Start Right Here

The next entry for my Blog is Start Right Here, which was written by Bernie Herms, Mark John Hall, Matthew Joseph West, and Seth David Mosley.  The song was first released October 26, 2018.  A link to Casting Crowns singing the song is at the bottom of the Blog.

Start Right Here

We want our coffee in the lobby
We watch our worship on a screen
We got a Rockstar preacher
Who won’t wake us from our dreams
We want out blessings in our pocket
We keep our missions overseas
But for the hurting in our cities
Would we even cross the street?

Huh but we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel
The walls fall down and our land be healed
But church if we want to see a change in the world out there

It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now

I’m like the brother of the prodigal
Who turned his nose and puffed his chest
He didn’t run off like his brother
But his soul was just as dead
What if the church on Sunday
Was still the church on Monday too?
What if we came down from our towers
And walked a mile in someone’s shoes?

Hmm ’cause we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel
The walls fall down and our land be healed
But church if we want to see a change in the world out there

It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now

We’re the people who are called by His name
If we’ll surrender all our pride and turn from our ways
He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin
He will heal our land but it starts right here
We’re the people who are called by His name
If we’ll surrender all our pride and turn from our ways
He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin
He will heal our land

It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now
It’s got to start right here
It’s got to start right now
Lord, I’m starting right here
Lord, I’m starting right now

As I prepare to produce my Blog entries, I take the time to listen to multiple songs and then select the one that really touches my heart at that particular time.  As I listened to this song a few times, it helped me to better understand the real mission that each of us has in front of us.  We are probably all creatures of habit and we really don’t want to change unless forced to do so, this perspective can be good or bad.  Think of some of the habits you have implemented in your life, note that I say implemented not just random things you do every day that perhaps you used to do differently.  The writer lists of few of these, some may apply to you and some may not.  You may ask, what is wrong with a regular routine or habit?  The writer is not condemning habits, the writer is calling out the negative impact of certain habits.

Some of our habits are harmless and are perfectly ok, but some of our habits can take us farther away from God and his mission for us.  We are always willing to change if it doesn’t impact us too much since most of us don’t like a lot of change in our lives.    One of these habits is how we personally define the role of the church in our lives and how our habits impact the mission we were given from God through his word.  Many churches today have live broadcasts or recorded broadcasts, so we can enjoy the message of the pastor without getting out of our pajamas, leaving the house, or worrying about our next cup of coffee.    We may be listening to an awesome speaker who speaks about the joys of the Christian life and what the ultimate future holds for us, a promise of eternal life.  Perhaps the preacher doesn’t focus on our responsibilities as a Christian, so we count on him to do his job and get the people outside of the church into the building so that they ultimately accept Jesus as their personal savior.  The preacher’s message probably helps us grow as Christians every time we hear the message and we want the unsaved to hear that same message.  This all sounds great doesn’t it?  We don’t have to do anything but enjoy our Christianity from the comfort of our recliners.  Before I continue, note that I am not criticizing the broadcast of messages from the church.  There are many reasons for some not physically going to church including being out of town, working, not physically able, etc.  The issue that the song raises is, what about all of the people in the world who do not know Christ and are completely unaware of the possibility of eternal life.  Many of these people have perhaps never set foot in a church and never seen a broadcast from the church.  It all comes down to the mindset that it is all about us as opposed to sharing the blessings that Christ has given to us.  Who is out there telling people the good message of eternal live that only Jesus can give?  Is it really the responsibility that falls only upon the preacher and missionaries?

Jesus did indeed die on the cross so that everyone in the world could have the opportunity for eternal life.  He depends on his followers to tell the world what he did for all people, his message to his followers is found in the book of Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   This directive applies to everyone who has accepted Christ as their personal savior.  It is up to the Christians to share this message everywhere they go.  The writers pose the question as to whether or not the followers of Jesus today are even willing to cross the street to help someone and deliver his message.  Do we try to spread Christianity merely from our pockets or do we actually support Christ with our presence, our words, and our actions.  Can we do any of the above if our Christianity only lives in our family rooms or our churches?

I truly believe that most of us are Sunday Christians, I believe this to be the direct message coming out of this song.  As we go to church or watch church on our TVs, we do absorb the message being presented, we do grow in our love for Christ, and we do pray for others to become part of the body of Christ.  We leave Church with good intentions, but these all dissipate before we even get back into our comfy recliners or sofas in our homes.  The writers then ask a question we probably don’t want to hear, what if the church was still a church on Monday?  I would take it a little farther and ask, what if the church was still a church seven days a week?   In theory, everyone in the church is like minded when it comes to the teachings of Christ and his directives for all of us.  The issue is that so many of us, probably too many, ignore the directives once we get away from the building.  Christianity is not a building and that is where many of us fail in our Christian lives.  We should be fed the word of God when in the church and we should be delivering the word and helping others when we leave the church.  If someone is sick, do we only pray for them once?  Do we only visit them once?  Do we only take them meals once?  If our friends and family need something, we will be there as often as we need to be and provide whatever is needed.  If we truly want to follow what Christ commanded, our mission of spreading his word is never complete.  As someone once said, “you are the only Jesus some will ever see”, keep this in mind as you start every day.

