Praise Him!!

Gas prices are at an all time high and continuing to rise. Wall Street is taking a beating. The housing market is a mess. Strains of diseases, thought to be long extinct, have reoccurred. The war in the Middle East rages on, with more people killed each week. There are fatal car accidents, homicides, drugs, and robberies, even in your own town.

There is plenty around us to cause depression, frustration, anxiety, and apathy. All one has to do, is just watch the news or read the paper to find all the daily dose of bad news needed to cause such feelings and emotions. If we simply focus on these things, it would seem that the ground is giving away beneath our feet and there is no hope for anyone.

Many of us are not directly affected by any of the situations listed above. However, we do endure heartaches and disappointments at times. It is in those times that it is most important to draw close to God. It is not a hard thing for the Christian to thank God and praise Him when all is well. It is quite difficult to give Him that same praise in the midst of a storm in our lives.

I remember when one of the banks I worked for decided they no longer needed my services. My direct supervisor came by at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon to tell me I was no longer employed. I was shocked and overwhelmed. I had done nothing wrong, but now had to look for a job.

The next morning, I was supposed to help set up our church for service on Sunday. Simpsonville First Baptist had started a second campus which was an all contemporary format. We were meeting at the Simpsonville campus of Greenville Technical College, and had to set up and tear down each week.

Before I entered the building, I encountered a man who I had grown to admire. His name is Jim Dawson, and he is simply the finest example of the attitude we should all have as a Christian. He is always positive, energetic, and compassionate. He and his wife were mentors to me and my wife without even knowing it.

Jim took one look at me that day and knew there was something wrong. I thought I had hidden my pain pretty well, but he saw right through it. He asked what was wrong, and I told him. The first words out of his mouth were “Well…Praise the Lord!” I thought he was nuts. However, I learned from that encounter, that praise to God is not only reserved for what we perceive to be good in our lives, but something we should always do.

By Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15)

Did you notice in the scripture above, the writer of Hebrews refers to the “sacrifice” of praise? That’s because sometimes it is indeed a sacrifice. It is not something we want to do when troubles come. However, God says we should praise Him continually. Give Him the praise He is due, for He has created us to worship Him. When we praise Him, He will lift us up, and give us hope. Praise Him! Praise the Lord!!

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

I was sure by now / That You would have reached down / And wiped our tears away / stepped in and saved the day / but once again, I say "Amen," and its still raining As the thunder rolls / I barely hear you whisper through the rain / "I'm with you" / And as Your mercy falls / I raise my hands and praise the God that gives / And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm / And I will lift my hands / For You are who You are /No matter where I am / Every tear I've cried / You hold in your hand / You never left my side / And though my heart is torn / I will Praise You in this storm (Casting Crowns, Praise You in This Storm)

Because He Lives

This past weekend, I had the chance to do something I had wanted to do for many years. Lynn and I went with some very good friends to see the Gaither Homecoming Tour in Columbia. It was a great night of worship music. Many of the songs we heard that night were ones I had not heard in years. The program lasted for four hours, and we were all tired by the time it was over, but truly blessed.

It was a treat to actually see the man who wrote so many of the songs I grew up hearing and singing. Four of these are actually in our Baptist Hymnal. There’s Something About That Name, The King is Coming, The Family of God, and my favorite, Because He Lives. Something Beautiful, He Touched Me, It Is Finished, and Let's Just Praise The Lord, are examples of some of his other inspired works that are not in our hymnal, but are standards in Christian music.

One of the stories he told Friday night was about the song, Because He Lives. In 1969, Bill and Gloria Gaither were expecting their third child. Their firstborn, Suzanne, was four, and her sister Amy was three months old. The timing for another baby wasn't ideal since Gloria hadn't fully recuperated from Amy's birth. On top of that, Bill contracted mononucleosis. Health concerns weren't the only issues the couple faced: a recent divorce in the family and a rift with a close friend weighed on their minds. Another friend's strong prayer support gave the Gaither’s hope.

About six months later, Bill's dad, George, beckoned the couple into the middle of their office parking lot which had just been newly paved the previous fall. There, a single blade of grass had broken through the blacktop. Against the odds, life triumphed!

In July, a healthy baby, Benjamin, was born. Soon after, Because He Lives poured out of Bill's grateful heart beginning with the words;

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives!

What uncertainty are you facing today? Are you wondering how you are going to pay those bills? Maybe your health is failing and you have no idea how you are going to make it through this time. Is your marriage far less exciting than you had hoped it would be? Perhaps you have lost a job, or you are in fear of the layoffs at your place of employment.

No matter what your circumstances are, you are not alone. Even if it seems the whole world has left you behind and has forgotten about you, Jesus cares. Not only does He care, but He is right there every step of the way. He may be hard to see and hear in the clatter of daily life, but He is there, waiting to wrap His love around you. All you have to do is call His name, ask Him to come into your life and heart, and He will meet you in your storm.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus; There's just something about that name!

