From Misery to Melody

           Songs can teach, encourage, even move us.  The right song can give us courage, like the time Darrell, the high-schooler, listened to “Standing Outside the Fire” until I felt brave enough to call a girl I thought I’d like to ask out.  But sometimes our hearts are just too heavy to turn to music.  The notes weigh heavy on our souls, so we sit in silence.  But in those times, God hears a special melody.

            The chorus of a song I like reads: “We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody. Beautiful, the mess we are, The honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a Hallelujah [sometimes].” I admit I wasn’t sure I liked this idea at first. I know God doesn’t take joy in my misery. But He does know the reality of all my pain. God’s joy isn’t in my suffering, it is in His opportunity to help me when I hurt. After all, His “power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9).

            He also “hears a melody” as He is causing everything to “work together for good” for His children. (Romans 8:28). God knows there’s trouble in this world. He felt it all for Himself (Hebrews 12:2). But He watches every day as our tragedies become anchors of strength in our lives. He sees us as our heartbreaks give us wisdom and patience that help us aid another person when they feel the same pain we once felt. And He knows that all these things will turn out alright. Dr. Cecil May recently wrote that God’s providential care is always present, though it isn’t always what we expect, on our time table, and sometimes only in eternity. 

My greatest confidence in adversity is gleaned from Paul’s inspired words in Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” All of our pain is only for a little while, and rest is a quickly approaching reality.

----Darrell Powell

Backwoods Christian Camp (Is It Worth A Week Of Your Time?)

What is so special about Backwoods Christian Camp?  Isn’t it rough and rugged and without many of the modern conveniences that make life so easy?  No WIFI, no TV, and no SMART PHONES!?!  Why would anyone want to go there?  Here are a few reasons why I go:  

It is almost an everyday occurrence for a simple glance at the beautiful river, mountains, or starlit sky to spark a meaningful conversation about our awesome Creator.  When I am at Backwoods, looking in any direction makes me want to proclaim: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalms 19:1).

Young people (and adults) who would normally have been playing video games or watching TV if they had been at home find themselves wanting to spend the late evenings in life-changing Bible studies.  At BCC you can always find someone to study or pray with.  Many souls have been saved because of the spiritual atmosphere that you will find there.  Maybe you are in need of new friends who genuinely care about you.

I’ve heard people talk about getting their “spiritual battery charged” when they attend a week of BCC.  This makes sense when you consider that in one week at camp you will hear around five sermons, eight Bible classes, fourteen devotionals or Bible studies, and be a part of at least 4 singing sessions (not including the occasions when singing breaks out at various places throughout the days). 

I guess a simple way of putting it is that a week at Backwoods Christian Camp is what I wish life in the “real world” were like.  It is filled with worship of the almighty God, fellowship with Christians and others who are seeking the truth, and so much joy.  Christians there seem to forget the fears they had about sharing Christ with those around them.  I mean it when I say that everybody is somebody when they are there.  You are invited to spend a week at BCC with the Walnut Street Church Of Christ July 7-12, 2013.  Call 334-382-3001 for details.

----Darrell Powell

The Few

I remember years ago, when I’d only been in Greenville, AL for a year or two, I was discouraged about some indifference in those I was trying to teach. I was feeling like a failure because I just couldn’t convince all the youth to “buy into” what we were trying to do here.  I took this discouragement to Jerry Barr and I’ve always remembered what he said to me. He said: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

He further explained to me that he had almost driven himself into a deep depression in the past because, as an elder, he was responsible for every soul at the Walnut St. church of Christ, and there were always those who stood on the outside, never giving their lives completely to God. But Jesus Himself tells us that there will always be more people on the wide way that leads to destruction.

This isn’t a white flag, give up on the sinners and hypocrites message. On the contrary, Jesus’ point…and Jerry’s point, was that living for God is a full-time commitment. To stay on that strait and narrow way, takes wholehearted service. It is a big responsibility to keep OURSELVES in the love of God (Jude 1:21), and to bear our OWN burdens (Galatians 6:5). Then we also must turn our attention to the interests and burdens of others (Philippians 2:4; Galatians 6:2). 

This concern that we MUST feel for others is healthy and needed for our own spiritual wellbeing.  But we mustn’t let it consume us to the extent that we become discouraged and unfaithful ourselves. As noted above, Paul taught that there are burdens and sins that we can help one another bear, but the final burden (Judgment) we must bear alone. (Romans 14:10)

----Darrell Powell

Who is Wise?

Knowing it all is one thing; knowing the ONE who truly does know it all is another. --Buddah. James asks the question to which we’d all like to know the answer in James 3:13: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” Who DOESN’T want to know the right thing to do, the right thing to say, at just the right moment, and in just the right way? But how can I ever be like that? The answer lies much more in what I’m willing to TRUST God to do in my life than in how great I am.

The quick answer given in this text is: “By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” How do you know if someone is wise?? He obeys God in meekness. Jesus put it this way: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  (Mat 7:24) Follow with me in James 3:14 and following, where James gives us a few more details that describe heavenly wisdom.

Read James 3:14-18 and first what wisdom is NOT. What is bitter jealousy?...selfish ambition?  James, through inspiration, explains that where these characteristics exist, wisdom does not exist. Even more troubling than that: EVERY VILE PRACTICE can find its way into our lives through jealousy and selfishness. It is important to note that we ALL have varying degrees of these qualities…the question is, will we allow them to live in us without challenging them and working to get rid of them?

