Mark 2:1-12 (NKJV)
1 And again He entered Capernaum after somedays, and it was heard that He was in the house.
2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them,not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.
3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.
4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."
6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,
7 "Why does this Manspeak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Yoursins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic,
11 I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."
12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anythinglike this!"
O how exciting it gets when Jesus is in the house. He showed up and people gathered. Why? He taught powerfully. People hung on each word. The crowd so crammed the house not another person could get inside. The Spirit of Jesus still shows up in houses of worship. He still transforms lives. It is what I live to see.
Four friends went the extra mile to bring their paralyzed companion to Jesus. Only when they arrived they could not get to Jesus. Undeterred they hauled their friend up on the roof and then broke through to lower their friend before Jesus. Two miracles took place. First, the man's sins were forgiven. That is the greater of the two miracles. Second, Jesus healed Him so the paralyzed man walked.
The whole scene amazed those watching. They had never seen anything like that. I leave you with these two questions. Who brought you to Jesus? Who prayed for you? Who shared the gospel with you? Who brought you to worship? I count several people. I thank God for a great uncle and a great aunt. They loved me. They prayed for me. They pointed me to Jesus. I thank God for Brother Charles Roberts and his wife Doris. They prayed me to Jesus. I thank God for my wife who started praying for her future husband starting in the eigth grade. Then a local youth minister from North Carolina called to east Texas approached me one crisp October night to share the gospel of Jesus with me. Jesus did the rest. He saved me. He transformed me.
The next question I want to ask is, who are you bringing to Jesus? Are you as resolved as the paralyzed man's friends to get someone to Jesus? Are you determined to keep putting forth the effort to get people to Jesus. Will you be easily deterred when you invite people to come to Jesus and they reject the invitation time and time again? Will you give up too quickly on people who are one heartbeat away from eternity in hell? Jesus is in the house. He works mightily. He still attracts people and does wonders.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Disagreement With A Legend
Last week I visited the Sam Rayburn museum and library. What peaked my interest was the library. I wanted t see what books this man started collecting from eight years old on. So my friend and I went in. I grew up not far from Lake Sam Rayburn but really did not know that much about him.
The fact that he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for 17 straight years grabbed my attention. I doubt we will ever see that again. He also served in Congress under eight different Presidents of the United States.
I saw a replica of his office I found interesting. The desk did not seem overstated. On the right side sat a red leather couch. It all fascinated me. I saw actual documents he wrote with his own hand. I saw all kinds of pictures. Of course we saw the library. The hostess gave us permission to look inside the books. He wrote his initials on page 99 of each of those books.
My disagreement with the honorable Mr. Rayburn came when I went to an interactive display. I pushed a button that displayed footage of Speaker Rayburn addressing Congress. Then the disagreement came. I found myself arguing with a dead legend. He made the statement that serving in Congress was the greatest job on the face of the earth. I disagreed so vehemently I actually spoke out loud, "That is not true!"
The greatest profession in the world is preaching the gospel. I stood in a pulpit today expounding the timeless truth of Mark 2. I preached with all my passion, all my intellect, all my reasoning, all my body and all my prayer yearning for people to have a fresh encounter with Jesus. I stood trusting to be God's vessel to deliver truth to listeners, most saved and some I am not certain of their salvation in a little country church.
Eternity hangs in the balance when the preacher stands to preach or teach. Eternity does not hang in the balance when Congress is in session. Congress sessions do not usher people into fresh encounters with the God of this universe. I am not saying doctors, lawyers, teachers, ranchers, farmers and politicians are not important professions. They are not the most important. Nor business, realty, financial planners, coaches, mechanics, welders, brick masons, librarians or anything else.
I may never stand before thousands. I have only preached before a thousand people two times. I have preached before hundreds on numerous occasions. Most of my ministry has been in smaller settings with less than 100 people. That might seem insignificant until you consider all the people drawn to Jesus and forever changed. I get to partner with God to impact eternity. What is more important than that? I think nothing.
The fact that he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives for 17 straight years grabbed my attention. I doubt we will ever see that again. He also served in Congress under eight different Presidents of the United States.
I saw a replica of his office I found interesting. The desk did not seem overstated. On the right side sat a red leather couch. It all fascinated me. I saw actual documents he wrote with his own hand. I saw all kinds of pictures. Of course we saw the library. The hostess gave us permission to look inside the books. He wrote his initials on page 99 of each of those books.
My disagreement with the honorable Mr. Rayburn came when I went to an interactive display. I pushed a button that displayed footage of Speaker Rayburn addressing Congress. Then the disagreement came. I found myself arguing with a dead legend. He made the statement that serving in Congress was the greatest job on the face of the earth. I disagreed so vehemently I actually spoke out loud, "That is not true!"
The greatest profession in the world is preaching the gospel. I stood in a pulpit today expounding the timeless truth of Mark 2. I preached with all my passion, all my intellect, all my reasoning, all my body and all my prayer yearning for people to have a fresh encounter with Jesus. I stood trusting to be God's vessel to deliver truth to listeners, most saved and some I am not certain of their salvation in a little country church.
Eternity hangs in the balance when the preacher stands to preach or teach. Eternity does not hang in the balance when Congress is in session. Congress sessions do not usher people into fresh encounters with the God of this universe. I am not saying doctors, lawyers, teachers, ranchers, farmers and politicians are not important professions. They are not the most important. Nor business, realty, financial planners, coaches, mechanics, welders, brick masons, librarians or anything else.
I may never stand before thousands. I have only preached before a thousand people two times. I have preached before hundreds on numerous occasions. Most of my ministry has been in smaller settings with less than 100 people. That might seem insignificant until you consider all the people drawn to Jesus and forever changed. I get to partner with God to impact eternity. What is more important than that? I think nothing.
His Value Of A Man
Our family received an invitation to a surprise birthday party for a man we love and served alongside in ministry for a season. We showed up early and reconnected with several old friends before the guest of honor arrived some 40 minutes later.
When he arrived he did get surprised. I personally talked to people in that room who drove over five hours to come to that party. Some drove three hours. Others an hour and a half and many at least an hour. There had to have been close to 150 people in that room Some from his current church. Some from his first church. Others from the place we served together. All gathered because they love this man and his wife.
I sat back at one point ad took in the scene. His value clearly evidenced by all the people who still love him. This man and his wife have given their lives away, invested in scores of people, served and loved. Last night they received love in return. I saw coaches, school administrators, pharmacists, oil field workers, a sheriff's deputy, teachers, farmers, bankers, mechanics, retired people, young people and several preachers.
The older I get the more I understand the treasure and joy in life comes from relationships. My brother last night is a rich rich man in relationships. We were honored to be in attendance. More honored that we will share lunch with them later today.
It made me wonder in hindsight how many if any would show up for me at such a party. It served to convict me to pour my life into people more, invest deeper in relationships, serve others and love. A good ambition for all of God's children.
When he arrived he did get surprised. I personally talked to people in that room who drove over five hours to come to that party. Some drove three hours. Others an hour and a half and many at least an hour. There had to have been close to 150 people in that room Some from his current church. Some from his first church. Others from the place we served together. All gathered because they love this man and his wife.
I sat back at one point ad took in the scene. His value clearly evidenced by all the people who still love him. This man and his wife have given their lives away, invested in scores of people, served and loved. Last night they received love in return. I saw coaches, school administrators, pharmacists, oil field workers, a sheriff's deputy, teachers, farmers, bankers, mechanics, retired people, young people and several preachers.
The older I get the more I understand the treasure and joy in life comes from relationships. My brother last night is a rich rich man in relationships. We were honored to be in attendance. More honored that we will share lunch with them later today.
It made me wonder in hindsight how many if any would show up for me at such a party. It served to convict me to pour my life into people more, invest deeper in relationships, serve others and love. A good ambition for all of God's children.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Thank You
I received some great advice on the day I made my call to preach public. My pastor told me after the crowds passed shaking my hands never to forget to say thank you. That is advice I may not kept 100% but it advice I cherish. Brenda and I write thank you letters and cards. I do not want take the sacrifice and serve of people for granted.
Neither do I want to be guilty of not offering God proper thanks when He answers our prayers and works in powerful fashion. We are quick to ask many things of Him. Are so quick to give our private and public thanks?Jesus healed ten lepers but only one came back to say thank you.
I know we have a whole holiday set aside for giving thanks. We hear a lot of talk about gratitude then but what about the rest of the year. What about when we gather to worship and study His word. Shouldn't we offer thanks then too.
Psalm 95:2 (NKJV)
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms.
Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
God does so much for us. Can we not stop long enough in our private devotions and pubic worship to really give Him the thanks He deserves? People are always asking God for something else. Something more. Another blessing. Another mountain moved. Can we stop and spend an entire prayer time just giving thanks? He has earned it.
Can we not pause in our busy days to make a phone call, drop a line, send a text,= or stop a person and just say, "Thank you for all you do." When is the last time a Sunday school teacher got thanked or a nursery worker? When did ladies working in a cafeteria or fellowship hall receive a thank you? When did a wife get thanks for her work around the house or a father for being supportive of his children? When do children get thanked for jobs well done?
I will not let this day pass without passing out many thanks in public to well deserving people.
Neither do I want to be guilty of not offering God proper thanks when He answers our prayers and works in powerful fashion. We are quick to ask many things of Him. Are so quick to give our private and public thanks?Jesus healed ten lepers but only one came back to say thank you.
I know we have a whole holiday set aside for giving thanks. We hear a lot of talk about gratitude then but what about the rest of the year. What about when we gather to worship and study His word. Shouldn't we offer thanks then too.
Psalm 95:2 (NKJV)
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms.
Psalm 100:4 (NKJV)
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise.Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
God does so much for us. Can we not stop long enough in our private devotions and pubic worship to really give Him the thanks He deserves? People are always asking God for something else. Something more. Another blessing. Another mountain moved. Can we stop and spend an entire prayer time just giving thanks? He has earned it.
Can we not pause in our busy days to make a phone call, drop a line, send a text,= or stop a person and just say, "Thank you for all you do." When is the last time a Sunday school teacher got thanked or a nursery worker? When did ladies working in a cafeteria or fellowship hall receive a thank you? When did a wife get thanks for her work around the house or a father for being supportive of his children? When do children get thanked for jobs well done?
I will not let this day pass without passing out many thanks in public to well deserving people.
Stay The Course
I just returned from Tucker's four and a half month knee doctor check up since his ACL surgery. Things are progressing well. He is now cleared to push the weights harder. He will start running in another month. It has been a slow journey but now Tucker will begin seeing the payoff.
Much of life is staying the course. Going through the same monotonous routines over and over again. Going to the office or the shop. Cooking another meal. Washing more dishes. Doing another load of laundry. Mowing another yard. Making another call. Returning another email. Attending another meeting. Having another devotion. Attending another worship service. Studying for another message. Writing another blog. Not very exciting.
Like I said, much of life is just staying the course. Don't miss this fact. Many times in the mundane monotonous routines of our day Jesus shows up and does something unexpected. Need proof. Just read the entire fifth chapter of the gospel fo Mark. Read Matthew 8:1-3. Try John 11. Jesus encounters different people and does something extraordinary.
I can hear you saying, "Yeah, Matt. Jesus did that kind of stuff in the Bible. He doesn't show up in real life today to do anything spectacular. He doesn't do that in my life."
Well let me give you a couple of modern day examples. Something out of my life. Times when Jesus surprised me while I was just trying to stay the course. Brenda and I were in Corpus Christi sitting in the home of a retired physician we were just getting to know several months ago. A preaching engagement brought us to south Texas and the good doctor and his wife graciously opened their home to us. In fact they opened it on more than one occasion though we were complete strangers to them.
On this night Dr. E. asked me about our finances. I gave my standard reply. "God is our faithful provider." I went on to explain our conviction that we did not share our personal needs with people but took them to God. He did not fully understand why we had that conviction. We talked on late into the night about a number of subjects.
Suddenly he got up to leave the room without saying a word. When he returned he handed me a check. He told me to receive it in love and gratitude which I humbly did. I discovered later the check was for a $1,000. Earlier that morning before driving the seven hours to south Texas we did not know how we afford the trip in addition to our normal expenses. We stayed the course. Jesus met us in extraordinary fashion.
Let me give another example. A few weeks ago Brenda and I were invited to a gathering of believers for a special meal and celebration. We accepted though the gathering took place two hours from our home. Wearied we drove after Brenda got off work. We did not know anyone there but the one who invited us and her family.
At one point in the evening I walked off alone outside. The temperature dropped after the sun went down. I went off to be alone with my Father and commune with Him. I got interrupted by another lady we knew but had not expected to be in attendance that night. We talked briefly and then she grabbed my hand and slid something into it. She communicated her love and we returned to the tent. She had slipped a check for $1,400 in it. Brenda and I stayed the course on that day to attend that meeting. We had no idea on that course Jesus had a blessing for us. Once again He met us in an unexpected way.
I could tell many other similar stories. I can also recount stories when a phone call came at just the right moment opening an opportunity to minister I could not foresee and did not expect. That is exactly what happened in my current position serving as an interim pastor to a wonderful flock. I received a phone call I did not expect from a man I had not seen in years. We used to attend the same church. God opened a door for their church to find an interim pastor and for Brenda and I serve, love and receive love.
We never know when Jesus will show up and surprise us as we are staying the course. It makes staying the course more exciting. We never know what He will do on any given day. Jesus is filled with surprises, revelations, divine appointments and fresh encounters with Him.
Stay the course. Do not lose heart. He could show up anytime now and blow you away like He did the lepers, the blind, the immoral, the crippled and the demon possessed in the four gospel accounts. He will meet with us too as we stay the course. Let us not lose heart along the way.
Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Much of life is staying the course. Going through the same monotonous routines over and over again. Going to the office or the shop. Cooking another meal. Washing more dishes. Doing another load of laundry. Mowing another yard. Making another call. Returning another email. Attending another meeting. Having another devotion. Attending another worship service. Studying for another message. Writing another blog. Not very exciting.
Like I said, much of life is just staying the course. Don't miss this fact. Many times in the mundane monotonous routines of our day Jesus shows up and does something unexpected. Need proof. Just read the entire fifth chapter of the gospel fo Mark. Read Matthew 8:1-3. Try John 11. Jesus encounters different people and does something extraordinary.
I can hear you saying, "Yeah, Matt. Jesus did that kind of stuff in the Bible. He doesn't show up in real life today to do anything spectacular. He doesn't do that in my life."
Well let me give you a couple of modern day examples. Something out of my life. Times when Jesus surprised me while I was just trying to stay the course. Brenda and I were in Corpus Christi sitting in the home of a retired physician we were just getting to know several months ago. A preaching engagement brought us to south Texas and the good doctor and his wife graciously opened their home to us. In fact they opened it on more than one occasion though we were complete strangers to them.
On this night Dr. E. asked me about our finances. I gave my standard reply. "God is our faithful provider." I went on to explain our conviction that we did not share our personal needs with people but took them to God. He did not fully understand why we had that conviction. We talked on late into the night about a number of subjects.
Suddenly he got up to leave the room without saying a word. When he returned he handed me a check. He told me to receive it in love and gratitude which I humbly did. I discovered later the check was for a $1,000. Earlier that morning before driving the seven hours to south Texas we did not know how we afford the trip in addition to our normal expenses. We stayed the course. Jesus met us in extraordinary fashion.
Let me give another example. A few weeks ago Brenda and I were invited to a gathering of believers for a special meal and celebration. We accepted though the gathering took place two hours from our home. Wearied we drove after Brenda got off work. We did not know anyone there but the one who invited us and her family.
