Breaking Out Of Holy Huddles

So many people are content to attend church worship services instead of actually being the church. They prefer to sit in the crowd in anonymity rather than to get involved. They prefer hiding in holy huddles. WE WERE NOT SAVED TO SIT BUT TO SERVE!

Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. 

What did God uniquely design you to do? What did God gift you to do? How are you using those gifts, talents, resources and time to further the Kingdom of God within the context of your local church? 

We are called the body of Christ but in many churches the body is not healthy. Each member does not fulfill their God ordained role. This makes for an unhealthy and ineffective church. 

Whatever your role is are you doing your part. It has been said that 20% of the people do 80% of the work and give 80% of the money in local churches. This ought not be. What would happen if those were numbers changed. What if 80% gave ad served and the minority sat in holy huddles doing and giving nothing. The church would flourish. 

It is also reported that out of the estimated 340 million people living in North America about 258 million of them are lost bound for hell. That should disturb us in the church. In some of our western states as much as 82% of the population are lost. In the northeastern states about 83% of the population are without a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Does this agitate our souls at all? Do we care? Millions are headed for hell and the church barely raises an eye brow. O that holy huddles would be invaded by the Spirit of the living God to prompt and push out to minister to people. 

Knowing this will we remain content to sit in our Holy Huddles Sunday after Sunday unconcerned, unmoved and unaffected. Will we open our eyes to those all around us without hope of heaven because they do not know Jesus as Savior. Will we insulate ourselves from the very sin sick people who need Jesus as the Great Physician to redeem and heal their souls. 

It is time to break out of holy huddles to do real ministry and be the real church in our culture. God created us to do things for Him. That is what He designed us to do in Christ. I exhort believers to channel your gifts, passions, resources and talents for God and the work of His purposes as the church. God be glorified with the results.

What Is The Signature Of Your Life

What is the signature of your life? When your life ends what will you be remembered for? Love. Passion. Entrepreneurship. Prayer. Teaching. Perseverance. Faith. Or, on the other hand, hypocrisy, cruelty, hatred, addiction, misplaced priorities or relational failures.

I was reading a short biography on the life of John Newton yesterday. He was a former slave trading ship captain but got saved. He also wrote the timeless hymn Amazing Grace that has touched millions. One line grabbed my attention. The signature of Owen's life was love. What a great thing to be remembered for.

I wonder what I will be remembered for? From where I sit I mostly see myself as a failure. I do not know what the signature of my life is. There are many things I want it to be but I am not the one to make that call. I just want my life to stand for something greater than me. I hope your life will stand for something greater than you.

I like what Paul said about his own life in two different passages.

Acts 20:24 (NASB)
²⁴  "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. 


Philippians 1:21 (NASB)
²¹  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 

I would love the signature of my life, Brenda's life and my boys' lives to be JESUS! He is what really matters.  

Life Is Heavy

I watched God work through Tanner at a powerlifting meet today. Just like his older brother Taylor, God gifted Tanner with strength. Freakish strength.

Since a sophomore Tanner has qualified for regionals in powerlifting and barely missed qualifying for the state meet. Today he set four meet records. Two of them were immediately broken by the guy squatting behind him. Two of them stood. He squatted 610 and 630. The guy behind him squatted 650. Tanner then benched 375 then 385 for meet records. He deadlifted his personal best by 35 pounds at 515. At the end of the day Tanner won second place failing to get first by 10 pounds.

The crazy thing is he definitely has room to improve on his squat and  deadlift and possibly gain in his bench press as well. I am very proud of him. Taylor qualified as a state powerlifter when he was a senior. Tanner is following in his footsteps.

No matter how much either of those boys can lift I know the day will come when life is heavier than what they can squat, press or pull up. Life is heavy at times. Extremely heavy. A young minister not long married had brain surgery to remove a large tumor yesterday. That is extremely burdensome. My brother in law just lost his father to cancer. Grief is oppressive. People are getting laid off from work. That is weighty. People fight to save their marriages. Tucker is rehabbing from knee surgery. That is not something he can overcome on his own.

Like I said, life is heavy. I don't care how much a person can squat, bench and deadlift, sooner or later life will throw something so big that only God can lift it. So we need to get in the habit of casting our burdens on Him right now.

Psalm 55:22 (NASB)
²²  Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. 


Life is heavy but God is stronger. Rely on Him.

The Tough And Tender Pastor

He stood in the pulpit tough like a blade of steel,
Preaching prophetic truth bitter to the taste and feel,
Even though a pastor/shepherd he stood very tough,
Calling out sin and the wicked Devil's lying bluff,
Fierce in the pulpit preaching zealously lionhearted,
With fresh anointing empowered Holy Ghost imparted,
Yet the prophet pastor showed tenderness to the suffering,
Hoping to help the brokenhearted giving a little buffering,
From the pain of reality in the midst of the raging tempest,
Tender in his ministry displaying love at its very simplest,
A tough and tender fiery and compassionate preacher,
A prophet of God and also a very patient loving teacher.

Tough And Tender

I like tough. I like tough jeans and boots that last. I like vehicles than can get 200,000 miles on them. I like tough athletes who overcome the challenges and get back up when they get knocked down. I like tough people who refuse to be intimidated by rich and powerful bullies. I like tough politicians who do not give into the prevailing political pressures of the day.

I have never been accused of being soft. I grew up hard. Much of my life has been hard. I've known abuse. I've been betrayed. I don't trust people easily. I am hard on myself and expect a lot of me. I raised my boys to boys to be tough. Many would say I have been too hard on them. I know life is hard and only tough young men will survive the trials they will encounter.

I preach hard. Many have called me a prophet. I have a fondness for the prophets. They saw things as black or white. They did not see issues in shades of grey. They preached fearlessly with God's message. Many were rejected and even persecuted but they stayed true because they were tough as nails. They had rawhide tough emotions and mentalities. They were tough.

I had to be tough in ministry.  Over the years I have faced many ornery church members and had numerous difficult conversations. I had to stand for God when the majority chose a different path. I had to trust God for provision when wicked church members tried to stave me out by withholding their tithes. I've been knocked down in ministry more times than I can count. Many dreams have died a hard death. I had to be tough to survive.

All most people see is my hard tough exterior. They do not see the tender side. They do not see me kiss Brenda good morning. They do not see me hug my boys almost every day. They have not been there in my prayer closet with the tears flowing in fervent intercessions for family, friends and flock. They do not see the pastoral visits in hospitals or consoling the grieving. They do not see the tender texts or notes sent in encouragement.

