"Friday's Favorite"

"Life of Praise" - Casting Crowns

I will love You, Lord always
Not just for the things You've done for me
And I will praise You all my days
Not just for the change You've made in me
But I'll praise You for You are holy, Lord
And I'll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more
 

For You are awesome, God of the Nations,
Lion of Judah, Rock of the Ages, Alpha, Omega
You're worthy of all praise
More than these hands I'll raise
I'll live a life of praise
I'll live a life of praise

I will serve You, Lord always, for You are my strength
When I am weak
I will never be afraid for You are my rock and You protect me
But I'll praise You for You are holy, Lord
And I'll lift my hands, but You are worthy of so much more

For You are awesome, God of the Nations,
Lion of Judah, Rock of the Ages, Alpha, Omega
You're worthy of all praise
More than these hands I'll raise
I'll live a life of praise
I'll live a life of praise

"Thankfulness"

I threw a party for myself this week - complete with cake, party hats, and noise-makers. But I wasn’t celebrating my birthday, or any other special occasion, or monumental milestone. The party in which I made myself guest of honor was in fact, a pity party.

Have you ever been there? Have you ever been in the midst of a trial and all you could focus on was YOU? It’s so easy to become caught up in our pain, and when that happens, an attitude of thankfulness is difficult to find among the selfish cries of, “why God?”

I once heard it said that we are too anxious to receive and too careless to give thanks. A perfect example of this is the story of the ten lepers found in Luke chapter 17. Jesus heals all ten of the men with leprosy after asking them to go and show themselves to the priests. All ten men received, but only one bothered to come back to thank Jesus for his healing. We are so quick to hurl our requests at God. Shouldn't we be even quicker to fling a word of thanks in His direction?

Why is it so important to foster a thankful heart regardless of our circumstances?

1.) Thankfulness is God’s will for our lives.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
2.) Thankfulness is a result of the goodness of God.
“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)
3.) Thankfulness is a form of worship.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)
4.) Thankfulness is a result of spiritual maturity.
“Let your roots grow down into him (Christ), and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:7)

Thankfulness is an attitude. It is never self-serving and always places the focus on the giver. A grateful heart means humbling a selfish spirit to acknowledge that something has been done for, or has been undeservingly received. Thankfulness is what God desires in response to His goodness, mercy and grace. It is an act of worship and should be a direct result of spiritual growth.

But, let’s revisit 1 Thessalonians 5 a bit further. Notice, it says to be thankful in “all circumstances”. Some versions state , “in everything”, or “whatever happens”. WOW! It doesn’t say, “be thankful when things are going well”. It doesn’t read, “have a grateful heart when you get what you want”. God asks us to live a life full of thankfulness no matter what trial, pain, or suffering we are enduring. So how in the world do we do it?

Grasping God’s Grace - I don’t believe Paul is urging us to be thankful in every circumstance to make us feel guilty, or to bog us down with a request we simply cannot handle. I believe Paul is suggesting that we take a look at how big our God is and how much grace He has to offer. His love is unfailing and His grace is abounding - in ALL things and in ALL circumstances. By His grace, God supplies the power we need to overcome.

Grasping God’s Eternal Perspective - Being thankful, regardless of the circumstances, begins with an eternal perspective and hope. I know that my salvation can never be taken away from me despite the trials I face here on this earth. The circumstances of this life will one day diminish. In heaven there will be no pain, no tears, no heartaches, no bills to pay, or people to satisfy. Our lives here are temporary, as is our sufferings.

Grasping God’s Goodness - The thankful Christian looks for the goodness of God in all circumstances. One of my favorite quotes is, “Don’t grumble if you don’t have what you want; be thankful you don’t get what you deserve.” We all deserve an eternity separated from God because of our guilt and sin. But God has saved us with the redeeming blood of His Son Jesus. His goodness provides us with the only way to eternal life. For every pain we selfishly focus on in our lives, there are countless blessings that are overlooked in the process.

