“What is Your Song?”

Don’t underestimate the power of a new song. Have you ever gone through a dry spell — a time when you either didn’t sense the presence of God or hear His voice like you once did? That is a rhetorical question because I know that all believers experience those times.

David, after experiencing a time of despair and distance from God, wrote this: He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:3 (NKJV)

Some of you are poets or song writers. Though you might not have published anything, you are good at penning your emotions and thoughts. The majority of us are grateful for your gifts to us. I, for one, am very grateful for the songwriters and poets whose words have been put to music. For me, I cannot remember a significant time of trial or spiritual challenge when God didn’t give me a song that not only expressed my heart, but often, revealed God’s heart toward me.

I asked the guys at the men’s retreat to join me in praying for a sensitively to the Lord. This morning and now as I repeatedly listen to and sing along with the “new song” God placed in my heart, I find myself weeping tears of gratitude.

Do you have a “new song”? I am not asking about one that is brand new. I am asking about one that causes your heart to burst anew with love and appreciation for our great and awesome God.

My new song was one that Pastor Sharon introduced to us just prior to her departure. It’s entitled, “At the Cross.” Here are the words:

Oh Lord, You’ve searched me. You know my way. Even when I fail
You, I know You love me.

Your holy presence, Surrounding me In every season, I know You love me; I know You love me.

At the cross I bow my knee, Where Your blood was shed for
me, There’s no greater love than this. You have overcome the
grave, Your glory fills the highest place, What can separate me
now?

You go before me. You shield my way. Your hand upholds me. I know
You love me.

And when the earth fades, Falls from my eyes, And You stand
before me, I know You love
me; I know You love me.

You tore the veil, You made a
way When You said that it is done.

This song is repeatedly going through my spirit. I can’t seem to get it
out of my mind and I don’t want to. I am so blessed to have a new
song. My prayer for each one of you is that our gracious heavenly
Father will give you a new song and that you will enjoy the cleansing,
freeing tears that flow from a sensitive heart that is overwhelmed by the
goodness of God. If you don’t have a new song, ask our Father for one
and feel free to call me or email me for prayer. I want you to have a
new song, too!

Thankful for Genuine Christians

Over the years I have heard many people confess Jesus as Savior. I have also been disappointed by many who have failed to apply the principles of the Lord they confess to follow.

I was so blessed to go to Chicago and work with authentic beleivers who not only claimed to be Christ followers but who also lived it out.

The members of City Limits Ministry where wonderfully refreshing and real. I was also impressed by our team. They worked hard and displayed Christ-like attitudes for which I was proud of and humbled by.

Real Christians are so refreshing. Yes, there are hypocrits everywhere, but the authentic Christ followers made the phonies of little or no importance. There are far more real refreshing Chrsitains who made serving God a blast.

Manmade

“Too much manmade,” was the reason someone recently gave to someone for not attending church with them. When I was told that I became indignant. After all, that person goes to a Lutheran Church. They are steeped in tradition, form and ritualism. If any church is manmade then they are among the top.

Though my reaction to this statement was internal, it was nonetheless real and has been playing through my mind drawing me deeper into contemplation. In my self-righteous state I could easily dismiss their remark with many correct analogies; however, there is something provoking about the statement that deserves exploring. Here are some of my thoughts so far:

1. How much of my Christian life is patterned after something developed from man verse
directly dictated by God?

Much of what I do was taught to me by a man. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Were the patterns of his life “totally God?”

2. We want to pattern our church after the New Testament church. How much of that church’s practices were influence by the men and women of that church?

Was the music culturally relevant? Were their prayers tainted by their personalities and experiences? Did their preaching and teaching speak to them in contemporary terms?

3. Does scripture tell us to check our personalities at the door and not allow any of our humanity be seen in our worship?

On the contrary, we are told to be real, transparent and allow our humanity that is touched by God to be seen. Paul said, “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example” Philippians 3:17. Note that he said, “Pattern your life after mine.” Man made? At least man is seen.

We are told to avoid mindless, passionless automated expressions of worship. Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” Matthew 6:7.

