Knee-Mail

Dr. Mike Murphy

September 1, 2024

 
She prayed.  When trouble came, she prayed.  When joy placed a smile on her face, she prayed.  When temptation would hit her, she prayed.  While reading the Word, she prayed. Good times or bad times, well or sick, in giving or in receiving, she prayed.  She prayed not only because she needed to, but because every ounce of her being wanted to. She knew she was limited, but that God was without limits.  That a limitless God could handle all things, so she turned all things over to Him.  No matter what she faced, no matter what she saw, no matter what came her way, she prayed.  She prayed to the only One who could ever receive her prayers.

Knee-mail, a term I have affectionately given to the prayers we send to our Lord.  I have often said that knee-mail comes with a one hundred percent delivery guarantee, and has a perfect customer satisfaction record.  Knee-mail places us in the strongest position a man or woman can ever take, humbly on our knees in front of the only One who holds the power to know the answer to our prayers.  The only One who can give us the strength to face today, but also the only One who can give us the wisdom to change our tomorrows.

Each Sunday we hear just how much power there is in the Blood.  We hear how much power we can find in the Word.  And both are true!  But I am here to tell you there is a “trinity” of our worship, as there is also power in prayer. Prayer shows that we acknowledge the power that is held in each word of His Word.  And prayer show that we accept the power that is found in the Blood, as we turn all over to Christ.

Prayer shows that with God, nothing is impossible(Luke 1:37).  Prayer teaches us persistence, patience, thankfulness, and strengthens our faith. Prayer shows us the will of God, the glory of God, and the heart of God.  And prayer confirms that the Lord is listening to us, and just how deeply He cares about us.

Many will ask, “Is there a proper way we are suppose to pray?”  To even ask that question is to not understand prayer.  Prayer is not a ritual, one that requires us to turn in a specific direction, requiring us to memorize and repeat certain words, or to bow before idols and statues holding items and beads while we cite those words.  Prayer simply put, is a conversation with God.  A conversation with the One we share our closest relationship with. A conversation where we pour out our hearts openly and honestly, knowing that the Lord already knows each of us better than we will ever know ourselves.

Like all good conversations, prayer must be a two-way conversation.  Far too often we find ourselves, eyes closed and hands raised, telling God about our problems, and stating to the Lord our wants and our desires.  Although the Lord loves every minute of time He hears from us, prayer is about far more than our wants, it is about His needs. His needs for our lives.  His will for each one of us.

I have often said, one of the greatest lessons I ever learned was one of silence.  And anyone who knows me, knows that for me to be silent is a true miracle!  But the Lord has taught me, through prayer, sometimes my silence is indeed golden.  Some of the greatest time I have spent in prayer with the Lord has come when I sat with my mouth shut, and just told God, “here I am Lord, tell me everything you need for me to hear.”  Time for God to tell me His will for my life, His plans and purpose for my life.  And a time for me to see the opportunities to glorify Him that He is placing in front of me each and every day.

Like any good relationship, prayer gives us a chance to tell the Lord of our love, our gratitude, and to express to Him the passion of our heart for Him. Prayer is not about the eloquence of our words, but is about the content of our heart.  God does not care if we express those words while we are standing, sitting, leaning, or yes, kneeling. He does not care if we express those words with our hands held together, or our hands held outreached and high.  He does not care if we express those words with our eyes wide open, or with our eyes closed tight. He just longs to hear the words, to feel the love and the personal acknowledgement of our heart.

The closest the Word of God comes to showing us a way to pray is when Christ teaches us the Lord’s Prayer(Matthew 6:9-13).  But I must admit. I often get aggravated when I hear the prayer Christ gave being recited today.  It has become more about ritual and memorizing the words, than the content and purpose of those words He gave us.  Christ gave us the Lord’s Prayer to teach us the power of prayer, not so we could blindly repeat the words. The Lord’s Prayers teaches us what should go into our prayers, the worship, the praise, the trust, the application, the admission, the submission, and most important, the love.

With prayer, it does not matter if this is your one thousandth prayer, the fourth prayer you has offered to God today, or the first time you have ever prayed. Each word is just as precious to the ears of our Lord.  The Lord knows the power of prayer goes beyond the words, He knows that power is found in the action. When we pray, we acknowledge God, we submit ourselves before God. We admit that we do not have the answers, but we know One who does.  Prayer turns His needs into our needs.  Prayers turns His desires into our desires. Prayer turns His will into our will.  His Word tells us, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”(1 John 5:14).  The God to whom we pray, is the true source behind the power of prayer. And He makes it clear, He can and will answer each of those prayers.  An answer as beautiful as each word He hears us say.  An answer that is always fulfilled according to His perfect timing, and His perfect will.

As I explain and discuss the power of prayer, I find myself on my knees turning to God in prayer. I find my thoughts and my prayers focused on this Church.  I pray this Church will again turn to God in prayer, that we will again find the true power of prayer. That His will might again become our will.  That His Word might again be heard in our words.  I pray we will seek to talk to Him because we want to, not because it has come to the point we need to.  I pray our conversations will be less about appeasing this world, and more about serving the One who made this world.. I pray we will share more conversations of silence, with us listen carefully and intently to what He has to say.  I pray that our prayers will not be heard in words we have memorized, but reflected in the words Christ taught us.  Heard in our cries of worshipping Him, in our praise of trust for Him, in our submission before Him, and in the love we show for Him.  I pray this Church will remember, God did not call us to be ordinary, but the Lord created this Church to be extraordinary.  I pray this nation and this Church will become heavily invested in kneepads, knowing that all the answers to our future can only be found on our knees.  And I pray that “knee-mail”  will once again become the most used form of communication for this nation and this Church.

