The Same God

 I don't know what you are facing in life. I am unaware of all your challenges, sorrows and private battles. Maybe you have had better days, better weeks, better months, and better years. 

Reflection can be a wonderful tool. While praying this morning, I reflected on times when I felt closer to God, seasons when my prayers seemed more fruitful, Sundays when I felt more of God's hand on me when preaching, times when His provision was more abundant, the trials less, and days when I felt better. Then it dawned on me. He is still the same God. 

He is the same God who spoke creation into existence. No big fuss. No huge construction project. Just a spoken word. He is the God who gave his servants Abram and Sarai a miracle baby boy in fulfillment of a promise. He is the same God who called Moses from a burning bush. The same God who sent 10 devastating plagues over Egypt because He willed His people be free from bondage after four centuries. He is the same God who split the Red Sea so Israel could walk across on dry land. The same God who provided water to drink and manna to eat in the desert. He is the same God who spoke to Moses and passed His glory by while He hid Moses in the cleft of the rock. He is the same God who stopped up the waters of the Jordan River at flood stage so His people could step into the promise land. He is the same God who drove out pagan inhabitants. He is the same God who spoke through prophets like Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Hosea, Malachi and many more. He is the same God that conceived the Messiah in a teenaged virgin and brought forth His Son through her to planet Earth. He is the same God who worked through His Son to heal, to deliver demon possessed people, and to provide for thousands will little more than table scraps. He is the same God who brought Jesus from the dead and soon after sent the promise of the Holy Spirit. He is the same God who transformed cowards into courageous warriors at Pentecost. He is the same God who worked to establish His church. He is the same God who saved souls in the book of Acts. He is the same God who heard and answered prayers. He is the same God who has been doing that ever since. He is the same God working around the world everyday. He is the same God redeeming people. He is the same God lifting burdens, offering comfort in sorrows, inspiring visions to be pursued, and the same God who will soon rapture His church and return putting the devil in his fiery prison forever. 

He has not changed one itoa. He is the same today as in the past. How easily we forget that in the midst of trials and sorrows. We  pray but do we pray with the confidence that He is the same God. He can still do anything He chooses. No purpose of His can be thwarted. Nobody can stop Him. He is omnipotent. How easy to go through the motions of offering religious words to God and Jesus we do not believe. We are so used to our prayers not being answered that we wish more than we believe. 

Today I am challenging all of us to pray with belief. To pray with fervency. To pray with the mentality that we are talking to the same God who has worked through history. When it pleases Him the most, when it gives Him to optimum amount of glory, when nobody can take credit for His work, He will answer. He is still the same God. 

A Massive Read

 I received the large volume two years ago this Christmas. It was a large book of 814 pages. Truth be told, it is comprised of seven books into one. It contained lessons from the lives of some of my favorite servants of God in history. A kind of hall of faith. The book started out as biographical talks John Piper delivered annually at Bethlehem Conference for Pastors. I used to listen to those talks on tape when I was in full time evangelism. Then he turned those talks into a series of books titled The Swans Are Not Silent. 

I started reading with enthusiasm.in the parking lot of the bookstore when I first got the book. It is not uncommon for me to go to a bookstore and make my selections and then find a chair to sit and start reading right in the store.  814 pages is by far the largest book I had ever undertaken to read through. It proved a daunting task. I would read and then set it down for something smaller. It is not uncommon for me to read several books at one time going from to another as the moods change. After about 18 months I only reached the half way point of that massive read. 

I admit my time does not allow for a great deal of leisure reading. Coming down with the flu changed that. I ventured to the office yesterday for the first time in nearly a week. I sat in here with cold chills. I pulled a blanket out of the closet to cover myself and then I fell asleep. I could not concentrate. I left after a couple of hours not having accomplished anything. 

During this illness my mind and thoughts turned back to that large book sitting on the table next to my recliner. That is where I have spent most of my time in recent days. I determined to make the most of the down time and I picked the book up again and started reading assiduously. Page after page. With pen in hand I underlined sentence after sentence of golden nuggets of truth. Some of it was hard to understand as the author swam in deep waters far above my head. Some chapters were timely. 

I saw the end in sight yesterday and determined I was going to finish it. I stayed up later than I have in a long time. Finally, after nearly two years I turned to the last page. Page 814. I confess I don't remember about what was on that page because I was so excited to get to the end. I could mark it off my to do list. 

There is hardly a day that goes by that I do not feel guilty about not reading more or writing more. I have good intentions. By the end of the day I often fall asleep in my chair. That is when I usually turn into bed around 9:00 p.m. I, like so many other people, start reading many books. I just don't always finish all of them. I used to. I proudly made myself finish whatever book I started. No matter how boring. I have since adopted a different attitude. Life is too short to read a boring book. I want to read books that God speaks to me through and teaches me. EVERY BOOK IS NOT WORTH READING! I will say it again. Life is too short to read boring books. 

I have a library of thousands of books. Many of which I have never cracked open. Gifts from retired pastors and purchases made I just had to have but now sit unopened and unread on shelves. I even more books stacked in boxes in another room in the church. So much knowledge and wisdom right at my finger tips if I would just make the time and put forth the effort. I want to read more. I need to read more. It's one way God nourishes my soul. Through books. I love them. 

One of the things I have rediscovered during this season is my love and need of reading. As I wrap this up I am reminded of another old book I started and then set aside and it is now covered under a stack of other books. I must dig that book back up and commit to finishing it. It is important for my soul. It is important for the Spring Creek flock to have a pastor who is constantly being refreshed. 

Please do not take any of this the wrong way. None of this reading can ever substitute for reading the Bible. That is my most important read. That is the real source of inspiration and spiritual refreshing. No other book compares to the Bible. I am a devoted reader of the Bible. Any other reading must take place after diligent reflection, study, and insidious inquiry of the holy word of God. Once that is done, then there is time for other reading. Theology books, prophetic books, leadership books, biographical, autobiographical, devotional, and from time to time even a novel. 

I thank God for the Bible most of all. No other book has done more for my soul. I also thank God for books. Through reading I can be whisked away hundreds of years into history and read tales and truths that make me lose touch with my current circumstances. Well enough writing. It is time to dig up that old book and plow into it again. I hope you will carve out time in your busy schedule like a slice of turkey on Thanksgiving for a little time to read. Maybe it will only be 15 or 30 minutes. Surely there are things we could all learn if we just made a little time to read. Even the massive reads. 

Lessons From the Flu

 I started coughing last Friday morning. I officiated at a graveside service around 10:00 a.m. . The weather changed that morning with a cold front dropping temperatures 40 degrees. It also rained. 

The longer the day lingered the worse I felt. I preferred to remain in bed on Saturday morning, but it was senior day at Wayland for Tucker. I was there for his first game and there was no way I was going to miss his last game. 

Normally I drive to and from Plainview. I could not on Saturday. Brenda had to do most of the driving. I questioned what I should do about Sunday. Should I try and preach or get someone else. I felt even worse on Sunday morning and got people to fill in for my responsibilities. I hated missing. 

It is now Tuesday. I willed myself to come to the office. I am not still not whole. At one point I wrapped myself in a blanket and just sat here with my eyes closed. The flu is not enjoyable. There are lessons I am learning from this bout of sickness. Let me share them with you. 

1. The flu reminds me I depend on God for everything. For my next breaths. For my health. For provision. For strength to labor for Him. It is easy to take all of that for granted when healthy. To just wake up without a thankful heart for the gift of the day and for His revelation. Getting sick forces me to not take those things for granted. 

2. The flu is teaching me to be patient. I don't have time to be sick in my estimation but God had other plans. Not feeling well has forced me to slow down and rest. It has forced me to recall that many times healing is a process with God more than an instantaneous event. Either way I am waiting on Him. I ma learning to perseverance through the process of healing. It's taking longer than I like. 

3. The flu is teaching me to empathize with others who are sick and suffering. I can identify with how they feel and how disconnected they can feel from others. I have not felt well in several days. There are others who have not felt well in decades and they still love and seek God. Their examples inspire me. I have no excuses. My heart hurts more for those who hurt. 

4. The flu is teaching me how much the Spring Creek Flock loves me. Several have called, texted, and sent cards to encourage me. Those things are very meaningful. 

5. The flu is a test. A test for God to prove what is really true about my character. It is my intention to pass this test. Many say adversity builds character. I heard a coach say that adversity also reveals character. What do I really believe about God when things are not going my way. I believe He is faithful and will eventually bring me through this test like He has for many years. Through Jesus I'm resolved to pass this test. 

I am sure if I thought long enough I could come up with several others. This will suffice to get the point across. God can use adversity to teach us valuable spiritual lessons. What might He be teaching you today through your own adversity? May we all learn our lessons well and pass the test. 

Supreme Authority

 Who is the supreme authority over your life? Who reigns? Who has the most influence? Who sits on the throne. King David left no doubts when he penned Psalm 63. Read it for yourself. 

