Adore - "to worship," comes a root word that mean "to open the mouth!" Those who know me well, hear me speak often (perhaps too often?) of my family. My wife and adult children are a central part of my life; one of the primary ways that I define who I am in this world. Because of my deep affection, I cannot help but take interest in what they do. I tell Bev that I love her everyday- because I do! I don't have to leave a note to myself - "Be sure to adore your wife!" My words flow out of my heart- easily, often, and sincerely. Does my love for her need to be protected and nurtured? Absolutely! Life distractions, other temptations, and Satanic deceptions have destroyed many good marriages. Knowing that, it is the prayer of my heart and intent of my thoughts to keep our love fresh and strong. Some say that a life-long monogamous relationship is not possible. They are wrong! Love changes over time, but as it matures it can and will grow stronger.
I adore Jesus, too. In many ways, my love for the Lord is similar to familial love - strong, enduring, life-defining, and in need of daily nurture! I speak often of Him. I worship Him with words and actions, and I feel the pressure of temptation that, given opportunity, would dilute my passion for God! I pray that adoration for Him will only deepen with time.Can we honestly profess to adore Christ Jesus IF we never speak ofHim or seldom speak to Him? I think not. We may be fond of Jesus without speaking of Him. We may trust Him as Savior without speaking of Him, but we cannot claim to adore Him and remain silent about Him. IF we adore Him, we will speak of Him. "Your love, God, is my song, and I'll sing it! I'm forever telling everyone how faithful you are. I'll never quit telling the story of your love-how you built the cosmos and guaranteed everything in it. Your love has always been our lives' foundation, your fidelity has been the roof over our world." -- Psalm 89 The Message
Some who once loved Him have allowed other loves to crowd in. They now love their reputation, or their job, or their money, or their house, or... yes, there are many temptations that would take us from our love for Him. In the book of the Revelation, Jesus laments the state of the church in Ephesus. They broke His heart by allowing their fervent passion to cool. They were dutifully religious, but without adoration! He says to them, "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first." (Revelation 2:3-5, NIV)
This Advent Season when you hear that carol, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," played, I hope it will stir you to a renewed adoration! Open your mouth and give Him praise. Sing and speak of His goodness. A word of caution is in order here. IF you don't adore Him, then don't try to convince yourself or someone else that you do with empty words or borrowed words! Your insincerity will quickly become apparent to others, if not to yourself! YOU can adore Him. If your love of Christ has gone cold, there is but one reason: increase of sin and disobedience.
Of this I am completely convinced: Love is first and foremost a choice; secondarily an emotion. Jesus warned that "Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold." (Matthew 24:12) If that's describing you, turn back to God. Find a place alone with Him and tell Him you've fallen for another lover, then renew your commitment to Him. Go to those you've wronged and ask them for forgiveness. Then, accept the wonderful love of the Savior whose "unfailing love never ends! By his mercies we have beenkept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day." (Lamentations3:22-23)
_________________
O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels.
O come let us adore Him,O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Sing choirs of angels, Sing in exultation,
O sing all ye bright hosts of heav'n above.
Glory to God,All glory in the highest.
O come let us adore Him,O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus to Thee be all glory giv'n.
Word of the Father now in flesh appearing.
O come let us adore Him,O come let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
John Wade © Public Domain
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
On the Sargasso Sea?
In the mid-Atlantic, there is an area of becalmed waters about 700 miles across and 2000 miles long! It is called the Sargasso Sea. The area is bounded by strong currents and much of it is covered with seaweed. More recently, various bits of plastic garbage collects there in tangles, too. Even the salinity of the water is higher than the ocean that surrounds it. In the Doldrums, sailing vessels often sat at the edge of the Sargasso Sea for days making little or no progress. What a metaphor for a life becalmed! Not a life of calm, nor one of peace, but one where our ship is stalled without wind her sails.
Do you ever feel stuck in life, like the wind of the Spirit has stopped blowing; in a place surrounded by the flotsam of life? Alan Jamieson wrote that in such times, "the old ways of prayer, worship, Bible reading become dry and stale. The church worship and preaching that used to encourage us, teach us, and inspire us becomes barren ground. God seems to extinguish one means of feeding our faith in order to make us hungry, even starving, for new ways. ... Now that the way is void and empty, God comes to us in new ways, if only we can perceive them. When we are becalmed, we learn to wait." -Perfect Storm, Abingdon, 2008
I believe I can truthfully say that I would rather be in a storm, than sitting with no Wind in the sails: waiting, wondering, watching! To be there is to be in a kind of Sargasso Sea, spiritually speaking. Strong currents of the Spirit may be flowing, letting us know He's still at work in the world. But, we wonder when our ship will catch that Wind and resume forward progress, don't we? In those times, I am tempted to try to stir up something of God myself! To do so is a dangerous thing, for that driving force which does not come from the Spirit is either demonic or, more probably, of Self - borne of human emotions and/or desires. Neither produces the fruit of the Spirit, nor can they accomplish the purposes of God. Better to wait patiently on the Lord.
