singing

Counting Blessings – 1-2-3

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Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1:2-3 ESV

James tells us that we are to count trials as blessings. I am always reminded of the hymn, “Count your blessings, but if James means the trials that I have been through I sometimes wonder if our dear brother knows how to count! Can he really mean that when we meet trials of pain or a broken relationships that we should come away saying, “Yup – now that’s a blessing. I can’t wait for the next one!”?

My own recent testing began after having a wisdom tooth removed. Somehow in the process a nerve in the back of my throat was damaged. So for the last three weeks, singing has become a painful process and even speaking I must carefully shepherd both the quantity and volume used in order to communicate. Needless to say, for a big talker like me (Blame it on the Italian DNA) this has been a traumatic lifestyle change. But since James has commanded that I count trials as joy, here are a few,

A) I am reminded that words have value because it is an effort to say almost every one of them

B) I have had to ask for help while singing at nursing home and been delighted by the response

C) I get to listen while others sing around me in church because I cannot get a note out

D) My wife has taken over the bulk of our joint prayers and it is wonderful hearing her bring our family friends and church before the Lord.

Truthfully, I earnestly am hoping this will be temporary (My doctors think so) but in the meantime I know that this is one part of God’s work in my life to build up patience into my treasury of faith. Now that is something only God knows how to do!

Here are a few photos of my friends and helpers from Saturday’s meeting at Sunshine Christian Village. The weaker I have been, the more precious God’s help has become to me!

Where is Our Treasure?

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For where your treasure is. There will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21 KJV

Did you ever wince when your pastor opened his message with this passage, because you expected him to ask for a financial pledge or special offering? Well I confess that I have! But the interesting thing about this passage is that Jesus was not talking about money. In fact, nowhere in scripture can you find Jesus taking up an offering. Instead we find our Lord multiplying bread, transforming water into wine and telling folks to stop worrying about the rat race. No – the treasure Jesus had in mind was the treasure He had when the Bible tells us that, “For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame and is now set down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 12:2

When considering the subject of consecration, I love the hymn “Take My Life and Let it Be” because it gets very specific about what we are giving God and why. It is far too easy to just say, “I Surrender All” than it is to surrender some specific area that Jesus puts His finger on. Even something as insignificant as an extra five minutes of your time given for a friend may be what He asks from us today. Remember that when all is said and done that Jesus made you and I His treasure when He gave His life for us on the cross. Now He is seated at the right hand of the Father enjoying the riches of heaven. What may He be asking of us today? Where is our treasure?

I hope that this little presentation and my rendering of the old hymn may be a blessing to you today as you consider the cross and Jesus who is our greatest treasure in Heaven!

Jesus – Friend of Sinners

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The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Luke 7:34 NIV

Several years ago I wrote an article on encouraging aging voices to sing. Little did I realize at the time how much I would need my own advice today. It has been discouraging to me this year to realize I am slowly losing my voice. At first I just chalked it up to a bad day or overuse but it is beginning to be clear that I cannot sing as I once did. Now I have a choice to either, quit, deny the change or make the best of the situation. It is a bit like working through the stages of grief. It hasn’t been an easy thing, but I have accepted the weakness as real and will just do the best I can because in my heart the melodies are still ringing.

This week I share, Jesus What a Friend For Sinners, which is one of my favorite hymns. In the words of John Newton, “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.” May you also be blessed as you remember what a great Savior this Jesus – the Friend of sinners has been for you!