Altars to God

The other day when trying to figure out what to write and looking for some inspiration I asked my mom what she had been reading in her Bible. She came back with a wonderful verse that had jumped out at her. 

Exodus 20 in the last part of verse 24. "Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you."

That got me thinking. "Wherever I cause my name to be remembered" God says. Where is that in our lives? What are the things that God does that cause us to remember His name? Often we see it in times of trouble. I was only ten years old when the 9/11 attack on our country happened in 2001 but I still clearly remember how thousands of people flocked to churches in their communities. Our nation turned to God in a way I had never seen before. Isn't that how it often goes? Something bad happens, or something scares us, we realize that we don't have control and we turn to God, desperately seeking His comfort and help. Then the danger passes and we go on our way again. We're a lot like the lepers in Luke 17:11-17.

Ten lepers cried out to Jesus, asking for healing. He gave them instructions to show themselves to the priests and as they went they were healed. But only one man came back to thank Him.

Wouldn't you think that would be an occasion where God caused His name to be remembered? I mean healing of leprosy! That's a huge deal! And yet only one man came back and thanked Jesus for what He'd done. I think that the fact that he came back shows that the man was building an altar, a memorial, in his own heart that he would look back on in his life and remember to be grateful for what Jesus had done for him. But what about the other nine? Where was their altar?

And where is ours? So often in those times of trouble we do turn to God, begging Him for help and deliverance but how often, after He helps us, do we remember to thank Him? How often do we build an altar to Him in our hearts so that we can look back and remember His faithful deliverance? At least in my own life I know it's not often enough.

Then there's the second part of the sentence "I will come to you and bless you". Oh what a verse! But be careful. To quote a favorite song "Blessings" by Laura Story 

"Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops 

What if your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you're near 

What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?"

God's blessings don't always look like pretty Christmas packages wrapped with a bow and placed under the tree but that doesn't make them any less important. Our good and perfect Father gives us the blessings we need even when they're not the ones we want.

So what altar do you need to build in your heart today to remember where God has made His name known? And what blessings has He given you that you may have overlooked? 

Zach Williams "Old Church Choir"

Over a year ago my friend told me about this wonderful song. Now I keep Zach William's album "Chain Breaker" on my Spotify account so when I'm having a bad day and need to lift my spirits (or if I want something besides Disney music to dance to at work- please don't judge) I can turn that on. About halfway into the album "Old Church Choir" comes on and I never fail to smile when I hear it. Here's the lyrics.

"There's revival, and it's spreading
Like a wildfire in my heart
Sunday morning, Hallelujah
And it's lasting all week long"

Wouldn't it be great if we routinely took what we've learned on Sunday morning and actually carried it through the whole week? Letting it grow and spread through us until that love and joy spread to others? After all isn't that what God calls us to do?

"Can you hear it?
Can you feel it?
It's the rhythm of a gospel song
Oh, once you choose it, you can lose it
There ain't nothing, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy

I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy"

Okay I admit that finding a way to keep from losing your joy is ridiculously hard but it's also super important. I believe that's one of the main ways that Satan tries to attack us- by stealing our joy. Find a way to keep that from happening, whether's it's a song like this one or a friend who can cheer you up, maybe a favorite Scripture verse. Ask God to help you find a way that you don't lose your joy when life gets you down.  

"When the valleys that I wander
Turn to mountains that I can climb
Oh, you are with me, never leave me
Oh, 'cause there ain't nothing, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy"

Life isn't easy. Without a doubt those valleys are going to get you feeling low and those mountains are going to be impossible but that's when it becomes even more important to cling to God and find His joy in your life.

"I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steel my joy

Clap your hands and stomp your feet
Till you find that gospel beat
'Cause it's all you'll ever need, all you'll ever need
Clap your hands and stomp your feet
Till you find that gospel beat
'Cause it's all you'll ever need
All you'll ever need

I've got an old church choir, singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation, and it's beautiful

I got an Old Church Choir singing in my soul
I got a sweet salvation and it's beautiful
I've got a heart overflowing 'cause I've been restored
There ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
No, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy
Oh, there ain't nothing gonna steal my joy"

Songwriters: Zach Williams / Ethan Hulse / Colby Wedgeworth

Old Church Choir lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Music Services, Inc

So there it is. One of my favorite songs to rock out to when I need to remind myself of the joy of God.

My Family

Since I'm spending the weekend with my family it seemed appropriate to talk a little bit about the wonderful, crazy people that make up my family.