Many people tend to lean one way or the other. The world is filled with tough people. Too tough. They have no heart and show no compassion. They are hard. They do not mince words and do not care who they hurt in the process.

On the other hand, there are people who are too tender. They are soft. They do not have backbone. They get pushed around and shy away from confrontation. They love deeply, are filled with compassion and get pushed around and bullied easily.

It seems to me that Jesus is both tough and tender. He spoke hard truth to the Pharisees offending them by calling them hypocrites. His toughness showed when He faced the crowds who wanted to kill Him. He embraced scourging and crucifixion heroically. Jesus can be very tough. Tough in righteous judgment for the unredeemed.

He also shows great tenderness. Look at the way He dealt with the woman caught in adultery or the woman at the well. See His tenderness when He touched the leper and healed demoniacs. His compassion displayed when He raised Jairus' daughter and Lazarus from the dead. His tenderness shows each time He saves a sinner.

We all need to follow Jesus' example with a balance of tough and tenderness. I have such a long way to go. Only the Holy Spirit can produce this balance. O that the Lord would work in me to give me the steel like toughness to preach truth and stand against sin and injustice. At the same time I plead with Jesus to give me His heart of compassion for the lost, hurting and suffering. May He raise a tough and tender church.

Endurance For All Ages And All Stages

Hebrews 10:36 (NASB)
³⁶  For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 


Life is one long endurance race. Perseverance is a necessity. Patience is a desirable quality. Steadfastness is an admirable trait. Endurance is needed from the school boy and girl to the senior adult. Endurance helps the new mother as well as the athlete. Endurance helps the worker stay at the task until the job is done. Endurance strengthens the homemaker and working wives to cook, clean, shop, chase kids, and maintain a happy home. Endurance helps the athlete to rehabilitate to full recovery.

Endurance helps the saints press on to the end of their earthly race. We all need endurance to press through the hard seasons of life, the endless trials and setbacks that come to all of us. It takes endurance to do the will of God.

The phrase "will of God" means to do what God wishes, desires and purposes. This is not always easy. It is not easy to maintain joy when many things turn adversely. It takes endurance to raise children in a way that honors the Lord and defies popular culture norms. It takes perseverance to ardently fight against temptation and sin to live in holiness which is the will of God.

Everything God wills is not easy and His purposes often do not happen overnight. It takes a lot of enduring grit to fulfill the wishes of God. Just ask a missionary or church planter in a difficult field. Just ask the pastor struggling in a small church or the one living by faith with meager means.

God wills that His people finish the race set before them to the end. He wants His people to finish with endurance. For some that will mean enduring multiple illnesses. For others it will mean long nights of loneliness in a bed they once shared with a soul mate. There will be long nights of weeping to endure for parents praying over prodigals. There will also be multiple broken hearts to overcome along the way.

We need endurance. That means endurance is necessary. Now here is the thing. This endurance is not just something we resolve to attain. God grants endurance as we trust and lean on Him.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) 
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

Another way to say patience is to say long suffering. It goes hand in hand with endurance. So when we pray let us not forget to ask God for endurance and endurance for those we love. Endurance for people of all ages and stages of life. This is what we need to do the will of God. 

Blood Work

I had to go get some blood work done this week. I do not have a phobia of needles as long as I can see it coming. That rear entry needle is another story.

I watched as the technician drew one vile of blood after another. The crimson flow filled three tubes. It dawned on me as I looked at that blood what Jesus did for me with the shedding of His blood.

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB)
¹⁸  "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 


Only with Jesus can you take the filthy stain of sin, cover it with the crimson blood of Jesus and you get white like snow. Usually black and red would make purple. God uses those colors to make white. It is a miracle.

Ephesians 1:7 (NASB)
⁷  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace


That is what the blood work of Jesus will do for sinners. Because of His blood work we have redemption. That means we have a release effected by payment of ransom. Jesus paid my ransom and yours and all who repent of and believes.

Forgiveness means having our sins dismissed and released. We are pardoned of all wrongs committed. Why? Why would God sacrifice the blood of His Son? O the riches of His grace. Riches means the wealth and the word grace means the kindness, favor and blessing of God. Totally undeserved. Not able to be earned. Blood work declares us not guilty, redeemed and forgiven. It is a a true blessing. Praise God for His blood work.

Keeping The Sabbath Holy

If there is only one true God, and I believe that to be true, then He has all authority. He has the right to do what He wills, command what He wants and require what He desires.  He does not mince words. He says what He means and means what He says.

For the life of me I do not understand the blatant disregard for His word. He gives commands not suggestions.

Exodus 20:8 (NASB) 
⁸  "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Six days we are given to work, recreate and entertain ourselves. One days is a holy day. That means one day is supposed to be set apart, sacred and consecrated. One day is devoted to worship and to study God's word with God's people. It is a day unlike every other day of the week. How that has changed. 

God's people regularly forsake the Lord's day and treat it as a common day like all the rest. People hunt, fish, shop, sleep in and play ball. Sunday is treated like any other day. Preachers pound the drum of keeping the Sabbath holy but church members ignore such exhortations. There is a subtle peer pressure to keep up with everyone else. 

People hunt and fish on Sundays skipping church hoping to land the big one. Worship services are ignored for another round of golf. Exorbitant fees are paid to secure children spots on select sports teams. Sunday services are regularly neglected in lieu of tournaments. Does anyone stop and contemplate the cost of these things to the souls of people. 

Where is the justification? How can we profess we believe in the authority of God and the authority of His word and continue to violate this command? It happens in churches all over the nation. We treat the Sabbath like it is optional. We certainly do not treat it like it is a holy day unto the Lord. 

Pause and ponder that for a moment. A day holy to the Lord. A day dedicated to God. A day set apart for Him. A day consecrated for deeper communion with Him. 

Neglecting the Sabbath and not treating it has holy is a sign of modern times. Many preachers have thundered against such an unbiblical attitude. I did the same this morning. Nobody listens. Nobody contemplates the end results. 

One father told me once his daughter playing select soccer destroyed her soul in her teen years. A girl I met at camp this past summer told me she used to play select basketball and softball. She never had time to do anything at church and missed out on camps, D'Nows, Wednesday nights and Sunday services. She finally quit on her own for her own good. People got mad at her. She said it was the best thing for her spiritually. 

Skipping church is an epidemic. This is what amazes me. People make extra effort to attend civic organizational meetings. Practices are made no matter how early or late. The prevailing attitude is church attendance is optional. 

