Survivors

There are many tribes of people who live on the Amazon River. I recently observed a particular tribe on a television documentary who challenged me to a better understanding of what it means to survive. With survival as their main goal in life, this tribe devised ways to escape their harsh surroundings and natural elements. They had to work together as a team to build their homes and hunt for food. To survive, they needed to focus and gain strength for their journeys ahead.

In the spiritual world, we are no different than this Amazon tribe. We are trying to survive in a jungle of activity overload and choice overload. In 1978, there were 11, 767 items in the average grocery store. By 1992, that number increased to 24,531 with 186 different types of cereal alone! We are trying to survive as Christians among a culture that continually bombards us with ungodly influences and immorality of every kind. How will we survive? This is no reality T.V. show! This is real life!

One of the keys to survival is to gain strength. In Isiah 30:15, the Lord says, "In quietness and trust is your strength." These two words, "quietness" and "trust" are words that are packed with great energy. It is no small task to quiet oneself and to completely trust in the Lord. To quiet yourself means to be rid of anxiety or to "settle your heart." Fortunately, God wants to help us quiet our hearts. Zephaniah 3:17 says that "He will quiet you with His love." There is nothing more precious in all of human existence than that moment when God quickens us to how much He loves us. We can then become more than conquerors (or survivors) through Him who loves us. (Rom. 8:37) God promises that His love is perfect and it casts out fear. (I John 4:18) If we truly understand His love for us, then it will be so much easier for us to trust in Him to take care of our circumstances.

Throughout the different trials in my life, the Lord has asked me two very important questions, "Do you know that I love you?" and "Do you trust me?" I have come to realize that I cannot even answer these questions with a "yes" until I become so weak, that I allow God's love to empower me. This is true strength. This is survival. The beautiful aspect of God's love is that He not only uses our trying circumstances to reveal His love to us, but He uses them to perfect our love for Him.

We are living in enemy territory--in a world that is against us. I am so thankful that God is on our side! He is fighting for us and He will empower us to survive as we learn to rest in His love and trust Him to provide for our every need. Lord, perfect Your love in us so that we may gain strength for the journey ahead. May we see the urgency to rest in Your love as we live as survivors in a jungle that would seek to devour us. You are our Hope, our Fortress and our Deliverer. We depend on You!

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness...
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand...

Identity

Ephesians 1:18 "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe."

From current statistics, it is said that identity theft happens every three seconds. I have been a victim of identity theft, and it is a frightening experience! Sandra Bullock starred in a movie a few years ago, where she played a character whose identity was not only stolen, but in all of the electronic systems around the world, she did not even exist. Her name had been completely removed from all Federal and official records. Because identity theft is one of the leading crimes in America, there are companies like LifeLock, whose mission is to prevent identity theft from happening to innocent people.

From a spiritual stand-point, I believe that Satan is in the business of identity theft. As I am in the midst of raising teenagers, I have seen how fragile a person's identity can be. A teen's main question during this turbulent time is "Who am I"? How a teen answers this question will often determine the choices he or she makes. I have found the same thing to be true in my own life, even through my adult years. This simple, yet haunting question "Who am I" continues to echo in my mind.

In last week's article, I wrote about Jesus, the Good Shepherd in John 10, who gently leads us through every season of life. He also calls "His" and he knows us intimately. As His sheep, we can know and recognize His voice. As our Good Shepherd, Jesus affirms our worth to Him, and our purpose to His Kingdom. Yet in John 10, Jesus also mentions the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy any identity we may have in Christ. Satan targets our identity because he knows that those who have a sure identity in Christ are a threat to him. Once we know who we are in Christ, we are able to stand firm against any lies and fiery arrows that Satan may hurl our way. Jesus calls this thief a "stranger"; one who has "trespassed into the sheep pen". He warns us not to listen to the stranger who lies, accuses and deceives us.

In Ephesians 1, the Good Shepherd continues to whisper through the words of the Apostle Paul, "You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus", "have You are chosen before the foundation of the world", "You are created in Christ because you have believed the Word of Truth", and "You have a glorious inheritance." Jesus has given us prevention from identity theft. He is our "Life Lock". Let us stand firm in the hope to which He has called us. We can be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power, and we do not have to ever listen to the stranger's voice.

Thank you God, for You have given us true identity through Your son, Jesus. May we only listen to our Good Shepherd who gives us life, hope, purpose and peace.

