A few nights ago I was listening to Chris Rice sing about, love - walking with God and reality. A particular song resonated way down deep. I have listened to, and sang along with this song on many occasions but Tuesday night it went deeper than it has before. The name of the song is Pardon My Dust. Read the lyrics, selah (and think about them carefully)
Pardon my dust,
excuse the mess we're making somethin' new out of all of this
I'm saying my prayers, and I'm trying to change so give me some time,
'cause I'm still finding my way
Why are you lookin' at me this way?
pointing your finger, shakin' your head
how 'bout some love along the way, instead
Pardon my dust, excuse this mess
I've left a trail of debris,
so you've gotta be very careful where you step
I've made some mistakes, so what?
Done quite a few things wrong
Could you roll up your tidy sleeves and help a brother along?
(Chorus) Pardon my dust, excuse the mess Please don't be another judge I need to try to impress Stop calling me names, stop casting your stones let the good Lord sort this all out when we are all at home
Pardon my dust,
excuse my mess
help me believe there's gonna be something beautiful on the other side of this
have patience with me,
I'm still sweeping floors
so pardon my dust, I'll pardon yours
Every time I sing that song I remember Matt 7:12.
I can find at least thirty two (32) things that I am specifically to do for others listed in the New Testament, not once am I commanded to judge (critique) my brother or sister.
One more item that I will throw out for consideration. Have you ever heard that we are supposed "to love the sinner but hate their sin?" What we are really commanded to do is love the sinner (Matt 5:44), and hate the sin in our own lives. In my case Matthew 7:3 still applies. Somebody give me a hand with this beam!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
A Sunday to remember
At the counsel of our pastor we have been having church in our home for almost a year now. At times it has just been Lynn and I, other times we have had a house full. God has been so good to us in these house meetings. Through this year God has seen fit to pour out His spirit any many of our services. Thanks be to God!
This year has been a learning process. A process we did not choose, and would not have embarked on without the counsel of our pastor. The learning curve has been steep and Lynn has had to exercise a great deal of patience with me (I Cor 13:4), for which I am very thankful. It takes a wise woman to encourage her husband without leading him, to communicate without criticizing, to embrace change with all the uncertainty that goes with it.
One of the great lessons I have learned, or should I say I am in the process of learning, is the importance of connecting. God inspired preaching is wasted if the preacher is not connecting to those to which he is trying minister. Yesterday we connected! Not because I am such a gifted orator, but because I was willing to set aside my way of doing things let God have his way.
We gathered in our living room/sanctuary a little before noon. Lynn shared something she had been reading about the Godhead. We started discussing the Holy Ghost, what it really is, and what it does. I brought up that it is what causes us to produce the fruit (Gal 5:22-23), when we will allow it to do so. Anthony read that passage in Galatians, and I began to break down each of the items listed "...love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance...". We started with love. I ask them (Anna, Anthony, and Lynn) to turn over to I Cor 13:4-7, Which Anna read. We took each of those characteristics of charity and broke them down. I ask for 'today's English" versions of each one. I am not being critical of the King James Version, I have just found that if somone can put something in their own words it is a good indicator that they know what it means. I also ask for examples of how they had been able to exercise each quality in their lives. Almost four hours later Anthony glanced at his watch a exclaimed how quickly time had passed. We had only covered three verses regarding the first of ten items listed in Galatians 5:22. But we had connected - with each other and more importantly with the Lord! Praised God, it was good!
Every service is different. Often we begin with prayer, we sing, sometimes I preach or teach, we have testimonies. I am a creature of habit and it is easy for me to fall into a 'program". I am not saying a structure is bad, as long as it is God building the structure. Couldn't we say following the Spirit is submitting to his structure? I just want to make sure I am following His plan and not my own.
We followed the Spirit in our little house meeting, God let us feel his approval, and we came away edified. Could we ask for anything more?
This year has been a learning process. A process we did not choose, and would not have embarked on without the counsel of our pastor. The learning curve has been steep and Lynn has had to exercise a great deal of patience with me (I Cor 13:4), for which I am very thankful. It takes a wise woman to encourage her husband without leading him, to communicate without criticizing, to embrace change with all the uncertainty that goes with it.
