Once upon a time in the land of Make Believe there lived Mom and Pop Totally-Committed, who with their two sons, Brother A and Brother B, were a godly folk. The boys were raised with the same tender loving care, ever and always trying with all their might to follow the precious example set before them.
They were inseparable and the elder brother never seemed to mind in the least that his sibling was close on his heels, following his every move. It was Brother A’s goal that Brother B catch the vision of their parents and let the pattern of consecration and devotion continue. His mentoring paid off, and Brother B saw and experienced first hand the benefits of pursuing the will of God.
This learning came as soon as they were old enough to know anything, and their life mirrored that of so many others. For example, when asked if he were a particular denomination, one man said, “Yes…and prenatal,” meaning that living for God is all he had ever known.
It was like that with the two boys, almost as if their mother taught Sunday School in the morning, went to the hospital to deliver in the afternoon, and two weeks later was back in church, presenting her child to the Lord.
Brother A and Brother B were what is fondly and commonly known as ‘church drug babies’…their parents drug ’em to Sunday School, morning AND evening services, Bible study…you name it. And let us not forget that every revivalist who came down the Pike stopped by their church, not for a three day meeting, but for two and three week REVIVALS!
Their love for the Lord never ceased but only matured, as did the boys. Brother A and Brother B did not leave the faith deposited in them from birth. They grew up and married, and with families of their own, the brothers endeavored to instill the same principles in their children.
It seems like a nice “and they lived happily ever after” ending to the fairy tale, and it would be but for one small wrinkle...
While Brother B loved the Lord with all his heart, always did every thing that was required, and his faithfulness to heavenly things never wavered, he never experienced the privilege of service…only the duty.
He never learned that any thing done for Kingdom sake is a ‘get to’ moment rather than a ‘have to’ one.
Brother A caught this understanding early and it remained with him all the days of his life. His thoughts always were, “Thank you, Lord, that I get to teach today…what a privilege that I get to be in the House of God one more time…I am so glad I get to sing in the choir today…how blessed I am that I get to return unto the Lord a tithe…” His service went up before the Lord as a sweet smelling savor of sacrifice from the heart.
For Brother B, it was quite different…
"I am a Christian, so there are certain things I do and don’t do…certain places I go and don’t go. I attend church services every time the doors are open. I have to pay my tithes and give an offering. I have to teach Sunday School and sing in the choir. My parents did this, and I must, too…"
He never seemed to grasp the blessed heritage Mom and Pop gave him, full of opportunities for service, because of the sometimes overwhelming sense of obligation. "This is what I am supposed to do...it is what I have to do!"
This was not a sudden change in attitude, but was always there. On reflection, we see that Brother A was awakened on Sunday mornings as a child with joy… “I wonder what the lesson will be about today...”
In contrast, Brother B moaned, “Do I have to go to church today?”
Sadly, that have to thinking never left…
This difference in mindset did not mean Brother A was more saved and sanctified than Brother B, or that it would necessarily keep his brother from making it in. It just meant that for Brother A, living for God was not a chore but second nature…as the songwriter said, “Like breathing out and breathing in.”
It could be so because he decided long ago to separate himself unto the Lord rather than from the world, thus it was never a hardship. He served with gladness and not out of duty, grateful for the opportunity to work and live in the Kingdom.
The ‘have to’ mentality is not a very prosperous one…it makes the soul lean and wanting. How much easier life is and what joy is to be had by simply turning our thoughts to the privilege rather than the duty.
Perhaps the next time we hear someone say, “I have to sing,” or the next time we think, “Oh, I better get up ’cause I have to go to church,” we will remember the tale of the two brothers, and thank God for the ‘get to’…
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
In The Process Of Time
How often we have heard it said that the world, especially Americans, live with a ‘microwave mindset’…we want it quick…we want it NOW! Pizza establishments even have a ‘Hot & Now’ deal, where you walk in, hand over the money and walk out, prayerfully with a hot pizza. There’s no wait and no fuss.
Everything in life is a process, but we don’t like to wait…
God forbid we are in a ‘fast food lane’ and they are super busy. I mean c’mon…they call it fast food for a reason, right? We don’t like to be delayed in where we perceive we should be at this point and time. Let’s get it and be on our way. And look out world if we are in a traffic jam or stopped by a freight train…heaven save us from having to wait!
But in the heat of the rush, we don’t stop to consider that the better meal is the one we take the time to cook ourselves, or one that, at the least, is prepared for us with tender care.
Neither do we consider that perhaps we are being directed by the Lord when we are made to detour or slowed on our journey. Folks will risk being pulled over by ‘The Boys’, or worse, before they think that they need to slow down and drive the speed limit.
Age has taught me that anything worth having and any destination worth reaching is best through the process of time. Time is a funny thing, because it can appear to drag on one moment and rush too fast the next. But the fact is, time is continued progress. It doesn’t stop for the less fortunate among us or change for the elite. It doesn’t speed up, but is consistently the same every day…forever.
If only we could remember this when attempting to go from point A to point B, how much easier it would be.
The Bible mentions “in the process of time” in five places (Genesis 4:3, 38:12; Exodus 2:23; Judges 11:4; II Chronicles 21:19). These passages speak about reaping a harvest, going to battle, and death.
The veggies we plant do not grow overnight. There is a season of tilling the soil and planting the seed. The ground must be consistently watered and carefully looked after so that the birds do not steal away what has been planted. And even after the corn and tomatoes begin to appear, they cannot be harvested ahead of their time. We must wait for the process of growth to be completed before we reap the benefit of our labor.
There is a process of time for everything…
One does not run out into battle without a time of preparation, in the natural and in the spiritual realm. It is a process of training and mental preparedness that needs precede frontline warfare. Only then, after intense training and the donning of the uniform of a soldier, that in the process of time will it seem feasible to fight the good fight.
Everything involves a process of time…
Spiritual growth is a process. One does not get up from the altar of salvation and through a miracle of God become a Bible scholar. Mature Christians are not born…they are made. The process is the same for all, but many become discouraged because they are not willing to crawl as a babe before they are able to run with the giants.
Folks cannot step over prayer, consecration, faithfulness, private devotion, lack a desire for the sincere milk of the Word, and think spiritual maturity is a given. They are fooling themselves and will die in the process.
Forgiving is a process, for sure. A minister once said, “God doesn’t give us amnesia so that we no longer remember the wrong done to us, but what He does is take the pain out of the memory.”
This comes through the process of time…I speak from experience. Just when I think I have forgiven, something comes along to bring it all back to the forefront. So once again, I must throw it back on the Lord, asking His pardon for picking up the junk again, and speak the words, “Lord, I forgive as I have been forgiven.”
It is not always an easy thing, but progress demands I go through the process. The reward of letting go far outweighs the pain of holding on. But it is not an overnight success story. It is a daily process of casting down imaginations and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Those who are successfully restored to freedom from hurt are those who have patiently allowed themselves to be healed.
Grief is a process, and again, I speak from experience. I have posted on this blog a couple of times about my nephew, John…he was 20 years old when he passed away. It was an extremely trying time for our family, and is something from which my brother and sister in law will never fully recover. Yet through it all, the hand of God has sustained them. It has almost been nine years and the process has been slow in coming, but God is a mender of broken hearts.
When we pass through the valley and grief is our constant companion, may we cling to the hand of the One who says, “Lo, I am with thee always…” The Lord says “lo” to call to our attention that He is with us every step of the process. The Lord of hosts is our strength and our comfort.
In whatever state you are in today, I encourage you to allow yourself to go through the process. Time heals all wounds, and it also wounds all heels…
So let us give God time to do His thing and bring us to the place of victory we so desperately need. We shall pray mercy on any offenders along the way and strength that we might hold out until the process of time for healing the hurt has come to pass. And therein is the victory, that in knowing trials don’t come to stay, but will come to pass in the process of time.
May we walk on, taking one step at a time, for as long as it takes…giving ourselves time to grow and mature in forgiveness and healing, forever and always whole and complete in Christ Jesus.
Everything in life is a process, but we don’t like to wait…
God forbid we are in a ‘fast food lane’ and they are super busy. I mean c’mon…they call it fast food for a reason, right? We don’t like to be delayed in where we perceive we should be at this point and time. Let’s get it and be on our way. And look out world if we are in a traffic jam or stopped by a freight train…heaven save us from having to wait!
But in the heat of the rush, we don’t stop to consider that the better meal is the one we take the time to cook ourselves, or one that, at the least, is prepared for us with tender care.
Neither do we consider that perhaps we are being directed by the Lord when we are made to detour or slowed on our journey. Folks will risk being pulled over by ‘The Boys’, or worse, before they think that they need to slow down and drive the speed limit.
Age has taught me that anything worth having and any destination worth reaching is best through the process of time. Time is a funny thing, because it can appear to drag on one moment and rush too fast the next. But the fact is, time is continued progress. It doesn’t stop for the less fortunate among us or change for the elite. It doesn’t speed up, but is consistently the same every day…forever.
If only we could remember this when attempting to go from point A to point B, how much easier it would be.
The Bible mentions “in the process of time” in five places (Genesis 4:3, 38:12; Exodus 2:23; Judges 11:4; II Chronicles 21:19). These passages speak about reaping a harvest, going to battle, and death.
The veggies we plant do not grow overnight. There is a season of tilling the soil and planting the seed. The ground must be consistently watered and carefully looked after so that the birds do not steal away what has been planted. And even after the corn and tomatoes begin to appear, they cannot be harvested ahead of their time. We must wait for the process of growth to be completed before we reap the benefit of our labor.
There is a process of time for everything…
One does not run out into battle without a time of preparation, in the natural and in the spiritual realm. It is a process of training and mental preparedness that needs precede frontline warfare. Only then, after intense training and the donning of the uniform of a soldier, that in the process of time will it seem feasible to fight the good fight.
Everything involves a process of time…
Spiritual growth is a process. One does not get up from the altar of salvation and through a miracle of God become a Bible scholar. Mature Christians are not born…they are made. The process is the same for all, but many become discouraged because they are not willing to crawl as a babe before they are able to run with the giants.
Folks cannot step over prayer, consecration, faithfulness, private devotion, lack a desire for the sincere milk of the Word, and think spiritual maturity is a given. They are fooling themselves and will die in the process.
Forgiving is a process, for sure. A minister once said, “God doesn’t give us amnesia so that we no longer remember the wrong done to us, but what He does is take the pain out of the memory.”
This comes through the process of time…I speak from experience. Just when I think I have forgiven, something comes along to bring it all back to the forefront. So once again, I must throw it back on the Lord, asking His pardon for picking up the junk again, and speak the words, “Lord, I forgive as I have been forgiven.”
It is not always an easy thing, but progress demands I go through the process. The reward of letting go far outweighs the pain of holding on. But it is not an overnight success story. It is a daily process of casting down imaginations and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Those who are successfully restored to freedom from hurt are those who have patiently allowed themselves to be healed.
Grief is a process, and again, I speak from experience. I have posted on this blog a couple of times about my nephew, John…he was 20 years old when he passed away. It was an extremely trying time for our family, and is something from which my brother and sister in law will never fully recover. Yet through it all, the hand of God has sustained them. It has almost been nine years and the process has been slow in coming, but God is a mender of broken hearts.
When we pass through the valley and grief is our constant companion, may we cling to the hand of the One who says, “Lo, I am with thee always…” The Lord says “lo” to call to our attention that He is with us every step of the process. The Lord of hosts is our strength and our comfort.
