April 2020 Archives
A Conference Worth Watching
Many years ago, we became aware of Pure Life Ministries, a ministry that is dedicated to calling people to holiness. In 2000, they started an annual conference which we attended for several years. I have not been able to attend in quite a while so I am thrilled that they are live streaming this year’s conference. I just watched the first session, and I am excited to see how God speaks to my heart this weekend. They will be streaming the first session again tonight at 9:00 EST and tomorrow morning at 8:00 EST. Plus there will be several other speakers. I encourage you to make time to catch some of these sessions. You will find the schedule at the bottom of here. Below is the trailer which will give you more information. May we be bold followers of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse world.
Larry Hinson Is in Heaven
I received the sad news last evening that Larry Hinson of the Original Hinsons passed away unexpectedly. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet him and his wife, Jana, a few years ago. He will be truly missed. My prayers are with the family. This is the first song I thought of when thinking about Larry. He sings the second verse. I hope you enjoy.
Book Review: Enduring Trials God’s Way by Scott LaPierre
“
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” ~James 1:2
“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:18
These scriptures are in the Bible and yet, many times, I think we would like to convince ourselves that they don’t really mean what they say. In his book Enduring Trials God’s Way: A Biblical Recipe for Finding Joy in Suffering, Scott LaPierre uses a lot of scripture to tell us how to follow the biblical pattern for dealing with trials. Everyone has them, but what separates the Christian from the unbeliever is how we respond to them.
If you are going through a trial, I think this book will be an encouragement to you. If you know someone who is going through a difficult time, this may give you some insights as to how to encourage them.
Table of Contents:
1. Expect Trials
2. Did You Do Something Wrong?
3. Count Trials As Joy?!?!
4. Blessed by Persevering
5. Longing for Jesus During Trials
6. The End Intended by the Lord in Trials
7. The Trials We Endure are Supremely About Jesus
Thoughts of Gary McSpadden
So many thoughts are going through my mind right now after hearing that Gary McSpadden went to be with Jesus this morning after a short battle with cancer.
I first heard of Mr. McSpadden when he replaced Danny Gaither with the Bill Gaither Trio. I was not used to group changes back then, and it was a long time before I was willing to concede that Gary was really a good singer.
When I was a teenager, my brother and I were waiting for someone to pick us up from the National Religious Broadcaster’s convention. All of a sudden, we saw someone across from us who looked just like Gary McSpadden! We were not expecting to see him so we did what all good fans do: we froze and stared at him while we whispered to each other trying to decide if it was really him. He look back at us and smiled, probably amused at our obvious awe. We never did talk to him, and I have kicked myself ever since.
I enjoyed watching him on video during the early days of the Gaither Homecoming series. He never seemed to age, and he could still sing. This is the song that came to my mind as soon as I heard the news. I hope you enjoy.
Concert Withdrawal, Be Gone!
Does anybody else feel like it’s been way too long since they’ve attended a concert? I sure do, so I was thrilled to find Godsey Media’s HopeSings Concerts During Crisis. These are concerts that you can watch online. They are charging $20 per ticket, but your money is going to help artists who have been out of work for six weeks or so while the country has been locked down. Since I make much of my income traveling and doing events, I understand how difficult this time is and how much more so for groups that support several households through singing. This is not a time to think, “I can watch videos for free on YouTube.” This is a time to support your favorite groups so that they can continue to sing once the ban is lifted. Plus they would like to keep eating and paying bills before then.
I realize a lot of people are without work now, but if you still have money coming in and have some extra to share, I hope that you will check out the schedule and support one or more of the groups or artists who will be performing. For instance, tonight the Nelons will be giving a concert at 7:00. Then Saturday will feature Triumphant. On Sunday, Riley Harrison Clark, Gene McDonald, and their Surprise Quartet will be performing. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. One thing I like about this approach is that the artists aren’t just asking for money. They are willing to perform to an empty room while giving you a concert like you would expect to see in a concert hall.