Psalm 63:1 (NASB)
¹O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

David wrote that, "God, You are my God." To put that another way, David could have said God You are my boss, master, and supreme authority. 

As I write, this I am sitting in a classroom of freshmen taking a test. Even though we are at a Christian school, I am not confident every student in this Bible class can testify that God is their God, or their supreme authority. They have learned about Him at home, church, and school. They have studied. They are not all convinced that God and Jesus are worth following and yielding allegiance to yet. That does not mean that they serve Him. They may ace Bible class tests and yet fail in having a personal relationship with Him. 

These students and many adults have several other supreme authorities in their lives. Social media and what people think. Sports. Making money. Political activism. Keeping religious rules. All of these are poor substitutes for a life surrendered to God. 

God has earned the right to reign supreme. He answers to no one. He does not play second fiddle. He never is in the supporting cast. He is not a servant but the One who is served. He does not submit to anyone. He rules and reigns forever. 

Not only was God David's supreme authority but God was also the object of His relentless pursuit. David's life was focused like a laser locked on a target. God was David's aim. He pursued God passionately and purposely. We are challenged to do the same. To assiduously frequent the prayer closet to draw nearer to Him. To rest before Him in quiet reflection. 

God desires submission and seeking. There is more of God to know. More of Him to experience. More of Him to discover. We must continue the chase. To never give up the pursuit. May we devote ourselves to surrendering to His supreme authority and seeking to know Him better than we ever have before. He desires and demands nothing less. 

Enjoy

 God's alarm got me up earlier than usual. I slid out of bed and into a sweatshirt before making my way to the living room. I turned on the lamp, picked up my glasses and Bible and settled in for some early morning reading. It was then that I read again part of the story of Job. Very inspiring. Very humbling and convicting. 

When it came time to pray, I wanted to be still. Not to rush. I did not want to ask God for anything but to just sit before Him. To slow down and not hurry through a devotion. Sometimes it feels like we are always in a hurry. Rushing around in endless activity. When that happens communion with God is often lost. 

I am not saying we do not do devotions. I am suggesting that often those devotions are so hurried that we do not sit before the Lord long enough to enjoy Him. We start conversations that are short and one sided. 

Brenda and I are fast approaching the empty nest. Three of our sons are off at school. One still lives at home but will be moving out this March. I love it when they all come home. No matter how late I enjoy sitting in the living room watching a ball game or movie. I take the time to enjoy them more that they are growing up and moving on with their lives. 

God wants to be enjoyed. To be experienced, enjoyed, and encountered. We come to Him with our wish lists. We need to take time to enjoy Him. To savor Him. To relish in Him. To delight in Him. This goes much beyond a quick devotional reading. It requires a slower pace of life. It requires a little more time. It requires some intentionality on our part and a willingness to linger. May we enjoy Him today.

Challenge Accepted

 My sons and I often push each other in workouts with the little phrase, "Challenge accepted." What we mean is no matter how difficult, demanding, or downright unpleasant the task is we embrace it. We do not shy away from it. We refuse to back down. We man up and overcome. 

Take that same mentality into life. We face numerous challenges. People around us face difficulties. Just this week I have dealt with numerous people who had surgeries, people facing impossible odds, heartaches, those facing financial setbacks, heavy ladened people, and those worn down by the trials of life. 

Whatever challenges are thrown at us we have a choice. We can embrace the challenge, pray, trudge, work, claim scripture, persevere, and eventually overcome or we can whine, doubt, curl up in the fetal position, quit and be overcome. The choice is ours. I am sad to admit many times I have chosen the latter attitude. 

I find strength and inspiration in Jesus. 

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NASB)
¹  Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus and contemplate the way He embraced the challenge of the cross, it will help us not grow weary and lose heart. To not lose courage. To not give up and quit. 

Jesus joyfully accepted the challenge of the cross. Not just the physical suffering. The spiritual and emotional torment of taking the sin of the world on Himself and the Father turning away in that crucial moment. Jesus endured. He stayed the redemptive course until He finished the work God gave Him to do. He found joy in obedience to the Father's will and completion of the assignment. Can we not do the same with divine help. 

If Jesus joyfully accepted the challenge of the cross and all the suffering that went along with that, why should we think we would live a trouble-free challenge free life. Challenges are part of the human existence. We can embrace them, overcome them, learn from them, and be strengthened by them, or we can try to avoid them, be defeated by them, overwhelmed by them, and resent them. Either way we are still going to face challenges. 

Jesus' example should help all of us to press on and press through trials. To overcome. To persevere. To champion our challenges through Jesus who strengthens us. Sometimes you have to get your mind right to endure hard times. Winning the battle of the mind is halfway to victory. May we not shun the challenges God intends for us, but rather accept them and learn from them. 

Follow Fully

 We change as we age. We become more cautious. Less willing to take risks. Our bodies become more frail. We tend to shy away from challenges we once embraced without giving it a second thought. Life settles into monotonous routines rather than thrilling adventures. We may follow God to a safe extent. Can we say we fully follow God in our old age. 

I can tell you about one fellow who did. He was a brave soul in his youth. He was drawn to adventure and following God in faith no matter the odds. This often made him unpopular with those around him. While they contemplated calculated risks with little chance of failure, he threw caution to the wind and simply fully followed wherever God directed him to do. No matter the impossibilities. It did not sit well with the cautious and cowardly. 

Years passed. In his twilight years, 85 to be exact, his vigor for adventure did not diminish one iota. He was not one to sit around in a rocking chair stuck in safe risk free routine. This guy still thought he could do the same things he did four decades earlier. Instead of looking to take it easy, he volunteered for challenging risky assignments younger men avoided. You may have heard of him. 

His name was Caleb. He and Joshua were the only two spies who challenged Israel to obey God in possessing the promised land. They got outvoted. Caleb had to suffer the consequences of living the boring life of wandering in a desert when he longed to be possessing the land. He had a different spirit about him. 

When Israel finally crossed the Jordan to start possessing the land Caleb had a request of Joshua who was dividing out portions of the land. He wanted to go to war to take the hill country. He said of himself, "I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me, as my strength was then so is my strength is now for war." [Joshua 14:11] War is a young man's challenge. Remember. Caleb had a different spirit about him. He did not give into old age the theory of retirement. He wanted a challenge. He needed a challenge. He still desired to go to war to possess what God had promised. He wanted the hill country. With fortified cities.

Any military person can tell you the most strategic position to defend any place is the high ground. It is a more difficult position to overtake. That is exactly the challenge Caleb asked for. 

That inspires me. I do not want to take it easy as I grow old. I want to embrace the challenges God puts before me. I want to give more of myself to following Him fully into the greatest adventures of my life no matter what my age. I want to believe God for more at 55 than I did when I was 25.

Here is the rub. Caleb did not even know if he would be successful. Listen to what he said, "perhaps the LORD will be with me and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken." [Joshua 14:12] Perhaps. Perhaps God would help him and he would succeed. Perhaps God would allow him to fail and die in the quest. It was a land of giants and fortified cities. That did not deter Caleb. He wanted a challenge. He believed God could defy any challenge to the point of willingly risking his life. 

I don't see that attitude everywhere. People work hard into their retirement years and then want to coast into eternity. They work, scrimp, and save so they can take it easy. Travel, play, rest and enjoy the fruit of the years of their labor. Caleb did not adopt that attitude. He wanted to live and experience God. He needed a challenge. 

How many people retire and spend the rest of their lives in boredom because they do not have a challenge, a calling, nor a purpose. My conviction is that we retire to become full time available to God. I have seen this. I met a couple who are using their retirement years to do full time missions work on their own dime in Honduras. I've met men who travel the world to do disaster relief in their old age. I've also met men who travel the United States to help churches build new facilities. Their work is hard day after day, they live in RVs, eat pot luck meals, are away from their grandkids and kids, and yet love what they do. 

Don't you want to make the last years of your life count for the Lord? I know some are not capable of doing all they want to do because of failing health. For those of us who can, will we not fully follow God by faith into great adventures right to the very end of our days. That is my desire. To fully follow until God calls me home or my health no longer allows me to do so. I heard a man tell me numerous times, "I want to die with my face in the dirt and not my head on a pillow." I think Caleb had that attitude to fully follow with his face in the dirt on a battlefield rather than playing it safe. I thank God for Caleb and pray He would raise more Caleb's today to follow fully in great Kingdom adventures for the glory of God. 

A Time to Embrace

 Most people see me more as a Grizzly bear than a Teddy bear. Rought and rugged. Hard and harsh. Bull dogged determined. Fiercely competitive. Getting close to me for a hug may feel more like hugging a porcupine than a cuddly stuffed animal. 

People think they know me. They know the tough hard-nosed persona. What few people really don't know is the soft and tenderhearted part of me. The man who can be moved to tears especially when it relates to a husband and his wife and a father and his children. I love deeply. So deeply I often feel the pain of others. 

