Early Morning in the Word

I came to your word early to read a fresh word from you,
It was still dark outside the grass wet with morning dew,
I read about Moses and Aaron and your mighty working,
About your presence in the cloud and fire always lurking,
I read about Israel refusal to trust and acting in unbelief,
Which caused forty years of wandering and much grief,
I read about the times to Moses you simply did speak,
When the future looked clouded - unsure - a little bleak,
I yearn to hear you speak to my heart like you did then,
I want to hear you speak to me like you did Moses again,
I can never be content to know you from a distance,
I want to draw nearer though my flesh offers resistance,
In your word I see much more than religion gone stale,
I see you at work and how your promises never fail,
I read about men through whom you did impossible feats,
Conquering the enemy crushing him in devastating defeats,
As I shut the holy book to bow my head and begin to pray,
 Lord I plead with you - speak and work through me that way.

Waiting

Lord I am waiting on you today,
Waiting for what you will say,
I am waiting for you to move,
To make the rough path smooth,
Waiting on you to give me light,
Where I walk by faith not by sight,
Waiting for you to show the way,
I am to follow this and every day,
Waiting on a clearer point of view,
Revealing less of me - more of you,
Waiting on my burdens to be lifting,
Waiting on you to finish your sifting,
Waiting on you calm my stormy mind,
Waiting on you and your peace to find,
Yes Lord,  I am still waiting on you,
To move and faithfully come through.

Listen. Submit. Repent. Obey

God is still in the business of speaking. All across the land God has spoken in devotion times this morning. He will speak in Bible study classes in churches of every size today, and the word of the Lord will be delivered through pastors, evangelists, and worship pastors.

We may not always like what the word of the Lord is. We like it when God speaks words of encouragement but do not like it so much when God speaks word of conviction. We also do not like it when God calls us to a new task that will require faith and courage.

This is the word that Jonah received and he rebelled. Jonah was given the assignment to call out a rebellious city. Jonah chose rebellion rather than obedience. Many of God's children are living in open rebellion against what He has spoken. There are consequences. Our rebellion not only affects us personally but it also affects others corporately. Rebellion can impact a family, a church congregation, and a community. The rebellion of many definitely has impacted our country negatively.

While God sends chastisement many are asleep, apathetic, and hard hearted. They are not even phased by God's reproof. Even more alarming some are willing to die before they repent and submit to God. Such was the case with Jonah.

I don't know where you are in your walk with God. You may be in compliance with all you understand God has revealed for you at this time. On the other hand, you may be living in open defiance and rebellion against God. If you are in rebellion I have a word of caution and a word of hope.

First, the word of caution. Honestly, where do you think you can run and hide from God. [Ps 139:7-12] reminds us God is EVERYWHERE! There is no place you can run away from Him. Wherever you go you will find yourself running right into Him for God is already there. His chastisement will not stop because He loves you. [Heb 12:4-11] It is in your best interest to come to repentance and to submit to God.

Now the word of hope. You may be so defiant you are willing to die rather than to comply to God's wishes. Jonah wanted to be tossed into the stormy sea rather than go to Nineveh. The word of hope is that God is a God of mercy. God appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah rather than let him drown. God rescued Jonah from his foolishness. God still does the same today.

It is time to repent, submit, and obey. I spent the better part of this morning seeking to make sure I am doing just that. I seek to repent of any known sin. I seek to submit to God and His leadership in my life. I also desire to obey even when obedience is costly and may not be something I necessarily want to do.

Speak

O Word of God become flesh I need you to speak,
No other voice will do and none other do I seek,
You spoke to Moses like a man to his best friend,
I plead your message you would hurry and send,
Need for your voice constantly drives me to pray,
I plead for your fresh word delivered on this day,
Whether you exhort, rebuke, challenge or call,
Matters not as I bend my heart, ear, life, my all,
I ask for your word to find lodging deep in my heart,
A timely message to give me a much needed jump start,
I plead for your words of life to fill my heart and soul,
Until I'm clearly directed and once again made whole,
I long for your words to fill every chasm of my mind,
As your will I yearn to obey and prayerfully to find,
I need you to speak words that have abundant weight,
Words from men compared to yours are second rate,
You know my heart and the need of this very hour,
I plead for you to speak to me in love and with power.

Celebrity

The ministry is filled with celebrity preachers, pastors, authors, and singers. These people are gifted and many have household names. Their faces are familiar, their ministries are fruitful, and there future is bright.

On the other hand, there are those who labor in obscurity in small places and in hard spiritual soil but they remain faithful. Many never get paid much. Some have to hold down a full time job in order to serve in "part-time" ministry. There is no such thing as part-time ministry. Ministry is full time. There might only be part-time pay.

There are faithful pastors in persecuted countries who never achieve celebrity status because they are so often imprisoned or martyred. They stay the course though the world never learns their names.

I had an interesting week. I preached a revival where God moved the past few days. I love revivals. Churches should consider holding them again. They have become out of date for these modern times and as a result the valley of dry bones continues.

Wednesday I preached before one of the largest crowds I have ever preached to. I sat humbled before that vast crowd in that large church that God chose me to preach to them.

Thursday it was back to reality. I spent the whole day mowing yards. I no longer wore slacks and a dress shirt. I wore jeans, boots and a t-shirt. I got sweaty and dirty. You know, blue collar kind of work. For this season in life that is what my life as a pastor calls for. No celebrity status. Just a common man working and serving along common people.

I do not begrudge celebrity ministers. God uses them mightily. What I do begrudge is when a prophet serves only for profit. I do begrudge when the celebrity pastor has no time for the sheep. I do begrudge when the famous singer performs rather than worships. I do begrudge when the author writes with one eye toward book sales and marketing while closing ears to the voice of God wanting to be heard.

I am thankful for the backwood preachers, the small church pastors, the gifted choir members, and obscure authors who offer their service and gifts to the Lord. I am thankful for those men and women who labor faithfully but never get put on a conference platform or get called to the bigger and better churches. I am thankful for those ministers who preach boldly and stand courageously despite persecution from those hostile to the gospel.

I am also thankful for those God chooses to use on a grander scale. Billy Graham. Chuck Swindoll. Beth Moore. John Piper. Louie Giglio. Chris Tomlin. Kay Arthur. All faithful ministers. All celebrities who are humbled in the presence of Jesus.

Whatever our ministry may we all say with John the Baptist, "He must increase and I must decrease." [Jn 3:30] Jesus alone deserves celebrity status.

You Were Born To Do This

You were born to do this." Those were the last words spoken to me by Eric Adcock, who is more than a friend but a true brother, before I walked on the stage last night before several hundred students. I felt the presence and power of God pulsating through my entire body as I expounded truth from II Chronicles 7:14. God moved. Many students were saved. Others repented of sin and were restored to the Lord. This morning I am dumfounded by this past week and especially last night.

I was born to preach and write. I am never more alive than when God allows me to do those things and uses me. I felt alive last night before those students in ways I could never put into words. I take no credit. God did it all.

