The Northside Streetlight

Fairest Lord Jesus -- final stanza

2009-10-05T18:06:00.006-06:00

I've seen both of these stanzas before, but don't think I've ever seen them put together in the same hymnal. (Though I have sung them together on my own.)

All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.

Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.

Which of these two stanzas is familiar to you?

Following the Lord-- online or off

2009-09-03T07:31:00.004-06:00

This post is a reply to a video posted on a younger sister's blog. For maximum benefit, please view the video before reading this post.

He has a very strong point as far as wasting our lives on pleasure. However, he fails to recognize the Internet as a tool. Rather, he (along with many of our own younger generation) equates it with a source of vanity and entertainment.

My Russian studies rely very heavily on online dictionaries and other such resources. And sometimes I refer to an online interlinear Bible and Greek references. Believe it or not, I've even had a lot of meaningful fellowship with other believers I know through Facebook chat. (Though granted, few people take advantage of this potential!)

Does doing these things in front of a computer make me a less spiritual believer than someone who sells himself into slavery on a island of outcasts? When he says that we should compare our lives to the lives of others, he's right in some sense but he's also treading on thin ice! In fact, Scripture contains a warning about the exact opposite side of things in 2 Cor 10:12.

Whether the Lord calls you to be a garbage man or a missionary to Californian cannibalism convicts, you have license neither to boast of your calling nor to live in complacency and pleasure. I do spend a lot of time online, and I'm sorry to say that some of it is wasted. But I seem to manage to waste just as much time even when I'm nowhere near a computer. Maybe I should just stop wasting time, period! Isn't this the real issue?

We can see it when someone leaves everything behind for a life of suffering: the decision to deny oneself, take up the cross and follow Him. But in some sense, don't they have it easy? The daily decision to serve or deny the Lord is clear-cut. But those of us called to serve the Lord amid a world of surfeit and pleasure certainly also face a real uphill battle. We too must be real men and women of God!

If all your time on the Internet is a waste, then go ahead and get off the Internet. Don't let me stop the Lord from convicting you!

But if you must use the Internet, don't just say, "Mature servants of the Lord don't use the Internet. So as long as I'm on here, I might as well serve myself."

Rather, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." And "whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance: because you serve the Lord Christ." (Col 3:17, 23-24.)

Wherever you are, whatever you do, seek the Lord and His pleasure, not your own. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. Following Christ may take me to the computer or away from it. Am I willing to follow Him anywhere?

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

2009-03-31T22:00:00.003-06:00

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Gen 3:6

"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prov 16:25

As a brother put it to me this evening, "My will always steers me wrong."

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16:11

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen 2:7

I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real Joy Giver,
And the Apple of my eye.

An Historic Quote

2009-02-25T21:52:00.006-07:00

"At bare minimum, we should be able to count on our government keeping our kids safe when they eat peanut butter."

--President Barack Obama, February 2, 2009

"Remember them"

2009-02-05T20:34:00.003-07:00

The Lord seems to be bringing a lot of verses to my attention on this topic...

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." Heb 13:3

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;" Rom 1:9

"Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart;" Phil 1:7a

A brother mentioned to me last night how, when others are in need as Christ was in the garden, we should pray for them. And brother Isaac pointed something similar out in Amos 6:6. Among other things we can choose to meditate on, the Lord's people should hold a prominent place in our hearts and minds.

Reign in me

2009-02-01T18:17:00.002-07:00

This song was apparently written by a man from south Africa, named Brenton Brown. Don't miss the comments I made below the song, explaining why I liked it.

Lord, reign in me

Over all the earth
You reign on high
Every mountain stream
Every sunset sky
But my one request
Lord my only aim
Is that You’d reign in me again

Lord reign in me
Reign in Your power
Over all my dreams
In my darkest hour
You are the Lord
Of all I am
So won’t You reign in me again

Over every thought
Over every word
May my life reflect
The beauty of my Lord
‘Cause you mean more to me
Than any earthly thing
So won’t You reign in me again

It's good to be reminded that the "sunset sky" is a declaration of the Lord's power.

In the phrase, "Lord reign in me again," I noticed the word "again" in particular. The Lord has begun a good work. He will be faithful to continue it and take it even farther. Am I interested?

Also, the lines, "Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour," have seemed very appropriate lately. It seems like the longer I live the more "darkest hours" I have. And the places my imagination chooses to go (sleeping or waking) effect my attitude profoundly. This also ties in well with the prayer that He might reign "over every thought."

Finally, it's convicting to ask: Can I say, "You mean more to me than any earthly thing"?

In the light

2009-01-24T22:54:00.002-07:00

Please read the following lyrics in their entirety, so that you can respond to the question that follows.

In the light

I keep trying to find a life
On my own, apart from you
I am the king of excuses
I've got one for every selfish thing I do

Whats going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Savior

I wanna be in the light
As you are in the light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the light
All I want is to be in the light

The disease of self runs through my blood
Its a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control

Honesty becomes me
there's nothing left to lose
The secrets that did run me
in your presence are defused
Pride has no position
and riches have no worth
The fame that once did cover me
has been sentenced to this earth
Has been sentenced to this earth

There's no other place that I want to be
no other place that I can see
a place to be that's just right
Someday I'm gonna be in the light
You are in the light
That's where I need to be
that's right where I need to be

Discussion

In my opinion, these are some of the more uplifting lyrics written in the past few decades. But these words are deftly intertwined with contemporary music, into a "rock" song. I don't usually listen to this type of music, for spiritual reasons I'd rather not explain right now. But I'm curious to hear what Christian "rock" foes think about this song in particular.

First, please give an honest analysis of the lyrics. Do you think they are spiritually profitable? If not, how can you deny it? If so, how do you reconcile that with your "anti-rock" position? please try to stay civil and keep a Scriptural perspective. I'm genuinely interested what people think!

("In the Light" was popularized by the well-known group D.C. talk, but apparently written by somebody named Charlie Peacock. Credit where credit's due, y'know. :)

It was there by faith

2009-01-20T12:46:00.001-07:00

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Solution to "Name that hymn"

2008-12-31T08:46:00.004-07:00

The words I posted on November 25 come from the second-to-last verse of It Passeth Knowledge. My family used to sing several verses of this when were on the road, and I later learned it entirely by heart. I was surprised to learn that it's an Ira Sankey hymn. The words, by Mary Shekleton, are a little different here than they were in the hymnal I learned them from.

Since none of my readers apparently knew this great hymn, I'll be privileged to give it a little more exposure.

