intermittent...

As these next several weeks unfold (packing, moving, unpacking, etc.) and it becomes harder and harder to stop and take time to update I thought this might be a good time to repost my first entry... the beginning of the story of this BLOG... why it exists... really, why I exist... awaken us.

awaken us… Lord

awaken us from our slumber

too long have we slept.
too long have we looked upon a darkened, dieing, hopeless world and lazily looked to the horizon for Your coming… or was that our T.V. set?

Awaken us Lord to the hunger that is within.

Stir your children of light from their comfortable seats… that we would know the feeling of Your armor again… the feeling of your sword.

Fan the fire of passion for Your Name… Your Fame… that we might feel the coursing fire flooding through our souls… like rivers… like springs of life.

Let us sleep no longer!
Let us waken from the night in search of our Beloved.
Let us throw ourselves against the gates of injustice… the gates of poverty… the gates of darkness… the gates of hell. Until we can no longer stand AND YET we stand!

AWAKEN US LORD!

Move us to the edges… gather us to the corners… take us OUTSIDE THE CAMP…

AWAKEN US LORD!

Awaken hearts that are broken for the broken hearted. Lives that are lived for the lost.

AWAKEN US LORD!

The night is far gone; the day is at hand.

Even so. Amen.

timothy mark mcdonald

awaken us... again & again

As a reminder to myself and those who may occasionally come across my ideas, I take this opportunity to return to the beginning of the story of this BLOG... why it exists... really, why I exist. And so I resubmit my poem (and my first entry)... awaken us.

awaken us… Lord

awaken us from our slumber

too long have we slept.
too long have we looked upon a darkened, dieing, hopeless world and lazily looked to the horizon for Your coming… or was that our T.V. set?

Awaken us Lord to the hunger that is within.

Stir your children of light from their comfortable seats… that we would know the feeling of Your armor again… the feeling of your sword.

Fan the fire of passion for Your Name… Your Fame… that we might feel the coursing fire flooding through our souls… like rivers… like springs of life.

Let us sleep no longer!
Let us waken from the night in search of our Beloved.
Let us throw ourselves against the gates of injustice… the gates of poverty… the gates of darkness… the gates of hell. Until we can no longer stand AND YET we stand!

AWAKEN US LORD!

Move us to the edges… gather us to the corners… take us OUTSIDE THE CAMP…

AWAKEN US LORD!

Awaken hearts that are broken for the broken hearted. Lives that are lived for the lost.

AWAKEN US LORD!

The night is far gone; the day is at hand.

Even so. Amen.

timothy mark mcdonald

on dogma...

"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything." MALCOLM X

I recently read a quote from J.C. Ryle that was particularly powerful on Tim Challies blog. Now normally I would just forward you on to his blog BUT in this case I thought I would include it below. Partially this is because I am a little unsure of the use of the word dogma (though accurate it seems to carry more baggage than it's worth today) BUT mostly I have included it because the heart of this message is as true today as it has ever been.

In fact, I feel this war inside my own head... I wonder how many of you could relate?

[Dislike of dogma] is an epidemic which is just now doing great harm, and specially among young people.... It produces what I must venture to call...a "jelly-fish" Christianity in the land: that is, a Christianity without bone, or muscle, or power. A jelly-fish...is a pretty and graceful object when it floats in the sea, contracting and expanding like a little, delicate, transparent umbrella. Yet the same jelly-fish, when cast on the shore, is a mere helpless lump, without capacity for movement, self-defense, or self-preservation. Alas! It is a vivid type of much of the religion of this day, of which the leading principle is, "No dogma, no distinct tenets, no positive doctrine." We have hundreds of "jelly-fish" clergymen, who seem not to have a single bone in their body of divinity. They have not definite opinions; they belong to no school or party; they are so afraid of "extreme views" that they have no views at all. We have thousands of "jelly-fish" sermons preached every year, sermons without an edge, or a point, or a corner, smooth as billiard balls, awakening no sinner, and edifying no saint. We have Legions of "jelly-fish" young men annually turned out from our Universities, armed with a few scraps of second-hand philosophy, who think it a mark of cleverness and intellect to have no decided opinions about anything in religion, and to be utterly unable to make up their minds as to what is Christian truth. They live apparently in a state of suspense, like Mohamet's fabled coffin, hanging between heaven and earth...and last, and worst of all, we have myriads of "jelly-fish" worshippers-respectable Church-going people, who have no distinct and definite views about any point in theology. They cannot discern things that differ, any more than color-blind people can distinguish colors. They think everybody is right and nobody wrong, everything is true and nothing is false, all sermons are good and none are bad, every clergyman is sound and no clergyman is unsound. They are "tossed to and fro, like children, by every wind of doctrine"; often carried away by any new excitement and sensational movement; ever ready for new things, because they have no firm grasp on the old; and utterly unable to "render a reason of the hope that is in them." ...Never was it so important for laymen to hold systematic views of truth, and for ordained ministers to "enunciate dogma" very clearly and distinctly in their teaching.

feels like worship

Psalm 66:1-4

Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name."
Selah

I am sitting here at my kitchen table this morning listening to the sound of the rain hitting the pavement outside (YES, it does occasionally rain here in So Cal)... I love rain... especially when you haven't had it for 40 days straight. I think it is because (to me) it represents cleansing, freshness... even newness. It reminds me on my childhood.

