The Sacred Desk

Yesterday afternoon I walked out of the back door of my office and turned left to walk down the hallway and then took a right down a ramp and walked down another hall way headed for the new sanctuary where I will spend my Sundays for the foreseeable future. I opened the double doors and walked into the dimly lit room bordered by ornate stained glass windows.

I wanted to pray and be alone in that hallowed place. With my Bible in hand I mounted the steps to the platform and placed my Bible on the pulpit and just stood there. I left my fingers run down the hand made pulpit. I felt the grain of the wood beneath my fingers and thought of all the messages that I had been preached behind that sacred desk. I then began looking out across all the empty pews starting from the left and working my way to the right side. Next, I looked up to the empty pews in the balcony and began asking the Lord to fill that sanctuary with His glory and that people would meet with Him.

In my mind I could see the room packed with worshippers and the Word of Life being proclaimed under the anointing of God. I stood behind that sacred desk a good long while half praying and half dreaming about the future. I thought of all the messages I would preach behind that sacred desk. I thought of not only those who would fill the room but of those would be watching by television. I noticed the four different remote control cameras located around the sanctuary and began praying for those viewers.

I left the platform and walked to the back of the sanctuary and found my way to the steps leading up to the balcony. I had never been up there before and climbed the winding steps until I came to the top and then found a seat. I looked down to where the pulpit stood and again thought of the people who would be sitting in the balcony begging God to meet with them and to touch them. I next walked over to the sound board and prayed for those who sit there and work diligently to work the video production, the sound equipment, and I also prayed for those who worked in the television ministry.

After praying up there for awhile I came back down and prayer walked back up behind the sacred desk. It is a beautiful pulpit made by one the church members. I stood there and began making some declarations by faith out loud in that dimly lit room with the beautiful stained glass windows. If you would have walked in on me you might of thought is sounded silly hearing the preacher speaking out loud in an empty room while standing behind the pulpit.

By faith I declared out loud that the pews would be packed in the days ahead. I asked God for growth but not just numerical growth but also spiritual growth in the hearts of the worshippers. I asked the Lord for inspired and anointed messages to feed the flock and for God encounters to take place week after week. I pleaded with the Lord for the salvation of souls, for the trouble hearted to find peace and heavy laden to find rest. I asked the Lord for an expanded television ministry with more viewers watching and being touched by the Lord. I asked the Lord to give me His vision and His heart for that television ministry. I pledged to the Lord that I would not depart from teaching and preaching the Bible and begged Him for more inspiration and revelation as I stood behind the sacred desk Sunday after Sunday. I asked the Lord for the greatest days in the history of the church.

It was a moving experience for me. The weight and responsibility that has been entrusted to me to stand behind that pulpit and to feed the flock seated in the pews and the flock seated in the comforts of their homes watching by television fell on my shoulders. I begged God to help me and pledged my life to serving Him anew. I then walked down from the platform a second time and knelt down at the steps right underneath the pulpit. I begged God for greater anointing and for His power to be on display in that hallowed room. When I looked up the sacred desk loomed up before me. I remained there just staring at it for awhile.

On the surface that pulpit is just a beautiful piece of furniture. I is one the most gorgeous pulpits I have ever seen as far as craftsmanship go. It is a strikingly handsome pulpit as they go. I have never stood behind one finer. There is more there than a piece of furniture though. It represents the place where God comes to empower a man to communicate His messages for the lost, the sick, the burdened, the distraught, and the hungry person for the Bread of Life. That sacred desk represents the thirty other pastors who have preached their guts out at FBC Seminole pleading with God to save, to restore, and to reclaim those who had wandered from the fold. That sacred desk represents the legacy of preaching that has been passed down from the apostle Paul, to Richard Baxter, to Jonathan Edwards, to Charles Spurgeon, to A.W. Tozer, to George W. Truett, to John Piper and to me.

Now it is my time to take my place behind the sacred desk and to give my life in labor to rightly divide the Word of Truth. I pledge to devote myself to increased labor in not only the study of the scriptures but also to the God empowered proclamation of the scriptures behind the sacred desk. Please pray for me and all of those called by God to this sacred task.

God thank you for those who have gone before us who faithfully stood behind the sacred desk and with unction preached your word. Now, I ask you for that same anointing and increasing passion to preach your truth behind the sacred desk.

Hitting the Ground Running

It is official, we are here. Seminole is more than where we live it is our home. We rolled into to town around 8:00 p.m. Sunday night and were welcomed by a house full of people. I cannot describe the connection we have already felt with the church and community in these few short weeks. It is supernatural. The church has welcomed us with open arms and have showered us with affection and blessings.

It was a little confusing trying to navigate all the Edwards boys to their respective schools. We walked into Turner’s school totally lost without a clue where we were going. With the help of administrators we found his class and then scurried off to get the three other boys to their campuses. When all of that was said and done Brenda and I sat down alone for the first time in weeks and enjoyed a quiet breakfast at a secluded table where we could talk.

After breakfast I went to the office where I unloaded a portion of my library, planned a fall outreach event, got up to speed on things here in the church and in the association, responded to a few emails, left to make three hospital visits and then tried navigating the sea of traffic for picking our boys up. We actually drove to the wrong campus and if Jase had not found Tucker stranded I am not sure when we would have found him. Tanner informed us it was embarrassing to be one of the last students picked up. We will try to do better.

I returned to the office where Tim Shirley set up my new email address as pastorfbcseminole@erfw.net . I finished a couple of other projects before going to the mission house. I arrived at 5:45 p.m. and two of the boys had football practices at 6:00 p.m. We made a mad dash out the door barely getting them there on time. I agreed to help coach Tucker’s team before all was said and done. We did not have time to cook as Brenda was just as busy as I was getting things settled for us here in Seminole. We opted to eat at Sonic (no complaining by the boys) and got them into bed around 9:00 p.m. after sitting down as a family to eat all at one time in one place for the first time in several days.

Today our start was smoother. I arrived at the office energetic and filled with faith at the prospects for the days ahead. I went with Jase to the Care Center and enjoyed meeting several people. I met Mr. Houchin and enjoyed our time together learning more about the television ministry. Brenda and I enjoyed having lunch with Jase and Tami. We feel a real connection with them already.

After lunch I have enjoyed a day sitting in the office responding to emails and doing one of my all time favorite things. For the first time in several days I found some time to write. So much is swirling in my head and filling my heart. I have spent a great deal of time seeking the Lord for direction about what to preach. I am settled on Sunday mornings but am still seeking the Lord for direction about Wednesday nights and Sunday nights. We have more football practices tonight and tomorrow I get to meet with the flock to break open the bread of life. I cannot wait.

The Edwards family has hit the ground running. We hope to get engrained in the very fabric of this church and community. My motor is revved up and I look forward to the days ahead. If you see a husband and wife in high gear with four boys in tow it might just be us hitting the ground running.

