Recently I watched a video of a man held captive for years, set free and returned home.  When he got off the plane he fell to his knees, kissed the ground and raised his hands in worship…thanking God for his freedom, his family, his home.  No doubt, it was a perfect picture of a heart bursting with gratitude.  He knew he’d been given something he didn’t deserve and all the simple pleasures of life were now magnified.  What once was lost, was now found.

This got me thinking!  I wondered if I was as thankful for the simple things as this man.  I wondered if I had become entitled, spoiled & privileged.  Maybe grace had become expected, as if I were owed this life of mine.  Maybe I was charging into every day with the demand: “give me a straight and easy path”, “give me luxuries not known by most” and “give me what you owe me”.  Not that I would ever say that or outright embrace this notion, but instead maybe my heart had drifted?  Maybe…

As I watched this man again…it reminded me of my past.  It reminded me of times when I felt the same way.  It reminded me of my youth, when every day was an adventure.  It reminded me of laughter in rain, my gorgeous bride walking the isle towards her awaiting bridegroom.  It reminded me of my newborn sons’ cry and the fresh smile of a little girl always meant for me!  It stirred something in me.  It stirred that sense so vital to knowing the depth of His grace.  It brought an ember of thankfulness!

“You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.  For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”   2 Corinthians 9:11-12

The doorway to knowing God is absolute.  There is no substitute and no way around it.  Without a heart of gratitude, we can never know much less experience God.  A thankful heart is a heart full.  A person of gratitude is a person who has the very touch of God on them.

Here are the four marks or attributes of those who’ve discovered the journey of thanksgiving:

• A grateful heart is a generous heart

When you understand the nature of grace given to you, you tend to measure out the same grace on others.  You tend to be generous with your money, your time, your praises, your prayers.  You desire to give and not always take!

• A grateful heart is a forgiving heart

Wounds not cared for become bitterness which then breeds cynicism and sarcasm. Cynicism and sarcasm are markers of a heart grown cold or a grudge held far too long.  A heart thankful will be a heart that embraces it’s own failures and tends to forgive the same in others.  Thankfulness is the antidote to bitterness and fosters deep compassion and charity.

• A grateful heart is a humble heart

It has been said: “in the south our greatest sense of pride is found in our deep humility”.  We often misread true humility.  We often misread true pride.  Gratitude will unmask our deepest intentions and help us see with clarity.  A heart that seeks God cannot entertain both pride and thanksgiving.

• A grateful heart is a worshiping heart

A few years ago I was given a small new testament Bible by Lisa’s grandfather.  As a marine, he carried it in his pocket during the battle of Guadalcanal in the Pacific during World War 2.  I was overcome with emotion.  I knew the depths of this gift and the meaning behind it.  The scriptures abound with the pathway to entering God’s presence: through the gates of thanksgiving.  Gratitude reminds of what we’ve been given and the depth of meaning behind it.  Only then can we truly worship!

 

That video of a man set free is our story!  The kiss of sun on our face, the joy & laughter of a house full or the book of memories of days gone by are a sign of God’s incredible gifts.  When we really stop and think about it, ponder His hand in our lives; it doesn’t take long to see we are nothing but ragamuffins and orphans afforded something that was never ours.  How could we possibly complain about another thing…ever!

Be grateful!  Seize this day before it’s gone.  Make the call, hug the neck, forgive and release the hurt.  Choose to be like the man in the video; set free and overcome with thanksgiving.  Then head into Thanksgiving Day and beyond with a heart warmed by the very touch of God.

These past two weeks have been interesting at our house.  As I have shared with you, the sudden onslaught of a kidney stone during the middle of the night brought great wailing and gnashing of teeth.  For those who’ve never had one, there are only rumors of the divine sanction this offers to those who’ve been chosen.  Let me assure you, it is not a path for the faint of heart!

Not knowing what was wrong, I just prayed for 2 things: the Lord’s quick return or a powerful trance inducing potion to make it go away!  Seeing that Jesus chose to tarry (for the moment), the second option worked just fine.

Sitting later that day at the urologist, I discovered that this “stone” was an itsy-bitsy, scanty, minuscule, petite, puny stone halfway on it’s journey towards freedom.  How in all of God’s creation could this tiny thing cause me so much agony and torment?  Folks, I do not attempt to bamboozle you when I say – it completely ceased all my normal operations for the sole purpose of survival.  If you’ve had one – at this point your hands are lifted high as you shout “AMEN”!

