Finishing Strong in Jesus

[Phil 1:6]  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

            Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. We constantly battle the flesh and sinful desires that oppose God’s work in our lives. We have to navigate a tumultuous sea of emotions like anger, bitterness, depression, sorrow, and frustrations. On top of this there is the constant barrage of trials and troubles associated with daily life. There are financial pressures, relational problems with family and friends, sickness and disease, and heavy burdens oppressively bowing us to the ground. If that were not enough Christians often are forced to endure persecution  and then there is the never ending assaults of Satan .

            Have you ever been tempted to want to give up? Following Jesus is not the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance can lead to giving in to sin, to rejecting the path of righteousness, and giving up on God and his commandments.

            Church membership rolls are littered with the names of people who used to attend services, labor for the Lord, and love God but who have fallen away. They never darken the door of the church nor crack the dusty pages of a long neglected Bible. There are many reasons why. They all end in the same result. People just give up. They give up on God. They give up on their faith. They also give up on the church.

            There is debate about whether such people are truly saved in the first place. Some argue they were never truly converted in the first place. Others will say they are in a backslidden condition. I will leave that debate for another day.

            What I am most concerned with is the assurance that those followers of Jesus have this assurance. On the day we trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins for salvation, he did not redeem us and then leave us to our selves to do the best we could from then on. He began the work of salvation and continues the work of sanctification until the very end of our lives.

            To put it another way, once we became children of God through faith in Jesus, we were not left to work out our faith in our resources until the end of our lives. Jesus is our strength. He works in us and for us.

            Several years ago when I was just starting out in ministry things were not going well. I felt I had not been treated fairly by the church I served or by God. The frustrations mounted for months. Rather than things getting better they increasingly grew worse. Tensions at the church escalated until one day I found myself without a job. Door after door began to shut on another door of ministry.

            One day I quit. I quit on God. I quit on ministry. I quit on the church. I even quit on my Bible. Though I am ashamed it write this, truth is I took my Bible and flung it across the living room into a corner and shouted to God, “If this is how you treat those that serve you I don’t want to serve you anymore!”

            I did not pray. I quit. I gave up. My Bible remained crumpled in that corner. I sulked for days doubting God’s love for me. This all lasted for three days. After three days I could not stand it. In repentance I went over to pick up my Bible. I cried out to God to forgive me. In that moment God reminded me of his love for me. He restored me and though a door to a new ministry did not open for six months that did not mean God was not at work.

            In fact, now in hindsight, I see God worked to bring me to repentance. God worked to remind me of his love and faithfulness. God worked to restore me and to renew my hope. God worked to get me a job as a newly married man.

            I ended up getting a job as a stock clerk checking in merchandise for a major retail department store. Those six months were frustrating. God worked. Let me give you two examples. I never gave up on my desire to preach. Everyday for six months I cried out to God to open a door. I read books. I dreamed. In those days I new it was time to walk away from student ministry to start the pastoral ministry. I did not get to preach for six months. My desire and dreamed seemed so far out of reach but God was at work. 

            One of my responsibilities at the end of each day included taking out the trash for my job. When I took out the trash one afternoon I got mad. Real mad. Down in the bottom of the wastebasket were cigarette butts, used tissue paper, and spilled coke all stuck to the bottom. I had to reach down to rake out the bottom with my bare hand. In that moment angry thoughts flashed across my mind. I thought of all the hard work to finish college and for what? To be taking out the trash? In that moment I sensed God saying to me, “I am doing this to humble you.”

            Weeks later I was once again taking out the trash. The wind blew hard that day. A single piece of paper fell to the ground while I emptied the trash. When I reached down to pick it up the wind blew it further away. I walked toward it again and the wind blew it further away. I tried a third time and once again the wind blew the trash out of my reach. In frustration I walked away.

            When I returned to my trash container to my surprise the very piece of paper I had chased blew up against my shoe. When I reached down to pick it up once again I sensed God speaking to me, “Just like I brought this paper back to you If you quit chasing and lusting after the ministry and trust me I will bring it back to you.”

            That is exactly what happened months later. God opened a door for me to become a pastor of a small country church near my hometown.

            Don’t ever give up! I see how God used those months working in the stock room of that department store to teach me things I could have never learned in a classroom. He taught me about perseverance, about trust, and about patience. I learned humility and I learned to never take ministry for granted.

            God began his work of salvation in me at a football stadium in October of 1983. He continued to work in me in a stockroom in Weatherford, TX in 1993. He is working in my house in Runaway Bay, TX in 2014 as I write this today.

            God does not quit on us when we most need him. He will be there to our last breath. That is part of that good work he began in us and will be faithful to complete so we can finish strong.

            I often wonder what happens to those who once served God so faithfully but quit. Some were disillusioned by tragedies and the troubles of life. Some lost hope. Some were snared by sin and have been trapped in destructive behavior ever since. Others got mad at God and mad at life because of circumstances. I have this one hope. For those who were truly saved God is still working and will continue to work to the very end.  For that reason I can say don’t ever give up.

            There are incredibly tough stretches in life. There are times when giving up and quitting seems like a better option than finishing strong. God enables his own to finish strong.

            I know me. I know how many times I have felt like giving up in the past and how many times from time to time I still feel like giving up. Praise be to Jesus who does not give up on me or you in those tough seasons in life. By his strength we shall finish strong. I am thinking of a song now, “His love never fails, he never gives up on me.” For that reason I say again don’t ever give up. 

You Are Working

As the day dawns on this winter morn,
While some rejoice and others mourn,
I have no doubt you are still working,
Though the opposition is still lurking,
You listen to people's desperate pleas,
Of those bent by life on their knees,
You work to comfort those grieving,
And comfort those with spouse leaving,
You're at work to help the heavy hearted,
To renew those who have hope departed,
You at working in churches in the land,
Lending your sovereign helping hand,
You are working to reveal your word,
To strengthen in circumstances absurd,
You work to help the farmer plowing,
Who cries out for rain humbly bowing,
You help the heavy-laden lighten the load,
To help the weary get on down the road,
You help the preacher in his proclamation,
The missionaries laboring in foreign nations,
You help the persecuted endure the pain,
Received for preaching about your name,
You are working for the rich and the poor,
You are working today and forevermore,
So as this day dawns and starts to unfold,
I testify you're working - that must be told,
Listening, comforting, working your will,
While we wait and watch you're working still.

Strengthened

My three oldest boys are all excited this week. They were tested in athletics to see what their maximum lifts were on the bench press, incline press, and squats. Taylor hit two new personal records for bench press and incline press. Tanner had personal bests in his bench press and squats. Tucker beat his old bench press record and squat record too.

I am proud of each of them. They work extremely hard before and after school. I have tried to model working out as a way of life way past when their playing careers are over. At 47 I am no longer setting new personal lifting records. In fact, what I used to be able to lift thirty times I could only do seven times this morning. I am able to live with that.

We put so much emphasis on outer strength. We see a big burly guy with bulging biceps and we immediately classify him as strong. What about inner strength? I am referring to strength like enduring faith, maintaining hope, remaining calm in the middle of chaos, having internal peace, being renewed with joy, overcoming obstacles in life, and maintaining mental focus on what God says rather than what a person sees. All of these things are necessary to live.

In college God enabled me to be strong. I recall taking a weight lifting class. To get an "A" in the class I was supposed to bench press 225 pounds ten times. I ended up pressing 315 pounds 17 times. Yet that  has not helped me to get through the tough seasons of life.

