Gallup reports that around 40% of Americans surveyed reported attending a house of worship in the previous seven days. Barna Research studies in 2005 reported that 45% of adults said they attended worship in the previous week. Many feel that figure is inflated, the more accurate number being closer to 25%. Using that range, we know that at least 75 millions and perhaps as many as 120 million Americans attend worship each week, more than the total combined annual attendance at sports events!
Mega-churches get most of the TV exposure, leading us to believe that people go to church for big, expensive programs, great preaching, and concert quality music. Wrong! The large majority of those millions of worshippers are attending neighborhood churches with an average attendance less than 100 people where the preaching is often mediocre and the music something less than superb! And yet we go – again and again – week after week!
While people think they go to church for a program, in actuality they go for a Person!
Eugene Peterson points out three factors that pull people to worship.
1. Worship gives life a working structure.
2. Worship nurtures our need for a relationship with God.
3. Worship centers our attention on the wisdom of God. – Life at Its Best, Zondervan, 2006
When we pause from the commerce of daily life, we have the opportunity to regain a sense of what/who we were created to be. Regardless of the style of our church’s liturgy – from rigidly formal to charismatically chaotic – behind it all is the Spirit reminding us that we are small and He is big! Worship gives us a language for loving God. When we worship our heart expresses our sometimes unconscious longing to know Him. The very act of gathering with others for the purpose of worship says, “I’m reaching out to You.” Worship includes hearing the Word of God. The Bible is read, the preacher opens the Text and speaks from it. That very Word shapes us – from the inside out – and comforts us too.
If a church abandons the pursuit of God and becomes a gathering focused on anything or anyone other than the Lord, it will die for the real, if unconscious, needs of the worshippers will not be nurtured. If the Word is stripped from worship, replaced by poetry or prose of man, the worshippers will starve and that church will die. The upward focus on the Eternal, Unfathomable, Transcendent God is what sets worship gatherings apart from all other human events!
Make gathering for worship a consistent part of each week! The very act will improve your life, perhaps not the first week, but most certainly over time. Deal with the consumer expectations that can poison your worship experience. Instead of focusing on how you feel, what you think you need, or who spoke kindly to you – just go to present yourself to God! Show up a few minutes early and let your soul catch up with your body so you can fully worship. Attend with your heart and mind as well as your body! In other words, pay attention and participate. Sing! Pray! Listen! Respond!
And like the Psalmist, you too will sing, “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1, NIV)
______________
Light of the world You stepped down into darkness,
opened my eyes, let me see;
Beauty that made this heart adore You,
Hope of a life spent with You.
King of all days, oh so highly exalted.
glorious in Heaven above!
Humbly You came to earth You created,
All for love's sake became poor.
Here I am to worship! Here I am to bow down!
Here I am to say that You're my God.
You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.
Here I Am To WorshipTim Hughes © 2000 Kingsway Music
CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Driving forward looking in the rearview mirror?
The tearful woman on my phone was mourning the loss of a familiar life. Her husband retired and they moved to a new community. After years of long days of work, community involvement, and activities she found herself depressed because she had nothing to do! “My life is over,” she said; and she was serious. I encouraged her to take advantage of her new circumstances. “You can’t go forward staring in the rear view mirror,” I reminded her. “Yesterday might have been wonderful, but it’s history. Learn from the mistakes, celebrate the successes but, always, keep living in the present.”
People who spend too much time in either yesterday or tomorrow will lose today. The consequence is a wasted life, doing nothing of meaning! Productive or not, yesterday's gone! Got plans for tomorrow? Good. Planning is important, but tomorrow may never arrive for some of us.
Today is God's gift to you. Make it count.
Moses prayed, "... teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NKJV) "Number?" Interesting way to put it. He was asking God to impress on us the need to keep our days ordered so that our lives do not descend into confusion and chaos. Ever notice how things go to ruin, how messes develop, so quickly? In just a few days my office collects clutter, the back seat of my car fills up with 'stuff.' I’m forever picking up the stuff that accumulates in the hallways of the church! Where does that stuff come from? Unless I take steps to impose order today, I will find chaos has developed by next week!
