-
I will remember my song in the night. – Psalm 77:6
It was one of those days, he was tired of the maze
Struggling in the mud and the mire.
The rage in him grew before the day was through
The insults fed the smoldering fire.
That was the day I just happened to get in his way.
And his heart roared “No mercy.”
As was done unto him, he would do.
So he looked to the sky, shook his fist, and cursed me.
Ground me down to size under his shoe.
Safe back at home, cold as a stone,
I thought about his words and his ire.
The rage in me grew before the night was through
My mind fed the smoldering fire.
That was the day my family happened to get in my way.
And my heart roared “No mercy.”
As was done unto me, I would do.
So I looked to the sky, shook my fist, and cursed them.
Ground them down to size under my shoe.
I felt it then, the tears of my friend.
He was weeping, my Savior and King.
The words on my tongue that had wounded and stung were an ugly, unthinkable thing.
I fell to my face, reeling in my disgrace.
My sin was now easy to see.
My hard heart was broken, my fears finally spoken.
I begged Him to make me free.
That was the day His grace took my darkness away.
And He cried out, “Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they do.”
He shed His blood, looked to the sky, and forgave me.
Ground my enemy down to size under His shoe.
Then He knelt down beside me and held me as He whispered three words:
Pass it on.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
– Ephesians 4:32
-
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
-Ezekiel 36:26
It clanked unceremoniously as it goose-stepped around the living room, a silver contraption of motors and noise.
Occasionally it stopped and lowered its jaws as it emitted a metallic bark.
It was the newest Christmas toy, the toy every child had to have that year. Our daughter begged until we relented and plopped down the hideous ransom for a robotic dog.
At first, it was novel. You could program it, and it was fun to watch it parade around and bark.
For a day or two. Then the constant grinding of gears became annoying. The novelty quickly wore off. It didn’t take long for the toy to wind up on our daughter’s closet shelf.
Then she wanted a real dog, a request that didn’t get answered for many more years. We knew a real dog couldn’t be set on a shelf when she tired of it. It would need constant care and companionship. It would take commitment and a certain level of sacrifice to invest into a pet. If it disappointed her, she still had to care for it and love it.
She was a young adult when she finally got her dog, a golden retriever-Australian Shepherd mix that was the runt of the litter. Lucy was a rambunctious puppy that tried the patience of all of us. She took forever to house-train. She chewed up shoes and furniture and garden hoses. She dug holes in the yard.
She captured our hearts.
Lucy died of congenital kidney failure at the young age of three. Our daughter cradled Lucy’s head and wept as she went to sleep. In the years between, Lucy gave us much joy. She grew out of her puppy ways and became a gentle friend, tender and sweet and attuned to every mood of her family. She gave us unconditional love and her complete trust, even in the last days when she endured our desperate attempts to save her life.
It’s been two years since we lost Lucy. Her picture still sits on our daughter’s desk, a bittersweet reminder of the joy and sorrow of her brief life. Who knows where the robotic dog is. No one cares.
Life is messy.
When trial and heartache descend upon us, it’s tempting to challenge God’s wisdom in allowing so much pain in our world.
After all, He’s God. He could have made us without the ability to choose wrong and right, perfect specimens parroting His praises into eternity. Metallic mouths with which to sing to His glory.
Sitting on His shelf.
Instead, He longed for friendship, for true companionship. It was a yearning so deep He was willing to pay a hideous ransom and the deepest sacrifice of heaven. He was willing to open Himself to rejection and scorn to win the prize of our trust and unconditional love. To Him, we are worth the discipline and work and sorrow.
He wants the praise that comes from our lips to come from our hearts. Living, beating hearts.
Hearts that choose to love.
For God so loved the world…
-
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
-Philippians 4:4
A dear family friend died a few years ago.
Knowing how beloved she was in the community, we guessed the memorial service would be packed.
We arrived at the large Lutheran church long before the service began, but the main sanctuary was already full. We opted for the balcony instead of the extra seating provided in a side room. The balcony offered a panoramic view of the scene below. Above us, the cathedral ceiling soared to breathy heights.
The organist and pianist played our friend’s favorite hymns in magnificent tandem. The pastor was appropriately genial and compassionate. Flowers overflowed the altar next to the urn containing the remains of the beloved wife, mother, aunt, and friend. A smiling portrait sat beside the urn.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off the mourners. At the invitation, friends and family members stood one by one and gave touching remembrances of the woman they loved. They were sad, of course, in losing this dear lady. Something else, though, infused the air, a breathy golden lightness flowing from the faces and the words and the smiles and the tears. I suddenly knew what it was:
Joy.
