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Songs of the Heart

by | Jun 12, 2020 | Elder Note

I am not one to spend a lot of time listening to music other than the drive to and from work.  There are a lot of times that I drive in silence to unwind from the day.  The last few months I have spent a lot of time commuting to the basement for work and no time on the road.  I have enjoyed the commute and have spent a lot of time “cranking the tunes” while I worked.  Jodi would tell me to turn it down—because as the day went on…the volume might have “gone up”. 

As I’ve been working here at home, I have been taking advantage of listening to Christian music throughout the day and the same music the next day and the next.  As I heard the songs over and over again I started to really listen to the lyrics:

Singing oh Lord, keep me in the moment
Help me live with my eyes wide open
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me

Singing oh Lord, show me what matters
Throw away what I’m chasing after
‘Cause I don’t wanna miss what you have for me

This reminds me not to miss what God has for me today; I don’t want to miss his blessings of today because I am chasing something of no value.

When darkness closes in on every side
When battles rage and when the waters rise
I fear no evil for I know the truth
Nothing can separate my heart from You ‘Cause there’s no weapon stronger than Your love

God’s love for me is the best weapon to overcome all my fears. 1 John 4:18 “Perfect love drives out fear”.

Saturday was silent, surely it was through
But since when has impossible ever stopped You
Friday’s disappointment Is Sunday’s empty tomb
Since when has impossible ever stopped You

This is the sound of dry bones rattling

This is the praise make a dead man walk again
Open the grave, I’m coming out I’m gonna live, gonna live again
This is the sound of dry bones rattling

God is life giving.  He takes what is dead and makes it alive.  Ezekiel 37:5 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life.   

The Psalmists wrote about their relationship with God in song. The songs I listened to were experiences with God of the lyric writer.   Song is a powerful way God gets deep into our heart and helps us understand God in new and life giving ways.  Let’s write our own lyrics of adoration to our great God. Enjoy the song of your heart.

An Elder Note of Encouragement

by | Jun 5, 2020 | Elder Note

To Christ’s followers at Elgin Evangelical Free Church,
 
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
I pray that this note finds you joyful and well, but most of all, that it finds you hopeful in Christ and desiring a deeper relationship with our Father and submitting to the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
 
As I was considering what to write, a question came to my mind; how do we show our love for Christ?  “By obeying His commands” is the unequivocal answer from God’s Word to this question.  How then can we obey His commands unless we know them?  We cannot.  This knowledge should lead us to seek to know what His commands are for us.  How can we know them?  We can know them by studying God’s Word, the Bible.  This study cannot simply be academic though.  I am convinced that we must hunger and thirst to know God’s Word in order for His commands to work their way into our hearts that we might obey them, with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Only in obedience can we truly show our love and gratitude to Christ for our unearned favor and salvation freely given on the cross!
 
What then can we do to hunger and thirst for God’s Word, as Peter aptly compares to infants desiring pure spiritual milk in 1 Peter 2:2?  First, we must carve out, set aside and protect consistent and regular time to be in the Word.  Next, we must remove the obstacles that prevent us from connecting deeply with our Heavenly Father.  These obstacles often include the distractions of this busy world, but more importantly, the sin that easily trips us up and hinders the closeness of our relationship with God.  We must each search our souls with the Spirit’s help to root out sin, to confess it and repent and only then will we be ready to commune with God, to drink the pure spiritual milk and eat the pure spiritual food of God’s life-giving Word.  Once we have tasted the deliciousness of it, as children of God (infants in the words of Peter) our hunger and thirst for the Word will grow.
 
As Pastor John shared in his sermon this past Sunday, Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.”
 
My prayer for myself and for all of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, is that we will each hunger and thirst for the Word of God and through it, understand what is required of us, to live it out, that we might show our love for Christ and all that He has done!
 
I urge you all, as the Spirit leads you, to reach out to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with words of encouragement and to spur one another on to deeper obedience and good works done in Christ.
 
