“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Another passage I can read a million times and still be blown away. I think its remarkable that Peter pretty much invited himself to Jesus’ party on the water. Jesus didn’t say, “No Peter, only us holy people can be out here.” No veil with Jesus, no separation, we are only limited by the desires of our heart.
I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
Mark 11:23
I can read this a million times and still be blown away. I’m taking this as a “for real” mountain, not just the figurative ones we like to use this passage for. Mainly because a “for real” mountain beats a “figurative” mountain any day.
-Brian
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18
Sorry sufferings, you just don’t compare.
The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot.
Acts 23:12-13
I wonder what went through their heads when they saw the 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen that accompanied Paul that night…
LORD
keep us in step with Your Spirit
unite us in the common rhythm of love, Your rhythm for You are love
guide us in the common time of faith, for we trust in You
fulfill us in the common anthem of hope, for You are our hope
unbind us in Your common rhyme, for Your rhyme is truth
and Your truth sets us free
May the pounding hooves of the horses on the prairie
May the crashing ocean’s waves and the wonder they create
May the quake of the earth and the eeriness of the quiet
draw us nearer to You.
-Brian
Its funny to me the reactions I get toward my cd title. It reminds me of the chapel services I used to lead at GLCC. After almost each one I would have some students thank me while other students would tell me how I offended them. The last few reactions I’ve had toward my cd have had a similar split. I had one guy read it who was obviously rich (or in serious debt and denial), laughed and just kept walking. Another fellow picked it up, read “prayer, and sinner” in the song titles and became offended and said, “I don’t like to talk about those things,” and promptly walked away. “Who does?” I thought to myself. And still I’ve had others thank me for the music and the honesty.
I was thinking of the guy who got offended and the Spirit whispered something- Probably the most devastating claim to the evangelization of the Gospel, especially in a culture that worships “self”, is that we are sinners and that we need Someone greater than us.
It is a tough pill to swallow, but the side effects are blessings. We have the opportunity to become something more than what we could make of ourselves. We take part in a greater cause than recycling, feeding the poor, or world peace, because with Him we are dealing with the eternal.
I want to run down this path even if I am an insult to some and a joke to others, because I serve a God who makes water into wine, who takes a meager meal and feeds thousands. My God makes paupers rich.
God bless,
Brian
Blessed is the Man who walked to counsel the wicked,
who made a way for sinners and ate with them,
and sat in their seat and got mocked for it.
His delight is to fulfill the law of the LORD
and to live it day and night.
He was nailed to a tree,
and from Him come streams of living water,
which yields the fruit of the Kingdom in season
bringing eternal life to the believer.
Whatever He does is good.
Even for the wicked there is hope.
They are priceless and not to be thrown away.
Therefore the wicked have a chance at salvation
for Jesus died for both the righteous and the sinner
and invites them all into His assembly.
For the LORD watches over us all,
and doesn’t want anyone to perish
but to believe in Jesus and live.
1. Beard gets caught in zippers.
2. Food gets in it (could be good or bad)
3. No one smiles at you, probably because they think you’re a biker or viking.
4. You look like a Geico cave man.
5. Attracts cougars, true story.
6. Kids pull on it.
7. Hair gets in mouth and throat.
8. Ingrown hairs.
9. Get mistaken to be old enough to be your wife’s dad, another true story.
10. It doesn’t really give you special powers.
1. Getting slapped doesn’t hurt.
2. Protects face from sunburn.
3. You no like, shave.
4. People think you’re a biker or a viking, either way they leave you alone.
5. Instant fellowship with other beard growers – like Chaco people have with other Chaco people or motorcyclists.
6. Braiding it makes you look like a pirate.
7. Keeps you warm in the winter.
8. Traps water during summer.
9. No zits.
10. It pretty much gives you special powers.
Today at church I witnessed a 3 Star General from Saddam Hussein’s army get baptized. The lead pastor at Trinity has been talking with him about Jesus for a while now. He learned a lot about the General’s past as a soldier under Hussein’s rule. When Saddam ordered his men to kill innocent people, the General wouldn’t obey. He went to prison for his actions. As a devout Muslim he read the Koran and followed it closely. It says (more or less) that to kill innocent people is to anger Allah.
Through their conversations, the General found Jesus to be who he was seeking for and decided to commit his life to Him. His conversion brought up thoughts to me about Osama. When the General came up out of the water, I was one of the first to stand clapping. My emotions caught me off guard, I didn’t realize how compassionate I was to his story. Truly the victory was greater.
I couldn’t help but feel pain at Osama’s fate. It would’ve been an even greater victory to have witnessed that tyrant seek forgiveness for the atrocities he had committed. It would’ve been an even greater victory for him to have submitted to the One who already had holes in his hands and feet for us rather than to receive the one he got in his head.
I fully respect and appreciate the work of the Navy Seals and what they accomplished for the sake of the rest of us still here. But after witnessing the General, I wished it could have been Osama’s story too. I understand that conversion for Osama wouldn’t have saved him from the justice he was due here, and he may still have been killed, I’m simply saying that the victory would have been greater.