No More by Josh Wilson

"He (Jesus) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification."
Romans 4:25

"For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."
Romans 7:19

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Romans 8:1-4

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Galatians 2:20

I recently discovered this song by Josh Wilson.  I may have heard it many times before, but recently, the Lord has helped me realize that this needs to be more of a heart issue.

No More by Josh Wilson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0oPPaG28Dk&feature=share

Confession: An Act of Worship

This series of verses has been on my mind today:

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us" 1 John 1:5-10

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God." 2 Corinthians 6:14-15a

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”" 1 Peter 1:13-16

God, help me to rid those things in my life that are sin in your sight. Help me keep your temple clean, first because you gave your life for it, and second, so I can enjoy fellowship with You. Further, help us all to seek to be holy as You are holy, and to see sin and wickedness for what they really are, a separation from You. Thank you, Father. Amen

Arm Yourself!

Quote from the NRA on a Facebook ad: "No law abiding American should be forced to face evil with empty hands." I AGREE!

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12 NIV

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."  Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV

Seeing God in the Details - He's a Good, Good Father

On Tues, Nov 24th,  I had a very interesting day.  To say it was a good day would not be accurate.  To say it was a bad day would be judging it based on the circumstances.  To say it was a day I could see God working in the details (albeit in hindsight) would be best.

After dropping Hope off at daycare, I headed down Cape Horn Road to work, cutting through Sage Hill on my way to Camp Betty Washington Road.  I learned rather quickly how important it is to pay attention to those lights on the console of your car.  The battery light had been on for a few days, but I had been too busy at work and readying plans for Thanksgiving to have time to stop to have it checked.  That was a mistake.  After a few turns, the power steering went out in my car, and within a short distance it came to a dead stop.  It would not turn over.

I called my insurance company and arranged a tow.  It would take an hour and a half.  An hour and a half!  And it was cold.  I called work; I was expected to be there ASAP to train a new employee.  After getting agitated due to the circumstances, I called my garage, explained the situation, and said I would be having it towed.  Then, a good Samaritan came along and gave me a jump.  I called to cancel the tow, a decision I quickly regreted after my car made it 5 feet and completely died, no power at all.  Feeling overwhelmed, I cursed at the car.  I called to reschedule the tow truck.  I called my garage again, explained my situation and learned that I could have a local tow truck there within 15 minutes.  I called to cancel the tow again.  After arriving at the garage, I asked if I could borrow a car and that I needed to get to work.  The owner graciously agreed.

I arrived at work around 10:00, almost 2 hours late.  After I pulled in, I realized my car keys were still in my pocket.  Needless to say, my car could not be fixed without the keys.  Just great...  I called my dad and grandfather, hoping they could find my spare key.  Even that was missing.

Well, I started my mail route 2 1/2 hr late, with a heavy load and a new employee to train.  Time flew by quickly, and I could see we were not going to be done by 7:00.  Then, the new girl got sick.  Seriously, what else could go wrong?  I continued delivering mail until she could be safely taken back to the office.  I still had more than 2 hours worth of delivery when it became dark.  Help was sent for me, and I finished my day around 6:30.

Looking back on my day, not much went right.  In fact, pretty much everything went wrong.  I even sinned multiple times, especially when I doubted God's providence when I instead felt the need to curse at the situation.  As the day went by, I could instead see God working in the details, despite the circumstances:

• My car died in a closed residential neighborhood, not on Route 83 where it could have caused a serious accident, and not before dropping Hope off on a chilly, November morning at her daycare.
• One passerby stopped to see what happened, and offered help.
• The local tow truck sent by my garage arrived quickly.
• The owner of my garage graciously lent me a van for the day.
• I arrived only 2 hours late for work, instead of not making it at all.
• I learned my dad had a lot of time scheduled off because of hunting season, and I could borrow a car until mine was fixed.
• The new employee even rebounded from her sickness quickly, returning to work on Wednesday.
• Wednesday was my normal scheduled day off, so I was able to collect a full day's overtime to help dull the pain of the expensive repair.

