Steady

 There is a great deal going on in the world to cause people unrest. Wars. The economy. Inflation. Godless pagans leading our nation down a slippery slope of sin. Governmental overreach. Prophecy coming true. So much is happening. So many angles and opinions about what is happening. People react to all this information in healthy and unhealthy ways. Some panic. Others ignore all of it. Some connect Bible prophecy with current events. Some spin the truth into a web of lies. 

In the midst of all it, I say steady yourselves. Take a deep breath. Remain calm, reasoned, filled with faith but aware of what is happening. I watched the stock market tumble over 850 points yesterday only to rebound and end the day with a slight gain. How many did not remain steady and gave into fear selling when they should have remained steady?

I got bombarded with information yesterday. So much so that I made the conscious decision to leave all of that behind shutting the doors to hide in the prayer room for God's counsel. His voice trumps every other noise. His discernment dominates all the other noise that clutters the mind. That would be a good thing for many to do. To shut off the television and shut the door behind you in the prayer closet to have a little talk with Jesus. To discover His take on all that is happening. There was calm in the prayer room. Peace abounded. Rest. Faith surfaced instead of fear. I walked out steady in my purpose and resolved in my responsibility. 

I have seen how people react in fear and panic. Let the weathermen predict bad weather and the grocery store shelves are emptied. Let the Colonial Pipeline get hacked and shut down for five days and panicking people emptied the gas pumps and caused escalated gas prices. It is the nature of people to panic instead of remaining steady. Level headed. Measured. 

I talked with a friend yesterday about everything going on in the world. He made a comment that I think would be a good word for many today. He commented, "I am so glad God did not wake up today stressed out by the events of the world needing a cigarette and a cup of coffee to cope. He is not wringing His hands in a panic about what to do." He is in control. If you are a Bible reader and believer, you know what is coming in the end. We should expect it. We should not panic. To the contrary, we should remain steady in our resolve to use this time to warn people about what is to come and introduce them to Jesus. 

It is not easy to write this and will not win me many fans. In the end, things are going to get worse. Much worse. Infinitely worse. Get prepared for it. The love of many will grow cold. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Earthquakes will increase. Society will become more pagan. These will be the signs of the end according to Jesus in Matthew 24. 

We have hope. Hope in Jesus. Hope in the rapture. Hope in salvation through His death on the cross to take our punishment and receive His amazing grace. Hope in a coming revival to sweep many more people into a saving relationship with Him before the end. Because of all that hope, we can remain steady. Rock solid. Resolute. Steady as she goes brothers and sisters. Steady as she goes. 

Caged

 Christians are often like caged animals at the zoo instead of free animals in the wild. Look deep into a caged animals eyes. They look sad, bored, and without heart. Instead of hunting for their food like they were born to do, it is offered to them. They have no purpose. Other than for endless streams of people to stand gawking at them. They do not even have the dignity of privacy. 

Think about Christians. We live lives rhythmic in nature. We eat, work, sleep and sometimes play a little. We attend worship services but may not always worship. We are often entertained in worship or lectured to sleep. Truth is many in the church are bored. Bored with small groups where people are not authentic and transparent. Bored with predictable worship services carefully crafted down to the last minute. Bored with self help sermons and their bullet point formulas to live better lives. Bored with constantly filling their brains with more information about God but rarely experiencing God for themselves. 

What if God uncaged us through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. What if we learned to live out the truth of Gal 5:16 and walk by the Spirit. To pursue God and be inspired and empowered by His Spirit to follow on amazing adventures. To be uncaged to bold assignments given by God. To live dangerously. To risk reputation for outlandish Kingdom ventures that most think are foolhardy. To walk by faith and not by sight. To live for something bigger than ourselves. In short, to live uncaged. 

God created us for more than sitting caged in a pew, domesticated and civilized in our worship and service. He created us to be players in advancing the kingdom of God. Read [Eph 2:10] To go to the dark places. To obey His promptings to do unpredictable things bringing about unpredictable results. 

I read a prayer this morning that is biting into my soul. A prayer for the uncaged. Here it is. "Lord, whatever the price, whatever the cost, I am available to You. Please use me at anytime, in anyway, in any place, to do your will. In Jesus' name. Amen." If that prayer is prayed sincerely, caged doors will open and people will be freed to follow the Spirit of God on the grandest adventures they could imagine. I pray it happens for all of us. May we live out the truth of [Eph 3:20]. 

Powder Keg

 In the past week, things that have unfolded around the world have been downright startling. Canada released martial law combat forces on peaceful protesting citizens who just wanted to be free of masks and vaccine mandates. Last night Russia invaded Ukraine. Details are still unfolding. In addition, it has been reported that vital statistics on the Corona Virus were intentionally withheld from the public. Reports continue to point to the fact that China will soon invade Taiwan. 

Everything feels explosive, unraveling at the seams, falling apart, like a powder keg about to explode. In a time when people cry peace, the whole world is falling deeper into chaos. It is shocking how rapidly it unfolds but not surprising. The reason it is not surprising is that world events are following a divinely orchestrated script leading to things like the rapture, a one world government, the rise of the anti-christ, the Great Tribulation and Armageddon. 

Times are urgent. Time is ticking down to a climatic end. There is no time to waste. No time to put our heads in the sand. No time to not evangelize and not warn people to get ready for the imminent end. The events of the past three years have been alarming. I cannot believe how quickly things turned. We have not seen anything yet. Much worse is coming. I am not trying to sound like a doomsday prophet. I am reading the signs of the time in accordance with prophetic predictive Bible truth and telling people to wake up. The alarm clock is sounding for the church to wake up. To get to work. 

Millions upon millions are facing eternal doom. The day will come when it will be too late. Too late to serve. Too late to evangelize. Too late to warn people. Now is the time. This is not the time to pussyfoot around the pulpit. It is a time to sound serious scriptural warnings about what lies ahead. 

This powder keg will go off one day. Sooner than later in my opinion. O God shake us to wake us. 

Unpleasant Paths

 Brenda and I were killing time at Hobby Lobby. Don't judge me. I actually like Hobby Lobby. I like the fact that it is a kingdom of God minded company. I love to let Brenda peruse down the aisles and shelves. I enjoy looking as well. It is a wholesome experience even though we don't always buy something. 

I drifted off by myself down an aisle when a sign caught my attention. I have rewound those words and meditated on them several times since then. Here are the words on the sign; "Unpleasant paths can often lead to very pleasant places."

I guess the reason I keep thinking about that sign is because I have lived and experienced that to be true. Consider the Edwards track record. Two failed church plants, two other declining churches that nearly disbanded, four sons, five torn ACLs and 6 knee surgeries, one other possible ACL tear and pending surgery, future knee replacements,  many travels, seasons of revival, authored numerous books, survived impoverished conditions, and currently serving in a very sweet spot among some wonderful people. 

There have been numerous unpleasant paths. Hearing doctors tell two of my sons five times in between them that they tore their ACL ending their high school seasons was very unpleasant and painful. I tried to stay strong for them but wept inwardly. The sting of the shock and unpleasantness of those knee issues have faded with time. One of those sons is playing football at Wayland Baptist University as a running back and special teams player. The other is recovering from his third knee surgery and rehabbing on the Lubbock Christian University track team where he will compete as a decathlete next year. Both of those sons have followed God through unpleasant experiences and are now are in pleasant places. 

After many long years of pastoral ministry, Brenda and I are serving and following God in the adventure of Spring Creek. God is moving. The church is growing. We are in love with the people. We have a bright future and a bold vision to pursue. We are at home. We belong here. It is delightfully sweet to serve God and the Spring Creek flock. We had to endure some difficult years to get here. There were many unpleasant seasons. I can say with confidence the sign I saw at Hobby Lobby is correct. Often unpleasant paths can lead to very pleasant places. That is true for the Edwards. I trust God make it true for you too. 

