CD Review: Sing Your Way to Joy (Ann Downing)
Ann Downing‘s life has been a mixture of ups and downs but, even through the down times, she’s been able to sing her way to joy. Each song on this recording is a message of hope and encouragement for those who are having a hard time finding joy in their lives. Ann co-wrote all but the last song on this CD.
Bring on the Joy – talks about going through a trial but knowing everything will be all right. After all, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.
You Know the Valley Too – reminds us that Jesus went before us. There’s nothing He doesn’t understand. Just give your burdens to Him. He’ll bring you through.
There’s Still a Cross – “There’s still a cross where sins are washed away. There’s still a cross where every debt is paid, where every gain has vanished and all is counted loss. There’s still a place where grace abounds. There’s still a cross.”
Pray for Power – It’s not by might or power but by God’s Spirit that miracles happen. We need to pray for that power of the Holy Ghost which sets the captives free and gives liberty.
Sing Your Way to Joy – The first verse talks about Paul and Silas while the second verse talks about how hard life can be and yet how, with God’s help, you can still sing in the midst of it.
A Little Goes a Long, Long Way – talks about the miracle God performed with two fish and five loaves of bread. The second verse talks about how you don’t need a lot to serve God. Just use what you have.
I Will Sing – Ann talks about how she will sing and tell the world what God has done for her.
It’s Not the End – No matter what you’re going through, it’s not the end. “It’s just another bend in the road of life.” Let God use it for His glory.
Make Room – tells us to make room for God to do what He wants to do. Too often, we get so busy with our own schedules and fulfilling our own desires but our lives should be centered around God and what He desires of us.
A Higher Place – This is my favorite song on the project. A prayer to God to take me to a higher place above the cares of this world. “Lord, I long for Your embrace. Until I see You face to face, take me to a higher place.”
Ann ends the CD with Albert E. Brumley’s beautiful song If We Never Meet Again.
God Resists the Proud
“The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be on every one that is proud and lofty, and on every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low” (Isaiah 2:11-12).
“An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin” (Proverbs 21:4).
“Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves to the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).
Pride. Something just about everyone has but one of the things which Scripture repeatedly says that God will not bless. I don’t know about you but I want … no, I need … God’s blessing in my life. Pride is extremely hard to get rid of though.
God has been speaking to me lately about the importance of being humble. It can be really hard sometimes but I find that most of the problems in life come because of “flesh” getting in the way. Humanly, I want to be right, I want to be understood, I hate being misquoted, etc. but I find that most things would never be the big deal they end up being if I would just let it go. I need to content myself with the fact that it’s not the end of the world if people don’t applaud everything I do. I just need to place it in God’s hands, answer in a humble way, and move on.
This is not an easy lesson for me but I’m praying God will help me get there–that I will truly walk in the gracious humility that He desires me to walk in. As I do, I will be more full of the joy of His Spirit and I can shine brighter with His love. Thank You, Lord, for loving me and being an example that I can follow. Help me to be faithful. Amen!
Let Me Tell You His Name Again
I don’t watch the news. That may be hard for some to understand but I decided a long time ago that the news is full of nothing but bad news. There may occasionally be a tidbit of something positive but that is definitely the exception, not the norm. As I listen to people discuss the various negative things going on in the world, I’ve been thinking of the One who knows everything going on much better than we do but it doesn’t phase Him a bit. His name is Jesus.
For the Christian, this should be no surprise but I see a lot of professing Believers ringing their hands as well. Folks, if you’re troubled by the things that are happening in this world, I want to encourage you to look up, for your redemption draws nigh. God is not asleep. He is not surprised by life as we know it. He is simply preparing to bring His children Home. That should bring joy to your heart, not fear and despair.
Back in the 1980s, the Hinsons sang a song titled, “Let Me Tell You His Name Again.” I would encourage you to listen to the words of that song and praise the Lord that you know the Answer to the questions the world is asking. His name is Jesus!
Thank God for the Promise of Spring
This has been a very busy few months for me. Not that that’s not typical. It just amazes me how busy life can be sometimes. As the weather begins to warm a bit, I am so looking forward to spring. I’ve learned to handle winter as a part of life but I still love going barefoot, feeling the breeze through the open windows, hearing the birds chirping. These may seem like little things but they are the daily blessings of spring.