In whatever state you are in today, I encourage you to allow yourself to go through the process. Time heals all wounds, and it also wounds all heels…
So let us give God time to do His thing and bring us to the place of victory we so desperately need. We shall pray mercy on any offenders along the way and strength that we might hold out until the process of time for healing the hurt has come to pass. And therein is the victory, that in knowing trials don’t come to stay, but will come to pass in the process of time.
May we walk on, taking one step at a time, for as long as it takes…giving ourselves time to grow and mature in forgiveness and healing, forever and always whole and complete in Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
This Is The Day Of New Beginnings
There is a road that is less traveled, and in it’s wake, one will not find the masses seeking direction. It seems odd to think about it in this way, that many run from or are fearful of the road of a new beginning.
Wonder why this is?
Do you think that maybe they fear failure? Or perhaps it is the unknown which holds them back from starting again. Weariness, known in the church world as ‘burn-out’, has given folks pause, and beginning a new phase of ministry just seems something they are not eager to do.
And maybe some are content with where they are. You know how it is…if someone thinks they are right, or feels justified in the direction they are headed, they won’t even consider seeking a better way.
New beginnings take on such different meanings and often carry great proportions, depending on the who, what, where, and how of it all.
Perhaps it is a new job opportunity or moving to a new city. Maybe it is a new church or a change in an organizational affiliation. Some may be seeking a new path of ministry…the road has detoured and now they are once again seeking direction. For some it may be a change in marital status...recently married, divorced, or widowed.
Many of these things may bring joy while others bring tremendous sadness or regret. But the fact is, regardless of the issues facing us or our personal situations, every day that we rise from our bed of slumber is a day of new beginnings. It is a day which we have never seen before and will only glimpse again through the eyes of memory.
It is a new day of opportunity for giving, loving, receiving and extending mercy, and opening the doors of our heart to those in our realm of influence. It is a new day of restoration and healing, forgiving and receiving forgiveness, blessing others and allowing ourselves to be blessed.
Unfortunately, for some, this is but a pipe-dream that will never be a reality, and in their mind, a new day of a fresh beginning is remote. They cannot envision life any other way than in the valley of defeat, dread, fear, regret, or uncertainty.
As I sat here at my trusty computer pondering all that I have just written, the words, the land of beginning again came to my mind. In turning to my old friend, Brother Google, I searched and found that there is a poem by that title…amazing! If by posting it I have crossed a copyright line, please let me know, and accept my apology…
Today I bring hope to the weary and fearful, and sunshine to the dark days of “if only…”
There IS a land of beginning again. It is not a place of going back and making a new start. One cannot turn back the hands of time…what has been done can’t be undone. But it is, as someone once said, a place where we “start from now and make a new ending.”
It is a place where forgiveness and restoration flow freely. It is a place where favor is in bountiful supply. It is a place where ‘picking up the pieces’ is the norm.
It is a place where age is not a factor. After seeing his entire manufacturing facility burn down, Thomas Edison said, "I am 67 years old, but I'm not too old to make a fresh start."
The land of beginning again is a place where you look around and see that you are not the only one there.
Are you ready to go there?
Remember that it IS a road less traveled, so are you sure you are ready to make a complete ‘about face’ and walk into a fresh, new start?
If you are sure…if you are ready, please take my hand and let me lead the way.
Follow me to the Throne Room!
The Throne Room is the road that leads to the land of beginning again. The Master doesn’t ask that you ‘have all of your ducks in a row’. You don’t have to have the answers to the hard questions and every problem solved.
He is not stressed that you are there with issues. He is not overwhelmed with the problems you present. And He is not wringing His hands with worry about how it’s all going to come to pass.
Hear the Word of the Lord…
“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). NLT
The Lord of all creation holds the deed to the land of beginning again, but I have wonderful news…He has bequeathed the land and all rights to YOU and to ME! All we have to do is turn from the direction we are headed and walk the road leading to a new day.
In this land are new opportunities for ministry and successful living. You know, success in life is not based on things one may obtain. As a friend reminded me the other day, these things are temporal, and the Apostle Paul said that things perish with the using (Colossians 2:23). That new car we are so proud of ceases to be new the moment we sign the paper and drive it off the lot. The computer I am typing this on is outdated when it leaves the factory. Nothing lasts forever in this earthly realm…not even you and me.
The things that are eternal are the things that will last…peace of mind, contentment of heart, lives that are changed because we spoke the Word of Life, those who were blessed because we obeyed the voice of the Lord. These things, and more, will live long after we are gone.
Once you are on the road, then the next logical step is to put feet to desire. In other words, dear heart…get up and do it! Only you and the Lord know what this will mean, but whatever you have to do to begin again, do it! It's not finding the road or even standing on the road that counts...it's finishing the race that brings the reward. But be reminded that walking the road to the Throne Room and laying before the Lord is only the starting place. Once you rise from the floor of worship and petition and worship again, there has to be an action on your part.
God is calling for you today to step out…He is calling you to launch out into the deep and trust that He is with you, making it all possible according to His will. And if you have missed His will in the past and are afraid to try again, not to worry. If you missed it, find it! The failure is not in falling or missing the will of God…the failure is in not getting up again!
This is YOUR day!
Today is ripe with opportunities for success or failure. The choice of receiving and giving that which is better rests with me and with you...
Are you ready to begin again?
Wonder why this is?
Do you think that maybe they fear failure? Or perhaps it is the unknown which holds them back from starting again. Weariness, known in the church world as ‘burn-out’, has given folks pause, and beginning a new phase of ministry just seems something they are not eager to do.
And maybe some are content with where they are. You know how it is…if someone thinks they are right, or feels justified in the direction they are headed, they won’t even consider seeking a better way.
New beginnings take on such different meanings and often carry great proportions, depending on the who, what, where, and how of it all.
