America's Leading Online Country Gospel Music News Magazine
This month featuring:
Mary Fay Jackson
Freddie Hart
October, 2015 Christian Servant Outreach Ministry, Inc. www.christianservantmagazine.com Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 1
CONGRATULATIONS on your number one song ”Detours” on the Christian Servant Country for the Good Life -top 100 October, 2015
www.merrittcowboyministries.com
Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Cover 2. #1 Song Christian Servant Country For The Good Life Top 100 3. Table of Contents 4. Return To The Lord by Jimmy R. Price 6. Just a Thought by Gayla Earlene 7. As I See It by John Penney 8. Zephaniah Chapter 3 Verse 17 by Roger Barkley, Jr. 9. Christian County / Country Gospel Radio Station Guide 10. Gina West Sims by Micki Farington 11. Halloween Witnessing Candy Stickers by The Happy Home Fairy 12. How Many Listeners? by Marty Smith 13. Would you believe it is fall already? by Bob Terry 14. Christian Servant Country For The Good Life Top 100 17. Mary Fay Jackson by Tommy Smith 19. Freddie Hart by Tommy Smith 21. King Country Agape Fest by Glorya Wilson Whitaker 23. King Country Agape Fest Award Winners 24. King Country Agape Fest Pictures 26. Climb The Mountain by Randy Gunn 27. Exporting God by Brad Wilson 28. The Splitting of The Adam by Doug DeRamus 29. An Open Charge To My Daughter Upon Graduation by John Randolph 32. Movers and Shakers of the Country Gospel Industry: Bruce Elrod by Tommy Smith 34. Movers and Shakers of the Country Gospel Industry: Ricky Russ by Tommy Smith 35. Christians and Halloween by John MacArthur
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Return to the Lord by Jimmy R. Price www.jimmyrprice.com We are living in perilous times today in the USA. Our nation is sliding fast down the slippery slope of moral decline. Our religious liberty as Christians is under tremendous attack and the impact of the Church is dwindling at a rapid pace. We as God’s people are in great need of one specific thing……Repentance! The Old Testament prophet Hosea lived in times that were similar for the nation of Israel. It also was a time of moral and religious decay. God spoke to His people through Hosea, offering them words of healing and help for troubled times. Hosea 6:1 says, “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.” God promised restoration if His people would repent! Israel needed to “return unto the Lord” because in many ways they had “departed” from Him. First: They had departed from the Lord in their Worship. Hosea 4:1 says,” Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.” To worship God we must know Him and desire to please Him. There is no real worship unless there is truth and mercy practiced by His people. In America today there seems to be a lack of knowledge of God, primarily because so many people don’t know God in a personal way. Many of our leaders have abandoned the truth of God’s word and replaced it with the lies of this world. Mercy in many instances is absent, replaced with hateful and vengeful attitudes. Just like in Hosea’s day, many today in our country have departed from the Lord in Continued next page. their worship! From a Texas Rodeo Star to Country Gospel’s Favorite Female Vocalist
If you’re a Country music fan, and we’re talking real Country, not the typical cheap Rock & Roll that Nashville calls Country today, I know you have to be a Joy Roberts Country Gospel Music fan. She is the real deal. Raised just outside of Fort Worth, Texas where it’s really pure 100% Cowboy Country, she learned how to rope and ride with the best of them. She has entered rodeo competitions ever since she was a small child. The Cowgirl life is all that she has known and singing true Western Swing is just natural to her. She has lived the life that she sings about. No wonder everything she releases to radio makes it to the Top of the charts. This girl loves Christ and always has. The songs and testimonies that Joy gives in her concerts are real life experiences. You know the kind that blue-collar & the white-collar workers alike understand. They leave her services touched by God and full of hope. She spells it out, God still can and still does perform miracles of healing to those who trust and believe. Bless your Church and ask Joy Roberts to be a part of one of your weekly services. All will enjoy her down to earth country style of ministering & music. As I said she is the real deal. For booking info: www.joyrobertsministries.com or call her at: 817-368-1314.
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Second: They had departed from the Lord in their Words! Hosea 4:2a says, “By swearing, and lying….” Some think that words are not that important, but in reality words measure our spiritual condition. Words reveal what occupies our minds (out thinking). Words reveal the state of the heart (our intent). Profanity shows a lack of spiritual insight and is very disrespectful to God and others. Lying is a sin that lines us up with Satan (the father of lies), and opposite Jesus (the Truth). So many of our nations leaders today are nothing more than liars, and will use whatever words they need to say so that they get what they want. The majority have departed from the Lord with their words. Third: They had departed from the Lord in their Works! Hosea 4:2b says, “and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.” The wickedness and evil works of Israel were ungodly and self-destructive. Looking at our country today, things are at least as bad, if not worse. Stealing is commonplace along with robbery and burglary. Murder is becoming one of the leading causes of death among young people in our time (especially the unborn). Adultery is rampant, as well as other sexual sins such as fornication, homosexuality, transgender, child molestation, and the list goes on. America is becoming of the bloodiest places in the world, with killings in the workplace, at schools, and even in our churches. Law enforcement officers are being targeted and shot all across our land. Our nation as a whole has departed from the Lord by our works! Can we make a difference? YES!!! “Come, and Let Us Return Unto the Lord!!!!!! Let us Return to the Lord in our Worship! Let us Return to the Lord in our Words! Let us Return to the Lord in our Works! It’s called Repentance! Then God will bring Restoration!
Lets His Light Shine On John Henry Harvey, one of Country Gospel’s brand new recording artists, is touching a lot of hearts with his first single to radio “Let Your Light Shine On”. The new release is getting good reviews from DJ’s and music fans from all over the world. John’s voice has sort of a Country Folk sound to it. When John sings the song you grab on to the story quickly and find yourself singing along with the melody. His phrasing is catchy and original. That always makes for a strong hit. I believe John has a real winner with “Let Your Light Shine On” and no matter what your music taste is this song will bless you. To contact John for interviews or bookings you can reach him at: 1-804-617-7631 or email him at johnhenryharveyofficial@gmail.com for product go to www.johnhenryharveycom.myfreesites.net.
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"Just A Thought" with Gayla Earlene Visit Gayla Earlene at https://www.facebook.com/gayla.earlene
Unforgiveness Gotta question for you. Is there something in your life that is stealing your peace of mind and peace in your heart? You know there is something that can eat at you and make you sick, literally!! This is something you harbor and something that weighs your life down, you can't seem to let it go, sound familiar? This thing is called....Unforgiveness. Who is it that you cannot forgive for hurting you or somebody you love? Unforgiveness can make your life miserable. AND if we can't forgive others, God's Word tells us that God won't forgive us. "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" Matthew 6:15 NIV. Wow, that's a scary thing, unforgiveness from God? So much of the time the unforgiveness you harbor does not hurt the one you hold it against at all, only you. You are the one suffering. Stop it, stop suffering and allowing this weight to steal your life. Ask God to help you today to get rid of the unforgiveness in your heart. In doing so, a huge burden will be lifted from your heart and life. It may not be easy but hey, with God all things are possible! "Keeping Christ In Our Country" www.gaylaearlene.com
Production, Recording, Distribution, Compilations, Radio Promotion We are accepting tracks for our next compilation NOW! CALL US TODAY! (903) 566-3347 www.canyoncreekrecords.com We at Canyon Creek Records, Inc. and The Christian Servant Publishing Company, BMI, strive to help artists that believe with all their hearts that GOD has called them to use their talents for HIS glory. If being a Christian artist is your heart’s desire, then contact us at (903) 566-3347, or e-mail us at tommysmith4@juno.com. Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 6
…the way I see it by John Penney The Christian Outlaw www.johnpenneymusic.com Have you ever asked yourself, why me Lord? Well, as the song said, what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I`ve known. This is one of the strongest songs of this genre of music we call Christian Country. If you listen to the story that Kris Kristofferson tells about how this song came about then you can understand the power of the Holy Spirit. It was such a powerful spiritual feeling that came upon Kris that the song almost wrote itself in his heart. This is the feeling that comes to people when God moves in a mighty way and touches your very soul. This is what our genre of music is all about my friends, the touching of souls for the Savior. As Christian Country Artists we should all have the same goals and ideas about where we want to be and how we need to get there. The message is wonderful and we all tell it in various ways with the style and lyrics that give people hope and peace or maybe just lift them up in a special way so that they can see Jesus in the music. It is a well-kept secret, this Christian Country Music. A very small genre that has the potential to rock the world and somehow it has not yet done so. Is it our fault or is it this lifestyle that has somehow put Christians in the backseat? This is something to think about in the times of today and all of this anti-God, anti- all that is good world that we find ourselves in. I have heard many of my fellow artists wonder out loud if we are spinning our wheels or are we really making a difference in the music that we do. I am guilty of the same thoughts and I will tell you a little story about what a song can do. I met a man in 2010 in Nashville and we talked and I became friends with him and his wife. A year or so later I got a call from this same friend and he asked me if I would be interested in being part of a prison ministry opportunity in Texas. My first question was, are they going to keep me? He laughed and said maybe not but that I should come and go with them because they were already using one of my songs as an altar call song. That feeling I was talking about earlier where God uses a powerful spiritual feeling to let you know it is Him, well that is what I felt at that moment. Needless to say I did go and we had a wonderful God driven event at that prison. Pray for Prison Ministry. Just think about the times that you Christian Country Artists have been singing about Jesus and a hand went up, a voice was heard or somebody gave their heart to Jesus. I know you felt that powerful spiritual feeling in your heart when that happened. That is why you do what you do, it`s not the money, it`s not the CD sales, it`s not the ego…….it`s God doing His thing through your music. We must do the very best we can to keep moving forward and take Jesus everywhere we go. The one absolute in all of the turmoil of this world is the fact that God is in control, not me, not you and certainly not any politician so I am going to stay the course and trust that it is all taken care of already. So this is the why me Lord, this feeling is for the good that you have done. That`s the way I see it. Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 7