Wisdom IS: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” The best way to force evil out of our hearts is to replace it with good. (Rom 12:21) Think right now about some practical ways you could replace bitter jealousy and selfish ambition with one of the traits of “the wisdom from above.” Imagine your life with the positive changes and do what it takes to BECOME that person. With God all things are possible!

----Darrell Powell

Fasting on a Full Stomach (Part 4) OUTWARD APPEARANCES without INWARD BEING

The idea of a person fasting only between regular meals and snacks and calling it spiritual service is ridiculous, but sadly many of us may be serving God in an equally absurd manner.  In this last installment of these articles, let’s compare “fasting on a full stomach” to OUTWARD APPEARANCES without INWARD BEING.

Isaiah prophesied to God’s people regarding their fasting practices (Isaiah 58).  They wondered why God didn’t “see” or recognize the fasts that they offered as service to Him (vs. 3).  The answer came back, “Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.”  The point was that just because they were doing something that was, at times, pleasing to the Lord, He was NOT pleased because they weren’t living for Him.  “And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Mark 7:6).  Mama always said, “You show your true colors when nobody is looking, or when things don’t go your way.”  You are not “righteous” just because you happen to do a few right things in your life (see Matthew 7:21-23).

The Scribes and Pharisees were scolded by Christ for “cleaning the outside of the cup and plate, but inside [being] full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:25).  It didn’t matter to Jesus if people looked righteous or seemed righteous to others.  He cared and cares about the heart.  “First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean” (vs. 26).  When we read about these misguided scribes and Pharisees, the tendency is for us to overlook our disposition towards the same behavior in our own lives.

How many of us are “fasting on a full stomach?”  How many of us are Servants of Christ, only as long as we can continue to do as we please?  How many of us go through the motions of obedience (we have the book chapter and verse part down)…but we haven’t submitted to Christ as LORD?  How many of us appear to be faithfully serving the God of heaven…but inwardly, our hearts are far from Him?

----Darrell Powell

Fasting On A Full Stomach (Part 3) OBEDIENCE without SUBMISSION

Do you fast on a full stomach…only between the meals and snacks you desire?  Probably not, or at least you don’t consider that practice to be a form of spiritual service.  But is your service to God comparable to this.  Today, fasting on a full stomach will represent OBEDIENCE without SUBMISSION.

Can a person obey without submission?  Ask your children.  They sometimes obey (Ephesians 6:1), but do it without honoring (vs. 2).  When we obey God like this, we aren’t doing it because we submit to His authority, but because we perceive some benefits of obeying.    If I’m not truly dedicated to God, but I obey His command to be faithful to my wife…my life will be better because I obeyed.  If I do good to them that do evil to me…I’ll reap benefits from that behavior.  But, on Judgment Day, That type of obedience will not help me one bit.  Jesus spoke of people who would boast of their “service” to God on Judgment Day, but to them the Lord would reply, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23).  Just like the man who fasted on a full stomach…even though at times he “just happened” to be engaging in an activity that can be pleasing to God…He was NOT “doing the will of the Father.”

Perhaps you are “obeying” God in the same manner as the poor souls mentioned above.  You attend all the services of the Church and go through the motions, while harboring hatred for a brother or sister.  You teach others the truth of the gospel, but don’t even do the things you are teaching.  The Pharisees were kings and queens of “obedience without submission.”  They knew all the right things to do and say, but they never committed them to their hearts.

Don’t be fooled into thinking God would ever accept a faith that obeys but is empty of love and submission to Him.

----Darrell Powell

Fasting On A Full Stomach (Part 2) SERVICE without SACRIFICE

So, we are comparing the idea of pseudo-fasting to pitfalls in our own spiritual lives.  A man who “fasts” only between regular meals and snacks is not serving anyone but himself.  Today, fasting on a full stomach will represent SERVICE without SACRIFICE.

Many “Christians” are looking for a brand of service that is free!  They want to be recognized as a follower of Christ…but don’t want any responsibility, and certainly don’t want to make any personal sacrifices in Christ’s name.  They want to do as little as they think is necessary to get to heaven.  But where is the logic in seeking to do as little as possible for the God who has done absolutely everything for us?  (John 3:16; Philippians 2:5-8)

So, how do people practice this idea of service without sacrifice?  The person who participates in spiritually beneficial activities ONLY when he has nothing better to do is serving without sacrifice.  The one who gives ONLY out of his abundance like the rich who gave only of their “abundance” (Mark 12:41).  They gave, but not to the point of sacrifice.  We are not required to physically die for our Christian family, but we have opportunities to make little sacrifices regularly.  When was the last time you gave up some time (that you really wanted to use in some other way) for the betterment of the Church?  Do you only give enough to God ease your conscience, or do you give until the pains of sacrifice are felt? 

While some are looking for a cheaper brand of Christianity, Christ has already paid the ultimate price for our chance to spend eternity with Him (Acts 20:28).  A faithful Christian makes daily choices that reflect his or her love for Jesus.  As Christ himself put it, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).  Remember, only those who deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Christ can be His disciples (Matthew 16:24).

----Darrell Powell