Pondering Worship #2

(Disclaimer: I do not mean this to be at all judgemental. It is merely a glimpse into some things that I have been thinking about lately. I'm on a wild search to find out what worship really is, what it looks like, and what it should be. )

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On a wide stage, she stood singing. She was helping lead worship in a little church for the youth group. About halfway through the third song, she looked out at the young people. Some were slouched in the pew with their feet on the pew in front of them. Many looked down at something in their laps, fiddling with their cell phones. Even the ones who should have known better sat whispering to each other, giggling and fidgeting. Faces stared glumly downward. Many of the lips showed no sign of movement. Only a handful looked like they were taking part.

Suddenly she didn't feel like singing. She wanted to cry, to yell, to do something.

And yet all she could do was sing louder, clearer, bolder. Maybe they would hear. Maybe they would hear what He is like, this King named Jesus. Maybe all these words about His love, about knowing Him and finding life and joy in Him would not go in one ear and out the other; maybe they would be heard. Even believed.

She couldn't help but wonder what these young people lived like in their private lives. Did they ever worship when they were alone? Wouldn't that affect the way in which they worshipped in public? They did not even look like they were trying to appear to be taking part. Did they even know what it is like to worship God? Did they know that this is what they were created for? If only it were possible to show them! But she could not. Oh, why was she even here?

And then she remembered. She remembered her own cold, hard, heart. Her own stiff, lazy spirit, so long unresponsive to her Lord's gentle bidding. Her slouching, fiddling, glum self grieving the Lord who bought her with His blood. She remembered what HE HAD DONE, how all her life He had pursued her, wooed her, yearned to be with her, and done everything He could to draw her. He had ever been the perfect gentleman, never forcing, but always ever tenderly calling, "Come unto Me". He had washed her and cleansed her, filled her and refreshed her. He had looked on her with love and said, "Live", and given her the amazing gift of His Spirit. He was constantly whispering, "You are Mine", "I have called you", "I have chosen you", "I will never leave you", "I will be with you ALWAYS". When she was faithless, He was ALWAYS FAITHFUL. When she doubted and questioned, He just whispered, "Trust Me...Love Me...Worship Me". He had showered her with inconceivable blessings.

How could she now think Him unable to change them also? Look what He had done in her! He was more than able to breath His life into dead bones if He wanted to. Of course He could change anyone! And He will. He has. He does.

We were created to worship.

You have been chosen to proclaim His excellencies. May God enable you to do so with every breath that you breathe. He is worthy.

YES

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."

-2 Cor. 1:20

What are these feelings these tears, these disabling fears. This appearance of pain unseen. What are these questions, these doubts, that I can't figure out. Confusion as to what this is all about.
What is this burden, this weight, that I underestimate? I will wait for Your answer, whatever it may be.
Whatever it may be, a Yes, No, or a Maybe, it's OK with me; all is Yes with You. Whatever You say to me will surely set me free despite my wanderings, for all is Yes with You. All is Yes with You.
You hold these feelings these tears, these disabling fears, this appearance of pain unseen. You are the silence to these doubts that I can't figure out, as You show me what this is all about. You bear this burden, this weight, that I underestimate. I will wait for Your answer, whatever it may be
Whatever it may be, a Yes, No, or a Maybe, it's OK with me; all is Yes with YOU. Whatever You say to me will surely set me free despite my wanderings, for all is Yes with YOU. All is Yes with YOU.

-Whatever It May Be by Lindsey Kane
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Today I laid out my fleece. Have you ever done that? It's scary. Whatever it may be, it will be BEST. All is YES in Jesus Christ.
Preparing for rain...

Pondering Worship #1

In a little home, a girl sat with several elderly faces looking at her. She tried to sing, but with each breath her throat continued to constrict and give out. Sure, it was just because she had been sick and her lungs were not quite back to normal, but would she have to leave after just beginning their songs? The battle began. It may seem odd, but this girl believes that spiritual battles are fought even over the most commonplace circumstances. Even over a throat tickle.

As she continued trying to breath evenly and keep singing normally, she reflected on why she was even in this little home. Why did she even take a portion of her day to worship God in front of these people? Because the King of kings is worthy of all praise, worthy of being proclaimed to all people. She thought about these people looking at her. Did they know what it is like to worship God? Did they know that this is what they were created for? If only it were possible to show them! But she could not. As she fought just to keep singing, she realized her own weakness. Every breath is given from Him. Even singing is impossible without His allowing it, without Him giving the strength. This makes us quite dependent, doesn't it? Completely dependent. And yet, as we seek to proclaim His great name, how often do we rely on our own (seeming) strength? In our pride we forget just how dependant we are.

This girl learned quite the lesson as she began to cry out to God that He might sing through her, that He would be her "strength and song". Satan would have stolen her voice and made her leave right then and there. But he can't win. Not when one is calling on Jesus Christ. God is so gracious, and as the people sat listening, she saw their faces turn from uncertainty and distraction into smiles of understanding. What an amazing God we serve! He inhabits the praises of His people, showing Himself strong through their weaknesses. We cannot make Him known to them, but we sure can rely on Him to come and show Himself. And He will. He has. He does.



