What a difficult question to consider. Why has this happened to me? There are numerous possibilities but look with me Ecclesiastes 9:11 where we learn that sometimes things just happen – both good and bad, to both the deserving and the undeserving. Notice the phrase “…but time and chance happeneth to them all”. Consider the parable of the Samaritan [Luke ch 10] where we see that a man left half dead by thieves was found and rescued “by chance”. Some teach that everything that happens is the direct will of God but our Lord Jesus said that this man’s rescuer took that trip, by that route, at that time and subsequently rescued this poor victim merely ‘by chance’. Perhaps you are thinking, “well pastor, could it be that God is bringing about his will in my life and that events are the result of his will?” YES! Examples abound throughout the scriptures. Take, for example, the death of David’s son Absalom in [2^nd Samuel Ch 18]. Absalom met with his untimely and violent end in a series of events orchestrated by God. Or take Judas, betrayer of Christ. Judas’ chose to be the kind of man he was, a rebellious betrayer and a convenient fool for Satan to use, but God used Judas to accomplish a betrayal that was foreordained. Perhaps God is bringing about his will in your life and if so, submit to it knowing that it will be wonderful, either here or in that glad city whose builder and maker is God. Then again, perhaps my suffering is nothing more than the briars I have sown in my garden in times past. Don’t we all know some, who planted weeds and thistles in years past and now those weeds are neck deep?  Don’t we all know a woman who has “plucked down her own house” [Proverbs 14:1] with her own malicious hands?  But what about those who have done no wrong, but this harsh life has trapped them in inescapable ignorance and poverty? What about the orphans, the fatherless, the widow and the poor, who by no fault of their own are sentenced to a prison of hardship; they to ask, “Why has this happened to me”? One reason regrettably is given in Genesis 3:17 “cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee;…” And Romans 5:12 where we are told that Adam brought upon us all “sin and death”.  Some sufferers must look no further than a mirror for their plight. However, some suffering is nothing more than this sin sick world where, as Solomon said, ‘time and chance’ happens to us all. But thank God in his mercy that as much hardship and suffering as we find, we also find his tender mercies renewed day by day and as Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3 thank God for his compassions and mercies and faithfulness which is new and fresh every morning. I don’t know what you’re enduring, but I do know that God knew all about it before you did, and he’ll face it with you if you but ask. One day, if you are ‘born again’, God will wipe away all the tears from your face [Rev 21:4]. Until then come and be a part of Calvary Baptist Church across from Pizza Hut on the Loop. 903-729-5924

This past Sunday evening at Calvary, we looked into Solomon’s proverb recorded in Chapter 19 verse 3 which says “The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord”. The “butterbeans & cornbread commentary” {by which I mean my own} is this: Many times have you and I both heard someone, who ever chases after trouble and creates strife and hardship for themselves by their own choices, then blames God for the hard life they suffer as a result of those choices.  For example, take a lady I met who professed to be a Christian. She had lost her children, her marriage, and friends and had estranged her own family. She’d created a drug habit, fallen in with bad company, and landed in hot water with the courts.  When she came to me for counsel she was angry at God for ‘doing these things to her’. But let us look again at our verse and see if her bitterness against God was justified.  Now according to Hebrews 12, God does deal out chastisement to His children for their choices and He does so in love to correct us [Hebrews 12:5-11] just as a loving parent must correct wrong behavior in a child.  However that doesn’t necessarily mean that every hardship we face in life is the result of God’s chastisement for sinful behavior.  In our text verse we read “The foolishness of man perverteth his way” – in the case of the “lost man”, this means his own foolishness directs his steps, dictates his choices and brings about his ruin {see Proverbs 13:15}. In the case of the “saved man”, this means by refusing to live his life according to the guidance of God’s word (the Bible), a man makes foolish decisions and more oft than not those decisions bring about hard consequences. Sometimes men, unwilling to admit they chose to ignore Biblical precepts, turn their anger from themselves and instead blame God. We all know someone who blames everyone but themselves for their own hard life; parents, siblings, employer, friends, God, the Devil…always it is someone else’s fault. A fellow makes foolish choices and then when the consequences of those choices bring forth their fruit, he shakes his fist at God (his heart fretteth against God).  Take a look at James 1:13, Proverbs 16:2, 12:15. Jeremiah 8:6 tells us it would be wise for us to look in the mirror and ask our own self “What Have I Done”? And yet I would say “there is hope” even for those in such circumstances! But a requirement is that we admit our sins (Psalm 51:3, Isaiah 59:2, 3, 12). That we “repent of our sins” (Acts 17:30) and beg God’s mercy & forgiveness (Psalm 51). As for me my biggest problem isn’t God punishing me, it is my own choices bringing about their consequences! Thank God for His loving mercies. I am the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church across from Pizza Hut on the loop and I invite you to come search the scriptures with us!  

