We're singing

 

We’re singing 

 

The Psalms have been called a songbook for God’s people.  I’ve even heard of some churches specifically using them only for music.  I could debate Christian music with people for hours because of how I was raised and some of that would be getting into a pointless argument.  Mostly because I’ve seen too many well-meaning church goers who only like certain styles of music.  Instead, I want to use this blog to encourage you to praise God.  Why because like King David we all need a “But as for me moment.”  Some of you just said, “Do what now?”  Before you completely make the Scooby Doo confused look let me explain what I mean.  We need music that points our hearts to God.  You need to seek and praise God because it gets your focus off of you and on Him.  I’ve seen this thing on facebook that as a Christian makes zero sense to me.  It says,  “It’s Sunday time to get my praise on.”  If your relationship with God doesn’t cause you to praise God, the rest of the week and you only sing praise to Him on Sunday you might need to read your Bible and ask some questions about what you claim to believe.  

 

Psalm 59:16-17 is about to drive my point home.  

 

“But as for me, I will sing about your power.  Each morning, I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.  For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.  O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.”  

 

Every morning David is praising God.  That’s more than one day a week.  

 

In Ephesians 5:18-20 we are called to praise God.  

 

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.  Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  

 

Kari Jobe said it best in her song called I’m singing.  

 

“I’m singing 

To the God who brings redemption to the nations

Kings and oceans bow to Him in praise 

And I’m singing to the God 

Who wrote the book on our salvation 

To the One who covers me in grace”. 

 

We owe our Creator and redeemer praise.  

 

 

I’m singing by Kari Jobe

All in all by Charmaine 

Sing your Praise to the Lord by Rich Mullins

View changed

 

View changed

 

I grew up a preacher’s kid, and I’ve been around a few churches. I was saved at the age of 16.  Listening to pastors and deacons praying in church can be one of the most intimidating things for a younger Christian.  I’m going to endeavor to take you on a journey of how my view of prayer changed because I’ve heard a lot of prayers from other people.  Some have lengthy flowery prayers with big fancy words.  I understand that from a certain perspective, but there was a time when the way I looked at prayer simply changed.  God wants us to communicate with Him often.   If you spend time in the Psalms and I have spent a lot of time, there you will find King David is the most vulnerable person you will ever hear praying and singing to God.   

 

Psalm 51:16-17

 

“You do not desire a sacrifice or I would offer one.   You do not want a burnt offering.  The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.  You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”  

 

See years back in my college days I went to this place called Disc Go Round and I bought my first Margaret Becker cd.  That’s when I discovered the song that changed the way I viewed prayer and talking to God.  Years before in 1989 she wrote this song called Honesty and it is for everyone who has sat in church and heard the fancy prayers and thought “I don’t understand how to pray because I can’t wrap my head around all these strange words.”  I’m here to tell you along with Maggie B that you don’t need all that.  What you need is an open and contrite heart before God.  Sometimes we have to come to God in prayer with our broken mess.  

 

Her song says this.  

“Tonight, by the glow of the firelight 

You found the courage to speak your mind

And tear down the walls 

you’ve been hiding behind 

You spoke of your struggle 

And you cried from the pain 

You spoke of your failure 

And then you turned in shame

You said, you knew you’d never be alright.

 

God’s not afraid of your honesty 

He can heal your heart if you speak honestly 

Humble sorrow and honest cry 

He will not pass by no.”

 

See, those words changed me.  It made me realize that I didn’t have to sound all fancy when I prayed and made me realize God wants me to talk to him as I would talk to a friend.  Yes, I’m to be respectful because He is almighty God but he doesn’t want me to try to pretend to be something I’m not.  

 

Philippians 4:6-7 

 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and 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.”  

 

In Luke 18:9-14 there is a story Jesus tells about prayer between the Pharisee and the tax collector, and I’ve always related more with the tax collector because of what he did.  

 

“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed.  Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’”  

 

Even on my best day I’m a screw up and yet God wants me to pray to Him and he listens.  Let your guard down don’t try to be something you’re not.  Speak to God honestly.  He created you He sent his Son to die for your sins and be raised to life and He loves you.  

 

I want to end this with one of the most important verses you will ever learn about prayer.  

