Godly Fellowship: Introduction: Making Much of God in Words.

So, doubtless, some of you will pose yourself the question,

"Who is this writer? I can't hear his voice inflection.

Is he qualified to start this conversation?

Is he just an actor, or does he live all of these teachings?"

Let me tell you about myself, like the interviewers' query.

I don't call myself an "-ologist" or make my living writing theories

of communication that attempt to mix God's wisdom with the worldly.

But I am one of many He has named an uncommon earthling.

I have no qualifications to write this except what He has given.

He has saved me, and like Solomon, I asked Him for His wisdom,

that by His grace I may better live for the Savior risen,

that His name would be made great in this child that He's forgiven.

God, the gracious Giver - through the pen of James, He stated

that if you request from glory's owner, heavy-weighted,

a gift of wisdom, you'd obtain it. And that can't be overrated.

But the doubters always find their requests repudiated.

Those who believe Him find He gives in great supply

wisdom of priceless value from Him who cannot die.

I know I want to praise Him Whose sandals I can't untie

and see His name most precious - forever glorified.

So I'm a quiet but wordy man, writing slam poetry - basically.

Not a popular person, but I do have good friends - actually.

I once preferred to discuss this world's passing pleasures - initially.

But God continued His work and has me conversing - redemptively.

I have learned from men in glory who you might think are now fossils,

that even now as we know Him, we must grow in the gospel,

sharpening brothers and sisters with the prophets and apostles,

sowing and watering the seeds of sound doctrine.

And we must combine both theory and practice.

Experience can teach, but the Word is our atlas,

a lamp to our feet, a double-edged cutlass,

showing us Him who declares us the blameless.

Just discussing my God is not the end goal,

but constantly loving Him more Who refines me as gold.

Bought at a price, my soul has been sold

to the infinite King with perfections untold.

His ways are perfect; His commandments are right.

Like the Psalmist, His law does bring me delight.

His glories shine in Heaven, which has no midnight.

His beauties show no darkness. All in this God is light.

I don't want you to think this just a nice thought.

But by God's grace we must live as we ought

and make much of His person and the works He has wrought.

In all parts of life, praise the God we have sought.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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I thought this mostly freestyle poem would serve as a worthy introduction to my next series of posts here. For a while now, I have wanted to explore godly fellowship and how to live it out in the many types of relationships within the local and global church body. God willing, there will be at least seven more new posts about this, featuring mostly original writing along with Scripture and the wisdom of past and present believers. May all of the glory go to His name as I share His truth and my thoughts on it.

"We don't pursue Him in hopes that we will find Him. We do it 'cause He pursued us, and now we're abiding in the Vine - one track mind."

- Dillon Chase, "The Pursuit"

A Thrill of the Soul: Part Three: Spirit and Truth.

Our truest worship comes when we know both in a “thrilled soul” and in facts from Scripture about the God that we are worshiping. When knowledge about God meets love for God, the converted soul's most natural, indeed supernatural, reaction is to pour out everything in worshiping Him. He is the God that we hated when we were born into this fallen world. Yet, in His mercy He caused us to hate our sins, turn from them, and flee to Him, the Savior and satisfaction of our souls. The truly converted soul can never have satisfaction in trash anymore than a civilized human can enjoy eating pig slop.

The thoughts of the satisfied believer remain dominated by the One who is truly gracious, merciful, holy, just, beautiful, faithful, loving, powerful, worthy of all praise, and mighty to save.

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In a time of fellowship, a brother told me that he had never once attended a church service where every song in their worship set was theologically correct. It saddened me to hear this, but it does not greatly differ from my experiences with churches. With many churches content to use any popular Christian song that cultural Christianity is cranking out as a worship song, a lot of worship sets have at least one song in them that lacks depth or uses false doctrine. I recently got to visit a large church with a well-known pastor and great doctrine. Their worship songs, which included hymns and more modern songs, were all highly Christ-centered and Biblically accurate.

But what surprised me was that the crowd was solemn to a degree that I have not seen except in some Presbyterian churches. It was a quite yuppie church with a parking lot full of Beemers and Benzes. It seemed like one of the McChurch-y megachurches in some ways, but with far better teaching than most of them have. Yet in a large auditorium, few people could get excited about God. You don't need to have your hands up, although it is Biblically permitted as a correct way to worship (Psalm 63). And I realize that church cultures are different. But is it too much to expect that at least some of the people in there would occasionally look happy?

Why do people that go insane over football and baseball look funereal at church, especially at one that teaches so much truth and a high view of God? I don’t know about you, but I ride roller coasters to know what it is like to be excited – and then try to translate that into zeal for God in everyday worship. A hobby is not worth pursuing if it cannot bring any glory to God, so search for ways to make His name great in whatever you do. And if there are none, why waste your time?