One of the great lessons I have learned, or should I say I am in the process of learning, is the importance of connecting. God inspired preaching is wasted if the preacher is not connecting to those to which he is trying minister. Yesterday we connected! Not because I am such a gifted orator, but because I was willing to set aside my way of doing things let God have his way.
We gathered in our living room/sanctuary a little before noon. Lynn shared something she had been reading about the Godhead. We started discussing the Holy Ghost, what it really is, and what it does. I brought up that it is what causes us to produce the fruit (Gal 5:22-23), when we will allow it to do so. Anthony read that passage in Galatians, and I began to break down each of the items listed "...love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance...". We started with love. I ask them (Anna, Anthony, and Lynn) to turn over to I Cor 13:4-7, Which Anna read. We took each of those characteristics of charity and broke them down. I ask for 'today's English" versions of each one. I am not being critical of the King James Version, I have just found that if somone can put something in their own words it is a good indicator that they know what it means. I also ask for examples of how they had been able to exercise each quality in their lives. Almost four hours later Anthony glanced at his watch a exclaimed how quickly time had passed. We had only covered three verses regarding the first of ten items listed in Galatians 5:22. But we had connected - with each other and more importantly with the Lord! Praised God, it was good!
Every service is different. Often we begin with prayer, we sing, sometimes I preach or teach, we have testimonies. I am a creature of habit and it is easy for me to fall into a 'program". I am not saying a structure is bad, as long as it is God building the structure. Couldn't we say following the Spirit is submitting to his structure? I just want to make sure I am following His plan and not my own.
We followed the Spirit in our little house meeting, God let us feel his approval, and we came away edified. Could we ask for anything more?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Follow Him
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is a dangerous place. There is always a lot going on day and night when the ship is underway. Planes taking off and landing, aircraft being moved, cargo being loaded and unloaded, bombs and missiles being handled. There is jet fuel, ammunition, spinning propellers and rotors, howling jet engine intakes, and roaring exhaust and people, lots of people. It is loud almost beyond belief, and smells of fuel, hydraulic fluid, and exhaust. All of this is happening under the direction of the Air Boss, perched above the flight deck in a many-windowed tower. It is a well-oiled machine staffed by highly trained men and women. To those who know what is going on "flight ops" are thing of beauty. To the uninitiated it looks like chaos.
If you were ever to visit a carrier and arrive while it is at sea, you would come via COD. The COD is not a fish, it's a plane. COD stands for Carrier On-Board Delivery. Once on deck you would be directed to the aircraft's door, as you exited the plane you would be lead off the flight deck safely by a person wearing a vest, that they call a float-coat, with the following words stenciled in large letters across the back "FOLLOW ME". As long as you stay behind them and keep following they will get you to safety.
The world that we live in is a lot like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. There is spiritual danger, distractions, confusion, things that can hurt, or even kill us and then it gets dark! . We are, many times, not even aware of the real danger. Just as Peter could not see that Satan desired to sift him as wheat, so we can not see, we're not aware of what is going on around us all the time. We needed (still need) someone to lead us to safety (2Cor 1:10), someone who can see and knows how to lead us all the way. Up there at the right hand of the Father we have someone watching over us. His plan being executed in all the chaos that is this world.
God ministered a guide to us, He gave us Jesus!. Yes, In the midst of all that life brings we have someone to guide us to safety, someone to save us. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus told his disciples "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
We follow Him by, at the risk of oversimplifying this very important principle, being obedient to the leading of the Spirit and to His word. To be obedient to His word we have to read it, study it, and DO IT! In James 1:22 he is quite emphatic that we "...be doers of the word, and not hearers only..." I will try expound on the idea of following Christ in greater detail in another post. For now I will just add, 1 Peter 2:21 "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow in his steps." As long as we keep our focus on Jesus, and keep following (Matt 10:22) He will save us.
This song came to mind while I was writing:
Follow On
1) Down in the valley with my Savior I will go,Where the flow’rs are blooming and the sweet waters flow; Everywhere He leads me I will follow, follow on, Walking in His footsteps till the crown be won.
Refrain: Follow! follow! I will follow Jesus! Anywhere, everywhere, I will follow on!Follow! follow! I will follow Jesus! Everywhere He leads me I will follow on!