Those of you who are familiar with military or firearms terminology will have heard the phrase “weapons platform”. A weapons platform is a term for a wide range of things that are designed to deliver a weapon to a deployment point or location. Examples would be things like Submarines, Aircraft Carriers, Jets, Bombers, rocket launchers etc. Even a rifle or handgun is a ‘weapon platform’. Without a weapon platform to deliver them, a handful of bullets might just as well be a bag of rocks. Continuing the analogy let us look at its implications. Could we have ‘political weapon platforms’? Could there be political platforms from which are launched an endless barrage of treasonous anti-patriotic diatribe? Could some politicians? Some Professors? Some college campuses? Some ‘higher education institutions’ convert themselves into well positioned “weapon platforms” to launch their heinous ideologies? James said “lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” [James 1:15].  Can you see how a weapon of immorality which would otherwise be rejected might be disguised and painted up like a Trojan horse and pushed into acceptance by society? Social media makes another good example. I am convinced that social media is beyond doubt a flagrant weapons platform being used to deliver a ‘payload of weaponized immorality and psychological corruption’ into the minds and hearts of the intellectually weak, emotionally unstable and spiritually unprotected. Weapons from which so many, especially the young or immature, are particularly indefensible. You can quickly see how T.V., radio, Music, Entertainments, the Internet and even vast segments of public education are just ready-made ‘weapon platforms’ used to serve an agenda. The question becomes “what agenda and whose”? For those of us who study History and the Bible the answer is as glaring as a road-flare at midnight. Satan’s agenda. It has been said that “all warfare is based on deception” and that “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting”.  Carl Von Clausewitz phrased it thus “the conqueror is always a lover of peace; he would much prefer to take our lives unopposed”. The great Sampson [Judges 16] would never have voluntarily, knowingly betrayed God or his parents especially for nothing. But bring in the right weapon platform. Bring in the beautiful, winking, smiling, treacherous Delilah. By her beauty and feminine wiles, she got into his heart and mind and released pride, rebellion, lust and fornication which ruined him and led him to suicide. Take David’s son Amnon, [II Sam 13] who, because of the wicked counsel and encouragement from his ‘friend’ Jonadab, tricked his father and raped his sister. Take Absalom, who defiled himself and betrayed his father. Friends, Satan has got a truckload of bombs he’d love to drop in your life, your marriage, your prayer-life. He’d love to ruin your family and your relationship with God. He’d love to ruin your children. He’ll inevitably and invariably need to launch his weapons from a weapon platform: Your friendships, your relationships, your musical choices, your entertainments, your busy schedule, a co-worker etc.  One way or another he will seek to get his words and tools into your life. A friend, a girl, a boy, a spouse. Weapon Platforms come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one purpose – to deliver Satan’s weapons in the most effective way possible. Be sober, be vigilant, keep watch, time is short, he’s working hard now. Visit Calvary Baptist Church this Sunday! 703 Gillespie Rd, Palestine, Texas across from Pizza Hut on the Loop. 903-729-5924