This amazing woman faced death with the same smile with which she faced life. She lived her last days as she lived her life, simply and thoroughly soaked in the presence of her God. She enjoyed every day she was given to its fullest. And she trusted God for the rest.
After the service we stopped at the local DIY’er supply store to pick up some insulation for my husband’s shop. While my husband found his supplies, I drifted the aisles preoccupied, still mulling over the sights and sounds of the memorial service.
I was lost in these thoughts in the cabinet aisle when we ran into another acquaintance of ours, a woman who had recently lost her husband. Her pain was fresh, the emotions raw. The three of us talked for what seemed like forever. Though I’ve never suffered her loss, I knew the look of desperation that lined her face and quivered in her voice.
The eternal always lurks just below the waterline of our lives.
Having endured my own desperate days, I understand the pain. But as I sit here this morning, as dawn threatens to chase away the dreary night once again, my mind wanders back to the flowered altar and the joyful portrait of a lovely woman who now beholds the face of her Lord. I yearn to live, like her, smiling at the future.
May God continue to remind us that death has been cheated, that we do not mourn as those who have no hope, and that joy is possible – even expected – for us.
Joy really is a choice, after all. We can dwell on our pain, or we can dance in the rain. For this moment, for today, through the power of the Spirit of Life, I want to be different.
Lord, teach me to smile.
-
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
– Jeremiah 29:13
Something is going on inside me.
It’s not sadness. It’s not depression. It’s…longing. Lately, an intense spiritual yearning has awakened in me. It sends me into God’s Word and drives my spirit to prayer. It consumes my days and sends me brooding into the night.
I need God.
No, I’m not a new Christian, and maybe that’s the problem. I’ve walked with Him for many years, through regular seasons of soul-drought and faith-feast. At times, He’s taken me to the soaring heights of His fellowship; and at times, He’s stepped back to let me trudge through the valley of the shadow without so much as a glimpse of His beautiful face. Through the years, He’s pushed me, prodded me, blessed me, sent me to my room, held my hand, left me to my own devices, driven me to the edge of trust, and gently drawn me ever upward toward His glorious light.
Just when I think I know Him, when I think I have this relationship down, He comes roaring into my heart, a silent howl reminding me that the God-shaped hole inside me is not a box but an ever-expanding universe. His call is unrelenting and as sure as a homing beacon. He will never be content until everything I am is submitted to Him and my spirit has returned to His rest.
He’s not doing it because He is an ego-maniac, but because He is a loving Father. He wants me to live in victory, in peace, and in holiness. He’s preparing me in one age for life in another.
He’s calling me out.
Out of complacency. Out of the “little sins.” Out of fear, mistrust, and bitterness. Out of the safety of anonymity.
He’s calling me into the Light.
Who knows what the next day will bring? Our world lies in chaos; humanity totters collectively on the brink of disaster. All I know is that it’s not going to be enough to be a casual Christian anymore. It’s going to take complete commitment to live in victory in the days that are about to come upon us. God is stirring up His people – I feel it deep within my soul.
Can you feel the Hunger? God is on the move.
-
God sees not as man sees,
For man looks at the outward appearance,
But the LORD looks at the heart.
-1 Samuel 16:7
It had been a terrible week.
Everything that could go wrong, had. I was teetering on the edge of the precipice separating grace and a bug-eyed fit. Walking in grace had recently become more of a lurch lately as I struggled through a difficult relationship situation. As I replayed the perceived indignities I’d received at the hands of the perpetrator, the irritation inside me grew, urging me onward toward a “justifiable” confrontation. How good it would feel to take the plunge and have that bug-eyed fit!
God’s Spirit quietly counseled me otherwise. He urged me to extend grace to this person.
Frankly, I wanted to be mad.
As I drove down the city street simmering in the juices of my righteous indignation, I spotted a small, crooked figure limping down the sidewalk.
I honestly couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. A rumpled head of short, red hair crowned a twisted body clad in Bermuda shorts and a deep purple t-shirt.
The person obviously struggled with a handicap of some kind. I started to look away, still preoccupied. As I got closer, however, my dismissive attitude went down in flames.
Emblazoned on the front of the purple t-shirt in large white letters were these words:
THE GREATEST BATTLES
ARE THOSE WHICH ARE
FOUGHT WITHIN
Ouch.
An instant pang of regret shot through me.
How much like God to send such a humble messenger to remind me of my own cracked soul and how every struggle is really a battle for our hearts.
Man might be influenced by outward appearances, but God never is. That day I, the one more outwardly “together,” was the one truly flawed.
Which is more crippling, our inward or outward blemishes? Should not I, who need grace so much, be all the more eager to give it?
After all, isn’t grace a gift given to the undeserving? And wouldn’t the undeserving be…
…me?