Praying you send at least one letter today by "knee-mail".

The Twenty Dollar Miracle!

Dr. Mike Murphy

August 17, 2024

Anna sat in a panic.  From the driver's seat, she sat fighting back the tears. The last thing she wanted was to upset her three young children who filled the back seat.  As she watched the traffic hurrying by from the restaurant parking lot, she began to wonder what to do next.   The only thought that filled her mind was how else could her life go wrong?

Earlier that day, Anna’s life had forever changed.  She had looked in the eyes of a familiar face, and for the first time she had seen that face, not the image she had convinced herself she had been seeing for years.  As she had stared at that face, she was suddenly filled with fear.  She suddenly came to realize that the face she thought she loved, was the very face of evil that filled her nightmares.

For the last eight years, Anna had devoted her life to her boyfriend and their three children.  She worked forty hours each week at a job she hated only so her kids could have the things they needed.  The minute she walked into the house, her time became their time, preparing meals and attending to the needs of each. As for her boyfriend, parenting had not been his strongest suit.  He had suffered from the effects of alcohol for years.  His idea of watching the kids was to lock the doors and make sure they did not escape the house. What the kids did was of little concern, just as long as they did not bother him or spill his beer.

The alcohol had also cost her boyfriend many jobs.  With each paycheck he would find his way to a local bar, and remained there until the doors closed or the money was gone.  She would watch as he stumbled into the house each morning, either too late to go to work or too drunk to even function   With the lose of each job his anger grew, and more often than not, she found herself the focus of that anger.  The bruises had become an everyday part of life, something she had grown to accept and attempt to forget.  A few times she had tried to stop him, even threatening to leave on a couple of occasions.  But the threats just made the anger worse. He would make it clear, he would find her wherever she would go. And if he could not have her, no one would.  It became easier to just remain silent than to anger him more.  She had come to accept the circumstances she found herself in, the greater the anger the harder it had come to cover the bruises.

As Anna sat in that restaurant parking lot reflecting on what a mess her life had become, she remembered the events of earlier that evening.  The events that had brought her to this moment.  A single event that would no longer allow her bruises to be covered.

Before she could open the doors, she could hear the screams.  As she fumbled with her keys trying to hurry in the house, she could sense the panic. But what she saw was something she was just not prepared for.  Her boyfriend was holding their five year old son in the air, cursing at him and shaking him violently. As she saw her son being jerked around like a rag doll, she immediately ran to his defense.  Grabbing her son and the rest of her kids, she locked all of them in their bedroom.  As her boyfriend tried to break in the door, she told him that she was calling the police.  Even in his drunk state, the fear took hold.  He cursed and threatened her the whole way out the front of the door, and soon wandered off to a local bar to feed his anger.

As the door closed, Anna knew what she had to do.  She immediately grabbed as many of the children’s clothes as she could and stuffed them in the first bag she could find. She quickly gathered all three of her children and made her way to the car.  The thought of just where they would go suddenly became clear.  For years her parents had be pleading with her to come home.  To bring the kids with her, and escape the horror that had become her life.  Now was the time she would swallow her pride, and take them up on the offer.  It was no longer about her, it was now about her kids.

As she made her way out the door, she realized she only had two dollars to her name. Hopefully she would have enough gas to get them to the town her parents lived in, about ninety miles away.  As she placed the kids in their seats, Anna began to notice that a neighbor was watching her closely.  A neighbor that was related to the family of her boyfriend.  A neighbor that would quickly tell what she was seeing.

Anna hurried out the driveway of the small house, and made her way to her parents with the utmost urgency.  Anna was beginning to breathe again as she found herself on the opposite side of town.  She was now about a hour away from the safety of her parent’s house.  But in that moment, panic again came to Anna. She suddenly felt the car begin to bounce, and soon realized that her old car had a flat tire.  Without a spare, she steered the car in a restaurant parking lot trying to buy her the time to figure out what to do next.

Doug was running late.  As he arrived at the restaurant, he knew his friends would already be waiting on him at the table.  As Doug hurriedly opened his door to rush out of his car, he noticed a twenty dollar bill on the ground next to him. He looked around to see if anyone had dropped it, and saw no one.  So he stuck the bill in his pocket, deciding to ask someone in the restaurant if it might had been lost.  As he closed the car door, he noticed a young woman sitting in her car with three kids.  He quickly noticed that the car had a flat tire, and the young woman was sitting behind the wheel with a lost look on her face.

Doug thought to himself, that he was already late so a few more minutes could not make it worse.  As Doug approached her car, the young woman rolled down her window, and Doug could see the tears forming in her eyes.  The young woman told him she had just fled out of fear from her boyfriend.  And as she was escaping to her parents house, her tire had gone flat.  She told Doug that she did not have a spare, and did not have the money to buy a new tire or get that one fixed.  Doug did all he could to calm her, and soon realized that he would not be meeting his friends that night.

Doug removed the tire from the car, and spotted a tire store a couple of blocks down the road.  He took the tire to the store, and was able to quickly have it repaired.  A simple nail had caused the flat, and a quick plug in the tire soon had him on his way back to the young woman. He arrived back at her car, and placed the tire back on.  As he went to tell the young woman that all was taken care of, she reached out her hand to grab his. Realizing just how dirty his hands now were, he reached into his pocket to pull out a paper towel he had picked up at the tire store,  As he reached for it to wipe his hands, out came the twenty dollar bill he had found earlier.  Doug handed the twenty dollar bill to the young woman, insisting that she take it with her.  Doug could not see any better purpose for it, than to be placed in her hands.

