'My kind of church'

[Mike Waters]

Recently I have been thinking much about this.

Extrapolation from Romans 1:16-25 (MEEV)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from one faith to another.
The just shall live by faith, the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who profess truth but practice unrighteousness; because such as may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
For the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world, are clearly manifested in creation so that they are without excuse.
Whereby, when they knew God, instead of glorified him as God and being thankful; they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like to corruptible men, birds, four footed beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving those created images more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Conversely those who, having seen “the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world”, worship the glory of the incorruptible God, have no need of ‘excuse’. Amen”.

God seeks those that worship him in spirit and in truth.
And, for my part, there is nowhere that I can do that better than in creation’s places of extreme peaceful solitude, such as on the hill tops of the Austrian Alps, or along the gently wave lapped shoreline of isolated stretches of the Mediterranean coast.
I well remember holidaying in the Austrian Alps and climbing the long uphill stretches of the surrounding pastural meadows.
The higher I climbed the more rarified the atmosphere became, and the increasingly faint became the sounds of civilisation.
Eventually all that could be heard was the faint sound of cow bells from the lower reaches.
And I sat me down on an outcrop of rock and, as per the choral piece “All in an April evening….I thought on the Lamb of God”.

And I meaningfully recited the words of the hymnal chorus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his Glory and Grace.”

Coupled with

“There is a place of quiet rest.
Near to the Heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest
Near to the Heart of God”

That just has to be ‘My Church’

 

[Waiting on him]

Recently I have been thinking much about this.

Extrapolation from Romans 1:16-25 (MEEV)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from one faith to another.
The just shall live by faith, the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who profess truth but practice unrighteousness; because such as may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
For the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world, are clearly manifested in creation so that they are without excuse.
Whereby, when they knew God, instead of glorified him as God and being thankful; they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like to corruptible men, birds, four footed beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving those created images more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Conversely those who, having seen “the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world”, worship the glory of the incorruptible God, have no need of ‘excuse’. Amen”.

God seeks those that worship him in spirit and in truth.
And, for my part, there is nowhere that I can do that better than in creation’s places of extreme peaceful solitude, such as on the hill tops of the Austrian Alps, or along the gently wave lapped shoreline of isolated stretches of the Mediterranean coast.
I well remember holidaying in the Austrian Alps and climbing the long uphill stretches of the surrounding pastural meadows.
The higher I climbed the more rarified the atmosphere became, and the increasingly faint became the sounds of civilisation.
Eventually all that could be heard was the faint sound of cow bells from the lower reaches.
And I sat me down on an outcrop of rock and, as per the choral piece “All in an April evening….I thought on the Lamb of God”.

And I meaningfully recited the words of the hymnal chorus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his Glory and Grace.”

Coupled with

“There is a place of quiet rest.
Near to the Heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest
Near to the Heart of God”

That just has to be ‘My Church’

James 3:17 KJV
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

 

[Pearl]

God seeks those that worship him in spirit and in truth.
And, for my part, there is nowhere that I can do that better than in creation’s places of extreme peaceful solitude, such as on the hill tops of the Austrian Alps, or along the gently wave lapped shoreline of isolated stretches of the Mediterranean coast.
I well remember holidaying in the Austrian Alps and climbing the long uphill stretches of the surrounding pastural meadows.
The higher I climbed the more rarified the atmosphere became, and the increasingly faint became the sounds of civilisation.
Eventually all that could be heard was the faint sound of cow bells from the lower reaches.
And I sat me down on an outcrop of rock and, as per the choral piece “All in an April evening….I thought on the Lamb of God”.

And I meaningfully recited the words of the hymnal chorus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his Glory and Grace.”

Coupled with

“There is a place of quiet rest.
Near to the Heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest
Near to the Heart of God”

That just has to be ‘My Church’

I really like that Mike; getting away to a quiet place is so important, even if that quiet place doesn't have the same allure as the alps and cow bells. I love to sit alone in my garden with the sound of wind chimes. Or find a quiet place in the house where I won't be disturbed. When I had my dog I used to use the time in the morning in the park with her to sing and pray. Being alone with God, finding that time and place to be with him in the quietness is so vital to our spiritual health. God bless you Mike.

 

[Mike Waters]

I really like that Mike; getting away to a quiet place is so important, even if that quiet place doesn't have the same allure as the alps and cow bells. I love to sit alone in my garden with the sound of wind chimes. Or find a quiet place in the house where I won't be disturbed. When I had my dog I used to use the time in the morning in the park with her to sing and pray. Being alone with God, finding that time and place to be with him in the quietness is so vital to our spiritual health. God bless you Mike.

Thanks Pearl (Pat).
God has quiet places for each of us, and those places that have 'worked' for me are no better than those that 'work' for others.
In fact what set me thinking along these lines was the strong presence of God that I felt a week or so back as I walked the dog on a beautiful, still, and sunny day, along the high ridge overlooking the local Wiveton Downs.

