Pregnant With Prayer

 Just like a woman can be pregnant with a child, so can believers be pregnant in their spirits with burdens they are prayerfully travailing through to give birth to God glorifying answers. I am carrying two burdens. Two things I carry in my spirit. Today I write about them. I do this for two reasons. 

First, I do it in accordance with I John 5:14-15. In that passage, we are exhorted to pray in the will of God and to pray confidently. That word confidence means to publicize and proclaim. I interpret this to mean that by faith we state in advance the things we are trusting Him for in demonstration of our faith. 

The second reason I do this, is to glorify God when He does it. He does not get as much glory when I share these things in hindsight. When I am convinced, I am praying in the will of God I sometimes state publicly what I am believing to do. Over the years the skeptics and doubters have voiced their disapproval. Many times, I have watched them silenced when God comes through and does the very thing I publicly trusted Him to do. I certainly do not do this emotionally manipulate people to help. God already has His answer and the provision selected before I typed the first sentence of this post. 

For those reasons I share what I'm trusting God to do. It is something I have seen Him do numerous times in the past. I trust that in His timing and according to His good pleasure He will do it again. I am believing God for Brenda and I to get new vehicles without any debt. Let me clarify. When I use the word new, I do not mean brand new. I only mean new to us. Why? The Yukon I drive is a 2004 model which is not the problem. The problem is the oil pressure in the vehicle is so low which indicates by several mechanics that the engine needs to be replaced. I do not fully understand all of it, but I trust the mechanics who do. I am also at the point of needing to replace the tires. It is not a want for a new vehicle as much as it is a need. It does not make sense for me to spend well over $1,000 on tires when the vehicle is on its last legs. So, I'm asking God to replace that vehicle. I have not come to Him with any other request other than it be full size and it be debt free. I know He can and will do this. I use my vehicle for pastoral visits and at times to go and preach His word in other places besides where I pastor. Just like John Wesley and George Whitfield needed horses for their ministries and D.L. Moody and Charles Finney needed horse and buggies for theirs, I need a vehicle for mine. 

Brenda and I committed to God several years ago that we would never go into debt on another vehicle. We have not. Each time we have needed a new vehicle we ask Him. There have been times when we have asked and waited for years before He chose to answer. People do not believe it when I say in between Thanksgiving and New Years of 2019 we watched God provide 5 vehicles for our family without one single penny of debt. The people of Spring Creek can testify to this truth because they got a front row seat to see it happen. We prayed three years before God answered. We were pregnant with that prayer for three years. Then in a flash God worked, provided, and humbled us by His power. 

Brenda's car is a 2006 model. It has some mechanical issues as well. I am asking God to replace it and put her in something more dependable. Again, we have never asked God for brand new cars. We are content to drive older cars, and we drive them until it no longer makes sense to spend large amounts of money to repair them. We like to say we drive them to the wheels fall off. 

There you have it. Two vehicles. No debt. I have no idea how God will do it. Neither do I know when He will do it. I believe that He will do it. We carry the prayer burden. Between now and then we labor and travail in prayer until God gives birth to the miracles. 

Some say such actions are foolish. I say going into debt is foolish. The borrower is slave to the lender. See Provers 22:7. This is not an insurmountable mountain. We believe God to move it. See Mark 11:23-24. We know God is able to do more than we can dream. See Ephesians 3:20. We ask, seek and knock believing in His time we will receive, find, and the door will be opened. See Matthew 7:7-8. One day these pregnant prayers will be answered as God gives birth to a miracle. I thank and praise Him in advance. 

Maybe you have your own pregnant prayer. Maybe you are also travailing and waiting to celebrate God's miraculous intervention. He can do it. May we not lose heart. May we not give into doubt no matter how long we have to wait. May He receive abundant glory for answering pregnant prayer. 

He Did It Again

 I had just finished teaching a class and walked into the sanctuary. There was an elderly couple sitting on the back pew in the middle section. This is their spot. They have been faithful members for decades. I approached them from the pew ahead of theirs to gladly greet them. We talked for a few moments when I noticed the wife wiping tears from her eyes. She is battling many things that are testing her faith and resolve. I walked from in front of them and knelt behind her and whispered a verse to encourage her. 

I should have seen it coming, but I have to confess that I did not. I went to the front pew where Brenda and sit in worship. We started the service and just as I was getting into the music a thought flashed across my mind. I knew the message I prepared was not the right one for that service. God wanted me to preach the passage I shared with the lady in the back. I had not prepared to preach that passage. I was facing my own crisis of belief. 

The Spring Creek people are used to this by now. It happens several times each year. I will sit in the middle of worship when I become convinced that God has a totally different message than the  I studied for earlier in the week. It is not like I don't pray about these messages. Sometimes I am preaching through books of the Bible. Sometimes it might be a series through a certain section of scriptures. In either case, there are times when God choose to hide His intended message until we are in the worship service. He has done this for a couple of decades. I have learned not to ignore this, but to go with God. 

Only God inspires and gives me what to say. At the end of a message on faith and hope, I brought up our music minister. He has requested several upgrades he needs in instruments and equipment. I asked him in front of the congregation what he needed. He told us each of the items. I asked if he knew how much it would cost. He thought about $3,000. I asked the congregation to pray asking God to meet this need. We did not pass an offering plate and play on people's emotions. Turned out we did not need to do so. 

Within 20 minutes of the service ending, our worship minister received a phone call informing him that the need would be met fully. The person who called was not even in the service but watched from home. You have not because you ask not. God did it again. He spoke a word that He only revealed in the service. He met a need that we have spent six months trying to accomplish on our own. He did it again. If we keep trusting Him and offering up believing prayers, He will keep doing it over and over again. What an encouraging day we enjoyed. God can do anything. All things are possible to Him. Nothing is impossible for Him. He can do more than we can even ask or dream. Let's trust Him to keep doing it again. 

Constant Forgiving

 Why do we so easily give into temptation, 

That brings no peace but only condemnation,

Satan is the most masterful of all deceivers, 

We act like pagans not blood bought believers, 

It seems none of us these are days are immune, 

No longer by holiness are God's own consumed, 

One by one some faithful fall in shameful disgrace, 

Choosing sin instead of God's ever loving embrace, 

There is forgiveness for those who will repent, 

Who walk in holiness and from sin will relent, 

How many hypocrites have shamed Lord Jesus, 

Who turns not a blind eye but always sees us, 

He died cruelly so that sinners could be redeemed, 

His love displayed proving how much He esteemed, 

May we choose the path of righteous pure living, 

Not taking grace for granted and His constant forgiving. 

Another One Bites the Dust

 It happens too frequently. It also breaks my heart. Many pile on with their criticisms. I think of the harm done. I saw it this morning. Another high-profile pastor I had never heard of was forced to resign the church he served because of an inappropriate relationship with a woman. In recent months, this news has been all too common. Maybe it has always been this rampant. Maybe we are just more aware of it now because of the prevalence of social media. 

I am not going to be another person to cast stones. You will find no rock chunking on my part. I am too grieved. It seems Satan is picking these pastors off one by one. I think of the pastor's family devastated and humiliated. I think of a church family in grief and disillusionment. I think of how sin makes the hearts of lost people even harder to the gospel message. 

I urge you to redouble your efforts to pray for your pastor. They are in the crosshairs of the Evil One. Night and day fiery arrows are shot by the hundreds if not thousands. Many pastors are isolated with few close friends to talk to when temptations arise. Many are blindsided being burned out from overwork and high stress levels. None of these are excuses, but they are symptoms of red warning flags. 

