The Smalltown Poets have touched me greatly because of their, well, poetic lyrics. They simply have a way of wording things that pull the right strings in my emotional fabric. I have been convicted over & over again by the song There is Only You.
How many times have I placed this or that ahead of my God? Too many times. The first commandment forbids us to have anything before Him. Yet I slip & can only echo the refrain in sheepishness: There is only You, Lord. There is only You.
And when we return there is grace. God's grace is greater than the wrath of petty gods & worthless idols.
Growing more uneasy with every question asked.
It seems You're jealous of my interests
And the graven things I've cast.
Waking resolutions of twenty years or more
That I would disallow golden cows my favor any more.
Your wishes set in stone, I broke the first of ten,
I've cleared this temple out, come take Your place again.
There is only You.
Tiptoe from an awkward scene,
not fooling anyone.
Am I dumb enough to kneel with my accusers
Or brave enough to run?
Petty daggers bounce weakly off my back.
I'm leaving breathless gods and secrets in my tracks.
Your wishes set in stone, I broke the first of ten,
I've cleared this temple out, come take Your place again.
There is only You.
To a thousand generations
Of the faithful man
You will show Your favor Lord.
There is only You (Love earth can't replace)
There is only You, believe me (Heaven can't erase)
We had a fantastic feast last Sunday. We reveled in many international delights & enjoyed fellowship with the brethren. However, since we had such a grand day & afternoon, the evening meeting was cancelled. The only #BTSermon notes I was able to gather was from Wednesday night. Bruce Simpson spoke on Wednesday night, he is a missionary in Columbia.
The Quotes
The Message of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy comes up yet again! Remember there is blessing in store for the one who does as God commands. Note that the goal of obedience is submission to God's will, not the desire for prosperity.
Ye Plethora of Points
Some random points that Br. Simpson made:
God's word is: Supreme (over everything & should be esteemed as such), Sufficient (there is nothing more that is necessary in the Christian's life) &
Supernatural (it is not man-made, it is divinely inspired).
A point made under the Supremacy of God's word was that it is the basis of faith, which is a condition for the believer. Therefore, the word of God must also be preeminent in the Christian's life.
Faith necessarily motivates the believer to obedience. Obedience often leads to action in the form of good works. However, the works are always done accurately.
Derek Webb of Caedmon's Call uses the illustration of driving frequently in his writing. It reminds us that we are traveling through this world. By traveling through, we have a destination. That destination is definitely further north than where we currently reside. We, as Christians, live with a higher calling & a valuable citizenship. The benefits of our residency help us to take those "muggy nights" of this world in stride.
Still, we struggle with letting go. The author can only give a candid photograph as a token of his devotion--it is raw & vulnerable, but it is still only a picture. Scripture says we see things darkly, as through a mirror. But one day, we will see this life for what is really is & laugh at how hard it was to let go. One day we will see ourselves as we really are, our God as He really is & then we will enjoy unity in perfection. Until then, we long for something greater.
It's a muggy night in Houston
And all the intersections are like full service stations.
I'm on my way to a familiar place.
It's cold in Kansas City,
And you can no more hear me than I can see your face.
How I wish it was just you and me.
We wouldn't have to talk above the crowd,
We wouldn't have to talk so loud.
I give you my life and all I am,
But what have I to give
So I hand you a candid photograph of this little boy
'Cause I have nothing to m name,
But I can give you that.
I don't miss the driving. Seems like forever
And I'm always driving in my mind.
And wearing out the road that gets me there.
And I'm driving 'till my eyes just can't see straight,