Fresh

Do not call to mind the former things or ponder things of the past. Behold, God will do a new thing; will you not be aware of it. [Is 43:18] 

The word "new" in that verse means fresh or current. Have you ever reached in the refrigerator and found spoiled milk,? Have you ever found food so old in the back that mold grew on it? 

That could define a lot of people's walk with God. Old. Stale. There were better days back in the past when these people were closer to God and their souls were on fire for the things of God. That was a long time ago. 

Life got in the way. Marriage. Work. Children. Mortgages. And somewhere the walk with God got stale. Worship took on a religious routine feel. Private devotions became hurried, shallow, and unsatisfying. 

Hear the Lord calling out today that He wants to do a new, a fresh, and a current thing in you today. He wants to show up in your life in a fresh way. He wants to infuse your day with His presence and His power. He wants to be fresh to you. 

As a child my grandparents had a large garden. I can still remember traipsing out int that garden barefooted with a salt shaker in hand heading toward the tomato vines. I would pluck those ripe juicy tomatoes and eat them with salt right off the vine. Nothing could beat those garden fresh tomatoes. 

Likewise, God is always working. [John 5:17] We may not be able to see what He is doing but He is at work. He is speaking. He is saving souls. He sparking revival in people's hearts. He is healing people. He is lifting burdens. He is comforting the grieving. These are just a few of the new, fresh, and current things He does everyday. 

When you open your Bible for a devotion is it fresh? Do you eagerly anticipate God speaking to you from the sacred text of scripture? As you go through your day, do you anticipate God showing up in various ways to use you to be His hands, His feet, and His heart for hurting, broken, and needy people? When you enter the house of worship to enter eagerly anticipating a fresh touch and encounter with God that is new and current. 

Our testimony should constantly be fresh and current because the Lord never quits working in our lives. He constantly reveals truth, guides our steps, calls us to step out in faith, responds to our faith steps, and gives us opportunities to join Him in His redemptive work around the world. Nothing can compare to the invitation God gives us to know Him and relate to Him. All of these things are fresh and current to the follower of Jesus who embraces them. 

Many people reading this would admit their lives are more like a wilderness, a desert, and a wasteland. You go through the external routines of serving God but nothing moves you. It all feels stale. 

O for a fresh work of God in our lives, in our churches, and across this nation today.

Gone

His death was way too premature gone forever,

Her death left a vast void to be forgotten never, 

Now only memories linger in pictures sadly behind, 

How I wish I could  go back and make time rewind, 

To cherish a touch, a hug,  a little talk, a gentle kiss, 

There are so many little things you did and said I miss, 

Like sharing a common ordinary home cooked meal, 

Most take for granted thinking not such a  big deal, 

Like sitting in the same room  in silence but together, 

Death cruelly noweparates but in Christ not forever,

The grief is hard - the days seeming unbearable at times,

The days seem darker now where their light used to shine, 

O God of comfort, God of life, healing, and God over death,

Please let me make the most of  life and every single breath, 

You see my broken heart, the sadness, sorrow, You see the pain, 

You see the tears that flow like a river and cheeks tear stained, 

It's hard to go on, to work, to live with such  wounded hearts, 

My heart is shattered into hundreds of  tiny grief filled parts,

I need You Lord, I need Your gracious help to intervene today, 

I need Your healing in my heart, please send it without delay,

When my grief overwhelms and my heart  does not quickly heal, 

When my heart gets so numb I can no longer love, serve or feel, 

You are my only comforter, You alone are my only true hope,

Like today when I 'm losing my grip at the end of my rope, 

They are gone, they shall never return again to hold in this life, 

The pain cuts as deep, so suddenly, as the cut of a butcher knife, 

I still trust You,  my God, though hard I'm still choosing to believe, 

You are my strength and my peace even while I still need to grieve.
Yes, my loved one died, they departed and  now are forever gone,
Still I praise You and love You - You shall  still be my morning song. 

Getting Up and Getting Out

The odds were beyond impossible. The prisoner on death row was next in line. Hope was gone. Unjustly arrested and imprisoned, the prisoner slept in chains.

People prayed like crazy for God to intervene. Things looked very bleak. Then God stepped in. What happened next is almost beyond belief. You could say God worked a miracle.