All those things went right.  And, the best detail not mentioned yet - when I turned on the borrowed van's radio, WSBA came on.  Not wanting to listen to talk radio, I pushed the FM button.  WJTL promptly came on, with Chris Tomlin singing "Good Father".  I promptly sensed a peace overcome me as I listened to the lyrics.  They were exactly what I needed to hear.  I no longer needed to focus on my circumstances, I could see God's goodness and love working throughout the day to keep me safe.  Even when the day's circumstances continued to get worse, I told one customer that all I could say was "God is good."  Do I wish I could relive the day, and change the circumstances?  Yes.  But I'm glad I can't because God taught me a lesson that day - don't look around me at the world, just look up at Him.

Here are the lyrics to "Good Good Father", with bold emphasis on what God had me learn that "terrible" day, one for which I can now be thankful:

Listen on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBmwwwiHrOk.


Good, Good Father

I've heard a thousand stories
Of what they think You’re like
But I've heard the tender whisper
Of love in the dead of night
You tell me that You’re pleased
And that I'm never alone

[Chorus]
You're a Good Good Father
It's who You are
It's who You are
It's who You are
And I'm loved by You
It's who I am
It's who I am
It's who I am

I've seen many searching for answers
Far and wide
But I know we're all searching for answers
Only You provide
Because You know just what we need
Before we say a word

[Bridge]
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways
You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak
Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
As You call me deeper still
Into love love love

Faith in Action: A Command

Yesterday, we had a group from Zion helping someone in need with yardwork, cleanup, and moving who was in need of help.  It was a backbreaking work.  Over the past year, I've gotten to know this person, have lunch and dinner with her on occasion, talk with her, attend church with her, shop for her, become her Facebook friend, and generally try to lend a helping hand on a few other occasions. The relationship I've had with this person has helped me grow in my faith over the past few months, and for that I am thankful.  Now, I find the need to share.

First, I'll start with some quotes from those I spoke to recently about this person:
"I didn't know she needed help."
"I don't really know her."
"I was praying for God to send someone to her to help her.  She needed so much help."
"When someone is taken advantage of, they remove themselves from a relationship with others, in fear of being taken advantage of again."
"She is not welcome here; our other customers are complaining about her."
"I don't know how to help her."
"I always saw her in the car.  It looked like she was lonely."

And lastly, from the individual herself:
"I get a lot of dirty looks from my neighbors when they drive past."
"It seems the police are watching me all the time."
"I don't feel welcome here.  In fact, I hate living in Pennsylvania."

The reason I share the above, is that when we feel uncomfortable reaching out to an individual, we come up with every excuse.  I admit, I was uncomfortable at first reaching out, but it was the right thing to do.  But, there is a much more important reason to reach out to those hurting around you - because God commanded us to.  We may feel obligated to do the "good Christian thing."  But God does not need us to feel obligated.  But, we need to be thankful for what he has done for us, and to PASS IT ON.

Consider the following scriptures:
"We love because he first loved us."  I John 4:19

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Matthew 6:19-21, 33

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

^"Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:25-28

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"  Matthew 25:34-40

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."  Philippians 2:5-7

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galations 6:2

And finally, my life verse:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  Colossians 3:23-24

I've heard it said many times that God helps those who help themself.  This couldn't be more untrue.  After all, Romans 5:8 states, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  We have never done anything to help ourselves spiritually, but God sent His Son to die for us regardless.  We turned our back on Him.  We shamed Him. We mocked Him.  We disobeyed Him.  We ignored Him.  We blasphemed Him.  We denied Him, just like Peter.  But, unlike us, God is still faithful.  He is still merciful.  He is full of grace.  Jesus died for us despite ourselves.

