I couldn't resist.
This is a video of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing Psalm 121. That's not the title of the song, but it is the Scripture from which the song is taken.
I dedicate this song to Barack Obama, and to my friend Dwayne who loves mass choir music!
Turn up the volume and be encouraged!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_ocn7IxDCU
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Audacity of the Blessed, Living Hope
Hello! It has been a few weeks since I posted. Please forgive me if I don't blog very often. I am interested in putting into words what I feel "led" to write by the Holy Spirit. Many bloggers enjoy sharing tales of their personal lives. My life is just not that exciting. In fact, it might be to some downright boring.
But Barack Obama, now that's an exciting life. Did you see any of yesterday's inauguration? The pomp and ceremony. The grandeur. Michelle's clothes. Those sweet little girls. I cried all day. Like a wedding, it was just beautiful. Sniff. Sniff.
I must admit that I enjoy politics. Don't get me wrong, I am not political. I value being straightforward and I often think that politics hides things. Let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no" be "no," I say. Well actually, the Bible says that in Matthew 5:37. But I do think that politics and Biblical prophecy are intertwined. We are moving forward to something spectacular that God has planned for us and the progression toward this spectacular something is played out on the worldwide social and political scenes. My opinion.
Just think: A few years ago a fledgling politician named Barack Obama gave a speech and entitled it (and a subsequent book) "The Audacity of Hope." Through this speech, he tapped into a profound need of the American people, who had long before lost hope in the so-called American dream. Before you know it, millions upon millions of people were putting their trust in a solitary charismatic leader to bring to culmination their deepest hopes.
What do American people hope for? And is what we hope for actually going to fulfill us? And even if our hopes can be fulfilled, can Obama and his team accomplish that in a span of four (or eight) years?
I would like to offer a humble opinion that some of our deepest hopes can't be fulfilled by changes in public policy, regardless of how hard Obama works. Believe me, I would feel alot safer if I had health insurance, but I think better economic conditions are a temporary fix to what ails us. I, like you, want world peace. But I don't see where we have ever had that. War, conflict, and strife have always existed. I want violence to end, but I'm not sure it will. In fact, Biblical prophecy points us to a bigger war with the long-expected coming again of Jesus Christ.
Now that's something to hope for. In fact, some churches refer to the second coming of Christ as the "Blessed Hope," after the verse in Titus 2:13: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
In many ways, Americans are looking to Barack Obama to act as our "savior," to save us from our fears and from our pain associated with this world's realities. And if all goes Obama's way, he might meet some of the American people's expectations, and make some positive changes. But will it really be enough?
Consider this message of hope, a living hope:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5).
Let's be careful not to put too much hope on Barack Obama's back. He is only a man. He has limited power to help. Look toward God. His power is infinite.
Look at the difference in this perspective in Psalm 121:1-8:
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in,
From this time forth and forever.
Now that's hope!
But Barack Obama, now that's an exciting life. Did you see any of yesterday's inauguration? The pomp and ceremony. The grandeur. Michelle's clothes. Those sweet little girls. I cried all day. Like a wedding, it was just beautiful. Sniff. Sniff.
I must admit that I enjoy politics. Don't get me wrong, I am not political. I value being straightforward and I often think that politics hides things. Let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no" be "no," I say. Well actually, the Bible says that in Matthew 5:37. But I do think that politics and Biblical prophecy are intertwined. We are moving forward to something spectacular that God has planned for us and the progression toward this spectacular something is played out on the worldwide social and political scenes. My opinion.
Just think: A few years ago a fledgling politician named Barack Obama gave a speech and entitled it (and a subsequent book) "The Audacity of Hope." Through this speech, he tapped into a profound need of the American people, who had long before lost hope in the so-called American dream. Before you know it, millions upon millions of people were putting their trust in a solitary charismatic leader to bring to culmination their deepest hopes.
What do American people hope for? And is what we hope for actually going to fulfill us? And even if our hopes can be fulfilled, can Obama and his team accomplish that in a span of four (or eight) years?
I would like to offer a humble opinion that some of our deepest hopes can't be fulfilled by changes in public policy, regardless of how hard Obama works. Believe me, I would feel alot safer if I had health insurance, but I think better economic conditions are a temporary fix to what ails us. I, like you, want world peace. But I don't see where we have ever had that. War, conflict, and strife have always existed. I want violence to end, but I'm not sure it will. In fact, Biblical prophecy points us to a bigger war with the long-expected coming again of Jesus Christ.
