As I wrote yesterday my plans were to head home on Sunday afternoon. Car mechanical issues detoured us. We were stranded in Seminole. I wrote about how it was the providence of God.
Let me tell you the rest of the story. We planned to haul the suburban back on a trailer. God had other plans in His providence. My dear brother in Christ, Mike , took the suburban to his mechanic. The issue was diagnosed and simply fixed. Mike paid for the repair resisting all my attempts to repay him.
So I praise God that instead of hauling the suburban back on a trailer we will drive it back later this morning.
Providence of God number two. Someone handed me an envelope. Inside the envelope were two fifty dollar bills. So in our being stranded we have been amply supplied.
God was not finished. I had the chance to run into another dear brother in Christ. A farmer named Greg and solid Bible teacher. I rode with him while he checked some cows and his fields. Before dropping me off he asked if I had any traveling money. I told him I did recalling in my mind the two fifty dollar bills. He asked how much. I replied, "Enough."
The next thing I knew he shoved cash into my front shirt pocket. He said he did not know how much but he gave me everything in his pocket. Turned out to be over $250.
Finally, at the prayer meeting in Kermit last night, a man named Miguel pulled me aside before I left. He told me God wanted him to give me something. He reached in his wallet and pulled out what I later discovered was a $100 bill. I had not even mentioned money during our prayer meeting.
Later that night, God led me to give the $100 away to someone else. I love when I get to be the giver instead of the receiver. Truly is more blessed to give than to receive.
God was not through. I later learned we received a check for $1,400.
Definitely God had his reasons for delaying our return home. I praise Him that His plans are far better than mine. He is faithful and wise. He is always in control and several steps ahead of us. He is amply supplied and can share His resources anytime and with any amount He wants. I sit humbled and amazed by this great and glorious God I worship and serve.
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)
8 For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
Kermit Community Prayer Meeting TonightK
Kermit Community Prayer Meeting
Tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Winkler County Courthouse
Pray For Kermit and Revival
Tonight at 7:00 p.m.
Winkler County Courthouse
Pray For Kermit and Revival
The Power Of Words
I love you. I hate you. Your are worthless. You are gifted. You are beautiful. You are ugly. You are talented. You are a failure.
Though the children say. "Sticks and stones may break my bones words will never hurt me," they all too soon find such a sentiment is not true. Words wound. Words also heal. Words inspire. Words discourage. Words inform. Words transform. Words deceive. Words abuse.
The power of words. As I write this I am biting into that truth. The power of words. More specifically the power of God's words. Sometimes God rebukes and calls sin out and for people to repent. Sometimes God comforts. He uses His word to invite people to join Him, and He uses His word to inform us further aiding our maturing in Him.
What words have you heard today? How have those words impacted you. I have mostly been alone today. The most impactful words have been the scriptures I read in the book of Ezra.
Ezra 7:10 (ESV)
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
There is a lot in this short verse. There are four instructions I take away.
First, I am to study like Ezra studied. That means I am to seek, diligently search, inquire and frequently tread upon the scriptures. There is always something more to learn. Deeper truths to mine like gold. More understanding to be gained and deeper revelations to receive. Like Ezra I want to devote myself to study. Not just speed reading through the Bible to check it off my list. I want to study. To inquire. To probe the texts and the heart of God. I want go beyond the surface meaning of a scripture and dig a little deeper. I want to research the rich meaning of words. All of this is entailed in study.
I don't just want to study any old book. I want to devote myself to studying the law of God. That includes the Old Testament. All Ezra had was the Torah. We are blessed to have the New Testament as well in our day. Studying sacred scriptures is a life long quest. God has preserved His mind and heart in a sacred book of words. Tragically many do not make the systematic study of this book a high priority.
There is so much to learn, to discover, to behold, to experience if we will just study the Bible. Magazines and novels do not hold my interest like the word of God. The Bible fascinates the serious student.
I don't want to stop there. Ezra didn't. He studied the law but He also sough to do the law. That means he lived to observe, execute, and perform the very truth he studied. He sought to live out the law. He strove to practice what he preached.
There is not supposed to be a disconnect between what we study and how we live. They are to be intertwined. We are supposed to put into practice and live out the very truths we learn. While this should be common place in the church today it often is not. Hypocrisy abounds. Facades and fakes make up the local flock. It ought not be this way.
Finally, he taught the law in Israel. He instructed people in the ways of God and the truths of God. We all can do this. Parents are required to instruct their children in the word of God. Grandparents are required to do the same for their grandchildren. Teachers are to instruct students. Pastors instruct the flock entrusted to them. Authors instruct readers. Fellow believers instruct one another. Spouses can offer insight into word of God for one another. So can friends.
We all need instruction. You may be both a teacher in some realm of life and also a student. I spend a good portion of my days in study, peaching, and teaching. I am also a student. Just last week I spent several hours at the feet of the masterful wordsmith, Vance Havner, listening to several of his recorded messages. Havner preached for about six decades. He started when he was only 12 and did not quit until his death. There is much to be learned from a faithful servant of God like that.
In conclusion, how do the words study, law, do, and teach impact you today. I hope these are your aims as they are mine. The power of words. Four little words. An eternal impact.
Though the children say. "Sticks and stones may break my bones words will never hurt me," they all too soon find such a sentiment is not true. Words wound. Words also heal. Words inspire. Words discourage. Words inform. Words transform. Words deceive. Words abuse.
The power of words. As I write this I am biting into that truth. The power of words. More specifically the power of God's words. Sometimes God rebukes and calls sin out and for people to repent. Sometimes God comforts. He uses His word to invite people to join Him, and He uses His word to inform us further aiding our maturing in Him.
What words have you heard today? How have those words impacted you. I have mostly been alone today. The most impactful words have been the scriptures I read in the book of Ezra.
Ezra 7:10 (ESV)
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
There is a lot in this short verse. There are four instructions I take away.
First, I am to study like Ezra studied. That means I am to seek, diligently search, inquire and frequently tread upon the scriptures. There is always something more to learn. Deeper truths to mine like gold. More understanding to be gained and deeper revelations to receive. Like Ezra I want to devote myself to study. Not just speed reading through the Bible to check it off my list. I want to study. To inquire. To probe the texts and the heart of God. I want go beyond the surface meaning of a scripture and dig a little deeper. I want to research the rich meaning of words. All of this is entailed in study.
I don't just want to study any old book. I want to devote myself to studying the law of God. That includes the Old Testament. All Ezra had was the Torah. We are blessed to have the New Testament as well in our day. Studying sacred scriptures is a life long quest. God has preserved His mind and heart in a sacred book of words. Tragically many do not make the systematic study of this book a high priority.
There is so much to learn, to discover, to behold, to experience if we will just study the Bible. Magazines and novels do not hold my interest like the word of God. The Bible fascinates the serious student.
I don't want to stop there. Ezra didn't. He studied the law but He also sough to do the law. That means he lived to observe, execute, and perform the very truth he studied. He sought to live out the law. He strove to practice what he preached.
There is not supposed to be a disconnect between what we study and how we live. They are to be intertwined. We are supposed to put into practice and live out the very truths we learn. While this should be common place in the church today it often is not. Hypocrisy abounds. Facades and fakes make up the local flock. It ought not be this way.
Finally, he taught the law in Israel. He instructed people in the ways of God and the truths of God. We all can do this. Parents are required to instruct their children in the word of God. Grandparents are required to do the same for their grandchildren. Teachers are to instruct students. Pastors instruct the flock entrusted to them. Authors instruct readers. Fellow believers instruct one another. Spouses can offer insight into word of God for one another. So can friends.
We all need instruction. You may be both a teacher in some realm of life and also a student. I spend a good portion of my days in study, peaching, and teaching. I am also a student. Just last week I spent several hours at the feet of the masterful wordsmith, Vance Havner, listening to several of his recorded messages. Havner preached for about six decades. He started when he was only 12 and did not quit until his death. There is much to be learned from a faithful servant of God like that.
In conclusion, how do the words study, law, do, and teach impact you today. I hope these are your aims as they are mine. The power of words. Four little words. An eternal impact.
Stranded By The Providence Of God
After preaching in Kermit, TX yesterday morning Brenda and I were on our way back home when her car began malfunctioning. We have now dealt with this same issue four different times in the past six months.
Though the car is drivable it will only go about 45-50 miles an hour. We had made it to Odessa but Odessa is still six hours away from Runaway Bay even when able to drive the speed limit. Neither of us felt comfortable trying to risk it.
We weighed our options and decided to try to make it to Seminole to stay with some friends. We limped into Seminole and made our plan of what to do next.
Though I am supposed to be at a community prayer meeting in Kermit tonight at 7:00 p.m., my plan had been to return home with Brenda and then turn around and make the return trip. We were trying to get her back to go to work this morning. God had other plans.
So I find myself in the Gaines County Library with a lot of time to pray, read scripture, ponder and write.
I am pondering the providence of God in our getting stranded here. We have been able to reconnect with friends. I am also glad we were not stranded somewhere on I-20 where long distances span in between towns between Midland and Abilene.
Of course the car malfunctioning again, after putting it in the shop twice since April 24, is frustrating. As I sit at my little isolated wooden table surrounded by shelves of books I feel at home though. I also feel peace. God is testing me. I want to pass the test. I am resolved to trust Him no matter what I have to face today or tomorrow.
I do not blame the mechanics. They are as baffled as we are. I do not blame God. He is good and faithful. So I ask God what He wants me to learn from this experience. If nothing else Brenda and I have more time together. Maybe there is something much more I am supposed to learn and experience. Maybe there is a great truth He is about to reveal to me. It appears He is setting the stage for another testimony. I wait expectantly for what He will do next.
In the meantime, I am thankful for friends. I have a friend loaning me a trailer to get Brenda's car back home. I have another friend driving out here from home today. He will pull the trailer and take Brenda and I back home in the morning.
My God is in control and I am not. I trust Him. He was not taken unaware that Brenda's car would malfunction so far away from home. He had a place for us stay last night and food for us eat. He provided me a secluded place to seek Him and to write.
We all face difficulties. God does not forsake us in the midst of them. He orchestrates and allows some tests so He can glorify His name and give us a new testimony. I don't know how all of this will end but I do believe God will glorify Himself through this somehow. I do believe we will see His goodness.