Zephaniah Chapter 3 Verse 17 by Roger Barkley, Jr. www.rogerbarkleyjr.com
So many times I sit down to write or type a message that I think is an awesome revelation that is for someone else. In this case I have to tell you that this particular revelation may only have been for me, I but thought I would share it with you. Years ago a friend of mine wrote a song that starts with the words “In the book of Zephaniah Chapter 3 verse 17.” It is a great song that talks about part of the scripture that sometimes gets glossed over. Maybe because it is a small book in the Old Testament. Maybe because some people did not even know there was a book in the Bible entitled that name. Maybe because in all of our clambering around with rushing to one place or another we did not take the time to grasp the gem inside this whole chapter. I know I sang this song for about 2 years without reading the next few verses or the entire book. Shame on me. I encourage you to read it for yourself and conclude your own understanding, but I have to tell you get ready to shout thanks and praises. The simple break down is this; when we come to God, when we come to the place in our lives that we are totally committed to him, God himself rejoices over us. That within itself is an awesome thing, but then it hit me, God himself singing. We have seen the video that listens to the sounds of the Pulsars, Whales, Distant Stars all harmonizing together to sing How Great Is Our God (and if you have not I encourage you to search it out). We have heard beautiful Choirs, Soloists, Quartets, Duets, Quintets, Bands, and the list goes on. Yet here lies the rub, My God, the creator of all these things, the creator of me and you, who taught the angels how to sing, the only one who gave his only son to die for my sins, rejoices over ME. Some translations say that he stands and sings over me. What a concept in my mind’s eye that I have a creator that protects with not just his hands, but also his voice. I read a little further after that verse and get even more excited. Not only is God rejoicing, but he is giving me the things that it seemed this world took away. Refilling the things that seemed gone. Replenishing what that old devil stole from me. Whether it was my joy, my finances, my relationships, God not only gives them back, he also makes the enemy flee before us. I have said it before that I am not a “Name It & Claim It or Blab It & Grab It” type preacher, but I do believe that we should cling to scriptures and hold them close to us. We should claim our God that wrote the scripture. If He said it, that settles it. Maybe, just maybe, if we as Christians get right with God, get our own lives together, start showing others by example, then maybe we can start getting our smaller victories. Maybe if we do as the old adage says and sweep our own porch before telling others how to clean their house, then we can see God move once again across this great nation and become the Christian Nation with the principles upon which we were founded. Would it not be great to see our children and grandchildren raised in a Nation of God and not just a Notion of God? You can contact Roger Barkley, Jr. at: Roger Barkley Jr. Ministry Headquarters: booking@rogerbarkleyjr.com Barkley Music & Media Office: office@barkleymusicandmedia.com Mailing Address: 710 Cline St – Frankfort, KY 40601 Phone: 502.382.8299 Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 8
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the
WORD of our
GOD will stand
Country Gospel Christian Country Radio Guide Country Music For The Good Life Music for your listening pleasure! www.941icr.com with Ricky Russ, Abilene, Texas - 24/7
www.spiritcountry.cc with Joe Brashier South Bend, Indiana - 24/7
www.heavenscountry.com with Marty Smith - 24/7
www.kcwm.net Owner: Mike Carr Sundays 10:00 am CST with Tommy Smith San Antonio, Hondo, Texas
www.wgnzradio.com with Tim Livingston Dayton, Ohio - 24/7 www.theranch.fm Sundays 8:00 am CST with Tommy Smith Tyler, Texas www.sunriseshow.net with Jim Tucker Roswell, NM - 24/7
FOREVER
www.hleradio.com with Hunter Logan Jennings, LA. - 24/7
Isaiah 40:8
www.am1420wrcg.com with Jim Foster Columbus, GA - 24/7
www.etcgospel.com with Ken Iverson Chandler,Texas - 24/7 www.cgcradio.com with Gene & Micki Farington Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. - 24/7 www.wdcxradio.com with Bob Terry Buffalo, NY - 24/7 www.praypraypray.net Praise Radio w/ Bryon Fester Spruce Grove, Alberta - 24/7 www.truecountryfm.com with Gaylon King San Antonio, TX - 24/7
We specialize in… Web Design SEO - E Commerce Web Research Graphics Design Advertising - Logo Development If it has to do with computers… we probably do it! CD/DVD Designs Flyers - Brochures - Photo Restoration Business Cards - Invitations Ebay - Flash Development Call Today! (918) 424-6330 or Microsoft Office laura@tlcnm.com PowerPoint Presentations Ebook Conversion, Publishing, www.tlcnm.com Cover Design www.webdesignbytlc.com Facebook & Mobile Sites Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 9
GINA WEST-SIMS An Incredible Voice and Woman of God in the Fight of Her Life. By Micki Farington, Editor Christian Country Gospel News, LLC
Gina West-Sims has been singing all of her life, according to her sister Brenda, and has worked hard to carve out a comfortable place for herself in the Nashville music community with her amazing vocal talent, beautiful smile and stunning personality. Who would have thought that she would be fighting the fight of her life at such a young age with an ugly, evil enemy named cancer, but it happened. According to her sister Brenda, she was diagnosed just a few short months ago with an extremely rare, incurable and inoperable form of liver cancer that only one in a million people have, and the doctors of doom gave her “about a year.” What’s so unusual and extra evil about this disease is that “instead of the cancer that has invaded her body attacking the liver, the liver itself is producing the cancer and we’re told that a transplant won’t fix it,” said Brenda. Gina has four beautiful children – two older and two little ones, along with an amazing husband who adores her, and an extended family and a Nashville music family who love her and are standing with her in this battle. Together they’re all trying to raise up an army of prayer warriors who will bombard heaven and petition God to heal Gina. Her healing would definitely “confound the wise” in the medical community and bring glory to her God and her Savior Jesus Christ. We don’t know what God’s plan is at this point, but we do know that God is going to either raise her up by healing her body in this life, or raise her up to her Heavenly home where she’ll get a brand new body – either way, she doesn’t have to endure excruciating pain. Her family’s prayer today is that God will relieve the pain and heal her – and comfort the children and others who love her so dearly as she walks through this part of her life’s journey. We understand what the doctors have said – but WE KNOW the GREATEST physician, and that’s Jesus Christ, and His Word is the final word. Marty Denton who wrote the song, “Calvary” that Hope Street Music Group just released for Gina, has gotten that song on Itunes and has instructed them that the proceeds from the sale of the song will go to the fund that’s been established to help in paying Gina’s medical bills and caring for her children. You can hear Gina’s song by going to http://www.RadioDownloadsLLC.com and then clicking on SPECIAL RELEASES. Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 10
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EDITOR’S NOTE: We have just learned that Gina’s sister’s husband, Dana, is also dealing with stage 4 colo-rectal cancer that has metastasized to the liver, and we would ask that you include Brenda’s husband as you pray for God’s supernatural healing. Brenda has been the care-giver for her husband for 3 1/2 years and is now having to remain stalwart emotionally, mentally and spiritually as they all walk this path. Please pray that God will renew her strength, refresh her body and encourage her that she is victorious and prepared for the challenge. God’s got you, Brenda, and we’re standing with you. We’ve got your arms, and we’ll be your armor bearer. The Christian Country Gospel News LLC, Hope Street Music Group and the Country Gospel Connection would also like to extend a special thank you to Tommy Smith, owner of Canyon Creek Records and Christian Servant Magazine for joining with us in encouraging their listeners and readers to be a part of this army of intercessors who are praying for Gina and her children; and in encouraging those who are led to contribute to their family’s expenses, to do so by purchasing her song “Calvary” from ITunes and by sending their donations to either Marty Denton using Paypal at tripjctrecords@gmail.com and marking it DESIGNATED FOR GINA WEST-SIMS, or by sending it through Christian Servant Magazine, which is a 501C3 (and your donations there will be tax deductible), also through Paypal using the email address, tommysmith4@juno.com. Your cash donation will help immensely. God Bless You! Highlight and copy one of the following email addresses: tripjctrecords@gmail.com or tommysmith4@juno.com CLICK TO PURCHASE CALVARY BY GINA WEST
Then click the PayPal logo above. When you get there paste the email address in the email box, then indicate your donation amount. Thank you! Please mark your donation: DESIGNATED FOR GINA WEST-SIMS
From…
These stickers will transform any Halloween Candy from cavity-creating-hyper-inducingsugar-fest to healthy-and-nutritious-upliftingfood-for-the-soul. Plus, these stickers are an opportunity to share Jesus with all those precious people who will be knocking on your door on Halloween night. For complete instructions and printable stickers go to: http://happyhomefairy.com/2012/10/23/hall oween-candy-thats-good-for-you-freeprintable/ Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 11
How Many Listeners? By Marty Smith I saw a disturbing claim on Facebook about a station claiming to have 100,000 listeners tuning in every hour. This is how they make their claim as stated by the station owner: “When we see 10 slots filled on our counter, we take that ten slots and multiply that by 60, for sixty minutes in that hour and that gives us 600. Then, we take that 60, one minute per hour, and times it by 60, the total number of minutes in the hour, which gives us 3,600”.