-
And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it;
If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
– 1 Corinthians 12:26
He stood at the front of the church, his hands stretched toward God as he prayed.
Someone walked by and told him, “You look stupid in those shorts.” That someone became one of the youth leaders.
A young disabled man’s family was chastised because his coming to Easter service caused the church to have to open up extra seating—which “ruined” the lighting for the presentation.
Two young women in Gothic dress showed up in a church service. They were openly mocked by church members for the way they looked, and they never returned.
A couple nervously entered a church for the first time and chose a place at random in the pew. A church member was annoyed they had taken her usual place and let them know it.
God help us.
The Body of Christ derives pleasure from self-mutilation. It’s perverse because we are, after all, one body. Some of us are toes. Some of us are hearts. Some of us are sweat glands.
All of us are necessary.
Regardless of our church affiliation, Christians agree that Jesus, as the Head, is glorious. But from there down, the rest of the Body gets a little strange. The way some of us treat each other, we look more like a Frankenstein’s monster than the body of a King.
The world sees Christ’s followers as a whole, and when we wound another part of the Body, it doesn’t make us look better, it makes the whole Person of Christ look dysfunctional. The Body shames the Head.
The damage we inflict on others can only hurt us. When our toe is injured, our whole walk is affected. The natural reaction is to favor the wounded toe, get help for it, and rejoice when it’s healed.
Wouldn’t it be amazing we if took that kind of care for each other?
Jesus loved His Body so much He sacrificed everything for it.
He remains so well-connected to us that He feels every pain, as well as every joy. He is not a long-distance God. He grieves over the injuries we inflict on ourselves and each other in His name.
Let’s quit killing ourselves. The Lord deserves better than this. So do the people He loves. If we shielded each other instead of throwing darts, if we treated each other with gentleness and common courtesy, others could look at us and see Christ’s Body as the fully living creature it was meant to be.
His Majesty would receive the honor He deserves if we acted more like the royalty we are, not in self-righteousness, but in dignity and kindness and loyalty.
Be kind to yourself today, church.
-
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
-2 Corinthians 5:21
scapegoat [ˈskeɪpˌgəʊt]
n
- a person made to bear the blame for others*
In recent months, Washington, D.C. has been shaken by a series of scandals.
One particularly nasty one involved the targeting of groups perceived to be politically dangerous to the administration by the Internal Revenue Service.
When the scandal broke, the administration called the actions the work of a few “rogue agents.” It’s a useful political tactic we’re used to seeing: Throw the blame on a lesser being and send him to the gallows. It gives the impression of cleansing whatever party is in power and deflects criticism.
We call the people who get thrown under the bus “scapegoats.” The concept is rooted in Old Testament law:
Aaron…shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat. Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the LORD fell, and make it a sin offering.
Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins: and he shall lay them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
– Leviticus 16:7-9, 21-22
It hardly seems fair. Two totally innocent creatures had to be killed annually to pay for the sins of the nation. This day was known as the Day of Atonement, and it served to cleanse Israel before God. It was an imperfect process, however, without power in itself to remove sin. A weary people carried their sins all year until the ceremony, only to begin another cycle of sin. No power was imparted to walk away from the bondage of evil.
The Law was the schoolmaster to teach us to recognize our transgressions.
The goats offered as a sin offering and scapegoat were only shadows of The Sacrifice to come. No mere creation could release God’s world from itself. It would take a perfect, innocent Lamb from another realm with the power to carry away the sins of mankind and to lead us into freedom from its bondage.
Think of the love God has for us to create such an elaborate plan for our redemption. Think of the patience with which He waited to execute the rescue. Think of the pain He suffered to gain our release.
Treasure it with all your heart. The scapegoat has carried every dark secret of your life away into the wilderness. The Innocent One has washed your black heart with His blood. You are freed from sin and empowered to live in holiness as your gift back to Him.
All He asks in return?
Go, and sin no more. – John 8:11
-
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
– Psalm 84:10
You are not a beggar.
At the hour of prayer, the disabled man lay at the gate of the temple in Jerusalem, carried there so he could beg for money from the people entering and leaving the place of worship.
As the disciples John and Peter approached the gate called Beautiful, the man began to plead for money.
Peter replied, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
Peter took the beggar’s hand and pulled him to his feet. The man was instantaneously and completely healed, freed to enter the temple and worship with the others.
He didn’t just walk through the gate, though. He walked and leapt and praised God for joy, offering the unrestrained worship of a man snatched from the pit of hopelessness.
The Psalmist declared it better to live in the dirt, heat of the sun, cold wind, and drenching rain, than in a palace where evil rules. Such promise dwells at God’s doorway, worth suffering deprivation to watch the glory even from afar.
