HeartOfWorship

BATTER UP!

   

 

 

 

Behold, a ball team went forth to play a game of baseball.  Just as the umpire was saying “BATTER UP”, the catcher for the home team arrived and took his place.

 

The center fielder didn’t arrive until the end of the first inning, and the second baseman didn’t get there until the second inning had already started.

 

The first baseman didn’t show up at all, but later sent his regrets and said that he had to go to a chicken dinner at his mother’s house.

 

The third baseman failed to come to the game because he had been up late the night before and needed to catch up on his sleep.

 

The left fielder felt the need to visit another ball game across town.

 

The shortstop was present….but had left his glove at home.

 

Two of the substitute fielders were away on a weekend trip and couldn’t make it, but they were there in spirit.

 

Verily, when the pitcher went to the mound, he looked around for his teammates, and lo, his heart was very heavy, for their places were empty.  But the game was announced and the visitors were there in the stands.  There was nothing to do but pitch the game and hope for the best.

 

So the pitcher tightened his belt and stepped into the box and did his best to put the ball over the plate.  But he was not at his best, because he had to serve as pitcher, first baseman and third baseman all at the same time.  There were loud “boos” from the stands when the home team was badly beaten.   It was a disgrace to the noble game of baseball. 

 

When the absent members of the defeated team heard their team had lost, a decision was made to get a new pitcher.

 

But who really lost the game?

 

There's no substitute for faithfulness.

 

Selah.

LISTENING TO GOD'S VOICE

To be disobedient is to hinder someone else's blessing--not to mention your own. Throughout Scripture we see the repurcussions of disobedience time and time again.

Cain's rebellion resulted in Abel's murder. King Saul's wickedness resulted in the loss of the kingship for his descendents and the eventual deaths of his family. King Manasseh's idolatry cemented the downfall of the nation of Judah. And Judas' disobedience led to Jesus' betrayal.

All of these individuals had choices to make, important moments of decision, and criticial crossroads which they encountered along life's journey. Yet, each of them gave in to the temptations of the flesh, the desire for pride and power, and the tide of popular opinion. And in the end, all of them reaped the painful consequences of their disobedience.

God earnestly desires men and women who are eager to serve Him and to demonstrate their love for Him by being obedient to His Word. God simply states in John 14:15 that "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Jesus was always about the Father's business while He was on earth. He never had His own agenda, selfish ambitions, or a stubborn will. His desire was to please His Father and do the work He was predestined to do.

Ephesians 2:10 says that we are "God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God puts each of us on this earth for a specific reason and a predetermined purpose.

Are you being obedient to His call for you life?
Are you earnestly listening to His voice and desirng to do what He says?

God chooses to use you because you are the one most suited to minister to the people in your arena of influence. It is not by chance you have the relatives, friends, job, and church family that you do. God led you wherever you are for a reason.

Pray today that the Lord will begin showing you the destiny He has for you. Ask Him to help you be obedient to His will for your life. Are you willing to serve Him whatever the cost?   It's this type of total obedience and faithful service to the Lord that God richly blesses.

Note these Biblical examples: Noah's obedience saved humanity from destruction, and Abraham's faith built a great nation of whom we are all descendents. Joseph's diligence saved his family from starvation and preserved the line from which Jesus would be a descendent. And Jesus's obedience resulted in salvation for the entire human race.

As you can see, it only takes one obedient individual to bring about God's miraculous power for this generation.

Can He count on you?

Selah.

GIVE IT UP

 What's up with Christians these days who feel like they have the right to debate the commands of Christ as if they really don't "apply" to them?  Everywhere I turn, I'm seeing more and more people putting everything ahead of their relationship and walk with Christ.......family, friends, job, pleasure..... all these things seem to somehow take precedence over following Jesus with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Where did this philosophy come from?    I don't think it came from Him, so that narrows the field a little bit.

When Jesus addressed His disciples, He warned each of them that they would have to "take up his cross and follow" Him.   Don't kid yourself.   The disciples knew EXACTLY what that meant.   In Jesus' day, prisoners were required to carry their own cross to the place where they would be put to death.

Do you get the message Jesus is conveying here?    In order to follow Him, a disciple of Jesus has got to deny themselves and trust Him totally and completely.  Not many these days are willing to do that.  The little word "if" keeps popping up.    You've heard the comments as much as I have.

"I'll do it IF.... there's nothing else on my schedule.   After all, my time is valuable to me."