Until then we are stranded in Seminole. A pretty good place to be stranded. I have all I need. In this I content myself.
Though the car is drivable it will only go about 45-50 miles an hour. We had made it to Odessa but Odessa is still six hours away from Runaway Bay even when able to drive the speed limit. Neither of us felt comfortable trying to risk it.
We weighed our options and decided to try to make it to Seminole to stay with some friends. We limped into Seminole and made our plan of what to do next.
Though I am supposed to be at a community prayer meeting in Kermit tonight at 7:00 p.m., my plan had been to return home with Brenda and then turn around and make the return trip. We were trying to get her back to go to work this morning. God had other plans.
So I find myself in the Gaines County Library with a lot of time to pray, read scripture, ponder and write.
I am pondering the providence of God in our getting stranded here. We have been able to reconnect with friends. I am also glad we were not stranded somewhere on I-20 where long distances span in between towns between Midland and Abilene.
Of course the car malfunctioning again, after putting it in the shop twice since April 24, is frustrating. As I sit at my little isolated wooden table surrounded by shelves of books I feel at home though. I also feel peace. God is testing me. I want to pass the test. I am resolved to trust Him no matter what I have to face today or tomorrow.
I do not blame the mechanics. They are as baffled as we are. I do not blame God. He is good and faithful. So I ask God what He wants me to learn from this experience. If nothing else Brenda and I have more time together. Maybe there is something much more I am supposed to learn and experience. Maybe there is a great truth He is about to reveal to me. It appears He is setting the stage for another testimony. I wait expectantly for what He will do next.
In the meantime, I am thankful for friends. I have a friend loaning me a trailer to get Brenda's car back home. I have another friend driving out here from home today. He will pull the trailer and take Brenda and I back home in the morning.
My God is in control and I am not. I trust Him. He was not taken unaware that Brenda's car would malfunction so far away from home. He had a place for us stay last night and food for us eat. He provided me a secluded place to seek Him and to write.
We all face difficulties. God does not forsake us in the midst of them. He orchestrates and allows some tests so He can glorify His name and give us a new testimony. I don't know how all of this will end but I do believe God will glorify Himself through this somehow. I do believe we will see His goodness.
Until then we are stranded in Seminole. A pretty good place to be stranded. I have all I need. In this I content myself.
Friday, May 19, 2017
A Fork, The Fog, And Faith
You come upon a fork in the road. A place where you have to choose the road to the right or the road to the left. You have never been down either before and do not know where either road leads. You do not have a road map to give you direction. What do you do?
Looking down both directions you can only see fog. You can only see a few feet in front of you. The road is obscure. There is no way of knowing which is the best road.
So it will come down to a decision and step of faith. The way may seem uncertain. Such a step lacks assurance. That is, such a step lacks assurance unless the object of your faith is God.
If your confidence, trust, reliance, and assurance are in the person of God. then you have access to all you need. He knows the way. He has been down the road and every fork on every road you will ever face. God directs our steps. He knows the best road. Seek Him. Lean on Him. Do not trust your own wisdom.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Looking down both directions you can only see fog. You can only see a few feet in front of you. The road is obscure. There is no way of knowing which is the best road.
So it will come down to a decision and step of faith. The way may seem uncertain. Such a step lacks assurance. That is, such a step lacks assurance unless the object of your faith is God.
If your confidence, trust, reliance, and assurance are in the person of God. then you have access to all you need. He knows the way. He has been down the road and every fork on every road you will ever face. God directs our steps. He knows the best road. Seek Him. Lean on Him. Do not trust your own wisdom.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
If we rely on Him He will make our paths clear and straight. He will offer the necessary guidance if we wait on Him. It is tempting to choose on our own. We can be tempted to think we know best. Many have done this over the years. We may have done it ourselves and paid dearly for it finding out we made a mistake. The wiser choice would be to wait on God.
It is better to wait on God to guide. And you can bet when He guides it will lead to steps of faith. You cannot hope to please God without faith.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Every day, every decision, every fork in the road, and when fog blocks our sight it is step of faith after step of faith.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
When you face the fork in the road and the fog hides the best path to take, wait on God and then take a step of faith. His way is best. He knows best.
Heavy Blows
Off the island of Okinawa in 1945 a fierce navy battle happened. In that battle Kamikaze pilots were sent on a suicide mission. One certain battle ship that had been in use during the D-Day became the target of those Kamikaze pilots.
Within two minutes that battleship got hit in rapid succession and sank. Today is lies 150 feet deep on the ocean floor. A sad watery tomb for dozens of navy sailers. The heavy blows were too much for that mighty battleship.
Life can hit hard like the Kamikaze pilots. Sometimes life lands heavy blows. Blows filtered through the fingers of God. When you are doubled over from one blow another blow can hit just as hard buckling the knees. Another pummeling blow can send you down to floor.
That is where I have lived for some time now. One heavy blow after another. Even when reeling from one heavy blow I have been blindsided by another and then another. In less than five minutes I received two more blows in rapid succession today. The nature of the blows is not important. How to respond is most important.
Sometimes it would be easier to just give up, to stay down on the canvas for a count of ten and being declared out of the contest. Faith demands we keep praying and we keep trusting. Faith demands we summon the courage to fight another day, to go another round, and to toe the mark again. Faith in God means we keep getting back up no matter how many times we get knocked down.
Where do you turn in such times when your boat has been hit with heavy blows and is taking on water? Whether your blows are emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, financial, or relational where do you turn for help?
There is only one place. Only One is capable of helping people hit with heavy blows in all walks of life. Only One is strong enough to to help people weather the heavy attacks and offer rescue and refuge. Yahweh, Jehovah. I Am. God.
Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
1
God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble.
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 34:1-19 (ESV)
1
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
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.
Within two minutes that battleship got hit in rapid succession and sank. Today is lies 150 feet deep on the ocean floor. A sad watery tomb for dozens of navy sailers. The heavy blows were too much for that mighty battleship.
Life can hit hard like the Kamikaze pilots. Sometimes life lands heavy blows. Blows filtered through the fingers of God. When you are doubled over from one blow another blow can hit just as hard buckling the knees. Another pummeling blow can send you down to floor.
That is where I have lived for some time now. One heavy blow after another. Even when reeling from one heavy blow I have been blindsided by another and then another. In less than five minutes I received two more blows in rapid succession today. The nature of the blows is not important. How to respond is most important.
Sometimes it would be easier to just give up, to stay down on the canvas for a count of ten and being declared out of the contest. Faith demands we keep praying and we keep trusting. Faith demands we summon the courage to fight another day, to go another round, and to toe the mark again. Faith in God means we keep getting back up no matter how many times we get knocked down.
Where do you turn in such times when your boat has been hit with heavy blows and is taking on water? Whether your blows are emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, financial, or relational where do you turn for help?
There is only one place. Only One is capable of helping people hit with heavy blows in all walks of life. Only One is strong enough to to help people weather the heavy attacks and offer rescue and refuge. Yahweh, Jehovah. I Am. God.
Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
1
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 34:1-19 (ESV)
1
2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
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.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
14 Showed Up
The breeze blew mildly as we gathered near the courthouse for our first Kermit Community Prayer Meeting. When we first pulled up one lady had just parked. Soon another came and another and then another.
When all was said and done 14 people showed up to pray. And we prayed. We didn't talk about prayer. We prayed. We cried out to God on behalf of Kermit. We pleaded for true revival. We stood in the gap for the citizens of Kermit.
At least two churches were represented. Afterward we decided to continue to hold these prayer meetings on Monday nights up to the start of the revival meetings. Future prayer meetings will be held at the courthouse at 7:00 p.m.
Prayer is the most vitally important thing we can do in preparation for those revival meetings in late July. You don't have to join us physically to pray with us in Spirit. Your prayers are needed and welcomed.
Personally I ask for your prayers. I ask you to pray for Sherman and Tami Aten. Pray for Kermit.
When all was said and done 14 people showed up to pray. And we prayed. We didn't talk about prayer. We prayed. We cried out to God on behalf of Kermit. We pleaded for true revival. We stood in the gap for the citizens of Kermit.
At least two churches were represented. Afterward we decided to continue to hold these prayer meetings on Monday nights up to the start of the revival meetings. Future prayer meetings will be held at the courthouse at 7:00 p.m.
Prayer is the most vitally important thing we can do in preparation for those revival meetings in late July. You don't have to join us physically to pray with us in Spirit. Your prayers are needed and welcomed.
Personally I ask for your prayers. I ask you to pray for Sherman and Tami Aten. Pray for Kermit.
Friday, May 12, 2017
Praise In The Pain
Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)
1
I waited patiently for the LORD; he
inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
How many of you are waiting on God to do something? You have prayed. You have cried out all hours of the night? You have pleaded for His divine intervention. You have begged Him to move your mountains and pull you out.
You are still stuck. You are in a pit of destruction. A deep cistern from which you cannot climb out. A dark dungeon from which you cannot escape. You pray for deliverance and rescue but the long awaited day of freedom has not come.
You are stuck in miry clay. Mud that bogs you down. Bogs your hope, faith, joy, and peace. You are stuck. I know what this feels like. Growing up in the Piney woods of east Texas I have walked in mud that bogs you down. I have seen the mud caked so thick on my shoes or boots I could barely lift my feet. On more than one occasion I have tried to pull my feet out of the mud only to loose my shoe or boot. The mud would not let them go. I had to reach down and pull the shoe or boot out with my hands. The going in such conditions is slow. Each step is labor. The weight of the mud caked feet are like bricks.
When you are in the deep cistern, the dark dungeon, and suck in the mud pleading for rescue and pleading for firmer ground can you still praise?
Can you praise Yahweh, Elohim, Jehovah, Immanuel, The Great I Am, The Prince of Peace, Our Heavenly Father, and Jesus? Even when there is pain in the praise can you still sing?
Over the years the songs of praise and hymns of our faith that have meant the most to me were mostly born out of pain. It Is Well With My Soul. Amazing Grace. Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord, Never Let Go, Thy Will Be Done, and many many more. Most of these songs were written from painful circumstances to minister to others in their painful circumstances. Aren't you glad God inspired songs to help in the tough times.