The outskirts, though, is not where God wants us. Jesus told the church at Philadelphia:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied my name.’
– Revelation 3:8
You are not a beggar. God has not brought you to the Holy City to lie outside His door and survive off the blessings of others. You are worth far more than silver and gold.
God wants to heal you, to bring you to the place where you can fully enter into His presence—face to face.
Not just walking. Leaping for joy. Praising His name. Filled with hope for the future.
You may have waited many years for God to heal you. You have leaned hard against the gate, suffering hardship but driven by a deeper yearning to be close to Him. You could not stay away. You thought no one even noticed you were there. But God knew, and He knows the loyalty with which you have kept His Word.
It’s a new day.
The door is open. He is near; He searches for those who are completely His. Ask Him today how to step through the entrance into full worship and service to Him. He longs to set you on your feet and through the gate called Beautiful to discover all that is waiting for you. That may or may not include physical healing.
In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!
-
The Lord is with me like a dread champion.
-Jeremiah 20:11
The two men squared off and eyed each other as the opening bell rang. One man was already viewed as the underdog, having lost the first match to the same fighter seven months earlier.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous!
Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
-Joshua 1:9
The two men circled the ring, each looking for weakness in the other. Evander Holyfield dominated the first two rounds. Mike Tyson, the challenger, opened the third with a furious assault. In the remaining seconds of the round, Tyson suddenly bit off part of Holyfield’s ear and spat it out onto the canvas.
Do not fear or be dismayed…for the battle is not yours but God’s.
-2 Chronicles 20:15
The fight was delayed while the referee decided what to do. Finally, Holyfield was declared fit to continue the fight.
The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.
-Exodus 14:14
The men returned to the center of the ring. Inexplicably, Tyson bit Holyfield’s other ear. They finished the round but the referee stopped the fight at that point and disqualified Tyson. Holyfield was declared the winner. Tyson was declared a loser.
In an odd footnote, Tyson later apologized for his behavior to Holyfield on the Oprah Winfrey show, which Holyfield graciously accepted.
“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth
that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”
-Chronicles 16:9
Sometimes we know what battles lie ahead. Other times, the blows are low and unexpected and dirty. The attacks we don’t see coming are the ones that hurt.
If you’re feeling beat-up this week, take heart. The battle’s not over. Your opponent has already been disqualified. Don’t throw in the towel just yet. Finish the round and let the Lord fight for you.
And be ready to forgive, because you’re going to win.
“In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
-Romans 8:37 (NIV)
-
How long will you hesitate between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow Him;
but if Baal, follow him.
-1 Kings18:21
Dexter’s mother was a purebred Golden Retriever, but you’d never guess it by his solid black coat.
His imposing size, deep bark, and huge white teeth make most people hesitate before approaching this behemoth.
They shouldn’t worry, though. Dexter is a gentle giant. Although he has the ability to wound or kill, it’s not in his nature. It was totally unnecessary for God to give him those giant canine teeth. He doesn’t have to hunt, and he swallows his food down without bothering to chew, anyway.
Current world theory would have us believe Dexter’s ancestors developed those teeth in order to survive the chaotic eons of evolution. This is the explanation given for why most animals have developed ways to hunt and defend themselves against attack.
Yet the book of Genesis paints a very different world in the beginning.
It appears the world was created with the capacity to live out two endings. The earth itself was filled with plants and their seeds, but in the pre-Fall world only the beneficial plants grew. Contrary to secular theories of early earth, animals were designed with the ability to defend themselves, but—like Dexter—had no need for them. There was no death, no need to kill, nothing to fear.
Humans were created with the ability to choose either to follow God or to refuse Him.
The universe was programmed with a biological clock that would only begin ticking if Adam and Eve chose to rebel.
Little did they know the fate of an entire planet rested upon their decision. They were presented two paths to follow: simple obedience to a God they did not understand, or submission to the promise of greater revelation and power. Life and death hung in the balance in the moment of hesitation before they plunged toward futility.
Thank God that Christ came to gain a better Eden for us, a garden without thorns where we can be near God always. A place where forever lives.
The serpent can’t enter this garden. But he haunts its edges, tormenting humanity. He tries to draw us away from the door to life with the same whisper he has used for ages: You will be like God….
Within you lies two paths. Today you can walk beside God or live among the thorns. Every choice you make drives you further down one path or the other. In that moment of hesitation when temptation breathes in your ear, remember what hangs in the balance.
Choose carefully.
-
I’m coming back to the start
Where You found me
I’m coming back to Your heart
Now I surrender
Take me
This is all I can bring– “God’s Great Dance Floor” by Chris Tomlin
I am the dancer
You are the Lord of the Dance
-“Lord of the Dance” by Steven Curtis Chapman
They float across the floor in one fluid motion.
