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1.12.2024 – Holy Spirit Ear Worm

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment

The Lord’s Prayer, a most surprising hit as recorded by Sister Janet Mead. Notice the songwriting credit. Does anybody else see a problem here?

We know it by heart.

We memorized it at Sunday School.

I used to hear on the school bus, sandwiched between “Let It Ride” by B.T.O. and Grand Funk Railroad’s remake of Little Eva’s “The Loco-Motion”.

Sister Janet Mead was a 36 year old Australian nun with a love for music. In the 1970’s she taught music and led “Rock Masses” at Adelaide’s St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral. She was asked by Australian record label Festival to record a cover of Donovan’s “Brother Sun, Sister Moon”, with a contemporary rock arrangement of the Lord’s Prayer on the ‘B’-side. She recorded both songs, the two sides were flipped, and thus was born a smash hit. It wasn’t only big in America, where it reached number 4 in the Billboard Hot 100, selling over 1,000,000 copies and going gold. It also hit number 3 in her native homeland and Canada.

That’s what I call a “God thing”. I consider this single a miracle. Yes, this was the era of Jesus Christ Superstar and “My Sweet Lord”. But those are, in general, pop chart anomalies (and neither exactly scriptural). A glance at the Billboard Top Ten for the week “The Lord’s Prayer” peaked in the US charts (ironically enough on the day before Easter 1974) shows just how out of sync the song was with the rest of the hits on pop radio at the time:

  1. Bennie and the Jets – Elton John
  2. Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede
  3. TSOP – MFSB
  4. The Lord’s Prayer – Sister Janet Mead
  5. Come and Get Your Love – Redbone
  6. Sunshine On My Shoulders – John Denver
  7. The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me – Gladys Knight and the Pips
  8. Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
  9. Oh My My – Ringo Starr
  10. Mockingbird – Carly Simon and James Taylor

The other nine hits the week ending April 13, 1974, include a song about a gender-confused fictional pop star, songs of romance, a very depressing song about a dying man and a couple of disco songs (one promoting the importance of dancing as a means of staying alive, about three years before the Bee Gees would broach the subject in Saturday Night Fever).

Don’t misunderstand me. I like most of these pop songs. But Top Forty radio is one of the last places to find the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ instruction to His believers on how we should pray:

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. – Matthew 6:9-13, KJV.

Being the Lord’s instruction on prayer, this passage is extremely important for believers to understand and know. And God, in His infinite wisdom and immeasurable creativity, used a hip Sister of Mercy from down under to get this message out to millions of people, many of whom had perhaps never had – and maybe otherwise never would have – heard these words of Jesus.

Not only did God see to it His Word got out to the world, He did it in a melodious way that guaranteed those who heard the song would remember it. The tune was an earworm (a song one will not soon forget and will stick in your head, replaying in your mental jukebox whenever someone mentions it, or you hear it again even years later). Once it’s in your head, it’s in your head.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2, ESV).

God used Pharoah, a mighty enemy and enslaver of His people, to see to it His will was done.

God spoke through the jawbone of an ass (Numbers 22:28).

Even the stones can cry out in praise of the LORD (Luke 19:40). (Wouldn’t have been cool if God had used The Rolling Stones in this instance?)

God sent His Son Jesus to be our propitiation – our substitutional sacrifice – overcoming death itself so we may be forgiven and follow Him to our heavenly home. He did all that for us, we who do not deserve the astonishing love our Father lavishes upon us – His children. He uses so many methods and situations to bless us, help us, grow us, save us. Why not a million-selling Top Ten single played over and over on pop radio?

And, who knows? Maybe God will use The Rolling Stones to shout out glory to Jesus! He reformed a Christian-hating Pharisee to write the majority of the New Testament.

01.08.2025

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  1. God is sovereign. He is in absolute control over everything. Including our lives.
  2. God is love. He opened the doors for us Gentiles to Trust Him. We are His children the same as His chosen people, the Jews.
  3. God brings salvation. You cannot earn God’s salvation, forgiveness or even approval. The Lord is gracious, and offers eternal life to all who put their trust in the Lord.
  4. God’s going to do what God’s going to do. His will won’t be thwarted. Get on board!
  5. Gild knows. He knows your every thought. He understands you. Trust Him in all your ways.
  6. God’s love is limitless and eternal. Nothing can separate us from His love. Because He loves us, He will correct us when needed. This doesn’t mean God doesn’t love us anymore. Rather, just the opposite! He corrects His children because He loves us.
  7. .There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1, KJV). Our sin is forgiven. Our record expunged. His forgiveness is always available to us.
  8. Don’t question God. After all, He is God, And we are not. We are limited in our understanding and temptations. Who are we to ever question Him? If we truly love God, we will not question His motives or demand understanding. Rather we will put our whole trust in our Heavenly Father, taking Him at His Word. We will recognize in faith His sovereignty over every tiny detail of our lives. And we will trust Gos, knowing His will is perfect and His promises are ours.

