Yielded And Bent

For decades he slept soundly every night. Nothing disturbed the young man while he slept like a rock. That is until one night. Everything changed one night when God met this young man about one in the morning. He suddenly awoke to an encounter with God.

From that moment on he awoke every night around one a.m. to pray and seek God until five a.m. He then climbed back into bed sleeping until nine a.m. when he awoke again to pray for another three to four hours.

This went on for months. Did this young man know God was preparing him and preparing his country for a mighty move of the Spirit of God.  History informs us the young man was Evan Roberts. We know God used Roberts as a catalyst in what became the Great Wales Revival of 1905.

Many people talk about how they wish God would send a revival. I wonder how many are truly willing to yield their lives  to God’s leadership even if it means loss of sleep night in and night out.

Months before Robert’s nightly prayer sessions began he attended a conference. One prayer from one of the preachers got hold of Roberts. The phrase God used to grab Robert’s was, “Bend us.” Roberts bowed fervently asking God to bend him. God answered that prayer.

If I have learned anything about revival after decades of diligent study of past moves of God,   it is that  true revival is costly. Revival will cost you something personally and cost others in giving up sin, and giving up nights of leisure for nights of prayer. Once revival breaks out it costs churches plenty to keep the doors open night after night.

Only yielded and bent people really want to pay this high price for revival. Are you yielded to God and His leadership? Are you bent toward Him? God uses bent and yielded people to accomplish His purposes.

Obey

Hebrews 11:8 (NASB)
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 have been chewing on this passage for two days as I work my way through the book of Hebrews. I have been unable to get past verse eight.  This is slowing my Bible reading plan but it is also leaving me to profound encounters with God. Let's break it down.

It starts with that old familiar word in Hebrews 11. By faith. We learn a little more what this faith is in Heb 11:1. Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) 
¹  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. When we operate in faith we are hoping for something and have assurance, as well as concrete conviction, that what we are hoping for will become reality even though it cannot be seen yet. When you walk in faith like that life is an adventure. I've written that numerous times before. Living by faith will take you down some exciting encounters with God.

So everything we are going to discuss in Heb 11:8 starts on the foundation of faith. Are you living a life of faith? All believers are called to live by faith from salvation to matters of everyday life. [II Cor 5:7] While living by faith can be exciting I have never said it is easy. God continually stretches faith in His followers. 

He did so with Abraham in Hebrews 11:8. God put a call on Abraham's life. Not a call to teach Sunday School, give a little offering, to build an altar, or even to build an ark. The word called means "invitation". God invited Abraham to something just like He invites you and I to things as well. God's invitation always require faith. It will require your trust and total dependence on God. 

Once Abraham heard God's invitation, by faith, he OBEYED. What does that mean? It means more than Abraham just heard or just listened.  To obey means to comply with a command. There is so much talk about grace, about faith, about the love of God. What about obedience? Does God want, no, demand our obedience?

God does call and invite people to do things. Does He do so without requiring obedience. Obedience is built into the very fabric of our society. Parents require children to obey. People in school demand students to comply with the rules. Law enforcement personnel require obedience to the laws of the land. Yet when it comes to God, people in the church think obedience is optional. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. 

To not respond to God's call is sin. To reject God's invitation is sin. To disobey what God is calling you to do is offensive to God. It does not matter what that calls entails. If God calls you to forgive others you are to obey. If God calls you to give sacrificially you open your wallet or purse and obey. If God calls you to witness you obey. And if in Abraham's case, God calls you to uproot everything safe, secure, familiar, and comfortable and move then you are to obey. You put the house up for sale. You start packing your belongings and you move. Even if it means leaving a good job. Even it means leaving family. Even it means leaving the best friends or the best church you have ever known. YOU OBEY. YOU MOVE. 

At this very moment faith is tested. In Abraham's case it came through hearing God's invitation to move but to an unknown land God would show him. To put it another way, God called Abraham to move but did not give him an end destination to move to. God knew where He wanted Abraham. All Abraham knew was God wanted him to pack up and to move. 

What is more amazing is Abraham obeyed. By faith Abraham trusted God and what God called him to do. How many times have you heard the call of God to do something and you talked yourself out of it. Maybe all you can see is how irrational the call of God on your life is and impossible the implications of complying with that call would be. It is illogical. It does not make sense. Based on those things you choose the safe, predictable, logical route and you choose DISOBEDIENCE. 