So let me ask you to do a little test. How is the condition of your soul? Are you close to God? Are you consistent in your devotions? What about your children? Do you see any fervor for the Lord in them? Do you see them having devotions? Do you or they have a desire to go to the house of the Lord? Do you dread missing corporate worship? Honest answers to those questions might reveal a lot. 

Keep the Sabbath holy. It is God's command. He commands it for our own good. The word Sabbath means "solemn rest." We all could use some rest. On this Sabbath afternoon Brenda is seated next to me napping. Our bodes and souls need rest from the rat race. 

Keep the Sabbath for rest. Keep it holy and set apart to the Lord. That is wha God wills. 

Pastor

"A church calls you to be a preacher but you gotta earn the right to be their Pastor. Being the pastor is listening to there struggles and worries, Sharing the truth and loving people. Having the right sermon series and backdrop does not matter when a person is full of despair and is looking for hope"

Simpler Times

When I grew up I could not wait to get out of school. Depending on the season we played whatever sport was in season. We donned our plastic helmets and pads and played tackle football in front yards. We played basketball in driveways. We made our own ball diamonds in backyards grabbing our wooden bats and baseball mts and kept our batting stats all for fun.

Most people went to church on Sundays. I rarely did but most people did. Nobody played organized sports on Sundays.People did not even practice on Sundays. There were no SELECT SPORTS TEAMS. The only select teams were when you got selected by a neighborhood friend. The only travel we did meant going to a friend's house or a nearby ball field to play.

We did not grow up playing video games. They were not invented until we were in junior high school. We could not imagined being more fascinated playing a fantasy video game than playing the real thing. We rather played ball for the fun and love of the game. We did not have to have specialized coaches and we certainly never felt constant pressure to perform. Jeans and a t-shirt felt like a uniform to us.

Sure we played organized sports but I remember having more fun playing for fun. I did not have to pay enormous fees to feel special or travel to play ball to boost my self esteem. Select teams when I grew up were those players chosen for all star teams. I never got selected for those teams but went further in sports than every single one of my childhood friends. Most of them did not even play ball in high school.

 We did more than play ball. We rode our big wheels,  bikes, built forts, road dirt racing tracks, shot bb guns and raked leaves or mowed yards to make money. We enjoyed playing pin ball machines, going skating and to the movies.

I learned to work to save for things I wanted. They were not just given to me. I worked seven weeks to pay for a stereo I wanted badly. Many a Saturday I spent raking pine straw from the towering pine trees in our front and back yards. I helped my grandmother with paper routes. I thank God my mother and grandparents taught me how to work. They instilled a work ethic in me which Brenda and I have sought to pass onto our boys.

The few times I went to church we never heard of children's church. I listened to Brother Fowler preach at the First Church of the Nazarene in downtown Lufkin. I did not understand any of it but I still had to endure it on special occasions like revivals and holidays. People dressed up for worship services. They wore their Sunday best. Nowadays people dress down for everything and especially church.

I also thank my maternal grandmother for installing in me a love for reading. I have mentioned it before, it was her who took me to get my first library card. I had great pleasure in taking Turner to get a library card this summer. I spent many waking hours lost in the adventure of books and watched Turner do the same this past summer.

As a child we used our imagination. Every toy did not include batteries or electronics. Punishment for us included being punished to stay inside. Now punishment for children is making them go outside. Our parents had one standing rule, "Be home by dark." We pushed that rule as far as we could scurrying home with the last glimpses of daylight.

When we got in trouble we got spanked at home or at school. We did not dare backtalk a teacher or any elder for that matter. We were taught to respect authority. We respected teachers, coaches, law enforcement officers, fire fighters and our friends' parents.

Life was simpler and seemed happier. I really shudder to think what life will be like for grandkids. It would not hurt for all of get a little taste of days gone by and go back to simpler times.

Waiting

Lord, for so long I have been waiting,
The patience needed for this hating,
Wondering when You will breakthrough,
When my impatience and doubts subdued,
Lord for so very long I've been waiting,
My heart and faith often are breaking,
One day has turned into years a many,
The many trials have abounded aplenty,
Lord, You see how long I've been waiting,
In the abundant life not often partaking,
When will You rescue me from my sorrows,
Will it be today, a month or possibly tomorrow,
My prayers left unanswered while waiting,
My cause before You continually debating,
You say Your timing is perfect I believe,
Yet hope deferred makes me feel deceived,
You are sovereign while I keep waiting,
Perfectly in control there is no mistaking,
So I wait, hopeful but so very reluctantly,
Believing You dish out hope abundantly.

Written have laying a prayer matter before the Lord for multiple decades and not seeing the long awaited breakthrough.

Damnation Fire

I'm sitting in my living room with a warm fire blazing in the fireplace. Instead of enjoying the comfort the fire offers my mind is turned to a different direction. I am contemplating the eternal damnation fire of God awaiting those who do not know Christ.

O the fire that awaits the lost. It will never be quenched. It will never lessen in intensity. Each flame fueled by the wrath of God toward those that embrace sin and hug hypocrisy. There are many who walk this road toward destruction. Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB) 
¹³  "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
¹⁴  "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

The word "destruction" means loss, perish, waste, ruined. It does not sound like a luxury vacation. Hell is a place of eternal fire, eternal torment and eternal suffering. Millions are there already crying out in agony for relief if even for the briefest moment. The fire never goes out. The agony never ceases. The heat never quits scorching and yet, unlike the wood in my fireplace, the lost will never be consumed in damnation fire. They will feel the excruciating pain of the flames but never get any relief. NOT EVER. 

Hell is often dismissed by academia. That does not change the reality one single bit. As sure as I sit in this house located in Runaway Bay Hell also exists as a  real physical location. Real people are already there. Some people you and I have known reside in hell. Listen to their sermons of warning to avoid the damnation fire of suffering. 

As I watch the flames dance in the fireplace, my drifts toward the abyss of Hell and the heat generated from that damnation fire. My heart trembles at the thought. Good people are there right now. Good people who were kind, generous, and loving. Wicked people are there that swindled, fornicated, blasphemed, lied and lived pagan lives. Church members are there who had their name on the church roll but there name never was written in the Lamb's Book of Life.  I wonder if every gospel sermon they ever heard rewinds in their minds reminding them of a different outcome if they had trusted Jesus for salvation. 

Daily the damnation fire of Hell is stoked by our Holy God by the addition of other lost souls sentenced to suffer there. I think of many people that have no interest in God nor regard for the preacher's gospel warning. They immerse themselves in the luxury, lust and profligate living of the temporary while ignoring the eternal. 