“How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire”!  How can a puny small tiny spark cause a blaze that consumes an entire beautiful forest?  But it does!  That is exactly what James says.  But he’s not talking about a kidney stone.  Instead, something small which can also inflict great sickness:

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?  Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. James 3:5-12

James is telling us the dangers of the tongue when used for evil.  But notice, the fire is set by hell and there is no human who can tame the tongue.  Just like a kidney stone – its’ on fire and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.  Instead, I must rely on my Doctor to break it up and remove.  So – only the Holy Spirit can tame our tongue and use it to bring glory to God and build up the body.

A couple of thoughts here:

• Consider this Biblical truth through a spotlight that shines only on you!  God’s instruction is first and foremost for you.  Or me!  In other words, when I read this, I should NEVER see another person and think “I wish they would practice that” or “I wish someone would tell them that” or “I wish they’d practice what they preach”.  God’s instruction is meant to shine a light on me.  Not him, her or they!  Me Lord…show me!  David understood this as he penned Psalm 139:

                    Search me, O God, and know my heart!
                    Try me and know my thoughts!
                         And see if there be any grievous way in me,
                    and lead me in the way everlasting!

•         Always use the wisdom and instruction of God’s Word as an invitation to the Holy Spirit to show you grievances.  As it applies to the tongue – you cannot control it, only He can.  That means you have already allowed it to defile your offerings and bring disunity to your family, your home, your church.  Trust me – just like a kidney stone, it has set a blaze to your world and only the Holy Spirit can show you this.

• My kidney stone is not hurting you!  Aren’t you glad?  Some of you have winced, patted me on the back, offered your prayers.  Some of you have just chuckled and offered a “good luck” while wondering what kind of good stories are forthcoming.  But understand this – your tongue will set a blaze, but it’s first victim is YOU!  But unlike a kidney stone, it is a slow moving cancer that consumes you, changes you, rescinds the power of God in your life, and obliterates your testimony.  It will, with time, reduce you to a bitter, angry and caustic soul.  Now as a reminder – I hope you don’t see another face than your own.  That would be missing the whole point!

• Own it!  My kidney stone is not yours to bear.  It is mine, all mine.  Every ounce of it was created by me.  Something I drank, ate and consumed over time has transformed into a painful and unwanted journey.  But I can not, in any way, blame my kidney stone on Lisa…or you! (while it might be fun trying – I must admit).  I made it, I must deal with it.  The same is true with our tongue and our actions.  Don’t blame that which is a creation of your own on others.  Although the blame game is rampant in our culture, God’s Word does not give you an option.  Don’t buy the deceit of my pain is your fault, his fault, their fault.  This blaze that has set afire to my world was started by him/them.  Nope!  It’s your fire – own up to it and allow the Holy Spirit to show you how to squelch the pain of it’s flames.

The realty is this – we all share the burden!  Built into everyone of us is this tool (the tongue) which affords great praise and adoration to the Father and our brothers/sisters.  But it’s also a time bomb, just ticking and waiting to inflict astonishing misery.  In reality – we all need Jesus!  My Doctor is the only one who can help me deal with this stone (my stone – whom I’ve fondly named “Rocky”)! So it is also true: only Jesus can bring healing to the freshly burned embers of our lives.  So – I offer this corporate prayer:

“Father – your grace is always sufficient for me.  You offer your mercy and kindness to me when I am so undeserving and wayward.  Search me Lord!  Show me Lord!  Forgive me Lord for any way that grieves you or impedes your power and plan for my life.  Fill me up with your Spirit and send me to live a life that shines brightly in a dark world.  Help me to walk in unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Allow me to walk in peace and use my tongue for your glory alone!  In Jesus name – amen!”

So let it be!  I join you in this prayer and walk with you in asking God to do the uncomprehensible and miraculous for His glory!

Thou Oh Lord are a shield for me!  The GLORY and breaker of my stone!  Wait…it’s The GLORY and the tamer of my tongue.  NO – actually I believe it’s: The Glory and the Lifter of my head!

The devastation from Hurricane Michael is a reminder of just how quickly a storm can turn our world upside down.  The worst of nature can bring out the best in people.  I watched as the fear of devastation caused the people of Florida to reach out to one another without regard to race, ethnicity, culture or economic status.  It’s a beautiful thing with pictures and stories celebrated on the evening news.  Our nation is hungry to see unity.  A devastating storm can do just that!  It reduces us to a place of helplessness in the shadow of a mighty storm.  It’s a reset button; a re-calibration of our compass.