It Passeth Knowledge

It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine!
My Jesus! Savior! yet this soul of mine
Would of that love, in all its depth and length,
Its height and breadth, and everlasting strength
Know more and more.

It passeth telling! that dear love of Thine!
My Jesus! Savior! yet these lips of mine
Would fain proclaim to sinners far and near
A love which can remove all guilty fear,
And love beget.

It passeth praises! that dear love of Thine!
My Jesus! Savior yet this heart of mine
Would sing a love so rich, so full, so free,
Which brought an undone sinner, such as me,
Right home to God.

But though I cannot tell, or sing, or know,
The fullness of Thy love while here below,
My empty vessel I may freely bring:
O Thou, who art of love the living spring,
My vessel fill.

I am an empty vessel—not one thought,
Or look of love to Thee I ever brought;
Yet I may come, and come again to Thee,
With this the empty sinner’s only plea—
“Thou lovest me!”

Oh! fill me Jesus Savior with Thy love;
Lead, lead me to the living fount above!
Thither may I in simple faith draw nigh
And never to another fountain fly,
But unto Thee.

And when my Jesus face to face I see,
When at His lofty throne I bow the knee,
Then of His love, in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, its everlasting strength,
My soul shall sing.

(These lyrics are copied from CyberHymnal.)

A thread of truth...

2008-12-13T10:37:00.003-07:00

"There's a thread of truth in every yarn."
-- Isaac

Name that hymn!

2008-11-25T21:20:00.003-07:00

It's cheating to use Google, and no prize will be offered for you efforts. :-b

These lines came to mind Sunday, and I figured you probably wouldn't be able to guess where they came from. Anyway, have at it!

...
Lead, lead me to the living fount above!
Thither may I in simple faith draw nigh
And never to another fountain fly,
But unto Thee.

A really cool name: Vlad

2008-11-21T13:16:00.005-07:00

Today I ran a across a really cool Russian name: Vlad. This is a male name, spelled Влад using the Cyrillic (Russian) alphabet. (For those of you who lack Russian fonts, it basically looks like "Bnag.")

When native speakers say this name, they pronounce the "A" as in "father," and at the end of the word, the "D" is pronounced as a "T". An Americanized version, however, might be pronounced the as the word "glad," with a "V" sound at the beginning.

Part of what makes this name so awesome (besides how ruggedly Slavic it sounds) is it's meaning. It's an archaic word that means "Mastership." The operative idea is that of rulership and ownership. A modern-day Russian word, vlast' has the same meaning. The fragment Vlad appears in other Russian names, such as Vladislav and (of course!) Vladimir.

I ran across this name today on the blog of some missionary friends. I would encourage you stop by the Louis O'Tool family's web site. They operate an orphanage in South Africa. They preach the true gospel and depend on the Lord to provide for them, so they can always use prayer!

Pro-life resources for Nebraska elections

2008-11-01T14:44:00.006-06:00

Nebraska Right to Life Voter Guide and Candidate Survey
Nebraskans United for Life Candidate Endorsements (Now with judges!)
Nebraska Family Research Council Voter Information Brochure
Nebraskans United for Life March Newsletter (Endorsements prior to primary elections)

(Links to these resources are given because they provide valuable insight on the candidates' positions. I am pro-life, but do not necessarily agree with these organizations or the candidates they endorse.)

Is Jim Esch pro-life?

2008-10-31T09:46:00.015-06:00

Jim Esch is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Nebraska's second district on a "pro-life Democrat" platform. An analysis of that position follows.

Pro-life in practice -- or just in theory?
(This section is based on an interview conducted by the magazine Omaha City Weekly. You can read my highlights of the interview's segment on abortion here.)

For the most part, Jim Esch is philosophically pro-life. On the other hand, as a matter of policy, he feels it's more appropriate for the government to prevent abortion through "education" and "health care" than through direct legal control.

He also distances himself from "the Right to Life side," calling them "a little more extremist." At the same time, he proudly declares that he has "a lot of friends" who are not pro-life. This goes hand-in-hand with his endorsement of Obama, and suggests that he has a stronger willingness to align himself with pro-abortion elements than to protect the unborn.

This is part of a clear trend of political allegiance to a pro-abortion base. (See the Democratic party platform, especially "Reproductive Healthcare" under Section 1, and "Choice" under Section 3.) When viewed along with his preference for cultural programs rather than actual limitations, this trend makes Jim Esch an effectively pro-abortion candidate.

An exception to "life begins at conception"?

Another concern is posed by those who point back to his 2006 "flip-flop" on conducting research with in-vitro embryos. Nebraskans United for Life initially endorsed him for congress in 2006. But they were forced to reverse their endorsement after he publicly, unequivocally asserted a position totally contradictory to the one he initially presented to the organization.

He defends his initial answer by claiming that NUL's questionnaire was "misleading" (although he also met with NUL leaders in person), and he was "surprised" that they endorsed him before he had a chance to make up his mind for sure. He may still claim to believe life begins at conception. But since his interview with Nebraskans United for Life, he now apparently believes that embryos conceived in-vitro don't count. "I just don't see that as being the same as an unborn child," he explains. If he takes office, how many more such exceptions will he discover?

Verdict: With exceptions, pro-life in theory. But not pro-life in practice.

Overpopulation, huh?

2008-10-29T02:58:00.003-06:00

A little simple arithmetic: The world is home to less than 7 billion people, and the U.S. has a dry land area of about 9 million square kilometers. If everybody in the world lived in the U.S., then the population density would be a startlingly low 778 per square kilometer. That's quite a bit less than Omaha, Nebraska, my mid-sized hometown. In fact, in Kiplinger's 2008 ranking of the 10 best U.S. cities to live in, not one city has a population density that low.

Brand new word: Bodage

2008-10-26T21:00:00.019-06:00

(Pronunciation: bod-idge.)
1. Body. "Let's keep the bodage out of the way there, buddy."
2. Body mass; amount or accumulation thereof. "Since I started working out, I've put on a lot of sweet bodage."
3. A bodily appendage. "Please keep heads, arms and all other bodages inside of the vehicle."
USAGE NOTE: This word's effectiveness may be enhanced by use of the plural form. Sharpen and augment the initial syllable to achieve additional sarcasm.

Etymology: Coined in 2008 by Daniel Serafino. Combines the word body with the suffix -age. As a verb, body means to "give body to." The suffix -age denotes an action or its result over time, from Latin -aticum.

