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My Utmost for His Highest

23 Aug

Dear God, I was reading a friend’s blog this morning–it’s a weekly that I never miss. He talked about finding work that is within your gifting and how there is really nothing quite like it. I resonated with it. I’m in a job right now that I really do love, and my skillset seems to fit what’s required of me to be effective. It stretches me. It stretches my faith. I’m still wholly dependent upon you for the success of the organization, and I still do my best to give you the glory for the good that we do. But I feel really good about my career and am not seeking anything else.

As Fred’s blog progressed, however, he talked about Peter and how Jesus called him out of his natural proclivity for fishing and made him a “shepherd” instead. This wasn’t necessarily in Peter’s gifting, but he certainly had specific gifts of personality and ability that he brought to the job. One gift was his boldness. The church needed Peter in a way that it didn’t need John. For example, in Acts 3:1-10 Peter and John are walking to the Temple when a man “crippled from birth” calls to them for money. “Peter looked at him, as did John.” (verse 4) But it was Peter who spoke. It was Peter who called on Jesus’ power to heal the man. John was great, but he was often just a witness. The church wouldn’t have grown nearly as much if John had been the rock on which Jesus built his church. Being a “shepherd” might not have been in Peter’s wheelhouse, but it wasn’t “Peter’s Utmost for Peter’s Happiest.” It’s “Peter’s Utmost for Your Highest.” (For anyone reading this, this title and these quoted phrases are a reference to a daily devotion by Oswald Chambers called “My Utmost for His Highest.”)

This part of Fred’s blog got me to thinking about the things I’ve been called to do at which I didn’t turn out to be very good. One was parenting a teenager. Maybe there are a lot of people who would say that no one is good at parenting a teenager–and there might be some truth to that. For me, however, this is an area at which I feel like a complete failure. My children are older now and out of the house, but I still feel like I am an inadequate father for them. My prayer is that you are giving something that they specifically need through me of which I’m not aware. You made me their parent for a reason. I know I’ve prayed for them every day. I have faith that you have your hand directing their lives in ways that I cannot see. Part of that faith is believing that there is something I’m giving them as a father that I can’t see either.

Father, I give you my utmost for your highest in every aspect of my life. Of course, I will fail at this pledge, but I promise I’m not intentionally holding anything back. At this point, while my happiness is not irrelevant, it is certainly secondary (or even tertiary) to your will, your plan, and my duty to love you with all of my strength and love my neighbor as myself. You might now have happiness for me down this path, but I am assured by your word that you have peace for me there.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 23, 2018 in Acts, Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories, My Utmost for His Highest Scripture of the Day

 

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Psalm 42

21 Aug

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon —from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

Dear God, I love it when people are vulnerably honest. This psalm is that way. My extended family lost someone this week, and there is mourning. There are tears. and even though there is comfort in you—and hope in you—and even though we are glad his suffering is over and he is with you, it’s still hard.

I’m glad you allow for that. I’m glad that kind of situation is accounted for in scriptures like this one. You know us. You made us. You built us to mourn when we lose someone.

I’m going to be talking at the funeral this week. I will have an opportunity to point other family and friends to you. Speak through me and help me to be your voice to his children and grandchildren. Give them a sense of your presence and touch them.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 21, 2018 in Psalms

 

Once upon a time… (for Uncle Jack)

20 Aug

Psalm 23 (KJV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Dear God, once upon a time there was a man sitting in his barracks room in a foreign land. He was a pilot in the Air Force, and it was a time of war.

He was a good man. A father. A husband. A son. A brother. A soldier. He grew up dry-land cotton farming in a small town where a good chunk of his class in school were cousins. He went to Baptist church every Sunday growing up. One day, when he was about 11, the pastor was doing what Baptist preachers do every Sunday–giving the invitation. His great uncle knocked him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t you think you should go up?” So he did, submitting his life to you, asking for your forgiveness for his failings, and throwing himself into your mercy. Seeds were planted back then–much like the cotton seeds in the field. They grew and developed into character. It’s not like he started pursuing you with everything he had, but the fruit of your Spirit began to grow in him nonetheless. He became a man of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, and self control.

