Living in the Truth

Though a thousand swear against it, Truth is not altered by public opinion, hatred, or denial! Truth is constant, abiding, and absolute. What do you believe is true about Jesus? That, friend, is critically important. Life depends on it!


It is interesting that those with stony hardened hearts ended up giving the LOUDEST and most accurate testimony about Jesus during awful final hours of His life on earth. In Mark's account of Jesus' trial and the torment that led to the Cross, the Truth prevails once again. Roman soldiers give voice to it, without realizing that their taunts and jeers are witness to the Truth! Mark 15:16-19 "The soldiers took him into their headquarters and called out the entire battalion. They dressed him in a purple robe and made a crown of long, sharp thorns and put it on his head. Then they saluted, yelling, "Hail! King of the Jews!" And they beat him on the head with a stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship."

Pilate, a man without much of conscience, posted a sign on the cross of Christ that read, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." This was supposedly a written notice of his crime of sedition, but actually was a statement of the Truth!
The religious leaders whose envy and spiritual pride blinded them to the coming of their Messiah also became witnesses to the Truth. Standing at the scene of the Crucifixion, they mocked him saying, Mark 15:32 "Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down from the cross. . ."

My friend, He is not the King because I say so, or because you agree. He is the King because God declares Him the King of glory. Those words that mocked Him, that were hurled in fury and scorn, will echo as the Truth 'til eternity when (Philippians 2:10-11) "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Will you worship the King?
Would you bow your head in adoration and acknowledge He is the Lord of Glory?
This King, humbled Himself, willingly suffering terrible pain and loss so that we could be restored to the image of our Creator that our rebellion had stolen from us, so that we could once again love and be loved of our Father God. Commit your life to Him and become a willing witness to the Truth -- a Truth that prevails. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of the world. Hallelujah.

______________

Father God, many words flood my life claiming to bring me truth.
Many gods bid for my loyalty and devotion.
Holy Spirit, give me a discerning heart, a mind that can sort through
the competing ideologies of my world.

Help me to love You and to live in the Truth.
Lord, lead me to the Cross and let me see the Love that
revealed Himself there.
Take me to the Empty Tomb and cause me to rejoice
that the grave is not my destiny.

Then, lead me to a life of holy service that pleases
and honors You.

In the Name of Jesus, I ask this. Amen.


You're invited to be part of a service of Communion here at Washington Assembly, Good Friday, at 7 PM. On Resurrection Sunday, we will worship at 10:15 AM.

Descent Into Darkness

We all see things coming in our life that we dread, experiences that we know will be difficult. Last month, I faced surgery. I did not want to submit myself to the knife! I dreaded the pain, the dependence on others, the limits that came with the procedure; but it had to be done. So, I willingly set aside my preferences. I made the choice to take the pain to own my healing! Think of the choices you make to go through a time of difficulty to own a better outcome.
This is Holy Week, the time we remember, with gratitude, the Lord Jesus' willing to descend into darkness that was incomparably worse than any choice we make. He told His friends, "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." (Matthew 26:2, NLT) He knew it would be terrible, and He was filled with dread, so much so, that He prayed, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." (Matthew 26:39, NLT) As surely as He knew the Cross was His destiny, He knew the Resurrection was His hope. But, even with that hope, it was hard to go through the pain, the alienation from His Father that came with bearing my sin to reconcile me to my Father!

I want to encourage you to think long and deeply about His sacrifice, that it was not forced on Him, that He willingly embraced it for me, for you, because of love. (We will stand before the Cross on Good Friday evening in our Communion worship. You're invited to join us at 7 PM.) He made the choice to descend into the darkness, not for Himself, but for us. His loss was our gain. His obedience bought our salvation from sin, death, and Hell! He bridged the chasm that sin had carved between the Father and His Creation. Oh, praise Him! The Cross is ugly, but we must not rush past it to get to the Empty Tomb! The glory of the Resurrection morning only is meaningful because of Good Friday's horror.

Take encouragement from this, disciple. It may be that you are confronted with some very difficult choice in your life. You know the will of God leads against your desires. You know that the way He would lead you will take you through pain of self-denial, even death to Self. Will you do it? Will you willingly descend into the dark of that situation, so that He can lead you into the Light of His purposes?

The Word encourages us with this pattern.
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)

Look past the pain to the Glory! Grasp the promise of abundant life - presently and eternally - and present yourself as a 'living sacrifice.' My prayer for you is this:
"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21, NIV)
_______________

Jesus Christ,
I think upon Your sacrifice,
You became nothing,
Poured out to death.
Many times I've wondered
At Your gift of life,
And I'm in that place once again.
I'm in that place once again.

And once again
I look upon the cross
Where You died,
I'm humbled by Your mercy
And I'm broken inside.
Once again I thank You,
Once again I pour out my life.
Thank You for the cross,
Thank You for the cross,
Thank You for the cross, my Friend.

Now You are exalted
To the highest place,
King of the heavens,
Where one day I'll bow.
But for now,
I marvel at this saving grace,
And I'm full of praise once again.
I'm full of praise once again.

Once Again

Redman, Matt

EMI Christian Music Publishing

© 1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)CCLI License No. 810055

Doing the right things

Yesterday’s news brought the story of the arrest of a small band of men in Michigan who were planning to kill a police officer, then to engage in more violence at the funeral of the officer that would kill many law enforcement personnel. All this, they hoped, would spark a national revolution. They were reputed to be thinking this was part of the return of Christ, that they were, in their violence, preparing to be a part of His army of the Apocalypse. Whether the media got it right is always an open question, but the word, “Christian” figured prominently in every story. This comes hard on the heels of the ongoing headlines about the sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests and the failure of church leaders to act decisively to stop it. How sad I am that the foolishness of sinful men darkens the glory of the Lord!

Let’s make it our prayer that nothing in what we say or do disgraces the Name of Jesus! The Hutaree (that what’s the men in Michigan called themselves) missed the message of hope in the Gospel in a big way. They ignored the clear call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked that is the true work of those who are in the Lord’s ‘army’ of righteousness. (See Matthew 25:34) My guess is that they let fear take over as the changing times made them feel insecure. So, instead of trusting God, they bought guns! What a tragedy in so many ways. I’m guessing that many of those priests who abused kids for their own gratification, somehow justified their perversion by calling it ‘love.’ Too often Church bishops covered up the sins of those pedophiles because they, too, thought it was the expedient choice.

Disciple, we must humble ourselves before the Lord, again and again. Nothing can replace transparency before God and others. If we are afraid, we need to acknowledge our fear, even if it makes us tremble and cry. In our weakness, we will find ourselves comforted, not by our own control, but by His promise. If we are struggling with temptation, we need not stuff our urges into some dark corner of our mind. Rather, we confess them to our Savior and a trusted confessor. In naming them, they lose power to overtake us. When we sin, and we will, we quickly repent and God promises that “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. … My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." (1 John 1:9, 2:1, NLT)

And, we must choose to do right things! No disciple can be passive. We are called to be passionate people in the service of the Lord. A person who actively engages in caring for others, who worships whole-heartedly, who is growing in faith; will be drawn into the beauty of holiness and thus, reflect the glory of Christ into the wider world.
Here are words from the Word. May they call you to do the right things, for God’s sake, today.
"If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God." (1 Peter 2:20, NIV)
"You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." (1 Peter 3:15-16, NLT)
"It’s judgment time for God’s own family. We’re first in line. If it starts with us, think what it’s going to be like for those who refuse God’s Message! … So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it." (1 Peter 4:17, 19 The Message)

__________________

Oh Lord, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with holy fear.