There can still be praise even in the midst of pain. Consider Joseph sold into slavery and falsely imprisoned. Consider Israel in their 400 years of bondage to Egypt. Ponder the pain of Job. We cannot forget the pain penned int eh Psalms and how often those scriptures have been used to comfort and sustain people in their tough times. I think about Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned but signing praises at midnight.
It is midnight for some of you. Things are dark in your life. The pain is real. The long sought out answers have not come, or at least not in the way you hoped they would. You are tired. Weary. Broken, Wounded.
My prayer today is that God would put a new song in your heart. A fresh song. Maybe it is not a brand new song. Maybe it is an old hymn that has been around for centuries. I ask God to make it fresh in your heart again. May the words and melodies soothe your soul and bring peace of mind. May God be praised even if there is some pain in the offering.
It is not always easy to praise in pain. At times we can be consumed with the pain. The dark clouds of pain can block out the sun of God's presence and faithfulness. In those times we must trust in what we read in scripture and not rely on how we feel. Our feelings can betray our faith.
O weary and wounded solider. God has not forgotten you. In fact, He has inclined to hear your cries. I can't speculate on why He has not brought you out of the cistern and dungeon or why you are still trudging through the miry clay. Even with pain mixed with your praise can you still find one reason to praise Him today.
His great salvation and the forgiveness of our sins is a great place to start. What about His word that has sustained through many difficult and dark days. What about all those wonderful songs born out of pain that mean so much. Somebody had to endure that pain to be able to write such songs. Songs like Tell Your Heart To Beat Again and Even If. Songs like Your Cries Have Awoken The Master and Waiting In The Water. Over the years no song has meant more to me than It Is Well Your Soul.
There is reason to praise God in life. For the redeemed there is reason to praise God in death. For those left behind to grieve there is reason to praise God even in the pain of grief. He is our refuge and strength and present to help in troubled times.
Whatever you are going through, whatever mountains you face, whatever pain grips your heart I hope you will praise even in the pain. I am not musician. I am not song writer. I do not sing publicly. My ministry is words. Preaching and writing. I hope today this little offering might minister to someone to produce a little praise in the midst of pain.
1
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
How many of you are waiting on God to do something? You have prayed. You have cried out all hours of the night? You have pleaded for His divine intervention. You have begged Him to move your mountains and pull you out.
You are still stuck. You are in a pit of destruction. A deep cistern from which you cannot climb out. A dark dungeon from which you cannot escape. You pray for deliverance and rescue but the long awaited day of freedom has not come.
You are stuck in miry clay. Mud that bogs you down. Bogs your hope, faith, joy, and peace. You are stuck. I know what this feels like. Growing up in the Piney woods of east Texas I have walked in mud that bogs you down. I have seen the mud caked so thick on my shoes or boots I could barely lift my feet. On more than one occasion I have tried to pull my feet out of the mud only to loose my shoe or boot. The mud would not let them go. I had to reach down and pull the shoe or boot out with my hands. The going in such conditions is slow. Each step is labor. The weight of the mud caked feet are like bricks.
When you are in the deep cistern, the dark dungeon, and suck in the mud pleading for rescue and pleading for firmer ground can you still praise?
Can you praise Yahweh, Elohim, Jehovah, Immanuel, The Great I Am, The Prince of Peace, Our Heavenly Father, and Jesus? Even when there is pain in the praise can you still sing?
Over the years the songs of praise and hymns of our faith that have meant the most to me were mostly born out of pain. It Is Well With My Soul. Amazing Grace. Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord, Never Let Go, Thy Will Be Done, and many many more. Most of these songs were written from painful circumstances to minister to others in their painful circumstances. Aren't you glad God inspired songs to help in the tough times.
There can still be praise even in the midst of pain. Consider Joseph sold into slavery and falsely imprisoned. Consider Israel in their 400 years of bondage to Egypt. Ponder the pain of Job. We cannot forget the pain penned int eh Psalms and how often those scriptures have been used to comfort and sustain people in their tough times. I think about Paul and Silas beaten and imprisoned but signing praises at midnight.
It is midnight for some of you. Things are dark in your life. The pain is real. The long sought out answers have not come, or at least not in the way you hoped they would. You are tired. Weary. Broken, Wounded.
My prayer today is that God would put a new song in your heart. A fresh song. Maybe it is not a brand new song. Maybe it is an old hymn that has been around for centuries. I ask God to make it fresh in your heart again. May the words and melodies soothe your soul and bring peace of mind. May God be praised even if there is some pain in the offering.
It is not always easy to praise in pain. At times we can be consumed with the pain. The dark clouds of pain can block out the sun of God's presence and faithfulness. In those times we must trust in what we read in scripture and not rely on how we feel. Our feelings can betray our faith.
O weary and wounded solider. God has not forgotten you. In fact, He has inclined to hear your cries. I can't speculate on why He has not brought you out of the cistern and dungeon or why you are still trudging through the miry clay. Even with pain mixed with your praise can you still find one reason to praise Him today.
His great salvation and the forgiveness of our sins is a great place to start. What about His word that has sustained through many difficult and dark days. What about all those wonderful songs born out of pain that mean so much. Somebody had to endure that pain to be able to write such songs. Songs like Tell Your Heart To Beat Again and Even If. Songs like Your Cries Have Awoken The Master and Waiting In The Water. Over the years no song has meant more to me than It Is Well Your Soul.
There is reason to praise God in life. For the redeemed there is reason to praise God in death. For those left behind to grieve there is reason to praise God even in the pain of grief. He is our refuge and strength and present to help in troubled times.
Whatever you are going through, whatever mountains you face, whatever pain grips your heart I hope you will praise even in the pain. I am not musician. I am not song writer. I do not sing publicly. My ministry is words. Preaching and writing. I hope today this little offering might minister to someone to produce a little praise in the midst of pain.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
So You Really Want To Follow Jesus
Luke 9:23 (ESV)
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
What are your long term goals and aspirations? What are some things you want to do on your bucket list? What do you want to do with the remainder of your life? I bet you have some things come to mind.
Shift gears. Jesus starts by saying if anyone. Rich or poor. Influential or insignificant. Young or old. Still in the work force or retired. Noe of it matters. What Jesus said applies to people form all walks of life throughout history. He did not put any stipulations other this.
If you, if I, really want to come after Jesus. The phrase come after means "to go after, to accompany." So let me ask a hard question. Is Jesus leading your life? Is He in the driver's seat? Is He determining the course of your life? There are many pew sitters that show no interest in going after Jesus. They want to make their plans and then ask Jesus to come behind them and bless those plans. WRONG! Jesus does not follow. He leads. He determines the plan and we come after Him in those plans.
You and I should be the in the constant pursuit of chasing after Him. Getting to know Him. We are to be in the relentless pursuit of more of Him. Going after Jesus is a a lifelong quest. Ps 63:8 says it perfectly in several different translations. The ESV translates the first part of the verse as, "My soul clings to you..." The CHS version translates, "My soul follows close.." The NKJV reads, "My soul follows close behind..." My favorite is the KJV, "My soul followers hard..." Now I don't talk in King James English. So I put it this way, the Matt Edwards translation, "My soul follows hard after God."
If we want to be followers of Jesus it starts with going hard after Him. Back to Luke 9:23. That phrase "come after me" also means to accompany. So let me ask. Where is Jesus leading you? Where are you accompanying Him? He often goes to places ad to people others neglect. The downtrodden, the down and out, the broken, the lonely, the forgotten, and the sinful. He goes to the dark corners of planet Earth to shed light. Are you desirous to accompany Him to the places He goes?
So, you really want to follow Jesus? O, wait a minute. We are just getting started. We have just begun to dive into these verses.
Then Jesus challenges us to deny ourselves. That means to refute and reject ourselves. Don't we do just the opposite. You can spend a life time gratifying self. We please self. We cater to self. We give preferential treatment to self. Jesus demands that we deny ourselves. What does that really look like?
You may be called to deny yourself sleep to get up pray. You may have to reject selfish desires when Jesus calls you to make financial sacrifices. You may have to deny yourself food in order to fast. You may have to deny being served in order to serve those around you. Every day we should practice denying ourselves. In little ways.
After working out with the boys a couple of days ago we all piled into Taylor's extended cab truck. As the dad I expected to ride in the passengers seat ensuring I had room and a vent to the a/c. Walking up I felt a prompting to ride int the back seat. I believe it was God. I sensed Him saying, "Teach your boys servanthood." So I offered Tanner the front seat and I sat in the back. A simple act of denying self.
Self is a hard task master. Self is never satisfied. Self always wants more and more. Self is greedy, entitled, and does not care about others around us. Jesus stops this attitude when He said, deny yourself. Reject self. Refute self at every turn. Do just the opposite of what self requires and demands.
So, I ask you again. Do you really want to follow Jesus? Then you will make a habit of denying yourself until the end of your days. You will put the interests of others before you own interests. You will spend the rest of your days serving others even when nobody notices are appreciates the service.
If you still are intent on coming after Jesus then heed His next words. "Take up your cross daily." For Jesus that meant execution. For you and me that means some suffering and persecution along the way. It might mean sacrifice.
One of my best friends is a rancher named Jimmy. His oldest daughter met a young Syrian refugee on a mission trip to Athens, Greece. They struck up a friendship and eventually a long distance courtship. The following summer Javod asked Julie to marry him when she went back to Greece. She accepted and they were married in Athens. Javod is a man without a country. Jesus saved him and now Javod works to share the gospel with other Syrian refugees. Because of a travel ban Javod cannot come to the United States. Julie just had her first child. Jimmy and his wife Wende had to travel to Greece to see their first grandchild. Such is part of taking up your cross.
Julie could have settled to marry someone from the States. God willed her to marry a man from Syria who devotes his life to rescuing others from the bondage of Islam. Eery week many come to Christ for salvation through Javod and Julie. They have a price to pay. Julie left home an family to follow Jesus. She has learned a little of what taking up your cross means. Javod learned it as well. He has paid a price for following Jesus. Jimmy and Wende have paid a price as well. They released their daughter into the hands of Jesus and His will. Did they ever think their daughter would live in another part of the world and their first grandchild would live so far away? Just a small taste of taking up your cross daily.
