OFF LINE


The Lord has favored me with two more ministry trips to Africa this year --- one in August and another in September. I'm also heading into the editing stage for a manuscript I've been working on focused on "Worship Warfare". When I factor in some vacation time over the summer with family and friends it seems to be appropriate to pause for a while in matters related to this site.

As time and unction allow I hope to return with my ponderings.

PONDERINGS ON PRAYER


Last month I had a kingdom encounter of sorts…..

I was attending a gathering of some 350-400 folks who are active in ministry. During one of the sessions we were given several questions to respond to. There was a monitoring system in place whereby our responses could be recorded the moment we gave them. Then (in real time) they could be tallied on computer by percentage and posted up on screens in order for everyone to know how the group had answered. One of the questions caught my attention on a base level in my spirit. It had to do with what order of priority we gave to three specific things. They were:

Prayer
Reading God’s Word
Preparation for Public Ministry (study & research)

The response(s) in a room filled with pastoral and staff leadership was profound. As a group prayer was positioned first on our collective list by almost 70%.

I have to be transparent here with what I’m going to say next. What came up inside me was this question: If prayer is really that important to us, then I wonder how much time during the day we each spend devoted to it? I may be way off base here, but, I think that if we were each approached to give our personal answer to that question most of us would admit we spend far less time in intercession and active listening to the voice of the Holy Ghost than we’d really care to acknowledge.

Following just a few days after that “encounter”, I read the following comments in a book by Richard Foster entitled “Life With God”: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation”:

“The church in the West is like roses that have been cut from their bush -- they still have some blossom showing but they are wilting because they have been severed from their roots.” Foster went on to say, “for restoration (rebirth) to take place the root system would first need to be reestablished. Prayer is the root system. And it is a life of prayer that needs to be reestablished in our lives. What is so needed today is not individualized prayer experiences that we can turn on or off at will like a faucet, but prayer as a constantly flowing life.”

He continued by sharing about how such insights were linked to experiences that he’d had while visiting with Christians in Korea. There were several components of their prayer life that he mentioned in specific. They were:

Intensity / Determined Persistence / Instant Power Engagement / Longing Love / Heartfelt Sorrow / Pain & Agony

He commented that such components as those “can only be received humbly through lived experience“.

I wonder what events will have to take place in our busy, distracted and temporal lives in order for such attributes to become the building blocks which form the prayers we offer on behalf of humanity and this spiritually deprived/depraved world we’re living in?

Selah…pause & consider

WHY WORSHIP

Some 15+ years ago I came across a wonderful song written by Lynn DeShazo entitle “Be Magnified”. The opening line drove me to my knees.

“I have made You to small in my eyes, oh Lord, forgive me”

That phrase linked up in my memory with a book I’d read several years prior to hearing Lynn’s song. It was titled “Your God Is Too Small” written by J. B. Phillips. Such a concept is humbling to consider.

The idea of viewing God from a narrowed, and shallow perspective can create a seemingly insurmountable problem for saints both individually as well as corporately. Such a limited vista of God and His kingdom has stifled believers and derailed numbers of fellowships over the years.

There are several things that can cause one's perspective to turn inwardly myopic. Addressing them would take far more time and consideration than is appropriate in a format such as this one. So, for now, I’ll only comment on one in particular which tends to try and squeeze God into our little boxes of belief. In specific I'm addressing our worship theology or lack thereof --- the study of why we believe as we do about matters related to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The stuff of God's kingdom. Know what I mean?

“Without a solid foundational theology, worship becomes an exercise in self-expression”(Enthroned On Our Praise / T. Pierce).

Here’s what I see taking place within our churches in the U.S. and throughout the nations-at-large. In the process of going contemporary we’ve learned the how and what of worship well, but we’ve discarded much of the why. In other words, we’ve figured out how worship should manifest in our congregations and we know what to do to make that happen. But, we no longer give much thought to why we worship.

In essence we’ve allowed our “too small” view of God to restrict our ability to reach out beyond ourselves and our limited and temporal understanding of Him. In doing so, we are (in a sense) restraining the Lord’s ability to increase within us.

The end result of such a process is that much of the mystery of the kingdom and the world of wonder(s) that life in the Spirit affords us has been diminished.

We need a bigger God than the one we currently worship. So, for the sake of enlargement consider the following passages from Scripture:

“He spreads the skies over unformed space,
hangs the earth out in empty space.
He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags
and the bags don't burst.
He makes the moon wax and wane,
putting it through its phases.
He draws the horizon out over the ocean,
sets a boundary between light and darkness.
The thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies.
Listen! It's God raising his voice!
By his power he stills sea storms,
by his wisdom he tames sea monsters.
With one breath he clears the sky,
with one finger he crushes the sea serpent.
And this is only the beginning, a mere whisper of his rule.”
(Job 26:5-14 / The Message Bible)

Selah…

PONDERING OBSCURITY

“Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.” (Phil.2:5-8 / The Message Bible)

The KJV says that Jesus “made himself of no reputation”.

Scripture instructs us to follow the example of Christ in this matter of drawing attention to ourselves, our rights, privileges, self-serving goals and personal aspirations. So, how come we don’t do that? Seems to me that’s a fair question to pose considering how totally different most of us approach our lives.

The call that our culture and the world system in general places before us is to climb the ladder of success all the way to the top if we can. We’re taught that by our well-meaning parents for the most part. That gets reinforced by our educational system, the social sciences, the entertainment business, and our media-driven culture. In fact, most every aspect of our inter-personal relationships seem to work more to our liking when we are the ones being pleased by how others treat us. I wonder what’s become of the “golden rule”? (see Luke 6:31).

I’ve been trying to come to terms with a passage from Scripture for the last couple of years. It continues to be a real struggle for me to reconcile my lifestyle to what it says. Ponder this: When we read Hebrews 11 we find a long list of saints who are presented to us as role models for their actions of extreme faith. However, toward the end of the chapter included in that listing there is a nameless grouping. As unidentified to us as they are, the writer of Hebrews goes so far as to elevate their status to a high and exalted level when he states in verse 38 that “the world was not worthy” of such people. Then he goes on to say that they all died “having not received the promise” of what they were living for.

Many today would say that these "faith heros" were failures due to not getting what they were after while they were alive here on earth. It would appear that they missed their entitlement(s). However, that’s not what the Bible says. That’s not what I would say either.

And you – what would you say?

SALVATION & SANCTIFICATION


“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12)


God gives us our salvation in and through Christ Jesus, our Lord, and Savior. Once we’ve received it, our responsibility is to develop it to maturity through yielded and obedient submission to the Holy Ghost.


