The Girl Of My Dreams (A Tribute To Brenda)

Many years ago Lord You brought to me the girl of my dreams,
We married and twenty five years we've been a ministry team,
She a brown eyed beauty who captured my eye and my heart,
Me a football brute called to preach not knowing where to start,
We dated and fumbled our way through courtship and the rest,
Since married she has made houses a home building her nest,
You, Brenda, after all these years are still the girl of my dreams,
Twenty five years have passed way too quickly for me it seems,
There is still so much life I want to share and experience with you,
As we seek and serve God together with Heaven clearly in view,
Hand in hand praying through challenges witnessing miracles galore,
Hearts united in worship and service of the same Lord we both adore,
I am thankful for the times at night you gently lay a hand on my back,
How we prayerfully battle fiercely when facing spiritual warfare attacks,
I am thankful when in the night we reach out looking to join hands,
I am blessed you said yes to wearing my last name and wedding band,
I am thankful for the memories, laughter, the pain, and even the sorrows,
With you by my side I get up to bravely face each and every tomorrow,
You are still the girl of my dreams - my best friend and true soul mate,
I thank God for that first talk at the park on our supposed study date,
I came only to study you, to know whether your was indeed truly saved,
I met a girl devoted to Jesus with face smiling and a heart wildly ablaze,
We said back them that our heart cry was that people needed the Lord,
God's grace brought to me the girl of my dreams I could never afford.

Silver Anniversary

I know a couple celebrating their silver anniversary today.  Twenty five years is a long time. It is a little more than half as long as I have been alive.

This special couple met, fell in love, wedded and began their careers. Along the way they had some kids. Both pretty ordinary people sharing an extraordinary love. He makes her laugh. She has him wrapped around her finger. They both love Jesus and want to serve Him faithfully.

They have had a few setbacks along the way. They have also enjoyed numerous successes which never went to their heads. Both are generous to a fault. Though never rich they equally enjoy sharing what they have.

They call each other their best friend and enjoy time together. Even after twenty five years they still enjoy date nights from time to time. They still flirt with one another. They still approach life with prayer just as they did back in the beginning when they had nothing but a heart full of love and a head full of dreams.

They are both aging. Time is catching up with them little by little. There is more grey in the hair. Joints ache a little more. Neither are spring chickens both being firmly entrenched in middle age. Yet they remain young at heart. Their love has matured over time and is strong.

They enjoy time with their children. This is one of the few couples who still make it point to share family meals together at the dining table. Often laugher fills the dinging room along with delicious food. This couple makes it a point to talk to the children and listen about their days. Topics vary each time from friends, school, practices, God, and meaningful Bible passages.

It is hard to imagine people being married for twenty five years or longer. In a day when marriages fall apart in far less time it is a little glimmer of hope for the rest of us. Marriages can remain strong. People do stay together. Love can blossom even in the twilight years of life. Romance does not have to fizzle after two and a half decades.

Let me introduce our silver anniversary couple. Matt and Brenda Edwards.

Brenda, life has not always been easy and my dreams for ministry have not always come true. The two constants I've had is God's unwavering faithfulness and your unfailing love. You have endured my bouts with depression. You have comforted me in times of grief like when Momma died. You have supported me when taking steps of faith even when you were scared. You have believed in me when much of the time I did not believe in myself. You have laughed with me, cried with me, and celebrated the birth of four sons with me. You have prayed for me in the night watches when the sermons would not come. You have listened attentively when I mounted the steps of the pulpit for all these years. You have listened when I've vented my frustrations. You have been there to pick me up and bandage my wounds when I've failed. You have been my biggest cheerleader, my greatest prayer warrior, my soul mate, and my best friend. Twenty five years is much too short a time to have spent with you. I regret I have not always served you as I should. I regret I have not always expressed my love and appreciation as I should. I am long past making promises I know I can't keep. So on this day know I love you. I would marry you all over again. It is my privilege to share life and do ministry with you. I have often joked how when we leave churches they are glad to see me leave but hate letting go of you. I don't plan on letting go of you. Only the Lord knows the future and the end of our days. I only know I want to live them and enjoy them with you by my side. Maybe the Lord will bless  us to enjoy our golden anniversary. Life thus far has been an adventure. I anticipate more adventure is still to come. I plan on enjoying those experiences with you. I love you.

The Bride

Jesus loves His bride the church. They may come in different sizes and expressions. Some churches meet in homes with a few dozen people. They are structured simply and the fellowship is rich as well as the study of scriptures and worship. Other churches meet in wooden structures in the backwoods. Such houses of worship have stood for decades and families have attended services there. Some churches gather by the thousands for worship and study each week in elaborate multi million dollar facilities. The music fills the great houses with full sounds of musical instruments and thousands of voices singing in unison.