The Psalmist's prayer is one for those who are becalmed. "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel (people of God), put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." (Psalm 130:5-7, NIV)
We should take a cue from Jesus' words to the disciples at the birth of the Church.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." (Acts 1:4, NIV) Wait; don't fret, fuss, or fume! And wait they did; prayerfully, expectantly, patiently. In God's time, the Spirit moved on them. "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:2, NIV) "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:4, NIV) Those men and women set sail to change the world!
_________________________
There's a wind that blows full of life and pow'r,
As in all creation's most solemn hour,
When God gently breathed on a form of sod;
And the first man lived by the breath of God.
Let it breathe on me, Let it breathe on me,
Let this breath of God now breathe on me.
Sweet the sound from heav'n, as with tongues of fire,
Suddenly the wind filled the room entire;
As of old, again send Thy Spirit, Lord!
Let it breathe on us while of one accord.
Blessed Breath of Life, no one sees or knows
From whence this wind comes, neither where it goes,
But the broken heart, the surrendered will,
And the hungry soul it will surely fill.
Let it breathe on me, Let it breathe on me,
Let this breath of God now breathe on me.
The Breath of God © 1925, Renewed 1949 Wm. E. Booth-Clibborn (Admin. by Whetzel, F. Randall)CCLI License No. 810055
Do you ever feel stuck in life, like the wind of the Spirit has stopped blowing; in a place surrounded by the flotsam of life? Alan Jamieson wrote that in such times, "the old ways of prayer, worship, Bible reading become dry and stale. The church worship and preaching that used to encourage us, teach us, and inspire us becomes barren ground. God seems to extinguish one means of feeding our faith in order to make us hungry, even starving, for new ways. ... Now that the way is void and empty, God comes to us in new ways, if only we can perceive them. When we are becalmed, we learn to wait." -Perfect Storm, Abingdon, 2008
I believe I can truthfully say that I would rather be in a storm, than sitting with no Wind in the sails: waiting, wondering, watching! To be there is to be in a kind of Sargasso Sea, spiritually speaking. Strong currents of the Spirit may be flowing, letting us know He's still at work in the world. But, we wonder when our ship will catch that Wind and resume forward progress, don't we? In those times, I am tempted to try to stir up something of God myself! To do so is a dangerous thing, for that driving force which does not come from the Spirit is either demonic or, more probably, of Self - borne of human emotions and/or desires. Neither produces the fruit of the Spirit, nor can they accomplish the purposes of God. Better to wait patiently on the Lord.
The Psalmist's prayer is one for those who are becalmed. "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel (people of God), put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." (Psalm 130:5-7, NIV)
We should take a cue from Jesus' words to the disciples at the birth of the Church.
"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." (Acts 1:4, NIV) Wait; don't fret, fuss, or fume! And wait they did; prayerfully, expectantly, patiently. In God's time, the Spirit moved on them. "Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:2, NIV) "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:4, NIV) Those men and women set sail to change the world!
_________________________
There's a wind that blows full of life and pow'r,
As in all creation's most solemn hour,
When God gently breathed on a form of sod;
And the first man lived by the breath of God.
Let it breathe on me, Let it breathe on me,
Let this breath of God now breathe on me.
Sweet the sound from heav'n, as with tongues of fire,
Suddenly the wind filled the room entire;
As of old, again send Thy Spirit, Lord!
Let it breathe on us while of one accord.
Blessed Breath of Life, no one sees or knows
From whence this wind comes, neither where it goes,
But the broken heart, the surrendered will,
And the hungry soul it will surely fill.
Let it breathe on me, Let it breathe on me,
Let this breath of God now breathe on me.
The Breath of God © 1925, Renewed 1949 Wm. E. Booth-Clibborn (Admin. by Whetzel, F. Randall)CCLI License No. 810055
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Faith, not Fate
Many years ago, I just 'knew' that I was called to a church in a far away city. An opportunity existed there that was 'just exactly what I need,' or so I thought. Everything about it made sense to me! So, I made plans, gathered resources, and took a long trip to visit that church I was so sure was my new calling. Blinded my own desires I was about to walk into a deteriorating situation where I would have been hurt, caught up in circumstances beyond my control. Thankfully, during my visit the Holy Spirit made it plain to me that I was walking against the purposes of God. Nobody told me of problems, but I could not find any rest in my soul. I even started to be physically sick! After a couple of days in that city, I finally gave up my plans and accepted His. In the moment of surrender, peace settled over me and I returned home to settle down and serve! Months later, when I learned of difficult circumstances that had come to that church, I was so thankful that the Lord had spared me a terrible experience and I learned to trust Him even when obedience meant giving up a dream.
