Fragrant Incense

“When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints.” [Rev 5:9]


I have been reading and studying in the book of Revelation for the past couple of hours. I was struck with the phrase that the golden bowls filled with incense was the prayers of the saints. I immediately began wondering if this was referring to dead saints or living saints? I have never claimed to be a Bible scholar but I have come to conclusion in my own heart that this is referring to both.
Let me explain. How many millions of prayers have been offered but before they were answered the one who offered them died. Though they ceased to live physically their prayers lingered on in the nostrils of Jesus the Lamb even after the person who had prayed them was gone. I am talking about all kinds of prayers. Prayers for the salvations of loved ones. Prayers for revival and spiritual awakening. Prayers for the over turn of hideous crimes like abortion. Prayers for the advancement of God’s Kingdom on distant shores. I do believe that our prayers can outlive us and that we might even now be reaping the blessings and rewards of prayers prayed for us by our great grand and our grand parents.
Meditating on this has caused me to think about the kind of prayers I pray. If they are going to last forever in the nostrils of God I want them to be pleasing to Him and honoring to Him. I want to pray for things that I know are scented fragrance to Him. Two things immediately come to mind we must include when praying. First, we must learn to pray in the will of God for matters. [I Jn 5:14-15] “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” If our prayers are going to be a fragrant odor before the Lord we must learn to pray for things He wills to happen. He wills for the gospel to be taken to all the nations of the world. [Rev 5:10] [Mark 16:15] He wills for people to be saved. [II Pet 3:9] He wills for holiness among His people. [I Pet 1:15-16] He wills for marriages to be restored and for divorce to stop. [Matt 19:5-9] [Malachi 2:16] There are many things that God reveals in the scriptures He wills to happen. When we pray in this vein we can be assured that our intercessions will be gathered in a bowl before the Lord as a fragrant aroma.
There is another thing that should accompany our praying that I would like to focus on. We must pray in faith. So much of our praying is more like wishing than believing. The Bible is filled with scriptures to back this up. [Mark 11:22-24] “…Have faith in God. Truly I say to you , whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they shall be granted to you.” [Jn 16:23] “And in that day you will ask Me no question. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you shall ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you.” [Heb 11:1] “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” [James 5:16-18] Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective pray of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.” [Heb 11:6] “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
If we could learn to pray according to the will of God and with faith our prayers just might outlive us. Think about that truth. Prayers for our children and grandchildren may continue to float before the Lord for generations to come long after we are gone. Think about how our praying might have impact on a community, our churches, or our nation even after we have long been forgotten. I want to pray prayers that outlive me.
I am grateful for that little jaunt through the book of Revelation and the Lord speaking to me through that one little verse. As I pray today I do not want to fumble for words, go through some lifeless ritual, or offer meaningless and vain repetitions. I long to offer a pleasing, desirable, and beautiful fragrant prayer and offer it to the Lord. May they live long in His presence and move Him to intervene.

Six Steps

[II Sam 6:13] “And so it was, when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.”


