Final post from Come to the Well by Casting Crowns. I talked about this one briefly on my blog, Man of God... because it is a song with a message focused on men. But as I have listened to it, (yes I've been listening to pretty much just the four songs I've written about for almost two weeks) a line has hit me that really applies to all of us.
We were made to be courageous
We were made to lead the way
We could be the generation
That finally breaks the chains
We were made to be courageous
We were made to be courageous
We were warriors on the front lines
Standing, unafraid
But now we're watchers on the sidelines
While our families slip away
Where are you, men of courage?
You were made for so much more
Let the pounding of our hearts cry
We will serve the Lord
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
This is our resolution
Our answer to the call
We will love our wives and children
We refuse to let them fall
We will reignite the passion
That we buried deep inside
May the watchers become warriors
Let the men of God arise
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
In the war of the mind
I will make my stand
In the battle of the heart
And the battle of the hand
We were made to be courageous
And we're taking back the fight
We were made to be courageous
And it starts with us tonight
The only way we'll ever stand
Is on our knees with lifted hands
Make us courageous
Lord, make us courageous
We were made to be courageous
Lord, make us courageous
Seek justice
Love mercy
Walk humbly with your God
"We could be the generation that finally breaks the chains." I have to amend that. We have to be the generation that finally breaks the chains. We cannot sit by and hope that those who are older than us fix things, we have to actively begin to work for a change.
When I got out of school I wanted to, and believed I actually could, change the world. I think all of us did. We were fired up with no one to squash our hopes, dreams, and drive. And then something happened to sideline us, to get us out of the game and on the bench. We were overlooked because of a lack of experience and never given a chance. And so we settled, letting our passion die. And nothing has changed.
We have got to get into the game. I hate being on the sidelines more than anyone, and I just want a chance to get into the middle of the fight and see what I can do. I still believe that I can change the world, and know what, you can too.
Our generation must take a stand upon the truth, it isn't easy with everything false that is being almost forced down our throats, but we must take our stand. It is up to us, this is our time, and our chance. Will we break the chains, or continue to be enslaved by them?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Jesus, Friend of Sinners
Track 3 is one that I've heard for a while. Initially it was the song the made my wife want the album. I used to play it every Sunday as part of the play list when people would enter the sanctuary. I was trying to help people understand more of what it means to be like Christ.
Jesus, Friend of Sinners is one of those songs that there is a lot you could say. For over a year now I've conversed with an atheist over Facebook, and in the beginning of the conversation I used portions of this song to address some of the issues she raised with the Church and Christians. This is one of those songs we all need to take a good, hard look at.
Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet
'Cause You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours
And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet
There is so much that could be said about these lyrics. It's easy to get caught up in the events of our world and react in what seems to be righteous judgment, but it's crucial to remember that the sword is never ours to swing, and judgment is never ours to pass.
"No one knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded." Do an experiment with me. Go to the top of your browser and open a new window. Go to Google and in the search bar type in "Christians are" and type the letters of the alphabet in order one at a time and watch what comes up as suggested searches.
Christians are... Annoying. Bullies. Cruel. Douche bags. Extremists. Fake. Gullible. Hateful. Ignorant of the Bible. Jerks. Known for there love*. Losers. Mean. Not nice people. Obnoxious. Pathetic. (Judgmental Quotes). Rude. Sinners too. Terrible people. Uneducated. Very judgmental. Weird. Zombies.
That is what the world thinks about Christians. That is how the world sees followers of Christ. Did you see that there is only one * by the statement for "K"? That is the only one that is positive. Aside for "X" and "Y" which didn't bring up anything, everything else is negative. How has something so beautiful become so ugly? We've become less and less like Christ. Now all we are is a bunch of "plank eyed saints with dirty hands and a heart divided."
That phrase has stood out to me as I've listened to the song over the past week. I believe most of us are familiar with the first part, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7.3). But it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't know where the other two come from. Usually Christians only quote half of these verses.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4.8).
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29.13).
It is impossible to do the will of God and share the love of Christ with sin in our lives. It is impossible to seek and find God if we chase after other things. We cannot lead others to find Him if we are blinded to our own struggles and addictions. We cannot save the world if all we do is point our fingers in judgment, condemning it in the name of Christ. Do you know what the Crusaders declared as they slaughtered Muslims to reclaim the Holy Land? "God wills it!" And though we might not carry physical weapons today the damage we do with out words and actions, is just as devastating.
People see us, they associate us with the words listed above because that is what they see, and when that happens, the associate those attributes with Jesus and want nothing to do with Him. The friend of sinners is despised and rejected by them because those who claim to be His followers don't portray who He really is.
