Orientation and explanation...

Blessed friends, I am about to take you on a journey through devotion and music, prayer and praise.  I have been given permission to work through this material by the artists that I will reference extensively, and I will attempt to always have a video link to the song I speak of each day.  Today, being the first day, I realize that some orientation is needed before we dive in too deep.

"Because I'll never hold the picture of the whole horizon in my view; because I'll never rip the night in two it makes me wonder... who am I?  Who am I?  Who am I, and great are You!  Great are You, Lord!"

"Great Are You," by downhere

This journey will be one of introspection, but before we look to ourselves, we must first look to Him.  We must do this, because He is to be first in our lives, and we must be aware of our speech and thoughts when we approach Him.  Ephesians tells us we have boldness and access directly through Christ (Eph 3:12), and this is certainly true.  Couple with that, though, the wisdom of Solomon from Ecclesiastes as he warns us to guard our steps (Eccl 5:1), and we see that we can enter... but we do not need to burst in with demands.

This first song today is for the purpose of reminding us of our own place.  He is great.  We are not.  That's really all there is to it.  So as you listen today, please focus for just a few minutes on orienting yourself to prayer.  Be more aware of how you pray, and with what heart and mind you speak to the One that created all things. 

Remember: who am I... and GREAT are You, Lord!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCglkTHeMPo

Next topic...

So... I'm gonna start into a new topic next week, and it will be a ton of fun.  I truly hope that you are all keeping up with this, and that you will stay with us through the next one.

But more than that, I pray that during our examination of respect and fear for the Lord, each and every one of you has taken time to examine your own methods of preparation for entry into God's house.  It's not just any other building, you know?  It is the house of the Creator, the Lord God of Hosts, the Most High, Sovereign, the great I AM!  It is not just another structure.

And for the fear of speaking out about our faith and about our purpose and beliefs, we must always and everywhere remember that we cannot sit around and minister only to ourselves.  We need it, sure, but we cannot be so exclusive a group that we don't reach others.  And we cannot just talk about going to seek out the lost, we must actually go and do it!  So don't get comfortable in your pew and rely on someone else to go witness... uncover your calling through prayer and quiet time with the Father, and then GO FULFILL IT!!!  Your feeble efforts will be enhanced by Him to make amazing things happen!

Lastly, don;t get caught up in numbers.  There is not a metric measurement for faithfulness, and whether you bring one person directly or 1,000 people... or even if you help to bring people forward and are never actually aware of it... you were faithful to your calling and to the Great Commission.  So go share the Gospel in whatever way you can, evangelize and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

Respect... another thought...

Today, I would like to make it clear to everyone reading this that any Christian can be a teacher, regardless of age.  Sometimes the Spirit lays a concept on someone, it gets shared, and someone else learns something.  The great part about this moment today, though, is that the person who posted this thought on facebook is not someone I teach... just a member of the youth group at my church who happened to post this thought when I happened to be looking.  It's neat how that works!

"If you don't hear it with your own ears or see it with your own eyes, don't invent it with your small mind and share it with your big mouth."

I won't name this youth unless given permission, but the statement speaks volumes to all believers.  And I believe that the wisdom of it is two-fold.  We'll start with the first part, and tie it to a favorite Scripture of almost everyone I know.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Human beings are such an interesting species, really, because we all tend to invent our own realities when we cannot see them.  We all lack faith in just believing what we read of God and what will come.  And how different would our lives be if rather than just believing in Him, we started to BELIEVE HIM?  The youth says, "don't invent it with your small mind," and that advice is sound.  And before anyone gets all offended and says that their mind isn't small, let me tell you that mine is.  And the one who said it has a mind the same size.  And so is yours.  In comparison to God and the way He understands things, we are all so small-minded and incapable of even grasping the simplest and easiest of His concepts, for He is higher and above us (Isaiah 55:8).  

We concoct all kinds of nonsense in our own minds that leads us to ridiculous conclusions that never would have existed, and all because we forget that we are small-minded and simple and fickle and sad, sad, sad little things in comparison to the One worthy of all our worship and praise, the One Who gives us the commandments and the way we should live.  Some suddenly think that we have attained some level of superior knowledge, and that there is a "new" discovery or level of understanding that somehow has been missed since the creation of time... each generation has "this person" who believes and pushes this belief out there.  But did they see it with their eyes or hear it with their ears?  Or did they invent it by jumping to a conclusion that they can control, unlike God, which will never fit into a box we make for Him?  Is that not blasphemy?  Something to think about...

"There on the storm, I am learning to let go of the will that I so long to control."