Many years ago, in a management training session, I learned a valuable little lesson – “Whenever possible, finish the task you’ve started.” The man leading the course said, “Handle paper once!” He was teaching us to be decisive, to make a decision, if possible, and finish the job.
Unproductive people live in the middle of unfinished tasks that they sincerely plan to finish but never do - because they are paralyzed by the chaos their disorganization has created. I know that I must set aside blocks of time that are dedicated to specific tasks and work at them until they’re done. It works! A job as simple as paying bills or sorting mail becomes much easier if I focus on it, don't do anything else, until I finish. That way there is no leftover clutter laying around adding to the mess.
People live in amazing messes-- unfinished business, undone laundry, unpaid bills, emotional debts, half-done projects, unfulfilled dreams, unmet expectations -- in large part because they don't just do something today. Today's tasks, half done, get added to the pile of yesterday's regrets. Very quickly the whole thing becomes an unmanageable collection of chaotic confusion.
I can hear some of you commenting: "Jerry, you don't understand. I'm just not an organized person. I hate planning, prioritizing, and order." That, my friend, is an excuse. If you will not discipline yourself to finish a task today, even a simple one, then prepare for chaos tomorrow! And, please, don't complain about how others enjoy a productive life or a well-developed character because "they're so lucky."
One guy wryly observed, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." That could be prideful. We must not ignore the blessings of God. But, there is an element of truth in that comment. Ever since the curse of sin fell on Creation, both a Deliverer and diligence are always required to bring beauty out of the chaos of life. Jesus Christ is our Deliverer, but the diligence is left to us- today!
Want a sculpted body? Exercise!
Want a beautiful garden? Weed it regularly.
Want to enjoy friendships? Invest in others regularly.
Want to live intimately with God? Practice the spiritual disciplines!
Great work start with today's work!
Peter points out the blessings of God's gift of grace and reminds us that God has provided ALL we need to live productive lives today. Then, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells us that we have to make a decision NOW, to do something NOW, to work at ordering our lives NOW.
“So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.
Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing.” --- (2 Peter 1:5-10, The Message) ___________________________
Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making memories of what was today.
Tender words, gentle touch, and a good cup of coffee,
And someone that loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they're here, and don't wait for tomorrow
To look back and wish for today.
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.
We Have This Moment Today
Bill and Gloria Gaither ©1975 by William J. Gaither
Authentic, Accepting, Accelerating <http://www.WashingtonAG.com>
People who spend too much time in either yesterday or tomorrow will lose today. The consequence is a wasted life, doing nothing of meaning! Productive or not, yesterday's gone! Got plans for tomorrow? Good. Planning is important, but tomorrow may never arrive for some of us.
Today is God's gift to you. Make it count.
Moses prayed, "... teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12, NKJV) "Number?" Interesting way to put it. He was asking God to impress on us the need to keep our days ordered so that our lives do not descend into confusion and chaos. Ever notice how things go to ruin, how messes develop, so quickly? In just a few days my office collects clutter, the back seat of my car fills up with 'stuff.' I’m forever picking up the stuff that accumulates in the hallways of the church! Where does that stuff come from? Unless I take steps to impose order today, I will find chaos has developed by next week!
Many years ago, in a management training session, I learned a valuable little lesson – “Whenever possible, finish the task you’ve started.” The man leading the course said, “Handle paper once!” He was teaching us to be decisive, to make a decision, if possible, and finish the job.
Unproductive people live in the middle of unfinished tasks that they sincerely plan to finish but never do - because they are paralyzed by the chaos their disorganization has created. I know that I must set aside blocks of time that are dedicated to specific tasks and work at them until they’re done. It works! A job as simple as paying bills or sorting mail becomes much easier if I focus on it, don't do anything else, until I finish. That way there is no leftover clutter laying around adding to the mess.
People live in amazing messes-- unfinished business, undone laundry, unpaid bills, emotional debts, half-done projects, unfulfilled dreams, unmet expectations -- in large part because they don't just do something today. Today's tasks, half done, get added to the pile of yesterday's regrets. Very quickly the whole thing becomes an unmanageable collection of chaotic confusion.