O sinner, cast yourself wholly on Jesus for salvation and the cleansing of your soul. It is your only hope. I am not talking about merely attending worship services. I am not talking about you trying to clean up your own life. I am exhorting you to repent of your sins, acknowledge your helplessness to rescue yourself and cry out to Jesus for deliverance and salvation. Jesus is the only hope. There is no other way to appease the wrath of God for sin. Romans 5:8-9 (NASB) 

⁸  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.Praise the Lord through Jesus we are not only forgiven  but also declared righteous in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB) 

²¹  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 

Simply amazing. I wish I could take every sinner into my heart and show them the freedom in Christ. I wish I could show each lost person the weight lifted from my shoulders when I gave the burden of my sin, failures and flawed character to His massive shoulders. 

Damnation fire never wanes. I trust Jesus to rescue the masses. May the ones we love be spared by the grace of God to avoid damnation fire. 

Lord, I Could Cry A River

I sit here in grief my soul quakes and quivers,
I feel as if any moment I could cry a river,
Life so heavy it feels I can hardly breathe,
Wondering when You will bring relief,
There are many tears dammed up inside,
I've tried so bravely to hold at low tide,
It feels I could swim in a pool of tears,
Of heartache built up over many years,
Each tear a little portrait of private pain,
In each burden I've laid before You again,
I feel at any moment the river might flow,
Silently I weep tears nobody sees or knows,
You are my Comforter, Strength, Refuge,
No matter how the trials of this life deluge,
You see and wipe away all my tears of sorrow,
There's always hope for it to get better tomorrow.


Inspired the many suffering people I see and love. I ache for them. Many the Lord bring them comfort and relief in their nights of weeping. Praying the Lord will bring them joy in the morning.

Crying A River

There are unbelievably sad moments in life. When I look around and see the devastation of sin in my life, the life of my family, my friends, my community and my country I feel deep grief. A grief deeper than ordinary sadness. There is a flood of tears dammed up behind the wall of my soul and tear ducts. Even a tiny pin prick would unleash a torrent.

Added to that is more grief over the suffering of so many people I love. The sufferings are varied by individual and family. Their grief is shared as my own. Again I feel a torrent of tears held back by a stiff upper lip and will power. At any moment the levy could give way to flooding grief.

I feel at times if I could just sit with the Lord and truly unload all my grief on Him the tears would flow unceasingly for awhile. There seems to be no time for such things. There is always somewhere else to be and something else that needs to be done.

I wonder how many others feel as I do. How many others trudge through their days with heavy hearts they fear might break wide open and the river of tears would flow. I wonder how many others walk around with a hole in their heart for various reasons brining intense sadness. I wonder how many feel the crushing weight of grief gripping and pressing down on their souls. The weight of each breath feels heavy. Even the normal duties of life feel cumbersome.

Some cannot get over the death of a parent, child, spouse or friend. They awaken each day to the startling realty their loved one is gone and never coming back. There will never again be a casual conversation other than in dreams or precious memories. There will never be a quiet dinner or a trip to the movie theater. There will be no more shared vacations or family holidays. As one lady told me years ago, you learn to live with the new reality of life without someone snatched by death but you never get over it.

For those grieving the death of someone close the tears come and go. Sometimes they come when least expected. You hear a song, read a scripture, hear a sermon, see a commercial or pass an old familiar stomp. Before you know it a tear trickles. Another follows. Embarrassed you quickly brush them away and find something to dab misty eyes. You try to get yourself together but there are moments when nothing can keep you from crying a river.

Such grief often makes others uncomfortable who are living in their pseudo bubbles of security and health. Sooner or later grief strikes us all. Those unaware of this truth will be ill prepared when the weeping for a night comes.

Because I grieve and have grieved tears do not make me uncomfortable. Not mine or others. Each tear  can be liquid pain oozing from a fractured soul. Each tear drop can be filled with pain, regret, remorse, repentance and reminiscing.

Yes, I know there are tears of joy. That is subject for another day. My subject is the tears caused by grief. I think of David's life and his sin with Bathsheba. Though God forgave him, David dealt with the consequences of that sin for the rest of his life. In his family he saw a daughter raped by a son, another son murder his rapist brother, and the murderous son betray him and try to overthrow him as king. David had multiple reasons to grieve crying a river, And the constant remorse to know he brought all that pain on himself by what he thought would be a casual one night stand.

How many reading this are currently floating on the jagged crags near the shore because you did not heed the warning of the Lighthouse in Jesus. The vessel of your life is damaged and you are taking own water. Your sin has not only impacted your life but those closet to you. Sometimes all you can do is cry a river of repentance.

How many live with he grief of grudges and the soul bruises of broken relationships with family or friends. The years have passed. The strong tower of pride has prevailed. Some have waited too late to make amends. The family member or friend has cut you off or worse they are dead and gone. This is a grief hard to bear. A river of tears portrays the pained soul.

Some people stroll through life stoically.. They never seem phased by anything. Others wear their emotions on their sleeves. Some view tears as a sign of weakness. In that estimation that would make Jesus weak because he wept over his friend Lazarus. No. Jesus is not weak. He is strong, mighty and powerful. He also created tears.

From where I sit today tears are not a sign of weakness. They are a gift from God. Sometimes words are not enough to express the depths of our private pain. Sometimes we cannot even pray in words to express the anguish deep inside. In those heart wrenching moments tears suffice.

So go ahead. If you need to cry a river unto the Lord find an quiet place and unload your grief on Him. He cares.

Psalm 55:22 (NASB) 
²²  Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.  Psalm 6:6 (NASB)
⁶  I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears.
Psalm 42:3 (NASB)
³  My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"  Psalm 56:8 (NASB)
⁸  You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? 

These verses are just a sampling. You are not alone in your grief. Others have felt the vice like grip of grief and have shed many tears. Sometimes it is good to go ahead and cry a river. God sees every tear. No tears falls unnoticed. Even if you cry a river. 

Behold The Glory Of The Lord

Exodus 16:6-7 (NASB)
⁶  So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, "At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt;
⁷  and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?"

What we could all use is seeing the daily work of God in our lives and around our communities. I fear too often we settle for stale region rather than walking in fellowship with God and trusting Him for the miraculous. Even though Israel experienced God working miraculously they still grumbled and doubted.

We do the same. As we go from one test to another and from one trial to the next we also doubt and grumble. We think of turning back from following God.

