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Archives For November 30, 1999

Hello? Anybody home? Think, McFly. Think!

April 21, 2009 — 2 Comments

biff-sings-video1Maybe it’s me, but every time I read Isaiah 40:21 & 28 (“Do you not know? Have you not heard?”), I always have this image of Biff knocking on George McFly’s head in that scene from Back to the Future! You remember, the one where Biff is wondering why George hasn’t done HIS homework.  (Need a reminder?)

Anyway, in chapter 40, Isaiah seeks to comfort, assure, and remind the exiled Jewish people about the greatness and faithfulness of GOD. Every time I read this chapter, I am drawn to and held by the descriptive power and awesomeness of  God! I’m also saddened and convicted by how I easily miss or don’t fully grasp how great God is sometimes. I KNOW it; but still, in my distracted humanness, often MISS IT!

Hello? Anybody home? Think, Dennis. Think!

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With God: Never alone, never forgotten, or an afterthought!

April 21, 2009 — 6 Comments

Two posts today…I just had to share this.

I picked up a few CDs the other day (it’s weird to by music that way…most everything is from iTunes now days) – one of them was Jadon Lavik’s Life On The Inside. This CD is from 2006 and I’ll admit that I had not heard of him before…not sure how I missed his music, but this CD is GREAT!  I actually bought this without a pre-listen, since the bar code on the listening system was not working – the cover looked interesting!

Anyway – every once in a while I’ll hear a song where the lyrics hit a chord in me and I immediately press the repeat on the iPhone, letting the lyrics wash over me and just sink in (this doesn’t happen too often, but when it does – wow).  What a sweet time of worship on Monday’s drive home and today’s drive in. The song below brought to mind these promises of God:

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.” – Isaiah 49:15-16

“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.”
– Jeremiah 29:11

“…in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

“…for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” -Hebrews 13:5-6

Thank You Lord – Praise Your Mighty and Faithful Name!

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“Take My LIFE, Please!” NOT “Take My WIFE, Please”

April 20, 2009 — 1 Comment

hennyMaybe it’s just me, but isn’t it funny how we often associate things we experience or hear with something we’ve done, heard, or seen before. It’s that déjà vu thing…all over again. Wow, I hope it isn’t just me!

Many of us have probably heard that famous one-liner, “Take my wife, please”…actually originated by Henny Youngman and not Rodney Dangerfield. (if you’re not with me – Google it!) Youngman probably didn’t “really” want someone to “take his wife” – it was a great one-liner, for which he is remembered and that got him tons of laughs.

Recently, that one-liner came to mind.  I was driving to work and the Passion Band version of the hymn “Take My Life and Let It Be” came on the iPhone. It’s a great hymn of surrender and I really like the added chorus by Tomlin and Giglio – in fact, we sang it at church this past Sunday.

Anyway, shift to me driving down the road (in traffic) singing/mumbling the words – I’ll admit, probably thinking of a bunch of other stuff (like trying to not rear-end the car in front of me!). I got through most of the song before I really realized what I was saying/singing/mumbling – wow, some pretty serious lyrics!

Did I really mean them? Could I actually sing them…honestly?

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Two Thoughts on the Susan Boyle Phenomenon

April 17, 2009 — 6 Comments

sb-postSo by now you’ve probably heard about Susan Boyle and her experience on the UK TV show Britain’s Got Talent – it’s all over YouTube and she’s even on Wikipedia! If you haven’t, you gotta get out more!

The obvious lesson here is how we judge by appearances – all of us. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, we do it. We know it’s wrong and unfair, but it’s a natural reaction…

In an interview with the Washington Post, Boyle said it all to well:

“Modern society is too quick to judge people on their appearances. … There is not much you can do about it; it is the way they think; it is the way they are. But maybe this could teach them a lesson, or set an example.”

That’s the obvious take away…I have two other observations:

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Explosions and Tori Amos? Both got me thinking…

April 17, 2009 — Leave a comment

sinThere is a laboratory where I work that does research on “extreme deformation and failure of materials and structures.” That’s basically a scientific way of saying that they blow stuff up to see its limits and recommend solutions.  I know, pretty cool! I’ve been to the test range, but they weren’t testing at the time – maybe someday.  The scientists and staff there do some pretty cool research that saves lives of people in a number of situations.

