I was jolted awake this morning at 2:05 am. I knew what it meant. It was time to get up and pray. Most of those prayers centered around your town. Prayers for Kermit. A pattern that repeats itself in my life for nearly three years now.
How can a man love a town, a community, a group of people he has never met? How can a man carry such a deep burden for a community he has never spent the night in much less lived in? Only God put such love in my heart and gave me such a heavy burden for you.
By no means do I infer Kermit is a bad town. That is not what the burden means. I think it means God loves Kermit so much He will visit your town in a special way. I believe this so much I am stepping out on a limb, renting a tent, bringing in a revival team and planning on holding meetings July 23-29.
Please hear my heart. I am no expert. I am not a hired gun to come and "fix things." I am just a small church Southern Baptist pastor. To be even more transparent I am the pastor of a church of less than 40 people. Faith Community Church is not large. We do not even have a website. We meet in a rented warehouse. We worship on oil stained concrete floors. We love God's word and dig in it weekly.
I did not choose Kermit. God chose Kermit for me. It all started over three years ago when a lady named Joan from Seminole, TX called and asked me if I would join her in praying for Kermit. I told her I would and did for a couple of months. The burden lifted and I never thought about Kermit again until over a year later.
I had a dream. Most people have dreams. I've had many dreams over the years. In most of them I am either late or unprepared for a preaching assignment. This dream was different. I have chronicled that dream in detail in earlier blogs. I will not do so again here. Kermit played a startling major emphasis in that dream.
I connected the dots between my friend Joan and the dream. Subsequent dreams followed. In most of them I was called to go to Kermit. In many of the dreams I saw the same revival scenes repeated. In many of them I saw myself preaching such a revival meeting under a tent.
In the fall of 2014 I made an initial trip to Kermit for a prayer meeting. A few people read about my dreams for Kermit on Facbook and contacted me. That first prayer meeting turned into a weekly prayer meeting/Bible study. We were all a little confused. Ironically all the people who came were from one church. They were in the process of calling a new pastor and in December of 2014 we suspended the meetings. I did not want to interfere with a new pastor. At the time I really did not know how to move forward.
Time went on and I forgot about Kermit for a few months. Then there were more dreams. Each a little different but in some ways similar. The message seemed clear. God called me to go to Kermit to hold a tent revival meeting It made no sense.
No church or pastor invited me to come to the community. I had no sponsors. I hardly knew anyone. The call of God persisted. The burden intensified. I could not sleep through the night. I awoke with the burden to pray for Kermit night after night and month after month. I did not even know how to pray for you really.
Then it came down to obedience by faith. I had to schedule the meeting. I checked with a Kermit resident about annual summer events not wanting to conflict with any. I settled on the dates of July 23-29. I took another step of faith and contacted Sherman and Tammy Aten, full time music evangelists, to see if they were available for those dates. They were so I scheduled them. I then went a step further and rented a tent and chairs. I made a trip to Kermit to look for a suitable place to pitch the tent. We decided on a vacant lot next to Belvue Baptist Church. All of these things hve been done in faith without the money up front to pull all of this off.
I have felt strongly that I am not supposed to ask the Kermit local churches to support this effort financially. We trust God will call His people all over the state of Texas and nation to get behind this spiritual emphasis and call some to give financially. Just last week someone contacted me a community further way from Kermit than where I live wanting to know how he and his wife can help. I trust God will supply every need.We will take a love offering to help with the travel expenses.
I sent some business cards to be passed around town that simply read "Pray for Kermit." Each step a step of faith. Residents of Kermit. I am convinced God has in mind to come visit you in a very special way. I realize I could be wrong. I could pitch this tent and show up with nobody attending any of the meetings. I realize I am a complete stranger to all of you. Read these blogs and I think you will discover my heart.
I am as bewildered by this whole thing as I am sure you are. A man having some dreams and holding a tent revival as a result is bizarre. God has confirmed this call on my life to come to there over and over again. Not long ago I was at a grocery store in Bridgeport, TX. We are about six hours from your town. When I gave the cashier my phone number for discounts she noticed the 432 area code. She asked if I was from west Texas. I told her I used to live in Seminole. She used to live in west Texas too. I asked where. She grew up in your town. I don't know her name. There is no way that is coincidence.
A man from the church I pastor walks at the Bridgeport football stadium. He met a man one day walking. They struck up a relationship over time. Somehow the Kermit dreams came up. The man also grew up in Kermit. Coincidence or confirmation?
Those are only two examples. There have been others. So God has drawn my heart, my attention, my love, and my prayers to your town. Unorthodox? Yes. Wacko? No. I am just a man seeking God to walk with Him daily. He initiated everything in my life about Kermit. I am only trying to obey what I sense Him telling me to do.
Do I have questions? Yes. Do I have this whole thing figured out? No. Years ago I promised God I would go anywhere, do anything, at anytime He called me. Everything about comping to your town is my desire to obey Go and to walk out my faith.
In the process I have a developed a deep affection for you. I pray for all your churches though I do not know any of you. I often wonder how I can love a community I do not know and where I have never lived. I do. I cannot say I love you like faithful shepherds who have lived and served among you for years. There is still a love in my heart nonetheless.
Here is what I would like from you. Your prayers. Prayers for Kermit. Prayers for me. Prayers for Sherman and Tammy Aten. Then pray about your attendance. Our first meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on July 23.
There are many of you who read these posts and have been praying for Kermit. I want to encourage you to pray about taking some vacation and coming out to join us. The hotel space is limited though. I may look like a fool to many people in this whole thing but I am convinced I am obeying God. That means more to me than what people think about me.
Kermit, I truly believe a great outpouring from God is coming if it has not already begun. I believe people will be saved. Backsliders will repent. Those in bondage to sin will be set free . Apathetic people will once again be set on fire. Churches will grow adding new members. The love of God will grow immensely among people. The work of God will permeate the whole town.
As my schedule allows I am willing to come out for prayer meetings between now and July. You can contact me personally at followhard638@gmail.com. May the Lord Jesus be magnified and glorified in Kermit. I will see some of you soon. .
Sincerely His,
Matt
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
1,500
On April 29, 2008 I sat down and wrote a blog. That was nearly nine years ago. In that time there have bene many ups and downs. I have served three different churches in that time. I have traveled to two countries and several states to preach.
In that span there have been many ups and downs. I have been as close to God as I have ever been and at other times felt very distant from Him. I have enjoyed the outward signs of successful ministry with salvations, baptisms, growth and revival. I captured the 23 day revival in Seminole all on this blog. I have also known failures, stumbles, and struggles in ministry.
