Mix Tape Vol. I Track 5 - Glorious Day

Alright, back to my mix tape!

Do you remember those tabs on the top of the cassette tapes? When you had a REALLY important recording, you could pop out the tabs to keep anyone, usually yourself, from accidentally writing over the recording on the tape. Since I was limited in resources, I rarely had a mix that was that important. I really enjoyed being able to put new songs on the mix as time went on...of course if the mix was for that special someone, I popped those tabs right out so they had to work to record over it...you know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, the reason for mentioning this is that I think it’s important to remember that our mix tapes can (and will) change over time. As artists release new songs, we have the proverbial revolving door in our top list. The song for this week falls right into that category! Back when I started writing this series, I hadn’t even heard this song. Now every time I hear it, the volume gets cranked, and the singing begins! (Even Greyson, our three year old, has memorized most of the words!)

Which song is it? Drum roll please......

Glorious Day by Passion! 

I’m sure you know the song. If you don’t know its name, you’ll probably recognize it as soon as you hear it. We’ve played it several times during service, and man is it a blast to play! But that’s not the only reason I like it.

You see, in John 11 we see the story of Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus who had gotten ill and passed away. As the story goes, Jesus arrives at the tomb days after Lazarus died and commands that the people around open the tomb. Of course this directive was met with opposition...I mean...he’d been dead several days. What was going on inside of that tomb was NOT pretty, and it certainly wouldn’t have smelled pretty either. In fact, Martha specifically called it out when she said, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."

Jesus knew that the tomb would smell horrible, but He had another plan! Jesus' response to the crowd was, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" Jesus had a plan the whole time, and it was to show His glory through this painful situation. Jesus proceeded to pray to God the Father and then commanded Lazarus to come out of that grave. Does the story stop there? Absolutely not! You might say the most important part came next.

Lazarus actually got up and walked out of the grave!

Man, what a sight that must have been! To see a man who everyone knew was dead, walk right out of that tomb! 

At face value, maybe the story isn't that impressive...ok, if a dead guy coming back to life isn't impressive, let's talk...otherwise, if you think about it, we're all just like Lazarus. I know, you're not dead...I think. And you're not stuck in a tomb on the side of a cliff. I get it. But what we fail to realize is that the sin that we've become involved in is just like the illness that Lazarus suffered from, and often times that sin has us bound, just like the tomb that Lazarus was in. That sin, without warning, takes everything away from us and causes death and decay in our lives. 

That sin could be anger towards others, it could be lust, it could be lying, stealing, adultery, sexual immorality, selfishness...the list goes on and on.

It doesn't matter what the sin is, it's causing death in your life!

That's where the good news comes in! You see, that my friend, is where Jesus steps down, opens the tomb, and calls your name.

Just as Lazarus would have never walked out of that tomb without Jesus, we'll never be able to escape the confines of our sin without Jesus!  

And THAT is why I love this song!

I have spent so much of my life walking in sin, so much of my life allowing the selfish desires, lust, bitterness, anger, and all of the other sins to rule my thoughts, my actions, my words, my entire life. But God is gracious and has allowed Jesus Christ to come down, live as a man, give up His life, and ascend to Heaven, as the payment for those sins that have gained such a strong grip on my life. So now, rather than being a slave to that sin, I can have freedom from that sin, because Jesus is calling me out of the tomb!

And that's what this song is all about!

What is it that keeps you from drawing closer to God? Is it how you look to other people? Is it sin that you've gotten caught up in? Is it the personal drive to do things yourself? There are many things that keep us from drawing close to God, but once we submit to Him and let Him into our hearts, Jesus will call us out of the tomb!

Check out this song. I know you'll be blessed as you listen to the lyrics! 

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Three Lessons Learned That Will Help You Surge Forward

Well, I think I'm going to break from my current series, because God has placed something on my heart that is just too good not to share! Please read on; we'll continue my Mixed Tape next time! 

As many of you know, a large group of men just returned from a weekend men's retreat. Now, I know that some of you may love going on retreats, while others could come up with a thousand reasons why you wouldn't want to go on a retreat. Regardless of your preconceived notions, a retreat is a great opportunity to get away from day-to-day life, get to know others better, and clear your head so you can hear more clearly from God. This retreat was no exception!

