Staff Retreat

Jase, Sean and I are sitting in the Lubbock airport waiting to catch a plane to take us to Tyler, TX where we will rendezvous with my friend Jimmy to drive to the famous prayer cabin I have written so much about over the years. We are going on a staff retreat. The goal of the retreat is simple. To become refreshed in our walks with the Lord and to hear clearly from Him.

I will also get to preach to the students at FBC Palestine on Wednesday night as well as get to reconnect with my great Uncle Billy Ford, who is a retired preacher. He lives alone and this might possibly be the last time we get to have a prayer meeting together and I get to see him since we live so far a part. He is one of the most holy men I have ever known. I look forward to our time together.

Life in ministry can be busy. More days than I can remember my day starts early. Last night I finished up a few last minute things in the office after dinner and did not get back home until around 10:00 p.m. Getting away for a few days to seek the face of God without any distractions is a welcome relief to me. I cannot wait to walk into the back door of that old two-bedroom cabin. I can see every detail of that cabin in my mind. I see the old outdated furniture in the living room. I see the orange chairs, the brown striped love seat and couch. I see the glass top coffee table with a large mouth bass mounted on top. I see the oval shaped oak dining table with six chairs where I have sat to write books, blogs, and messages to preach at revivals, camps, and retreats.

On the back porch there are several rocking chairs looking over the picturesque ninety-acre lake and rolling hills of pasture and forest on the other side of the lake. God meets me in that place. I am excited to take Jase and Sean there and allow them to soak in some of the presence of the Lord. They make only the sixth and seventh people I have ever shard that place with. I know God is everywhere. He is just as present in Seminole, TX in my office as He is at the prayer cabin. That cabin holds great sentimental value for me. I have met with the Lord there and plan to do so again this week.

[Mark 1:35], “In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place and was praying there.” Jesus found time to retreat from ministry, to retreat from people, and to seclude Himself alone with His Father. Jesus intentionally retreated from everything and everyone to meet with His Father. We have been trying to schedule this staff retreat for over four months. There is never time. We are in no less need to do that today though. We need to get away to have some focused and undistracted time with the Lord.

We have now flown into Tyler and made our way to the retreat. I sit early this morning at the dining table where I have met with the Lord numerous times over the past fourteen years. Sitting in this very chair I wrote Behold the Faithfulness of God and 40 Days to Shake the City. In this cabin Jase, Sean and I sought the Lord last night after dinner as well as going our separate ways earlier in the afternoon to seek the Lord. We have only been here about twelve hours but our time has been enriching.

At this isolated bungalow there is no television. There is a television set but we do not have access to cable or satellite. To be honest I do not miss it. In this cabin I do not even have access to the internet. Life comes to a crawl here but it is a good crawl. This all makes more time for prayer, scripture reading, meditation and reflection and of course writing. This retreat is a time to catch our second wind as we continue to run the race God has set before us. [Heb 12:1]

This is a secluded place. We are maybe a mile or more from the highway. We cannot see the neighbor’s house. We are surrounded by towering trees and rolling pasture. Yesterday the lake became as smooth as glass. So smooth in fact, I could see the reflection of the trees on the surface of the waters. Tranquility filled my soul. This is the perfect place to come and seek the face of God. I sat in my favorite outdoor prayer nook yesterday afternoon enjoying the presence of God. From my perch I had a perfect view of the lake. In the past I have seen eagles from this vantage point. I did not have to be in a hurry. There were no schedules to keep, no deadlines to meet or appointments luring me away from the feet of my Lord. In those moments I not only enjoyed Him but I also found refreshment for my soul.

I came here with one request that supersedes all the rest. I just want to hear clearly from the Lord. In fact as we three gathered last night the heart of what we all need is to hear clearly from the Lord in these days. We just want to hear a clear word from the Lord. So with that request in mind I am up early (4:34 a.m. to be exact) ready to seek the Lord again.