I remember the storms that used to move across the prairies where I grew up. It would be dry, dusty and lifeless yellow everywhere you'd look. The air (and everything else) seemed thin... without substance.

And then...

in a moment...

you could feel the shift.

The air would become heavier and begin to smell like Spring at the lake. And it would begin to move, like it was alive... you could feel the storm coming. And though the sky would still be light blue from one gigantic end to the other you KNEW the storm was coming. After a while the edge of the giant blue sheet would turn purple... then almost black... and it would move with steady, constant power from one edge to the other. And when the storm hit it was like some sort of misplaced tsunami or tidal wave. The rain wasn't a mist or even drops... it felt like my Labrador's tongue as he licks my hand... womp, womp, womp. In a moment you are soaked. In an instant the dust and dryness was gone. You could cut the air with your hand. And as quick as it arrived, it would vanish... except for the amazing smells and sights of newness and life.

It feels like redemption.

It feels like new life.

It feels like worship.

"I am ready!"

Matthew 10:13-15

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

No matter what you think about children becoming Christians or even what the process of becoming a follower of Jesus actually looks like, there is something deep inside that erupts (for a lack of a better word) when your child looks you in the eyes and says, "I am ready!"

Friday morning during our family devotional time we had one of those moments.

McKenzie (completely out of the blue) simply said, "I am ready!" Having walked through this before with the boys I was a little more prepared BUT I still found my eyes watering and my thoughts scattered. After we were done the devotional I talked with her about what she meant by that and she said she was ready to listen to Jesus and follow Him... so we all prayed with her and she asked Him to be her Lord (or boss) and said that she wanted to obey what He said. She said that she was sorry for all the bad things she had done and she thanked Him for paying the price for and forgiving those things. It was a very precious time. We have talked about it a number of times as a family and yet she has never shown any interest till today... today it clicked!

Now, I do have a little skeptic sitting on my shoulder nay saying... can a child really understand... is this because her brothers did it (same skeptic was there with them as well)... is she trying to impress Britany and I... BUT, for the most part, this skeptics voice is drowned out by another voice. It is the voice of scripture that paints a picture of a God who shames the wise by using the foolish... who calls those who follow Him His children... who tells us to come to Him the way of the child... who calls the children to Himself. And I find myself wanting to say McKenzie's words to my Father in heaven...

"I am ready!"

India takeaways sitting in Café Nero LHR… 3

Hebrews 10:22-25

...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Third, I feel the challenge in my spirit (from THE Spirit) to not hold my tongue so much in my world. As it does with these faith filled followers in India, my love for Christ must compel me to speak more about Him and bear an increasing testimony of His greatness… His power to heal… His saving name… in faith… to all those I meet. This is especially true with the message of hope that is in my heart. I must live a life of hope (as my friends here in India do) and I must carry a message of hope with in my heart and on my tongue… for the sake of this world and His kingdom come. I have been convicted by my own message.

Lord, let me draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with my heart sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and my body washed with pure water. Let me hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for I know that YOU who promised is faithful. And fill my mind with fresh ways to stir up those around me to love and good works... Lord, make me more like this I pray.

for Him

2 Corinthians 5:14-15

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

What can I say... my friend (Pastor) Brian is on a bit of a role. As I mentioned a week or so ago we are doing a study through the life of David (the true warrior poet) at RE:hope. Once again, I would encourage you to take a listen because the messages have been both challenging and encouraging - which is a good thing when you are preaching! Anyhow, the bulk of the message was dealing with God, priorities and relationships... in about that order, when he moved his focus into keeping the main thing the main thing - similar to my post the other day. He then shared the verse above from 2 Corinthians 5... wow.

Now, I know I have heard/read this verse dozens of times before but I can honestly say that it has never hit me before with the power that it hit me this morning. I think I may have found a new favorite verse... or at least in the top 10. Why you ask? It seems like such an obvious, small, common passage (read over dozens of times) with all this talk about death and a very awkward sentence structure... what makes it so special?

It is in these two simple words...

"for him".

for Him (2)

awaken us again!

As a reminder to myself and those who may occasionally come across my ideas, I thought I might take this opportunity to return to the beginning of the story of this BLOG... why it exists... really, why I exist. And so I resubmit my poem (and my first entry)... awaken us.

awaken us… Lord

awaken us from our slumber

too long have we slept.
too long have we looked upon a darkened, dieing, hopeless world and lazily looked to the horizon for Your coming… or was that our T.V. set?