Grasping God’s Purpose - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) We may not always recognize God’s purposes for our lives. In some circumstances, we will never completely comprehend why He allows us to experience the sufferings we go through. True contentment can only be born into our pains when we grasp the fact that God has a purpose. And even though it may not be revealed in our timing, it is a matter of trusting the One who holds us in the palm of His hand. For He who promised is faithful.
　
Thankfulness is so much more than comparing our own circumstances to someone else’s. Thankfulness is so much more than having plenty of food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over your head, money to get by, or good health. We so easily take all of these things for granted. For in a blink of an eye, any of these things could disappear.

Thankfulness is a state of being and a way of life. Let’s make an effort today to recognize the blessings we’ve come to take for granted. Let’s focus on what we have rather than on what we don’t have. It’s easy to be thankful for the good things in life, but a life of true fulfillment can come to those who are also thankful for their setbacks - despite the temptation to break out the cake, the party hats, and the noise-makers.

"Friday's Favorite"

"Desperate" - by FireFlight

Seek and you will find, they say
but I've been looking everyday
for a way past this wall that's in front of my face.
I'm on hands and knees searching for my faith.

I know there's so much at stake,
but I don't know if I can take one more pat on the back saying I'll be okay.
Can't you see my whole life is in disarray?

You've got me desperate.

I know You hear me,
Would You give me a sign?
Reel me in before I've fallen in line.
You've put me on a path I don't understand
I'm standing on a ledge waving my hands.

You've got me desperate (do You see me?)
Desperate (do You hear me?)
Desperate (will You help me?)
You've got me desperate.

I know You're my only hope
The only One who truly knows how it feels, what it's like when it all starts to fall
You're the One I can trust who hears when I call.

You've got me desperate.

I know You hear me,
Would You give me a sign?
Reel me in before I've fallen in line.
You've put me on a path I don't understand
I'm standing on a ledge waving my hands.

You've got me desperate (do You see me?)
Desperate (do You hear me?)
Desperate (will You help me?)
You've got me desperate.

Some things I'll never figure out
Until I let hope erase my doubt.

You've got me desperate. 

"Desperate"

Have you ever been desperate?

Maybe back in high school all your friends had a date to the prom but you. In hopes to not stick out like a sore thumb, you asked someone who didn’t quite meet up to your standards. You were “desperate” for a date. Or, those of you who are addicted to that morning cup of coffee may recall how you feel when you run short of time and must go without it. As the day drags on, so do you. You are “desperate” for that pick-me-up your body is so accustomed to.

As humans, we tend to react in abnormal and unusual ways to get out of whatever predicament we are in. We carry a “whatever it takes” attitude to get what we want. Take for example those who are desperate for attention, who dress, talk, or act out of the ordinary to get noticed. Or the teenager who gives herself away because she is desperate for love and acceptance. Or the addict desperate to find the next hit. There are those who have buried themselves so deeply in debt that they cannot crawl out of the hole. They are desperate for money and make choices that could potentially destroy them and their families. There are those who feel their marriage is going no where and they are no longer “in love” with their spouse. As a result, they seek a divorce out of desperation.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? When we feel we can no longer handle the state we are in, we will do literally anything out of desperation to change our situation. Most of the time it is done with many tears and much lamenting. Whatever it takes - including sacrificing ourselves and others. Risky choices are made at desperate times.

What would happen if we were that desperate for God? What if we wanted Him as badly as that morning cup of coffee, or that prom date? What if we took the same desperate measures to seek Him, as the one seeking the divorce, or the one searching for their next drug supplier? What if we sought Him in the same ways we chased after popularity, money, and recognition? What if we fell to our knees with many tears and much lamenting? What if we made risky choices to find the presence of the almighty God? Whatever it takes.