Man made! If that means manufactured, as in not really heart felt, passionate and truly a reflection of ones true self, then man made is to be avoided. Man made, in the sense that one’s personality and heart is seen as it responds to God, then I conclude that it’s not only just okay, it’s something God wants us to show.

I was tempted to judge this person for their statement, but rather I have allowed the Lord to use it to direct my thoughts to consider how passionate, real and authentic my worship is to my awesome God. May what is seen reflect a life being changed by a relevant, current dialog with the Author of Life.

That’s my thought for today!

Life goes on!

Life goes on. It’s a phrase that was used a lot in my youth. This evening I was dealing with the news that my sister Diana was dying and at the same time Trevor (the best boy in the world) was banging on the piano playing a song for his grandma. He was totally oblivious to the fact that I was fighting back tears and dealing with a deep sense of loss. Not five feet separated us but we were worlds apart.

James 4:13 - 17 says, “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”

Living with things in proper perspective is tough. We get so caught up in the moment and place incredible weight on our perspective and opinions when in the cosmic scheme of things it’s literally nothing. We are on this planet for such a short time, with no guarantees of having another chance to make and impact on someone’s life for Jesus. We must live like there is no tomorrow because for some of us, there isn’t. I found out on March 28th (ten weeks ago tomorrow) that Diana probably had cancer. Tests the following week confirmed it. Now she will probably enter into eternity before the weekend is over. Just this week, in a town north of us, two girls, one 18 and the other 19, where sitting at a stoplight when a drunk driver plowed into their car and both girls were killed on impact. Life is just a mist. How different those families are today, yet, the weekend’s graduation celebrations will go one for the majority of the people who live in the same town and even on the same street.

The question that is disconcerting for me is, if our lives were to be snuffed out tonight, would it really matter? Not in the sense of being missed by loved ones and friends, I’m asking it in the sense of eternity, in the sense of why we are on the planet. I am sobered with the reality that life goes on as usual for far too many people, even though I’m in their lives, and it shouldn’t. We are on this planet to affect change; we are here to influence people for Jesus. Life shouldn’t go on as usual. Life should be changed for the good because we’re here as believers and it should result in a loss if we are gone. Would life go on as usual if you were gone?

That’s my reflection on today’s events. Just something to think about.

Are You Brave Enough to Deal with the Truth?

“You sin because you love your sin more than you love God.” That was a disturbing but true reality spoken to me by Joy Dawson in her book, “Intimate Friendship with God.” I prefer to ignore that raw truth. However, because I have a covenant relationship with Jesus, He won’t let me ignore it. It has been over 10 years since I read Joy’s book and I find myself being pulled back to this stark truth. I sin because I love my sin more than I love God.

I am a self proclaimed “world class justifier.” I can give a convincing argument for just about any action, even sinful ones. I am my own most gullible audience. I have justified my pride, anger that leads to sin, slothfulness, and a myriad other things that are far from Christ-like. When my “justifications” are honestly assessed under the convicting gaze of the Holy Spirit, I am left “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17) and must repent.

You see, for some time I have been praying for those who willfully live on the fence. At the same time, to my chagrin, the Holy Spirit is exposing the lack of compassion in my own heart. God is calling me to a higher standard of compassionate intercession. I am frustrated with how easily so many just seem to be playing church. I am fearful for those who want the safety net of praying the sinner’s prayer, but have no visible desire to follow Jesus’ teaching, let alone deny themselves or pick up a cross.

I am finding God laying their care on my heart. I don’t want to carry this load. I can easily justify not agonizing in prayer for them, because they have already heard and know the way. Then God points to me, and reminds me of my willful disobedience and love for sin.

James chapter four deals with those who call themselves Christians yet are involved in terrible, sinful things. As I read through the chapter, my heart grows heavier, and I even use these verses as promptings to pray for others. But then I come to the last verse and find my name all over it.