I wanna take Your Word
And shine it all around.
First help me just to live it, Lord!
And when I'm doing well,
Help me to never seek a crown,
For my reward is giving glory to You.

Oh Lord You're Beautiful

Green, Keith

© 1980 Birdwing Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) / BMG Songs, Inc. (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing; Admin. by BMG Music Publishing) CCLI License No. 810055

"Just Do It!"

Sometimes when kids are told to do something they ask, "why?" And sometimes a parent answers, "Because I said so!" That's not a great parenting style all the time, but there are situations where that's all you can say. Explanations won't work, the situation is urgent, or reasoning would require more information than the parent can give, so they just give an order with the expectation of obedience. Blessed is the child who will accept that and do what is asked of them. Blessed is the parent of such a child, too!

Sometimes our Father in Heaven says, "just do it!" He expects we will obey. The Israelites had two of those kinds of experiences as they were entering the Promised Land after their long wander through the wilderness. First, they came to the crossing of the Jordan River. God told them to ready themselves for the crossing. They could see the river was at flood stage! How was this going to work out? But, they prepared to cross. "As soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho." (Joshua 3:15-16, NLT) The whole nation walked across the dry riverbed and into their new home! A test of faith, to be sure, but God was faithful.
The first fortified town they encountered was Jericho. "Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in." (Joshua 6:1, NIV) There, too, God issued a command that was without explanation. "Go and march around the town once each morning for a whole week, then on the seventh day, march around it seven times, and blow the trumpets! When you hear the trumpets, shout the victory shout." I wonder if that sounded as silly to those people as it does to us? And yet, they did it! "When the people heard the sound of the rams' horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it." (Joshua 6:20, NLT)

Disciple, we are wise to obey the Lord's directive even when we want to whine, "But, why?"
He says, "Forgive those who offend you," we must just do it.
He says, "Put me first in your use of resources," and we must just do it.
He says, "Love your enemies," and we must just do it.
He says, "Stop fretting about tomorrow," and we must choose to trust and obey.

The nation of Israel was not always as obedient as they were in the examples I used a moment ago. Often in their long history, they resisted the Lord, argued against His will, and even ignored Him. Their long history reveals that when they choose short-term self-interest over long-term obedience, there were always negative consequences. When they were willing to 'just do it,' they discovered the goodness of the Lord in unanticipated ways. The key was faith to believe God, even when it made no sense in the moment!
Take one of the Bible's shortest prayers with you today. When you struggle to obey, just breathe this one line prayer. It was first prayed by a father who was in terrible distress over his son's terrible condition. He brought the boy to Jesus. Take a look.
"If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed,
"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit.
"You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.""(Mark 9:22-25, NIV)

The gift of faith that comes in response to our humble entreaty creates a heart ready to radically obey. Let's just do it!

__________________

"Be of good courage",
God spake unto Joshua.
When o'er the river
God pointed the way;
Jordan uncrossable!
Things seemed impossible,
Waters divide
As they march and obey.

Battles to win!
They would meet
With their obstacles.
Jericho's walls too
Must fall to the ground;
God never failed
He stood back of His promises.
Walls had to crumble
As they marched around.

God is the same
And His Word is dependable.
He'll make a way
Thru the waters for you;
Life's situations
By Him are amendable.
Mountains and hills,
He will part for you too.

Got any rivers
You think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains
You can't tunnel through?
God specializes in
Things tho't impossible.
He does the things
Others cannot do.
Got Any Rivers
Eliason, Oscar C.
Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc. © 1945, 1973 Oscar C. Eliason.

Assigned Singspiration Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)



CCLI License No. 810055

Fresh, but not new!

There is an obsession among some Christians about making the Gospel “new.” Many are caught up in a pursuit of re-discovery of Jesus' true message and identity. Most of the things we accept about Who He was and what He taught are being questioned by somebody, somewhere; well, at least that how it seems to me. It leads to a lot of speculative nonsense finding its way onto paper, into blogs, and being published in books. Most of it will be forgotten in a year or two. Four years ago it was “The DaVinci Code” that had the headlines. Does anybody really remember the controversies raised by "The Last Temptation of Christ," or "The Passover Plot"? Huh? Exactly!

The stories recorded in the inspired texts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John have stood the test of time, telling us about a Man who is also God, who lived, died, and rose again. He really walked the pathways of a dusty, out-of-the-way place called Palestine 2 millennia ago. His timeless story has inspired people from primitive cultures in the Amazonian jungles and in luxury Manhattan apartments. The simple and the intellectual are moved by His sacrificial love which is displayed in His willingness to die on the Cross. The young and the old are thrilled by the miracles that attest to His uniqueness.

It is not wrong to carefully study the ways in which the ancient Gospel applies to our lives and times. Seeing the old truth in fresh ways is not wrong. One of the most amazing things about Him is that He doesn't fall 'out of style.' His Gospel works in Bombay and Los Angeles and Zambia addressing the basic human needs shared by every culture. From time to time we need to re-examine our understanding of the Gospel texts. Why? Because, ideas not found in the text get attached to it that corrupt it.

So, make it fresh, but don't re-write the Bible. Find Him, but don't try to do a "Jesus make over" that robs Him of His majesty and message. Jesus is a controversial and shocking Individual. He makes claims that are stupendous! He provokes and prods, demanding our attention and devotion. We don't do Him or the Gospel a service by trying to round off the edges. He meant to challenge the status quo. He meant to call us to change, to tell us that there was a new Way back to God opening up through Him.

In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says it best: "I am trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [Jesus Christ]: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse .... You can shut him up for fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to."
Here's a word from the Word. Believer, it may be familiar to you and therefore you'll be tempted to let your eyes quickly run through it... but don't! Ponder it, meditate on it, believe it - and the testimony it makes about Him.

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:10-14, NKJV)
_____________________

Jesus! What a friend for sinners!

Jesus lover of my soul!

Friends may fail me, foes assail me;

He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Jesus! What a strength in weakness!

Let me hide myself in Him;

Tempted tried and sometimes failing,

He, my strength my victory wins.

Jesus! I do now receive Him;

More than all in Him I find.

He hath granted me forgiveness;

I am His and He is mine.

Hallelujah what a Savior.

Hallelujah what a Friend.

Saving, helping, keeping, loving,

He is with me to the end.

Our Great Savior

Chapman, J. Wilbur / Prichard, Rowland H.- Copyright:

Public Domain

The Formula for Success

This was posted on Facebook: “Success is the place where preparation, courage, and opportunity meet.” (Scott Wilson) Hmm. Really? What kind of success is that? I used to read a lot of the ‘success’ literature. Each author had a different way of presenting the formulas but all shared common ingredients. Hard work, boldness, vision, getting the right education all figured prominently. A few were forthright in saying, “Be like me and you will succeed!” Their definition of success was invariably about growing your organization into a larger one, gaining a wider sphere of influence, and increasing your control of resources. That is a kind of success, but it is not the only way to measure life.

When I was around 40 years of age, I attended a conference in Boston, MA led by a man named Bob Buford who had enjoyed the kind of success that is measured by dollars and a big office. Then, after going through the crisis of losing his son and a deep self-evaluation, he shifted focus. Bob described the shift from success to significance. His book, Halftime, explored the shift that many make around mid-life from chasing titles and money to fulfillment, to becoming a person of character who seeks the purpose for which he was created by God. Better, I think.


