NEVER EVER mess with a Davis

this is my cousin. you never ever, ever want to mess with a Davis.

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/35606739.html

have a nice day

carry me home

hey everybody.

wow.
that's really all that i can say.

sunday night, i finally got to preach a sermon that's been on my heart for quite some time. it was titled "Jesus said NO". while it didn't go quite the way that i had imagined it, it went exactly how God needed it to. and i am very thankful for that.

after the sermon, i was happy to see both my nephew and my dad at the alter, among several others who had responded to the word of God. also there were teens from Evangel that made recommitments to Christ. and much to my joy, there were broken people that were set free. and one certain person in particular.

you see, while i didn't know who it was, i new that God was sending me to minister there, on that night, for a specific reason. for a specific person. and i am thankful that they were open to the word of God.

i struggled during my sermon with whether or not to share a personal battle that i had faced several years ago. but God kept pressing me that it was something that would touch someone. finally, i told of a time when i had "lost" myself in my christian life. and the cause of it, and the pain and hopelessness that i had felt at that time. and i told of how God brought me through it.

during alter service, a woman came to the front, in tears, and told me that she was going through the exact same battle, and that i had described her feelings of despair like i had read her mind. i knew where she was. because i had been there and survived to tell of it. i was able to pray with her. and pray over her. and offer her hope. peace. joy. and the heart of Christ.

one of my favorite poems is the "footprints" poem. the one where, at the end, Jesus says "my precious child. i love you, and would never leave you. in the times when you saw only one set of prints, it was then that i carried you."

i can offer no better offer of hope than that. if you are tired. if you are broken. if you are lost. if you feel forgotten. if you feel hopeless. if you don't know how to stand anymore. you are not alone. it is in those moments that we realize the truth of the scripture that says "My strength is made perfect in weakness." because it is then. at that moment, that He can show us how much He loves us. by picking us up. cradling us in his arms. and carrying us home.

so if you are there. look up to heaven, and say Lord, i'm tired. i'm hurting. i'm sad. please, i have no strength left to stand. will you carry me home? and see if He doesn't cradle you, and carry you home.

much love.
theoldmusicbox

so, in this hour, live like you're alive!!!!

this is taken from the song "so, in this hour" by the christian artist called the rocket summer.

"So in this hour
Everything I do
Will be all for this moment
Everything's for you
My heart is open
And willing
So take it"

this is taken from the song "live like you're alive" by the christian group called nevertheless.

"So here, I stand,
I'm ready for anything
i'm Just, a man,
but I'm giving everything
We're here
only for a second and then
We're gone
when we least expect it
So do more than survive
Let's live like we're alive"


as most of you know, i love music. but mostly, i really love it when i find a new group, or a new song, or something that i've never heard of, and it just totally blows my mind either lyrically, or musically, or both. until recently i had never heard of the rocket summer, or nevertheless. but i have to say, i have become a fan.

i love the line where it says "my heart is open, and willing, so take it". so often, as christians, we want God to give us everything that we need, everything that we want, and sometimes everything that we see. and what do we offer Him in return? we offer him advice on how He should be God!! seriously. how many times have you complained to Him that if He would just grant you what you've prayed for that your life would just be great and you could finally be happy? think about it.

when was the last time that you honestly said, my heart is open and willing Lord, please just take it. without adding some kind of stipulation to the request.

and then, the other song, we're here only for a second and then we're gone when we least expect it so do more than survive. live like we're alive. when i first heard that line, it literally took my breath away. i felt like i had been hit in the gut with a brick made of truth.

for the last couple of months, i've been going on remote control. kinda like the guy from the old mcdonald's commercial. remember? get up, go to work, go home, go to bed. get up go to work go home go to bed get up go to work go home go to bed. get up go to work GO TO MCDONALD'S go to bed. caught in the same rut, day after day after day with something special every now and then, and then back to the rut.

i'm sorry, but i believe that i was put on this earth for more than that!! how about you? are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? (sorry, couldn't help using that old cliche) are you tired of same old same old? are you ready for a revolution? are you prepared for a life changing moment in your life. well so am i.

i don't consider myself a prophet. just a man who hears from God from time to time. but i believe that we can do more than just survive. we can do it simply by saying "Lord, in this hour, everything's for You. my heart is open and willing. take it". i love David's prayer that says "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

if you notice, David gave no "here's how to be God" advice. or any other request but that God would know his heart and lead his actions. next time i pray, i think i'll try that. how about you?

much love
theoldmusicbox

no thanks, i can handle it.

no thanks, i can handle it

how many times have you said that? how many times have you been struggling, fighting, desperately holding on to that last scrap of sanity that you can call your own. then, when someone asks you "can i help you somehow?" you reply "no thanks, i can handle it".


if this is you, i have to ask you something. what makes you think that you are so tough?