Over those nine years I have watched two of my boys graduate and go off to college. Our happy family dinners of six are now to do dinners of four. The two youngest boys had to have knee surgeries .
I watched Faith Community Church explode with growth and then plummet with declining attendance. We rejoiced in baptisms and mourned the death of beloved parts of our body. I have faced more financial trials than I can recount and at the same time seen God come through in miraculous provision. Each time I thought the church would go under financially God stepped in and did something amazing.
I have fought demonic attacks. I have battled with the most severe depression I have ever known. I have preached my heart out week after week. There were Sundays I felt so discouraged I thought there was no possible way I could preach. Each time God helped me. I preached some of what I consider the most powerful messages God ever gave me during this time. I preached revivals, campus, youth rallies, and the normal pastoral messages. Much of what God gave me to preach ended up in these blogs.
Through it all, all the ups and downs, all the successes and failures, all the faith and doubts, all the joys and sorrows, and all the hope and frustrations I wrote. I wrote a few books. Mainly I wrote right here. At times the writings were emotionally raw as I bore my heart. At other times they were written to encourage suffering people. I wrote about prayer, faith, deep devotion to God, and hard hitting prophetic messages.
A few times over the years I received feedback. Those words were encouraging. They were like extra oxygen to a winded athlete to help me keep going. They kindled the fire to help me keep writing. All of the writings with the goal to be a vessel of God. I never wrote for money. I have intentionally never allowed advertisements on this blog because the goal of the writing was never about making money. The goal of this blog has always been to help people for free.
I recall several milestones along the way. Last year I wrote the most blogs in a year I have ever written. I recall when we had 1,000 visits to the blog and years later 10,000. My long term dream was to see 100,000 visits to the blog. We hit that last year. I've hd to readjust those goals. Maybe the goal now will be a million.
Today I hit another milestone. I give all glory and credit to God. He gave me this talent and passion to write. He continually gives me inspiration. Sometimes it shows up in poetry. Sometimes it is inspirational, instructional, theological, and prophetic. Through every season of life God has allowed writing to be therapy for me. I have literally written my way through the past nearly nine years.
Today I wrote the 1,500th blog. Some admittedly are better than others. Some have resonated more with readers than others. Some I thought that were not that good got a large readership. Others that meant much to me did not ever get traction with other readers.
1,500 blogs. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for helping me on this journey with the gift and therapy of writing. Thank you for those you have sent to read. I pray you would send these little writings all over the world and touch people I will never meet. I ask you to let them land before both great and small. And thank you all of them are available for free. In Jesus' name. Amen and Amen.
In that span there have been many ups and downs. I have been as close to God as I have ever been and at other times felt very distant from Him. I have enjoyed the outward signs of successful ministry with salvations, baptisms, growth and revival. I captured the 23 day revival in Seminole all on this blog. I have also known failures, stumbles, and struggles in ministry.
Over those nine years I have watched two of my boys graduate and go off to college. Our happy family dinners of six are now to do dinners of four. The two youngest boys had to have knee surgeries .
I watched Faith Community Church explode with growth and then plummet with declining attendance. We rejoiced in baptisms and mourned the death of beloved parts of our body. I have faced more financial trials than I can recount and at the same time seen God come through in miraculous provision. Each time I thought the church would go under financially God stepped in and did something amazing.
I have fought demonic attacks. I have battled with the most severe depression I have ever known. I have preached my heart out week after week. There were Sundays I felt so discouraged I thought there was no possible way I could preach. Each time God helped me. I preached some of what I consider the most powerful messages God ever gave me during this time. I preached revivals, campus, youth rallies, and the normal pastoral messages. Much of what God gave me to preach ended up in these blogs.
Through it all, all the ups and downs, all the successes and failures, all the faith and doubts, all the joys and sorrows, and all the hope and frustrations I wrote. I wrote a few books. Mainly I wrote right here. At times the writings were emotionally raw as I bore my heart. At other times they were written to encourage suffering people. I wrote about prayer, faith, deep devotion to God, and hard hitting prophetic messages.
A few times over the years I received feedback. Those words were encouraging. They were like extra oxygen to a winded athlete to help me keep going. They kindled the fire to help me keep writing. All of the writings with the goal to be a vessel of God. I never wrote for money. I have intentionally never allowed advertisements on this blog because the goal of the writing was never about making money. The goal of this blog has always been to help people for free.
I recall several milestones along the way. Last year I wrote the most blogs in a year I have ever written. I recall when we had 1,000 visits to the blog and years later 10,000. My long term dream was to see 100,000 visits to the blog. We hit that last year. I've hd to readjust those goals. Maybe the goal now will be a million.
Today I hit another milestone. I give all glory and credit to God. He gave me this talent and passion to write. He continually gives me inspiration. Sometimes it shows up in poetry. Sometimes it is inspirational, instructional, theological, and prophetic. Through every season of life God has allowed writing to be therapy for me. I have literally written my way through the past nearly nine years.
Today I wrote the 1,500th blog. Some admittedly are better than others. Some have resonated more with readers than others. Some I thought that were not that good got a large readership. Others that meant much to me did not ever get traction with other readers.
1,500 blogs. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for helping me on this journey with the gift and therapy of writing. Thank you for those you have sent to read. I pray you would send these little writings all over the world and touch people I will never meet. I ask you to let them land before both great and small. And thank you all of them are available for free. In Jesus' name. Amen and Amen.
Sit And Listen
People have lost the art of listening. Have you ever been in conversation with someone and they were distracted by everyone else walking around, their cell phone, or preoccupied with the time. Obliviously they were not listening. In our fast paced society listening is not high on the priority list. People prefer texting to talking.
Do a little experiment. Right now, what do you hear? Make a mental note of every sound. Music? Television? Children? Traffic.? Now do a little further experiment. Shout down all distractions. Immerse yourself in silence. Now what do you hear? For me? I hear the rhythmic ticking of a clock. I hear the clicking of the keys on this computer. I hear birds chirping outside. I hear a plane flying over my house. I hear my neighbor's saw buzzing in the garage. I even hear the growling in my stomach and the sounds of the winds blowing outside.
We can train ourselves to really listen. We can cultivate the art of listening. My point today is not about listening to other people, though that is important. My focus is on listening to God. Many worship. Many have devotions. How many hear from God? Many read the Bible. Many pray. How many truly hear from God? We all need to train our spiritual ears to hear from Him in a world filled with noise and distractions.
Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
This is a familiar story. What captures my attention in this story is Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. In that culture sitting below a reacher was a sign of respect for the teacher's authority. She sat and there listened to His teaching. I can just see her hanging onto every word Jesus spoke. She sat and soaked.
That is what we all need to do. We need to sit in Jesus' presence and listen to Him. He speaks through His word. He reveals truth, gives revelation, and offers guidance. He rebukes, comforts, renews, and reveals His will. He speaks. He is a communicating God. From Genesis to Revelation God communicates with people.
God spoke to Samuel in I Samuel 3:10. He spoke to Elijah at the entrance of the cave in I Kings 19 in a small voice. We are always in such a hurry. We rush through life. Sitting and listening to Jesus takes a slower pace, a willingness to be still and know He is God. [Ps 46:10]
We prefer the productions of modern church worship services than the stillness and solitude of the prayer closet. Sitting with Jesus and listening in the prayer closet takes time. Time many people are not willing to give. Quick pithy devotions are the order of the day. You cannot rush intimacy with your Savior.
To sit and listen means to give Jesus our undivided attention. It means we read the scripture slowly, meditatively, and with listening spiritual ears. Jesus wants our undivided attention. That is hard to do in this age. We do not do sit still well. We are surrounded by noise. We are surrounded by constant motion and activity. We are used to television, cell phones, social media, texting, emails, tweets, and streaming videos. One sure way not to hear from Jesus is to immerse yourself in all of these distractions.
Now Martha on the other hand was busy preparing the meal. She was also stewing because Mary was not helping. Eventually she stormed in the room and interrupted Jesus with a demand that He command Mary to come help her.
Jesus' words in reply were piercing. She was distracted. Distracted by all her preparations. Cooking the meal was important. Meals don't prepare themselves. It just wasn't;'t the most important. The meal could have been cooked later after listening to Jesus.
It really comes down to priorities. Most people are busy. TOO BUSY. Sitting and listening seems like a bad investment on our time. Not from Jesus' perspective. It is the best use of time. It should be our most important time of the day.
Only one this is required, Jesus wants our love and relationship. He wants to listen to our prayer concerns. He also wants to speak to us. What He has to say to us is more important than what we have to say to Him. SO WE SHOULD MAKE TIME TO LISTEN.
I have seen people so attached to their phones they cannot resist reading a text message even in mid conversations with another. While writing this I received a text message from a former HPU student inviting me to come preach at her church. We live in a world of instant communication. Sitting and listening to Jesus does not always happen instantaneously. It does not even happen quickly at times. If a person perseveres and cultivates of the art of listening with spiritual ears he or she can hear from God. I know. I just heard from Him this morning reading about the life of Gideon. So let us all pray the prayer of Samuel, "God, please speak for your servants are listening."
Do a little experiment. Right now, what do you hear? Make a mental note of every sound. Music? Television? Children? Traffic.? Now do a little further experiment. Shout down all distractions. Immerse yourself in silence. Now what do you hear? For me? I hear the rhythmic ticking of a clock. I hear the clicking of the keys on this computer. I hear birds chirping outside. I hear a plane flying over my house. I hear my neighbor's saw buzzing in the garage. I even hear the growling in my stomach and the sounds of the winds blowing outside.
We can train ourselves to really listen. We can cultivate the art of listening. My point today is not about listening to other people, though that is important. My focus is on listening to God. Many worship. Many have devotions. How many hear from God? Many read the Bible. Many pray. How many truly hear from God? We all need to train our spiritual ears to hear from Him in a world filled with noise and distractions.
Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
This is a familiar story. What captures my attention in this story is Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. In that culture sitting below a reacher was a sign of respect for the teacher's authority. She sat and there listened to His teaching. I can just see her hanging onto every word Jesus spoke. She sat and soaked.
That is what we all need to do. We need to sit in Jesus' presence and listen to Him. He speaks through His word. He reveals truth, gives revelation, and offers guidance. He rebukes, comforts, renews, and reveals His will. He speaks. He is a communicating God. From Genesis to Revelation God communicates with people.
God spoke to Samuel in I Samuel 3:10. He spoke to Elijah at the entrance of the cave in I Kings 19 in a small voice. We are always in such a hurry. We rush through life. Sitting and listening to Jesus takes a slower pace, a willingness to be still and know He is God. [Ps 46:10]
We prefer the productions of modern church worship services than the stillness and solitude of the prayer closet. Sitting with Jesus and listening in the prayer closet takes time. Time many people are not willing to give. Quick pithy devotions are the order of the day. You cannot rush intimacy with your Savior.
To sit and listen means to give Jesus our undivided attention. It means we read the scripture slowly, meditatively, and with listening spiritual ears. Jesus wants our undivided attention. That is hard to do in this age. We do not do sit still well. We are surrounded by noise. We are surrounded by constant motion and activity. We are used to television, cell phones, social media, texting, emails, tweets, and streaming videos. One sure way not to hear from Jesus is to immerse yourself in all of these distractions.
Now Martha on the other hand was busy preparing the meal. She was also stewing because Mary was not helping. Eventually she stormed in the room and interrupted Jesus with a demand that He command Mary to come help her.
Jesus' words in reply were piercing. She was distracted. Distracted by all her preparations. Cooking the meal was important. Meals don't prepare themselves. It just wasn't;'t the most important. The meal could have been cooked later after listening to Jesus.
It really comes down to priorities. Most people are busy. TOO BUSY. Sitting and listening seems like a bad investment on our time. Not from Jesus' perspective. It is the best use of time. It should be our most important time of the day.
Only one this is required, Jesus wants our love and relationship. He wants to listen to our prayer concerns. He also wants to speak to us. What He has to say to us is more important than what we have to say to Him. SO WE SHOULD MAKE TIME TO LISTEN.
I have seen people so attached to their phones they cannot resist reading a text message even in mid conversations with another. While writing this I received a text message from a former HPU student inviting me to come preach at her church. We live in a world of instant communication. Sitting and listening to Jesus does not always happen instantaneously. It does not even happen quickly at times. If a person perseveres and cultivates of the art of listening with spiritual ears he or she can hear from God. I know. I just heard from Him this morning reading about the life of Gideon. So let us all pray the prayer of Samuel, "God, please speak for your servants are listening."
Sunday, February 19, 2017
You Are Too Old - No Longer Useful
Some so called brilliant doctors in in 1905 came up with a hypothesis. They said men who were over 60 years old were no longer useful. This despite the fact nearly half of the men in the country were farmers and the overwhelming majority of them worked well past 60.