I do not believe in fate, but I am assured that if we faithfully keep step with the Spirit, that God always leads and guides us. The Word tells us that "If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24, NIV) We need to be cautious about trusting our own instincts, even our own wisdom. Peter loved Jesus and when he heard Him talking about going to the Cross, Mark says he "took him aside and began to rebuke him." (Mark 8:32, NIV) That Jesus would die the death of a common criminal, on a Roman cross, suffering such agony, and be in the will of God at the same time was incomprehensible to Peter! What purpose could such a thing serve? But the Cross was the plan of God! Peter's good intentions, but ignorance of the will of the Father, earned him a strong correction. "Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works." (Mark 8:33, The Message)
It is important to guard against willfulness in our daily decisions by learning to have a heart that obeys without argument. We don't have to be paralyzed by a fear of walking out of the will of God! He's a big God. However, a stubborn heart or a failure to listen carefully will likely cause us to wander from the path He has planned.
I love the advice that is found in the 37th Psalm.
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:1-7, NIV)
________________
Father, I thank you for the promise that You will always guide us.
I am often tempted to live by my own wits and wisdom!
Keep me near to Your heart and give me the grace to reject the sins that dulls my hearing and clouds my vision.
My greatest joy is to do what You want me to do, to be where You desire me to be.
Make the way plain, Lord, and gently, yet firmly, keep me in the center of Your plan where there is great joy, wonderful peace, and blessings for this life and eternity.
In Jesus' Name, I ask this today. Amen.
I do not believe in fate, but I am assured that if we faithfully keep step with the Spirit, that God always leads and guides us. The Word tells us that "If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23-24, NIV) We need to be cautious about trusting our own instincts, even our own wisdom. Peter loved Jesus and when he heard Him talking about going to the Cross, Mark says he "took him aside and began to rebuke him." (Mark 8:32, NIV) That Jesus would die the death of a common criminal, on a Roman cross, suffering such agony, and be in the will of God at the same time was incomprehensible to Peter! What purpose could such a thing serve? But the Cross was the plan of God! Peter's good intentions, but ignorance of the will of the Father, earned him a strong correction. "Turning and seeing his disciples wavering, wondering what to believe, Jesus confronted Peter. "Peter, get out of my way! Satan, get lost! You have no idea how God works." (Mark 8:33, The Message)
It is important to guard against willfulness in our daily decisions by learning to have a heart that obeys without argument. We don't have to be paralyzed by a fear of walking out of the will of God! He's a big God. However, a stubborn heart or a failure to listen carefully will likely cause us to wander from the path He has planned.
I love the advice that is found in the 37th Psalm.
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:1-7, NIV)
________________
Father, I thank you for the promise that You will always guide us.
I am often tempted to live by my own wits and wisdom!
Keep me near to Your heart and give me the grace to reject the sins that dulls my hearing and clouds my vision.
My greatest joy is to do what You want me to do, to be where You desire me to be.
Make the way plain, Lord, and gently, yet firmly, keep me in the center of Your plan where there is great joy, wonderful peace, and blessings for this life and eternity.
In Jesus' Name, I ask this today. Amen.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Fear or Hope? You choose!
Are the headlines ever good? Imagine the Daily News plastering the front page with bold type - Majority of Americans report safety and good health. It wouldn't sell many copies. Instead, the news reports the unusual, the disturbing. Blood and destruction attracts our attention. One auto accident out of million commuter miles and we see it as the lead story.
So, is our world doing better or worse? Your answer, in part, will be shaped by your age! Leonard Sweet writes, "It's an old man's hobby to think the world is getting worse- all is in decline and decay. It's a young man's hobby to think that the world is better than it has ever been." How true. As we age, we prefer the tried and true more and more. Change no longer excites us, threatening instead our sense of stability. In an ever-changing world, the older we are, the less secure we feel. Sweet goes on to observe, "The truth is, young and old, the world is getting better, but the dangers the better brings are getting worse." (The Perfect Storm, Abingdon Press, 2008) In simple terms, we live longer and, on the whole, better lives as a result of invention and science, but those gifts have also brought us weapons of mass destruction, major environmental impacts, and handed one man living a cave in Pakistan the opportunity to effect millions of lives on the other side of the world!
Disciple, in this 'improving' and changing world, I choose hope over fear. I choose to face the future's uncertainty with faith. Paul wrote to Timothy about the choice he had in dealing with the reality of the time. His words need to infuse us with new courage.
