PRAISE THE LORD

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." - Psalm 150:6

It's been a blessing to watch videos of the shape note singing schools that have been conducted this summer.  It is a joy to watch young people sight-read songs that they've never seen or heard before.  I think it is glorious to hear young voices giving praise to the Lord.  It is even more exciting to hear of lives being changed at these singing schools.  On Facebook, I saw a picture of a young lady being baptized in a river by her pastor.  She was saved at a singing school.

I think every young person should have the opportunity to go a singing school.  The experience and atmosphere of a singing school is invaluable.  For many of these young people, it is an event that truly shapes their lives and initiates friendships that last for years to come.

Young people are not the only ones that should be singing.  The psalmist wrote, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."  Notice that the verse does NOT say, "Let everyone that has talent praise the LORD."  We tend to think that way, don't we?  To be rather honest, some have more musical talent than others.  Just because someone else has more talent than you shouldn't prevent you from offering praise to the Lord.

The psalmist ends the book of Psalms with this final sentence, "Praise ye the LORD."  When a person praises God, he or she is singing to an audience of one.  Others may hear the singing, but the concert is specifically intended to please the Lord alone. 

Sadly, congregational singing in some churches is anemic at best.  This needs to change.  Public worship should include congregational singing.  It is wonderful to be in a church that actively promotes congregational singing, as well as individual or group singing. 

Here's a problem that has infiltrated churches.  Many like to listen, but few want to sing.  In some churches, a soloist, trio, quartet or choir provides most of the music.  While I am fully supportive of group singing, I don't think it should replace congregational singing.  Music at church should never become a concert for the congregation.  Music in church is not meant to be a spectator affair but a participatory event.  Don't misunderstand me.  I like a good quartet.  I LOVE a great choir!  But such special music should never rob the congregation of the blessing of rendering praise to the Lord.

While I have a preference to the old hymns and classic Gospel songs, I also like new Gospel songs.  The main issue is the message.  Do the songs we sing have Biblical truth conveyed in a Christ-honoring way?  If so, let us sing them!

I want to share one final thought.  Singing shouldn't be restricted to the church house.  As Christians, we should sing at home, in the car, while doing chores and every place where it is appropriate.  God hears such praise and is pleased with it.  Who knows, maybe others will hear and be impacted with the message you sing. 

Yes, I love to hear singing from a good shape note singing school.  But I believe God enjoys hearing all of us when we sing from the heart.  Sing to Him because He is worthy of your praise.  Express your love and worship in song to Him.  When you bless the Lord, you'll find yourself being blessed. 

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." 

THERE IS HOPE

"... hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." - Psalm 43:5

We are living in troubled times.  Recently, within a week of each other, two celebrities committed suicide.  As I write this, another celebrity contemplated suicide today.  It is tragic that people have no reason to live.  So many have lost hope.

Locally, we have a major opioid epidemic here in the mountains of West Virginia.  Many people seek help and relief through substance abuse.  It is sad to see so many people destroying their lives for a quick high.  For some, drugs are just an easy way to escape pain or problems.  Sadly, drug addiction is often a super highway leading to death.  When you look in the face of an addict, you see a person without hope.

As a Christian, I know that there is an answer for substance abuse, suicide and other destructive lifestyles.  Instead of bickering over minor issues, it is time for Christians to rise up together and proclaim that there is hope for lost, dying souls. 

Some of you know that I write Southern Gospel shape-note convention songs.  After hearing a heartbreaking episode of substance abuse & the devastation it brought to the addict's family, I wrote the following lyrics:

Has your life reached the point of desperation?

Do you feel things have spun out of control?

There's a light shining out into your darkness,

From the One who is seeking for your soul.

Though you've been at the bottom of the barrel,

And you've lived many lonely, wasted years;

There is grace for the soul that comes repenting,

Look by faith to the Lord through all your tears.

Only God has the power to deliver,

Only He can redeem from sin and strife;

Trust Him now without any hesitation,

By His grace you'll receive abundant life.

There is hope, it is only found in Jesus,

There is hope for the soul that's lost and bound;

So just call on the Lord in full surrender,

Come to Him, He will turn your life around.

(c) 2018 Cumberland Valley School of Gospel Music, Inc.

Sadly, many are clueless about finding solutions to the substance abuse problem in our country.  Some think that education is the answer, but highly educated people are addicted.  Highly educated people are taking their own lives, too. 

There is hope, but it is only found in Jesus.  Only Christ can bring permanent freedom.  He is the only One with the power to break the chains of addiction and bring help to a hopeless soul. 

