Made for More

New Song
-Archie

Pace your Face, take a love day

Sabbath, rest, hanging out, relaxing, kicking back, or my personal favorite, bustin a chill.
All things we might use to describe a day of Sabbath. I want to look at our personal motivation for a day of rest.

I think a lot of people genuinely work hard and feel like they are "owed" a day to relax. Considering we cant earn salvation through works, I'm going to say we can't possibly be "owed" much. All these diversions aside, do you ever think about why God gave us the Sabbath? I know i do.

Was it to spend time with love ones? Was it to recover from our labor? Was it to have something to rush toward every week, and pass up 6/7 of our lives? (or 1-7/7 depending on your work ethic and how much you long for the weekend)

What i do know is Jesus said that the Sabbath was created for man, and not man created for the Sabbath. So i shouldn't place busting a chill on the top of most exciting things to do this week? I think we can be quick to put rest on a pedestal, and then if something gets in the way we get grumpy or cranky. I know this has happened to me before.

So what does God intend the Sabbath for?
"But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, "You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you."" - Exodus 31:13

Here is God speaking to Moses, giving him the Ten Commandments. What i gather from this EPIC verse 13 is this: The Sabbath belongs to God, it is a sign of our relationship, and it is to remember Him, that He is God and He alone cleanses us of sin.

What does this mean for our worship?
Like usual the questions about Sabbath i ask first are all "me" questions. We can be so focused on ourselves. Here God has made it obvious that Sabbath is all about Him. All the me questions melt away in the fire of God's passion for us. When you think about how He gave us the Sabbath to remember Him. I am going to go so far as call the Sabbath a day of romance with God. Like escaping with a lover, or a honeymoon. But we get to have it with God every week! When we think about it in this context the questions about "what should we do on the Sabbath?" also disappear.
And all that remains, is intimate worship.

Crazy Faith of Abram, Bilbo Baggins

Do you ever desire to have a crazy faith? We know that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains. Chew on Abram's faith with me, and his desire to say "YES" to God's plan for his life.

"Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that i will show you. And i will make of you a great nation, and i will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you i will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran."
-Genesis 12:1-4

Whoah, so much there to dig into. First God told Abram to leave everything he has ever known, and he said what? Time to pack. I don't know about you but if God gives me such a huge thing, like leave everything you have known for the last 75 years and go to this place you have never been. I don't know that my first response would be, "sounds fun, lets roll."But Abram had the faith in God's promise, and didn't even question him, there is a great example later on in Sodom and Gomorrah where Abram barters with God about saving people from the sin infested land. Yet in this call, Abram just responds with im going to put my feat on the road. It reminds me of what Bilbo Baggins says to Frodo his nephew when he leaves for Rivendale in "The Fellowship of The Ring."

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

Abram heard God's promise, and he trusted that God would  Keep his feet, he understood shepherding.

What does this mean for our worship?
I believe any heart that is ready to say "YES" to anything God speaks to you, is a heart devoted to worship. In worship we submit our own desires, our wants, and we give them to God. Don't get me wrong we know that He wants to give us the desires of our hearts (they pure ones.) But our attitudes should be like Abram, a willingness to give it all up for the Lord. He paid the price for our sin, a high price, His own son Jesus. Anything we think is hard to give up compared to that is... puny, insignificant, and kind of arrogant. So let us forge forward with an attitude of "Yes Lord," seeking with a readiness to worship Him with all of our hearts, and a willingness to give up everything we have ever known. He WANTS to bless us, so let Him, obey his call. Amen.

Summer Days

An original composition, I love you more than summer days, and i love summer days. The idea first reminds you of a love song between two people, the reveals that it is about our relationship with Christ as His bride. Some only love him "some summer days" aka when things are easy and good. But we need to love Him more than some days, some summer days, we need to love Him every day.

Father & Son, Archie & Azariah

Azariah and his v-log debut, shows the world that he can hiccup. Even better he is living proof of God's love for us, and teaches us so much about our relationship with God the Father. Nothing can separate us from His love, and nothing we do can make Him love us less. Watch and enjoy, and rest in His arms.

Sing to my boy and he sleeps

So on March 1st 2011 i became a dad. Azariah my son was born. Look up the name and references in the old testament if you wish, the best one is in the book of Daniel.

We learned quickly that Azariah, as all babies do will cry. When he cries and is inconsolable the only thing that will calm him down is if my wife or i sing to him. There is only one song that always works, so watch this video. If it doesn't make you cry it might stop your crying. I think you would call it a lullaby.

What does this mean for our worship?
I know that God tells us to rest in Him. I think a lullaby is a means of rest, and calm. Find that quiet place deep down, where you are vulnerable and let God in. He wants it all...

Isaac, Abraham and an Offering of Worship

Our church is doing a Lenten read through of the story of salvation. Today is Genesis 22, and God has so much to teach us from this book and chapter.

"Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked together." -Genesis 22:7-8

Now you all know the story of Abraham and Isaac, and how Abraham was willing to offer up His only son to God. He trusted and surrendered Isaac as an act of worship and obedience. Before i get into that, can you imagine if we did as Abraham did? Trust, surrender, worship and obey God when our only son is on the line. Now i know everyone reading might not be a parent, i have just recently become one two weeks ago. This makes Isaac more real to me, i cant imagine God asking for my son Azariah. I can only pray that i respond like Abraham, now i know he will love God and i have seen in dreams that God has great things in store for him.

Back to Abraham and Isaac, take a deep breath read, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." and close your eyes.
Do you see Jesus? Think about it, "God will provide for Himself the lamb." I see Jesus, think about his lineage Jesus came from Abraham and Isaac and God provided him. The lamb. Like Abraham Jesus was obedient and offered the sacrifice to God. The obvious difference is Jesus is more like Isaac than Abraham, he is the sacrifice to be placed on the alter, to save mankind from their sins. He trusted His Father, and in both examples through Isaac and Jesus God gave life more abundantly.

Read the promise in Genesis 22:17.

What does this mean for our worship?
What do we give up for worship? Our first born? Not usually, usually its our pride, our concern about what the people next to us will think. It can be acknowledging that we were wrong before God, it can be admitting we are sinners. Our sacrifice is usually inward, and our hearts have to give up in His presence. So next time you worship God, be glad it only costs you your heart, devotion, love, attention, obedience, admiration, praise, and not your first born. Because that price has been paid in full by a merciful God and for that we worship Him.

Before the Throne

He Wants it ALL!

Here is a song by Foever Jones, performed by myself.

What does this mean for our worship?
It is about giving God everything, every last piece of our hearts. Sometimes we try to hold on to our old lives, our idols, and they drag us down. If we confess them to God and repent, we will know true freedom from sin, and intimacy with God.

Leviticus 19:4
“Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God."

Should Worship be Comfortable?

Lately i have been pondering our comfort levels in worship times. In general people like to be comfortable and feel welcome, when i read comfort in the bible it seems to take on a different form or meaning. But before we go there, here is some comic relief...

I don’t recall God ever saying, “repent and be comfortable!” or “Blessed are the comfortable, for they have squishy seats.” How about, “A day is coming when the True worshipers will worship me in snuggies while drinking hot coffee (2 sugars and 1 cream, with a dash of cinnamon).”

Now His Word says,

Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 119:50
This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.

Luke 6:24
"But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.

Acts 9:31
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

What does this mean for our Worship?
Do you get the feeling that comfort happens as a response, not as a goal of it self. We can seek comfort at all times, which is why awkward comedy is funny in our culture. Without great affliction, without persecution, without fear, without sufferings, we still seek comfort. We should be careful to aim for comfort, look at what is attached to it in those scriptures. Sometimes we worship comfort, without even realizing it, it just feels good.
We need to instead seek the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will give you peace, but don’t mistake the aim of your affection from Spirit to comfort (small c.)

I know it can be difficult for us to participate when we are uncomfortable. I know it can be very hard for me to get out of my comfort zone, and even harder to want to be uncomfortable. The thing im trying to convey is that discomfort, is about us. Worship is about God, and when we surrender there is usually a barrier holding us back. Our voice saying, it would be easier not to sing, easier not to subject my heart to the refiners fire. Not many of us desire the discomfort of letting God refine us, but it is for our good, and we all want the end result of being refined. Purity and Holiness, after God has tried us through the fire and cleansed us of unrighteousness.

Malachi 3:3
"He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.

Comments of comfort or dis?

Chords of Worship

I have been thinking about our process of coming into God's Holy presence. He has given me this musical format idea to help lead others and teach about worship.

Asus - Attention

Turning our eyes to God and off our agendas, looking to Him and remembering who He is. Not forgetting our worries or wounds, instead bringing them to Him.

Bb maj - Barriers

Letting our walls down, to let God in. Like Joshua lay siege to those walls of Jericho in our hearts, let them tumble down. This takes effort and attention, let your hearts be softened in His sight.

C2 - Cease self

Halt our expectations of worship, asking God to create a new song in us. To quiet our voice in our own heads, and let Him speak to us. At this point the songs melt away and its about our quiet hearts, before a Holy God.

D/F# - Dive

Surrender, down on our faces in His presence. To dive to our knees, willing to subject ourselves to His love, mercy, and grace.

Edim - Exposed

Intimacy, as Hebrews 4:13 says, "Open and laid bare." God sees all and we allow ourselves to be vulnerable before the throne.

F #min7 - Found

When we are with God we are found, He finds us, He rejoices when one of the sheep is found, even though ninety nine were already with him. We see his perspective, we experience the Fathers joy, and pleasure, we are completely satisfied in His presence.

G maj - Go Go Gospel

We go and take God with us, the Gospel is alive in us. The spirit guides us, and we keep Him with us in our attitudes, he drives our actions. We continue in His presence, as He is in us, and we overflow into all those we encounter.


This is a short explanation for each point, it could be further expanded and each chord looked at like a triad, with three points. Or is that to music nerd-ish?

May the God of peace bless you, and make His face to shine upon you.

How He Loves Us

Your Love is Extravagant