Like when my mother got sick and died three months later. Like when I found myself out of ministry shortly after Brenda and I got married and out of work for a short season. Then there was the time when we tried to start a church and four years later it failed and disbanded. God did not open another door to serve in a church for eighteen months. There have been numerous times when the pressures of ministry; counseling, preaching, visiting hospitals, planning, and officiating at funerals were overwhelming. In all of those seasons I could not bench press way of out of those trials. I needed a different kind of strength. The kind you cannot find in the gym.

The kind of strength we need is found in the Holy Spirit in the inner man. [Eph 3:16] "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man." The word strengthened in this verse means to be "empowered and to be mighty." Some of the physically strongest people in the world can crumble emotionally. Stories abound about athletes unable to cope with life who killed themselves and or those of people they loved.

We need strength in the inner man than only is supplied by God through the Holy Spirit. My physical strength wanes a little more each year. I can be strengthened anew in my inner man until my dying breath. Even when the body turns feeble we can still be stronger than ever in our inner man with mighty faith, boldness, and peace through the Holy Spirit.

Now, let me ask you. Where are you putting all your energies and focus? Are you still trying to hold onto your youth through fitness and exercise. The outer man is perishing. It happens to all of us. I am not saying we should not work out. I am just saying we need to put more focus on strengthening the inner man as we seek God and yield to His work in our lives. Strong inner people are able to live well and to die well also.

I am proud of my three sons' accomplishments. They have worked hard and God has given them strength. I would rather a whole lot more they learn the power of being strengthened in their inner man for the battles of life that lay ahead for them. Prayer, scripture reading, scripture meditation, and scripture memorization are indispensable aids the Holy Spirit will use to strengthen all of us in our inner man.

Tenaciously Clinging

Sometimes it is so hard to press on in life,
When surrounded by pain, chaos, and strife,
It is hard to keep on fighting the good fight,
When puddles form from weeping in the night,
God has not forsaken you in your time of need, 
His promises are still true - they're still true indeed,
Though weary O brother and sister at this present time,
Keep pressing on until the bells of faith once again chime,
Build your life on the word a strong secure foundation,
When winds howl against you and there is no explanation,
It is time to summon courage where fear and doubt rages,
He's been faithful throughout history down through the ages,
Yesterday is gone and cannot be rewound or undone,
Tomorrow is not promised nor guaranteed to anyone,
We have today, to press on in endurance to trust the Lord,
We don't want what doubt brings and lack of faith affords,
So don't lose heart or grow weary in pressing on up ahead,
But rather tenaciously cling to God and His promises instead.

Everybody is Going Through Something

Everybody is going through something. I recently sat in a room with some other minister friends of mine. I do not use that word friends lightly. I know several ministers but am friends with only a few. As we sat around talking one by one each shared a problem or trial they are facing. I am talking about men in their late fifties down to thirties. Each one had a story to tell. Each one has something they are battling and trusting God to do for them. Each has a mountain they need God to move.

Around me this week I met with a family who lost their mother two days ago and step father three and a half weeks ago. I have another minister friend serving in a very difficult situation. I have another friend in ministry battling some health issues. I can think of at least two others who face financial difficulties every month.

Everybody is going through something. You are not alone in suffering. [I Pet 4:12] Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.

Some are suffering from illness. Some suffer in isolation. Some suffer silently while others want the world to know. Some people are being tried and tested in ways we could not imagine. Some press on in faith. Some give into despair.

What is the point today? Two things. First, open your eyes. You are not alone in enduring hardships. Everybody is up against something. Difficulties abound but so does the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. [Phil 4:7]

The second point today is to get your eyes off your own stuff so you can minister to someone else. I am about to drive to see a friend just diagnosed with something serious. I want to pray with him and encourage him. I am practicing what I am preaching to you.

Can you take some time today to turn your focus onto those suffering around you? Will you take some time to be an extension of the heart, hands, and mouth of Jesus for someone as you minister to them. I know you deal with your own stuff. It will be still be there most likely at the end of the day. If you can divert your mind from your own problems to those of others I am certain it will be a welcome relief if even for just a couple minutes or hours.

Lord, please open our eyes and hearts to those around us who need a fresh touch from you. Show who needs prayer, who needs encouragement, who needs a visit, text, phone call, or letter. In Jesus name, amen.

A New Day

Today is a new day. It is a fresh start. A chance to begin again. Today is a new day to seek and serve God. Today is a new day to choose the path of righteousness rather than the slippery slope of sin. Today is a new day to love and be loved. Today is a day to enjoy the little blessings all around us. A lunch date with a spouse. Watching the kids play. Seeing the majesty of God on display through creation. Today is a new day to open your Bible and discover old truths in fresh ways. This is the day the Lord has made I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT! [Ps 118:24]

My Strength

I woke up yesterday tired and weary,
The start to the day seemed dreary,
I willed myself up and out of bed,
To start my day with a sense of dread,
Something happened along the way,
A Jesus encounter changed the day,
He filled my heart with strength anew,
To do my duty with strength renewed,
He enabled me to labor in the field,
Where He produces the fruit of yield,
He renewed my mind to stay on task,
To do all that He requires and asks,
By dusk and the day's soon coming end,
Jesus is my strength to do it all over again.

Out of Darkness

Darkness engulfs and surrounds,
Where absence of light is found,
Wicked abides in the shadows,
Where Satan barks and bellows,
The darkness brings confusion,
Reality drifts into delusion,
The enemy has set his snare,
The sojourner best beware,
The darkness is ever lurking,
Where Christ is not working,
We must flee the darkness,
Also the painful harshness,
We must turn to the Light,
Only in Christ can we fight,
The temptation to give in,
To sinister evil and sin,
Instead of promised pleasure,
We're trapped beyond measure,
To Christ we must avail,
To rescue from sin and hell,
To Christ the glorious Light,
We must trust to give sight,
Out of the night into day,
Christ our help and way,
On Christ alone we stand,
Taking Him by the hand,
To lead us into the light,
Into joy out of the night.

Don't Ever Give Up

This is the latest book I have just started writing. I am including the introduction below to whet your appetite. I would appreciate any prayers in our direction as I undertake the task of writing this book. Writing any book is a great undertaking. I don't just want to put words on a page. I want God's anointing as I write and pray he would use the book to accomplish his purposes. Right now the title of the book is Don't Ever Give Up!

Introduction

            Have you ever felt like giving up? Have you ever been tempted to throw in the towel on your marriage, kids, career, and even your walk with God? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the challenges in life that quitting seemed like a better option than finishing?

            If you answered yes to any of those questions this might just be the book for you. In the pages ahead we will explore how to endure with faith in every phase of life. Some of the trials we face take the wind right out of our sails. Sometimes we do not think we can go through another day. The mental strength to drag ourselves out of bed to face another day of adversity evades us. The physical energy needed to make it through a fresh set of trials, heartaches, and disappointments wanes.

            We are not the first people to feel like giving up. We are not the first people to be pummeled by adversity driving us to the end of our resources. What we will discover in the pages ahead is that God has enabled people to endure life with faith against the dark back drop of anguish, afflictions, and adveristies. God has strengthened people to get back up after they were knocked down. We will be inspired by God as he worked through people to finish strong their races strongly.

            Two passages of scripture serve as the backdrop for this book. First, I love [Psalm 27:13-14] "I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord." I love those verses because they speak to grit. They call for endurance and patience. The King James version of the Bible uses the words long suffering for the word patience.

            Let’s face the facts. There are seasons of suffering to overcome and survive on life’s journey. We all face trials, set backs, obstacles, and the temptation to want to give up. This book is a call to press on. To persevere. To endure. To overcome. To get back up. To try again. To refuse to quit no matter what the odds are. If this is what you need I invite you to take this journey with me.

            The other passage is [Heb 12:1] "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great  a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with the endurance the race that is set before us." We all run different races. Some are easier and some are harder. God determines the course for each race of life. By faith we are called to trust him for the endurance to press on toward the finish line.

            What you will discover in the pages ahead is a little of my story. It has not been a smooth path without challenges. There have been many seasons when quitting seemed more attractive than pressing toward the finish line. There have been days when the temptation to simply step off the track of life set before me dominated my thoughts more than crossing the finish line. By God’s grace I am still running. I am still preaching. I am still writing. I am still getting up and loving my God as well as my family. I hope by reading this book you will learn what I learn anew everyday. Don’t ever give up! 

Youth Ministry

I watched God move in the hearts of students this past weekend from Fairfield Baptist Church in Cypress, TX. I rejoice that God saved two of them. I saw God break down big football players and wrestlers in tears. I saw broken relationships mended. I saw authentic worship. I watched God heal broken hearts. I saw the Lord lift burdens from the oppressed heavier than have to deal with daily. I felt the presence of God.

I don't know how many such events I have preached over the years. Probably over a 100. This one was refreshing. Yes the students had fun. When we gathered for worship we got down to business though. Worship and the word of God were the reasons we even there in the first place. There was not any cookies and punch as we talked about the word of God. Straight Bible truth interlaced with a few stories to keep their attention. Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega were the focal points. WeI watched God work through his word to soften hearts, to open spiritually blinded eyes to the hope of salvation, and to call people to repentance.

There is a move out among some believers saying youth ministry is not biblical. Neither are cushioned pews. Tell that to the young man I spoke to on Sunday night on the back porch about how to be saved. God convicted him of his need for salvation. He responded in faith because God's word revealed his need. Go ahead and tell him that just because he heard the gospel in the context of other students that it is not sufficient. Go ahead and tell him that he should have done that in the context of the local church. You go ahead and say what you want to say about youth ministry being unbiblical. While you sit on your high horse I will telling young men like him about Jesus and how to be saved. That is biblical. Tell those students who poured their hearts out in authentic worship they need to do that in big church. I saw more worship this weekend than I have seen in dozens of churches on Sunday morning. Those students are too busy getting lost in God's presence singing his praises to listen to you say that youth ministry is not biblical.

God used a youth minister to spread the gospel to me back on 1983. He did not mince words and that salvation has stuck thirty years later . God used a youth minister to disciple me. He invested his time and life into me. He helped me get a football scholarship. He drove me to college as I reported for two a days. I had no father. He loved me like a son. God called me to preach at a youth camp. Youth ministry is not irrelevant to me. I am a product of youth ministry working balanced with the rest of the church congregation.

I will take preaching at a youth camp to students who are open to God moving over preaching revival to dead churches with hard hearts no matter how large the offerings to me are.

Students are dealing with more issues, more sin, more temptation, and more negative influences than ever. I praise God for the student minister who invests his life and time in students like I saw this past weekend. I don't know how long God will allow me to continue to minister to students but I am thankful for those opportunities. I am thankful for God's deep work in the hearts of those students from Cypress.

A Word of Encouragement

A Word of Encouragement
Everybody needs some encouragement from time to time. Everybody needs a shot in the arm spiritually and emotionally. We never know how a timely word to encourage someone can inspire a troubled soul to keep going. An encouraging word can help someone to overcome and conquer.

A little over a year ago I was getting ready for a one hundred mile bike ride. Nobody rode with me that day and I was extremely nervous that I would not be able to finish. Early that morning before I saddled up on the bike I received a text message from my oldest son Taylor. It was a simple message. "Dad, you got this. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength." As I rode into cross winds and head winds of west Texas hour after hour I replayed that message over and over in my head. When the battery in my ipod went dead I replayed that message pushing through the desire to take the path of least resistance. My back ached. My legs burned. My behind could not find a comfortable position on the seat. I prayed and prayed for strength. I also remembered those encouraging words from my son.

Normally I am the one encouraging him at a football game, in a powerlifting meet, or track meet. I usually am the one giving him encouragement in a workout but on that day God used his few words to inspire me to keep pedaling. I pedaled for nine hours. With God's help and the encouraging words from my son I made it.

This morning, while preaching from [Phil 2:1-4] about encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ, I told the story about Taylor's text. I had not planned to add that story. My voice cracked as I talked about it and tears formed in my eyes. The impact of those few words still move me to this day.

That was just one text message. Fourteen words. It took less than five seconds to read. Those words stuck like velcro to my mind and soul. Fourteen months later I still feel the weight of their impact. His words remind me that not only could I get through that bike ride but I can also get through the other hard things in life.

Why do we not take the time or make the effort to encourage people. Many people are living nightmare lives. A timely word of encouragement might be just the emotional food needed to get them through a tough day. An uplifting text might be just the medicine needed to heal an ailing soul. God uses words of encouragement in ways we may never know.

So the point today is to find someone and speak, write, or text a word of encouragement. We may never know the full weight of the impact but that should not matter. It should only matter that God directs our steps and makes us aware of those discouraged and broken around us. We can use our words to wound and to heal. May our words bring healing through encouragement.

Dealing With Death

Death is hard. For years you enjoy the relationship with someone you love with every fiber of your being. It could be a parent, spouse, child, or someone else close to you. One day they are with you. You can talk to them, touch them, and hold them. Suddenly they have stepped out of the realm of the physical and entered the realm of the eternal. The believer in Jesus experiences everlasting life.

Death is hard on those left behind. There are tears, heartaches, indescribable sorrow, and oppressive grief that seems will never end. God is near and a very present help in times of such grief. [Ps 46:1]

I love what Paul said in [Phil 1:21]. "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." The word gain means "profitable and advantageous." For the child of God death is a good thing. That is the perspective I tried to keep when my mother passed away. I thought of all her suffering, heart attacks and brain damage and I thought about her resurrected body. Hallelujah. She suffers no more. My last conversation with her was about death and the fact that she had trusted Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the salvation. She had the biggest smile on her face when we discussed this. Death for my mother is gain.

[Ps 116:15] "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his godly ones. This means from God's perspective the death of one of his own is highly prized, valued splendid, and glorious. What a reunion.

What about those left behind. We grieve but Christians grieve differently. We grieve with the hope that we will shall be reunited with our loved ones again through Jesus Christ. This is not a vain hope. This is reality. This is how we should comfort the grieving during times of grieving.

True Friendship

I met him 28 years ago. We did not like each other in the beginning. He was loud and I was much more reserved. We were both fiercely competitive, which on more than one occasion proved to be our undoing. We both hated to lose and this was born out in hundreds of games of playground basketball.

One trip to the Howard Payne University cafeteria together and a friendship was born. A true brotherhood that has stood nearly three decades. That one trip to the cafeteria led to him rooming with me and permeating every part of my life. He was there to help make the introduction with Brenda. He shared a class with her and my eye had been on Brenda since she started school at Howard Payne. We waited one day until she sat her tray down with her friends. When she left to get her drink we moved in. Three years later I asked her to marry me. He even helped with the proposal delivering my marriage proposal to the press box announcer at a Howard Payne football game. When she said yes at the start of the fourth quarter he was the first person I gave a high five. He was my best man when I married Brenda. He allowed me the privilege to preach his marriage ceremony to Dawn several years later.

He has been there for me in the high moments of life. God has used him time and time again to connect me to some ministry opportunity. God has used him to open doors for me in preaching youth camps, retreats, revivals, and going to serve on staff at churches. His circle of friendships is wide and mine much smaller. He laughs and makes me laugh time and time again. He is everything I am not.

 He is also real. There is no pretense with him. We have shed tears together as well as laughed together. Like when they found is brother dead in his apartment we hurt together. I was honored when he let me preach his mother's funeral just a couple of years ago. We walked that sorrowful season of grieving together. It was not an easy time for him. We endured it together.