I have found that most Christians spend a lot of time talking about the problem of addiction, but few are doing anything about it.  Let me give you a few things that we should do.  First, pray.  Intercede on behalf of those addicted to drugs.  Instead of talking about them to others, talk about them to Jesus.  Pray as if it is your own child that is addicted.  It is time for churches to make this a major emphasis of corporate prayer.  Secondly, support those who are getting help.  Many are seeking deliverance.  Let them know you care for them & pray for them.  Third, financially support faith-based programs that are helping these precious souls.  I dedicated the above song to Appalachian Teen Challenge, a local branch of Teen Challenge.  They are faithfully pointing addicts to deliverance through faith in Christ.  Finally, be a visual, vocal and vibrant witness for Christ yourself.  Peter wrote, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15, emphasis added).

There is freedom in Jesus Christ.  There is freedom from suicidal thoughts.  There is freedom from the bondage of substance abuse.  Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  Furthermore, He said, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

There is hope ... and it is found in Jesus. 

A TRIBUTE TO MY DAD

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." - 1 Timothy 5:17

This Sunday (June 17, 2018) is a day designated to honor father's here in America.  Sadly, Father's Day is losing its importance because of the lack of men who will own up to their responsibility as fathers.  These days, a young person may rarely see his father & perhaps not even know who his father is.  This is a tragic reality in our society today.

I am grateful that I have my father still with me.  He isn't able to do the things he used to do.  At one time, Dad was an active man, working hard on a job and in ministry.  He raised a family on a meager income and worked extra hours to make ends meet.  He was a pastor for 30 years and preached hard most Sundays.

I want to pay tribute to him in this week's blog.  His impact in my life is incalculable.  While many do not have a godly, male influence in their lives, I am grateful that I have.  Even now, he offers wisdom and insight from his years of living and ministry.

I know several things about my father:

1.  HE LOVES HIS LORD

First of all, he loves the Lord.  He met the Lord as a teenager.  There on Belcher Mountain, in McDowell County, WV, his life was changed by the power of the Gospel.  Later, he was called into the ministry.  Through the years, Dad diligently read and studied his Bible.  Even now, it is not uncommon to find him reading the Bible.  He loves to talk about the Word of God and spiritual matters.

2.  HE LOVES HIS FAMILY

As I wrote above, Dad has sacrificed much for his family.  He still deeply loves his bride of almost 57 years.  He still loves my brother and I.  When I was growing up, Dad was not able to provide for us as well as he wanted.  He worked hard in a low-income job.  In spite of this, he sacrificially gave to us.  Others may have had the expensive, extravagant toys, but my brother & I had something more valuable:  the love of godly parents.

3.  HE LABORED IN MINISTRY

Dad was ordained into the Gospel ministry in 1966.  For a while, he was an itinerant minister.  Later, he became a pastor.  He faithfully studied the Scriptures and stood for his convictions.  This made him unpopular at times, but the Lord blessed his ministry.  Under his pastoral leadership, his church experienced many changes.  He baptized many.  He counseled people.  He preached with zeal and power.  All of this was done while he raised a family and worked hard in his job.

In the early 1990's, doctors found a cyst on his brain stem.  He underwent surgery, but part of the cyst remains unto this day.  Even now, he suffers several painful symptoms due to the cyst.  In more recent years, he has suffered from atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and has had several bouts with pneumonia.  Obviously, these major health issues, plus his advancing age, have slowed him down significantly.  Yet, he tries to remain active.  He tries to work on his computer, reads from his Bible daily and has a desire to return to oil painting.  He does several things to keep his mind sharp.

My father is not a perfect man.  In fact, no earthly father is perfect.  However, his desire is to point men and women to a perfect Father in heaven.  Although he & I are different in many ways, I know that he has passed several things on to me that are vitally important.  I greatly appreciate and respect the example he has been to others & myself.  

I love you, Dad!

A LESSON FOR JONAH --- AND US

"Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" - Jonah 4:10-11

Jonah's preaching ministry at Nineveh seemed to be very successful.  The people of Nineveh repented and were spared from God's wrath.  Despite the outward results of his preaching, Jonah wasn't happy.  Jonah still had major issues in his heart that needed attention. 

You see, Jonah didn't want to see an awakening in Nineveh.  He was not pleased that the people repented and God spared them.  The fact is that Jonah wanted to see the city destroyed.

Spending time in the belly of a great fish did not completely eradicate Jonah's sinful hatred of Nineveh's people.  Like many of his day, Jonah looked down upon Gentiles as being unworthy of God's blessings.  What he failed to understand is that he, along with the rest of the Jews, was also unworthy of such blessings. 