Here is the scene. As the prisoner slept a visitor showed up undetected by the guards. The chains were opened, removed. The visitor instructed the incarcerated man to put on his clothes and shoes and follow Him. They walked right out of the prison past guards and through iron gates that miraculously opened. Once outside the prison the mystery rescuer slipped away leaving the former prisoner alone and thinking it had been a dream.

You can read about this in Acts 12. Peter was not only imprisoned but had multiple guards watching him. A lot of people were praying. O praise God for prayer that makes the impossible possible, that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, and can connect the natural with the supernatural.

When it looked hopeless God stepped in. When the angel of the Lord entered that prison cell undetected by anyone, but Peter, things changed suddenly. The chains fell off.

Now do not miss this. The angel told Peter to get his cloak, to put on his sandals, and gird his loins and follow him out. In other words the angel told Peter, "Get up and get out of here. You have been in this prison long enough. You have more to do. We're getting up and getting out."

That's where many of you are today. You are tired. You are boxed in by impossible circumstances. Things look bleak. Things look hopeless. You would give up except for this one thing. PRAYER. Prayer can change anything and anyone as God answers. Through prayer God steps down from eternity to invade our lives and our circumstances. Praise His name. Read what God is able to do. [Jer 32:17] [Jer 32:27] [Matt 19:26] [Eph 3:20] [James 5:16]

In your personal prison it is time to pray, trust God, gather prayer support from others and believe God for a miracle. He still does them you know. Expect God to step in to help and say, "It's time to get up and to get out!"

Let me tell you a quick story. This past July I preached at a youth camp in east Texas and took Turner with me. We had a great time together and Turner and I made some special memories.  At the end of the week over lunch the camp leadership slid an envelope with an honorarium in it to me. Turner pushed it back immediately and said we would not take it. He has seen us do this in the past and over meals. He is generous like his mother. I was flabbergasted. I had not told him to do that and the truth was we really needed that money. The cost of the trip itself to the camp had taxed us financially. The camp leaders slid the envelope again but Turner insisted we would not take it. The whole thing was very awkward and uncomfortable for me. By that time I could not take the money. Turned out God was in the whole thing.

Fast forward about three months. Things have been tight financially in our home. As usual we cried out to God for help. Yesterday I checked the mail and there was an envelope that caught my attention. When I opened it it was a card from the people of that youth camp thanking me for my service at the camp and an honorarium check enclosed. God heard our prayers. God stepped in. God stepped in. God showed up. God moved. God performed another financial miracle in our lives.

We were able to get up and get out of our troubled circumstances. I believe with all my heart God can step into your situation and help you get up and get out of your troubles too. Hallelujah. We are getting up and getting out!

Don't Give Up

Don't ever quit, don't give up nor ever give in,
God will show you His faithfulness once again,
Don't lose heart and don't throw in the towel,
Even while Satan roars and stays on the prowl,
Don't give up, don't lose heart, don't you ever quit,
Cling to God's promises by faith get a firmer grip,
Resolved plod ahead each day and fresh courage take,
Never giving up or giving in for Almighty Christ's sake,
The long awaited breakthrough will surely come at last,
Then those dreaded trials will be viewed only from our past.

Revival Is Costly

When a bomb goes off the effects are both obvious and devastating. Buildings are obliterated. People can be killed and injured. Craters are left. Debris is left scattered. Bombs do damage.

There is a lot of talk about revival. People often quote II Chronicles 7:14 in revival preparation or prayer. Preachers preach on, pray for, labor for, and read about revival. How few of us have ever been in the genuine supernatural move of the Holy Spirit called revival. Most of us have attended revival meetings. I have preached several revival meetings in dozens of different churches. Notice I am intentionally using the phrase "revival meetings" instead of the word revival. Why? I have only preached three revivals in my life. While I have preached revival meetings all over the state of Texas in many churches only three times did I see God bring genuine revival.

The first happened after a youth retreat in east Texas. Our students came back from the retreat pretty fired up. They testified in the evening meeting and the Lord began to stir us deeply. Something happened that night after service that has never happened at any other time in my ministry.

