Challenged Champions For Christ Bible Blog 7

                                          Thankfulness in Chains

“I thank God every time I remember you in my prayers for all of you.  I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Being confident of this,  dear brothers that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1 verses 3-6

Thanksgiving – it’s more than just a time to gather with family and friends eating good food.  It’s a time to look back on all the blessings that God has given to us and be thankful for each and every single one of them.  All  the blessings whether we received them in good times or in bad.  As I was wondering about what kind of blog to write for this thanksgiving holiday I started thinking about one person in the Bible who was always thankful no matter what his situation was in life. That person goes by the name of the Apostle Paul.  In the book of Philippians we find Paul in chains and in prison for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet over and over again I was struck by how much Paul was so thankful for the believers in Philippi and all the spiritual gifts and physical gifts they were able to provide for him. Paul stated that the gifts that the believers in Philippi were able to provide for them were being sent up to God as a fragrant offering acceptable and pleasing to God. One of the reasons I believe Paul was able to be continually be thankful no matter what his circumstances was because he knew what it meant to be completely dependent on God.  He even states that I have learned  the secret to be content in any and every situation.  Whether being well fed or being hungry. Whether living in plenty or living in want.  Paul stated that he could do all things through Christ who gave him strength.  Paul knew that above all else God and Jesus Christ had his back.  Paul always knew that no matter what he went through Gods strength would get him through it. That gave Paul a reason to always be thankful and joyful. I believe that another reason Paul was able to be thankful was the fact that even though he was in chains he knew God would be able to take what would seem on the surface to be a hopeless situation and turn it around and use it for the greatest good in Paul’s  mission to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I also believe that Paul was so thankful because he knew that even when he was in chains and in prison he still had friends who would care for him and his needs.  Paul had a lot to be thankful and joyful about.  That’s where I think the secret to being content can be found.  It’s found in relying totally on God and his goodness, always being grateful for the blessings Jesus Christ has given you whether those blessing are physical or spiritual.  The grace and goodness of God in our lives should always give us as believers a reason to be thankful. We as believers should take time to remember all the blessings God has given to us not just on thanksgiving day, but everyday.

A challenge from the challenged Champion:

It’s Thanksgiving Day and today’s challenge is fairly simple as you gather around the table with your family and friends, take some time and quietly thank God for all the blessings he has lavished  upon you and your loved ones.  For that is where the secret to being content is found.  It’s found in realizing that every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights.  

One final thought.  I thought I would take some time to say what I am thankful for on this special day.  I am thankful for my family who has been on this journey with me over the past five years ever since I first entered Bible school when I was nineteen.  It’s been an incredible journey for which my family gave me many incredible gifts.  Gifts such as joy, peace, love  and most important of all,  a love for God and His Word.  I am thankful for the gift of my new baby niece, Kierstin.   I am so thankful she’s here and can’t wait to experience and have many wonderful moments with her as she grows up.  I am thankful for my home church, West Cabarrus Church.  For all the spiritual lessons and blessings they’ve given to me.   I am especially thankful for my friend and mentor, Pastor Terry.  Who was the first to see my gift for preaching and proclaiming Gods Word.  For teaching me the word of God and showing me how I can live it out everyday of my life.  I am also thankful for Liberty University.   For  training me how to be a Champion for Christ. Its been a great adventure and I can’t wait to see what the future holds as I face the possibility of going to seminary.  Last but certainly not least,  I am thankful for the gift of friendship that I share with people.  Friendships like my friendship with Bill Kurvers who takes time out of his busy schedule to mentor me and have breakfast with me as we study Gods Word together.   These are the things I am most thankful for mostly because I see them as gifts from God’s good hand as an expression of his love for me.