Why is there such a lack of power in many churches. Two simple reasons stand out. There is not much faith and there is much disobedience. 

Do you think for once second it was easy for Abraham to choose to believe God and to choose to obey by faith. I don't think so. Why? I have taken hundreds of such steps in my life and each time my flesh is uncomfortable, but in my heart I have peace because I have heard God's call. The assurance comes from God's invitation. It is what He wants done. It is His will. 

I had lunch with two men talking about the Kermit revival and Howard Payne revival yesterday. I laid my burden and the vision of what I believe is a call of God to do these things before these men. I tried to answer their questions. At one point I looked at both of them and said, "Do you think I am crazy?" They joked in response that they know I am crazy but they still believe God is initiating and leading me in these areas. 

I look at this logically. I do not know one pastor in Kermit. I have never even met a pastor in Kermit. I don't hardly anyone in Kermit. Yet I feel called to go. We have been given one gift to do this revival of $1,000. I don't have a place to meet, sound equipment, chairs, money for advertising, a website, or devotion books printed to prepare for the revival. That does not change the fact God called me to do this. 

So, looking foolish to the world, I throw caution to the wind, and I obey. I have already started stepping out. I am obeying step by step by faith. We are at work nailing down a date. I will soon send a letter to pastors in Kermit inviting them to lunch where I will share my vision. We are not asking these churches to finance this revival. We are obeying and trusting God every step of the way. 

God had a plan for Abraham but He did not fully reveal it. As Abraham walked with God and sought Him God gave more revelation along the way. He does the same for me and you. We want all the details on the front end and most times God just extends His invitation and says, "Trust Me."

When God says move we move by faith. When God says stay we stay by faith. When God says branch out we do so by faith. When God says expand we do so by faith. When God says start over we lay it all down and start over. When God calls we are to answer and to obey that calling. 

Has God called you to do something? Have you obeyed? Are you justifying disobedience even while reading this? God's blessings come on the other side of obedience. Obedience takes faith. On the other side of faith and obedience are God's miracles. Determine now you will obey God by faith. 

Stepping Out

God is on the move. He always has been. Somewhere in the world today God is dropping His call on people to join Him in His purposes. At that moment people have a choice to make. Do they obey or do they disobey? Do they follow through on God's call or do they shrink back? Do they press forward in faith or do they forsake the call due to fear?

I have found when God calls people to do something it most likely will require faith. Just read Hebrews 11. Noah needed faith to build the ark and bring it to completion. Abraham needed faith to follow God going to a land he did not know. and trusting God for Isaac. Over and over in Hebrews 11 we read about the accounts of people called by God to do something and they obeyed in faith.

For each of these and followers of God  since then they came to a moment when they stepped out. They quit waiting and hiding behind prayer. They quit seeking more counsel. They quit rationalizing and giving into fear. They stepped out.

They took a step from the comfortable, the secure, the familiar, into the uncomfortable, the risky, and the unknown. In each case they took a step. A step into a new adventure. A step into destiny. A step into a move of God. A step into a deeper walk with God. A step into His purposes.

The tragic thing is many people waste their lives without ever stepping out. They make excuses. They may even convince themselves God did not really speak or call them to such and such a task. They wish they had the courage to step out but they are paralyzed by their own fears.

Fear cripples. Fear opposes faith. Fear keeps us stuck in the status quo. Fear rationalizes disobedience. Fear will keep us from experiencing breakthrough.

God is calling people to break fear by stepping out. One step of faith and then anther, then the next one and the next one. Faith starts today with stepping out. I don't know hat that means for others but I do know what it means for me. I've already practiced what I am writing today.

I took a step of faith in planning  a lunch meeting later today with the man I believe will lead worship at the Shake the City Kermit revival. I also wrote an email to a professor in the Christina Studies department I met briefly last year detailing my desire to hold a Shake the Campus tent revival on the campus of Howard Payne University. Before I pushed the send button on that email I prayed. I sent the email in faith and trust God to do the rest. I took a step. I stepped out. I have many other steps to take. By faith and God's help I intend to take each and every one.

Taylor just texted me and told he will be talking to his college pastor at his church their in Brownwood. The wheels are being set into motion.

