Joy In Hymn

Hello All,

You know, with something as remarkable as The Bible so readily available, it saddens my heart when people give such a distorted perception of God based on such limited and biased information. I remember in the movie Bruce Almighty, “Bruce” spoke up in disappointment to "God"(Morgan Freeman), saying that “God is a mean kid on an anthill with a magnifying glass”. I wonder how many people actually see Him that way. Lord knows there’s enough stories in the Bible that one could twist to support such an absurd notion. I don’t take way from God’s Sovereignty to rule and exercise judgment or wrath, but surely not ALL judgment and wrath. Some people take the same ill-informed issues with the Bible; "It’s all about who begat who and somebody did such and such..." OR "...It’s all about rules and stuff you HAVE to do so you don’t make God mad." Really?

So, what do YOU think it’s all about?

That’s the thought I'd like to address today. Even we, in the household of Faith, can have an unbalanced view of God. So hopefully, here’s a little something to add balance. Of course we all have favorite verses and I would contend that they usually stem from the idea of “helping us through” or the promises we have to look forward to when times are tough. But isn’t it interesting that the biggest book in “The Book” is the book of Psalms? A book of songs. Even though all of the songs aren’t “happy” songs, they all find a place in our reality at one time or another. It’s also noteworthy to me that most of the Psalms are attributed to King David, who’s called a man after God’s own heart. I believe that God has a heart for music.
I believe true Joy in Him, goes hand –in- hand with musical accompaniment.

Here’s the Word;

Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Seems to some that the picture of holiness conjures up the image of clasped-hands, head covered and bowed, and a quietly devout demeanor. Of course I don’t want to take anything away from that humility, but seeing that even God rejoices with singing - what if:
Why wouldn't the picture of David Dancing before the LORD is just as pleasing to God’s heart? David was a man of war; so much so that God denied his request to build the temple. But that’s not all there was to David. David knew how to JOY in the Lord and obviously had a rather extensive playlist in his heart to draw from. I like to update my Facebook status with the songs I find occasionally playing in my heart. Some are favorites from my childhood, some are more recent.

If you haven't seen much of this side of your singing, rejoicing God before, I sure hope you embrace Him, and likewise enjoy Him in music and singing.

So, what’s on your playlist? What do you play as you find Joy in Hymn?


In Him,
Cros

The In Crowd

Hello All,

I was just thinking; Why do I love the Word of God? Is it something nostalgic that takes me back to childhood and fond memories of Sunday School? Is it that I’ve spent so much time in it that I now have a distorted “pride” about what I know? Is it anything more to me than an intriguing amalgamation of historical literature involving the “miraculous”? I hope so. I hope it’s clear that my for love His Word stems from an obvious love for and deep desire to know Him. I hope that anything different would be obvious.

I think of the television commercials that advertise high fashion at low prices and one of their main selling points is that “No one will know the difference”. Not that you simply didn’t pay more, but that you’re not in the In Crowd. Yes, there’s an In Crowd; the hipsters, the trendsetters, the people that supposedly “do” what everyone else will end up “doing”, and according to the mainstream media, it’s the clique that everyone desires to be IN.

Of course, there’s a HUGE difference between faith and fashion…right? It’s obvious that some people have bought into a knock off, discounted Christianity that costs them little or nothing and sadly, they can look just like the In Crowd. This is not about producing a litmus test to use on others; this is about self-reflection.

Here’s The Word:

2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Philemon 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1 Thessalonians 1:3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

There are many who believe that God is IN everything; rocks, trees and picturesque sunsets. I don’t believe that. I believe He makes them but that He’s wholly above them. I do however believe that He indwells believers and gives us the ability to love past the “superficial” and in spite of what it costs. I really do love The Word of God. I love it because I believe that He’s in me and draws me closer by it. What about you? Are you in His In Crowd?


In Him,
Cros

The Best Off Fence

Hello All,

If you’re anything like me, you’re excited that the best time of the year has just begun. FOOTBALL SEASON!!!! The thrill of watching two opponents comprised of gladiators! Men, larger than life, ready , willing and able to expend phenomenal strength and skill to ….Okay, if you really know me, you know I’m lying. You could never confuse me with being a sports fanatic. Come to think of it, I have never even been much of a fan. Not that I have anything against it, I just haven’t found the time. Sorry. Actually, I thought of the title and it just seemed to go well with football season, so I picked it up and ran with it :) Forgive me please. I want to talk less about the end zone and more about the comfort zone. We all have them. Sadly it’s a place where sin finds itself protected, justified and made more acceptable in light of larger sins that we may (or may not) have committed. It doesn’t matter; we’ll do whatever we think is necessary to keep it.

As I try to think of the next line to write, a book title keeps coming to mind; My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Sounds a little fanatic right? Do we think that God deserves anything less than our 'utmost'? Interestingly enough, it’s not about what we think – HE doesn’t think so.

Here’s The Word;

Revelation 3:15-17 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

This is a common verse we use for “fence riders”. Those of us who have a hard time pressing ahead because we’ve gotten too fond of the comforts of things we need to leave behind. Too often we end up riding the fence because we believe there’s a such thing as too much righteousness. We don’t want our light to blind the world we’re trying to influence. How can that concern be a bad thing? Well, I don’t believe in too much righteousness. Too much “holiness”, maybe: If the goal of your holiness is to shine brighter so you can look down on commoners, then most definitely. We can NEVER dismiss that even the good that we’re “becoming” comes from above and doesn’t originate in us. If your concern is balance, I’m sure that we can trust that a Loving God Who’s able to save us and keep us, can also keep us off the fence AND relevant to those who need Him as well. So step up your game.

Here’s The Word;

Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

Ezekiel 37:23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

As many highlights of athletic awesomeness that a network can instantly replay, I don’t see how any of it can compare to that. And for a Holy, Sovereign God Who would love us enough to do that; I’m a fan for life.
At the end of the day, a ‘fanatical’ life is all about getting off the fence and pressing towards goal of obedience.
Obedience is the best off fence

In Him,
Cros

Draw!

Hello All,

You know, I remember when studying the Bible went from Scripture memorization to really desiring to know God. I sought to let His actions and what He said of Himself (not what I’d thought) define the type of Person He was. Person? Funny when we hear that word applied to a Sovereign, Holy and Infinite Creator; something seems to be lacking. We hear “person” and think “people”. He’s definitely not people the way we are, but if you investigate the Scriptures, He most assuredly has “Personality”. Each Person of the Trinity does.
The greatest part of the story is that Their Personality is knowable. Furthermore, it’s encouraged.

Here’s The Word:

Jeremiah 24:7 (a) And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD:

When I was a child, I spake as a child and thought as a child(1 Cor 13:11). I could only see as far as a child could see. But as I grow, I now know how to climb and the higher I climb, the farther I see. And the farther I see, more of The Father I encounter. It’s too easy to assume that Sunday School has taught you enough about God. It’s too easy to assume that hanging around church folk or memorizing Scripture is all you need to do to “know God”. If you've really ever “tasted and seen that the LORD is good”, you’ll never be satisfied, there will never be enough.

Here’s The Word:

James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

As people, we “draw” to many different comforts; We love Fridays and Light Rock and new car smell (too many things to list) and we’ll put in great effort or suffer through quite a bit to enjoy these things. But when you think about it, the comfort or pleasure that these things provide pale in comparison to getting close to The Comforter, The Lover of your soul. And the most interesting thing about it to me is that He wants to know you but His personality is not one of a bully. He doesn’t kick the door in…he just knocks. He doesn’t invade, He simply asks us to Draw.



In Him,
Cros