I was drawn recently to the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter one. Hannah was one of two wives and the only one not able to conceive a child. She desperately wanted a son of her own and had to live with the constant taunts of the wife whose quiver was full. “This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her until she wept and would not eat.” (verse 7) Hannah was in the temple pouring out her heart before the Lord. The Word says that she asked God to look upon her in her misery and to remember His servant. I can picture Hannah - her eyes closed tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks, praying in her anguish. Not praying audibly, but only the motion of her lips could be observed. As her body moved in a swaying motion and with her arms lifted to the sky, Eli accused her in front of everyone that she was drunk and was making a spectacle of herself. Hannah defended her actions and replied, not so - I am just a deeply troubled woman praying here in my desperation and grief.

Hannah prayed into the void and the confusion of her situation. Despite the taunts of others and even though she was misunderstood, she cried out to God in her desperation. She cried out to the God of comfort. We can almost envision God climbing down the stairway of her grief into the deepest basement of her heart to touch and heal her. We see Hannah reaching out to God, but maybe God has reached out to Hannah first. Maybe God searches constantly for those moments of desperation where He can be the healing balm that is applied to the pain. Maybe it’s only in those desperate moments that we recognize how truly needy we are for God and His healing.

Psalm 42: 1-2 tells us, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, Oh God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”

What do you picture? Artists tend to portray this verse by painting the picture of a deer resembling the likes of Bambi skipping through the green grassy fields and approaching a babbling brook where he will lap from the refreshing waters. Really? I don’t think this is the picture the Psalmist was trying to portray at all. I picture the creature as one who is dehydrated, skin and bones, on it’s last leg desperately searching for water in the dessert. This animal is ready to die and only water can restore his health. The deer pants, staggers, and finally collapses.

This is also a picture of our need for Christ. We are desperate without Him. We stagger around this wilderness searching for anything that will quench our thirst, but nothing satisfies. There is a yearning within each of us, a void that must be filled and God is the only one who can fill it. Just like the deer pants for the water, as it roams through the dessert searching, it is so with mankind. We may not want to admit it, but without God our lives are meaningless and all our endeavors of fame and fortune are just a chase after the wind.

What does it mean to be desperate for God? It means that following Him will at times require tears and lamenting. It means acting in obedience even when it’s an unpopular decision and despite the ridicule of others. It means reacting in abnormal and unusual ways according to the standards of this world. It means sacrificing time, energy and pride to fall on our faces before Him. It means diving into the Word of God to find the answers to life’s questions and being content when those answers cannot be found. It means fervent prayer, being desperate for God to heal our marriages, our relationships, our finances, our addictions. At times, it means giving up the very things we treasure. It means giving up self and looking to the needs of others. It means realizing that He is the only One who can quench our thirst.

It means an endless pursuit of Christ on a daily basis.

After all, desperate times call for desperate measures.

"I'm In Way Over My Head"

Darkness surrounds me, complete darkness, black as night. I struggle at first and then I just go limp, like the life has been sucked out of me. At first I begin to shiver. Then I feel cold, and then colder until my entire body becomes numb. I am so concerned with the loss of feeling in my limbs that I barely notice I can’t breathe. At that moment I begin gasping for air, but none can be found.

It would just be easier to stop trying, to just allow the darkness and the numbness to overtake me. But something inside urges me on, wants me to fight, fight for my very life. But why should I fight? This darkness is much greater than I can handle, much more than I can bear. You see, I’ve been pushed into the deep end and I can’t even swim!

The trials of life keep pulling me under and I can’t breathe! It’s as if there’s an anchor tied to my feet pulling me further and further down into the deep. I am gripped with fear! But when all seems lost, I catch a glimpse of light at the surface. I struggle to reach toward it but the weight is so heavy, it continues to pull me down! I look toward the light and I begin kicking, kicking as hard as I can… if I could just get my head above the water, if I could only get another breath, I might just make it. I’m running out of air… I’m dying here, can’t you see, I’m dying here Lord? My strength is fading fast.

