"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." (Job 42: 5, 6)
After all that went before, all the conjecturing and all the reasoning, all the self-examination and Job-examination, God spoke. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and exellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty."
And Job was reduced to one simple answer: "I abhor myself." At that point he saw God.
I want to see God. Is this what it will take?
Isn't that what Paul said: "I count all things as loss that I may know him."
Isn't that what John the Baptist said: "He must increase, but I must decrease."
Isaiah, too: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord."
It all comes down to that - more of Him and less of me. In that order. My self-reduction cannot be done in my own strength - then it would still be me.
Lord Jesus, give me such a vision of You that I no longer want to stand out or be noticed, but only for your glory. Shine, Jesus, shine.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
The Light Of The World
Go and sin no more, my son,
I thee do not condemn.
I came to save not only thee
But all the race of men.
I am water for the thirsty,
I am sight unto the blind,
I am healing in the body
For thee and all mankind.
If I may come and heal thee
I will make of thee a light,
And shine through thee to illumine
This sad world's darkest night
That men may see my glory,
And, seeing, shall be healed,
When I may come in power
As Christ in thee revealed.
I thee do not condemn.
I came to save not only thee
But all the race of men.
I am water for the thirsty,
I am sight unto the blind,
I am healing in the body
For thee and all mankind.
If I may come and heal thee
I will make of thee a light,
And shine through thee to illumine
This sad world's darkest night
That men may see my glory,
And, seeing, shall be healed,
When I may come in power
As Christ in thee revealed.
Monday, March 28, 2005
Ain't No Blue In Bluegrass
I've been out of town and haven't posted for a while.
I went to a bluegrass festival with my daughter. Mary started going to bluegrass concerts with me to have an activity to share with me and ended up liking the music. This thrills me no end since no one else in the family likes it. Mary says that bluegrass is the perfect cure for sadness and depression - you can't be blue listening to a 5-string banjo.
I never cease to be amazed at the skill of the musicians in picking this hard-as-nails, lightning-fast music and singing the high mountain-tenor harmonies. Most of it is home-grown, done out of pure love for the music.
The concerts are always alcohol- and smoke-free in a good family environment and there is never anything off-color. Bluegrass groups always include gospel songs in their performances and have at least one gospel CD; they talk openly about their love for the Lord Jesus.
Mary and I have a favorite group that we follow around. The group is called Phoenix and they are based in Charlottesville, VA. The 4 members of this band have all played professionally with full-time travelling bands (a secret desire of mine) but stopped that and now play bluegrass just for enjoyment. It really comes through in their performances, not that the other groups lack anything, but Phoenix really spreads joy and excitement in a concert.
One thing that grabs me about bluegrass is that 4 or 5 people can create that hard-driving music with little acoustic wooden instruments using no electronics (other than a PA system so they can be heard). The bass (almost always an upright, hardly ever electric) provides a rock-steady 1-2 beat, while the banjo, mandolin and fiddle weave intricate patterns around it.
I grew up with bluegrass and country music in the '40's and '50's. Bluegrass was raw and had an edge to it in those seminal years. Much-improved recording technology and the need to reach a wider audience have resulted in a more refined sound while retaining the essential form and feel of the music.
They don't play bluegrass on the radio like they used to, so the festival has emerged as the venue for playing and hearing the music. These are 1-to 3-day events with a variety of artists each doing two 45-minute sets during the day. There are also some concert halls around. And my wife never has any shortage of bluegrass music in our house (not that she wants it).
I went to a bluegrass festival with my daughter. Mary started going to bluegrass concerts with me to have an activity to share with me and ended up liking the music. This thrills me no end since no one else in the family likes it. Mary says that bluegrass is the perfect cure for sadness and depression - you can't be blue listening to a 5-string banjo.
I never cease to be amazed at the skill of the musicians in picking this hard-as-nails, lightning-fast music and singing the high mountain-tenor harmonies. Most of it is home-grown, done out of pure love for the music.
The concerts are always alcohol- and smoke-free in a good family environment and there is never anything off-color. Bluegrass groups always include gospel songs in their performances and have at least one gospel CD; they talk openly about their love for the Lord Jesus.
