John MacCullen's posterous

100 Things About Me…

This list was inspired by reading Mark Lee’s “100 Things About Me” list.  In the event that you don’t know who he is, Mark Lee is a songwriter, guitarist, and one of the founding members of the Gospel Rock band Third Day.  It is my sincere desire that Mark reads my list and hopefully enjoys it as much as I enjoyed reading his list.

1.    I shall begin my list in exactly the same manner as Mark by saying that it all begins with God.

2.    I am a native Georgian, born in Atlanta.

3.    Even though I have visited most of the states in this country, I have lived my entire life in Georgia.

4.    My mom was the secretary at the church that I grew up in.

5.    My dad was an engineer for an aircraft manufacturer.  I’m guessing that it was probably the same aircraft manufacturer that Mark’s dad worked for.

6.    My first dog was a Cocker Spaniel named Butch.  Butch was the best friend that a five year old boy could have ever had.

7.    My first experience at losing someone dear to me came when Butch died when I was ten years old.  To say that I was devastated would be a tremendous understatement.

8.    Like many who grew up in the ‘60s, the Beatles provided my first taste of rock ‘n’ roll music.

9.    I discovered at a very early age that if one listens to the 45 record of “I Saw Her Standing There” by the Beatles over and over for about an hour or so, one’s older sister will become incredibly agitated. At least that’s what I’ve heard; I wouldn’t know that first hand…

10. I remember being able to go “Trick or Treating” at Halloween and not have my parents check my candy when I got home to make certain that it was safe to eat.  It grieves my heart that the world has become so mean.

11. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of spending Saturdays in the fall with my dad listening to Al Ciraldo call Georgia Tech football games on a transistor radio… “Bunky Henry forward, toe meets leather…”

12. I never went through a phase in which I thought that girls had “cooties” or anything like that.  As a matter of fact, I had a steady girlfriend in the first, second, and third grades.

13. I used to love Saturday morning cartoons because they were crazy good.  Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, George of the Jungle, Super Chicken, The Pink Panther… today’s kids have no clue what they are missing.

14. My dad took me to my first major league baseball game when I was ten years old.  I will carry that memory with me for as long as I live.  I never knew that grass could be that green.

15. My favorite baseball player was Hank Aaron.  Rico Carty, aka “The Beeg Boy”, was a close second.

16. Unlike just about every other person that lived in Atlanta in April of 1974, somehow I was not at Atlanta Stadium when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record.

17. I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior when I was twelve years old.  I was blessed with parents who raised me in the ways of the Lord.

18. I sang in the Youth Choir in my church.

19. I really hated that there was not really any “church” music to which I enjoyed listening.

20. #19 would have a huge impact on my life.

21. When I was a teenager, the church that I attended split over something that I considered to be incredibly trivial.

22. #21 would have an even larger impact on my life.

23. I was a teenager in the early ‘70s, so the music from that era is what made the biggest impression on me.  I still think that ‘70s rock is the best ever.

24. I loved high school.  I still stay in touch with many of the people that I went to school with, including some of my teachers.

25. I sang in just about every choral class that was offered in high school, including the advanced choir known as the Choraliers.

26. The choral department at my high school would usually produce two musicals during the school year.  In my high school career I had parts in The Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Carnival, and Godspell.

27. I was cast as Marco the Magnificent, one of the leads in Carnival.  I was also cast for the part of Stephen, the lead character in Godspell.

28. My costume in Godspell included a Superman shirt and purple suede knee boots.

29. My graduating class in high school never got to “walk” at graduation.  The ceremony was held outside and a sudden thundershower ruined the ceremony.

30. Soaked to the bone, I received my high school diploma from the wrestling coach in the cafeteria.

31. After I graduated from high school I would occasionally sneak back on the campus and visit my choral teacher and sit in with the choir during class.

32. My choral teacher, Ms. Anne O. Hawes, was like a second mother to me.  I loved this woman dearly!

33. Shortly after high school I was the front man in a secular rock and roll band.  I used to take the stage in platform shoes with heels that were roughly six inches tall… and covered with glitter.

34. My hair used to be about 6 or 7 inches beyond shoulder length.  I frequently wore it in a pony tail.

35. I used to think that Lynyrd Skynyrd was the best band ever.

36. Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Genesis, Bad Company, Queen, and many other bands have also occupied this slot.

37. I have since learned that there are a great many “best bands ever”. 

38. Third Day is definitely one of those bands.

39. My wife and I were married on June 11, 1976.

40. My best man and one of my wife’s bridesmaids met for the first time at our wedding rehearsal.  They got married less than two years later.  Earlier this year they celebrated their thirty-third anniversary.

41. I was an assistant manager at a Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream store for seven years. 

42. Because of this experience, I became an ice cream “snob” and still cannot eat cheap ice cream.

43. I later worked for a major pest control company, running the commercial pest control route.

44. Because of this experience, I can tell you exactly which Chinese restaurants in Marietta, Georgia to avoid… seriously!

45. While working at Baskin-Robbins, I met and would frequently talk to Dave Hope, the bass guitarist for Kansas.  Dave would come in for ice cream about two or three times a month.