I, for one, cannot be content to live on yesterday's testimonies. I need God daily. The people I serve have real needs and real issues today. They need God today. So today I pray they would be able to see the glory of the Lord.

The word "see" means to "behold and to gaze." This is not a fly by glance. We need to pause and really take in the activity of God around us. His provision. His moving mountains. His comfort. His deliverance. Behold God and gaze on Him and His infinite power to meet your need.

The word "glory" means "abundance, wealth, splendor, honor." What need do you have today God is not able to meet. Let me be more specific. What financial need do you have today God is not able to meet? If you answered none you would be correct. God in His abundant wealth can meet any need you have. He is able to connect His provision with your need. Let me say that again. HE IS ABLE TO CONNECT HIS PROVISION WITH YOUR NEED. He knows not only your need but He also knows your address.  He can get His provision to you when you need it most. 

You may think that is not possible. You may also think it is not practical. Trusting God for provision is both possible and practical. Don't believe me. Drive to 4128 Evans Gann Rd in Lufkin, TX. There you will find a 4 bedroom house Brenda and I bought on faith when we had nothing. Go to 2112 NW Ave B in Seminole, TX and again you will find a 4 bedroom house there we called our home for two years. God supplied to make that house available for us. Come on out to 521 Runaway Bay Drive and you will see the home I currently live in again as part of God's provision. You will also see a black and green truck in driveway. Ask me to tell you the stories behind those vehicles. Let me take you into my dining room and show you the dining table we prayed for after the movers destroyed our other dining table moving to Seminole. Let me show you the beds given to us for the boys as part of God's provision. Let me tell you the story behind the refrigerator in the garage or the riding lawn mower and trailer. Let me point you to the deep freeze that has often been filled with beef given to us as God's provision. Let me show you three suits hanging in my closet bought for me by other people. Let me show you books in my library given to me as a blessing from God. Let me show you the patio furniture given to us by Faith Community Church as a house warming gift. Again God's provision. Let me show you my bike given to me by a man dying of cancer who knew of my love of cycling. Again God provided. Let me show you Christmas presents bought because God blessed us through other people. Let me show you Taylor's truck paid off because God is a faithful provider. Let me show you by faith Tanner's future truck and Tucker's future car when the time is right. God will come through again as He always does. These are practical and possible things God has done for will do in the future.

Behold the glory of God. He still provides. He still mets needs. Read His word. Psalm 24:1 (NASB) 
¹

 The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.  Psalm 50:10 (NASB)
¹⁰  "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.  Philippians 4:19 (NASB)
¹⁹  And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  Matthew 6:25-34 (NASB)
²⁵  "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
²⁶  "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
²⁷  "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
²⁸  "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
²⁹  yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
³⁰  "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
³¹  "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
³²  "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
³³  "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
³⁴  "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

There it is black in white. God's promises to provide and statement of His abundant wealth. Behold His abundant wealth in providing for your needs. See it. Gaze on it. He will come through for you. He will not let you down. He will not fail you. Watch for what He is about to do next to glorify His name in your life. 

Just A Few Steps From Glory

Lord, I'm just a few steps from glory,
I'll experience the old redemptive story,
First hand faultless before Your throne,
Dressed in Your righteousness alone,
My every tear will be wiped away,
Grace and mercy on full display,
I don't know what I'll truly do,
When my eyes lay hold of You,
I may shout Hallelujah in praise,
I may stand with my hands raised,
Most likely I will humbly bow,
My lips to Your feet face down,
To You one day a thousand years,
Me distracted by constant fears,
Soon I will be drawn back home,
To worship You before Your throne,
 Just a few more steps from glory,
'Till then gotta tell the gospel story.

Lost In The Wonder Of Worship

There are no crowds or tightly packed pews,
It is just me today lost in the wonder of You,
Sitting here my mind is boggled by the who,
You are-  I draw near for a more intimate view,
Your power and wisdom  always on full display,
Your splendid glory shines a bright majestic array,
Your love - grace like a waterfall flowing cascade,
You're still faithful like You were all my  yesterdays,
I pause and reflect on You  in worship as I bow my knee,
Horrified in Your holiness when all my putrid sin I see,
Humbled by Your grace given a wretched sinner like me,
On Your altar I climb to give my all everything to Thee.

This Is The Day

Take a moment and pause from what you are doing. Take a look around you. Look for the handiwork of God on display. From where I sit I look out the window and the sky is blue. The temperatures are mild for mid-January. I can't see any clouds. There is an ever so slight breeze blowing the few remaining leaves clinging to trees and rebelling against fall and winter. It is a beautiful day to live.

Take another moment. Start counting your blessings. You will certainly name the beautiful and special people in your life. You will make note of the multiple choices of food you have to eat. You will also remind yourself of the place you call home. Take the chair you are sitting in now. Is is made of wood. Think about the craftsman who shaped that chair from pieces of wood. Are you in an office chair. Be grateful for the padding and the ability to recline when you need a break. Are you in a recliner. Be thankful for the comfort.

Can you see today? Don't take that blessing for granted. Are you able to walk? Thank God for your mobility? Can you breathe? Bless God for fresh air and each new breath. Can you read? Thank God for your education and those teachers or parents who taught you to read. Do you have clothing to wear and shoes for your feet? Thank God for warm clothes in the winter and lighter clothes for the summer season.

You have this day. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised. You have this day, January 14, 2016. Are you enjoying this day or trying to survive this day. God made this day and you for this day. His mercies are new and His faithfulness is great this day.

One gift we can all bring our God  today is to pause in the middle of this day or at the end of this day and be awed by Him and His power. I am not in anyway trying to diminish the truth many of you reading this are going through hard times. Even in hard times there can be reasons to rejoice and enjoy the day.

Even when alone we are not left alone by God. He is there. He is also here. He is hospitals and funeral homes. He is rehab/retirement centers. He is in the jungles of Africa as well as the urban jungles of New York, L.A., Houston, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. He is rural towns like Cut and Shoot, Zavalla, Loop, an d Lufkin. He is there on this day. Rejoice we have His truth to guide us along the way. Rejoice for the gift of people God puts in our lives to help us along the way. Rejoice in this day for another chance to love, seek, serve and worship God.

What will you do with the remainder of this day? Who will you hug? Who will you encourage? Who will be the recipient of your prayer? Who will you spur on toward love and good works?

In what new ways will you experience God today? In what fresh ways will you express wonder and delight at the Creator of the heavens and the earth today? Will you pause and pray? Will you reflect and write a poem? Will you linger before Him and listen to worship music? Will you write down your thoughts in a journal? Will you walk slowly through the field,park,  across the classroom, around the office or in your home lost in the wonder of worship of a God bigger than you, your problems and your pain?