I am not known for being a hugger. Many times, I instinctively put my hand out to shake rather than open my arms to embrace. I hug Brenda. Even though our sons are grown I still hug them. There are few others. 

In Eccl 3:5 we read there is a time to embrace. To put that another way, there are appointed seasons when hugs are appropriate and needed. Like with a parent and child. Hugging children as infants actually enhances their cognitive, emotional, and physical development. As I write this I am looking back through a plethora of memories from my childhood. I cannot recall one clear memory when Mama hugged me. I am not saying she didn't do it. I just cannot remember any instances. Nor can I remember my maternal grandparents, who we lived with for most of my upbringing, ever hugging me. That is not something I have ever noticed before. I did not grow up in touchy feely family. 

To open your arms and let people come close to your heart can be hard for some people. Especially if those people have experienced rejection, abuse, and neglect. It can be hard for such people to open their arms wide welcoming people to get physically and emotionally close. That is just one side of hugging. 

There is another perspective. When you hug someone, it communicates love. Hugs can also comfort people in times of stress and fear. Like a child being held tight by a parent in a thunderstorm. Only adults live through different kinds of storms. They need to be comforted too from time to time. 

I am thinking of a song by Dennis Jernigan. Part of the lyrics of that song sung to God are, "When I cannot feel. When my wounds don't heal. Lord I humbly kneel hidden in You. If I could just sit with you awhile. If you could just hold me. Nothing can touch me, though I'm wounded and have died. I'd need you to hold me moment by moment until forever passes by."

Sometimes we need God to hold us. To give us a hug through His word, moving music or a powerful message through a teacher or preacher. God gives hugs to those who are distraught, depressed, and down and out. Sometimes He does that through other people. Such hugs communicate the compassion and love of God through the arms of one of His followers. 

There are times for hugs. Keep your eyes open and your heart sensitive to the next opportunity God puts before you to be his arms and heart for a hurting soul, an abused child, or someone the rest of society overlooks. One little gesture as simple as a hug could make a world of difference. 

Memorial Stones

 Last year a friend came to visit Brenda and I. Julie is a follower of Jesus. Devout. A serious Bible student. Our families shared many happy memories in the years we served together. She came bearing gifts. She handed me a box. The contents were heavy. I had no idea what it could be. 

I found several round stones inside with a base stone that had a rod attached. All the stones stack on top of one another. They are memorial stones. She included a picture of the back porch where they used to live. She did not have to explain anything else. I knew the significance of the gift. It is one I treasure. Several years ago, I had a profound encounter with God on her and her husband Mike's back porch. I would say it is the most significant God encounter I have ever had. I am not exaggerating when I say that moment with God on that back porch changed my life and ministry. The stones were memorial stones to remind me of that encounter. 

Those stones are sitting on the old pulpit from the old sanctuary that no longer exists in my office. The pulpit reminds me of the faithful pastors who preached before me. I am to continue in their example. The memorial stones remind me of that God encounter on that back porch. I never want to forget that God encounter. Nor do I want to be satisfied with it. I want to hunger for fresh God encounters all the days of my life. 

When you think about significant God encounters that changed the trajectory of your life, where did it occur? Have you ever considered setting up memorial stones to remind you and others. The memorial stones are meant to be conversation starters. When people ask about the meaning, you can relate stories of your God encounter. 

This is exactly what happened after Israel crossed the Jordan River. While the priests were still standing in the middle of the river God commanded Joshua to have 12 men take 12 stones from the bottom of the river to place on the other side. The stones were memorial stones so that the testimony of God could be remembered and recounted. 

Joshua 4:1-7 (NASB)
¹  Now when all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying,
²  "Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from each tribe,
³  and command them, saying, 'Take up for yourselves twelve stones from here out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet are standing firm, and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight.'"
⁴  So Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel, one man from each tribe;
⁵  and Joshua said to them, "Cross again to the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan, and each of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel.
⁶  "Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?'
⁷  then you shall say to them, 'Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.' So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever."

If I were setting up memorial stones, I would have set one up at Abe Martin Football Stadium in Lufkin, TX where I met Jesus as my Savior. I would set one up near the old sanctuary at Denman Avenue Baptist Church where I was baptized. I would set one up at Piney Woods Baptist Encampment in Woodlake, TX where God called and I surrendered to preach. I would set one up at Howard Payne University where I met Brenda and other important people in my life. I would set one up at FBC Hurst, TX where Brenda and I were married. There are many others. I would set some up at Rochelle Baptist Church where I got ordained. I would set some up at FBC Seminole were we saw God move powerfully in a 23-day revival. Now I would set some up for Spring Creek Baptist Church where I humbly get to serve God and these people. So many memories. 

I don't know why we do not take more time for people to share testimonies about God encounters. I think they inspire others to press on in the midst of difficulty. Testimonies are like memorial stones where we remember and recount the many ways God has worked in our lives. In some ways the Bible is just one long record of testimonies of people who encountered God. 

Let me encourage you to find your own memorial stones. To let them be a conversation starter for you to testify. In this way we can continually pass on the legacy of our faith to the next generations. 

How Instead of Who

 When it comes to walking by faith, many get bogged down with asking how impossible things can happen. How can a couple with a young children die to the American dream to take Jesus into a dangerous Muslim country? How can the money be raised for something God is calling to happen? How can the gospel penetrate the dark corners of communities? How can churches minister more effectively outside the walls of the buildings? The logistical how questions are at times not easily answered. 

Serving God is not like running a business. While some churches operate on business principles, walking by faith flies in the face of business principles. While corporate minds ask the logistical questions of how, faith walkers focus on who. Who called them? Who wills certain things to be done? Who has the power to do the impossible? Who is faithful to complete what He wants done. 

Which kind of person are you? Are you a how person? I am not suggesting they are not needed. Dreamers need how people to put the vision together and nail down the details. Brenda is one of those people in my life. I dream and she plans the how. She knows the who that calls me to those dreams. 

Please do not let the how questions keep you from obeying the who. Our God is trustworthy. There are so many things that He wants to accomplish. So many dark corners of our communities that He wants to penetrate with His marvelous light. There are so many kingdom tasks He dreams and calls people to believe Him for. Do not let the unanswered questions of how keep you from obeying Him WHO calls you. The who is greater than our how. 

Does God will it be done? Did He initiate it? Has He called you to join Him? Will it glorify Him? Is His power limited? Are His resources in shorty supply? Can He do whatever He wants through whomever He wants whenever He wants and wherever He wants? Yes, and a thousand times yes.  Trust Him and obey Him. The He WHO calls us to follow Him is greater than all our HOW questions and doubts that He can get the job done. 

Stand in the Jordan

 God calls His people to live by faith. That necessitates some faith steps from time to time. That is something Brenda and I know about. We have repeatedly felt called to take faith steps that did not make sense to onlookers our whole marriage. We have stood on the edge of reality and taken steps of faith into the unknown repeatedly. Those steps have been both frightening and exhilarating. 

In the third chapter of Joshua God called His people to take such a faith step. He called them to go in and possess the long-anticipated promised land. In order to do this, they had to cross the Jordan River. About a million people had to forge the 100 feet wide Jordan River that ranges from three to ten feet deep. 

The promise from God was that He would stop the flow of the water and heap them in a wall so Israel could cross on dry ground. Few of these people had lived to see the miracle of the Red Sea. They heard about it but had not experienced God in such a powerful way themselves. 

I think that describes many followers of Jesus. People grow up in church and hear the Bible stories from VBS, to small groups, to Sunday sermons. Intellectually they know all about God. How many have experienced His mighty power personally? How many have stepped out in obedience when it looked irrational and illogical? Like stepping into a 100-foot-wide river with family, possessions, and livestock. It did not make sense. Especially if you were one of the priests carrying the ark. They were to be the first ones to step. For those who were at the back of the million people mob they had a safety net. They could watch safely from the shore to see what happened to those who stepped out first. 

God does not want us to watch safely from the shore all of our days. He wants us to step into the miraculous. To be a part of His story. To behold His faithfulness. To encounter Him in ways we have never done before. To do that we have to be willing to step into the Jordan when He calls us to do so. 

That first step might be scary. It can be a little intimidating. Fears rise tempting us to stand safely on the shore. God prompts us to stand in the Jordan. To step from the shore into the water. Do we really believe God is faithful to do what He promises. We may say we do intellectually but experientially our actions indicate we do not believe. 

Maybe that is part of the reason why we live in a day of miracle famine. God's people do not trust Him enough to step into the Jordan. 

I refuse to live the rest of my life that way. Over and over again in scripture I read about God calling people to risky adventures. Impossible situations. Improbable causes. When people trusted and obeyed God a miracle happened. Please do not miss this. The miracles happened on the backside of faith steps of obedience not before. 

For three decades Brenda and I have committed ourselves to following God and leaping in faith when He called us to do so. We have testimonies that some find hard to believe. I assure you the stories are true. The testimonies are real. Enough to fill pages of books and hundreds of blogs. Almost every time we had to take a faith step and obediently stand in the Jordan before we saw the faithfulness of God. 