They twirl and sway in precise beat to the music. Neither partner watches the other’s feet, yet they appear to know the next move exactly. They gaze into each other’s eyes and end with a breathtaking flourish.
It is the perfect dance. It seems effortless, but anyone who has followed the popular television show showcasing stars knows the many hours of practice it takes to achieve a seamless performance.
To pull off the perfect dance, a theme and routine have to be developed. A choreographer works with the dancers to teach them to work together. The dancers commit to a grueling schedule. It takes a lot of discipline to make something look easy.
What is one of the most basic principles the dancers will learn?
One must lead, and one must follow.
You may have awakened this morning to the same gray life you lurched through yesterday.
Perhaps your days fade in and out without purpose or direction. Maybe you are trapped in a dizzying cycle, and you can’t seem to get a grip on anything or make the madness stop.
Do you live without hope? Do you long for peace and a reason to go on another day? Do you feel deep in your heart there is a dance for you, a beautiful stage somewhere awaiting the dancer?
You’re right. He’s here, today. God stands in the spotlight and holds out His hand. He wants this dance. You don’t have to know the routine. The Spirit of God will direct your steps. Your part is simple.
Surrender.
Let Him lead.
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.
Psalm 30:11
-
I’ve been wanting to do a weekly article highlighting one new or recent song that I’ve been listening to way too much because it’s just so good. This series will also double as a song review/recommendation. You can check out this series every week to discover new songs to add to your next playlist.
So today I’m starting the series with my first pick and it’s a song that is so crisp and clean and sounds amazing on my sound system. The acoustic guitars are not at all complicated but just plain beautiful. This song is so perfectly tracked and uncomplicated that it’s brilliant.
What song is it? It’s the acoustic version of The Jellyrox’s “Rebel Tide”. The coffee house version. The original “Rebel Tide” song is from the EP “Embellish” which released today. The remixed version is not on the EP but you can stream it from soundcloud which is what I’ve been doing, frankly for weeks now. Now if I can just figure out how to buy it…
So here it is. Check out my Most Addictive Song of the Week “Rebel Tide” (Coffee House Version) below.
What do you think of this song? What song are you addicted to right now?
Comment below and let me know!
Kevin Thorson
Senior Editor -
Greater love has no one than this,
that one lay down his life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do what I command you.
– John 15:13
One moment, the street was filled with the laughter and cheers of the crowd as they soaked in the festive atmosphere of Patriot Day.
The next, lives were blown apart in an attack that would kill, maim, and strike fear in a nation.
The graphic images have replayed over and over the airwaves. Cameras everywhere caught the chaos as people screamed and ran for their lives. In the mayhem, a few scenes stand out: a mournful bunch of yellow balloons floating heavenward; a runner checking her watch to see her time moments as she crossed the finish line after the blast; people scattering.
And perhaps the most touching: everyday heroes running into the horrific scene to help the victims.
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, stories are surfacing of the sacrifice and courage of bystanders who ran to assist the hurting. Though the area was not yet safe and no one knew if there were more bombs, these people laid their lives on the line to help the wounded.
Self-preservation is a natural instinct, and a strong one.
“Skin for skin,” Satan told God, “Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.” (Job 2:4) We admire the selfless actions of those who risk death for others.
It’s easy to understand when innocent lives are involved, as were the bystanders caught in the blast.
Our hearts go out to them; we rush without thinking to the rescue.
It’s another thing to willingly put our lives on the line for those who purposely destroy themselves.
And yet, God did that for us. He chose to enter this world when it was in full rebellion against Him. He set aside all the privileges of His royalty and wore the rags of a slave. He endured scorn, abuse, rejection, and death. He did it for us. When anyone else would have run from the bleeding mass of humanity, God ran to us. Delivering us cost Him everything.
He did it for the pure joy of giving His life away–to us, His beloved, undeserving friends.
Now He calls us to the battlefield. When everyone else is running from disaster, we are called to run toward it. We will not be crouched in our bunkers with dehydrated food and bottled water when our enemies hit. We will be on the front lines, rescuing the wounded and freeing the captives.
Laying down our lives for our friends.
-
How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.
-1 Kings 18:21
The Bible is filled with accounts illuminating the bi-polar nature of mankind.
The heroes and heroines we read about and admire were men and women blessed by God and called by Him to accomplish great feats of faith. They were also human beings who struggled with the same doubts and fears we experience today. Their very frailty endears them to us and magnifies the power of the King who strengthened them for the journey.
Like us, some of their suffering was self-inflicted and avoidable.
Elijah, the prophet of God, single-handedly defied a powerful queen and called fire down from heaven. He rebuked the nation of Israel for “hesitating between two opinions.” Then he ran to the desert and begged to die.