Church, the longer we refuse to act like Christ, the greater the damage we do is, and the harder it becomes to repair. There are people who have walked away from God and will never look back because of the Church. The world is full of people who are bitter towards the Church and cynical towards God because of what they have seen in those who claim to be His followers. The more we judge and condemn, the higher and thicker the walls become.
It is time for us to look inside. It is time for us to focus on who God is, and what Christ must do in our own lives. It is time for us to repent of the damage we have done and begin to tear down the walls as the hands of Christ so that the friend of sinners is able to reach out to them.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Jesus, Friend of Sinners is one of those songs that there is a lot you could say. For over a year now I've conversed with an atheist over Facebook, and in the beginning of the conversation I used portions of this song to address some of the issues she raised with the Church and Christians. This is one of those songs we all need to take a good, hard look at.
Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
Jesus, friend of sinners, the one who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring Your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs crossed over the lines and loved like You did
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours
You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord I was that lost cause and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet
'Cause You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever
Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours
And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet
There is so much that could be said about these lyrics. It's easy to get caught up in the events of our world and react in what seems to be righteous judgment, but it's crucial to remember that the sword is never ours to swing, and judgment is never ours to pass.
"No one knows what we're for only what we're against when we judge the wounded." Do an experiment with me. Go to the top of your browser and open a new window. Go to Google and in the search bar type in "Christians are" and type the letters of the alphabet in order one at a time and watch what comes up as suggested searches.
Christians are... Annoying. Bullies. Cruel. Douche bags. Extremists. Fake. Gullible. Hateful. Ignorant of the Bible. Jerks. Known for there love*. Losers. Mean. Not nice people. Obnoxious. Pathetic. (Judgmental Quotes). Rude. Sinners too. Terrible people. Uneducated. Very judgmental. Weird. Zombies.
That is what the world thinks about Christians. That is how the world sees followers of Christ. Did you see that there is only one * by the statement for "K"? That is the only one that is positive. Aside for "X" and "Y" which didn't bring up anything, everything else is negative. How has something so beautiful become so ugly? We've become less and less like Christ. Now all we are is a bunch of "plank eyed saints with dirty hands and a heart divided."
That phrase has stood out to me as I've listened to the song over the past week. I believe most of us are familiar with the first part, "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?" (Matthew 7.3). But it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't know where the other two come from. Usually Christians only quote half of these verses.
"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (James 4.8).
"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29.13).
It is impossible to do the will of God and share the love of Christ with sin in our lives. It is impossible to seek and find God if we chase after other things. We cannot lead others to find Him if we are blinded to our own struggles and addictions. We cannot save the world if all we do is point our fingers in judgment, condemning it in the name of Christ. Do you know what the Crusaders declared as they slaughtered Muslims to reclaim the Holy Land? "God wills it!" And though we might not carry physical weapons today the damage we do with out words and actions, is just as devastating.
People see us, they associate us with the words listed above because that is what they see, and when that happens, the associate those attributes with Jesus and want nothing to do with Him. The friend of sinners is despised and rejected by them because those who claim to be His followers don't portray who He really is.
Church, the longer we refuse to act like Christ, the greater the damage we do is, and the harder it becomes to repair. There are people who have walked away from God and will never look back because of the Church. The world is full of people who are bitter towards the Church and cynical towards God because of what they have seen in those who claim to be His followers. The more we judge and condemn, the higher and thicker the walls become.
It is time for us to look inside. It is time for us to focus on who God is, and what Christ must do in our own lives. It is time for us to repent of the damage we have done and begin to tear down the walls as the hands of Christ so that the friend of sinners is able to reach out to them.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Spirit Wind
One of the other songs on Come to the Well by Casting Crowns that I hadn't heard before is track 6, Spirit Wind.
Ezekiel stared down into the valley
Filled with dry bones baking in the sun
Remains that used to be a mighty army
To him, it looked like their fighting days were done
But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God's words, the bones began to shake
He stared wide-eyed as the flesh began to form
And as he prophesied to the wind
The soldiers began to wake
And the Lord sent His wind into the valley
And breathed the breath of life into their souls
And raised them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the spirit wind
A pastor stands before his congregation
Once a mighty army for the Lord
But now he stares into the lifeless eyes
Believers leading carnal lives
He wonders what they're fighting for
But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God's word like
He'd done a hundred times before
But this time he comes broken and weeping
With tears of a broken heart
And he cries out to the Lord
Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into their souls
And raise them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the spirit wind
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into our souls
And raise us again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For we have been filled with the spirit wind
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Oh Lord, we need You now, breathe Your life into us
Lord, we need You now our churches and our families
Oh Lord, we need You now breathe life into this
Dry and weary land, raise us up again
Over the past few years I've spent some time thinking about what I'm looking for in both a church and a staff. The first, and most important, thing on the list is "A Church that is so dependent upon God that if He were to remove the Holy Spirit everything would fall apart." How many churches are Spirit filled? How many are conducting business as usual? The Church is far from what God intended for it to be, and in order for it to get back to its original design, God must breathe His Spirit Wind back into it.