Perhaps it is a new job opportunity or moving to a new city. Maybe it is a new church or a change in an organizational affiliation. Some may be seeking a new path of ministry…the road has detoured and now they are once again seeking direction. For some it may be a change in marital status...recently married, divorced, or widowed.
Many of these things may bring joy while others bring tremendous sadness or regret. But the fact is, regardless of the issues facing us or our personal situations, every day that we rise from our bed of slumber is a day of new beginnings. It is a day which we have never seen before and will only glimpse again through the eyes of memory.
It is a new day of opportunity for giving, loving, receiving and extending mercy, and opening the doors of our heart to those in our realm of influence. It is a new day of restoration and healing, forgiving and receiving forgiveness, blessing others and allowing ourselves to be blessed.
Unfortunately, for some, this is but a pipe-dream that will never be a reality, and in their mind, a new day of a fresh beginning is remote. They cannot envision life any other way than in the valley of defeat, dread, fear, regret, or uncertainty.
As I sat here at my trusty computer pondering all that I have just written, the words, the land of beginning again came to my mind. In turning to my old friend, Brother Google, I searched and found that there is a poem by that title…amazing! If by posting it I have crossed a copyright line, please let me know, and accept my apology…
The Land Of Beginning Again
I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn't be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.
For what had been hardest we'd know had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn't a sting that will not take a wing
When we've faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we're after
In the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were some wondered place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.
-Louise Fletcher
I wish that there were some wonderful place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat by the door
And never be put on again.
I wish we could come on it all unaware
Like the hunter who finds a lost trail
And I wish that the one whom our blindness has done
The greatest injustice of all
Could be at the gates like an old friend that waits
the comrade he's gladdest to hail.
We would find all the things we intended to do
But forgot, and remembered too late;
Little praises unspoken, little promises broken
And all of the thousand and one
Little duties neglected that might have perfected
The day for one less fortunate.
It wouldn't be possible not to be kind
In the Land of Beginning Again
And the ones we misjudged and the ones whom we grudged
Their moments of victory then
Would find in the grasp of our loving handclasp
More than penitent lips could explain.
For what had been hardest we'd know had been best
And what had seemed loss would be gain
For there isn't a sting that will not take a wing
When we've faced it and laughed it away,
And I think that the laughter is most what we're after
In the Land of Beginning Again.
So I wish that there were some wondered place
Called the Land of Beginning Again
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches
And all of our selfish grief
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.
-Louise Fletcher
Today I bring hope to the weary and fearful, and sunshine to the dark days of “if only…”
There IS a land of beginning again. It is not a place of going back and making a new start. One cannot turn back the hands of time…what has been done can’t be undone. But it is, as someone once said, a place where we “start from now and make a new ending.”
It is a place where forgiveness and restoration flow freely. It is a place where favor is in bountiful supply. It is a place where ‘picking up the pieces’ is the norm.
It is a place where age is not a factor. After seeing his entire manufacturing facility burn down, Thomas Edison said, "I am 67 years old, but I'm not too old to make a fresh start."
The land of beginning again is a place where you look around and see that you are not the only one there.
Are you ready to go there?
Remember that it IS a road less traveled, so are you sure you are ready to make a complete ‘about face’ and walk into a fresh, new start?
If you are sure…if you are ready, please take my hand and let me lead the way.
Follow me to the Throne Room!
The Throne Room is the road that leads to the land of beginning again. The Master doesn’t ask that you ‘have all of your ducks in a row’. You don’t have to have the answers to the hard questions and every problem solved.
He is not stressed that you are there with issues. He is not overwhelmed with the problems you present. And He is not wringing His hands with worry about how it’s all going to come to pass.
Hear the Word of the Lord…
“For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). NLT
The Lord of all creation holds the deed to the land of beginning again, but I have wonderful news…He has bequeathed the land and all rights to YOU and to ME! All we have to do is turn from the direction we are headed and walk the road leading to a new day.
In this land are new opportunities for ministry and successful living. You know, success in life is not based on things one may obtain. As a friend reminded me the other day, these things are temporal, and the Apostle Paul said that things perish with the using (Colossians 2:23). That new car we are so proud of ceases to be new the moment we sign the paper and drive it off the lot. The computer I am typing this on is outdated when it leaves the factory. Nothing lasts forever in this earthly realm…not even you and me.
The things that are eternal are the things that will last…peace of mind, contentment of heart, lives that are changed because we spoke the Word of Life, those who were blessed because we obeyed the voice of the Lord. These things, and more, will live long after we are gone.
Once you are on the road, then the next logical step is to put feet to desire. In other words, dear heart…get up and do it! Only you and the Lord know what this will mean, but whatever you have to do to begin again, do it! It's not finding the road or even standing on the road that counts...it's finishing the race that brings the reward. But be reminded that walking the road to the Throne Room and laying before the Lord is only the starting place. Once you rise from the floor of worship and petition and worship again, there has to be an action on your part.
God is calling for you today to step out…He is calling you to launch out into the deep and trust that He is with you, making it all possible according to His will. And if you have missed His will in the past and are afraid to try again, not to worry. If you missed it, find it! The failure is not in falling or missing the will of God…the failure is in not getting up again!
This is YOUR day!
Today is ripe with opportunities for success or failure. The choice of receiving and giving that which is better rests with me and with you...
Are you ready to begin again?
Monday, April 12, 2010
Can The World See Jesus?
I received the following in an email a few years ago. It is my hope that it blesses someone today, and you are encouraged to be Jesus on earth…
A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.
In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.
All but one...
He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.
Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.
The sixteen year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time, helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears... He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister...' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with the question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'
Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus, people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye, even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
The cry of my heart is, Let the world see Jesus in ME today!
A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner.
In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding.
All but one...
He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight.
Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.
The sixteen year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time, helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one to care for her plight.
The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, 'Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?' She nodded through her tears... He continued on with, 'I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly.'