Gideon needed not one miraculous sign, but two, that God was indeed speaking to him.
Peter swore allegiance to the death for Jesus, only to deny Him three times before the dawn.
All the disciples deserted Jesus at His arrest.
Thomas refused to believe in His resurrection until he saw the scars on His body.
The list goes on.
Hebrews 10:23 encourages us to hold on to our faith “without wavering.”
According to Bible scholar John MacArthur, the same Greek term for “without wavering” was used in ancient literature to describe the enduring of torture.
Sometimes the worst torture comes from within. Wavering in our faith is painful. Tormenting ourselves with doubts and fears suspends us in a purgatory of our own making, afraid to trust God but unable to deny Him. The remedy is so easy and so incredibly hard. The very simplicity of it turns our knuckles white.
God calls us to believe, to resist the impulse to overthink God and live in fear. Love Him. To trust Him, and to persevere always, enduring the torture rather than deny His name.
Mostly, He calls us to hold onto hope.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,
for He who promised is faithful.
– Hebrews 10:23
-
So with March just behind us that puts three months of music already in the bag. We’ve seen some great releases so far this year like Red, Audio Adrenaline, and Plumb all of which didn’t disappoint. So with part of the year’s best releases already past us I thought it a great time to write a most anticipated albums article. Way to time an article.
Having said that though there’s still some great new releases heading our way. Below I’ve listed the five I really can’t wait for and one certain album that I’ve been waiting an eternity to hear. See my picks and let me know if you agree.
#5 – Switchfoot “Fading West” (sometime 2013. probably summer)
So “Fading West” is actually a documentary and not an album, it’s still going to be one of the releases to look for. Switchfoot always does quality stuff and this won’t be an exception. You can expect to see a lot of surfing in this doc if this teaser is any indicator. Switchfoot and surf go together like hotdogs and July 4th, which is probably close to the day it’s going to be released.#4 – Silverline “Lights Out” (April 9)
I’ve been following this indie rock band for years now hoping that their Christ filled messages would reach the masses. Well more and more people are catching on to their music since they recently signed with label Dream Records and are now about to release their new album “Lights Out”. This is one amazing rock album and one you gotta share with your friends. Get their title song “Lights Out” for free here and have a listen for yourself.#3 – The Letter Black “Rebuild” (Soon)
They’re in that same category as Red, Fireflight, or Write This Down. You know, buy it, crank it, and watch the paint peel off the walls. It’s just utterly beautiful and a bit destructive. The Letter Black is never a let down and their new music video “The Only One” is the proof.#2 – Skillet “Rise” (June 25)
Go big or go home. Skillet’s monstrous anthems are the stuff of legends, and so are the album titles they choose. I’m thinking “Rise” continues in that theme, and that should be a clue that this release could be a huge hit. After hearing some early song previews like “Sick of It” I’m going out on a limb and saying this will be their biggest success to date. Period.#1 – Relient K “Collapsible Lung” (soon)
I can never get enough of Relient K’s wit and musical twists, but I don’t have much of a choice. Their albums are torturously far between and the wait is down right painful, but that makes their releases so much sweeter I guess. I’m sure it’s deliberate. The question is always what will this album sound like? I loved the unsophisticated understated style of “Forget and Not Slow Down” but will the next evolution of Relient K be totally unfamiliar to us? Let’s hope not. I’m a bit nervous after hearing “That’s My Jam”. It’s a good track, I just hope there’s not to much ‘bubble gum’ stuck to their next project. One thing I do know is that their albums are never disappointing, which is why it’s my most anticipated album of 2013. Whatever it is.Bleach “untitled” (never?)
This one’s driving me crazy. Where are you Bleach? Remember @bleachisalive? So many were thrilled to hear of a new album, well at least I was and still am. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for 2013.Kevin Thorson
Senior Editor
cmaddict.com -
Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’
Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him,
‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him,
and I will take Him away.’
Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’
– John 20:15-16
It had been a long three days since the one they called “Messiah” died a horrific death by crucifixion.
Mary Magdalene waited through the customary Sabbath rest to go to the tomb to anoint the body with spices with the other women. Before dawn broke, though, Mary just had to go to Jesus’ tomb, drawn by her longing to see her Master again, even if it was in death.
She never dreamed she would find Him alive.
We don’t know why she didn’t recognize Jesus at first. It could have been the dim light, the fact He still bore the scars from His awful death, or because His appearance was that much changed after the resurrection.
She certainly didn’t expect to find Him on the other side of the tomb.
Christ’s victory over death changed everything.
