All We Need Is Love

 The Beatles made that line famous in a song, "All we need is love. Love is all we need." As we continue our 180 ministry at the skate park, I am more aware that those we meet need the love of Jesus. We had not been at the park for two minutes when I got to share the good news of Jesus with a young man. He was extremely friendly. Willing to engage in a faith conversation. He was also very mixed up in his beliefs. It felt like he had read many books on religion and combined all their beliefs together. He had a little Christian, some new age, and several other things I cannot identify the origin. I noticed when he left he wore an ankle monitor. He said he would return for the pizza but never came back. 

I also talked with another young man one year out of high school and working as a plumber. He makes good money and has aspirations to advance all the way to becoming a master plumber. When I asked him if he worshiped anywhere, he replied that he no use for religion. He once had been involved with some religious group he identified as a cult. It turned him off to all of it. I told him about Jesus and what Jesus did on the cross along with the resurrection. He was skeptical to say the least. He listened but did not want to trust Jesus. He did not fully buy into the resurrection of Jesus.

God prompts me when to gently nudge and when to back off. 

We also ran into three different people we met before in the past several weeks. One guy we met on the first night. I asked him if he remembered me. He said yes. He talked about us giving out cookies and water and talking about Jesus. While he did not say he was saved, he did say he was going to worship with his grandparents somewhere. He was the least shy of all the skaters last night diving into the pizza. He returned multiple times. Surprisingly when I asked if I could pray for him about anything, he told me about his aunt fighting the Corona Virus. We bowed and prayed right then. That is the first time we have gotten to pray with anyone. We count it as a small victory and another step of progress. 

In total, seven different people were there last night. We did not get to give a gospel witness to all of them. We did give out lots of pizza. We did get to know them all a little more. David earned more credibility blowing the leaves and acorns off the concrete so they could skate more freely. Allan and Connie provide a safe and warm place for them to talk and share about their lives. The Stedifors came last night as well and helped. This is truly a collective effort from Jesus through His people at Spring Creek Baptist Church. 

One guy, who told me what kind of skateboard to buy and where to buy it, asked how the give away went. He took pictures of our advertisement and posted it to his social media page as well as telling all his friends about it. I told him about the girl that won it a week ago.  

Progress is slow as I thought it would be. We are still earning trust. When we show up and people are skating we have not yet met, I can see them wondering why we are there. Bringing food often breaks the ice. Without fail, each time we show up several end up around the picnic table talking to us. Allan and Connie are so encouraging and friendly, the skaters naturally gravitate toward them. We ask lots of questions. I learned the name of two tricks last night. The drop in. Manualing. Drop in is when you start at the top of the ramp and drop down riding to the bottom. One guy told me he has done it from a twenty foot ramp. Manualing is like riding a wheelie on a bicycle except you do it on a skateboard. The guy who showed us that trick amazed us. He even rode the board riding on only one wheel! Those guys are talented. There is an art to skateboarding as we are discovering. 

We also saw some spills and falls last night. Even after crashing, these guys get up and try it again. We saw one guy keep practicing doing a 360 degree turn in the air from a ramp on a bike. It took him awhile, but he mastered it before the night ended. 

We don't know what we are doing really. Just loving people, trying to serve and express the love of Jesus in a tangible way through food. We are also seeking to introduce them to Jesus and His saving love. Like I said, "All they need is love. The love of Jesus is all they need."

I Work For The Great Physician

 One of our ladies recently had a medical procedure done. She received much comfort from a medical worker who told her that he worked for the Great Physician and would pray for her during the procedure. This is a medical worker who gets it. He  sees the bigger mission to minister for Jesus. Such people are missionaries in disguise. 

I wish all Christians had that same mentality. To be on mission for God no matter where they live or what they do. The baseball player can be a missionary on the diamond just as much as the housewife who volunteers her time to local non profit ministries. The man at the boundary can witness and serve Jesus just as much as the construction worker. The lawyer can do the same with clients just like the CEO to employees.

You can serve Jesus and be on mission for Him at school, work, on sports teams, at social functions, to famliy, with neighbors and roommates. 

Do you work for Jesus? Do you labor for Him? Do you serve Him by serving others? Do you volunteer for Him?

When my sons were school aged, I coached them in sports. Football, baseball, basketball and even some soccer. I enjoyed that extra time with them. I also used those opportunities to work for Jesus. I actually led a young man to faith in Jesus before a baseball practice. I saw a man and several in his family get saved I coached football along side. I prayed before games on the pitcher's mound on baseball diamonds and at center court  before basketball gamers. I did devotions after practice and before games with the players. It was all about working for Jesus. 

I hope you will choose to do the same. Work for Him while you have the chance. Life is too short to just go through life serving yourself. Work for Him. Work for something greater than money, success and recognition. Labor for the Lord. 