46. Dave gave me all the inside scoop (ice cream humor…) on the album that they were working on at that time: “The Point of Know Return”.  

47. I knew all of the lyrics to “Dust in the Wind” before it was released.

48. Between 1977 and 1978 I saw Star Wars at various theatres somewhere around 125 times.  The actual number began to get a little hazy after around a hundred or so.  

49. I turned down a music scholarship to Truett-McConnell College when I was young.

50. I did many other incredibly foolish things when I was young.  I could easily fill a list of 100 foolish things I did when I was young. 

51. Marrying Becky was NOT one of the foolish things that I did when I was young.  That would belong on the list of incredibly intelligent things I did when I was young.  This list would be very short.

52. Becky and I have two sons.  Our oldest is married with children of his own.  Our youngest is still pondering the possibilities that life has to offer.

53. We have one step-granddaughter, two granddaughters, and one grandson.

54. I attended Kennesaw State University when it was known simply as Kennesaw College.

55. I never attended Georgia Tech but did grow up in a Georgia Tech household.  While working on his master’s degree, my father was an instructor at Tech.  I heard many stories about this experience when I was young.

56. I have a degree in Biblical Studies from Antioch Bible College.  I am absolutely certain that it will never become known as Antioch State University.

57. I have an incredibly soft spot in my heart for God’s little creatures.  I’ve been known to burst into tears if I accidentally run over a squirrel.

58. I am also incredibly sentimental.  I still have a few things from my childhood that I simply refuse to part with.

59. One of the things that I still have from my childhood is a toy stuffed cocker spaniel.  I named him Butch.

60. I am somewhat of a grammar geek.  If someone writes something and asks for my opinion, I usually begin by critiquing their grammar.  My quest to restrain myself from doing this is improving.

61. My favorite Italian restaurant is about 900 miles from home.  I don’t get there very often.

62. My favorite fast food burger joint is In-N-Out.  Every time that I fly into Los Angeles, I tell the limo driver to take me to the  nearest In-N-Out, which is right next to LAX.

63.  My brother owns a limo service based in Los Angeles.

64. I absolutely love airplanes and going to air shows.

65. My favorite air show demo team to watch is the U.S. Navy's demo team, the Blue Angels.

66. When my boys were little we would frequently go and park behind a business park that was located off the end of the runway at Dobbins AFB and watch the F-15s takeoff and land.

67. These days we sometimes travel across the country to watch air shows.  This year I am hoping to travel to NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia and watch the Blue Angels.

68. I've been playing guitar on and off for nearly 40 years.  Mostly off, but for the last fifteen years or so  completely on.

69. My first electric guitar was a Teisco Del Ray E-120.  I'm reasonably certain that Teisco guitars at the very least are part of Japan's revenge on America for that whole World War Two thing.

70. My second electric guitar was a Hagstrom III.  I still don't know why the Swedes are mad at us.

71. I currently own seven guitars: three acoustics, three electrics, and one bass.

72. One of the guitars that I own is the acoustic guitar on which I first learned to play.

73. I first started playing PRS guitars, strictly by coincidence, around the same time that Mark Lee did.  I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw him playing one.  I don't know if he was ever surprised by my playing one.

74. Right now I gig exclusively with Fender amps.

75. I believe that Bob Taylor makes the finest acoustic guitars, period!

76. I have been a member of HSM for seven years now.

77. Bill Hawes, my fellow songwriter and guitarist with HSM and I have known each other for nearly 40 years.

78. Bill is the son of my former choral teacher in high school.  (See #32)

79. Neither Bill nor I had ever written a single song until we worked together in HSM.  We have since either collaborated or indiviually written about three albums worth of music.

80. Bill and I both sincerely believe that all of our songs have come to us through the Holy Spirit of God.

81. I live close to several current and one former member of Third Day, so it is not uncommon for me to see them occasionally in public.

82. The last two times that I've seen Mac Powell, he's been out with his wife Aimee and I've resisted the urge to shout out, "Hey, Mac!"  He has enough fans that talk to him in public; I figure that he probably enjoys being able to spend some uninterrupted time with his family.

83. Last year I sent Tai Anderson a birthday greeting telling him that I vivdly remember many details of the day that he was born... what I was wearing, where I went, what I did, etc.  Tai was born on June 11, 1976.  (See #39)

84. I ran into Mark Lee and his wife Stephanie last fall in a Steak n' Shake restaurant and gave him a copy of my band's CD "Do You Recall" by HSM.  I asked him if he would listen to it and give us some feedback... I am still waiting to hear back from him.

85. I felt bad literally moments after I left Mark and Stephanie's table because I felt like I had "barged in" on their evening together. That evening I sent an email to Mark that included an apology.

86. I talked to Brad Avery shortly after he left Third Day.  It was interesting to hear his side of why he and the band parted ways.

87. I have never bumped into either Tai or David Carr out in public.  I don't live that close to either of them.

88. I really wish that someone experienced in the music industry would help us to get our feet off the ground in this business by offering some advice, assistance, etc...

89. I'm not too proud to beg, particularly when it comes to doing the Lord's work.  Here, any pride that I may have becomes completely irrelevant.

