Saturday, February 24, 2018

Glory to the King

Glory to the King

Years ago I bought this cd by Darlene Zscech and there was this song on it called Glory to the King.  This song is full of references to portions of the book of Psalms.  "You're the father to the fatherless the answer to my dreams I see you crowned in righteousness.  We cry glory to the King.  Comforter to the lonely the lifter of my head I see you veiled in majesty we cry glory glory we cry glory to the King."  You can find the basis for the part about "father to the fatherless" in Psalms 68:3-6 which are beautiful promises of God.  "But let the godly rejoice.  Let them be glad in God's presence.  Let them be filled with joy.  Sing praises to God and to his name!  Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.  His name is the Lord-- rejoice in his presence!  Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-- this is God whose dwelling is holy.  God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.  But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land."  The part about being the "lifter of my head" can be found in Psalms 3:3-4 "But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.  I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain."  I bring up these names of God, passages and portions of a song for a few reasons.  My wife and I don't really fit the mold of life groups at church.  I work nearly six days a week.  We don't get to meet with groups face to face like other people do.  She doesn't drive and uses public transportation.  It says God puts the lonely in families.  Many of you who are readers of this blog well you're busy too and you've made your way to this as a way to connect when you can't seem to do so with other groups.  Guess what God put you here for a reason in a unique type of family of believers.  It's no accident.  "As far as accidents go you'll always be my favorite one."  Sorry minor Zac joke quoting random things.  There have been times over the years that I personally have prayed for Christian friends to spend time with.  God has put specific people in both Real Life Corpus Christi and in Lakeview Baptist(my dad is the pastor) who have become our family of friends.  We don't spend time with them often but I know people because of God's love I can turn to who will pray for us.  There have also been times where I have been so depressed that I have turned to God and he has been the lifter of my head.  Years ago when my life group started it was at Denny's at midnight and the first night it was me and this nurse named Dona and it was my third time ever in any kind of teaching attempt (honestly I didn't know how to lead anyone out of a paper bag) and I brought a short Bible study on God being the Lifter of our Head.  See follow me here.  When you run to God he lifts your head gets your focus off of you and back on him.  

Tenth Avenue North gives this beautiful description of that in their song By Your Side.  Side note when my grandma passed away this song was what got me focused back on God when my heart was breaking.  Second side note my dog of 12 years passed away this week I lost a dear friend and this week has been a struggle. 

 "Why are you striving these days? Why are you trying to earn grace?  Why are you crying?  Let me lift up your face just don't turn away. Why are you looking for love?  Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?  To where will you go child?  Tell me where will you run, to where will you run?  
Cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall.  In the Dead of night whenever you call.  And please don't fight these hands that are holding you.  My hands are holding you."  

I don't know what struggles you're facing but maybe you're like me and you need a good reminder of who God is and how much he cares for you.  I sure did.





Posted by at No comments:

Speaking

Speaking 

As a rule I attempt to steer away from anything political regarding this blog but something happened this week.  Our Vice President Mike Pence made a statement.  For those of you who did or didn't vote for him this is not about something political so calm down.  Mr. Pence said he talks to God and Jesus sometimes tells him things to say.  I wish all of our leaders in public office would seek after God.  A few days later an incredibly ungodly host of a show called the View, Joy Behar said that hearing from God is the same as mental illness.  As I said this is a spiritual issue not political.  The hosts of the show went on to claim to being Christian and Catholic and that God didn't speak to them.  That right there should tip you off that they do not follow the God of the Bible.  If you claim to be a Christian and God does not in any form speak to you; you need to seriously seek God and stop pretending.  
Jesus in John chapter 10 was very specific when referring to himself as the good shepherd and who does and does not hear him speak.  In verses 25-30 it says this.  "I have already told you, and you don't believe me.  The proof I do is the work I do in my Father's name.  But you don't believe me because you are not my sheep.  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.  No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.  No one can snatch them from the Father's hand.  The Father and I are one. "