Worship is a clue to meaning in life.



You have been chosen to proclaim His excellencies. Never forget that He gives you the very strength to do so. Today, as you praise our King, remember to sing clearly, boldly, joyfully, and sincerely. He is worthy.

Signs of Purity

"Holy friendship has no looks but what are simple and modest,

no caresses but those that are pure and sincere,

no sighs but for heaven,

no familiarities but those of the soul,

no complaints but that God is not loved,

the infallible signs of purity."

-St. Francis de Sales

(Note: I'm not recommending anything by this man; I merely found this quote in a book by Elisabeth Elliot and thought it was beautiful)
(picture: yesterday's incredible sunrise!)

Will We Be Sleeping?

Recently I was listening to an audio of a message by a man named Paul Washer. The whole thing was excellent, and well worth hearing. (You can find it here under courtship series. I would definitely recommend that you listen to it! Pay no attention to the title, it is for everyone; just please listen to it!) One specific thought really stuck in my mind from what Mr. Washer was saying. Here it is:
"I hear people, because I've lived so many years in third-world countries, they'll say, 'Well, you know, we don't even know what it's like. It's so easy to live as a Christian in the United States of America.'
That is one of the largest lies that exist! It is so much easier to live for Jesus Christ in the jungles of Peru than it is [here in America] that you can't even compare the two things! I knew two Russians who when they were young men in church saw the KGB come in, slam their pastor against a wall, pull out his tongue and cut it off. And yet those two young Russians told me it's much more difficult to live for Jesus Christ in America than in Russia.
It's easy to live as an unconverted church member. It's easy to live like most people who call themselves Christians. But to be a Biblical disciple of Jesus Christ, this place, the Bible Belt, is the most difficult place to do it on the face of the earth! The question is, are you going to follow Jesus? Or are you going to have a form of godliness that denies the power thereof."
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What shocking words!
But they shouldn't be. Of course they are true. I had just never thought of it like that. I consider those words as a challenge. We are called to be salt and light to a dying world. We are called to be in this world but not of it. And we have been given everything we need for life and godliness.
We live in Sodom. There is no doubt about that. And I sure hope that there are many Abraham's out there who are pleading, clinging, wrestling in prayer on behalf of a righteous few. Because this nation is on the path to destruction.
I once thought that the reason Sodom was wiped out was because of homosexuality. It was not. Ezekiel tells us the reason:
"Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: she and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." -Ezekiel 16:49
This describes America exactly.
Pride...fullness of food...abundance of idleness... "neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy."

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. " -2 Chron. 7:14

America,what will we miss while we are sleeping?

Will Jesus come again and leave us slumbering where we lay?

America, we will go down in history

As a nation with no room for its King.

Will we be sleeping?

Will we be sleeping?

-"While You Were Sleeping" by Casting Crowns

Lips Are Given For Smiling

A Message From Pastor Richard Wurmbrand.

Richard Wurmbrand is the founder of The Voice of the Martyrs. For 14 years he suffered imprisonment and torture in prison in communist Romania because of his faith in Christ and work among the persecuted church in eastern Europe. Upon his release in the mid-1960's, Richard and his family were ransomed to the west, where he quickly became known as "the voice of the underground church." , The following devotional is taken from VOM archives.

(a note from Sara: I found this and several other of Richard and Sabina's letters recently online. I will try to share more of them. Some are a little hard to understand, and take a little careful reading to figure out what they are trying to say; this one is probably the easiest, but keep that in mind. Also, if I'm remembering right, the Wurmbrands were Jewish but then became Christians. Thus the use of "Messiah" instead of "Christ" as we would say. Though written quite a while ago, such Christ-centered stories and thoughts will always be profitable to anyone walking the narrow way to Life.)

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Romans 8:35)