Salvation is simple
Sanctification isn’t

Salvation takes a moment
Sanctification takes a lifetime

Salvation requires yielding to the Holy Ghost once
Sanctification requires yielding again, and again, and again…

Salvation is a giving up of our lives
Sanctification is a giving up of our rights

Salvation cost us nothing (Christ Jesus paid for it with His life)
Sanctification cost us a great deal (we pay for it with our life)

Salvation saves individuals
Sanctification purifies & perfects those who have been redeemed

Salvation unlocks the doorway into God’s kingdom
Sanctification carries us further (and deeper) into God’s kingdom


"To go through the door is not necessarily to live in the house."
(From: Knowing Christ Today / By: Dallas Willard)

GENERATIONAL NETWORKING

At 63 I'm considered an "old guy" in some circles. Especially in this country where I'm standing at the front of the "boomer" line. However, in other nations, and at other times in our cultural de-evolution I'd be considered (and revered) as an elder worthy of respect and honor simply because I had earned those perks through the process of aging. Seeing things from my perspective as an "aged one" I am concerned and saddened by what's being lost to the generations coming along behind me. We are (all) suffering from the disconnections which are taking place between the young and old(er) in matters related to living on this planet. I recently read a comment somewhere on line that said we were becoming a nation of hermits slouched over our computer screens with our "blackberrys" in hand. That's certainly not the way our Creator intends for us to live our lives.

Scripture gives us a very clear picture of how we are to be joined together:

"And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come." (Ps.71:18/NASB)

"For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children, that the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments..." (Ps.78:5-7 /NASB)

"You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness." (Eph.4:4-6/MSG)

The Biblical directive those verses call us to as believers is certainly not how we're functioning currently. Maybe something(s) will occur in the future that will begin to re-establish the pattern that God's Word gives us for helping one another to grow and mature. I hope, and pray that will be the case. To that end, perhaps the following observations may help to move things in that direction.

In the October edition of AARP magazine (yes, really), there was an article in the Life Lessons section entitled "The Pressure To Be Wise". It referenced a video series called "Wisdom Keepers". In it there are a number of short interviews with older people of accomplishment, from dancers to environmentalists to writers intended "as a motivational tool for an audience of teenagers (now know as "young adults")." There were a couple of phrases that prompted me to post this blog up:

At 20 you know everything; at 70 you're not so sure
One of the reasons to keep wisdom, it seems, is so you can pass it on

There was one section in particular that addressed this topic in a very concise fashion. Margaret Atwood (a Canadian author and poet) drew on an example from the Inuit tribe from Arctic. Regarding the process of joining the generations among the Inuits tribe, she made the follows observations:

"You can't become an Elder just by getting old; it's a title bestowed by others. You never push your advice, but you offer it if asked. You can tell who the Elders are just by watching a group. They are the ones to whom the others are always bringing cups of tea. When an Elder speaks, people listen. But, they don't speak often.

An Elder knows what to do in times of difficulty. They acquired that knowledge by having endured hard times before. As one of their old sayings puts it, 'Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment'."

She goes on to make these comments based on her cultural studies from history:

"In earlier societies, especially those living in harsh environments, at a time when the life expectancy was 35 or so, the rare individual living to 60 would have seen many more times of crisis than the younger people. He or she would have had a better idea of how to face those dangers. In traditional Japan it was the custom to tear down and rebuild wooden temples at set intervals, so that the rebuilt temple would exactly resemble its predecessor. Three generations of master craftsmen were always employed: the apprentices, who were learning; the master craftsmen of middle years, who had already lived through one temple rebuilding; and the oldest generation, who'd been through the process twice before and could coach the other two."

So, here's something for all of you apprentices and middle year folks to consider -- from one of your elders. Instead of setting all us "Baby Boomers" adrift in tinny little boats with limited rations when we reach our sixty-fifth birthday, perhaps you could consider making space in your hearts for the principles of Scripture I mentioned above to work some kingdom renewal among us.

I'm just thinking out loud. At least I think I am. Its pasted my bedtime isn't it?

THE ULTIMATE WORSHIP WARRIOR:

Scripture reveals to us that Jesus is the “author and finisher” of our faith (Heb.12:2). I take that to mean that the embodiment of a life of faithful service to God is exemplified through Christ’s obedience to His Fathers Sovereign will. Quite literally, our Lord modeled what it means to be a “living sacrifice” by going to the Cross as the act of redemption for all of humankind. Having had the power (and the right) to call down all the forces of heaven on His behalf (Matt.26:53) in order to side-step Golgotha, He instead chose to yield Himself up in submission to the orders He’d received from headquarters.

His yielding (Phil.2:7&8) came at the zenith of the most terrifying moment of the most horrific battle that’s ever taken place on earth. The warfare that raged there on “skull hill” that dark day was like no other confrontation that had ever taken place.

All the vile forces of hell where directly arrayed against the very throne of God in heaven. But at that juncture when divine force, supernatural power, Sovereign authority, and Holy-self-determination would have seemed the only fitting way to engage in battle an entirely unexpected strategy was implement. Rather than confront the enemy with a display of Divinity, Jesus humbled Himself on the cross (Heb.2:9&10, 14) and gave Himself as an act of worship. His body raised up bruised, beaten and bloody became the glorious standard lifted up to draw all men to Him (Jn.12:32). No weapon was used, except His own body. No fisted hand was raised in anger. Instead, His empty and opened hands were extended in complete *consecration and nailed to a cross beam. From that position He could render no blows against His adversary. The only wounds inflicted that day were the ones He took upon Himself (Isa.53:5). The resistance toward satan that the Lord showed us was manifested through His act of surrender to the Father. In the middle of the warfare, worship alone became Christs weapon of choice. Jesus trusted that His Commander-In-Chief would provide both vindication and victory as He saw fit. The resurrection accomplished both.

*CONSECRATION is the setting aside of any person, place, or thing for acts of holy service. It also can mean to come with an open hand (as opposed to a closed or fisted one).

In those despairingly desperate moments on Calvary our Savior showed each of us how the life of a warrior and a worshiper could be linked together in a way most profound. There is no better way of explaining that every act of worship is an act of war than to let Scripture speak for itself:


“He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe
of their sham authority at the Cross and marched
them naked through the streets.”
(Col.2:15 / MSG)

“ENTERING IN”

I want to unpack that term “entering in” with you in order to consider exactly what it means. The way it is most often used in congregations is something like let’s all “enter into God’s Presence”, or perhaps, “it’s time to enter into worship”. There are several ways of expressing the concept --- I’m sure you know the varied phrase(s). I’m not too interest in the specific language that you might use however. What I’m really wanting to get at is the meaning behind the term itself.

As a worship pastor for the last 13 years, and a worship leader for some 15 years prior to that, I’ve come to believe that many (most) worshipers don’t really have a clear understanding of what it means when we say we’re “entering in” as we’re gathered to enthrone God upon our praises (Ps.22:3).

There’s a lot I’d like to say but I am purposed to be as concise as possible with my comments. To do so I’m going to borrow an example from a message I recently heard given by Bishop Joseph Garlington. It’s one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard dealing with this topic. And, since I am in relationship with Bishop I know he won’t mind if I use it --- especially having given him credit for his insights.

Here’s a paraphrased version of what he said:

When we turn on our T.V.’s or radios (lap tops & iphones) to listen to a program that we are interested in the people involved (cast & crew) aren’t sitting in a studio somewhere waiting for us to tune in before they begin. Of course not. They begin their program with or without us. At the moment we link up with what’s already “in progress” we are “entering in” to what was taking place before we ever turned the power on. Our involvement -- at whatever level we choose -- begins when we engage in what’s already happening. In other words, the program (or church service) can, will, and does take place with or without us. But, in order for us to share in the experience we have to engage with those who are already actively taking part in the presentation.