I'm not interested in attending, much less serving at, a church that wants nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, because honestly, that isn't a church, it’s just a building where people meet once a week.
I've been in churches that don't rely on the Spirit, that don't have the Spirit Wind filling them. I've been around people that don't care that there is a problem, and have no interest in doing anything to fix it. It drives me crazy. How can the Church want nothing to do with the Holy Spirit? How can the Church expect to grow without the Holy Spirit? How can it help people become like Christ if it isn't full of the Spirit of God?
I want to be part of a church that is God's Church. I want to help people see what being part of the Church means. I want to help the Church fall more in love with Jesus and be the Church God intended for it to be. When I graduated from college I thought I could change the world. A few ministry assignments later and I have been pretty beaten up. For a while the fire that was my hope and passion had been smothered, all that was left was a pile of coals that were cooling off.
But over the last few months the fire has been rekindled and is growing in intensity. I don't know what I can do, but I do know that I have a calling on my life. I will speak the Word of God, and work to help the Church receive the Spirit Wind of God. I will not stop working to change the world until my life is done. I know that it isn't going to be an easy task, no one likes change, especially when it requires something of them, but the way things are is not ok. We cannot sit by and let the world continue to fall farther from God. The Church must be filled with the Spirit Wind and become a mighty army of the Lord.
Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into our souls
And raise us again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For we have been filled with the spirit wind
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Oh Lord, we need You now, breathe Your life into us
Lord, we need You now our churches and our families
Oh Lord, we need You now breathe life into this
Dry and weary land, raise us up again
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Ezekiel stared down into the valley
Filled with dry bones baking in the sun
Remains that used to be a mighty army
To him, it looked like their fighting days were done
But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God's words, the bones began to shake
He stared wide-eyed as the flesh began to form
And as he prophesied to the wind
The soldiers began to wake
And the Lord sent His wind into the valley
And breathed the breath of life into their souls
And raised them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the spirit wind
A pastor stands before his congregation
Once a mighty army for the Lord
But now he stares into the lifeless eyes
Believers leading carnal lives
He wonders what they're fighting for
But driven by a calling on his life
He spoke God's word like
He'd done a hundred times before
But this time he comes broken and weeping
With tears of a broken heart
And he cries out to the Lord
Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into their souls
And raise them again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For they have been filled with the spirit wind
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into our souls
And raise us again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For we have been filled with the spirit wind
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Oh Lord, we need You now, breathe Your life into us
Lord, we need You now our churches and our families
Oh Lord, we need You now breathe life into this
Dry and weary land, raise us up again
Over the past few years I've spent some time thinking about what I'm looking for in both a church and a staff. The first, and most important, thing on the list is "A Church that is so dependent upon God that if He were to remove the Holy Spirit everything would fall apart." How many churches are Spirit filled? How many are conducting business as usual? The Church is far from what God intended for it to be, and in order for it to get back to its original design, God must breathe His Spirit Wind back into it.
I'm not interested in attending, much less serving at, a church that wants nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, because honestly, that isn't a church, it’s just a building where people meet once a week.
I've been in churches that don't rely on the Spirit, that don't have the Spirit Wind filling them. I've been around people that don't care that there is a problem, and have no interest in doing anything to fix it. It drives me crazy. How can the Church want nothing to do with the Holy Spirit? How can the Church expect to grow without the Holy Spirit? How can it help people become like Christ if it isn't full of the Spirit of God?
I want to be part of a church that is God's Church. I want to help people see what being part of the Church means. I want to help the Church fall more in love with Jesus and be the Church God intended for it to be. When I graduated from college I thought I could change the world. A few ministry assignments later and I have been pretty beaten up. For a while the fire that was my hope and passion had been smothered, all that was left was a pile of coals that were cooling off.
But over the last few months the fire has been rekindled and is growing in intensity. I don't know what I can do, but I do know that I have a calling on my life. I will speak the Word of God, and work to help the Church receive the Spirit Wind of God. I will not stop working to change the world until my life is done. I know that it isn't going to be an easy task, no one likes change, especially when it requires something of them, but the way things are is not ok. We cannot sit by and let the world continue to fall farther from God. The Church must be filled with the Spirit Wind and become a mighty army of the Lord.