I faced another such step yesterday. God presented an opportunity to me. An opportunity that would stretch me physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. In an already jam-packed schedule, God nudged me to add something else. Another time of teaching the Bible. This time off campus to broken and needy people. I already teach 4 times a week. That means studying for four different messages. To add a fifth teaching each week is not something I took lightly. I was a little hesitant. Reluctant to overcommit myself. God nudged me to step and stand in the Jordan.

My flesh wanted to remain safely on the shore. To watch from the sidelines while other movers and shakers in the kingdom of God did the work and saw the power of God. I prayed and solicited others to pray with me about this opportunity. I set up a meeting with a key leader. It became clearly obvious that God was in it. I could not sit on the shore. I had to step into the Jordan. 

Starting on October 16th, on Sunday afternoon, I will begin teaching the Bible in a substance abuse detox center. I will also recruit a team who are willing to go with me to love on these clients. Clients from all over the nation. Broken people with messy lives. Just the kind of people Jesus loves to transform. Attendance will be strictly voluntary. People from all faiths, socio-economic backgrounds check in this place. Many of them do know the Savior. Many probably seldom darken the door of a house of worship. Jesus is calling me to take Him to them. The word I keep thinking about is REDEMPTION. God wants to redeem people and send them back home transformed and as missionaries. He is calling me to step into the Jordan like the priests carrying the ark. I may go alone in the beginning. 

For weeks I have been asking God to show me what He wanted me to do. Where I was to minister outside the walls of the church. Like some are doing at McGratton Park with skaters every Monday night. God heard and laid this in my lap. I did not go looking for it. He brought it to me. Once again God used His faithful servant Connie Wright to make it happen. That is her story to tell. 

So yesterday in my meeting with the key leader, I committed to step into the Jordan. That will mean teaching and preaching four times every Sunday. Only God can strengthen me. This is not a short time commitment. It is a long-term commitment. Consistency is critical. I trust God will call other people to come along beside me in the Jordan. It is exciting and sobering. 

Exciting because it is another opportunity to see God do something miraculous. Sobering because I know that I do not have the power to change anyone's life. Only Jesus can do that. 

So, I step and stand in the Jordan. There is no turning back. Just like the priests stepping in faith from the shore into the Jordan, they did not see the waters stop flowing and heap in a wall until they fully committed to take that faith step. Here I go again. A step of faith to stand in the Jordan. Is God calling any of you to step and stand with me?

A Pastor's Heart

 Bible study was interesting last night. Lively with discussion. We have been wading through Proverbs verse by verse and chapter by chapter. The topic last night lent itself to everyone paying attention and participating. 

We ended our time by praying for people in the congregation with great needs. Our hearts interceded for the burdened and suffering. It was when I offered the closing prayer that a swell of emotion surged in my heart. Something I could not keep down. Something that had to be expressed. 

I have served Spring Creek as pastor for a little over three years. It has gone by so quickly. So many memories. So many new people. So many others getting older and aging. It is a lot to take in. I never saw Spring Creek as a steppingstone to bigger and better things. 

My relationship with Spring Creek started at a youth camp in Brownwood, TX in 1990. I only brought one student to camp that year from Rochelled Baptist Church. Spring Creek had about a dozen. For some reason the Spring Creek youth minister was seldom around the camp that week. In a divinely orchestrated move of God, I met those students and connected with them. 

Fast forward about eight months. That youth minister invited me to come out to Spring Creek to preach to those students. It was a great reunion. When the service ended, he walked outside to my car with me and then told me he would soon be resigning and moving to another ministry after graduating from seminary. He encouraged me to submit my resume for the job. I did. God called me to Spring Creek just two months before Brenda and I were married. We fell deeply in love with the Spring Creek people. We saw a great move of God as He saved students and added families to the church. 

Our ministry only lasted two years before we left. I am not exaggerating when I say that we might have left Spring Creek, but Spring Creek did not leave us. We remained in touch with a few of the folks for some time. Periodically I would hear about the church needing a new pastor. My interest was always peaked but the timing did not seem right. 

When the former pastor left back in 2019, I heard about it since he is a dear friend of mine. I wanted to be the next pastor. I could not bring myself to submit a resume. I felt I knew too many people in the church, and I did not want to try to manipulate anything happening. I reasoned that if God wanted me there then He would have to do all the work to get me there and I would keep my hands out of it. God worked despite my lack of involvement. The former pastor submitted my resume there without my knowledge. 

When the search committee contacted me, my heart leapt for joy. Then it sunk when I learned that they had over 100 resumes submitted to them. Time passed. They asked for an interview. When Brenda and I walked back through those glass doors a flood of memories washed over our minds. It felt like we belonged there. That search committee asked some of challenging questions. I could have stayed there all night answering those questions. I was saddened when our time ended. Then we waited. 

God moved on them in the following days, and they invited us to come in view of a call to be voted on to be their next pastor. When we walked in the sanctuary that day, I had a rush of emotions. The smell of the sanctuary took me back 30 years. I felt at home. Like we belonged there. The same wooden pulpit remained. The carpet and pew padding were different colors. Everything else was just like I remembered three decades previously. 

They called us. Three years have passed since then. I sat in a room with some of our most faithful attenders last night with a tide of emotion swelling inside. I love these people. I had to tell them. I had to tell them how proud I am of them. They are a generous, hardworking, servant minded, friendly, and loving people. I am humbled, honored, and blessed beyond measure to be their pastor. Our hearts are bonded. It feels like Brenda and I have wed our hearts to this congregation and they have wedded their hearts to us. 

I hurt when they hurt. I grieve when they grieve. I rejoice when they rejoice. I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the greatest people on the face of the earth. Spring Creek is a great church. I am average at best. They could do much better, but I am so grateful God chose us to be here and they love us. They support us. They serve us in multiple ways. 

The roots in our hearts go down deep in the Spring Creek church and community. We do not want to serve anywhere else. We will always be grateful for wonder people in past churches we have served. Those people are dear and precious to us. Now God has planted us here. This pastor is contented beyond measure to be here and prayerfully remain here. 

These people hunger for God's word. They do not want fluff. They want the meat of the word. Like a chef preparing a meal, I sit before the Lord in study to prepare spiritual food to nourish their souls. It's a joy to spend time with them. It is a privilege to have them share their pain with us so we can minister hope. For some we walk the pilgrimage of new life and watching children grow. For others we walk the sad path of suffering as they near the end. It is my desire to walk that path with them to the end. 

God has allowed His lines to fall for Brenda and I in pleasant places. We came to Spring Creek being newlyweds trying to navigate student ministry, school, and work three decades ago. Little did we know that God would bring us back. We came back with four grown sons and seasoned hearts of past pastoral experience. To serve Spring Creek a second time is a blessing for which we cannot give God enough praise. Spring Creek, we love you. We thank God for you. We are proud of you and the labors of love you offer. Our hearts are intertwined with your hearts. Thank you for loving, supporting, and accepting us. 

 1 Peter 5:2-3 (NASB)

²  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
³  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 

Running Out of Time

 I live with the constant frustration that I cannot accomplish all I want to on any given day. There is not a night that my head hits the pillow that I do not think of things I left undone. No matter how early I get up, how disciplined I am to redeem the time, how diligently I work, or how I try to work from home after hours I cannot cram everything into a day, week, and month that I hope to do. It is a never-ending cycle. 

I have hundreds of books that I want to read in my library and have not. I read as often as I can. I cannot read fast enough to get them all read. Mainly I read early in the morning and at night. I am in the middle of four different books right now. I realize that I am running out of time. 

I've lived more life than I have yet to live. This is a sobering thought. Sometimes I go week and months without writing something. I feel like I should write something every day. Some days I just run out of time or energy. This weighs heavily on me. There are many other blogs to write and books to author. I am running out of time to get those things into print. 

There are prayers to pray. Prayers to seek God. Intercessions on behalf of others. Burdens to unload. Mountains to move. Healings to believe for. 

There are sermons to prepare. Studies to put together. Administrative tasks to complete. Visits to make. 

All of that and I am running out of time. Don't get me wrong. I do not foresee my impending demise anytime soon. At 55 I do realize that my allotment of days is limited. It makes me more strategic about how I invest my time. I cannot do everything. Not even everything I want to do. I can do everything God calls me and wills me to do. 

Life seems so busy. Busier than I remember as a child. It seemed we lived at a slower pace back then. Now we are always on the go. Things to do. Places to be. Deadlines to meet. 

Jesus did not live so frantically. He did EVERYTHING His Father called Him to do. He healed. He taught. He loved. He embraced. He comforted. He rebuked. He worked. He prayed. All of this and His earthly time was limited. He only had 33 years on this planet to accomplish all that the Father called Him to do. I do not read where Jesus ever seemed to get in a hurry. People pressed in to see Him and hear Him teach. They crowded around Him to see or receive a miracle. All of that and He never was frazzled, burned out, or in a rush. 

