I have often thought about tracing my genealogy just to see exactly where my family came from and to see where they might be today but I’ve never been quite motivated enough to do so. I only know that my grandmother on the Saturday side came form Poland and my grandfather on the Saturday side came from Russia. I often say that they met at Ellis Island but I don’t really think that they did; I just like to believe that sometimes. My family genealogy has been kept somewhat secret. Neither of my grandparents ever wanted to talk about the “Old Country.” I guess it’s not that important to me.
When I read the Bible I find that genealogy is important because it verifies the ancestry of Jesus Christ. Abraham was told to look up at the sky and to county the stars. God told him that his offspring would be a numerous as the stars in the sky. Of course we know that Abraham wasn’t able to count the stars. I can envision the conversation God had with Abraham and how God made sure the skies were full His creation.
God was true to his word. Abraham’s descendants were as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham’s lineage (at least in the Bible and for our sakes) is recorded to the time of Jesus. Within this lineage mentioned in the Bible is found a prostitute named Rahab. She was also a woman of a different culture, and Tamar who was an adulteress (had an affair with Judah – her father in law – but unbeknownst to Judah), also a woman of a different culture. God in the midst of that still used them for his kingdom and glory. We also find another woman mentioned by the name of Ruth. Ruth was also a woman from a different culture (from the country of Moab) and yet we find that she was the great grandmother of King David and subsequently mentioned by Matthew in the lineage of Jesus.
If you’ve never read the book of Ruth in the Old Testament may I encourage you to do so. In chapter 4 you will read where a wealthy man of Jerusalem name Boaz takes Ruth who was a Moabite (different culture) as his wife and has a son by her. Within chapter 4 we read where the women of the area praise God for leaving Naomi without a kinsman. Naomi was the mother in law of Ruth. Naomi and her husband went to Moab because of the difficult times in Judah. While in Moab Naomi’s husband and her two sons die before the sons have any children. While in Moab both sons of Naomi married women of that region. One of the women, when Naomi decided to return to Jerusalem, went with her (Ruth). Ruth declared “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). At this point Naomi no longer considered Ruth her daughter in law but rather her daughter. This is why the women of the area declare that God did not leave Naomi without a kinsman.
In a male dominated culture, the women of the area declared to Naomi that her daughter in law is better than seven sons. In addition, she now has a grandson who will take care of her for the rest of her life. With that, Naomi takes an active role in the upbringing of her grandson, treating him as a son, to the delight of both Boaz and Ruth. Raising children is a challenge, and the help of grandparents can make it much easier.
The name given to Boaz and Ruth’s son is Obed. In the Old Testament there are five different men by this name. Obed means “servant” and “worshipper.” Obed is the grandfather of King David who considered himself to be a servant and is known as a writer of many of the Psalms and considered a worshipper of the Most High God.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew writes of the “book of the generation of Jesus Christ. Matthew’s Jewish readers immediately recognized the expression “the book of the generation,” taken from Genesis 2:4 where God introduced the “generations of the heavens and of the earth,” the creation of the world. The phrases 2nd occurrence is at Genesis 5:1 to introduce the genealogy of Adam. In Matthew 1:1 he gives us the three keys to understanding the genealogy of Jesus Christ. First, Jesus is Christ. He is the promised anointed one of the Jewish nation. The Greek word Christ means the same as the Hebrew word Messiah. Second, he is the son of David. It was promised to David that his throne would be eternal. The designation “son of David” is distinctly messianic. Third, Jesus is the “son of Abraham.” In this, He fulfills the promise given to the father of Hebrews (Abraham) that his descendant would be a blessing to all the families of the earth (including us Gentiles). Matthew continues on with the genealogy of Abraham having a son Isaac who had a son Jacob who had a son Judah. This continues to King David, who Matthew designates as a king (no other royal designation given until Jesus, who is declared the Christ.
In going back to my genealogy, my pedigree does not matter. My decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ was not dependent upon my lineage. Yes it is helpful if our parents bring us up in a Christian home but each of us must make the personal decision as to whether or not we are going to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. I don’t know who my great grandparents were but I do know who I am; I am the King of king’s kid! How about you?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Being Set Free
If Abraham Lincoln were living today, he would say, “11 score and 13 years ago our fathers brought forth to this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” The liberties we have in this country were not and are not free. There was a price to be paid and a price that continues to be paid today. Thousands upon thousands of men, women, boys and girls have paid the price so that you and I can assemble without fear.
In 1776, the first assembly gathered in Philadelphia to approve the final draft of what is called the Declaration of Independence. Within this document, the citizens of America were telling the king of England that they would no more pay unfair taxes, that they would no more be ruled by the iron fist of England. This was a bold stand that our forefathers were willing to take. Because of them, freedom and liberty exists in our country today. The freedom and liberty we have today must continually be fought for. When our fathers wrote the Constitution, there was no separation of church and state. Our founding fathers believed that church and state should work together. The history books, though they have changed over the years in an attempt to desensitize us to the truth, reflects and reveals this idea. Our fathers were willing to fight for our freedom. It wasn’t until the 1930’s when a Supreme Court justice came up with the idea of “separation of church and state.” Ever since that time, we have be gradually taking God out of our countries equation. Yes, we must continue to fight for our liberties and freedoms, even today. The price continues to be paid.
Eight thousand years ago we lost our spiritual freedom when sin was introduced into the world. Satan, disguised as a serpent, tempted Eve and we man have been under the bonds of slavery ever since. Sin is the transgression from the Law of God. God told Adam and Eve that they were not to eat of the one tree in the garden, but they transgressed from the command of God and sinned. With this sin came a separation of man from the sinless God.
Jesus said in John 8:34 that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. You can draw a picture in your mind of different forms of slavery. You may be thinking of the slavery of the blacks in our country some 200 years ago. Perhaps you are thinking of the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt, or maybe of the Jews when they were taken captive to Babylon. Whatever the picture that you see is, I’m sure we would all agree that slavery is evil. When I see slavery, I envision masters and taskmasters using a whip on the backs of men and women. I see God’s creation shackled in leg irons. I see the women being sexually abused by their “owners.” I see men having a foot cut off because they tried to escape from slavery to freedom. Paul said in his letter to the Romans that if you offer yourself to someone as a slave, you are indeed a slave to that person (Romans 6:16). The Hebrews did not volunteer to be slaves in Egypt. The Jews did not volunteer to be slaves in Babylon, and the blacks from Africa did not volunteer to be slaves in America. Slavery was forced upon them. Yet, every one in the world has volunteered to be a slave to sin. Peter said in his second epistle that a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him (2Peter 2:19) Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, we were all born into sin but yet, those of us who are Christians know that we are not accountable for our sins until we reach the age of accountability. The age of accountability is different for everyone, but for simplicity sake, let’s says that the age of accountability is the age when you know right from wrong. So if you are sitting here this morning and you know that it is wrong to commit adultery, if you know it is wrong to lie, if you know it is wrong to steal, if you know it is wrong to want what someone else owns, if you know that it is wrong to love things more than people or God, then I would say you are at the age of accountability. If you are therefore accountable, then the question is, why are you remaining a slave to sin? Why are you deliberately, voluntarily serving Satan and choosing to spend eternity with him? Hell is a forever separation from God, it is a forever separation from love (God is love). It is a forever burning and torturess existence. There is never, not even one second, relief from pain and anguish that one will suffer in hell.
You may be sitting there say, “I’m a good person, I don’t hurt anyone, I’m a this and I’m a that, and I don’t do this and I don’t do that.” Isaiah said that all of this and all of that is “as filthy rags.” No matter how good you are, you are still a slave to sin. You can even sit there and try to live a Christian life and do good for others, but that too, is as filthy rags. You can give all of your wealth away and hold the highest position in church, but this too is as filthy rags.
In the Book of Acts, we read where Simon the Sorcerer attempts to purchase the spiritual gift of the laying on of hands. Peter tells him that he was full of bitterness and a captive to sin. This was another way of saying that he was a slave to sin. That Simon was in bondage to sin.
We can go on every day living in slavery. We can go on every day not being a part of the family of God because, as Jesus said, a slave has no permanent place in the family. We can be so arrogant and we can be so proud and boastful like many of Jesus’ followers when they said to him that they were of Abraham’s seed that they were never in bondage to any man, so how could Jesus say they would be made free. Then Jesus answered them and said, “Whoever commits sin is a servant (slave) of sin.” (John 8:34)
The Bible says that every man has an appointment to keep and that appointment is with death. Once we die, we then go before the righteous One for judgment. If you have been a slave to sin, if sin has been your master, if your father is the devil, then the judgment God will render to you is eternal punishment in hell.
