Show Me Your Glory

I continue to come back to one question; Do you want to see the glory of The Lord? If we could see - even a glimpse of - the glory of God, it would transform us. And the things that seems to matter so much now would fade into the background.  






I caught a glimpse of Your splendor
In the corner of my eye
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen
And it was like a flash of lightning
Reflected off the sky
And I know I'll never be the same
Show me Your glory
Send down Your presence
I want to see Your face
Show me Your glory
Majesty shines about You
I can't go on without You, Lord
When I climb down the mountain
And get back to my life
I won't settle for ordinary things
I'm gonna follow You forever
And for all of my days
I won't rest 'til I see You again
Show me Your glory
Show me Your glory 
I can't live without You

Made Stronger In Their Presence

I have gone to Spring Arbor, Michigan this week to participate in "Equipping for Excellence" and conference for the leadership of the Free Methodist Church. Sharing in fellowship and friendship with the various pastors and leaders at this conference has been wonderful, the leadership development instruction has been great, and the breakout group that I participated in this afternoon was been insightful. However, the portion of the conference that I have enjoyed the most so far has been the worship services.

It has been nice to listen to our Bishops bring teaching and insight from the Scripture. Likewise, the musical worship team has been inspirational and has led our group into the presence of the Almighty God in a new and powerful way during each service. The Spirit of God has been moving through this group of Pastors and leaders in a way that is transnational and life-changing. 

I am not a great singer, music has never been a gift of mine. I am unable to play any musical instrument and I often struggle to carry a tune. However this does not keep me from worshiping. This afternoon - as we praised God in song - I found myself positioned between two of my close friends and fellow pastors - Adam Strauser and Matt Schutter - both are excellent singers - I could listen to either one of them sing for hours. And, as I stood between these two friends , a thought occurred to me; "I am made stronger, I am made better because I am with them". Their presence, their support, and their voices, enabled me to stay on key and to sing in a more powerful way.

And, just as their presence made me stronger in song, the presence of Godly men and women - Godly friends and Godly influences in our lives - make us stronger and make us better because we are with them. As Proverbs 13:20 states "Walk with the wise and become wise".

I should add that both of these friends mentioned above are also very Godly men who support me in my spiritual walk and hold me accountable in various ways. I am thankful for close friends that help to support and guide me through their love, actions, presence, and even their voice.  

The Ants Go Marching...

My daughter is seven years old and often has trouble going to sleep - rather she does not go to sleep easily. One of her favorite things is to have her mother or I sing to her at night as she drifts off to sleep. Often it is a pleasure to sing to her as she goes to sleep but sometimes it becomes a chore or yet another task on top of a pile of others that need to be completed late into the evening. 

Not only does our daughter request (sometimes petition) that we sing to her at night, she also asks for a specific number of songs - usually three - and specific songs to be sung. One of her favorite songs at night is "The Ants Go Marching", and I am convinced that it is one of her favorites because it is such a long song. I'm sure you know the song...

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrahThe ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrahThe ants go marching one by one,The little one stops to suck his thumbAnd they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rainBOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrahThe ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrahThe ants go marching two by two,The little one stops to tie his shoeAnd they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrahThe ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrahThe ants go marching three by three,The little one stops to climb a treeAnd they all go marching down to the ground to get out of the rain
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

And on, and on, and on it goes.  But see, it is on the evenings that singing to my daughter seems like more of a chore - as though it is only another task - that I begin to sing this particular song in super-fast, speed-singing version in order to get to the tenth and final verse quicker. 

Last night was one of these nights. In fact I think I made it through this song faster than ever before - start to finish in less than two minutes. And, although I am quite proud of this speed-sung rendition, it struck me soon after finishing it how wrong it was that I had raced through singing to my one and only daughter rather than cherishing this moment and the time I got to spend with her at night. 

And it struck my how I often fall into this same mode whenever I read God's Word, study my morning devotions, and have my prayer and quiet time in the morning. Often I seem to race through these individual and intimate moments with The Lord rather than cherishing the time I have the privilege and opportunity to spend with Him. 

It is not something that I realize, not something that I intend to do, it just seems that everything else that needs to be done comes to my mind and I begin to rush, I begin to hurry, I begin to make my time with God less of a joy and more of a task.  Perhaps you have experienced the same thing in regard to your time with God. Essentially what we do is tell God that He is not quite as important as everything else that might come our way throughout the day.

Now that I have recognized this in my life I aim to spend more time cherishing the things I claim to be a priority - my time with God, my time with my wife, and my time with my children. I aim to pray and seek God's assistance in this as well. What about you, what will you do?