A group of people met me at the back door of the sanctuary and asked if we could meet the following Monday night for another service. We did this for three weeks. The crowds were not large. The worship moved our souls. Nobody got saved but the Lord stirred our hearts with fresh desire for Him.

Years later a religious organization from our local junior college invited to preach a campus revival meeting. Before the meetings started they held a prayer walk I attended. My expectations were very low. I did not know the amount of prayer put into that meeting. I remember a young student named Jonathan Baldwin the Lord used mightily in intercession during those days.

When I extended the invitation on that first night it felt like a bomb going off. The atmosphere changed immediately. The Lord exploded in that building convicting those few dozen students of their sin. Weeping could be heard all over the room. The presence of God was so thick in the room it felt as if you could touch it. The only thing that kept going through my mind was to get out of the spotlight. I fell on my face putting head under a chair on the front row to cry out to God. A friend of mine began to lead us in worship. With no one leading that invitation but the Holy Spirit the invitation alone lasted nearly two hours. Those revival meetings that were scheduled for three days ended up lasting three weeks. Services lasted anywhere between two to three hours.

My life changed. For those three weeks my life consisted of praying, studying for the next message, working out , and preaching. Night after night I waved goodbye to Brenda and the boys as we labored for and in revival. I had to cancel other revival meetings. I sacrificed financially as those college students did not have money to pay me. It did not matter. God supplied my needs. One night I found money in my front seat after the service.

The revival flame spread to one youth group close to twenty miles away. Many doubted. Many criticized. There were a few who experienced the genuine move of God during those days. Several were saved. Many were consecrated to the Lord. God moved in ways I could only dream about. As suddenly as it began it ended. I will never forget that night.

On that last night when I pulled up to the building a group of students were outside talking. This was not unusual. On this night one thing changed. As I approached the door one of the students asked where we were going to eat after the service. On other nights the focus had been on the holiness of God. Most every night after the services we went to eat. I never ate dinner before the services and we often were out late at night eating and talking about what God had done in the service.. I rarely got home during those weeks before midnight.

On that night the focus had changed. I knew it immediately once the service started. That same overwhelming sense of God's presence was not there. Everything seemed flat and I knew in my heart it was over. We had taken the move of God for granted and not bathed it  and sustained it in prayer. Just as quickly as it started it ended.

Years passed. About a decade to be exact. My family then served in a church in Seminole, TX out west. A church member  asked me to hold revival meetings in the church and to preach them. After mulling the matter over in intense prayer I felt the Lord's leading in it.

We prayed. We prayed some more. We held early morning prayer meetings. We held Saturday night home prayer meetings. We prayed privately. The week leading up to the revival we had people  sign up to read the Bible in the sanctuary from Genesis all the way to Revelation. People read scripture in that sanctuary from early morning to late at night for an entire week. In fact that last chapter of Revelation was read to start the first revival service. Right away I recognized that same sense of the powerful presence of God like I did back on that college campus. The altar filled with repentant people. Some prostrate before the Lord. Many weeping. People were saved. Senior adults were saved. Students were saved. Even one Sunday School teacher got saved.

The worship in those days moved the soul. Services lasted easily up to 2 hours. Powerful testimonies were shared. We met for 23 straight days. I will never be able to put those days into words. Before I left the church each night I went to my office and blogged about what God had done that night while it was fresh in my mind and heart. I wanted to capture the essence of what God did each night. I have not gone back to read those blogs written in late July 2010 and August 2010.

For 23 days I prayed my  heart out. I slept very little getting up all hours of the night to pray some more. My days were given to study. My nights were given to prayer meetings before the service and preaching like God has rarely ever gifted me to preach. God moved. God saved. God revived. One man heard about what God did and came from as far as Odessa, over an hour away, to attend several services.

God never failed to give me another message in those 23 days. I look back on those days in amazement. It took a toll on me though. Physically. Emotionally. There was a price to be paid. The day after the services ended Brenda and I went shopping. What really happened is she shopped and I slept in the car. I never want to forget what God did in Seminole.

In fact, in response to this blog I am asking those who attended the Angelina College Revival or those who witnessed what God at First Baptist Church Seminole in the summer of 2010, to comment on what you saw and experienced from God when I post this on Facebook.

