Category Archives: worship

Mud Wrestling (by Nick Welford)

I was really impressed with this post by Nick Welford. It really blessed me and encouraged me to remember where I came from, and Who made me. He (my Creator) deserves all glory and honor and praise!

David's avatarEbbs and Flows...

For me campsites are synonymous with mud. We have camped once as a family, foolishly heading to West Wales in 1987 where it rained for six out of seven days. When we arrived there was one waterfall cascading down from the nearby mountain. When we left there were four. Leaving was a miracle in itself given that we were camping in a farmer’s muddy field and it was still raining.  I promised myself I would never go camping again.

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Filed under God, Uncategorized, worship

Side Effects

Ask Your Doctor

Surely you have seen the commercials on television. They advertise different medications meant to do everything from grow hair to end hot flashes. And at the end of every commercial you hear, “Ask your doctor if ******** is right for you!”

Right for me? Ask my doctor? OK, maybe I will.

“Dr. Close (my general physician), can I ask you something? I saw an add for female hormone replacement medication. Is it right for me?”

A New Disease

I can’t tell you how many times I have watched a commercial and said to myself, “Where did that disease come from? Is it common? Could I be suffering from it? Will I get to wear a colored ribbon?”

Have you ever heard of Trihemamasticular Disease? I googled it – nothing came up. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an advertisement in the works. At this very moment, there is probably a pill being made which promises to alleviate the symptoms of Trihemamasticular Disease. And if there is, rest assured it will be the best thing for you.

Just be aware of the side effects…

  • Common side effects may include the following: nausea, indigestion, coughing, dry mouth, ringing in the ears, and a runny nose.
  • Don’t be alarmed if you experience: watery eyes, hair loss, brittle teeth, a craving for oysters, bleeding gums, or stinky feet. These symptoms are usually temporary.
  • Stop using this medication if you begin to experience: a reddening of your ear lobes, tooth loss, finger loss, memory loss, or financial loss.
  • Avoid the following while taking this medication: leather, crayons, animal fat, peanut butter, aspirin, attitudes, children, loud noises, butterfly feces, clowns, and purified water.
  • Get medical attention immediately if you begin to experience: hives, swelling of the left knee, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of starting over, unknown tongues, a desire to star in a reality show, rapid breathing, breathing through a straw while submerged in a river, thoughts of voting Democrat, or a craving for pickles.

Warning Label

As crazy as it may sound, there should also be a warning label inside every Bible. They should make television commercials explaining the possible side effects of following Christ.

Side effects may include:

  • Being hated, ridiculed, made fun of, mocked, and parodied.
  • Being ostracized, avoided, shunned, passed over for promotions, and fired from a job.
  • Being accused of radicalism, racism, fanaticism, and narrow-mindedness.
  • A cross to bear.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” – Matthew 5:11

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” – Matthew 24:9

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:27

Is it right for you?

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Filed under Christian Maturity, Humor, salvation, Witnessing, worship

Just to be Doing It

Sometimes one must write something just to be doing it. That is what I am doing right now.

It has been a few days since I posted on The Recovering Legalist, but it is not because I have not been working. As a matter of fact, I struggled three days straight with posts for my other blog, Proverbial Thought. On top of that, I have been doing a lot of reading and writing in my seminary classes (yes, I am going to school in the summer). So, I have been busy.

But this blog is my baby. It feels like I have abandoned my offspring when I don’t post an article at least once a week. Is that obsessive? Maybe. On the other hand, I have children, and this baby never has a dirty diaper. No wonder I’m so attached.

And it’s MY baby! Unlike our walking, whining, room-messing progeny, this baby is the product of my labor. My wife had nothing to do with it. As a matter of fact, I had to simultaneously take pictures and video during the birth of our girls. What does my wife do with this blog? NOTHING. And it looks nothing like her, either.

There are things I want to write about. For instance, I have been wanting to address the “Mitt Romney at Liberty University” thing (I was against it for religious reasons). I want to share some thoughts about the up-coming election (and make my liberal friends angry).