As Anna sat in her parents house a couple of days later, she began to reflect back on all that had happened.  As she did, she remembered the twenty dollar bill that she had stuffed into the pocket of her jeans that evening.  She quickly found the jeans, and pulled out the twenty dollar bill.  As she did, she noticed something written on it,,Deuteronomy 31:6.  It had been years since she had opened a Bible, but at that moment something was drawing her to read the verse. She searched the house and found a Bible her parents had, and soon found her way to the Book of Deuteronomy.  The words she read sent chills up her spine.  “ Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

As Anna read the passage, tears again filled her eyes.  So many questions now filled her mind.  How did this verse come to be written on this bill?  Had God been there for her in the car that day?  Was it God who brought the man that helped her?  Was God protecting her that day, watching over her and leading her to the safety of her parent’s house?  Anna did not know the answers to these questions, but at that moment she was determined to find them.

She continued to read the Bible that day.  And over the next month, she read that Bible everyday.  Each day she would read the verses, and she would talk to God about what she read. As she read the pages of that Bible, she found her way to the Gospels, and for the first time read about Christ.  The words in red changed Anna’s life forever, and as she read the words, she gave her life to Christ.

The story of Anna, is not a fictional story, it is true!  Anna’s story is very much real. Anna experienced what I call an “unthought of prayer”.  A prayer the Lord is already answering, even before we know the words to say.  Times in our life when the Lord is already there to calm the waves, even before the storm hits and the sea rises.  Before we even knew we would have the need, the Lord was already providing for us a way.

Praise the Lord that He puts so much thought into our unthought of prayers! The mercy and love that He puts into each.  The desire to share that love with each of us.  We have all watched as a new father gleams with joy at the birth of his son.  Often times we will watch as that father will rush out and buy a baseball glove, a football, or some special gift for his new son. He knows it will be many years before his son can use these gifts, but he buys them because he so desires the joy that he knows this gift will one day bring.  I believe God feels the same with each of us.  Our Heavenly Father so desires to share His love with us and to keep us from harm, that He sends things our way before we even know to ask for them.

God Word tells us, “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”  In a future day, during what the Bible describes as the New Heaven and the New Earth, the Lord uses this verse to describe to us how He will care for each of us.  I believe that God likes to share the joy this future time will bring with us a little early on occasions.  Just like the new father, God desires for us to share with Him the joy that day will one day bring.  Isaiah describes that future time as a day of complete joy.  One without tears, and a time when crying will be heard no more.  Only the Lord could have possibly foreseen that a verse marked bill could lead a young  mother of three to share with Him in that future day!

The Lord changed Anna’s life in ways she could have never imagined. Anna not only found the Lord, she served the Lord.  For several years Anna headed a Christian Women’s Ministry, and  helped develop Christian shelters for women.  She desired for other women to see what she had seen, that no matter the situation they may find themselves in, the Lord was always there.  She devoted her life to helping other abused women find the love that only He could have shown her.

As for the man who helped Anna, she would one day meet Doug again. After speaking at a church one day, she watched as a familiar face from her past approached her.  She quickly recognized Doug, and the story he told her brought the tears to her eyes once again.  Doug told her that shortly after that evening, he shared what had happened with a friend of his.  Doug told his friend just how much the incident had moved him, and that he could not shake it from his mind. Little did Doug know, but his friend has recently come to know Christ.  As Doug told him the story, it opened a door for his friend to share Christ with him.  Before the day was done, Doug found himself on his knees, accepting Christ as his Savior.

After Doug shared the story, Anna reached into her purse, and handed Doug the twenty dollars she still owed him.  She gave him a twenty dollar bill she had keep with her for years, the same twenty dollar, Bible verse marked bill, that had been slipped into her hand so many years before.  I can picture the smile that must still come to the Lord’s face, as He remembers that twenty dollar bill, and the lives that were forever changed through one “unthought of prayer”!

Praying each of you will give a little thought to all the unthought of prayers the Lord has sent your way!

How Great Thou Art!

Dr. Mike Murphy

July 27, 2024

It amazes me how the things we see around us can often bring our mind to a different place.  Sometimes it takes us back to a precious memory in our life. Others times it point out to us a situation we need to deal with today.  And other times it stills us, allowing the Lord to speak to us, reminding us that He is there.

As I heard the thunder, I made my way to the window to see the storm as it approached. I could see the lightning in a distance, and watched as the rain beat heavily off the window.  In that moment, the storm brought me back to a time in my youth.  An innocent time, when storms were nothing more than an obstacle that prevented me from spending time with friends, or from playing a ballgame I might have that night. 

As I watched the storm, reliving my youth, my mind drifted back to a story I remembered being told about a storm.  A story about a song we sang so many times on Sunday morning, a song that echoes through the halls of most of our churches to this day. A song we sang so often I remember the page number in the old hymnal to this day(page thirty-eight by the way!).  A song most knew the words to by heart.  But a song we turned to so often, I dreaded seeing it posted in the bulletin.  A song I dreaded, until an older man in the church explained to me the history of the song, and how its’ words came to life.

