Dream Again

 From as far back as I can remember I have always been a dreamer. In my childhood it was to be an NFL player. I even practiced writing my autograph in classes over and over again. I played football with myself when none of my friends wanted to play. The dream changed as I got older. I still wanted to play football, but settled for playing in college. I also began dreaming of becoming a writer. I carried that dream through high school and just before I entered college. 

The dream changed again when God called me to preach. I still remember the day I was on a 4,000 acre ranch with a good friend when I felt like God dropped a big dream in me. One I've carried for over 30 years. A dream I've shared with only a very select group of people. A dream so outlandish that most would never believe me. So I kept it to myself. 

Life hit hard. Ministry was hard. Many times I felt like a horse chasing a carrot dangling in front of him that he chases futilely but never gets to taste. As time passed the dream faded. It was still there, just not as vivid as it once had been. Then I hit middle age and the dream still had not come to fruition. It was painful to even think about it. One day I quit dreaming. It was easier. Less painful and disappointing to give up on the dream and just do my duty. 

A couple of decades ago I stumbled on a book called The Dream Giver. I read the book in literal tears as the dream was rekindled. I marked that book up and down front to back and made notations in the margins. I read it again and reread it a couple of years later. Once again life and ministry hit hard. The dream faded again and just like before I gave up on it. Only this time, I gave up on it for good. Or at least I thought. 

Until this morning. Let me backtrack. Weeks ago Brenda and I were in Mardell Christian Bookstore. I always go to the bargain section first to peruse the titles. You never know when you might discover a treasure at a bargain price. I did on that day and did not even realize it. It was a book written by Jerry Falwell. The title caught up my eye. How to Build Dynamic Faith. It was only $5. I put it on a shelf and forgot about it as I read other titles in subsequent weeks when we got home. Earlier this week I rediscovered it and took it from the shelf to read. Turns out the book is a 31-day devotional. This morning the reading hit me right between the eyes. It was about God planting dreams in our hearts. It was about the slowness but steadiness of those dreams becoming reality. My pulse quickened as I read. Falwell shared a story about a dream God gave Him and how it took 28 years for the dream to be realized. It did come true through lots of prayer and hard work. 

God resurrected my dead dream this morning. I could not fight the excitement. The hope and passion rekindled. The dream burned as bright and vivid as it ever has before. I told Brenda about the dream and a couple we ate lunch with earlier. I know some of you are on the edge of your seat waiting for me to reveal the dream. Not yet. The time will come. 

My counsel to you is if you lost a God given dream, sit before Him today and ask is it over. Maybe it has just been delayed. Maybe it is hope deferred. Don't stop believing. God can make His dreams for us come true. No matter our age or the number of years we wait for it. God is the best dream giver, and He is able to make them come true no matter how outlandish they may seem to others. 

Body Blows

 In the sport of boxing, one of the strategies for success is delivering body blows to the opponent. These are punches to the abdomen and rib areas. It serves to take the air out of a competitor. These are hard hitting punches that slowly wear down the opponent. Each punch takes a toll. 

There are body blows in life. Punches that are so hard it takes the wind out of us. Some blows are knee buckling. Such circumstances can hit so hard they leave you stunned. You are disoriented. You lose a little heart and wonder how you will keep going. Such staggering hits can cause you to lose a little faith and a lot of hope. These blows often come unexpectedly. It can be a lump on the body that turns out to be cancerous. It can be watching loved ones suffer inexplicably as you view helplessly unable to shield them from the blows. At other times, these blows come in the form of unexpected car repairs or a financial crisis you had not planned. 

I recall sitting in a doctor office with two of my sons on different occasions waiting for the diagnosis of knee injuries. I did that five separate times between the two of them. The doctor confirmed our worst fears every time. Season ending injuries which required surgical repairs. I watched the tears stream down both Tucker's and Turner's cheeks upon hearing this news. Devastating to them as well as Brenda and I. I told both of  them, "What you believe about God right now in the midst of this bad news is really important." In those times it is easy to doubt God loves you and that He is faithful. 

I've learned a lot over the years reading the accounts of people who suffered and yet clung to their faith. The body blows of life did not destroy their faith. Those are the people who inspire me to persevere through difficult times and not waver in unbelief. Sometimes this is easier said and done. Look at the case of Job. His immediate response to immense suffering in [Job 1:20-21] is challenging and inspiring. He did not blame God of wrongdoing. He did not grow bitter. He did not walk away from God in anger. He bowed and worshipped. He still found reason to bless God in the triumphs and the tragedies. 