As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, 'Mister...' He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, 'Are you Jesus?'
He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered. Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with the question burning and bouncing about in his soul: 'Are you Jesus?'
Do people mistake you for Jesus? That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus, people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace.
If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting Scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye, even though we, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked you and me up on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.
The cry of my heart is, Let the world see Jesus in ME today!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Choose The High Road
A friend reminded me today that choosing to take the high road in difficult and uncomfortable situations is not always an easy thing to do. It is an easy thing to say, and good advise to give to others, “Just take the high road!” But when the proverbial chickens come home to roost, well, tis not always so easy.
It's kind of like the old Church Mother my former pastor knew. Every time someone was sick or had a problem, she’d say, “Honey, just tell the devil he’s a liar!”
This went on for quite some time, and then one day, Mother was sick. One of the young people said, “Mother, just tell the devil he’s a liar!”
Mother replied, “But honey, he ain’t lyin' this time!”
Advise is good until we have to take the medicine ourselves, then we are left with a choice. Do we just espouse rhetoric for the sake of sounding spiritually brilliant, or do we live the advise we so freely give?
When our names are scandalized, when our reputations are laid to bare, when we are not liked because of a particular stand taken, when the ‘green-eyed’ giant of jealousy rears his ugly head, when the favor of God causes tongues to wagging, what is our first inclination?
For the sinner and the seasoned Saint, the first thoughts are the same, “Let me explain…let me set you straight…you don’t know the whole story…” And sometimes we want to say, "Hold it just a minute, dude...let me tell YOU something...!"
In other words, we want to fix it. We think that if we tell them to keep their raggedy noses out of our business, they would be SO much better off! And they would be better off for sure, but would setting the record straight benefit them, or is it just that it would make us feel better?
Would they change their opinion because we gave them ‘what for’? If we extended to them the cold shoulder of dis-fellowship or rolled our eyes in disgust, would they stop their gainsaying and respect us more?
I admit to failing at this time and again. Being the only girl in a family of six boys, I had to learn to stick up for myself or they would run me over. So now, even in adulthood…sanctified adulthood, it is still difficult at times keeping my lips zipped and letting the high road speak for me.
It does have a voice, you know. The high road speaks volumes…
It says that my silence is my defense. Some might think that not answering rebuke or hurtful remarks is a sign of guilt, but I would disagree. It takes courage to remain quiet when the world is blabbering their lives away.
And by turning in silence and showing kindness in the face of those who speak evil of me, it says two things...it says that God has my back in this, and that I am forgiving as I have been forgiven.
Most importantly, the voice of the high road ensures my peace of mind and keeps my well of joy full. It is a fact that I cannot control what the masses say or think, but I can control my reaction to their actions.
And when the time is right, God will speak. It may come in added favor on the job or in my church. It may come through someone coming to know the Lord in a more and perfect way through my example. His voice may show up in a myriad of ways, but when He speaks, it will be abundantly clear that it is God.
So, in the midst of all the choices we make on a daily basis, let me encourage you as I encourage myself today, take the high road.
'Clearing the air' really doesn’t clear it at all…it just makes the Way harder to see.
It's kind of like the old Church Mother my former pastor knew. Every time someone was sick or had a problem, she’d say, “Honey, just tell the devil he’s a liar!”
This went on for quite some time, and then one day, Mother was sick. One of the young people said, “Mother, just tell the devil he’s a liar!”
Mother replied, “But honey, he ain’t lyin' this time!”
Advise is good until we have to take the medicine ourselves, then we are left with a choice. Do we just espouse rhetoric for the sake of sounding spiritually brilliant, or do we live the advise we so freely give?
When our names are scandalized, when our reputations are laid to bare, when we are not liked because of a particular stand taken, when the ‘green-eyed’ giant of jealousy rears his ugly head, when the favor of God causes tongues to wagging, what is our first inclination?
For the sinner and the seasoned Saint, the first thoughts are the same, “Let me explain…let me set you straight…you don’t know the whole story…” And sometimes we want to say, "Hold it just a minute, dude...let me tell YOU something...!"
In other words, we want to fix it. We think that if we tell them to keep their raggedy noses out of our business, they would be SO much better off! And they would be better off for sure, but would setting the record straight benefit them, or is it just that it would make us feel better?
Would they change their opinion because we gave them ‘what for’? If we extended to them the cold shoulder of dis-fellowship or rolled our eyes in disgust, would they stop their gainsaying and respect us more?
I admit to failing at this time and again. Being the only girl in a family of six boys, I had to learn to stick up for myself or they would run me over. So now, even in adulthood…sanctified adulthood, it is still difficult at times keeping my lips zipped and letting the high road speak for me.
It does have a voice, you know. The high road speaks volumes…
It says that my silence is my defense. Some might think that not answering rebuke or hurtful remarks is a sign of guilt, but I would disagree. It takes courage to remain quiet when the world is blabbering their lives away.
And by turning in silence and showing kindness in the face of those who speak evil of me, it says two things...it says that God has my back in this, and that I am forgiving as I have been forgiven.
Most importantly, the voice of the high road ensures my peace of mind and keeps my well of joy full. It is a fact that I cannot control what the masses say or think, but I can control my reaction to their actions.
And when the time is right, God will speak. It may come in added favor on the job or in my church. It may come through someone coming to know the Lord in a more and perfect way through my example. His voice may show up in a myriad of ways, but when He speaks, it will be abundantly clear that it is God.
So, in the midst of all the choices we make on a daily basis, let me encourage you as I encourage myself today, take the high road.
'Clearing the air' really doesn’t clear it at all…it just makes the Way harder to see.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Bring Back The Days Of Yea And Nay
Times They Are a-Changin’ is a song recorded in 1964 by Bob Dylan. It came to mind as I thought about the direction of the world in this new decade, and it well could be the anthem of the day. As we are rapidly witnessing, 2010 is destined to be a decade of change, but is it a good thing?