Here in the north, it is possible we’ll get more snow yet but I’m grateful for every warm day. (I hear it’s supposed to get in the 40s this coming week!) As the temperature gradually gets warmer, the ground begins to dry up, and the sun makes its appearance more often, I begin to see once again the blessings I may have lost sight of when everything looked gray. Even though I didn’t always see them, if I thought about it, I knew they would appear again.
That’s how it is in life. Life is full of seasons. Some we like better than others but all are necessary. In the northern states, the cold and snow is necessary to kill the bugs and give the ground the moisture it needs to produce good crops for the farmers. If we had no rain or cold in our personal lives, our growth would be hindered and it’s possible we’d never get rid of the negative parts of our character that needs to go in order for us to be more like Jesus.
To everything, there is a time and a season for every purpose under heaven. Regardless of the season you’re at in life, thank God for it. You may not understand it but it is there for a reason. God doesn’t make mistakes. Spring is right around the corner. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Why Are You Following Jesus?
In his book Not by Bread Alone: Daily Devotions for Disciples, Greg Hinnant asks, “Are we ‘following’ to have Jesus or something, anything else, even His clearly promised benefits, gifts, and blessings?” Hmm. I’m pondering that this morning.
I love Jesus and tell Him so often but I’m also very blessed. I receive the blessings He promises to those who love Him so I sometimes think about what satan said of Job. “Does Job fear God for nothing?Have not You made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.But put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face” (Job 1:9-11). Satan knows something about human nature but I hope I’m not that fickle.
The fact is God loved me when no one else would have seen value in me. He saw beyond what I was to what I could be with Him. He has been patient, kind, and so faithful. I want to return that favor, to let Him know that I do love Him just because. He could have chosen anyone else to follow Him but He chose me! That, in itself, is a blessing.
Thank You, Jesus, for calling me to follow You. May I never stop following You. I look forward to the day I finally see Your face. I love You!
Servanthood
The pastor talked yesterday on Luke 17. There were many points to his message but one of the emphases was on servanthood. “Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do'” (Luke 17:9-10). I find that I often don’t mind doing most tasks if it’s appreciated. I don’t do well if I take the time to do something I’d rather not do and the person I’m doing it for seems indifferent or not pleased with my work. To be like Jesus, though, I’ve got to get past wanting to be appreciated and realize that, if God is happy with me, that’s all that really matters.
When Jesus walked this earth, He spent His whole life doing the will of the Father. He was mocked, ridiculed and eventually killed for the way He lived His life but all that mattered was that God be glorified. Oh to be like Him but I do know He wouldn’t give us commands that He would not enable us to keep. If I allow Him to make me truly humble, then I can serve Him as He desires me too. Then I will be able to say, “I am an unprofitable servant; I have done that which was my duty to do.”
Concert/CD Review: Once Again (The Kingsmen)
On Friday, February 1, I had the blessing of seeing my first-ever full concert of the Kingsmen. It was at the Chenery Auditorium in Kalamazoo, MI. I’d never heard of this auditorium before but I was excited about checking it out. The promoter told me that they used to have southern gospel concerts there a lot but they haven’t had any now in a number of years since The Bill Gaither Trio stopped singing there. He is planning to bring in more southern gospel groups, and I really hope it goes well for him. It’s a nice place.
I met Ray Reese a couple years ago and, since that time, had put the Kingsmen on the top of my list of groups I wanted to see. God finally worked it out and I’m so grateful.
They started with a couple old songs: “Traveling Home” and “Called Out.” Then they sang a song that came out a couple years ago: “He’s Everything I Need.”
After that they sang, “After the Sunrise” and then Randy Crawford introduced the group. I had seen Ray Reese and Randy Crawford previously but was not familiar with Chris Jenkins and Bob Sellers. I enjoyed hearing each of them as they were featured on the various songs. On a side note, I did not know before the concert that Ray Reese is still going through cancer treatments. It sounds like God is answering prayer though for which I’m very grateful.
“Loving Shepherd, Gracious God” is a beautiful song featuring Ray. Then they sang “I Can Hardly Wait” and “Meet Me at the Table.” I’m glad they still sing some of their old classics. I never tire of hearing them.
After that, they went into an acapella version of “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be” and then Chris sang, “O What a Savior.” They ended the first portion of the concert with “Saints Will Rise.”
After intermission, they began with the uptempo, “I’ll Live in Glory.”
Throughout the concert, Randy talked about how going to church, being a good person, etc. doesn’t save you. It’s Christ that saves you. I also appreciated it when he said ,”The Great Commission was given to everyone.” Too many think that the call to go and make disciples was given to pastors and missionaries but that’s not true. We all have mission fields. We just need to be obedient to serve God in that way.