So to make the claim of 100,000 listeners per hour, this station would have to have 1,667 people tuning in every minute. My next question was, “If that number drops from ten to five the next minute, do you cut your total number in half for that hour”? I was told, “No, we take the highest number for that hour and calculate the number of listeners based on those figures”. So I thought I’d do some research. I contacted a representative at a company called SHOUTcast. SHOUTcast is free cross-platform proprietary software for streaming media over the Internet. The software, developed by Nullsoft, allows digital audio content, primarily in MP3 or HE-AAC format, to be broadcast to and from media player software, enabling the creation of Internet radio "stations".* Until recently, they would compile statistical numbers for each internet radio station that broadcasts through their company to let the internet radio station how many listeners they had each month. When I explained to them how this station compiled the numbers, I was informed that this was the incorrect way to compile their numbers. According to the rep at SHOUTcast, here is how listener numbers are compiled; each internet radio station has a counter where they can see how many “slots” are filled. A slot is a spot for any listening device, whether it be your computer, smart phone, iphone or ipad. So if you have 10 slots filled that hour, you have ten devices that are tuning in to that internet radio station during that hour. When your station shows that you have ten slots filled, and that station has those ten slots filled for one hour, that is ten listening hours or “TLH”, for that hour. It does not amount to 3,600 listeners. Shout Cast would then take that station’s Total Listening Hours compiled over a thirty day period and calculate how many listeners that station has for that month. For a station to claim that they have 100,000 listeners per hour, this will amount to 2.4 million listeners per day, or 1.667 people per minute. The fact is, most internet radio stations cannot handle those numbers because their server cannot handle that amount of people at one time. So let’s put this in perspective, the number one station on Shout Cast Internet Radio List averages just over 14,350 listeners per hour. That’s quite a difference from a station that claims to have 100,000 listeners per hour, who is ranked 8,000 on that list. You might want to do some research on those claims. Something to think about. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHOUTcast
Marty Smith is the morning host of Heaven’s Country (www.heavenscountry.com) and host of the internationally syndicated radio show, “Todays’ Cross Country (www.todayscrosscountry.com). You can email him at: marty@heavenscountry.com .
Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 12
Would you believe it is fall already? by Bob Terry
Would you believe it is fall all ready? My question is what happen to January, February, March, April, May, June, July and August? I remember when I was a kid it took forever for a year to pass. Now that I’m 80, the year goes as fast as a day . Oh well, so much for the years. Still not much going on in Western NY or across the border. Wait, that’s not so, here ‘s something I just got by email. Praisefest Ontario, Canada will no longer be in held in Niagara Falls, Ontario where it has been for the last 3 years. It will be in Toronto, ON, Canada at the Global Kingdom Ministries Inc. Venue, 1350 Markham Rd., May 19,2016, May 21, 2016. Tickets went on sale October 5, 2015 at 10.00 Am. They say it won’t be as costly as when it was in Niagara Falls, Ontario. For more Information call IMC Concerts at 1-877-392-9710 for tickets and more information. I would like to thank Tommy Smith for the nice write up on me in the Movers & Shakers Spot. All the kind words he said about me can go four times over for him. So thanks Tommy. If you attend the Praisefest Ontario this next year IMC will have a booth, go by and tell them you would like to see some Christian Country, Country Gospel artists on the program in the future. If you would like to have your music played on WDCX Radio in Buffalo, NY just send it to Sunday Singalong, Bob Terry, 2621 E. Sheridan St., Laramie, WY 82070. Or email to sundaysingalong@wdcxradio.com. WDCX Radio is a 110,000 Watts station in Buffalo, NY and reaches over 8 million people including Toronto, Ontario Canada and North. So until next month, I’m Bob Terry, remember God loves you and so do we, be a witness, let others see Jesus in you. We abundantly thank our sponsors as our magazine is solely dependent on our generous sponsors to make our monthly publication possible. Numbers 6:24-26 King James Version (KJV) The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. If you have enjoyed our publication, won’t you consider a tax deductible sponsorship role by supporting the continuation of the monthly Christian Servant Magazine? Your sponsorship will be acknowledged in the publication.
Contact Tommy Smith at: tommysmith4@juno.com or call him at: (903) 566-3347 for more details. God Bless You! Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 13
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SONG TITLE Detour Praise Jesus They Know Me Here Didn’t I Walk On The Water Lean On The Lord House Of Good News When I Got Saved Prescripted Addiction Just Might Be Going Home Today He’s Coming On Eagles Wings Love Is A Cross Clean Slate I Will Bless Him They Wouldn’t Forgive Me Hills Of Glory No Wound Too Deep The Work Of A Carpenter Jesus Is My Rock How To Love Like Jesus Loving Arms Friends In High Places Nail Scarred Hands He’s Still Doing Miracles Today I Know He Hear’s Me If It Satisfies You Lord Without The Cross Was That You Lord Take This Bible This I Know Crazy World It’s Time To Work Things Out Bring Jesus Back To School Everybody’s Going Through Something Crayola Skies God Walks The Dark Hills What He’s Done For Me Help Me Remember It’s Gonna Be Alright Remember The Day
ARTIST Mike & Doris Merritt Jimmy R. Price Kristi Miller Kenny Gardner CrossFire Gospel Band Mike Leichner Charles Scarlette The Parish Family with Marty Raybon Psalm 100 Kevin Rowe & Prodigal Sons Russ Murphy John Berry Arkin Terrell Tina Wakefield McCray Dove Band The Waymasters Mary James Greg McDougal Joy Roberts True Heart Terry Davis Marla Ratliff Tamatha Hurst Marty Raybon Steve Richard & Laura Dodd Wyatt Nations Jon Dameron Lonnie King Dan Duncan Sunday Drive Reed Brothers Chuck Day & Linda Davis Tommy Smith Karen Peck & New River Cindy Lee Alden Myra Rolen Frankie Wilson Steve Shirey David House Brandon Poole Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 14
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SONG TITLE The Wheel In The Middle Of The Wheel God’s Will Let Your Rain Fall It Starts Down On Your Knees Crossing Over Sweet By & By I’m From The U.S. Of A. I’m Gonna Fly Away Don’t Give Up On Me Every Step Of The Way Cowboy Church I Know Out The Window Let Me Live Your Word Will Be The Last Word First Day In Heaven New Again I Know That Jesus Loves Me The Promiseland Fly On The Truth Is Heaven Come Down There He Is The Way Raise Up Your Hands Sunshine, Rain & Roses On The Other Side Of This Don’t Forget To Pray WWJD-Good Nough For Me Creed Less Traveled Heart That Will Never Break Again You Are Love Who Loves Me More His Blood Secret Place He Knows The Way Home Governor Of Mercy Shall We Gather At The River
ARTIST Rusty Gilliam Kali Rose Jan Harbuck The Wacaster Family Pony Express Gina & Jimmy White Roger Barkley, Jr. Kelton French Julie Reese Mary Fay Jackson Marlon Sharp Terry & Debra Luna Kinfolk Gena Roberts Hamilton Tammy Norris The Woodalls Jim Sheldon with Rachel Taylor Carla Jones James Payne Kathy Treat Johnny Rowlett Kenzie Dennise Ditman Cindy Hughlett Kelly Southerland Debbie Bennet Weston & Christy Hinson Wade Hammond John Penney Miles Pike Mike Sanford Kim Pike Cassidy Taylor Jamie Lynn Flanakin The Helmsmen Jo Fox Ashlen Jackson Terry & Teresa Baker Joan Gregory
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SONG TITLE When I Pray It’s In Your Hands Lord Hell Bound USA Love Held My Savior To A Tree Carry Me That’s Him You’re The Only Bible Please Don’t Say No The Wall If God Says I’m Blessed Broken Glimpes Jesus I Believe When God Dips His Love Not Another Day Wake Me Up When It’s Over My Wife A Different Light What’s Still Left Of Me
ARTIST Jimmy Jack Whitaker Glorya Wilson David Lemons Del Way Ladonna Capps Paul Winchester Dean Krell Robert Mateiski Rebecca Linda Smith Gene Farington Tommy Brandt Keith Irwin Chuck Hancock Walt Mills David Livingston Vanessa Feltner Charlie Monk Chris Golden with The Freemans Lance Stone
Smoothest Voice in the Gospel Music Industry
Kenny Gardner
When you are a DJ and you play one song after another for years, sometimes our ears become a little dead to the music. Too many songs sound just like the last one. Then just about the time you’re ready to give it all up here comes a great song by a vocalist that has their own style and a voice as smooth as glass. Such is the voice of Kenny Gardner. His voice is not only smooth but anointed by God. His latest release “Didn’t I Walk On Water” is a good example. The song is #4 for Oct. 2015 in The Cashbox Magazine Top 100 Country Christian charts. Not only is he great on CD but he’s also great live. You can contact Kenny for bookings at: 662-251-4005.
Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 16
When I think of someone who is kind, giving, and with Christlike qualities, this special person comes to mind…
Mary Fay Jackson by Tommy Smith
The first time I saw Mary Fay Jackson, Anna and I were at our first International Country Gospel Music Award show. The best of the best were there. Joe Paul Nichols and his wife Carolyn, Chuck Day, Judy and Doug DeRamus along with her sister Shelia Lewis and one of the greatest singers and promoters of Country Gospel music W. C. Taylor and his wife Annelle. Then in walks the Jones Family Clan. They were dressed to kill. They looked like stars. Jimmy Jones, Aunt Connie, Mary Fay, her sisters and cousins, like I said the whole clan. Then behind them came The Texas Girls. You never saw longer or bigger hair than that whole bunch had. We’re talking about Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn style hair. You know the bigger the hair the better you sang. I still tease Mary Fay about that today. It was back then that Mary Fay, myself, and my wife Anna became good friends. Mary Fay is one of those people you meet for the first time and you just have to like her right off the bat. She is kind, giving of her time, soft hearted and most of all loves and lives to please Christ. She has done more for Country Gospel music in such a short time than most could achieve in a hundred years. You would think that she is kin to the Duracell bunny, she never tires out. She is at every event that takes place in the Gospel music industry supporting and doing interviews with every artist she can for her award winning Television shows. Mary Fay is a great Country Gospel singer. I have to get on to her once in awhile, she will try to stray from her Country Gospel roots and do other styles of music. In my opinion she is best when she sings Country Gospel. Mary Fay is living proof that if you serve God with all your heart and soul and dedicate the talent, that He has given you, to Him then He will bless and anoint your life and ministry. You will find the “proof is in the pudding” when you read Mary Fay Jackson’s accomplishments below. Anna and I give thanks every day that Christ has led us to friends like Mary Fay Jackson. Tommy Smith
The Accomplishments Of Mary Fay Jackson Mary Fay Jackson is a songwriter, recording artist, musician, television producer and promoter. She is the host of an award-winning television program now in its twentieth season called Texas Country Gospel. Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 17
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The show features Southern Gospel Music, Country Gospel Music, Bluegrass Music, Christian Comedians, Instrumentalists, Poets, Patriotic Segments, and Special Interviews with performing artists. The program airs weekly on the Family Friendly Entertainment Network (www.familyfriendlye.com), Roku, and several cable companies and independent TV stations. Daystar Television Network was home to Texas Country Gospel for seven years following its inception in 1995, when Mary, along with her family, the 1AChord (Jones Family Singers) first began production. It has received many awards, including "Top TV Show of the Year" ten times from 1997-2012 by the International Country Gospel Music Association. The Gospel Music FanFair in Pigeon Forge, TN awarded the program "TV Show of the Year" in 2010. Country Gospel Music Guild voted Texas Country Gospel "Top TV Show of the Year" in 2002 and again in 2006. The program also won "Top TV Show" 1999--2006 by Texas International Music Association. Mary Fay produces music videos and concept videos for individuals and groups, plus commercials for Christian Television. Often invited to speak at women's retreats, Jackson also acts as Master of Ceremonies at events and concerts. She frequently performs her music on stage in Branson and Nashville. She serves as Assistant Programming Director for the 24-hour-a-day gospel music network, Family Friendly Entertainment. Also she serves on the Advisory Board of The Gospel Station Radio Network (www.thegospelstation.com). Mary Fay travels extensively to promote Gospel Music at national events such as The National Quartet Convention in Pigeon Forge TN, the annual Inspirational Christian Music Awards in Nashville TN, the Country Gospel Music Association Convention in Branson MO, the Gospel Music FanFair in Somerset, KY and the Annual Singings at Konowa, OK and Seminole, OK. She was inducted into the International Country Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame in 2013. Other ICGMA awards: " Gold Cross Female Award " 1998 (highest award), "Promoter of the Year" 1996, "Songwriter of the Year" 1997, "Crossover Award" 2007, "Ms. Texhoma" 1994, "Top Group" 1994-1999, and "Duo of the Year" 2003 and 2011. Mary Fay was presented a "Radio & TV Media Appreciation Award" in 2008, 2013 and 2014 at Agape Fest. For the past three years, Mary Fay has been hosting a one-hour weekly television show on the UAN Network in Dallas, Texas, called Southern Gospel Praise. The program airs on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. CST (www.uanetwork.tv), featuring talent from across the nation. Mary Fay's signature song "Roses", Texas Int'l Music Assn "Gospel Song of the Year" 2011, is her most requested song. The song, written by Jackson and recorded on CD and also featured on video, charted #6 by the Country Gospel Music Guild as listed in U.S. Gospel News Magazine. Another original song, "In Spite of Myself" charted #2. She currently has five CD’s in release in addition to five CD’s recorded with her family group, 1AChord. Her latest CD is entitled "Godly Women". MARY FAY JACKSON: Phone: 1-888-881-MARY (6279) Business: 1-940-665-0913 E-mail: maryfay@ntin.net Website: maryfayjackson.net Mail: P. O. Box 83, Gainesville, Texas 76241
Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 18
Mr. Easy Lovin’
Freddie Hart Loves Jesus
Freddie Hart was born in Loachapoka, Alabama, one of fifteen children. His family were sharecroppers and as Freddie has said, dirt poor. Freddie remembers having to work hard starting at the age of five. He tells a story of how the kids at school teased him a lot about his worn-out hand me down clothing and shoes. His uncle made him a guitar out of an old cigar box and he would sing and make believe he was a Country music star. That homemade guitar helped him escape from the ridicule and poverty that he dealt with daily. Looking back Freddie said I had this close friend that knew when to be there for me. He was always there whenever I needed him the most. I can’t recall the first time I met him. It seems to me he had been there ever since I could remember. His name was “Jesus”. Through Him I learned there was a great big world out there just waiting for me to step out of my situation and conquer my dreams of having a better and more prosperous life. Freddie put his faith to work and left home in his early teens. He hitchhiked cross-country; working odd job’s picking cotton and working as a roughneck in the oilfields. He would write songs and poetry along the way and he developed a real desire to become a Country music entertainer, maybe even making a big enough name that the Grand Ole Opry would call and ask him to be a special guest on their show. The Second World War broke out and Freddie, like many other young American boys, did their part to serve our county. Freddie was a stocky six-footer, strong as an Ox teenager. He didn’t have any trouble joining the Marines. They took him in without asking any questions and promptly shipped him overseas to the Pacific Campaign. Jesus had great plans for Freddie and made sure he made it through the war without any injuries. While in the military Freddie started singing at the N C O Clubs. His heartfelt singing style was well accepted and he developed the confidence that he needed. He knew at that point that he could and would make it in the music industry. He returned home from overseas entering a port outside of Burbank, CA. carrying an old guitar on his back that he had picked up while serving in the military. He started traveling and singing at schoolhouses, street dances; anywhere they would let him perform.
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Freddie was working a gig in Phoenix, Arizona and there he met Lefty Frizzell, who at that time was the number one artist in Country Music. Lefty liked the way Freddie sang and performed and ask him to go on tour with him. Freddie and Lefty toured together until 1953. Lefty was instrumental in getting Freddie picked up by Capitol Records. Soon a Country star was born. Freddie recalls thinking his first release would be a million seller. He said, I guess everyone thinks that, but it just doesn’t work that way. I moved from one record company to another, always having songs that charted but not quite big enough to keep everybody happy. Then he said he was looking at his wife, Ginger, one day and the first thing that came to his mind, was that she was so easy to love. Then lyrics started flowing through his mind and soon the song “Easy Lovin’” was born. I recorded the song and presented it to the major label that I was on at the time. They just did not hear it. My contract was almost up anyway. I let my good friend Buck Owens hear it and Buck said, “Freddie they’re wrong. This could be a huge hit if it were released to radio”. Buck took it to Capitol Records, which was the label he was on and pitched it to them. They signed Freddie on their label once again and in 1971 they released the song to radio. Buck was right. The single sold over six million copies. Following “Easy Lovin’” Freddie had seven number one songs in a row. He was the only male artist in the history of the Academy Of Country Music, to win five awards at a single presentation. He was awarded, Best Male Vocalist, Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. He and his band, the Heartbeats, were in huge demand. The one thing that you will always hear about Freddie is that he never let success go to his head. You will also hear of his kind heart, his helpfulness to others, and most importantly of his humbleness throughout his entire career. The fact is that when people talk about Freddie you’ll never hear anything bad. They always speak of him with love in their hearts. He is a light that shines for Jesus. He would tell you in a heartbeat that if it were not for Jesus, none of this could have happened. Freddie has cut several Gospel albums. He will tell you that singing and writing for Christ fills his soul with joy. His latest CD “Heavenly Wonderful, Heavenly Beautiful” was released on Canyon Creek records. “Heavenly Wonderful, Heavenly Beautiful”, the title song of the CD made it to # 1 in June of 2013 in Cashbox Magazine Top 100 Country Christian chart. He also charted at # 10 in Cashbox February 2014 with the song “Help Me Be Worthy”. He just recently made # 1 once again in July 2015 with “God Is Easy Lovin’”. Be looking for his brand new release to radio on Canyon Creek Records “This Old Church”, another Freddie Hart song destined to go all the way to the Top of the charts. Freddie is just one of the few Country music legends we have left. He has told me that he wants everyone to know that Freddie Hart loves his fans and friends. Most of all he is so thankful to Christ for making it possible for a poor country boy to pull out of poverty and live a Heavenly Wonderful life here on earth. Freddie Hart loves Jesus and Jesus loves Freddie.