Oh Lord, send Your wind into this valley
And breathe the breath of life into our souls
And raise us again a mighty army
For soon these arisen warriors will battle again
For we have been filled with the spirit wind
Holy Spirit, breathe on me
Breathe Your life in me
Oh Lord, we need You now, breathe Your life into us
Lord, we need You now our churches and our families
Oh Lord, we need You now breathe life into this
Dry and weary land, raise us up again
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
City on the Hill
My wife and I recently got Casting Crowns latest CD (Two years after it was released). It has a couple songs I really like, but for the first time, several that don't do much for me. But there are a few songs on this Album, Come to the Well, that are extremely powerful. I don't know if I'll write about all of them, I made a short post on track 1, Courageous, on my other blog last week. I've heard that song, and track 3, Jesus Friend of Sinners, several times over the last two years, but track 2, City on the Hill, was brand new to me.
Did you hear of the city on the hill?
Said one old man to the other
It once shined bright and it would be shining still
But they all started turning on each other
You see, the poets thought the dancers were shallow
And the soldiers thought the poets were weak
And the elders saw the young ones as foolish
And the rich man never heard the poor man speak
And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill
Each one thought that they knew better
That they were different by design
Instead of standing strong together
They let their differences divide
And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill
And the world is searching still
But it was the rhythm of the dancers
That gave the poets life
It was the spirit of the poets
That gave the soldiers strength to fight
It was the fire of the young ones
It was the wisdom of the old
It was the story of the poor man
That needed to be told
It is the rhythm of the dancers
That gives the poets life
It is the spirit of the poets
That gives the soldiers strength to fight
It is the fire of the young ones
It is the wisdom of the old
It is the story of the poor man
That's needing to be told
One by one, will we run away
With our made up minds to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
One by one, will we run away
With our made up minds, to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill
Come home
And the Father's calling still
Come home
To the city on the hill
Come home
Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5.14-16). Most likely He was referring to Tzippori (silent T), also known as Sepphoris. It was a thriving Roman city in Galilee. It was a center of business and trade, a place full of life. It was a place that could not be hidden, and was easily seen by travelers on the road in the valley below.
The Church is to be a beacon of light that shines brightly in the darkness. It is to point people to God, and give glory to Him. Each of us is to be a light. But many don't do this today. The Church is not the respected body it once was, and in many places it is dwindling and trying to cling to life. What happened to the thriving city on the hill?
I'm not the first one to say this, and it isn't the first time I've said it, the Church we have today, is not what God intended for it to be. We were meant to be a city of young and old, the artistic, the academic, and the athletic, and yes there will be rich and poor. But in spite of our differences, we were meant to stand and shine together.
The academic, the poets, often find the artistic, the dancers, shallow and simple. The athletic, the soldiers, usually see the academic as weak. The young normally see the old as outdated and irrelevant, and the old see the young as foolish and inexperienced. Most of the time the rich don't take time for the poor. The city is divided, walls are built, and the individual lights begin to go out as the light of the city fades.
The Church has stopped being a city, and instead has become a country club. In a city every one works, in a country club you're there to take it easy. A city has travelers pass through and interact with the people; a country club is exclusive to members. In a city the people interact with each other and work together to better it; at a country club you sit with your clique of acquaintances and leave everyone else alone. Which one sounds more like your church?
Paul said in Philippians 2, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain" (verses 14-16).
Each member is a light. Each one shines in the darkness. Most of us have probably heard the stories of a single match lighting up the darkness of a huge cave, but honestly I don't know if I really believe that. My wife and I went into a couple of caves on our honeymoon. One we found along a hiking path and ventured a little ways into. The other one was part of a group tour that we got to take part of. The one along the path we went into with a flash light I had. It really didn't do much and my wife hit her leg on a rock, which I got blamed for since I had the flash light. The other cave we were with the group and the guide was explaining how people used to explore the cave before the modern set up of stairs, walkways, and electric lights. He turned them off and lit a candle, and honestly it didn't do that much, it lit up the area, but nowhere near what I expected it to from stories I had heard growing up. One light on its own doesn't really do all that much. But many lights, burning together, can chase off the darkness. "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."
The only way for the Church to be the Church that God created it to be is for us to stop running away, to stop being offended when something doesn't go our way, to stop being divided and stand firm together. It is the creativity of the artist that inspires the academic, and it is the passion of the academic that inspires the athletic. All of this feeds the fire of the young, and it is only this fire that will be able to transform the way things are and bring change, but it needs the wisdom of the old to channel it and guide it. And the rich must take time for the poor. We must reach out and help them so that there is no need.
