BOUNDARIES & COMPASSION OVERLOAD

 

THE BMIC BLAST - JULY 2026 

OVERCOMER, OVERCOME - BOOK REVIEW

Overcomer, Overcome by Caitlin Hawk is a stunning book. More importantly, it is a testimony to the power of God to rescue the hurting, restore the broken, and right the ship of anyone’s life for His Glory and our own good.  I had to go through it twice to get into Caitlin’s life story, B.C. (Before Christ).

This young lady’s honest, open, transparent account of her tough life from early teens, all the way through high school and junior college is an absolute must-read for anyone who thinks there is no hope for any family member, friend of even themselves who may be stuck in the vicious cycle of addiction.  With the availability of so many formerly illegal addictive substances, the number of adults, but especially our youth, who are addicted to vaping cannabis is staggering.

Then there is a crisis of identity amongst so many people these days, mostly young women, who are deceived by the shiny objects on social media or the “influencer” cult, etc.  Caitlin’s incredible journey led her to the REAL TRUTH (in Christ), through a very tough, difficult road.  It was only after her transformation at the life-changing Mercy Ministries, founded in 1983 by Nancy Alcorn, that Caitlin not just turned around but began growing into who she was all along – a daughter of the Living Christ. It was Jesus Who gave her the identity she possesses now, which is blessing her husband, daughters, and community around her in Knoxville, TN. (Mercy Multiplied, in Nashville, TN, was the home where Caitlin found her purpose in life).

(On a personal note, I was blessed to be able to meet a delegation in 2011 from St. Louis Mercy Multiplied at the Illinois State Capitol. Former Illinois State Senator Kyle McCarter and his wife Victoria were great supporters of Mercy St. Louis and twice brought up dozens of young ladies whose lives were transformed due to Nancy Alcorn’s ministry. Kyle later became the US Ambassador to Kenya in the first Trump Administration.  His wife and the girls participated in my Annual National Day of Prayer event at the Illinois State Capitol Lincoln Steps that year. What an incredible ministry/mission! God’s Hand continues to guide, now thousands of young women, to better lives because of Mercy Multiplied!)

What Overcomer Overcome shows is that it is not an easy walk; even Jesus rescues you out of the domain of darkness into the Kingdom of His Marvelous Light. As Caitlin mentions, sometimes you will feel like a “fish on pavement”. This is a tough proposition, as the Christian fails a lot, but we have a loving God Who draws us in if we draw near to Him. One of the attractions of this book is a chapter in Scripture which is super meaningful to our author friend – John Chapter 15.  It is the chapter on Abiding, remaining, connecting, living in the zone, feeding off the vine… tied into the “Source”

In the great new movie “A Great Awakening”, the George Whitefield character asked America’s Founding Father Ben Franklin, an avowed unbeliever, “What’s the Source, Ben”?  Franklin, of course, did not answer, but in her book, Caitlin Hawk tells us not just WHO the Source is, but how and from what He rescued her.

WATCH A FULL INTERVIEW ABOVE WITH CAITLIN ON "LIFE TODAY" (2023) ALONG WITH NANCY ALCORN OF MERCY MULTIPLIED.

Read this book with the frame of mind of “how can this either help me, or someone I know”….and it will.  After glancing through it, I camped on it to understand the author's heartbeat and what she was trying to say. What she said will make you cry, cringe, hurt, smile, pray, put the book down, pick it up, feel empathy, feel love, feel sadness, feel hopeful, rejoice, and again, I say – rejoice.

If you’re looking for immediate answers in a book, any book, except the Bible, you won’t find it. If you want to become part of the process that can lead someone, including oneself, to Deliverance, get a copy of Overcomer Overcome by Caitlin Hawk and you will be on the road to freedom, which can only be found in Jesus. 

PURCHASE CAITLIN'S BOOK HERE 

ON AMAZON.COM 

LESSONS FROM THE MAN ON THE OTHER CROSS

 CLICK HERE FOR THE LESS THAN 2-MINUTE YOU TUBE VIDEO ON WHAT THE THIEF ON THE OTHER CROSS  AT THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST 

AND WHAT IT MEANS TODAY

TEXT: LUKE23:42-43

SCREENSHOT FROM YOUTUBE SHORT

GUEST WRITER CAROL ROUND: PRAYER TRANSFORMS

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God”  Philippians 4:6 (NIV).

Each Monday, I receive an email from one of our associate pastors. Attached to his correspondence is a list of prayer requests from members of our congregation. The list has grown exponentially since I started receiving the requests about eight years ago.

I often wonder. Have the needs grown or have people come to realize the power of prayer? As I prayed over the latest requests, I also wondered why God answers some and not others.

I came across this quote from the former president, Jimmy Carter. Cited in his book, “Sources of Strength,” he wrote, “Never give up on God, who always answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is ‘Wait’ or ‘No,’ or perhaps, as our pastor, Dan Ariail, says, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ Then we must reassess what we are seeking. Continuing to pray hopefully in the face of profound disappointment seems contrary to human nature.”