I think Bishops commments are spot on. The process is the same in matters of corporate praise and worship. Saints and angels on earth and in heaven above are pro-active in praise & worship all the time (24/7/365). It’s non-stop, with no breaks and no pauses. Praise and worship is ongoing, constant and eternal. So, when we’re “entering in” to the adoration and exaltation of the Lord, our God, the offerings aren’t beginning with us. We’re not starting anything --- we’re joining a program already in progress. Selah…

I suppose some Scriptural support would be in order here to ground what I’m saying. So, consider this please:

“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them... you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” (Heb.12:18, 19, 22-24 / NASB)

Note please in verse 22 where it says that we “have come to Mount Zion”. The word come in its base language is in the active tense meaning that it has already taken place. The passage is leading us to understand that we have (in terms of eternity) already “entered in” to the scene the text goes on to describe in grand and glorious details. Saints, we’re in already! Therefore all that’s required of us is to act like we know that and respond accordingly.


“BOW DOWN”

Bow down before the Lord
Worship Him, Oh worship Him
Bow down before our God
Enter in, Oh enter in

Consuming fire, sweet perfume
His awesome presence fills this room
This is holy ground, so come and bow down

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of hosts
Saints and angels give Him glory
In the Holy Ghost

(David Baroni & Tony Sutherland / Integrity’s Hosanna Music, ’94)



Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI

MORNING HAS BROKEN
(Prayers of Thanksgiving)

There are several things that I try to be faithful in as I offer daily prayers. I'd like to say that most of the items on my prayer list get covered each day --- but that's not always the case. However, there are two expressions of thanksgiving that I start my day off with pretty much without fail. I thank the Lord for "bird song", and "worship on the wind".

The "bird song" prayer was birthed sitting on my patio in the backyard of the "Berry-Patch"one morning just before dawn. In the spring, summer and early fall I tend to try and get outside as early as possible. I'm often outside find myself in the space where darkness is just beginning to turn into light. When that happens three things stir in my spirit reminding me that:

God's daily mercy shows up "new every morning"
I'm witnessing the birth of a new day
The night silence is being broken by the sound of birds offering up songs of praise

The other prayer point - "worship on the wind" - is something I've already addressed in a previous blog entitled "Wind Blown Worship". If you've read it then you understand what I mean when I use that phrase. If you haven't read it, you can backtrack through my other postings. Then maybe you'll start to hear things in the breeze yourself.

“MERCY COMES CALLING”

While it’s still dark outside, a supernatural thing’s occurring
Light begins to rise, and life starts to stirring
Then suddenly without warning, another day is dawning

As mercy comes calling, mercy comes calling
Mercy comes calling, it’s new every morning

Night silence fills the air, as the atmosphere is changing
For those with ears to hear, creation wakes up singing
God’s Sovereign hand is forming, a reason for rejoicing

As mercy comes calling...

When the sun runs out its course, the shadows start descending
An indescribable force, brings another day to an ending
As I lay down for sleeping, I yield my soul to His keeping

As mercy comes calling...


By: W. Berry / See & Say Songs, BMI

Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI

A GOOD GIFT
(Mat.7:7-11)


” God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance,
He knows everything about us.” (P2.138:6 / The Message Bible)


I’ve recently returned from my tenth sojourn to the continent of Africa. The mystery and majesty of what God has deposited in that land and those who dwell there always amazes and humbles me. The kindness and hospitality of the African people is often overwhelming. And the grandeur of the Creators handy-work revealed through nature truly is astounding to witness first hand (Rom.1:20). But, on this trip my Lords involvement in the smallest details of my life has prompted me to give testimony to His Fatherly benevolence to His children.

Here’s what happened:

I’ve wanted an instrument from Africa for several years. It’s called a Mbira. History traces its roots to the nation of Zimbabwe hundreds of years ago.

{You might know of it as a “thumb piano” but that’s not a term that Africans care for. That’s a name coined by the English and (I feel) that it is a slight to the region and the indigenous craftsmen who designed and perfected how it is to be played}.

Pardon my multi-cultural venting and getting back to my testimony…

Through prayerful contacts I have with some brethren in Zimbabwe I managed to purchase one made locally. I was overjoyed to finally get my hands on one I could call my own. Having researched its use I know that playing it correctly (the Shona way) takes patience, practice, prayer, and perseverance from anyone interested enough and serious enough to begin the process of learning. I also knew that the first real problem I might encounter would be related to how it is tuned and kept in tune after the long trip back to the U.S. and the months and years of hands-on-attention it would take to eventually coax music out of it. So, connecting with someone in America that could perhaps assists me was a priority once I returned home.

As a worship pastor, minstrel, and psalmist unto the Lord I take the spiritual act of consecration very seriously (see Jos.3:5 / 1 Chron. 15:11&12 / 2 Chron.29:5). So, in one of the services I was to minister the Word I made a request of those attending the gathering and of one of the bishops who was also there to bring a “word from the Lord”. I ask him, and the congregation to allow me a few moments at the beginning of the service in order for him to anoint my Mbira (and me) with oil and to pray a prayer of consecration for kingdom service. They all graciously consented to do so. Having done that I'm taking to heart what we did and I'm trusting the Holy Ghost to honor my request for my musicianship and my instrument to be used in any way that will glorify Christ Jesus, and advance the kingdom here on earth.

This is where the really amazing part comes into play: I’ve been home only two weeks. Nonetheless the Lord has already made a way for me to link up with the best know female Mbira player in America. It turns out (through Divine happenstance) that she will be conducting a weekend workshop in Chicago in October where our daughter just happens to live.

My wife and I are headed there for a visit in three weeks. Arrangements were firmed up today for me to take my Mbira with me and leave it with my daughter. She is going to drop it off at the workshop --- which just happens to be only 1 ½ miles from here apartment (in a city of 2.8 million). The Mbira master has agreed to set mine up properly making certain that it’s tuned according to the Zimbabwe (Shona) tradition.

I’ve said all that to say this: The little things (the very little things) that are important to us are also important to our heavenly Father.

Someone who’s reading this perhaps needed to be reminded of that.


“YOU ARE LORD (Kenya Song)”
(Ps.138:4-6)

Over every tribe and nation, over every generation
Over all of Your creation, You are Lord
You are awesome, high and holy, but You bring comfort to the lowly
Thru Your presence and Your glory, You are Lord

Over wilderness and wasteland, and in every place where we stand
All of life is held in Your hand, You are Lord
Over every joy and sorrow, over Mount Kilimanjaro
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, You are Lord

Over every hopeless pilgrim, over all who seek Your kingdom
May Your prefect will be done, for You are Lord
Till the day of Your appearing, as eternity is nearing
I’ll tell all within my hearing, You are Lord

CHORUS:
I worship You, I worship You, Lord
I worship You, I worship You, Lord


By: W. Berry / See & Say Songs, BMI

THE NOT-SO-CONSTANT-GARDNER

I live in a neighborhood where several of the houses have fairly large yards. Those that surround us at the “Berry-Patch” have at least an acre or so. Our property is just a little shy of two. I do a lot of reading, praying, studying and all-round-pondering (i.e. worship) sitting on our patio in the backyard – weather permitting.

