land of confusion?

I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

—Colossians 2:1-5

Have you ever looked out your window when riding on a plane and noticed the whole expanse of the earth? It is a totally different view at 25,000 ft. If you are like me, you are checking to make sure you aren’t losing altitude and they haven’t told you yet from the cockpit (but that’s another article about the fear of flying I will share with you later on). When you look, you see the way land is laid out in sections, and roads seem to connect everything together. That is on FLAT LAND! When you get to the mountains, it is a totally different thing. The connectivity of anything is lost and you almost lose track of where one peak starts and the other one ends. The flat land and all its organization is a stark contrast to the mountains and their unrecognizable crevices and valleys. One isn’t better than the other but they are definitely different.

The life we live is filled with times of connected flat lands where everything is easy to see and you don’t need much. Then there are those MOUNTAINS -- those unexpected things that push the limit and cause us to really have to focus on the road ahead and keep our eyes on our compass, Jesus Christ. When the land is level and flat and you can see really far ahead, we have a tendency to let down and almost coast. But when we are going through rough terrain that is really tough and treacherous, it causes us to make sure our feet are on the right path. We may not be able to see over the next hill, so the steps we take right here are very important.

Right now our country is in the midst of trying to take many different steps to fix problems that may not be caused altogether by what one administration did or didn’t do. It may be that we are paying for living in a state of confusion. Confusion caused when we turn to man’s best plans instead of God’s best plans. Confusion caused by looking to our own reasoning for answers instead of looking to God. Confusion like this comes in the mountain passes where we can’t see our way to the right place. All we have to do is look up, and see where the Son is and then our sense of direction will be corrected.

Where are you looking for the answers in those mountains? Are you looking to make everything okay yourself? Or are you looking up to get your bearings? I want to suggest that God is the only One who can make things right. Don’t listen to too many people with too many opinions. Listen to God and find your way to peace and direction.
There is an old song by the rock group Genesis that speaks to a Land of Confusion. The song makes a lot of true statements that apply to today. God is the only One who can answer the questions and see us out of this Land of Confusion…

I must’ve dreamed a thousand dreams, been haunted by a million screams. But I can hear the marching feet, they’re moving into the street. Now did you read the news today? They say the danger’s gone away. But I can see the fires still alight, they’re burning into the night. There’s too many men, too many people, making too many problems. And not much love to go ‘round. Can’t you see this is a land of confusion? This is the world we live in and these are the hands we’re given. Use them and let’s start trying to make it a place worth living in. Oh, superman where are you now? When everything’s gone wrong somehow. The men of steel, the men of power, are losing control by the hour. This is the time. This is the place. So we look for the future, but there’s not much love to go ‘round. Tell me why, this is a land of confusion. This is the world we live in, and these are the hands we’re given. Stand up and let’s start showing, just where our lives are going to.

Read Exodus 14 – God can use confusion sometimes to protect His people. Allow His protection to guard our hearts and our minds. God is a God of order for those He loves, and His justice is real and true. Trust His Word as your compass.

David Warren

Worship Pastor

psychedelic

Defined? Resembling, characteristic of, or reproducing images, sounds, or the like, experienced while in such a state.

If you say anything near the word psychedelic, images of drug use and hippies all come to mind. And of course, that is where the term came to be widely used and also adopted by Webster’s dictionary. TV and movies have tried to reproduce the effects that mind altering drugs have on people and even though video effects have improved dramatically, they still fall short of the true perception each individual will experience. It just goes to show, if you aren’t going through it, you cannot understand it or describe it.

Today there are so many people who are hurting in so many different ways, and they cannot adequately reproduce the feelings they have about their struggles. Someone loses a longtime job, a marriage breaks up, an illness unexpectedly occurs, a person is just about to drown in this depressed state of mind…all very real problems faced every day by many. All of the above and many others affect two things: our mind and our heart. In Missouri they used to say, “If you don’t like the weather, then wait around, it will change.” That statement made in jest about weather is a reality in today’s world of uncertainty and stress. One thing is for sure: there will be tough times that will come our way. There is no doubt about it. How we handle those tough times is the issue. Our first source of strength is God’s Word. It is where we find wisdom, strength, peace, and hope. Think about it — it’s not like we don’t know that we are going to face various trials, because we do know. Just look at 1 Peter...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

--1 Peter 1:3-9

In the midst of these tough times, we do need one major thing…COMFORT! To be comforted in knowing that God will deliver us; to be comforted in knowing that God is with us; to be comforted that there is hope! That really makes all these other emotions that are brought on by tough times seem to lessen and even subside. Even though we cannot understand the psychedelic emotions each of us are experiencing, we can see when a person is at peace with God and themselves. Their face is different. Not so stressed, but calm…comforted. God’s comfort has a way of healing the stresses of life and how they affect each of us.