Praying in Hope

Romans 12:12 tells us to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (ESV). In the face of trials, it’s difficult to rejoice and even more difficult to be patient while we wait on God to answer our prayers. And sometimes, we get ahead of Him by trying to make things happen in our timing.

Examples abound in the Bible of those who prayed and waited. And waited. And waited. Instead of waiting patiently, Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands. They lost hope God would answer their pleas for a child. Who can blame them? After all, Sarah’s biological clock had already quit ticking.

But God’s timing isn’t the same as ours. In Psalm 90, David writes, “For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours” (NLT).

Trusting God’s Timing

Trusting God’s timing comes with spiritual growth. I’ve had prayers answered as soon as I uttered them. Another prayer was answered after more than 10 years of pleading with God every day to open doors for my oldest son to find a different job. God answered and now my son is happily employed in a job with flexibility, leaving him with time to pursue his passion for horses.

God answered another prayer for this same son after he was injured by a horse. Doctors were concerned my son would have brain damage. Pacing the halls of the hospital, I prayed and pleaded with God. He answered. The doctors couldn’t explain the miraculous healing. But I could.

Sometimes, God gives us an immediate answer. Other times, we must wait. And sometimes, we don’t get the answer we’ve prayed and prayed for more times than we can count. Why should we continue to pray even after waiting years and years without an answer? “Because, invariably,” says Carter, “we can learn and grow in the process.”

Growing During the Waiting Times

If God answered all our prayers immediately or said “yes” to every prayer, would we ever grow spiritually? Would we ever experience something better from Him than what we asked for? Often, He has a better plan. In most cases, the best. What we often forget is prayer is not about getting what we want all the time. It’s about a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father.

God created us for a personal relationship with Him. Not because He needs it, but because He loves us. He loves us so much that He gave His only Son for our salvation (John 3:16). When you love someone that much, you want to spend time with them. Spending time in prayer and reading His Word, changes us in the following ways:

• We draw closer to our Creator and have a better understanding of His Word.
• Even during times of chaos, we can experience indescribable peace.
• We become better listeners and more in tune with His desires and plans for our lives.
• We learn patience, to wait on His timing.
• Our faith increases and our life is more joy-filled.

Prayer has the power to change us. It’s the most important tool in communicating with our Abba Father. Through a strong prayer life, we connect with our source of strength, share what’s in our hearts, and grow spiritually in the process.

I always love hearing from my readers. Please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at carol@carolaround.com. Also, if this blog post has touched you, would you please share it with others on Facebook or Twitter? It is the greatest gift you can give a writer.

 CLICK TO VISIT CAROL'S WEBSITE!!

Photo credit: mabts.edu

 

 

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER 2020 ROUNDUP

The Annual National Day of Prayer Illinois State Capitol event was canceled for the public part of it, but it was still the Day of Prayer. Thanks to the great management of our local Christian radio station, and Moody Bible Radio affiliate - the WLUJ Family of Stations, we were able to assemble our small group of 6 praying ministers and record the most powerful and anointed appeal to Heaven we have had in recent memory. 


That pre-recorded broadcast was then played across the stations many frequencies from the Mississippi River to the Indiana Border - a listening area of over 3 millions people.

In order of Prayer, on the National Day of Prayer across America, our prayer leaders were:
Pastor Joey Krol (Galilee Baptist, WLUJ Morning Host) - Opening Prayer
Pastor Patrick Groth (Hope Church) - The Glory of God
Pastor Mac Dalton (Radiant Church ) - Government (Federal, State, Local)
Pastor Eddie Pullen (Il. Southern Baptist Association IBSA) - The Church, Missions, The Lost

Bernie Lutchman (BMIC) - Families
Pastor John Swinford (Sweetwater Christian Church) - The Military, First Responders, Medical Personnel

Pastor Eric Ginder (New Life Tabernacle) - The Judiciary, Transformation, Vision.

The audio from the radio station will be available at a future time.

BOOK REVIEW: CITY OF PRAYER (2019)

AMERICA'S UNCEASING PRAYER MOVEMENT

There is only one major American city, of which it can be said, that it is completely blanketed in daily Prayer. On the surface,  Austin, Texas, whose motto is “Keep Austin Weird” may seem like the unlikeliest place for the most concentrated, sustained and focused city-wide movement of prayer in this great country.

Just as in the Third Great Awakening began with one man’s vision for prayer  (Jeremiah Lanphier), Austin’s decade old “Unceasing Prayer Movement” began when one man and his wife. Pastor Trey Kent of Northwest fellowship Church in Austin Texas, and his wife, Mary Anne,  were prayer-walking their neighborhood one night in February 2008. There, under a street lamp, the Holy Spirit gave Pastor Kent a clear vision for a 24/7 prayer movement, powered by many churches from the capitol city of Texas – Austin.

Thus began execution of this divine directive, which quickly evolved into what is now 100 churches of all races and denominations, praying for their city, their churches and the lost. They pray, literally, 24/7/365.  CITY OF PRAYER is the first document of its type to not just record the success of a growing grassroots movement, but the book provides a roadmap which can be, and has already been reproduced in the USA, with interest from other countries!