"I'll serve Jesus IF..... it doesn't conflict with my family.   After all, my family comes first."    Seems to me I read in the Word of God where Jesus said that if you want to be His disciple, you have to HATE your father & mother & brothers & sisters....and yes, even your OWN self! Jesus didn't mean for you to literally HATE them, but rather that your love for HIM has to be SO great that your love for your family PALES in comparison to your love for HIM so that it looks like hate.

I know I just got dropped from some Christmas card lists, but I'm speaking the truth here.   If I offend you, write me an email and apologize to me and I'll forgive you.   :)

So.. if you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you've got to GIVE IT UP!   Jesus will take nothing ELSE and nothing BUT center stage in your life. Jesus never comes NEXT.   He always comes FIRST.

Question is......who are you really serving?   Jesus or yourself?

Selah.
 

I'M STILL KICKIN'

I want to apologize for not being more dilligent in posting on a more frequent basis.    Between a mission trip to Ukraine, the passing of Dawn's mother, and now having to stay off my feet due to a possible ruptured disk in my back, things have been rather hectic.

Suddenly I am finding myself with a little more "spare time" on my hands, as all I am allowed to do for the time is sit on the couch (or lie down)....my choice!  :)      I will try to collect my thoughts over the next few days and condense them into some sort of rational thought.    Right not I'm on my pain medication (as if you couldn''t already tell), so I'll be brief for now.

 I ask my friends who read this blog to add me to their daily prayer lists and lift me up to the Father.   I know that although He may not necessarily "cause" these things to happpen, He most certainly "allows" them to happen.   God is trying to teach me something in the events of the past month, and I want to learn the lessons and hear from Him so I can graduate to the next grade.   Pray that I will learn to wait on Him and learn, as did the Apostle Paul,... "whatever state I am in, therewith to be content."

That's all for now.

Selah time.

BEEN CHISELED ON LATELY?

This is an incredible video between God and one of His children.   It spoke volumes to my heart this morning, and I sat there with tears streaming down my face as I watched an all-too-familiar scene unfold right before my eyes.    I pray that you will find comfort and yes, even joy in the middle of the "cutting away" of things in our lives that block the world's view of Jesus in us!

Enjoy!

LETTER FROM CAMP

With summer camps in full swing, I thought you might like to read one of the many "letters" written home during these "summer experiences".    This one's a hoot-nanny!

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Dear Mom & Dad,

 

Our Scoutmaster told us to write to our parents in case you saw the flood on TV and are worried.   We are okay.   Only one of our tents and two sleeping bags got washed away.   Luckily, none of us got drowned because we were all up on the mountain looking for Chad when it happened.

 

Oh yeah.   Please call Chad's mother and tell her he is okay.   He can't write because of the cast.   I got to ride in one of the search and rescue jeeps.   It was neat.   We never would have found Chad in the dark if it hadn't been lightning.

 

Scoutmaster Don got mad at Chad for going on a hike alone without telling anyone.   Chad said he DID tell him, but it was during the fire, so he probably didn't hear him.    Did you know that if you put gas on a fire, the gas will blow up?   Cool!    The wet wood didn't burn, but one of the tents did and also some of our clothes.   David is going to look weird until his hair grows back.

 

We will be home on Saturday if Scoutmaster Don can get the car fixed.   It wasn't his fault about the wreck.   The brakes worked okay when we left.   Scoutmaster Don said that with a car that old you have to expect something to break down.   That's probably why he can't get insurance.   We think it's the coolest car.    He doesn't care if we get it dirty, and if it's hot, sometimes he lets us ride on the fenders.   It gets pretty hot with 10 people in the car.   He let us take turns riding in the trailer until the highway patrolman stopped and talked to us.

 

Scoutmaster Don is a great guy.   Don't worry.  He's a good driver.    In fact, he's teaching Terry how to drive on the mountain roads where there isn't any traffic.   All we ever see up there are logging trucks.

 

This morning all of the guys were diving off the rocks and swimming out in the lake.    Scoutmaster Don wouldn't let me because I can't swim, and Chad was afraid he would sink because of his cast.   So, he let us take the canoe across the lake.    It was great!    You can still see some of the trees under the water from the flood.

 

Scoutmaster Don isn't crabby like some scoutmasters.   He didn't even get mad about me and Chad forgetting to put the life jackets in the canoe when we went out in it.   He has to spend a lot of time working under the car, so we're trying not to cause him any trouble.

 

Guess what?   We have all passed our first aid merit badges!    When Dave dived into the lake and cut his arm, we got to see how a tourniquet works.    Wade and I threw up, but Scoutmaster Don said it probably was just food poisoning from the leftover chicken.    He said they got sick they way with food they ate in prison.   I'm so glad he got out and became our Scoutmaster.    He said he sure figured out how to get things done better while he was doing his time.   By the way, what is a pedal-file?