                       Challenged Champions For Christ Bible  - Blog 6

                                          “Guardians of God’s Word”

“It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up.”  Ephesians 4 verses 11-12

When I was a young kid growing up in Toledo, Ohio, there was always one movie trilogy that I always loved to watch over and over again on my VCR.  In fact it was a trilogy that I still love to watch to this very day even though I am now over twenty years old.  The trilogy I am speaking of is, of course, George Lucas’s Master Peace the Star Wars Trilogy.  Many times I would spend endless hours of watching the adventures of the republic V.S. the evil empire.  My favorite adventures were those of the legendary Jedi knights.  These special men and women were born with a great purpose and responsibility. Their mission was to protect and serve the people and intervals of the galaxy. They also were called to be the guardians of peace and justice as well as help the ones they served find the place where they could serve in order to make the galaxy a better place for everyone to live. While these Jedi Knights only exist in a fictional story, their lives as acts of service got me thinking of another special group of men who live and serve the body of Christ.  They are what the church refers to as Pastors.  Or as I like to call them, Guardians of God’s Word.

Over the past week I started my last three classes with Liberty University, one of which is a class that is going to be preparing me to hopefully be a Senior
Pastor of a local church or body of believers one day.  Over the first week of class I have learned what it means to be a Pastor or a minister of God’s Word and flock. I learned how being called to be a Pastor is a both a gift and a calling from God as well as a huge spiritual responsibility.  How as a man who is called by God to care for the flock of God, it is my job to care for the sheep of God, spiritually lead the flock of God, teach the flock of God, and equip the flock of God for service in doing Gods work. I learned that a Pastor means that in order to be a guardians of God’s Word and the body of Christ I must make sure that my lifestyle everyday must match the message I preach and teach to the body of Christ on Sunday. In other words I must walk the walk as well as talk the talk. I must expect hard times to come and that some people will always be skeptical or even question my integrity as a man of God and of servant of his kingdom. I must always remember to be in constant study of God’s word and devoted to prayer. Because it is only through my relationship with God through Jesus Christ that I can ever expect to be a faithful servant of the flock of God as I try to build up the body of Christ for acts of service, so that the body of Christ can then go out and make a difference in the world for the glory of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Another thing is the fact that being a Senior Pastor means I should always have a spirit of humility as making sure I put other people’s needs before my own. To be ready to care for people and to be ready to meet their needs no matter what they are whether they spiritual or physical.  And must always remember to execute God’s disciple in love and kindness to those members of God’s body who wander from the faith by choosing to live in a life of sin. However, be ready and willing to help them find their way back to the flock should they choose and want to repent of their sins.

My relationship with my own Senior Pastor ~~~

Being a Pastor is a great and honorable calling that God have chosen to give only to a select group of men. And it’s the only thing that I have ever wanted to be. Ever since I was ten years old I always felt that God was calling me into a life of service by serving the body of Christ by building them up and preparing them for acts of service. Being a Senior Pastor is no easy task.  It involves possessing of many great spiritual and physical talents and abilities. Over the years I have never met a man who better embodies the qualities more than that of my own Senior Pastor, Terry Falkenbury of West Cabarrus Church.  

Pastor Terry was the first mentor I ever had in my preparation for the ministry.  He was the one to first recognize the fact that I had the ability and the heart for serving and spiritually leading the flock of God. He also taught me how to be a student of God’s Word and to recognize the value and power God’s Word has in turning people away from a life of sins to a life fully devoted to pouring out the love of Christ in a broken world. He taught me not only what the Bible says but what it actually means by what it says.  He shows me the love and joy I can have as I learn to put other’s needs before my own and that the greatest joy I can ever receive in life is when I see someone repent of their sins and turn to Jesus Christ,  not only because of the sermon I preach on Sunday,  but because of the way I choose to demonstrate and show God’s love to people everyday.   

There are no words to explain just how much I love, respect, and admire the office of Senior Pastors of local churches.  For some people, their hero consists of  individuals who’s successes are on an athletic field or court.  For me, my heroes consist of those men and women who are called to serve and build of up the body of Christ.  By being a guardian of His quick and powerful Word and teaching and equipping the body of believers to fight the fight of the faith, to finish the race and to keep the faith that God has called them to in order to make a difference for Him and to the glory of His kingdom and for His name.

I cant wait for the day when I get to join these Guardians of God’s Word,  these men who are called by God to serve,  protect and shepherd God’s flock as I try to build up the body of Christ to go out and make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.

Thank  you to all Pastors everywhere, and especially mine  ~ may the grace and peace of God and of Jesus Christ be with you always as you continue to serve God and his kingdom.

                                       

                         Challenged Champions For Christ Bible Blog 5.

                                            A House Of Living Stones.

You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices holy and  acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5

It was in Rome around  AD. 64-66 that one of the most shocking  and sad events ever recorded  took place. The Jews had revolted against  emperor Nero who had been persecuting both the Jews and the Christians for refusing to worship him as their Lord and God. As a result of  the second Jewish temple  which was built during the time when the Jews made their return from captivity under the direction of Ezra the priest was completely destroyed. The Roman soldiers over ran the temple and destroyed  it by over turning every stone over- one after another- all in the hopes of finding gold and priceless treasures. The thing that I find most amazing about this event was the fact that Jesus foretold this very event many years before it happened. In Matthew 24 one day while Jesus was walking in the city of Jerusalem his disciples came to him saying ”Master do  you see all of these magnificent buildings?”  Jesus’ disciples were obviously impressed with the temple - and why not ?  I mean, after all this was the main place of worship in Jesus day. It was the place where many Jews would gather to worship and offer sacrifices to God as an act of worship to his name.  It was a place of beauty, strength and inspiration.  It was in effect the meeting place of God.  It represented the end of years in the wilderness and exile.

 Jesus’ response to the disciples is one that still amazes me to this very day. He said to his disciples “do you see all the things? I tell you the truth not one stone will be left upon another they all will be thrown down.”  Unbelievably,  that is exactly what happened in 70 AD. The Romans destroyed the temple and every stone was thrown down. It’s hard to imagine why God would allow his spiritual house of worship to be destroyed. So many times we read in the scriptures of how God’s house or place of worship was destroyed because of a war, a revolt or because of Israel disobedience to God.  However I believe that after many years of study I believe I understand the message that God was trying to send to the nation of Israel and to us today as well. God destroyed a tabernacle and two temples of worship to give his people a message, and the message was this.  The place of God’s worship is not as important as the heart of the worshipers there.  What really matters to God is not that we just simply worship him with our mouths but that we worship him with our hearts.  This point seems so simple, but grasping it and living it out is so difficult.

As I was thinking about this and how God’s earthly spiritual house of worship was destroyed, I suddenly realized how grateful I was that God is still building another house of worship and sacrifice, and it’s a house that is being built today. It’s not a house of earthly stones -it is a house made out of living stones – people like you and me!!  It’s the Church.  It is a spiritual house made up of believers and followers of Christ Jesus. This is a house where God’s people will offer him the true worship and spiritual sacrifices that God so richly deserves and desires. A house where Christ followers will offer God the true worship that he wants. Worshiper who will worship God the father in both spirit and in truth. It is a  house where those who trust in the Lord Jesus will never be put to shame. It is a  spiritual house that will be made up of those who were once far away from God because of there sin but who were brought near to God because of the blood of Jesus Christ. The people who make up this house will declare the praise of him who called them out of darkness and into his marvelous light for all eternity.

 Unlike the temples that were destroyed this one will never be destroyed. It will last forever because Jesus Christ is it cornerstone. I don’t know about you but I am glad to be part of this house – I realized I am one of the  living stones. And I can’t wait for the day that I get to meet all the believers who make up this spiritual house. I know I’m part of that house and I hope you are to.

A Challenged form the Challenged Champion.

This week take some time thanking God that you have been made a part of his spiritual house because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Thanks God for the assurance and the promise that you will never be destroyed but that you will last forever.