All of those things and much are possible this day. What will you do with remainder of this day?

Psalm 118:24 (NASB)
²⁴  This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Barely Hanging Onto Hope

Have you ever met those that are barely hanging onto hope? No matter what they do, what they try, how hard they pray or what changes they make things seem to get worse before they get better. That was the case for Job. There were seasons in King David's life when hope faded in the dusk of trials.

Over the years I have seen many who barely held onto hope. I think about a lady who spent nine straight months in the hospital. When her insurance refused to pay anymore the hospital sent her home. We once took our Wednesday evening church service to her hospital room to encourage her. I watched her barely hold onto hope along with her husband and children.

This morning I flipped through the pages of an old church directory. I counted nine of those people who died in the past few years. I then began recounting the numerous trials others have endured. So many barely clinging to hope for better days. So many gutting out hard days. So many living in grief. So many beyond exhausted but the trials keep coming.

Psalm 31:24 (NASB) 
²⁴  Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

It takes a measure of strength to hang onto hope. Like a person hanging onto the end of a rope dangling from a cliff. You have reposition your grip on hope. The kind of strength often needed is not so much physical strength, but  spiritual strength and emotional strength. God is the source of hope. He gives it even in the darkness and life's harshness.

 It also takes courage to hope. That might not sound very deep but it takes courage to hang onto hope in hopeless circumstances. Courage can be defined in this passage to mean to be stout and determined. There are enough things in this world that can rob people of hope. You have to be determined to hang onto hope. It takes a lot o prayer and a lot of Bible study and meditation. Summoning the courage to hope is both a grace of God and a daily grind. We must remain determined to choose hope over doubt. Day in and day out it takes dogged determination to keep trusting God  and hang onto hope when everything around you screams to doubt and despair. 

The word hope in Psalm 31:24 means to wait expectantly. We are supposed to determine to hang onto hope. In that hope we are to wait expectantly for God to intervene. We should wake up every day thinking this is the day when God comes through. This is the day when the mountain gets moved. This is the day when God heals. This is the day when God provides. This is the day when God delivers. This is the day when God restores. This is the day when God breaks ffathrough. This is the day when God saves. This is the day when God counsels which direction to take.

Most of us do not live that way. When prayers go unanswered for a period time it is easier to lose hope. It is easier to wake up everyday not believing that anything will change. It is easier to cope with  nothing changing than to hold onto hope and have those hopes disappointed at the end of a day, week, month, decade and a lifetime.

Hanging onto hope is gritty stuff. It takes strength and determined courage. So for all of you barely hanging onto hope today. I pray Ps 31:24 gives you a little soul nourishment for the journey and the strength and courage to keep going and to keep hanging onto hope no matter what you are up against.

Hoping For Elim

Father, so many times life has been bitter to the taste,
The dryness of my desert painful - seemed such a waste,
The harshness of my trials drove me down to my knees,
Where often I cried out with desperate and tearful pleas,
Lord, too often life is bitter - painful to my untrained eye,
Many questions still left unanswered often wondering why,
I know there is Marah for the bitterness has touched my soul,
I'm  hoping - trusting You for Elim where You'll make me whole,
Until my Elim comes whether in this  life or in eternity to come,
Please never let me forget fromYou is where my peace comes from.

From Marah To Elim

2016 has already turned into a bitter year for some I know. Pain. Betrayal. Theft. Sickness. We are not even two full weeks into the new year and many people could say, like Israel in the Shur desert, this tastes bitter. These circumstances are harsh to the taste, unpleasant, and distressing.

I sit here contemplating this truth this morning. I've had my Marah experiences. Brenda and I have known the bitterness of life. It began early with two alcoholic fathers and the pain they inflicted. We both grew up in tough economic conditions. After getting married we learned first hand life in ministry is no fairly tale. We have experienced the highest joys imaginable in different churches with God's people. We have also experienced the bitter Marah of church members over the years. We have been criticized, slandered, betrayed, and deceived by church members we once trusted. Those were bitter experiences. We have served in churches where they thought they could starve us out by withholding their tithes and offerings. Those people disliked us much they did not care if Taylor, Brenda and I were provided for. God did though.

In the middle of all of it God used those times to test us. What those people, that wanted to starve us out of their church, did not know is God used that time to remind us HE IS OUR PROVIDER. We learned to trust Him. In the harshness of bitter economic times we learned to trust Him. God taught us to pray and strengthened our faith in the laboratory of life.

Everybody goes through some Marah experiences where life is bitter. Just don't let those bitter experiences make you bitter against God.

I am here to report our God leads people through bitter experiences. There is hope on the other side. God might lead you into some bitter experiences to test you. He also leads THROUGH bitter experiences. Hope lies on the other side. There is an Elim.  Elim is the place Israel camped after Marah where the waters were bitter to the taste in Ex 15:22-27. Elim had 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees.

12 represents the power and authority of God. Remember the 12 baskets of leftovers when Jesus worked the miracle of feeding the 5,0000 with a little boy's sack lunch. In the middle of a desert Elim was an oasis of God's abundant provision. The number 70 represents God's perfection and completeness. Elim provided shade from the heat and water for drinking and refreshing. Praise God for the Elims on the other side of Marah!

The ultimate Elim is heaven. I long for that Elim. The provision, the rest, the relief, the joy, the pleasures are unending, eternal and forever  there. Here and now there is Elim in God's presence and seasons of rest and refreshing in Him.

When you experience the bitterness of Marah please know God also has an Elim. That is truth worth holding onto in 2016.

Gripe and Grumble Session

Exodus 15:22-24 (NASB) (NASB) 
²²  Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. ²³  When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah.
²⁴  So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"

What makes you grumble? Politicians? Finances? Hypocrisy? Tests and trials?  Job? Children? I am sure you have your list. The word grumble means to "growl, murmur." To put it another way it is the sour disposition of complaining.  

Everybody knows someone who complains, gripes, and grumbles all the time. Nothing makes them happy. They are the people who find something wrong with everything and everyone. What is worse, they do not keep their complaints to themselves. They feel it is their right to voice their complaints to everyone within ear shot. 

I have certainly done my fare share of grumbling over the years. I have also heard my fare share of grumbling from disgruntled church members. These people usually come with their complaints starting the conversation like this, "There are some people saying...." When questioned as to who those people are they are quick to crawfish.