 

I have to go now.  We are going to town to mail our letters and buy some more beer.   Don't worry about anything.   We're doing just fine.

 

Your loving son,

 

Timmy.

THE ULTIMATE PC

Computers are awesome things.   They save us so much time (when they're up and running), and they waste so much time when they crash!    I'm very familiar with the crashing part!    (Can you say "backup drive?)  :)

However, there are some things I take issue with my computer.    It's very bad about doing what I tell it to do, and not what I want it to do.    You know what I mean.   Sometimes my fingers get to going so fast that I don't even realize that instead of hitting the "Tab" key, I hit the cAPS LOCK BUTTON BY MISTAKE AND WHEN I LOOK UP AT THE SCREEN AFTER A FEW LINES, I NOTICE THAT I HAVE ALL THESE HUGE LETTERS IN UPPERCASE INSTEAD OF WHAT I WANTED TO SEE ON THE SCREEN.   SO, I HIT THE CAps button again, and correct the error.    I believe this a new techno-disease called "S.F.S." (Stupid Finger Syndrome).    I'm eat UP WITH IT....(OOPS!  DID IT AGAIN)!      THEre.   That's better.

Stupid computer.

I know, I know.   I shouldn't blame the computer.   Sometimes I tell people there's a loose nut on my keyboard.    Still, my computer is just a box filled with wires and circuit boards and hard drives.    How arrogant of me to think that it can read my mind.    Still, you'd think with all the new technology out there that someone would invent a PC that could do that, especially when you consider how expensive they are!

Still..... a computer doesn't think.   It doesn't question.   You hit a key, you get a response.   Yes, computers are legalistic and impersonal.    Learn the operating system, use the proper procedures, evade all the little pop-up "error windows" and you can enjoy the many benefits of using a PC.    But, on the other hand, don't follow procedures, overload your system, crash the hard drive, open a contaminated email with a virus...... and you'll see a grown man cry!  (It's not pretty).

Let's face it.   Computers are cold, cruel, and heartless.    Compassion?   Forget that.   Why do you think it's called a "hard drive"?   You'll stand a better chance of herding cats from Texas to Arizona than you will in getting your computer to forgive you for that last "fatal error".      Computers go by the old South Georgia saying, "What goes in the well comes out in the bucket".

So.... let's switch from your PC to JC.    When it comes to a relationship with God, people tend to think of Him the same way they think about their computer.    They think that God is the ultimate PC.   The Bible becomes the "User Manual".   As for the Holy Spirit, He's relegated to the role of "CD-ROM".   Jesus handles the tech support.

So many people today think of God this way.   If they push the right buttons and follow the proper sequence, ...... abracadabra.....instant salvation!     Isn't that how most people think it's done?    Conditional Christianity.    If we do OUR part, then God (The ultimate PC) will do HIS.  That's why so few people even bother to pray anymore.   Why should they?    After all, they control the keyboard!

High tech religion.    No more praying.   No need to kneel.   No tears.   No attitude of grattitude.    No emotions.    Just go from day to day..... boot up the PC when it's needed.   Then, power down and put the laptop away in the briefcase until it's needed again.

No problems....... until you mess up.    All at once you discover you hit "Delete" instead of "Save", or caPS LOCK INSTEAD OF Tab, or someone has hacked into your system, or a virus has locked up your system and fried your hard drive.   What about a power surge that's not protected?     Too bad.    You're on your own.

Fact is.... God isn't anything like a PC.   He's our Heavenly Father, not a motherboard.    Don't treat God like a PC.... something you can switch on or off when you need it only to get what you want.    God hates being treated that way.  He desires a relationship, not a ritual.    He's more concerned with people than He is with procedures.

Selah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIVE FINGER PRAYER

 

 

 

If you're like me, sometimes it's difficult to focus on my prayers.   I found a system not too long ago that helps me stay focused when I start my early morning prayers.    All you have to do is look at your hand and pray the "Five Finger Prayer".   It goes like this:

 

 

1. Your thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a "sweet duty."

 

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

 

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.  They need God's guidance.

 

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need  your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

 

5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves in  relation to God and others. As the Bible says, "The least shall be the greatest among you." Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.

 

Well, what are you waiting for?    Get busy praying..... and, while you're at it, throw one or two in there for me!

 

Selah.

EVER THINK ABOUT.......?

 I didn't drive this year on SWAT Tour nearly as much as I did last year.   I had a lot of time to think while riding on the bus.    When my mind kicks into gear, some pretty bizarre things bounce around in there.   Sometimes they even come out!    Here are some random meanderings from last week.

