What does a weekend journey with D & D look like? You have the opportunity to live out, on the spot, the subject of your messages. In this case, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect (maturing) work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4).
Come along with us as I recap last weekend’s travel journeys.
Yesterday was another typical ministry day in the life of a pastor. It was a WOW!!!!
After spending half of the afternoon meeting Mike and taking a tour of a relatively new ministry nestled in the mountains bordering the Cherokee National Forest, Back 2 Basics Adventures, it was time to make my way back home. There were two visits with church members that I desired to make.
Pulling off to the side of the country road, I said, “Lord, where should I go?” Once again, as always, what He initiates He also guides.
This was the response from a dear brother from the Virgin Islands when I asked him how he came to know the Lord as his personal Savior. He and his wife along with an hundred other couples were attending the The Wilds Couples’ Conference. He said, “I was twenty years old and rebellious. My friends invited me to go with them. The evangelist from Uganda preached the gospel. I was brought under deep conviction by the Holy Spirit and in the middle of the message, I walked down the aisle and declared my need to be saved!”
Now in his later years of life, I believe the joy seen on his face as he shared his story was parallel to that night of the revival meeting!
Every time you hear the story of a lost soul’s salvation, it’s a “WOW”!! Oh the depth of God’s mercy, grace and love to deliver us from our sinful, rebellious, selfish, broken condition (Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:5)!!!!
No matter the account of one’s personal salvation, whether saved as a child or later as an adult, the WOW is God’s free gift only through the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)!! Oh the mighty work of God to spiritually transform a rebellious man into a man made righteous through the justifying of Christ (Romans 3)!!
Have you recently shared your salvation story or asked another to do so? It’s a “WOW” not only on Wednesday but everyday of the week!!!
Let’s Talk About Jesus, The King Of Kings Is He, The Lord Of Lord’s Supreme, Throughout Eternity. The Great I Am, The Way, The Truth, The Life The Door, Let’s Talk About Jesus More And More.
Let’s Talk About Jesus, The Rock Of Ages He, The Lamb Of Sinners Slain, That Man Of Calvary. The Great Emmanuel, The Word Of God Sublime, He Is Our Bridegroom So Divine.
Pastors, what was your “Wow” from this past Sunday or even today?
Ministry has its share of woes, wars, and worries. Sadly, we may have been blessed with several “wows” and let one woe come into the picture, and we are immediately overcome with the woe instead of the wow! We are fixated on the woe, and we forget the wow!
We need to rejoice and praise the Lord for the “Wows!”
Today’s “wow” happened during a hospital visit. Jeff has endured major trials in his life such as losing his job, his wife passing away, brain cancer, seizures, having to move out of his apartment, and now knee replacement surgery. As I walked into his room, he greeted me with a smile. After awhile, I read Psalm 61. When I finished with verse 8, So will I ever sing praises to your name, I said, “Jeff, may I encourage you from time-to-time to mute the TV and just sing praises to the Lord?”
“So teach us to number our days” prays Moses as recorded in Psalm 90:13. Not years but days. So much is missed in our life if we do not live in the moment, the day, and enjoy the scenic route!!
So you’re travelling on Interstate 26 between Asheville, NC, and Johnson City, TN. Exchange the hustle and bustle of four-lane life for a slower change of pace. Here you go!
Be ready for eclectic décor and excellent food! Their website says it well!
Begin with a trendy location just 10 minutes from Asheville, NC. Stir in a whimsical blend of artifacts and artful spaces. Season with provocative offerings of American, Greek and European cuisine. Add a dash of funk and a smidgen of comfy cool. Top it off with owners who bring tremendous heart and skill to the table, treating you more like family. Garnish with smiles all around.
Denise and I, and friends, have tried many of their menu offerings over the years and have never been disappointed. For lunch, I suggest the Jamaican Shrimp Wrap or Tacos Pescado. For supper, how about the Meatloaf or Salmon or Chicken Piccatta!!
I’m ready to stop typing and head on down the road to the Knob!!!
You have to be going there on purpose to find it, but once you drive down the lane, you are surrounded by the stillness of it all! Yes, you are tucked away from busy life, yet you are minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway and the uniqueness of Asheville, NC.
Our stay included the Trillium Room, which had a great view, plus playing ping pong and pool. Rest and enjoying each other’s company was enhanced by the sitting room and a walk around the property. This would be a great place for a birthday or anniversary celebration!
So, number your days. Live in the moment. Plan or be spontaneous!
