Well, week 2 is in the books and week 3 is about to begin! Once again, this past week was very exciting... very busy... and very rewarding! I cannot begin to explain how God has been blessing me this week! New friends, new learning, deeper relationships... God is great!!
This week, one of the big things that we learned about was that of the actions of the Trinity in our lives and in our worship! This wasn't necessarily new to me, but bringing this back into my head and applying it to worship on Sunday was just so overwhelming today... It is so amazing to know that even though we go to church to worship God, God is already there and, in fact, He is the one that has gathered us there! His Spirit has prompted us to come and we worship in it's power! Christ is the bridge in which we are able to come before God. Only through His blood are we counted righteous and worthy to come before God and bring our worship. More than that though, Christ is there worshiping with us AND is seated at the right hand of God interceding for us (Romans 8:34) and perfecting our worship... presenting it to God as a perfect offering of worship! Isn't this amazing to think about? We truly couldn't worship God without God... He makes it possible for us to do that which we are created to do!!!
Outside the realm of school, work at Overisel has been wonderful! I have been blessed with such a wonderful church body and devoted praise team members! After some conversations today, I am encouraged by the directions that God is us directing us in, and that we are being open and willing to move in this direction!! I say this because of the resistance that many of us are feeling from the enemy. I often take this as a sign that we are moving with God and that God Himself is moving in this place because it has Satan upset and working against us.
If you think of it in the analogy of an army... if your army advances and the enemy ignores it because it doesn't see it as a threat, then there might be a problem with the army... but if the enemy is scared and does everything it can to thwart you, then you are considered a danger... and the enemy feels the need to try and stop you.
What does this mean for us? Well... it means that things aren't going to be easy, that Satan is going to do his best to try and move against us, and that ABOVE ALL we need to be praying hard! God is our source, our strength, and our protection... and we need to solidify that relationship, that we can draw from that power (Romans 8:31)!
It also means that we need to be upholding each other in prayer as well! I would like to ask that you be in prayer for us at Overisel, and for our leadership, as we prepare for our educational season, work on the Revolution service, and seek to reach people for Christ through our work at the church building and in our individual lives of worship and service as well. I would also like to ask you to pray for myself and for Bethany as we move forward with wedding planning while in this busy time of seminary and work and stuff as well...
I have to say that I am really excited to see what God has in store for us this school year!
As we enter this next week, I pray the truth of this blessing holds true in your heart: Jude 1:24-25, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Week 1...
The Lord be with you...
So, I can officially say now that week 1 is in the books. Count it, check it off, and call it history! The first week of seminary has proven itself to be both exhilarating and stressful all at the same time. I am really looking forward to all of the things that I am going to be learning about, all the ways that God is going to be growing me, and for some of the major accomplishments that will be made in this first semester!
First off, before I go any further, I have to again give a huge shout out to my now fiancee Bethany, whom I love so much! She has been a great support for me in these last few weeks leading up to the beginning of this school year! Well that may be partially due to the fact that I proposed to her and she has to be, I know it is also true that she is excited for me to get started as well! I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART!! Thank You for being such a support to me! God has truly blessed me with you!
I want to try and make it a habit to share at least one thing that I have learned or has been impressed upon me throughout the week and share it on this blog. This week I have learned two really important things!
The first is that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I have had my nose in books for approx. 3-5 hours a day in this last week... and I don't even like to read... and I'm not really quick at it either. But, by the grace of God, I have made it through, started reading faster, and have retained a vast majority of it as well! Whats more... I'm actually almost a week ahead in my reading right now!!
The second, and probably more impacting thing that I have learned this week is about how good we have it, and how much we complain about nothing! This first week in my church history class, I have been reading and learning about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd century Christians and their struggles. First of all, these people couldn't even publicly be Christians without the fear of being dragged before a judge and forced to renounce Jesus or face torture/death, the latter being the more merciful of the two. Secondly, when they were caught and tortured, they rejoiced!! I mean things as gruesome as being forced to sit naked on a chair made of red hot iron until you denounce Christ... and we complain when church goes 5 minutes too long... I think that we as Christians often find ourselves complacent in our own little luxurious world. I don't know that I would be able to suffer whippings, beatings, or being burned like that without at least saying something bad...
That is all for now... I would like to ask continued prayers for finances for this year, and for God to continue to bless and strengthen me as I study!
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Grace and Peace...
So, I can officially say now that week 1 is in the books. Count it, check it off, and call it history! The first week of seminary has proven itself to be both exhilarating and stressful all at the same time. I am really looking forward to all of the things that I am going to be learning about, all the ways that God is going to be growing me, and for some of the major accomplishments that will be made in this first semester!
First off, before I go any further, I have to again give a huge shout out to my now fiancee Bethany, whom I love so much! She has been a great support for me in these last few weeks leading up to the beginning of this school year! Well that may be partially due to the fact that I proposed to her and she has to be, I know it is also true that she is excited for me to get started as well! I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART!! Thank You for being such a support to me! God has truly blessed me with you!
I want to try and make it a habit to share at least one thing that I have learned or has been impressed upon me throughout the week and share it on this blog. This week I have learned two really important things!
The first is that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! I have had my nose in books for approx. 3-5 hours a day in this last week... and I don't even like to read... and I'm not really quick at it either. But, by the grace of God, I have made it through, started reading faster, and have retained a vast majority of it as well! Whats more... I'm actually almost a week ahead in my reading right now!!
The second, and probably more impacting thing that I have learned this week is about how good we have it, and how much we complain about nothing! This first week in my church history class, I have been reading and learning about the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd century Christians and their struggles. First of all, these people couldn't even publicly be Christians without the fear of being dragged before a judge and forced to renounce Jesus or face torture/death, the latter being the more merciful of the two. Secondly, when they were caught and tortured, they rejoiced!! I mean things as gruesome as being forced to sit naked on a chair made of red hot iron until you denounce Christ... and we complain when church goes 5 minutes too long... I think that we as Christians often find ourselves complacent in our own little luxurious world. I don't know that I would be able to suffer whippings, beatings, or being burned like that without at least saying something bad...
That is all for now... I would like to ask continued prayers for finances for this year, and for God to continue to bless and strengthen me as I study!
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Grace and Peace...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Beginning...
The Lord be with you!
Well... it appears that Seminary has begun! Today was my first day... and a great day it was! I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things. I have a great deal of work ahead of me, but I know that the Lord will be my strength and my supply as I work, learn, read, study, write, read, and then read some more.
I look forward to writing about the many things that God is showing me throughout these next few years...
If you could please pray for me as I work on getting organized and back into the swing of things for this semester, that would be fantastic! God has shown his abundant goodness in many things leading up to this time, and I know He will continue to be faithful each and every day!
Grace and Peace...
Well... it appears that Seminary has begun! Today was my first day... and a great day it was! I'm so excited to get back into the swing of things. I have a great deal of work ahead of me, but I know that the Lord will be my strength and my supply as I work, learn, read, study, write, read, and then read some more.
I look forward to writing about the many things that God is showing me throughout these next few years...
If you could please pray for me as I work on getting organized and back into the swing of things for this semester, that would be fantastic! God has shown his abundant goodness in many things leading up to this time, and I know He will continue to be faithful each and every day!