A Deplorable State

 Picture well paid clergymen who preached, though unconverted themselves, to unconverted people. Lifeless religion dominated the spiritual scene. Picture, if possible, the truth that only 1:20 persons were saved in the community. The conditions in society degenerated into immorality. One pastor commented, "Religion lies as it were dying and ready to expire it's last breath of life in the visible church."

Like so often happens in dark times, a remnant of God's people did the only thing they knew to do. They started praying. Pleading for God's help. One pastor prayed fervently and saw some of the first outer band rains of God's Spirit descending over his congregation and community. That pastor was Jonathan Edwards. A brilliant theologian and devoted intercessor. God listened and answered. God spread the influence of Edwards well beyond the Northampton, MASS community. 

It began when a woman known as a "great company keeper" trusted Jesus for salvation. God's work of salvation spread. Over a two year period 300 people were saved in a community of around 1,000 people. The outpouring lasted for two years in that city. Some say it would have lasted longer but most of the lost people got saved so quickly. 

Just imagine if the people of God lived under His burden for the United States. We are in many ways in a deplorable state like the American Colonies were back in the 1700's. We need some intercessors to plead with God to once again send an outpouring of His Spirit resulting in a great awakening of souls. To save company keepers, homosexuals, liars, pedophiles, adulterers, and others who need Jesus. God is capable of saving people living in a deplorable state. He has done it before. Do it again Lord. Please do it again. 

Whatever The Cost - Wherever It Leads

 That is the prayer I read in a book titled Spiritual Awakening, by Bob Eklund. "Whatever the cost - wherever it leads." I have said it for years and will repeat it again. Revival is costly. By the fact that we live in unrevived churches and communities, it would appear very few are willing to pay the price. Make no mistake. There is a price to be paid. 

First, God deals with sin in personal lives. This is uncomfortable and painful. After repentance, God deals with lost people and His people being more evangelistic. More people than we know faked salvation by just saying the sinner's prayer. Three of my very own sons experienced that. They had to come to Jesus in faith and ask for His salvation by grace along later in life. There is also the cost of commitment. God will require more devotion and service of revived people. I am saying yes to all of it. 

I know. On three occasions God has allowed me to be in genuine revival. The nights were long, the spirit thick, the power of God present and moving, and the fellowship of the saints was sweet. You cannot describe those days in words. You can tell how many showed up, how many were saved, baptized and how long it lasted. You might even explain how long the services lasted. You cannot describe the revival encounter. It is something you have to experience. 

So I offer that simple but profound prayer. "Lord, whatever revival costs I want to pay the price. Wherever it leads me and Spring Creek, I want to follow. In your name Jesus amen."

Who will join me in that simple prayer? Who will do more than mouth the words but mean it with sincerity? Camp meeting will begin in 96 days. I challenge all of us to be diligent in our personal preparations. Here are a few things that will help. 

Upcoming Sermon Series - Elijah's Cry

More Power Band prayer meetings after Sunday evening services.

Camp Meeting devotions begin on this blog starting March 1.

Fresh Encounter Henry Blackaby, an 8 week Sunday night Bible study starting April 3. Cost of the workbooks is $15.00.

Camp Meeting devotions on this blog begin March 1.

Cleansing of the Temple will begin the week prior to the first meeting on May 29. 

Open Confession of a Secret

 I remember well the absolute dejection I felt on the evening of June 28, 2020. I had just preached my heart out. People sat stone hearted in the pews. No-one moved. No visible response. I exited both tired and devastated. Not that I have not seen my share of barren altars over the past three decades. That was not the reason for my lowly state of mind. I realize God can work in hearts without anyone ever coming down front to pray. Those were not the reasons for my discouragement. 

It was a culmination of months of hard labor, intense prayer, fasting, intercession, and a huge step of faith. What happened on June 28, 2020, or I should say what did not happen, sent me in a spiritual downward spiral for the next six months. I did not talk about it openly to many. I suffered in my private dungeon of depression and tried to find the key to get out unsuccessfully for months. My prayer life suffered most. Maybe some could tell. I tried to hide it. There is no other way to describe it other than to say I left the sanctuary June 28, 2020 devastated. Why you might ask?

Back in the fall of 2019 God began dealing with me about His plan to send a revival to Spring Creek. I did  not receive it immediately. I have been down that road before believing God would send revival and it did not happen. So I doubted. Twice God rebuked me. Once in the prayer room. Once while driving and listening to a sermon. I had no choice but to repent and to obey. 

I tried to follow instructions from the Lord about writing devotion material for the church to go through in preparation. We invited Sherman and Tami Aten to lead worship with us for the meetings. They were instrumental in the 23 day revival at Seminole. God's hand rests on them. 

I put my whole soul into preparing for those days. We started on June 14th 2020. It just so happens a pandemic broke out the spring of that year and attendance dropped to about a dozen people for several months. We still forged ahead to the chagrin of some. Attendance picked up gradually. Many were scared as those days of revival meetings began. 

Suffice it to say revival did not come in the summer of 2020. God did gloriously save my youngest son Turner. For that I will forever be grateful. There was no great move of God. Revival did not come. I am sure God worked. It could not be described as revival. To make matters worse, the following day I got Covid and then a dozen more people also were infected with the virus in the church and among some who attended from out of town. . Everything came to a grinding halt. 

As I sat in quarantine with Brenda, I wrestled with why God did not do what I thought He told me. During those sleepless nights of incessant coughing, I also wrestled with the fact that I must not have heard from God. This only served to drive me deeper into depression. I determined then that I never wanted anything to do with revival ever again unless it was the real thing. 

I eventually got over Covid and returned to Spring Creek. We labored with much smaller crowds and made the best of it. I labored and preached with a broken heart. I could not get over the lack of revival and the fact that I must have missed God totally. I tried to masquerade the pain in my heart. I am sure it seeped out in sermons. 

2021 we put our noses to the grindstone to try to recapture the momentum we were experiencing in early 2020. Then it happened. Like a blindside. Totally unexpected and unsolicited. To be honest, the intrusion was not even welcomed. God hit me hard. He brought conviction, rebuke, reproof, and words I did not want to hear. "I am sending revival to Spring Creek." My heart was closed and immediately went back to the pain and devastation of June 28, 2020 when our last revival service ended without fanfare. I rejected that word with everything within me. 

Over the course of the next year and a half the rebukes, reproofs, and same revival message came from the Lord. He wore me down. One day I cried out to Him from the prayer room pleading with Him to speak to me. He had been silent for weeks. His stinging response centered on my refusal to believe Him for revival at Spring Creek. Reluctantly I caved in. 

More rebukes came as I doubted and retreated. I kept these things to myself. A deep secret I could not share with the church. I told a couple of really close friends who live a long way from Weatherford. I trusted them to keep my secret safe. I half heartedly believed God for revival and from time to time hinted around at it, but I dared not openly confess my secret. 

God became more persistent. Dozens of dreams and visions about revival came in 2021 and early into 2022. There were also clear instructions about personal preparations to be made. I continued to doubt and repeatedly asked God to clarify. Over and over again He told me He was going to send revival to Spring Creek. Then, He began revealing things I could barely believe. Like how long it would last. How many would be saved. How the revival would spread far beyond Spring Creek. Things so outlandish I could not believe. More conviction of unbelief. More repentance. 

This past Sunday after a fellowship meal, I sat with three others talking. Everyone else had already left and things were cleaned up. Krista asked, "What is wrong with. you? I can tell something is wrong." I told her she was wrong. I felt fine. I was physically exhausted from a busy weekend. I felt quite contented by what the Lord is doing at Spring Creek. She persisted with her husband Brian and daughter Eiseley listening. At some point, I shared a sneak peak about my secret concerning the coming revival. 

