GIVE ‘EM SOMETHING TO SING ABOUT

When your heart is full of Christ, you will want to sing. –Spurgeon

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35:10

            Prior to my salvation the music I listened to, let’s just say, wasn’t pleasing to the Lord. It pumped me up feeding the desires my flesh. It gave me an emotional high much like that of someone on some mind altering drug. After the high was gone, I had to feed it again and again and again. It never satisfied!

            What the world’s music could never do, God’s music has done for me and many others time and time again! It gave me something really to sing about! Not only does it fill our heart with joy, it feeds the Spirit in such a way that builds us up to have a deeper, richer, walk with Jesus! It is just like chorus to a very well known congregational song, ”Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go!”

            Don’t keep those songs to yourself, sing them! And when you do, you’re giving this lost, dying, and hurting world something to sing about as well!

GOT REST?

Rest is given through the shed blood of Jesus Christ!

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Hebrews 4:9

Knowing I don’t have to work for my salvation gives me a sense of rest. Knowing all anyone has to do is repent of their sin and trust Jesus as the One who has done everything needed for their salvation brings a heavenly rest that passes all understanding. To some that doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t change the truth- For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

            Are you still trying to be good enough? Are you still trying to work your way in? Here are two great truths; you’ll never be good enough and you will never work enough to get into Heaven. If you could, then why did Jesus have to die? Friend, trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Him alone brings rest!

ACCESSIBILITY IS A NECESSITY

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Ephesians 2:18

             Going in and out of the facilities I work in you must have one of four things; permission, an ID card, a key, or an access card. I have gotten to some of the facilities and the individual I am there to see isn’t on so I cannot get permission to go to the equipment I need to do maintenance on. I have gotten to the administration buildings where you check in at only to realize I left my ID card back in my truck. Every once and a while I’ll pick up the wrong keys getting to the facility and praying someone will be there to let me in to the areas I need to be at. Then, on occasion, the access card I have decides it doesn’t want to work so I cannot get into the building at all. Accessibility is a necessity to get my job done! Accessibility is important!

             Accessibility is a necessity in our walk with Jesus as well! Without access to the source of our strength we will become weak and will be overtaken by Satan. Here are three things you can do to become and remain strong in the Lord.

            One: To have any access to the Father you must be saved. You must repent of your sins, trusting in Jesus as your Saviour. “Ye must be born again.”

            Two: You must be without sin to have access to the Father. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

            Three: You must speak to Him. “…ye have not, because ye ask not.”

There was a time when we could not come before God because of our sin but now we can because of the precious shed blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. The only thing that keeps the access line open is a saved, clean life. Do you have that today?

RETURN TO THE JOY YOU ONCE HAD!

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Luke 15:24

While you are alive there is always time for you to return to the joy you once had. When the prodigal son returned home he was expecting the father to put him out with the hired hands, that’s not what he did. He did not rebuke him, chastised him, or punish him for his willful disobedience. What he did do was rejoice in the fact that his son had returned to the family he left. How do you think the son felt? We don’t know but I can’t help but to think his cup was running over!

Been out of the will of God long? There’s room at Calvary for you! The Heavenly Father is waiting for your return.

WHAT A JOY TO SERVE JESUS!

When a man turns to God desiring to serve Him, God directs his attention to the world and its need. -Brunner

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1

            There is no better place to serve God than in His will. We can strive to go against what He wants but true joy will only come when we are where He wants us. There is no substitute when it comes to serving the Lord. We cannot substitute going to church with watching a TV evangelist and expect God to be pleased. We cannot substitute tithing with faithless giving and expect Him to work in our lives. We cannot substitute serving where He wants us to serve and expect Him to bless our ministry.

            Here is something God wants all of us to do today—GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! Don’t wait! Don’t put it off! JUST GO serve Jesus and watch how He begins to bless your life!

WHAT A JOY TO SERVE THE LORD!

With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Ephesians 6:7

Serving the Lord shouldn’t come with strings. We should never have the mentality of; I’ll serve the Lord if He will do this. I will serve the Lord if I can do it when I want to. I will serve the Lord if I don’t have anything else going on! But yet, so many of us respond to the Lord in such as the ways mentioned!

Child of God, get busy doing the Lord’s Work! Do it His way with His Word in hand! It will bring about a blessing bringing a smile to your face and joy in your heart!

WHAT WON’T BE THERE?