Some churches express themselves through traditional worship clinging to the old anthems of the faith found in hymns.  Others choose contemporary expressions through new songs with modern sounds and lyrics. Some use pianos and organs, some guitars and fiddles, other use orchestras and still others use bands. Some have choirs and some prefer praise teams or worship teams.

Which odes God prefer? I know we have our opinions. That does not matter. What does God prefer for His bride? Is He exclusive in His preference?

The Lord wants a pure bride without blemish. He wants a bride to love Him most.  He wants a bride that does not commit spiritual adultery. He wants a bride to remain loyal.

While we get so hung up on the trivial things in church that really don't matter, God wants His bride to remain faithful to the Bible and submit to His authority. He wants a mature bride growing in knowledge of Him through the scriptures.

Just like a man or woman finds love and joy in the arms of another person they pledge to marry so God finds love and joy in His bride. The bride  may look different to the outside world but in the eyes of the bridegroom He loves the bride. He is passionate for her.

I thank God for the different churches I have joined or served over the years. Each different. Each beautiful in her own way. Each adding valuable instruction to my life. I will always hold a special place in my heart for my home church Denman Avenue Baptist Church. There are few people left on staff there I know. I have not been back there in years but I thank God for using that church to disciple me in my formative teenage years. Brenda and I have served some wonderful flocks over the years and the relationships formed in those churches have been a blessing. I love the church and thank God for His bride.

Point Of View

What is your point of view from where you sit? How do you see the world around you? How do you approach life?

Many see only the storm clouds. They live life under pressing pessimism. They have little hope. They have less faith. They think God has forgotten or abandoned them. They do not believe God will help them.

Others awake to each day with optimism. They abound in hope. Faith propels them from one challenge to the next. They anticipate the intervention of God. They pray for and expect miracles.

We can only see in part but God sees the whole. We can only know a fraction of the truth of our circumstances but God knows the whole equation as well as the solution. We are often betrayed by our emotions but God is our firm rock to securely set our feet and anchor our souls. We are buffeted by trials but God is our refuse and help in such troubled times. We are early deceived but God is our way of escape. We are often confused as to which way to go but God is our Counselor and knows the correct path to take. We are often fickle but God is faithful. We are half hearted in our love and devotion but God loves us with His whole heart. We are insecure on planet earth but God has made our eternity sure through Jesus. We get tired under the trials but God never wearies.

If we could approach life with God's point of view how differently we would live and think. If we could gain God's perspective on pain, problems, and persecutions we would live with more peace. Our faith would increase. We would persevere. If we saw our triumphs from God's point of view we would be humbled and boast only in the cross.

O Lord, please give us Your point of view in every season of life. Then we can truly please You and be used to accomplish Your purposes. May our faith increase. May our peace abound. May joy flood our souls. May love grow. May patience blossom. May kindness develop. May gentleness flow. May goodness multiply. And finally may self control daily be added as we approach each day from Your point of view.

Remind Me

O Lord, You are seated securely on the throne,
All the earth and the contents Yours to own,
Remind me that You remain firmly in control,
When the seas of life tun tempestuous and roll,
Remind me how You never weary or slumber,
How You hung the stars in place without number,
How You hear when Your little children cry out,
Some in tearful whispers -  others with enraged shouts,
Show me the truth of how You are now working,
When all I can see is pain in the shadows lurking,
Show me again how Your purposes are coming true,
When it appears they get more distant from my view,
Remind me again how You rule over Your creation,
With an iron fist over every tongue, tribe, kindred, nation,
You, O Lord, are still in charge and as strong as ever,
And You have pledged to forsake Your people never.

God Takes The Night Watch

It is early on Tuesday morning and sleep eludes me. I told myself when I went to bed I would sleep through the night. I awoke at 2:00 a.m. and tried to go back to sleep. I tossed and turned and eventually asked the Lord if He wanted me to get up. So here I am. A little tired but wide awake. Fully alert. Honed in on the things of God's Spirit.

What does God have on this mind this early Tuesday morning? I know His heart is grieved by the Supreme Court ruling yesterday in favor of abortion and pro choice advocates yet again. I know this action on top of many others to spurn the counsel of God is building up the perfect storm of God's wrath to be unleashed one day against the United States. We are a nation adrift. We have forsaken our morale compass. We have turned our backs on God will reap the consequences of such foolishness.