Written by Pastor Kent and Dr. Kie Bowman of Austin's Hyde Park Baptist Church, CITY OF PRAYER gives not just the history of what is now "The Unceasing Prayer Movement" and "Austin Prays", but also a brief primer on the great revivals and moves of God in the last 150 or so years. These Revivals/Awakenings began with and were fueled only by prayer. Some of the prayer movements of Scripture are also looked at, as a foundational to this book.

Chapters include such themes as: A Culture of Prayer; A People of Prayer; The People of Prayer; Launching 24/7 Prayer in Your City and the Results of Prayer. Without "spoiling the end", as "they" say, this group of churches fervently praying in Austin brought a direct answer from Heaven, which ended a terrible drought in Central Texas! 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE CITY OF PRAYER

The Chapter on "Launching Your Own 24/7 Prayer Movement in Your City" is of particular interest to me. I have been part of now five year old and on-going, intentional, twice per month noon prayer meeting of some local pastors and just anyone who loves to prayer. We had met for years on end from 2005 at the local HOP or House of Prayer run by a good brother of mine- Scott Beauchamp. However since relaunching in recent years, more and more prayer leaders are coming by on our lunch hours on the First and Third Tuesdays of each month to press in for transformation (personal and city wide), the church and everything else that comes up. We have pastors who are Bible churches; Baptist, Assembly of God, Nazarene, Apostolic, Non-denominational and others I have no idea where they go to church. All I know is they love Jesus and love to pray.

When I assumed leadership of the Annual National Day of Prayer event at the Illinois State Capitol, little did I know I was walking, as a prime target, into a blazing hot war. The Lord led me directly to this core group which were already in the infancy of our little city prayer group.  There is a living testimony as to the power of prayer to deliver, empower and embolden which I personally found in this group of praying men back in February 2006. I have never forgotten it as we move into Year 16 of facilitating the annual National Day of Prayer, and stay close to the flame of praying men and women of God, who are all about Jesus and the Holy Ghost. We may be growing very slowly, but there is something to persevering and pressing ahead, regardless, since our Audience is an Audience of One.

  

Almost every movement of God began with one man praying. The Third Great Awakening, the last great nationwide move of God in America, began in New York City in 1857 when one man with a vision for prayer – Jeremiah Lanphier. The first week Lanphier called a prayer meeting, no one showed up. But then on week, one other man showed up….and then more and more. The economic and socio-political conditions in the USA were not unlike those we have today.  Yet Revival spread like wildfire across the nation, leading to many millions saved and the gospel spreading like wildfire to the new American frontier! It laid the spiritual foundation which guided the nation through the devastating Civil War which followed very soon after the Awakening.

We are almost similar Civil War times, not with the Fort Sumters or Gettysburgs, but a civil war of Culture, Community and Church dysfunction. The only answer is the Praying Church. Get this book and let the Lord lead us to what He would have us do.

LINKS:

The PrayerShop

AUSTIN PRAYS

National Day of Prayer

THE JOYFUL LIFE - THE BLESSINGS OF FORGIVENESS, PART 1

At a recent series of Revival Services, where I led worship music on the opening night (October 9, 2019) two major things happened which affected the lives and even the eternity, of members of two distinctive churches. Both entities were personally revived and both experienced the Joy and Freedom of Forgiveness.

The final service was on the regular Sunday morning service with the title "Embracing Forgiveness". In it, my good friend, the Texas pastor/author Dr. David King, who has a background in both Christian radio and church leadership, used the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. Joseph as the example of HOW to live a life of forgiveness which reflects both God and the willingness to complete our mission here on earth, with the richness and inner peace which only comes from the Father. We know this story very well. The favorite son of the patriarch Jacob was sold into slavery by this brothers, who schemed and told their father that Jacob was dead....simply because they hated him. Fast forward two decades later and Joseph is the prime minister of Egypt, whom the Lord used to save the entire world from famine. He rescued those same brothers and their families, forgiving them in an act of Mercy which only came from God. He never told a soul about it. (READ MORE ABOUT THAT HERE).

There is HUGE BURDEN lifted when we forgive others. HOWEVER, we can never really know what that means until we are forgiven ourselves! To that end, we begin a new series in Psalm 32, in part, to personally know this powerful pardon from the Lord. In Psalm 32, King David has repented fully before the Lord, for his murderous adultery with Bathsheba. We read his prayers of repentance and sorrow in Psalm 51, which is the example for us to go to God with, when we have blown it so bad, that we think the Lord cannot forgive us.

Now in Psalm 32, the Holy Spirit-inspired author of the Psalms (most of them) - King David, has his eyes opened as what God has really done for him, by forgiving him of his crimes against both God and man. It was too late for David to apologize to Uriah the Hititte, whom he had killed so he (David) could cover up the affair with Uriah's wife, but David did the right thing by responding to God exposing his sin. Now, he shares for all the ages, how this really feels.