My throat begins to burn now, and my muscles are weak, and I’m so tired, so tired. I can’t go on, not on my own… I have nothing left to give. So, is this the end? Is this all there is? Are you just going to leave me here, dying and all alone? It seems that as soon as I feel I’m getting closer to the surface, closer to the light, the weight pulls me down once again, dragging me back into the darkness.

Glimpses of my existence flash in front of me. My loved ones, my husband, my children, their faces begin to slowly fade away. All I am and all that I am to be play in my mind like a movie stuck in fast forward. So I accept my defeat, I begin to let go, to give up. But my need for air, for relief, overcomes my desire to quit and I make one last effort of kicking, as hard as I can! Even though I’m exhausted, I fight to survive.

The light is visible again and I strain toward it. My efforts become easier now… like something, or someone is pulling me from the depths towards the surface! The weight seems lighter. I’m almost there… just a little bit farther, please I have to breathe! Then suddenly, I break the surface, gasping for the air, that cool, crisp, life-giving air! You saved me! You pulled me from the depths of my trials, the darkness of my sin! You saved me! I continue to breathe You in! I can’t get enough!
　
But I want out! I have to get out of this water that holds me captive, that almost brought me to my death! I so desperately want to leave, but I can’t see! My eyes… my eyes they are burning and foggy! I have no sense of direction! But they are clearing now… yes, I can finally see… it’s You. You are holding me! But how can this be? The anchors, the weights that were once tied to my feet… I see them now – hanging around your neck!

I’m floating now… inhaling and exhaling, inhaling and exhaling….

Now I understand… I understand that I must remain in the water. At times, in the shallow waters where it’s much easier to tread. And other times, in the deep – sometimes even way in over my head… and it’s very scary. But I know now that I can make it… and I’m learning to swim. I realize that You are my air, You are my life-preserver, You are my everything! And if I just keep kicking…. keep kicking…keep breathing…keep trusting… thankyou!
　
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

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

**Dramatic reading written by Dayna Schrock

"Monday's Moment"

‎"A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn."-Author Unknown

“God Can’t” - Part 4

A pastor was walking down the street when he came upon a group of about a dozen boys, all of them between 10 and 12 years of age. The boys surrounded a dog. Concerned the boys may be hurting the dog, he went over and asked "What are you doing with that dog?" One of the boys replied, "This dog is just an old neighborhood stray. We all want him, but only one of us can take him home. So we've decided that whichever one of us can tell the biggest lie will get to keep the dog." Of course, the reverend was taken aback. "You boys shouldn't be having a contest telling lies!" he exclaimed. He then launched into a ten minute sermon against lying, beginning, "Don't you boys know it's a sin to lie," and ending with, "Why, when I was your age, I never told a lie." There was dead silence for about a minute. Just as the reverend was beginning to think he'd gotten through to them, the smallest boy gave a deep sigh and said, "All right, give him the dog."

Call it “a little white lie”. Call it “stretching the truth”. Call it “half-truth” or “harmless exaggeration“, but it is what it is. A lie is a lie. It’s “untruth”. It’s deception. It’s misrepresenting reality. The heart is deceitful, above all else. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) And lies spring straight from our deceptive hearts. We all are guilty!

In looking at the things God can’t do, we have learned that God cannot abandon us. We have discovered that God cannot fail us, and we have been reassured that God can’t want our worst. Learning about God’s true nature is the key. When we KNOW God’s character, we can trust Him even when we don’t FEEL like He is for us. But even more, we must understand that none of the above even matters if God is a liar. We KNOW God cannot abandon us, fail us, or want our worst because we believe God IS truthful and that He keeps His promises; therefore:

GOD CAN’T LIE! - “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19)

Hebrews 6:18 also assures us that God cannot lie. The Lord cannot break His promises of what He says He will fulfill. He is the truth and there is no darkness in Him. God is incapable of going back on His Word and His standard of right and wrong cannot change. God’s nature is truth. If our Father God could lie, what would separate Him from any other sinful being?