                             Challenged Champion For Christ Bible Blog 4

                                                       Chameleon Christianity

Shadrach, Meshach And Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace the God we serve is able to save us from it and he will rescue us from your hand. But even if he does not we want you to know O king that we will not worship this golden image which you have set up. Daniel 3 17-18

Peer pressure is something we all face everyday of our lives in one way or another. This is true both for Christian and non Christian . Peer pressure is when a person or persons feels pressure to become like everyone else. Many things can cause this. It can range from fear of rejection, wanting to be accepted by others, to feeling like a person will lose a certain job or friend if they don’t act or live a certain way. This is epically true when it comes to Christianity. I meet so many people who claim to be followers of Christ and yet they live there lives like everyone else in the world because of the fear that peer pressure places on their lives. This is what my youth professor calls chameleon Christianity. Blending in to be like everyone else in the world in order to be loved and accepted by the world. This kind of living goes against everything that the gospel teaches. Jesus tells us in his word that we are to be in the world but not “of the world”.  James in his epistle makes it clear in chapter 4 that anyone who is a friend of this world makes himself an enemy of God.

What is it that causes a person to develop a continued habit of chameleon like Christianity? I believe the main reasons is fear. Many times I meet Christians, predominantly Christian teenagers who are afraid of what will happen if they step out and dare to take a stand for   God and  Jesus Christ. Many times Christians are afraid of the fiery furnace experience they will suffer at the hands of the world when they decided to make a difference for Christ.

Just this past week I happen to run across one of my favorite Bible stories that tells what happen to three Godly men who took a stand for God and who walked through a furnace. Not just a worldly one, but an honest to goodness flame breathing real one!  The event takes place in Daniel chapter 3.  Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had built a large Golden statue based on a vision he had received from the Lord which was later interpreted by the prophet Daniel in Chapter 2.  In the dream the king of Babylon stood before a great statue which had a head of gold, a chest and arms of silver, its legs and feet were made of bronze and it toes were made out of clay. The king was told that this statue that was made up of many parts and represented four different kingdoms that were to come in the future. Nebuchadnezzar was told that his kingdom was the head of gold. However sometime later the king decided that instead of just being the head of the statue he wanted to be the whole statue. So he made a statue out of pure gold and issued a command that everyone who saw the statue was to fall down and worship the statue that was made in his image. This command was not just for the Israelites who had been taken into bondage but this was a command that was to be obeyed by all nations. Those who refused to obey the command would be thrown alive into a fiery furnace.  That’s exactly what happens to Daniels three friends. Scripture tells us that when the people heard the trumpet sound they were to fall down and worship the golden image. However Daniel’s three friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to fall down and worship the image. Furious, the king declared that these men were to be thrown into a fire that was seven times hotter then usual. In fact this furnace was so hot that when the attendants opened the door to throw these three men in the attendants were burned alive. We can only image the fear these three men felt as they stood before the fire.  Yet something amazing happened in this story. The Bible tells us that on that day instead of seeing three men enter the furnace the king of Babylon saw four men in the furnace and the fourth one was like a son of man. I believe that this son of man was none other then the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Christ was walking with these three men and was ready to deliver them from the fire brought on them by the world.  In the  same way he walks with us when we face fiery furnaces brought on us by the world as well.

Today we as Christians will face many fiery furnace experiences- there is no doubt about it. Jesus clearly states in John chapter 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble. However he also tells us to be of good cheer.  Why?   Because he has overcome the world. He did this by his death on the cross. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross we can rest assured that not matter what we face in this world, he will be with us the same way he was with those three Godly men in the furnace that day in Babylon.  We will come through untouched by what the world throws at us.

A Challenge from the Challenged Champion.

Are you going through a fiery furnace experience right now brought on to you by the pressure to be like everyone else.  We all have those kind of experiences at different times in our lives.  Maybe it’s a simple thing like taking a break that’s five minutes too long, or talking and backstabbing people in leadership.  Maybe it’s just hanging with the wrong people who are always negative about everything.  Maybe it’s bigger than that.  Being in any environment that encourages you to behave in a way that is not Christ like would qualify as a “the fiery furnace of peer pressure”.

These three Godly men faced this same challenged and they refused become like everyone else. They took a stand for God and got thrown into a furnace. In today’s terms they “just said no!”   God was with them to helped them get through it.

Maybe that’s you- maybe you have taken a stand for Christ and are now in a fiery furnace. Or maybe you need to take a stand and step into the fiery  furnace.  If you are there ask God to give the strength to get through it. Trust me, he will be with you to help you get through the ordeal the same way he was with these three men. You must only ask for his help. Remember First Peter states,  “cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you”.

