May 2011 Archives
Remembering the Martyrs
On this day when many are remembering the men and women who have died fighting for our freedom, God brought to mind men and women who laid down their lives to secure their ultimate freedom. I’m referring to those who were killed for no other reason than the fact that they loved God. It’s sad that we don’t have a day to honor them but I’m reminded that martyrdom is not a thing of the past. There are still people across the world being tortured for their love of Christ. They need our prayers.
As Americans, it’s easy to enjoy our life of comparative ease and forget those who don’t have this. We should not be so lax. If we live to see the day that our freedom is taken away, we would want our Brothers and Sisters across the world to pray for us. It may be the only thing that gets us through those times. I heard about a man in a communist country who stated that he prayed that America would face persecution so that we would become the Christians Christ desires.
I don’t pray for persecution but I am asking God to help me be the daughter He created me to be. If it truly is the trials of life that brings us to that point, I pray that He will give me strength to go through those trials. If it’s a lonely road I must travel to appreciate His presence, I pray I will rejoice even in that. As the martyrs who have gone before, my goal is to stay close to my Savior and do whatever He asks of me. I may not always understand but I pray to continue to hold His hand until I enter His presence for eternity.
Concert Review: Staffmen/Heralders/Calvarymen/Original Couriers
A couple weeks ago, I attended a concert at Hudsonville Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI. I was expecting to arrive 1/2 hour before it started and have no trouble getting a good seat. Wrong! As soon as we got to the church, the parking lot was full, making me eager to run in and make sure we had a place to sit. I hadn’t eaten dinner, however, so I probably made record time of eating half a sub (which for me is pretty fast) and then fought to walk like a lady as quickly as possible, hoping I wouldn’t have to stand.
The man who was seating people found my mom and me a seat about halfway back in the middle. We were right behind the sound control booth but thankfully no one was running sound from there most of the evening and, although I’d have preferred to be closer to the front, it wasn’t as bad a view as I thought it would be.
I’d only heard of two of the groups on the program that evening so I settled in as the concert began with the Staffmen. I enjoyed their set as they sang songs which were familiar to me: “Whispering Hope,” “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow,” “Sheltered in the Arms of God,” “Learning to Lean,” “Little is Much,” “Oh What a Savior,” “I am Redeemed,” and “We Shall See Jesus.” Basic arrangements but good harmony made each song nice to listen to and easy to sing along with.
The Calvarymen sang a mixture of songs I’ve heard them sing before and songs I hadn’t, although some of those I’d heard other groups do. Their set included: “He’s So Good to Me,” “In Your Arms” (probably my favorite song they sing), “Excuses” (the old Kingsmen classic), “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” (the Cathedrals’ acapella arrangement), “I Plead the Blood,” “Love Grew Where the Blood Fell,” and “Heaven’s Joy Awaits.” The last time I’d seen them, they were a quartet. Now traveling as a trio, I was surprised they did this last song but I was not disappointed. If you didn’t know the original included a bass singer, you wouldn’t have noticed the bass part was omitted. They encored the song, walking off stage and shaking hands while singing their “do re mi” parts. Very impressive.
I’d never had the opportunity to see Dave, Duane and Neil (the Original Couriers) outside of NQC but I have a lot of respect for Neil Enloe and I was looking forward to getting to talk with him and seeing his group in person. This trio has been singing together for over 50 years and, as I watched them sing, I thanked God for men who remain faithful to Him and the calling He’s placed on their lives. I’m grateful for men who don’t try to be idols but are willing to be examples of what Godly men look like. You really can be down to earth and reflect Jesus at the same time.
The Couriers sang: “Happiness,” “It’s Such a Good Feeling,” “Euroclydon” (my favorite Neil Enloe song so far), “I Stand Before Your Majesty,” “When It Hurts So Bad,” and “The Next Time I Get Married.”
During the Heralder’s set, I went to stand in the back so I could stretch my legs. Therefore, I only heard the first few songs but they had a great stage presentation and held their audience well. I was very blessed to meet Hank Vander Loon of the group and hope I have the opportunity to hear the Heralders again.
For the finale, all four groups sang “Loving God, Loving Each Other” and “I’ll Fly Away.”
I left the concert thanking God for allowing me to attend. I felt so blessed both by the concert and my conversations with Neil Enloe (of the Couriers) and Steve Ratliff (of the Calvarymen). I pray God continues to bless these groups and use them for His glory.
