God’s Presence

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Burning Hearts – January 31

Friday, January 31st, 2025

In 1969 more than a few people were stunned by a band called Blind Faith. One of the main members was a man whom you may have heard of before. The man’s name was Eric Clapton and he was a founding member of the rock group, Cream.  They were famous for the iconic song “White Room.” Interestingly enough, while many thought it was a drug song, it was the exact opposite.  Back to Blind Faith. They came out with a song that seemed so strange and admittedly, bizarre, to so many. It was called Presence of the Lord. The final chorus has these lyrics: “Everybody knows the secret/Everybody knows the score/I have finally found a place to live/Oh, in the presence of the Lord.”  I have no clue of the whys and wherefores of that song. Was it 4 men searching for something? Was it Clapton searching and realizing that peace and contentment could only be found in God? I don’t know. I sincerely hope he did and still does.

Exodus 25-Leviticus 4 is not the least bit exciting to read but a closer look brings out several thoughts: God pours out His love on His people not because of what is in them, but because of what is in Him.  God wanted His Tabernacle to communicate two things: His unapproachable holiness and the mercy of His forgiveness. But even as God is speaking to Moses and giving him the Law, the people are in a “meanwhile back on the farm acting contrary to what they promised” mode. It is not good. A golden calf that “mysteriously” appeared. (More on that in a later week). 

But is spite of the breach, God still forgives. He still offers His presence to them. It was His presence they needed. So do we. This week I extend an invitation to you to join us at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship at either 9:00 or 10:45 am. If you are unable to be in person, please join us via the live stream. You can send a request to our Facebook Group at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship or view our public page at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship-Spencer, IN. You may also watch via our YouTube channel at Owen Valley Christian Fellowship. If you happen to watch, would you mind letting us know? No pressure. I promise.

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January 29

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025

The year was 1969. The group was Blind Faith. One of the main members was a man whom you probably have heard of. At the time he was also one of the founding members of another well-known group from the era: Cream. His name was Eric Clapton. Cream was known for “In the white room with black curtains is a station.” By the way, did you know that was not a drug song or about a drug trip? It was a song about purity and innocence-no drugs, no Nam, and no trouble.  Okay…circle back. Blind Faith recorded a song that was so strange at the time called Presence of the Lord. The final chorus had the following lyrics: “Everybody knows the secret/Everybody knows the score/I have finally found a place to live/Oh, in the presence of the Lord.” I’m not sure what was on Clapton’s mind or heart at the time. Perhaps he was figuring out the futility of the 60s kind of love. (As many of you may know Clapton again wondered about heaven and would his son know him in “Tears in Heaven.”)

My reading this morning was from Exodus 33-35 and its main them was the Presence of the Lord. At one point God told Moses He wanted him to go back up the mountain in order to receive the 10 Commandments again (Moses had smashed the original ones out of anger). I was struck by Moses’ requests from God. Here they are in a nutshell:

“Lord, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully.”  (33:13)

“Lord, guarantee your presence.”  (33:16)

“Lord, show me Your glory.” (3318)

For each of these requests God has a favorable answer.  He desires we seek Him. He desires that we know His ways in order to follow. He desires that we know His presence will always be there. And He desires that we seek/crave His presence.

Blind Faith (and Moses) had it right. The best place to be is in the presence of the Lord. I’m not naive to think we won’t have distractions today. But I also know those distractions do not and will not impact our day as deeply if we are living with the promise of God’s presence. Why not begin today…right now…by praying these three requests Moses made? I can’t and won’t promise you a pain-free or trouble-free day. But I can promise you God’s presence throughout the day. Stop right now and pray those three thoughts and then live today with them in mind.

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December 16

Monday, December 16th, 2024

For 2025 I have asked the church I pastor (Owen Valley Christian Fellowship in Spencer, IN) to accept a challenge. The challenge was to use Everyday Gospel, a daily devotional written by Paul David Tripp as their go-to this coming year. Thanks to the generosity of Crossway Publishing, who offered the opportunity to buy them in bulk for $10 each (order at least 10), our folks were able to get on board for the challenge. To date we have had to order…wait for it…120 copies of the book!! That means there will be at least 120 people who will be reading the devotional each day plus the Scripture corresponding to it. By the end of the year, we will have read through the whole Bible. But I did something even crazier, which really put a target on my forehead. I told them that instead of preaching a series or a book of the Bible or even topics in 2025, that I would base all my sermons on the Scriptures read the previous week (Sunday through Saturday). For example, on January 5th, the first Sunday of 2025, I will preach on Genesis 1-15, the Scripture passages we are to read for January 1-4.  In all of my 50+ years of ministry, I have never-read that NEVER- preached on the whole Bible from the first Sunday of the year to the last. I’m not kidding you when I say I come with a bit of fear after I opened my mouth and made that statement. I wonder now if it was what drove people to sign up for the book.