I've heard numerous stories this past week of people getting punched in the gut by life. Three different people either had cars break down or were involved in a wreck totaling a car. There were other body blows I am not at liberty to write about. What do you say? I turn to a verse I have received comfort and strength from for over three decades. [Ps 46:1]. God is our refuge, strength, and a very present help in times of trouble. Over and over again we go to Him for peace in tough times. He is the one who provides strength to keep going when you are emotionally, spiritually, and physically wrecked. He helps you get through the next moment, the next hour, and the next day. He helps us through the next body blow of a crisis. Those body blows hurt. We are not always shielded from the pain. We are given everything needed to endure the pain and press on to better days. I'm not saying that is easy. I am saying it is possible. May we all believe to see the goodness of God in the land of the living and get past the body blows. [Ps 37:14]

Casual Christianity

 In a church culture that embraces words like comfort, convenience, and casual there is the contrast with Jesus' words from Mark 8:34. There is nothing comfortable or convenient about denying self, taking up the cross, and following Jesus. Deitrick Bonhoeffer once wrote, "When Christ calls a person, He bids them to come and die." What was casual about the disciples following Jesus to martyrdom? Nor is that comfortable or convenient. 

Christianity keeps getting watered down more and more. Grace keeps getting magnified as justification for compromised behavior. You would be surprised at the number of recent conversations I've had with preachers who like to smoke cigars and drink alcohol. They are unashamed in boasting about this fact. Christians compromise with long held convictions among Christians. They use grace as a license to sin because they promote their freedom in Christ. These same people talk little of holiness, repentance, revival, solemn assemblies, fasting, or importunate prayer.  

Following Jesus is serious business for serious sober minded believers. I am not saying there is not joy. It is different joy than the mirth of those flirting with sin and often crossing the boundaries between cultural accepted norms and the cross centered life. Paul might have wrote with a joyful heart while in prison, but that joy was rooted in Christ not sin. I believe following Jesus requires all in commitment. It involves service. It might lead to sacrifice. It will involve surrender. In a time when more Christians are interested in what the least commitment levels are, I believe Jesus is calling us out of casual Christianity to full devoted discipleship. 

Praying the Promises

 When my sons were little, if I promised to take them to the park to play when I got home they were quick to remind me once I walked in the door. They took me at my word. No matter how tired I was they expected me to keep my promise. That is what a good father does. 

God is a much greater Father than any of us. He has made many promises. We are not in the wrong if we expect Him to honor what He says. I realize there are many variables such as God's timing and God's will to take into consideration. There are still promises to be accessed. Promises to claim. It is sad that God wants to do things for His children that we never even ask. 

The more I learn to pray the more I lean on praying what God promises. Praying His word is much more fruitful than praying anything I can come up with in my mind. There are so many. Abounding promises like I Jn 5:14-15. Others like Mark 11:23-24, James 5:16, John 14:14, Jn 15:7, Ps 37:4, Phil 4:19, Matt 6:25-33, and so many others. 

We take I Jn 1:9 to heart. We confess sins and believe God will forgive them. We take Romans 5:8-9 to heart believing Jesus died to declare us blameless before God when we believe on Him for salvation. Why would we not take the rest of God's truth to heart as well. If we could learn to harness our faith with the promises of God and hitch our prayer wagon to those, I believe we would all pray more powerfully and effectively. 

This necessitates that we actually know what His word includes. How can we pray promises we have never read or studied. For people who are crippled by fear Is 41:10 is a great promises. For people covered in anxiety try Phil 4:6-7. For those who are despondent Ps 42:5 is useful. His word is filled with promises packed with truth. May we stand on those truths and pray in the authority God has granted us through His assurance that we can come boldly before His throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in our time of need. Heb 4:16. 