Watch and Be Ready
May 21 came and went and most of us are still here but I think of those in Joplin who ended up leaving this world yesterday. As I pray for the families and friends of the victims, I think of Jesus’ words: “ Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come. But know this, that if the manager of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes.” (Matthew 24: 42-44)
The fact is: Jesus is coming. He hasn’t come yet but He will. If we don’t live to see His return, we will be in His presence before then. Are you ready? I can picture people breathing a sigh of relief now that the day of the predicted end is over but, to me, it was a great reminder to look up. Jesus told us “And then if any man shall say to you, ‘See, here is Christ; or, see, he is there’; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take you heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.” (Mark 13:21-23) We’ve entered that time, Folks.
“Then said he to them, ‘Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near.” (Luke 21: 10-11, 25-28) How many of these signs are we seeing today?
The bottom line is this: It’s not a time to go back to our daily routine. It’s a time to live as each day is your last. Remind people that, yes, there are false prophets but the fact is Jesus is coming again. Our lives must be spent preparing to meet Him as a bride prepares for her Bridegroom. Are you ready?
Praising God in the Midst of the Battle
This past weekend was a typical battle of God vs. satan. We were at a convention which is always prime time for God to use us to encourage those who are overwhelmed or going through trials. We no sooner got to town when our vehicle started making noise. My brother dropped us off and parked and when he returned, he said he was concerned about driving home without the van being fixed. We weren’t sure how we would get the vehicle to the mechanic and get my brother back to the convention but God provided a place where they would pick the vehicle up. (Praise #1)
The next afternoon, the van was delivered back to the convention center along with the bill … a lot larger than I had thought possible. (Forget an arm and a leg; I’m convinced this place would have wanted a whole person if there were one available. I better be more specific in my prayers next time!) I had to thank God that at least He allowed us to get safely to our destination and we were going to be there a couple days so the mechanic had time to fix the van. (Praise #2)
I spent the weekend asking God to help me to focus on Him and minister to the people He brought to the table. Not only did He answer my prayer but He brought a couple people throughout the day to encourage me and minister to me. These people did not know I would need their encouragement but God did and He cared enough to supply it. (Praise #3)
I’m sure there’s a lot more I could mention where God thwarted the enemy’s tactics but my point is that, when life doesn’t go as we expect and we’re tempted to fret or complain, remember that there are no accidents in the Kingdom of God. If you are walking in His ways, you must trust that He knows what is best for you. I still don’t understand the purpose of having us break down away from home where we would spend so much of our earnings to a car repairman but I don’t doubt there was some purpose in it. As it turned out, one of the families at the convention gave us some money to put toward that repair bill and I know God will bring in the rest of the money as well. God’s love and care of His children is just amazing. (Praise #4)
Conviction vs. Condemnation
It’s interesting to me how satan knows the Believer’s weaknesses. It seems like he’s always trying to find a way to bring me down, discourage me, remind me of how far I have to go instead of allowing me to focus on how far I’ve come but you know what? Scripture refers to him as the deceiver. It’s true I still have much to learn and many ways to grow but God is not heaping condemnation on me and His opinion should be the only one that matters.
The Holy Spirit will convict but not condemn a Believer. Conviction should bring repentance and a faith-filled moving on. If you are walking around with your head down, not feeling faith that you will ever change, that is the enemy. He desires you to live that way so that you can’t be effective and you probably won’t change because you allow yourself to believe that lie.
Lift up your head and ask God to show you how He sees you. He may show you areas that He desires to do a work in but there will be a thanksgiving that He is still working on you. There’s comfort in the fact that God loves you enough to not leave you as you are but when you take a step backward, fall on your knees, ask God for forgiveness and get up determined to move forward and hold to God’s unchanging hand. You can live a victorious Christian life. Don’t let satan tell you otherwise.
Mercy
“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” (Psalm 103:8)
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lamentations 3:22)
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
I don’t know about you but I am so glad we serve a merciful God who, in spite of being holy, is also compassionate. I’ve been reading the Prophetic books of the Bible and I’m amazed that, even when His people would disobey Him and He had to punish them, He still longed for them to turn around, to stop worshiping idols so that He could take them back into His arms and continue to walk with them. The choice was theirs but so many times they had to learn the hard way.
In a lot of ways, things haven’t changed through the years. As rebellious children, we are always trying to get away with however much we think we can. We do the bare minimum we think we need to do to call ourselves a Christian but our self-righteous works don’t please the Father at all. If we haven’t given Christ everything, we haven’t given Him anything. He longs for us to truly turn to Him, to lay down our idols and our pleasures for His. He waits patiently until finally He allows trials to come. Sometimes that helps for a while as we realize we can’t make it without Him. As things begin to get better, however, we once again decide that we’re really in charge of our own lives. Even if we would never say it out loud, we act as if He is of no consequence. When will we learn?
