The Gift Of Making Memories

We can't have our family and close friends with us forever. But we can make wonderful memories with them. Rehashing those precious memories is, in a way, like living them over and over again. I am very grateful to God for the gift of family, and the incredible privilege to make memories with them. It also gives me joy to be able to share some of them.

In my Dad's later years I saw Jesus touch him miraculously amid a challenging time in his life. He mellowed tremendously after God touched him. He changed instantly and exuded a peace that can only be described as “heavenly”. And that’s the way he remained until the day he went to be with Jesus. Thank God, that’s the way I remember him.

Dad had a great sense of humor. He was also an exceptionally talented artist. He drew some of the funniest caricatures of us kids over the years. And of course, they were always exaggerated to the extreme!

Here’s an example: As a child, I loved sweets; any kind of sweets. Our family owned and ran a pharmacy in Bay Springs, MS. Our store had a vast, extensive candy case! One of the blessings of being a family member was that occasionally my parents and Grandparents would allow me to raid the candy case, with limitations, of course. What a joy! One time Dad drew a caricature of me literally sucking all the candy out of the candy case…from several feet away! It was truly hilarious! My two sisters, Katherine, and Cindy; my brother, Van, and myself, all inherited a vast portion of his sense of humor.

I will never forget the times when he was cutting up with us kids! It was usually when he was off, or we were away on vacation with the family. Speaking of vacation, one of our family traditions was that we went to a fish camp near Kiln, Mississippi for a week, at least twice each Summer. We would go just after school got out in early June, and go again, just before school started back in late August.

On one particular outing Dad and I were out fishing on the Jourdan River in an old, wooden skiff. That old skiff had a 5-hp motor that you could outrun walking at a slow pace! Anyway, we came upon a huge Gar Fish, dead, floating in the water, and stinking to high heaven! Dad decided we would play a little trick on the rest of the family who were back at the cabin. So, he had me hold the dead, stinky Gar Fish up next to the skiff, leaving it in the water as we rode about a mile on the river to the cabin.

As we pulled into the little boathouse lagoon, my little sister Cindy came running out to see what we had caught. Her eyes became as big as saucers when she saw the big, dead, stinky Gar Fish! She ran to get Mother who hurried to see the catch. She began to smell the fish even before she could see it. At once she knew neither of us had caught the completely inedible fish. Mother ordered us to immediately take the fish as far away as we could, making sure the tide or the currents wouldn't bring it back again! Daddy laughed so hard and told me it was worth all the trouble just to prank them and see their reactions! I miss him tremendously.

One of the greatest blessings of this life is to make memories with family and love ones. Family is a gift from God. My Dad has been in heaven since 2010. But I have the blessing of rehashing those memories over and over.

Are You Missing The Whole Thing?

I saw an impromptu debate this morning over whether Trump is an idol or not. Some were saying he is an idol. Others were arguing that he is not, but that Biden is an idol. I've seen and heard in other arguments over politics, and the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, that it should be Jesus in 2024. I don't agree with that.

First of all, it should be Jesus forever, not just in the 2024 Presidential election. Let's not turn to Jesus only when it's an election year. Let's not turn to Jesus because you may or may not think either candidate is a worthy choice. This life is all about Jesus. Your destiny should be all about Jesus! If America truly chose Jesus, our country wouldn't be in such turmoil.

The American church is missing the whole thing! The American church as a whole seems to be clueless about this particular upcoming election! It's not about personality, or the lack of thereof. It's about freedom, and the privilege to share it around the world. It's about the freedom to remain the most evangelistic nation ever on planet earth. It's about checking big government, or allowing it to continue to paralyze our nation. It's about supporting God's people, Israel, and receiving God's richest blessings as a nation, or it's about turning our backs on God's people, and becoming the object of God's curses (as He proclaims in Genesis 12:3).

Satan hates America because of her willingness to share the gospel to the nations of this world. As a result, there are millions around the world that hate America. There are folks right here in America that hate America and are working to see her fall. When she falls, the rest of the world will suffer greatly. Satan hates America because she has faithfully stood with God's people Israel throughout the decades. And God has blessed America for that! Yet, we, the church in America debate, argue, pick and choose, and sadly divide over petty things instead of asking the question "Are we better off now that we were before?".

Even on a natural, grassroots level the church continues to be clueless! Crucial things; things that strengthen our nation don't seem to matter. The economy, interest rates, inflation, and price of gas are just a few indicators our economy has taken a nose dive over the past 4 years. But the church continues to focus on the petty, and continues to miss the whole thing: A better America, a stronger military, a stronger economy (once again), closed borders, freedom to share the gospel around the world. These are just a few of the things that will greatly effect your children, your grandchildren, etc.