Don’t forget to pray for these artists too. Many are feeling the strain of this time, so if you can’t support them financially, you can still lift them up to the Father and ask Him to give them strength and encourage their hearts. I’m so thankful to serve a God who has promised to meet all of our needs, many times using Brothers and Sisters in Christ to do just that. If you do watch some of these concerts, I’d love to know who you saw and how they ministered to you. God bless you all!
Don’t Forget the Cross
The weeks leading up to Easter, and Easter weekend itself, are a reflective time for me as they are for many people. However, while we were eager to get to the Resurrection and the reminder of the life that we can now have in Jesus, I pray that we do not forget the suffering that Jesus went through so that we can have this life. Now that Easter has passed, I imagine that most people go back to life as usual. At least as usual as it can get these days. But I urge you not to do that. Keep going back to the Cross and the price Jesus paid for your freedom. It is harder to live a life of sin when the Cross is ever before us.
As you go through this week, begin each day by reflecting on anything God showed you this past month. And if you didn’t think about much, then start today. Is there unconfessed sin in your life? Confess it. Unforgiveness? Ask God to help you to forgive as you have been forgiven. Anything that is not fitting for a Christian? Repent. Jesus did not die so that we could continue in our selfishness and arrogance. He died to make us new! But we must allow Him to do so.
Maybe you have been going through the motions of going to church but there is no life in you and you are not sure you’re really saved. Ask God to save you once and for all and start serving Him. You may have to go through the motions of prayer and Bible study in the beginning but, if you truly want to get closer to the Lord, you will begin to love that time spent alone with Him until you can’t get enough of it.
Each day is a new beginning. His mercies are new every morning. Let’s not go back to our old routines. Let’s move forward in new life with Him. Start today!
Two Trees
Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. ~Jeremiah 17:7-8
I love this mental picture. The person who completely trusts the Lord and hopes in Him is compared to a carefree tree planted by a river, soaking up the perfect amount of sun and water. Its leaves don’t wither and it doesn’t stop producing the fruit that it was created to produce. It’s like it’s oblivious to everything else that’s happening in the world.
I find that when I am totally trusting God, I feel irresponsible. I wonder if I really understand the brevity of a situation. But that is where God wants us. He wants His children to go about their daily tasks and trust Him to deal with the things that they cannot alter anyway.
You’ve heard it said that you can’t change anything by worry while others think that worry must work since the things they worry about never happen. Whichever way you look at it, I would rather not waste time worrying. I know that my Heavenly Father watches over me so I have no reason to fear.
In contrast stands a tree on which our Savior was crucified. This was not a tree that was full of life; the sole purpose of this tree was to bring death. In dying on a coarse, rugged tree, Jesus would give us life like the tree planted by the water. In my mind’s eye, I see the confused look on a multitude of faces as the sky turned suddenly dark in the middle of the day. There was nothing good about this day. His mother cried. His disciples were perplexed. Had they been deceived like so many others who followed a false prophet and now the last three years of their lives were wasted? I expect that thoughts like these were running through their minds but, thanks to God’s Word, we know the end of the story. It’s only Friday now, but Sunday is coming!
CD Report: Lift His Name (Karen Peck & New River)
I was reading verses on praise the other day so, when I pulled this CD off my shelf, I got excited by the title. Karen Peck Gooch co-wrote all but three songs, and there is quite a variety on here: fast and slow, encouraging and thought-provoking, songs on the crucifixion and the resurrection, and, yes, songs of praise and surrender. They even threw in a progressive version of Ain’t No Grave.
Other songs included are: The God I Serve; Made Right; I Know Jesus Lives; The Book; The Love of Jesus; Messiah Overcame; When I Lift Up the Name; and All About Yes.
It’s Not God’s Fault
Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you. ~Jeremiah 5:25
Have you ever known people who feel like everything bad happens to them, but it’s everyone else’s fault? In reality, you can look at the situation and say, “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you had made better decisions.” Although some would say that outright, those who don’t would at least think it.