However, there are some things, now that I think about it, that I will probably NEVER write about. Here are some examples:

  1. Calvinism vs. Arminianism (or Agrarianism, as spell-check wants me to say). I am staunchly neither. Don’t try to convert me. You’re both wrong, and you’re both right, so there.
  2. The science behind why cats, no matter where you are in the world, will come to you if you say, “Kitty kitty!” Yet, badgers won’t come to you, no matter what you say.
  3. Computers.
  4. Dating. Except when I am addressing the unlikely possibility of my daughters going out with guys who don’t own a belt.
  5. Justin Bieber.
  6. Bowel Movements (why are seniors so obsessed with this topic?)
  7. Dr. Oz.
  8. Sopapilla recipes.
  9. Dog grooming.
  10. Why good food tastes bad and bad food tastes good, yet “big is beautiful,” but I feel fat.

But I’m always glad to talk about Jesus. How ’bout you?

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Filed under Humor, self-worth, voting, worship

American-Made Idol

Ten Commandments

When I first came to pastor Riverside, one of the first series of sermons I preached was on the ten commandments. Believe it or not, I had a really cool pair of fake stone tablets, and each week I would bring them in with a new commandment “engraved” upon them.

I took great care to make those “stone” tablets look as realistic as possible. That makes me think: how heavy were the real ones?  I mean, they must have weighed at least fifty pounds each! And can you imagine carrying those things down a mountain? I guess that’s what tending sheep for forty years in the wilderness can do for ya’.

No Idols

God told Moses, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). He went on to say that he should not make any images to worship or bow down to (20:4). Yet, what did Moses find when he came down and saw the children of Israel partying (Exodus 32)? A golden calf. A graven image. An idol.

So, in order to have a visual for the sermon, I made an idol. No, it wasn’t made of gold, but it’s amazing what a little tin foil, coat hangers, spray paint, and insulation foam can do. I made my own golden calf (except it looked more like a chihuahua).

When I uncovered the “golden calf” that Sunday morning, one could sense a feeling of uneasiness. “It’s fake,” I told the congregation, “so don’t feel too nervous.” In a few moments everything was fine, and the message went well.

But later that night…

The Golden “Chihuahua”

Sunday evening after church we were at home getting ready for bed, when my wife asked a question. “What are you going to do with that idol?” she said with a serious voice. “I don’t know, probably put it on a shelf in the garage.”

“Oh, no you won’t!” she replied. “You are NOT keeping that thing in the house. You either take it back to the church, or destroy it…I don’t care…just get it out of the house.”

What? Didn’t she realize how long I worked on that silly thing? Didn’t she appreciate my artistic ability, my ingenuity, my imagination? What was wrong with keeping my idol? I made it.

Conviction

Isn’t it amazing how at the turn of a moment God can get our attention? We make idols every day out of the cheapest of material. Forget the gold, we worship stuff of even less value. Our idols are nothing like the ones in the Bible, not made of solid gold, but we put them before God, nevertheless.

I was convicted. God used my wife to make a point. If I couldn’t destroy a fake idol, cheap as it was, what made me think I could do away with other idols? Real idols? The gods (little “g”) that demand my time, my attention, my worship?

Only a picture remains.

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Filed under Christian Living, Christian Maturity, God, Relationships and Family, Uncategorized, worship

Needing Inspiration

Too Much

Over the last few weeks I have had so much on my plate. If you could picture a platter, one with food falling off the side and onto the floor, that’s my life. There’s just a little too much going on.

Well, it might be more of a case of poor prioritizing. When I read of some of the greats of the past, I am ashamed at how little I have accomplished in my 40+ years. Maybe my plate is too full because poorly stacked chicken salad sandwiches take up more space.

Too Much Input

Then, there is the fact that over the last few weeks I have spent hours upon hours studying for a paper I was writing. The volume of material through which I waded nearly caused my little brain to short circuit. On top of that, I preached and wrote posts for ProverbialThought.com. Too much to absorb.

On a side note, I returned 14 books to the library, today. All of them were late, and at 25 cents a day it cost me $33.50!

Where to find Inspiration?

So, with my brain fried, I knew I needed to write, but I couldn’t think of any ideas. I needed inspiration. That’s when I turned to the best place to find conversation starters – the news.

Yes, when all else fails, and you can’t think of anything worth blowing your top over, check out the news channels, the local paper, or whatever. That’s what I did! Boy, did I find a winner!

