I dont know how to pray anymore.

Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger". Now, while I don't agree with much of what Nietzsche said, I will agree with this statement. I've always used this statement when counseling with someone who is going through a rough time, "You'll never be the same by going through this. You'll either be worse or better but you will not be the same." There are more quotes that basically mean the same. Another good one is, "Adversity builds character". I think you get the point. Whenever faced with great adversity and the odds seem stacked against you, its very hard to stay positive or, "keep a stiff upper lip", as it were. While it does seem hard, that's exactly what we need to do when walking with the Lord. When you asked Jesus into your heart you did not sign up for easy times did you? I sure hope not. That's not what Christianity is. The Bible is full of scripture that gives us insight into a walk with Christ. They all say about the same thing: "get ready for the ride of your life. It wont be any easier than before but now you will have Me (Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit) to walk with you." We will all go through hard times in our life. The only difference between a Christian and non-Christian is that we have the Lord to lean on and the Holy Spirit to guide us into the way of truth. It is this fact that gives us our resolve to "run the race with patience" (Hebrews 12:1). Albeit daunting sometimes, we must continue with steadfastness because we are running for a prize far greater than anything we can imagine. If you've ever gone through a long and tiring battle, like the one I'm in, you know exactly what I'm talking about. There are times when I have prayed a million times and it seems like God is not listening. If He is listening, He isn't answering me. Listen, I know that sometimes the Heavens can seem like brass and the prayers you offer up seem to go no higher than the ceiling, but it is then that we must remember that Christ is offering intercessory prayer for us all day, every day. That's what He does. Constantly putting our face and our prayer in front of the Father asking for His will to be done. This is what we must remember. We want the Fathers will to be done, not ours. In this, we will find true peace and joy in this life. Rest in the Lords will and be content to ride out the storm until He tells the wind and rain to subside.

Just in time...

As some you know, and for those of you who don't, I have listened to Christian music since 1983. I listened to secular and Christian music before that, but I decided to listen to Christian music exclusively at the tender young age of 13. I am very glad I made this decision. It has made many of my battles in this world a lot easier. Music is my life and the music of the Lord is like the Bible set in motion. One of my very first cassettes that I ever listened to was Gordon Jensen "Just In Time". There are a lot of great songs on this CD. If you get a chance to purchase it, you really should. Its a hard find since it was first published in 1983 but its well worth the search. The title track talks about how we can feel overwhelmed with the world and what we have to fight day in and day out. The chorus though says this, "Just in time, just in time, once again the water turns to wine. And just about the time I couldn't need it anymore, I get a little glimpse of Heaven just in time." We've been needing rain here. My grass crunches when I walk on it. I woke up this morning thinking, "Lord, it sure would be nice to get some rain today." No sooner did I say it but we were the beneficiaries of a refreshing rain. The Lord knows exactly what we need and when we need it. Don't give up. Don't feel forsaken. Don't think that He's not listening. The Heavens may seem like brass but I assure you, they are not. He's just waiting for the right time...His time. Fight the good fight. Until next time...