The Bible makes an arresting statement that supersedes all the success literature as our guide to the best life! "The Lord is your life… Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long … " (Deuteronomy 30:20, 32:46-47, NIV)


The Lord is your life! What a phrase. The Hebrew word translated as “life,” is one that bursts with energy. It is translated in other places in the Bible as green (like vegetation), animal, running, flowing (as a stream of water), and renew (as in springtime). In our relationship with our God, we find that kind of active life-force. Paul, preaching in Athens, declared that "In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28, NIV)

Whether we live in a palace or a cabin, drive a new car or a clunker, wear the latest fashion or blue jeans from the thrift store, have a 401(k) for retirement or just a hope that our kids will give us a room – we will be a success IF we have shaped our lives around the will and Word of the One who is our Life. Is that hard? Sometimes it is so difficult that the Bible describes the process as ‘dying to Self!’ It is not a ‘once and done’ moment. Each day there are two paths that diverge before us. Jesus described them as the “Broadway that leads to destruction,” and “the Narrow way that leads to life eternal.” One offers immediate gratification of our baser desires; the other the long-term reward that comes from faithful love, service to others, and obedience.

Much of the “Christian” success literature is not universal! It claims to be “godly truth,” but is really just the American dream re-packaged. God’s success formula is equally true in Bangladesh and New York City! It works for the bright and beautiful and the those who are not so fortunate. “The Lord is your life,” is accessible to us all – if we will accept it by faith and pursue loving and serving Him whole-heartedly. Which kind of success are you chasing, friend? From which fountain are you trying to draw life’s sustenance? May the Spirit guide you to the life that is truly life, to success that survives the end of your journey on this globe.
Here’s a word from the Word to ponder today. Is it describing your deepest aspirations?

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing."  (2 Timothy 4:7-8, NLT)

Now, that is real success, isn't it?

Are you ‘God-aware?’

There are people who bumble their way through the day with no idea about what is going on around them, about how they are being perceived, unaware of how they affect others. They lack self-awareness. They are sometimes offensive but have no idea why others react to them negatively. They are frequently lonely but fail to understand that their own behavior or lack of manners is the reason. They are missing the social feedback sensors that others have which allows us to adjust ourselves to the situation. The person who lacks self-awareness talks too loudly in public, answers her cell phone and talks at length when it is clearly disturbing others, says things that are inappropriate, and generally misses social cues. The good news is that a person can learn this skill! If they desire to gain better relational skills, they can be coached to become self-aware.

There is another awareness that is critically important in the disciple’s daily life, one that the rush of the day can rob from us: God-awareness. A person who ‘forgets’ God, who fails acknowledge His Presence, becomes irreverent, profane, and often- insecure! It is a wonderfully assuring steadying blessing to know that He is near. Moses urged the Israelites to cultivate their God-awareness. He said, "Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other." (Deuteronomy 4:39, NIV)

When Hagar, the maidservant of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was badly mistreated and sent away with her child, in the wilderness He met her and she gave Him a new name: El Roi – “The God who sees me!” "An angel of God found her beside a spring in the desert; it was the spring on the road to Shur. …She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me! “Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!” " (Genesis 16:7, 13, The Message)

Each morning my first act upon awakening is to offer thanks and praise to the Lord. It only takes a few seconds, but it is a habit that helps me to be God-aware. From time to time through the day, I pause to look up (emotionally and mentally, more than physically) to thank Him. Why? To keep myself aware that He is the “God who sees me!” This is not for God’s benefit, but for mine! When I fail to remember that He is with me, it is but a short trip to anxiety or needless cares or even to sin.

Disciple, be intentionally God-aware. It is true that when we are children of God, through faith in Christ Jesus, that the Holy Spirit lives in us, but He does so sometimes without our conscious knowledge. When this happens we tend to lose the nobility of holiness that comes from knowing we are children of God, that our Father is with us. Ask any child who has a great relationship with his father what the knowledge that ‘Dad is here’ does for him! Dad means safety. Dad’s affirmation brings encouragement. Dad’s discipline provides secure boundaries! We know that is true for children. Be reminded, it is true for children of the Heavenly Father, too.

Here is a word from the Word. May it be the prayer of the God-aware today.
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways." (Psalm 139:1-3, NIV)

"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast." (Psalm 139:7-10, NIV)

______________

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God.
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Perfect submission, all is at rest.
I in my Savior am happy and blest.
Watching and waiting, looking above.
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Blessed Assurance

Crosby, Fanny J. / Knapp, Phoebe P. / Wagner, Dougles E.
© 1989 Lorenz Publishing Company (a div. of the Lorenz Corporation)

CCLI License No. 810055

Too blessed, perhaps?

Deep faith and abundant blessings should go together. Too many times, prosperity and peace only produce apathy about the things of God. A once deeply devout disciple develops a sense of independence based on the illusion that he can manage life quite well on his own, so long as he gives a nod in God's direction every now and then. As a Pastor for many years, I have observed the pattern over and over again. Life falls apart and a man is left in ruins. For some, it is a divorce that destroys their family life. For others, it is financial loss that follows a job loss or disaster. Yet for others it is a time of sickness. In desperation this broken person remembers God. He finds that old friend that always talked about Jesus. As he looks to the Lord and sincerely seeks after Him, just as the Word promises, he finds Him to be a Friend and Savior. He loves worship, showing up every time the doors are open. He devours books that show him the ways of Christ.

As he grows in faith and walks in spiritual disciplines, his life takes on new ways. Destructive habits are replaced with responsibility. Godly ways are the fertile soil in which blessings grow. What will he do with his blessings? Sadly, many grow independent of the very God that blessed them! Financial independence allows diversions that lead away from faithfulness to the things of God. Ministries that once were the core of his life are side-lined as he pursues the hobbies he can now afford. Focus on family life is eroded by demands of his work. Because he has moved into a place of greater responsibilities and more compensation, his kids don't see him pray except the formal kinds of prayer at dinner, because Dad really doesn't pray that much at all. He doesn't feel any real need to pray, to worship. Of course, if you ask him, he will thank God for the things he now enjoys, but his words and his true values are far apart.
Think that's far-fetched? Take a look at the wisdom of the Word from two sources: Jesus spoke of the seed of the Word which was received with joy but then "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:19, NIV)
As an old man near the end of his life, Moses warned Israel of the dangers of prosperity they would confront when they entered the Promised Land – “Jeshurun (God's people) grew fat and kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior." (Deuteronomy 32:15, NIV)

In what is, even in this time of economic downturn, the richest nation on earth, empty churches on Sunday morning are but one stark symbol of our lack of regard for the Lord and things of the Spirit. Entertainment has replaced worship as the central focus of the weekend. Sports, properly enjoyed as a diversion, are now gods that received the adoration of millions. Our kids are trained like professional athletes from the time they are 4 years of age, leaving little time for God, for church, for family prayer. Christian parents focus their children on attaining physical prowess or academic degrees with little more than formal acknowledgement that a life of real abundance lies in knowing and serving God.

How I pray that the price of real spiritual revival and continued spiritual fervency is not sorrow and deprivation. Here’s a prayer that the honest man will pray in sincerity, trusting God to keep him. "Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name." (Proverbs 30:8-9, NLT)
Jesus said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all.
Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?" (Mark 8:34-36, The Message)

____________________________

Does it work for you?

I would have a hard time taking advice on nutrition from a guy with a large order of fries sitting on his desk next to his Hostess Twinkies®, or counsel about long-term health decisions from a physician who was grossly overweight and who had cigarette smoke on his breath. I’d like to think that the guy trying to sell me a Ford actually drives one. It’s one thing to know something. It is quite another to live it!

