Name Above All Names

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.  --Revelation 2:17

I have a very uncommon name.  It cannot be found in any baby book that I have ever seen. I have searched high and low and although a few other people (both men and women) share the name, I cannot for the life of me find its meaning.

When I introduce myself, especially on the phone, I am often asked to repeat or spell my given name.  I often try to laugh it off--"It's a strange family name, I come from a strange family."  Often people respond that they have never heard my name before, or that they like it because it is different.  Some will say that they understand, because their name is uncommon as well.

Last week, however, I heard a response that I have never heard before.  You see, I work for an international company, and one of the ladies in my office is an immigrant from Africa.  When she heard me struggle to communicate my identifier to a person on the phone, she said, "Oh, it means 'Apple Of My Eye'."

Hold. The. Phone.

Wait, what?

She said yes, in Ethiopia, the word that is pronounced blin literally means "apple of my eye."  I asked her what language that would be, because I wanted to look it up.  She replied that in Ethiopia, there are two major languages, but that in both of them the word means the same thing.  I have been unable to confirm this independently, both because I do not know any other people who have been to Ethiopia, and my American Google search is limited to English and other European languages.  However, I believe this was a special word sent to me from the Lord this week.

About five years ago I wrote about Psalm 17:8, where God says we are the apple of His eye--maybe you can link to it here:
https://blynnstewart.blogspot.com/2014/12/you-are-apple-of-his-eye.html

However, the Lord led me to read Revelation 2:17 in connection with this blessing.  Commentators have several theories about what this verse means, but the one that makes the most sense to me is this (from Barnes' Notes) 

(1) A white stone was regarded as a token of favor, prosperity, or success everywhere - whether considered as a vote, or as given to a victor, etc. As such, it would denote that the Christian to whom it is said to be given would meet with the favor of the Redeemer, and would have a token of his approval.
(2) the name written on this stone would be designed also as a token or pledge of his favor - as a name engraved on a signet or seal would be a pledge to him who received it of friendship. It would be not merely a white stone - emblematic of favor and approval - but it would be so marked as to indicate its origin, with the name of the giver on it. This would appropriately denote, when explained, that the victor Christian would receive a token of the Redeemer's favor, as if his name were engraven on a stone, and given to him as a pledge of his friendship; that is, that he would be as certain of his favor as if he had such a stone. In other words, the victor would be assured from the Redeemer, who distributes rewards, that his welfare would be secure.
(3) this would be to him as if he should receive a stone so marked that its letters were invisible to all others, but apparent to him who received it. It is not needful to suppose that in the Olympic games, or in the prizes distributed by Roman emperors, or in any other custom, such a case had actually occurred, but it is conceivable that a name might be so engraved - with characters so small, or in letters so unknown to all others or with marks so unintelligible to others - that no other one into whose hands it might fall would understand it. The meaning then probably is, that to the true Christian - the victor over sin - there is given some pledge of the divine favor which has to him all the effect of assurance, and which others do not perceive or understand. This consists of favors shown directly to the soul - the evidence of pardoned sin; joy in the Holy Spirit; peace with God; clear views of the Saviour; the possession of a spirit which is properly that of Christ, and which is the gift of God to the soul. The true Christian understands this; the world perceives it not. The Christian receives it as a pledge of the divine favor, and as an evidence that he will be saved; to the world, that on which he relies seems to be enthusiasm, fanaticism, or delusion. The Christian bears it about with him as he would a precious stone given to him by his Redeemer, and on which the name of his Redeemer is engraved, as a pledge that he is accepted of God, and that the rewards of heaven shall be his; the world does not understand it, or attaches no value to it.
And in the stone a new name written - A name indicating a new relation, new hopes and triumphs. Probably the name here referred to is the name of the Redeemer, or the name Christian, or some such appellation. It would be some name which he would understand and appreciate, and which would be a pledge of acceptance.
Which no man knoweth, ... - That is, no one would understand its import, as no one but the Christian estimates the value of that on which he relies as the pledge of his Redeemer's love.

