Taking Back The Music

Psalm 149:1
Sing to the Lord a new song......

The photo above is of our home "nest" where we worship every Saturday night.
In fact this photo was shot the week before we held our first meeting of VRC. It was April of 2013.

Worship and the style of music that we play has been changing over the years.
Debbie Handy and I have been playing together since 1991.
Wayne Wimpee and I met in a youth choir back in 1968.
Barry Hooks came on board as rhythm guitarist in 2006.
Such a knowing of each other provides us with a comfort of being able to follow what each is doing when we worship together. 

One of the things that God has developed in us is what I call playing "Take Back" songs. By this, I mean songs that we grew up listening to on the radio. Songs that everyone knows. We will take one of these songs and change it around to reflect goodness of God and His desire to bring salvation and healing.
The very first song I ever took back was Lynard Skynard's "Free Bird". That was in 2000. I'll never forget the first time we played it at The House Of Blue (our first recovery meeting)...with the first chords, the expression on peoples faces was like "can they do this? Is this really happening?"

The idea of using such music in our recovery meeting was that most of the folks who came were not very much attracted to hymns and church music. It did not grab their attention or their hearts. But you do a secular song that has been rewritten to point to God ,and maybe....just maybe, they will let their guard down for a brief moment. In doing so, they become more open and receptive to what you are going to say.

I've written all of this to arrive at this point.
Last Wednesday night, we took VRC worship on the road to the Church@Wills Creek. Most of music set for this meeting was comprised of take back songs. Once again, the Spirit of God came down with the opening chords and opened hearts. We started with Bob Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody". Very in your face kind of words...."It may be the devil....or it may be the Lord...but you're gonna have to serve somebody."

We moved into the Monkee's "I'm A Believer"......People were up...they were clapping...they were yelling.....the whole time we're playing and worshiping, we're also praying..."More Lord! Come and prepare hearts to receive from you."

Up next was Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine".
"Ain't no sunshine living wrong......only darkness every day." life without Christ is merely existence. It is moving from moment to moment without any purpose. Such living drives us toward drugs and drink to numb the pain. To escape this way of living.

The only song we did on this night that wasn't a take back was a tune by David Crowder that has become synonymous with people in recovery...."All My Hope".
A very honest look at where we've come from.....our encounter with Christ...and the reality that we have no chance at real life without Him in our lives.
There is mention of prison....chains and shackles.....of being forgiven and set free. Such only stirred the room as shouts of praise and clapping broke out as we sang.

The last song on our set list was one that conveys the message to "let go and let God." In fact the name of the song is "LET IT BE" by the Beatles. 
"And in my hour of darkness, He is living deep inside of me...Speaking words of wisdom, let it be".

After the meeting was over, the equipment loaded and I climbed into my car. I was filled with a deep, deep satisfaction that we had indeed worshiped God. That we had been true to who He has called us to be (as worship team) and we had brought to bare our history of the music we grew up and played it for the glory of God. Then one last thought came to me before I drove away. Growing up, all I ever heard was how our kind of music was the "devil's music"....
A smile came to me and I said, "Well, it may have started that way...but not tonight. Tonight it was the King's music". 

God on you...
mbb

Storms Are Not Selective

Storms came through shortly after lunch yesterday.
Winds out of nowhere began to whip the tops of trees, sending a shower of small broken limbs and leaves cascading down into the street and yard.
Never seen wind like this in the 36 years we've lived on Greene Street.

Trees went down.....
And as quickly as the wind had come...it was gone. But the aftermath of its presence was all around. Life had come to my street. Life with all its mess and worry....life with all its upsetting of the norm.....life.  Sometimes the weatherman can predict what is headed our way...sometimes they miss it. And whether the prediction is right or not, it doesn't stop the fact that storms are still moving toward us. Isn't that just like life? 

You can kind of see destruction headed when the choices made by people are not good. You can see that unless precautions are put in place....unless the choices made are better ones, it's going to end in a bad way. 

Truth is, we all have to face storms of life. Those who have found the better way in following Christ, and those who are still out in that old life simply trying to keep their heads above water. It rains on everyone. The storms come and tear down what we've spent years trying to build. There isn't much fairness in life, yet I keep hearing from those who have given into the darkness and followed it down that "death" road. They look at those who have chosen to walk a path of righteousness, and proclaim that "life isn't fair!".  You want the truth? Here it is. Life isn't fair. We don't get "fair" until life is over. We are not going to get "fair" on this side of heaven.

