Saturday, April 16, 2016

Because Origin Matters

Recently I was participating in a church gathering where I was introduced to Sovereign Over Us, a song written by Bryan Brown, Jack Mooring, and Aaron Keyes. I am quite out of touch with most things in modern culture, Christian or otherwise. So I don't know how long the song has been out and I haven't bothered to look into it. Anyway, I appreciate the song which may be heard here.

Apparently the origins of the song come from the writers' understanding of God as revealed in Jeremiah 29, particularly verse 11. The chorus contains these lines: "Your plans are still to prosper, You have not forgotten us. You are with us in the fire and the flood." Wonderful. But I do wonder if the authors of this piece, along with the many who sing it, realize that the God of Jeremiah 29 is with us in the fires and floods that He sends. The losses and pains of our existence are not accidents, or merely the results of a fallen world, or some other less than sovereign reality. Read the chapter. God is the source of the very pain in which He promises His presence. But that truth wasn't included in the song. Too bad, because it saturates Jeremiah's thinking.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

To the Christian Rich - Pay Well

When those hired about the eleventh hour came, 
each one received a denarius.
Matthew 20:9

Jesus has a category for extravagance in the payment of His workers. Do you? Or do you want as much from your employees as you can get for as little compensation as possible? Are their needs and desires and dreams parts of your considerations? Are you loving your neighbor, who by the way, is adding to your wealth? Such payment might decrease the amount you keep. So? That's the price for godly generosity (Mt 20:15). Your reward is in heaven.