I remember a scene in the iconic movie Ben Hur.  The character Quintus Arrius is a Roman warship commander whom Judah ben Hur had saved from drowning,  After they are rescued, Arrius is informed that his fleet had won the battle, and he is lauded for his victory.  Arrius subsequently adopts Judah as his son, making him a freed man, a Roman citizen, and Arrius's heir. 

In the scene, Arrius stands before a large assembly of guests and beckons young Judah to stand by his side.  "I know him as one who stands in the place of the son I lost," he says.  "I have the love and pride of a son's achievements, which I though I should never have again.  Nothing could make stronger the bond between us, but tonight I wish to share it with you all.

"The formalities of adoption have been completed."  He looks to Judah, and goes on.  "Young Arrius is now the legal bearer of my name, and the heir to my property.  This ring of my ancestors would have gone to my son, so now it is yours."  He hands the signet ring to Judah, to the smiles and applause of the crowd below them.

In Roman times, a ring bore the seal of authority; it would be stamped on wax to seal a document of great importance, so that the image of the seal was visible to all.  However, any inscription within the ring could be seen and known only to the wearer and the one who gave it to him.

It is the same with me.  I was a slave to sin and destined for damnation until Jesus adopted me and gave me a new name.  In time I will get a token from His own hand that will bear a new name known only to Him.  I will no longer be called Blynn, a name that I have become accustomed to but that I do not like very much.  From that point forward I will be called the Apple of His Eye.

To the one who conquers... If I confess my sin and repent of it, the Lord will give me victory.

...I will give some of the hidden manna...  In the Old Testament, manna was literally food from heaven, sent to feed God's people. The word "manna" literally means "what is it?" in Hebrew.  It's origin and makeup are unknown, but it is given by God to nourish and satisfy His chosen ones.  Exodus 16.33 says, "Take a jar and fill it with an omer of manna, then place it before the Lord to be preserved for the generations to come."  The blessing of what was known yet unknown was to be preserved through time so that you and I could partake of it.

...and I will give him a white stone...  Many times God told Moses and the people to gather twelve stones as a memorial to make an altar for sacrifice.  Isaiah 56:5 says, "I will give them, in my house and within my walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters.  I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off."

...with a new name written on the stone...  Your name is your legacy; it carries with it your accomplishments and your failures.  Isaiah 65:15 says, "You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord God will slay you, but to His servants he will give another name."

...that no one knows except the one who receives it.  We can set aside our old self, the personification of unrighteousness, and take on a new life in Christ, who imparts within us His righteousness.  Isaiah 62:2 says, "Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory.  You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow."  Those who do not hear His voice, however, will not get the message, nor will they know His blessing.

We all have been given the family name Christian, because we are adopted into God's family through the blood of Christ.  Individually, though, we have each been given a name, an identity or purpose that only we as individuals can know and appreciate.  Yet we can claim that new identity, that new purpose, because it was bestowed by the One whose Name is above all names, who is mighty to save.  Hallelujah!

I'm a sports fan, but this is ridiculous

When I was in college I had a part time job at a pizza parlor.  We had a big screen TV in the dining room.  A few months into my employment there it was time for the Winter Olympics.  They were being held in Lake Placid, New York.  (That shows you how old I am).  The television was always tuned to the Games.  Any time the doors to the restaurant were open, the TV was tuned to ABC, the network that hosted that year.

One night a rather obnoxious customer came in and complained loudly that the television was tuned to "sports."  She could not imagine why anyone should be interested in who could swoosh down a mountain faster than anyone else, or why it mattered who could speed skate around in circles more quickly.  She all but demanded that we change the channel to some prime time drama (as if that were way more important.)

I wanted to argue with her.  I am a sports fan to begin with, but I tried to appeal to the customer's patriotism.  It's not just about the sporting event, I reasoned, but about American pride.  

She wasn't impressed.

Today I learned of a sport that even I think is a waste of time.  It is called shin-kicking, and it has apparently been played in England since 1612.  The sport requires that two opponents kick each other in the shins until one of them falls to the ground.  The aim is to weaken an opponent by kicking his or her shins; once the legs have been weakened, a competitor may throw an opponent to the ground off balance over a leg, provided that the grasp of the shoulders is kept.  A successful throw involves unbalancing the opponent in the course of a kick.  It does not involve kicking an opponent to the ground, nor pushing the opponent to the ground.