We have both seen great times in ministry and we have walked the road of suffering as well. In all of it he has been there to pray for me, to support me, to give me counsel, to offer unconditional love, and to stick closer than a brother.

Over the years we have not always agreed. We have spoken hard and sometimes harsh words to each other but that has not dampened our friendship. It runs deep. We are bonded by our mutual love for Jesus Christ and each other.

 We are not collegians filled with high dreams and running around foot loose and fancy free anymore. We are now middle aged men with families of our own. We have both been wounded deeply by church people. While others have broken our trust we have always proven to be trustworthy and been there for one another. ALWAYS. We can turn a conversation on a dime from sports trivia to deep soul talk as we bear our deepest hurts and regrets with one another. This is a treasured gift in this world.

We are both family men now. I have four boys and Jennifer and he has three boys of his own. He is a great husband and a father. He loves and serves his family along with countless others who cross his path.

We are different. He is gregarious, loud, outgoing, has never met a stranger, a talented musician, quick witted, funny, and creative. He loves people with more than words. He loves people with deeds. He is one of the most generous people I have ever known. More than once, when he had so little, he shared it with me. If either of us had money in college we shared it. I rarely had money back in those days and he did most of the sharing. Little has changed. He still does most of the sharing.

I admire him as I watch him work. Whether his work be leading a congregation in worship for a revival, leading a group of students in fun and worship at a youth camp, or talking from his heart to the students he has impacted over nearly three decades of ministry I am awed. I wish I could love people a fraction as much as he does. I wish I could impact the lives of those around me half as much as he does. I wish I could serve people with the deepest humility like he does. He does not have a big ego. In fact, I see him as the personification of John 3:30 He must increase and I must decrease. 

I often sit back in the shadows and watch him work. I am amazed at how God uses him. Compared to him I have often felt like a failure. He is strong, optimistic, encouraging, and so Christ centered he is always considering the needs of others before himself.

His splash on the lake of life has been huge with ripples still going out. Wherever he has served those students still keep in touch with him and talk about his lasting influence. He is an amazing man. Not a perfect man but he is God's man.

This week I have been afforded the rare opportunity to spend several days with him as he leads the worship for a student winter camp and I get to preach. In so many ways we are as different as night and day. Today I honor true God ordained friendship. I do not know where I would be in life if I had not met Eric Adcock. I admire him. I love him. I respect him. Today I honor him.

For years when the situation got too emotional, rather than us expressing our true feelings to one another, we would just say, "Well you know." That is not enough today. It is not enough for me anymore. I want him to know how much I love him. I want him to know what value he has added to my life. I want him to know I appreciate his loyalty, love, support, prayers, and encouragement over the years. He has walked many dark and painful paths with me. He has been God's voice of reason to me more times than I can ever count. He has picked me up when I was discouraged and felt like the trials would never end. I have given him so little in return.

Today I celebrate and honor the gift of true friendship I have with Eric Adcock. We both have other close friends. We are not threatened by those other relationships. We know what we have. I know my brother has impacted other lives just like mine. Why not send him a facebook message or a text to let him know today.

I thank God for these few days we have shared with one another, built a few memories, and we get to serve Christ. Eric, I love you bro. You have been nothing less than a gift and blessing from God in my life. Thank you for teaching me what true friendship looks like. You have my heart.

Hurting People

I was reminded last night after preaching at Fairfield Baptist Church in Cypress, TX how many people are hurting. They are all around me. In the last twenty-four hours I had contact with a lady facing anxiety as she goes into surgery today. I talked with a teary eyed mother broken over her children and their straying from the Lord. We took her burden to the Lord in prayer. I talked with numerous students who face difficulties at home. I talked with a burned out wife and mother burning the candle at both ends exhausted but dutifully pushing herself own.The hurts are real. The wounds in people emotionally are gaping.

Hurting people are all around us. It is so easy to get caught up in our own little worlds that we never even notice those suffering right beneath our noses. They are everywhere. There are people who are lonely in their grief and nobody seems to notice anymore. After the funeral there were days of hugs, prayers, visits, phone calls, and words of encouragement. The rest of us moved on. Not the grieving. They live with a hole in their heart every single moment of every day. It is an excruciatingly painful cycle they can move beyond. The private tears do not dry. How quickly the rest of us move on until we are the ones grieving and needing support.

How many parents suffer in the pews week after week with rebellious children. These parents have prayed, counseled, quoted and believed scripture but things are not getting any better. They suffer silently while other happy families surround them. No one seems to notice their private pain. So they bravely endure their nightmare alone.

What about those so heavy laden with cares they can barely get out of bed each morning. They will themselves through each day falling into bed exhausted each night and waking up with dread each morning. Does anyone notice. A word of comfort, a timely text, a phone call to pray, or an encouraging email would do more good than we know.

Jesus noticed hurting people. He saw the man with the withered hand. He saw beneath the surface of the demoniacs. He looked into the eyes of the woman caught in adultery and the woman at the well to see their spiritual need more than their sinful behavior. Jesus made time for the woman with the issue of blood and for Jairus and his daughter.

But when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion for them for they were distressed and scattered as sheep not having a shepherd. [Matt 9:36] Jesus saw people and he took the time to care. He took the time to notice. He took the time to minister to their hurts and needs.

How often do we go to church to keep the program? Do we truly notice the people around us in a small group class? What if the entire time were spent in prayer encouraging and bearing the burdens of those hurting in the class instead of the lesson being taught? What if the prescribed order of worship was altered as people moved about the sanctuary ministering to the hurting, the broken, the bruised, and the weary? What if in the next meeting you asked each person present how they are really doing and more time was spent in sharing and prayer than in the meeting?

We move so fast. Always rushing and oblivious to the hurting hearts all around us. Jesus did not just see the multitudes like I see people in a congregation on a Sunday morning. He saw individuals. He saw real hurts, raw wounds, sinful bondages, oppressed people, and broken hearts. He knew people were distressed. He saw past the superficial outward appearance. He saw into people's souls. He saw the depth of despair among those who were distressed.

Those hurting people are why I feel so called to be a pastor. I am often awakened early in the morning to pray for distressed and scattered people. I lift them to Jesus the true shepherd in prayer while seeking to be his under shepherd. Their burdens in some ways become my burdens. Their hurts are my hurts and their grief becomes my grief.

As you go through this day I challenge you to walk slowly through the crowds with a watchful eye. I challenge you to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting to express love, to offer comfort, to give encouragement to the hurting people all around you. You never know when you will be on the other end and you will be the one hurting.

Some of you may say Matt, I am the one hurting and there is no one there for me. Nobody notices my hurting heart. That may be true but God notices. God noticed and moved me to write this today. While you are reading this God is ministering to your heart in reminding you he has not forgotten. Though I do not know how many will read this I notice. While I write this face after face crosses my mind each dealing with their own difficulties. Prayers are offered up on your behalf. Some specifically and others generally.

I wish I could be there for you. I wish I could sit and listen as you poured out your soul and anguish like water from a glass. I wish I could hold your hand as we petitioned the Father to intervene on your behalf. I wish I could offer a comforting hug, share a timely scripture to help you through the day. In the end I have two tools of ministry available to me right now. I have the power of writing. Through these words I can point you back to Jesus who knows everything, is always present, and powerful enough to help heal your hurting heart.

The second thing I can do is pray. That is what I want to do right now. Jesus, I lift up every hurting person reading this and those who may never read this. You see every heavy laden heart. You see those who grieve and feel the pain will never end. You are aware of those weary and worn down by life. You see those who have been betrayed and have bleeding hearts as a result. You notice those who are so discouraged they can barely find a reason to live. You behold those who are distressed. I plead with you make yourself real to each one. I ask you to comfort. I ask you to send people to minister to their hurting souls today. I ask you to prompt people to make a visit, to make a phone call, to send a text or email. I ask you to shepherd your hurting people through other people. I ask you to bring aid to those who need it the most today.