~ "Calmer of the Storm" by Downhere

It is an accurate statement, is it not, that we all wish and yearn and long for control.  But rather than surrender those things we cannot control and seek blessing for the ones we can, we try to force the issue and invent our own rules and regulations.  And THAT is what it means to be a Pharisee of the time of Jesus.  Did that sting for you?  It does for me. 

Then we come to the second part of that statement, in that we should not share it with our big mouth.

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

Proverbs 10:19

All I'll say of this is that gossip and rumor destroy lives.  They are evil twins who wreak havoc on relationships and character, and there is never a complete healing from the evil that is inserted by them.  We grow past it in some sense, and we certainly forgive... or at least, we should... but forgetting is difficult, especially when it hurts (Proverbs 12:18a).  But the second portion of that verse is where our Christian lives should take over, because we should employ whatever amount of wisdom we have in our speech (Proverbs 12:18b). 

But again, if we are looking at our level of respect, isn't it disrespectful to the Lord, the Creator, to disrespect His creation?  So if we gossip about each other, is that not an affront to God?  He created all these people, right?  So that makes them all His children, prodigal though some may be.  So wouldn't we do well to respect each other, and therefore show more respect to the Lord?  Again, it's something to think about.

This study has been powerful for me... I pray that it has been enjoyable for you, as well, and that some examination of your preparation and awareness of your worship has been enhanced, in even the smallest way.  Now go and encourage another to do the same examination, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!! 

Respect... in song...

So... we talked on the first day a bit about the amount of respect we show in the House of the Lord, and one thing I mentioned was about the way we participate in music.  I would call it worship, but everyuthing we do is worship, from study to reading to prayer to singing to cleaning to paying bills, so it is better described simply as music in church that is worshipful.  And this one, I must admit, will be pointed mostly at me.

"Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name."

Psalm 30:4

Did you notice that it doesn't say that we are to sing praises "only if we like the currently-being-played version of the song?  Did you notice that it doesn't say that we are to choose how involved we are in it?  Did you notice that it doesn't mention that it's okay to be halfway in our approach of this practice?  How do I get to these conclusions, you may ask?  It's quite simple: the whole world needs to know what He has done for us (Psalm 9:11), and we are not just singing to sing, in this moment, but singing to the LORD, the Creator.  We are offering praises to the One who is worthy (Revelation 4:11).  And what we offer to Him should always be our living sacrifice, should it not (Romans 12:1)?  Otherwise, we run the risk of offering only what we choose to give (Malachi 1:6-14), and that does not honor the Lord and His grace upon us. 

And if we do refer to the musical portion of our service as "worship," then why would we not show our love with everything we have in that time (Matthew 22:37)?  I can speak for myself in this.  I am a tenor, and I like to sing where my range is comfortable and loud.  I like to, for lack of a better term, show off my abilities in song, which means that the lead and melody line of the song being played (in my view) should be in my "butter range," as one friend of mine puts it.  However, this is not always the case, as some are led by women and some are led by bass and baritone voices... some are even led by children, and, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I have this thought during those songs, as well.  But I am thinking about it now, and I realize that I cannot be the only one who wishes to be a better worshipper in song?  After all, is it His name that receives praise, and He is worthy of my very best in that regard, whether I like the song or the key or the version or not.

This also speaks to the way in which we approach with our worship (Ecclesiastes 5:1), and warns us not to be foolish in this.  Again, I'll have to own the embarrassment that exists, and do better in the coming services.  And I think I have discovered where the problem comes in, with me at least: I think that I can define what my very best to give Him is by the range in which something is sung, by the way it sounds.  Really, the key or the tune or the tone or the timbre are irrelevant if the heart is pure and we make a joyful noise as we worship (Psalm 98:4, 100:1). 

The song is not what matters... another quote from Downhere, in a song called "My Last Amen" says:

"Like a note thrills in a song, when I play it again it's gone... because it has never been the sound!"

The song is irrelevant.  Chord progression, which can be used to evoke certain emotional responses, is irrelevant.  Major or minor keys are irrelevant.  Length of verses and choruses are irrelevant.  Who sings it is irrelevant.  The words used... they matter a lot.  But what matters MOST is the attitude with which we approach the singing of the song, regardless of all factors above.  After all, He is Who we sing to... and no one around you is not receiving your worship but God the Father, so why worry about the song being your favorite and in the best key and by the proper artist (speaking DIRECTLY to myself, here)?  Just SING, and shout praises to the Most High (Psalm 7:17), and let your heart turn to Him in reverent submission (Joel 2:12-13).

