The Goodbye Song

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Roger E. Bruner

[A free PDF of the lead sheet for this song is available here.]

There’s no need for us to say goodbye;
There’s no reason for sorrow or tears.
There’s no need for words of farewell,
For we will be together soon.

About This Song:
Some years ago I belonged to a church that hired a summer youth worker.

To lessen the load on any of the members, he stayed a few days in each of a number of homes, including mine. I hate to admit I don’t even remember his name now.

In fact, the only two things I remember about him are the mustard that mysteriously appeared on top of the toaster one day–and the times we started to use the stereo, only to find he had left it cranked up at full volume. In case you haven’t guessed, he wasn’t the most thoughtful house guest we could have had.

Nonetheless, his presence in my home and in the church was a blessing, and I wrote “The Goodbye Song” as a farewell tribute to him. (Incidentally, I grew up believing “goodbye” is not an actual word. I still believe that, but am using it because I believe most people do now.)

One of these days, I want to use this song in my church’s nursing home ministry. We’re not shy about talking about death. After all, for Christians it’s the doorway to something SO much better than anything we experience here on earth.

No matter how long a lifetime–or how short–any of us has, no one lives very long in comparison with eternity.

And one of the things we have to look forward to is the reunion with friends and family who’ve gone on before.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Death, Tribute, Youth Worker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Fish Song

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Roger E. Bruner

[You may listen to a recording of this song here. A PDF lead sheet is available here.

If you want to catch a fish,
Then you must go where the fishes swim,
Where the fishes swim.
You can’t sit in the bathtub,
A pole across your knees.
Go where they swim if you want to catch a fish.

If you want to catch a fish,
Then use as bait what they like to eat,
What they like to eat.
You can’t hook them on ice cream
With cherries on the top.
Use bait they like if you want to catch a fish.

If you want to catch a fish,
Then use some line that they cannot break,
That they cannot break.
You cannot use a cheese string
Stretched from your pizza slice.
Use string that’s strong if you want to catch a fish.

If you want to catch a fish,
Then use a net that they can’t slip through,
That they can’t slip through.
You cannot use old stockings
With holes torn in the toes.
Use net that’s right if you want to catch a fish.

If you want to catch a fish,
Then take care that you don’t frighten them,
You don’t frighten them.
You cannot preach loud sermons
Or prance about the boat.
Don’t scare them off if you want to catch a fish.

About This Song:

I wrote this whimsical little song to use as part of the missions emphasis conducted by the Windsor District Baptist Church (northwest of Sydney, Australia) during the 2000 Olympics. It became popular among people there at the church.

Even though the words are humorous and the music playful, the meaning is serious.

Jesus told his disciples to become “fishers of men,” and His followers through the centuries have inherited that responsibility. Sometimes we’ve carried out that task better than other times. I believe the United States would not be in such serious condition now if we’d done a better job of sharing God’s God News with our fellow countrymen.

Looking at the stanzas in sequence, we can’t expect unbelievers to come to church looking for what they need. We have to go to them. Not hard. We live, work, and play among “them.”

We can’t try to attract them with the promise of an easy life–God never promised Christians that–or wealth and power. We are most apt to attract them by our willingness to listen.

And we can’t just start trying to reel them in the first time they show any signs of interest in Christianity. That would be like using line that’s not strong enough.

Trying to get them into the boat–to confess that they’re sinners who want to repent and commit their lives to Jesus–requires care, too.

What sums up many of these points is the idea that we shouldn’t frighten the people we’re witnessing to. We can’t “preach loud sermons” (I think of it as “beating them over the head with our Bibles”) or “prance about the boat”–berate their current beliefs while trying to show them that Christianity is the one and only way.

I’m not as good a fisherman as God wants me to be, but this song reminds me of some principles to keep in mind.

What about you? Are you an effective fisherman–or are you one of the fish? How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Australia, Fish, Fishing For Men, Olympics, Windsor District Baptist Church | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Peace on the Earth!

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

Peace on the earth! Joy to the world!
Love to the universe from all those who know the Lord.
We can’t live without the Lord.
We just can’t live without His love.
We just can’t live without the love of the Lord.

Peace in our hearts! Joy in our souls!
Love from God’s presence in our lives to all those who need the Lord.
You can’t live without the Lord.
You just can’t live without His love.
You just can’t live without the love of the Lord.