What mental and emotional state are you in right now? Are you turning to God’s Word and wisdom to help you not only make it through, but defeat it? Now is the time to get refocused on looking at life from God’s perspective. Come to the God of all comfort. Life that seems almost psychedelic and warped from your perspective is much clearer from His perspective. It’s according to what state of mind you are in that makes the difference. Let’s get in a God state of mind and see God’s hand working in an extraordinary way. Read this scripture and see what it says to you: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

We can share this load with God, and with each other, and find true victory in troubled times. It may seem psychedelic and almost unbelievable what you are experiencing right now, but remember, God can make it a better day. Take comfort. He is faithful!!

David Warren
Worship Pastor

wait watchers...

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
—Matthew 4:4

I was trying not to pig out over the weekend since I had pigged out the week before. So I made up my mind: no big portions and no sweets! I did pretty good until Andra brought out the Ziti for our noon meal after our Easter services. There’s something about certain foods that drives me to become a stark raving food lunatic. Ziti is one of those foods. I could actually taste it before it was put on my plate, and when I actually did taste it...BAM! Wow, what a great taste, and the expectation was fully warranted. I was like the dog on the dog food commercial, where he says bacon, bacon, bacon, except I was saying Ziti, Ziti, Zi—ti. I scarfed it down and then looked at Andra with puppy dog eyes and said, “More?” Second helping, just as good, except now my taste buds were rolling! Could there be a three-peat? I had to stop. I just walked away from the table knowing I could not have eaten even a little bit more. I was one bite away from gluttony as it was. I wasn’t over the edge, but I could see it from there. Scary, you might say. Oh yeah.

When reading the scripture where Jesus was tempted by satan with food, or the lack there of, I couldn’t help but think about the Weight Watchers healthy eating plan. I know just enough to be dangerous, but I think it involves discipline, direction, drive and dedication. There are weigh-ins, encouragement sessions, ongoing calorie counting, and an increasing understanding of the right and wrong foods to eat. It’s a great plan and I really want to commend those who I have personally seen change their eating habits through WW and who now look totally different. They have been able to resist the foods that aren’t good and refocus on those that ARE good.

In Matthew 4, Jesus had been without much food or water for forty days and satan tempts Him to use His power to turn stones into bread. He could have done it, but in turn He resisted satan and quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 in the process and moved on. He is the Word of God and quoted the Word of God. Wow, double trouble for the tempter. Christ showed discipline, direction, drive and dedication. He knew where the strength came from and not only thought about it, but said it.

God’s Word in Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God’s Word slices out life in the right portions for each of us. Not useless fatty portions, but the “good stuff!” Scripture says in 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” That means we are to be Wait Watchers, much like some people are Weight Watchers. We wait on the Lord and trust in His Word. We are disciplined, directed, driven and dedicated to His Word. Scripture says in Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” This food is worth waiting for and we must have a craving in our souls for it. Once you taste it, you want more and more and the end result is your life on track with God’s plan. ‘Nuff said!

Be a Wait Watcher and see just how spiritually in shape God can get each of us when we learn to crave His Word and His ways. One taste and you are hooked. Take a bite today and see what happens.

David Warren

Worship Pastor

that's a mouthful!

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

--Ephesians 6:19-20

As I read this scripture today I realized just how much we need to be proclaiming the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ by not only our actions but our mouth. I sometimes can get in the rut of reasoning, where I think I will do the gospel, and think that is a good substitute for sharing the gospel. This should never be, and the excuse we use, “I don’t want to say it if I’m not living it” ends up being just that -- an excuse.

Actions do speak loudly and praise God for the actions of Godly servants who give themselves to serving our Lord through service. Of course we don’t want to share truth when that truth is not readily evident in our life. But these are not separate things! They work together. Serving makes a way for sharing, and sharing follows up with serving. Together they are strong, but apart from each other they are weakened.

When Paul was writing this letter to the Ephesians he was writing to a group of people who loved his ministry and mirrored his heart for serving the Lord. His letter had many elements but it ended with two points. First of all, he implored them to be ready in every area of their life to stand against the forces of evil that would surely come their way, evil that wanted to stop the gospel from being shared. Second, he wanted them to pray for him as he boldly proclaimed the gospel. He wanted them to pray for him to be fearless and have the words to proclaim the gospel in every situation, good and bad. He wanted to have a mouthful of truth every time he shared.

Our heart should be in line with his when we don’t just do but we speak for Jesus Christ. My prayer is that I will have a mouthful of truth to give to everyone who is willing to listen. I heard a mouthful when it was shared with me and now it is my turn to not only chew on it but share it. When does that start? Now! As we lead worship this week, may we have a mouthful of truth as we share our praises through music to our Lord. I’m praying for you. Please pray for me.

The Pilgrimage continues....


David Warren