Over a year ago, a phone call came from a dear person in our family. I blogged about it then. This person did not originally call to talk to me, but began to open up and tell me things from his past. Years of sin and baggage came out and I heard the heartbreaking statement: it's too late for me.
My heart broke then and continued to break.
But aren't you glad that Jesus never gives up on us? This past week, my family and I did a revival in south Louisiana and that dear person was in attendance every night. He listened to dozens of songs that proclaimed the great love of God and he heard many sermons calling all sinners to repent and turn to Jesus. I knew that the Lord was surely dealing with him and spent all week hoping and praying that he would surrender.
...and my God answered that prayer.
Last night, after YEARS of praying and crying and asking countless prayer warriors to call his name out in prayer, my uncle Brandon found Jesus!
His story is amazing. Years of running and years of living in sin finally took their toll and he was tired of living the way he was living. Bro. Jack Daniels puts it perfectly when he says, "No one will ever change until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of change." My uncle Brandon was tired of staying the same. He told us that as the invitation began, he prayed, heavily under conviction, that God would give him a sign. As he finished his prayer and looked up, God gave him the very sign he asked for. So he came down and, with tears flowing, he knelt at the alter and asked Jesus to forgive him, change him, heal him, and save him!
....and He did!
One of the most beautiful things, to me, is the look on a person's face when they have encountered Jesus for the first time. After my uncle rose up, his whole countenance was different. His smile was real. His eyes twinkled. His manner was warm, instead of cold. And he was full of joy!...and it showed!
Sceptics say that prayer is not as important as it used to be. I beg to differ. I have seen the power of prayer. Over and over again in Scripture, Christ tells us to pray. Pray continually, without stopping. We are to storm the doors of heaven with intercessory prayer for the lost, the broken, the poor, the needy; we are to bombard God's ears with prayers of faith. Christ WANTS to hear His children pray. He wants us to believe He can do all things. He DOES hear. He does care. And He does still answer prayers!
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Psalm 62:8 "Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."
There was a woman in the Bible who came to Jesus days before his arrest and crucifixion and anointed him with precious ointment. Carrying with her a box of alabaster, she knelt at his feet and began to pour out that costly perfume onto the feet of Jesus. As she wept, she let down her long hair and washed his feet with her tears and her locks. Many rolled their eyes, many pursed their lips in disapproval, and many were shocked at the “nerve” she had to interrupt their gathering, yet she cried all the more. She poured out her precious alabaster, but she also poured out her very life.
We are quick to say we love Jesus deeply and ardently. We are quick to say that we obey Him and will serve Him to the end. But do we love Him enough to grovel at His feet, kissing Him and worshipping Him with complete abandon? Giving all that we are to Him? Giving up everything we want or believe in and clinging to Him and all that He is? Many can honestly say that if Christ were sitting in their presence, they would fall on their knees and lay everything they treasure at His feet…and that is probably true. I’m sure most everyone would do that if God Himself were in their living room. But instead of pouring out Estee Lauder, Chanel, or some other costly perfume of our day, what about the pouring out of one’s life on Jesus? What about adorning the Master with our thoughts, words, actions, and pursuits? What about lavishing Him with obedience and commitment? What about laying down all that we are and getting up possessing all that He is?
Pour out your life to Jesus. Your cup will overflow if you do.
The other night, my husband and I were discussing ministry and some of the great preachers and singers in Christian history who....let's just say, "had it!" We talked of two in particular: Leonard Ravenhill, one of the greatest preachers of the 1900's from England, and Keith Green, probably our favorite singer/songwriter/musician of all time.
It was pretty fitting for us to end up talking about those two men, my husband being a preacher and me being a singer.
We talked about their urgency, their faith, their example and inspiration, and their uncompromising truth that they not only proclaimed - but lived. Above all, though, we talked about their passion! Being a singer, I never want to get to the point where I sing for the applause, for the attention, for the prestige, or for compliments. I never want to sing to put on a show. I never want to NOT sing because "I never get compliments" on this song or that song. I want to, as my grandfather used to tell me, just sing! And when I sing, I want to bless, to minister, and to connect with those listening. I want every song to move someone closer towards Christ. Otherwise, I waste God's time. Grant is no different. As we talked last night, he was telling me about a particular sermon he had listened to by Leonard Ravenhill and said, "I want to preach with that passion. I don't ever want to preach to just make myself better. I want to preach and see someone saved! I want to do what God called me to do...not so I will look good or get something out of it, but because He TOLD me to."
It is a great shame, nowadays, that most preachers and singers and proclaimers of the gospel care more about their own physical image, than the image of God. It is a shame that they think of their high calling as more of a business than a ministry. It is a shame when they care more about their paycheck than the lives that need to be led to Jesus. It is a shame that so many use the banner of "ministry" to build themselves up and draw eyes to their personal accomplishments than to Jesus Christ. It is a shame that many who call themselves "ministers" do more "entertaining" than true ministering.