Dearly Beloved,
In Communist China and other countries where believers are persecuted, there are now millions and millions of Christians, despite the persecution that is exercised. They meet in secret places with joyful hearts because they believe with the apostle that nothing can separate them from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38,39).
You should see how the persecuted Christians recite the Apostle's Creed. They state the same affirmation of faith that we recite in the West. But where there is persecution the Creed is said somehow in a different manner. You should see how they say it.
As they begin, their faces shine and their eyes are full of joy. They say, "I believe you, the persecutors, may not believe, but I am me. I am not you and if the whole world would not believe, I believe, I believe in the one God, the Father almighty. He has made not only the visible things but many invisible things. He has made not only the earth but a beautiful heaven, and if you put me in jail, if you take away my life on this earth, I would have a heaven."
They say, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ" and they finish the Creed as we finish it. "I believe in the resurrection of the body and in life everlasting."
I give you the good news that persecution and torture did not break their faith but made it stronger. We have unknown numbers of brothers and sisters in jail, but they have kept the same faith that you have.
I do not know how often you sing to the glory of God. Some Christians sing only once a week, on Sunday; others sing throughout the week.
We, in prison, sang every day and every Christian in jail had a musical instrument. The Communists were nice: every Christian, when he entered jail, received a musical instrument. Not a guitar but chains on his hands and feet. Chains are splendid musical instruments. We could sing, "Onward Christian soldiers (clink, clank), marching as to war (clink, clank, clink, clank)." The words of praise and glorification of God never cease.
The brethren in Communist and Muslim prisons pray for you. You should also pray for them and think about them with love. Do not think that they sit there in their prison cells, very sad and brooding. There is a joy in their hearts because Christ is with them.
One of our brethren was arrested. They beat and tortured him because he did not wish to denounce his faith. The Communist officer who led the interrogation said, "I am tired. We will not beat you any more. We will deport you to Siberia where the snow never melts. It is a place of great suffering. We will deport you and your whole family to Siberia."
The brother smiled. Lips are given to us for smiling; a Christian can smile even in moments of great sorrow. The Christian replied with a smile, "Captain, where can you deport me? The whole earth belongs to my Father. Wherever you send me I will be on my Father's earth."
Now the Communist got very angry. He said, "We will confiscate all your property." The Christian continued to smile and said, "You are free to take all my property, but I pity you because I have gathered my treasures in heaven and you will need a very high ladder. If you find such a ladder, you will have to climb and climb and climb. If you arrive there, you can take everything I have. On earth I have nothing."
Now the officer thought he was being mocked. He shouted, "We will shoot you!" The Christian still replied with a smile, "If you take away my life in this world, my real life of bliss and beauty will begin. I am not afraid of being killed." The Communist yelled at him, "We will not kill you! We will keep you alone in a cell behind locked doors and iron bars, and we will allow no one to come to see you!" The Christian, still smiling, replied: "You cannot make me sit alone in a cell. I have a Friend who can pass through locked doors and iron bars. No one can separate me from the love of the Messiah."
That is the experience we had in jail. Other Christians and I experienced it in our jail; my wife and other Christians had it in their jail. Alexei Kortov, a pastor who was in jail in Russia for 45 years, had also the same hope and joy.
Our brothers and sisters have learned what it means when they repeat the words found in the Creed," I believe." You have all passed through different experiences. Every one of you, every day, have before you different choices and decisions. Christ is purity; if you are impure, you deny Christ. Christ is truth. When you lie, you deny Christ. Christ is love and peace. When you quarrel and when you hate, you deny Christ. Do not be hypocrites. Let us be Christians who express joy to our Savior.
Let us each love Him with all our heart. We are not put to the same tests as our brethren in Communist and Islamic countries. But Messiah looks to the heart. May He see men and women who love Him with all their hearts, who will not be separated from the love of Messiah.
May God bless you for your prayerful help, which we share with the persecuted Church.
In Messiah,
Richard Wurmbrand

When Love Takes You In

Today I watched the sweetest video of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman. It is called "When Love Takes You In".

I was unable to embed it here, but this is the link to watch it:

I would encourage you to listen to this beautiful song.

Love,
sara

these are a few of my favorite things... :)

* singing * heaven-scented white carnations * long walks with my Lord * heights * sleepy kiddos * lavender * snuggling * faithfulness stories * birdies * simplicity * music * scented candles * waterfalls * glad quietness *

A Knitting Bag

The other day I decided that I needed a better way to store my knitting supplies. I was tired of stuffing yarn and needles in several random locations about my room, and never being able to find what I needed without a long search in all those places. So I got out my scrap fabrics and made a big mess.

The result was a giant bag to hold both yarn and needles!

The wrap-around pockets hold all my straight needles, a ziplock with circulars, sets of small double-pointed needles, and a few crochet hooks.

The inside of the bag is spacious enough to hold all of my yarn!

what fun!

Little Things

In spite of what the world says otherwise, the Bible teaches us that the "little things" matter.
Sometimes I get so caught up in the big things that I believe God is calling me to do, that I forget all about how much the very "little things" matter to Him. Even things that seem so unimportant and unheroic to you and I, such as washing dishes, changing a diaper, serving people, or digging a ditch, we merely "get it done" because "It's just my job" or "No one else is going to do it, so I guess I have to". We would not even dream of seeking to excel in such dull tasks as these. And yet, in the light of God's word, we see a much different value placed on the "little things":

"In all labor there is profit" (prov. 14:24)

"His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" (Matt. 25:21)

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24)

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17)

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31)

In the light of Scripture we find that even common, dull tasks can be done as unto our Lord!
Everyday tasks, such as making a bed, cleaning house, working on a job site, or doing schoolwork can be done in order to glorify God! The Bible goes all the way down to the most common place of all necessary tasks: eating and drinking, and says that these too can be done to the glory of God.
Whatever may be your task this day, reconsider the attitude with which you approach it. Think, I am __________(insert your present participle here) as unto the Lord!
Choose this day whom you will serve. The Lord loves to receive your worship.

"Great thoughts go best with common duties. Whatever therefore may be your office regard it as a fragment in an immeasurable ministry of love." -Bishop Brooke Foss Wescott