Leave A Legacy Of Faith

 Just across the street from my office lies the Spring Creek cemetery. Grave markers litter the landscape reminding onlookers of the brevity and finality of life. Each marker has the name, the date of birth and dates of death. 

The tales that could be told from the graves. Many who faithfully served and worshipped at Spring Creek Baptist Church. the testimonies of God encounters. Those who trusted Jesus as their Savior and are now alive in His presence forevermore. 

There are other tales. Tales of those who spurned the love of God, rejected His offer of salvation, turned from Him to do their own thing. Today they suffer in agony forever. 

Both sets of people left a legacy. Some a legacy of faith. You can trace them and their ancestors. As far back as you can see, the legacy of faith keeps passing from one generation to the next. Testimonies abound of amazing grace. Tales of God's faithfulness endure. The legacy of faith is cherished. May it never be broken from one generation to the next. 

On the other hand, lost people leave a legacy of destruction, devastation, and despair. Generational curses keep kin folk enslaved in sin. One generation after another trudges through life in bondage. They are headed for hell and lead their loved ones to that same eternal damnation. It breaks my heart. 

I have preached many a funeral for lost people. There is no hope. Christians grieve but as those who still have hope of seeing loved ones again in Heaven. Lost people have no such hope. They are ushered into an abyss of misery, agony, torment, unending, unyielding, dark, filled with the weeping and gnashing of teeth from its residents. 

The Bible tells the story about a rich man who went to hell. He was able to see into Heaven a poor man he had once known. He pleaded for that poor man to be sent to his family members to warn them about hell. He wanted God to send the poor man back to life from Heaven to be a missionary to his family. God told the rich man they had preachers, but they refused to listen to them. 

What person suffering in hell, that really loved their family, would want anyone to follow their legacy into eternal destruction? If the dead could speak, they would preach greater gospel messages than I ever could with greater urgency. Hell is real. Eternity is long. Salvation is offered through Jesus alone by grace alone and faith alone. Trust Him now.

I urge you to leave a legacy of faith for your family members. Long after you are gone, may they still tell the stories of what God did in your life, how you were saved and how you led other family members to that same faith in Jesus Christ. May the name of Jesus be made famous in your family from one generation to another leaving perpetual legacies of faith. 

The Labor Room

 Most hospitals have labor rooms. When you first walk into them, it seems like a normal hospital room. When the labor pains intensify signaling the coming of a new baby, that labor room transforms into specialized space for delivering new borns. 

Four times I went into labor rooms with Brenda. She had to have four c-sections, which meant we never really used our labor room until after our sons were born. What special days they were. It is hard to imagine that Brenda and I even considered not having children because we were so busy in our careers. Now I cannot imagine life without Jennifer, Brenda's youngest sister who came to live with us in her teen years, Taylor, Tanner, Tucker and Turner. They have brought indescribable joy to my life. My quiver is full. 

Those are great memories for me but, it is not the point of this article. I have a far different labor room in mind. One located in the Spring Creek facilities. You would probably miss it if you came to visit for the first time. It is shut up behind an unassuming door that blends in with rest of the decor. Behind that door is a labor room. A place where miracles are conceived and given birth. 

It is our prayer room. I just left there a few moments ago. I went in with the labor pains of four burdens. Four little seeds of faith deep in my spirit. Four prayer requests that I trust God will turn into full blown new born miracles in His timing. 

Just like there is a time for a mother to carry a child in the womb, so there is a time we must carry burdens in our spirit until the appointed day of birth comes. Until then, we labor in prayer. We travail underneath the spiritual labor pains. We wrestle and push to watch God do supernatural things. 

The labor room should be one of the most important rooms in our houses of worship. Sadly, many places don't have a prayer room. Partly, because there is not enough space in old wood frame country sanctuaries. Tragically, because it is not always important to congregations with adequate space for such a room. 

I stumbled on our preyer room by accident. The sign on the door labeled it as a prayer room. I had never noticed it. The contents of that room spoke a different story. It had become a junk room, a room for committee meetings, but not a prayer room. We changed that. Four members worked tirelessly to transform the space. They painted. They decorated. The added prayer benches, two love seats, inspirational paintings and quotes, and a place for jotting down prayer requests. It is a space exclusively dedicated to prayer. I have spent much time there during the past year. Each Sunday morning I gather with whoever chooses to attend our Pastor's Prayer Partners meeting before our Sunday morning worship service. 

Over the coming years, I expect many miracles will be born in that room. I wait eagerly to give God glory and testify about the four miracles I travailed to bring to life today. They are unseen to the human eye, but I feel each of them deep in my spirit. I feel them rumbling and kicking inside me reminding they are nearing the day of completion. 