Of course it starts with my parents. Married for over 40 years I talk about Mom and Dad on here a lot. They're the rocks that hold this group together, and of course, where it all started. They are our shoulders to cry on, a listening ear, sometimes a stern talking to and always our encouraging cheerleaders and wise advisers. We always know they're praying for us and ready to offer a helping hand or a warm meal and a place to crash whenever we need it.

Johnny is the oldest of our crew. He and Christine have been married for almost nine years now and have blessed our family with the addition of 7 year old E, 4 year old A and 2 year old M. These kiddos are the light of our lives and we all dote on them. Johnny's the typically overprotective big brother who still watches out for us and always will.

Cassy's next. Always an ambitious, driven person she has a heart of gold but still likes to tell us what to do. She keeps us on track and is typically the one jumping in to organize events and put things together, which I have no idea how she does that with her crazy busy schedule but she's amazing that way. And in every other way. She's a pretty incredible person all the way around and we wouldn't know what to do without her.

Benj is probably more laid back then the older two. He and Ashley have been married for 7 years now and we're so grateful to have her be part of the family. They're jokers but that just keeps things fun. Both in sales they're people persons and that means that they're pretty good at understanding the in and out dynamics of this crew. A useful tool with this many people together.

Toby joined our family as a teenager but he's as much family as those of us born into it. Legally he may not be a relative but any of would happily fight someone who tried to say he wasn't our brother. This year he brought his Ashley along and she's been a joy to get to know. Toby and Benj are the same age, just a few weeks apart, so it's been like having twins and the moment that they get together the laughter is sure to follow!

And then there's me, the baby of the family but you all know me already. So there it is, the crazy group that make up some of the people that I love most and always enjoy getting to spend time with. That's what makes this such a fund weekend! Hope you all have as great of a time as I'm having!

Heaven's Harmony

Have you ever tried to imagine what heaven will be like? Sometimes you hear it described as people worshiping together and enjoying fellowship in love and and harmony but that's hard to imagine in our broken world. Many of us have experience with churches and relationships that are broken and divided by malicious words, bitter feelings and hateful gossip that can separate us from each other and from the Lord, eventually leading us to ruin. It's not a pretty picture. But was it always this way? Has the church always struggled with these things?

The short answer is when you put a group of people together for any length of time problems are going to crop up because people are sinners and we live in a fallen world. Christians aren't sinless saints they're broken sinners who have seen their need for a Savior and started down the road to sanctification. In simpler terms, we're saints because we've repented and been forgiven, not because we've stopped sinning.

However I was reading in Acts about the very beginning of the church and I found a beautiful picture that I think must be a little like getting a sneak peek into heaven.

Acts 2: 42-47
"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day the continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those were being saved."

Okay, so as far as I know in heaven we won't have property to buy or sell. There will be no one in need either. There's probably a few other things that means it's not a perfectly accurate picture of heaven but there's a theme throughout these verses that we will see in heaven. Unity. Love. Harmony. Fellowship.

These are things that we as humans crave, acceptance, belonging, and sometimes we are blessed to find that here on earth. We find that feeling in our friends, our relationships, even our churches. It's not perfect but that's why we look to the future because someday we will experience even more then what the apostles and early believers experienced in Acts 2. Someday in heaven we will be at peace with each other, find our true home, a place to belong, and a unity and harmony unlike any we see on earth.

The Struggle of Creativity

Writing is hard. Just the other day I sat at my computer, a story in my head that I wanted to put down on paper. By the time I walked away the screen I had less then a page, an incomplete scene. The story was still in my head but I couldn't seem to get it on the page, at least not completely. Instead I walked away with just a partial image. And yet the next day I went back to that page to try again. Why do we do it? Why do we struggle with this thing we call art?

Painters do it every time they step up to a canvas, writers do it, dancers and performers do it when they walk on to a stage, woodworkers do it when they pick up a board, all artists do it. Many artists describe it as almost a compulsion, they can't not create. And those who aren't artists also have a need or a desire to enjoy art. There's something magical about connecting to a performance, a song, a picture that stimulates your emotions or transports you to a different time or place.

What is it? Why do we create? Why do we enjoy the creativity of others? Why do we find that, throughout history, there have been artists and those who've appreciated their work?

I believe the first part of that answer is found in Genesis 1:27, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

We were created by a creative God. And we were created in His image. I believe that's where that desire to create comes from. And as for the appreciation of creativity Genesis 1:31 says "God saw that he had made, and it was very good..." God didn't just create us and our world and everything in it then ignore it, He saw it, I think maybe He studied it like an painter studies a painting, but unlike us human artists He didn't see imperfections because His creation was perfect, and He saw that. So He stepped back and saw that it was good.