This is another fascinating story. I previously wrote about how the first attempt to retrieve the ark ended in disaster. (See Modern Ways and the Ancient of Days) David must have gone back and studied the law concerning the ark of the Lord and how holy it was because God is holy. He must have been reminded from the law how the ark was to be transported. I am sure the story of Uzzah’s death was told and retold. David was angry and confused by his death and therefore he did not bring the ark back to the city of David for some time.
Preparations were made. Prayers were offered. It was a solemn moment when the poles were run through the ark and it was lifted onto the shoulders of the bearers to transport the ark back home. With deep reverence and a sigh of relief the first step was taken. I can feel the tension even as I write about it. How would you have felt to be chosen to carry the ark back knowing that Uzzah was struck dead for touching the ark and here you are only inches from it taking your first step? Would God strike them dead as well? One step and a sigh of relief. They lived. They were mercifully spared. Courageously and cautiously they proceeded. A second step was taken and then a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. At the sixth step the joy and the humility could not be contained any longer.
David stopped the whole parade and had an ox sacrificed. That is what holiness mixed with grace and mercy does. When was the last time you were really awed by God? I am talking about a time when you were so blown away by God that you were stopped in your tracks to offer worship. For me it was while on a prayer retreat and watching a couple of eagles. I worshipped in that moment with no music, no lights, and no stage. It was just the Lord and I and it was intense. In those moments as I gazed beyond this planet through time and space to gaze upon the face of my Father, I was humbled, challenged, and awed. It happened again on a weekday as I crawled on the altar in our sanctuary with no lights and no crowds to seek the Lord. It was a profound encounter with the Lord that defies description.
It seems to me few people are awed by God anymore. We are in such a hurry to get through our days, sprint through devotions (if they are had at all), and we do not know how to slow down long enough to meditate on the Lord and to worship Him. David was overcome with a flood of emotions as he watched nervously, prayerfully, and reverently as those men carrying the ark took just six steps and it led him to offer a sacrifice and brought joy and gladness to his heart.
Think about how casually we enter into worship these days. I normally get to the church before anyone else and enjoy some time thinking, praying, and preparing myself to worship. There are times I make the ten minute walk to worship to focus on the Lord and meditate on His greatness. Not one time in all of those Sunday mornings have I ever gotten six steps out of my drive way and had to stop and bask in the grace and mercy of the Lord. Not one time have I ever been stopped in my tracks and stunned by the holiness of the Lord. I hear the casual chatter before the start of each service. Few seem focused or prepared to meet with the Lord. I can remember one Sunday morning when God showed up at the FBC Paradise in such a powerful way it altered the rest of the day.
It was a normal Sunday in every way until Darrell sat down at the baby grand piano and began singing a song called “I Bowed on my Knees and Cried Holy.” As he sang it was obvious that he had gone six steps into the song and God had arrested his heart, his mind, and his emotions. He could barely finish the rest of the lyrics as tears fell down his cheeks and his voice began to crack under the encounter he was having with the Lord. My ability to describe that moment is limited. How do you take such a holy moment and capture it with words? It is impossible. It was one of those moments that you would have had to have been there. Even for those few dozen people who were in attendance at that early service I am not sure they really were aware of what was happening. Darrell finished the song and the weighty presence of God saturated and drenched the sanctuary that morning.
There was a holy hush over the congregation. I sat prayerfully on the front pew not knowing what to do. It was time for me to preach but God had interrupted everything that morning and preaching seemed the last thing I wanted to do. I slowly arose from the front pew and shuffled up to the steps to stand behind the pulpit. At first all I could do was bow my head silently asking God for direction. As the moments passed the presence of God in my heart increased and I knew I was not to preach the message I had prepared for that morning. I finally tried to mutter a prayer confused, humbled, and awed by the presence of God. As I uttered the first few words all I could think about was a verse in Ecclesiastes which states, “Do not be hasty in word of impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.” [Eccl 5:2]
Just as soon as I opened my mouth and tried to pray out loud I felt the Lord muzzled me. What He was doing that morning was far beyond me. He did not need my help to accomplish His purposes. I stopped in mid sentence and stepped away from the pulpit and off the stage. By this time Darrell was lying prostrate on the floor face buried in the carpet. We sat through the remainder of that service without a word being said. There was complete silence and the penetrating presence of God in our midst. I confessed sin, adored Him, and sat overwhelmed by His holiness, vastness, and awesomeness.
I don’t know how long we sat there. Many never did understand what was going on and left in disgust that the preacher acted weird and did not preach that morning. They had come to hear a sermon but missed meeting with God in ways that a sermon could never foster. God had chosen to fill the temple with His glory and He needed no words from me. After a while people got up and either headed for their journey groups or some left and went home. To say I was stunned by the whole experience that morning would be an understatement. All I wanted to do was be alone to enjoy and soak in the glorious presence of the Lord. That experience has not been duplicated one time in three and a half years before or since.
You must be aware of your moments. David was so focused and in tune with God that after six steps he was stunned and moved to worship right there in the moment. Was it convenient? Yes. Did it postpone the plan to get the ark back? Yes. Was this worship moment unexpected and spontaneous? Yes. We need more moments like that. We need moments when God shows up and freezes us in our tracks. We need more moments when the formality of worship comes to a grinding halt when God shows up and simply says I do not need musical instruments, sermons, choirs, or ministers to meet with My people. In fact back in the book of II Chronicles God showed up in the temple with all of His glory and nobody else could go in. [II Chron 7:1-5]
As you go through your day today I challenge you to walk slowly and whether you go six steps or one thousand steps or even a lifetime full of steps, when God shows up stop everything and worship. When we are blessed with those opportunities we must take full advantage of them. In all my years of preaching I can only think of two other worship services where I felt the presence of the Lord as strongly as I felt it that early morning service in Paradise. Once was in a church in central Texas where I was preaching a revival on a Monday night. The Lord came in power and I got prostrate on the floor behind the pulpit. The other was in the Baptist Student Ministries building on the campus of Angelina College on the first night of a college revival I was preaching. The invitation was given and people fell in repentance all over the room. I was soon aware the Lord did not need me and I fell prostrate on my face in His presence. In both cases I was stunned by the Lord and felt a clear command to get out of the spot light and let the Lord do whatever He wanted to do.
Our worship services are far too formal, carefully crafted, and programmed for God to have His way often. I know today as I seek His face and this coming Sunday as I join and lead in corporate worship I will be reminded of the six steps. It is the desire of my heart that no matter when and where the Lord chooses to stun, shock, and stagger us with His presence, I want to stop everything and worship.