DON'T GIVE UP - keep praying

The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

In other words, "DON'T GIVE UP - KEEP PRAYING"

Sunday

This past Sunday a gentleman walked to the front of the church. He picked up the microphone and smiled. As music began to fill the Sanctuary he began to sing...

"I'm a thief, I'm a lier, I'm a murder..."

Fearfully, a six year old screams out from the back "what's he doing here?

Clumbsy by Chris Rice

"Clumsy" as written by Chris Rice and sung by Jason Castro.

This song came on my ipod this morning and the words resonated with me in a special way today. I enjoy the way that Chris Rice sings this song, but I did not like the video that I was able to find of the song with he pictures and the additional audience audio added to it. The song lyrics are posted below.

You think I'd have it down by now
Been practicin' for thirty years
I should have walked a thousand miles
So what am I still doin' here
Reachin' out for that same old piece of forbidden fruit
I slip and fall and I knock my halo loose
Somebody tell me what's a boy supposed to do?

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You're sayin' You love me
And You're still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You're makin' me holy
You're still makin' me holy, yeah

I'm gonna get it right this time
I'll be strong and I'll make You proud
I've prayed that prayer a thousand times
But the rooster crows and my tears roll down (again)
Then You remind me You made me from the dust
And I can never, no never, be good enough
And that You're not gonna let that come between us

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You're sayin' You love me
And You're still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You're makin' me holy
You're still makin' me holy, yeah

From where I stand
Your holiness is up so high I can never reach it
My only hope is to fall on Jesus

I get so clumsy
I get so foolish
I get so stupid
And then I feel so useless
But You're sayin' You love me
And You're still gonna hold me
And that You wanna be near me
‘Cause You're makin' me holy
You're still makin' me holy, yeah

Martyr's Song by Todd Agnew

I was cleaning the car the other day and this song began to play. I was reminded by the powerful lyrics of God's true love for His creation and was inspired by the message of the song to press on until that day when I see Him face to face, when I feal His embrace, and when I hear Him welcome me home.

I've been waiting to dance with you
In fields full of colors you've never seen
I've been waiting to show you beauty
You never dreamed that's always been in you
I've been waiting to see you tremble as you're embraced
By a world saturated with my love
I've been waiting for the day when at last I get to say
My child you are finally home

Sing O son of Zion
Shout O child of mine
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind
For you are finally home

I've been waiting to watch you realize
What all your longing was for
I've been waiting to show you the thread of grace
That ran through all your pain
I've been waiting to let you drink the water of which
Your greatest joy on earth was just a taste
I've been waiting for the day when at last I get to say
My child you are finally home

Sing O son of Zion
Shout O child of mine
Rejoice with all your heart and soul and mind
Sing O daughter of Zion
Cry out O child of mine
Dance with all the strength that you can find
For you are finally home

Every tear you cried dried in the palm of my hand
Every lonely hour was by my side
every loved one lost, every river crossed
Every moment, every hour was pointing to this day
I've been longing for this day

Skillet: Lucy

A few years ago the band Skillet came out with a song, Lucy. There was much speculation over the meaning of this song, who Lucy is/was, etc. This is a quote from John Cooper, lead singer of Skillet on the true meaning of the song:

“..this week is the very first time that I’ve ever told what this song is about, because, uh, it’s very special to me, but I feel like it’s time to talk about it a little bit, so.. listen up while I tell you a story about a young girl and a young guy who found themselves in a hard situation. They didn’t know what to do when they found out that she was pregnant; they were young, they didn’t have any money, they were scared, they didn’t want to tell anybody, they didn’t know what to do, and the only option that they could see was to terminate the pregnancy. So that’s what they decided to do… they went to a clinic, they had the procedure done, and at first they felt relieved that all their problems had gone away. But then something happened that they did not expect… and that’s over the next few weeks, which turned into a few months, they began to feel an intense sadness… and a pain and an agony and a guilt that wouldn’t go away. They didn’t know what to do, so they finally went to see a counselor; they said look — tell us what to do, we just don’t know, and the counselor made a suggestion. The counselor said here’s what you need to do — stop acting like you had a procedure, and act like you had a death in the family. So the couple went home and they made three decisions; number one, they decided to have a funeral service for the baby; number two, they bought a tiny little headstone; and they last decision to make was what to name the baby. After a couple weeks they finally decided they would call her… Lucy.”

