Thursday, July 26, 2007

Worship Leaders Conference

This week I volunteered at the National Worship Leader's Conference that was held in Austin. The conference, which featured several top worship leaders and speakers, had an attendance of over 1500 people from all over the U.S.
Some of the musicians for the week were Jeremy Riddle, Mac Powell, Fernando Ortega, Philips, Craig and Dean, GB5, Jeff Deyo, and Ana Laura to name a few. Some of the speakers who spoke this week were Scotty Smith, Marcus Witt, Steve Berger and Francis Chan.

As a volunteer, my "job" was to pick up some of the "artists" at the airport and take them to the hotel and to transport one back to the airport. Monday night I picked up Marcus Witt at the airport and then took him back Tuesday (after he spoke). Marcus is the pastor of the Spanish congregation at Lakewood church in Houston, the largest Spanish congregation in the world. He is also a musician traveling around the world singing and ministering to thousands of people. He recently sang for 15,000 at the Staple Center in L.A. He also has sung in Mexico and Latin America. Marcus, besides being a gifted speaker and musician, owns the largest Spanish record company in the world.

Marcus spoke from Revelation 4 about and to worship leaders. He had good insight into the scripture. Steve Berger brought a message about character and how we are to fear God. Then today, Francis Chan brought a stirring message from Revelation 3 (primarily). He challenged the church to live what the Word of God teaches. The church, for too long, has been "hearers of the Word" and not "doers of the Word."

It was a very good week, even though I didn't get to attend all the sessions. I was able to make much of the week. I was challenged by the speakers I heard. I was also blessed by some of the finest Christian musicians. It's always good to hear and worship with Philips, Craig and Dean.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Psalm 17

Today I was reading a short commentary on Psalm 17. It is written by one of my favorite authors, Warren Wiersbe. Dr. Wiersbe is the author of the "Be" series; commentaries on several books of the Bible. He presently lives in Lincoln, Nebraska where he is still writing.

Psalm 17 is one of the many psalms written by King David. Dr. Wiersbe says the psalm can be summarized in three words: "hear me, hold me, and hide me." It is the last of those that I want to center my thoughts. David writes in Psalm 17:8: "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

A shadow is not very good protection. It does provide some shade on a hot summer's day, but it doesn't provide protection. But notice that David doesn't ask for any shadow, for he says: "hide me in the shadow of your wings." These are not just any wings, it is the shadow of God's wings; on that you can depend.

Dr. Wiersbe says that these wings were the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. David was saying, "I'm coming into the Holy of Holies. I'm coming to the very throne of God. Please hide me and hold me and hear me."

The image that David is using is the image of a bird, who provides shelter and protection under it's wing for it's young. Wiersbe says: "God's protection has far greater purposes than helping us avoid pain; it is to make us better servants for Him. God also protects us by guiding us through painful circumstances, not only by helping us escape them."

Deuteronomy 32:27 says: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasing arms."

David concludes the psalm in verse 15 by saying: "And I - in righteousness I will see Your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing Your likeness." David found protection and provision for his every need in the "shadow" of God's "wings." That protection and provision came in the presence of the "eternal God," in the Holy of Holies.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Of the World

I have begun reading a new book. I try to always find something to blog about when I'm reading. The new book is: "Comeback Churches -How 300 churches turned around and yours can too."

In the first chapter of the book, while the authors are trying to lay the foundation, I read this sentence. "It's ironic that most evangelical churches are filled with people who live very much like the world but look different from it. It should be exactly the opposite. We should look similar to those in our community but act differently."

Those lines immediately struck a chord with me. I stopped reading further and reread those lines. The authors go on to comment that our church members "engage in the same lifestyles and sins as the unchurched." The church today has ceased to follow biblical commands.

We can't tell the difference between the churched and the unchurched, so how are we as the church supposed to be able to reach the unchurched? The Bible says that we are to be "peculiar" people. We are to live differently so the unchurched can see the difference Christ has made in our lives. When our lifestyles are the same as the unchurched then Christ can't be seen.

Is it any wonder why our churches are not growing? How can the church reach the unchurched when the church acts like the unchurched? She can't!

Evangelical churches need to become just that - 'evangelical.' The world needs to see that we live and act differently; then and only then will they be able to see Jesus and the change that He can make in their lives.