The Majesty and Mystery of the Mind of God

Who among us has not at times questioned the moves and purposes of God? Who has not wondered and been bewildered by His ways? All of us have been there at one time or another.

This past week I was eating breakfast with an old friend at IHOP and we were discussing the topic the mysterious mind of God. God does things and moves in ways that are at times bizarre and downright bewildering. Yet, the mind of God is equally majestic in that His mind is sovereign and omniscient. He knows what He is doing even though we often doubt and question Him.

Who can really fathom and comprehend the infinite wisdom of God. We want to transcend our thoughts, procedures, and purposes onto to Him but they will never stick. We only see in part and most of our thoughts are consumed with our little ideas about our little worlds. God sees from beginning to the end. Sooner or later something will happen in all of our lives that tests our faith and opens the door for confusion.

I was reading an old James Dobson book today entitled, When God Doesn’t Make Sense. He writes, “It is an incorrect view of scripture to say that we will always comprehend what God is doing and how our suffering and disappointment fit into His plan. Sooner or later, most of us will come to a point where it appears that God has lost control-or interest- in the affairs of people. It is only an illusion, but one with dangerous implications for spiritual and mental health. Interestingly enough, pain and suffering do not cause the greatest damage. Confusion is the factor that shreds one’s faith.” p. 13

I have been meditating on a couple verses for several weeks now. They have made it into much of my writing as well as my preaching as of late. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” [Is 55:8-9] The word “higher” means exalted, lofty, or raised up to great heights. Such is the thinking of God. It is beyond our ability to comprehend and is often baffling to our low level thinking.

God’s thoughts, purposes, intentions, and plans are placed on the top shelf. You and I cannot get on our tip toes and stretch high enough intellectually to fully comprehend the majestic and mysterious mind of God. It is simply too lofty and too exalted. It really comes down to faith that we trust God knows what He is doing.

I don’t know what is causing you confusion at this time. I only know that God’s mind is majestic and often mysterious. There have been numerous times when I wanted to scream and say, “God I don’t understand what you are doing. You said it would all work out for my good if I loved you and was called according to your purpose. [Rom 8:28] Life hurts and I do not understand how this is working for my good or what purpose this serves nor can I feel your presence in the midst of this darkness!”

I have prayed prayers just like that and God’s response many times has been silence or the exhortation to trust Him in the middle of the confusion. This has not been easy. God’s mind though majestically higher than ours is often mysterious. In hindsight, God has proven Himself faithful in my life everytime. How many prayers have started with, “Why?” Why did this happen? Why do good people suffer? Our why questions could fill up a book but that does not mean that God is obligated to answer. Though I have not understood what He was doing nor why He was or was not intervening in my life He has been faithful. He simply tells us His thoughts are more majestic than ours and His thoughts though often mysterious should still be trusted. Let me encourage you to keep trusting God despite the blinding tears, the relentless pain, the hopeless circumstances, and above all else the crippling confusion. He is a majestic God but He is also at times mysterious. Despite that fact He has been, continues to be, and will always be worthy of trust.

A Priceless Gift

It was a long day with ministering to three different families who had loved ones die in addition to other pastoral duties. At the end of my last Wednesday night in Paradise many stayed behind afterward to talk with me and pray for me. Our Sunday School provided a fajita dinner in our honor after church. I no more than walked in the room when I spotted them.
There were some packages wrapped in colored paper with ribbons around them. Brenda and I do not enjoy being made the center of attention much less being given gifts. I forgot about them as we shared a meal with friends. We laughed, reminisced, feasted, and joked around. It was a great night with great friends eating great food.
This class was birthed from about five people two years ago. Some said the class would never get off the ground but Brenda and I felt called to lead it and grow it. In two years the class has swelled to an average of about twenty and on one occasion we pushed fifty. Many times we have twenty-five to thirty people present. We have moved rooms on three different occasions. We have spent the last two years getting more connected to God and to each other, hence the name “Connections Class.” We really bonded and our classes were filled with raucous laughter and then tears as we searched and studied the scriptures. We were nicknamed the “party class” and on more than one occasion we had other classes knock on the wall to get us to settle down. We had a good time together. We served together, fellowshipped together, and sacrificed together to meet one another’s needs. I was there for the birth of babies. I baptized several in that class. We came together. On this might we were being loud and laughter echoed as usual throughout the fellowship hall.
Suddenly the jovial mood turned much more serious and out of the corner of my eye I saw our children’s minister make her way to the front of the room and another lady make her way to the gifts. I dreaded what was to come. Many kind words were shared about us and the time we had enjoyed together. The laughter came to an abrupt halt and tears began to flow.
Next, Brenda and I were handed the gifts and instructed to open them while everyone was looking on. I have never enjoyed doing this whether it is at birthdays or at Christmas. I never want to appear ungrateful or like I am putting on an act and am insincere. I started pulling off the green ribbon followed by the black and green wrapping paper. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the color red on a box and my heart began to beat faster. I nervously peeled back another corner speculating what the contents of the box was and I sat in stunned silence while I held a priceless gift from a class of people I love.
Lying in my hands was a white and red box holding a new English Standard Version study Bible. I had wanted one for a long time but never made it a priority. It is the most accurate English translation of the Bible in comparison to the original Hebrew and Greek languages. I could not believe it! I opened the box and was stunned again. The class did not rally together to buy me the hardback and cheapest version of that Bible. They bought me a genuine black leather calf skin edition which has a lifetime guarantee. The leather was so soft to my fingers I thought it might tear. I had no words. I mean it. No words came to mind or seemed to suffice to express what I was thinking.
The class members encouraged me to open to the inside of the Bible to see what they had written in it. It was presented to me from the “Connections Class”. When I looked at the top of the page they had written [Matt 16:24] “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up His cross, and follow Me.” When I saw that scripture reference and knew that it was in large part because of that verse and the promise I made to God years ago to follow Him anywhere and to do anything He asked me to do that was leading my family away from that class and to a new ministry in Seminole. The tears formed and began to stream.
I just sat there misty eyed, silent, and overwhelmed at the love and generosity of those young couples. Never in my life have I received a more precious or priceless gift. As I sat in that chair with everyone staring at me I could only think of the hours I would pour over the scriptures, study notes, and receive new revelation from God as well preach from it. It was a pretty overwhelming experience for me.
This morning I got up early and took that Bible out of the box. I carefully turned the pages until I got to the book of Matthew and found my way to the twenty second chapter where I ended my reading yesterday and began reading having my first quiet time out one of the greatest study Bibles and most accurate translations ever created. That gift means more to me than I could ever put into words. It was given sacrificially but unlike some gifts that are given and soon discarded, this gift will be a part of my daily life. It will enhance my ministry, and be used of God to not only draw me closer to Him personally but also to inspire others to draw closer to the Lord as well.
It is a priceless gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I will study it, memorize it, preach it, teach it, read it, and seek to live it. No gift that has ever been given to me means anymore to me than that Bible. On my last Sunday here in Paradise I will teach the Connections class one last time and preach to the flock of Paradise one last time from that Bible. I have been a blessed man and, out of the things I truly treasure in this world in the form of earthly possessions, that Bible just soared near the top of the list. What a priceless gift. Thank you connections class. Eternity will reveal what that priceless meant to me and to the kingdom of God!