1 Peter 5:8

 

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”  

 

That verse tells you when to pray.  When you’re worried and concerned.  And then it tells you why.  Because He cares about you.  

I rarely ask for prayer but if you feel led to pray, please pray for Becky and I as we are getting married this coming Saturday.  Please pray that we would be the people God wants us to be. 

 

Honesty by Margaret Becker 

Humble yourself by Mylon Lefevre and friends

Praying man by Petra

 

Short

 

Short

 

We’re not promised tomorrow.  Life is short.  I make it a point each day to tell my fiancé Becky that I love her.  The first day we met she told me I mattered to her and she loved me.  This week I was relaying this story to her.   Christian singer Sandi Patty had a relative who was slowly dying and she was learning to cherish every moment with him, and she taught herself to say to him each day.  “I love you, today.”  Emphasis being on the word today because we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.  I’m 49 and my fiancé is 45 we’re getting married late in life and that timeframe is not lost on us.  We try to make the most of our time together.  I’m approaching my upcoming wedding with a certain attitude, and I’ll do my best to explain it.  Growing up my dad introduced me to the music of Don Francisco.  He sang a song about marriage that says, “Love is not a feeling it’s an act of your will.”  Each day you must choose to love the person you’re married to.  Too many people end a relationship because they no longer feel like they’re in love.  Had it happen to me.  I know going into this that each day I must choose my spouse.  We can have good and bad days, but I have to choose her regardless of my feelings.  DC Talk said it best in their song “luv is a verb.”  

 

“Pulling out my big black book

‘Cause when I need a word defined, that’s where I look

So, I moved to the l’s quick, fast in a hurry 

Threw on my specs thought my vision was blurry 

I looked again but to my dismay 

It was black and white with no room for gray

You see a big V, stood beyond my word

And Yo, that’s when it hit me, that love is a verb.”

 

WWE general manager Adam Pearce does videos online and he always ends them with this sentence that we all need to remember.  “Love somebody today.”  You don’t know what kind of struggle the people around you are dealing with, but God calls us to love.  I’ve said before that a lot of the friends I have are because they took the time to be nice to me and I remember that.  

 

Romans 12:18 is a verse I try to live my life by.  I don’t always get it right, but I try.  

“Do all that you can to live at peace with everyone.”  

We don’t know who our life is affecting but we need to love people and treat them as better than ourselves.  I said it in church one Wednesday night because it’s true.  “We talk a lot of smack for people who almost fall over putting on underwear.” Don’t think so highly of yourself.  Treat people with love and kindness wherever you go.  If you need a reason why I’m about to give it to you in two verses.  

Galatians 6:9-10

“So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a blessing if we do not give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to those in the family of faith.” 

 

This past week Becky told me something and it shook me.  I don’t blog like I used to.  Years back I placed a lot of stress on myself to have something to say every week when this was an online blog.  I got criticized by people after my divorce and had to heal, it kept me from saying anything.  When it was sent as an email to people it started being returned with no explanation.  I blog on rare occasions now.  But one of Becky’s friends told her to tell me, “He hasn’t done a video in a while.”  I honestly thought no one was paying attention when I did them.  What I often say is that if just one person is drawn closer to God by something I have said then I have accomplished what I set out to do.  I had to stop and pray and tell God if I was going to do this again, he would have to provide something to say because I didn’t have it.  I’m no one special I share what God lays on my heart.  What happens after that is completely up to God.  I pray before I post stuff that God would use it to glorify himself.  This is not about me and if that’s what you focus on that’s not the point I’m trying to push you back to the cross of Christ.  I simply show up and share.  I’m nobody special.  

 

Meant to be by Steven Curtis Chapman

Love Revolution by Natalie Grant 

Middle of a Miracle by Emerson Day

Light Up the Sky

 

Light up the Sky

 

At Second Baptist Church we’ve been slowly working through the book of John and I do mean slowly.  I was talking to Becky, Wednesday night after church about some of these verses we had been going over in church.  I’m going to share the first five verses quickly and then get back to that conversation.  

 

John 1:1-5

 

“In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  

He existed in the beginning with God.  

God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. 

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.  

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  

 

Wednesday night I was telling Becky, at my lowest point when I got most depressed I had been praying often for a purpose and I can tell you God used the rising of the Sun each day to reassure me that if the Sun was still shining He wasn’t done with me and there was a reason to go on.  