I urge you to visit your own labor room. A designated place for prayer. A place to fight faith battles. A place to transform the assurance of things hoped for  and to give birth to the evidence of things not seen. [Hebrews 11:1] 

You Are Never Going To Change My Mind

 180 outreach ministry stepped out on another cold night to the skate park. We did not see a familiar face again. To our surprise we saw the first female skater. We'll call her Blair. She accompanied Jim and Cade. Not their real names. 

Each brought a skateboard. We struck up a conversation quickly about skateboards. We told them about the skateboard we are giving away this Sunday at the park. We asked them about the brand and they seemed impressed. 

Like all the others, they were willing to talk. When I introduced the subject of Jesus, Blair, said, "I was never exposed to that growing up." Jim never said anything one way or the other. Cade had much to say. He started by saying he used to believe and attend church. He reported a leader in that church turned out to be a bad guy and turned him off of church and religion. He called the attenders fake. Hypocrites.

I quickly discerned Cade is a perceptive young man. He sees through the empty religious rituals that do not mean anything to many people. Cade is also very misguided. He said Christianity is only a religion for the United States. He does not believe the Bible is an authoritative book from God. He identified himself as an agnostic who is not an atheist. He just does not believe in the God of the Bible. 

He then said, "There is no proof it is real." I talked about the resurrection and all of Christianity could have been stopped in its tracks if they just could have produced the body of Jesus out of that empty tomb. They could not because Jesus came back to life. He did not buy it. 

Personal testimonies were given by Connie and me about answers to prayer. All three had gathered to listen. Cade and Blair sat on their boards. Cade looked down at the concrete. Finally he said, "You are never going to change my mind." He got up to skate some more. As he did, the prayer formed, "I can't but God You can."

We visited with them for well over an hour. Learning more about skating, board designs, and their personal lives. We did not talk about Jesus the whole time. I sure felt Blair was listening and digesting it all. Cade's arguments most certainly influence her since they are dating. 

As I reflect on the evening, several thoughts surface. For one, the hypocrisy and fake people in church are turning off this young generation. They see right through it. They long for sincerity. Not just the young generation. Lost people in general see through inauthenticity. It is apparent, at least in Cade's life, he has not seen many authentic truly devoted followers of Jesus. Cade does not even believe Jesus was a historical figure. Something really turned him off. He is exactly the reason we keep showing up, braving cold temperatures, pushing past our comfort zones and engaging these young people in faith conversations. 

Each week Allan and Connie donate food. Typically pizza or tacos. They are open to eating with us. They are open to talking about their lives. They are not as open about Jesus and church. Organized religion has failed many. Church members actually can repel the very people Jesus died to save. They will seldom hear the gospel truth because they have no intention of darkening the doors of any church. The church continues with ministry as usual. There are several churches within walking distance from the park, but they hold no interest for the ones we have met thus far. 

They are not coming to us. Let me say that again more emphatically. LOST PEOPLE ARE NOT COMING TO US! Most of our outreach efforts are focused on attracting them to come to our special event. Jesus told us to go to them. Matt 28:19-20. Mark 16:15. Acts 1:8. We are to go. The responsibility is not on them to come. 

Why would lost people ever want to get involved in any church when they are likely to be judged, rejected, treated as outcasts and ostracized. They already experience that in life. They are often misunderstood. Many are hard hearted to spiritual things but friendly and engaging to strangers on their turf. We in the church could learn some things from these skaters. They are hospitable. Helpful. Courteous. The more skaters I meet, the more I love them and am impressed with them. 

Many we have talked to are thinkers. They don't just believe something because somebody told them to do so. They think for themselves. Many are misguided. I trust the Lord will show us favor in due time, as we win the right to be heard. I look forward to prolonged conversations and open and honest debates much like Paul engaged in on Mars Hill. 

We are committed to keep showing up. We look down the road and question what will happen when it gets too cold to go outside? What will happen if we ever start a consistent Bible study? Where will we meet? I doubt seriously they will be open to coming to Spring Creek. I have wondered if God might use No Compromise Ministries, my non profit, 501-c3 ministry to rent a place one day. That is something I continue to pray through for the time being. 

For now, we pray. We keep showing up. We will engage further with the hook of giving away a free skateboard. All with the hope and expectation Jesus will save some. I can see it through faith. God specialized in changing people's minds who think they will never change Look through history. Paul. C.S. Lewis. Lee Strobel. Just to name a few. God changed all their minds. I trust He will do it agin and again. 

And This Too Shall Pass

 The words were painful to hear. "I feel alone." Because of the Corona virus a person reached out to me to share her feelings. She cannot get out. She works from home. She feels isolated and disconnected. To put it in her words, "I feel so sad."

I wonder how many other people are feeling the same way. Isolated. Disconnected from family and friends. Barricaded inside trying to stay safe from the dreaded Corona virus. Even with those measures in place, many still have succumbed and suffered. It is unlike anything most of us have ever lived through before in our lifetimes. There seems to be no immediate end in sight. 

