Satan is a Liar
It seems like many today live in what my mom calls 3D: discouraged, defeated and depressed. However, Christ has called us to be overcomers in Him. You can live a victorious Christian life. You merely need to stop listening to the lies of the enemy. When satan begins to tell you how worthless and unloved you are, stop him right away. Regardless of what the world thinks of you, Jesus loved you so much that He died for you. Just that reminder should help your perspective.
I admit this is something I struggle with as well. It’s easy to think people don’t care, my life is worthless, etc. but I do know I desire to fight the good fight. I want to be an example to others who are struggling. I want to be able to share the hope that is mine and that can be theirs as well. In order to do that, I can’t let my thoughts control me; I must control my thoughts.
Please don’t give in to negative feelings. Ask God to remove them from you so that you can better serve Him. It may be a battle at first but I’m convinced that the more we fight, the more battles we’ll win until Christ conquers them all on our behalf.
Pure Religion
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)
I believe people want to know what true religion is. What many call religion or Christianity is nothing more than a shadow of what the Christian religion is supposed to be. Many despise the word religion but there is a standard we are to keep, and that is outlined in the above verse.
It is not enough to claim to be religious; we must truly practice the religion we claim to be partakers in. If you are not visiting the fatherless and widow, and if you are not devoting yourself to staying unspotted from the world, this would be a good time to begin to do those things. Your goal should be to hear the Father say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Are you truly being His servants and doing the things He asks you to do?
Yes, There IS a God
On my way home this evening, I wasn’t feeling well so I laid down on the back seat and looked up into the beautiful blue sky with clouds intermingled here and there. What a sight and what connection I felt with my God as I let my spirit soar. As day turned into dusk, an amazing sunset began to form.
People claim to all the time but I don’t see how anyone can honestly believe there is no God. Psalm 8:3-4 declares, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained;What is man, that You are mindful of him? and the son of man, that You visit him?” That’s how I felt as I laid there. The open sky is but a PORTION of His yard. Think about it.
You may choose not to follow God but you cannot honestly deny that He exists. Why don’t you take some time to acknowledge Him today?
CD Review: Indescribable (The Chigger Hill Boys & Terri)
With my recent posts on praise and worship, it seems the perfect time to review the latest release from The Chigger Hill Boys & Terri. At first glance, I really wasn’t sure what to expect from a bluegrass group performing praise & worship songs but I have really enjoyed this CD.
Songs included are: “Indescribable,” “Mighty to Save,” “Enough,” “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone),” “Lead Me to the Cross,” “Revelation Song,” and “Are You Prayin’ Hard.”
A few favorites are:
“From the Inside Out,” “Your Name,” “How Deep the Father’s Love,” and “In Christ Alone.” I like this last song anyway but the way they start out slow and acapella and then pick up the tempo slightly makes this a great arrangement.
The Obedience of Praise
My last post talked about the importance of trust and obedience. Yesterday I read a line which said, “Resignation, acceptance to My Will, obedience to it, have not the power to vanquish evil as praise has” (from God Calling by A.J. Russell). I believe that, if we are walking in wholehearted obedience to the will of God, satan won’t have a grip on us. However, I’ve been pondering praise and it hit me this afternoon that praise is part of obedience. You will never be out of God’s will to praise Him. How you do it may vary but it is always proper to praise Him in all places and circumstances.
Prayer and praise are the two things God continues to call me to move forward in every year, and this is another of those times. Although primarily He’s still speaking trust and obedience, there is also drawing near to God through prayer and praise. Nothing else can usher you into His presence as quickly as those two elements. No matter what you are going through, don’t forget to praise God today.
Trust and Obey
Trust and obedience: two things which are vital as we walk with the Lord. Sometimes I feel like obedience wouldn’t be a problem if I knew what exactly God wanted me to do. On the other hand, I know there are times God is speaking to my Spirit and I ignore His promptings. I’m trying to remedy this, however. I want to be faithful to recognize His voice when He speaks and to move forward accordingly.
In some ways, trust is harder for me but I feel like if I can master that, it will make every other area of life easier to manage. After all, the only reason not to trust is if I’m full of fear which is the opposite of faith which does not please God.
Brothers and Sisters, God’s Word is not to be taken lightly. When He says obedience is better than sacrifice, He means it. When He says, “Fear not,” it’s not a suggestion. If you are struggling with these issues, ask God to help you. He has called us to a glorious, victorious life. If that does not define your life right now, you need to get on your knees and ask God to show you why. It may be you’re not totally surrendered to Him but this would be a good day to change that.