We pastors cannot watch over our souls and conduct too closely. We cannot solicit enough prayer cover. We are foolish to not be accountable by trusted friends and associates and to be transparent with our spouses. We must take heed lest we be the next one to fall and to shame the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

When I traveled as a full-time evangelist, I hired a young man I discipled at the time to go on preaching trips with me. I paid him to do two things. First, to pray for God's movement in revivals and camps. Second, I paid him to hold me accountable. So that I would not be tempted to stray and fall into sin. He did both jobs well. I do not want to be next one to sin and bite the dust. 

God demands holiness in our conduct just like He is holy. [I Pet 1:15-16] No pastor is perfect. Pastors are sinners too. That does not give us a license to give into fleshly desires and discredit everything we stood for decades on end. Those of you I serve as pastor and those of you who are my friends, go ahead. Ask me the difficult questions. Ask me if I am faithful to Brenda. Ask me if I am entertaining temptation? Ask me if I am engaged in secret behavior that will disqualify me from serving as a pastor. Please pray for my protection. I do not want be the next one that bites the dust. 

Serve

 We live in times where greatness is equated with position, power, and possessions. Great people are often entitled people. They expect to be served. They hire flunkies to do their unwanted work. They have maids, lawn boys, pool people, and chauffeurs. Great people demand deferential treatment. 

Kings have loyal servants. They do everything from laundry, to making the bed, cooking, serving the food, and being available to the king's beckon call. The same things goes for queens. CEOs have administrative assistants to do all the behind the scenes work to make deals happen, keep the financial records in order, and manage employees and their progress. Celebrities have people to wait on them and pull favors. Politicians take advantage of their privileged status to get to the head of the line. They make deals that benefit themselves more than their constituents. 

Contrast all of that with what Jesus taught in [Matt 20:26-28]. He said that those who wished to be great should become servants. Servant leadership inspires followers. If anyone ever had the right to assert their privileged status it was the Lord Jesus Christ. He even said that He did not come to be served but to serve. Let that sink in for a moment. Does that define the leaders you have come across? Do you see a servant mentality in leaders of organizations? 

I heard a lady who served on the cleaning staff of a large organization tell me one day, "I am invisible. Nobody notices me." I noticed her. I thanked her for her work constantly. I was not a leader in that organization. I was just a part of the staff. I knew exactly how she felt about being invisible. Overlooked and looked down on by high browed others. 

At one point in our ministry, I had to start a mowing business to help make financial ends meet. I cut the grass for a family I had once served as their pastor. Trust me when I say I was treated like a lawn boy and not like an endeared pastor. They were very demanding. Hard to please. They treated me like hireling. People who have to serve others to make a living deserve to be treated with respect. Like wait staff at restaurants. Like cleaning staff. Like cashiers, bank tellers, salespeople in department stores, garbage men, mechanics, truck drivers, and a host of other professions.  

I think a mandatory class on servanthood should be taught to all leaders. Part of that class should be internships in jobs where you have to serve others. The greatest leaders are servant leaders. They get their hands dirty. They inspire others by doing themselves. They make other people feel important who are underneath them. They make subordinates feel like valuable and vital parts of the organization. 

Jesus measures greatness by service. How great are you? Instead of pushing and striving to get to the top, take the time to help others along the way. Serve them. Make serving others a lifelong habit. Make humility a large part of your leadership skill. If Jesus came to serve and not be served, what does that say for you and me. May we learn from His example. 

Pastor

 I have held many titles over the years. Athletic Director. Coach. Youth Pastor. Evangelist. President of No Compromise Ministries. No title means more to me than Pastor. The word means shepherd. A person who leads, nurtures, cares, and protects his flock. 

In 1993, I held the title pastor for the first time. I had no idea what I was doing, and it soon showed. All I knew to do was the preach and try and win people to Jesus. The small country church began to grow. In fact, it more than doubled in two years. We did a major renovation project in our educational wing. Things went well. Suddenly things changed. I was learning how to preach three times a week. What I did not excel at was shepherding the people. I did know how. Nobody had ever taught me about hospital visitations. I soon got the opportunity to learn with a lady named Maurine Jones. 

Maurine was a very sick elderly lady. I visited her in the hospital hundreds of times. That is not exaggeration. She spent over eight straight months in the hospital at one point. I went to see her nearly every day as one problem compounded with another problem. Her insurance ran out. I mean they would not pay anymore. She was sent home and died in less than two weeks. She is the first funeral I ever preached. It was not difficult because I shepherded her. I walked through that difficult season with the family. I learned to be more than a preacher. I learned to be a pastor. 

Some call me Pastor Matt at Spring Creek. A couple of ladies just shorten it and call me Pastor. It is a term of affection. One I treasure. It is important to me to be both preacher and pastor. I have met many who excelled at one over the other. Some were great in the pulpit but failed in caring for and shepherding people. Others were great shepherds but poor preachers. Since my first job as pastor, it has been important to me to work hard at both. To care for the flock, love them, and shepherd them. I also want to feed their souls the word of God from the pulpit. 

Pastors are not CEOs. We are not running a business model. We are caring for a church. Sure, there are times when pastors are called to lead the church. We lead prayerfully, humbly, and always must remember it is God's church and Jesus is the Head. Pastors are not bosses telling everyone else what to do. A true pastor is a servant leader who gets his hands dirty working alongside the people. Pastors are not to be self-serving but willing to sacrifice like the Chief Shepherd for the good of the flock. 

It is my humble honor to be a pastor. To be entrusted with a flock to love, protect, guide, feed, and walk through life with the sheep. I would not trade being a pastor with any other job in the world. Not the President of the United States. Not the head of a fortune 500 company. Not a successful coach, Entrepeneur, business owner, or any other profession. God called me to be a pastor. It is role and title I cherish. It is a high and noble calling. I am humbled to be one of a few handpicked by God chosen for this service. I take I Peter 5:2-3 seriously. I had it stenciled on my old Bible. Shepherd the flock among you exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; not yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge but proving to be examples to the flock.  

Increase My Faith

 Lord Jesus, please build my faith in belief, 

In prayers that offer others needed Your relief, 

Build a trust larger than all impossibilities, 

A faith pregnant with all Your possibilities, 

I ask for faith that keeps growing ever stronger, 

A faith that that believers in You all the longer, 

I ask for faith that will be mountain moving, 

A faith that is all your promises proving, 

I ask you to remove all my doubt inside, 

Your word on my heart ever transcribed, 

May my faith always bring you all glory, 

My life ever testifying of your true story,

I am not a wretched vain glory seeker, 

I hope to be a reliable faith keeper. 

Little Faith

 In Matthew 17:20, Jesus responds to the disciples question about why they could not help the father who brought a demon possessed boy to them. He replied it was because of the littleness of their faith. You could also translate that word as smallness. He goes on to exhort them that even a tiny mustard seed of faith can move mountains and that nothing would be impossible. 

I contemplated that verse this morning. I came to the conclusion that I must be like the disciples and have little faith. I have no great exploits of faith to glorify God. It just stands to reason, if I had more faith, I would see God do more. Mountain moving more. The sting of His gentle rebuke still smarts. I don't want to be a man of little faith. 

I pleaded with God to build my faith. To increase it to believe Him to do more. I even asked what He wanted me to believe Him to do. It was those last words in that verse that really got to me. Nothing will be impossible to you. That means me and you. Have you held a tiny mustard seed in your hand? Surely we can all trust God that much. The evidence points to the contrary by the lack of results in our praying. 

Nothing will impossible. That means nothing will be unable for us without strength. Not our strength, but God's strength flowing through and activated in our circumstances. Just imagine what God could do if we had mustard seed faith. I want to live out my remaining days believing God for more than in all my previous years combined. That is not impossible, but it is very possible with God's power perfected in my weakness. He can do more in one day than I have accomplished in decades. He can do more on one Sunday than has been done in centuries in our own resources. 

