with us, a real relationship. He has used the Father and children describing our relationship because that's who He is, and that's what our relationship is. He is the God of creation, of fire and fury, and He wants us to remember that. But we need to talk to Him, not say flowering speeches to Him.
She always began her prayer with "Hey, God". The first time I heard her pray, it surprised me, but I immediately thought, I bet that's how she talks with her dad. She was respectful and loving and imploring, and talked with her heavenly Father the way she probably asked her earthy father or things. She had a relationship with Him, and she was truly talking to Him.
Unfortunately, one of the "enlightened " men in our group stopped her later. He told her that it was OK, that it took him a while to learn to pray too. He told her that someday she would learn.
Gratefully, several in our group talked with at separate times, each one of us encouraging her, some even expressing envy at her ease in prayer.
That's what God wants with us, a real relationship. He has used the Father and children describing our relationship because that's who He is, and that's what our relationship is. He is the God of creation, of fire and fury, and He wants us to remember that. But we need to talk to Him, not say flowering speeches to Him.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Saturday Song- Blessed Be Your Name- Matt Redman
Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be'
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
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