A few years back the lead pastor (he was not my pastor, but that’s a story for another day) of the church I attended came to me and asked if I would lead worship during a revival we were hosting at a small church in North Carolina that another of our pastors was preaching at. Our worship leader was to go but could not as he was expecting his first grandchild and didn’t want to be 8 hours away in case the grandchild arrived during the week. I told them that I would go and went to lead worship. The church was located in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The Outer Banks is steeped in history and beauty. I had been there before and it quickly moved up on my list of favorite places.
The church we were holding revival at was also steeped in history and was built in the 1830’s. The average age of the church was probably in the mid to late 60’s. We arrived late on a Friday evening and had a meeting with some of the members to plan where we wanted to go in the community and invite people to come to the meetings we were having. On Saturday, we went to the areas and invited people. While traveling back, I asked about a trailer park we were approaching and found out that we weren’t visiting it and I asked “why not?” I was told they never visited there because it was “too far” from the church. It was less than a mile away from the church, it was then I knew we were in for an adventurous week at the church.
The church had no musicians, a limited sound system, no video system and if you packed the building, you may be able to get 50 people in the church. We brought both a sound and a video system with us and hooked them up on Saturday afternoon. By Saturday night we were all ready to go. Several members of the church stopped by as we were setting up and heard the CD’s and DVD’s we were playing. It was contemporary music and I could tell from the looks we were getting that it was going to be a major change for them. They probably were dreading it, but I was excited.
The church in many ways was still stuck in the 1830’s. The newest music they sang on Sunday morning was a modern (to them) song from the 1970’s. They had an order of worship and stuck to it. They were very traditional and regimented in their structure and worship. They sang the doxology, welcomed everyone, recognized the visitors, took an offering, gave a Sunday School report, and sang a coupe more songs before turning it over to our outreach pastor to preach. He brought his message and told them that we would be handling the music and entire services for the remainder of the week and encouraged them to attend and invite others. He also wanted them to know that we were going to do things a little different than they were used to and for them to be prepared for the difference. We began services on Sunday night. I played guitar and piano some before the services but didn’t use them during the service, only soundtracks and DVD’s. Our entire week was devoted to a despised word in many churches today – CHANGE.
We had almost 20 people in attendance for the evening service. Unfortunately, we had brought about 9 of the people with us so we made up almost half of the crowd. There were two people we had invited from the neighborhood there. The pastor brought the message and did his best to motivate the members into trying to reach the people in the community. We kept this up every night of the week, saw more people attending every night and by the end of the week, we had a packed house. I had talked with many of the people and they mentioned that they could not keep the younger adults, teens, or children attending or interested in being a part of the church. They had lost touch and no longer was the church relevant to their lives. I did my best to politely let them know that even though times had changed, the methods of the church had not. What worked in the 1940’s and 1950’s to make the church relevant no longer works today. In order to make the church more vibrant and once again become a needed part of people’s lives is for the church to have a makeover.
Make no mistake in my statement. The message we deliver cannot be changed. The message of salvation and the holiness and deity of Jesus Christ has not and will not ever change. We cannot change our beliefs and principles just so we can attract people. The gospel message is still the same today as it was in the 1830’s. If you die without accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will still die and go to hell just as they did in the old days. However, we have to make changes in the way we present it. As I stated, what worked years ago is not working today. Churches are dying and people are walking away from church because of tradition and the inability of church to make the changes needed to become relevant to peoples lives. The illustration I used with the church is the following;
There are two brand new cars in the lot. Both serve the same purpose, to reliably take you from point A to point B. Both are the exact same price, in mint condition, seat four people, have less than 10 miles on them, and get similar gas mileage. For $12,000, you can have either car. Here are the two choices
Choice 1
1972 AMC Pacer
Vinyl Seats
AM/FM Radio with an 8 Track
Manual Steering
Manual Brakes
Automatic Transmission
Manual Windows
Manual Door Locks
Choice 2
2009 Ford Mustang
Leather Seats
AM/FM Stereo with CD & MP3 Player
Power Steering
Power Brakes with Anti-Lock
Automatic Transmission
Power Windows
Power Door Locks
Cruise Control
Tilt Steering
Heated Seats
Air Conditioning
Power Seats
Cruise Control
Tilt Steering
Air Conditioning
Power Seats
Rarely will someone decide that they want the Pacer. Most will want the convenience, styling, and modernization of the Mustang. The Pacer may have been a good choice years ago but its styling is dated and its obsolescence makes it irrelevant and unattractive to younger people.