Enter retirement. People work until they are 65 and if they have their financial affairs in order they walk away from their jobs, or in some cases, are forced away from their jobs. Others look forward to a life of rest and relaxation. They will spend the next decade or longer sipping coffee, traveling, playing golf, fishing, shopping or playing cards. In best case scenarios there are enough funds to live well to the end. In worst cases people live on fixed incomes and pinch pennies to live a meager existence.
To retire means to retreat, to cease working, and to be compelled to quit work or leave a job. Every year the A.A. R.P. sends out their recruitments to get senior citizens or those approaching the winter years of life to join up. NOT ME. NO SIR. I NEVER PLAN ON RETIRING. I may not always be a pastor but I hope to write, preach, teach, and hold revival meetings until I am no longer able or no longer wanted.
I take my inspiration from Caleb. Joshua 14:6-15 (ESV)
6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.
11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.
12 So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.
15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.
Enter retirement. People work until they are 65 and if they have their financial affairs in order they walk away from their jobs, or in some cases, are forced away from their jobs. Others look forward to a life of rest and relaxation. They will spend the next decade or longer sipping coffee, traveling, playing golf, fishing, shopping or playing cards. In best case scenarios there are enough funds to live well to the end. In worst cases people live on fixed incomes and pinch pennies to live a meager existence.
To retire means to retreat, to cease working, and to be compelled to quit work or leave a job. Every year the A.A. R.P. sends out their recruitments to get senior citizens or those approaching the winter years of life to join up. NOT ME. NO SIR. I NEVER PLAN ON RETIRING. I may not always be a pastor but I hope to write, preach, teach, and hold revival meetings until I am no longer able or no longer wanted.
I take my inspiration from Caleb. Joshua 14:6-15 (ESV)
6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.
11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.
12 So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.
15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.
Why does Caleb inspire me? Because when he was 85 he still dreamed, he still took on challenges, and he still believed God's promises. He wholly followed God.
He did not shy away from a challenge despite being 85 years old. He wanted the hill country. He willingly volunteered to drive out the inhabitants of the hill country. The mountain country. Not a job for an old man. Old retired men shy away from the hill country. They prefer the coffee shops and golf courses.
Old Caleb remembered God's promise. Though his dream of possessing land for him and his kin got delayed 45 years he still believed. He met the challenge head on.
I love what Caleb said about himself. " I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming."
When Caleb said he was strong I don't think he was just taking physically. The word strong means to be bold and stouthearted. Are you still stouthearted like when you were young. I am 50 years old. Not young but not necessarily old. I am continually looking for challenges. I see others do the same. My friend Jimmy, well into his fifties, has run several marathons. Karl Don still works as a farmer in west Texas though is 80. I think of Mark Julian, former running back at Texas Tech, who still serves as a youth minister well into his sixties. He still plays flag football with the students every Sunday afternoon. Still young at heart. All of those have a Caleb spirit.
We may retire from our vocation but we should never retire from serving the Lord. We should want to serve God and wholly follow Him no matter what our age.
Just because we age does mean we have to get old. We can still learn. We still believe God for His promises. We can still wholly follow Him. qWE CAN STILL BE USEFUL. No matter what the experts say.
I am inspired that Ronald Reagan ran for President of the United States at 69 years old and won.. George H. Bush, though confined to a wheel chair no longer able to walk on his own, tandem sky dived on his 90th birthday. A lady named Janice Vaughn hosted a Disciple Now Group of students in her home at age 92!. George Mueller traveled around the world for 17 years preaching after age 70. Francis Asbury traveled on horseback preaching over 16,500 sermons over 300,000 miles until he was past retirement age.
I want to be a Caleb. I want to go wholly after God. I want to wholly follow Him all the days of my remaining life. I still believe the best sermons God will give me and help me preach are before me. I still believe my best writings are before me. I still believe my best days as a pastor and a revival preacher are ahead of me. I AM STILL USEFUL AND HOPE AND PLAN TO BE FOR A LONG LONG TIME.
To all the middle aged or older people, I shout, YOU ARE STILL USEFUL TO GOD. YOU STILL HAVE PURPOSE. FOLLOW HIM WHOLLY. TAKE ON THE HILL COUNTRY.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
I Need Help For Kermit Revival
While I am committed to follow God to hold the revival in Kermit this coming July, I have asked for prayers. Now I come to ask you for more. I cannot do this without help. Here are our needs for the revival.
1. Tent rental - $1,770 (this includes 250 chairs plus one set of lights)
2. sound system with capability to plug into a computer with three microphones and microphone stands. I will also need a lapel microphone.
3. Money for advertising in the newspaper and a mss mailers.
4. Someone or somebodies to provide security for the equipment under the tent each night.
5. counselors each night of the revival July 23-29
6. provision for lodging and meals for the Atens
7/ a video projector and a screen
8.. Either a borrowed piano or a weighted key keyboard.
9. a videographer to get video of the meetings.
10. Just before we begin we may pass out door hangers around town. We will need volunteers for this.
11. All the prayer we can get.
If the Lord prompts you to help with any of these areas you can contact me by sending a personal message via Facebook or at our physical address is No Compromise Ministries P.O. 308 Paradise, TX 76073.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Breaking Point
breaking point |ˈbrākiNG ˌpoint| nounthe moment of greatest strain at which someone or something gives way:A piece of steel can endure a great deal of stress but too much stress on the same piece for too long can result in failure in the metal and possibly the entire structure itself. The same thing is true of a piece of lumber, a tree, a house, and even people.
Too much strain on a bone or joint can result in injury. I broke both my arms at different times when a kid. Both can as result of traumatic falls where my arm hit first. Brenda, Tucker, and Turner have all torn ACL ligaments in their knees. The call came from playing some sport. Our bodies can only endure so much before the they hit the breaking point.
I am thinking of another kind of breaking point. When a person endures so much stress in life they nit a breaking point emotionally. Life overwhelms. I think of the leper approaching Jesus in Matthew 8. The pain of his disease and being outcast drove him to Jesus for help. There is the demoniac, woman with the issue of blood, and the father of a sick and dying little girl in Mark 5. Each a broken and hurting who went to Jesus for help when they hit a breaking point. They all want to Jesus. Je helped each of them.
It is easy to turn in the wrong directions to find relief. Some do it through sex and alcohol. The afore mentioned people all turned to Jesus. This is where this blog gets tricky. It would be easy to tell people who have hit the breaking point, "Just turn to Jesus. Turn all your troubles over to Him and you will be helped and delivered. All your troubles will go away." I know sometimes there are no easy answers.