It reminds me of a story found in the Gospels:

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.  He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”     Mark 4:35-41

You know this story.  The scene: Jesus and the disciples on board a fishing boat, at night in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.  Note: the Sea of Galilee lies 700 feet below sea level surrounded by highlands & Mount Hermon to the northeast rising to 9,000 feet above sea level.  The cold highland air meets rising hot air from the sea to create huge storms.

The Greek term for “furious squall” is used here to describe a fierce windstorm which literally means “sea quake”.  It was like a hurricane.  The sides of the fishing boat were low and the boat is taking on water.  For the disciples, this was not something they were going to survive.

And of course, Jesus is laying on a cushion, sound asleep.  He is exhausted from a full day of ministry.  With all that’s happening, he’s sleeping like a baby.  Until, of course, the disciples wake him to ask a poignant question: “Don’t you care that we’re going to die”?

God – where are you when I need you?  Don’t you know I can’t pay my bills, keep this marriage together, survive this diagnosis, overcome this depression & anxiety, reconcile with my brother, beat this addiction?  Don’t you see my enemies surrounding me, hear their insults?  Why are you sleeping when I’m on the verge of death?

Fear replaces faith, even when God is so close you can hear him breathe and feel his heartbeat.

Then Jesus, speaks: “Silence!  Be Still!” or literally “be still, and stay still” and nature responds immediately with a great calm.  The fear of the disciples refers to timidity and lack of confidence in God.  But even so, Jesus transformed the great storm into a great calm with a single breath.

But don’t miss the real gut punch here!  After Jesus had calmed the storm and rebuked them for their lack of faith, this happened:

THEY WERE TERRIFIED – literally “they feared a great fear”.  The great storm that Jesus turned into a great calm now led to great fear! “Who is this that even the wind and sea obey him?”

This is the fear which brings a reset and re-calibration.  It’s me and you eclipsed in the sheer magnitude and power of Almighty God.  It’s a fall on your knees and worship kind of fear.  It’s a fear that brings unity, without question or regard.  It’s a fear that melts away all our other fears.

If you find yourself faced with a hurricane, remember: God is in the boat.  But even more so, when He melts the storm away with a word, concede your flesh and ambitions for a place of humility, subjection and submissiveness before the magnitude of who He is!

There’s never been a better place to be before a Holy God!  And just like those scenes from Florida of help, caring and selflessness in the wake of a storm; choose gentleness and kindness as you lead unity in His Church!

Routine often dulls us to the majestic and beautiful.  That which we see and enjoy on a daily basis succumbs to the certainty that it/he/she will always be there.  We often take for granted those who are closest to us until it’s too late.

This summer, while at the beach, I played in the sun until I got burned.  And then I sat in the shade complaining about the heat and sunburn and wishing I had a little respite from the singe of the sun’s rays.

But the past February, I longed for just a flicker of warmth and the feel of the sun on my face and it’s steady warmth to sooth my pale soul.  I was homesick for the very thing in the summer which I wished would wane.

Every day we’ve had on this earth, the sun has risen and set in it’s path.  We set our clocks by it’s course and we live out our schedules completely tethered to the sun’s timetable.  We just take it for granted.

It is God, who at the beginning of the age of this earth created the sun and set her course:

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.  And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.  Genesis 1:14-19

Yet today she will go dark.  That which we have grown to rely upon and take for granted will be momentarily snuffed out.

This time, we’re expecting it.  We have our certified viewing glasses.  NASA has given us the forecast schedule and it’s a big party.

Next time, it will be unexpected.  That which we have taken for granted will be darkened as a sign in the heavens:

“The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”  Joel 2:31

“I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;”  Revelation 6:12

Today, as we enjoy the total eclipse of the sun, remember to pause and give thanks for it’s light – for it is a gift from God.  When she peeks her head back out from behind the moon, pause and give thanks for His grace that gives us a second chance.

And finally – do as the scripture says:

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psalm 133:3

Praise Him for this day, for the Word tells us His day of judgement which will darken the earth will surely come!

So let your LIGHT shine!

Over the past year I’ve had a growing chorus of conversations with worship pastors, senior pastors, church staff and lay leaders regarding a troubling trend in our houses of worship.  It has many leaders scratching their heads and wondering how to communicate truth which is unwanted and hard to hear.  It’s not a trend relegated to one church or gathering, but seems to be consistent – especially within the notorious Bible-Belt!  It’s born out of apathy and idolatry.  It’s fed by leaders who’ve fostered it into epidemic status by withholding God’s call to obedience before sacrifice.  Those Pastors who’ve courageously addressed it have found a kinship and brotherhood with the prophets of the Old Testament: despised outcast, the black sheep of the church.