At one point in the evening I walked off alone outside. The temperature dropped after the sun went down. I went off to be alone with my Father and commune with Him. I got interrupted by another lady we knew but had not expected to be in attendance that night. We talked briefly and then she grabbed my hand and slid something into it. She communicated her love and we returned to the tent. She had slipped a check for $1,400 in it. Brenda and I stayed the course on that day to attend that meeting. We had no idea on that course Jesus had a blessing for us. Once again He met us in an unexpected way.
I could tell many other similar stories. I can also recount stories when a phone call came at just the right moment opening an opportunity to minister I could not foresee and did not expect. That is exactly what happened in my current position serving as an interim pastor to a wonderful flock. I received a phone call I did not expect from a man I had not seen in years. We used to attend the same church. God opened a door for their church to find an interim pastor and for Brenda and I serve, love and receive love.
We never know when Jesus will show up and surprise us as we are staying the course. It makes staying the course more exciting. We never know what He will do on any given day. Jesus is filled with surprises, revelations, divine appointments and fresh encounters with Him.
Stay the course. Do not lose heart. He could show up anytime now and blow you away like He did the lepers, the blind, the immoral, the crippled and the demon possessed in the four gospel accounts. He will meet with us too as we stay the course. Let us not lose heart along the way.
Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Faking It
I have seen people fake it in public. The laugh. They joke. They are the life of the party. They are bubbling with personality, charm and humor. And I have seen the ugly truth behind all of that at times. Sometimes it was all a show to masquerade the deep seated sorrow in someone's broken world.
Proverbs 14:13 (NKJV)
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
Behind some smiles is a broken heart and a sorrowful soul. We all fake it sometimes. Someone asks how we are doing and we reply, "I'm doing well. I'm good. I'm doing just fine." We are content to leave it at that and not probe any further.
I recall a lady in a previous church I served who smiled a lot and appeared happy and joyful. Something about her did not convince me. One day the two of us were walking down a hall. It was her eyes. Her eyes betrayed the truth in her innermost being. I felt there was deep sorrow behind the smile she worked so hard to present before the public. She faked it.
A question came to me and I acted on it. I asked, "Who hurt you?" She stopped in her tracks. Her stunned look likened to a person who just got suckered punched. Those sad eyes moistened. She tried to evade any further probing. She never did tell me who hurt her. Later I learned of many things hidden in a sorrowful heart and disguised behind smiles and laughter.
On another occasion I attended a meeting with several preacher friends planning an event. I knew most of these guys. We were close. One of those guys I count as a close friend and brother. He is usually jovial. He was on that day. Yet behind the scenes he had been hit with the death of several loved ones in a relatively short period of time.
After the meting I got him alone and asked how he was really doing. We walked outside and he broke down into tears. His heart crumbled in pieces right before my eyes. His truth that day communicated his whole world seemed like it crumbled before him. The intense grief he carried inside broke my heart. I loved on him and prayed with him in those few moments. Moments deeply etched in my mind.
How many others? How many hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and maybe millions walk through life faking it. They labor to hold it all together though they feel like they are coming apart at the seams. Will we ignore these and go through life business as usual?
Sometimes I wonder if people really care. Do we really want to know the truth about people? I am an academy award winner at faking it. I can hide the truth of my circumstances when talking to friends, preaching and writing. I know how to keep people at arms length. I know how to build my defenses for protection and preservation.
I know many people really don't care. They don't want to hear about sorrows. The masses don't want to enter into other people's private pain. If on occasion they do it is rare that they endure and stay the course util healing ndd breakthrough come. Bless God some do.
So we all learn to fake it at times. To pretend we are happier than we really are. How many women dry their eyes and wipe away smeared make up to hide the truth in public. How many men choke back the pain behind a joke or small talk.
It breaks my heart to think of the scores of people who gather for worship wearing plastic smiles and hiding the reality of sorrow. They never share it. They live in their own private prisons of pain. Grief suffocates true joy. The smile comes from rote memory more than from a merry heart.
I am challenging you to do two things. First, look deep into the eyes of people. The eyes are the window to the soul. When you look deep into other's eyes what do you see? Study those eyes. Do they dance with light and joy. Are they sunken in sadness? Do you see life or lifelessness? What do you see? If you see sorrowful eyes will you be Jesus to that wounded soul? Will you courageously probe deeper to discover the truth? Will you enter into their pain and walk those grievous steps with them so they do not have to walk alone? If we all did that I think we would see more genuine smiles. If those smiles were genuine the joy behind them would be contagious.
Secondly, I challenge you to open yourself up to a trusted person about your own sorrows. God created us to be in community with one another. God desires us to live connected to others. That means we will have to be real. The people of God should have the freedom to be authentic. To be honest about struggles and sorrows. To open the vault of the heart This takes courage.
It takes courage to be authentic and not to fake it. Churches are filled with people faking it. They work hard at covering up the truth. They convince themselves they can never be honest. So they live in bondage to sorrow. They live in bondage to opinions of people.
God offers freedom. Freedom for those who decide to quit faking it.
Proverbs 14:13 (NKJV)
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
Behind some smiles is a broken heart and a sorrowful soul. We all fake it sometimes. Someone asks how we are doing and we reply, "I'm doing well. I'm good. I'm doing just fine." We are content to leave it at that and not probe any further.
I recall a lady in a previous church I served who smiled a lot and appeared happy and joyful. Something about her did not convince me. One day the two of us were walking down a hall. It was her eyes. Her eyes betrayed the truth in her innermost being. I felt there was deep sorrow behind the smile she worked so hard to present before the public. She faked it.
A question came to me and I acted on it. I asked, "Who hurt you?" She stopped in her tracks. Her stunned look likened to a person who just got suckered punched. Those sad eyes moistened. She tried to evade any further probing. She never did tell me who hurt her. Later I learned of many things hidden in a sorrowful heart and disguised behind smiles and laughter.
On another occasion I attended a meeting with several preacher friends planning an event. I knew most of these guys. We were close. One of those guys I count as a close friend and brother. He is usually jovial. He was on that day. Yet behind the scenes he had been hit with the death of several loved ones in a relatively short period of time.
After the meting I got him alone and asked how he was really doing. We walked outside and he broke down into tears. His heart crumbled in pieces right before my eyes. His truth that day communicated his whole world seemed like it crumbled before him. The intense grief he carried inside broke my heart. I loved on him and prayed with him in those few moments. Moments deeply etched in my mind.
How many others? How many hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands and maybe millions walk through life faking it. They labor to hold it all together though they feel like they are coming apart at the seams. Will we ignore these and go through life business as usual?
Sometimes I wonder if people really care. Do we really want to know the truth about people? I am an academy award winner at faking it. I can hide the truth of my circumstances when talking to friends, preaching and writing. I know how to keep people at arms length. I know how to build my defenses for protection and preservation.
I know many people really don't care. They don't want to hear about sorrows. The masses don't want to enter into other people's private pain. If on occasion they do it is rare that they endure and stay the course util healing ndd breakthrough come. Bless God some do.
So we all learn to fake it at times. To pretend we are happier than we really are. How many women dry their eyes and wipe away smeared make up to hide the truth in public. How many men choke back the pain behind a joke or small talk.
It breaks my heart to think of the scores of people who gather for worship wearing plastic smiles and hiding the reality of sorrow. They never share it. They live in their own private prisons of pain. Grief suffocates true joy. The smile comes from rote memory more than from a merry heart.
I am challenging you to do two things. First, look deep into the eyes of people. The eyes are the window to the soul. When you look deep into other's eyes what do you see? Study those eyes. Do they dance with light and joy. Are they sunken in sadness? Do you see life or lifelessness? What do you see? If you see sorrowful eyes will you be Jesus to that wounded soul? Will you courageously probe deeper to discover the truth? Will you enter into their pain and walk those grievous steps with them so they do not have to walk alone? If we all did that I think we would see more genuine smiles. If those smiles were genuine the joy behind them would be contagious.
Secondly, I challenge you to open yourself up to a trusted person about your own sorrows. God created us to be in community with one another. God desires us to live connected to others. That means we will have to be real. The people of God should have the freedom to be authentic. To be honest about struggles and sorrows. To open the vault of the heart This takes courage.
It takes courage to be authentic and not to fake it. Churches are filled with people faking it. They work hard at covering up the truth. They convince themselves they can never be honest. So they live in bondage to sorrow. They live in bondage to opinions of people.
God offers freedom. Freedom for those who decide to quit faking it.
Chasing Shadows
What are you chasing? What do you expend your days pursuing? What do you exchange your time and energy to get in return? Has the return on your time investment paid satisfying dividends.
People give decades of their lives to a job. Some people love their jobs and others endure it to pay the bills. Either way hours are spent daily in some vocation. Weeks are piled up to earn vacation time. Decades are exchanged to earn a paycheck working toward retirement. What do we desire with those paychecks. Houses. Vehicles. Clothing. Entertainment. Travel. Recreation.
I came to the realization that much of what I chased after in my life was chasing shadows. Like a child running in vain to catch his shadow so I ran after things I thought would fulfill me. I was wrong. Dead wrong. The things I chased after for years proved shadows. No lasting substance to them.
In light of eternity I challenge you to evaluate what you are chasing. Do those things really matter in light of the judgment seat of Christ? I sadly regret years of chasing shadows that had no substance in light of eternity. Wasted effort and wasted energy. Wasted days.
So what should we chase? What does God value? I will not waste time giving you my opinion. I will point you straight to the words of Jesus. You make your own interpretation. You apply Jesus' words to your life. How do you measure?
I hope we not waste our days in chasing shadows but give our all in pursuit of this.
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
People give decades of their lives to a job. Some people love their jobs and others endure it to pay the bills. Either way hours are spent daily in some vocation. Weeks are piled up to earn vacation time. Decades are exchanged to earn a paycheck working toward retirement. What do we desire with those paychecks. Houses. Vehicles. Clothing. Entertainment. Travel. Recreation.
I came to the realization that much of what I chased after in my life was chasing shadows. Like a child running in vain to catch his shadow so I ran after things I thought would fulfill me. I was wrong. Dead wrong. The things I chased after for years proved shadows. No lasting substance to them.
In light of eternity I challenge you to evaluate what you are chasing. Do those things really matter in light of the judgment seat of Christ? I sadly regret years of chasing shadows that had no substance in light of eternity. Wasted effort and wasted energy. Wasted days.
So what should we chase? What does God value? I will not waste time giving you my opinion. I will point you straight to the words of Jesus. You make your own interpretation. You apply Jesus' words to your life. How do you measure?
I hope we not waste our days in chasing shadows but give our all in pursuit of this.
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Taking Things For Granted
From time to time we are guilty of taking people or things for granted. We grow accustomed to waking up to our family day after day. Sometimes "I love you" goes left unsaid. Meals shared are hurried through. Supper talks often neglected in lieu of television trays and another night in front of the tube. Pets at times seen more like a nuisance than a blessing.
We take things for granted too. The sun. Rain. Oxygen. Our homes. The fact that the vehicle cranked again this morning. We take our pantry full of food for granted as well as our jobs. It is way too easy to take our health for granted.
We take the special people in our lives for granted until they are gone. I have ministered to many grieving widows and widowers. What they tell me is they would give anything for just a simple thing we take for granted. One more goodnight kiss. To hold a hand. A hug. Another, "I love you."To share an ordinary meal. To just sit and talk.
The same is true of the divorced. I have seen some who never wanted the divorce grieve. They try everything to keep the marriage together. Then it is too late. The other spouse leaves. Memories haunt the halls of the home in pictures. Once a happy home now an abode of sorrow.
I have seen it in parents who lost children to that cruel hand of death that strangled the life form their precious son or daughter. I have also seen it in parents who's hearts have been ripped out by prodigals. Wonderful memories obscured through cascades of tears.
Let us not take the gift of each day for granted. May we wake up to the wonder of the sunrise each day. Let's sing in the rain. Let's walk slowly through day enjoying the brilliant colors of creation, the savor of the food but most importantly the special people in our lives.
Too many conversations between people can be left unsaid. We need to share our hearts communicate our affections and express our love daily. One day it be will too late.
One day we may not be able to enjoy the great outdoors if our health fails. The warmth of the sun rays. The smell of the fresh flowers. The brush against our sin from the breeze. The texture of the cloth of our clothing. The softness of the mattress and the pillow. The warmth or coolness of the water in the shower. The feel of the book in our hands.
We take so much for granted. Each day is a gift from God. Admittedly some days are harder, more trying and sorrowful than others. Even when caring for a dying loved one each day is another day to take snapshots with the heart. Each day is a chance to say everything that needs to be said.
Most importantly of all each day is a day to draw nearer to your Savior. Each day another opportunity to get into the truth of the scriptures. Each day another day to immune with Him in prayer. Another day to get lost in the wonder of worship. Another day to behold Him.
Sadly everything I listed above can be taken for granted. In the rat race of life we miss out on the most important things. Cultivating intimacy with Jesus. Making memories with our family and friends. Taking care of our health. Enjoying the simple pleasures. Life is ta gift. Make the most of it.
Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)
12 So teach usto number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
We take things for granted too. The sun. Rain. Oxygen. Our homes. The fact that the vehicle cranked again this morning. We take our pantry full of food for granted as well as our jobs. It is way too easy to take our health for granted.
We take the special people in our lives for granted until they are gone. I have ministered to many grieving widows and widowers. What they tell me is they would give anything for just a simple thing we take for granted. One more goodnight kiss. To hold a hand. A hug. Another, "I love you."To share an ordinary meal. To just sit and talk.
The same is true of the divorced. I have seen some who never wanted the divorce grieve. They try everything to keep the marriage together. Then it is too late. The other spouse leaves. Memories haunt the halls of the home in pictures. Once a happy home now an abode of sorrow.
I have seen it in parents who lost children to that cruel hand of death that strangled the life form their precious son or daughter. I have also seen it in parents who's hearts have been ripped out by prodigals. Wonderful memories obscured through cascades of tears.
Let us not take the gift of each day for granted. May we wake up to the wonder of the sunrise each day. Let's sing in the rain. Let's walk slowly through day enjoying the brilliant colors of creation, the savor of the food but most importantly the special people in our lives.
Too many conversations between people can be left unsaid. We need to share our hearts communicate our affections and express our love daily. One day it be will too late.
One day we may not be able to enjoy the great outdoors if our health fails. The warmth of the sun rays. The smell of the fresh flowers. The brush against our sin from the breeze. The texture of the cloth of our clothing. The softness of the mattress and the pillow. The warmth or coolness of the water in the shower. The feel of the book in our hands.
We take so much for granted. Each day is a gift from God. Admittedly some days are harder, more trying and sorrowful than others. Even when caring for a dying loved one each day is another day to take snapshots with the heart. Each day is a chance to say everything that needs to be said.
Most importantly of all each day is a day to draw nearer to your Savior. Each day another opportunity to get into the truth of the scriptures. Each day another day to immune with Him in prayer. Another day to get lost in the wonder of worship. Another day to behold Him.
Sadly everything I listed above can be taken for granted. In the rat race of life we miss out on the most important things. Cultivating intimacy with Jesus. Making memories with our family and friends. Taking care of our health. Enjoying the simple pleasures. Life is ta gift. Make the most of it.
Psalm 90:12 (NKJV)
12 So teach usto number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Walking A Tightrope
Walking by faith is like walking a tightrope stretched across a wide canyon. The view is breathtaking. The scenery is inspiring. The other side can look a long way off in the distance. Each step is risky. Eventually you get to the point of no return. A point where it makes more sense to keep pressing forward than to backtrack.