I have known many Christian people who reached the breaking point. They prayed. They studied scripture. They worshipped. They did all the tings they were supposed to do but the strain finally got to them. They hit a breaking point. The cliches did not work. What counsel would you give such people. Pray more. Study more. Trust more. Worship more. Give more money. Some did all these things and still the breaking point came and persisted. They are tempted to believe God abandoned them. That God does not care.
I hit a breaking point several years ago. I mean I crumbled under the strain of several things hitting all at one time. It is by far the darkest period in my fifty years. I prayed hours and hours. I read through the Bible twice that year. I read other books I thought that would help. I listened to sermons. I preached and studied my heart out. I still hit the breaking point. Nothing brought me out. Not more prayer, more study, more worship..
Don't get me wrong. God used those times to sustain me. He gave me what I needed to get through another day and may times to get through another sermon when I felt so empty on the inside. I preached to myself primarily in those days desperately grasping for hope. Everything I believe was challenged and tested. I felt alone. I seldom told the truth to others about what I was going through. I did not want to burden the ones I loved and others I did not trust. I hid behind a facade wall I kept up before people.I pretended a lot like I was doing fine. On the inside I was crumbling. I did not want to be vulnerable and I did not trust people enough to tell them I needed help. It was a breaking point. I was broken. I went through the long dark night of the soul.
I went on a prayer retreat. That had worked in the past. I went up in the mountains of NM and spent my days praying, and reading scripture for hours on end. A friend went with me but we stayed to ourselves except for meals.
One day we drove up on a mountain and then hiked up to the top. I stood alone there crying out for God to speak to me, to deliver me, to help me. My mind and soul were so dark I contemplated leaving the ministry. Down below I saw a heard of deer running across a meadow. I saw the sun setting and felt the air chilling. I sat down pleading with God to breakthrough. He did not. Dark fell and we drove back to our cabin. I had not encountered God there. I left the top of that mountain more depressed.
My plans changed on the way home. Some friends asked me to stay over with them That decision changed my life. Sitting on their back porch alone God spoke to me. I had one of the most profound encounters with Him I have ever experienced. All based on one little verse. John 5:17. One encounter with God brought the long awaited breakthrough after a couple of years of cratering under the stress. Even though God broke through the darkness in my heart and mind none of my circumsatnaces got better. They got worse. Much worse.
Everybody has a breaking point. We need to talk to Jesus. He does help. He is able. Sometimes He chooses to use other people to help us shoulder the load. We need community. We need trusted confidants. We need people who love us no matter what we are going through. We need true friends who will be there when we reach the breaking point.
Some of the greatest gifts and blessings in my life are people. I have an inner circle. They know who they are. When I am not in the pulpit, when I go out in public, when I feel weak and vulnerable, when I'm discouraged and my faith is fragile I go to these trusted few. They pray for me. They love me. They listen. They counsel. They are there. I don't have to fake it around them. While none of them can restore me they are there and lift me in prayer to the only One who truly restores, heals, and lifts the burdens. My inner circle listen but they all point me to Jesus. They speak truth. Sometimes very hard truth. They do not surgar coat things. I need that. They also know when to just listen without trying to have all the answers. God uses them. I hope you have a trusted inner circle like that.
We all hit breaking points. We all need community. Today, I am thankful for Jesus who mends what is broken and for the people in my life who journey with me. With those gifts I am brought safely through breaking points.
Too much strain on a bone or joint can result in injury. I broke both my arms at different times when a kid. Both can as result of traumatic falls where my arm hit first. Brenda, Tucker, and Turner have all torn ACL ligaments in their knees. The call came from playing some sport. Our bodies can only endure so much before the they hit the breaking point.
I am thinking of another kind of breaking point. When a person endures so much stress in life they nit a breaking point emotionally. Life overwhelms. I think of the leper approaching Jesus in Matthew 8. The pain of his disease and being outcast drove him to Jesus for help. There is the demoniac, woman with the issue of blood, and the father of a sick and dying little girl in Mark 5. Each a broken and hurting who went to Jesus for help when they hit a breaking point. They all want to Jesus. Je helped each of them.
It is easy to turn in the wrong directions to find relief. Some do it through sex and alcohol. The afore mentioned people all turned to Jesus. This is where this blog gets tricky. It would be easy to tell people who have hit the breaking point, "Just turn to Jesus. Turn all your troubles over to Him and you will be helped and delivered. All your troubles will go away." I know sometimes there are no easy answers.
I have known many Christian people who reached the breaking point. They prayed. They studied scripture. They worshipped. They did all the tings they were supposed to do but the strain finally got to them. They hit a breaking point. The cliches did not work. What counsel would you give such people. Pray more. Study more. Trust more. Worship more. Give more money. Some did all these things and still the breaking point came and persisted. They are tempted to believe God abandoned them. That God does not care.
I hit a breaking point several years ago. I mean I crumbled under the strain of several things hitting all at one time. It is by far the darkest period in my fifty years. I prayed hours and hours. I read through the Bible twice that year. I read other books I thought that would help. I listened to sermons. I preached and studied my heart out. I still hit the breaking point. Nothing brought me out. Not more prayer, more study, more worship..
Don't get me wrong. God used those times to sustain me. He gave me what I needed to get through another day and may times to get through another sermon when I felt so empty on the inside. I preached to myself primarily in those days desperately grasping for hope. Everything I believe was challenged and tested. I felt alone. I seldom told the truth to others about what I was going through. I did not want to burden the ones I loved and others I did not trust. I hid behind a facade wall I kept up before people.I pretended a lot like I was doing fine. On the inside I was crumbling. I did not want to be vulnerable and I did not trust people enough to tell them I needed help. It was a breaking point. I was broken. I went through the long dark night of the soul.
I went on a prayer retreat. That had worked in the past. I went up in the mountains of NM and spent my days praying, and reading scripture for hours on end. A friend went with me but we stayed to ourselves except for meals.
One day we drove up on a mountain and then hiked up to the top. I stood alone there crying out for God to speak to me, to deliver me, to help me. My mind and soul were so dark I contemplated leaving the ministry. Down below I saw a heard of deer running across a meadow. I saw the sun setting and felt the air chilling. I sat down pleading with God to breakthrough. He did not. Dark fell and we drove back to our cabin. I had not encountered God there. I left the top of that mountain more depressed.