Do we have a longing for Him to do more? I certainly do. I abhor the thought of someone admonishing me and the Lord rebuking me for the littleness of my faith. I want large faith. Great faith. Increased faith. Persevering faith. Let God build great faith in me to match the assignment He gives me. I want to take Him literally at His word. Nothing will be impossible. Okay. 

Many souls will be saved on a regular basis. His church will be revived and impact communities and the country. Awakening will sweep across the world drawing millions to salvation. God will use these writings to impact thousands upon thousands of people around the world. God will save marriages and heal families. God will heal diseases. God will provide for His kingdom causes in abundance. God will break the hearts of people in Washington D.C. and lead them to repentance of their greedy wicked ways. God will awaken His church to be the powerful force we were designed to be. 

I do not want to waste the remainder of my days praying mealy mouth, half hearted, weak, faithless prayers that impress listeners, but do not move God at all. I want us all to start praying bold, confident, believing, faith ignited prayers that move God to action. All of it for the glory of His name. 

Jesus Know The Way

 In this maze of life is constant confusion, 

Filled with trials as unwelcomed intrusions, 

Some roads are dead ends forcing turn arounds, 

Others are wide lands where blessing abounds,

Some trails lead to the most trying of travails, 

There are some paths that only God surveils, 

In a chaotic world of several million voices, 

It is the voice of Jesus which my heart rejoices, 

He knows the way and offers His invitation, 

To follow Him closely in ordained migration, 

I can cease all my worldly efforts and striving, 

Stop all vanity man-made foolish conniving,

His way is mapped out all through the Bible, 

He makes a way where no way seems viable, 

Jesus knows the way and guides with foresight, 

 His word is a lamp unto my feet a guiding light. 

Taking Up My Cross

 Matthew 16:24 has long been a favorite verse of mine. We are admonished to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and to follow Jesus. When I read that verse this morning, it was the taking up my cross that really challenged me. Taking up our cross means suffering and sacrifice. I can assure you that my flesh does not like either of those. 

Notice that Jesus did not command us to take up His cross. Nobody can take His cross. His cross brought redemption to a world of sinners. None of us could ever take His place. His substitutionary atonement is sufficient and a work uniquely exclusive to Him. That is not the cross we are called to pick up and carry. 

Our cross is different. It might look different to each one of us. The cross means suffering. My flesh wants the easy road with neither suffering nor sacrifice. If Jesus suffered and sacrificed, who am I to complain that some suffering and sacrifice might be required from me as well. I admit I am a spoiled American brat Christian at times. 

What does suffering and sacrifice look like? It might mean that I do not get to enjoy the financial security that I would like with a cushy stockpile put back for a rainy day. It might require that Brenda and I drive old cars because we are committed to not go into debt on another vehicle. It might mean that I do not get to enjoy the success that other ministers enjoy. It might mean that I have to work more than one job to help my kids get on their feet and established in their profession. It might mean that I labor in hard fields that do not bear abundant harvests. It might mean that I face criticism and persecution from time to time. It might mean that I never really get to enjoy retirement, but that I have to keep working for as long as I can. It might mean not ever really settling and planting deep roots if He chooses to uproot us and call us to serve Him elsewhere. It might mean battling ailments that keep me from being more productive. It might mean sleepless nights praying and going without food in fasting. It might mean ending up alone and forgotten in my twilight years like happens to so many preachers. It does not matter what the cost is. I must choose to take it up daily. 

My cross might look different than yours. Some may be required to suffer more than others. Job suffered more than most. Jeremiah suffered as a prophet and would be considered a dismal failure in ministry. John the Baptist was beheaded for speaking the truth. So was Paul. Most of the disciples died violently. So did Rachel Scott and Cassie Bernall as teenagers in the Columbine High School massacre. 

I have paid my dues. I have worked hard in ministry for over three decades and think to myself that I have earned the right to an easy ministry. I do not get to make that call. Jesus calls the shots. He makes the decisions. He determines the plan. As His follower, my response is to submit and yield to His leadership. Even if it means taking up my cross. I should not long for an easy ministry but an effective one. 

Here is the truth. No matter how much we suffer and sacrifice on this earth, it will all be worth it many times over when we step foot into eternity and see Jesus face to face. No price will be too much. No sacrifice too great. No amount of suffering so excruciating that it will not be worth it to be there with Him. 

I must confess, I often lose sight of that sometimes. I start thinking I am entitled to the American dream. The only thing I am entitled to is an eternity in hell without Jesus. I don't deserve anything, and I need to be reminded of that often. I need a refresher course on just how amazing His grace from time is. Taking up my cross is the least I can do for my King who placed His back on a cross for my salvation. Amen.  

Burn the Ships

 All is calm as I navigate these waters of life, 

I'm engulfed in peace not surrounded by strife,

I sail in a seaworthy vessel strong and secure, 

No dark storm clouds on the horizon to obscure,

My course is charted cutting through waters blue, 

I stand stoutly at the helm with a most pleasant view,

Deep within I hear a voice say, "Come and follow," 

This voice resonates making others sound hollow,  

The voice is My Captain who rules my heart's throne, 

He alters the course to ways I've never before known, 

Leading me through tumultuous tides plunged so deep, 

Over mountainous swells which rise on high so steep, 

For a moment I am gripped with paralyzing fright, 

As the sun fades and sinks low overcome by night, 

I have never travelled this uncharted journey before,

I cannot rest or rely on past experiences anymore, 

I must trust my Captain who alone has plotted the way, 

Not asking my input nor care for what I have to say, 

This is a pilgrimage of faith more than one of sight,

His word my lamp and guide offering constant light, 

Confusion settles over like the heavy rolling fog, 

Questioning whether to continue Captain only nods, 

I get lost deep in my thoughts in the night watches, 

Snapped to attention by dolphins playing hopscotches,

A distant shore now on the horizon sighted land ho, 

The Captain orders me to set the wheel firm and go, 

A Macedonian land with masses motioning for aid, 

It is in this harbor the anchor is released and laid, 

Captain's orders are bold as a lion and clarion clear, 

We are to stay to do Admiral Jesus' work right here, 

One last order to fire the ships and let them burn, 

From our mission He won't allow retreat or return. 

Out of the Boat

 I read the story in Matthew 14 of Peter seeing Jesus walk on water and asking permission to do the same. It was a get out of the boat moment requiring faith. I remind you they were in the middle of a storm. The safest place to be in that moment was inside the boat. So, it appeared. 

Something snapped in Peter's mind. Instead of focusing on self-preservation, he turned his attention to the miracle of Jesus walking on the water and wanted to get in on the fun. There were 11 other guys in that boat. Not one of them joined Peter in asking Jesus for permission to come out of the boat to also walk on water. This speaks something to me. Most people play it safe. They lose the adventure of walking after and serving Jesus. Peter saw the possibility and imagined himself doing what no one else in history has ever done but Jesus. 

Do you play it safe? Do you even dream of impossibilities made possible through Jesus? I still do. I still want to get out of the boat at 58 just like I did at 28 and 38. I know that is a bold statement. I also know it can lead to some frightening steps of faith. It is one thing to see Jesus walking on water and imagining doing the same thing. It is another to stand up in the boat and hoist a leg over the side followed by the other and let go of the boat. 

Dragging both feet in the water and clinging to the boat rails does not take faith. Faith is letting go of the boat. It is daring to believe that with Jesus truly nothing is impossible. Why do the people of God not live that way. Peter saw potential when everyone else only saw danger. Peter saw opportunity when the others only saw risk. The miracles are on the other side of faith steps. 