I told them all about the 23 day Seminole revival. I shared how I believed God had something very powerful in mind for Spring Creek. Then I told them that God had shown me how long the revival would last, but that I had not told but one person. I never shared that with Brenda because it seemed a foolish pipe dream. Without hesitation Krista replied, "____." I stared in disbelief. It was the exact number God had put in my heart months before. She told me later, "It was not something I thought in my mind. The number came up out of my spirit." 

Needless to say that got my attention. 

I came into the office this morning to start my day with prayer. I did not want to go through another routine devotion. I cried out to God for an encounter. He gave me one. He reminded me of Bible characters He invited to join Him in exciting adventures. Each had to respond by faith. Not something I have done. 

I went back through my journals from the end of 2021 and the start of 2022 and wrote down the things I sensed God had shown me. I rewrote them in one place so I could see the whole picture. I did not re-record the multiple dreams and visions. Just the things He showed me. Over and over again I read the words, "I am bringing revival to Spring Creek. I am sending revival to Spring Creek." Even as I write those words I am tempted to delete them to keep my secret safe in the confines of my heart and mind. Writing those words is my first initial step of faith. 

Here is what I have liberty to share with you. Starting in March, with God's help and your faithful prayers,  I will write devotional materials on this blog to prepare for revival. We will call those days "Camp Meeting." Each summer tens of thousands of children and teens go to summer camp. We do not get that luxury as adults. Consider this our summer camp. It will start slowly but build momentum. God will be gloried. If God does what He has shown me, none of us will have ever experienced anything like this. We must get ready. 

I also discovered something else going through my journals. An entry when I sensed God speaking to me about the lack of revival of 2020. Two reasons. One, we did not prepare as a church like we should have. Many did not take those preparations seriously. The second reason is we were not prepared for the growth God will send as a result of those revival days. We had too many holes in the body. We were not ready. 

The start date of Camp Meeting 2022 will be May 29th, 2022. Even as I wrote that I sat contemplating whether I could really hit the publish button to make this public. I paused to pray. One click and my secret is no longer safe in the shelter of my heart and mind. It will be open to criticism and skepticism. I covet your prayers. I plead with you to begin preparing yourself for what God wants to do. That includes prayer, repentance of known sin, and fasting. I ask you to take these preparations seriously. I have unloaded my secret and been obedient to what was required of me. The rest is up to God. 

Finishing

 Have you started something and not finished it? A diet. A book. Working on a college or post graduate degree. A project around the house. We are good at starting things but not so good at finishing. As I coach and work with the younger generation, it seems many do not have grit. They give up easily when things get hard. Some like to cut corners. To shy away from difficult assignments. They all do not know how to finish. 

I had a habit of quitting things when I was younger. It usually boiled down to me getting mad and quitting a  ball team, a job, a friendship, and one semester even college. I had some tough lessons to learn about finishing. I believe quitting can become a habit, but so can finishing. 

There is no better example of finishing than Jesus on the cross. He knew what He had to do. Why do you think He sweat drops of blood under the strain of taking on the sins of the world and suffering the penalty of that sin when He prayed. He knew exactly what He had to do. 

Many have written about the effects of being crucified. Exactly what the act of crucifixion did to a human body. It was one of the most cruel form of executions ever invented.  Stop for a minute and really reflect on the suffering Savior on the cross. He said something at the end that still gets me. "It is finished." In that statement, Jesus in essence said I finished. The work of redemption is complete. Salvation is paid for and now available to people through history. He did not quit. He did not throw in the towel when the work of saving souls got costly. To the point of His execution. He finished. 

I would have you note something else. He did say, "It is finished." He did not say, "I am finished." Because He rose up out of that grave and is alive today seated at the right hand of the Father waiting to come get His bride, the blood bought church. He still works. He still saves, heals, delivers, and sets people free. He is a finisher. 

Jesus did not quit on us. We should not quit on Him when things get hard. When we face a trial. Have to endure some hardship. Have to press through a little suffering from time to time. In my years in the ministry, I have seen many people quit on Jesus. 

I met a young man named Nick at a youth camp in Louisiana once. Nick got saved that day and told me that he wanted to get a Bible. I told him I would buy him one after I got home and mail it to him. Here is what I wrote in the front cover of his Bible, "Nick, don't ever turn your back on the One who placed His back on a cross for you." I could have just as easily wrote, "Don't quit on Jesus." It's the same thing I say to all of us. Finish. Jesus finished with His back on a cross and on a cold hard rock slab in a tomb. He finished by doing what He had to do. He endured the cross. He bravely faced death. He also arose victorious and is risen alive and well. We owe everything to Him. 

Whatever He calls us to do finish it. Endure. Remain faithful. Be steadfast. Persevere. Stay the course. Never quit. Keep striving. Press on. Finish. 

Informing Minds and Igniting Hearts

 Writing these posts on the island of my office, I am tempted to wonder what the point of it is. There is no shortage of things to read. Especially on the internet. There is an abundant wealth of information out there. Some good and other bad. I am not a prolific author with a huge following. So I ask myself, why do I keep writing? There are no shortage of voices out there all trying to get people's attention. 

I got the answer in a book today titled, Revival Fire. One little sentence captured the essence of my calling to write in the phrase to inform minds and ignite hearts. 

I am no theologian. I did Bible studies in college and graduate school. I read extensively, but that does not make me a theologian. I am a far cry from a scholar. I am a Bible student like the rest of you. I read for my own devotions and continued growth in God. I study to preach and teach to help people. I write to inform people of things I have learned. Through the avenue of writing, I can expand the teaching ministry. A ministry that can live long past my earthly pilgrimage. If something God has taught me can benefit others I want to inform them. 

I like to think and to try to get others to think. I want to expand the mind. To learn. To always keep learning. I love sharing those concepts with others. That is where a lot of preachers and authors stop. They achieve their goal to inform. They dispense information and let the reader do with that information whatever they please. 

Informing the mind is not enough. I want God to ignite hearts along with informing minds. I long to see the people of God grow more fervent in their zeal for God. To have hearts set ablaze by the truth of God and the presence of God. I yearn to watch God reignite smoldering embers of cold hearts into raging fires of revived ones. I crave boiling hearts filled with the love of God and love for people. 

It seems to me there are people who only seek to ignite hearts. To get people fired up. They write or say certain worn out religious cliches. They work the crowds into a fevered frenzy of emotional zeal that wears off after a few weeks or a few days. They promote rhetoric that is a mile wide and an inch deep. 

My desire is both inform the mind. To ask probing questions. To steer people to think about God and His truth more seriously. I also desire to see people ignited and inspired to go after God harder. To follow Him with hearts and minds set ablaze to advance His kingdom. to love and serve Him more passionately. There is so much more of God to discover. This is information. There is more of God to experience and love. This is ignition. 

Imagine what happens when an informed mind is matched with an ignited heart of passion. These are the people who shake the world. The apostle Paul was such a person. So was Martin Luther. You could include John Owens and Jonathan Edwards in that group. Do not forget R.C. Sproul, Ann Graham Lots, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shire, John Piper, Martyn Lloyd Jones, or Bertha Smith. May God be pleased to add us to their number of informed minds and ignited hearts. 

The Man in the Mirror

 When is the last time you took an honest look in the mirror? I am not talking about looking at your facial and bodily features in reflection. I'm referring to looking into your soul. When is the last time you took an honest spiritual assessment of yourself? 

I asked a young man recently how he was doing in His walk with the Lord. He responded that he was doing so so. I challenged Him reminding that being lukewarm makes Jesus want to vomit. [Rev 3:15-16] Maybe that sounds harsh and a little offensive. It is truth and sometimes the truth hurts. 

How many of us are really on fire? The word hot in that Revelation passage means to be boiling. When we look in the spiritual mirror can we describe our passionate love for Jesus as boiling? There may be more lukewarm believers than we think. Do we even long to be boiling. Fervent. Passionate. Dedicated. Burning in our zeal. 