So, the next time you think to yourself, I can't help someone because:

• I don't have time.
• I'm busy.
• I'm not qualified.
• I'm tired.
• I don't know how to help.
• They are getting what they deserve.
• It makes me feel uncomfortable.
• They might refuse my help.
• I'm afraid of what others might say.
• Someone else can do it.

Or maybe you think you can't help someone because you know they won't appreciate it anyway.  To refute this, you need only to turn to Jesus himself.

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus encounters 10 lepers:

"Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

I ask, did Jesus know only one leper would come back to him, thank God and worship him?  Of course.  But that did not mean Jesus was not going to heal all ten lepers.  He healed them regardless, despite their ungratefulness.  So, even this is not an excuse not to help someone in need.

Remember, when you put others first, you are obeying God.  I admit, it felt good today hearing some neighbors say how nice the yard looks.  Or that "I have a good heart."  Or that I was an answer to prayer.  Or that it was nice to sacrifice what little time I have to help someone else.  But I pray that God does not allow me to take these things to heart.

In the end, don't fool yourself into thinking you're "all that".  Don't just do it for yourself.  Don't just do it so you receive praise from others.  Don't do it for a reward, financially or otherwise.  Philippians 2:3-4 says it this way: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."  The rewards this world offers pass away.  They don't last.  They could be gone in an instant, letting you feel empty one again, looking for that next big thing you could do to feel better.

Instead, we need to look at it from God's perspective.  We need to take a step back.  We need to stop looking at others.  Stop looking at the world.  Stop looking at ourselves.  We need to look up to God.  Do it for God.  Do it for Jesus.  Do it for the Kingdom.  After all, "We love because He first loved us."  Why did I reach out to help: for the kingdom, no more, no less.

Ultimately, I have grown through the experience, seeing how this individual lived, and still felt satisfied; then comparing it to how I live, when sometimes I just can't seem to get enough. Just look and see how a simple gesture could mean so much.  But don't just look and see from the outside; put your faith into action.  After all, to God be the glory!

If today's worship songs are not good, why don't we just sing the Psalms?

An interesting read... It doesn't take away my preparation for Sunday mornings, but I do sense a bit of irony.  :)

A classic from Jeremy Pierce:

Here are some of the things I really hate in a worship song.

1. Too simplistic, banal, lacking in depth, shallow, doctrineless: Consider that one that just talks about unity among brothers that only mentions God in passing at the very end.
2. It’s so repetitive. I mean, come on, how many times can you repeat “His steadfast love endures forever” before you start thinking the song is going to go on forever? Examples: here and here.
3. For some songs, the focus is too much on instruments, and the sheer volume leads to its seeming more like a performance than worship and prevents quiet contemplation.
4. There might be too much emphasis on too intimate a relationship with God, using first-person singular pronouns like “me” and “I” or second-person pronouns like “you” instead of words like “we” and “God.” This fosters a spirit of individualism, and it generates an atmosphere of religious euphoria rather than actual worship of God. Worship should be about God, not about us. Or what about the ones that use physical language to describe God and our relationship with him? Can you really stomach the idea of tasting God?
5. Some songs have way too many words for anyone to learn.
6. It patterns its worship on experiences that not everyone in the congregation will be able to identify with. If you’re not in the frame of mind or don’t have the emotional state in question (e.g., a desperate longing for God), then what are you doing lying and singing it? Worship leaders who encourage that sort of thing are making their congregations sing falsehoods.
7. Then there’s that song with the line asking God not to take the Holy Spirit away, as if God would ever do that to a genuine believer.
8. Then there’s that song that basically says nothing except expressing negative emotions.
9. Finally, there are those songs that have like four or five lines that people just either have to repeat over and over again or just sing briefly and never get a chance to digest.

At this point I’m so outraged that people would pass this sort of thing off as worship that I’m almost inclined to give in to the people who think we shouldn’t sing anything but the psalms.

Oh, wait. . . .

The Lyrics Behind Our Songs

Many times, I find myself wondering why the lyrics are what they are in a certain song. What scripture is behind the words? Who or what is the focus of this song? Does the song reveal something about God's character to us? Or does it reveal something about our walk with Him? Are the lyrics repetitious or "theologically shallow"?