About This Song:
t-Roger 10-19-2023I’m not sure how obvious it is that “Peace on the Earth!” is a Christmas song, but that’s what I intended when I wrote it forty-some years ago. And I didn’t write it as a solo song for myself, but with vocal parts for a small group.

A regular lead sheet and the choral arrangement are both available. Use the drop down box at the top of the page to view or print either or both of them.

I used a reel-to-reel recorder to record two tracks separately. I recorded guitar on one track, dubbed bass guitar in with it, and recorded the group singing it in a worship service.

I thought it was a wonderful presentation. and–to this day–I lament the loss of that recording.

Several years ago I made a few changes and created a solo version with a MIDI-based accompaniment. If you’re interested in hearing it, go HERE. Or watch my presentation at our local nursing home ministry several years ago.

Regardless of the history of this song and its recent changes, the important thing is that “Peace on the Earth!” reflects the joy I imagine the angels expressing when they announced Jesus’s  birth to the shepherds in the fields.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Angels, Christmas, Joy, Love, Peace | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Special Brand-New Sun

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

The Lord is so giving and forgiving.
Long years ago He made a wondrous star to shine
On a world so lost in death and darkness,
Yet still it leads to a manger bed of hope.
Yet still it leads to a manger bed of hope.

The Lord is so merciful and tender.
He made a special brand-new sun to rise and shine
On a world lost in death and darkness
And guide our footsteps in His path of peace.
And guide our footsteps in His path of peace.

The Lord is so loving and so caring.
He sent his only Son to die so we can live.
He leads us through the darkest of our valleys
And points the way to the light at Heaven’s gates.
And points the way to the light at Heaven’s gates.

NOTE: The video shown below was taken at the Ashland (Virginia) Convalescent Center a few years ago. The third stanza hadn’t been written yet.

About This Song:

t-Roger 10-19-2023
This is one of my several original Christmas songs, although I’ve written two or three songs that talk about both Christmas and Easter. I hope you’ll forgive me for sharing it more frequently than every three or four years.

When we think about the Star of Bethlehem, we usually think about the so-called wise men–the Magi–who followed the star from the east. The Bible includes these references:

Matthew 2:2
and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (NIV)

Matthew 2:7
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. (NIV)

Matthew 2:9
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. (NIV)

Matthew 2:10
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
(NIV)

When I did a Bible search on “star” in the four Gospels, I was shocked to discover that the Scriptures didn’t say anything about the shepherds seeing the star above the stable. No wonder I’d always thought otherwise, though. The typical Nativity Scene features shepherds and wise men worshiping Jesus together around the manger.

In reality, the wise men didn’t arrive on the scene until a year or two later. Mary, Joseph, and infant Jesus were no longer in the stable, but living in a house.

Although the first stanza of this song references the Christmas star, the second stanza refers to Luke 1:78-79:

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
(NIV)

I’ve watched a wonderful video that explained the Star of Bethlehem as a natural phenomena. Such a scientific explanation of the star in no way diminishes my faith or my fascination with the star as a special sign, however.

If anything, a scientific explanation makes the story of the star even more special. Would a star just happen to reveal Jesus’s exact location unless God had arranged the circumstances for it to happen?

No way do I consider that a coincidence.

What about you, though? What are your thoughts about the Star of Bethlehem? How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Bethlehem, Christmas, Magi, Mercy, Shepherds, Star, Sun, Tenderness, Wise Men | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where Are You Gonna Strike Your Match?

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

[You may listen to an old recording of this song here. Get a free PDF of the lead sheet here.]

Where are you gonna strike your match?
Where are you gonna strike your match?
Will you strike it in the warmth of a well lighted church
Or take it to the cold and dark outside?

If you light your candle in a warm, bright room,
Few will even notice it’s there.
But take that candle outside and build a fire,
And those who’re cold and lost will feel the flame.

Where are you gonna strike your match?
Where are you gonna strike your match?
Will you strike it in the warmth of a well lighted church
Or take it to the cold and dark outside?

Take it outside.

About This Song:
t-Roger 10-19-2023
Some years ago when Dr. Keith Parks was President of the Foreign Mission Board (now the International Mission Board), he gave the chapel devotional that inspired this song.