How many really live by faith? The truth is most of us live by sight. We live by reason. We live by low-risk ventures. We want sure things. We embrace words like security and safety couched in our comfort zones. Isn't living that way predictably boring. Following Jesus is unpredictable and exciting. I for one do not want to settle for predictable and boring. I want to believe God for more. Much more. I may have to stretch way out of my comfort zone in faith to experience more. 

I realize Peter gets a bad rap because he doubted and started sinking. Jesus asked why he had such little faith. HE STILL WALKED ON WATER! Who else can say that besides Jesus? I read verses like Eph 3:20 and my faith imagination is ignited. I want to believe for more even if it means getting out of the boat. I am not advocating formulating my own plan and jumping blindly in a leap of faith. Peter asked Jesus for permission before He got out of the boat. 

Jesus gave a one-word invitation. "Come." No detailed instructions. No warnings. No taking a vote with the other 11 to see if this was a good idea. All good ideas are not God ideas. On the other hand, all good ideas do not appear to be God ideas. God's invitations usually require steps of faith. 

I write this in about as safe an environment as could be found. I am in no danger. I am alone. Nobody threatens to harm me. I can see clear blue skies and leaves on trees blowing in the breezes. I am safely secured in the boat. What if Jesus invited me to come out of the boat? Would I do it? Or am I just another preacher writing out of theory instead of from first-hand knowledge and experience? 

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my soul, I hear the soft whisper of the Spirit say, "Do not be afraid to get out of the boat. When I say come, throw caution to the wind and obey." Is that really the Holy Spirit or thoughts generated in my own head? I have to be willing to get out of the boat or all my faith preaching and writing are a farce. 

Currently I have no such invitation. I am looking for Him. I am listening for His still small voice among all the other voices around me. Just one simple word from Him to come and I must get out of the boat with my eyes firmly fixed on Him and nothing else. Until He bids me come, I will watch and wait. 

Old Age Is Not Easy

 I visited a lady who is 85 this week. Her body has aged over the years, but her mind is still sharp. We talked about growing old. She said, "Growing old is not easy." Numerous challenges accompany old age. Challenges like deteriorating health. Life revolves around doctor's appointments and taking prescribed medications on time. The world begins to shrink smaller and smaller. I mean that some elderly do not get out any more than they absolutely have to do. Some are confined to care facilities and become insulated and isolated from the outside world. 

Another elderly lady told me today, "Growing old is not for the young at heart." Her long silver hear speak to many decades on this earth. I think the second lady meant that old age brings a lot of challenges. I met this lady at the same rehab facility Brenda goes to. She is there working with her husband who has Alzheimer. She has to help him do the simplest task like getting up out of bed, sitting in a chair, standing up out of a chair, and climbing stairs. She helps her husband with all these exercises multiple times a week trying to prolong his quality of life, while hers gets harder. On top of all that, she slipped off a ladder and hurt her foot and is in a walking boot. Her challenges are numerous. Sometimes she looks very tired. 

I talked to a retired pastor friend of mine earlier in the week. He asked his doctor why he felt fatigued all the time and had low energy levels. The doctor simply replied, "78!" My friend did not know what the doctor meant wondering if it referred to some vital sign number. The doctor informed him that he was tired because my friend is 78 years old. The doctor gave him permission to take a nap. I asked my friend if he was taking the doc's advice. He replied, "Nah! I have never been a napper. You got to keep going or you will just give up and lose all your health." 

Even the most robust, productive, and highly driven people age. That does not mean it is easy. Joints ache. Eyesight dims. Hearing fades. Stamina weakens. Sometimes the memory fades.

What most senior adults have is wisdom. Wisdom that needs passed down to the younger generations. This requires seniors wanting to share the wisdom and younger people desiring to learn it. It can mutually benefit both age groups. We live in segmented societies where both age groups do not often get together except in a worship service. This is sad. 

The issue is not that we age. The real issue is how we age. That 85-year-old I spoke of earlier inspired me when she decided at 83 to read the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation. She persevered and accomplished her goal. What did she do next? She started over again for the second time. My 78-year-old pastor friend still preaches and pastored up until a year ago when his wife got sick and nearly died. He told me about a 90-year-old preacher who still drives 30 miles to a church and preachers every Sunday. That 90-year-old is thrilled to still have a place to preach every Sunday at his age. 

It may not be easy to get old, but that is no excuse for not being productive in some way. Prayer warriors are vitally needed for this nation and world. Pastors need groups praying for them as they minister under relentless spiritual assault. Seniors can do that no matter how poor their health becomes. Older people can help the younger ones navigate the difficult early years in marriage and raising children. The snowflake generation need to learn how to cope with adversity and affliction. Seniors have done that for decades. 

I am fast approaching senior adulthood myself. I have a greater appreciation for senior adults. I learn a great deal from them. I see their faithfulness and loyalty to their local congregations. Younger people are quick to cut bait and run when things don't go the way they want. Senior adults are prone to stay the course and see their church through good and bad times. 

It may be true that old age is not easy. It does have it rewards One senior lady told me recently, "I am nearly home and that is what I have been living for anyway." Yes mam. We are nearly home even though the journey is not always easy. 

The Imagination of Ideas

 I am sitting in the Decatur Public Library, which serves as my office on Mondays and Wednesdays while Brenda continues her therapy. I am seated at a little desk next to a large window. From my perch, I can view traffic whirling past and from time to hear the sirens of emergency vehicles rushing to render aid to people in need. Next door is a bank. I watch people come and go doing their financial business there. 

What has my mind in a vice at this moment is all the imaginative ideas contained in the pages of the thousands of books in this place. From where I sit, one author named Clive Cussler, has five shelves of books devoted to his writings alone. I am intrigued as I read the titles, Havanna Storm and The Silent Sea. I have never read Mr. Cussler, but the lure of his works draw me like a moth to a flame. I may not be able to resist them much longer. Thousands of books with tens of thousands if not millions of ideas. Simply stimulating for this little brain of mine. 

I sit surrounded by volumes upon volumes of books on a variety of topics for people of all ages. There are novels of intrigue, mystery, romance, and espionage. Next, there are biographies and autobiographies which are my favorites. Books about famous and interesting people who accomplished things that inspire the rest of us ordinary people. There are also how to books. There are historical works reminding us of famous events of the past. I am blown away by all the authors who sat down, took the time to formulate plots, created characters, and then jotted all their ideas onto paper for readers to enjoy and learn. 

I realize that reading is a lost art. I certainly do not get to read as much as I would like to do. There was a time when I worked to read at least one book a week. That has slowed way down with other things crowding out that pleasure. The ideas and the imagination that thought those ideas are still out there. So much to learn. I am of the opinion that we should be lifelong learners.  Always advancing in knowledge. Always increasing in understanding. We should live inquisitive with a thirst to learn more. 

Christians can do so with reading the Bible. There are millions of books written about the Bible to help us understand it better. There are books written about missionaries, preachers, teachers, scientists, and soldiers whom God used in special ways. I wish I were a faster reader. I am not, so I am forced to plod ahead page after page sometimes taking weeks to get through a book. It never fails when I try to read at night, I fall asleep nearly every time. 

So many imaginative ideas and so little time to discover. Reading is like an expedition. So many treasures of ideas to discover. I typically read with pen in hand underlining and making notes in books on ideas that move me that I own. I certainly would never write in library books, though I might be tempted. It saddens me beyond description knowing that I will die one day with so many of my own personal books left unread and so many ideas left undiscovered. I am left to do the only thing I can. Plod ahead one page after page. Hoping to get in as many as I can. It rarely fails that something I read does not spark me to write my own ideas inspired by God in my imagination. I thank God for books and the blessing of learning to read. A gift I do not take for granted. I hope you will not either. So many ideas from so many imaginations. It would be a shame to waste them. 