What about holiness? We are called to holy living. [I Pet 1:15-16] We are called to avoid the appearance of evil. [I Thess 5:22] Have we allowed compromises to come in? Have we lowered the standards of living because it is the path of least resistance? Do we take a holy God seriously? Sin abounds and so do temptations. We do not have to give in. [I Cor 10:13] God makes a way of escape. Spirit filled living and walking will not lead to indulge in sinful desires. [Gal 5:16-17] We will reap what we sow. [Gal 6:7-8]

How is your prayer life going? Frankly, mine is up and down. There are good seasons and there are also inconsistent times when prayer is a struggle and I feel like I am just going through the motions. Do your prayer times feel religious, routine and in the same old rut? Are you able to connect with God through prayer in meaningful encounters? God forbid that any of us would be guilty of not praying. [Luke 18:1] [Luke 22:45-46] 

We do not like looking in the spiritual mirror of His word because it is uncomfortable. When God shows us our faults, sins, and failures it is heart wrenching. Painful. Humbling. Sorrowful. When is the last time you experienced any of those things in your private devotions or public worship? It is easy to grow chummy with sin. 

It is time to take an honest look in the mirror. If we harbor sin in our hearts and lives, God is going to be offended. We will be chastised. [Heb 12:4-11] We will be called to confession [I Jn 1:9] and repentance. [Ps 51:1-12] As long as we ignore sin, a holy God will have to go to measures to bring us to repentance. 

REPENT. A word we do not hear much in church circles. Go ahead. Check out of the current top 25 best selling books. I am guessing you will not find the word repent in the title. It might be hard to find it within the pages of those books also. To repent means to have a change of mind. The prevailing mentality is that we are doing as well as everyone else. God does not hold us to the standard of everyone else. We are held to the standard of the scriptures and to His Son Jesus. How we have fallen. Left our first love. [Rev 2:4-5]. It is time to remember from where we have fallen. It is time to repent and return to the Lord. Even now. [Joel 2:12]

Time is growing short. We can ill afford to play spiritual patty cake. Too much is at stake. The only hope for this nation is a repentant return to God. That starts with us looking into the mirror and facing the reality of our spiritual condition. Revival starts with repentance. May our hypocrisy not be an obstacle to others rediscovering holiness. It's time to look in the mirror. 

Contagious Courage

 Only God could have put the dangerous, risky, and improbable plan into motion. Two enemy armies were camped opposite each other with a mountain in between. War seemed inevitable. Both sides waited for the marching orders. 

That is when the second in command did an outlandishly brave thing. He left the safety of his army and took one other to scout the enemy camp. He had more in mind than scouting. Consider this a special force secret operation mission. He and his companion snaked their way through mountain crevices. It did not take long before they encountered enemy forces. In a courageous act, they attacked the enemy forces and killed about two dozen soldiers. Nobody could have foreseen what happened next. 

The enemy forces saw what happened and speculated the other army was invading through the mountain. The army panicked and  fled. Confusing chaos ensued. A lookout from the good guy's army saw the enemy fleeing and announced it to the commander of the forces. They took out in hot pursuit. Local men who had been in hiding in fear of the raiders of a hostile army, came out of hiding and joined the army in pursuit of their enemy. In the end, the enemy forces were defeated. It all started with two men taking a bold step of courage. 

Courage can be contagious. So can cowardice. The above story is true. You can read about the whole thing in I Samuel 14. Jonathan and his armor bearer took a courageous step that inspired the army of Israel and other men who had been in hiding for fear of the Philistines. Courage can do that. It can promote courage in others. Inspire them to take on risky assignments. 

I think we are prone to cowardice. It is part of the human nature. Joshua must have been because God told him repeatedly not to fear and to have good courage. [Joshua 1:9] There are not many people in our circles inspiring courage. We hear a lot of doubters. Naysayers abound. The cowards retreat in fear. Where are those who inspire courage. Where are the bold, the risk takes, the adventurers, and the brave? 

I know there are courageous soldiers who brave danger to fight for freedom and to protect their fellow soldiers. There are those commanders who inspire courage in their troops no matter the odds of the mission. There are soldiers who put their lives on the line to save a comrade. These soldiers live with risk and danger daily on battlefields. 

There are brave leaders who lead their countries in times of crisis and peril. History tells their tales. They looked danger in the eye and with a calm hand and a steady voice they rallied their nations to noble causes. People like Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt. People like Ronald Reagan. 

There are certain pastors and preachers who have boldly stood for the cause of God and inspired followers of Jesus to kingdom of God expansion exploits. Their bold faith inspired courageous faith in others. I think about people like William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army. People like David Wilkerson who boldly invaded the enemy territory of gang littered streets of New York City. He bravely labored and loved many of those gang members to Jesus and started Teen Challenge. I think of Louie Giglio who started a world wide movement for college aged adults called Passion. Bob Pierce saw a world in need and courageously stepped in faith and founded Samaritan's Purse. These courageous leaders motivated the masses to join their causes. Bill Bright started Campus Crusade for Christ to evangelize college campuses which became a huge movement. 

The question to consider today is whether we live as a coward or a courageous follower of Jesus? Either is contagious with those around us. May we be people who inspire courage and not live in timidity. God did not give us a spirit of fear. [II Tim 1:7] He is our reason to have courage. [Is 41:10] May that courage be contagious with the army of God. I don't know of a bolder more courageous verses in the Bible than [Matt 28:19-20]. The courageous challenge is to reach the world. To go beyond our comfort and security. To financially support those called to go. To be willing to go ourselves to the hard places to be light in the darkness. God could start an entire movement with just one bold courageous faith step. Listen to God. Clarify His call. Take a deep breath. Ignore fear. Step. Let the adventure begin through you. 

A Secret Burden

 There are many stumbling through life under the heavy load of secret burdens. Those burdens come in the form of cares, sorrows, worries, problems, and even secret sins nobody knows about. The burdens are never shared. Bravely the loaded down ones try to endure under the strain alone not wanting to let anyone else in. Sometimes they are embarrassed. Sometimes they fear being condemned and shamed by others. Onward they trudge weighed down with a crippling secret burden. 

There is one who knows all of the secret burdens. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He cannot be surprised. He is aware of all of it. He also gives hope for relief. It is found in [Ps 55:22]

To cast means to hurl. We are exhorted to hurl our burdens on the LORD. As a pastor, I have seen this happen numerous times in worship services and counseling sessions. I have witnessed people casting their burdens on God. I have also watched them pick them right back up and walk out under the same strain they just cast off. We are to hurl them onto to God and leave those there. Let Him solve the problem. Let Him provide for the need. Let Him work out the trial. Let His deliver from sin. Let Him comfort in the sorrow. 

He will sustain us in return. He will strengthen and support us. That means spiritual support, emotional support, mental support, and even physical support. We live in a day of fragile people. They crumble under the heavy loads of life. Doctors are quick to prescribe a pill to help people cope. It dulls the senses. It covers up the pain artificially. The problems still remain. Isn't it better to throw our heavy loads onto God's massive shoulders and walk away free. Not only to be free, but to also be sustained by the strength of God in every area of our life. 

The sustaining power of God promotes emotional health, mental health, spiritual health, and physical health. Think of the numbers of people dealing with one or more of these areas that are not healthy and whole. It is heartbreaking. People living day in and day out under the stress and strain of secret burdens. The put on a brave face and push forward. They are also exhausted, stressed to the max, confused and unstable, and see no way out. God is the way out. Cast your burden onto Him and receive His sustaining grace in return. 

There are problems in this life. We face tribulations. There is no escaping that fact. There is this truth. God will never allow the righteous to be shaken. He will not allow His own to be unsettled, toppled, disturbed, agitated beyond the ability to recover. He has given us several strategies to stand firm. To help us through the tough times. 

