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Do you know this word?
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Hi Reader, I recently was watching an online worship service from HTB Church, the church my wife and I used to attend in London. The worship band played a song that spoke to me - about being still in the presence, glory, and power of the Lord. It's called, "Be Still, for the Presence of the Lord." In recent years, I've been interested in the wonder and mystery of God... God's presence, healing, anointing, and more. And this song captures some of that... It says we stand on holy ground in the Lord's presence. It mentions bowing. It has the phrase, "The Holy One is here." It says the Lord's glory is shining, and that he burns with holy fire - moving, cleansing, and healing. We probably shake our heads and agree... Yes, God is all of that and more, we think. But how often do we view God as One who is moving and cleansing? Or the Holy One? How often do we think about God's presence with us, or his glory? While writing this, I opened a book I wanted to read a long time ago but never did. I wanted to see what it might say about this topic, and I came upon the word "ineffable."
Google defines it as: "Ineffable is an adjective used to describe something that is too overwhelming, beautiful, or sacred to be expressed or captured in words. It refers to experiences or feelings that are beyond human language, such as profound joy, immense grief, or transcendent awe." So, when we connect this concept with God, we can think of God as beyond our language and comprehension. Yet God is knowable. God's mystery--this ineffability--is balanced with Emmanuel--God with us in the person of Jesus Christ, who walked on earth like you and me. And it should be balanced with our capacity as humans to communicate, commune, and be close with God. Sometimes, it seems, people think they've got God all figured out. And I've been there, too. But, as I heard somebody once say, God is God and I am not. So, as the song says, "Be still in the presence of the Lord." Allow all of who God is to overwhelm and move you. Seek God's Spirit to guide you. Be still in God's presence. I invite you to think about this... What is one thing you can change or do to help you better experience the presence of the Lord in your life? + + + + If you've read some of From Sea to Shining Sea: 50 Daily Devotions from Traveling to Every State in America. could you tell a friend, family member, or your pastor about it and recommend this 50-day devotional to them?
In the words of a recent reader who wrote a review on Goodreads: "The book, in short, is fantastic. ... I had chosen to read one state per day, but it's just too much fun, and I ended up reading more than one per day and finishing it quickly." Here's a link to the free ebook you can copy/paste in an email, text, or a Facebook message: 👉 Amazon (US) link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GG7LCT8M You could simply say: Thought you might enjoy this book - a short, fun, travel-inspired devotional that helps you reflect and pray. Why? Word of mouth has always mattered more than advertising or marketing. People often read books others have recommended. Just think - you could help someone discover a new book they love as much as you did. Thank you, and thanks for being part of my reader community. John Christopher Frame If a friend or family member forwarded this email to you, and you'd like to receive my emails, too, just click this link and add your email address: https://www.johnchristopherframe.com/get-johns-emails _____________________________________________________________________ |
John Christopher Frame.
Join my reader community to see forgotten places in the Bible I've traveled, and to be inspired to better live out your faith!
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Hi Reader, Over the past couple of months, I've been listening a lot to Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (a bluegrass music group). There's one song that plays often that I really like: Be Not Afraid. Maybe one reason that song stands out is because I often tell our dog not to be afraid. "Don't be afraid," I'll say, when I sense she's scared--of a loud noise, or a cat. She saw a street cat at the entrance of the store and refused to move. I'll say those words and I think she knows what I mean. The...
Hi Reader, I'm slowly reading a book I started at the beginning of this year. And when I say slow, I mean slow - 1 page per day. Credit: Tenor (nationalgeographic) And some days I don't read it at all. It's not a novel or a book with a single topic. Rather, it's a book with passages from the New Testament and quotes from stoic philosophers. Each brief section of the book shows similarities between what the philosophers said and what the Bible says. The section I'm on now is about the words we...