Disciple, does your life show real evidence of the truth you profess? Paul, writing about the importance of practicing what you preach, spoke to the hypocrisy of his Jewish brothers. "You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the Law, do you dishonor God by breaking the Law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” (Romans 2:21-24, NIV) That last line challenges me. Do I, as a Christian, give others reason to doubt the reality of God’s love by my words or actions; or does the authenticity of my life’s alignment to the will of God cause others to desire to know Him, too?
We will never perfectly practice our faith. We fail! But, let’s not make our human imperfection an excuse for continuing to habitually sin, for leaving habits in place that we can change with the help of the Spirit of God. The Word challenges us as Spirit-filled people to ‘keep step with the Spirit.’ The Message brings that passage home for me. "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives." (Galatians 5:25, The Message)

When I think of disciples who have had the most influence in my life, I don’t think of those who were show-offs or who made the most noise. I remember those who went about doing good quietly, who were honest about themselves, contented to live out the call of God without needing applause. What does the Bible say is the evidence of the life of the Spirit? It isn’t the ability to recite long texts without flaw, or the mastery of details of doctrine. It is in our character! "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:22-24, NIV) If you want to know if your faith is coming across as authentic, ask a child! An adult will be too polite, too concerned about your feelings perhaps, to tell you the truth. A child will tell like it is. So, ask someone who is about 8 or 9 years of age, who knows you well, “Do you think that I love Jesus?” The answer may affirm you or devastate you!

Holiness, that is real, is a beautiful thing. It is how God designed us to live, whole, at rest in Him. A truly holy person is changed from the inside out, healed, and restored. Sanctimony is ugly, a superficial attempt to cover the flaws and scars of sin. Here’s what the Lord promises to those who seek and love Him. He will “will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory." (Isaiah 61:3, NLT)
Father in Heaven, thank you for the promise of restored beauty.
Sin makes me ugly, turns my life into a pile of ashes!
But, You forgive, heal, and transform;
making me stand tall like an oak tree!

I confess my sinfulness and ask that the Spirit would work
deeply in me, that His life would take hold of my life.
Lord, let me see where there are holes in my profession,
where my claim to faith is not matched by a life of faith.

Give me courage to let you change my heart – even with pain -
so that the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
that others will desire to know Him, to be His disciples.
This I pray in His Name, boldly and with full expectation.
AMEN

Celebration? What, why?

Yesterday some of my friends ate corned beef and cabbage, worn green, and spoke in strange tongues to mark St. Patrick's Day. Shamrocks appeared. For me, without a drop of Irish blood, (that I know of) it is not a celebration of much consequence. July 4 is a day of significance to Americans. We remember our Independence and establishment as the United States of America with fireworks, parades, and displays of 'red, white, and blue.' July 4 in Mexico? No big deal; it's just another day on the calendar. Here's my point - special days and rituals help us to mark what we value, remind us of heritage, and unite people of common interest.


God directed the Israelites to keep a holy calendar that included a weekly day set apart, the Sabbath, and several holy feasts during the year. "These are the appointed feasts of God which you will decree as sacred assemblies for presenting Fire-Gifts to God: the Whole-Burnt-Offerings, Grain-Offerings, sacrifices, and Drink-Offerings assigned to each day." (Leviticus 23:37, The Message) "Moses posted the calendar for the annual appointed feasts of God which Israel was to celebrate." (Leviticus 23:44, The Message) Passover is perhaps the best known of the holy days, remembering their deliverance from Egypt and birth as a nation. The Day of Atonement is the most solemn, marking repentance for sin and renewal of their relationship with the LORD. God called His people to break from the routines of life to remember Him, to celebrate His work, and to renew their unique identity. In my reading in Leviticus 23 today, I was reminded that the Lord not only offered the days of celebration to His people; He commanded that they mark them faithfully!
Do you consciously celebrate your relationship with the Lord, your heritage in Christ?

The Sabbath Law has been replaced by an invitation to weekly worship on the Lord's Day. What a privilege we have to come together at our churches, to offer our praise, to pray for one another, to remember our calling to be the people of God in our world. Only as adult did I discover the ancient church calendar that reminds me of God's work. The free church in which I was raised never mentioned Advent or the Lenten season. Pentecost mentioned, but not with celebration. Christmas and Easter were more secular than sacred, at least in terms of the way we celebrated.
I urge you to learn the Christian calendar, to mark the various seasons of the year, not just as rituals to keep; but with the goal of pleasing God by being reminded of the holy calling you share to be His very own! Take joy in remembering to Whom you belong, the identity that has been given to you through Christ Jesus. Remember that "ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light!" (1 Peter 2:9, KJV)

________________

The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.

Elect from ev'ry nation,
Yet one o'er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses;
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With ev'ry grace endued.

'Mid toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious,
Shall be the Church at rest.

The Church's One Foundation
Stone, Samuel J. / Wesley, Samuel S.

© Public Domain

The Responsibility that Come with Privilege

From an early age, my late father frequently reminded me that those who are blessed with privilege must recognize the responsibility that comes with it. I saw that principle through the middle chapters of Leviticus which I read today. The Lord, through Moses, called on the Israelites, again and again, to be different from the people of Egypt among whom they had lived for 400 years! They were now to be known as the people belonging to the Lord, with the privilege of making Him known in the world. That required sexual purity, a commitment to justice, and a new social order.

God demanded that the whole of their lives be defined by their relationship to Him. He would not share them with lesser gods and He would not accept anything but their best sacrifices. If the people were faithful to Him, He promised to bless them. "The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them." (Deuteronomy 28:12-14, NLT) Even receiving the promise, the people would honor their God, for others would see their blessings and know that the Lord was a good and powerful God!

I am reluctant to pursue this thought because I know it is so easily twisted into something it is not! So, please, read thoughtfully. Disciple, God calls us to the privileged place as His people. Through Christ, and the rebirth of the Spirit, we become the children of God, with the high privilege of bearing His Name before our world. Here’s how the Word explains it: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." (Ephesians 1:3-6, NIV) As I read those words, my heart fills with gratitude for His grace. But, soberly I also know that a sacred responsibility is ours. "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Ephesians 4:1, NIV)

Those who receive, by faith, the calling of the Father enjoy what Jesus called the ‘abundant life.’ We enjoy the joy of knowing the purpose for which we were made. We live in the center of His will. Our spirit are made alive and responsive to His Spirit. We are loved and learn to love wholly! We live peacefully under His care in this world and with confidence even in the presence of death because we are assured of eternal life. But, we must never believe that all this is simply our right or available to us just for our own benefit. God glorifies Himself by providing us such an inheritance.

Let’s live in the privilege and embrace the responsibility! Here’s a word from the Word.
"And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children. See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is." (1 John 2:28-3:2, NLT)

___________

Your love has captured me.
Your grace has set me free.
Your life, the air I breathe.
Be glorified in me.

You set my feet to dancing.
You set my heart on fire.
In the presence of a thousand kings
You are my one desire,
And I stand before You now
With trembling hands lifted high.
Be glorified.

Be glorified in me.
Be glorified in me.
Be glorified in me.
Be glorified.

