Seasons
I think most of the country is now beginning to see signs of spring and I, for one, am really enjoying the warmth and sunshine. Even the evening rains have been soothing as I listen to the drops against my window. Spring is definitely my favorite season as I don’t think there’s anything about it that I don’t like. Well, except maybe the bugs that come out of hibernation but I won’t complain.
Although I would keep this kind of weather forever, I have learned that each season works together for the good of the earth. God created each season unique and each state and country unique to be able to tolerate different climates and grow different foods. It’s really amazing when you think of it.
So too are the seasons of life. If life were all one season and one weather pattern, we would not grow as we need to. We would easily become stagnant and unfruitful. However, because of the rain and the snow and the sun in our lives, we continue to become the vessels that God can use. We are not useless weak vats but we are becoming strong vessels that He can keep filling so that we have something to give to others.
I confess I do not always feel that strong but I possess a lot of strength that I would not have if not for the storms of life that God has allowed me to face and He’s always given me strength to stand. The warrior may be a child but this child is a child of the King, and I trust my Father to give me the weather that I need in my life. As a flower cannot grow without rain and sun, neither can I but the good thing is, when it seems like I’ll never see the sun again, I know that I will. My Father promised me that, and He always keeps His Word.
A Post-Easter Post
I trust you had a blessed weekend thinking about our Lord and His resurrection. Maybe you attended a sunrise service and pictured what it was like the morning the women went to the tomb and found it empty. Maybe you were part of a communion service and wondered what it would have been like to be at the table with Jesus partaking of the last passover He would be a part of. Little did the disciples know how quickly the life they had known up to that time would change.
This past year, I read “The Robe” for the first time. It may be the only book that I put back on my shelf to re-read as soon as I finished it. I have not read it again yet but I plan to do. Although a fiction, there is so much that is thought provoking. Tonight, I watched the movie and it once again reminded me that Christ died for the whole world. No one is too unlovable or without hope. If we lived like we believe in a resurrected Christ, I suspect we would see more people come to believe in Him as well.
It’s so easy, once the festivities are over and the messages move to another topic, to go back to life as usual and forget what we profess to believe. Let’s not do that this year. Let’s not stop proclaiming that we serve a risen Savior. He is alive! He was crucified but He lives again! If nothing else, the smile on our faces should show people that we have a Reason to live. As I walk through malls or Walmarts all over the country, I sometimes wonder where all the people are who attend the myriads of churches in town. I rarely see love; I rarely see joy; I rarely see anything that makes me want to stop someone and ask them what’s different about them but it presents a challenge to me. When others look at me, can they tell that I’m different (in a positive way)? I hope so and, if they can’t, I pray that God will fill me so full that I will radiate with His light and be quick to point others to the one who is risen. We do serve a risen Savior, folks. Let’s act like it!
Happy Resurrection Day!
I don’t know about you but the past few days, I’ve felt the overwhelming love of Christ. Even before it hit me that this was the weekend we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus, this feeling was present and, as I think about His death on the cross and His continual work in my life, I am amazed. I can relate to what Rusty Goodman felt when he wrote, “Who am I that a King would bleed and die for? Who am I that He would say ‘Not my will Thine’ for? The answer I may never know, why He ever loved me so that to an old rugged cross He would go for who am I?”
May you all have a blessed day celebrating Christ’s resurrection, but don’t forget everything He suffered out of love for you. He died for you. Are you living for Him?
What Wondrous Love
Most of this week, I’ve found myself singing “What Wondrous Love is This.” I’ve pretty much known three of the verses but yesterday, I wanted to confirm some of the lyrics. In the process of doing so, I found a second verse which I’d never heard before.
When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul. Think about that for a minute. That is exactly what happened. It goes along with Dottie Rambo’s song: “He left the splendor of Heaven, knowing His destiny was the lonely hill called Golgotha, there to lay down His life for me!”
I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned, unclean!
I don’t know why Jesus loved me but I’m so glad He did … and still does!
Right Responses
Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that, if there were no valleys, the view from a mountaintop would not be so beautiful? If we never found ourselves in deep water, we would never learn to swim. If we never saw midnight, we would take sunrises for granted. And if life were all ease, there would never be a need to trust in God.
I sometimes think that it would be great to live life without the stresses and struggles that come but honestly it wouldn’t be much of a life. God created the hardships in life to make us more like Him and it’s the refining fire of trials which bring us to that place of surrender that allows for greater fellowship with Him. It’s our pride being broken which brings the humility that causes God to extend His grace to us. It’s fighting the enemy that turns us toward God and forces us to run into His arms. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t elude those arms for anything.
When God created the world, He created us for pure, untainted fellowship with Himself but, when sin entered, He mercifully ordained the toils and strains of life to get us back to that place of fellowship. It’s amazing to me that, after Adam and Eve sinned, He didn’t go back to being with the angels and leave us to our own vices. Yet His love for us was so strong that I believe that was the day He knew He would have to become a human sacrifice so that we would not perish but have everlasting life. In spite of our selfishness and our lying, sinful nature, God loved us with a love that I cannot comprehend. How could someone be spat upon, kicked, beaten, marred beyond recognition and still say, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing”?