As he grew, he wanted to be a pilot. He wanted to serve his country. He wanted to sacrifice. He married and they had a little girl, but the life of a career soldier requires sacrifice, usually unfair and very hard sacrifice, of everyone. And in wartime, you never know where your duty will take you.

Which leads us back to our man, sitting in his barracks, alone. He would gladly admit later to anyone who asked that he was scared. His missions lately had been at night, flying combat over a warzone. While he flew, he could see tracer bullets and anti-aircraft missiles being launched. Chatter from other pilots filled his ears, warning each other of incoming dangers. Air superiority did not mean safe air. He was in danger at every moment.

So he sat there this one afternoon. It was time to get ready to go, but for the first time in his life he was immobilized with fear. It had finally gotten to him. He couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in that cockpit, flying at over 500 mph straight into harm’s way. No, he wouldn’t do it tonight.

“But that’s not the kind of job where you just decide not to go,” he told me. “They don’t take too kindly to that in the Air Force.” If he decided to not go, he didn’t know what it would mean for him, his family, or the ground forces that were depending upon him, his plane, and his mission.

All of a sudden a thought came to him–we’ll assume it was the Holy Spirit. “I have a Bible in my bedside table. I need that right now.” It had been a while since he had read the Bible. He had never read it regularly. But the phrase, “There are no atheists in foxholes,” rang true for him in that moment. Not that he was ever an atheist, and not that there was ever a time when he didn’t love you. But let’s just say it had been a while.

He didn’t know where to start so he took his Bible and just let it fall open. He decided to read whatever came up and look for strength in it. There he found the passage that he had heard at funerals and church services his whole life: Psalm 23. He read it and a peace started to pass over him. He read it again. More peace.

…valley of the shadow of death

…fear no evil

…thou art with me

…thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me

…thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies (his favorite part)

…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

Buoyed by only this psalm of David, our man was able to get dressed and report to his assignment. He chuckled as he released his bombs that night, thinking about the table prepared for him in the presence of his enemies. Sure, we’d like to think that that’s not what David meant when he wrote those words, but David was a warrior–that’s probably exactly what he meant.

The next day when he woke up, it was time to report again. His Bible, still open to Psalm 23 was sitting there so he read it again. And he read Psalm 23 the next day after that. According to my Uncle Jack, he continued to read (not memorize, but look at the words and read) the 23rd Psalm every day for the rest of his life, just two days shy of his 81st birthday.

Think about that. Every day for the rest of his life. Some days were amazing. The birth of a child, a wedding, an anniversary, business success–he read the 23rd Psalm. There were also tragic days when he woke up facing struggles with children, divorce, the loss of a parent, brother, or other loved one, business failure–the 23rd Psalm was there on those days too. It anchored him to his Shepherd regardless  how smooth or turbulent his air.

And now, this morning, as Uncle Jack awakes in a whole new world, he knows what you mean by the table you prepared for him. He has found his mother, lost to him when he was just a small boy. His second mother. His father. His two brothers. His wife. He has also found some of his enemies. It’s likely they are there too–a table prepared for them as well.

Father, I’m happy for Jack. Thank you for what you brought to my life and so many other lives through him. He will be missed, but I’ll see him at the table you’ve prepared for me soon enough.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 20, 2018 in Psalms

 

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Matthew 11:28-30 – “Power in the Blood”

19 Aug

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

Dear God, I want to look at this passage through several translations. The one I have above is from the NIV. Here are some different versions of the same verses:

KJV
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heaven laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you , and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

NAS
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

NLT
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

The Message
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me–watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

While I typed out each of these translations, I had “Power in the Blood” playing in the background. I asked myself, what is that power? A lot of us have sung about it through that song all of our lives. What was the power the author discovered that they wanted to share? Well, it feeds into this passage pretty nicely.

Would you be free from the burden of sin?
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
Would you be free from your passion and pride?
Come for a cleaning to Calvary’s tide.
Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
Sin stains are lost in the life-giving flow.

Four questions? The first and the last relate to each other–release from sin. The second had to do with our victory over evil (whether we can see it with our earthly eyes or not). The third is a release from passion and pride.