Let's be honest. People like to grumble. People like to vent their complaints. They like to set the record straight, clear the air, tell it how it is and tell where the cow ate the cabbage. The problem is such people usually destroy others in their path. They constantly tear people down but never build them up. You can see this with many parents and the way they criticize their children. Eventually the children lose hope of every making such parents proud or happy.

Are you a grumbler? Did you wake up today grumbling and complaining? In the above passage the scriptures go on in a later verse to say God tested Israel.  God tested Israel wen they could not find water to drink. They were quick to grumble. Quick to complain and gripe. Don't we do the same when God doesn't do things the way we want.

How about a grumble free day. A day when we make a conscious effort not to complain. I bet it would be harder than you think. To go an entire day and to focus on not grumbling and griping would take great focus, the fruit of the Spirit as we submit to and walk in the Spirit. I know it is possible for all things are possible with God. So how about it. Shoot for a grumble free day. If we make it we can try for another. Maybe, in time, this could become a new pattern of behavior.

The Ilusion

They said I could have it all, the American dream come to fruition,
If I worked hard, made the grades and earned a degree after tuition,
Over the years I worked and believed with all my internal aspirations,
I prayed, preached and labored with my brow drenched in perspiration,
The American dream I so long chased proved nothing but an illusion,
A fancy of my imagination planted by Lucifer as a deceptive delusion,
The American dream seemed out of reach and forever looked elusive,
The mental battles were the worst as negative thoughts became abusive,
I found no peace, lived with perpetual frustration and a faith fractured,
The illusive American dream never came no matter what I manufactured,
Then it dawned on me through what can only be described as revelation,
Contentment, joyful fulfillment are  in God taught in scriptural inspiration,
Houses, land, automobiles and the latest fashions can never fully satisfy,
The American dream is an illusion I stand here tonight to joyfully testify,
There is fullness of joy -  pleasures in God's presence now and forevermore,
Satan is a lying destructive raging bull - Jesus my Savior and faithful matador,
I will not fall for Satan's lies - no longer trapped by his destructive deceptions,
For I am redeemed in Christ by a Savior conceived by immaculate concception.

The Richest Man In Town

It is hard for me to put into words how blessed I've felt this Christmas season. It really had nothing to do with gifts exchanged. It had everything to do with the people I shared the season alongside. Namely those people areBrenda, Taylor, Tanner, Tucker, Turner, Linda Ortiz, the Adkins family and the Dunham family.

Rich relationships made this one special Christmas for this prophet-pastor. I cannot remember a time when I have enjoyed my family more than these past couple of weeks. My heart has been blessed watching all the boys pile into Tucker's and Turner's room to play video games together. We enjoyed a few family movie nights. We ate family dinners with every reserved seat filled. We laughed together. We enjoyed warm fires in the living room on cold days. We told stories and relived a few memories from years gone by. We even talked about the future when all the boys will be married and will have families of their own. Taylor was sure to tell me he would still planned on coming home for Christmas with his family. I reminded him that his future wife will also have a family and we will have to share him with her family as well.

Sadly it is coming to an end. Taylor leaves for college in four days. The other three start back to school in the morning. Tanner has already had several basketball games over the break and his first powerlifting meet comes up on Saturday. Before Taylor heads back to Brownwood we took him to one of his favorite restaurants. All six of us sat around a round table. We laughed at one point because none the boys talked as they busied themselves scarfing down Mexican food.They were starving after weight workouts. I enjoyed our being together. Tonight was our only free night for the rest of the week. I'm glad we paused and enjoyed it together.

Brenda and I followed up dinner with a date to the grocery store just the two of us. We held hands as we drove. We talked about our day and about random things. Going to the grocery store is far from romantic. It did not matter. We were together.

 I joked to her at one point about kidnapping me. I thought we were just picking up a few necessities. I soon realized we were on a FULL GROCERY STORE SHOPPING EXPEDITION. I knew this meant we would go down every aisle and check every price for the best deals. ARGGGGGGGGGGGGG!   I consoled myself with a few extra items thrown in the buggy. The price to be paid for THE FULL ON GROCERY SHOPPING EXPEDITION.

I am blessed. These past few weeks did not stress me out. I purposely slowed my pace and enjoyed the people God gave me to share this journey of life.

I know all too well from observing other's grief not to take these relationships and opportunities for granted. I am blessed. Like George Baily, in the fictional movie It's A Wonderful Life, I am the richest man in town and that has NOTHING TO DO WITH MY BANK ACCOUNT.

God Out Front

Exodus 13:21-22 (NASB)
²¹  The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
²²  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people. 

God went before the Israelites. That means He went out front of them. He does the same for us today. As we start 2016 I am thankful God will go before us each day of the year. He will go out front during the bitter cold months, the youthful days of spring, into the dog days of summer and through festive fall season as well. Each hour of each day God will be leading us out front. Think ahead to any day of 2016 and beyond and God is already there waiting on us.

God has always led His people. He is still leading today and He will lead out front into the future. Some would say they wish God still led with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He does. How you ask?

Psalm 119:105 (NASB) 
¹⁰⁵

 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. 

Through His word God is still leading His people out front. A lamp is like a lantern. God gives light for each additional step. The word light means the dawning of a day or daylight. Think of the clarity you are able to see the path in front of you in the daylight. In that way, just like with the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire, God leads us out front with His word. 

When I think about the most major decisions in my life over the past 30 years God has used His word repeatedly to lead me. He does the same with all His followers. 

God leads us out front when we have make decisions or face forks in the road. God, through His word clarifies the path we are to take. 

God did not take away the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire from Israel as they exited Egypt. It was a visible sign of the presence of God.  A reminder that God was leading, God was out front and God had not forsaken them. 

Through the scriptures we also have a visible written record to comfort and reassure us. We have testimonies like the story we are considering here to encourage us. We have  numerous promises to strengthen our faith, renew our hope and inspire to keep trusting God. So, no matter what happens in 2016 God will lead out front. 

When The Lord Leads To A Dead End

My heart is heavy today for the many faith walkers around the world who followed God to a dead end. They heard a call from God. They stepped out in faith. They trusted the Lord for guidance each step of the way. They obeyed. They risked it all. When all was said and done they found themselves at a dead end.

This is exactly what happened to Moses and Israel in Exodus 13-14. They followed God manifested in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God did not lead them through the shortest exodus out of Egypt. Ultimately God lead them  to a dead end.

