I’m in the process of reading Booker T. Washington’s autobiography in which he was talking about how difficult it was to get a good education when he was a child. He mentioned several times his determination and how he was going to find a way to learn to read and write and better himself. In reading about his accomplishments, it’s obvious he did just that.

As I was reading today, I began to think of how much things have changed in the last century. Now education is readily available for anyone who wants it but many never take the time to learn to read or write or learn a trade. I’d say that’s changed even in the last 50 years and it’s really sad.

I see a lot of parallels with modern-day Christianity. Years ago, it cost something to be a Christian. You couldn’t be only partly sold out to Christ because any devotion to Him could cost your life. Now we don’t have to worry about being tortured or killed and so we go through our days acknowledging Him before meals and maybe in the morning when we get up but that’s about it.

You’ve probably heard that Christians who are persecuted in other countries are praying that persecution will begin here so we will have a stronger Church. It’s sad if that’s what it will take for you to walk close to Jesus. If you love your comfort more than you love Him now, don’t think that will change when you have to choose between the two.

Do you claim to be a follower of Jesus because you love Him and understand what you owe Him, or is it the acceptable thing to do? Is it what’s expected of you and you don’t mind going to church, so you go through the motions each week? Friends, life is too short. Jesus is coming soon but we may go through some extremely hard times prior to His return, and we must be ready. If your relationship with Him is not what it needs to be, ask God to change your heart and help you to see that you need Him as much as you need air. When you understand your need to that depth, your perspective will change, your heart will begin to change, and you will truly fall in love with a Savior who’s been patiently waiting for you all this time.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I had a great day with Grandparents, Mom, all siblings but one, and all my nieces and nephews. I’m so thankful God put me in a family that loves God and loves me. We also had a guest who doesn’t have family. She fit in so well and seemed to enjoy the atmosphere a family brings.

As much as I love my family, I’m thankful to be a part of an even bigger family–the family of God. It’s easy to take Brothers and Sisters for granted but the truth is we need each other. Whether it’s someone to pray for us, encourage us when we’re down, help in practical ways when we’re sick … whatever … we need the Body of Christ.

If you think of your body, you’re the most productive when you have arms, hands, legs, feet, etc. God knew what we would need to be up and running and, although bodies run down and sometimes don’t have the use of all those things any more, the things we’re able to do become more limited when we hit that point.

Take time today to thank God for the family He’s adopted you into and don’t forget to let others know what they mean to you. You never know if it may be your last chance to do so.

This week, we said goodbye to another man of God. I never had the blessing of meeting Jackie Wilburn but His obvious love for God and his family was an inspiration to me. When I read Jonathan Wilburn’s account of his daddy’s last day, I thought, “What a way to go!” What made Brother Jackie great wasn’t the fact that he sang gospel music. It wasn’t that he found and hired good talent to sing with him. He seemed to put God at the forefront of everything He did, and that is what I admire about Jackie Wilburn.

One by one, the saints of God are leaving and it seems like there aren’t many ready to step up and fill their shoes but praise God He will always have a voice. There is still a remnant which cares about God’s commands, who desire to be holy in His sight, and who will shine for Him regardless of what the rest of the world does. Are you among those who are serious about their commitment to Christ? It’s not enough to love gospel music and hang around those who love God. If you want to see these saints who have gone on, you’ve got to be willing to surrender everything to the Lord.

I’m not sure there’s anything greater that could be said about me when I die than that I was ready to meet Jesus. I want my life to show it. I want His love to flow through me to everyone I interact with. To those of you who are setting the example of what that looks like, I want to thank you. Years ago, it was easy to be a “Christian” as Christianity was widely accepted. That seems to be changing but it makes me more grateful for those who are still not ashamed to say, “I’m a Christian. I love Jesus and will continue to live for Him until He calls me Home.”

Blessings to you all this coming week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and don’t forget that every good and perfect gift comes from a Father who loves you more than you can imagine.