But here's the rest of the equation in Galatians 6:5 The Voice says "each person has his or her own burden to hear and story to write." The Message words it a bit differently "each of you must take responsibility for fulfilling the creative best you can with your own life."

We've all been made in God's image, we've all been given this desire to create and an appreciation for creativity. Sometimes it's creating things like stories or pictures or a performance, sometimes it's different. Finding ways to creatively teach so different kids can finally connect with the lesson. Finding ways to create a dinner for your family or organize your house is another form of creativity.

Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..."

What has God given you to create today? Are you struggling to create something? Don't give up, keep going back to that paper, that canvas, that stage, or that stove, or classroom, wherever it is that God has given you to be creative with remember, that desire came from the Lord and do all things unto Him.

C.S. Lewis' Advice in a Letter

John 3:30 "He must become greater, I must become less."

In The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III
Compiled in Yours, Jack

C.S Lewis quotes John 3:30 and talks about this concept that John the Baptist was describing. In his letter he talks about the fact that this process will never be completed in our world. It can't be. The best we can hope for is to get a good start and get a little further along as the years go on. 

He also talks about the fact that we can't see this change taking place. We don't have a real clear perspective on ourselves, only God sees our heart. Have you ever listened to an audio recording of yourself? It doesn't sound like your voice does it? But others can identify it as you. It only sounds different because you're hearing your own voice as everyone else always does.

It's similar with our own hearts. We can be deceptive about our motives and intentions, we can even deceive ourselves. The only one we can't deceive is God. He always knows the truth. 

C.S. Lewis goes on in his letter to apparently answer a question to his friend. He says that as for what you can do about this concept of the Lord increasing as we decrease you can go on living your life and rejoicing in what God has given you. He references Philippians 4:4 at this point which reads "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice."

This is my favorite part in the letter. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to do everything just right. We think we have to force ourselves to complete some kind of ritual or be absolutely perfect in order to draw closer to the Lord but the fact is that it's just not true. That's why Jesus came, and why He ultimately ascended to heaven again, to give us the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us today. So that as we seek the Lord in our daily lives we draw closer to Him day by day. Rarely does it happen in epic leaps and bounds, rarely do we see the small, incremental changes taking place in us but He is working and we are changing, even if we don't realize it. So why not enjoy the process, the journey, and the blessings He's given us today. And as we enjoy those things, and we thank Him and praise Him for those things our hearts will change and we will begin to decrease as He increases. 

One last point, as C.S. Lewis finishes his letter he says something truly remarkable.

"As to your spiritual state, try my plan. I pray 'Lord, show me just show much (neither more nor less) about myself as I need for doing thy will now."

Now that is some incredible advice from a man who truly sought for the Lord to increase and himself to decrease.

A Prayer for the People

Reading in my Bible the other day I came to Paul's letter to the church in Colosse. I was struck by his great love for this church and it's people, people that he had never met face to face. This is the love of God and the joy we get from knowing others who share our faith. It brings about a sweetness in fellowship unlike any other.

Paul tells the people exactly what he and his coworkers in the ministry are praying for them. It's found in Colossians 1 starting in verse 9.

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

We also pray that you will be strengthened will all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins."

Paul's letter continues from here and reminds the believers that Christ is supreme, admonishes them to stand firm in the truth and cites his own qualifications as God's chosen emissary to the Gentiles but it's those verses, nine through fourteen, that I really want to focus on today.

First Paul tells them that they have not stopped praying for them since they first heard about the church. Can you imagine? You're a new church of believers and you learn that this very famous apostle and his group of coworkers are praying for you. That would be pretty extraordinary! But he doesn't stop there, he explains what they're praying for.

Complete knowledge of the Lord's will and for you to have spiritual wisdom and understanding. Yeah, there's times I think we'd all like a healthy dose of that!

That the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and that your lives will produce every kind good fruit and continue to grow as you learn more and more about God.
Paul says they also pray that church will be strengthened, filled with joy and always thanking God for what He's done for them.

 Is there a better prayer that you could ask for? After all aren't these the things that we're striving after?

That's what I love so much about this prayer that Paul prays for the church in Colosse. Next time you're trying to pray for someone or a group of people, or even if you're praying for yourself, and you're not sure what words to use go take a look at this prayer in Colossians 1. I think you'll be inspired by what you find there.