My plans changed on the way home. Some friends asked me to stay over with them That decision changed my life. Sitting on their back porch alone God spoke to me. I had one of the most profound encounters with Him I have ever experienced. All based on one little verse. John 5:17. One encounter with God brought the long awaited breakthrough after a couple of years of cratering under the stress. Even though God broke through the darkness in my heart and mind none of my circumsatnaces got better. They got worse. Much worse.
Everybody has a breaking point. We need to talk to Jesus. He does help. He is able. Sometimes He chooses to use other people to help us shoulder the load. We need community. We need trusted confidants. We need people who love us no matter what we are going through. We need true friends who will be there when we reach the breaking point.
Some of the greatest gifts and blessings in my life are people. I have an inner circle. They know who they are. When I am not in the pulpit, when I go out in public, when I feel weak and vulnerable, when I'm discouraged and my faith is fragile I go to these trusted few. They pray for me. They love me. They listen. They counsel. They are there. I don't have to fake it around them. While none of them can restore me they are there and lift me in prayer to the only One who truly restores, heals, and lifts the burdens. My inner circle listen but they all point me to Jesus. They speak truth. Sometimes very hard truth. They do not surgar coat things. I need that. They also know when to just listen without trying to have all the answers. God uses them. I hope you have a trusted inner circle like that.
We all hit breaking points. We all need community. Today, I am thankful for Jesus who mends what is broken and for the people in my life who journey with me. With those gifts I am brought safely through breaking points.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Eye To Eye
Have you ever buried your head in your hands? Maybe you were exasperated. Maybe you were overwhelmed. Maybe you were downright discouraged. Maybe you were ashamed. We have all been there.
What happens in those moments? When our heads are buried in our hands we pray, we think, we worry, and we try to find solutions. Sometimes we just sigh.
I wonder in those moments if Go,d through His Spirit, ever kneels in front of us with a tender hand of comfort on our backs. I wonder if He chooses to get on our level so He can look us eye to eye and speak words of hope, reassurance, strength, and warning to us. Does He ever look us eye to eye to express His love for us.
Sometimes we bury our heads in our hands because of shame. Shame for failure. Shame for faults. Shame for sin. In those moments does God look us eye to eye to remind us, Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
What happens in those moments? When our heads are buried in our hands we pray, we think, we worry, and we try to find solutions. Sometimes we just sigh.
I wonder in those moments if Go,d through His Spirit, ever kneels in front of us with a tender hand of comfort on our backs. I wonder if He chooses to get on our level so He can look us eye to eye and speak words of hope, reassurance, strength, and warning to us. Does He ever look us eye to eye to express His love for us.
Sometimes we bury our heads in our hands because of shame. Shame for failure. Shame for faults. Shame for sin. In those moments does God look us eye to eye to remind us, Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
To the one so tired they can barely push themselves to keep up the pace does the Lord say,
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
To the burdened does God remind us,
1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
I am thankful for those eye to eye talks when we are tired, weighed down, shamed in our sin, sick, and overwhelmed. God meets us at our point of need. Sometimes those eye to eye talks might include chastisement and deep conviction over wrong doing.Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV)
5 And
have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Sometimes they might include
We should be humbled and grateful God chooses to get down on our level. We should thank Him for getting eye to eye with us when we most need it but do not deserve it. Why would He ever stoop to even listen to us much less get eye to eye to communicate with us. His gaze is piercing. His gaze is convicting. His gaze is penetrating. His gaze is loving. His gaze is gracious. His gaze is welcoming to those in need.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Gut-wrenching
gut-wrenchingadjective informal extremely unpleasant or upsetting: the film is a gut-wrenching portrait of domestic violence.
Life is gut-wrenching. People endure extremely unpleasant circumstances physically, emotionally, and spiritually. At times the pain seems unbearable. Whether you are enduring the pain or love those in pain the tears can flow frequently. The emotions are raw. Faith is fragile.
I have seen my share of people devastated by life. I think of a lady in so much excruciating physical pain I could hear her cries walking down the corridor before I ever reached her Emergency Room door. I think of numerous people I've listened to in counseling pour out their herts.the pain came flooding out in sobs. I have been present with families in tragedies and surgeries. I have heard the honest confessions of those deceived by the devil into a life of sin. I have stood in funeral homes and at funeral services as people grieved and said goodbye to their loved ones. I have watched people crumble as long held dreams shattered and they did not know what to do next.
ife is gut-wrenching. There are so many times when there are no words. No words of comfort. No words of exhortation. No words to take away the pain and lighten the load. At least no words from man. God has words of comfort, exhortation, and healing. They are found in the Bible. To be even more specific so many of them are found in the Psalms.
You find pain, confusion, anger, woundedness, conviction and repentance all in the Psalms. I find when ministering to people in pain I often quote and pray Psalms.
Here are just a few of my favorites.
Psalm 18:19 (ESV)
19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Psalm 23:1-6 (ESV)
1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not
want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 27:13-14 (ESV)
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Psalm 34:18-19 (ESV)
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 46:1-2 (ESV)
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
Psalm 55:22 (ESV)
22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
These are just a few. They are medicine for the wounded. They are balm for those in pain. They are a lifeline for those without hope. And these are just a sampling of the Psalms. There is so much more. While writing this today I particularly drawn to Psalm 3:3. I had not read that verse in a long time.
Psalm 3:3 (ESV)
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
God is our shield. That means He is our defender and protector. He does this when we do not even know to look out to defend ourselves from bacteria, car accidents, shady characters lurking in the shadows are when alone in the night watches. Many may want to argue this point. they will cite examples of how God did not protect from cancer, harm on the battlefront, or from the fatal car accident. For the child of God He is our still our defender when the devil comes making accusations and building hIs case for our final judgment. At that time we hide behind the mercy and grace of God in Jesus. He will never be more our shield than in that day.
He is also our glory. That means He is our weight. Or to put it another way He is our worth. Th worth of something used to be determined by how much it weighted on a scale. The more weight the more worth. Our identity and self worth is found in Him and His love for us. We glory in Him. He is our honor. He is our praise. It is not about us, our performance, or our outward beauty. Our glory in fond in a relationship with Him. He is the source of our worth. If He loves us then we have intrinsic value in His eyes. He is also the lifter of our head. He brings them up when we are low. He holds them up when we are in pain, shame, remorse, discouraged, and weary. He gently puts His finger under our chin and raises our head to look full into His wonderful face. There we find strength, peace, comfort, hope, forgiveness, and restoration.