Paul wrote to the Romans that there is no condemnation (judgment) for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free and set you free from the law of sin and death. It was through Jesus that sin was condemned in sinful man. Paul also wrote to the Corinthians and reminded them that when Moses is read, a veil not only covers their face, but also their heart. Paul tells them that those who turn to the Lord have the veil covering their heart lifted and that we are given freedom. And as Jesus said, “if the son has set you free, you are free indeed.”
When you have been set free from your sins, you are then dead to your sins. Your sins are no longer. They are separated from you as far as the east is from the west. When you surrender it all, when you turn it all over to God, when you confess your sins and repent of them, when you accept the God-given gift of His son Jesus Christ, who was spotless, blameless, sinless, then you are no longer a slave to sin. Satan is no longer your master.
You have been set free. This freedom came at a big price…the sacrifice on Calvary of the Lamb of God. He paid the price of death that we are deserving of, so that we are not slaves, but are free, a part of the family of God. And being a part of the family of God makes us joint heirs with Jesus Christ, if you will accept it. The invitation is yours. It is not God’s desire that you spend eternity in hell. It is His desire that you spend it with him but the only way to do that is by believing in his only begotten son, Jesus.
Joshua told his kinsmen just prior to his death, he said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” You must choose this day, likewise.
In 1776, the first assembly gathered in Philadelphia to approve the final draft of what is called the Declaration of Independence. Within this document, the citizens of America were telling the king of England that they would no more pay unfair taxes, that they would no more be ruled by the iron fist of England. This was a bold stand that our forefathers were willing to take. Because of them, freedom and liberty exists in our country today. The freedom and liberty we have today must continually be fought for. When our fathers wrote the Constitution, there was no separation of church and state. Our founding fathers believed that church and state should work together. The history books, though they have changed over the years in an attempt to desensitize us to the truth, reflects and reveals this idea. Our fathers were willing to fight for our freedom. It wasn’t until the 1930’s when a Supreme Court justice came up with the idea of “separation of church and state.” Ever since that time, we have be gradually taking God out of our countries equation. Yes, we must continue to fight for our liberties and freedoms, even today. The price continues to be paid.
Eight thousand years ago we lost our spiritual freedom when sin was introduced into the world. Satan, disguised as a serpent, tempted Eve and we man have been under the bonds of slavery ever since. Sin is the transgression from the Law of God. God told Adam and Eve that they were not to eat of the one tree in the garden, but they transgressed from the command of God and sinned. With this sin came a separation of man from the sinless God.
Jesus said in John 8:34 that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. You can draw a picture in your mind of different forms of slavery. You may be thinking of the slavery of the blacks in our country some 200 years ago. Perhaps you are thinking of the slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt, or maybe of the Jews when they were taken captive to Babylon. Whatever the picture that you see is, I’m sure we would all agree that slavery is evil. When I see slavery, I envision masters and taskmasters using a whip on the backs of men and women. I see God’s creation shackled in leg irons. I see the women being sexually abused by their “owners.” I see men having a foot cut off because they tried to escape from slavery to freedom. Paul said in his letter to the Romans that if you offer yourself to someone as a slave, you are indeed a slave to that person (Romans 6:16). The Hebrews did not volunteer to be slaves in Egypt. The Jews did not volunteer to be slaves in Babylon, and the blacks from Africa did not volunteer to be slaves in America. Slavery was forced upon them. Yet, every one in the world has volunteered to be a slave to sin. Peter said in his second epistle that a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him (2Peter 2:19) Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, we were all born into sin but yet, those of us who are Christians know that we are not accountable for our sins until we reach the age of accountability. The age of accountability is different for everyone, but for simplicity sake, let’s says that the age of accountability is the age when you know right from wrong. So if you are sitting here this morning and you know that it is wrong to commit adultery, if you know it is wrong to lie, if you know it is wrong to steal, if you know it is wrong to want what someone else owns, if you know that it is wrong to love things more than people or God, then I would say you are at the age of accountability. If you are therefore accountable, then the question is, why are you remaining a slave to sin? Why are you deliberately, voluntarily serving Satan and choosing to spend eternity with him? Hell is a forever separation from God, it is a forever separation from love (God is love). It is a forever burning and torturess existence. There is never, not even one second, relief from pain and anguish that one will suffer in hell.
You may be sitting there say, “I’m a good person, I don’t hurt anyone, I’m a this and I’m a that, and I don’t do this and I don’t do that.” Isaiah said that all of this and all of that is “as filthy rags.” No matter how good you are, you are still a slave to sin. You can even sit there and try to live a Christian life and do good for others, but that too, is as filthy rags. You can give all of your wealth away and hold the highest position in church, but this too is as filthy rags.
In the Book of Acts, we read where Simon the Sorcerer attempts to purchase the spiritual gift of the laying on of hands. Peter tells him that he was full of bitterness and a captive to sin. This was another way of saying that he was a slave to sin. That Simon was in bondage to sin.
We can go on every day living in slavery. We can go on every day not being a part of the family of God because, as Jesus said, a slave has no permanent place in the family. We can be so arrogant and we can be so proud and boastful like many of Jesus’ followers when they said to him that they were of Abraham’s seed that they were never in bondage to any man, so how could Jesus say they would be made free. Then Jesus answered them and said, “Whoever commits sin is a servant (slave) of sin.” (John 8:34)
The Bible says that every man has an appointment to keep and that appointment is with death. Once we die, we then go before the righteous One for judgment. If you have been a slave to sin, if sin has been your master, if your father is the devil, then the judgment God will render to you is eternal punishment in hell.
Paul wrote to the Romans that there is no condemnation (judgment) for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free and set you free from the law of sin and death. It was through Jesus that sin was condemned in sinful man. Paul also wrote to the Corinthians and reminded them that when Moses is read, a veil not only covers their face, but also their heart. Paul tells them that those who turn to the Lord have the veil covering their heart lifted and that we are given freedom. And as Jesus said, “if the son has set you free, you are free indeed.”
When you have been set free from your sins, you are then dead to your sins. Your sins are no longer. They are separated from you as far as the east is from the west. When you surrender it all, when you turn it all over to God, when you confess your sins and repent of them, when you accept the God-given gift of His son Jesus Christ, who was spotless, blameless, sinless, then you are no longer a slave to sin. Satan is no longer your master.
You have been set free. This freedom came at a big price…the sacrifice on Calvary of the Lamb of God. He paid the price of death that we are deserving of, so that we are not slaves, but are free, a part of the family of God. And being a part of the family of God makes us joint heirs with Jesus Christ, if you will accept it. The invitation is yours. It is not God’s desire that you spend eternity in hell. It is His desire that you spend it with him but the only way to do that is by believing in his only begotten son, Jesus.
Joshua told his kinsmen just prior to his death, he said, “Choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” You must choose this day, likewise.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Out of Our Comfort Zone
Acts 13:36 "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep: he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.
Throughout David's life he served God's purpose. Though there were times when David swayed from God, sinned, he never made excuses nor did he blame others. He took personal responsibility for his own sin. Because David did not blame or make excuses, God did not do to David what David deserved. God did not give up on him, God did not leave him nor did He forsake him. The Holy Spirit worked on David and David repented. The scripture said that David was a man after God’s own heart. He did however pay the penalty for his sins.
Jeremiah 29:11 God said, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Just as David served God's purpose in his lifetime, you have been called to serve God's purpose in your lifetime. By doing so you may entail persecution of the most severe kind, but Jesus said that great is your reward, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:12). What reward? In this lifetime knowing that you were persecuted for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ but even greater is the reward of eternal life.
One of the plans that God has for all of His children is the spreading of the gospel. There's opportunity everyday to share the gospel with someone. You should never use the excuse that you don't want to be too pushy because you might push them away. Your pushiness may be the last time that they will ever have to hear the gospel and the last opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There are other times when you are in a crowd and the people present start to defame the name of Christ. Perhaps they are talking about "those Christians." You should never allow that to happen. Not that you want to get into an argument but you are called to defend the name of the one who gave you eternal life. David did so when he went up against Goliath. Goliath spent forty days cursing the one true God and David said enough is enough.