IT IS TIME TO STEP OUT. STEP OUT AND TRUST GOD. It does not matter how impossible the call of God seems from where you are sitting. Look at it from where God is sitting. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO OUR GOD. STEP OUT. TAKE A STEP OF FAITH. WATCH GOD WORK AND GLORIFY HJIS NAME THROUGH YOU STEP OF OBEDIENCE.

What More Does Jesus Have To Do?

You see it everywhere. People apathetic in their faith. Lukewarm pew sitters. Hypocritical church members that still attend services religiously while living like hell the rest of the week. Some so called Christians speak profanely. Devotions among some people in the church or lackluster if they exist at all. Priorities are all mixed up when select ball gets selected over Jesus weekend after weekend.

What more does Jesus have to do to get people to commit? Does He have to climb back on the cross and be crucified for a second time on live television? Does He have to save one more, a dozen more, a hundred more, or a thousand more for people for people to commit to following Him? Does He have to perform another miracle or perhaps some outstanding miracle live on the network news so people can witness it? Does He have to show up physically in our services for people to commit to Him? Does He have to speak another word into somebody's life? Does He have to give another vision to another person? Do we need Him to heal more people? Do we need Him to deliver more people from the bondage of sin and demonic possession.

If He did all those things would churches suddenly be filled with attenders? Would people truly follow Him anymore faithfully? Would they say yes to Him and no to sin anymore consistently? Would they be anymore willing to sacrifice and to risk for Jesus and His cause?

So, I ask again. What more does Jesus have to do for people to commit to Him? For me He HAS ALREADY DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH! He deserves my all. No call on my life is out of abounds. No sacrifice required is too much. No new vision is too outlandish to pursue. Jesus gave Hi all and He demands my all as well as yours. HE HAS ALRADY DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO DESERVE OUR FULL DEVOTION AND COMMITMENT.

Unexpected Encounter With God At Howard Payne University

I made the plans a couple of weeks ago. I promised Taylor I would drive down to have lunch with him and watch him during spring ball practice. Brownwood is about two and a half hours from Runway Bay. I drove alone lost in my thoughts.

Taylor and I enjoyed lunch at one of his favorite places. He had some responsibilities before his practice so I hung out in his room. I thought I might take a long nap but I ended up praying. A burden hit me unexpectedly. Very unexpectedly.

Taylor's room was just a few dozen steps from a room I had in that same dorm and on that same floor. I met Brenda at Howard Payne University. I met many special people there. Noe of them gripped my heart. God gripped my heart with a burden for revival on that campus.

Eventually I grabbed my journal and walked the campus. In my mind I could see a large blur and yellow e tent set up for revival meetings. I walked to the one place on the campus I thought such a tent could be erected. Old Main Park. A large grassy area at the front of the campus where the Old Main building used to stand before it burned.

I found a bench and sat down to pray and write in my journal. With each student that walked by the burden intensified. I asked the Lord if he really wanted to hold a revival there. I asked the Lord if He wanted me to  preach it. Dozens of people walked by totally unaware that I was in an encounter with God. God gripped my heart with a burden for revival for Howard Payne University.

In typical human fashion I began asking questions and wondering how it would come together. None of that mattered in that moment. I believe God met me and called me to do something.

I woke up early this morning and prayed. When I went back to bed I had a very vivid dream. I know there are scores of people who do not believe God speaks through dreams. Over the past couple of years I believe God does speak through dreams and more importantly I am thoroughly convinced He has spoken to me. First, about going to Kermit to hold a revival. And this morning about holding a tent revival on the campus of Howard Payne University.

Here is the dream. I saw a large blue and yellow tent set up in Old Main Part at Howard Payne. An invitation was given and many people were up front weeping and repenting over their sin. I saw Taylor praying over his classmates. They wept so much little puddles formed under the tent and soon began flooding he whole campus. People stood ankle deep everywhere on campus in the flood of tears. 

That's it so far. Just a dream about God stirring young men and young women to get right with God and to walk in holiness. A call of God for repentance on a Christian college campus.

This whole encounter with God came unexpectedly. I thought I was going back to my old school to spend time with my oldest son. God had much more in mind. He had an unexpected encounter in mind.

When I was a student at Howard Payne I often met with some other guys to pray for revival at the school. Years after I graduated a revival did breakout on the campus with Dr. Henry Blackaby. That was a long time ago. I don't know anything about the spiritual condition of the students. these days. All I know is God gave me a burden for the school.

