I am grateful for every soul layed down for liberty sake and for a country that still calls herself free. May we be empassioned once again to contend for the truths that we hold to be self-evident... "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
"America," one of the most powerful hymns declaring who we are as a nation and a people, was written by the Rev. Samuel F. Smith in 1832. I pray God it still be true a hundred years from now. Give wisdom to our leaders and embolden those who will stand for what is right.
These lyrics will always ring true of the one nation that was founded under God; the United States of America.
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God Hold Secure
America
My country, 'tis of Thee,
Sweet land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet Freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.
Our glorious Land to-day,
'Neath Education's sway,
Soars upward still.
Its hills of learning fair,
Whose bounties all may share,
Behold them everywhere
On vale and hill!
Thy safeguard, Liberty,
The school shall ever be,
Our Nation's pride!
No tyrant hand shall smite,
While with encircling might
All here are taught the Right
With Truth allied.
Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;
In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!
Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!
Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!
Faith Works
Have you ever had a major issue in your life, needed some counseling, sought it and when you thought you were going to get some relief, someone tells you that you are not in faith? Oh so many of us have encountered such conflict, when we needed a good word from the Lord who loves and cares for us so deeply, there was no one to love us through life’s circumstances. How many times I have heard the same words to seemingly dismiss the reality of my heart away with a truly disconnected comment. Yes faith pleases God, but faith will not work without love. Paul said, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6).
Faith simply believes God. Jesus said, “IF you BELIEVE, ALL THINGS are possible to him who BELIEVES” (Mark 9:23).
God doesn’t declare anywhere in His Word that He is near to those who are full of faith, unwavering, strong, steady, persistent, and diligent in all things. Yes there is blessing when we are in seasons of diligence, but those seasons always seem to be flanked by others that cause us to ask a question, “What do I really believe?” These seasons ultimately produce greater faith in believers; thus fulfilling the Word, we go from faith to faith as righteousness is revealed (Romans 1:17).
God is near to the broken-hearted and contrite, but for some reason certain people believe that we are not in faith if we are broken. The only way to God is through brokenness. It was our desperate need that opened our heart to the Savior in the first place. Paul, the one who said it is my DETERMINED purpose to know God, who also declared his own weaknesses. Paul said he would rather boast about his weakness (2 Cor. 11:30). When contending with the Lord about his inability to overcome a certain issue in his life, Paul cried out and the Lord answered saying, “My power is made perfect in your weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
So often we deny reality, call it faith, and then succumb to the ravages of a fallen world leaving everyone behind us questioning whether God is who He said He is. Does the death of someone who loves God and seeks healing mean God is not a healer? Absolutely not! I’ve witnessed God marvelously heal people when nary a hand was laid upon him or a prayer given for him. On the heels of the passing of a dear friend after a fierce battle with cancer, I found myself at a ministerial meeting in Kitale Kenya where a regional director made a statement and I quote, “Faith does not deny the facts (reality), faith attacks the facts with the Word of God.” God’s Word is His bond, a covenant He made with His people, His promise to all who believe. Faith simply believes God will do what He promised and that He will be who He said He would be. But, faith does not work without being mixed with love.
Faith simply, profoundly, and powerfully works by love and cannot work apart from it except the mercy of God be released. Even holiness cannot be fulfilled aside from love. Jesus said if you love Me you will keep My commands (John 14:21). We would rather argue about legalism, fight for our right to be right, justify our unholy actions by some grossly misguided perception of liberty, than walk in love toward both God and man.
It’s man's way to take sections or even partial Scripture and make a doctrine out of it. In order to clearly understand the entire doctrine we must consider both Old and New Testament Scripture. Doctrine runs like a thread through the entire body of Scripture and if we will consider it all, we will find that love was one of the original commands in Deuteronomy beginning chapter 6, verse 5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Jesus came to destroy the works of the enemy. He fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, but didn’t come to do away with it (Matt 5:17). He further said that love is the hinge on which hangs all of the commandments. Jesus said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your entire mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matt 22:37-40). Love started this whole thing and trust me it will finish it. John 13:35 says, "by this they will know that you are My disciples, by your love one for another."
I want to encourage you today. The next time someone comes to you for help, needing encouragement and love, don’t beat them over the head with the “you need to get in faith message.” Don’t pull your Bible out and start preaching to them. The psalmist said, “God sees us in the frailty of our human flesh. He loves us and knows, as we should, that it has always been and will always be love that compels and covers us in the nakedness of our sin. His banner over us is not YOU MUST BE IN FAITH AND FULL OF THE WORD. Yes these things are necessary for our growth and edification, but the very Word we want to condemn people with declares, HIS BANNER OVER US IS LOVE!
I know by experience that love will break the vilest heart. I’ve watched God through love deliver witches, murderers, prostitutes, drug addicts, blasphemers, and yes even stinky religious folk. Now more than 16 years later, I’ve seen hundreds transformed by the POWER OF HIS LOVE. I know in Whom I believe, I know what I believe, and I KNOW what releases the power of God… LOVE. I still struggle with fear, I’m still weak, I’m still broken, but I believe every word of God is true. I want God near, I need God and like Paul I would rather boast in my weakness so that God’s power will be released in my life, than boast in my great faith and command of the Scripture. I need Him and I know people need love. More than anything else in my life I want to be the conduit of God’s love in a world so desperate for it. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:13).
So in the end, faith is simply powerfully an expression of love!
Here I Am!