This was tough for me today, to be so open and expository on this point, but I pray that it will help you to see the value of looking at oneself in the mirror mentioned a few days ago, examining the personal worship that we bring forth to the Lord.  I know that I will sing differently today, and I pray that you will, as well, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

Fear... one final thought...

We're going to stick with the same Scripture from yesterday, and focus in closely on one single and very pointed question: can we follow the Great Commission without leaving our church campus?  Get ready, friends... because this is one of the greater fears, and it MUST be overcome.

"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'”

Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)

So, as I mentioned yesterday, it seems as though Christ was fairly clear on whether or not we are to go forth in the Great Commission given to us.  We don't exactly have a whole lot of choice in the matter, you know, since we were created for His good pleasure (Ephesians 2:10).  And if we are saved Christians, having Christ in us and being in Him, then we rely on greater strength than our own to perform the tasks before us (Philippians 2:13).  But I'll ask again, can we follow this command without leaving the church campus?


Don't misunderstand: I spoke at length yesterday about how important those things we do on campus really are.  All of the people who serve faithfully, week in and week out, are evangelizing and worshipping and providing whatever service they can, and that is to be admired.  But let's be really objective for a moment, step outside of it all, and look at what all that would mean if everyone were already a Christian.  Would anyone be saved?  Would any Kingdom Purpose be served?  Would we be following the Great Commission, or ignoring it with our heads in the sand?  Hopefully lost people do come and visit churches, which is why we have all the ministries and volunteers who fulfill them... but what if they don't?  Then what?


A dear friend mentioned yesterday that it sometimes seems that much of what we do to minister is done to minister to ourselves.  I won't deny that even the saved need it, because we still experience difficult things and tough times and hurts and pains and loss.  But shouldn't we be resting on His power the rest of the week, and sharing our salvation and Good News with everyone we encounter (2 Corinthians 12:9)?  Shouldn't we have a deeper and greater understanding of what it means to be eternally saved from hell and damnation, and so grateful for it that we worship everywhere we go as a right response to the gift we have been given?  Shouldn't our Wednesday and Sunday be a recharging of the Spiritual batteries that we run on, so that we can go forth in service to the kingdom?  After all...

"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"

Mark 2:17

Jesus didn't move in circles of only saved and/or only followers... so why do we?  Why would we ever assume that we could fulfill God's purpose for us in evangelizing and witnessing if the only people we CHOOSE to associate with are inside the four walls of our church?  Sure, there are some who walk an aisle every now and again, but it doesn't happen every Sunday, and that tells me that perhaps we should be outside looking for them if they're not coming to us.  Think about it... eventually, every created being will have no choice but to recognize Christ as Lord of all (Philippians 2:9-11), and we are supposed to be spreading that Name so that the majority of those in recognizing will have done so already, receiving salvation (Acts 4:12).  But if we never leave the sanctuary, how are we impacting that?  If all we do is set up gimmicks to try to draw people to us, are we following the Commission?  And since there is a named "Seeker Movement," where people seek the "right" church, why are we not starting our own "Seeker Ministry," where we the saved GO OUT and seek the lost?

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Proverbs 16:3

The world will all come to fear Him at some point (Psalm 67:7), friends.  The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we are helping in that process.  I love a good sermon as much as the next saved Bible-reading Christian... but I cannot have my salvation enhanced by it any more than any other Christian (Ephesians 2:8-9).  And I love to worship and sing praises and read and commune together on Sunday and Wednesday as much as every other Christian... but what am I doing the other days of the week, and who am I speaking to about the same things I learn on Wednesday and Sunday?

Inside ministry is good... outside ministry is great!  And I will say again, none of this is intended to make anyone feel like they should go and become Spurgeon or Moody.  It is all intended to make us think about how we worship and how we serve.  Our service in the church is important, and must go on, so keep singing, folding bulletins, cleaning up Kleenex, or any other thing you do to serve the Lord and His saved people.  Then go do the same thing for someone who needs to hear that message that saved you once, a long time ago, when the world was a different place, and people went to church more regularly than they do now, and people were walking the aisle regularly for a profession of faith.  Bring someone to visit, or talk to them outside the walls of the church... God is still present, you know, and He will bless your efforts to reach and save those who need to be saved.  So be bold (2 Timothy 1:7) and talk to someone - anyone - even just one person.  If we all did that, the churches tomorrow would have no seats left, and that would be an amazing honor we could offer to the Lord!

God bless you all!!!  

Fear... again...