I know God is concerned for the many lost who daily walk the tight line between life and death, temporary and eternity, and Heaven and Hell. No matter how many perish it seems fewer listen to the gospel and respond in repentance. God longs for them to come to repentance. He convicts. He draws. He reveals truth. He burdens Christians to witness. He inspires messages to be heard and heeded.

I know God is concerned about the many abuses on planet earth from tyrant political leaders to unloving parents devastating helpless children. There will be a day of reckoning. There will be payday someday. Nobody gets away with it. All will give an account before God in the last day. And for the victims Psalm 46:1 (NASB) 
¹

 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

I know God is deeply troubled by the apathetic and stained state of His bride. The church is not always the picture of holiness. The modern church has gotten in bed with the world and committed spiritual adultery often without shame. While the church fixates on offering totals and numbers of people in the seats, have we forgotten the mandate for holiness? 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NASB) 
¹⁵  but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
¹⁶  because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." I am confident God is most interested in the affections of His church for Him.  Matthew 22:35-37 (NASB)
³⁵  One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,
³⁶  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"
³⁷  And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 

When churches are more interested in padding attendance statistics than producing disciples we have a problem. When entertainment replaces encounters with God we in the church are in trouble. When compromise is tolerated over commitment know God is not pleased. When more prayer takes place publicly from the stage on a Sunday morning than in the prayer closet in homes of members know we are in trouble. 

I am sure God has suffering people on His mind. Right now as I type this He is aware and available to those who can't sleep because of excruciating pain. He is there with those laboring for every breath as the end draws near. He is there for the grieving parents who lost a child tragically. He is there for those shattered and betrayed by a spouse. He is there for the person in the failing business with nowhere to turn. He is there for the parents of prodigal children. He is there for the ones that have lost their grip on hope and cannot find a reason to go on living. He is there for those going to the doctor later today for tests or to get the results of tests. GOD IS THERE. 

God is aware of faithful pastors, missionaries, youth pastors, worship pastors, and evangelists who are going through hard times. He sustains them week after week. He encourages them and strengthens them day by day. He makes them stout hearted when they face adversity. He helps them overcome disappointments that come with ministry. He produces perseverance in them when they do not see the fruit of their labors. He sustains them day after day, week after week, and year after year. 

God is also thinking of those facing huge mountains and praying in faith for those mountains to move. God is delighted by their faithful prayers and undaunted faith in the midst of impossible odds. Even now God is orchestrating miracles in response to those fervent petitions. 

These are just a few of the things God thinks about and is doing in the night watches. Sleep on people of God. Your God does not sleep. He does not get weary. He takes the night watch every night. Sleep on peacefully. God is up, in control, and working. Isaiah 40:27-31 (NASB) 

²⁷  Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God"?
²⁸  Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.
²⁹  He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.
³⁰  Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,
³¹  Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Slow And Steady Progress

In the tale of the tortoise and the hare and their famous race we know the tortoise won because of slow and steady progress while the hare got out front and then took a nap.

Slow and steady progress of the soul may not look flashy and draw a lot of attention but, in the long run it is very beneficial to the soul. We don't like slow. We get frustrated with slow traffic, slow cashiers, slow drive throughs, and slow internet connections. We do everything in our power to make things faster, more efficient, and quicker. We have faster computers and cell phones. We are used to instant communications.

Many people have a poor appreciation for steady. Steady are some people who run the 5-K or the marathon methodically. They will never set records but they finish. They complete the race. They progress steadily until they reach the finish line. The progress steadily in the race one step at a time. In the end they accomplish their goal through discipline, resolve, and persistence. They accomplish much more than the person who puts on running shoes and goes to the track one a year.

The Christian life is like that. It is slow and steady progress. One quiet time after another. One worship encounter after another. One Bible study after another. One camp after another. One retreat after another. One act of service or random act of kindness on top of another. Each one by itself may not seem life changing but, the accumulative effect of all produce life changing results. Progress is made spiritually by leaps and bounds through slow and steady adherence to spiritual disciplines.

For the believer the steady and systematic reading and study of God's word produces valuable insight, revelation, and transformation over time. The Bible is not a book to be speed read. Rather it t is a book to be read slowly, meditatively, and thoughtfully. It is a book to be memorized. It is a book to be consumed in small daily portions. Just like one single meal can never satisfy nor sustain a person forever neither can one Bible reading or one sermon sustain and satisfy the soul forever. Additional soul meals are required for slow and steady progress in the faith.