We all need to attend church if able, but we all need to remember that the church is not really all about the building or the preacher, it is all about the people who make up the church.   Christ gave us our mission long ago, have you taken up this mission and become part of the real church?  If not, now is the time and outside of the building is the place.  If you are not ready to start right now on the mission you were given, when will you start?  If your answer is that you have not started, take some time right now and ask yourself what is holding you back from the one mission your savior asked of you.  Take the first step right here and right now.

Click to hear Casting Crowns sing Start Right Here

Count Your Blessings

The next entry for my Blog is Count Your Blessings which was written by Johnson Oatman in 1897 with the music written by Edwin O. Excell. It is a staple song in most Christian hymnals. A link to the song being performed is at the bottom of the Blog.

Count Your Blessings

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—*money cannot buy [*wealth can never buy]
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

As I write this entry in March, 2020; the world is struggling with the COVID-19 virus. We are seeing countries shut their borders, cities confine people to their homes, schools closing, travel being suspended, the stock markets in shambles, and most of us are probably wondering how this will all turn out. Some of our questions are: will I get the virus, when will it all end, how will I ultimately be impacted physically, emotionally, and financially. As I thought about a song that best seems to show an understanding of a life/world filled with troubles and what it looks like on the other side; this song, Count Your Blessings, came to mind. Even though the song was written in 1897, it is still relevant today and the troubles we are facing.

As we listen to the news and surf the internet, we only hear about what could happen as we face this global pandemic. We are definitely in a very tempestuous time filled with fear as well as selfishness. We are frustrated and discouraged as our grocery stores all have empty shelves, as we are all looking for the same life necessities. We see people coming out of the stores with more supplies than they could ever utilize, while we are hoping to get enough to survive for the next few days or a couple of weeks. So, we become extremely frustrated as we come up empty in our search and see others hoarding the things we need. As we become more frustrated, irritated, and discouraged; we start focusing on the what-ifs and fall into the glass is half-empty mindset. What we really need to focus on is how blessed we are and what will ultimately happen to us as believers. As we start to become swallowed up by the worries of life, we need to stop the worrying and start thanking God for what we do have, how he has blessed us, and what eternity looks like. Keep in mind that our life on earth is just a blip in the eternal life Jesus has given to us. Many of us share some of the same blessings, and each of us will have unique blessings. As you count your blessings, think about things such as jobs, housing, food, significant others, children, friends, possessions, health, eternal life, and these are just high-level categories for you to think about as you focus on your blessings. As the song says, I truly think you will be very surprised at what God has done!

Outside of the current time of fear from the pandemic, do you just feel worn down and beaten by the world on a daily basis? I know that each of us face our own challenges every single day in some aspect of our life. These trials ultimately become a burdensome worry that saps our strength, drags us down, and negatively impacts all of those around us. The song refers to these as our cross, the one we end up carrying every day. Jesus also carried a cross, the only difference is that the cross he carried was for each of us. Our cross is basically our challenges in life, whereas the cross of Jesus represented all of our burdens and our sins for every day of our life. He carried that cross long ago so that we could forever give our burdens to him. I realize it is easy to say to give our burdens to Jesus, but isn’t that what he told us to do and isn’t that why he died for each of us who accept him as our Lord and Savior? Consider all that he has done for us and has promised us and it will make the burdens much lighter. In Matthew 11:28 we find God’s promise, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I do understand this is easier said than done, but we will make a lot more progress by trying than we will by worrying and trying to bear the burdens alone.

As you have thought about your challenges as well as the peace that God offers us, know that God can handle whatever confronts us, whether it is a small challenge or a completely overwhelming challenge. He ultimately overcomes our challenges by giving us the strength, hope, wisdom, and support we need; and many times, he turns those challenges into blessings. In Psalm 103:1-5, we find where David is helping us all to realize who God is and that he is always there to pick us up: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” We serve a mighty God who meets our every need and gives us more blessings than we can ever count; in fact, it would be difficult to count all of the blessings he gives us in a single day. See if you can write down every blessing, large or small, that you have received in the past 24 hours.

In closing this entry for the week, I want to ask you a question. With everything going in the world today, including the pandemic, are you living a life of fear or a life knowing that God is control?

Click to Hear Count Your Blessings