I remember one of my joys as a young child was to buy a live lp by an artist. I remember "Wings Over America" being one of my early favorites.Later on in High School my friends and I would listen to Dr. Demento on Sunday nights because many times they would broadcast a live concert recording by a band. We would get our blank cassettes ready so we could record the show. I remember hearing Santana on his "Zebop' tour many times that year on Dr. Demento. Even today I still enjoy buying a live dvd. It was and is always exciting to hear what an artist would do with their songs live. It is interesting to see how some of the songs have evolved. They might play the song longer, the tempo might be faster, there would be certain breaks or "kicks" that weren't on the studio performance. We would then learn the "live' versions and go perform them.
Now as a musician one of my joys is performing live with a band. It is really great to interact with other musicians in a "live" setting. You see when you play live in a band, the way it is suppose to work is that each musician is feeding off each other. This is why it is important to be a musician who not only can play well, but also listen well while he is performing. You can do this even while you are reading a "chart" or music. For example, when a drummer goes to a ride cymbal in a certain part of a song I will go to a certain run if I am playing the bass. Now the wonderful thing is that the next time we do that song the drummer may not use his ride cymbal in that part of the song so my bass line would be inappropriate at that part of the song, so I change my bass run. That is all in the process of listening as a musician. The chords haven't changed, the arrangement hasn't changed, but just by one musician changing how they did it before causes you to change how you approach that song. When I play guitar if the keyboard is "busy" in a certain part, then I try not to be. I expect the same response from a keyboard player if there is a part of the song where I am suppose to be "busy".
Now what does all of this have to do with trying to live for God? Well, in many ways the process is the same. You learn in life how to interact with God. You listen for His lead, and then respond. I think by our very nature we want a life that is fixed with formulas. If I do (a) then this should lead to (b). But walking with God doesn't always go like that. We sometimes want a list of what is ok and what isn't ok. We sometimes want to know how close can I get to the fire without getting burned. What we end up doing is turning a living relationship with Jesus into religion when we begin to do this. Jesus didn't come to start a religion, He came that we might have abundant life.
Of course there are some laws like the Ten Commandments which cannot be broken without harm to our lives. But, there are other things in the Bible that aren't so black or white. This is where I see the correlation between playing music live and living for God. Just as you would as a musician get bored of playing a certain song the same way over and over again, living for God can get boring if you don't learn how to interact with Him.
In the areas that aren't black or white, what may be ok for you, may not be ok for me because God is directing our lives in two different ways. I'll give you an example from my life. Many years ago when I was "doing gigs for a living" I began to feel uncomfortable about doing gigs anymore. I began to feel like God was wanting me to stop doing gigs. Well, eventually I stopped. It was a step of faith. No, it was a leap of faith because I was doing about 125-150 gigs a year at that time. Where was I going to get that money that I was making from gigs. I also enjoyed doing gigs and playing music with all kinds of different musicians. I can say God supplied my needs. Looking back I don't know how, but He did. What I didn't know, was that God was putting me on the fast track in ministry. So, all that I was able to do in ministry I wouldn't have been able to do had I still been commited to doing gigs. But my point is, even though I was called away from doing gigs, that doesn't mean that every musician has to stop doing gigs when they begin to live for Jesus. That was the road He led me down. He may lead someone else down another road. By the way, about a couple of years ago He gave me the ok to play gigs from time to time. That is just one example of how we learn how to follow God's lead. We learn that there isn't always a clear cut way that is the same for everybody.
As I mentioned before, we make living for Jesus boring by turning it into a routine. We also do harm to others when we try to get them to live their lives for God in the exact same way that we have. It would be wrong for me to tell other musicians, "ok you need to stop doing gigs once you begin to live for Jesus." The sad thing is, is that many people do this. We expect them to go down the same road that we went down, but God may have a different road for them.
I have just used music as an example, but there are so many more. A tv show that may not be ok for me to watch may be ok for you. A movie that is ok for me, may not be ok for you. The list could go on and on. He may lead you one day to pray for someone at work and then the next day, you may not be lead to pray.
Again, there are some pretty black and white areas in the Bible and we need to obey those to enjoy the type of life that we have always desired. But there are also other areas that aren't so black and white. In those areas we need to learn to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. He will guide us.
