Ask Largely

There are few things I enjoy preaching about and writing about more than prayer. Yet after all these years, I still feel there is so much about the topic I do not know. I wonder why sometimes prayers are answered very quickly and while there are other times the answers are delayed. It's sometimes difficult to know when and what to pray that are God's will. I still have a tendency to lose heart and faith when answers get delayed. I sure get plenty of practice at persevering in prayer.

Yet after more trials than I can recount, after setbacks, disappointments, shattered dreams and more than one broken heart I still believe God is able. Able to do anything.

For the second time in consecutive days I have been inspired by something E.M. Bounds wrote in his book, The Weapon of Prayer. Today, inspiration came in just two words. "Ask largely."

We can be guilty of praying for too little. Guilty of asking God to not do enough. Guilty of not believing God to do more. Mr. Bounds' words written nearly 100 years ago challenge me. Two simple words. Ask largely.

So I take up the challenge. I ask largely for my family. For each member. I prayed for Spring Creek and for friends. I prayed big. I asked largely.

19 months ago I prayed one of the most audacious prayers I had ever prayed. I asked God for three miracle vehicles. Like a woman carrying a child in her womb I carried that burden and desire. I was specific to pray for these vehicles without going one penny into debt. It took one solid year of praying before God answered the first one. He provided a Mazda 6 for our son Tucker. It was a miracle. We got the car with only 45,000 miles on it and received it as a gift from the Lord debt free. I prayed for another five months before the second miracle vehicle came. A 02 Lincoln Continental with 52,000 miles on it. A blessing gift from a church member at Heritage. It sits in my driveway today needing some work but God did it. again. He provided something that looked impossibility out of reach.  The third vehicle we are still believing God for. Any day now. Any day God will give birth to what I have carried in my spirit for these 19 months. You can tangibly see what God did in my driveway on any given night when Tucker is home from college. Soon you will be able to see the third answer to that prayer with the third vehicle for Brenda.

It is asking God largely. God loves to answer large [prayers because He gets large glory for it. He loves to give His children a platform to testify and brag on Him. I love doing it. I hope for the rest of my life to keep asking largely. I can't even write down all the other large prayers I am lifting up these days. Trust me. They are LARGE!! He is able. He also will be glorified in each of those answers. Brothers and sisters. Keep asking largely.

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
20  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

How Easy To Slip Away

I read a statement earlier today I'm still chewing on. I'll share the statement at the end. First, I think we would all agree most of us are busy. Some are burning the candle at both ends. We live in a fast paced society and you have to quicken the pace just to keep up. This even includes church.

Churches are constantly looking for volunteers. To teach. To sing. To play an instrument. To run audio/visual equipment. To cook. To plan, lead, administrate and the list could go on. Most churches are complex organizations requiring multiple people to keep the ministry going.

The fact is people only have so much time in a given day. Factor in work, sleep, and family and there is little time left. In every church I've served there has been a small group of workhorses. They love Jesus and the church and constantly volunteer to do more when they are already overloaded. They fill their days with good activities to honor God. Only such an attitude comes at a cost. A perilous cost.

How often are people so busy doing things for God they do not have time to spend with God. They serve but they are empty. They give but they are not refilled. They sacrifice time and money but at times begrudgingly.

Now for the quote that spoke so deeply to me. "How easy it is to slip away from the prayer closet." E.M. Bounds wrote than in his book The Weapon of Prayer. That is what we usually forsake when our schedules are hectic. It doesn't happen deliberately. A person may think, "I'll pray later." Only later such a person is so tired and stressed they cannot concentrate to pray or they fall alseep. The prayer closet gets frequented less and less. The end result is burnout in the best case scenario and washout in destructive sinful habits in worst case scenarios.

Of all the things that might get neglected in our daily schedules spending time praying in the prayer closet must not be one of them. That means we have to let some things go if they are hindering our communion with God. We have to simplify our schedules so that prayer is of the highest priority. I know that's easier said than done.

Jesus modeled this for us. Look at the intentional effort He took to keep prayer in His schedule.

Mark 1:35 (NKJV)
35  Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

He rose early. Way early. I know that does not work for some people because you are such night owls. Then it means saying up late without the distraction of television or social media. He forsook the company of the disciples to be alone. He found a deserted place where He would not get distracted. Do we go to such lengths?

Jesus also commanded us to pray.

Matthew 6:5-8 (NKJV)
5  "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7  And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8  Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

Notice Jesus did not say, "If you pray." He said, "when you pray." In fact He said that three times. He intends for us to pray. He expects us to pray.

How easy it is for us to neglect time with God. It is a slippery slope that keeps us backsliding further and further away from God, even when we are doing things for Him, when we neglect prayer. Let us not fall us into this subtle trap.

My First Day

Like an excited school boy awaiting the first day of school I awoke early today. Wide awake. I knew I would not go back to sleep. So I got up to get ready to come to the office at my new ministry. Brenda heard me and asked, "Are you going this early?" I told her I was indeed. I did not tell her the excitement in my heart. Giddy would be the appropriate word.

It is an hour commute. It flew by. I prayed. Sang. Meditated. When I arrived the sun still had not risen. I used my cell phone to find the right key to get in the building. I had several things to bring inside and made several trips.