Be Glorified

Tomlin, Chris / Giglio, Louie
EMI Christian Music Publishing
© 1999 worshiptogether.com songs

(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License No. 810055

Thunderclaps and Holy Worship

Sunday’s worship at our church included some thunderous wonders! About 15 minutes into the service, a thunderstorm broke outside and with it came lightning that struck somewhere very, very close to the building. The building glowed white and then shook as we all felt the concussion. Many, including me thought lightning had hit the building, for it felt that an explosion had ripped through the building. One little boy later asked his Mom if we would be having ‘special effects’ every Sunday. After the initial shock passed, I prayed intensely for the Lord’s protection to rest on His people. It was a reminder of the awesome power of His Creation, a truly humbling experience that, at least for me, actually deepened my awe and worship.

Disciple, do you stand in awe of God?
When you come near to Him, do you come with true reverence, with an attitude of humility?

In my Scripture reading today, I read of the sons of Aaron who forgot the ‘otherness’ of the LORD, who presumed to approach Him on their own terms. The little story shocks me. Take a look. "Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord." (Leviticus 10:1-2, NIV) Their failure to recognize the holy awesomeness of the LORD caused their death. Their example is not the only one in the Bible. Uzzah put his hand on the Ark of the Covenant and died for his familiarity. (2 Samuel 6) Acts 5 recounts the story of Annanias and Sapphira, early Christians who lied to the Holy Spirit and died!

In this era of grace, knowing God as we do through Jesus Christ, our Brother, we can easily forget His majesty. When life does not go our way, when our prayers seem to go unanswered, if we have made Him too small we risk offering the ‘strange fire’ of our complaints, speaking irreverently before Him. Better that we kneel in humility, receiving the grace we need for each day. He invites us to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, NIV) Do not forget the context of that invitation which is that we have a great High Priest in Christ Jesus, whose intercession on our behalf opens the door to the Throne Room of the Father! We sin against the Lord’s holiness if we rush in with dirty hands and heart.

In recent weeks, the course of life has led me through many storms. One month ago, I had surgery to remove an intestinal blockage. It was a time of real testing, a thunderstorm that brought winds that shook me! Several dear friends of mine are dealing with major health issues at this time, cancer being the pre-dominant thing. They are servants of the Lord and I am tempted to accuse God of forgetting them, but then I am reminded that “His ways are higher than my ways!” I pray for renewal of my understanding of His awesomeness, so that I will trust Him with greater faith, praying as He invites me to pray for the healing of my friends, yet humbly accepting each day from Him. The essence of holy worship is that kind of acceptance. We exalt Him when we continue to serve Him – in the good times and the bad times, when we love Him equally when the sun shines and when the storms rage.

Sunday, I had a kind of Isaiah moment when our worship center shook. The thunder was a stark reminder of just how small I am and how great He is. I pray I do not soon forget that lesson. Here’s a word from the Word. May the Lord bless it and make the truth of His words a guide for life.

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:1-8, NIV)

__________________

Father, I come today thankful for Jesus Christ,
My Savior, My Brother, My King.
Thank you for thunderstorms that help me to remember that
You are God and I am not!
I ask Your healing touch for my friends who are walking through
difficult situations, who are suffering with pain and uncertainty.
Steady them with the comforting Presence of the Holy Spirit.
May the responses of my heart to the trials of life reflect
a genuine reverence and respect of Your awesomeness.
Keep me from the sin of presumption, yet let me love You as I ought.
I am Your servant.
I worship You- Holy, Awesome Lord of the Angel Armies,
Creator of the Universe, Beginning and End.
Amen.

Minority Report?

The future, in most accounts, is not bright! Our great nation and the rest of the world remains in the grip of the worst economic difficulties seen in decades. Two wars that drain American treasure and cost thousands of lives drag on after years. In Washington, DC and state capitols our politicians bicker everyday but do nothing to solve our problems. Trusted financial institutions on Wall Street that we thought were being led by brilliant people turned out to be dens of thieves whose chicanery lost $1.2 trillion (not a typo) of our wealth, though they kept their $multi-billion bonuses. Internationally, we see ancient animosities that continue to bring instability to the world through the Middle East. Iran seems ready to build nuclear weapons. Israel responds by rattling her mighty sword! Earthquakes have devastated Haiti and Chile, with millions now living in miserable conditions. The African continent suffers the results of terrible AIDS epidemics, leaving millions of orphans. Islam’s militant faction keeps Western democracies in near panic.

The report from across the globe is grim. Reflecting on these things, my mood is like that described in the Psalm of the exiles: "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps." (Psalm 137:1-2, NIV) But is this a time to silence our songs and weep? Or is this a time of opportunity?

I was inspired by my reading in the book of Numbers. In preparation for entry into the Promised Land, the LORD told Moses to send in scouts. Twelve men were selected for a 40 day exploration. "So they went up and explored the land … When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs." (Numbers 13:23, NLT) They came back with this report. "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large." (Numbers 13:27-28, NIV) Most of the scouts spread a report that demoralized the people, that saw the only the facts without a complement of faith in God!

Two scouts, Caleb and Joshua delivered a minority report. "They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:7-9, NLT) I love that they did not gloss over the challenges which is what some are tempted to do in tough times. These men remembered the One Who was sending His people into the land and matched faith to fact, spiritual vision to the real difficulties that would be involved in possessing the Promised Land! Sadly, the minority report did not prevail. Israel rejected the LORD’s commission and suffered for it.

The Church of Jesus Christ needs people with the vision of Caleb and Joshua! We need visionary people, who are inspired by faith, who see beyond the challenges of broken government, mountains of debt, feuding nations, and the poverty that enslaves millions. Instead of hanging up our harps and weeping by the river, we need to sing the songs of triumph! We need to take courage. There is a memorable phrase used by Peter. "Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:13, NKJV) He refers to the man who gathered up his garment, tucking it into his belt, as he readied himself for heavy work! It is such a line, I want you to remember it. Gird up the loins of your mind! It is more understandable when the metaphor that was plain to Peter’s first readers is replaced. "Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13, NIV)
The Gospel that is a treasure entrusted to us addresses every need of our world! Christ Jesus brings freedom from sin, transforms those who receive Him. This is the hour for the Church to stand up and speak! No, I am not calling for a renewed culture war. We have been there and done that. Forget making all that noise about the sins of the land and trying to get Congress or the courts to do with law what we are to do with love! We are to be warriors of love, people who give our lives to serve the poor, the broken, the least, the lonely! Open your heart and your home and your wallet. Go to prayer and let God help you to see with His eyes.
Here’s a word from the Word. Gird up the loins of your mind as you read it! Let’s make this passage our rallying cry as we go out as the faith-filled people of God that deliver the news of the coming Kingdom of our Lord and Christ. "You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9, NLT) "Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." (1 Peter 2:12, NLT)

_________________

Is there a mountain in your way?
Do doubts and fears abound?
Press on, oh hear the Spirit say,
This mountain shall come down.

Is there a fiery furnace trial?
Far more than you can bear?
Behold the blessed Son of God,
Is walking with you there.

Not by might, nor by pow'r,
By My Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts.
Not by might, not my pow'r,
By My Spirit saith the Lord.
This mountain shall be removed;
This mountain shall be removed;
This mountain shall be removed,
By My Spirit saith the Lord.

Then trust alone the mighty God,
He speaks, the winds obey.
Take courage then oh fainting heart,
For you He'll make a way.

By My Spirit
Herrick, Almeda
Lorenz Corporation © 1957. Renewed 1985 Gospel Publishing House (Assigned to Lorenz Corporation, 1998)

CCLI License No. 810055

God's will + our obedience = amazing things!