That’s the kind of God we serve and that’s the God we are sinning against when we complain about the things that come our way. As we enter Easter weekend and we think about what Jesus did for us, let’s also think about what we’re doing for Him. Are we letting Him know by the way we live our lives and the words that come out of our mouths that we love Him and appreciate what He did for us, or are we crucifying Him all over again by letting Him know we really don’t care?
Concert Review: Phipps Gospel Sing
Taking notes during the concert
Twelve to thirteen years ago, I used to watch the Phipps Gospel Sing’s weekly TV program. I’d never heard of it before but I started tuning into this hour-long program which featured about four songs by well-known Southern Gospel groups and, in between, would be comments by Andrew Phipps and his wife Shirlean and sometimes a friend of theirs. In a state where Southern Gospel music is hard to come by, this was such a blessing for me, and I grew to appreciate this husband and wife who host this program.
This past Saturday, I had my first opportunity to attend one of their sings and I was very blessed. The concert consisted of Kevin Spencer and Friends, J.B. & Barbara Spencer, The Chuck Wagon Gang, and the Primitive Quartet but what impressed me right off the bat was how quickly Andrew Phipps made God the center of the evening. You may think that’s a given at a gospel concert but often, it seems like the focus at concerts is on the singers instead of the One who has blessed the singers with the talent that we all enjoy.
Andrew asked someone to lead in prayer and then introduced Kevin Spencer.
Kevin Spencer & Friends
I had never had the opportunity to see Kevin in person before so this was a treat for me. He was joined by James & Starla Dean who will be starting their own group in September. They are working on a website but it doesn’t appear to be up yet.
Kevin & Friends started their set by singing “God Bless America Again.” They also sang, “So Much to Thank Him For,” “In the Sweet Bye and Bye,” “The Blood is Still There,” “Let’s Feel That Spirit Again,” “Leaving on my Mind,” and “I Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now.” I was especially glad they sang “The Blood is Still There” as I remember that song on the radio. I love the quality of Kevin’s voice.
The Spencers
After Kevin’s group sang, his parents J.B. and Barbara joined him on stage to sing some of the old Spencer songs. Andrew introduced them as being genuine which is probably the greatest compliment you could give someone. I found them to be very sweet and was glad to see them again. I did see them years ago on their farewell tour so to be at this reunion was special for me.
The Spencers sang “Coming Soon,” “Let’s Meet by the River” (one of my favorites they sang), “The Model Church,” “Drinking From my Saucer,” and a bluegrass number, “When My Time Comes to Go.”
After their set, Andrew was talking and made the comment: “We’ve been more in love with the culture than we’ve been with the Creator.” More than just acknowledging the accuracy of that statement, I would encourage each of us to see if that is true of us. Nothing should mean more to us than loving with our whole heart the One who loves us more than we could dream! Our culture doesn’t love us but it can control us if we’re not careful.
The Chuck Wagon Gang
Next was The Chuck Wagon Gang featuring Stan Hill, Shaye Smith, Julie Hudson and Dave Emery. Dave was fighting allergies so they kept the bass solos to a minimum. Their song selection consisted of “I’m Getting Ready to Leave This World,” “Echoes from the Burning Bush,” “Church in the Wildwood” (which CWG originally recorded in 1936), “He Wrote My Name,” “Turn Your Radio On,” “Camping in Canaanland,” “O Come Angel Band” (the first time in their history, they didn’t use a guitar but sang a capella), “Heaven’s Jubilee,” “When He Calls Me (I’ll Fly Away),” “I’ll Fly Away,” “I Never Shall Forget the Day,” “Keep Traveling On,” (a song Rebecca Peck wrote), “Beulah Land,” “Heaven’s Really Gonna Shine.”
The Primitive Quartet
Last but certainly not least was The Primitive Quartet who has been singing at this venue since 1978. Norman Wilson was sick so wasn’t there but the guys still did a great job. Their set began with a couple of my favorite songs they sing: Gloryland is Nearing” and “Far Side Banks of Jordan,” a beautiful song that comes close to making me cry. Although a love song, as I listen, I picture Jesus standing by the river and extending His arms to welcome me Home when I finally make that journey. I can’t think of a more beautiful picture.
They also sang “He Didn’t Stay Dead,” “Dear Jesus, I Love You” (one of my favorite songs featuring Mike who has a beautiful voice), “I Wonder What They’re Doing in Heaven Today” (a song they sang a capella). Randy Fox then talked about his Uncle Ken who passed away earlier that afternoon. He gave his uncle’s testimony before singing “Walking in the Highway.” After that, they sang “Goodbye, World, Goodbye,” “Hallelujah He’s Risen,” “Looking Through New Eyes,” and “Didn’t He Shine.”
There was a brief intermission and then all the groups gathered on stage to sing a few more songs.
The next Phipps Gospel Sing will be held April 30 in Muncie, IN and will feature The Perrys and The Smoky Mountain Reunion. If you live in range of Muncie or if you would like to take a weekend vacation, I am sure this will be an incredible, spirit-filled event. More information may be found here.