Now, here is the point. When God shows up like that things change like a bomb going off. Things change on multiple levels. Priorities get rearranged. Sin gets exposed. Prayers are intensified. Worship takes on a new intensity. A hunger for God increases. Holiness returns to the people of God. The lost are saved. And something else. If you do not get anything else from this get this down pat. REVIVAL IS COSTLY.

It cost men and women in Seminole to give up their nights to play instruments, sing in the praise team, work in the nursery, televise the nightly services, and be available to counsel the lost. It cost people to rearrange their schedules to attend services often late into the night and still have to go to work the next day. It cost the church money to run the air conditioning and lights continuously for 23 straight days. REVIVAL IS COSTLY.

The next time you say you want revival or plan some revival meetings remember REVIVAL IS COSTLY. It will cost you hours in prayer. It will cost you pet sin and comfort. It will cost you emotionally. It may even cost you financially. When God sends revival things change. I praise the Lord He still shows up and explodes His presence on churches, communities and countries. O how we need it.

Jesus, I ask You to send genuine revival to Your church and to this nation once again. I ask You to usher in days of refreshing and repentance for Your people. I ask You to explode Your power on Your people once again. Please help us to be willing to pay the price for revival. Help me be willing to pay the price for revival. Do it again Lord as You have done the past. You are our only hope to renew, refresh, and rekindle fire in Your church. You are the only hope to turn this nation to repentance and submission to You. In Jesus name, amen.

If you have ever experienced genuine revival please comment on this for others to whet their appetite for a fresh move of God.

G2G

G2G. What does that mean? It is very dear to my heart. I have been peaching this truth to people of all ages for over a decade. I have proclaimed this truth both inside and outside the pulpit. I have shared this truth in revivals, at youth camps, on youth retreats, and even to sweaty haired little boys of all ages after grueling off season workouts or football practices.

G2G means glory to God. I take this truth from [I Cor 10:31]Here in Paradise G2G is more than just a slogan. Our coaches have embraced this truth from elementary age all the way to high school. Let me tell you what I mean. Lat night I went to watch our seventh grade boys play football. I coached them for several years teaching them devotions, praying with them, and challenging them to live and play for the glory of God. Last night Turner asked me after the game, "Did you hear us shouting GLORY TO GOD on the field?" Sadly I did not hear them saying that. It still fired me up. I got fired up when  I watched as them kneel in prayer before the start of the game.

I've heard other teams with older boys break out of their pre-game chant to "Glory to God!" Our girls cross country teams, who have been to the state meet for two straight years, also pray before practices and run for the glory of God.

Our varsity football team voluntarily wear the G2G symbol on their helmets even though it looks different. Nobody has to wear it. Each player has to choose to put that sticker on their helmet. What they wear is a G with a roman numeral II and a backward G. The coaches wear this on the back of their coaching shirts. Many are standing and playing for God in this community. It warms my heart. It is cultural change of playing for a cause greater then selfish accolades and school pride.

I personally saw one of our athletes bow his knee and lay hands on a fallen teammate, who hurt his knee as he  sat on the bench, and pray for him. I have seen multiple football players bowed on their knees at the altar in our church on a Sunday morning asking God to help them. I've heard stories of captains on the football team gathering players in a huddle on the field and praying together during official timeouts.

On the other hand , I have seen blatant spiritual warfare against these teams. Read this. During the first scrimmage one of the backs went down with an ACL knee injury after only four carries. Another player injured his hand. The next week another player injured his shoulder.  The starting quarterback injured his neck and back and had to be taken from the field house by ambulance. The next week two linemen got concussions rendering them unable to play tonight. A key linebacker hurt his knee and is out for a few weeks. Another two way starter is out indefinitely with some heart related issues.

While in the weight room lifting this past week, I saw close to a dozen people in the training room seeing the trainer with various injuries. This is not just on our high school football team. Two basketball players have hurt their knees during off season basketball practices. Two junior high football players have broken their wrists; one on a four wheeler and one during the game last night. You will never convince me, in a town as small as Paradise, on teams as small as ours that these things are all coincidence.