Yesterday I wrote about our adventure in Wyoming back in 1978. Sensing that the Spirit was leading us to that place, Bev and I went willingly. Once there, we experienced a mixture of experiences of our lives. The first week we lived in Gillette, I went to work supporting my family in heavy construction, gone for 12 hours a day! My wife, home with an infant in a strange town, endured terrible loneliness. That winter, our baby son, 9 months old, developed a kind of pneumonia that nearly took his life in just hours, landing him in the hospital for 5 days. Because I didn’t know and follow the proper transfer protocols within my church organization, I was called on the carpet by the district leadership and almost lost my ministerial credentials. To top it off my first encounter with a pastor there revealed an insecure man, fearful of any perceived threat. That’s just some of the bad stuff! There were good things, too. About six weeks after we moved, a young Christian I met there gave me his job, literally; working as a quality control inspector on construction sites. It was work with flexible hours and a company truck. Another loving pastor took me under his wing and taught me the meaning of grace. He guided me through my youthful foolishness. We never missed a meal or rent payment as God provided for us, often just in time. We began to discover what it meant to live by faith!

One significant result of that adventure was pointed out to me by my brother-in-law, who pastors a church here in New Jersey. He wrote the following: “If you hadn’t gone to Wyoming – I don’t suppose we would have gone. If we hadn’t gone – I might have taken a job with Johnson and Johnson in their lab. Hence, we wouldn’t be in the ministry today. So your obedience to Wyoming had a direct effect on our being in the ministry today. Domino effect!” A couple of months after we went to Gillette, John and Jeanne followed. There John met a man who opened doors to a career where he gained the skills that provided the skills that allowed them to go several years later to serve as missionaries in India for five years. That led to preparation for ministry in the church they serve today.

The Psalmist exults in the purpose and quality of a life that is committed to God’s guidance. "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand." (Psalm 37:23-24, NLT) I am not a fatalist! There are choices we each make to walk with the Lord or to walk in our own way. The priority choice to be made every morning is obedience. Presenting our head, hands, and heart to Him in a conscious way helps us to listen with ears that are more sensitive to the Spirit’s voice. And, when we are listening and responsive, we find the pathway that leads us to the place of maximum effectiveness and fruitfulness in the Kingdom. It’s not always the easy way, the way of comfort, or even the way that appears to be the walk of the prudent! But, His way is always the best way!

The wisdom of the Word urges us to integrity. We are reminded "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25, NIV) I love The Message’s way of presenting that Truth. "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives." (Galatians 5:25, The Message)

Walk with God, friend. Walk in His general will that applies to us all, revealed in the Scripture, summarized by Jesus Christ in these two statements; “Love the Lord with your whole being. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” The Word fills in details, calling us to honesty, to be committed to moral purity, to be people who seek justice, to be people of mercy and gentle grace. Beyond that, walk in His specific will. Maybe He will whisper a call to a town in Wyoming, with consequences you can’t begin to fathom. No, that was for me, probably not for you! But, He may lead you to a new ministry, or a renewed relationship with an old friend, or a career change, or…. I can’t begin to even imagine what He can do with a heart that is open to His will, but I can tell you that God’s will and your obedience will produce amazing results; in your life and in the lives you touch.

Here’s a word from the Word. Revel in the truth it declares.
"I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God,
the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God." (Ephesians 1:16-17, NLT)

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us,  to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20, NLT)

________________

Spirit of God
Descend upon my heart,
wean it from earth,
through all its pulses move.
Stoop to my weakness
mighty as Thou art,
and make me love Thee
as I ought to love.

Hast Thou not bid us
love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own --
soul, heart, and strength and mind.
I see Thy cross --
there teach my heart to cling,
O let me seek Thee
and O let me find.

Teach me to feel that
Thou art always nigh,
Teach me the struggles
of the soul to bear ---
To check the rising doubt,
the rebel sigh:
Teach me the patience
of unanswered prayer.

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
George Croly
© Public Domain

Spirit-led in mind and heart!

One Summer afternoon in 1977, I picked up a copy of Time magazine. It contained an article about a town in Wyoming that was booming due to coal mining. A sleepy cow town had sprouted overnight to become home to thousands of young workers. As I read it, I sensed an inner calling - "Jerry, take your wife and baby son to Gillette!" It didn't go away. Days later I approached my wife with the idea of tearing ourselves away from family, friends, and church to go to do ministry in that town. Late August found us traveling halfway across these United States in an old school bus that was packed with our possessions. We had no job waiting for us, very little money to sustain us, and a big dream pulling us westward!

The year that followed was full of experiences we have never forgotten, lessons that shaped us, and people who taught us in ways that continue to influence us to this very day. In September, 1978, we moved back to New Jersey and became the Associate Pastor of the Assembly there. Our year in Wyoming looked like a fool's errand. I am convinced that it was God's way of helping us to become more useful in His kingdom. I believe we were led there by the Spirit, but not for the purpose which I thought - establishing a ministry in Gillette, WY- but rather so He could mature us in faith.

Almost every day people use this phrase about their decisions: "I feel led..." It explains their choice to seek out a new church, to justify their purchase of a new car, to make all kinds of important life choices. Most disciples who claim to 'feel led' by the Lord are as sincere in their intent and motive as I was when I ‘felt led’ to move to Wyoming all those years ago. The Bible teaches us that Spirit-filled Christians should be led by the Spirit. Paul says that "those who are led by the Spirit are children of God." (Gal. 6.14) I am not taking issue with that idea, but I do want to argue with the erroneous idea that being led by the Spirit is just a feeling, a hunch, an intuition that ignores or replaces good sense and wise counsel!

Rick Nanez writes - "Waves of romanticism, relativism, individualism, and New Age teachings have unleashed a rising emphasis on feelings over thinking, emotions over doctrine, and experience over intellect. Wherever these find an inroad, it comes at the expense of casting away our rational rudders. In turn, this steers many Believers into the currents of waywardness - into the vast sea of subjectivity, where the drizzling clouds of mysticism dictate their spiritual journey. ... the turbulent winds of half-truth blow these helpless castaways into the vicious crags of confusion and mindless spirituality."
- Full Gospel, Fractured Minds? - Zondervan, 2005
Mature and effective disciples need to know that God gave them both mind and heart! God's Spirit operates through both equally to bring about His purposes and will. God’s invitation is "Come now, let us reason together.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV) The word, 'reason' is a word meaning, "argue your case, talk it over, work it out!" God asks Spirit-led people to live with a deep, life-shaping faith but not a blind one! Paul encourages us to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1 (NKJV) Note the word, "reasonable." In the original language of the Bible it is the word, ‘logikos,’ from which we get our word, logical. As we serve God, we do so with reason intact.

Perhaps you are wondering -"What of faith? Are we to act on only what can be proven or tested by natural means?" No, friend. We, both individuals and the Church must be open to receiving truth that is revealed by Him to us in ways outside of the usual channels of discovery and learning. Some say that claiming to hear from God, being led by Him, is a marker of mental instability or is some sort of self-deception based in our psychological need to have a god. Yet, I am convinced - both by my experience and the testimony of the Scripture- that God speaks to His people, individually and collectively. There will be moments when His leading defies our natural reasoning powers, when what we believe God is asking of us flies in the face of the facts that surround us.