I did not notice the surprise waiting for me in the office at first. A new brown executive office chair sat behind the desk. Just night before I researched office chairs and planned on shopping for one and purchasing one today. I did not want to ask the church for one and I had planned on buying a brown one. Just a little reminder that God indeed orchestrated my coming back here.

I spent the past several hours praying, studying, visiting with a key member, meeting the leaders of the home school coop that meets here on Mondays and trying to find the wifi password. Now that I have it I can be off and running writing to my heart's content.

I feel like I am surrounded by old friends with a good portion of my books lined on the shelves. I still have five shelves full back in my home office but ran out of room here but I got the majority of them. I have already read some theology commentaries in preparing for the Sunday message. It has been a rewarding day and I am just getting started. My heart is full and my cup runs over.

I don't know why God is so good to me. I learned over 100 applicants applied to serve here. For some reason God chose me. Through a thorough process the search committee felt assured we were God's choice. I am mindful somewhere there are many other applicants disappointed and feeling rejected. Those candidates may wonder if God is ever going to open a door for them. I believe He will in time. He did for us. Not just a door. A door I dreamed about Him opening for a long time. I honestly really didn't believed this day would come. I hoped it would over the years but I did believe it would really happen. Not until this summer.

Now I sit at a desk in the official capacity of pastor. I will miss so many from Heritage. I tried to express my love to them. It is still sad that I will knot get to shake their hands and hug their necks. I sat by one yesterday just to communicate my love one more time. Instead of doing that I startled her at first. Not how I intended that to go.

Nevertheless, here I am. In a dream position. Doing what I love to do with some people I already love and others I will get to know and love in time. What a first day. A blessed first day.

One Of God's Greatest Gifts

It was 24 years today God blessed Brenda and I with our oldest son Taylor. He is a blessing. So are our three other sons Tanner, Tucker and Turner. Each a gift from God we treasure. Each a blessing in their own right. That is not the great gift I am thinking of today.

I am not even thinking about the greatest gift of all in Jesus Christ and the salvation He purchased for us. Nor am I thinking about the gift of the Holy Spirit. I am a different gift in mind. One that is not more important than those but it is meaningful. I am thinking of the word of God.

The 119th Psalm is a great declaration of value of the word of God and clear instructions about how we are to handle it and relate to it. We are to treasure it more than honey. We should value it more than silver and gold. In what was the last sermon in the series "Summer In The Psalms," we ended with a brief look at this Psalm. We looked at various verses.

I want to make some brief comments abut those verses here.

Psalm 119:9 (NKJV) 
9  How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 

Temptations abound. Especially for young men and women. Evil is everywhere. One way to combat that evil is to obey God's word. A second verse goes a little further.

Psalm 119:11 (NKJV) 
11  Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 

When Jesus got tempted in Matthew 4 he refuted Satan by quoting Scripture. He said three times, "It is written..." In Ephesians 6:17 the word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit. These are our weapons against sin. It's vitally important to know and memorize scripture in our fight against sin.

Psalm 119:92 (NKJV) 
92  Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. 

How many times has God used His word to help in times of trouble and distress. A certain verse that shows up at just the right time to minister hope, strength and comfort. If we delight and find pleasurable enjoyment in His word we do not get destroyed by our trials.

Lastly I look at verse 165.

Psalm 119:165 (NKJV) 
165  Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. 

Those who stay in God's word and love it find great peace. Their minds are at rest and their hearts are quieted irregardless of their circumstances. Nothing causes them to stumble. Not sorrow. Not trials. Not death. They do not falter in the faith and lose heart. God uses His word to nourish and sustain His children.

On this day I am thankful for the Bible. God's love letter. The Holy Scriptures. The divinely inspired word of God. It is a gift to be treasured and not taken for granted. It is a book to be studied. Truth upon which  to meditate. Words of life to read and apply. It is meaningful material to memorize. It is one of God's greatest gifts.

My Last Sunday

For some time my family ministered and worshiped with the good people at Heritage Baptist Church. We have grown closer to God with them. We have made memories with them. We have laughed, cried, rejoiced and repented right alongside them. Today is my last Sunday as their pastor before we transition to a new ministry at Spring Creek Baptist Church.

How can you sum up a ministry in a few simple lines? I can't. So much happened. We experienced so much and built so many relationships. There is no way to capture all of that in this short post. I can't put the depth of relationships into a few sentences. I can't recapture encounters we all had with God in public worship so you the reader can feel the impact of those encounters.

What I can say is the Heritage flock has loved my family. They have supported us in word and deeds right from the very beginning. They have encouraged me. I have watched them serve and sacrifice. They are not a large congregation numerically but they are a loving church with a heart bigger than the attendance. I benefitted from that love in many ways. My family did also.

It is never easy to say goodbye. So what can I leave them with on this last Sunday? What special last message can I give? What do I want to leave them with this last time in the pulpit? For the whole summer I preached through the Psalms. On my last Sunday I will once again turn to the Psalms. One more time I want to leave them Bible truth and pray God plant it deeply in their hearts. One more time I just want to be a Bible preacher. One more time I want to communicate the truth of the scriptures. Just the pure unadulterated word of God served without fluff.

One of the things I love most about the people at Heritage is they love the word of God. They hunger for it. They listen eagerly to it. They yearn for more truth. They are eager learners. One more time as they come to the table to be nourished spiritually, I want to offer them the feast of God's truth, under God's anointing for God's glory. It is not about me. Not about my legacy. Not about my ability to carefully craft a sermon. No, it is all about God encountering His people through truth. Humbly do I present that truth again leaning on the Holy Spirit for help. May the Lord use it. May I finish my ministry at Heritage the same way I started by sharing His word. By expounding His truth.

Heritage I love you. May our last Sunday together be filled with glorious encounters with our God through the pages of His timeless truth.

Sacrifice

I have a friend whom I love much and who has gone through a severe trial for the past several months. I've enjoyed some time we spent together at a couple of camps this summer. He is funny. He is gifted. He loves Jesus. Today my admiration and respect for him increased greatly.

At the couple of camps he and I had the chance to share our burdens with one another privately. We even got to ride in a vehicle together for about four hours. We had some great conversations. I admire this brother. Truth be told I love him. I believe in him.

Back up a couple of days ago. Late one night Tucker parked right behind Brenda. He and Taylor leave for work at 6:00 a.m. everyday. Only on that day Brenda had a doctor's appointment early and needed to leave about 5:45 a.m. She backed right into his car unaware he was behind her.

It has not been a good summer for driving around here. I had a wreck in late May. We prayed hard for  weeks pleading with God to help to pay for damages to the truck I hit and our car that had just been given to us. I couldn't turn it in on insurance and so we prayed. We prayed some more and more than that. God came through and I praise His name for it.

To just climb out of that hole we needed to catch up on several things and every single car we own, except Tanner's, needs repairs. God worked a $500 miracle through a man I ate breakfast with this past Monday. I praised God and thanked his servant for the blessing. I thought we were finally catching a break and could see a little light at the end of the tunnel.

Then, Brenda backed into Tucker's car on accident. Nobody's fault. Accidents happen. It's part of life. Momentarily my heart sunk. Then I turned to God and prayed, "This is another opportunity for You to work a miracle and build a testimony."

Now back to my friend. I got a letter today in the mail. When I read the card I saw some money. The card said my friend for a couple of weeks had felt led to send the gift. He did not do so initially but finally had to as a matter of obedience. It arrived one day after our unforeseen accident. Just two weeks before Tucker goes back to college. My friend's sacrificial gift should cover all the repairs on the car. God sent the provision before the accident even occurred. Amazing.

What makes this testimony even more powerful is that my friend is only temporarily employed right now. His contract on his temporary job ends on July 31 and still he and his wife sacrificed to meet a need in my life I did not even know I had when he sent God's provision. God used my friend's sacrifice to meet a need in my family. I love him all the more for it and respect him all the more for his willingness to sacrifice and trust God. He did this at a time when things are so uncertain in his own life.

Just this week I asked God to enlarge my platform to testify for Him and bring more glory to His name. This is another miracle story I will get to tell while preaching and writing. Yet, I am reminded it did not come without great sacrifice.

Brenda and I have been the recipients of many miraculous supplies to meet needs over the years. While God has used a few wealthy people to help us He has used middle class or people without great financial means more. They have sacrificed to keep me doing what God has called me to do. To walk by faith, preach and teach His word, labor for revival and to write truth.

I will not lie. It will be hard to look my friend in the eye knowing the great sacrifice he and his wife made. He has no idea about the accident yet. I sit here awed by this great God I serve. I am awed that He hears prayers. I am awed that He has the power to use people to accomplish His purposes. He can lay any need on anyone and communicate the need to any vessel He chooses.

I believe one of my purposes on earth is to live out faith and inspire others to trust God more and to pray more. Truly nothing is impossible with Him. He is faithful. Yet His faithfulness often comes with sacrifice. Jehovah sacrificed His Son. He calls others to make sacrifices for Him. I am humbled and unworthy to receive either.

I thank God for my friend. He inspires me tonight. I thank God for once again coming through for us. I thank God for all the testimonies He has given me over the years to brag on Him. I long for the day when Brenda and I will be at the place where God calls us to sacrifice to meet needs in someone's life. How I praise Him for His faithfulness.

Luke 21:1-4 (NKJV)
1  And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
2  and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.
3  So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;
4  for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

Sifted

 | sift |
verb [with object]
1 put (a fine, loose, or powdery substance) through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles: sift the flour into a large bowl.
• cause to flow or pass as through a sieve: Melanie sifted the warm sand through her fingers.
• [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of snow, ash, etc.) descend or float down lightly or sparsely as if sprinkled from a sieve: ash began to sift down around them.
2 examine (something) thoroughly so as to isolate that which is most important or useful: until we sift the evidence ourselves, we can't comment objectively | [no object] : the fourth stage involves sifting through the data and evaluating it.
• (sift something out) separate something, especially something to be discarded, from something else: he asked for streamlined procedures to sift out frivolous applications.

Sifting is not a fun process when you go through it for spiritual purposes. God has His reasons for sifting people. Some of us have a lot of lumps that need to be removed. For me that has meant more sifting than most. Large lumps had to be removed and it has often been a painful process.