He saved me. He called me. He anointed me. He gave the opportunity. He opened His word and revealed truth. He saved the lost. He convicted and led people to repentance. He moved through the worship. He drew people to Himself. I am just a vessel. I want to deflect all praise and honor on Him my true King.

God put me on this earth to preach. What did He create you to do? [Eph 2:10]

Repentance and Prayer

Today millions of people gathered around flag poles to pray. Though many get excited about this it does not excite me as much as those students and adults who linger in intercession the rest of the year. I am inspired by those who keep praying. Who keep interceding. Who keep pleading with God to change their schools and their communities.

Prayer is hard work and the church would rather sing, hear preaching, teaching, and do just about anything else than to pray. Do we think that just because people show up one day out of the year to pray that God is obligated to come and heal our land.

God's own people do not even live like they are redeemed. Holiness of life should accompany words from our mouth offered in prayer. Repentance is the need of the hour. The people of God need to turn from wicked ways.

Yes we need to pray. We need to pray more than one time a year. We need to stand in the gap for our communities all through the year and for decades if need be until God heals this broken, rebellious, and lost land. I have often thought about SYATP. With millions of people praying where is the revival? Where is the great move of God to come and heal our land? If so many are praying where are the results?

Could it be that God sees the hypocrisy around the flag pole? Could it be that God sees through the insincerity in the prayers offered? Could it be that God sees the apathy of His people? Could it be that God knows how fast some will leave the flag pole and make a dead sprint toward sin again.

God still has a remnant who still pray. In Seminole, TX a small remnant of women still gather early in the mornings to pray. The last I heard they are down to two. There was a time when more came. Those women inspire and ignite fire in my heart more than the millions gathered at the flag pole this morning. They travail in soul agonizing prayer for their community and for revival to come. They have been doing this for three straight years.

I get excited about a group of senior adult ladies at FBC Paradise who have been gathering to pray for over a decade on Wednesday mornings.

We need God to heal this wicked land. We are a nation on a direct collision course with judgment from a righteous God. Who will stand in the gap the other days of the year? Who yearns for revival with their deepest longing? Are we satisfied as Satan rapes and pillages this nation? Are we content to sit in our comfortable holy huddles and pews as the nation drifts further and further away from God.

People of God it is time to pray, to seek the face of God in humility and to turn from our wickedness. It is time to get serious about the things of God pleading for a nation wide revival. It is time to give ourselves to that pursuit.

Sending and Going

Somewhere in the world today God is changing the lives of His followers as He calls and sends those people on assignment for Him. It might be a college student who will hear the call of God to foreign lands in a quiet time this morning. It might be God's voice speaking to someone through a book as He calls them to leave the life they have known for a new life and a new assignment. The voice of God may speak through music. He may use people. The place God most often speaks to me is in the scriptures.

At this moment God is calling out to young men, young women, older women and older men and all others in between to go on mission for Him. For some this will mean living in primitive conditions.

For the past eight days my family endured life in a home with no a/c. This past Wednesday when the temperatures soared close to the century mark the house became extremely uncomfortable. All that night I tossed and turned. I had a fan blowing on me but I might as well as have had a blow dryer blowing hot air on me for that is what it felt like. I got up and tried to sleep on the floor in the living room under the ceiling fan but it did not help.

God is sending some of His followers into conditions just like this permanently and not for eight days. What amazes me is people are willing to go. Their love for God and commitment to obey His prompting make them willing to give up the American dream for God's dreams.

In response to what Jesus did for us on the cross shouldn't we all be ready to be sent and to go where ever He leads. There is an old song with that sentiment. "Where ever He leads I'll go. Where ever He leads I'll go. I will follow my Christ who loves me so, where ever He leads I'll go." We often act like that song and being sent are for all those other people. Not us. We are convinced God will never call us. He will never choose us. He will never send us. And the truth is that most times God does not call us or send us in some dramatic change in geographical location.

He does call and He does send in other ways. He calls us to be missionaries right where we live and work. He calls and sends us to ministries within the local church. He calls and sends His people on short term mission trips. He calls us to the hospitals from time to time to minister to the sick and ailing. He calls us to the homes of the grief stricken to comfort and console. He calls us to the lost souls of our communities to share a word of witness about Jesus.

Every so often God comes in a different form. At times God calls some of His followers to uproot, to follow Him, and to relocate their lives to places God directs. Though I have never been called to be a missionary, I have been called to be on mission for the Lord in several different cities from east Texas to west Texas and places in between. I have heard the clear voice of God calling me to follow Him even when it did not make sense and it required sacrifice. I have known the agony of soul of being sent from people I loved dearly to a people I did not even know. Such is the nature of truly being available to God.

I recently heard a commercial on the radio about the late pastor of FBC Dallas W.A. Criswell. God called and sent him to FBC Dallas while he was still relatively young. He was sent and he followed. God's assignment for him included remaining in that one church for fifty years. My pastor served my home church for thirty-four years. God sends some servants on assignments like that.

He also calls others to uproot frequently like he did with G. Campbell Morgan. He also surprises some after years in one place of ministry to be uprooted to serve elsewhere like He did with Jonathan Edwards and A.W. Tozer.

God gets to call the shots. He gets to determine the assignment and the length of the assignment. He alone reserves the right to call and to send. We have the responsibility to listen and to follow obediently.  Where are you being sent? Across the street and across the aisle or across the world? What kingdom assignment is God choosing you for? God is always sending His people but His people are not always going.

I exhort you to meditate on [Is 6:8] today and ask where God is sending you. God may reply by telling you that you are right where He wants you for now. You may on the other hand feel unsettled when He calls you to loosen your tent pegs as you get ready to be sent elsewhere. You could ignore such a prompting and reject His new assignment for you. You would not be the first. This is not the way of a true follower of Christ.

Years ago I received an invitation to preach a youth event at another church. I accepted and prayed and prepared for God to work among those students. At the time this church did not have a pastor. On Saturday afternoon the youth minister stopped by the home where I was staying and dropped a bomb on me. He told me many people were interested in my coming there to be their pastor. At the time I could not have been happier in the church I served. We had a great ministry and were loved by our flock.

When the youth minister left I wrestled with the Lord in prayer the rest of that afternoon. I ended up changing the message that night and preaching a message to myself from [Rom 12:1]. Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Dozens and dozens of people responded that night coming to the altar. I could barely get off the stage. I went off to the side and knelt by the organ there. I prayed something like this, "God if nobody else in this room means this I mean it. I will lay my life on your altar. If you want me to leave where I am and send me here as the pastor of this church I give you my yes." Four months later my family officially relocated.

This summer while preaching a youth camp I had another one of those times with the Lord. The Lord stirred my heart as we sang a song about surrender. I got down on my knees and then bowed my face to the ground. I relived that scene near the organ. I recommitted my life to go where ever God might send me. In some ways such surrender is exciting and in other ways it is frightening.

