Another Explanation of Objective & Subjective Reality

I know somebody who is extremely gifted. He has a charismatic personality, is intelligent and is very competent. He has the capacity to excel at almost anything he tries to accomplish in life. Nobody, and I mean nobody, who knows him would ever wonder if he lacks the confidence to reach any goals he ever set for himself.

But the problem is that he doesn't see himself that way. Instead, he lives with a nagging sense of insecurity that he hides well from others. Although he could reach great heights in life, he lives at a low level of achievement because of those underlying feelings of inferiority and insecurity.

Is he gifted? Could he accomplish anything? Yes! That is an absolute truth. It is what would accurately be called the "objective reality" of the situation.

Is he living out of that reality? No. He believes all the negative things that the recriminating voices in his own head whisper to him. He thinks that the truth is that he is a loser and that if people knew the real him, that's what they'd see. That is his "subjective reality."

What needs to happen in his life is that he needs to come alive to the truth - to the objective reality of who he really is. If that were to happen, his subjective reality would be changed to reflect the truth. He would stop living subjectively under the lie that holds him back and he would then be able to live up to the objective reality that has been true of him all along.

Objective reality is real whether we believe it or not. Subjective reality is what we perceive reality to be at a personal level, whether it's actually true or not. In the case of what Jesus did for us at the cross, the objective reality is that His finished work applies to every person on the planet. But until they believe it, their subjective reality will never reflect the truth - neither in this life nor the next.

Abandoning The Religious Rat Race

Are you on the religious treadmill? Get off. You may find it gratifying in the short run but over the long haul it'll kill you. Driven religious fervor becomes a one night stand repeated over and over and over again. There may be a shallow gratification in one night stands, but nobody would ever mistake it for genuine intimacy. God offers you much more than that. He wants you to experience Him and all of His gifts as a natural part of the soothing rhythms of grace. However, to know that kind of intimacy, we must stop our religious hyperventilating, calm down, stop and smell the roses. God doesn’t need for you to break the three minute mile for Him. He just wants you to enjoy Him, knowing that everything else in your life will flow out of that.

Jesus didn’t come to help us be religious superstars. Far from it, He came to deliver us from empty religion, even orthodox, time honored religion. Jesus came to bring us into intimacy with God through Himself. In His earthly days, as in our day, those most offended by Him have been the religionists who have built their reputation around keeping their golden idols polished to a brighter shine than anybody else in town.

The idols are their own particular rules of the road that must be observed as we speed down the highway they call “Christian living.” Their display case is filled with the specific idols which most easily fit their own personality and temperament and they judge everybody else by whether or not they live up to their own personal standards. People are incidental. What matters is how you are behaving.

Even Jesus wasn’t a good churchman by the standards of the religionists of His day. He didn’t live up to what they thought He ought to be. To them, He had no convictions. He appeared to compromise the purity and integrity of their values by doing things like healing people on the Sabbath, by eating with the crooks (Publicans) and party-animals (sinners) of His day. He was a friend of the hookers and homeless. He didn’t separate Himself far enough from the riffraff, as every good churchman knew one should do. Consequently, He lost His testimony with the Pharisees, an incidental matter which didn’t seem to bother him at all. Jesus cared more about relationships than reputation. He still does.

A legitimate Christian lifestyle gently flows like water along a riverbank, refreshing all who happen to stumble upon our banks. It isn’t a flash flood of activity that honors God. He doesn’t lead us that way, but instead He has chosen to make “[us] lie down in green pastures. He leads [us] beside the still waters [where] He restores [our] soul” (Psalm 23).

Get off the religious treadmill and just put your eyes on Him. He will do "the rest" in you.

The Greatest Love Affair Ever

One day while He walked the celestial halls, Jesus decided to observe the earth. In a far off remote place he found “you”. Humanity was cursed with the curse of Adam and there was nothing beautiful in us. But that did not matter to Him, “I only see you.”