Scenic Route Marriage Tip: Husbands, you may be wired to get from point A to point B in the quickest, shortest time possible. Unwire and surprise your wife with an intentional get-out-of-the-car-nofastfood meal or get a cookie and coffee and enjoy time seated on the sidewalk with your sweetheart! Live today!
That’s my impression from my stroll down the main drag of Gatlinburg, TN, recently.
Few people smiling or laughing.
Harsh words being spoken to others, especially to children and other family members.
One woman spewing out foul language because she has pulled into a blocked street and folks are not “parting the Red Sea” for her to back out onto Parkway.
Impatience on display.
Many store clerks looking like their job is a misery to their soul.
T-shirts declaring the woe-filled and proud hearts of so many.
All this and more in one of the vacation capitols of America!
This is supposed to be “the happy place!” Right?
Really????
But, this is the case almost everywhere you go today. Why?
1. Man tries to fill his empty, eternal soul with temporal, earthly things. There is nothing in the world that will ever completely satisfy mankind. There may be momentary satisfaction, but it leaves a desire for more or something else.
In the midst of all this unhappiness, I saw new attractions, new restaurants, a gazillion moonshine stores (Isn’t that what brings great joy, so we’re told????), new stores, new products on the shelves, etc. This should make people happy, full of joy, right?
2. Man without a personal relationship with Christ does not have the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:19-24)
As my wife and I strolled up and back down Parkway, our hearts were saddened and grieved by the thousands who are choosing to live this way without the Prince of Peace, The Joy of Jesus, the Savior of our souls.
May I encourage you to read the three links given in the last sentence above?
When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds in the field, his first words were “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). That “great joy” was the truth that the God who had seemed far off had come to them in human flesh. He was to be called “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” (Isaiah 9:6–7; Matthew 1:23). Those who saw Him saw the face of God (John 14:9). He had come to rescue, to save, to heal, and to make mankind right with God (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:17–21). That was cause for great joy! (gotquestions.org/joy-to-the-world)
The only cure for a mad, mad world is the Gospel! The Good News!!
The oft-spoken adage and biblical advice for preachers is, “Practice what you preach!”
Well, since having completed an eleven blogpost series on overcoming discouragement in ministry, my wife and I put Post #7 to practice.
Last week we “got out of Dodge” and headed for a week of rest at Edisto Island, SC.
To make the week purposeful and full of memories, we took the word “READS” and used it as an acrostic for each day’s goal. After all, you usually spend time reading when you get away like this.
Here’s a sampling of our time with the hopes of encouraging you to “practice what you preach.”
R – REST
Each day, we did not let ourselves be driven by a clock. We had quiet, leisure mornings on the deck overlooking the golf course with our Bibles, journals, study books and coffee. We did read a lot on the beach, too!
When we went to the beach, which we had basically to ourselves, we just sat or strolled along the shore. One day I looked at Denise and said, as if I was being asked by someone at home, “Well, preacher, what did you do on vacation?” “Nothing!”
Wherever we went in the car, it was slow driving; no hurry.
E – EXERCISE
Although I did not get to run on the beach, I really enjoyed running through the Ocean Ridge Wyndham property!
Denise and I walked around the property hand-in-hand in the evenings!
A – ADVENTURE
Played Putt-Putt golf (Denise won, made four hole-in-one’s, just missed two others). So I bought her an ice cream cone for her “trophy”!)
Botany Bay shoreline at high tide with a storm brewing!
We have always said that the vacation begins when we leave home and ends when we arrive back home. Therefore, our “out-of-the-way” trip to Charleston, SC, was a great adventure: Handy & Hot Restaurant, King Street shopping, and strolling along King and Meeting Street to view the historic homes.
D – DINNER
We had seafood every day!! Some of the best was at Roxbury Mercantile (Twice), Edingsville Grocery Restaurant, and Pressley’s!!
Roxbury Mercantile
S – SPECIAL
The historic Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island is a must see! There is a small Prayer Chapel on the property. We stopped on Tuesday and Thursday (National Day of Prayer) for a time of prayer together that was very special!
Since we love ice cream, each evening I served Denise mint chocolate chip accompanied by a mint chocolate chip cookie served in a tall stemware glass. Cheap ice cream, Aldi’s cookies, but served up in special way.
“I was blown away by the singing from the very first song!”
That was the testimony from one of our men who attended Men’s Prayer Advance for the first time last week. Singing is one of the blessed ingredients of three days of the Advance in accordance to the Word of God.
Psalm 13: 6 – I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalm 30:4 – Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalm 47:6 – Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
Psalm 89:1 – I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 149:1 – Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Acts 16:25 – And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
There are two threads woven through these Scripture passages. First of all, singing is mentioned in each verse. The second the point of this blog post. These and many other references found in the Bible mention men who sang. Some of these were David, Heman, Ethan, Jeduthun, Asaph, Paul, Silas and a host of others! These men were not weak men, but men of God who fought, endured hardships, and stood for righteousness!