It seems pretty simply at first, but–when you think about it–this song isn’t about matches and candles. It’s about sharing the love of God with other people. Particularly those who need it most because they’re lonely, depressed, or suffering bad circumstances and don’t know how much God wants to comfort them. Those are the people who’re “freezing” outside in the darkness. They may or may not ever voluntarily come into the warmth of the church seeking help.

While the Bible says we need to minister to one another within the Body of Christ (i.e., the church), we’re also supposed to reach out to others in need. No matter how lovingly we treat our fellow believers, we’re just lighting candles inside a warm, bright building when we do that.

We’re also compelled to go outside the church and share the Good News.

It’s outside in the darkness–in the fallen world we move through day in and day out–that the small flame each Christian bears makes such a difference. Where are you lighting your candle–in the warmth and safety of the church or in your daily walk as you encounter people in need?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Fire, Matches, Sharing God's Love, Visibility, Warmth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s True Children

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

[A free PDF lead sheet of this song is available here. A recording of it may be heard here.]

Who are God’s true children?
Who are God’s true children?
Who are God’s true children?
All who believe.

Who will believe in God’s Son,
Who will believe in God’s Son,
Who will believe in God’s Son,
Unless they have heard?

Who will hear of God’s love,
Who will hear of God’s love,
Who will hear of God’s love,
Unless they are told?

Who will tell them God’s good news,
Who will tell them God’s good news,
Who will tell them God’s good news,
Unless somebody goes?

Who will go to tell them,
Who will go to tell them,
Who will go to tell them,
Unless someone is sent?

Who will send out tellers,
Who will send out tellers,
Who will send out tellers,
Unless somebody cares?

Who cares enough to send them,
Who cares enough to send them,
Who cares enough to send them,
But true children of God?

Who are God’s true children?
Who are God’s true children?
Who are God’s true children?
All who believe.

About this Song:
t-Roger 10-19-2023
“God’s True Children” is what I would describe as a circular song. You’ll notice the progression as one word in each stanza ties it to the next stanza. Then that stanza introduces a word that will be referred to in the following stanza. And so forth, until the song returns to where it started: “Who are God’s true children?” in a slightly different context.

Although this song is based loosely on Romans 10:13-15, which I’ve included below, I wouldn’t have been foolish enough to try to “improve on” the Bible. I did, however, make an effort to fill in between the lines and give this idea a slightly different spin.

Romans 10:13-15
13 for every one — whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, he shall be saved.’
14 How then shall they call upon [him] in whom they did not believe? and how shall they believe [on him] of whom they did not hear? and how shall they hear apart from one preaching?
15 and how shall they preach, if they may not be sent? according as it hath been written, `How beautiful the feet of those proclaiming good tidings of peace, of those proclaiming good tidings of the good things!’
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

I dedicated this song to Dr. and Mrs. Keith Parks. Dr. Parks, then the president of the International Mission Board, gave a chapel message that inspired me to use this Scripture.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Dr. Keith Parks, Sharing God's Love | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When God’s People Meet Together

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

[You may listen to one version of this song here. Look for the piano version with one of the sets of lyrics here.]

When God’s people meet together,
The Lord is in their midst.
When His people begin praying,
His Spirit makes them one.
When God’s people feed on His Word,
They grow in grace and love.
When they celebrate His presence,
Glad songs pour from their lips.

When God’s people are disheartened,
His grace renews their strength.
When His people need direction,
He leads them on their way.
When His people ask forgiveness,
He cleanses them from sin.
When God’s people meet together,
The Lord is in their midst.

About This Song:
t-Roger 10-19-2023
A number of years ago, I belonged to a church well known for the divisiveness among its membership. Not a good or godly reputation for a church to have. We needed to come together with a willingness to let God unite us. Only by praying together, studying His Word together, and praising Him together could we once again become the body He wanted us to be. That process required the renewing of our strength, forgiveness for our sins, and guidance in the right direction.

I took piano lessons for a couple of months around that time. Because of my musical background, I was making good progress (at least my teacher seemed to feel that way). Enough progress to write this song and give it a simple piano accompaniment that both amazed and pleased him. Although I finally gave up the lessons because practicing piano interfered with playing my guitar, those lessons were a good experience.