GOD CAN'T LIE!

Paul tells us in Titus 1 verse 2 that the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness is a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.

We see that God cannot lie, so how must He feel when His own creation, His children, speak lies? Proverbs 12:22 says the Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in those who tell the truth. He longs for His children, whom He has created in His own image, to love the truth as much as He does. So why then do we find ourselves speaking falsely?

I would suggest that many of our falsehoods stem from insecurity. We often wish to make ourselves look better than we really are, or we attempt to tear another down and tarnish their reputation in order to lift ourselves up. We may speak dishonest words out of a guilty conscience - to cover up something we have done that we are ashamed of. How many of us lie due to denial? We simply cannot accept the truth. Fear is yet another reason to speak falsely, so we lie to avoid any ill consequences we may suffer due to our actions.

Other reasons we are dishonest may include selfishness, peer-pressure and in some cases, unknowingly, we pass on inaccurate information. Have you ever seen a group of children playing the game, “Telephone”? They sit in a circle and the first person leans over and whispers a statement in the next person’s ear. Each one in the circle takes their turn passing on the information. When the statement has gotten to the final person, he or she says what they have heard out loud. Most times, the information has been added to, taken away from, and exaggerated. It’s quite comical to hear the end result. Isn’t this so true in real life? Something gets said and another repeats it, mixing up words and relaying completely different meanings. Then that person repeats it to another, and that person repeats it to someone else. Each adding and subtracting, until the original truth has become a lie.

All of the above is true, but there is one to blame for our hearts being filled with such deception. John 8:44 describes Satan as a murderer not holding to the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language. For he is a liar and the father of lies. He speaks falsely in an attempt to make us believe that God is our enemy - that He abandons us in our pain - that he has failed us in our sufferings - that He does not want our best. It’s time we name the devil for who he is. He is against God - the God of truth; therefore he must be a deceiver. So who will we believe?

GOD CAN'T LIE!

Unlike humans, God cannot even be tempted to lie, for He is perfect. “He (God) is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) Because of His perfection, God is incapable of lying due to insecurity, for there is no need for Him to attain personal gain. It is not necessary for Him to leave a false impression in order to be lifted higher than another. He cannot lie because of guilt or shame, for Jesus is the spotless Lamb, free from sin. He is incapable of denial for He IS truth and is all-knowing. To deny the truth would contradict His very nature. He will not lie due to fear, for He is perfect love and perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). God is not selfish. If He was, He would have found another way to save us. Instead, the Lord sacrificed His only Son for you and me. There is no need for God to cave to peer-pressure, for He is already in control of all things. He is not one to be manipulated by men. And lastly, God could never pass on inaccurate information. He does not exaggerate, for He is complete truth.

GOD CAN'T LIE!

And His Word (the Bible) is the truth. “For the Word of the Lord is right and true. He is faithful in all He does.” (Psalm 33:4) We should be grateful that we serve a God that will never go back on His Word - a God who will fulfill all His promises - a God we can trust to be truthful. He is not like a small child who makes up his own game and then, as he shares it with His friends, He changes the rules to make it more difficult to win. He is unchanging. God is all-powerful and could change if He so desired, but to change would go against His very character.

As we strive to be like God, let us mimic His honesty by being honest with ourselves and truthful with others, even in the realm of our hurts and our sufferings. For when we practice deception, we shame ourselves and the God we serve. We go against His very character by practicing deceit and we make it difficult for others to believe we are true followers of Christ. Praise the Lord for His forgiveness, as we all miss the mark. Forgiveness is assured to us because God promises it to those who believe on Him - for they shall be saved. We can whole-heartedly believe His promises are true because…

GOD CAN'T LIE!

If God cannot lie, then He cannot abandon us, He cannot fail us, He cannot want our worst! For this we KNOW to be true even when we don’t FEEL it to be true.