God is all knowing, all powerful and omnipresent. Let all that soak in. He changes us. He enlightens us. He saves us.

He saves us,

Rest easy in the Lord. Listen to our Father. Don’t just follow Him. Pursue Him .

Rest well. Walk in love.

You are loved.

You are loved..

Eternally.

Wholeheartedly.

Beyond comprehension.

Things don’t have to make sense. Pray in faith, knowing you are in His path .

Rejoice!! Good night dear ones.

Sleep well dear friends. Our Monday night Soul Care group has been studying Romans. I just want to share a few takeaways from the first nine chapters.

01/02/2025 – Being Resolute

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New Years postcard from the early 20th century

The heart of man plans his way,
    but the Lord establishes his steps. – Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

I do not make New Year’s resolutions. They are noble-sounding little lies we tell ourselves and others, seldom developed to produce their desired conclusion. The minute I proclaim “this year I will…”, I have publicly doomed the resolution to a fate of sad, embarrassing failure.

I’m not sure why this is. I always start with the best of intentions. Sadly, intentions do not produce results. Here are some examples of New Year’s resolutions i (may or may not) have made over the years:

  • Revive the eight-track tape as a popular, portable format for enjoying your favorite music at home or on the go. At least two generations of kids have missed out on the experience of listening to “Rocket Man” by Elton John, having it fade out, change tracks (with that familiar “brrrrr – CLICK CLICK – brrrrr” sound) and fade back in just as Elton declares “And I think it’s gonna be a long long time…”
  • Found a new, centrist political party: the Pizza’s No Place for Pineapple Party. By the name, it’s obvious this group stands to promote a society where things just make sense. Yeah, good luck with that one.
  • Learn to play the didgeridoo.
  • Learn to like raw tomatoes.
  • Master the art of toe nail sculpting.
  • Go back to school and earn a Ph.D. in Finnish Frog Dancing.
  • Become the guy who steers the back end of the big fire truck.
  • Start a campaign to make Minnesota both an American state and a Canadian province. (We’re practically there! We just need the right legislation passed to make it official.)
  • Invent a pharmaceutical medicine that does not cause side effects such as nausea, sleeplessness, tiredness, weakness in the armpits, sudden screaming outbursts, irritability, subcutaneous vegetation, swelling of the nostrils, HOAs, thoughts of binge watching a Friends marathon, ear cramps, hair loss, bear loss, Cher loss, hallucinations involving consumption of large deli sandwiches (aka “Dagwood’s Syndrome”), the bee’s knees, headaches of the lungs, cold sweats, profuse sweats, meat sweats, or dry mouth.
  • Stop droning on and on and on with silliness in my writing and speaking.

However, goal setting is – to my mind – a different matter altogether. It’s more intentional, well considered and – if done properly – well planned. Proper goals are much more than just deciding to lose 100 lbs., marry the man/woman of your dreams and discover the lost continent of Atlantis by year’s end. Real goal setting involves honest assessments, attainable milestones and an action plan to get there.

Consider these words of Jesus: “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” – Luke 14:28-30 (ESV). Trust me when I say I have made vain declarations of things I was going to do, without bothering to make an honest assessment of these “resolutions”.

I still haven’t found Atlantis.

I want to make a lot of personal changes. I’m developing certain spiritual, ministry, health, relational and financial goals for the year ahead. All of these are being prayed about and clung to fairly loosely for this simple reason: God is sovereign. I am not.

God may have other plans as I walk my path in life. And, honestly, the best goals I can set are ones that pertain to walking closer with God, handing control of every aspect of my life to Him, and loving Jesus more and more, with ever strengthening faith and deeper gratitude and faithfulness. Right attitudes. Right habits. Right Christ-like thoughts.

It’s wise to make plans. It’s good to set goals. But, we must remember above all our plans and schemes and dreams:

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

01/01/2025 – Hope for an Unseeable Future

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By en:User:Timjarrett – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tower_Optical_Binoculars.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1903627

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all remembered to set your calendars forward at midnight last night.

My beautiful wife and I saw the new year come in the same way as usual: at home, relaxing, watching the ball drop in Times Square at 11:00pm CST (being from Indiana – an hour ahead of Minnesota – we celebrate with our fellow Hoosiers).

Then we go to bed.

Party animals.

I went to bed last night with thoughts of hope for 2025. I mean, let’s face it: 2024 was what the Grateful Dead might have called “a long, strange trip”. Ugly and mean on a global scale. Hatred working overtime.

Maybe the New Year will see some of this ugliness abate.

I woke this morning and turned on the television to see that, while most of us slumbered, a terrorist drove a truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing 10 (up to 15 as of last count) and injuring another 30.

