worship

The Cut-Out Bin

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Back in the day, they had a thing called a cut-out bin. Whenever an album didn’t sell very well, they’d put a notch in it and mark it down significantly in price. Usually, a band would have a super big record and then the next one for whatever reason just didn’t do as well. The point is that you could find some great stuff in the cut-out bin if you didn’t mind a little notch at the top left corner of the album.

Lately, one of my favorite pastimes is to flip through the cheap bins of records. At one place, they have a whole stash of $5 records underneath the regularly priced ones. I’ve been known to flip through every single one in search of the elusive and unique find. More often than not, I see a lot of easy listening music from the 50s and 60s, but once in a proverbial blue moon, I’ll find an old CCM album or a test pressing or something out of the ordinary.

1 Corinthians 1:27-31 says, “Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of ‘the brightest and the best’ among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these ‘nobodies’ to expose the hollow pretensions of the ‘somebodies’? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, ‘If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God'” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31, The Message).

A lot of us were the human equivalent of the cut-out bin. Hardly anyone saw any value in us or thought anything about us was special. More often than not, we were the ones who were ignored and passed over. But God chose those nobodies rather than sticking exclusively to the Fortune 500 club. He chose those no one else wanted because He wanted us.

That gives me hope. That means that all of us that God chose matter. Maybe not to the in-crowd or the fashion police, but we matter to God. And what God thinks about us trumps what anyone else thinks about us. Period. You matter to God because He made You, and He don’t make no junk. Just remember that the next time you feel unworthy and unloved. God loves you. That’s all that matters.

An Excerpt from The Magician’s Nephew

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This is an excerpt from the story that tells of the origins or Narnia, though it wasn’t the first Narnia book written. This is in honor of (or in spite of) the new movie coming out soon:

“This is the Boy,” said Aslan, looking, not at Digory, but at his councillors. “This is the Boy who did it.”

“Oh dear,” thought Digory, “what have I done now?”

“Son of Adam,” said the Lion. “There is an evil Witch abroad in my new land of Narnia. Tell these good Beasts how she came here.”

A dozen different things that he might say flashed through Digory’s mind, but he had the sense to say nothing except the exact truth.

“I brought her, Aslan,” he answered in a low voice.

“For what purpose?”

“I wanted to get her out of my own world back into her own. I thought I was taking her back to her own place.”

“How came she to be in your world, son of Adam?”

“By—by Magic.” The Lion said nothing and Digory knew that he had not told enough. “It was my Uncle, Aslan,” he said. “He sent us out of our own world by magic rings, at least I had to go because he sent Polly first, and then we met the Witch in a place called Charn and she just held on to us when—”

“You met the Witch?” said Aslan in a low voice which had the threat of a growl in it.

“She woke up,” said Digory wretchedly. And then, turning very white, “I mean, I woke her. Because I wanted to know what would happen if I struck a bell. Polly didn’t want to. It wasn’t her fault. I—I fought her. I know I shouldn’t have. I think I was a bit enchanted by the writing under the bell.”

“Do you?” asked Aslan; still speaking very low and deep.

“No,” said Digory. “I see now I wasn’t. I was only pretending.” There was a long pause. And Digory was thinking all the time, “I’ve spoiled everything. There’s no chance of getting anything for Mother now.”

When the Lion spoke again it was not to Digory.

“You see, friends,” he said, “that before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it; waked and brought hither by this son of Adam.” The Beasts, even Strawberry, all turned their eyes on Digory till he felt that he wished the ground would swallow him up. “But do not be cast down,” said Aslan, still speaking to the Beasts. “Evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself. In the meantime, let us take such order that for many hundred years yet this shall be a merry land in a merry world. And as Adam’s race has done the harm, Adam’s race shall help to heal it.”

C. S. Lewis, The Magician’s Nephew

Going Back in Time

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“Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did was wrong. But we think you’re crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us… In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain…and an athlete…and a basket case…a princess…and a criminal. Does that answer your question?… Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club” (from the movie The Breakfast Club).

I may be the only one, but I very much doubt it. The older I get, the more I really want to go back in time. I don’t think I’d stay — I’d miss the new technology too much, especially the GPS that keeps me from getting lost. But I think I’d like to visit some of the place where I grew up and see some of the people that aren’t around anymore, even if only for a few moments.

I know there’s no Delorean that’s going to take me back to 1985. I know there’s no time machine that can ever take me back to my childhood. Sometimes, I wonder if my memories might be a little rose-colored, conveniently leaving out all the hard and stressful moments.

Still, I have memories. I have some really good memories. Plus, music always seems to act as a kind of time machine to take me back, especially if it’s a song from back when. It could be a certain smell, or a combination of smells that instantly takes me back. And of course, Christmas makes me more nostalgic than any other time of the year.

I think what I’m really longing for can only be satisfied in heaven. I do think heaven will be all those best moments in my life, multiplied by a million, and never-ending. It will be that feeling of the first day of vacation or the last day of school times infinity. Plus, I’m sure those people I miss most will be there.

