Poem: Watching (A Wedding Promise)

 

I've stood here watching

For so many long years now;

Watching as the world has changed,

Watching to keep myself changeless for you.

I've stood here watching,

Wondering when the day might come

That I could take your hand

And dance with you to life's gentle love song.

The thought leaves me breathless.

I've stood here watching,

Guarding the way to you heart,

Watching as each day passes on,

Watching so you'll know you're treasured.

I've stood here watching,

Wondering as the days have passed

At the legacy of love that we

Will leave to those who come behind us.

The thought leaves me breathless.

I'll stand here watching,

Standing strong as life's storms rage,

Watching for the troubles that life may bring;

Watching to keep you safe from harm.

I'll stand here watching,

Wondering, as the days roll on,

At how very blessed I've been

Walking through life with you beside me.

The thought leaves me breathless.

I'll stand here watching

As life carries us through the years,

Watching our legacy grow wise and strong,

Watching to keep our family anchored true.

I'll stand here watching,

Wondering, after the years have passed

And I'm left all alone,

At how much I've loved you with all my life.

The thought leaves me breathless.

Poem: The Sun Sets Low on a Pink Horizon

The sun sets low on a pink horizon,
Its hues cascading o'er drowsy hills and plains.
The earth swallows this glorious fire,
Welcoming darkness as the daylight wains.
Cooling under evening's purple cover,
Slumber eases the day's many pains.

Our bright star sinks low each twilight,
Burning flames now shadows o'er the fading earth.
Evening's hush brings rejuvenation,
Calming the earth in silent dearth.
Welcomed sleep covers the waiting ground,
Rest arriving in the day's rebirth.

Old Posts from 2008:

 "A Christ-Built Man"

A Christ-Built Man:

-loves the brotherhood, fears God, honors the King! (1 Peter 2: 17)

-lives by faith! (Gal. 3:11)

-is always on his guard. (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 1:14, 4:5; 1 Peter 5:8-9)

-is a man of courage. (1 Cor. 16:13)

-stands firm in the faith. (1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Cor. 15:58)

-does everything as for the Lord. (1 Cor. 16:14; Eph. 5:1-2; Col. 3:17, 23)

-preaches the Gospel. (1 Cor. 9:16; 1 Thess 2:4; 2 Tim. 4:2; Gal. 1:8-9; 2 Cor. 4:5)

-is Christ's ambassador. (2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Tim. 2:7)

-lives by the Spirit. (Gal. 5:16, 25; Romans 8:5-17; 1 Cor. 2:12-15)

-is patient, humble, and gentle. (Eph. 4:2; Phil 4:5; 1 Peter 3:8, 5:6)

-lives in the strength of the Lord. (Eph. 6:10; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 2:8; 2 Tim. 4:17)

-prays, in all occasions. (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2-4; 1 Thess. 5:16-18)

-avoids godless chatter. (2 Tim. 2:16, 23-24; 1 Tim. 6:20)

-perseveres through suffering. (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 4:12-15; 2 Tim. 2:15; Col. 1:24; Heb. 12: 7-8; Gal. 3:4)

-serves his King, not society. (Gal. 1:10)

-is an imitator of God. (Eph. 5:1-2; 1 Thess. 1:6)

-guards his steps. (Ecc. 5:1)

-is slow to speak and quick to listen. (Ecc. 5:2, James 1:19)

-always conducts himself in a manner worthy of the Gospel. (Phil. 1:27, 2:14; Col. 3:17, 24)

-loves his wife! (Col. 3:19; 1 Cor. 7:2-3; 1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5: 25-28)

-avoids sexual immorality! (1 Thess. 4: 3-8; 1 Cor. 5:9-11, 6:18-20; Romans 13:13-14; Eph. 5:3-5)

 

 

"Heroes and Princesses" 

Every boy grows up with an innate longing to be a hero; for his life to mean something. He wakes up each morning with a desire for his peers to look upon him and see something special; for them to call upon him to share his greatness with them.

Every girl grows up with a burning desire to be a princess; to be seen pure, and for a hero-man to long to love her with every ounce of his being. She wants to wake up each morning and be loved and to pour herself into making sure her hero-man is every bit the hero he is supposed to be.

So, why has life grown so mundane? Why does it seem like there are no heroes or princesses to be found in this land of freedom and tolerance?

The world stood and told our boys "We don't want you to grow up into heroes." And told our girls "There is no hero coming to love you; you might as well give up." And we have listened!

Few are willing to strive to stand against the world. Few men are willing to stand up and show the world their greatness and to love their wives with all that they are. And few women are willing to be loved and to help their man be great.

Why is that? Imagine what our world would be like if we aspired to be what we are made to be...

 

"How Real is My Faith?"

 
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands and when they drink deadly poison, it will not harm them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into Heaven and He sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it."
Mark 16-17-20

"As you go, preach this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:7-8

-These signs will accompany those who BELIEVE: drive out demons, raise the dead, speak in new tongues, pick up snakes and drink poison without being harmed, heal the sick, cleanse those who have leprosy.