Lord, I know those who read this are busy. In the hectic dash to make it through the day I pray You would slow down Your children long enough to find a secluded place to meet with You. I ask You to fill their hearts with Your intoxicating presence. I ask You to renew their love for You and Your word. I plead that You would stir the hearts of Your followers not to meet with You out of sense of duty but they would find delight and refreshment in Your presence. May that also be the case for Jase, Sean and I as we sojourn on this staff retreat.

God is Like the Snow

Like much of the nation Seminole has been blanketed in snow and gripped with icy temperatures for most of this past week. This weather has reminded me of the times I have spent in Canada in the winter. The chilling wind has cut right through by coat and other clothing. It has been a good week to sit inside.

The title of this blog did not originate with me. It came from my youngest son Turner. Brenda drove them to school on Wednesday and Turner commented as he looked out his window that God is like the snow. He then went on to elaborate, “He is everywhere.” Pretty profound for a second grader.

God is like the snow in several ways. I will only focus on two. He is everywhere. That means as I sit in my office at 7:19 p.m. on this Thursday night waiting on an appointment God is with me. As you read this from your home or place of work God is with you. He blankets us in His love and the reassurance of His presence. God is here right now and He is accessible. Like the snow covers the ground and is everywhere I look, so is God. I can talk to Him now. I can worship Him now. I can listen to Him now. He is everywhere.

I do not know what you are going through but I know God is there to help, to comfort, and even rebuke when needed. He is everywhere as Turner said. I need Him. I need His peace and I need His power to do what He has called me to do. I need His continual inspiration to write. I need His revelation to see truth. I also need His anointing to preach and teach. I need His wisdom to lead. I need His love to help me past selfishness to minister to the needs of my wife. I need His patience and tenacity to teach my boys and stay involved with them. We need God and He is here. We need God and He will be there in the future as well during trials and in the storms. He is everywhere.

God is also like the snow in the fact that He purifies and makes our hearts white again with His grace. Just like the snow covers the ground and all you can see is a blanket of white pure and clean snow, God can do and does that to our hearts. He forgives and cleanses our sin. He covers our blunders with the white snow like blanket of His righteousness. This grace and righteousness are stunning to behold. It is like a fresh start and a new beginning.

I just finished meeting with one of those people who need to be covered with the snow of God’s grace and forgiveness. This intelligent person that who grew up in church needs a fresh touch of the snow like grace to come and to cleanse once again. He is here and faithful to do just that. So do I and so do you. We continually need God to pour grace on our hearts.

Yes, Turner. God is like snow and He is everywhere. I am thankful the Lord took my boy and spoke to my heart through him. I pray He speaks to your heart as well. What a blessing.

Lord, I lift up those who read this. I pray you would remind them you are there with them in this moment. I ask you to renew their heart with your grace. I ask you to renew their hearts and make them pure. Thank you for speaking through a little boy but one who sees things so profoundly. I am humbled to be his daddy. How I pray you would use Turner to do greater things than I have ever done. I ask you to take Him deeper with you than I have ever gone and to climb higher to your summit than I have ever forged. I pray that over Taylor, Tanner, and Tucker as well. Thank you for being everywhere. In Jesus name. Amen.

In The Darkness

It is Tuesday morning at 6:34 a.m. and the electricity went out in the house and all over our neighborhood. I had busied myself with cooking breakfast and the next minute complete darkness. No light other than a couple of flashlights we found around the house. I am only able to write this due to the fact that I have battery power on my computer.

The absence of light has made for an interesting morning. The boys had to shower in the dark. They now have to eat cereal instead of the toast and eggs I had planned on cooking them. We wonder if the lights are out all over town or if it is just around our home. We do not have any explanation why we are sitting in the dark.

It is easy to take electricity for granted. One minute I am rummaging through the kitchen getting ready for breakfast and the next minute I find myself seated in my chair listening to the boys munching cereal as I write this. Light brings a comfort and security. Light offers direction.

In [John 8:12] Jesus calls himself the Light of the World. There are people who live their entire lives in spiritual darkness. They never see the Light of the World. They operate from day to day groping for direction and meaning as they try to navigate life in this world. They have no hope. They have no peace. They have no security. Most of all they have no salvation outside a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The condition of their souls is as pitch black as my home is this morning. I have the soft glow of this computer monitor giving off a little light. Other than that we are in the dark. One thing that brings peace and comfort is the fact that the sun will rise shortly and life will be restored to a sense of normalcy at least until it sets again today. We do take light for granted. Light from the sun or artificial light.