Is there any hope? I am not talking about the vaccines. Many researchers are warning against these vaccines, while the company line is to take them. Is there any hope from God? From His word to get us through these challenging days?

I prayed about that very issue in response to the lady who feels so alone. The truth is even if we are the sole occupant in our homes, the child of God is not alone. God is a constant presence. He is there. He is available. He is accessible. 

I get it though. Sometimes we need to hear another audible voice. At times, people need a hug, a pat on the back, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, a kind word and a warm smile. God created us to be in community. When that community is broken, it impacts our lives in negative ways. Depression. Loneliness. Thoughts of does anyone really care. 

Case in point is the fact that suicidal thoughts have rapidly increased during this time. We may not be getting together like we used to, but we can still make contact. We can make phone calls. We can send cards and letters. We can FaceTime people. We can send encouraging texts. We can zoom family and friends. While there are many things we cannot do, there are also many things we can do. 

We can pass on words of truth from the Bible to brighten someone's day. Today I choose to pass on the 23rd Psalm. It is good for whatever ails you. There is peace and rest. There is comfort in adversity. There is love and protection of God. You may have memorized this Psalm as a youngster. I challenge you go and read it again. Read it slowly and prayerfully asking God to minister to your heart. Read it meditatively applying the healing truth to your hurting soul. 

The Lord is your shepherd. You shall not want. He causes you to lie down in green pastures and rest beside still waters. He restores the soul and leads down paths of righteousness. Even if you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you do not have to fear evil for God is with you. Let that truth sink in. God is with you. Right now. Right where you are. In whatever you are facing. He is with you. His rod and staff comfort. He prepares a table for you in the midst of your enemies. He anoints your head with oil and he fills your cup to overflowing. Most assuredly His goodness and mercy shall dog your feet and footprints all the days of your life. One day it will be safe to return to the house of the Lord. In the end, all true children of God will dwell in God's eternal house in Heaven forever. 

May those truths see my friend and you through some sad days. May those truths bolster sagging faith. May His word sustain in sadness. 

I love what a friend of mine often says, "And this too shall pass." She suffers with chronic illness requiring multiple doctor visits and hospital stays. She and her husband tragically lost a son who died in a fire. She knows about suffering and sadness. God's word has sustained her through much sadness and suffering. Maybe her words on top of God's word will help you through these difficult days. "And this too shall pass."

Overwhelmed

 Have you ever felt overwhelmed? The trials hit in such rapid succession you can barely keep your footing and catch your breath. That is how I feel watching many parishioners getting pounded by the trials of life in recent days. Multiple families are getting pummeled by health issues, grief, financial set backs, and family members suffering. There seems no end in sight. 

Many have endured such seasons. In the middle of them, you cry out to God and instead of things getting better they actually get worse. That happened to Moses. He obeyed God in going to Pharaoh to ask him to let Israel go. Pharaoh got angry and had the taskmasters afflict the Israelites with harsher treatment. The Israelites turned on Moses. Overwhelmed, Moses cried out to God. 

What none of them could see at the time, is God was still at work and in control behind the scenes. It did not lessen the pain for those slaves working to meet impossible quotas. Moses felt confused by God's lack of delivering Israel. He knew at that moment the task was too big for him to accomplish in human effort. He needed God. Just like we need God in our circumstances. 

We also need God. In the overwhelming seasons of life we need God. We need Him to strengthen us. To sustain us. To help us. To comfort us. To empower us. To inspire us. To work for us. 

Many years ago I stumbled across a passage I found in an overwhelming season. I have returned to it many times for comfort and help. I hope God might use it in your life today to provide some peace, hope and resolve to not lose heart. Read it prayerfully and let it minister to your soul. 

Psalm 27:13-14 (NASB)
¹³  I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
¹⁴  Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Just Say The Word

 Matthew 8:5-13 (NASB) 

⁵  And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him,
⁶  and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented."
⁷  Jesus *said to him, "I will come and heal him."
⁸  But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
⁹  "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."
¹⁰  Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
¹¹  "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
¹²  but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
¹³  And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment.

What a powerful story. Did you catch what the centurion said? "Just say the word and my servant shall be healed." Just say the word. 

There is more power in the spoken word of God the Father and Jesus His Son, than all the other power in the world combined. Case in point. With the spoken word God created the heavens and the earth. Just spoken words. Who else can do that? Nobody! Go into the kitchen tonight and say, "Supper come forth in faith." Or try, "House, build yourself!" Maybe, "Machine or motor be repaired." 

All God had to say is, "Let there be...." Poof. We had a universe, solar systems, light, land mass, water, and all the rest. Just say the word. 

Jesus spoke words like these to minister to people. "I am willing be cleansed." "Be it done according to your faith." "The child is not dead but only sleeping." "Lazarus come forth." "Hush. Be still." "Stretch out your hand." "Take up your pallet and walk."

