Saved Alone (the story behind "It is Well With my Soul")

This morning, our wonderful children's pastor gave the message about revival can be found in deepest of valleys.  She used a video that illustrated this point, using the story behind the composing of the hymn, "It is Well With My Soul."  The video link is here.

When I heard Lynn give the message, I remembered a recent blog post written by a brother in Christ, Carl Middleton.  What follows is from his blog.

Aftermath

Last night a major storm hit our town, hitting just as I was heading home from an evening board meeting.  I found myself feeling nervous and scared as the rain poured down and lightning was striking all around.  I couldn't see very well, and I just wanted to get home.

The next morning, I saw it.  I saw the aftermath of that powerful storm.  I just had to stop and take pictures of each tree I found along the way back to work.

Foundations

In the wake of the earthquake that hit the San Francisco area this morning, I am reposting this (originally published February 23, 2014).  I originally wanted to write about shaky foundations and the house of cards, but I think it is more important to focus on what is considered a solid foundation.
~Kathy

-> A friend of mine was discussing his perception of his life changes that were the result of a divorce.  He described life with his family as a foundation for him.  He was gainfully employed, had a wife and kids, and a house.  He had met the societal expectations of success (in his mind).  But, the marriage fell apart, resulting in divorce with the kids living away from him.  Although he is healthy, has a job and a house, the loss of his family resulted in the loss of his foundation.  He described this in this picture he created.  

Each of the bricks represent the pieces of the foundation he had carefully laid (kids, family unit, friends, etc).  Now, the bricks have scattered, resulting in no stable place for him to rebuild his life.  What foundation does he have now?  

I studied this picture.  I see the bricks and the man sinking slowly into the desert sand.  Any efforts made by the man to gather the bricks together are futile, as the bricks sink, moving away from one another.  The foundation is gone.

Was this a solid foundation?  Jesus described the ideal foundation as obedience to his teachings in the book of Luke.  "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?  I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teachings, and then follows it.  It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock.  When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.  But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation.  When the floods sweep down against the house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins." ~Luke 6:46-49 (NLT)

My friend admits the loss of his foundation has brought him closer to God, and forced his path into new relationships he would never have formed otherwise.  Divorce and loss are not God's design for us, but often times, the bad events in our life are the very things He uses to bring us closer to Him.  He would have us build our life on the foundation of obedience to His Word.  He brings us to truth that cannot be wavered, shaken or rotted.  Even if the winds and waves of life beat against us, we will always have our foundation if it is based on the Word.

"When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation." ~Proverbs 10:25 (NLT)

I'm Tired of Church

"I'm tired of church."  

This was the bold statement our pastor made to us this morning.  He went on to say he remains passionate for God, and he loves us, the people, even more than ever.  He's not tired of God.  He's not tired of us.  He's tired of "church."

Now, I can't speak for him, and what he means, but for me, that statement was revolutionary.

Missing Robin Williams

I have always loved Robin Williams. I was flabbergasted to learn he was experiencing a deep hidden depression that led to an apparent suicide by asphyxiation.  

I would say to anyone who feels deeply depressed... Please seek out help.  There are always people, maybe even people you didn't even realize, who would step out and help talk out what your thoughts are dwelling on.  

In the end, all that really matters is that God loves us, and He wants us to love each other.  Don't give up. Robin's talent was widely recognized, and yet, he did not think he wanted to stay here and share it with us anymore. We will miss him. 

A Call for Prayer (Please)

As I sat here gazing upon this blank computer screen, thinking about what to write, I found myself enveloped in a myriad of thoughts.  I have felt "blocked" and unable to really focus on what God may be saying to me.  I thought about why that may be, and I recognized the patterns of distraction I have been chasing this summer.

If ever I felt under "attack" by the work of Satan, it is now.  It seems like there are different tactics being used to distract me from my walk with God.  If I were to stop and analyze each of them separately, I would just say, "it's life," and I would move on.  What I'm most concerned about is the pattern.

What's even more disturbing is that I see these kinds of attacks on many different Christians.  Whenever one of us starts to make some progress in the mission of sharing the Good News, we hear about some kind of barrier.  This summer, I have heard so many new cancer diagnoses, more marriages breaking up, more legal issues, more financial burdens than I have ever heard before.  Any and all of these things can stop a believer in their tracks, turning them inward, rather than speaking out for God.

In the meantime, I mourn for the children on the other side of the world, being subjected to torture and death by terrorists simply for theirs and their parents' beliefs.  The evil work of Satan has rapidly increased, and we (brothers and sisters) need to stop paying attention to the distractions in our own life, and start praying and taking offensive action against the evil one.

I plan to spend today praying.  If you think about it, please pray with me.  United, we have a chance.  Separated, we fall.

"I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask,

my Father in heaven will do it for you.  For where two or three gather together

as my followers, I am there among them." ~Matthew 18:19-20 (NLT)

You Won't Relent

Yesterday, our worship team sang this song.  

I was captured by the description of the song, taken right from scripture from the Song of Songs:

"Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm.

For love is as strong as death,

its jealousy as enduring as the grave.

Love flashes like fire,

the brightest kind of flame.

Many waters cannot quench love,

nor can rivers drown it."

~Song of Songs 8:6-7 (NLT)

You see, our Lord has that incredible level of passion for us, the kind that possesses, demands, and desires so deeply.  This is the level of passion that normally burns out between two people, but with our God, will never end, not even in death.  

I shiver with joy, knowing He desires me that much.  

The Decatur Celebration - Faces in the Crowd

We discovered the Famous Idaho Truck!

Yesterday evening, we attended the annual Decatur Celebration.  For those of you not from here, this is a very large annual free street festival with lots of food, drink and live music.  Every year, I like to make sure I get an elephant ear, and walk around to the various booths of people selling wares.  This year, we had fun with the potato truck (see photo).

Last night, we went purposely for the screening and awards ceremony of the amateur "21 Film Festival," put on by a local credit union, Land of Lincoln.  This is the seventh year of the contest, and I was fascinated by the imagination and talent of the various film makers.  There was one film maker of all 21 that used the contest to showcase the power of God, and was deliberate in the images of the Bible and scripture he included.  One.  The others ranged from harmless silliness to dark thoughts found in young teens.  I was struck by how many films had a suicide theme or a theme of quiet desperation.

After the awards were handed out, we decided to go back into the Celebration.  It was night time now, and there were multitudes of people milling about, listening to music, laughing, talking and generally congregating.  I looked deeper into their faces, and I noticed.  There were many people experiencing the same level of desperation the filmmakers depicted in their films.  They all seemed to be seeking something, anything to fill the emptiness inside.

I became sad as I looked out in the thousands of people outside that night.  These are people who are blind to what they need, and yet desperately needing it.  These are the kind of people Jesus specifically ministered to.  He did not worry about their economic class, or their outward appearance. He touched them all.  The passage below is one my favorites to use to illustrate just how much he cared about each person in the throng of the crowds of people.

     Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowded around him.  A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.  She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but had gotten no better.  In fact, she had gotten worse.  She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.  For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." Immediately, the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.   

     Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" 

     His disciples said to him, "Look at this crowd pressing around you.  How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'" 

     But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.  Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 

     And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace.  Your suffering is over."(Mark 5:24-34 NLT)

We need to learn this lesson from Jesus.  We need to be able to walk among crowds of people, and still be aware of and care about each one.  Each person is an individual apart from the crowd; an individual with specific needs.  These are the ones we need to reach out to.  

Enjoy the Celebration today and tomorrow.  Just make sure to pray when God leads you to pray.