“The longer I serve Him, the sweeter He grows. The more that I love Him, more love He bestows.” ~ Bill & Gloria Gaither
“He gets sweeter as the days go by. He gets sweeter as the moments fly. His love is richer, deeper, fuller sweeter … sweeter as the days go by.” ~ Genser Smith

As long as I can remember, I’ve had a sweet tooth. If there’s something sweet in the house, it’s hard to pass up, especially if others are eating it. In the natural, I know how bad sugar is and how fattening sweets can be so I try to curb them but there are still times when I get a craving and will seek out some sort of treat.

In the spiritual realm, I wonder how different we would be if we understood as the Psalmist, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103) Wow. If God’s words are sweeter than honey, that’s pretty sweet and should be irresistible. We should crave time with God and reading His Word.

Too often, prayer and Bible reading become chores instead of a privilege. Christians tend to focus on what they can’t do instead of what they can do. It is such an honor to be one of God’s children. Let’s not fall into the trap of complaining about “rules.” Instead, focus on Jesus and His love for you, and you will naturally find a smile on your face and a spring in your step as you look for ways to serve Him. After all, you’re a child of the King.

“When it’s dark as a dungeon and the sun seldom shines, I question, ‘Lord, why must this be?’ But He tells me there’s strength in my sorrow and there’s victory in trials for me.” ~ Dottie Rambo

Do you ever have those times where you can’t see light at the end of the tunnel but you know it’s got to be there somewhere so you keep pressing on, praying you will see the other end very soon? When you’re in the middle of the tunnel, it can be hard to see the purpose and it can be extremely tiring if the tunnel’s very long but, if you’re God’s child, you hold on to faith, knowing there is a purpose even in this and that one day, you’ll have more strength, patience and an even greater determination to follow Him than you had previously.

I’m convinced the reason God allows dark times in life is to make us more aware of our need for Him. If everything were smooth sailing all the time, we “might forget to pray” as the Hoppers used to sing. I’d love to live on a mountain all the time and never see the valley but, without the exercise of climbing, I could become weak. Without the times of clinging extra hard to my Savior’s hand, I might be tempted to let go to see how far I could walk on my own.

As much as I don’t care for the down times of life, I know they serve a purpose, and I pray that I will be faithful to give God glory for what He’s doing in my life and that I will walk in that strength and victory that He desires me to walk in.

The end of our lives is drawing nearer as each day passes. Let’s continue to encourage each other, challenge each other, and be the Light this world needs to see. Never stop testifying of God’s goodness. No matter what is happening in your life, God is faithful. He has promised never to leave you, and He will keep that promise. That, in itself, is something to rejoice in.

I’ve been feeling discouraged this week. It seems like whenever God does something good for me, the enemy quickly shows up to get my focus off of the good. Knowing that God desires my continual praise, I fight to get my eyes off of myself and back onto Christ where they belong but there are times I get weary of the constant fight.

I suppose if we were always happy and everything always went our way, we’d never see a need for God so I guess I should be thankful for the discouraging times of life and I am striving to praise my way to victory. The Hoppers sang a song years ago which said, “Don’t Let the Battle Steal Your Praise.” If there’s anything I could encourage you in today, it would be just that. Life is hard. There may be times when you don’t feel like singing but that’s when it’s most important that you sing. Satan will not stick around very long where Jesus’ name is mentioned. Whether in prayer or praise, the name of Jesus will send the enemy back where he belongs.

I’m writing to myself this morning but I suspect I’m not the only one under attack right now. If you’re a Christian who’s fighting discouragement or depression, be encouraged to know that satan would not be attacking you so vehemently if God weren’t using you or about to use you in some way. For myself, it’s hard to see that God is using me but I have to trust that He is or that He has a plan for me that I don’t yet see. I desire to be faithful so that I can most effectively fulfill that plan. Therefore, I will sing:

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”
“His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.”
“I sing because I am not alone; I sing because one day I’m going Home where I shall sing for all eternity.”

Are you singing with me?