If we continue on the road we are on the light will continue to fade and eventually be snuffed out. Many of the older church population I've listened to wonder why the Church is dying, and the answer is because the Church isn't being the Church. There is division and complacency, passion is smothered and starved, and the few that are trying to change the world are exhausted. One by one those who wanted and hoped to bring change are leaving and not looking back. Those with stories never get the chance to raise their voices, and valuable wisdom is never passed down because the music is too "worldly". And all the while the world is searching for a fading light that is getting harder and harder to see. They run after will-o'-the-wisps ("foolish fire"/atmospheric ghost lights seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travellers from the safe paths.)
Church, we must shake off the attitude of complacency and entitlement. We must realize that this is about something so much bigger than us, and that we are simply servants of the King of kings. Church is not about us, but about Him. We are not in this for our comfort but to build His Kingdom. Are we ready to be the Church? Or do we want to waste more time and let the light continue to fade?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Did you hear of the city on the hill?
Said one old man to the other
It once shined bright and it would be shining still
But they all started turning on each other
You see, the poets thought the dancers were shallow
And the soldiers thought the poets were weak
And the elders saw the young ones as foolish
And the rich man never heard the poor man speak
And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill
Each one thought that they knew better
That they were different by design
Instead of standing strong together
They let their differences divide
And one by one, they ran away
With their made up minds, to leave it all behind
And the light began to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill
And the world is searching still
But it was the rhythm of the dancers
That gave the poets life
It was the spirit of the poets
That gave the soldiers strength to fight
It was the fire of the young ones
It was the wisdom of the old
It was the story of the poor man
That needed to be told
It is the rhythm of the dancers
That gives the poets life
It is the spirit of the poets
That gives the soldiers strength to fight
It is the fire of the young ones
It is the wisdom of the old
It is the story of the poor man
That's needing to be told
One by one, will we run away
With our made up minds to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
One by one, will we run away
With our made up minds, to leave it all behind
As the light begins to fade, in the city on the hill
The city on the hill
Come home
And the Father's calling still
Come home
To the city on the hill
Come home
Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5.14-16). Most likely He was referring to Tzippori (silent T), also known as Sepphoris. It was a thriving Roman city in Galilee. It was a center of business and trade, a place full of life. It was a place that could not be hidden, and was easily seen by travelers on the road in the valley below.
The Church is to be a beacon of light that shines brightly in the darkness. It is to point people to God, and give glory to Him. Each of us is to be a light. But many don't do this today. The Church is not the respected body it once was, and in many places it is dwindling and trying to cling to life. What happened to the thriving city on the hill?
I'm not the first one to say this, and it isn't the first time I've said it, the Church we have today, is not what God intended for it to be. We were meant to be a city of young and old, the artistic, the academic, and the athletic, and yes there will be rich and poor. But in spite of our differences, we were meant to stand and shine together.
The academic, the poets, often find the artistic, the dancers, shallow and simple. The athletic, the soldiers, usually see the academic as weak. The young normally see the old as outdated and irrelevant, and the old see the young as foolish and inexperienced. Most of the time the rich don't take time for the poor. The city is divided, walls are built, and the individual lights begin to go out as the light of the city fades.
The Church has stopped being a city, and instead has become a country club. In a city every one works, in a country club you're there to take it easy. A city has travelers pass through and interact with the people; a country club is exclusive to members. In a city the people interact with each other and work together to better it; at a country club you sit with your clique of acquaintances and leave everyone else alone. Which one sounds more like your church?
Paul said in Philippians 2, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain" (verses 14-16).
Each member is a light. Each one shines in the darkness. Most of us have probably heard the stories of a single match lighting up the darkness of a huge cave, but honestly I don't know if I really believe that. My wife and I went into a couple of caves on our honeymoon. One we found along a hiking path and ventured a little ways into. The other one was part of a group tour that we got to take part of. The one along the path we went into with a flash light I had. It really didn't do much and my wife hit her leg on a rock, which I got blamed for since I had the flash light. The other cave we were with the group and the guide was explaining how people used to explore the cave before the modern set up of stairs, walkways, and electric lights. He turned them off and lit a candle, and honestly it didn't do that much, it lit up the area, but nowhere near what I expected it to from stories I had heard growing up. One light on its own doesn't really do all that much. But many lights, burning together, can chase off the darkness. "A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."