I lift up those who do not need ministry as much today as they are supposed to do the ministering. I ask you to guide our steps to those hurting hearts today. I ask you bring people to our minds, to burden our hearts with names and faces, and prompt us to the ways we are supposed to respond. I thank you for the ministry of comfort and encouragement. I pray it will abound through your people and this will be a day healing and victory for hurting people. In Jesus name, amen.

The Will of God

In three different devotional book readings today something came up about the will of God in each of them. We spend so much time concerning ourselves with God's will. While driving yesterday I heard Charles Stanley talk about how he pounded into his kids to pray that God would reveal his will to them from an early age. All of this has set my mind to considering the matter of God's will.

God's will is a grand topic to meditate. We would have to consider God's general will for everybody. This would be his will for his children to live in holiness [I Pet 1:15-16], to live by faith [Heb 11:6], and to be led by his word [Ps 119:105] Then we would have to consider God's specific will for individuals. God willed Abraham to relocate. [Gen 12:1-3] God willed Jeremiah to be a prophet. [Jer 1:5-10] God willed Paul to suffer and to take the gospel both Jews and Gentiles. [Acts 9:15-16] Next, consideration would have to be given to God's perfect will and his permissive will.

Considering the matter of God's will is not a simple matter. It is a complex issue on one level. If a person makes a choice to alter their life from God's perfect will can they ever get back on the track of God's perfect will. Pretty deep stuff. Yet on the other level, the matter of God's will is a very simple issue. This is what I believe was true for Noah, Abraham, Jeremiah, Paul, as well as other Christ followers down through the ages. When God was or is ready to reveal his will in a matter he takes the initiative to do so. Let me illustrate.

When God prepared to move me to serve in Seminole, TX he used two scriptures over and over again. [Gen 12:1-3] and [Heb 11:8] By faith, Abraham, when he was called obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out not knowing where he was going. 

I had preached a youth event at FBC Seminole and they began to pursue me to become their next their pastor. At the time I was very content where I was serving and was not looking to move. Over the next five months God began to deal with me. I had dreams about Seminole. Then I began to notice the pattern of [Gen 12:1-3] and [Heb 11:8] showing up in my quiet times and in books I would read. The clincher came when I went to preach at a camp and [Heb 11:8] was the theme verse for the week. God had my attention.

We interviewed with FBC Seminole but neither Brenda nor I were absolutely convinced our moving to Seminole was God's will. The search committee asked for a second interview. I got up early to pray the morning of that interview. I had just about talked myself out of the fact that relocating was God's will. It seemed like a huge gamble. As I read scripture that morning I will never forget that encounter with God. I read through the book of Obadiah that morning without getting any clear word from the Lord. I turned the page in my Bible from page 1109 to page 1110. Page 1110 begins the book of Jonah. As I read the first chapter of Jonah I knew in my heart I was beginning to think like Jonah. I knew if I did not go to Seminole it would turn out badly for my family and the church I served at the time. I settled the matter of God's will that morning.

I could have been reading any number of books that morning in the Bible. For years my Bible reading plan has been to start in Genesis and read all the way through to Revelation and then to start over again. I do it at my own pace. I do not follow a prescribed schedule. Only a sovereign God could have orchestrated my reading Jonah on that specific morning. I have seen similar things happen in my Bible reading repeatedly over the years. It was not coincidence that I just so happened to read the book Jonah the morning of that second interview. God took the initiative to reveal his plans and the consequences if I chose not to obey him.

So this morning I am somewhat intrigued that the subject of God's will has come up so many times over the past couple of days. I am not certain what this means but I am content in knowing that if and when God wants to reveal a matter to me he will do so. The best place he has done this in my life over the years has been reading and studying his word. I can look back on several important mileposts and scriptures God used to reveal his next steps for me.

I believe this is true for all Christ followers. If we stay in his word he will take the initiative to reveal his will for us. [Ps 119:105] Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I have a friend that brings this verse up often when we get together. He equates the lamp and light as something akin to a lantern held while walking through a dark forest at night. The light from the lantern illumines the path for only the next few steps in front of you. All I have to do is keep reading and meditating on the scriptures and trust if and when God has a special message to reveal to me he will do so.

Until then, I have enough light to show me my next few steps. That includes preaching tonight for students at Fairfield Baptist Church in Cypress, TX. This weekend, Lord willing,  I will preach to them at their winter camp. Next week my next steps are to return home and minister back home.

We often want God to reveal the big picture. Singles are consumed with God's will about who they will marry and what profession they will pursue. Others want to see God's will ten and twenty years down the road. Today I am content in seeking God and his will for today. It seems to me God operates on a need to know basis.

This attitude relieves all the stress of finding, discovering, and discerning God's will. How many of you today are stressed out seeking, knocking, and asking for God's will. Just keep walking in his word and when God is ready to reveal your next steps he is perfectly willing and able to do so.

I read this quote this morning and thought it fitting to conclude. It is a simple prayer. "Lord, teach me to do your will." That's it. We read scripture, we pray, we wait, and when God reveals his will we obey. If we keep these things in mind God's will is not so complex after all.

Willing to be Sent

As I sit down to write this I am packing my last things for a preaching road trip. I will preach Wednesday night for a youth group and then all weekend for their winter camp in the Houston area. I will be gone for a solid week.

Last night before we went to bed, Brenda commented how she does not like it when I am gone. While gone I will miss Turner's UIL meet that had to be rescheduled due to bad weather. I will miss his basketball game on Saturday. I will miss Tucker playing in a basketball tournament this weekend. I will also miss Taylor and Tanner at a powerlifting meet this Saturday as well. Why would I do this? Why would I pack a suitcase and my Bible to head down to a place I know very few people outside the youth minister to preach?

Because this morning my quiet time was from [Is 6:8] "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Who shall I send? Who will go for us?' I said: "Here am I send me."

I have prayed that prayer often over the years. God has seen fit to choose me to send me preach youth camps, winter camps, retreats, and revivals all over the United States. On a couple of occasions God has seen fit to allow me to preach revivals in foreign countries. I gave God my "yes" many years ago and I still mean it. When he chooses to send me to preach to other churches I go. When he chooses to give me a new assignment as a pastor I pack my things and move. When he chooses to send me to the hospital to minister I go. When he chooses to send me to grieving in death I go.

Over the years there have been times when God has chosen to send me to other churches to serve. Obediently I have followed that call and been willing to be sent wherever God led. To this day I have never asked a church search committee how much the salary for the position would be. One guy on a search committee asked me if I wanted to know the salary they could pay. I replied, "It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to me is does God want me to come here. If he does the money is inconsequential. He is my provider." That is still my attitude.

I go where God sends. He calls the shots for my life. He determines the direction and future for me and my family. I yield to his leadership and accept the assignments he sends my way. Even if that means leaving my family for a few days which I do not enjoy. I follow even if it means from time to time leaving precious people I love to follow a new assignment. Even when it means the path leads to hardships I still have to follow. I am a man sent. God does the sending and I do the going. God lays out the path and I walk down it. God has a plan and adjust my life accordingly.

God is always in the sending position. I recall after preaching a message on [Is 6:8] in a revival in one church, a lady made the comment as I walked out the door after the service, "I am praying God will send you here." I did not reply but in my heart I laid the matter before the Lord. I have been willing to be sent to churches of every size to preach one day, to preach to students, adults, and even some senior adults. I have to be open to God relocating my life and ministry if he chooses. I have to live my life willing to be sent for him no matter the personal sacrifice to me, my family, and others around me. I have watched God call multitudes to salvation over the years and bring many others to repentance at those camps and revivals. On a few occasions I have seen and tasted genuine revival.

