Author: Texas Gospel

Finding a Lasting Home in an Uncertain World

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

JOHN COPIC

Many Christians know the hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Its words still reach the heart because they speak of grace that never ends. For many believers, it is more than a song, it is a prayer, a story, and a reminder of God’s mercy. The hymn asks God to “tune my heart to sing thy grace.” We often need our hearts adjusted to hear and praise God again.

The message of the hymn connects closely with the themes of Psalm 90, a prayer written by Moses. This psalm gives us a way to see life clearly and to find our spiritual footing when we feel distant from God. It reminds us that real security does not come from this world, which is always changing, but from the eternal God who never changes.

God Is Our True Home

The psalm begins by declaring that God has been our dwelling place through every generation. No matter the time or place, He remains our shelter. Even when life feels unstable or uncertain, believers can rest in God’s steady presence. Moses reminds us that before the mountains were formed, before the earth existed, God was already there. He is from everlasting to everlasting. Everything we know was created by Him and depends on Him.

For those who trust in God, this truth gives comfort. Though life may feel like wandering, God is a permanent home. He is the one who holds us together when the world feels fragile. Many of us search for safety in money, relationships, or plans, but these things fade. Only God offers a lasting refuge.

The Shortness of Life

Psalm 90 also teaches that human life is brief. Moses says that God returns people to dust. Doesn’t this give the impression that our lives are fragile and short? From God’s view, a thousand years pass like a single day. Our time on earth is like grass in that it can be green in the morning, withered by night. Don’t think we’re in control. Our days are few and uncertain.

Thinking about life’s brevity should not cause despair but wisdom. It helps us value our time and live with purpose. As Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” When we realize how short life is, we are moved to live it well and to seek God, to love others, and to use our time for what truly matters.

The Reality of Sin and the Hope of Grace

Moses also speaks about sin and its results. Humanity’s mortality began with disobedience. Death entered the world because of sin, and every generation feels its effects. Yet for believers, the story does not end there. Through Jesus Christ, God’s wrath against our sin has been fully satisfied. Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we are no longer under judgment but under grace.

Finding Satisfaction in God’s Love

Later in the psalm, Moses prays, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love.” Only God can fill the emptiness we often try to satisfy with other things. Some people try to escape worry or loneliness through distraction, but such efforts never bring lasting peace. True satisfaction comes from knowing and resting in God’s faithful love.

When we focus our hearts on His grace, our spirits are renewed. Even in hardship, we can rejoice because His mercy is constant. As morning light replaces darkness, God’s love renews those who seek Him.

Making Our Days Count

The psalm ends with a request: “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands.” Moses asks that God would make their brief lives meaningful and their work lasting. This is also our prayer today. Our time is short, but when we serve God, our efforts are not wasted. As the New Testament says, “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

We are called to a deeper awareness of God’s greatness and our dependence on Him. The Psalm teaches that life is fleeting, sin is serious, but God’s mercy is sure.

Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:2–3

Everything Made New Again

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

AMY TURNER

In the book of Revelation, we find a promise that God is bringing renewal to all things. Everything broken or worn out will one day be restored. This renewal is not only about the world around us but also about the lives we live and the relationships we hold. When we look closely, we can see many areas that need change, healing, or forgiveness.

The words from Scripture remind us that God is not creating a whole new world from nothing. Instead, He is taking what already exists and renewing it through His grace. I believe the goal is not to replace, but to restore; that is, to make things as they were meant to be.

Consider what this promise means for our personal lives. Each person can look inward and see where growth or renewal is needed. Through the love and mercy of God, these parts of life can be made new. The process may take time, but the promise is certain. One day, everything will be the way God first intended when He looked at creation and called it “very good.”

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Living with quiet hostility toward Christian faith

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

DON HEBERT

Many believers today feel worn down by steady criticism. It is not always loud or violent, but it can still sting. Small jokes, unfair claims, etc., these things take a toll. When Christians sense rising hostility, it can shake their sense of peace.

Jesus walking with his disciples. IRS Images, 2025

The teachings of Jesus in John 15 speak directly to this struggle. In the final hours before His arrest, when He gathered with His disciples at the Last Supper and then walked with them toward Gethsemane, He prepared them for life without His physical presence. He also spoke honestly about the hatred they would face.

Jesus explained that believers are often disliked because they belong to Him. The “world,” meaning the moral order that resists God, treats Christians as outsiders. Jesus described this rejection plainly: if the world hated Him first, His followers should expect similar treatment. This knowledge does not remove the pain, but it helps prevent surprise. He wanted His disciples to count the cost of following Him and to recognize that rejection does not mean abandonment. He walked this path before they ever did.

Some today claim to like Jesus but not Christians. But Jesus pointed out that many people actually reject the real Jesus while accepting softened versions that fit their own views. When His followers live by His teachings and speak truth about Him, they may stir the same reactions He did.

Take the world, but give me Jesus
All its joys are but a name
For His love abideth ever
Through eternal years the same

Jesus told His disciples that they once belonged to the world but were now chosen out of it. This shift can make Christians seem like traitors to those still resisting God. People may not realize their conflict with Him, but Scripture teaches that this conflict is real. Believers are not trying to attack others; they have simply joined themselves to the One who offers life. Still, their new loyalty can be misunderstood.

Children and adults alike may fear being disliked for their faith, but Jesus reminded His followers that belonging to Him is greater than any rejection. He also said a servant should not expect to be treated better than the master. If He was mistreated, His people may be as well. Yet He added that some would listen and believe, just as some believed Him.