There are many Christian event and program junkies. Churches are always looking for short cuts and quick fixes for members to mature. When will we ever learn no one single event can sustain us forever. No program or study will ever suffice to give us all we need. God can use events. God can and has used programs and special studies. I have attended many such events and participated in many such studies. God used each to help me progress further in the faith. Yet I always returned to my private devotions afterwards and weekly worship for continued growth.
None of those things have had the impact on my life as much as the slow and steady diet of private devotions and weekly corporate worship. Those private devotions pale in comparison to Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush. [Ex 3:1-10] None of those worship services could equal what happened when the glory of God filled the temple. [II Chronicles 7:1-5] Yet God used each for slow and sadly progress in my life.

As a pastor I know over the long haul a steady diet of preaching and teaching God's word is what the flock needs. I know it is not flashy. I know it is not always exciting. It certainly is not entertaining. Right now I am working my way through the book of Romans on Wednesday night. A steady dose of doctrine is good for progress in the soul. I've spent the past couple of months preaching in the book of Psalms. I know one single sermon is not enough for the parishioners. They need feeding weekly. It takes work in prayer and diligent study to prepare those messages. It is well worth the effort for my personal life as well as those sheep entrusted to my care.

I thank God for those who went before us and set the example of the slow and steady progress in the things of God. Faithfulness. Steadfastness. Perseverance. Endurance. Persistence. These are all words I have come to love. As well as a great promise from God to keep us going through every season of life. Philippians 1:6 (NASB) 
⁶  For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Slow and steady progress to the end of life is the goal.

Youth Camp

We spent this past week on the campus of East Texas Baptist University for Mission 58 Camp. It is a camp with  built in missions projects daily. Students serve and sweat. They do not get entertained. They give their lives away.  Excitedly I watched our students get stretched and serve wholeheartedly. I also loved watching how our already close knit group got even closer.

I think I have attended at least one youth camp each summer for the past 32 years and some years more than one camp a summer. I have gone to camp as a student, a sponsor, a youth pastor, pastor, and as the camp preacher or teacher. I've seen camps in old cabins, tents, and on college campuses from Texas to Florida. I've met wonderful friends along the way but most importantly I've  met God.

I wish adults could carve out a week of their schedules for camp. What if adults kept having camps? We could get away from everything to pray, worship, and learn, We could encounter God. We could serve others. I  thank God for camp and the chances I have had over the years to attend.

It is always good to get back home and sleep in my own bed. God entrusted me to not only take a group to camp but to also teach His word to over 300 students. That is a sacred trust I cherish. I wish I could bring camp home for adults. Now that is an idea. Adult camp.

What If

What if you could start over? Get a fresh start? Not make the same mistakes? Learn from your past? What if you turned the other cheek, held your tongue, and kept your opinions to yourself? What if you saved instead of spent, worked harder and played less, and endured instead of giving up? What if you focused on people more, spent more time with the people who mean the most to you, and took opportunities to tell each one how much they mean to you? What if you sought God more and the things of this world less, cultivated a deep and rich relationship with God rather a better portfolio, and gave away more than you accumulated.

We all mistakes. We all wish we could go back and undo some things. We would have chosen differently. Righteousness over wickedness. Family over fleeting pleasures or increased finances. Christ centeredness over career advancement. We cannot go back and undo the past. Whatever choices we made we have to live with the consequences.

Likewise, there are things we wish we could  go back and do instead of not doing. We might have taken action, completed something we gave up on, persevered under trial instead of ship wrecking our faith. We might have spoken truth instead of remaining silent, lovingly reached out instead of watching people walk away and chose forgiveness instead of holding a grudge.

What if we could hit the refresh button at the start of this day. Not that we can undo or do things differently from out past. What if we used this day as a fresh start. What if we awoke on this day to the promises of God. What if we embraced God's plan for our lives or waited patiently for Him to reveal those plans in His good time. What if we used today to love instead of hate. What if we used today to bless instead of curse. What if we used today to learn and grow rather than remain ignorant and wilt. What if we used today to encourage others instead of getting so wrapped up in our lives and issues we are blind to those around us.

What if we used today to repent and get a fresh start with God. What if we used today to wipe away the chalk of pain off the blackboards of our hearts making a clean slate. What if we chose worship today over worry, prayer over pondering problems, peace over pain and anxiety, and faith over frustrations. How the outlook of the day would change. Joy would abound.

This is your what if moment. What you decide will have a large impact. What if today you chose God at every turn. What if His words penetrated your thoughts, actions, and attitudes? Then we could say, Psalm 118:24 (NASB) 
²⁴  This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Word Of God Speak

Today many people will flock to houses of worship. Pastors will stand to proclaim the Word of the Lord. Many will listen attentively taking notes. Others will listen casually and some will not listen at all.