Pride has been one of the largest lumps in my life and the Lord has gone to great lengths to humble me. When I have wanted to be self sufficient many times God put me in situations where I needed other people's help. He has also let me fail repeatedly to humble me. That has been the hardest part of sifting. To try hard repeatedly and fail. To feel like you have beaten your head against the wall. It has kept me from getting the big head.

Even though sifting is painful. God doesn't waste the pain. There are lessons to be learned. In each failure I've learned something valuable. In one church I learned how to love people and be a shepherd. In another I learned to pray. In another I learned it is not all about church growth. I learned about faith to a greater degree in the next church. I learned to preach expository messages in the next. I learned to love and forgive along the way and learned about revival in another place. Though the sifting hurt God used it for good.

The surgeon's knife hurts but has ultimate healing in mind when it is used to remove the cancer. God's cutting and sifting has healing purposes. It comes down to trust. Do we trust a loving God to sift us for our own good.

The best part is that Jesus does not leave us alone in the sifting. He prays for us. He intercedes for us. He prays that our strength and faith may not fail. When I look back over all the years and all the sifting I am thankful His prayers sustained me. I still believe. I still trust. I still have hope. I hope you do too.

Luke 22:31-32 (NASB)
31  "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32  but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

The Chair

I walked into the room and saw the furnishings. One chair stood out. You know how in people's houses people have their designated spots to sit. Usually the husband has a chair as well as the wife. I try to be conscientious about that when visiting a place. The same thing is true in dining rooms. I do not want to be guilty of sitting in a spot not designated for me.

Multiple times I walked into that same room. A room I've stepped in repeatedly over the years. There are multiple chairs in the room. I've met friends in that room. I've prayed in that room with brothers in Christ. I even attended some meetings in that room. One chair in that room always seemed off limits to me. I could never bring myself to sit there. In fact I refused to sit in that chair in a recent meeting. It was not mine to sit in.

Oddly enough I happened to be in that same room yesterday. Once again I opted not to sit in that one chair in that room. There were only two of us present. We both were bustling about the room in activity but that chair remained vacant and I knew deep inside it was not my chair to sit in.

Not yet at least. You see that chair is in the pastor's office at Spring Creek. It is the pastor's chair. Wedged between the credenza and the desk. I have not set there yet because I was not the pastor. Even though I am the newly called and elected pastor I do not officially begin until July 29th. Until then I wait. That chair is reserved. Until our ministry officially begins it is not my chair to sit in. The day is coming, Lord willing, when I will sit in that chair at that desk for hours on end. I will pray in that chair. I will study in that chair. I will read God saturated books in that chair. I will dream God's dream in that chair. I will write from that chair.

It's a prestigious seat. A seat of honor that comes with a sacred trust I take seriously. It is a positional chair that comes with an honorable title. Humbly will I take that chair. Not yet. Soon but not yet. Just a few more days before I sit in that chair and pull up to the desk. I thank God for the opportunity to sit in a chair I dreamed about for decades. God has brought it to fulfillment. I am humbled. I am also eager to assume those responsibilities and to give back to people who have so much to Brenda and I nearly three decades ago. I eagerly await the day I get to sit in that chair.

The Long Goodbye

For the  seventh time in our ministry we are saying goodbye to people we have grown to love to follow God to our next ministry.

God used Heritage Baptist Church to rescue my family in some very trying times. We were at a low point and God opened the door for us to minister to a loving and generous congregation. It started with me just filling in their absence of a pastor. Then I became an interim and eventually the pastor.  We met many wonderful people, dug into His word repeatedly and labored to reach out to Parker County in Weatherford, TX. Many memories were made. But now I must say goodbye.

I did not pursue the opportunity God put before us. God has called us to Spring Creek Baptist Church where I served when Brenda and I married 28 years ago as youth pastor. It is a long held dream come true to one day pastor that church. I prayed about it off and on over the years when I would hear they were without a pastor. I determined if they were interested in me they would contact me. They did and after months of praying this through Brenda and I are convinced this is God's will for our family.

This Sunday is our last one at Heritage. Where do I even begin. While, like most churches, we had to work through conflict resolution I can say we truly love those people. We have laughed with them. We have sweat with them. We have prayed with them and worshiped with them. They have loved, supported, and blessed us in so many ways.

Those people really love God's word. When I say that I mean they love all of it. From the prophets to the Gospels to the Epistles and Psalms they eagerly eat it up. It has been my joy to prayerfully share God's truth with them week after week. We have experienced the powerful moving of God on many occasions.

This Sunday will be my last Sunday before transitioning to Spring Creek. It is the long goodbye. Some tears have already fallen. Many hugs have been shared. My desire is to feed them God's word again as I wrap up a sermon series titled "Summer In The Psalms." 

I did not send my resume to Spring Creek. The former pastor did. After receiving over 100 resumes the committee finally felt that I was the man. While sad to leave people we love our hearts rejoice to get to go home. That is the best way I can describe Spring Creek. When we met the search committee there to interview and when I preached in view of a call we felt at home. We saw familiar faces of people we have loved for nearly three decades. We walked into a church facility where memories abounded.