Grace and Peace...
Monday, August 22, 2011
Worship Matters
So your friend asks, “What is worship?” It seems like such a simple question doesn’t it? I think that we often think to ourselves that we have to go to church and worship… or we’re going to a worship service… or because we are singing it is the “worship part” of the service. But what is worship really? I think that the answer is much more complicated than just singing, praying, or anything that brings worship down to just one thing.
This question is a lot like if I were to ask you to explain Football, Baseball, or any other sport to someone that has never seen the sport played. You couldn’t just say “You throw/catch/run the ball” or “you have to score a touchdown/basket/run.” Neither of those would be an ample explanation for what is going on during the game. Neither could you just hand your curious friend a book and tell them to read it through so that they understand without the hassle of your explanation.
What do we do then, in response to our friend’s inquiry about what we do every Sunday morning? Could we show them a bulletin and try to explain the whole thing to them? This might help a little bit to know what is going on in that particular service. Could we just send them to a Pastor? Perhaps he would have a rather informed answer for our inquisitive friend, but I think it more important for us to know about what it is that we do when we worship… and for that we must turn ourselves to the Bible.
The Psalms seem to be the first logical choice to turn to; they seem to be overflowing with “worship language:”
Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come let us Worship and Bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker…”
Psalm 109:30 “With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.”
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
So worship is Praise, Prayer, singing, kneeling, clapping, and even bowing? It would seem that if you look to the Psalms for direction in worship, it would suggest a very physical response to worship. In fact, the words that the Hebrews used for worship are suggestive of that as well. In fact, the Hebrews, when the Word of the Lord was read, would stand in reverence, and would bow with their faces to the ground in times of prayer.
Looking to the New Testament, Jesus, and later the Apostles, takes the idea of worship to the level that it was intended to be. Worship was never intended to be simply an event that was limited to a single day, week, festival, or celebration… worship was meant to be a way of life! Jesus points this out to the religious leaders in Matthew 15 when He quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Later, Paul talks about giving our lives to God in what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Worship isn’t something that we should be saving for a Sunday morning… worship is a life transforming act. When we sing songs, pray together, and hear the Word, it is to be something that changes our lives each and every day. Remember: WORSIHP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT and just as athletes have to change their lives to train and play the game well, so we need to refocus our lives on God, read the Word, Pray, Sing, and train for our lives for worship as well!
This question is a lot like if I were to ask you to explain Football, Baseball, or any other sport to someone that has never seen the sport played. You couldn’t just say “You throw/catch/run the ball” or “you have to score a touchdown/basket/run.” Neither of those would be an ample explanation for what is going on during the game. Neither could you just hand your curious friend a book and tell them to read it through so that they understand without the hassle of your explanation.
What do we do then, in response to our friend’s inquiry about what we do every Sunday morning? Could we show them a bulletin and try to explain the whole thing to them? This might help a little bit to know what is going on in that particular service. Could we just send them to a Pastor? Perhaps he would have a rather informed answer for our inquisitive friend, but I think it more important for us to know about what it is that we do when we worship… and for that we must turn ourselves to the Bible.
The Psalms seem to be the first logical choice to turn to; they seem to be overflowing with “worship language:”
Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 29:2 “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”
Psalm 95:6 “Come let us Worship and Bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker…”
Psalm 109:30 “With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.”
Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.”
So worship is Praise, Prayer, singing, kneeling, clapping, and even bowing? It would seem that if you look to the Psalms for direction in worship, it would suggest a very physical response to worship. In fact, the words that the Hebrews used for worship are suggestive of that as well. In fact, the Hebrews, when the Word of the Lord was read, would stand in reverence, and would bow with their faces to the ground in times of prayer.
Looking to the New Testament, Jesus, and later the Apostles, takes the idea of worship to the level that it was intended to be. Worship was never intended to be simply an event that was limited to a single day, week, festival, or celebration… worship was meant to be a way of life! Jesus points this out to the religious leaders in Matthew 15 when He quotes Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Later, Paul talks about giving our lives to God in what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Worship isn’t something that we should be saving for a Sunday morning… worship is a life transforming act. When we sing songs, pray together, and hear the Word, it is to be something that changes our lives each and every day. Remember: WORSIHP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT and just as athletes have to change their lives to train and play the game well, so we need to refocus our lives on God, read the Word, Pray, Sing, and train for our lives for worship as well!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Worship Matters
During these hot summer months, I am reminded of my times playing little league baseball and what that all entailed for my family: Pain staking, hot practices in which we practiced catching pop-flies for hours on end, practice on throwing the ball straight, and long games at night or early on Saturday morning. We put in a lot of work to get the results that we were seeking… A WIN!
I remember one other part of my short and limited baseball career, my parent’s involvement. They would be sure that I got there, my clothes were clean and on correctly, but then they would just sit there and watch while we did the work. Now, for the record, I am not discounting my parents at all… but bear with me for the sake of the topic…
My teammates and I practiced a lot and our results were team work and the ability to play together. Had my parents tried to just get up and play with the team (especially in the later years) their actions wouldn’t have really been of much benefit to our team. They were spectators, like most of us at sporting events… we come, sit, and are entertained by what is happening on the field that day (good or bad).
Sometimes I wonder how much that resonates with our church life as well. Do we come on a Sunday morning with clean clothes that are on right and then just sit in the stands and watch things happen (good or bad)? I think too often we do. We want to sit and be entertained, to get out of church what we want to hear from the pastor, to sing our songs, but not really get involved. We aren’t truly seeking life transforming worship or opening our hearts to the Spirit, it’s really all about what we want.
Is this right? NO!!! WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
We cannot just show up and sit in our seats and expect to worship. We can’t just sing some words and expect them to affect us. We CANNOT just idly listen to the words in the sermon and expect to be changed!! We NEED to get out of our seats and get into the game!!! It’s time that we put off the things of this world that seek to distract us… It’s time that we open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming work… It’s time that we put Jesus back at the center of our lives… It’s time that we really worship!!
In our look at the Fruits of the Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit…” and implies that by doing this we will be not walking in the desires of the sinful nature. To me this implies an active, meaningful effort on our part. James writes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This too implies that we have to make some sort of effort.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that we can get to God by our own effort, for we all know that this is not true. We only have access to God through the Blood of Christ. However, if we are truly seeking to worship, to be transformed by the Spirit, and to be renewed by the saving power of God Himself, we need to do our best to make sure that we are in a place in which that work can be done! The words we sing need to be more than words… they need to be truth for our lives. The Word we read needs to be more than a book… It needs to be truth to our lives. Our Sundays, and every day, needs to be more than just sitting and being entertained… it needs to be active, meaningful, worship!!
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
I remember one other part of my short and limited baseball career, my parent’s involvement. They would be sure that I got there, my clothes were clean and on correctly, but then they would just sit there and watch while we did the work. Now, for the record, I am not discounting my parents at all… but bear with me for the sake of the topic…
My teammates and I practiced a lot and our results were team work and the ability to play together. Had my parents tried to just get up and play with the team (especially in the later years) their actions wouldn’t have really been of much benefit to our team. They were spectators, like most of us at sporting events… we come, sit, and are entertained by what is happening on the field that day (good or bad).