He was and is God. He also walked the dusty roads of this world as a man. He got tired. We read about Him napping in a boat when a storm arose. He knew physical limitations and that He had a short amount of time to do His work. He made the most of His time. I do not think Jesus had wasted days. He lived a focused God centered life. That is comforting to me this morning. 

Instead of trying harder we all need to rely on Him more. We only have to do what God calls us to do on any given day and trust in His strength to get those things done. 

To make that more personal, I only have to write what He inspires me to write. I only have to read what He knows will benefit my soul, like His word. It my responsibility to lean into Him for the strength and perseverance to get those things done. 

Perhaps the greatest lesson I learn from Jesus is His use of time and how He had time for people. For lepers. For sinners. For friends. For His disciples. For religious rulers. For broken people. For the outcasts most others side stepped past. 

There is a danger of getting so busy that we do not make time for people. We get so driven and focused on tasks in front of us that we miss the people who cross our paths. We can see phone calls as interruptions. Texts as distractions. Unexpected visitors as intruders. Even those we love who are closest to us may not be enjoyed if we are so focused on work. Instead of dinner at the table meals are eaten on tv trays mesmerized by the tube. 

We are all running out of time. We only have so many laps around the sun before our time is up. How will we approach that truth? Will we buckle down to work harder? Will we throw our hands up helplessly in the air knowing we will never get it all done? Or will we seek Jesus and follow His model. Daily seeking to do what the Father wills us to do. Daily looking out for opportunities to minister to people. Not wasting our days but living each day with a God centered focus. 

If we do that, I am convinced when our time is over, when we die and go home to Jesus He will say, "Well done good and faithful servant." That will be a life well lived. 

Trickle of Tears

 The young man is hard working. Incredibly driven. He is not prone to show emotions. Stoic. He is hard on himself. Very determined. Resolute. That is why I never expected to see a trickle of tears in his eyes. 

We talked about something very sensitive to him. The conversation did not start out with any indication it would become emotional. When the conversation turned to the issue that touched a nerve in him the tears formed. He could not hold them back. I saw all the pain welling up in his eyes.  All the pain he has shoved down for a long time came bubbling to the surface. I reached out to give him a hug. 

It makes me wonder how many others live everyday with deep seated pains and sorrows buried beneath the surface. Shoved down so deeply that nobody else is even aware of them. People can do this for a season. Sooner or later that pain will find a way to manifest itself. Ulcers. Stress. Grinding of teeth. Sleepless nights. And of course, tears. 

Some are better than others at choking back the tears and bravely trudging through life. Stoically such people keep their emotions in check. God created tears. They serve a purpose. Tears release the pain hidden beneath the surface. Tears trigger people to rally around the hurting one for comfort and ministry. 

Even Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus. People speculate about what caused Jessus to weep. Was it because of the loss of his friend Lazarus. That is unlikely being that Jesus was about to call him back to life. Did He weep because of Mary and Martha? He had spent time in their home. They were his friends. Their grief could have easily been felt and shared. Was it because He knew where Lazarus was and that he was about to be summoned back to life from eternity? Maybe it was a combination of many things. Even Jesus felt pain. He can identify with others carrying pain deep inside that sometimes surface in a trickle of tears. He understands. He gets us. 

I wish I could pray a prayer to make the pain go away for that young man and for each of you. I wish I could hug it away. I wish I could preach or teach something that will make it better. All I can do is pray and love people through it. I carry the pain of so many now. Huge burdens. Travesties. I manage to keep it all down but sooner or later all that pain will become a trickle of tears. A verse I take great comfort in is that God is near to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. [Ps 34:18] He is near all of you caught in circumstances like an animal caught in a trap. He is our comforter and deliverer. Lean into Him who is able to do far more than we can think or ask according to His power that works in us. [Eph 3:20]

Feeding Birds

 Brenda and I were enjoying lunch this past Sunday. We sat in a booth next to a full length plate glass window. Outside two birds caught my attention. They kept finding little morsels of food. What amazed me was they were finding this food on concrete sidewalks and asphalt parking lots. They swooped down and walked about finding a fragment here and there. 

As we got ready to leave an idea popped in my mind. I reached down and took a little bit of food in my hand and dropped it on the parking lot when we walked out and the birds flew away. I opened the door to let Brenda in the car and then walked around to get in myself. Brenda pointed that one of the birds had already found the food. It was downing a grain of rice. I watched in amazement. Then I thought of a verse. 

[Matt 6:26] Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (NASV)

I meditated on that verse. It amazed me that the Heavenly Father put it in my mind to take some food from my left over lunch to drop on the ground for those birds. I cannot remember the last time I did that. Maybe as a child with some french fries. God loves those birds. He knows each of them. He loves them so much He chose to use me to provide a little sustenance for them. He does not love them enough to die for them. Jesus did that for us humans. 

Are we not of much more worth than birds? Absolutely! In similar ways God has provided for the Edwards family repeatedly by stirring someone to send us money at an exact time when we most needed provision. God does it over and over again. We have shared so many stories in the past. 

I am pleased to announce that my new book is now available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The book title is Prayer: Ministry From The Secret Place.  Every dollar from those book sales will go to build a community park in Weatherford near the church. I share several stories of the ways God has provided for us time and time again in the book. All to promote God and prayer.

Just yesterday we were hit with another challenge. I checked the mail and noticed a letter from Wayland Baptist University. Inside was another test. I discovered we owed several thousand dollars for one of our sons who is set to graduate on December 9. He will not be allowed to graduate unless the bill is paid off. I thought of that little bird. The same God who fed it is the same God who provides for our family. He is the same God who provides for you. I know He is faithful. He knew we would owe tuition money. Just this past summer we saw God work to provide for Turner's tuition through an unusual circumstance. Someone contacted us and asked if we had a need when we did have a need. God moved them to send money to cover the tuition. We have experienced it over and over again for three decades. Not one or two stories here or there. Multiple stories of God coming through with provision repeatedly. Enough to fill a couple of books: Behold The Faithfulness of God (2008) and Prayer: Ministry From The Secret Place (2022). 

So we continue to pray, trust, and press on in faith. I know many of you are in the same boat we find ourselves in. We serve an amazing God, with creative genius, omnipotent power, and unlimited resources who is generous to share with His children. 

Let me conclude with one additional story. This past weekend we went to watch Tanner coach and Tucker play at college. I emptied my wallet of all the cash I had to share with them. I wish I had more to give them. On Sunday night we gave money to support a Ukrainian pastor and his wife. Brenda and I talked before the offering. We knew what we could afford. We also felt called to sacrifice. We remembered something a professor in college told us, "You will never out give God." We prayed and decided on an amount that was allocated for another bill. We stepped out in faith. I heard several others in that service gave more than they had intended to do because God stirred all of us. He rallied people in our small church to give over $2,500 to that couple. I was overjoyed. 

God be praised. God be exalted. God be honored. God be glorified. He feeds birds. He provides for pastors on the other side of the world. He takes care of my family right here in Weatherford, TX. 

The Long Dark Night of the Soul

 Commentators make mention of a period experienced by believers where they lose faith and hope. They experience the silence of God. The circumstances are confusing. The promises of God seem far fetched through the prolonged season of darkness. A person experiencing this may still attend worship services, read their Bible, and pray but be able to connect with God in a meaningful way. It is the long dark night of the soul.

Many reasons could be listed for such seasons, but one near the top would have to be spiritual attack. The closer we get to God, the more He uses us to make an impact on others, the more we are devoted to prayer and tearing down the kingdom of darkness, the more Satan wants to take us down. That might not mean killing us. It might be one trial after another. Job experienced such. So did Peter. 

In a prophetic moment Jesus foreshadowed what awaited Peter. [Luke 22:31-32] Jesus told Peter that Satan demanded permission to sift Peter like wheat. That means to funnel through a sieve to take out large lumps in a powder substance. Satan wanted permission to attack Peter. Jesus comforted Peter with the words, "I have prayed for you." He did this in advance of the attack he foresaw coming. 

It is comforting that Jesus prays for people going through the long dark night of the soul. He sees what they are going through. He cares and intercedes. Out of all the people who could pray for you, who can pray like Jesus? Who can get the Father's attention and plead the case for hurting people like Jesus? No one. 

Jesus prayed specifically and told Peter what He prayed. First, Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would not fail. That his trust would not fall away or come to an end. When the test and trials are severe enough, people can lose heart and belief that things will ever get better. This is one of the greatest lies of the enemy. To make people feel they are hopelessly and endlessly trapped in their trials. Like they will never escape. When a person is being hit from all sides and things keep getting worse rather than better, it is easy to lose faith. It is natural to lose faith. The supernatural thing to do is to keep believing God no matter what a person is experiencing. 

