The Favor of God

 I have been thinking a lot about the Beatitudes, as our church has been studying the Sermon on the Mount, and I have the privilege of preaching the review and summary of that topic this Monday.

The Favor of God

Blessed are the poor in spirit

For the Kingdom of heaven is theirs

Blessed are the ones who are weeping in grief

God will wipe up their tears and give comfort and strength

The favor of God will rest upon you

When you are desperate, don't know what to do

With nowhere to turn, at the end of your rope--

Let God be the one who brings comfort and hope.

Blessed are the meek and the gentle

For they will inherit the land.

Blessed are the ones who long to be righteous

With their longing fulfilled, in the light they will stand.

The favor of God will rest upon you

When you hunger and thirst to be righteous and true

When you don't rail and clamor for all that you're due

Then the blessing of God will settle on you.

Blessed are the ones who show mercy

For they will have mercy shown them.

Blessed are the ones whose love for God is pure

They'll recognize God for certain and sure.

The favor of God will rest upon you

When your hands and your heart are both open to do

The things that are needed by all those around

Then the blessings of God will surely abound.

Blessed are the ones who reach out to make peace

They'll be known as God's children and grace will increase.

And blessed are those who for doing what's right

Are tormented and hated by those who hate light.

The favor of God will rest upon you

When you're persecuted for things that you do

As you follow Jesus with all that you are

In the Kingdom of God you will surely go far.

My Kingdom

Certainly many Christians over the years have become convinced that God wanted them to take up arms to fight "for Jesus".  But while Jesus was absolutely proclaiming a Kingdom, I do not see that either then or now He meant for that Kingdom to be established either by the force of arms or by passing laws to compel people to do His will.

My Kingdom 

My Kingdom

Is not of this world

If it were, my followers 

Would fight for me.

But as it is,

My Kingdom is not from here.

All authority in heaven and earth

Has been given to Jesus;

He is the King of Kings.

And He said,

My Kingdom 

Is not of this world.

If it were, my followers

Would fight for me.

But as it is,

My Kingdom is not from here.

Jesus said that those who would be great

Must become the servants

His Kingdom is not like ours.

And He said

My Kingdom

Is not of this world.

If it were, my followers

Would fight for me.

But as it is,

My Kingdom is not from here.

Jesus said His Kingdom was inside

the hearts of His people.

It's righteousness, peace, and joy.

And He said

My Kingdom

Is not of this world

If it were my followers

Would fight for me

But as it is,

My Kingdom is not from here.

For any who wonder, "My Kingdom . .. ." is taken from what Jesus said to Pilate.  John 18:36.

"All authority in heaven and earth..." Matthew 28:18.

Those who would be great... Matthew 20:26; 23:11

Kingdom in God's people Luke 17:21

Righteousness peace and joy Romans 14:17

Sending

A while back I woke up singing the chorus of this song.

I guess part of this song is a response to my personal conviction that the United States is about to enter a pretty grim time, and that the Church is going to be required to step up and step out in ways that most of us haven't managed quite yet. My prayer is that I and the part of the church that I am involved with will be equipped to walk in a way that is worthy of the Master.

Sending

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out

To be salt and light

You send us into the world as sheep

Knowing wolves will be there.

Help us to trust that we

Are under the Shepherd's care.

Help us be wise as snakes,

But gentle as doves.

Help us remember

We're serving a God who loves.

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out.

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out.

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out

To be kings and priests.

Help us to share the truth

That gave us new birth

Praying Your Kingdom

Will fill the earth.

Helping the lame to walk 

and the blind to see.

Sharing the Gospel truth

That sets people free.

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out.

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out.

Sending, sending, sending

You are sending us out

To be children of God

Sending, sending, sending,

You are sending us out

To be daughters and sons of God.

Open, open

 I have been pondering God's role as an opener in my life.  

I thought about a few verses in Revelation, in which Jesus says that he is the one "who is holy and true,who holds the key of David.  What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open...See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." (Revelation 3:7-8 (NIV)).

 I found myself asking, "What are the things/what are the doors that God opens in my life.  And eventually, I found myself singing.

Open, Open

Open, open, what doors do You open?

What doors do You open for me?

Open up the door to eternal life

So that I can walk on the path of light.

Open up my prison of sin and shame

So I can walk freely and feel no blame.

Open up my ears to Your Holy Book.