Sometimes I wonder how much that resonates with our church life as well. Do we come on a Sunday morning with clean clothes that are on right and then just sit in the stands and watch things happen (good or bad)? I think too often we do. We want to sit and be entertained, to get out of church what we want to hear from the pastor, to sing our songs, but not really get involved. We aren’t truly seeking life transforming worship or opening our hearts to the Spirit, it’s really all about what we want.
Is this right? NO!!! WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
We cannot just show up and sit in our seats and expect to worship. We can’t just sing some words and expect them to affect us. We CANNOT just idly listen to the words in the sermon and expect to be changed!! We NEED to get out of our seats and get into the game!!! It’s time that we put off the things of this world that seek to distract us… It’s time that we open our hearts to the Spirit’s transforming work… It’s time that we put Jesus back at the center of our lives… It’s time that we really worship!!
In our look at the Fruits of the Spirit, Paul writes to the Galatians to “walk by the Spirit…” and implies that by doing this we will be not walking in the desires of the sinful nature. To me this implies an active, meaningful effort on our part. James writes, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This too implies that we have to make some sort of effort.
Now, I am in no way suggesting that we can get to God by our own effort, for we all know that this is not true. We only have access to God through the Blood of Christ. However, if we are truly seeking to worship, to be transformed by the Spirit, and to be renewed by the saving power of God Himself, we need to do our best to make sure that we are in a place in which that work can be done! The words we sing need to be more than words… they need to be truth for our lives. The Word we read needs to be more than a book… It needs to be truth to our lives. Our Sundays, and every day, needs to be more than just sitting and being entertained… it needs to be active, meaningful, worship!!
WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT!!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Supporters!
Recently, I received a check in the mail... it simply said "For Seminary." Now, this isn't a post to ask for more of those (however unopposed I would be to getting them) but just to express my thanks. The person that wrote the check will probably never read this, but her support of me has been probably only been paralleled by my parents.
Millie Burman is probably in her 80's, very loving, tender, and wonderful elderly Christian woman. When I was in high school she approached me for the first time and told me, "Jon, I really feel like God is calling you to seminary. I'm going to pray that you go to seminary."
My initial reaction was, NO! Please God, No! Pretty much every time that I've seen her since then she has made it a point to tell me that she is still praying that I go to seminary. I even made it a point of avoid her sometimes so that I wouldn't have to hear it... but she persisted... and prayed...
Ever met one of those people that, when they pray about something, its pretty much guaranteed that its going to happen? Yeah... that's Millie. So, though it made her very happy, it came as no real surprise to her when I told her finally that I was actually going to seminary.
Now, after an overwhelming amount of prayer support (which in and of itself I'm sure will get me through the next three years) she sends me money as well.
I'm floored... astounded... what a truly wonderful person. I am so thankful for her!
I only hope that I can be as committed a prayer warrior and as giving a person as her some day...
Thank You Millie Burman! God is truly using her in many, many ways! (I told her this too, for the record, seen as she probably won't see this particular posting)
Grace and Peace...
Millie Burman is probably in her 80's, very loving, tender, and wonderful elderly Christian woman. When I was in high school she approached me for the first time and told me, "Jon, I really feel like God is calling you to seminary. I'm going to pray that you go to seminary."
My initial reaction was, NO! Please God, No! Pretty much every time that I've seen her since then she has made it a point to tell me that she is still praying that I go to seminary. I even made it a point of avoid her sometimes so that I wouldn't have to hear it... but she persisted... and prayed...
Ever met one of those people that, when they pray about something, its pretty much guaranteed that its going to happen? Yeah... that's Millie. So, though it made her very happy, it came as no real surprise to her when I told her finally that I was actually going to seminary.
Now, after an overwhelming amount of prayer support (which in and of itself I'm sure will get me through the next three years) she sends me money as well.
I'm floored... astounded... what a truly wonderful person. I am so thankful for her!
I only hope that I can be as committed a prayer warrior and as giving a person as her some day...
Thank You Millie Burman! God is truly using her in many, many ways! (I told her this too, for the record, seen as she probably won't see this particular posting)
Grace and Peace...
Friday, June 10, 2011
Worship Matters
I feel the need to post this... I am creating a column to post in my new church's monthly newsletter... and I thought that posting it here would be a good thing as well! It was an especially difficult, and always ongoing examination of my heart...
After writing in and reading last month’s edition of the Overview, I was somewhat encouraged by what a wonderful resource this is for the church! So much going on from so many different angles, it seemed to me a shame for a resource like this to go to waste, so I am going to start a new column in it that I have affectionately called “Worship Matters” after one of my favorite books on Worship by Bob Kauflin. Why steal a book title name, you may ask… to which my response would be, Because Worship MATTERS! Would you not agree? Throughout the last 2 or 3 decades it seems like worship, or more appropriately music has been at the forefront of church discussion, direction, argument, conflict, thought, frustration, vision, etc… I mean really, we have even come up with the term “worship wars” to give an overarching name to that which has been one of the church’s biggest sticking points in recent history. It is my hope that through this column I can convey my thoughts about this subject as well as my heart, conviction and passion that come with it. Through these writings and continued discussion and exploration, I hope we can come to a point at which we are seeking true worship of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I guess the first thing that one is supposed to do when starting a new column is to prove to the reader that it is a good read… I mean it wouldn’t make much sense to write something that no one wants to read, would it? So what’s in this that makes it a good article to read once a moth? I hope that it will perhaps be both necessary and informational? Maybe some humor? Worship is a very important thing for us to talk about, to know about, and to do. We come here every Sunday, sometimes twice, to “worship” God… we ought to know and understand why… and so that, I guess, is where we shall begin.
We come here each and every Sunday to Worship God. Why? Is this something we do out of a staunch, traditionalistic religiosity (big word for religious zeal)? Do we do this because our parents tell us to, or simply because it’s what we have always done on Sunday morning? I think that first and foremost, before we even look at what worship is, we need to know and understand why it is that we are here… not just here at Overisel, though that is a part of it, but here on this Earth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (aka. the easier one to read) says in its first question and answer, Q.1. What is the chief end of man? A.1. Man's chief end is to glorify (worship) God and enjoy Him forever. Things don’t really get any simpler than that do they? What is the purpose of our being here? To Worship, Glorify, Honor, and Praise God! Not just on Sunday mornings either… FOREVER! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Given that Worship is the primary reason for our existence, I think it goes without saying that these things are important (probably closer to “vital, imperative,” or even “central”) to talk about… yes? Coming back to my favorite book, Bob Kauflin writes that worship is a matter of “infinite importance!” He goes on to ask the question, “Is it [worship] a matter of infinite importance to you?” Honestly, if the chief purpose of our creation is indeed to worship God, then shouldn’t it be the chief purpose of our lives as well? Too often we try to fill our lives with temporal things (idols if you will) to fill eternal holes.