i've been thinking about this all week. you see, sunday was easter. my favorite holiday. that is the day that i surrendered my life to Christ. april 3, 1994. easter sunday morning.


this year, for the first time, i spent the evening watching "king of kings" with my kids. while watching with my son and daughter both at my side, God reminded me of a revelation that i knew once, but had forgotten. "i really don't have to be that tough"


after Jesus was beaten, he had to carry his cross (i believe it was over 2 miles, but i may be wrong) to calvary. have you ever seen "the passion of the Christ"? i don't think that i could carry my cross to my neighbors house after that beating. but do you know what. Jesus couldn't do it either. at one point, while carrying His cross, he fell down and could NOT continue to carry it. so someone else had to carry it for Him!

my friends, don't you see, even our Lord needed help carrying His cross. just like you and me. sometimes we need help. sometimes we need to allow someone else to bear our burdens with us. if Jesus was able to allow someone to help Him, what makes us feel shamed when we can't carry our cross by ourself?

this is a hard lesson for me. i always feel like "hey, it's my cross, it's my battle, if i need help, the Lord will help me" but ya know what, sometimes, the Lord helps us by sending others in His place. and through our stubborness, we refuse the help that he sends us.

so the next time someone says "can i help you?" think about it before you say "no thanks, i can handle it"

much love
theoldmusicbox

someone is coming!

hey musiclovers!

sorry it's been so long, but this one's been building. i heard a speaker a couple of weeks ago, and one point he made stuck to me and i haven't been able to get it out. so drop your quarter, press A-1 and hopefully, you'll enjoy this selection from the jukebox of life.....

in the early 80's, a man was driving on the highway. as he traveled down the road, an airplane flew close to the ground, then crashed into the FROZEN potomac river. there were 79 people on board, but only 4 survived the crash.

the man pulled his car to the side, got out and ran down to the river's bank. when he got there, several people were trying to decide how to help. they had started making a rope by tying jumper cables, cloth diapers, jackets, blankets and whatever else they had in their cars.

this man suddenly just grabbed the end of the "rope" and tied it around his waist. he then jumped onto the icy river. he clawed his way towards the survivors. he slipped, fell into the water, crawled back out and kept going. several times, he slid into the frozen river. jumping from ice chunk to ice chunk. he broke several fingers, toes and a rib while jumping across the river. then he came to the end of the rope. he was still 4 feet away from the people that he was trying to save. and no matter what they tried, he couldn't reach them.

finally, the rescue helicopter came and got everyone out of the river and took them to the hospital. our friend who tried to save them, was in the hospital for 4 days with broken bones, and when he got to the hospital, his body temperature was still at 80 degrees farenhiet.


at the press conference, the survivors were being interviewed and one of the women said that the helicopter didn't rescue them. a reporter told her that she wasn't thinking clearly, that she didn't remember it right. but she said NO, I REMEMBER JUST FINE. the helicopter got us out of the river, but the sight of that man saved us. he just kept coming and coming. and as long as we could see him coming, we knew that SOMEONE was coming to SAVE US.

WOW!

my thought is this. how many times do we see people suffering, hurting, or just plain miserable in their sins, and we don't reach out? my friends, it is time for us to tie the rope around our waist, jump in and show them that, hey, someone is coming to save you!!!!!!

the truth of the matter is this. they can't save themselves. and we can't save them. but we can show them that their is one who can save them. and if they see us coming, then they will have HOPE. and what greater thing can we offer someone who is lost and dying? hope of salvation! i may not be able to reach them, but someone is coming. you may not be able to reach them, but someone is coming. they may feel like they're at the end of their rope, but thank God, someone is coming. but if they don't see us trying to help them, how can they have hope to hold on?

so i leave you with this thought. the plane is down. the survivors are losing hope. if not you, then who is going to give them the hope that someone is coming?

much love and God bless
theoldmusicbox

it's my life, i'm not hurting anyone, just leave me alone!

ok, how many times have you heard that one? it has to be the number one response that people give when they're feeling convicted over their lifestyle choices.

they say things like, "hey, it's my life, i'm not hurting anyone, and if i want to do this, it's only affecting me." yeah. right.

have you ever read the book of jonah? if not, you should check it out. you see, God wanted jonah to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. jonah didn't like them. (if you read it, you'll see that he ran from God's call because he knew that God would be merciful to them if they repented, and he wanted them to be destroyed)

so jonah ran from God's call. he boarded a ship destined for (what they believed at the time) the end of the earth. while off to sea, they found themselves in a furious storm that threatened to sink the ship. they unloaded the cargo into the sea. they all cried out to their god's. they woke jonah up and told him to ask God for help. that's when they found out that jonah was the cause for the storm.

they asked what could be done and jonah said "throw me off the ship". they wouldn't do it at first. they tried and tried to row the boat to shore but at last gave up and threw him into the sea.

now, let me ask you something. did jonah's disobedience to God only affect him? no. it affected not only jonah, but everyone around him. AND the people who were waiting for the cargo that had to be thrown overboard. AND the people of Nineveh.