So much for hate easing in the new year. Life just isn’t a 1970’s cola commercial.

Apple trees.

Honey bees.

Snow white turtle doves.

Kumbaya, my Lord. We need you more than ever.

I don’t think most of us who follow Jesus are naive enough to believe the world will suddenly be harmonious just because a new year has dawned. And, if any of us puts our hopes in hatred on earth being dispelled, we’re delusional or misinformed.

(Jesus said) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. – John 16:33 (ESV)

Our hope is not to be found in this world. It never has been. Our hope is found in God through Jesus Christ. He is The One Who is sovereign over all – past, present and future. He is Love. He is Truth. He is our Father. He is far above and beyond any and every situation on this earth.

This year, put your hope firmly on things above. Set your eyes on Jesus Christ. Stay in God’s Word. Pray without ceasing. Trust Him completely. None of us needs to know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Just remember God is with us every second.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. – from St. Patrick’s Prayer

Keep hope in Christ for 2025!

Astonishing Humility

/ Chris Courtney / Leave a comment
Nativity of Jesus, Botticelli, c. 1473–1475

Astonishing! This business of Jesus being born of a virgin. Angels coming and going. Three magi arriving at His birthplace by following a star.

And what about His birthplace? Shouldn’t this child the Son of God be in a five-star presidential suite at the swankiest hotel in Bethlehem? Solid gold rattle? Crystal milk bottle? Satin sheets in his carved ivory crib?

No.

Not for this King.

This king came to walk among the people, to light the way, to be our salvation. And He could not truly walk among us if He wasn’t one of us. In other words, Jesus needed to be humble.

And, indeed, humble He was. He proved his humility during his 40 days of temptation, never once falling for any of Satan’s attempts to attract / trap Him with the stuff of this world. What good is anything on earth when you rule over ALL creation?

Jesus was humble throughout His life. Never one selfish act or thought. But don’t make the mistake of equating humility or meekness with weakness. Indeed, just the opposite. Jesus didn’t take the prideful bait of the devil, or the Pharisees or Sadducees, or the Romans, or even His own disciples.

He walked by the law of grace. He loved everybody, including His enemies. He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and left this world beaten and bloodied on a cross – not as a martyr, but a willing sacrifice for all who would follow Him.

And, as promised, He rose on the third day after His death. He came back.

He came back.

And He will come back again.

Astonishing! Read the gospels for the whole story. Jesus Christ – God incarnate, fully man and fully God. God Who created a perfect garden and, when we defiled His perfection, still made a way for our salvation. He could have just destroyed humanity at that point.

He could have destroyed us without sparing a remnant through Noah and his family when humanity became so evil and debased that the only way through was for God to destroy all people and the earth beneath our feet.

Instead the LORD made a way. That way led all the way to the Cross.

But the final leg of that journey started not at a hôtel haut de gamme or palatial residence. His nativity was a humble manger. A livestock stable. Far from the big city.

Our God – Creator and Sustainer of all, Who is Love itself, Who is Truth, Who is sovereign over all – humbled Himself, came to earth to live with us sinful, undeserving people, and provided us with the way to salvation.

He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Life everlasting.

Had there never been a Christmas, we would not have had an Easter.

Thank you Lord for all the astonishing work you have done for me. For being humble to love such an underserving sinner as me.

Merry Christmas!

PS: Bonus fun fact: the word “nativity” (which means “birthplace”) does not appear anywhere in the New Testament.

Give It Up

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Sleep well dear friends. The God of All Creation – Who is also our Heavenly Father- is at the helm. He is sovereign. He is in control.

Trust in The Lord. Instead of working so hard to understand it all, just surrender. Surrender your whole life- the good, the bad, and the ugly- to God. We are not called to fix it all. We are not expected to have all the answers. We are not in control of the outcome of our circumstances.

We are called to pray.

We are meant to rest in Christ.

We are told to take on Jesus’ yoke, to be tied to Him instead of enslaved to our sin, worries and doubts.

We are instructed to trust in The Lord wholeheartedly.

Entirely.

No ifs ands or buts. No “what ifs”.

Trust in God. Don’t rely on your flawed and limited perception and understanding.

Relax. Rest in Him. Surrender your whole life entirely 100% to our loving Father.

Trust Him.

Rest in Him.

Go to Him with gratitude and praise.

And sleep well.

You are loved beyond measure!

No Merimnaō 

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31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew 6:31-33 [ESV]

When you feel stressed…

When you experience anxiety…

When you are worried…

When the cares of life are dragging you down…

Whatever troubles or cares you are facing, remember: no merimnaō. In other words, do not be anxious. Take no thought. Do not worry. Don’t be filled with care.

The most comprehensive yet simple passage on the subject of worry and anxiety is Philippians 4:4-7. Let’s break it down:

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Rejoice! Not just when life is going well. But always – regardless of circumstances. Despite troubles. No matter what we’re facing. Not because of our troubles.