2) Down in the valley with my Savior I will go, Where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow; With His hand to lead me I will never, never fear, Danger cannot fright me if my Lord is near.
3) Down in the valley, or upon the mountain steep, Close beside my Savior will my soul ever keep; He will lead me safely in the path that He has trod, Up to where they gather on the hills of God.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I just want to be where you are...
I have about an hour commute every morning and evening. Sometimes I use this time productively - prayer, singing, meditation on the scriptures, listening to church services, teaching, or the Bible. At other times I am not so productive - thinking about problems I cant solve, day-dreaming, or wishing I had a 75 MM cannon mounted in the bed of my truck so I could eliminate drivers with particularly offensive habits.
On the best days God and I commune in what has become my prayer closet of opportunity. A prayer closet named "Nissan Frontier". This morning was one of those times. After about 30 minutes of prayer and meditation I found my self singing this song:
Verse 1) I just want to be where You are, dwelling daily in Your presence, I don't want to worship from afar, draw me near to where You are
Verse 2) I just want to be where You are, in Your dwelling place forever, Take me to the place where You are, I just want to be with You
Chorus) I want to be where You are, dwelling in Your presence, Feasting at Your table,surrounded by Your glory, In Your presence,that's where I always want to be, I just want to be, I just want to be with You
Verse 3) I just want to be where You are, to enter boldly in Your presence, I don't want to worship from afar,draw me near to where You are
Coda) Oh, my God, You are my strength and my song, And when I'm in Your presence Though I'm weak You're always strong
(Repeat Verses 1 and 2) Ending, I just want to be, I just want to be with You
I sounded a lot like Don Moen this morning!
These scriptures came to mind as I was thinking about the words of this song:
Psalms 63:1 "O God. thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is"
Proverbs 8:17 " "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me".
Hebrew 11;6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him".
God wants us to pursue, feel out after, reach for Him. He wants us to desire to draw close to Him. In Psalms 63:8 David said "My soul followeth hard after thee..." When we do seek Him, He rewards us by letting us be closer to Him. Meditate on Psalms 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty". What a picture of the place He is offering us every day.
I just want to be where He is!
On the best days God and I commune in what has become my prayer closet of opportunity. A prayer closet named "Nissan Frontier". This morning was one of those times. After about 30 minutes of prayer and meditation I found my self singing this song:
Verse 1) I just want to be where You are, dwelling daily in Your presence, I don't want to worship from afar, draw me near to where You are
Verse 2) I just want to be where You are, in Your dwelling place forever, Take me to the place where You are, I just want to be with You
Chorus) I want to be where You are, dwelling in Your presence, Feasting at Your table,surrounded by Your glory, In Your presence,that's where I always want to be, I just want to be, I just want to be with You
Verse 3) I just want to be where You are, to enter boldly in Your presence, I don't want to worship from afar,draw me near to where You are
Coda) Oh, my God, You are my strength and my song, And when I'm in Your presence Though I'm weak You're always strong
(Repeat Verses 1 and 2) Ending, I just want to be, I just want to be with You
I sounded a lot like Don Moen this morning!
These scriptures came to mind as I was thinking about the words of this song:
Psalms 63:1 "O God. thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is"
Proverbs 8:17 " "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me".
Hebrew 11;6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him".
God wants us to pursue, feel out after, reach for Him. He wants us to desire to draw close to Him. In Psalms 63:8 David said "My soul followeth hard after thee..." When we do seek Him, He rewards us by letting us be closer to Him. Meditate on Psalms 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty". What a picture of the place He is offering us every day.
I just want to be where He is!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
One thing have I desired...
I feel blessed and honored that years ago the Lord placed a desire in my heart to serve him. He let me see my need for Him, forgave me, filled me with the Holy Ghost and placed me in His kingdom. The psalmist said it best:
I came to realize that it was His mercy that brought me here. There was nothing I could have done, no barter or trade that I could have made with Him. He saw my need, and had compassion on me. Psalms 40:2 describes so accurately what He did for me. "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my goings". There I was lost in sin, a death sentence on my head and he saved me! And that was just the beginning.
I am just thankful, so thankful for what He has done for me. So I want to live a life that will show my appreciation for His sacrifice and His love and mercy that have been so graciously extended to me.
This is my life
This is what I live for
Just to be with God's people
In this hour....
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