I can hear some of you commenting: "Jerry, you don't understand. I'm just not an organized person. I hate planning, prioritizing, and order." That, my friend, is an excuse. If you will not discipline yourself to finish a task today, even a simple one, then prepare for chaos tomorrow! And, please, don't complain about how others enjoy a productive life or a well-developed character because "they're so lucky."
One guy wryly observed, "The harder I work, the luckier I get." That could be prideful. We must not ignore the blessings of God. But, there is an element of truth in that comment. Ever since the curse of sin fell on Creation, both a Deliverer and diligence are always required to bring beauty out of the chaos of life. Jesus Christ is our Deliverer, but the diligence is left to us- today!
Want a sculpted body? Exercise!
Want a beautiful garden? Weed it regularly.
Want to enjoy friendships? Invest in others regularly.
Want to live intimately with God? Practice the spiritual disciplines!
Great work start with today's work!
Peter points out the blessings of God's gift of grace and reminds us that God has provided ALL we need to live productive lives today. Then, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he tells us that we have to make a decision NOW, to do something NOW, to work at ordering our lives NOW.
“So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.
Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.
So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing.” --- (2 Peter 1:5-10, The Message) ___________________________
Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making memories of what was today.
Tender words, gentle touch, and a good cup of coffee,
And someone that loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they're here, and don't wait for tomorrow
To look back and wish for today.
We have this moment to hold in our hands,
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday's gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today.
We Have This Moment Today
Bill and Gloria Gaither ©1975 by William J. Gaither
Authentic, Accepting, Accelerating <http://www.WashingtonAG.com>
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Rick Warren’s Prayer
As our new President sits down in the Oval Office today, he will tackle a mountain of challenges. The expectations that are heaped on his shoulders are more than any mere man could ever fulfill. Believer, regardless of how you feel about his positions and politics, it is God’s will that we pray for him. The Bible says: "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way (re-read the previous phrase!!) for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity." (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NLT)
If you want a great model for your prayers for President Obama, take Pastor Rick Warren’s prayer at the inaugural ceremony yesterday. It was not a speech! It is a real prayer, addressed to God, and it is full of meaning. Make it yours. Remember, God’s blessings on this man become beneficial to the whole nation. The text of that prayer follows.
"Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of You alone. It all comes from You, it all belongs to You, it all exists for Your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, 'Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one' and You are the compassionate and merciful one and You are loving to everyone You have made. Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 43rd time, we celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity,
the compassion to lead us with generosity.
Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans. United not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget You, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches and civility in our attitudes -- even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day, all nations, all people will stand accountable before You. We now commit our new president and his wife Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life -- Yeshua, Esa, Jesus, Jesus -- who taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
________
God of our fathers, whose Almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.
Thy love divine hath led us in the past.
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast.
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide, and Stay,
Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.
From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense.
Thy true religion in our hearts increase;
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.
Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way.
Lead us from night to never ending day.
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine;
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.
God Of Our Fathers
Roberts, Daniel C. / Warren, George© Public Domain
If you want a great model for your prayers for President Obama, take Pastor Rick Warren’s prayer at the inaugural ceremony yesterday. It was not a speech! It is a real prayer, addressed to God, and it is full of meaning. Make it yours. Remember, God’s blessings on this man become beneficial to the whole nation. The text of that prayer follows.
"Almighty God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because of You alone. It all comes from You, it all belongs to You, it all exists for Your glory. History is your story. The Scripture tells us, 'Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one' and You are the compassionate and merciful one and You are loving to everyone You have made. Now today we rejoice not only in America’s peaceful transfer of power for the 43rd time, we celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African American president of the United States. We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where a a son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership. And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity,
the compassion to lead us with generosity.
Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans. United not by race or religion or by blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all. When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget You, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us. And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches and civility in our attitudes -- even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all. May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day, all nations, all people will stand accountable before You. We now commit our new president and his wife Michelle and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life -- Yeshua, Esa, Jesus, Jesus -- who taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
________
God of our fathers, whose Almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.