The same goes with our churches. The programs and worship styles we use must be modernized to be more attractive to younger generations. If you have your ticket and are on your way to heaven, then church is no longer about what attracts you or what you are comfortable with. Our primary goal as Christians is to reach out to others and bring them into a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus told us to “go into the world and compel them to come to Him”. We have to provide something attractive to be able to bring them to Him. Just because it was good enough for Granny (or me) does not mean it is still effective in today’s environment.
This is not to say that we should abandon the old ways. There are still people who will be attracted to Jesus by the old methods. However, you can go to some towns with churches on almost every corner and see that churches that use the old ways are plentiful. It’s what many people are comfortable with and they seem to think that if you want to come to Christ, you’ll have to conform to their ways because they will not change for you. Traditional churches are a dime a dozen and unfortunately, most of them are dying or have already died, they just haven’t noticed yet.
No one drives a Model T everyday, Hollywood does not make silent movies, nor does anyone watch a black and white TV anymore. If the rest of the world can change and embraces modern technology and methods, then why not the church? To once again be relevant and reach the world today, we must change. Not our beliefs, but our methods.
It will be a struggle, you may be alienated by so-called Christians and even friends, but the rewards far outweigh the costs.
GLW
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Troubles, Trials, Hills, Valleys
As an aged former rocker, I love many contemporary Christian bands. My favorite is Third Day (with apologies to MercyMe). The song that is on the top of my list is "Mountain of God".
The Lord sometimes gives me the opportunity to speak of how we can make it through any troubles and trials that come our way if we place our faith and trust in Him. There will be times that we feel we're going through our troubles all alone and that no one cares. Loneliness is something that can steal your happiness and joy when troubles come your way, bringing the overwhelming sense of depression into your life. Though I minored in counseling, I’m speaking from my personal experience. The events Christ has allowed me to go through the past three years have been very traumatic and there are times that I feel like my friends and family have deserted me, no one cares, and Christ seems like a distant figure that is busy with the other people and problems of the world. When we take the view that we’re all alone, defeat settles in.
During times like these, we have to look deep within and rely on Christ more than we ever have before. It can be difficult because human nature makes us want to isolate ourselves and withdraw from others. We want to handle our problems on our own and tough it out. Others may view it as a sign of weakness if we let them see that we’re vulnerable. Christ never designed us to be introverts. If we go back to the beginning and look at Adam, we see that God decided it wasn’t good for him to be alone so He created Eve as a companion. (Genesis 2:18-“and the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone”-NIV) People can grieve with us, comfort us, and cheer us up if we allow them to. Christ loves us more than we could ever imagine or deserve, He wants us to cast our worries and care on Him and promised to never leave us or turn His back on us. (1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you; Deuteronomy 31:8-“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”-NIV)
In 1963, the United States Supreme Court made it illegal to have verbal prayer in America's public schools. The primary plaintiff of the court case was one of the best-known atheists, Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Through the years, she was very vocal in her support of atheism and the “ringleader” in the campaign against religion in public life. However, on August 27 1995, she vanished, leaving her car at an airport and $500,000 missing from the American Atheists Association bank account. The Internal Revenue Service seized Mrs. O'Hair's home and property for payment of creditors and back taxes, one of the items at auction were her diaries. An entry stated, "The whole idiotic hopelessness of human relations descends upon me. Tonight, I cried and cried, but even then feeling nothing." I was really struck by four words that Madalyn Murray O'Hair reportedly wrote at least half a dozen times over the years, "Somebody, somewhere, love me."
The cry for love in Mrs. O'Hair's diary, is the cry of every human heart, "Somebody, somewhere, love me." Even for many of us who do believe in God, there is still that awful hurting feeling. It's possible for us to believe in God, to do God's work, and to still miss out on the experience of His love. And without that love, the emptiness and loneliness in our heart is never satisfied - no matter how many loves we experience.