On a warm summer’s day in 1885, Carl Gustav Boberg found himself walking home with friends following an afternoon church service.  As they walked the hillside roads of Sweden that afternoon, nature began to speak with a loud voice.  As they looked at the sky, storm clouds suddenly appeared, and they could see lightning begin to streak across the sky.  As they watched, they could see the wind pick up, blowing through the fields of grain. And as they listened, they could hear the thunder exploding in loud claps above them in the sky.  As they looked up, the rain began to fall, soaking not only them, but refreshing the fields with a much needed rain.  But as soon as the storm came, it also left.  And as they looked up again, they could see a rainbow appearing across the clearing sky.

As Boberg arrived at his home, he opened his windows looking across the bay.  The stillness of the waters looked like a mirror staring back at him.  He could hear the singing of the birds from the trees that surrounded the bay.  And as the quiet of that evening approached, he could hear the playing of church bells from a distance.  The sights and sounds of that peaceful evening led Boberg to recall the words of the eighth Psalm.  “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!  Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”(Psalm 8:1).  That evening, the words of a poem came to the heart of Carl Gustav Boberg, as the images of that day filled his mind.  A poem titled, “O Great God”.  A poem that would later be set to music, and played in the sanctuaries of every church throughout this world.  A poem that no hymn book could not include, and no choir could not desire to sing. A song that would allow us to proclaim the greatness of our God.  A song that tells us, “How Great Thou Art”.

As I continued to watch the storm that day, the words of Boberg entered my thoughts.  “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;  I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, thy power throughout the universe displayed.”

As I look out at this creation, I began to wonder how anyone could question its’ Creator.  How could anyone witness all they see, and not first see the power of the Hand that created all. How could they not see the purpose and the plan behind His creation, that only with intelligence and foresight far beyond the boundaries of man could all we see be envisioned. God’s Word tells us, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”(Romans 1:20).  Only the heart and mind of a fool, could look at this world around us, could see all that Boberg saw, and be left with any excuse. How could anyone look at the sights our eyes show us, and the sounds our ears give us, and not see the merits of the work that has come from the Lord’s Hand? How can they look at all the Lord has laid out in front of us, and not see He has a plan and purpose for us?  Only a fool could claim that something came for nothing, when everything has been laid out for all man to see.

How can anyone not see the greatness of the God we serve?  Of all the gods this world has professed, only one God has cared enough to make His Presence known.  “To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.”(Deuteronomy 4:35).  Only one God had the desire to walk among us, the adoration and worry to be with us.  To feel what we feel, to experience what we experience.  Only one God chose to walk in our shoes.  Only one God brought His Word to life, and then gave that life so that we might know life.  Only one God had the compassion to place Himself on a cross, so that no one in this world would ever have to bear the burdens of that Cross. Only one God showed us a way to turn the faults that limits our life today, into the promises that can guide us tomorrow.

Only one God prepared a place for us, so that we could experience an eternity with Him. Only one God cared enough to show us that our works could not bring us to that place.  That our works could never tip the scales that would justify the actions of our life. Only one God allowed for a way for us to get this life right the first time.  Knowing that if we lived it by our own means, it would not matter how many lives we lived.  Only one God gave us His Word, then allowed history to prove His Word.  Then used that history to show us that truth cannot be found in religion, but in revelation.  It is only through the revealing of God to His creation that we can know the truth.  Only one God has brought the random to absolute, and then brought that absolute to truth.  Only one God has made evidence real, and has brought potential to our lives. And only one God has shown us that this life is more than a fleeting chance, but a chance to bring glory to His Name.

As I watch this storm, my soul sings.  As the thunder booms, the lightning flashes across the evening sky, and the rain falls so fast that it clouds my window, my thoughts are the thoughts of Boberg.  I know the only God who can make this storm pass, and can bring a calm to this day.  Only the God who can create the rain, can stop the rain.  And what a life He has given us that we can watch His creative hands at work!  A life that at His touch, can cause the storm to pass in each of us, and can bring an eternity of calm to each of our lives.  Boberg got it so right! It only takes four words to describe the God we serve, the God that fills our days and our nights. The God that created us, and brings purpose and meaning to our life.  A God whose words are only matched by His actions.  A God that only desires to hear us say, How Great Thou Art!

Praying the words of Boberg are alive in each of your lives!

The Dance

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 22, 2024

Each movement carried with it a purpose.  Grace and beauty were entwined as he watched.  With each twist of her hand, each movement of her foot, each nod of her head, and each sway of her hips, he knew she was drawing him in deeper.  The light flickered off her jewelry with every twirl. And as he caught the occasional glimpse that she gave him, he saw that same sparkle in the beauty of her eyes.  All the power he held was useless, he was nothing more than a pawn to be manipulated by the touch of her hand.

He would give all he had if he could just stop time, freeze it in this moment. If he could trap himself in this moment forever.  A lifetime of staring at the beauty that stood moving before him.  A lifetime of looking in the eyes of the one that now mesmerized him. He would give all if the desire before him could be his.  A lifetime of the thoughts of her that filled his mind, could be the reality that made up his days and his nights.  But as he gazed at the lustful cravings that moved in front of him, little did he know that all would soon be required of him.  All would soon have to be given, a lifetime would soon be lost.

As her movement ended, so did the silence of the crowd that surrounded him.  Their applause erupted, snapping him back into the reality of the moment.  A reality that he was not prepared for.  As he looked upon the faces of the most prestigious of the kingdom, who had come to honor him on his birthday, he turned again to the young girl who had danced for him.  As he looked into the eyes of the young girl, a face he had looked on for her whole life, he found himself speaking before thinking.  “ Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.”   He even went on to make her an even greater promise, one his deepest desires wished she would accept. “Up to half my kingdom I will give to you.”

