How Apt of You

I am a member (current president, in fact) of a local governing body facing some large, complicated and difficult decisions. My fellow board members are good folks who put in a lot of time for no pay. Lately an issue has been set before us that has stirred up a certain element of the populace to foster and foment an agenda that, frankly, misses the point all together. I realize I'm being awfully vague, but the details of the story aren't terribly important. The point I'm about to make, however, is.

A number of e-mails have come my way in the past few weeks that have been dubious, disparaging, and even accusatory in their tone. That kinda wears on a guy after a while. Do you know the feeling? You've worked hard, done your best, weighed all the options and still, somehow, you're an immoral moron. OK, I don't actually think I'm a moron, but the comments our local board has been receiving have been wearing me down.

Until last night. Last night I received one tiny little two sentence e-mail from someone who simply said, "I know these are tough times, just wanted you to know that we are behind you 100%." I responded immediately because that person turned my whole outlook around. It reminded me that the negativity we are facing is from an inconsequentially small group and the vast (let's make that Vast - capital "V") majority is in favor of the direction our board is moving.

It also reminded me of the power of an encouraging word. The words of this man's e-mail were like apples of gold in settings of silver: beautiful, refreshing, treasured. If you have an opportunity soon, serve up something wonderful for somebody else in the form of encouraging words. The tongue holds the power of life and death, after all.

Thank You, Mr. Mote

This morning I went to school with my fantastic and lovely little niece. It was "Bring Your Pastor to School Day" and she chose me. :) During the chapel service, her second grade class sang, from memory, "My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less" by Edward Mote. Verses two and three were exactly what I've been needing these past few days:

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Thank God for sweet little nieces, hymn writers, and the solid Rock. Soli Deo Gloria

Love Song For The Savior . . . and some really beautiful harmony.

A beautiful, simple song of worship to the Savior from Hillsong United.

And if you can keep from getting goosebumps at 5:16 when Brooke's harmony takes gracefully to the sky like a bird, you're either dead or completely insensitive! :)

Sproul On Assurance

It's unfortunate (perhaps I shouldn't use that word . . . how about: stinkin' bummer) that so many true believers are troubled by the notion that they can fall in and out of salvation. We need to understand what salvation is all about, what it truly means.

R.C. Sproul puts it this way:

"Real assurance rests on a sound understanding of salvation, a sound understanding of justification, a sound understanding of sanctification, and a sound understanding of ourselves."
~from Doubt and Assurance

This doesn't remove the imperative to make our "calling and election sure" and to "test ourselves" at all - this very self-examination leads to a BLESS-ED assurance. An assurance that is firmly and safely grounded in the complete salvation Christ has accomplished for those whose names are written in that eternal document, the Lamb's Book of Life (since the creation of the world!).

Bono's Marriage (And Mine)

It's unusual to find a monogamous, long-running marriage in the world today, much less in the world of rock and roll. Bono (of U2 - you've heard of them, no?) has this to say about his almost 30 years with his wife Ali:

"I wasn't set up for marriage. I was not the kind of person that any of my friends would say, 'He's the marrying kind.' but I met the most exraordinary woman, and I couldn't let her go. I have somebody in my life, after a long time, I still feel I don't know. And we have a real sort of almost creative distance between us...relationships need management...I don't know how others would have made it through a married life with that length of time, but that's how I have...and of course respect and love. I'm still in love."

He goes on...

"Maybe a strong sense of survival. I can't remember his quote exactly, but there is a writing by Jean Cocteau where he says friendship is higher than love. Sometimes, it's less glamorous, or less passionate, but it's deeper and kind of wiser, I think. At the heart of my relationship is a great friendship."

Bono has described things pretty well I think.

I'm the kind of guy that likes to work alone, that likes to be alone, and doesn't have a high need for friendship - not good factors to mix into a marriage. However, I too have met an extraordinary woman and haven't been able to let her go. She fascinates me more and more as the years go by, and I'm still getting to know her. Together we've decided that this marriage thing is forever, and because of that, and the friendship we've forged, we've passed through some deep waters together and come out dripping, but more in love. I've told her before and I'll tell her again: she's the only person I can't live without.

Fear the Flatterer

Sometimes instead of a compliment, we need a critique. We so easily fall prey to the praise of men, as if we have truly attained or accomplished something remarkable. It's tempting to live in the imaginary stature that others assign to us, whether through flattery or honest praise. However, we must keep ourselves in check, reign in our pride, and honor only God, from whom comes our very breath.

David Livingstone was both criticized and awarded many high honors. His accomplishments brought him fame and a small fortune, something he never, ever sought. In regard to his critics, he had this to say:

"I like to hear that some abuse me now, and say that I am no Christian. Many good things were said of me which I did not deserve, and I feared to read them. I shall read every word I can on the other side, and that will prove a sedative to what I was forced to hear of an opposite tendency."

Read that again if you need to - Livingstone feared to read the good things said about him - feared his own pride - feared what flattery might do to him.

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

Keep On Trudging

I thought I was the only one! I thought I was the only person who ever felt at times like my passion had died and questioned the legitimacy of my work even though at one time I was convinced God has commissioned me to do it! I was certain that I was the only one who experienced periods of utter dryness walking through empty flatlands of bland unspirituality.

Apparently David Livingstone felt the same way at times:

"When employed in active travel, my mind becomes inactive, and the heart cold and dead, but after remaining some time quiet, the heart revives, and I become more spiritually-minded. This is a mercy which I have experienced before, and when I see a matter to be duty I go on regardless of my feelings. I do trust that the Lord is with me, though the mind is engaged in other matters than the spiritual."

I have many times been cheered and upheld by God's certain promises and covenant. As fickle as my feelings and fleeting as my more manic days may be, I know that God is just as He always was: faithful.