Hopefully I have been able to show you the correlation between playing music live and changing parts of the song and walking with God. Remember though, you can use other activities to get the point across. We interact, we follow His lead. We listen and obey. We make adjustments. This was how Jesus lived while He was on the Earth.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:19
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:38
Jesus would follow the lead of the Father. One day He would be in a certain part of the country, the next He would be led to another part. In fact it was the Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted for 40 days.
Jesus lived His life by interacting with the Father. When you read the Bible you don't get the sense that Jesus got bored by His relationship with the Father. As we follow the example of Jesus, our lives won't get boring either.
Troy
This first video is a clip from the Wings Over America Album. It was one of my early favorite live albums. I always loved how Paul put Jet with Venus and Mars and Rockshow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfKugneK5ao
The next video clip is just an example of a band interacting with each other.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2laQJWkxh0
This final video is a well known song done a little bit differently by the band. You can hear the guitar player adding parts that weren't in the original recording. It is a great example of how a song developed over time by the artists through live performance. You can sense the energy of the band, the artists, and the audience. Oh to have that type of energy for God. To live life following His lead where life is exciting and full of energy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhcq_Km5QcA
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Blowing A Good Thing
Have you ever looked back on your life and realized you blew a good thing? Many people have. Some have blown a good marriage, others a good job, some a good gig, others a good opportunity. The list could go on and on. I know looking back over my life I have blown many situations. I think we all could look back over our lives and realize we have blown some good things in our lives. Sometimes we didn't just realize how good we had it. As we look around at people who have blown different areas in their lives I think the main thing to think about is not that they blew it , but what did they do after they blew it. I mean, since we have all blown a good thing at least once in our lives, the key is what do we do after that.
I was thinking of Adam and Eve. You want to talk about blowing a good thing. They were living in paradise. They had access to everything except some fruit on a tree. And what did they do? They blew it. The serpent deceived Eve into thinking things weren't as good as they were. I wonder if after they blew it did they ever think to themselves, "we really blew a good thing."
What was the key for them to be able to keep going in life? God. Sure they had to live with the consequences of their actions. But they were able to keep going on in life because of God and His provision for them. What do I mean? Well, they both realized they were naked, they had done what they weren't supposed to, and they couldn't fix the situation. Their solution was to run and hide from God. Which ironically is what we often do when we have blown a good thing.
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8
If we aren't necessarily thinking of God in our lives, we may not run from God but we run from the situation, or we may from people. But again Adam and Eve were able to keep going. Why? God. Genesis 3:21 says," The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them."
You may wonder why is that verse so important. Adam and Eve had blown a good thing. God had told them the consequences of their actions. But still they were naked and had no solution. But God clothed them. Also, by killing an animal to make clothes for Adam and Eve Blood was shed. This points forward to a time when we have blown it with God and we can't fix ourselves before God. What did God do? He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. His blood was shed for us. He covers not our naked bodies but our sin. Hebrews 9:22b says," and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
So the key for Adam and Eve to be able to keep going on was accepting God's provision for themselves. It is the same for us. We have all blown good things in our lives. God wants us to keep going forward with life and learn from our mistakes. But we also have all blown it with God at some point , and God wants us to accept His provision for us, His Son Jesus.
God's love is amazing. He initiated the whole restoration process with Adam and Eve. If it had been left up to them they would have been still running from God and trying to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. The same is true for us. If it had been left up to us, we would all be running and hiding from God. We would be trying to cover our sin with our own religious efforts. But God initiated the restoration process not only with Adam and Eve, but also with us. His love and grace are amazing !!!
Troy
I was thinking of Adam and Eve. You want to talk about blowing a good thing. They were living in paradise. They had access to everything except some fruit on a tree. And what did they do? They blew it. The serpent deceived Eve into thinking things weren't as good as they were. I wonder if after they blew it did they ever think to themselves, "we really blew a good thing."
What was the key for them to be able to keep going in life? God. Sure they had to live with the consequences of their actions. But they were able to keep going on in life because of God and His provision for them. What do I mean? Well, they both realized they were naked, they had done what they weren't supposed to, and they couldn't fix the situation. Their solution was to run and hide from God. Which ironically is what we often do when we have blown a good thing.
They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8
If we aren't necessarily thinking of God in our lives, we may not run from God but we run from the situation, or we may from people. But again Adam and Eve were able to keep going. Why? God. Genesis 3:21 says," The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them."
