Here for You

Been singing this song alot lately at our church.  Here's some good background info behind it.

The Beautiful Lamb

I just finished writing an original hymn for one of my grad classes. I really enjoyed this challenge and wanted to share the lyrics with you. Enjoy!

'The Beautiful Lamb'

God of all power and wonder and might
None can compare to Your worth
The fairest of thousands, The author of life
The Lord of heaven and earth

Descending from heaven the Word became flesh
To dwell with the wretched unclean
Unsearchable mystery, unthinkable grace
Of Jesus the ransom for me

Chorus:
Hallelujah, praise to the One
Who has conquered the power of the grave
Hallelujah, my chains are undone
By the beautiful Lamb that was slain

In His compassion He came to our aid
The beggar, the blind, and the lame
His grace has no boundary, His power no end
To the one who will call on His name

Chorus

With joy set before Him, surrendering all
To the will of the Father above
Pierced for our failures, crushed for our sin
Oh the depths of His wonderful love

One day the skies will break open with light
The invasion of eternity
And the unending praises of Jesus Christ
Will sound from His glorious redeemed

Chorus (2x)

Idols and the Living God

Just read this this morning after a prompt (tweet) from a friend of mine. What an illustration of the power of the living God contrasted to the outright worthlessness of man-made idols.  I'll let the text speak for itself.  Buckle up.

Jeremiah 10

Idols and the Living God

1 Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2 Thus says the Lord: 

"Learn not the way of the nations,

nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens

because the nations are dismayed at them,

3  for the customs of the peoples are vanity.t

A tree from the forest is cut down

and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.

4  They decorate it with silver and gold;

they fasten it with hammer and nails

so that it cannot move.

5  Their idolst are like scarecrows in a cucumber field,

and they cannot speak;

they have to be carried,

for they cannot walk.

Do not be afraid of them,

for they cannot do evil,

neither is it in them to do good."

6  There is none like you, O Lord;

you are great, and your name is great in might.

7  Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?

For this is your due;

for among all the wise ones of the nations

and in all their kingdoms

there is none like you.

8  They are both stupid and foolish;

the instruction of idols is but wood!

9  Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,

and gold from Uphaz.

They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;

their clothing is violet and purple;

they are all the work of skilled men.

10  But the Lord is the true God;

he is the living God and the everlasting King.

At his wrath the earth quakes,

and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

11 Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens."t

12  It is he who made the earth by his power,

who established the world by his wisdom,

and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

13  When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,

and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.

14  Every man is stupid and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols,

for his images are false,

and there is no breath in them.

15  They are worthless, a work of delusion;

at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

16  Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob,

for he is the one who formed all things,

and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance;

the Lord of hosts is his name.

17  Gather up your bundle from the ground,

O you who dwell under siege!

18  For thus says the Lord:

"Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land

at this time,

and I will bring distress on them,

that they may feel it."

19  Woe is me because of my hurt!

My wound is grievous.

But I said, "Truly this is an affliction,

and I must bear it."

20  My tent is destroyed,

and all my cords are broken;

my children have gone from me,

and they are not;

there is no one to spread my tent again

and to set up my curtains.

21  For the shepherds are stupid

and do not inquire of the Lord;

therefore they have not prospered,

and all their flock is scattered.

22  A voice, a rumor! Behold, it comes!—

a great commotion out of the north country

to make the cities of Judah a desolation,

a lair of jackals.

23  I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself,

that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

24  Correct me, O Lord, but in justice;

not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing.

25  Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not,

and on the peoples that call not on your name,

for they have devoured Jacob;

they have devoured him and consumed him,

and have laid waste his habitation.

Thundering Thoughts (2 AM Edition)

It's 2:24 am and I'm wide awake. I woke up about an hour ago to a deafening and an outright frightening thunderstorm. Thunderstorms have always been a paradoxical experience for me.

I love the experience of rain. The sheer beauty of it is one of my favorite things ever. I love the soothing sound of the drops hitting the roof. The smell of the air and the refreshment that it brings as it washes and waters everything it comes in contact with. I love the symbolic connection of rain and the Holy Spirit. Even now as I'm watching the rain pelt my truck from my window, I'm asking God to rain down His presence and power over my heart and mind. I also love playing in the rain. There's something about the entire experience that is exciting, unpredictable, and captivating. I also enjoy watching the lightning. Tonight it's ripping across the sky every few minutes, shattering the darkness with it's brilliance and then vanishing just as instantly as it appears. I heart it.

Thunder is a different story. Thunder absolutely terrifies me. The hair on my neck stands up. I get goosebumps, and I'm not talking about the 'I just kissed a girl and I liked it' kind either. What's a blog post without a Katy Perry reference, am I right? The goosebumps that I'm referring to are the kind you get when you're about to get into a fight, or pulled over by the police, or sent to the principal's office. Or looking over the ledge of any platform higher than 10 feet. I don't do the heights thing very well... at all. Maybe thunder scares me so much because of the connotation that thunderstorms have always had in movies. It seems like something shady or scary is always going down during a thunderstorm. Animated movies are the worst. Remember the scene in 'Lady and the Tramp' where the Tramp fights the rat? That junk still makes me wet myself. Or what about the storm scenes in the 'Secret of NIMH'? Maybe my problem isn't with thunder but with rats. Stupid thunder rats.

Anyhoo, good night...err, morning.

New Project!

Hey guys, I have been writing my head off these last few months and am in the beginning stages of working on a new EP.  Three of the four songs that will be on the project are already in rotation at HBC and God is using them to stir our people towards Him (amazingly!) The record will be titled 'Wonder and Awe' and will be out and available for your ears sometime in October.  I've also once again employed the talents of Steve Olesky, who did the art for H&C, to design the cover.  So excited!!

my writing nook