It seems like every day there is some thing or some ideal or some just plain old common sense mores that have flown the coop. What was once considered inappropriate conversation is now acceptable in the public arena. What was once known to be bad conduct that most frowned on is now encouraged behavior. Those who live a life strongly condemned in the Holy Scriptures we are now told to tolerate as just having “another lifestyle” or “preference.”
There seems to be a distinct lack of propriety. Married folks who have found another lover, or series of lovers, are no longer referred to as “adulterers.” They now are said to have an addiction, so off they go to rehab to be ‘cured’. We see it today in almost epidemic proportions…first one celebrity and then another runs to rehab, after they are caught.
Where in all of this is the conscience? Where is the taking of responsibility for wrong doing? And have some in the Body of Christ bought into this, taking the mindset of society that sin is not sin but a sickness one recovers from? In the spirit of being ‘politically correct,’ I fear that a few may be losing the definite line of separation between right and wrong that the Scriptures so clearly make.
A friend’s daughter sings the old song, Grandpa, Tell Me ‘bout the Good Ole Days, and I love this line..
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday, when the line between right and wrong wasn’t quite so hazy.
Sometimes it seems that way, doesn’t it? People can’t seem to define just what is right and wrong anymore. It seems to me that they can no longer determine black from white because it is clouded over with popular opinion and personal conviction, causing everything in its path to have a hazy look to it. Consequently, we have folks who walk around in a gray fog of uncertainty.
I don’t mean to sound like Grandma Moses, but when I was a young’un, there were just things we did and didn’t do…not because the Scriptures necessarily spelled it out, or because the pastor stood over us with a baseball bat, demanding this and that. I just knew, even as an unsaved child, a thing was right or it was wrong.
Today we must be up on our hermeneutics…who was the writer speaking to in the verses? Was it cultural and not applicable to us today? And let’s not forget the Greek and Hebrew…
But is God pleased? Have we gained anything? Does enlightenment mean we tear down, or does Light given add to Light possessed?
We are encouraged to back political policies which run counter to our beliefs, and move on into the 21st century, for “the times they are a-changin’!” But have we asked ourselves, “Is God pleased in my political views? Have I placed party line over biblical principle?”
Even as pertains to doctrine we find the uncertainty rising. Instead of taking the Word of God for what it says, folks will dissect every word, examining every phrase, debating every issue. Study to show thyself approved is scriptural, but when the study causes us doubt and brings contention, we have to ask again, “Is God pleased?”
I would be the last one to speak against study and research…it has been my mainstay for many years now. And the Word declares that we should be “ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15).
However, we must be careful that on our journey for more understanding, we do not lose our way and become shipwrecked. The Way of holiness of heart and life is still right, regardless of the wind blowing another way.
It is my desire today to admonish all who will read this post to not be discouraged. People will fall away, but there are zillions of God-fearing men and women, boys and girls, who have not bowed their knee to indifference or spiritual deception.
As we move ahead in the spirit of progress, let us hold fast to that which brought us over…
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when a person’s word was their bond. If someone said they were going to do something, only death would keep them from it. Even sinner men knew the power of a handshake in agreement. It was a contract that was binding, for their integrity was EVERYTHING.
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when commitment to marriage, family, friend, and job meant something that mirrored our commitment to the Savior…the days when a vow before God was a sacred thing.
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when we remembered who we were and why we are here.
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when we stood together as a Body, regardless of view. There was a time that brother in the Lord didn’t speak against a brother. The Blood line meant EVERYTHING, and folks wouldn’t cross it to merely espouse a conviction.
Allow me to encourage you today…
Let us be slow to speak, unless it is a good word. Let us think the best before we would the worst, make a vow and keep it, extend love in the face of adversity, and let our word mean something.
Let us not be easily shaken by what we see and hear. This is the hour when everything that can be shaken, will be shaken, but we cannot allow ourselves to be moved by the events and issues of the day.
Let us give because the spirit of giving is on us and not because we have a secret agenda.
Let us live honorably, not raising one hand to the Lord while hiding the other behind our back in deception.
Let us remember that we can’t wait for others to bring back the days of yea and nay. Let it begin with me. Let it begin with you.
And let us remember the power of one…
It seems like every day there is some thing or some ideal or some just plain old common sense mores that have flown the coop. What was once considered inappropriate conversation is now acceptable in the public arena. What was once known to be bad conduct that most frowned on is now encouraged behavior. Those who live a life strongly condemned in the Holy Scriptures we are now told to tolerate as just having “another lifestyle” or “preference.”
There seems to be a distinct lack of propriety. Married folks who have found another lover, or series of lovers, are no longer referred to as “adulterers.” They now are said to have an addiction, so off they go to rehab to be ‘cured’. We see it today in almost epidemic proportions…first one celebrity and then another runs to rehab, after they are caught.
Where in all of this is the conscience? Where is the taking of responsibility for wrong doing? And have some in the Body of Christ bought into this, taking the mindset of society that sin is not sin but a sickness one recovers from? In the spirit of being ‘politically correct,’ I fear that a few may be losing the definite line of separation between right and wrong that the Scriptures so clearly make.
A friend’s daughter sings the old song, Grandpa, Tell Me ‘bout the Good Ole Days, and I love this line..
Grandpa, take me back to yesterday, when the line between right and wrong wasn’t quite so hazy.
Sometimes it seems that way, doesn’t it? People can’t seem to define just what is right and wrong anymore. It seems to me that they can no longer determine black from white because it is clouded over with popular opinion and personal conviction, causing everything in its path to have a hazy look to it. Consequently, we have folks who walk around in a gray fog of uncertainty.