This raises an important question: is what believers in Canada face truly persecution? While many do not face violence, Scripture identifies insults, ridicule, lies, and public shame as real forms of suffering for Christ. These experiences should not be dismissed. Words can wound deeply. Some believers lose friendships, face hostility in academic settings, or feel pressure in workplaces. Many read hateful comments online and feel shaken. These pressures are not imaginary, and Jesus encouraged His followers to continue standing firm.

Still, not every Christian will face open hostility. Believers should not seek conflict or provoke anger. Jesus explained that hatred toward believers ultimately comes from not knowing God. This should shift believers from anger toward compassion. If people truly knew God’s goodness, they would not reject Him so easily. Their hostility does not make them innocent, but it does reveal their deep need for God.

Jesus also taught that the world’s hatred is without excuse. The people of His time witnessed His words and His miracles firsthand. They rejected God’s clearest revelation. Their reasons were real, but not justified. Jesus was hated without cause, and His followers may experience similar treatment.

The most important preparation for hostility is remembering what Jesus taught. He warned that persecution should not cause His followers to fall away. The greatest danger is not physical harm but abandoning faith.

The core question remains: who do believers belong to, the world or the One who saves? If they belong to Christ, their lives should show it. And they should be ready, with God’s help, to endure hardship with patience and faith.

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

John 15:18

Understanding Worship Beyond Music

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

ALEKSANDR IVANOV

There are people today who connect worship mainly with music, but the Bible presents a much deeper picture. Over time, the meaning of “worship” has shifted. It is now often linked to a musical style rather than to a spiritual act of surrender and reverence before God. To understand what true worship is, it helps to set aside everything we know about church traditions, instruments, or songs, and look only at what Scripture teaches.

Imagine someone who had never attended church, never seen Christian music, and only had the Bible. If that person tried to build a worship service, what would it look like? There are no notes or melodies written in Scripture. Yet, the Bible often speaks about songs and praises to God. This means the form of worship was never the focus. Its essence was. If there were no music at all, would we still know how to worship? The answer must be yes, because true worship is not built on melodies but on the heart.

In the Old and New Testaments, music is mentioned, but it never causes conflict or division. Unlike today, there were no debates about worship styles or instruments. That raises an important question: why do these issues divide churches now? If the early believers never fought over music, maybe we are focusing on the wrong thing.

Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 speak of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Are these meant to separate types of Christian music, or to describe ways the heart responds to God?

Psalms were poetic songs often accompanied by instruments, expressing a wide range of emotions, everything from joy to doubt.

Hymns were solemn songs that praised the greatness and majesty of God.

Spiritual songs were personal songs that carried faith and truth from Scripture.

In all cases, the heart’s gratitude to God mattered more than the sound or rhythm. The Bible never defines a “worship style.” What we often call “worship music” today was never meant to be a genre. Instead, worship is a life response.

True worship begins long before any song. It starts when a person turns to God in repentance and surrender. Worship is recognizing His power and our weakness. It is humility before the Creator. This is why Jesus said the Father seeks those who worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” To worship in spirit is to be renewed by the Holy Spirit; to worship in truth is to live by God’s Word.

Real worship happens when we accept God’s will, even when it is painful. When God says “no,” our reaction shows whether we truly worship Him. To bow before His decision without anger or complaint is to honour Him. As Job said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Worship is not found in comfort but in submission.

The Psalms also teach that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” A heart softened by humility is more valuable than any song. When we forgive others, seek peace, and let go of pride, we offer God true worship. If we sing but keep anger or pride in our hearts, the song loses its meaning.

Worship is also giving everything to God. It is trusting Him with our choices, our time, and even our losses. When we face trials and still thank Him, that is worship. It is the daily act of learning to say, “Your will be done.” Music can express this, but it cannot replace it. One could say that glorifying God is the outward expression of this inward worship. It may be through songs, testimonies, service, or kindness. But without inward surrender, outward praise is only noise.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

Romans 12:1

Steve Ladd announces hip replacement surgery, plans September return

Published on by Texas GospelLeave a comment

JEFF TURNER

Steve Ladd is going through some tough times after receiving news from his doctor.

“About five months ago, I started having really bad pain in my left hip, down deep inside the socket, thought it would go away, and it just never did. I had an MRI done, met with the orthopaedist, and he says, I have avascular necrosis. He said, there’s no blood flow going to that hip socket, and the bone is dying,” he said in a candid interview.

“Once it starts dying, it’s not coming back. He said, I don’t have to have surgery if I don’t want to, but more than likely, I’ll be in a wheelchair in a couple years if I don’t. So we have opted for a total hip replacement on the left side.”

Steve said he didn’t have this one on his 2026 bingo card, but this isn’t going to keep him from his work in 2026.

“We are doing a total hip replacement at the end of June. My schedule’s full until then I’ll be off July and August for surgery and therapy and healing up and then back out singing in September. I’m just asking for prayers for the surgeons that have steady hands and that I’ll heal up fast and therapy won’t be too hard on me.”

Steve’s latest release, “Everyday Saints,” shines a spotlight on the people in our lives, our communities, and our churches. Anytime help is asked, anytime help is needed, they’re the first ones to show up. The first ones, and a lot of times, the only ones that show up time after time. His previous release, “I’m with the band,” is on the Singing News Top 80, holding the #17 position.

You can learn more about Steve’s music and career on his Facebook page and at his website.