Psalm 32, verses 1 and 2 (NKJV):

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

There are three varying degrees of sin listed here, which we have ALL committed and some, maybe still do. Each one is worse than the other one:

Transgression: (pesha, or the rebellion of humans against God which will send the majority of the world away from Him. This can be forgiven if the sinner is truly repent and is the highest degree of sin).

Iniquity: (awon or willfully and blatantly knowing God's standard but breaking it anyway)

Sin: (chattah or missing the mark or the threshold of the Lord).

Here, David is committed all three when he disrespected God, broke all His Commandments and basically not just crossed the line, but willingly blew across it.

The key is Repentance.

The original bible word for "BLESSED" is "Esher" which basically means perfect happiness which cannot be bought by things or conditions, but only comes from the love, grace and peace of Almighty God! Basically, it means - joy.

The other key word to note here is "impute", where God does not consider or hold this against us anymore. We will still have to face the CONSEQUENCES of those sins in our time here on earth, unless we attempt to make it right and others forgive us. To achieve that and to fully receive the blessings of this imputation from the Lord, we must fully embrace forgiveness - and truly forgive others, while not holding anything against them.

This is a hard calling. Are we up to it? Yes, we are.

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, PART 2 - OUR PRAYER LIFE

Most praying Christians may disagree with this statement. However, in order to have a truly fulfilling prayer life, one must next, in this process of Spiritual Growth, surrender that life to the Lord.

Why should we do that? There simple answer can actually be found in one little verse from Romans 8:26. Please note every word in this verse "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words".

The key words here for our discussion is directly from God, in context: 

     -  Weakness

     -  The Spirit helps us

     -  We do not know HOW to pray

     -  As we should

     -  The Spirit Himself intercedes for us

We may be the person who prays down heaven in the group prayer meeting at noon, or before church, or during a special prayer assembly.  But we are still mortal, weak and vulnerable to spiritual attacks humans who are completely dependent on Holy God, even if we do not wish to admit it. 

We may be in prayer ministry for 10-15-30-50 years, but we still must stay plugged into the Source and rely on Him. We must do this daily.

We may even write books on prayer, like I did, still - that means absolutely nothing if we are not, first acknowledging our weaknesses right now, and then surrendering to the Lord.

So what do we surrender? How do we surrender? Let us proceed to pray like this:
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I know I am a completely frail, weak and mortal creation, susceptible to the influences of world and noise around me, no matter how passive I may think it is. You said to concern ourselves about today, because today has its own evil. Help us to NOT gloss over that. Help us to not rely on the mountaintop prayer moments with you from the past. Help us not to jump ahead of today to the next thing down the road in the future, when the giant is in front of us right now. So Lord, I surrender, by that acknowledgement, my entire Prayer Life to You. I pray that Your Spirit - the Holy Spirit Who is God Himself - will not only assist me, guide me, direct me, protect me, but I pray that He shows me the way I should pray. Not in mindless repetition and chants like the pagans and the religious do, but in a humble, surrendered spirit, which confirms that You are my Helper, my Advocate and my all in all. I willingly give my prayer life to be directed ONLY by You now, in the Mighty and Strong Name of King Jesus, amen.

This prayer, or a similar one, doubles back to Romans 8:26. A winning strategy, for a successful prayer life, is one which blossoms out of a surrendered humble heart. Building on Praise and Scripture, this foundation can only grow us closer to the Lord, in the way which He would have us approach Him. If you add prayer and fasting unto this, on a regular basis, the resulting life of true Christian Faith, is one full of peace, joy and fulfillment in the Lord.

TOWARDS HOLINESS PART 3 - "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER"

When we think of the term "Unconditional Surrender", the image of Defeat comes to mind. When a nation is vanquished in war, as Japan was in 1945, the Emperor had to surrender without conditions to the United States of America. The terms of post-surrender are different from the actual act of giving up all weapons and rights to aggressive action. During World War II, for the guarantee of peace, the Japanese had to give up every aspect of any militaristic aggression. It was dropping all weapons PLUS.....a lot of current and future actions.

In the Spiritual Realm, which is not just important in the long run, but now, for life as a Christian. This is not just for adult men and women, but for every young person who is born again, even at the youngest age.  Absolute surrender to the Holy Spirit and the Will of God for us is imperative for the Fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ to work in us.

The question that we, who live surrounded by Cultural Christianity, must ask - if Jesus were to knock on the door of our souls, would He have access to every part, every nook and cranny, every compartment and every aspect of our lives? Are we the Fake News of Christians, living under the dignity and privilege of having the "Title of Christian" but being a practical atheist like the majority of people in this country, hemisphere or the world? Many who claim Faith in the God of Heaven do a really good job of walling off the most significant parts of their lives from the very Same God Who can deliver from all death, distress and despair. 

This kind of life is NOT what the Lord expects of His people. Motivational speakers posing as preachers present us a false picture, Sunday after Sunday on television, books, seminars, all over this country. None of that would first, get a person into heaven and secondly, even if a person is saved, help them to grow into the Christian, whom Christ would be able to say one day "well done, good and faithful servant".