I don't know what you are facing today. I know one spoken word from Jesus can change everything. He can change the most exasperating circumstances. He can redeem the most down and out life. He can do anything He desires with no more than a spoken word. 

The centurion believed so much in Jesus' authority, that he knew Jesus did not have to show up in person for the miracle to happen. He believed all Jesus had to do was to say the word. 

Do you believe that? All He has to do is the say the appropriate word for you and all can change? I do. 

Maybe the most surprising part of this passage is found in verse 10. When Jesus heard the centurion listen and watch how He responded. "He marveled." "I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel." 

Wow! The fact that Jesus marveled means that Jesus was astonished and amazed. It also means that He admired the faith He saw in this man. Can any of  us say Jesus has ever marveled or admired our faith? What a statement. It all came when the centurion said, "Just say the word." 

Jesus, I ask you to just say the word in each of our lives. You know the needs. You know the critical crisis. You know what word to speak, where it needs to be spoken, and when to speak it. We trust You to speak with authority into our needy lives. Amen! 

Lowest Numbers Since WW II

 The experts have gathered in think tanks to discuss the problem. Analyst have studied the data and reported their findings. The strategists dream and scheme new ways to turn the tide in the downward trend. By all accounts, all past efforts have not been overly successful. These same experts have been trying to reverse the trend for decades. It has proved to be an exercise in futility. 

People explain all the reasons why. Excuses are made from the changing culture, the economy and of course this year blame will be cast on the Corona pandemic. Each of these may play a contributing factor, but in my opinion are not the main culprit.

A plethora of books have been written on the subject. Seminars and conferences have come and gone. Multiple high ranking officials have spoken on the topic of turning the cycle around. All to little or no avail. Sure, there have been pockets where certain spots have out performed the rest of the nation. By and far as a whole, the facts are in: we are at the lowest level since World War II. 

What am I referring to, you might ask. The total number of baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention for the year 2019. I cast no stones. Spring Creek is certainly not helping matters. Our baptism numbers have been dismal. Not that I have not shared Jesus with many. Sadly, I can only report leading three people to faith in Christ this year. One of them was my youngest son. One of the others has shown no fruit and I am suspect if their conversion was genuine, or whether they just went through the motions. 

Jesus is Lord of the harvest. He said the harvest is plentiful. He did not say the harvest was plentiful. There are people ready to be saved. His indictment. The laborers are few. 

Take for example in the Southern Baptist Convention. The total membership of all congregations combined is 14.5 million. Any faithful attender knows these numbers are misleading. Many people may have their names on the church roles, but are not actively attending. SBC churches report the weekly active worshipers at 5.2 million. The total number of baptisms for 2019 came in at 235,748. Do the math. This reiterates Jesus point. The workers are few. 

If just half of those active attenders led someone else to saving faith in Jesus, that would be mean somewhere over 2.5 million new believers and millions of baptisms. Alas, the workers are few. 

God has granted me the opportunity to witness for Him more this year than any year in recent memory. He is Lord of the harvest. I know in due time, He will allow me to reap some of that harvest for His glory. I trust Him to reverse the trend at Spring Creek and across the nation. He is already doing this in other nations around the world. I trust He will move that way in our country. I pray for more workers to labor in the fields. 

180

 180 is half a full circle. If you did a 180 in a car, you would make a U-turn. 180 is also a move on a skateboard or bike. It is the name we have adopted for the skater outreach ministry. We long to see people do a complete 180 as they trust Jesus as their Savior and he transforms their lives. 

There was one guy on a bmx bike last night doing stunts when I arrived. I sat watching fascinated and praying about how I could engage this guy in conversation. He hardly ever stopped. He did wheelies, jumps, rode backwards, grinds down poles and did jumps where he did a 180 in the air. After awhile, I noticed he did not have breaks. He used the soles of shoes to slow and stop the bike. 

When he paused for rest, I knew I had to go for it then. I approached him asking him questions about his bike. I wondered what kept the rims from bending, why the seat was so low, why the bike had no breaks and so forth. Let's say Don, not his real name, proved quite eager to talk about his bike. Passion splashed out of him. Soon he opened up about wrecks and injuries he has suffered. He went on to tell me about great places to ride in other times with super high jumps. 

Then I asked him, "Are you cool with Jesus?" Don assured me and told me where he and his wife attended church before the pandemic. I could not believe Don had a wife. I asked his age and he replied 22. They have not even been married a full year yet. 

We have gone to this park for a month now. More than half the people we have met are out of high school. I find that interesting. Yet these guys still come to the park to ride boards and bikes. I see a culture of community among them. Something the church could learn a few lessons from these skaters and bmxers. 