In Matthew 26:14-15 God tells us about Judas’ conversation with the ‘chief priests’ and of how they negotiated the betrayal and the payment amount. “And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver” [Mk 14:10, Lk 22-3-6]. Thirty pieces of silver! I don’t think any of us really grasp the magnitude of that outrage. Can you imagine negotiating with the cruel priests the betrayal of the sweet Son of the living God for any price, let alone 30 pieces of silver?! Not only that, but Judas didn’t even get to keep the money! In fact, he only had it a few measly hours before he tried to rid himself of those 30 pieces of silver [Matthew 27:3-5].  At some point during the night and early hours of the following day Judas came to some realization that he’d been nothing more than a willing and convenient fool whom the devil, the priests and the elders, had used to accomplish what they wanted all along, to betray Christ. He was remorseful and overwhelmed by the mistake but by then it was too little, too late as they say. He even went back to the temple to try to undo the damage. He confronted the elders and chief priests who’d paid him to betray the Lord of Lords. Imagine him there in the doorway of the temple with his repentant tears running down his cheeks and beard saying, “I have sinned…I have betrayed the innocent blood”!  “Well” said the priests, “that’s your problem not ours, deal with it”. The Bible {ta’ biblia or the books} says Judas threw the 30 pieces of silver to the floor and then went out and hung himself.  I won’t defend or support Judas, how can I? He betrayed God’s Son. But just between you and me I’d have to admit ‘so have I’. I have many times betrayed my sweet King and Lord by my choices, my actions, my words, my choosing the world over the Lord. I’d have to say that I sometimes ask absent mindedly “Judas, what did you get for your 30 pieces of silver”? I wonder if he might not ask in turn, “what did you get for yours”?  I have wondered and I wonder even now, what might have been if I could have been there that fateful night and sat beside Judas at the table? If I could have leaned over whispered to him “are you sure you want to betray the Lamb of God”? I wonder what my life and walk and testimony might have been; what heartbreaks and shame might I have been spared if only someone had warned me “you are about to break God’s heart and betray the Precious Lord and instead of getting paid by this world for it you’re going to pay a horrible price”.  So, here is my question for you. Are you negotiating with this world for your 30 pieces of silver? Are you already on your way to see the priests and elders at the temple? Can I just warn you 1. The world never pays what it promises. 2. Even if it did, you’d regret it with all your heart. Let us put our betrayals behind us as Peter did and let’s get serious about the cross while there is yet time. Calvary Baptist Church across from Pizza Hut on the loop 903-729-5924. 

There are as yet many unopened lessons God presents us in the book of Jonah and I heartily encourage you to consider a careful reading of the whole book at your earliest opportunity. For sake of time let us conclude this little Jonah series with just one final study from Jonah chapter 4. I want to call your attention to ‘The Wrath of Man”. [James 1:20] tells us “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God”. Probably some of you Bible veterans remember that the preceding verse tells us “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” to be “slow to speak”. God didn’t say we couldn’t get angry and in fact there are some things that ‘should’ make us angry! What we see here though is that God warned us to very careful about our anger – because anger unchecked can quickly fan itself into ‘wrath’ and the wrath of man doesn’t lead to godly behavior or godly decisions. As such we are directed “Be ye angry and sin not” [Ephesians 4:26] “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. Now with those wonderful counselors from the word of God lets go back into Jonah and see if they hold true. *Perhaps you may remember that last week we saw that Jonah went preaching to Nineveh that God was about ‘overthrow’ them all for their own choices and wickedness? So, the King ordered everyone, man and beast, to “turn from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands”. Which resulted in God turning away His wrath and condemnation. As we open Jonah 4:1 we find that God’s pardon and mercy ‘displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was “very angry”.  Again, God’s tender mercy and gentleness has been revealed and instead of rejoicing that these pagan gentiles have responded rightly to the preaching, Jonah is outraged? Yes, they deserve wrath! Yes, they deserve Judgment! Yes, they deserve to be destroyed! But then don’t we all?! Have we not all failed to obey? But God is gentle and gracious, merciful and slow to anger and of great kindness! Praise His Holy name when a sinner will truly repent and call out for mercy the Great God of Jonah is ready to forgive! I wish our Bible recorded a different Jonah! I wish we were reading of a Jonah who rejoiced to see God’s tender mercy and kindness extended to these fellow failures. I wish we were reading of how Jonah ran among them and embraced them and rejoiced and celebrated God’s tender mercies with them. But no. Where I would prefer to read about an obedient Jonah in chapter one, I find a rebel like myself. Where I would prefer to read about a merciful Jonah in chapter two, I find a stubborn and selfish Jonah that reminds me of me. Where I would prefer to read about a Jonah who learned his lesson about grace and forgiveness in chapter four, I read of a selfish Jonah who cares more for his own comforts than for souls. Jonah is easy to condemn, isn’t he? But then, have you obeyed God’s command to tell others who are lost and condemned the gospel? Perhaps you’d better reserve condemnation of Jonah and focus on being more obedient yourself? Pastor Harrison and those at Calvary Baptist Church in Palestine hope to see you soon!