God does the sending. We are supposed to do the going. So whether God is sending you to a new ministry within your church or to a new country, will you go. Isaiah made himself available to God. We often do that with stipulations. God demands unconditional surrender. For W.A. Criswell and my pastor that meant staying in the same place of ministry for decades. For others like Hudson Taylor that meant leaving his family to board a ship bound for China where he labored and suffered for Christ. God alone has the right to do the sending. Our responsibility is to do the going once we are sent.

Do It Again Lord

In the summer of 2010 I experienced a move of God I will never forget. Revival for twenty-three straight days. Dozens of people were saved. We were all drawn closer to God. Times of worship were sweet as young and old sang alike. I blogged about every single one of those days. I intend to go back and read them later.

I am preaching a revival for Brock Baptist Church this week. Tonight is supposed to be the last night but I wonder if God has other plans. God is doing something. There have not been any people saved but the work of God among His people has been deep. People have come to the altar each service. The love of the people for one another is evident. Many were under deep conviction last night. I sensed the presence of the Lord in the music and while preaching. I am not convinced God will accomplish all He wants to do tonight. It feels like we are just getting warmed up.

I wonder if God would do something as wonderful as I saw in Seminole back in August of 2010. I have prayed diligently for this revival since they scheduled the meeting. My heart is full of revival thoughts and prayers. O how I plead that God would do it again.

After the funeral service for Salvation Army Founder, William Booth, somebody was coming back in to close up the church. One person remained at the altar praying in tears. Over and over again the prayer warrior prayed this prayer, "Do it again Lord! Do it again Lord! Do it again Lord!" They were asking God to raise up another mighty preacher and soul winner like William Booth. Do it again Lord.

I had the privilege of going to Pensacola, FL for the Brownsville revival back in the 90's on two different occasions. I will never forget arriving at the parking lot around 6:00 a.m. and dozens of people were already standing in line to get into the service that night. Those people waited twelve hours in the hot sun to get into that revival service and that took place every day. That revival started on a Father's day and lasted for around three years. They had a banner hanging up in their sanctuary that simply read, "More Lord!"

That is my heart for the revival in Brock. "Do it again Lord. More Lord." Would you pray with us as we meet tonight and discern God's plans after tonight.

Compassion

"When He saw the crowds He felt compassion for them because they were weary and worn like sheep without a shepherd." [Matt 9:36]

Jesus had compassion for people. All types of people. In this passage several things stick out. First Jesus saw the crowds. I don't think that means that He just saw a blob of humanity. He saw people. He saw individuals. He saw their hurts and their hearts.

We learn in this passage that the people were weary. They were tired, exhausted, weak and despondent. They were faint of heart. These people were also worn. Life was hard for them and the burdens and trials of an oppressive government and religious system had worn them down.

Jesus saw all this and it moved Him to deep compassion. He had a tender love and affection for these people.

Back in the spring of 2009 I sat in the back of the sanctuary of FBC Seminole on a Saturday night during a Disciple Now waiting to preach. I looked around the room at all the people and God reminded me of [Matt 9:36]and gave me a compassion for those people. It was a deeply spiritual experience. They were without a pastor and four months later I would become their pastor. I did not know this at the time. All I knew is God moved in my heart to give me a compassion for people I did not even know.

I saw the worn and weary people. I came to know these people over the next couple of years and grew to love them like I had known them all of my life. I still love them dearly. God gave me compassion for them before I ever really knew them.

This week I am preaching a revival. Last night I saw some five little girls at the front of the church during worship. They sat on the steps of the stage through the worship time. They were not disruptive. At one point as I watched them I felt compassion for them. I wondered how their lives would turn out. When their mothers gathered to pray with them I wondered about their families. I wondered what burdens they carried. I wondered if they were weary and worn from life.

To truly have compassion for people we have to slow down long enough to really see others. We are usually moving so fast we barely notice people. We need to be reminded to walk slowly through the crowds and watch for the needs in people's lives God reveals to us.

Compassion for people is needed. We are often quick to judge and much slower to have compassion. Everybody has a story. What I came to learn in Seminole is that some of those people I saw on that Saturday night in the spring of 2009 had very painful stories. You would have never known it by looking at them on the outside. They appeared to have their lives together. What I learned later is that some struggled, some suffered, and some were not even saved.

Today as I prepare to preach at the revival, make my hospital rounds as a pastor, and go through my day I want God to truly show me people. I want to see beyond the surface and see into the souls of people. I want to walk slowly through the crowd today and tonight prepared to minister and to have compassion for people. That is the way of Jesus.

Never Abandon Your Altar

Have you been praying for something a long time but have not seen the desired outcome? Have you poured out your soul like water from a cup before the Lord until you have nothing left but the answer still does not come? Do you entertain the thought, "What's the use nothing is changing?"

If so I would direct your attention to the first chapter of Luke to Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth. Zacharias never abandoned his altar even though he did not have a child. They both were righteous people in the sight of the Lord [Luke 1:6] but they still did not have a child. Prayers were offered and prayers went unheeded and all hope seemed gone. They were both advanced in years.

Zacharias never abandoned his altar as he prayed and offered incense to the Lord. He prayed, he worshiped, and he thanked God even though the long sought after child never came.

Suddenly an angel appeared one day and announced the coming of a child. Elizabeth got pregnant and nine months later John the Baptist was born. Impossible situation made possible by an infinite God.

No situation is too far gone for God. No situation is beyond hope with God. No doctor has the final say while God has the ability to heal and deliver. Nothing you face today is beyond God's reach. So when you feel despair remember Zacharias and Elizabeth and never abandon your altar.

God's Will

What is God's will? This is a question asked by many followers of Christ. What does God intend, purpose, and desire where you and I live?

Understanding and following God's will is not just some devotional sentiment. It requires surrender to God and His plans. It requires courageous faith to obey. Sometimes His will leads us down paths beside still waters and into green pastures. At other times His will leads us through the desolate dry desert.

This is an issue I presented before our adults and students last night. Many people live their entire lives and never give this question any consideration. They never ask God about a vocation or whom to marry. Sadly others know God's will but turn in rebellion like Jonah. To know God's will and to disobey it is sin. It is offensive to God.

What has God planned and what does He desire where you are and where I am? What does God will for my ministry and yours? What does God will for my oldest son who is a senior this year and for your children as well? What does God will for this day?

This day is a gift. It has never been lived before. There are opportunities to seek and serve the Lord today. We must take full advantage of them. We must live this day and everyday surrendered to God and His agenda. His agenda is very often much different than ours. His agenda for the day may include a lengthy conversation with a lonely soul when your agenda may be to get out of the conversation as quickly as possible. His agenda may require you to give sacrificially when your agenda is to keep your money for your own desires. His agenda may be to get up early to seek Him in prayer while your agenda is to wrap the covers snugly around you choosing to sleep in. His agenda could be urging you to go get a passport to be available to follow His call on a mission trip. Your agenda may be to put off getting a passport so you can use that as an excuse not to go.