What would we do in a world without electricity and light? For one thing I would only be able to work on this computer for another five hours and twenty-three minutes before my battery runs out. Oh, wait a second. I just lost ten minutes worth of power so I am down to five hour and thirteen minutes. Without artificial light there would be no basketball games tonight. There would be no television or video games. We would not be able to go out to eat and there would be no heat in our homes except for those with fireplaces if they had firewood or people had gas heaters.

Life in the dark would be a different world. We would probably be forced to go to bed earlier that would mean we might be better rested. We would most likely not stay up later trying to squeeze more and more activity into a day. We would not enjoy all the modern conveniences we take for granted. Life in the dark would mean slower paces of lives and a simpler life. Education would look different. How would we function in a world without cell phones, texting, ipods, email, and GPS?

There are people who live in that world everyday and think nothing of it. I walked into that world three weeks ago when I stepped out of my comfortable world into the world of the Chorti people in Honduras. They live in this world every day of every year. We are inconvenienced this morning. They are inconvenienced every day of their lives.

I just sat down and talked to the boys about all these things I have been writing. We had a great family devotion talking about light. I thank God for sitting in the dark. I am not kidding you. As soon as I wrote the sentence about thanking God for sitting in the dark the electricity went out again. Once again we are sitting in the ark and have learned the electricity is out all over town.

The sun is beginning to rise. The morning sky has turned from black to grey as the sun peaks over the horizon. I still thank God for sitting in the darkness. It gave me the opportunity to talk to my boys about matters of great spiritual significance. I do not know what the day will hold for all of us. I am thankful I get to live this day in relationship with the Light of the World. We as his followers are called to be light in this world as well. [Matt 5:14-16]I hope you shine today in the darkest places in your world. Lord, help us shine brighter and brighter until the world knows Jesus Christ the Light of the World saves from sin and eternal darkness.

Wounded Warrior

I just finished a book by Bruce Wilkinson titled, Beyond Jabez. In one section of the book, he warns that those people who yearn to do more for God and begin to expand their territory by building the kingdom of God will become targets of the enemy Satan. To advance the kingdom of God means more battles and at times battles means getting wounded in the fight.

I write this as a weary and wounded warrior. My wounds come more from feeling overwhelmed, fatigue, and fighting confusion in my mind. There are wounds from years of ministry and far too little time to retreat, regroup, and heal emotionally and spiritually. Some of these wounds go back some time. Let me state up front that things are good in the church. That is not the source of my wounding. We are blessed at FBC Seminole. To my knowledge we do not have many problems.

My wounds come from over a decade of walking by faith and trusting God for more. I have been assaulted a few times in the physical realm but more so from Satan. I have fought numerous battles with depression, hopelessness, and confusion. Many times I have been unable to hear from the Lord clearly. I have walked through the darkness groping for help and to find my way. The voices in my head tell me a hundred different directions to go but I long for that still small voice of God that seems to elude me at times.

My wounds come from dreaming too much and praying for God to do much more. I have been disappointed many times when the answers did not come or been forced to wait on God’s timing. My impatience gets the best of me and at times I only make matters worse. I get wounded as I fight the battles in my mind nobody can share or understand but God. I have had very little peace in my mind for a long time though I have cried out for it.

There are days I want to stop and lick my wounds but there are always more battles to fight. The war wages on and there is precious little time for healing. One man or woman may fight in the same war and come out unscathed while right next to them another person catches a bullet or piece of shrapnel.

What do you when you are wounded? You get treatment and for me that has meant time in the word and meditation. There has been much prayer. I cannot say I am out of the woods yet but I can say I see light at the edge of the forest. You want to know what has helped me in these current days and in the past? God’s word. I have continued to read it and digest it.

