When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

This hymn is one of my favorites. I still remember sitting in the pew next to my dad on a Sunday morning meeting during a Church of Christ strictly a capella song service. His powerful baritone voice would make the pew vibrate during the refrain.

My dad died today and is with Father. I’m sure some angels are wondering who the new baritone is that just joined their heavenly choir. I know him, that’s my dad.

bob humphrey

Posted: July 28th, 2010 under General.
Comments: 4

Yesterday morning I woke up with little sense of direction or purpose. As the day wore on there was a vague feeling that Father was leading me in a way I don’t fully understand. Oswald Chambers wrote somewhere that “it is only by going through the confusion that you will get at what God wants.” Can’t wait.

During times like this it’s tempting to speculate on what the “problem” is, or on what God might be trying to get through my head. I can always find some way in which I’ve blown it lately or “missed God” in some matter or other. But most of those musings turn out to be “lofty speculations that set themselves up against the knowledge of Christ.”
“Lofty” because they’re usually based on what I have or haven’t done rather than what he’s done already or because I think for even a minute I can figure it out myself.

It’s easy to forget that our life is hidden in Christ and can’t be discerned with the natural mind. And when he’s leading us on an unfamiliar path it’s useless to try to “find ourselves.” Most likely we’ll suddenly recognize him around the next bend or so and realize that he’s been holding our hand all along.

David Fredrickson

Posted: July 23rd, 2010 under General.
Comments: none

My dog has his own fan club down the street from where I live. My neighbors spend their mornings in the garage smoking, drinking coffee, and reading the paper. They keep the garage door up, and every morning that I walk my dog, I stop by share a cup of coffee and they feed him dog biscuits and dote on him.

Last week the mother of the family aggravated a previous back injury and was in excruciating pain. Yesterday I went over to pray for her. Her husband was surprised when I asked to pray for her. “I didn’t know you were that religious?”

“Well you’re right” I replied, “I’m not. But I have pretty good relationship with God so I’m more spiritual than religious, and I’ve prayed for people before.”

I prayed for her and they were genuinely grateful. Their garage door was down this morning which wasn’t a good sign. It’s odd. I actually wrestled with the decision to go pray for them directly. Its not that I’m afraid to do it, I didn’t want it to skew the relationship I had with them. We’ll see what happens. I’ll keep you posted.

bob humphrey

Posted: July 19th, 2010 under General.
Comments: none

The shaking mentioned in Hebrews 12:28 that’s revving up lately seems to bother some who profess Christ as much or more than some who don’t. Whenever I’m with a group of Christians these days, it’s hard not to notice how many have based their identity in the very world systems that are headed for destruction. They’re becoming fearful and angry in response to the feeling that “their world” is coming undone. Financial security and maybe even social status has figured strongly into their sense of wellbeing. Some have connected “who they are” with a political party, American citizenship, religious denomination or church affiliation. Others have allowed ministry position or notoriety to define their sense of self worth. These and other areas non-essential to a believer’s standing in Christ have served to fracture the true identity of many Christians today.

Of course if our confidence rests in the knowledge that we’re the treasured sons and daughters of the One who’s shaking, we’ll remain as secure and confident as a baby resting in her mother’s arms. Well, almost. Maybe a baby with a bit of colic? Anyone whose hope is anchored in Christ alone will be convinced that God is in absolute control. We’ll be content if our needs are supplied while our wants may not be and will rejoice to see his unshakeable kingdom come in and around us as we yield to his will. Of course, we all have our “moments.”

But what should be our objective response to the confusion, fear and turmoil surrounding us? A person’s identity is attached to what he loves. John the apostle reminds us that if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father isn’t in him. But with our identity based in the Object of our love and devotion, our response to Heb. 13:1 comes naturally, along with a lot of failure, of course: “ keep on loving one another.” According to John that means laying down our life for one another, sharing our possessions as the need arises. He writes that “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of love and those who are losing what can be shaken will see that those who are rooted and grounded in love are standing on a firm foundation. It will become evident that the foundation is Christ, for as John goes on to say of those in whom love has been made complete, “..as he is , so are we in this world.” Yep, even with all our warts, cracks and idiosyncrasies.

David Fredrickson

Posted: July 15th, 2010 under General.
Comments: none

Father is more concerned with relationship than miracles. I already knew that but he just reaffirmed it to me again. My dad is losing his battle with cancer. He probably won’t make it to see August. I talked with my heavenly Father about this and asked for a miracle. “Be a catalyst” was his reply. My dad’s a believer so that wasn’t the question. It was about re-connecting. At the end of a life it always boils down to relationships, not about theology, Biblical principles, or gasp “enough faith”.

My dad and I spent some sweet time basking in the reality of Father’s love. Sure tough decisions are ahead, but we’re good. God’s good.

bob humphrey

Posted: July 11th, 2010 under General.
Comments: 3

A few guys in the community here have been hanging out together midweek for the last several weeks with the sense that Father is leading us to walk together more closely than we have in the past. In the process I discovered that I’ve been slow to respond to the Spirit regarding certain things due to areas of prejudice in my life. In fact, just about anything we did in the institution in which motives were mixed with religious obligation became something I’ve remained wary of.

Trouble is, some of the things we “practiced” which became dead works through routine and/or obligation can be life giving when inspired and led by the Spirit. Anything he’s in charge of brings freedom and revelation of Jesus. It’s new in every instance, never predictable and may change or end at any moment.

I now realize that my prejudice distracted from simple devotion to Christ. In him the old is gone and the only safeguard for avoiding past mistakes is total dependence on him. Reacting to the negative keeps one connected to it while responding to the Spirit voids its power and ushers in the new.