Brenda and I have walked this tightrope of faith for decades. Many times I've taken her by the hand and led her forward on this tightrope of faith. I love the thrill of the adventure. She prefers the safety and security of solid ground. She has trusted God and me following time and again.
Many times we have looked foolish to the onlookers. They do not understand why we would choose to walk this tightrope when staying put on solid ground is more logical. Our reply would be the miracles are on the other side of the tightrope. Our progress may be slow. Often we no more than get across one canyon of opportunity than God shows us the next one and off again we step out into the next faith adventure.
When on the tightrope, if we focus on the dangers and perils below we easily get disoriented. We can lose our focus and balance. Doubts arise and we can even talk ourselves out of pressing on.
There have been times when she and I stood on the cliff and looked at the perils below. We tried to see the other side but could not. All we could see was a tightrope and hear Jesus calling us to step out and to trust Him. Many times this has created what Dr. Henry Blackaby calls a crisis of belief. Many times fear conquered our faith. We chose to step out anyway. Scared we stepped and then stepped again and again. We choose faith even when fears menacingly threaten our doom.
Even now as I write this we are suspended on the highest tightrope of faith we have ever traversed. The going has been slow. Often the steps have been unsure and unsteady. The winds of fear and doubt have nearly toppled us more than once. We have been encouraged by the word of God and steadied by His unseen hand.
We have stories to tell of His faithfulness. We have seen things many have not. We have experienced the miraculous intervention of God in ways that have astounded and humbled us. We keep stepping out on this tightrope hoping to glorify God and to inspire others to do the same. In the end it's our desire to please Him who calls us. Each step and each tightrope. What will you do? When you have the next opportunity to walk out on your own tightrope or remain firmly planted on the shores of safety which will you choose? According to scripture there is only once choice.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it isimpossible to please Him,for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and thatHe is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Brenda and I have walked this tightrope of faith for decades. Many times I've taken her by the hand and led her forward on this tightrope of faith. I love the thrill of the adventure. She prefers the safety and security of solid ground. She has trusted God and me following time and again.
Many times we have looked foolish to the onlookers. They do not understand why we would choose to walk this tightrope when staying put on solid ground is more logical. Our reply would be the miracles are on the other side of the tightrope. Our progress may be slow. Often we no more than get across one canyon of opportunity than God shows us the next one and off again we step out into the next faith adventure.
When on the tightrope, if we focus on the dangers and perils below we easily get disoriented. We can lose our focus and balance. Doubts arise and we can even talk ourselves out of pressing on.
There have been times when she and I stood on the cliff and looked at the perils below. We tried to see the other side but could not. All we could see was a tightrope and hear Jesus calling us to step out and to trust Him. Many times this has created what Dr. Henry Blackaby calls a crisis of belief. Many times fear conquered our faith. We chose to step out anyway. Scared we stepped and then stepped again and again. We choose faith even when fears menacingly threaten our doom.
Even now as I write this we are suspended on the highest tightrope of faith we have ever traversed. The going has been slow. Often the steps have been unsure and unsteady. The winds of fear and doubt have nearly toppled us more than once. We have been encouraged by the word of God and steadied by His unseen hand.
We have stories to tell of His faithfulness. We have seen things many have not. We have experienced the miraculous intervention of God in ways that have astounded and humbled us. We keep stepping out on this tightrope hoping to glorify God and to inspire others to do the same. In the end it's our desire to please Him who calls us. Each step and each tightrope. What will you do? When you have the next opportunity to walk out on your own tightrope or remain firmly planted on the shores of safety which will you choose? According to scripture there is only once choice.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
6 But without faith it isimpossible to please Him,for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and thatHe is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The Broken Leftovers
Almost everyday I eat leftovers for lunch. Whatever we had for the supper the night before makes a fine lunch the following day. In some instances the leftovers are most tasty the second time around like with vegetable soup. Many times I have enjoyed that soup for several days in a row and it gets better each time.
I am thinking of the story of the boy with the loaves and fish. You know it well. Thousands were gathered and were hungry. There was not enough money to buy food. Jesus intended to meet this need. One little boy had the equivalent of a sack lunch. He offered it to Jesus. No gift is too small.
What do you have to offer Jesus? From your perspective it may not seem very significant. Do not shortchange what Jesus can do with your offering. He can make much out of little. He can multiply a mundane gift into an extraordinary one. What do you have to offer Jesus? Is it money? Is it some talent? Is it your time? Is it your volunteering? Is it your life? No gift is too small in His hands.
We read that first Jesus blessed the offering of the fish and loaves. He dedicated them to His Father.
Next, He broke them into pieces to be distributed among the people. How could so little ever be sufficient to satisfy the hunger of so many? Before the miracle took place first, the offering had to be broken. What was true of the fish and loaves can also be true of our lives as well. We don't like the brokenness especially when our offering is our lives. Before God uses men and women He often breaks them first. It is a purification. A tearing down to build back up. This is where the miracle begins. He can do more with your life and mine when He breaks us to distribute us. He can multiply our effectiveness. Sadly far too many doubt Him and shun the broken experience.
Maybe you are in a season of brokenness. A season of pruning where it appears God has turned on you or forsaken you. Rest assured that is not the case. He most likely is just breaking your offering in preparation for a miracle. Do you believer this? Do you believe that your offering has been forgotten? Have you been deceived into thinking the brokenness in your life is a sign of God's rejection. Seasons of breaking are not pleasant. They are often very painful. Growth often happens on the other side of brokenness. New fruit blooms after the pruning. The breaking can be preparation for a miracle. I have seen this repeatedly. Where God makes beauty for ashes. Where nights of weeping turn into joy in the morning. Where wilderness experiences lead to Elim and eventually to the promise land.
Those disciples witnessed a miracle that day. The food never ran out even though they fed thousands. Here is the best part. The leftovers. 12 baskets full. More than the little boy had given in the first place were leftover. 12 baskets full was just enough for 12 hungry disciples. Those broken leftovers served a purpose. Those 12 men doubted there would be enough food in the beginning. In hindsight they saw a miracle first hand. The broken leftovers was visible proof that Jesus did the impossible with such a small insignificant gift. Nothing is impossible with Him.
What could He do with your gift? What broken leftovers could He use to show His power and to meet the needs of people? I can picture those disciples grouping to eat their baskets staring wide eyed around them and scratching their heads. How could such a small gift produce so much for so many. They held the broken leftovers to meet their physical need. They could not explain it. They could only testify they have been part of a miracle that day.
I wonder if Jesus ate that day? If He did I wonder if He ate with the lad who offered his lunch? I am sure that little boy never forgot that day. He gave all he had to Jesus. Jesus blessed it. Broke it. Then He multiplied it. That little boy could have chosen selfishness and never offered his lunch. He could have rationally deduced that the gift was too small to make any difference. He gave all He had. Jesus did the rest. What could Jesus do if you and I did the same? If we gave all we have? He can do the same for you and me. When you and I enjoy the broken leftovers let us be quick to give glory to Jesus. He can do much with little when it is offered to Him.
I am thinking of the story of the boy with the loaves and fish. You know it well. Thousands were gathered and were hungry. There was not enough money to buy food. Jesus intended to meet this need. One little boy had the equivalent of a sack lunch. He offered it to Jesus. No gift is too small.
What do you have to offer Jesus? From your perspective it may not seem very significant. Do not shortchange what Jesus can do with your offering. He can make much out of little. He can multiply a mundane gift into an extraordinary one. What do you have to offer Jesus? Is it money? Is it some talent? Is it your time? Is it your volunteering? Is it your life? No gift is too small in His hands.
We read that first Jesus blessed the offering of the fish and loaves. He dedicated them to His Father.
Next, He broke them into pieces to be distributed among the people. How could so little ever be sufficient to satisfy the hunger of so many? Before the miracle took place first, the offering had to be broken. What was true of the fish and loaves can also be true of our lives as well. We don't like the brokenness especially when our offering is our lives. Before God uses men and women He often breaks them first. It is a purification. A tearing down to build back up. This is where the miracle begins. He can do more with your life and mine when He breaks us to distribute us. He can multiply our effectiveness. Sadly far too many doubt Him and shun the broken experience.
Maybe you are in a season of brokenness. A season of pruning where it appears God has turned on you or forsaken you. Rest assured that is not the case. He most likely is just breaking your offering in preparation for a miracle. Do you believer this? Do you believe that your offering has been forgotten? Have you been deceived into thinking the brokenness in your life is a sign of God's rejection. Seasons of breaking are not pleasant. They are often very painful. Growth often happens on the other side of brokenness. New fruit blooms after the pruning. The breaking can be preparation for a miracle. I have seen this repeatedly. Where God makes beauty for ashes. Where nights of weeping turn into joy in the morning. Where wilderness experiences lead to Elim and eventually to the promise land.
Those disciples witnessed a miracle that day. The food never ran out even though they fed thousands. Here is the best part. The leftovers. 12 baskets full. More than the little boy had given in the first place were leftover. 12 baskets full was just enough for 12 hungry disciples. Those broken leftovers served a purpose. Those 12 men doubted there would be enough food in the beginning. In hindsight they saw a miracle first hand. The broken leftovers was visible proof that Jesus did the impossible with such a small insignificant gift. Nothing is impossible with Him.
What could He do with your gift? What broken leftovers could He use to show His power and to meet the needs of people? I can picture those disciples grouping to eat their baskets staring wide eyed around them and scratching their heads. How could such a small gift produce so much for so many. They held the broken leftovers to meet their physical need. They could not explain it. They could only testify they have been part of a miracle that day.
I wonder if Jesus ate that day? If He did I wonder if He ate with the lad who offered his lunch? I am sure that little boy never forgot that day. He gave all he had to Jesus. Jesus blessed it. Broke it. Then He multiplied it. That little boy could have chosen selfishness and never offered his lunch. He could have rationally deduced that the gift was too small to make any difference. He gave all He had. Jesus did the rest. What could Jesus do if you and I did the same? If we gave all we have? He can do the same for you and me. When you and I enjoy the broken leftovers let us be quick to give glory to Jesus. He can do much with little when it is offered to Him.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Consume My Will
Consume: • (usually be consumed) (of a feeling) absorb all of the attention and energy of (someone)
That is my utmost desire this hour. To be consumed by God. So consumed I no longer exist to seek my will. I want my will consumed in God's will. Totally absorbed in all my attention, all my affections and all my energy. Consumed.
This will not come easy. Matt has strong desires and inclinations. He prefers the easy path, the secure path, the safe path and the rewarding path. Matt shuns things like sacrifice, risk, difficulty, danger and adversity. If I genuinely and sincerely mean this desire to be consumed that will only happen when Matt is absorbed so much in and by Jehovah that my will pales in comparison. It means a whole new level of surrendering. It means a dying to self. It also means a forever relinquishing rights over my life and control over my future.
I pray this simple prayer with all my heart in this moment.
Lord,
I'm not much. I don't have much to offer You who has everything. You certainly don't NEED me. You want me though. For reasons I will never understand You loved me enough to die for me. You love enough to lavish me with grace. I can never repay that. I have nothing of value to offer you. I am not a wealthy man in money or possessions. My talents are average at best.
What I can offer You is all of me. I want to be totally absorbed in You. I offer my life as an instrument in Your hands. I willfully lay my life and will before You as a living sacrifice to do with as You please.
I do not ask for riches, fame or prominence. I only ask that I be effective wherever You plant me. I ask that You would be glorified by the offering of my life and will. I know how easily I get discouraged and distracted. So I ask You to consume all of me. All of my will. I want You to absorb all that is Matt Edwards for whatever purpose You design. I plead for You to accept this humble offering and to answer this prayer. May I never take up my life or my will again.
I ask You to absorb all my attention. May my mind be on You continually and Your truth. I ask You to inspire new revelation of Yourself to me, new things to preach and teach from Your word and new things to write about this and all the remaining days of my life.
Help me be content in whatever lot You ordain for me. May I be consumed with the desire to be faithful to You in Your call whether grand or small. My flesh will not go easy. Please grant me courage to die to self to become more fully alive to You.
O mighty Master, please consume me. I ask You to absorb my passion and my energy. I ask You for the supernatural energy to do the work of more than one man. I ask for strength and vigor all my days to the end to be absorbed in the knowledge of You and the fulfillment of the work You call me to do.
Then, when You are ready, I trust You to call me home. Until then please get out of me as much as is possible from this day to that.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Romans 12:1 (NKJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service.
That is my utmost desire this hour. To be consumed by God. So consumed I no longer exist to seek my will. I want my will consumed in God's will. Totally absorbed in all my attention, all my affections and all my energy. Consumed.
This will not come easy. Matt has strong desires and inclinations. He prefers the easy path, the secure path, the safe path and the rewarding path. Matt shuns things like sacrifice, risk, difficulty, danger and adversity. If I genuinely and sincerely mean this desire to be consumed that will only happen when Matt is absorbed so much in and by Jehovah that my will pales in comparison. It means a whole new level of surrendering. It means a dying to self. It also means a forever relinquishing rights over my life and control over my future.
I pray this simple prayer with all my heart in this moment.
Lord,
I'm not much. I don't have much to offer You who has everything. You certainly don't NEED me. You want me though. For reasons I will never understand You loved me enough to die for me. You love enough to lavish me with grace. I can never repay that. I have nothing of value to offer you. I am not a wealthy man in money or possessions. My talents are average at best.
What I can offer You is all of me. I want to be totally absorbed in You. I offer my life as an instrument in Your hands. I willfully lay my life and will before You as a living sacrifice to do with as You please.
I do not ask for riches, fame or prominence. I only ask that I be effective wherever You plant me. I ask that You would be glorified by the offering of my life and will. I know how easily I get discouraged and distracted. So I ask You to consume all of me. All of my will. I want You to absorb all that is Matt Edwards for whatever purpose You design. I plead for You to accept this humble offering and to answer this prayer. May I never take up my life or my will again.
I ask You to absorb all my attention. May my mind be on You continually and Your truth. I ask You to inspire new revelation of Yourself to me, new things to preach and teach from Your word and new things to write about this and all the remaining days of my life.
Help me be content in whatever lot You ordain for me. May I be consumed with the desire to be faithful to You in Your call whether grand or small. My flesh will not go easy. Please grant me courage to die to self to become more fully alive to You.
O mighty Master, please consume me. I ask You to absorb my passion and my energy. I ask You for the supernatural energy to do the work of more than one man. I ask for strength and vigor all my days to the end to be absorbed in the knowledge of You and the fulfillment of the work You call me to do.
Then, when You are ready, I trust You to call me home. Until then please get out of me as much as is possible from this day to that.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Romans 12:1 (NKJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which isyour reasonable service.
If You Are Willing
Mark 1:40-45 (NKJV)
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."
41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out Hishand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."
42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,
44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
45 However, he went out and began to proclaim itfreely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
A very simple prayer from a desperate man. A leper. An outcast, reject, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome. He mustered the courage to approach Jesus. That is exactly what it was. Raw courage. To brave the stares and whispers. He set his face like flint to get to Jesus. When he arrived he offered a simple prayer. "If You are willing You can make me clean." Nine words. Nine words moved by need and faith. Nine fervent effective words of prayer.
"If You are willing. "What that means is if You delight, are pleased, desire, are inclined. That is where all prayer should start. Are we praying the will of God? It is most important. Our prayers will be answered if we pray for the things He delights to do for us, blessings He desires for us, is pleased to do for us, and is inclined to make happen. Many times I pray this same prayer. Just a simple prayer.