Mary and I have a favorite group that we follow around. The group is called Phoenix and they are based in Charlottesville, VA. The 4 members of this band have all played professionally with full-time travelling bands (a secret desire of mine) but stopped that and now play bluegrass just for enjoyment. It really comes through in their performances, not that the other groups lack anything, but Phoenix really spreads joy and excitement in a concert.
One thing that grabs me about bluegrass is that 4 or 5 people can create that hard-driving music with little acoustic wooden instruments using no electronics (other than a PA system so they can be heard). The bass (almost always an upright, hardly ever electric) provides a rock-steady 1-2 beat, while the banjo, mandolin and fiddle weave intricate patterns around it.
I grew up with bluegrass and country music in the '40's and '50's. Bluegrass was raw and had an edge to it in those seminal years. Much-improved recording technology and the need to reach a wider audience have resulted in a more refined sound while retaining the essential form and feel of the music.
They don't play bluegrass on the radio like they used to, so the festival has emerged as the venue for playing and hearing the music. These are 1-to 3-day events with a variety of artists each doing two 45-minute sets during the day. There are also some concert halls around. And my wife never has any shortage of bluegrass music in our house (not that she wants it).
Thursday, March 24, 2005
It Pleased The Lord
"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. (Isaiah 53:10)
We will never be able to plumb the depths or scale the heights of the meaning of this verse. This was pleasing to God, so great was His love for the lost and fallen human race. So great was His love that it cost Him the life of His only begotten Son, and that at great expense of suffering, all that we saw in "The Passion" and more.
This one event stands far and above all others in history. All eternity stopped and took notice that day as the precious, beloved Son of God offered Himself on the cross to work out God's plan to win us back to Himself. Angels cried and hid their faces, and the sun went behind a cloud. The earth shook violently, thunder rolled across the skies, and lightning flashed in jagged streaks. And it rained blood that day, soaking the ground a crimson red, as Jesus Christ the cross ascended. Grace and glory God extended as the Lamb our race defended.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
It pleased the Lord. Never let a day go by without thanking Him for what He did that day. Never treat it as something we don't need anymore now that we're saved. Hold it always before your spirit and your soul. May we see the full outworking of His salvation in our lives so that "the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."
We will never be able to plumb the depths or scale the heights of the meaning of this verse. This was pleasing to God, so great was His love for the lost and fallen human race. So great was His love that it cost Him the life of His only begotten Son, and that at great expense of suffering, all that we saw in "The Passion" and more.
This one event stands far and above all others in history. All eternity stopped and took notice that day as the precious, beloved Son of God offered Himself on the cross to work out God's plan to win us back to Himself. Angels cried and hid their faces, and the sun went behind a cloud. The earth shook violently, thunder rolled across the skies, and lightning flashed in jagged streaks. And it rained blood that day, soaking the ground a crimson red, as Jesus Christ the cross ascended. Grace and glory God extended as the Lamb our race defended.
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
It pleased the Lord. Never let a day go by without thanking Him for what He did that day. Never treat it as something we don't need anymore now that we're saved. Hold it always before your spirit and your soul. May we see the full outworking of His salvation in our lives so that "the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
The Way
I realized this morning that the word "Christianity" is not in the Bible. That is an invention of man that turns what the Bible calls "The Way" into a set of beliefs. Christianity becomes a series of doctrines and teachings, and we have blindly followed and accepted the premise that if we believe in these things then our lives will somehow be affected.
It's possible to believe in the resurrection but not be touched by it's power. Oh, I might try a little harder to be good, or have some passing hope for a moment. But Paul prayed "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection." He said "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." That's more than having faith "in" - it's the "faith of" the Son of God. (Gal. 2:20 - KJV)
We have a new and living way, a Man who went to the cross, who was crucified, dead and buried, who descended into Hell, who rose pure and holy and led captivity captive, who lives now and forevermore.
Jesus didn't die so we could have a statement of beliefs, and He didn't walk out of that tomb so we could have ten steps to follow for a happy life. He has come as the great Lover of mankind. Let's fall in love with Him all over again!
It's possible to believe in the resurrection but not be touched by it's power. Oh, I might try a little harder to be good, or have some passing hope for a moment. But Paul prayed "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection." He said "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God..." That's more than having faith "in" - it's the "faith of" the Son of God. (Gal. 2:20 - KJV)
We have a new and living way, a Man who went to the cross, who was crucified, dead and buried, who descended into Hell, who rose pure and holy and led captivity captive, who lives now and forevermore.