So I’d still like to go back, but I’m not holding my breath on this one. I know that what lies ahead is far better than what lies behind me because with God, the best is still yet to come.

Confession Is Good for the Soul

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“Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it–confess it. Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go–the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).

I think I heard the saying that demons die in the light. I don’t think whoever said it meant that actual demons die in actual sunlight like vampires. I think that hidden struggles and sins lose their strongholds when we confess them to others and don’t keep everything hidden.

Somehow, we in the Church got a hold of the idea that we have to present ourselves as perfect in public to be acceptable Christians. We say things like, “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.”

But part of being in a genuine community is that we’re SUPPOSED to be burdens to each other. We’re not meant to carry our burdens alone but to share them. That means not only I carry yours, but you carry mine as well. And how can that happen unless we confess and confide those burdens with each other?

Part of the problem is that we try to put our sin in time-out when the Bible says to put it to death. Don’t let it hang around. Don’t test the limits of sin by seeing how close you can get to the edge of temptation without giving in. I think one passage says for there not to be even an appearance of evil among you.

That can be taken to legalistic extremes and give way to a judgmental spirit, but I think it can also lead to a sense of humility and self-awareness that leads to repentance and growth. So basically, confession IS good for the soul.

Glorifying God

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“The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).

I love in the Westminster Confession where it says that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. John Piper twisted it a bit to glorifying God by enjoying Him forever. He also says that missions exists because in a lot of places worship doesn’t, and worship is the highest function of the Church.

I know that sin messed up a lot of things. Sin made everything a lot harder, although I can’t speak from experience what life was like before the fall. I also know that sin absolutely cannot thwart the plans of God, because we know that God can work all things — even sin — together for good.

It’s helpful to remember that God is control when sin and evil seem to have the upper hand. If you doom scroll enough or watch enough of the news channels, you can end up feeling hopeless. It’s easy to forget in the midst of incessant gloom and doom that the Lord is still on His throne and the end has already been settled. Jesus wins!

That’s the theme of my church’s sermon series on Revelation, and it couldn’t come at a more opportune time. Jesus wins! As I’ve quoted Billy Graham before, “I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it’s all going to turn out all right.”

Well, amen to that!

Remembering a Liturgy, a Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band

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I still remember my one and only Rich Mullins concert experience. It must have been around 1995 or so and I think the venue was First Evangelical Church in Memphis. In some ways, that feels like a lifetime ago, but it also seems like yesterday in some ways.

I think Rich Mullins played the concert in bare feet. He was the most unassuming Christian artist I’ve ever known and was the polar opposite of a diva in every possible way. I have a picture in my mind of Rich Mullins just in front of me, getting a drink out of the water fountain during the intermission instead of having premier bottled water backstage. I was too starstruck to say anything but stood there, looking dumbfounded as he drank out of the fountain.

I’ll never forget how beautifully he played the hammered dulcimer and all those amazing songs of his. The very last song he played was the worshipful I See You, and as he walked off stage the audience was still singing “Everywhere I go I see You, everywhere I go I see You.”

I remember about learning how he had tragically died and how it felt like a gut punch. He was only 41. And his death seemed like such a tragic waste from not wearing a seat belt in a car accident. It seemed like he had so many songs left unsung and music left to write.

Yesterday marked 29 years since his passing on September 19, 1997, yet so many churches are still singing his songs, especially “Awesome God” and “Sometimes by Step.” His musical legacy will continue to live on as new generations discover the power of his music.

I’m thankful that out of all the history in the world, I got to live in the time when Rich Mullins was alive. I got to experience his music when it was new and hear it on the radio when it was being played for the first time. For that I am eternally thankful.

Thank you, Rich, for your musical legacy that you left behind. Thank you for your artistic integrity and your honest lyrics that spoke my feelings and fears better than I ever could. You’ll never know how much of a difference for the Kingdom of God you made, especially in me.

Wanted: Prophetic Voices

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Thanks to Audible, I’m revisiting No Compromise, the biography of the late Keith Green written by his wife Melody Green. From the beginning, it’s clear that Keith saw the world very much in a black and white kind of way. That means for him there were no grey areas. He could be a bit harsh at times, but he was always zealous for the truth.

It occurred to me that we could use a few prophetic voices like his in this day and age. We need those who will stand up to the culture and proclaim thus says the Lord, no matter the cost. We could definitely use some prophetic voices in Christian music who will guide us back to a biblical view of sacrifice and holiness.

I find it interesting that he had an idea that he wouldn’t live a long time. Toward the end, he mentioned how he was ready to meet Jesus face to face. Little did he know that his wish would come true sooner than anybody realized when he was killed in a plane crash on July 28, 1982 at the age of 28. He accomplished more in that short amount of time than many who live into their 80s and 90s because he made himself available for God to use.

Usually, those who speak prophetically aren’t very popular. Look at practically all the prophets in the Bible, many of whom were despised and rejected by the majority of those they tried to reach for God. It was not a calling that any of them chose willingly.