Day after day I come before the Lord to receive my assignment from him. Today, that includes traveling down south where I will preach numerous times over the course of the next several days. That is where he is sending me this week. Next week I will be back at Faith Community Church ministering his word on Wednesday evening and Sunday as well as the weeks in the foreseeable future.

Where is God sending you? Are you available? Will you accept his invitation to be sent? Will you accept his assignment and follow? If you are truly his disciple you have to at least with complete openness pray with a yielded heart, "Here I am. Send me."

A Prayer for the Grieving

Father,

I lift up the grieving to you this morning. Those people who had to say goodbye to a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, or a friend way sooner than they wanted to. As they live each day with a huge hole in their heart I ask you to comfort in their sorrow. I ask you to be near those with a broken heart and who are crushed in spirit. [Ps 34:18] Some have been grieving for a few days and weeks. Others have been grieving for decades. In either case you are near to them. You are at hand, present in their lives, and readily available.

I ask you to wipe away their tears today. Both the visible and the invisible. I ask you to send your ministers to them today in the form of family members, friends, and people they go to church with to send up prayers, words of comfort, and to give a listening ear. I ask you to take broken and shattered hearts and bring wholeness to them once again.

I ask you to give the grieving the heart of Job who said, "The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. [Job 1:21] You gave much in treasured relationships. We thank you for the gift of years spent with parents, with a spouse, with children, and with friends. Please guard the hearts of those grieving against bitterness. May you receive thanks for the good years and the good memories. There is the reminder that you also take away. Death is a reality we all have to face.9 Heb 9:27] For so many death came so suddenly, unexpectedly, and tragically there was no time to say goodbye. For those who live with guilt day in and day out and with regrets I ask you to deliver them from such oppressive thoughts. I ask you to replace guilt with happy memories and with peace of mind and heart. [Phil 4:6-7] I ask you to let those who watched their loved ones suffer for a long time before you took them have comfort in their grieving. For your children who grieve the death of people who were saved may they grieve with hope.  [I Thess 4:13-18] We thank you that there will be a reunion day.

For every soul who sobs night and day in their aloneness missing their spouse or child I hold them before you. I plead with you to hold them tightly and help them get back on the road to recovery. I ask you to be near to them in the nights of weeping until the long awaited joy comes in the morning. [Ps 30:5] I ask you to give them strength to carry on when even the smallest task on any given day are a monumental chore. I ask you to remove the darkness of depression as you restore hope. For the parents still grieving the loss of a child I ask you to comfort them in their perpetual sadness. I ask you to hold their crushed hearts and shattered dreams for those children in your hand. You have not missed one tear. You have not forsaken the grieving in their darkest hours.

I lift up those who are grieving knowing the end is soon approaching as they watch their loved one suffer and slowly slip away. I ask you to give them those prized moments to say whatever needs to be said. I pray for those grieving over the dying lost loved one or friend that you would bring those loved ones to genuine repentance, to reveal the gift of salvation through Jesus, and grant the faith to trust Jesus for pardon of sins.

I am burdened this morning for another type of grieving. For parents who had to release their children to go to college, to move to a different town for a career choice, and those who had to say goodbye to children who are following your service as pastors or missionaries. I ask you to wipe away
 the tears of those who had to part with beloved friends who moved away. I ask you to comfort the grieving missing not only a child but a beloved friend, employee, or church staff member.

J ask you to comfort those who endure the bitter pain of divorce. How many grieve night and day a broken marriage and broken dreams of living happily ever after. These may feel alone, abandoned, and isolated from the rest of society. You are the source for abundant life to the married, unmarried, the divorced and you have not abandoned them. You have not forsaken them. I ask you to remind them of your promise to never leave them or forsaken them. [Heb 13:5] I ask you to be their provider. [Phil 4:19] I ask you to remove fear and anxiety about how they will make it. [Matt 6:25-33]

Lastly this morning, I lift up those who grieve the painful death of shattered dreams. I lift up those who have been forced to endure the death of a vision. I lift up those who grieve the path of faded hopes and distant dreams in the midst of the harsh reality of present circumstances. I pray you would help them not to give up as they wait on you. [Ps 27:13-14] I pray you strengthen them not to lose heart. [Gal 6:9]

For all those grieving today, I ask you to draw them close and minister to them today. I ask you to minister to them today at church through song and your word. I ask you to take away the oppressive weight of grief that suffocates and allow them to breathe the fresh air of hope. Only you can take the pain away. I ask you to do that in Jesus name.

A Prayer for the Chronically Sick

Father,

I lift up those who suffer from chronic illness and pain today. I plead with you to help them to endure the nights of never ending pain and the days of prolonged suffering. I lift up those who never have a good day physically. They ache, they moan, and they weep silent tears nobody but you can understand. I ask you to help them in this the day of their trouble. [Ps 50:15] I pray they would not lose heart in their battles. [Gal 6:9]

We do not understand why you choose to heal some and allow others to suffer. Please do not let this fact destroy our faith. Your thoughts and your ways are different than ours. [Is 55:8-9] I ask you to become so real to those suffering it produces a lasting joy deeper than their pain. [Ps 16:11] I ask you to comfort those enduring private nightmares that do not end. I ask you to be the source of peace, security, and hope in situations that look so insecure and hopeless.

I ask you to protect their minds. Please protect them from destructive and dark thoughts. I pray you would help them take every thought captive obedient to Christ. [II Cor 10:5] Father, please help them to set their minds on the truth of your word. I ask you to give them the desire to choose to meditate on your truth night and day. [Ps 119:15-16] I ask you to revive those enduring hardships according to your word that produces reverence for you. [Ps 119:37-38] I pray they would not grow bitter and angry at you. Instead I pray your word would produce strength to endure, hope to press on, and comfort during the hard times. I ask you to be their hiding place where they can find refuge from the pain and the despair. [Ps 119:114.] You are a refuge for the broken in body. You are a shelter, strength, and you are always present on the toughest days and the longest nights of agony. [Ps 46:1]

We know from experience some of those who served you most faithfully were never healed this side of heaven. Yet they endured in the faith. I thank you for the examples of David Brainerd, Amy Carmichael, Bill Bright, and Joni Erickson Tada. They all suffered or are still suffering but they never gave up on you. They served or are still serving you today. I pray you inspire the people who live in chronic pain to keep enduring. We know that one day their relief is coming. We thank you for the gift of healing and know you still do that. We also thank you for the gift of salvation and that in eternity all will be healed. In Jesus name, amen.

A Prayer for the Confused

Father, I lift up all those who are confused. They do not know which way to turn or what decision to make. I ask you to clear away the fog of confusion in their minds planted by the enemy. I ask you to simply things for them as they clear away the clutter and distractions in their mind to set their focus on the things above and not the things on earth. [Col 3;2] In their worlds where everything seems topsy turvy I trust you will be their firm foundation. [Matt 7:24-27] I ask you to give each one the wisdom to make their decisions and build their lives and families on the rock solid foundation of your words. May they not be lead astray by every whim of emotion or distress in thoughts. I pray your word will be a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path showing what steps they are to take next. [Ps 119:105] I ask you to clearly point the way for them. You are not the author of confusion [I Cor 14:33] but you are the author of peace. As you give guidance I pray that guidance would bring the reassurance of your peace that surpasses all understanding. [Phil 4:7] I ask you to shut every single door on wrong paths that will lead to destruction like you did with Paul as he sought to go to Asia. I ask you to only open the one door that leads to the center of your will like you did with Paul in the vision of the man from Macedonia. [Acts 16:9-10] I ask you to give faith where faith is needed as your people follow you. [Heb 11:6] You have not given your people a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. [II Tim 1:7] I ask you to give your people the courage to step when you lead them to step.I ask you to give them the patience to wait when they need to wait. Your timing is perfect. I ask you to give them a sound mind so they do not second guess those steps in hindsight. I ask you to clearly point the way and to light the path. In Jesus name, amen.