Master, Savior, Jesus, Like the fragrance after the rain;

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Let all heaven and earth proclaim;

Kings and kingdoms will all pass away,

But there's something about that name!

William J. Gaither

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. John 14:19

Taxes

Some years ago, I was watching a British comedian who was entertaining an American audience. He was quite funny through his whole act, but one thing he said really made me laugh. He looked at the crowd, and said, “So, you people left England because of taxation….How’s that working out for you?”

How true is that irony? Today, we pay more in taxes than those who left England back at the beginning of our American history. We pay sales tax, property tax, and many more including state and federal income tax.

Did you know that in 1916 the income tax law had just over 11,000 words, but the 1996 version has over 7 million words? That is ten times the number of words in the Bible! Does our tax system confuse you? You are in good company. Albert Einstein said, “The hardest thing to understand is the income tax."

It may be hard to understand, and it may be frustrating to continue paying taxes, but we don’t have much choice. Not only is the system here to stay, but people have been taxed ever since there has been organized government. Even the Bible addresses taxes in several areas.

Three instances come to my mind concerning taxes in the Bible. The first is in Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. Of course, if this tax had not been imposed by Caesar, then Jesus would not have been born in Bethlehem. There would have been no stable, no manger, possibly no shepherds in the fields, etc. The Christmas story would have been much different.

The second occurrence that I think of is in Matthew 17:24-27 where the temple tax is due. Peter does not want to pay the tax, but Jesus instructs him to go fishing. Jesus says that the tax would be found in the fish’s mouth. (Boy, I wish I could pay my taxes like that!)

The third is the fact that Jesus called Matthew to become a disciple. To me, this is a perfect example of why Jesus came to earth. This story is found in Matthew 9:9-13.

The tax collectors of Jesus day were social outcasts. The Jews didn’t like them because they were Jews who extorted money from their own people. The Romans didn’t like them or trust them for the same reason. Because of their status in society, they usually only gathered and socialized with other tax collectors, and those who were also less socially accepted.

When Jesus asked Matthew to join him, he immediately left his job and followed. He was very excited, but the only friends he could tell were the least desirable people in town. So he threw a party for them and invited them to meet Jesus.

The bottom line to this is very obvious. Jesus does not care about who you are, what you have done, what you wear, how much money you have. He just wants you as you are. We may be burdened with taxes, physical problems, financial problems, relationship problems, or a whole host of things that frustrate and blind us to the love of Christ. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, Jesus simply says, “Follow me”.

Does following Christ mean that we will never have difficulties? No. It does, however, mean that our focus will no longer be on the things of this world, but the things of God’s Kingdom. Wherever you are, look up to the God of all creation and ask for help. He cares.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Can you sleep when the wind blows?

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, Hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25 NKJV)

What's in a name?

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years, they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.

One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me...I know we've been friends for a long time.....but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is." Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes, she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

Names are very important in our society. In fact, it is usually one of the first things we ask or offer to each other when we meet someone for the first time. Sometimes we even make assumptions about others based on their name. For example, would you rather fight a guy named Stacy or a man named Mad Dog? (By the way, there really is a man named Mad Dog out there. He did some work on my parents’ house once. The name is really on his driver’s license. Just ask my mother if you don’t believe me.)

Sometimes we acquire nicknames because of something we have done or by some way we have acted. I have had two nicknames while in college, one was given to me when I attended North Greenville College, and the other was from my days at Erskine College. Both were given to me by others due to something I had done. My friends from college still call me by one of those two names.

When I first came to Edgefield, a man asked if I had been to visit a certain sick person in our church. The person who asked, however, didn’t use the sick person’s real name. I asked who he meant, and he could not think of the sick person’s real name. He always knew him by his nickname.

In the Bible, names are equally important. When people in the Bible had a life changing experience with God, their names were often changed. Abram, which means “high father”, was changed to Abraham (father of a multitude), Jacob (supplanter) was changed to Israel (having power with God), and Simon (God has heard) was changed to Peter (rock), just to name a few.

Their names were changed because they had a change in their heart. They were new people, because of what God had done for them. What does God call you? What would your nickname be to the world right now? Would you be called a Christian or something else? Do you like the name you would be given or not?

Whatever your present circumstance and whoever you are right now, can be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. You do not have to continue pretending to be someone you’re not. Give your life to Jesus Christ and let Him give you a name that you can take with you to eternity. He will actually give you part of His name. You can be called Christian!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Keep on Running Away

The movie Forrest Gump tells the story of a man with an IQ of 75 and his epic journey through life, meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture and experiencing first-hand historic events while largely unaware of their significance, due to his lower than average intelligence. Throughout the movie, we find that Forrest, although not smart, is hopelessly in love with his childhood friend, Jenny. Jenny leaves town, and Forrest doesn’t see her for a long time. However, she shows up one day and lives with Forrest for a while. One day Forrest finds that she has left once again. His solution to handling the feelings of loss was to run.