God's best plan for you now might lead down some hard roads marked with suffering, sacrifice, and possibly persecution. If we really want to be His follower how can we not expect not to be called to take up our crosses daily. Every day we are to shoulder that cross and willingly endure inconvenience, sacrifice, hardships, and numerous trials.
Then Jesus said, "Follow me." Remember those questions I started with about your bucket list and what you want to do with the remainder of your life. What if none of what you came up with is on Jesus' agenda. We think in terms of our lives and our families. Jesus think in terms of His kingdom. His kingdom agenda it utmost on His mind. His kingdom agenda trumps our personal agendas. It should be for us too.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
To follow Jesus means we get out of the driver's seat. He determines the direction. We submit and follow. Or to put it another way, we are in the same with Jesus. We keep in step with Jesus. That's what follow means. Wherever Jesus goes we go in the same direction and at the same speed. We do not lag behind. We do not charge ahead of Him. We keep in step with Him.
I find it odd that we can get to retirement and think we have it all planned. We think of where we want to retire and how we will spend our retirement years in travel, play, and recreation if we have planned properly for retirement. Where can you find one single thing from Jesus that we get to squander the last years of our life playing golf, shopping, sleeping in, and living a life of leisure. If you are retired from your vocation congratulations. Now you are enlisted into full time service for Jesus. Your remaining years are meant to be devoted to following Him without the time constraints of going to work. Your last days are to be spent following Him wherever He leads and working for Him.
That mean short term mission trips. That could include scrapping the whole retirement plan to go help someone plant a church in another city, state, or nation. It could include volunteering more time at a local mission or your local church. Following Him is an adventure. And we never know where He is going to lead us.
Are you in step with Jesus today? Are you going in the same direction He is going and at the same pace? Do you really want to follow Him? Like the old song, "Wherever He leads I'll go." There is a measure of uncertainty in Jesus demand that we follow Him. Immediately the planners and organizers want an itenirary. We want to know the end destination. Jesus offers no specifics. He simply says, "Follow Me." In other words, get in step with me, stay in the same direction as Me and trust Me each step of the journey.
That is not the American dream. That is the kingdom of God dream. That is what is demanded of any follower of Jesus. Not just pastors, evangelists, teachers, and so forth. This is not just for missionaries. This is meant for every child of God.
So, do you still want to follow Jesus? I hope in response to your great salvation you will shout a thousand times, "Yes!"
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
What are your long term goals and aspirations? What are some things you want to do on your bucket list? What do you want to do with the remainder of your life? I bet you have some things come to mind.
Shift gears. Jesus starts by saying if anyone. Rich or poor. Influential or insignificant. Young or old. Still in the work force or retired. Noe of it matters. What Jesus said applies to people form all walks of life throughout history. He did not put any stipulations other this.
If you, if I, really want to come after Jesus. The phrase come after means "to go after, to accompany." So let me ask a hard question. Is Jesus leading your life? Is He in the driver's seat? Is He determining the course of your life? There are many pew sitters that show no interest in going after Jesus. They want to make their plans and then ask Jesus to come behind them and bless those plans. WRONG! Jesus does not follow. He leads. He determines the plan and we come after Him in those plans.
You and I should be the in the constant pursuit of chasing after Him. Getting to know Him. We are to be in the relentless pursuit of more of Him. Going after Jesus is a a lifelong quest. Ps 63:8 says it perfectly in several different translations. The ESV translates the first part of the verse as, "My soul clings to you..." The CHS version translates, "My soul follows close.." The NKJV reads, "My soul follows close behind..." My favorite is the KJV, "My soul followers hard..." Now I don't talk in King James English. So I put it this way, the Matt Edwards translation, "My soul follows hard after God."
If we want to be followers of Jesus it starts with going hard after Him. Back to Luke 9:23. That phrase "come after me" also means to accompany. So let me ask. Where is Jesus leading you? Where are you accompanying Him? He often goes to places ad to people others neglect. The downtrodden, the down and out, the broken, the lonely, the forgotten, and the sinful. He goes to the dark corners of planet Earth to shed light. Are you desirous to accompany Him to the places He goes?
So, you really want to follow Jesus? O, wait a minute. We are just getting started. We have just begun to dive into these verses.
Then Jesus challenges us to deny ourselves. That means to refute and reject ourselves. Don't we do just the opposite. You can spend a life time gratifying self. We please self. We cater to self. We give preferential treatment to self. Jesus demands that we deny ourselves. What does that really look like?
You may be called to deny yourself sleep to get up pray. You may have to reject selfish desires when Jesus calls you to make financial sacrifices. You may have to deny yourself food in order to fast. You may have to deny being served in order to serve those around you. Every day we should practice denying ourselves. In little ways.
After working out with the boys a couple of days ago we all piled into Taylor's extended cab truck. As the dad I expected to ride in the passengers seat ensuring I had room and a vent to the a/c. Walking up I felt a prompting to ride int the back seat. I believe it was God. I sensed Him saying, "Teach your boys servanthood." So I offered Tanner the front seat and I sat in the back. A simple act of denying self.
Self is a hard task master. Self is never satisfied. Self always wants more and more. Self is greedy, entitled, and does not care about others around us. Jesus stops this attitude when He said, deny yourself. Reject self. Refute self at every turn. Do just the opposite of what self requires and demands.
So, I ask you again. Do you really want to follow Jesus? Then you will make a habit of denying yourself until the end of your days. You will put the interests of others before you own interests. You will spend the rest of your days serving others even when nobody notices are appreciates the service.
If you still are intent on coming after Jesus then heed His next words. "Take up your cross daily." For Jesus that meant execution. For you and me that means some suffering and persecution along the way. It might mean sacrifice.
One of my best friends is a rancher named Jimmy. His oldest daughter met a young Syrian refugee on a mission trip to Athens, Greece. They struck up a friendship and eventually a long distance courtship. The following summer Javod asked Julie to marry him when she went back to Greece. She accepted and they were married in Athens. Javod is a man without a country. Jesus saved him and now Javod works to share the gospel with other Syrian refugees. Because of a travel ban Javod cannot come to the United States. Julie just had her first child. Jimmy and his wife Wende had to travel to Greece to see their first grandchild. Such is part of taking up your cross.
Julie could have settled to marry someone from the States. God willed her to marry a man from Syria who devotes his life to rescuing others from the bondage of Islam. Eery week many come to Christ for salvation through Javod and Julie. They have a price to pay. Julie left home an family to follow Jesus. She has learned a little of what taking up your cross means. Javod learned it as well. He has paid a price for following Jesus. Jimmy and Wende have paid a price as well. They released their daughter into the hands of Jesus and His will. Did they ever think their daughter would live in another part of the world and their first grandchild would live so far away? Just a small taste of taking up your cross daily.
God's best plan for you now might lead down some hard roads marked with suffering, sacrifice, and possibly persecution. If we really want to be His follower how can we not expect not to be called to take up our crosses daily. Every day we are to shoulder that cross and willingly endure inconvenience, sacrifice, hardships, and numerous trials.
Then Jesus said, "Follow me." Remember those questions I started with about your bucket list and what you want to do with the remainder of your life. What if none of what you came up with is on Jesus' agenda. We think in terms of our lives and our families. Jesus think in terms of His kingdom. His kingdom agenda it utmost on His mind. His kingdom agenda trumps our personal agendas. It should be for us too.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
To follow Jesus means we get out of the driver's seat. He determines the direction. We submit and follow. Or to put it another way, we are in the same with Jesus. We keep in step with Jesus. That's what follow means. Wherever Jesus goes we go in the same direction and at the same speed. We do not lag behind. We do not charge ahead of Him. We keep in step with Him.
I find it odd that we can get to retirement and think we have it all planned. We think of where we want to retire and how we will spend our retirement years in travel, play, and recreation if we have planned properly for retirement. Where can you find one single thing from Jesus that we get to squander the last years of our life playing golf, shopping, sleeping in, and living a life of leisure. If you are retired from your vocation congratulations. Now you are enlisted into full time service for Jesus. Your remaining years are meant to be devoted to following Him without the time constraints of going to work. Your last days are to be spent following Him wherever He leads and working for Him.
That mean short term mission trips. That could include scrapping the whole retirement plan to go help someone plant a church in another city, state, or nation. It could include volunteering more time at a local mission or your local church. Following Him is an adventure. And we never know where He is going to lead us.
Are you in step with Jesus today? Are you going in the same direction He is going and at the same pace? Do you really want to follow Him? Like the old song, "Wherever He leads I'll go." There is a measure of uncertainty in Jesus demand that we follow Him. Immediately the planners and organizers want an itenirary. We want to know the end destination. Jesus offers no specifics. He simply says, "Follow Me." In other words, get in step with me, stay in the same direction as Me and trust Me each step of the journey.
That is not the American dream. That is the kingdom of God dream. That is what is demanded of any follower of Jesus. Not just pastors, evangelists, teachers, and so forth. This is not just for missionaries. This is meant for every child of God.
So, do you still want to follow Jesus? I hope in response to your great salvation you will shout a thousand times, "Yes!"
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Homesick
This morning my mind drifts back to growing up in east Texas. A special region. Where Pine trees tower along with the hardwood trees. I grew up in Lufkin, TX. I still carry a great deal of pride when I recall my home town. To this day I do not hold up of the hand signal for our local high school. My love and loyalty are forever true to the Lufkin Panthers. To the purple and gold I will ever be true.
Sitting here this morning many memories swarm my mind. I miss my Papaw. He was like a father to me. I used to lay in bed with him to watch Monday Night Football. Papaw loved sports. I loved them too and him. We shared that together. He bought my first baseball glove, a MacGregor. I played with that glove until all the padding in the palm of the glove wore thin.
When he died ,my sophomore year in high school, I wept and wept. I don't know if I've ever grieved more than I did when he died. The tears would not stop. All I wanted to do was to make him proud of me. I hate that he missed all my high school and college football days. I hate more he never met Brenda nor my children.