 Years ago my church family and I worked through a Bible study series called Experiencing God.  One of the main principles in it was as follows.  "God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances  and the church to reveal himself, his purposes and his ways."  God has provided his word in the form of the Bible and he speaks through it and he continues to do so.  Changed lives are a clear result.  For our Vice President I would point him to Matthew 5:10-12 "God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.  Be happy about it!  Be very glad!  For a great reward awaits you in heaven.  And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way."  
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 talks all about the wisdom of God and how it is viewed by the world.  Verses 18-19 say this and it goes right along with the thinking of Ms Behar.  "The message of the cross is foolish to those headed for destruction!  But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.  As the scriptures say, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.'"
By calling our Vice President mentality ill this woman has said in her speech and heart that God can't speak and there is no God.  She claims to be a Christian but there is no evidence of God at work in her life.  People are going to persecute us as Christians and it will get worse before it ever gets better.  If they call you or me mentally ill for talking to God and hearing from him that's okay keep pointing them to Christ.  God has been speaking to people since creation.  

At the age of 16 I was saved and God let my heart be broken to get my attention.  He will use so many things to get our attention and we have to face him and decide if we are going to repent and follow him.  God speaks through the Bible to people all the time every day.  Christian singers Out of the Grey said it best "He is not silent we are not listening."  See for the last five years I have posted a weekly bible study blog and I always pray asking God to show me what he wants said and he answers that prayer.  I have seen God at work in my life and so many others to know better than to even think any of us who follow God are mentally ill.  Ms. Behar if that's the best insult you've got then I say you're a slacker.  Better men and women than you have tried.  You're not even really insulting the Christian you're picking a fight with God and you won't win.  I pray for you that God will break and change your heart.  

Isaiah 55:6-11

"
6Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
9“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

"Underground" by Petra

Look at the front page, turn on the tv
They fire another round at you and me
Their guns are loaded, they're taking aim
Nobody told them we're not all the same
No paranoia, nobody could
Just write it off as being Hollywood
The innuendo between the lines
Leaves no confusion 'bout what's on their minds

[1st CHORUS]
I won't go underground
I won't turn and flee
I won't bow the knee
I won't go underground
I won't run and hide from the rising tide
I won't go underground
I won't compromise what the world denies
I won't go underground
And I'm not ashamed of the cross I've claimed

They're taking notes on what we say
You know they'd like to lock us all away
Can't stop the movement, can't make it slow
Persecution always makes us grow
They got my number, it's no surprise
I'm here and wearing no disguise
Bring on the lions and heat up the fire
It's not enough to stop this man's desire

[2nd CHORUS]
I won't go underground
I won't turn and flee
I won't bow the knee
I won't go underground
I keep holding fast till the very last
I won't go underground
I will turn my cheek, I will boldly speak
I won't go underground
I am not ashamed of the cross I've claimed

I know the Spirit behind this force
It's not surprising if you know the source
I pray for freedom for helpless ones
And I keep standing till the new day dawns

[1st CHORUS]

