February 2018 Archives
Stand in the Breach
“And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22:30-31).
I have met people who think there is no use in praying because God is going to do what He’s going to do so prayer won’t affect anything. This makes no sense to me, as there are instances in Scripture where God declared that He would perform a negative action but changed His mind when people repented, interceded, etc.
I think of the city of Nineveh which God said He would destroy. But He spared them when the people repented. (See the book of Jonah in the Bible.)
Or what about the woman in Matthew who asked Jesus to heal her daughter? Jesus acted as if he wasn’t interested until she humbly responded, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the Master’s table” (Matthew 15:27). If she had walked away muttering or even resignedly saying, “You’re right, Lord. I’m sorry to have bothered you,” I don’t think her daughter would have received the healing that this mother yearned for.
My view is that we don’t see revival because we don’t cry out for it. We don’t see more healed because we don’t ask for it. We live apathetic, Spirit-less lives, and then we blame God for not doing anything when maybe He is just waiting for someone to stand in the breach and intercede for those who cannot or will not pray for themselves.
God is not obligated to do what we want. I am not promoting a “name it, claim it” doctrine. I am, however, calling for people to fall on their knees, to get the mind of God, and to intercede for our nation, our unbelieving loved ones, those who are sick–physically, mentally, and spiritually. God hasn’t changed; people have. The hearts of many have grown cold. How low do we have to get before we begin to seek Him again?
Are Feelings Valid?
I know people say that one cannot judge their walk with God by feelings, but I believe that, if I am where I need to be with God, I will feel His presence. When I do not feel Him, I begin to search my heart in an effort to determine if there is something in my life that is hindering my walk with Him. I do not want to be one who assumes everything is OK and not realize that I am drifting away. This is not to say that life is always good. But the greatest blessing is to go through a difficult trial and still know that God is walking with me, carrying me through it.
I also know that emotions can lie. We can fool ourselves into thinking we are doing well because we “feel good.” Most sin feels good. So, again, we need to be constantly examining our hearts to know whether we are in the will of God or not. The best way to do this is to stay in the Word. If what you are doing goes against Scripture, no matter how good it makes you feel, it is not indicative of God’s approval.
I think the key is balance. You must not be led by feelings but, if you never feel God’s presence, you may want to ask yourself why. He says that His sheep hear His voice so, if your prayers consist of you telling God what you want but never hearing what He wants, you need to evaluate this.
I don’t want to be one who just goes through the motions of reading my Bible, singing songs, attending church and yet never have any indication that He hears me or is speaking to me. Christ came that we might have life, and that more abundantly. If I don’t know that Jesus is walking with me, how will others know?
Perfect Heart sang a song that said, “Lord, I want to walk so close to You that I can feel You holding my hand.” That is my prayer. Every morning when I rise, I want to know that He is with me and hear Him say, “Good morning, my child. Here are the tasks I have for you to do today.” That is what walking with God should be like.
Judge Not? Really?
I have written on this topic before but it continues to come up, so I think it needs some more attention.
The verse everyone uses to condemn others for judging is Matthew 7:1: “Judge not that you be not judged.” They apparently don’t read on to verse 5, which says, “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (emphasis mine).
There are two kinds of judgment: self-righteous and caring. It is wrong for you to think you are superior to your neighbor because “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I get; I am not like this sinner” (Luke 18:12). In having that kind of attitude, you are proving that you are indeed worse than that “sinner.” However, Scripture outlines clearly what are deeds of the flesh and what are fruits of the Spirit. When Paul says, “Those who do these things shall not enter the kingdom of God,” we are not judging that those who are immoral, envious, angry, etc. are not truly children of God. That is what the Word says.
It really doesn’t matter if I understand why someone does the things they do or even if I would do the same things myself. The only thing that should matter is, Is it the right thing to do? Is it how God would have me handle the situation? What does the Bible say? In this age of tolerance, no one wants to be told that they are a sinner, but it is that refusal to listen to truth that is going to send them to Hell.
When you see someone living in sin, don’t take the approach of, “I’m not judging; I’m just going to love them.” That is not really love. Instead, share with them your concern. Show them what the Word says about the life they are living. And pray for them. Before you do this, however, I would recommend going to the Lord and asking Him to show you the things in your life that you need to repent for. Once you make those things right, then you can go to another person out of love and with a clean heart, and maybe they will listen to you.
CD Review: Walk Worthy (Master’s Voice)
It’s rare that a group catches my attention the first time I hear them. Master’s Voice is one of those rare groups. I have two of their CDs and never get tired of them. Good harmony and arrangements to songs written by writers such as Phil Cross, Joseph Habedank, Dianne Wilkinson, Jerry Salley, and others make this a recording you will want to listen to over and over. You will be tapping your toes on Love Goes a Mighty Long Way, crying on One Day Longer, acknowledging that “Without You, I Haven’t Got a Prayer,” and praying to be that person who will “Lift Up Your Hands When You Can’t.”