 

[Pearl]

Thanks Pearl (Pat).
God has quiet places for each of us, and those places that have 'worked' for me are no better than those that 'work' for others.
In fact what set me thinking along these lines was the strong presence of God that I felt a week or so back as I walked the dog on a beautiful, still, and sunny day, along the high ridge overlooking the local Wiveton Downs.

Sounds lovely. When I first got my little wind chimes God used them to show me that just as when there is distraction and noise if I listened carefully I would still hear the tinkling chimes; so too through the distractions and 'noise' of every day life I will be able to hear God's voice if I listen for it.

 

[Stan B]

I really like that Mike; getting away to a quiet place is so important, even if that quiet place doesn't have the same allure as the alps and cow bells. I love to sit alone in my garden with the sound of wind chimes. Or find a quiet place in the house where I won't be disturbed.

Pearl, it is no challenge for me to find a quiet place. That is my life alone, every hour of every day, seven days a week. I look forward to hearing a little noise.

My time with God used to be communication with Him while I was playing the beautiful hymns of the Faith on the organ. But that all died when my wife died. She took the musical part of me with her. While I have a high end church organ custom-built into my home, it has remained silent for the 5 years since she died. I no longer even like listening to music.

Finding quiet time is not a challenge for me.

 

[Mike Waters]

@ Stan B
I'm heart broken to learn of your 5 years of sorrow .....I just had no idea.
I pray with all my heart that God will bring peace and happiness back into your life, just like you used to know.

 

[Joseph77]

... and even moreso, through these last hours.....

 

[Renniks]

I miss the ocean. I've only been there a few times but I always feel like I'm sitting in the presence of God.
Sometimes I believe I miss beautiful places that God has created, even though I've never been to those places.
There's a place of quiet rest in God's creation that I can not find in any building.

 

[amadeus]

@Mike Waters

"Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men." Prov 8:30-31

Even as planet Earth is not easily inhabitable by men because of cold, or heat, or storm, or deep water, or the pollutions of men, so it is also with this little piece of dirt that forms the vessel which holds me. It holds me whether I choose to follow the ways of my own flesh or the Way of God. God however won't dwell in any part which is into the ways of my own flesh. It is an uninhabitable place of death. There is no place therein for Jesus to rest His Head.

"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Matt 8:20


Walking on the mountain top or along the deserted seashore or in the cool of the morning on an otherwise empty sidewalk with our dog... is God there with us? Is it a place He would choose to dwell with us? Is it a place we would choose to dwell with Him?

 

[Stan B]

@ Stan B
I'm heart broken to learn of your 5 years of sorrow .....I just had no idea.
I pray with all my heart that God will bring peace and happiness back into your life, just like you used to know.

Mike, Nothing to be sad about. Life for me today is just experiencing God's plan for me and my wife. I have had a wonderful life of 78 years! And I start out each day thanking God for that. Some days start out challenging and difficult, for which I pray for “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” It is very effective.

Although there is an empty chair at Christmas, I still have a large and close loving family of three generations. It doesn't get any better than that!

 

[Heart2Soul]

Recently I have been thinking much about this.

Extrapolation from Romans 1:16-25 (MEEV)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from one faith to another.
The just shall live by faith, the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who profess truth but practice unrighteousness; because such as may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
For the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world, are clearly manifested in creation so that they are without excuse.
Whereby, when they knew God, instead of glorified him as God and being thankful; they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like to corruptible men, birds, four footed beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving those created images more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Conversely those who, having seen “the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world”, worship the glory of the incorruptible God, have no need of ‘excuse’. Amen”.

God seeks those that worship him in spirit and in truth.
And, for my part, there is nowhere that I can do that better than in creation’s places of extreme peaceful solitude, such as on the hill tops of the Austrian Alps, or along the gently wave lapped shoreline of isolated stretches of the Mediterranean coast.
I well remember holidaying in the Austrian Alps and climbing the long uphill stretches of the surrounding pastural meadows.
The higher I climbed the more rarified the atmosphere became, and the increasingly faint became the sounds of civilisation.
Eventually all that could be heard was the faint sound of cow bells from the lower reaches.
And I sat me down on an outcrop of rock and, as per the choral piece “All in an April evening….I thought on the Lamb of God”.

And I meaningfully recited the words of the hymnal chorus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his Glory and Grace.”

Coupled with

“There is a place of quiet rest.
Near to the Heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest
Near to the Heart of God”

That just has to be ‘My Church’

That wonderful, beautiful, gentle still voice of our Father who speaks to us when we we separate ourselves from the cares of the world and just meditate on Him is what always restores my peace and my joy in the midst of all the chaos around me.
Great post Mike, thank you!

 

[farouk]

James 3:17 KJV
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

@Waiting on him I love that verse; 1 Corinthians 1.30 is also relevant: "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption".

 

[marksman]

People!! People!! Don't you know you have got it all wrong? I have it on good authority that the only place you can experience God is on SUNDAY MORNING in a building that is built for that purpose and under the direction of a person that has all the answers and likes dressing up in religious garb?

Anything else than that and you are just blowing in the wind and wasting your time.