So that is the Explosions part – now on to Tori…

I was surfing iTunes last night and saw that Tori Amos‘ new CD is called Abnormally Attracted to Sin.  Intrigued by the CD title, I did a Google search and found an interview where she talked about her new CD (whose title is a line from Guys and Dolls) and the impetus behind it.  Interesting article – here are some excerpts:

“I’m drawn to questioning what traditional authorities have defined sin to be. As a minister’s daughter, I’ve been exposed to the traditional belief system. [Sin] has been used to shame and control people. If you’re controlled by a religious structure, then you’re going to have a very different outlook on life and what you’re open to than if you’re not controlled by these old, crumbling concepts.

I guess I was never a Bible-thumping Christian; I was always trying to question because I had so much religion in my upbringing. I was drawn to those people and those ideas that weren’t accepted necessarily, and it’s not because these ideas in reality are “evil” — that’s just the perception that’s being given. The reality I was brought up in was, “Anything that doesn’t work within the Christian doctrine is sinful.” And that’s a lot of stuff.”

My thoughts – combining both (I write this directed toward Christ followers…me most of all!  I will not pass judgment on Tori or others who ascribe to her line of thinking.):

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What am I doing writing this blog?

April 16, 2009 — 4 Comments

thinkI’ve been reading through the book of Nehemiah for a while – just taking my time, digesting small portions at a time. There is so much meat in this book about leadership, priorities, etc.; but, today as I was reading, I felt this sense of humility, privilege, and reverent fear as a worship leader.

I was in chapter eight where the people, after they have re-built the walls, gather to hear Ezra read the Law. He is assisted by many, but I focused on the Levites (who were appointed, under David, to a ministry of music and praise – specifically as, “ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord.”) I focused on the Levites because they are basically what we call worship leaders today…just like me!

From Nehemiah 8:

2 – So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard

5 – Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people [on a box], and as he opened it all the people stood.

7 & 8 – …the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

Verses seven and eight hit me like a ton of bricks – a lump even formed in my throat. I am firm in the knowledge of my responsibilities as a worship leader (first) before the Lord and (second) to those I lead/serve; but what a profound and challenging reminder! Thank you Lord!

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False Fear Fosters Frail Followers of our Forever-Faithful Heavenly Father

April 15, 2009 — 5 Comments

fear_faith

[That was fun to say wasn’t it! Feel free to say if again a few times before reading on…]

So I was preparing for a meeting recently and – quite honestly – was a little nervous…OK, afraid (but in a macho way, dude!).  Maybe you’ve been there… maybe not with a meeting; but hey, everyone get’s nervous! Not that I wasn’t or wouldn’t be prepared – I had and was taking the steps to get ready – that was not the issue.

The issue was a fear or nervousness about who I was meeting with – the person and their title is not really relevant, though it was a representative from the US Government (who, BTW are always “here to help”…just kidding, I have many friends in the government!  If you’re reading this and you are with the Government – you ROCK!). Anyway…the key here was the fact that I was getting worked up over this and letting it impact my morning. I don’t want to make light of this, preparation is key for anything and nervousness is good in some forms, but misplaced fear can be stifling.

I am a huge fan of the Our Daily Bread resource and the reading that particular day was based on Hebrews 13:5-16 (which was the scripture passage). The verse I keyed on was verse 5: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” – really a quote from Psalm 118:6.

WHAT AN AWESOME PASSAGE ABOUT AN AWESOME GOD!!!

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Belief Takes Hearing, Seeing, and Action…and more Action!

April 14, 2009 — Leave a comment

surrender

Longer post today, but it’s on my heart…

Our pastor’s message on Easter was titled, “What Does it Take to Believe? Finding Real Faith in the Risen Jesus” – from John 20:1-9. He spoke about how it takes Hearing, Seeing and Action to believe. GREAT MESSAGE!  Just thought I would share some of my take-aways/scribbles on my message notes page/random thoughts as I pondered the message and wrote this post:

Hearing: True belief in Jesus is not faith in faith…it is faith in the truth of God’s word! Knowing that our beliefs are based on actual events and people who God used (both perfect (Jesus) and imperfect (everyone else)) is key to real faith. Our Youth Pastor Pat calls it “Owning your faith.” I know some would say that the word “doctrine” is scary or too “heady” for “today’s believers”, but one must have some understanding of the truth of God’s word.  It’s the blocking and tackling of being a Christ follower.  Check this out.