He knew the boldness of this statement.  The young girl of his desires was his step-daughter, and in making the statement he had offered her to take the place of her mother. After all, he was the king, and was used to getting whatever he desired.

He watched as the young girl exited the ballroom, and consulted with her mother. Knowing the mind of her mother well, he knew in the depths of his heart that her reply would not be his desire.  As the young girl returned, she made her wishes known to the entire room.  “I want the head of the prophet on a platter, right now!”  “The head of this man who has spoken out against my mother!”  Even the depths of his heart did not prepare him for this request.  But he was caught. He had made the promise in front of many witnesses. Witnesses that his kingdom relied on.  Witnesses that his life depended on.  He was now forced to grant this young girl her request.  A request that was far greater than the desire the dance had brought him.

We all know the story of John the Baptist, and his beheading at the hands of Herod Antipas, Herodias, and Salome.  John had angered Herodias by speaking the truth in God’s Word about her.  The Book of Mark tells us, “For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(Mark 6:18).  Herod Antipas had been married to an Arabian princess, named Phasaelis.  But fell in love with the wife(Herodias) of his brother, who also happened to be his niece.  Both Herod Antipas and Herodias left their spouses so they could marry.  It was for this reason, and many other adulterous and incestous situations in the family of Herod, that John so boldly spoke out against.

Herodias was furious that John would dare speak out against anything that she had done, and wanted John put to death for speaking out.  But she did not have the authority, but did convince Herod to have him imprisoned.  Because John was a righteous man, and beloved by many of the people, Herod was fearful of John and keep him safe.  The Bible also tells us that Herod was “perplexed” by what John had to say.  The Greek word used here is “aporeo”, and it means “ to be without resources, to cause doubt”.  When Herod heard John speak, he recognized that none of the supporters he had in the Sanhedrin, the High Priest, or any of his training, had prepared him for the truth in John’s words.  It troubled Herod, and forced him to face the truth of his own life.  But eventually, Herod’s own desires and his own arrogance, got the best of him, leading him to turn from God’s Words in favor of human justification.

John had been a prophet like no other.  Most do not realize it, but John was the last of the Old Testament prophets.  John's message bridged the Old Testament to the New Testament. Although John’s message spoke of the wrath of God, it pointed all toward the Cross.  John also pointed all toward a need for baptism, repentance, and the forgiveness of sin(Matthew 3:1-3, Mark 1:3).  Jesus said of John, “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!”  Only through the blood of Christ, that would soon come, could anyone ever be greater than John.

John trusted the truth in God’s Word, and proclaimed that truth at all cost. That truth drove John, and that was a truth that John lived by and stood on. Simply put, John would not dance for Herod!  Unlike the religious leaders and politicians of the day, John did not hear the music of the world, and did not find himself caught up in the dance.

As I look at the world around me today, I see how little everything has actually changed.  I watch as the politicians of our day, and some of the leaders of the Church, find themselves swaying to the music, and doing the dance the world has called them to.  I see a Church that has allowed the world to seductively cloth it for the dance it calls us to perform. A Church that does not hear the laughs of those who watch it foolishly dancing, those who see it dancing by itself.  A Church that had a dance partner, but refused to allow the Lord to lead.  A Church who found itself dancing to a different beat than the one the Lord was dancing to, and who stepped on the feet of its’ Partner with every failed step.  A Church who now finds it easier to dance seductively for the audience, than to dance in sync with the Partner who brought it to the dance.

I also watch today as this dance is performed around many of our pulpits.  I watch as many of our pastors sing a song the Lord does not know, and His Word has never heard. They sing this song without Words, humming a tune the world has taught them.  A song with a beat that seductively entraps them, and whose words eternally condemn them.   I watch as these pastors show the audience the costumes they have chosen for the dance. Costumes without modesty, costumes that are made for one gender, but placed on the other gender.  And I watch as these pastors call all who hear them to the dance floor. Without purpose in mind, leading them there for nothing more than to entertain a world who watches them. A world that laughs under its’ breath as it applauds the awkward moves they foolishly make.

I plead with the Church.  What have you done with the voice of the one who cries in the wilderness?  Have you lost the truth he spoke to you?  And have you forgotten the One he pointed you toward?  Have you forgotten the One you are married to, the One who you promised to share each of your dances with?  Have you forgotten the touch of the Hands that hold you, that guide you gracefully around the dance floor?  Have could you have forgotten those Hands, and the pleasure it once gave you as you touched the scars on those hands?  Scars that reminded you of all He was willing to give for you!

It is time the Church remembered those scars, and realized that only His Hands can save us.  We need to grasp hold of those Hands with all we have, because those Hands will never let us go.  Those Hands will pull us out of the shifting sands we now found ourselves in, and will lift us to solid ground.  Those Hands will shake our focus from the dance this world wishes to entice us into, and raise our hands in praise to the One we are called and promised to.

In those Hands our future lies, and in His Voice we are still called today.  If we listen closely, we can hear a familiar sound in the background.  Behind the beating music this world desires to have us dance to, lies a soothing Voice drawing us away from the embarrassment of the dance we are now performing.  A Voice that calls us to a different song, to a different dance. A Voice that reminds us of a song that is so longed to be heard. A Voice that calls us to sing those Words today, knowing that tomorrow will be too late.