And then suddenly, the arrow strikes. Jesus feels butterflies in His stomach and chills in His spine. A passion passes slowly through his heart and he sighs. This passion takes control of the moment. Even though you are not attractive, a desire to have you rises up in Him. He wants to own you for all eternity.

He waits for you with open arms. His life was aflame for you. From his eyes flowed a burning river that flooded his heart, which was dry with loneliness, because he wanted to submerge you in that very heart.

The Eternal Lover looked through the celestial window to hear the footsteps, conscious that they were your feet walking on the earthly streets. A smile was etched on His face and he said “That’s her! That’s her!” This is not a fairy tale or just a simple story. Jesus is in love with his beloved, the most beautiful of them all. It doesn’t matter if they tell Him that she is not worth it. He is blinded and totally attracted to her.

You are chosen as the person who awakens in Him a burning passion. When He falls in love with you He opens for you the secrets of His love. As you receive it, you are born again. Now you can hear in your heart the most romantic words “I am my beloveds, and He is mine!”

With His irresistible Spirit He touches our interior for the first time, taking us to the true light. In His time, He fills us with affection. We are accepted in His eyes and He softly saturates us with all that is He.

His love springs out like an exquisite bouquet of flowers, aromatic and exuberant that he gives to us through his life. The call of His love sunk into our being, His hands molded us. We are raised up to a place we never thought we would reach. Now we are light because of what He has done.

The force of His love inspires a song of love. We have been born in His love like the dawn is born from the night. The days continue passing, and an emotional Jesus, steps to the Father to express His desire.

“Father, I want to talk with you” Jesus says.

The Father responds, “I am here”

“Father I want to confess to you that I am in love, so in love that when I sit at the table and the angels serve our alphabet soup, I see her name written out.”

“Who is this privileged one?” responds His Father.

“She is on the earth. Father, I want to show her how much I am in love with her. May I have her? I want her for me, and only me!”

“Son, what are you willing to do for her?” His Father asked.

“I am willing to give my all!”


Although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

Jesus is so in love with you that he left behind all of his privileges. In other words He left His throne, His majesty and His Gloria in Heaven (John 17:4),His position (John 5:30, Hebrews 5:8), His riches (2 Corinthians 8:9), His rights (Luke 22:27, Matthew 20:28) and the use of His Divine attributes (John 5:19, 8:28, and 14:10).

When Jesus emptied Himself of everything, it not only meant the voluntary restriction of His divine capabilities and privileges. It also meant the acceptance of suffering, of rejection, mistreatment, hate and the terrible death on the cross.

Even though he never stopped being completely divine, Jesus took up human nature with its temptations, humiliations and weaknesses, and yet “without sin” (Philippians 2:7-8 and Hebrews 4:15). Why did He do it? It was because He fell hopelessly in love with us. How much did He love us that he decided to leave everything for you?

Jesus stood before the table, telling His Father and all of the celestial beings “I want to get close to her through a new testament. I want to make a new covenant.”

Earthly courtship is just as important as the marriage. Why? Because the happiness of the marriage is determined by how successful the courtship is. A house built on a solid foundation will not fall easily. A field that is worked well, whose quality seeds are sown at the correct time will reap a fabulous harvest.

Dear readers, courtship is the stage in which we pass from “I” to “we,” from the reserved to the donation, from the singular freedom to the plural liberty, from the unknown to the known.

Some of the characteristics we look for in a courtship are: faithfulness, fidelity, purity, patience, friendship, generosity, sensitivity, among others. We also know that sometimes the courtship can be difficult with many struggles, but we can trust the person who is at our side. Jesus is our fiancé and He will counsel, help and accompany us during the entire courtship. Feel His loving heart and protective hand always. When the going is tough, His love is a great motivation and relief for all.

What a glorious vision our groom has! He is willing to show us the perfect courtship because He wants to have the desired person. He has decided to leap unheeded from His platform of love to His masterpiece to ask her to be His bride. Her invitation shines like the sun and its words are filled with truth.

“I want to pay an incalculable and indescribable price for her, a price no one has ever paid.” He said to His Father.