Seeing: True belief in Jesus is more than basic, visual sight of God’s awesome power in His creation or of the changed lives and answered prayer of His followers. We must truly SEE or understand those things with God’s vision (through the lens of His Word) and illumination of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26 & 16:13.)  It’s the difference between the Greek words used for “saw” in John 20:5 and 20:8 – in English, they appear the same, but they are not. In 20:5, John saw Jesus’ empty burial clothes only with his physical sight (Greek word: blepo). In 20:8, John truly understood and perceived what the scene meant: HE IS RISEN – just as He said (Greek word: horao). Basically, a biblical “ah, ha” moment – I can just see three years of dots connecting for John in an instant!

[Ok, I’m no Greek geek, but I was challenged/intrigued enough to spend some time on the differing “saws” in John 20…it was fun! Check this out (clicking on the different words will let you see the various and different uses).  There are contrasting “saws” with Mary, Peter, and the Disciples in the same chapter.]

Action: Hearing and Seeing are only part of the equation for real faith in Jesus – without action, it’s just head knowledge or a warm and fuzzy feeling. Sadly, many miss (or even avoid) this step – its the “rubber meets the road” or surrendered heart & life part. The basic action in finding real faith is through submitting ourselves – our lives to Christ. That is the base action for belief – we must confess our sin and receive God’s forgiveness (actions). Without that part of the equation…well, it’s not Real Faith in Jesus (just as belief is not real faith if you have action but hearing and/or seeing are missing.) It the complimentary passages of Ephesians 2:8-10 and James 2:14-26!

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Remembering the Future

April 9, 2009 — Leave a comment

communionRemembering the Future…that seems like an odd and confusing statement.  But it is exactly what those who have accepted Christ as their personal Savior can say about today.

Today is known by several names: Maundy Thursday, Holy Thursday, or Great and Holy Thursday.  It is the day that four things took place in the final days of Christ’s life on earth: the washing of the Disciples’ feet by Jesus, the creation of Communion at the Last Supper, the agony of Jesus in the garden, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.

Focusing on the second:

In Matthew 26:26-29, we read:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”  Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Christ initiated an aspect of worship for the Disciples (and for us) to remember His death – then promised that we would someday feast again with Him. 

In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Paul writes:

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Paul reminded the Corinthian church that observing Communion was a remembrance that would someday end when Christ returns.

In Revelation 19:9, John writes:

Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

John writes in Revelation about the wedding feast to come with Christ and His bride (the church).

Communion.  The Lord’s Table.  Whatever you call this Christ-ordained act of worship – it is a time to remember the future to come.

Maranatha!

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TRUE, True Beauty

April 8, 2009 — Leave a comment

treu-beautyConfession time. I admit it – I watched the recent ABC series True Beauty. I guess I could call it “research on the human condition”; but really I just was just intrigued – and at times saddened – by how people act when no one is looking. Honestly, some self-examination is probably needed here also!

If you are not familiar with the show (or won’t admit it), here is the show’s description from the ABC website:

The series will determine the True Beauty of six stunning females and four handsome males who will live together in a spectacular Los Angeles mansion as they undergo a series of challenges to determine who is truly the most beautiful.

The gorgeous contestants assume they’re being judged solely on their outer appearance. They’re only half right; outer beauty is one component the judges are looking for, but contestants are also being evaluated — unbeknownst to them — for their INNER beauty as well when they’re put through scenarios and situations that require them to make moral decisions.

I will spare you the details on the show (actually you can “research” it for yourself on ABC’s website.) Most episodes were pretty sad in showing how people acted (although there was some good behavior exhibited.) I’m not completely judging, since basically we are all the same – albeit in varying degrees – and nobody’s perfect except for GOD. Honestly, I’m probably just as guilty of the vanity, selfishness, etc. that was exhibited by the show’s contestants.

The bottom line is that in addition to being a GUT CHECK for me (my heart and my actions), the show really reminded me of what true beauty is – or actually WHO true beauty is: Jesus Christ. His beautiful love for us was and is shown in SO many ways (the biggest of which was His death on the cross for you and for me).  In truth, I only truly see but a glimpse of it through my sin-clouded vision (O to Grace how great a debtor…am I).

The little that I am blessed enough to see makes me want to cry out in praise:

x

“AWESOME GOD AND GRACIOUS SAVIOR,
YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!”

x
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