Tag: live with hope

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The Other Way

“Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns.”
Genesis 37:18

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I hold the advantage of knowing the end of the story.

I know that the punk kid brother Joseph ends up second in command over the greatest nation of his time.

I know that it does not end in the pit or Potiphar’s house or prison. That is a huge advantage.

But in life, there is not that advantage of having the end of the story already in your hands.  Sure God gives promises.  Sure we have hopes and desires.  Sure we hold to the unwavering word that God has a plan for prosperity and success penned by Jeremiah.

But we still don’t know the end.

And life, life has put us in some pits.

If you don’t know Joe, he was a dreamer. He dreamed God dreams. Dream that one day his 10 older and one baby brother would bow to him. He dreamed that his father, mother and 11 brothers would come under his rule. He dreamed dreams that frankly upset everyone in the house.

So to kill the dream, his brothers decided to kill the dreamer.  Read that again, his brothers were going to kill Joseph. While they did not go through with the death sentence, they essentially killed the dream when the sold him as a slave to some passer-bys. Surely, most certainly, they would never see him again or hear about the dream.

Sometimes it is those closest to us that try kill the dreams inside us. Sometimes intentional out their own fear. Sometimes unknowingly because their own inability to dream or see past their current situation. But we all have dream killers in our life.

I don’t believe the pit was the only way for Joseph to reach the palace,but it may have been the best way. And that is a hard pill to swallow. That punk kid needed to learn a lesson. And because we know the end of the story it seems he did.

Years pass, in fact 16. The 17 years old kid is now 33. He has been a slave, servant, a prisoner, and now seated next to Pharaoh. The dream that seemingly had been killed in the cistern God resurrected in the most unlikely of circumstances.

I have been there. In fact, have visited there recently. That childhood cistern where the God given dream seemed dead. But as the words of the worship song melodically state “the resurrected King is resurrecting me”.

I don’t know the end of your story. Shoot, I don’t know the end of my story yet. But I know the end of Joseph’s story.

The dream comes true. What was birthed as a kid is fulfilled in the man. And the boisterous bold punk kid says these words to those who were out to kill the God dream inside him.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Genesis 50:20

So your pit, prison, enslavement, the cistern you have felt thrown into may just be the way God intends to bring salvation to others, even those who tried to kill the dream and the dreamer.

#justbeingjeff

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New Thing

But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
Isaiah 43:18

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I have a sticky memory.  Maybe you do too.

My memory works a little like a blend between a highlight reel and outtakes bloopers.  There are moments when I remember the grandiose of the mountain top. And often they are quickly exchanged for the valleys of disappointment and regret.

Both are beneficial. Both are dangerous.

The mountain is the reminder of God’s faithfulness. It can also serve as source supposed of self sufficiency.  The valley can create reflections of God’s ever presence in our depth.  It can also remind us how far down the rabbit hole we fell.

Israel functioned much the same way.  Moments of memory of slavery in Egypt followed by reminders of Red Sea crossings.

The prophet Isaiah is the voice of reminder to an embattled Hebrew nation.  As so often is the case in the Old Testament, the prophetic voice reminds the nation of their slave background and God’s great delivery.   Isaiah recounts the awesome release from Egypt and the subsequent Red Sea crossing that sticks out like the God greatest feats put on replay.

It is in that context that Isaiah prophesies these words:
But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

What God speaks so clearly through the prophet is
“you remember how it was?  Do you remember in the midst of that bad how great God was?  He broke you out of slavery, parted a sea and drowned your enemy…yeah, forget that.  It’s gonna be even better!”

In my heart and my life, I feel this echoed like a scream off the Grand Canyon walls:
“forget all that, I am up to something new and better.”

That divorce that left you damaged…forget that.
That moment you thought you were alone…forget that.

The highest of highest you have walked with Jesus…forget that.
The ministry moments that seemed like it could never be better…yeah, forget even that.

Because what God is about to do is NEW.  It Greater.  It is Bigger.  It is more Complete.

The prophet draws Israel to a moment of introspective reflection.
“I have already begun.  Do you not see it?”

I don’t know what your NEW is.  I just know he is up to the NEW for you and for me.

Do you not see it?

 

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Four Other "Fathers"

“There are 2 guarantees in life: death and your worship pastor will sing Good, Good Father on Sunday.”
Jon Crist, Comedian