Purchase your copy today at CD Baby or Canyon Creek Records. OR To find out more about Freddie, his music, or purchase the CD please contact:
Tommy Smith at www.canyoncreekrecords.com or Call 903-566-3347 or cell 903-312-4113
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by Glorya Wilson Whitaker
If any of us had a MISSION STATEMENT for ministry, I believe it should be Isaiah 61:1 KJ VERSION The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; This must be important to us all as it’s in the Word twice. Luke 4:18-19 We definitely saw and experienced this through the ministries of many Christian Country ministers in Oakdale Park Glen Rose, Texas. We experienced His AGAPE (God's kind of love) through many of your favorites. God sent whom He wanted with us for our 15th annual KING Country Agape Fest. David House proved as usual to be used in the love of Christ as he ran sound daily and also our favorite each morning as the forerunner of what we do PRAISE & WORSHIP ending with Communion each morning!! Of course his wife Barbara was right there in the background to help with many side track things that go along with ministry. David was used each morning to usher us into the presence of God. Each morning besides David's own ministry there was Jimmy Jack Whitaker ministering with his great guitar and using his gifts of anointing to preach the word through song and playing. He also made himself available to run sound through the spirit of love. Darlene Jennusa helped each morning with praise & worship with an anointing that was amazing. Darlene won our talent contest a few years ago and has soared as the eagle. Tamatha Hurst..... The presence of God follows her not only in her ministry but also in her daily walk. Her love for prayer, people, and ministry is definitely a gift of God. I had known Tamatha a few years from Granbury but this year I got to KNOW her. Reminds me of the scripture Daniel 11:32 "they that do KNOW their God will be strong and do exploits ". That Word KNOW is an intimacy with God. Tamatha is that kind of person that you know her time is intimacy with God. She was and is a strength to help behind the scenes wherever needed. Beverly Crocker, what can be said about Bev?? God used her and uses her ministry in a great way. She says she ain't no preacher... She is definitely anointed to preach the gospel through her songs and ministry. Love flows as she shows SHE’S NOT ALONE!! Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 21
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Sheree Gailey is another one of our talent contest winners. An amazing friend and prayer partner that lives and moves in Jesus. She stepped up daily to help each morning with Praise & Worship. We feel blessed to have a friend like this. Mary Farmer is a lady I met a few years ago but it was definitely one of those "for such a time as this". Mary knows the hurt and pain of the enemy. But she also knows Who called her and His presence in her life. Helen Miller is a new forever friend that helped Praise & Worship daily. An anointing upon her that you know is His love. These are a few examples of our Praise & Worship team and what His love is all about not to mention all the love we felt from many others. Trinity Wennerstrom an 11 year old doll baby and Cheyanne McIlvain the 13 year old who won our last years talent contest, both have a great potential of ministry ahead to be used mightily of Him. Tommy Brandt II and Meghan Woods, award winners with BEYOND THE MUSIC PROMOTIONS, were amazing as they ministered together and separate. They are great music ministers. Joy, Micah and Cotten Roberts, Nikki and Chip Headley, Rita and Phil Hawley, Becky and David Stoker of Second Generation, Russ Nottingham and his precious wife Jeri are all a great team of ministries that God is continuing to use in these last days. We felt honored to have Peggy & Donald Inks come in all the way from Kentucky. As always the life of the party & Peggy, so talented. Also, Hunter Logan and his wife representing HLE Radio out of Jennings, Louisiana were honored guests. Tommy and Michelle were a great support as usual. And Michelle was used and anointed to be used in ministry of helps to many through her great wisdom and love. We had many great artists with us that were representing several of the top Record labels such as Canyon Creek, Double E, HMG, Mary Lu Gregg, just to name a few. These are just a few examples of this year’s presence of God. We had the environment setting of our very first Agape in our backyard where we had 10 acres and boarded horses. We ate, sang, ate and sang all weekend. It was a joy and so wonderful to have that anointed time to minister together. Thank you all who have supported us each year. We love you!
:-) Thankful For Little Things (-: A foursome of senior golfers hit the course with waning enthusiasm for the sport. "These fairways seem to be getting longer and longer," said one of the foursome. "And these hills are getting steeper as the years go by," another complained. "The sand traps seem to be bigger than I remember them, too," said the third senior. After hearing enough from his buddies, the oldest, and the wisest of the four of them at 87 years old, piped up and said, "Oh my friends, just be thankful we're still on this side of the grass!" Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 22
2015 KING Country Agape Fest Annual Award Winners FEMALE VOCALIST: Nikki Headley MALE VOCALIST: Tommy Brandt MALE HORIZON: Russ Nottingham FEMALE HORIZON: Beverly Crocker YOUTH HORIZON: Meghan Woods RISING STAR: Cheyenne Mcilvain and Taylon Hope DUO: Heart To Heart GROUP/Band: Sunday Drive INSTRUMENTALIST/MUSICIAN: Jimmy Jack Whitaker YOUTH INSTRUMENTALIST/MUSICIAN: Tommy Brandt II FEMALE SONG WRITER: Nikki Headley MALE SONG WRITER: Tommy Brandt COMEDIAN: LuLu Roman BLUEGRASS GOSPEL: The Isaacs RADIO PERSONALITY/SHOW – KING COUNTRY: Today’s Cross Country – Marty Smith RADIO PERSONALITY (Not Limited to KING Country): HLE Radio – Hunter Logan MEDIA TELEVISION PERSONALITY: The Music City Show – The Positive Cowboy Jim Sheldon AWARD OF HONOR FOR SETTING A STANDARD OF OUTSTANDING EXCELLENCE TO THE CHRISTIAN COUNTRY GOSPEL FIELD: Marty Smith PROMOTER OF THE YEAR: Beyond The Music – Tommy and Michelle Brandt PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Shane Roark RADIO STATION: HLE Radio – Hunter Logan KING COUNTRY GOLDEN LIVING LEGEND: Don and Peggy Inks FAVORITE CHRISTIAN COUNTRY SONG & ARTIST 2014: If I Could Sit With You Awhile – David House Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 23
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2015 KING Country Agape Fest Annual Award Winners TRAILBLAZER MUSIC EVANGELIST: Nikki Headley PRESTIGIOUS ENTERTAINER: Tommy Brandt IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR TALENT AND SERVICE TO RADIO & MEDIA THROUGH A GIVING HEART: Higher Vision – Rita & Phil Hawley IN RECOGNITION OF HER TALENT AND SERVICE TO RADIO & MEDIA THROUGH A GIVING HEART: Tamatha Hurst and Amanda Fessant LOVING – CARING – FAITHFUL: Melanie Walker “And now these three remain faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:13 WOMAN OF COURAGE: Darlene Jennusa “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:24 JUBAL – FAITHFUL SERVANT: Micah McCarley “And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.” Genesis 4:21 BOB WILSON AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Peggy Inks “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Pictures at Agape Fest
The Agape Fest Gang
Jimmy Jack Whitaker
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Donald & Peggy Inks
Chip Headley, Nikki’s Mom, Nikki Headley, Tamatha Hurst
Megan Woods, Tamatha Hurst, Trinity Wennerstrom, Cheyenne McILvain
Darlene Jennusa Tamatha Hurst, Darene Jennusa, Helen Miller, David Lemons
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GunnPoint Climb the Mountain by Randy Gunn
When I think of my knowledge of Christ, I think of the beautiful majestic mountains of Colorado. My learning of Jesus over the years is much like climbing a mountain. When one is at the base of a mountain, the mountain itself looks half the size it really is. Not much can be seen, only what is level to the eye for a short distance. Confined in the valley, one sees only the streams which are running down from the mountain and the trees and grass it provides nutrients for. As you begin to climb the mountain, making it over the first knoll, you begin to see a little more of the valley as it lengthens and widens beneath you. Go even higher and the country can be seen for miles. The views get bigger and broader with the progression of the climb and they are breathtaking. God’s beautiful nature begins to overwhelm the senses and brings serenity to the soul as you look out and see it all. Continue to climb and finally the summit is reached. Standing at the top one can look in every direction and it almost seems as though all of Colorado can be seen. The view from there is awesome. It has widened and broadened to a picture that allows you to see all of the beauty in cinematic surround view. The dark timbers are seen in distant counties. Smoke is rising from those timbers from a ranch house nestled in them. A hundred miles away is a lake that falls off another peak as waterfalls turn into streams and brooks. Beaver ponds and open meadows behind you. All these things bring a unique type of delight and a special pleasing to anyone who views them. The first time I ever took in that view I thought, “I would never have imagined so much could be seen from this elevation.” The Christian life is much like that. When we first choose to become a believer, by asking Jesus Christ to forgive us and become the Lord of our life, we see or understand very little about who He really is. But as we endeavor to climb toward Him through prayer and study of His Word; as we learn to put our faith and trust in Him; we begin to see more and more of His beauty and we begin to really start to know and understand Christ and who He is. Paul writes in one of his prison letters to friends in a church this thought; “That I might know Him (Jesus)…” Phill.3:10 That is my prayer for all of us; that we may truly know who Jesus really is. Many can talk of what they have heard others say about the views at the top of a mountain, but only the one who makes the effort to climb it experiences the reality and beauty of what is really to be seen. It is no different with Jesus Christ. We may be able to tell others about what we have heard about Jesus, but until we make the effort to search Him out and know Him for ourselves, we will never know the reality and the beauty of the person that is Jesus Christ. You can contact Randy Gunn at: randyscottgunn@gmail.com Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 26
“EXPORTING GOD” by Brad Wilson
