Archive for November, 2009

I posted this blog on my personal site on October 13th. It has received a tremendous amount of hits, I think mostly due to the title and the popular song with a similar name. However, I thought I would revisit or rather copy it here on the Youth site and maybe it would speak to a reader here as well.

City upon a hill is a phrase derived from the metaphor of Salt and Light in the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus given in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:14 states “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”

President Ronald Reagan used the phrase on January 11, 1989, in his farewell speech to the nation:

“And that’s about all I have to say tonight. Except for one thing. The past few days when I’ve been at that window upstairs, I’ve thought a bit of the “shining city upon a hill.” The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom man. He journeyed here on what today we’d call a little wooden boat; and like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.”

“I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it and see it still.” (Wikipedia)

I have been thinking lately about the “city on a hill” or this “church on a hill” and what that really means. While driving the other day, I heard this song and thought it summed up where God has placed this church on a hill called Higher Praise Church. It’s actually called “City On Our Knees”. I think we have come to the point where the “city on the hill”, whether it be Washington, DC or a church in small town, KY, has no choice but to humble ourselves, get on our knees, and cry out to God. At least I think that’s our only choice if we want to see our nation reclaim its Christian principles.

Just today, I heard on the news that teenagers set another teenager on fire in Florida. Then, I saw a talk show that brought on toddlers who would not quit cussing. Yes, I did say toddlers. Where is our respect for life? Where is our fear of God? Where in the world is our moral compass? Where is our sense of responsibility? I am speaking in large generalities of course and not specifically referring to any certain group of people. Sometimes in our small town it seems that things may not be as bad as we think. Then, I hear something like that, and I realize that, while we are still a very blessed group of people here in Russell Springs, KY, there are a great number of souls out there that need the Lord. This thought reminds me of a Peretti book where the man hears souls crying out in the city even though the people pretend they are fine. If we happen to find ourselves blessed in this moment, then we must be the ones who are strong enough to stand in the gap for these souls, wherever they are. After all, as with fashion or any other trend, a small town is only a few years behind. Maybe we have to be both reactive and preventive in this particular scenario. What I mean by that is we may be reactive to the nation around us, but preventive to the town we live in, preventive to our own families. No matter the reasoning you wish to use or how you want to explain it, God has called us for a time such as this. Maybe it is only speculation on my part as to why, but I don’t think we can deny it to be so.

Here are the lyrics to the song by Toby Mac:

If you gotta start somewhere why not here
If you gotta start sometime why not now
If we gotta start somewhere I say here
If we gotta start sometime I say now
Through the fog there is hope in the distance
From cathedrals to third world missions
Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave

Tonight’s the night
For the sinners and the saints
Two worlds collide in a beautiful display
It’s all love tonight
When we step across the line
We can sail across the sea
To a city with one king
A city on our knees
A city on our knees
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

If you gotta start somewhere why not here
If you gotta start sometime why not now
If we gotta start somewhere I say here
If we gotta start sometime I say now
Through the fog there is hope in the distance
From cathedrals to third world missions
Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave

Tonight’s the night
For the sinners and the saints
Two worlds collide in a beautiful display
It’s all love tonight
When we step across the line
We can sail across the sea
To a city with one king
A city on our knees
A city on our knees
Oh-oh-oh

Tonight could last forever
We are one choice from together
Tonight could last forever
Ooh
Tonight could last forever
We are one choice from together
Family
We’re family
Oh Tonight could last forever
We are one choice from together
You and me
Yea, you and me

Tonight’s the night
For the sinners and the saints
Two worlds collide
In a glorious display
Cuz its all love tonight
When we step across the line
We can sail across the sea
To a city with one king
A city on our knees
A city on our knees
Oh oh oh
A city on our knees
A city on our knees
Oh oh oh
If we gotta start somewhere why not here
If we gotta start sometime why not now

Hey guys this is a preview of tomorrow.  Just click to view!!!