Nevertheless, this Sunday our houses of worship will have smatterings of stoic, gloomy, detached “followers of Jesus” who with their arms crossed offer little to no sign of life.  They will sit & stand, write their checks to God, and keep their eyes focused forward.  Their Bibles with them although there is no recognition of it’s power to transform.  They’ll take inventory of things for which they disapprove bearing up arms for later discussion with those who share their misery.  For some with the spiritual gift of discernment and prophecy, it smells of death and deceit.

We’ve redefined worship and invested in a false image of church, and now worship no longer meets our desires, wishes and preferences. 

If you pass among them and are not one of them – the chill of bitterness and divisiveness is alarming.  They are quick to take a pompous stand on principle and tell the rest of the world why it’s bound for a fiery hell.  They will boycott, stomp and shout righteous indignation while devoid of any fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:16-25).  They’ve forgotten we’re all broken and destitute were it not for the grace of God.

Is it any wonder that our churches are dying while our society has rejected this definition of Christianity?  Is this really what God had in mind for the Church?

How far and how deep have we fallen from truth.  When did we ever fall for the lie that this gathering of ragamuffins and sojourners is a celebration of personal desires and wants!  When did we lose our song?  How did we lose our way?

Church leadership will debate the Sunday worship experience – attempting to balance familiar hymns against the new and innovative.  Enormous amounts of time will be spent in extra Biblical exploits with a desire to entice these people to participate.  Blogs will be written arguing the need for more familiarity while others for more innovation to ensure the future.  All the while we play to fleshly desires and feed the baby more sweetened milk…hoping to make him fat and happy.

Should we not look deeper and harder through the lens of indisputable truth?  And the hard truth is this: our hearts are cold.  The Sunday morning worship experience in our gatherings we call “church” has little do with content, style or personalities.  Sadly, the dilemma lies much further and deeper into the spiritual fiber of the western church congregation.

You cannot revive the dead when they don’t know their dead.  And you certainly can’t do it in 1 hour plus on Sunday mornings.

I’ve traveled to parts of the world where redemption can’t be bought and life in Christ is fresh and new.  I’ve stood with believers who have very little other than Jesus.  The glint in the eyes and the passion in the soul will not be quenched.  Before breaking out in song there is no debate on style – only a song.  New, familiar, old or contemporary is not the issue.  Jesus is the issue – salvation the remarkable – grace the unthinkable and worship the inevitable.

Without exception – the heart passionate to know, love and pursue Jesus WILL WORSHIP!

The weekend gathering has less to do with us and so much more to do with a remarkable community of worship based on grace.

A congregation who enters with a song invested in hours of private worship will not be silenced…not by content, style, personalities or preferences.

But let’s take it one step further:

True worship has an obvious prelude and a remarkable lingering. 

The prelude is a song within that is burrowing it’s way out.  It’s a song of joy, praise, love, and gratitude; or authentic brokenness, surrender and repentance.  The lingering is after effect – the continuation empowered by the Spirit; deeper than musical appreciation or emotional high.  It’s found in self sacrificial service surrounded by gentleness, self control, peace, patience, love, kindness and goodness.  Without these Biblical preludes & lingerings…you have a forged and artificial worship.

So – what to do?  That is the question posed so often and I believe finds it’s answer not in complexity but simplicity.  Let me suggest the following – based on God’s Word:

1. Authority – God’s Word is the first and final authority.  Don’t allow any other cultural persuasion to influence you or those you lead!  Teach it unashamedly and allow it’s power to do the work of obedience.
2. Lead – Speak truth on the authority of God’s Word with courage.  You will face adversity from the cultural pharisees within your church.  Stand strong and go in the power of His Spirit…with wisdom and correction.
3. Pray – The power of prayer is undeniable yet untapped!  His house is to be a house of prayer first and foremost.
4. Model – Be a picture of Biblical expressive worship and lead others to embrace it!
5. Repent – cultivate an atmosphere of redemption and forgiveness.  Allow grace to remind the Church she is a broken but beloved bride.
6. Prelude – teach and encourage private worship as a prelude to church gatherings.  Bring your worship with you!
7. Lingerings – confirm the authenticity of worship by testing your fruits and the fruits of those who follow you.

