Worship With All Your Heart - Ray Tierney - Blog

long time off line...

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

I haven't posted anything here in a very long time... and I have no idea if it is ever read but God is doing so much in me that I need a place to share it... so here goes....

So much of what I thought I knew I didn't know.... we make it way more complicated that it is suppose to be.. It is more important to listen than to speak ... In the long run it is easier to trust and obey than to control and resist ... I said in the long run... Jesus is my Savior and He wants to be my Master... Being a slave to Jesus is true freedom ... no temptation can over take me if I immediately run to Him ... the wider I crack the door to sin the harder it is to close it again.... so many long testimonies wind up giving glory to us and not to God ... He created the whole everything in six days so keep it short and simple.... don't make statements that aren't in the Word and say them like they are the Gospel ... God will prove to you over time that only He knows everything perfectly... Words you've spoken taste bad when you have to eat them... if you look long enough at the thing you are judging someone else for you will see yourself.... outward holiness shows how we think things should be.. Inner holiness shows how God wants us to be.... God's holiness produces fruit not rules... I can turn away from sin only long enough to turn to the only One who can keep me from it.... I want to live in the Presence of God ... I know that is what He wants for me too... so I will ask Him to do that in me. If the only things I accomplish in this life are to love God, my wife and children and be a friend and example to those he gives me I can rest in peace.

Saving Grace ...

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

On June 10th my wife, Linda, and I were in a head on car crash. Four kids crossed the double yellow line and had a profound impact on our lives. They weren't paying attention to what they were doing and it literally changed our lives for the immediate future if not longer. Linda suffered the most from the crash. Her heart was bruised by the airbag, her knees were injured and the chronic pain she suffers with regularly has intensified.

We both know that our Father has His wonderful hand on us. He kept us and the boys in the other car alive and He will see us through to the other side of this valley but things have changed. The actions may have been unintentional but they have influenced our lives forever.

It makes me think of the actions that I perform daily and how they either influence people for Jesus, away from Him or just fail to say anything when given the opportunity. How many times do we do things unintentionally that show mercy or judgment, kindness or bitterness, gentleness or harshness, the love of God or our own ill temper. I know that there are times you would have a hard time seeing that I am a believer and a lover of Jesus.

I have a license plate that says WORSHP .. one day as I sat waiting in traffic and getting aggravated with a lady walking in the street; I read her lips as she read my License plate. Immediately I was aware of my attitude and that I was influencing someone. I knew that my words and my actions had to match up or I would have a negative influence.

I pray that I will be more aware in the future of how I am walking out the Gospel. Lord that my attitudes, actions and words would always say that I am Yours and that I would have a positive influence on people for Your Kingdom.

Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

that's my boy !!!!!

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

In 2001 I met a young boy at a camp in Ukraine. He was eleven years old and lived in an orphanage not far from the dead zone around Chernobyl, where one of the worlds largest nuclear disasters had taken place. His name was Ivan (pronounced Eevon) and he was just a stranger to me, a boy with no home, no prospects and little love being flowed his way. For the most part Ivan was a sweet kid but the world was pulling him into the pit of the streets of Kiev and it would not have taken much to push him over the edge into a life of drugs and crime.

Last night I watched this same boy, the boy they said would never go to school, march proudly across the stage as part of the graduating class of 2008 to receive his North Providence High School Diploma. My buttons were popping and my eyes swam with tears to see what God and His love can do in the heart of a person if we will just share what He has poured into us. Eevon Robert Tierney has been our son since that meeting in Ukraine and he has grown in wisdom and grace. He teaches us daily as we guide him as parents and I am so blessed that God called us to be father and son ”¦ Thank you Father ”¦ thank you Eevon !!!!!!!

My friend Mike....