90. Are #88 and #89 too vague or should I be a little more direct?

91. My favorite Bible verse as of this moment is Isaiah 12:2 ~ "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."

92. Like Mark, I have enjoyed several of Dan DeHaan's books.  I first read "Intercepted By Christ" about 30 years ago.  "Intercepted By Christ" is a biography that details the life and rebirth of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski. 

93. And speaking of the Atlanta Falcons,  I am a huge fans of them as well as the Atlanta Braves and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

94. In addition to playing and singing with HSM, I play and sing with the Praise and Worship band at my church.

95. I also teach Sunday School.

96. My favorite studies in Scripture are centered on Old Testament books.

97. I occasionally lead Bible Study on Wednesday nights.

98. Both of my parents have gone home to be with the Lord.  Mere words will never fully express just how much that I miss them both.

99. I always try to remember the words of Jesus when he said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  And the second is this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

100. I truly love my Lord Jesus.  But hopefully you already knew that.

This list is certainly not all inclusive, there are many more things that you would know about me were you and I to be close friends.  I did, however, think that you might find it interesting to learn more about me though.

But how much do we know about ourselves?

Jeremiah 1:5 ~ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Those words, spoken by God to the prophet Jeremiah indicate that our Heavenly Father certainly knows us, and He knows us intimately!  He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He has plans for our lives just as He did for Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for Shalom (peace and plenty) and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Do you know the plans that the Lord has for you?

II Peter 3:9 ~ 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.

God has a plan for each and every one of us.  And it does not include us perishing and being eternally separated from Him.  If you have never asked Jesus to become your Lord and Savior, I urge you to do it today… this moment.  Then ask the Lord to reveal His plan for your life to you.

You will then discover that He knows so many more than 100 things about you…

John MacCullen ~ 2011

I Wonder Who Else God Hates…

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last decade or so, you have no doubt heard about the ministry of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.  Led by Fred Phelps, the church is known primarily for staging protests not just at the funerals of members of the U.S. armed forces who have unselfishly sacrificed their lives in defense of our nation, but at the funerals of just about anyone who is even remotely connected to the prominence of American society as well.  Recently, the group picketed the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards, estranged ex-wife of former senator John Edwards of North Carolina; as well as U.S. District Judge John Roll, one of the victims in the shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, which centered on the attempted assassination of Arizona Representative Gabriella Giffords. 

These people believe that America has become a perverted nation and that the death of soldiers, politicians, gays… really, just about anyone except themselves, is God seeking revenge on a corrupt society.

If you are a student of Scripture you will note that in Old Testament times, God did in fact, frequently and regularly punish disobedient societies.  All through the books of Kings and Chronicles you will find account after account of the kings of both Israel and Judah who were either blessed or cursed because they either “did what the Lord said was right” or “did what the Lord said was wrong”.  In hindsight it is easy to spot the pattern: do what the Lord says is right and you and your kingdom will be blessed, but do what the Lord says is wrong and you and your kingdom will be cursed.

Now, at this point you may be thinking that the people of Westboro Baptist just may be on to something here.  The problem however, with that line of thinking centers around this one tiny, little event that happened around 2000 years ago; the birth of a certain baby boy in Bethlehem…

Luke 2:8-11 – And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

The religious leaders of the time, known as the Pharisees, were quite puzzled by the teaching of Jesus once his ministry began, some thirty years later.  You see, they were accustomed to adherence to the Law for forgiveness of sin.  Yet this Jesus went into the synagogues and taught that there were some issues with that…

John 7:14-19 – About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.  The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”  So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.  If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.  The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.  Has not Moses given you the law?  Yet none of you keep the law. (emphasis mine)

Jesus also had different ideas on how to reach people with the Good News of his gospel…

Matthew 9:10-13 – And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples.  And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’  For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus, it seems, had this idea to reach out to all people; not just to those that society deemed worthy.  And because of that, Jesus was frequently seen talking to, and spending time with society’s undesirables.  Neither did he mince words when it came to how he felt about the way that the Pharisees acted toward these people…

Matthew 23:1-36 – Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you – but not what they do.  For they preach, but do not practice.

     They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

     They do all their deeds to be seen by others.  For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.  But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.  And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.  Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

     The greatest among you shall be your servant.

     Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

     But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.  For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

     “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, he is bound by his oath.’  You blind fools!  For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?  And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’  You blind men!  For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?  So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and everything on it.  And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.  And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.

     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.  These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.  You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.  So you also appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

     “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the shedding of blood of the prophets.’  Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.  You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 

     Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.  Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

So many people seem to believe that Jesus came to earth to judge and condemn sinners, and in due time, he will do just that.  But that time has not yet come…

Revelation 20:12 & 15 – And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.  And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 

You see, Jesus made it crystal clear to Nicodemus while speaking to him in the Garden of Gethsemane exactly why he came to earth.  But if you look closely at verse 17, you will see that he makes it equally clear what he didn’t come to earth to do…

John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  (emphasis mine)

The day is coming when God’s wrath for the evil that man has wrought on this earth will rain down.  But we have yet to come to that time and for now, we live in a time in which we enjoy the gift of free will; free to either choose God or to follow a path of sin.  And while we live in this current state, the Holy Spirit is gently, lovingly, yet persistently urging us to choose God and live.