"You can make me." The word can means able, powerful. The leper's prayer saturated in faith declared the power of God. He knew Jesus was able. He had the power to heal him. Do we pray like that? Do we pray believing He is able to do whatever we need? Do we believe Jesus is powerful enough to help in our time of need is no matter what the need might be? If we do not believe these things we are not really praying. We are just mouthing words akin to wishing upon a shooting star or breaking a wishbone.
"Clean." That means pure. The leper wanted to be clean. Healed. Made whole. Pure. So do millions who stumble in their sins and sorrows. Can Jesus make people pure? He does it all the time. He removes sin. He takes away shame and guilt replacing them with forgiveness and redemption through His death on the cross and resurrection. He still has the power to heal physically and emotionally. He still has the ability to transform lives.
When He does this people get to talking. The fame of Jesus spreads. This is a beautiful thing. We need more praying like the leper and more testimonies like his that impacts a whole region. May it be so in Your name Jesus if You are willing.
40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."
41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out Hishand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."
42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,
44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
45 However, he went out and began to proclaim itfreely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
A very simple prayer from a desperate man. A leper. An outcast, reject, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome. He mustered the courage to approach Jesus. That is exactly what it was. Raw courage. To brave the stares and whispers. He set his face like flint to get to Jesus. When he arrived he offered a simple prayer. "If You are willing You can make me clean." Nine words. Nine words moved by need and faith. Nine fervent effective words of prayer.
"If You are willing. "What that means is if You delight, are pleased, desire, are inclined. That is where all prayer should start. Are we praying the will of God? It is most important. Our prayers will be answered if we pray for the things He delights to do for us, blessings He desires for us, is pleased to do for us, and is inclined to make happen. Many times I pray this same prayer. Just a simple prayer.
"You can make me." The word can means able, powerful. The leper's prayer saturated in faith declared the power of God. He knew Jesus was able. He had the power to heal him. Do we pray like that? Do we pray believing He is able to do whatever we need? Do we believe Jesus is powerful enough to help in our time of need is no matter what the need might be? If we do not believe these things we are not really praying. We are just mouthing words akin to wishing upon a shooting star or breaking a wishbone.
"Clean." That means pure. The leper wanted to be clean. Healed. Made whole. Pure. So do millions who stumble in their sins and sorrows. Can Jesus make people pure? He does it all the time. He removes sin. He takes away shame and guilt replacing them with forgiveness and redemption through His death on the cross and resurrection. He still has the power to heal physically and emotionally. He still has the ability to transform lives.
When He does this people get to talking. The fame of Jesus spreads. This is a beautiful thing. We need more praying like the leper and more testimonies like his that impacts a whole region. May it be so in Your name Jesus if You are willing.
A Great Day
Yesterday we planned a special day at Heritage Baptist Church. We made our plans. We invited people. We prayed. We prepared. We prayed some more.
The night before I could not sleep. I actually went to bed before 9:00 p.m. but tossed and and turned until after midnight. I did not feel prepared to teach Bible study class or to preach the sermon. I got up early to pray and look over the scriptures some more. Time seemed to fly as time neared for us to depart. We hurried to make the 40 minute drive to arrive at Heritage a little earlier than normal. About thirty minutes earlier.
When we drove up there were more cars in the parking lot than usual. Then the miracle started unfolding. More and more cars started pulling up. More and more people piled in the doors. We set an attendance goal three times more than our normal attendance has been. God shattered the goal. He exceeded our expectations. New faces walked through the doors and were greeted warmly. The class I teach had to meet in the sanctuary. We had eight children crammed into a copy room because we had nowhere else to put them yesterday. I am not sure another teenagers could have been framed in their room. Little bright eyed children came with their moms and dads. Some I remembered from Resurrection Day. Some I had never met.
I walked to the glass door once to see the parking lot more jammed full than I had ever seen it and then two more cars pulled into the drive way. I could not believe my eyes. I saw joy glowing on the faces of people. I felt an electric atmosphere.
God helped me teach His truth from Acts during Bible study.
Eric Adcock led us in worship. Anointed. Passionate. Celebratory. Reflective. Moving. I do not have the words to describe how God used that man to touch our souls with music. We sang from our hearts and not from rote memory. Eric sang from his heart. I didn't want it to end. He led in six or seven songs and it seemed like no time had elapsed. Each song built on the previous taking us higher and higher in praise and closer and closer to Jesus.
God helped me to preach. Sitting on the front row I discarded my notes and breathed a prayer for God to help me deliver His truth. I wanted to preach from my heart and not deliver a stale sermon. I could not preach that same message again. I was just a tool. A vessel. His instrument. God gripped hearts. I sensed the weighty presence of Yahweh in that meeting. It had nothing to do with me.
Afterward we enjoyed a fellowship meal. A bountiful feast. An agape meal of love. We followed this with fun activities for all ages. We capped the day off with anther worship time with Eric. Maybe even more moving and powerful than the one in the actual worship service. It ended too soon. One lady told me she could have sat in there worshipping all day long.
As we cleaned up before leaving I saw a common sight and heard a common theme. I saw smiles. Beautiful smiles of joyful people grateful for what they had just witnessed and experienced. I also kept hearing them say, "It was a great day." Really even now it is hard to put it all into words. You would have had to been
there to see it and experience it for yourself.
Now here is the thing. It was truly was a great day. I am not satisfied though. What we experienced that day could happen every time we or any of God's people gather. We can bathe our gatherings in prayer. We can continue to invite folks to be our special guests. We can prepare for them to come. We may not share a fellowship meal on the campus but we certainly can do so in our homes or at restaurants. We can sing passionately and worship in awe in our gatherings.
I am looking for more great days. In fact I would go so far as to say I am expecting great days when we gather. Our great God has not changed. I trust He will continue to astound us with His work and His wonder.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The night before I could not sleep. I actually went to bed before 9:00 p.m. but tossed and and turned until after midnight. I did not feel prepared to teach Bible study class or to preach the sermon. I got up early to pray and look over the scriptures some more. Time seemed to fly as time neared for us to depart. We hurried to make the 40 minute drive to arrive at Heritage a little earlier than normal. About thirty minutes earlier.
When we drove up there were more cars in the parking lot than usual. Then the miracle started unfolding. More and more cars started pulling up. More and more people piled in the doors. We set an attendance goal three times more than our normal attendance has been. God shattered the goal. He exceeded our expectations. New faces walked through the doors and were greeted warmly. The class I teach had to meet in the sanctuary. We had eight children crammed into a copy room because we had nowhere else to put them yesterday. I am not sure another teenagers could have been framed in their room. Little bright eyed children came with their moms and dads. Some I remembered from Resurrection Day. Some I had never met.
I walked to the glass door once to see the parking lot more jammed full than I had ever seen it and then two more cars pulled into the drive way. I could not believe my eyes. I saw joy glowing on the faces of people. I felt an electric atmosphere.
God helped me teach His truth from Acts during Bible study.
Eric Adcock led us in worship. Anointed. Passionate. Celebratory. Reflective. Moving. I do not have the words to describe how God used that man to touch our souls with music. We sang from our hearts and not from rote memory. Eric sang from his heart. I didn't want it to end. He led in six or seven songs and it seemed like no time had elapsed. Each song built on the previous taking us higher and higher in praise and closer and closer to Jesus.
God helped me to preach. Sitting on the front row I discarded my notes and breathed a prayer for God to help me deliver His truth. I wanted to preach from my heart and not deliver a stale sermon. I could not preach that same message again. I was just a tool. A vessel. His instrument. God gripped hearts. I sensed the weighty presence of Yahweh in that meeting. It had nothing to do with me.
Afterward we enjoyed a fellowship meal. A bountiful feast. An agape meal of love. We followed this with fun activities for all ages. We capped the day off with anther worship time with Eric. Maybe even more moving and powerful than the one in the actual worship service. It ended too soon. One lady told me she could have sat in there worshipping all day long.
As we cleaned up before leaving I saw a common sight and heard a common theme. I saw smiles. Beautiful smiles of joyful people grateful for what they had just witnessed and experienced. I also kept hearing them say, "It was a great day." Really even now it is hard to put it all into words. You would have had to been
there to see it and experience it for yourself.
Now here is the thing. It was truly was a great day. I am not satisfied though. What we experienced that day could happen every time we or any of God's people gather. We can bathe our gatherings in prayer. We can continue to invite folks to be our special guests. We can prepare for them to come. We may not share a fellowship meal on the campus but we certainly can do so in our homes or at restaurants. We can sing passionately and worship in awe in our gatherings.
I am looking for more great days. In fact I would go so far as to say I am expecting great days when we gather. Our great God has not changed. I trust He will continue to astound us with His work and His wonder.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him beglory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Haunted By My Dreams
I am pretty sure what you thought when you read that title and what I have on my mind are not the same thing. I am not talking about nightmares. Most of my nightmares revolve around the same themes. I am scheduled to preach and either cannot get there in time, can't find my Bible, have not studied and feel unprepared or cannot find my clothes. Pretty boring by most nightmarish standards.
When I say I am haunted by my dreams it's because I've always been a dreamer. Since a little child I could sit looking outside a window and daydream losing track of time and space. I still have a vivid imagination and wherever I go and wherever I look I see the possibilities, the potential, and imagine what could be. Especially when it relates to church or ministry. I'm always dreaming down the road about what God can do and what He wants to do. Now after writing that why would say in the same breath I am haunted by these dreams?
I've spent a lifetime chasing my dreams. I would even dare say most of what I've chased after are dreams God put in my heart. I have little desire to chase after my dreams. I have abandoned myself to the pursuit of God dreams planted deep within. While I have moved and ministered in many locations over the years the same dreams have haunted me. They are really pretty simple.
I want to pastor an Acts 2:42-47 church. Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
I want to serve a people who love God's word and hunger for it. I want to serve among people who are devoted to prayer. Not just token prayer but who will give themselves to prayer as a body of Christ. I yearn to serve among a loving flock who love one another, the community and my family. I want to serve a generous people committed to building God's kingdom. I also want to serve a people who believe God for impossible miracles. I want to serve a church that boldly shares Jesus and where Jesus honors those efforts by saving the lost and growing the church. I want to be a part of genuine revival where I serve and beyond. I want to write to help people all over the world I may never meet in person. I want to be a part of training young pastors. I want to be used to impact college students and teenagers.
Those dreams haunt me day and night. They consume my imagination. I always compare my reality to those dreams. I pray for their fulfillment. I labor for their realization. I strive toward those goals.
I also live with the painful regrets of numerous times I have failed. Where I did not give my best. The times when I took matters into my own hands. The times when I sinned hurting others who loved me. Failure has nipped at my heals all my life. More times than I can count I've bit the dust and fell hard. Many times I just wanted to stay down and give up.
But the dreams echo in my mind and heart. Those dreams fuel my passion to get up, dust myself off and try again. They haunt me because unless I see them realized I will never feel I fulfilled my purpose and potential. All of them are way beyond my abilities. I've known for decades they would never come true unless God miraculously made them come true. So I keep praying. I keep serving. I keep writing. I keep preaching. I keep reading Acts 2:42-47 and comparing every church to that one. I keep persevering. I keep teaching. I keep hoping that one day my dreams will no longer haunt me.
They will no longer haunt me when I begin to live them. When the things I have imagined in my mind and seen through the eyes of faith become reality. Isn't that exactly what Hebrews 11:1 communicates. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
When I say I am haunted by my dreams it's because I've always been a dreamer. Since a little child I could sit looking outside a window and daydream losing track of time and space. I still have a vivid imagination and wherever I go and wherever I look I see the possibilities, the potential, and imagine what could be. Especially when it relates to church or ministry. I'm always dreaming down the road about what God can do and what He wants to do. Now after writing that why would say in the same breath I am haunted by these dreams?
I've spent a lifetime chasing my dreams. I would even dare say most of what I've chased after are dreams God put in my heart. I have little desire to chase after my dreams. I have abandoned myself to the pursuit of God dreams planted deep within. While I have moved and ministered in many locations over the years the same dreams have haunted me. They are really pretty simple.
I want to pastor an Acts 2:42-47 church. Acts 2:42-47 (NKJV)
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,
45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
I want to serve a people who love God's word and hunger for it. I want to serve among people who are devoted to prayer. Not just token prayer but who will give themselves to prayer as a body of Christ. I yearn to serve among a loving flock who love one another, the community and my family. I want to serve a generous people committed to building God's kingdom. I also want to serve a people who believe God for impossible miracles. I want to serve a church that boldly shares Jesus and where Jesus honors those efforts by saving the lost and growing the church. I want to be a part of genuine revival where I serve and beyond. I want to write to help people all over the world I may never meet in person. I want to be a part of training young pastors. I want to be used to impact college students and teenagers.
Those dreams haunt me day and night. They consume my imagination. I always compare my reality to those dreams. I pray for their fulfillment. I labor for their realization. I strive toward those goals.
I also live with the painful regrets of numerous times I have failed. Where I did not give my best. The times when I took matters into my own hands. The times when I sinned hurting others who loved me. Failure has nipped at my heals all my life. More times than I can count I've bit the dust and fell hard. Many times I just wanted to stay down and give up.
But the dreams echo in my mind and heart. Those dreams fuel my passion to get up, dust myself off and try again. They haunt me because unless I see them realized I will never feel I fulfilled my purpose and potential. All of them are way beyond my abilities. I've known for decades they would never come true unless God miraculously made them come true. So I keep praying. I keep serving. I keep writing. I keep preaching. I keep reading Acts 2:42-47 and comparing every church to that one. I keep persevering. I keep teaching. I keep hoping that one day my dreams will no longer haunt me.
They will no longer haunt me when I begin to live them. When the things I have imagined in my mind and seen through the eyes of faith become reality. Isn't that exactly what Hebrews 11:1 communicates. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Saturday, April 21, 2018
A Nighttime Prayer
O Father,
On this sleepless night I pour my heart out to You. I'm thankful You always work the night shifts as well as the day ones. So I am not just wasting my time giving into wishful thinking. You are awake. You are alive. You are listening.
I feel discomfort in my soul for our nation. How we have drifted from You. We have forsaken You. We have rebelled against You. We have tried to push You out of the very country You established. How can we push You out of anything. You are Jehovah. You are Creator. You allow Yourself to be pushed out. Our currency reads, "In God We Trust," but we both know that is a lie. We do not trust You. We put our trust in the government. The economy. Education. How foolish. You are our only hope. You have always been our protection. No border wall can ever do for us what You have done since our inception.
Tonight I do not want to just mouth more religious chatter to You that means nothing. You have my attention. I am wide awake at 3:50 a.m. I find my words few in this moment. I see the empty ramblings I have offered You recently. Pathetic. While going through the motions of prayer I rarely really prayed. Shameful. Disgusting. A muse. I repent.
I ask You to give me a desire for holiness like I have never had. I ask You to do this in Your church. Everyplace in our lives where sin is sprouting I ask You to uproot it. All of it. I ask You to call us all back to holiness and let genuine repentance start in Your house among Your people. I pray for the day when tears will openly fall at Your altars again. I pray for the day when religious gatherings will stopped in tearful repentance so that fire is not uselessly kindled. May holiness rule the day over hypocrisy. I pray for sinners and backsliders to run back to You in repentance. I pray for days of restoration among Your people as prodigals come home and find You waiting with open arms and a open heart. May zeal for You reign in our hearts and minds over entertainment.