 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

            We love to dwell on what will be in Heaven. We sing about it, preach about it, and praise the Lord time and time again. There will be streets of gold, walls of jasper, gates of pearl, and the crystal sea are just to name a few. Taking a different view on Heaven, Bro. Doug Ramage wrote a song of what won’t be there; headaches, back aches, age spots, reading glasses, snow, bunions, and arthritis to name a few.

            No matter which view you take, the best thing about Heaven is Jesus! He will be there! He will wipe the tears away! He will destroy death! Peace will reign throughout eternity! The pains of life will be no more!

            I’ll be there, will you be?

HOPE FOR THE HURTING

A man ought to hope within the bounds of reason and the promises of the good old Book.  Hope leans on an anchor, but an anchor must have something to hold by and to hold to. –Spurgeon

Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Psalm 146:5

When we say there is no hope in this world what we mean is, No hope for real happiness, no hope for real joy, no hope for genuine peace. What the world offers is a temporary fix for a lifelong need. That need can and will only be filled when the heart is filled with God’s grace. When that happens hurting is halted!

So how about it, will you continue to live in hopelessness or will you have Jesus as your Anchor?

NEW YEAR, NEW OPPORTUNITIES

You will never "find" time for anything.  If you want time, you must make it. -Buxton

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10

While reading my Bible several years ago I came across Galatians 6:10. It became the verse I would pen at the bottom of a card, when signing a Bible, or at the salutation of a letter or email. It is so applicable how I look at life.

We have so many opportunities every single day to serve others and our Lord and Saviour; a fellow customer in the parking lot with their hood up, a widow with a door about to fall off the hinges, a single mother with uncut grass, a man who’s wife left him, a child about to be expelled, a family in need of some counseling, a newly married couple with a baby on the way, the list goes on and on.

The opportunities are endless! Will you make yourself available to serve in 2019? Or will you continue on down the road serving only self? I am reminded this morning of the acronym “JOY”:  

JESUS

OTHERS

YOURSELF

Are you in the right spot? If so, your joy will be full. If not, you’ll be of most men miserable!

WHAT’S TO COMPLAIN ABOUT?

The Christian life that is joyless is a discredit to God and a disgrace to itself. –Babcock

            But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

            There are so many that find fault in everything in life. Their long ride to work, the length of time in the drive thru, the car they drive, their own spouse, their spoiled children, even the church they worship at. Yet, they do nothing to improve any area they whine and complain about. They just complain and make it miserable for everyone.

            Get up this Sunday morning understanding, if you’re saved, your sins have been washed away, you’ve been redeemed by the precious blood of the lamb, and you’re on your way to Heaven. Understand that many, if not all, of your problems are your own fault and can be avoided! A little work will get you the money for a new car. A little love, compassion, and sacrifice can change your spouse’s heart. A little responsibility will not kill your child. A little sacrificial investment in your church will improve the whole church.

GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! Your own joy depends on it!

IT NEVER GETS OLD!

I believe a man may be as vile as hell itself one moment and be saved the next. - D.L. Moody

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I awoke this morning with this wonderful truth that never gets old; I am saved and on my way to Heaven! Hallelujah, what a joy to wake up with this thought on my mind! When I wake up with thoughts like this, my mind automatically thinks of family and friends that don’t have this peace, this joy, and this “so great a salvation.”

Do you have this great salvation? The salvation that puts your soul at peace, gives you joy unspeakable, and redeems your lost soul? All you have to do is ask! That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10

THERE’S A CELEBRATION A BREWING!

The beginning of the world’s joys came when God sent His Son to be born in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Lu 2:13-14

Could you imagine the celebration by the shepherds the night when Jesus was born? They were able to see the Messiah! They may have held His hand. They may have picked Him up and made those goo goo eyes that people do. I don’t know what they did when they saw Jesus but I do know what the did after they saw Him. Luke 2:17 says, “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”

That scripture says they made known… not just in their household. Not just in their neighborhood. Not just in their town. Scripture says, “…they made it known abroad…” That means everywhere they went they proclaimed the Good News!

Friend, who is the last person you told about Jesus? When is the last time you share what Jesus did for you? When will you be like those shepherds and celebrate when Jesus came to you by telling others? No better day than today!

GRIEF ISN'T WANTED BUT IS INSTRUMENTAL

Grief drives men into habits of serious reflections, sharpens the understanding and softens the heart. -John Adams

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. Psalm 130:1

How often has the Lord allowed things to come into our lives causing us to weep, driving us to our knees and has us crying out to Him? Grief has the way of changing our perspective on things. The things we thought were so important to us we find it isn’t so important after all. It has a way of getting our eyes back on God.