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across Greenbow County. And I figured, since I run this far, maybe I'd just run across the great state of Alabama. And that's what I did. I ran clear across Alabama. For no particular reason I just kept on going. I ran clear to the ocean. And when I got there, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well turn around, and just keep on going. When I got to another ocean, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, and keep right on going.(Forrest Gump)

He just kept running to get away from his problems. However, after running for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours, he realized that you can’t run away from your problems. None of us can.

The same is true when you are running from God. For those who have accepted Christ, trying to get away from what God wants you to do, and where God wants you to go, is futile. For some reason, we think we can run hard enough in the other direction, or even hide somewhere well enough that God cannot find us or see us. God, however, is always with us.


This reminds me of the story I read last week about James Wombles from Ohio, who went on a burglary spree. He robbed six different residences before police could catch him. How did they catch him? He had been convicted of a crime previously and was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet installed by law enforcement. When officers realized the robberies were happening in the vicinity of Wombles’ location, they were suspicious. As they tracked his GPS anklet, they discovered him to indeed be the burglar. When they finally arrested him, he was relaxing in a vehicle full of the stolen items.

This seems silly to us doesn’t it? One would think if you were tethered to the police by a GPS system, you would try to stay out of trouble. However, he thought he could get away with committing crimes even though the police knew all along where he was.

The Bible tells us that God is all around us. He sees all, he knows all. Instead of thinking in the negative, try to remember that no matter where we are; we are only a prayer away from our Heavenly Father. He is with us when we hurt, when we are down, when we are grieving, and when we are happy, excited, and celebrating. He loves us and wants to be involved in all aspects of our lives. Will you let him?

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. (Psalm 139:7-8)

Excuses Excuses

Excuses, Excuses, You hear them everyday. /Now the devil he'll supply them if from church you stay away. /When people come to worship God, the devil always loses. /So to keep those folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
Well, in the summer it's too hot. /In the winter it's too cold. /In the springtime when the weather's just right, you find some place else to go. /Well, it's up to the mountains or down to the beach or to visit some old friend. /Or just stay home and kinda relax and hope some of the kin folks start droppin' in. /Well, those church benches; they're too hard, /and that choir is way too loud. /Well, you know how nervous you get when you're sittin' in a great big crowd. /Now the doctor told you to watch them crowds, they'll set you back. /But you go to that ol' ball game 'cause they say it helps you to relax. /Well, a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night. /But by work time Monday morning, you're feeling quite all right. /Well, one of the children has a cold, pneumonia do you suppose? /Why, the whole family has to stay home! /Just to blow that poor kid's nose The Kingsmen Quartet

Have you ever called in sick to work? I think most of us have at one time or another. Some people have even called in sick when they weren’t really sick! Sometimes we will go to extremes to get out of doing certain things.

Last week, Daniel Kuch of Pasco, Washington, knew there was going to be a drug test at work. He also knew that calling in sick and faking a cough would arouse suspicion. Being the intelligent person that he is, he decided to get a friend to shoot him in the shoulder and told his employers that he was the victim of a drive-by shooting.

Hopefully, you haven’t gone to such extremes to get out of work. However, as the lyrics to the Kingsmen Quartet song above illustrate, we will come up with just about anything to keep us from church, church work, or worse, what God wants us to do.

Don’t get me wrong, you are in good company if you are in the habit of offering excuses to God for why you cannot do His will. There are scores of people who belonged to that club, long before you even started talking.

One of the greatest men in the Bible was Moses. When God called him (through a burning bush nonetheless) he offered God an array of excuses. He actually heard God’s voice through a bush that was on fire, but not burning up, yet he gave God three reasons why he was not the man for the job.

First, he said the people would not believe him unless he could tell them God’s name. God gave Moses His name. Secondly, Moses said they wouldn’t believe him because they knew him too well. God showed Moses His power through turning the staff into a snake. Thirdly, Moses gave the last excuse he could. He told God about his speech impediment. God told him to take his brother along to speak for him.

No matter what your excuse is to God, He knows your heart. You may be able to fool the pastor, you may be able to convince your spouse, you may be able to pull the wool over the eyes of most people, but you will never outwit God. He knows your innermost thoughts. He knows all the ugliness, all the hatred, all the pain, all the unforgiveness, and all of the other things that keep you from following Him.

The good news is that He loves you. Not in spite of these things, but because of them. He created you and He adores you. Follow Him, and what He wants for your life, and He will give you life like you have never known. Stop making excuses and start making time for Him.

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4)