You may wonder why is that verse so important. Adam and Eve had blown a good thing. God had told them the consequences of their actions. But still they were naked and had no solution. But God clothed them. Also, by killing an animal to make clothes for Adam and Eve Blood was shed. This points forward to a time when we have blown it with God and we can't fix ourselves before God. What did God do? He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. His blood was shed for us. He covers not our naked bodies but our sin. Hebrews 9:22b says," and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
So the key for Adam and Eve to be able to keep going on was accepting God's provision for themselves. It is the same for us. We have all blown good things in our lives. God wants us to keep going forward with life and learn from our mistakes. But we also have all blown it with God at some point , and God wants us to accept His provision for us, His Son Jesus.
God's love is amazing. He initiated the whole restoration process with Adam and Eve. If it had been left up to them they would have been still running from God and trying to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. The same is true for us. If it had been left up to us, we would all be running and hiding from God. We would be trying to cover our sin with our own religious efforts. But God initiated the restoration process not only with Adam and Eve, but also with us. His love and grace are amazing !!!
Troy
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Trusting Even When You Don't Have An Explanation
So there is a guy in the Bible by the name of Job. The Bible describes him as someone who was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Well, in a pretty short period of time he lost his animals, and his servants and his children died. Then to top it off he had these boils from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. The Bible says he took a potsherd to scrape himself. Then as all this was going on his wife spoke these words of encouragement to him, " Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"
The book of Job in the Bible is 42 chapters long. All of this took place in the first two chapters. Chapter three is about him cursing the day he was born. Fom chapters 4 to 37 his so called friends basically tell him that all this must have happened because there was sin in his life. (We know there wasn't because of the first two chapters). There are always people out there who believe that if something bad happens in your life it is because you must have ticked off God somehow. During these chapters Job trys to tell his friends that he hasn't done anything wrong before God, and he wishes he could get an opportunity to talk to God and plead his case.
The amazing thing through all of this is that he doesn't give up on God. He doesn't understand why all of this is going on in his life, but He still remains faithful to God. The reason I find this amazing is because it is hard to remain faithful when you don't have an explanation as to why something is going on in your life. Not only do we like explanations, but we also like time periods. If you are sick and the docter gives you some medication and tells you that you should feel better in 24 to 48 hours, you can endure feeling bad because you have a time period as to when you should start feeling better.
Now here's the kicker... we are told why all of this is going on with Job. It is all explained to us in the first two chapters. Basically God was bragging on Job to satan. But satan basically says, "sure he is faithful to you. You never let anything bad happen to him. But let some bad things happen to him and he will curse you to your face." So God lets satan do some harm to Job. But satan can't just do what ever he wants. God does put some restrictions on the devil. God tells satan that he isn't allowed to kill Job.
Let's bring all of this to our lives. There are times when bad things happen to us because they are a result of some bad choices we have made. I think we are all mature enough to accept that. But that is not what this story is about. It's about those times we are obeying God and things go bad. And then to top it off we are not given an explanation as to why it is going on. You see, when those tough times come, if we have an explanation as to why, it helps us to endure. It also helps us to feel vindicated. If we think the reason is because God wants to see if we are faithful, then of course we will endure, because we want to show God that we are faithful. If we are told what we are going through is because of satan, then of course we remain faithful because we want to show satan that we will remain faithful to God. Let's also remember that if it is because of satan, he can't do anything he wants to us. God sets up the boundries. As Martin Luther said," even the devil is still God's devil." But there are times when we aren't given an explanation and we are called to just trust and remain faithful to God.
There are times in the midst of troubles God will reveal to us why it is happening to us. Then there are times He doesn't until years later. But there are also those times He never reveals. Maybe He will in heaven, I don't know. But no matter what the situation is we are called to be faithful. We are called to trust in His goodness. We are called to trust in His faithfulness towards us.
Here are some verses that I hope will help us to continue to trust:
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 118:29
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Nahum 1:7
... and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.
Joshua 23:14
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Troy
The book of Job in the Bible is 42 chapters long. All of this took place in the first two chapters. Chapter three is about him cursing the day he was born. Fom chapters 4 to 37 his so called friends basically tell him that all this must have happened because there was sin in his life. (We know there wasn't because of the first two chapters). There are always people out there who believe that if something bad happens in your life it is because you must have ticked off God somehow. During these chapters Job trys to tell his friends that he hasn't done anything wrong before God, and he wishes he could get an opportunity to talk to God and plead his case.