I ask You to stir Your people back to prayer. Even if Your preachers will not initiate it I ask You to call men and women to start some real prayer meetings. I ask You to give them perseverance to pray until the answers come. To stay at it as long as it takes even if it means a lifetime. I ask You to send fire into these prayer meetings and they spread from home to home, church to church, community to community, city to city and country to country. I do not want to just mouth these words. I want to devote myself to these prayer meetings myself. Show with whom and where and I will lead such a meeting.
I ask You to send another great awakening. One that dwarfs the others. One that consumes not just one country but an entire world. One where Your people are revived and empowered to serve You. One where the masses turn to You for salvation like in the book of Acts. I ask You for a real change in morality in society. I ask You to heal homes and mend marriages. I ask You to call men to maturity in You and to lead their families under the banner of Your Lordship. I ask You to woo women away from trap of social media in favor of a intimate relationship with You. I ask You draw teenagers from the fantasy of video games to the adventure of walking and serving You.
I ask You to make Your church alive again. I ask You empower her to serve You forcefully in this generation. I ask You to embolden her to testify about You. I ask You restore her passion to proclaim Your name. I ask You to rekindle the wonder in worship. Please put an end to our stale, lifeless, ritualistic religious routines. Instead I plead for meetings saturated with Your presence and where Your Spirit has freedom to work. I ask You to restore the miraculous among Your people. Our programs will never change the world. Your power will. O how we need Your power once again.
I ask You to start in us. Please start in me. I ask You to take this old heart and mind and set them ablaze for Your glory. May I burn for You in such a magnificent way that others will be drawn to the flame and set ablaze as well. May this happen in your servants all over the world until your glory sets this globe ablaze.
I ask it all in Jesus name, amen.
On this sleepless night I pour my heart out to You. I'm thankful You always work the night shifts as well as the day ones. So I am not just wasting my time giving into wishful thinking. You are awake. You are alive. You are listening.
I feel discomfort in my soul for our nation. How we have drifted from You. We have forsaken You. We have rebelled against You. We have tried to push You out of the very country You established. How can we push You out of anything. You are Jehovah. You are Creator. You allow Yourself to be pushed out. Our currency reads, "In God We Trust," but we both know that is a lie. We do not trust You. We put our trust in the government. The economy. Education. How foolish. You are our only hope. You have always been our protection. No border wall can ever do for us what You have done since our inception.
Tonight I do not want to just mouth more religious chatter to You that means nothing. You have my attention. I am wide awake at 3:50 a.m. I find my words few in this moment. I see the empty ramblings I have offered You recently. Pathetic. While going through the motions of prayer I rarely really prayed. Shameful. Disgusting. A muse. I repent.
I ask You to give me a desire for holiness like I have never had. I ask You to do this in Your church. Everyplace in our lives where sin is sprouting I ask You to uproot it. All of it. I ask You to call us all back to holiness and let genuine repentance start in Your house among Your people. I pray for the day when tears will openly fall at Your altars again. I pray for the day when religious gatherings will stopped in tearful repentance so that fire is not uselessly kindled. May holiness rule the day over hypocrisy. I pray for sinners and backsliders to run back to You in repentance. I pray for days of restoration among Your people as prodigals come home and find You waiting with open arms and a open heart. May zeal for You reign in our hearts and minds over entertainment.
I ask You to stir Your people back to prayer. Even if Your preachers will not initiate it I ask You to call men and women to start some real prayer meetings. I ask You to give them perseverance to pray until the answers come. To stay at it as long as it takes even if it means a lifetime. I ask You to send fire into these prayer meetings and they spread from home to home, church to church, community to community, city to city and country to country. I do not want to just mouth these words. I want to devote myself to these prayer meetings myself. Show with whom and where and I will lead such a meeting.
I ask You to send another great awakening. One that dwarfs the others. One that consumes not just one country but an entire world. One where Your people are revived and empowered to serve You. One where the masses turn to You for salvation like in the book of Acts. I ask You for a real change in morality in society. I ask You to heal homes and mend marriages. I ask You to call men to maturity in You and to lead their families under the banner of Your Lordship. I ask You to woo women away from trap of social media in favor of a intimate relationship with You. I ask You draw teenagers from the fantasy of video games to the adventure of walking and serving You.
I ask You to make Your church alive again. I ask You empower her to serve You forcefully in this generation. I ask You to embolden her to testify about You. I ask You restore her passion to proclaim Your name. I ask You to rekindle the wonder in worship. Please put an end to our stale, lifeless, ritualistic religious routines. Instead I plead for meetings saturated with Your presence and where Your Spirit has freedom to work. I ask You to restore the miraculous among Your people. Our programs will never change the world. Your power will. O how we need Your power once again.
I ask You to start in us. Please start in me. I ask You to take this old heart and mind and set them ablaze for Your glory. May I burn for You in such a magnificent way that others will be drawn to the flame and set ablaze as well. May this happen in your servants all over the world until your glory sets this globe ablaze.
I ask it all in Jesus name, amen.
Disturbed
To be disturbed can mean having an emotional or mental illness. That is not what is on my mind tonight. It can also mean to be worried and unhappy. The state of my disturbance falls more under the category of unhappy than anything else.
I made a mistake last night. I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. I kept drifting off to sleep in the living room and decided to call it a day. I should have known what would happen. I slept about the same number of hours I always do. Then....no sleep. Wide awake. Mulling over disturbing things in my mind. Namely the sins of our society. To name just a few; physical abuse, sexual abuse, racism, addictions, theft, murder, abortion, homosexuality, adultery, fornication, idolatry, hypocrisy school shooting and I need not go any further.
Each of these flowing freely in our society like sewage as wide as the mighty Mississippi River. The stench of sin can be found behind closed doors in gated communities as well as in the slums. The most highly educated are just as guilty as the backwoods hick with no formal education. Sin is rampant. It disturbs me tonight. I can't sleep. I cannot rest easy while the United States and other countries drift further and further away from holiness.
Another wife is battered. Another student is bullied and harassed. Another child is sexually abused by the very people who are supposed to love and protect them. Another preacher gives into lust forsaking the Savior he pledged to follow. Another man and woman commit adultery shattering the lives of many left behind. Another drunk driver takes a life in his or her drunken stupor behind the wheel. Another scandal breaks into headline news among politicians.
ALL OF IT DISTURBS ME. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE. I AM NOT ASLEEP ON MY WATCH ON THE WALL.
What possible difference can I make against this tsunami tide of iniquity? The easy thing would be to accept that it's just a sign of the times. It is just the way things are. I think many Christians think this way. They are no longer disturbed. Callused. Hard hearted. Insensitive. Unconcerned. Christian people who go through life in a daze with their eyes closed to the things around them.
WAKE UP. LIVE LIFE WITH YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN. God did not plant us in these times to take up space, to attend our religious gatherings but, never impacting the world we live in. We now live in a post Christian era because generations of other church going people did the same thing. We have legislated into laws things that violates the laws of God and called it the rule of the land. We build our cathedrals and church campuses but do we ever make a dent in the moral climate of our communities. We followers of Jesus talk a lot. We talk to God very little and therefore keep losing the battle for this generation.
I am disturbed. I can't sleep soundly. People perish. On my watch. Funeral homes stay busy. What about the condition of the souls of the deceased? Did they hear the gospel of Jesus? Did they repent of sins and turn to Him for salvation? Did they ignore it all only to find now the consequences of unbelief? They perish like blind sheep stepping off a cliff into the eternal abyss of hell. Does this not disturb you? Ever?
What difference can I make? What difference can you make? For starters we can ask people about where they will spend eternity. We can care about the condition of people's souls. I just did this with one of my neighbors. He is the only neighbor I have been concerned about his salvation. I have talked to him about it before. Just the other day he came by my house to talk. The disturbance welled up in my heart again for him. Gary is 77. He loves to play golf. He is a good neighbor but I could not let the opportunity pass without finding out for sure about his personal relationship with Jesus. So I just asked. I didn't ease into it. I just asked. What joy to find out he has trusted Jesus as his Savior.
You can do the same with your neighbors. The same with your family. Over the years I've talked to my brother, sister, cousins, and other extended family about Jesus. I have talked to friends over the years about their salvation. Is that enough? No.
We must pray. Personally. Corporately. When was the last real prayer meeting you attended? When was the last time you really engaged in heartfelt prayer for our nation? Prayer meetings are nearly extinct. So are revivals consequently. The sewage of sin flows as freely as ever while the highway of holiness is sparsely traveled. Prayer closets remain uninhabited while dens of iniquity are frequented.
I may not be able to do much. There are a few things I can do. I can pray. I can intercede. I can stand in the gap. "I have set watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem, they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent. And give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise on the earth." [Is 62:6-7] We in the church have held our peace. We have remained silent in our prayers. We have given God plenty of rest. We certainly do not cry out day and night. I am guilty. I have taken my watch at times. I have also neglected my post. THIS DISTURBS ME! I repent right now.
I can pray. I can lead whatever flock I serve to pray. I can witness on a personal level. I can keep preaching and calling people to repentance and salvation. I can keep writing what God puts on my heart. I can live disturbed. I trust God to keep breaking my heart with the things that break His heart. I can do those things. In the end it may not make much difference but it is doing something. By God's help I am not just going to turn over in my bed on this disturbing night and drift back to sleep in a spiritual slumber because I no longer care. GOD HELP ME TO CARE.
Father,
I ask You to disturb Your church. I ask You to wake us up. I ask You to shake us out of our apathy. I ask You to break our hearts and let us see what You see and feel what You feel. I ask You to call Your church back on the walls to give prayer watch over our nation. I ask You to burden our hearts for lost people all around us. I ask You to disturb us as You are disturbed even if it means a loss of sleep. May Your disturbance in us motivate us to do something. To pray. To witness. To testify. To care. In Jesus name, amen.
I made a mistake last night. I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. I kept drifting off to sleep in the living room and decided to call it a day. I should have known what would happen. I slept about the same number of hours I always do. Then....no sleep. Wide awake. Mulling over disturbing things in my mind. Namely the sins of our society. To name just a few; physical abuse, sexual abuse, racism, addictions, theft, murder, abortion, homosexuality, adultery, fornication, idolatry, hypocrisy school shooting and I need not go any further.
Each of these flowing freely in our society like sewage as wide as the mighty Mississippi River. The stench of sin can be found behind closed doors in gated communities as well as in the slums. The most highly educated are just as guilty as the backwoods hick with no formal education. Sin is rampant. It disturbs me tonight. I can't sleep. I cannot rest easy while the United States and other countries drift further and further away from holiness.
Another wife is battered. Another student is bullied and harassed. Another child is sexually abused by the very people who are supposed to love and protect them. Another preacher gives into lust forsaking the Savior he pledged to follow. Another man and woman commit adultery shattering the lives of many left behind. Another drunk driver takes a life in his or her drunken stupor behind the wheel. Another scandal breaks into headline news among politicians.
ALL OF IT DISTURBS ME. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE. I AM NOT ASLEEP ON MY WATCH ON THE WALL.
What possible difference can I make against this tsunami tide of iniquity? The easy thing would be to accept that it's just a sign of the times. It is just the way things are. I think many Christians think this way. They are no longer disturbed. Callused. Hard hearted. Insensitive. Unconcerned. Christian people who go through life in a daze with their eyes closed to the things around them.
WAKE UP. LIVE LIFE WITH YOUR EYES WIDE OPEN. God did not plant us in these times to take up space, to attend our religious gatherings but, never impacting the world we live in. We now live in a post Christian era because generations of other church going people did the same thing. We have legislated into laws things that violates the laws of God and called it the rule of the land. We build our cathedrals and church campuses but do we ever make a dent in the moral climate of our communities. We followers of Jesus talk a lot. We talk to God very little and therefore keep losing the battle for this generation.
I am disturbed. I can't sleep soundly. People perish. On my watch. Funeral homes stay busy. What about the condition of the souls of the deceased? Did they hear the gospel of Jesus? Did they repent of sins and turn to Him for salvation? Did they ignore it all only to find now the consequences of unbelief? They perish like blind sheep stepping off a cliff into the eternal abyss of hell. Does this not disturb you? Ever?
What difference can I make? What difference can you make? For starters we can ask people about where they will spend eternity. We can care about the condition of people's souls. I just did this with one of my neighbors. He is the only neighbor I have been concerned about his salvation. I have talked to him about it before. Just the other day he came by my house to talk. The disturbance welled up in my heart again for him. Gary is 77. He loves to play golf. He is a good neighbor but I could not let the opportunity pass without finding out for sure about his personal relationship with Jesus. So I just asked. I didn't ease into it. I just asked. What joy to find out he has trusted Jesus as his Savior.
You can do the same with your neighbors. The same with your family. Over the years I've talked to my brother, sister, cousins, and other extended family about Jesus. I have talked to friends over the years about their salvation. Is that enough? No.
We must pray. Personally. Corporately. When was the last real prayer meeting you attended? When was the last time you really engaged in heartfelt prayer for our nation? Prayer meetings are nearly extinct. So are revivals consequently. The sewage of sin flows as freely as ever while the highway of holiness is sparsely traveled. Prayer closets remain uninhabited while dens of iniquity are frequented.
I may not be able to do much. There are a few things I can do. I can pray. I can intercede. I can stand in the gap. "I have set watchmen on your walls O Jerusalem, they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent. And give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise on the earth." [Is 62:6-7] We in the church have held our peace. We have remained silent in our prayers. We have given God plenty of rest. We certainly do not cry out day and night. I am guilty. I have taken my watch at times. I have also neglected my post. THIS DISTURBS ME! I repent right now.
I can pray. I can lead whatever flock I serve to pray. I can witness on a personal level. I can keep preaching and calling people to repentance and salvation. I can keep writing what God puts on my heart. I can live disturbed. I trust God to keep breaking my heart with the things that break His heart. I can do those things. In the end it may not make much difference but it is doing something. By God's help I am not just going to turn over in my bed on this disturbing night and drift back to sleep in a spiritual slumber because I no longer care. GOD HELP ME TO CARE.
Father,
I ask You to disturb Your church. I ask You to wake us up. I ask You to shake us out of our apathy. I ask You to break our hearts and let us see what You see and feel what You feel. I ask You to call Your church back on the walls to give prayer watch over our nation. I ask You to burden our hearts for lost people all around us. I ask You to disturb us as You are disturbed even if it means a loss of sleep. May Your disturbance in us motivate us to do something. To pray. To witness. To testify. To care. In Jesus name, amen.
Friday, April 20, 2018
At The Push Of A Button
I sit here amazed. Amazed at the access God gives people to communicate His gospel and truth in ways that were unimaginable several generations ago. In a few minutes when I finish writing this at the push of a button this information will be accessible all over the world.
Just yesterday I saw where people visited this site from two foreign countries. Peru. Ukraine. That is available because gifted men and women who understand technology and how to make it work have given us this gift. Through their expertise I have been afforded by God this platform to glorify His name and testify to His faithfulness. The messages are not just limited to the congregations where I preach and teach. So there is no misunderstanding I point people to Jesus. The only Savior. The only way to salvation. [Jn 14:6]
Jesus. The Son of God [John 3:16]. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin [Luke 1:26-2:16]. Prophesied about hundreds of years before He was born [Is 53:5-6]. Miracle worker healing many and setting people free from demons [Mark 5:1-43]. He still does. He forgives people [I John 1:9] [Rom 5:8]. He died on the cross to pay the punishment for the sins of the world [Matt 27:1-66]. He purchased salvation to those who will believe Him for it. He paid the ransom for sin that held us hostage to the eternal wrath of God. He died on that cross. He did not stay dead. As He predicted He arose on the third day [Matt 28:1-15]. You can read all of this in the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He also predicted He would return [Matt 24:1-43]. He warned people of times of tribulation coming in the end days. He warned people a judgment day is coming when people will have to give an account for how they lived. [Rev 21:11-15]
This message has been ridiculed and mocked through the ages. It has been ignored by millions and rejected. I am also happy to report millions and millions have turned from their sins to Jesus. Atheists and agnostics. Muslims and misinformed. Catholics and Lutherans. New Agers and hippies. Drug addicts and prostitutes. Convicted criminals and law enforcers. Millions and millions have found new life in Jesus all over the world.