My Mamaw had great influence on me. She taught me three things. She was a giver. She loved to give gifts. She bought me my first suit for a Resurrection Sunday service. Who knew back then I spend much of my life in suits and in church houses. She also loved to read. Even when cooking a meal she would have a book in hand and read while she cooked. She did not watch television. She just red and worked. She took me to the Kurth Memorial Library in downtown Lufkin to get my first library card. I was hooked. I still remember walking up and down those aisles with thousands and thousands of books. I could not wait to make my selections. It was a special treat to get to go back time and again. Behind me are bookshelves lined with books. On top of my desk are stacks of new books I have not gotten to yer. Her love for reading lives in me. She introduced me the the Hardy Boys book series. I read nearly all of them. Mamaw also worked hard. She taught me to work hard. I am thankful for it.
I miss Momma. Momma had a hard life. Failed marriages, abuse, and working hard as a single mother to make a way for her children. I recall her working hard to get through nursing school even with children. She studied and eventually became a surgical nurse. She loved it. She also loved my brother, sisters and me. I think of the little things. A picnic at the lake. A trip to the Ellen Trout Zoo. Getting to go to the movies. And how can I forget those special treats to places like Ray's Drive In, Sonic and Burger King. We did not take those things for granted.
Momma died Mother's day weekend in 1998. It just dawned on me Mother's Day weekend is approaching. She died 19 years ago. She never even met Tucker or Turner. That saddens me.
I miss my old home church. Denman Avenue Baptist Church has played a vital role in my life. I can never thank God enough for putting Eli Bernard in my life to share the gospel with me and Charles Roberts to feed my soul from the word of God. Brother Charles supported me, opened doors for me, invested in me, nurtured me, and looked past my youthful ignorance and arrogance at times. He continues to be a role model for me. He gave over three decades of his life to Denman Avenue. My life is the richer because of it. When he baptized me I wondered if was strong enough to get me out of ht water. He assured me he could handle the job.
I took my first communion in that church. I surrendered to the ministry in the old sanctuary that is now converted into the children's area. I still treasure the license to ministry they gave me. It is framed hanging on the wall in my office.
Little memories come flashing back. Like pine straw. I hated to rake it. It fell thick on the ground and roof of the house. I would rake huge piles near the house and turn drudgery into fun as I would jump from the roof of the house into the pine straw. I had more fun doing that than a child on a bounce house. Raking that pine straw took all day. We raked it. Hauled it to a burn pile and burned it.
I recall playing whatever sport was in season with friends down the street. Our favorite teams were the Lufkin Panthers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Houston Astros. Papaw took me to my first Lufkin High School football game. It felt like a professional game to this wild eyes youngster. I did not know that one day I would wear that purple and gold and shed blood and sweat on that field.
O, but something far more significant happened at Abe Martin Stadium than any football game I ever saw or played there.. I met Jesus there. I have often written about that day. I will not do so again here. Suffice it to say, Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God. Jesus changed my whole life back in October of 1983. He touched me and what joy filled my soul. What a glorious night when Jesus washed my sin away.
I seldom get back home these days. Mainly only for preaching assignments. I don't know why I find myself a little homesick this morning.
As much as I miss Lufkin and the wonderful people that touched my life back there that is not the true essence of my homesickness. I am homesick for heaven. There is a deep yearning in my soul for Beulah Land. I think of the day I get to lay this earthly tent down and be ushered into New Jerusalem. A day when Jesus I will see, when burdens and sorrows will be laid down, and when I will truly experience pure worship.
I am homesick for a place I have never been but only read about and imagined. I am homesick to leave this sin infested planet, to lay down my rotten carnal flesh, and to forever be with Jesus. I am ready when He is ready for me. That day may feel like loss to Brenda and the boys but it will be my gain. Philippians 1:21 (ESV)
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Sitting here this morning many memories swarm my mind. I miss my Papaw. He was like a father to me. I used to lay in bed with him to watch Monday Night Football. Papaw loved sports. I loved them too and him. We shared that together. He bought my first baseball glove, a MacGregor. I played with that glove until all the padding in the palm of the glove wore thin.
When he died ,my sophomore year in high school, I wept and wept. I don't know if I've ever grieved more than I did when he died. The tears would not stop. All I wanted to do was to make him proud of me. I hate that he missed all my high school and college football days. I hate more he never met Brenda nor my children.
My Mamaw had great influence on me. She taught me three things. She was a giver. She loved to give gifts. She bought me my first suit for a Resurrection Sunday service. Who knew back then I spend much of my life in suits and in church houses. She also loved to read. Even when cooking a meal she would have a book in hand and read while she cooked. She did not watch television. She just red and worked. She took me to the Kurth Memorial Library in downtown Lufkin to get my first library card. I was hooked. I still remember walking up and down those aisles with thousands and thousands of books. I could not wait to make my selections. It was a special treat to get to go back time and again. Behind me are bookshelves lined with books. On top of my desk are stacks of new books I have not gotten to yer. Her love for reading lives in me. She introduced me the the Hardy Boys book series. I read nearly all of them. Mamaw also worked hard. She taught me to work hard. I am thankful for it.
I miss Momma. Momma had a hard life. Failed marriages, abuse, and working hard as a single mother to make a way for her children. I recall her working hard to get through nursing school even with children. She studied and eventually became a surgical nurse. She loved it. She also loved my brother, sisters and me. I think of the little things. A picnic at the lake. A trip to the Ellen Trout Zoo. Getting to go to the movies. And how can I forget those special treats to places like Ray's Drive In, Sonic and Burger King. We did not take those things for granted.
Momma died Mother's day weekend in 1998. It just dawned on me Mother's Day weekend is approaching. She died 19 years ago. She never even met Tucker or Turner. That saddens me.
I miss my old home church. Denman Avenue Baptist Church has played a vital role in my life. I can never thank God enough for putting Eli Bernard in my life to share the gospel with me and Charles Roberts to feed my soul from the word of God. Brother Charles supported me, opened doors for me, invested in me, nurtured me, and looked past my youthful ignorance and arrogance at times. He continues to be a role model for me. He gave over three decades of his life to Denman Avenue. My life is the richer because of it. When he baptized me I wondered if was strong enough to get me out of ht water. He assured me he could handle the job.
I took my first communion in that church. I surrendered to the ministry in the old sanctuary that is now converted into the children's area. I still treasure the license to ministry they gave me. It is framed hanging on the wall in my office.
Little memories come flashing back. Like pine straw. I hated to rake it. It fell thick on the ground and roof of the house. I would rake huge piles near the house and turn drudgery into fun as I would jump from the roof of the house into the pine straw. I had more fun doing that than a child on a bounce house. Raking that pine straw took all day. We raked it. Hauled it to a burn pile and burned it.
I recall playing whatever sport was in season with friends down the street. Our favorite teams were the Lufkin Panthers, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Houston Astros. Papaw took me to my first Lufkin High School football game. It felt like a professional game to this wild eyes youngster. I did not know that one day I would wear that purple and gold and shed blood and sweat on that field.
O, but something far more significant happened at Abe Martin Stadium than any football game I ever saw or played there.. I met Jesus there. I have often written about that day. I will not do so again here. Suffice it to say, Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God. Jesus changed my whole life back in October of 1983. He touched me and what joy filled my soul. What a glorious night when Jesus washed my sin away.
I seldom get back home these days. Mainly only for preaching assignments. I don't know why I find myself a little homesick this morning.
As much as I miss Lufkin and the wonderful people that touched my life back there that is not the true essence of my homesickness. I am homesick for heaven. There is a deep yearning in my soul for Beulah Land. I think of the day I get to lay this earthly tent down and be ushered into New Jerusalem. A day when Jesus I will see, when burdens and sorrows will be laid down, and when I will truly experience pure worship.
I am homesick for a place I have never been but only read about and imagined. I am homesick to leave this sin infested planet, to lay down my rotten carnal flesh, and to forever be with Jesus. I am ready when He is ready for me. That day may feel like loss to Brenda and the boys but it will be my gain. Philippians 1:21 (ESV)
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
While there are joys, pleasant experiences, and blessings down here none of it compares to what lies in store for the saved to experience and enjoy all eternity long. I increasingly long for that day. I know this world is not my home and I am just passing through. I can only imagine what that day will be like. Because of His amazing grace, when the roll is called up yonder I will be there. Until then I'll love to tell the story and spend my days walking in the garden with Him.
One day my eyes will close for the last time. My breath will stop. In that second I will be more alive then than ever before. I will finally be home. I am homesick for that. Until then I am marching to Zion while leaning on His everlasting arms.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Useless
useless |ˈyo͞oslÉ™s| adjectivenot fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome: a piece of useless knowledge | we tried to pacify him, but it was useless.• informal having no ability or skill in a specified activity or area: he was useless at football.
For the past couple of days I have been replaying a scene from on ofe the Disney Toy Story movies in my mind. In the scene the cowboy doll, Woody, gets a stitch pulled from his arm which tears and leaves his arm barely dangling. He is damaged. Eventually Woody is forgotten and neglected. Soon afterwards he gets put on a shelf in a closet and then in a box to be sold in a garage sale.
He is no longer wanted. No longer useful. He is discarded. His owner Andy didn't want to play with a damaged toy. No longer wanted or useful Woody is forgotten and put out for sale in a garage sale with other useless items.
What I have been thinking about is all the people in the world who feel like they are useless. They are damaged. They feel unwanted. Unworthy to be loved. Discarded and ignored. Rejected and useless they wander through life aimlessly. Some feel this way because of sin. Horrific sin that came easy enough but the price and consequences afterward came with a heavy price tag. Some have suffered epic failures. More than just the pain of the failure is the psychological damage afterwards. Such people feel damaged and useless. They don't want to risk anymore or try harder for fear of failing all over again. It is easier to go through life half hearted.
There are lots of people addicted to sin. Sex, drugs, alcohol, shopping, and more. Well meaning pew siting people. They sin. They repent in sorrow vowing they will never return. Then they fall right back into the same pit of destruction. Such people feel useless. They fail repeatedly and with each failure comes a little more condemnation and a lot more thoughts of uselessness.
Women give themselves away sexually to a silver tongued devil disguised in blue jeans and a charming personality. In one moment of passion they gave away their purity which is lost forever. To make matters worse the guy got what he wanted and then put her out on the curb like the trash. She feels shattered and betrayed. She feels useless to God and to a future husband. Vulnerable she is easy prey for the next smooth talker. Desperate to be loved she gives herself away again only to find in the end she feels cheap, used, and damaged.