The amazing thing through all of this is that he doesn't give up on God. He doesn't understand why all of this is going on in his life, but He still remains faithful to God. The reason I find this amazing is because it is hard to remain faithful when you don't have an explanation as to why something is going on in your life. Not only do we like explanations, but we also like time periods. If you are sick and the docter gives you some medication and tells you that you should feel better in 24 to 48 hours, you can endure feeling bad because you have a time period as to when you should start feeling better.
Now here's the kicker... we are told why all of this is going on with Job. It is all explained to us in the first two chapters. Basically God was bragging on Job to satan. But satan basically says, "sure he is faithful to you. You never let anything bad happen to him. But let some bad things happen to him and he will curse you to your face." So God lets satan do some harm to Job. But satan can't just do what ever he wants. God does put some restrictions on the devil. God tells satan that he isn't allowed to kill Job.
Let's bring all of this to our lives. There are times when bad things happen to us because they are a result of some bad choices we have made. I think we are all mature enough to accept that. But that is not what this story is about. It's about those times we are obeying God and things go bad. And then to top it off we are not given an explanation as to why it is going on. You see, when those tough times come, if we have an explanation as to why, it helps us to endure. It also helps us to feel vindicated. If we think the reason is because God wants to see if we are faithful, then of course we will endure, because we want to show God that we are faithful. If we are told what we are going through is because of satan, then of course we remain faithful because we want to show satan that we will remain faithful to God. Let's also remember that if it is because of satan, he can't do anything he wants to us. God sets up the boundries. As Martin Luther said," even the devil is still God's devil." But there are times when we aren't given an explanation and we are called to just trust and remain faithful to God.
There are times in the midst of troubles God will reveal to us why it is happening to us. Then there are times He doesn't until years later. But there are also those times He never reveals. Maybe He will in heaven, I don't know. But no matter what the situation is we are called to be faithful. We are called to trust in His goodness. We are called to trust in His faithfulness towards us.
Here are some verses that I hope will help us to continue to trust:
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 118:29
The LORD is good,
A stronghold in the day of trouble,
And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
Nahum 1:7
... and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.
Joshua 23:14
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
1 Thessalonians 5:24
Troy
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
God Is Thinking Of You
What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.
A. W. Tozer
I have always believed the above quote. As I have met various people I have found that their thought of what God is like has influenced their lives. Some think of God as someone who is far off and not concerned with what goes on here on Earth. They live their lives out according to that belief. Some think of God as someone who gets mad at us every time we mess up. Those that believe that live their lives according to that belief. Some think that since God is love He would never judge anyone. And they live their lives according to that belief. So you can see why the most important thought we can have is what we think of God. You can also see why we need to get the right thought about what God is like.
I would like to share a a truth about God that hopefully will encourage all of us: God is thinking of you. Hopefully this will encourage those who think God doesn't care. Sometimes we take two steps forward and three steps back. After an extended period of living like this we can become discouraged. When that happens we begin to get thoughts in our head that tell us that we should just give up. We think that God couldn't be concerned about us after all the times we have failed. We think we should have our act together by now. We think since others have given up on us, God probably has also.
The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16). It doesn't say that He is merely loving. It says He is love. That love, no matter what you and I have done with our lives, is directed towards us.
Not only does God love us, but He thinks of us. He says,"For I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11).
If He has plans for us, that means He is thinking of us. If you are planning something, that means you have put thought into it. This verse from Jeremiah was spoken to a people who had been disobedient toward God. They had not lived their lives the way God had desired. Yet, God was still thinking of them. God was still planning good for their lives. True, they would have to yield their lives to His plan. But their disobedience had not stopped God from thinking of them.
His thoughts towards us are good, and He has a special plan for us that is birthed out of His undying love for us. Psalm 40:5 says," Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us:There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count".
That verse is telling us that God has many thoughts towards us. He doesn't just think of us once and then forget about us. Think of all the wonders He has done, there are so many. And Psalm 40:5 is telling us that He has that many thoughts towards us.
I have had times where I forget something, times where something slips my mind. But God doesn't forget us. Some may say,"I can believe He is thinking of me when I am living right. But when I mess up, He probably isn't thinking of me." That thought process is not true. God's love toward you is not dependant upon what you do. If it were, God would have been done with me a long time ago. In fact, He would be done with all of us because the Bible says there is none righteous. Yet, here we are still alive, still experiencing His goodness and love and mercy.