Mountain Mover

There are times in life when our journey comes to an abrupt halt. We may be merrily on our way through life when suddenly we encounter an obstacle that stands in the way of our destination. Looking up we see the sheer size of the mountain that sits between where we are and where we are going. Climbing over the top of the mountain looks daunting and at times is impossible would take longer than we care to traverse the top even if we could. To alter our course and journey around the mountain would waste precious life and would take too long. There is only one other option and that is to call out to the Mountain Mover.
There is a God who exists and begs to be trusted with the most difficult of trials in life. His power is beyond comprehension. Mountains are but stepping stones for Him. He is massive. He is so strong that all He has to do is speak and what He wills comes to pass even if it requires moving your mountain or mine. He is able to move any mountain. I cannot tell you why at times one person’s mountain is moved while another one’s mountain seems to linger. Trials are abundant and the load people are forced to carry is staggering. That does not alter the fact that God is still a Mountain Mover.
My whole Christian life I have faced one mountain or another. Most of them seem to come in the financial form but I have faced the mountains of the death of my parents, a sister, and grandparents. I have known the sinking feeling of employment and the hopelessness of mounting bills and a shrinking income. I have battled the dark thoughts of depression while clinging to a shred of my faith. I have stared paralyzed in despair at mountains of every sort and size.
Even as I sit in my favorite little café I am staring at another mountain. It is large as some mountains go. From my perspective I see no way around it or over it but I do know the Mountain Mover. As I was reading Mark 11:23-24 this morning I was captured by the words, “Have faith in God!” People talk a lot about that but to take that to heart and to live your life according to that principle is easier said than done. Have faith in God. Trust God in all of life. Live with the firm assurance that God will come through. Journey through life with the rock solid conviction that God is trustworthy and He is a Mountain Mover.
Do you and I really believe that? At the core of our being do we really believe that God is able and that He will move our mountains when we trust Him for it? Let’s be honest. All of us have known people who had mountains but that were not moved. People die. There are ones who have prayed fervently for God to heal and they watched helplessly as their loved ones slipped into eternity. There are those who have prayed fervently for their businesses to turn around only to watch their dreams, hopes, and faith go down the drain. There are countless people who prayed for the restoration of their marriages only to watch spouses traipse off to the divorce court without any seemingly remorse. Farmers have cried out to God to send rain but stood by watching their crops burn up wondering why God did not help. I have seen many mountains that were not moved.
So in light of all of that how can I be so confident that God will come through and move my mountains or your mountains when we need Him to? What makes me so sure that if I trust Him – God will intervene and be the mountain mover I need him to be? In essence it is His character. God can only be faithful for that is His nature. What about those situations I just mentioned above. How is God faithful when the rain does not come, the marriage is not restored, and the body is not healed? We may not interpret His work in this world as being faithful. There are many unanswered questions and whys that haunt all of us. Still God is faithful. He works His plans and accomplishes His purposes and moves the mountains when they need moving and leaves them where they are when they serve His purposes. His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours. Again it comes down to having faith in God. I am referring to a deep seated trust in the darkest of nights, the most confusing of circumstances and the hardest of times.
I have spent the better part of the last twenty years walking by faith. It has been a hard road. The trials never stop. They are relentless. I no more than see God answer one prayer and move one mountain than I look down the path and there is another one standing in my way bigger than the last one. It is wearisome at times. It is only wearisome because there are times when I choose not to have faith in God and try to figure it out for myself. I have become adept at praying prayers with my solutions attached and trying to convince God to do it my way which He never does. He knows what He is doing and does not need my help.
Today I sit looking at another mountain. It is big and there is no way around it. I have no answers or solutions. The truth is I have been forced to learn to walk by faith. It has not been my choice most of the time. I have faced numerous mountains that left me no other choice but to cry out to the Mountain Mover for help in faith. In His time and in His way He comes through. I am often amazed, always humbled, and awed by the power and creativity of God in moving my mountains.
What mountain or mountains are you facing today? Do you have faith in God? I am not referring to some sentimental feelings but rather rock solid conviction that God is your Mountain Mover. That is what I believe because I have no other options or choices. He has put many mountains in my path to strengthen my faith and to bring more glory to Him. I can promise you that if I had not experienced first hand the power of God I would be one of the first to cry foul and testify that Christianity is a farce. In integrity I cannot do that. God has, does, and will continue to be my mountain mover.
Today I am going to relax, ask the Mountain Mover to come to my aid, and sit back and wait on Him to intervene. I don’t know how it will happen or even when it will come to pass but I know God will move my mountain. Trust Him today to move yours as well.