The Calm Before the Storm
I’m sure most everyone has experienced this, not just in weather patterns but in life as well. The times when things are going well, God is pouring out blessing after blessing, and then you are hit by an unexpected tragedy or maybe a mood swing which has you feeling negative when there is no reason you should feel that way. That is probably the most obvious sign of a spiritual attack. I find that it’s often the times when God is moving mountains and blessing my life that the enemy will come in and I begin to feel oppressed or on edge and I wonder why. Sometimes it is God preparing me for something that is going to happen but sometimes it is simply the enemy’s tactic to get my mind off of what God’s doing and onto everything else going on in the world. That is not where I want to be but it can be a constant fight to keep from going there. Yet fight we must.
“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” (1 Corinithians 9:24).
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Can we say with Paul that we have truly fought a good fight? The Christian life is a fight and we can’t stop fighting for a moment. When you begin to feel negativity setting in or when you find yourself agitated for no reason, that is a good time to stop what you’re doing, go into your prayer closet, and ask God for His help in defeating the enemy. He wants to detract from what God’s doing in your life but he can only accomplish that if you give him permission to do so. This is a good time to implement the slogan that was popular years ago and JUST SAY NO! If you do that, you will have not only calm before the storm but calm through the storm as well.
A Couple Random Things
This weekend was a great blessing. I attended a concert (which I will be writing about soon) and I saw God’s hand in so many things. It’s those times that I’m reminded that “every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights” and, when that Father pours out blessings, I feel so special and so full of gratitude to the One who doesn’t owe me a thing but who delights in doing those things that He knows will bring me the greatest pleasure. At least that’s my experience.
After only a couple hours’ intermittent sleep last night, I’m pretty exhausted so I need to see if I can get some sleep but I hope you all have a great week! I will try to continue posting most nights this week and hope to get the concert review up but it’s going to take me a bit of time since there were about four groups and a great atmosphere. It may get somewhat lengthy but you’ll have something to look forward to in your spare time.
Be blessed and stay encouraged. We serve a great God who loves us and only allows those things in our lives which will make us more like Him.
Hatred vs. Forgiveness
As I was reading the other day, it struck me how much time King Saul spent hunting down a perceived enemy who was really not his enemy at all. Instead of sticking with his real battles, he wasted time conjuring them. Once while he was away pursuing David, he received word that Israel was being attacked. Oh, how his enemies must have had a lot of fun at his expense. It wasn’t hard to defeat Saul because he was never prepared for a real attack. He was so blinded by hatred that David could have killed him numerous times if he wanted to. By the time Saul realized that he’d been foolish, he had already wasted much of his life and David’s. How much they could have accomplished if they had worked together!
Hatred is a killer and, more often than not, it kills you more than the person you hate. When Jesus taught His disciples, His instructions were to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Not the advice you would hear today, is it. But that’s still Christ’s call today. We are to imitate Christ, not the world.
It’s not easy to love those who are unkind but, with Christ’s help, we can do so. With His help, we can pray for them with a heart that truly wants to see them prosper and know the love of Christ. Vengeance is God’s, and He will repay it but we have the power to intercede for those who have wronged us. They may not realize the depth of their crime but God can bring them to repentance and that’s what we should pray for. We also need to pray that, when repentance comes, we will be ready to forgive. When you get to that place, you can walk in the joy of your salvation with a clean heart. There’s not much more freedom than that!
A Friday Prayer
Dear Friends, this will be a bit different than my typical posts. Okay. It will be very different but I thought it would be good if we could pray together today. For those who need a special touch from God, I pray you will receive it and for those who just want to agree with me, that is great too. Feel free to add your own prayer. Scripture says where two or three agree, He is in the midst and I know He’s here right now.
Father God, I thank You so much for your presence. You have been so good to us–far better than we deserve–and, for that, I can’t praise You enough. I thank you for your protection and your covering, for your guidance and your comfort when we need it.
I pray for those who are struggling today, Father. I thank You that You see every need and that You care more than we know. I know how much my heart aches when someone I know is going through a difficult time but I know that Yours hurts even more, especially when those hurting people don’t turn to You like they should. Yet You wait for You are merciful.
God, continue to extend that mercy but help us to see that it’s Your mercy that also convicts us when we stray from Your will and begin to do our own thing. It’s Your mercy that will not dwell where sin is present. Make us quick to repent so that we continually keep that fellowship with You that is our life’s sustenance. Without You, life is not worth living.
Father, I ask today that You will lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. We are dependent on You for every breath that we breathe and we acknowledge that, Father. For those who are sick in body, I ask that You will touch them today. Encourage them. Give them strength. Help them to rest in You knowing that You have a plan and have not left them for one moment.
And, Lord, today, as we go about our day, help us not to waste one moment. Help us to shine for You in everything we do that there will be no doubt to those around us that Your Spirit is alive and well in each of us and, because of You, we have a song to sing even in the darkest days.
Lord, we love You and praise You for who You are and who You are molding us to be. May You be glorified in everything we do.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