While you may not be an atheist, it could be that you've invested a lot in things that could easily become other gods: your career, your children, your projects, maybe your friends, your charity work, even your spiritual pursuits. But the deep, sense of aloneness seldom seems to go away. Every type of love has ultimately either failed you or failed to satisfy you. So, after all these years, your heart is still whispering - even shouting the same thing - "Somebody, somewhere, love me." I put my former Wife and my Children above Christ and the love He had for me and when they were all gone, suffered a tremendous blow from the void of their love. It was then I came to the realization that His love would never end whether I failed Him or not. I all had to do was to ask for Him to forgive my shortcomings and I was immediately restored in my walk with Him. Though others, and I, may remember my failures and bring them to mind, He never did or will. His love is unconditional and His forgiveness is unlimited.
Asking God to help you is easy. Developing a close relationship with Him is also easy. You can bring your shortcomings, hurts, loneliness, worries, cares, problems, etc. to Him no matter how large or small. He longs for us to have a close walk with Him and to provide you with an unloseable, unconditional, and immeasurable love. When all others fail, when all others turn their backs, when all others disappear, He will still be there patiently waiting for us. No matter what we’ve done or how hard we’ve fallen, He’ll still be there for us and love us. As a Christian, Jesus will be there with you. No matter how low the valley or how high the mountain, He is there with you.
Jesus is the "Somebody, somewhere" that your heart has been lonely for. And you don't have to live one more day without His love.
Mountain of God
The Lord sometimes gives me the opportunity to speak of how we can make it through any troubles and trials that come our way if we place our faith and trust in Him. There will be times that we feel we're going through our troubles all alone and that no one cares. Loneliness is something that can steal your happiness and joy when troubles come your way, bringing the overwhelming sense of depression into your life. Though I minored in counseling, I’m speaking from my personal experience. The events Christ has allowed me to go through the past three years have been very traumatic and there are times that I feel like my friends and family have deserted me, no one cares, and Christ seems like a distant figure that is busy with the other people and problems of the world. When we take the view that we’re all alone, defeat settles in.
During times like these, we have to look deep within and rely on Christ more than we ever have before. It can be difficult because human nature makes us want to isolate ourselves and withdraw from others. We want to handle our problems on our own and tough it out. Others may view it as a sign of weakness if we let them see that we’re vulnerable. Christ never designed us to be introverts. If we go back to the beginning and look at Adam, we see that God decided it wasn’t good for him to be alone so He created Eve as a companion. (Genesis 2:18-“and the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone”-NIV) People can grieve with us, comfort us, and cheer us up if we allow them to. Christ loves us more than we could ever imagine or deserve, He wants us to cast our worries and care on Him and promised to never leave us or turn His back on us. (1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you; Deuteronomy 31:8-“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”-NIV)
In 1963, the United States Supreme Court made it illegal to have verbal prayer in America's public schools. The primary plaintiff of the court case was one of the best-known atheists, Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Through the years, she was very vocal in her support of atheism and the “ringleader” in the campaign against religion in public life. However, on August 27 1995, she vanished, leaving her car at an airport and $500,000 missing from the American Atheists Association bank account. The Internal Revenue Service seized Mrs. O'Hair's home and property for payment of creditors and back taxes, one of the items at auction were her diaries. An entry stated, "The whole idiotic hopelessness of human relations descends upon me. Tonight, I cried and cried, but even then feeling nothing." I was really struck by four words that Madalyn Murray O'Hair reportedly wrote at least half a dozen times over the years, "Somebody, somewhere, love me."
The cry for love in Mrs. O'Hair's diary, is the cry of every human heart, "Somebody, somewhere, love me." Even for many of us who do believe in God, there is still that awful hurting feeling. It's possible for us to believe in God, to do God's work, and to still miss out on the experience of His love. And without that love, the emptiness and loneliness in our heart is never satisfied - no matter how many loves we experience.
While you may not be an atheist, it could be that you've invested a lot in things that could easily become other gods: your career, your children, your projects, maybe your friends, your charity work, even your spiritual pursuits. But the deep, sense of aloneness seldom seems to go away. Every type of love has ultimately either failed you or failed to satisfy you. So, after all these years, your heart is still whispering - even shouting the same thing - "Somebody, somewhere, love me." I put my former Wife and my Children above Christ and the love He had for me and when they were all gone, suffered a tremendous blow from the void of their love. It was then I came to the realization that His love would never end whether I failed Him or not. I all had to do was to ask for Him to forgive my shortcomings and I was immediately restored in my walk with Him. Though others, and I, may remember my failures and bring them to mind, He never did or will. His love is unconditional and His forgiveness is unlimited.
Asking God to help you is easy. Developing a close relationship with Him is also easy. You can bring your shortcomings, hurts, loneliness, worries, cares, problems, etc. to Him no matter how large or small. He longs for us to have a close walk with Him and to provide you with an unloseable, unconditional, and immeasurable love. When all others fail, when all others turn their backs, when all others disappear, He will still be there patiently waiting for us. No matter what we’ve done or how hard we’ve fallen, He’ll still be there for us and love us. As a Christian, Jesus will be there with you. No matter how low the valley or how high the mountain, He is there with you.
Jesus is the "Somebody, somewhere" that your heart has been lonely for. And you don't have to live one more day without His love.
Mountain of God
Third Day
I thought that I was all alone, broken and afraid but You were there with me.
Yes, You were there with me.
And I didn't even know that I had lost my way but You were there with me.
Yes, You were there with me.
I thought that I was all alone, broken and afraid but You were there with me.
Yes, You were there with me.
And I didn't even know that I had lost my way but You were there with me.
Yes, You were there with me.
'Til You opened up my eyes I never knew, that I couldn't ever make it without You.
Even though the journey's long and I know the road is hard.
Well, the One who's gone before me He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through now I realize the truth.
That I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God.
As I travel on the road that You have lead me down You are here with me.
Yes, You are here with me.
I have need for nothing more now that I have found that You are here with me.
Yes, You are here with me.
Yes, You are here with me.
I have need for nothing more now that I have found that You are here with me.
Yes, You are here with me.
I confess from time to time I lose my way,
But You are always there to bring me back again.
But You are always there to bring me back again.
Even though the journey's long and I know the road is hard.
Well, the One who's gone before me He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through now I realize the truth.
That I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God.
Sometimes I think of where it is I've come from and the things I've left behind.
But of all I've had, what I possessed nothing can quite compare with what's in front of me.
But of all I've had, what I possessed nothing can quite compare with what's in front of me.
Even though the journey's long and I know the road is hard.
Well, the One who's gone before me He will help me carry on.
And after all that I've been through now I realize the truth.
That I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain of God.
Yes I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain.
Yes I must go through the valley to stand upon the mountain.
I thought that I was all alone broken and afraid but, You are here with me.
Yes, You are here with me.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Before You Pop the Question: 5 Keys to Love That Lasts
Here's my usual disclaimer. I did not write this post, but I did modify it some. The author is listed at the end of the article.
I was married for almost 19 years to a woman I truly loved and devoted my life to, but things did not work out as I desired and we are no longer married. I am not an expert at marriage, was a horrible husband, and failed miserably at being married.
That being said, this is a great article for those who are planning to become married or even for those who are currently married. Please take time to read it and if possible, apply some of it to your life/marriage. May God bless you and your marriage.
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How many want to fall in love one day?
How many want to marry and stay married to that person for the rest of your life?
On a piece of paper, I want you to write your personal definition of romantic love. Your definition should be detailed enough to give you the criteria that will position you to commit to one person for a lifetime. Look at what Solomon's wife said about her love for him:
Song of Solomon 8:6 “Always keep me in your heart and wear this bracelet to remember me by. The passion of love bursting into flame is more powerful than death, stronger than the grave.”
Set me like a cylinder seal over your heart, like a signet on your arm. For love is as strong as death, passion is as unrelenting as Sheol. Its flames burst forth, it is a blazing flame.”
Your ideas about love lay a foundation for your marriage. So, it’s a good idea to reassess your core values and consider how your concept of romantic love lines up with a biblical perspective.
Five Keys to Romantic Love
Observation 1: Marriage Takes Friendship
One key to a healthy marriage is friendship rooted in common values and interests.
Two types of love:
• Eros is powerful romantic love that flares up quickly and expresses itself in dramatic ways.
• Storge (or Phileo) is the love between friends; it is slow to develop but durable.
When you’re dating, it’s easy to get caught up in the romance of eros love. But in marriage, love and commitment are often expressed through mundane, daily responsibilities and sacrifices that are more associated with friends than lovers.
Song of Solomon 5:14 – 16 “His arms are branches of gold covered with jewels; his body is ivory decorated with sapphires. His legs are columns of marble on feet of gold. He stands there majestic like
Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Do we get excited about the same things?
• How many common interests do we have?
• Do they include spiritual things?