All of that from one little verse in Psalms. I can't always protect people from pain including my family. I can't always pray in the miracle. I can always point people in the gut-wrenching trials of life to God's word and His help. It is all this backwoods preacher knows to do.
Life is gut-wrenching. People endure extremely unpleasant circumstances physically, emotionally, and spiritually. At times the pain seems unbearable. Whether you are enduring the pain or love those in pain the tears can flow frequently. The emotions are raw. Faith is fragile.
I have seen my share of people devastated by life. I think of a lady in so much excruciating physical pain I could hear her cries walking down the corridor before I ever reached her Emergency Room door. I think of numerous people I've listened to in counseling pour out their herts.the pain came flooding out in sobs. I have been present with families in tragedies and surgeries. I have heard the honest confessions of those deceived by the devil into a life of sin. I have stood in funeral homes and at funeral services as people grieved and said goodbye to their loved ones. I have watched people crumble as long held dreams shattered and they did not know what to do next.
ife is gut-wrenching. There are so many times when there are no words. No words of comfort. No words of exhortation. No words to take away the pain and lighten the load. At least no words from man. God has words of comfort, exhortation, and healing. They are found in the Bible. To be even more specific so many of them are found in the Psalms.
You find pain, confusion, anger, woundedness, conviction and repentance all in the Psalms. I find when ministering to people in pain I often quote and pray Psalms.
Here are just a few of my favorites.
Psalm 18:19 (ESV)
19 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
Psalm 23:1-6 (ESV)
1
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 27:13-14 (ESV)
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Psalm 34:18-19 (ESV)
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 46:1-2 (ESV)
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
Psalm 55:22 (ESV)
22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
These are just a few. They are medicine for the wounded. They are balm for those in pain. They are a lifeline for those without hope. And these are just a sampling of the Psalms. There is so much more. While writing this today I particularly drawn to Psalm 3:3. I had not read that verse in a long time.
Psalm 3:3 (ESV)
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
God is our shield. That means He is our defender and protector. He does this when we do not even know to look out to defend ourselves from bacteria, car accidents, shady characters lurking in the shadows are when alone in the night watches. Many may want to argue this point. they will cite examples of how God did not protect from cancer, harm on the battlefront, or from the fatal car accident. For the child of God He is our still our defender when the devil comes making accusations and building hIs case for our final judgment. At that time we hide behind the mercy and grace of God in Jesus. He will never be more our shield than in that day.
He is also our glory. That means He is our weight. Or to put it another way He is our worth. Th worth of something used to be determined by how much it weighted on a scale. The more weight the more worth. Our identity and self worth is found in Him and His love for us. We glory in Him. He is our honor. He is our praise. It is not about us, our performance, or our outward beauty. Our glory in fond in a relationship with Him. He is the source of our worth. If He loves us then we have intrinsic value in His eyes. He is also the lifter of our head. He brings them up when we are low. He holds them up when we are in pain, shame, remorse, discouraged, and weary. He gently puts His finger under our chin and raises our head to look full into His wonderful face. There we find strength, peace, comfort, hope, forgiveness, and restoration.
All of that from one little verse in Psalms. I can't always protect people from pain including my family. I can't always pray in the miracle. I can always point people in the gut-wrenching trials of life to God's word and His help. It is all this backwoods preacher knows to do.
Thursday, February 2, 2017
A Shepherd's Heart For The Suffering
Every week it seems I hear about someone else suffering. Another person facing cancer. Another person the object of gossip. Another marriage strained or ending. Families facing alzheimers. Someone losing a job. People dealing with grief in the death of a parent, spouse, or other loved one. People scraping to make ends meet financially. People having major surgeries. Parents praying for prodigal children. The numerous dealing with other diseases.
It is heart wrenching to watch people you love suffer. Suffering strangles hope and faith from people. Jesus sees. He knows. He cares.
Matthew 9:35-36 (ESV)
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
It is heart wrenching to watch people you love suffer. Suffering strangles hope and faith from people. Jesus sees. He knows. He cares.
Matthew 9:35-36 (ESV)
35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus takes the time to notice the heartaches and pains in people's lives. He sees. He sees you today. Many powerful elite never see people. They look right past them to move on with more important matters. Jesus sees people. People have always been the important matters for our Shepherd. Right now, in whatever suffering you are enduring He sees you. When Jesus saw the crowds He perceived their pain and beheld their collective suffering. He does the same with us today.
Jesus has compassion. He feels our suffering. He sympathizes with the family battling cancer but losing the fight. He feels for the aging and ailing senior adults who fear what their last days will be like. He cares deeply for those gripped and imprisoned by grief. He does not turn a deaf ear or a blind eye to the persecuted saints around the world. He sees and He cares.
He sees the harassed. That word means troubled. What troubles weigh you down? What troubles extinguish the flickering flame of hope you try to keep burning? He sees and He sympathizes. You may ask why doesn't He intervene? Why doesn't He heal, restore, provide, and protect? He already has. He died on the cross to purchase our redemption. In the sweet bye and bye all of our suffering will end forever. We may have to endure some suffering along the way but in the end He will be triumphant in all our lives if we are His own. For now you may have to endure some troubles. Even in them those troubles can be cast on Him. You do not have to bear the burden of your suffering. Give it to Him and leave it with Him.
How many are helpless? They can't fix their problems. They are helpless to pull themselves out of the pit of pain they currently are stuck in. The Chief Shepherd Jesus cares. He knows your name. He is aware of your plight. He has not forgotten nor abandoned you though you may feel tossed and turned in the tempestuous seas of life. Life may have hurled you farther into suffering than you ever wanted to go but you are not beyond His reach. You are not beyond His sight. You are not beyond His ear.
I wish I could relieve suffering. All I can do is point you to the one who can. Even if the suffering does not end in this life I can point you to the One who will permanently end suffering in the eternal life to come for His children.
I hope you find some measure of comfort in that. I hope that gives a little hope to keep persevering when you would rather just give up. Please remember. You are not sheep without a shepherd. The Lord is your Shepherd. He sees. He cares. He is with you.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Beneath The Surface
Do you want God's blessing? Do you want to see Him work the miraculous? Do you long to see Him take difficult situations and turn them easily for His purposes? Do you want to behold His marvelous works around you and His wondrous power on display?
My guess is you said yes to all the above. We all want to see God work and bless. Or do we. Upon closer examination I am not so sure. I make this statement based on my morning devotion.
Joshua 3:5 (ESV)
5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
Wonders awaited Joshua and Israel as they prepared to possess the promised land. They would soon behold God working in extraordinary fashion. They would see God turn the impossible to possible. They would witness the miraculous intervention on their behalves when all the odds seemed stacked against them.