So many Christians today are devoted to a cause or even a new way of “doing church.”
Others are focused on being good. But Jesus never called us to any of those things. He called us to Himself, period. Bottom line; pure and simple devotion to Christ.

David Fredrickson

Posted: July 5th, 2010 under General.
Comments: 2

Does Jesus Love Misfits?

I am totally fascinated with Lady Gaga. She appears to have become the patron saint of misfits, and I don’t use the term misfits in a negative way. I’m talking about people that genuinely feel that they don’t fit in current society. I watched a video online where she appeared at a Best Buy for a CD release. It looked like hundreds of fans had camped out all night for their place in line for the chance to see their icon. Devoted fans of pop stars waiting in long lines for long periods of time has been going on for millennia, but I saw something I can’t ever recall seeing. Lady Gaga took time to personally connect with each person that came by to get their CD autographed. Whether it was a hug, a handshake, or just a touch of the hand. She refers to her fans as family. She’d (or some paid assistant) bought pizza to the folks waiting in line. It seems she is intentionally reaching out to the people out on the fringe of society. The telling thing in the video was the sense of connection her fans feel with her.

Can you imagine how repulsed the angels must have felt when Jesus left the pristine perfection of heaven to be born in a dirty stable? He even had to dress like them humans, talk like them, oh no wait, he wasn’t a mere imitation of humans, he was a human. Not a single human at the time was fit for heaven. Misfits the whole lot. And yet he had family, friends, and enemies. He was famous and despised at the same time. He didn’t wear the decent clothing of the of the religious esteemed. He even touched lepers! Was Jesus assigned to do this? It turns out he wanted to.

I’m not endorsing Lady Gaga, she is certainly not the model of virtue and decorum, I’m just totally fascinated by how she has rocketed to stardom by identifying with misfits. I know of believers doing the same thing, rocketing into obscutity intentionally giving their lives away, receiving other misfits into their lives like family. That’s what I’m seeing is touching lives.

bob humphrey

Posted: July 1st, 2010 under General.
Comments: 4

A couple days ago a good friend was sharing his heart with me concerning his parents who are currently undergoing a major crisis touching several areas of their lives. After describing their situation he made a comment that I’ve heard hundreds of times. “You, know,” he said, “they don’t have one friend.”

Oh, yes, they’re part of “the family of God” and they’ve been in the midst of many Christians Sunday morning after Sunday morning for years. I’ve met them on a couple of occasions and found them to be friendly folks. But they might as well be Cyclops with “leprosy” written on their name tags.

Yesterday my sister who is here for our mom’s birthday was telling us about her daughter and her circle of friends. She mentioned that they weren’t necessarily a Christian group, but that their love and care for one another was remarkable. They accept one another with their differences, are there for each other when a need arises and love to be together as often as possible. She hasn’t seen that in the “church.”

The same thing is true of my daughter’s non-Christian friends. Love, acceptance and making allowances for one another seems to be the norm for them. Rachel and I enjoy spending time with them because they’re fun to be with and have no measuring sticks or hidden agendas.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Imagine how things would change if those who professed to follow Christ realized that God actually loves us and wants to be our friend. The kind of friend that loves, accepts, forgives and sticks closer than a brother. The kind of friend that enjoys every bit of his creation and wants his friends to enjoy it/them with him. A friend that loves to have fun. A friend that hurts with us and rejoices with us, who never manipulates us, never has false expectations of us and is the most generous being in the universe. A friend who never fails but thinks none the less of us when we do. Who’s always truthful but never condemning and is always rejoicing over us and with us.

Most likely we would respond naturally in loving obedience to the only command Jesus left us with. And close friends would never be lacking.

David Fredrickson

Posted: June 25th, 2010 under General.
Comments: none

“Standing on the Word”

Remember that phrase? Word of faith folks like to use it. Believers facing hard times like to use it. I don’t like to use it.

I heard that phrase recently and it made me shutter. It was used by a person that had lost their contact with Father. I asked them what they sensed Father is saying about a situation and they replied “I don’t know, but I’m standing on the word (i.e. the Bible)”.

They were listening to tapes of faith teachers and trying to make sense out of their situation. It gave me the shivers. Here was a seasoned church goer facing a very difficult situation and they had lost contact with Father and were trying desperately to look through the Bible like it was the phone book trying to find God’s telephone number.

My family and I spent some time with them and just simply led them back to who they were in Christ, and that they indeed were connected to him w/o need of any super spirituality on their part. It’s funny how a few moments of simple relationship releases the river of living water that restores the soul.

bob humphrey

Posted: June 21st, 2010 under General.
Comments: 3

Back in the days when I was running a religious institution I talked a lot about intimacy with God and did my best to get everyone praying, fasting and reaching out to the lost. Yet after many years of hard work I saw very few “results” of our labor. The following scripture from Isaiah 26 describes the whole experience perfectly:

“As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Oh Lord. We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to the people of the world.”

Bottom line, we worked our buns off hoping for the sound of “a mighty wind” and ended up breaking wind instead. Of course I now realize that putrid hot air is all one can expect from religion. And down wind everyone suffers as well. No wonder the “unchurched” aren’t rushing to fill the pews.

Still, most of us were as sincere as we knew how to be and truly wanted God to be glorified and for his kingdom to come. And he heard and answered our prayers. He just didn’t do it quite in the way we expected. We didn’t see thousands turn to Christ ( I would have settled for 30) or an explosion of miracles or revival break out in the city. Rather, he blasted a bunch of people free from an unforgiving and lifeless religious system, bathed them in his love, opened their eyes to see who he really is and led them on a God journey of discovery. Like a mighty wind.

So if you’re mourning wasted years or grieving over lost opportunity, be encouraged. The next verse says:

“But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.”

David Fredrickson

Posted: June 16th, 2010 under General.
Comments: 2