Then there are the dreamers. Attempting great exploits for God. Fearless, courageous, adventurous, and resolved. That is until the dream crumbled. Standing in the midst of shattered dreams can leave people feeling useless and without purpose.
I think of the number of injured athletes I have seen and known. At one time the crowds cheered for them. After getting injured nobody remembers. Coaches no longer have use for them. Such athletes feel useless in a prison of what might have been if they had not been injured.
Then there are the people who try their hardest. They work hard at their grades but they will receive recognition no matter how hard they study. They are not gifted. They will barely walk across a stage to receive a diploma. Likewise, there are people who work hard on their jobs. They are never going to move into management. They will never be targeted for the fast track to the top of their profession. They feel pretty useless.
Let me set the record straight. God has a plan and chooses to use people who feel useless. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. Moses lost his temper. Rahab earned money as a prostitute. Elijah suffered bouts of depression. David committed adultery and plotted to have a man murdered. Solomon sinned in marrying hundreds of wives and worshipping idols. Jonah rebelled against a direct command from God and also was prejudiced. Peter denied knowing Jesus. Paul persecuted Christians. None of them were useless to God.
I don't know your story. I don't know the nature of your failure and all the reasons you may feel useless. I just know this. Jesus is a gracious redeemer. He forgives. He restores. He loves. He renews. And He finds ways and places to use broken people who feel used up, worthless, shame, defeated, without hope or purpose. Jesus uses people who feel useless.
Yes, it is true. There are consequences for sin. Painful consequences. Some last for a few moments. Some others last for the rest of our lives. Yet, God does not discard His children when they fail. His love is broad and His grace and mercy wide to embrace people who feel useless for many reasons. He still has a plan. He still has a purpose for your life. Let that sink in. He still has a purpose for your life. You are not useless.
You may have failed but that does not mean you are a failure if you get back up. You may have sinned but that does not mean you can't be forgiven and delivered if you repent and turn from sinful ways. You may have suffered a great injury severely limiting you physically. That does not mean God is done with you if you make yourself available to Him. You may feel emotionally crippled from abuse and wrongs done to you. You don't have to live as a victim as you find victory in Jesus.
You are not useless. You are USEFUL. A trophy of God's grace. Proof of His redemptive work put on display for the watching world to see. You are not useless. You are useful in the hands of Rdeeming God. Believe that.
For the past couple of days I have been replaying a scene from on ofe the Disney Toy Story movies in my mind. In the scene the cowboy doll, Woody, gets a stitch pulled from his arm which tears and leaves his arm barely dangling. He is damaged. Eventually Woody is forgotten and neglected. Soon afterwards he gets put on a shelf in a closet and then in a box to be sold in a garage sale.
He is no longer wanted. No longer useful. He is discarded. His owner Andy didn't want to play with a damaged toy. No longer wanted or useful Woody is forgotten and put out for sale in a garage sale with other useless items.
What I have been thinking about is all the people in the world who feel like they are useless. They are damaged. They feel unwanted. Unworthy to be loved. Discarded and ignored. Rejected and useless they wander through life aimlessly. Some feel this way because of sin. Horrific sin that came easy enough but the price and consequences afterward came with a heavy price tag. Some have suffered epic failures. More than just the pain of the failure is the psychological damage afterwards. Such people feel damaged and useless. They don't want to risk anymore or try harder for fear of failing all over again. It is easier to go through life half hearted.
There are lots of people addicted to sin. Sex, drugs, alcohol, shopping, and more. Well meaning pew siting people. They sin. They repent in sorrow vowing they will never return. Then they fall right back into the same pit of destruction. Such people feel useless. They fail repeatedly and with each failure comes a little more condemnation and a lot more thoughts of uselessness.
Women give themselves away sexually to a silver tongued devil disguised in blue jeans and a charming personality. In one moment of passion they gave away their purity which is lost forever. To make matters worse the guy got what he wanted and then put her out on the curb like the trash. She feels shattered and betrayed. She feels useless to God and to a future husband. Vulnerable she is easy prey for the next smooth talker. Desperate to be loved she gives herself away again only to find in the end she feels cheap, used, and damaged.
Then there are the dreamers. Attempting great exploits for God. Fearless, courageous, adventurous, and resolved. That is until the dream crumbled. Standing in the midst of shattered dreams can leave people feeling useless and without purpose.
I think of the number of injured athletes I have seen and known. At one time the crowds cheered for them. After getting injured nobody remembers. Coaches no longer have use for them. Such athletes feel useless in a prison of what might have been if they had not been injured.
Then there are the people who try their hardest. They work hard at their grades but they will receive recognition no matter how hard they study. They are not gifted. They will barely walk across a stage to receive a diploma. Likewise, there are people who work hard on their jobs. They are never going to move into management. They will never be targeted for the fast track to the top of their profession. They feel pretty useless.
Let me set the record straight. God has a plan and chooses to use people who feel useless. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. Moses lost his temper. Rahab earned money as a prostitute. Elijah suffered bouts of depression. David committed adultery and plotted to have a man murdered. Solomon sinned in marrying hundreds of wives and worshipping idols. Jonah rebelled against a direct command from God and also was prejudiced. Peter denied knowing Jesus. Paul persecuted Christians. None of them were useless to God.
I don't know your story. I don't know the nature of your failure and all the reasons you may feel useless. I just know this. Jesus is a gracious redeemer. He forgives. He restores. He loves. He renews. And He finds ways and places to use broken people who feel used up, worthless, shame, defeated, without hope or purpose. Jesus uses people who feel useless.
Yes, it is true. There are consequences for sin. Painful consequences. Some last for a few moments. Some others last for the rest of our lives. Yet, God does not discard His children when they fail. His love is broad and His grace and mercy wide to embrace people who feel useless for many reasons. He still has a plan. He still has a purpose for your life. Let that sink in. He still has a purpose for your life. You are not useless.
You may have failed but that does not mean you are a failure if you get back up. You may have sinned but that does not mean you can't be forgiven and delivered if you repent and turn from sinful ways. You may have suffered a great injury severely limiting you physically. That does not mean God is done with you if you make yourself available to Him. You may feel emotionally crippled from abuse and wrongs done to you. You don't have to live as a victim as you find victory in Jesus.
You are not useless. You are USEFUL. A trophy of God's grace. Proof of His redemptive work put on display for the watching world to see. You are not useless. You are useful in the hands of Rdeeming God. Believe that.
Monday, May 8, 2017
Shock And Awe
Shock and awe as most people have to come know it is a military strategy. The technical term is "rapid dominance." The goals are simple. To show an overwhelming display of military power and spectacular mighty force that paralyzes and overwhelms the enemy.
I am calling for a spiritual shock and awe over the city of Kermit, TX. We are now only 77 days from the start of the first Shake the City Revival meeting in Kermit on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. Between now and then I am asking for a spiritual army of thousands upon thousands to drop prayer bombs on the city of Kermit to paralyze the enemy and prepare the way for a great move of God.
We do not have a day to waste. I have just finished taking my watch on the walls of Kermit earlier this morning. As the days draw near the burden increases. My private prayer times are extended. Kermit takes a large portion of those private prayers.
I am asking, who will stand with me? Who will get on the walls of Kermit and give watch with me. Both privately and corporately? We need much prayer. I need your personal prayers.
Will you pray for Kermit? Will you allow God to grip your heart with a burden for a town you may never see with your physical eyes but can see with your spiritual eyes? Will you pray for Kermit these next 77 days and beyond as the meetings begin.
We also have a community prayer scheduled for May 15th at 7:00 p.m. to meet outside the J+Kermit courthouse to intercede for Kermit. Will you join us?
If you will pray for Kermit, will you personal message me on Facebook? I need people who will commit to pray for Kermit, Sherman and Tami Aten, and me. What a comfort it would be to know thousands of people have targeted Kermit for special prayer in anticipation of what God will do. Please personal message me and let me know where you are from. It would be a sure sign of God's blessing if people from all the world began praying for Kermit, TX.
Isaiah 62:6-7 (ESV)
6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,
7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.
I am calling for a spiritual shock and awe over the city of Kermit, TX. We are now only 77 days from the start of the first Shake the City Revival meeting in Kermit on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. Between now and then I am asking for a spiritual army of thousands upon thousands to drop prayer bombs on the city of Kermit to paralyze the enemy and prepare the way for a great move of God.
We do not have a day to waste. I have just finished taking my watch on the walls of Kermit earlier this morning. As the days draw near the burden increases. My private prayer times are extended. Kermit takes a large portion of those private prayers.
I am asking, who will stand with me? Who will get on the walls of Kermit and give watch with me. Both privately and corporately? We need much prayer. I need your personal prayers.
Will you pray for Kermit? Will you allow God to grip your heart with a burden for a town you may never see with your physical eyes but can see with your spiritual eyes? Will you pray for Kermit these next 77 days and beyond as the meetings begin.
We also have a community prayer scheduled for May 15th at 7:00 p.m. to meet outside the J+Kermit courthouse to intercede for Kermit. Will you join us?
If you will pray for Kermit, will you personal message me on Facebook? I need people who will commit to pray for Kermit, Sherman and Tami Aten, and me. What a comfort it would be to know thousands of people have targeted Kermit for special prayer in anticipation of what God will do. Please personal message me and let me know where you are from. It would be a sure sign of God's blessing if people from all the world began praying for Kermit, TX.
Isaiah 62:6-7 (ESV)
6 On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the LORD in remembrance, take no rest,
7 and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.
Saturday, May 6, 2017
A Bitter Cup
The Lord extended to me a cup to drink. One smell warned me of a unpleasant drink. I politely declined and asked for a sweeter drink. He ignored my request and kept the bitter cup before me. A cup I did not wish to drink.
I decided to ignore the bitter cup. If that was my only choice I would not drink. So I ignored the cup for days on end. But I got thirsty. No matter where I looked or where I sought to quench my thirst God met me with the same cup.
Eventually I had no choice. Though the foul odor steaming off the cup sickened my stomach I had no choice. The first sip curled my stomach. If the odor had been foul it paled in comparison to the bitter taste. A pungent unsavory sip that repulsed me to the core. I hated every bit of it. Though only a few seconds that one sip seemed to last for decades. Mind you, it was only a sip. One tiny unpleasant sip.
No matter how thirsty I did not want anymore. I asked God for something else but He only offered the same cup. My tiny sip had practically not emptied the cup at all. The pain in my gut from the one sip proved stronger than my thirst. I decided to forego another sip.
I felt weak, parched, my throat irritated, and my mouth like I chewed on cotton. My thirst grew. I had no energy to do anything. My prayers for drink only brought the same bitter cup from the hand of God. With each passing minute I grew weaker. More desperate. Thirstier.
I pleaded with God for a different cup. I pointed out my need. I reminded Him of His promises to provide and to do good and not harm. I explained the bitterness of the cup He kpt offering me. The only provision was the bitter cup.
In a moment of rage mixed with critical need I reached out for the cup and turned the cup up in my mouth trying to swallow and gulp without tasting. The tasted eventually followed. I writhed in agony on the floor convulsing from the repulsive after taste. If I thought I would die of thirst before after the drink I did not think I would survive the bitter cup. I did not think I would ever get over the pungent taste.
I felt more pain, misery, bitterness, discomfort, sorrow, affliction, and grief than I had ever known all at the same time. Honestly death would have been more welcome than what I felt. Time seemed to stop. I wanted to die. I preferred death to what I felt. Yet death did not come hurriedly.
Then suddenly the pain subsided instantly. I thought I died. Only I felt alive. Alive on the inside. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins. The pain in my stomach left but I still could taste the bitter aftertaste of the cup. Yet everything felt new.
I drug myself from the floor and drew near to Jehovah. This time He looked at me tenderly with compassion and eyes of pure love. He did not speak. He just handed me a note. Here it what it said.
Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
I decided to ignore the bitter cup. If that was my only choice I would not drink. So I ignored the cup for days on end. But I got thirsty. No matter where I looked or where I sought to quench my thirst God met me with the same cup.
Eventually I had no choice. Though the foul odor steaming off the cup sickened my stomach I had no choice. The first sip curled my stomach. If the odor had been foul it paled in comparison to the bitter taste. A pungent unsavory sip that repulsed me to the core. I hated every bit of it. Though only a few seconds that one sip seemed to last for decades. Mind you, it was only a sip. One tiny unpleasant sip.
No matter how thirsty I did not want anymore. I asked God for something else but He only offered the same cup. My tiny sip had practically not emptied the cup at all. The pain in my gut from the one sip proved stronger than my thirst. I decided to forego another sip.
I felt weak, parched, my throat irritated, and my mouth like I chewed on cotton. My thirst grew. I had no energy to do anything. My prayers for drink only brought the same bitter cup from the hand of God. With each passing minute I grew weaker. More desperate. Thirstier.
I pleaded with God for a different cup. I pointed out my need. I reminded Him of His promises to provide and to do good and not harm. I explained the bitterness of the cup He kpt offering me. The only provision was the bitter cup.
In a moment of rage mixed with critical need I reached out for the cup and turned the cup up in my mouth trying to swallow and gulp without tasting. The tasted eventually followed. I writhed in agony on the floor convulsing from the repulsive after taste. If I thought I would die of thirst before after the drink I did not think I would survive the bitter cup. I did not think I would ever get over the pungent taste.
I felt more pain, misery, bitterness, discomfort, sorrow, affliction, and grief than I had ever known all at the same time. Honestly death would have been more welcome than what I felt. Time seemed to stop. I wanted to die. I preferred death to what I felt. Yet death did not come hurriedly.
Then suddenly the pain subsided instantly. I thought I died. Only I felt alive. Alive on the inside. I could feel the blood pumping through my veins. The pain in my stomach left but I still could taste the bitter aftertaste of the cup. Yet everything felt new.
I drug myself from the floor and drew near to Jehovah. This time He looked at me tenderly with compassion and eyes of pure love. He did not speak. He just handed me a note. Here it what it said.
Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Life Is Not A Fairy Tale
You recall fairy tales you heard and read as a child. They all had a familiar ending. "And they lived happily ever after." Such stories have a sweetness to them. They are filled with hope, romance, innocence, and blessings. It does not take long to learn that life is not a fairy tale.
Real life is filled with drama. There are plot twists, turns, trials, and challenges. There are real life villains and heroes. There are sorrows, setbacks, and at times sufferings. Children of God are not immune. Some of the most righteous people suffered the most. Take for examples Joseph, Job and ultimately Jesus. None is immune.
After getting saved all I wanted to do was to follow Jesus. I never expected following Him would lead me to preach. I also never dreamed following God would lead me here.
Our dream church we planted nearly six years ago is barely hanging on by a thread. Thousands of hours of prayers over the past near six years have turned the downward spiral. For the month of March we took in 25% of what needed in offerings for the month. One Sunday the total offering summed $100. Things look pretty bleak.
After praying for God to move this mountain it only gets bigger. On top o this are the numerous financial tests Brenda and I face on a perusal level. . Just this week we had to put Brenda's car in the shop again. The bill totaled $2,300 dollars. I praise God our mechanic lets us pay it out. We had the vehicle home for one day before it malfunctioned again and needs to be repaired. Over the past several years we have spent over $11,000 keeping Brenda's car running.
Then there are the mounting medical bills mostly from my eye issues. Lazer surgeries, eye injections (25 of them to date), and another surgery have only brought temporary relief. I cannot see well enough to use my old preaching Bible. I had to get a large print edition and at times I even have trouble seeing it. I cannot enjoy reading like I used to because it is difficult to see the print.
I have prayed for my own healing. I have prayed Bible promises and spoken to this mountain. Others have prayed for my healing. The sad non fairy tale ending is my eye sight is getting worse. For His purposes God has not chosen to heal my eyes permanently, at least not yet. I still hope out hope He will choose to do so one day.
This is not the happily ever after I hoped for Brenda and I on our wedding day. Life has been hard. We have seen many people who pledged their love and loyalty turn their baks on us. We have seen churches grow. We have also witnessed the death of one other church plant. That took a huge toll on us. Over the years we have known God's blessing. We have seen our ministries flourish and grow.
In the fairy tale ending I planned on shepherding a great flock. I envisioned Brenda and I entering these years in far different circumstances. My great desire and prayer for years has been to pastor one church for decades and to build something God honoring. Well into middle aged I face the fact that this church plant just might not make it either. Another failure.
We face a far different reality. Nearly six years ago we packed up and left the church and ministry of our dreams in FBC Seminole to follow what we believed to be the call of God to plant a church. We took the initial faith steps. The church grew quickly. Much quicker than any of us anticipated. We worked hard but found joy in the work along with those dreaming our dream. Then like water leaking out of a broken bucket people started leaking out of Faith Community Church. At first, there were just a few. Then dozens left. The non fairy tale ending is I now pastor a flock of two dozen people. That's it. A few hanging on to a faint dream trying to keep the flickering flame alive. The reality is Faith Community Church may not make it. I cannot turn it around. I can't pray it to revival and power. I cannot plan and program a better outcome. We meet and nobody says the non fairy tale ending out loud but it on all our minds just the same. I see it all too well. I see it staring me in the face every single week. A sad reality.
So what am I to make of all this hardship and sadness? Is this just the sad tale of a sad preacher with a few big dreams and a broken heart. Is this all there is?
One great truth trumps all the pain, all the heartache, all the broken dreams, all the suffering, and all the set backs. There is a truth that keeps me going. Every Sunday when I stand before a couple of dozen people I hang onto this truth. One great truth helps me through the pain of failing eye sight and a slowly dying church. One great truth permeates my mind. This world is not my home.
For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. [Phil 1:21] (ESV)
1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”
Real life is filled with drama. There are plot twists, turns, trials, and challenges. There are real life villains and heroes. There are sorrows, setbacks, and at times sufferings. Children of God are not immune. Some of the most righteous people suffered the most. Take for examples Joseph, Job and ultimately Jesus. None is immune.
After getting saved all I wanted to do was to follow Jesus. I never expected following Him would lead me to preach. I also never dreamed following God would lead me here.
Our dream church we planted nearly six years ago is barely hanging on by a thread. Thousands of hours of prayers over the past near six years have turned the downward spiral. For the month of March we took in 25% of what needed in offerings for the month. One Sunday the total offering summed $100. Things look pretty bleak.
After praying for God to move this mountain it only gets bigger. On top o this are the numerous financial tests Brenda and I face on a perusal level. . Just this week we had to put Brenda's car in the shop again. The bill totaled $2,300 dollars. I praise God our mechanic lets us pay it out. We had the vehicle home for one day before it malfunctioned again and needs to be repaired. Over the past several years we have spent over $11,000 keeping Brenda's car running.
Then there are the mounting medical bills mostly from my eye issues. Lazer surgeries, eye injections (25 of them to date), and another surgery have only brought temporary relief. I cannot see well enough to use my old preaching Bible. I had to get a large print edition and at times I even have trouble seeing it. I cannot enjoy reading like I used to because it is difficult to see the print.
I have prayed for my own healing. I have prayed Bible promises and spoken to this mountain. Others have prayed for my healing. The sad non fairy tale ending is my eye sight is getting worse. For His purposes God has not chosen to heal my eyes permanently, at least not yet. I still hope out hope He will choose to do so one day.
This is not the happily ever after I hoped for Brenda and I on our wedding day. Life has been hard. We have seen many people who pledged their love and loyalty turn their baks on us. We have seen churches grow. We have also witnessed the death of one other church plant. That took a huge toll on us. Over the years we have known God's blessing. We have seen our ministries flourish and grow.
In the fairy tale ending I planned on shepherding a great flock. I envisioned Brenda and I entering these years in far different circumstances. My great desire and prayer for years has been to pastor one church for decades and to build something God honoring. Well into middle aged I face the fact that this church plant just might not make it either. Another failure.
We face a far different reality. Nearly six years ago we packed up and left the church and ministry of our dreams in FBC Seminole to follow what we believed to be the call of God to plant a church. We took the initial faith steps. The church grew quickly. Much quicker than any of us anticipated. We worked hard but found joy in the work along with those dreaming our dream. Then like water leaking out of a broken bucket people started leaking out of Faith Community Church. At first, there were just a few. Then dozens left. The non fairy tale ending is I now pastor a flock of two dozen people. That's it. A few hanging on to a faint dream trying to keep the flickering flame alive. The reality is Faith Community Church may not make it. I cannot turn it around. I can't pray it to revival and power. I cannot plan and program a better outcome. We meet and nobody says the non fairy tale ending out loud but it on all our minds just the same. I see it all too well. I see it staring me in the face every single week. A sad reality.