The only way for the Church to be the Church that God created it to be is for us to stop running away, to stop being offended when something doesn't go our way, to stop being divided and stand firm together. It is the creativity of the artist that inspires the academic, and it is the passion of the academic that inspires the athletic. All of this feeds the fire of the young, and it is only this fire that will be able to transform the way things are and bring change, but it needs the wisdom of the old to channel it and guide it. And the rich must take time for the poor. We must reach out and help them so that there is no need.
If we continue on the road we are on the light will continue to fade and eventually be snuffed out. Many of the older church population I've listened to wonder why the Church is dying, and the answer is because the Church isn't being the Church. There is division and complacency, passion is smothered and starved, and the few that are trying to change the world are exhausted. One by one those who wanted and hoped to bring change are leaving and not looking back. Those with stories never get the chance to raise their voices, and valuable wisdom is never passed down because the music is too "worldly". And all the while the world is searching for a fading light that is getting harder and harder to see. They run after will-o'-the-wisps ("foolish fire"/atmospheric ghost lights seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travellers from the safe paths.)
Church, we must shake off the attitude of complacency and entitlement. We must realize that this is about something so much bigger than us, and that we are simply servants of the King of kings. Church is not about us, but about Him. We are not in this for our comfort but to build His Kingdom. Are we ready to be the Church? Or do we want to waste more time and let the light continue to fade?
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Monday, June 17, 2013
Two Six Letter Words
In the past week I've heard two words that have impacted me greatly. One has shaken me, the other has freed me. In a way it's interesting (possibly just coincidental) that both of them are six letters long. Any guess as to what they are?
C-A-N-C-E-R, is the first. It's that one work no one ever wants to hear. So much so that Brad Paisley wrote a song where the opening lyrics are, "You're not supposed to say the word 'cancer' in a song". I don't know that there is another word that drains you of hope like this one. Hearing a loved one may have it hits you in a way I can't fully describe.
My wife had a few beauty marks on her face. A few weeks ago one of them started hurting for no reason. She got up Sunday morning and it was bleeding. The next day she went to the doctor, who took one look at it and said, "That's coming off." I wasn't at the appointment and got the initial story through sobs over the phone. I got home, hugged my wife, and told her everything would be ok and I would take care of her.
At that point none of it had sunk in for me. I wasn't in denial, but almost shocked disbelief. The next day I was walking Rosie early in the morning and talking with God. And it hit me. I began to fight back some tears as the reality of the situation began to sink in. The fear that hits you there in that moment is heavy and overwhelming. It's a reality that you can't escape, and can find very little comfort for.
I told four people initially, a pastor, and three of my brothers. They joined us in prayer as we started down this road. We were sent to a plastic surgeon who explained to us how they would remove the two moles. Surgery was scheduled, and he told us he wasn't concerned with them being cancerous. There is some relief in hearing that the odds are good, but at the same time, he's just a man who can't see under the skin. The surgery took place, you can read about that on my wife's blog, I wasn't able to be in the room. And then we waited.
Friday we heard another six letter word, the one every person in our situation hopes to hear, B-E-N-I-G-N. Just as the first word pulls the life out of you, this second one breathes it back into you. You are bound by the first one, and freed by the second. I sat in my vehicle as my wife gave me the news, and afterwards fought back tears, this time of joy. It's amazing how much sooner the reality of the second word hits you than the first. It's amazing how overwhelming the joy and relief can be.
I sat there, and just thanked God over and over. That simple phrase is all I could get out.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
C-A-N-C-E-R, is the first. It's that one work no one ever wants to hear. So much so that Brad Paisley wrote a song where the opening lyrics are, "You're not supposed to say the word 'cancer' in a song". I don't know that there is another word that drains you of hope like this one. Hearing a loved one may have it hits you in a way I can't fully describe.
My wife had a few beauty marks on her face. A few weeks ago one of them started hurting for no reason. She got up Sunday morning and it was bleeding. The next day she went to the doctor, who took one look at it and said, "That's coming off." I wasn't at the appointment and got the initial story through sobs over the phone. I got home, hugged my wife, and told her everything would be ok and I would take care of her.
At that point none of it had sunk in for me. I wasn't in denial, but almost shocked disbelief. The next day I was walking Rosie early in the morning and talking with God. And it hit me. I began to fight back some tears as the reality of the situation began to sink in. The fear that hits you there in that moment is heavy and overwhelming. It's a reality that you can't escape, and can find very little comfort for.
I told four people initially, a pastor, and three of my brothers. They joined us in prayer as we started down this road. We were sent to a plastic surgeon who explained to us how they would remove the two moles. Surgery was scheduled, and he told us he wasn't concerned with them being cancerous. There is some relief in hearing that the odds are good, but at the same time, he's just a man who can't see under the skin. The surgery took place, you can read about that on my wife's blog, I wasn't able to be in the room. And then we waited.