Jesus My Cornerstone

I have been teaching through the book of Ephesians on Wednesday nightS for weeks now. I cannot speak for those who attend but I have found Ephesians to be a spiritually sumptuous feast of truth. Week after week I study and teach in awe of Jesus Christ. The first two chapters are filled with references to Him and what He has done for us.

Far too many churches paint Jesus as the life coach who will help all your dreams come true if you just believe. This is not the picture Paul paints of Jesus. Check out these references to Jesus. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. [Eph 1:3] We were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. [Eph 1:4] Through Jesus Christ we were adopted as sons and daughters. [Eph 1:5] God's grace was bestowed on us in the Beloved (Jesus). [Eph 1:6] In Jesus we have redemption, the forgiveness of our trespasses, through His shed blood. [Eph 1:7] We are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Christ. [Eph 1:10] We who were formerly dead in sins have made alive through Christ. [Eph 2:5] We have been raised and seated with Christ in heavenly places. [Eph 2:6]

Before Jesus we were all dead in our sin and destined to be children of wrath. [Eph 2:3] Because of Jesus' death on the cross we have been made spiritually alive through faith. We have been raised with Christ and seated in heavenly places with Him. For the saved, we have a seat at God's table. This astounds me.

I remember my former life, when I was an alien and a stranger to God's grace, and I had no seat at His table. I recall living in enmity against God. O, but Jesus changed everything. He preached peace to my distant and rebelliously remote heart. Through Jesus I was granted access to an awesome and otherwise unapproachable God. I could never have earned this access any other way except through Jesus. His sacrifice made me acceptable to God and again gave me a seat at His table.

This is amazing. In the Old Testament we see God over and over again as holy and unapproachable. People revered God. They served Him with fear. There were times when God warned the people not to approach him to draw near. Take for example when Moses climbed up the mountain to receive the law from God. God warned the nation not to even touch the mountain or they would die.Yet God chose to come and dwell among men in Jesus.

This all powerful, holy, just, sovereign, and perfect God has given you and I access to Him through Jesus. The wrath of God has been satisfied through what Jesus did on the cross. This is amazing. And yet I wonder how many people in the pews in churches across America have an accurate view of this.

Pastors pilfer with Bible and gospel truth using pop psychology more than adhering to the truth of scripture and exalting the magnificence of Jesus Christ. I just read a book review for a new book America's pastor, Joel Olsteen, just wrote. In twenty five chapters in the book there is no mention of the word sin and no mention of Jesus redemptive work on the cross. We are damning people to hell if all we preach is "How to Have Your Best Life Now."

My best life is reserved for eternity. I can live a full and abundant life here but I must be allured into the delusion this world is ultimately where I belong. This world is not my home. I am just passing through. My treasure is Jesus Christ.  My seat is reserved through Jesus Christ at God's table in eternity. That is the spiritual blessing Paul referred to in [Eph 1:3]. God is more than a genie in the sky to be at our beckoning call. He is the Creator and we are the creation. He is the Master and we are the servants. He is the Potter and we are the clay. Jesus is the chief cornerstone, the foundation, and our all in all.

This is not the Jesus preached at youth camps, retreats, and in many popular pulpits. This is not the Jesus written about in many best selling books. The Jesus Paul wrote about in Ephesians died a bloody death to appease the wrath of God for lost humanity. When I pull up my chair to the person of Christ I am humbled and awed. Perfection died for our imperfection. Holiness suffered for our filthiness.  Righteousness sacrificing for unrighteousness. All of this is undeserved but freely bestowed on those who repent of sin and trust Christ for salvation. AMAZING!

The Old Testament prophets pointed to Christ. The apostles gave witness and verbal testimony to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. JESUS CHRIST IS THE CORNERSTONE. HE IS THE FOUNDATION. HE IS THE MESSAGE OF THE BIBLE. HE IS THE PREEMINENT, GLORIOUS, AND PERFECT REPRESENTATION OF GOD THE FATHER.

And yet Jesus and His work are not the central message of many churches anymore. In our vain pursuit of happiness through the American Dream people perish eternally. While churches are consumed with church growth many are not captivated by the glory of Jesus Christ. He is not the cornerstone for individuals, families, or churches.

I fear that so many people who prayed a sinner's prayer and were run through baptismal waters were never truly saved. They recited the formula but did not have an encounter with Jesus. I praise the Lord I had an encounter with Jesus Christ the Savior on a chilly night back in October of 1983. That encounter with Jesus changed everything. I went from being a child of disobedience destined for wrath to a child of God through Jesus. Through Jesus I was forgiven, redeemed, adopted, chosen, and declared righteous. JESUS IS MY CORNERSTONE. HE IS THE FOUNDATION OF MY LIFE AND FAMILY. Everything revolves around Him, His desires, and His purposes. My best life now is to follow Him. My desire is to submit to Him.

Why? Because Jesus gave me access to God the Father by paying the penalty for my sin debt. I sit awed this morning. AWED! And now, the Sovereign, Holy, Perfect, Omnipotent God dwells in me through the Holy Spirit all because of Jesus. Whereas God used to dwell in the temple between the cherubim on the mercy seat in the holy of holies, now He dwells inside of me because Jesus is my Cornerstone.

I have served as a pastor in various churches for seventeen years now. I can tell you that many of the people I have met do not get this truth. Jesus is not the cornerstone they have built their lives on. The foundation of their lives is making money, building a family, and accumulating the prized possessions of the American dream. Jesus never comes up in their conversations. He is not the most important and pressing reality in their lives. He is not always on the forefront of their minds or agenda. He is not their cornerstone.

You see, when you truly love someone you want to please them. Churches are filled with members who like Jesus but do not truly love Him. Some of these have no intention to ever serve Him or adjust their lives to Him. Faithful pastors preach their hearts trying to motivate to serve Christ faithfully. These pastors fail to realize they are preaching to dead and spiritually bankrupt who have not made Jesus the cornerstone of their lives or eternity. Such people will never be able to serve God faithfully. For such people I question the reality of their salvation.

When a person truly sees their sinful status standing before a holy and just God, and their inability to do one single thing to help themselves become acceptable to Him, Jesus Christ becomes all important. I am reminded of [Rom 5:8] God demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It all comes back to Jesus. We needed someone to appease the wrath of God for our sin and were helpless to do it ourselves. God took the initiative to send Jesus to take our punishment.

When we repent of sin Jesus becomes our cornerstone. The foundation of our salvation, the reason for existence, and the hope for our eternity. There is no way I could convey the depths of my love, humility, gratitude, and devotion to Jesus for what He has done for me. Should I write 10,000 pages I could not adequately express how awed I am at the person of Jesus Christ. To sum it all up, JESUS CHRIST IS MY CORNERSTONE.

Can I Sit In Your Lap

Last night after dinner I sat in my recliner reading a book. I looked up and noticed Turner approach me and then back away. I asked what he wanted and he commented he wanted to sit in my lap but I was reading a book. He sat in Brenda's chair and the dog jumped up in his lap.

I thought to myself, "Those moments will not last forever. Quit reading and enjoy your son." Before I could make the offer he was off to some other activity. Opportunity missed.

Later on in the evening I was still in my chair but this time with my computer. Turner again approached me but this time he asked, "Dad, can I sit in your lap?" I immediately shut down the computer and welcomed him under the blanket I sat under.