 

In verses 1-5 it talks about the Word and that’s another name for Jesus and we find that confirmation in verse 14.  

 

“So, the Word became human and made his home among us.  He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”  

 

This blog has always been about hope being found in God’s Word.  But you see the Bible is alive and to read it you interact with Jesus because he is the Word in human form.  We all need hope and light and Jesus is that.  There’s a song by a group called The Afters called Light up the Sky.  Sometimes we need to stop and look up and remember that the very God who created us and the world around us is very much a masterful artist.  This is what the song has to say about all this.  

 

“When I’m feeling all alone with so far to go

The signs are nowhere on this road

Guiding me home

When the night is closing in 

Is falling on my skin 

Oh God will you come close

 

You light light, light up the sky 

You light up the sky to show me that you are with me.  

No, I can’t deny that you are right here with me.”  

 

John 1:5 said, “the Light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  Some of you need to take a step back from your busy life and look to the sky and see where God is allowing the Sun to shine each day and remember he’s not done with you.  

 

Also Casting Crowns took a hymn and made it more of a modern song in 2009 to remind us of all this.  

 

“One day when Heaven was filled with his praises 

One day when sin was as black as could be 

Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin 

Dwelt among men, my example is He

Word became flesh and the light shined among us

His glory revealed.

 

Living, He loved me

Dying, He saved me

Buried, He carried my sins far away 

Rising, He justified freely forever

One day He’s coming oh glorious day.”  

 

We just went through a time of Christmas where the people of Israel were expecting a savior in a time of darkness, and it was proclaimed by Angels to lowly shepherds.  Each day God gives us a sunrise and lights up the sky to give us a reset element for a new day and a fresh start to remind us there is still Hope and Hope is a person named Jesus Christ.  

Psalm 19:1

“The heavens are telling the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the works of his hands.”

Philippians 1:6

"For I am confident 0f this one very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” 

I want to flip the script a bit for a moment.  I work at night.  I have told you, a few times during the blog to go outside and look at the sky.  When most of you get to see the sun rise and set, I see the night sky and due to the city lights, I can sometimes see the moon and stars if McDonald’s could just tone down those Golden Arches a tad bit, I could see more.  But I used to live in the country, and we could see the night sky for miles laying on a trampoline.  I long for the dawn and the rising of the sun and getting home from work.  But God has created a masterpiece day by day for us to see in the sky and He’s not done with you.  I don’t know what you’re going through but I do know you are loved more than you realize.   

 

Light up the sky by the Afters

 

Glorious Day by Casting Crowns 

 

The Word by Sara Groves

 

Belonging

 

Belonging 

 

There’s a term in the pro wrestling world called “pulling back the curtain”.  I’m about to do that with my life.  As some of you know I was married for almost 11 years, and my wife left me and divorced me no explanation.  Recently I was talking to my fiancé Becky about part of that time afterwards.  I spent about 2 years after my divorce hurting a lot.  I told Becky that for part of that time I felt like God had abandoned me.  He never did!  I almost bought into several lies straight from the pit of hell.  The lies were as follows.  I thought my life was over with no more purpose.  I thought I mattered to no one.  I thought I could never be loved by a woman ever again.  Whatever women wanted I didn’t believe I possessed it.  The first day I met Becky, she told me she loved me and that I mattered to her.  For a long time, I didn’t want to be at church because I felt that most churches, I had ever been to treated people who had been through a divorce like they had committed the unpardonable sin.  In my case I didn’t choose to be in that situation.  I had even gotten to the point that I almost believed God could never use me again because of my divorce.  I had to go through two years of searching the Bible and bouncing from church to church before finding the place I was supposed to be at.  Church is not a building but people who are as hurting and sometimes are nearly as messed up as you seeking after God.  The church is made up of messed up people.  We don’t always get it right.  But when you find the one God calls you to, you will find a group that you need to be around.  Christians can sometimes get our focus so messed up and I’m about to show you an example in a song that drove that home for me.  See a lot of times when I went to church after all that I didn’t feel like I belonged.  This is a song with such powerful lyrics you may find yourself in it.  Either you were being judged, or you were doing the judging.  

 

You don’t belong here by Kim Hill

 

Hey, lady sitting by yourself 

I can hear them say

“You don’t belong here

If your man’s away.”