Thy love divine hath led us in the past.
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast.
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide, and Stay,
Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.
From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense.
Thy true religion in our hearts increase;
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.
Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way.
Lead us from night to never ending day.
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine;
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.
God Of Our Fathers
Roberts, Daniel C. / Warren, George© Public Domain
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Help from the hills
Undoubtedly, our lives are more complex these days despite technology and multiple 'labor saving' devices that are supposed to make it all easier to manage! We have more things to keep in working order, a wider circle of relationships to tend, and multiple demands on our time. In this busy world, I'll be first to admit that it takes a lot of effort to keep our hearts in tune with God, to nurture our marriages, to raise our kids to revere the things of God- in short, to order our lives in a God-pleasing way that really works.
Life doesn't always 'work' the way we think it should, does it? The more desperate we become, the more we search for sources of solace. But, where will we turn? We love our self-help sources! Prevention magazine promises us that we can live forever if we follow the advice of the various gurus. The church of Oprah meets daily and from her pulpit she dispenses wisdom to millions who are ready to drink up her advice about everything from politics to sex. WebMD allows us to doctor ourselves.
Many people turn to faith in God in times of crisis. She walks out the door and suddenly he wants to go to church. The teenage daughter announces she is pregnant and her parents decide that it's time to reorder weekend priorities to include worship. The mistaken idea is that with faith comes magic answers, instant solutions, and a return to happy land. That's all fine, but it doesn't work! God is the God of miracles but He's not our Magician, nor is He our household Butler who shows up after our party to clean up the messes!
One of my favorite Psalms is also one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible. Here's the song:
"I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Those who first sang this song in Israel understood the opening line better than we do. We think the Psalmist is rhapsodizing about the glory of the hills that turns our thoughts to God! No, that's not it, at all. The hilltops of ancient Israel were places of idolatry, where shrines stood to the various gods. Want to assure a better crop in the Springtime? Go to the fertility shrine on the hilltop. Need protection from drought? Go to the hilltop where the sun-god could be appeased. The gods (Baals - literally "lords") were notoriously fickle. They were thought to fall asleep on the job! The priests claimed they could awaken them if the right offerings were presented. They forgot to send rain, make the fields grow, and to protect from evil demons.
Only if a person went to the hills regularly to offer their sacrifices, could they hope to keep things in order. The gods needed the people they supposedly cared for. But, it didn't work! The priests were frauds, the orgies in worship of the fertility gods just a distraction from the grim realities of daily life!
Thus, the followers of the One True God, Yahweh, did not look for help from the gods worshipped at the hilltop shrines. They looked to the Maker of the hills. How was He different from the Baals?
The promises that follow make it plain.
"He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you-
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
(Psalm 121, NIV)
Does this mean that faithful Christians will never turn their ankles, never get cancer, never find their marriages troubled? Can we expect that He will exempt us from the up's and down's of the economy? No, and if we read it that way, we may eventually lose faith, concluding that God is fraud, or at least, ignoring us. Or, we may think that we need to dance faster, give more, or raise the volume of our prayers to attract His attention.
What God promises in this Psalm is that even in our times of distress we can count on His Presence, lean on His wisdom, and expect His purposes to prevail! Unlike the fickle gods, He is an ever-watching, always active, and all Powerful Lord for all those who trust with their lives.
Don't turn aside to the gods of the hills. No, of course, we don't worship the Baals any longer, but we do worship Money, Government, Education, and many other gods who prove incapable of seeing us safely home. Look, instead, to the Creator, who is never caught napping. Trust Him now, even in the good times, so that you will know how to walk with Him when the storms come- and they will.
__________________
The beasts of the field,
The birds of the air
Are silent to call out Your name.
The earth has no voice
And I have no choice;
But to magnify God unashamed.
Let the rocks be kept silent
For one more day.
Let the whole world sing out.
Let the people say,
"Almighty, most Holy God;
Faithful through the ages.
Almighty, most Holy Lord;
Glorious, Almighty God."