Father, as I prepare to preach this morning, I feel a burden on this one like no other I’ve felt. And with that burden, I feel like I am pressing too hard. I am trying to much to come up with my own plan. I am trying to think my way through this too much when, in reality, I will be most successful if I simply lay this out through prayer, which I think I successfully did yesterday, and then let your Holy Spirit take over and guide me where it will in the moment. So I offer this to you. I offer my thoughts, my experiences, and my best-laid plans to you. Do with them what you will, but do it for your glory. I don’t care about getting one accolade today. I really don’t. I just want to know that your Holy Spirit did what it wanted to do and planted the seeds it wanted to plant.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 19, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Matthew

 

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What are we selling?

18 Aug

Dear God, I am giving a sermon tomorrow morning at the Presbyterian church. It will be the first time I’ve done two Sundays in a rom, and I have felt the leading for a long time to give them a good serving of the Gospel–the Good News. But is it for them or is it for me?

A couple of years ago, I heard David Brooks say something that I’ve looked for online and I cannot find. He made the comment that Christians have this great message of grace, love, forgiveness, compassion, etc., but what we communicate to the world as a group is that all we really care about is what happens in their bedrooms. While I think there is a call to a certain level of purity by you and that cannot be overlooked (for example, porn is extremely toxic and dangerous), I completely agree with this thought. We do have this great message to give people.

I just stopped in the middle of writing this to see if I could find that David Brooks quote. I didn’t find it exactly, but I found a good interview with him. I found this quote in the middle of it: “Some of my more popular columns have been those about forgiveness, or the role of suffering, or what graciousness looks like. There’s a widespread hunger to hear people talk about those issues. When you touch upon those themes, I think, ‘I’m not the only person out there who is wrestling with these things and troubled by them or comforted by them.”

Later in the interview with him, the interviewer asked, “To grasp the beauty of a love for thngs that are unlovable, you have to recognize yourself as unlovable. If we don’t want to reckon with sin, is it possible to see grace?

Brooks replied, “I think you have to have a sense that you’re loved beyond what you deserve. I think we experience grace both in this world and in a divine sense when we have messed up and don’t deserve to be forgiven but are. That’s when grace becomes shocking.

So with all of that said, let’s look at the passage I have set out for tomorrow after praying to you and see if I can make some sense of the message you want me to share.

Exodus 34:29-35: When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. // When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18: Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!//Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over this face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Matthew 11:28-30 [Jesus speaking] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Father, it’s time for me to start to work on my outline, but I think it’s going to come down to this. We need to be reminded of what you are offering us and what we accepted:

  • Forgiveness of our sins and freedom from our shame
  • Peace to know that the circumstances in our physical world are all under your control, whether them seem to be working out for us or against us
  • Hope that even if tomorrow isn’t better, in the end, we win!
  • Joy that is driven by the freedom, the peace, and the hope

Then we need to be reminded that this is what we have to offer others. We have it to offer our friends and acquaintances. And as a church, they have it to offer their neighborhood and our community.

We aren’t selling morals and judgment. We aren’t selling condemnation. What we are selling is the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. And the only cost for the person is a willingness to humbly confess their sin before you, turn from their sin as they know it, and then pursue you. If those things happen, it won’t necessarily be an easy life, but the trials will shape us, and the fruit will be love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, and self-control. Who wouldn’t buy some of that?

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 18, 2018 in 2 Corinthians, Exodus, Galatians, Matthew

 

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2 Corinthians 10:17-18

17 Aug

“Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Dear God, I hope I give you enough glory for the good in my life. I have to say that over the last two months I have felt like you have been particularly gracious in answering my prayers. You’ve answered them in my personal life. You’ve really answered some concerns I’ve had about work—and not just is a mild, oh, I can explain this away kind of way. I mean, you’ve done some big things at work. I’ve tried to point your provision out to people (especially board members of the nonprofit where I work). I’ve tried to be humble and give you the glory. With some of the good fortune we’ve had lately, I think I’ve been able to successfully point them to you.

If I get the glory for any of these things, nobody wins. I don’t win because I’m a deluded fool. Those around me don’t win because they don’t see evidence of your glory and power. And you don’t win because I’ve thumbed my nose at you and your answer to my spoken and unspoken prayers.

Father, first, I’m sorry for the times, even now, that I fail to give you the proper glory. I know I do it. I know I want people to look at me and think highly of me. Second, I still have a few things in my life that distress me. You know who and what they are. Move in me. Move in these situations. Make them count. Glorify your name through them. Give me the path you need me to have and help me to walk down it.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 17, 2018 in 2 Corinthians

 

Funeral Songs (Part 6) – “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” by Henry van Dyke (and Ludwig van Beethoven)

16 Aug

Dear God, this will wrap up the funeral songs series I’ve been doing this week. It’s been a fun exercise to kind of go through the songs I would want played and my funeral and think through what the message is that I’m trying to send to the attendees. Frankly, I doubt any of them will get it anyway.

One thing I hope I’m accomplishing is some advice I received from a friend who was widowed much too early in life. She told me that her husband had some very common funeral songs at his funeral, and now it can be hard to go to funerals because at least one of the songs will remind her of her loss. So I’ve hopefully at least picked some songs that 1.) won’t hurt my wife should I die first and 2.) won’t bring up bad memories for others.

Regarding this song, this was also the recessional at our wedding. I think it was my choice, but I’m not positive. I know I at least had some input on it. I’ve always loved it as a song of joy, and if I’m going to have the brass quintet at my funeral, this song should sound pretty good for people as they leave.

Here are the words as written by Henry van Dyke in 1907

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” by Henry van Dyke

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward
In the triumph song of life.

I wonder what kind of worship state Mr. van Dyke was in when he wrote these words to accompany Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Was he listening to the German words and felt compelled to put his own worship of you to the tune?

The thing about this song is that it acknowledges that EVERYTHING either is worshiping or will worship you–Earth, heaven, stars, angels, fields, forests, mountains, vales, meadows, seas, birds, fountains, and mortals. And there is so much to worship! Your love for us and our love for you melts the clouds of sin and sadness. It drives the dark of doubt away. And the last verse is just great. We get to join the chorus that the stars began. You reign over us, and our love binds us to you and each other. We are victors in the midst of strife (how great is that?).

Father, I’m not sure if this week did anything to edify me or increase my relationship with you, but I do feel like I was able to look at some of these songs in a new way and understand why they mean so much to me. I was also able to get in some good worship. So I end this series with the simple statement that I love you and I hope that I honor you and bring you glory in my life and in my death.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on August 16, 2018 in Funeral Songs, Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 

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Funeral Songs (Part 5) – “Come Thou Fount” by Robert Robinson

15 Aug

Dear God, this has been an interesting series for me to do with you–the songs I would choose for my funeral. What do they say about me? What do they say about what I want to communicate to the world?

I’m up to a song that I love for the last part of the last verse. It’s a great song, but it’s the humble honesty of those last lines that make it so powerful. Here’s the whole song:

“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Robert Robinson

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy, never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here there by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in the blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy wondrous grace
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

 

Each verse has so much in it that I’m not even sure how to do this without taking two hours and I have a meeting at work in an hour.

The first verse mentions teaching me to sing your praise for the streams of mercy from you that are never ceasing. And letting it be the Holy Spirit and angels who teach me.

Notice the italicized words in verses two and three. This is what I meant in the first one I did in this series when I said I would have this song sung “Howard Butt, Jr. style.” At his funeral, they replaced the second have of the second and third verses with the last part of the song: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it/Prone to leave the God I love/Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it/Seal it for thy courts above.”

I was listening to a sermon this morning on my phone and I heard the pastor talking about how your glory fades from us when we walk away from you. And it frustrates all of us. I’ve heard that Mother Theresa wrote letters indicating that the last part of this song applied to her. Howard Butt, Jr. obviously thought it applied to him. And I can tell you it applies to me. I am prone to wander and leave you.

Father, here’s my heart. Please take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 15, 2018 in Funeral Songs, Hymns and Songs

 

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Funeral Songs (Part 4) – “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” by Martin Luther

14 Aug

Dear God, as I continue this series of songs I would want played at my funeral, I’m up to the processional. I must admit that I’m the least confident in this one. I picked it purely on an experience I had at Howard Butt, Jr’s funeral. They played this as the processional with a brass quintet and I was so moved! The power and triumphant feeling brought about by those first notes being blasted by brass instruments was overwhelming. You always hear about people who say they want their funeral to be a “celebration.” Well, it’s hard to not feel like it was a celebration when you involve a brass quintet.

It was the first words of the song that lent itself to the emotion for me: “A mighty fortress is our God.” Yes, you are might! You are amazing! You are our redeemer! You are our fortress! Death cannot contain you, and, therefore, it cannot contain us because you are our mighty fortress!

Here are the lyrics to the song:

“A Mighty Fortress is Our God” by Martin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing:
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work his woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth is his name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,—
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! His doom is sure,—
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers—
No thanks to them—abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also:
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is for ever.

Martin Luther was obviously very in tune with spiritual warfare. It’s pretty impressive to see the amount of thought that went into explaining his view of how you and Satan collide in this world. I wonder what he was experiencing that inspired it.

But the reason I am doing this series is because I’m trying to figure out what these songs are saying that I want to communicate to the audience at my funeral. What is my last message to those who knew me? In this song’s case, I think it is that I want there to be great confidence for everyone there, from the beginning, that the victory is won. This might be a time of earthly loss, for which some of them might actually be sad, but this is not even a battle lost. Nothing has changed in the divine spiritual order. You are God and our enemy, Satan, cannot overcome you.

Father, help me to live that message while I am alive. I am preaching again this week, and the sermon I’m praying through is starting to gel. It’s about why we put our faith in you and why we encourage others to do the same. The beginning of it is, you are our mighty fortress and you took the time to make a way for us to experience that grace and relationship with you. Thank you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 14, 2018 in Funeral Songs, Hymns and Songs

 

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Funeral Songs (Part 3) – “Be With You” by Rich Mullins

13 Aug

For anyone reading along with these prayer journals, this is a series in which songs I would want played at my funeral. Here is a link to the original post for more explanation.

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Dear God, I’m up to the third song on my funeral song list and the last one for the slideshow. I decided to keep the slideshow all from Rich Mullins. In this case, this is the first ever funeral song I ever picked. I probably first heard this in my early 20s and I told my fiancé (now wife) that this would make a great song for my funeral.

“Be With You” by Rich Mullins

Everybody, each and all, we’re going to die eventually
It’s no more or less our faults than it is our destiny
So now, Lord, I come to you asking only for your grace
You know what I’ve put myself through
All those empty dreams I chased

And when my body lies in the ruins
Of the lies that nearly ruined me
Will you pick up the pieces that were pure and true
And breathe life into them, and sent them free?
And when you start this world over again from scratch
Will you make me anew out of the stuff that lasts?
Stuff that’s purer than gold is, and clearer than glass can ever be
And can I be with you? Can I be with you?

And everybody, all and each, from the day that we are born
We have to learn to walk beneath, those mercies by which we are drawn
And now we wrestle in the dark with these angels that we can’t see
We will move on, although with scars.
Oh, Lord, move inside of me!

And when my body lies in the ruins
Of the lies that nearly ruined me
Will you pick up the pieces that were pure and true
And breathe life into them, and sent them free?
And blast this cosmos to kingdom come
When those jagged edged mountains I love are gone
When the sky is crossed with the tears of a thousand falling suns
As they crash into the sea
Then can I be with you? Can I be with you?

Well, it’s pretty obvious why I think this is a funeral song. What is it I want to say to those who ware at my funeral? I guess my message is, “It’s okay. I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

The first verse is really just about the reality of death. But the chorus is a worshipful response to that, acknowledging my sin–my lies, my selfishness, my vanity. Then it’s followed up by the hope. I will be recreated in a new Heaven. I will be yours. I will be your worshipper.

The second verse talks about the journey of life. It’s a struggle. It is, indeed, a journey of mistakes, wrestling with you, getting scarred up, but allowing the scars to make us stronger. Oh, Lord, even today, move inside of me!

Finally, the last chorus changes at the end and brings us to the end of Earth and the beginning of the new Earth and the new Heaven. If the apocalypse should come before my death, then can I be with you? Can I be with you?

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 13, 2018 in Funeral Songs, Hymns and Songs

 

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