So I pray. I will make contact with Taylor and some in the spiritual studies department. Soon I will meet with my board of directors for No Compromise Ministries to seek their wisdom. Only God can open the doors. Only God can make such dreams become reality. I lay it all before Him and trust Him to work to do His good pleasure. I ask for you to pray with me.

The First One Thousand For Kermit

For some time I have carried a heavy burden on my heart for the town of Kermit, TX. It all started with a dream about two years ago. Several odd coincidences followed with Kermit playing a central role. In the fall of 2014 I began making weekly trips to Kermit to lead a small group in Bible study and prayer.  Eventually it seemed things had run its course. I've not been back to Kermit since December of 2014.

The dreams stopped. I often questioned the Lord about the whole Kermit thing but did not get answers. In time those questions became fewer and I busied myself with other things.

That is until March 27, 2016. I once again started having dreams about Kermit and a revival where God moved mightily in the town. The burden returned heavier than ever. Though I have not been back to Kermit physically in over a year I have visited there frequently in my prayers in recent days.

Preliminary plans are underway to hold a Shake The City Revival there in the summer of 2017. Why so far away? We want the time to spiritually prepare for what we believe God wants to do. Some details are falling into place while others remain vague.

The whole thing is crazy. It is giant leap of faith. I am apprehensive but believe God is compelling me to go there and preach a city wide revival. Several meetings will take place in the next couple of months to nail down a few more details and to secure a team of people to help with everything from prayer, to financial management, location of venue, worship team, and advertising.

Praying the other day I asked God for some concrete confirmation that we are following His will in this matter. What I received in the mail the next day answered that prayer. I dear lady wrote us a letter saying she has been praying for us and the work in Kermit. She asked the Lord what she could do to help. Enclosed in the letter was a check for $1,000. Hallelujah.

We received our first $1,000 earmarked for the revival work in Kermit. Before all is said and done we will trust God for additional money to pull this revival together. I am so encouraged God gave me a tangible confirmation that He is leading us to this work. I BLESS HIS NAME WE RECEIVED OUR FIRST ONE THOUSAND.

So what i s next. PRAYER1 There is already a group praying in Kermit. I am asking you to put Kermit on your prayer list and join us in plowing the ground through fervent intercessions to prepare the way for a mighty move of God. God has set Kermit in his sights and we are joining Him in whatever He wants to do there.

We need prayer for such things as:
1. To know the right date for the meetings.
2. For the right venue. We are considering renting a facility or possibly holding a tent meeting.
3. Favor with the people in Kermit and pastors.
4. For God to raise prayer coordinators in different cities to intercede for Kermit.
5. For a deep stirring among Christians in Kermit and in all the churches.
 6. Finances to secure a venue, advertising, traveling expenses to make several trips to Kermit,and           the publication of thousands of copies of my revival devotional book 40 Days To Shake The City.

Of course I am a little apprehensive. I keep thinking what if we do all this work and nobody shows up to the meetings and God does not move in the town. It is a risk. Yet it is a risk I feel I must take.

I remember the day God dropped the vision for the Shake The City Revivals in my heart. I was driving to Arkansas for a preaching event and praying. Mainly I prayed that day about other open doors to go and preach. In those moments God showed me that I did not have to pray for invitations to go and preach the gospel. He already invited me and commanded me to go through the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB) 
¹⁹  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
²⁰  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

We held our first Shake The City Revival in Hudson, TX in a tent. The night before I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic that nobody would come. The Lord comforted me with a verse that has become very dear to me.  1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)
²⁴  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. 

Some people did show up. So did the rain. The ground flooded underneath the tent. We only held one service in the tent and moved the rest of the services into a school gym. I praise God there were salvations that week. 

Next, we held a Shake The Campus Revival on the campus of Angelina College. The services were only supposed to last three nights. They lasted for three weeks. A dozen students were saved. Many others repented of sin and drew closer to God than they had ever been. Services lasted some nights for nearly three hours and most of that time was the invitation when students spent a great deal of time repenting of sins and praying for God to move. I will never forget those days. 

We did not hold another Shake The City Revival until Seminole the summer of 2010. It lated 23 straight days. Dozens were saved. I have no words to describe those days. God showed up in a powerful fashion. The theme song for the revival was "I Will Never Be The Same Again." Even now I can hear Sherman and Tammy Aten leading that song and the great congregational singing that accompanied them. God truly did more than I could think or imagine during those 23 days. 