We watch today as the sun going down on this Age, and we see the flowers being made readied to place on the grave of this generation.  The Voice that calls us is warning us of the tears of this world that will soon fill the ground around that grave.  The tears of those who did not hear the words that Voice is calling us to sing.  Words never sung, because they were lyrics we were afraid for the world to hear.  But lyrics that Voice longs to hear us sing again.  Words that do not know the sound of regret.  Words that teach us an eternal dance this world can never know. Words that sing of a dance we will forever cherish.  A dance we will forever rejoice in performing. A dance that will renew us.  A dance that will be joyful to us. A dance we will perform one day for the One True King!

I so pray the Church will listen closely to those sounds in the background, and will again remember the words of the faint song we hear Him singing.  That the words of this faint song will lead us away from the spectacle of the dance we are now shamelessly performing, and back into the arms of One who still loves us, and has never forgotten us.  I pray the Church will again dance to the joy of the tune we hear Him humming.  I pray we will again find ourselves in the arms of our Partner, flowing in perfect rhythm to the joy of the song He taught us.  I so pray we find ourselves in those arms, showing this world the grace and elegance that can only be seen when we dance in the arms of our Savior!  

Praying each of you will hear that Voice, sing those Words, and will dance for Jesus!

Storming The Beach!

Dr. Mike Murphy
June 5, 2024

As we reflect back on D-Day, and remember the sacrifice many made for us so we might experiencing freedom, I am reminded of a long-time neighbor of ours who was there that day.  Often, I would listen closely as he would recount the events of that day. I can still see the fear in his face as he told the story. And I can still feel the tears that would form in his eyes as he spoke of the friends he lost that day.

As the small boats pulled toward the beach, he told me of the bullets you could all but feel whizzing by.  The endless explosions that hit all around him, causing waves in the ocean that reminded him of an approaching storm.  He would explain to me how these explosions so surrounded them, that their small boat could not make it all the way to the beach.  Soon, he found himself treading chest deep in the ocean, carrying countless pounds of gear, as he struggled to make his way to the sand.  With each step, he could watch as the soldier beside him would fall. And with each passing moment, the water became red, and the dead served as cover from the onslaught of fire.  He said he had no clue how he made it to the shore, or even how long it took him. And the excitement he felt as his feet came out of the water, was soon replaced by the increased fire that was now coming his way.

It felt like hours that day, as he made his way to cover, and even longer as they captured the strongholds that lined and overlooked the beach.  And as the day turned to night, he talked of how an eighteen years old boy looked back over a beach that was littered with the bodies and the faces of those he had been talking to just hours before.  Voices of those lost, he could still hear. Faces of those now dead, he could still see. And as sad as the loss of these left him, what he was a part of that day always turned his sadness to joy, every time he proudly told me the story.

A generation of young men that stormed a beach that day.  A beach that most would never see again, but a beach that many they served with would never leave.  Each of these young men knew the risk as they entered those small boats, and made their way to that beach.  Most realizing that many of the faces of those beside and across from them, would be faces they would never see again. Many also knowing it would be their face that others would again never see, as it would be their life the price of that day would cost.  But it was a price they were more than willing to pay. A cost they were willing to covering, so others, like me, might freely live. And a cost they knew if they did not pay, the evil that so many throughout this world would continue to see.  A cost that found them willing to pay all, so future generations might still be able to have all. A cost each of us could never repay to all of them as we remember this day.

As I remember my neighbor, and I think of what he did for me that day, my mind wonders forward to all I now see.  To the world I see around me today, and the blessing that surround me each day. To the opportunities I have this day, because of the courage he showed that day.  On that day so many years ago, on a beach so many miles away.

As I think of that day, I ask myself, "Do I have his courage?  Can future generations count on me, the way he has shown me I could count on him?"  And as I ask myself these questions, I ask myself an even greater question. As a Christian, can the Lord now count on me to faithfully and dutifully "storm the beach" for Him, the way those young men did for me on that day so many years ago?

We find ourselves living in a world today where evil does not just look to raise its' head, it now looks to proudly boast its' presence.  An evil, that not only looks to attack this church, but has the destruction of this Church in its' sights. An evil that sees persecution as a tool always at its' disposal, to silence the voice of all who seek to speak for Christ.  And an evil, that looks to wage a war of propaganda against this Church, seeking to convince this world that it is those it looks to silence that offers this mankind its' greatest threat.

In the face of this evil, can Christ count on me to climb into that small boat and fight my way to the beach?  Can He count on me to face all evil looks to throw at me, and still faithfully and dutifully fulfill all He is calling me to do?

His Word tells me, "for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses."(2 Corinthians 10:4).  Am I willing to face the fire that evil directs at me, and find in me the courage to come ashore, and take down those fortresses? Willing to give Him my all, so that future generations of Christians, may know the freedom to bring His all to a needing world?

It is time for my words and my actions to show Christ that I am willing to storm that beach.  Time for me to rise, put on each piece of armor He has given me(Ephesians 6:10-18), and attack evil's stronghold that stands right in front of me.  Time for me to be strong and courageous, not found trembling and afraid, as my feet touch the shore, and I approach evil's fortresses. Knowing that with each step I take forward, He will be walking right beside me, and His direction and leadership, will never fail me.

As I prepare for this battle, I am left with a few question.  Questions I now have for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  How many of you are willing to offer your all and enlist with me in Christ’s army?  How many of you have armor in hand, and are ready for the onslaught that will come as we climb into those small boats?  How many of you will I see beside me as I come ashore? How many of you are willing to give your everything, all you have to offer, as you storm that beach for Him?

"'No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,' declares the LORD." Isaiah 54:17

A Simple Choice

Dr. Mike Murphy

June 2, 2024

I find myself today, anxious to watch play out all the plans the Lord has for you and me.  A six pound, twelve ounce future bundle of joy, that in five months you will name Charlotte.  I will be a good baby, by everything people will tell you. One that smiles more than cries, and one who will delight you in sleeping through most nights.

As I turn seven months old, I will develop a high fever that will bring the greatest of fears to you.  Although the doctor will not be overly concerned, as a new mother, it will be your constant worry. Finding you rocking me in your arms all night, as you hold me close.  And with each rock, a future smile will come to your face as you remember each song you sang to me that night.

As I turn two, my curiosity will become as big as my attempt to take each step.  ”Why”, will soon become my favorite word, and you will hear me say it so often, you will hear it in your sleep.  But with each “why”, you will watch my mind grow, and you will soon discover just how bright your little girl is.

As I start school, it will feel like my friends are growing faster than my questions were once coming.  I will be a popular girl, who others are attracted to by her smile. Who is also as polite and courteous, as I will be smart.  A child who each teacher will want as I move to the next grade, and who each day will make you proud, as you see the grades marked on my tests.

As childhood ends, and the teen years begin, you will watch as my mind will often shift from grades to boys.  You will find me far more consumed with the outfits I want to wear, than whether or not my homework is done. And you will often wonder if I will ever stop asking you about what makeup I can wear.

As I begin to drive, you will feel the disappoint that peer-pressure can often bring to a young girl.  One night you will get that dreaded call, with me telling you how sorry I am, but that I have been drinking and just cannot drive home.  As your anger will subside, you will sit down to talk to me, and explain so well to me, the worries you have for me. And although through the tears we will hug, I will still find myself grounded for the next two months.

As graduation comes, I will have a scholarship soon waiting for me, as you hear me say I will have a doctor's office in my distant future.  But as college comes, so will the love of a young man. A young man, who you know will distract me, but your heart tells you he will always be good to me, and each day will cherish me.  A young man, who will have the greatest impact on my life. A young man who is destined to be in the ministry, and who will minister to me early on, as he will lead me to Christ. A young man, who will leave me hearing wedding bells before I can hear the bells of college graduation.

As my marriage life starts, you will watch me devote myself to the ministry as much as you also see that devotion from him.  With the small church he will minister at, you will see me giving my all. Leading the youth, even trying to lead the choir as I occasionally sing a note off key.  But each day, you will watch as my love for him grows almost as much as you will see my love grow for the Lord.  

As the days go by, you will soon see my becoming a mother, too.  A little girl on the way, that will soon remind you so much of me.  And you will smile as you see me becoming a new mother, with the same worries and concerns that you one day had, not so long ago.

So many things to be proud of, waiting in the distance for both of us.  So many memories that will forever be entwined in the thoughts of both of our minds.  A lifetime of smiles, of tears, of concerns, of hopes, and of dreams, that we will see play out in the most amazing of ways.  So many plans the Lord has for both of us, so much purpose He has waiting ahead of us.

But as I feel the first twitch of pain, I realize, all of His perfect plans, are the farthest thing from what you now have planned.  Plans that see me more as a burden and a hardship, than they leave me as a part of your greatest hopes and dreams.

With what you call “a simple choice”.  I see you pushing aside all the plans the Lord has put in place for us, all the hopes and dreams He lovingly looked to place in your arms as I was born.  I watch those plans quickly begin to fade, and as I feel the pressure and pain building on my small body, I realize that the hope He offered is quickly being sucked from your body, as parts of me are being torn away.

In this world today, it is impossible for us to not feel for any young woman who finds themselves unexpectedly pregnant.  Feeling the weight of everything on them, as if their hopes and dreams are crashing down around them. And as they feel this build, they hear this world tell them how easy it is to just get rid of all this pressure.  A clean break, by simply choosing to abort the child, and start new again. Convincing them that they can live their own dream, without the child being a part of their plans. But I would just ask any young woman facing this choice, to take a single moment of their time, and read one simple verse. “'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”, Jeremiah 29:11.

As you read these words, I pray you will take each one to heart.  And as you read these words, I pray that a rash decision will be replaced in your heart with a lifetime of hope.  A hope that looks past the hardship that surrounds you today, to give you a glimpse of the dreams and plans He has in place for you tomorrow.  A hope that does not leave you looking back with a heart full of regret, but looking forward with a heart filled with joy. A hope that will soon fill your mind each time you see the smile on your child’s face.

Today, I plead with you, I pray for you, that the lifetime joy of His plans will outweigh the pressure you now feel from your sudden and rushed plans.  And that today, you will make His plans your simple choice.

Please pray with me that abortion will no longer be the leading cause of death we see in the world today.

And Satan Smiled.....

Dr. Mike Murphy

May 25, 2024

 

“Quiet.  I once longed for it, but now it haunts me.  It surrounds me, punishing me for what I have not done, and for what brought me to this place.  I still ask myself how I got here. How did I end up at this place?  I did nothing, but doing nothing soon became the evil that faced me and the sin that convicted me. From the small flicker of flames soon came a blazing fire.  A fire that not only consumed all who were close to it, but eventually those that watched from a distance.  A fire that grew so large it could no longer be controlled.  A fire that most chose to try and escape, until many, like myself, had nowhere left to run.  A fire that engulfed and destroyed this land.  A fire that has now consumed me.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“For thirty-two years I have served as a pastor.  I have served at an average size church in the Midwest of this country for the last twenty-six of those years.  I served the church each day.  I have been there for the good times, and I was there through the bad times.  I was there when the church saw its’ pews full, and I remained faithful to the church at times when there was plenty of room on those same pews.  I was there as the church built a new sanctuary.  I was there as it added a fellowship hall and a gymnasium.  I was there for the births of many of its’ youngest members.  And I was there as many of its’ oldest members left this earth. 