Past sins

2008-10-16T22:59:00.002-06:00

A brother (some of you know Ben) shared this verse with me a few days ago:

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" Romans 3:25

It's encouraging that the Lord's righteousness covers past sins! They can be remitted-- they can be "past"...

In Immanuel's Land

2008-09-30T22:06:00.005-06:00

This evening, I ran across these lesser-known verses to an old, well-loved hymn, and thought you might enjoy them.

The flow'rs need nights cool darkness, the moonlight and the dew;
So Christ, from one who loved it, His shining oft withdrew:
And then, for cause of absence my troubled soul I scanned
But glory shadeless shineth in Immanuel’s land.

I’ve wrestled on towards Heaven, against storm, wind and tide,
Now, like a weary traveler that leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening, while sinks life’s lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning from Immanuel’s land.

Deep waters crossed life’s pathway, the hedge of thorns was sharp;
Now, these lie all behind me; Oh! for a well tuned harp!
Oh! To join hallelujah with yon triumphant band,
Who sing where glory dwelleth in Immanuel’s land.

Soon shall the cup of glory wash down earth’s bitt'rest woes,
Soon shall the desert briar break into Eden’s rose;
The curse shall change to blessing; The name on earth that’s banned
Be graven on the white stone in Immanuel’s land.

I shall sleep sound in Jesus, filled with His likeness rise,
To love and to adore Him, to see Him with these eyes:
’Tween me and resurrection but Paradise doth stand;
Then—then for glory dwelling in Immanuel’s land.

(If you're interested, you can find more (and stranger!) verses at the Cyber Hymnal, where I found these.)

Some verses from Psalms

2008-09-07T20:15:00.002-06:00

"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles."
Psalm 34:6

"For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God."
Psalm 38:15

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."
Psalm 40:1

"But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God."
Psalm 40:17

Since when has evolution not been controversial?

2008-08-29T04:58:00.004-06:00

Did you know that two thirds of Americans believe in the creation? And over half believe it should be taught in public school. On the other side of things, only about one in eight think exclusively evolution should be taught.

I got these stats from a handy site called pollingreport.com.

If you're interested, you can read my own summary here.

Explanation for "If I dropped the ball"

2008-08-20T23:33:00.002-06:00

(My best shot anyhow. :)

The idea behind my last post may not have come through as clearly as I had hoped. So here's my attempt at clarification. Look at Romans 10:11 again. If you believe in the Lord, then you will not be ashamed. (The NAS says "disappointed" in stead of "ashamed." I haven't done the word study, but I think that's legitimate.)

In mathematical logic you can flip an "if-then" statement like this around and find an equally true statement called a "contrapositive." In this case, the original statement is "If you believe the Lord, then you won't be disappointed." And the contrapositive is "If I'm disappointed, then I have not been believing the Lord." See how that follows?

So what about the "dropping the ball" thing? Well, if I'm trying to handle things myself, then I'm gonna drop the ball. I'm gonna be disappointed. The contrapositive is "If I dropped the ball, it's because I was handling things myself in stead of trusting the Lord."

Is that starting to make more sense?

If I dropped the ball...

2008-08-19T22:04:00.001-06:00

... it's because I was holding it.

"For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." Romans 10:11

The cup of suffering

2008-07-18T12:39:00.009-06:00

"The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us." Hosea 10:8

This is a prophecy of fear and destruction. In many ways, it's a dreadful prophecy. Yet when I read this about a month ago, it struck me in a very encouraging way. What is it that's being destroyed here? The sin of Israel. How would you like that? To be sin free... It sounds very welcoming to me at the moment.

"Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again:" Isaiah 51:22

When I was reading this verse, I had an image in my mind of a hand wrapped around a cup. The Lord wants to take away my sin, He wants to take the cup out of my hand. But sometimes I insist on keeping it, and clenching my hand around it. Don't I realize that it is a cup of suffering, which the Lord wants to take away because He loves me?

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

I know the Lord has proved His love for me. He has proved that He is willing to go to incredible lengths for my benefit. Why would I not trust Him?! Why, when He wants to take something away, would I not let go?

"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13b

When temptations come, He holds out His hand, offering a way of escape. Next time, will I trust Him enough to release the cup?

Bad manners...

2008-06-25T01:03:00.003-06:00

...don't always pay.

(Thanks, Hillary!)

Verse of the Month

2008-06-16T00:47:00.002-06:00

Is there a verse or two that has encouraged you this month? Or even in the last week or two? Why not share it? Just click below to leave a comment. There will be no losing nominations-- every verse accepted will be considered a "verse of the month."

Even if you've never commented before, everyone is welcome to participate. Thanks for sharing!

Ancient Chinese Proverb

2008-06-10T21:28:00.006-06:00

Ancient Chinese proverb say, "Never jump into helicopter from above."
-- Isaac

The Father's good pleasure

2008-05-16T10:31:00.007-06:00

The more selfish and self-centered I am, the more I suffer the pain of regret. I should forget about pleasing myself, and concern myself only with pleasing and serving the Lord. Then I would really be pleased.

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
Luke 12:32

May snowsocks panhandle or not?

2008-05-03T10:33:00.010-06:00

This morning I ran across an intriguing headline, which read "May Snow Socks Panhandle." I took me a few moments to appreciate every aspect of this phrase before moving on.

For example, it could be some sort of invective. Like, "May your snowsocks panhandle for ever!" Or maybe the May Snow Socks-- an esoteric rock band or cult group-- was arrested for illegally panhandling during one of their twisted religious ceremonies.

Then again, May Snow just might be a lady who puts socks on pan handles. More likely, however, the Nebraska Panhandle was stricken by a surprising late snow in the month of May.

Now how in the world could anyone have trouble learning our wonderful English language?

Blind Alley

2008-04-27T22:07:00.005-06:00

Hey, sorry about the long hiatus between posts. These last few months have been a little bumpy. Don't be afraid to pray for me. :)

Blind Alley

I need your one true peace
To put my mind at ease
So please define my lines
And please line up my mind
In this wild, senseless blur
Please help me to be sure

I'll look to you, cause I can't see
I'll follow you, God, please guide me
I'll trust you for all I must be
Please take my cares, and set me free

Can't see past my own hand
Don't know or understand
But if I look to you
I know you'll pull me through
Please open my blind eyes
And show to me clear skies

The higher that I climb
Obstructions will decline
Until the truth is clear
And I can breathe free air
Please make my hands hold strong
And show me the next rung.

I'll look to you, cause I can't see
I'll follow you, God, please guide me
I'll trust you for all I must be
Please take my cares, and set me free

Charges dropped; Thanks for praying!!!