[II Cor 10:3-5] We must work on what we think about and dwell on. Each thought should be taken captive in obedience to Christ. 

[Luke 18:1] We should always pray and not lose heart. 

[Ps 55:22] We should cast our burdens on the Lord and leave them there. 

[Phil 4:6-7] We should pray about everything and worry about nothing. 

Children of God be encouraged. God will not let you be shaken. You may be tested, but He is greater than your test. You may be heavy laden, but He is mightier than any secret burden you bear. Cast them onto Him and leave it there. Walk free from that heavy load today. 

It's Too Late

 He is at the top of his profession. A multimillionaire. He thinks independently and has an almost cult following. He has a massive platform from which to influence the masses. He is constantly in the news. Often in the headlines and the lead story. He is a proven leader with a successful body of work behind him to show for it. This guy is one of the few in life who reached celebrity status. He has perfected his craft. Many say he is one of the greatest in his business to ever do it. 

And one more thing. He denies the existence of God. In his serious studies, he has sided with people who deny the existence of God. He has no regard for the Bible. No faith in a sinless Savior nor need for His sacrifice for personal salvation. This man is arrogant. Brash. Confident. On top of the world. He is also lost. A marked man for eternal doom if he stays on his present course. 

One day in the future this self proclaimed atheist will have a different point of view. Whether through death, the great tribulation or the second coming this man will bow his knee and with his tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. [Phil 2:9-10]. He has not done so voluntarily here. He will do it involuntarily on that day. 

It will be too late. Too late to repent of sin and trust Jesus for salvation. It will be too late to take hold of the gospel message to heart. It will be too late to become a follower of Jesus. Too late to become a disciple. It will be too late to have his name written in the Lamb's book of life. Too late to have all his recorded deeds covered with the blood of Jesus. Too late to be forgiven. Too late to be declared righteous. Mark this truth well. On that day he will become a believer, but it will be too late. 

In that day, he will stand bare before the Lord. His money and successes will not do him one iota of good. God will not be impressed. On that day, the loving Heavenly Father will don the Righteous Judge role and pour out His indignation and wrath on a reduced, rebellious, and unrepentant man. His condemnation will be swift. His sentence severe. The duration of that sentence for all eternity, time without end. His future will include eternal torment by the flames of hell, weeping and gnashing of teeth, misery without end, and sorrows that will never comforted. It will be too late to escape the lake of fire and bottomless pit of hell. 

Do we even care? Do we give a second thought to the fact people are perishing? We can sing songs like Rescue The Perishing, Jesus Saves, Amazing Grace, Redeemed By The Blood Of The Lamb, and When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder. Do we believe any of it? Do we actually take to heart [John 3:16], [Rom 5:8] and [II Cor 5:21]? So many in the church are hard hearted, tight lipped, and dry eyed. Shame on us. 

One day it will be too late for followers of Jesus to do anymore evangelizing, anymore mission work, anymore gospel witness, and any more evangelistic crusades. One day we will pass from the pages of history and answer for what we have done and not done. It will be too late for us to help anyone else see the Light of the World. [John 8:12]. There is much work to do before it too late. Let us labor while we still have time before it is too late. 

Sturdy as a Redwood and Tender as a Flower

 When you think about the sturdiness of a Redwood tree, its ability to grow deep roots, to survive storms and droughts, a tender flower cannot compare. Redwoods are hard. Strong. Massive. Unyielding. Steadfast. All of those things are good qualities of preachers. They need to be strong in the word of God, unyielding to liberal influences, and steadfast in proclaiming the whole truth of the Bible over a long duration. 

There are many stalwart men in the pulpit. Many are aging. I think about men such as David Jeremiah, Chuck Swindoll, John Piper, and John MacArthur. Men who remained in their pulpits for decades holding fast the word of life. There have been many pulpit giants like them through history. Charles Spurgeon stayed in his church over 30 years. He vigorously defended truth. Charles Simeon remained in his pulpit for 54 years even though he faced 12 years of intense opposition initially. John Newton only served two churches his entire ministry. My pastor, Charles M. Roberts, preached at my home church for 34 years. Strong redwood trees were each of these men. 

Strong redwood pastors also need to be tenderhearted like a flower as they minister to people. Caring. Sensitive. Loving. Compassionate. Patient. John Newton was such a pastor. I think the apostle John was such a one too. He wrote about love more than all the other apostles. Charles Roberts tenderly loved me and guided me through my early ministry years. He patiently helped me navigate the waters learning to be more than a preacher to becoming a faithful pastor. He welcomed me to his office to sit on the couch and unload my troubled heart more times than I can count. I cannot thank God enough for him. 

It seems to me that it is easy to fall to one side or the other. To be a redwood uncompromising in proclamation of truth, but never really accessible to the people. On the other hand, there are some who are weak in preaching the Bible, but excel in loving and shepherding the people. 

I believe God would have preachers and pastors excel at both. To be sturdy in the pulpit not caving into trials, external pressures, internal criticisms, and overwhelming demands made upon them. At the same time, they need to be tender and delicate with people up close. To be accessible to the flock, willing to listen, available to pray and visit people in their distress. 

A.W. Tozer was a redwood. He was not tender as a flower. Very often after finishing the sermon, he exited out a side door to avoid talking to the people. He preferred time in private worship and keeping his nose in his books than visiting people. The story is told that one time Tozer was picked up from a preaching trip by one of his associates. Since they were near the hospital, the associate suggested they stop into see one of the church members. When the hospitalized man saw Tozer walk in he exclaimed, "Is my prognosis really that bad that Tozer came to see me." Tozer is known as a great in the pulpit and an author. He is not known to have been a great shepherd of people. 

It is a delicate balance to be sturdy like a redwood and tender like a flower at the same time. To get out balance can harm the very people you preach to or the pastor can be pushed around and intimidated by brash members if they are too soft and delicate. May God give His ministers the needed grace to be sturdy like a redwood in proclaiming truth and a tender compassionate heart when ministering to people. 

White Blanket

 It doesn't happen often. Especially in Texas. It snowed here yesterday and the temperatures will not rise above freezing for another 24 hours. A white blanket of snow covers the land. It is both beautiful and symbolic. 

I cannot help but think about a scripture. Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool." [Is 1:18]

Just like the white snow has covered dirt, grass, leaves, and even road bases. It the same way the blood of Jesus covers our sins when we trust Him for salvation. Our polluted, filthy, defiled hearts can be covered in a blanket of white forgiveness. What a beautiful reminder. 

It is true that snow and ice can be inconvenient. I have only left the house the last two days to make the few steps from the house to my office. There were no other footsteps in the pure snow until last night, for I saw a few new ones this morning indicating someone else showed up. Other than that, we have been camped in the house. I had to unfortunately call to inform a family in West Texas that I would be unable to travel out there to participate in a funeral on Saturday. Numerous wrecks have occurred. Schools and businesses have closed. Recreational sports leagues have suspended games for this weekend. 

The beautiful reminder that God takes our scarlet sins and and turns them white as snow is unfathomable. I have preached the gospel for over 30 years now. I am still humbled and amazed by His amazing grace as I contemplate the centrality of the cross. I have never gotten over what Jesus did for me at the cross. How He transferred me from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. How He clothed me in righteousness. He willingly suffering the punishment for my sinful offenses. What other king would do that for his subjects? Jesus willingly did that for all who trust Him. Scarlet sins forgiven and turned white still humbles me with gratitude and deep affectionate love for my Savior. 

It also does something else. It makes me want to serve Him more. To pray more. Read His word more. Study more. Write more. Evangelize more. Preach more. Teach more. To work harder not less. Not to try to earn my salvation. That can never be done. We are saved by grace and not by works. [Eph 2:8-9] No. I want to serve more not to earn salvation, but in gratitude. I do it strictly out of appreciation for a Savior who gave everything for me, I want to give my everything back in service for Him. 