If coaches and players are playing for the glory of God then there will be Satanic opposition. This is my call for Christians to cover these boys and girls in prayer. This is my call to take the fight to our knees for God to protect them, for God to glorify His name in this community, in our churches, and on these teams.

Glory to God is more than just a chant for me. It is a motto for life. I teach it to young people as well as to adults. We should live for the glory of God. Do I think saying, "Glory to God"  is a good luck charm to help teams win games? No! Do I think God wants to glorify His name through young athletes, coaches, parents, and a whole community? Yes and a thousand times yes!

What if teachers taught for the glory of God? Ranchers raised their herds for the glory of God?Farmers plowed, sowed, and reaped the harvest for the glory of God? Police enforced the law for the glory of God? Barbers and beauticians cut and styled hair for the glory of God? Musicians played and sang for the glory of God.?Preachers preached for the glory of God? Politicians labored and served for the glory of God? Parents raised their kids for the glory of God? Business people made money for the glory of God?THAT IS WHAT I AM AFTER. THE GLORY OF GOD SPLASHED ALL OVER EVERY FABRIC OF SOCIETY.

That looks like revival to me. G2G FOREVER!

Freedom

O beloved, there is freedom in Christ. A freedom made possible because of His shed blood. A freedom available to the the most vile offender who believes on Jesus for salvation. The same Christ who forgives sinners is also the same Christ who sanctifies His people. He who began that good work of salvation will continue to work until our last day. [Phil 1:6]

Yet, many live enslaved. Enslaved to past hurts and wrongs. Enslaved to various sins. Enslaved to legalism. Jesus sets people free. Jesus sets people free indeed. "Therefore, if the Son makes you free you shall be free indeed." [John 8:36] The word "free" means to be exempt, not to be a slave, and not under restraint. If this is true, then why are so many living in bondage?

Bondage to past hurts and emotional wounds. Many people, including myself, have been hurt in our youth by some of the very people who were supposed to love us, protect us, and nuture us. How many have been physically abused, psychologically scarred, and sexually assaulted. The pains are real. The scars remain. Many Christian people are stuck right there.

Others have been mistreated by friends and business associates. The anger lingers. The seething hatred burns down deep inside. Bitterness destroys the work of God deep inside. Church houses are filled with people stuck in this type of emotional bondage. THERE IS FREEDOM IN JESUS. People do not have to live shackled to un-forgiveness  and bitterness. There is liberty from past hurts, wounds, and abuse for every child of God. Embrace that truth. Trust God for it. Live in it.

How many people live shackled to the ball and chain of sin. These same people will testify of a salvation encounter with Jesus. These same people will attend worship services and many even maintain the discipline of private devotions. Yet they continue to be enslaved to sin. As much as they hate it, as much as they have tried to change, as many times as they have repented and tried to start again, they are still enslaved. It does not have to continue this way. What Jesus did on the cross and the power of His resurrection is sufficient to set people free from alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography, gossip, lying, homosexuality, gambling, adultery, fornication, and any other sin known to man. This is gospel truth. There is freedom and freedom indeed. Addictions can be broken. Pet sins can be discarded.

What about those people enslaved to legalism. These are the people who have reduced serving the Lord to keeping rules and regulations. They want every "t" crossed and every "i" dotted. They get hung up on rules and regulations. They love to be in control and have missed out on the heart of serving the Lord. These people are big on duty but seldom enjoy the delight of knowing the Lord and worship of Him. Churches are filled with people like this. They want control. They manipulate to get into powerful positions. They can intimidate and run rough shod over congregations. These people can be pastors, deacons, charter church members. committee members, and elders. The title does not matter as much as the rottenness of the interior or their lives.

Jesus offers freedom to people like these too. They can be set free to love and serve the Lord without power, manipulation, rules, and regulations. I am not saying that churches do not need rules and regulations. God is a God of order. Jesus loves people. People with real flaws. People with real sinful failures. His marvelous grace is sufficient for all. The most vile offender who truly believes in Jesus will receive pardon, forgiveness, and liberty.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God who offers freedom. Praise the name of Jesus for giving us liberty and breaking the chains of slavery to un-forgiveness, to bondage to sin, and to legalism.  Bless His holy name forever. Child of God embrace the freedom Jesus purchased for you and live in it forever.