Men should be the spiritual leaders in every area of the Christian walk, and therefore, we should also be the leaders in singing praise to our God!
In John MacArthur’s commentary on Ephesians 5:18-19, (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians [Moody Press], p. 256) he writes, “The first consequence of the Spirit-filled life that Paul mentioned was not mountain-moving faith, an ecstatic spiritual experience, dynamic speaking ability, or any other such thing. It was simply a heart that sings.”
“Joyful, exuberant, heart-felt singing is one evidence that a church is Spirit-filled.” (Steven Cole, Spirit-Filled Singing, Bible.org)
Imagine being in a group of 500-700 men lifting their hearts and voices in song to God in praise and thanksgiving for Who He is and what He has done!! That’s Men’s Prayer Advance! Every service is one of anticipatory, expectant singing that causes you to long for Christ and the glorious worship in Heaven! Hands are raised, tears flow, shouts of joy ring out as men are edified and encouraged and God is glorified!!
Men, may I challenge you to be th e leader in singing at home and in church? Will you join us this April 7-9, 2022 or January 2023 for Men’s Prayer Advance. I have experienced this gathering over and again, and it is a bit of heaven on this side!
1 Who is he born in the stall, at whose feet the shepherds fall? Who is he in deep distress, fasting in the wilderness? Refrain: ‘Tis the Lord, O wondrous story! ‘Tis the Lord, the King of glory! At his feet we humbly fall, crown him, crown him, Lord of all! 4 Lo! at midnight, who is he prays in dark Gethsemane? Who is he upon the tree dies in grief and agony? [Refrain] 5 Who is he that from the grave comes to heal and help and save? Who is he that from his throne rules thro’ all the world alone? [Refrain]
Tears of joy ran down my face Sunday morning as we congregationally sang the rich text of Who Is He in Yonder Stall?. As the full song recounts the life of Christ, the refrain resounds with praise and attention given to the Lord Jesus Christ in His humiliation and kingship! Indeed, He alone is worthy of our worship!
Joy also flowed because this was my first Sunday back in church since November 28th due to covid.
But that’s not all. Joy welled up in my heart in response to the congregation singing! From my vantage point on the back row, it sounded like a full choir seated in the pews ringing out praises to our matchless Savior and Lord!
Folks, that’s the way it should be in every Sunday gathering! Indeed, I am grateful for every aspect of music ministry in a service, but a congregation singing with all their hearts to the Lord is hard to beat! As each believer thinks through the words of each song while focusing their attention on singing to the Lord and to one another, something grand occurs . . . worship, discipleship, praise, presence, conviction, unity, encouragement, emotion and adoration! The issue is not talent but a heart engaged in proclaiming the greatness of our God and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!
If you want an example of what I am describing, you need to join me on Sunday morning as my five year old grandson, Shiloh, gives uninhibited praise to God! Yesterday, he joined in as we sang:
I rejoice in my Redeemer Greatest Treasure, Wellspring of my soul I will trust in Him, no other. My soul is satisfied in Him alone.
(Keith & Kristen Getty)
After the service, several folks mentioned to his mom and my wife that they could hear Shiloh singing! Where did he learn to sing like that? By being in church watching others around him as well as the influence of his home.
God wants us to sing, and He wants to hear you sing!
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! (Psalm 95:1-2)
So, this Sunday, will you join with other believers around the world as well as those seated around you in singing praise to our God? I’m looking forward to singing with Shiloh this Sunday, too!
Joy has dawned upon the world, Promised from creation— God’s salvation now unfurled, Hope for ev’ry nation. Not with fanfares from above, Not with scenes of glory, But a humble gift of love— Jesus born of Mary.
Sounds of wonder fill the sky With the songs of angels As the mighty Prince of Life Shelters in a stable. Hands that set each star in place, Shaped the earth in darkness, Cling now to a mother’s breast, Vuln’rable and helpless.
Shepherds bow before the Lamb, Gazing at the glory; Gifts of men from distant lands Prophesy the story. Gold—a King is born today, Incense—God is with us, Myrrh—His death will make a way, And by His blood He’ll win us.
Son of Adam, Son of heaven, Given as a ransom; Reconciling God and man, Christ, our mighty champion! What a Savior! What a Friend! What a glorious myst’ry! Once a babe in Bethlehem, Now the Lord of hist’ry.
fromapastorsheart.com 