God meets me in the pages of scriptures. He did so again twice today. Though wounded, in scripture I find bandages and the balm of healing from my Commander and Chief. In the scriptures I get antibiotics to help fight of the infections of depression, confusion, hopelessness, fatigue, and doubt. As I traverse through the Old Testament working my way through I Chronicles I see truth and apply it to my wounds. The healing has already begun.

Nothing ministers to my wounds like the scriptures. Often I find myself preaching to me more than to the congregation. God’s truth hits the spot. May we all strive to remain in the scriptures and even more so when get wounded in the fight. My wounds will heal and I will live to fight another day.

The Infinite Value of Knowing Christ

There is an infinite value in knowing Christ. I use the words “infinite” and “value” intentionally. The word infinite means “without end, boundless, immeasurable.” The word value can be defined as “estimated or accessed worth.”

In this world where value is put on labels, fashions, possessions, and pleasures Jesus Christ exceeds them all. This is a bold claim but not one I am making on my own but one found right in the scriptures. “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.” [Phil 3:7-8]

Television commercials try to make us place value on things. Retailers employ marketing experts to entice us to buy their products. In this world of every kind of pleasure both sordid and unadulterated, Paul says knowing Jesus Christ is of surpassing value to all the rest. Is this really true? When I look at the life of many believers this does not seem to be the case. Sin still looks enticing. Contentment seems as elusive as ever. Knowing Christ has been replaced with attending services and bible studies.

As I read Paul this morning I cannot help but think there is so much more for the lives of Christ’s followers than attending church and spending the rest of our days buying more and more that never produces the desired satisfaction we have craved. There really is a value to knowing Christ but in my own life why do I settle for lesser things. Why do I trade Christ for cheap imitations that have no value?

When Paul writes that knowing Christ is of surpassing value, what he is communicating is that knowing Christ is superior, better than, and more excellent than anything this world has to offer. There are days like this morning when I believe that to the core of my being. There are other days when I become convinced like Adam and Eve there is something better or more out there and I chase in vain after things that do have the ability or worth to satisfy. It is a vicious cycle maybe you have experienced yourself.

I cannot be regulated to consistent patterns of disregarding Christ for what the world says I have to have or need to enjoy having the fullest life. The fullest life imaginable is one in which I relate to Jesus on a closer level. The fullest life possible is a life devoted to the deepest affections, admiration, and devotion to Christ. Out of this experience we can enjoy the abundant life. [Jn 10:10]

So as this day begins like thousands before it in your life and mine let us begin by gazing on Jesus Christ. Let us be captivated by his infinite worth. Let us not be duped by the glitz and sparkles of things in this world but be mesmerized by the glory of the risen Christ. His is a glory and a view more spectacular and breath taking than can be captured with words. Let us behold his glory. [Jn 17:24] He alone is of infinite value. All the rest lose their luster, fade with the years, and pass away. Thank you Jesus, my King, my Lord, and my infinite value. Please hold my attention all through the day and keep me from being distracted by anything or anyone who would beckon me away from you

Honduras Journal part 11

1-06-11 – 1:08 p.m. We were up at 3:25 a.m. getting ready to catch our bus from Copan Ruinas to San Pedro. The bus ride lasted three hours and I slept every bit of two and half hours of it.

Once we arrived in San Pedro we changed buses to go to the airport. Steve was hoping to fly back to North Carolina on stand by but the flight was overbooked and he had to stay behind an additional night. He is an amazing guy. He spent thirty-years traveling as a salesman before retiring. He has stayed in Honduras in the past for up to three months at one time serving the Chorit people. His plans are now to come back next month and stay for at least sixty days. He is becoming the lead person for the work here in the absence of full time missionaries. I’ve known few lay people who have laid their lives on the altar of service to God like Steve and his wife. They are both an inspiration to me to keep serving God full steam ahead into my senior adult years. Steve is around seventy years old. I must serve God faithfully while I still have my youth.

Lord, thank you for allowing me to meet the people in Honduras. I am most burdened for this hospital. Most of the doctor’s offices I have visited are bigger than the two clinics I visited yesterday. I come asking you to help me see this project through to completion. $140,000 is a large sum of money for me, but it is not a big deal for you.

