Kazoo playing

When you look at this world from a humanistic perspective it is like mimicking a masterful music piece that is meant to be played by an orchestra and choir with a kazoo. It does not come near expressing what the artist meant it to be.

Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me

Jesus said, "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." Do I see my life in those words or am I seeking a comfortable pilgrimage on this earth? The greatest portrayal of the Gospel was at the cross. I need to let that sink into my heart, for the greatest proclamation of the Gospel in my life is found in this statement, "Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." To understand this I must look at the cross. But when I see Christ on the cross these words become stunning and uncomfortable. Impossible. I do not have that in me, anywhere. How could I suffer, in this way? How could I lose my life, in this way? But I must. I must, so that the gospel is preached. Because more stunning and more powerful are the words that call, "follow me". I think when you see these words for what they are you are like Isaiah who trembled and was helpless. The only place I see these words for what they are are in His presence and the only way I can live them is in His presence. If Christ did not say "follow me" there would be no hope. But He does say this and that He is with us, even to the ends of the earth.

--Hebrews 12:1,2

Listening to God

I think sometimes, when God speaks to us we try to fill in the gaps. I have learned that that is not how it works. He gives us his word and He fills in in the gaps in His timing and in His way.

Beautiful Daughters of the King

A few of the men made this for the women in my church this Friday:



Daughters of the King,


(written by Landon Lewis)
For lack of a better word I’ll declare
You blind as you look with unconcerned eyes
At your capturers but are unaware
That they already have you baited and tied.
With images of what is “beautiful”
They have brainwashed you to make you accept
That you are not physically wonderful
Because your look goes against their concept.
But dear lady I ask that you focus
Your eyes on your mirror but first your heart
To see the beauty you have failed to notice
And the outer beauty you had from the start.
If you look and are not able to see,
Open your ears and my words will set you free.


I listened as a man told a story on the radio about himself and his wife on their honeymoon. His wife had just gotten out of the shower in the morning and as she looked at herself in the mirror she began pointing out parts of her that were unattractive. Her husband walked up to her and placed his arms around her and faced her towards himself. He told her that she was insulting his wife; he would not have that. Then he gently said, “Look into my eyes.” She looked into his eyes. It was obvious in his eyes that there was no woman more beautiful. As she looked at him he said, “Let my eyes be your mirror.” . . . He would go on to tell her that throughout their marriage.


After hearing this story, I could hear Christ saying, “Look into my eyes, Let my eyes be your mirror.” I thought about this and I questioned whether or not I wanted this. I don’t want to just be told that I am loved. I want to face my sin. I want to have victory over it. I want a love that is real, not frivolous. Then I thought about Jesus’ gaze, the gaze that penetrates the deepest parts of the heart, leaving nothing unsearched. How it is stern and loving. There is no weakness to His love. He doesn’t lightly say, “I love you.” I realized that when Jesus says, “Look into my eyes”, His gaze not only searches the inmost being, but it also purifies the deepest sin.


There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
And searched . . .

She looked into His eyes and saw
severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
But was determined

She could no longer stand and fell . . .

His arms wrapped around her and
He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”

She looked into His eyes once again
And was consumed by His love.
And, and . . .
Amazed by the beauty He saw.
And yet His gaze had not changed.


As we look into His eyes, we see such great love, as He holds us in His arms and tells us that we are lovely. How could this be? A gaze so piercing and yet it contains such an enravished and gentle love, one drop being more than all the poems could contain. One drop bringing healing to our hurting heart. Such a love that makes you forget about yourself and abandon all as you are enraptured in romance of the Beloved. Now, all that matters is being with Him. Romance is at the heart of sanctification and holiness.


So let us, look into His eyes and let Him be our mirror. “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This is not a gaze into our idea or concept of who Jesus is. But it is the gaze of a broken and contrite heart that trembles at God’s word and allows His truth to run wild and rule as a lion, without compromise. It is a humble walk before our Creator and Lord. It is a gaze that lets Christ be who He is and a gaze that allows us to be who He is creating us to be. It is the gaze that takes our breath away.


“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His Marvelous light . . .” 1 Peter 2:9


(written by Landon Lewis)
Who are the sheep O’ Christ that you’d take their place
And be pierced through by your Father’s own hand
When it was they who deserved the disgrace
Because it was they who sinned through the first man?
Do you love them that much? Are you that attached?
Just because they were given didn’t mean
You had to save. The door you could have unlatched.
The darkness you could have left to be seen.
But no, you had to open their blind eyes
And take the corks out of their deafened ears
Then draw them through the door where salvation lies
And where your glory is sure to appear.
You did everything to save your own.