God's will very often looks different than mine. His will includes giving my life away. His will includes being constantly available to Him to uproot and follow. His will includes stepping out on narrow mountain paths of faith that appear dangerous while my will includes being comfortable. His will means letting go of my children while my will includes holding them tighter. His will is for me to hold  my possessions very loosely, being readily available to give them up at His slightest prompting. My will is to cherish, polish, and hoard those possessions.

His will leads down the path of holiness while my will often wanders down the path of sin and pleasure. His will is at times uncomfortable while my will always seeks my comfort and security first. His will does not always lead down the road of popularity. His will does not always make sense to the casual observer or the devoted follower alike. His will is often difficult to follow. His will at times includes suffering while my will seeks to avoid suffering at all costs.Like I said at the beginning, God's will is more than a sentimental devotional thought.

 God does not reveal His will for sentiment. He reveals His will to be obeyed. Today you have the opportunity to seek and discover God's will. When He reveals what He purposes and desires you face a choice. You can either submit and obey or reject and rebel. To do the latter is sin.

[James 4:13-17] Come now you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." You don't even know what tomorrow will bring - what your life will be! For you are like a vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes. Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So, for the person who knows to do good and doesn't do it, it is sin.

The Blessing of Jesus

O hallelujah for the blessing of knowing Jesus,
Who died on a cross so He could redeem us,
By His death we're declared righteous and whole,
Cleansed way down in the depths of our souls,
He is our Savior, Lord and our only Master,
He is there in peace and all of life's disasters,
He is tranquility when the storms blast and rages,
He is our sure foundation - the Rock of all Ages,
He is there to comfort in our times of grief,
He is there to strengthen our faith in unbelief,
Jesus is our joy and giver of life abundantly,
 We praise His glorious name more redundantly,
He is strong when our strength becomes weak,
He is the treasure we relentlessly pursue and seek,
He is hope when shadows fall in nights of weeping,
He is faithful when shadows of old age come creeping,
Jesus is more - much more than our words will ever say,
Jesus is our truth, our life, and will always be our way,
Knowing Jesus is of surpassing value beyond all compare,
Jesus is our blessing and may we live His name to declare.

Spoiled in America

It is 3:05 a.m. and I cannot sleep. It is hot in the house. Our air conditioning quit working two days ago. We are waiting for the repairman to be able to get out here some time later today. For two nights I have tossed and turned fitfully with ceiling fans on high and another fan pointed directly at our bed. The boys have not slept well either.

The discomfort I am feeling tonight is experienced by millions every day and every night. Once again I see that I am spoiled in America. I let myself think it is my right to be cool when to enjoy the luxury of a/c is a blessing from God we often take for granted.

We are often spoiled in America. We have climate controlled homes. We have dual climate control in our vehicles so both driver and passenger alike can travel in comfort. Most of us have access to plenteous and savory food we love to eat. We have access to clean water for drinking, cooking, and for showering or bathing.

I am able to write this because I have this computer given to me by the people of FBC Seminole. I have access to the internet so this post can be shared with the world wide web. Yet these luxuries are often taken for granted if the internet is too slow or if the computer does not function properly.

We are spoiled in America. Yesterday I took Tucker lunch to school. He wanted a bacon hamburger with fries and a soft drink. He ate two thirds of the meal and said he was stuffed. He takes food for granted like most of us. My kids often waste food. They do not understand the cost of food at the grocery store. They do not understand that most of the meat we eat was donated to us by some dear friends who gave sacrificially. I do not take that beef for granted.

I am spoiled to the modern comforts and conveniences of life in the United States and in the Bible belt. On my desk I have two copies of God's word. I take access to the scriptures for granted. Piled neatly on my desk are also six other Christian books. In my living room lined neatly on the built in book cases are hundreds of other books. In my office at the church are thousands of others. I take them for granted as well. If I lived in a nation where followers of Jesus are persecuted and access to the Bible was limited I would treasure my Bible more. Once again I am spoiled in America.

I am spoiled with things like remote control, riding lawn mower, dish washer, washing machine, dryer, ceiling fans, hot water in the shower, and a water dispenser and ice maker on my refrigerator. I am spoiled with the luxuries and conveniences of life.

A couple of nights of sleeping in a home with no a/c is a stark reminder that I am spoiled. The question I face this morning is will I love, serve, and follow Christ devotedly when it is uncomfortable, when it is inconvenient, and when my life is not surrounded by the comforts and luxuries of life in America.

Am I willing to be uncomfortable on a long plane ride and bus ride to the furtherest ends of the earth to proclaim Jesus? Am I willing to give up the comforts of my home and ministry to follow Jesus anywhere at anytime to do anything? [Matt 16:24] [Mark 1:17]  Am I willing to give up life and ministry in the Bible belt in serving Christ? [Is 6:8] Am I willing to faithfully proclaim the truth of God's word to small congregations in off the beaten pathways without notoriety or fame? Am I willing to keep writing when few ever read my books? Am I willing to leave Brenda and the boys to go and preach where invited? [Luke 18:28-30]

In light of the cross of Jesus Christ how can I not say "yes" to all the above and how can you not do the same. The only thing I really have a right to is eternity in hell. Praise Jesus that through the cross He declared me righteous owing to no merit of my own. [II Cor 5:21]  It was, is, and will always be amazing grace. [Eph 2:8-9]

I am dealing with the truth that I am spoiled. This is just one more reminder from God not to take things for granted. My discomfort is temporary in this warm house. Soon the a/c will be repaired (praise God for the home warranty.) Soon life will get back to a sense of normalcy. I pray after this little experience that I will be more willing to be uncomfortable for Jesus and not live like a spoiled brat in America.

Waiting For Open Doors

I am not a patient person by nature. If God has done anything in my life over the past three decades it has been to make me wait. I had to wait on marrying Brenda. I had to wait for my first full time ministry position. I've had to wait on Him multiple times in my life.

Now I am in that position again. I have spent my whole morning, since 4:30 a.m., sending the manuscript of my new book to publishers and literary agents. It was relatively easy to self publish my first five books. I have continually felt God calling me to believe Him to take my writing ministry to the next level. Therefore I am searching new avenues to be get published.

To do that from what I have learned, having a literary agent is a must. I not only believe in the message of this book but I believe God wants to use that message all over the world. I can have a broader and more effective ministry as an author touching more lives than I can as a pastor. I love serving as a pastor and believe it God's call on my life but equally I have a calling to write. While I can only preach in one place at a time (until our church branches out with media) through books I can minister all over the world and touch millions of people. It is also important for this book to sell because all the money goes to pay off the remaining debt for the hospital in Copan Ruinas, Honduras.

The dream of being published on a broader scale has long been a point of prayer. I covet your prayers on behalf of this book. I need God to go before me to open doors that have long been closed to me. I believe in the message of this book as strongly as any book I have ever written. I felt compelled to write it. Now I feel compelled to get the message out to others.