Today I'm going to stick with fear a bit, but from a different viewpoint altogether.  I am going to look at what happens when we are afraid to try... when we are afraid to move... when we are afraid to go and do!  And we'll have a couple of very, very familiar passages here to reference in this.  Before I go on, though, I want you all to know that I am looking at this with specific respect to evangelism, and the fear to evangelize.  We'll get deeper into that in a minute...

One way to show respect to any authority figure is to follow directions and rules, right?  We follow company policies, traffic laws, classroom etiquette, etc. and show respect to each particular governing party by doing so.  Well then...

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)

So, I'm just gonna go out on a limb for a second and point out that it does not seem that Jesus gave any room for doubt in whether or not we are supposed to go and do precisely what He said we should go and do.  I'm reading it online right now, in multiple translations and variations, and it pretty much all says the same thing, leaving no room for confusion.  It's pretty clear that we are to go evangelize.

It's also clear that He is right beside us the entire time, within us even, to aid us in this command.  His strength is what we should remember to cling to in this, because our own is insufficient for the journey (Philippians 4:13).  And I'll once again quote a song from Downhere:

"You're not alone anywhere you go.  You're not alone; hear the Voice whisper to your soul.  A promise you can always hold... you're not alone!"

But let's be clear on something: this does not mean that you have to become Paul of Tarsus, winning over multitudes.  This also does not mean that you need to be as powerful and influential as Moody or Spurgeon.  What it means is that you and I have a calling in and on our lives from the Lord.  That calling for some of us is to go a preach to nations who have never heard the Name.  For others of us, it is to lead worship and sing praises to the Christ with every ounce of our being.  Others still will write and write and write and write and write (wink*) and always have more to learn and more to share.  But let's not forget that there are some who stand in the back of the sanctuary and hand out bulletins.  There are others who swing doors for people, to make them feel welcome.  Others still are there to watch children and teach the very simplest truths of Christianity to the little ones.  And every single person - all the way from the most powerful conversion in the Bible (Paul) to the kind staffer who cleans up Kleenex from the pews - is under a calling.  The honoring of each calling makes us one body (1 Corinthians 12:27).

That calling becomes that person's realm of evangelism.  And if we do it, and do it well, God will take our small and feeble efforts and multiply them.  We may never see that multiplication, and we may never have a clue that it even happens.  But if we do not work at whatever it is as though directly for God (Colossians 3:23), then we will never have the opportunity to see Him move in us.  And since we know that a relationship with Jesus is what matters most, and we know that relationships are formed in small steps, then we must infer that each individual step that is taken toward Christ is a small victory.  If you are the one who smiles at that person visiting who has not yet met the Lord, and they smile back, your calling has been fulfilled and they are one step closer.  Amen and amen to that for each time it happens!

And, again, we may not know the outcome of our efforts.  But as my Senior Pastor says, when we have the opportunity to witness our faith coming into contact with God's faithfulness, mountains will move!  They may not move in front of us... they may not even move in our lifetime... and you and I may never be able to say that we led multitudes to the Savior.  But even one sinner choosing to turn toward Christ causes immense joy in Heaven (Luke 15:7), so we must all remain ready and willing to be faithful to our calling.  Because...

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

2 Timothy 1:7

Do not fear the process of evangelizing.  And do not fear the word and its definition.  And do not fear the calling placed upon you, blessed one, for the fulfillment of that calling IS both evangelism and worship!  Go forth, have no fear, respect the Lord in the calling He has placed upon you and honor Him in doing so!

God bless you all!!!     

Fear... a different perspective...

I used a bear yesterday, but today I'm going to use something even more frightening.  I am going to make use of an instrument that strikes fear into the heart of every person, regardless of age.  I will employ this terrible tool only once, but it must be done for us all to see this particularly powerful aspect of fear.  Are you ready?  Today I'm using a mirror.

"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."

Isaiah 6:5

And to add a little more flavor to it, just for fun, I'll reference a song from Downhere called "Last Night's Daydream" in saying:

"From my sleep tonight, I woke to a frightening sight.  All the best of me, held up to Your perfect light."

The bear and the power of the bear induces the fear of harm.  But wounds heal, and we move forward.  People have survived bear attacks, after all, and they really aren't that common.  But when was the last time you looked into the mirror and compared your own sinfulness to God's holiness?  When was the last time you listened to a piece of music in church that just broke you down in the realization that we are so unworthy of the gift we have been blessed to receive?  When was the last time you admitted to yourself that you are nothing without the Lord?