The individualistic nature of the western is not the main reason why Christians, who enjoy the fruits of modern life, are afraid to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. It basically the selfish nature of all humankind, who thinks more highly of self than anything else. Then, we note that the main goal of churches, pastors, altar calls, evangelists etc. is for those, to whom they preach, to accept Jesus as Savior....and HE IS YOUR SAVIOR AND MINE.

Unfortunately, this is where many stop. If a modern christian were to really study all 66 Books of the Bible, what would jump right out at them how many times the word LORD appears down to the final chapter of the Bible. The Lord Who forgives. The Lord Who gives. The Lord Who is patient. The Lord Who is kind. The Lord Who saves and the Lord Who judges in righteousness. Accepting this Jesus as Lord AND Savior is the only way to live and walk in His Ways. 

Therefore, here, for as long as it takes, we begin the process of a REAL COMMITMENT to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, item by item, a few at a time, so that the Spirit can begin to clean us up now. We do all of this not in our own power, but through His. 

BE AWARE THIS CANNOT BE DONE OVERNIGHT ALL AT ONCE. BUT IF THE PROCESS IS NOT STARTED NOW, CHRISTIAN - YOU WILL LIVE IN DEFEAT AND DISAPPOINTMENT ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, ABSENT OF COMPLETE PEACE, JOY AND CONTENTMENT.

COMPARTMENT #1 OF MY LIFE TO SURRENDER TO GOD NOW:

-  Every aspect of my Faith Walk. This is of supreme importance. 

It matters not that a person goes to a "Bible-preaching church". It matters if the correct exposition of the literal Scriptures are presented in an orderly and simple manner, reflecting the fact that the preacher actually studied what he is teaching. 

To surrender every aspect of my Faith Walk with Christ, I will have to be VERY careful of the following, seeking the Lord for absolute discernment and wisdom in choosing: 

-  What translation of the Bible should I use? If your church is using the New International Version (NIV) or NLT (New Living Translation) or other paraphrase as the main text and even if the preacher is spot on, the Lord will expect us to NOT follow them but instead get a real literal and comprehensive Study Bible which is closer to the original text than the aforementioned paraphrases. The most literal, Word for Word translation of the Word of God is the New American Standard Bible (click).  The most fluent AND literal is the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). There is absolutely nothing wrong with the King James Version (KJV) or the NKJV. Beware of preachers and teachers who use the Message Bible as their primary text. This may seem like a little thing, but the Word of God is the Plumb Line against which ALL humanity will be judge and the Lord is serious about it. Do NOT compromise on your own understanding and reading of the accurate Word of God, because another mortal human being, a preacher or teacher, reads from a weak version of Scripture. This is one thing we MUST give over to the Lord for His direction, so we can be Faithful to His True Word.

-  What kind of music are we listening to? It goes without saying, that we should not listen to death metal, gangsta rap that degrades women and glorifies violence or songs that promote immorality. Some of the so-called Christian Contemporary music around though, may sound good, but do not mention Jesus, or  even imply Him. Not all people are inclined to listen to hymnal music or Keith Green from the 1980's (a Christian musician). Here is  good place to surrender our lives to the Lord, in the music we listen to. There was some good clean secular music in the 1970's and 80's. Does it mean that a Christian cannot go to a Doobie Brothers' or Chicago concert? No, but do so in the knowledge that a concert is all it is and we are just as accountable to pray for the souls of those talented musicians as ever. Alice Cooper, who popularized outlandish (and scary) costumes in his concerts over 40 years, is a good example. He still plays his old music but as the born-again son of an Arizona preacher, his message is completely different on stage, according to those who have seen his act to whom I have spoken. Also, Alice Cooper (real name Vince Furnier) can be seen without his scary pancake makeup, in a local baptist church, every Sunday in the town where he has a concert, every time. At home in Arizona, he and his faithful wife of 43 years, are members of the Camelback Bible Church. 

These are two important parts of the Christian's Worship Life which MUST be under the full authority of God. There is no option or Plan B. The Word of God is too important to be treated with disrespect as is done today, in even good churches where the Bible is not carried into the building by congregants. Even if every church in town does not turn off the main reading of the Scriptures from the television screen, you and I....we walk with our Bibles. People will say the following "we have the Bible on our phones".  This is nice. However, most never open the Bible App and read.

Music has become significantly more important - even more so than prayer - in today's worship service. However, surrendering the nature of the music, the lyrics and the reaction to it, reflects the heart of the worshiper in us. The classic hymns will never go away. While they have been replaced by the modern worship song in the majority of modern churches in the West and Australia, the hymns with which we grew up, remain standard among the majority of Christians in the world (in the Third World and other persecuted lands). These hymns are the story of Jesus and are full of theology. None of us have control over the songs played in church, for the most part. We do have control over the next 99 % of our daily life, in our homes, cars and  offices. Let us then choose and select that which will considered appropriate, if Jesus Christ were sitting in the car with us (which He is)!