Modern Ways and the Ancient of Days

I was reading during my devotions one day this week when I came across a fascinating, perplexing, and eye opening passage. [II Kings 6:1-10] Let me set the stage. The ark of the covenant (which represented the presence of God) had been out the capitol city of the Jews for a long time. David upon becoming king recognized the need to get the ark of the covenant back to its rightful place and gathered thirty thousand chosen men of Israel to go and retrieve the ark.
Verse two is a very critical verse. “And David arose and went with all the people who were with him to Ballejudah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the Lord of hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim.” The ark was not a piece of antique furniture. The very presence of God resided with the ark. The Lord of hosts was enthroned above the cherubim. This was more than an antique piece of furniture. The ark was holy and consecrated because God Himself was enthroned between the cherubim.
In verse three we learn that some men placed the ark on a new cart so they could bring the ark back to its rightful place. Notice that a new cart was constructed for the purpose of moving the ark. The ark was holy and in order not to defile it by moving it on an old cart a new cart was used. This was a modern way of transporting the cart learned by the Philistines who sent the ark back to Israel on a cart after they had captured it. They grew weary of it because God began to afflict the people with tumors. [I Sam 5:1-12] The Philistines kept the ark for seven months before sending back to Israel on a cart. The church today is filled with new carts. In many ways the church seeks to emulate the world. What new carts am I referring to? We have the new cart of technology. We have power point, lights, fog machines, massive sound systems, and video capability. Churches use high tech cutting edge technology to reach people but this does not always translate into the power of God. People in churches used to sing from the Psalms and then hymns were written and people used hymnals. Now, many churches have the words to songs projected on the screens. This is a new cart. Places of worship are constructed in such a way as not to look like a church. What I grew up calling a sanctuary or auditorium is now often referred to as the worship center. I was in a church recently that had a restaurant, a bookstore, a recreation center which resembled a YMCA or 24 Hour Fitness health club, a media center where commercials are made rather than announcements and where the services are televised, along with more plasma televisions than Best Buy. The church was massive. I saw a lot of new carts there. I know God has done neat things through that church but I also see the stress and pressure to keep the machine going. It is like a man spinning several plates at the same time constantly going from one to the other to keep them all spinning and then suddenly one crashed and another crashes. If we are building the church of God on our efforts, creativity, and not on His power and character we are headed for a tragic implosion.
Before I proceed please do not get me wrong. There are some new carts that help make the work of the Lord more efficient. As I write this I am hammering out these lines on a computer with the aid of Bible study software. What used to take hours and piles of books I can now do in minutes with the click of a button. When I first started writing I wrote my first few books with a pen and pad and then had someone type the manuscript. Now with the new cart of my computer I can write the manuscript as I type eliminating one step in the process. I have access to all sorts of helpful tools like grammar and spell checking and the ability to save the document and email it to Darrell who posts it on this blog for others to see and read. This is all done with speed and efficiency. I think this new cart is very helpful.
There is a danger with all of our new technology though. As we continue to use creative methods to enhance worship and reach out to other people, there is a danger that we lose respect for God and forget that technology can never substitute for the power and holiness of God. As the ark was put on this new car a fatal error was made. God had given specific instructions about how the ark was to be transported back in the way the ark was constructed in [Ex 37:1-5]. There were rings constructed on the sides of the ark and poles constructed of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold to be put through the rings. The priests were then to lift the ark and to transport it by carrying it on their shoulders. In the fourth chapter of the book of Numbers the sons of Kohath were given specific instructions on how to move the holy objects of the Lord. “They shall also put on it all its utensils by which they serve in connection with it; the firepans, the forks and shovels and the basins, all the utensils of the altar, and they shall spread a cover of porpoise skin over it and insert its poles. When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set out, after that the sons of Koath shall come to carry them, so that they will not touch the holy objects and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons Koath are to carry.” [Num 4:14-15]
Our modern ways do not always meet the approval of the Ancient of Days. On what should have been a very festive occasion tragedy struck. The ark began to topple as the ox stumbled and Uzzah reached up to steady the ark. The Lord struck Uzzah dead on the spot and the whole procession stopped. Before this there had been joyous celebrations before the Lord with festive music but all that changed in an instant as Uzzah’s body turned limp falling to the ground as the life left him.
What seemed like an innocent gesture to protect the ark kindled the anger of God against Uzzah. Here is where our modern ways often can lead us astray. God is holy meaning God is set apart, clean, pure, blameless, without fault, and righteous. The ark of God represented God’s presence to the people of Israel and should have never been put on a cart to begin with. This failure to follow the prescribed instructions of the Lord cost a man his life. When we get too chummy and casual with the Lord and do not revere Him or treat Him and worship of Him as Holy bad things are on the horizon.
Travel around and attend worship services. I challenge you to look closer and watch how casually the worshippers treat the things of God. The holiness of God is a forgotten character trait down here but one emphasized in Heaven. When John was given a glimpse into Heaven and the scene unfolding around the throne of God, what was the message emphasized by the four living creatures night and day without ceasing? “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, The Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.” [Rev 4:8] What did Isaiah hear the seraphim saying after getting a vision of God? “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” [Is 6:3] When Moses had his encounter with the Lord at the burning bush he was told to remove his shoes for he was standing on holy ground. [Ex 3:5] The word holy occurs over five hundred and eighty times in the Old and New Testaments. We are commanded to be holy. “But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy for I am Holy.’” [I Pet 1:15-16]
Our modern ways do not always produce holiness. In fact, I would say many of our modern ways devalue the holiness of God. There is no fear or reverence for the Lord anymore. We may sing about holiness with our modern instruments and modern songs but is holiness the experience of modern worshippers and the focus in modern talks rather than sermons? For some the answer is yes. I am grateful for modern hymn writers like Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, Matt Redman, and David Crowder. I am also captured by ancient hymn writers like John Newton, Horatio Spafford, Fanny Crosby, and Isaac Watts.
I recall a conversation I had with him after a worship service at a youth camp where he just lead us in a song with powerful lyrics. Turned out that song had been written over two hundred years ago. I will never forget what he said about those hymn writers, “Hey, those guys had a clue!”
In our attempts to be cutting edge, hip, creative, and relevant to this culture I wonder if we are ushering people with hastening speed toward the judgment of God faster than the grace of God because we have ceased to emphasize the holiness of God and the call to holiness for His people. I am a man without a home. I do not fit in well with all new glitz and glamour hitting the stage in worship today, but I do see the benefit and value of some new innovations. While living in this modern era my soul feels much more at home when reading about old preachers and their mind splitting meditations on the scriptures. I am fascinated by the moves of God so many of them experienced and disillusioned that we cannot buy, produce, or manipulate a move of God with all our education, modern stuff, and new carts. I am increasingly frustrated with worship bands who look like the world and act like rock stars instead of humble, holy servants of the Lord. I do not have a preference whether to sing ancient hymns or new worship ballads. I love them both. I just long to see worship leaders focus more on the holiness and presence of God rather than the performance of hitting every note and sounding good. I long to see “speakers” (I still prefer to be called a preacher rather than a speaker or communicator) open their Bibles and preach the word of God letting the text make the points.
In Daniel chapter seven God is referred to as the Ancient of Days three times. Is He pleased with all our modern methods? I have heard the old adage that the message of the gospel must never change but our methods must change in order to be relevant to this world. I do not know that I agree with that statement anymore. A genuine move of God transcends cultures, generation gaps, post modern ages, and irreligious people. God is always relevant and when the focus gets put back on Him, when the church falls to her knees again to cry out for His power and conviction in saving the lost, when comfortable and complacent ministers weary of trying to take short cut routes to revival and spiritual awakening, perhaps we could see God move as He once did in history in the First and Second Great Awakenings.
The modern church and stuck in past traditional churches by and large are having little impact on their culture. God used Paul to turn the world upside down. [Acts 17:6] We need fewer carts and more prayerful and holy hearts. I know I am old (42 at the time of this writing.) I think video games are a waste of time and I am sick of reality television, and scantily clad women running around on commercials and sitcoms. I would rather talk to someone in person rather than send a text and I still the think the old fashioned way to sharing the good news of Jesus one on one still works.
Recently when talking with a group of pastors about what we had been reading I felt out of place and born in the wrong century as they listed their modern day authors and books with fancy titles when every book I could think of I have been reading over the past months were written either by dead guys or about dead guys. I seldom stop at the best selling section at bookstores any more but meander back to the hidden and tucked away corners to find some “treasure” written by some seasoned saint who persevered nad whose writings have stood the test of time. I do not text but do own a cell phone. I do not have a face book nor care to create one though I have a friend begging me to do so. I still use a spiral notebook to journal my thoughts and prayers to the Lord and I would rather read a book than listen to a book on cd any day.
Though the world is passing me by, I still love and revere God. I still know that apart from Him I can do nothing. [Jn 15:5] I still plead for His anointing and power to convict sinners and draw them to salvation. I am still humbled that I have the solemn and sacred responsibility to get in the pulpit and preach the truth of scripture even though the message is not always politically correct and what people want to hear but I am convinced it is what they need to hear. I still believe in preaching through the Bible verse by verse along with a long line of pulpit giants from ancient days. The bottom line is I would rather please God in keeping my convictions even if the crowds thin and attendance plummets to please the Ancient of Days with holiness and reverence while passionately preaching what the scripture says. Not all modern methods are wrong but not all of them are right either. Before creating a new cart why not sit before the Lord long enough and linger in His word habitually enough that we do not fail as Uzzah and David did so long ago.