God is going to speak through His word today in churches of all sizes. He will speak in the backwood churches with barely two dozen people present. He will speak through preaches who never attended Bible college or seminary. He will also speak in mega churches with thousands of attenders and through pastors who attained the highest level of education possible.

The Word of God will speak today piercing hearts with conviction. God will speak tender words of comfort. He will instruct people in truth. He will offer guidance to the confused. He will encourage the discouraged. He will speak words of hope to the hopeless. He will also speak words of salvation to the down and out.

There are people awaking now that have no idea that when they walk in the doors of their church today they will  encounter God in a very personal way. Lives are going to change today. Futures will be determined today. Despair will be lifted today. Hope will be restored today. Sins will be forgiven today. Direction will be revealed today. Vision will be cast and caught today. Conviction will cut deep today. Broken hearts will get healed today. Souls will get saved today. All because God still speaks and moves through the preaching and teaching of His word.

WORD OF GOD SPEAK TODAY TO PEOPLE IN CHURCHES ALL OVER THE LAND.

A Whole Heart

King David prayed for his son Solomon as he made the transition to step down from the monarchy and make Solomon the new king. In his prayer David voiced these words, 1 Chronicles 29:19 (NASB) 
¹⁹  and give to my son Solomon a perfect heart to keep Your commandments, Your testimonies and Your statutes, and to do them all, and to build the temple, for which I have made provision."

The word whole means complete, blameless, wholly devoted. Today we turn our attention to our own hearts. I wonder how much of our hearts does the Lord have? Do we serve with one quarter of our hearts, less, one half, or maybe even three quarters of it. There are those who serve God with a whole heart. They love God most. They are most passionate about Him and His will.

People give their whole hearts to all sorts of things. Education. Romance. Professional achievement. Sports. Children. Grandchildren. We understand the principles of devotion, discipline, sacrifice in order to achieve a worthy goal. What about in seeking and serving God.

Does God not demand that we love Him with a whole heart. Matthew 22:37 (NASB) 
³⁷  And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'

We are called to serve Him wholeheartedly as well. Matthew 16:24 (NASB) 

²⁴  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

 That requires commitment. That requires a whole heart bent on following and pleasing the Lord even when the going gets difficult.

Just imagine if congregations worshipped with a whole heart during services. Imagine the kingdom impact if people served in vocational and volunteer ministries with a whole heart. Imagine how many kingdom dollars would be collected if people gave financially with a whole heart. Impinge the impact on our nation if followers of Jesus all over the nation prayed with a whole heart. 

Sadly, in the end, Solomon's heart became divided. He married foreign women and they turned his heart from God. BEWARE! Has Satan slipped something or someone into your life that is slowly dividing your heart and turning you away from God. God demands and deserves each of us give Him our whole heart. 

Lord Make It Real

Lord, I ask You to make it real in me,
The truth in Your word I daily see,
Make those truths burn come alive,
My dead soul needs to be revived,
Please make truth real from the page,
Bringing freedom from my prison cage,
Let my mind and heart burst forth in light,
My dark eyes opened in new faith sight,
Let truth burn real down to my  very soul,
Consuming not just in part but the whole.

External Faith

Is your faith external or internal? Many people have an external faith. It is visible to others. It is obvious by the many outward things a person does.

Others have an internal faith. It is hidden. Not as obvious or visible to others.

Here is the rub. It is possible to have an external faith and not have a true authentic faith or relationship with the Lord. A person could be baptized, attend services faithfully, tithe, attend Bible study, sing in the choir or praise team, serve on a committee, go on a mission trip and not truly have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. This is blatant hypocrisy.

The truth is we all should have an authentic internal faith that works its way out in external ways. Faith without works is dead. Works without faith is just religious activity.

Is your faith external or internal? I hope we truthfully say it is both.

When The Heart Is Blue

Heart crushed and full of despair, 

Lord, do You or anyone care, 

When dreams get shattered, 

A wounded heart battered, 

Pain so deep but still no tears, 

Ruled not by faith but by fears,

Barely clinging to any hope, 

Found at the end of a rope, 

You Lord are mighty to trust, 

Men but shadows and dust, 

You the only place to turn, 

Doubts are forever spurned,

Your faithfulness daily new, 

Even when the heart is blue.   

The Day I Couldn't Fix It

Parents want to give their children a good life. Good parents encourage children to dream and pursue those dreams. Caring parents will do everything in their power to help make their children's dreams come true. They will sign them up for leagues. They will take them to practices and games. They will sign them up for summer reading programs and take them to the library. They sacrifice and serve the needs of their kids. 