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-22
 
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way.  The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16
 
Sincerely, your brother in Christ,
Mike Swanson

Unexpected Blessings

by | May 8, 2020 | Elder Note

We are living through some unusual and challenging times.  Just a few months ago, life was “normal”.  Our calendars were filled with work commitments, ministry opportunities, family schedules and daily chores.  We were all busy with life.  Then the pandemic hit.  Now many people we know and love have lost their jobs and others are working from home. Ministry is more about reaching out with phone calls, emails and zoom meetings; and less about being somewhere at a certain time.  There is less time driving kids around and more time together talking and playing.  Chores are pretty much the same.

Amid these changes, there have been some unexpected blessings.  Somehow life seems a little slower and less hurried.  There are more walks in the neighborhood.  We’re seeing neighbors we’ve never met before.  They smile and wave (at least I think they’re smiling under their mask) and there is a certain camaraderie because we are going through the same challenges.  We’re spending more time with family even if it is by video.  We’re regaining the lost art of cooking at home.  And we’re spending more time with God.  In these uncertain and unpredictable times, we are reminded that we have less control over our circumstances than we thought, and that God is ultimately in control of our lives.  And that is a good thing!

As a church, it is encouraging to see people spontaneously reaching out and caring for one another.   Many people are staying connected through texts and video chats.  We have prayer meeting every Wednesday night through a zoom meeting.  It is good to see peoples’ smiling faces and together lift our praises and concerns to the Lord.  Our small groups continue to meet via zoom as well.  We have been blessed with powerful messages from 1 Peter reminding us that trials have a purpose and to stay focused on Jesus Christ, our Living Hope.  As we continue with ministry, we are reminded that the church is not a building, but a community of faithful believers called to be salt and light in the world.  I sense we are stronger and more unified as a church even though we are physically apart.  There is something about going through trials that draw us closer to one another and closer to God.

We realize people respond differently to the challenges.  If you are struggling with loneliness, discouragement, or making ends meet, reach out to a friend at church, the elders or our Pastors.  We are the family of God.  We want to be there for one another especially in this time of need.  Also, think about those God has put in your life.  Maybe you have family members, co-workers or neighbors who need a word of encouragement and to hear the hope of the gospel.  Give them a call or email them the link to Pastor’s message.  God is softening people’s hearts.

This verse really spoke to me this week…  1 Peter 1: 8-9, “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of our souls”.

Stay healthy and filled with Joy!

Keith

I love the mountains, she loves the beach.

by | Apr 30, 2020 | Elder Note

I do enjoy going to the beach but there is something about the majesty and magnificence of the mountains that draws me to them.  I love the adventure of hiking to the most picturesque part of the area.  I believe the best views are the ones that are at the top, you must hike to see and you must go up.  My wife says I have a conquering spirit, she is pretty much spot on.  If I could, I would plan all our vacations around visiting, mountains, national parks and other places that show the beauty of God’s creation and sometimes I must compromise and go the beach.  I do enjoy going to the beach, when I am tired and burned out, the beach is a great place for me to escape.  I am content to sit along the water and let the sunshine on me and the sound of the waves calm me.  I enjoy seeing the dolphins, sting rays and even sharks swim by the shoreline.

I am guessing you can relate to either scenario, maybe you are ready for the next adventure while other times you want to slow it down and rejuvenate.  This Covid 19 sheltering in place has definitely slowed me down and caused me to reflect.  How about you?  What do you miss?  What do you wish you could do again?  I miss shaking someone’s hand in a greeting, sitting down next to someone and having a conversation without worrying about “catching” anything.  I miss having an early morning breakfast at a local restaurant with family or friends.   By not being able to do these simple things I appreciate them even more, and I look forward to doing them again.

Even though we may feel secluded or shut off from the world we have a God that created the world and is not sheltering in place.  He is as active today as He was before this Covid 19 hit.  He has not slowed down His work nor is He working from home.  Take time to see what God is doing and where God is working.  In Psalm 104 we see how God is working through His creation from the mountains to the waters by the sea, He is working.

Psalm 104

1 Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;
    he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3     and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
    and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
    flames of fire his servants.

He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—     

Dave Moxness