It's not fair that some of my neighbors are having to move trees and debris from their houses and yards. These are good folk, never harming anyone. Yet that ol' storm didn't pass them over. I heard concern in the voices of my neighbors. I saw weariness in their eyes, as we are an older group, and the physicality of attacking the clean up is a bit beyond us. But there we were....out in our yards with rakes and wheelbarrows picking limb after limb.

Addiction tells you that the destruction that has come to your life is too much. It convinces you that you cannot clean up any of it. Well, you've got to start. It begins with the first "Limb" you pick up. Then you reach for another, and another, and another. You don't stop until the mess is cleared. I know that the amount of destruction found in the life of someone in addiction is like looking at Mt. Everest. I know it looks beyond human capability to overcome. But such is why we all are in dire need of having relationship with a HIGHER POWER. A higher power that has a name.....and that name is Jesus. 

When we turn will and life over to His care, He will direct you step by step to deal with the mess that has filled your life.........one limb at a time. Don't let the darkness tell you to ignore the mess and go get high or drunk. Don't let the lies of our enemy the devil convince you that you'll never be able to rid yourself of the destruction that is in your "front yard". Let Christ empower you to find that first limb, and them pick it. Cast it aside and move to the next limb. Pretty soon you've got the debris stacked up near the street for the city trucks to come by and pick it up. In the case of Christ....He will take your mess and cast it away. In return you get everything He has to offer, such as life....real life...abundant life. Not a bad deal, is it?

God on you...
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Addiction, Jesus, And Two Drunks Who Found The Way

John 3:16-17 (Message Bible)
But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the Kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house---make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place every thing true in its proper place before God. Everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."

Lot of pain out there last week. I received more calls from people who were hurting than I have in years.
"I can't seem to quit."
"My girl friend has left me because of my using."
"I need help right now,  I can't wait any longer."
And on and on and on....
One after another looking for relief from all the destruction that had brought on themselves through their using.
To say it was overwhelming is the understatement, because at my core, I'm a fixer.
Only in these cases, I couldn't fix anyone.
I can point in the direction someone needs to go.
I can walk with them through the process.
I can be there for them.
But in the end, it all boils down to how ready are you to quit?
If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, then there is ground there on which to build.

Don't confuse recovery with wanting all the problems to go away.
Some will say that they are ready to recover, to get some place where they can begin to work on themselves. But when push comes to shove, you find out that they really didn't want to quit using or drinking.......they only wanted a time out from the pressure. Now, even in this case, sometimes just being in a recovery setting gives them a clearer view of what they have done to  themselves. But not always. 

Bottom line in all of this....
I don't know of anyone or any thing who can do more for someone struggling in addiction, than Jesus.
Oh, there are programs that are good at helping people cope with addiction.
There are programs who can get people clean and able to function in society.
But there isn't a program who can produce real life that will take an individual beyond death.
That comes only through a person...
That person is Jesus. 

Truth be known...
We catch a lot of flak from both sides of the fence when we introduce Jesus into the equation.
From the recovery side, we accused of being a bunch of "holy rollers" and "religious nuts". We have been told to not bring our Jesus into A.A. that God can be whatever you  want Him to be. Well, we all know where that is coming from. First off, there is more mention of God, as creator and giver of life in A.A. material than some want to admit. The other thing is that A.A. was never intended to be a religion. A.A. was founded by two drunks who had encounters with God and it changed their lives.  Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith were brought together after Bill's encounter with Jesus in a hospital. Bill lost all desire to drink again after being a hopeless drunk for years. In fact, everyone had given up on Bill and had resigned themselves to the reality that he would die a drunk. God had other plans, and through an encounter with Dr. Bob Smith, the two began a journey to put these Twelve Steps together.

On the other side of the fence is the church (not all of it, but a good portion). They speak out of ignorance about A.A. and the Twelve Steps. They paint a broad picture of what is wrong with all this Twelve Step stuff. God bless 'em. They have trouble ( I think) with the whole "God as you understood Him". In their minds, what they hear is that you can make up a god that fits your life. What really is being said, is that we come to the God we understand today. That you don't have to be a theologian, or a Bible scholar...in fact you don't even have to be saved to come to this God. You come as you are, to a God that has always been. A good friend of mine has a saying (don't you love friends who have saying's? I do)...."You can't work those Twelve Steps and not hit your head on the cross." Get it? Jesus is the answer to the addiction problem. The Twelve Steps are the disciplines to walk this new life out.

