Captivated, New Worship from Reflect Worship

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Daniel

Captivated Worship Song

“I am won by your unconditional love.”

This is a line from our new song Captivated. Is God’s love really unconditional? Really? I guess I find this astounding. What does it even mean?

I’m not used to that sort of love. Who is?

It’s no wonder we have difficulty with believing, much less receiving this unconditional love from our Papa.

the crossLove without conditions. You can do whatever you want with it. Receive it or Ignore it. Cherish or Spurn it. Run into the arms of love or Run from it by choosing sin instead. Honor this love or Insult it. But, nothing we choose to do could ever make him love us any less! We can’t mess this up because his love doesn’t depend on our response. He will still love you… completely. Infinitely. Forever. He is Love!

This song Captivated will appear on our new album Reflect Love. When people ask me what our new album is about I tell them the theme is, “God is Love, in whom we live and move and have our being.”

This is based on two verses:

“God is Love“

and, wait for it…

“In him we live and move and have our being.”

God can’t help it. He just IS Love! He can’t escape it. And the awesome thing is, we can’t escape him. We are in him! Love is God’s character, his DNA, his very essence. He will always do and act and think in the most infinitely loving way toward you and everything and everyone else he has made!

So, what is love?

Recently a friend of mine challenged me to “meditate daily on Corinthians 13…above all else, love is what we need” (he sent me this link). It really made me think. I am fairly familiar with that passage of Scripture, but his challenge took me deeper into it and to ask the really hard questions. Is this what my life looks like right now? Is this what people see in my responses to convos on Facebook? How I treat my wife, kids, friends, or even enemies?

Let’s take a look at the passage:

Love Is the Greatest

…So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all. If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! 10 But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

11 When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. Let love be your highest goal! (1 Cor 13 NLT)

 

The apostle whom Jesus loved (John) informs us that “we love because he first loved us.” We love each other because He first loved us. We love God because he first loved us. So receiving his love is a pretty big deal as we cannot be expected or even begin to love if we don’t first receive the love of God, right? We must connect to the vine, our source of life and love. “Abide in my love“, Jesus says.

I love to tell everyone I meet:

“It is the primary responsibility of every human being is just to let God love you!”

That’s it. Once we are good receivers of God’s love, everything else falls into place. When I was first learning this concept I would drive around and pray, “God, I receive your love… I receive your love.” I would very often feel what I call the sunshine of heaven coming into the widows of my soul and warming me. Even now I am praying this and feeling the Lords love.

Enjoy this worship song! We hope it connects you to the Lord and his love in a really special way:

Categories: Love of God, Reflect Worship Music | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

William Paul Young, and His New Novel “Eve”

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Daniel

I love William Paul Young. I must say I enjoyed reading the Shack immensely and his other book Crossroads as well. I’m glad to have read his new release Eve as well. He is an insightful and poetic soul.

I just watched his story and Yes, it’s worth your time:

I have tremendous compassion and love for Paul (I think that’s what he goes by) and have watched many interviews of him. I have a “kindred spirt” feeling for him. We’ve been down a similar road. I know Jesus loves him SO much.

Regarding the Shack

He wrote the Shack as a novel for his kids… only his kids… to relate to them his personal relationship with God and how loving and gentle and powerful and wise God is. God is the one who promoted his book as if to say, look what my boy wrote! I’m SO proud of him!

Like Papa, his heart is for all the lost and missing sons and daughters of God. To leave the ninety nine and go after the one. To go to any length to bring home the prodigal and lavish them with a relationship of relentless affection.

He wrote the book in the way he did to circumnavigate the many triggers and negative responses the world has to ideas about God. I think this was the wisdom of God at work in HIS rescue operation for all his lost kids.

That is how I see it, and may God continue to use it and Paul to reach a lost world for Christ and back to the heart of our loving heavenly Papa.

Click here to read my review of Cross Roads

Excerpt:

I have to admit it. I really do like William Paul Young! Yes, I even enjoyed his book The Shack, and I enjoyed immensely his latest book Cross Roads. I thank God for Paul Young. He is a gift to the human race. Could it be that God thought so much of his son Paul and his book that he said, “I want the world to read this! I want the world to hear his heart! I am so proud of my boy! I am especially fond of him!”

Sadly, I know I will get flack for standing with my brother Paul Young. I know many of my Christian friends think he is a heretic. I think many of my Christian friends need to repent for passing judgement on a fellow brother working in such a creative way to reunite God’s lost kids to their heartsick Papa. That’s what I think.

After reading Cross Roads, I went down stairs and picked up the Bible to see if the same relational unconditional-love-filled God that William Young writes about in his books is the same God that the apostle Paul presents…

Click here to read More!