I don’t want to take advantage of His mercy but I want to receive it and then share it with others. I want to run to Him, take His hand and never look back. I want to show the world that God CAN make a difference in their lives. He CAN grant them joy and peace and love and, yes, even mercy and forgiveness. All they have to do is repent and turn to Him and He is there waiting. Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy!
CD Review: Light On Feet, Ready to Fly (Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver)
The latest release from Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver is another first class CD. It starts with the barnburner, “Light on My Feet, Ready to Fly” and then goes into the ballad “In Your Arms.” I first heard this sung by the Calvarymen from Michigan and I love the way Doyle Lawson sings it as well.
Corey Hensley sings the high lead on “Teddy Bear Revival.” Next is “He Will Remember Me.” “It’s a Mighty Hard Road to Travel” is an uptempo song which talks about how hard it can be to stand when everyone’s against you and the enemy’s hammering hard. “I Live for Him Cause He Died for Me” is next. “The Hammer of Sin” has an excellent message and is a fast song which I really like. “Zion Medley” consists of “Is That the Old Ship of Zion” and a song I’m not familiar with.
Other songs include “Mountain View Missionary Baptist Church,” “My Lord’s Gonna Move This Wicked Race” and “Oh Heaven.”
Getting Back to Prayer
The weather is finally getting warmer and I’ve taken a couple prayer walks for the first time since last Fall. Oh how I’ve missed them. There’s nothing like looking up at a big blue sky, singing “How Big is God” at the top of your lungs, and then thanking God for His goodness and His love. Call me crazy but I can almost feel His arms around me as I walk and commune with Him and ask Him for ears to hear.
It’s interesting to me that so many seem to neglect prayer as part of their daily lives. It’s such a basic tenet of the Christian faith and yet people seem to forget that it’s much more than thanking God for our food and asking for intervention when going through a crisis. To have a close relationship with Christ, we must talk with Him. He wants to hear about our joys and sorrows. Sure, He knows everything before we tell Him but He doesn’t tire of hearing from us. I’m sure He wonders why we tell everybody else what’s on our mind but we don’t talk to Him. I confess I’ve been guilty of that too but I’m changing that pattern. God has been my best friend and I want to treat Him as such.
If you’re one whose schedule doesn’t accommodate taking time for God, take time to change your schedule. You can’t afford not to. Your day will be much more productive and less stressful with God at the center. When He’s left out, chaos reigns. Get back to prayer today and let it start with repentance for letting Him take any place besides first.
CD Review: Altogether Lovely (The Edwards Family)
I met Adam Edwards about four years ago but didn’t realize at the time that he was part of a singing group called The Edwards Family. Therefore, I was delighted a few months back when I received a CD from this family group. I’ve been hard pressed to know what category to put their music into. It’s quite a mix of bluegrass, traditional and yet some of their songs have a sound similar to the McKameys which I suppose would be considered traditional but a bit different. The group consists of Adam and Patricia Edwards, and Patricia’s mom Anna Scott.
One of my favorite songs on the project is “This One Thing I Know.” I’ve only heard the Primitive Quartet sing this song but the Edwards Family does a great job as well, incorporating a banjo in the break. They also sing the McKamey’s song “Altogether Lovely.” “Nothing Can Hold Me Here” is an old Mike Payne song which The Edwards gave a bluegrass sound to. Another song I like on the project is “I Can’t Quit.”
Other songs included are “I’ll Live Again,” “You Are Never Alone,” “I Can Trust Jesus,” “The Blood of Jesus,” “Something to Shout About,” “Behold His Coming, “Wall of Prayer,” and “For God So Loved the World.”
If you like southern gospel music, you should also check out Adam’s blog, Southern Gospel Critique.
Shannon Childress is Home with Jesus
I just found out that Shannon Childress, the former pianist for the Hoppers, went to be with Jesus this afternoon. Although I’ve seen the Hoppers in concert twice, I only saw Shannon with them once back in 1993 or ’94. He struck me as someone who was not always in the limelight but who was very talented. He was a good songwriter, arranger and producer. When he stopped traveling with the Hoppers, I was sad to see him go but I knew God would continue to use him in whatever He called Shannon to do.
Today is also my birthday but, in spite of how wonderful my day has been, I know Shannon’s has been better. He’s gone where there will be no sorrow, no sickness, and no pain.
My favorite song that Shannon wrote was titled “Anchored to the Power of the Cross.” If you haven’t heard it, I would encourage you to do a search for it on YouTube by the Hoppers. My prayers are with Shannon’s family but I know that our loss is Heaven’s gain. I’m thankful God allowed Shannon to touch the lives he did and I praise God we will one day join him “where there’s no time to cry, no time to die, we will be where there’s no time at all” (quoted from the Hopper’s song “No Time at All”).