The church in America must stop expecting her Commander in Chief to be men of God. The church must stop limiting God to our preconceived notions of who and how our President should be. God has used Godly people, and at times, ungodly folks to carry out His will. The church in America is missing it! God's ultimate, immutable will is carried out by and through the person He chooses. But God also requires His church to know His heart for America. Arguing, debating, pitching opinion only weakens our ability to hear His heart. There is where the danger lies.

And finally, look at results. Look at the figures. Remember where we were and where we are. The bottom line is, what is best for the American people. God wants the best for His people. That's NOT Christian nationalism. That is NOT idolatry. So, again, the question is, are you missing the whole thing?

 

Our Blessed Hope!

 

The Thing We've Made It (Part 1)

 

This post and subsequent ones are about our hearts of worship, and the thing we have made it. Listen to the words of the chorus of this old song by Matt Redman:

 

"I'm coming back to the heart of worship, And it's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus. I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it, When It's all about You, It's all about You, Jesus." 

 

Some folks may think me old fashion as I share some of my thoughts and observations about praise and worship in the corporate gathering. Let me say at the beginning that I realize that some things change over the passing of time. Trends come and go. Fads are in, then they are out. But...the principles of God's kingdom never change! The principles of the kingdom of God are outlined and emphasized in God's Word, and again they never change. And when they are applied God does exactly what He says He will do. Jesus said in (Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, and Luke 21:33), “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." The Psalmist says in (Psalm 119:89), "Forever, LORD, Your word stands in heaven."

Those who worship God in the corporate gathering should worship Him according to His principles. The problem I have witnessed the past several decades is that corporate worship, as well as the way we generally do church, has sadly become based on the most current trends and the latest fads. Trends can be good, but they can also be bad because they can become means through which we compare ourselves with one another. The Apostle Paul said in (2 Corinthians 10:12a), "...but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they have no understanding."

Let me apply what Paul said above, to the way we worship in our gatherings. When we compare ourselves with others in worship, we are bound to the form of the latest pattern, not the direction of the Holy Spirit. Contrary to popular belief, your church and worship should not be just like every other church. The only category your worship ministry and your church should be in is the one referred to as "highly anointed by the Holy Spirit". God called your church and worship to be unique. If we strive to present our worship the way every other church does, we loose our individuality and uniqueness as the distinct LOCAL expression God designed for us to be.

Those in charge of the worship ministry should be the ones responsible for raising up singers and musicians, and teaching them the principles of worship from the Scriptures. The key to being powerfully anointed in worship is understanding not only what we do, but exactly why we do it. It's all based on the immutable Word of God.

Many churches, especially smaller churches, work hard to emulate larger churches. Why could be this be bad? Because the focus is on the trend, not on the Holy Spirit. It becomes more important for some to look, sound, and yes perform just like those we compare ourselves to. This takes priority over waiting on the Holy Spirit to move as He wills, in the time He desires. This is comparing ourselves with ourselves as Paul says. Unfortunately we end up asking Jesus to bless whatever we do, instead of doing what He blesses.

Let me dive deeper by making some observations that are most notable in a lot churches today. The music is too loud! Every instrument is running full-bore, all the time, through every song. The volume for the vocals has to be raised to ear damaging decibels to be heard above the sound of the instruments. The subwoofers are set so that the base frequencies literally, no I mean literally, penetrate and rattle the organs inside our bodies. The greatest tragedy is that you cannot hear the voices of the congregation. This produces the "Stage Presentation" mentality. You know, "You're up there performing. We're out here in the congregation watching the show." When I cannot hear my own voice in the midst of the congregation because the worship from the stage is too loud, I often stop singing. I'm pretty sure many in the congregation do as well. The worship leaders and team exist to "lead" those in the congregation into the presence of Almighty God through worship. And hearing the united voices in the congregation is crucial to the worship being taken to a higher level of anointing. Oh that pastors, worship leaders, singers, musicians, and sound engineers get it!

In many of the current revival outpourings, like Asbury and more, the voices of those gathered are uplifting because you can hear the voices of the congregants lifting up Jesus. I've learned from experiencing the applied Word of God in worship that the Holy Spirit enthrones Himself on the praises of His people whom He has purchased with His blood. (See Psalm 22:3)

I pray you understand this post is not to criticize those who provide the ministry of worship in our gatherings. My heart is driven to get back to the worship that knowledge and obedience to the Word produces. The kind of worship the Holy Spirit is drawn to so that He can glorify our Lord Jesus Christ in our midst.

Sadly, many folks believe that Holy Spirit becomes stronger in our midst as everything gets louder. They believe that riding upon the latest trend in worship means it is anointed. But the anointing comes when He is in our midst. Worship is all about Him, not what we can make it. We cannot create or manufacture anything in and of ourselves to bring Holy Spirit's anointing upon us in corporate worship. What we must do is yield our hearts completely to Him as we worship. And through our worship build a throne in our midst upon which He will enthrone Himself.

In part 2 I will share some of my observations that concern the sound and lighting engineers. And eventually I will discuss how our uniqueness and individuality should involve writing songs for our own congregations!