My heart breaks for the hundreds of protesters in Iran that are being unmercifully murdered by their own government. This picture speaks volumes to me about those of Persian descent… They want freedom and death seems much the better than continuing to live under the tyranny an oppressive leadership perpetrates upon them day after day.
What makes man desire freedom? There are a myriad of answers. But I believe there’s an innate desire in the heart of man that causes him to long for liberty. It’s an eternal seed set by God in the hearts of men (Eccl. 3:11). When a seed is watered it will try to grow with the ultimate purpose of bearing fruit. This is what I see happening in Iran right now. Their desire for freedom is the beginning of an openness to receive “something” they’ve never had before.
The protesters may not really understand the ultimate desire of their hearts. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. But they will one day collide with THE TRUTH. And that truth, eternal knowledge of Jesus Christ, will set them free.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying… Who will go for us? Who will speak? Here I am Lord send me.
What makes man desire freedom? There are a myriad of answers. But I believe there’s an innate desire in the heart of man that causes him to long for liberty. It’s an eternal seed set by God in the hearts of men (Eccl. 3:11). When a seed is watered it will try to grow with the ultimate purpose of bearing fruit. This is what I see happening in Iran right now. Their desire for freedom is the beginning of an openness to receive “something” they’ve never had before.
The protesters may not really understand the ultimate desire of their hearts. The spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. But they will one day collide with THE TRUTH. And that truth, eternal knowledge of Jesus Christ, will set them free.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying… Who will go for us? Who will speak? Here I am Lord send me.
NO, You Can't!
Have you been like me, curious to know what the real sentiment is around the world about our newly elected President Obama? If the only news we receive is from ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, or MSNBC and the likes, then we will never know that the world has anything other than positive accolades for the President. However that could not be farther from the truth. Check out this ad that ran in the Jerusalem Post, June 2, 2009, on the eve of President Obama's speech to the Muslim world in Egypt.
God Lives Under the Bed
This is such a profound story... If you take it to heart, it will change your life! Read on...
I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed... At least that's what I heard him say one night.
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed....'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores..
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Kevin won't be surprised at all!
He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed....'
I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.
He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.
He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.
I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?
Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.
The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.
He does not seem dissatisfied.
He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.
He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores..
And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.
His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips. He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.
His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it. He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure. He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.
Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.
Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.
In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.
It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions. It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.
Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.
And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.
Kevin won't be surprised at all!
~Author Unknown
It is darkest before the Dawn!
Adversity is a normal part of life. I know many of you reading this will not cherish that thought, but it’s the adversity in our life that has the potential to bring forth great things. Think of childbirth, a struggle is required before the baby is seen. Just as struggle is required for birth, adversity is required for growth. The difference in life is that some embrace the struggle making the process easier than they ever imagined. While others, fight against it and make passing over almost impossible.
Did you know that the darkest hour is the one right before dawn? It is also the stillest hour. In our hurried, scurried American lifestyle it would be difficult to see, but it is true in the quietest places where life doesn’t fully begin until after dawn, there’s a moment of quiet calm before light breaks the sky.
Adversity can make us feel like we are living in darkness, but we are assured of its eventual end. 2 Corinthians 4:16—18 always comfort me in times of distress. I have learned from it to never loose heart, because my “light and momentary” affliction will produce something good in my life. What I see now won’t last long, but the joy to come from it will last forever.
Our victory is in the daybreak! When light comes and chases away our darkness giving us the ability to see. And, God wants us to see adversity for what it really is; an opportunity to grow. If we will embrace the struggle and learn from each situation, then there is no limit to where He can take us. Because, nothing will be able to hold us back!
A Long Chat, With an Old Friend
Life renders little better than catching up with a friend who has so tremendously touched our life. The words “thank you” and “I love you” seem an empty expression of a heart so full of treasured moments, longings for more time together, and joy for the experience shared.
There are few times in life that we make such a deep and lasting connection with people that to hear their voice or a mention of their name causes our hearts to swell with love. Parents have this bond with children, families have it too, but there’s something so amazing when unrelated people develop such affection that their hearts can barely stand to be apart. David and Jonathan had it; Jesus and John had it, Paul and Timothy too. Certainly God, the Father of all mankind, feels the same intense desire to be with the ones He so lovingly created to spend time with Him.
This heart-connection will never be broken though time passes without a word, the moment these people come together it’s as though time and distance immediately disappear.
I am forever grateful for those God has given me. They are strong and steady, the kind of people who never change; they only grow along side as if planted in the same garden. They challenge my life and without a word calm and quiet my spirit. They produce a stillness that opens the door to God, and time spent with them makes life all the more grace-full.
Thank you friends, you’ve been far and few between, but what you’ve given has been immeasurable. I am eternally grateful for YOU!
There are few times in life that we make such a deep and lasting connection with people that to hear their voice or a mention of their name causes our hearts to swell with love. Parents have this bond with children, families have it too, but there’s something so amazing when unrelated people develop such affection that their hearts can barely stand to be apart. David and Jonathan had it; Jesus and John had it, Paul and Timothy too. Certainly God, the Father of all mankind, feels the same intense desire to be with the ones He so lovingly created to spend time with Him.
This heart-connection will never be broken though time passes without a word, the moment these people come together it’s as though time and distance immediately disappear.
I am forever grateful for those God has given me. They are strong and steady, the kind of people who never change; they only grow along side as if planted in the same garden. They challenge my life and without a word calm and quiet my spirit. They produce a stillness that opens the door to God, and time spent with them makes life all the more grace-full.
Thank you friends, you’ve been far and few between, but what you’ve given has been immeasurable. I am eternally grateful for YOU!
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