Saw a sign in Fernandina Beach, Florida that said "Eat more Natural Foods".   Something's wrong with that picture.   Last time I checked, there are a lot of people who die from "natural causes".   Excuse me, but I think I'll skip the natural foods, if you don't mind.

While trying to cross a busy crosswalk intersection in downtown Inverness, Florida, I learned that there are only two types of pedestrians..... the quick and the dead.

Our musical was called "THE BASICS OF LIFE".   One thing about life that we didn't add into the script, but it makes sense to me:   Life is sexually transmitted.

It was awesome watching Tinkerbell fly out of the castle at DisneyWorld.   She looked like a big green UFO.    Speaking of UFO's, have you noticed that almost everyone has a camcorder or a cell phone with a camcorder these days?   So, how come no one talks anymore about seeing all these "UFO"'s like we used to hear about?

We did a LOT of walking while on SWAT Tour.   I can tell I'm getting older and my body is writing checks I can't cash like I could when I was in my 20's or 30's.    Every now and then I'd start feeling a little blue..... then I'd start breathing again.

We seriously thought about adding an "E" to our name, changing it from "SWAT" to "SWEAT."   It was forevermore HOT this past week!    Still, no one seemed to complain.   Even if they did, what good would it do?   We could all learn a lesson from the weather.    It pays absolutely NO ATTENTION to it's critics!

Saw some strange people walking around Disney.   Why is it that back in the 60's people were taking acid to make the world look weird.   Now the world IS weird, and people are taking Prozac now to try to make it seem normal.   Go figure.

Figure this one out.   Why is it that one careless match can start a forest fire.   But, whenever I go camping, it takes several books of matches to get my campfire started!   So much for that old song we used to sing back in the 70's.... "It only takes a spark to get a fire going..."!

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why did some idiot write a song about him?

I turned 50 in June, so I have my first appointment for a colonoscopy.    I really don't like going to the doctor now that I'm older.    When you walk into an examination room and you see a garden hose and an air compressor in the corner, you know you're not going to have a good time.    Another thing about doctors.... why do they leave the room while you're getting undressed?   They're going to see you undressed anyway!

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, where do they get baby oil from?

Any thoughts or answers to some of these random meanderings?   My comment page is open!

 

 

 

 

 

 

GOD'S WILL...... MADE SIMPLE

Ever said "God moves in mysterious ways?"    Sounds very spiritual to say something like that, but I don't buy it.   God's ways are not "mysterious".     Hard to figure or follow sometimes?..... absolutely!     But mysterious?...... not really.

You see, God doesn't tell us to follow Him while He plays "hide and seek" with His will for our lives.    He wants us to know His will.    So, if we're to know His will, we need to understand some things concerning this thing called the "will of God".    Here are a few I can give you today:

GOD'S WILL IS SALVATION:
One doesn't have to read very far in the Word of God to realize the heart of God's will is to reconcile sinful man to holy God!   God doesn't "wish hell" upon anybody.   Hell wasn't created for mankind.    It was created for Lucifer and his demons.   God tells us over and over that He doesn't want anyone to perish for eternity in hell, but that ALL would come to repentance.   So, God's primary will is for you to know Him as your personal Savior.

GOD'S WILL IS DOMINION:
What does "dominion" mean?    Simply put, it means "control".    God wants control of our lives.    Bottom line.    Who's going to call the shots?    Who's sitting in the driver's seat when you crank your life up each morning?    We often speak of our heart being a "throne"..... and it's a one-seater.     Either we sit on the throne, or Jesus sits on the throne.    Neither of us will "one-cheek" it!     Jesus is supposed to be ..... what's that chorus we sing in church?..... oh, yes...... "He is Lord!"     Lord!     Another 21st Century word for "lord" that we all can relate to......BOSS.    Jesus Christ is the "boss" of my life.    What about you?    He's either Lord OF all, or He's not Lord AT all.   God wants us to apply His Word so that He can take total control of our body, thought life, attitude, future...... the whole enchilada.

GOD'S WILL IS DISCIPLESHIP:
I covered this very thoroughly in my July 2009 edition of "MUSIC NOTES" called "The Cost Of Discipleship".    I strongly recommend you get that CD and listen to it.    God really spoke to my heart during the preparation of that Bible study.   Drop me a line at heartofworship@nc.rr.com and it's yours for free.     Jesus told us to do 2 things:   (1) - "Come unto Me"..... that's salvation.    Then He said:  (2) - Come after Me"...... that's discipleship.    So many people just want Jesus as their SAVIOR, but few dare to allow Him to be LORD.     Jesus' desire is for us to grow in our walk with Him, and to help others along the way grow and mature in Him.