Brenda and I will always treasure Heritage and how God used those people repeatedly to meet needs in our lives. We have been loved. We have also loved. It has been my joy to shepherd those people. Of course I love the teaching and preaching ministry but what has made Heritage so special has been the shepherding ministry visiting people in hospitals and in their times of grief. It was the serving alongside people painting, knocking on doors, cutting trees, packing snack outreach bags and sitting in homes praying together. Memories I treasure.

I don't like this aspect of ministry. The long goodbye is painful. One person asked me this past Sunday after services if I felt sure God called me to Spring Creek. I am certain. It does not mean that I do not love those I leave behind. Seven times we have left people we loved, prayed for, invested in and worked along side. Seven times I have packed up an office to transition to the next place. Leaving is hard. The pain and sorrow are real, not that everybody in those seven churches has not been glad to see me leave.

My hope on my last Sunday is to faithfully feed those precious people God's word one more time. It is how I started with them and how I want to finish with them. Heritage we love you. We thank God for you and how He used you in our lives. You will always be treasured in our hearts.

My Long Held Dream

For decades I've carried a dream in my heart and mind. It has kept me awake at night. It has been the subject of countless hours of prayer. It is has driven me in my ministry since the mid 1980s. I've given the better part of my life to the pursuit of this dream. Brenda and I have moved all over Texas chasing this dream. We have met many wonderful people who partnered with us in the pursuit of our dream.

In close to three decades I know tens of thousands of hours have been given to my long held dream. Early mornings. Late nights. Full days. We have seen glimpses. We have tasted small bites of the dream and relished the experiences. We have also had our hearts broken and drank the bitter cup of disappointments. Trust me it has been a bitter cup. Deeper and more bitter than I can ever put into words.

There were times when I lost the dream. There were times when the vision I held so long in my heart nearly died. This is not that day. The dream burns in me bright as it has ever burned before. The door of opportunity is opening and my dream burns hotter and more clearly than ever.

Three decades ago I sat in classrooms studying the Bible as a young preacher boy. My mind often drifted from those lectures given by educated professors to a dream planted by God deep in my heart. Sometimes it is a wonder I ever graduated from all that day dreaming. I spent free hours in the library not working on assignments but reading books. Books on revival, prayer and the church.

I spent hours in tucked away niches reading and daydreaming. Many times I wrote down prayers. So I have carried this long held dream for close to 20 years.

What is the dream? It hasn't changed. It comes straight out of the scriptures. I've devoted my adult life to it. I pledge my remaining days to it as well.

Acts 2:42-47 (NASB)
42  They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43  Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
44  And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;
45  and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
46  Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
47  praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

It is my dream to build such a church. It is my dream to pastor and lead such a church. I rededicate to that vision. Yes there have been setbacks but I believe a new day is dawning. Eagerly do I devote myself to this one simple dream. To build a God glorifying church like the very first one found in Acts. May the Lord build it and let me play a small part in it. My long held dream is alive and well.

Going Home Again

Brenda and I got to go to a ministry home recently. A place where we cut our teeth in ministry and started our marriage 28 years ago. We saw people we have loved for near three decades. We laughed. We prayed. We worshiped. We dug into the scriptures. I left that day overjoyed.

Nearly three decades ago I dreamed about a day I might preach in that church. Over the years God has allowed that to happen many times. None felt as rewarding and enriching as this past time. I stood behind the pulpit and looked out over the sparse congregation. Outwardly I may have looked focused as I began the message. Inwardly I kept thinking, "I can't believe God you are letting me do this after all these years."

The message was average at best. Nobody moved forward during the invitation. I only got one, "Good job," from a deacon afterwards. None of that mattered. I was home. I was among people I love. Brenda and felt at home.

Later that afternoon I sat in the sanctuary alone before the evening service to pray. Just sitting in that sacred room stirred me to humility and gratitude. Looking at the baptistry brought back memories. Looking at the pulpit brought back memories of the many times I preached behind it. I also recalled my former pastor there and the last pastor who is a personal friend of ours. Looking at the beautiful woodwork reminded me of what a great church that is. Not the building, even though it is beautiful and spacious. The people are great. I admire them. I respect them. I love them. They are like family.

My mind raced back to my wedding day in a different location but, I recall many of them attending. I recall special events, prayer meetings, revival meetings, and fellowshipping over lunch with a couple of families. I recall lifelong deep friendships were built there. What a delight to minister there again. I felt true joy. A blessing more than I can put into words. Like I said. It was like going home again.

Tale Of Two Deaths

All over the world today people died. Very simply put they died in two categories. Those who were saved, redeemed, born again, blood bought and children of God. Or those who were lost, hostile to God, alienated from God, blinded and children of wrath.

In most cases people were left behind to grieve their passing. Parents, children, friends, other relatives and acquaintances. For the true believers they grieve but they grieve differently than non believers. Followers of Jesus still grieve but they do so with hope. The hope of heaven and reunion with loved ones already departed into eternity has comforted millions throughout history. For the non believers there is no hope.

I have preached funerals for both sets of people. The non believers have a harder time letting go. This is all they had. The here and now. There is no other hope. The love and grace of God spurned will be traded for the wrath and vengeance of a holy God. Hell awaits to swallow and belch the souls of those who strayed on the broad path that leads to destruction. The believer sorrows but does so with the hope that their loved one is with the Lord. They are consoled by the comfort of eternity in Heaven.