Now that's something to hope for. In fact, some churches refer to the second coming of Christ as the "Blessed Hope," after the verse in Titus 2:13: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
In many ways, Americans are looking to Barack Obama to act as our "savior," to save us from our fears and from our pain associated with this world's realities. And if all goes Obama's way, he might meet some of the American people's expectations, and make some positive changes. But will it really be enough?
Consider this message of hope, a living hope:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5).
Let's be careful not to put too much hope on Barack Obama's back. He is only a man. He has limited power to help. Look toward God. His power is infinite.
Look at the difference in this perspective in Psalm 121:1-8:
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in,
From this time forth and forever.
Now that's hope!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Pillar of Fire by Night
I'm not one to focus too much on myself. I prefer that my expression of following Jesus shows up in part when I pay attention to other people and to my community. But telling stories about God's goodness and giving testimony to His faithfulness is always important. So here is a personal story of God's faithfulness to me. I tell it in hopes that it strengthens your faith as you follow Christ in 2009.
A part of the story of the nation of Israel is told in the Book of Exodus in the Bible. This story illustates God's faithfulness to Israel as it was led by Moses. The nation was taking a long journey through the wilderness and God had promised to lead them. How did God lead them? In Exodux 13:21 it says that the "Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light...." This is taken from the Amplified Bible.
We can only imagine what it might have been like to follow a cloud in the day. What faith the nation of Israel must have shown to believe God's promise enough to simply follow a cloud. But what about the pillar of fire by night? What might that have been like? In those days I would expect God used actual fire to light the way. But I have a story of a modern-day fire-by-night adventure that I hope encourages you.
On New Years Eve a week or so ago, I was at a friend's house for a gathering. The celebration broke up about 11:30PM, a half hour before midnight. We all left for home and I had about a 45 minute drive. I knew I was going to be on the road when the clock struck midnight. In that moment and in that reality, I indulged in a little self pity. "Poor me," I thought, "I'm not going to be with anyone when the new year changes." Perhaps you have felt similar aloneness before.
I was driving down the local bypass which sits somwhat above the city of Elkhart. The road goes above the roof lines of the buildings. I was talking out loud to the Lord in my self pity: "How am I going to even know when midnight strikes, Lord? The clock in my car is not correct, and I can't see my watch in the dark. I'm going to spend another New Year turnover alone, oblivious to a year's passage."
My attitude in the doldrums, I suddenly saw what I thought was lightening in the sky. It seemed to be intensifying as I drove forward. As I followed the bend in the road, I was suddenly surrounded by FIREWORKS!!! They were before me and beside me and behind me. Huge sunburst designs. Little snapping and whirring forms. Reds and greens and whites and golds. Because the bypass sits above the rooftops, I felt as though the fireworks were at eye-level as I was driving my car. It felt surreal, like I was right in the middle of the lights and sounds of the New Year. The images reflected off the hood of my car, and I wanted to reach out and touch the lights. I no longer dwelt upon being alone. I knew God was with me in the majesty, beauty, and simple joy of that moment.
Later I reflected on Exodus, and especially on Exodus 13:22 which says that "The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people." As I move forward into 2009, I will be continually reminded that God leads His children in the ways they should go. And whether it be a cloud, a fire, or fireworks, He always gives us something magnificent to follow.
A part of the story of the nation of Israel is told in the Book of Exodus in the Bible. This story illustates God's faithfulness to Israel as it was led by Moses. The nation was taking a long journey through the wilderness and God had promised to lead them. How did God lead them? In Exodux 13:21 it says that the "Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light...." This is taken from the Amplified Bible.
We can only imagine what it might have been like to follow a cloud in the day. What faith the nation of Israel must have shown to believe God's promise enough to simply follow a cloud. But what about the pillar of fire by night? What might that have been like? In those days I would expect God used actual fire to light the way. But I have a story of a modern-day fire-by-night adventure that I hope encourages you.
On New Years Eve a week or so ago, I was at a friend's house for a gathering. The celebration broke up about 11:30PM, a half hour before midnight. We all left for home and I had about a 45 minute drive. I knew I was going to be on the road when the clock struck midnight. In that moment and in that reality, I indulged in a little self pity. "Poor me," I thought, "I'm not going to be with anyone when the new year changes." Perhaps you have felt similar aloneness before.
I was driving down the local bypass which sits somwhat above the city of Elkhart. The road goes above the roof lines of the buildings. I was talking out loud to the Lord in my self pity: "How am I going to even know when midnight strikes, Lord? The clock in my car is not correct, and I can't see my watch in the dark. I'm going to spend another New Year turnover alone, oblivious to a year's passage."
My attitude in the doldrums, I suddenly saw what I thought was lightening in the sky. It seemed to be intensifying as I drove forward. As I followed the bend in the road, I was suddenly surrounded by FIREWORKS!!! They were before me and beside me and behind me. Huge sunburst designs. Little snapping and whirring forms. Reds and greens and whites and golds. Because the bypass sits above the rooftops, I felt as though the fireworks were at eye-level as I was driving my car. It felt surreal, like I was right in the middle of the lights and sounds of the New Year. The images reflected off the hood of my car, and I wanted to reach out and touch the lights. I no longer dwelt upon being alone. I knew God was with me in the majesty, beauty, and simple joy of that moment.
Later I reflected on Exodus, and especially on Exodus 13:22 which says that "The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people." As I move forward into 2009, I will be continually reminded that God leads His children in the ways they should go. And whether it be a cloud, a fire, or fireworks, He always gives us something magnificent to follow.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A Magnificent Obsession
When I moved to Indiana from Pennsylvania, I got rid of my TV. It was old-fashioned and was not going to meet those transition requirements that will take place next month. Besides, I spent a lot of time watching TV. In fact, too much time. So, thinking that a disciple should be disciplined (makes sense, right?), I decided it was time to forego the TV set for a while.
Man oh man am I having a hard time with being TV-less. There have been days in this past month that I have walked around in circles wondering what I could turn on. The computer? The radio? The cell phone? I've missed Letterman, and I'm wondering how I'm going to keep up with American Idol. Not until it was no longer there did I realize how obsessed I was with the TV.
One thing I've turned on since moving has been worship music. As I mentioned in my profile, I enjoy worship music. I especially enjoy the music of Mark Altrogge, who writes powerful worship songs. Perhaps you have heard of I Stand In Awe of You and I'm Forever Grateful. Both Mark Altrogge songs. Today I was listening to one of Mark's songs about following God: One Pure and Holy Passion. One of the lines in this song asks "Give me one magnificent obsession." All of a sudden, it clicked. What a better obsession than for Jesus to be my one pure and holy passion? Not the TV, the cell phone, or even the GPS. These are all ordinary obsessions. Only Jesus is a magnificent obession.
Thank you Lord for this lesson and thank you Mark Altrogge for such a wonderful song.
Links:
Mark Altrogge: www.sovereigngracemusic.org/artists/mark_altrogge, http://www.forevergratefulmusic.com/
One Pure and Holy Passion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17edLkBDCo
Man oh man am I having a hard time with being TV-less. There have been days in this past month that I have walked around in circles wondering what I could turn on. The computer? The radio? The cell phone? I've missed Letterman, and I'm wondering how I'm going to keep up with American Idol. Not until it was no longer there did I realize how obsessed I was with the TV.
One thing I've turned on since moving has been worship music. As I mentioned in my profile, I enjoy worship music. I especially enjoy the music of Mark Altrogge, who writes powerful worship songs. Perhaps you have heard of I Stand In Awe of You and I'm Forever Grateful. Both Mark Altrogge songs. Today I was listening to one of Mark's songs about following God: One Pure and Holy Passion. One of the lines in this song asks "Give me one magnificent obsession." All of a sudden, it clicked. What a better obsession than for Jesus to be my one pure and holy passion? Not the TV, the cell phone, or even the GPS. These are all ordinary obsessions. Only Jesus is a magnificent obession.
Thank you Lord for this lesson and thank you Mark Altrogge for such a wonderful song.
Links:
Mark Altrogge: www.sovereigngracemusic.org/artists/mark_altrogge, http://www.forevergratefulmusic.com/
One Pure and Holy Passion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17edLkBDCo
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