Worship

I like to sing, but really music is not my thing.  Ever so often a song touches me deep in my heart.  Most of Toby Mac's last album (Tonight) is like that, Joy Williams' "Do they see Jesus in Me?" is like that, also.  

Yesterday at church we sang a song that was like that.  We had a full band yesterday for the first time in a couple of years.  And they sounded good, but they sung a new (to me) song by Jeremy Camp.  It was called Overcome.  God really blessed me with inspired worship while we lifted voices up to him.  Here's the link:  http://youtu.be/FqXZD_z3eCc

Hope you enjoy this sung prayer to God.  Tell me about it.

Reveal

I love, love, love moments when God speaks to my heart in a deep and personal way.


Today's message at church was delivered by Tim, my brother-in-law.  His heart is heavy and reflective as he is living through a tragedy that he is powerless to stop and allowing God's grace to be his balm.  His best friend of 20+ years is breathing his final breaths due to liver cancer.  Tim's heart is broken, but he is giving God glory.


Today's message was brought from Luke 24:13-35  On the road to Emmaus.  Are you familiar with the story?


Jesus has newly risen from the grave, but his disciples are discouraged that Jesus died, is now completely gone and didn't do what they wanted him to do anyway.  You see the Jews of this day were occupied by a foreign government and believed that their Messiah would deliver them from the occupation into freedom.  That's how I am.  Jesus take this thing away from me - it doesn't suit my kingdom.  


While these two disciples where walking on the road they were discussing the events of the past few days and all that had happened to Jesus.  Suddenly there appeared Jesus to walk with them.  Jesus, of course, drew them into conversation.  They didn't know who Jesus was because their focus was still on their own kingdom and desires.  Once they stated their confusion, the author of all history, Jesus, himself taught these two how his life fit perfectly into all the law and prophets.


They continued the whole way listening.  When they reached Emmaus, Jesus acted as if he would continue on the road, but they asked Jesus to stay and eat with them.  It was then that Jesus remove the veil from their eyes and they realized that it was Jesus.  They were so excited that they went all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples all that had taken place. 


Pretty fascinating story, but the neat thing is this:  these two belonged to Jesus, but they didn't have faith and confidence in Him.  They had long sought for a Messiah to do what they thought should be done, not what God needed accomplished.  They heard the word and still couldn't see.  It wasn't until they Jesus blessed and broke the bread to them that they could fully see.


See?


I have tears in my eyes as I type.


Jesus is the bread of life.  Jesus blessed and broke the bread for them (for me, for you).


Their own testimony to the other disciples culminates in the very last verse of Luke 24.  Verse 35b "....he was known to them in the breaking of the bread."


Oh!  What blessing there is in that.  


Breaking of bread is considered fellowship, communing with one another.  Am I  breaking bread with Jesus to allow him to reveal himself to me.


Lord Jesus, Thank you for this word.  Let my prayer and bible reading time be a time where we are communing and fellowshipping.  I want you to reveal yourself to me in new ways just like you did today with this word - Your Word.  Amen.


How about you:  What do you think?

Forgot Again!

Ok, I fill in occasionally in children's church for the teacher.  Lately it's been every other weekend, but we got catty wompus with the recent holidays.  So this was a week I was to teach and forgot.  Grrrrr to me for not using that dull pencil and relying on that sharp memory.

Well, I'm drawing on recent meditations and praying and praying and praying.

Esther keeps coming to my mind.  My kids will love it.  I tell the story with animation as we climb into our time machine and travel backward to tell the story.  I do so love to make them smile as I bring bible stories to life.  You should hear them all say "don-kay"!  

Who can think of Esther and not think "for such a time as this."?

I wasted a lot of time and energy wishing that I were someone else, some where else on some other time line.  I dreamed I was Scarlett in Gone With the Wind - I was suited for civil war times.

Finally in my 30s, a sunday school teacher taught a lesson about that very subject, but from other scripture.  God didn't put us in pioneer days or victorian days or civil war days; He put us in this day.  

That was profoundly eye opening for me, but then again I am a little slow on the up-take sometimes.  How I wish that someone along the way would have given me that gentle nudge earlier.

Now spending the rest of the night in prayer.  

My Lord and God, Humble me to present Your word to young and tender souls.  Open ears and hearts to receive what you would have them learn.  Amen.

Elihu Speaks to Job

Right now we are reading in the book of Job.  It is an arduous job.  It's a lot like listening to a lot blow hards telling you how to live your life.

Job is pondering his life and all that has happened to him.  He blames God and considers himself to be righteous.  Job has listened to his friends tell him how he must have done something wrong or God wouldn't have taken everything he has; while Job defends his (self)righteousness. 

The book is really fascinating and each time I read it I look at the overall differently.  This time, I believe it is the postering of Job and his friends.  The friends speaking for God and Job insisting that he is right.  Kind of like today's time when we see someone in our sphere hurting.

Elihu is the last to speak because he is the youngest and wanted to respect his elders.

Elihu is angry and says so.  Lots of times when we are angry we get puffed up or I should say, I get puffed up when I'm angry.  Most of my anger stems from pride, but back to Elihu.....

He makes some good points.  He says in Job 33:4-14 NIV1984

4 The Spirit of God had made me; the breath of the almighty gives me life.  5 Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me.  6 I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.  7 No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.  8 But you have said in my hearing--  I have heard the very words-- 9"I am pure and without sin; I am clean and free from guilt.  10 Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy. 11 He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths."  12 But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man. 13 Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words?  14 For God does speak -- now one way, now another -- though man may not perceive it.

Elihu (Anywho) goes on to make some other remarks that are....well, a little out of bounds, but hey, I've been there done that.

This is a very good point (after he put Job on the defensive).

What is he saying?  Look, Job, you say that you have done no wrong and that God is unjust in what has happened.  I'm saying consider that it is God who gave you everything, even the very breathe that you have. ( He later goes on to say that God gave you everything and made everything.)  Who are you to correct God?  Who are you to complain to God?

Isn't that the easy way out?  Get mad at God.  I've done it.  I know others that have done it.  To what end?  

God is God.  When you belong to God, you are his.  He gave everything for you.  If he tests you with the fire of life, you will not be burnt....you won't even smell like smoke.  The answer is right there in Romans 8:28 &29.  

Almost everyone can quote 8:28, but mostly stop there.  PLEASE DON"T, the best is yet to come in 29.

Romans 8:28&29 (Patty paraphrase from memory)

For we know that all things work together for good to those that are called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he predestined to become CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON. 

The good is not for things to work out the way we want them.  No that would be God building our kingdom.  The good is to make us more like Christ.  That, Dear Ones, is building God's kingdom.

Oh, how I love HIS WORD!

What do you think?  Share with me.

Sup!

Well, well, well....
where have I been?    


Let me tell ya,
Posterous (a little gritty in the posts)  http://thepastorswife.posterous.com  warning!  I vented here and some more sensitive folk might become mildly to moderately incensed. 


Word press (nice place, just hard to do and way too much reading and way too large a learning curve to really appreciate it.)    www.patty.boyte.com


So.there you have it.  A few musings.  I'll be here at blogger for a while and hopefully will be able to share what God's been putting on my heart.