Most songs are written with a purpose in mind. When I select songs for Sunday morning worship, I try to keep one thing at the forefront of my mind. I need to be careful to choose songs which are focused on God and his character, and not on ourselves. There are a lot of "good sounding" songs in contemporary Christian music today that are not necessarily God-honoring. For instance, some songs are more about "me, me, me." "What can I get from God?" "How will my relationship with God benefit me?" "What am I doing for the Lord?" I remember a former pastor telling me that he knew of a fellow who wouldn't sing in church, because he would be essentially "lying to God" through the lyrics of the song. Even scripture can be made more about ourselves than about our God.  Examples:

• I Chronicles 4:10 (commonly known as the prayer of Jabez)
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Luke 11:9 (If I ask God for riches, He must give them to me...not so much)
• Romans 8:28
• Philippians 4:13

Here, we return to my question last week "What is worship?"  Worship can be defined as giving honor, adoration, love, respect, reverence or devotion to someone or something.  As Christians, we need to make sure to direct our praise, honor, and glory upward to God, and not sideways to those around us. Yes, worship should engage and encourage us, but it should never be a lateral or horizontal experience. It shouldn't just be a feel-good moment for us.  Take for instance this quote from an article entitled "How a Terrible Worship Song Drove Me from Christianity":

"The point, she said, isn't really the lyric of the song, but how you feel when you sing it. If you feel good; if you feel like the song brings you closer to God; if you are praising God with the song, then it isn't really important if the lyrics make sense or not."

How sad.  Our feelings should never be the primary benefactor of worship.  Our feelings and circumstances change.  God does not.  (Look at how Paul and Silas reacted in worship when they were thrown in jail.  They worshiped God despite their circumstances.)  Therefore, our worship should always be vertical in nature, looking to God.  Worship shouldn't be an opportunity to compare ourselves to the world, but it should be a realization of just how holy God is when we compare our lives to his example in Christ.

It was with this context, I researched the Chris Tomlin song, I Will Follow. Whenever I see the word "I" or "we" in the title of a "praise and worship" song, I like to do some digging. Why does the word "I" or "we" appear so many times in the song?  Please take the time to read the next post in my blog, entitled "I Will Follow - Story Behind the Song." I do understand and appreciate the song better now.  However, I am still uncomfortable with how many times it focuses on what I will do (and in reality, probably not do), and therefore I don't think we'll be singing it anytime soon on Sunday morning.

In retrospect, here are some other favorites of mine in the past that are not necessarily good worship songs:

• In the Secret by Andy Park (centered on self, lyrics questionable)
• Hands and Feet by Audio Adrenaline (centered on self)
• Rise Up and Praise Him by Paul Baloche (repetitive and short on purpose)
• Friend of God by Israel Houghton (again, centered on self and not God)

(Note: One other song I discovered through my search of questionable worship songs was "Draw Me Close."  Never once does the song mention God or Jesus, and the lyrics could just as well fit a secular relationship.  However, if the lyrics are sung within the context of a Christian service, and take into consideration our desire for God to draw us nearer to Him, with scripture as a lead-in, I find nothing wrong with this song.  But it could easily be taken placed into context elsewhere without a Christian message.  It's all in the heart, which is where our worship should begin.)

I'd like to close with a thought from Rick Warren. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through his book "The Purpose Driven Life" many years ago. Although I do acknowledge his books do fall short theologically to many people (another thing I learned from a former pastor - most books written by man and not directly inspired by God (i.e. the Holy Bible) include both meat and bones. We must eat the meat to grow, but we must also spit out the bones (I John 4:1)), I thought this particular quote accurately summarized my thoughts in the article above:

"If you have ever said, "I didn’t get anything out of worship today," you worshiped for the wrong reason. Worship isn’t for you. It’s for God."  - Rick Warren