Each day I was there.  And each day I watched as the faces of those I looked out at on Sunday morning changed.  As they changed, the values they brought with them also changed. Just as this nation changed, the changes that came to this church happened slowly at first. But over the past few years they have escalated until they were out of control.  Words that were once viewed as nothing  more than rejected suggestions eventually became the law of the land. Values that were once spurned, soon found themselves endured by the people. Then those values that were endured, became an accepted part of our society, soon celebrated and embraced.  And before we even knew it, those embraced values became the standard, the law we were told to live by.  What we once did not question as wrong,  became the standard that all were forced to see as right.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“As the standards changed, the fire found the door of the churches of this nation.  Would these churches stand by the words the Bible taught them, or would they rethink those words to fit the beliefs of our society?  Many bowed to the pressure, teaching that the Lord’s standard of old did not apply to this world today.  Some taught that God’s Words were nothing more than fables, suggestive stories for good men to live by.  Stories not designed to teach a standard, or a way of salvation, but a recommendation to help men overcome. Others believed that the God of the past was not the same God of today.  God knew more today that he did when the words of the Bible were written.  The God of today had come to accept many of the things He once saw as wrong.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“Then there were those that stood firm, teaching that God’s Word was the only truth. His Word was unchanging, His teachings were unwavering.  The words and examples He gave to us yesterday, are the same words and examples He gives to us today.  At first they were dismissed, uneducated fools babbling about things they could never understand.  But as the issues grew, their stances stayed just as firm.  Soon they were seen as intolerant, hate-filled bigots who stood in the way of progress.  As these values continued to grow, those that spoke out became less and less.  But a few did not lose their voice, continuing to hold steadfast in God’s Word.  But the harder they held to the Word, the more despised they became.

The day finally came when their teachings were no longer accepted.  Their words and views were considered so hateful they could no longer even be tolerated.  Their words caused harm to society,  standing in the way of this nation’s progression.  Soon laws were written and passed to ensure their words could not be heard, and that their actions must confirm the new found values of our nation.  Many faded into the background out of fear. But others continued to speak, and refused to be a part of this change.  At first they were outcast, no longer allowed to speak.  Almost overnight, this nation began to take stronger action on anyone who refused to accept these changes.  Pastors who stood firm soon found themselves facing charges. Many of these were the lucky ones. Others found their churches and homes burnt to the ground.  And what happened to so many others was simply unspeakable, crimes committed against them and their families that the government deemed unworthy to prosecute.  We watched as ‘freedom of speech’ became ‘freedom from speech’, and God’s Word was replaced by society’s voice.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“I followed many others, I decided to take no stand.  We would remain silent on the issues.  Our church would focus strictly on God’s love, and avoid all other topics.  Our church board agreed, that although we did not agree with many of the issues of the day, we would not speak on them.  They would hold no place in our church.  Some around us taught that God’s grace and His truth were entwined, that you could not know one without the other.  We took a different approach, only teaching God’s mercy, and leaving the rest up for interpretation. We figured if we avoided the issues, the issues would avoid us.  We believed that compromise would keep the focus of this nation from the doors of our church.

We watched in horror as many churches around us were closed.  Their doors shut because of the words that had been spoken from their pulpits.  As we prayed for these people, in the back of our minds we were just glad it was not us facing this persecution.  But when those that spoke out were silenced, society did not stop.  It was no longer enough to remain silent, it became required that these new found values had to be accepted within the walls of every church, and spoken of from the pulpit each Sunday.  Persecution was now knocking on the door of our church.”

(And Satan smiled.)

“Society and our nation now turned to me for an answer.  I tried everything I could to show those who questioned us that we were no threat.  I showed them every sermon I had given over the past several years, not a one speaking on the issues that troubled this country. But my examples were not enough.  I pleaded with them for a compromise, telling them that we would never try to interfere with how they lived their lives, if they would just let us live ours. My pleas of compromise were mocked.

I was now standing face to face with my own choice.  I would either conform my beliefs and those of my church with the values of society, or I would face the consequences that would follow.  At that moment the truth of what I had done all these years overwhelmed me.  I had compromised God, and now I was left with nothing to stand on.  My fate was not being decided today, but had been sealed years ago when I let fear drive me.  I had denied God, and placed my hope in my own understandings.  Without even realizing what I was doing,  I had fought this fight until now on the side of man, not on the side of God.  And I was about to be sentenced by man as a traitor, as I suddenly realized that I could no longer raise my sword in the air against the Lord.”

(And Satan smiled.)

 

“I will never again see my church, I will never again speak from its’ pulpit.  I do not even know what has become of it or anyone who graced its’ walls.  All I know are the dingy stones and bars that I see each day.  I spend each day reflecting on the lost opportunities of my past. I pray each day for forgiveness, and I realize that if this horrible place does not kill me, the anguish of what I have done soon will.

I now find myself alone. Contained by these four walls. Locked away because I am seen as a threat to others.  The words I once refused to speak, society is now afraid others may hear from me.  Now that I have found my voice Lord, I have no one left to speak with. Now that I have found the words, there is no one around to hear them. I now sit in the quiet, and the remembrance of my own silence is all that is left to torment me.”

(And Satan smiled.)

Before it is too late, it is time the Church rose up, and removed the smile from Satan’s face.