NEXT - PRAYER LIFE

TO BECOME A "LITTLE CHRIST"? (FROM ACTS 11:26)

When the people of Antioch (now in modern-day Turkey) thought they were mocking the followers of the new Faith System headed up by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by calling them "Christians", they did not know how right they were!

In Acts 11:26, we are told the following: "when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch". When the unsaved locals called them "Christians" as Dr. Luke records in this book of Acts, it was not an endearing term meant to honor these new disciples of Jesus. They called them, in a snarky and sarcastic way "Christianos"....or "Little Christs". In other words, just like today, these people looked down on these saints and basically said "bless their hearts, look at them....they believe in a Man nailed to a Cross Who lived in an outpost across the Mediterrean Sea, years ago. They can't even see Him."

Christianos - Little Christian. 
It is now 2000 years later. Many of us are not just little Christians, in the form of being mini-Jesus's but too many are little in mind, thought, word, deed and Bible knowledge. We can fix that now. The Bible exhorts us to the following: "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,  who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:5-8).

Do you want to be a "Little Christ"? Then the Bible tells us to do the following:

1  - Have the same mindset of Christ, Who KNEW the Father and what the Father's Will was.

2 - The Father's Will can be found in all Scripture, from Cover to Cover. Therefore, KNOW the Word of God through reading the entire Bible, no matter how long it takes, then asking the Holy Spirit to reveal everything through our reading and study of the Word.

3 - Be Humble (Jesus existed in the Form of God...because He was God, yet He did not hold on to His Throne in Heaven while yelling "this is Mine...and I am the King". He never did that. Jesus humbled Himself and died on a dirty Cross, killed by filthy and evil men - to do the Will of God the Father.

4 - Be Obedient. verse 8 above tells us that Jesus became "obedient to the point of death even death on a cross".  We must become obedient to the Will of God to the point of dying to ourselves in the sense of giving up our fleshly desires, lusts, ways and more.

So you want to be called a "Little Christ", let us be resolved to do ALL four of these items above in order, as laid out in Philippians 2:5-8 so that when we are accused by an unsaved world of being like Jesus, the verdict will be - YES I AM!

MATTHEW 3:16 "COME, HOLY SPIRIT" (includes PERSONAL GROWTH STEPS)

"After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he (John the Baptist) saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him." (Matthew 3:16)

Right off the bat, in the very first 3:16 verse of the New Testament, the great Apostle Matthew (formerly Levi the tax collector), shows a powerful truth to the first Jewish Christian believers. It is something unheard of, except maybe in the ancient pages of the scrolls of Moses and the Prophets.

The scene itself is something directly out of a Divine Central Casting. God and God alone, is the only Creative Director of what is set to occur, as it reverberates through all history. The itinerant preaching cousin of the Messiah was fulfilling his God-ordained role of loudly proclaiming the need for repentance. He was baptizing those who repented and sought the forgiveness of the Lord. While standing in the Jordan River, up comes his cousin – Jesus.

By now, John the Baptist knew precisely who Jesus was, apart from being his cousin. John’s father, Zechariah the priest, prophesied in praise of Him, right before he spoke of his own son – John in his astonishing prayer/prophesy! Zechariah had just gotten back his voice after losing it, due to doubt about his aging wife being able told by God she was going to have a baby (John). God temporarily ordered him to lose his ability to speak, since he, a man of the cloth, doubted a true Angel of God. John knew the Messiah came from the same family as him, and he also knew His Divine Destiny. Jesus confirmed this later on (click).

John then uttered the immortal words “Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the World”. He then baptizes Jesus. The moment Jesus’s head come out of the water the Holy Spirit of God, Who IS God, descended through the open heavenly skies right upon the Messiah. This signaled the beginning of an amazing three years of ministry of the Christ. It was the three years which have forever changed the world.

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While the world changed, in the general sense, because of the visible descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, this one significant event held the promise for any and everyone who would believe, thereafter,  in the Son of God and His Gospel.

The verse says “….and lighting upon Him”. In context, this means that the full power, influence, and authority of Heaven come upon Jesus and became one with His Spirit. He was (and always will be) fully God and fully man.  This means everything for all humanity. For Eternity past, the dearly departed souls who resided in what Jesus called “Abraham’s Bosom” or Paradise, had their Faith in God rewarded. The Messiah had come.

For the present, as in now, this would be the first of only two times which the Holy Spirit will be visible to the physical eye.  The Spirit of God, Who raised Christ from the dead, descended as tongues of fire on the disciples as they prayed and spoke in foreign languages so that all assembled in Jerusalem could understand what the Disciples were preaching.  That is is the accurate description of the “many tongues” they spoke.  The “tongues of fire” were only visible to the Elect of Christ in that room who saw the unique phenomenon, so that Christ’s Words from Acts 1 would be fulfilled.