I will not personally profit from the book. The kingdom of God will profit. Now we pray and wait to see what God does. The book was written as an offering to the Lord and is now laid at His feet. He can do with the book what He pleases. Whether used in little ways or larger ways the book is His. Will you believe with me for God to open doors to get it into print and into the hands of people.

You Were There

I remember like yesterday all too well, 
When planes crashed and towers fell, 
I remember shock and the staggering grief,
When we all stared and stood in disbelief, 
Where are You God in the midst of the pain, 
When smoke and debris fell down like rain, 
We cried and wept as Billy Graham spoke, 
Truth from the holy book that you wrote, 
We walked around stunned - silent for days,
They searched for survivors where towers laid,
You were there Lord for a nation in mourning,
On that fateful tragic September morning,
You were there giving courage to firemen trying,
To rescue those injured and to those near dying,
You were there to rally a heavy hearted nation,
Sparking unity - waving flags in patriotic elation,
You were there to comfort families in their loss,
You twisted metal from the tower into a cross,
You were there in churches all across the land,
Touching the hurting with your loving gentle hand,
You were there for those who knew you by name,
Made righteous through Christ no longer in shame,
You were there during sob filled prayer meetings,
You were there in that awful long night of weeping,
You were there in the funerals of all the redeemed,
You were there when lost heros were esteemed,
You are still here after all these years gone by,
Look up for our redemption is ever drawing nigh.

Speak the Truth in Love

There are many preachers and church members who make a big deal about truth. They want the truth to be preached, taught, and spoken. You hear a lot about this in church. Some big shot preacher gets up and rants and raves preaching truth wounding and blasting everyone who gets in their way. This is true of many evangelists who blow into town, blow up the church, and then blow onto the next town. [Eph 4:15] exhorts us to speak the truth in love.

If you do not love the people you preach or teach to you don't care if they are wounded and beaten down by the words you say. You can justify your behavior by saying the word of God offends and it cuts deeply. Yes. We preachers are supposed to preach the truth. We not supposed to water down God's inspired word. We are not to compromise.

That does not give us the excuse to use the pulpit to be a showman with loud and catchy phrases uttered to solicit shock in response from the crowd. We are supposed to declare the truth. All of it. Even those passages many preachers like to shy away from. We are supposed to declare the whole counsel of God, but we are supposed to do it in love.

I have found over the years as a pastor that I can declare any hard truth, and the people will receive it, when they know I love them. When I have prayed with them, wept with them, sat by their hospital bedsides, grieved at the cemetery with them, listened to them, and invested my life in them; they know I love them and they listen more intently.

Many pastors know very little about loving the flock. They use the pulpit to manipulate and intimidate people. Some pastors and evangelists are nothing more than bullies in the pulpit. They do not care about people. Nobody says anything to them because the messages are Biblically true but they are not preached from a heart of love. That pastor does not have the heart of a shepherd.

On the other hand, there are pastors who love their congregations. They are great shepherds but they do not preach hard truth so as not to offend anyone. They sugar coat the messages. It is like eating a steady diet of candies, cake, ice cream, and pastries. That all might taste good but too much of it is not good for you. There is no substance in that diet. A steady diet of sugar coated preaching can actually harm the flock rather than nourish their souls. Truth has to be preached. Hard truths of the Bible cannot be avoided.

If I truly love the flock I will declare the meat of God's word. I will offer them the whole counsel of God but do so with a loving shepherd heart. We are supposed to preach, teach, and speak the truth in love. We are supposed to be bold as a lion declaring the truth and yet with a loving shepherd's heart.

I preached one of those hard passages this past Sunday from [Luke 9:57-62]. God welled passion in my soul and I did not hold back. I also do not feel I crossed a line and preached hard just for the sake of preaching hard. I love these people and want them to be presented to Christ as a spotless bride who need not be ashamed. I will not shrink back from declaring hard truth but I will also love and serve them as well.

When I went to the back to shake hands after that message a lady thanked me for the message and said she enjoyed it. I commented that there was no way she could have really enjoyed it. The truth hit hard. She looked me in the eye and said she did indeed enjoy it and she needed her toes stepped on from time to time. I sat with another lady in the hospital today that told me Sunday's message was just for her and how God used it in her life.

Hard truth preached indeed but truth preached from a heart of love.

Nights of Weeping

This is a short excerpt from my latest book Weeping for a Night. I just finished editing the rough draft and will send it on to the publisher. I hope it will be released around the first of the year. I am using all the money from book sales to go toward paying off the remaining debt on the hospital in Copan Ruinas Honduras.

This is a book written for people who are suffering. This is a book written for those trying to put their lives back together against the backdrop of sorrow, disappointment, grief, and pain. In the midst of such pain and confusion many have questioned God and hardened their hearts against Him. The rationale goes if God exists and loves us how could He allow such soul throbbing hurts in our lives.

            Many times I have had a front row seat to witness painful seasons of life. I have listened to brokenhearted spouses with swollen tear filled eyes trying to cope with divorce. I have sat by the bedsides of those horrifically ravaged with pain staring death in the eyes. I have wept with people in the midst of terrible tragedies. I have stood with grieving parents pleading for prodigal sons and daughters to return to the Lord. I have watched the hopelessness of those living in financial hardship scrambling to stay one step ahead of creditors. I have wept with those who have lost loved ones and I’ve made their grief my own.

            There is much being written today about the victorious Christian life. I do not think a twelve step strategy for the victorious Christian life would have helped Job and some of the real life people I have rubbed shoulders and shared life with. At times I have stood in stunned silence with those enduring suffering having no words of comfort, no theological explanations, and with my own questions.

            [Psalm 30:5] serves as the backdrop for this book. “For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may endure for a night, but there is joy in the morning.” (HCSB) I find two things fascinating about this verse. First, God lets us know there will be some dark nights of weeping in life. There will be seasons of sorrow and grieving that might seem like they will never end. These nights of 

            This is what I am certain of. Nights of weeping do not last forever even though it might not seem that way. Yesterday’s trials can turn into tomorrow’s triumphs. God always has the last say. He told us up front there would be some hard seasons to get through. He told us that He would never leave us or forsake us in those tough times. He also told us,  on the heels of every night of weeping for the child of God joy would come in the morning. That morning might be in this present life or we may discover it in eternity. Either way the long awaited joyous morning will come. Hang on until that day. 

Open House

Yesterday some people from the church wanted to give us a open house. Dozens of people came to share in the joy of God's blessing for our family. Our friends and flock gathered all over the house to laugh, visit, and get a tour of the house from Brenda. She was a great hostess. I watched her with admiration as she took person after person on a tour. She is blessed to live in this house and I can tell she has finally built her nest and feels settled.

The only room I showed off was my office. I proudly brought people back here and told them this one room was the selling point for me. This room is an answer to two decades of prayer. One lady commented how she felt God's peace in this room.

It was a little uncomfortable. So many people inspecting the house and us having to be the center of attention is not comfortable for Brenda and I. We are not pretentious people. While we rejoice in all that God has given us we never want others to think we are rich or materialistic. Most of what we have we have because we prayed and God blessed. We want God to get all the glory for our home and furnishings.