I went up on the mountain fully expecting to be encouraged by the Lord. I figured I would get to know some guys better, encourage them in their walks, and grow a little bit in my walk with the Lord. What actually happened up there was something completely unexpected. To be honest, I experienced God in a way that I have never experienced Him before... at least not that I can remember. God was vividly present up on that mountain, and His Spirit was moving greatly in the hearts of the men, myself included. I came back with pages of notes, way more than I can cram into a blog post, but I wanted to share with you three important lessons that God installed in my heart during this short time. Grab your coffee, and come along!

Lesson One: I am God's beloved child!

Over the course of the weekend, we heard multiple times about Joseph and the multi-colored tunic that his father made for him. This fine tunic signified Joseph's status as beloved child of his father (and of course that's one of the main reasons his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery). Just as Jacob made the tunic for Joseph, God has provided us with a prized "tunic" through the man, Jesus Christ. Did you catch that?! His sacrifice adorns us and allows us to come close to God -- His sacrifice is the tunic that tells us and everyone else that we are His beloved! When was the last time you thought of yourself in that way? As a beloved and coveted child of the Creator of all things, if we truly understand this part of God's heart, we can be unstoppable for Him. Once we fully own the truth, that we are God's beloved children, we will walk in courage, strength, and victory through all situations!

Lesson Two: I need to slow down and just spend time with God.

The first night of the retreat, I hiked around the camp looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunrise and study God's Word (cuz that's what you do at a retreat right?). I found a great spot that looked east over the valley, a perfect place to watch the sun pop up over the mountain tops. Clearly the camp directors knew this was a premium spot, because they conveniently set out rocking chairs looking over the valley.  The next morning I got up early, grabbed my Bible, and headed for my spot. I sat down in that rocking chair, spread open my Bible and gazed at the words, ready for God to miraculously download wisdom into me.

The next moment, I was struck with a truth that I wasn't expecting. God said, "I don't need you to study right now, I just want you to be with Me." In that second, I realized that I was too focused on learning more about God, and not focused enough on simply KNOWING God. 

MIND. BLOWN. 

I closed my Bible and spent the next half hour praying, talking to God, singing to Him, and simply being WITH Him. It was incredible! After that sweet time of prayer, I moved to another area where I did open the Word, and God led me through a fantastic study about the call on my life! It turns out, this time spent in prayer and just focusing on God didn't hinder my study of His Word. It accelerated it! We need to remember that this walk with the Lord is not just about studying to learn more about God (granted we do need to study God's Word to draw closer to Him). This walk is about growing to KNOW God, and in order to do that, we must get in the habit of slowing down and simply being WITH Him!     

Lesson Three: God's calling on my life is so much more than a formal ministry.

If I were to ask you to describe God's call on your life, many of you may have a hard time answering. You might be inclined to say it's to serve in children's ministry, maybe it's to help others, maybe you're not even sure. When thinking about God's "calling," most people default to some kind of formal ministry. Yet on this trip, God showed me very clearly that God's calling on my life is so much more than formal ministry. Joseph was a man who was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and then... after all of that, he was given one of the highest positions of power in all of Egypt. Although we may say that God's calling was for Joseph to lead Egypt, I would submit to you that God's calling on Joseph's life was to honor Him every step of the way, and we see that so clearly in Joseph's story! God calls us to walk with Him, spend time with Him, and get to know Him. He calls us to be an example to everyone we encounter. He calls us to lead our families. He calls us to worship Him. He calls us to simply be His child. He calls us to all of this in the good times and the bad, in the times of prosperity and the days of famine. When it comes to God's calling, ministry is simply the by-product of following God's calling in every aspect of our lives. In fact, you'll find that if we try to run into formal ministry before following His call in the other areas of our lives, we will quickly become overwhelmed trying to do the "works" of being a Christian.  

There is so much more to share, but that's enough for now. This retreat was fantastic. I pray the next time an opportunity comes along to go on such a trip, that you take it! Go, even if it seems out of place for what you like to do. Break away from your day-to-day, and put some extra focus on the Lord. Remember, you are God's beloved child, spend time just hanging out with Him, and remember that His calling on your life is so much more than some formal ministry. Once you grasp a hold of these realities, you'll surge forward in your walk with God!

God bless! See you next time!