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I had wrote this down in my journal early this morning while eating breakfast:

Never think you are better than the rest of the people around you, because really we are all the same sinners bound for Hell.  Your only difference might be that you are a sinner bound for Hell who is saved by the Grace of God and covered by the forgiving blood of Jesus Christ.  Sometimes I feel like we Christians can put ourselves up on ‘higher than you’ pedestals, and look down on all others who, we think, aren’t up to our current stature. God wants people who are humble and broken;  He wants to use the ones who say and think that they aren’t worthy enough. It is time to step down off our ‘high and mighty’ pedestal and become humble, loving, caring, forgiving, listening, giving servants of Jesus Christ.

After all…

there is only ONE who looks down on us…

Last week, I introduced all of you to my favorite praise and worship leader, Luke Wood.   This week, I want to introduce you to my favorite poet, Amena Brown.  Check out this poem.  Hope you like it!!  Visit her blog at http://amenabrown.blogspot.com/

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37-38

I found an article in Outreach Magazine this week about Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. It seems every few years they have a 60-day experiment. They call this experiment Soul Revolution, and they challenge people to stay in constant connection with God during those 60 days. They also push inviting skeptical friends and neighbors to take the challenge with them just to see if they don’t experience God in a real way during that time. People are encouraged “to give as much of yourself as you understand to, as much of God and His will as you understand, and see if God doesn’t show up in those 60 days.”

The article goes on to tell a testimony of an atheist who found God in this experiment and is now a leader in his church. I was intrigued by this concept as I thought about it because the author was correct, in that, we often spend a lot of the day ignoring God. It’s true that  some of us do set aside certain times during the day for God. Yet, when going about our regular routine, we may know He is there, but we have our mind on other things. There have been many times where God has spoken to me in the middle of strange things, and if you are open to listening to Him, then He will do that. Even so, there are probably just as many times where He tried to speak to me while I was doing something, and I pushed Him away because I was “busy.”

What would happen if I stayed in constant connection with Him?

This is how the experiment works:  Going by that church’s plan, you set your clock or some other alarm to go off every 60 minutes of every day for 60 days. When the alarm goes off, you stop what you are doing, and you connect with God for a few minutes. It’s just like checking in every hour, all day, everyday. It doesn’t say anything about sleeping time, and I assume that you don’t count those hours; I’ll leave that up to you. I would also assume, if you are in church for two hours, then you are already connecting in that time, and your alarm doesn’t have to go off in church, haha.

I have decided to take this challenge starting on Monday for just 7 days. I am curious to see how much difference I notice in my spiritual life in only 7 days. I challenge you to do it with me and meet back here next week to report how your week has gone by commenting on  next week’s blog. If you can’t commit to 7 days, try it for just one day and see if it makes a difference.

I am not going into this knowing what the end result will be, other than I am sure it will be positive. I can’t say I have ever tried this before, but I know that if you draw near to God, then He will draw near to you. I am curious to see how this experiment turns out.

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters, should remain as you were when God first called you.”  1 Corinthians 7:23-24

Last week, I talked a bit about idols.  How, that even though we don’t set up literal altars and burn incense to statues, we still set up false gods: our sports, our gods, our girlfriend or boyfriend, and our entertainment.  It’s so easy to make these things our priorities over our relationship with God… because they’re in the here, and in the now. They’re something that we can see and touch and are instantly gratified by.  We don’t have to endure long-suffering to experience the fruit of the “blessings” of these false gods.  It’s the easy way. 

I was thinking about an experience I had when I was about fourteen years old.  I attended a youth event, and the speaker challenged everyone in the stadium to take a fast from media for 40 days.  Not everyone in the stadium stood up, actually not even the majority of the students, but I did.  The first days were horrible.  I realized that I had so easily given myself over to a life enslaved by the TV and media.  As I pressed through the first week, I found myself with more time than ever to dedicate to my relationship with Christ.  It was revolutionary.  After the 40 days were over, I didn’t want to watch TV anymore — that god had been knocked off it’s altar, and laid shattered on the floor.

Have you thought about what you might be directing your attention to that needs to be shattered, to lay on the floor of the temple?  Think about it.  Pray about it.  And leave it.

This god that once served you… could soon consume you. You weren’t meant to be a slave.