Cause they believe in a love

That has no end

So, you can either tough it out

Or live in sin

 

Just when I think 

They’ve got it all wrong 

That’s when I realize the truth 

Maybe they’re right

You don’t belong here

You deserve to be where

There are people who care

Instead of a world 

That shouts from the high road 

Saying we love like God

But you don’t belong here.  

 

Cause although we all fall short 

I guess they still believe 

Some people fall too far

For grace to reach

 

I’m not trying to decide what’s 

Right or Wrong 

I don’t think that job is up to me

But they’re selling passports 

To the gates of kingdom come 

Like they’re the ones who hold the keys 

And they’re not

 

Hey, man hanging on the cross

Is it really true 

When they say we don’t belong here

You’ve been there too

You were a friend to the prostitutes

You were a friend to thieves

For that your blood was shed

By the Pharisees 

 

Cause you don’t belong here 

You deserve to be where

There are people who care

Instead of a world 

That shouts from the high road 

Saying we love like God

But you don’t belong here.

 

Every last one of us as humans has been through hurt and judgement calls that we didn’t deserve.  We need fellow Christians in our lives who will see us as people and care for us.  I had to get back in a Bible believing church to see that and draw closer to God.  He still loved me and wanted an active relationship in my life regardless of what I had been through.  None of it caught God by surprise.  Like the people of Israel in Jeremiah’s time emotionally I was in exile.  God wanted me to return to him so he could change me.  In Hebrews 10:25 it says this.  “Some people have gotten out of the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that.  We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer.”  Every person you meet is going through a battle you can’t see.  God called us to love one another.  Stop acting like you’re selling tickets and get to pick who gets to go to Heaven and who doesn’t.  That’s God’s decision and he called you to love them and point them in the right direction not push them away.  I personally have lived through divorce, church members trying to decide what kind of music I could listen to, being told by church members how I should act or dress.  A lot of times the band Petra had it right because “Sometimes God’s children should be seen and not heard.”  Are you living out the love of Christ or just talking about it and making judgements against people you come in contact with.  

 

 

Romans 12:16-18

 

 

“Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly.  Do not be conceited.  Do not repay evil for evil.  Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible on your part live at peace with everyone.”  

 

There’s a lot of hurt in the world don’t contribute to it but point people to God and try to help others heal.  

 

 

Seen and not Heard by Petra

You Don't Belong Here by Kim Hill

Battle Cry

 

Battle Cry

 

I want to start this blog by saying something.  This is not about Zac this is about glorifying God, and I do this in hopes that just one person draws closer to God. 

 

Often, I have said that the way to battle our perspective problems as a Christian is to get our focus off ourselves and back on God.  I’m going to introduce you to a song that lyrically has floored me.  If you study the Old Testament, you often find things like praising God being part of Israel winning battles.   The entire book of Psalms is praise to God.  Most of them start with listing our problems and then shifting our thoughts back on God.  This is called Battle Cry by Megan Pifer.

 

“Our Sovereign King,

You Reign eternal

To you we’re calling out

In the heat of battle, through our struggle

Still, we exalt you now

You raise us from the dust

You breathe in us

Even in the fray we exhale your name

Standing in your victory

Firm against the enemy

With our weapons lifted high

Our worship is our battle cry

Yours is the honor, everlasting power

We find your strength when we are weak

You’re watching over the highest tower

You will keep us from defeat

Brief and fleeting are these days

Merely glimpses of your majesty displayed

So we hold to what is yet to be

Standing in your victory

Our hope is in eternity”

 

I can tell you from personal experience that after my divorce one of the hardest things for me to do was to sing and praise God.  I was consumed by hurt.  But singing praise to God shifts us from our one-sided perspective to see that God is still in control and still at work in our lives.  There’s a verse in this song that says, “Our worship is our battle cry.”  Ephesians 5:19-20 says this.  “When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as you praise the Lord with all your heart.  Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.”  When we sing it shifts our thought process from our complaining and fixes it on the Giver of All Good Things.  There was a trend noticed years ago when I went to Real Life wherein people would show up late to skip the music portion of services.  But we need corporate worship because it is our battle cry.  Psalm 9:11 “You rule from Zion, Lord and we sing about you to let the nations know everything you have done.”  There is another thing I have seen on Facebook that I find troubling and that is when church members post this.  “It’s Sunday get your praise on.”  It always leads me to this question: “What have you been doing the rest of the week.?”  If you only sing and praise God on Sunday and not the other days you might want to evaluate your relationship with God because He is active all week.  Christian music is a big part of my life, and I will list some reasons why.  If I am not seeking God, I can be a very angry person to the point I don’t even like myself.  God has done so much in my life I need to thank Him.  I need to put Him first.   