God wants us to love (one definition of love being “worship”) Him more than anything else in our lives. Until we do just that, everything else in our lives will be out of sorts. Our worship extends beyond the few hours we spend at church each week… it is OUR LIVES. Worship is more than an opportunity to sing, use musical gifts, a heightened emotional experience, the latest songs, the best hymns, or even the instruments we use; worship is about Love, about what we live for, about who we are before God, and about the true focus and adoration of our hearts.
The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heard engaged steadfastly for God. –Isaac Watts (a really great hymn writer).
My Friends, as we embark on a journey to find the true meaning and focus of our worship, it is time that we deeply examine our lives as well…
How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday Morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most?
Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or goes we love and worship.
That’s why as worship leaders [and worshipers] the primary concern can’t be on song preparation, [instruments used, style of music] creative arrangements, or the cool gear. Our primary concern has to be the state of our hearts. – Bob Kauflin (with additions).
Grace and Peace…
After writing in and reading last month’s edition of the Overview, I was somewhat encouraged by what a wonderful resource this is for the church! So much going on from so many different angles, it seemed to me a shame for a resource like this to go to waste, so I am going to start a new column in it that I have affectionately called “Worship Matters” after one of my favorite books on Worship by Bob Kauflin. Why steal a book title name, you may ask… to which my response would be, Because Worship MATTERS! Would you not agree? Throughout the last 2 or 3 decades it seems like worship, or more appropriately music has been at the forefront of church discussion, direction, argument, conflict, thought, frustration, vision, etc… I mean really, we have even come up with the term “worship wars” to give an overarching name to that which has been one of the church’s biggest sticking points in recent history. It is my hope that through this column I can convey my thoughts about this subject as well as my heart, conviction and passion that come with it. Through these writings and continued discussion and exploration, I hope we can come to a point at which we are seeking true worship of the living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
I guess the first thing that one is supposed to do when starting a new column is to prove to the reader that it is a good read… I mean it wouldn’t make much sense to write something that no one wants to read, would it? So what’s in this that makes it a good article to read once a moth? I hope that it will perhaps be both necessary and informational? Maybe some humor? Worship is a very important thing for us to talk about, to know about, and to do. We come here every Sunday, sometimes twice, to “worship” God… we ought to know and understand why… and so that, I guess, is where we shall begin.
We come here each and every Sunday to Worship God. Why? Is this something we do out of a staunch, traditionalistic religiosity (big word for religious zeal)? Do we do this because our parents tell us to, or simply because it’s what we have always done on Sunday morning? I think that first and foremost, before we even look at what worship is, we need to know and understand why it is that we are here… not just here at Overisel, though that is a part of it, but here on this Earth. The Westminster Shorter Catechism (aka. the easier one to read) says in its first question and answer, Q.1. What is the chief end of man? A.1. Man's chief end is to glorify (worship) God and enjoy Him forever. Things don’t really get any simpler than that do they? What is the purpose of our being here? To Worship, Glorify, Honor, and Praise God! Not just on Sunday mornings either… FOREVER! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Given that Worship is the primary reason for our existence, I think it goes without saying that these things are important (probably closer to “vital, imperative,” or even “central”) to talk about… yes? Coming back to my favorite book, Bob Kauflin writes that worship is a matter of “infinite importance!” He goes on to ask the question, “Is it [worship] a matter of infinite importance to you?” Honestly, if the chief purpose of our creation is indeed to worship God, then shouldn’t it be the chief purpose of our lives as well? Too often we try to fill our lives with temporal things (idols if you will) to fill eternal holes.
God wants us to love (one definition of love being “worship”) Him more than anything else in our lives. Until we do just that, everything else in our lives will be out of sorts. Our worship extends beyond the few hours we spend at church each week… it is OUR LIVES. Worship is more than an opportunity to sing, use musical gifts, a heightened emotional experience, the latest songs, the best hymns, or even the instruments we use; worship is about Love, about what we live for, about who we are before God, and about the true focus and adoration of our hearts.
The Great God values not the service of men, if the heart be not in it: The Lord sees and judges the heart; he has no regard to outward forms of worship, if there be no inward adoration, if no devout affection be employed therein. It is therefore a matter of infinite importance, to have the whole heard engaged steadfastly for God. –Isaac Watts (a really great hymn writer).
My Friends, as we embark on a journey to find the true meaning and focus of our worship, it is time that we deeply examine our lives as well…
How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday Morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don’t have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don’t get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most?
Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or goes we love and worship.
That’s why as worship leaders [and worshipers] the primary concern can’t be on song preparation, [instruments used, style of music] creative arrangements, or the cool gear. Our primary concern has to be the state of our hearts. – Bob Kauflin (with additions).
Grace and Peace…
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Still Here...
Well it seems as though May 21st has come and gone... and the only things raptured yesterday were Harold Camping's websites. Clearly the fallout has been... unfortunate for Christianity. Fortunately, I think that most people understand that Mr. Camping does not represent the whole of Christianity, but sadly non-Christian groups are wasting no time in speaking out against Camping, his followers, and Christianity as a whole.
While I'm sure I could join in the throngs calling for Harold's public apology and repentance (not to mention that he pay back those people that have given everything to his cause); however, I think this is a great learning opportunity for us!
If there was one thing that Harold Camping lacked in his campaign to the rapture, it was scriptural credibility. Having had the chance to look at his website and his explanation about how he managed to figure out something that no other person save God Himself knows, what I found was a miscellaneous grouping of random verses which had absolutely nothing to do with each other, and really have very little contextually to do with the end times, the rapture, or Christ's second coming.
Camping's timeline also lacked theological credibility, as it followed none of the major eschatological views of the end times either (not that we really truly know what is going to happen any more than he thought he did). But to create a brand new point of view about the end times with, again, no scriptural evidence, lays a huge blanket over his argument... not to mention the fact that we are all still here.
So... what can we learn from this? Not to listen to people that say they know these things? Well... yes... in a way... but I think there is more that we can glean from this. Rather than turning a deaf ear to people like Camping and ignoring what they say, dismissing it as the ridiculousness than it is, we need to ourselves be informed about what Scripture says in light of this!! People will undoubtedly ask questions, about Camping and others like him, and we as Christians should be prepared. This is why we NEED to be in the Word all the time.
As Christians we believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, meaning that we know it is reliable and trustworthy, but it is the sole place we go for Truth. We are to test all things against scripture, so we can see it for what it is truly worth. For all that Harold Camping used scripture for in his philosophy, he failed to recognize Christ's words on the matter which really settles the question entirely: "36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36. In that Truth, Jesus' own words, there really needs be no more discussion about when exactly that day will be. We would not claim ourselves to be God... therefore we do not know when Christ will return.
What we DO know... is that we are still here!! Which means there is still work to be done for the kingdom! There are people out there that are desperately seeking Christ and there is still time for us to help bring them to Him!! Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." He also goes on to say in verse 22, "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me."
May this be our prayer and goal... that as long as we live, as long as we are here... that we live for Christ!
While I'm sure I could join in the throngs calling for Harold's public apology and repentance (not to mention that he pay back those people that have given everything to his cause); however, I think this is a great learning opportunity for us!