Other songs include: He Saw Me; Another One Like Him; Yes He Did, Yes He Does, Yes He Will; More Than Enough; Sowing the Good Seed; Do What Jesus Did; Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary; and Where My Savior Is.
Praise Him Anyway
The other day, my body was tired. I had things I needed to do but I decided that I would be furthest ahead to take the day off so I could be up on the days when I needed to be. I don’t like unproductive days but I am learning to rest in the things that I can’t control.
As I sat in my recliner and listened to a CD, I rejoiced in the fact that I do not have to be up to praise the Lord. Even when my body is weak, my soul, mind, and spirit can still worship. What a blessing!
When life does not give us what we want, we have a choice: We can grow bitter and hard to be around, or we can rejoice, knowing that God works all things together for good to those who love Him. I find that the trial does not seem so hard when I turn it into praise. This is something I have had to learn. The flesh desires to complain and receive sympathy for what we are going through, but the Word tells us to rejoice in everything. With the Holy Spirit’s help, you can do just that.
I should clarify that there is a difference between complaining and telling someone honestly how you are doing. I don’t ascribe to the belief that Christians should never admit when they are sick or having a rough day. We all struggle at times, but we should not live in that struggle. We should not forget that He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. Be honest, but let your purpose be so that your friends can intercede for you and be ready to give God the glory when He answers your prayers. Then you will be able to encourage others with the encouragement that you have received. We serve such a faithful God. No matter what you are going through, praise Him anyway.
God Can Speak through the Old Testament
There are people who believe that most, if not all, of what God spoke in the Old Testament was for that particular people group and not for all people at all times. Although there were times that God gave a specific command to a specific person for that season, I believe that everything is in Scripture for a reason and that there are things that we can learn from it and even expect the same results from an unchanging God.
Right now, I am reading through Ezekiel. What jumps out at me is God telling Ezekiel, “Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. … If you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul” (vv. 17, 19). Although this is a specific word to Ezekiel, I think I can safely say that it applies to all of us. If you know someone who is living in sin and you do not warn them of judgment to come, you will be held responsible. You cannot control the outcome but you need to at least sound the warning.
When you read the Bible, do not automatically discredit things as cultural or just for the people in that day. Take time to pray over each portion of Scripture and ask God what He desires to speak to you. You may start noticing how much you can apply to your life today.
CD Review: A Different Light (Mark Bishop)
Mark Bishop has just released another CD with 11 original songs that he wrote. He has several guest vocalists that are worthy of mention on this recording.
The Kingdom Heirs join Mark on the uptempo Finish Strong, Finish Well, Finish Empty.
He’s Always Been a Friend reminds me of the Bishops, and it features Kenneth Bishop on the second verse.
The Refrigerator Door will take you back to when your children were little, and everything they drew, made, etc. was placed on the refrigerator door.
Tell Me You Saw Me is something each of us should desire. “Tell me you saw me walking with Jesus. I’ll tell you it’s by His grace.”
My favorite song on this CD is Couldn’t Feel Any Better. The second verse features Chris Freeman. If you’re having a rough time, this song should lift your spirits.
Other songs include: More Than Enough; I Know I’m in Good Hands; God Is Powerful; What It Comes Down to Is Me; Fly, Fly Away Little Birdie; and I’m Gonna Wish I Had Worried Less.
Recovering from a Site That Was Down
It seems there is always going on with this site. It was down a good part of last year and then the last few weeks, I’ve been locked out of my dashboard so I haven’t been able to post anything. Thankfully, I am back in now so I might have to make up for lost time. 🙂
Next week, I hope to post a couple CD reviews. I am really behind on those so I may review some CDs that actually came out early last year or the previous one but maybe it will be a reminder to those who had wanted to purchase some but had forgotten to do so. I may even throw in some book reviews. My editing has picked up lately so, although the books won’t necessarily be southern gospel related, I’ve had the blessing of editing some good books if you like to read. Some are lighthearted and encouraging; others are challenging. I enjoy reading both of those categories.
On a personal note, I continue to slowly work through the Walk of Repentance Bible study. Last night, I read Colossians 3:1-17, which shows clearly how a Christian shouldn’t act and how he or she should. I don’t think Scripture gets any clearer than when it says to “Put off” and “Put on.” The Bible study then asked how many of the sins you have overcome and how many of the victories have become yours. Very thought provoking. If you have time, I would encourage you to go over these verses and examine yourself in the light of God’s Word.
Lord willing, I will be writing more inspirational, motivational, and challenging posts next week but, for now, I just want to wish you a great weekend. If you are sick, please consider others and stay home tomorrow. If you are well and not snowed in, I hope you have a Body of Believers to learn from and worship with. Throughout my life, I have wondered at times if this was really true, but we do need each other. I will be in touch again soon.