In each of these moments, one of which I had two days ago while listening to another song by the same band, the Spirit comes close and brings about conviction.  The Spirit reminds us that we really do NEED God and His grace to wash over us, because we were never, ever, ever going to be capable of maintaining the law given through Moses.  Human beings just cannot do it.  We are not able to remain that focused for any sustained period of time, because of the nature into which we are born, which is sin.  Yeah, I said it... the "s" word that people today don't like to hear... but it is a part of us from conception (Psalm 51:5)... SIN!  

When we confront it, or when we see the Lord in a tangible way in our lives and His light shines upon our sin for us to see, we are forced to fall to the ground in understanding of who and what we really are at the core, begging for reprieve.  Isaiah did just that.  He saw the Lord, and then Isaiah realized how unworthy he was to see such sights!  He expected to die from the sight, just as I would.  It's too pure and too holy and too good for us to comprehend in this fleshly, sinful form.

But - pay attention to this - we have a different method of confronting it than Isaiah and his contemporaries did.  We have Christ (Romans 8:1)!  When we face the sin in our lives, we do so with the full power of Heaven beside us (Psalm 91:11), and we can overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13).  We are made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and the world and its trappings no longer have eternal grasp upon us (Galatians 2:20).

Pray with me today, friends, about what you would do if faced directly with the Lord, and asked to come to terms with who and what you really are.  Our imperfections are glaringly obvious when held up to Him... but...

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

2 Corinthians 12:9

Pray for the understanding that comes from knowing that God's grace rests upon you.  Be mindful and reverent as you do so, knowing to Whom it is you speak, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

Fear...

This one will visit multiple aspects, as well, and will span at least two sessions.  It came to me after a conversation yesterday with a colleague who asked a fair question: "Why should I 'fear' a God who loves me?"  No one had ever taken the time to explain what "fear" means in this context, so we went through it... and I'm going to go through it today.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."

Proverbs 1:7

When you think of fear, what is it that comes to mind?  For some, it will be scary movies... haunted houses for others... frightening costumes at Halloween... dangerous circumstances, like war... accidents that claim or harm lives... but God doesn't usually fit in that expanse for most.  He doesn't fit their in our perception, because we have grown up knowing that God loves us, that He is love (1 John 4:8) and that nothing can ever separate us from that love (Romans 8:38-39).  These are all truths about the Father, and they are all worth learning and knowing and believing with all our heart, soul, mind and body, and they are all things that we should never, ever doubt or question.  Period.

However, we should have a certain amount of fear, as described in the Old and New Testaments.  It refers to "reverential awe," as in guarding one's approach out of respect.  And let me be clear on something here, in that Christ's Atonement has given us access to the Father directly (Ephesians 3:12), and we are made co-heirs with Him in glory (Romans 8:17), and there is nothing we have to fear about approaching the Throne.  But just as I pointed out yesterday, our steps must be guarded (Ecclesiastes 5:1) as we enter, lest we make fools of ourselves before the One who grants us our access into the presence of the Father.  

But let's look at it another way for a moment.  Imagine you are on a camping trip with your family, and you awake in the middle of the night to find a black bear sleeping in your campsite.  This bear is massive, and we all know that outrunning is a bad plan, especially over rough terrain in the dark.  The bear seems undisturbed for the moment, and is not aware of you or your movements... yet.  Now, if the bear awakens and is hungry, and if you are the reason the bear wakes up, there may be a small point of concern, right?  Wrong: a HUGE point!  That bear could rip you to pieces with little to no effort, and has no qualms about doing so at all.  Therefore, you are (somewhat) in awe and will maintain an attitude of respect for the bear and the power it wields, right?  But you would say to others that you were "afraid" in that moment.  That's just a bear... imagine the power of God!

I will never advise someone to cower in terror before the Lord, and I will never assume that everyone can carry the same type or level of reverentially-based, awe-inspired "fear" of Him.  Yet I will advise and admonish and encourage that His power be thought upon and prayed over.  People have been quick to dismiss the tragedies of the Old Testament while saying, "My Jesus wouldn't do that to us... He loves us!"  Great thought... except that Jesus is a part of the Trinity, and was present at each and every event, and is described in Revelation as quite the frightening figure (Revelation 19:11-16).  But it must be noted and realized that God, Christ and the Spirit are holy and perfect, unchanging and constant, and their love is just the same.  That is why we know that His love comes sometimes in the form of discipline (Hebrews 12:6) just as it did/does sometimes from our parents on earth.

Pray with me today, friends, about the level of respectful fear that you carry before the Lord in all things.  It should always be present in prayer, worship, study... in life!  He owes us nothing, yet gave us more than we could ever understand this side of Heaven!  Pray to increase your reverential awe in His presence, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!  

