Music is Medicine

Music is medicine! It can be good medicine or bad medicine. 
Barbara Henderson
 
      Even in my darkest moments of cancer treatment (still on going - and sometimes very distressing) songs from the hymn book could lift my spirits and give me strength to go on another day. The songs remind us that our God is with us and always righteous. He is also merciful - even in the direst of circumstances. They remind us of the wonderful future that is ahead of us, and that we are not alone no matter what we are going through right now, or no matter how loses and sorrows from our past may come to our minds to torment us.
      If you listen to traditional hymns for an hour your outlook for the day will be changed. It isn't about working yourself up to feel better by your own determination. It is about a real change that comes through the blessing of godly music. There truly is coming a day when no heartaches will come, a day when the Lord Himself will wipe away all tears from off all faces. Only the word of God as written in the Bible and preached by true preachers can be of more comfort than the hymnal. By the way - the Bible on audio is available free on the internet. I also listen to Bible audio and sermons. This is for the good of my own soul, but it also to help me keep my thoughts firmly on our God.            
      Remember that a gift God gives to His children is the gift of a sound mind.  Listening to Bible audio, sermons, and hymns help keep the mind on the path of truth.  It helps you discern the truth from a lie.  Don't forget that the most dangerous lies are those that are mostly true with just a little lie sprinkled in there.  You don't automatically know the lies.  You must learn the scriptures and what they say to be able to pick out the falsehoods among the truth.
      We have a blessing like no other generation before us. We have the full Bible available to read or listen to. We have godly music available free at our fingertips. Be sure to make good use of the blessings God has put at fingertips.
      There is truly coming a day when no heartaches will come - because the King is coming! In the meantime - fill your heart and mind with the words of God and songs that glorify the One who saved us by His grace. Make use of the wonderful medicine of music.

There is Coming a Day / The King is Coming

choir

Give Us this Day Our Daily Miracle

Give us This Day Our Daily Miracle

Barbara Henderson

Have you ever thought that if you could see God do a few miracles you would have greater faith?  Well, Surprise!  You have seen the greatest miracle of all, and some have been blessed to see it often. What is this great miracle that happens daily?

John 5:25-29 tells us:

^‘ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

^26.  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

^27. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

^28.  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

^29.  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.’

Verse 5 tells the hour is now come that the dead hear the voice of the Son of God and they will live. The dead are those separated from God by their sin.  Those that hear the call of the Spirit to turn to Christ will live.  First their souls will live.  Then eventually their resurrected bodies will live again. That is the great miracle that happens when a soul is saved.  The dead soul of a believer is resurrected to live forever.  Is there a greater miracle possible?

This is the miracle that you personally saw when you were born again.  You were changed from the walking dead to a child of God who will live forever in the place God names as heaven with our Savior Jesus Christ.  Think about it; just think about it.  You were dead and doomed to eternal hell.  Then Jesus ransomed you from hell with His own blood. Your soul has reached the place that is beyond the reach of hell and death.  Praise the Lord!  Is that not a miracle beyond compare?

If you read on after verse 25 to the next few verses you find that Christ the Son has the authority to do this from God the Father.  He also has the power to do this as evidenced by your own salvation.  We are spending a finite amount of time in our earthly bodies, but at some point, these bodies will wear out and sleep in the ground.  Then what happens? The Bible tells us that we will be present with the Lord.  But what of our earthly bodies? 

Verses 28 and 29 tell us what is coming.  There will be a bodily resurrection for all people.  Some will wake from the dead to everlasting life. Others will wake to the resurrection of damnation.  It is very clear.  There is no way to interpret it differently.  The choice is made while we live.  Those who chose life through Christ have their souls ransomed from hell.  Those who refuse Jesus Christ die in their sins, and spend eternity damned.

So, you wanted a miracle, and now you have one. 

If you thought your faith would increase if you saw a miracle or two then you saw the greatest miracle of all when you were saved.  Every time you see a lost soul come to know Christ you see a miracle of the highest magnitude.

This miracle, the greatest of all miracles, happens often and reminds us of the power and authority of Jesus.  Don’t doubt the power of Christ to do what seems like a miracle in answer to prayer. It is true that all prayers are not answered in the way we want, or the time frame we want, but that doesn’t change the fact that Lord our God has power to answer our prayers.  As our loving Father, He will always do what is best, even if we cannot see it now. 