Awaken us Lord to the hunger that is within.

Stir your children of light from their comfortable seats… that we would know the feeling of Your armor again… the feeling of your sword.

Fan the fire of passion for Your Name… Your Fame… that we might feel the coursing fire flooding through our souls… like rivers… like springs of life.

Let us sleep no longer!
Let us waken from the night in search of our Beloved.
Let us throw ourselves against the gates of injustice… the gates of poverty… the gates of darkness… the gates of hell. Until we can no longer stand AND YET we stand!

AWAKEN US LORD!

Move us to the edges… gather us to the corners… take us OUTSIDE THE CAMP…

AWAKEN US LORD!

Awaken hearts that are broken for the broken hearted. Lives that are lived for the lost.

AWAKEN US LORD!

The night is far gone; the day is at hand.

Even so. Amen.

timothy mark mcdonald

waiting...

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

A watched pot never boils... and apparently, a watched Christmas gift never charges! Such, I am sure, was the scene around the country as children everywhere waited for their Christmas gifts batteries to be charged/assembled/ready to use (mostly because of ill planning on their parents part). So it was with my kids as they eagerly waited for their toy's batteries to quick charge... As I was watching them wait (much more entertaining than it sounds) I stumbled across a poem on my computer that I wrote a while back entitled Waiting.

Waiting…
I am waiting…
waiting to move for You…
for You to move for me…
move for me Lord…
for me Lord I pray…
Lord I pray…
I pray to You…
to you who are for me…
You who are for me waiting…
for me waiting…
waiting…

timothy mark mcdonald

I was struck by how often I am waiting on God for the good works which He prepared in advance for me to do. As unprepared as I was with my children's gifts, God is PREpared, as it were, from the beginning of all things. And yet I wait. I wait for God to move... when in fact He already has. And He waits.

Awaken me Lord I pray.
AMEN.

Awaken us (2)

Romans 12:9-13

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

I love this passage from Romans. It represents an almost "how-to" ish glimpse into what the essence of Kingdom Christianity looks like.

First... love each other genuinely.
Second... hate things that are evil.
Third... when you find something truly good, hold onto it with all your strength.
Forth... love each other with devotion; like a family of brothers and sisters.
Fifth... outdo one another in serving each other.
Sixth... live ablaze with passion for Jesus that fuels service for our King.
Seventh... rejoice because of the hope we have.
Eighth... be patient when you suffer.
Ninth... pray, pray... and pray some more.
Tenth... give generously of your resources, time and life.

A while back I was reading J. Oswald Sanders classic book, Spiritual Leadership - for the third time - and I came across a quote in regards to Romans 12.

"Because he was constantly full of the Spirit, Paul's mind was aflame with the truth of God and his heart glowed with God's love. At the center of his life was a passion for the glory of God. No wonder people followed Paul. He exerted himself to lead. He did it with intensity and zeal. And the spirit of his life was contagious to those around him."

Yes, yes, yes!

I love the fact that this passion (or zeal) is in the center of these verses... like a fire burning in the middle of everything else. I find it so difficult to live this life daily with out this fire. It acts like a furnace for my mind... for my body... for my soul. It awakens the yearning for what could be. It pushes me to do things that seem impossible. It gets me out of my own brain and gets me focused on my neighbors and my brothers and sisters. It calls me to give what I do not have and fall on my face and thank God for what I do... it generates a heart that WANTS to lay down my rights, my possessions, and my life... in other words, it does what is impossible for man.

Awaken this heart Lord to Your love. Awaken my mind to more of Your truth. Keep me FULL with Your Spirit. Fully AWAKE. Fully ALIVE. Let me be contagious to those around me... but most of all show us Your glory Lord. We desire to follow with all that we are... heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.

Awaken us

Romans 13:11-12

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

awaken us… Lord

awaken us from our slumber

too long have we slept.
to long have we looked upon a darkened, dieing, hopeless world and lazily looked to the horizon for Your coming… or was that our T.V. set?

Awaken us Lord to the hunger that is within.
Stir your children of light from their comfortable seats… that we would know the feeling of Your armor again… the feeling of your sword.
Fan the fire of passion for Your Name… Your Fame… that we might feel the coursing fire flooding through our souls… like rivers… like springs of life.

Let us sleep no longer!
Let us waken from the night in search of our Beloved.
Let us throw ourselves against the gates of injustice… the gates of poverty… the gates of darkness… the gates of hell. Until we can no longer stand AND YET we stand!

AWAKEN US LORD!

Move us to the edges… gather us to the corners… take us OUTSIDE THE CAMP…

AWAKEN US LORD!

Awaken hearts that are broken for the broken hearted. Lives that are lived for the lost.

AWAKEN US LORD!

The night is far gone; the day is at hand.

Even so. Amen.

timothy mark mcdonald