"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News." (2 Timothy 1:5-8, NLT) Timothy had heard that Paul was in prison, that the Christian message was meeting resistance and that disciples were being persecuted. Was it time to go underground, to disengage and wait for the Second Coming to rescue the little band of Believers from the big, bad, ugly Roman Empire? Not at all! Paul told Tim, "Strengthen your foundation of faith. Take the gifts of God that enable you to live with power, love, and self-discipline. Get ready to endure the tough times that may come!"
Looking into 2009, there are real issues that will likely bring difficult challenges into our lives. This is not a good time to be a Bible-believing disciple of Christ. America is becoming less hospitable to Biblical Christianity with each passing year. In many places, apathy towards Christians is turning into real hostility. Many Americans now see Christianity as a force for evil, preferring a bland spirituality or no spirituality at all! This is, therefore, a time of great opportunities for those who are people of the Spirit. The merely religious will fold their hands and bow their heads in despair. Those alive in Christ will stand taller, praying for transforming grace that allows the beauty of Jesus to shine through them into the dark places where atheism attempts to spread its terrible slavery to self.
Here's a word from the Word. Let it encourage you today.
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:14-17, NIV)
_________________________
Father of creation, unfold Your sov'reign plan.
Raise up a chosen generation that will march through the land.
All of creation is longing for Your unveiling of pow'r.
Would You release Your anointing? Oh God, let this be the hour.
Let Your glory fall in this room.
Let it go forth from here to the nations.
Let Your fragrance rest in this place,
As we gather to seek Your face.
Ruler of the nations, the world has yet to see
The full release of Your promise, the church in victory.
Turn to us, Lord, and touch us; make us strong in Your might.
Overcome our weakness, that we could stand up and fight.
Let Your kingdom come,
Let Your will be done.
Let us see on earth,
the glory of Your Son.
Let Your Glory Fall
David Ruis © 1993 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
So, is our world doing better or worse? Your answer, in part, will be shaped by your age! Leonard Sweet writes, "It's an old man's hobby to think the world is getting worse- all is in decline and decay. It's a young man's hobby to think that the world is better than it has ever been." How true. As we age, we prefer the tried and true more and more. Change no longer excites us, threatening instead our sense of stability. In an ever-changing world, the older we are, the less secure we feel. Sweet goes on to observe, "The truth is, young and old, the world is getting better, but the dangers the better brings are getting worse." (The Perfect Storm, Abingdon Press, 2008) In simple terms, we live longer and, on the whole, better lives as a result of invention and science, but those gifts have also brought us weapons of mass destruction, major environmental impacts, and handed one man living a cave in Pakistan the opportunity to effect millions of lives on the other side of the world!
Disciple, in this 'improving' and changing world, I choose hope over fear. I choose to face the future's uncertainty with faith. Paul wrote to Timothy about the choice he had in dealing with the reality of the time. His words need to infuse us with new courage.
"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News." (2 Timothy 1:5-8, NLT) Timothy had heard that Paul was in prison, that the Christian message was meeting resistance and that disciples were being persecuted. Was it time to go underground, to disengage and wait for the Second Coming to rescue the little band of Believers from the big, bad, ugly Roman Empire? Not at all! Paul told Tim, "Strengthen your foundation of faith. Take the gifts of God that enable you to live with power, love, and self-discipline. Get ready to endure the tough times that may come!"
Looking into 2009, there are real issues that will likely bring difficult challenges into our lives. This is not a good time to be a Bible-believing disciple of Christ. America is becoming less hospitable to Biblical Christianity with each passing year. In many places, apathy towards Christians is turning into real hostility. Many Americans now see Christianity as a force for evil, preferring a bland spirituality or no spirituality at all! This is, therefore, a time of great opportunities for those who are people of the Spirit. The merely religious will fold their hands and bow their heads in despair. Those alive in Christ will stand taller, praying for transforming grace that allows the beauty of Jesus to shine through them into the dark places where atheism attempts to spread its terrible slavery to self.
Here's a word from the Word. Let it encourage you today.
"If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed,
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:14-17, NIV)
_________________________
Father of creation, unfold Your sov'reign plan.
Raise up a chosen generation that will march through the land.
All of creation is longing for Your unveiling of pow'r.
Would You release Your anointing? Oh God, let this be the hour.
Let Your glory fall in this room.
Let it go forth from here to the nations.
Let Your fragrance rest in this place,
As we gather to seek Your face.
Ruler of the nations, the world has yet to see
The full release of Your promise, the church in victory.
Turn to us, Lord, and touch us; make us strong in Your might.
Overcome our weakness, that we could stand up and fight.
Let Your kingdom come,
Let Your will be done.
Let us see on earth,
the glory of Your Son.
Let Your Glory Fall
David Ruis © 1993 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services)
CCLI License No. 810055
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