The following verses are a good reminder. There is hope after death for Christians. There is judgment for non believers.

Hebrews 9:27-28 (NASB)
27  And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,
28  so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB)
13  But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
18  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Timely Word

I opened my tattered Bible to read this morning. God has this unique ability to take His truth and apply it to current circumstances in my life. What I read this morning seemed as fresh and current as this morning's newspaper.

An infinitely wise and all knowing God is able to do that repeatedly. I read in awe this morning. In awe of what God spoke and the hope it brought, in awe of the timeliness of the word and in awe of a God who knows just what I need and when I need it. I am humbled and encouraged. It inspires me to keep reading. I am working my way through the word again this year in Luke. It is rich and rewarding.

His word is food for my soul, fuel for my service and inspiration for my passion. How can I ever put into words how thankful I am for His word and for His ability to apply it to my circumstances. On top of that He chose me to teach, preach, and write His truth. Most importantly He helps me to live truth. I still falter but when I do He helps me get back up again.

Many years ago, in fact decades ago, I made a commitment to read God's word consistently. I have benefitted more than I can put onto this computer screen. One of my heroes, George Mueller, read trough the Bible 200 times in his life. I am nowhere near that number but I have read trough it multiple times. There are passages forever stamped on my mind and heart that came at just the right moment and scriptures God used to direct me. Those encounters in His word have shaped my life.

I pray as a pastor and preacher that God will use me to preach timely words for people. Like happened this past Sunday night. I actually preached the same message on a mission trip the previous week to a group of students. In the middle of it I knew it was the word for Sunday night. Afterward on that Sunday night,  a lady directing VBS told me the message was intended for her. She had grown weary and had lost heart thinking her efforts really did not matter. God met her between the pages of the Bible with a timely word. I love those moments and long for thousands and thousands more of them. That is not an exaggeration. I pray over the course of my life God will meet people through His word tens of thousands of times in my ministry. Whether that be teaching, preaching or writing. His word is timely. I want multiple encounters in my private life.

With that in mind I am inspired to keep reading and ministering His word. You never know when a timely word will come like it did for me this morning at just the right time.

Close Encounter

In the first chapter of Luke there is a story I read this morning that fascinated me. It is the story of a guy who going about his job had a close encounter with God that altered history. One of those encounters he would never forget and that impacted those around him and long after he lived.

Let me set the stage. An elderly man goes to work. He goes about his duties as he previously did. Only this time God sent a message to him. Not an ordinary message sent in an ordinary way. The message was extraordinary and got delivered through an angel. The prophesy proved so powerful this ordinary man wanted proof or a sign. The only sign given to him was his ability to speak was taken away for a time. You see Zechariah and his wife had no children and both were advanced in years. The message sent to Zechariah was the promise of a son. A prophet son.

Sure enough just three days after fulfilling his priestly duties Elizabeth conceived little John the Baptist.

Just imagine Zachariah having to hold that close encounter in because he could not speak to testify. It was not until John the Baptist was born that God allowed Zachariah to tell the whole story of what happened.

Most of our days are pretty ordinary. Common. Many seem to run together in old familiar routines. Just ordinary days. In the midst of those common days God shows up with close encounters. We never know when. We never the substance of such encounters. It is a reason to keep having daily devotions. It should motivate us to cultivate the habit of communing with Him. It might happen in a quiet time, listening to a song, in the middle of worship, listening to a sermon or Bible study. God might draw near at work or in the wee hours of the morning. If we desire we will have close encounters with the living God.

God loves to encounter His people. He loves to draw near to them. He desires to reveal His plans and purposes to those seeking and listening.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
13  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Snapshot With The Heart

I had just finished preaching a passionate message and giving the listeners an opportunity to respond. I prayed to conclude the service and then asked to congregants to pause for about ten seconds before dismissing. They had no idea why I asked that. While they sat there quietly for those ten seconds I took snapshots in my heart to preserve that memory in my mind. I desired to imprint that moment and occasion on my heart and in my mind forever. A momentous occasion. It was no ordinary service. A memory I wanted to preserve.

How many life moments pass and we never take the time to enjoy them, treasure them or the people we share those moments together. Moments like Brenda reaching under the covers and taking my hand in the middle of the night. Like just the two of us enjoying a quiet meal after church. Like the pastoral visit I made early Saturday morning. I did not know what I would never get to see that person again as they passed into eternity the following day. I took a snapshot with my heart as I stood by the bedside and prayed.

Looking back I can see multiple snapshots in my mind of our family over the years. Days filled with laughter, joy and memories of little boys running and playing. Now those snapshots are made of grown men transitioning out of our home and into the adult world of responsibility. I desire to take it all in. Each meal together. Each holiday shared. Each special birthday celebrated. I treasure one on one time with my sons. I relish grown up conversations about what matters in their lives. I know one day they will have families of their own and come home less and less often. They will get so busy with their own families and work they will not call and not have time to stop by for a visit. So I take snapshots with the heart.

I do the same with congregations. In my mind I can see the Heritage flock as I stand behind the beautifully handmade pulpit. I recall grand days and the moving of God's Spirit. I recall days of love and laughter. I recall being recipients of their love and generosity on more than one occasion. I do the same for the flocks at Faith Community, FBC Seminole, FBC Paradise, CentrePointe Community and Burke. I do so for Spring Creek Baptist Church as well as Rochelle Baptist Church. Each holds fond memories of dear people who mean so much to me.

It is easy to take people and life for granted. One way to combat that is to take snapshots with the heart. To intentionally make the effort to capture moments and imprint those memories. Like I did last week with my friend Eric on another ministry trip together. Those trips with him are one of God's great blessings in my life. Like phone conversations I have with my friend Jimmy as I benefit from his wisdom.

To take snapshots with the heart you must walk through life a little more slowly. Take in the surroundings. Enjoy the sights, smell, touch, taste and sounds around you. Do it while you can. I challenge you to do it at least once today. Make a memory and take a snapshot of the heart with family and or friends. One day even ordinary things will be looked back with great fondness. Make a memory photo album of snapshots of the heart.

Redeeming Time

Yesterday God afforded Brenda and I a unique opportunity. In some ways it felt like stepping back in time. It felt like going home. Before we married I got called to serve Spring Creek Baptist Church in Weatherford, TX as youth pastor. I met their youth while at a youth camp. For some reason we all connected and months later God connected me to that church. That was 28 years ago. Brenda and I wed just a few months into that ministry.

Yesterday I got to preach in that church. We saw familiar faces. We hugged necks. In-between the morning and evening services I sat in the sanctuary to pray. I couldn't help but remember scenes from years gone by. Precious memories. Victorious days. Brenda and I cut our teeth in ministry at that church.

God blessed our time back then so many years ago. He blessed our youth ministry with salvations and growth. One Sunday I got to baptize multiple teenagers during a service. What joy. A lot has changed over time. In that time Brenda and I have more mileage on us. So do the people at Spring Creek. None of us are youth chicks anymore.

Time goes on. None of us can stop the clock. It keeps on ticking. The challenge is how will we redeem the time? How will we make our days count for God? At 52 I know my days are numbered. While the law averages would indicate I have several years left I know there will be an end. I contemplate that often. There is so much more I want to do for God. So many more souls to reach. So many more things to write. So many more sermons to study for and preach. So many more books to read. So many more prayers to pray, visits to make, vision to cast and service to give.

When I die I would prefer to die with my face in the dirt and not my head on a pillow. I prefer to live productively until God calls me home. To redeem the time. I am painfully aware of days that have been squandered in unproductively. Some sit around always dreaming but never doing. I still have many dreams and visions but I long to see them become reality and not remain dreams.

Colossians 4:5 (NKJV)
5  Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)
15  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16  redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

One of the meanings of the word redeem is to improve the opportunity. To put that another way it means to make the most of each day. Don't waste your life in front of a television or computer screen doing nothing productive. For me that means there are thousands of books I've never read. There are thousands of thoughts I've never captured and put down in print. There are tens of thousands of Bible passages I have never studied in depth or ever preached. I must make the most of whatever days I have left to improve them for the glory of God.

In the background somewhere a clock ticks. Tick tock. Tick tock. It is a reminder that time never stops. I can't stop time but I can improve how I use time. I must work diligently to redeem it. Maybe, just maybe, God will allow me to recapture the glory of former years in doing so.

I Sinned Before We Even Left The Parking Lot

The trip got marked on my calendar months ago. An invitation to come preach the word of God to students on a mission trip. I accepted and as I write this I am actually on that trip.

After an emotional day at our church I hurried to load the bus and make the four hour trip south to Lockhart, TX just outside of Austin. My old comrade Eric Adcock and I once again joined forces to build the kingdom of God. Before we left I pulled him aside and said, "I am willing to do anything you ask on this trip except painting. I do not want to paint."

On the first night while preaching about consecrating our lives to God and repenting of sin conviction came. I knew in that moment my attitude was wrong. I confessed it publicly. How could I go on a mission trip and not be willing to serve. To do anything Jesus asked of me.

Yesterday morning they divided us up into three teams to go out and serve on three different projects. It just so happens providentially designed by God my team was assigned to go paint. Once on site I opened a five gallon bucket of paint and paint splattered it all over my hands and shirt. Just seconds into the project and the very thing I loathe about painting happened. Within a couple of minutes I had paint on my boots and jeans. I just hung my head and thought, "Only for You Jesus."

I hate painting. For two summers in college I had a job painting the inside of dorm rooms. Eight hours a day. Five days a week. I could never fully get the paint off my hands and of course paint stains ruined some of my clothes. Not glamorous for the upcoming preacher boy. Over thirty years later I needed a little further instruction from the Lord in the classroom of painting. Before all was said and done I painted rooms in every dorm on campus. As much as I hate painting and vow I will never do it again God puts me in positions where He requires me to paint something else.

While waiting the fence we were assigned to paint at a nursing home I chose to paint with excellence and give God my very best. I pained for His glory. At times it seemed I got just as much paint on me as on the fence but I tried to paint with excellence along with the students who labored by my side. My boots will never be the same.

