A few random thoughts

Hey everybody, (as if lots of people read this, but hey, you have to grant me my delusions) sorry I haven't posted in a while. A week ago, I went to a concert with my brother-in-law, Kellen and our friend Ben. The headliner was Todd Agnew, and the other bands/worship leaders were Big Daddy Weave, Nate Sally, and Jason Morant. The first three were really good, especially Jason Morant (I highly recommend buying his cd). However, when we got to Todd Agnew it was kind of like worship time ended and a concert began. Not that this was his goal, between a lot of his songs he talked about God, but even then it was presented as kind of a conversation between him and God without much application and it was loaded with jokes. I don't know about anybody else, but when there were as many jokes as there were, it seems like the speaker stopped taking God seriously, and this is what seemed to be happening to the audience as well. I'm not saying that there isn't any room for jokes in sermons or small messages, but they have to be for a purpose and be grounded by the emmense weight of God's glory. We ended up leaving halfway through Todd Agnew's part. Overall, we had a good time and got to share some good fellowship. I also, again, highly recommend Jason Morant.

Yesterday (Sunday) God gave me the opportunity, through Kellen, to sing a song that I wrote during the offering (for those who don't know, Kellen is the worship leader at the church I go to, I also play on the worship team with him). It's really awesome and humbling to use the gifts that God has given me to glorify Him and edify the body. Being in that situation really forces you to consider why you are doing what you are doing. Are you doing it for selfish gain and seeking the approval of men? If so, then you have already received your reward. Rather we should do it for the reward that God has for us in heaven. The Bible commands us to seek His reward. So we are to seek reward. This reward has to be found in God, but we are to seek the reward that comes from God. It is not just a duty thing. It is the seeking of our pleasure in God. May we never do anything out of pure duty, for that does not glorify God. Paul tells us that God loves a cheerful giver. Consider what it means to be cheerful when we give, and consider what God's attitude is toward those who are not cheerful in their giving. It's scary, isn't it.

Anyway, the song I wrote is basically lines from Psalm 63 put to music. The reason I wrote the song is that Psalm 63 has really affected me. I encourage everyone to read it, and, while you read it, make it the prayer and cry of your heart to God. If you are a leader in a church, make it your prayer for the people under you. There are so many awesome things in this psalm that I want to comment on, but I can't because this post would be way too long. But I will comment on this: Does your soul thirst for God and cling to Him, does your flesh faint for Him, as in a dry and weary land? If a man has been stuck in the desert for three days his only thought and desire is going to be for water. He desires it over all things and would do anything for it. We are in that same situation spiritually. We thirst for God and He is the fountain of living water. In fact, He is so good, that He is worth more than the life that I live now. We need to give everything for Him, even to the point of death. Be willing to suffer for that which is infinitely better.

One more thought before I go. Sunday went terribly from an organizational standpoint. The sermon (as delivered by our youth pastor) was fairly unorganized. Worship was really bad. During one of the songs Kellen realized that he had forgotton to take his capo off and was playing a full step higher than the rest of the band, so we had to stop in the middle of the song and do it again. Kellen had had only four hours of sleep that night because he was witnessing to his co-worker who had relieved him at work (he is a security guard) and he wasn't very organized in his thoughts for the Sunday school class that he leads. As Chris Tomlin would put it, Flow wasn't in the building. As Kellen and I joked about it, Flow died in a car accident on the way out of town, it was that bad. But as I look back on the day, it was a very good day. The worship service was deep and affecting. The sermon included some very good information. Sunday school was very convicting. Praise God for Sundays like that for in that He shows that it is not the organization of a service that impacts people. It is God and God chooses the foolish and the weak to shame the wise and strong of this world. God used the foolish and weak yesterday and He reminded us of that.
"Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do His just commands, seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD." (Zeph. 2:3) "But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD..." (Zeph. 3:12) "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; He makes my feet like the deer's; He makes me tread on my high places." (Hab. 3:17-19).