Jesus didn't die so we could have a statement of beliefs, and He didn't walk out of that tomb so we could have ten steps to follow for a happy life. He has come as the great Lover of mankind. Let's fall in love with Him all over again!
Monday, March 21, 2005
The Carpenter
His fathers' shop was rude and bare
But Jesus labored daily there,
Making from the rough-hewn wood
Pieces that were true and good.
With gentle patience he would take
The crooked piece and make it straight,
And shape it with his laborer's hands
According to his father's plans.
In Father's house He labors still
According to His Father's will;
Every rough and knotty place
He smooths with His amazing grace.
The fruits of all His labors tell
A house where He and God might dwell;
And plank to board He fastens them
To build the New Jerusalem.
But Jesus labored daily there,
Making from the rough-hewn wood
Pieces that were true and good.
With gentle patience he would take
The crooked piece and make it straight,
And shape it with his laborer's hands
According to his father's plans.
In Father's house He labors still
According to His Father's will;
Every rough and knotty place
He smooths with His amazing grace.
The fruits of all His labors tell
A house where He and God might dwell;
And plank to board He fastens them
To build the New Jerusalem.
Friday, March 18, 2005
God's Original Intent
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23)
We don't read the Bible for what it says - we read it for what we think it says. When we look at this verse we interpret it as "For all have sinned and are going to hell," or "For all have sinned and need to repent."
What it really says is not that we're bound for the worst (which certainly may be true, but it's not what this verse says) but that we're missing the best. God's original intent was for man to live in His Glory, in His manifest Presence, in Him. But sin got in the way, and the original intent was lost.
Sin has its consequences, to be sure, and the worst of all is separation from God. But He has paid the price so we may now come - even come boldly - and be restored to the original intent.
We need to get on with the business of restoring - and being restored to - the glory of God, our true dwelling place. There are those who will have an eye for the highest and best and will press into that which God has for them. Let us be done with lesser things and rise to the challenge and the call - the Glory of God!
We don't read the Bible for what it says - we read it for what we think it says. When we look at this verse we interpret it as "For all have sinned and are going to hell," or "For all have sinned and need to repent."
What it really says is not that we're bound for the worst (which certainly may be true, but it's not what this verse says) but that we're missing the best. God's original intent was for man to live in His Glory, in His manifest Presence, in Him. But sin got in the way, and the original intent was lost.
Sin has its consequences, to be sure, and the worst of all is separation from God. But He has paid the price so we may now come - even come boldly - and be restored to the original intent.
We need to get on with the business of restoring - and being restored to - the glory of God, our true dwelling place. There are those who will have an eye for the highest and best and will press into that which God has for them. Let us be done with lesser things and rise to the challenge and the call - the Glory of God!
A Few Laughs
A guide was showing Niagara Falls to a man from Texas.
Guide: I'll bet you don't have anything like this in Texas.
Texan: Nope, but in Texas we have a plumber who can fix it.
Policeman: Tell me, why did you park your car here?
Motorist: Well, the sign says FINE FOR PARKING.
Old man (to his wife): What on earth are you doing?
Wife: Knitting up some barbed wire.
Old man: How can you do that?
Wife: Easy! I'm using steel wool
Guide: I'll bet you don't have anything like this in Texas.
Texan: Nope, but in Texas we have a plumber who can fix it.
Policeman: Tell me, why did you park your car here?
Motorist: Well, the sign says FINE FOR PARKING.
Old man (to his wife): What on earth are you doing?
Wife: Knitting up some barbed wire.
Old man: How can you do that?
Wife: Easy! I'm using steel wool
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Enoch
"And Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him." (Gen. 5:6)
I have alway felt that this little verse about Enoch has to do with something more than God simply catching him away. Enoch walked with God - his life was in step with God, he lived to please God, he was sold out to God. In the process of living such a life Enoch was transformed into the man God wants, he was a vessel filled with the Presence of God. This is borne out in the New Testament by Paul's statement that "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, but not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal. 2:20).
(This is a song I wrote - maybe it'll work as a poem.)