                      Challenged Champion For Christ Bible Blog 3

                   A Good And Perfect Gift From A Heavenly Father.

Every Good and perfect gift is from above. And comes down from the father of lights who does not change like the shifting shadows. James 1:17

Think about the most wonderful perfect gift you have ever received in your life from the father who raised you. Growing up I can recall many great gifts my father gave to me. Sometimes he gave me a gift because it was my birthday, Christmas, or because he just simply loved me. However when I think about the best gifts my father have given to me over the years they were not gifts bought with money they were gifts given out of his love for me. Gifts like his time, meaningful conversations, a love for family and friends, a strong faith in the Lord and a passion to serve the Lord through ministry by the playing of music and preaching God’s word.

Over the past several weeks I have been going through a study of the book of James, the half brother of Jesus Christ. In chapter one James spends a great deal of time talking about how every good and perfect gift comes from God the father, or as James put it from the “father of lights”.  Now let me just say that whether or not you have been a child of God for many years or if you have just come to faith in Jesus Christ recently - it does not matter. If you are a child of God you have been given at least one special and perfect gift.  God has given you this gift for two main reasons. First, just as our earthly fathers choose to give us gifts out of love so our heavenly father chooses to give us spiritual gifts out of love. These kinds of spiritual gifts would include thing like the gift of service, the gift of encouraging, the gift of giving hope to others the gift of teaching and the gift of prophecy proclaiming Gods truth to others.  No matter what spiritual gift God has given to you whether it be one or many, God has given you these spiritual gifts because first and foremost because he loves you. The second reason God gives his Children gifts is because they are always good and perfect in fulfilling the purpose that God has for the lives of those who belong to him. As Beth Moore so rightly put it’, Gods gifts are always perfect because they are always perfecting. God’s gifts always make the lives of those he gives them to.

However when it comes to God giving gifts to his children we must always remember not to rush God with the delivery date. I can remember so many times when I was growing up I wanted to rip open a gift my parents had for me before the delivery date. This desire mostly arose during the holidays. When I would ask my parents why I could not have the gift when I wanted it they would always tell me it wasn’t time yet.  My parents always knew when the time was right for me to receive a gift they had for me. That way when I received it,  the gift would be much more precious to me. I think sometimes we take this attitude with God when we discover that he has many wonderful surprises in store for us. Instead of waiting for God’s timing to give them to us we often want to find out what they are so we can rip them open before the proper delivery date.  Many times when we attempt to do this we take away the joy God receives from watching us receive the gifts he has for us and our lives.

There are two things I believe we can do to avoid making this kind of spiritual mistake. First we must be patient. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes chapter 3:10 that God makes all things beautiful in his time. We must be patient.  God will allow us to receive the gifts he has for us in his own time. That way when we do receive the gifts God has for us we will be in the right place and the right time to use them for the glory of his kingdom. Secondly,  we must never fail to remember the gifts he has given to us already. Whenever we become impatient in waiting for God to open doors or bless us with spiritual or physical gifts, we should always remember the fact that he already given us the greatest gift imaginable which is the giving of his son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says “For God so love the world that he gave his only son that who so ever believes in his will not perish but have eternal life. Wow I don’t know about you but I would say that’s a great gift from our heavenly father -wouldn’t you. God gave the gift of his son so that those who believe in him would receive an even greater gift -the gift of eternal life. May we never take the good and perfect gifts from our heavenly father for granted again. All the gifts God gives to his children are gifts of his love for us. And they all begin with his greatest gift to us - the gift of eternal life through the death of his son on a cross. I know I won’t take the gifts God has given to me for granted and my prayer is that you won’t either.

A Challenge from the Challenged champion.

What are some of the good and perfect gifts God the father has given to you throughout your life for the glory of his kingdom? Are they one or are they many? My challenge to you this week is to take the time to remember and thank God for all the wonderful gifts he places into your life. Not just the physical gifts, but  the spiritual ones as well. Take some time this week to realize these gifts came not only from a father of power, but more importantly from a father of love.