If there was one thing that Harold Camping lacked in his campaign to the rapture, it was scriptural credibility. Having had the chance to look at his website and his explanation about how he managed to figure out something that no other person save God Himself knows, what I found was a miscellaneous grouping of random verses which had absolutely nothing to do with each other, and really have very little contextually to do with the end times, the rapture, or Christ's second coming.
Camping's timeline also lacked theological credibility, as it followed none of the major eschatological views of the end times either (not that we really truly know what is going to happen any more than he thought he did). But to create a brand new point of view about the end times with, again, no scriptural evidence, lays a huge blanket over his argument... not to mention the fact that we are all still here.
So... what can we learn from this? Not to listen to people that say they know these things? Well... yes... in a way... but I think there is more that we can glean from this. Rather than turning a deaf ear to people like Camping and ignoring what they say, dismissing it as the ridiculousness than it is, we need to ourselves be informed about what Scripture says in light of this!! People will undoubtedly ask questions, about Camping and others like him, and we as Christians should be prepared. This is why we NEED to be in the Word all the time.
As Christians we believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, meaning that we know it is reliable and trustworthy, but it is the sole place we go for Truth. We are to test all things against scripture, so we can see it for what it is truly worth. For all that Harold Camping used scripture for in his philosophy, he failed to recognize Christ's words on the matter which really settles the question entirely: "36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Matthew 24:36. In that Truth, Jesus' own words, there really needs be no more discussion about when exactly that day will be. We would not claim ourselves to be God... therefore we do not know when Christ will return.
What we DO know... is that we are still here!! Which means there is still work to be done for the kingdom! There are people out there that are desperately seeking Christ and there is still time for us to help bring them to Him!! Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." He also goes on to say in verse 22, "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me."
May this be our prayer and goal... that as long as we live, as long as we are here... that we live for Christ!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Home Body...
It is always a truly wonderful experience for me to be able to come home to Zion Reformed Church, a place that I would consider my home church body. Having grown up there and even gotten my first tastes of ministry experience there, I feel like I'll always have a connection with the body of Christ in that place. Perhaps you have a similar feeling about a church body, favorite place, favorite people? I don't know what it is really, but I have such fond memories of growing up in that place... from youth group to praise band to flying paper airplanes off of the balcony on Sunday afternoons when mom and dad had meetings to go to! (I probably wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that).
I am so thankful for these memories too, for the people that were involved in them, and how they helped to shape my life. These are the people like your favorite teaching, baby sitter, professor, or inspirational person. Not some actor on TV that you think is cool, but someone that has had a profound impact on you... or something that you associate with a great change in your life.
I think that these people are those who the writer of Hebrews referred to when He speaks of the "great cloud of witnesses."
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
When he writes "therefore" we know that he is saying "because of all that I just said..." The writer is referring to all those that have gone before us from that special Sunday School Teacher to Christ and all the way back to Abraham!! Are we not truly blessed to have these people in our lives?
I know that they have meant so much to me, and I was once again humbled to stand before the congregation that helped me grow in my faith and be affirmed and prayed for as God leads me down this new road in my life.
May you never forget these people in your life and may you, even now, say a prayer of thanks for them... and even let them know what a wonderful impact they have had on your life.
Grace and Peace...
I am so thankful for these memories too, for the people that were involved in them, and how they helped to shape my life. These are the people like your favorite teaching, baby sitter, professor, or inspirational person. Not some actor on TV that you think is cool, but someone that has had a profound impact on you... or something that you associate with a great change in your life.
I think that these people are those who the writer of Hebrews referred to when He speaks of the "great cloud of witnesses."
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
When he writes "therefore" we know that he is saying "because of all that I just said..." The writer is referring to all those that have gone before us from that special Sunday School Teacher to Christ and all the way back to Abraham!! Are we not truly blessed to have these people in our lives?
I know that they have meant so much to me, and I was once again humbled to stand before the congregation that helped me grow in my faith and be affirmed and prayed for as God leads me down this new road in my life.
May you never forget these people in your life and may you, even now, say a prayer of thanks for them... and even let them know what a wonderful impact they have had on your life.
Grace and Peace...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
So I heard Osama....
Well, I'm sure by now that this isn't the first thing that you will have read about the death of Osama Bin Laden. I don't think there has been a news channel in the world that hasn't said something about it either... except perhaps maybe DIY and possible the food network... I've seen news paper headings from "He's Dead" to "Rot in Hell" with Osama's face plastered all over it...
and rightly so... right?
I mean He killed thousands and thousands of people! He designed and trained an organization that is bent on the merciless destruction of innocent people!! He clearly is true evil!!
But really... should we as Christians join in the celebrations that have taken place over the death of a man? Is it right to feel happiness over a life lost? Should we feel guilty for feeling this good about the "justice" that has been done and what is in many ways vengeance that America has taken for 9/11?
Just running a simple search in Bible Gateway... I find 3 Psalms (44, 60, 108) in which the words "victory" and "enemies" appear together. David himself rejoiced over the victories over his enemies... We can read in many different portions of the Bible in which Evil people were killed because of their works, oppression, and even killing of others... and in most of those times, God was praised for it...
So is it ok for us to be happy about Bin Laden's death or for us to celebrate over the killing of a mass murderer?
Well... I don't think that it is at all an accident that in each of these Psalms that the lines of the verses that follow "victory of my enemies" contain phrases:
" With God we will gain the victory" and
"In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever."
This is an important perspective check for us... We need to remember that it is ultimately God who brings victory in any situation...
We also read the words of Jesus who says that we should "love our enemies" which, as difficult as it is, would include Bin Laden.
But I don't think that these things really get at the heart of the matter. Whether or not it is right, we still feel good about Bin Laden's death. I know that I was pretty much all smiles when I watched the President announce that we had successfully brought him down... and I've been watching news coverage about it from CNN to Comedy Centrals' Daily Show and Cobert Report about it... feeling like we had done some good...
...and I think that is exactly it... we feel that this is a point in which good has prevailed over evil... and we want to feel good about that!! As well we should too!! In recent months we have endured Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, Radiation, Tornadoes, Political Fights, Murders, etc etc etc... and this is something good that we can latch on to!! GOOD has finally prevailed in something!! So everyone celebrates...
Yet again the reality is that Bin Laden, a sinner as far as we know him, has died without coming to the saving knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ... and it takes a truly cold person (especially a Christian) to think that Hell is ok for anyone. I think this needs to check our attitude towards this situation, and may need to serve as a wake-up once again for Christians... that people are dying without the life-changing, soul-saving love of Christ, and that too is wrong!
So what should we do about this? CELEBRATE!! The forces of good have won this day!! That, as Tolken writes in his Lord of the Rings book, "There are other forces at work in this world... besides the will of evil." This event is evidence of that in a very big way! I would encourage happiness about good advancing... and celebrate it along with the stories of people helping each other, unity, and stories like that from the tornado ravaged south, earthquake torn Japan, or flooded Australia. These too have evidences of good triumphing over the results of evil and brokenness in the world.
We ought not celebrate a death... but when good prevails we shall rejoice!!
Psalm 44:8
"In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever."
Grace and Peace...
and rightly so... right?
I mean He killed thousands and thousands of people! He designed and trained an organization that is bent on the merciless destruction of innocent people!! He clearly is true evil!!