Last week we looked into Jonah’s refusal to obey God and his finding of a ship to escape the will of God. This week let me call your attention to Jonah chapter 1 verses 4 through 10. In his rebellion to God’s will Jonah found a ship, paid the fare, found a good spot and went to sleep. [In like manner many Christians have done so; abandoned their post, found a comfy spot in the world and gone to sleep]. In verse 4 and 5 God sent a terrible storm. In verse 6 through 9 the mariners feared for their lives and struggled to determine why this storm was upon them. [There is a massive doctrinal and life lesson there too] can you see it? In verse 8 and 9 (with 11 considered) they confront Jonah and he confesses who he is and why the storm has befallen them. In verse 10 after Jonah tells these seasoned veteran shipmasters why they face the destruction of their ship and their lives, they were terrified and they demanded to know “Why Hast Thou Done This”?

Let me borrow your imagination for a few moments. The sky is black with storm clouds, the wind howls, the peels of lightening flash and the thunder is deafening. It rips the sails to shreds and breaks beams! You must shout to be heard by the man standing next to you. The ship reels and bucks and groans under the strain as the waves crash down on the deck. It plunges down into the troughs and then up on the next wave. Crates, ropes and tackle shatter against the railing. The men, white with panic, stagger and struggle to find something to hold onto. Some have seen the huge fish circling the ship. They fear the ship will be destroyed and they will all perish. Amidst this scene they shout their accusatory question at Jonah “WHY HAST THOU DONE THIS”?!

Why have you turned your back on God? Why have you abandoned what He told you to do? Why did you say “I surrender all to thee” when you had no intention to do so?! For the rebelling Christian alone many hard life lessons are stuffed into these few verses. Questions like: ‘Why did you tell God you would do His will and then turn your back on it’? ‘Has your storm arrived yet?’ Are you already in the belly of hell? Jonah 2:2. Can I point out that God sends storms only to turn those He loves back. He sends a storm because all else has failed to get our attention! When the mariners obeyed God that storm stopped. Can I point out that God has some storms beyond our wildest dreams if that’s what it takes to break our pride. We’re out of time and space for this week but let me urge you to study your Bible and see what God might show you.

After Elijah killed the false prophets of Ba-al [1st Kings 18:40] we find him running for his life in the next chapter [see 1st Kings 19:3-4]. The notorious blow-hard queen Jezebel was all in a tizzy over Elijah killing her 400 dancing monkeys at the first annual Ba-al worship concert and she’d threatened to kill him within 24 hrs. This scripture baffled me for a long time in years past. I questioned Elijah’s stamina and judged him harshly for running. How in the world, I wondered, could the great Elijah possibly be afraid of a mop-head like Jezebel? Run from her, surely you can’t be serious? In fact I wondered why Elijah didn’t invite her to bring her “Ba-al worshippers against God” sign and come on down to Mt. Carmel so he could straighten her out like he had her false prophets. I’ve many times wondered why he feared her. But let’s go on.

As we take up his story, it was just a few days ago that the miraculous “fire of the Lord” fell upon the altar of God in Mt. Carmel. It was such a dramatic demonstration of the power and majesty of the Living God that Elijah must’ve thought ‘surely this will turn the world back to the Living God of Abraham, Isaac and Moses!’ None could deny it. Yet, within hours many of the infuriated Jews and Gentiles had again thrown down the altar of God and were after Elijah! How could it be? From this great miracle where people had shouted “The Lord, He is God” [Ch 18:39] had degenerated into an angry mob! {That should sound familiar to those who study their Bibles}.