You see, in my eagerness to wipe the dust of those who don’t receive the message of holiness and righteous living (Matthew 10:14) off my feet I am confronted with James 4:17 (NKJV) “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” And the simple truth I must deal with is this: I haven’t been carrying the load of intercessory prayer for those whom God is laying on my heart, and I must. (Galatians 6:2-6) I might end up wiping their dust off my feet, but not today. Today I must pray for them. Today I must plead with the God of Mercy to pour out His grace upon them one more time. If I don’t, I love my sin of prayerlessness more than I love my God.

If you are interceding as you ought, I pray that this reflection encourages you. If you are not, I pray that it will have the same haunting affect on you as it has on me.

Blessings as you pick up the cross of intercession!

It's Time to Weep

I posted this Monday on myspace. It expresses the things the Holy Spirit is currently challenging me with. I trust it will cause a pause in your day and give you something to think about. blessings,

PB

Many of you know that I have had a growing burden. It’s not letting up it’s intensifying. I am feeling like John the Baptism must have when he was preaching “prepare the way of the Lord”. Like the children of Israel who stopped looking for the Messiah to return, I am afraid that many Christians have stop expecting and praying for the return of Christ.

My heart is breaking, I find myself now crying (weeping) every time I address a group. It happened yesterday in Sunday School, as I preached at Christ Church in the Valley and again last night a youth. I am not sure if I am even making sense, there is so much on my heart I want to convey. The church must be red hot on fire for Jesus.

The two questioned etched on my heart from the Lord are: “Why are you on the planet?” and “can you be trusted with my babies?” As Christians we are here for two primary purposes, 1. to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and 2. to influence everyone we can for Jesus. (Mark 12:28-30) We cannot do either passively or half heartedly.

If you are a Christian then live for Him as if you life depends on it because it does, not only your life but the lives of others. Jesus warned of a falling away in the last days. People who once knew him and served him would stand before him and be told, “I never knew you”. I am seeing it happen, that is why I am pleading with you to make sure you are living a life pleasing to God. Not only are people fallen away, they are literally dying without having a personal relationship with Jesus. Last week I was told of a boy who was in youth group with my girls who once knew Jesus, he was murdered while living a life away from God. Today, I was asked to pray for a young man who no doubt had heard the message of Jesus but who was not serving the Lord, he was in a bad accident because of drinking, this young man will probably die and if he lives he’ll be a vegetable. None of us better think it couldn’t happen to us because it can. Falling away from God is only one unchecked thought at a time which leads to one uncheck, un-repented of sin at a time. By God’s grace that wouldn’t be anyone I can influence.

Coming into focus is the reality that many are happy to asked Jesus to be their savior but not their Lord. I challenge you to live your life for God, not yourself. May everything we do, say and think line up with the scriptural model of a righteous and holy life.

Through out history those who passionately and consistently served God with all their hearts where considered radical and fanatics. To be red hot on fire for Jesus is consider irrational by most, especially Christians who are convicted by their own lack of commitment.

People have been beheaded, stoned to death, imprisoned, stripped of property, lost jobs and positions because they dared to live a radical life for Jesus.

Today, when challenged to take a stand and live it real for God far too many are choosing to go along with the crowd, keep silent when they should speak up and look the other way when ungodly thinks are being done in their presence instead of taking a stand.

I am weeping for the lukewarmness in the church. Selfishness seems to be ruling many hearts instead of Jesus ruling. I was feeling like I needed to apologize for coming on so strongly, delivering a heavy, not so fun message until the Holy Spirit encouraged me this morning to pick up the challenge and bring it to everyone I can. I am optimistic because I know that this kind of burden makes way for a move of God. Repentance and prayer always precede God sending revival. And the church needs revival. We need to return to our first love.

I challenge you to go after God with everything within you. Don’t settle for a life that does anything but please God. Examine your heart in light of scripture and with an ear tuned to hear God tell you what He sees and wants. Repent as needed and then please, please join me in praying that everyone you can influence will love God as He deserves and love others enough to live a life that will challenge them to go after God with everything they’ve got.

Psalm 126:4-6 (The Message) And now, God, do it again— bring rains to our drought-stricken lives So those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest, So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

God will bless but only if we are willing to weep as He weeps over a church that needs to get serious about Him and our responsibility for others. Blessings are coming for those who will repent and pray.