My best friend...

I woke up a little while ago thinking about my best friend. My best friend is Jesus. To those of you who do not believe, I may sound like a nut. At best, you may think, "That's good for him, but I do not need a crutch." All I can say is you don't know what you are missing!

I can talk with him about anything, anytime, anywhere. He is always there for me. Though He is perfect in every way, He loves me unconditionally despite all of my flaws. He has literally died for me. Where can you find a more awesome friend than that?

It's great to wake up and know that no matter what happens to me today, He will be right there in the middle of it with me. I hope to have a good day. But if I don't, I will call on Him. Actually I will call on Him anyway. I want to be a good friend to Him.

- - -

John 15:12-15
12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Somebody's Praying Me Through

This song was played during a slideshow of the destruction, pain, and rebuilding caused by Hurricane Katrina and the recent Enterprise tornado. I was visiting Gardendale First Baptist Church.

Somebody's Praying Me Through
Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through
Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again
So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause somebody's praying you through
Somebody's praying you through
Someone got down on their knees and prayed for me
Somebody's, somebody's praying you through

Written by Darrell R. Brown and Ty Lacy© 2002 Almo Music Corp/Original Bliss Music (ASCAP) administered by Universal Music Group and Ariose Music (ASCAP) administered by EMI Christian Music Publishing.

A couple of thoughts

We are reading a book called Simply Christian by N.T. Wright in our small group on Sundays after church. I just thought I would share a couple of good quotes from the chapter titled "Jesus and the Coming of God's Kingdom."

"The need which the Christian faith answers is not so much that we are ignorant and need information, but that we are lost and need someone to come find us, stuck in the quicksand waiting to be rescued, dying and in need of new life." (p.92)

"Something about Jesus and the chance there might be more to him than our culture has realized still awakens in millions a sense of new possibilities and prospects." (p.93)

I Believe It, I Believe It!

Today I was taking a walk at break. I was listening to my son's MP3 player. I was listening to one of my all time favorite songs, "Creed" by Rich Mullins. There is something special about listening to that song while enjoying the beauty of the Lord's creation.

At the risk of sounding maudlin, I want that song to be played at my funeral, because it states what my life is all about better than anthing else I know.

Here are the lyrics...

I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ
His only begotten Son, our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried

CHORUS:
And I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not
The invention of any man

I believe that He who suffered
Was crucified, buried, and dead
He descended into hell and
On the third day, rose again
He ascended into Heaven where
He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning to
Judge the quick and the dead
Of the sons of men

CHORUS

I believe it, I believe it
I believe it
I believe it, I believe it

I believe in God the Father almighty
Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son,
Our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church, the communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends

CHORUS

I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe
I believe it, I believe it

The Priestly Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you - יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ

May the Lord shine His face upon you - יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ

May the Lord lift His countenance upon you, and grant you peace -

The Message

I've been reading Eugene Peterson's Bible paraphrase, The Message, lately and it has some tough passages that have absolutely poleaxed me. Peterson tries to recapture the gritty, visceral feel the original marketplace Greek conveyed to a first century audience. And he rephrases things so that they aren't familiar but they mean the same thing. You can read a passage and not realize it's a verse you know by heart until you are finished getting hit with its meaning. This makes it fresh (and newly convicting) when you're reading something for the hundredth time.

The book of James has been especially stringent yet empowering at the same time. Here's a small sample from James 4:4-10:

"You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.

"So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet."