Singing In The Spirit

"Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues" (1 Corinthians 14:5)

One day as a young man it occurred to me that I loved to sing and I wondered what my life would be like if for some reason singing was no longer possible. Choir was not my thing but I use to sing while doing activities like cutting grass with a power mower, not aware that anyone would be able to hear me over the engine's noise. Evidently I was mistaken as I would find out a little to my embarrassment from a neighbor some years later.  Oh well.  Better a little embarrassment than trudging along in life without joy.

"And do not get drunk with wine . . . but be filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord". (Ephesians 5: 18-19)


When I surrendered my life to Jesus, confessing Him as my Savior and my Lord, I stepped out in faith, opening my mouth to speak in an unknown language. That was over forty years ago and I think I have spoken or prayed or sung in tongues just about every day since. I make an effort to speak in tongues everyday. Yet without thinking and with less effort it has always been a natural thing for me to sing in tongues when I am alone, especially when driving. I think some people that pass me on the road must wonder what CD or radio station I am singing along with.  Again, Oh well.


"What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind also". (1 Corinthians 14:15)


In my times of prayer I will usually begin in English, but when I have exhausted knowing what to pray or say and I still feel a burden I may continue on in the language the Lord has given me until the burden lifts. I may not have an understanding as to the exact words my heart has expressed to God but praying in the spirit sure helps me to pray through.  And singing in the spirit during these times sure helps me continue on in worship.  This is not in place of reading the Word and being still to listen to the Spirit.  It all works together.


"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God". (Romans 8: 26-27)


When I am in situations where I am with someone for the purpose of praying for them I will usually begin by praising God in English, and then softly pray in tongues until I get a sense from the Spirit as to a clear direction as to how to intercede out loud in English. 

In all those instances tongues operates in my life as a private prayer language, given to me by the Holy Spirit to build me up and to help my spirit express to the Father much more than what I could do with just my natural mind.

Sometimes when praying for a person or in a prayer meeting where the group is in an attitude of prayer or intercession for someone or something, and if I feel a prompting from the Holy Spirit, I may speak or sing out in tongues. In those instances the gift from the Spirit is a form of prophecy. The Father, through the Spirit, has a word of encouragement or direction for the group or for an individual. When I am alone in a time of prayer and worship I have boldly sung out to God in tongues and have then followed the unknown words with choruses in English, perhaps interpreting what was given to me in the spirit. But not being confident to do that in a group I will not speak or sing out in prophetic tongues unless there is someone there that I know has the gift to interpret.


"Shout joyfully to the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyfull singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (Psalm 100: 1-3)


In our prayer meetings with the extended family we would usually spend the first hour singing our favorite praise and worship songs that had made their way into a songbook that we had compiled. The last couple of songs were always good worship tunes, usually ending with the 8 fold Alleluia. We would transition from there to singing in tongues to that melody or to a melody that would develop from that.   I would often switch between tongues and English during those times.

I have also sung in tongues in churches with hundreds of others who are praising the Lord in the spirit as well, so many languages and melodies combining to make a beautiful sound of worship. And I have been in Charismatic conferences where thousands and even tens of thousands of voices were singing in the spirit.  Many languages, many tunes, all blending together in worship, giving us perhaps a glimpse of what it will be like in Heaven!


"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; Bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting. And His faithfulness to all generations". (Psalm 100: 4-5)


We have been made by God to love Him and to be loved by Him. He has put a song in my heart which declares that although He is too awesome for me to comprehend still I will praise Him. I cannot begin to understand His mercy. I cannot find enough words to say thanks. At times I don't know even what my needs truly are or how best to continue on in prayer when I've said all I could say and I still feel the burden. Yet the Spirit helps me in my weakness, and in joy I praise Him with my mouth - In word, in song, and in the Spirit.

Traveling Song

 If you must know, I like to make up songs when I drive.  I started this one on the way back from helping Jackie watch Zane over at Ceci and Dave's this weekend.  Start out high, get lower each verse, nice easy cadence but last verse sung quickly and a little higher.

Do you
know the
Lamb of
God who
takes a
way the
sin of the land?

Will you
con fess
all your
fail ings
trust ing
Him who
loves you so grand?

He has
car ried
all your
bur dens
with Him
way up
there on the cross.

Now the
grave is
sit ting
emp ty
a sure
pro mise
to all the lost.


He will
find you
if you
seek him
knock and
He will
open the door.

Light shines
bright ly
in the
dark ness
life a
bund ant
He'll give you more.

Springs of
liv ing
wat er
flow ing
there's no
bet ter
timing to start.

Give your
praise to
the Lord
Jes us
Wor ship
Him with
all of your heart.

How To Make $500 A Day From Home Using Social Media

How To Make $500 A Day From Home Using Social Media

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Can I hear an AMEN!

Recently I did a road test for a kid whose father was a pastor at a local Christian Reformed church, a denomination that is very strong in our West Michigan area. A parent rides along if the applicant is under 18 so we had a nice little chat whereby I discover his profession. Finally he asks me where I go to church (you have to have lived here for awhile to understand my humor in hearing that) so I laugh and tell him the following story.

After 20 years a man who was shipwrecked and had lived by himself on a tiny island was picked up by a cruise ship. As the rescue vessel was leaving the island the first mate notices three buildings and wants to know what purpose they serve. “Well, the first hut is where I live and the second is where I go to church.” “What about the third building?” asks the mate. “That's where I use to go to church.”

I'll admit that I'm no stranger to church hopping. After we left the Catholic Church we started going to a swell little congregation of Assembly of God believers that met in a school gym. Things were going really good until about a year in I invited the pastor and his wife over to our house to watch a DVD movie. I told them I would rent GHANDI which the pastor was excited to see but when I was at Blockbuster I noticed a flick about that little rubbery figure Gumby so I rented that as well. The pastor and his wife settle in, I turn on the TV and video player and on starts the adventures of Gumby. “What's this?” I'm asked, a seriously shocked look on the pastor's face. “Gumby” I reply. I thought I told you.”

Well, he almost smiled and I quickly pop in the proper movie but I think after that he was watching me a lot closer. We worshiped at his church about a year longer before parting ways.

After that we had home church for 7 years (which I believe was a tremendous thing for our family), tried some other congregations on and off and finally settled in at Holland Community Church, a little non denominational, non charismatic group whose pastor use to work for the technology division of a Big 7 accounting firm that our company had used. I had met him in that capacity before he went into ministry. This was a guy who I didn't even have to ask if he was pro Gumby. He thought he was a great Euchre player and we had some really fun tournaments at the church. He was not a humble winner. I mean really. I always finished top 3 as well but you don't do a victory dance in front of a 83 year old woman who we had to keep explaining what a bauer was.

He eventually left the church to attend Regent University to get a law degree. The church disbanded after that. Several weeks later we ran into some people we knew from Holland Community and asked them where they were going. They told us about such and such a place. We sat next to them that Sunday and before the service starts the guy leans over and says; “These are really nice people put they don't believe in instrumental music so the worship is a little subdued.” A little???? My snoring has more enthusiasm.

We went to a Charismatic mega church in Grand Rapids for seven years and then started going to a Vineyard church in Holland after one of my son-in-laws became an associate pastor there. When we moved to Kalamazoo we soon found a great Charismatic non-denominational church but after you get into your 60's the loud music becomes physically painful. Jackie and I tried using ear plugs but after a year we switched to a church across the street where the volume is much better. The preaching has been great, the worship is usually anointed and the pastor seems like the kind of young man that would do victory laps around an 83 year old woman. Problem – it's an Assembly of God church so I guess it would be best to have no home movie nights with the pastor and his wife.

Draw Near

 This morning Pastor Dave gets up to preach and begins by saying that for all those who have been going to church for a long time his message today has no new revelations and no great intellectual insights.  It will be simple and short.  30 seconds into his message about the love of Jesus I am wrecked.  Thank you Holy Spirit!

The quotes below are not from that sermon but they reflect the same truth.  Jesus loves you.  God is greater than all of your pain and sorrow.  Nothing is impossible for Him. 

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to bring good news to the afflicted.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners;

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord

and the day of vengeance of our God.

To comfort all who mourn.

To grant those who mourn in Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.

So they will be called oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord,

That He may be glorified. (Is. 61: 1-3)

The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”

Jesus answered and said to them,

“Go and report to John what you have seen and heard.

The blind receive sight,

The lame walk,

The lepers are cleansed,

and the deaf hear.

The dead are raised up,

The poor have the gospel preached to them.

Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” Luke 7: 18-23

Move Holy Spirit in the lives of all of my friends and family.  Let each one experience a flood of joy and peace that only comes from the Father.  May they be able to praise you with a light heart and free lips.  Heal hearts and minds and bodies.  Protect them from the evil one.  May the name of Jesus be praised.

Phidallywhomp!

I intend to deconstruct time as I know it. First thing to go are improper attitudes and platitudes, sure-fire obstacles to free flight in the Zorwellian vortex. Shh, did I mention Zorwellian? My mistake, doesn't exist. You didn't hear it here. What I meant to say will not be said.

Next to go are wallsies and wormholes, miserable mind-sucking, shoe dragging tumors in an otherwise pleasant day. Won't miss them one bit I won't. I'll follow up with a scoop of queen dream seam cream, available with a special coupon from the nearest Wall Mart. Not called that at Wall Mart but you understand this isn't necessarily a recipe for success. For me, yes. For you, no.

There then has to be some type of void compressor, calibrated to .0000008 to the negative 20^th power (or so). Note: This does not have to be a machine. It just has to be accurate. Wouldn't want to end up between some wall in Matrixville would I? Again, for me, definitively not. For you, maybe. Watch your back.

Some guy said that you can double down on Einstein's relativity, not on the gravity portion but on the universality of the speed of light. Example – Under special circumstances, precisely what might have been immediately after the Big Bang, heat was so intense that all matter traveled faster than light up to an infinite factor until things cooled down and space time expands at a regular clip. Translation: God didn't make the universe to look old. It's just a lot less older. A lot.

The hourglass masters can't really pursue this because, well, just between you and me, there is no money in being a heretic. As one of them said so eloquently, “I would just have to quit”. Come on. There's no quitting in time management. It's fun because it makes you squirm. Toughen up!

Got my master blaster, took aim, disappeared t h r o u g h a h o l e help!

Well, I have to go. Time's a wasting. Tick Tock, Spricket Spock, got to wind the looney clock. If you get there before I do tell all my friends that I'm a coming too.

String Theory For Dummies

I notice while looking at his driver's permit that Mr. Hunter's hair was tightly braided across his 19 year old head.  Another guy exiting their car is talking on an i phone.  "Yo my bro.  Busy now.  My hommie can't talk.  He be doing his driving business."

Do people really talk like that anymore?  Hommie??  Many years ago I would hear my oldest daughter Ceci say something to me like "How's it going Home slice?" and I translated "home slice" to mean "big, warm and definitely white father of mine."  Of course home slice could not have existed without there first being a slang term like hommie.

I had always thought slang and fashions started in the far out California regions and migrated our way after two or three years, stick around for a few and then die a merciful death.  Yet after yesterday's hommie I see another young man get out of his car, the waist of his pants well below his plaid butt and he walks over to the mall with one hand over his crotch holding up his otherwise unstylish pants.  "Is Grand Rapids stuck in a time warp" I wondered.

When Mr. Hunter is finished with his test I give him the certificate that shows he passed and then list the other documents he will need to take to the DOT.  "You should also bring something to show that you are a resident of Michigan.  "Do you have a State of Michigan ID?" I ask.  He responds "No, but will a prison ID work?"  Ah ha, that helps.  Time stops for those in prison.  Some semblance of order has returned to my mind.

I need that because I've been engrossed with a book about developments in the world of physics during the last century that was very cheap from Amazon and was downloaded to my Kindle.  Every once in a while I find myself waking up in my easy chair, shooting my hand up in the air and yelling "PRESENT!" before I realize that, no, I am not really stuck in a long and inescapable high school science class.  This is Kalamazoo, circa 2013, and no one will punish me if I just get up walk around to clear my head after reading 20 pages describing branes, extra dimensions and vibrating strings.

There is good news and bad news in all of this.  The bad news is that I have no idea how to begin doing a calculation to prove that strong forces and weak forces, gravitons and photons, bosons and booggers (my contribution to physics, shortened to boogs and referenced for calculations as Bs), strings and membranes or black holes and dark matter can exist across multiple extra dimensions.  The good news is that I don't have to purchase large art pads to fill with scratchings and spend 20 years doing so before I remark after a moment of brilliant insight, "Nope, that didn't work either".

In the end, as Einstein showed us, it's all about time.  As I get older time goes much faster.  I look at the world around me and realize that somehow I've merged into another dimension.  The ripples in the fabric of my environment caused by what I do are part of something much bigger and unseen anyway.  Jackie and I went last night to see the movie LES MISERABLES and now I've given up talking and just sing whatever I have to communicate.  Who knew that the universe is composed of strings that vibrate praise to it's Creator. 

       

Derek Prince

One of the gift cards I received for Christmas was for Family Christian Bookstores. I headed to the Charismatic Interest section and found an old friend sitting at eye level. Derek Prince was one of the best known teachers and authors from my early Christian days and I had seen him in person when he came to Chenery Auditorium in Kalamazoo during the late 1970's. The introduction to the book I eventually purchased says of him:

“A British citizen born in India, Prince was Eton educated and Cambridge trained, a contemporary and acquaintance of C.S. Lewis. For a time prior to his dramatic conversion experience, he held a prestigious fellowship in ancient and modern philosophy at Cambridge. But once his amazing intellect was submitted to Christ and illuminated by the Holy Spirit, he became a formidable force for communicating the truths of Scripture. As a classically trained philosopher and unabashed charismatic, he was that too-rare confluence of academic rigor and openness to the supernatural. The Word and power. Truth and Spirit”

Until he died at his home in Jerusalem in 2003 Prince had written over 50 books and had a world wide radio ministry. My choice, THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, was compiled by his still active ministry from a rather large collection of his teaching letters. Although I was familiar with most of what I read I still found myself challenged on almost every page. That's the Holy Spirit working.

Prince had written extensively on the foundations of the Christian faith and he was also well known for his books on deliverance and healing. He came to Chenery to talk about healing and then after wards to have people come forward for prayer. What I found really interesting is that he always kept the focus away from himself. He brought with him a half dozen prayer teams who would do most of the actual ministering while he would observe and encourage the teams.

Jackie and I, along with her parents and some other friends and relatives, sat in the same row at Chenery. When the call came for people who wanted to go forward for healing prayer one of our group responded. Mirza Kennedy was a friend of my in laws and someone Jackie and I knew from the prayer meetings at St. Joe. She spoke with a very heavy accent and had been in a concentration camp as a child during World War II. For about 35 years she had walked with a limp caused by that experience. I will always remember the big smile on her face when she came back to her seat. “Look, I am healed! The limp is gone! Look! Look!” And Mirza would walk for us to demonstrate. Oh by the way, that limp never came back.

My friends, the Holy Spirit still moves in power today.  Power to heal, power for deliverance, but most importantly power to lead a life pleasing to the Father.  To this end God also wants to build up in us faith and endurance so He allows challenges in our lives.  When we manage one hurdle another appears.  This develops Christian character, where our desires have been crucified with Christ so that Christ can be seen clearly through us.  I submit that the world needs to see the signs and wonders, to see the lame walk and the deaf to hear.  But it also needs to see Christ in us.  He is perfect, we are not, but the light will shine through.

Let me end with one of the memory verses given at the end of each chapter, taken from Romans 5:3-5 NASB.

"We should exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perservance,; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." 

One Sick Monkey

Update on our beloved Pogo

If you have been following this blog you may remember my 12/19/11 post on the little one foot tall organ grinder type monkey that visits our little run down mall during the Christmas and Easter seasons. He has a small booth across from either Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny, dresses appropriately and gets his picture taken with the unsuspecting youth and toddlers of the community. You may also remember that because I don't trust monkeys of any size I always make an effort to keep my distance. I cannot provide any formal studies to support my distrust but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence available.