Well, time marches on
With innocence gone,
And a darkness has covered the earth;
But His Spirit still dwells;
He speaks, "It is well,"
And the hopeless still
Offered new birth.
He will break the leash of death;
It will have no sting.
Let the prisoner go free.
Join the dance and sing,
"Almighty, most Holy God;
Faithful through the ages.
Almighty, most Holy Lord;
Glorious, Almighty God."
Almighty
Watson, Wayne© 1990 Material Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)CCLI License No. 810055
Life doesn't always 'work' the way we think it should, does it? The more desperate we become, the more we search for sources of solace. But, where will we turn? We love our self-help sources! Prevention magazine promises us that we can live forever if we follow the advice of the various gurus. The church of Oprah meets daily and from her pulpit she dispenses wisdom to millions who are ready to drink up her advice about everything from politics to sex. WebMD allows us to doctor ourselves.
Many people turn to faith in God in times of crisis. She walks out the door and suddenly he wants to go to church. The teenage daughter announces she is pregnant and her parents decide that it's time to reorder weekend priorities to include worship. The mistaken idea is that with faith comes magic answers, instant solutions, and a return to happy land. That's all fine, but it doesn't work! God is the God of miracles but He's not our Magician, nor is He our household Butler who shows up after our party to clean up the messes!
One of my favorite Psalms is also one of the most misunderstood passages in the Bible. Here's the song:
"I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Those who first sang this song in Israel understood the opening line better than we do. We think the Psalmist is rhapsodizing about the glory of the hills that turns our thoughts to God! No, that's not it, at all. The hilltops of ancient Israel were places of idolatry, where shrines stood to the various gods. Want to assure a better crop in the Springtime? Go to the fertility shrine on the hilltop. Need protection from drought? Go to the hilltop where the sun-god could be appeased. The gods (Baals - literally "lords") were notoriously fickle. They were thought to fall asleep on the job! The priests claimed they could awaken them if the right offerings were presented. They forgot to send rain, make the fields grow, and to protect from evil demons.
Only if a person went to the hills regularly to offer their sacrifices, could they hope to keep things in order. The gods needed the people they supposedly cared for. But, it didn't work! The priests were frauds, the orgies in worship of the fertility gods just a distraction from the grim realities of daily life!
Thus, the followers of the One True God, Yahweh, did not look for help from the gods worshipped at the hilltop shrines. They looked to the Maker of the hills. How was He different from the Baals?
The promises that follow make it plain.
"He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you-
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."
(Psalm 121, NIV)
Does this mean that faithful Christians will never turn their ankles, never get cancer, never find their marriages troubled? Can we expect that He will exempt us from the up's and down's of the economy? No, and if we read it that way, we may eventually lose faith, concluding that God is fraud, or at least, ignoring us. Or, we may think that we need to dance faster, give more, or raise the volume of our prayers to attract His attention.
What God promises in this Psalm is that even in our times of distress we can count on His Presence, lean on His wisdom, and expect His purposes to prevail! Unlike the fickle gods, He is an ever-watching, always active, and all Powerful Lord for all those who trust with their lives.
Don't turn aside to the gods of the hills. No, of course, we don't worship the Baals any longer, but we do worship Money, Government, Education, and many other gods who prove incapable of seeing us safely home. Look, instead, to the Creator, who is never caught napping. Trust Him now, even in the good times, so that you will know how to walk with Him when the storms come- and they will.
__________________
The beasts of the field,
The birds of the air
Are silent to call out Your name.
The earth has no voice
And I have no choice;
But to magnify God unashamed.
Let the rocks be kept silent
For one more day.
Let the whole world sing out.
Let the people say,
"Almighty, most Holy God;
Faithful through the ages.
Almighty, most Holy Lord;
Glorious, Almighty God."
Well, time marches on
With innocence gone,
And a darkness has covered the earth;
But His Spirit still dwells;
He speaks, "It is well,"
And the hopeless still
Offered new birth.
He will break the leash of death;
It will have no sting.
Let the prisoner go free.
Join the dance and sing,
"Almighty, most Holy God;
Faithful through the ages.