When someone claims to have a ‘revelation’ we do right when we evaluate what they claim as being ‘of the Spirit.’ Asking God to give us discerning minds, to keep us from impulse or gullibility is not the same as refusing to follow His lead. It is a humble recognition that we are imperfect, that we can get it wrong. I can tell many stories of unstable people who were given too much credence, who led God’s people into silly, foolish, even destructive places. That is why John gives us this warning: "do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." 1 John 4:1 (NLT) The passage goes on to say that the primary test to determine who is a genuine 'prophet' - that is one who is claiming to hear from God and speak for God- is the way he conducts himself day to day. Is there strong evidence of submission to Jesus Christ as Lord? There is no one so dangerous to your spiritual health as the person who is a rebellious rogue, who recognizes no authority but himself. Paul likewise urges discernment about those who claim to be speaking for God. He says "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." (1 Corinthians 14:29, NIV)

Next time you’re ready to say, “I’m led…” make sure you really are hearing from the Lord! When someone urges you to take some action based on a ‘word from the Lord’ don’t be shy about telling them you want time to evaluate and test the word! Let's be people of the Spirit, led by Him into works of faith, using the wonderful powers of reason that He has given to us. By this God will be glorified and His kingdom built strong.

________________

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where-e'er I be,
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would clasp Thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content whatever lot I see,
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict'ry's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He Leadeth Me O Blessed Thought
Gilmore, Joseph H. / Bradbury, William B.
© Public Domain

Devotion check-up

After a long meeting, I sat down for lunch yesterday with a tall, good-looking guy, whom I’ll call John, to talk about his work as a missionary. As casually as we might discuss the weather, he told about his calling to a sensitive part of the world, about taking his wife and little children to live in a place where becoming a martyr was a daily possibility. His best friend was martyred there last year! John is not crazy. He is devoted, in love, to Christ and ready to die to take the Gospel to one of the places on earth where there are almost no professing Christians. I wish I could tell you more details, but to do so would jeopardize this man and his family.

While he talked about his mission, I could not stop the tears from welling my eyes as I thought about what it would mean to send my own son or daughter, my own grandchildren, to face death daily for the sake of Jesus. That man’s embrace of a high and holy calling made him a walking sermon, his life text the words of Jesus: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26, NLT)

Don’t descend into false guilt over this story! John’s calling is not your calling, but the same devotion that leads him to serve with great joy in a difficult and dangerous place, should be ours. Disciple, what love is strongest for you; your love of Self, or your love of Jesus Christ? There is an old song that captures the truth about true devotion. It says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim; in the light of His glory and grace.” We will never completely serve Him with joy and complete devotion until we are captivated by Him!

I asked John how he came to choose to go to that hard place. His answer was not about sacrifice or wrestling himself into submission. He told about hearing the Lord’s call, about being overwhelmed by the Spirit’s Presence in a way that made the calling irresistible!  My prayer (and may it be yours, too) is that the Lord will be able to capture my heart in that way. After experiencing that devotion check-up over Chinese food at a table with a man who loved Jesus with more than his words, I invited the Lord to take my life, to renew my love and devotion, to send me to my city with a magnificent obsession to serve in His kingdom. Care to join me in that prayer?

Heavenly Father, I love You.
I am so thankful for Your promise of life – abundant now and eternal by and by.
I confess that all kinds of things try to gain my attention.
Here, right now, I give myself to You, anew.


My hopes, my dreams, my stuff, my reputation, my future plans – Make them Yours!
Captivate me! Let me be so loved that loving You without reservation is irresistible.
Send me – across the street or to the ends of earth – and help me to gladly say,
“Yes,” to whatever You desire.
For Jesus’ sake. Amen

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  -Isaiah 6:8, NIV

_______________________

Give me one pure and holy passion,
Give me one magnificent obsession.
Jesus give me one glorious ambition for my life.
To know and follow hard after You.

To know and follow hard after You,
To grow as Your disciple in the truth.
This world is empty, pale, and poor,
Compared to knowing You my Lord.
Lead me on and I will run after You.

One Pure And Holy Passion

Altrogge, Mark
Word Music Group, Inc.
© 1988 PDI Praise (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Dayspring Music, Inc. (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)

CCLI License No. 810055

The "right" answers?

While he installed my new garage door, Greg asked me questions about my faith. He obviously had past exposure to Christian teaching based on the way he formed his questions. "Do you believe in 'once saved, always saved'?" An interesting way to inquire about the security of the Christian's salvation, isn't it? What about 'name it and claim it'?" he asked. I knew he was asking about my view of the prosperity teachings. I like to talk about faith and how I understand the Scripture. But the way Greg asked the questions, it seemed to me that he was looking for a certain set of 'right' answers, giving me a test. We had a good time, and I think we ended up on the same page!


As I thought more about our conversation, I thought about the way we sometimes ask the Lord our questions about life. Do we put Him to the test, not just seeking an answer, but pressing for the 'right' answers? Which do we desire more; to know and understand Him or to see if He will give us what we want, if He can pass our test? Do we understand the importance of humility? James reminds us that "God opposes the proud but favors the humble. ... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." (James 4:10, NLT)

Humility is not an easy thing to grasp. Some think that being humble means losing any sense of self-worth and/or dignity. Others believe that creating beauty or pursuing excellence is not compatible with real humility. Truthfully, humility is about having an honest understanding of one's self, keeping pride in check, and adopting an unassuming attitude.

A king can be humble! Jesus proved that! He never thought of Himself as worthless, as unworthy of love. At the same time, He never was too good to speak to anyone, too self-important to care for those of low position. When the Father asked the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus chose the path of humility, setting His own will aside to be obedient. His humility is revealed in His willingness.

Let's invite the Spirit to search our heart attitudes today. Shall we invite Him to put us to the test? Pray with David, "Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong- then guide me on the road to eternal life." (Psalm 139:23-24, The Message) From this prayer, may true humility find a place in our lives that allows us to know, to accept, and to live in the sweet will of our Father.

Here are several passages from the book of Wisdom! May they inform us today.
"The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor." (Proverbs 15:33, NIV)
"Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life." (Proverbs 22:4, NIV)
"Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor." (Proverbs 29:23, NLT)
_________________
All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me Jesus take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me Savior wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender,
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory to His name!

I surrender all,
I surrender all.
All to Thee my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

I Surrender All
Van De Venter, Judson / Weeden, Winfield S.
© Public Domain

Living in the Questions?

Questions are a part of my life. Since I was a little boy I wanted to know how things worked. My curiosity caused me to destroy many toys that I took apart! I want to know what works in life, why things happen. Most of us want those answers, don’t we?

• A man at church told me how his Dad searched to find an explanation for his health issue which even the doctors could not explain.
• Two families in our congregation are facing economic stress, one facing the bankruptcy court this week; the other the immanent loss of their home this month. When they told me, my head wanted to try to understand ‘why.’ I wrestled to trust the Lord for them and with them much of last night!
• Reading in the book of Numbers this morning, I came to the fifth chapter which is one of those, “What did he say?” kind of passages. I’m still pondering that one!

It is important for me to balance the questions with the answers I have found! I cannot live in the questions all the time without becoming fearful or doubting. It may strike you as a simplistic, but I frequently hum the child’s chorus, “Jesus loves me, this I know!” That is a certainty I cannot live without. The love of God, shown to us in Christ Jesus, changes everything! Then, too, I remind myself that the Lord knows my yesterdays, my today, and my tomorrows. "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16, NIV) And, I stand on the declaration that Christ Jesus has reconciled me to my Creator and prepared an eternal home for me, that because He lives, I will live also. "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:22-24, NIV) "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31, NIV) Answer? No one and nothing!