That must have been a thrilling time. Like Joshua and Israel, we all want to see God perform wonders. The word wonders means marvelous, hard, difficult. They needed God to do such things. How could they otherwise hoped to possess a land of fortified cities and strong militaries.
We all want to see the wonders. We love it when God shows up and does wondrous things. We brag on Him when He makes the hard look easy. We celebrate Him when difficult paths and mountains are leveled smooth. We thank Him.
But let's back up. The wonders were not assured to come until after the people consecrated themselves. The word consecrate means cleanse, purify, dedicate, devote. Can you say today you are consecrated to God? Let me go a little deeper beneath the surface. Are you fully consecrated? Are you truly devoted? To ask it another way are there any areas in your life God has not possessed and ruled. In your mind? In your heart? In your attitude? In your actions? In your desires?
Are we a consecrated people? Do we hold back? We sing the song "I Surrender All" but do our lives back up what we sing? Are there areas in our lives where we have not waved the white flag of surrender to Jehovah?
Could it be that we miss out on some of God's wonderful work because we are not consecrated to Him? Let's break this down a little deeper. Let's go beneath the surface of this verse to deeper truth.
Are we living pure lives before the Holy One? Temptation abounds. Sin is everywhere. Can any of us say we are unscathed by sin? Has sin enslaved and kept us in bondage? Do we embrace sin while shunning holiness and the Holy One? Do we need His cleansing like David prayed for in Psalm 51?
When is the last time we took a long look inside our hearts and minds to clean house and repent?. Are our thoughts pure? Do we hate? Do we dwell on impurity, immorality, and impulses that please the flesh? Do we harbor hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, and malice in our hearts?
Can we say our hearts and minds are really consecrated to God? Do we truly give ourselves to private worship, private prayer, and private devotions? Are our efforts sincere and wholehearted? It is so much easier to go through the motions in religious activities. The Israelites did that very thing and God detested it. [Is 1:1-17] The very religious exercises they thought were pleasing to God and done in obedience were rejected and disgusting to God.
Does that ever happen with us? Do we really give ourselves to prayer and intercession for others? We often say we will pray for people but do we really pray with a consecrated and devoted heart? We read our Bibles but do we read them like a lover reading a love letter from his or her lover? We sit in religious services but do we devote ourselves to seeking and obeying God or are we content to just show up sometimes?
Can we say we are truly dedicated to the will of God? If so have we shared the gospel this week? Have we followed every place He has led? Are we obeying His commands?
It is so easy to read verses such as [Joshua 3:5] and only skim the surface. We want the wonders. We are not so quick to embrace the consecration. It is not an either or. It is both. When we consecrate ourselves to God we can be assured He will perform wonders.
If we are experiencing a lack of wonders from Yahweh could it be because we are not consecrated. The wonders are on the other side of living pure, cleansed, dedicated, and devoted. What will we do? Live consecrated or half hearted? God looks way beneath the surface to see beyond our exterior behavior. He looks at the heart. May He find a consecrated people beneath the surface.
My guess is you said yes to all the above. We all want to see God work and bless. Or do we. Upon closer examination I am not so sure. I make this statement based on my morning devotion.
Joshua 3:5 (ESV)
5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
Wonders awaited Joshua and Israel as they prepared to possess the promised land. They would soon behold God working in extraordinary fashion. They would see God turn the impossible to possible. They would witness the miraculous intervention on their behalves when all the odds seemed stacked against them.
That must have been a thrilling time. Like Joshua and Israel, we all want to see God perform wonders. The word wonders means marvelous, hard, difficult. They needed God to do such things. How could they otherwise hoped to possess a land of fortified cities and strong militaries.
We all want to see the wonders. We love it when God shows up and does wondrous things. We brag on Him when He makes the hard look easy. We celebrate Him when difficult paths and mountains are leveled smooth. We thank Him.
But let's back up. The wonders were not assured to come until after the people consecrated themselves. The word consecrate means cleanse, purify, dedicate, devote. Can you say today you are consecrated to God? Let me go a little deeper beneath the surface. Are you fully consecrated? Are you truly devoted? To ask it another way are there any areas in your life God has not possessed and ruled. In your mind? In your heart? In your attitude? In your actions? In your desires?
Are we a consecrated people? Do we hold back? We sing the song "I Surrender All" but do our lives back up what we sing? Are there areas in our lives where we have not waved the white flag of surrender to Jehovah?
Could it be that we miss out on some of God's wonderful work because we are not consecrated to Him? Let's break this down a little deeper. Let's go beneath the surface of this verse to deeper truth.
Are we living pure lives before the Holy One? Temptation abounds. Sin is everywhere. Can any of us say we are unscathed by sin? Has sin enslaved and kept us in bondage? Do we embrace sin while shunning holiness and the Holy One? Do we need His cleansing like David prayed for in Psalm 51?
When is the last time we took a long look inside our hearts and minds to clean house and repent?. Are our thoughts pure? Do we hate? Do we dwell on impurity, immorality, and impulses that please the flesh? Do we harbor hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, and malice in our hearts?
Can we say our hearts and minds are really consecrated to God? Do we truly give ourselves to private worship, private prayer, and private devotions? Are our efforts sincere and wholehearted? It is so much easier to go through the motions in religious activities. The Israelites did that very thing and God detested it. [Is 1:1-17] The very religious exercises they thought were pleasing to God and done in obedience were rejected and disgusting to God.
Does that ever happen with us? Do we really give ourselves to prayer and intercession for others? We often say we will pray for people but do we really pray with a consecrated and devoted heart? We read our Bibles but do we read them like a lover reading a love letter from his or her lover? We sit in religious services but do we devote ourselves to seeking and obeying God or are we content to just show up sometimes?
Can we say we are truly dedicated to the will of God? If so have we shared the gospel this week? Have we followed every place He has led? Are we obeying His commands?
It is so easy to read verses such as [Joshua 3:5] and only skim the surface. We want the wonders. We are not so quick to embrace the consecration. It is not an either or. It is both. When we consecrate ourselves to God we can be assured He will perform wonders.
If we are experiencing a lack of wonders from Yahweh could it be because we are not consecrated. The wonders are on the other side of living pure, cleansed, dedicated, and devoted. What will we do? Live consecrated or half hearted? God looks way beneath the surface to see beyond our exterior behavior. He looks at the heart. May He find a consecrated people beneath the surface.
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