It is my hope and prayer that God might use this simple gospel presentation to reach more. One more. Ten more. A hundred more. Because at the push of a button this message will go out. It will be available in countries where the gospel is banned and following Jesus illegal. It will be available to rich and poor. Powerful and obscure. In and outside gospel saturated nations. All that at the push of a button.
Today I am not able to get on a plane and travel to the far ends of the earth to preach this message. What I can do is write it and at the push of the button fulfill; "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'" [Mark 16:15]NKJV I do that now at the push of a button.
Just yesterday I saw where people visited this site from two foreign countries. Peru. Ukraine. That is available because gifted men and women who understand technology and how to make it work have given us this gift. Through their expertise I have been afforded by God this platform to glorify His name and testify to His faithfulness. The messages are not just limited to the congregations where I preach and teach. So there is no misunderstanding I point people to Jesus. The only Savior. The only way to salvation. [Jn 14:6]
Jesus. The Son of God [John 3:16]. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin [Luke 1:26-2:16]. Prophesied about hundreds of years before He was born [Is 53:5-6]. Miracle worker healing many and setting people free from demons [Mark 5:1-43]. He still does. He forgives people [I John 1:9] [Rom 5:8]. He died on the cross to pay the punishment for the sins of the world [Matt 27:1-66]. He purchased salvation to those who will believe Him for it. He paid the ransom for sin that held us hostage to the eternal wrath of God. He died on that cross. He did not stay dead. As He predicted He arose on the third day [Matt 28:1-15]. You can read all of this in the Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He also predicted He would return [Matt 24:1-43]. He warned people of times of tribulation coming in the end days. He warned people a judgment day is coming when people will have to give an account for how they lived. [Rev 21:11-15]
This message has been ridiculed and mocked through the ages. It has been ignored by millions and rejected. I am also happy to report millions and millions have turned from their sins to Jesus. Atheists and agnostics. Muslims and misinformed. Catholics and Lutherans. New Agers and hippies. Drug addicts and prostitutes. Convicted criminals and law enforcers. Millions and millions have found new life in Jesus all over the world.
It is my hope and prayer that God might use this simple gospel presentation to reach more. One more. Ten more. A hundred more. Because at the push of a button this message will go out. It will be available in countries where the gospel is banned and following Jesus illegal. It will be available to rich and poor. Powerful and obscure. In and outside gospel saturated nations. All that at the push of a button.
Today I am not able to get on a plane and travel to the far ends of the earth to preach this message. What I can do is write it and at the push of the button fulfill; "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.'" [Mark 16:15]NKJV I do that now at the push of a button.
Round Up
Have you ever had the pleasure of going on a round up. Donning boots and jeans and saddling a horse to gather cattle. To look for the strays and drive them all to be worked. I can still smell the burning of cow hide as they were branded. Cows were dehorned and castrated all during the round up.
The church where I am preaching these days is having a round up Sunday. We have been busy inviting and trying to get the strays into the pen of God's house. Some are rebellious and stubborn. Some are going along headed toward the pen. We are especially after the unchurched strays and the lost ones.
Once they are penned we are trusting Jesus to put His brand on them. A "S" or "R" standing for SAVED and REDEEMED.
There are so many strays and our cow hands are few. There are many more strays than our little pen can hold. We are thankful our owner has many other pens and cow hands working as well. We may not be able to gather the whole county but we can gather in our pasture.
We'll eat some good vittles afterward. We will also have a singing following lunch. We will feed on the Holy Bible as well. Please pass the word. Round Up Sunday is fast approaching. All fun starts this Sunday April 22 @ 10:00 a.m. @ Heritage Baptist Church in Weatherford, TX.
The church where I am preaching these days is having a round up Sunday. We have been busy inviting and trying to get the strays into the pen of God's house. Some are rebellious and stubborn. Some are going along headed toward the pen. We are especially after the unchurched strays and the lost ones.
Once they are penned we are trusting Jesus to put His brand on them. A "S" or "R" standing for SAVED and REDEEMED.
There are so many strays and our cow hands are few. There are many more strays than our little pen can hold. We are thankful our owner has many other pens and cow hands working as well. We may not be able to gather the whole county but we can gather in our pasture.
We'll eat some good vittles afterward. We will also have a singing following lunch. We will feed on the Holy Bible as well. Please pass the word. Round Up Sunday is fast approaching. All fun starts this Sunday April 22 @ 10:00 a.m. @ Heritage Baptist Church in Weatherford, TX.
Jesus Take Me By The Hand
Life is like a maze. There are many twists and turns from the time of one's birth to their death. How does a person try to navigate this maze? Some do it on instincts. They follow their gut feelings. Others use their intellect, logic and common sense. Others defer to a leader to guide them through. A father figure, boss, politician, guru, spouse or trusted friend.
I defer to Jesus. No matter where I am supposed to go He knows the way. He has already been there and knows the way. So I pray a simple prayer, "Jesus, take me by the hand and lead the way." What does that really mean? Am I asking Jesus to physically take me by the hand to lead me? He has never done this at any point in my journey with Him. He has guided me along the way though. So what do I mean when I ask, "Jesus, take me by the hand and lead me."
To be perfectly honest I do not know where He wants to take me between now and the end of my life. I cannot predict the future. If you had asked me my freshman year in college where I thought my life was headed I can tell you in hindsight I was dead wrong on all fronts. I have been wrong plenty of times in the past. I thought I knew best and was wrong time and again. I don't know the way through this maze. I don't what is ahead or which way to turn to get where Jesus wants me. So I ask for His leadership.
Now I am wise enough to know I do not know all the plans God has for me. It has also been my experience that He does not reveal those plans up front most of the time. It is one step after another. God told Abraham to go to the land that He would reveal to him. [Gen 12:1-3] [Heb 11:8] Abraham obeyed by faith. One step after another God led him. There were times when Abraham leaned on his own understanding and nearly lost his wife and own life. We are not to lean on our own understanding. [Prov 3:5]
How did God lead Abraham during this time? There were no Bibles to read. No churches to attend. No conferences existed on how to discover God's will. There were no books to read on the subject either. How did God lead Abraham? Simple. God spoke to Abraham. Abraham cultivated a relationship with God and through their time together God impressed, spoke, guided and revealed the right path.
Does God still speak? Some say He does but only through scripture. Others list multiple ways God may speak; through the Holy Spirit, circumstances, other people, music, books, the Bible. Personally I think God can speak and guide us anyway He wants. He will not be boxed in by our limited understanding. As I have preached and written for years the primary place God speaks to me is through His word. I devote myself to the systematic reading of scripture yearly. It never fails God takes a verse or a passage and applies it directly to my life. This happens nearly every day.
There are other times when the Holy Spirit speaks to me. Not audibly. It is more like an inner prompting, a persistent nudging or a reoccurring thought or idea. Now let me admit right up front, there have been numerous times I did not get these right. There have been other times when I was spot on. Times when I prayed and felt a heavy burden for someone. I felt deeply impressed to pray for them and to make contact with them. On many occasions it proved to be a divine appointment. There were times when I declined ministry opportunities because I did not feel a peace about them or accepted others because I did feel God's peace about them.
I am not smart enough to navigate the maze of this life without Jesus' help. I can easily make the wrong decisions causing sorrow for me and my family. So I offer that little prayer for Jesus to take me by the hand. It reminds me when my boys were little and we walked through large crowds. I would take them by their tiny hand and lead them through. They were not tall enough to see where we were going. It really did not matter to them. They trusted me to get them where they needed to be safely.
My Heavenly Father loves all of us infinitely more than I love my boys. He is able to gently nudge , push and even drag if necessary to go where He wants. I voluntarily surrender my will and way to Him as I hope you do. He knows far better than me. I trust Him. I trust Him to speak and lead me however He chooses. I trust in essence Him to take me by the hand and to lead me all the way home.
When I say lead me home I am referring all the way into the afterlife. I will never truly be home until then. With each passing year I feel increasingly out of step with this world. I feel a little more like an alien in a foreign country. I don't value much of what this world values. I am not entertained but offended by what this world finds entertaining.
Even in all of that I trust Jesus to take me by the hand and to lead me. Step by step. Day by day. Week after week. Year by year. One devotion at a time. One Bible reading at a time. One prayer at a time. One impression and nudging at a time. I trust through all of this one day He reach out to me with His hand and pull me from this world into the next.
I have been walking around the house singing a hymn over and over again out loud. I am here alone like most days. So I can belt it out with nobody but God listening and Anna Bell our dog. Here I ago again. Feel fresh to sing along with me.
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face the One who saved me by His grace,
When He takes me by the hand and leads me thru the promised land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.* Jim Hill
I defer to Jesus. No matter where I am supposed to go He knows the way. He has already been there and knows the way. So I pray a simple prayer, "Jesus, take me by the hand and lead the way." What does that really mean? Am I asking Jesus to physically take me by the hand to lead me? He has never done this at any point in my journey with Him. He has guided me along the way though. So what do I mean when I ask, "Jesus, take me by the hand and lead me."
To be perfectly honest I do not know where He wants to take me between now and the end of my life. I cannot predict the future. If you had asked me my freshman year in college where I thought my life was headed I can tell you in hindsight I was dead wrong on all fronts. I have been wrong plenty of times in the past. I thought I knew best and was wrong time and again. I don't know the way through this maze. I don't what is ahead or which way to turn to get where Jesus wants me. So I ask for His leadership.
Now I am wise enough to know I do not know all the plans God has for me. It has also been my experience that He does not reveal those plans up front most of the time. It is one step after another. God told Abraham to go to the land that He would reveal to him. [Gen 12:1-3] [Heb 11:8] Abraham obeyed by faith. One step after another God led him. There were times when Abraham leaned on his own understanding and nearly lost his wife and own life. We are not to lean on our own understanding. [Prov 3:5]
How did God lead Abraham during this time? There were no Bibles to read. No churches to attend. No conferences existed on how to discover God's will. There were no books to read on the subject either. How did God lead Abraham? Simple. God spoke to Abraham. Abraham cultivated a relationship with God and through their time together God impressed, spoke, guided and revealed the right path.
Does God still speak? Some say He does but only through scripture. Others list multiple ways God may speak; through the Holy Spirit, circumstances, other people, music, books, the Bible. Personally I think God can speak and guide us anyway He wants. He will not be boxed in by our limited understanding. As I have preached and written for years the primary place God speaks to me is through His word. I devote myself to the systematic reading of scripture yearly. It never fails God takes a verse or a passage and applies it directly to my life. This happens nearly every day.
There are other times when the Holy Spirit speaks to me. Not audibly. It is more like an inner prompting, a persistent nudging or a reoccurring thought or idea. Now let me admit right up front, there have been numerous times I did not get these right. There have been other times when I was spot on. Times when I prayed and felt a heavy burden for someone. I felt deeply impressed to pray for them and to make contact with them. On many occasions it proved to be a divine appointment. There were times when I declined ministry opportunities because I did not feel a peace about them or accepted others because I did feel God's peace about them.
I am not smart enough to navigate the maze of this life without Jesus' help. I can easily make the wrong decisions causing sorrow for me and my family. So I offer that little prayer for Jesus to take me by the hand. It reminds me when my boys were little and we walked through large crowds. I would take them by their tiny hand and lead them through. They were not tall enough to see where we were going. It really did not matter to them. They trusted me to get them where they needed to be safely.
My Heavenly Father loves all of us infinitely more than I love my boys. He is able to gently nudge , push and even drag if necessary to go where He wants. I voluntarily surrender my will and way to Him as I hope you do. He knows far better than me. I trust Him. I trust Him to speak and lead me however He chooses. I trust in essence Him to take me by the hand and to lead me all the way home.
When I say lead me home I am referring all the way into the afterlife. I will never truly be home until then. With each passing year I feel increasingly out of step with this world. I feel a little more like an alien in a foreign country. I don't value much of what this world values. I am not entertained but offended by what this world finds entertaining.
Even in all of that I trust Jesus to take me by the hand and to lead me. Step by step. Day by day. Week after week. Year by year. One devotion at a time. One Bible reading at a time. One prayer at a time. One impression and nudging at a time. I trust through all of this one day He reach out to me with His hand and pull me from this world into the next.
I have been walking around the house singing a hymn over and over again out loud. I am here alone like most days. So I can belt it out with nobody but God listening and Anna Bell our dog. Here I ago again. Feel fresh to sing along with me.
What a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face the One who saved me by His grace,
When He takes me by the hand and leads me thru the promised land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.* Jim Hill
Thursday, April 19, 2018
A Thirst For Knowledge
People value knowledge. Whether it be formal education attainted in a classroom or knowledge of how to work the latest cell phone, people want to be in the know. People know how to work everything from I phones, I pods, I cloud and I tunes. There is always more to learn and people who love to learn it.
I also love knowledge. I really don't care about technology. People laugh at me for all I don't know. I know just enough to get by and begrudge every new change. I go kicking and screaming into the next new thing in technology everyone raves about. I am always several generations behind on the latest cell phones. Those things just do not whet my appetite. Brenda is still getting back on an I phone 4.
I do have a thirst for knowledge. A driving thirst that fuels my passion everyday. I want knowledge of the Holy One of Israel. I want knowledge of His truth. I want knowledge of the hearts of people and how to reach them more effectively. I want knowledge passed on by others who climbed higher in God and walked closer to Him than I do. I want knowledge of first hand encounters with Jesus. I am not content to live off the experiences of others.
Why are people not thirsty for more knowledge of God? Why are they so easily distracted and amused with lesser things? People are content to dabble in religion while neglecting the greater opportunity to walk closely with their God.
People are content to fill up notebooks with religious information and Bible studies but not walk intimately with God. Religion is dead. Boring. Lifeless. God is alive. Exciting. Life giving. The greatest adventure in life is growing in knowledge of the Holy One. Nothing compares. Nothing satisfies like Him. O that we would have more thirst for the knowledge of Him. God. Yahweh. Jehovah. Elohim. Jesus. Emmanuel. The Lion of Judah. The Prince of Peace. The Lord of Lords. So much to learn. So little time to do it.
Lord, please give us a thirst for knowledge of You. There is nothing that can compare to You. No thing. No person. Nothing. May we give ourselves to learn more of You.
Early Morning Jaunt
I did not want to get up this morning. After preaching with all my heart I wanted to sleep in. More out of duty I drug myself out of bed and got dressed for an early morning jaunt. Discipline is not always easy. It is much easier to meander through life. Living an intentional life requires more effort.
Wiping my eyes I slipped on my shorts, shirt and shoes. I noticed a slight chill in the air. I did not watch the weather forecast so the cooler weather caught me off guard. Finally I got myself going. Slowly at first. Laboring like towing an armored tank. Slowly but methodically. Gradually my mind and body awakened as I found my groove. I embraced the journey before me.
