Psalm 3 finds David praising God. He 'sings' God is my "shield", "glory" and the "lifter of my head". David had learned that the Kingdom of God was not realized personally through circumstance, but from the absolute reign - in his own life - of "The One" he worshipped.
As I awakened this morning I reached to my phone's playlist and listened to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing the words of this Psalm - then thought of the people in Ukraine, and wondered, "how might this be so?"
There I discovered that to consider and pine for God's Kingdom, for which we are taught to pray, will always birth in us... "A Culture of Hope."
Blessings,
Pastor Sam
Dear Friends,
UKRAINE, RUSSIA,THE STOCK MARKET? Though the days news informs, and may either enthuse or unsettle us, we must resist the temptation to allow this to be a sole determiner of our feelings, life and actions.
Psalm 46 tell us God rules over the nations. This is good news, but still, not the only news or idea bringing us comfort. Indeed, lasting comfort comes from our knowing God, and in our having a vibrant relationship with Him. As He is exalted - not just among the nations but in our own life and thought - all things 'other' fall into place.
Check out my video from today, which offers a word of reminder we all might use.
Blessings always,
Pastor Sam
Early on in my years as a college student God began stirring my spirit. He was calling me, I now realize, to what would eventually be a lifetime of serving Him. But I was a young, naive and overly self aware 20 something who loved writing music (both lyrics and tunes) and poetry, and had developed into a young man not against Christianity, but.. dare I say this??? "beyond it." Oh, for sure, I had grown up in the church! Evangelical Christianity was my culture and heritage, and I held deep love and respect for many of the church who had impacted me for good. But... and this was the rub, as my young mind was now being exposed to other religions, cultures, ideologies, et. al., and as I reasoned over the development of humankind, culture and politics, and of the role (both the good and the bad) that Christianity had played in its development, I had begun reducing my thoughts of Christ and Christianity to simply a 'season' of Western culture history. Something that would pass away over time, or become more minimal re: the impact and development of our world. Christianity was, though I would not have said so to my family or pastor, a 'not so terrible' crutch for the sentimental - maybe even for society. Something for folks to lean on in facing the up and down cycles of life. But nothing more. It, I would have said, is part of our collected, pre-scientific story. A coping mechanism for then, and - somewhat - still for now.
Suffice it to say my puffed up thoughts of that time were actually what was most simple. I was not nearly so 'bright' as I imagined. But... that part of the story is for another time. For this time, I simply want to tell you what God did as I worked though this and took on thoughts of Him. For, in trying hard to reason myself away from God, He only drew closer and closer. And, once there and up close, He taught me something I have never forgotten - "I am not here because of YOU, YOU are here because of ME"
This video tells that story, and... of what I have learned since that wonderful day long, long ago.
Pastor Sam