Since there, the Holy Spirit immediately indwells and seals the truly saved. He is invisible to both the world and the Christian in whom He dwells. The fruits of the Spirit (peace, love, joy....) depends on the quality of faith and obedience of the Christian and should be evident over the course of a lifetime. There is a tremendous responsibility and debt which those whom Christ has saved and rescued owe Him. We owe Jesus not just everything but need to conduct ourselves accordingly.

Knowing the History of the Holy Spirit on this earth, from the descent at Christ’s baptism in the Jordan by John, and knowing His appearance as Tongues of Fire on Pentecost, what evidence of His appearance is there in YOUR life (and mine)? For your own good, and mine, let us proceed with the following practical steps towards our own sanctification.

PERSONAL GROWTH STEPS:

• Begin a private journal. They can be purchased anywhere for less than $10 (Walmart, Walgreens...or any bookstore)
• Write down each of the following fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
• Then, take each and do a personal inventory, logging where improvements can be made or work actually begun on the “fruits” where they are non-existent in your life.
• Be serious about maintaining this journal and log in several times per week, as you worship the Lord daily through prayer and bible study.
• In one month, you will begin to notice a change in your desire to read your bible daily and pray. In six months of steady dedication, even if it is only two sentences. Transformation begins. Then look back over one full year - the fruits of the Spirit will begin to show all around you and I....if we just allow the Holy Spirit to do His Word....and "light upon us".

PSALM 103 VERSE 7 - "SEE THINGS GOD'S WAY, NOT OURS"

He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel (Psalm 103:7)
It is imperative to understand the Ways of God, or try to, since His Ways are most definitely NOT like our ways.  Our thinking, even if it is not followed by human action, is 100% horizontal most of the time. However, if and when we are saved and filled with the Spirit of God,  our thinking and entire mainframe should begin to recalibrate more and more to vertical than flat one to one, human thoughts. This is basically the essence of the Two Greatest Commandments. The greatest of them is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. The second one is this – love your neighbor (fellow human) as yourself. A mind transformed by Christ and obedience to the Word and the Holy Spirit would be firm, in recognition, of this Truth.  

Psalm 103:7 tells us that God has made known His Ways to Israel. We know that for a fact because we have the entire Old Testament and increasing evidence through Biblical Archaeology to prove this truth.  However, like most human beings,  we can see God literally move Mt. Everest from Asia to Australia take snow blizzard from land and immediately cast it over the ocean….and we would be in awe from five minutes, then go back to doing what we did before.

How did God show His ways to Israel? That is easy – read Genesis, Exodus, First and Second Kings and Chronicles and the Books of Samuel etc.  He rescued them from hunger with Joseph becoming the prince of Egypt. When they were enslaved for 420 years, the Lord did things HIS Way and punished the Egyptians for worshipping ten of their demonic pagan gods by giving them Ten Plaques, which enabled Moses to lead Israel out of bondage.

The greatest event in Biblical History then ensued – the Parting of the Red Sea. They are still finding parts of Egyptian chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea. God stopped the flooded Jordan and allowed over a million young Israelites cross into the Promised Land behind Joshua and Caleb, the only two elders to make it all the way home. Other major accounts are too numerous to list here.  His righteous deeds are too many to enumerate. They are all recorded in Scripture and by the secular historian, Josephus. So many battles were won when defeat was imminent. So much provision, so many blessings and so much more…the deeds of the Lord to help His people are innumerable and unfathomable.

Still, the Lord said to His chosen people (at the time) the following: “25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair? 26 When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies - (Ezekiel 18:25-26).....
 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin - (Ezekiel 18:30)

We see here that God's Ways also involved Judgment against Sin. Because the Lord is Holy, Holy, Holy, He cannot abide sin and must dispose of it and any unrepentant soul who remains in sin. At the same time, we see here and dozens of times in the Bible, that God gives even the worst offender ample time to repent, give up their ways and turn to the Way of all Righteousness.  Here in Ezekiel 18 however, these are not the only rebels. We do the same thing, even when evidence of the Goodness of God is all over our lives. Even in bad times here in this life, we are the most blessed and fortunate people in the world. When bad, sad or hard times hit,  we need to seek and find and understand the ways of the Lord, even more! Psalm 128:1 says “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His Ways”.

Think about how we live our lives, for a second. Even if there is no sin, consider our own ways. Then hold those “ways”  up against the mirror of Scripture and the Ways of Yahweh, and see how good we look then! By “our ways”,  we speak of our way of thinking; speaking; acting not acting; listening; understanding; seeking; finding; worshipping; studying; working….and even loving. Then consider our ways of recreation; leisure time; on the job at work; at home with the family; community work; church work…and on and on. These are all the ways of our daily lives. This is how we live day after day; month after month; year and decade after year and decade. Our worldly ways of just “doing life” is fine….and what we would be expected to do. However if these ways of ours are only about us, and not done under the Wonderful Ways of Yahweh, we never see a righteous move of God in our lives. Sadly, it is not just the lost in the world who lives like this, but an increasing number of those who call themselves Christians.