2008-03-22T18:39:00.002-06:00

Some weeks ago, I asked people to pray for a brother who had been ticketed on false charges of trespassing at an abortion clinic. Hallelujah! The charges were dropped, so the brother doesn't have to pay the ticket, or face repercussions for contesting it. Thank you for praying. We don't deserve it, but our God is so awesome to answer our prayers!!!

Let the Lord be magnified!

No one unwarned

2008-03-18T00:54:00.001-06:00

“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”

-- Charles Spurgeon

Psalm 5:12

2008-02-23T13:19:00.004-07:00

"For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield."
Psalm 5:12

I know that I don't deserve this blessing for righteous people. But isn't it awesome how God surrounds us with His favor, simply because we accept His righteousness?!

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 3:21-24

Prayer request: brother wrongly ticketed

2008-02-02T13:50:00.001-07:00

Please pray for a brother here in Omaha who was cited by police this morning. While he was in front of an abortion clinic to preach the gospel, he was accused of trespassing. However, he did not even step onto the property, and has in fact been accused falsely.

Please ask the Lord to:

Give him wisdom for when he appears in court;
Give him favor with the authorities;
Make the truth clear;
Turn the situation for a testimony to Christ;
Save those involved. Specifically, ask the Lord to bring the clinic security guard to the truth.

(Please note: this brother is only facing a ticket-- not imprisonment.)

Did you even think about thinking to pray?

2008-01-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

On the fear mis-prayer.

As we entertain various thoughts throughout the day, it usually takes us three steps to arrive at prayer: First you think of something; Then, you think about praying for it; Finally, you pray for it.

Oftentimes, I never make it to step three. Usually, I either quit after step one, or get stuck on it. Sometimes, though, I realize that I should be praying-- maybe even for something in particular-- and then I might pray for it or I might not. Wouldn't we be so much freer if we skipped the first two steps, and just prayed for whatever we thought about?

This suggestion may sound a little risky. After all, what if my prayers are misguided, and I fail to pray according to God's will? But Philippians 4:6 reads, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." The exhortation here isn't to pray about whatever we're sure about. On the contrary, we should pray for whatever we care about-- whatever we would naturally be "careful" for. Be in prayer and supplication "in everything."

It is a healthy concern that our prayers be according to God's will. But if we won't even pray about issues where we have uncertainty, then we certainly won't be praying according to God's will! The solution is this: if you care about praying according to His will, then pray that you would!

Ask the Lord to bring your desires into line with His. Ask Him to make you Spiritually-minded. Ask Him to teach you to care for, to think about, to "mind" the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5) Ask Him to teach you to say, "Not my will, but thine be done."

Even if we mis-pray, "God looks into our heart, and sees the Holy Spirit praying" (to borrow brother Abraham's words). And as Romans 8:26-27 say, "the Spirit itself maketh intercession," and "He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

So let's turn prayer into a one-step process, and just talk to the Lord about whatever we think about. Approach the Lord honestly, where you're at, as the father with the demon-possessed son prayed, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief!" And as you approach Him from where you are, with the faith that you have, the Spirit and the Son will intercede for you according to God's will. (Rom 8:26, Heb 7:25). Don't forget that prayer is a key step in praying according to the Lord's will!

"I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." 1 Tim 2:8

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matt 21:22

"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." 1 John 5:14-15

Bible-obsessed?

2008-01-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

"O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day."
Psalm 119:97

Can I say His Word is "my meditation all the day"? If that were the case, I'd probably have a lot more victory over sin & temptation!

"I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments."
Psalm 119:60

I used to live vigorously when I first started walking with the Lord. But it seems like a laxness has crept into my life. So I'm praying for diligence, and to have that fervent walk in the Spirit spoken of in Romans 12:11.

"Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;"
Rom 12:12

Burdens are lifted

2008-01-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16

A little while back, I heard the song "Burdens are lifted at Calvary," and immediately liked it. I found both a recording of it online, and the lyrics. Unfortunately, the song is apparently protected by copyright, so just to be safe, I'm not going to copy it out here.

How do you like this song? Have you ever heard it before? Feel free to comment on Christian copyright practices, too. :)

"I asked the Lord that I might grow..."

2007-12-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of breaking one of my own rules here, but check out this brother's post on suffering and growing. Truthfully, the song by John Newton didn't impress me that much, but the comments that followed the lyrics seemed very timely, as this is the sort of thing I've been reading lately:

"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;" 2 Tim 1:8

"It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." 2 Tim 2:11-13

"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim 3:12

"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom 8:13

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Rom 8:18

Whatever you do, don't say "Merry Christmas!"

2007-12-21T15:37:00.001-07:00

"Please accept with no obligation, expressed, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, or religious faith of the wishee."

(Thanks, Joanne!)

Remember Westroads

2007-12-17T09:52:00.001-07:00

There were ninety and nine...

2007-11-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

(Don't miss the note at the bottom of the post!)

There were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shelter of the fold.
But one was out on the hills away,
Far off from the gates of gold.
Away on the mountains wild and bare.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.
Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;
Are they not enough for Thee?”
But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine
Has wandered away from Me;
And although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep,
I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew
How deep were the waters crossed;
Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through
Ere He found His sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert He heard its cry,
Sick and helpless and ready to die;
Sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way
That mark out the mountain’s track?”
“They were shed for one who had gone astray
Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”
“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”
“They are pierced tonight by many a thorn;
They are pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder riven
And up from the rocky steep,
There arose a glad cry to the gate of Heaven,
“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”
And the angels echoed around the throne,
“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

This is one of my old favorites. I learned the tune "wrong" by oral tradition, but prefer the tune as I learned it. I guess it's an old Ira Sankey hymn. As I sang this the other day, the visual in the fourth verse especially convicted me. How often I take the Lord's love for granted! But He bled to prove that love. Then why not trust Him enough to follow Him in everything?!

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Romans 8:32

They that know Thy name...

2007-11-11T18:41:00.001-07:00

"And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."
Psalm 9:10

TIARA

2007-10-29T18:38:00.000-06:00

"Tiara Is A Recursive Acronym."

Thanks, Isaac... I think!

And a little of what I want, too...

2007-10-22T22:05:00.000-06:00

"Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue; Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:"Job 20:12-13

Do we think we can sneak just a little taste of sin? As someone recently remarked to me, we tend to think like, "I'm going to do everything the Lord wants, and a little of what I want, too."

"Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him. He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly. He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him." Job 20:14-16

Don't we realize that "This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God"? (Job 20:29) But those who believe in Jesus Christ are free from that old inheritance, which promises a temporary pleasure, but ends in corruption, death, and destruction. We are born again into a new, eternal inheritance.

All too often we forget how "the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment," and we give in to those small (or not so small) indulgences. (Job 20:5) If only we would deny ourselves, flee from those temptations, and put the flesh to death, we would realize that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."(Romans 13:14)

Gain and Loss

2007-10-03T11:18:00.000-06:00

"It is loss to keep when God says give."
Elisabeth Elliot

Bethany Wissmann shared this quote in a recent blog post. I had "coincidently" been reading in Philippians 4, and this saying reminded me of verse 7 so much that I think it's exactly the verse Elisabeth Elliot was referring to.

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."
Philippians 4:7

What Paul had considered gain before, he now saw as causing loss, by preventing him from attaining the fullness of what Christ had for him. What exactly did he stand to gain? Why did he discard those things once considered great gain so resolutely?

For "the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (vs. 8)
To "be found in him" (vs. 9)
To have "the righteousness which is of God by faith" (vs. 9)
To "know him,
- and the power of his resurrection,
- and the fellowship of his sufferings" (vs. 10)
To "attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (vs. 11)
For "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (vs. 14)

Paul knew everything else was just an obstacle. He was counting them loss "for Christ," because he stood to gain the person of Christ-- the Ultimate Reward.

In the Lord

2007-10-01T20:05:00.000-06:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice."
Phil 4:4

To me, the key part of this verse is the in the Lord part. The rejoice part is just the corollary^Def.

Come and Dine

2007-09-19T20:05:00.000-06:00

We used to sing this hymn with some saint we met with a long time ago. I recently looked it up, and lately I've been trying to learn it. Has anyone else ever heard of this hymn?

Come and Dine

Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
O ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!

“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now, “Come and dine.”

The disciples came to land,
Thus obeying Christ’s command,
For the Master called unto them, “Come and dine”;
There they found their heart’s desire,
Bread and fish upon the fire;
Thus He satisfies the hungry every time.

Soon the Lamb will take His bride
To be ever at His side,
All the host of Heaven will assembled be;
O ’twill be a glorious sight,
All the saints in spotless white;
And with Jesus they will feast eternally.

Written in 1906 by Charles Brenton Widmeyer (1884-1974) to compliment John 21:12.

Finger in My hand, hand in My side

2007-09-07T11:23:00.000-06:00

When I recently read John 20, verse 27 struck me in a new way.

"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing."

Jesus wanted Thomas to experience the reality of His resurrection. The same Christ that Thomas saw nailed to the cross is now alive-- He has defeated sin and death! So "be not faithless, but believing" that the Lord has defeated our sin, and won our freedom! Reach out, and live the power of His death-- in freedom from sin. And live a fresh, overpowering new life, by the victory of His resurrection.

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." John 20:31

All my Springs in THEE...

2007-08-24T20:43:00.000-06:00

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (John 4:10)

Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:13-14)

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (John 6:54-56)

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:37-38)

Pray for North Omaha

2007-08-08T19:58:00.001-06:00

Hi there. You've probably noticed that I'm blogging from North Omaha, a district of Omaha, Nebraska. (Hence the title Northside Streetlight.) It's no secret around here that the Northside is among the rougher parts of the city. Unfortunately, this has been demonstrated lately to the extreme.

In July, Omaha had an average of 1 shooting per day-- most of which occurred on the Northside. And August has brought no improvement. A few nights ago, North Omaha saw 3 shootings (all under heavy police presence), and 3 other violent incidents including 1 carjacking/robbery and 1 stabbing. The next night, a shotgun was discharged through the window of a home, striking an 8-month-old-- non-fatally-- and injuring his great aunt.

The police presence and involvement during some of these shootings illustrates that this problem won't be easily solved. The Northside's violence problem isn't a political or social problem, it's a sin problem. People in North Omaha are literally going to Hell, and they need saved by Jesus Christ!

Yesterday after Bible study, we prayed asked the Lord to hold back the shootings, and that no one would be hurt last night. Miraculously, there were no shootings last night, (although someone was shot farther West later today).

I understand the risk of living here, but I love North Omaha. And I believe that the Lord can do great things here. I've seen salvation in past years, and have had opportunities in recent days to share the gospel with others from this area.

So please ask the Lord to:

Save people
Hold back the shootings-- for the next night, one night at a time
Overcome His servants' sins (like me), and get a work of righteousness in us
Use us mightily to preach the gospel with compassion.

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?"

But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9:11-13)

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

..."I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." (Luke 15:1-2, and 7)

Elegy on a bowl of salsa

2007-08-04T19:28:00.000-06:00

Alas! Thou bowl of salsa fair,
Whose crimson hues the palate dare,
And shimm'ring scarlet in the light
Arouse a raging appetite.

How dost thou feign thou wilt escape
Such appetite, now aggravated?
But, fast! Into great mouth, agape
Alas-- ingurgitated.

(Penned in the back of a math notebook during highschool.)

New Day

2007-07-24T14:15:00.001-06:00

Lord, it's a new day
And You deserve praise today
Like any other day
'Cause You're good today,
Your mercies are new every morning;
And You deserve glory.

You love me
You died for me
Lord, You are holy,
Your mercies are new every morning;
And You deserve glory.

Houshold disclaimer

2007-07-11T21:20:00.000-06:00

How do you memorize Scripture?

2007-07-04T17:51:00.000-06:00

My favorite method for memorizing Scripture:

Split the passage into phrases, each about two to six words long.
Copy the phrases onto a notecard, seperated from each other by horizontal lines.
To practice the passage, cover the card with another blank notecard.
Try to guess the next phrase.
Slide the blank notecard down one line to see if you guessed the phrase correctly.

This works best if you read over the verse a few times before guessing. I usually only learn one verse at a time, though I write multiple verses on both the front and back of each notecard.

How do you memorize? What's your favorite method, or time of day, for memorizing? Do you know any games or tricks?

A thought on the iPhone

2007-06-29T19:43:00.000-06:00

I just wish I had bought Apple stock when I looked at it a while back-- talk of the iPhone had just started then. Now, the stock's up about 30%.

Of course, it would probably take all the profits I would have earned to actually buy and support an iPhone. Just not worth the expense in my book. To me, a phone was always something you make phone calls on. Maybe if I traveled more, I'd appreciate the idea of having a toaster oven built into my phone.