Pilot Error

I came across the story of an Air Force pilot who crashed his F-22. His plane quit providing him air to breath, so he passed out and crashed. Simple? No. The Air Force blamed him for being distracted. No joke!

Capt. Jeff Haney was flying the Air Force’s next-generation stealth F-22 Raptor on a routine training mission in Alaska in November 2010 when a sudden malfunction cut off his oxygen completely. Capt. Haney never made a distress call but took his plane into a dive and, a little over a minute later, crashed into the winter wilderness at faster than the speed of sound.

After a lengthy investigation, an Air Force Accident Investigation Board could not find the cause of the malfunction but determined “by clear and convincing evidence” that in addition to other factors, Haney was to blame for the crash because he was too distracted by his inability to breathe to fly the plane properly [emphasis added].

Can you believe that? Seriously? I would have been a little distracted too, I guess. “Hey, uh, don’t bother me with all those details, folks, I have a little problem I’m dealing with…. I CAN’T BREATH!”

That was all the inspiration I needed.

Give Me Air

This is air I breath
This is air I breathe
Your holy presence
Living in me

And I … I’m desparate for you
And I … I’m lost without you

– Mercy Me

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Filed under General Observations, worship

When I Cry (Psalm 57:2)

Not if, but when.

I heard it said growing up, and I hear it said still today, “Real men don’t cry.” What nonsense!

Who was more of a man than Jesus? Yet He, the One who left the realms of glory to walk the path to Calvary, who willingly laid down his life for sinners, wept (John 11:35).

The Omnipotent Word made flesh; the King of Kings; the Resurrection and the Life cried at the tomb of Lazarus. If he could cry, then so will I.

And when I do…

“I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth [all things] for me” (Psalm 57:2).

Jesus wept because of a broken heart for others. I usually weep as a result of my own needs and failures. He was all-sufficient, while I am totally dependent. I need Him more than I usually admit.

And when I come to the point of crying out, if I call upon the One who hears my prayers, my cries are not in vain, nor will they be ignored. I do not call out as stranger, but as a son to his Father (Romans 8:15).

Abba! Daddy! Help!”

Did any of you, parents, ever hear your child wake from sleep with some panic, or fear, and shriek the mother’s name through the darkness? Was not that a more powerful appeal than all words? And, depend upon it, that the soul which cries aloud on God, The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, though it have “no language but a cry,” will never call in vain. – Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910)

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Filed under Christian Maturity, God, Life Lessons, Relationships and Family, worship

Just a Comparison

Before you get mad at me for what you are about to read, it’s only a comparison, not a dogmatic definition of right or wrong.

In Line

Every Tuesday my wife and girls go to Precept Ministries (Kay Arthur) in Chattanooga for Bible study. On some days I go with them and use the time to study. It’s a nice place to study, believe me. However, I am writing this on a computer at Precept while Kay Arthur is talking to someone a few feet away. She is distracting me.

Then, there are other days when my wife and I leave the girls and sneak out to get a biscuit. Today we had to sit in line forever. For jelly biscuits.

Jelly Biscuit – May I insert just one question at this juncture? Why is it you always have to ask for jelly when you order a jelly biscuit? What is it about “jelly biscuit” that confuses people? If I ordered a plain biscuit, I would not expect jelly. But when I order a jelly biscuit, why don’t they assume I want jelly? Why do I always have to ask for it?! Good Grief!

I Hear a Song

It was while we were sitting in line that I heard a song on Christian radio (J103). The song caught my attention because of the lyrics. May I share with you the words from the chorus?

You make me happy…Uhhh
You make me feel the way I do…
You make me happy, Yeah!
I wish the whole world knew you, too! (and then the song ends with a bunch of “la-la-la’s.”)

I started to laugh. Honestly. Was I supposed to be blessed? Encouraged? Uplifted? Edified? Happy?

I know, I know, I know…I know that there are plenty of great, contemporary songs out there. Chris Tomlin, for one, has more than a few. I love several songs from Building 429, Avalon, and the Newsboys. But seriously, why can’t more of them take the subject matter at hand a little more seriously?

I Hear the Past

Some lines from the past need to be heard more often, especially if the best we can come with today is “uhh” and “yeah.”

  • My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righeousness.
  • A mighty fortress is our God, a bullwark never failing.
  • Alas! and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die? Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?
  • I will cherish the old rugged cross.
  • Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise: be thou mine inheritance now and always; be thou and thou only first in my heart; High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.