Everybody Worships

Everybody worships. What I mean is that everybody worships someone or something. For some it is bowing down and paying homage to self in front a full length mirror. Others ascribe worth (the meaning of worship) to the Dallas Cowboys, Paradise Panthers, or some other sports team. Many take it a step further and worship superstar athletes or celebrities. Have you ever seen the reaction of young ladies when they heard the Beatles, Elvis Pressley, or some other recording artist? They swooped, screamed, cried, pressed to the stage to get closer, raised their hands, applauded, and some even fainted. All acts or worship for the dead and gone.
Sports stars like Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Peyton Manning, Brett Farve, and Derek Jeter are continually hounded by cameras, autograph seekers, and people who try to immolate their every move. Compound this with paparazzi chasing movie stars and the multitudes huddled around their televisions hoping to get a glimpse of some celebrity who often makes a poor role model and yet worship continues with posters, sitcoms, fashion clothing, and hair styles.
Some men worship large mouth bass or white tail deer willing to sacrifice sleep, money, and time with family all in pursuit of a trophy for the wall and some very expensive food on the table. Women worship Oprah, Dr. Phil, and other so called experts who suggest how to dress, what to eat, and how to live.
Everybody worships something. What is amazing is that the world can worship their stuff more intensely and authentically than Christians worship the one true God. I know for many (especially for teenagers and college students) worship is passionate and expressive. I have seen them jumping up down, shouting, raising their hands, crying, kneeling, applauding and even prostrate on the floor all in an attitude of worship. Others worship with equal passion but in more subdued ways. I have seen adults worship without ever singing a note of any song, without ever standing, shouting, clapping, or raising their hands, but silently reflecting on, enjoying, and basking in the presence of God. Their worship was just as authentic as the younger crowd.
Sadly I have sat threw more services in more churches than I care to count where the people sat tight lipped and stone hearted through the worship service. The opportunity for worship was given but they many chose to sit without ever connecting their hearts to the heart of God. Some blamed the style of music or the fact that songs were projected rather than sung out of a book. The worship wars that have ripped many churches apart must also have ripped the heart of God who is supposed to be the object of all that worship to begin with. What a shame that the generations cannot even unify on loving and adoring God through a variety of styles of music.
Today I found myself reading and reflecting in the book of Revelation. I was struck by the intensity of the worship of the angels and of the redeemed. Worship never ceases in Heaven. Night and day it continues with a loud resounding and repeating refrain, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God, Almighty, who was and is and who is to come.” [Rev 4:8] “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor, and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.” [Rev 5:11]
Over and over again those resounding truths reverberate throughout Heaven. God is Holy. He is worthy. He is powerful, honorable, majestic, and glorious. Nobody jokes in Heaven they do not like that song or they tire of repeating it day and night. God is worth the worship they give day and night. It never gets old, the intensity never wanes because the revelations of God’s nature never end through out eternity so we will be able to worship with fresh hearts continually.
While the volume increases with every verse from the mouths of people from every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nation, [Rev 5:9] the intensity in worship will cause people to throw themselves down prostrate on the floor and to fling their crowns in worship at the feet of the true King of Kings. They will remain before Him who sits on the throne and sing with passion like we have never heard on this planet while ascribing worship with integrity. It will make rock concerts feel like hushed baby nurseries.
There is not always integrity in the worship of the people of God. Take an old song like “I Surrender All.” How many have sung the words of that old hymn they did not mean nor intend to live. This is hypocrisy. I quit sitting on the platform early in my ministry because all the sour looks, scowling faces, and lifeless expression of songs was so discouraging it was actually hindering my worship. It is better for me to sit on the front row with my back to the crowd so I can focus on God and sing for Him, to Him, and in adoration of Him.
Worship is so much more than we know. God is the true object of worship. There nothing in or under Heaven deserving of worship more than God. Everything else has lesser worth. How much time, energy, and money are spent in worship of things or people that leave people feeling hollow and empty. Watch the reaction to football fans when the Cowboys lose or worse yet have a disappointing season. People can’t sleep, concentrate, and go around moping over a football team. God is ultimate object of worth and therefore of worship. He never has a bad day, gets it wrong, lets us down, forgets an appointment, or loses the big one. He is the ultimate Universal Champion. He deserves our very best in worship not just on Sundays but in the very way we live every day. He deserves better than the dull and pitiful excuse for worship found in so many churches today. I am talking about white hot, passionate, fervent, expressions of love, adoration, reverence, and homage to the Master, Ruler, and Lord of this Universe.
What or who are you worshipping? What does the object of your worship do for you? God sent Jesus to take the poor choices, the scrapes and bruises from wandering down paths to nowhere, and the oppressive burden of guilt and shame from past mistakes off your shoulders in exchange for your unyielding allegiance to Him and your life long worship. Worship is more about how you live than how well you sing. I urge you today to check the object of your worship and the passion with which you worship and make sure you direct both toward Jesus Christ, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Lord, and Sovereign King. Everybody worships someone or something. I choose to worship Jesus and practice down here so I can get it right for Heaven. What about you?