Respect... counterpoint...

Without getting too deep into anything, I want to make certain that anyone who is reading this is aware that I intend to look at things from all sides.  And with that said, we will go into something today that is certain to stir up debate... and that is okay!  I want people to think and talk and really ponder on how they present themselves, physically and spiritually, to the Lord in worship. 

"The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.  God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart."

Psalm 51:17

I mentioned yesterday that I would visit the topic of how we dress for church today.  We'll start with a question I posed to my group of high school boys I teach.  I asked them, "Why is it okay for some ministers and members to dress like they are going to any old event, even though they are coming to church?"  The response I got was not surprising.  They said, "because God cares about your heart... not what you look like."  (Smart boys to realize this at an early age.)

So then I went on, "I understand that, and I agree that your heart and attitude of worship are more important than your dress... but given that we are freed from the trappings of the law and saved by grace, shouldn't we WANT to dress our best when coming to the House of the Lord?"  I received silence as a response.  I then pushed a little further asking, "the last time you went to a funeral, what did you wear?"  Here's what followed:
Boys: "A suit."
Me: "Really?  Why?"
Boys: "Out of respect, of course."
Me: "Respect for whom?"
Boys: "Respect for the dead... you're a funeral director, you know this."
Me: "Hmmm... so you dress up for a dead person, but not for our Living Savior?"
Boys: "....................................................................................................."
Me: "Please know, I am not requesting that you actually do anything different this coming Sunday... all I ask is that you think, honestly, about how you present yourself to the Creator of all things.  Suits are not necessary for worship... preparation of yourself for entry into the presence of God IS necessary."

And, again, I do not intend to make it seem as though I am legalistic about dress code.  I wear jeans to church on occasion, and I have been known to wear shorts to prayer conferences and not have a clean-shaved face at times.  But the example of dress easily relates to how we present ourselves.  And there are a lot of people who will purposefully not dress up, because it is a "man-made" requirement with a certain level of expectation that one be at their best while in church, thus making the "law" a more important facet of worship than God.  Others will say that they always grew up wearing the best of what they had, because that's the way it was in their town/church/home/etc.  That's fine... just as much as it is fine to wear jeans and flip-flops... but the clothing is being used as a metaphor here for something bigger.

How do we prepare ourselves for worship?  Do we focus our heart and mind in prayer before heading to church?  Do we recognize into Whose presence we enter?  Are we aware that God Himself is there with us as we sing and pray and listen and learn?  Are we ready for whatever He has in store, regardless of whether the song is in the right key or from the right artist (speaking directly to myself here), regardless of what book of the Bible the message comes from, regardless of how short or long the message is?  Are we ready, 100%, to encounter and commune with Yahweh, the Creator, the Great I AM, God the Father, the Lord of Hosts, the Alpha and Omega, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Most Holy and Most High Uncreated One? 

A broken spirit will not be denied, whether in Armani or Goodwill attire... and your shoes don't really matter, so long as your steps are guarded (Ecclesiastes 5:1).  Your heart, your mind, your body and your spirit should all be focused on the respect and love that is due to God and Christ and the Spirit for the amazing grace that has been poured into and onto you, the grace that comes from a Savior giving Himself in your place and mine.  And be clear on the fact that we are not righteous (Romans 3:10), and that He saved us while we were in sin (Romans 5:8) and He gives us the victory to which we so joyfully cling (1 Corinthians 15:55-57), so we should remain joyful in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:16)!

Pray with me today, blessed ones, for the enhancement of awareness of how we prepare ourselves to come to the House of the Lord.  We shouldn't walk in as though it's just any other building, you know... it is our Father's House, and it is a house of prayer and petition and supplication and worship!  Pray over this thought today, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

Respect...

Before I type anything in this study, I want to be exceedingly clear on a single point.  I am not issuing directives, and I am not suggesting that any one person's method of worship is wrong or lacking.  What I am doing is challenging myself and anyone who reads this to think about how they worship.  That's it: just think about it.  And IF there is something that anyone, including myself, learns from this that enhances their worship experience, then cry AMEN to the heavens!  Please understand, I am not assuming a Pharisaical stance here on any single point of focus - worship is strictly between creature and Creator, and it is for each person to decide what he/she is comfortable with. 

"Do not have other gods besides Me."