I hope you will remember that God is thinking of you. I hope that truth will help shape you life. I would like to end this with a couple more verses from the Bible that speaks of God thinking of us.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me , O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would
outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
Psalm 139:17,18
Troy
A. W. Tozer
I have always believed the above quote. As I have met various people I have found that their thought of what God is like has influenced their lives. Some think of God as someone who is far off and not concerned with what goes on here on Earth. They live their lives out according to that belief. Some think of God as someone who gets mad at us every time we mess up. Those that believe that live their lives according to that belief. Some think that since God is love He would never judge anyone. And they live their lives according to that belief. So you can see why the most important thought we can have is what we think of God. You can also see why we need to get the right thought about what God is like.
I would like to share a a truth about God that hopefully will encourage all of us: God is thinking of you. Hopefully this will encourage those who think God doesn't care. Sometimes we take two steps forward and three steps back. After an extended period of living like this we can become discouraged. When that happens we begin to get thoughts in our head that tell us that we should just give up. We think that God couldn't be concerned about us after all the times we have failed. We think we should have our act together by now. We think since others have given up on us, God probably has also.
The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:16). It doesn't say that He is merely loving. It says He is love. That love, no matter what you and I have done with our lives, is directed towards us.
Not only does God love us, but He thinks of us. He says,"For I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11).
If He has plans for us, that means He is thinking of us. If you are planning something, that means you have put thought into it. This verse from Jeremiah was spoken to a people who had been disobedient toward God. They had not lived their lives the way God had desired. Yet, God was still thinking of them. God was still planning good for their lives. True, they would have to yield their lives to His plan. But their disobedience had not stopped God from thinking of them.
His thoughts towards us are good, and He has a special plan for us that is birthed out of His undying love for us. Psalm 40:5 says," Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us:There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count".
That verse is telling us that God has many thoughts towards us. He doesn't just think of us once and then forget about us. Think of all the wonders He has done, there are so many. And Psalm 40:5 is telling us that He has that many thoughts towards us.
I have had times where I forget something, times where something slips my mind. But God doesn't forget us. Some may say,"I can believe He is thinking of me when I am living right. But when I mess up, He probably isn't thinking of me." That thought process is not true. God's love toward you is not dependant upon what you do. If it were, God would have been done with me a long time ago. In fact, He would be done with all of us because the Bible says there is none righteous. Yet, here we are still alive, still experiencing His goodness and love and mercy.
I hope you will remember that God is thinking of you. I hope that truth will help shape you life. I would like to end this with a couple more verses from the Bible that speaks of God thinking of us.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me , O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would
outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
Psalm 139:17,18
Troy
Monday, August 9, 2010
Staying In Shape For The Gig
I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to have the night off. But at about 4:00 I got a call asking if I could do a gig for someone. The guitar player that had been hired for the gig had some unforseen events come up and now he wasn't going to make the gig. Usually this is no problem. I tend to be ready for a gig on a last moment's notice. I could do this gig, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that I knew I was going to be asked to do a lot of guitar solos throughout the night. Now usually that is not a problem. I have been improvising for decades. I know my scales, modes, and theory. I could do the gig and the audience wouldn't know that I didn't feel in shape. Most gigs you can get by after you have done it this long because most gigs don't require too much of you musically. But tonight I was playing with musicians who would know the difference. They would be able to tell if I was in shape musically or not. And there was the problem, I had not picked up the guitar and done any scales or playing that week. Usually throughout the week I pick up my guitar and run through different exercises just to stay in shape. But for some reason I didn't do it this particular week. It's a horrible feeling to know that you have the ability to do something but because you are not prepared you don't perform up to your potential.
This happens not just to musicians, but to all of us. We can all identify with not responding up to our ability. We can all relate to those times of being unprepared. It also happens in our spiritual lives. You respond in a way that you know you shouldn't have. You say something that you know you shouldn't have. I'm not talking about being perfect. I'm talking about those things we do when we know better. Not things that we struggle with. Things that we already have responded the right way many times before in our lives.
This can happen because we haven't been staying in shape spiritually. We get caught off guard. The way I was for that gig. There are times when unexpected events happen in our lives and we respond the way we should. And then there are those times we don't. I think one of the reasons why, though I am not saying it is true 100% of the time, is because we have drifted away from doing the things that help us to be ready for those moments.
I would like to share with you some of the things I do throughout the day to try and stay spiritually fit. Please understand , I am not perfect, but when I do what I am going to mention my relationship with Jesus seems to go better. I would also like to add that you don't have to copy what I do. I am just telling you how I stay in shape spiritually and maybe you can apply some of these actions to your life.