The Chair

I noticed the chair from a distance. It was rather worn from use. A friend asked me to sit in the chair but I politely declined because this was no ordinary chair. It was a special chair and I did not feel worthy to sit in it. Instead I found another seat at a small table and contented myself sitting there. I could not help but to look over at the special chair from time to time though. The chair was set apart, not like other chairs. I sat freely in other chairs in that room but I could not feel liberty to sit in that one chair.
Over the course of time I came back to that location where the chair remained. I often walked in the room where it was located and stared at it. Various people at different times encouraged me to sit in it but it never felt right to me. That specific chair carried a great weight of significance, dignity, honor, and responsibility; none of which I felt worthy of. Though I was intrigued by the chair I never sat in it.
I woke up yesterday morning and decided that was the day I was going to step out of my comfort zone and walk up to that chair and rest my body in it. Let me play the scene out for you. I walked into an interior room located next to the room with the chair and was immediately greeted by a friendly face. We talked and I actually stayed there for awhile sitting in another chair. Finally I announced my intenions to go sit in the special chair. I arose and walked into the next room reaching up to flip up the light switch. Once the light illuminated the room I saw the chair that had so long intrigued me but was off limits to me.
I walked somewhat nervously across the room but excited at the same time toward the chair. A flood of emotions went through my mind. I thought of others who had sat in that same chair. I thought of the significance of that moment as I strolled up next to the chair. I thought of everything that had transpired in my life to even bring me to that particular moment in time. Without any fanfare I simply sat down. What a moment that will forever be etched in my mind.
A precious lady named Marcie witnessed the whole event and commented that I looked like I belonged in that chair. You see, I am referring to the chair behind the desk in the pastor’s office at FBC Seminole. I did and do belong in that chair for I have followed God’s call on my life with reckless abandon. It is just an ordinary desk chair well worn on the arms from scraping up against the desk. It was not the chair itself that kept me from sitting in it but what the chair represented.
Jase tried to get me to sit in it when I preached the Disciple Now back in April but I refused. It was not my place. I was looking for a quiet place to pray and he ushered me to the pastor’s office. I chose to sit at the small conference table rather than at the desk. I reasoned that my chair back in the Paradise office was where I belonged.
After months of wrestling Brenda and I drove to Seminole for a formal interview. We were escorted through the church facilities and once again I saw that chair. Though I was tempted to see what the view was like from there I again refused. It was not right for me to recline in that chair even if it was only for a few moments. My chair was back in Paradise. You know the rest of the story. We prayed, Seminole pursued, God spoke, and we followed by faith.
This weekend I was once again at FBC Seminole this time to be voted on to be the new pastor of the church. It was a whirl wind weekend. On Sunday morning I was in the office after the men’s breakfast I spoke at. I was once again looking for a quiet place to pray and meditate and the suggestion was made to go into the pastor’s office but I again declined because I was not the pastor.
After the vote and an afternoon rest, I returned to the church early before the start of the evening service as the newly called pastor. I had every intention of walking into that new office and taking my seat in the chair I had never sat in before but it was not to be. I was met by the chairman of deacons and his wife and we struck up a conversation that lasted until only moments before the start of the evening service.
Yesterday morning I declared my intentions to go into the office for a few moments before we drove back to Paradise. When I finally sat in that chair it really sunk in that I was the pastor of that church. My whole life has changed. I rolled up the chair to the large desk after pulling out my lap top computer. My first official act as pastor seated in the chair was to write a blog entitled “Tour de Seminole.”
This morning I am seated in a different chair. A familiar chair. This is the same chair I sat in when we founded No Compromise Ministries back in 1998. I traveled all over the United States preaching revivals, retreats, youth camps, and rallies. I sat in this same chair to write the books Swimming in the Bathtub, Only Believe, Elijah’s Cry, and Life on the Altar. This is the same chair I sat in to study for sermons and plan the new church plant CentrePointe Community Church. Now this chair sits in my home in Paradise and will soon be transported to Seminole where I have written numerous blogs and continued to study for messages for the flock at Paradise. I will do that one more time.
There is a new chair beckoning me to come and pull aside from the distractions and busyness of this world to come and meet with God. There is a chair waiting for me to be very spot where I will meet with God in the secret place and pour out my soul for both the Seminole and Paradise communities. In that chair I will sit before the Lord seeking His direction for the church and for my life. In that hallowed chair I will write new blogs, books, and articles to minister to the hearts of people all over the world. In that chair I will crack open the sacred scriptures for my own personal devotions as well as to feed the flock at Seminole. In that sacred chair I will dream God’s dreams and by faith believe them to become reality.
To those of you reading this you may think I am a little off my rocker making such a big deal out of a chair. Please do not misunderstand what I am trying to say. On the surface that chair is just a well worn average office chair. My fascination is not so much with the physical chair as much as it is with what the chair represents. That chair represents my “secret place” to meet with God. [Matt 6:6] That alone makes that chair holy, consecrated, and sacred. If by chance you ever happen to see the chair or even a new chair in that same office, know what it means. That will be the place where the Lord meets with this pastor and transforms his mind and heart through the scriptures and divine encounters.
I will not sit in that chair again until next Monday, August 24th, 2009. I yearn to meet with the Lord in that secret place. Let me end this with a brief challenge. Where is your secret place? Do you have a chair? If not, why not make that a high priority and set aside a chair or a couch or any place that you designate, “This is where I meet with God.” Make meeting with Him your regular habit. Like the hymn says, “The joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known.”

Tour de Seminole

The past few days have been a blur. We left Paradise last Thursday at 6:01 a.m. for the six hour drive to Seminole. Since then we have been meeting people, sharing meals, meeting with various groups within the church, looking for houses, discussing the future of FBC Seminole, enrolling the boys in school, and of course getting to worship and preach at FBC.
The church voted yesterday morning to call me as pastor with a 99% vote. It is my understanding there was only one person who voted against us. After a lunch at church and greeting church members I was exhausted more emotionally than physically. I pulled out my old bike and to take a little Tour de Seminole. I rode through residential areas, down long deserted roads, past cotton fields, and into the West Texas wind. It was hot here yesterday but no matter how hard I pedaled I could not sweat. Normally on a twelve mile ride I would be soaked but not out here. I prayed, meditated, and let it all sink in.
God has continued to speak to me from His word about this call on my life. I have been reading through the book of Matthew this week and God has been speaking to me clearly. I know I am called to be the pastor of FBC Seminole. I have often talked about what God did on my end to call me here but to hear what the Lord did in the hearts of the people here just confirms this even more. I will miss the people at Paradise but know the same God who has lovingly protected them and guided them all these years will continue to do the same. I have been so blessed to share my life with that church for the past four years. It has been a wonderful adventure.
Later on today we will be traveling back to Paradise for our last week there. It will be bitter sweet. I dread more tears but relish the thought of making more memories with people who have blessed my family over and over again. Yet, the time has come to start looking forward and as we did our Tour de Seminole over this past weekend we felt love, support, and heard many stories about how people had prayed for our family and for the Paradise church.
God moved in the Seminole church powerfully in both services. I took in the time I shared with them. I remember letting my fingers run across the beautiful hand made wooden pulpit. I looked up across the sea of faces while they were opening their bibles noticing the young and old people alike, more people than this church has seen in a long while by what I was told, and let the moment become imprinted on my mind. I enjoyed that time. I saw hungry people for the word of God in both services and saw people respond to the Lord during the invitation. It was a great day. There was joy, challenge, tears, and conviction from the Lord even though I did not have my microphone turned on during the morning service. The sound people were not too happy with me. We got it worked out for the evening service and I found my way back into their good graces.
God has appointed my family to come and serve here. I do not fully understand it but standing in the pulpit yesterday was right. I was not nervous and preached from the book of Haggai. One older gentleman commented that he would not have preached that message if he had been looking for a job. That is it. I was not looking for a job but rather following a calling from the Lord. Another man commented that I preached like I did not want the job. Again, I was not looking for a job but as I have sought to do through my Christian life I was and still am looking to follow God.
My little bike ride helped to mentally digest all that has happened in my life. I am leaving a people and a place I love dearly to an unfamiliar town and people I am just beginning to get to know. I am leaving Paradise to follow God to Seminole and this weekend the Tour de Seminole officially began. I trust that it will be a great ride.