But really... should we as Christians join in the celebrations that have taken place over the death of a man? Is it right to feel happiness over a life lost? Should we feel guilty for feeling this good about the "justice" that has been done and what is in many ways vengeance that America has taken for 9/11?
Just running a simple search in Bible Gateway... I find 3 Psalms (44, 60, 108) in which the words "victory" and "enemies" appear together. David himself rejoiced over the victories over his enemies... We can read in many different portions of the Bible in which Evil people were killed because of their works, oppression, and even killing of others... and in most of those times, God was praised for it...
So is it ok for us to be happy about Bin Laden's death or for us to celebrate over the killing of a mass murderer?
Well... I don't think that it is at all an accident that in each of these Psalms that the lines of the verses that follow "victory of my enemies" contain phrases:
" With God we will gain the victory" and
"In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever."
This is an important perspective check for us... We need to remember that it is ultimately God who brings victory in any situation...
We also read the words of Jesus who says that we should "love our enemies" which, as difficult as it is, would include Bin Laden.
But I don't think that these things really get at the heart of the matter. Whether or not it is right, we still feel good about Bin Laden's death. I know that I was pretty much all smiles when I watched the President announce that we had successfully brought him down... and I've been watching news coverage about it from CNN to Comedy Centrals' Daily Show and Cobert Report about it... feeling like we had done some good...
...and I think that is exactly it... we feel that this is a point in which good has prevailed over evil... and we want to feel good about that!! As well we should too!! In recent months we have endured Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, Radiation, Tornadoes, Political Fights, Murders, etc etc etc... and this is something good that we can latch on to!! GOOD has finally prevailed in something!! So everyone celebrates...
Yet again the reality is that Bin Laden, a sinner as far as we know him, has died without coming to the saving knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ... and it takes a truly cold person (especially a Christian) to think that Hell is ok for anyone. I think this needs to check our attitude towards this situation, and may need to serve as a wake-up once again for Christians... that people are dying without the life-changing, soul-saving love of Christ, and that too is wrong!
So what should we do about this? CELEBRATE!! The forces of good have won this day!! That, as Tolken writes in his Lord of the Rings book, "There are other forces at work in this world... besides the will of evil." This event is evidence of that in a very big way! I would encourage happiness about good advancing... and celebrate it along with the stories of people helping each other, unity, and stories like that from the tornado ravaged south, earthquake torn Japan, or flooded Australia. These too have evidences of good triumphing over the results of evil and brokenness in the world.
We ought not celebrate a death... but when good prevails we shall rejoice!!
Psalm 44:8
"In God we make our boast all day long,
and we will praise your name forever."
Grace and Peace...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Decisions and Leadings...
There comes a point in all our lives where we come to a crossroads. For many people when the time comes to make decisions between two jobs, paths, educational directions, or any other thing, people choose the one that will be more beneficial to them. This makes the most sense for us and for those that we may possibly provide for. While this may be abundantly true in the world, it isn't necessarily true for those who are seeking to follow God's leading for their lives. Sometimes God's leading sends us in the direction that we wouldn't necessarily consider to be the most financially beneficial... the most personally beneficial... or the most obvious.
Why do we do it? Because we seek to follow God and we know that He will, as He always has, provide for us in ways that are far above and beyond our understanding or comprehension. My life has been riddled with this conundrum in the last several weeks. I know that God has called me to seminary... that much I do know. I did not however know where God wanted me to be at as far as a teaching church/job would be as I enter into this seminary journey. Several options have been presented to me in months past, all of which I didn't necessarily feel called to. Lately however, this has changed... and I have been presented the opportunity that I think God has been preparing me for.
It is interesting though, all of the different things that get thought through when you're looking to make a decision like this. I sought a very clear direction from God... an undeniable sign if you will... so that I didn't need to make the decision for myself I guess. Is that right? I don't know that its wrong... but what happens when that doesn't happen?
My thoughts were riddled with verses like:
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
James 4:13-15
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.” Why, 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. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
I have also sought the advice of countless others, and had several conversations with my family and even more with my girlfriend... all in an effort to ascertain what it is that God wants me to do! I think though, apart from the logical answers... which I think God puts in place to make decisions easier for our Human minds, some of the best advice that we can receive is some of the easiest... and it came from a very dear friend...
"Sometimes," his parents told him, "in the absence of a clear calling or direction from God, the most reasonable choice is in fact the most reasonable choice... and if God doesn't want you to make that choice, He will make sure that it doesn't happen."
It seems so simple... and is so profound. A special thanks to Tim Hall for that...
God has things in His control... a control the spans time and space.
Matthew 6:25-34 says,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
It is in light of these things, which I have come to understand as the clarity I was seeking, that I have decided it is time for a move... that God has indeed called me to Overisel Reformed Church... and that, though I am sad to leave South Blendon, I am excited to see what God has in store for the future... for me and for them! South Blendon has been a great place to branch out and to learn... and it will always hold a special place in my heart!
I would like to thank all of you who were praying for me during this time! I would also like to thank my family and especially my girlfriend (who chooses to remain anonymous at this time) for your prayer and patience with me throughout this decision making process... I know I have been trying lately...
God is good! All the Time!! Be excited for that which He has in store for you as well... whether you are set in your everyday schedule, or whether you are preparing for a big change in your life. Trust in His unfailing faithfulness... He will never leave you hanging... but walk with you and carry you every step of the way!
Why do we do it? Because we seek to follow God and we know that He will, as He always has, provide for us in ways that are far above and beyond our understanding or comprehension. My life has been riddled with this conundrum in the last several weeks. I know that God has called me to seminary... that much I do know. I did not however know where God wanted me to be at as far as a teaching church/job would be as I enter into this seminary journey. Several options have been presented to me in months past, all of which I didn't necessarily feel called to. Lately however, this has changed... and I have been presented the opportunity that I think God has been preparing me for.
It is interesting though, all of the different things that get thought through when you're looking to make a decision like this. I sought a very clear direction from God... an undeniable sign if you will... so that I didn't need to make the decision for myself I guess. Is that right? I don't know that its wrong... but what happens when that doesn't happen?
My thoughts were riddled with verses like:
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
James 4:13-15
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.” Why, 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. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
I have also sought the advice of countless others, and had several conversations with my family and even more with my girlfriend... all in an effort to ascertain what it is that God wants me to do! I think though, apart from the logical answers... which I think God puts in place to make decisions easier for our Human minds, some of the best advice that we can receive is some of the easiest... and it came from a very dear friend...
"Sometimes," his parents told him, "in the absence of a clear calling or direction from God, the most reasonable choice is in fact the most reasonable choice... and if God doesn't want you to make that choice, He will make sure that it doesn't happen."
It seems so simple... and is so profound. A special thanks to Tim Hall for that...
God has things in His control... a control the spans time and space.
Matthew 6:25-34 says,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
It is in light of these things, which I have come to understand as the clarity I was seeking, that I have decided it is time for a move... that God has indeed called me to Overisel Reformed Church... and that, though I am sad to leave South Blendon, I am excited to see what God has in store for the future... for me and for them! South Blendon has been a great place to branch out and to learn... and it will always hold a special place in my heart!