Relentless Labors

[I Cor 15:10] “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove in vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”


I cannot remember one single time in the past thirteen years that I went to bed at night having accomplished everything I wanted to. Every day of my life I am haunted by the sobering truth that there are prayers left unsaid, there are Bible passages left unstudied, there are lost souls still to talk to about the reality of Jesus Christ, there are sermons to prepare and preach, people to disciple, books and articles to write, a wife to love, children to lead, and a God to walk deeply and intimately with. It is at times a frustrating and agonizing life to lead. I want to do more for my God.
I once read a statement that pastor, theologian, and author John Piper saw in his home while growing up as a little boy on a little plague which simply read, “There is only one life to live and twill soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last.” That bites into my soul. I DO NOT WANT TO WASTE MY LIFE! That nagging thought haunts, disturbs, and preoccupies me! The Psalmist put it another way. “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” [Ps 91:12]
I want my life to count but the truth is I lose heart from time to time, I grow weary, become lazy, and lose focus. Even though there is so much work to be done, I meander through life on certain days thinking I have all the time in the world. The truth is my days are numbered. They will come to an end. There are things God put me on this earth to accomplish. There are certain works I am to do for Him. [Eph 2:10] I must find the secret to relentless labors.
I love Christian biography and autobiographies. I am reading a book on the life of George Mueller and see the pattern of his life to rise at 4:00 a.m. to pray and read his bible well over two hundred times. I just heard a message on the life of George Whitfield where he preached at least one message everyday of his life for thirty years. Many days he preached multiple times and lead thousands upon thousands to Christ. He preached himself to an early death in his mid-fifties. I have read about Charles Hadden Spurgeon and how he preached and wrote relentlessly. He left a massive literary contribution in the wake of his life. D.L. Moody was tireless in his efforts to present the gospel to the lost and pledged to not let a day go by without talking to someone about the Savior, (even dragging his weary frame from bed on a cold rainy night after remembering he neglected his commitment.) Jonathan Edwards studied up to thirteen hours a day while Martin Luther studied and preached ushering in the age of the reformation. I could go on and list the accomplishments of A.W. Tozer, E.M. Bounds, Rees Howells, Richard Baxter, Martin Lloyd Jones, Hudson Taylor, William Tyndale, and William Carey.
Reading these books is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is the inspiration I get from reading them but the curse is the frustration of not feeling like my labors are as relentless as theirs. They lived with a passion, a zeal, a fire that burned in their souls that burned brighter than I have ever burned and was sustained longer than fire has burned in my soul.
Yet, I am not about to give up. I know the secret is not found in me. Paul simply acknowledged that he was an ordinary man. He was a driven man consumed by the saving reality of Jesus Christ. Notice what he wrote in I Cor 15:10, “… but I labored even more than all of you, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” The secret to Paul’s relentless labors was not in being more disciplined or driven. The secret was the fact that God was the one at work in and through Paul to allow Him to labor more than the others.
I find many believers are asking God how much less they can do. Are there people in the pews who are really asking God for more? Do men and women, students and children, senior and young adults really hunger and yearn to labor more for Christ? I do. It burns in me and aches in my soul. At the moment of writing this it is nearing 7:00 p.m. and writing this has consumed me. The time has passed and I have hardly been aware of it. Instead of feeling tired, overwhelmed, burned out on the contrary my soul feels rejuvenated and alive! God is moving in me to do more, be more, believe more, and bear more fruit. He is glorified by such living. [Jn 15:8] It is not me but Him!
When I attempt to do more in the power of my flesh I fail, I burn out, and yearn for an easier life. When I am submitted to the Lord, He enables me to wear the harness of discipline with ease. He wakes me early and strengthens me to labor late. O how I long to be more surrendered. I want to preach my guts out every time I enter the pulpit with life giving spiritual meat for this congregation. I want to write volumes worth of books to pour out all the truth the Lord brands on my heart to share with others. At the time of this writing I have over forty book titles and ideas burning in my mind and heart waiting to be lassoed and corralled onto the printed page. I have close to a dozen souls I am praying for the Lord to save and call them to whole hearted service to Him. I believe God for dreams that stagger my knees and yet ignite my faith. God keeps giving me more and more and with joy I step into the harness of His will for my life and pull His gospel wagon with all my might and yet more so with His might working mightily in me.
I want to labor for the cause of Christ relentlessly while not neglecting my wife and four boys. It is a constant juggling act. I feel the daily tug of war to work later and later and yet the needs and wants of my family are constant. I cannot neglect them. They came by my office after school earlier this week and invited me to go and eat ice cream with them. In my soul I wanted to work, pray, study, write, or read into the late night hours but in my heart I felt it was important that my family knew I loved them and wanted to be available to them. It is a constant battle in my soul.
Here is what I believe the Lord will do in me. If I surrender my life and make it available to Him, He will enable me to live on less sleep which means more productive hours for Him. He will honor those times I enjoy with my family by giving greater efficiency in laboring when I have the chance to toil in effect allowing me to double and triple the work I would have accomplished for Him in my own strength. If He works in me and through me He can sustain my health in giving me a long life allowing me to work longer and harder therefore enabling me to leave a larger basket of fruit for His glory.
I know many might think this is dangerous ground and very close to workaholism. Maybe so. God can bring the needed balance. All I know is one day the death dew is going to settle on my brow and my life and ministry on earth will be done. At that point what will I have left behind? It is an all consuming burning passion in my heart that somebody would attend my funeral and hear what Christ did in me and through me and be inspired to live for Christ with greater passion and tenacity. I want people to gather in little huddles and say afterwards, “That is what can do through a life that was yielded to Christ.” I want to them to say about my life what the apostle wrote about his own, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” [Phil 1:21]
I hope and pray I have forty to fifty years left to labor for my Lord. I have asked Him for that repeatedly. I think retirement is over exaggerated and have no plans to ever retire from preaching and writing. There may be a time I step down from being a full time pastor if I become ineffective and irrelevant. If and when that day comes I will enter a full time traveling ministry and go until my feeble body is unable to mount the steps of into the pulpit anymore in different towns and churches around the world. If at that time my mind is sharp and my voice still able I plan to be wheeled into the pulpit. If my voice should ever fail I will write until my fingers or eyes can no longer hit the letters on the keys of the computer or see the screen. Should that day ever come I hope to have an acute mind to dictate the truths the Lord gives me to some willing servant who will capture them for others to read. I want my lasting legacy to be Christ. When the last second of the last minute of my life comes and I am about to step triumphantly into eternity, I want to do so knowing I gave my all to Jesus and hearing the Lord say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Until that day comes, may our Glorious Savior, labor relentlessly through this willing servant.

