Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Arthur Blessit has literally carried a large wooden cross around the world many times over for the last 55 years.  I'd heard of him years ago but came across him again online the other day. As you might imagine, Arthur was not always met with welcoming cheers.  People would gather and many would get saved.  But Arthur was also imprisoned many times for carrying the cross in public, ridiculed, persecuted, and more. It makes me wonder if God would call more of us to do the unusual if only we were open to it. But the most interesting tidbit I learned while browsing Arthur's site was the following fact that my shock you: "The cross has been turned away from being left overnight at more than half the churches requested, but has never been turned away from spending the night at a bar or nightclub in 55 years around the world." From  https://blessitt.com/fascinating-facts-and-figures/ Does this statement shock or surprise you?  Not me. It saddens me, but I don't have a...

These days, it will become easier for people to harden their hearts just to survive.  But as Christians, we are called to keep a soft heart. When it comes to hardening our hearts, here is a typical cycle of how it usually happens:  Self-protect          Hard heart                    Love grows cold When we build a hard protective layer around ourselves, our hearts, to self-protect (no one likes to be hurt), it may feel like we've "won."  But therein lies the deception. That self-protection leads to a hard heart.  And everything issues from the heart.  Our relationship with God, first and foremost.  But after that, our relationships with everyone else, including ourselves. And a hard heart can only to lead to less love.  Jesus warns of this in Matthew 24 - that the love of many will grow cold.  He even says how it will happen.  The increasing lawlessness around us,...

You may have read in many sources (online, books, etc.) that your calling has to do with your gifts and talents.  Yes, the Lord can definitely sanctify and use our gifts and talents for His glory and purposes. But then why did God call the following people for the following tasks? Moses had a stutter, was a murderer, and was not very brave.  Yet God chose him as His mouthpiece and leader to His people.  He entrusted the Ten Commandments to Moses! Peter was ambitious, unreliable, and impetuous.  Jesus made Peter His rock on which He built His church. Isaiah was a man of unclean lips (he had a potty mouth).  God chose him to be His most important prophet to speak to Israel and foretell of Christ's identity as the Messiah! Noah struggled with getting drunk. God used him to literally save the world, and animal, population. Where in the world did we ever get the idea that God chooses "upstanding" citizens?!? It is just the opposite! God chooses the weak and foolish s...

We overcome to teach others how to overcome. We are to share the ways that God has empowered us to overcome any or all of the following: bad attitudes fears obstacles haters doubts pain and suffering spiritual battles The list is endless! I don't believe there is one way - one catchall "help" for everyone.  I believe that the Lord's path for each of us is unique, and therefore the way in which He empowers us to overcome is unique to each of us.  He overcomes through us in the power of His Holy Spirit.  But how  we pray, how we worship, how we battle - each are unique to each of us. But all of us, at one point or another, have experienced one, more, or all of the things on this list.  Our problems are universal. How have you  overcome these problems?  That is what makes you you . Gideon fought his battle God's way - which made no sense in the natural - and won!  David only needed one small stone.  Joseph's battle took fourteen years or more to...

  Today is a song day!  I've been studying about Christ's coming back for us and wanted to encourage you to think on the same.  I wrote this Scripture song, "We Will Meet in the Air" on I Thessalonians 4:17-18.   First of all, the thought of flying excites me!  Yeehah!  And with no fear because we will be held in the absolute power of our Lord Jesus Christ as we fly outta here! Stop and think on that for a moment.  The power of Christ is powerful enough, and then some, to literally raise the dead out of their graves to bring them with Him to heaven.  Then, we're next!  The millions of us who belong to Jesus will be Raptured with Him - He will lift millions of us up, flying heavenward to be with Him!  Talk about power! For those left behind?  All will see, experience, know in that moment that Jesus Christ is Lord.  They will have "missed the boat" - and this is the perfect analogy because Christ compares His return to the d...

As Christians, we know that we are here for eternal purposes.  Yes, we have works to do here and now. But mostly, since this life is but a breath, the Lord wants us to be forward thinkers!  Forward doers! His Kingdom will have no end.  Jesus will rule and reign forever!  Everything that our souls have desired in this broken world during our imperfect lives will find fulfillment and fruition in His Kingdom. Peace, love, joy, no conflict, no more natural disasters, no more death, no pain, and so much more!  It's hard for us to even imagine such a place, so opposite it is to what we know in this life. But it's coming!  And you will either be a part of it, or you won't. That part will remain similar:  just as we cannot physically live in two places at the same time, neither will anyone be able to live both in His Kingdom and elsewhere! So who wants in? There are many "kingdoms" of this world - none of which will last, none of which will fulfill us, none of...

So the other day, I wrote about being crushed by the Lord, and how it is for our ultimate good.  Read that entry here:  Stop, Jesus! You're crushing me! But then today, I had another revelation about crushing.  And I need to write about it again because I want you to know about the different types of crushing and how to tell the difference between them. When the Lord crushes us, He is after something in us that He wants to expose in order to heal or get rid of.  It is a painful process, but ultimately, like removing a splinter from under our skin, it is for our good. However, when others try to crush us in order to lord themselves over us via power, manipulation, or control, that is bad.   Now that may seem an obvious statement.  And perhaps you can perceive when this is happening to you.  I cannot always tell the difference. When you see all as coming either from, through, or allowed by God's Sovereign hand, it's easy to write everything off as ...