Hungry for God

Going to church is a given for me. If the doors open, I'm there. In one sense, it is mechanical, automatic. I go because it is an intrinsic part of my upbringing. When I was young, I had a drug problem: Mom drug me to church whenever the doors were open, rain or shine, whether I wanted to or not.

But lately, going to church seems to run in cycles. There are times I can't wait to get there. The excitement of being with others who seek Jesus is inspiring, and compels me to want the experience more.

And there are other times when it is all I can do to get out of bed. It's like church is...boring. Like a meal that looks good, but has no seasoning and no taste.

I found that I wanted to worship God for His sake alone. No format, no formula, no agenda. Just worship for worship's sake. But lately there's been something else going on as well.

The words to a Charles Wesley song came to mind:

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,

Your loosened tongues employ;

Ye blind, behold your Savior come,

And leap, ye lame, for joy.

- Charles Wesley, from "O For A Thousand Tongues"

The idea of having my tongue loosed - particularly now - is surprising, because it also drives me to a passage in the New Testament Book of Acts. In chapter 18:9-10, the Lord tells Paul

1. Do not be afraid
2. Speak and do not keep silent
3. I am with you.
4. I will keep you from harm.
5. I have many here who need to hear what you have to say.

Over 365 times in Scripture we hear "Don't be afraid" from the Lord. Here, He is telling Paul (and us) not to be to talk to people about Him and that He is with Paul (and us!). 

I must have read that passage hundreds of times and heard or spoke it hundreds more. But in the last few weeks, these verses have carried an imperative for me that I never noticed, that I never felt before. There is now a vitality and confidence that accompanies the living Word. There is a renewed and empowered Anointing and Presence that is now at work within for His own purposes. What a blessing!

May God indeed have His way and quicken you as well for His own sake.

Present Joy

 "Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials." - James 1:2

Consider it all joy? Yeah, right.

For much of my life I felt this was an impossible command to obey. I remembered some of the trials in my life and wondered how I could ever have found joy in any of them. They were burdensome, painful, and, at the time, seemed to last far longer than I could ever hope to endure.

The King is Coming

We are little more than 10 days away from Easter celebrations. In that time when we remember what Christ did for us, we must also praise the Lord for what He continually does, and what He is about to do - much sooner than a world in denial wants to even recognize:

Nothing Wasted

I loved being on Granddaddy's farm. Granny would cook on a wood oven, and there was a wood stove in the living room that heated the whole house. It was a place of great adventure and wonder.

Where are we going?

I just finished reading an interesting article about Tim Tebow's decision to cancel a scheduled appearance at the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas (you can find the article here).

The face of God

Yesterday a friend's grandson celebrated his first birthday. I remember when my wife and I went to the hospital to be with the family when he was born. After we were informed of his birth, we waited until time for us to go to the nursery to see him for the first time.

I remembered back to the birth of my own son. At first he was blue, and the delivery team had to deal with those attending issues. But finally there came a time when I was able to hold him in my arms for the first time. In my mind, he was the most beautiful, the most perfect creature I had ever seen. I knew I was going to be totally preoccupied with his very existence for quite a while.

Do you remember when your first child was born? Your first grandchild? You counted all the fingers and toes to make sure the count was right. You watched everything to function properly. You probably even wanted to see which side of the family the baby resembled most. All in all, you were immediately in love with this brand new person.

This gives us a unique perspective on how God might have felt the first time He saw Adam's face. 

I want more

Imagine this: the very first conscious memory you have is a picture of your dad's face being less than six inches away from your own. He is smiling, holding your head in his hands. He is talking to you, and the best word to describe how you feel is safe. There is no place on earth that compares to the feeling you have when you are in your father's arms.