The Great Discovery

The following prayer is from a book titled, The Valley of Vision. It is a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. I find it a wonderful resource for me at times when words in my faith journey fail me. The full collection can be found at the Banner of Truth website under devotions.

Glorious God,

I bless thee that I know thee.

I once lived in the world, but was ignorant

of its Creator,

was partaker of thy providences, but knew not

the Provider,

was blind while enjoying the sunlight,

was deaf to all things spiritual, with voices

all around me,

understood many things, but had no knowledge

of thy ways,

saw the world, but did not see Jesus only.

O happy day, when in thy love’s sovereignty

thou didst look on me, and call me by grace.

Then did the dead heart begin to beat,

the darkened eye glimmer with light,

the dull ear catch thy echo,

and I turned to thee and found thee,

a God ready to hear, willing to save.

Then did I find my heart at enmity to thee,

vexing thy Spirit;

Then did I fall at thy feet and hear thee thunder,

‘The soul that sinneth, it must die’,

But when grace made me to know thee,

and admire a God who hated sin,

thy terrible justice held my will submissive.

My thoughts were then as knives cutting my head.

Then didst thou come to me in silken robes of love,

and I saw thy Son dying that I might live,

and in that death I found my all.

My soul doth sing at the remembrance of

that peace;

The gospel cornet brought a sound unknown

to me before that reached my heart – and I lived –

never to lose my hold on Christ or his hold on me.

Grant that I may always weep to the praise of

mercy found,

and tell to others as long as I live,

that thou art a sin-pardoning God,

taking up the blasphemer and the ungodly,

and washing them from their deepest stain.

Deacon Video

Muslims and Christ

Please join FBC McKinney as we welcome Jamal Lidawi to share about engaging Muslims with the gospel of Christ this Wednesday (10/7) at 7:30pm in the Fireside room after Ignite.

Jamal and his wife Merna have a heart to work with Muslims since their conversion. Born in the middle east, they both speak Arabic as their mother tongue. For many years they lived in London ministering to Arab Muslims. They are now working with various churches to disciple and to encourage leaders. They work full time with OC International, One Challenge, to equip Muslim Background Believers (MBBS) to multiply the Lords church throughout the Arab world.

Come Wednesday to hear how God is opening doors around the world for Christ. Jamal will share how a government legalized its first Muslim background believers church and gave her it's blessing to gather and function with a Christian foundation.

We look forward to seeing you this Wednesday.

Scare Away Hunger

Scare Away Hunger from Scare Away Hunger on Vimeo.

Ain't No Reason - Brett Dennen

Heard this song for the first time tonight on my run. Been a while since I have heard lyrics this good:

There aint no reason things are this way
Its how they always been and it tends to stay
I can't explain why we live this way, we do it everyday
Preachers on the podeum speaking of saints
Prophets on the sidewalk begging for change
old ladies laughing from the fire escape cursing my name
I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing
You can spend you whole life working for something,
Just to have it taken away
People walk aroun pushing back their debts
Wearing pay checks like necklaces and braceltes
Talking bout nothing, not thinking bout' death
Every little hearbeat, every little breath
People walk a tight rope
On a razors edge
Carrying their hurt and hatrid and weapons
It could be a bomb or a bullet or a pen
Or a thought or a word or a sentence

There Ain't no reason
Things are this way
It's how they've always been
and its tends to stay
I dont know why I say
The things that I say
But I say them anyway
But love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set my free yes.

Prison walls still standing tall
Some things never change at all
Keep on building prisons, gonna fill them all
Keep building bombs, gonna drop them all
Working young fingers bear to the bone
Breaking your back make you sell your soul
Like a lung its filled with cold, sufficating slow
The wind blows wild and I may move
The politions lie and i am not fooled
you don't need no reason or a three piece suit
To argue the truth
The air on my skin and the world under my toes
Labor is stiched into the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and comotion wherever I go
Love I try to follow

Love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set my free yes.

There ain't no reason things are this way
Its how its always been and it tends to stay
I can't explain why we live this way,
We do it everyday.

Great Video from Ed Stezer

Not the greatest quality but the content is priceless!

Dallas Mission Trip 08.09