Worship God

Christa and I got home last night from the Woship God 08 Conference in Gaithersburg MD. I was so tired that I simply flopped like a little lump into my bed. After sleeping on a floor for 5 days, you really learn to appreciate your own bed :)

The conference centered around the Psalms and rediscovering the unsearchable greatness of our God as displayed through the Psalms. I will post more at a later time (once I have time to process all the mass of information that is swarming in my head) but let me just start by saying this conference was amazing.

God truly provided lavishly throughout this past week. Through someone's anonymous generosity, God answered my prayer and provided a way for me to attend the WG08 conference. He knew I could not afford a hotel room for 5 days, so He graciously provided a place to stay too. What a blessing the Perdue family was to me this past few days. Then He provided several meals through the generosity of several families. He allowed my allergies to not act up too severely, though almost every meal I ate was at a restaurant. He provided nights of restful sleep, though the hours were few.

But mostly, He provided me with a greater glimpse of Himself... a deeper view into the well of His provision... a brighter picture of His glory and care.

In some ways, WG08 started similar to NA08... I was tired going into the conference and had sinned so much in the first 30 minutes that it was almost absurd. I was very aware of my need and dependence on God. As He began to reveal more of my sin, in His kindness, He granted my heart the gift of repentance, instead of leaving me in condemnation and guilt.

God revealed so much of Himself through the conference. Bob Kauflin encouraged us at the beginning of the conference to take some time while we were there and read through the Psalms. Through that, I was repeatedly impressed with one truth... the Lord is a God of steadfast love and faithfulness...

more on that later.

You Never Let Go

by Matt Redman

Buried and Raised in Christ - Union

Yesterday was baptism Sunday at church. I hope to have pictures soon to be able to post, but I just want to say it was simply an awesome day.

During worship, God was reminding me of my union with Christ... the joy found in that truth... and how marriage and baptism are both a picture of that union. I didn't expect baptism to remind me of marriage (especially since I'm not married), but here's what was going through my mind...

1. it is a public display - I am commited to this person forever and I want everyone to know.

2. it is a time of rejoicing corporately - the entire church joined in the celebration... they rejoiced, they clapped, they gave hugs galore!!!

3. some people laugh and hoop and holler, some cry. Not a big surprise here, but I was the latter. :)

4. in a wedding, your dad typically gives you away. in baptism, my spriritual leader, friend and pastor had the honor of baptising me. You could see in his eyes that he was rejocing with me, you could sense and feel it as he hugged me, and smiled and cried. so much was wrapped up in that moment. He cares for my soul with such excellence. God has lavishly blessed our church with not just one amazing leader, but three! what a gift. I am grateful beyond words.

5. it reveals the levels and depths of friendships - some stand close by your side in a wedding... some just hug you for all its worth while they are in their church clothes and you're sopping wet. at that moment, the last 5 years re-entered my mind... a friendship that has been formed by only God's grace alone... a friendship sweeter than I ever could have asked for. the main reason I had the honor of even standing there at that moment, dripping and smelling of chlorine, was because of how God worked in and through my sweet friend, Jessica Britt. Her patience, love and care is what led me to Christ. Her example made the gospel appealing to me - a sinner who had until that moment been content to wallow in my sin. So, Jess (since I know you're reading this)... thank you. Thank you for obeying the Spirit when He asked you to reach out to me. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your ongoing care over the past 5 (but especially the last 2 1/2 years). I'm not the same person that I was 5 years ago as a result. I pray that God lavishly, richly blesses you. I pray you feel His pleasure. I pray that I will be able to be the same friend to another struggling hopeless visitor, that you were to me.


It was a beautiful day. Every testimony given made me cry. God's grace is not merely great enough to reach into our sin-ravaged lives, He does it in a specific, personal, tender, caring, intimate way. Just like no proposal is the same... no salvation is the same.

Jesus truly is sweet. It is an honor to call Him mine. It is a joy to be in union with Him. It is my delight to serve Him. What a joy. What a splendid time of sweetness that has begun.

To be honest, I didn't expect all that...

I Will Sing

I will sing of your strength;

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

and a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength,

I will sing praises to you,

for you, O God, are my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love.