Ministry is a huge word. Every person who walks behind the banner of Christian has been called to be a minister. I believe that when someone is baptized, instead of giving them a certificate of baptism, you should be giving them a certificate of ministry. It is important to pray to God before you go into any type of ministry. You must pray and then listen. When you are asking God for direction or when you are telling God that you are volunteering for service, be patient and God will give you the answer, and He will not wait long to do so. Once He answers your prayer, take action. There are so many ministries available that the list is in exhaustive. Never be guilty of prioritizing ministry. Never be guilty of saying that one ministry is more important than another. God places each and every one of you where he wants you.
We are all of equal importance when it comes to ministry. The foot can not say to the hand, “because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body.” We are all a part of the body serving the
body as called on by God to serve.
The question, "are you putting your talents and abilities to use for the sake of the gospel? Are you up and out of your recliner, your hammock, your church pew and working for the one who loves you, the one who paid the price for your sins? The easy thing to do is be a spectator. Being a spectator takes little or no effort. God wants you to be a participant.
All ministries must begin with our family. You have a responsibility to share our faith with those closest to you. Tell them who Jesus is, write them a letter, and invite them to church. Again, don't use the excuse of not wanting to be too pushy. When you stand before God Almighty, are you going to tell him the reason you didn't persist in sharing the gospel with your family is because you didn't want to be too pushy. I wonder what God will say to that? Jesus said that father will betray son to death, daughter will betray mother to death, but it won't happen if you are not a witness to them. Sure your family may tell you to not talk about it or they may even tell you to leave and not come back until you've reached your senses. If that happens, rejoice in the fact that you have been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:41).
Once you are out of your hammock, take a look out of your backyard. What do you see? Do you see just your yard or do you also see your neighbor's yard? Do you see neighbors who are struggling, hurting? Does your neighbor need help with their lawn, cleaning the house, bailing the hay? If you are physically able, you have that responsibility. Go and do a good work either for or with them and look for the opportunity to share Jesus. Does your neighbor have an emotional need? Do they have a rebellious child, a spouse that said they were leaving, or are they perhaps dealing with a terminal illness? They just need someone to talk to them, to listen to them. Maybe it’s the elderly or the shut in who needs a visit.
You may live where you can't see your neighbors, so you can legitimately ask, "Who is my neighbor?" (Story of the Good Samaritan, the priest, the Levite) When Jesus asked, “Which of the three was a neighbor to the one in need? This expert of the law answered and said, “The one who had mercy on him.” This legalist despised the Samaritans so much that he couldn’t or wouldn’t even bring himself around to acknowledging that it was the Samaritan. How about you? If a person of another culture, religion or race was in need, would you be there to serve or help? If you were in need would you accept help from someone of a different culture or race? Would you discriminate against any of the above? Is there an ounce of prejudice in you?
Billy Graham said: "The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and the helpless."
There are two parts to Billy Graham's statement.
The first is unselfish Christian service. How are you doing at serving others? That's all ministry is; serving others, putting others needs before your own, sacrificing self for the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 10:24 says that nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. When you look beyond your backyard and see the needs of others, do you turn your back on them, do you say to yourself, "someone else will take care of that need," or, "I'll get to it just as soon as I can." And then what happens is; out of site-out of mind.
The second part of Rev. Graham's statement is the seeking out of the lost and the helpless. This is the Great Commission. Jesus said that he came to seek and to save those that were lost. In 1 Peter 2:12 we are called to live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Too many churches are busy trying to fill up their church pews by "evangelizing" people from other churches. They say things like, "you should come to our church, we have a great youth ministry, the best around." "You should come to our church, our pastor preaches the Word, he/she is dynamic and you will never be bored." “You should come to our church; we have a great praise and worship team.” Brothers and sisters, there are enough unsaved people in the local communities that you don't need to go and steal from other churches. Go to the lost, wherever they are. The lost may resist coming to a church building but they would still like to meet Jesus.
Sometimes in order to get out of our backyard it is not as easy as opening the fence door and walking out. Sometimes even Christians have challenges. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of your comfort zone. There may be times where you will need to climb a tree and go out on a limb to get out of the backyard and into your community. You may have to cut down or uproot the hedges that separate you from your neighbor. It may not be an easy task but no one said it would be easy.
Many times people are unlovable and you are called to love them. Paul told Timothy that the servant of Jesus must be kind to everyone. Everyone means everyone, there are no exceptions. When you part company with the unlovable what do they say about you? Are you a good or bad representative of Jesus? You may be the only Jesus some may ever see.
One problem that churches have is that they are more inwardly focused and not outwardly focused. We as a church still have a passion for the truth, we still want to exalt Jesus Christ, and we still look forward to the day of his return. But in some ways we have lost the urgency to "go." We can not be like the movie "Field of Dreams" where the voice says, "If you build it they will come." That only works in the movies. The unsaved of today and the church of tomorrow will not be drawn to a building with four walls, one that is of beautiful architecture, but rather a church that is reaching out to the community, one that is feeding the poor, giving clothes to the naked, being involved in prison ministry, showing hospitality by giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick. By doing so unto others, you are doing so unto Jesus himself. We do these works not for self-glorification but rather for the glorification of Christ, to lift Him up. The only person we need to please is God. God’s opinion is the only one of importance. We are called to let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise the one true God. We must make a personal connection with people. We must earn the right to share the gospel with them. Everyone has needs; the challenge is taking the time to find out what their need is, we need to connect with them. If we focus on filling their needs then we will earn that right of sharing the gospel. Before we can invite them to our house, we must go to theirs. We must meet them where they are.
Right before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave to His disciples what we have called the Great Commission. The Great Commission calls for us to go into the entire world and to make disciples of all nations and of all people. The world for some may be traveling down the road to Cumberland, Morgantown, or Uniontown. For others it may be going into the inner cities such as Baltimore, Washington, Los Angeles or New York. And yet for others, it may be leaving the security of the United Stated and going to places such as China, Bolivia, Mongolia, Mexico or Guatemala. Again, remember the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who is my neighbor and who am I a neighbor to? If God calls us to such a ministry as this, be obedient to the call. It may mean persecution or it may mean death, but great will be your reward for so persecuted they the prophet's that were before you.
God may be calling you to get out of your comfort zone. He may be telling you to be a witness to your family, in your community or to your neighbors around the world. When He calls, you have a decision to make. Are you going to be like Isaiah and say, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Or, are you going to reach into the bag of patented excuses such as, “I’m too old, I’m too young, I’m to ill, I’m too small, I’m too shy, I’m not worthy, I’m not equipped, I’m to dumb, I’m too smart” or any other excuse that might be in the bag. If you’ve been called and you’ve used any of these excuses in the past, it is not too late. It is never too late. All you need to do is to repent asking God to forgive you. He will then be faithful and cleanse you. He will then prepare you for service and when you enter heaven, He will say, “Well gone good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”
Throughout David's life he served God's purpose. Though there were times when David swayed from God, sinned, he never made excuses nor did he blame others. He took personal responsibility for his own sin. Because David did not blame or make excuses, God did not do to David what David deserved. God did not give up on him, God did not leave him nor did He forsake him. The Holy Spirit worked on David and David repented. The scripture said that David was a man after God’s own heart. He did however pay the penalty for his sins.
Jeremiah 29:11 God said, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Just as David served God's purpose in his lifetime, you have been called to serve God's purpose in your lifetime. By doing so you may entail persecution of the most severe kind, but Jesus said that great is your reward, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:12). What reward? In this lifetime knowing that you were persecuted for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ but even greater is the reward of eternal life.
One of the plans that God has for all of His children is the spreading of the gospel. There's opportunity everyday to share the gospel with someone. You should never use the excuse that you don't want to be too pushy because you might push them away. Your pushiness may be the last time that they will ever have to hear the gospel and the last opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There are other times when you are in a crowd and the people present start to defame the name of Christ. Perhaps they are talking about "those Christians." You should never allow that to happen. Not that you want to get into an argument but you are called to defend the name of the one who gave you eternal life. David did so when he went up against Goliath. Goliath spent forty days cursing the one true God and David said enough is enough.