NOW, let me ask you something else. who does your disobedience affect? sure, it affects you. but it also affects everyone around you. things that you shouldn't be involved in affect all of those involved. people that you may never know or meet can be affected because you "just checked it out". not to mention those whose lives could have been changed if you had only been obedient to God's voice.

i realize that we all suffer from O.D.D. (obedience deficit disorder) at times. and need a good shot of spiritual ritalin to get us back in line. well, here it is. if our disobedience can have such a negative affect on everyone around us, then that means in turn that our OBEDIENCE must also have a positive affect on those around us.

when jonah finally got out of the fishes belly, he ran to Nineveh and preached the revival of a lifetime and the entire city got saved!!!!! wow. just imagine that. because of one man's obedience, and ENTIRE city was saved!

so hey, after all, it's your life. now, what are you going to do with it?

much love
theoldmusicbox

it's your choice!

hey musiclovers! long time, no blog. sorry. lots o stuff been goin on. for those of you that don't know, i'm gonna be a daddy again.

ok. enough of that stuff. it's time to get down to what you came for, so drop your dimes, press your selection, and let the jukebox of life shine a lil sunshine on your day.

today, i want to talk about a verse of scripture that is soooooo often misinterpreted and misunderstood and misquoted, that folks don't even seem to truly know what the bible was even saying in it. even i myself have misunderstood this one for years. but God has recently opened my eyes to a neat revelation and i'm ready to share it with ya.


1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.


ok, honestly. how many times have you heard someone say, or even said yourself, "GOD WILL NEVER PUT MORE ON YOU THAN YOU CAN BEAR". i've said it at least a million times. but, that isn't what this verse is saying. it is saying that God will not allow you to be TEMPTED above what you can bear. you see, there is a difference between affliction and temptation.

don't get me wrong. i'm not saying that God will allow you to go through something that He can't deliver you from. i believe that He said that He would give His angels charge over us, that He would hide us in the cleft of the rock, that lo, He is with us always even to the ends of the earth. all i am saying is that there is a really cool fact of life hidden in this verse.
think about it. how many times have you ACCIDENTALLY sinned? how many times have you ACCIDENTALLY betrayed your Christian beliefs? how many times have you ACCIDENTALLY done something that later on, you found yourself at the alter repenting for? the answer is simply NEVER!

you see, sin is a choice that we make. we chose to disobey. we chose to lie. we chose to fornicate. we chose to do whatever it is that is sin in our lives. the verse says that we won't be "tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." lets take a look at that ok? think about it. every time you come to that crossroads, what do you have? you have that voice in your head saying "HEY STUPID, YOU'RE ABOUT TO CROSS THE LINE!!!!!" and what do you do? you say, aww not this time, or, it'll be ok. or, my personal favorite, "this is the last time. after this, i'll never do it again" but you know what? in that moment before you fall, God is making that way of escape for you!!! God himself, has filled you with the Holy Spirit. and it is the Holy Spirit talking to you saying "HEY!!!!! TURN AROUND!!!! DON'T GO IN THERE!!!!" sometimes, i kindof picture the Holy Spirit being like someone that goes to see a horror movie. there He is, in your brain eatin popcorn, watchin you go into those places you shouldn't be. and He's screaming "DON'T GO IN THERE!! YOU'RE GONNA GET KILLED IF YOU GO IN THERE!!!" and what do we do? just like the idiots in those movies, we go down in the basement where the monsters are hiding waiting to attack us.
i'm not trying to heap shame on you. trust me, after the last few months of my life, i have no shame to call out except my own. all i'm trying to do is open your eyes like mine have been open. ever since this revelation hit me, i have ESCAPED from a temptation that i once thought that i was POWERLESS to avoid. all i want, is to give you the truth, and pray that, as it did for me, it will set you free.

love to all.

God bless.
theoldmusicbox

face to face with the monster

hey guys.

before i begin, i need to say a few things. i know that i've been asking for prayer for the last 3 months, and not been able to give many details. let me explain. this monster that i have been fighting, was a very personal matter that involved more than just myself. that is why i can't give details about it. to do that would deeply hurt someone, and that, i cannot do, so i ask for your forgiveness and patience.

for a long time now, i have had serious issues with a certain person. God has been dealing with my heart about this for sometime. i have tried to be forgiving, i have tried to let the past be in the past. i have tried all that i know to do. but deep inside of me, lies bitterness and hatred, and hurt that, no matter how hard i tried, i just couldn't be freed from. it seemed that no matter how desperately i prayed or how sincere i was in my resolve, i just couldn't be free.