Friday we heard another six letter word, the one every person in our situation hopes to hear, B-E-N-I-G-N. Just as the first word pulls the life out of you, this second one breathes it back into you. You are bound by the first one, and freed by the second. I sat in my vehicle as my wife gave me the news, and afterwards fought back tears, this time of joy. It's amazing how much sooner the reality of the second word hits you than the first. It's amazing how overwhelming the joy and relief can be.
I sat there, and just thanked God over and over. That simple phrase is all I could get out.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Monday, June 3, 2013
More From the Garden, Seeds
Spring finally came, the weather was warm enough, and I was able to finally plant some watermelon seeds. This year I don't have the area that I did last year so I'm attempting something new, watermelons in pots. I had two sprouts that were doing great but mysteriously died early last week. Fortunatly I had saved some of the seeds I had in the event that something like this happened. Currently I have seven sprouts and all of them are doing well.
Last year I bought seeds for something like $1.19, and enjoyed several melons. I lost a few to the squirrles, one or two to the lawn mower, and few started growing too late and didn't have time to fully mature. But the melons that did mature, aside from delicious fruit, produced seeds, some of which I kept. Guess what I planted this year?
If this attempt at pot grown melons works, I'll collect more seeds to plant next year, and the cycle will continue until something happens where the planted seeds don't sprout and mature to produce fruit full of seeds. If my plan works I will have only payed $1.19 for watermelon since I was 25. And so let me ask a question, how many watermelons are in a watermelon seed?
Think about it, every melon produces dozens of seeds. Each one of the those seeds if planted in proper soil has the potential to become a vine. And with the proper care each vine has the ability to produce several melons. Each one of those melons contains dozens more seeds that can yield the same results. That's a lot of melons from a single seed. All it takes is one seed to produce an endless supply of new fruit every year.
Not every seed that is planted will be fruitful. Last year I had two whole rowes of watermelon seeds that didn't even sprout. This year I had a few other seeds that didn't, or as I said once they sprouted they died. I also dabbled a little with apple seeds, I have no idea how many I planted, but I only have one that is actually becoming a tree. Some of them never sprouted, some did but were eaten by squirrles, and some that survived the squirrles never developed roots and died. But the one that has grown, if it makes it a few more years, will begin to produce fruit. And when that happens the cycle begins again, with limitless potential.
When it comes to seeds and plants there is some amount of control we have. We decide if and where to plant the seed. We can to an extent control the water it gets, and based on planting location the amount of sun light it recieves. But no matter what we do, we cannot make it grow or produce fruit. But if it grows to maturity it will produce fruit because it is part of it's design to do so. It is a natural response to the plants stage of life.
The life of a Christian is like that of the seed. The Bible contains many different images that relate the two. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a parable of a farmer going out to sew his seed. As he scaters it some falls along the path, some along the rocky soil, some among the thorns, and some on good soil. In Nazareth, Israel there is a place called Nasareth Villiage, a place were a first century wine press was discovered, and were a section of a first century village has been reconstructed. Visitors get the chance to step back into the time, and place, where Jesus grew up, and see a glimpse of the life he experianced as a boy. While here several of the parables and miracles of Jesus become clearer and take on new meaning and understanding as you see exactly what Jesus was refrenceing as He spoke.
As you walk along the path of the terraced farming strucutre you'll notice areas where throny weeds are growing, intermixed with patches of rocks and sections of good soil. The farmer was simply scatering seed, letting it fall where it would, knowing that some of it would grow and some of it wouldn't. But he knew that the seed that did would produce a great harvest.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul gives another reference to the growing process, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth" (verse 6). Sometimes this is how it works. Someone plants a seed, and for one reason or another that is all they are able to do. And then someone else comes a long and waters that seed. But ultimately it all comes down to God makeing the seed grow to the point where it produces fruit. But just because we never get to enjoy the fruit, it doesn't mean we don't plant and water. Those steps are crucial because without them there can be no growth. If a seed is never planted it cannot grow. If it is never watered it will not grow.
And plants don't stop with growth. Psalm 1 tells us this, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."
Every plant must bear fruit, otherwise it isn't doing what it was created to do. Every plant that grows and is connected to a source of life will yeild fruit in season. It is part of what plants do, and "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7.19).
The life of a Christ follower is only complete when fruit is produced. Some of it is only going to be planting seeds. Some of it is only going to be watering seeds others have planted. But sometimes we get to see the entire growing process, and we get to give praise to God for that.