I would like to thank all of you who were praying for me during this time! I would also like to thank my family and especially my girlfriend (who chooses to remain anonymous at this time) for your prayer and patience with me throughout this decision making process... I know I have been trying lately...
God is good! All the Time!! Be excited for that which He has in store for you as well... whether you are set in your everyday schedule, or whether you are preparing for a big change in your life. Trust in His unfailing faithfulness... He will never leave you hanging... but walk with you and carry you every step of the way!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wars and Rumors...
I realized that I have dropped the ball on this blog... I actually started this post several weeks ago, but never finished it... so I will now.
The last few weeks sure have been filled with all sorts of craziness! We've seen Earthquakes and Tsunamis with untold devastation and fears of everything from lost homes to Nuclear Meltdowns (which since I started writing this several weeks ago, has been upgraded to a Chernobyl level disaster). We've been and continue to be witness to unrest and uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East... with violence breaking out, lives being lost, military action, and threats of war yet again. We continue to deal with political disagreements, joblessness, and economic woes that never seem to go away and often times seem to be getting worse. It seems as though things are falling apart...
So what are we to do through all this? How can we reconcile a good, loving God that is in control of this world when it seems that everything is going wrong?
Jesus, speaking to his disciples, addresses this exact subject at roughly this time in His journey towards Jerusalem and the cross.
Matthew 24:4-8 Jesus Says, "Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
He says roughly the same things in Mark and Luke... knowing full well that things like these would be happening!! He said these things about 2000 years ago and they are happening today... they've been happening since that day.
Now I am certainly not going to make any prophetical predictions about when Jesus is coming, but I think that events like these serve as yet another reminder that, as Jesus said, "I am coming soon." I think this should give us a sense of urgency that time is running short for us and we need to be spreading the good news of the Gospel!
Christianity cannot just be a spectator sport anymore...
Going to Church once a week is not and cannot be enough...
Its time that we Stand up and step out!
Matthew 24:9-14 says, "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
Times are tough... they have been tough and they will be tough... but we have assurance from our Lord and Savior that if we stand firm through this, we will be saved.
The time has come for us to Stand...
The last few weeks sure have been filled with all sorts of craziness! We've seen Earthquakes and Tsunamis with untold devastation and fears of everything from lost homes to Nuclear Meltdowns (which since I started writing this several weeks ago, has been upgraded to a Chernobyl level disaster). We've been and continue to be witness to unrest and uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East... with violence breaking out, lives being lost, military action, and threats of war yet again. We continue to deal with political disagreements, joblessness, and economic woes that never seem to go away and often times seem to be getting worse. It seems as though things are falling apart...
So what are we to do through all this? How can we reconcile a good, loving God that is in control of this world when it seems that everything is going wrong?
Jesus, speaking to his disciples, addresses this exact subject at roughly this time in His journey towards Jerusalem and the cross.
Matthew 24:4-8 Jesus Says, "Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
He says roughly the same things in Mark and Luke... knowing full well that things like these would be happening!! He said these things about 2000 years ago and they are happening today... they've been happening since that day.
Now I am certainly not going to make any prophetical predictions about when Jesus is coming, but I think that events like these serve as yet another reminder that, as Jesus said, "I am coming soon." I think this should give us a sense of urgency that time is running short for us and we need to be spreading the good news of the Gospel!
Christianity cannot just be a spectator sport anymore...
Going to Church once a week is not and cannot be enough...
Its time that we Stand up and step out!
Matthew 24:9-14 says, "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."
Times are tough... they have been tough and they will be tough... but we have assurance from our Lord and Savior that if we stand firm through this, we will be saved.
The time has come for us to Stand...
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A Great Cloud...
Recently, I had the experience of being able to come before the consistory of my home church, the church that I grew up in, seeking affirmation and support for my decision to enter seminary. This may sound like a rather scary experience for some of you, somewhat of an inquisition type atmosphere where they drill you to see if you're worthy enough for their support... much less seminary.
I have to admit that an atmosphere like that would be rather intimidating and that is in fact something like what I expected. It was, however, quite different that than. Think back, if you have a moment... to your childhood... to all the people that were there, that influenced you, taught you, helped you to grow into the person you are today. Now, years later, as you have grown and matured, you have the opportunity to come before them to show them how God used them and worked in your life to make you the person you have become. You then have an opportunity to say that God has used them in what is now a very real and visible way to impact others as well!!
This is the experience that I had. Yes, there were questions from them. There was also approval and encouragement from them! But ultimately it was for me, the ability to meet with many people that have had a very profound impact on my life to talk with, respond to, be encouraged and prayed for by some of the formative people in my life.
I really think that this is a very physical experience of what the writer of Hebrews was talking about in Hebrews 12:1-3 when He wrote:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
I didn't really realize how grateful I am for my cloud of witnesses... but I am... so grateful it almost moves me to tears. I have been so blessed by those of you, my friends, family, teachers, and mentors, and what God has done for me through you. I only hope that my life and the race that I am running is one that you too can be proud of... and that you can know that God used YOU to impact even just one life.
THANK YOU my friends... for all you have done and all you will do! I covet your prayers in this time of change and transition... and would like to know how I can pray for you too in this time as well.
Grace and Peace...
I have to admit that an atmosphere like that would be rather intimidating and that is in fact something like what I expected. It was, however, quite different that than. Think back, if you have a moment... to your childhood... to all the people that were there, that influenced you, taught you, helped you to grow into the person you are today. Now, years later, as you have grown and matured, you have the opportunity to come before them to show them how God used them and worked in your life to make you the person you have become. You then have an opportunity to say that God has used them in what is now a very real and visible way to impact others as well!!
This is the experience that I had. Yes, there were questions from them. There was also approval and encouragement from them! But ultimately it was for me, the ability to meet with many people that have had a very profound impact on my life to talk with, respond to, be encouraged and prayed for by some of the formative people in my life.
I really think that this is a very physical experience of what the writer of Hebrews was talking about in Hebrews 12:1-3 when He wrote:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
I didn't really realize how grateful I am for my cloud of witnesses... but I am... so grateful it almost moves me to tears. I have been so blessed by those of you, my friends, family, teachers, and mentors, and what God has done for me through you. I only hope that my life and the race that I am running is one that you too can be proud of... and that you can know that God used YOU to impact even just one life.
THANK YOU my friends... for all you have done and all you will do! I covet your prayers in this time of change and transition... and would like to know how I can pray for you too in this time as well.
Grace and Peace...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Decisions...
Two roads diverged in the woods... I chose the road less traveled?
When life presents you with two paths... take the third option?
Sometimes you have to test the waters...
I have found myself, in the last several weeks, faced with many important decisions about the future. Sometimes, when life is going on just like normal, you can become content and thankful for a life that is going so well. Other times we can become apathetic to our situations. This was me in October... finding myself at a church that I had been at for a while, in a job that i had been in for a while, living in fairly the same way that I had been for a while...
I was becoming apathetic.
Fortunately, the Lord is good and faithful! He didn't want me to just be comfortable... and He certainly didn't want to have me being apathetic. So He stirred the pot a bit... and I couldn't be more thankful.