Deuteronomy 5:7

We are going to take a long and hard look at something that I know will cause some of you to step outside your comfort zones a little bit.  And I know that I will undoubtedly catch some heat for what I'm about to get into... but it will be worth it.  And before I say anything, I will openly admit that I am as guilty of all of this as everyone else - but a powerful reading plan that has taken me through some old wisdom has shown me things in my life that I can recognize more clearly in the church as a whole, and I think it is worth discussing.

How much respect do you carry with you when you enter the House of God each Sunday morning?  And is it the same level of respect that you show when you enter on Sunday evening?  What about on Wednesday evening?  Are you at the same level when you rehearse as when you worship?  Here's the kicker: should that level ever be different?

No.  It should not be different.  We are to have no other gods, and we are to worship the Lord who delivers us, even today, from all things (eternally).  Our level of reverence and respect for the Lord of Hosts should always be at its peak, and striving to increase just a little higher.  And this gets into a plethora of topics; the first of which I'll bring up will be how we dress... but that will come tomorrow.

Our level of respect for the God who sent His Son to die for you and your sins should be evident at all times in the House of the Lord.  Really, it should be evident at all times... PERIOD.  And as our Sunday School class teacher asked us yesterday, "do we sometimes forget to evangelize because we've forgotten how important it is," I must shout from the rooftops that I whole-heartedly agree!  We have nowhere near the level of respect and homage that the Israelites in the days of Leviticus had... they took it seriously, where we have earned our eternal freedom and that's good enough for us.  We don't walk away from worship every Sunday broken by the iniquity of our sin and the truth of how undeserving we are to receive so great a gift... no, we sit and think about what we'll have for lunch and who we could invite to come with us and when we have to leave to make it to the football game or some other such event.  In focusing on anything other than God, the Father, the Creator, we create for ourselves other gods that have more importance.  And is anything more important that eternal salvation and placement within the Father's family in Heaven?

That one probably stings for you as much as it does for me, because I did this yesterday knowing full-well that I would be typing about it today!  But it is the truth, whether any of us likes it or not.  And truth, which is intangible and unswayable, cannot be ignored.  It is yet one more proof that the law was given so that we could see just how incapable we are of keeping it, which is why Christ came!  

Don't miss this: without Jesus Christ, not one person on this planet is capable.  No one.  No one.  No one.

For those who are already reaching into Psalm 51:16-17 for proof of sacrifices not being needed and the broken spirit being all that matters, I agree with you.  For others who will say that God is not concerned with anything as much as with your heart, I agree with you, too.  However, thanks to Christ and the grace by which we are saved, shouldn't we yearn to do more for Him in whatever way we can?  And if that falls into focus or study or dress code or music or reading or TV or sports or facebook or prayer or work or anything (with respect to how we do it or how much we do it), shouldn't we wish to make some motion of gratitude in our meager and feeble way?  Or are all those other things really more important, and Jesus is only good enough for Sunday morning, as long as the songs are good and the message ends on time?

Think about it, folks... we are all guilty in some form or fashion of not showing the proper amount of respect, and it is absolutely due to something else being more important than the moment at hand, in worshipful submission, aware of both our undeservedness and the freedom we have been given through the Atonement of Christ.  Pray about this today, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

A new beginning...

Ladies and gentlemen, I have found the next topic.  I will be seeking through the Bible for a specific theme, and I will have some added assistance with this project.  There has been a serious pull in me to move into this particular area, and I am going to follow it.

All I will say for this new study is that there will be some questions asked that will be very pointed.  I will not apologize for those questions now, nor will I apologize for them as they are asked or after.

It will be a great exercise in some wonderful portions of Scripture... but please make no mistake, this will be a serious and powerful and humbling study for us all.  Just be prepared tomorrow as we start with Deuteronomy... because He's coming out swinging!

God bless you all!!!

A request...

Ladies and gentlemen, I am at a loss as to what to study next.  I would be honored to have your suggestions, or even your input. 

I have been through the fruit of the Spirit, the armor of God and just finished a LONG study on waiting on the Lord.  If there are other topics that you would like to study, I am always open to suggestion.  If not, would you please join me in prayer as I search for the next topic to really dig into in depth?

Thank you... and, as always, I pray grace and peace over you and yours!

God bless you all!!!

Waiting... in closing...

"Be silent before the LORD and wait expectantly for Him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the man who carries out evil plans."

Psalm 37:7

I am ending this study on waiting with this verse, because it needs to be clear that we are to continue to wait, to wait with expectancy and to NOT be discouraged by what we see in the world.  Remember, we are to be in the world, but not of it, right?  So do not give yourselves over to discouragement and doubt and disappointment that you have not seen anything change just yet... to walk away from the Way for these reasons is the same thing as saying that God is incapable... it is blasphemy.