My mind drifted losing myself in several thoughts as I pressed on. Soon I lost track of time. Instead of enduring my early morning jaunt I embraced the exercise. Toward the end I grew weary. I wanted to quit. I wanted to take the path of least resistance. Rest felt more acceptable than pressing on. I had a finish line in mind. Resolved I refused to quit until I got to that line.
Soon my allotted time ended and I reached my finish line for the day. I felt good about my early morning jaunt. Not a jaunt jogging. A jaunt in the book of Psalms. Chapter after chapter and verse after verse of wonderful life altering truth. This was my early morning jaunt.
I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help. I hope in Your word. [Ps 119:147]
Wiping my eyes I slipped on my shorts, shirt and shoes. I noticed a slight chill in the air. I did not watch the weather forecast so the cooler weather caught me off guard. Finally I got myself going. Slowly at first. Laboring like towing an armored tank. Slowly but methodically. Gradually my mind and body awakened as I found my groove. I embraced the journey before me.
My mind drifted losing myself in several thoughts as I pressed on. Soon I lost track of time. Instead of enduring my early morning jaunt I embraced the exercise. Toward the end I grew weary. I wanted to quit. I wanted to take the path of least resistance. Rest felt more acceptable than pressing on. I had a finish line in mind. Resolved I refused to quit until I got to that line.
Soon my allotted time ended and I reached my finish line for the day. I felt good about my early morning jaunt. Not a jaunt jogging. A jaunt in the book of Psalms. Chapter after chapter and verse after verse of wonderful life altering truth. This was my early morning jaunt.
I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help. I hope in Your word. [Ps 119:147]
Just Hitting My Stride
When I was younger I thought when a person turned 50 they were old. Now when I look in the mirror I see a 51 year old looking back at me. While I do not feel young I certainly do not feel old. In many ways I feel like I am just hitting my stride.
Let me explain. In my early days in ministry I had a lot of zeal but very little knowledge. A very dangerous thing. Like a bull in china closet I barged my way through ministry at times trampling on people who stood in my way.
As the years passed God began maturing me. He also began breaking me. I have my P.H.D. in the school of brokenness. He also taught me about prayer. He introduced me to authors who lived lives of prayer. He taught me about taking steps of faith. Sadly it was later on that He taught me one of the most important lessons needed for ministry. Love for people. He also taught me to treasure the gift of relationships.
Through the years I read the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation over and over again. God began unlocking themes and a richer understanding of truth. I also began to get a broader scope of the entire book and history of God's people. God taught me the immense value of expositional preaching through books of the Bible.
Now at 51 I will not say I have arrived. Not in the least. What I will say is God opening His word to me revealing truth and to inspire messages like I have never known before. I feel like I have so much to offer. So much truth to share and to write. At 51 I do not feel like slowing down. I feel like going hard after God like never before. I hunger for Him and His truth. I am zealous for the work of ministry. The word retirement is not a word I entertain. There is much life to live and ministry to be done and I welcome both.
While I cannot do things physically like I did when I was 21, I face the fact my body has some limitations. That does not mean I quit pushing it. I still work out. Push ups. Crunches. Planks. Resistance bands. Medicine balls. Cardio work. All devices of torture to not let this earthly temple get comfortable.
51 is not old. I am constantly reading about preachers and pastors who ministered into their 80's. I have a dear friend who still serves as a pastor at 72. In his spare time he still builds fence and works cattle. He is an inspiration to me to keep going. Our president is in his seventies.
Our society values youth. I have watched for years as senior citizens are more and more devalued. I see this in churches. Seniors can be looked at as hindrances to the youth movement. Many senior saints can hardly recognize the churches they labored and helped build. Their opinions are not valued. Their presence is often taken for granted.
As an aging pastor I have gained so much wisdom from sitting and visiting with older Christians. I have sat in many houses and hospital rooms listening, conversing and enjoying the company of believers who have walked further down the road than me. As a pastor I feel like I am just hitting my stride.
What about you? Are you hitting your stride? In your walk with God? In your understanding of the Bible? In your prayer life? In your profession? You might be aging but that does not mean you are increasingly devalued. You still have much to offer God and His church.
Now also when I am old and gray headed; O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. [Ps 71:18]NKJV
Let me explain. In my early days in ministry I had a lot of zeal but very little knowledge. A very dangerous thing. Like a bull in china closet I barged my way through ministry at times trampling on people who stood in my way.
As the years passed God began maturing me. He also began breaking me. I have my P.H.D. in the school of brokenness. He also taught me about prayer. He introduced me to authors who lived lives of prayer. He taught me about taking steps of faith. Sadly it was later on that He taught me one of the most important lessons needed for ministry. Love for people. He also taught me to treasure the gift of relationships.
Through the years I read the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation over and over again. God began unlocking themes and a richer understanding of truth. I also began to get a broader scope of the entire book and history of God's people. God taught me the immense value of expositional preaching through books of the Bible.
Now at 51 I will not say I have arrived. Not in the least. What I will say is God opening His word to me revealing truth and to inspire messages like I have never known before. I feel like I have so much to offer. So much truth to share and to write. At 51 I do not feel like slowing down. I feel like going hard after God like never before. I hunger for Him and His truth. I am zealous for the work of ministry. The word retirement is not a word I entertain. There is much life to live and ministry to be done and I welcome both.
While I cannot do things physically like I did when I was 21, I face the fact my body has some limitations. That does not mean I quit pushing it. I still work out. Push ups. Crunches. Planks. Resistance bands. Medicine balls. Cardio work. All devices of torture to not let this earthly temple get comfortable.
51 is not old. I am constantly reading about preachers and pastors who ministered into their 80's. I have a dear friend who still serves as a pastor at 72. In his spare time he still builds fence and works cattle. He is an inspiration to me to keep going. Our president is in his seventies.
Our society values youth. I have watched for years as senior citizens are more and more devalued. I see this in churches. Seniors can be looked at as hindrances to the youth movement. Many senior saints can hardly recognize the churches they labored and helped build. Their opinions are not valued. Their presence is often taken for granted.
As an aging pastor I have gained so much wisdom from sitting and visiting with older Christians. I have sat in many houses and hospital rooms listening, conversing and enjoying the company of believers who have walked further down the road than me. As a pastor I feel like I am just hitting my stride.
What about you? Are you hitting your stride? In your walk with God? In your understanding of the Bible? In your prayer life? In your profession? You might be aging but that does not mean you are increasingly devalued. You still have much to offer God and His church.
Now also when I am old and gray headed; O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. [Ps 71:18]NKJV
Zealous For A Lie
In the fifth chapter of I Samuel there is an interesting story. Let me set the backdrop. The Philistines soundly whipped the Israelites. One of the spoils of war after the resounding victory included capturing the ark of the covenant.
Once the ark of the covenant was taken into Philistine territory to Ashdod they set the ark in same room with their pagan god Dagon. What happened next is comical.
When the Philistines awoke the following morning they discovered Dagon had fallen on its face before the ark of the LORD. What a telling story. Dagon bowed as an inferior to Jehovah the superior. Idol god bowed before Creator Elohim.
The Philistines actually stood Dagon back up. What kind of god is it that you actually have to stand it back up? If god needs help to stand back up do we really need him? Can such actually be deity? The answer is obviously NO!
The next morning the scene repeated itself with some extra emphasis. Dagon had fallen prostrate before the ark of God. Only this time his head fell off as well as both hands. The message seems clear.
Jehovah shouted out through that one scene, "I am Jehovah, the one true God. Dagon can not speak to you, hear you or see you. He cannot touch you or help you. I am the Supreme Authority."
You would think after two displays of God's supremacy before Dagon the Philistines would repent. They did not. They revered Dagon and treated the site as sacred where Dagon had fallen. They also opted to send the ark of the covenant away.
Every place the ark of the covenant went God broke out heavy against the Philistines. God judged the Philistines severely. Still there is not a single repentance that anyone repented and turned to worship Yahweh. Let me say that again. Not one person repented. No-one turned.
Is it any different today. Churches plan and program. Preachers pray and proclaim the gospel. Worship pastors lead heartfelt worship. Still the masses drive by many Christian gatherings without giving them a second thought. They bow at the idols of sports, money, self image, video fantasy games, politics and I could go on and on. What about Muslims. Just as zealous as the Philistines. Devout in their worship and allegiance. IT IS ALL A LIE. They are dead wrong. Zeal for a lie will lead them to a Christless eternity.
May the people of God stand up boldly for Him and call people to repentance and a relationship with Jehovah and Jesus. All other religions are wrong. Don't be zealous for a lie. Be zealous for the truth. [John 14:6]
Once the ark of the covenant was taken into Philistine territory to Ashdod they set the ark in same room with their pagan god Dagon. What happened next is comical.
When the Philistines awoke the following morning they discovered Dagon had fallen on its face before the ark of the LORD. What a telling story. Dagon bowed as an inferior to Jehovah the superior. Idol god bowed before Creator Elohim.
The Philistines actually stood Dagon back up. What kind of god is it that you actually have to stand it back up? If god needs help to stand back up do we really need him? Can such actually be deity? The answer is obviously NO!
The next morning the scene repeated itself with some extra emphasis. Dagon had fallen prostrate before the ark of God. Only this time his head fell off as well as both hands. The message seems clear.
Jehovah shouted out through that one scene, "I am Jehovah, the one true God. Dagon can not speak to you, hear you or see you. He cannot touch you or help you. I am the Supreme Authority."
You would think after two displays of God's supremacy before Dagon the Philistines would repent. They did not. They revered Dagon and treated the site as sacred where Dagon had fallen. They also opted to send the ark of the covenant away.
Every place the ark of the covenant went God broke out heavy against the Philistines. God judged the Philistines severely. Still there is not a single repentance that anyone repented and turned to worship Yahweh. Let me say that again. Not one person repented. No-one turned.
Is it any different today. Churches plan and program. Preachers pray and proclaim the gospel. Worship pastors lead heartfelt worship. Still the masses drive by many Christian gatherings without giving them a second thought. They bow at the idols of sports, money, self image, video fantasy games, politics and I could go on and on. What about Muslims. Just as zealous as the Philistines. Devout in their worship and allegiance. IT IS ALL A LIE. They are dead wrong. Zeal for a lie will lead them to a Christless eternity.
May the people of God stand up boldly for Him and call people to repentance and a relationship with Jehovah and Jesus. All other religions are wrong. Don't be zealous for a lie. Be zealous for the truth. [John 14:6]
Saturday, April 14, 2018
The Smell Of Truth
I had just buried my head in my hands in prayer this morning when I noticed something odd. I could smell an odor on my hands. I recognized that smell. It was the smell of ink on a printed page. I had paper routes as a child. I can still remember that same ink smell on my hands back then. That same smell got my attention. Only this time it was not the smell from newspapers. It was the smell from my Bible. Only a few weeks ago I had to buy a new Bible. The smell on my hands was the smell of truth.
Wonderful, timeless, perfect, pure, God breathed truth. It lingered on my hands and the aroma awakened my sense of smell. The smell made a lasting impression on me. The bigger impression is the impact that truth has had on my life for three decades. I can read certain passages and will be transported in my mind to places and circumstances where God first spoke that same word to me.
That is what happened this morning. I read a passage that is very meaningful to me. I have preached and taught on that very passage multiple times over the years. Only today Jehovah used it to speak to me again. Just what I needed for today. A very timely word.
I recalled that same smell reading another old book recently. It was a book of revival sermons by R.A. Torrey published in 1903. That book had the smell of truth on it too. Page after page of commentary on the Holy Scriptures. The smell of truth. One of the most beautiful fragrances I have enjoyed. Better than the sweetest perfume, the most savory meal, or fragrant flower. A scent I give God thanks for. May the scent of that truth always penetrate my heart drawing me ever closer to the Divine author.
Wonderful, timeless, perfect, pure, God breathed truth. It lingered on my hands and the aroma awakened my sense of smell. The smell made a lasting impression on me. The bigger impression is the impact that truth has had on my life for three decades. I can read certain passages and will be transported in my mind to places and circumstances where God first spoke that same word to me.
That is what happened this morning. I read a passage that is very meaningful to me. I have preached and taught on that very passage multiple times over the years. Only today Jehovah used it to speak to me again. Just what I needed for today. A very timely word.
I recalled that same smell reading another old book recently. It was a book of revival sermons by R.A. Torrey published in 1903. That book had the smell of truth on it too. Page after page of commentary on the Holy Scriptures. The smell of truth. One of the most beautiful fragrances I have enjoyed. Better than the sweetest perfume, the most savory meal, or fragrant flower. A scent I give God thanks for. May the scent of that truth always penetrate my heart drawing me ever closer to the Divine author.
A 38 Year Old Prayer
I remember it just like it happened yesterday. I was 23 years old. I can still remember the prayer and the very place I stood when I prayed it. It was my last day as a student at Howard Payne University. I had completed all assignments and final exams. I waited around for my graduation the next day. It was a Friday afternoon. Most everyone had already left campus. Things looked pretty desolate.
I walked into Mims Auditorium. I sat in that building for chapel services, revival services, concerts, and special events. On this day I stood alone. I am not even sure why I walked in there. I stood at the back of the room and offered a prayer. "Lord, I ask You to one day let me come back and preach in this place." A simple prayer but heartfelt.
Over the years I prayed that same prayer over and over again. It really took on new life when Taylor chose to attend Howard Payne. Still no answer.
Then one day out of the blue I got my answer. A long awaited 38 year answer to prayer. I got asked to preach a chapel service on 2-14-18. What a joy. Brenda got to go with back to where our love first blossomed with me on that day. The day was all the sweeter because we got to share it with Taylor. The best thing of all is God moved in the hearts of those students and professors. I did not go back to HPU to entertain students but to preach the word of God. What a day and what a blessing.
Some of you have asked God for things that look like will never come true. Some of those prayers may not have been the will of God. There may be some that the timing is just not right yet. I encourage you to not lose heart in praying those prayers and believing God for the answer. Persevere. The answer may be 38 years in the waiting. [Luke 18:1]
I walked into Mims Auditorium. I sat in that building for chapel services, revival services, concerts, and special events. On this day I stood alone. I am not even sure why I walked in there. I stood at the back of the room and offered a prayer. "Lord, I ask You to one day let me come back and preach in this place." A simple prayer but heartfelt.
Over the years I prayed that same prayer over and over again. It really took on new life when Taylor chose to attend Howard Payne. Still no answer.
Then one day out of the blue I got my answer. A long awaited 38 year answer to prayer. I got asked to preach a chapel service on 2-14-18. What a joy. Brenda got to go with back to where our love first blossomed with me on that day. The day was all the sweeter because we got to share it with Taylor. The best thing of all is God moved in the hearts of those students and professors. I did not go back to HPU to entertain students but to preach the word of God. What a day and what a blessing.
Some of you have asked God for things that look like will never come true. Some of those prayers may not have been the will of God. There may be some that the timing is just not right yet. I encourage you to not lose heart in praying those prayers and believing God for the answer. Persevere. The answer may be 38 years in the waiting. [Luke 18:1]
Friday, April 13, 2018
Restless Heart
"My heart is in turmoil and cannot rest; Days of affliction confront me." [Job 30:27]
Job suffered. More heartache than I can wrap my mind around. He lost is sons and daughters. He lost faithful servants. He lost possessions. He also lost his health. If that were not enough his own wife encouraged him to curse God and die. His friends accused him of living in sin. Job suffered. More than I can put my mind around.