People have a tendency to confuse the issue of addiction.
It really isn't the alcohol or the drugs that we are waging war against.
It is the human heart.
The human heart that is under the influence of a sin nature that leads it into all manner of wrong.
Until that heart is dealt with and set right by the infusion of God's Holy Spirit....there will always be the propensity to do the wrong thing.
SO the real problem of someone in addiction is that they have a broken relationship.
Let's be about the business of the Kingdom introducing those still in the darkness to our Jesus.
He is the best high you could ever have.

God on you..
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"Hold On Thar Podnar!

Isaiah 41:10
(God Speaking)....
"Do not be afraid, for I am with you."
"Do not be dismayed, for I am your God."
"I will strengthen you."
"I will help you."
"I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."

Pretty strong words if they can't be backed up.
Bold statements unless the one giving them isn't up to the task.
No matter what might seek to unnerve you and cause you to panic, God says that we are to not be afraid. Why? Because He is with us. Just the sheer presence of God is the place where I find peace. Now considering that according to Acts 2, if I have been saved (born again or whatever the term du'jour is) then the presence of God is not only all around me, but His Holy Spirit lives in me. I am not to be afraid....or impatient.

He tells me to not be discouraged. Discouragement usually comes to us when things don't go our way or turn out the way we want them to. Another vehicle for discouragement is when I become impatient. It's not that God isn't working in my life...........
It's that He isn't working as fast as I would like Him to.
His schedule and my schedule do not coincide.
I'm into microwaving.....
And God's into marinading. Slow cooking!
What reason does God give me to not be discouraged? He says that "He is my God!" Sometimes I think the name "God" has lost something in the minds of people. That simple three letter word...G-O-D, reveals the character and nature of the one who created everything I can see, touch, taste, smell or hear. Now this same being, God, wants to be my God. In other words, at the heart of the matter is relationship. It isnt' about religion...it's all about relationship.

He says that He will strengthen me.
Why would He say that unless I am weak.
The heart of the Twelve Steps is Power/Strength to do something that you cannot do for yourself. God says I will give you the strength necessary to move above and beyond sin/addiction. To walk in places I never could in my own ability and strength. He gives me the Peter-walking-on-the-sea kind of strength. Reason and rationalization stakes claims that it's impossible, but God who empowers makes it possible. That's my God!

"I Will Help You!" Once again God's heart is the restoration and complete salvation of those who turn to Him and accept His free gift of eternal life.
This statement, I will help you, is very broad and not well defined, but it does contain something that I love about God. The statement could be seen as being open-ended. By that, I mean that you could insert what ever you needed help with at the end of the statement. If you need to break free of your addiction today....then God says, "I Will Help You Break Free Of Your Addiction Today."

Last, but certainly not least, is the phrase, "I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
God will help me stand.....God will help me to overcome....God will help me to outlast whatever comes against me. I will stand and, according to Ephesians 6:13...."Having done all, stand!" Sometimes the greatest victory comes from simply not giving up, but leaning on and being supported by the uplifting hand of God.

I guess if I had to sum up today's posting, it would be found in Step #11

We sought through prayer and meditation

to improve our conscious contact with God,

praying only for knowledge of his will for us

and the power to carry it out.

Amen...and amen!

God on you...

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Doing The Impossible

Matthew 28:6
"He is not here.....For He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

I love this verse...
Talk about some words that would mess up your thoughts! Imagine going to the cemetery to lay flowers on the grave of a loved one. You walk through the rows of tombstones, yet you notice a couple of men near the grave of the one you've come to honor.  You approach the two gentlemen, yet you notice that something seems amiss with the grave. It's been opened.....A huge hole.

Anger rises up in you as the thought of someone having desecrated this grave. "Who would do such a thing?" Thoughts of law suits....notifying the police....and "someone is going to pay for this!", flood your mind. But before you can even begin asking questions of the the two men who are at the grave, one of them looks at you and says..."Don't be upset....your loved one isn't here. They have risen."