                     Gods Challenged Champion For Christ Bible Blog 2

                                             “Give The Boy A Hand”

In the 2 Samuel 9:8 David said “Mephibosheth do not be afraid for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table.”

What David did was “Give the boy a hand.” I can’t tell you how many times I heard that phrase growing up as a boy who had Cerebral Palsy. So many times if I were carrying something really heavy or having to walk up a flight of stairs., people would sometimes ask or say someone ”Give that boy a hand”. In fact, I still hear this offer for extended help even today. As I was thinking about this aspect of my life it got me thinking of favorite Bible story that teaches a valuable lesson about what happens when we give people a helping hand.  It takes place in 2^nd Samuel  9. At this time David has become the king over Israel and Judah and has defeated all his enemies. The Bible tells us that David asked if there was anyone left of the house of Saul that he could show kindness to for the sake of Jonathan. Asking this question I think might have socked or surprised David advisers. After all surely they would have remembered all that Saul done to David. At one time David had been Saul’s friend, but then because of Saul’s jealousy David became his most hated enemy. I’m sure his advisers wondered why David wanted to show kindness to the house of Saul the first king of Israel after all that had happened between them. However the Bible says that David wanted to show this act of Kindness for the sake of Jonathan who was his best friend. David had become friends with Jonathan, Saul’s son.  Regardless of the history, David wanted to show kindness to Jonathan’s son even though he was the grandson of David’s biggest nemesis.

As it turns out there was one person David could still show kindness too. His name was Mephibosheth.   Although the Bible does not have much to say about his background the Bible does contain one very important aspect about Mephibosheth life -  he was crippled in both feet. I may be reading into this a bit but this very fact has always lead me to believe that Mephibosheth had some kind of Cerebral Palsy like me. I think that why I consider him one of my favorite characters in the Bible. So Mephibosheth comes before David not knowing what is going to happen. He addressed David as if he were David’s servant. However David reassures him that he is not in any danger. In fact David tells Mephibosheth that he is going to restore all the land and wealth that belonged to his grandfather Saul and that he will be welcomed into his own family by always eating with David  at the king’s table. Wow talk about an incredible offer. Here is a man who comes before the king of all of Israel crippled and without any hope and is given the greatest gift imaginable. I  often wondered what gave King David the desire to do this great act of kindness. Answer: I believe he did it out of the Love he had for Jonathan his best friend. I’m sure David never forgot about the man he loved as much as his own soul and I am sure he missed him very much. I have always felt that David was giving “the boy  a hand” by welcoming him into his own family.  He was saying, Jonathan,  do worry about your son - I know he has special needs and I will take care of and watch over him.

In a way we all can relate to Mephibosheth. You see  we were all crippled at some point in our lives. I don’t mean in a physical way but in a spiritual way. Jonathan’s son becomes an example in that we were all crippled at some point in life because of the sins we committed against God. David in this story becomes an example of Jesus Christ. When we were crippled spiritually by sin and in need of a Savior, God the king of the universe was able to provide us with a helping hand that could meet our most important spiritual need - the need for forgiveness of sins. He did this by sending his son into the world to die on a cross and to be raised to life on the third day.  Like David who showed this act of kindness to Jonathan’s son, out of love God also sent his son into the world to die on a cross for our sins because He loved us as well. Because of this  audacious act of love all who believe in the name of Jesus Christ have a place at the King’s table. Amazing isn’t it???? Mephibosheth goes from a man who is crippled in both feet to a man who becomes a dear friend to the king and sits at his table.  So do we!!  At one time we were crippled spiritually by sin, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross we now have a place at the table  of the King of Kings.

A challenge from the Challenged Champion.

David decided to give Mephibosheth a helping hand because of the love he had for Jonathan. So who do you know that needs a helping hand? Who is it in your life that could use some help in meeting a need. Maybe it’s a simple act like carrying a package or letting someone else go first.  Maybe it’s something much bigger.  Take a moment this week to “Give the boy a hand”.  Helping others out of love is one of the ways we show the world we a disciples of Jesus Christ.