I have alway felt that this little verse about Enoch has to do with something more than God simply catching him away. Enoch walked with God - his life was in step with God, he lived to please God, he was sold out to God. In the process of living such a life Enoch was transformed into the man God wants, he was a vessel filled with the Presence of God. This is borne out in the New Testament by Paul's statement that "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, but not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal. 2:20).
(This is a song I wrote - maybe it'll work as a poem.)
Enoch, you were the seventh man;
You showed forth the fullness of God's plan
For a man who walked so close with God,
Even here on common sod,
That he wasn't any longer just a man.
Enoch, the Lord had taken you
From all that you could say and you could do
Up into a higher realm
Where all you were was overwhelmed
By all that God could ever be for you.
I am crucified with Christ and yet I live,
Yet not I but just what Christ can give;
It's not by power, not by might,
Not by strength and not by sight,
For all I ever have or do are His.
Now I no longer live for self alone,
But just to be consumed by Christ the Son -
A burning bush on holy fire,
Caught up with an intense desire
To be with Him and be forever one.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Forever And Forever
"And of the increase of His government there shall be no end."
Lord, will there be no end to the growing sense of your Presence, no end to delighting in you more and more every day?
"No, there will be no end."
Lord, will you forever continue to reveal your Glory in ever-increasing measure?
"Yes, forever."
Lord, will I never cease to be amazed at Your power and might?
"No, never."
Lord, will you always lavish your love on me, cover my sins with your blood, and make Yourself more real to me every day?
"Yes, always."
Lord, will there never be any end to our love relationship that is the delight of my life and the joy of my heart?
"No, no end. I am yours always and forever and always have been. You are the delight of my heart and the apple of my eye. I gave everything for you and I will never let anyone take you away. I am jealous over you with a white-hot, fiery love that burns hotter than a thousand suns. Settle it in your heart then, child, that I will be your God and your Friend forever and forever and forever. There will be no end to our love. Long after the last star in the sky ceases to glimmer and shine, long after the last ray of the sun has made it's long journey across the endless reaches of space to the farthest corner of the universe, you will be in my heart. Eternity will prove the depth of my love for you."
Lord, will there be no end to the growing sense of your Presence, no end to delighting in you more and more every day?
"No, there will be no end."
Lord, will you forever continue to reveal your Glory in ever-increasing measure?
"Yes, forever."
Lord, will I never cease to be amazed at Your power and might?
"No, never."
Lord, will you always lavish your love on me, cover my sins with your blood, and make Yourself more real to me every day?
"Yes, always."
Lord, will there never be any end to our love relationship that is the delight of my life and the joy of my heart?
"No, no end. I am yours always and forever and always have been. You are the delight of my heart and the apple of my eye. I gave everything for you and I will never let anyone take you away. I am jealous over you with a white-hot, fiery love that burns hotter than a thousand suns. Settle it in your heart then, child, that I will be your God and your Friend forever and forever and forever. There will be no end to our love. Long after the last star in the sky ceases to glimmer and shine, long after the last ray of the sun has made it's long journey across the endless reaches of space to the farthest corner of the universe, you will be in my heart. Eternity will prove the depth of my love for you."
Monday, March 14, 2005
Here For The Duration
I have just been asked by my company to stay on past my termination date due to my knowledge of the application system and the business. This is very good news because it means I won't have to go looking for another job, which is something I really don't want to have to do at my age. Unfortunately, one of my co-workers had to switch with me so he'll be out on the street in December.
Unlike my contractor friends, who like living on the edge, I have always enjoyed the security of a full-time position. And now I'll be able to continue saving for retirement and putting into Social Security (it ain't broke yet), as well as having the benefits.
I don't know how long "the duration" is because this company is winding down; we have to make good on our obligations (claims payouts) while not taking in any premium income, since we have ceased our marketing operations. At some point in time it will be more feasible to sell our liabilities and/or outsource our claims handling and IT work.
But right now it looks like I will be able to retire at retirement age. And then ... and then ...
Unlike my contractor friends, who like living on the edge, I have always enjoyed the security of a full-time position. And now I'll be able to continue saving for retirement and putting into Social Security (it ain't broke yet), as well as having the benefits.