Headed West

It is 4:29 a.m. In thirty one minutes I will be getting the boys up and loading the last of the luggage into my truck. We plan to be on the road by 6:00 a.m. as we follow God west to Seminole. The past week has been emotionally exhausting. There have many tears, well wishes, arguments for us to reconsider, and God’s guidance through the scriptures. We are called to head west. West Texas is home to dust storms, flat ground, sensational sunsets, wonderful people, but more importantly for me it is the home of my destiny.
Soon Brenda, the boys, and I will be pulling out of our drive way onto hwy 114 headed east until we get to FM 51 where we will drive to Weatherford and then connect with I-20 headed west. The boys are dealing with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty about the move. Tanner is more excited because he has been there before. He even remembers a couple of friends he made during our trip there in April. Taylor and Tucker really do not know what to expect. I am so proud of their attitudes about this move. They are committed to following God even though it hurts them to leave their friends.
Some seven and a half hours from now I hope to be rolling into Seminole or be very near there. We will enroll the boys into school this afternoon and later on this evening begin a few days of meeting new people and house shopping. It will be a whirlwind next few days filled with God encounters.
It has not gotten any easier to leave teary eyed beloved sheep in Paradise. The overwhelming majority have been supportive. Some think we are making a terrible mistake. All seem to be grieving on some level over this. I received an email from one of our fire fighters who could not sleep and sent me words of love and support at 2:00 a.m. Last night I taught my third to last time here in Paradise. These people love God’s word. Nobody said following God would be easy.
When we head west we are doing so believing that people in Seminole crave God’s word too. We believe that people in west Texas really want to follow God like we have been called to follow God. I have spent my last couple of days in my prayer time asking God to grant me His vision for FBC Seminole. He hasn’t revealed anything specific to me as of yet but I believe my calling is to west Texas and in time God will show me what He is up to.
In a giant leap of faith we are headed west today. I feel the tug on my heart to go west while also feeling the tug on my heart to express my love to all the people in Paradise who have touched our lives on so many levels over the past four years. In a way it has felt like a tug of war in my soul. I rest in the truth that the God of Paradise is also the God of Seminole. North, South, East, or West, God rules sovereignly over the whole universe.
Today I am called to travel west to follow the Lord. Over the next days, months, and years that calling to follow God might lead me north again for mission work in Canada, or East to Asia to labor for the master on a mission trip to that region. I might be called to travel south to serve the Savior. I am called to follow. Today that means that I am headed west. I am grateful that God will travel with me. He is already at work and dwells in Seminole and will continue to lovingly watch over the people in Paradise.
I grew up in deep east Texas with Pine trees, humidity, ribbon cane syrup, the Lufkin Panthers, and my home place of worship Denman Avenue Baptist Church. I am trading all of that to move further west to vast fields, flat land, wind, friendly folks, and Taco Villa. I am a fan of Taco Villa. I plan on having lunch there today.
Seriously though, if we are committed to being Christ followers we must be willing to follow Him anywhere to do anything. I have preached that message relentlessly. [Matt 16:24]. Now it is time to practice what I preach. It is time to head west.
Now it is 4:51 a.m. It is almost time to rouse my family from their slumber, to finish loading, and turn our steering wheels to head west. See you Seminole in a few hours.

Do Not Worry

That phrase is repeated three times in [Matt 6:25-34]. There is no lack of things that can cause us stress and anxiety in this world. Caring for aging parents can be a cause of anxiety. Losing jobs can cause a person to worry. Raising children can be a cause of worry. Back to school expenses can be another stress point in people’s lives. There are multiple things we can worry about in this life.
The word worry has several different meanings. It means to be anxious, to be troubled with cares, or to have distracting cares. How many of you have trouble sleeping at night because of your anxious thoughts. I battled this myself for a couple of months. How many of you are distracted from your responsibilities because of the heavy load you are carrying in your mind. How many of you are consumed with thoughts about your troubles that drain the mental and physical energy you have.
Worry is a choice on our part. This morning as I was having my devotion time reading through the book of Matthew I was hit between the eyes with the whole not worrying thing. As Brenda and I prepare for our move to Seminole there are so many details weighing on our minds. Moving is never fun and one of the great stress points we have is that we do not have a place to live yet.
My anxious heart was comforted by [Matt 6:31-34]. “Do not worry then saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
What really impacted me out of those verses was the phrase, “your heavenly Father knows that you need all those things.” I rested in that truth and as I rested in it, worry exited my mind. God knows what you need and what I need. He knows the loads we carry and the stress points in our lives. His knowing is more than just being aware. He is concerned and He is involved. He does more than identify our problems. He troubleshoots and solves our problems.
I am resting in the peace of knowing that He has a house for my family in Seminole, TX. I do not know where or how but this is another one of those exciting opportunities to behold the faithfulness of God. The stage is being set for God to work in our lives. You and I can pull up a chair and watch in faith as God moves, intervenes, works, and astounds. Or we can take our seats and miss God’s display of power and His outpouring of comfort and strength because we are distracted with our cares and troubled about how we can fix things.
I am choosing to watch in faith. I am on edge of my seat anticipating what the Lord will do next and strangely though my circumstances have not changed one bit but I am at peace. God knows my troubles and He is able to handle all that distracts my heart. I have a peace that defies human logic. [Phil 4:6-7] This peace is available to any child of God who will wait in faith and rest in the hope that God knows what we need and what we face.
He is so faithful. Over a month ago we were a one car family. God heard my prayers and when the timing was right He astounded me with His power and provision. Out in my drive way sits a miracle truck. In fact, as we were driving home from church last night one of Tanner’s friends who was spending the night with us commented that it was the first time he had ridden in the truck. I told him that he was riding in a miracle.
I leave you with this thought. God’s resources are unlimited. His power is inexhaustible. His wisdom is inscrutable. The depths of His love are unsearchable. With that knowledge today why worry. Leave it with the Lord and let His peace rule in your heart making no room for anxiety.

Blessed Is He Who Does Not Stumble

[Matt 11:6] “Blessed is he who does not stumble on account of Me.”


John the Baptist was in a dark dungeon and doubts were clouding his thoughts about who Jesus really was. In his state he sent people to ask Jesus if He really was the Expected One or if he should be looking for someone else who would be the Messiah.
Jesus’ response is not what you and I would expect. He talks about the blind seeing, the lame walking, the lepers being cleansed, the dead raised to life, and the poor having the gospel preached to them. Then He makes this perplexing statement, “Blessed is he who does not stumble on account of Me.” Some translations use the word offense instead the word stumble. The word means to be tripped up, or ensnared.
What concerns you and I today in our present situations is can we trust God and will we continue to follow Him when we do not understand what He is doing. In John’s discouraged position when he wanted Jesus to declare His being the Messiah, Jesus in essence says, “Will you follow Me even when you do not understand Me and my ways seem to trip you up.” Isaiah puts it a little differently. Isaiah prophesies, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts’, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” [Is 55:8-9]
Many times in the course of this life God does mysterious things that seem not to make sense when we look at it from our perspective but from God’s vantage point He sees things differently. He has Sovereign purposes in all He does. What He requires of us is our absolute trust. Do I trust Him when my obedience hurts and hurts those all around me? Will I be blessed and happy because I choose to trust Him when what He is doing might trip me up and cause me to stumble?
We love following God when the path is littered with rose petals instead of thorns. We love trusting God when it leads to a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but are more hesitant when it leads to the cross. It’s interesting how God’s dungeons can bring out the truth in our hearts and minds. Those secret doubts, private fears, and nagging questions that assault of faith and wear down our faith.
Many of you have been tripped up by Jesus. You cannot make heads or tails out of what He is doing or not doing. You have a couple of choices. You can quit trusting and quit serving out of anger and frustration. This will only turn out bad for you. On the other hand, you can trust even though you cannot see and darkness of your dungeon hides the work of God’s hands.
From real life experiences I have chosen to trust Him. I do not understand why a church we spent over four years trying to plant and grow in East Texas eventually died. I don’t understand why after four of the best years of my life and ministry God would uproot me and take me from people I love. I only know this, I trust Him even when I do not understand His purposes. Though I have been tripped up from time to time I still trust He knows what He is doing and what He is doing is best.
My destiny is in Seminole, TX. Some have been tripped up over that including Brenda and I at different times. We now know beyond doubt now that is where God has purposed us to follow Him. Though much is unknown, knowing that we are in the center of His will is enough for now. Many details remain to be worked out. There are a few loose ends to wrap up in Paradise but Seminole is our new ministry post. I do not doubt that. I may not understand it but I will follow Him.
I am not asking any of you to do something I have not been willing to do myself. I have been forced to trust and follow a God who caused me to stumble on several occasions. Every time I have followed Him despite the confusion, the pain, and the fear, He has proven faithful. Like a line in an old song I once heard says, when you can’t see God’s hand moving trust God’s heart. His will is best even though His will can be difficult.
I am choosing to love, to serve, to follow, and to pursue a mysterious God who wills things at times that might trip me up and cause me to stumble. I know from experience that the path He calls me to walk is not always easy but it is fulfilling. I have encountered His power, witnessed His abundant miracles, and been transformed by the trials He ordained for me. I have also been blessed beyond measure and matured in the faith when I followed Him even though to do so did not make sense to those around me.
God has called me to Seminole. There are miracles waiting, a new vision to receive from the Lord, new people to love and shepherd, and two churches for God to bless; one I have loved with all my heart these past four years and one I am learning to love even as I write this. I will follow the Jesus who at times may cause me to stumble but in the end will always prove faithful. [I Thess 5:24]

Tour de Paradise

These past three days have been very emotional. Tears have fallen freely. Everywhere we have gone we keep running into people who are grieving along with us about moving from Paradise. Most have been shocked. Some are mad, others admire our willingness to follow God, and there are some who think we are making a huge mistake and we are not following God’s will. Some feel betrayed while the majority have expressed love and appreciation for the time we had together.
Yesterday I just wanted to get away from it all. I was emotionally drained, tired of crying and thinking. Turner wanted to go on a bike ride but I had my doubts that he could really make it. He wanted to ride from our house to the high school and elementary school and then to the church. We filled some water bottles, donned hats, riding gloves, and sun shades and mounted our bikes for a mini Tour de Paradise.
I was amazed watching my six year old son pedal. His bike was much smaller and he had to work twice as hard as I did, but he not only kept up, often he was in the lead. He yelled with enthusiasm when we coasted down steep hills and did not quit pedaling when we had to climb other ones. When he got tired we stopped briefly and drank water. We ended up at the elementary school where we stopped in the shade and sat out on a bench to talk and to rest. I enjoyed the memories we made yesterday. It was the break I needed from the emotional drama of the past few days. When it was all said and done little Turner and I rode about five miles on one trip and later on in the day we rode another seven miles. Like I said earlier I was amazed watching my youngest son pedal and keep the pace with his daddy and oldest brother. Six years old and twelve miles. Did I mention I was proud of him.
As we toured around Paradise we stopped at a garage sale to talk with some church members. Tears welled up again as we reminisced about the past four years. We rode around the old familiar sanctuary and youth house of FBC Paradise. Memories flooded my mind about good days and great moves of God we have shared there. We rode around all the new construction at the schools and I was saddened somewhat that my boys will never see the inside of those buildings which are all supposed to be completed before the start of school.
At one point during our ride Turner had a little crash because he kept looking behind him instead of focusing on what was ahead. He scraped his knee a little but was undaunted and wanted to keep riding. There is a lesson there for me.
Over these past few days my family has spent nearly every waking hour consoling hurting friends and church members. This has been done around dining tables, in living rooms, in the church sanctuary, at cafes, and over the phone and internet. I have seen grown men cry without shame. We have looked back at all we have shared, experienced, and felt over these past four years. While that is part of the grieving process for all of us, I am challenged that I need to start focusing on what lies ahead.
There is a church in far West Texas who has been diligently seeking the heart and mind of God about who would be their next pastor for close to a year and a half. I was invited to preach in that very church last April for a Disciple Now weekend. None of us could have known then what that weekend was going to mean for that church and for my family. Through hundreds of hours of prayer and scripture reading, both FBC Seminole and my family have felt the Lord calling us to unite together.
I have dreamed about the time I will stand in the pulpit of FBC Seminole in a week. I have planned out the first few moments. I want to stand there for a brief time looking out over the sea of faces and I want to take in that experience. I want to remember the faces, remember the feel of the wooden pulpit to my fingers, the text from the Old Testament book of Haggai I will be preaching from, the suit and tie I will be wearing, the worship songs we will have just sung, where Brenda and the boys will be sitting, and take it all in. I want to imprint that experience on my heart and mind never to be forgotten. I want to digest every little detail about that first Sunday and recall the move of God.
I can recall that in Paradise. I preached from Job 1:1-21 on the last Sunday in May of 2005. I had not preached regularly behind a pulpit for two and a half years but taught from a recliner in my living room much of that time. I wore a black suit with a black tie and a white shirt and recall for just a brief moment standing at the pulpit taking it all in. There was so much unknown as I looked out over the sparsely filled sanctuary. There were about seventy people in all if I recall correctly. Contrast that with this past Sunday when the crowd swelled to over 200 for worship. Many times during the middle of the week I have walked through the Paradise sanctuary mounted the steps to the pulpit and stood behind the sacred desk visualizing all the faces of the people I have come to love and treasure so deeply. I have tried to never take this church for granted.
I eagerly look forward to doing the same in Seminole. I look forward to a new office where I will meet with God in prayer and the study of the scriptures. That office will be my secret place [Matt 6:5-7]. I look forward to new blogs about new encounters I will have with God in West Texas and dust storms. I look forward to meeting new people, getting to know a new flock, dreaming God’s dreams for Seminole [Prov 29:18], and planting roots in the deep Seminole soil. I look forward to watching the Indians play football on Friday nights, getting to know new teachers and coaches, and becoming familiar with West Texas sun rises and sun sets. I look forward to following God in this new adventure. There is much to look forward to.
Soon Turner and I will trade our Tour de Paradise for a Tour de Seminole. We will ride up and down the residential streets of an unfamiliar town. Tuner will never know what our little bike ride did for me. I needed it. I guess I am a bit nostalgic. Everywhere we rode yesterday there were memories. Great memories! We will never forget Paradise.
This morning I will worship at FBC Paradise and stand in the pulpit of that wonderful church to preach for my second to last Sunday morning. As my Tour de Paradise comes to an end I want to cherish every memory, enjoy conversations, love deeply, and thank God for the best four years I have ever had in my life as well as my ministry.
While I do that, there is also a part of me that is looking ahead to the new call of God on my life. There is much unknown about the future. We have no place to live, know so few people, but our Father will faithfully take care of every single detail. What a great ride the Tour de Paradise was. I by faith expect nothing less on the Tour de Seminole.

