Sunday School Update from 10/14/07

I had every intention of posting this blog much earlier in the morning but work responsibilities kept me from accomplishing that goal. I will do my best to post daily at least during the week. For those of you who attended Sunday School Sunday morning, thank you. I really appreciate your commitment to Christ and to the church. Don't forget your homework.

As I posted a few days ago, I rarely listen to music while in the car but last week just seemed different. So many songs just really seemed to bless me and fit just were I am living. I brought the CD to class and played a song by Mark Schultz, "Give us clean hands". I couldn't help but think about the words of the song and how they are based on Psalm 24. [3] Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? [4] He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

I wish I could figure out how to attach the song for you to hear, but at least here are the words to read:
We bow our Hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes from evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols

So give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob

We bow our Hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes from evil things
Oh Lord we cast out our idols

So give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob

So give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob
And God let us be
A generation that seeks
That seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob
Oh God of Jacob

We bow our hearts to you

As I thought about the words of this song, I was reminded by the fact that it requires action on our part: To bow our heart, to bend our knee, to turn our eyes from evil things. However: clean hands and a pure heart can only come from God. Do we truly turn our eyes from evil things? I didn't really expound on this at all in class because I have discussed it at other times. I think of all the things I used to watch on T.V. and I am shocked at what I allowed to take place in my home. If you are a smoker or a drinker, that is obviously your choice, however; I would not have allowed you to come into my home and smoke or drink in my living room, yet, I allowed people I have never met in my life do exactly that on a nightly basis. And how much worse than these examples have we allowed to enter our home and influence our thinking. Don't tune me out just yet. What you watch on your T.V. is your decision, but do you take the time to even consider what is really taking place in the shows you choose to watch? I really had become callous to the things I was watching and never even considered the level of sin I was allowing myself to be entertained with.

I wasn't even planning to include all that in my post. You just received all that for free. If you missed Pastor Bender's message Sunday night, I really think you missed something. He preached from a manuscript. In all the years I have attended Afton, I do not recall him preaching in this fashion. I thought it was excellent. His message was well written and well delivered. I asked Pastor Bender if I could have a copy of the manuscript to post on this blog so hopefully by Thursday I will have that uploaded. I know there are several of you, who are kind enough to read this blog, who do not attend Afton so you will have the opportunity to read his sermon.

I really will start to address the issues of holiness that I discussed in "The principal behind the rule" but it will require a little more study on my part to prepare so I will be adding that soon.