If we choose God by accepting his free gift of salvation and inviting Jesus to become our Lord and Savior, he promises to send us a “Helper”, the Holy Spirit, to guide us in all that we do.  And Scripture tells us that once we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will exhibit certain traits, or fruits, in our lives:

Galatians 5:22 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Now, I’m not an arborist, but I do know that if you are picking oranges off of a branch you’re probably not standing next to an apple tree.

Can you imagine how powerful the ministry of Westboro Baptist Church could be if its members began exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit rather than sowing seeds of hatred?  Imagine them with the same zeal that they have for discord, sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Most people choose to condemn the members of Westboro for their actions and their beliefs.  To me, that is doing little more than mimicking what they are doing, just on the flip side of the coin.  And remember, it's difficult for you to not get dirty when you choose to jump in the mud and wallow with the pigs...

Perhaps we should choose to pray for them; pray that the Holy Spirit would gently, lovingly, yet persistently persuade them to try sharing the Gospel of the love of Jesus Christ instead! 

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus left his throne in heaven and came to earth in the form of man, setting aside his power as the Creator of the Universe.  He stood up to the religious authority of the time and set the record straight as to the true meaning of the law.  For this he was crucified…

And as I visualize my Savior nailed to the cross, taking my sin upon his shoulders, I have to wonder that had they been around at that time, would the members of Westboro Baptist Church have been there at the foot of the cross carrying protest signs and rejoicing over his death…

Thank God that on the third day, his grave was empty!

He is risen indeed!

John MacCullen

Two Words…

You know something, words are really amazing things.  Such a profound statement, huh?  But, you know, they are.  The words that come from our lips are but mere glimpses of the expressions of our soul.  There… does that sound a little more profound than the first sentence?  I thought so… and all because I simply changed the words.

Scripture gives us insight into how expansive the power of words can be.  From the purest of pure…

Psalm 12:6 – The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

…to the most deceitful applications…

James 3:5-6 – So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.  How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.  The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

For much of our lives we have been taught that using many words will  carry more weight than the use of fewer words.  A thesis generated for an English Composition class in school is usually graded in part on how many words it contains.  And of course, growing up in a Baptist church as I did, I can tell you that everyone was really impressed when one of the deacons could ramble on with a prayer for what seemed an eternity…

And yet, there is a verse from the gospel of John that, while usually famous for being the shortest verse in the Bible, carries what is in my opinion one of the most powerful statements found anywhere in scripture…

John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

What would cause the Savior of the world to cry? 

It’s a good idea to examine scripture within its context so that you can better understand what a particular passage is saying.  This particular passage from the gospel of John takes place during the telling of a story about a man named Lazarus, who scripture says was a friend of our Lord.  Lazarus had become ill, and his sisters Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus about their brother’s illness, asking that Jesus come and heal him.  Jesus however, waited two days before starting the journey to Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters were.  By the time Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus had already died and had been in the tomb for four days.  Upon hearing that Jesus had arrived, Martha ran to meet him.  When Martha came to Jesus, she said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”  Jesus tells Martha that her brother will rise again, but Martha does not understand what he means.  She tells Jesus that she knows that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.  Then…

John 11:25-27 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (emphasis mine)

Martha then goes and gets her sister Mary and brings her to see Jesus.  Upon her arrival, Mary begins to weep as do the Jews who have come with her, which troubles Jesus greatly.  Scripture says that he “was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled”.  Jesus then asks them to take him to where his friend’s body has been laid.  Scripture tells us that upon their arrival at the tomb…

John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

So I’ll ask again, “What would cause the Savior of the world to cry?”

Look back at what Jesus tells Martha (and us) in verse 25, remembering the emphasis placed on the word “I”…

“I am the resurrection and the life.”

If we truly believe Psalm 12:6 when it says that the words of the Lord are “pure words”, then we must truly believe Jesus when he tells Martha (and us) who he is.  Jesus doesn’t just say that he thinks that life is good; he tells us that he is the resurrection, which is the conquering of death; and that he is the life, which is of course, the opposite of death.  Jesus is life and hates death so much that when he witnesses the sorrow caused by the suffering and death of his friend Lazarus…

Jesus wept.

We’re coming up on a time of year that has been a little bit tough on my family.  It was in the month of December that my father-in-law passed away.  In the month of January I lost my father and my mother left us in the month of February.  These three events did not all happen in the same year, but occurred over the course of seven years and two months, starting in 1999 and going through 2007.  I find it so incredibly comforting to know that through our time of loss, through our time of pain; that through our time of mourning the Savior of the world mourns with us because he understands what we feel. 

You see, this same Jesus, the Savior of the world humbled himself and took the form of man and lived among us…

Philippians 2:6-11 - …though he (Jesus) was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus knows and fully understands the human emotions that we experience.  He understands happiness, and he understands sadness.   He understands when we are tired, and he understands when we are raring to go!  He understands it all…

And he provides comfort and hope through his Word…

I Thessalonians 4:13 – But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

I know that when I sometimes feel sad because I miss those that I love so much, Jesus understands!

