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.