This past Sunday as I was making ready for church I found a Jimmy Swaggart program. So I decided to watch and listen as it had been a while since I have had opportunity to view the evangelist. After the program there was another that was more of a music ministry also associated with Swaggart. Normally I do not listen to musical ministries because most of them fall far short of ministry and give no glory to God. Well, this particular program was a bit different.
As I was continuing in preparing for the day I let the program stay on. While I was upstairs I could hear what was going on even while could not see who was on the television. The people seemed to keep singing the old hymn Just a Closer Walk With Thee however this was not the normal singing of the classic musical prayer. There seemed to be an unusual anointing associated not so much with the words but rather with those that were singing it. As such I stopped what I was doing to see what was going on. I still don’t know who the songsters were. Nevertheless who they were is truly irrelevant. The people were praying with all their being to the almighty God in song.
As I listened and joined in the prayer I did all I could to maintain a sophisticated decorum even though I was in the house by myself. However the songsters refused to let up on the singing. There was just an anointing in the room where they were that would not let them leave the song alone. The more they prayed in song the more stirred up I became. The sophisticated decorum had to take a back seat to the moving of the Spirit. The anointing was such that I began to pray in the Spirit even while the continuing refrain stirred up that which rests in me. I could not help but give God His due because my absolute desire is to walk closer and closer with God.
I was quickly reminded of the old prophet Jeremiah. At one point it seemed that he was so discouraged that he would refrain from preaching the Word of God. However despite the circumstances and what Jeremiah might have been feeling there was no way he could keep the word of God to himself. There was no way that the Spirit could be contained in his body. In fact Jeremiah declared that the Word of God was much like fire shut up in his bones. And when there is fire in one’s bones it stands to reason that the possibility of one sitting still and not responding to God becomes moot at best.
It is for this reason that I have some trepidation toward those professing Christianity yet there is no life to support the very words spewing from their mouths. Such things are a reminder of the woman in Acts chapter 16 wherein she was saying all the right words yet her heart was far from what she was saying. The thing inside her was one of witchcraft yet the thing inside Paul and his company was the Holy Spirit. And because Paul relied on that godliness inside him he was able to defeat the evil thing outside him. You see, unless it is inside you it cannot come out of you.
At the risk of sounding vulgar it is certain that all eat and drink at some time or another. The body will use what it needs for energy and dispel what is sees as waste. The fact of the matter is that nothing can be dispelled from the body unless it was first put in the body. What goes in the body must and by necessity come out in one form or the other.
Now, the above analogy is not intended to be disparaging to the Holy Spirit. It is simply to show that if a thing is in you it must come out. As such, if you are a Christian and the only thing that comes out of you is mess that is offensive to the Godhead then there is a very good chance that you are not a Christian. Christianity means talking and walking after the manner prescribed by God. This is why I was not able to contain my worship and prayer Sunday. The Holy Spirit rests inside me and as such my life, my actions and all that I seek to do must by extension be a result of what is in me.
Hence, the life of a Christian is not one of a dignified position of false holiness rather it is a lifestyle that causes the God of all to be magnified. Paul said it best in Philippians 1:20 with the words:
“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”
So then, if it’s in you it must come out of you!
There is no way the hand of God can be denied in my life. He has made promises to me that were often contingent upon my actions or inactions. Likewise there were promises made that had nothing to do with my activity rather God’s faithfulness to me became the sole impetus to faithful promises of God. Even so God at no time promised me that my life would be easy. He did not say that my life would be free of life’s ups and downs. Actually, the converse is true in that God’s Word clearly shows that the Christian life would be one of trials and tribulations (Acts 14:22).
While reflection is made on my most recent trip to Texas I am reminded of a promise God made to me in a dream. The genesis of the dream was that Texas would be a blessing to me. However God did not tell me that all would be easy. My move to Texas meant that I had to rely on God’s Word and what He has for my future. It meant that I had to move despite the fact that I could not see all that He was pointing me to. So, I decided that I would trust God. And that trust led me to a train ticket that I did not pay for. That trust provided me a house to live in that I did not have prior to coming to Texas. Yes, there are some bumps in the road yet the blessings of God and His promises simply nullify the bumps that seek to discourage me.
This brief missive is simply to remind those that will hear that God is faithful that promised. If He said it, it will surely come to pass. There will be difficult times and times that will cause the scratching of the head. Yet when God lays out blessings the blessings are sure. So, don’t give up and don’t give in. Hold fast to the Word of God and let nothing but nothing separate you from God’s promises. No, don’t worry about the difficult times just hold on to the promises of God.
There is no doubt that Maryland is a beautiful State with some wonderful attractions. The mountains in the west are spectacular and Fort McHenry in Baltimore cannot be compared with any other monument. There are also some wonderful people and things to do that causes one to simply enjoy life at its fullest. And, it is true that life can be greatly enjoyed until the State government intervenes and takes away freedom and enjoyment.