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

I prayed for my friend Mike today. He was rushed into emergency surgery in the early morning hours and underwent a serious operation. Lynette, our friend and his wife, called us at 2:30 in the morning to ask us to pray for him. As I prayed I was overwhelmed with concern for my friend and I couldn’t keep from asking, why Mike Lord, why my friend. He is a good man, one of the best I’ve met; one of those people that you meet and realize they are the real deal, one without guile. Why is it that the good ones suffer? I think, if we are honest, there are times when it is impossible not to ask God these questions. Yes I trust You Lord and I know the Scriptures; I know that all things work together for good and I know that You have our best at heart but right now I love my friend and I don’t like the circumstances one of Your faithful ones finds himself in. I don’t like it when those that I love suffer.

Later that day I sat with Mike. He had just awakened after coming out of recovery. I realized how honored I was to be allowed to pray for this man. As we talked and prayed we both knew that, though we cannot see it right now, God has His wonderful hand in this situation. It became obvious to me that it is a privilege to stand with one you love and pray them through the suffering. We can't rob them, in our desire to fix things. of this moment, walking in the grace of God, found only in the valley of the shadow of death. But, we can let them know they are not alone and that we are the expression of God’s understanding and concern for their human condition. Mike will come out of this better than he went in because he will cooperate with the One who made him, the one who is the lover of his soul. I am blessed to know what many do not, a friendship so close that I weep when he weeps and I laugh when he laughs. God is a master at using our helpless estate to build character in us and make us more loving and kind.

Times we are living ...

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As I look around and sense the season we are in I can’t help but wonder how people live without Jesus. How do they survive the pressure of this world and all its disappointments, temptations and empty promises? Even as a believer it is a challenge to keep my eyes focused on Jesus and His promises to me and not on what is going on in the world. Our eyes fool us at times. We see things as they appear and not as they really are. The perspective we have is limited by our humanity and our culture but God sees the end from the beginning. Scripture says that He will keep us, that even if our mothers abandon us He won’t let us go, that He will be with us in the fire and in the flood but He does not say that it will be easy. The vision of being a Christ follower in our western culture seems to be one of comfort and convenience. I wonder how long we would last in Eastern Europe or in China where life is hard and being a Christian means loosing your family, being imprisoned or giving up your life. How many American Christians would have made it through Nazi Germany or the arenas of Rome? I wonder how long I would last in a Muslim country where giving your heart to Jesus could cost you your head?

I remember leading worship at a church one day and sensing God saying “ You don’t want me enough.” I thought He was talking about the congregation I was leading in song but weeks later I realized He was speaking to me directly. I wanted the things of Jesus, the healing the good feeling the protection but He wants me to want Him. I pray we will learn to want Him with everything in us for every moment and every thought for every day.

Who Is Your King? .. Everyone has one!!

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Upper Room w/friends

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Mike and Danny Vieira from Crimson Rain joined me for the evening ... I remember Danny being 5years old watching me play in Brethren and Mike has been a friend for so long ... now to see Danny playing like a man for Jesus .. wow .... and what a songwriter !!!!! God has plans for you Danny ...
great night .. thank you guys....

TGIF

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Thank you Linda and crew .. Ralph on sound .. you guys really make everyone feel special ... great night .. love to worship with you ..

Packerville Baptist Church

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Thank you to Pastor Dennis Monroe Jr.and all the wonderful folks at Packerville Church ... what a history .. the church was built in 1828 and is still going strong ... just like all who have gone before them, these current Packerville worshipers are the real deal ... thank you for a great night ... please have me back.

Recording ....

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Feb 2nd we recorded 21 songs live. Pastor Monroe of Faith Tabernacle in North Scituate RI allowed us to use their sanctuary and showed a true gift of hospitality. They loved us as Jesus and provided for our needs in a way that showed His love. We invited worshipers in and it was an awesome day in the presence of God. Friends Mark McGrail on drums/ vocals — Rick Ottman bass/vocals — Don “Smitty” Smith vocals/drums — Stephen Bell guitar — Lisa Boisclair and Jon Tierney vocals — Manny deMello keyboards.

Thank you Mark and Dawn Jarrell from Dogwood Studio for all your hard work recording... I look forward to a long relationship.

What a great day thanks to all my friends and all those that came to worship. 10 more songs and it will be complete