And I won't lay low as the hatred grows




Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Pour

One of the definitions of Pour is to flow forth.  I want you to think of liquid in an object.  This past Sunday I sent out a blog about prayer and got some amazing feedback from people.  There's a verse I read today and I'm going to present a few but the word pour appeared and sometimes I think pouring is an aspect of prayer we may forget whether it's due to busyness or just thinking we can handle things and don't need to pray.  Philippians 4:6 says this "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done."  See God is big enough to handle anything we pray about.  Before I get back to the word pour I want you to have a foundation and reasons to go with the pouring.  Psalms 62:5-8 "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.  My victory and honor come from God alone.  He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.  O, my people, trust in him at all times.  Pour out your heart to him for God is our refuge."  Pouring can become mechanical if we spend anytime around a kitchen or drink anything but do you ever just pour your heart and feelings out in prayer.  A few years back I was hurt emotionally and I had a friend tell me to rip off the band aid and let God heal you.  King David in the Psalms is the most brutally honest person in the Bible when praying he unloads so much.  He was called a man after God's heart a title all of us should want. Be completely open and honest in your prayers and trust God with your hurts because all the things listed in the previous verses show that he can and will handle things and does care for you. Here are results of what happens when you pour out your heart in prayer.  Psalms 66:16-20 "Come and listen,  all you who fear God and I will tell you what he did for me.  For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.  If I had no confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.  But God did listen!  He paid attention to my prayer.  Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me."  Job 11:13-20 "
13“If only you would prepare your heart
and lift up your hands to him in prayer!
14Get rid of your sins,
and leave all iniquity behind you.
15Then your face will brighten with innocence.
You will be strong and free of fear.
16You will forget your misery;
it will be like water flowing away.
17Your life will be brighter than the noonday.
Even darkness will be as bright as morning.
18Having hope will give you courage.
You will be protected and will rest in safety."


















Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Secret Weapon

Secret Weapon 

My work site doesn't know this.  I've been there working for two years now and I see a lot of faces.  I pray asking God to make the men and women out here be a people that seek him and I also pray for their safety as they work.  I don't know very many of them personally and being a security guard makes it hard to get to know them and even my own coworkers.  I spend a lot of time to myself no one to even talk to.  In those two years though I have walked and prayed.  You the people who read this blog I pray for you too and I pray for God to take the words said and change you.  You can't stop prayer.  Sunday I kept coming back to the song Secret Weapon by Petra.  One of my favorite things about Petra is their songs start as Bible studies first and then become a song.  While I was looking up the lyrics it also showed the scripture verses that it was based on.  Romans 1:9 "God knows how often I pray for you.  Day and Night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the good news about his Son."  "I've got a secret weapon I'll pray for you I've got a secret weapon gonna get through I really care about you I'll pray for you."  The other verse mentioned as the basis for the song was 2 Corinthians 10:4.  "We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments."  Prayer is making requests to God and carrying on communication.  In 1962 school prayer and Bible reading were removed from public school.  But no one can stop you from silently praying to God.  He can still hear you.  I don't have to loudly pray for the people at my job or for you the reader.    I can and do pray for you.  We had a sermon Sunday about our thoughts and sometimes I want to add verses to what Micah preaches but I can't.  So here's something I would have added. Philippians 4:6-8.  "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."  
Prayer focuses our hearts and minds on God.  We can pray out loud or quietly and we are heard by God.  We can do so at anytime.  A few nights ago I came home from work and Marion had already gone to sleep and I was just flipping through channels and for some strange reason I got on this public access channel and this guy was preaching and he said something about prayer that has gotten me to thinking.  "When most churches talk about stewardship people automatically think money but praying for others is a form of being a good steward because you take time from your day to bring that person and their needs before the throne of God."  He further said it was a way of showing you care for that person.  It was pretty thought provoking because I have never looked at prayer in such a way.  A lot of times I am hesitant to ask someone to pray for me because it feels selfish to me but looking at it from this new perspective if they do choose to pray for me and I let them know I need prayer they in turn become good stewards of time given to them by God and learn to care for others.  It's a different way to think of things.  That being said if you ever want to pray for me pray that God provides for the blog with the words he wants shared.  Pray for the people working around you.  You and I don't always know their struggle.  I was driving to work today listening to the song In Heaven's Eyes by Sandi Patty and it reminded me of another reason we pray.  See a lot of times my focus and attitude is bad and I pray asking God to change it and that gets us focused heavenward.  There's a line in the song that says this.  "And looking up we'll see compassion's fire ablaze in Heaven's Eyes."  We're not always good with mercy when our focus and attitude is wrong.  We need to have our attention fixed back on God who has displayed the ultimate compassion with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  


















Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)