Soon the rest of the team arrived armed with tacos. Don did not want any and told he was about to leave. I found pleasure in meeting him and watching him and told him so. Before he left, I just had to ask, "Do you know where you will spend eternity at the end of your life." Don answered, "With the Lord." I pressed gently, "Why do you say that?" The question stumped him. I went on to explain what Jesus did for him and the way of salvation. Don told me he had been saved but never baptized. 

I asked how I could pray for him and gave him one of our prayer cards. What a pleasant young man. Unpretentious. Humble. Respectful. Tolerant of some old people on his turf. Very polite. We invited him back next Monday and told him to bring his wife.. No one else came to skate or ride a bike. In a month of showing up, not one time have we seen the same person twice. I am beginning to wonder if the word is out that we will be there and that is keeping people away. It could also be the weather turning colder. We got chilled to the bone for the second week in a row. 

We did pawn some tacos on a couple of dads and a girls soccer team. The guy I talked to had a church home, though he rarely attends due to chasing his daughter playing soccer every weekend. 

We secured the skateboard we are giving away on December 20th at 2:00 p.m. We will bring some finger foods and do drawings for a few gift cards and then the Santa Cruz skateboard. It looks really sharp to me, but I'm no skate expert. 

I have learned three things in the skater world thus far. They are willing to talk. With only a couple of exceptions, the people we encounter are willing to converse with us. The other thing I've learned is how open they are. Like open books they share a lot from their lives both good and bad. More than one has a pretty serious criminal record. They don't try to hide it. They are not pretentious. They listen to gospel presentations, but the ones we have talked to have not responded. They are polite but also not interested in committing their lives to Jesus. 

I know we have to earn our way with them. We have to build trust. To find ways to meet their needs. To love them where they are. To love them to Jesus. Whether through pizzas or tacos, blowing off their concrete ridding of leaves and acorns, giving away gift cards or a skateboard we trust in God's time they will see our intentions and that we are for them. 

I love getting to talk to them about Jesus and the way of salvation. It is not a high pressured approach. It is planting seeds and waiting for the harvest. I know one day someone is going to do a spiritual 180 and turn their heart and life toward Jesus. For that reason we keep showing up and waiting on God to work. 

Maiden Voyage

God recently blessed me with an iMac computer. It has taken some time get everything set up and all things working as they should. The last item today included getting it set up to log into my blog to start writing from this computer. As of this writing, 32,500 visits to this site have been registered. There have been a grand total of 707 articles posted. This one will make 708. 

Now I am trying out the new computer on a maiden run. So far I like it a lot. I am staring at a 27 inch monitor. Everything is clear. The keyboard, which is taking a little getting used to, is clicking faster and faster as my fingers get adjusted to this new layout. 

On this maiden voyage, what is on my mind? What do I feel inspired to write? An arrow. I wanted to type an arrow key, but all it serves is as a space key. Picture an arrow. The point of this blog, and others is simple. They are arrows pointing people to God. Pointing people to Jesus. Pointing people to Bible truth. 

They are written with the hopes God might use them to challenge, inspire, comfort or encourage other people on their faith journey by pointing them constantly to God, Jesus and the Bible. I have no marketing department to increase frequenters. It is solely by word of mouth. 

On this maiden voyage, I wonder how many future articles will be written. I wonder who will read them. How God might use them to help others. I wonder if God will spread them around the world. I can't see any of that as I launch out on this new tool. All I see is a big blank white screen dotted with a few black letters as I type. 

Who out there needs hope? In recent days I have ministered to a person who fell and broke their hip. I prayed with a man battling Corona in the hospital also fighting double pneumonia. I prayed for another who fell in the shower today. I prayed for a man battling heart problems along with suffering with degenerative back issues making him contemplate early retirement. People are hurting and suffering. I offer the hope of God as a refuge and very present help in trouble. [Ps 46:1] 

How many feel like giving up. The challenges seem to tough and grade too steep to make it to the top. It is all so discouraging and overwhelming despair swoops down like a bird of prey. I offer [Ps 27:13-14] and [Gal 6:9]

How many are facing impossible situations. I point you to [Matt 19:26] and to [Mark 11:23-24]. 

How many are grieving? I point you to [Ps 34:18]. 

God is both our help and our hope. He is our strength. [Is 41:10]. He is our peace. {Phil 4:6-7]. He is our provider. [Phil 4:19]. 

On this maiden voyage, I ask you to share the link if you find these things helpful. If you have time could you manage a prayer that God would anoint and inspire me to keep writing arrows pointing others to Him. May He get all and any glory that ever come. 

Triumphant Faith

 I just closed the last page of the last chapter of a biography of one of my all time heroes of the faith. George Muller knew more about prayer and living by faith than I ever will. His trust in God to house, feed, and clothe over 10,000 orphans, without ever appealing to anyone for help, is inspiring. Muller triumphed in faith repeatedly. 