Contestants must wear long trousers or tracksuits and may cushion their shins by using straw, which is provided at the venue.  They will be provided with white coats, representing the traditional shepherd's smock.  Footwear may be sneakers, shoes, or soft toed (i.e. non reinforced) boots.  Wearing any steel-toed will get you disqualified from the match, and barred from any future events.

One more thing:  The umpire or referee is called the "stickler".  If the stickler deems that the kicker has made an intentional trip, the throw goes to the opponent.  The stickler's decision is final.

Have you ever heard of a more useless game?

It reminds me of the testimony of Paul in Acts 26.  He described himself as a man on a mission--a man with the power of the state, the purpose of his convictions, and people behind him who believed in him.  Yet God met him where he was and stopped him in his tracks.  The Lord overpowered him with light, knocking him to the ground.  From his prostrate position, Paul heard the voice of God question his core beliefs.  "Why are you persecuting me?" God asked.  "It's hard for you to kick against the goads."

How would you like to hear God Himself tell you that you are wasting your time, even though you think you are doing the Lord's work?  God's message to Paul was that his mission was not only useless, but counter-productive.  Paul was not hurting God by kicking against the goads, but he was hurting himself.  

The word that Paul uses for "goad" or "prick" is also used in the New Testament to mean "sting".  1 Corinthians 15:55 says "The sting of death is sin."  Here Paul uses the same word for sting as Luke used for goad in Acts 26.  The sting of a bee or scorpion is used as a deadly weapon.  An iron goad is also used as a weapon, but is effective only if you propel yourself against it.  Kicking against the goad is a figure of speech meaning to offer vain and perilous or ruinous resistance.

Would you enter into a shin-kicking contest?  Not if you're smart.  In the same way, let's not make it our purpose to oppose God.  No matter how hard you work or how good you get at it, opposing God's plan and purpose in your life is not only a waste of time, but also detrimental to your health and well-being.

Also, the role of Stickler reminds me of the Pharisees that Jesus warned against.  They were sticklers for the rules and regulations of the Law of Moses.  Jesus didn't go along with their interpretation of Scripture, and definitely did not think that they practiced what they preached.  He called them hypocrites.  Please don't be a Stickler.

In Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" you may recall the description of the Man with the Muck Rake, the man who could look no way but downward, with the muck rake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor. In "Pilgrim's Progress" the Man with the Muck Rake is set forth as the example of him whose vision is fixed on carnal instead of spiritual things. Yet he also typifies the man who in this life consistently refuses to see aught that is lofty, and fixes his eyes with solemn intentness only on that which is vile and debasing.

Imagine being the Stickler in a Shin-Kicking contest, always looking down, pointing out when the "contestants" do something wrong.  He can do nothing else.  Don't be a Stickler.  Look up.  Be encouraging.  Engage with people.  It's what Jesus did.

It's all about the grace

For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.  --1 Peter 2:19

"It's just not fair!"

Our human nature demands that our rights not be violated.  From the American Revolution forward, our basis of government has been based on an emphasis on individual rights.  Those rights have evolved over the last 200 years, and have grown to include women's rights, then civil rights, and now LGBT rights.

Those who fought for gender equality a century ago were called suffragettes, and they demanded voting rights as a symbol for political and economic equality.  The struggle for civil rights was similar, as it culminated in legislation 55 years ago to give political and economic equality to people of color.  However, some are still fighting the evil of racism, because the heart of man is sinful.

However, because the heart of man is sinful, the more recent battle is for moral acceptance of sexual sin and some people's inclination to identify themselves by their particular sexual perversion.  These people already have civil and political protections--they can vote, they can earn a fair living, they can assemble and speak/write publicly about their lifestyle.  I believe that the thing most Social Justice Warriors are going to war about is changing the morals and religious beliefs rooted in Christian tradition and doctrine.

