This past week at Torch, we did something a little... well, I guess you could cliche-icly call it "out of the box." (wow, it's kind of ironic that the phrase "out of the box" could be called cliche...) :)
We brought our worship to the Lord without music. I have to say, I was a little worried about how that would go. As our friendly neighborhood worship director, I know that it's important to make sure we know the reality that music and singing are NOT the only form of worship we can bring to the Lord, and that it's good for us to experience that corporately from time to time - but I was still a little nervous.
Silly me.
You guys took a risk and brought your hearts to the Lord in a really honest way, and I know it blessed His heart - and, in that crazy cool way that worship often works, we got blessed in the process of offering our worship to Him.
Nights like that are worth a standing stone, even if it's only a virtual one. :) So here's ours: a series of posts on Chasing Jesus, offering the cry of our hearts to His. Every line of these psalms, with the exception of anything straight from God's Word, was written by one of you. Let's continue to pray them together, amen?
for the next post in this series, you can go here
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Confessions of a Modern Day Pharisee
Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire. Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
After the Fact
Easter isn't something I used to ever give much thought to. Growing up it always meant candy, dyeing eggs and usually a dinner with some sort of ham meal with extended family. Since I rededicated my life to Christ a couple years ago, the cross and resurrection mean Easter to me.
From Mark 8:31
"He then began to teach them that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed, and after three days rise again."
There's a song that helped change my whole perspective and thought process towards the cross and what was happening there called The Fatal Wound, by Switchfoot. I hate referencing songs for anything but the message in this song is very challenging. Read the lyrics:
I am the crisis, I am the bitter end
I'm gonna gun this down
I am divided, I am the razor's edge
There is no easing out
Son of sorrow, staring down forever
With an aching view
Disenchanted, let's go down together
with the fatal wound
This is the real thing, no rubber bullets now
This is the final bow
My breath avoids me, my chest is in my hands
My stomach's upside down, down.
Son of sorrow, staring down forever
With an aching view
Disenchanted, let's go down together
with the fatal wound.
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Now read Psalm 22:1, 11-19 and pick-up the prophecy being spoken in David's words.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Do not be far from me for trouble is near and there is no one to help. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. Hy heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my strength, come quickly to help me.
When Jesus was dying on the cross he asked those same words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." I often wonder if Jesus was remembering the cries of David from the Psalms whenever I read that passage. Reading these words puts the death of Christ into a greater picture, a more real picture for me. This was more than some old story we rehash once a year or if we go to church consistently hear over and over again. This was real. This happened so that you and I could experience freedom from sin and it's eternal consequences.
I know that Easter is gone and a couple of days old at this point, but it still doesn't change the fact that Christ suffered for more than a holiday, for more than a once a year celebration. He suffered for every moment of our lives here on Earth. For that, we owe him every moment, and I want my life to be wrapped around that.
From Mark 8:31
"He then began to teach them that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed, and after three days rise again."
There's a song that helped change my whole perspective and thought process towards the cross and what was happening there called The Fatal Wound, by Switchfoot. I hate referencing songs for anything but the message in this song is very challenging. Read the lyrics:
I am the crisis, I am the bitter end
I'm gonna gun this down
I am divided, I am the razor's edge
There is no easing out
Son of sorrow, staring down forever
With an aching view
Disenchanted, let's go down together
with the fatal wound
This is the real thing, no rubber bullets now
This is the final bow
My breath avoids me, my chest is in my hands
My stomach's upside down, down.
Son of sorrow, staring down forever
With an aching view
Disenchanted, let's go down together
with the fatal wound.
Now read Psalm 22:1, 11-19 and pick-up the prophecy being spoken in David's words.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Do not be far from me for trouble is near and there is no one to help. I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. Hy heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my strength, come quickly to help me.
When Jesus was dying on the cross he asked those same words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." I often wonder if Jesus was remembering the cries of David from the Psalms whenever I read that passage. Reading these words puts the death of Christ into a greater picture, a more real picture for me. This was more than some old story we rehash once a year or if we go to church consistently hear over and over again. This was real. This happened so that you and I could experience freedom from sin and it's eternal consequences.
I know that Easter is gone and a couple of days old at this point, but it still doesn't change the fact that Christ suffered for more than a holiday, for more than a once a year celebration. He suffered for every moment of our lives here on Earth. For that, we owe him every moment, and I want my life to be wrapped around that.
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