To wit:

My daughter Becky and her family have a membership to the zoo in Milwaukee. Someone once told her that most of the bigger animals are kind of boring to observe, laying around all day as if they had nothing better to do, but if she wanted to upgrade her experience she should dress in khaki shorts and a blue shirt which is proper zoo keeper attire. The animals may think they will be fed and that perks their interest. Becky did as advised. The lions got up to pace their cage, the chimps went "Ooo Ooo Ooo and the hyenas laughed. The gorilla was just sitting there, head down on his massive chest, but when he glanced up and saw Becky he immediately charged the glass barrier and started pounding his fists against it.  Like for 5 minutes.  Strike one.

One of Becky's close friends married a guy from India. I know them both and get their updates on FB. They went to visit his family and one day Joanna posts that she was heading up the stairs to go to bed and a monkey was at the top of the stairs. It would do these mini chargers at her, not allowing her safe passage to her chambers.  Joanna called for her niece who got a stick and chased the monkey away. Was this a house pet who was acting like a guard dog? She never said but think about it this way. At night after you go to bed the guard dog will just lie there, sleeping but maybe with one ear perked up. A guard monkey is probably sneaking in your room, looking for a trinket so the next time you grab a stick it will hold up your bracelet and smirk back at you. Strike two.

Which brings us back to Pogo. It's mid December and I'm rounding the hallway at the mall, heading for our office, when I glance over and see Pogo, who spots me at the exact same time. I notice that Pogo does not look well. There is a little hunch to his already tiny frame, his eyes look glassy and he does not seem to have  as many teeth barred at me. I get to our office and mention this to Big John, another one of our examiners. Big John tells me, “Linda (our main office person) hates that monkey. She must be allergic to it because she always gets sick when he shows up.” Then Linda responds, “He smells.” Strike three.

Monkey dander. It must get worse when one ages, and how long do monkeys live anyway? The next day and thereafter I do not see Pogo. I'm guessing that the lady who owns him, who has made his little vests and hats to match hers, who gets out of the house two seasons of the year, will find it hard to adjust. Maybe she can have him stuffed. And really, who would know? Get your kid's picture in December with Pogo dressed in green, permanent smile on his face, sitting on their lap. Drop five bucks into his tiny tin cup and then go find a real mall which actually has goods people want to buy. Take care of the smell and I'm all for it.

Falling Off The Physical Cliff

Yesterday was the eve of 2013 and I had some driver tests to conduct.  One of my clients, a man about 50 years old, mentioned to me as we were rolling along over the US131 bridge that "I'm really worried bout that physical cliff.  The price of everything is going to go up - food - drink - gas.  And taxes are really going to go up."  I asked Walter what he did for work and he replies, "Oh, a little of this and a little of that."  So much for the tax worry.

Because I was fighting some type of illness I didn't have the energy or desire to ask Walter if he realized that who we vote for has actual consequences.  I woke up feeling much better today and decided to have a positive attitude about the coming year.  The following song came to me while taking my morning shower.  It was composed by Sammy Cohn, written by Jimmy Van Heus and first sung by Frank Sinatra in 1959.  In the shower my version sounds just as good.

High Hopes

Once there was a silly old ant
who thought he'd move a rubber tree plant.
But everyone knows an ant, can't
move a rubber tree plant

But he has High Hopes
He has High Hopes
He has high - in the sky - apple pie hopes

So when you start feelin' low
instead of lettin' go
just remember that ant

Oops there goes another rubber tree
Oops there goes another rubber tree
Oops there goes another rubber tree plant.

Once there was a silly old ram
who thought he'd butt a hole in the dam
Someone should tell that ram, scram!
You can't butt a hole in the dam

Be he has High Hopes
He has High Hopes
He has high - in the sky - cherry pie hopes

So when you start feelin' low
instead of lettin' go
just remember that ram, BAM!

Oops there goes another hole in the
Oops there goes another hole in the
Oops there goes another hole in the dam.