But I also have to admit to a ton of excitement and cautious optimism for the task in front of me. As I stated earlier, I have NEVER taken on this task before. It will require some serious study and preparation as I weed through some great parts of the Bible but also some tough parts (how does one preach through parts of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers and make it exciting?). It has also required me reading the Devotional ahead of time, then I will go back and read it again on its planned day, along with the Scripture passage. Last night I read the devotions for January 26 & 27 in preparation for the sermon on February 2nd. My thoughts today are taken from the January 26th devotion.

We hear a lot during this time of the year about love, joy, and hope. My daughter Tami’s favorite Christmas song has the lyrics “The thrill of hope the weary world rejoices.” (O Holy Night).  I know how this whole scenario ends (Jesus wins) but even with that belief/truth, it is hard not to feel like many others do: where is the hope? We sure don’t live in a hopeful society do we? I’m not even talking politics here. I’m talking about life. Before I went to my ManCave last night to focus my thoughts and heart and to sit with an ice pack on my new knee and a hot pad on sore places from the needles of that surgery, I heard about Syria, the death of the United HealthCare CEO, the pardons, the rhetoric which seemed to say murder was wrong “but,” the immigration crisis, etc. You get the picture. So, tell me, where is the hope? I have an 18 year old, soon-to-be a high school graduate grandson, who will be attending THE Ohio State University this fall. What kind of world will he grow up in? One without truth? One without boundaries? One without knowing right from wrong? One without HOPE!  I pray not. I pray that Braden’s generation says, “Enough is enough!” and claws its way back to truth and the hope that comes with it. In his January 26th devotion, Paul David Tripp writes, “True and lasting hope is found in these words: “I will dwell in the midst of my people.”

May Tripp’s words be a signpost for my grandson’s generation. Really, for every generation still living and will soon be living. “May you dwell in the midst of your people, Lord.”

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September 10

Tuesday, September 10th, 2024

“Faith Over Fear.”

If there was one saying that was prominently used during the COVID desert it was this one. The most prominent-at least among Christ-followers-was “God’s got this.” But I’m thinking this ran a close second.  Sometimes it might be seen in a symbol: big letters FAITH on top of a line over the letters FEAR.

Simple enough: I believe it. I John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” (ESV)

Last week I spent time with an old friend. He was a bike-riding friend of mine of about 4-5 years when suddenly he ghosted me. A conspiracy theorist, he didn’t like it when I told him to be careful of making an accusation against someone and putting it in writing because he was setting himself up for a charge of slander. That was 2014. Ghost time. About a year or so ago I felt a burden to check up on an old friend. He was basically living a life of a hermit, paralyzed by his fears. I went away burdened but decisive that I was not going to put myself through that again. Last week he called me out of the blue asking a favor of me. Even though my day was full, I said yes to his request. When he asked why later, I told him, “Because I want to be Jesus to you.” He didn’t say much to that but what I learned is a leopard doesn’t change his spots. I won’t go into details, but long story short, he asked me if I was afraid.  I told him no. “Not afraid? Of COVID? No. Evil? No. Sick people? No. Why? “Because the Bible says, ‘Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world.'” “That’s a lie,” he said. I disagreed and respectfully tried to explain it to him. “I tried it your way Bill. It didn’t work.”

There was more-much more-but I left saddened…again. I also left resolved to keep toxic-thinking people at arm’s length. And I left even more convinced that I have nothing to fear. I refuse to live my life afraid of my own shadow. Because, you see, I believe that no matter how much evil there is in the world (and I don’t deny there is), faith conquers fear.

I do know who wins in the end. And it ain’t the enemy, Satan.

J.E.S.U.S.  W.I.N.S.

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February 13

Tuesday, February 13th, 2024

On my mind this morning when I woke up; when I rode my bike on my inside trainer; as I took a shower and dressed; and now as I sit and read my Bible at the table is a task-something I will do today…

I will attend a visitation and funeral of the friend of one of our new young ladies in the church.

She drank herself to death. That is harsh to say, I know, but even though only 30, her body said, “Enough.” It came to that point of her liver and kidneys failing due to alcohol abuse and past cancer treatments.

She is not alone. It is almost like an epidemic. People who lose hope. More specifically, young people who have lost hope. I guess we expect it more from an older person who can say, “I’ve lived my life. It is time for me to go.” But a young person? That cuts. Losing hope knows no age limits. It knows no status (Hollywood stars for example). It knows no financial acumen (the rich or the poor).

When did people lose hope? Please don’t fall back on COVID, although I am convinced it may have exacerbated it. Isolation. Loneliness. But I ask again: when did people lost hope? When did they lose sight of what David wrote: “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!”? (Ps. 139:17-18). Maybe a better question is, “Did they ever know they were valuable to God?”

There seems to be no doubt that we are living in a hopeless generation and it is tragic that so many are living in such despair that they either want to end it all, give up, or in the case like this just simply say, “What’s the use?” and stop fighting for life. If we could only get back to what David wrote earlier in Psalm 139: “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” (verses 7-10). Those aren’t words of lament, of complaining about God’s presence. They are words of triumph. Of joy. Of hope.

Something there is just too little of these days. But something offered to us by the One who gave and gives us life.

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