Greater Vision is keeping fans in suspense, at least for a few days, as they plan a big announcement.
The group recently posted to facebook, “We’ve been keeping a secret, but we’re going to “spill the beans” on Tuesday December 15th. Set a reminder for yourself, to be sure you don’t miss it. If you’re not on our Email Update list, sign up to be sure you get a personal announcement… or, you can check back here on the 15th!
We’re not sure what to expect, but pretty sure it’s good news.
Floyd Rogers – Texas Gospel Volunteer, Christian writer
An atheist writer once opined: Atheism is a conclusion, not a belief. Is there merit to this non-believer’s words? To answer this question we need to be clear on a few things. What is the difference between “a conclusion” and Christian faith. What is Christian faith? It is also important to ask from where does Christian faith come? Let’s consider these things and determine if the writer’s conclusion is reasoned.
Let’s use Webster for the definition of “conclusion.” It seems to be the most, if not one of the most, widely-accepted dictionaries. Webster defines a conclusion as a reasoned judgement. I’ll concede that one could reach atheism as a conclusion depending on what evidence he or she has. To be clear, I did not say it is a correct conclusion. One must rule out the source of Christian faith or not be aware of its source, before he or she can call the writer’s conclusion reasoned. So what is Christian faith?
I’ve watched debates where non-believers reject a Biblical definition of faith while accusing Christians of re-defining words to win an argument. But a Biblical definition is the only one that matters if we are talking about Christianity and what Christians believe. The book of Hebrews tells us, “…faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” This is part of the needed information. This definition says nothing about the source of our faith. It speaks only to its definition. So from where does Christian faith come?
Saving faith is a gift from God. Ephesians says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” For a person to reasonably conclude that there is no God they must reasonably reject all evidence of God. They must have a reason to reject the idea that saving faith is a posteriori knowledge (knowledge from experience) that comes as a gift from God. If one does not have a reason to reject this evidence, then they have only an idea or a belief. It is not sound logic to say, “God does not exist therefore he could not give you knowledge of His existence,” without first demonstrating there is no God. Let me restate that a different way: A logical argument can’t use the premise “there is no God” if the conclusion is “there is no God.” That’s circular logic. At the center of all of this is the difference between saying “I don’t know” and having a reasonable conclusion. If an atheist says “I’m simply not convinced…” or “I don’t know,” then they have not reached a conclusion.
As of this writing, Webster online defines atheism as, “a lack of belief or strong disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods.” An atheist who doesn’t know if God exists has not reached a conclusion. An atheist who says he or she strongly disbelieves in God has a belief; that is, a belief that God does not exist. The writers claim that atheism is a conclusion is either based on limited evidence, rejection of evidence without reason, or a belief.
We hope you enjoy this thirty-minute Gospel Hymn Sing! We found it on YouTube and thought you might like it.
The video is a link to another web site. We are not affiliated with this site in any way, we just happened to like the music and thought you may as well.
Please email us if you find a music video you think visitors to TexasGospel.org would like. Our address is office@texasgospel.ca
Texas Gospel Canada is not affiliated with the producer of this music video. It is something we found on YouTube that we felt you would enjoy. For more of this type of video, visit www.gospelmusichymnsing.com
Jeff Turner – Music Reporterand Floyd Rogers – Texas Gospel Volunteer, Christian writer
Joseph Habedank’s latest release from the Deeper Oceans project is Goliath. We’re all familiar with the story of David and Goliath, but it’s rare to have a song that gives such a visual representation of this Bible story. Goliath’s lyrics delve into some of the meaning of the Bible story we all learned as a child.
“I love the visual of these guys trying to give David this armor that doesn’t fit him, and David kinda looking at them going, ‘Guys, I’ve already got the weapon that I need, I’ ve got Jesus and that’s all I need.’ I think that’s such a powerful thought,” he said in a recent interview.
Joseph’s sentiment is shared by many who read 1 Samuel. Pastor Chuck Swindoll wrote a similar description saying, “As I picture it, David was blinking and thinking, What giant? The only giant in my life is God. That’s a dwarf over there, Saul. God is not impressed with the externals; He looks on the heart. God is omnipotent! And if He’s on my side, omnipotence can’t lose.”
Doesn’t that describe a confidence we should all have when we know we are doing what God wants?
I think it’s important to note here that David was doing God’s work. His heart was right. He wasn’t just claiming something he wanted so he could demand it in God’s name. Consider the Lord’s prayer, the model for our prayer, says, “….your kingdom come, your will be done…” And when Jesus prayed before His execution He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” I believe this emphasizes the need to ask God that we know His will first. If we act according to His will, we will succeed.
Joseph, speaking of his song Goliath, spoke of just how small our troubles are compared to God. He said, “I think we so often try to fight our battles on our own, and when we have to realize that God is more mighty , He’s more powerful than anything we face, any Goliath, any giant in our lives.”
I believe God will give us the strength we need to be in His will. Sometimes this means accomplishing great things. I also believe this sometimes means He will give us the strength to deal with disappointment when things don’t go the way we think they should. He is all-knowing; we are not. Doesn’t this mean we should constantly ask for guidance and understanding knowing that nothing in this world comes close to the power of our God?
We hope you enjoy hearing Goliath on Texas Gospel Canada! We also hope its lyrics will encourage you to seek God’s will as you face life’s daily battles.
A family group from Maiden, North Carolina holds the number one spot on this month’s Texas Gospel Canada Top 20
The Littles, Jack, Jan and daughter Rebecca Little Burk, have been singing together for the past six years. Together they’ve been nominated for Singing News Fan Awards and had numerous songs in the top 20. Their latest release is Leavin’ and is the first song from the Littles to climb to the number one spot on our chart.
The Texas Gospel Canada chart is based on number of plays (spins) for each song throughout the month.
Listen for Leavin’ by The Littles along with more of your Southern Gospel Favorites throughout December on Texas Gospel Canada!
Texas Gospel Canada Southern Gospel Radio 