Let’s rejoice in the important things God has given us today; Our Saviour’s love, family, friends, church, a place to work, roof over our head and shoes on your feet (even if they’re flip flops) to mention a few. If and when grief does come our way—we can still rejoice in and through those valleys because the Lord is right there with us in them!

I’M GONNA LIVE FOREVER, I’M GONNA DIE NO NEVER!

One of the benefits of salvation is eternal life. The alternative is eternal death.

The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. Psalm 37:18

Friends are dying, family members are dying, former co-workers are dying, actors and actresses we grew up with are dying, teachers who taught us to read and write are dying, there is death all around us. But one thing I know is true; those that received Jesus as Saviour will only experience the shadow of this physical death, there soul will live on through eternity! Those that have rejected the Lord will taste a horrible second death. That’s the death that will separate them eternally from anything that is remotely good; friends, family, and God Himself.

You want to live forever? You want to have life and have it more abundant? Trust Jesus as your Saviour! Take that step of faith; repent of your sins, confess Him as Lord, and believe He has washed your sins away and walk in the new life only He can give!

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

FINISH WELL

Lord, let us finish this life the way you did, sacrificially.

 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

             How are we going to finish well? We will finish well if we lay aside every weight, anything that holds us back from doing what Jesus wants us to. We will finish well if we confess and forsake the sin that so easily besets us. We will finish well when we keep our eyes of the Lord Jesus! Keep them on His Word, His Work, and His Way.

WHAT SEASON IS IT?

Joy in God is never out of season. –Henry

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11

What things was John speaking of when he said, “These things have I spoken unto you”; I believe it may have been God’s love and our obedience. God’s love toward us while we were sinners brought to us joy unspeakable! Our obedience to His Word keeps it close and always in season!

As Christians, we should never walk around with the poochy lip! There should always be a smile on our face and praise on our tongue! Why? Because joy is never out of season!

WHAT A FELLOWSHIP, WHAT A JOY DIVINE

The people with whom we travel are much more important than the place to which we travel. –Wright

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3

Traveling daily with the Saviour brings about a joy that is contagious! Folks don’t like to be around a stick in the mud! If you have the joy of the Lord in your heart, fellowship with fellow believers is inevitable! Better yet, if you have the Lord in your heart, fellowship with Him is just a prayer a way as you lean on His the everlasting arms!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

No man is poor who has had a Godly mother. –Lincoln

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Exodus 20:12

It has been said, “Don’t know what to give your mother for Mother’s Day? Make your way to church this morning and sit beside her.” What a simple and cheap way to make Mama happy this morning. So why are you sitting there; GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH! At the moment you walk through the doors she will not care what you’ve done or where you’ve been—she will only know her child is with her this morning and a joy will leap from inside and come out in the form of tears from her face! Surprise your Mom—GO SIT BESIDE HER THIS MORNING!

THERE’S A CELEBRATION GOING ON RIGHT HERE!

An anniversary reminds us of simpler days but challenges us to keep our love fresh!

The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot. Proverbs 10:7

I remember the first date with my wife; I took her to Burger King. My thought then was, “If I didn’t like her I didn’t waste any money.” Our next date was to an upscale restaurant in which I dropped a wad of money on her. Oh yes, she is a keeper! Today we celebrate twenty eight years of compromise, hard work, and yes, love.

Life wasn’t always so grand. We have had financial struggles and marital situations but our love for one another has out-weighed any problem we have had. The driving force—the love of Jesus dwells in each one of us. We both want to please Him. We both want to hear Him say, “Well done!”

What’s your driving force in your marriage? Is it the beauty your wife has? Is it how financially sound your husband is? Is it a hot car, fancy house, or do they just put a smile on your face? If it’s not the love of Jesus it will fade out. Beauty is skin deep, finances wither away, cars give out, houses have to be cleaned, and a smile comes with the next pretty face. But Jesus compels us to go on so when we look back on life we can celebrate! We can give testimony—We have been blessed of the Lord!

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

How does one get to the point of Spiritual Contentment?

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Romans 4:6-8

Many people suffer with spiritual issues. The main reason for these have to do with the fact people have not dealt with their sin. When you don’t deal with sin, God brings chastisement. The person that has dealt with their sin has a joy and peace that the natural man doesn’t understand. It gives a peace that passes all understanding. Is it well with your soul today?