• Do I like this person?
Observation 2: Enduring Love is Unselfish
For love to last, it must be unselfish.
Philippians 2:3 – 4 “Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves”
Simply put, marital love is work. “When we love someone our love becomes real only through the fact that for that someone we take an extra step or walk an extra mile. Love is not effortless. To the contrary, love is effortful. – Psychologist M. Scott Peck
Love is a daily decision to “treat one another as more important than yourself” and focus on the needs of another.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Am I willing to put this person’s needs above my own, even when it’s inconvenient?
• Will I be willing to do that for the rest of my life?
• As we continue to date, am I becoming more or less selfish in the relationship?
Observation 3: Premarital Sex Confuses Everything
Avoiding sexual intimacy before marriage is another component of finding lasting love. Besides the fact that it goes against God’s directives (1st Thessalonians 4:3 “God wants you to be holy, so don't be immoral in matters of sex”), premarital sex clouds judgment. Deciding to marry someone is one of the most important steps you’ll ever take; you need to be able to evaluate the relationship clearly. Yet sexual intimacy often makes a couple feel closer than they are and hinders their ability to see each other in nonsexual ways.
Referring to premarital sex, when God sets something off limits it’s because He wants to protect and provide. In this case, God wants to protect you from making a clouded decision about another person, perhaps so He can provide you with a committed marriage that honors Him.
What does it mean to abstain from sexual immorality? What are you thinking about right now? Then it means to abstain from it.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Is our physical contact in line with God’s standards?
• Is our physical relationship clouding our ability to see each other clearly?
• Is our current physical involvement helping us to honor our future marriage and keep it pure?
Hebrews 13:4 “Have respect for marriage. Always be faithful to your partner, because God will punish anyone who is immoral or unfaithful in marriage.”
Observation 4: Marital Love Requires Commitment
The Bible’s picture of mature romantic love, however, implies lasting commitment: “A man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24 NASB). What does that mean?
“A man shall leave his father and mother” – my spouse is my main concern once we wed. I must put him/her first in our marriage.
“Be joined to his wife” – be joined or “cleaved” is the decision to share everything – time, money, emotions, thoughts, fears, failure, and triumphs. The idea is to be stuck together like to two things that are glued.
“Become one flesh” – when we attach our souls to one another we become one with that person spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. The implication of this verse is that you put your security on the line and commit entirely to one person to face a lifetime of challenges.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
• Am I willing to put a lifetime of effort into this one relationship?
• Am I ready to risk my physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual security to start a new family?
• Will I stick with this person in good and bad times?
• When bad times hit, what will remind me of the rightness of my decision to be one flesh with this person?
• Where will I find the strength to love this one person consistently for the rest of my life?
Observation 5: Divine Love is the Key
Our ability to love a person – and enjoy that person’s love in return – is dependent upon our experience of God’s love. The reason becomes apparent when we consider the types of love all of us hope to receive.
1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 8, “Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails! Everyone who prophesies will stop, and unknown languages will no longer be spoken. All that we know will be forgotten. Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
This description of love resonates with us because it was inspire by God for people made to be receptors of His divine live. Our fascination with and yearning for perfect love has been embedded into our hearts.
If we’re honest, though, we realize there’s no way we can always love someone as Paul describes. Expecting an imperfect spouse to love us that perfectly is equally unrealistic and invites disappointment and hurt. Only one person can love perfectly: God. Experiencing His unwavering love is the only way human love can be satisfying. Why? Because when we allow ourselves to be loved by a divine love, our need for transcendent love is fulfilled. We’re then free to be content with the love others can offer. And we’re better able to love others the way God loves us.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
• How strong is my relationship with God?
• Do I know how to love my significant other consistently with God’s love?
• Am I asking him or her to love me in ways only God can?
• Is the person I’m considering marrying more in love with God or with me?
Summary:
As Christians, we have access to the perspective of the author of love. God is not just a lover, but love itself (I John 4:8 “The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”). His opinion, revealed in His Word, can guide us as we move from dating, to love, to a lifetime commitment with another. If you’re considering marriage, there’s no surer path to a relationship that will not only be deeply fulfilling, but also provide an example to a culture desperate for lasting love.