I can imagine right now Jesus praying that our faith will not fail in the face of adversities, afflictions, and anguishes. Faith is the muscle of our walk with God. Faith is the endurance. Faith is the will to persevere. Faith is the belief that God will intervene. Faith is the trust that God will not fail. Faith is the hope that better days will come. 

Jesus also prayed for Peter that he would return again. Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times. He knew that Peter would live in the darkness of his failure and struggle to move forward. Jesus already knows how people will handle the long dark night of the soul. He knows how many will crumble and drift back to destructive behaviors. He knows how many will get bogged down in condemnation unable to believe forgiveness is offered. He knows how many will live in bitterness and feelings of failure. He has taken all these things into account. His grace is sufficient. His grace is enough to pull people out of the darkness back into His marvelous light. He knows how to restore people. He had a private conversation in John 21 to restore Peter. 

He also prayed that Peter would be effective at strengthening other people. God answered that prayer. Just read the epistles Peter wrote. He wrote to help suffering people experiencing their long dark night of the soul. Peter got restored and made the most out of the rest of His life. He did not spend all his time dwelling on the past. He proved faithful to the very end of his life when he was martyred. 

I hope all of us can take comfort that in the toughest seasons of spiritual assault that Jesus prays for us. I hope we are encouraged that we do not have to to endure these seasons alone. He intercedes for us. He is praying in the perfect will of God for those being sifted. Could that mean that today He is pleading for you?

Maybe you find yourself in such a position. Being hit on all side. Like your life is passing through a sieve straining out every imperfection. Maybe the pain is unrelenting and the faith is weakening by the day. Be encouraged that your Savior is at the right hand of God making intercessions even as you read this. Hang on. Be strengthened. In other words, be firm, steadfast, and firmly established in your beliefs. 

The long dark night is a season. Just like other seasons pass so will this. Blazing hot summer temperatures eventually surrender to cool brisk fall days. Fall gives way to winter. That long bitter bone chilling cold season of winter will pass eventually into spring. Just as the seasons come and go so will the season of the long dark night of the soul. Hold onto Jesus as He holds onto you through prayer. This season will not last forever. 

Remember

 Do you remember where you were 21 year ago on this day? I certainly do. I had just finished praying with a group of men. We walked out to the news about planes hitting the World Trade Center towers. We stood in disbelief watching the news. We saw the second plane hit. We watched as the first tower crumbled. So did my heart. I went to the car and called Brenda. We checked the boys out of school to spend the day together. It was a day of national mourning. I am sure people felt the same way upon hearing about Pearl Harbor. About President Kennedy getting assassinated. 

I felt disbelief. Unshakable grief. Emotionally numb. I stayed glued to the tv for news coverage. I reflected on the near 3,000 people who died. I watched as people walked around in a daze in New York City looking for lost loved ones hoping for the best and yet fearing the worst. 

We said we would never forget. We have. It has been a long since I thought about the events of that day. Watching old videos brought all those memories back. They brought a tug on the old heart strings. A sadness in my soul. It happened a long time but today I remembered. I remember the since of patriotic pride. The calls to prayer. 

America was vulnerable that day. She is more vulnerable today with the invasion of our southern border. We are vulnerable from without and imploding from within. I remember America as it used to be. Things are changing. The more we turn from God the further it seems He turns from us as a nation. May we remember Him and repent before a worse catastrophe comes our way again. Let's remember God before it is too late. He is what America needs today more than ever. 

A Test

 We have all faced tests. Spelling tests. History tests. English exams. In order to get a driver's license we had to pass a driver's examination. Those were easy compared to life tests we face all the time. Do we know that God tests us too. To reveal our hearts, stretch our faith, and teach us to persevere. 

In Genesis 22 God tested Abraham. You could substitute the word prove for test. The test defied logic. It seemed to violate the very promise of God. God tested Abraham by calling him to offer Isaac, his long awaited son, as a burnt offering. 

There are so many details left out of this story. Like did Abraham consult Sarah? I do not think she would have consented. It was one thing to trust that her husband heard God tell him to pack up everything to move to an unknown destination. Sacrificing her only son was a whole different matter. I am betting Abraham kept real quiet about what he sensed God wanted Him to do. 

Abraham's response is both shocking and inspiring. First, he rose early in the morning. I wonder if he slept at all that night. He saddled his donkey, split wood, took two servants and Isaac, and headed out to obey God. He did not argue with God. He did not hesitate in unbelief. He did not even pause for clarification of the word from the Lord. Just obedience in faith. 

I say obedience in faith because Abraham believed God was faithful. Once he arrived at his intended destination, he said in [Gen 22:5] to the two men with him, "I and the lad will over there and we will worship and return to you." We is plural. Abraham believed that he would return and Isaac would return with him. He did not know what God would do. We know Abraham was committed to obeying because he put the knife in his hand and was about to bring it down and slaughter his son when God stopped him. Abraham loved God so much he was willing to offer the most precious thing in his life. His promised son. 

Abraham passed the test. Do we pass God's tests? Most are not as severe as sacrificing a child. Some are like getting fired, having a spouse file for divorce, an untimely death of a loved one, and battling a terminal disease. They are still tough. Do we trust in Him in adversity? Do we hope in Him in hopeless situations? Do we cast aside doubt when provision is needed? Do we despair upon receiving bad news rather than leaning into God with trust? Do we believe that He really loves us even when tested? 

We may not have taken tests in school for a long time, but we still face tests all the time. Will we resolve to pass the test? When the pain is unbearable and circumstances confusing will we resolve to believe God and pass the test. It is in those moments we truly find out what we believe about God. That He is trustworthy and reliable or that He is not dependable. May our faith be sharpened like a student sharpens a pencil taking a math exam to pass it. 

Stuck

 I pulled into the drive at the house the other day while talking on the phone. I typically park under the car port, but on this day I was driving a different vehicle I typically park  that truck in the grass next to an oak tree. I did not turn sharply enough to avoid the tree so I ventured into a little dip in the ground directly behind where the pulpit used to be in the old sanctuary. The front tires rolled slightly into the dip. When I reversed the truck to back out the wheels began to spin. I was stuck. I gunned the gas hoping to catch traction and get out of the dip. More spinning the tires but no backward momentum. I was definitely stuck. 

Have you been there? Not so much stuck in a vehicle. Stuck in sin. Stuck in past mistakes. Stuck in regrets? Stuck in condemnation?

I wonder how many people around the world live everyday stuck. They are unable to live productive lives because they are stuck in the past. They spend so much time looking over their shoulders at what they have done or not done that they cannot move forward. Stuck spinning the wheels of energy on something that cannot be changed. The past should be just that. The past. Gone. Over and done with. Done. History. Behind. 

We are exhorted in Phil 3:13 to forget what lies behind and to press forward to what lies ahead. Sometimes what we did in the past caused pain to many people. It might even have destroyed some people. We. cannot undo that. All we can do is move forward in faith trusting God to help us in following Him. We do not have to be defined by our past. We do not have to wear a scarlet letter shaming us for our failures. God wills to forgive and to redeem. God desires to restore and renew. You do not have to live your life stuck in the past. 

Do you want to know how I got the truck unstuck that day? I put it in drive and pulled forward then back to reverse several times rocking myself out of the dip. Sometimes the way to get unstuck is to intentionally choose to go forward when the natural thing is to keep going backward. To pull that truck forward meant I was driving deeper into the dip in the ground. It did not feel right. In fact, I thought it would only make matters worse. Yet that is exactly what helped me eventually rock the truck out. 

Today we have a choice. We can keep focusing on our past. We can mourn past sinful choices. We can focus on our failures. Or we can choose today to go forward. To forget the past. To focus on what lies ahead instead of what lies behind. We do not have to spend another day just spinning our wheels in the direction of a past we cannot change. Yesterday is gone. It cannot be recovered or recaptured. Through Jesus, yesterday can be redeemed. It can have redemptive value as we learn lessons to help us navigate life that lies ahead. We do not have to remain stuck. Choose to go forward. 

Time at the Tamarisk

 Genesis 21:33 (NASB)

³³  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 

For decades Abraham and Sarah lived as nomads. They settled in a place for a while and then at God's direction they moved on. From the time God called them to leave Ur they did not have a permanent dwelling. God blessed them and they became wealthy in flocks and silver. They still had to pull up the tent pegs and pack their belongings to keep moving when God directed them to do so. 

The last two blogs have been about Abraham meeting with God at oak trees. I don't know what it was about those oak trees that made God come and meet with his servant. I am guessing trees held a special place in Abraham's heart. Practically the trees provided shade and relief from the oppressive heat. Spiritually the trees were sacred spots where God encounters occurred. 

Maybe that is why Abraham planted a tamarisk tree. By the mere fact that he planted tree would indicate that the tree had not matured. It would take years for that tree to provide shaded shelter for anyone. That cannot be the reason Abraham planted it. I think he planted that tree because he longed to meet with God as he had done at the oak of Moreh and at the oak of Mamre. 