There is a common theme running through the church that if God wants something done, then He will give someone the "skills or knowledge" to do it.

And, while it is true that God does give us skill and knowledge and gifts to use for the Kingdom and to reach the world, this idea is contrary to what the Word says.

Anyone who believes that God is God, and that Jesus is His Son who died on the cross to pardon our sins, is one who these verses speak of! Anyone who BELIEVES!

Why is my faith so weak that it is not accompanied by any of these things? I've never cleansed a leper, or healed someone of a malady. I've never been poisoned and not harmed, and I struggle with new languages.

But why?

These verses clearly illustrate that it is available. What has happened to our faith?

Old Post from 2007: "Being a Man of Faith: Hebrews 10:39-13:21"

Ten Steps to Becoming a Man of Faith:

"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 10:39-11:1

I was reading today in Hebrews 11 about faith. It's very easy to just sit back and read through chapter 11, the "faith chapter", and not really pull anything out of it. I've done it countless times before.

But then the other night, Jamee, Nick, and I had a discussion on faith, and what it really means to have faith, and how our faith shows.

It was intriguing, and so the first place I came to explore was "the faith chapter".

So, the responsibility of being faithful? It runs deeper than most Christians would ever imagine. Most Christians would agree that they have "faith", but Paul has other ideas of what it means to have faith.

He starts it off powerfully, "But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe, and are saved." (He.10:39) He's setting it up. "If you're going to be a man of faith," he says,"you can't be weak. You can't shrink back. You have to know what you believe."

So what is faith?

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (He.11:1)

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (He.11:3)

Faith is being confident, because we know where we came from. Faith is being strong, because we know that Someone stronger is in control.

Then Paul leads into recalling the experiences of some very great men of faith. By faith Noah did this... By faith, Abraham did this, and this, and this. He goes on to tell of the things faith in our King accomplishes, about people "who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised." (He.11:33)

But it doesn't stop there: "who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;"(11:34)

Powerful stuff, yes? There is more: "whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." (11:34)

It doesn't stop. Paul goes on to talk about how through faith people were raised from the dead, others endured torture and refused to be released; others endured flogging, others prison. They endured being stoned, being sawed in two, and death by the sword.

They were "destitute, persecuted, and mistreated" (11:37); "the world was not worthy of them."(11:38) "These were all commended for their faith". (11:39)

And then Paul lays it down: "Therefore"; anytime Paul said therefore, people turned to listen. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses", all those he just described as having great faith, "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."(12:1)

So, step one of being a man of faith: Knowing who you are.

Step two? Getting rid of the stuff that can hold you down.

Step three is simple, but most of the time, we Christians have jumbled up number two, and are so weighed down, that we can't manage it. Fix our eyes on Jesus.

"Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (12:3)

Step Four? "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons." (12:7)

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (12:11)

Step five will be difficult, but it is vitally important to your walking in faith: "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy". (12:14)

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe". (12:28)

Step six? Being thankful and worshiping God.

Step seven: "Keep on loving each other as brothers." (13:1)

Step eight: "Do not be carried away" (13:9)

Being thankful, worshiping God, and loving each other as brothers seem to flow pretty easy most of the time. Most Christians wouldn't think too much about those.

But how many Christians wake up each day and prepare themselves so that they won't be carried away? Not many, I'm afraid.

Paul then goes on to say, "And do not forget to do good and to share with others" (13:16), almost sounding like a mother sending her child off to kindergarten. But, in truth, this is vitally important!

How often do we get so busy, and wrapped up in the world around us that forget about this command? "Do not forget to do good"?

This whole list of things has been Paul reminding the brotherhood how vitally important it is to prepare themselves each day!

He finishes up with one more that is vital to the walk: "Pray for us."(13:18) Pray for the brotherhood!

Paul's conclusion? "May the God of peace... equip you with everything good for doing His will." (13:20-21)

We've got to step up and be men of faith, and then God will equip us to do His will.

Step One: Know who you are.
Step Two: Get rid of the stuff that will hold you down.
Step Three: Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Step Four: Endure hardship as discipline.
Step Five: Strive to live at peace and be holy.
Step Six: Be thankful and worship God.
Step Seven: Love each other as brothers.
Step Eight: Do not be carried away.
Step Nine: Do not forget to do good.
Step Ten: Pray for the brotherhood.

Old Posts from 2007:

"Romans 8:28 - A Crutch to Christianity?" 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."


I was reading this morning, searching for something to hold to, while under attack. And this verse, the "everything for good" verse was my first stop.

But, I think that we, as Christians, especially those who do not spend much time exploring the Word, have taken this verse and turned it into a crutch.

Christians view this verse as some sort of Heavenly bank note. As if with every hardship and trial, we should be issued some sort of "good things" debit card, which we can use at our discretion.

(i.e.: "Okay, God, it's time for you to bless me, because I've got several "good things" credits built up from those hardships I went through last summer.")

God doesn't promise that for every hard time we go through we will have an equally good and blessed time.

He does, on the other hand, promise that every hardship that we go through will be used for the good of those who love Him. "Those" being His people.