Tears

It is 3:39 a.m. and I can’t sleep. As I sit here tears are streaming down my cheeks and there is an ache in my soul that I cannot describe. Yesterday I did one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Through out the day I had to look into the eyes of people I love to tell them that I was resigning as pastor of FBC Paradise to follow God’s new call on my life. It felt like my heart was wrenched.
I wept unashamedly as I talked with our church and individuals. Tears flowed freely as Brenda and I sat down in our living room and told the boys yesterday afternoon about 4:00 p.m. I know in my mind that we are obeying God but my heart aches and watching my boys hurt yesterday was pain worse than stab wounds from a knife.
After months I finished teaching the book of Revelation last night and then informed the church that I was resigning effective August 23rd. Everyone was shocked and one precious lady came and hugged me and kept asking God why. Even now I cannot stop the tears. If I had been a professional pastor who kept my distance and performed the expected pastoral duties leaving would be easier. I did not do that. I loved my flock and still do. Brenda and I gave our entire selves to this church and to this community.
One senior adult lady told me she thought I would be here to do her funeral. Another man thought we would be growing old together. Most people were supportive and several prayed for us. I came home and wept off and on throughout the night. The boys have seen me cry but not often. They need to know that I love Jesus and will follow Him even when it hurts. I see the hurt in them and have begged God to not put us through this again. When I got out of bed to sit at this computer awhile I ago there were two emails from people that opened the floodgate of tears all over again.
The pain comes because we love so deeply. The tears do not mean that we are not excited about the future and a new ministry. It only means that when we leave part of our souls will be left here. I will always hold a special place in my heart for these precious wonderful people.
I tried to put to rest any ideas that Paradise did something wrong and that is why we are leaving. The truth is they did things right. They loved me. They prayed for me. They encouraged me. They blessed me with gifts and acts of kindness. They learned. They walked by faith. They followed God. They grew and matured and made me love being the pastor here. No pastor could ever ask for a better church than I had the privilege of serving the past four years. While other pastor bemoaned their churches I did not. I sought to never take them for granted.
The Psalmist wrote, “You have taken account of my wanderings; put my tears in your bottle; are they not in your book.” [Ps 56:8] God keeps records of our tears. He knows the pain, the anguish, and at times the joy that is accompanied with each one. Only in eternity will the depths of my love for the Paradise flock be truly revealed. When words fail me tears tell the true story. God is storing the tears from a church family who are in shock and confusion. God is storing the tears for four little boys who are leaving their best friends to follow God to an unknown church and school. God is storing up the tears for my wife and her family who has enjoyed us living forty five minutes away but now will be separated by five and a half hours. God does not waste tears. Every drop is collected and stored. Every grief, sorrow, pain, heartache, and confusion has been gathered.
I am grieving as I know the flock is grieving and my family is grieving. These are hard days but following God sometimes leads us across some thorny paths. While I grieve over this church, God is stirring affections for a new flock I do not even know yet. For months my heart has been in a tug of war as I prayed and sought the will of the Lord. I already feel a pull and draw to this new flock. I feel a connection and an irresistible attraction to love, serve, and preach the truth to them. In time, I will grow to love them and prayerfully they will grow to love me and my family as well.
It will be difficult to walk away from Paradise but the thrill and the adventure of following God beckons me to a new assignment. Relationships will be forged. Eventually the tears will dry and fresh experiences with God will triumph. I am already seeking the Lord for vision for God’s call on my life but for yesterday and today and for many days in the future I will grieve and tears will continue to fall. More emails and conversations will ensue which will open the dam of fresh tears and more grief.
My life and my family have been blessed and enriched by these Paradise years. Over the next few days as words fail me and I fumble to express myself, when my vocabulary cannot grasp the words needed to express my love and gratitude for a flock who gave me four years I will never forget; when words are not enough tears will have to do.

Will You Follow Him

Those were the last words in a book I just recently finished entitled The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun. It is the story of a Chinese pastor and the intense persecution he endured serving Christ in the house church movement.
He was imprisoned on four different occasions. He had pins driven underneath his fingernails, was beaten repeatedly with electric batons, at times those electric batons were put in his mouth, and he was laid in human waste and urinated on by other prisoners. His legs were beaten so severely that he could not use them until the day God miraculously healed them. He did not see his son until he was already four years old because Yun was in prison.
When Brother Yun was not in prison he was busy preaching in different house churches and running and hiding from the Public Security Bureau. His pictures were posted all over the province and Yun lived life on the run as a wanted criminal. During his first few several years of marriage he spent as much time separated from his wife as he did with her.
The Heavenly Man is a very challenging and inspiring book. I got to the last page and the last sentence and here is was is written, “Will you follow Him?” There is a great deal in the Bible about following God or following Jesus. I Sam 12:14, Matt 4:19-20, Matt 16:24. Brother Yun has committed his life to follow Jesus anywhere and to do anything. Currently he does not live in China anymore but is open to the fact that God might call him to go back.
I have chewed on several things from that book. The most profound is that Brother Yun’s willingness to follow Jesus has cost his family dearly. His wife and two children have often suffered in poverty while he was in prison. They too have had to be on the run from Public Security Bureau. Once, he and his wife were imprisoned at the same time. His son was teased and picked on in schools because of Yun’s imprisonment. Yun’s two children have spent much of their childhood without their father around and at one point at to be relocated away from both their father and mother for protection.
Do I have the courage to follow Jesus anywhere and to do anything even it means it might cost Brenda and the boys for me to be obedient. At this point I would say yes. I live my life to follow Him. That can be an unsettling decision. When you commit to follow Jesus we are no longer in control and we no longer steer the direction of our lives.
Yet reading this fascinating book, which was like reading a modern day version of the book of Acts, pushes me to ready to follow the Lord no matter what. My life is not my own for I have been bought with a price [I Cor 6:19-20] and I am a bond slave of Jesus Christ. Following the Lord has meant intense persecution for millions of believers so who do I think I am that following Christ might not mean some persecution and some hard times for me as well. Read this carefully. Sometimes the Lord will lead us to follow Him to danger, risk, and way out of our comfort zones. Many never follow there.
I have this feeling that at some point in my life following God will mean following Him on short term mission trips to some of the most dangerous places in the world. I also know that it will mean following Him to love people whom others have forgotten and neglected. Following Him means I will continually be challenged to believe Him for impossible things. Following Him will mean to live a life of faith and it will mean that at times my obedience may cost my wife and children. The truth is that it already has on numerous occasions. Is Jesus worth all of that?
Yes and a thousand times over yes. I have been saved by grace [Eph 2:8-9], redeemed by the blood of the lamb [Rom 5:9], and set free from the chains of sin and rescued from the wrath of God [Rom 2:4-5]. Why would I not be willing to follow Him? The life of any believer should be like a huge game of follow the leader. You remember that game played when we were children. Somebody was chosen to be the leader and the rest of us would fall in line behind the leader and go and do what they did. That is exactly what we are to do in our relationship with Jesus. We must fall in line behind Him and go where He goes and do what He does. I end this blog with the same question that was posed at the end of the book. Will you follow Him?