And I want to be exceedingly clear on this, because I know that some people will take issue with that statement.  So I'll come at it from a personal viewpoint, and hopefully that will help dissolve any problems.  I am simply not of the status to demand that I see the Lord move and change things.  I am not worthy to expect that all this happen in my lifetime.  I pray for it to, but it may not, and I have accepted that as a strong possibility.  It will happen, and I am certain of this, because God IS faithful, and He will NOT falter in His promises.  Just because I don't see them come to fruition does not give me license to call Him a liar.

Also, we wait with expectancy, hoping that we will see the changes, because we are to be ready to embrace the Kingdom, if we are so blessed as to be present to witness its arrival.  But if we wait with joy... true, Biblical joy, that is non-situational, permanent, irremovable... then we should never for even an instant lose heart and question our faith and belief in the promises made by the Father.  There is no reason for us to fall away in this, and every reason for us to remain steadfast and immoveable as we wait.

We've looked deeply into waiting, and I have learned quite a bit about not racing into things without first taking them before the Almighty.  I pray that this has been as eventful and powerful for you as it has been for me.  Take a moment today to encourage someone you know to slow down and pray, and await the voice of the Lord, and honor the Lord in doing so!

And, as always, I pray grace and peace over you and yours, blessed friends!

God bless you all!!!

A thought on "waiting on the Lord"...

I have no specific Scriptural reference for this, but a mentor of mine pointed out yesterday that he ponders on the concept from a different perspective than I had thought of.  He mentioned a "lady in waiting," and asked that I think upon what that lady does.  I'll ask you to join me in the same.

Her title would lend to an obvious answer, in that she "waits," but that does not mean what you may think.  She doesn't sit still and "await" something to be done... she is "waiting on" her mistress, taking care of whatever is needed, always preparing for the next task while enduring the current one.  She is a servant.  She is in the service of her mistress.  She "waits on" the lady.  It is an active role, not a passive one.

So then I thought about a job I once had, as many did, as a waiter.  And I didn't "wait" much, unless the night was slow and my section was empty.  But I "waited on" people constantly.  And, oddly enough, I checked very carefully over what was prepared and brought to those I "waited on," making sure it would meet their approval.  And then, something neat happened in the restaurant business: we were no longer called "waiters," but were now called "servers."  Are you drawing any parallels yet?

As Christians, we serve the Lord.  We are in His service, and we are to "await" His arrival... but we should also actively "wait on" Him.  And what we bring to Him should be carefully examined, being prepared for the Creator of all things.  We should serve in whatever capacity we are able, and be active in that service.  And yes, at times that means we will sit and simply "wait."  But there are more times, I promise you, when we will have the privilege and blessing to "wait on" both the Lord and His people.  And you know what?  I just found my Scripture for this section, thanks to the Lord's leading... and I will end in that way today, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

Matthew 25:40 

We can wait...

"The LORD gives His people strength; the LORD blesses His people with peace."

Psalm 29:11

The title may be better worded as "we are able to wait," but I think both are fitting.  We are given strength and peace to wait and be calm and know that He is the Lord, and that we can rest upon Him.  In fact, He is really all we can rest upon, is He not? 

It's so funny to me how God will allow certain events to unfold.  I have this reading plan, and it happens that I cannot skip days, and so I arrived at Psalm 29 on Sunday... then I arrived at church and our minister welcomed us with Psalm 29.  And then, just this morning, I was pondering on Leviticus again (I'm into Numbers now, but I cannot shake the lack of fear that we have in comparison to those days), and I realized just how much strength was needed to try to remain under the law.  They couldn't do it, and I am certain that our current generation would not be able to take a single step, or even a single breath, without violating it entirely.  And then I knew I had to write about this.

I have been waiting a few days (again) before speaking on a new verse, and it has been beneficial.  I tell you the truth: meditation on Scripture is a powerful discipline, and once you begin to employ it, you discover that Lord does indeed bless you with strength and peace... and He does so as His word begins to mold and shape you.  We learn the Word, and we study the Word, and hopefully we can wield the Word, but it is more accurate to point out that through our blessings of strength and peace from above, the Word wields us!

Take a moment today to thank God for the strength and peace that you have.  And if you cannot yet see or feel it, then just take a couple of days to read Psalm 29 over and over and over.  Meditate upon the words and think about how the voice of God speaks to you today.  And then be silent: listen and focus and quiet your mind, so that you may hear Him speak to you.  Encourage others to follow suit in this, and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!