Psalm 59

God's Power

I feel so blessed to be a part of my church body. Yesterday was refreshing, though hectic. God kindly allowed a sweet time of worship that prepared my heart to spend the rest of the day watching kids.

Typically, when I'm watching the kids during the sermon, I feel like I'm missing what God has to say to me, and miss altogether that His will for me that day is to use what He's been teaching me and serve the children with joy. Talk about application - serving seventeen 1-3 year olds with joy when 5 of them won't stop crying is a challenging day even for the most experienced person!

Arriving at church in the middle of a "discussion" (christian term for "fight") is a difficult way to start any Sunday morning. And knowing that my sin of laziness and pride (no concern for other's time schedules thereby causing us to be late) was the reason that the "discussion" began anyway is not only a difficult, but also a humbling way to start the day.

But God graciously gave us the grace to work through it and prepare our hearts for worship and service, strategically using that fight to humble me and once again point me to my utter desperate need for Him and His power to work in me. I prayed before the service specifically that His power would work in and through me and that I would rejoice in Him and His work.

Danger Will Robinson - pray for God's power to overwhelm you, and *surprise* what an ovewhelming glimpse I saw in the following 45 minutes.

When worship began, God impressed on my heart to pray for the Minards. Chris has been suffering now for a while with physical problems that seem to have no cause or cure. While singing songs about God's faithfulness through trials, my prayer the entire time was for God's healing hand to touch this fellow servant and friend. This family has portrayed God's power with excellence throughout this ordeal - trusting God to be bigger and greater than this "light and temporary affliction" that has radically altered their lives.

Three songs into the set, Jim took a break to allow time for us to pray for those in our midst who were hurting. Chris, always looking to serve, ran immediately to pray with someone else. What humility and grace is at work in his life!

As I was praying with Ann I was struck with what an honor it is to bear up together with this family and carry their burdens to the Mercy Seat, approaching a compassionate Savior who delights in His children asking Him for more grace and mercy. So, in faith, with heavy hearts but trusting in a powerful Savior, we pleaded. We asked not only specifically for healing, but also for more grace and mercy from a God that abundanty lavishes help on the needy.

No sonner than I returned to my seat, we began to sing "It is Well." God reminded me of a time when Heidi had shared a testimony about how God had brought sweet freedom and joy through the 3rd verse of this song ("...my sin, not in part but the whole was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more..."). I felt compelled to go remind her of that hope - to remind her of that forgiveness that is true not only for our justification, but that is powerfully working now through our struggles of sanctification.

I fought for the first verse and 1/2 of the song - after all, I had just walked all the way across the room to pray with Ann. I didn't want to be a "distraction" to anyone by walking out again (I was sitting in the front row on the other side of the room from both Ann and Heidi). The biblical category for this would be arrogant pride (I know better than the Holy Spirit's urging) and the fear of man (what will they think!?)

The thought became more urgent as the song progressed, as the Holy Spirit was working in my heart to once again, go and pray with a fellow believer. So, I repented of my sin and followed His leading. I simply gave her a hug and reminded her "the hope from that day (when she first understood those words) is true for today, for right now too." She broke down in tears and began sharing with me that she was discouraged and very overwhelmed right now and that she really needed to be reminded of that truth. As I walked back to my seat, having left her - arm around her husband - in a puddle of tears, I was again, rejoicing in the overwhelming power of God.

At another point in the set, we sang "What a Savior." I don't think I have ever heard (or sung) the words "full atonement, can it be?" with such excitement, hope and joy. What a glorious sound! How I'm grateful to be a part of my church body. How I'm amazed that God can work through my life to bring greater glory to Him!

I'm more aware today than I was yesterday of the truth of the words "What a Savior!" I pray that tomorrow I wake up saying the same thing.

Blindness

Today is Sunday - a day of worship - a day to reflect on the amazing grace of God and His wonderful blessings in our lives. Praise God, I have not had a migraine since last Sunday, and though I have had auras, headaches, etc, I was able to sing today during worship. Despite the seeming unending technical difficulties with the sound system, it was such an encouragement to stand and view the faces of my church family - many who are suffering, many who are weary - to see those faces offering a sacrifice of praise to God - the One who faithfully sustains through all trials.