Are you planting? Are you watering? Are you bearing fruit? It's an essential question we have to ask, because it is part of our design and purpose as Chrsit followers. Psalm 1 tells us that those who are connected to God bear fruit, and Jesus said that those who do not are cut down and thrown into the fire. Every branch that is unfruitful is pruned so that it doesn't suck up nutrients that the fruitful branches need.
How many watermelons are in a seed? How many apples are? How many new lives are in a single Christ follower? You never know what a $1.19 investment will produce, so don't hesitate to do the little things just becuase you might not see the fruit. And when the moments come harvest praise God for them.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Last year I bought seeds for something like $1.19, and enjoyed several melons. I lost a few to the squirrles, one or two to the lawn mower, and few started growing too late and didn't have time to fully mature. But the melons that did mature, aside from delicious fruit, produced seeds, some of which I kept. Guess what I planted this year?
If this attempt at pot grown melons works, I'll collect more seeds to plant next year, and the cycle will continue until something happens where the planted seeds don't sprout and mature to produce fruit full of seeds. If my plan works I will have only payed $1.19 for watermelon since I was 25. And so let me ask a question, how many watermelons are in a watermelon seed?
Think about it, every melon produces dozens of seeds. Each one of the those seeds if planted in proper soil has the potential to become a vine. And with the proper care each vine has the ability to produce several melons. Each one of those melons contains dozens more seeds that can yield the same results. That's a lot of melons from a single seed. All it takes is one seed to produce an endless supply of new fruit every year.
Not every seed that is planted will be fruitful. Last year I had two whole rowes of watermelon seeds that didn't even sprout. This year I had a few other seeds that didn't, or as I said once they sprouted they died. I also dabbled a little with apple seeds, I have no idea how many I planted, but I only have one that is actually becoming a tree. Some of them never sprouted, some did but were eaten by squirrles, and some that survived the squirrles never developed roots and died. But the one that has grown, if it makes it a few more years, will begin to produce fruit. And when that happens the cycle begins again, with limitless potential.
When it comes to seeds and plants there is some amount of control we have. We decide if and where to plant the seed. We can to an extent control the water it gets, and based on planting location the amount of sun light it recieves. But no matter what we do, we cannot make it grow or produce fruit. But if it grows to maturity it will produce fruit because it is part of it's design to do so. It is a natural response to the plants stage of life.
The life of a Christian is like that of the seed. The Bible contains many different images that relate the two. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a parable of a farmer going out to sew his seed. As he scaters it some falls along the path, some along the rocky soil, some among the thorns, and some on good soil. In Nazareth, Israel there is a place called Nasareth Villiage, a place were a first century wine press was discovered, and were a section of a first century village has been reconstructed. Visitors get the chance to step back into the time, and place, where Jesus grew up, and see a glimpse of the life he experianced as a boy. While here several of the parables and miracles of Jesus become clearer and take on new meaning and understanding as you see exactly what Jesus was refrenceing as He spoke.
As you walk along the path of the terraced farming strucutre you'll notice areas where throny weeds are growing, intermixed with patches of rocks and sections of good soil. The farmer was simply scatering seed, letting it fall where it would, knowing that some of it would grow and some of it wouldn't. But he knew that the seed that did would produce a great harvest.
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul gives another reference to the growing process, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth" (verse 6). Sometimes this is how it works. Someone plants a seed, and for one reason or another that is all they are able to do. And then someone else comes a long and waters that seed. But ultimately it all comes down to God makeing the seed grow to the point where it produces fruit. But just because we never get to enjoy the fruit, it doesn't mean we don't plant and water. Those steps are crucial because without them there can be no growth. If a seed is never planted it cannot grow. If it is never watered it will not grow.
And plants don't stop with growth. Psalm 1 tells us this, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."
Every plant must bear fruit, otherwise it isn't doing what it was created to do. Every plant that grows and is connected to a source of life will yeild fruit in season. It is part of what plants do, and "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7.19).
The life of a Christ follower is only complete when fruit is produced. Some of it is only going to be planting seeds. Some of it is only going to be watering seeds others have planted. But sometimes we get to see the entire growing process, and we get to give praise to God for that.
Are you planting? Are you watering? Are you bearing fruit? It's an essential question we have to ask, because it is part of our design and purpose as Chrsit followers. Psalm 1 tells us that those who are connected to God bear fruit, and Jesus said that those who do not are cut down and thrown into the fire. Every branch that is unfruitful is pruned so that it doesn't suck up nutrients that the fruitful branches need.
How many watermelons are in a seed? How many apples are? How many new lives are in a single Christ follower? You never know what a $1.19 investment will produce, so don't hesitate to do the little things just becuase you might not see the fruit. And when the moments come harvest praise God for them.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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