He honestly confessed his heart was in turmoil. A storm raged in his heart as he tried to make sense out of his circumstances from his limited perspective. He did not know God has chosen him as a case study to display faithfulness in the midst of horrible suffering. He did not know millions would draw strength from reading his book.
A storm raged in his heart. He tried to make sense of the sufferings but in the end all he could come up with is the Almighty had turned on him. Yahweh appeared to be the enemy. The truth is He allowed all the suffering to happen. He did not stop any of it. Nothing touched Job that did not get sifted through God's hands first.
Have you ever had a heart in turmoil. No matter how hard you tried to make sense of your plight did you find doubt and faith clashing violently inside you like lightening and thunder in the skies during a spring storm? Dark clouds cast shadows on hope and peace.
Has a tumultuous heart ever kept you from rest? I woke up at 3:00 a.m. today. I wanted to go back to sleep. I could not. Too many things rattling around in my heart and mind. I eventually got up and read in the book of Job. That is when I came across this verse. This truth touched me. I could feel how Job felt.
Days of affliction abound for many. Health afflictions. Financial afflictions. Family and relational afflictions. Emotional afflictions. Psychological afflictions. These afflictions stand toe to toe with us, eye to eye and nose to nose to confront us. Each affliction to get us to quit and to doubt.
There is a refuge. A place of peace. A sanctuary to find rest. It is Jehovah Himself. He is our refuge. He is our rest. He is our peace. Even in affliction and turmoil. With that in mind I plan to sleep peacefully through the night. My mind and heart can remain at rest no matter the size or source of my afflictions.
Job suffered. More heartache than I can wrap my mind around. He lost is sons and daughters. He lost faithful servants. He lost possessions. He also lost his health. If that were not enough his own wife encouraged him to curse God and die. His friends accused him of living in sin. Job suffered. More than I can put my mind around.
He honestly confessed his heart was in turmoil. A storm raged in his heart as he tried to make sense out of his circumstances from his limited perspective. He did not know God has chosen him as a case study to display faithfulness in the midst of horrible suffering. He did not know millions would draw strength from reading his book.
A storm raged in his heart. He tried to make sense of the sufferings but in the end all he could come up with is the Almighty had turned on him. Yahweh appeared to be the enemy. The truth is He allowed all the suffering to happen. He did not stop any of it. Nothing touched Job that did not get sifted through God's hands first.
Have you ever had a heart in turmoil. No matter how hard you tried to make sense of your plight did you find doubt and faith clashing violently inside you like lightening and thunder in the skies during a spring storm? Dark clouds cast shadows on hope and peace.
Has a tumultuous heart ever kept you from rest? I woke up at 3:00 a.m. today. I wanted to go back to sleep. I could not. Too many things rattling around in my heart and mind. I eventually got up and read in the book of Job. That is when I came across this verse. This truth touched me. I could feel how Job felt.
Days of affliction abound for many. Health afflictions. Financial afflictions. Family and relational afflictions. Emotional afflictions. Psychological afflictions. These afflictions stand toe to toe with us, eye to eye and nose to nose to confront us. Each affliction to get us to quit and to doubt.
There is a refuge. A place of peace. A sanctuary to find rest. It is Jehovah Himself. He is our refuge. He is our rest. He is our peace. Even in affliction and turmoil. With that in mind I plan to sleep peacefully through the night. My mind and heart can remain at rest no matter the size or source of my afflictions.
Removed Far Away
Have you ever walked into a room or area and smelled a pungent oder that sickened you? Maybe it was rotten food left in the garbage and forgotten to be taken out. Maybe you walked outside and could tell something died leaving a foul smell behind. The decomposing smell of death is rancid.
We do not like our dirty rank trash piling up around us. We buy garbage cans. We take it to garbage containers. We send it off by way of waste management companies to waste facilities we used to call dumps. We want our foul discarded trash far away from us.
"As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us." [Ps 103:12] NKJV
I have taught on this passage and even written on it in the past. I love to draw attention to the fact that on a globe if you start going in an eastern direction you can go east forever. The same is true if you go westward. That is not the case if you go north or south. There is a North Pole and a South Pole. Once you pass those the compass changes even if you stay on the same course in the same direction.
That is not what caught my eye today. The word "removed" jumped off the page at me. God has removed our transgression. Not only did He remove it but He removed it far away. He could have kept it close. It could have served as. a constant reminder of how wicked we are. Those piles of sin could have heaped up condemnation on us. That is not what Jehovah did. He removed it as far as it could be removed. As far as the east is from the west. An immeasurable distance.
What a surprising discovery in my Bible meditation today. I have celebrated forgiveness and salvation. I have celebrated the distance God took our sins away. What I never thought about before is the simple truth that He removed those transgressions far from us. WOW. We don't have to be reminded of them everyday. We can rest in the truth that just like our trash, those sins are sent away. Unlike our garbage our sins have been removed so far away we can never find them again.
O I know Satan loves to remind us. He loves to condemn and accuse. Let us stand on the truth of what we read in scripture. Rest in that brothers and sisters. Our trespasses have been removed far away.
We do not like our dirty rank trash piling up around us. We buy garbage cans. We take it to garbage containers. We send it off by way of waste management companies to waste facilities we used to call dumps. We want our foul discarded trash far away from us.
"As far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our transgressions from us." [Ps 103:12] NKJV
I have taught on this passage and even written on it in the past. I love to draw attention to the fact that on a globe if you start going in an eastern direction you can go east forever. The same is true if you go westward. That is not the case if you go north or south. There is a North Pole and a South Pole. Once you pass those the compass changes even if you stay on the same course in the same direction.
That is not what caught my eye today. The word "removed" jumped off the page at me. God has removed our transgression. Not only did He remove it but He removed it far away. He could have kept it close. It could have served as. a constant reminder of how wicked we are. Those piles of sin could have heaped up condemnation on us. That is not what Jehovah did. He removed it as far as it could be removed. As far as the east is from the west. An immeasurable distance.
What a surprising discovery in my Bible meditation today. I have celebrated forgiveness and salvation. I have celebrated the distance God took our sins away. What I never thought about before is the simple truth that He removed those transgressions far from us. WOW. We don't have to be reminded of them everyday. We can rest in the truth that just like our trash, those sins are sent away. Unlike our garbage our sins have been removed so far away we can never find them again.
O I know Satan loves to remind us. He loves to condemn and accuse. Let us stand on the truth of what we read in scripture. Rest in that brothers and sisters. Our trespasses have been removed far away.
My Relentless Pursuit
Some people devote themselves to the relentless pursuit of money. They are never satisfied always wanting to get more and more. They burn the candle at both ends and push themselves to make another dollar no matter the toll on their bodies or families.
Some assiduously pursue athletic accomplishments. They rise early for the grind of weight lifting sessions and stay late to build up speed and endurance. They are relentless in their desire to be an all star, all district, all conference, all state, all American, or an all pro player. They practice until their muscles burn from fatigue and then they push a little harder.
Some give themselves over to the pursuit of power. They want to keep climbing the ladder of success. Such people set their eyes on the top. They want the job titles, the big salaries, and the authority that goes along with them. They want to be the boss. Whether that be in the corporate world, the military or politics many are driven to get to the top.
My relentless pursuit is different. In fact, it is different than when I graduated from college. My relentless pursuit back then was to be a part of a growing church. At first I worked in student ministry. Later I served as a pastor. My driving ambition was not just to be in a growing church but to be one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the area. I focused on the numbers. My morale rose and fell based on the attendance figures.
That has all changed now. I can't pin point exactly when it happened. I think it was somewhere around 18 years ago. It changed slowly at first. I still wanted to see numerical increase wherever I served. Then one day it changed for good. On that day I quit concerning myself with numbers. One relentless pursuit captured my heart and imagination.
The relentless pursuit of God. To know Him. To walk with Him. To love Him more deeply. To hear Him more consistently. To discover new realms of His character. To stay in step with Him even if it means being out of step with others dominates my imagination. This is no fleeting passion. It is a goal so lofty, so ambitious and so consuming it will require the rest of my days.
So I am on the chase running hard after Yahweh. He alone is worthy of my relentless pursuit. All other pursuits pale in comparison. It is the unquenchable thirst and insatiable hunger to really know Him. I cannot be content to just know about Jesus. So I chase Him in prayer and scripture reading. I sit with Him for prolonged hours. I want more of Him.
I have no desire to pastor the largest church or the fastest growing. I am content to be where God appoints me and pursue Him. I am thankful for opportunities to preach and teach what He reveals to me on my relentless quest for Him. That's it. My simple but life consuming relentless pursuit.
What is your relentless pursuit? What are you exchanging your days for? What are you after? What do you push yourself to chase? A bigger house. A new car. A promotion at work. A new job title. Chasing those things is like chasing after the wind. Even if you get them you will find all of it is vanity like Solomon so eloquently wrote about in the book of Ecclesiastes.
My relentless pursuit can be summed up in two verse. "As the deer pants for the water brooks so pants my soul for You O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" [Ps 42:1-2] NKJV "O God, You are my God, early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory." [Ps 63:1-2] NKJV
Some assiduously pursue athletic accomplishments. They rise early for the grind of weight lifting sessions and stay late to build up speed and endurance. They are relentless in their desire to be an all star, all district, all conference, all state, all American, or an all pro player. They practice until their muscles burn from fatigue and then they push a little harder.
Some give themselves over to the pursuit of power. They want to keep climbing the ladder of success. Such people set their eyes on the top. They want the job titles, the big salaries, and the authority that goes along with them. They want to be the boss. Whether that be in the corporate world, the military or politics many are driven to get to the top.
My relentless pursuit is different. In fact, it is different than when I graduated from college. My relentless pursuit back then was to be a part of a growing church. At first I worked in student ministry. Later I served as a pastor. My driving ambition was not just to be in a growing church but to be one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the area. I focused on the numbers. My morale rose and fell based on the attendance figures.
That has all changed now. I can't pin point exactly when it happened. I think it was somewhere around 18 years ago. It changed slowly at first. I still wanted to see numerical increase wherever I served. Then one day it changed for good. On that day I quit concerning myself with numbers. One relentless pursuit captured my heart and imagination.
The relentless pursuit of God. To know Him. To walk with Him. To love Him more deeply. To hear Him more consistently. To discover new realms of His character. To stay in step with Him even if it means being out of step with others dominates my imagination. This is no fleeting passion. It is a goal so lofty, so ambitious and so consuming it will require the rest of my days.
So I am on the chase running hard after Yahweh. He alone is worthy of my relentless pursuit. All other pursuits pale in comparison. It is the unquenchable thirst and insatiable hunger to really know Him. I cannot be content to just know about Jesus. So I chase Him in prayer and scripture reading. I sit with Him for prolonged hours. I want more of Him.
I have no desire to pastor the largest church or the fastest growing. I am content to be where God appoints me and pursue Him. I am thankful for opportunities to preach and teach what He reveals to me on my relentless quest for Him. That's it. My simple but life consuming relentless pursuit.
What is your relentless pursuit? What are you exchanging your days for? What are you after? What do you push yourself to chase? A bigger house. A new car. A promotion at work. A new job title. Chasing those things is like chasing after the wind. Even if you get them you will find all of it is vanity like Solomon so eloquently wrote about in the book of Ecclesiastes.
My relentless pursuit can be summed up in two verse. "As the deer pants for the water brooks so pants my soul for You O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" [Ps 42:1-2] NKJV "O God, You are my God, early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked for you in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory." [Ps 63:1-2] NKJV
Thursday, April 12, 2018
The Next Step
Life is a journey. Each day a mini adventure and on some days larger adventures. Each day we take steps toward the race set before us. [Heb 12:1] We can choose to stay in the race God set before us or we can venture out on our own taking us further off course and the intended finish line set before us.
I regret those times when I ventured out on my own. O, I justified those decisions often using scripture. I talked a good game and even convinced many doubters to win support. God revealed the truth through conviction and harsh consequences.
Israel did the same thing on numerous occasions. Just one example would be voting not to go into the promise land. They paid for getting off the course God set before them. They paid dearly for forty years and with their lives. It started with one step, or should I say, one misstep.
Think about the number of steps we take in a day. I am not so much thinking about the physical steps we take as much as I am thinking about the decisions to obey God, to trust Jehovah, and to follow Yahweh's leadership. It all begins with a step. Then it is just one step after another heading in the direction revealed to us.
O but one misstep followed by other missteps can lead us down very painful and challenging roads. What stories could be told by those who walked out of the will of God starting with one step.
Our steps are important. Each day is important. It is important to sit at His feet, receive His instruction and to walk in direction revealed to us. Day in and day out.
What if we take a misstep? Do we keep going in the same direction? The wrong direction? No. We repent. We chart our course as much as possible back to God's course as quickly as possible. Granted some decisions cannot be so easily undone. Some consequences are longer lasting than others. There are consequences when we go astray. Some more severe than others. The important thing is to repent and get in tune with God's steps as much as possible.
As I write this I am contemplating such consequences in my own life. One misstep led to others. I can even go back to the day, the place, and hour when I made that first misstep. Even though repentance followed there have been consequences. Dire sorrowful consequences. Those consequences have not just affected me. They have impacted family and friends close to me.
I sit here tonight thinking about the next steps. I have repented of past missteps. I cannot undo the past. What I can do is forget the past missteps and press on toward the high call of God in Christ Jesus. [Phil 3:12-14] For one, I will step into the word of God again as I did earlier this morning. I will step into prayer again asking for wisdom and guidance. One day at a time, one decision and, one step at a time we press forward to the finish line. Let us run or step out in this race with endurance one step at a time refusing to be distracted or to get tripped. With Jehovah's strength we will reach the finish line.
I regret those times when I ventured out on my own. O, I justified those decisions often using scripture. I talked a good game and even convinced many doubters to win support. God revealed the truth through conviction and harsh consequences.
Israel did the same thing on numerous occasions. Just one example would be voting not to go into the promise land. They paid for getting off the course God set before them. They paid dearly for forty years and with their lives. It started with one step, or should I say, one misstep.
Think about the number of steps we take in a day. I am not so much thinking about the physical steps we take as much as I am thinking about the decisions to obey God, to trust Jehovah, and to follow Yahweh's leadership. It all begins with a step. Then it is just one step after another heading in the direction revealed to us.
O but one misstep followed by other missteps can lead us down very painful and challenging roads. What stories could be told by those who walked out of the will of God starting with one step.
Our steps are important. Each day is important. It is important to sit at His feet, receive His instruction and to walk in direction revealed to us. Day in and day out.
What if we take a misstep? Do we keep going in the same direction? The wrong direction? No. We repent. We chart our course as much as possible back to God's course as quickly as possible. Granted some decisions cannot be so easily undone. Some consequences are longer lasting than others. There are consequences when we go astray. Some more severe than others. The important thing is to repent and get in tune with God's steps as much as possible.
As I write this I am contemplating such consequences in my own life. One misstep led to others. I can even go back to the day, the place, and hour when I made that first misstep. Even though repentance followed there have been consequences. Dire sorrowful consequences. Those consequences have not just affected me. They have impacted family and friends close to me.
I sit here tonight thinking about the next steps. I have repented of past missteps. I cannot undo the past. What I can do is forget the past missteps and press on toward the high call of God in Christ Jesus. [Phil 3:12-14] For one, I will step into the word of God again as I did earlier this morning. I will step into prayer again asking for wisdom and guidance. One day at a time, one decision and, one step at a time we press forward to the finish line. Let us run or step out in this race with endurance one step at a time refusing to be distracted or to get tripped. With Jehovah's strength we will reach the finish line.
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