Now the Lord has called us to Kermit. I get a real sense that Kermit is only the beginning. I believe the Lord will call us to other towns to hold other meetings. For now the focus is Kermit. 

Here is a key. We are not interested in just scheduling dates and holding meetings. We only want to go where people are willing to prepare spiritually for a move of God. Prayer is indispensable. 40 days out from the meetings we will encourage people to go through the 40 day devotion I wrote in three days for the Seminole revival. I believe it is useful to help people prepare their hearts to meet with God in extraordinary ways. 

God gave us our first thousand. I know more will come. For now we set our sights on prayer and preparation for what God wants to do in Kermit. Please pray with us. Only God can revive and shake Kermit. I believe He intends to do so.   

Are You Glad

Are you glad? Today , right now, in this moment are you happy? Do you have a cheerful disposition? Do you have a joyful attitude? Sadly, there are far too many days when I cannot say I have gladness or joy. On such days I typically get distracted by all the things on planet earth. On such days I can allow circumstances or other people to negatively affect my joy.

If I dwelled in the presence of God gladness would be a byp-roduct. Exceeding gladness in Him would dominate my thoughts and attitude. Paul put it another way. Philippians 4:4 (NASB) 
⁴  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

In God's presence is fullness of joy. An abundance of gladness. All this when we linger in God's presence and abide in Him. O how I need this abiding. I often do not bear the fruit of joy because I am not abiding in Christ's presence. I may meet Him daily and then leave Him to go about my business. Abiding means remaining with Him, staying hidden in Him, and journeying through life with Him. There is fullness of joy in living that way. Psalm 16:11 (NASB) 

¹¹  You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Paul wrote that part of the fruit of the Spirit is joy. 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. 

I have prayed in recent days for the Holy Spirit to produce all of this in my life in abundance. That includes joy. Because of Jesus I can say as I write this I am glad. Sure I have troubles. Many of them. Yet in this moment as I abide in Jesus I am cheerful, glad, and filled with joy. Now the challenge is to take Jesus with me and His joy produced by the Holy Spirit throughout the remainder of this day. 

Lord, Send The Fire

O Lord of burning cleansing flame,
Send the fire that no one can contain,
Let revival fire ignite nation wide,
Until we are tested and we are tried,
O Lord please send again Your fire,
Until we serve You and never tire,
Send that Heaven sent holy blaze,
To glorify You the rest of our days,
O Lord give birth to Your revival fire,
'Taking our experiences ever higher,
To hell with icicles sitting in pews,
May we burn with gospel good news,
I plead for You to send revival flames,
So we burn in holy zeal for Your name.

Fellowship Of The Burning Heart

Is your heart raging with fire for God? Do you have the embers leftover from a heart once set ablaze? In either case there is a need to keep fanning the flames. Hearts aflame for God are mighty weapons against the forces of darkness. Icicle hearts seldom make a difference.

To keep the fire burning we need to keep adding fuel to the flames. If we don't have the flame we need to fan the embers until they ignite once again. A.W. Tozer wrote about the fellowship of the burning heart. Hearts that are ablaze burn white hot with passion for God and advancing the kingdom of God.

How do you keep fanning the flames? Stay in the presence of God. Seek Him. Linger with Him. Hear from Him. Burn for Him. Our world needs more men, women, and students who will be added to the fellowship of the burning heart. Will you be added to that number?

Life On The Altar

Have you ever felt God pushing you to do something you did not want to do. This was certainly the case for Jonah when God called him to go to Nineveh. You know the story well.

We may not be as blatantly disobedient as Jonah but we have our ways. We make excuses like Moses did. We think through the implications and determine God's leading is not practical or logical. We look at the risk verses security margins and make our decisions that way. No matter how you slice or repackage all the above it still is DISOBEDIENCE.

After preaching a fiery message from Colossians I extended the invitation yesterday. In essence I challenged people to lay their lives on God's altar based on Romans 12:1 (NASB) 
¹  Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

God reminded me of an issue I have been mentally wrestling over. I've made excuses. It is also an issue I did not want to obey. I repeatedly dismissed the whole issue from my mind. I was reminded of another time I faced an obedience issue. I went to a church to preach a youth event. The church did not have a pastor at the time. I did serve a wonderful church as pastor and had no intentions of leaving. The youth minister talked to me and said the search committee would contact me after they heard me preach the first night. 