In the Bible we are told the story of Elisha the great prophet of Israel.  Elisha’s prayers were considered more powerful than the horsemen and chariots of Israel.  Does that give you an idea of the power of prayer?  It isn’t that we personally have power, and neither did Elisha.  It is that Almighty God loves and listens to us.  Elisha believed the Lord and persistently prayed to Him.  Follow His example.  Or follow the example of Daniel who prayed even when it got him thrown into a den of hungry lions.  God saved him from the lions. Or, even better, just follow the Bile instructions to pray without ceasing. Do not let anything come between you and the Lord.  The more you pray the more sensitive you are to temptations, and the closer you are to the One who can protect your from evil. God knows our needs.  He will answer our prayers or show us a better way.  Either way our trials are taken care of.  Going through something that seems unbearable in this life could be compared to going through algebra or some other horrible math class when we see it through the eyes of eternity. 

And all trials end just like math class.  They can end when we go from this life into the next. Or, God can end the trial and let us live to tell the story of God’s grace. No one, even those who face a life threatening disease, knows the hour of their death.  The Lord alone knows that. So pray without ceasing.  Continue in prayer.  When you find yourself doubting remember that you have already personally experienced a miracle beyond measure. Keep praying.  Every time you see a soul saved you have seen the greatest of miracles.  If Christ does such miracles daily why would you doubt that He will answer your prayers?

Is Evangelism or Political Activism More Effective in Changing the World?

Evangelism versus Political or Social Activism,

Barbara Henderson

Who would you guess to be:

the most evangelical of the Protestant/Baptist denominations?

the most likely to be watching for the return of Jesus Christ?

My guess on both is Baptist, but there are many others who place a high priority on evangelism. 

There are many Christians who are blaming the 'great falling away' on Christians who have spent the last 50 years sitting around waiting for the rapture.

I have news for these people, those who are really watching for the rapture are spurred onward to tell the world that Jesus alone gives lost people the opportunity to turn to Him and gain entrance to heaven. The idea of people spending eternity in that literal place of horror called hell gives boldness to speak out and warn people of the terror that is coming if they don't turn to Christ.

There is a danger that those who set out to change the world through activism and social pressure will turn to a social gospel instead of the harsh reality gospel - turn to Jesus or you will go to hell. That is the truth, and it is the job of Christians to make the message clear and plain.

The good news is that social and political change is a byproduct that happens as people turn to Christ. Lives are changed when Jesus comes in, and then the new Christians begin to think and act different. Sometimes the change is slow, and sometimes fast, but change is definitely something that happens.

Some people feel they are called to go into politics and work to make changes in the government and society that way. That is wonderful, and I do wish them the very best. But true and lasting change must first come with a change of heart. Only Jesus Christ can make that change.

What the world really needs from all Christians is that we take heed to this verse:

Romans 1:21

'Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.'

Christians should live a life that glorifies God through obedience, and be thankful.

I thought for years that if I could change one thing only in this world I would stop abortion. But, I  came to realize that when people come to know the Lord personally then they will think and act different. Abortion will become as horrible to them as it really is. If there is a specific thing in the world you want to change, then go after it. However, the best way to change things is, as always, through personal dedication to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The second best way to change the world through the world for the better is through evangelism.  For every person saved you have gained someone who will be on the side of truth and right.  There are whole armies of people out there who need to hear about Jesus Christ. 

Let the hearts of all believers be broken for those who don’t have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 

Our Biblical examples of evangelists begins with Jesus Himself.  He never took on the government or set out to change specific things in society that He didn’t like.  His apostles didn’t set out to do anything except see that as many people as possible had the opportunity to hear about Jesus. 

The United States is really a byproduct of people setting out to serve the Lord as they were directed in the Bible. Can we do better than those first Pilgrims and Puritans in social change?  The answer is, ‘No, we can’t.’  All we can do is the same thing they did.  Turn to God with our whole hearts and do what He leads us to do. 

I can guarantee you that evangelism will gain more souls for heaven than any activism.