Ministry is a huge word. Every person who walks behind the banner of Christian has been called to be a minister. I believe that when someone is baptized, instead of giving them a certificate of baptism, you should be giving them a certificate of ministry. It is important to pray to God before you go into any type of ministry. You must pray and then listen. When you are asking God for direction or when you are telling God that you are volunteering for service, be patient and God will give you the answer, and He will not wait long to do so. Once He answers your prayer, take action. There are so many ministries available that the list is in exhaustive. Never be guilty of prioritizing ministry. Never be guilty of saying that one ministry is more important than another. God places each and every one of you where he wants you.
We are all of equal importance when it comes to ministry. The foot can not say to the hand, “because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body.” We are all a part of the body serving the
body as called on by God to serve.
The question, "are you putting your talents and abilities to use for the sake of the gospel? Are you up and out of your recliner, your hammock, your church pew and working for the one who loves you, the one who paid the price for your sins? The easy thing to do is be a spectator. Being a spectator takes little or no effort. God wants you to be a participant.
All ministries must begin with our family. You have a responsibility to share our faith with those closest to you. Tell them who Jesus is, write them a letter, and invite them to church. Again, don't use the excuse of not wanting to be too pushy. When you stand before God Almighty, are you going to tell him the reason you didn't persist in sharing the gospel with your family is because you didn't want to be too pushy. I wonder what God will say to that? Jesus said that father will betray son to death, daughter will betray mother to death, but it won't happen if you are not a witness to them. Sure your family may tell you to not talk about it or they may even tell you to leave and not come back until you've reached your senses. If that happens, rejoice in the fact that you have been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:41).
Once you are out of your hammock, take a look out of your backyard. What do you see? Do you see just your yard or do you also see your neighbor's yard? Do you see neighbors who are struggling, hurting? Does your neighbor need help with their lawn, cleaning the house, bailing the hay? If you are physically able, you have that responsibility. Go and do a good work either for or with them and look for the opportunity to share Jesus. Does your neighbor have an emotional need? Do they have a rebellious child, a spouse that said they were leaving, or are they perhaps dealing with a terminal illness? They just need someone to talk to them, to listen to them. Maybe it’s the elderly or the shut in who needs a visit.
You may live where you can't see your neighbors, so you can legitimately ask, "Who is my neighbor?" (Story of the Good Samaritan, the priest, the Levite) When Jesus asked, “Which of the three was a neighbor to the one in need? This expert of the law answered and said, “The one who had mercy on him.” This legalist despised the Samaritans so much that he couldn’t or wouldn’t even bring himself around to acknowledging that it was the Samaritan. How about you? If a person of another culture, religion or race was in need, would you be there to serve or help? If you were in need would you accept help from someone of a different culture or race? Would you discriminate against any of the above? Is there an ounce of prejudice in you?
Billy Graham said: "The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. The greatest form of praise is the sound of consecrated feet seeking out the lost and the helpless."
There are two parts to Billy Graham's statement.
The first is unselfish Christian service. How are you doing at serving others? That's all ministry is; serving others, putting others needs before your own, sacrificing self for the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 10:24 says that nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. When you look beyond your backyard and see the needs of others, do you turn your back on them, do you say to yourself, "someone else will take care of that need," or, "I'll get to it just as soon as I can." And then what happens is; out of site-out of mind.
The second part of Rev. Graham's statement is the seeking out of the lost and the helpless. This is the Great Commission. Jesus said that he came to seek and to save those that were lost. In 1 Peter 2:12 we are called to live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Too many churches are busy trying to fill up their church pews by "evangelizing" people from other churches. They say things like, "you should come to our church, we have a great youth ministry, the best around." "You should come to our church, our pastor preaches the Word, he/she is dynamic and you will never be bored." “You should come to our church; we have a great praise and worship team.” Brothers and sisters, there are enough unsaved people in the local communities that you don't need to go and steal from other churches. Go to the lost, wherever they are. The lost may resist coming to a church building but they would still like to meet Jesus.
Sometimes in order to get out of our backyard it is not as easy as opening the fence door and walking out. Sometimes even Christians have challenges. Sometimes it’s hard to get out of your comfort zone. There may be times where you will need to climb a tree and go out on a limb to get out of the backyard and into your community. You may have to cut down or uproot the hedges that separate you from your neighbor. It may not be an easy task but no one said it would be easy.
Many times people are unlovable and you are called to love them. Paul told Timothy that the servant of Jesus must be kind to everyone. Everyone means everyone, there are no exceptions. When you part company with the unlovable what do they say about you? Are you a good or bad representative of Jesus? You may be the only Jesus some may ever see.
One problem that churches have is that they are more inwardly focused and not outwardly focused. We as a church still have a passion for the truth, we still want to exalt Jesus Christ, and we still look forward to the day of his return. But in some ways we have lost the urgency to "go." We can not be like the movie "Field of Dreams" where the voice says, "If you build it they will come." That only works in the movies. The unsaved of today and the church of tomorrow will not be drawn to a building with four walls, one that is of beautiful architecture, but rather a church that is reaching out to the community, one that is feeding the poor, giving clothes to the naked, being involved in prison ministry, showing hospitality by giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick. By doing so unto others, you are doing so unto Jesus himself. We do these works not for self-glorification but rather for the glorification of Christ, to lift Him up. The only person we need to please is God. God’s opinion is the only one of importance. We are called to let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise the one true God. We must make a personal connection with people. We must earn the right to share the gospel with them. Everyone has needs; the challenge is taking the time to find out what their need is, we need to connect with them. If we focus on filling their needs then we will earn that right of sharing the gospel. Before we can invite them to our house, we must go to theirs. We must meet them where they are.
Right before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave to His disciples what we have called the Great Commission. The Great Commission calls for us to go into the entire world and to make disciples of all nations and of all people. The world for some may be traveling down the road to Cumberland, Morgantown, or Uniontown. For others it may be going into the inner cities such as Baltimore, Washington, Los Angeles or New York. And yet for others, it may be leaving the security of the United Stated and going to places such as China, Bolivia, Mongolia, Mexico or Guatemala. Again, remember the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who is my neighbor and who am I a neighbor to? If God calls us to such a ministry as this, be obedient to the call. It may mean persecution or it may mean death, but great will be your reward for so persecuted they the prophet's that were before you.
God may be calling you to get out of your comfort zone. He may be telling you to be a witness to your family, in your community or to your neighbors around the world. When He calls, you have a decision to make. Are you going to be like Isaiah and say, “Here I am Lord, send me.” Or, are you going to reach into the bag of patented excuses such as, “I’m too old, I’m too young, I’m to ill, I’m too small, I’m too shy, I’m not worthy, I’m not equipped, I’m to dumb, I’m too smart” or any other excuse that might be in the bag. If you’ve been called and you’ve used any of these excuses in the past, it is not too late. It is never too late. All you need to do is to repent asking God to forgive you. He will then be faithful and cleanse you. He will then prepare you for service and when you enter heaven, He will say, “Well gone good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Lost Sheep
In Ezekiel 24: 11-16 it says that God Himself will search for His sheep and take care of them and that he would be the one looking after them. It says that He will rescue them from where they are scattered to. It says that He will be the one. It says that He will take came of them. God will be the one. God knows his sheep.
In the Old Testament shepherds weren’t looked down upon like they were in the New Testament era. Ezekiel refers to God as a shepherd, Isaiah mentions God as a shepherd, we know that King David was a shepherd in his youth and Psalm 23 refers to God as a shepherd. God is referred to as the “Good Shepherd.” Somewhere between the Old and the New Testament a transaction occurred whereby shepherds were viewed in the same light as the tax collectors. People considered the shepherd to be the “lowlife” of society. They considered the shepherd to be anything but honorable.
In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about three things; 1. a shepherd and his sheep, 2. a woman and her lost coin, 3. a son who went astray and was lost. When you look at Luke 15 you will notice the people were gathering around Jesus to listen to what he had to say. They weren’t the “high and mighty,” they weren’t the elite of society, nor were they the “holier than thou” people. They were present but they were standing at a distant watching. They were standing at a distant because they didn’t want to rub shoulders with those who were gathered close to Jesus. Those who were close to Jesus were the tax collectors, the prostitutes and the “sinners.” They were considered to be the lowlifes of the world. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the priest were there, just not very close. They just didn’t want to associate with those who were there. The religious elite really believed that the Messiah would come from their ranks. They thought he would be educated at the University of Pharisee and learned under the great Gamaliel. So when the Messiah can onto the scene, he was different than what they expected. He was associating with “sinners.” Those people the religious elite despised.