Open up the way with Your shepherd's crook.

Open up my heart. Open up my mind.

Open up my eyes so I won't be blind.

Open up my heart to my neighbor's need

so that I can love both in word and deed.

Open Your throne room high above

So I can find mercy and know Your love.

Open, open, what doors have You opened?

What doors have You opened for me?

God, Our Provider

In this season of political turmoil, it seems particularly necessary to remind myself that God is in control.  As I anticipate coming time when a number of people will be experiencing hardships, I want to solidify my understanding that God is a provider.  That I do not need to be afraid to be generous, that all of us can pray for God's provision.

I have been thinking about Romans 5:3-5, "Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance.  And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope.And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (TPT)

And James 1:2-4 (TPT) "My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can!  For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance.  And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.

The final piece that went into this song was the memory of a friend of mine who would teach about gratitude, saying that he had always had what he needed (though not necessarily all that he wanted) provided for him--and that he knew that, because he was still here, still breathing.

You Have Always Provided 

You have always provided

All that I need.

I know that because I am breathing

Through sorrow and joy

You have cared for us all

Through winter and summer,

Through springtime and fall

You have always been there

You surround us with care

Through hardship and even disaster

Through rich times and poor times

You hold out Your hand

Through trials our faith will grow faster.

You have always provided

All that we need.

We know that because we are breathing.

Through sorrow and joy

You have cared for us all

Through winter and summer,

Through springtime and fall.

You have always been there

You surround us with care

Through hardship and even disaster

Through rich times and poor times

You hold out Your hand.

God help us be true

And to fully trust You

And to know in our hearts

You're the Master.

My Creator Created the World

 I wrote this song back in 2011, in conjunction with a project that meant I wasn't singing it constantly to myself, unlike most of the songs that I write.  And I had completely forgotten it.  Then I found it again, and kept thinking of it, and singing it to myself.  Finally, I decided that the time had come to play around with adding pictures, and recording it, so that is what I did today.  I am so grateful for vecteezy.com which enables me to find ai generated pictures that allow me to illustrate something like this without crediting each and every individual artist.  And I am also grateful for the many individual artists who cooperate with the Great Creator to make something like this possible.

My Creator Created the World

You spoke the world into being

Creatures both seen and unseen

Spirit and flesh came to life at Your touch

My mind can't imagine how You did so much

Every star and every planet

Each electron spinning so fast

Every galaxy whirling so slowly

In the dizzying cosmic dance.

Each blade of grass and every kitten

Each grain of sand and each fish in the sea

Thunder and lightning and sparrows and chickens

You made it all – You caused it to be

You made the whole world

And You made me.

My Creator created the world.

Fire and water and vacuum and dust

Unthinkable vastness 

And hearts that can trust

My Creator created the world

Our Creator created the world.

Temple Sparrows

 I was looking for all the words to this song that I wrote over a year ago, and was surprised to find that I'd never posted it here.  It's one I like a lot, though I don't have much to say about it.

Sparrows have been very comforting to me since the time that I wrote a song proclaiming that even though I'm not important in terms of this world, "I know a God who cares about sparrows."

This song began as I thought about Psalm 84:3 (NIV) "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God."  And of course, if I'm going to think about sparrows, it seems inevitable that I will think about what Jesus said, in Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV), "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. "

Temple Sparrows

At Jerusalem's temple, near the altar that was blessed

The swallows and the sparrows built their tiny nests.

In the place that was sacred they would all fly around

Knowing their babies would be safe on holy ground.

Like a sparrow in the temple

Let me fly in Your love

Let Your Spirit take me higher

To Your throne room above.

In the presence of my Savior

Let me settle and rest.

Secure in the knowledge that

I'm loved and I am blessed.

In the markets of Galilee and of Jerusalem

They sold two birds for a penny

People came for them.

And Jesus said his Father cared for every bird that fell.

So we can be confident that He cares for us as well.

Like a sparrow in the temple

Let me fly in Your love

Let Your Spirit take me higher

To Your throne room above.

In the presence of my Savior

Let me settle and rest

Secure in the knowledge that

I'm loved and I am blessed.

Like a sparrow in the temple

Let us fly in Your love

May Your Spirit take us higher 

To Your throne room above

In the presence of our Savior

Let us settle and rest

Secure in the knowledge 

We are loved and we are blessed.