Daughters of the Father and beloved by the Most High, your beauty, both inner and physical, are wrapped around this, beholding Jesus. As your brothers and men, we want you to see and believe this beauty in you. The beauty that does not look at the worldly standards, which fall so short of what physical beauty is, but a physical and inner beauty so great that it defies imagination and is stunningly captivating. A beauty that is fit for the Kingdom and captures the heart of our King and your brothers.


In Him with love,

Your Brothers

Adaptation of an earlier poem

There she stood clothed, yet naked
Before Him who looked into her
heart.
Fire and judgment stirred relentlessly
And searched . . .


She looked into His eyes and saw
severity
He did not penetrate her heart purposelessly
But was determined


She could no longer stand and fell . . .


His arms wrapped around her and
He held her close
“My child, my child, come close”


She looked into His eyes once again
And was consumed by His love.
And, and . . .
Amazed by the beauty He saw.
And yet His gaze had not changed.

Mud in her toes

She ran through the leaves
Feeling the mud in her bare little toes,
A little hanging on the eaves of her dress.
She laughed as the rain soaked her curls.
She hopped and skipped, and did a little dance.

Her dad who once saw only rain,
Gray and gloom,
Lost sight of anything else,
But the sweet smile of his princess.
He was no longer soaked,
No longer drenched.
“My little beautiful princess,
May I have this dance.”
A giggle and a courtesy, "yes"

Holding her close
He asked,
"Aren’t you afraid of the rain."
“No, papa, God made the rain”
She giggled,
“And you’re with me, so I know I’ll be safe.”

What is our only comfort in life and death?

Heidelberg Catechism Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

Husbands love your wives

Ephesians 5:25-30

“25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body.”


The scriptures paint a beautiful picture of the passion and the enduring and enveloping love of a husband for his wife. It is interesting that the scriptures never command the wife to love her husband. The husband, however, is commanded to love his wife in the most intense and serving way. He is to lay down his life for her. Husbands, when the scripture commands us to love our wives it uses the word “agape”, the very sacrificial love that represents Christ’s love for His church. The scripture describes our wives as “cherished”, “delight of your eyes”, “beloved”, “praised”, “more precious than jewels”, and “favor of the LORD”. Our love for our wives is to be a picture of Christ’s love for the church. Husbands, this is a love that has at its primary goal the good and protection of your wife. It is a love that sacrificially guards her under the word of God. Not in harshness but in the gentle and romantic strength of washing her with the word. A Husband must seek to serve his wife, nourishing and cherishing her, loving his wife as his own body. This is not a typical love, it is more. It is romantic, yet strong; passionate, yet deep and healthy. So husbands let us romance our wives in the amazing love Christ. Husbands, cultivate this love for your wife. And men, we must not wait till we are married for us to cultivate this kind of love, whether you are single or married, we must cultivate a heart of love. We must cultivate a love that not only lays our life down for our wife, but also for others, as we represent Christ’s love as men.

Men that had understanding of the times

1 Timothy 2:1-6

1First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

I think in times like this, as Christians, we must be careful to hold fast to the council of our Lord and King. We must not respond out of our emotions or fear. No matter who rules, we have one King. A King who is mighty and because of that we do not fear and we are able to stand. In our pilgrimage, we are to be faithful observers of the times and are to live in understanding as we represent the Kingdom, in a fallen world. We are ambassadors, calling out on behalf of our King. And even in difficult times, we are to represent our King in our speech and conduct. And so we do not walk in this world like other men. We do not beguile or slander as other men, but we also do not back down on the truth, but remain faithful and honest, loving mercy and justice. We do not to fail to pray for the ungodly or to love or enemies. And we are not to fail to stand and be a banner, to be salt and light in this world, and to call out for repentance. We are honest about sin and we are bold in declaring salvation through Christ Jesus. God calls us to both be a rightful observer of the times and to be a call to repentance, but He also calls us to do this with respect and gentleness. When we fail to call out with gentleness and respect we become blinded by our own passions and are no longer able to see the times. When we fail to call men to repentance and fail to be honest about sin and make a stand, we become like the times or we become cold, lacking love. And in this I challenge myself, this is where I would like to be, and I ask for accountability, if I fail to represent my King. We must call these things out in each other and remind ourselves, we serve one King.


And of the sons of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times ,to know what Israel ought to do. --1 Chronicles 12:32

"Trust me"