A day comes when parents do not have enough power, resources, wisdom, or strength to make their children's dreams come true. No matter how hard they want to help, no matter how determined to see their kids succeed, there comes a time when parents' hands are tied. They cannot help. The need is too big, the odds too great, and the mountain to big to move on their own. 

I faced this recently with one of my kids. I wanted to help. I prayed to be able to help. But I could not help. His need was beyond my ability to step in and save the day.  It pained me. It pained Brenda nearly moving her to tears. As much as we wanted to help we could not do anything for him. 

I felt like a failure. I felt like I let my son down. I felt like for one of the first times I could not make his dream come true. 

Exit Matt. Enter God. God is the Father who always has the strength to help, the resources to meet needs, and the wisdom to know what is best. He is enough to help in any situation when parents cannot come through. God is a Father who never fails. 

Son, rest in Him and trust Him. He can do more for you than I will ever be able to do or have ever done in the past. God is a Father who will never leave you nor forsake you. 

Unspoken Questions

There are unspoken questions resonating in the minds of many people. Questions mulled over in the mental dungeons infrequently visited. Mental gymnastics done over serious matters of faith. These questions remain tucked in the corners of the mind yet they never  are voiced. Not voiced because fear of judgment from the church. If people give voice to doubts and disappointments directed toward God there is little grace and compassion from fellow pilgrims.

The questions are real. They are haunting and not easily dismissed. They require serious thought. These unspoken questions lead down a difficult road, How many people are disappointed with God? Their prayers have gone unanswered. The healing has not come. The protection did not cover the loved one sufficiently. God's silence did not bring the desperately needed direction.

The unspoken questions are there. God are You really there? Why is God silent? Why is God hidden? Is God always fair? These questions haunt the mind. There are scores of people disappointed with God. In fact, the disappointments have stacked one on top of the other over the years. All this can lead to doubts, anger, and bitterness.

Where is God in the middle of the pain and the darkest of nights? Why doesn't God always speak clearly to those needing direction and seeking His will? Why do paths that once seemed so clear end up in confusion?

Two scriptures come to mind for comfort. Psalm 42:5 (NASB) 
⁵  Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. 

The word despair means to be without any hope. Sometimes people get so disappointed with God they no longer have an ounce of hope. A person without hope is a person with little reason to press on. Such people can give up on God, on other people, and on life itself. 

We are urged to put our hope in God. The word hope can be defined as waiting expectantly. Many have been waiting on God for a long time. He has not come through for them yet. For others who waited it is too late. The loved one died. The business shut down. The marriage ended in divorce. The child rebelled and strayed from the faith. There seems to be nothing to wait expectantly for God to do. 

We are still to praise Him even when we are disappointed. We are to thank Him and glorify Him. Why? When we have been disappointed so many times why should we thank Him, glorify Him and praise Him? 

The answer is simple. For the help of His presence. For His salvation and deliverance. And because of Lamentations 3:21-24 (NASB) 

²¹  This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
²²  The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.
²³  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
²⁴  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him."

Why should we praise our Father when we've been disappointed by Him repeatedly? Why should we maintain hope in the middle of our unspoken questions? 

For three reasons. First, the Lord's loving kindnesses never cease. NEVER CEASE. His goodness. His devotion. His love never cease. Not ever. A second reason to praise and hope is that God's mercies never cease. His compassion is forever. And then finally, GREAT IS HIS FAITHFULNESS. Put another way, abounding is His trustworthiness and reliability. 

These things are new ever morning. Day after day. Month after month. Year after year. 

I am not suggesting there will not be disappointments. I am not even saying that at times the ways of God will not be so mysterious they will be beyond our comprehension. At times He will be silent in times we plead with Him to speak the most. At times it may seem God is absent even though He promises to always be present. Great is His faithfulness. 

Now to the unspoken questions. Is God really there, does He really exist? Just look at a sunrise or a sunset. Look out over the vast ocean or across mountain ranges. They scream out God is real. Is God hidden? At times. He hides Himself but that does not mean that He is not there. He just chooses not to reveal His presence to us all the time. Is God silent? Again, He is at times. At times He withholds His voice leaving us seeking and bewildered which way to go. In such cases it is wise to wait until He does choose to speak. I have said repeatedly the best place to hear Him speak is in His word. Th last unspoken question deals whether God is fair? God is just. That means He is right. He is Sovereign and He has the right and authority to rule as He sees fit. 

We do not get to choose the stuff we are forced to overcome. We do get to choose what we face but we do get to choose how we face it. We get to choose how we work our way through disappointments. 