So what am I to make of all this hardship and sadness? Is this just the sad tale of a sad preacher with a few big dreams and a broken heart. Is this all there is?
One great truth trumps all the pain, all the heartache, all the broken dreams, all the suffering, and all the set backs. There is a truth that keeps me going. Every Sunday when I stand before a couple of dozen people I hang onto this truth. One great truth helps me through the pain of failing eye sight and a slowly dying church. One great truth permeates my mind. This world is not my home.
For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. [Phil 1:21] (ESV)
1 Corinthians 2:9 (ESV)
9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”
I do love Him. I do not pretend to understand His ways. I know that no matter how bad things get down here it is going to get better in eternity. All of this will be behind me and be worth it thousands of times over to get to bask in His presence. So I press on. That will be greater than any fairly tale ending. That day will be worth all the pain, all the confusion, all the battles of faith, and all the frustrations. Life is not a fairly tale. Eternal life is better than any fairy tale could ever be.
Friday, May 5, 2017
Kermit Community Prayer Meeting
Kermit Shake The City Revival
Community Prayer Meeting
Monday May 15, 2017
Kermit Courthouse
7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
82 Days And Counting Until The Kermit Revival Meetings Begin
It has been a long journey and a long wait. Many prayers have been lifted. A great deal of planning has been done behind the scenes. And we are 82 days and counting until we hold the first Kermit Shake The City Revival meeting on July 23 at 7:00 p.m. on the vacant dirt lot next to Belvue Baptist Church. Belvue has graciously allowed us to hold these meetings on their property.
82 days is not a long time to get spiritually prepared for a fresh move of God. The Lord continues to get me up all hours of the night to pray. Today it was 3:30 a.m. Prayers were lifted up for Kermit again this morning just like for the past couple of years. 82 days to pray for God to plow the fallow ground. 82 days to unite the city and churches in prayer for a great move of God. 82 days to finalize the last plans and details.
We will need counselors. We need ushers. We security people to watch over the tent and contents. We need prayer more than anything. The tent is reserved. The stage will soon be constructed. The sound equipment has been secured. The hotel reservations have been made. Counselors will soon be enlisted. And now what we need most is prayer covering over the city.
Over the next 82 days more sprayers will be sent up for Kermit. I will travel and preach a couple of other events. On the forefront of my mind for the past couple of years has always been Kermit. I pray for the churches, the pastors, and for the lost to be saved. I pray for a rekindling of fire in the souls of the saints. I ask God for a true revival. Not manufactured and manipulated from men but one sent from the throne of God. I asked God for a true move from Him the likes of which Kermit has not seen this morning. Only He can send true revival.
82 days. O Saints of Kermit. I plead with you with all my heart to pray. Prepare yourself and your families for whatever God has on His mind. I am committed to staying as long as God wants to move in our midst during those days. If the meetings end after a week so be it. If God wants to extend the meetings like I have seen Him do in the past I will stay and give myself wholeheartedly to the revival meetings and hopefully the genuine revival.
82 days and counting. The excitement builds. Though I have often wanted to travel back to Kermit I keep getting prevented. I do travel there in my prayers. I do hope to make a visit before July. Those 82 days will pass quickly. Let us redeem the time in spiritual preparation for what God intends to do.
82 days is not a long time to get spiritually prepared for a fresh move of God. The Lord continues to get me up all hours of the night to pray. Today it was 3:30 a.m. Prayers were lifted up for Kermit again this morning just like for the past couple of years. 82 days to pray for God to plow the fallow ground. 82 days to unite the city and churches in prayer for a great move of God. 82 days to finalize the last plans and details.
We will need counselors. We need ushers. We security people to watch over the tent and contents. We need prayer more than anything. The tent is reserved. The stage will soon be constructed. The sound equipment has been secured. The hotel reservations have been made. Counselors will soon be enlisted. And now what we need most is prayer covering over the city.
Over the next 82 days more sprayers will be sent up for Kermit. I will travel and preach a couple of other events. On the forefront of my mind for the past couple of years has always been Kermit. I pray for the churches, the pastors, and for the lost to be saved. I pray for a rekindling of fire in the souls of the saints. I ask God for a true revival. Not manufactured and manipulated from men but one sent from the throne of God. I asked God for a true move from Him the likes of which Kermit has not seen this morning. Only He can send true revival.
82 days. O Saints of Kermit. I plead with you with all my heart to pray. Prepare yourself and your families for whatever God has on His mind. I am committed to staying as long as God wants to move in our midst during those days. If the meetings end after a week so be it. If God wants to extend the meetings like I have seen Him do in the past I will stay and give myself wholeheartedly to the revival meetings and hopefully the genuine revival.
82 days and counting. The excitement builds. Though I have often wanted to travel back to Kermit I keep getting prevented. I do travel there in my prayers. I do hope to make a visit before July. Those 82 days will pass quickly. Let us redeem the time in spiritual preparation for what God intends to do.
Fellowship Of The Whoevers
Are you intelligent, average, or a little slow to learn? Are you gifted, average, or do you struggle and work hard to do anything? Are you popular or more of a loner? Are you wealthy, middle class, or closer to the poverty line? You may be a citizen of the United States or from a third world country nobody has ever heard of. None of that matters.
You are part of the whoever. John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
You are part of the whoever. John 3:16 (ESV)
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Your status in life is irrelevant. You may have sinned or you may have SINNED. You may be a nobody from nowhere or a person of rich pedigree. None of it matters. You can be included in the whoever. We take that for granted. Children are included in the whoever as well as teenagers and adults. It does not matter what you have or have not accomplished. You can still be part of the whoever because Jesus has wide open arms to embrace all kinds of people from all different walks of life.
This struck me earlier today. Because of Jesus I am one of those whoever. And then I read this passage from Mark 11:22-24 (ESV)
22 And
Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Whoever. I am part of of the whoever. His promises are true for whoever believes. For the one who believes Jesus for eternal life as well as to the one who believes Jesus still moves mountains. It doesn't matter how successful we have been or how we have failed in life. It does not matter if we are well loved by many or well loved by a few. It does not matter if we are mighty prayer warriors or just people who pray average prayers the promises are true for you. I am thankful to b one of the whoevers.
You are probably one of the whoever too or you would not even take the time to read this. God's family is big and filled with whoevers. We are different. But we all have this in common. We have been redeemed by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus. We are forgiven. We are loved. What a blessing to be a part of the fellowship of the whoevers. I bet you don't see that for a name of a church. The Fellowship of the Whoevers. Or Whoever Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Church of God in Christ Church. No. We find other names for churches. Today I find myself in a blessed state of mind of mind because I am part of the Fellowship of the Whoevers.
Monday, May 1, 2017
I Saw Her From A Distance
After weeks of traveling and preaching in other places I preached at Faith Community Church yesterday. After talking to our sound guy I noticed someone. I saw her from a distance sitting alone. I don't know why I knew something was wrong. She dressed very classy. From the outside no-one would know anything was wrong with her except she sat with her head bowed.
From the back of the room I felt this lady carried deep sadness in her heart. I approached her before the service began and quietly slipped into the seat next to her. I asked, "Are you okay?" She assured me nothing was wrong. She insisted she was fine. I took her at her word.
Soon the service started and my attention turned to prayer for God to speak to His people. I got so caught up in the message I forgot about the lady until afterward. When the service ended I busied myself talking to people. After lunch I had a meeting.
I could not forget about the sad woman. Though she insisted she was fine I continued to carry a burden that she carried deep sorrow and sadness. Later in the day I contacted her one last time. This time instead of asking if she was okay I said, "I feel like you are very sad about something."
With that comment the tears started flowing. For the next hour and a half she poured out her soul. Deep sadness. Betrayal. Broken heart. Rejection. Entrenched pain. All of it came flowing out.
I listened for a long time. I could not offer any words of wisdom and she had no interest in hearing any.. She needed a friend, her pastor, and a listening ear. I could offer that. Later that night when I went to bed I could not sleep. An hour after tossing and turning I got up. Brenda asked me what was wrong. I could not tell her I could not sleep because of the heavy burden I carried for the sad lady. So I got up to pray. Prayer seemed the only thing I could really do for this lady.
Well past 1:00 a.m. I finally went back to bed. When I awoke this morning I continued to carry a burden for the sad lady. Only God can comfort and help her. I trust God will.
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.
I trust the Lord will draw near to this lady and deliver her from her sorrows. He will do same for you.
From the back of the room I felt this lady carried deep sadness in her heart. I approached her before the service began and quietly slipped into the seat next to her. I asked, "Are you okay?" She assured me nothing was wrong. She insisted she was fine. I took her at her word.
Soon the service started and my attention turned to prayer for God to speak to His people. I got so caught up in the message I forgot about the lady until afterward. When the service ended I busied myself talking to people. After lunch I had a meeting.
I could not forget about the sad woman. Though she insisted she was fine I continued to carry a burden that she carried deep sorrow and sadness. Later in the day I contacted her one last time. This time instead of asking if she was okay I said, "I feel like you are very sad about something."
With that comment the tears started flowing. For the next hour and a half she poured out her soul. Deep sadness. Betrayal. Broken heart. Rejection. Entrenched pain. All of it came flowing out.
I listened for a long time. I could not offer any words of wisdom and she had no interest in hearing any.. She needed a friend, her pastor, and a listening ear. I could offer that. Later that night when I went to bed I could not sleep. An hour after tossing and turning I got up. Brenda asked me what was wrong. I could not tell her I could not sleep because of the heavy burden I carried for the sad lady. So I got up to pray. Prayer seemed the only thing I could really do for this lady.
Well past 1:00 a.m. I finally went back to bed. When I awoke this morning I continued to carry a burden for the sad lady. Only God can comfort and help her. I trust God will.
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.
I trust the Lord will draw near to this lady and deliver her from her sorrows. He will do same for you.
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