Now, I am not saying that God doesn't use what we go through for our good, because He does. But, it goes deeper than that.

There are things that happen to us that bring about little or no fruit in our own lives: being raised by a single mom, losing a brother, going through a rift in your family.

But, those are the things that happen to us so that, once we come out stronger, we can minister to others who are going through something similar.


So, a crutch?

 

"Connected and Loving: Hurting as Others Hurt"

 
Paul had a good idea of what it meant to be connected to God and to the family in Christ.

"Love must be sincere." "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:9,10)

And, speaking of love, he says, "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Cor. 13:7 NIV)

I think that the Living Bible describes this verse better. "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

Sometimes I find myself dealing with pain that is only a reflection of what the people I love are dealing with.

That's part of what love entails. It's not all feel good. Sometimes, maybe often, it is my spirit interceding for your spirit because you are hurting.

We are connected, you and I, and when you hurt, I hurt. That's part of life, and part of love.

 

"Ready to Give Up for a Brother?" 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with action and in truth." 1 John 3:18

I've been reading through John's letters today, and what strikes me is his passion for the brotherhood to have each other's backs.

He doesn't shy away from the tough subjects like Christians do today.

He says that the world is going to hate us, so we should be ready to give up ourselves for the brothers.

Am I living in a ready manner that I would be able to give up my life for my brothers? I think so.

 

"Being a Four-Pillared Man" 

"Of all the men I have known and admired most in life, it is the four-pillared men who have most impressed me - and most impacted their world!

These are not perfect men. They come from diverse backgrounds - from good homes, bad homes, no homes. They are men who had strong dads, weak dads, and no dads. Men who are rich and not so rich. Men who are famous in this world, and men known only to their small civilizations around them.

But they are men who never stop growing. When one or more of the pillars begins to crack or lean out of balance, they turn to their Lord - the ultimate King, Warrior, Mentor, and Friend - to make them straight, strong, and true once again.

These are not lone rangers. They realize the enormity and the impossibility of being a four-pillared man alone. They are rusty knights who need a round table of other rusty knights to share joys and challenges, fears and disappointments. They need men who will both call to encourage them - and call them on the carpet. They choose to never be too busy - or too lazy - or too proud - to lock arms with men walking in the same direction.

These men are not cowards who give up and quit when the task seems overwhelming. They are not so concerned about their own personal rights, freedoms, and happiness that they sacrifice the sacred principles of manhood.

They are men who have known failure, but not defeat; disappointment, but not despair. They are men who can see through these hard things in life because they have their compass set on truth (!!), not on the fancies of a fickle society.

These are men who are willing to live - and if necessary, die - for principles far bigger and greater than they.

They are men determined to live life to the fullest...by the Book."

-From Stu Weber's book: Four Pillars Of A Man's Heart

Busy work or Good works

 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph. 2:10)

 This is something that I've been considering lately; it is a dual-sided question in my mind: how often do we do things for God simply to stay busy, rather than actually fulfilling the call that He has placed upon us?  

 A friend of mine recently asked me this question and it's been bouncing around in my brain and burning a hole in my heart since: "If you were to stand before judgment today, would Christ be pleased with how you have accomplished the purpose He had for you to do?"

Can I answer that question with a resounding yes? 

After being asked the question, I sat down to examine what are the purposes that God has called me to accomplish? 

I've known since I was 12 that I was called to ministry of some kind. 

I've known since I was 19 that I was to be a father to the fatherless. 

I've known since I was 20 that I am called to write for Him. 

And I've known for the past year that He was calling me to preach the Gospel. 

The hard task, beyond struggling with busy work versus His good works, is figuring out where these four callings intersect- or maybe figuring out WHEN they will all intersect. There's a quote that I've used throughout my life that is particularly poignant in this instance (it's actually on the top of this blog page): "The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." (Frederick Buechner) 

But back to the question at hand: figuring out whether the works that I throw myself into are indeed the good works that God has prepared for me to do or whether I am just trying to stay busy so that I can say that I am doing something for the Kingdom. 

I look at myself and see some good things done for the Kingdom, things that line up well with these things that I have been called to do. But none of them are finished, none are accomplished fully. 

I just wonder sometimes whether if I were to die today, if my Lord would say, "Welllllllllllll, you did some good things. You gave it the ol' college try, but you didn't quite accomplish all of the things that I needed you to do."

It's not a salvation issue, I know, but it is a discipleship issue. Am I figuring out and then doing the things that He has really called me to do? And if I don't finish them, what then? 

 

For you, my friends and readers: are you accomplishing the good works that God has called you to do? Or are you just piling things on your plate to appear to be busy for the Lord? 

There will be times when God has definitely called you to be busy, but there will be others where He has called you to a time of rest and rejuvenation. Don't give in to the opportunity to busy yourself outside of God's timing! If He has called you to rest, put aside the desire to fill your plate with all kinds of works just to be doing something for the Kingdom. 

 You were called for good works that He's already prepared, not for busy work. Go accomplish things for the Kingdom!