“What is the price you wish to pay.” His Father asked.

“My life! That will be my dowry.”


(This article is an excerpt from the book, God Enjoys You, by Gerardo Vazquez, Director for Grace Walk Latin America. Right now, the book is only available in Spanish, but hopefully that will change in the future!)

Resting in Abba's Arms

It is amazing how the default setting in contemporary Christian culture tends to oppose the concept of rest when that is exactly what Jesus promised to give us. (See Matthew 11:28-30) Just as God called Israel to a land of rest, we are being called to that today. This concept requires a new mind set for most people today. We live in a society where people go on vacation with their cell phones and laptop computers. To rest in Christ, trusting Him to express His life through us sounds lazy and negligent after having lived in the wilderness of rigorous religion for such a long time. Many mistakenly think of rest as some sort of passivity, which it is not. Rest means to trust Jesus Christ as our Life-Source, depending upon Him to empower our actions with His strength and direction.

As a legalist, the concept of rest was so foreign to me that I couldn’t comprehend it. I didn’t know rest was a gift from my Father. I thought it was a sin. I sincerely believed that the only time we would find complete rest was when we died and went to heaven. There was a verse I used to read at funeral services to give comfort to bereaved families. I would share Hebrews 4:10 with them: “For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.”

When I shared this verse, I would tenderly point out that our beloved friend who had died “has now entered into God’s rest and ceased from his own labors.” I talked about how heaven is a place where there are no more struggles. It is a place where we simply rest in Christ and enjoy Him forever.

Entering into His rest and ceasing from our own works. It sounded like dying and going to heaven to me. Then one day I read the next verse in the passage — Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall down through following the example of disobedience.” What? Be diligent to enter that rest? Now I was in trouble. I had always taught that rest means dying. Now here I was being confronted with the verse that says to be diligent to enter that rest or else I would be disobedient to God. I knew I had better go back and reexamine that verse again and hope that my interpretation had been wrong or else I was in serious trouble! I didn’t know at the time that I had already died with Christ and was able to cease from my own works.

Life in Christ is certainly not a passive lifestyle but neither is it a lifestyle of religious hyperactivity either. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Resting in Him means that we live our lives knowing that He holds us safely in His arms and that His loving embrace carries us through every situation we face in life. Sometimes our lifestyles will involve external activity and at other times it will involve outward inactivity, but at all times we are enjoying His divine hug.

Jesus didn't just come to deliver us from sin. He also came to deliver us from the religious sweatshop that demands a never ending effort to measure up. The cross has hung a "Gone Out of Business" sign on the door or religion and has taken us all on a permanent vacation with our Triune God. So relax and enjoy your rest.

The Bible As A Barrier

Jesus once said something to the Pharisees that sounds strange at first. The Pharisees were known for their knowledge of the Bible and had a reputation for their meticulous attention to doing what it says. A good Pharisee had much of the Old Testament Scripture committed to memory. They were recognized as authorities on the Bible.

It was to that group that Jesus said these words: "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:39-40). "You diligently study the Bible," Jesus said, but then He goes on to tell them how their Bible study had no productive value in their lives at all. "The Bible serves its purpose by bringing people into an intimate relationship to me, but you've missed that fact completely," is the point He was making.

To the Pharisee, studying the Bible was an end unto itself. They studied the Bible to know the Bible. It was the final authority on their faith and actions. The problem was that the Pharisees turned the Bible into a manual for living. Jesus minced no words in making it clear that they had become blinded to Him by their own Bible study.

It's a strange phenomenon but not one that has passed away with the decline of the religious sect called "the Pharisees." I grew up being taught that the group to which I belonged were "people of the Book." That's how we identified ourselves. I read the Bible to learn the Bible - to understand its content - to know how I was supposed to live. I used to say, "I live by the Bible."

It all sounds so right on the surface that it's impossible to see the flawed logic of such an approach apart from the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to our error. It is not your Father's intent that you live by the Bible. It never has been. Paul described the proper protocol for living when he said, "the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).