I don't know how long "the duration" is because this company is winding down; we have to make good on our obligations (claims payouts) while not taking in any premium income, since we have ceased our marketing operations. At some point in time it will be more feasible to sell our liabilities and/or outsource our claims handling and IT work.
But right now it looks like I will be able to retire at retirement age. And then ... and then ...
Saturday, March 12, 2005
New Guitar
Yesterday I bought a new electric guitar and amp. I picked it out (no pun intended) on Friday at noon and mulled (prayed) it over for 24 hours. (The last time I bought an electric guitar the Lord told me very distinctly - in the middle of the night - to take it back. But this time I checked with Him before I bought anything.)
I'm really happy with the guitar and the amp both. The guitar is a Washburn Idol model, solid body, blue, with a beautfiful tone. The amp has all kinds of effects so I can sound like anything I want to and some things I don't want to. Amps are different these days than the last one I had many, many years ago - used to be the only effect they had was reverb, but now they're packed with stuff.
Luckily for my wife, there's a jack for headphones so she doesn't have to suffer through my heavy metal phase.
Yesterday we also got our immunizations for our Paraguay trip - 3 shots and a pill. I had already had the 2 other shots I needed. We might have to get one more.
Two of the neighbor's three pit bulls got into a death fight yesterday and we called Animal Control, who came and took them away; the dogs will have to be put to sleep. I'm going to tell the landlord that the remaining dog and the cage have got to go - can't have that in a residential neighborhood.
So - yesterday (Friday) was a flurry of activity from sunup to well past sundown. Luckily, I took the day off. Today - I'll play that guitar until my fingers get so sore I can't play anymore. I'm looking forward to jamming in church and Harp & Bowl.
I'm really happy with the guitar and the amp both. The guitar is a Washburn Idol model, solid body, blue, with a beautfiful tone. The amp has all kinds of effects so I can sound like anything I want to and some things I don't want to. Amps are different these days than the last one I had many, many years ago - used to be the only effect they had was reverb, but now they're packed with stuff.
Luckily for my wife, there's a jack for headphones so she doesn't have to suffer through my heavy metal phase.
Yesterday we also got our immunizations for our Paraguay trip - 3 shots and a pill. I had already had the 2 other shots I needed. We might have to get one more.
Two of the neighbor's three pit bulls got into a death fight yesterday and we called Animal Control, who came and took them away; the dogs will have to be put to sleep. I'm going to tell the landlord that the remaining dog and the cage have got to go - can't have that in a residential neighborhood.
So - yesterday (Friday) was a flurry of activity from sunup to well past sundown. Luckily, I took the day off. Today - I'll play that guitar until my fingers get so sore I can't play anymore. I'm looking forward to jamming in church and Harp & Bowl.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Members One Of Another
Alejandro has been preaching in our latino church about what it means to be in a church, and it's something far different than what we experience in churces today. Paul says that we are "members one of another," not members of a church. What he's saying is that we are actually a part of each other.
I don't believe we have seen this worked out - at least not in any church I've been in. We put a premium on joining the organization, transferring our "letter of membership" when we go to another church, etc., but little emphasis is placed on relationships.
In our disconnected society, our lives rarely intersect; we live in different areas, work in different enterprises, and only come together briefly a couple of times a week, and even then we're like a family watching television - we're "alone together" as we listen to the one-man-show and only see the back of each other's head. I haven't touched you and you haven't touched me.
I've been sitting next to people in church for years and I know next to nothing about them. Even in my neighborhood we hardly interact - we all sit inside our own houses watching the same television shows. It takes something like a giant snowstorm to get us outside and working together, and when we do it's a wonderful thing as we help each other clear our walks and shovel out our cars. The last time it snowed, it felt so good helping each other that we tromped off down the street with our shovels to clear other driveways.
My friend Sean is pursuing this kind of relationship with other believers - actually working at it. I've found that it takes time and commitment, but it's infinitely valuable. Our fellowship is in Christ, not in our jobs or in talking about the weather or in working in the same industry - all that stuff is just small talk; Christ is the glue that binds us together.
The world isn't saying "see how they love one another" because we're not loving one another. But there is a way made clear for us, a highway of holiness where we can become what is in God's heart - a new society, wholly transformed and renewed in their minds, that can turn the world upside down. It happened once - it can happen again.