After two job possibilities, one or two internship possibilities, a wonderful new relationship, and a definite direction to seminary in the fall... I have found myself jolted out of my apathy and bring really excited about the future!!
So... I have to ask myself... are these new possibilities all about my getting a new job? Or were they about waking my up from my laziness?
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Though taken out of context, the truth of this verse remains.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This too is a promise of God... and both of these have rung very true in my mind lately. We cling to these promises in times of uncertainty... knowing that God is God and He has everything under control!! What a wonderful truth and comfort in times of uncertainty!
So what about the future for me? for anyone?
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Our call is to be faithful to God... obedient to Him... and to be so in a way that is "fully alert." I don't know Greek, nor to I know the Greek word used here, but I think that it signifies intentionality. We aren't supposed to lazily, sleepily, apathetically go through life just being good... we are called to be OBEDIENT and FAITHFUL... we are called to be HOLY because we serve a HOLY GOD. This is not something that can be achieved by apathy.
God brings answers in uncertainty, healing in pain, and light in darkness...
Until the answers come, I wait on the Lord for direction...
...down the road less traveled (or not)
...in the third option (or the first or second)
...in walking on the water!
When life presents you with two paths... take the third option?
Sometimes you have to test the waters...
I have found myself, in the last several weeks, faced with many important decisions about the future. Sometimes, when life is going on just like normal, you can become content and thankful for a life that is going so well. Other times we can become apathetic to our situations. This was me in October... finding myself at a church that I had been at for a while, in a job that i had been in for a while, living in fairly the same way that I had been for a while...
I was becoming apathetic.
Fortunately, the Lord is good and faithful! He didn't want me to just be comfortable... and He certainly didn't want to have me being apathetic. So He stirred the pot a bit... and I couldn't be more thankful.
After two job possibilities, one or two internship possibilities, a wonderful new relationship, and a definite direction to seminary in the fall... I have found myself jolted out of my apathy and bring really excited about the future!!
So... I have to ask myself... are these new possibilities all about my getting a new job? Or were they about waking my up from my laziness?
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Though taken out of context, the truth of this verse remains.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
This too is a promise of God... and both of these have rung very true in my mind lately. We cling to these promises in times of uncertainty... knowing that God is God and He has everything under control!! What a wonderful truth and comfort in times of uncertainty!
So what about the future for me? for anyone?
1 Peter 1:13-16
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Our call is to be faithful to God... obedient to Him... and to be so in a way that is "fully alert." I don't know Greek, nor to I know the Greek word used here, but I think that it signifies intentionality. We aren't supposed to lazily, sleepily, apathetically go through life just being good... we are called to be OBEDIENT and FAITHFUL... we are called to be HOLY because we serve a HOLY GOD. This is not something that can be achieved by apathy.
God brings answers in uncertainty, healing in pain, and light in darkness...
Until the answers come, I wait on the Lord for direction...
...down the road less traveled (or not)
...in the third option (or the first or second)
...in walking on the water!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Construction...
Its always interesting when I feel inspiration from the Spirit while doing something mundane like... putting together a piece of exercise equipment. While opening the massive package that this elliptical machine, I saw all these different parts and thinking "this part goes here and that goes there."
While I might have had an idea where these particular pieces went, there is really know way I could have known how to put them together without looking at the construction instructions and reading through them carefully. If I didn't understand something, I had to make sure that I read it multiple times, to make sure that I really knew what it was I was supposed to do so as to properly put all these pieces together and make the equipment functional.
Another thing that stuck me is that the instructions specifically said "you cannot do this alone." Well... it actually said that it was a two person job, but I think the point is there.
We cannot just go at life alone. We may think that we know how to put all the things in our life together and that we can handle its construction on our own, but that isn't the way it is. We as Christians have the unique gift of being able to go through life with our guide and help, who is also our creator. God knows what His plans for our life are... and He knows how to put the events of our life together so that we turn out just the way He wants us! Construction with the designer as it were... and we have the promise that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.
I have found this to be very true with my life, this experience being just one more reminder! We don't necessarily know where our lives will take us... I sure didn't... but now that I know and have realized and accepted God's calling on my life, I look back and think about all the time I have "wasted." I have realized that all these things are part of the culmination of who I am now! That this "wasted time" was simply me trying to put my life together by myself. Futile? very... waste? not at all... God continues to use these experiences to help me help others.
Whats more... God has brought me back from these things and has brought me into the light, His calling on my life, and led me towards wonderful things to come! The construction of my life has re-begun (though not nearly close to being finished) and is coming a long quite smoothly! Praise God!
While I might have had an idea where these particular pieces went, there is really know way I could have known how to put them together without looking at the construction instructions and reading through them carefully. If I didn't understand something, I had to make sure that I read it multiple times, to make sure that I really knew what it was I was supposed to do so as to properly put all these pieces together and make the equipment functional.
Another thing that stuck me is that the instructions specifically said "you cannot do this alone." Well... it actually said that it was a two person job, but I think the point is there.
We cannot just go at life alone. We may think that we know how to put all the things in our life together and that we can handle its construction on our own, but that isn't the way it is. We as Christians have the unique gift of being able to go through life with our guide and help, who is also our creator. God knows what His plans for our life are... and He knows how to put the events of our life together so that we turn out just the way He wants us! Construction with the designer as it were... and we have the promise that "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.
I have found this to be very true with my life, this experience being just one more reminder! We don't necessarily know where our lives will take us... I sure didn't... but now that I know and have realized and accepted God's calling on my life, I look back and think about all the time I have "wasted." I have realized that all these things are part of the culmination of who I am now! That this "wasted time" was simply me trying to put my life together by myself. Futile? very... waste? not at all... God continues to use these experiences to help me help others.
Whats more... God has brought me back from these things and has brought me into the light, His calling on my life, and led me towards wonderful things to come! The construction of my life has re-begun (though not nearly close to being finished) and is coming a long quite smoothly! Praise God!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
And so it begins... a few years after the beginning...
Well, it seems that the day has finally come. A calling on my life, one that has been there for many years (though often gone ignored by me) has been realized and is beginning to be fulfilled!! I'm very excited to announce that I have been accepted to Western Theological Seminary!!!
Some of my friends and family know that this has been a long time in coming... for other this may come as a surprise. In future posts, I'm sure I'll be able to fully explain the story of this calling and all that went into it. I've been blessed with many people supporting me and praying for me as I have sought (and many times not sought) after God's will for my life.
However, as for this introduction of sorts... it was suggested to me by Dr. Mark Poppen, an Admission's counselor at Kuyper College, suggested that I should keep a record of things that happen, things I learn, struggles, trials, and all that God is and will be teaching me as I embark on this journey into and through seminary. I am hoping to update this blog at least once a week, especially as the time comes for me to start classes and such.
It is my hope that through this, those that have supported me and continue to support me in prayer and other support, will see how God has answered and continues to answer those prayers.
May I take the time now to thank you for reading, for praying, for supporting me through this time. It will undoubtedly be an unbelievably growing experience for me and I know that God has great things in store for me, thanks to the many prayers of my friends and family and those who care about me. Thank You for reading!
Grace and Peace...
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