I was talking with someone a while back about an issue that we disagreed on in the direction for a something. I told him that in the direction that we go we must follow scripture. Scripture must be the authority on the issue, not me and not him. I was able to point him not to my opinion, but to what the scripture said. He was unable to point me to scripture for what he believed. Despite that, he told me to trust him as a leader. I know someone else (actually many someone else’s) who have gone to a church where what the pastor taught was not to be questioned. You were supposed to trust the pastor since he was in authority. At that point these men have failed to be the leader the Bible tells him to be. They have sinned. Christ calls a leader to serve. He serves the people by serving the Word of God. It is the responsibility of a leader to be accountable to the scripture. If he refuses this he should not lead. He must be able to back up his position from scripture and is required to answer honest questions with scripture. He cannot say “just trust me”. A leader should be sorrowful when someone “trusts them”. Their ambition should be for people to trust and pursue Christ. And the only authority on how to do that is the scripture. A leader’s passion and call should be, “search the scriptures, to know Christ and obey Him. And trust Him”. I have also heard about teachings on how to interpret dreams. These teachings say in interpreting dreams “this” means “this” “so and so” means “so and so” and these are “the steps” of how to interpret dreams. The problems is that none of that teaching is found anywhere in scripture. It is unsubstantiated teaching. Unfortunately, this is only one of many examples that have plagued the church. Beloved, be wary of anyone who asks you to do anything or believe something that they cannot support with scripture. We must humble ourselves and place our selves under the Word of God. Like children, we must place ourselves under the care of our Father and under the care of His spoken Word. I don’t think anyone is perfect in this, but when we do fall, we shouldn’t run our own way or after distracting voices or be like the mule who has to be tethered to come near, not when our Father’s arms are wide open. We can crawl up into our Father’s arms and hear His voice as He speaks to us through scripture.


Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. – Acts 17:11


Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. -- 1 Timothy 4:13


All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. -- 2 Timothy 3:16,17


But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. –Titus 2:1


He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. -- Titus 1:9-11


If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. -- 1 Timothy 6:3-5


If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. -- 1 Timothy 4:6


Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15


I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. – 2 Timothy 4:1-4


For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -- Hebrews 4:12


I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. – 1 John 2:14


Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. -- 1 John 2:4-5a


Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. – Colossians 3:16

Gun fire

The last week or so there has been gun fire near where I live (something that is of course not unusual in this city and I am not in any danger). In some sense hearing the gun fire gave me peace. That might sound strange, but even if I were living away, I would still hear the gun shots in my heart. Not being here doesn't make the gunshots go away and it doesn't make them any less real. For me its harder to hide and still hear them, then to be here and hear them. But my feeling peace has convicted me. I shouldn't be settled with just living in this area. I have way too much pride. If I am not living out the gospel, that's no better than living somewhere else. I am still hiding. And so that is the question I pose to myself. As I frantically run trying to get things done, how can I present the Gospel? Right now, I don't know what I need to do, but with the Lord's help I would like to find out.

Whatever You're Doing

Halloween and Harry Potter, and the like

O you who love the LORD, hate evil! – Psalm 97:10


My heart breaks when I see Christians excited about Halloween or when I see a child carrying a Harry Potter book with them in a church. Many Christians feel comfortable with things like Halloween or Harry Potter and the like. I know this is often ignorance. When I see these things, I want to call on God like Elijah did for his servant, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” But we don’t have to have our eyes opened in that way to see the destruction that these things cause. When we look at these things through the lens of the scripture, the evil of these things are evident. Witchcraft, sorcery, familiar spirits are not a mild harmless thing. They are an abomination. God shared his heart with his people, “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord . And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.” (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). God calls these things an abomination. I think we must understand that when we participate in these things we are participating in the very things Hell was made for. "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me," says the Lord of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:5) "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 22:8). God’s heart is broken over the destruction of witchcraft and sorcery; He hates it. And when we participate in these things we are participating in the very things God hates.


Some would say that I am binding men’s consciences. No, we are bondservants of Christ and our consciences are bound to love the things He loves and to hate the things He hates. Beloved, Christ has set us free from the evil and sin to which we once gave ourselves as slaves and were in bondage to. We are to no longer be bound by them. Listen to Acts 19:18-20. You can hear bonds crashing to the ground in an uproar of joy, “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.” Christ went to the cross to set us free from the bondage of sin. True freedom is coming close enough to Christ to hear His heartbeat, to know the things He loves and the things He hates, and to embrace righteousness. We don’t hate evil because we are legalistic or in bondage, we hate evil because we are in love with Christ and we are enamored by the things he loves. This is freedom. Below are some scriptures that talk about God’s feelings toward witchcraft and sorcery, there are more, but those below should suffice. Read them and get close to the heart of your God.


Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21

"Do not practice divination or sorcery.” – Leviticus 19:26

And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. - - Leviticus 20:6

"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." – Revelation 22:8

Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. –Revelation 22:15

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord . And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so.” –Deuteronomy 18:9-12

Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. -- Acts 19:18-20

“Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I [am] the LORD your God.” - - Leviticus 19:31

"A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them." - - Leviticus 20:27

You shall not allow a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death. -- Exodus 22:18,19

Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:31

For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. I Samuel 15:23

And when they say to you, "Consult the mediums and the wizards who whisper and mutter," should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? Isaiah 8:19

"Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien, and do not fear Me," says the Lord of Hosts. Malachi 3:5