Abraham called out to God at the tree of tamarisk. The words called out means to cry, invite, and to summon. It was at that planted tree that Abraham frequented to invite God to join him. To summon the Almighty to have audience with Him. He so hungered for more God encounters that he cried out to God. My curiosity is piqued. I wonder about the many divine appointments and communion God and Abraham shared at that little tree. 

I can just imagine Abraham strolling away from the flocks, servants and Sarah with a little tree in one hand and a makeshift shovel in the other hand. He dug into the soil and tenderly planted the tamarisk away from all. This would be his secret place to meet with God. I am sure over the time he resided there that he often stole away to the little tree to commune with God. I imagine a little path formed and the grass died from Abraham walking to the tamarisk tree to keep company with God while forsaking the company of other people. I am sure he unloaded burdens to Yahweh. I also believe he listened for God's voice and waited eagerly for God to appear to him again. 

Thousands of years have passed since then. I wonder about what that tree eventually grew to be. I also am reminded that God desires us to cry out to Him from our secret places. To invite Him to come commune with us. To listen to us, to speak to us, to strengthen us, to guide us, and to instruct us. 

I have been fascinated reading about the devotional habits of many people through history. A common theme is found in most of them. They rose early to meet with God. While others slept, they sauntered from the bed to the secret place. E.M. Bounds rose at 4:00 a.m. for prayer. George Mueller read the word of God incessantly. David Brainerd wrote in his journal about fasting, prayer, and meditation on the word of God. Even Jesus left the disciples early in the morning to go pray to His Father. [Mark 1:35]

My eyes popped open at a usual time this morning. No alarm clock other than the internal one God has placed inside me. It was time to get up and read my Bible and seek God. That is where the inspiration for so many of these articles comes from. God uses my devotions to spark new ideas to write about. 

This little corner off our living room is a tamarisk tree for me. I sit at this little desk with the soft glow of a lamp to illuminate the words of life from the Bible. It is here that I read the pages of sacred scripture and God reveals Himself to me in fresh ways. I try to pass that onto others hoping it may help them in their pilgrimage. Each of needs a tamarisk tree where we meet with God. Where we summon Him to come join us. Where we unload our burdens and seek Him. Those God encounters make each day a new adventure on this journey of faith. I hope you experience God in thrilling ways as you call out to Him from your tamarisk tree. 

The Oaks of Mamre

 Genesis 18:1 (NASB)

¹  Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day.

It was an ordinary day. Just a common day. A hot day. Abram sat inside his tent to get a little relief from the heat. He sat by the entrance to get a little breeze. He pitched his tent by the oaks of Mamre to take advantage of the shade from the trees. Little did he know what a sacred spot that would prove to be. 

Yahweh decided to reveal Himself to Abram. He appeared to Abram on that very ordinary day. The word appeared means that LORD became visible. In that moment Abram had a God encounter. He would never forget his experience with the Almighty by the oaks of Mamre. 

God's revelation that day would change the trajectory of Abram's life. So much so that God changed his name from Abram to Abraham indicating the future He planned for Abraham. God planned to give Abraham and Sarah a son. The impossibility of this becoming reality is spelled out in the scripture. They were old. Getting on in years. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah said of herself that she was worn out. She doubted that such an impossible thing could happen. She even laughed to herself at the outlandish idea. 

God asked Abraham a question I suspect He also asks us from time to time. IS ANYTHING IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE LORD? The word impossible can also be translated as difficult or heavy. Is anything difficult for God? Is anything so heavy that God cannot pick it up or move it as He chooses? 

Every one of us face impossible situations. I have mine and you have yours. Things that look beyond the realm of possibilities. That is because we choose to see things through our eyes and our limited resources. Problems we cannot fix, mountains we cannot move, and situations we cannot solve. From our perspective things look beyond hope. Our backs are against the wall. There seems no avenue to a preferred outcome. 

What did God will in this passage? To bless Abraham and Sarah with a baby boy they were to name Isaac. What does God will in your situation? How hopeless is your situation? Do you feel there is no way of escape because you are trapped between a rock and a hard place? God specializes in helping people out of such situations. NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR HIM! Our situations are not so heavy that God cannot remove the heavy burden. 

It really comes down to what we believe. We are tempted to believe what we see. To focus on the impossibilities right in front of us. We fixate on these problems. Our courage melts in the shadows of these situations. We have a choice in these current circumstances and for the rest of our lives. We can believe what we see or choose to believe what God says. God said He would give Abraham and Sarah a son. He said the baby would come at the appointed time. Did God do what He said He would do?

Yes. How do we know. There is a nation called Israel that is proof that God fulfilled what He said He would do. Isaac had sons and those sons had sons that became the seed of a great nation. God did what He said He would do. 

Now, what about us? Will we be the people that God finally fails? Will God break His track record with us from being a promise keeper to becoming a promise breaker? Not a chance. God is faithful. He has proven through centuries that He can be trusted. He has demonstrated over and over again that He is reliable. 

I personally think God leads us into some of our trials to test our faith and to glorify Himself when He does the impossible. What is our impossible today? What imposing, improbable, and inconceivable thing do we need God do for us today? How might God work in those areas to show His power to do what others say cannot be done? Again, what do we see and what does God say? 

Brenda and I have seen God do the impossible time and time again. When we moved to FBC Seminole the church owned a missionary house, but they did not have a parsonage.  We had no down payment money to buy a house of our own. We were allowed to live in the mission house temporarily until we found our own place. We contacted a realtor from the church and began the journey of faith. We prayed and prayed. We looked into financing. We still did not have any down payment money. We looked at several houses. None of them felt right. Then we looked at 2112 N.W. Ave B. We loved it. It seemed way out of our price range. We got preapproved for a home loan, but still did not have any down payment money. It looked impossible. 

Enter stage right God. He did two things that looked impossible. One day the chairman of deacons came to my office with an envelope. Behind the scenes many in the church took up some money to help us with the down payment on a house. We did not ask anyone but God for help. To this day I don't know how they knew our need. God sure used those people. Those loving and generous people of FBC Seminole gave us $8,000! God was not done. Not long afterward one Saturday morning we had a knock at the mission house door. We were eating pizza and watching college football. A couple from the church came inside. He served on the search committee that called us to Seminole. He also was the president of a local bank where we set up our account. His wife was heavily involved in women's ministry. After exchanging some pleasantries, they handed us envelope telling they felt called by God to help us. Inside the envelope was $5,000. In a matter of days God blessed us with $13,000 to put down on the house. We did buy that house on N.W. Ave B. We made some happy memories there. It looked impossible. God flexed His muscle and made a way where there seemed to be no way. What God did for us He can do for anyone. 

Those special people from FBC Seminole have blessed us immeasurably since then. We left Seminole to start a church. We took a major step of faith and cut in pay. Private individuals have blessed us over the past 12 years with.... are you ready for this? Over $150,000. Not the church as a whole. Individuals. A $100 here. $500 there. $1,400 each month for five years. $6,000 one time recently. NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. We have seen it over and over again. TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR THE GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE! We could not have possibly made it without God providing for our needs through other people. 

That is not the same impossible miracle as having a baby in old age. It is the same God working. I thank God for the trials over the years where Brenda and I were forced to trust Him for impossible things. We have learned first-hand God can be trusted. I hope you experience God for yourself. I hope you encounter Him in some powerful way in the near future. Then you will have your own testimony to share to encourage others. Maybe it will happen on some ordinary day, blazing hot outside as you sent on the front porch. When you least expect it perhaps God will reveal Himself to you setting the stage for a mighty miracle. Find your own oaks of Mamre. The God of the universe will soon reveal Himself and work in ways we cannot see right now. Press on in faith. Nothing is impossible with Him. 

The Oak of Moreh

 I completed reading through the Bible again yesterday. This morning I sat back and started over in the book of Genesis. I spent over a year teaching through the book of Genesis recently. I've read through the book numerous times. One of the things I love about God's word is that it is living and active. [Heb 4:12] No matter how many times I read it there is always something new to discover. 

I sat back in my chair and with the soft glow of the lamp on this little desk off from the living room illuminating the word of God. I started reading. Wanting God to speak to me. I read the creation account. Then about the curse of sin. About the Noah and the flood. I read the story of the tower of Babel with great interest. Then I settled in on Genesis chapter 12. I have long loved this chapter because of the first verse. The call of Abram to leave Ur and his relatives to follow God to an unknown destination. 

I slowed the reading pace when I came to that verse hoping God might speak to me again through it. He did not. He did speak. He did so in Genesis 12 but used verses this time I've never noticed before. Let me set the stage. Abram, his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot and his servants all started following God toward Canaan. Then I saw it. A few little verses nestled in the chapter that begged my attention. Here they are. 

Genesis 12:5-7 (NASB)
⁵  Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan.
⁶  Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land.
⁷  The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 

The oak of Moreh became sacred ground where God again encountered Abram. It was just a simple tree. A spot in the road. It was at the oak of Moreh where God appeared to Abram and gave him the covenant for the promised land Israel occupies to this day. A much-contested land with the Palestinians.

