Where Feet May Fail

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw 

This bridge is from a song of a popular Christian worship band.  A lot of churches may even sing this song during their worship services.  How often do we sing this lyric, but really mean it? How often have I listened to and sung this lyric, but only really pay lip service to it.  

A Prayer Answered

Herein stands the believer's paradox. We pray, "God I want to become more dependent upon you, more reliant upon your grace."  But we don't really want God to answer that prayer.  Because when He answers that prayer, it means we lose control.  

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  Matthew 14:28-30

I resonate with Peter.  He was a deep feeler.  Showed his emotions on his sleeve.  He had the guts to pray a prayer like the lyric above, but once the Lord answered, saw he had no control over his situation and it brought him to a place of complete and utter dependance upon Jesus.  But it was motivated out of fear and doubt, not confidence in His Lord, as we see by the Lord's response in verse 31: 

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  Matthew 14:31

And this is the sinner's dilemma.  Because sin has weighed down our perspective and thinking, we come to Jesus often out of fear and doubt.  But take heart sinner.  Christ's blood has been sprinkled upon our consciences, upon our way of thinking, and we no longer need to come to Him in fear and doubt.  

"...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:22

Our Confidence in Christ

"Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander...".  To pray a prayer like that and mean it takes guts.  And when God answers, we can confidently go to Him to trust that He will keep us above the waters.  But be ready for anything.  Taking us deeper than our feet could ever wander could mean a new ministry, a new place, a difficult trial, and certainly unknown boundaries to our current experience. And because we are on this side of the blood offering of Christ on the cross, we can confidently draw near to His help, His hand to hold you up, and "make your faith stronger". 

It has been a couple of weeks since I have last posted and has been a difficult time, but these past few days I have returned to the office, garnered some strength and am able to look ahead a bit.

I was listening to the radio today and was touched by a poem by Amy Carmichael that someone read. "Touched" is probably too light... "Convicted" is more like it.

It reminded me of how my wife seemed so selfless in the moment of greatest tragedy. In the midst of great suffering, she considered others above herself by asking the doctors, nurses and the family around her on that January 22nd day how they were all doing with such a hard task ahead of them of delivering a baby that would not survive. She felt bad that they had to be the ones on call that day. She empathized with them, when it seemed to me that the natural, worldly response would be to hide in the pain. She did this because of what Christ has done for her - for what Calvary Love has done for her. May we all hold fast to live with Calvary Love as our motivation and our aim.

Calvary Love

by Amy Carmichael

If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? And what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I find myself taking lapses for granted, "Oh, that's what they always do," "Oh, of course she talks like that, he acts like that," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can enjoy a joke at the expense of another; if I can in any way slight another in conversation, or even in thought, then I know nothing of Calvarylove.

If I can write an unkind letter, speak an unkind word, think an unkind thought without grief and shame, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not feel far more for the grieved Savior than for my worried self when troublesome things occur, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I can rebuke without a pang, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my attitude be one of fear, not faith, about one who has disappointed me; if I say, "Just what I expected" if a fall occurs, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am afraid to speak the truth, lest I lose affection, or lest the one concerned should say, "You do not understand," or because I fear to lose my reputation for kindness; if I put my own good name before the other's highest good, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am content to heal a hurt slightly, saying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace; if I forget the poignant word "Let love be without dissimulation" and blunt the edge of truth, speaking not right things but smooth things, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I hold on to choices of any kind, just because they are my choice, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I am soft to myself and slide comfortably into self-pity and self-sympathy; If I do not by the grace of God practice fortitude, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I myself dominate myself, if my thoughts revolve round myself, if I am so occupied with myself I rarely have "a heart at leisure from itself," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If, the moment I am conscious of the shadow of self crossing my threshold, I do not shut the door, and keep that door shut, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I cannot in honest happiness take the second place (or the twentieth); if I cannot take the first without making a fuss about my unworthiness, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I take offense easily, if I am content to continue in a cool unfriendliness, though friendship be possible, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel injured when another lays to my charge things that I know not, forgetting that my sinless Savior trod this path to the end, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I feel bitter toward those who condemn me, as it seems to me, unjustly, forgetting that if they knew me as I know myself they would condemn me much more, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If souls can suffer alongside, and I hardly know it, because the spirit of discernment is not in me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the praise of others elates me and their blame depresses me; if I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself; if I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I crave hungrily to be used to show the way of liberty to a soul in bondage, instead of caring only that it be delivered; if I nurse my disappointment when I fail, instead of asking that to another the word of release may be given, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I do not forget about such a trifle as personal success, so that it never crosses my mind, or if it does, is never given room there; if the cup of flattery tastes sweet to me, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If in the fellowship of service I seek to attach a friend to myself, so that others are caused to feel unwanted; if my friendships do not draw others deeper in, but are ungenerous (to myself, for myself), then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I refuse to allow one who is dear to me to suffer for the sake of Christ, if I do not see such suffering as the greatest honor that can be offered to any follower of the Crucified, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I slip into the place that can be filled by Christ alone, making myself the first necessity to a soul instead of leading it to fasten upon Him, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If my interest in the work of others is cool; if I think in terms of my own special work; if the burdens of others are not my burdens too, and their joys mine, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I wonder why something trying is allowed, and press for prayer that it may be removed; if I cannot be trusted with any disappointment, and cannot go on in peace under any mystery, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If the ultimate, the hardest, cannot be asked of me; if my fellows hesitate to ask it and turn to someone else, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

If I covet any place on earth but the dust at the foot of the Cross, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

That which I know not, teach Thou me, O Lord, my God.