To us, this is way beyond reality. The thought of a loved one coming back to life. But when we read the Matthew account, we know (In our spirit, if not our mind) that this is exactly what Jesus did.  Yep! He told his disciples and followers that this was going to happen. They heard but they didn't hear. The words fell upon their ears, but it never made it to their hearts. I don't want to live my life like that. Having the words of Christ simply filling my ears....I want His words to penetrate my heart. To go down to the very core of my being. Shake me out of my every day beliefs and thoughts, and elevate me to the place of impossible, because it is here where my Jesus resides. 

To be honest with you, that which the world says is impossible is highly probable when it comes to my Jesus.
How many people have I come in contact with over the years, who deemed themselves and the life they were living as impossible to change. In other words, they had fallen prey to the False Belief that they were hopeless...they were what they were...they would never change because the power and pull of addiction was beyond any effort they could make.

But then something happened...
It might have been at a Bible study, or a recovery meeting...the place doesn't matter. What does matter is that they had an encounter...a run in with this Jesus I am in love with. He touched them and every argument....every excuse...every dark thought simply melted away. They were opened to the truth that "With God, all things are possible." This encounter with Jesus opened the door to a new path that would lead to life they never imagined could be theirs. 

To me, the verse from Matthew 28 is a "Ta-Da!" verse. Jesus simply showing everyone that He could not be imprisoned by the rules and dictates of this world. His rule is above any the world tries to operate by. His rule contains the truth and power needed to break free from sin and the debt every human on this planet owes. He paid the price so that addiction would not win. He paid the price so that sin would not be victorious. Oh yeah...one last thing. His tomb is still empty because my Jesus is alive. How cool is that?

God on you...
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Who Or What Are You Chasing After Today?

I will arise and give thanks to you Lord my God.
And Your name I will bless with my whole heart.
You have shown mercy....
You have shown mercy to me....
I give thanks to you Lord.

This Vineyard Worship song was the very first thought I had this morning. As I was opening my eyes and beginning to stir, these words came up. How wonderful to arise giving thanks to God. Not loaded down with emotional baggage or spiritual darkness, but with the words of praise floating in my mind and spirit. No matter what the day brings........God has shown mercy to me.
No matter what CNN or FOX tells us, God is in control and has a remnant of believers. We cry out to Him to heal our land. No matter how bad we think things can get, God has shown and continues to show us mercy.
Mercy?
What is mercy?
Mercy is God giving me what I don't deserve and keeping from me that which I do deserve.
Not being grateful to God keeps one from seeing and experiencing mercy.
We, as humans, tend to let "life" and the situations we face dictate our responses, both physical and emotional. We have a bent toward reacting to what we face rather than finding the blessing and mercy of God in whatever circumstance comes our way.

I would do well to begin this thought of "chasing" God. To not allow anyone or anything to distract me from this adventure. Chasing, not as a mental exercise, but a daily decision that I will not allow myself to be sidetracked by my own "wrong" thoughts or views, but stay the course of how I know I should be living.

I love the words of Hebrews 4:14-16
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain MERCY an find grace to help in time of need.
Let those words soak into your spirit today.
God on you.........
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Staying Focused Just For Today

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles , and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

This passage of Scripture from Hebrews describes a life spent in following Jesus, as being like a foot race. The main point we should see is that we are called to "run light". We are told to "Throw off everything that hinders us"....those things that distract us....take our attention away from what is important...we've got to get rid of them. Next we are instructed to rid ourselves of the "sin" which so easily entangles us. The idea here is those things ( behaviors and and attitudes) which seek to slow us in our journey, and even stop us or sidetrack us, we need to rid ourselves of such. 

Question # 1 - Think about what things have hindered you in moving forward in your relationship with Jesus. How much time do I spend being distracted by them? How much space do I give them in my thoughts?

Romans 13:14
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision (or room) for the flesh, to fulfill the lust that may rise up in you.
When the verse says "Make no provision", it means give if a place in your thoughts. Don't allow every thought that comes to your mind to just roll around in your brain. Why? Because if I allow a thought to gain access to my focus, then it becomes a larger desire. The desire then captures my attention, which, if left unchecked, has the potential for me to act on it.  Now, don't get me wrong in what I'm writing. You CANNOT STOP A THOUGHT FROM ENTERING YOUR MIND!!!! But you don't have to entertain such things.