If I ever turn up some extra money to throw at the stock market, I hope something like this happens again. But otherwise, I'm not convinced that the iPhone will improve my life, or even carry our race any closer to technological self-actualization.

(I wan't going to post anything about the iPhone, but I was visiting a blog today, and wrote this comment. Before I knew it-- BAM! I had something to post.)

Romans 5 Memorization

2007-06-27T16:20:00.000-06:00

The memorization plan for Romans 5 is now available.

Although Romans 5 is only 21 verses, we'll be taking 5 weeks again, at a more relaxed pace than the last few chapters. If you're interested at all in committing to this project, please leave a comment to let me know.

I'm excited about starting the next chapter for several reasons:

First, we've completed the first four out of sixteen chapters in Romans-- meaning that we've gotten through a fourth of the chapters! As later chapters are longer, I doubt that we've really memorized an entire quarter of Romans, but it's an encouraging milestone nonetheless.

Secondly, as mentioned above, chapter five's pace is far more relaxed than chapter four's. The chapter is divided according to the total number of words this time, rather than the number of verses which tend to vary greatly in length. Consequently, the first two assignments total 11 verses, while the last two total only 6 verses. However, both assignments are about the same length.

Lastly, review went much better for me after chapter four, and I've settled into a review method that actually seems somewhat effective. This means that we may actually reach a point where we can remember more than one chapter at a time-- or, maybe even a whole book!!!

Don't forget the Lord!

2007-06-23T20:33:00.000-06:00

"So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's web."Job 8:13-14

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night."Psalm 1:1-2

Check out brother Isaac's blog, FindMercy.com.
He recently wrote a post with a similar title.

If You will, You can.

2007-06-18T07:03:00.000-06:00

And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Matthew 8:2-3

You can lead a horse...

2007-06-02T21:33:00.000-06:00

“You can lead a horse to ice, but you can't make him skate.”

-- My dad

Romans 4 Memorization

2007-05-21T23:17:00.000-06:00

I've published the syllabus (schedule) for memorizing Romans 4 here. It comes to around 10 verses per week, plus review-- for a total of 4 weeks.

If you're interested, please let me know by leaving a comment. All comments are private until I choose to publish them. I don't publish comments if they contain personal info (like your e-mail address), or if you specifically request to keep your comment private.

Right now, few enough people are doing this, that I can be an accountability partner for all of them. But we may eventually expand into a larger loose network.

If you can't get in on this chapter, check back later-- we hope to eventually memorize the whole book!

Føroyskt

2007-05-11T22:45:00.000-06:00

"When women speak Faroese, it sounds like angels, singing."

-- David Hansen

Will you also go away?...

2007-05-08T12:23:00.000-06:00

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, "Will ye also go away?"

Then Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

John 6:66-69

Fountain Free

2007-05-03T16:39:00.000-06:00

There’s a fountain free, ’tis for you and me:
Let us haste, O haste to its brink;
’Tis the fount of love from the Source above,
And He bids us all freely drink.

Will you come to the fountain free?
Will you come? ’tis for you and me;
Thirsty soul hear the welcome call:
’Tis a fountain opened for all.

There’s a living stream, with a crystal gleam:
From the throne of life now it flows;
While the waters roll let the weary soul
Hear the call that forth freely goes.

There’s a rock that’s cleft and no soul is left,
That may not its pure waters share;
’Tis for you and me, and its stream I see:
Let us hasten joyfully there.

This song was new to me when I first heard it-- probably, last week. I was surprised to find that it was not only in the Cyberhymnal, but the John Marshall Family sang it as well. (You can hear most of their somewhat restrained version of this rousing song at OldChristianMusic.com.) Has anybody else heard this song before?

Honey in the Rock

2007-04-24T14:39:00.000-06:00

In the last few days, I've been encourage by this song. If you want to hear it, you can get a free recording from the MacDonald Family's web site.

Honey in the Rock

O my brother, do you know the Savior,
Who is wondrous, kind, and true?
He’s the Rock of your salvation!
There’s honey in the Rock for you.

Refrain:
Oh, there’s honey in the Rock, my brother;
There’s honey in the Rock for you.
Leave your sins for the Blood to cover;
There’s honey in the Rock for you.

Have you tasted that the Lord is gracious?
Do you walk in the way that’s new?
Have you drunk from the living fountain?
There’s honey in the Rock for you.

Do you pray unto God the Father,
“What wilt Thou have me to do?”
Never fear, He will surely answer,
There’s honey in the Rock for you.

Then go out through the streets and byways,
Preach the Word to the many or few;
Say to every fallen brother,
There’s honey in the Rock for you.

A traditional American hymn written in 1895 by Frederick Graves (1856-1927).

I confess.

2007-04-10T22:30:00.000-06:00

I tried IE7.

I wanted ensure that I was credible source to recommend Mozilla Firefox over Microsoft's newest Internet Explorer. After all, if I never tried IE7, how would I know for sure that there was no improvement over older versions that Firefox trumped so easily?

Well, I had a great time, and thought I might sharing a few of my findings.

These next few screenshots are some of my favorites, showing what happens when you open a new tab...

"What," you may ask, "Is it connecting to? What will it load? What fantastic content awaits to reward my patience?"

Be assured, Internet Explorer 7 hasn't wasted any of your time. All in all, it was a surprise-filled, but rewarding experience. You came away from your laughter with a goofy grin on your face, still wondering just exactly why it has to pause and load... nothing.

But to be completely fair, you have to consider this quirk in context. What does Firefox do? (Yes, I'm still running 1.5.)

Perhaps it's not a fair comparison. After all, Firefox is so fast you can't really tell what it does, much less capture it in a screenshot. But at least you tried.

Insights from Abe

2007-04-10T20:19:00.000-06:00

“How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four; calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.”

-- Abraham Lincoln

Word of the... whatever: Booyah!

2007-04-06T21:59:00.000-06:00

(Pronunciation: boo-yah, boo-yah.)
Alternative spellings: booya.

1. A general triumphal exclamation, primarily used to celebrate mastery over a challenge or opponent.

Etymology: Origins uncertain. One theory suggests that the exclamation derives from a stew by the same name. The stew, also called booyah, or booya, is usually prepared for a large number of people. Booyah, which may have originated in Green Bay, Wisconsin, usually has a Belgian-style chicken or beef base. Fund-raisers or public gatherings where Booyah is served may bear the same name.

"Of God that sheweth mercy"

2007-03-31T15:21:00.001-06:00

(Originally left as a comment on a blog post by Josiah Wissmann.)