They then sang “What a Day That Will Be” and the chorus of “Beulah Land.”
During intermission, I had decided to go ahead and make my CD purchases to save time afterward. As I listened to “Here Comes the Bride,” I wished I had bought the CD that included that song. After I got home and started listening to the CDs I got, I found it is included on their latest CD. Songs on that CD not included in the concert are listed on the CD review portion of this post.
After that, Randy talked again, giving a powerful message. One thing he said, I’ve not heard anyone say before but it is so true. He was talking about how, when Jesus was praying in Gethsemane, His prayer was, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” God’s answer was “No.” “Do we think we’re more important than Jesus? Jesus went to the cross not to accomplish His will but His Father’s will.” Stop and think about that. God doesn’t owe us anything, yet He blesses us daily.
Randy then gave an altar call, encouraging people to come forward if they needed prayer for anything but especially salvation. Chris sang, “He’s All I Need.” Bob prayed and then they sang “One Way Trip” which they encored a couple times. They had fun as Chris would go up and hit especially high notes.
Randy closed in prayer and dismissed everyone. I was so blessed by the ministry that went forth that evening. I was expecting to be entertained (and they are entertaining) but I was blessed that God was at the center of every song and every word spoken.
The Kingsmen recently released a CD of all previously released but re-recorded songs. For long-time fans like myself, this is a great CD to add to your collection. I remember Jim Hamill saying years ago that the Live recordings always sold well but they couldn’t give the studio recordings away. As I’ve listened to the Kingsmen’s music in the last few years, I believe that’s got to be changing. They’ve put out some good recordings with excellent songs and this is no exception.
When you first push play, you will hear their popular song, “God Sits On High.”
I hadn’t heard “I’ve Never Trusted You” previously but it’s a beautiful song which talks about surrendering to God and fully trusting Him.
“Justified” talks about what it means to be justified and what a blessing it is for those who are justified.
“What a Happy Time in Heaven” is an uptempo quartet song about Heaven.
“Without Jesus” talks about the hopelessness without Him but how, with Him, we have everything.
As mentioned earlier, many of the songs on their latest CD were sung in concert so they are mentioned in the concert portion of the review. I’ve been enjoying listening to these songs afresh and I’ve no doubt you will enjoy them as well.
Seeing God Differently
I’ve been thinking about all the people I know who need God’s touch. Whether physical, emotional or spiritual, so many need God in a mighty way. I know there are people I don’t pray for as I should but I want to keep praying for the people God has put in my life. I want to be someone people can turn to in time of need. Not one who just talks about praying but someone who really prays.
Every Christian has the privilege of prayer but, sadly, it seems like many don’t take advantage of it often. They probably pray before meals and more than likely will go to God in time of crisis but we should be at Jesus’ feet all the time. If your children never talked to you except when they needed something, how would you feel? You may give them what they ask for out of love for them but I know you would be hurt that they don’t see a need to talk to you apart from that.
If we saw God as the best friend that He is, we would be communicating with Him constantly: finding out what He likes, what He doesn’t, what He desires us to do with our life, who He desires to speak to or reach out to through us. There’s so much He wishes to tell us if we would just take the time to listen.
Don’t treat God as someone who’s handy once in a while. Begin to see Him as the person you can’t live without … because that’s exactly who He is.
Herein is Love
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
“But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
I’m not a person who’s big on celebrating holidays just because they’re on the calendar but, with this being Valentine’s Day, I have been thinking about love. Included in my thoughts have been the people I love but I’ve also been thinking of the love that surpasses human love, and that is the love of God.
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).
As grateful as I am for my friends and family who love me, I’m even more grateful for the immense love of my Savior. I don’t deserve His love and His favor but He gives it anyway. He constantly reminds me that I am His child and He delights in blessing me. I pray He will help me to return His love and be worthy of His time so that He greets me with a smile as He welcomes me into my Home.
“And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul.” Amen!
A Real Quick Post
I’ve not posted for a few days so just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a great week. I don’t know about you but life seems to go faster than I can keep up with it at times. Thankfully, God’s grace is sufficient and He gives the strength that I need continually. I don’t know how people get through life without Him but I know they don’t do very well at it.
I gotta run but don’t forget to keep praying for Tracy Stuffle. God is moving but Tracy is still in need of complete healing. How wonderful to know the God who can do just that! Have a blessed day!