We are not to live by the Bible, but are intended to live by the life of the indwelling Christ. The Scripture can give us no life at all. "You think that by them you possess eternal life," Jesus told the Pharisees, clearly making that point that life doesn't come from the Bible but from Himself.

I know it's risky business to talk this way in the climate of the modern church. If you've been taught that the Bible is the pinnacle of your walk with the Father, then it may sound to you like I'm diminishing the Bible but I'm not. I'm exalting Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible but also think it's important to know what our Bible is intended to accomplish.

The Bible became a barrier between the Pharisees and Jesus because they thought that Scripture was to be their final destination. Many think the same today, but it's not. The Bible isn't our destination. It's a sign post, pointing us toward our Destination, which is Christ Jesus.

C.S. Lewis once described how that when he pointed toward something and said to his dog, "Look at that!" the dog didn't see what he was pointing at. Instead, his dog looked at the end of the index finger Lewis used to point. That's how many people have become with their Bible. They don't understand that it serves to point them to their God, not to itself.

As we read and study the Bible, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to see our Triune God and His love for us. If all we see are doctrines to be learned, Greek words to be parsed, church history to be understood and religious rules to be followed, we've missed the point altogether. The Bible isn't a text book. It's a photo album with pictures of Jesus on every page. Until we see Him in our Bibles, we haven't looked closely enough.

You're Not Guilty Anymore!

This song fits perfectly with this week's "Sunday Preaching" broadcast. It's "You're Not Guilty Anymore" by Aaron Keyes. The lyrics are beneath the video. (Thanks to Beverly Daniel for making me aware of this song.)



Not Guilty Anymore

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done;
It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from
Doesn’t matter where you’ve been,
Hear me tell you I forgive

You’re not guilty anymore, you’re not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You’re not broken anymore, you’re not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

Can you believe that this is true, grace abundant I am giving you
Cleansing deeper than you know, all was paid for long ago

You’re not guilty anymore, you’re not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You’re not broken anymore, you’re not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

There is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Jesus.

You’re not guilty anymore, you’re not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You’re not broken anymore, you’re not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

You are spotless
You are holy
You are faultless
You are whole
You are righteous
You are blameless
You are pardoned
You are mine!

You’re not guilty anymore, you’re not filthy anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours
You’re not broken anymore, you’re not captive anymore,
I love you, mercy is yours

Grace Versus Religion

There's an interesting story in John 8 that shows just how low religion can sink. Jesus had been telling people about how He was the Light of the world and how that when they came to know the truth, they would be set free. As He showed them that it wasn't their religious background or affiliation that gave them status with God but that it would be their relationship to Him that mattered, the Jews began to become more and more angry. Tell a self-righteous person that his religious achievements don't impress God and you're setting yourself up for a fight.

The first thing they did was to try to defend their connection to Abraham in an attempt to set forth their religious pedigree. Jesus plainly pointed out to them that their religious identification didn't seem to be making any difference in causing them to live a life of faith in God. "If your relationship to Abraham is such a big deal, why isn't it affecting the way you live?" Jesus asked in so many words. (See John 8:39)

That was all it took. Now, He had gone and insulted their self-righteous pride. Mess with a man's religious identity by telling him that God isn't impressed and that it's not doing him or, for that matter, anybody else any good and you're asking for trouble. The problem they faced was that they couldn't deny that what Jesus said was true. So they took the defensive strategy that religion always takes when cornered. They attacked the messenger.

"Oh yeah?" they chided. "Well, at least we weren't born of fornication!"(See John 8:41) Of course, they were referring to the fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, wasn't married to Joseph when she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Their attempt was to shut Him up by trying to embarrass Jesus, even shame Him by pointing out what they believed to be a deficiency in Him.

Make no mistake about it - this weapon from hell is still often used against those who boldly stand for the truth of God's grace. Authentic grace and performance-based-religion are like baking soda and vinegar. Try to introduce grace to self-righteous pride and a reaction is sure to erupt. When the message you share is iron-clad (and the message of pure grace is biblically sound), don't be surprised when the attack is turned against you.