Today (7/6/’09) as I was sitting there the Holy Ghost began to speak to me about kingdom stuff using the garden in the yard that’s directly behind our house. This is what took place:

In late spring the gentleman that lives there drove a pick up truck into his side yard filled with some type of specially prepared fertilizer. It came in rolls and there were several. He unloaded them and then began to break them apart with a shovel, a hoe, and his bare hands. No other preparation had taken place but I assumed that he had plans to plant something there.

One morning some two weeks later, another truck showed up in his driveway. This time it had one of those small backhoes on a small trailer behind it. The man driving the truck unloaded the bobcat and in no time at all he had plowed out a good size plot of ground that was clearly intended to become a produce garden.

A day or two later my neighbor was out there for several hours doing some very exacting work. He measured off the plowed plot; then measured off evenly laid out and divided rows within it; then he took heavy twine and stretched it out across the entire space. I was very impressed – I could see he had a purpose for this space having invested his time, money, and energy on it.

Then not many days later I saw him out again. This time he had what appeared to be some type of special wooden box in his hands. I watched him kneel down and begin to carefully take several packages of seed out of it. And, again he spend the better part of a day patiently planting those things that he clearly intended to nurture in hopes of reaping a harvest of the fruits (and vegetables) of his labor. At least that was his apparent intention.

Instead something else happened. Either he got distracted by “other things”; or his work schedule forced him to readjust his priorities; or he got bored with the project; or he just got to lazy too bother with it. I don’t know for certain why things changed. But they clearly did. I saw him out there only one more time early one evening. He sat up a sprinkler and began to water what he’d so carefully planted. Since that evening, there’s been no more attention given to the ground or the seeds in it.

Today (some 2 ½ months later) as I look out across my yard and over into his this is what I saw: Weeds!

If you were to look at his garden spot today having not noticed the work that he did several weeks ago, you’d be hard pressed to even know that the area was any different from the rest of his yard. Now it just looks like a section that needs a good mowing. There’s nothing there except for the weeds due to lack of attention. No, that’s not totally true. The twine is still stretched out across what was once plowed ground. If you walked over near it you’d still be able to see that it divides up the land into rows meant for something besides weeds. There is one stalk of corn about 10 inches high and what appears to be a plant that wanted to be squash. But, a garden it isn’t – not even close.

As I surveyed the scene the Holy Ghost spoke to me regarding our lives in the Spirit. This is what I heard Him say:

Planning, preparation and intention are all necessary things in order to set aside a space in our lives for the seed of God’s Word to be planted. That’s called consecration. However, once the seed is sown it will require something more from us. That's call self-discipline. Ongoing, regular and diligent attention will have to be factored into our schedules (our lifestyles) if we hope to have anything coming up from the seed that can be used to feed our hungry souls. Without care and proper attention kingdom seeds are chocked out by temporal weeds (see Mark 4:19).

"In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." (Ja.1:21 / The Message Bible)


"VEGETABLES"

I'm gonna be round my vegetables
I'm gonna chow down my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vege-table

If you brought a big brown bag of them home
I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot

I'm gonna keep well my vegetables
Cart off and sell my vegetables
I love you most of all
My favorite vege-table

I tried to kick the ball but my tenny flew right off
I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarassed

I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in
Your letter an'
Tell us the name of your
Your favorite vege-table


(By: Brian Wilson / Beach Boys / Smiley Smile / You Tube)


Copyrignt Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI

REPENTANT WORSHIP
(Case Studies)

I’m gonna cut right to the chase. It appears to me that brokenness and contrition are in danger of becoming obsolete practices within the fellowship of the saints. The contemporary church seems to have lost much of its understanding of what it means to repent of sin, turn away from unrighteousness, and pursue an upright relationship with the Lord in holy reverence. There, I’ve said it.

“The fear of (reverence for) the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Pro.1:7)

I have no intension of trying to build a case for my reasoning that will convince you that my observation is correct. There’s really little point in such an endeavor. A better course of action (kingdom wise) would be to let God’s Word do the convincing - and convicting.

What follows are three brief case studies from Scriptural accounts of what repentance looks like. They serve as an outline for a teaching series of mine focused on repentant worship . Perhaps they will give you some incentive for your own self-study. That way you may be better able to see what the Holy Ghost reveals to you in regards to living a lifestyle of repentance (see Rom.12:1 / The Message Bible).

I’ll begin with a couple of “working definition”.

Repentence: To be sorry / To turn back or away from / To return to the starting point / To retreat or backtrack. To think differently / To change or transform / To refashion (metamorphose).

Contrition: To collapse (physically or mentally). From words meaning to crush, crumble or break (into pieces).


Case Study #1: Psalm 51

David: Personal moral failures resulted in David’s acts of repentant worship.

Confrontation (being uncovered)
Confession (verbal acknowledgement of sin)
Conversion (actions that back up the words of confession)

v.1 David’s plea for grace and forgiveness is based on God’s nature
(i.e. His lovingkindness & compassion)

v.2 David is specific regarding his failures acknowledging three areas of accountability:

Transgressions (violation of moral or ethical law)
Iniquity (habitual sin patterns – often with a generational base)
Sin (missing the mark or falling short of God’s righteous standards)

v.3 David “owns” his stuff (he blames no one but himself)

v.4 David sees all the violations as being first and foremost between himself and God. With that being the case, he throws himself on God’s merciful justice.
vs.5-9 He begins with a verbal confession

vs.10-12 His confession flows freely & deeply (open & honest)

vs.13-14 He speaks forth the end desire of his pleading before the Father (righteous restoration)

vs.15-17 He shows that he has a deep understanding and intimate knowledge of who God is and what He can do (faith in action)

Vs.18-19 David sees a clear connection between how he walks with God and its effect on the fellowship of the saints as well. He has a corporate heart concerned with favor & restoration for himself and others.

Corporate Heart: David considers how his own sin can/is having a direct effect on his personal witness (testimony) and also on the lives of those he could/should be able to minister to. Such a perspective as this is becoming rare indeed within the body of Christ.

The key to unlocking restoration and renewal in David’s life is his offering of confession. This is a model of how a personal witness and ministry can be purified through acts of repentant worship.

"LAMENT"

A broken and a contrite heart
O God, You will not despise
Against You only I have sinned
I have fallen once again
I come to You in emptiness
Fill me with Your holiness

Create in me a heart that's clean
Draw me to Your side and then
Restore me with Your steadfast love

Have mercy on my wickedness
O God, I seek Your graciousness
Wash away iniquity
Remove transgression far from me
I come to You in brokenness
Fill with with Your righteousness

(W.Berry / See & Say Songs, BMI)



Case Study #2: Daniel 9

Daniel: Identificational repentance positioned Daniel “in the gap” for the nation of Israel and himself (Ezek.22:30). His worshipful prayers became a force “on earth as is in heaven” to set the stage for breakthrough and deliverance.

{Every act of worship is an act of warfare}

vs.1&2 Show Daniel to be a man of study and meditation (a theologian)

v.3 He pays a price to connect with his burden
a. Prayer (mystical connection)
b. Supplication (verbal utterance)
c. Fasting (physical expenditure)
d. Sackcloth & Ashes (outward signs of inward brokenness)

vs.4-19 Daniel takes up his repentant worship for all Israel and pours himself unreservedly into it. He reminds the Lord of His “compassion and forgiveness" (v.9) and states that the Lord should hear & respond “for Thine own sake” (v.19). He’s more concerned about God’s name and reputation than he is his own or that of the people.

vs.20-23 Show that the moment Daniel stepped over into such repentant worship was when God began releasing His captive people (v.23).


This is a model of how someones acts of repentant worship can serve as a means for others to be released and restored to freedom.


Case Study #3: Jonah 1&2

Jonah: Disobedience to God’s call and direction give us the context for how and why repentant worship took place in Jonah’s life.

vs.1&2 God’s word comes to Jonah with direction for him to carry out, “arise and go to Nineveh”. Jehovah wants to release a call for repentance and restoration to the residents of a city who’s “wickedness has come up” before the Lord (NASB). And, he wants the call for repentance to come forth from a servant entrusted to carry the will of God’s word forth to the people. Jonah has the opportunity (and good fortune) to be chosen of the Lord for this task.

v.3 Jonahs response is to disregard his calling and try to run away from it. By doing so he has placed himself in the position of moving out of God’s will which will in turn bring him to a point where his own wickedness rises up before the Lord. The effect of that will mean that Jonah will find himself in need of repentance as a result of his own spiritual insubordination.

v.4 The storm that the Lord releases is Jonahs “wake up call” meant to (re)awaken him to the reality of what it means to disobey the voice of the Spirit. Note that the storm is not a punishment --- it is an attention getter. This insight can serve as a good perspective for how to look at tough or awkward circumstances in our own lives if/when they come. Trying to rebuke the devil is not aways the best choice to make. Sometimes the “storm” that’s hitting us is in fact God’s way of getting our attention. Selah…

vs.5-16 You can read the story for yourself. Most of us probably know it well. It sets the stage for Jonah to come to terms with his need for personal repentant worship.

v.17 Note that the “great fish” is not God’s wrathful vengeance on Jonah for his failure to obey God’s direction. It is in fact God’s means of providing deliverance from drowning. Yes, really.

Chapter 2 provides us with a vivid picture of what it means to be broken and contrite before the Lord in confession and repentance.

From within the belly of the fish Jonah begins to worship in a way most profound. He understands very well that he has been delivered from drowning by being swallowed up. What “could” be viewed as going from bad to worse (from being thrown overboard to being swallowed) isn’t how Jonah responds to the situation at all. Rather, he begins to see his current circumstances (in the fishes belly) as a place of sanctuary. It becomes a “holy place” of worship.

Vs.2-6 Jonah prays a most beautiful pray of thanksgiving seemingly trapped within a place with no way out. Even though his predicament could seem hopeless, he nonetheless sees his surroundings as being provision from the Lord as a means of escape from the sea which would have surely taken his life. He purposes to pursue the Presence. The last line of verse 6 clearly shows us that something major has happened to Jonah. He has experienced a “Divine Encounter”! The text says, “but Thou hast brought up my life from the pit (the sea), O Lord my God (NASB).” How powerful!

v.7-9 Gives us the specific text of Jonahs prayers of worship and repentance. His faith and trust has risen up before the Lord “into Thy holy temple” (v.7). He offers his thanksgiving and renews his vow (of obedience) to His Sovereign. Then He acknowledges that his salvation (deliverance) has come from Jehovah.

Note that his prayer is released from within the place of his apparent captivity (the fishes belly). His seeming entrapment has been converted into a sanctuary and his praises unto the Lord arises BEFORE HIS DELIVERANCE (see Isa.54:1 / Rom.8:28 / Phil.4:4-8).

This is a model of how God's plan and purpose can be fulfilled through someones acts of repentant worship for moving in disobedience to a call upon their life.

To refocus, please refer to the “working definitions” for repentance and for contrition.

It’s clear to see that Jonahs story provides us with a testimony of how both those precepts have done their work in a deep and profound way. But, that’s not the end of this story. There are two more chapters to consider.

I’d be doing an injustice to the Word by leaving the rest of the drama out. A comprehensive examination of Jonahs comings and goings requires that the ending be at least mentioned. Please read chapters 3&4.

Jonah did in fact repent and he went on to be the agent of change that God had appointed him to be. By doing so, the entire population of Nineveh received salvation through Jehovahs righteousness acts of lovingkindness (Jonah 3:6-10). However, a turn of events took place thereafter which makes the point of the story even more important to our own lives and times.

After such a glorious and dynamic set of events had taken place (revival) Jonah begins to “flesh out” by becoming quite the malcontent. His grumbling and complaining before the Lord are truly a sad testimony to how our own walk in the spirit can often become misguided. By becoming so carnal and self-centered after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost over the entire city Jonah exhibits traits of human fallenness which we all still struggle with to this day.

We are called as servants unto our Lord, Christ Jesus. It is our duty (our responsibility) to listen to and obey the Spirits leading in all matters.

In order to maintain the vitality & power of the Presence in our lives God has established the process of restoration for us in our fallen-temporal-condition. This “process” is laid out clearly for us in 1 John 1:6-10 in order to teach us that conviction leads us to confession, and then on to repentance in order that we may be restored, renewed, and re-established in our witness and ministry.

Selah (pause & consider)






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A Fathers Day Declaration

“I WILL NOT RUN”

My great grandfather was an angry man, he abused his family
He passed along that heritage, through the roots of our family tree
His children turned against him, and they drove him from his home
Never knowing where he ended up, or if he died alone

My grandfather was an honest man, he tried to live what’s right
But somewhere in the darkness, he fell without a fight
He took his sons, and dignity, and threw them in his truck
And he drove off in the shadows tryin’ to break his string of luck

I will not run, I will not run
By God’s grace, I’ll stand and face
Each new day as it comes
I will not run, I will not run
The family curse has been reversed
The healing has begun
And I will not run

My father was a godly man, of that there is no doubt
He told me once when he was young, he tried taking the wrong way out
But his love for God, and mom, and me, was stronger than his fear
So Jesus Christ was honored through the life dad lived down here

I will not run, I will not run, by God’s grace
I’ll stand and face, each new day as it comes
I will not run, I will not run
The family curse has been reversed
Now there’s a blessing for my son
For I will not run

(By: W. Berry / See & Say Songs, BMI)

I sang that song at church on "Fathers Day" Sunday for several years. I stopped singing it because I felt the Holy Ghost saying I should lay it aside for a while. However its been stirring around in my spirit the last several weeks so perhaps the time has come for it to be repristinated.

I'm told that the more personal a blog can be the better (more interesting) it is for the reader. I don't know if I can get any more personal than opening up some of my family history to you. So, here goes...

The first verse above is about my great grandfather on my dad's side of the family. The story that my grandmother told to me works itself out like this:

He was a farmer in the South sometime during the first half of the 1800's or thereabouts. He began his family (my family) by kidnapping a young Cherokee maiden. He somehow managed to elude the young warriors from her tribe that tried to track him down intent on killing him, and rescuing her. They were married (?) and during their life together had 8-10 children. As the children grew up he became more and more violent -- especially toward his wife (my great grandmother). One day he beat her and knocked her to the ground. She was pregnant at the time. He picked up a stick of firewood and in his rage he yelled out that he was "gonna beat that baby out of you."! His sons by then were apparently old enough and strong enough and angry enough to have reached their breaking point. They came to their mothers defense and chased him off at gun point and told him that if they ever saw him again they would shot him. A sorry state of affairs to be sure. After that dreadful event took place no one in the family ever saw or heard from him again. So the subject matter of that opening verse is a painfully sad (but true) story.

The second verse takes place a generation later and involves my grandfather on my mothers side. If you thought verse one was intense then consider this:

My mother was given to an uncle to raise when she was only three. She grew up thinking that her father had simply deserted her after her mother died believing he was not able to care for her. He had two sons that were approaching their teen years so trying to raise a baby girl without a wife seemed out of the question. My mom was well into her 40's before the real story came out. It reads like this:

Her dad married a women who had been widowed twice before. Both her husbands had died under "mysterious circumstances". The gossip was that she had killed them both but there wasn't enough proof to build a case on. However, while my mom was still a baby her mother apparently tried on several occasions to kill my grandfather (her husband, my mothers father). Whatever had transpired created a fearful situation that prompted my grandfather to run away in the middle of the night frightened for his life and that of his two sons. He left my mother with his brother and just disappeared. This was all revealed to my mother in a letter which he'd written to her before his death. He'd made both his boys vow not to contact my mom (their sister) until he passed away.

One afternoon I watched my mother open the mail box and begin to read "the letter" as she walked back up to the house. She didn't make it -- she collapsed in the front yard. I ran to try and find out what was wrong. I learned this story sitting there with her as she wept for what seemed like hours having discovered that she had two elder brothers and that her father (whom she'd never seen or heard from) had just passed away. It was a shattering experience for our family.

All this family history business had a deeply profound impact on me personally. Both these stories forced me to question things about my life, and the lives of others. Marriage covenant, birthing and raising children, honesty, responsibility, compassion (for others), respect, love and the fallen nature of humankind (SIN). Trying to learn how to process all that became a pretty heavy burden to bear. As it turned out, these events were all part of God's plan to begin imparting a desire into my heart in matters of "generational connections" (see Rom.8:28).

"He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, then commanded our parents to teach it to their children so the next generation would know, and all the generations to come — know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God, never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter'. (Ps.78:5-7 / The Message Bible)

The last verse is not as dramatic as the first two, but for me it is much more personal since it deals directly with my father.

I grew up in a great home with godly parents. They were wonderful to me. I don't know how my life with them could have been better -- blessed as I was. My dad had a solid understanding of how to be the head of our home and to provide, cover, and love his wife, and his only child - me. Nonetheless he told me something one day that relates directly to the stories you've just read. One day when I was still a baby the pressure of a new family, livelihood issues, and (I imagine) some generalized fear took hold on him. And, on his way to work one morning he decided to just drive away and never look back. Keep in mind that he knew the first story about his grandfather, the kidnapping, and the abuse. But, he didn't know anything about the other story involving my mom's childhood and the situation with her father. That all came out years later as I said. As it turned out the Holy Ghost got my dad's attention that morning in the car and before he got too many miles away he made a decision to face life as it had been given him. So, he turned around, drove back to Nashville, and went to work. He lived that way for another 40 years or so. In the year I turned 40, he turned 68 and went home to be in the eternal Presence of God.

After my father passed away these three stories all came together as a song. The inspiration for it came from a book I was reading by Gordan Dalby entitled, "Fathers & Sons". In it Dalby commented on something he'd discovered in his ministry to men across the country. He always ask in his seminars for the men who were present to stand up and state the names of the men who had proceeded them generationally in their families. During his years of ministry he discovered just how quickly our culture was losing touch with it's roots. Few men could go back passed two generations before them. That all prompted me to write the song and it prompts me even today to say this:

{I am Richard Wayne Berry; the son of William Lee Berry; the son of Rufus Henry Berry; the son of John Lee Berry....who was driven away from his family for acts of an ungodly nature}

My father broke the cycle of iniquity when he turned his car around that morning so many years ago. After several years of personal struggle and running away in my own life I came to terms with how I should try to live before my Lord. By God's grace and under His mercy I am still standing my ground for the sake of His kingdom. Now my son, Jesse Aaron Berry has the chance to add his story to mine and our forefathers.

I’ve shared this song lyric and these background stories with you in order to make the following observation. The Biblical meaning of the word “salvation” is much broader than the receiving of forgiveness for our sins and being assured of our promised reward(s) in heaven when we die. In Scripture salvation has as much to do with “deliverance” in this world as it does our hope in the afterlife. The word “deliverance” carries the meaning of…

Aid / Victory / Health (physically or spiritually) / Welfare / Liberty / and Rescue (physically or morally)

The salvation (deliverance) of the Lord has been at work in my life since before I was born (Ps.139:13-16). It has worked a cleansing purification in my temporal bloodline by transfusing it with the pure and holy sacrificial (atoning) blood of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, my Lord, and Savior. Not only has my family history been cleaned up, my life in the present (the now) is still being purified daily. And, my eternal future has already been perfected ---- before the days of my destiny have even come to be (Ps.31:14-16).

This is all a mystery. It is also a divine gift from my heavenly Father (Ja.1:17). And that gives me all the reason I need to testify to His goodness here "in the land of the living” (Ps.116:5-9). This testimony is a declaration of His deliverance from a “generation curse”. Blessed be the name of the Lord!







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Wind Blown Worship (Part 1 & 2)

WIND BLOWN WORSHIP
(Part #1)

“Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north,
the wind continues swirling along; and on it’s circular courses
the wind returns.” (Ecc.1:6)


I’m continuing with thoughts from my previous blog focused on hearing things related to God’s kingdom which come at us from outside of our normal, everyday lives. I want to share a story with you. It concerns an event that deeply impacted my life, my perceptions about living, and my future/destiny. In fact the term “life-changing” is appropriate for what I have to share.

The story begins in late September of 2004 standing in the middle of no where in Kenya, Africa. I was returning with a short term mission team from a region located in the very shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We had spent 10 days or so building two church structures for the Maasai tribes people who had converted to Christianity. After finishing and dedicating (consecrating) both buildings we started our journey out of the “bush” toward a paved highway that would take us back to Nairobi. Driving along roads that really weren’t roads at all one of our Land Rovers broke down. Fortunately our team guide had the no how and the tools needed to make the necessary repairs. However, doing so was going to take a while. So, we all piled out of our vehicles and purposed to make the most of our time until things got sorted out.

{Waiting patiently for circumstances to change is a major part of the African lifestyle. It’s in the DNA of those on the continent. If you go there you will find that out for yourself}

Here’s what happened:

During our time together as a team we had learned that we weren’t to walk too far away from the others when we were out in the “bush”. Things can get dangerous in such an environment. So staying within eyesight of each other is pretty important. Our team leader had released us to roam the area near the vehicles instructing us to stay close. We began to amble around in groups of two’s and three’s. A few of us went off on our own a brief distance away. I had walked away by myself to take care of natures call behind a couple of scrub trees when something very unusual began to occur as I turned to head back facing into the breeze that was rising up out of the valley which opened up just below us.

As I turned I began to hear what sounded like music. More specifically it sounded like singing. To be exact it sounded like children singing. And to fine tune that even further, I heard children singing what seemed to me like worship. The “sound” was very brief – 2 or 3 seconds at the most. But I know worship when I hear it. It’s a “deep calls to deep” thing (Ps.42:7).

What I heard stunned me. How could this be happening? We were in “the middle of no where” so how could there be singing? Where would it come from? And, how could it be kids voices?

As I continued to turn my face directly toward the wind the sound disappeared. As soon as it was there, it was gone. I stopped in my tracks and began to try and figure out what was taking place. I turned my head ever so slightly too re-center myself and when I did the wind shifted and blew more directly into my ear again instead of straight into my face. When that happened the sound returned. This time it was as clear as a bell, but not very loud. Got the picture? So, now I’m getting excited because my brain (and my senses) are starting to catch up with my spirit. I turned my face directly back into the wind and the sound disappeared again. Now I was on to something that was beyond my immediate comprehension. As I turned my head away from the wind blowing at me directly the air current blew into my ear again instead of into my face. Then what was happening hit me light a bolt of lightening. What I was hearing was on the wind – or in the wind. The sound was coming from somewhere as yet to be determined and it was being carried on/by the wind itself. In fact it couldn’t be detected unless my ear was turned exactly the right way in order to catch the sound as it blew in my direction. In other words -- without being positioned properly I couldn’t hear the singing at all. Saint’s, that’ll preach!


I glanced back up the ridge to see if any of the others from the team knew what I was experiencing. Not a clue --- they had heard nothing. They weren’t positioned (tuned in) to it at all. I WAS HAVING A DIVINE APPOINTMENT AND PEOPLE WITHIN EARSHOT OF ME HAD NO IDEA! Selah…pause & consider.

Once I realized what kind of “moment” I was in I locked into the sound like a laser-tracking-beam. I begin to move toward it. But, every time I turned directly into the wind I lost the singing. I could only stay on track by turning my head every so slightly every few steps. That way the wind carried the sound into my ear and I could adjust my path of pursuit accordingly. My heart was pounding and my soul was caught up in the dynamics of what was taking place. I had to know where the singing was coming from and who was creating it. So up toward the top of the ridge I ran yelling like a crazy man for the others to join me. But the angle I was moving in was taking me away from those on the team and the wind was carrying the sound of my voice (along with the sound of the singing) away from my comrades.
The only person near enough to really hear me was a sister from our worship choir back in our home church. As I motioned for her to meet me at the top of the ridge she began to head in that direction. She had no idea what was waiting up at the crest --- and neither did I.

To be continued...

WIND BLOWN WORSHIP


(Part #2)

“Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north,
the wind continues swirling along; and on it’s circular courses
the wind returns.” (Ecc.1:6)

Continued from my last posting...

As Patti and I topped the rise of the ridge we saw the valley opening up below us and beyond us toward a small mountain range in the distance. The valley wasn’t very deep but it was fairly wide and long. On the edge nearest us as we looked down we could see a dry river bed which continued out and away from where we stood. At the base of the ridge just below us we saw something besides land and space. There was what appeared to be a sort of fort made from slender tree trunks which had been stripped clean of their bark. The fort was constructed in a rectangular shape and open to the sky. It had just four walls of wood with no ceiling. As we stood there trying to figure out what it was suddenly everything locked into place in one profoundly amazing moment. The wind off the valley floor picked up and began to rise up the side of the ridge toward where we were positioned looking downward. And, what it carried up to us was now hitting us square in our faces. It was the sound of children singing at the top of their voices. It was such a precious and passionate sound. Such beauty and wonder in such a dry and barren place. This “no place” had become a high and holy place “in the middle of no where”. I turned toward Patti who up until that moment had no idea of why I had called her to join me there. She hadn’t heard a sound till it rose up on the wind and overwhelmed her. I looked at her with tears in my eyes (matched by her own) and I said, “Patti, it’s a school and the kids are singing praise songs”! There under the open and expansive African sky the Holy Ghost fell big time and my sister and I were overcome by the sound, tears, smiles and joy of it all.

In the very next instant one side of the “fort” opened up were a doorway was positioned and all the kids ran out of their classroom, made a turn away from us and moved out beyond and down into the dry riverbed laughing, jumping and having a grand time of it. I looked at Patti thru more tears and I said, “it’s recess”. We both began to laugh out loud as we thanked God for His precious gift to us. As we stood there talking it all in the Holy Ghost spoke to me with a word of revelation. He said, “no place, is some place, to somebody”. At that moment my global perspective exploded. My view of humanity, the nations, and God’s ever-expanding kingdom took on entirely new dimensions. My understanding of His Omnipresence had been blown totally off the charts. I was awestruck!

There’s much more to this story than I’ve presented here. It continues to impact my life and ministry almost daily. But it’s my understanding that blogs work best if they remain brief. So, I’ll end with this:

God’s “otherness” is a very real thing to encounter. The eternal dynamics of His kingdom --- the ebb & flow ---- are constantly at work. We are “compassed about” (Ps.32:7 / KJV) by the sights & sounds of His Divine Presence in truly supernatural ways.

Allow the Spirit of the Lord to open up your senses, your soul and your very being to the glory and wonder of it all.

And may His kingdom come (manifest) on earth as it is in heaven.


Let me mention one last thing to those of you who lead congregations in corporate worship on a regular basis. Please be encouraged by this FACT! Worship, heart-felt, soul-engaged, pure, honest and undefiled worship is being released all over this earth every moment of every day (24/7/365). God has purpose and ordained it to be that way (Ps.150:6 / Luke 19:40). But, the thing is, we’re not always standing in the right spot, at the right moment, with our heads turned just the right way to be able to hear it. Nonetheless, it is there. I can personally testify to the fact that there is worship on the wind coming from people in places that you’d never imagine.

Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI

“All of heavens waiting
All the earth expecting
Sons, daughters, arise
Singing songs of freedom
Words of healing
One voice, wind blown worship”
(From: Hallelujah / By: Denise Graves)

EARS TO HEAR
(The Sound of Otherness)


Previously I commented about “songs of deliverance” (Ps.32:7) and I asked you if you were able to hear them surrounding you. This business of hearing things supernatural can be a very tricky thing to try and accomplish.