I wrestled all afternoon  the next day with my conversation with the youth minister. I prayed and prayed. I preached from Romans 12:1 that night. When I extended the invitation I walked off the stage to my left and knelt at a spot near the rogan. Here is what I prayed. Lord, if nobody in this room means laying their life before You I do. If that means You will me to leave where I am to come pastor this church I am giving you my yes. I will do whatever you want.

That is what went through my mind as I stood before the congregation yesterday morning. I could not very well challenge the people to offer their lives to God in submission to His will and plans and me not do the same. So I turned my back and knelt at the steps. As best I could I offered God my life. I renewed my vow to follow Him anywhere at anytime to do anything. I pledged my obedience to Him even it is not always comfortable. I surrendered my will and plans to His will and plans. 

Surrendered. Yielded. Offering. Sacrifice. Worship. That is what a life on the altar is all about. What about you? Are you surrendered to God? Are you yielded to His right of way in your life? Are you willing to sacrifice if called to do so? Will yo present your life to Him as the ultimate expression of worship? That is living on God's alter. 

For Profit

In a moment of weakness I turned to the Christian television stations this morning hoping to hear something of a word from the Lord. There were many channels and speakers. I flipped the channels going from one pastor and prophet to another. In the end I came away with the same conclusion. They were preaching for profit.

I heard one talking about sowing a seed gift into his ministry at this special time of year. Another offered several resources to help a person spiritually for the right price. Another talked about world events and then made several commercials pitching his latest books and teaching series that will transform a person's life.

Everybody had something for sale. They wall wanted financial support to keep their ministries on the air. They all offered life changing ministry for the right price.

People profit a great deal off the name of Jesus. Many espouse the prosperity gospel. Yet Jesus had no place to lay his head.  Paul often went hungry and exposed to the elements in his ministry in addition to getting physically mistreated. Most of the first disciples were martyred. Where was prosperity and profit for them. What seed money from special offerings did they take from the people to finance their lavish lifestyles.

These prophets preached with their hearts and souls. Often they bled for what they preached. They did not profit financially. They did not build elaborate ministry headquarters. They did more with less than all the people I saw on television  combined.

Eventually I turned the television off only able to stomach a few minutes of each one. At No Compromise Ministries we have never made the gospel for sell. We have given away more books than we have ever sold. We have always operated on a "whatever people can afford basis" . We have gone to preach events no matter the size of the church or event and no matter the ability to be compensated. When able we have asked people to pay our expenses and we come on a love offering or let our hosts determine what we get paid. We do not set fees for our ministry. I go where I am invited. Profit does not factor into the decision.

We are looking at the summer of 2017 to go to Kermit. We  are praying and planning to hold a "Shake The City Revival" there. we will take up offerings to help cover expenses but I will not profit. We will make available my rival devotion book but I am not looking to profit from them. In fact, all that happens in preparations for that revival will be at our expense and those who voluntarily choose to partner with us.  I am not a businessman. I am a preacher and my ministry is not for sell or profit. Over the years I've wrestled with well meaning business people who could only see the business side of things. We are not a business we are a ministry. I may not profit financially in this lifetime. Brenda and I have certainly known financial struggles over the past 25 years. God has provided. We have testified. I reckon that will continue to be the pattern. May we never sell our souls as a ministry to the highest bidder no matter what we stand to profit.

Let it Rain

O Lord Almighty let it rain,
Let your dew wet the plains,
Let your flood fill the nations,
Everyone in all Your creation,
Let your cleansing river flow,
Your reviving power please show,
Please let the rain rally pour,
From the coast to each shore,
Please  open the skies let it rain,
Until masses confess Your name,
Until churches come and repent,
Believers have a Godward bent,
Praise is more than empty songs,
People turn from all their wrongs,
The altars are once again filled,
 Your glory poured out gets spilled,
On the redeemed called by your name,
O, Lord Almighty please let it rain.

This Is Not What I Purposed

This is not what I purposed and this is not what I planned,
The pain of life feels like misguided by Your unseen hand,
I never wanted riches or success with abundant galore,
Yet I never dreamed of this disappointment added more,
I never dreamed I would have this heartache and sorrow,
Long given up that three are better days come tomorrow,
All I have is today, this moment in time to try and endure,
Dead dreams make life so uncertain, so unsteady, unsure,
This is not what I purposed and this is not what I planned,
When as a child and teenager my future days I scanned,
It is not my place to question You asking all my whys.
I still struggle with doubts no matter how I pray or try,
So here I am the broken heap that remains now of me,
Wondering what the future holds that I cannot now see.