Amen!!! Recently, we have been studying Romans in Bible study. These meditations are really exciting!

Romans 9:17-18 "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."

Romans 9:22-23 "What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory."

Deuteronomy 9:5 "Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Romans 11:22 "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off..."

Romand 11:32-36 "For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

Democrats take Congress! (Part 2)

2007-03-24T19:19:00.001-06:00

Continued from Democrats take Congress! How should believers respond? Part 1: God has appointed all government powers.

Part 2: Believers must honor government authorities.

If God has appointed all government powers-- even unjust powers-- how should that affect our attitudes toward them? The Scripture leaves no mystery. Let's look at Romans 13 again.

"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour." Romans 13:7

We should honor government authorities. God has appointed them, so honor is due to them. I Peter 2 says at the end of verse 17, "Honour the king." Today's government may be more complex than those in "Bible times," and we might not have any kings around here. But God has still appointed "the powers that be," and His Word is just as applicable. We are commanded to honor government authorities.

The Merriam-Webster's defines honor as "a showing of usually merited respect" or "recognition." So honor is "usually merited." I Peter 2:17 also says to "honor all men." Everyone merits some honor, because God has made them, and given each his place. In fact, honor comes from the same root as honest. Honor is acting out of respect for who or what someone is.

"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." Romans 13:2

However we respond to the government, we are responding to God's "ordinance"-- to those whom God has appointed. They merit respect; let's recognize this with our actions.

Believers must honor government authorities.

Be sure and check back for Part 3!

Jehoshaphat's Prayer

2007-03-16T07:44:00.000-06:00

II Chronicles 20:6-12

... O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?

And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name, saying,

If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not;

Behold, I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us out of thy possession, which thou hast given us to inherit.

O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.

Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, prayed this when the Ammonites came out against him, and Judah gathered together to seek the Lord.

The Spirit of Adoption

2007-02-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Romans 8:15-16

The Lord is our Father, we are His children. He wants us to recognize Him as our Father, and cast our cares at His feet.

’Tis the blessed hour of prayer, when the Savior draws near,
With a tender compassion His children to hear;
When He tells us we may cast at His feet every care,
What a balm for the weary, O how sweet to be there!

From the second verse of Blessed Hour of Prayer, by Fanny Crosby.

Los Salsas Grandes

2007-01-14T20:59:00.001-07:00

Democrats take Congress! How should believers respond?

2007-01-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

Part 1: God has appointed all government powers.

Last Thursday, the new session of congress convened with Democrats in the majority. CNN spent much of the day covering the event. Nancy Pelosi took power as the new speaker of the house, and made a grand oration about her hopes for the new congress. These events may may justly cause concern for those who believe in Jesus Christ. But how exactly should should believers respond government authority? Let's take a look at the Scripture for some answers.

"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." Romans 13:1

The chapter's context tells us that this verse is about government authorities-- those that "bear the sword" (verse 4), and collect "tribute" (or taxes-- verse 6). And it says that God has appointed (or "ordained") those that are in power. I have heard a teaching that some people are in power, but God has not ordained them. But Romans 13:1 says clearly, "There is no power but of God."

Are there "exceptions" to this rule? Are some "powers that be" so evil that they are exempt? No. Consider Daniel chapter 4. In this chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that warned him he would become like an animal. He thought that his kingdom was great, so he must be a pretty great guy. But verse seventeen says this:

"This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men." Daniel 4:17

The Lord appoints whoever He wants to over the kingdoms of men. And sometimes he wants to appoint base people-- in other words, low-lifes. And he does appoint the "basest of men." Yes, even the "basest of men" in government authority have been ordained of God. Consider another example: Pontius Pilate. Didn't he rule unjustly?

"Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." John 19:10-11

What did Christ say about Pilate? Did you say "you have no power at all"? No, rather His words echo Romans 13:1, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above..." Even that power-- the "power of darkness" (Luke 22:53) was appointed of God.

God has appointed all government powers.

Be sure and check back for Part 2!

Poverty in the USA

2007-01-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

"To most Americans, poverty means that you only have one SUV."

-- Me

Challenges to a budding musician

2006-12-28T12:29:00.001-07:00

Mary, did you know?

2006-12-24T21:23:00.001-07:00

Lyrics by Mark Lowry

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God.

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb

Mary, did you know
that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
is the Great I Am

Pray this holiday...

2006-12-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Please pray this holiday that prisoners in the United States would receive Christ, including juvenile offenders.

Isaac, author of FindMercy.com, is in Release Ministries. He visits detained youths almost every week to share the gospel with them. He would like for you to pray for him and his friends. This is an especially difficult time for the children. Please pray that they would be open to the gospel, and find real comfort in receiving Christ.

The Wissmanns, a family of traveling singers, plans to perform for prison men in Wisconsin on Monday. They have also requested prayer. Please ask the Lord to make the gospel clear and save some men.

Thank you!

Isaiah 17:7-8

2006-12-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

"At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images."

Isaiah 17:7-8

Just for kicks: The Longest verse in the Bible

2006-11-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

"Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language." Esther 8:9

Open my eyes

2006-11-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!

See CyberHymnal.com

Driver Distraction

2006-11-17T16:22:00.001-07:00

"The other day, I was driving to work: eating my breakfast, drinking my coffee, reading the newspaper; when I suddenly realized that the fool in front of me was on his cell phone."

-- My dad

Shebah.

2006-10-26T20:58:00.000-06:00

Yes. I'm actually doing it. I'm posting photos of my dog! Well, while this may be a humiliating experience for me, I hope that the rest of you will enjoy meeting my robust, ruggedly good-looking chow-mix Shebah.

No, I don't know-- the father could have been anything. But in all likelihood it was a dog. That reminds me of Mark Twain's Dog's Tale: "My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me."

My Dog Shebah

Go ahead and comment, it'd be great to hear it!

Happy is he

2006-10-15T18:36:00.000-06:00

Psalm 146

1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

2 While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:

6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:

8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous:

9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

Who are you by profession?

2006-10-11T14:04:00.000-06:00

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

1 Timothy 6:12 (King James Version)

Equality

2006-10-10T22:16:00.000-06:00

"I am committed to treating everyone equally-- especially minorities."

-- Me

An Awful Thing

2006-10-04T23:53:00.000-06:00

"It's an awful thing to hear a strong, desperate, fat man scream incontinently in a cave at daybreak."

-- O. Henry, Ransom of Red Chief

Shining City

2006-10-01T13:20:00.000-06:00

Morning is coming, yet too cometh night
Darkness is dawning, but soon will follow light
If we sow bitter tears we shall reap sweetest joys
We shall come with our shares, we shall worship with one voice.