God is still God even when we face our unspoken questions. He can handle them. His faithfulness will never change and therefore we will always have reason to hope. 

My King

Psalm 44:4 (NASB)
⁴  You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob. 


Is Jesus your King? Is He your Sovereign ruler? Does He hold ultimate authority over you and your family?

A King is a ruler. He has servants. His gives commands and expects them to be obeyed. His loyal subjects follow His commands and submit to his authority.

It is no different for the child of God. God is our ruler. We are to submit to Him. We are to obey Him. Do we bow before Him? Do we devote our loyalty to Him?

He deserves that? He demands that?

The Greatest Of All Time

Muhammad Ali, formerly knowns as Casius Clay, died yesterday. The three time heavy weight boxing champion was flamboyant. He often touted his own good looks and talents. Ali proclaimed himself the greatest of all time.

I watched several tributes about his accomplishments, his convictions, and conversion to Islam. Much was made about His self confidence and well as his religious conviction. The more I watched two very sad things came to mind.

First, Ali said he was the greatest of all time. I could not help but think of how wrong he was. It is true he was a fabulous boxer and a great showman. He made a lot of money. Some say he had the most recognizable face in the whole world. Yet, he was mistaken. He was not the greatest of all time. Exit stage left Ali and enter center stage Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:9-11 (NASB) 
⁹  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
¹⁰  so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹  and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Soon Ali will fade in the pages of history like other celebrities. He will be forgotten except by a few. A generation will arise who knows not Ali. They will never see him box except in videos. They will hear his soundbites but never see the full interviews. His name is spoken a great deal in these days in the aftermath of his death. In a matter of months people will forget. They always do. 

Jesus name will never be forgotten. To the end of time someone somewhere will always speak His name, praise His name, and pray in His name. One day every person, Christian or Muslim will confess that Jesus is Lord and every knee will bow. 

That brings me to the other things that saddened me about Ali. He devoted his life to a religious lie. He converted to Islam denying the truth of Jesus Christ. He believed the tenants of the Muslim faith. Ali fell for deception. Here is the truth. John 14:6 (NASB) 

⁶  Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Ali perished without Christ. He is doomed to everlasting torment. That is sobering. All his boasting, all his victories, all his fame, and all his bragging about being the  greatest of all time did nothing for Him when he faced Jesus as the Righteous Judge. A sad reminder of things of eternity. 

Are You Where You Thought You Would Be?

This September I will turn fifty. Hard to believe. In my mind I feel like a young man. I do not see myself as middle aged. My body tells me differently. The weight room is increasingly challenging and the strength is waning. Any amount of running is not enjoyable. Yet I still keep showing up trying to defy time a little longer.

When I look back over nearly five decades of life I ask myself the question," Am I where I thought I would be at this point?"  I thought I would be married to the women I share life with. We celebrate twenty-five years of marriage next month. I thought I would have kids. I never thought I would have four and they all be boys. Each is a blessing to me. I thought I would be a pastor but in a much larger church at this point. God has been faithful in churches I have served of all sizes.

I thought at this stage of life it would all be easier. There are still challenges at fifty just like there were at sixteen, twenty, thirty and so on. People older than me have challenges. I hear them all the time. I hear people talk about battling things like cancer, joint damage and replacements, pricy medication, fixed incomes and I think there are challenges yet to come.

Are you where you thought you would be? Did your life turn out like you dreamed it would? Did you marry the right one? Did the marriage last? Are you in a career you love? Do you live in your dream house? Are you still friends with your childhood chums?

I bet most of us would say life has had several twists and turns along the way we never saw coming. We did not anticipate the challenges. A friend of mine lives in Florida and woerks on a golf course during the morning. In the afternoons he  plays as much golf as he wants and fishes on the weekends in his retirement years. Someone told him recently, "You are living the dream." He replied, "I'm living half of it." You see, his wife died of brain cancer right before his official retirement. They had planned on moving to Florida and building a house. They had great plans. He did not anticipate living his twilight years with out his soul mate. Still he says, "God has been good to me."

Maybe you are not where you thought you would be or sharing life with who you thought you would. This is a good time to stop and reflect. Can you say God has been good to you?