Add to this culture of selfishness the theology of those who preach a health and prosperity gospel, and we have some so-called Christians who are no different than the world they are called to change.  This particular heresy teaches that those who believe in a God of love should expect blessings in excess.  Not only is this elevating personal gain to a level of idolotry, it causes true Christians to doubt their faith when they experience physical or financial hardships.

In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter reminds us that Jesus calls us to submission, not selfishness.  He called for servants to submit to masters (1 Peter 2:18), wives to submit to husbands (1 Peter 3:1), as well as husbands to their wives (1 Peter 3:7).  He goes on to exhort elders to be submissive to the needs of their Fellowship of believers (1 Peter 5:1-2), and younger believers to submit to elders in the faith (1 Peter 5:5).  Finally, Peter tells us all to be submissive to God (1 Peter 5:6).

Although there are many good reasons given for each of these submissive relationships, the best reason I see is given in 1 Peter 2:15: "For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one ensures sorrows while suffering unjustly."  You see, it's all about reflecting the grace of God in Christ to us. 

When the pastor of our church this morning was preaching on this passage, I was attracted to this verse in particular.  He was saying that the servant-master relationship in the first century more nearly reflected the modern employer-employee relationship than the racist slavery that existed in our country before the Civil War.  He explained that Peter was exhorting those of us with jobs to do the right thing, even if we have a bad boss.  Why?  Because "if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God." (1 Peter 2:20).  By using Jesus as our example, we take the focus off ourselves (not seeking our own comfort or revenge), and point others to the gracious act of sacrifice that Jesus did for us.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Some of you may know that I wrote a book a little over four years ago about grace.  I thought that the book was out of print, but I recently discovered that I could still find it online.  I was able to purchase a few dozen copies, and am giving them away as gifts.  By God's grace, my book about grace can continue to bless others.  If I ever write a sequel, or a second printing, I would like to add a chapter about this kind of grace: the grace that unjust suffering can reflect what Jesus did for us, so we can be an example to the people with whom we come into contact today. 

As our pastor pointed out this morning, this is true Christianity: not demanding our rights, or expecting excess blessing just by Name dropping, but rather enduring unjust hardships and even persecution for the glory of God in Christ.

False Advertising

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  --2 Timothy 3:14-15

Last week I mentioned a desk calendar I have that has some fun facts and weird wackiness, each day a different entry.  One day I learned that the Parker Pen Company, trying to write an advertisement in the Spanish market, said that their pens "are guaranteed not to leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."  What they intended to say was that you would not be embarrassed by having an ink-stained dress shirt in which your fountain pen decided to release its black contents.

Cognates are words that are similarly spelled or pronounced in both languages that both mean the same thing.  The advertising agency for Parker mistakenly thought that the Spanish word embarazada was a cognate for the English word "embarrassed."  It is not.  It actually means "pregnant" in Spanish.

That calendar entry reminded me of a time when General Motors Corporation was trying to sell the Chevrolet Nova car in the Mexican market.  They could not figure out why sales were so low until one of the line workers advised the marketing team that in Spanish, no va means "it doesn't go."  They had to rename that car model for the Spanish market.

Both of these are examples of people trying to communicate an idea when they don't know enough about either the product they are selling, or the language and culture of the buyers.  We all know enough about advertising to not believe everything the advertiser says.  Advertisers may distort the truth a little bit, by leaving out key facts or by making false claims about their product.  Consumers learn this by experience, and that knowledge is spread by word of mouth.

I think those of us who are trying to live out the Great Commission need to keep this in mind.  Jesus told us to "go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15).  What He does not want us to do is market a product we do not fully understand or appreciate.  When a hurting world hears a very famous televangelist say, "God wants you to live your best life now," they tend to shut off all others who are trying to share the good news of Jesus with them.  The advertisement they heard was a distortion of the gospel.

Paul gave Timothy this charge:

Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.  --2 Timothy 4:2-4

People truly want to hear something good, something true, something that will lift them out of the muck and mire they are in.  What a shame it is that they hear a prosperity gospel that promises abundance always.  Those who reject that message may also reject the true message of Christ, by associating it with the false gospel.  Those who buy into that doctrine miss the message of Paul.