To see hands lifted high in worship to the One who cried tears so that their eyes could be dried. To see Jim singing with tear-filled eyes, sorrowing for the loss of his dear wife and best friend of so many years. To see Rose catch my eye with a smile on her face, realizing that my standing there was an answer to her prayers. To see Christa, with both hands lifted high and a smile on her face not because of her uncomfortable silence, but because her trustworthy God is proving Himself to be greater. To see Jimmy standing on the front row speechless, with joy on his face - and knowing that he slept last night after countless nights of insomnia! To see Dave working on the sound board, rejoicing that He's able to stand today and not be in so much pain that he can't be at church. To see new faces, that for the first time were experiencing that time of corporate worship. To see Kayce, knowing this was her second worship service as a Christian - I'm overwhelmed by God's greatness at work in our midst. Its an honor to stand side by side with such faithful Christians approaching the Throne of Grace together.

During our worship rehersal this morning, we were practicing "Grace Unmeasured" and Jim took a moment to point out to the band an evidence of grace in Danny Robert's life. Danny (our pianist) is in his young twenties and he and his wife, Nikki had a son 2 1/2 months ago. Baby Bentley had to be rushed to the NICU shortly after birth and spent the first few weeks of his life struggling to survive. By God's grace, Bentley came to church last Sunday for the first time. What a joy to see his tiny body in his mother's arms. What a sweet time of rejocing that was.

And then to find out today that Bentley is legally blind and may never see clearly or live a "normal" life. To hear Danny talk about that with a smile on his face because he knows that God will continue to sustain. To see gratefulness in his heart overflowing through his sparkling eyes because his dear son should be dead, but is still miraculously with us. What an evidence of God's overwhelming and abundant grace at work.

I have much to learn from Danny and Nikki. I thank God for bringing them to us 2 years ago. Our body would not be the same without them.

I pray that God in His abundant mercy would heal Bentley. But I realized today that if He doesn't do this, that the first face Bentley will ever see is the face of His Creator! What an honor! What a joy that would be!! To be blind, with no grasp of beauty and then to wake up to complete Beauty that is ever-present. To see men as "trees walking" and then walk hand in hand with the One who heals both soul and body!

I pray that God would most importantly draw dear Bentley to Him - that He would resuce His soul and provide a peace that has nothing to do with physical blindness. I know He can do this, for He has healed my spiritual blindness. He caused my scaly eyes to view a glimpse of His glory on the amazing, horrible Cross. I pray the same for Bentley. And I pray that the Jesus who had mercy on the weak and hurting, would show, yet again, his abundant mercy on His weak and hurting children - that He would lavish Danny and Nikki with overflowing, ever-present, tender grace.

Come Weary Saints - part 2

How do you define a good CD? Is it something that makes you feel good? Is it something that evokes a certain emotion or reaction? Is it something that is pleasing to your ears? What makes it "good"?

I would like to propose that "Come Weary Saints" the newest album by Sovereign Grace Music is a good CD. Good, not because it makes me feel good, but good because of what it is about. I posted earlier this morning about one of the songs. Since then, the CD been on "repeat" in iTunes and has been playing over and over again. Over the next few days, I plan to post in more detail about each of the songs.

One thing I've noticed is that this CD is about hope. But its not about a hope based in the absence of trials, its about finding our hope in Christ - choosing to trust a Hope right in the midst of trials. This hope and peace does not means what the world typically thinks of as hope and peace. Its not a "feel good" thing at all.

Our hope is found in the love of Jesus. My freedom is found in Him, not in the abscence of trials or struggles. The third song on the album "As Long As You Are Glorified" talks about this hope.

It is a song I desperately need to hear over and over again, and a song that my selfish and prideful heart wants to skip. My heart willingly thanks God in times of blessings and days of sunshine and then grumbles when it rains. It is hard to sing wholeheartedly "let your will be done in me - I long for nothing else but that You are glorified." Those words hurt. Those words don't easily roll off my tongue.

They need to be learned. They need to be rehersed. They need practice, for I tend to neglect those words. I forget that my God is sovereign (“Sovereignty is the exclusive right (legal or moral entitlement) to have complete control over an area of governance, people, or oneself. A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority, subject to no other.” (definition taken from Wikipedia)). I forget that God is loving. My heart looks away from that Hope. I forget Psalm 23 - that God accompanies in the valleys (2. Cor 12:9, Mk 14:35-36, Lam 3:21-24, Hab 3:17-19) but that He also leads through the valleys (Job 42:12-17, Genesis 45).