Love Them While You Can
On a day when we remember those who have gone before, let me remind you that there are a lot of people who are still living who need to know how much they are loved. It’s easy to have fond memories of even the most vile people after they’re gone but what about those you live and work with on a daily basis? Do they know how much they mean to you? If you’re not sure, this would be a good day to remedy that … if your feelings are positive, that is. 🙂
I’d like to encourage you to take time to tell someone today how much you love them. You may not have that opportunity tomorrow.
Learning to Worship After Discipline
When God calls someone a man or woman after His own heart, it would pay to study that person’s life. This morning, I was reading 2 Samuel 12 where the child that Bathsheba had with David was just born. You may remember that Nathan visited David with the tale of a man who owned a flock of sheep killing the only lamb of his neighbor. David was outraged at the injustice of the story and declared, “The man who has done this shall surely die.” Nathan then said to David, “You are the man!” Whereas most people would have justified their actions, explained that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed, or given some other equally unacceptable reply, David simply said, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
As his baby became sick, he fasted and prayed, begging God for mercy. Seven days this went on until he finally received word that the child was dead. What happened next is what jumped out at me this morning. Second Samuel 12:20 says, “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshiped: THEN he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.”
After a week of fasting, the refrigerator would be the first place I’d stop but David went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. No questioning, no anger. He accepted the discipline the Lord laid on him and he worshiped God. How happy that must have made the Lord. If you’re like me, the first thing you do after being chastised by God probably isn’t to worship Him but that would be a neat habit to acquire. Lord, give me a heart to worship You in good times and in bad, when I feel Your love and when I receive Your discipline.
Sin is Sin
In our society, it’s easy to compare what we do with what others do but the reality is that sin is sin no matter how you define it, excuse it or explain it away. It may not seem easy to live a holy life but the truth is you can’t afford not to. The Cathedrals sang a song which said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, slowly but wholly taking control. Sin will leave you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay.” That is so true.
Talk with anyone who’s lived for any length of time, and they will tell you of things they’ve learned, much of which will be advice on what not to do. Everyone has regrets but, as Christians, we need to learn to live with very few regrets.
As I was praying this morning, I was thinking of how my greatest desire is for my Father to be proud of me. I want to feel Him by me each step of the way. God cannot look upon sin so I pray that He will continue to show me the things in my life that displease Him so that I can discard them. Sin may seem pleasurable for a time but the end results in death and separation from my Father. No amount of temporary pleasure is worth that separation.
How would you rate your life? Is it full of joy and victory, or is it marred by sin and despair? It’s not too late to turn to God and ask Him to change your life. I encourage you to do so before it is too late.
CD Review: Treasures (Mark Trammell Quartet)
The Mark Trammell Quartet recently put out a collection of old Cathedral Quartet songs.
“Echoes from the Burning Bush” is an old song which several groups have sung but MTQ keeps the Cathedrals’ arrangement. Pat Barker does a great job on the bass on this song.
“Gentle Shepherd” was written by Bill Gaither but is another song the Cathedrals sang a lot. For this song, they used a “live” version.
The first Cathedral’s recording I ever owned was ‘Traveling Live.” On this cassette was “Bloodwashed Band.” I loved it then and still don’t get tired of hearing it.
One of the best baritones in the business, Mark Trammell sings “That Day at Calvary.”
Although Pat Barker does not sound like George Younce, as he sang “I’ll Have a New Life” and “Everybody Will Be Happy Over There,” it brought back to mind the years of George singing those same songs down to the “We’re gonna shout” at the end of the song.
Neil Enloe wrote “Statue of Liberty.” If you’ve not heard it, the first verse talks about the Statue of Liberty and how privileged we are to be Americans while the second verse talks about how the cross is our true Statue of Liberty.
“An Old Convention Song” is another song in which they recorded a “live” version.
“I Thirst” was written by Mark Lowry’s mother, Beverly. I don’t know if she’s written many songs but this one was well written and nicely performed first by the Cathedrals and now by the Mark Trammell Quartet.
I never tire of hearing Mark Trammell sing “Master Builder.” The recording with that title was one of my favorite Cathedral recordings.
The first time I heard “Wedding Music” was live in concert. I sometimes wonder, “Is that wedding music that I hear?”
“Then I Met the Master” is another great song.
Last but not least, the CD ends with “Boundless Love.”