I don't believe we have seen this worked out - at least not in any church I've been in. We put a premium on joining the organization, transferring our "letter of membership" when we go to another church, etc., but little emphasis is placed on relationships.
In our disconnected society, our lives rarely intersect; we live in different areas, work in different enterprises, and only come together briefly a couple of times a week, and even then we're like a family watching television - we're "alone together" as we listen to the one-man-show and only see the back of each other's head. I haven't touched you and you haven't touched me.
I've been sitting next to people in church for years and I know next to nothing about them. Even in my neighborhood we hardly interact - we all sit inside our own houses watching the same television shows. It takes something like a giant snowstorm to get us outside and working together, and when we do it's a wonderful thing as we help each other clear our walks and shovel out our cars. The last time it snowed, it felt so good helping each other that we tromped off down the street with our shovels to clear other driveways.
My friend Sean is pursuing this kind of relationship with other believers - actually working at it. I've found that it takes time and commitment, but it's infinitely valuable. Our fellowship is in Christ, not in our jobs or in talking about the weather or in working in the same industry - all that stuff is just small talk; Christ is the glue that binds us together.
The world isn't saying "see how they love one another" because we're not loving one another. But there is a way made clear for us, a highway of holiness where we can become what is in God's heart - a new society, wholly transformed and renewed in their minds, that can turn the world upside down. It happened once - it can happen again.
Monday, March 07, 2005
Sunday, Monday
There's such a difference between Sunday night and Monday morning. On Sunday night I'm in the Spirit and in the Glory. On Monday morning - oh, well, how many songs have been written about that?
I make a disconnect between the two - I equate Monday with real life, and Sunday with some desirable but unattainable state. Could I really ever achieve the levels of joy and peace on Monday that I experience on Sunday?
Well, shoot, dang, yeah! That's what's supposed to happen! It's supposed to work out in the nitty-gritty. That's why He came - not to concede defeat to an enemy more powerful than He by whisking me out of here, but by renewing my mind and transforming my character in the rough and tumble of life, to make me an overcomer, to make me like Jesus, who overcame every obstacle and temptation, who walked in unbroken fellowship with His Father.
In order to be an overcomer, I've got to have something to overcome (thanks, Wade Taylor). And there are plenty of those around. They're not obstacles, they're stepping stones to that higher life to which we have been called - stepping stones to higher ground.
God is good, and all His works are perfect. He outshines the sun. I need to be as convinced of that on Monday morning as I am on Sunday night. Shoot, dang, yeah!
I make a disconnect between the two - I equate Monday with real life, and Sunday with some desirable but unattainable state. Could I really ever achieve the levels of joy and peace on Monday that I experience on Sunday?
Well, shoot, dang, yeah! That's what's supposed to happen! It's supposed to work out in the nitty-gritty. That's why He came - not to concede defeat to an enemy more powerful than He by whisking me out of here, but by renewing my mind and transforming my character in the rough and tumble of life, to make me an overcomer, to make me like Jesus, who overcame every obstacle and temptation, who walked in unbroken fellowship with His Father.
In order to be an overcomer, I've got to have something to overcome (thanks, Wade Taylor). And there are plenty of those around. They're not obstacles, they're stepping stones to that higher life to which we have been called - stepping stones to higher ground.
God is good, and all His works are perfect. He outshines the sun. I need to be as convinced of that on Monday morning as I am on Sunday night. Shoot, dang, yeah!
Friday, March 04, 2005
Last night we had our first meeting for the team that will be going from St. Giles to Paraguay in July. We met at The Well in Pineville (this is in NC, near Charlotte, for those from other parts), a church/coffee shop. It was the perfect place to meet - roomy and comfy, big sofas, good beans. We just wanted to hang out together so we could begin to get to know each other. We could pray and worship together there at The Well and it didn't bother anybody - other people just kept doing whatever they were doing!
The high point for me was the worship. I felt a strong drawing of the Lord like when you're at the beach and a wave has come in and is on its way back out, and you can feel the pull of the water on your legs. To me it was as if the Lord is drawing us onwards in Him to great things in His Spirit.