Jonah wanted to see Nineveh destroyed.  But when God spared the city, Jonah got angry.  It is a foolish thing to get mad at God, but many do.  Jonah was angry because God had mercy on the people of Nineveh.  Jonah wanted to see them destroyed.  Jonah really had some issues, didn't he?

Jonah waited to see what would happen to Nineveh.  Perhaps the people would return to their sinful ways & God would destroy them.  While he sat & watched the city, God caused a great plant to grow.  This plant became a shade for Jonah.  He enjoyed the protection from the sun.  He appreciated the comfortable setting that this plant provided.  Jonah cherished this plant. 

As soon as Jonah began to cherish this plant, God had a worm destroy the plant.  Now the hot, burning sun was causing Jonah to suffer.  Once more, Jonah was angry.  He pouted.  Jonah had lost the comfort of the plant.  He lost something valuable to him. 

God challenged Jonah with these words:  "Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:  And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"  

The Lord caused Jonah to see that he loved a simple plant far more than he loved the people of Nineveh.  As for God, He cared for the people of Nineveh and had mercy on them when they repented.  

I believe that many Christians today are just like Jonah.  They love the temporal, cheap things of this world far more than the eternal souls of men.  The typical American is passionate about his career, his car, his home, his family, his fiances and his college football team; but he isn't all that bothered that his neighbor is perishing.  He doesn't get concerned about the lost in his community.  He is not troubled about the fact that many people he knows are headed for hell. 

Jonah's viewpoint was tainted with anger, racism and hatred.  God took the necessary steps to clear up his vision and show Jonah the heart of God.

May He do the same with us here in America.

THE NINEVEH AWAKENING

"So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them." - Jonah 3:5

Revival often precedes an awakening.  Many Christians consider the two events to be the same, but they're not.  Revival is a divine event when God's people are renewed and refreshed.  An awakening is a widespread event when lost people come to repentance and faith.  Quite honestly, America presently needs both revival and an awakening.  Christians need to repent of apathy and inactivity.  Believers need to get serious about the things of God once more.  Furthermore, our nation needs a mighty move of the Spirit to awaken lost souls, bring them under conviction and lead them to saving faith.

The second chapter of the book of Jonah details the revival of a preacher.  Jonah had been disobedient to God's call and, as a result, ended up in the belly of a great fish.  His repentance and renewal led to his escape from the fish and obedience to God's calling.  In the third chapter of the Jonah, we find the preacher obediently going to the city of Nineveh.  Nineveh was a large city for that time.  The Scriptures teach us that Jonah went through the city preaching.  For those who object to street preaching, they need to read the book of Jonah.  Jonah preached as he made his way through the city.

Jonah preached the message that God gave him --- a message of judgment.  Because of their wickedness, God's judgment was coming to the people of Nineveh. 

Jonah 3:5 states, "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."  While many object to a sermon about judgment, it awakened the people of Nineveh.

Notice two things about the Nineveh awakening.

1.  THE PEOPLE BELIEVED

First of all, the people believed God.  A genuine awakening leads people to faith.  Their faith was not a superficial belief, but a genuine faith that God's Word was true.  They had been convinced that Jonah's message was from God and was totally accurate. 

One reason that we aren't seeing a widespread awakening in America is because God's people aren't totally convinced of God's message.  You can't expect unbelievers to believe the message that "believers" aren't convinced of.  If we are totally convinced of God's message, why aren't we sharing it?

2.  THE PEOPLE REPENTED

Not only did the people believe, they repented.  Repentance and genuine faith go hand-in-hand.  The citizens of Nineveh fasted and turned from sin.  How can you distinguish between superficial belief and saving faith?  One obvious difference is that saving faith and repentance occur together.  Far too many people have joined a church or made a profession of faith, yet continued to live the same way they did before their "conversion."  A lack of repentance is typical of superficial belief.  A person may have a superficial belief, but he will never be genuinely saved until repentance and genuine faith exist together.

God had not promised the citizens of Nineveh anything but judgment.  Yet after the great awakening occurred, God had mercy and extended grace to the entire city.  He spared them from the judgment they deserved.

We need a similar awakening in America.  Notice that Jonah did not pray for an awakening.  Instead, he simply obeyed God and preached to the people and an awakening occurred.

We have a greater message than Jonah had.  We have the message of the Gospel to share.  Our country has experienced great awakenings in the past.  But there hasn't been an awakening for more than 100 years.  We are in a dire need for an awakening in America.  It could be that a spiritual awakening may be the only thing that can save our country from the judgment it deserves.

Like Jonah, let's obediently share God's message.  It could be a spiritual awakening may begin as we obey God today!