Hello Everyone, Below is the latest newspaper article from Pastor Jim Frankeas for Friday October 18th edition of the SJ Times. I hope you enjoy it! Newspaper Article: October 18, 2013 If I were to ask you what kind of song your life sings, what would you say? Is the melody upbeat, melancholy, traditional, or patriotic? What would the lyrics speak of? Maybe praise, lament, crisis, joy, pain, depression, truth, struggle? Just as the number of music genres are astronomical, and the combinations of the songs within those genres are endless, so it is true with each of our life songs. We change as a result of our circumstances and our faith working in us; thus, shifting seasons leading to new songs. Every time I hear the song Lifesong by Casting Crowns, it ministers to me, reminding me that all I do and say is my life’s song to the Lord. The mistake I have made in the past, however, is believing that if my song isn’t upbeat, then it has no value. What God has shown me through the past several years of trials, is that it is not as much about the tune as it is about the lyrics as a whole. Here’s an example. Throughout many of the Psalms, David’s tune is upbeat, you can almost hear the cymbals and drums as he sings out: “praise the Lord, O my soul. All that is within me, praise His Holy Name.” Psalm 103. But chapters before that, we hear from the same mouth: “hear O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy>” (Psalm 86). Can you see anyone dancing to that tune? But the great thing is whether David is upbeat, bitter, depressed, or ecstatic, they almost always make reference to the Lord’s goodness or sovereignty. So what about you? Think about the different tunes your life has sing out to God and to others. In the last decade, I’ve walked through a season of incredible miracles, joy, strongholds, depression, physical pain, emotional pain, loss and sacrifice. It has been a roller coaster of emotions, and each one has made its note on the chart of my lifesong. My prayer for you and me is that no matter whether our lifesong’s verses cry or laugh, yell or whisper that our repeating chorus would always one chiming of faith, hope, love, and truth. Ask Jesus to help you to remember all the situations he has brought you through, all the lessons he has taught you, and all of the ways He has blessed you. In doing so, let it begin a fresh new refrain within you. Psalm 40:1-3 says: “I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry .he lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire: He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a New Song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our Lord…” May we all endeavor to follow this path which Our Father has for us. Jim Frankeas (Pastor of Hope Community Church in Pilesgrove) Mailing Address: PO Box 543 Swedesboro, NJ 08085 Website: myhopecares.org
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 05:36:05 +0000
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