The high point for me was the worship. I felt a strong drawing of the Lord like when you're at the beach and a wave has come in and is on its way back out, and you can feel the pull of the water on your legs. To me it was as if the Lord is drawing us onwards in Him to great things in His Spirit.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Altogether Lovely
After the battle of Antietam, when a general rode along the lines, although the soldiers were lying down exhausted, they rose with great enthusiasm and huzzaed. As Napoleon returned from his captivity, his first step on the wharf shook all the kingdoms, and two hundred and fifty thousand men joined his standard. It took three thousand troops to watch him in his exile. So there have been men of wonderful magnetism of person. But hear me while I tell you of a poor young man that came up from Nazareth to produce a thrill such as has never been excited by any other. Napoleon had around him the memories of Austerlitz, and Jena, and Badajos; but here was a man who had fought no battles; who wore no epaulettes; who brandished no sword. He is no titled man of the schools, for he never went to school. He had probably never seen a prince, or shaken hands with a nobleman. The only extraordinary person we know of as being in his company was his own mother and she was so poor that in the most delicate and solemn hour that ever comes to a woman's soul she was obliged to lie down amid camel-drivers grooming the beasts of burden.
I imagine Christ one day standing in the streets of Jerusalem. A man descended from high lineage is standing beside him, and says, "My father was a merchant prince; he had a castle on the beach at Galilee. Who was your father?" Christ answers, "Joseph, the carpenter." A man from Athens is standing there unrolling his parchment of graduation, and says to Christ, "Where did you go to school?" Christ answers, "I never graduated." Aha! the idea of such an unheralded young man attempting to command the attention of the world! As well might some little fishing village on Long Island shore attempt to arraign New York. Yet no sooner does he set his foot in the towns or cities of Judea than every thing is in commotion. The people go out on a picnic, taking only food enough for a day, yet are so fascinated with Christ that, at the risk of starving, they follow him out into the wilderness. A nobleman falls down flat before him, and says, "My daughter is dead." A beggar tries to rub the dimness from his eyes, and says, "Lord, that my eyes may be opened." A poor, sick, panting Roman presses through the crowd, and says, "I must touch the hem of his garment." Children, who love their mother better than any one else, struggle to get into his arms, and to kiss his cheek, and to run their fingers through his hair, and for all time putting Jesus so in love with the little ones that there is hardly a nursery in Christendom from which he does not take one, saying, "I must have them; I will fill heaven with these; for every cedar that I plant in heaven I will have fifty white lilies. In the hour when I was a poor man in Judea they were not ashamed of me, and now that I have come to a throne I do not despise them. Hold it not back, oh weeping mother; lay it on my warm heart. Of such is the kingdom of heaven."
What is this coming down the road? A triumphal procession. He is seated, not in a chariot, but on an ass; and yet the people take off their coats and throw them in the way. Oh, what a time Jesus made among the children, among the beggars, among the fishermen, among the philosophers! You may boast of self-control, but if you had seen him you would have put your arms around his neck and said, "Thou art altogether lovely."
~T. DeWitt Talmage
I imagine Christ one day standing in the streets of Jerusalem. A man descended from high lineage is standing beside him, and says, "My father was a merchant prince; he had a castle on the beach at Galilee. Who was your father?" Christ answers, "Joseph, the carpenter." A man from Athens is standing there unrolling his parchment of graduation, and says to Christ, "Where did you go to school?" Christ answers, "I never graduated." Aha! the idea of such an unheralded young man attempting to command the attention of the world! As well might some little fishing village on Long Island shore attempt to arraign New York. Yet no sooner does he set his foot in the towns or cities of Judea than every thing is in commotion. The people go out on a picnic, taking only food enough for a day, yet are so fascinated with Christ that, at the risk of starving, they follow him out into the wilderness. A nobleman falls down flat before him, and says, "My daughter is dead." A beggar tries to rub the dimness from his eyes, and says, "Lord, that my eyes may be opened." A poor, sick, panting Roman presses through the crowd, and says, "I must touch the hem of his garment." Children, who love their mother better than any one else, struggle to get into his arms, and to kiss his cheek, and to run their fingers through his hair, and for all time putting Jesus so in love with the little ones that there is hardly a nursery in Christendom from which he does not take one, saying, "I must have them; I will fill heaven with these; for every cedar that I plant in heaven I will have fifty white lilies. In the hour when I was a poor man in Judea they were not ashamed of me, and now that I have come to a throne I do not despise them. Hold it not back, oh weeping mother; lay it on my warm heart. Of such is the kingdom of heaven."