Dead Or Alive

Why is it so many who claim to be in Christ are dead in their souls. They are apathetic, still enslaved to sin, and dead to the things of Christ. Why is that these same people are still alive to their flesh along with unholy passions and desires. The flesh often rules more than the supremacy of Christ.

These things should not be. We are to be dead to our flesh. [Gal 2:20] [Gal 6:14] We are supposed to be dead to things like anger, immorality and greed. [Col 1:1-8] At the same time we are supposed to be alive in Christ.

There needs to be some funerals. Death to our flesh. Death to sin. Death to setting our mind on the things of this earth. Death to wrong priorities and passions. We need Jesus to hammer the nails into our flesh to the hardwood of the cross until we are dead to ourselves and sinful passions.

At the same time we need to celebrate the rebirth of Christ in our souls, the holy life, and desiring things of eternity more than the temporary.

Are you dead to the things you should be dead to and alive to the things you should be alive to. Like so many others do you have it flipped. Are you dead to the things of Christ while alive to the flesh? It is time to get things right with the Lord.

The Beauty Of Repentance

He came to me in tears. He had sinned and knew it. After an encounter with God this giant of a man came weeping in repentance. God met with Him and brought him to an encounter with Psalm 51 like many sinners before him.

Psalm 51:1-12 (NASB)
¹

 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
²  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.
³  For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
⁴  Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.
⁵  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
⁶  Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
⁷  Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸  Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
⁹  Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰  Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹  Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
¹²  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

He told me the verse that spoke to him most was verse ten. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. In those moments the giant became gentle, humble, and sincerely sorry. Though his sin was tragic his repentance was beautiful. 

God loves to restore repentant people . That can be individuals, churches, communities, and even whole countries. It is the grace and goodness of God that leads people to repentance and salvation. I hated to see this man hurting because of his sinful choices. I did rejoice to see his broken and contrite spirit. There is beauty in repentance and receiving restoration from the Lord. 

Sacred EnCounter In The Holy Book

I got up and went to my desk. I took out my Bible and picked up where I left off yesterday reading in he book of Ephesians. I read through the rest of that book. I looked for a fresh word from the Lord. Right through all of Philippians and three chapters into Colossians. That is where I had my sacred encounter with the Lord this morning. The specifics are not important.

What I want to encourage you to do is to keep journeying with God through the pages of your Bible. Keep seeking God. Keep searching out truth. Keep looking for God in those sacred pages of scripture. Keep setting your mind on those high truths.

This is not religious ritual. This is not mere going through the motions of devotions. This habit leads to profound encounters with God. Nothing can be more important and more adventurous. I bless the God of the sacred encounter in the Holy book. I thank God for my Bible. I have written in it, highlighted and underlined certain verses and go back in mind to those sacred encounters when I reread those passages. What a joy. What a blessed people we are to have been given the gift of sacred scriptures.

My All For Jesus

Jesus,

On this early Saturday morning I want to pledge anew to give You my all. It is not much. I am not the smartest, wealthiest, most eloquent, gregarious, or organized. What I am I lay at Your feet. I surrender all. Like the boy with the loaves and fish I offer to You what I have and trust You to multiply it to meet the needs of the people.

I do not ask for fame or fortune. I don't want fame so I become addicted to the applause of men. I do not ask for fortune that money might ever turn my heart from depending on You. I trust You to provide what I need and when I need it.

I want to give You my all. All that I am. All that I ever hope to be. I give You my passion. I give You my long held dreams. I give You my family to do with us as You will. That is what is most important. WHAT YOU WILL. OUR WILL IS NOT IMPORTANT.

Help me not cower under trial. Help me not doubt in times of testing. Help me embrace willingly and joyfully sacrifice and suffering when called upon to do so. Help me die to the trappings of this world so I am free to serve You. I ask You to constantly remind me nothing on this earth can satisfy but You alone. I ask You to develop in me a true desire for nothing on this planet but You and Your purposes.

I ask You to get every last ounce of me. Turn me upside down like a bottle until the last drop of my life is poured out on Your altar as a living sacrifice. I ask You to take all of me. For Your purposes and for Your glory I give my all to You King Jesus.