Disciple, don’t just live in the questions. Yes, go ahead, ask them! Ponder the mysteries of life. Seek to understand. Learn about your world, yourself, and our God. A person who will not acknowledge the questions, who attempts to make life a simple set of ‘if, then’ propositions, misses out on finding a deeper faith! Asking the questions and choosing to trust Him while seeing the world as it really is allows for us to come to know God in a richer, fuller way. But, remember the answers, too. Let a solid foundation of God’s faithfulness and His promises in the Word be the bedrock on which you build the rest of your life.

Here’s an affirmation from the Word that I encourage you to take with you today. When the questions come, find refuge in this.

"I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." (2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV)
"That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." (2 Timothy 1:14, NKJV)

___________________
Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.
Sweet Jesus Christ, my clarity.
Bread of heaven, broken for me.
Cup of salvation, held out to drink.
Jesus, mystery!

Christ has died, and
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again!
Christ has died, and
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again!

Celebrate His death and rising!
Lift your eyes, proclaim His coming!
Celebrate His death and rising!
Lift your eyes, lift your eyes!

Sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.

Mystery
Charlie Hall
© 2008 worshiptogether.com songs
sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
(Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

CCLI License No. 810055

Focused or Fuzzy?

My daughter, Maribel, is a gifted photographer. Her pictures of her family always grab your interest. Some people take pictures that are just blah. The subjects are too far away, or there are too many things in the way, or they are out of focus. Maribel composes each shot artistically, in a way that grabs your eye and directs attention to the very thing she wants to share – a smile, a dimple. She uses her photos to communicate and they say, “Look at this!” Instead of just ‘taking pictures,’ she uses her camera to tell a story. She what she wants to ‘say’ and she gets the shot that does it.

Think about this disciple. Is your service to God focused or fuzzy?
Do you do what you do in His service with a clear sense of mission and purpose?

This week I have been praying and thinking at length about the places where I can serve Him in my world. Needs are everywhere! There is the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Two earthquakes, in Haiti and Chile, have created multiple needs. There is the whole issue of human trafficking and sexual slavery. Working against poverty and for justice are important to God, and therefore must be important to me. Then, too, there are millions who have yet to hear the Gospel, who need someone to tell them about the love of God found in Christ Jesus. If I try to zoom out and ‘take a picture’ of the whole wide world of need, most likely I will end up doing nothing for anyone! To simply say, “I will serve God” is a commitment that is too broad.

Need, alone, cannot drive our service. Each of us who would serve Him well and effectively must determine our calling. Our prayer must be “Lord, what do You want me to do? Where do You want me to serve?” Sometimes finding the place to which He is calling us is more challenging than deciding to serve, isn’t it? One key to living on purpose, clearly focused and effective, is found in the story of young Samuel’s call. Take a look.

"Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”


Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ”
So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”


Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:4-10, NIV)

Samuel was eager to serve, but he was not yet on intimate terms with the Lord, thus he confused the Lord’s voice with the other authority figure in his life, Eli! Only when he was re-directed to listen carefully, did the vision for his life come clearly to him. Do you know the Lord, or simply about Him? Are you listening carefully to the Spirit or are all the messages that come your way second-hand, coming through a preacher or a book? Those who serve with real focus have spent time waiting, listening, and hearing from God.

Disciple, are you feeling the weight of need pressing on you?
Is your heart breaking with the things that break the heart of God?

Good! Now, ask the Spirit to bring focus, to aim you in the right direction. Don’t try to calculate. Faith lifts us over what we think is possible. Don’t look for recognition. Much of that which will find God’s commendation is hidden from human eyes. Don’t look for ‘easy.’ Just say, “Yes, Lord. Speak, am I listening.”

Here’s a word from the Word. Jesus invites us to "Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you." (Matthew 11:29, The Message)

____________________

I'll say,"Yes, Lord, yes,"
To Your will and to Your way.
I'll say,"Yes, Lord, yes."
I will trust You and obey.
When the Spirit speaks to me,
With my whole heart I'll agree.
And my answer will be,
"Yes, Lord, yes."

If I never knew the fullness
Of living in Your will,
I would never know how rich
My life could be.
Lord, my willingness to serve
Is the least that You deserve,
For the blessings
You have showered over me.

Yes, Lord, Yes
Keesecker, Lynn

© 1983 Manna Music, Inc. ARR UBP of Manna Music, Inc. (35255 Brooten Road, Pacific City, OR 97135)

CCLI License No. 810055

Ritual and Reality

There is a comfort to be found in the habits of worship. I anticipate getting up on Sunday and going off to church, singing familiar songs, praying with people I love, and opening the Scripture. It is a lifetime habit, and a good one. There is a danger in it, though. The ritual can replace the reality of relationship, if I do not continue to renew my First Love of the Lord Jesus Christ! The habits of religion can cover up the barrenness of one’s relationship with the Spirit.

In the opening chapters of 1st Samuel, we read about a time in Israel’s history when corruption had overtaken the priesthood. The leading priests were greedy and immoral, oppressing the people, and exploiting the power of their holy office. The Bible says, "In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions." (1 Samuel 3:1, NIV) The rituals were ongoing, but the sinfulness had made them spiritually deaf. In the next chapter, we are told that a war with the Philistines broke out. In the initial battle, 4,000 soldiers of Israel died. The leaders of the nation were perplexed. “Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines?” (1 Samuel 4:3, NIV) Then, they made a fateful decision!

They sent for the Ark of the Covenant, the symbolic center of God’s dwelling among them, and brought it down to lead them into battle! “Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” (1 Samuel 4:3, NIV) What a misplaced trust! Unable to hear the voice of the Lord, they choose to trust in the ritual symbol and the end of the story is tragic. They suffered a terrible defeat, the Ark was captured by the Philistines, and despair gripped the nation as people concluded that ‘the glory of the Lord has departed!’

Disciple, don’t misplace your focus on ritual! Habits of Bible reading, saying prayers, church attendance, taking Communion… whatever you spiritual practices … are good. Those disciplines can and should provide channels through which the living water of the Spirit flows into our minds and souls. But, doing the rituals is not what empowers us to overcome the Tempter, to stand firm in faith, or to become the holy people that the Lord desires us to be. We must cultivate intimacy with God, responding to deal with sin, waiting before Him patiently, offering soul-deep worship both privately and with the congregation. Then, we will not suffer the curse of spiritual deafness. Hearing from God makes the difference between Christianity as a religion of disciplined morality and Christianity as an experience of joyful empowerment that satisfies the deepest needs of our hearts and minds!

We are foolish if we think we can enter into the battle with the World, the Flesh, and the Devil and overcome because we have certificate of perfect attendance at church, or because we have conscientiously paid our tithes, or because we completed a ‘through the Bible’ reading program last year. Yes, we ought to do those kinds of things, but not because we trust in them to deliver us, but because they are means of worshipping and loving our Living Lord! Let us never allow Jesus’ words to the church in Ephesus be descriptive of us. "I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway?" (Revelation 2:3-4, The Message)

Here’s His invitation. Take it to heart and live with the joy and power that comes from a real relationship.

"You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.


Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.


Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne." (Revelation 3:16-21, NIV)

_________________

Your steadfast love
Extends to the heavens.
Your faithfulness
Reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness
Is like majestic mountains,
And Your wisdom
Like the depths of the sea.
And You come to me.

Filling my heart
Is Your loving kindness.
I find my peace in
The shadow of Your wings.
I eat my fill from
The abundance of Your household,
And I drink from
The streams of rejoicing.
You are my King.

Your Steadfast Love
Sandquist, Ted
© 1974 Lion Of Judah Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)

CCLI License No. 810055