Rebellion on the High Seas

It was nothing short of rebellion and defiance that led a passenger aboard a ship. God had spoken but Jonah rebelled. He thought he could run from the presence of the Lord. There are many people who think the same thing today. Honestly, where on the face of this earth can you run and hide from the presence of God? “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night.’ Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. [Ps 139:7-12]
We cannot run from God. Our rebellion will bring negative consequences especially if we are children of God. We will experience His chastisement. [Heb 12:4-11] His discipline is the very proof that He loves us and wants what is best for our lives. That chastisement may not feel like love. God sent a great wind and storm to get Jonah’s attention which nearly broke up the whole ship. God wants and demands our obedience and when we choose to rebel we will find the Lord taking us to the woodshed so to speak.
Jonah was down in the hull of the ship sleeping while others were panicked. His heart was hard and he was oblivious to the fact that God was seeking to get his attention. The same thing happens today. God uses scriptures, people, and circumstances to chastise His children who are defiant and resistant to His will. Many people stiffen their neck and continue to endure the discipline of the Lord rather than submit to surrender to His will. They never seem to connect the negative consequences afflicting them with their own rebellion against God.
We are fooling ourselves if we think that our rebellion does not affect other people. Jonah’s rebellion on the high seas impacted every other person on that ship. When we choose to disregard the will of the Lord and revolt against His wishes our choices impact others in our family, people we go to church with, as well as people in the community. God takes obedience very seriously.
How many people have been negatively impacted by the sin of others? All of us are feeling the impact of Adam and Eve’s choice to rebel. Families are torn apart because of people’s rebellion. I received an email from a girl who attended camp last week at Panama City where I was preaching. She relayed the heart wrenching details of family problems. One person’s choices are impacting the rest of the family in a bad way. One of the young men who was saved at camp last week told me about his physical abuse by a rebellious father. He no longer has much contact with the father but the pain lingers and the emotional wounds have not healed though the physical wounds have.
Wake up. When we choose not to obey God we are inviting harsh times in our lives. There are no excuses for our rebellion. We can’t talk our way out of it like we did making excuses for late or missed homework assignments or getting out of a speeding traffic violation. God demands our compliance and if we choose to rebel we will be dealt with.
In the first chapter of Jonah something amazing occurs. The sailors and captain of the ship urge Jonah to call on his God to save them. When the sailors drew lots to see on whose account the storm was the lot fell to Jonah. You would think at that point that he would bow in repentance and ask the Lord forgiveness along with willingly submitting to obey. No. Instead Jonah wants to be thrown overboard into the storm, which most likely would have killed him rather than obey. How could he have been so hard hearted? All you have to do is to look deep into our own hearts for on occasions we have all been like Jonah.
We may not have rebelled on things like going to some foreign country to preach God’s truth but we defy God in other small ways. Even when convicted and chastised we can be hard hearted and continue to defy God.
I love the way the first chapter ends. Jonah is thrown overboard and the storm ceases. I figure Jonah was prepared to die except for the grace and mercy of the Lord. God appoints a great fish which swallows Jonah whole. Jonah preferred death to obedience but God had other plans in mind. His grace is greater than our sin. [Rom 5:20]
I hope all of us can learn a lesson from Jonah’s rebellion on the high on seas. It is in our best interest and in the best interest of those we love to submit to God’s will and to obey. Like the old song says, “Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”

Storms, Delays, and Missed Assignments

When I woke up this past Monday it was to thunderstorms outside. Though I was grateful for the rain we have been praying for I was apprehensive knowing I had a mid morning flight to Panama City, FL where I was scheduled to preach four nights at a youth camp. I had no idea what kind of day was in store for me when I pulled out of my drive way around 8:00 a.m.
We had smooth driving until we got into Grapevine. We hit bumper to bumper traffic at this time and driving came to a grinding halt. We barely covered two miles in thirty minutes. I was not concerned because we had left extra early to get Turner to the dentist after Brenda dropped me off at DFW airport. I still had a couple of hours to spend before my flight left or so I thought. I had no idea what kind of day I would be facing.
The storms delayed my flight for over an hour and a half which in turn delayed my causing me to miss my connecting flight in Memphis, TN. I was rerouted to Atlanta where I would connect with a flight going to Panama City. My new flight itinerary would not get me in Panama City until after the worship service was supposed to start. We called to rearrange the worship service time but I encountered another delay waiting to take off.
I had trouble getting a rental car once I finally landed in Panama City and ended up having to call the camp director to tell him that now I would not make the back up time for the worship service either. Someone had to be sent from the camp to get me which would take about twenty to thirty minutes one way. So from the time that I touched down in Florida until I arrived at the camp nearly an hour passed causing me to miss my preaching assignment. This has never happened. If I had traveled for one more hour that day I could have driven to Panama City in the same amount of time.
It was a frustrating day of delays and a missed preaching assignment. I spent a great deal of time asking the Lord why? I felt horrible. One thing I was reminded of is that we did not put near enough prayer into the planning of the camp. There were sound issues all week, one sponsor was put into the hospital, and several students were exposed to too much sun.
What life lesson can I take from that frustrating day? I persevered. With the Lord’s help I trudged through three airports and faced challenge after challenge. This also alerted me that if Satan was opposing us that strongly that God must have had a great work to do at that camp. He did.
Several students were introduced to the Lord. Hallelujah! Others were challenged and set free from sin. I had a lady walk up to me on the last morning of camp and reach into her purse without hardly any explanation and take out a pack of cigarettes and hand them to me telling me that she was convicted and was going to quit smoking and then turning to hug her daughter who had witnessed this whole scene. I had students talk to me about the abusive homes they live in. One young man told me about his father punching him in the gut with tears forming puddles in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. It was a powerful moment as I prayed for him.
The delays, the frustrations, and the devil could not stop God. Through persevering prayer we had a great camp. I am sitting in the airport waiting on my flight back home. I hope it goes smoother than the one to get here. Praise the Lord students were saved and kingdom was expanded despite, storms, delays, and a missed preaching assignment.