I don’t mean to sound like Grandma Moses, but when I was a young’un, there were just things we did and didn’t do…not because the Scriptures necessarily spelled it out, or because the pastor stood over us with a baseball bat, demanding this and that. I just knew, even as an unsaved child, a thing was right or it was wrong.
Today we must be up on our hermeneutics…who was the writer speaking to in the verses? Was it cultural and not applicable to us today? And let’s not forget the Greek and Hebrew…
But is God pleased? Have we gained anything? Does enlightenment mean we tear down, or does Light given add to Light possessed?
We are encouraged to back political policies which run counter to our beliefs, and move on into the 21st century, for “the times they are a-changin’!” But have we asked ourselves, “Is God pleased in my political views? Have I placed party line over biblical principle?”
Even as pertains to doctrine we find the uncertainty rising. Instead of taking the Word of God for what it says, folks will dissect every word, examining every phrase, debating every issue. Study to show thyself approved is scriptural, but when the study causes us doubt and brings contention, we have to ask again, “Is God pleased?”
I would be the last one to speak against study and research…it has been my mainstay for many years now. And the Word declares that we should be “ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15).
However, we must be careful that on our journey for more understanding, we do not lose our way and become shipwrecked. The Way of holiness of heart and life is still right, regardless of the wind blowing another way.
It is my desire today to admonish all who will read this post to not be discouraged. People will fall away, but there are zillions of God-fearing men and women, boys and girls, who have not bowed their knee to indifference or spiritual deception.
As we move ahead in the spirit of progress, let us hold fast to that which brought us over…
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when a person’s word was their bond. If someone said they were going to do something, only death would keep them from it. Even sinner men knew the power of a handshake in agreement. It was a contract that was binding, for their integrity was EVERYTHING.
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when commitment to marriage, family, friend, and job meant something that mirrored our commitment to the Savior…the days when a vow before God was a sacred thing.
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when we remembered who we were and why we are here.
Let us bring back the days of yea and nay, when we stood together as a Body, regardless of view. There was a time that brother in the Lord didn’t speak against a brother. The Blood line meant EVERYTHING, and folks wouldn’t cross it to merely espouse a conviction.
Allow me to encourage you today…
Let us be slow to speak, unless it is a good word. Let us think the best before we would the worst, make a vow and keep it, extend love in the face of adversity, and let our word mean something.
Let us not be easily shaken by what we see and hear. This is the hour when everything that can be shaken, will be shaken, but we cannot allow ourselves to be moved by the events and issues of the day.
Let us give because the spirit of giving is on us and not because we have a secret agenda.
Let us live honorably, not raising one hand to the Lord while hiding the other behind our back in deception.
Let us remember that we can’t wait for others to bring back the days of yea and nay. Let it begin with me. Let it begin with you.
And let us remember the power of one…
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Hymns, Songs, And Songs Spiritual
The saying goes that “music is the universal language.” If this is true my universe has been mighty small, for I have discovered that there is a vast amount of Christian music I have missed down through the years.
I was brought up in a godly home and music was a great part of it. Because my mom was so musical, and taught me to sing The Holy City (Jerusalem) at an early age, I assumed that I knew more than the average bear about Christian music…wrong.
And given that our conservative church sang The Old Rugged Cross and Blessed Assurance, again I assumed those enduring songs, along with a few others, were THE all-inclusive list of hymns of the Church…wonderful songs, but wrong again.
There is a wealth of music out there, with lyrics that will grip the soul and melodies that ring like an anthem. I have been wondering of late why we never sang them, and if the reason we never learned these great pieces of music was because:
a. we were accustomed to the same type of song, with the same handclapping beat
b. for some, it was, and might still be a sectarian viewpoint…if it’s not written by our own circle of songwriters, we don’t need it.
If my assertions are true, with this mindset we have limited ourselves to a lot of feel good music that moves our spirit, and there’s nothing wrong with that…trust me, I love it. But in the process, our musical appetite has been lacking some absolutely wonderful words of life that along with moving the spirit will change the heart.
Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16...
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Let’s look at this for a moment…
Singing psalms is quite popular today, but really is not a new thing. The Book of Psalms is a compilation of songs written by King David and others which were sung in the congregation of Israel in Temple worship. One can only guess by Paul’s writing they were sung in the early church as well.
When we think of ‘spiritual songs’, we tend to think of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen, and Down By The Riverside. But the original rendering of that verse is “psalms, hymns, and songs spiritual.”
That places the emphasis back on us rather than the style of song. When the song is sung under the unction of the Holy Ghost, it IS a song which is spiritual, thus a spiritual song. The unction or anointing is not something that falls or is experienced until we have invoked His presence with our praise and worship. It is a continual cycle of worship/praise and He's there...worship/praise and He's there.
I could talk about the anointing for days, but I must get back to the topic. Prayerfully you agree that the anointing is THE most important thing.
Hymns can best be defined in the few I mentioned at the outset…the ‘old-timey’ songs many would rather lay aside as being too outdated for this day and hour. Some feel, especially the young’uns, that ‘la-la’ songs do not fit the traditional Pentecostal image of rousing worship.
Personally, I am Pentecostal to the bone and absolutely love our musical tradition displayed in a good, upbeat song, but consider for a moment this wonderful piece…words by Isaac Watts in 1707, music by Lowell Mason in 1824...
Don’t you love that? Charles Wesley, who wrote the words to over 6,000 songs, reportedly said that he would have given up all his other hymns to have written When I Survey The Wondrous Cross. What a great song!
Here is a wonderful Charles Wesley hymn, that thanks to a dear friend is now one of my favorites…
Imagining himself in the prison of sin and all that it represented, and viewing the amazing love of the Master bestowed on his life, Charles Wesley could write, My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee. Such powerful and anointed words.