Now, listen to the song and watch the video, lyrics are below.

Hey Lucy, I remember your name
I left a dozen roses on your grave today
I'm in the grass on my knees, wipe the leaves away
I just came to talk for a while, got some things I need to say

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her
I'd give up all the world to see
That little piece of Heaven looking back at me

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her
I've gotta live with the choices I made
And I can't live with myself today

Hey Lucy, I remembered your birthday
They said it'd bring some closure to say your name
I know I'd do it all different if I had the chance
But all I got are these roses to give
And they can't help me make amends

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her
I'd give up all the world to see
That little piece of Heaven looking back at me

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her
I've gotta live with the choices I made
And I can't live with myself today

Here we are, now you're in my arms
I never wanted anything so bad
Here we are for a brand new start
Living the life that we could've had

Me and Lucy walking hand in hand
Me and Lucy never wanna end
Just another moment in your eyes
I'll see you in another life in Heaven
Where we never say goodbye

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her
I'd give up all the world to see
That little piece of Heaven looking back at me

Now that it's over, I just wanna hold her
I've gotta live with the choices I made
And I can't live with myself today

Here we are, now you're in my arms
Here we are for a brand new start
I got to live with the choices I've made
And I can't live with myself today

Me and Lucy walking hand in hand
Me and Lucy never wanna end
I've got to live with the choices I've made
And I can't live with myself today

Hey Lucy, I remember your name

Aaron Shust: Ever After

Great song by Aaron Shust from the standpoint of a parent speaking to a child. Breaking the news that this world is not what it is made out to be in Disney movies, that this life does not have a happy ending.

But, this is not the end, this is just the beginning.....

One Last Christmas

Matthew West wrote a beautiful song not too long ago, One Last Christmas. With this song, Matthew tells the true story of a little boy, Dax, that was suffering with lukemia. His parents were determined that he was going to see "one last Christmas" and they put up the decorations early in the year. Soon the entire community joined in, it caught the local news and people from all around were joining in.

Watch the video of "One Last Christmas" here:



Dax did eventually lose his battle with lukemia following this Christmas celebration with his family. And today he celebrates Christmas with Jesus Christ in heaven. Dax's parents would like for his legacy to live on here too and so they are asking for donations to be made to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in his honor. They are hoping to raise enough money to run the hospital for an entire day (a cost of 1.6 million dollars). To donate to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, click here.

As I watched this video I was inspired by the life of Dax and by the committment that his parents had to helping him see one more Christmas. I thought about all of the time we waste everyday, especially around the holidays, on such frivilous things. If we new that this might be the last Christmas, the last day, the last moments that we have with some individuals, how might we spend our time differently?

A Reminder: Lead Me

Sometimes we need a reminder. A reminder to give up our selfish ambitions. A reminder that others are counting on us. And a reminder to lead.

This song, "Lead Me" by Sanctus Real is a wonderful reminder. It reminds husbands of their first ministry, their duty to honor, love, and lead their wives. It reminds fathers that they are to committed to their children and their families, even when it's easier not to be. And it reminds us all that when things of this life seem to over burden us, our Father in heaven grants us the strength and ability to lead in spite of the evil in this world. 

Lead Me by Sanctus Real

I look around and see my wonderful life
Almost perfect from the outside
In picture frames I see my beautiful wife
Always smiling
But on the inside, I can hear her saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes
They're just children from the outside
I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine
They're independent
But on the inside, I can hear them saying...

“Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, but what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I still feel alone”

So Father, give me the strength
To be everything I'm called to be
Oh, Father, show me the way
To lead them
Won't You lead me?

To lead them with strong hands
To stand up when they can't
Don't want to leave them hungry for love,
Chasing things that I could give up

I'll show them I'm willing to fight
And give them the best of my life
So we can call this our home
Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

How He Loves (you and me)



David Crowder Band's song "How He Loves" has been out for some time. It expresses the way that God truly feels about His creation, that is you and I. Not only are the lyrics a wonderful portrayal of God's love for us, the analogies used to paint this portrait bring His love for us to life conveying the emotions and power behind His grace, mercy, and love.

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, / Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. / When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, / And I realize just how beautiful You are, / And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh / Oh how He loves us, / How He loves us all  

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, / Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. / When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, / And I realize just how beautiful You are, / And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh, / Oh how He loves us, / How He loves us all

He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize, / Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes, / If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking. / And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, / And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, / I don’t have time to maintain these regrets, / When I think about, the way…

That He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves. / Yeah, He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves us, / Oh how He loves.