I've heard it all myself. I've been accused by some people of not believing the Bible, of trying to establish a denomination with myself as the leader, of founding a new cult (called McVeyism by this particular critic), of lacking credentials, of being arrogant, of merchandising the gospel. The list goes on. My two favorites are "How can that guy teach the message of Christ living through us when he's overweight?" and "Steve McVey is a liar with a bad haircut."

Then there are the internal accusations - the ones that have come into my mind through the years. Those are much more personal, cruel and painful, even though I know they aren't true. Have you heard those accusations in your own mind?

Whether the voices that seek to silence us are external or internal, we will do well to remember one thing. We are in good company when these kind of attacks come, for the Lord Jesus Himself faced such moments. If you continue reading in John 8, you'll see that they finally accuse Him of being demon possessed. (See verse 48). The enemy will stop at nothing in trying to silence anybody who proclaims the pure truth of God's love and grace in a world of self-righteousness.

We are in a battle in our efforts to spread the message of grace. It's not a battle with flesh and blood either. This is a revolution and revolutionaries are often fired upon. The reality is that it goes with the territory. Much is at stake and the enemy of our souls will not stand idly by while we advance the Kingdom of God by spreading His love and grace.

If you feel attacked, you're not alone. If you feel belittled at times, you're not alone. If you feel alone, you're not alone! Let's join our hearts and hands and stand strong. We aren't fighting for victory. We are fighting from Victory and He assures us that through Him we will prevail.

In the thick of the battle, hymn-writer and gospel preacher, Isaac Watts wrote these words three hundred years ago that still serve us well today. May they be an expression of our own hearts.

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause
Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease?
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight, if I would reign
Increase my courage, Lord!
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy word.

Thy saints, in all this glorious war,
Shall conquer, though they die;
They view the triumph from afar,
And seize it with their eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

Baby Got Book

Figure out your own object lessons from this video. All I know is that it's so ridiculous I couldn't stop smiling from start to finish :)

Want To Know How To Be Rid of Bad Habits???

I put this video on my blog several years ago but just came across it again. It illustrates so very well the approach that religious legalism takes toward counseling people by telling them to find the strength from within their own willpower to make changes in their lives. I think it's hilarious but, sadly, illustrates scenarios that are all to true to life in "Christian counseling" everywhere.

Are You Going Blind?

Jesus encountered many people who were physically blind during His earthly ministry. However, there were only two groups that He ever called spiritually blind. One of them was the Pharisees. The ironic fact about this group is that they believed with all their hearts that they saw things more clearly than everybody else. (Modern Pharisees still believe that.)

What was the cause of their spiritual blindness? Legalism. Perhaps nothing so effectively destroys a clear vision of the face of the Divine Lover like legalism. The danger with legalism is that it usually doesn’t cause a Christian to be struck blind instantly, but gradually.

The last time I had my eyes examined, the ophthalmologist gave me a warning as she looked into the pupil of my left eye. “There is something here that you shouldn’t be worried about now, but at some point it will need attention,” she said. “What is it?” I asked. She continued, “I see the very early stages of a cataract in this eye.” “A cataract?!” I asked in disbelief. The ophthalmologist continued, “This isn’t something to worry about now. It will probably take it many years to grow to the point where you’ll need to have something done about it. I’m just telling you so that you can have it checked over the years.”

Some Christians begin their new life in Christ with perfect vision. However, as time progresses, like a cataract, legalism begins to gradually grow in their lives until it eventually blinds them to the presence of Jesus Christ in meaningful ways. Intellectually, they know He is there, but they gradually lose their experiential sight of Him.

They talk about times they have seen Him in the past, but have completely lost sight of Him actively working in their lives today. They have, as Jesus said about one church, “lost their first love.” Legalism suffocates love, thus cuts one off from the very life force of the spiritual disciplines.