 

[Stumpmaster]

Pearl, it is no challenge for me to find a quiet place. That is my life alone, every hour of every day, seven days a week. I look forward to hearing a little noise.

My time with God used to be communication with Him while I was playing the beautiful hymns of the Faith on the organ. But that all died when my wife died. She took the musical part of me with her. While I have a high end church organ custom-built into my home, it has remained silent for the 5 years since she died. I no longer even like listening to music.

Finding quiet time is not a challenge for me.

Hi Stan,
I find it appropriate to find solace in solitude, contemplating the seasons of life. A time for everything...

Ecc 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (7) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 

[Nancy]

Recently I have been thinking much about this.

Extrapolation from Romans 1:16-25 (MEEV)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from one faith to another.
The just shall live by faith, the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who profess truth but practice unrighteousness; because such as may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
For the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world, are clearly manifested in creation so that they are without excuse.
Whereby, when they knew God, instead of glorified him as God and being thankful; they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like to corruptible men, birds, four footed beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving those created images more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Conversely those who, having seen “the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world”, worship the glory of the incorruptible God, have no need of ‘excuse’. Amen”.

God seeks those that worship him in spirit and in truth.
And, for my part, there is nowhere that I can do that better than in creation’s places of extreme peaceful solitude, such as on the hill tops of the Austrian Alps, or along the gently wave lapped shoreline of isolated stretches of the Mediterranean coast.
I well remember holidaying in the Austrian Alps and climbing the long uphill stretches of the surrounding pastural meadows.
The higher I climbed the more rarified the atmosphere became, and the increasingly faint became the sounds of civilisation.
Eventually all that could be heard was the faint sound of cow bells from the lower reaches.
And I sat me down on an outcrop of rock and, as per the choral piece “All in an April evening….I thought on the Lamb of God”.

And I meaningfully recited the words of the hymnal chorus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his Glory and Grace.”

Coupled with

“There is a place of quiet rest.
Near to the Heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest
Near to the Heart of God”

That just has to be ‘My Church’

Nice Mike!
I too find my best prayer and worship time is out by the lake or in the woodsy areas...the most quiet places. Your experience on the Austrian Alps had me hearing...silence for a change!!! Lol! And, speaking of the songs you sang, there's a doxology I love to sing when I'm "in that place".

 

[Joseph77]

People!! People!! Don't you know you have got it all wrong? I have it on good authority that the only place you can experience God is on SUNDAY MORNING in a building that is built for that purpose and under the direction of a person that has all the answers and likes dressing up in religious garb?

Anything else than that and you are just blowing in the wind and wasting your time.

Billions of people got it all wrong.... Did God Fail - HEAVEN FORBID!
Mankind is wicked to the core.
God sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus to DIE/ be CRUCIFIED , and RAISED FROM THE DEAD! GOOD NEWS TO PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE! A terror to those people destined for eternal loss, who today continually choose to not repent, not turn to the Creator, not do as He Says to be saved.

 

[Stan B]

Remember the "new" requirements to be enforced if possible by the state: a robber's mask, and vials of toxins to give everyone.... (is that testing ?tempting? God - to see if His Word is true - they shall drink/inject/ any deadly thing and it shall not harm them ? )

Your fake Scriptural reference is bogus.

 

[marksman]

@Mike Waters
"The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Matt 8:20

Do you know why Jesus said this?

 

[mjrhealth]

Recently I have been thinking much about this.

Extrapolation from Romans 1:16-25 (MEEV)

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from one faith to another.
The just shall live by faith, the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who profess truth but practice unrighteousness; because such as may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has showed it to them.
For the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world, are clearly manifested in creation so that they are without excuse.
Whereby, when they knew God, instead of glorified him as God and being thankful; they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like to corruptible men, birds, four footed beasts, and creeping things.
Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: changing the truth of God into a lie, and worshipping and serving those created images more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Conversely those who, having seen “the eternal but invisible things of God’s Power and Godhead from the creation of the world”, worship the glory of the incorruptible God, have no need of ‘excuse’. Amen”.

God seeks those that worship him in spirit and in truth.
And, for my part, there is nowhere that I can do that better than in creation’s places of extreme peaceful solitude, such as on the hill tops of the Austrian Alps, or along the gently wave lapped shoreline of isolated stretches of the Mediterranean coast.
I well remember holidaying in the Austrian Alps and climbing the long uphill stretches of the surrounding pastural meadows.
The higher I climbed the more rarified the atmosphere became, and the increasingly faint became the sounds of civilisation.
Eventually all that could be heard was the faint sound of cow bells from the lower reaches.
And I sat me down on an outcrop of rock and, as per the choral piece “All in an April evening….I thought on the Lamb of God”.

And I meaningfully recited the words of the hymnal chorus
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of his Glory and Grace.”

Coupled with

“There is a place of quiet rest.
Near to the Heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest
Near to the Heart of God”

That just has to be ‘My Church’

And David sang to God out on the hills while he tended His sheep, and was found to be a man after Gods own heart.