Behind Moses and Israel stood the Red Sea. In front the Egyptian army barreled down toward them. On each side mountains boxed them in. They had no escape. Everywhere they looked  they didd not find a neon exit sign. They were trapped. Or were they? Did they look closely enough? They looked in front and behind. They also looked on both sides. They forgot to look up. They forgot to look to the comforting presence of God manifested in the pillar of fire.

This pillar of fire came in between the Egyptians and Israelites providing a barrier for protection. God Himself made a barrier between the enemy and His people. We all know the miracle God did in Exodus 14:10-29 (NASB). 
¹⁰  As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD.
¹¹  Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?
¹²  "Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
¹³  But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.
¹⁴  "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."
¹⁵  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.
¹⁶  "As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land.
¹⁷  "As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.
¹⁸  "Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen."
¹⁹  The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them.
²⁰  So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
²¹  Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.
²²  The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
²³  Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.
²⁴  At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion.
²⁵  He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians."
²⁶  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen."
²⁷  So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
²⁸  The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh's entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained.
²⁹  But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 

What appeared to be a dead end turned out to be a doorway to a greater miracle. The Israelites lamented to Moses and longed for slavery back in Egypt rather than the dead end they were facing. What none of them could see was a wise and sovereign God had a plan and the dead end played into that plan. 

How many times over the years did those Israelites, who crossed the Red Sea after being boxed in, retell that story to their children and grandchildren. God glorified Himself that day in the nation of Israel in a way they would remember for generations. To this day preachers retell that story to give hope. 

That is my desire today. I know there are people reading this that are at a dead end. Some business owners are weary of trying to keep the company afloat. Business revenues are down and giving up looks like a better option than pressing ahead. 

Others are pastors in dead end churches where the only thing declining faster than the attendance is the morale. They have prayed and preached their hearts out. Things only seem to get worse. How many pastors have to preach messages of faith to themselves before they preach them to the flocks. How many pastors minister without hope things will get better. How many struggle with feelings of failure. If they could only see that what looks like a dead end might just be a doorway to a greater miracle. 

How many parents feel like they are at a dead end with their kids. Rebellion, sullen attitudes and disrespect have all replaced the tender hugs and loving hugs of yesteryears. If those parents could find hope as they look up to God they could press on. 

There are coaches that feel like they are at a dead end and no matter what they do the program does not turn around. They log long hours. They study the latest strength and conditioning techniques. They hire the best staff. They invest in student athletes. Yet the win loss record does not change. A dead end might just be an open door to a greater miracle. 

How many are disillusioned with God at this moment because they blame Him for leading into a dead end. You feel trapped, hopeless and cannot see a way out. Let me remind you brothers and sisters to not just look in front and behind you. Don't fixate on either side of you. Turn your eyes upward. Look to God who makes roadways through dead ends. Your dead end might just be a doorway to a greater miracle. Hope in that. 

Wipe The Slate Clean

Lord, at the start of this brand spanking new year,
I ask You for faith that overcomes my foolish fears,
I ask you for another chance - a fresh new clean start,
At knowing, loving and serving You with all my heart,
I thank You in 2016 my slate has been washed clean,
This is another chance to pursue my long lost dreams,
A time when You look on my past mistakes and forgive,
When You redeem my days and my past I finally outlive,
There is abounding potential to be seized and to believe,
There are God ordained dreams that will soon be conceived,
There are fresh outpourings, awakenings - revival movements,
To be experienced in the church making some vast improvements,
Trials will abound as from year to year they always seem to do,
Your strength, peace, and abounding grace will still be in view,
There will be disappointments and sorrows we will have to face,
Even moments when it appears You have vanished without a trace,
You will remain  faithful  and true no matter what comes each day,
I start afresh this new year hanging on each and every word You say.

What Lies Ahead

2016 is here. We did not ring it in with fanfare around here. In fact, I went to sleep well before midnight.. I didn't watch the ball drop. I did awake around 2:00 a.m. Brenda was still up watching a movie. She asked for her kiss which I gave  and then went back to sleep.

Today many people start this new year with high hopes for blessings, peace, prosperity and good things. Truth is none o fuss knows what lies ahead. We think and hope we do but there are things that are out of control. Things we could never foresee coming.

I know many people that started 2015 with high hopes but by the end of the year it proved to be the hardest year of their lives. 2015 brought sickness, disease, and multiple deaths for some families. This past year people I love suffered severely. From their anguish they cried out to God and things turned even worse instead of getting better. Their faith was tested. They endured this holiday season. They managed smiles but I know they were relieved to see the year fade into history.

We can know in 2016 God wants to reveal Himself more to His people. He will do this through daily devotions, corporate worship, Christian books and messages from pastors. It is my prayer to start the new year with a hunger for more of God. May all our appetites increase for Him. All through this year may we yearn for more of Him and crave more of Him. May we not be easily satisfied with anything less than knowing Him.

We can also know in 2016 God will draw more people for salvation. This is a fascinating thought. There will be men, women, teenagers ad children that will come to know salvation through Jesus at some point this year. It might happen at home with parents talking to their children. It might happen during a Sunday morning worship service in response to hearing the gospel message. Some will be saved at camps, revivals, retreats, and Vacation Bible Schools. Many will be saved on the mission field. Family members and friends will come to know the Lord this year as you continue to pray and witness. That is cause for rejoicing. That is a reason to hope.

Prayers will be answered in 2016. Some will be big. Some will not seem like a big deal at the time but they will still be answered prayer. God will strengthen for the battles we face this year. He will renew our minds as we fix them on Him. He will move some mountains we thought would never be moved. He will open some doors we thought would never be opened. He will provide when we need it. He will give us peace in the hardest circumstances. He will guide our steps.

He will forgive our sin and keep up His sanctifying work in us. He will call us to holy living. He will chastise us if we rebel and stray from Him. He will deal with us in grace and with tender mercies. He will not call us to do anything He will not equip us to be able to do and to endure. He will not leave us or forsake us one day for even a single moment in 2016.

I don't know about you but these truths comfort me. I do not know what lies ahead this new year. I don't know what new people I will meet. I am unaware of what encounters I will have with God this year. I cannot foresee what trials I will have to overcome. I have no way of knowing what God will call me to do this year.

What I do know is God already sees every single moment of 2016 for me, for you, for this nation and for people all over the world. He already knows what He purposes to do. He already foresees what will happen. He is well aware of each new child that will be born as well as those that will die. He knows everything and He is in control. Because of that truth we can all enter into 2016 with hope.

I have looked ahead into this new year. God is already there. He is here today and He is already there on December 31, 2016 no matter what lies ahead.