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  --2 Timothy 3:10-13 

In truth, life is full of of hardships and persecutions.  The good news is that Jesus walks through the hard times with us.  He will see us through to the other side.  That message, unfortunately, is drowned out by the false gospel.  People respond to it like they respond to false advertising claims.  They don't buy it because they have been hurt too often.

When Scorpions Attack

And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions.  Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.  --Ezekiel 2:6

I have a desk calendar that shows random facts day by day.  Some of them are fun-facts, some are dull.  Every once in awhile, I see one that gets my mind to wandering.  This week there was one such entry.  "When a scorpion attacks, it leaves behind its stinger, tail, and anus.  As a consequence, they will eventually fill up with (their own excrement), explode, and die (usually within about 8 months)."

I have been told (although I have no first-hand experience) that a scorpion sting is quite painful.  Sometimes it can be lethal.  As a result, I have been programmed to avoid scorpions at all costs.  I will rarely (if ever) go to their natural habitat, but if I do, I will be diligent and keep a sharp eye out for them.

I do remember once when I was quite young, we lived in a rural area of Texas, and somehow scorpions were able to get in the house.  I was brushing my teeth one morning, and in the wall fixture that held my toothbrush there was a cup-holder.  It was not a covered cup dispenser, but a round hole large enough to place a plastic cup.  Of course it was right-side up, with no cover.  So anyway, as I was brushing my teeth, I absent-mindedly reached for the plastic cup and filled it with water from the tap, so that I could rinse out my mouth.  When I poured out the unused portion of the water, a small scorpion sloshed out of the cup and into the sink.  Startled, I crushed its head with the cup, then took a tissue and, careful not to touch the stinger, picked it up gingerly and flushed it down the toilet.

In any case, scorpions are dangerous, and in some cases can be found where they are not expected and are unwelcome.

People can be like scorpions.  They can sting you with their words, and their remarks can be quite painful.  There used to be an adage quoted by young students, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."  A useful phrase if you are trying to build your child's self esteem, but quite untrue.  Words can hurt, and with the rise of bullying and juvenile suicides, sometimes the words can be lethal.

I thought of the Apostle Paul when I read the calendar entry.  You may remember that Paul had what he called "a thorn in the flesh", for which he prayed God's deliverance on at least three occasions.  Paul wrote that God did not remove the thorn, but reminded him that "my grace is sufficient for you."  Much discussion has gone on about what exactly Paul's thorn was.  Many think that it was a physical ailment, such as poor eyesight.  However, some theologians say that "thorn in the flesh" was a euphemism for people who would follow him around and hurl insults at him.  Their verbal jabs must have been piercing, or at the very least distracting to his message.  If I had a call from God to travel as a missionary from town to town, establishing churches in each new city where Christ had never been preached before, then I would expect God to "make straight my path", so to speak.  It would be hurtful to have Pharisees and Judaizers come behind me and undercut the message that God had given me.

If it could happen to Paul, one of the most brilliant theologians of all time and author to over one-third of the New Testament, how much more could it happen to you or me?

As I was researching this topic, I found a definition attributed to Strong's as found in blueletterbible.com that the Greek word skorpios, from which we get the English word "scorpion", may have come from a root word skerpo, an obsolete word that is also the basis of the word skopos, meaning an observer or skeptic.  It means to spy, or to peer intently (perhaps piercingly).

So, when you find yourself proclaiming truth, especially God' truth, there will be those who try to poke holes in your message.  They will observe you, find what they think is a weakness, and pierce your message with stinging words.  Their criticisms may be paralyzing, but please do not let them be deadly to your testimony.  We must keep on proclaiming the gospel until Christ returns, although we may have to use His Word and the testimony of others as balm to heal our pain (see Revelation 12:11).

Bear in mind also that, like the scorpion, those who leave their stinger in you are also on a path of destruction unto themselves.  Their death will not be instantaneous, but over time their foul excrement will accumulate within them, so that they themselves cannot survive.  Their message is, in fact, lethal; not to us, necessarily, but to themselves surely.