The Loss of Innocence

Can you imagine waking up every single day to enjoy conversation with God? I am talking about conversation where you hear God actually speaking to your heart and conversing with you about real life issues, about plans for the future, and about His purposes. I am thinking about times when you can unload on God, dump all your problems, all confusion, and every burden into His lap and then listen for His response.
This might seem far fetched to many. God seems so distant, so mystical, and uninterested and involved in the affairs of mundane living. Some even doubt whether God really exists. If He does exist multitudes think little more of God than a good luck charm, a fairy tale, or some fantasy of our own creation.
Why is it so hard for us as we grow older. Little children believe in the Tooth Fairy, the Sand Man, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and in Jesus Christ and God the Father. As we grow older we learn much about fantasies and fairy tales from our childhood. Is it because of this that many adults lose belief in a real God who desires an authentic relationship with people?
God wants to talk to people, to relate to them, to help them, and most of all to redeem them from shameful pasts.
How old were you when you first remember sinning? What did you do? Did you tell a lie, cheat on a test, spread gossip, tease and torment some class mate? Do you remember when you had the choice of doing something right and doing something that violated everything you had been taught was right? Do you remember feeling drawn like a moth to a flame to some sin that seemed so luring but afterward felt so cheap and dirty? How old were you when you lost your innocence?
There was a time when people walked with God, talked to Him, and enjoyed His companionship as you would a family member or valued friend. There was an age of innocence but that was all lost with a tempting thought, a seemingly hidden act of rebellion, and tragically a loss of innocence. The tale is as old as time and been recounted time and time again.
It starts with the crafty serpent. [Gen 3:1] We fight an enemy who lives, breathes, and exists to draw us away from the Father and to trip us up in sin stealing our innocence. Our innocence was lost forever that fateful day in the Garden of Eden. Satan’s argument was persuasive and the fruit hanging from the forbidden tree in the middle of garden was a delight to the eyes and seemed good and desirable. [Gen 3:6]. It always is. Our enemy’s tactics have not changed. The deceiver puts the thoughts in our heads, justifies the reward we will get in exchange for our rebellion against God and His ways, and the temptation most always is delightful to the eyes and desirable. We fall for the lie, pick the fruit, put it to our lips and pass it on to others.
Here in lies the problem. The sin that looks so tempting and delightful leaves us feeling shamed, dirty, and guilty. We are not fulfilled as the Father of Lies said we would be. The truth is our innocence is gone and we find ourselves alienated from our Creator. Instead of walking with God and enjoying His companionship we immediately begin trying to hide the truth and cover up the evidence of our rebellion.
Honestly, what can we do and where can we go to hide from God’s presence and watchful eye? [Ps 139:3] “You understand my thought from afar, You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways.” Get this, Nothing we do is hidden from the watchful eye of God. Nothing. Nothing done in the dark, nothing done in hiding, nothing done when we think we are all alone with our thoughts. God sees and is very acquainted with our every thought and our every action. There are no excuses, no hiding the truth, and as the old saying goes, “Our sins will find us out.”
Adam and Eve heard God coming and tried to hide. In the end their sin was exposed. What frightens me is that many people when they most need God to forgive, to restore, and to revive their sin scarred hearts, try to hide in the shadows where they begin to spiritually die. When they do come into God’s presence all they can feel is shame, remorse, and condemnation. If these feelings persist soon they quit coming into God’s presence and pursue a life of pain, passing pleasure, and the penalty of God’s chastisement.
There are devastating consequences to sin. Deep consequences. The serpent was sentenced to life crawling on his belly and being continually at strife with man kind. [Gen 3:14-15]. To the woman God multiplied the pain of child birth. [Gen 3:16] To the man God sentenced Him to hard labor all the days of his life. [Gen 3:17-19]. Adam and Eve’s sin affected more than just them. It is still affecting each of us and all people who live on this earth to this very day.
It pains my heart to know the loss of innocence. It goes further than this. My great grand parent’s, grand parent’s, and parent’s sin affected me and my sin is and will impact my children, grand children, and great grand children. We are literally killing ourselves spiritually and the future generations with our loss of innocence.
In spite of all this, God’s grace is greater than our sin. [Rom 5:20] There is forgiveness [I Jn 1:9], there is spiritual renewal and times of restoration, and there is victory over sin. [Rom 6:12-14] Sin does not have to be our master. I regret the loss of innocence in my life (back on the day Adam and Eve chose to sin) and subsequently on the day I chose to reach out to taste the forbidden fruit of sin that looked delightful and became the desire of my heart for myself. We cannot give up in our striving to defeat sin.
I have found great comfort in [II Pet 1:3] “Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” Our innocence may be gone but striving against sin and for future generations must never wane.