Amy Carmichael, "Calvary Love," from If, by Dohnavur Fellowship.

WONDER

Wonder.

Wonder. "For to us a Child is born. To us a Son is given."

Wonder. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Wonder. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

Wonder. "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows."

Wonder. "He was wounded for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Wonder. "In my Father's house are many rooms... I go to prepare a place for you... I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Wonder. "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more."

Wonder. I can't help but Wonder. He's our Hope. Wonder.

Merry Christmas!!  We love all of you so very, very much!!!

Blessings - Let's call her Twirly

Sometimes in the midst of pain, you really need to see the blessings in life.


So - a few "blessings" to share:

Last weekend was costume time - our kids went as Batman, Catwoman and Robin. And Robin's costume is completely homemade! (well - except for the eye mask) Don't tell anyone, but mommy and daddy have enjoyed some of the fruit of their trick-or-treating labor.

Yesterday we took the family to the Shedd Aquarium. What a great time!!! And, thanks to a pass that Caden received last year in school, the whole family got in to all special exhibits and the museum for free! What might have been a $150 outing - was only the $5 we paid for meter parking and the gas to get us there. Below is a picture of Penguin Will at the Penguin Polar Playland exhibit (yes - ideas are already spinning for next year's halloween costumes).

Ellie announced last week that not only will the baby be a girl, but that the baby's name will be Twirly. We all laughed.

These were needed breaks that help to refocus our thoughts on the present, and off of what the future holds. Jesus understood this all too well - "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own". (Matt 6:34)

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln requested this nation "to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion."

As a servant of the Gospel, I have come to recognize, and at an alarming rate, that there stands in our midst an adversary and that our lives are surrounded with adversity. Whatever manifestations of adversity are found in your life and whatever confrontations you have with the adversary, the common denominator to determining your altitude of peace is the attitude of your heart when found on your knees. The attitude of a pray-er acknowledges God’s sovereignty, and man’s depravity. God’s wise will and man’s foolish plans. God’s sure strength and man’s fallible weaknesses. God gave us the vehicle of prayer for one purpose: Unity. For it is in prayer which we will be united to our Creator and His will, and it is in prayer which we can be united as a church. And this is the altitude of peace, found in a humbled heart and on bended knees, which can face any adversary and adversity which comes its way. My prayer on this National Day of Prayer would be that you would continue, steadfastly, in prayer for and with each other everyday and that we would humbly submit to our Creator, Jesus Christ, and His perfect will for our lives and for the future of this blessed nation.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Thrones

Two thrones. Two approaches. Two responses. Two paths.

The two thrones
Pardon or imprisonment
Charity or robbery
Reprieve or blame

The two approaches
Humility or pride
Submission or contention
Affinity or enmity

The two responses
Joy or grief
Peace or dissonance
Satisfaction or want

The two paths
Freedom or bondage
Growth or decay
Life or death

Which throne have you encountered? Which throne do you come back to? One will fade fast. One will never fade away.

"Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it." Heb. 4:16

Chastened and Encouraged

I love attending conferences where the Word of God is preached and it stings and hurts... where my heart is being chastened and my soul encouraged. As was true of the Desiring God conference in February, the Moody Bible Institute's Pastors Conf. is making lasting impact upon my heart, to be tested by time.

I am encouraged to continue to preach the Gospel for what it is: Good News. And to put the priority of disciple making over all things in my ministry (above worship leading and preaching - or perhaps incorporated into both)- for this was Jesus' calling in Matthew 28.


Marked by grace and His strength.

The Grace Effect

What is the Grace Effect?

It is what marks my life. It is the sustaining and absolute strength which can only come from one Source. With it I am empowered to do all things according to the Plan. As far as the person who I have become, without it I am not.

Much like Moses, I am called to a task that demands far greater than what I can give. Much like Jonah, my basic instinct is to fly like a bat out of a cave. Much like the disciples stuck in the boat as Jesus walked on water, I too would desire to stay stuck, only to watch Peter.

But the calling? The calling is to go. The calling is to take chances. The calling is to take risks.

This blog shares my testimony - of life caught in the Grace Effect. A place of joy and fear, excitement and danger. Because the water is deep, but His strength is sure. And His strength is grace.

Join me in experiencing The Grace Effect.