It is no surprise to me personally that we find Elijah in chapter 19:3-4 discouraged, depressed and exasperated. Like many who suffer from depression he’s sought solitude. Exhausted from running, he’s laid under a tree alone and gone to sleep. Yet God, who loves us and watches over “his children”, who never leaves us nor forsakes us, has seen every step Elijah has taken and watched him fall asleep. In His tender pity and mercy He sent an angel to build a fire and cook a little “cake” for Elijah [the country preacher commentary, by which I mean mine, says “cake” in the Hebrew means cornbread]. Now the Lord could have simply dropped a bag of manna from heaven beside Elijah. He could have just given Elijah the strength of Sampson or the courage of Gabriel and strengthened him and sent him home. But no, our God sent His angel to cook this discouraged weary servant a “cake” {cornbread and maybe some coffee too}; in fact verse 7 says he did it twice! Psalm 34:7 says “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them”. I urge you to read verse 6 and then read Psalm 27:13-14 too. The point is, look at our God’s tender handling of His servant during this darkest hour of Elijah’s life. Look how gentle and providential He was! When my children were small I often sat beside them as they slept and softly rubbed their head. I won’t be one bit surprised to one day learn that God does that to us during hard times. I know beyond all doubt that in my deepest pits my tender Lord whispered “trust me”.

In Alan Dean Foster’s bestselling western novel “Pale Rider” the main character {a role later played by actor and director Clint Eastwood} is portrayed as gun slinging whiskey drinking preacher ‘Gabriel’ who mysteriously comes to the rescue of poor downtrodden gold claim miners who are oppressed by a gold greedy land baron. Set with ominous music there is a scene where someone reads part of Revelation 6:8 “And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him…”

But instead of getting our doctrine from Hollywood let’s look at what the Bible has to say about the real PALE rider. “The Four Horsemen” of the Revelation is far more frightening than you might think. First, get this settled in your head: If you are really a “born again” [John 2:3] “saved” [Acts 16] “believer” [John 1:12] of the gospel of the risen Lord Jesus Christ [I Cor 15:1-4] –You Won’t Be Here when the Divine Seals are broken and the Angelic Horsemen are released. Look at Revelation 6 where we will find the period known as ‘The Tribulation’ or “The Time of Jacob’s trouble” [Jeremiah 30:7]. The FIRST SEAL is broken and the FIRST ANGEL horseman is released. He is ‘The Conqueror’ upon his WHITE horse. His ministry is terrible! Government and Nations of the world will collapse and be ripped to shreds. He will turn them against each other and against Israel.

The SECOND ANGEL horseman will combine his terrible power with that of the first – WAR rides the RED horse. The planet will be devastated. Peace will be taken from all the earth. On a global scale no one senses peace but rather a sense of impending doom and battle. He will cause man to turn on man and nation to turn on nation. It will be savage and brutal war unending until the “anti-Christ comes with his false promise of peace”. It will be horrible when the White horse conqueror and the Red rider of WAR is released.

Now “come and see” the third seal broken and the THIRD ANGEL Horseman comes thundering out of heaven riding a BLACK horse and with his balances in his hand [Revelation 6:5]. The BLACK horse rider is empowered to bring global economic ruin. Food, fuel, electricity, hospitals and all things that require economy will be brought to collapse. The ensuing panic and plagues will be unimaginable. Hunger and violence and homelessness and mob rule will grip the planet under the BLACK horse rider.
These three ANGEL Horseman will leave the earth a smoking war-torn battlefield. Now try to hear with your imagination as the fourth beast says “Come and see” and here let me urge you to read Revelation 6:8 in its entirety…and behold, a PALE HORSE and his name that sat on him was Death…and these FOUR angelic horseman will have power to kill with plague, wild animals, starvation and war! I just cannot imagine this scene and frankly I don’t want to. It will be merciless. I don’t know about you but I am glad I won’t have to see the suffering these Horsemen bring …because I’ll be with my Lord at the marriage supper.