LW

Rock 'n' Roll

Where did the term "Rock 'n' Roll" come from? While many of us, if not all of us, have heard and used this phrase numerous times, do we really know what it means? I kind of doubt it. According to many sources the term was first coined by a disc jockey and concert producer named Alan Freed in 1951. He came up with the term after listening to a group called "The Dominoes" who used it in their hit song, "Sixty Minute Man". The suggestive lyrics of the song made an impression on Freed who began to refer to the music as "Rock 'n' Roll" on the air. So good to know that music that is so far from Christ has a name that gets it origins from one of the very things that the music is known for, "SEX, drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll." Now, if you didn't know this, don't beat yourself up over it. A lot of people don't know this. Its not something that is really talked about alot. Either because its just not important to people or because people don't want to know the truth. Sometimes the truth makes you aware of things that you would just as soon not know. We don't want to be convicted of anything in our lives. "What I don't know wont hurt me", we might say. The thing that really irritates me about this whole "Rock 'n' Roll" thing is that, not only is the music filled with lyrics and suggestions and undertones of evil, but now Christians have gotten into the mix. Instead of running in the opposite direction of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil), the Christian community has embraced it. We now have "Christian Rock 'n' Roll". I know, this is where I alienate some of you and you stop reading. I'm sorry, but this needs to be said. Why in the world would we want to call ourselves, or take up the name of something so diametrically opposed to Christ? If the very term itself originated from sexual lyrics in a secular song, why would we take up the same mantra and use it in our songs? When Christ was on earth, can you in your wildest imagination think of Himself referring to His ministry as "Christian Witchcraft"? Do you think He would have attached something ungodly or unholy to that which was Holy? Would He have tried to win the masses by snuggling up to what had the people so bound in the first place? I think you know the answer to that. I wont even continue with that thought. Its too obvious. If in fact we believe that Christ would not do that, why then are we so quick to do it ourselves? Hey, I'm not going to tell you what you can and cannot listen to. The Holy Spirit and Christ has done, and continues to do, that work in my life. You should have the same privilege. You and Christ need to hammer this out in your spiritual walk. Some of the music I listen to probably has this label attached to it. I will not use the term. I prefer to call it contemporary or progressive. Even this term has its pitfalls so I must be careful. We must all be very careful. James 3:11 says, "Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?" Can something be Holy and unholy at the same time. ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! In case you didn't hear that, let me repeat it...ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! There is no way that the Lord Jesus Christ can be found in something so unholy as Rock music. Why would we call ourselves Christian Rock musicians? There is no way Christ can be found in something so unholy as Country music. With all of the alcohol, infidelity and rebelliousness that is found in Country music lyrics, how in the world can Christ be in that? Why then would we listen to it? What about the television? What about our places of entertainment? It all goes hand in hand. We need to be very careful in all that we put in our minds. Philppians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." That doesn't sound like Rock music or Country music to me. It doesn't sound like most of the "Christian Rock" that I have ever heard. I'm not going to judge them or you. That is not my right nor my privilege nor do I want it to be. I am simply trying to get us to think about things. We are in a day and age when evil is called good and good is called evil. We must be diligent to know the difference (Romans 12). Nope, I'm not your judge. You're not mine. We must though, help each other out. If we know something we must share the truth and try to make sure everyone has knowledge of what the devil is trying to do to us. He would love for us to fill our minds with everything unholy. It makes his job much, much easier. If we are not armed with the knowledge of the Word of God then Satan has very little work to do to get us where he wants us. Certainly you can understand that, cant you? Sure you can. Pray for me. I will pray for you. I will pray that Gods Spirit will convict us and show us every truth that we need to walk in. It is the only way we will make it to Heaven. And remember, not everyone who says they are Christians are really Christians (Matthew 7:21). I love you. I'm working on it too. The Lord has already started convicting me so don't think I'm throwing off on you. I think that we are in a world that needs to see THE TRUE CHRIST, not an artificial form. Lets ask God to make us what He NEEDS us to be to a lost and dying world. In love...

LW

Hello? Are you there? Can I be done now?

C.S. Lewis once said, "God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain."