The magnitude of the work needing to be done is overwhelming. Each village has a different set of needs. Most of them are difficult to get to in the best of weather and inaccessible except by walking during the rainy season. The heat is oppressive in the summer and the physical exertion just from walking can be draining.

Why bother? It is expensive to travel here. It expensive to add up transportation once you get in the country, lodging, and food. Why do it? I heard reports that within the next two years the Southern Baptist Convention will offer early retirement to many missionaries. There will only be one IMB missionary left in the whole country of Honduras. That one person will work six hours away from Copan Ruinas. The Chorti people will fall through the cracks if individuals do not volunteer and churches do not step up to continue the work. Volunteers must catch the vision for the work here. This is why I am making this journal available in hopes God will use it to call others to come.

The Chorti people are not reached for most of them are illiterate and cannot read a Bible or a gospel tract. The gospel is shared to them through “storying.” Bible stories are told in short story form much like the scriptures were passed down through generations verbally before they were written. Stories of significant Bible events are shared leading up to the message of Jesus and salvation.

There is also a huge need to train pastors how to teach, preach, and lead more effectively. Some pastors, like Elias, cannot even read the Bible for themselves. They keep laboring and preaching. They do not have offices are plush salaries. They have a love for the Lord and a love for the people in their villages. They follow the call God has put on their lives. They do back breaking labor during the day and then feed their flocks on Sundays.

On top of this, is the need for the saints to be discipled. There are not many Christians but those who are have not had opportunities for intensive Bible studies like we are familiar with back home. There is a need for the Christians to learn more of these Bible stories so they can witness and evangelize their families and neighbors.

Part of the ongoing work with the Chorti includes teaching the farmers how to farm better. A ministry called the “Ag Project” is teaching the farmers better techniques on how to get better harvests. They are learning how to plant their crops in a horizontal pattern on the mountains so the heavy rains do not wash their crops away. This project is pretty extensive and has great potential.

Finally there is the call on my life to see a hospital built in Copan Ruinas. There is tremendous need for medical help and expansion of the medical services available in this area. There is no way I can communicate adequately enough how deplorable the medical facilities are here. No matter how difficult the task I am going to trust God do this. My prayer is God will raise all the money by December 31, 2011. It is a big task but I trust an even bigger God every step of the way. I have devoted myself to this task. There is no turning back in unbelief.

Lord, I lay all of this before you. The needs are great but you have called us to meet them. I beg of you to call your people to join in this effort. We need people who give more money so other people can keep going on future trips who may not be able to afford them. We need money for the hospital and to continue the ongoing work already established. We need more people who are called to go and to do medical work. We need teams who will go on trips to prayer walk the villages. We need more people to learn how to evangelize through “storying.” We also need pastors who will go and help train other pastors. All of this has to be done through volunteers. So I ask you to put your call on the masses to keep making these trips. The task is mammoth but through you Lord Jesus we shall all be strengthened to get the work done. This is not for the faint of heart.

I recall years ago asking you to send me to the hard places of the world. Working with the Chorti is not the hardest work in the world but it is still difficult. Lord, only you can call stout-hearted people to get involved in this work. I am glad to be one of the called. The work needed to be done here will not be finished in a trip or two. It will take years of consistent prayer and labor to see the work finished. I surrender my life to be one of those who take those many trips.

I ask you again to move the $140,000 mountain that stands in the way of that hospital coming into being. I ask you to bless No Compromise Ministries with the finances to meet this need. I ask you to call people from all over the world and eventually to give to this project. I trust you to do it. In the process, I pray for your wisdom to know how to go about this. This is the biggest faith assignment you have ever called me to. I trust you to do this for the glory of your name. I trust you for a huge miracle. May you hear our prayers and give birth to this miracle.