What is this coming down the road? A triumphal procession. He is seated, not in a chariot, but on an ass; and yet the people take off their coats and throw them in the way. Oh, what a time Jesus made among the children, among the beggars, among the fishermen, among the philosophers! You may boast of self-control, but if you had seen him you would have put your arms around his neck and said, "Thou art altogether lovely."
~T. DeWitt Talmage
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
The Fullness of Jesus
He filled heaven's vastness with His All-Present Being,
From the first to the last, All-Knowing, All-Seeing;
All eternity knew of His Personhood there -
No space was unfilled, no corner left bare.
But His fullness He took far below on a day
When He left heaven empty in a manger to lay.
His brightness and glory, His radiance and light
Filled the Bethlehem stable on that long ago night.
But the manger in darkness and emptiness lay
When barren He left it ... long ago ... far away,
And filled up a cross on Calvary's hill
And emptied Himself to do God's perfect will.
He left empty the manger and the heavens above
But the cross bore the fullness of His fullness of love.
He filled it with all of the sin of our race
And bore it Himself at the Skull's awful place.
And when He had died they removed Him from thence,
When all of His blood and His life had been spent.
But the fullness of sin He took to the grave
And left it all there so that we could be saved.
They came to the tomb in the chill morning air
And were told "He is risen!" He was no longer there!
They looked in and saw the grave empty and bare
With naught but the grave clothes He left lying there!
The heavens, the manger, the cross and the tomb
Were all filled with His Presence, but emptied, for soon
He would come in His fullness, not portion nor part,
To fill up the void of my poor, empty heart.
Once empty, once barren, once longing for peace,
My heart knows a fullness that never will cease.
The fullness of Jesus, God's fullness of love,
Has come to my heart from heaven above!
From the first to the last, All-Knowing, All-Seeing;
All eternity knew of His Personhood there -
No space was unfilled, no corner left bare.
But His fullness He took far below on a day
When He left heaven empty in a manger to lay.
His brightness and glory, His radiance and light
Filled the Bethlehem stable on that long ago night.
But the manger in darkness and emptiness lay
When barren He left it ... long ago ... far away,
And filled up a cross on Calvary's hill
And emptied Himself to do God's perfect will.
He left empty the manger and the heavens above
But the cross bore the fullness of His fullness of love.
He filled it with all of the sin of our race
And bore it Himself at the Skull's awful place.
And when He had died they removed Him from thence,
When all of His blood and His life had been spent.
But the fullness of sin He took to the grave
And left it all there so that we could be saved.
They came to the tomb in the chill morning air
And were told "He is risen!" He was no longer there!
They looked in and saw the grave empty and bare
With naught but the grave clothes He left lying there!
The heavens, the manger, the cross and the tomb
Were all filled with His Presence, but emptied, for soon
He would come in His fullness, not portion nor part,
To fill up the void of my poor, empty heart.
Once empty, once barren, once longing for peace,
My heart knows a fullness that never will cease.
The fullness of Jesus, God's fullness of love,
Has come to my heart from heaven above!
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Q:How many charismatics does it take to change a lightbulb?
A:Three, one to cast it out and two to catch it when it falls!
A confirmation student was asked to list the Ten Commandments in any order. He wrote, "3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7."
Abraham bought himself a fancy new computer. He was showing it to Isaac one day. "Look at all the wonderful programs it has on it. And look at all the neat things it can do..."
Isaac was impressed, but a little concerned..."But dad, I don't think your computer has enough memory."
Abraham said "Don't worry son; the Lord will provide the RAM."
A:Three, one to cast it out and two to catch it when it falls!
A confirmation student was asked to list the Ten Commandments in any order. He wrote, "3, 6, 1, 8, 4, 5, 9, 2, 10, 7."
Abraham bought himself a fancy new computer. He was showing it to Isaac one day. "Look at all the wonderful programs it has on it. And look at all the neat things it can do..."
Isaac was impressed, but a little concerned..."But dad, I don't think your computer has enough memory."
Abraham said "Don't worry son; the Lord will provide the RAM."
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