Soft as a Marshmallow

 One day at football practice for the Trinity Christian Academy Eagles, I asked one of the players if he had any marshmallows. He did not and had no idea what I was getting at. Over the weeks I continued to ask different players if they had marshmallows. Finally one guy asked me, "Coach, why are you always asking us if we have marshmallows?" I replied, "Because you are soft."

We live in a soft Christian age. Think about it. On one side of the world, people are risking their lives to worship Jesus. They bravely gather to sing and study the scriptures at great peril. On our side of the world, people contemplate whether they should allow their child to play soccer or baseball on Sunday. There are some who face torture for sharing Christ with family and neighbors. In America, people remain silent for fear of offending someone. 

The church in America caters to the soft. Worship is entertainment driven. There is little emphasis on doctrinal purity in what we sing so long as it has a good beat and feels good. Sermons have downgraded into sermonettes of pop psychology. The weighty matters of truth are often avoided. People are seldom challenged to live lives of risk. Themes of comfort, security, and prosperity are preferred over the themes of sacrifice, obedience by faith,  the crucified life, taking the gospel to the hard places, total surrender, and dying to the American dream are avoided. Such themes can thin out a crowd. We are soft. We prefer soft messages. 

Jesus did not call us to be soft. He called us to follow Him. [Matt 16:24] That means a life of self denial. Denying self is hard. We gratify self and selfish desires. Jesus calls us to reject self. To do just the opposite of what self wants in favor of what He wants. He also calls us take up our cross. That means to be willing to suffer. To endure some hardship for His sake. Soft people want a soft life. They want to avoid suffering, risk, and discomfort. A cushy comfortable life is the American dream. Hard people know how to endure adversity. They do not shrink back in tough times. They have a never quit mentality. Lastly, Jesus calls us to follow Him. It does not matter where. He has the authority to demand us to follow Him anywhere, at anytime, to do anything. That is hard truth but it still truth. 

I say it again. Jesus never called us to live a soft life. Are you soft like a marshmallow? Or have the muscles of your faith been strengthened and toughened through hard rigorous following Jesus? May God raise up hard people who will embrace the hard assignments, in the hard places, among gospel hardened people. 

A Pebble Falling

 A tiny pebble falling into a large body of water like an ocean does not make a very large splash. The minuscule ripples spread out for a moment and then disappear. That is the way it is with many people's lives. We are pretty ordinary. We live out our allotted number of days. We are like small pebbles dropped into the ocean of history. We make a tiny splash that spread a few ripples that soon disappear. What if...

What if God took those tiny ripples traveling across the ocean and God blew the wind of His spirit over the waters elevating those ripples into giant waves that spread to other distant shores thousands of miles away and impacting the lives of many? What if that tiny pebble had the same impact as a giant Boulder, or even an avalanche of boulders tumbling into the ocean. That is possible. It has been done before. 

It happened to a college drop out, who ministered in a small obscure place, laboring for only four years, and then dying at the age of 29. That sums up the life of David Brainerd. He was expelled from college for criticizing a professor and never allowed to reenroll. This eliminated his eligibility to ever serve as a pastor. He chose to be missionary to native Indians around the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. He labored alone. He coughed up blood continually. He persevered through difficult circumstances. The Indian hearts were often hard. The fruit of his labors were hard to see at times. He had to travel 15 miles to get any bread. If he bought bread in quantity it molded before he could eat it. Did I mention he coughed up blood continually especially in the winter months when the smoke from the fire inside often choked him forcing out in the bitter cold to breathe. That caused him to cough up more blood. In the end, he died at 29. Providentially he died in the home of Jonathan Edwards. Edwards read Brainerd's diary. He was moved by Brainerd's devotion to prayer, fasting, zeal for God, holiness, and tireless labors. 

Edwards edited that diary and then published it. God blew across the ocean waters of minuscule ripples of Brainerd's brief and tragic life. God used The Diary of David Brainerd to inspire thousands of people into ministry and missions. Many credit persevering in difficult mission assignments to reading their Bibles and reading David Brainerd. The impact of life and ministry went far beyond the little mission field he labored in. He continues to impact people today. That little book is still in print hundreds of years after he died. 

Oh that God would do the same with us. That we would wholly surrender ourselves to Him. [Rom 12:1] [Matt 16:24] [II Cor 5:14-15] That we would serve with all our might where God plants us. [Col 3:23] That we would persevere through any and all difficulties and complete our assignment. [Heb 12:1-3] Maybe as the tiny pebbles of our lives splash into the ocean of history, God would once again blow across the waters turning the ripples into waves of impact for His glory. 

With God's anointing, your tiny pebble could have a much wider impact that you can know. We are all called to be faithful. To give Him our best and trust Him for the results. May we live out the truth of [Matt 5:16] in this life time and leave a legacy of faith after our lives are done. All for the glory of our great God. 

He Did Not Despair of the Despairing

 Most people know John Newton for two things. He was the captain of a slave trading ship for years. After he got saved and called to the ministry he wrote a poem. Not just a poem. An anthem of the faith. Newton wrote Amazing Grace. 

He also served as a faithful pastor for decades. He faithfully loved his flock and fed them the word of God. He wrote hundreds of other hymns besides his most famous one. He faithfully shepherd the flock. None of these things is the point of this post. 

God orchestrated that John Newton and William Cowper cross paths. From that point on, Newton became a lifelong friend of Cowper. Cowper battled lifelong depression and attempted suicide multiple times. I wrote about this in a previous blog titled, Debilitating Depression. 

What amazes me is that Newton did not give up on his friend. Counseling him. Helping Cowper walk off the ledge of suicidal thoughts. He even asked him to help write songs for a hymnal to be used in Newton's congregation. They took long walks together discussing spiritual themes. They shared meals. Newton listened as Cowper unloaded his clouded mind and heavy laden heart. Newton kept shining light in Cowper's dark world. Remaining Cowper's friend could not have been easy. It must have been emotionally draining. Newton never despaired of the despairing. 

That is far cry from what some do with troubled people today. We want our churches to grow. We just do not want them to grow with troubled people who will require extra attention. We want people with their acts together, who make a good salary to help support the church financially, and who volunteer in some ministry to keep the church programs well staffed. Cowper would not have qualified. That leaves a lot of people out. That does reflect the heart of Jesus. 

Newton's example is just like Jesus. Look closely at the people Jesus gravitated toward. Lepers, adulterers, lame, demon possessed, blind, paralyzed, broken, immoral, tax collectors, and even the dead on a couple of occasions. He intentionally zeroed in on people others went out if their way to avoid. He loved the most unlovable. He tolerated the intolerable. He ministered to the messed up. He moved toward the marginalized. 

Newton did not give up on his friend. He walked the hard miles with a depressed suicidal gifted soul. He kept showing up. Even when God moved him to another church in another town. He maintained correspondence with Cowper to the very end of his life. What a faithful shepherd following in the footsteps of the Great Shepherd Jesus. Will we do the same? May we never despair of the despairing. 

Party in the Office

 It does not happen often. A perfect day. A snow day where the roads are shut down and where I get to spend time in the office with a bunch of my friends. We are throwing a party. They are crammed in here wall to wall. A welcome sight for this parson. I have the whole day with them. To enjoy their company and to benefit from their wisdom. 

Brenda is at home busying herself with several projects. Taylor is working on school stuff in preparation for teaching. They would not like this kind of party. One of theological discussions, mind bending truths examined and explored, and iron sharpening iron. It might surprise you to learn many of my guests are dead. I assure you I am not partying with ghosts. Those who know me well have already surmised that all this time I have been referring to books and authors. I just put down an 809 page book filled with inspiration. Such a book may intimidate some. When I got it, I cracked it open in the parking lot and read it long before I even started for. home. I could not contain my giddiness that day or this one. It may not be a fast read. It is a beneficial one. 