As the Presidential race heats up there is no doubt it’s interesting. That’s putting it mildly! As I listen to all of the politicians I feel like the Alan Jackson lyric in the song “Where Were You?” The line goes “I’m just a simple man…I don’t know the difference between Iraq and Iran.” Well as these politicians get more into their spill daily I seem to get more confused on some of the things they talk about. I can understand in a simple way the export/import business on the outside, but begin to get into it deeper and I’m lost. This got me to thinking about the entertainment business. Specifically the film business by which I make my living. What about the films we export? How many films are indeed done each year? What do films done in America represent? Well this might surprise you as much as it did me. And as of this date I’m 30 years making films but was blown away by these statistics. Did you know that film is the second largest export we have in America? The SECOND largest export business in America! That’s amazing! Over the past 5 years there has been a 30% increase in theater construction world-wide. 10 movie theaters A DAY are being built in China! There are close to 20,000 films being made around the world each year. Of that number roughly 3500 a year are made in the USA. Of those 700 of those films make it to the theater. 31 of those movies released theatrically equal 40% of all business in the world. Many of these 3500 films don’t go into theaters but enjoy very successful releases on Television, Home Video Downloads etc… Why am I writing about all of this you say? To show you what I’ve talked about in the past regarding what a great ministry films can be. I’ve received emails from all over the world…Egypt, Germany, South Africa…EVERYWHERE from people thanking me for bringing faith based, inspirational films to the world. People I will never meet this side of heaven will see these films. Can you imagine how powerful the film medium is and what a blessing it can be to have a global opportunity for the Kingdom! It’s humbling to say the least. Please keep me and all of the people that help me in our film walk in your prayers. Pray that God will use us for HIS glory and that people will come to know HIM through our films. Visit Brad Wilson and Higher Purpose Entertainment at: www.higherpurposeentertainment.com
The best vitamin for a Christian is B1. No Jesus - no peace, Know Jesus - know peace! Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 27
The Splitting Of The Adam by Pastor Dr. Doug DeRamus You can visit Doug DeRamus at: www.facebook.com/dougderamus
1 Cor 15:52 - In a moment, [an "atom" of time]: in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (KJV)
From Strong’s Concordance of the Bible --- Number - 823 - atomos (at'-om-os); from 1 (as a negative particle) and the base of 5114; uncut, i.e. (by implication) indivisible [an "atom" of time]: moment. Heb 4:12 - For the word of God is quick (LIVING ) , and powerful, and (WHAT) sharper (A GREEK WORD RELATED TO "ATOMOS") (WHICH MEANS AN ATOM OF TIME) than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)
IF YOU TOLD MEN 100 YEARS AGO THAT THE ATOM COULD BE SPLIT THEY WOULD HAVE LAUGHED AT YOU. IF YOU TELL SOME CHURCH FOLKS THAT GOD CAN WORK SOMETHING IN THEM AND DIVIDE SOUL FROM SPIRIT AND GET RID OF ALL YOUR JUNGLE RATS and THAT GOD CAN RE-PROGRAM YOU and Life will start and Death will stop (They will laugh at you). First the natural and then the spiritual. The splitting of the ATOM and the splitting of the ADAM. The first man ADAM was a (LIVING SOUL) but the last ADAM is a quickening or a life giving spirit! DO YOU WANT THE ADAM SPLIT? With the splitting of the ATOM they got ATOMIC POWER. With the splitting of the ADAM you get HIS nature and all that it represents. THE SOUL is the realm of the mind (the intellect, the emotions, the will). Your mind is like a womb receiving seed. SO what are you putting into your mind? What you put into your mind becomes manifest through the members of your body. NOW, after you got saved, your spirit has passed from spiritual death into life and Jesus Christ the sun of righteousness lights up your life. WHATEVER is conceived in the womb of your mind will be brought forth through your body. YOU CHOOSE WHAT GOES INTO YOUR MIND. The root source of why people are always fearful, or discouraged or upset goes back to WHAT KIND OF SEEDS ARE YOU ALLOWING TO IMPREGNATE YOUR WOMB? WHAT ARE YOU ALLOWING INTO YOUR MIND? Rom 8:7 - Because the carnal mind is (1) enmity against God: (2) hostile toward God (NAS) (3) one translations say " IT HATES GOD" --- for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (KJV)
Most people when they are sick want their body ministered to. BUT, they don't like for you to mess with the way they think. Earth's gravity looses it's hold when you get high enough. The power of the SUN (S-O-N) starts pulling you upward. You get high enough in God and you won't be pulled by the earth, by circumstances and people and darkness. There will be an inward tug by the Holy Ghost as Jesus Christ the SON (S-O-N) of righteousness, the light of the world, begins to lift you higher and higher into him.
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An Open Charge To My Daughter Upon Graduation… by John Randolph
Below is a portion of a letter that I penned to my oldest daughter upon her graduation last month and read to her at her graduation celebration and Thank You dinner we hosted for those mentors that have sown seeds of wisdom in her life. May God grant us as castle builders the opportunity to one day look back and see the masterpiece we’ve created! Well, we’re here. I know you have longed for this day for years and there were days that you didn’t think it would ever come. Truth be told, I never doubted that it would come I just didn’t want it to come! I cannot begin to count the nights that I’ve come into your room over the last 12 years to find you sound asleep with books strewn all over your bed. I’d kneel down at your bedside and I’d pray that God would supernaturally fill your head up with the knowledge that you needed to succeed in the world that He would place in front of you. You have struggled and battled your way through tough algebraic problems, understanding the mindset of our forefathers as they laid the foundation of our great country, attempting to quantify the difference between a teleological argument vs. an ontological argument and all the while holding onto the passionate, loving roller-coaster-of-a-ride personality that makes you who you are. Today Lacie, we celebrate your achievement – your step from high school to college and a new chapter that has so many unknown adventures. But, before we can look ahead I think it’s important that we not lose sight of why you are who you are today. I urge you today to never forget all the people that are seated around this table that have sown seeds into your heart and into your life that have helped you become the young lady that you are with high standards for character, service to others, a heart for those around you and a clear understanding that you are not just any child, you are a child of The King. You are a princess and while your earthly father battles daily to keep food on your table and shoes on your feet, your heavenly Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and a city that has streets made of gold! Never forget WHOSE you are! I’m sure there have been many days that you have wondered why your mom and I made the decision to homeschool you. We’ve talked about it with you countless times so I won’t bore you with the same old answers we’ve given. What I will tell you is this simple fact – every level of education from Kindergarten through college and regardless of whether it’s a public school, private school, Christian school - it is all religious education. If you put a child in an educational environment where Christ is never mentioned; where God is at best an after-thought, what will her ultimate outcome and conclusion be? That God is either not real or at best, is irrelevant. In both instances the final answer is the same Continued on next page… – God can safely be ignored. Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 29
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Our desire from the beginning was for us to grasp and understand the simple truth of Proverbs 22:6. We believed then - and still believe to this day - that the greatest calling on us as Christian parents is to lead our children to the full, unbelievable, transforming grasp of God’s love, mercy and grace. Over the years I’ve come to personally realize that the only way to grow in Christ and understand His calling on my life is to have a diet rich in God’s Word. Without it, we become weak and feeble and your mom and I saw this as our primary calling with your education. The first year your mom homeschooled you while Alyse was still in Kindergarten our motto was very simple – win her heart; show her the love God; if we do that, everything else falls into place. Our end goal was simple – we weren’t training you for Harvard – we were training you for Heaven. Through homeschool study, speech, biblical worldview, church and co-op, my prayer is that you’ve come to realize that you are not an accident. You are not some unplanned happenstance of nature birthed out of chance. You were created as a masterpiece by God himself. The Psalmist says “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb…your eyes saw my unformed body;” God told Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart.” Why is this important? Because you need to understand that it doesn’t matter what job you hold, what people think of you, what your GPA may be or how much money you will make. What is important is that you are created in the image of God Almighty and you have value beyond compare and unmeasurable worth. With all of that said though, you’ve already started taking a step outside of the safety net that we had surrounding you with these last 12 years of school. You’ve seen and heard some of what other students and professors will say and challenge you with. They will tell you that religion in general and specifically Christianity is the cause of almost all evil that this world has seen from the beginning of time. They will press you to get past your childish fairy tales and bedtime stories; they will push you to relinquish your narrow-minded thinking and your judgmental mindsets. Your mother and I are not naïve enough to think that you will be able to be insulated from these types of challenges or temptations. But here’s what I do know – you will be going into battle with the essential training and knowledge to at least engage the world. Your countless hours of bible study, sifting most of your reading through the lens of a biblical worldview, analyzing Mars Hill arguments and the life lessons you’ve learned both formally and informally have strengthened your faith and put you in a position to be a strong soldier in the battle to win hearts and souls for the cause of Christ. In closing, it’s my duty as your father to remind you of Christ’s words in Luke 12 – “…to whom much is given, of him much will be required; and from him to whom much has been entrusted, they will demand the more.” Your mother and I have placed God’s word in your heart and have set you on a path to – as Paul would say – run the race. So it’s time to start running. So what does that mean? Well, Christ’s call to us is to be His hands and feet; to be salt and light. Salt has been used for a lot of different things throughout time, but one of its biggest uses that dates back to before written records is as a preservative. You are called to shed light into a dark world through the love of Christ and to ensure that no more moral decay occurs on your watch. You are called to lift up your brothers and sisters and to lead with a servant’s heart, but to stand firm in your faith and show the world what it means to “offer your body as a living sacrifice; to take every thought captive for the cause of Christ.” You may say, “that’s great dad but I just want to go to college, graduate, get a good job and be a great wife and mom. How can I change the world? There’s just one of me.” Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 30