One of the saddest things I suppose we Christians can experience is the feeling that God is far from us! Sin can bring about this feeling of abandonment and hopelessness. *There is a huge difference between spiritual {judicial} forgiveness and parental forgiveness. In fact in Psalms 22:11 the great king David cried out “Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help”. I agree with him – I notice that sometimes God allows a bad situation to get so bad that I am faced with the irrefutable realization that there is not a soul on earth who could have helped me deal with what I was facing. At such times, when God does finally step in, it has gotten so bad that I must acknowledge that He alone could have helped. I think when David said “…for there is none to help”, it was because he had reached that place where God alone could help. Have you ever felt that way?

Look at these similar places in David’s life where he cried out to God in desperation: Psalm 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Again in Psalm 27:9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. David, you may remember, made some huge blunders in his spiritual life and committed some atrocious sins [2 Samuel chapter 11 onward]: Lust, Adultery and Murder yet he repented of his sins [Psalm 51]. I always find it humorous to hear someone say that they have finally reached a place where they don’t commit sin {John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, popularized the teaching of Christian perfection in his 1777 book “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection”}. I am glad for our sakes that God recorded David’s sin, confession and repentance in the Bible! We find David again crying out in Psalm 35:22 “This thou hast seen, O LORD: keep not silence: O Lord, be not far from me.” If that isn’t enough to convince you that even David wasn’t perfect, take a look at Psalm 38:21 “Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me” and Psalm 71:12 “O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help”.

As you were reading David’s great psalms / prayers beseeching God to not leave him alone and without hope, I trust you noticed that any one of these prayers might be great to memorize for your own dark hours. Over the many years thousands like yourself have cried out to God and cited these prayers of David or words very similar! This feeling of being alone in deep despair and hopelessness is not new to us and in fact if you’ll turn in your Bible to Matthew chapter 28 verse 46 you’ll find our Lord Jesus Christ praying “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me”? Jesus was forsaken in your place that through his sacrifice you might have the fellowship He has with the Father and never be forsaken again! Glorious work of Calvary!

This past Sunday evening at Calvary Baptist Church we took another look at Acts chapter 16 and verses 25-28 where we read: “And at midnight Paul and Silas [prayed], and [sang praises] unto God: and the prisoners “heard them”. And suddenly there was a great earthquake {See Rev ch 16}, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately [ALL the doors ~ not some, not the elect, not the predestinated, not John Calvin’s perverted version of ‘all’, which he thought meant ‘some’] were opened and every one’s [which John Calvin decided only meant ‘some’] bonds were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, do thyself no harm: for we are ALL here”. 
Hey I don’t know about you, but if I got arrested on some made up junk charges, slapped into a filthy rat and lice infested prison for months, with years to serve ahead of me and all the sudden my chains fell off, my door opened; I’d leave a cloud of dust and hair like those old speedy Gonzales cartoons! But not one of these prisoners ran?! Not one took the opportunity to flee ? WHY NOT?
I imagine myself there as a prisoner and ask myself “why wouldn’t I run?” and here are my answers: #1. THEY PRAY! Oh how they do pray! By the time my chains fall off I’ve been listening to these men of God pray their sweet soul stirring prayers. I have listened and the tears have run down my dusty cheeks and I have prayed along with Paul and Silas in their cell down the corridor. I imagine I can hear them praying. They have moved my heart miles closer to God and as I have listened to them pray I have thrown myself into the arms of God and begged for His tender mercy and forgiveness!
#2 THEY SING! I imagine if I were there, all afternoon I’ve listened from my cell as these men SANG HYMNS unto God! They’ve taken me back in time to the days when I heard my old feeble grandfather sing the old hymns to God. The songs have stirred my heart and I’ve sung along in the dark of my cell. I’ve sobbed the words of those old hymns! How could I run from this heavenly music of the soul? 
#3. THEY PRAISE GOD! They are locked up, beaten and bleeding and yet I hear them praise God?! Oh how they remind me how good God has been to me and how rebellious I have been to Him. They make me want to praise him too! I think of all the many times God has helped me, held me up and held my hand in dark hours; how He has loved me and been faithful to me despite my being unfaithful to Him! These men praise God despite their suffering! It is no wonder people run from some churches. The prayers are rote & dead, the singing is obligatory and dead, the praise is all but a rock concert. Here at Calvary we pray, we sing from the old hymn books, we praise the living God and we feel His presence!