Day Sixteen "Eyes Toward the Lord"

“My eyes are continually toward the Lord, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.” [Ps. 25:15]

One thing we can know for certain. Satan does not want the church of God revived. To take that a little closer to home that means that he does not want you or me revived. If we can go our about business as usual all is well. If we get revived we become powerful tools in the hand of God to oppose the kingdom of darkness.

So he seeks to ensnare us. Temptations are everywhere. If we get tripped up and trapped, we will not be effective. If we give in to temptation we cannot be revived as long as we remain there. Satan is crafty. He can come from many different angles disguised as an angel of light. He is cunning and deceptive in addition to being relentless. He exists to oppose God at every turn.

I love how the Psalmist combats this fact. He keeps his eyes continually toward the Lord. Constantly, day after day, David turns his gaze toward God. Perpetually, night after night, he sets his eyes toward the Lord. When David did this God protected and preserved him.

One fateful night David did not turn his eyes toward the Lord. He let his eyes fixate on a woman bathing. David lusted and acted on that lust. What was the end result? He committed adultery. Bathsheba became pregnant. He had Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle. The baby died and David dealt with internal strife in his home the remainder of his days. All of this could have been avoided if David would have just kept his eyes toward the Lord that night.

That is crucial for all of us. Temptation often shows up when we are weak and vulnerable. All it takes is a moment for us to let our eyes wander from the Lord onto the many distractions of this present age. I cannot cast stones at David for I too have let my gaze wander and have found myself in rebellion against the Lord. You have too. Maybe it was not the same sin, but sin of any kind is offensive to the Lord. Any of us is capable of blowing it. We might lose our temper, utter a careless word, have a bad attitude, eat some forbidden fruit like Adam and Eve, and see something as more desirable than God. This is the trick that suckered Adam and Eve.

Anytime we let our gaze drift from beholding God we are headed for trouble. Here is the good news. When Satan has tricked us and we find ourselves caught in his net, God is more than able and willing to pluck our feet out and deliver us. God is our exit out of the sinful sloppy messes we get ourselves into. He is our Deliverer, Rescuer and Savior. Set your eyes on Him anew today.

Steps to Revival

1. In what areas are you facing temptation? Where is your gaze? Where have you set your eyes?

2. Where are you most vulnerable? In what area are you weakest?

3. Turn your eyes back to the Lord. Is there anything more desirable to you than God?

4. Ask the Lord for the strength, resolve, and wisdom to keep your eyes toward Him at all times.

5. If you have failed and find yourself in the Devil’s net, ask the Lord to be set free.

6. How can you fight against those moments when you, like King David, turn your eyes away from the Lord and face temptation?

The Narrow Road

We loaded the car and drove twelve miles to the top of a mountain. At first the road winded back and forth. Before long we began our climb. The drive proved a little unnerving. At times the edge of the road ended with a sheer drop off. Brenda could not help clutching her passenger handle and shoving her foot into the floorboard to help us brake faster. We drove twelve miles at a snail’s pace.

As we snaked our way up the mountain the road seemed narrow and the climb rather steep. I looked over at one point and could see we were higher than any other mountain range in sight. I wondered if anyone had ever wrecked on that narrow two-lane road. My mind drifted to cars losing control and going off the edge to destruction.

Overhead a thundercloud built and before long the temperature dropped and thunder began to rumble. We hurriedly got out of the car at a scenic over look and took several snap shots. The drive back down taxed my nerves more than the drive to the top. I geared down and creped down the narrow road not riding my brakes.

We averaged between 15-20 miles per hour coming down. Danger appeared at nearly every turn. I could see where many of the guardrails were banged and scraped. I noticed trees overhead that were hanging on by just a few roots. Danger lurked.

When we finally made our way back down and I had time to process the journey, I thought of [Matt 7:13-14] “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

People are headed for destruction by the millions. Hell is real. Eternal torment awaits the lost. They do not realize the impending danger ahead for those without a relationship with Jesus Christ. The road to heaven is narrower than that mountain road I drove on. Nobody gets to heaven except through a relationship with Jesus. He is the only way. [Jn 14:6]

Many people are barreling down the road of life without stopping and heeding the warning signs. This blog is just one more of those signs. Gear down and trust Christ. Heed the signs and turn to Christ. He is the narrow road to Heaven. When we trust Him there is safety and security on the narrow road. You have been warned.

Family Fun Day

We enjoyed a fun day here at Ruidoso today. We went to Fun Tracks where the boys got to play. They started the fun at the bumper boats. The only two boats in the water were manned by Taylor and Turner. Turner got drenched from the water cannon by his older brother. Brenda and I have not seen Taylor laugh like that in a long time.

Turner would duck his head but take his hand off the throttle leaving him a sitting duck for his older brother. Ever so often he would turn the boat and run only to turn around again in attempt to spray his brother. There were times when he countered Taylor. Taylor outwitted him though and Turner was showered with cold water. They both got off soaking wet but Turner got the worst of it and was shivering at the end.

Next, they went through a maze. Brenda and I were able to walk upstairs to an observation deck to watch all the fun. They went to the same dead end at least five different times. I know they were disoriented and it proved difficult not to help them know which way to go. Finally they discovered the way out. They definitely got their money’s worth.

The real fun began with Turner manning a slow go-cart by himself with one other little boy. The other little boy started in front of Turner and got a head start as the employee had a difficult time getting Turner’s car started. I think the race was ten laps. I did not think there was any chance Turner could catch up. Slowly he began making up ground. With two laps to go he rode right on the tail of the other car. As they went through the garage, Turner made his move like a skilled NASCAR driver. He passed the other boy and held him off to the end. My chest swelled with pride when Turner crossed the finish line in first place.

You know as competitive as I am how proud I was that he even competed. It thrilled me to see him pass the other boy and take the lead. Turner bounded out of his car and ran to the gate where he received high fives and congratulations. I glanced over to the family of the other little boy and you could tell they didn’t like losing even though they were smiling. Turner’s win had me jazzed.

The last activity of the day included a difficult putt-putt golf course. Nobody else was keeping score except Taylor and I. We were neck and neck until the fourteenth hole. I held a slim two shot lead before my golfing nightmare. The fourteenth hole had a huge drop off near the hole. If you putted too hard you went off the ledge and down the slope. When my nightmare ended I posted a fourteen on that hole. My hole in one on the next hole did little to help. Taylor remained consistent and beat me by a dozen strokes. Taylor exulted in beating his dad while I held my frustration in. I hate losing anything including putt-putt golf.

We enjoyed ourselves immensely. We built family memories that many years from now will come back to light when we look at the pictures. I will not forget my fourteen and Taylor delighting in winning. I will long remember Turner snatching victory from that other little boy at the last minute.

We came back to our lodging for a lunch of burgers and macaroni and cheese. It satisfied. Tonight we are going to a dinner and a show before packing up to head home in the morning. This has been a good time for the Edwards family.

I have tried to slow down though I want to capture all of this in blogs. Though I have gotten up early every morning I have also made myself take a nap too. I have sought to act leisurely each morning. We have not rushed eating a brunch mid morning. These days have had that perfect balance of fun and tourist stuff mixed with a good portion of down time, reading, napping, and watching movies together as a family. We have had a great deal of fun. I wish Tanner and Tucker had been here. They are still in Paradise enjoying their friends. We will see them on Saturday when we enjoy more fun at family camp.

Now what did I learn from today. I learned to never give up as I watched Turner battle from behind to clench a victory at the last minute. [Gal 6:9] Many times I have wanted to give up when things looked out of hand. Turner’s race reminds me to keep battling, to keep working, and to keep trusting.

I learned a lesson in humility. I carved out a several stroke lead over Taylor in the putt-putt golf game. I watched that lead vanish as I posted the fourteen on the fourteenth hole. Pride goes before the fall and a haughty spirit before destruction. God is opposed to pride. [I Pet 5:4] [James 4:6] God is opposed to the proud. I thought I had the game sewn up but experienced something very different. There are lessons to be learned even on family fun days.

Icicles From the Pulpit

After a string of powerful services at church and youth camp I preached a dud this past Sunday morning. In the middle of preaching it I knew I was not anointed. I could see it in the eyes of the people. It felt cold, lifeless, and boring.

I thought I heard from the Lord about what to preach. I studied. I prayed. That sermon still felt like an icicle hanging from the pulpit. I had no fire. Passion seemed to be wanting. It made me sick. I was bothered. The putrid feeling of that morning still haunts me while vacationing in Ruidoso, NM. What is harder to deal with is that I will not preach again at FBC Seminole for another thirteen days Lord willing.

Perhaps some preachers become callused to preaching icicle messages. I am not and do not ever want to be. Preaching is serious business and I take it serious. There are so many factors involved in preaching anointed messages. The preacher must first prepare himself. The scriptures must be studied. God must give revelation of truth. God must inspire and endue the preacher with passion and fire. The people in the pews must come hungry for the word of the Lord. There are many factors that effect preaching.

Preaching icicles from the pulpit only produces cold hearts in the pews. Could this be a large part of the problem in the church today? Have preachers lost the fire? I sure feel I did this past week. What gnaws at me is I do not fully understand why. I know I was tired physically but that caused me to rely on God even more. Before I mounted the steps to the pulpit that morning I remember crying out to God how inadequate I felt for the task and needed His help.

Truth was preached. Some responded but I know the difference between messages of ice and messages of fire. At youth camp I could sense the Lord working in me and through me. I saw those students paying attention. I saw truth sinking into their souls. I watched the Lord bring conviction and save the lost. Those were messages of fire. Sunday morning had the chill of an icicle hanging from the sermon.

What can I learn from this? One thing is not to take anointing and fire of God for granted. Secondly, this makes me feel more inadequate for the task of preaching and more dependent on God to help me. It doesn’t matter that I have been preaching for twenty-five years. I still need God each and every time. Thirdly, I must become totally and completely dissatisfied with ever preaching messages like that again. I am human and probably will but that does not mean that I have to like it. There are not excuses. Icicles from the pulpit can never be justified.

I will not quit. I have preached bad sermons in the past. I will preach bad ones in the future too. I will go back to the Lord and pray for fire in the next one. I am also grateful for these days of renewal to reflect on the whole experience. I want fire in my soul as much as I want fire in the sermons. I want fire in the hearts of our congregation so they disdain icicles from the pulpit.

I got the title for this blog from something I read this morning. The author wrote if the preacher is not baptized with compassion and unction, icicles would soon hang from the pulpit. May that never be the case at FBC Seminole. May that not be the case when I preach outside the church. May that not be true when any of us preachers stands behind the pulpit. I am determined my next messages will be filled with fire from God. Icicles cannot remain in fervent heat. That’s the cry of my heart. More heat and more fire but no more icicles.

Mountain Retreat

Due to the generosity of a couple in our church, Brenda and two of the boys and myself have been afforded several days away in the mountains of Ruidoso, NM. Tanner and Tucker had the choice to come with us or go back to Paradise to spend a week with their friends back there. They chose to go back to Paradise. So it is just Taylor and Turner.

I got up early to enjoy some time with the Lord. The temperature outside is in the upper forties. I sat outside with a jacket reading through the Proverbs. At times I shut my eyes to listen to the birds singing and take in the sounds of the mountains. When I opened my eyes I stared at the stately trees standing erect at attention without the faintest hint of a breeze moving their branches. The green pine needles made a striking contrast to the cloudless blue skies overhead. This is a gorgeous day.

In this place I can recharge. In this place I exhale the demands of ministry and give myself to preparation for the upcoming revival. There are several things weighing on my heart. The upcoming Shake the City revival is first and foremost. I also am burdened for Humboldt and Washington. We have a team in Honduras right now. Through No Compromise Ministries we are trusting God to raise money and the man power to build a new bedroom and handicapped accessible bathroom for a young man suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. I am constantly weighed down with a burden to write and continually strive to find time to do so. In this place though, I have time to sit and reflect. I am stirred to capture my thoughts and write them down not so much for the reader but for myself. My pace is unhurried. As I write this the rest of my family sleep. We have no agenda and can enjoy the slow leisurely pace of life needed to replenish us physically, spritiually, and emotionally before the busyness of fall hits. In this place I can breathe in the renewing presence of the Lord.

What a contrast in scenery I have experienced over the past week. At this time last week I was standing on the gulf coast in Panama City, FL taking in the presence of God. I sat on a lawn chair early in the morning in silent and private worship of my God. I was humbled in the presence of the ocean and the relentless pounding of the waves. It reminded me of how small and insignificant I really am. It only got better when Taylor came and sat next to me. We were able to talk about vastness of God and our finiteness in those moments. I will cherish that memory for a long time.

This morning I sit in the mountains. I am again humbled at the sight of numerous mountain ranges. Not more than an hour and a half from here the plains are flat. I love the creativity of God to create oceans, plains, and mountains. He amazes me.

I like the ocean but I love the mountains. I don’t know what it is about the mountains that revive me. I love the serenity of it all. I enjoy the crisp mornings and cool evenings. I enjoy the solitude where I can sit still before the Lord. In this place I can be still and cease striving to know He is God. [Ps 46:10] At this mountain retreat my heart has relaxed as I have intentionally sought to slow down. I have walked up and down the road taking in the scenery. I drive in wonder at the magnitude of the mountains but even more so the magnitude of the God who placed each mountain.

Brenda laughed at me last night because my motor is still revved pretty high. She told me to sleep in. I tried but could not. I was up at 5:00 a.m. praying and reading scripture. My time with the Lord seemed fresh. That is what I craved most on this trip. I was able to linger in His presence without feeling rushed because I have to be somewhere else. This is exactly what my soul has been craving.

I nearly talked myself out of coming though. I was out of the office last week preaching a camp in FL. I will be leaving this weekend for a family camp along with eight other families from our church in AR and will be gone next week also. Several encouraged me to get away with my family. This really was the only week I could fit it in. It has already proven to be valuable.

Yesterday Turner and I went on a hike. He saw a whitetail deer not far from where we are staying. We are planning on another hike today in addition to a drive to the top of a mountain. He has his camera ready and woke up talking about it today. I am not sure what else we will do. It really doesn’t matter to me because God is here and in His presence is fullness of joy. [Ps 16:11] I am grateful for some down time to reflect on it all and to take Him in. I thank God for the mountains where my soul is recharged and refueled for ministry ahead. Thank God for mountain retreats.

Day Fifteen "In the Potter's Hand"

“Can I not, O House of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?’ declares the Lord. ‘Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.” [Jer. 18:6]

We, like Israel, are a rebellious people. God as a potter continues to mold and shape our lives to be vessels for His glory. How often do we resist, rebel, and defy the pressure from His hands. Our hearts grow hard and our will defiantly opposes God’s deep work of character shaping in us.

As you continue to prepare your heart for revival, how moldable are you? As God meets with you and shapes you for His purposes how compliant are you? Can you think of an area in your life where you are resisting God’s work? If you want to experience God’s reviving work deep within, you must submit to the work of His hand.

Sometimes the molding of the Potter is painful. Even when it hurts and stretches you and you cannot see the end result will you trust the Potter? Many times God uses trials to shape us. If we were to look at God’s love during this phase of the shaping we might be tempted to doubt it. We must learn to take the long view of our lives. If we can learn to trust the Potter in time we will see what He was up to. We will see the loving care He exerts with each squeeze of His hand. He has a purpose in mind.

Today our challenge is to do things I learned from Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God. We must remain moldable and remain in the Potter’s hand. In other words, we have to be willing to submit to His molding and shaping of our lives and to stay in close relationship with the Potter.

Many a person has done the complete opposite. Many have left the Potter and molded themselves after their own desires. Tragically many have wrecked their lives on this course. It is time to quit fighting and resisting the work of the Potter in our lives. Climb into His hands and submit to the pressure. Yield to His design and you will become a vessel of honor.

Steps to Revival

1. Can you identify any area in your life where you have been resisting God’s work of molding you? If so why?

2. What reasons can you give for why you should trust the Potter and His plans?

3. In what ways can you remain in God’s hands and remain moldable?

Day Fourteen "Treasuring God's Word"

“Your word I have treasured in my heart that I may not sin against You.”

[Ps. 119:11]

As you start this day I wonder how deeply you treasure God’s Word. Do you long to get up and read it, study it, meditate on it? I just put down a book I am reading on personal revival. I completed the chapter about loving God’s word. In the book I read about a man who had committed to read the Bible through five times in one year! When the author told this story he commented about the countenance, the passion, and love for God he saw in his friend. He wondered if his friend being so committed and disciplined to read scripture had anything to do with his revived state.

The Bible is meat and potatoes for us. God uses His word to comfort, convict, challenge, and create a deeper love for Him. What does it mean to treasure God’s word in our hearts? The word “treasure” means to protect, lay up, hoard and to esteem. Do you protect your time in reading scripture? It is a battle. Dozens of things compete for our time in reading and meditating on the Bible. You must protect this time and esteem your time in God’s book. It is one thing to read it in your head but a completely different thing to let it sink into your soul.

This morning I read in the book of Job. God used a scripture in Job to speak to my heart many years ago. I made a note of that experience along with a date next to that scripture. As I read it again this morning I can see what God did. That scripture sank into my soul.

The benefit of devoting yourself to reading and studying scripture is found at the end of Psalm 119:11. When we treasure and hide God’s word in our heart it helps us in our fight not to sin against God. Knowing the Bible is indispensable in our fight against sin. How did Jesus combat Satan when He was tempted? He quoted scripture to him.

I urge you to begin storing up, or hoarding scriptures in your heart and mind to help you remain strong in the midst of temptation. This is something I am trying to help our church with. Each week we put a challenge scripture in our bulletin for memorization. If we are faithful to do this, at the end of a year we could have fifty-two scriptures memorized. At the end of two years that number would jump to 104. The following year it would climb to 156. After four years the number would increase to 208. That is only taking one scripture a week to memorize. I know that is not too difficult for most people. It does take time but the rewards in our striving after holiness and against sin are well worth the price to pay.

I hope you will stop today and check your attitude about the word of God. Do you find reading it boring? I ask you if you are reading it to get to know God and His heart? You will not experience revival if you do not make reading and memorizing scripture a regular part of your spiritual disciplines.

Steps to Revival

1. Ask the Lord to develop in you an insatiable craving for reading scripture.

2. How will you go about adding scripture memory to your life? Why not choose one for today and begin working on it?

3. Set aside a scheduled time to read scripture and fight for that time with all you have.

4. Choose a systematic plan for reading the Bible. You can use a devotional guide such as this one where a scripture is chosen for you each day. You can choose to pick a book of the Bible and work your way through it daily. You might choose to start in Genesis and work your way through Revelation. Choose the one you get the most of out.