Our spiritual life is like a fire. A fire just doesn't keep burning on its own. It needs to be fanned throughout the whole time you are wanting it to burn. This is why even though going to church is wonderful, and we all should go to church. Just one hour on Sunday isn't going to keep you in shape spiritually. Sunday starts the spark, but what we do Monday through Saturday keeps it burning. Another thing I have noticed is that we Christians often think of Sunday church as the "gig" when it is the rehearsal for the real "gig" which is Monday through Saturday.
So here is what I do to stay in shape spiritually throughout the week. When I wake up I thank God for the new day. A new day is promised to no one, so I am thankful that I get a new one. I also thank Him for allowing me to sleep the night before. Most of us know what it is like to have trouble sleeping, so if you get a good night's sleep, be thankful. In the morning I will pray and read a little of the Bible. Now throughout the day, maybe every hour or two I will pick up where I left off in prayer and pray for a minute or two. I may also read a few pages from a Christian book sometime during the day. When I sin during the day, if I am aware of it, hopefully I will ask God to forgive me. At the end of the day I will spend more time reading books, my Bible and prayer. I don't do these things because I want God to love me and bless me, I don't do them to impress anyone or to try to avoid being on God's bad side. I do this to keep the relationship with God alive. To keep the fire burning. To stay in shape spiritually. To be ready for the "gig'. I guess you could say I do these disciplines because I realize I am spiritually weak. I have found that I cannot maintain a joyful and meaningful relationship with Jesus without these disciplines. I also need to get to church weekly, hangout and interact with other Christians during the week. I have found that when I neglect these things, my spiritual life gets out of shape.
By the way, that gig I had, we did very basic songs so it wasn't a problem. But as I reflect back on that day, I see the connection between staying in shape musically and spiritually. Hope these words will help you find a routine to stay in shape spiritually, so that you can be ready when God calls on you for a "gig" during the week.
Troy
This happens not just to musicians, but to all of us. We can all identify with not responding up to our ability. We can all relate to those times of being unprepared. It also happens in our spiritual lives. You respond in a way that you know you shouldn't have. You say something that you know you shouldn't have. I'm not talking about being perfect. I'm talking about those things we do when we know better. Not things that we struggle with. Things that we already have responded the right way many times before in our lives.
This can happen because we haven't been staying in shape spiritually. We get caught off guard. The way I was for that gig. There are times when unexpected events happen in our lives and we respond the way we should. And then there are those times we don't. I think one of the reasons why, though I am not saying it is true 100% of the time, is because we have drifted away from doing the things that help us to be ready for those moments.
I would like to share with you some of the things I do throughout the day to try and stay spiritually fit. Please understand , I am not perfect, but when I do what I am going to mention my relationship with Jesus seems to go better. I would also like to add that you don't have to copy what I do. I am just telling you how I stay in shape spiritually and maybe you can apply some of these actions to your life.
Our spiritual life is like a fire. A fire just doesn't keep burning on its own. It needs to be fanned throughout the whole time you are wanting it to burn. This is why even though going to church is wonderful, and we all should go to church. Just one hour on Sunday isn't going to keep you in shape spiritually. Sunday starts the spark, but what we do Monday through Saturday keeps it burning. Another thing I have noticed is that we Christians often think of Sunday church as the "gig" when it is the rehearsal for the real "gig" which is Monday through Saturday.
So here is what I do to stay in shape spiritually throughout the week. When I wake up I thank God for the new day. A new day is promised to no one, so I am thankful that I get a new one. I also thank Him for allowing me to sleep the night before. Most of us know what it is like to have trouble sleeping, so if you get a good night's sleep, be thankful. In the morning I will pray and read a little of the Bible. Now throughout the day, maybe every hour or two I will pick up where I left off in prayer and pray for a minute or two. I may also read a few pages from a Christian book sometime during the day. When I sin during the day, if I am aware of it, hopefully I will ask God to forgive me. At the end of the day I will spend more time reading books, my Bible and prayer. I don't do these things because I want God to love me and bless me, I don't do them to impress anyone or to try to avoid being on God's bad side. I do this to keep the relationship with God alive. To keep the fire burning. To stay in shape spiritually. To be ready for the "gig'. I guess you could say I do these disciplines because I realize I am spiritually weak. I have found that I cannot maintain a joyful and meaningful relationship with Jesus without these disciplines. I also need to get to church weekly, hangout and interact with other Christians during the week. I have found that when I neglect these things, my spiritual life gets out of shape.