“By this all men will know you are my disciples if you love one another John 13 :34-35                                                  

The Power Of The Song

Revelation 14

 

When I first started  thinking about writing a Bible blog, I will confess that I was a bit nervous and yet very excited.  As a student of God's Word for the past five years, I can personally say I have been so blessed in so many ways.  Reading and studying God's Word has been the greatest adventure of my entire life.  My goal in writing these Bible blogs is to help people grow in their faith, give them hope from God's Word and show them that studying the bible truly is the greatest adventure anyone will ever go on by providing biblical solutions to everyday life.

My first Bible blog comes out of the book of Revelation 14.  In this chapter John the Apostle is blessed enough to hear one of the greatest praise songs in all of history.  This song was song by a group of believers who had been redeemed from the earth out of a time of great trial and suffering. This song of worship was so special that John goes on to say in verse 3 of chapter 14 that no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. As I was studying this passage this past week, I began to think about the power of praise and worship to God through the power of lifting our voices up to him through joyful singing.  I know first hand what kind of power singing praises to God can have on a person's given situation in life.  I found this out when I had my legs rebuilt from top to bottom.  You see,  I was born with a disability known as Cerebral Palsy.  It is a disability that effects one part of a person's body and causes it to not to work as well as all the other parts do. When I was about 15 years of age, I began experiencing intense pain in my legs whenever I walked. As a result, a group of medical experts told me I would have to have my legs rebuilt.  So in the summer of 2005,  I had the biggest operation in my entire life. During this time,  the recovery stage was very difficult at best.  Many times I would feel sad and depressed because of the pain I was experiencing.  However one of the things that kept my mind off the physical pain and helped me keep my mind on God was singing praise songs to him.  One of my favorite songs during this time period when I was going through the trial of suffering and perseverance was by the artist, Third Day,  "Cry Out To Jesus."  I can remember spending countless hours rehearsing the chorus of  that song over and over in my heart and in my head. 

"There is hope for the hopeless, rest for the weary and love for the broken heart, there is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing, He'll meet you where ever you are, you just cry out to Jesus."  

I have often wondered why that song meant so much to me during the season of my life when I first heard it.  I suppose the reason is because I was living out the message of that song in my daily life at the time. I was living in a situation where I was having to cry out to Jesus on a daily basis. Revelation 14, in a way,  paints the same picture for us. The text says in verse 3 that no one could learn the song of the redeemed except the 144,000 Jewish witnesses who had been redeemed from the earth - who had been called out from the world to carry out God's purpose at that particular time.   They were to be in the world but not of the world.  Jesus has the same commandment for us as believers today: we are to be of the world but not in the world. We must always remember we, like the 144,000 in Revelation 14, belong to Jesus not to the world. We are simply God's ambassadors carrying out his plans for the world and singing the songs he has given us to sing. I believe firmly from studying this passage of scripture that the reason no one could learn the song was because no one else had lived it or  experienced it from their perspective. From their  unique vantage point, God gave them a song that only they themselves could learn. 

I feel the same is true for Christians today. Whatever your situation may be in life,  today my hope and prayer for you as you read this blog is that God would give you a new song to sing in your heart and in your soul wherever you are. Whether your situation is great, sad, confusing, uncertain, uneasy, pleasant, joyful, crazy, or whatever it may be, I pray that God would allow you to find a song that would speak directly into the situation you are faced with in your life. One of the great things I love about being a believer is learning new songs that speak directly into my life at a particular season in my life.  However I have learned that these kind of worship songs only come as I wait patently on the Lord.  The great Psalm writer, David, experienced the same. David wrote his songs and he waited patiently for the Lord. It is only as you wait with faith and patience for the Lord that not only will you learn the power of a new song with the words of your mouth, but you will learn them in your heart as well. And once you realize the power of these songs about the faith we have in Jesus Christ,  no one will be able to take them away from you. You will be able to call upon them whenever your faced with a new situation in life as you seek to live out his Word and his promises in your everyday life.

Please answer this question for me at the bottom if you feel comfortable. Do you have a testimony of a time when God gave you a new song to sing in what seemed like a hopeless situation?  If so,  please share with myself and others........thank you.   Evan