My sin was a sin of attitude. God brought it to my attention and convicted me that it needed to change. Do church members not do the same things. We pledge our lives to Jesus and then start dictating what we will and will not do. God calls His people to be servants. Jesus set the example of servanthood when He bent His holy knees to wash the disciples feet. We are certainly not greater than Him. We should be willing to do whatever He asks. We should be willing to take on the tasks most prefer to avoid. Serving is not always glamorous. Many times serving is a thankless job. Few notice. Jesus notices. He takes account.

So let us serve and shine while doing so. Let us do all to the glory of God, even painting. Let us do good works and shine the light of Jesus in this dark world so they will see our good works and not glorify us but God. [Matt 5:16]

God's Promise Not Gay Pride

The story of the rainbow started with God as a promise to never destroy the world by flood again. It was His idea. He designed it. He created it. He brought it into existence. Nobody can steal it from Him. For as long as the world exists the rainbow is a symbol of God's promise.

The homosexual community has tried to hijack that symbol for themselves to symbolize their debauched lifestyle. Try as they may they will never usurp God. The rainbow will always be a symbol of God's promise and not gay pride.

I am tired of Christians constantly giving in and giving up ground to those hell bent on turning this nation further and further away from God. In this time when social media continues to censure conservative voices I advocate followers of Jesus taking a stand. I advocate using your social media platforms for building the kingdom of God and speaking truth. See how long it takes for you to also get banned when your points of view do not line up with political norms.

Homosexuality is a sin. It is not the only sin but it is sin. It is not an alternative lifestyle. It is not coming out of the closet and finally being free. It is bondage. It defies God. I don't care how many parades they march in, how many special days they observe, if the government labels such things as I am writing hate speech, or if they legalize homosexual marriages which God outlawed in His word. His moral standards do not change with the prevailing political winds of the times.

So for this follower of Jesus the rainbow will always be a symbol and reminder of God's promise and not gay pride. Homosexuals may try to pervert that truth but try as they may they can never undo what God has done, still does and will do.

Yes Lord

Do you believe in a Sovereign God who rules over this universe? Do you believe He has infinite wisdom and knowledge to make and execute plans even counting for contingencies? Do equally believe He has unlimited power to perform what He wishes and where He wishes?

Make no mistake. God always has a plan. It is better known as His will. His followers concern themselves with discovering and following His will. Sometimes His will is easily discerned and followed. At other times it takes a lot of praying and waiting on God to reveal it.

He often sets opportunities before us. To put that another way He opens doors for His children to walk through. We don't always know the end outcome of walking through such open doors. Because of this unknown and perceived risk many opportunities get passed by and wasted. Make no mistake. God has contingency plans. Often they come with some harsh consequences. Like Israel disobeying going into the Promised land wandering in the desert. Like Moses taking credit for something God did and not getting to go into the Promise Land. Like King Saul disobeying and losing the Kingdom and his life.

When God reveals His will, puts an opportunity before us and opens a door we must take full advantage. How can we know the full implications of what God will do. How could Ananias know how following God's leadership to minister to Paul would result in so much kingdom impact including half of the New Testament coming from Paul's pen. God gave Ananias an opportunity to do His will.

I don't know what God has set or might set before you and I certainly do not know the full outcome of following Him. I do know it is foolish to pass up any of God's open doors of opportunities. I have done it in the past and regretted it. I am sure it brought unnecessary hardship to my family that might otherwise have been avoided.

We should practice saying and living a simple prayer. "Yes, Lord." Eery day it should be our desire to say yes to whatever the Lord may put before us. Yes to more fellowship with Him. Yes to more encounters with those who do not know Him. Yes to walking through more open doors. Yes to steps of faith. Yes to leaving the familiar and comfortable for unfamiliar  and discomfort. It is all part of the adventure of following God with all our hearts. Yes Lord. May that prayer always be on our lips, hearts and minds.

The Shimmering Glory

On my morning walk I paused at the edge of Lake Bridgeport. I looked out across the lake. In the distance I could see two boats crossing the lake carrying eager fishermen. That is not what held my attention. Nor did the gentle waves pushed by the wind that rolled onto the sandy beach capture my gaze. A far more dazzling sight mesmerized me.

As the sunbeams shone on the water it looked like thousands of shimmering lights dancing. Thousands of shimmering reflections of the sun's glory. A sight more beautiful than I can describe in words. A breathtaking glimpse of the glory of God. I could hardly tear my eyes away from that sight. Just the simple reflection of the sun on the water. How much more brilliant will be the glory of God revealed when mortality is exchanged for immorality? Brighter than a thousand suns. So bright the glory of God is the only light needed in Heaven.

Anytime people in the Bible had an encounter with God in His glory they were blown away. They were humbled, awed, repentant and reverent. Moses had such an encounter when he asked God to show him His glory. The priests who dedicated the temple fell prostrate when the glory of God filled the temple. Peter, James and John were stunned when Jesus transfigured before them. They saw glimpses of the shimmering glory of God. What will it be like when we are in that shimmering glory uninterrupted for all eternity? There are no words to describe such an experience.

For now we must content ourselves with those brief glimpses of the shimmering glory of God. They are all around us if we stop, look and listen. One day we will see far more than the reflection on the water. We will get engulfed in the shimmering shekinah glory of God. Press on until that day.