Paul also encountered some challenges not anticipated. Beatings, Whippings, Stoning. Imprisonment. Matthew 25:34-46 (NASB) 
³⁴  "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
³⁵  'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
³⁶  naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
³⁷  "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
³⁸  'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
³⁹  'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
⁴⁰  "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
⁴¹  "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
⁴²  for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
⁴³  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
⁴⁴  "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
⁴⁵  "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
⁴⁶  "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Still ,after all this, Paul could write this truth that challenges me and comforts me today. Philippians 4:11-13 (NASB) 

¹¹  Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
¹²  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
¹³  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Christ strengthening me has little to do with what I can lift in the gym as much as it does how I can  persevere through the challenges of life. It has everything to do with how I face life's disappointments when things do not turn out the way I planned or hoped. Jesus is still the source of contentment. Jesus is still the source of hope. He is still the source of peace in the middle chaotic circumstances. He is still provider. 

Even if we are not where we thought we would be we are not forgotten by God. He sees. His arm is long enough to reach us there. His voice is loud enough to penetrate our pain and doubts. His love is deep enough to hold us in the tough times. His grace is sufficient to forgive us for sin. His strength is mighty enough to move every mountain. His salvation is secure enough to keep me to the end of life. I content myself in those things today.  

100,000

I thank You Lord for all 100,000 visitors to this site,
Some in the middle of the day and others late at night,
I thank You for divine encounters I've had on the way,
For all the times I listened to what You wanted to say,
I bless You for inspiration and the sacred writing gift,
To lasso ideas and corralling them through words I sift,
I thank You for comforting those deep in dark distress,
For delivering them from burdens and much stress,
Thank You for inspiring those who lost their hope,
For helping others persevere at the end of their rope,
Thank You for the ministry to write to help people,
Who will never hear me preach under the steeple,
Thank You for expanding my territory beyond sight,
Thank You for the calling and the passion to write.

Another Goal Reached

I am a goal oriented person. I have set goals my whole life. Many I have reached. Some I did not.

One of the goals I set back in 1998, when I started No Compromise Ministries and really began to write ,was to write regularly so people could read those writings and receive ministry for free on the internet. Way back then I set a goal that one day I might get thousands of views to that site. The original NO COMPROMISE website no longer exists.

That site gave way to a blog I started writing back in 2008. For eight years I have written about all types of subjects. I've written about life from my point of view as a pastor and prophet. I have written about scriptures God has used to speak to me. I have sought to encourage and rebuke people over those eight years.I wrote about the 23 day revival we enjoy din Seminole the summer of 2010.

I went through one lengthy bout with writer's block. During that season I had nothing to say. I felt no inspiration. God appeared silent for months on end. One day the season ended and the inspiration returned. I've been writing and posting since then.

I used to post these blogs on Facebook. Eventually I got tired of the whole social media scene and deleted my account. That certainly cut down on the number of readers but I believe if God uses any of this word of mouth can still draw people to these readings.

Most of the readings are devotional in nature. From time to time I feel inspired to include poetry. I write the things God puts on my heart to say. I do not write daily but most of the time it is at least weekly. Sometimes the writings come in stretches with many posts in short periods of time. At other times they come slower.

All along the way I had a goal in mind. Today marks a major milestone in my life. Today after 18 years of writing in general, eight years of writing this blog, 1,361 posts written we finally reached the 100,000 views mark. With great elation I celebrated 10,000 views, 50,000 views and 75,000 and the day I wrote my 1,000th post.  After leaving Facebook the views slowed. Sometimes less than a dozen a day. Yet through perseverance we have hit a major milestone.

In that time we had people view this site from all the world, Ukraine, Russia, China, Brazil, Canada, Germany and others. The majority of the readers have been from right here in the good old United States.

Where do we go from here? Only God knows. By His strength and inspiration I plan to keep writing. By His guidance I trust He will keep sending readers to this site. By His anointing I trust He will minister to people all over the world. I can dream of a day when hundreds of people will come to this site to receive spiritual nourishment everyday. I can even see a day when God will direct thousands of people to this site every day to be spiritually fed.

What blesses me is that all of this content is available for free. I never set out to write to get rich. I only set out to write to fulfill the call of God on my life and to help people. I hope and pray I have succeeded and will succeed in the future.

I give all glory to God for this goal reached. Now it is time to set a new goal. A lofty goal. A far out there goal. Maybe the next goal is to have written 5,000 posts and to see 500,000 and up to 1,000,000  visits to this site. Nothing is impossible with God. If God uses this in your life please pass it on to others where they can find this material.

To those of you who have been loyal readers from the beginning let me say thank you. To those men who helped create this site and maintain it over the years I say thank you to Darrel Fishbeck and Tim Shirley. May the Lord continue to use these writings for His purpose and glory.

At times these writings offer comfort to the afflicted ad at other times they afflict the comfortable. May we press on to the next 100,000 and beyond.