A choir should sing an assortment of styles that will include all tastes in music, and our choir does just that. They recorded this next song a couple of years ago and I love it. On hearing the song, someone, not a member of our church, said that it was “boring.” I remember remarking then how beautiful it was and that I wished we would sing more of these wonderful songs…
If you ever want to worship in your private devotions, and words escape you, just read these lyrics to the Lord. If this doesn’t usher in His presence, nothing else will.
One of the better known songwriters of the 20th century once said that long after his songs are forgotten, The Hallelujah Chorus will live on. Read these words composed by Georg Friedrich Handel, imaging his rousing melody with full orchestration…
It has been 269 years since it was written, yet it stands as a hymn of praise and adoration that will last throughout eternity. Though I love to sing many of the newer songs of today, one has to wonder if they will stand the test of time in depth and fresh anointing as the songs mentioned here.
I pray I have not only enlightened you a bit, but whetted your appetite to launch out into the depths of music. ‘Old school’ is not just a 1970s Andrae’ Crouch song or Edwin Hawkins’ 1968 rendition of O Happy Day. ‘Old school’ reaches as far back as time is recorded, and is worth the time and effort to find them.
I encourage you today to seek out these songs and let them become a part of your musical library.
Your heart will be uplifted and your spirit enriched. You will be so glad you discovered the hymns...I'm sure glad I did!
I was brought up in a godly home and music was a great part of it. Because my mom was so musical, and taught me to sing The Holy City (Jerusalem) at an early age, I assumed that I knew more than the average bear about Christian music…wrong.
And given that our conservative church sang The Old Rugged Cross and Blessed Assurance, again I assumed those enduring songs, along with a few others, were THE all-inclusive list of hymns of the Church…wonderful songs, but wrong again.
There is a wealth of music out there, with lyrics that will grip the soul and melodies that ring like an anthem. I have been wondering of late why we never sang them, and if the reason we never learned these great pieces of music was because:
a. we were accustomed to the same type of song, with the same handclapping beat
b. for some, it was, and might still be a sectarian viewpoint…if it’s not written by our own circle of songwriters, we don’t need it.
If my assertions are true, with this mindset we have limited ourselves to a lot of feel good music that moves our spirit, and there’s nothing wrong with that…trust me, I love it. But in the process, our musical appetite has been lacking some absolutely wonderful words of life that along with moving the spirit will change the heart.
Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16...
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Let’s look at this for a moment…
Singing psalms is quite popular today, but really is not a new thing. The Book of Psalms is a compilation of songs written by King David and others which were sung in the congregation of Israel in Temple worship. One can only guess by Paul’s writing they were sung in the early church as well.
When we think of ‘spiritual songs’, we tend to think of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen, and Down By The Riverside. But the original rendering of that verse is “psalms, hymns, and songs spiritual.”
That places the emphasis back on us rather than the style of song. When the song is sung under the unction of the Holy Ghost, it IS a song which is spiritual, thus a spiritual song. The unction or anointing is not something that falls or is experienced until we have invoked His presence with our praise and worship. It is a continual cycle of worship/praise and He's there...worship/praise and He's there.
I could talk about the anointing for days, but I must get back to the topic. Prayerfully you agree that the anointing is THE most important thing.
Hymns can best be defined in the few I mentioned at the outset…the ‘old-timey’ songs many would rather lay aside as being too outdated for this day and hour. Some feel, especially the young’uns, that ‘la-la’ songs do not fit the traditional Pentecostal image of rousing worship.
Personally, I am Pentecostal to the bone and absolutely love our musical tradition displayed in a good, upbeat song, but consider for a moment this wonderful piece…words by Isaac Watts in 1707, music by Lowell Mason in 1824...
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Don’t you love that? Charles Wesley, who wrote the words to over 6,000 songs, reportedly said that he would have given up all his other hymns to have written When I Survey The Wondrous Cross. What a great song!
Here is a wonderful Charles Wesley hymn, that thanks to a dear friend is now one of my favorites…
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds inquire no more.
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
Still the small inward voice I hear,
That whispers all my sins forgiven;
Still the atoning blood is near,
That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
I feel the life His wounds impart;
I feel the Savior in my heart.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Imagining himself in the prison of sin and all that it represented, and viewing the amazing love of the Master bestowed on his life, Charles Wesley could write, My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee. Such powerful and anointed words.
A choir should sing an assortment of styles that will include all tastes in music, and our choir does just that. They recorded this next song a couple of years ago and I love it. On hearing the song, someone, not a member of our church, said that it was “boring.” I remember remarking then how beautiful it was and that I wished we would sing more of these wonderful songs…
Fairest Lord Jesus,
Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows,
fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.
Beautiful Savior!
Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.
Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.
Fair are the meadows,
fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.
All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.
Beautiful Savior!
Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.
If you ever want to worship in your private devotions, and words escape you, just read these lyrics to the Lord. If this doesn’t usher in His presence, nothing else will.
One of the better known songwriters of the 20th century once said that long after his songs are forgotten, The Hallelujah Chorus will live on. Read these words composed by Georg Friedrich Handel, imaging his rousing melody with full orchestration…
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords, And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever,
For ever and ever, forever and ever,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
King of kings, and Lord of lords,
And Lord of lords, And He shall reign,
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings! and Lord of lords!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
It has been 269 years since it was written, yet it stands as a hymn of praise and adoration that will last throughout eternity. Though I love to sing many of the newer songs of today, one has to wonder if they will stand the test of time in depth and fresh anointing as the songs mentioned here.
I pray I have not only enlightened you a bit, but whetted your appetite to launch out into the depths of music. ‘Old school’ is not just a 1970s Andrae’ Crouch song or Edwin Hawkins’ 1968 rendition of O Happy Day. ‘Old school’ reaches as far back as time is recorded, and is worth the time and effort to find them.
I encourage you today to seek out these songs and let them become a part of your musical library.
Your heart will be uplifted and your spirit enriched. You will be so glad you discovered the hymns...I'm sure glad I did!
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