I very much feel the need to share something that happened to me years ago in college to drive all this home as far as our need to praise God.  I’m going to take you back 29 years to be exact to 1996.  It was dark, I was on the beach on a mission trip with a group of college students for something called Beach Reach.  The Baptist Student Union sent a group to reach people on Spring Break with the gospel.  I was there with other students praying on the beach in tears asking God.  “What do you want me to do?”  In that moment as clear as could be God impressed upon me to praise Him.  I don’t share this lightly or often.  God has done so much for all of us in life that He deserves our praise.  Go look at the sunrise and sunset and see His beauty in creation.  Let this blog if nothing else motivate you to praise God.   

 

Praise Forevermore- Point of Grace

Battle Cry -Megan Pifer

I am on the Rock- Millennial Reign

What an Awesome God- Phil Wickham

We’re a Band- Audio Adrenaline and T Bone

At your feet

 

At your feet

 

We live in a world that exalts pride and dependency on self.  I was driving to work on Saturday, and I have quite the Spotify playlist of Christian music.  I was listening to this song called At Your Feet by Casting Crowns.  Just a beautiful song that reminds us of our dependence on God.  We get so caught up in the cares of the world and forget where we need to be focused.  I’m going to share with you the lyrics to this.  

 

“Here at your feet, I lay my past down

My wanderings, all my mistakes down

Here at your feet, I lay this down

Not in my strength, but in yours I’ve found 

All I need, you’re all I need

 

Jesus, Jesus, at your feet

Oh, to dwell and never leave

Jesus, Jesus, at your feet 

There is nowhere else for me 

 

Here at your feet, I lay my future down 

All of my dreams, I give to you now

And I find peace, I find peace 

Here at your feet, I lay my life down

For you my King, you’re all I want now

And my soul sings.  “

 

It’s a song but it’s also a prayer.  Get my focus off of me and back on God.  

 

1 Peter 5:6-7 

“So, humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”  

 

In Luke 11:38-42 there is a story where Mary and Martha had Jesus over to their house and Martha became distracted by a big dinner while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet and listened to him. That’s us moment to moment day by day.  We have choices to make about our focus.  There’s a picture I saw many years back in an Incredible Hulk comic and he’s facing a signpost with hands on it pointing all directions and it says Crossroads.  Are we choosing to seek God or other things?  I get distracted easily by video games and stress in life and I need to get better with my choices.  I need to be back at his feet.  On Father’s Day morning I sent a message to my dad thinking he was still asleep but he’s a pastor and it was Sunday so of course he was getting his sermon ready.  I want to share this conversation we had.  Why because he reminded me that I still have the tools and the toolbox for this blog thing that I haven’t done in some time.  

 

“Happy Father’s Day!  You once told me something that all at once humbled me.  You said someone asked you if I was going to be a preacher like you and your response was “If he chooses to I’ve given him all the tools.”  I never even knew I had the toolbox.  I may not always get things right but I’m happy because of the way you raised me.  You taught me to care for the people in my life.”

 

“Thank you. The only Tool that matters is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If you don’t have Him nothing matters.”

 

I don’t do this blog thing because I might be someone special because I’m not.  I do this with my prayer and goal being this “if just one person draws closer to God because of something I shared then I have accomplished my purpose.”  

 

This is another reason why I do these videos.

 

In Isaiah 55:8-11 it says this.

 

“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts’, says the Lord.  ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with my word.  I send it out and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”  

 

What that means for Zac is this.  I share God’s word and he does the hard part of changing people’s lives.  I can’t do that and don’t want the responsibility.  I simply trust God that His Word will not go forth without doing what he intended.  When people share His Word it changes people somehow.  

 

Make the choice throughout your day to be at his feet.  

 

At your feet by Casting Crowns