God forbid that I miss Jesus.
God forbid that WE, as Christians, miss Jesus and our calling. Every one of us are called to minister in some form or fashion. It may be "on stage" as a singer, musician, preacher, or teacher. It may be in the jungles or desserts of other countries as a missionary. It may be simply in your workplace, school place, family, or community. Regardless of WHERE, we are all called to serve and to minister to those we meet. God forbid we forget....
My prayer for myself....and for you....is that we will continually take our eyes off of prestige and personal glory and cast them upon the cross; the bloody, uncomfortable, rough, and heavy cross that Jesus told us to "take up." And as we take it up and walk the narrow road, may we live for the applause of Christ as we reach the lost sheep that He came to save. That is true ministry.
Quotes by Leonard Ravenhill: "Today’s church wants to be raptured from responsibility."
"If weak in prayer, we are weak everywhere." "Men give advice; God gives guidance." "Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?" "The only reason we don't have revival is because we are willing to live without it!" "The Church used to be a lifeboat rescuing the perishing. Now she is a cruise ship recruiting the promising."
"My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list." "If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified."
"God pity us that after years of writing, using mountains of paper and rivers of ink, exhausting flashy terminology about the biggest revival meetings in history, we are still faced with gross corruption in every nation, as well as with the most prayerless church age since Pentecost."
Quotes by Keith Green:
"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!"
"If your heart takes more pleasure in reading novels, or watching TV, or going to the movies, or talking to friends, rather than just sitting alone with God and embracing Him, sharing His cares and His burdens, weeping and rejoicing with Him, then how are you going to handle forever and ever in His presence...? You'd be bored to tears in heaven, if you're not ecstatic about God now!"
"If somebody writes a great poem, people don't run around applauding the pencil, saying 'Oh, what a great pencil'...I'm a pencil in God's hands."
"The only music minister to whom the Lord will say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant," is the one whose life proves what their lyrics are saying, and to whom music is the least important part of their life. Glorifying the only worthy One has to be a minister's most important goal!"
"I repent of ever having recorded one single song, and ever having performed one concert, if my music, and more importantly, my life has not provoked you into Godly jealousy or to sell out more completely to Jesus!"
1 Timothy 1:12 "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."
2 Timothy 4:5 "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."
Is it really February?? I have a feeling 2011 is going to pass by quicker than 2010.
Well, I had an absolutely lovely weekend with two of my sisters and two of my friends, who came up Friday and left late last night. We ate junk food, we played the Wii, we watched movies, we stayed up way too late, and we laughed and talked a lot! Today, I am relaxing, catching up on various things, enjoying feeling my baby boy move around in my tummy, and watching it storm outside.
Bible Study... Proverbs 31
Memory Verse... Proverb 31:14 "She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar." Husband Encouragement... ♥ Take care of him. ♥ Love him more deeply. ♥ Iron his shirts ♥ Read our Bible and pray together more this week than last week.
Train Them Up... * Keep reading to him. * Continue reading/studying pregnancy and dilvery books.
Personal Goals... * Try to eat healthy this week (after this weekend's junk food, it's needed!) * Excersise!
New Habit of the Month... * Practice violin every day (did horrible last week!)
MUST Do... * Get all laundry washed, folded, and packed for next week
Zone... the bathroom
Menu This week, I'm going to browse around and try to find some healthy new recipes, so this week's menu is yet to be decided.
FUN THINGS! * Time with my husband * Resting up * Gearing up for next week's revival
3 things I'm thankful for today... 1. The love of my husband 2. Rain 3. Pillows and blankets!
So I haven't been this dramatic, but it gave me a laugh....especially since my supper last night consisted of Taco Bell's pintos and a bowl of ice cream....
What weird cravings have you, Mom's or Mommies-to-be, experienced?
Memory Verse... Proverbs 31:13 "She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands." Husband Encouragement... ♥ Take care of him. ♥ Enjoy life together. ♥ Read our Bible and pray together more this week than last week.
Train Them Up... * Read one chapter of the Bible a day to him. * Deal with him hitting my ribcage. :p * Continue reading/studying pregnancy/dilvery books.
Personal Goals... * Try to continue to eat healthy this week * Excersise * Work on book when possible
New Habit of the Month... * Practice violin every day (did horrible last week!)
MUST Do... * Clean the WHOLE house * Wash the floor mats. They are disgusting! (didn't get to this last week) * Go grocery shopping tomorrow.
Zone... the whole house
Menu
M - I'm thinking soup.... T - TBD W - TBD Th - Dinner w/Grant's family for a birthday F - ....something fun and yummy! S - TBD Su - TBD
FUN THINGS! * Two sisters and two friends coming Friday for the weekend! * Resting today
3 things I'm thankful for today... 1. PILLOWS (I'm tired today, fyi) 2. Health and healing 3. My sweet husband
...and my God answered that prayer.