I really make no apologies for my tension with Christian music. It is a love-hate relationship that has existed since I first heard Carmen sing “The Champion”.
I am firm believer that the Church should be an epicenter of art – musically, visually, audible and in life. As believers we need to be constantly creating our generations Sistene Chapels in the world. So I get slightly frustrated when great art from the body of believers gets overplayed.
I am HUGE fan of Chris Tomlin.  Chris’ influence on worship music in the Church as indelibly left a mark and reshaped music in the Sunday service. The Passion movement brought life to my weary chorus singing soul in the critical years of college and Chris Tomlin was a huge part of that.
But if you have heard it once, you’ve heard Chris Tomlin’s version of “Good, Good Father” a zillion times played on Christian Radio. So in the spirit of “art” here are Four More Fathers — or at least versions of the hit song.
Housefires hf ii.jpg
Sometimes to find something great you have to get to the source. Housefires is a worship band out of Grace Midtown Church in Atlanta, GA.  Members Pat Barrett and Tony Brown are the craftsmen of the chords and lyrics of the anthem Good, Good Father.
The original cut of the song is found on Housefires ii (2014)album.  It is a raw, gutsy acoustic driven live version.  It has a vibe that Pat and Tony invited you into their living room to share a chunk of their heart with you. The passion from which the lyrics ring out from the vocals tell you that this is more than words penned and paired with chords, but heartfelt letter ripped from the journal of the artists.
The opening verse “I have heard a thousand stories” cuts to the chase of this passion filled cut of the song.
voices.jpgVoices of Lee
Not going to lie – I am an alum of Lee University, so my opinion is slightly biased. Voices is an all A Cappella choir that has been featured on everything from Good Morning America to the White House to the first season of the NBC show “The Sing Off”.   Voices takes on the worship song on the A Cappella Worship (2016).
Oh sweet goodness! Voices of Lee typically classic style is modernized in this all vocal version of the song. The vocal melodies melt like butter on a hot Tennessee biscuit. The blended melody, harmony and beatbox are near perfection on this smooth rendition of the song. A ridiculously warm male lead vocal is followed by the soul punch of female voice just crushing the tag “perfect in all of your ways.”  And wraps with a full choir bolstering the goodness of the father.  Ya’ll this is good!
Even if choir a cappella is not your cup of coffee. You have got to give it a listen.
wm.pngWorshipMob
Buckle your seatbelts.  WorshipMob is a collective of 70-80 worship leaders from 30 different churches joining forces to create some incredible mashups of worship songs.  Their 9 minute YouTube version is a just a snippet of the 37 minute free flowing worship session dropped on digital video and into the interwebs.
I actually found WorshipMob by accident and so glad I did. This multi-voice melody mix with moments of free worship is heart melting and soul filling. I recommend you spin this version with some time to engage the “Good, Good Father”.  If you dare, take on the entire WorshipMob mix of this song blended with about 4 others.
Anthem Lightsal cover.jpg
If covers are your thing, the boys of Anthem Lights have you covered.  Quite literally.  The boys released their rendition on the album “We God You Covered, Vol 1” (2016).  Anthem Lights is a faith based foursome who has made a name for themselves covering mashups on YouTube.  They have re-imagined everyone from Taylor Swift to your favorite Boy Band.  The band is most widely known for their yearly mashups of the “best of…”
The quartet brings heartfelt harmonies to the song as to be expected from the group.  Primarily backed by just piano, the song has a raw harmonic soulful vibe that carries through.
I would say they covered pretty well.
Simpy said, he is a good, good father no matter how it is covered.  And this song is great artwork for the Church.
 

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3 Tips to Quit Chasing Raccoons

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.
Song of Solomon 2:15

Chasing Raccoons.png

My mom made a brazen decision.

She opted to leave her 17 year old and 18 year old sons home alone for the weekend. She was assured we wouldn’t throw a raging party. I had got in trouble for my “social gathering” I hosted the year before.

So with 3 days and 4 bedrooms left to ourselves my brother, Craig, and I set out for a thrilling weekend as bachelors.  Which really just meant lots of frozen pizza and drive through dinners.

The first night went without a hiccup. It was the second night where hell seemingly broke loose.

About 1 am while I was fast asleep, my older brother slips quietly down to my basement bedroom like a ninja.  In what could only be described as a loud whisper, I hear “Jeff”.  Startled by the harsh quiet tone, I sort of open one eye.  Again, Craig hits me with the hard whisper, “Jeff”.

Finally, slightly stirred from my slumber. Craig tells me the reason for his late night intrusion. “Jeff, someone is stealing my car, I can hear them.”

With my mom gone, Craig as the elder son, took the rights of the oldest to claim mom’s parking spot up near the garage.

Finally, now alert enough to understand his fear, we peer through the tiny square shaped basement window only to see the rear tire of the 1989 Pontiac Sunbird. What our eyes could not see, our ears could hear.  Something was stirring right outside the window.

Craig with constant bravery allowed me out the door and up the stairs first, baseball bats in hand.  And now was we crested the top step which lead straight to the back door, we were about to come face to face with the criminals.

Like a scene from a movie, we slowly open the creaking screen door and step out onto the back porch step…hearts racing, butterflies in the belly and zero plan on what to do with what we would see.

And then, in that moment, we were face to face…with three little raccoons.

It is amazing how often in life we let the little noises create big fears. Now I am not saying there are not big situations and circumstances that we come face to face with. But the truth is we so often let the little raccoons create thieves of our peace, our joy and our ability to be content. When the truth is often revealed of our fears what we find is there was nothing to fear to begin with.

Here is how you face the fear:
1) see the raccoons for just raccoons.  Yeah, they eat your trash, but they aren’t stealing your car. Don’t make bigger to do’s of the little things.

2) be truthful with yourself. The fear of the unknown often leads us to create the narrative of the worst case possible. At 1 am in the night, the greater likelihood was exactly what we found, raccoons in the trash. Tell yourself the truth. Be honest about the situation within the proper context.

3) don’t just listen to the noise. The noises of life will always lead you to believe raccoons can steal your car. If you hear fear, face the fear with facts and what you know is true.  Don’t chase the raccoons in your mind. Pursue truth. Even if the truth is the worst case scenario, at least then you know and create a plan on how to deal with the facts.

We all have raccoons that threaten our peace.  Odds are they are not stealing your car, so don’t let them take your peace either.

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