This is a perfect day to crack it open with pen in hand and read underlining meaningful sentences and phrases. I am surrounded by Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Tozer, Martin Luther, G. Campbell Morgan, Joseph Parker, George W. Truett, George Mueller, E.M. Bounds, my old companion Leonard Ravenhill, George Whitfield, D.L. Moody, Vance Havner, and many many more. What a perfect day to do two of my favorite things. To read and to write. Much of the time what I read sparks the thoughts about what I write. 

There are many people who do not read anymore. It does not fit in with our fast pace society. Some prefer to listen to a book rather than read one because of their schedules. Some prefer to read on some type  of electronic device. Not me. I like to hold a book in my hand. Some hundred of years old. I like the smell of the pages. The feel of the hard back covers. Those black letters printed on white pages dance before my eyes enticing me to dive in with them. I am drawn away in my imagination to times far away describing mighty exploits of God in the lives of others. It burns a passionate longing in me to experience those same types of God moving in my life and in this church. 

Many who do read never make it past the best selling section. I bypass that section and work my way to back corners and look for what I like to call treasures. Like this 809 page gem that has captured my attention the past couple of days. It was not located in the top 10 best sellers but, I suspect it will outlive them in longevity. Great books stand the test of time. This is a GREAT book. It is good to read some things written in another century. To get a different perspective. Before tackling this massive volume, my most recent readings had been in more modern books. I hardly wrote anything on this blog in January because I was not inspired. In just days of reading this new book, I have filled a legal pad page of multiple topics I want to write about sparked by something someone wrote or said hundreds of years ago. 

Today there is a party in my office. This is a rare day when I don't have other commitments pulling me away. No coaching. No meetings. No vista and no other appointments. Just me and my friends on the shelves. I have some uninterrupted time to read, meditate, and write. What a blessed day. I could not be more contented. What a day. I want to take full advantage of it. See you soon with the next inspirational thought from my readings. 

Debilitating Depression

 There are some unfortunate people who live a good portion of their lives with  the dark cloud of gloomy depression. Debilitating depression. There are also other people who do not understand them. Especially Christian people who think no follower of Jesus should ever be overcome by despair. They muse that victory is found in prayer and Bible meditation. Attendance at worship services will bring a person through. 

Sometimes depressed followers of Jesus pray, weep, read their Bibles incessantly, and rarely miss worship. They are still held in the vice like grip of depression helpless to free themselves. Gloom falls over their outlook. Their minds are clothed in dark despair. All the normal spiritual disciplines do not bring them immediate relief. Would be counselors come to offer their wisdom in vain like Job's friends did. They cannot understand these troubled souls. 

Sometimes there are no quick fixes. Such people live in the blackest dejection. What truths they read seem true for others but not for themselves. There have been some saints who struggled with despair their entire life and yet God used them. They are haunted by the hounds of hell incessantly. They scramble in the darkness of their thoughts. They tread the pitch dead of night waters in an ocean from which they cannot find rescue. Some who have battled this debilitating depression describe it in phrases like, "Unutterable gloom, overwhelming and intractable despair."

Sadly, the church has little answers or help beyond our pray more, read more, worship more counsel for such people. What about when those things do not work? Does the church cast these troubled turbulent minded people aside because they are not quick fixes? What about when the depression paralyzes hope and drives a person to multiple attempts at suicide and getting institutionalized repeatedly? Do such people have any value to the church or to the cause of Christ? 

There are many great worship songs. Some modern ones and some old hymns. One of the things I love about hymns is the doctrine included in the lyrics. Like It Is Well With My Soul, Amazing Grace, At The Cross, When We All Get to Heaven. Have you ever sung these words? There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood will lose all their guilty stains. Those words were written by William Cowper in late 1700's. Cowper suffered from life long depression. At times, all he could do was sit in a dark room paralyzed to get out and be productive. He was a poet. The above poem has become a famous hymn sung by millions. Written by a depressed suicidal man up to his last days. He battled despair his whole life. God still used him. Cowper attempted suicide multiple times but God spared him. He used him to write beautiful poems and songs that have ministered to other people fighting debilitating depression. 

From 2014-2017 I went through the darkest season of my life. I could not get out of the dark dungeon of depression. I prayed hours daily. In those years, I read my Bible through completely four times. I preached nearly every Sunday of those years and Wednesday night. The depression did not lift. Hope fled like a gazelle chased by a lion. Friends became very concerned. So did Brenda. I soon discovered that nobody could understand my debilitating depression. The few times I tried to explain it people could not understand. They blamed it on sin in my life. They told me to just trust God. To read the gospel. To think positively. Soon I quit telling anyone what I felt because I knew they could not relate. At one point, I confessed to Brenda I felt like a thousand demons were raking their talons over my mind destroying hope and clouding all my thoughts. I had no peace. Sleep was fitful. I was never suicidal but, I could sure see how people get to a point of despair where they cannot find hope and reasons to keep living. Death looks more attractive than the pain of life. 

I sympathize with those battling depression. I understand. You are not alone. You know what ultimately brought me through. Two things. Reading biographies about others who suffered and persevered. They helped me find some measure of hope that the darkness gives way to light. That was the lesser of the two benefits. The greatest benefit is that I kept praying and reading my Bible though it did not bring me immediate deliverance. Those four years linger longer in my mind. I felt engulfed in an ocean that I would never escape. 

Not until a spring Sunday afternoon in 2016 on the back porch of some friend's house in Seminole, TX. I've written about that God encounter with one simple verse. John 5:17. God saved my ministry with that little verse and an eight hour encounter with Him on that back porch. I have a little stone pillar and a picture of that back porch in my office to remind me of that encounter. God delivered me. He healed my mind. He restored my faith. He cast away the darkness and replaced it with hope. I'm not proud of those difficult years and do not like to talk about it much. It is embarrassing to admit as a pastor I suffered from mental health issues. I did not have the luxury to step away from ministry for an extended time. I had to work my way through it. I have never felt more alone. More helpless and hopeless until God brought me out. 

Guess what God reminded me? He is faithful. I Thess 5:24 is true. He is trustworthy. Even to those battling debilitating depression. Press on weary ones. Find hope in one who has walked the road you are on and been shown the way of escape. I do not judge you. I hurt for you and want to point to you a path of freedom. Please do not give up. There is still hope for you. 

The Smell of Affliction

 There are some pastors who preach with a depth foreign to others. There are some authors that write with authority and a freshness that others cannot grasp. There are Christians who commune with Christ at a level of intimacy few others enjoy. One of the things that makes the difference in these people is the smell of affliction. To put that another way they have suffered. Their faith has been forged in the fires of adversity. They smell of affliction. 

Apostle Paul suffered. The smell of those afflictions permeate his epistles. Charles Spurgeon suffered from gout. This fueled his preaching and writing to appeal to the masses. George Mueller suffered trials of faith one after the other. This smell of affliction moved many to support his mission to the orphans. Martin Luther spent time locked away in a castle for his protection. The smell of affliction opened the Bible and fueled his future preaching and writings. 

You run across such people all the time. They sit in the pews. They have a maturity about them. They are stable. They know how to endure every season of life. Nothing ruffles them. Their faith is strong. Their joy unshakable. Their hope is anchored. They have the smell of affliction about them. I talked to a lady today who lost one of her daughters as a teenager. Not long after that her husband died of cancer. She has suffered much. She has ailing health today. She is still strong in the faith. I think about a tough prayer warrior who grew up Catholic. She came to saving faith in Christ by her own study. She raised her sons to be men of God. She is tough. Witty. No nonsense. Faithful. She is strong in the faith. Get close to her and you smell affliction. I recall a young mother who lost her daughter as a child. She is strong in the faith. Her father died tragically. She maintained a steady walk with God. Her mother is dying. She is still unwavering in her resolve to follow Jesus. I smell affliction on her. 