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Here’s my answer honey – God has a plan! A perfect plan! A good, pleasing and perfect plan. There are only a few that will be given a world-sized stage and platform to make major and drastic change. But Christ knew that big change – the kind of change that truly changes and molds a heart – that change typically occurs through one-on-one and small group interaction. We can all change the world and impact it for Christ. How? Pursue your callings with excellence, with passion and with the love of Christ in all you do. 1. Speak with excellence 2. Write with excellence 3. Spend your time pursuing excellence 4. Pursue God’s Kingdom with excellence 5. Study God’s word with excellence so that your interactions with others are rooted in Him 6. Be the one that leaves the room different than it was when you walked in 7. Make others wonder why you do what you do the way you do it 8. Grab, read, study, devour Matt. 6:33 with excellence – “But seek FIRST His Kingdom and His righteousness.” Lacie, you’ve owned my heart since the day the doctors pulled you into this world and I know that while I may not be ready for Chapter 2 OR 22 – you are! You’re ready to fly! Through all your headstrong, argumentative ways I know that you desire nothing more than to live a life that is pleasing to your Father – and I don’t mean me. I mean Jesus Christ. I praise Him for every day that has passed and I will praise Him for every day that is to come because He thought enough of me and your mother to give you to us for a season to mold and shape your heart. In closing, I will leave you with my constant reminder from my favorite writer in the bible – Paul – as he painted a great picture for the church at Phillipi of the importance to keep pressing forward. “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Keep pressing on honey! I love you, Daddy To learn more about John, his music and his ministry, go to www.johnrandolphmusic.com. To reach John to discuss this article or the prospect of him coming to minister at your church, email bookings@musicwithamessagepromotions.com or call 469-995-0455. John has a huge passion and calling to reach and challenge men to live the life that God has called us to be as the priest, prophet, provider and protector of our homes. John brand new CD titled “I Choose Now” with 10 brand new songs is a project focused on that calling. To order the new CD go to www.johnrandolphmusic.com.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 31
Movers and Shakers of the Country Gospel Industry by Tommy Smith
Bruce Elrod Owner of the oldest music charting magazine in the world
Cashbox Magazine Everyone that has been in the record industry as long as I have, or even much longer knows of Cashbox Magazine. It has always been one of the leading music chart magazines featuring every genre of secular music you can think of. The magazines first issue was in 1942, it didn’t take long after that first issue for Cashbox to be the most sought after charting magazine by record companies, promoters, recording artists and publishing companies. Anyone who was anyone, or was trying to become someone wanted to be in the Cashbox charts. They charted it all. Starting with Big Band, Jazz, Pop, Western, Country and so much more. Then in the late 50’s came the music that would last forever, “Rock & Roll”. Radio and TV stations used the charts as a guide on what to play and include in their formats. Record stores and Jukebox companies would order their stock by whatever the hottest hits in their charts were at the time. Those were the days when music sold and you couldn’t steal it. By the 70’s and 80’s Cashbox was the most recognized chart in the Country music industry. Country music was out selling all other types of music out there. For the first time it was out selling music in the Pop field and everybody wanted a piece of the Country music market. California, New York, and of course Nashville watched Country climb to the top. Cashbox had growing pains and took on new management in the mid 70’s and by the early 80’s started developing a reputation of dishonesty by breaking Federal laws and guidelines that were set up to protect the independent artists and record companies. Soon the magazine started going downhill losing readers and respect in the industry. In 2006 Bruce Elrod, a well known music historian and owner of Lost Gold Records, purchased Cashbox. Once again Bruce added every chart that charted any style of music to the magazine. He did something never done before in a major music magazine. Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 32
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Being a Christian himself he added all the Christian music charts to the magazine. Country Gospel, Black Gospel, Southern Gospel, Christian Contemporary, Bluegrass Gospel and the list goes on. Bruce loves music more than I do and I live and breathe it day and night. He keeps up with every new format that comes along. If it’s popular and the public likes it, he’s going to chart it. A good example, Americana music and Beach music are very popular now and Bruce has added those to the charts. Once again Cashbox Magazine is recognized as the nations top charting magazine with integrity and the nice part is it can be viewed online at www.cashboxmagazine.com Bruce also is founder of The Cashbox Magazine Foundation for the Performing Arts, Longtown Food Bank, Longtown Historical Society and the Bug Tussell Animal Rescue Center in Longtown, South Carolina. Bruce was born in Columbia, South Carolina February 18,1949. He grew up in a family of two worlds. His daddy was a butcher by trade and started the first meat cutters union in South Carolina. His mother grew up in what is known in the Carolina’s as the proper society. Bruce’s cousin was the honorable US Senator Strom Thurmond. Bruce was related to him on both sides of the Thurmond family tree. Bruce attended the University of South Carolina and majored in Meteorology. He still maintains the weather station in Longtown, South Carolina, for NOAA. As you can see Bruce is a man of many interests and a man that loves to serve his fellowman. You can contact Bruce at: Cashboxmagazine.com.
Introducing the Super Talented
Lonnie King is not only a great singer, songwriter, but also a very accomplished musician. He loves working for Christ and really has a heart to serve Him. Like so many of us he still likes his Country music, Country. When he writes and sings for the Lord it comes straight from the heart and you can feel it. He still sings tasteful Country and uses that as a tool to introduce Jesus to those who may otherwise never come to know him. Invite him to sing at your Church, special event or County Fair. He will be a blessing to all. To book Lonnie visit his website at: www.lonnieking.com. Or Call 606-875-8230.
:-) Walking on Water (-: A priest, an evangelist, and a minister were in a row boat in the middle of a pond fishing. None of them had caught anything all morning. Then the evangelist stands up and says he needs to go to the bathroom so he climbs out of the boat and walks on the water to shore. He comes back ten minutes later the same way. Then the minister decides he needs to go to the bathroom, too, so he climbs out of the boat and walks on the water to shore. He, too, comes back the same way ten minutes later. The priest looks at both of them and decides that his faith is just as strong as his fishing buddies and that he can walk on water, too. He stands up and excuses himself. As he steps out, he makes a big splash down into the water. The evangelist looks at the minister and says, “I suppose we should have told him where the rocks were.” Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 33
Movers and Shakers of the Country Gospel Industry by Tommy Smith
Christian Servant Magazine Congratulates
Ricky Russ
http://www.941icr.com/
Inspirational Country radio station KVVO 94.1 over the airways and worldwide web 24/7 located in Abilene, Texas has a brand new owner. Those that have been in the Country Gospel music industry for a long time know him well. His name is Ricky Russ. I’ve known Ricky for over ten years now, not only as a great DJ but also as one of the best male vocalists in our field. He, like others, have put their own music ministry in the background to make sure your songs released to radio get played and can be a blessing to all that hear them. Ricky has been with Inspirational Country radio since its early beginnings. Christian Country artist Leon Joplin started the station in Abilene, Texas and was one of the early pioneers in Internet radio. In those early days Ricky was a Country singer and dance hall entertainer. One day he pulled into a convenience store with a band trailer behind his truck and stepped out to purchase fuel. Leon was also there pumping gas and saw the band trailer. Being a real music fan Leon introduced himself to Ricky. The two struck up a conversation and it didn’t take long for Leon to pop the question “Have you ever thought about using your gift for Christ?” Leon asked Ricky to come and visit the station. Soon he did pay a visit and out of that visit came a real friendship between Leon and Ricky. God knowing all things in advance, I am sure He planned that first meeting between the two. Ricky had previous experience as a Country radio DJ so Leon put him to work as a DJ on his station. Leon was not only a recording artist but also an emergency room Doctor. He soon promoted Ricky to station manager and for years Ricky ran that station as if it were his own. They increased their listening audience by adding an over the airways station in Abilene known now as KVVO 94.1. Leon’s job at the hospital became more and more time consuming so he sold his stations to a local church there in Abilene. There was a condition that went along with the sale, that the staff stayed with it. They took the offer not knowing just how involved and time consuming it is to run a 24/7 radio station. Soon they found out it was a responsibility they couldn’t handle. They made an offer to Ricky that he just couldn’t turn down to purchase the station. After all he had put his heart and soul into the station for years. Inspirational Country radio KVVO 94.1 will continue to promote the Country Gospel / Christian Country music formats as they always have. The station operates under a 501c3 Non-Profit status and cannot financially operate without your help. If you are a Christian artist, Record company, or promoter, do yourself a favor and pick up the phone and call Ricky not only to congratulate him but to make a monthly contribution pledge to help keep God’s anointed music reaching those that not only find a real peace and enjoyment from it, but let’s not forget that thousands come to Christ every day because of the seeds that are planted through this music. I would encourage all who listen to Christian radio, wherever you are, to support your favorite station. Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 34
Christians and Halloween by John MacArthur
Halloween. It's a time of year when the air gets crisper, the days get shorter, and for many young Americans the excitement grows in anticipation of the darkest, spookiest holiday of the year. Retailers also rejoice as they warm up their cash registers to receive an average of $79.82 per household in decorations, costumes, candy, and greeting cards. Halloween will bring in approximately $8 billion this year. It's a good bet retailers won't entertain high expectations of getting $79.82 per household from the Christian market. Many Christians refuse to participate in Halloween. Some are wary of its pagan origins; others of its dark, ghoulish imagery; still others are concerned for the safety of their children. But other Christians choose to partake of the festivities, whether participating in school activities, neighborhood trick-or-treating, or a Halloween alternative at their church. The question is, How should Christians respond to Halloween? Is it irresponsible for parents to let their children trick-or-treat? What about Christians who refuse any kind of celebration during the season—are they overreacting? The Pagan Origin of Halloween: The name "Halloween" comes from the All Saints Day celebration of the early Christian church, a day set aside for the solemn remembrance of the martyrs. All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day, began the time of remembrance. "All Hallows Eve" was eventually contracted to "Hallow-e'en," which became "Halloween." As Christianity moved through Europe it collided with indigenous pagan cultures and confronted established customs. Pagan holidays and festivals were so entrenched that new converts found them to be a stumbling block to their faith. To deal with the problem, the organized church would commonly move a distinctively Christian holiday to a spot on the calendar that would directly challenge a pagan holiday. The intent was to counter pagan influences and provide a Christian alternative. But most often the church only succeeded in "Christianizing" a pagan ritual—the ritual was still pagan, but mixed with Christian symbolism. That's what happened to All Saints Eve—it was the original Halloween alternative! The Celtic people of Europe and Britain were pagan Druids whose major celebrations were marked by the seasons. At the end of the year in northern Europe, people made preparations to ensure winter survival by harvesting the crops and culling the herds, slaughtering animals that wouldn't make it. Life slowed down as winter brought darkness (shortened days and longer nights), fallow ground, and death. The imagery of death, symbolized by skeletons, skulls, and the color black, remains prominent in today's Halloween celebrations. The pagan Samhain festival (pronounced "sow" "en") celebrated the final harvest, death, and the onset of winter, for three days—October 31 to November 2. The Celts believed the curtain dividing the living and the dead lifted during Samhain to allow the spirits of the dead to walk among the living—ghosts haunting the earth. Some embraced the season of haunting by engaging in occult practices such as divination and communication with the dead. They sought "divine" spirits (demons) and the spirits of their ancestors regarding weather forecasts for the coming year, crop expectations, and even romantic prospects. Bobbing for apples was one practice the pagans used to divine the spiritual world's "blessings" on a couple's romance. Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 35
