As I do most Sundays since I was 17 years old, this morning I was playing the piano in church. I really really prefer to sing instead of play, but it seems that wherever I am, they need a piano player.
This morning I was lifted up in worship by the sweet, yet powerful singing of our little church. I could hear each voice, each with their own unique timbre. The colors of the voices were bright, dark, warm and even harsh. 75 individual voices lifted up together in harmony to state their faith in Jesus. The amazing aspect that struck me this morning is that since we only have one piano to accompany and lead, I could really and truly hear each voice coming together in one aggregate.
By the last verse of this song I was moved to tears as they finished the beautiful hymn accompanied by only one chord to start each measure: (It DID help that this song came after the sermon in Leviticus 7, speaking of the fellowship offering and how Jesus fulfilled all the laws to atone for our sins)
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in His day;
And there have I, though vile as he,
Washed all my sins away.
Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its pow’r,
Till all the ransomed church of God
Are safe, to sin no more.
E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.
When this poor, lisping, stamm’ring tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Adversary of the Worse Kind
I heard a sermon that sent chills up my spine.
Luke 12:49-59 (New International Version)
Not Peace but Division
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Times
54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?
57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[a]"
The pastor spent quite some time talking about what an adversary is. Definition: 1. a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy. An adversary has no good intentions for the enemy. Have you ever had adversaries in your life? I am sure we all have.
I can think of recent times when our adversary was one we reached out to in love and that love was considered vile.
Then the sermon took a shocking twist:
The worse and most fearful adversary one can have is God! To an unbeliever, God IS their adversary, they are either for Him or against Him. He is just, righteous, and holy. It always amazes me how people who reject the God of the gospel also declare that He only "loves" people and isn't "judgemental". Enemies of God think highly of themselves, not taking into account that every breath they have is from Him. Each man will meet God in the end - either in embracing love or the most horrible eternal punishment imaginable.
Yes, for an unbeliever God is the worse adversary conceivable. As a believer, I can only humbly shake my head in utter gratitude that He would love me - even me!
Luke 12:49-59 (New International Version)
Not Peace but Division
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Times
54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?
57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[a]"
The pastor spent quite some time talking about what an adversary is. Definition: 1. a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy. An adversary has no good intentions for the enemy. Have you ever had adversaries in your life? I am sure we all have.
I can think of recent times when our adversary was one we reached out to in love and that love was considered vile.
Then the sermon took a shocking twist:
The worse and most fearful adversary one can have is God! To an unbeliever, God IS their adversary, they are either for Him or against Him. He is just, righteous, and holy. It always amazes me how people who reject the God of the gospel also declare that He only "loves" people and isn't "judgemental". Enemies of God think highly of themselves, not taking into account that every breath they have is from Him. Each man will meet God in the end - either in embracing love or the most horrible eternal punishment imaginable.
Yes, for an unbeliever God is the worse adversary conceivable. As a believer, I can only humbly shake my head in utter gratitude that He would love me - even me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)