Uncertainty

"I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know my Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15

I often convince myself that if I worry about a situation involving uncertainty, I will be able to fix it. Uncertainty is one of the hardest things for me to deal with, because I can't control it. The truth of the matter is, I really can't control what is certain either. For some reason, I frequently cling to the sense of "false peace" that worrying brings. The longer I live, the more I see that I can't control my circumstances; but I can control my reactions to my circumstances. I am comforted by Jesus' words in John 10. As my Good Shepherd, Jesus knows me and He cares for me; enough to lay His life down for me. Furthermore, He wants to speak to me, and He longs for me to recognize His voice. He promises to guide and direct me, even through the troublesome, uncertain times.

Jesus has tried for Himself all of the experiences through which He will ask me to pass; and He would not ask me to pass through them unless He was sure that they were not too difficult for me. This is the blessed life--not anxious to see far in front, nor fretting about the next step, nor eager to choose the path, nor burdened with responsibilities for the future, but gently following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time. It is comforting to know the Shepherd is always ahead of His sheep. OUR UNCERTAINTY IS HIS CERTAINTY. He is already in the tomorrows, and all of the tomorrows have to pass by Him before I can experience them.

Jesus confronts the worrier in Matthew 6: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?'' (verses 25-26)

Jesus was wise in His choice of animals for us to imitate during times of uncertainty. The birds are the earliest to sing in the morning, and they are more care-free than any other creature. Singing is the last thing that the robins do at night. When they have done their daily work, when they have flown their last flight, and picked up their last morsel of food, they prop themselves on a high place and sing a song of praise. I learned a lesson from the birds this week: THINK LESS, SING MORE. SING IN THE MORNING. SING IN THE EVENING. Surely our weights will become wings as we adopt this philosophy. It's worth a try, anyway!

How can I keep from singing your praise?

How can I ever say enough

How amazing is Your love!

How can I keep from shouting Your name?

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing!

Vision

This year, I have prayed for God to give me spiritual vision. First of all, I want to see Him more clearly, but I also want to know what He specifically desires for me. I believe that I will worship God more authentically once I see Him more clearly. Throughout all generations, God has miraculously revealed Himself to individuals who were earnestly seeking Him. As a result of their vision from God, their lives were forever changed. They SAW, they WORSHIPED and bowed down and finally, they FOLLOWED Him. This happened to Moses, Abram, Isaiah, Paul, and the list goes on. Compelled by their vision from God, others followed them as well.

Great preachers, poets, prophets, songwriters and singers of old, are those who lived imaginatively from a vision from God. One who has received a vision from God can simply say, "Imagine the view from here." We have the songs and hymns today because people experienced certain aspects of God's character and dared to write about it. As a songwriter, I am always fascinated by the stories behind the songs that we sing. Perhaps the writer of "Shout to the Lord" was captivated by God's creation as she wrote: "Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing, power and majesty praise to the King, mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of Your name..." Others have written from a place of repentance: "We bow our hearts, we bend our knees, O Spirit, come make us humble..." From a place of mercy: "When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died..." From a place of awe: "You are beautiful beyond description, too marvelous for words..."

It is not really about singing the songs, but seeing God and calling others into the vision. The Lord promises to reveal Himself to us if we truly seek Him. However, we must be ready for our lives to be changed once we really see Him. Furthermore, we may be responsible for leading others to follow Him. A worshiper journeys through the multiple aspects of Almighty God, stopping at the "scenic overlooks" as he views the horizon of God's infinite glory. Then, he can say to others, "Imagine the view from here!"

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord...

I want to see You high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory!

Be Thou my vision oh 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.

Freshness

Freshness is another characteristic of an effective worship leader. It simply means "to live in the present tense." Worship leaders who exhibit freshness lead from the perspective of "today", and can often interject glimpses of their present journey with God into the corporate worship experience. There is a simple equation for us to follow: DAILY DEPENDENCE EQUALS FRESHNESS. I ate at a restaurant recently (I won't mention the name to save its reputation!) but I was very disappointed in the quality of the food. It did not taste fresh, but stale and old. I probably will not return to that restaurant because of the bad experience I had while eating there. In fact, every time I think of that restaurant, or pass by it, I will remember the dreadful old and stale food!