Almighty, most Holy Lord;
Glorious, Almighty God."
Almighty
Watson, Wayne© 1990 Material Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Word Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)CCLI License No. 810055
Monday, January 19, 2009
Something to celebrate!
Many Americans will have a holiday from work today. It is a day set aside to honor the work and memory of Martin Luther King, Jr. who stirred the nation’s conscience and led African Americans in peaceful protest to gain the rights promised to all of our citizens. This year, with the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency, the day takes on even more meaning. The fruit of Dr. King’s labors is readily evident as an African American prepares to take the oath of office. Regardless of our personal politics, this is something we can all celebrate, a watershed day in our national story. Does Obama’s election mean that racial divisions are gone? Of course not. Bigotry stills has a grip on millions in ways both conscious and unconscious!
Disciple, you and I are called by Christ Jesus to live without hatred, to let the Spirit root out the mistrust of those different from us. What did He say were the two basic demands of God for all of us: to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Those words roll so easily from our tongue. They just must be true, right, and compelling- and they are! Yet, the history of the Church has too many tragic chapters where hate was given the sanction of her leaders. The Scripture were and are abused to support suppression of human rights and dignity. Frequently ‘the way things have always been’ was confused with ‘the way things ought to be.’
We still have issues with which we wrestle. A couple of examples would be –
· How do we understand what the Bible says about homosexual behavior and apply that within the teaching of Jesus about the worth and dignity of every person? No simple answer there!
· How do we remain faithful to the basic teaching of the Scripture about the difference between male and female roles in the family and yet honor the New Testament reminder that "all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:27-28, NIV)? Not a simple answer there either!
We must not settle for just tolerance. That word annoys me! I have not honored Christ by just tolerating a person who is of a different race, religion, or color! I honor Him only if I genuinely love that person as I love myself. That, dear friend, requires more than I can muster up in myself. John says that “we love others because God loved us first!” The love of God for us should produce a profound sense of humility and obligation: humility that wonders ‘why me, Lord?’ and obligation that says I must share the love I have been given with those who need Him!
Today, I encourage you to take a few moments to pray for racial reconciliation here in these United States. Ask God to bring Light to the darkness of ignorance and hatred. Ask His blessing and protection for our President-elect for these are difficult times and if he is successful in office, he will need the wisdom of the Lord. Thank God for what has been accomplished and invite Him to make you a part of what remains to be done – for the praise of the Name of Jesus.
Disciple, you and I are called by Christ Jesus to live without hatred, to let the Spirit root out the mistrust of those different from us. What did He say were the two basic demands of God for all of us: to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Those words roll so easily from our tongue. They just must be true, right, and compelling- and they are! Yet, the history of the Church has too many tragic chapters where hate was given the sanction of her leaders. The Scripture were and are abused to support suppression of human rights and dignity. Frequently ‘the way things have always been’ was confused with ‘the way things ought to be.’
We still have issues with which we wrestle. A couple of examples would be –
· How do we understand what the Bible says about homosexual behavior and apply that within the teaching of Jesus about the worth and dignity of every person? No simple answer there!
· How do we remain faithful to the basic teaching of the Scripture about the difference between male and female roles in the family and yet honor the New Testament reminder that "all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:27-28, NIV)? Not a simple answer there either!
We must not settle for just tolerance. That word annoys me! I have not honored Christ by just tolerating a person who is of a different race, religion, or color! I honor Him only if I genuinely love that person as I love myself. That, dear friend, requires more than I can muster up in myself. John says that “we love others because God loved us first!” The love of God for us should produce a profound sense of humility and obligation: humility that wonders ‘why me, Lord?’ and obligation that says I must share the love I have been given with those who need Him!
Today, I encourage you to take a few moments to pray for racial reconciliation here in these United States. Ask God to bring Light to the darkness of ignorance and hatred. Ask His blessing and protection for our President-elect for these are difficult times and if he is successful in office, he will need the wisdom of the Lord. Thank God for what has been accomplished and invite Him to make you a part of what remains to be done – for the praise of the Name of Jesus.
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