If you do not know this Jesus that I speak of, if you do not have the same hope that I have, the same peace that I have, the same comfort that I have… you can!  All you have to do is ask!

If this is you, and you want to know the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, send me a message and I will tell you how you can know him.

John MacCullen

Dad

Oh what I would give just to tell you one more time how much I love you

Oh what I would give just to tell you one more time just how much you mean to me

Oh what I would give just to tell you one more time, “thank you”…

You brought me up in the ways of my Savior

You showed me what it really means to be a man

You gave me your love

And for all of that and more, you mean the world to me

You touched so many lives in so many ways

You loved, and were loved by so many

You gave of your life, your heart, and your soul

And because of that and more, you will be with me always

Oh how I wish that I could talk to you just one more time…

Follow Me…

If you have read many of my devotions you already know a few things about me…  For example, you know that I am in a band; you know that my late father-in-law was in the Marines, you know that I have two sons, and you know that I love to play with words…  These are just a few random things that I have written about or included in my writings in the past.

You also may have noted that I typically use lots of different passages of scripture in my devotions.  This particular devotion will be just a little bit different from most of the others in that I plan on using just one small passage of scripture taken from the Gospel of John.

John 21:21-22 – When Peter saw him (John, the apostle whom Jesus loved), he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”  Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?  You follow me!”  ~ (comment in parenthesis mine)

Now, a little background on the above passage…  The two apostles mentioned in this scripture are Peter, sometimes known as Simon Peter, and John, the son of Zebedee.  This John is also the author of the Gospel of John, the letters of I, II, and III John, as well as the book of Revelation.

You may or may not realize that within the ranks of the twelve disciples, Jesus had a small group of disciples to which he was particularly close.  This “inner circle” consisted of Simon Peter, James, and John.  James and John were brothers, both sons of Zebedee, and they, along with Simon Peter had each been fishermen from Galilee prior to becoming disciples of Jesus.

After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, some of the disciples returned for a short period of time to their former lives.  The setting for the above passage is the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where seven of the disciples have just finished having breakfast with the resurrected Messiah.  Jesus has just finished charging Peter with the task of caring for his church (all who follow Christ), and then telling Peter about what kind of death he would endure in order to glorify God.

The passage then picks up with Peter looking at John and asking Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”  In other words, Peter was asking Jesus to tell him what would happen to John.   Jesus, in so many words, essentially tells Peter that what the Lord’s will is for John is none of Peter’s business.  Then he simply states, “You follow me!”

Ponder the profound truth of this passage as it applies to your life…

“Lord, I have been faithful to you for all these years.  And yet I drive a broken down car and he drives a brand new BMW…”  And Jesus replies, “If I choose to bless him with a new BMW, what is that to you?  You follow me!”

“Lord, I am being obedient to you.  We’ve dedicated our musical talents exclusively to your glory and yet we still carry our own equipment around in a van, loading and unloading everything ourselves.  But that band travels in a luxury tour bus…”  And Jesus replies, “If I choose to bless them with a luxury tour bus, what is that to you?  You follow me!”

Each of us who have become new creatures through the salvation of Jesus Christ are called to different paths in which we are to glorify his name.  All of the disciples died a martyr’s death glorifying the name of Jesus… except John.  Simon Peter was crucified, Stephen was stoned to death, James was killed with a sword… and yet John lived a long life caring for Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Scripture does not chronicle the death of John, but it is traditionally accepted that he lived a very long life, dying of natural causes at somewhere between 90 and 100 years of age.

So what is that to you?  You follow me!

If you are concerned about other Christians possibly being blessed more than you, I would urge you to reevaluate your motive.  Don’t be concerned about anything other than simply following Jesus!  True contentment that results from simple obedience to our call to follow Jesus will result in blessings far greater than we could ever imagine…

Follow me!  Follow Jesus and be blessed!

John MacCullen

It’s Your Serve…

Let me open by saying that I currently do not employ any servants.  Because of the current economic situation, certain cutbacks had to be made and as a result, the gardener had to go… immediately followed by the cook, the butler, and finally… the maid. 

Yeah, right… Of course I’m joking… I could never let these people go.  The gardener is my son, and I certainly have no plans whatsoever to let my wife go…

Clearly… clearly I say all of this to you in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  But now that I have your attention, let’s take a look at this topic of serving.

You know, if I asked you to define exactly who a servant is and what a servant does, most of you would, of course, say that a servant is someone who does things for other people.  And to a certain degree, and in certain contexts, you would be correct.  But it is a word that can have different meanings, often with just minor subtle differences between these meanings.

Genesis 15:13 – Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.”

This passage is referring to the nation of Israel that Abram (later Abraham) would father.  In the above scripture, the root of the word used for servant is abad, which is a Greek word that means “to work” or literally “to enslave”.  If you read the Old Testament book of Exodus, you will read of how the descendants of Abraham eventually became the nation of Israel and settled in Egypt, where they eventually became slaves to the Pharaoh.

Exodus 5:11 – Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.

And as long as we are in Egypt enslaved to the Pharaoh, the above scripture is referring to one of the punishments meted out to the Jewish brick makers after Moses made the Lord’s initial demand of Pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage.  In this passage, the root of the word meaning work is abodah, which means “to work” or “to be in hard labor”.