God does that. He meets us in unexpected places at unexpected times to reveal His plans and purposes. We never know where or when the next God encounter will happen. This morning it was in the pages of the Bible in verses I least expected to discover Him. I thank God for the oak of Moreh experiences. That is what pulls me out of bed at all hours of the night and morning to keep plowing through the scriptures. I know from past experience that I will meet Him in those pages. Life altering encounters with God await the serious student of scripture. 

As a young believer I used to read through devotional books and materials in my quiet times. Nearly twenty years ago I adopted a different approach. I just started reading through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation at my own pace. I tried those reading through the Bible in a year plans. I would fall behind and read furiously to keep up with the plan but got little out of it. When I started reading through the Bible at my pace, God started meeting with me. Don't misunderstand. Every day is not like today. Some days I read with no fresh word from the Lord. Other days like today, I read, and God meets me in unexpected places. I live for those encounters. Those unexpected divine appointments at the oak of Moreh. 

I am sure Abram was exhausted when he arrived at the oak of Moreh. Traveling back then was taxing and labor intensive. I am also sure Abram had a lot on his mind. Following God in blind faith. Not knowing where He was going. Not being able to answer all of Sarai's and Lot's inquisitions about where they would settle. With all of that going on God chose to meet Abram in an extraordinary way at an ordinary place. He still does that. 

Maybe your devotions have been lacking lately. Let me invite you to change your religious routine. Set aside some time with God. Meet with Him on a porch, in a lounge chair, in an office, at a cafe, or on a slow stroll. Don't rush through your time with Him. Read His word slowly praying for God to meet you in the pages. I assure you in God's time, you too will have your own oak of Moreh experience. I live for those moments. Maybe the crumbs from the spiritual food I feasted on today will whet your appetite for more. Your oak of Moreh lies ahead. 

Himabled

 Francis was quite a girl. Bright. Inquisitive. Imaginative. She wrote a poem at eight years old. That would not be the last. As an adult she published several books of poetry. She faced setbacks. Her dad died when she was only six months old. She was raised by a single mother and her maternal grandmother. Her mother could have become self-absorbed in her own grief. Instead, she poured the word of God into little Francis. 

Francis became interested in rescue mission work as a young lady. She labored for souls. She also had a passion for writing. Especially poems as a I mentioned earlier. She is credited for writing over 1,000 poems. Quite a feat for anyone. Her poems covered both secular and spiritual matters. As her popularity increased, she began writing under pseudonyms. It is estimated that Francis used around 200 pseudonyms to conceal her identity. That is all very impressive. 

She also wrote 8,000 songs. Many of these songs were published. Not just published on a small scale. Those songs were published and printed over 100 million copies. That is 100,000,000 copies! She became a household name. She did not seek the fame or attention. She just did the work God put before her to do. Those 8,000 songs were 8,000 hymns. Many still in hymnals today. Francis was quite a woman. 

All of that is fascinating. What you may not know is that as an infant she caught a cold. The cold advanced causing inflammation in her eyes leading to blindness. Yes, Francis did all of that work without sight. Pictures of her as an adult show her wearing shaded glasses. Francis lost her sight as a young girl. God gave her spiritual sight that soars past most people with 20/20 vision. 

She once said, "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all of my life. I thank Him for this dispensation." 

How many of us could do that? To thank God for our maladies. She did. She also meant it. She went on to say, "If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow, I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things around me." 

Francis, better known as Fanny Crosby, saw things most of us will never see and she was blind. She saw into the spiritual realm. Some would say she was handicapped or disabled. I do not think Fanny would agree. She did not allow her blindness to keep her from a fully productive life for her Savior. In her blind condition, she did more than most people who can see. 

I love one other quote from her. "When I get to Heaven the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior." She has now been seeing that face for decades lost in the thrill of worship. Though she was blind now she sees. She was not disabled. She was Himabled. Get it. Him. Abled. Jesus empowered her to do more with her limitations than anyone might have thought was possible. What could He do through you and me if we surrendered to Him? 

This is the Day

 Psalm 118:24 (NASB)

²⁴  This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day the LORD has made. This September 1, 2022. It is a new day filled with fresh opportunities to encounter and serve our God. This day is a gift from the Creator. While it may be filled with some familiar routines, it has never been lived before. It is a day filled with potential. None of us knows what this day holds. 

Maybe we will have the chance to share a gospel witness. Maybe we will get to serve someone who can do nothing for us in return. Maybe today God opens His word to us in a fresh and exciting way to reveal wondrous things we have not known. Maybe today we get so caught up with the LORD in prayer that we lose track of time and everything around us. Maybe today we finally see God answer that prayer we have petitioned Him for such a long time. 

God made this day. Sure, there is evil in this day. Sure, vile venomous demon possessed people in positions of authority seem hell bent to destroy this nation. God is not surprised nor is He shaken. He has a prescribed plan. In that plan there was contingency for September 1, 2022. God made this day. Light will soon dispel the darkness. Both spiritually and literally. Though rain is forecast for the day, the SON WILL STILL SHINE. 

I don't know what this day holds for you. I don't know what trials, adversities, and sorrows you are struggling with on this day. I only know what God's word states. He made this day. We are supposed to rejoice in it. That is the last thing some of you may feel like doing. I have certainly been there myself from time to time. When the sufferings and struggles of this world strangle the joy out of you. 

I get it. Many of you are not in joyful circumstances. Things are tough. Might I ask a few questions. Does God still sit securely on His throne on tough days and seasons? Has His power been diminished one iota over time? Is He less powerful today than yesterday? Does He see you and your circumstances? Does He know your name? Are you His child, saved through the blood of Jesus? Are your present trials temporary in nature? From God's perspective is your situation hopeless? 

We have reason to rejoice. On this very day to cheer God on for His good work. Last night a man mentioned in Bible study that the human body has a million chemical reactions per second that we are not even aware of. Today you have air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, shelter to protect you, a Bible to study, and prayer to plead for God's help. There are multiple reasons to rejoice in this day. 

You can also be glad in this day. You can exult in God and the gift of life. It is your choice whether you approach the day with gladness or whether you approach the day with a sullen attitude. Some people live their whole lives like rain clouds hang over their head making them moody and unpleasant to be around. You can choose to be overcome by your circumstances. Defeated. Depressed. You can also choose to live by faith, with hope, and be glad. You can exult in the God of creation who helps us through tough days. 

Which will you choose? I think of a couple facing a terminal illness. They both know the end is coming for one of them. They daily choose joy in the midst of suffering. I cannot put into words how they inspire me. Anyone can be glad on pleasant paths. Choosing joy in suffering speaks to a greater treasure found in God who is the source of joy. See Psalm 16:11. Which will you choose today? Joy and gladness or despair and defeat? We are mandated to choose joy. 

So come on light of day. Let the earth awaken and people too. Let opportunities unfold. Let your people enter the secret place to encounter You and be replenished with joy. Let us go through our day splashing joy and gladness on everyone we meet. 

False Prophet

 I received a letter in the mail. A letter from a so-called prophet to the United States. It piqued my curiosity. I started reading. Here is the first line, "If this gets thru the filters all the way to the senior pastor, I just want you know what crud you are." 

You probably noticed the word thru was misspelled. That was not the only misspelled word THROUGH the four pages worth of supposed prophetic words. The author is not fond of pastors. More than once he used profanity such as a-- and da--. He calls pastors out for not preaching about the coming judgment of God. I guess he has is not aware of our prophecy class where all these things are touched on week after week. 

Suffice it to say I do not believe this man is a prophet. God does not misspell words or needs to use profanity to get His point across. It saddens me if anyone follows this man. He appears to me to be a self-appointed prophet. 

Do I believe God can still reveal His word to prophets? Maybe I am in the minority, but I do. Now having said that, I cannot tell you that I have ever been around a prophet or received a credible word from the Lord from a prophet. 

There is a biblical litmus test for prophetic ministry. Did the prophecy come true? If not, such prophets were stoned in the Old Testament. Anybody can claim to be a prophet these days. People flock to hear them, read them, and follow them. It does not matter if the prophecies come true. 

True prophets hear from God. True prophecies come true. It does not take a prophet to know that God's judgment is impending. It is plainly written. We just might be the terminal generation. The last generation before the rapture and the Great Tribulation. God operates in grace now. The age of grace will come to an end. Judgment is coming. America needs to repent. To get ready before it is too late. 

You do not hear a lot of preaching about repentance these days. Preachers carefully craft messages that tickle the ears. The prophet's words in the Old Testament did not tickle the ears. Read Jeremiah, Joel, Amos, Habakkuk, and Haggai.  They heard and proclaimed hard words filled with warnings to repent or face the consequences of God's wrath. That pattern has not changed today. We need to heed prophetic words. Only not from FALSE PROPHETS!