I sit here this afternoon taking it all in. All that Muller believed God for. All that God did in response to faith filled triumphant praying. The many hours of solitary petitioning God for help. The miracles abounded. What I love just as much, is the kingdom of God got expanded. He reported when he first came to his church at Bethesda in Bristol, there were only seven of them. At the end, God added 6,000, most through conversion. Hallelujah. 

It makes me shake my head. I have faith stories to tell. Most of them about ways God has provided for my family. Sadly, I do not have many triumphant faith stories to share about how God saved the lost, grew His church or expanded missions. 

Triumphant faith. A phrase the author used repeatedly in the book. No matter the size of the trial or the severity, Muller believed God and saw God triumph in response to faith. 

Muller showed tangible proof of his faith and the countless prayers he lifted to His Father. Orphan houses all built through praying for God's provision. Thousands of orphans rescued, introduced to Jesus and trained to become follower of Jesus and good citizens. He also made over a dozen preaching tours around the world at ages when most people retire. 

Muller is one of my all time heroes. Maybe my all time hero. It dawns on me as I write this, I pray to the same God he did. His call was much different than mine. Yet, we all can live in triumphant faith. Muller faced trials. Many of them. He faced financial crisis after financial crisis. He faced them all in triumphant faith. The same God who helped him can also help us.  I know it is possible for us to do the same triumphing in faith. 

I long for the day when the evidence of my faith will be much more than cars, furniture and other material blessings. I long for the day when there are souls saved, a church revived and in dynamic ways impacting the community and where other churches are planted. That would be triumphant faith for me. 

Let us pray on. May we press on. Let us be exhorted to persist on in triumphant faith. 

I Don't Want Anyone Telling Me What To Do

 I got to McGratton park early on a bitterly cold Monday night. I saw one guy skating alone. I bundled up in my coat and prayerfully approached him wondering how to break the ice in our conversation. I told him I needed his help. He immediately gave me his full attention. I explained who I was and that we were going to give away a skateboard in a few weeks at a Christmas gathering in the park. I asked for his help in what a good skateboard is, where to get one, and how much it would cost. 

He eagerly launched into a wealth of information. He is passionate about skating. Even on a bone chilling cold night. This opened the door for me to share Jesus with him. I will call this young man Don. That is not his real name. I asked Don what He thought about the after life. His answer surprised me. Don stated, "When you die, you go in the dirt and become fuel and energy for the trees and the grass." 

I asked what he thought about Heaven and Hell. He replied, "Those things just scare people. I like to think that I am right."

From that point, we talked about the gospel message. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  Don admitted that he had sinned. He seemed clued in. Patiently listening to an old stranger instead of skating. I could tell he really digested these spiritual truths. Then suddenly, it all changed. 

I talked to him about getting saved and making Jesus Lord of his life. I explained it like Jesus sitting in the driver's seat and Don sitting in the passenger  seat with Jesus directing his life. That is when he commented, "I don't want anyone telling me what to do." 

I tried to explain that Jesus loved him and only wanted what would be best for him. Don wanted no part of it. With that he politely excused himself  and started skating again. 

Another guy rode up on a bicycle. I will call him George. Again I struck up a conversation wit George that ended up in a gospel presentation. George has had a hard time. He got incarcerated in a state prison for a felony. He did not share what felony he committed. He just commented that he hung around the wrong people doing the wrong things and got caught. 

George hung around for over an hour. Allan and Connie bought pizza from little Caesars. David Floyd came for his first visit to the park Monday night as well. George looked pretty cold. I had a pair of gloves in my pocket and gave them to him for his ride home of several blocks. George talked with us until I could see Connie visibly shaking from the cold. The rest of tried to keep moving to fight off the cold but it did not work too well. The chill sunk into our bones. George only had on a thin sweat shirt. He kept saying he felt fine, but he did eventually slip on the gloves. 

George is confused. He grew up Catholic. Somewhere he got introduced to the Bible and reads it often. He tries to be good and not break the Ten Commandments. He understands sinners go to hell. George does not understand the sufficiency of Jesus' death on the cross. He thinks he will earn God's approval by doing good deeds. Helping others. Being a kind person. 

George is also out of work. He has an interview coming up. We asked if we could pray for him about that interview which he agreed to, and we prayed there. 

 We had two deacons and one of their wives at the park loving on skaters. None of knows anything about skating. A young couple played soccer on the field adjacent to the skate park. They were invited for pizza and came to eat. The wife spoke little English. The husband was more fluent, but I felt the language barrier hindered in a gospel witness. 

We have gone out to the park for a month now. Not once, have we seen the same people there twice. As the weather turns colder, the skaters are more scarce. I also wonder if word is getting out that a bunch of old people talking about Jesus keep showing up at the park on Monday nights. 