If we allow these old thoughts access, we will inevitably find ourselves giving in during a time of weakness.Did you notice that the Romans 13 passage instructs us to "PUT ON" the Lord Jesus? Whenever I read this passage, for some reason I think of a very thick overcoat. Something that I put on to protect me against the weather. Well, when I am hidden in Christ, and I keep myself aware of being this way, hidden, then I am protected against whatever may come to me. 

As I run this life-race, and my focus remains on Christ, my heart and intent or strengthened so that when a temptation comes to me, I fully realize my own weakness and turn to Christ rather than embrace the temptation.
You see, this whole recovery thing isn't about being strong. It isn't about being able to stand and weather every wind of temptation and craving that comes my way....it's about being in touch with my weakness, and running to Christ.....turning to Christ when the temptation comes. It's about me recognizing my weakness in these matters, and turning to Christ for His strength to help me make it through dark times when my mind "Screams" to go back to old ways and old friends.

II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.

John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have  it to the full  (or abundant).

Don't allow the "little" thoughts a place, so that they turn into big sins....
God on you..
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Try? No! DO!

Don't live life in the "off" position....
Running around trying to make stuff happen...
Trying to dodge this problem...
Cutting corners to at least give the impression you are truly tying to work a program. Which brings me to my least favorite word of all...TRY.

Every time I hear this word come out of someones mouth ( in the context of working a program, I cringe. It usually follows much discussion as to why a recovery program is necessary for the individual.....then the dreaded word comes forth. "Well, I'll try going to treatment." Really? You'll try. Such is usually code for "I'll go, but it won't be successful." Guess what? You don't "try" treatment! You don't "try" the 12 Steps. You don't "try" a little Jesus in your life. These have proven to be true. these have been proven to work.

My standard reply to such who say that they will "try" was..."No try..Do!" Don't get me wrong, I totally understand where a person is coming from when they say they are going to try. They are basing their future efforts to recover on their past track record of failure. Such thinking always short circuits any effort to break free of addiction. What they fail to realize that in working a program they will deal with all the mess and destruction that has occurred in their life because of the addiction. In fact dealing with the past if all part of moving forward into a new future.

Real recovery (the kind that is accompanied with the power to live) always begins with turning the life-switch into the on position. What happens when you turn a light switch on after entering a dark room? You can see! Well the same thing is needed when moving into recovery. You've lived life in the "off" position for so long...living in a spiritual darkness. You could not see truth. You could not make sound decisions. But when you cry out to God.."Oh God...save me for I am a sinner...help me because I cannot do this on my own....the lights are turned on. For the first time in a long time, you clearly see the pain and destruction you have brought to those around you. Sometimes the very sight of this is enough to cause some to turn the lights back off and stay in that dark place.

Psalm 82:5
They do not know, or do they understand. they walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

Isn't the verse above true when it comes to defining a life of addiction? All the foundations of the earth are unstable. Life lived in spiritual darkness is a life lived on the shifting sands of uncertainty, chaos, and doubt. Truth is, that isn't life at all. It is merely existing.

Coming to the ultimate truth and reality that Jesus is the missing piece to my recovery, we can truly embrace and take for ourselves the words He has spoken. Consider His words to be a comparison between life under the bondage of addiction, and life under His care.

John 10:10
The thief (the devil) does not come except to STEAL, KILL and to DESTROY. I, Jesus, have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Sounds to me like there are only two choices available.
I think I might lean toward Jesus...
But that is just me...
You decide.

God on you....
mbb

Payday

Isaiah 43:19
Behold, I will do a new thing. Not it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it?  I will even make a road (path) in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

I had stopped at the Walmart in East Gadsden yesterday morning after teaching a Bible study at Elmo's transitional house. Making my way down the isle, something happened that usually takes place no matter when I drop by Walmart. Above the noise....above the passing carts (and there is always one that has those wobbly wheels that do not seem to cooperate), I heard a voice cry out...."Bro. Mike!".

Now to be honest with you, I'm not to comfortable with religious titles. Never have been. Never will be. When I first started in ministry, I fought against it. Someone would call me "Bro. Mike" and I would tell them..."No...just Mike will do." The tittle thing actually began during my time at Rapha. I could not shake it as this was the moniker that the guys assigned to me. I knew that they meant it to be respectful, and I appreciated it, but I was going to cut it off.