Lord, raise up those who will speak with a prophet’s voice to this generation. We are no better than those to whom you sent your prophets in days of old with a message of return and repentance. Help us always to be faithful and obedient to You in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, no matter the cost. Amen.

Back to Revelation

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All nine campuses of Brentwood Baptist Church recently started a sermon series on the book of Revelation. That’s a book of the Bible that gets a bad rap sometimes because so many of us grew up hearing about how it was all about the United States and the Soviet Union and World War III. There were helicopters and nuclear bombs and microchip implants, even though the book was written nearly 2000 years ago to a group of believers who were centuries away from that kind of technology.

Yes, there is a lot of symbolism and strange imagery in the book of Revelation, but mostly it’s about Jesus. I heard it described as a book of worship centered around the reign and rule of Jesus. Basically, if you wanted to summarize Revelation, it would be Jesus wins and everything’s going to be okay in the end.

It helps to remember that the book was written to a group of churches in the first century who were undergoing horrific persecution under Roman emperors. The believers needed a lifeline because the odds were good that many of them would lose their lives for confessing Jesus rather than Caesar as Lord.

There’s also been some problematic teaching about this book. I remember when Revelation was used as a kind of scare tactic to make sure people were ready to meet Jesus. As a result, many grew up fearing the return of Jesus instead of welcoming it and more have avoided the book of Revelation like the plague (pun intended) ever since.

But if a cliff notes version of Revelation existed, it basically would state that Jesus is in control. Though right now, chaos seems to be in charge, the reality is that Christ is ruling even now and one day we will see a new heaven and earth and all of creation restored.

I read a book once about Revelation called Unveiled Hope. I think that pretty much sums up the theme of the book quite nicely. And as Billy Graham once said, I’ve read the last page of the Bible, and everything’s going to be alright in the end.

Follow Me

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“When Jesus Christ says ‘Follow Me,’ He never says to where; the consequences must be left entirely to Him. We come in with our ‘buts,’ and ‘supposings,’ and ‘what will happen if I do?’ (cf. Luke 9:5762). We have nothing to do with what will happen if we obey; we have to abandon to God’s call in unconditional surrender and smilingly wash our hands of the consequences” –Oswald Chambers, Not Knowing Whither).

That’s just it. I want guarantees that if I follow, I’ll get the desires of my own heart. It’s true that God did promise that, but maybe not in the way that I’ve always believed or wanted it to be. I think that as I follow in obedience, God changes my wanter (to borrow a phrase from my pastor). In other words, the desires of my heart as a mature believer probably aren’t the same as they were when I first said Yes to Jesus way back when.

I don’t get to set the terms. I don’t get to tell Jesus what the conditions will be before I follow. The famous verse from Paul says that I am not my own. I have been bought with a price. And who am I to haggle percentages and conditions when Jesus paid for me with His very blood on that cross. As in He paid all of His blood, not most or some, but all.

I’m not leaving it completely to blind chance. I know in whom I have believed. I trust the One I have committed to follow. I know His plans are for good and not harm, for prospering and not for evil. I know that I can read a whole history of saints who have surrendered to Christ and not one has ever been worse for it. Not one.

It all goes back to my own stubbornness and pride to think that I know better than God how my life should go. In fact, I’d go so far as to call it arrogance to think that if God doesn’t give me what I want when I want it, He must not know what He’s doing. I’ve learned enough to know that He gives me what I would have asked for had I known what He knows.

And that’s enough for me.

We Remember 25 Years Later

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I can still remember where I was 25 years ago on 9/11/2001. That was the day that everything changed. I recall walking into the church office where I worked at the time and hearing about a plane that had flown into a building. It was so random and no one knew anything yet about who did it or why.

When the second plane hit, I think that’s when just about everyone figured it out. This wasn’t random. This was orchestrated. I spend the rest of the day in shock, feeling numb and disconnected and unable to process the scope of the tragedy that had just unfolded.

Those next few days were horrific as the rescuers combed through the wreckage looking for survivors but finding mostly bodies and debris. I can’t imagine being on the ground seeing what those people were seeing, especially when you consider how many were jumping from the towers because of the intense heat and flames.

Those days were also beautiful. We came together as a nation for the briefest of moments. For one shining moment, we weren’t white or black, male or female, young or old. We were all Americans. There was a spirit of cooperation and compassion that pervaded our way of life. Churches were full the next Sunday as people were seeking answers,

I can’t believe it’s been 25 years. It blows my mind that a significant portion of the population wasn’t even alive in 2001. So many know about the events only from reading about them in textbooks or seeing videos on social media. It’s easy for the next generation to forget and for all the lessons we learned to be forgotten.

That’s why it’s vital that we remember. It’s important that we pass on what we saw and what we learned. Life is precious and fleeting, and only a life that honors God is worth living. So many of those we lost were God-fearing men and women. We may never fully understand the why until heaven, but we can know that God took what was evil and made it into something good.

We can love each other well, never take those people in our lives for granted, and use every opportunity to tell people what’s most important to us — that Jesus still loves and saves sinners like us. We can keep the memories of those lost on 9/11 alive as we continue to remember.