We were blown away when we saw a new patio table with six chairs on our back porch. These were a gift from the people who love us. One man even came over and put it all together for us. We are humbled by God's faithfulness and the love of friends and our flock. The day before Brenda commented to me that she looks forward to us sitting on the back porch when the weather cools a little. Now our whole family will be able to dine out there. We will also use that space to entertain. We are so blessed by God and people who love us.

Every time someone said, "You did good in getting this house," or "We are so proud and happy for your family," I deflected the glory back to God. I replied, "God did good and we are blessed." We love this home.

Though I love our home I am reminded that "this world is not my home I am just a passing through my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue." As they were traveling on the road someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go!" Jesus told him, "Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head." [Luke 9:57-58]

As much as we honor God and celebrate His gift of this wonderful home we hold onto to it loosely. We know God could call us to give it up. We want to enjoy it every moment He allows us to live here whether that be for decades or a few short years. On this planet we have come to learn we have no permanent dwelling place. I could die and Brenda sell this home like the previous owner did. One day God could uproot us to a new ministry in a new town or state. He could call us to downsize one day. We could enjoy this home into our Senior Adult years. All of that is laid at His feet.

We are grateful for God's blessing and provision that made this home possible. We are grateful for the love, prayers, and blessings of God's people. Our heart is to use this home as a place of ministry. It is a tool for that purpose. We had close to three dozen people in this house yesterday but it did not ever feel crowded. We look forward to opening our home for prayer meetings, fellowships, and entertaining people to get to know them better.

All the while, we know we must remain open and available for God's purposes. For the second time in a week I heard another person say, "Do not take things for granted." She was referring to her sick husband. So we seek to enjoy this house and use it to bless others. We do not take the gift of God to get to live here for granted. The house is a blessing and the time I share with my family here is a blessing. Memories have already been made. Bike rides with the boys. Driving around in our golf cart (the house came with a golf cart - go figure). Family movie nights. Family prayer meetings. Meals cooked and enjoyed with one another.

Lord willing soon we will decorate for and celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. In all seasons we want our house to be open for ministry. We want our house to remain open to enjoy family and friends. We welcome the boys to have their friends over. We love it when they spend the night. We want to share meals with those we love in this beautiful home.

Through it all, in the back of my mind, I know how quickly God could require us to give this up. God opened this house for us. We pray diligently He will pay down the debt. God willed us to live here. I am convinced of that. As long as He allows us the blessing of living here our house is open.

When we bought our first house in east TX at 4128 Evans Gann Rd I thought we would live there forever. To this day I always drive by that house when I am in the area. God called us to give up that house and to move. When we bought our house on NW Ave B in Seminole I thought we would live there to our old age. When God called us to give up that house it hurt. After moving back to Paradise and before we sold that house I sat in the garage weeping one day on a trip back there. I did not understand why God required us to give up a place we loved so much to live in that rent house. I know all too well how quickly God require that all this be laid down and forsaken as we follow Him.

One thing is for sure. We waited on God a long time for this house. We will not take it for granted and we will count ourselves blessed every day we get to live here. We hold onto this home loosely. We are still available to God. As long as God allows us to live here our house will always be open. As long as He gives us breath we will also always be open to following God whatever that may mean and wherever that might take us. For now, I thank God for this home. I thank God for the family I get to enjoy in this home. I thank God for a flock who prayed with us and now celebrate God's provision with us in this open house.

Don't Look Back

Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord, but first let me go and say good-bye to those at my house." But Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." [Luke 9:61-62]

When did you first put your hand to the plow? I did so back in October of 1983. That was thirty years ago next month. The corner of the field God has called me to plow has not been easy. In fact, it has been downright difficult at times. Looking back has been tempting. Even more tempting has been the thought of turning back all together when the times got tough. Over the past thirty years there were many times when the temptation to walk away from ministry appeared enticing.

I am talking about times when nobody wanted me to be their youth minister or pastor. I cried out to God to use me and when He didn't I held onto the plow more loosely tempted to let go. He sustained me. There have been times when those I served turned against me. Their words were cruel and cut deeply. I looked back over my shoulder in those days longing for what appeared to be better days in my past. There have also been some times when God used me and moved mightily. Like in the youth group at Spring Creek Baptist Church, like during youth camps for FBC Dalhart, like during the four years at FBC Paradise, and during the amazing revival at FBC Seminole that lasted over three weeks.

All of that is in the past. The plow for me now is in Wise County unless God chooses to move me again one day. I have to grip the handles firmly at Faith Community Church and Sunday after Sunday keep plowing the fields and sowing His word. Some days that will mean days in the office studying. On other days that will mean mowing. Other days that will mean shepherding the flock. There will be days when gripping the handles of the plow will mean writing and there will be days when it means packing my suitcase to travel to go preach a revival or camp somewhere else.

It is easy to look back. Paul exhorted us to forget what lies behind and to press forward to what lies ahead. [Phil 3:13] Your road in following Jesus may not have been an easy one. You may be tempted to look behind you. Look back to a past before you were a follower of Jesus. Sin may look more tempting. The former way of life may appear easier and more appealing but that is all deception from the enemy. You may look back to a geographical location and to a group of people you hold dear. You may look back to a time when life had less challenges and more trappings of success than you are experiencing now. You may be tempted to look back to the past but you cannot plow straight in the fields when you are looking behind you.

This day God has given you a plow to grip. It might be as a husband and father or a wife and a mother. Your plow could be a vocation or a miserable ministry. You may even be tired and bored with your plow because you have been gripping it for so long working in the same old fields. Hear this clearly. Only God has the right and authority to release your hands from the plow He has given you! Only God can give you permission to let go!

Your job is to press forward right where you are leaning into that plow and trusting God for a harvest in your field. Some of you plow in rich fertile fields where the dirt is dark with nutrients ready to receive seed and yield a harvest of abundance. Others of you labor by the sweat of your brow in fields filled with rocks, thorns, hard soil, and yielding little fruit. Plow the field God has given you. Don't look back. Keep training your children. Keep loving your spouse. Keep serving in your ministry. Keep loving your Lord.

There are many who do more than look back. They eventually turn lose of the plow and pursue a life of fleeting pleasures that never fulfill. Your God ordained destiny is in front of you. Even if God ever did restore you to plow in fields from the past He would lead you to those fields in the future and not in the past. We must keep plowing ahead. One foot, one yard, and one row at a time. Your focus must be on what is in front of you and not what is behind you.

It may feel like a grind. You may be weary in your bones. You may be bored and want to look for greener pastures in marriage, work, and where you worship. Plow ahead. Keep your hand to the plow and do not look back.

Those who look back and release their grip are not fit for the kingdom of God. Those are not my words. Those are Jesus words. Like I said earlier only Jesus has the right and the authority to release you from your present plow. It is time to re-grip and set your mind to the work He has called you to. Keep plowing where He planted you.

Jesus First Over Family

Jesus first over family. How many people hide behind their families as an excuse for not following Jesus. People say they do not want to upset their children or put undo stress on a spouse or leave aging parents. 

Jesus calls for the opposite response in Luke 9:57-62. Obedience and allegiance to Jesus is to be first even over allegiance to family. It is one thing to SAY you want to follow Jesus. It is an entirely different matter to actually follow through. It is not easy and often not comfortable to follow Jesus. Just ask William Carey, Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, Watchman Nee, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer. They all paid a dear price for following Jesus.

But they did follow even with it proved costly! Some of these lost spouses and children as they submitted and obeyed. They still followed. Some lost their lives. They stayed faithful to the end.

Do we think Jesus only meant these challenging words for those folks. What about us. I recall all too well each time I had to sit the boys down and tell them God was calling us to follow Him and move just like He did the disciples in Matt 4:18-22. Their tears were real. My wife's tears did not subside for some time. Their questions were hard and their confusion lingered. They grieved. I grieved. I still grieve the loss of flocks from the past. I still question God as to why sometimes. I still shed tears from time to time. We still followed.

Jesus first even over family. Listen. Submit. Obey. Follow. This is the way of a follower of Christ.

A Bigger Game

There is a bigger game than the one on Friday nights,
Where life is lived without the crowds or the lights,
The game of life and serving Jesus Christ the Lord,
Deserving our fullest dedication - devotion and more,
I wear the uniform of "Jesus Follower" very proudly,
I am not ashamed to proclaim His name rather loudly,
The game of life is a battle hard fought on bent knees,
Fighting for righteousness and revival in urgent pleas,
The labor for souls at home and abroad in the nations,
So they too can worship and serve Christ with elation,
There is a bigger game than playing grid iron football,
There is a Savior to serve with our passion - with our all.

Seeing is Believing

Exodus chapter fourteen is one of the great chapters in the Bible where the miraculous awesome power of God is put on display. Let me set the stage. Moses and Israel have followed God's leadership out of Egypt and to the Red Sea. Pharaoh and the Egyptian army chase them down with chariots but God holds them back at the Red Sea. In an unbelievable display of might God causes a wind to blow through the Red Sea parting the waters into two huge walls while Israel crosses over to the other side of the sea. When Pharaoh and Egypt are allowed to pursue the walls of water cave in on them drowning all.

[Ex 14:31] When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

What is ironic is that earlier in that same chapter Israel doubted God as the Egyptian army closed in and they actually wished they could go back and be enslaved again rather than die at the Red Sea. When God came through, as He always does, they believed in Him. One chapter later they doubted God again when they got in the desert and were thirsty. So began a recurring theme among the nation. When God tested their faith they doubted, grumbled, and complained. When God worked they believed in Him.

Trial. Doubt. God's miraculous intervention. Belief. Another trial. More doubt. Another miracle. Belief. This repeated itself over and over again. When they saw God work they believed. During the trials they doubted. Don't followers of Jesus do the same thing today.

Doubt plagues the church today. What are you doubting God to do in your life currently? Is there some trial keeping you up at night and causing you to live in anxiety? When the Lord tests your faith do you trust Him or do you shrink back in unbelief like Israel?

God intentionally led Israel to the Red Sea where there backs were against the wall. It did not make sense. The ominous end looked certain. Israel doubted except for Moses. God told Moses to be still and stand firm and watch His salvation unfold. I bet mouths gaped open when the pillar of fire held the Egyptian army back. I bet they were bewildered when the waters of the sea began to part.

Over the years God has allowed me to see His mighty hand move again and again. Before I saw Him move He tested my faith. I have often recounted that when I left Seminole, TX on July 21, 2011 I had no salary for the new church. I had a few hundred dollars in my pocket and a borrowed r/v to live in on the property of some friends in Paradise. I left Brenda and the three younger boys behind as Taylor and I set out on an adventure.

I had a mixture of emotions when I drove out of Gaines County headed to Wise County. I was excited to see what God would do. There was no turning back. I also had some anxiety about starting a new church with no guarantees.

I determined from the beginning I would not tell the church or even Brenda back in Seminole of my financial needs. I would trust God day by day for His provision. Within a couple of weeks the cash in my pocket started running low. Secretly I prayed and waited. On that first Sunday Faith Community Church met in the daycare I tithed on the money I left Seminole with in my pocket. By most means it was not a large sum of money but it was sacrifice.

I did so on in faith. With my funds dwindling I waited on God as the next week started. Then God came through. Someone from east Texas sent me a $500.00 check. Seeing is believing. God met our need without me communicating those needs to anyone including my wife. He parted the Red Sea of our financial needs again and again over the past two years. People from Seminole, TX sent us over $36,000 over the course of the last two years. Every time when the money ran low another gift would show up in the mail. Every time we would see we kept believing.

One time a man drove down from Seminole to hand deliver $7,000 to us given by people who love God and who love the Edwards family. Brenda and I sat dumbfounded and bewildered by the faithfulness of God and His people. We saw and we believed. Another time Brenda's car needed some major repairs. That same man from Seminole who delivered the $7,000 sent us a check for $5,000 at that exact time. The repairs on her car cost over $3,000. Once again we saw God work and believed. God used others to send a $100 here and a $1,000 there. We have not gone without. Our lifestyle has remained largely the same because God has come through. School supplies. Clothes. Tanks of gas. House payments back in Seminole. All provided.

One Sunday the treasurer at Faith Community called me to tell me the church could not pay my salary for the offerings were so low. My heart sunk. My family laid it all on the line to start the church and it felt like God had failed me. I doubted. The very next day we received a check in the mail for $2,000. God came through once again. Instead of believing I lived in doubt wondering what would happen the next time I was supposed to get paid. I took my eyes off God and put them on men. Bad mistake. The long story. I have never missed another paycheck. I have not missed any meals. My bills have all been paid. Today I live in a spacious home and when I look back over what God has done over the past two years I am awed. I do believe. I have seen God work time and time again and I believe.

When I went to have my eyes examined shock gripped my soul when I learned I had diabetes. Two different times I could not read the last line on my exam with my left eye at two different doctor's offices. I could make out the first few letters but then the letters blurred and I could not read them.

Yesterday I went to see a new retina doctor. I had to take the same exam. They covered my left eye and asked me to read the lowest line I could read. I read the last line with ease. Then they asked me to cover my right eye and do the same. I remember thinking this is where the trouble starts. One by one I saw and read every letter or number off to the nurse. It shocked me. Even more so when the nurse said you have 20/20 vision from a distance. I sat in that chair thinking, "God you healed my eye. You are healing me." While the nurse worked I prayed this, "God you are healer. You can heal my eye by the touch of your hand. You can restore my sight where I do not have to have laser surgery. You can heal my eye with surgery. Either way I am going to trust you. I am going to praise you. Right now in this chair I worship you."

Soon the doctor came in. His diagnosis? No surgery. He said we caught it early and wants to wait to see what happens over the next two months with my dietary changes. I sat listening in silent praise giving thanks to God. I can honestly say that I have trusted God with my vision from the first day I learned I had a problem. At this point I still need glasses to read. God can heal that as well or I can see through glasses. Either way I trust Him. Seeing is believing.

In my case I mean that literally. Seeing on that eye exam and reading everything on that last line with my left eye, when just two weeks ago I could not, is believing God has touched my eye.

There will be future trials of faith. I will be tested again and again. We already have been since moving into this house but we have also watched God be faithful over and over again. We have watched God work through my vision. I know God touched me. There is no other explanation. I asked God for my sight to keep reading, preaching, and writing. God worked powerfully. I see and I believe.

I pray each of you reading this will see the powerful hand of God moving in your life and in your circumstances. I pray in the trials you trust Him to come through for you. Each time you see God be faithful on your behalf I pray your faith is strengthened for the next trial. Seeing is believing.

Don't Take Things for Granted

I met her at a doctor's appointment. Her name was Janice. Her bracelet caught my attention. I read the words "Yes - No - Wait." I immediately thought about how those words relate to prayer. So, I asked her what the bracelet meant. As she turned the bracelet over she showed that when she prayed God listened and answered yes, no, or wait.

At this point she unloaded her heavy laden heart onto Brenda and I. Last year her son was shot. She did not go into details. He remained in the hospital for months and the doctors said he would never walk again. She prayed and prayed and God answered, "yes." Today her son is walking.

A few months after her son was shot her 44 year hold husband had a massive heart attack requiring a triple by-pass surgery. While he recovered he lost his job and is unable to work. He has filed for disability but it has not been awarded yet. The financial set backs mounted.

Janice praised God she still has her job. Due to financial losses they lost their cars and their home. Janice rides to work on a bus. Her family lives in a hotel. God's answer to all her prayers for those situations has been to "wait." She presses on in faith.

One of the last things she said before ushering us to the next room stuck with me. She commented, "Don't take anything for granted!" I assured her I would pray for her and I ask you to do the same.

Don't take things for granted. I have taken my health for granted for years. Not anymore. I have taken places in ministry for granted until God called me to move to a new field of service. I have taken people for granted. I thought we had years together to love, to serve, and to build more memories until we were separated. I have taken my wife and kids for granted. I have taken meals for granted andshelter for granted. I have taken for granted the ability to walk, see, hear, taste, smell, talk, preach, teach, and to write. I have taken my education and books for granted.

I am thankful for a sermon preached louder to me today than most I have ever heard. Janice has a tough row in front of her. She did not whine. She did not complain. Her testimony displayed a quiet confidence in God who has seen her through tough times in the past. She is grateful for another day with her son. She is grateful for every step he is able to take. She is thankful for more time with her husband. She is thankful for a good job. She personified contentment in all circumstances. [Phil 4;11-13]

Janice inspires me to be more for God. We all have blessings in our lives we take for granted. We take prayer for granted. What a blessing to unload our concerns onto the Lord. We take the fragile gift of life  for granted even though James tells us that life is like a vapor here today and gone tomorrow. I do not want to take this precious gift or those I get to share it with for granted. Thanks Janice. Message heard loud and clear.

Skinned Alive

I read a fascinating story about a follower of Jesus being persecuted. His persecutors began to peel his skin off his bones while the man was still alive. Very gruesome. He made the comment while being tortured that though his outer covering was being removed he rejoiced that he would soon be covered in the righteousness of Christ.

How does anyone make such a comment in the midst of excruciating pain? When I think about the light trials I have to face against the backdrop of being skinned alive I have it easy. My burdens are light and my yoke is easy in comparison. So are yours.

Press on brothers and sisters. We are not being skinned alive.

Trust Him At All Times

Many people struggle when it comes to prayer. Especially when it comes to praying in public. Words get jumbled and people often get tongue tied. I think this has more to do with what people think about those who will be listening more than thinking about the ONE who will be listening.

In [Ps 62:8] there is a great definition of prayer. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Did you catch it? Pour out your heart to Him. That is the greatest definition of prayer I have ever stumbled across. The word "pour" means to spill forth, gush out, to expend. That is what should happen when we come before Him. All that is in our heart should spill forth, gush out, and be expended. Burdens. Repentance of sin. Fears. Anxieties, Needs. It should all be poured out before Him.

When we do this trusting Him at all times, we can rest assured something is going to change; either our circumstances or us. The word "trust" means to be confident, sure, bold, and careless. When I truly trust God I can live careless. I can simply rely on Him to do what needs to be done. I can trust Him to make the impossible possible. I can trust Him to hold me firm in His grip when all hell is unleashed against me. That means I do not live in anxiety. I do not stay up at night worrying. I trust that the God who knows everything and the God who can do anything is in control. I therefore leave it all with Him in simple trust.

Trust is a word I place great value on. By nature I am not a trusting person. I experienced enough wounding in my childhood by people I trusted that I learned to live with my guard up. After a couple of decades of ministry and more wounding trust is not something I give away easily. Trust is built on the character of the one asking to be trusted. God's track record is stellar. He has earned the right to be trusted. He has always proven Himself to be faithful, dependable, reliable, and trust worthy. God is worthy of our trust.

He does not always do things the way we like or would wish. He is wise and knows what is best. That is a hard pill to swallow sometimes. When you watch good people suffer you begin to question whether you can trust God. When your spouse was taken way too premature your trust is tested. When your best efforts crumble into failure even though you repeatedly asked God for help you begin to question whether He can truly be trusted. When evil prevails over righteousness across the land questions about whether God is reliable begin to surface.

Will we give God our trust at all times? Job did. [Job 1:21-22] Paul and Silas did. [Acts 16:25] What about us? No matter what we are facing we are commanded to trust God at all times. Trust Him in triumph. Trust Him in trials. Trust Him in tragedy. Trust Him in grief. Trust Him in health. Trust Him in suffering. Trust Him in persecution. Trust Him in peace. AT ALL TIMES TRUST HIM.

This will never happen if we do not truly know God and are not fully assured of His character. There are millions who live in bitterness and anger toward God. I have spent some time in that camp myself. It is easy to be deceived into believing God does not care and God cannot be trusted. The enemy sows this into people's minds and sooner or later many of these folks turn their back on God forever. A few do not go that far but they live a nominal Christian life working to never put themselves in a position to have to trust God for anything. It escapes their notice they trust God for every breath! Every beat of our heart is trust in God. Life is like a vapor James writes. Life is fragile.

We are commanded to trust God at all times. I have to trust Him in my circumstances and you are called to trust Him in yours. Maybe the trials linger. Maybe the pain intensifies. Maybe the burdens increase. Maybe the tears do not dry. Maybe the drought continues. Maybe the crops are not what you hoped they would be. Maybe attendance at church dwindles. Maybe you do not get the promotion. Maybe things do not turn out like you hoped they would. We are still commanded to trust God at all times. God has earned that right. If you keep trusting Him now He will show Himself reliable and trustworthy once again.