How do live in the zone where the Lord will show us His Ways and “perform righteous deeds” that cause us to wonder? It’s simple:

• We must be absolutely sure we are born-again, forgiven and radically saved through repentance and Faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• We must be in continuous 24/7 fellowship with Abba. Even as we go about our family, jobs, downtown etc.
• We must comprehend that this continuous fellowship does NOT mean taking a vow of silence or poverty and walking around doing Gregorian chants in a monastery. It is a blessed assurance Jesus is mine, oh what a foretaste of Glory Divine.
• We can have that blessed assurance through keeping short accounts with God, through daily repentance and prayer and a pro-active lifestyle of seeking the Hand of God in all you do. Even where to park your car at the mall or whether to purchase this pair of shoes or not, should be run by your Best Friend and mine -God!
• Short accounts mean that when we slip up, instead of doubling down in the natural and trying to prove yourself right, apologize to God, ask forgiveness and move on – as soon as possible. This kind of practice comes with maturity as a Christian.
• The blessed assurance when seeking and talking to the Lord, in the Spirit, leads to confidence that He is with you at all times -because He already is. But that certainly is amazing. When you seek His advice in certain choices like purchases, or restaurants or Christmas gifts etc….and He leads you on the way you should go, I recommend you follow through and listen to Him as perfectly as possible. The reason is – if you don’t follow the Way of God when He leads, and you keep asking and still don’t listen when He directs – He will cease.  You have then grieved the Holy Spirit. Do not abuse this privilege.

The Blessed Assurance is more than Fire Insurance.  It is being so acquainted with the Ways of Almighty God through His Word, Prayer, Praise, and Obedience that He delights in showing you more and more of how He operates.  You may not see the unique deeds and miracles like the Red Sea Parting etc. in your life, but when you look back on your own life – in totality – you will begin to get the FULL picture of the amazing things He has done for us! 

PSALM 103 VERSE 6 - GOD IS FOR THE OPPRESSED

The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed (Psalm 103:6)
If we are honest, we would admit to think out loudly “how long, Oh Lord, shall the wicked triumph (win, rule, reign)”?  There would actually be nothing wrong with this question, because it is a direct quote from the Bible, namely, Psalm 94:3.

In evil times such as these, where we see our Christian brothers and sisters, their homes, churches and very lives constantly in the crosshairs of one particular religious system or another socialist government, we are hard-pressed to not be concerned.  Even in the so-called “civilized” western world (Europe, the UK and North America), the religious liberty of Christians are under increasing assault to the point of absolute unfairness. Even the crucifix necklace on a British airline stewardess, her own private jewelry, became an issue in recent years.

Still, Psalm 103 verse 6 tells us that the Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments (or justice) for all who are oppressed. All of this is true, even if the timing we look forward to, wish would happen, and God’s OWN Timing, do not sync!

Right off the bat, we must understand that the righteousness or righteous deeds which God does for His people reside in His provision for our Salvation and provision. There is nothing more important.  Faith is the key. The Bible tells us that Abraham believed God and it was reckoned unto him as “righteousness”. Because Abraham, or you or I believe – God does something amazing – He takes our Faith in Him and makes us in right standing before Him. Do not despise this because on Judgment Day – when the majority of the world will fall into disrepute and the pit, the Standing before God is what will carry us into heaven.

The justice of God, however, can both either be swift and/or delayed for those who are oppressed and/or treated unfairly. In fact, the object or victims of anti-Christian persecution can be assured of one thing – that they belong to God and their destination is heaven.  Some of the judgments against the wicked may be postponed to the after-life, but there are some consequences, in this life, for those who oppressed God’s people in this life.  The sins of the fathers are visited on the sons. This is evident to anyone who looks at these things with objective eyes. The children of the wicked become twice as much children of perdition as their predecessors and usually have more difficult lives than their quirky ancestors. 

As in anything else, if some of these children of the wicked repent, turn to Jesus Christ, ask forgiveness and attempt to make things right, they are absolutely welcome into the kingdom. There is ample evidence of former terrorists who have been radically saved and are now serving Jesus Christ both here and in Israel, as fellow heirs in the Kingdom.  Even a son of Madelyn Murray O'Hair, who got the US Supreme Court to remove the Bible and Prayer from the American public square, is now a pastor. God saves whom He will save. However His justice will never be denied.

Psalm 94 is a great example of Scripture explaining scripture. Psalm 94 is almost like a spotlight on the message of Psalm 103, verse 6. Note the underlined passages, by way of explanation and marvel at how the Lord speaks out in the open, about His Ways and How He plans to deal with things.
Psalm 94:1-15
1  O Lord, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!
2  Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.
3  How long shall the wicked, O Lord,
How long shall the wicked exult?
4  They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.
5  They crush Your people, O Lord,
And afflict Your heritage.
6  They slay the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.
7  They have said, “The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.”

8  Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?
9  He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
10 He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.

12 Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O Lord,
And whom You teach out of Your law;
13 That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not abandon His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
15 For judgment will again be righteous, 
And all the upright in heart will follow it.