The symptoms are evident and the prognosis is certain death.  The superficial conversations of preference and style based on personalities are killing our churches and silencing our voice of influence.  We no longer look nor behave as God’s beloved bride.

Until we see it as God sees it and call it what it is…our churches will continue to be nothing more than grand palaces of self worship and self gratification.  And the transformational power of the gospel will lie dormant in a world that is desperate for the real deal.

The wonder of worship is found in simplicity.  The subject itself is not difficult or confusing.  The Bible is clear and the commands are apparent – from beginning to end God has defined what’s acceptable to him and life changing for us.

The problem for today’s church – we’ve lost the admiration and reverence for God’s Word; and with it…we no longer marvel in bewilderment at the thought that God would grace us with Himself.

In order to rethink worship – we must first come to terms with the fraudulent nature of the worship we practice.  I don’t intend to take us on a theological journey…which is available with just a google of the word.  But instead, let’s whet our appetite with a taste of the real.  We do know that worship is far more than a song, more than a destination or time.  Worship is more than a contribution of our favorite songs, videos, lighting, moods and feels to create an atmosphere that tends to our preferences.

Our places of worship are not “Super Targets” of the faith…built big and fascinating in order to enchant our senses, gratify our desires and convince ourselves we’ve payed our weekly homage to God.

Every week, worship pastors extend their creative reach in an attempt to find new and innovative ways to convince the church to at least think about God, much less worship Him.  These men and women strain to find just the right elements, just the right moments with just the right balance of new and old, edgy and current.  All the while knowing a segment of these congregants will find fault, will criticize and will demonstrate to a sinful world that the greatest sin is actually being committed in the Church.  This Sunday there will be many a congregation who will pass through doors under which is written – “Ichabod”…the glory has departed.

Christians don’t tell lies they just go to church and sing them. – A.W Tozer

But it doesn’t have to be so!  The journey of worship begins with understanding and releasing.  Henry Ward Beecher said it well: “I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.” 

Worship in it’s purest form is an expression of love; not a brotherly love, or benevolent love…but a Godly agape love that consumes and ravages our will and our desires.

The worship God desires and commands has a starting point.  Think of it as a point of origin – a first step or prerequisite.  Without it you will never, ever arrive.  Without it you will be lost and eventually accept the counterfeit as real.

God must speak to us before we have any liberty to speak to him. He must disclose to us who he is before we can offer him what we are in acceptable worship. The worship of God is always a response to the Word of God. Scripture wonderfully directs and enriches our worship.  John Stott

God is found in solitude and quietness.  The wonder of God is rediscovered in stillness.  The first step of worship is found in recapturing the wonder of His Word.  If you desire to embrace truth – then try these simple steps:

1. Prioritize retreat!  Find a way to daily discover His Word and commit to it.  Develop spiritual discipline and guard it well – knowing the water of your life will become polluted without refreshing at the spring.
2. Choose obedience!  Don’t just read God’s Word but instead view it as life.  It’s not a book of rules and regulations but a novel of grace and soul with incredible power and supernatural authority.  Don’t be a hearer but a doer.
3. 24 hour rules!  I was taught I needed a daily quiet time – which is not a biblical truth.  Instead – the daily journey of worship is found in the little things and the every day moments.  We are called to be awash with God in all moments of every day in every situation.  God is not bound to a 15 minute devotional.  Redeem the throw away moments of your life.
4. Recapture Margin!  We are way too busy and have convinced ourselves it’s normal, good and the American way.  And now we’re passing it to future generations.  Get off the merry go round and cultivate tender moments of stillness and silence before the Lord by adding the value of margin.  Allow yourself some headroom and see what you discover about yourself and the ones you love.
5. Listen!  We do a whole lot of talking…don’t we?  In fact, this world never shuts up.  To fall in love with Jesus and discover a deep worship of Him – you must tune your ears to His voice.  Not only does He speak through His Word – He whispers to your soul.  A worshiper of Jesus knows His voice and follows.  Stillness will re-tune and re-acclimate you to His closeness.

Every journey has a start.  Every book a new chapter.  Every day a new dawn.  And without a deep falling in love with God you will never find the destination of worship.  Once you’re consumed with Him and passionate for nothing less – a whole new universe of wonder is revealed.

But alas, the choice is yours…and the cost is great!  Quite simple really…and yet so missed.  Place your hand on the door and push.  I bet you’ll never go back again.