“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.”  (Psalm 31:24)

As Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man continue to follow the Yellow Brick Road, their next encounter is the Cowardly Lion.  The lion is rightfully named because he wishes he had the ”nerve” to be brave and courageous.    Lions are known to be the “King of the Jungle”.  They are brave animals, protective of their cubs.  The roar of a male lion can sometimes be heard as far as five miles away.  This Cowardly Lion was not living up to that image.

We are sometimes like that Cowardly Lion.  There are things in our lives that we’re afraid of, things that make us fearful.  It may be meeting new people.  It may be giving your first speech at school.  Or, it may be attempting something new, such as a sports activity or drama audition.  We all have something that we’re afraid of.  Mine are mice and snakes.  Doesn’t matter the size; I just don’t like them.  At night, when I was younger, if I heard a mouse scurry across the floor, or scratch inside a wall, I would lay there, in the darkness, in a frozen panic.  I wouldn’t move, afraid it would attack me, I suppose.  I still don’t like mice, but I don’t go into a panic like I once did.

God does not want us to walk in fear.  I have heard it said that the phrase “fear not” is used 365 times in the Bible—one for every day of the year.  So, God really must not want us to be afraid.  He wants us to give our worries and concerns to Him, big or small.  He wants us to trust in Him.   ”Perfect love casts out fear”.  Have no fear, for God is here!

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Just click to check out this Hillside preview video.  We apologize for technical difficulties on this video.

I wrote this a couple months back; it’s talking about becoming a new-creature in Christ. When you try to live right for God, old friends and things in your life mock Jesus and how you’re now living for Him. You become bullied and messed with, but Jesus steps in to make all things right. When people curse the name of our Lord, when will we step in and make all things right? God comes to rescue us but when will we rescue His name, even if it means persecution? Just let this speak to you however it may…

the new kid.
just trying to get in the swing of things.
get out of the old habits.
yet old friends have become bullies.
they take my swing.
everyday.
they take my swing and sing mockeries.
allowing this and move on.
sitting in the corner of the playground
weeping.
day after day.
week after week.
time adds up – it has felt like years now.
still being pushed off my swing.
allowing your mockery song to ring through my ears.
shhhhh.
this day if different than ever before.
you look to see the mockery and singing…
you look to see my weeping.
i then turn to see you.
coming to my rescue.
you stand at attention.
rushing through a door.
you push the bully off my swing.
even after all this time.
after all my falling downs.
here you are – saving my swing.
when will i save yours?

     I tend to think a lot about the day I will die and when I stand before God.  Just for the simple fact of that being the day that sums up your whole life. I mean, think about it — everyday you live, every situation, every decision, and every moment and thought will be all out on the table that day. I envision God sitting at a table looking right at me and having this folder in front of Him. There’s no hiding anything now, He knows.  He knows the thoughts I had yesterday, He knows my heart, He knows the actions my heart produced in my life. He knows everything, and I know he knows. It’s terrifying!  He looks down at the folder that has my whole life in it, and with a thundering voice he says, “Eric, why should I let you come live with me forever?”

     I have nothing to say. I can’t say I’ve done anything to deserve it. We both know it. He’s looking down at my life in that folder and sees every time I have messed up and how wicked I truly am. I look down at the ground like the woman caught in adultery the Pharisees wanted to stone and brought before Jesus. The only thing I have to say with tears in my eyes is “I love you, and I am so unworthy to be here or be with you, but I know your son.  He died for me.” Luckily, this is the right answer, and out from behind me, Jesus comes to my defense like an attorney in a court case and says to God, “Father, I know that folder there doesn’t look good for him. But, if you look on the front of it, it says written in my blood, ‘Paid In Full’.  Father, I know him and he knows me. He truly loves us, Father, and he is ours. He strived to follow in my footsteps, and though he messed up at times along the way, two thousand years ago I paid for him!” Then God looks at me and says “And I love him, too. Well done my good and faithful servant.” And, Jesus takes my hand and leads me into the kingdom of heaven. Thank You For Your Blood Jesus & Showing Us The Better Way. I love you.

I got this blog from one of Rachel’s papers for school and arranged the gender to fit me.