I want to learn this lesson. I don't want someone to write about me one day what was written about the children of Israel in Psalm 81.

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Shall I take from your hand your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain?
Shall I thank you for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain?
Shall I love you in times of plenty
Then leave you in days of drought?
Shall I trust when I reap the harvest
But when winter winds blow then doubt?

Oh let your will be done in me
In your love I will abide.
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As you are glorified.

Are you good only when I prosper,
And true only when I’m filled?
Are you King only when I’m carefree,
And God only when I’m well?
You are Good when I’m poor and needy
You are True when I’m parched and dry.
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night.

Oh let your will be done in me
In your love I will abide.
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As you are glorified.

So quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
In You

Oh let your will be done in me
In your love I will abide.
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As you are glorified.

Written by Mark Altrogge
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Father, give me more grace to trust in You. Let your love compel me to say "no matter what - your will be done." God, your glory is amazing, and I only glimpse the fringes. May my life highlight your glory. May you be satisfied with my sacrifice - not a sacrifice of words, but a sacrifice of praise from a heart that is full of You.

Come Weary Saints

Yesterday, I received a copy of the new album from Sovereign Grace Ministries, "Come Weary Saints." This album is a beautiful reminder of God's sustaining grace through every trial we face. I have the feeling this will quickly become one of my favorites. (the link to purchase the CD can be found here .)

the line-up is as follows:
1. Hide Away In the Love of Jesus
2. So I Will Trust You
3. As Long as You are Glorified
4. Oh the Deep Deep Love
5. Every Day
6. Through the Precious Blood
7. You Have Always Been Faithful
8. Healing in Your Wings
9. Joy in my Morning
10. Glorious
11. I Have a Shelter
12. It is Not Death to Die

Though each song is a reminder of God as the solution to (and greater than) each problem that we face, I want to focus on one song specifically that already been an encouragement and challenge to me - "Through the Precious Blood." A post from last week was as a result of God using in my heart 3 words from the sample version of that song - "grace upon grace." As the trials heap up in my life, as I feel bombarded with wave after wave, my Father promises freely grace upon grace.

This grace is not a cheap grace -it came at great cost - through the precious blood of Christ. Grace from a Father that has ordained every step I take. Grace abundant from a God that makes no mistakes. Satisfying grace that is offered to us freely.

Scripture assures us - that God is soverengly using our difficulties as tool to make us more like His Son. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5: 3–5). While we know these things are true, in the midst of our hardships we can lose perspective. Problems can loom large, and our hopes can grow dim.

Come Weary Saints is an invitation to redirect your focus to the God whose love has been forever demonstrated at the cross of Calvary. As you listen to these songs, may your faith and joy in the Savior be strengthened for the challenges you face, now or in the future. (review from http://www.sovereigngracemusic.org/albums)

Mighty is the Power of the Cross

What can take a dying man
And raise him up to life again?
What can heal the wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness? Brokenness?

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the Holy cross.
Where the Lamb lay down His life
To lift us from the fall.
Mighty is the power of the cross.

What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones?
What can save and overcome? Overcome?

It's a miracle to me
It's a miracle to me
It's still a mystery
And it's still a mystery
It's a miracle to me
The power of God
Those who believe

Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the Holy cross.
Where the Lamb lay down His life
To lift us from the fall.

Oh and mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the Holy cross.
Where the Lamb lay down His life
To lift us from the fall.
Mighty is the power of...
Mighty is the power of...
Mighty is the power of the cross.

Thank You for the cross.
Thank You for the cross.
I love the cross.
I love the cross.
It's a powerful cross.

What can take a dying man (thank You Jesus)
And raise him up to life again? (thank You Jesus)
Worship You Jesus (wonderful cross)
By Your wounds we are healed
By Your wounds we are saved

Mighty is the power of the cross (echo)
Mighty is the power of the cross (echo)
Thank You Jesus
For the Holy cross
- Chris Tomlin

Sweetly Broken