Now I know that by now you’ve got to be absolutely fascinated by all of this, but you’re also probably asking what exactly this all has to do with playing tennis… specifically, how to perfect your serve… Well, the answer to that would be that it has nothing to do with perfecting your tennis serve…

It has to do with what it means to be a servant of Christ.

John 12:26 – If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also.  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

So, I guess that means that in order for the Father to honor me, I had best get busy doing stuff for Jesus…

Ironically, sometimes things that are meant to mock Christianity hit dangerously close to home.  You may have seen a bumper sticker before that reads: Jesus is coming, look busy…  Sadly, that is exactly what many Christians feel they need to be doing.  Far too many believers feel that the more they do “in service to the Lord”, the more they will be blessed.  Consequently, they blindly do this and do that, often at a frantic pace, all the while believing that they are serving our Savior…

But let’s take a closer look at what scripture says about this…

Luke 12:35-37 – “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door for him at once when he comes and knocks.  Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.  Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.” (emphasis mine)

Whoa… wait a minute here…  This scripture doesn’t say anything at all about  a servant being really busy doing stuff for Jesus! As a matter of fact, what it says is that a servant should just be ready for his master to return home and to be prepared to do what the master calls for…  I would think that the servant should at least be busy doing the dishes, or vacuuming the carpet, or, or, or…

But what would happen if, in the middle of all this busyness… the servant doesn’t hear the master knock?

Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The Greek word used here for servant is diakoneo, which means to be a servant, an attendant, to wait upon…

The idea here is really pretty simple and straightforward.  As true servants of Christ, our calling is to wait for his instruction; to wait for his command; to “stay dressed for action and keep (our) lamps burning…”  The Lord is not impressed by how much we claim to do in his name when he is not the one who called us to action!

Wait upon the Lord!  And when he calls, open the door! 

John MacCullen

So What’s the Plan, Stan?

There are more people in my life right now than I really want to admit who are directly affected by the current economic situation in this country.  Specifically, I have several friends who have been laid off and are currently seeking employment opportunities.  Thankfully, I am not one of them.  However, just over a year ago, I was. 

I was laid off from my job on Friday, the 13^th of June, 2008… and no, I am not superstitious in case anyone is wondering.  I was blessed with employment again (with a different company) and started a new job on Monday, the 16^th of June, 2009.  I tell people that it was kind of like a really long weekend…

Anyway, numerous times lately during the course of various conversations, I’ve heard the phrase, “if it’s the Lord’s plan, then it will happen”.  And you know what I’m talking about.  Someone opines about wanting a new car, or house, or job, and the reply might be something like, “Well, if it’s in the Lord’s plan, it’ll happen.”  Until recently, I really didn’t think about it too much, I viewed it almost as more of a rhetorical response, as much as anything else. 

Lately though, I began to question this reasoning.  If it is true that something will happen if it is the Lord’s plan, does that mean that everything that God has planned to happen up through this moment has happened according to his plan?  Really?

Wasn’t it the Lord’s plan for Moses to bring the children of Israel out of bondage and lead them into the land “flowing with milk and honey”?

Exodus 3:16-17 – Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me (Moses), saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

Now Moses was doing fairly well with all of this for a while, even though he occasionally needed some “divine nudging” from the Lord to stay on track.  But then there was this tiny, little indiscretion at a place called Meribah when Moses wasn’t exactly obedient to a command that God had given…

Numbers 20:10-13 – Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”  And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.  And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”  These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.

Now it may not sound like much, but earlier the Lord had specifically told Moses to gather the congregation before the rock and then to “tell the rock” before their eyes to yield its water… Moses disobediently did not follow God’s instructions when he stepped up to the rock and whacked it twice with his staff.

So was it the Lord’s plan all along for Moses to never enter the Promised Land, or was it because of the disobedience of Moses that the Lord’s plan for him was never completed?

And as long as we are wandering in the desert here, wasn’t God’s plan for the nation of Israel to be brought up out of the affliction being suffered in Egypt to the land “flowing with milk and honey”?  Do you think that it was his plan right from the start for them to wander in the desert for forty years?

Numbers 32:13 – And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all of the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone.

You see, the Lord never planned for Moses and the nation of Israel to be disobedient to him; yet as an all-knowing God, he knew that they would. It was never his plan for them to disobey him… it was their choice to disobey him, and this choice carried specific consequences.

A dear friend of mine, who also happens to pastor the church that I attend, frequently reminds the teens in our Youth Group (as well as the whole congregation…) that every decision counts!  Even the seemingly small ones can alter the course of the direction of your life.  And these unwise decisions can affect the plans that the Lord has for your life.  You say you didn’t know that God has a plan for your life?

Jeremiah 29:11-13 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

The word welfare in the above passage is translated from the Hebrew word shalom, which is a word that covers all aspects of peace and plenty.  Not the kind of peace that is merely the absence of war or conflict, but the kind of peace that comes from being in the Lord’s blessing.  Reading it with that in mind, the Lord’s plan for you is to be in his blessing, to give you a future and a hope!

But it is our choice to make… 

We are not marionettes on a string; we have a free will of our own to choose how we shall live our lives.  Just remember…

Every decision counts!