GOD'S WILL IS UNITY:
Christians are notorious for saying one thing and doing another.   Jesus called those kinds of people "hypocrites".    Their kinfolk are still around to this day.   Yes, there are hypocrites in the church.    A hypocrite is a "bogus believer".    When I think about it, hypocrites are actually a compliment to those of us who are following after Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.    You see, people don't counterfeit chewing gums wrappers.   No, they counterfeit $100 bills.    Why?    Because a $100 bill is WORTH something...... (about $30).   Still, it's worth SOMETHING!    So, if the devil is out there producing "counterfeit Christians", that tells me there's something valuable in being a Child of God!   Think about that the next time somebody throws the "hypocrites down at the church" line your way!
All of that said to say this...... our WALK needs to measure up to our TALK.     Our words and our actions have to line up with one standard: The Word Of God.     Forget what Oprah, Dr. Phil, or your many "spiritual friends" tell you.    Don't even believe what I tell you.    Put your faith in God's Word, the same Word that will never pass away long after heaven and earth have vanished from the scene.

GOD'S WILL IS STEWARDSHIP:
Uh, oh.   Now I've quit bloggin and gone to meddling!     Well, let me say this for the record.    There's no such thing as a tight, stingy Christian.   Tight, stingy church members?..... I've known hundreds over the years.   BUT, a true follower of Jesus Christ understands that tithing is as much part of the Bible as John 3:16.    If you say you love Jesus with all of your heart and you're not tithing and giving, .... tell it to someone else.     Jesus said, where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.    Show me your checkbook, and I'll tell you where your treasure is.   I submit we should be laying up treasures where the government can't tax it!     By the way, stewardship doesn't just apply to our money.    We need to keep a watchful eye on our time, money, families..... everything God has given to us to take care of.

GOD'S WILL IS RELATIONSHIPS:
There are some things we can only do ourselves, spiritually speaking.    There are many things we should never try to do alone.    We need to hang out with other believers and hold each other accountable.     The world doesn't understand Christians and what we do.    News Flash: They're not supposed to!     Jesus said that a natural man (lost man) couldn't possibly understand spiritual things, because they are spiritually discerned!    You'd stand a better chance trying to describe a Mozart symphony to a deaf person than to try to get someone who's clueless about spiritual things to understand spiritual things!
SO.... what are we to DO, then?     We need to be around other people who are of like mind and like spirit.    Now hold on, before you hang me out to dry.    I'm not suggesting we withdraw from the lost community and all stand in a little circle holding hands and singing "Kum Ba Yah".   Jesus never did that, and neither should we.    Still, remember that in order to reach the lost, you don't have to lower yourselves to their standard.
We're to be like a net.    What's a net?    A net is a handful of holes that have been sewed together.    That's what we are.    Jesus said, "Apart from Me, ye can do what?....... nothing."     But, when a bunch of nothings get together and hold hands, they become SOMETHING, and then they can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives them strength!

GOD'S WILL IS PROGRESSIVE:
God's not going to drop the whole load on us overnight!     It comes bit by bit, step by step, day by day.    God has a plan for our lives, and He will give us His plan in increments.    It's called a Christian WALK for a reason!    It's never referred to as "the Christian Sprint" or "the Christian Long-Jump".     God expects us to take it step by step.    Sometimes CHristians are referred to as the "Army Of The Lord".    I live here in Fayetteville, NC, home of Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base.   Hooah!    Every soldier understands the fact that sometimes a soldier marches "under sealed orders".    It's no different in the Lord's Army.   So how do we GET our "orders"?    We do that by getting familiar with His Word.     Psalms gives us that wonderful scripture that tells us how the Word is a "lamp unto our feet" and a "light unto our path".    Ever been out walking with a lantern in the pitch dark?    A lantern only gives off a certain amount of light.    SO, what do we do?   We walk forward toward the light that the lantern gives.    Only as we MOVE FORWARD is MORE terrain revealed.      That's why so many Christians never succeed in maturing in Christ.    They think all they have to do is stand still, open the Word, and BAM..... God just drops it on their spiritual little heads!    Wrong.     When we purpose to apply God's WORD to our hearts and OBEY that Word, THEN (and ONLY then)..... God's WILL comes into view.

I'm not as stupid as I look.    I know there are some people out there who really don't WANT to know God's will.    Why wouldn't they?    Because with revelation comes responsibility.

SO...... the real question is...... how bad do you want to know God's will?

Selah.