A Lonely Trail

 Sometimes we must travel a lonely trail. Our minds and bodies age and our muscles atrophy as we get closer and closer to home. On the trail to home, we lose people we love from time to time. I lost my Papaw, Mamaw, Mama, and a sister along the way. A little over a year ago I lost a close college friend. For those left behind to traverse the trail, it can be a lonely walk. 

Nobody to share conversation. Nobody to eat our meals in fellowship. Nobody to laugh with or no shoulder to cry on when things get tough. There is nobody to understand the loneliness. Our feet may walk onward bravely, but our hearts and minds are not as brave as our feet as we continue marching dutifully down the trail of life. 

If we walk this trail long enough, we find that everyone we loved and were closely associated with leave. Some are snatched away by death. One day they are walking with you and the next day they are gone. I am not saying there are not cases when poor health makes it easier to see the day of death is coming. That does not take away the painful reality that you are left to walk alone. Even our own children grow up and leave the next. Our four sons are scattered. We do not see them often these days. I talked to two of them today, but they are not walking this trail with their mother and me. They have their own trails to blaze. 

I know people who have to walk this lonely trail without their spouse. Some are forced to do so for decades. They live with gaping wounds in their hearts that never really completely heal. What they wouldn't do for a little conversation, one more hug, to hold a hand, or just to see them alive again. Those longings do not materialize so the grieving must trudge the lonely trail alone. Pictures bring back painful memories of happier times. 

I am not suggesting there are not some bright spots on the lonely trail. A good time with family and friends at special gatherings can bring a smile. Sadly, these are few and far between. Monotonous days roll on like the tides and ebb into darkness of night. The nights are hardest. It seems they last longer than their allotted time before the sun sneaks a peak over the horizon. The rhythm of days and nights hypnotize you as you mindlessly move along a little further down the lonely trail. Silence becomes your unwelcomed constant companion. Boredom makes the days seem longer without any hint or hope of excitement on the horizon. It is a lonely trail. 

Even the people of God walk this lonely trail. God is our companion, but sometimes we yearn for Jesus with skin on. Somebody to come along side and share the journey. Somebody who cares to walk with us a few miles. The television is a poor substitute for real true to life companions. Sometimes solitude is a good thing. I fear too much of it though is not healthy. Most people desire to be known, loved, and checked on from time to time. Not to sit secluded in silence stewing in their own thoughts. Those solitary thoughts can lead into some dark dungeons of despair. 

Those who walk the lonely trail feel forgotten. The doorbell never rings. The phone only rings rarely. Books can whisk the mind away for short spells, but in the end they are lifeless. We may recall that God promises to never leave or forsake us. That does not mean we do not get lonely from time to time. 

One day the lonely trail will lead us Christians home. We will never be lonely again in eternity. In the presence of Jesus and before the Father we will find forever fellowship. We will reunite with those who got home before we did. I am counting on Heaven being a noisy place. Lots of singing. Great conversations with the saints from days gone by. We will never be lonely again when we finally get home. What a celebration that will be. 

My Compass

 In this confusing world, it seems everyone has an opinion about how to live your life. Opinions vary about where the safest place is to invest your money. Opinions abound about how to raise your children. There are many other opinions about other aspects of how to live your life. It can get very confusing if you listen to all those voices. 

We need a compass. A compass always points to true north no matter what direction you are facing. A compass can help you find your way home no matter how confusing the maze of life gets. My compass is not a hand-held device with a needle pointing north, south, east, or west. My compass is God and the voice of His Spirit speaking to me. He shows me the right paths to take, even if it defies the counsel of well-meaning advisors. Using the compass of God and the roadmap of His word, He leads me. 

God is my compass. He is trustworthy. He does not always reveal the path right away. Sometimes I have to stop and wait until He decides it is best to move forward. His way is precise, and His timing is perfect. God never fails if we are disciplined to listen. He never misleads us. He never follows the crowd's counsel. He has a plan that is perfectly in sync with His purposes. It is our job to wait and to listen for as long as it takes to get where He wants us to be. 

I know people who map out ten- and twenty-year plans of where they want to be. Then they ask God to bless their plans. Living surrendered to God means you do not know what the next day might bring much less the next ten or twenty years. As long as God is my compass, He knows how to get me where I need to be, when I need to be there, and how long I will be there. He knows the way. I can confidently follow His leadership even if those around me advise me differently. Like the old song goes, "Though none go with me I still will follow." 

God has led me down a less travelled path numerous times people around me did not understand. Sometimes not even my own family. As long as God ordained my steps, I followed by faith down some difficult roads to traverse. My faith and resolve have been tested. There were days when I wanted to follow my own path. I am thankful God intervened to keep me from going too far astray. 

He knows right where I am today. He knows where He will lead me tomorrow, the next day, and the next until He ultimately leads me home. I do not know how He will lead me home. It might be through the rapture as He snatches me away. It might be through the portal of death. Either way, He will navigate my steps all the way home. Between now and then, I do not know all the twists and turns He will direct me to take. It really does not matter just as long as in the end; He navigates me home. 

Seek and Find

 Children love to play hide and seek. They can busy themselves for hours playing that old game. Walking out of my weightlifting class last Thursday,  I ran into some students playing. One was hidden underneath an old pew outside our youth room. He startled me when he peeked out laughing. I asked what he was doing, but before he could answer he ducked back under to avoid the searching stares of other trying to find him. The seekers found him without any problem whatsoever. 

What is not nearly as common is for the people of God to be seekers of God. I assure you that He is not hiding. How can I make such a bold statement? I make it based on the truth of Jeremiah 29:13. Many Christians are familiar with Jeremiah 29:11 about God knowing His plans to give us a future and a hope. Fewer are aware of verse 13. Here it is. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. [Jer 29:13] 

This is a promise that if we earnestly seek Him with all of our heart we will be rewarded by finding Him. O, that is the catch. We have to seek with all of our heart. That means our whole heart. Every bit of it. Our entire heart. Our complete heart. There are so many distractions vying for our attention. It is common for our hearts to be divided in seeking God. We might earnestly desire to know Him while at the same time trying to keep up with the score of the ball game of our favorite team. We might desire to seek Him, but at the same time we may also desire to watch a movie or scroll on social media. We might start searching with good intention until we drift off to sleep. 

I have a very active mind. It is so easy to chase rabbits in my mind when I pray. One minute I am desiring more of God and the next moment I am thinking about a movie I recently saw, what else I have to do in the day, things I need to squeeze in to do that have long been neglected, books I need to read, and random things like tv commercials, people I have not thought about in years and I cannot remember their names, and my sons, and more. 

To truly seek God for me I need to write out my prayers. For some reason, this helps me to focus, to intentionally slow that hyperactive mind, and to zero in on knowing God better. I have dozens on top of dozens of various colored spiral notebooks filled with my passionate longings for Him and His will. Secret prayers recorded in secret places crying out to know God. I know Him better today than I did when I first started seriously seeking Him in 1991. After 35 years of diligently investigating and discovering Him, I find this only whets my appetite to know more.

I wish the people of God sought Him with the same enthusiasm, resolve, and tenacity children seek their playmates who hide. How different things would be if we served God out of the fresh encounters we have with Him daily instead of coasting on the fumes of past devotions and experiences. God is waiting to be wanted. He wants to reveal Himself infinitely more than we desire to seek Him. May the quest to seek and find God bring us bountiful treasures in our knowledge of Him. 

Low Water Mark

 Read carefully the conditions of society. To be more specific the conditions on college campuses. Lawlessness abounds. Common drunkenness. Profanity piercing common conversations. Immorality increases. Unrestrained gratification rules. Most students are skeptics. Fewer believers on each campus. Colleges are the seed beds of infidelity. Anti church and anti-God rhetoric abound. Typical students are atheists. God is mocked. Bibles are burned. Worship services are interrupted with protests of profanity. Buildings are burned. Many  college presidents are forced to resign. It is a low water mark in Christianity. 