Dear Christian song writers, you can do better than “uhh’s” and “yeah’s” and “la la la la.”

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Filed under legalism, music, worship

International Song Writing

The People Involved

Several months ago I met (online) a young blogger and college student in the Philippines, Tactician Jenro. I was so impressed with his love for the Lord that I told my daughter to check out his blog, Greyskeil Rainbow. She did.

When my daughter read a poem that Tactician Jenro wrote, “Take my heart…and save it,” it wasn’t long before she was off to her guitar, with pencil and paper in hand, writing a song. She used the poem for the verses, adding only the chorus.

The Song

I hope you enjoy this song. Even more, I hope you will check out Greyskeil Rainbow. You not only will be blessed with this blogger’s unashamed faith, but with his art, too.

Now, just so you will have all the inside info, Katie and I recorded this in her bedroom. Yep, believe it or not, my sixteen year old girl’s bedroom was actually clean enough to set up my guitars, keyboard, mic, and 8-track. Amazing, isn’t it?

Also, I have always played a Yamaha guitar and bass (TRB 4P, if you’re interested), both of which I recorded with an open mic. The recorder is a TASCAM digital 8-track. One day I look forward to going into a good studio, but money is an issue, of course. Want to donate?

Bleeding Heart MP3

While you’re at it…

Here are some other songs I have done on my trusty little 8-track.

  • The School Bus Man Can (By the way, what happens at the end of this song really happened, which is why it’s included.)
  • 02 Dead Flies (I don’t pretend to be a singer, just a writer ;-))
  • 01 Gasoline (I did this just for fun when I was working on a drum pattern. It was never supposed to be a song, but then things progressed, it got later in the night, and I got sillier by the moment. No, I don’t do drugs.)

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Filed under Humor, music, poetry, Uncategorized, worship

What Underground Churches Don’t Worry About

In a sermon I preached not long ago, I made mention of the fact that you never see “First Baptist,” “Methodist,” or “Community Non-Denominational” plastered above an underground church. When all one wants to do is worship God without being imprisoned or killed, denominational distinction is one of the least of their worries.

That led me to think of other things that an underground church might not worry about:

  • The color of the carpet
  • The font on the church bulletin
  • Whether or not they sing a hymn or a praise song
  • Whether or not the pulpit is made of wood or etched glass
  • Cassette tapes or CD’s
  • Bible Versions
  • Post-graduate or seminary training
  • Projection screens
  • Padded pews
  • Pews
  • A family activity building
  • Gold or silver communion accessories
  • How long the worship lasts
  • What people wear
  • Parking
  • Youth activities
  • Revival Meetings

No, I don’t think underground churches ever have time to worry about all these things. They are more concerned with fellowship, encouragement, prayer, reading God’s Word in any version they can get their hands on, and staying alive.

Evidently we are closer to God – we have more things to worry about.

Some may even worry that these Iranian Christians are dancing and using a drum to chant the names of God. For shame!

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Filed under Christian Living, Christian Unity, God, legalism, Uncategorized, worship

Election Season Vision

Every time an election season rolls around, I get a little blue, a little down, a little grumpy. You see, taking a stand on principle, especially when it goes against the mainstream, can be physically and emotionally draining. This time, however, I have the added pleasure of the flue to complicate matters, so you might find me acting a little “snippy.”

And, if you are a regular reader, you may have noticed there was no “Monday Monkey” video this week. Part of the reason has been a shortage of time (beyond normal), but there has also been a sick wife, daughter, and self. The thought of editing anything made my head hurt.

Yet, as much as I attempt to fight the good fight, be salt and light, and keep a roof over my family’s head, I must remember “this world is not my home, I’m only passing through.” As much as I may be tempted to stress over national and world economies, “my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” One day this world will pass away, even America. This is only a temporary stop, so I shouldn’t let it bother me too much.

One day I will go to a land where there will be no more elections, no more propaganda, no more political parties, no more special interests, only the High King of Glory reigning in righteousness and truth. That must be my focus, my vision, “whatever befall.”

“Be Thou My Vision”

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

 

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Filed under America, Christian Maturity, Culture Wars, Future, God, Life Lessons, Uncategorized, voting, worship