Sometimes people with failing vision have been known to pretend to see better than they do. That’s what a Christian legalist does. In an effort to keep up appearances, those blinded by legalism profess all the more loudly about how clearly they can see. They go through religious motions, but with each passing day their view of the Divine Lover’s face grows more dim. Those actions which were once animated by His indwelling life and which were motivated by love now become religious routine. They have traded a Person for performance.

They read the Bible, but it doesn’t read them. They say prayers, but don’t pray. They watch and listen, but no longer see and hear. (See Mark 8:18) They are more than willing to tell everybody around them how to walk, but don’t have the vision to know where they are going themselves. They are “blind leaders of the blind.” (See Matthew 15:14)

The source of legalists’ behavior is not love for Jesus Christ, but dead, religious duty. They believe they can gain God’s favor because of what they do. The miss the point altogether that it isn’t a certain behavior that brings God pleasure. God is pleased by faith. (See Hebrews 11:6)

Those blinded by legalism typically get hung up on the technicalities of the religious rules they deem important, but have lost sight completely of the things that are really important. They argue over incidental things that have no eternal value. They are missing Jesus!

Jesus spoke to them in Matthew 23, telling them the way it is. Peterson describes the scene in The Message, when Jesus said to them,

You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment – the absolute basics! – you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?

Much of Matthew 23 is filled with the renouncement of Jesus against the legalism of the Pharisees. Their obsession with rules above relationships was the definitive evidence of their blindness. They were missing the whole point, says Jesus.

Have you become blinded by legalism? Some might argue that a Christian can’t be a legalist. They understand the word to refer only to those who hope to become a Christian by their works. While that certainly is one expression of legalism, it isn’t the only way a person can act as a legalist.

The Apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians because of the threat of legalism in their church. False teachers had come into the fellowship there, teaching these young Christians that, along with Christ, they needed to embrace the law. Paul wrote to them to say, “No! Your life isn’t built around the law! Your life is in Jesus Christ!” He asked them, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:2)? So, He knew they had the Spirit. He wasn't questioning that. What He didn't know was what they were now going to depend on to go on in life.

Again, Paul wasn’t writing to them because he was concerned that they might misunderstand salvation. He knew they had believed the gospel and received God’s Spirit. How could they become confused about what it takes to become a Christian? They had already become Christians! His concern for them was that, as Christians, they might become ensnared in legalism.

The Pharisees were not believers in Christ. The Galatians were. It is possible to be a legalist whether a person is a believer or non-believer. Anytime our focus is on doing the right thing to gain God's favor or make spiritual progress, we have fallen into the clutch of legalism. Let's keep our eyes on Christ Jesus because legalism is a disease that will most certainly make us go blind.

Songs Of Love From Heaven

Perhaps no medium on earth has the capacity to affect a person’s emotions like music. Music has been used throughout history to move people into action. It has motivated men to charge forward into battle. It has often been a prerequisite to making love. Music has caused some to sit still in reflective silence and caused others to get up and dance. It has soothed fussy babies until they drifted off into a peaceful sleep. It has been used at weddings to celebrate a new life together and years later at funerals to grieve the end of that shared life. Music has been a comforting companion to prisoners and slaves. It has given expression to a celebration of victory. Certain music has even been proven to increase the amount of milk a cow gives! Music – it can make us laugh or cry. It can give us feelings of nostalgia, joy, hope, sadness and even anger. Its power is nothing short of miraculous.

Music was born in heaven, flowing from the very heart of God. It framed the universe at the beginning of time. When God spoke to Job about the time when He had lain the foundation of the earth, He referred to it as a time “when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).

A word search on singing in the Bible presents a fairly strong case that God likes singing. In both the Old and New Testament, we are encouraged to sing before the Lord. The Psalmist said, “Come before Him with joyful singing” (Psalm 100:2). The Apostle Paul said that believers are to be “singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

Singing has a prominent place in the Bible among God’s family of faith. It has been the hallmark of many great moments in our lives. Consider the role that singing played in just a few of the pivotal moments in the history of God’s people.