Well, after years of fighting it, I simply gave up. If someone wants to call me "Bro. Mike" then so be it. I will be Bro. Mike. Anyway, back to the story. I am making my way through the store when my name rings out. I turn and there he was. The last time I saw him was when he entered treatment years ago at Rapha. Years in addiction had taken their toll on him. Lifeless eyes that had seen too much. His face hadn't seen a smile, or had anything to smile about longer than he could remember. But here he was standing in front of me.

He looked great.
He'd put on weight. Eyes sparkled (no kidding ...they sparkled!). Big ol' goofy smile that spread across his face. He ran up and bear hugged me. There in Walmart he shared his story as to how he'd been since leaving the program. He'd married, had a family, was holding down  steady job. He was continuing to work his program.....and he'd found Jesus (Not that Jesus was lost...) as his true higher power. He kept thanking me, and Rapha, for helping him turn his life around. We chatted for a few more minutes and then, with one final hug, parted and went our separate ways. 

This was payday for me.
Hadn't thought about him in a long time, but God had merged our paths yesterday. To remember where he was when I met him, and now seeing how well he is doing today, well, that truly is a payday of sorts. But the real truth behind the meeting and this person's life is testimony to the Power, Promise and Provision that God can bring to a life that is ready to surrender. A life that has become sick and tired of being sick and tired. Such a condition is a life that is desperate for change. When we become desperate to change, we will reach out to the lifeline that has been there all along. We will reach out and lay hold of it, and we will not turn it loose. That is what this person I met in Walmart had done. They had laid hold of the lifeline and, at least for today, was not going to let go of it.

Yes sir....today was payday.
God on you...
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Morning Prayer

Psalm 5:3
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.

Funny thing about prayer and the act of praying.....
We have an innate desire to connect with something or someone greater than us.
This desire is stronger than what we claim we believe.
Let someone find themselves in a situation that is of a serious nature, and I would bet that they would throw up a prayer. They may claim that they don't believe in God. They may claim that they want nothing to do with God. Yet when push comes to shove, there is a whole lot of "Oh God...Oh God...Oh God!" going on. 

If you've been around recovery for any length of time then you are very familiar with the Serenity Prayer. A cry for God to equip us to deal with life. A cry for serenity to accept those things, people, and circumstances we cannot change. A cry for courage to face and change the things we can. To me, the kicker of the Serenity prayer is asking for wisdom to know the difference. This prayer is much more than just flowery words written to make us feel better. It is a declaration that God can do for me what I could not do for myself if I give will and life over to Him. Now that is some kind of prayer. Everyone's situation is different. Everyone faces different problems daily, yet this prayer fits whoever turns to God and prays it.

I've been reading about St. Patrick and his mission and desire to take the good news of Jesus to the Celtic Tribes in Ireland. He wrote a prayer that I think is very appropriate for those who are moving from the darkness of addiction into the light of God's goodness. I'd like to close with this prayer.

I rise today

in power's strength, invoking the Trinity.

Believing in the threeness

confessing the oneness

of creation's Creator.

I rise today

with the power of God to pilot me

God's strength to sustain me

God's wisdom to guide me

God's eye to look ahead of me

God's ear to hear me

God's word to speak for me

God's hand to protect me

God's way before me

God's shield to defend me

God's host to deliver me from the snares of the devil.

Deliver me....

from evil temptations

From nature's failings

From all who wish to harm me,

Far and near, alone or in a crowd

May this be our prayer for this day.....

Just for this day....
One minute at a time...
One moment at a time...

God on you...

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Those Hands

They were hard and calloused....
Years of work and labor defined and created every crack and wrinkle in those hands.
They had held plows.....
They had held rifles and shotguns....
Not for sport, but to put food on a table.
They had mended broken bicycles so that sons could be mobile once again.
They repaired more cars than I care to count.

They were tender enough to care for dogs that got caught up in barbed wire and had limped back home bleeding and almost to the point of death.
Those hands made basketball goals for the backyard...
They clapped at Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline when they came on the radio.
They slapped knees when a good yarn was spun or joke told.
Those hands never really rested, not till the end.

Those hands rubbed my head or rested on my shoulder when I had done something big.
Those same hands spanked me and put me back on the straight and narrow when I got to big for my britches.
They wiped sweat from the brow when the summer heat flooded a new plowed field. Those hands staked tomatoes and shucked corn. picked blackberries and baled hay. To a young boy, there wasn't anything those hands couldn't do. Those hands have cranked many a turn making home made ice cream. Those hands always deserved the first bowl when it was ready to eat.