As I have reflected on the aspect of freshness as a characteristic of an effective worship leader, I remembered the words of Jesus as he referred to Himself as "Living Water". Jesus implied that He would offer freshness with every drink. He is our Daily "fresh" bread, the "fresh" Air that we breathe. He promises freshness to us each time we come to Him, and from that life-giving interaction, we can reflect His vitality in our daily living. I am always encouraged to know that God does His most ordinary work within our most mundane, ordinary activities. He is the Fresh wind and Fresh fire that blows through the most ordinary of circumstances. He is the flowing stream of fresh water that gives life to our parched souls.

God knows that we will expend ourselves on the most useless tasks. He knows that we will fret over what we cannot control. Yet, He offers this beautiful invitation: "Come to the waters...all who are thirsty...why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to me, eat what is good and your soul will delight in the richest of fare! (Isa. 55:1-2)

Oh God, may we depend upon You daily to rejuvenate us so that we can reflect your fresh work in our lives!

You are the air I breathe

Your Holy presence living in me

You are my daily bread

Your very Word spoken to me

And I'm desperate for You

And I'm lost without You...

Intentional Worship

Several years ago, I attended a worship conference that greatly impacted my life. As I watched all of the "cool" people on stage, I was impressed by their attitudes of humility and transparency as they poured their hearts out to us. At the time that I attended the conference, I was aspiring to be a "worship leader." However, I was confronted with some very profound thoughts while I was there: 1. An effective worship leader is first an effective worshiper 2. You can't lead someone to where you have never been 3. Once you know the way, you are ready to lead 4. A worship leader is responsible for those he leads. I thought to myself, "There's a lot more to this worship leading stuff than I thought. Do I really want to be a worship leader?"

God began a work in my heart at that time to draw me closer to Him. I knew that I could never be an effective worship leader without first being a worshiper of Him. Many years have passed since that time, and God is still teaching me about worship. Sometimes, it comes from absolute joy and awe as I have witnessed God's mighty power in my life. Other times, worship comes as a sacrifice when I have nothing to give but pain and tears. Nonetheless, worship has become an important part of my life. I once learned of nine characteristics of an effective worship leader: Joy, Authenticity, Excellence, Maturity, Humility, Freshness, Sensitivity, Transparency and Biblical Soundness. Since we become what we worship, these qualities will be evident in us, if we seek to worship God intentionally.

I have also learned through the years, that a worship leader leads worship off stage as well as on stage. It is humbling (and frightening) to know that people are watching every moment of the day! Worship is our response to God for who He is; and what He has done, expressed in and by the things we say and the way we live. He reveals Himself and we respond to Him. By worshiping God intentionally, we are declaring that He is of great value in our lives and we are willing to invest our time, energy and devotion to Him.

The beautiful aspect of worship leading, is that we can all have a part in leading worship--every cellist, choir member, guitarist, organist, pianist, praise team member, etc. I love that God has a place for all of us. I love that this church allows so many to use their gifts and talents. Thank you God, for the privilege of enabling us to lead others to Your throne each week. Help us to worship you with our whole hearts. Reveal Yourself to us so that we may respond to you in joy, authenticity, excellence, maturity, humility, freshness, sensitivity, transparency and Biblical soundness...

Psalm 84:1,2,10

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere..."

Peace

I'm seeing the word "peace" posted everywhere lately...on t-shirts, bumper stickers, billboards, etc. Why are people so infatuated with peace? It has almost become a foreign word, a lost art or a faint memory.

One of the names given to Jesus was the Prince of Peace. It is interesting to me that these two words are combined together. A prince, as we all know, is someone with power and authority--an heir to the throne. "Peace" is a sense of rest or contentment; wholeness. In other words, Jesus is the ruler over our sense of rest, contentment and wholeness. Christ's power and peace go hand in hand. This is evident when Jesus calmed the storm in Luke 8. He rebuked the winds and the waves and they dared to obey Him. He brought peace and calmness through His power.

In Jesus' last days on earth, he left us a "will". He said, "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you." (v.27) Then, in Matthew 28:18, he goes on to say, "All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on earth." The most amazing thing of all is what He says in John 16:15. "All things that the Father has are mine (including peace and power)--yet they will be disclosed to you and imparted to you by the Holy Spirit." I can hardly take this in! So then, the power and authority of Christ, as well as His peace are all available to me! This sounds like a simple Sunday school answer, but as I have meditated on this principle, I have been overwhelmed with God's goodness to impart such an incredible gift to me, and I have been convicted by the fact that I have not received it more often...

Prince of Peace, come and reign
Restore Your power to Your people once again
Take Your throne, rightful Lord,
Prince of Peace, come and reign forevermore!