These descriptions are like reading the front pages of newspapers. It might surprise you to learn that everything I wrote in the previous paragraph came from historians writing about college campuses between 1780-1800. In fact, here is a quote. "The last two decades of the eighteenth century were the darkest period, spiritually and morally, in the history of American Christianity, the low water mark of its lowest ebb-tide." That was written by W.W. Sweet in his book The Story of Religion in America. 

Things are bad now. Very bad. They have been very bad in the past. So bad that Christians began crying out to God for His miraculous intervention. God did work that miracle. He sent more than a revival. He sent an awakening. What is the difference? Revival is God bringing His saved people to repentance and back to spiritual vitality again. An awakening is when large masses of people are saved on a short period of time in such fashion that it transforms a culture. 

America needs an awakening. The world needs an awakening. A God sent movement that sweeps over the land like wildfires that spread uncontrollably over dry pastures and forests. Such movements start when two conditions are met. God's people get serious about repentance of sin and become assiduously devoted to prayer. 

We have allowed things to spiral out of control. No elected politician will turn this low water mark around. It will take someone of much higher power. Only God can save America from our current condition. Nationalism has become its own religion. Many well meaning Christians have misguided their focus and energies in the political process. I am not saying believers should not be engaged in trying to get the right people elected into office. These days it is harder to say who those right people are. Many promise one thing on the campaign trails and then pad their pockets with lobbyists money once elected forgetting about the people who elected them. Even the right politicians with noble motives are limited in what they can do through legislation. They cannot legislate the hearts of people. 

That is the issue. The hearts of people are wicked. See Jeremiah 17:9. If America will survive, there must be a change of hearts. That cannot be done by Congress, the President, or the Supreme Court. Only God can change the hearts of people. At some point, I hope the church awakens to this reality and takes her rightful place back on the walls keeping prayerful watch over our nation. We failed miserably on the job and Satan never tires of deceiving people to turn their back on God and to follow demonic paths toward destruction. I know I sound like a broken record in recent days. I can do no other. I see the perilous path we are own and have renewed myself resolved to do all in my power to pray, preach, and write to alter our course. Some will get tired of reading these things or listening to the sermons. I cannot sit by idly and watch this nation destroy itself without doing my part to turn us back toward God. 

America has been at a low water mark like we are today in the past. God spared us then. I plead that He might spare us again. Once more that He might mercifully send another awakening across the land and around the world. That is our only hope. 

Do It Again

 I sat in a parking lot today waiting on Brenda. I did not notice it at first. Off in the distance I saw it. Suspended high on a pole and waving in the breezes was Old Glory, our United States of America flag. It has been a while since I really stared at it. I took in the bold stripe of red and white. I fixated on the white stars against the blue canvas. 

Two emotions arose. First, I am thankful to be a citizen of this country. God could have planted me anywhere He wanted. I could have easily been born in China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. He chose for me to be born in the USA. Along with that great blessing have come many privileges. Freedom that I do not take for granted. Religious freedom which allowed me the opportunity to hear the gospel message over 40 years ago leading to Jesus saving me. I was afforded an education learning to read and write. I had the opportunity to go to college and graduate, and then post graduate studies earning a graduate degree. I met and married the girl of my dreams in Brenda. I was not subjugated to an arranged marriage. I was given the opportunity to follow God's calling for my career. Brenda and I were not restricted to the number of children we had. I cannot imagine my life without any one of our four sons. They have each enriched our lives immensely. All those blessings came in this great nation. Seeing Old Glory reminded me. 

A second emotion soon took root. I thought how far our country has drifted from God. I thought about the difficult economy where the likelihood of my children ever having their own home seems further out of reach. I thought of a country where people are so easily offended and where right is considered wrong and wrongs of yesteryear are flaunted openly in the public square. I see religious freedoms slowly being stripped away and few seem to notice. I see woke agendas being taught as facts to students in school. Brainwashing tactics are employed to change morality standards across society. I see weakened families, lawlessness abounding, and injustices increasing. We are degenerating as a nation at a rapid pace. We are on a slippery slope. 

The thought of Old Glory waving in the wind, and yet we are not near as glorious as a nation saddens me. I wonder what the world will be like for my grandchildren in the future. I wonder if we will survive more bad policies, invasions of our borders, and a weakened church. I wonder what madman will be insane enough to pull the trigger on the use of nuclear weapons. I do not want to be all doom and gloom, but I cannot shake the reality of the things I see unfolding before my eyes. 

Yet, there is hope. I am reading a book about past revivals. I read about the condition of the American Colonies before the First Great Awakening. In many ways, the conditions were not much different than things are today. People thought God was a figure made up in the imagination of men. They thought their reason for existing was to give themselves to the pursuit of pleasure no matter where that might lead. People spoke profanely. Religion ebbed at a low tide. Things looked very bleak for the fledgling colonies. 

Then, God stepped in. Using men like George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards, the Spirit of God swept across the colonies in massive waves leading Christians to repentance and pagans to salvation. God changed the moral tide. We need Him to do it again. 

I read a story about General William Booth, founded of the Salvation Army, at his funeral that has stuck with me for many years. Great multitudes turned out to honor this great man of God who brought so many people to Jesus. The cathedral was packed. People lined the streets for miles as Booth's body was hauled to the cemetery for burial.. 

When all the funeral activities ended, the author went back to the cathedral. When he walked in he saw a solitary figure knelt in prayer. Through great sobbing he heard the same words being repeated over and over again. "Do it again Lord. Do it again." What the author learned later was the person praying pleaded with God to raise another General Booth to be used mightily in the saving of souls. 

The people of God must collectively pray for God to do it again. To do for us now what He did for the colonies all those centuries ago. To do it again. To send another great spiritual awakening across the land before the end comes. Do it again Lord. Please, one more time do it again. 

Abandoned to Availability

 After months of reading through the Old Testament, and prophetic writings most recently, I was sure glad to turn the last page of Malachi and enter the New Testament. It did not take long in reading today before God spoke clearly through familiar passages, but with a new take. 

I read with great interest Matt 4:18-22. When I prayed through those passages, a phrase came out I have never uttered before. Abandoned to availability. Abandoned means to be unrestrained or uninhibited. That is exactly what these disciples did. Jesus issued an invitation and they abandoned themselves to follow wherever He would lead them. 

We live in a world where people abandon themselves to all sorts of things. Let me illustrate. This past Monday Brenda went to her follow up visit with the surgeon for her knee replacement. We stopped to eat lunch in Roanoke, TX. Sitting next to us were two families all decked out in Las Vegas Raiders gear of silver and black. They played the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday and these fans were flying back home. I thought about how much money they spent on game tickets, airline tickets, hotel accommodations, meals, and transportation. They abandoned themselves to follow their team far from home. 

We see people abandon themselves to all sorts of pursuits. What is much rarer to find is the followers of Jesus who abandon themselves to following Him no matter where He leads. 

What impresses me so much in these scriptures is the immediacy of their obedience. They were immediately available. Today people would spiritualize the whole thing by saying they need time to pray about it. There was an urgency in Jesus invitation. That is often the case. He calls people to follow Him. He invites people to live on mission for Him. He expects and demands a response. He desires our availability. Immediate obedience. 

I notice something. The younger we are the more adventurous we are. The more we seek the thrills of roller coasters, bungee jumping, or cliff diving to name a few adventures. Such things get the adrenaline flowing. You feel alive. The older we get the safer we want to play things. We nudge toward comfort and security more than risk and danger. 