Adapted from “Before you Pop the Question: 5 Keys to love that lasts” by Tim Muehlhoff in Discipleship Journal July/August 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Daily Sufficient Grace
This past week, a pastor friend and his wife lost their newborn Daughter. Many years ago, I experienced a similar event with the unexpected loss of my infant Son. Even though it's been several years and God has healed many of the wounds of the past, their loss brought back some pain and hurt that I lived through so many years ago. I felt sorrowful for them and can understand some of the pain they went through, are going through, and will go through.
I had many questions years ago as I was just beginning my years in ministry. "Why would you allow such a tragic thing as this happen to me Lord, after all I've devoted my life to serving You?" Through the years, the Lord has revealed some of the answers to me, but there are many things that are still unresolved. I know however, that I will be getting answers directly from Him in the future, so I can have comfort in that. I also know that my Son went directly into the arms of God and has been with Him in heaven ever since. Selfishly I miss him and would love to have him around me, but I do understand that God's plans and my plans don't always go hand in hand and that as a Christian, I have to accept all that God has for me even though not everything He has for me is something I particularly want. However, I only know part of the plan, not all of it.
Life changed dramatically for me since those days, but that's a story for another day. One thing that hasn't changed is God. Even though I fail Him, He continues to love me. There is a song from a few years ago that better puts into words how grateful we should be as Christians to have a God that understands our weaknesses and failures and is willing to put all that aside and accept us. I have failed miserably at almost everything I've ever tried in life. However, no matter how down I get because of my failures or how high I get because of my rare accomplishments, God still loves me and takes care of me even though (in my opinion & others)I'm not worth His time. He always is there to provide grace, mercy, and healing to us.
*** Grace ***
My heart is so proud.
My eyes are so unfocused.
I see the things You've done through me, as great things I have done.
And now You gently break me, and I cry just like a baby.
You hold me as my Father, and mold me as my Maker.
And I ask You How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."
At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged.
Knowing that someone, somewhere, can do a better job.
For who am I to serve You?
I know, I don't deserve You.
But that's the part, that burns in my heart, and keeps me hanging on.
And I ask You How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."
And You are so patient with me, Lord.
As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means.
How all of my transgressions were paid at Calvary.
So instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You.
By giving up my life to You for all that You've given to me.
And I ask You How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."
My daily sufficient, grace.
Cody Allen Williamson - January 16, 1992 - February 3, 2002
I miss you Son
I had many questions years ago as I was just beginning my years in ministry. "Why would you allow such a tragic thing as this happen to me Lord, after all I've devoted my life to serving You?" Through the years, the Lord has revealed some of the answers to me, but there are many things that are still unresolved. I know however, that I will be getting answers directly from Him in the future, so I can have comfort in that. I also know that my Son went directly into the arms of God and has been with Him in heaven ever since. Selfishly I miss him and would love to have him around me, but I do understand that God's plans and my plans don't always go hand in hand and that as a Christian, I have to accept all that God has for me even though not everything He has for me is something I particularly want. However, I only know part of the plan, not all of it.
Life changed dramatically for me since those days, but that's a story for another day. One thing that hasn't changed is God. Even though I fail Him, He continues to love me. There is a song from a few years ago that better puts into words how grateful we should be as Christians to have a God that understands our weaknesses and failures and is willing to put all that aside and accept us. I have failed miserably at almost everything I've ever tried in life. However, no matter how down I get because of my failures or how high I get because of my rare accomplishments, God still loves me and takes care of me even though (in my opinion & others)I'm not worth His time. He always is there to provide grace, mercy, and healing to us.
*** Grace ***
My heart is so proud.
My eyes are so unfocused.
I see the things You've done through me, as great things I have done.
And now You gently break me, and I cry just like a baby.
You hold me as my Father, and mold me as my Maker.
And I ask You How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."
At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged.
Knowing that someone, somewhere, can do a better job.
For who am I to serve You?
I know, I don't deserve You.
But that's the part, that burns in my heart, and keeps me hanging on.
And I ask You How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."
And You are so patient with me, Lord.
As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means.
How all of my transgressions were paid at Calvary.
So instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You.
By giving up my life to You for all that You've given to me.
And I ask You How many times will You pick me up.
When I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?
And You answer, "My child, I love you,
And as long as you're seeking My face,
You'll walk in the power of My daily sufficient, grace."
My daily sufficient, grace.
Cody Allen Williamson - January 16, 1992 - February 3, 2002
I miss you Son
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