By the way, that gig I had, we did very basic songs so it wasn't a problem. But as I reflect back on that day, I see the connection between staying in shape musically and spiritually. Hope these words will help you find a routine to stay in shape spiritually, so that you can be ready when God calls on you for a "gig" during the week.
Troy
Friday, July 16, 2010
Encouragement From The Psalms #2
We humans seem to always look to the past or the future for happiness. Some think the past was the best time of our lives. Hopefully we all have had wonderful experiences from the past. I have wonderful memories with friends and family that I wouldn't change for anything. But some glorify the past. I agree with Billy Joel in his song Keeping The Faith when he said," The good old days weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."
Some glorify the future. They are always thinking that somewhere in the future is when they are finally going to be happy. We all need to set goals for our futures. We all need to keep living for the future. But we can't glorify it.
The time we forget about most often is the present. We often forget to be happy for today. The Bible says," This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
If we would think about it, we all have countless reasons to rejoice for this day. This day is a day we have never experienced before. Who knows what good can come our way today.Yes there are days when the demands of life threaten to overwhelm us. When those times come we may not feel like rejoicing. Instead of rejoicing, we may feel frustrated by the demands of the day and worried about the uncertainties of tomorrow. When we experience days like that it is time to count our blessings. No, it isn't always easy. I confess I often forget to count my blessings when I am in that kind of mood. But, it is the right thing to do.
This is the day that the Lord has made so let's begin it and end it partnering with God throughout. Let's cherish the past, look foward to the future, but let's learn how to enjoy this day.
Troy
Some glorify the future. They are always thinking that somewhere in the future is when they are finally going to be happy. We all need to set goals for our futures. We all need to keep living for the future. But we can't glorify it.
The time we forget about most often is the present. We often forget to be happy for today. The Bible says," This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
If we would think about it, we all have countless reasons to rejoice for this day. This day is a day we have never experienced before. Who knows what good can come our way today.Yes there are days when the demands of life threaten to overwhelm us. When those times come we may not feel like rejoicing. Instead of rejoicing, we may feel frustrated by the demands of the day and worried about the uncertainties of tomorrow. When we experience days like that it is time to count our blessings. No, it isn't always easy. I confess I often forget to count my blessings when I am in that kind of mood. But, it is the right thing to do.
This is the day that the Lord has made so let's begin it and end it partnering with God throughout. Let's cherish the past, look foward to the future, but let's learn how to enjoy this day.
Troy
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Encouragement From The Psalms
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2 NASB
I believe that deep down all of us want a blessed life. Nobody desires a life that falls apart. As author James Bryan Smith states," I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life." Yet, we have all had times in our lives where we have made choices where life began to fall apart from that choice or choices. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes. Hopefully instead of experiencing a life as a result of wrong choices we can experience a blessed life.
The word blessed means more than just being happy. Happiness so often has to do with our circumstances. If our circumstances are favorable we are happy. When they are not, we aren't happy. The word blessed can sound very religious,or even pious. Some translations may even say happy. But as I stated earlier happy refers to a temporary condition based on external conditions. I like the phrase "well off."Bryan James Smith uses this phrase when talking about the beatitudes. So Psalm 1 could start off, "How well off is the man..."
I like the phrase "well off" because it doesn't imply a life of no troubles. Some people think that if you follow Jesus with your life you won't have any problems. No, you still have problems even when you are obeying Jesus. There is no such life as a life with no problems. But while you are obeying Jesus with your life you are still "blessed" or "well off" even in the midst of troubles.
The Psalms have many references to someone being blessed, or how to be blessed, or living blessed. The first verse of the Book of Psalms starts off in the negative by telling us what not to do so that we can experience a blessed life.
1. Does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
2. Nor stand in the path of sinners
3. Nor sit in the seat of scoffers
The first directive seems simple enough. The ways of the world often stand in contrast to the "kingdom". It hard enough at times to follow the kingdom ways when you are a follower of Jesus, but downright impossible when you are not. So the writer of this Psalm is telling us not to get counsel from anyone who is not following Jesus. Now obviously this does not mean in every area of life. There are wise doctors, lawyers and other people who do not follow Jesus with their lives but they still can advise well in their areas of expertise. But when it comes to making "kingdom " decisions you will need the counsel of others who are in the kingdom. One example would be that if someone does you wrong, someone may tell you to retaliate back. But this does not follow kingdom principles. So listening to that advice will hurt you in the long run. So be careful who you get your advice from when it comes to living for God.