It is easy to see other’s flaws while thinking I am a pretty good person and yet Scripture says that there is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10)! If you are in a bad situation, it is not God’s fault, nor is it your elderly mother’s fault. Quite possibly, it is yours.
I do not want to guilt trip everyone who is going through a hard time right now. God allows us to go through trials in order to test our faith and draw us closer to Him. And sometimes things just happen because we live in a fallen world. But if you take time to listen to yourself talk and you can’t think of anything positive that has ever happened to you, you might want to seriously ask God why. Are there idols in your life that are hindering your walk with Him? Did God ask you to do something years ago and you told Him no? He may still be waiting for you to surrender.
In Jeremiah 5, Jerusalem was going through a time similar to America. People who had once known the Lord and seen His hand at work now ignored Him. Sure, they gave Him lip service, but He no longer held their hearts. He had brought them out of Egypt and given them “a land flowing with milk and honey,” but they went back to a life of sin. Because of this, God declared that He would devour them (v. 14). Wow. Doesn’t that make you shudder?
In Exodus, the people repeatedly asked Moses, “Did you bring us into the wilderness to die?” In Jeremiah, God made it clear that it wasn’t Him that was to blame for their judgement; it was themselves. I often wonder what it will take for America to turn to God. It seems like when things are going well, we feel pretty good about ourselves and what we have accomplished, but when things go bad, it’s all God’s fault. In reality, the opposite is true. God loves you immensely. I expect that He has done a lot to try to get your attention. Maybe the pit that you have fallen into is a large part of that. If you are at the end of your rope and you don’t think you can sink any further, I exhort you to cry out to God. Read the Prophets. See how merciful the Father is and yet remember that He is also a God of judgment. Don’t let sin become a barrier to your finding true relationship with a loving God.
Lessons from Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah was the son of a priest. When he was young, probably a teenager, God called Jeremiah to speak for Him. Being a prophet was the most thankless job at that time. Not only did prophets not get paid, they didn’t even get thanked for their obedience. At best, they were mocked. At worst, they were murdered. And yet, when God called, you could not very easily say, “No thanks. Find someone else.” Jonah tried that and ended up in the belly of a stinky fish.
What struck me as I was reading the above verses is that this time, it was not the people who wanted to stone Jeremiah; it was his friends and family! They did not like what he had to say and, for that reason alone, they wanted to put him to death. Being the brave lot that they were, however, they weren’t going to take it upon themselves to do so unless they had the multitude’s approval. Interestingly, the people didn’t agree.
It amazes me that the princes and the common people recognized the word of God, but those who professed to be God’s servants did not. It seems to me that not much has changed in that department. Many times unbelievers know more how Christians should act than professing Christians do. I wonder if it was the descendants of these unbelieving priests that ordered Jesus to be crucified many years later. Somehow, they forgot why they were called, and they became haughty and self-righteous.
Discernment is as important today as it was back then. When God is speaking, we must hear and be quick to respond. But we should also know when a voice is not the Father’s.
The priests of old did not test the spirits. They had preconceived notions of what was acceptable and did not want to hear anything that would stir them out of their comfortable position. True prophets brought forth messages that weren’t popular, and the priests wanted nothing to do with that.
Who do you relate to in this story? Do you have a heart to hear God’s voice no matter how difficult a message it may be? Or do you shy away from people who make you uncomfortable because their convictions are different than you, and you may become challenged to change? Jesus had some harsh words for the Pharisees. He called them hypocrites and snakes. Not only do I not want to be called those things, I don’t want to be those things!
Father, help Your people who are called by Your name to humble themselves and pray and seek Your face. Bring conviction where we need it and make us willing to repent so that we can be better used of You. Give us the boldness we need to proclaim Your words, and discernment to know when a word is not from You. Give us a greater burden for studying Your word and spending time with You so that we are better able to know what is true from Scripture. You are so good to us, Father, and we love You. May we be faithful to pray without ceasing and rejoice always. In Jesus’ name, Amen!