In the 9th chapter of the book of Revelation, John foresaw a time when Satan (the star fallen from heaven) would be given the key to the bottomless pit.  When opened, flying insects like scorpions would be released.  Those creatures will have the mission to attack those without the Seal of God on their forehead.  "They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails." (verse 10).  The torment will be such that those who do not know Christ "will seek death and will not find it.  They will long to die, but death will flee from them." (verse 6).

We must continue to tell the truth of the gospel of God, because it will bring hope to the hopeless.  We must ignore those who would try to stop our message, for their god is the devil, the father of lies.  Their message may be appealing, but it is excrement, and its accumulation will kill them.

Hymns and Spiritual Songs

...But be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart...  --Ephesians 5:18b, 19

This morning my wife and I were in the car discussing the fact that we missed using hymnals in worship.  While placing song texts on screens has the advantage of having all eyes toward the front of the sanctuary during worship, the drawbacks are more numerous. 

First, there is no encouragement for harmonies.  Reading the parts in the hymnbook growing up contributed to my appreciation of music.  Even though my natural vocal range is that of a tenor, reading the bass line and occasionally even the alto line helped me to appreciate the other voices as well as gave me practice in skills such as language skills and problem solving.  (Making sense out of musical intervals is much like breaking a code; it uses the same part of the brain as learning a different language.)

Second, and perhaps more importantly, the use of screens at the front of the worship center has encouraged the singing of choruses, placing more importance on repetition of religious sounding  phrases than sound theology.  This "dumbing down" of worship has come at a cost.  I believe that people flock to churches where they are entertained more than taught the Word.  I know, because I fell victim to this scam for many years.

There is a great deal of theology taught in the traditional hymns.  Consider this song, which used to be the first one in every Baptist hymnal.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert and art and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Yes, it has archaic language, but so does classic literature.  Do we stop studying Chaucer and Shakespeare because people no longer speak that way?  Setting that aside for a moment, this hymn is a way to commit scripture to memory.  There are direct references to 1 Samuel 2:2, Psalm 5:3, and Lamentations 2:3; there are also allusions to Revelation 4:6-11, Revelation 5:13, Revelation 15:2-4, and Isaiah 6:1-3.

As we were driving this morning, my wife looked up Keith Green on YouTube.  He was a recording artist and worship leader in the 1970's.   He recorded a version of this great hymn, and when we listened to it together, we remembered his great voice.  The next song we listened to was a hymn written by Keith Green himself:

There is a redeemer
Jesus, God's own Son
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Holy One

Jesus my redeemer
Name above all names
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Oh, for sinners slain

Thank you, oh my father
For giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit
'Til the work on Earth is done

When I stand in Glory
I will see His face
And there I'll serve my King forever
In that Holy Place

Thank you, oh my father
For giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit
'Til the work on Earth is done

I call this a hymn because of its theological underpinnings and scriptural basis.  Others may call it a chorus or worship song, and it certainly did make us worship in the car this morning.  We went on to listen to and sing another Keith Green hit, O Lord, You're Beautiful

Oh Lord, you're beautiful,Your face is all I see,For when your eyes are on this child,Your grace abounds to me

Oh Lord, you're beautiful,Your face is all I see,For when your eyes are on this childYour grace abounds to me

I want to take your word and shine it all aroundBut first help me to just, live it LordAnd when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crownFor my reward is giving glory to you

Oh Lord, please light the fire
That once burned bright and clean
Replace the lamp of my first love
That burns with holy fear

Like the old preacher used to say, if that don't light your fire than your wood's all wet.  We had a great worship service right there in our car, all because of Keith Green's short ministry.  Sadly, his life was cut short in 1982 when he tragically died in a plane crash.

I heard a radio preacher once say that in the afterlife, the various levels of reward in heaven or levels of punishment in hell depend on the extent of influence during your lifetime.  For example, he said, Adolph Hitler is undergoing more punishment than some others in hell because the hatred and violence of his Nazi party has extended far beyond his death.  Contrast that with the ongoing influence of men of God like Keith Green, whose psalms and hymns and spiritual songs still lives on decades after his death.

I hope that God is able to use my writing for His glory for many years after I have stopped breathing.  Meanwhile, every breath I take I want to use for Him.  Even now, Lord Jesus, come quickly; but until that day comes, may You be glorified in me.