Jesus knowing all things knew what the religious elite were thinking. And knowing what they were thinking Jesus took the opportunity to teach not only those who were hungry for the Word, but to also teach the religious elite. Jesus had a way of bringing people into his stories. He starts the parable saying that suppose you have a hundred sheep. Not someone else, but you. Right away, the religious were in the story, they had 100 sheep and now he only has 99. One of them was lost. It was in the sheepfold this morning. The shepherd takes an inventory of his sheep and notices he only has 99. He does a recount and comes up with the same number. He knows which one is lost because he knows his sheep. They belong to him. He is not a hired herdsman; he is the owner of the sheep. The hired herdsman may know that a sheep is missing, but so what. A hired herdsman will go in the evening after work and tell the owner that one wondered off. This is the owner. He knows that it is the one with the black mark under its left eye, the one that was caught in the briars just a week before. It is no different than any of his other sheep except for now it is lost.
The shepherd realizing that one of his is missing becomes very concerned. The shepherd is thinking, “I must go and search for my lost sheep, if I don’t then my lost sheep will be taken by a bear, a lion or other wild predator. My sheep may end up starving to death, may fall over a cliff.” The shepherd is very concerned. The owner-shepherd must go and find his lost sheep. He is not going to send the hired hands to go and find his sheep, he is going. The hired herdsmen aren’t quite as motivated as the owner. When the going get tough, when the road is rough, the hired herdsmen may just give up. Rather the owner is going to leave the 99 sheep that did not wonder off in the hands of the hired herdsman. The 99 did not wonder off, he personally will go and find the lost one.
As the shepherd searches, he must go through the valleys, climb the rough terrain, and crawl through the thicket. It doesn’t matter where he must go, the only thing on his mind is his lost sheep and that he must rescue it. The shepherd knows that he will find his sheep. Jesus in his parable doesn’t say “if he finds it” but rather “when he finds it.” Make no mistake about it, the shepherd will find it. The shepherd will not give up until he does. After many hours of searching the shepherd sees his sheep, perhaps in a distance, perhaps ready to be pounced on by a bear. The shepherd to the rescue! The shepherd rescues his sheep and saves the day. When he finds the sheep, the shepherd is full of joy. He doesn’t scold the sheep for wondering off. He knows that his sheep needs him. He knows his sheep is dependent upon him. He knows his sheep aren’t the smartest of the animals but are none the less precious. Being full of joy he puts the sheep on his shoulders. He doesn’t make the sheep walk the long path home. The trail was rough, the sheep needs the shepherd. The shepherd would not even think about making his sheep walk the hard path home. The shepherd places the sheep on his shoulders and carries the sheep back across the rough terrain, through the thicket, back into the valley until he arrives home.
When the shepherd arrives home, he doesn’t release the sheep back into the sheepfold but rather calls all of his friends to come to the celebration saying, “rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” Luke 15:7 says that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Many families today have family members who have wondered off from the family. Perhaps someone in the family said something to “hurt their feelings.” Perhaps someone in the family did something to them and this one member of the family left. Maybe the one who wondered off did something that the rest of the family “couldn’t forgive.” What are you going to do about it? As a Christian you are called to forgive as Jesus forgives. As a Christian you are called to love as Jesus loves.
Within the church there have been members of the sheepfold who have wondered off. It’s not until sometime later that we ask, “Whatever happened to so and so?” Maybe they were offended by something someone said. Maybe they misunderstood something. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to simply say that they choose to leave or are you going to love as Jesus loved and find out what happened to them? In Isaiah 58 God said that if we do what we should do, we will be called, “Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” It’s your choice! We, as Christians have been called to rebuild the walls. It is God’s will; we must be restorers because we have been restored! Amen?
In the Old Testament shepherds weren’t looked down upon like they were in the New Testament era. Ezekiel refers to God as a shepherd, Isaiah mentions God as a shepherd, we know that King David was a shepherd in his youth and Psalm 23 refers to God as a shepherd. God is referred to as the “Good Shepherd.” Somewhere between the Old and the New Testament a transaction occurred whereby shepherds were viewed in the same light as the tax collectors. People considered the shepherd to be the “lowlife” of society. They considered the shepherd to be anything but honorable.
In Luke 15 Jesus tells a parable about three things; 1. a shepherd and his sheep, 2. a woman and her lost coin, 3. a son who went astray and was lost. When you look at Luke 15 you will notice the people were gathering around Jesus to listen to what he had to say. They weren’t the “high and mighty,” they weren’t the elite of society, nor were they the “holier than thou” people. They were present but they were standing at a distant watching. They were standing at a distant because they didn’t want to rub shoulders with those who were gathered close to Jesus. Those who were close to Jesus were the tax collectors, the prostitutes and the “sinners.” They were considered to be the lowlifes of the world. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the priest were there, just not very close. They just didn’t want to associate with those who were there. The religious elite really believed that the Messiah would come from their ranks. They thought he would be educated at the University of Pharisee and learned under the great Gamaliel. So when the Messiah can onto the scene, he was different than what they expected. He was associating with “sinners.” Those people the religious elite despised.
Jesus knowing all things knew what the religious elite were thinking. And knowing what they were thinking Jesus took the opportunity to teach not only those who were hungry for the Word, but to also teach the religious elite. Jesus had a way of bringing people into his stories. He starts the parable saying that suppose you have a hundred sheep. Not someone else, but you. Right away, the religious were in the story, they had 100 sheep and now he only has 99. One of them was lost. It was in the sheepfold this morning. The shepherd takes an inventory of his sheep and notices he only has 99. He does a recount and comes up with the same number. He knows which one is lost because he knows his sheep. They belong to him. He is not a hired herdsman; he is the owner of the sheep. The hired herdsman may know that a sheep is missing, but so what. A hired herdsman will go in the evening after work and tell the owner that one wondered off. This is the owner. He knows that it is the one with the black mark under its left eye, the one that was caught in the briars just a week before. It is no different than any of his other sheep except for now it is lost.
The shepherd realizing that one of his is missing becomes very concerned. The shepherd is thinking, “I must go and search for my lost sheep, if I don’t then my lost sheep will be taken by a bear, a lion or other wild predator. My sheep may end up starving to death, may fall over a cliff.” The shepherd is very concerned. The owner-shepherd must go and find his lost sheep. He is not going to send the hired hands to go and find his sheep, he is going. The hired herdsmen aren’t quite as motivated as the owner. When the going get tough, when the road is rough, the hired herdsmen may just give up. Rather the owner is going to leave the 99 sheep that did not wonder off in the hands of the hired herdsman. The 99 did not wonder off, he personally will go and find the lost one.
As the shepherd searches, he must go through the valleys, climb the rough terrain, and crawl through the thicket. It doesn’t matter where he must go, the only thing on his mind is his lost sheep and that he must rescue it. The shepherd knows that he will find his sheep. Jesus in his parable doesn’t say “if he finds it” but rather “when he finds it.” Make no mistake about it, the shepherd will find it. The shepherd will not give up until he does. After many hours of searching the shepherd sees his sheep, perhaps in a distance, perhaps ready to be pounced on by a bear. The shepherd to the rescue! The shepherd rescues his sheep and saves the day. When he finds the sheep, the shepherd is full of joy. He doesn’t scold the sheep for wondering off. He knows that his sheep needs him. He knows his sheep is dependent upon him. He knows his sheep aren’t the smartest of the animals but are none the less precious. Being full of joy he puts the sheep on his shoulders. He doesn’t make the sheep walk the long path home. The trail was rough, the sheep needs the shepherd. The shepherd would not even think about making his sheep walk the hard path home. The shepherd places the sheep on his shoulders and carries the sheep back across the rough terrain, through the thicket, back into the valley until he arrives home.
When the shepherd arrives home, he doesn’t release the sheep back into the sheepfold but rather calls all of his friends to come to the celebration saying, “rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” Luke 15:7 says that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Many families today have family members who have wondered off from the family. Perhaps someone in the family said something to “hurt their feelings.” Perhaps someone in the family did something to them and this one member of the family left. Maybe the one who wondered off did something that the rest of the family “couldn’t forgive.” What are you going to do about it? As a Christian you are called to forgive as Jesus forgives. As a Christian you are called to love as Jesus loves.