And now, to comment on his latest novel Eve:

Over the past couple of days I read William Paul Young’s book entitled Eve. What do I even say?

I know that those who are bound by a religious spirit will hate it.

I was talking with a friend today about the religious spirit. What else can we call it? Legalism? Self Righteousness? Performance mentality Christianity ‘better have all your doctrine straight and theological ducks in a row or you’re a damned and doomed outcast’ religion! You get the picture?

I told my friend that all the while I am hanging out with someone who has this demonic stronghold (this shadow sickness) I realize that there is something inside of them that hates me. It’s only a matter of time until they turn on me. Reject me. Hate me. Curse me.

I used to be bound by these demons of religion too. I grew to hate this demon. I want to wage war on this demon of religion. I want everyone to see it for what it is and hate it too! In fact I remember having a dream awhile back in which people would come to church and these religion demons would swoop down upon the people entering to poison their minds. Yes, I truly believe this happens to far too many Christians. You and I both know this is true.

(PLEASE HEAR THIS! It must be said that this doesn’t mean we hate any other infected human being. Our fight is not with flesh and blood.

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

It is SO wrong to go around judging people as having a religious spirit as well – “judging the judgers”. This is NOT helpful to anyone, leastwise you. Instead we will choose to forgive those who are afflicted because we too are so often afflicted. The older brother sometimes lives in us too! Of course I’m referring to the prodigal son story. The older brother judged the younger and refused to celebrate his return but instead harbored his jealous grudge. He didn’t know the Father even though he remained “faithful” and didn’t “stray”. But did he know Papa’s heart? Didn’t his heart stray just as far if not farther than his clearly wayward prodigal brother?

We all struggle with self righteous judgement of others. The disease is widespread. So widespread that there is… no one(?)… who is not afflicted at one time or another. To forgive and have compassion on them is to forgive and have compassion on yourself! I was reminded recently how God treats the older brother. Papa goes out and gently and lovingly invites them to join the grace party. May we do the same!)

Young calls to our attention that this spirit of religion comes from eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, instead of the tree of life.

I have been under a great deal of stress lately as I have realized that I often engage in the same nonsense. I try to war against this evil spirit of religion by using this same “knowledge of good and evil” as my foundation. Unintentionally I enflame and further entrench those who are bound to this disease. I make it all the worse by my efforts to dismantle it. Reminds me of Moses when he tried to save the Israelites by murdering an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew.

Alright Jesus, let’s do this your way. (May we all say this genuinely from our hearts) Enough of the ego. I say “Enough” to the bully of my pride. Jesus come and have your way. Forgive me LORD. Forgive me all the people I have taunted and incited to rage (even by this post).

So… will we realize our profound and arrogant error by pursuing being “right” over love and begin instead to humbly eat from the tree of life? I want to. I choose to now!

Jesus is the tree of life.

Relationship is the tree of life.

How can we do such a thing? To eat from the tree of life? Well Jesus says I can if I have a change of mind and heart (ie. “repent”) and overcome… and I’m told the secret to overcoming is simply to Trust!

The context of Christ’s words in Revelation 2 is that we re-turn to our first love! (Incidentally this is what Young’s book Eve is all about!)

His novel is the story of a fictitious symbolic woman Lilly who gets to observe and even participate in our common history, Adam and Eve, our very first parents in whom every one of us existed in the garden, in Eden, the paradise of God. Wow! What a story. You’ll have to read it for yourself.

May we each take the time to seek God and ask him to restore us to our first love. May we all re-turn our faces toward the One who has never had a shadow of turning from us.

“Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.” – James 1:17

Categories: Encountering God, Exposing Self-Righteous Religion | Tags: , , , , , | 3 Comments

Did that happen in our world?

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Daniel

I was listening to the story of Samson the other day with my daughter. Isn’t it great to see any story in Scripture through the eyes of a child? That’s why I love sharing these stories with my daughter.

“Samson was a man supernaturally gifted by God with incredible strength”, I would tell her. “He lifted a heavy gate over his head and could even lift our van over his head! He really could!”

Here is what the Scripture mentions that Samson did:

“Then he (Samson) got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron.” Judges 16:3 NLT

all possible for those who believeHow much did this gate weigh? I’m guessing it was probably more than a minivan.

“Did that happen in our world,” Ellie would ask. “Yes, in our world.”

What about today? Could that sort of thing happen to you or I?

How sad it is when the stories of Scripture become so familiar that they lose their vitality and life. Sometimes we think, ‘Oh that was in Bible times so it doesn’t relate to me.’ Or, ‘That was a prophet or an apostle so we could never do what they did.’ But that kind of thinking isn’t what Scripture teaches us. It certainly isn’t what Jesus teaches us. What has happened to us? When did we lose our childlikeness and mystery? What did we trade our faith for and was it worth it?

