• /
    • Archives /
  • November 30, 1999

Archives For November 30, 1999

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

October 29, 2011 — Leave a comment

Good words…

O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

– George Matheson

In Christianity , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

Honing

October 7, 2011 — Leave a comment

Friday evening and Saturday honing of my weekend gig…

Excited to be attending the Leadworship Worship Seminar lead by Paul Baloche and team!

In Life ,
permalink Leave a comment

October 5, 2011 Thoughts

October 5, 2011 — Leave a comment

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

– Genesis 3:8 (NIV)

I’ve read that verse many times – maybe you have, as well.

Maybe its familiarity has resulted in my under appreciating the gravity of the verse* – the depth of regret that Adam and Eve must have felt when confronted about their sin and understanding the consequences.

This week, I’ve been listening to a new album called, Music Inspired By The Story [iTunes, web]. Its a collection of songs “written in the first person perspective, that depict timeless biblical stories and provide a completely new context into how God’s story of love and redemption intersects with our story of brokenness and failures resulting in a new story of hope and rescue.” [source]

While all the tracks are great, one has stuck in my mind: Good (ADAM & EVE). In light of the gravity of Genesis 3:8, to imagine Adam and Eve thinking:

If I could / I’d rewrite history / I’d choose differently
If I could, I would
I’d leave out the part / Where I broke Your heart
In the garden’s shade / Fix the mess I made
If I could, I would

If I could / Close my eyes and then / Dance around again
If I could, I would
Be who You adored / Why did I need more?
When beauty was not trained / To hide behind my shame
If I could, I would

If I could / Hold one memory / It would surely be
How You walked with us
I’d go back in time / Untell my first lie / And let Love’s injury
Heal in spite of me

wow

I sin so many times each day and sadly give the singular or collective gravity little thought.

Many of us even categorize and rank sin and then relate “appropriate” regret.

We forget that ALL sin disappoints God just as much as the Adam and Eve’s did and that it should result in a regret and brokenness just as profound as theirs…and too often doesn’t.

Forgive me, God.

I’m so grateful that God so Loved…

…for Greater Love…

…for No Condemnation…

…for Forgiveness…

…and for a promised return to how He intended things to be.

x

*I could probably say that about many passages…

In Christianity , , , , , , , ,
permalink Leave a comment

Man Keeps Arm Raised For 38 Years

September 18, 2011 — 1 Comment

Via: Today I Learned Something New

How far would you go for your beliefs?

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

— Jesus (Matthew 16:24 [NLT])

My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

— Paul (Galatians 2:20 [NLT])

In Christianity, Life, Religion, Worship , , , ,
permalink

9/11: Ten Years Ago [video]

September 11, 2011 — Leave a comment

We showed this in church this morning…

Faith, Hope, Love…

…Amen.

In Christianity, Life , , , , ,
permalink

Meant To Be

September 6, 2011 — Leave a comment

Several weeks ago, I shared Matt Redman’s song “Endless Hallelujah” during the offering time at church.  The song has quickly become one of my favorites from his new 10,000 Reasons album [iTunes].

One thing that gets me each time I listen to the song is the phrase:

“Ev’rything as it was meant to be“

In the context of the song, it’s:

When I stand before Your throne
Dressed in glory not my own
What a joy I’ll sing of on that day
No more tears of broken dreams
Forgotten in the minor key
Ev’rything as it was meant to be

The thing that challenges me in regard to that phrase is the frequent difference between how I feel or expect “things to be” and how God would have them – in His position as Sovereign Lord in my life.

Quite often, miles and miles separate the two…

…and my version of my “story” is without adversity or challenge.

With certainty, God has promised a life with, as the song’s chorus declares,

No more tears, No more shame
No more sin and sorrow Ever known again
No more fears, No more pain

We may enjoy a foretaste of that on earth, but the reality of a life like that – life “as it was meant to be” – will only come in heaven.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

— Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV)

Maranatha!

In Christianity, Life , , , , , , , , ,
permalink

Wrong Worship [ouch]

September 3, 2011 — Leave a comment

I find this funny, sad, and frustrating at the same time…and am thankful that we are not doing any of these songs tomorrow.

[YouTube link]

my wife gets credit for finding this one.

In Christianity , , ,
permalink

Comprehension

September 1, 2011 — Leave a comment

“I run in the path of Your commands,
for You have broadened my understanding.”

Psalm 119:32 (NIV)

Funny how we sometimes read the words, but comprehend them differently:

“I sit comfortably and complacently alongside the path of Your commands,
satisfied with my limited understanding of You, Your ways, and Your purpose for me.”

Psalm 119:32 (HP*)

[or, maybe I’m alone in this observation…]

*”Hearer’s” Paraphrase

In Christianity, Life , , ,
permalink

Heritage

August 30, 2011 — Leave a comment

“Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.”

Psalm 119:111, 112 (NIV)

may this be true in me, o Lord…

In Christianity , ,
permalink

Game of Thorns

August 22, 2011 — Leave a comment

20110822-060956.jpg

Whenever I prune our roses, lessons abound. It’s a given.

Yesterday, I was working in the backyard on a gangly bush and saw the limb shown above. I thought, “If I grab it just right, I won’t get stuck.”

Guess what – I wasn’t ninja enough…

It hit me: temptation, or the attraction of sin can be exactly the same. We see/think/do something obviously wrong, and think, “It’s OK, I’m a ‘ninja’ – I won’t get stuck/caught/discovered/etc. No one will ever see/hear/spot me.”

The truth is, we’re wrong. We all get stuck, caught, discovered, seen, heard, spotted, etc.

We may be able to fool some in our sinful, game of thorns (like my creative reference to the book & HBO series); but rest assured, God knows – which is key since He’s the One we most offend by our blatant, would-be ninja sins.

Thank God for His amazing and wonderful forgiveness and grace!

For there is no distinction: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Romans 3:22-25 (ESV)

In Christianity , , , , ,
permalink