Congratulations, you made it to 2019! There is a reason we are still on this side of the ground. Let’s find out what that is and then let’s give it everything we got. This year is going to be a year of growth and I believe God is setting His pieces in place to soon shout at the enemy, “Check mate!” as He turns to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and instructs him it’s time to receive his bride. This very well could be the year that Jesus returns to take us home!
During the holidays I got to spend extra time with my family, especially with those grand-babies. One of them is always moving at the speed of sound. She is always on the go and when she speaks well let’s just say she has one volume…. “LOUD”. The excitement of speech that is being able to express yourself with the spoken word, she delights in. She has not yet discovered her “inside voice”. To her what she is saying is worthy of all that is in the room to hear, heck forget about the room, what she is about to say is worth the whole neighborhood hearing. And like a street preacher I used to know very well who has preached on about every street corner in NYC, she lets it belt. No microphone needed, the message inside her that she wants to share gives her lungs the capacity to say it long and LOUD! I have been guilty at times of trying to teach her to use her “inside voice”. I will whisper to her, “Sweet heart, use your inside voice.” She will look at me with those beautiful brown eyes and repeat her thought, this time the sound of her voice a little lower but still, planes flying by shake at the sound of the decimals that are coming out of that little body.
I can’t help but think of how we the church have been taught in much the same way by society to use our inside voice when it comes to proclaiming His word. The world says to us shhhhhhh use your inside voice when preaching against the sins of this world, or when speaking of His holiness, or His cross, or His blood and if you speak the name of Jesus then lower the volume even more. Well, I for one have learned something from my little girl. I will use my outside voice and declare His gospel and proclaim long and LOUD that Jesus and He alone saves! And that marriage is still to be between one man and one woman, that sex outside of marriage is sin, abortion is murder and not a choice. He is holy and without holiness no man shall see him. As Paul put it “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation” Romans 1:16. Let us his church proclaim his love this year. I will no longer be hushed from this world, but I will fulfill my purpose and share his love with my outside voice. Will you join me? It’s time that the church find her outside voice again. This is going to be an epic year for his church!
Turning up the volume, Pastor Rick
Good stuff, Pastor Rick!