Are You Looking in the Right Place?

 Are You Looking in the Right Place?

Why did Cat Stevens write "Morning has Broken?" Or, did he write it?

"Morning Has Broken" is a popular and well-known Christian hymn first published in 1931. It has always been one I had a personal affinity for. It was made popular by Cat Stevens in 1972. I can remember my high school English teacher asking our class what Stevens may have been alluding to with some of the lyrics that ‘he wrote’ in that song. Not all English teachers are also history buffs. Stevens wrote many songs and in most you can hear his personal search for some kind of spiritual fulfillment. In 1977 he became a Muslim.

I find it to be very tragic when anyone finds Islam to be attractive or fulfilling. I keep a copy of the Qur'an on my computer (not recommended) and although I have not read it in its entirety I can say I find any attraction to it to be most perplexing. Why did Stevens go to that religious system?

I don’t know anything at all about Cat Stevens personal history. I don’t know where he grew up or under what circumstances. I do not know if he was raised in some form of Christianity or in Atheism. My source of truth is the Word of God and I believe every word contained within its pages. If Cat Stevens went to Islam, which is the antithesis of Christianity, it can only be because he was seeking truth outside of Christianity. In other words, there was some reason he did not want to follow after the God of the Bible.

How can I make such a brash statement? I can because that is precisely what the Word of God says. Prov. 8:17 "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." Jer. 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Psalm 119:2 "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart." I could most certainly list myriad other passages teaching the same truth. If we diligently search for a true knowledge of God He will ensure that we find Him. The fact that Stevens and so many others, especially celebrities of our day, have turned to such anti-Christian religions is evidence that they began with a prejudice against Jesus Christ. When one goes into a cave looking for coal and chips away diligently hour after hour he may well find coal. Sadly, his focus on coal might very well be the cause of his overlooking the diamonds all around him.

What have you been searching for? Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Look for him now, today while you still have breath, and you will find Jesus Christ to be the source of all comfort, Isa 55:6-7 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: (v.7) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.“ Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Sometimes we are just looking in the wrong place.

I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS

                                             I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS

                   Do you have friends? Surely, we all do. Or at least we all like to think we have friends. A friend is precious in this life. What a lonely journey it would be if we walked the rugged terrain of this life all alone. We need someone beside us, if for no other reason than to assure us that in the most tragic events of life there is one nearby whose love we can be assured of (Proverbs 17:17 “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity”).

                   The friends that we have, assuming they are true friends, care about our character. It is a friend who will let you know when you fall short in kindness, love, hospitality, honesty and even in holiness and godliness. As friends we work together to become the children of God we are called to be. In our interactions with each other there should be mutual ‘honing’ of our very personality (Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so, a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend”). It is not always pleasant to hear about our shortcomings. But knowing those criticisms are coming from someone who cares about us does make it a bit more palatable. 

                   So, do we have friends? Most will say, unhesitatingly, “Yes, of course I do.” In fact, just a little while ago I personally looked at my Facebook page and saw that I have 246 friends. I must be really friendly (Proverbs 18:24 “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly….”). I think we know those are not all ‘real’ friends. Many are relatives. Some are recent acquaintances. And some may just be pretending so that they can snoop around a bit. Regardless, the fact is most have only a few real friends.

It is those we call real friends that I want to focus on. What would you do for a friend? What would you not do for a friend? I can hear it now, you would go to the ends of the world, you would move mountains. Why, many of you would dare to say that you would even die for a friend. That is all commendable, it really is admirable. I don’t doubt at all that you mean it from the very depths of your soul. But is it true? 

If a friend needed your help desperately, would you help even though in offering your help you realize the very moment you do you will lose the friendship you cherish so dearly? What if coming alongside to pull your friend out of critical danger costs you his/her friendship forever? Many Christians like to pick-and-choose the passages of Scripture they will adhere to instead of embracing the entirety of God’s Word. Paul made it very clear who our friends should be in 2Corinthians 6:14-18 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? (v.15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (v.16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (v.17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (v.18) and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Yet, with well-crafted excuses and ‘reasons’ many, calling themselves Christian today, have mostly unsaved friends. And to maintain those ‘friendships’ they do all of the things the ungodly do. They go to worldly events, engage in worldly conversations that would “embarrass a sailor” and even go to clubs and bars (but not drinking of course, making it Ok). But even that really is not the issue.

A friend will always warn of danger and will even take the proverbial bullet if need be just to protect his friend. Are we friends if we know one that we love is about to suffer beyond imagination and we say nothing? In the fear of losing a friendship today, will you be silent if you have trustworthy information showing your friend is in grave danger.

We are told to evangelize the world. Yet, we remain silent around our “friends” because we want them to continue liking us. Will we actually allow a friend to suffer the agonies of hell for eternity so that we can have 20-40 more years of a pleasant relationship today. Is that kind of selfishness definable as friendship? Think what the day of judgment will be like. As we stand beside the King of Kings justified, redeemed and glorified, what will we say? When the one we dared to call “friend” hears, “depart from me, I never knew you” and he pauses momentarily fixing his horrified gaze upon us, will we dare to say, “But I didn’t want to harm our friendship”?

I have often wondered if, looking deeply into our eyes, we will hear them say with broken hearts, “I thought we were friends.”