Imagine the moment when the reality of Jesus’ resurrection hit her. It meant life was everlasting. Nothing could ever truly make her afraid again. Even death was just a momentary loss. The weeping and fear she had lived with for the last three days would have been totally unnecessary had she understood the power of God. If she had comprehended God’s timetable and His plans, she would have rejoiced and waited with a sense of wonder at what was about to happen, instead of spending those days in tears.
As the disciples learned of Jesus’ resurrection and received the Holy Spirit, they understood. This new knowledge empowered them to spread the good news with joy. To a man, they faced torture and death for their faith. But it didn’t matter to them, because they had seen their future in the face of their God.
Radiant. Immortal. So very alive.
Jesus is well-acquainted with grief, the Bible tells us.
He understands our sorrows and identifies with our pain. Now He sits beside His Father as He intercedes for us and sends the accusers packing. His Spirit strengthens us as He teaches us all we need to safely complete our journey through the minefield we call Earth. His angels minister to us. His Word instructs us and reveals His plans. He has given us every reason to rejoice. He has given us this day to live and breathe and serve Him. Our future is safe, no matter what happens.
Today He calls our name and He asks, “Why are you weeping?”
-
On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves…
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole
assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.
– Exodus 12:3, 6
His name was Ferdinand, but my brother and I called him “Fergie.”
That was our first mistake. The next mistake was to treat the Black Angus calf like a pet dog. We petted him, fed him out of our hands, played with him, and even rode him as he grew.
Our folks kept telling us that he wasn’t a pet. “We’re raising him for slaughter,” Mom reminded us. “Don’t get too attached to him.”
We had been given fair warning. But he was just so cute and fun we couldn’t help ourselves. When Fergie was grown and fat, our parents kept their word and had him slaughtered. It was pretty traumatic for us to have our “pet” wrapped and stored in the freezer. I remember grieving and wondering why something so beautiful and sweet and innocent had to die.
Israelite children went through a similar trauma every year. The slaughter of animals for their food and hides was commonplace, and they would have known about the sacrifice of animals associated with the Jewish worship. Once a year, though, during the feast of Passover, the sacrifice became very personal.
When God instituted the feast of Passover and freed Israel from the slavery of Egypt, He gave them specific instructions.
The command was for each household to take an unblemished male lamb and let it live with them for four days. Jewish tradition tells us that the Passover lamb not only lived with them, it was named, petted, played with, and adored for those four days. The family was charmed by its innocence, taken in by its cuteness. They ran their hands through its soft, white wool and chuckled at its antics.
Then it had to die.
It seemed so sad, so wrong. Why did the lamb have to pay for the sins of the family? The little animal was blameless. It had done nothing to deserve death. The Israelites must have had heavy hearts when they shed the blood of the innocent one in a solemn ritual they performed each year.
God didn’t do this to be cruel. He wanted them to feel the sacrifice, to understand the grave price for sin. Generations before the coming of The Lamb of God, the gospel was preached in every blood-soaked little body that lay upon the altar to pay for the sins of humanity.
Jesus’ coming fulfilled and ended the need for atonement, thankfully. This week we remember once again the awfulness of our transgressions and the precious life that was sacrificed to remove the dark blot on our souls. It was unfair that He had to suffer for us, but it was a sacrifice He willingly gave to cleanse and redeem us. Such a high cost. Such a beautiful Lamb. How much He must love us!
-
He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.
– John 8:7
The man, a new believer in Christ, sat in the Sunday morning service fairly brimming over.
He couldn’t wait until the time in the Sunday service when the pastor asked for people to share what God had done for them. The minister finally opened the floor to the congregation. The new Christian enthusiastically shared his good news.
“I have smoked all of my adult life. I recently asked God to take away my desire to smoke, and He has. I’ve not had a cigarette since that moment.”
As the man spoke, the pastor’s face twisted in distaste. He thrust a pudgy finger at the man and said, “You took up that disgusting habit by yourself, and you can get rid of it by yourself!”
Whack. The verbal stone struck the man dead on. He sat in embarrassed silence through the rest of the service.
The new believer was my father. In the decades since the incident, he never did smoke another cigarette, and to this day he gives the glory to God. But he never knew why his words irritated the minister so much.
I wonder, too. I shouldn’t, because I find myself throwing large and small stones at people many times for no better reason than that they have beliefs contrary to mine or because they just generally irritate me. I catch myself casually criticizing others who dress differently, act differently, or engage in behavior I find unappealing. In some cases, I’m the one who has been wronged.
None of it, however, justifies a stoning. Just because my “stones” are words and attitudes instead of basalt doesn’t mitigate the damage I inflict on others.
When the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery to Jesus, they weren’t interested in justice.
They wanted to use the Law to justify themselves and entrap Jesus. The One who had the right to accuse both her and them did neither. Instead, without a word, he allowed the Holy Spirit convict them of their sins. Then He let them walk away, adulteress and Pharisee alike, from the death they both deserved.
It’s so easy to see the faults of others. It’s more convenient than ever to notice and point out the failings of those around us. We’ve become a nation of busybodies and judges. Scribes and Pharisees in jeans. Lobbing stones in self-righteous fervor and entering our houses justified.
It escapes our notice that Jesus is nowhere to be found at the nearest stoning coming to you. He’s busy elsewhere, dispensing grace to a needy world. He already knows it’s an undeserving planet. No one has to tell Him that.
Especially us.
Freely you received, freely give.
– Matthew 10:8
-
Our real songs begin with our sacrifices.
– Corrie Ten Boom
King Hezekiah’s father greatly angered God during his reign in Judah.
Before his death, he raided the house of God, closed its doors, and worshiped the gods of the land. God’s house remained closed and desecrated until his death.
Hezekiah became king after him. In the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple, gathered its ministers together, and decreed that the temple be restored. When the temple and its priests were purified, Hezekiah ordered temple worship to begin again.
Then Hezekiah gave the order for the burnt offering to be offered on the altar.
When the burnt offering began, the song to the LORD also began…
While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded;
all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
– 2 Chronicles 29:27
The movement back to God spread throughout the land. Soon Passover was reinstituted, as well. Their sacrifices to God were accompanied with praise and “loud instruments to the LORD.”
So there was great joy in Jerusalem….
– 2 Chronicles 29:26
Thousands of years later, two men sat in the inner bowels of a prison in the city of Philippi.
Their “crime” was the deliverance of a slave girl. Their feet were fastened in stocks to ensure they couldn’t escape.
They spent a miserable, sleepless night. Around midnight, Paul and Silas began to sing and pray. The other prisoners listened to them, a captive audience of sorts. They must have been used to hearing the sounds of cursing in that place, but not the sweet sound of a song.
Paul and Silas had every reason to complain. No one would have faulted them for feeling sorry for themselves, for giving in to their fears. Maybe they felt this way. All we know is that as they offered their lives to God, they praised Him, and they sang.
Suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken;
and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
– Acts 16:26
Are you feeling burned today?
Have the trials of life singed you and imprisoned you and caused you sleepless nights? If you have cleansed your house and offered your life as a sacrifice to Him, He is here. In the night, when the pain is great, He is here. In the deepest, darkest place you dwell, give Him your worship. It will shake your world, unfasten your chains, and fill you with joy. When your life is on the altar, resist the temptation to watch the fire. Instead, raise your eyes to heaven. Believe, trust, and obey.
Especially, sing.
-
Upon this rock I will build My church;
And the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
– Matthew 16:18
Across the battlefields of Europe, nations fell to a brutal assault led by a maniacal killer.
As World War II raged under the boots of Nazi soldiers, a different war was being waged in the hills, cities, and fiords of occupied countries. Resistance groups formed and grew as citizens took up the battle and created an intricate underground network of individuals determined to fight their oppressors.
Whenever possible, they spread disinformation, refused to cooperate with occupation forces, sabotaged enemy installations, hid opposing soldiers, and engaged in armed warfare. At the risk of their own lives, they contributed greatly toward an eventual Allied victory.
Lesser known were the resistance movements against the Allied forces.
These groups ranged from Italian guerillas and the “Forest Brothers” of the Baltic States to a largely non-effective resistance group of German Nazis called “Werwolf.”
Resistance against the good guys is the specialty of another enemy. Although mankind turned the keys to God’s kingdom over to a rebellious angel named Satan, Jesus Christ bought them back at the cross. Since then, Satan has waged a deadly earnest insurrection against the King of Kings.
He knows he can’t win. He’s trying to inflict maximum damage as he retreats. He wants us to forget that God’s won. He doesn’t want us to know that we’re no longer in enemy hands unless we choose to stay in captivity. The door to freedom is open. We decide whether we leave or stay.
Satan is a sore loser who wages a vicious resistance campaign in an effort to keep the victors on the run. He uses every tool at his disposal: propaganda, disinformation, intimidation, sabotage, seduction, torture, and outright armed warfare. Those Satan cannot deceive or intimidate, he tries to discourage.
He can only win if we surrender. The battle is won, but we have to occupy the territory. We need to listen to the Commander and actively resist the enemy’s strategies.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
– Ephesians 6:11
It’s unthinkable to yield blood-bought ground by default. When the barrage begins, we stand firm, take up God’s armor, and crush The Resistance. Let’s fight for what’s ours, beginning today.
Submit therefore to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
– James 4:7