But, even as truth alone is not sufficient, passion alone is not sufficient either. Many Christians go crazy in worship for the sake of going crazy in worship while not really trying to understand what they are singing about. You need passion and the truth. So go ride your favorite rides; and then read the Word of God, with a book by John Piper and Jonathan Edwards's Resolutions along with it.

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“God’s purpose for my life was that I have a passion for God’s glory and that I have a passion for my joy in that glory… [T]hose two are one passion.”

- Jonathan Edwards

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Please also see Lyrical Theology for the words to Shai Linne's song, "The Greatest Story Ever Told".

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“Our desire must be not only toward the good things that God gives, but toward God Himself, His favor and love, the manifestations of His name to us, and the influences of His grace upon us. We wait on God when our souls pant after Him and His favor, when we thirst for the living God. Oh, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord! Oh, that I may taste His goodness! Oh, that I may bear His image and be entirely conformed to His will! For there is none on heaven or earth that I will desire in comparison with Him. Oh, that I may know Him more, love Him better, be brought nearer to Him, and be made fitter for Him. Thus, upon the wings of holy desire, our souls should still be soaring upward toward God, still pressing forward, forward toward Heaven.”

- Matthew Henry, Experiencing God's Presence.

A Thrill of the Soul: Part Two: An Adrenaline Rush in This Present Time.

The thrills of the soul beyond this life are far greater than anything in this life. Small children are easily thrilled by many varieties of things, as was I when I was younger. Yet witnessing the glory of God will bring a greater and never-ending joy to me than any of these things that I saw in childlike wonder, even my own conversion as a wee lad. Compared to eternity, we must realize that our salvation merely gets us in the door of the King’s palace. The King will have much more for us – all centered on Himself.

Similarly, the thrills of the present time are nothing. The book of Ecclesiastes details many things as vanity that are, or at least describe, many things that we can run into in this present world. Performing well at work makes me happy to have accomplished something while finding favor in the eyes of God and men, but advancement is nothing. Laughter is “foolishness” (Ecclesiastes 2:2), and having expensive possessions only lifts one’s spirits for a time. None of it lasts.

Yes, and if God should continue to grant me more days on this earth, nothing that I can do or obtain or experience can outdo His ability to set my affections afire for Him in heaven. Marriage on this earth is but for a moment in eternity. Fatherhood, and taking on the responsibilities and joys of raising “legacies” and “image-bearers” (some great ways to refer to children in the holy hip hop community! J ), can be thought of the same way. If God chooses to give these things to me, they will be blessings. But knowing Christ is the one “surpassing greatness” (Philippians 3:8).

Right now, I cannot help but think of how much of a rush I get sometimes when spending time with God, when reading of Him and when worshiping Him, when my conscience is clear and my thoughts extremely Christ-centered. At these times, the spiritual thrills far outshine the physical. Bringing Him the praise that He deserves gives my heart a sense of almost otherworldliness as I reflect on His character and His work: “Behold Him there, the risen Lamb!”

One of the best things I have ever learned in small group was to rejoice in the empty tomb. Recently reading in the Gospel of Mark, I came to also rejoice in the torn veil. I have been reading in The Pleasures of God, just beside myself, overwhelmed by what I have seen there – feeling quite unworthy to read it. Yet through the torn veil, God says, “You, the average man: Come know Me in the same way that the high priests of old knew me. Let Me show you who I am.”

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"Pity on those of us who would trade a fleeting moment of pleasure for the ecstasy of eternity."

- RT @Lecrae

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"The thought of You stirs [man] so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises You, because You made us for Yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You."

- Augustine of Hippo (via Trip Lee – Reach Records blog)

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“Who is He?
God in the flesh who was tested, came, manifested, was killed, resurrected.
Who are you?
Do you even know who you are,
Created to know the God who created the stars?
Who is He?
He was. He is. He will be.
Death couldn’t hold Him, and neither shall death seal me.
Who are you?
You’re better off never existing if you don’t trust the God of the Scriptures.
You listening?”
- Json, “Who Is He?”

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“I'd rather be a janitor in God's house than a prince on this earth.
The more I think on Christ, the more that I'm convinced of His worth.
Ever since the New Birth, things haven't been quite the same.
Holy Spirit, please light the flame! …

“God is closer than He appears,
like the objects in a side-view mirror.
I'm here to provide you clearer
Insight as I write in a candle-lit room,
Of how Christ took flight and abandoned the tomb.
It's bad to assume you understand. Imagine your gloom
When you see the Son of Man in His majesty suit.
His control is absolute. He lets the twilight shine.
And His Holy attributes stretch the finite mind.
Inscrutable,
He shines above with His Godly essence;
Immutable
Divine Love and Omnipresence;
Infinitely Just, which means danger for the lost;
Intimate with us, 'cause Jesus took His anger on the cross!”

- Shai Linne in “Bondservants” by Timothy Brindle