I am not for running out and doing something foolish in the name of Jesus. I am a huge advocate of living everyday of our lives abandoned to availability to our Lord. Abraham uprooted everything at 75. Moses changed professions at 80. Caleb took on a huge military challenge at 85. I do not believe there is retirement from serving God. At 58, I want to be just as abandoned to availability to Him as I was at 25, 35, or 45. It does not matter what He asks. It does not matter how risky or foolish it looks. It does not matter if it makes rational sense. My desire is to live out my remaining days just as abandoned to availability as those first disciples. 

What about you? Does this peak your interest? Are you tired of playing it safe all the time? Do you long to really abandon yourself to Jesus and become available to be used by Him however He chooses? Adventure awaits. Massive God encounters will ensue. Don't waste your remaining years holding back. You will regret it. Throw caution to the wind and abandon yourself in availability to our Master. Only God knows what that will mean for each of us. I am betting it beats sitting on a cushioned pew callused to truth and petrified to His propositions. 

Fame Spreading

 In Matthew 4:24-25, you will read about Jesus healing the sick and delivering the demon possessed. The more He did these things the more His fame spread to the surrounding regions. People flocked to Him to help their loved ones. Multitudes migrated to Jesus for help. By word of mouth, His fame spread wider and further. 

The word fame can also be translated "reports or news." Jesus worked and people could not keep the good news to themselves. They testified to others about His powerful intervention in the lives of people. Contrast that with the church today. People come to worship weekly to get their religious fill up. They do not often talk about the power of Jesus to change lives, or the wondrous works of Jesus in a worship services. Ministers seem more interested in spreading their brand and image than the good news of Jesus. Certainly pew dwellers have little interest in spending the good news. 

I believe Jesus can do anything today He did back in the days He walked on the earth. He can still save people from their sins. He can still heal people of diseases. He can still deliver the demon possessed. So why do so many congregations not experience His power more consistently, and why are the masses not migrating to houses of worship to get a fresh touch from the Master?

Maybe some would argue there are no easy answers to those questions. Or maybe the answer is very simple. We are an impotent church. Powerless in these perilous times. Prayerless in these problematic days. Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them and they would become witnesses. How many powerful Christians do you know walking in the power of God's Spirit flowing through them? How many powerful preachers do you know? Not educated or eloquent preachers. Powerful. Anointed with Holy Ghost authority. I am betting not many. 

Jesus' fame does not spread because we have become satisfied with the rottenness of religious routines rather than the life transforming encounters with a rise Savior working through a prayer bathed and purified church should produce. 

Companies spread the fame of their products. Politicians spread the fame of their names and policies. Marketing gurus spread the fame of all sorts of things. What a tragedy that the people of God do not spread the fame of Jesus to a sin soaked sick world. The darkness of our times are only getting darker. May the people of God become salt and light once again. {Matt 5:14-16] May we live to spread His fame. 

Inconvenienced by Prayer

 I love my pastor, Charles M. Roberts, who turned 80 this summer. He no longer pastors my home church. He retired after 34 years. He started preaching as an interim pastor at another church and they called him to be their pastor. He has served there well over a decade. I have the utmost respect for him. He is a hero of mine. I still keep in touch with him. 

I recently contacted him for some counsel. Mixed with the advice was some wisdom I can't shake. His words were both wise and timely. They were also a little unsettling. Let me share them with you. "We are often inconvenienced by the prayers of others. God could well answer prayers and you be the answer to those prayers. Go with God where He leads."

That phrase inconvenienced by the prayers of others really hit home. God has used many people to be the answer to prayers Brenda and I prayed over the years. Most recently, when she was unable to work after surgery God used others to answer our prayers that must have inconvenienced them as they gave to us sacrificially to meet our needs. 

People pray for God to send help like when hurricanes hit, or wildfires devastate, or tornadoes ravage. Missionaries pray God will send help in financial partnerships or volunteers for short term mission trips. George Mueller prayed God would send help to staff and provide for thousands of orphans. Many were inconvenienced to give donations, some possessions, and some were called to staff the orphanages. 

Today you just might be the answer to someone's prayer. It might not be convenient for you. You may have to sacrifice some time at home with the family, some finances, or in the most extreme cases to relocate to help. This has happened for many families relocating who cared for aging parents. It also could be true of some place on this planet where people are crying out to God to send help. Some ordinary person sitting minding their ordinary business may be interrupted by the call of God to go help. History is filled with people who left their homes to follow the call of God to some foreign land. 

This just happened for a friend of mine. I coached with him for a couple of years at a Christian school. He is the head of the Bible of department. He has filled in for me preaching when I have been out of the pulpit. He recently told me that God has called him to accept teaching in a seminary in South Africa! I was stunned to hear this news. Somebody in South Africa prayed and my friend will be inconvenienced to answer that prayer. He will relocate with his wife and two of his children across the globe to do the work of God. 

It is amazing how God can connect people's prayers with other people who are the answer to those prayers. That is fascinating to me. It is also a little unsettling. None of us know when we might be inconvenienced because someone else prayed. It might be something as small as a phone call to check on someone or a text to encourage another person. It might require a personal visit, a handwritten letter. God may require you to speak a prophetic word in person like He did with me to one of my nieces. He might call you to forego sleep to intercede for someone in need.  He may ask you to give up some money. He may require you to give up some vacation time to go to another state or distant land on a short-term mission trip. It may happen rarely, but God inconvenienced Paul when he saw the vision of the man from Macedonia calling for help. [Acts 16:9-10] Paul was the answer to that prayer. It meant a change in direction and ministry focus. Paul was the answer to the Macedonian prayer. Maybe you are too and so am I. It is part of the great adventure of walking with God to be inconvenienced by prayer.  

Tipping Point

 Several years ago, I went with a group of students to a water park. My favorite thing to do there was to stand under this oversized barrel perched overhead. The barrel was filled with water streaming continuously from a pipe. As the barrel filled, it began to tip ever so slightly. The sign of this brought people running to stand under the barrel all waiting to get drenched by the gallons of water that would pour out. I stood under that barrel several times waiting to get doused with water. With every gallon of water, we could see the barrel inching over further and further until it passed the tipping point. 

In like fashion, God is storing up His wrath for this sinful age. Day after day His wrath, seething anger, righteous indignation, rage and full fury are filling up. The barrel of His wrath is tipping more and more. Woe to us who stand in the path of that wrath when it finally reaches the tipping point. 

People seem ignorant of this fact. People are oblivious. Satan deceives and God continues to grieve. Masses are led astray down a path to eternal destruction. America smugly embraces sin and scoffs at God and His laws. What a dangerous game of chicken we are playing. God does not bluff. He will not change. He will not bend to our will or lower His standards. He will not alter His course. If we continue to defy Him, we will pass the tipping point and woe be to us. Our education, expertise, nor economy can save us then. His justice will be dealt with perfect impartiality. We will all get what we deserve. 

America is not guaranteed to survive. How God blessed this nation, and we turned our backs on Him. We mocked Him, rejected Him, denied Him, and in many conceivable ways tried to remove remembrance of Him in our society. We will reap what we sow. [Gal 6:7-8] We need to listen to the prophet [Joel 2:12] and return to the Lord with all our hearts in sorrowful repentance pleading for His mercy over His judgment. 

We are nearing the tipping point. A point of no return. Every day that we do not experience God's judgment is another day of mercy and a chance to repent and get others to repent. These are sober days. We must wake up to the reality. We are fast nearing the tipping point. Other nations have experienced this, and we should learn well the lessons from history. Ask Sodom and Gomorrah. Ask Babylon. Ask Rome. Even ask Israel. This is not a path we want to continue down. May we return to God before we pass the tipping point. 