I was never entirely satisfied with my lyrics, though. So I tackled the task of revising them a few years ago. Maybe the ones posted above will prove to be the “right” ones. You can probably come up with a number of additional verses of your own. Or variations of these. If so, please let me know. I might like yours better than mine!

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Conflict, Forgiveness, Guidance, Prayer, Unity, Worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Let The Whole Earth Ring!

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

Happy Thanksgiving. I couldn’t let today pass without posting this song. You may listen to an old recording  here. Click here for a PDF lead-sheet.

Let the whole earth ring
With a shout of great joy
To the Lord, the King of Kings!
We serve Him gladly and obey His commandments,
And we sing glad songs
When we enter His presence.

We come into His gates with thanksgiving
And enter His courts with praise;
We thank Him for who He is
And praise His holy name.

Let the whole earth ring
With a shout of great joy
To the Lord, the King of Kings!
We serve Him gladly and obey His commandments,
And we sing glad songs
When we enter His presence.

We know He’s our Creator;
We didn’t make ourselves.
We’re sheep, and He’s our Shepherd.
We’re servants; He’s our Lord.

Let the whole earth ring
With a shout of great joy
To the Lord, the King of Kings!
We serve Him gladly and obey His commandments,
And we sing glad songs
When we enter His presence.

The Lord has been so good to us;
His love has never failed.
We know His promises will keep coming true
In all the years to come.

Let the whole earth ring
With a shout of great joy
To the Lord, the King of Kings!
We serve Him gladly and obey His commandments,
And we sing glad songs
When we enter His presence.

About This song:
t-Roger 10-19-2023
On a long ago Thanksgiving Day, November 20, 1980, I sat down on the floor of my living room and surrounded myself with different translations of the Bible. All of them were open to Psalm 100.

These are several of the ones I used:

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.
New International Version (NIV)

1 Sing to the Lord, all the world!
2 Worship the Lord with joy;
    come before him with happy songs!
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God.
    He made us, and we belong to him;
    we are his people, we are his flock.
4 Enter the Temple gates with thanksgiving;
    go into its courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and praise him.
5 The Lord is good;
    his love is eternal
    and his faithfulness lasts forever.
Good News Translation (GNT)

Why was I so interested in Psalm 100 that day? Because it best expressed what Thanksgiving meant to me, and I felt inspired to turn those words into a new song, while remaining as true to the meaning of the Scripture as possible.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you won’t be surprised that I took a few liberties with the words. Did you notice the one major change I made? I switched what should have been the first and second stanzas. I don’t remember why.

I never let Thanksgiving pass without singing this song many times. And now that I’m involved in an almost-weekly nursing home ministry, the folks at the Ashland Nursing and Rehab Center can count on hearing me do it for them each year. Thankfully COVID_19 didn’t prevent that from happening this year.

No matter where or when this Psalm is sung–or how the words are arranged–may the joy it expresses reflect your feelings of thanksgiving for the countless blessings God provides day in and day out.

What are you thankful for today? Please share a comment.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in God's love, God's Provision, PDF, Praise, Psalm 100, Psalms, Thanksgiving, Worship | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

I’ll Keep on Praising the Lord

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

[A free PDF lead sheet of this song is available here.  You may listen to it here.]

I have a sound roof over my head;
I have a loving family around me.
I have food upon my table
And clothes upon my back.

But even if I lose those blessings,
I will not complain.
I’ll just keep on praising the Lord
For being so good.

My bills are paid; my credit is quite good,
And I live in peace with my neighbors.
I have friends who’ll come a-runnin’
To help in times of need.

But even if I lose those blessings,
I will not complain.
I’ll just keep on praising the Lord
For being so good.

I thrive on smiles and words of good cheer;
My hopes and dreams keep me looking forward.
My creativeness fulfills me
And keeps my mind alert.

But even if I lose those blessings,
I will not complain.
I’ll just keep on praising the Lord
For being so good.

About This Song:
t-Roger 10-19-2023
I began writing this song while undergoing some health problems that had the potential to be worse than they turned out to be. They interfered with my sleep for a number of nights, however, and I started working on the words during a time of sleeplessness.

I didn’t get out of bed to do it, though. So I had to memorize my progress in order to return to it the next night. I should’ve written the words down when I got up the next morning, of course, but I honestly just didn’t feel up to it.