Within the church there have been members of the sheepfold who have wondered off. It’s not until sometime later that we ask, “Whatever happened to so and so?” Maybe they were offended by something someone said. Maybe they misunderstood something. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to simply say that they choose to leave or are you going to love as Jesus loved and find out what happened to them? In Isaiah 58 God said that if we do what we should do, we will be called, “Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” It’s your choice! We, as Christians have been called to rebuild the walls. It is God’s will; we must be restorers because we have been restored! Amen?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Let's Reclaim our True History!
I will be up front and tell you that I am not a historian but I also want you to know that I don’t live in a box. In my short half century plus of life I have seen a deliberate, yet suttle distortion of history of the United States. For over three hundred years historians presented a broad perspective of our countries history. The 1960’s ushered in a morepp liberal thinking group covering each of the branches of government; a price we are still paying today. Prior to the 1960’s the rules, regulations and laws were rooted in Biblical values. During the 60’s our political leaders decided to take the Bible principles out of decision making and focus on what they considered to be more important. The focus of the 60’s and into today is not Biblical values but rather on monetary values. For example, the new historical writers don’t look at the Declaration of Independence with the civic, governmental and moral values attached to it but rather from an economic view point; taxation without representation. While you may not think this is a big issue may I tell you that it most certainly is! This is a distortion away from the truth.
We as citizens of the United States of America must preserve our historical heritage. We as citizens must teach our young about the true history and not history strictly from an economic view. It is time for Americans to once again take a stand. We must reclaim our history. So how do we do this? We must reeducate ourselves. We must change our own mindset and look at the true history from a civic, governmental and moral position. If we don’t do it now, if we simply let things continue along on the same path it is currently on, then our real history will soon be forgotten. It’s time we fight for what is right!
A great place to start is with the writings and beliefs of our founding fathers. Take for example Dr. Benjamin Rush. He was a great American hero and role model. At the time of his death in 1813, he was heralded as one of America's three most notable men, along with George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. And no wonder! He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, served under three Presidents, helped found five universities and colleges, is titled "The Father of American Medicine," led both the abolition and prison reform movements, and founded American Sunday Schools and the nation's first Bible Society. Amazingly, two hundred years ago, Dr. Benjamin Rush offered insights still applicable today.
Another great study is the writings of the United States first Chief Justice, John Jay. Jay's keen observations on government and society supply excellent material for the scholastic endeavors and also offer an engaging read. You may also want to check out an organization called Wallbuilders. Wallbuilders has a mission of preservation. Wallbuilders materials can be purchased at a discount at Emmaus Road Christian Store.
So it’s up to you. You can either join the fight and educate yourself on our true heritage or just simply accept what the new historians are telling you and accept it as the truth. We must all make a decision. What’s yours?
We as citizens of the United States of America must preserve our historical heritage. We as citizens must teach our young about the true history and not history strictly from an economic view. It is time for Americans to once again take a stand. We must reclaim our history. So how do we do this? We must reeducate ourselves. We must change our own mindset and look at the true history from a civic, governmental and moral position. If we don’t do it now, if we simply let things continue along on the same path it is currently on, then our real history will soon be forgotten. It’s time we fight for what is right!
A great place to start is with the writings and beliefs of our founding fathers. Take for example Dr. Benjamin Rush. He was a great American hero and role model. At the time of his death in 1813, he was heralded as one of America's three most notable men, along with George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. And no wonder! He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, served under three Presidents, helped found five universities and colleges, is titled "The Father of American Medicine," led both the abolition and prison reform movements, and founded American Sunday Schools and the nation's first Bible Society. Amazingly, two hundred years ago, Dr. Benjamin Rush offered insights still applicable today.
Another great study is the writings of the United States first Chief Justice, John Jay. Jay's keen observations on government and society supply excellent material for the scholastic endeavors and also offer an engaging read. You may also want to check out an organization called Wallbuilders. Wallbuilders has a mission of preservation. Wallbuilders materials can be purchased at a discount at Emmaus Road Christian Store.
So it’s up to you. You can either join the fight and educate yourself on our true heritage or just simply accept what the new historians are telling you and accept it as the truth. We must all make a decision. What’s yours?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Is Bluegrass Christian?
I don’t believe there is anyone who would argue the fact that musical instruments are mentioned numerous times in the Bible nor would anyone deny the fact that David and others would dance on festive occasions. I come across many people who may not like a particular style of Christian music and make the comment, “that’s not Christian.” Whenever I hear this type of statement made the hairs on the back of my head begin to stand up and I must fight off the temptation to retort and even argue. Saying that a particular Christian music style is not Christian is like saying that only those preachers who preach the “hell fire and brimstone message are the only true preachers. I know that there are some people who would agree with that statement. In 1 Corinthians 12 says that there are many different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit, many different kinds of service but the same Lord, many different kind of workings but the same God works in all of them in all men. One part of the body to say that they just don’t belong to the body doesn’t mean it’s true, or to say that a particular part of the body doesn’t belong doesn’t make that true either. All work together for the glory of God.
With the above in mind, the focus of this article is to examine the most popular Christian music of the day taking a look at the origin, the history, the current status and those who make up the music.
Today’s focus will look at Christian Bluegrass. The earliest settlers of western North Carolina were of Scottish origin. They brought with them a wealth of musical tradition. The men would play and the women would sing the ballads that were handed down from their families. Most of the early ballads centered on either death or murder with the women singing in a high shrill vocal. The majority of these ballads originated in the British Isles. These ballads eventually became know as Bluegrass.
As the women delivered the vocals and the men played, the fiddle became a favorite instrument. The fiddle was an instrument brought to America by the Scot-Irish immigrants. Soon after the men began playing the banjo, an instrument brought to our country from West Africa. Shortly after the banjo, the guitar joined in along with the mandolin. Bluegrass was promoted throughout the region simply by family and friends gathering on the porches and in the living rooms of their homes. Bluegrass expanded to the schools, dances and other social gatherings. Radio came to the western North Carolina region in 1927 and featured much of the local talent.
Bluegrass music lingered in the mountains of western North Carolina for many years until the Monroe Brothers (Bill and Charlie) showed up. They came from Kentucky and brought with them there own style of Bluegrass. Bill’s voice was similar in style to the women who sang the ballads in the high shrill sound. In 1938 differences divided the Monroe Brothers and they went there separate way. In 1945 Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys (Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, and Cedric Rainwater) appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and the rest is history. Bluegrass quickly caught on and people from all over the country, all walks of life have embraced the sound. The sound is now called Bluegrass Music. Bill Monroe is considered the founder and grandfather of modern Bluegrass Music.
The origin of Bluegrass music lies right in the middle of the Bible belt. The sound has evolved and today there are many great singers carrying on the sound. Ralph Stanley is one such musician that many Christian Bluegrass singers emulate. Jeff and Sheri Easter, the Lewis Family, the Chuck Wagon Gang are just a couple of the groups within the Bluegrass family. If you’ve never listened to Christian Bluegrass music before and would like to test the waters, may I suggest 16 Great Bluegrass Classics #1 for only $6.28. A sound bite of each song is available. This and a complete line of Christian Bluegrass are available at Emmaus Road Christian Store at very good prices.
With the above in mind, the focus of this article is to examine the most popular Christian music of the day taking a look at the origin, the history, the current status and those who make up the music.
Today’s focus will look at Christian Bluegrass. The earliest settlers of western North Carolina were of Scottish origin. They brought with them a wealth of musical tradition. The men would play and the women would sing the ballads that were handed down from their families. Most of the early ballads centered on either death or murder with the women singing in a high shrill vocal. The majority of these ballads originated in the British Isles. These ballads eventually became know as Bluegrass.
As the women delivered the vocals and the men played, the fiddle became a favorite instrument. The fiddle was an instrument brought to America by the Scot-Irish immigrants. Soon after the men began playing the banjo, an instrument brought to our country from West Africa. Shortly after the banjo, the guitar joined in along with the mandolin. Bluegrass was promoted throughout the region simply by family and friends gathering on the porches and in the living rooms of their homes. Bluegrass expanded to the schools, dances and other social gatherings. Radio came to the western North Carolina region in 1927 and featured much of the local talent.