Apathetic Arrogance

 I could sit here and write for some time about the ills in America. They are many. I have no intention to do that at this time. I'd rather point the finger at the church. Not any one particular church, but all churches who stand for Bible truth and worship God and His Son Jesus. We are much to blame for the troubles in our society. 

The apathy in most churches is appalling. There is a spiritual chill in the hearts of God's people at worst. The majority fall into lukewarmness which makes Jesus want to vomit. Few are on fire for the LORD. Many mouth the words of worship songs, but seldom worship with all their heart and soul. Many listen to Bible saturated messages they do not intend to live. There are a fair share of preachers who deliver ice cold sermons born more from intellectual academia than birthed in the prayer closet of the Holy Spirit. 

Programs are offered without prayer or power. How many every openly share the gospel though many will "amen" the preacher or teacher when the point is made that we need to do so? All believers have eyes to see what is happening in society. So, let me ask what is your local congregation doing about it? Getting up another boycott or protest? When does your church gather to pray exclusively? The church I serve never does anymore, but that is about to change. 

The arrogance of the church to think we are alright. We convince ourselves we are doing a good job. Show me across the nation the impact all of our churches are having on society. Sex trafficking still happens. Pornography is still booming. Homosexuality is being shoved down our throats from television programming to parades. Abortion is still an issue and flaunted by liberals. Adultery is not extinct. Hypocrisy is still turning people away from Jesus. The people of God are still mostly tight lipped that Jesus saves. Preaches give happy talks to promote greater offerings from which they can pad their pockets. Altars are still barren week after week. Baptisms are rare these days though church budgets have grown. Church attendance is still on the decline. Fewer volunteers find ways to serve leaving the minority to carry on the work alone. Weekly the masses carry on business as usual in congregations across the land. There are woefully few calls for repentance. There are even fewer who respond. Some churches have become clown shows. They put on a show but fail to usher in the shekinah glory of God in revival. For all our crusades, conferences, and cruises our culture has not changed.  America is not altered. We are drifting further from Bible truth. We are certainly not inching closer to revival or spiritual awakening. I talked to an evangelist couple recently who told me that they have not ministered in one revival meeting nor have any scheduled for all of 2024. They have been doing evangelism for 30 years and this is the first time not one revival meeting was scheduled. 

Does the church recognize that we are headed full steam into a head on collision with Holy God? This is not a collision that will bode well for us. Even the faithful followers of Jesus will not be able avoid the devastating consequences. We stack meetings on top of meetings to plan, strategize, and organize. What we do not is gather to agonize in prayer. Society is degenerating into lawlessness. How does the church respond? Not prayerfully standing in the gap. We call for all sorts of meetings, but where are the people calling for prayer meetings? 

Th American church is apathetically arrogant. If we really knew how God felt about us, we would run to the prayer closets in repentance privately and call for sacred assemblies to publicly repent. I am betting you will not see a solemn assembly scheduled on your church calendar. We don't think we need to repent. If we only see ourselves through the eyes of God in His holiness. We would think differently. 

I know my message is not popular. I will not be invited to preach at the conferences or large church gathering. I am tucked away in a small country parish preaching Bible truth that few want to hear. I can do no other. I am calling the people of God to repent. To humble ourselves and admit our arrogance. To turn away from our apathy. I will continue to beat this drum while we still have time. One day it will be too late. May we heed the call to repent before we pass the point of no return. 

27 Days

 It has been 27 days since I last wrote anything other than prayers and messages. Life has been a blur of getting Brenda back and forth to physical therapy and doctor appointments. Then there are my weekly responsibilities at the school, and of course time devoted to message preparation. It has not been idle time. 

I have thought about writing many times. I felt the subconscious pressure that it has been a long drought. Too long. I could not get in the creative groove. Truth is I did not feel inspired enough to write. Now sitting in my office waiting on an appointment that is will start in about 12 minutes, I could not put it off any longer. I had to get back in the saddle and write something. 

I looked at the date of my last post and did some mental math to deduce that 27 days passed since I last jotted down anything. I don't think most people missed it all. Life kept right on churning without my input. I know I am not a highly sought after author. 

I write for three reasons. First and foremost, God called me to do it. Before I was ever saved I had a passion to write. Writing is an extension of my ministry. Though I love to preach, I also love to write. Secondly, I want to glorify God and help people through the writing ministry. I am not sure how much good it does. I am not a best selling author. Nor do I have thousands of people hitting this site to read my latest posts. I still hold onto the hope that some God inspired idea will help someone on some given day in some way. I am not looking for accolades. I am not after padding my pockets with money. If I can help people and glorify God doing it that is reward enough. The last reason I write is, it is therapy for me as I work through Bible passages and write about the things God shows me. Sometimes I have work through my own difficult seasons and writing helps me do that more effectively. 

On this day, it simply started with the thought of the number 27. It reminds me of Psalm 27:14-15. God has used these verses in my life time and time again over several decades. I can read them and recall times and places where God ministered hope to me. We all need hope. Hope the the trial will end. Hope that seasons of peace will follow the stormy seasons. Hope that God will make a way when things look hopeless. 

There are times when it seems like things will never get better. I recently talked to a man who told me about he and his wife both losing their grandmothers within days of each other. On the way home from one of the funerals, the a/c went out in their vehicles and this couple has two small children. Then the husband got Covid and their oldest son. The husband also got another illness that set him back. It was a difficult season for them. 

I met another man who lost his wife two years ago and still grieves over her. Last week they found his adult daughter dead in her apartment. Grief compounded on top of more grief. A good friend of mine told me about his daughter being in and out of the hospital recently with an illness she has battled for seven years. She is so sick that she cannot take care of her two young boys and had to ship them to grandparents while she tries to recover. Doctors have been unable to give her relief. It is easy to lose hope. 

In all of these trials and the many others you might be facing, we all need a little hope. We need that extra measure of strength to keep going and not to lose heart and give up. David felt that way, but he wrote a key phrase that has helped immensely over the years. He penned that he believed he would see the goodness of God in the land of the living. Sometimes from the middle of the storm it is hard to believe that. The dark clouds of doubt can overshadow the rays of hope. We might be tempted to believe things will never get better. 

Christians believe in the hope of Heaven. David believed he would see hope and God's good working while he still lived. I hope that is true for all of us. I trust that in the middle of the pain, the crisis, sorrow, the adversity, and confusion that God will make a way to lead us out of all that. The tough part is that we have to wait on God. Nobody taught me the theology of suffering and how God uses it in my early days as a follower of Jesus. There is purpose in the pain. We may not understand it ever this side of Heaven. We are forced to wait and trust. 

Many have walked long enough with the LORD that we do not doubt His faithfulness. If we wait long enough and persevere, we will see Him do His work. He will come through. In the midst of our suffering, there are valuable lessons we can learn. Sometimes the suffering is used to refine us and make us more like Jesus. Other times, the tests are meant to strengthen our faith and for God to get more glory. On some occasions, suffering is a consequence of our sin. There are many times when suffering is just part of living on this sin infested planet caused by other people. In all of it, we are called to wait on God and to trust Him. 

When I played football at Howard Payne, our coach gave us a motivational talk at the beginning of the season. I do not remember the details of that talk except the book from where he got his talking points. The title of the book was Tough Times Don't Last But Tough People Do. It is those tough people who suffer with a joyful heart, who persevere, and who keep believing God for better days who inspire me. Some of them I read about in history. Others I see before me in this congregation. They are the people who inspire hope. 

27 days came and went without my fingers pounding this keyboard for writing purposes. Hopefully today as that streak is broken, somebody somewhere will get a little dose of hope. With God's help, I hope the flow of posts will continue like a stream from God to offer water for thirsty souls in need of a little hope.