The other two directives have more to do with who it is you are hanging out with. Now, we don't stop hanging out with people just because they don't follow Jesus. But the advice the writer is giving has more to do with the fact that we begin to act like the people we hang out with all the time. If we aren't careful their action will begin to rub off on us. If we hang out with people who mock others all the time, we will probably begin to mock others all the time.
So the writer of this Psalm is telling us that if we hang out with the right people we are blessed. If we don't follow the counsel of those who tell us not to follow God's ways, we are blessed.
Now this Psalm tells us that what we are to do, is to delight in God's Word. We are also to meditate on it. This does not mean that we do like the eastern religions when it comes to meditating. It means we dwell on what we have read, we think about it throughout the day. You can write a verse down on a notecard and keep it with you and look at it at different times in the day when you have a chance. You can store it in your phone. There are many ways you can dwell on God's word throughout the day.
As we read the Bible and then dwell on it we will begin to live it out when the right situation comes along. That is what the Psalmist is telling us. That is why it is so important to read, and then dwell on God's word. Because it will lead into action. As we begin to do what God says we will begin to experience a blessed life.
Troy
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 1:1-2 NASB
I believe that deep down all of us want a blessed life. Nobody desires a life that falls apart. As author James Bryan Smith states," I have never met a person whose goal was to ruin his or her life." Yet, we have all had times in our lives where we have made choices where life began to fall apart from that choice or choices. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes. Hopefully instead of experiencing a life as a result of wrong choices we can experience a blessed life.
The word blessed means more than just being happy. Happiness so often has to do with our circumstances. If our circumstances are favorable we are happy. When they are not, we aren't happy. The word blessed can sound very religious,or even pious. Some translations may even say happy. But as I stated earlier happy refers to a temporary condition based on external conditions. I like the phrase "well off."Bryan James Smith uses this phrase when talking about the beatitudes. So Psalm 1 could start off, "How well off is the man..."
I like the phrase "well off" because it doesn't imply a life of no troubles. Some people think that if you follow Jesus with your life you won't have any problems. No, you still have problems even when you are obeying Jesus. There is no such life as a life with no problems. But while you are obeying Jesus with your life you are still "blessed" or "well off" even in the midst of troubles.
The Psalms have many references to someone being blessed, or how to be blessed, or living blessed. The first verse of the Book of Psalms starts off in the negative by telling us what not to do so that we can experience a blessed life.
1. Does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
2. Nor stand in the path of sinners
3. Nor sit in the seat of scoffers
The first directive seems simple enough. The ways of the world often stand in contrast to the "kingdom". It hard enough at times to follow the kingdom ways when you are a follower of Jesus, but downright impossible when you are not. So the writer of this Psalm is telling us not to get counsel from anyone who is not following Jesus. Now obviously this does not mean in every area of life. There are wise doctors, lawyers and other people who do not follow Jesus with their lives but they still can advise well in their areas of expertise. But when it comes to making "kingdom " decisions you will need the counsel of others who are in the kingdom. One example would be that if someone does you wrong, someone may tell you to retaliate back. But this does not follow kingdom principles. So listening to that advice will hurt you in the long run. So be careful who you get your advice from when it comes to living for God.
The other two directives have more to do with who it is you are hanging out with. Now, we don't stop hanging out with people just because they don't follow Jesus. But the advice the writer is giving has more to do with the fact that we begin to act like the people we hang out with all the time. If we aren't careful their action will begin to rub off on us. If we hang out with people who mock others all the time, we will probably begin to mock others all the time.
So the writer of this Psalm is telling us that if we hang out with the right people we are blessed. If we don't follow the counsel of those who tell us not to follow God's ways, we are blessed.
Now this Psalm tells us that what we are to do, is to delight in God's Word. We are also to meditate on it. This does not mean that we do like the eastern religions when it comes to meditating. It means we dwell on what we have read, we think about it throughout the day. You can write a verse down on a notecard and keep it with you and look at it at different times in the day when you have a chance. You can store it in your phone. There are many ways you can dwell on God's word throughout the day.
As we read the Bible and then dwell on it we will begin to live it out when the right situation comes along. That is what the Psalmist is telling us. That is why it is so important to read, and then dwell on God's word. Because it will lead into action. As we begin to do what God says we will begin to experience a blessed life.
Troy
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