Hearing spiritual things requires spiritual ears tuned to frequencies which are outside (above & beyond) our earthly senses. To be open for and sensitive to such transcendent sonic-ness we have to first desire to hear the “otherness” coming forth from God’s eternal kingdom. And, then, we have to begin to understand that such hearing as that doesn’t happen through casual contact. Relationship is required in order for the lines of communication to be strung into place. For without a connecting point to “things above” (Col.3: 1-3) our reception can only be random at best. And, regardless of the increasingly popular “post-modern-mind-set” randomness isn’t necessarily the best way to move thorough ones life and times. That however is a subject for another blog down the road a ways - perhaps.

For now --- how’s your link to the Trinity? Dropped any calls lately?

A pondering: In John 12, verses 28 & 29 we are told how the sounds of heaven can be received ---- or not. Verse 28 says that “a voice out of heaven” spoke. Verse 29 gives us two examples of how such a sound as that can be processed. One group of bystanders responded by stating “that it had thundered”. The other respondents said that “an angel had spoken”. If you’ll allow me just a little flex room with this passage please, I think there could well have been a third group present at that moment of “divine encounter” who missed it all together. That group would have been comprised of those who heard nothing at all. No thunder. No angels. No nothing. Personal experience has taught me that such people are still among us today. Just look around. There are folks everywhere who never hear (or see) any evidence of God’s presence, power or purpose on the earth or in the heavens above (see Rom.1:20). Sad but true.

When the voice of the Lord speaks which group are you in? As “songs of deliverance” are being sung around you, you may or may not be aware of them. That all depends on how receptive you are to things eternal. And, that’s a “where your treasure is” sort of thing (Luke 12:22-34).

Can you hear Him now? Just checking.

Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI

GOD’S GOT YOU COVERED

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.” Selah. (Ps.32:7)

I do a lot of pondering. I turn things over in my head, heart and spirit. I examine, re-consider, and generally think about stuff in ways that some folks don’t want to be bothered by. So be it. We’re all “fearfully and wonderfully made” ya know (Ps.139:14).

There’s a word (besides nuts) for someone who filters life that way.
(Contemplative: Marked by or given to contemplation)

A contemplative person practices contemplation.
(Contemplation: A. Concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion B. Acts of considering with attention (Midrash: Hebrew for study) C. The act of regarding steadily)

Here’s a portion of a recent pondering that I thought I’d blogify 4 u: The verse I’ve quoted above tells us that we’re surrounded by “songs of deliverance”. The KJV says God will “compass” us about. To compass (or encompass) something means to cover it from every possible angle and perspective. North, South, East, West as well as above and beneath. In other words the Spirit of God daily covers us with such deliverance songs. From every direction we turn, from where we stand, and to wherever we might ascend --- songs (KJV says “shouts”) of deliverance are there waiting to be heard, sung, and appropriated into our lives.

Did you know that? Can you hear them?

More about all that in the daze ahead (see Ps.139:7-10). For now, try a little selahness.

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Commenting on the phrase “You shall surround me with songs of deliverance”, Charles Spurgeon says this: “What a golden sentence! David is surrounded with song and with dancing mercies, all proclaiming the triumphs of grace. There is no breach in the circle; it surrounds him. On all sides, he hears music, in front, hope sounds the cymbals, and behind, gratitude beats the timbrel. Right and left, above and beneath, the air resounds with joy.” (From “The Treasury of David” /By: Charles Spurgeon)

WORLD OF WONDERS

God is Creator of everything! That of course includes all of life on this planet, the heavens above us, and the ever-expanding universe as well. Through His Sovereign an endless creativity He has provided the seasons as a context for all of life to express praise and adoration for this “world of wonders”. For those who have the spiritual eyes to see it ---- the earth really is filled with His glory.

There is a passage in God’s Word that addresses this in a grand way. In Romans 1:20 Paul makes a statement as to what could perhaps be considered the bedrock of kingdom evangelism. He states that there are things most wondrously infused into the DNA of earth which can (or should) serve as keys to unlocking the door leading to the Gospel, and then on to confession, repentance, conversion, and covenant relationship, followed by a life of consecration as servant-stewards unto the Lord.

“The basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.” (Rom.1:20 / The Message Bible)

I’ve recently returned with a team of my kingdom comrades from a ministry trip to South Africa. The huge expanse of the continent is truly overwhelming to experience first hand. Everything is, well, just bigger there! The immensity of the clouds, the seemingly endless vistas from the mountain tops, the visual (and visceral) perspective of time and space standing in the deserts, and of course the drive time from wherever you may be to wherever you’re headed next ----- all come together in a way that brings you to your knees while at the same time seeming to raise your heart to higher levels of praise and deeper levels of worship for God’s benevolent handiwork.

All that our eyes can behold in the nature of this earth is what Scripture calls the “fringes of His ways” (NASB):

“He spreads the skies over unformed space, hangs the earth out in empty space. He pours water into cumulus cloud-bags and the bags don't burst. He makes the moon wax and wane, putting it through its phases. He draws the horizon out over the ocean, sets a boundary between light and darkness. Thunder crashes and rumbles in the skies. Listen! It's God raising his voice! By his power he stills sea storms, by his wisdom he tames sea monsters. With one breath he clears the sky, with one finger he crushes the sea serpent. And this is only the beginning, A mere whisper of his rule. Whatever would we do if he really raised his voice!" (Job 26: 7-14 / The Message Bible)

Here in America, as we enter into the season of spring with it’s new growth, new promise, and new life coming up all around us it’s a very good time to renew your vision of God’s unfolding kingdom. This should be a time of thankfulness for the days that the Lord is giving us.

Don’t be fooled (or mislead) by the news you hear coming at your from every direction. Birth, new birth is taking place. There are healings, mighty acts of deliverance, divine encounters, and new converts being added to the kingdom daily. God releases new mercy with each new sunrise. Just keep looking till it begins to come into focus. And, if the glasses you’re viewing your life through don’t seem to be working well anymore…..perhaps you just need some new lenses.

“The heavens are declaring the righteousness of the Lord”
(Ps.50:6)

Copyright Secured: See & Say (Songs & Such), BMI

“INVISIBLE GOD”


I give you praise, O Great Invisible God
For the moon in the space of a dark night
For the smile on a face in the sunlight
I give you praise, O Great Invisible God
For the sound of the storm on the window
For the morning adorned with a new snow
For the tears on the face of the old man
Made clean by the grace of the good Lamb
And oh, I long to see your face, Invisible, Invisible God
All the works that you have made are clearly seen and plain as day
So mighty and tender. O Lord, let me remember

That I see you everywhere Invisible God
In the seed that descends to the old earth
And arises again with a new birth
In the sinner who sinks in the river and emerges again, delivered
And oh, I long to see your face, Invisible, Invisible God
All the works that you have made are clearly seen and plain as day
So mighty and tender. O Lord, let me remember

Your power eternal, your nature divine
All creation tells the tale that Love is real and so alive
I feel you, I hear you, Great God Unseen I see you

In the long, cold death that the winter brings
And the sweet resurrection spring.
(From: Resurrection Letters Vol. 2 / By: Andrew Peterson)