Those hands held me and carried me from the car when we would come home late at night after being on a trip. Strong hands......safe hands....
Those hands were quick to help neighbors when something was needed to be done. The hands toted lumber and nailed nails to repair roofs and build back porches. I loved those hands.

Those were the hands of my father..........H.B. Bynum.
Blue collar to the core...
Worked hard all his life. That's just what a man did to support his family.
If my Dad had lived, I'm not sure he'd understand much of what is happening in this world today. He wasn't one to sit around and whine and cry about his lot in life or his lack of money. He worked. His advice to me..."Son, a man does what a man has to do to keep food on the table and a roof over his family." Those wouldn't be very popular words today...but that was my Dad.

Mom died in 1981 and Dad never seemed to recover from it. After they both retired, they reconnected as husband and wife. There seem to be more joy and peace as they shared time and life together. There were trips to the Smokey Mountains and visits with friends and family. I am grateful for the peace and love they found at the end.

Dad died in 1985, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him.
And on this day, of all days, one that honors fathers, I want to honor him.
For the love he showed me and the huge impact and influence he had on me.
I pray that in some small way, I have been half the man and father he was.
Thank you Lord for giving Father's to us....

Happy Father's Day, Dad.....
I love you....
I miss you.....

mb

Touchy Touchy

(Reprint From June 2009)

I Thessalonians 1:4
Knowing, beloved, your election by God.

We tread dangerous ground today. Well, it's dangerous only if we make it that way. "What," you may ask? Why the "E" word. Election.
Also tied to the "P" word.....predestination. I want to throw those two words aside because they actually point to a greater word. Sovereignty. As in the sovereignty of God.
Websters Dictionary defines sovereignty as supremely powerful / possessing absolute authority within a given sphere/ Superior to all rivals. 
That would define who we think God is, but not really what God does. We have trouble believing in a God that truly is sovereign and rules according to his wishes and plans especially when it comes to intervening in our daily lives. We have no trouble in believing God orchestrates the natural world around us. But we have great difficulty grasping the fact that God indeeds rules our very lives. Why do we have trouble? Because we want to be the measure and last voice that decides what is fair and what isn't. We have no trouble running to God when things don't go our way but when life totally collapses on top of us, we blame God and become angry and spiteful toward Him.

How sovereign is God? Let's take a look.
I didn't ask to be born.
I didn't ask to be born a male.
I didn't ask to be born to the family I was born into.
I didn't ask for the parents I had.
Yet, God was sovereign over it all. He chose. He placed. He gave. He leads and continues to do so on a daily basis and my only task. The only thing He expects from me is to obey. That's it. Obey.

I spent the evening last night with a young man who is very angry.
He is angry at people who have wronged him.
He is angry because he is getting ready to re-enter society and he feels like he doesn't have everything he needs to be successful.
He is angry because he chooses not to forgive others.
He asked me, "What do I do Brother Mike?" It wasn't what he wanted to hear but I looked at him and said, "Obey."
Our sin have made us little "gods". We want only the blessing of God and not the rule of God. Not the expectations that He has for us. That would crimp our style and put a damper on our fun.
We want to be the sovereign ruler of our life. Well let me ask you one question. "How has that been working out for you?" Not to good, huh.
Obeying God is too simple a plan for some. It doesn't fit into their lives or hearts. There has to be something else. No, there isn't anything else. God is sovereign. He has lead all of us to this point in time, June 28,2009 and today our choices will reflect whether we truly believe that God is sovereign or that we deny this fact.

Our churches are filled with people that unconsciously believe that somehow God works for them. Or that they are God's special project and that God's job is to keep them happy, keep them from harm and keep them from losing their lifestyle. What a bunch of bunk.
God is God in spite of what I do or do not have.
The plans of God do not come to a grinding halt because my 42 inch plasma flat screen television went on the fritz.
We would do well to understand exactly who we have been called to worship.
This is not the God of the Sunday School flannel board.
He is the Lord God Jehovah. Creator and ruler of all we can see, touch, taste, smell and hear.
Yet within all that He is, His heart is to have relationship with us.

Hebrews 1:10-12
You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment,
like a cloak You will fold them up,
and they will be changed.
But you are the same, and Your years will not fail.

God on you....
mb