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

I was thinking this morning about the importance of love. “I love you” seems to be something to say but not always something which is followed by actions to prove the validity to our statement. I can tell a difference in those who are truly full of love for others and those who merely say they are. For one thing, those who care about others will invest time with those they profess to love. They will not feel burdened by a friend who needs to talk or who needs help with a task. In fact, they will thank God for the opportunity to show their love for this person.

I’m speaking to myself as I write this. There are people I feel love for but do they know it? Then there are people who I may not feel so warm and fuzzy toward but who still need to be loved. Am I willing to show them the love Christ has for them?

Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). On our own, we’re not capable of loving that deeply but, as you draw near to Christ and ask Him to fill you with His love, you’ll see a difference in how you look at people.

On a side note, it’s hard to believe a week from today, I’ll be heading to the National Quartet Convention. I plan to be there all week so, if you’re there, take a minute to stop by Booth 304 and say Hi. I look forward to seeing you!

“Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples” (John 15:8).

It seems like many go through life these days without bearing Spiritual fruit. Not only are they not bearing any, they don’t care that they’re not. They want to go to Heaven but it seems they’ve lost the vision of taking others when them. John 15 talks about bearing fruit, including how to do it and emphasizing the importance of it. Even Jesus spent His life pointing people to the Father so that they could spend eternity with Him. Are we doing that?

If you’re not bearing fruit, I encourage you to evaluate your relationship with God. It’s easy to think everything’s fine but we are called to be lights in a dark world and, if we’re not doing that, we need to repent. If your unsaved friends can’t tell something’s different about you, there’s probably not. The Apostle Paul said, “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). Can you say that? Have you truly crossed from death unto life (1 John 3:14)? If not, it’s never too late. Ask God to show you the areas in your life that are dead. No one wants to eat fruit that has withered but once it is fresh, it’s sweet, appealing and plentiful. That’s what we need to be. So I ask you: Are you bearing fruit?

In May of this year, everyone was talking about the return of Christ. Maybe not on May 21 but one day possibly in the not too distant future. May 21 came and went and it seems like everyone went back to life as usual, forgetting the truth that Jesus really is coming and, even if He delays His coming, we don’t know how soon our departure will be.

Each day, the news is full of people who woke up with a list of things they expected to accomplish and ended up not living through the day. Don’t become disillusioned by the false prophets who try to pinpoint the day of Jesus’ return. Their predictions may be wrong but Christ’s are not, and He told us to “watch and be ready.” Are you doing that? Are you living such a life that others notice something different about you? Are you testifying of His goodness in both word and deed?

Don’t take this time for granted. You are here for a purpose and that purpose is to serve Almighty God and shine for Him. “A city set on a hill cannot be hid.” With the Spirit’s help, be that city!

“I pray that You’ll be pleased with me when I lay my harvest at Your feet for I will never pass this way again.” ~Dottie Rambo

“Lord, don’t let me leave an unharvested field.” ~Ronny Hinson

The past couple weeks, I’ve been listening to these songs by two great songwriters who understood the importance of the times in which we live and how important the harvest is. I believe the majority of Christians would say they believe Jesus’ could return any day but I don’t see the burden for those who are still lost. It seems we’ve become complacent in accepting our salvation that we really don’t care what happens to anyone else when they die. I’ve been guilty of this myself, and I’m thankful God chose me to be His daughter but I know that, as His daughter, there is a work for me to do. I want to be that lamp that cannot be snuffed out, that will take time to share with people why I’m so happy in the midst of dark times. And, my friend, if you think things are dark now, we haven’t seen anything yet.

Personally, I’m not a fan of handing out tracts. Not that there’s anything wrong with it and I’m sure God uses it at times but it can be an impersonal way of feeling like you’re accomplishing a duty without taking the time to love those lost recipients of the tract. To be truly effective, we need to be willing to take time for people. You’ve heard the saying, “Everyone has a story.” Take time to hear that story. People need to feel like someone cares. If you will take the time to listen to them, there’s a better chance they will listen to you.

I pray that I will be faithful to be a light to those around me. People are dying every day and you never know whose day this is going to be. Will their destination be Heaven or Hell? Let’s not be content with our salvation; let’s make sure others have the opportunity to choose Life as well.