✦ When God delivered Moses and the children of Israel from Egypt, they walked through the Red Sea on dry land. When they reached the other side, they sang together. In fact, Exodus 15 is called “The Song Of Moses” to this day.

✦ When the people of Israel dedicated the city wall around Jerusalem which had been rebuilt under the leadership of Nehemiah, they sang. (See Nehemiah 12:40-42)

✦ When the ark of the covenant was returned to Israel, singers were appointed to mark the occasion. As they sang, King David danced with delight. (See 1 Chronicles 15:26-29)

✦ Paul and Silas sang in a Philippian jail at midnight and God caused an earthquake to shake open the prison doors. (See Acts 16:25-26)

Singing is a way to express the consuming passion of our hearts. The melody and tempo of a song enhance the content of the message one desires to communicate. For a young man to tell a girl he loves her is appreciated, but to sing it to her can make her absolutely giddy.

Singing preceded this world and will outlast it. Music will be an integral part of our lives in heaven. (See Revelation 5:9; 14:3; 15:3) It is quite obvious that God has a real affinity for music.

Did you know that you can gaze into the lovely face of the Divine Lover through the lens of music? Certain songs move me deeply, causing me to experience a sense of intimacy with my Father in awesome ways. I seldom hear or sing The Love of God, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, or A Mighty Fortress Is Our God without choking up at the time. The great hymns of the faith teach us theology and touch us in the deep places of our heart.

There also have been many modern praise choruses written which facilitate a deeper sense of intimacy with the Divine Lover. It is troubling to see that some modern choruses put forth a weak or aberrant theology, but many can be useful in providing a track for praising God in a way that can cause us to experience Him in a fresh way. A good chorus lifts your heart toward heaven.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can only hear the Divine Lover’s voice within the context of religious music. Remember that He can make Himself known to you in unlimited ways. He isn’t about to surrender everything outside the church doors to the world. Music written apart from His life is pirated material and the Divine Lover can reclaim it anytime He wants.

I was speaking on this subject at a conference one day when I asked the group, “Are you able to hear God speak to you if there is no religious tone who what you hear?” The audience waited for me to continue. “Close your eyes and listen to the song I’m about to play, “ I encouraged them. “Perhaps you have heard the song before, but this time, listen for the voice of the Divine Lover in it.”

Then, at a spiritual retreat, in a room filled with Christians, I played a recording by a well known rock singer, Joe Cocker. The words he passionately sang are, “You are so beautiful to me. You are so beautiful to me. Can’t you see? You’re everything I hoped for. You’re everything I need. You are so beautiful to me!”

As the song played, grown men and women began to cry. For the first time, many were hearing their Divine Lover’s voice from a source they had never thought to consider before now. For every person there, this song would never again be the same. God’s love had redeemed it and brought it into the kingdom as a gift for those who listened.

Does this concept seem uncomfortable to you? If so, consider this question: Why should Jesus Christ be restricted to only communicating to you in religious ways? He is Lord over all the earth and can use anything He chooses at anytime He wants to express love to those who are His! One unmarried lady I know says that she listens to a radio station that plays nothing but romantic love songs and that she often hears the Lord sing to her through those songs. Who would tell her she is wrong?

I have experienced a sense of transcendent joy that couldn’t possibly find its origin in fallen man at times when I have heard certain non-religious music. I was enthralled as I watched The Phantom of the Opera on the theater stage where we attended the play. On another occasion, tears filled my eyes as I attended a concert by the great Italian singer, Andrae Boccelli, despite the fact that not one word was being sung in English.

Don’t misunderstand the point. I’m not suggesting that every time we have a positive feeling, it is God manifesting Himself to us. I recognize that our emotions can be manipulated by various influences. However, I also believe that Christians are sometimes guilty of dismissing the pervasive presence of Christ in this world by relegating experiences that aren’t directly religious as being “non-spiritual.”