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For others the focus on death, occultism, divination, and the thought of spirits returning to haunt the living, fueled ignorant superstitions and fears. They believed spirits were earthbound until they received a proper sendoff with treats—possessions, wealth, food, and drink. Spirits who were not suitably "treated" would "trick" those who had neglected them. The fear of haunting only multiplied if that spirit had been offended during its natural lifetime. Trick-bent spirits were believed to assume grotesque appearances. Some traditions developed, which believed wearing a costume to look like a spirit would fool the wandering spirits. Others believed the spirits could be warded off by carving a grotesque face into a gourd or root vegetable (the Scottish used turnips) and setting a candle inside it—the jack-o-lantern. Into that dark, superstitious, pagan world, God mercifully shined the light of the gospel. Newly converted Christians armed themselves with the truth and no longer feared a haunting from departed spirits returning to earth. In fact, they denounced their former pagan spiritism in accord with Deuteronomy 18: There shall not be found among you anyone...who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:10-13). Nonetheless, Christian converts found family and cultural influence hard to withstand; they were tempted to rejoin the pagan festivals, especially Samhain. Pope Gregory IV reacted to the pagan challenge by moving the celebration of All Saints Day in the ninth century—he set the date at November 1, right in the middle of Samhain. As the centuries passed, Samhain and All Hallows Eve mixed together. On the one hand, pagan superstitions gave way to "Christianized" superstitions and provided more fodder for fear. People began to understand that the pagan ancestral spirits were demons and the diviners were practicing witchcraft and necromancy. On the other hand, the festival time provided greater opportunity for revelry. Trick-or-treat became a time when roving bands of young hooligans would go house-to-house gathering food and drink for their parties. Stingy householders ran the risk of a "trick" being played on their property from drunken young people. Halloween didn't become an American holiday until the immigration of the working classes from the British Isles in the late nineteenth century. While early immigrants may have believed the superstitious traditions, it was the mischievous aspects of the holiday that attracted American young people. Younger generations borrowed or adapted many customs without reference to their pagan origins. Hollywood has added to the "fun" a wide assortment of fictional characters—demons, monsters, vampires, werewolves, mummies, and psychopaths. That certainly isn't improving the American mind, but it sure is making someone a lot of money. The Christian Response to Halloween: Today Halloween is almost exclusively an American secular holiday, but many who celebrate have no concept of its religious origins or pagan heritage. That's not to say Halloween has become more wholesome. Children dress up in entertaining costumes, wander the neighborhood in search of candy, and tell each other scary ghost stories; but adults often engage in shameful acts of drunkenness and debauchery. So, how should Christians respond? Continued on next page… Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 36
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First, Christians should not respond to Halloween like superstitious pagans. Pagans are superstitious; Christians are enlightened by the truth of God's Word. Evil spirits are no more active and sinister on Halloween than they are on any other day of the year; in fact, any day is a good day for Satan to prowl about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). God has forever "disarmed principalities and powers" through the cross Christ and "made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through [Christ]" (Colossians 2:15). Second, Christians should respond to Halloween with cautionary wisdom. Some people fear the activity of Satanists or pagan witches, but the actual incidents of satanic-associated crime are very low. The real threat on Halloween is from the social problems that attend sinful behavior—drunk driving, pranksters and vandals, and unsupervised children. Like any other day of the year, Christians should exercise caution as wise stewards of their possessions and protectors of their families. Christian young people should stay away from secular Halloween parties since those are breeding grounds for trouble. Christian parents can protect their children by keeping them well-supervised and restricting treat consumption to those goodies received from trusted sources. Third, Christians should respond to Halloween with gospel compassion. The unbelieving, Christ-rejecting world lives in perpetual fear of death. It isn't just the experience of death, but rather what the Bible calls "a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume [God's] adversaries" (Hebrews 10:27). Witches, ghosts, and evil spirits are not terrifying; God's wrath unleashed on the unforgiven sinner—now that is truly terrifying. Christians should use Halloween and all that it brings to the imagination—death imagery, superstition, expressions of debauched revelry—as an opportunity to engage the unbelieving world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. God has given everyone a conscience that responds to His truth (Romans 2:14-16), and the conscience is the Christian's ally in the evangelistic enterprise. Christians should take time to inform the consciences of friends and family with biblical truth regarding God, the Bible, sin, Christ, future judgment, and the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ for the repentant sinner. There are several different ways Christians will engage in Halloween evangelism. Some will adopt a "No Participation" policy. As Christian parents, they don't want their kids participating in spiritually compromising activities—listening to ghost stories and coloring pictures of witches. They don't want their kids to dress up in costumes for trick-or-treating or even attending Halloween alternatives. That response naturally raises eyebrows and provides a good opportunity to share the gospel to those who ask. It's also important that parents explain their stand to their children and prepare them to face the teasing or ridicule of their peers and the disapproval or scorn of their teachers. Other Christians will opt for Halloween alternatives called "Harvest Festivals" or "Reformation Festivals"—the kids dress up as farmers, Bible characters, or Reformation heroes. It's ironic when you consider Halloween's beginning as an alternative, but it can be an effective means of reaching out to neighborhood families with the gospel. Some churches leave the church building behind and take acts of mercy into their community, "treating" needy families with food baskets, gift cards, and the gospel message. Those are good alternatives; there are others that are not so good.
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Some churches are using "Hell House" evangelism to shock young people and scare them into becoming Christians. They walk people through rooms patterned after carnival-style haunted houses and put sin on display—women undergoing abortions, people sacrificed in a satanic ritual, consequences of premarital sex, dangers of rave parties, demon possession, and other tragedies. Here's the problem with so-called Hell House evangelism: To shock an unshockable culture, you have to get pretty graphic. Graphic exhibits of sin and its consequences are unnecessary—unbelieving minds are already full of such images. What they need to see is a life truly transformed by the power of God, and what they need to hear is the truth of God in an accurate presentation of the gospel. Cheap gimmickry is unfitting for Christ's ambassadors. There's another option open to Christians: limited, non-compromising participation in Halloween. There's nothing inherently evil about candy, costumes, or trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. In fact, all of that can provide a unique gospel opportunity with neighbors. Even handing out candy to neighborhood children—provided you're not stingy—can improve your reputation among the kids. As long as the costumes are innocent and the behavior does not dishonor Christ, trick-or-treating can be used to further gospel interests. Ultimately, Christian participation in Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level of Halloween participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from the world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing. Halloween provides the Christian with the opportunity to accomplish both of those things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a message that is holy, set apart from the world; it's a message that is the very mercy of a forgiving God. What better time of the year is there to share such a message than Halloween? By John MacArthur Copyright © 2007, Grace to You. All rights reserved. Used by permission. This article originally appeared HERE at Grace to You.
Christian Servant Magazine a division of Christian Servant Outreach Ministry, Inc. A 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization Publisher: Christian Servant Outreach Ministry, Inc. Editor in Chief: Tommy Smith Creative Director: Anna Smith Design Director & Creative Digital Director: TLC Solutions Address all Editorial, Business and Production Inquiries to: Christian Servant Magazine, 15661 Hwy 64 E.,Tyler, TX. 75707 • (903) 566-3347 For Sponsorship Information contact: Tommy Smith • (903) 566-3347 • or Email: tommysmith4@juno.com www.christianservantoutreachministry.com • www.christianservantradio.com • www.christianservantmagazine.com Copyright © 2015 Christian Servant Outreach Ministry, Inc. dba Christian Servant Magazine • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED All articles are copyrighted and may not be reprinted or published without the express written permission of: Christian Servant Magazine, 15661 Hwy 64 E.,Tyler, TX. 75707 Christian Servant Magazine - October, 2015 - Page 38