My mind has been going crazy the last 3 days. I have not been questioning God but rather, inquiring of Him. I don't want to know, "why me", but I have been asking, "how long?" The "why me" is easy. For reasons known only to God, He has allowed me to face this huge mountain in my life. There is something that He wants me to see or needs me to see if I am to accomplish His will in my life. I have never really struggled with that. Plus, He sees a strength in me that I didn't even know I had. A strength that He knew would allow me to handle the weight of this burden. Remember, God will never allow us to go through any temptation, but will with that temptation, make a way for our escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). No, my battle has never been as to why He chose to let me go through this storm in my life. I will have to admit though, that I have been a little curious as to "how long will this storm last"? I mean, come on. Enough already. Have I not proven myself yet? Its easy to have these thoughts. If you never have then bless you, but I have to believe that just about everyone who has ever walked through the valley has had this thought (or one like it) at some time or another. We don't mind going through the valleys. We know that this is where the most growth happens between us and Christ. We cannot survive on the mountain. The air is thin. The vegetation is scarce and the dangers and pitfalls are numerous. The valley is where all of the vegetation is. The water flows freely (from the top of the mountain I might add), and there are places where we can find shelter from the storm and the scorching hot sun. The valley is quite a place. The view from the top of the mountain is gorgeous and breathtaking but it must be short lived. We have to get back down to the valley to get what we need for our body. We must renew our strength in the valley and be prepared for the next storm. We must get prepared for the climb up the next mountain for surely it will come. We cannot, nor will not, get there if we don't prepare for it while we are in the valley. Its just hard sometimes to keep walking in the valley when you want so badly to see the mountain top view. We even find ourselves asking God to move the mountain. "God, if you will but move the mountain from in front of me, then I will know victory." Okay, but what if the mountain that you want God to move is the mountain that He wants you to get to the top of? If in fact, He does move that mountain, you may be in the valley even longer. Maybe not, but its something to think about. We must not get caught up in the thought of God coming to the rescue for us. He already has. He just has a very unique way of letting us see the end result. We will still experience the pain of the battle. We will still experience set backs. We will even find ourselves retreating in some of the battles that we fight but the victory is ours. When we retreat, we retreat into the valley and find ourselves being refreshed. We feed ourselves, rest a little while, then start climbing again, fighting all the way. God has already won the war, we just need to follow His strategy and His plan. We will experience pain but we will not experience defeat...unless we get out of His will. That is the only way we will ever lose anything in this war with Satan. He cannot take what we don't give him. So remember the next time you are in a battle that seems to knock you off of your feet, its only going to last as long as God wants it to. The mountain top is coming. Don't ask God to move the mountain. It may be that very mountain that you will be resting on top of tomorrow. Keep fighting the good fight.

LW

All is vanity

I've watched over the last few weeks as some very high profile people have gone out of this world to meet their creator. David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Billy Mays, to name a few. Since I am a huge sports fan and music nut, I would like to just focus on two others who, up until now, have not been mentioned.

First, Michael Jackson. Unless you've been living under a rock or are just too young to remember (in which case you wont be able to read this anyway), you will know who Michael Jackson was. A brilliant talent whose career spanned 40 years. Responsible for hits such as Thriller, Billy Jean, Beat it and Black and White, the very smooth and lanky Michael also perfected the "Moon Walk" and was idol to countless millions of people throughout the world. Jackson's records, money, and personality made him a virtual "who's who" of the music industry. Whether you liked him or not, whether you liked his music or not, you have to agree that Michael Jackson is, and will forever be, one of the most easily recognizable faces of world history.

Secondly, Steve McNair. While not as recognizable as Michael Jackson, to those of us who follow football, McNair will always hold a very special place in our hearts. McNair stole our hearts in 1994 while playing college football for Division 1-AA Alcorn State. He won the Walter Payton award in 1994 as the top player in Division 1-AA. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers, who later moved to Tennessee and became the Titans. He was the NFL Co-MVP in 2003 and was selected to multiple Pro Bowls and played in Super Bowl XXXIV. A man who had many friends. Until his untimely murder he was thought to have few enemies. Another face who, at least in the world of sports, will never be forgotten.

I thought of these men, and many like them, because I have recently been told something that surprised even me. I have been very open about my father and what he meant to me. He was a sterling example of Christ and is the single biggest reason I am who I am today. I always looked at my dad as a "pillar" of the Church. His example and righteousness before the Lord made everyone around him better. I always hoped I could live up to the same praise. I was recently approached after church by someone who said, "you know you are a pillar of this church don't you?" My knees buckled and I couldn't speak. What a high, high praise and wonderful compliment. I still have not been able to completely wrap my mind around this honor being bestowed upon me. What have I done to deserve such honor? If I never do another thing in this life, I believe that I have made my father proud. "Well then," you may ask, "how does this make you think of the famous deceased?" That's a fair question. While pondering what these people did to leave their mark on the world, I wondered what mark they made on this world for the Lord? All of the work that they did to get to where they were was truly something to be proud of. Don't get me wrong. We should always be proud when our hard work finally pays off but what did they really accomplish? Ecclesiastes 12:8 says, "vanities of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity." The loose translation is, "worthless, useless; all is worthless." Everything done in this life is worthless if it is not done unto the Lord. I loved the deceased. Every one of them. It is very sad when someone goes out of this life. I only hope that they made their peace with God before it was too late. Only God knows. Their eternity is in His hands. I just cant stop to think, "what good did all of their accomplishments and riches do them? What good did it do any of us?" My father wasn't rich. Not by a long shot, but he left a legacy that still lives on. His youngest son is a pillar of the church. That's worth far more than silver and gold. His children and grandchildren know how to get to heaven because of a Godly example left by their grandfather. Strive to be the best you can be in this world. There's nothing wrong with that. Just remember to be the best for God that you can be because whats left behind when you're gone will be worth far more if its done for the Lord.
In love:

LW

I dont wanna!