As we get closer to Houston my thoughts turn back to Seminole. I miss my family and do not enjoy leaving them. I only do it to fulfill God’s call on my life to keep the Great Commission. [Matt 28:19-20] [Mark 16:15] I missed teaching through the book of 1 Corinthians last night. I missed watching both Tanner and Taylor play basketball. These are small sacrifices I am glad to make for the cause of Christ. I get to play a small role in fulfilling God’s global purpose. Few things are more fulfilling than that. I am ready to get back to shepherd the flock at Seminole and to feed them the scriptures. What a great delight to be involved in God’s purposes. I pray others reading this journal will be inspired to do the same.

Honduras Journal part 10

1-05-11 – 7:59 p.m. After visiting the village of El Bonete, talking to the doctors again, walking to both medical clinics in town, and getting to prayer walk on the proposed land for the new hospital I am pretty tired. We enjoyed another great dinner of lasagna this evening again at Big Jim’s.

I played with a little boy and a little girl at the top of El Bonete today until I worked up a sweat in mild temperatures. Though I could not speak their language, I could speak the language of love. We laughed together a lot. Another boy latched on to my hand as we climbed the hill to look at the church and the school that share the same building. His grasping my hand melted my heart.

Playing with those children made me miss my family. I am ready to return home and my life there with my new mission. I see the work here and know what I am called to do. It is nearly impossible to describe the medical clinics I saw today.

The first one we visited is about 900 total square feet. There is no place for a patient to get long-term care. The make shift room used for surgery has only two beds and one chair. They can give stitches and do a few minor procedures but that is it. They are not equipped or staffed to do more. There is not room to do more. Another small room contains an office and examination room combined. The only other room is a reception waiting room with enough seating for half a dozen people at most. The second clinic we visited in a different part of town is smaller and less equipped than the first though the facility is newer.

The parcel of ground they have located is not large. It is located on the main road leading into Copan Ruinas. I asked God for the land as I walked over the ground. I see even more clearly why God has called me to trust Him for the money for this hospital and the land. I have now laid eyes on the plans for the hospital. In the States we would not call the propose building a hosptial but a larger and improved medical clinic. The plans call for a three-story building. One floor will house x-rays, examination rooms, and offices. The second floor will actually have some patient rooms and the third floor will include more examination rooms and some living quarters for medical missionary doctors when they come on their trips. This is an exciting work to partner with God in accomplishing.

Lord, I am grateful you allowed me to go on this trip. I will not forget the images I have seen and the people I have met. I see my mission more clearly now. That has been the easy part. The hard part begins when I get home. I have to trust you for $140,000. I ask you again to move this mountain.

I ask you to encourage the Chorti people once we leave. You have not nor will you ever forsake these people. You will keep giving them strength to continue laboring for you. You will give them counsel to make wise decisions. You will provide for their needs. You are their helper not us. We are just vessels you work through. You are the hope for these people.

All I can do is to follow you in obedience in what you have called me to do. It is hard to put into words what I felt today sitting in a home with no electricity. Contrast that with the fact tonight I ate at a restaurant decorated with Christmas lights and I am writing this by lamp light near my bed. There is no air conditioning in this mission house but we do have fans and ceiling fans to cool us off.

Today the temperatures climbed to the hottest since we have been here. Compared to the oppressive heat and humidity of the summer today was like a fall day. I am guilty of taking so much for granted. You have blessed me with so much modern luxury back home. I have many comforts the Chorti could have not even imagine. I do believe my office at the church is nearly as big as some of the houses I saw in El Zapota. I have been blessed with thousands of books, a lap top computer, Bible study software, the latest technology and air conditioning at home, in my office, and even in my truck.

You have blessed me with a house. I have running water, access to hot water whenever I want, a dining table with enough seating for eight people, a living room crammed with furniture along with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. I am a blessed man. Thank you Lord. I repent of taking so much granted and thinking I ever have to have more. In Jesus name, amen.

Tomorrow we go back home. Our journey back to Seminole will start early in the morning and end after dark. We will catch a bus back to San Pedro. Once we get to the airport we will catch a plane to Houston and then make a connecting flight that will transport us back to Midland. From there we will drive the one-hour back home. Our day will begin about 4:00 a.m. and we are scheduled to get back to Seminole after 9:30 p.m. I need to get to bed and be ready for an early start.