I fully believe that the Holy Spirit leads me each day in writing Words for the Day. He just seems to put something in my mind each morning and I write it down. Over the last decade and a half I’ve written millions of words and I’m well aware that some days it is meaningful and poignant to you and just what you need to hear on that particular day and other days you cannot hit delete fast enough. Those are the days it’s someone else’s turn. I know this because many of you write me and tell me as much.
I attended a meeting last night that had stunningly good news for Christians all over the world and naturally assumed that God wanted me to write about it this morning, but I suppose I must save it for another day, because the Lord wouldn’t let me. I was surprised at today’s topic, but the Lord has laid it on me to write this piece and when the Lord speaks, I listen; (carefully!)
I am anxiously awaiting this coming Sunday’s Worldwide Ministry Weekend Service that begins at 11:00 a.m. at Honey Lake Church. Our speaker is Matt Blagg and he is coming all of the way from Oklahoma to visit us. Matt is an incredibly talented musician. He plays trumpet, keyboard, guitar, and sings. He has played for Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, The Four Tops, The Drifters, The Tommy Dorsey Big Band, The Reverend Al Green, and he has toured Europe with the Continental Brass & Singers. Matt loves Memphis and has appeared at the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, and the King Biscuit Blues Festival in that city. He has performed at B.B. King’s Blues Club and recorded at the House of Blues recording studio in Memphis as well.
So you can imagine how good he must be. Since he has performed with all those African American soul singers, one might think Matt is black, but no, he has deep blue eyes and is white as a carnation. He is fresh, young, and vibrant and calls his style of music “Blue-eyed soul”.
But aside from his mind boggling musical gifts, the thing that intrigues me most about Matt is his background. We’ve had every kind of guest one can imagine at our Second Sunday services and almost all who have lived the “on the road again” musician lifestyles have drifted into the “sex, drugs, and rock and roll death march”, but not Matt.
No Matt has stayed true to his Lord. So much so that he semi-retired from his professional musician lifestyle and took a job as Praise and youth minister in a wonderful Oklahoma church and is hugely successful.
As I tried this morning to understand why God wanted me to devote today’s entry to this subject I believe it is to encourage those of you out there who’ve played by the rules and didn’t mess up like I and so many other prodigal sons and daughters have done. Matt’s life demonstrates that one can make it big and make a difference by staying true to your God and following His guidelines, (rules/laws).
David Wilkerson once said that in order to have a passion for Christ one must be baptized in anguish. I went through that baptism of anguish and I am fiercely passionate about serving the Lord. Matt on the other hand has not experienced the baptism of the anguish of life in the same manner that I did but more in the manner that David Wilkerson in that his baptism of anguish is for the lost. He has been baptized by the same Holy Spirit that I have, but in a different way. He sees the anguish of a fallen world and it tears him apart and he gets off the couch and does something about it! He puts the rubber to the road and uses his gifts to reach the lost and hurting.
I met Matt in prison ministry and we work together often; Matt warms up the audience with his blues music and then I give my testimony. It’s a great combination. Matt has not served time in prison or ever been in jail, except for his frequent visits to encourage the inmates. He just has a burden for the lost and hurting.
He states this about his music, “It makes life “more better” when we can laugh and dance together,” Matt says. “That’s what my shows are all about.” Matt brings down the house wherever he goes, but in the end, it’s not the fancy venues that draw Matt, it’s the people. Matt has been involved with Bill Glass prison ministry since 1997. He simply states, “I want to spread God’s Amazing Love around this world that needs more of it – We’ll go anywhere there’s oxygen.”
So many of you reading this today have lived a good life and played by the rules. God loves you and has given you gifts. Maybe they are not musical, but you have gifts. You love God and your eternal destiny is secure; however something is missing. You are not serving others as Jesus ordained and as He left His example. Use your gifts for His glory and let your light so shine that others will want it too. Get off the couch and do something. Every ministry needs more workers including ours.
Come hear Matt this weekend and you will be blessed, we will worship our Savior together and rejoice in this the day that the Lord has made. Have a great day today. Yes I’m flying to Texas and to death row to encourage someone who really needs it. Pray for me, because I’m still hacking up a storm and I need to get well SOON!
2 Cor. 12:4
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
March 6, 2014 – Click here to listen