Can I Get a Witness?

“The same sun which melts wax hardens clay. And the same Gospel which melts some persons to repentance hardens others in their sins” – Spurgeon


Yesterday was Sunday.  And, like most Sundays, I was in church.  But yesterday was different.  The entire day had the same theme - suffering and faith. Church was wonderful, the hymns, the choir, the prayers all related to our theme of suffering.  Our Bible study in the evening was related to faith and so the subject turned to faith and suffering.  It made me pause and think about my life.


I venture to say that we(in the USA) have ever really suffered. Yes, there is death, divorce, broken arms, etc., but have we really every suffered.  No.  We don't go long times without eating (unless you're on the crazy way of eating my cousin has me on.  I am not doing well, but this week we start again.  Another post for another time) or being persecuted for our religious beliefs or lack there of.


You see each week, almost everyday, I get to go to church and serve. I get to plan worship that is hopefully pleasing to God and helps other know Him better. But again, I have never suffered for doing this each week.  But this week I was called to do something different.  You see I grew up in church.  I know LOTS of hymns and praise songs.  I can even play a sweet piano for revival. But, I have never been tasked with the responsibility of witnessing to a person who does not believe in God and telling them why they should believe.


I was lost and I stepped in all by myself.  You may remember my cousin, Adam.  You know the one I wrote about several posts back. Yes, the one who is a great encourager, friend, and someone that is a great raveling companion. That's him. Well, he posted on a social media site a disturbing poster that shocked me.  Now, before we go on, these are just my own opinions and feeling and I am in no way disparaging my cousin or those who believe the way he does.  And, yes, I did ask his permission about writing this.


The poster referred to Biblical Ingredients.  There is no need to go in to detail about what was on it but the ingredients list was not that of how the Bible was a truthful story and one that helps.  So, like any nosy in your face cousin would do, I messaged him and asked him why he posted this.  I KNEW this was joke and he did not believe this, right? WRONG! But, in my humble BUT accurate opinion, I knew he was wrong. Or is he?


That evening when I returned to the house, he and I had a great conversation. Man, he is smart and frankly I am not sure that I am the one that needs to be on the battlefield for my Lord (that is a great revival song, look it up).


I started our conversation by simply asking, "tell me how you came to this conclusion." I never want to be rude or pejorative to him or any other person.  But, I did want to know how he arrived at his decision.   Now Adam and his family grew up going to church.  In fact, Aunt Mickie (his grandmother) was a saint and scolded us if we didn't go to church.  Adam's mom took them for a while to a Pentecostal church.  Now, growing up in Georgia, we did not raise our hands, clap, wave flags, and we certainly DID NOT play tambourines in worship! But enough about that.  I just tell you this because Adam, like many others, have been raised in church.


I hope you aren't reading this thinking that I don't like my cousin.  That is simply not the case.  The way he feels about God doesn't change my love and friendship for him.  In fact, in the midst of our conversation I told him that it saddened me to think that when we die I would not see him again or any other person I cared for if he believed that when we die we just return to a "space". I said I know I'm cheesy and he said "yes you are but go on."


Well, it is sad to me.  But the sadder part to me is how inadequate that I feel and felt about this conversation.  Why am I called?  Why are you called?


So back to suffering and faith.  My faith has been tested this week.  I, in a VERY small way,  suffered because I did not know how to serve Christ in this conversation and I wondered if I had failed Him? Did I do my best to be a friend to my cousin?  Will I be asked one day to give an account only to hear the Master say "why did you not try hard enough?" I am not sure.
But, what I am sure about is that we are called to love.  So that's what I'll do - love and hopefully through loving and keeping faith, not only will my friendship with Adam grow stronger but I can somehow show him there is hope in Christ. 

Let me reiterate, I love my cousin and because we disagree doesn't change the good he has done for me and how much I appreciate him. 

SCARS

I am insecure.  There, I said it.  I am insecure and not happy about it.  The last couple of posts that I have written have been about love, a new me, and so on.  However, deep in my soul there is a longing to be accepted, loved, to be "the cool kid."  And lets face it, when you work for the church and play the organ, you are rarely the "cool kid."  But, I love my job, I love my friend, and most of all, I love my family.

In the midst of being sick I have pushed people out, not on purpose, but by being needy. I so badly want to be around people and do for them, that I didn't realize that I was pushing them away or asking too much of them.  People need their own time, their own space, their own time away from me!  WOW.  I can't believe that, but people do need time away from me.  It's a hard lesson, but one I have had to learn. 

It's all part of the scars of life.  We have heard this trite saying before; "I count it all as blessing."  Do you? Do I?  Heck no.  Blessing? Really?  I hate scars!  As a kid I cried every time I fell and would bleed.  The worst scar was when I was running up the outside steps and fell into the brick portion of the steps.  I went to the hospital.  I still have a scar on my forehead. Ouch!

We have all scars in our life we are not proud of. I am insecure.  Maybe you are too.  Maybe you don't like your weight, or maybe your looks, whatever it is, we all have "that thing!"  But there is hope.  We can find an accountability partner.  We can write. We can pray.  Maybe we can do all these.  Whatever it is, there is hope. 