Other Worldly

A phrase I recently read is biting into my soul. The phrase surrounded two men meeting each other for the first time. The author commented about the other man how he had a look in his eyes of another world.

I keep chewing on that. The author went on to say that he could not get away from the other man's eyes; deep, piercing, penetrating, and other worldly. From the author's account the man walked extremely close to God.

Have you been around people like that? They are so in step with God they are out of step with the rest of the world. People who have ears tuned to Heaven and seem able to hear God speak consistently through their Bible devotions and through promptings of the Holy Spirit. Such people truly are other worldly.

Other worldly means they know they were created for eternity. They do not get easily distracted with the mundane affairs of life on planet earth. They are not enticed away by luring temptations. Other worldly followers of Jesus have truly learned to set their minds on things above and not on the things of this earth. Colossians 3:1-2 (NASB) 
¹  Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
²  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
I have to confess I am not there. I want to be. I know the truth that I am not. Just last night I engaged in a conversation with one of my children that was anything but other worldly. The entire context of the conversation revolved around the temporal. In light of eternity what we talked about just doest not matter.

How easy it is to be drawn off sides by things like the latest fashions, automobiles, technologies, and planing our financial portfolio. We become so consumed with this life that we spend little time contemplating the life to to come. This life is temporal. That life will be eternal. Which merits the greatest bulk of our attention?

I plead with the Lord to make me other worldly. To put blinders on my eyes and heart so that I only focus on Him. I only seek Him and obey the things He calls me to do without regard to sacrifice or persecution. I want to be so other worldly that I hear Him speak all hours of the day just as I hear Brenda speak.

I want to increasingly become irrelevant and out of step with this world. I want to set my gaze more on eternity than possessions, entertainment, ball games, and even Christian events. All of that comes from walking with the Lord. So if you see me sitting alone staring off into space someday don't think it odd. Think I am connecting with another everlasting world.

A New Thing

What new and fresh thing is God doing in you or around you? He is always working. [John 5:17] He is working in fresh ways. Do we even take notice? Are we aware to His workings in our hearts and around us?

Those new things may include a new call on your life, a new revelation of the nature of God, new insight into the scripture, open doors of opportunity, fresh direction for ministry, and the list could go on. All of this makes life exciting. Believing God is working in new ways and doing new things is adventurous. It is thrilling to watch Him connect the dots.

For instance, a person may have been stagnant in their walk with the Lord for sometime. Everything seems stale. Then God breaks through during a devotion and everything becomes exciting and renewed. Or a person may have languished in confusion for some time and God sheds light on their path giving clear direction and peace. Or a young person hears the clear and unmistakable call of God to go to a certain country as a missionary.

None of us knows on any given day when God will show up and change everything. Just ask Noah, Abraham and Moses. Try David or Peter. Don't forget Paul. God does that. He has a way of taking His people and connecting them with His new purposes. The hinge of history swings on such moments.

I praise the Lord people all over the world are waking up or going to bed having experienced God working in fresh ways in their lives. They have seen truth. They have encountered God. They have heard Him speak through His word. They have seen the evidence of His working in their circumstances.

Isaiah 43:18-19 (NASB)
¹⁸  "Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past.
¹⁹  "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

Hope Has Thick Skin

John Bunyan once wrote, "Hope has thick skin and can suffer many a blow." Have you found that to be true in your case? Against the midnight of your circumstances have you found hope from God to be tough enough to suffer all the blows of hardships and sorrows?

Bunyan spent many years in prison because he would not agree to quit preaching the Bible. If he had he could have been released. He suffered. His wife suffered. His kids suffered. All voluntarily suffered. And yet in the middle of all their sufferings hope soared. So much so that Bunyan wrote the widely acclaimed Pilgrim's Progress from prison. This book has impacted millions.

Hope does have thick skin. As long as the child of God has the promises of God there will always be hope. Even if that hop is not fully realized until eternity. Heaven is the hope for suffering people. It has bene the hope for the persecuted, for the slaves in the cotton fields, for the sick and diseased, for the paralyzed, divorced, abused, and even for the sinner.

I don't know where you are or what you are facing. I just know if you cling to God and His promises you will also find hope  has thick skin.  Hope does not go down easily. Because our God reigns there is hope even for you and even for today.