Jesus himself said:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” John 14:12 NLT

Astounding words.
images-1So, could you or I be gifted with supernatural strength like Samson?

Of course we can!

I know this because it happened to my brother!

Years ago my dad was working on a car in the driveway. A 2-ton (around 4,000 pounds!) car shifted and the jack slipped out while he was under it. My brother heard my dad yell as he was trapped beneath the car. He ran over and lifted the 2-ton car off of my dad and he was able to get out.

 

I suppose the reason I share this is to reiterate this point:

And, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” ~Jesus (Mark 9:23)

Are we going to believe him?

 

Categories: Supernatural | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Kingsman – Secret Service (a movie review)

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Daniel

Have you ever watched a movie and then asked the question, “Can I please have my soul back?” That was my experience the other night.

It was sickening to watch what the makers of this movie deem as entertaining. How can watching hundreds of people having their heads exploded when a microchip was activated be entertaining? Or people shot through the head again and again and again, or thousands of people slaughtering one another because of mind control manipulation.

And the most troubling question: Why did I have a hard time looking away? Why was it hard for me to walk into the other room? Why didn’t I turn it off???

I had passed up renting the movie on a previous occasion when I saw that this movie was rated R, but I wasn’t having the best day and wanted to just ‘veg out’ and watch a good movie. But this could never qualify as such.

It was, however, a spy movie. I like some spy movies. I have had good experiences watching spy movies before (Spy Game with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt is one of my faves!) so I thought I would give this movie a chance.

After I rented it I later heard God speak to my heart saying, “don’t watch it”. I ignored the warning. I watched it anyway. After I watched it I heard him say, “This movie has nothing to do with me”. I was left to ponder why I would invest my time, my life, in something that has nothing to do with God? Why actively participate in growing hell and entertaining demons?

So, if you have watched this film I am SO sorry. If you haven’t watched it, then you are welcome. Save the purity of your soul and don’t watch this or anything like it. Pretend you care for your soul like it was your own beloved child. Shelter it.

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:23

The makers of this movie show their contempt for Christians by having their villain test out his psychopathic murderous mind control weapon on a church. It was a racist southern church that was was spewing it’s hatred about every moral issue that you can imagine irritates the “Christian” today. It shows it graphic gruesome slow motion detail the entire church and a spy turning on one another and slaughtering each other.

Incidentally I was reading a book by Philip Yancey a couple of days ago. He grew up in one of those bigoted racist southern churches so he can understand perfectly why the world would hate them. It took him awhile to recover and reclaim his faith after that experience. Now he purposely meets with people who share different beliefs and disdain for Christians to gain their perspective on these questions:

How does the world see Christians? And what can be done about it?

Is there anything attractive about what Christians are doing or offering the world? Who is ruining the churches image and how can we change that? Who is making Jesus look bad? Is it me? Is it you? Is it even important to play this blame game, or just find ways we can change?

How can we start to let the world see that Jesus really is all about love, forgiveness, mercy and grace? How can we convince the world that their only hope of salvation doesn’t approve of the attitudes and actions of the racist, judgmental, or bigoted? That those who hate and slander aren’t his representatives? How can we show the world that Jesus is love?

Jesus said that the world will know you are truly his followers if we love one another.

 

Categories: Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Furious Love

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Daniel

Outrageous love. That’s what Christians are known for, right? Well, Jesus said:

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples (my true followers), if you love one another.” John 13:35 NIV

Of course this is what Jesus is known for. How could anyone not be attracted to Jesus perfect love? How could anyone be unwilling to fully surrender to his perfect love? Why would anyone resist it? Yet so many continue to do this very thing.

Instead of receiving Christ’s love ourselves we often choose to judge all the others who fail to receive and walk in the love of God. Don’t we? Isn’t that exactly what my opening statement caused us to do? To judge all the Christians who fail to show love instead of looking at our own hearts and doing something about it?

May we receive God’s love in this very moment. It is the only way anything will change. Judging others won’t help. It just makes everything worse! Let’s open our hearts to the love of God and let him make us the change we want to see in the world!

Watch this following clip from the film Furious Love and let it move your life:

Our power comes from the love of Christ. The Bible says in the last days there will be those who have a form of godliness but deny it’s power. The power is in his love!

Let’s go after the love of Jesus and pray that our loving heavenly Papa will fill us with God’s love.

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5 NLT

Will you spend some time talking with God asking him to fill you with his love? Ask him to reveal His love for you. He will not disappoint.

Categories: Love of God | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

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