June 2014 Archives
CD Review: Great Day (Legacy Five)
The latest CD by Legacy Five begins with the uptempo title track, Great Day. I love the tight harmonies that we have come to expect from this group.
Gus Gaches sings Christ is Still the King. A powerful song written by Dianne Wilkinson and Rebecca J. Peck. “Rejoice! The tomb’s still empty, and Christ is still the King!”
More great quartet harmony on That’s a Hallelujah. “Every time the Lord has been good to ya, that’s a Hallelujah!”
Scott Howard sings So Many Things which tells of many of the things he’s thankful for in spite of the difficulties life brings.
What a Happy Day is a medley of old songs: “O What a Happy Day,” “Everybody Will Be Happy Over There,” “I’ll Live in Glory,” “When We All Get to Heaven,” “I’ll Have a New Life,” “Heaven’s Jubilee,” and “A Wonderful Time Up There.” So many old favorites, yet they fit portions of each song into just a little over four minutes.
Only the Living is a beautiful song. It talks about how sad it is for those living when a loved one goes on to Heaven. The one who left, however, is experiencing joy on the other side.
In my view, the message of Who is This Man has been overdone but the delivery is well done.
He Heals is a slow song of hope hope for the hurting.
He is to Me has a similar feel to “He Is” which Triumphant Quartet sings.
Great Medley features, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” “How Big is God,” and “How Great Thou Art.” Hallelujah!
I read some other reviews of this project and apparently not everyone hears it the same way I do. In my book, featuring great arrangements by Lari Goss and great lyrics from a variety of songwriters, as well as great harmony, this is another great Legacy Five CD.
Don’t Stop Growing
I love meeting new Believers. They are so eager to learn about God and His Word. If the Bible says it, they believe it and desire to do what it says. They are often looking for opportunities to share their new-found faith with others. After what God has done for them, they don’t want to just keep it to themselves.
As excited as I get when I meet people like this, I am extremely burdened for those who have gone to church their whole lives. Many of them do not exhibit the joy of the Lord, they are not in the Word asking Him to try them and know them and show them the things that displease Him, and they are not being the Light that God calls us to be. Instead, they show up at church Sunday morning, looking like they would rather be anywhere else.
The Bible is a big book with lots of guidelines for how God wants His children to live, but a great starting point would be Galatians 5:22 and 23: the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance). Jesus said we would know those who are His by their fruit. Does this list describe you?
When I came to know the Lord in my late teens, there were certain negative character traits He took away from me. Some things, however, I still struggle with. As much as I would like to not struggle (I even hate it at times), I realize that it is in these struggles that growth comes. If everything were easy, I would not see the need to rely on Him. As it is, I call on Him daily to help me walk in a way that pleases Him. I pray that I never become content but will constantly seek to grow and follow Him wholeheartedly. I want to be a vessel He can use until my dying day. I pray that is your prayer as well.
Faithfulness is a Choice
If there is one thing I desire, it is to be faithful. I pray daily for God’s help in that area but often I’m reminded that I need to choose the path of faithfulness. Temptations abound, even for the Christian. If I do not desire faithfulness with all my heart, to the point that I am willing to make right choices, it is like asking God to help me lose weight while I eat every dessert and carbohydrate in sight. It’s not going to happen. First Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God will provide a way of escape from temptation but I will add that He won’t make us walk through that door.
This is a lesson I am still learning. I like quick fixes. I would prefer to be so close to God that I don’t desire to sin but there are still areas where I must choose on a daily basis to take the right path. Sometimes I win; sometimes I fail. Thankfully, I serve a merciful God who will allow me to get back up and try again. The more I choose the path of “right,” the easier it becomes the next time.
Years ago, a friend told me that it was easier for her to not eat any sugar than to eat a small bite. If she allowed herself any, she would end up eating more than she should. It is that way with sin. If we allow ourselves a slight indulgence, we will not be able to stop with that. It is much better to weigh everything we do in light of God’s Word. If He says to do it, do it with all your heart. If He says don’t, stay as far away from it as you can. If there are things that are not clearly stated in Scripture, see if there are principles in the Bible that would speak to the situation. If you have the Spirit of God, He will show you right from wrong. When He does, you have a responsibility to walk in that. Anyone who knows to do right and does it not, to him or her especially, it is sin.
I hope you will choose to be faithful today. Study the fruits of the Spirit and examine yourself to see how those line up in your life. What about the two great commandments: loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself? That is the standard–not whether we are living better than our friends and neighbors, but if we are pleasing God in everything we do.
Are You Genuine?
I can’t imagine anything worse than being called a hypocrite: “a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.” People used to joke about moms who would holler at their children but, when the phone would ring, the tone of voice quickly changed as she answered, “Hello.” I’ve been in ministry for over 25 years, and I remind myself often that, if I am not living what I preach, I should not be preaching.
This does not mean I never have a bad day. I can become frustrated, overwhelmed, stressed, etc. but I work to overcome so I can walk through those times in a way that honors God. When I fail and I know I have grieved my Father, I ask His forgiveness and His help to do better.
I don’t want anyone to ever look at me and see another Christian who has failed. I want them to see that God is real and at work in the lives of His imperfect people. Without Him, I am not a blessing to anyone but, with Him, there is no end to the ways He can use me if I will allow Him to do so.
If you are struggling to live Godly in Christ Jesus, the answer is not to give up. Continue to draw near to God, ask for His help to become the person you know you need to be. If you have been unkind to others, tell them you know you were wrong. It may take them time to forgive you but at least you will be taking the first step to a victorious walk with Christ. Habits are hard to break so you may find yourself repeating the sin you’ve repented of. Every time, as soon as you realize you’ve done it again, go to God and ask His forgiveness and His help to say No to those things. Whether anger, pride, selfishness, lust–whatever the sin–God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I, for one, am very grateful that He is continuing the work that He began in me. May I ever praise Him for it.