To him that overcometh, He will give the morning star
For our work and tribulation, O how rich we truly are!
If we keep our garments spotless we shall walk with Him in white
Be ye faithful to the death and He will give the crown of Life.

The fowler's snare has been broken, and our souls have been set free
He has given food and raiment, and supplies our every need
Wings as doves, covered silver, and her feathers yellow gold
I was once the song of drunkards, now He's washed me white as snow.

Joy cometh in the morning, weeping lasteth but a night
What for now we see but darkly He will bring into the light
He shall come and heal the nations, and the curse shall be destroyed
He shall clothe us with salvation, we shall shout aloud for joy!

A pure river, clear as crystal, proceedeth from the throne
Therein is no need of temple, and the light is like a stone
In the midst is God Almighty, and there is no night there
Behold, He cometh quickly; come and drink, all ye that hear.

9/24/2001

Come Away...

2006-09-10T14:08:00.000-06:00

This hymn may be sung to the tune of Abide With Me.

Come ye yourselves apart and rest awhile;
Weary, I know it, of the press and throng,
Wipe from your brow the sweat and dust of toil,
And in My quiet strength again be strong.

Come ye aside from all the world holds dear,
For converse which the world has never known,
Alone with Me and with My Father here,
With Me and with My Father not alone.

Come, tell Me all that ye have said and done,
Your victories and failures, hopes and fears.
I know how hardly souls are wooed and won:
My choicest wreaths are always wet with tears.

Come ye and rest: the journey is too great,
And ye will faint beside the way and sink:
The Bread of Life is here for you to eat,
And here for you the Wine of Love to drink.

Then, fresh from converse with your Lord, return
And work till daylight softens into ev’n;
The brief hours are not lost in which ye learn
More of your Master and His rest in Heav’n.

From Mark 6:31. Words by Edward Bickersteth, 1871.
See CyberHymanl.org.

Bless the Lord!

2006-09-02T11:58:00.000-06:00

Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
O Lord my God, Thou art very great
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
And all that is within me,
Bless His holy name.

Glory to God, praise honor laud
Glory to God in the highest
Sing of His grace, show forth His praise
Glory to God in the highest
Sing of His grace, show forth His praise
Glory to God in the highest

Out of my bed, watered with tears
Open my eyes, and away fly my fears
The Light floods the sky
And the Truth is made clear

Cause the Day breaks the night into pieces
And it chases the darkness away
When I steadily gaze into heaven
All the shadows are lost in the blaze.

Glory to God, praise honor laud
Glory to God in the highest
Sing of His grace, show forth His praise
Glory to God in the highest
Sing of His grace, show forth His praise
Glory to God in the highest
Bless the Lord, Oh my soul
Bless the Lord!
Bless the Lord!
Bless the Lord!

I Lay my Sins on Jesus

2006-08-19T11:51:00.000-06:00

I lay my sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all, and frees us from the accursèd load;
I bring my guilt to Jesus, to wash my crimson stains
White in His blood most precious, till not a stain remains.

I lay my wants on Jesus; all fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases, He doth my soul redeem:
I lay my griefs on Jesus, my burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases, He all my sorrows shares.

I rest my soul on Jesus, this weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces, I on His breast recline.
I love the Name of Jesus, Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes His Name abroad is poured.

Words by Horatius Bonar. See CyberHymnal.org.

Our help

2006-08-13T21:58:00.000-06:00

1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;
2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.
6 Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Be of good cheer

2006-08-12T19:11:00.000-06:00

"And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome."
Acts 23:11

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

Stuck on Second?

2006-07-22T20:39:00.000-06:00

You did the best you could. You followed the rules. You worked hard in practice. You gave it your best swing. You made a good run, but it wasn't good enough to get you all the way home. Now, you're stuck on second. You need someone to get you on home.

In the game of life, Jesus has what it takes to get you on Home.

"All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Not one of us can gain God's best in our own strength.
He is on our side! "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) The penalty for our sins is death. The Lord Jesus paid the penalty for you (and me) when He died on the cross. Those who accept His sacrifice and trust in Him are saved from eternal destruction, and receive the gift of a victorious, eternal life!
You must choose to accept Him. He wants to be your Captain. He has the will and the power to lead you to victory. "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him." (Hebrews 7:25)

"Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)

What must I do to be saved? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31)

(Click here for a printable version of this flyer.)

"Give us Help from trouble..."

2006-07-01T13:30:00.000-06:00

Psalm 108:10-13
"Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies."

I Chronicles 5:20-22
The Reubenites made war with the Hagarites, "And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand. For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity."

Acts 21:5
"And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed."

Double Rainbow

2006-07-01T13:22:00.000-06:00

This is a double rainbow that appeared last weekend after a rain shower.

Justified, peace with God-- through Jesus Christ

2006-06-25T19:02:00.000-06:00

Romans 5:1 has been coming to my mind lately: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".

And the Lord Jesus Christ, and peace with God is what it's all about. Praise God, we can know that God is with us, we are made right, and we can have peace-- through our Lord Christ Jesus!

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

See today's post at Findmercy.com.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

2006-06-19T09:33:00.000-06:00

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Psalm 103

In all your ways...

2006-05-23T14:39:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I happened across Proverbs 3:6-- "In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."

Later in the day, I found myself singing Near the Cross.

Verse three says:
Near the cross, O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me.
Help we walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

How differently would I live if I remembered how much suffering my sin causes, and how Christ took that suffering so that I might be free!

Remember this.

"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so that from now on we should not serve sin. Because he that is dead is freed from sin." Romans 6:6-7

Quintessence Verging

2006-04-27T19:34:00.000-06:00

Taken April 27, 2006. Glory to God alone.

Hudson Taylor and the Prayer of Faith

2006-04-08T21:09:00.000-06:00

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” -Matthew 21:22

Last summer, I wrote a paper about Hudson Taylor entitled "Hudson Taylor and the Prayer of Faith". Please take a few minutes to read it. It's only six pages long, and hopefully it will encourage you.

Abstract: James Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) pioneered evangelism to inland China. As a man greatly used of God, his life stands out as an example. In complete faith, he surrendered himself to God. Prayer was a major way that this faith was demonstrated.

I'll just wash my garments white

2006-03-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

    Jesus paid it all,
    All to Him I owe;
    Sin had left a crimson stain,
    He washed it white as snow.

This is the second verse of Jesus Paid it All.