Joshua 24:15 – And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

So… what’s your plan going to be?

John MacCullen

With Apologies to Dr. Seuss…

Eggs and Ham are not all that are green

I’ve heard it said that if forty different journalists witnessed the exact same event and were then asked to document it, the result would be forty different accounts of what happened.  You see, anyone who writes about events writes from their own perspective.  At this moment, I am writing this narrative from my perspective.  The resulting point of view may be something that you completely agree with; or it may be something that you completely disagree with.  Nonetheless, it is accurate from my perspective.

Tomorrow’s forecast calls for beautiful green sky in the morning followed by scattered showers in the afternoon…

I think much of it may come from what is most important to the writer.  Some are very concerned with presenting the human interest side of a story.  Thus, their account would focus more on how the events documented affect the people involved.

There was such a stark contrast between the now beautiful green skies, so calm and lovely where only hours before, the angry swirling clouds produced such devastating storms.

Whereas others would be more concerned with presenting just the dry “facts”…

The sun rising in the clear, green sky allowed rescuers to begin searching for survivors.

Many of you may have heard the name, Joseph Goebbels; some perhaps have not.  If not, allow me to expound… Joseph Goebbels was a German politician who became Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945.  As a matter of fact, prior to his rise to power under Adolf Hitler, Goebbels was a journalist.  Upon his appointment as Propaganda Minister, one of Goebbels’ first official acts was to seize and incinerate books that were rejected by the Nazi Party.  He also exerted totalitarian control over the media, arts, and all other outlets of information in the Third Reich.

It was during this time that Goebbels perfected a propaganda technique that became known as the “Big Lie”.  This technique is based on the principle that a lie, if audacious enough and repeated enough times, will eventually be believed by the masses.

“God Is Dead” ~ NY Times – January 9, 1966

Joseph Goebbels the politician was a master at the “Big Lie”.  So much so that he was able to successfully convince many Germans, and certainly nearly all of the members of the Nazi Party that the Jewish people were at the root of their plight, and that their eradication would be the first step in creating a grand and glorious new world.

More than six million Jews paid the price for Goebbels’ lie…

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.  The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic, and/or military consequences of the lie.  It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” ~ Joseph Goebbels

“Man is descended from a hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits.  On the ordinary view of each species having being independently created, we gain no scientific explanation.” ~ Charles Darwin

We live in a world where one must carefully determine whether accepted axioms are based on truth or on “Big Lies”…

I John 2:21-23 – I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and no lie is of the truth.  Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.  No one who denies the Son has the Father.  Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

Now, we know that Satan is the father of lies…

John 8:44b – When he (Satan) lies, he speaks out of his own character, for his is a liar and the father of lies.

But we also know that Jesus is the Truth…

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

You know, it would seem to me that with prayer and a genuine seeking of direction from the Holy Spirit, life’s questions could be answered with the truth.  And the truth certainly would have refuted Mr. Goebbels’ assertions about the Jews.   Indeed, it would also answer Darwinism as well as correct a few newspaper headlines…

John 8:31 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I believe that we are living in the end times.  Scripturally speaking we have been living the end times for the last two thousand years, ever since Pentecost.  But I can’t help but believe that we are close to Christ’s return.  We don’t know exactly when he will return:

Matthew 24:36 – “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

But we see the signs:

Matthew 24:3-14 – As he (Jesus) sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?”  And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray.  For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.  And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.  But the one who endures to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:32-33 – “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”

So, are you buying into all the “Big Lies” in the world?  They’re not hard to find; just turn on the news; pick up a newspaper; logon to the internet…  Read about the immorality of some lifestyles; listen to politicians and lawyers discuss murdering an unborn child, calling it a “choice”.  Discover how absolute rights and wrongs have been blurred into hazy shades of “whatever’s”…

So let me ask, “Are you ready for Jesus’ return?” 

“See that no one leads you astray.” ~ Jesus Christ 

Okay… so no doubt some of you are just a bit puzzled about several references of a green sky toward the beginning of this dissertation.  I am convinced (via the “Big Lie” principle) that were the news outlets to begin running daily stories that the sky was green, within a short period of time people would be remarking about what a lovely shade of green the desert sky was…

Dazed and Confused…

Okay, so I was having lunch yesterday with Bill Hawes, my songwriting partner with HSM, and we got on the subject of music that we used to listen to (and play) in our younger days… You know, the stuff that is now known as “classic rock”.  Hmm… I wonder if that makes us “classic rockers”…  Oh well, I digress…

One of the things that we talked about was how we used to think that the lyrics to some of the songs that we listened to were really deep, and that they had some kind of empirical meaning.  Looking back on them from our current perspective, we now see that the vast majority of them were incredibly shallow.  A lot of the music was very good, but the lyrics were for the most part, meaningless; a single layer which, when peeled away left absolutely nothing.

Been dazed and confused for so long, it’s not true…

You may recognize the above line as the opening lyric from a Led Zeppelin song titled… Dazed and Confused. 