Many years ago a businessman approached me after a service. He told me that God had used me to help him through the toughest season of his life through the sermons I preached over the past six months. I could not have been more surprised. I preached those sermons to myself. I was trying to survive the worst season of my life. Each week I preached what God used to help me. God preached to me in my adversity before I ever shared it with the congregation. What that man did not know is that those sermons were used by God because they had the smell of affliction about them. 

After all these years, I have learned a few things. All people suffer at some point. Everybody is going through something. Some just hide it better than others. It is the testimonies of those who have survived seasons of suffering that have helped me the most. The most inspiring people are those who have gone through the furnace of affliction and still have the smell of smoke on them. 

I have also learned that God uses suffering. Suffering does not mean He does not love us. The more I read the Bible, the more I see how God wove affliction into the lives and purposes of His chosen servants. The smell of affliction makes Joseph, Moses, David, and Paul compelling to us. Even our blessed Master Jesus suffered. He identifies with us. I have seen God use suffering in people to bring about good in others. 

I know that afflictions do not last forever for true believers. Even if we face terminal illness, that is only temporary compared to eternity with Jesus. We do well to keep our eyes on our ultimate destination. All this affliction is temporary. I am thankful how God uses it. Don't be surprised the next time you are moved deeply by a song when you discover the writer and singer smell a little like affliction. May we mature to the point where we actually thank God for the smell of affliction. 

Choose Joy

 My intention was to encourage a couple going through a difficult time battling a terminal illness. The progression of the disease has reached a severe point. Due to the ongoing pandemic, I have been unable to make an in house visit is some months now. Each time we tried to schedule it someone else would get sick including me or someone in their family. 

So I sent some messages to encourage them both and let them know I love them. I really did not expect the response I got back. Facing incredible suffering here is the line that inspired this blog. "We trust in Jesus and choose joy." Trust and joy. Their world is getting a little smaller. There was a time when they were young and active especially in their church. They labored for Jesus multiple decades. 

Then they moved to Weatherford. They joined Spring Creek the same day my family did. They worshipped with us. Attended prayer meetings. They came to our first marriage conference. They brought joy to other people. Worked in VBS. The terminal disease progressed along with the pandemic and they stayed at home and worshiped online right along with us. That was nearly two years ago. They took communion when we took communion. They always commented they were watching and joining us Sunday morning, night and Wednesday nights. They would write something like, "We are joining you, or we are here with. you." They still found ways to minister to others from their home. 

Then their worlds shrunk even more. Other than doctor visits they did not leave the house much. Eventually it became more difficult to go outside. Then to even get around in the house. Without a miracle death will come. They are both staring it in the eyes. They have not sunk back in fear and unbelief. They are facing their future with courage, faith and yes joy. They still choose joy. 

I can think of times in my personal life when I faced much lesser challenges and I did not choose joy. I doubted more than I trusted. These two faithful stalwarts of the faith should inspire all of us. They are the personification of people who are followers of Jesus. Followers in every season of life. 

I think the phrase, "We choose joy," will stick with me for a long time. That same sentiment is echoed by Paul all throughout the book of Philippians. [Phil 3:1] [Phil 4:4] [Phil 4:10] Like John Bunyan, Paul wrote those words in prison. He had lost his freedom but still chose joy. Joy has nothing to do with our circumstances. 

It is so easy when things are not going well to choose anger, doubt, depression, bitterness, self pity, resentment, and to give up on God. It is a mark of maturity when facing adversity to intentionally choose joy anyway. What encouragement that little phrase gave me today. Maybe God will use it in your life too. Choose joy. 

He Could Have Had His Freedom if He Wanted It

 Not many people today are familiar with John Bunyan, the tinker who became a preacher. He was uneducated formally but a powerful force behind the pulpit with a Bible in his hand. Too powerful and too popular. The religious leaders considered him dangerous and arrested him. 

Picture the context. His first wife died and one year later he remarried to Elizabeth. He already had four children from his previous marriage and one of those a little girl who was blind. One year later Bunyan was arrested and imprisoned. Elizabeth was pregnant at the time and had a miscarriage due to the stress of the situation. She was left to fend for herself and four step-children fighting off poverty. 

John Bunyan could have walked out a free man at any time he wanted. All he had to do was commit to never preach again. He could not compromise the conviction to preach and Elizabeth felt the same way. They both agreed he should remain in prison. Would we find that kind of faith and conviction in preachers in the United States? He remained imprisoned for 12 long years. That was not wasted time. God used those twelve years in a very productive way. 

Bunyan sat down and hand wrote the second best selling book of all time. Remember. Bunyan was uneducated. He was imprisoned. He missed his family. He still found a way to be productive for His king Jesus. He got inspired and wrote a book that has been read by brilliant theologians as well as simple minded people all over the world for well over one hundred years. The title of the book is Pilgrim's Progress. 

At one point, Bunyan recorded that watching his family suffer, especially his blind daughter, felt like his flesh being ripped from his bones. His conviction remained steadfast. He would not give up preaching. He could have had his freedom anytime he wanted. The religious leaders wanted to stop his influence. What they did not know and Bunyan could not know, is that his decision to remain incarcerated allowed him to influence more people through the ages through his book than he ever would have been able to do just preaching in person. 

God is sovereign and works in ways that are beyond our understanding. One simple conviction has had profound implications on millions of people. Maybe you are also facing a challenge to compromise your convictions. Stay steadfast. You never know what God might do through your simple act of faithfulness. He could use it in ways beyond your imagination. Stay strong. 

Walking Into The Interior

Of all the titles and roles I am called to fill, one holds special affection for me. Pastor. It is true some might call me a preacher, author, a person of prayer, or even coach. The role that means the most to me is pastor. 

 I remember telling Spring Creek when they interviewed us before the church that initially when a church calls a new pastor, they are calling a new preacher. It takes time to earn the right to become a pastor for people. I cherish the Sunday evening about a year later when a man recounted my saying that and exhorted that I had earned the right to be his pastor before the congregation. 

As a pastor/shepherd, people give you permission to walk into the interior of their lives. Like when they are sick and hospitalized. Like when they or a family member is approaching death. Like when people go through divorce. Like when the trials of life weigh them down and they just need to talk about it for awhile. Like when hurting and confused people come for counsel. 

You can be a preacher and have no relationship with the people. You can proclaim Bible truth while keeping your distance and never fully engaging with the people you are preaching to. A true pastor builds relationships. He cares far beyond the sermon. He prays for the flock entrusted to him. He loves. He cares about the people. He is involved with them. He seeks to spend time with members new and old. 

It is an honor to walk into the interior of someone's life. I will be leaving Friday for a funeral in West Texas the following Saturday of a beloved former church member's mother. It is an honor to be invited to participate in this service. I may not be this family's formal pastor anymore but, how can I stop ever caring and shepherding people I love. Someone will soon come by the office for some counseling. It is an honor to try to help them. To comfort someone broken and heavy hearted. 

I have wept with people in tragedies. I have rejoiced with others in celebratory times. I have walked through the long dark road of addiction, depression, poverty, and sorrow. I have listened to hopes and dreams, comforted during failure, built up in low times and been inspired by triumphs. I've hugged people at gravesides. Stood before them at the marriage altar. Prayed beside hospital beds and next to death beds. 

People need more than a preacher. They need a pastor. Someone to go into the interior of their lives and love them. They need a shepherd to walk with them through the valley of the shadow of death. They long for a confidante to unload their sinful failures onto without being shamed or condemned. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. I am but an under shepherd. I watch out for His flock entrusted to my care. It is His church. His people. I am humbled and honored to be invited into the interior of people's lives. A privilege I do not take for granted.