He did not want one other thing from me than my love and attention. He remained there for forty-five minutes. We laughed watching television. We hugged a time or two. My favorite part was when Turner laid his head back on my chest. Reluctantly I prayed for him and sent him off to bed when the time came. I treasured that time with my son.

As you and I get older the stresses of life increase. We face stresses at home, at work, over finances, in relationships. We also live with the tension of trying to please and honor God against the constant assaults and temptations of the enemy. Most people I know are busy. Way too busy. Up early and back to bed late pushing the pedal to the floor in their lives in between.

Few people I encounter look truly rested. They look exhausted. Not just from lack of sleep but because life is hard. There are so many challenges and heartaches. Yet, most people I encounter are not doing well spiritually. They attend worship services and some even serve in places at their church or in the community. Yet, they do this on spiritual fumes. They are like a car running on empty until one day they run out of gas. They have nothing left to give.

O, that we would slow down long enough and just ask God, "Can I sit in your lap for awhile." If you were fortunate enough to grow up with loving and nurturing parents you remember how it felt to sit in your dad's or mom's lap for awhile. You were comforted, loved, and secure there.

How much more do we as adults need that same comfort, love, security, and peace that only God can give. As we get older we don't sit in people's laps much anymore. Taylor, Tanner, and Tucker NEVER sit in my lap anymore. Two of them weigh well over 200 pounds. They will never get too big to sit in God's lap. Neither will you.

I challenge you to do that today. Slow down long enough to sit in God's lap. Let him minister to your weary and worn soul. Unload your cares on him. Cry if you need to. Receive his love and peace. Let the Lord embrace you in his security and reassure you he is still in control of the affairs surrounding your life. Let him heal your broken heart and reshape your broken dreams. Listen to his counsel and trust him in obedience. Most of all, simply enjoy him and love him.

Mary and Martha entertained Jesus and the disciples once. Martha busied herself in the kitchen preparing the meal. Mary seated herself at the feet of Jesus and listened to him. Martha became irritated that Mary was not in the kitchen helping with the meal. Finally, Martha could stand it no longer and confronted the situation. Jesus responded differently than Martha anticipated. He said, "Martha Martha. You are worried and bothered by so many things. Only one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice and it will not be taken away from her." [Luke 10:41-42]

The right choice is to slow down and sit with God awhile. It you and I approaching the throne of grace and asking like a child, "Father, can I sit in your lap for awhile."

More than God wants your service today he wants your love. He wants you to stop all your ceaseless activity so you can sit with him awhile. He wants to revive you spiritually and minister to you. Slow down today and climb up in his lap. Listen for every word of life he speaks. Receive the warmth of his comfort and the tranquility of his peace over your life. Your circumstances might not change right away but you will be changed. That is my hope and prayer for all of us today.

A Prayer for the Weary and Worn

Lord, this prayer goes out this morning for those who are weary and worn. They are heavy laden with trials, sorrows, and burdens. They are tired of the battles and worn down by life. I ask you to come to each of them with your fresh word and undergird them with strength. You know each of them by name. As they read this and wonder if I was thinking of them show them yes. This is a prayer sent up on their behalf. I ask you to lift the oppressive burdens that suck the vitality from them. Help your children to lay them down and leave those burdens and cares with you. For those who have their backs up against the wall and they see no way out, I ask you to remind them of Exodus 14:14. For those who are enduring the seemingly never ending night of weeping I pray you would bring joy with this morning. [Ps 30:5] For those confused and they do not know which direction to go I pray your word would be a lamp unto their feet and light unto their path. [Ps 119:105] For those stressed and overwhelmed by life I ask you to be their peace that surpasses all understanding. [Phil 4:7] For those that can barely drag themselves out of bed this morning and wonder how they will ever get through this day I ask you to be their strength. [Phil 4:13] For every broken, battered, and bruised child of yours I ask you to draw them nearer to you as you draw nearer to them. [James 4:8] I ask you to give my brothers and sisters enduring faith today. I ask you to restore hope to them. Please help the weary and worn to see you at work. I ask you to open their eyes to see you have not abandoned them nor forsaken them. In Jesus name, amen.

Broad and Full Intelligence

Our world is fascinated with education. People still naively believe that with enough education we can create an utopian society. It will never happen. Sin will always get in the way. The more education a person acquires they will only become an educated sinner.

Don't get me wrong. I am not against education at all. I look back with fond memories on my elementary education. I recall the excitement on the days we got to visit the library and check out books. I held the book order catalogues with eager excitement marking my selections and working up a persuasive sells speech to get money for the books from my mother. She never said no. My love of reading goes back that far.

By the world's standards I have acquired a modest level of education. I write this in an office surrounded by thousands of books. So much of my work as a pastor is book work in studying for messages, writing blogs and authoring new books. I have ample tools to do this and education to know how to use these tools. All this book knowledge is good. There is a place for it.

All of this education, though, does not necessarily mean I or any other educated person will always make the right decision. We need something more than book smarts to make intelligent decisions. We need the wisdom of God.

When God asked Solomon what he wanted here is Solomon's response. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people for who can rule this great people of Yours? [II Chronicles 1:10] We are in no less need of wisdom today. Educated people are making a mess of our country from the White House to your neighbor's house. Educated people are making foolish decisions from the backwoods to Hollywood. We need more than education. We need wisdom that can only come from God.

The book of Proverbs is filled with admonition to gain wisdom. A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire counsel. [Prov 1:5] The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. [Prov 1:7] Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to  understanding. [Prov 2:2] For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. [Prov 2:6]

In the book of James we are exhorted to pray for wisdom. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and without reproach and it will be given to him. [James 1:5]

One definition for the word wisdom is broad and full intelligence. This can only come from God and the fear of God. When we have leaders, who claim to be educated, speak with eloquence, and are put in influential positions, but they do not have the wisdom of God they will lead us astray every time. Let it be a person on board or committee at church, a school board member, a member of corporate board of directors, a politician, or a pastor. If they do not have God's wisdom they will not lead effectively.

I am amazed at the foolish decisions politicians make. Self centered, egotistical, manipulative, and foolish decisions are made in Washington all the time. Where is God's wisdom. People go there saying they will make a difference and have convictions. Before long they compromise convictions for personal gain. They are blinded by greed and ambition. Foolish decisions are voted on. Freedoms are forsaken.

How many churches are led by wise pastors and wise church members. I have encountered and heard about more power struggles in churches by power hungry pastors and church members than I hear about in corporate America. We rely on education for the latest models and methodologies for ministry. Wisdom is discarded like rubbish. Biblical principles and God's wisdom are being neglected to our own peril as churches and as a nation.

Even in the home wisdom is not sought. People make the foolish choice to go deeper and deeper into debt. This adds stress to the family. Parents often neglect God's wisdom in raising their children opting for the advice of Oprah, Dr. Phil, and celebrities who cannot even get their own acts together.

This is a cry for wisdom. One of the things I pray most often when entering a church meeting of any type is that God would grant His wisdom. I need wisdom to pastor. I need wisdom to raise my kids. I need wisdom to handle my finances. I need wisdom to relate to people. I need wisdom to resolve conflict. I need wisdom to make decisions that effect my future. WE ALL NEED WISDOM. God's wisdom.

Lord, I ask you grant your broad and full intelligence in our day to day decision making. I ask you to give your wisdom as we appoint and elect people to lead us. I ask you to give us your wisdom in decision making at the churches we attend. I ask you to give us your wisdom on our jobs and as we relate to people. May we fear you and keep our ears attentive to your wisdom. Education can never provide this. True wisdom only comes from you. In Jesus name, amen.