The Battle Is the Lord's

“and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by spear or sword for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” [I Sam 17:47]


The story of David and Goliath is a children’s favorite. It has all the necessary ingredients of a great story. There is good verses evil. David is a hero and Goliath stalks the pages of scripture as a villain. This is the classic story of the underdog. You have impossible odds and yet courage is put on display. This story has inspired millions and it easy to read right through it because you know the outcome. I was tempted to do just that.
I was reading this story in my devotion this morning and two things jumped out at me prompting to me write two articles about it. One thing that jumped off the page to arrest my attention was the fact that David confessed the battle belonged to the Lord. David had confidence and courage but the odds were stacked against him. Goliath was a giant and his military record must have been impressive. He had weapons of destruction and the ego to back up his boasts. For forty days he taunted the army of Israel morning and night. [I Sam 17:16]
David was not even a soldier. He was a young man who tended sheep but he was deeply offended that this pagan giant defied the living God over and over again. There were plenty of other soldiers who should have been willing to take up this fight. For forty days both at morning and night Goliath sauntered out to summon anyone to fight. There were no takers. Eighty challenges and no takers. The Israelite army was made up many cowards and men who were consumed with self preservation.
David heard the giant’s taunts and looked around in disbelief that everyone (including his three older brothers) refused to fight. David with no military training, no military rank, and no military weapons agreed to meet the challenge. Others had stepped back in doubt fear eighty different times. David stepped forward in courage and confidence but what made the difference?
The answer to this question plagues many children of God even to this day. We might not be facing a military giant but we have plenty of other battles that stare us down until our knees begin to buckle and we shrink back in fear. What giants are you facing? They loom large and seem to tower over us. They cast a menacing shadow and the shout of their voices can paralyze us in our tracks.
One such giant is the down turn in the economy. From the barber’s chair to the network evening news, from the front page of the paper to the talk at cafés many are talking about the news about people losing jobs, foreclosure of homes, drops in the stock market, and financial bail out packages seem to dominate our thinking. What are God’s people tempted to do? Panic. Doubt. Live in perpetual fear. Why? Because such thinking puts the outcome of the battle in our hands. David had a totally different perspective. He said the battle was the Lord’s to fight. He did not have fret, figure out an escape route, or finance someone to fight the battle for Him. God’s reputation was at stake and if there is anything God is passionate about it is defending and promoting His reputation.
David knew he could not defeat Goliath with swords and spears. You cannot defeat the economy by taking matters into your hands and trying to fix things on your own. You must lean on the Lord and trust Him for understanding. [Prov 3:5-6] This is His battle to fight for you. Seek Him for wisdom [James 1:5] and direction. Trust Him to be your provider. [Ps 147:8-11]
I know there are many battles you face day in and day out. For days on end you might have been staring in the face of a giant that both taunts and terrifies you. From your perspective you can see no way out so you sink in depression and sit paralyzed with anxiety about what will happen. If you could turn the battle over to the Lord you know what would happen at the end of this day? You would sleep like a baby because you would not be fretting about these things.
I was recently talking to a friend of mine about the tough economic times. As we talked about the challenges everyone is facing we were reminded of our children. They do not lie awake at night worried about groceries, gas, or mortgage payments. They eat what is put before them and trust that when they are hungry again there will be something on the table. They do not worry about paying for the utilities to stay warm on frosty nights or cool in the middle of a heat wave. They live in perfect trust. If you and I could learn that as David did and turn our battles over to the Lord we would trust the outcome to Him and also live with confidence and courage.
I face giants just like you. Mine are audaciously big and they shout and taunt me to give up and tuck tail and run in fear. God reminds me those giants are His battles to fight on my behalf. I am challenged by the Lord to trust Him and square off against each giant one by one in faith. He fights for me just as He fights for you.
Two armies watched as David declared the battle belonged to the Lord and that the Lord would win the day. In the same way I have children who are watching me to see what I really believe about God when the pressure is on. I have a congregation who listen to what I say and then watch what I do when the giants shout my name. I have readers who read my words and then sit watching to see what I really believe when the battle lines are drawn. I say the battle belongs to the Lord. Where He leads He will make a way where there seems to be no way, but here is the point. David believed the battle belonged to the Lord but he had to face Goliath in faith.
You may shout till you lose your voice that the battle belongs to the Lord but sooner or later you are going to have put your money where your mouth is. You are going to have walk down to the battle field where your giant or giants await to take you down. At that moment you are going to have to stand your ground with courage and confidence that God will fight for you and win the day. That will be the day when the watching world sees what you really believe about God. I admit this is easier said than done but David was a man of action. His faith led Him to defy the giant and as they say, the rest is History. We want to see our giants on the ground in defeat before we courageously take our stand. Faith does not work that way.
What do you really believe about God at this moment? Will you surrender your life and future into His hands and trust Him with the outcome. Will you do what He says, follow His principles, embrace His salvation, and let Him fight your battles? The ball is in your court. You can fight on your own and sooner or later you will fall in defeat (now or in eternity) and develop ulcers from worrying. You can stop, fall to your knees and cry out for God to fight for you and assume Lordship of your life. I know what choice I have made and will continue to make. Lord, the battles belong to You!