Bluegrass music lingered in the mountains of western North Carolina for many years until the Monroe Brothers (Bill and Charlie) showed up. They came from Kentucky and brought with them there own style of Bluegrass. Bill’s voice was similar in style to the women who sang the ballads in the high shrill sound. In 1938 differences divided the Monroe Brothers and they went there separate way. In 1945 Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys (Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, and Cedric Rainwater) appeared on the Grand Ole Opry and the rest is history. Bluegrass quickly caught on and people from all over the country, all walks of life have embraced the sound. The sound is now called Bluegrass Music. Bill Monroe is considered the founder and grandfather of modern Bluegrass Music.
The origin of Bluegrass music lies right in the middle of the Bible belt. The sound has evolved and today there are many great singers carrying on the sound. Ralph Stanley is one such musician that many Christian Bluegrass singers emulate. Jeff and Sheri Easter, the Lewis Family, the Chuck Wagon Gang are just a couple of the groups within the Bluegrass family. If you’ve never listened to Christian Bluegrass music before and would like to test the waters, may I suggest 16 Great Bluegrass Classics #1 for only $6.28. A sound bite of each song is available. This and a complete line of Christian Bluegrass are available at Emmaus Road Christian Store at very good prices.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Is There Any Room for Racism
I had this big guy come into my brick and mortar Christian bookstore ( Emmaus Road Christian Store )awhile back and asked me if I had the book “Gracism” written by “Anderson.” My first thought was he was looking for books written by Neil Anderson and my second thought was “I didn’t know Neil Anderson wrote a book on ‘Racism.’ My first response, of course, was “yes I do!” In saying that however, I discovered he wasn’t looking for books written by “Neil Anderson” but rather by “David Anderson.” I’m sure my face had a blank expression on it as I had to embarrassingly ask, “Who’s that?” He of course went on to tell me that he was “David Anderson.”
In my conversation with David I found that he is the pastor at Bridgeway Community Church and the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called Reconciliation Live. He and I had a great visit together and in the course of our visit I found out that he owns a vacation home in my area.
David Anderson’s book “Gracism, the Art of Inclusion” is now a part of my store’s library and I must say a very interesting read. In the introductory section of his book, Anderson states, “Gracism, unlike racism, doesn’t focus on race for negative purposes such as discrimination. Gracism focuses on race for the purpose of positive ministry and service.” I like that! Gracism is for the positive and not the negative. It is for ministry and service and not for discrimination.
When you look at someone, anyone, what do you see? What kind of glasses do you have on? We so often look at people and stereotype people by the way they look. We have preconceived ideas when we see someone of a “different” race than what we are? How about those of a different sex, religion, size? Racism is a sin. Most of the time people think that racism is a black/white situation. Racism is far from that. Yes whites are racist towards blacks, blacks towards whites, whites towards Asians, Asians towards Mexicans, yet get the picture. Over the course of time we have made many advances towards bridging the gap but we obviously have a ling way to go. Anderson talks about the “dot” that everyone has. Some are visible and others aren’t, but we still have them. David Anderson believes the answer to racism in the world today is “Gracism.”
Anderson defines racism as speaking, acting or thinking negatively about someone else solely based on that person’s color, class or culture. He states that grace is the unmerited favor of God on humankind. As Christians we are to extend to others favor and kindness. Anderson says that when one merges the definition of racism, which is negative, with the definition of grace, which is positive, a new term emerges – gracism (I think David Anderson should trademark the term). Anderson defines gracism as the positive extension of favor on other humans based on color, class or culture. We are to extend favor onto others and not have favorites. This is backed up by scripture such as James 2:8-9. Does not God show favor on those he chooses to show favor to?
We are living in a rapidly changing world. There are population projections showing a shift in the numbers of minorities rising and the current majority decreasing. The point being is that we live in a multicultural society. David Anderson gives a great insight in this. This insight is reflected in view of 1 Corinthians 12. When people read this passage of scripture, they read it in light of spiritual gifts. David Anderson makes some strong points that yes, spiritual gifts are prevalent in this passage, but so is multiculturalism. Paul preached to the Jew, the Gentile, the free, the slave, the rich and the poor. Take the time to open your Bible and read this passage with the idea of multiculturalism in mind.
How is your church doing in view of multiculturalism? Are your antennas up and are you aware of the diversities that exist within your fold?
1 Corinthians 12 has been one of my favorite scripture references for quite some time. It talks about the gifts that each of us as Christians has. We excite ourselves in discovering our own gifts and using them for the glory and the kingdom of God. Right after the Apostle Paul draws a parallel of the various body parts and the various spiritual gifts given to us, and prior to the close to the close of the chapter, he talks about the “weaker.” It is in this that David Anderson brings insight. In Gracism, the Art of Inclusion, Seven Sayings of a Gracist are examined in light of 1 Corinthians 12.
Saying One “I Will Lift You Up”
“Those parts of the body that seam to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.” (1 Corinthians 12:22-23)
Special Honor is to be given to the humble. Special Honor is to be given to the down and outers, those living on the fringe, the minority, those who need special attention. These are the ones who go unnoticed, who are overlooked. Everyone is important in the body of Christ, not just those who stand out in the crowd.
Saying Two “I Will Cover You”
“The parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.” (1 Corinthians 12:23-24)
Special Modesty is the way we speak about ethnic groups, genders and classes. Failure to do so and being critical does not develop unity within the body of Christ. We must ensure that we cloth ourselves with grace. The Apostle Paul mentions in Colossians that we must cloth ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are to do this in reference to race, religion or ethnicity. As Christians we are to protect the most vulnerable within the body from embarrassment. We must check what we say and protect those who need protected.
Saying Three “I Will Share With You”
“The parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.” (1 Corinthians 12:23-24)
No Special Treatment makes a statement of “I refuse to accept special favors or perks that may hurt you” even if the refusal is emotionally difficult. No Special Treatment says that I will not express my rights, freedoms and privileges if they could hurt you. Perhaps difficult, it will cut to the heart of Gracism. It becomes personal. Gracism simply says that before I allow you to feel put down, less dignified, I will share with you.
Saying Four “I Will Honor You”
“God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.” (1 Corinthians 12:24)
Greater Honor is given to those parts of the body that lack honor. Anderson writes that those in the body that lack honor are the poor, crippled, blind and lame. It is through grace greater honor to those. The rich, I’m sure, don’t think it’s fair. Those who are physically fit may find it hard to accept the fact that God honors those who lack in the physical. In certain parts of the world people of different ethnicities are the ones who lack honor. In certain parts of the world people with physical or mental handicaps are considered those who lack honor. We often teach our children that life is not fair. I now know that neither is God. God is not fair; and I’m glad he’s not. This is where GRACE comes into play. It is by God’s grace that I am saved and have eternal life. I most certainly didn’t deserve it. James 4:6 says that God gives grace to the humble. Those who are humble realize that they lack honor.
Saying Five “I Will Stand With You”
God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body. (1 Corinthians 12:24-25)
The emphasis of this saying is “no division” within the body of Christ. Division among believers is not of God. God hates division. God is one in his nature, we are called to be one with him, and therefore there is no room for division to exist among followers of Christ. If we allow or if we cling to division within the body of Christ, we align ourselves with the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan. If we align ourselves with God we must align ourselves with unity. In John 17 Jesus prayed that all believers be of oneness. God does not want his children to fight and quarrel. If such is happening, I will be a person of reconciliation. Of which race, social group or culture did Jesus not die for? God, in his infinite wisdom, extended grace to everyone who will accept it. Because we are one in Christ, we must therefore say that there is no division among us and that “I will stand with you.”
Saying Six “I Will Consider You”
“God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-25)
This saying says that I will have equal concern for you. I will look at your circumstance, have the compassion of Jesus, and do whatever I can for you. It is being the “Good Samaritan” towards those who are downtrodden. A gracist who considers others does not live in their own world but rather looks for those who are struggling with the hope of showing equal concern for them. Equal concern is treating those who are hurt as if they were you own flesh and blood, your own family; because they are. Having equal concern is stepping out of my house and getting involved with those who are different than me. I will concern myself with your feelings and your dreams no matter what the circumstance or situation. Paul took Peter to task when Peter “removed” himself from the Gentiles when Jews arrived on the scene. By Peter doing this he even led Barnabas astray. In the body of Christ there are no “them” and “us.” I will consider you not only when it is convenient but always.