Now at this point I feel compelled to tell you that I do not condemn secular music, I still listen to it from time to time.  Some of it however, is just pure evil…  STAY AWAY!  But most of the rest of it is kind of like eating a rice cake; there may appear to be something there, but once you take a bite… nothing!  You just sort of wind up going through the motions of actually eating something… 

Sincere and heartfelt apologies to those of you who actually enjoy rice cakes… 

So, after Bill and I finished our lunch, I began to ponder our discussion about the shallowness of some secular music.  And as I was doing so, the above lyric kept playing over and over in my head.

You know, it’s truly a terrible state to be in, that of confusion.  But we know that it’s not of God…

I Corinthians 14:33 – For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

…and we also know that lies can be used to create a state of confusion.  And we all know who the biggest liar is, don’t we?

John 8:44-45 – (Jesus speaking to the Pharisees) “You are of your father the devil (Satan), and your will is to do your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  ~ (bold emphasis mine)

Satan wants nothing more than to neutralize Christians who are actively seeking to serve the living God of the universe.  Not because he wants to “steal” our souls away from the Lord, he can’t do that…

Ephesians 4:30 – And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ~ (bold emphasis mine)

You see, once we are sealed with the Holy Spirit through salvation found only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as far as Satan is concerned, we are lost cause.  He can’t have us…  But if he can neutralize us, then he has effectively cleared the way for he and his minions to prey on lost souls unhindered.

I Peter 5:8 – Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

I believe that Satan will use anything at his disposal to leave Christians dazed and confused in an attempt to neutralize our witness for our Lord Jesus.  He will meddle with our families, our finances, our careers… anything that will create anxiety and confusion in our lives.

What we need to do is to peel back the layers of lies and confusion and get back to the heart of the matter, that regardless of what this world throws at us, our hope is not found in anything that this world has to offer! 

Titus 1:2 – …in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began… ~ (bold emphasis mine)

I Peter 5:9-10 – Resist him (Satan), firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.  And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

If you are feeling the attacks of Satan in your life, remember this: Satan only attacks those that he sees as a threat.  Resist him!

James 4:7-8 – Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Christian, do not be deceived by the devil!  Resist him and he will flee from you.  Then peel back the lies and deception that he has woven and get back to the heart of Christ’s unending love for you!

Dazed and confused is no way to go through this life…

John MacCullen

What Are Your Expectations?

When I was young, I would frequently daydream about playing guitar in a band.  Not one of those folk music bands, mind you… I’m talking straight up rock and roll.  I had a really cheap electric guitar; you know, the kind that is not even capable of being in tune, much less staying in tune.  But I would strap that sucker on every day, wailing on one, sometimes both of the chords that I knew, dreaming of the day that I would be on stage…

A few years passed and lo and behold, I actually found myself on a stage!  Only I wasn’t playing guitar; I was lead vocalist in a garage band playing covers of top songs of the mid 70’s.  I felt certain that Paul Rogers of Bad Company and Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd would have felt quite threatened had they known that my vocal prowess had their respective jobs in its sights…

If you have read my earlier blogs, this is the period of time that I refer to in my song Out of Step…  At this point in my life I really had no expectations other than to seek pleasure for myself.

Proverbs 10:28 – The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Remember the story in chapter 3 of the Book of Revelation about the church in Laodicea?  You know, neither hot nor cold, just sort of lukewarm… well, that was me during this time.  I wasn’t really bad, nor was I particularly good; just sort of lukewarm.  This didn’t really turn out particularly well for me, and if you know your Bible, you’ll know that it didn’t turn out very well for the Laodiceans either…

I just sort of cruised through life, lukewarm in my faith and completely out of step with the Holy Spirit.  I had long since given up any hope to fulfill my dream of playing guitar on stage…

But then something changed…

You see, up until this time all of my dreams involved seeking self-fulfillment.  My dream of playing guitar on stage in front of people existed solely to glorify me…  But the Lord had other plans.  It turns out that my expectations were completely opposite of the Lord’s. Once I stopped seeking self glorification, the whole stage thing, you know, with guitar in hand, suddenly became real…

Understand that God knows the desires of your heart, but he also knows the motives behind those desires.  He took my desire and bookmarked it, patiently waiting for the motive behind that desire to change!  He then began to mold my desire into something that could be used for his glory.

Oh, I still stumble sometimes…  Just last week, we played a show to celebrate the release of our debut CD, and I had invited many friends to come.  But my expectation was different from many of theirs.  I expected most of them to instinctively know just how much this meant to me… but many of them didn’t. 

What I need to remember though, is that I wasn’t on that stage for me…  And even if only one person was there to hear us play, that person may have been put there specifically to hear God’s Word through the songs that we played.  As long as I can keep my expectations in line with God’s expectations for me, I can be confident that His desires for me being on that stage, guitar in hand, will satisfy mine.

The apostle Paul so eloquently expressed his expectations in his letter to the church at Philippi when he said:

Philippians 1:19-21 – …for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.

Paul’s expectation and his hope was simply that Christ would be honored through him; period.  Nothing more…  We sometimes make things so complicated when all we really need to remember is the lesson of Paul’s expectation that, “with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body…”.

Honor Jesus Christ through your words and your deeds; make that your expectation for your life.  And then you can expect great things from him!

John MacCullen