I can almost imagine that when I listened to Andrae Boccelli in concert, Jesus was saying, “Isn’t this great? Steve, I love seeing how you enjoy this concert. I can’t wait until you get Home. I have even better ones waiting for you here.”

Remember that the Divine Lover lives with us where we are and speaks the language of our lives. Do you have a concept of God that allows Him to express Himself to you in unexpected ways, even in ways that aren’t ordinary? He can use many kinds of music to express Himself to you.

Listen to this non-religious song by Joe Cocker that I've mentioned and see if you can hear the Lover of the Universe singing to you...

To Make You Feel My Love

At Grace Camp this past weekend, Art Henkle sang this song by Bob Dylan and challenged us all to listen for our Father's voice in the lyrics. The version below is by Grammy winner, Adele. I encourage you to follow along with the lyrics below the video as you listen to her sing it. We can hear the voice of our Father's love in many places if we have ears to hear.



"Make You Feel My Love"

When the rain is blowin' in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love.

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong.

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawlin' down the avenue
No, there's nothin' that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love.

Though storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regrets
Though winds of change are throwing wild and free
You ain't seen nothin' like me yet.

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love.

Don't Give Up!

When we face the temptation to quit, the enemy of our souls lies to us. He points out every deficiency in us that we are willing to consider, both real and imagined. He reminds us of our weaknesses. He describes our future to us in bleak, dreary terms and tries to strip away any hope that our present course could possibly lead to a good outcome.

He attacks our thoughts and tries to pull down our emotions. He wants us to be weakened and become depleted physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Through wearing us down, he hopes to go for the knock-out at the right moment.

Don’t give in to the lies! Persevere! The Bible says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. He will lead you through the difficult terrain you may be on at the moment. He will not abandon you or leave you to find your own way.

When we are tempted to give up, we often think of reasons why we aren’t suited to advance through the trying circumstances we face. We see the challenges before us as monumental and our own weaknesses as glaring. In that moment of temptation, we must not fail to remember that our challenges aren’t to be compared to our abilities, but to the ability of the omnipotent God we serve.

Despite any limitation you may have, you are not a quitter. Your faith in Christ is all you need and it doesn't even have to be "great faith." Even a cry of desperation directed toward Him is a prayer of faith. When choosing to persevere feels like you are trying to walk against the current of a fast moving river, choose to act like who you are. Call upon the Christ who indwells you and press onward. A grace walk is a divinely empowered walk. It is one in which you have the capacity to rise above feelings and thoughts that would cause you to move in a wrong direction and cause you to choose the path that God has called you to walk.

I’m not suggesting that you reach down into your own humanity, your own ability, your own self confidence and keep on going. None of those are sufficient resources to give you sustained forward momentum. I am challenging you to choose by faith to depend upon the One who lives inside you. Acknowledge your weakness and appropriate His strength. Those who do so will find that instead of crashing, they “get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind” (Isaiah 40:31, The Message).

How do we finish well? When everything in you screams that you should give up, how are you to keep going. The Bible tells us it is by “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the same, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). What was the attitude of Jesus toward the shame of the cross? The Bible says he despised it. Do you find yourself in a situation you despise? Remember that the One who indwells you will enable you to endure the cross you bear.

You may think you don’t have enough faith to persevere, but He, alone, is the “perfecter of [your] faith.” Again, you don’t have to have great faith. You only need to depend on the One who lives inside you. His faith is enough for the both of you. He perfects (completes) your faith by infusing it with his own. When you feel like your faith is weak, remember that “the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, King James Version).

Jesus Christ looked beyond the cross and saw “the joy set before Him.” That motivated him to endure the cross. The Bible says about Moses that he “persevered because he saw him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). James wrote that “we consider blessed (happy) those who have persevered” (James 5:11).

There is power in Christ-empowered perseverance. Whatever your circumstance may be, don’t surrender to it. Lean into Him as your Source. You aren’t made for giving up under pressure. Look beyond the immediate stressful factors and see a better day ahead. It will most certainly come. Until it does, decide to persevere and, by God’s grace, follow through with your decision.