Eventually a tune started coming into my head. God graciously brought it back to me each night. Interestingly, though, I made a few major changes once I felt up to entering it in Personal Composer, the software I use to transcribe my songs.

One change will always amuse me. The first four notes used to be G-C-D-E rather than C-C-D-E. If you play those notes on your instrument of choice, you’ll recognize the original version as the beginning of “How Dry I Am”! Not exactly what I wanted to associate with this song. A more practical reason for starting on C instead of G is the fact G was a bit low for my voice–at least for starting a stanza.

The last couple of songs I’d written came pretty easily, but the rest of the lyrics for this one–I’d only “dreamed up” some of them during my times of sleeplessness–gave me fits. The basic idea was clear, though. “No matter what God has blessed me with, I’ll continue to praise Him–even if He takes some of those blessings away or allows them to be taken.”

So I wanted to include as wide a variety of blessings as I could. Several times I thought about the old hymn, “Count Your Blessings.” Mine are definitely too numerous to count. Or to list in this song.

I started with the most basic–the ones most people have: shelter, food, clothes, family. Then I moved on to money and credit,  my relationship with neighbors, and friends I could depend on.

The third stanza was the most challenging, however. I wanted to limit my references to blessings I currently had, and I was none too sure about my health at that time. So I finally omitted references to health.

I already had “hopes and dreams,” but what did I want to say about them? I thought I had my answer with “perking” or “rolling.” But I decided hopes and dreams play a major role in not living in the past.

I also had “creativeness” left over. I wanted to use “creativity,” but it had one syllable too many to fit the tune. I just about wore out my thesaurus before coming up with “fulfill.”

I still had a hole in the third stanza, though. Then I thought about how much I love to receive smiles and words of encouragement from others–and to give them. So that stanza finally came to completion.

What about you? If you were to lose some of all of the blessings the Lord has given you, would you still be able to praise Him? How about leaving a comment?

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Blessings, Complaining, God's goodness, Praise | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God’s Light in Our Lives

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Roger E. Bruner

A PDF lead sheet of this song is available here. No recordings are available.]

When Moses came down from the mountain,
Toting two tablets of stone,
His face was shining so brightly,
It frightened the people below.
He calmed them and called a debriefing
To tell of his time on the mount.
The people all listened intently,
For they saw God’s light on his face.

They saw God’s light on his face, yes,
They saw God’s light on his face.
The people all listened intently,
For they saw God’s light on his face.

When we come back down from the mountain,
After a time with the Lord,
We pray to meet unbelievers
And share the way of the Cross.
We lovingly tell them the Good News,
Not sure just how they will respond.
But we know they’ll more likely listen
If they see God’s light in our lives.

If they see God’s light in our lives, yes,
If they see God’s light in our lives.
We know they’ll more likely listen
If they see God’s light in our lives.

About This Song:

t-Roger 10-19-2023
The inspiration for this song is Exodus 34:29-35:

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
(NIV)

This Scripture fascinates me. I can only begin to imagine what being physically in the presence of God would be like, but I couldn’t have blamed the Children of Israel if they’d been skeptical about it.

They weren’t skeptical, however. They had no choice but to believe and accept that Moses had been in God’s presence. God had given Moses an unmistakable sign by anointing him with a frightening radiance–a special glow. The Children of Israel recognized that sign for what it was.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t expect my face to light up that much, no matter how special my prayer time with God might be.

Still, the people we try to share our faith with may very well be skeptical. Unless, of course, they see something in our lives that almost shouts, “It’s true! Listen to him. Believe him.”

If we are truly God’s children, each of us has the potential to glow–at least periodically. We won’t glow the same way, any more than we’ll all share Moses’ radiance. But no matter what form our glow takes–whether a smile of approval or ears that are really willing to listen–it will help to convince unbelievers that we’re real. And that the God whose love we’re trying to share with them is also real.

I write Christian novels as well as songs. The two most recent ones–WHY NOT? was just released–are shown below and their pictures are links to the Amazon pages. The eighteen-book picture is a link to my Amazon Author Page.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

        

Eighteen Novel 4x6 Postcard

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Children of Israel, Glow, Moses, Ten Commandments, Witnessing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment