I am writing this from a charter bus along with a load of teenagers heading to my second camp. It has been a whirl wind since camp last week with FBC Seminole. We drove to the hill country for camp with FBC Seminole. My beloved great uncle died on Monday. We drove home late Thursday night and then I got up early Friday to drive to Lufkin, TX for my great uncle's funeral.
God worked. I had the chance to be reconciled with some of my family I had not seen in over a decade. I will blog more about that when I have more time. On Saturday we moved into a different home from early in the morning to late at night. Sunday we enjoyed God in worship at church and then had to pick Taylor up in Denton from a camp. Today we are all headed to camp. Our children's group and youth group all are headed to camp this week. Brenda will be at home alone this week.
Life has been moving at a pretty good clip for the past few weeks. I would have not have been able to keep up this pace except for my times alone with God. Day after day sitting in His presence brings energy, life, and renewal. He guides and works. He is faithful. He is sustains us in the busy seasons of life as well as the slower seasons.
I hope you will make a habit of sitting in the presence of the Lord daily. I sat with Him again this morning to learn of Him. I love camp. In about an hour we will unload our luggage to our new home for the week and soak in the the presence of God day and night. That is what I love about camp. We eliminate the distractions so our focus remains on learning about God.
Life on the road is busy, exciting, at times challenging, but when you do it for God there are great rewards When you wholly lean on God to sustain you life on the road is not a chore but a delight. I don't know what God will do this week but I do know that God is at work in my life before we even get to camp.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
His Love Never Fails
Last night we continued our study through the fourth chapter of James. It was not an easy passage. Be miserable, mourn, and weep; turn your laughter into gloom. Humble yourself in the presence of the Lord that He might exalt you at the right time. [James 4:9-10]
Have you ever been miserable and sorrowful over your own personal sin? Can you recall times when your own sin brought you to tears like one grieving over the loss of someone close?
Most people do not take much time to reflect on the ugliness of their own sin. It is so much easier to never contemplate sin in our lives though it is there and it is destructive. Before preaching last night, I stayed behind while the rest of the camp went tubing. I spent much of the afternoon in repentance as the Lord brought sins to mind.
I stood before Him in humility to preach last night. I know I am not a big deal. I know that He must increase and I must decrease. [Jn 3:30] I have nothing to boast about except the cross of Jesus Christ. [Gal 6:14] The only reason I can come with confidence before His throne of grace to find mercy and to obtain help in my time of need [Heb 4:16] is because of God's grace. Jesus Christ paid my debt to make me righteous in Him. [II Cor 5:21]
There is no room to boast for any of us. We are all sinners. Our sin should cause all of us to be miserable and to mourn the fact that we do not live consistently. Sin is offensive to the Lord. Sin is ugly and many people do not understand the nature of repentance. The prophet Joel told people to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping and mourning rending their hearts and not their garments. [Joel 2:12]
Now there is a danger here. Some people never get past the mourning and weeping over their sin. They do not understand the true measure of God's grace nor the joy of being restored. These people live in condemnation and camp out in shame. I love the truth in Psalm 3:3, God is a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Have you have ever blown it in sin and hung your head in shame as you repented. Have you gone beyond that and felt God putting his fingers underneath your chin to lift your head to behold His love, forgiveness, and restoration.
This is what I preached last night. I called hard for repentance and for the lost to be saved. I also called all of us to remember His love never fails. I don't deserve that love anymore than you do. For His redeemed His love never fails [Rom 8:38-39]. It is that love that never fails that moves my heart to want to love Jesus all the more.
We sang that song "Your Love Never Fails" last night. God moved me to tears as I reflected on His love despite my sin. God moved in me to remind me that though I fail, am flawed, find myself in the very sin I hate, His grace is sufficient. His love never fails. I am not saying that He is always pleased with me. I disappoint Him often. O, but what liberating truth in that His love never fails. NEVER! He always deals with me in perfect love, perfect patience, perfect willingness to forgive, and the perfect chastisement over my rebellious acts.
Have you known the joy, peace, and relief of being restored to God? Like David after his sin with Bathsheeba and like Peter after denying Christ? Have you known the tenderness of a holy God lifting your head out of shame and condemnation back to fellowship with Him. Beloved we are declared righteous in Jesus. We did not earn that. Our sin is covered and we are granted access to a holy God because of Jesus Christ and His redemptive death on the cross. HALLELUJAH!
I have long held the hymn It Is Well With My Soul as my all time favorite. Every verse seems to build on truth. There is a line in that hymn that stirs me deeply. O the bliss of this glorious thought - my sin not in part but the whole - is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more - Praise the Lord - Praise the Lord O my soul. Yes, I am a sinner and my sin makes me miserable. But that is not the end of the story. Yes, I am a sinner. The whole truth is I am a redeemed sinner, forgiven, declared righteous in Christ. I have been given the right to be God's child [John 1:12] all because His love never fails.
What truth. I don't know if God moved people to repentance last night. I don't even know if anyone felt the love and grace of being restored last night. I just know His love never fails. PRAISE THE LORD!
Have you ever been miserable and sorrowful over your own personal sin? Can you recall times when your own sin brought you to tears like one grieving over the loss of someone close?
Most people do not take much time to reflect on the ugliness of their own sin. It is so much easier to never contemplate sin in our lives though it is there and it is destructive. Before preaching last night, I stayed behind while the rest of the camp went tubing. I spent much of the afternoon in repentance as the Lord brought sins to mind.
I stood before Him in humility to preach last night. I know I am not a big deal. I know that He must increase and I must decrease. [Jn 3:30] I have nothing to boast about except the cross of Jesus Christ. [Gal 6:14] The only reason I can come with confidence before His throne of grace to find mercy and to obtain help in my time of need [Heb 4:16] is because of God's grace. Jesus Christ paid my debt to make me righteous in Him. [II Cor 5:21]
There is no room to boast for any of us. We are all sinners. Our sin should cause all of us to be miserable and to mourn the fact that we do not live consistently. Sin is offensive to the Lord. Sin is ugly and many people do not understand the nature of repentance. The prophet Joel told people to return to the Lord with fasting, weeping and mourning rending their hearts and not their garments. [Joel 2:12]
Now there is a danger here. Some people never get past the mourning and weeping over their sin. They do not understand the true measure of God's grace nor the joy of being restored. These people live in condemnation and camp out in shame. I love the truth in Psalm 3:3, God is a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. Have you have ever blown it in sin and hung your head in shame as you repented. Have you gone beyond that and felt God putting his fingers underneath your chin to lift your head to behold His love, forgiveness, and restoration.
This is what I preached last night. I called hard for repentance and for the lost to be saved. I also called all of us to remember His love never fails. I don't deserve that love anymore than you do. For His redeemed His love never fails [Rom 8:38-39]. It is that love that never fails that moves my heart to want to love Jesus all the more.
We sang that song "Your Love Never Fails" last night. God moved me to tears as I reflected on His love despite my sin. God moved in me to remind me that though I fail, am flawed, find myself in the very sin I hate, His grace is sufficient. His love never fails. I am not saying that He is always pleased with me. I disappoint Him often. O, but what liberating truth in that His love never fails. NEVER! He always deals with me in perfect love, perfect patience, perfect willingness to forgive, and the perfect chastisement over my rebellious acts.
Have you known the joy, peace, and relief of being restored to God? Like David after his sin with Bathsheeba and like Peter after denying Christ? Have you known the tenderness of a holy God lifting your head out of shame and condemnation back to fellowship with Him. Beloved we are declared righteous in Jesus. We did not earn that. Our sin is covered and we are granted access to a holy God because of Jesus Christ and His redemptive death on the cross. HALLELUJAH!
I have long held the hymn It Is Well With My Soul as my all time favorite. Every verse seems to build on truth. There is a line in that hymn that stirs me deeply. O the bliss of this glorious thought - my sin not in part but the whole - is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more - Praise the Lord - Praise the Lord O my soul. Yes, I am a sinner and my sin makes me miserable. But that is not the end of the story. Yes, I am a sinner. The whole truth is I am a redeemed sinner, forgiven, declared righteous in Christ. I have been given the right to be God's child [John 1:12] all because His love never fails.
What truth. I don't know if God moved people to repentance last night. I don't even know if anyone felt the love and grace of being restored last night. I just know His love never fails. PRAISE THE LORD!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Surrenderd
Lord, all I am is Yours down to the last drop,
On Your altar my soul my life willingly I flop,
I hold nothing back, surrendered to You freely,
You have all of me - forever and completely,
My soul is abandoned - You have my heart,
Day by day on Your altar voluntarily I start,
I am surrendered holding not one thing back,
My future is Yours - my bags remain packed,
I press my ear to hear You my Sovereign King,
I surrender all to You - You have my everything,
My wife, my four boys, possessions and ministry,
All are Yours as I follow - surrendered obediently,
I offer you my best - presented a living sacrifice,
You have my all - I surrender the rest of my life
I bow my heart, my soul, I worship and I sing,
Jesus I am surrendered You have my everything.
ME - 7-10-13
On Your altar my soul my life willingly I flop,
I hold nothing back, surrendered to You freely,
You have all of me - forever and completely,
My soul is abandoned - You have my heart,
Day by day on Your altar voluntarily I start,
I am surrendered holding not one thing back,
My future is Yours - my bags remain packed,
I press my ear to hear You my Sovereign King,
I surrender all to You - You have my everything,
My wife, my four boys, possessions and ministry,
All are Yours as I follow - surrendered obediently,
I offer you my best - presented a living sacrifice,
You have my all - I surrender the rest of my life
I bow my heart, my soul, I worship and I sing,
Jesus I am surrendered You have my everything.
ME - 7-10-13
All I Am is Yours
Yesterday, we spent the whole day at a water park and did not start our worship service until nearly 9:45 p.m. Everyone was tired. We still pressed into the presence of God. Sean was anointed in leading us in worship. He sang one of my favorite songs. The chorus goes, "So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the One who gave it all, so I'll stand my soul Lord to You surrendered all I am is Yours."
I preached from [James 4:8] about drawing near to God and God drawing near to us. One of the first steps for that to take place is to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. We must repent of sin. We dwelled on the majesty and magnificence of God desiring to draw near to us. Superior stooping down the commune with the inferior. The Creator giving audience to the creation. Those students stayed engaged until 11:00 p.m. We were in the presence of a holy, mighty, and loving God. In the end, we discussed that God wants all of us down to the last drop like water poured from a bottle. He wants to come near us and get close to us. He wants us to live "all I am is Yours" more than to just sing the words. He wants more than for us to live out the remainder of our lives as good church members. He wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to be the center of our universe, the object of our deepest affections, the One to whom we are most loyal, the leader we follow, the audience of One we worship, the cause we live for, the focus of our passion, the One to whom we abandon our hearts, and the One to whom we surrender our souls. That is what God wants and deserves.
When we take steps to draw near to Him or get closer to Him, He draws near to us as well. This makes loving, serving, and worshipping Jesus real, dynamic, exciting, and the greatest adventure we could ever know. This is more than learning facts about God. I can learn facts about Presidents of the United States or celebrities but that does not mean that I know them. Furthermore, those people do not care to know me. God does. He wants to be known. He waits to be wanted and is ever ready to draw near to those whose hearts and souls are abandoned to Him.
During the invitation I got on my knees and pressed my head against the concrete floor and prayed, "Lord, all I am is Yours. I am completed surrendered to You as much as I know how. I lay my life down on Your altar. I am Yours to the last drop. I will do anything You want me to do." While praying I had a flash back in my mind. I was transported back to another youth worship service years ago after preaching from [Rom 12:1] I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy which is your reasonable service of worship. That night I preached that message because God was dealing with me about relocating my ministry. When I gave the invitation many students responded. I found my way off the stage and through all those kneeling students to the side of the stage near the organ. I knelt down before the Lord and prayed a similar prayer as I prayed last night. I prayed, "Lord if nobody else in this whole room means it I lay my life, family, and future at your feet on your altar as sacrifice to You. If you want to move me I give you my yes right now. You have all of me." In essence what I prayed last night and that night several years ago was, "All I am is Yours. Down to the last drop. You can do with me what You please."
That is an exciting thing to pray and an exciting way to live but it is not easy. It has meant for me never getting to stay with churches and people I love. It has meant starting over again and again. It has meant dwindling salaries and the necessity of trusting God for provision. It has meant living in some less than desirable conditions. It has meant preaching in small venues. It has meant living daily available and surrendered to God. It has not been easy. In fact there have been times it has been hard, confusing, and painful to be surrendered to God and His call. I have wept. I have been confused. I have been forsaken by people but never by God.
This morning as I write this, I say with all assurance it has been worth it. I would not want to live any other way than for all of me to be all of His for all of my days. Now, as we bring this to a close, I have a question for you I posed to those students last night. Will you draw near to God and totally abandon your heart, soul, and life to Him? Will you say, sing, and live that all you are is His? He awaits your response.
I preached from [James 4:8] about drawing near to God and God drawing near to us. One of the first steps for that to take place is to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. We must repent of sin. We dwelled on the majesty and magnificence of God desiring to draw near to us. Superior stooping down the commune with the inferior. The Creator giving audience to the creation. Those students stayed engaged until 11:00 p.m. We were in the presence of a holy, mighty, and loving God. In the end, we discussed that God wants all of us down to the last drop like water poured from a bottle. He wants to come near us and get close to us. He wants us to live "all I am is Yours" more than to just sing the words. He wants more than for us to live out the remainder of our lives as good church members. He wants to be in relationship with us. He wants to be the center of our universe, the object of our deepest affections, the One to whom we are most loyal, the leader we follow, the audience of One we worship, the cause we live for, the focus of our passion, the One to whom we abandon our hearts, and the One to whom we surrender our souls. That is what God wants and deserves.
When we take steps to draw near to Him or get closer to Him, He draws near to us as well. This makes loving, serving, and worshipping Jesus real, dynamic, exciting, and the greatest adventure we could ever know. This is more than learning facts about God. I can learn facts about Presidents of the United States or celebrities but that does not mean that I know them. Furthermore, those people do not care to know me. God does. He wants to be known. He waits to be wanted and is ever ready to draw near to those whose hearts and souls are abandoned to Him.
During the invitation I got on my knees and pressed my head against the concrete floor and prayed, "Lord, all I am is Yours. I am completed surrendered to You as much as I know how. I lay my life down on Your altar. I am Yours to the last drop. I will do anything You want me to do." While praying I had a flash back in my mind. I was transported back to another youth worship service years ago after preaching from [Rom 12:1] I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy which is your reasonable service of worship. That night I preached that message because God was dealing with me about relocating my ministry. When I gave the invitation many students responded. I found my way off the stage and through all those kneeling students to the side of the stage near the organ. I knelt down before the Lord and prayed a similar prayer as I prayed last night. I prayed, "Lord if nobody else in this whole room means it I lay my life, family, and future at your feet on your altar as sacrifice to You. If you want to move me I give you my yes right now. You have all of me." In essence what I prayed last night and that night several years ago was, "All I am is Yours. Down to the last drop. You can do with me what You please."
That is an exciting thing to pray and an exciting way to live but it is not easy. It has meant for me never getting to stay with churches and people I love. It has meant starting over again and again. It has meant dwindling salaries and the necessity of trusting God for provision. It has meant living in some less than desirable conditions. It has meant preaching in small venues. It has meant living daily available and surrendered to God. It has not been easy. In fact there have been times it has been hard, confusing, and painful to be surrendered to God and His call. I have wept. I have been confused. I have been forsaken by people but never by God.
This morning as I write this, I say with all assurance it has been worth it. I would not want to live any other way than for all of me to be all of His for all of my days. Now, as we bring this to a close, I have a question for you I posed to those students last night. Will you draw near to God and totally abandon your heart, soul, and life to Him? Will you say, sing, and live that all you are is His? He awaits your response.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Let It Pour
I was in the middle of preaching last night under an outdoor tabernacle when I started seeing flashes of lightening out of the corner of my eye. Soon the winds picked up and it began to rain. At first it only sprinkled. Then it began to deluge. The rain started coming sideways underneath the tabernacle. The pouring rain pounded so loudly on the tin roof that I had to stop talking several times because even with a microphone I could not talk louder than the pounding rain. At times it felt like God Himself was passing by in the storm in trying to get the attention of all the students.
That rain storm lasted for the majority of the service. It poured. I stopped not knowing what to do so I prayed under my breath for direction. There were several moments we just sat in silence beholding the power of God in that storm. In similar fashion we long for the Spirit of God to be poured out on us. He has been this far and we expect He will only intensify over the course of these next several nights.
It dawned on me later in the evening what a rare and special thing it is for these students to see rain at all much less a pouring rain like we saw. How I long for God to pour His Spirit out like a pouring rain storm on His church once again. Just like those students have not seen rain in some time many of God's churches have not had the Spirit poured out on them in years. They may have forgotten what it is like.
Lord, Your church needs reviving. This is not news for You. I ask You to open up the Heavens and let the rain of Your Spirit fall once again. I ask You to pour down on Your church again. You know what we need much better than me. I ask You to revive us once again so we bear much fruit for You. Let it pour.
That rain storm lasted for the majority of the service. It poured. I stopped not knowing what to do so I prayed under my breath for direction. There were several moments we just sat in silence beholding the power of God in that storm. In similar fashion we long for the Spirit of God to be poured out on us. He has been this far and we expect He will only intensify over the course of these next several nights.
It dawned on me later in the evening what a rare and special thing it is for these students to see rain at all much less a pouring rain like we saw. How I long for God to pour His Spirit out like a pouring rain storm on His church once again. Just like those students have not seen rain in some time many of God's churches have not had the Spirit poured out on them in years. They may have forgotten what it is like.
Lord, Your church needs reviving. This is not news for You. I ask You to open up the Heavens and let the rain of Your Spirit fall once again. I ask You to pour down on Your church again. You know what we need much better than me. I ask You to revive us once again so we bear much fruit for You. Let it pour.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Summer Camp
For the past two decades summer camp has been an integral part of my summer routine. It started as a student back in 1983. Then I became a camp sponsor in my college years before becoming a youth minister and taking students to camp. I was given teaching opportunities for the morning Bible Studies at a few camps. Eventually God allowed me the blessing of preaching many youth camps. That is what I am off to do later this morning. Tanner and Tucker are going with me as I will preach a youth camp near San Antonio later tonight.
There will be much prayer. There will be the fun and laughter with students. There will be great worship and hard preaching. I love camp.
I love getting away from the world for a few days and turning our entire focus onto God stuff without the distractions of work, school, sports, and media. I have seen many lives saved and many saved come to repentance at summer camp.
I am both humbled and honored that God allows me to continue to preach and minister to students. I am getting up there in years and closing in on forty-seven. Many think that I am past being able to minister to and to relate to students. I attribute that ability to relate to students to God. First and foremost you have to love them. When students truly know you care they let you into their lives.
For the next four days my entire focus will be on seeking God to move at this camp. That is my desire. Please pray with me for the saving of souls and for the call of the saved to repent. I ask you to pray with me for a great moving of God in the hearts of students and adults alike.
There will be much prayer. There will be the fun and laughter with students. There will be great worship and hard preaching. I love camp.
I love getting away from the world for a few days and turning our entire focus onto God stuff without the distractions of work, school, sports, and media. I have seen many lives saved and many saved come to repentance at summer camp.
I am both humbled and honored that God allows me to continue to preach and minister to students. I am getting up there in years and closing in on forty-seven. Many think that I am past being able to minister to and to relate to students. I attribute that ability to relate to students to God. First and foremost you have to love them. When students truly know you care they let you into their lives.
For the next four days my entire focus will be on seeking God to move at this camp. That is my desire. Please pray with me for the saving of souls and for the call of the saved to repent. I ask you to pray with me for a great moving of God in the hearts of students and adults alike.
Friday, July 5, 2013
If We Believe
If so many Christians believe in prayer why is the prayer meeting extinct or on the endangered list in most churches. If so many believe prayer is vital why do so many Christians admit to lagging behind in their personal prayer lives. If so many devoted followers of Jesus believe in the power of prayer why is the church in the United States so impotent.
Tough questions but questions that not only need to be asked but that also need to be answered. If so many churches believe in prayer where is the proof? If I were a pagan and followed most churches around for a week I would not be convinced that prayer is important. The same would be true of many church members. Many make little to no time for prayer. How can it be said of many churches or Christians that we truly believe in prayer.
Read through the book of Acts. You can hardly turn a page in that exciting book without seeing someone praying somewhere. They set the standard for relying on God and experiencing His power in the saving of souls, establishing new churches, and seeing some healed.
We have a tendency to lean on our technology, talent, and techniques. We do not lean on God through prayer near as much. Somewhere deep down I am convinced that many people in the church believe they can do life without prayer until an emergency arises. If that statement were not true people would alter their schedules and rearrange priorities skipping anything but prayer.
Prayer is work. Hard work. Soul agonizing work when really done. I've tried to hold prayer meetings in all of the five churches I have served as pastor. They have never been well attended though I could point you to some dramatic answers to those prayers.
I have come to the conclusion that many do not really believe prayer is an effective use of time. A lot of people do not believe prayer works by their lack of commitment to exercising fervent prayer. The results tell the truth. What do you believe? Does your life and church back up that belief?
Tough questions but questions that not only need to be asked but that also need to be answered. If so many churches believe in prayer where is the proof? If I were a pagan and followed most churches around for a week I would not be convinced that prayer is important. The same would be true of many church members. Many make little to no time for prayer. How can it be said of many churches or Christians that we truly believe in prayer.
Read through the book of Acts. You can hardly turn a page in that exciting book without seeing someone praying somewhere. They set the standard for relying on God and experiencing His power in the saving of souls, establishing new churches, and seeing some healed.
We have a tendency to lean on our technology, talent, and techniques. We do not lean on God through prayer near as much. Somewhere deep down I am convinced that many people in the church believe they can do life without prayer until an emergency arises. If that statement were not true people would alter their schedules and rearrange priorities skipping anything but prayer.
Prayer is work. Hard work. Soul agonizing work when really done. I've tried to hold prayer meetings in all of the five churches I have served as pastor. They have never been well attended though I could point you to some dramatic answers to those prayers.
I have come to the conclusion that many do not really believe prayer is an effective use of time. A lot of people do not believe prayer works by their lack of commitment to exercising fervent prayer. The results tell the truth. What do you believe? Does your life and church back up that belief?
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