i know what you're thinking, "hey, you're a minister. how can you be like that?" well, honestly, i've asked myself the same thing many times. some hurts go so deep that no matter how godly you are, you still struggle with grace, mercy and forgiveness. what can i say? Oh wretched man that i am? i'm not trying to justify myself. but, i am saying that i'm not trying to hold on to these things. i desperately want to be free from it. and i appreciate everyone's prayers.

now, i have to ask all of my friends. which one of you was praying for me between 6 and 7 p.m. on friday night Nov. 9?

on friday night, my family and i went out to celebrate my birthday (it's actually on this coming wednesday, but we're busy that night). when we got to the resteraunt, we signed in and stood off to the side to wait to be seated. right then, the object of my torment came in. then stood next to me.

my heart fell to the floor. there i was with my wife and children. all i wanted to do was to reach out and, well, i don't really know what i wanted to do. but i'm sure it wouldn't have reflected well on my good christian name.

then, the host was nice enough to seat us in such a place that when i looked up from my table, i was face to face with the monster that i have been wrestling with. i decided to go to the restroom. then, realized that to do this, i had to go right past him.

it took a few minutes to restore myself. when i came back, my wife asked if we should go. but i told her no because i really felt that God had to be doing something, because it had been about 10 years since the last time. have you ever wondered why God thinks you are stronger than you do?

anyway, they left. my family and i tried to finish the evening in better moods.

later that night, lying in bed. my wife and i cried and prayed together. i really can't express how much stronger she makes me. but today, i woke up feeling like a new man.

i must say, i think with some degree of certainty, that if the monster isn't dead, he has definately been defeated. i think that the only way to win, was for God to put me face to face. i had to see for myself that he couldn't hurt me anymore. had to know that i was safe. that my family was safe.

there are a lot of things that have to be left out to protect others. many things said and done that would help you to understand. but just know this. i could not have won this battle without your help. i could never have come face to face with the monster and walked out unscathed if i hadn't had friends praying for me. i believe that the battle is over. i believe that victory is finally mine. i believe that the effectual ferverant prayers of the righteous have availed much. i believe that i have true friends who each kept their words and prayed for me, that God would give me strength. and i am more thankful to you than words could ever express.

i have finally come face to face with the monster, and i am no longer afraid.

i love you all.

God bless.
O.

how do you fight a monster?

how do you fight the monster, when the monster lives inside of you? this is the question that i've been dealing with for the last couple of weeks. i apologize for taking so long to post this one, but it's been a wild ride. so, here goes.

the answer is simple. you fight the monster one battle at a time. one day at a time. until it is defeated.

people have always seen me as the "happy" guy. the guy who has it all together. the strong one. people think that since i am a preacher, that i surely must have it all together, and never really struggle because my faith must be so strong. surely, i am beyond being shaken, right?

the truth is, you never know what someone is going through. you can never realize the pain of the fight that someone right next to you is wrestling with. unless they admit it.

if i am to be a minister, then, i must be honest with those that i minister to. beneath the armor of God that i wear, beats the heart of a man. over these last couple of months, i have been waging war with my own darkest weakness. God had revealed to me that there was an area of my life that i had tried to lock up and hide, even from Him. this has been like a cancer, eating at the very core of my soul for the last 15 years. a darkness in my heart. a monster living within me, trying to fight it's way to the surface.

in the past, this monster would show up briefly, but i was always able to beat it back down within a matter of days. (no, i'm not naming the monster for you, that is between myself, my God, and my wife, all of who are helping me in this fight) but this time, i couldn't fight it back alone. it had me wrapped in the darkness of bitterness and hate. yeah, hate. if you can imagine that from me.

my wife has been a blessing to me. i've tried so hard to protect her from this, but in truth, i could never have defeated it without her help. the bible says in proverbs 18:22 "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favor of the LORD." how true is that?

so many times, we feel like we have to fight this fight on our own. don't ever let 'em see ya sweat!!!! fake it till ya make it??? but doesn't the bible tell us in Eccl. 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.
Ecc 4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up.
Ecc 4:11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
Ecc 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

i have a difficult time, sometimes, admiting that i need help. even asking for a friend to pray for me is a sign that i've gone to the very end of my ability to fight. i'd like to thank my friends who i asked to, for praying for me. it is my honest belief, that if you had not prayed for me, i may have said or done something that i could never have gotten back, destroying all hope of a peaceful victory.

so, how do you fight a monster, when the monster lives inside of you?

with everything you have. and with the help of those who love you. and when you don't have anything left to give, remember the words of the Lord to paul in 2Co 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

i've heard it said that christianity is a crutch. ya know what. i'll take that. a crutch is for someone who is broken. guess what, we are. all of us. the question is, will you take your crutch and walk through this world, or just lay down and die? the choice is yours.

as for me, i'm going to walk on.

God bless

theoldmusicbox