Rejoice always – ALWAYS – in God, our Heavenly Father. James instructs us to “count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” [James 1:2-4, ESV]). For believers in God through Jesus Christ, the LORD works out the bad things in life to our good. Therefore, we have joy. We rejoice not in the pain but the blessings our Father brings through the circumstances of life.

5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

Be peaceful and joyful, and set the example of walking through life guided by the LORD, filled with His Spirit and peace. We are called to be salt and light, the example of Jesus to the world. Abd remember the LORD is with us always. He is sovereign over all. He is faithful even when we are not. He is love.

He is love.

Trust in the LORD.

6 do not be anxious about anything, 

Do not be anxious about anything.

Do not be anxious about anything.

Fear nothing. Whatever issues or troubles or trials we face, God is sovereign. God is in control. He is greater than our cares or worries. He has our lives in His hands.

He is our Father.

Trust in the LORD.

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

Prayer. Connect with the LORD. Worship Him. Open your heart with joy and awe to our Father Who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Supplication. Let God know your needs. Ask Him in faith. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19 [ESV]). But don’t think Paul considers God to be some heavenly sugar daddy. God already knows what each of us needs before we ever ask. But He doesn’t dispense our every earthly desire. If He did, He would do us more harm than good. The LORD wants us to grow and learn. He is far more interested in our eternal lives, not just this short fraction of time we spend here on earth.

Thanksgiving. In God, we have everything we need. He has everything in our lives in His hands. Be thankful! We can do nothing on our own. We certainly can’t save ourselves. Only through the shed blood of Jesus can we attain salvation – an establishment of eternal relationship with God. Be grateful to our Father. If you feel He hasn’t answered your prayers, remember He is sovereign. We are not. He knows what’s best for His children. All things happen in His time, according to His will. Be thankful!

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Lay down your worries. Cast off your cares. Go to the Lord with your needs in faith. Thank Him for all He is, all He does. Stop trying to figure out how it’s all going to work out and trust God. Trust Him with your circumstances. Trust Him with your life. Trust and recognize His sovereignty, His faithfulness and His mercy.

So remember: no merim. Be anxious for absolutely nothing. Don’t be afraid. Lay down your burdens and rest in Jesus. Let go of the control we try to cling to over our lives. Realize God is in control over everything. Fill your heart and mind with God’s Word. Seek the LORD first, focusing on our Father instead of our fears. In doing so, we will find the peace of Jesus Christ standing guard over our thoughts and emotions.

Good News for a Dry and Thirsty Soul

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Sometimes life can be harsh.

Hard.

Relentless.

Painful.

Soul draining.

Our souls just feel dry as a desert.

Life’s circumstances weigh us down.

We feel helpless. Hopeless. Confused. Worn down.

Don’t let these feelings get you down. Feelings do not necessarily equal reality.

Do you mind if i share some refreshment for your soul? Take a moment. Take your eyes off your troubles. Take your mind off your circumstances. Focus on Jesus. Focus on His great, unfailing love, grace, mercy and peace.

Take some time to read the below. Let the words soak into your very soul. Think about what the LORD will do for you. Take off the mind of flesh – the thoughts of anxiety or fear or unforgiveness or sorrows or anger or disappointment or what have you. Instead, ask the LORD to give you the mind of Christ.

Rest in the LORD. Entirely. Surrender to our Father. Entirely. Trust in God. Entirely. At all times. In all situations. We don’t have to understand. We just have to trust.

Good night dear friends. You are loved beyond comprehension by the One True and Sovereign Lord God through His Son Jesus,

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? – Romans 8:26-31 (ESV)

One For My Son (and all of us!)

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Son, I love you so much that I never want you to fail.

But the reality is you will. At some point in life, you will fail.

Fall.

Face first into the mud.

SPLAT!

It will hurt.

It will be embarrassing.

It won’t be fun.

And, you know what? You’ll do it again. And again.

And again.

Sometimes life is like Charlie Brown playing football with Lucy. You’re running for that ball, giving it all you when -WHOOSH! – she jerks that ball right up off the ground while you’re in mid-kick.

SPLAT!

That’s the sound of your bottom – and your ego – hitting the grass.

Failure is not a bad thing. It’s how we learn. There’s a reason God created birds to kick their chicks out of the nest at a certain point in their maturity. If they spend their lives lying around waiting for mama bird to spit chewed up worms in their mouths, they will never thrive.

Don’t view failure as an end. It isn’t. It’s a step forward. It’s a chance to learn and grow. When you fail, seek God. Ask for His wisdom. Ask Him to pick you up, dust you off and right your path.

Failure is only failure when you fail to grow from it. So seek God first. Be humble in how you deal with your failure. And smile. You’re a step closer!