Run to the Battle

“Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” [I Sam 17:48]



I mentioned in a previous article that reading the story of David and Goliath really spoke to my heart in my time wit the Lord this morning and prompted me to write two different articles. The first article was focused on the truth that God fights our battles for us. This article is zeroed in on the truth that God calls us at times to run toward our challenges and battles with eagerness. This is pretty atypical of how many people handle problems.
As I mentioned in the previous article, Goliath taunted the army of Israel for 40 days and nights. He cursed God and dared anyone to fight him. Fear paralyzed men of all ages, ability, and rank. Nobody wanted any piece of Goliath until David walked up on the scene. David was young, cocky, and mouthy. He talked a big game and soon the soldiers took this mouthy young man to King Saul. The fight was fixed at that point.
David had no armor but took five simple smooth stones and a shepherd’s sling as he began walking toward the giant. Goliath stood in disbelief that a lad was coming to fight a man’s fight. It was to be a fight to the death and a young boy was coming to oppose a nine foot tall monstrosity of a man. The odds were stacked or so it seemed to everyone but God and David.
At some point David must have stopped and given a sermon to the giant. Here is what is recorded David said in response to Goliath disdainful diatribe. “You come to me with a sword, and a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, and the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear, for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.”
If the fight wasn’t on before it was sure on now. David had defied the giant and insulted him as well as the army of the Philistines. David not only predicted victory but the removal of Goliath’s head. The Bible tells us at this point that Goliath arose and began to draw near to meet David. Stop right there before we go any further.
I have met many big mouthed people in my life. Like the old saying goes, talk is cheap. David had talked big among the safety of the army of Israel but now they were behind Him. He had talked big while Goliath was still a good distance away. Now Goliath was on the move like a heat seeking missile and David was the aim of the fury of this massive warrior. What went through David’s mind at that moment? Did David for the first time get a lump in his throat as he saw the colossal size of this soldier coming his way? Did the ground begin to rumble with each step Goliath took coming closer, closer, closer, ever closer? Was David tempted to outrun this man and lure him close enough to the Israelite army to be shot with an arrow?
What David did next is absolutely inspiring. This is better than any war movie. David ran quickly to the battle line! I LOVE IT. Goliath wanted a fight and David with eagerness ran to the battle. What do we do far too often? We either run the other way or we reluctantly saunter out to meet our battles. We don’t like the front lines. Security is within the confines of the ranks. Risk, danger, and even peril await the child of God when the battle line is drawn and especially if you are called to stride to toe the line alone. David ran to the battle with nothing but the primitive weapons of a shepherd and the Glorious, Almighty, and All Powerful presence of God Himself.
We run the other way. We want safety, security, and serenity. God often wants our faith on the cutting edge for all the world to see. If we fail it will be a big public failure so we are tempted to stay put or to retreat when the giant gets ticked and moves toward us. God longs to work through someone, anyone, who will run to the battle in faith. It seems better to us to put off today what could most assuredly be reconsidered tomorrow. How many times have you shrunk back in fear instead of running toward the battle line? How often have looked across the distance to see the glistening armor of the giant and the bulging muscles of the enemy causing fear, raw terror, and uncontrollable doubt?
God is looking for men, women, and students who will courageously run to the battle to fight. God is looking for people who will volunteer to get on the front lines and charge the enemy full speed ahead. God is looking for young people and older people who will surrender their lives and the American dream to run to the front lines of pioneer missions and run toward people groups who have never heard the name of Jesus. God is looking for church planters who will run to the hard places of this nation and world to plant their lives and roots in establishing God exalting, Bible believing, and Christ honoring churches. God is looking for men and women who will run to the battle of standing watch on the walls of their homes and communities praying for God’s protection and breakthrough. God is looking for teenagers who will run toward the battle of living counter cultural every day as they walk the halls of school and contend in the athletic arenas battling for the glory of God rather than the glory of self and school. God is looking for people who finally shake off the apathy of this modern church age and run toward Him in an all out sprint to pursue knowledge of Him, revelation of truth, and holiness in character.
Who will get up and shake off fear and run to the battle? The world watches and waits to see if our God is really that big a deal. They taunt us and defy us while we sit back in fear and comfort hoping someone else will run to the battle. Why not you? Why not now? Who will be offended enough to run toward the battle in faith that God alone can and will bring about the victory. Get up. Let us throw off cowardice and cold indifference and run to take up our battle stations. It is time to run toward the very thing that has taunted us and brought fear to our hearts. Run toward the battle and refuse to live in fear another moment.
As Goliath approached, most likely smiling because he thought the victory was his, a simple stone struck and sunk deep into his forehead and the giant fell to his death and defeat. Why, because a young man fearlessly ran toward the battle. David prevailed as God showed what He can do through those people who are willing to trust Him and run to the battle in complete surrender to His commands.
You have been taunted by your fears and your giants. You are being summoned to the battle field. You have resisted, shirked responsibility, rebelled, and dug in your heels. You have been challenged. Your giant approaches. What will you do? How I pray we would all rise to our feet, set out in a dead sprint to meet our giant in battle and watch him fall in defeat. God will help us prevail. Oops. Excuse me. I’ve got to run and silence a giant who has taunted my God one time too many. See you on the battle field.