In a few weeks, we hope to hold a Christmas party of sorts when we will give away a free skateboard. All for a hook to get people there to hear about Jesus. I dream of a day when we our credibility will increase and they will trust us. I pray for the day when God will allow us to start a Bible study. I dream of the day when we will see our first skater saved. I doubt they will feel comfortable in coming to Spring Creek. I might baptize them in a horse trough at the park. I really do not know where this will lead. I only know God called us to go and show skaters that He loves them. 

The Trilogy

 I know many who read what I am about to write will find it hard to believe. It will be easily dismissed. What I write is true. I can prove it. You can see the tangible of proof. Having said that, I find it hard to believe myself. 

God completed the trilogy of our three year faith saga in trusting Him for three vehicles with no debt. I picked up the last one yesterday. A white Sonata. Three prayer requests. Three years. Three vehicles. Tucker commented last night, "Our drive way looks like a used car lot." I admit the addition of three vehicles has made parking a little more interesting. Turner finally got his own vehicle. He told Brenda last night, "I am so happy." God blessed. God saw our faith and responded with His faithfulness. Glory to God. 

God completed the trilogy. A white Tundra truck. A charcoal grey Yukon. A white Sonata. All without any debt. All glory to God. The proof is in my driveway. You can see them. You can put your hands on them. I drove each one of those vehicles home. It is a testament of a great God answering prayer in His timing. 

They are not brand new vehicles. Not one time did I ever ask God for brand new vehicles. Not because I don't believe that He could provide them just as easily as He provided the used ones. We did not need brand new vehicles. We are content with His provision. In each case, we had peace God provided and felt content in the vehicles He blessed us with. Everyone of those vehicles has over 150,000 miles on them. That does not cause us concern. We have driven older vehicles and racked up more than double that amount of miles in the past. God is capable of making vehicles last longer just as easily as He can provide new ones. 

With all that said, the trilogy is complete. God did it. Some doubted. Many skeptics surfaced. I sit here typing this to testify God did it. He did what many would say is impossible. He provided the money to purchase those vehicles in miraculous ways. He guided us to the right person selling the vehicles. The same guy for all three. He shut other doors but opened doors for these three vehicles wide. 

I will think of this trifecta of miracles as the trilogy. I do not have time to sit back resting on my laurels. There are other things to believe God for. Big things. Impossible things. Improbable things. There are mountains to see moved. There are other provisions to secure. More prayers of faith to offer. More testimonies to build. 

Seven years ago I sat down at the title company to sign the papers on the loan for our home in Runaway Bay. The lady showed us the payment schedule and said, "Your house will be paid off on...," and she named the date. I replied, "No. God will pay it off sooner." Since that day I have regularly asked God to pay this house off completely debt free. Why?

Brenda and I have a dream to be totally debt free so we can leverage more of our money in building the Kingdom of God. We want to be financially free to give more, not hoard more. Free to bless others as God has used many people to bless us over the years. Free to share our resources with those in need as people have done for us. 

The trilogy is finished. It proved to be the greatest faith challenge of my journey. I see even bigger ones ahead. I have already made requests for these. The stage is set for God to get more glory. While I rejoice in the trilogy, there is much more to believe God to do. 

Let me conclude with this, God is not finished yet. In days to come, I will have many more things to brag on God for doing. Skeptics will still surface. Doubters will still doubt. God will silence them all again just like He did with the trilogy. At the end of my life as people attend a memorial service, I have one hope. That people will say, "That is what God can do through and for a man who has faith that nothing is impossible with God."  TO GOD BE THE GLORY. What He has done for my family, He can also do for any of you. Never stop believing. Mark 11:23-24. John 14:14.

Here We Go Again

 Yesterday I wrote about seasons of bountiful blessings. I commented that I knew from experiences that such seasons do not last. Trials test our faith. I enjoyed the season of bountiful blessings. I had no idea how quickly it would end. I mean end abruptly. 

I received some mail yesterday that brought ominous news. Just like that we are put in another situation to trust God and put our faith forward. I felt blindsided. Good thing I had already prepared for such a challenge. At first, I despaired. Then, I took up the shield of faith and prayed for God's intervention. 

The stage is set. Everything is in place for God to step in and do some God sized stuff for which He alone will get the glory. This is the nature of faith walking. If you want a greater faith, then you have to be willing to embrace greater faith challenges. 

In the past, I would have looked at the current trial in a negative light. Now I see it as an opportunity for God to do something amazing. I see it as one more opportunity to brag on Him. I see it as another chance for God to demonstrate His power and to encourage hundreds and possibly thousands to keep praying because He answers!

Our bountiful blessing season, which I in no way believe is completely over, lasted less than a week. Five days to be exact. I am at peace. It is truly well with my soul. I anticipate the next great move of God on behalf of the Edwards family. It will come any day now. I approach my each new day in faith and everyday anticipate what He will do. Here we go again. May God get all the glory for what He is about to do.