Saying Seven “I Will Celebrate With You”
“If one part suffers every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, overy part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)
As Christians, we must rejoice with others over their successes. When another racial group, ethnic group or gender group succeeds in some area, instead of becoming jealous and resentful, I should celebrate. In all the diversity in which we are a part of, we must rejoice with the successes of others, especially when it is not natural for us to rejoice in this way. Celebrating each other’s successes and wins is critical to unity. Jealousy and covetousness brew the poison that brings dissension to the body.
Becoming a Gracist is as easy as you want it to be. Central to it all is allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within you and when the Holy Spirit convicts you of your need to extend God’s grace to those who are in need of grace, to do so. Gracism is the positive extension of favor on other human beings based on color, class or culture. Racism can be narrow in its definition. Grace is the opposite. Becoming a Gracist is becoming more like Christ.
David Anderson’s book, Gracism, the Art of Inclusion can be purchased online for only $15.30 at Emmaus Road Christian Store.
In my conversation with David I found that he is the pastor at Bridgeway Community Church and the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called Reconciliation Live. He and I had a great visit together and in the course of our visit I found out that he owns a vacation home in my area.
David Anderson’s book “Gracism, the Art of Inclusion” is now a part of my store’s library and I must say a very interesting read. In the introductory section of his book, Anderson states, “Gracism, unlike racism, doesn’t focus on race for negative purposes such as discrimination. Gracism focuses on race for the purpose of positive ministry and service.” I like that! Gracism is for the positive and not the negative. It is for ministry and service and not for discrimination.
When you look at someone, anyone, what do you see? What kind of glasses do you have on? We so often look at people and stereotype people by the way they look. We have preconceived ideas when we see someone of a “different” race than what we are? How about those of a different sex, religion, size? Racism is a sin. Most of the time people think that racism is a black/white situation. Racism is far from that. Yes whites are racist towards blacks, blacks towards whites, whites towards Asians, Asians towards Mexicans, yet get the picture. Over the course of time we have made many advances towards bridging the gap but we obviously have a ling way to go. Anderson talks about the “dot” that everyone has. Some are visible and others aren’t, but we still have them. David Anderson believes the answer to racism in the world today is “Gracism.”
Anderson defines racism as speaking, acting or thinking negatively about someone else solely based on that person’s color, class or culture. He states that grace is the unmerited favor of God on humankind. As Christians we are to extend to others favor and kindness. Anderson says that when one merges the definition of racism, which is negative, with the definition of grace, which is positive, a new term emerges – gracism (I think David Anderson should trademark the term). Anderson defines gracism as the positive extension of favor on other humans based on color, class or culture. We are to extend favor onto others and not have favorites. This is backed up by scripture such as James 2:8-9. Does not God show favor on those he chooses to show favor to?
We are living in a rapidly changing world. There are population projections showing a shift in the numbers of minorities rising and the current majority decreasing. The point being is that we live in a multicultural society. David Anderson gives a great insight in this. This insight is reflected in view of 1 Corinthians 12. When people read this passage of scripture, they read it in light of spiritual gifts. David Anderson makes some strong points that yes, spiritual gifts are prevalent in this passage, but so is multiculturalism. Paul preached to the Jew, the Gentile, the free, the slave, the rich and the poor. Take the time to open your Bible and read this passage with the idea of multiculturalism in mind.
How is your church doing in view of multiculturalism? Are your antennas up and are you aware of the diversities that exist within your fold?
1 Corinthians 12 has been one of my favorite scripture references for quite some time. It talks about the gifts that each of us as Christians has. We excite ourselves in discovering our own gifts and using them for the glory and the kingdom of God. Right after the Apostle Paul draws a parallel of the various body parts and the various spiritual gifts given to us, and prior to the close to the close of the chapter, he talks about the “weaker.” It is in this that David Anderson brings insight. In Gracism, the Art of Inclusion, Seven Sayings of a Gracist are examined in light of 1 Corinthians 12.
Saying One “I Will Lift You Up”
“Those parts of the body that seam to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.” (1 Corinthians 12:22-23)
Special Honor is to be given to the humble. Special Honor is to be given to the down and outers, those living on the fringe, the minority, those who need special attention. These are the ones who go unnoticed, who are overlooked. Everyone is important in the body of Christ, not just those who stand out in the crowd.
Saying Two “I Will Cover You”
“The parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.” (1 Corinthians 12:23-24)
Special Modesty is the way we speak about ethnic groups, genders and classes. Failure to do so and being critical does not develop unity within the body of Christ. We must ensure that we cloth ourselves with grace. The Apostle Paul mentions in Colossians that we must cloth ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are to do this in reference to race, religion or ethnicity. As Christians we are to protect the most vulnerable within the body from embarrassment. We must check what we say and protect those who need protected.
Saying Three “I Will Share With You”
“The parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment.” (1 Corinthians 12:23-24)
No Special Treatment makes a statement of “I refuse to accept special favors or perks that may hurt you” even if the refusal is emotionally difficult. No Special Treatment says that I will not express my rights, freedoms and privileges if they could hurt you. Perhaps difficult, it will cut to the heart of Gracism. It becomes personal. Gracism simply says that before I allow you to feel put down, less dignified, I will share with you.
Saying Four “I Will Honor You”
“God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.” (1 Corinthians 12:24)
Greater Honor is given to those parts of the body that lack honor. Anderson writes that those in the body that lack honor are the poor, crippled, blind and lame. It is through grace greater honor to those. The rich, I’m sure, don’t think it’s fair. Those who are physically fit may find it hard to accept the fact that God honors those who lack in the physical. In certain parts of the world people of different ethnicities are the ones who lack honor. In certain parts of the world people with physical or mental handicaps are considered those who lack honor. We often teach our children that life is not fair. I now know that neither is God. God is not fair; and I’m glad he’s not. This is where GRACE comes into play. It is by God’s grace that I am saved and have eternal life. I most certainly didn’t deserve it. James 4:6 says that God gives grace to the humble. Those who are humble realize that they lack honor.
Saying Five “I Will Stand With You”
God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body. (1 Corinthians 12:24-25)
The emphasis of this saying is “no division” within the body of Christ. Division among believers is not of God. God hates division. God is one in his nature, we are called to be one with him, and therefore there is no room for division to exist among followers of Christ. If we allow or if we cling to division within the body of Christ, we align ourselves with the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan. If we align ourselves with God we must align ourselves with unity. In John 17 Jesus prayed that all believers be of oneness. God does not want his children to fight and quarrel. If such is happening, I will be a person of reconciliation. Of which race, social group or culture did Jesus not die for? God, in his infinite wisdom, extended grace to everyone who will accept it. Because we are one in Christ, we must therefore say that there is no division among us and that “I will stand with you.”
Saying Six “I Will Consider You”
“God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-25)
This saying says that I will have equal concern for you. I will look at your circumstance, have the compassion of Jesus, and do whatever I can for you. It is being the “Good Samaritan” towards those who are downtrodden. A gracist who considers others does not live in their own world but rather looks for those who are struggling with the hope of showing equal concern for them. Equal concern is treating those who are hurt as if they were you own flesh and blood, your own family; because they are. Having equal concern is stepping out of my house and getting involved with those who are different than me. I will concern myself with your feelings and your dreams no matter what the circumstance or situation. Paul took Peter to task when Peter “removed” himself from the Gentiles when Jews arrived on the scene. By Peter doing this he even led Barnabas astray. In the body of Christ there are no “them” and “us.” I will consider you not only when it is convenient but always.
Saying Seven “I Will Celebrate With You”
“If one part suffers every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, overy part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)
As Christians, we must rejoice with others over their successes. When another racial group, ethnic group or gender group succeeds in some area, instead of becoming jealous and resentful, I should celebrate. In all the diversity in which we are a part of, we must rejoice with the successes of others, especially when it is not natural for us to rejoice in this way. Celebrating each other’s successes and wins is critical to unity. Jealousy and covetousness brew the poison that brings dissension to the body.
Becoming a Gracist is as easy as you want it to be. Central to it all is allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell within you and when the Holy Spirit convicts you of your need to extend God’s grace to those who are in need of grace, to do so. Gracism is the positive extension of favor on other human beings based on color, class or culture. Racism can be narrow in its definition. Grace is the opposite. Becoming a Gracist is becoming more like Christ.
David Anderson’s book, Gracism, the Art of Inclusion can be purchased online for only $15.30 at Emmaus Road Christian Store.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