GOD KNOWS MY HEART

Have you ever heard anyone say this? I've heard this numerous times in my lifetime. Its usually a statement made for one of two reasons: 1) A person is steadfastly holding onto something that they don't want to give up. Therefore, by someone trying to point out to them the error of their ways, the following statement is made, "Don't judge me. Just because you wouldn't do the things I do, and just because God has told you not to do certain things, it certainly doesn't mean he wants me to abstain from those things too. God knows my heart." 2) A person has been found out by God and the Lord himself is pricking their heart and He wants them to make sacrifice to attain a closer walk with Him. Thus, the person is then forced to do one of two things; either make the sacrifice God has called them to do or force a half-hearted confirmation to anyone who will hear, hoping they might fool God..."God knows my heart". If you have ever been in this position, or if you are in this very position right now, rest assured, God does know your heart. You would do well to give some serious thought to what you are saying before you utter these words that are sure to doom your soul. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Only God can know the heart. He knows the thoughts and devices which we imagine against him (Job 21:27). You cannot fool God. You may be able to talk yourself into being in right standing with God. You may even be able to fool man with your "God knows my heart" routine but you will not, nor cannot, fool God. He will always be able to see through your facade. You're so right. God does know your heart. For that, you should be very worried if you are not in the place where He wants you.

YOU WANT ME TO GIVE YOU WHAT?!

I was recently reminded of a story that I heard a couple years ago. It made an impact on me that I will never forget. A father, who was very wealthy, decided that he wanted to give his only daughter a very special gift for her fifth birthday. He purchased a very valuable necklace. A pearl necklace. This wasn't a gift you would normally give a small child but he wanted to make an indelible impression on the girl. She meant the world to the father so he just couldn't help himself. The little girls birthday came and the father couldn't wait for his daughter to open the gift. She was overjoyed and elated. She showered her father with hugs and kisses and the father knew that the necklace was a hit. Exactly what he was hoping for. The father decided to test the girl and her love. Not only for the necklace, but for him. Every night the father would go into pray with the little girl. When they were finished praying, the father would ask, "sweetheart, do you love me?" The little girl would answer, "yes daddy. You know I do." "Then give me the necklace", the father would say. The little girl, quite surprised at the father would say, "no daddy. Its my necklace. You gave it to me for my birthday." The father would kiss her and then say goodnight and the girl would fall asleep. This went on for a number of nights. Every night the father would ask for the necklace and every night the little girl would say no. Finally, one night, the father finished praying with the little girl. Just like he had done for so many nights before, he asked her for the necklace. This time though, the little girl, with huge tears streaming down her face, took her prized little birthday present and gave it to her father. The fathers eyes welled up with tears and he was bursting out with pride at what his daughter had done. He could barely speak but he mustered up just enough strength to say, "my sweet little baby. Daddy doesn't really want your necklace, I just wanted to see if you would give it to me." You see, God may not want us to give up our prized possessions. He only wants to know that we would if He asked us to. We cant be tied to any one thing. We must hold loosely to the fleeting things of this life. It is the only way God will ever be able to truly use us the way He sees fit. God knows your heart. He knows if you are truly ready to let go at a moments notice, or if you are gripping tightly the very things that He wants you to give Him. I hope we are all ready to give God the pearl necklace if He asks us for it. God bless you this July 4th weekend. Stay safe.

LW

Praise the Lord!

I have loved this song since the first time I heard it. Today, it is getting me through. No matter what you're going through, just praise the Lord. He is doing something wonderful even if you don't see it with your own eyes. "Lean not on your own understanding".



LW