Consider for a moment the outrageous taxes and fees in the State of Maryland. It is the only State in the union with a rain tax. Moreover the toll fees are steadily climbing to the extent that the citizens are being limited in travels only because of the fees. This just flies in the face of freedom. While on the subject of freedom, in the matter of taking taxes Baltimore is not to be outdone with its bottle tax which has forced businesses such as Santonies to close because of the lost business. So freedom has been taken away from those who have chosen to work yet cannot because of taxation. And now Mayor Stephanie Blake and the City Council are considering a ten cent bag tax. For real?
Also for consideration are the attacks on the United States Constitution. The Bill of Rights clearly provides freedom for citizens to “keep and bear arms” yet the State of Maryland, Governor Martin O’Malley and many State delegates seek to disarm the law abiding citizens and, by extension, arming the law breakers. One must nearly be dead by reason of attack in order to obtain a permit to carry. It just seems that this is not freedom and not what the founding fathers had in mind.
However, freedom was not the idea of our founding fathers rather it was and is the principle of our heavenly Father. Throughout biblical text the idea of freedom screams from the pages stemming from the freedom to decide to serve God, to worship Him or to live contrary to the principles of our Creator. No matter what one decides, freedom to make decisions (whether good or bad) is because God affords His people freedom.
This is why I voted with my feet. While I love my home State and city of Baltimore I detest the idea of the lack of freedom. I could not even get my company growing because of the lack of freedom to grow. Not only that, it was nearly impossible to find a great income source because of the multiplicity of regulations hindering a freedom loving people. So, I had no choice. A change had to be made. Freedom must be had and the freedom I will have. So, recently with my feet I voted.
Yes, I was called and offered a rare opportunity in the State of Texas. When called my hesitation level was a negative zero. I knew I had to make the move. I knew that running to freedom was far better than abiding in bondage. Texas, where everything is big except its income tax because it has none and a free people don’t need freedom taken by removing the rewards of labour. Texas, a State where the Second Amendment is encouraged rather than frowned upon. Texas, a State where the people enjoy this little idea called freedom.
I am not ashamed to say that the other day I voted with my feet. I answered the call to come to Texas and so I took a train bound for freedom. Yes, there are some things and some people that I left behind. The things I will recover and the people can choose as I have; vote for freedom. Freedom, the God-given idea given to a people who will not let the rudiments of the enemy squash what God has provided. So, Governor O’Malley; see here Mayor Rawlings-Blake, let it be known far and wide that you would not hear my cry so I voted: I voted for my God given right of freedom. I voted with my feet.
Greetings All,
I have not written much over the last few weeks not because I have nothing to write about rather because I am making a major life transition. This is a wonderful thing and I am well. I just don’t want any of you to think that I have forsaken this work. When things have settled in about ten days or so I will make public what is going on.
Meanwhile I would that all hold to the unchanging hand of God and let nothing but nothing separate you from the love of God!
Until then…
It was my intention to write about something totally different today but sometimes life experiences change not only the immediate but that they also cause the consideration of what might be going on in the plan and will of God. With that I can say that I was a bit irritated a little more than an hour ago. I was on a bus stop waiting for the bus to take me to one of my spots in the city of Baltimore. It would be that the bus would be extremely late when I have a day planned for activities (more to come on that). The fact is one of my weaknesses is the lack of patience in waiting for things that are late. I am very time conscious and lateness and I simply are not good friends.
When the bus finally arrived one of the nastiest drivers was operating the vehicle causing my irritation to rise just a bit more. The crowded bus was somewhat unsettling but tolerable. As the bus eased toward its destination the move became more of a crawl. Now, I admit that I am no longer the hare I was some thirty years ago but then nor am I the turtle I might be fifty years from now. Evidently there was a problem with the traffic so when the opportunity arose I disembarked short of my transfer point to find emergency equipment in the area where I would have been had the bus been on time.
Sometimes God allows delays in our lives not to try us but rather to protect us. All too often we (me definitely included) allow life circumstances to irritate and sometimes anger us. However if we sit back and look often speed bumps and road blocks serve to protect not just us but also those around us. Such was the case today as I was becoming irritated because of a bus that was around half an hour late. I considered changing my plans because of the delay and almost thought not to write because my mood to write was altered because of incidents beyond my control yet affecting me directly.
Now, as I was approaching the transfer point I noticed not just the multiple pieces of emergency equipment but also a large crowd of people spilling off the sidewalks. This crowd was behind yellow crime scene tape that marked an area of concern in front of the CVS store on the corner of Light and Lombard Streets in downtown Baltimore. As I was approaching I observed medics tending to an individual whom I first thought to be deceased because all I saw was the medics covering the individual with a sheet. Thank God he remains alive. As it turns out a vehicle ran into the store.
With that I have to wonder if I would have been involved in that accident had the bus been on time? Would I have been injured or killed? I really don’t know yet I can say with absolute certainty that God has once again protected me. He protected me even when I did not know that I needed protection. My suspicion is that I am not the only one God protects. Many have stories about occurrences in their lives but that for the grace of God there could have been deleterious impacts on them. So, when things don’t go as planned try not to get irritated just consider the fact that God is busy protecting His own. I am now thankful that that bus was not on time as I rejoice in the protective hand of God!
preachercarter 