Romans 5:5 says: And hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Today begins Lent.  Lent is the time of self reflection.  Some say it's a time to deny thyself.  But I say give to thyself.  Give to your self hope.  Look forward to the end result all the while enjoying the journey. You see, today on Ash Wednesday we remind ourselves of our scars. But, the scars do not define us!  This too is a hard lesson.  Think of it this way; if you wrote your scars (sins) on an old fashioned black board and then spray the board with water, all the chalk would wash away.  That's what Christ's hope (love) does for us. 

I HOPE there is a time when I feel less insecure.  I HOPE for you there is a time when you feel........ (you fill in the blank).  But if that time is not soon, remember there is hope in the promise of God's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. 

So go forth and live in the hope of the Lenten journey and the promise of the resurrection!

MAKE THE JOURNEY............EXPERIENCE THE GLORY!

I wrote this back in 2010.  I was remembering this week about my life - times gone by- and this really stuck out to me and I wanted to share it with you all again! 


Be blessed!
Tommy




What is it that makes us worship?  Is it the need to give love in response to how loved we feel? Vice versa? Do we worship because that's what we do in our culture? Nice, good people go to church, and serve on committees - and so you do too? I Chronicles 16 states in verse 29a,  "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name." Do you notice the usage of the words? "Due" means what he already deserves; it is what He is worthy of and nothing less.

I am very guilty of coming to worship with a sour taste in my mouth.  I have often "done" church - instead of "lived" it. But worship is not a concert or a performance. I strongly dislike when choir or praise band members refer to our work as a "performance." I understand the idea - but our offering is no different that that of committee leaders, ushers, or Sunday School teachers. We are all using our gifts as offerings to God. When we are doing what we do for the glory of God - the attitude should be that of gratitude, respect, and joy. We worship because we are commanded to.  God has given us so much and yet we return little.  There is a hymn called "Because I Have Been Given Much." The first stanza says: "Because I have been given much I too must give.  Because of Thy great bounty Lord, each day I Live. I shall divide my gifts from Thee with every brother (sister) that I see who has the need of help from me." What beautiful and humbling words. I want to be that help to someone. I want my worship to be the help someone needs -- and my music is simply the vehicle that helps them to see my heart. I want my life to be someone's help - not because I am great or my words/talent are great, but because my attitude and actions reflect the greatness of God.

I am a guy on a journey. A journey to somewhere great. I hope you are too. We worship each week because we are on that journey to find and know better the heart and mind of Christ. Let your life give much back to God, your family, friends, and others that you see.  Here are the rest of the words to that great hymn: 

Because I have been sheltered, fed by Thy good care
I cannot see anothers lack and I not share.
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread-my roof's safe shelter over head,
that he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love dear Lord,
I'll share Thy love again according to Thy word.
I shall give love to those in need, I'll show that love by word and deed,
thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.

WHEN NOTHING ELSE COULD HELP.....

Love lifted me.  Do you remember this hymn?  I do.  I used to love when we would sing this hymn in church.  I remember as a little child thinking it was a fun hymn to sing.  I loved the meter, the bounce it had, and I loved the chorus.  However, it wasn't until yesterday, honestly, that I really thought about these words. 

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore.
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe and I.

As you know I have started a new routine in my daily living.  So far I have lost twelve pounds.  By following my cousin's instructions, I feel better and I am starting to look better.  Well, there's nothing I can do about my face, but I am losing weight! This is all great progress.
However, my attitude did not shift until this weekend.  Adam, my cousin, didn't start off as a spiritual help, but that is what he has become.  You see, I was so focused on losing weight that I neglected to see that I am a person of worth.  I thought losing weight and being healthy was all I needed to make me happy.  While in fact, I was still so burdened with sorrow and self pity that  life seemed unmanageable.  I was looking for validation and happiness in so many other places that I forgot to look right around me.
Adam and so many others are people that I care about and that care about me.  I have an awesome family, extended as well as immediate.  God has blessed me. This weekend I needed a swift kick in the ass!  I was in my own world of self pity that I forgot about those that were close to me.  You see, I was convinced that the people around me only were around me out of pity or because they wanted something from me.  That was not true at all. 
Adam was there for the kick, and a hard one I might add.  You showed me (through time together and talks) that I am of worth. He told me that I am responsible for my happiness, not others.  This may seem a simple concept, but really, it's a hard lesson.

2 Timothy 1: 7 says "God gave us a spirit, not of fear but of power and love and self control." Wow!  Have you ever thought about these words?  Just like the hymn, I thought about these words yesterday.  Living in pity does nothing to help your spirit, the spirit we have been given - given freely.  I so want to be loved and I am.  My cousin is a great encourager.  We all need an encourager and we have one.  God's power through His son, Jesus, gives us the power to decide to be happy and gives us love to be able to love others and gives us self control to discern what is right, wrong, and just

I am on a journey.  It's a long one.  It's one with lots of tears and struggles.  However, I now know that I am not walking alone but with people and God.  Knowing they are walking with me, makes my path less burdened and makes the journey less labored.

I am LOVED
I am a CHILD OF GOD
I am WORTHY
I am an HEIR TO THE KINGDOM

When nothing else could help, LOVE LIFTED ME! Amen!

**This is Adam's blog.  He is an excellent writer.  His latest post included me.  Please take a look and see what an encourager he is!**