A Prayer For People With Cancer

 Father,

I lift your sons and daughters to you. A sweet spirited thirsty souls in pursuit of you. This diagnosis is devastating for them and their families. So, I come tonight to offer this prayer, you are near to those who brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit. [Ps 34:18-19] You are near to them in this moment I pray this and, in the moments, when they reads this over and over again you will draw near and comfort them. You have not given them a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and a sound mind. [II Tim 1:7] So we can stand against fear in the mind. We plead for you to help them not be anxious about cancer. With thanksgiving and supplication, we all make our requests known for healing. We trust you to guard hearts and minds with the peace that surpasses all understanding in Christ Jesus. [Phil 4:6-7] You are the God who forgives our trespasses and who heals all our diseases. [Ps 103:2] We ask for your healing for those suffering. We understand the mountain that they face. A crushing immovable mountain from our perspective. Again, we stand on your word. You said if we had faith and spoke to our mountain to be moved in belief and did not doubt in our hearts that we would be granted what we asked. [Mark 11:23-24] We ask you in the name of Jesus to move every cell of cancer from her body and totally eradicate all of it. We cry out to you who can do far above what we can ask or imagine. We ask for her complete healing and imagine the restoration of her health in full. [Eph 3:20] We know you can do it through doctors, or you can speak healing over sick bodies. We also know that the confidence we have before you is if we ask anything according to your will, we know that you hear us we will receive the requests we have asked. [I Jn 5:14-15] This is the promise you made. We ask you to will to completely remove the cancer and give life and health to so they can keep seeking and serving you. You told us to call on you in the day of trouble and you would rescue us, and we will honor you. [Ps 50:15] I know Katie stands ready to honor you. So, we ask you to do what you said you would do. To rescue. You also said through David, that he would have despaired if he had not believed that he would see your goodness in the land of the living. As many wait on you, may you fill them with your strength and courage. [Ps 27:13-14] We know we will see your goodness in heaven. We are asking you to allow the hurting to see it in the land of the living right here and right now. We trust that they will not fear because you are with them. Help them not look anxiously around for you are their God. We trust you will strengthen and help. You will uphold with your righteous right hand. [Is 41:10] I ask you to give faith. The assurance of what they hope for and the evidence of what they cannot see. [Heb 11:1] We stand on the truth that without faith it is impossible to please you. We believe that you are everything the suffering needs in this crisis and you reward those who diligently seek you. [Heb 11:6] I come boldly before your throne of grace to find help and grace for the afflicted in this time of need. [Heb 4:16] I do not come based on merit to deserve healing. None of us deserve anything from you. I ask what will bring you the most glory. People testifying about how you preserved life and living to serve you and point others to you will bring you abundant glory and encourage as well as inspire many others. I make my stand in faith for these beloved people of yours. I stand in faith that the child is not dead but only sleeping. I stand in faith not to be afraid but only to believe. [Mark 5:36-39] In your name Jesus, amen!

He Makes Me Lie Down

 It was a grueling ministry season. God opened the door and strengthened me to preach or teach 16 times in the span of a little over the past two weeks. Part of that included a preaching trip to Lubbock. Add to that the other preaching and teaching times through the summer until yesterday afternoon it all caught up with me. The traveling. The constant prayer for the next message. The passion for the lake baptisms. After lunch yesterday, I needed a nap. 

I thought about Ps 23:2-3, "He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads beside still waters. He restores my soul and guides me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake."

The human body was not designed to live in the fast lane perpetually. God created us to need sleep. We cannot function without it. It is the constant reminder that we are not God because He never gets tired nor sleeps. We may go hard for several days, weeks, or even months. There will come a time when the body needs to recover. 

We see same the principle in other areas. Cattle horses cannot go hard every single day. They have to recover at some point. You cannot run a machine at maximum RPMs long before it malfunctions. The same is true for the human body. God made me lie down for a nap. Friends wanted us to go to Amarillo for lunch, which would have meant an extra hour driving time there and back for us. We had to decline. A nap did more for me than I can put into words. It refreshed, revived, and reenergized me for two more times of teaching to round out the day. 

This is exactly why God created the Sabbath. A day for rest and worship. It was meant to be a day to rest and recover before starting another week of work. The Sabbath day is regularly broken. Some have no choice because of work schedules. Others fill the day with recreational activities, kids ball games, work around the house, and many other things besides worship. Do this long enough and it will compromise spiritual, emotional, and physical health. 

The NASU translation of Ps 23:2 uses the phrase, "He makes me lie down." God has His ways to get us to slow down. To recuperate. Some people feel guilty for resting. Like constantly being busy is a bade of honor. The Bible certainly speaks against laziness in the book of Proverbs. It also speaks to resting. There must be balance. In extreme cases, I've seen people hospitalized which forced them to rest. 

I actually felt convicted that we were planning too many things for the church. We canceled two events for this month. I could tell people were tired. They needed a break. Brenda and I needed a break. It was a fast paced summer with things happening nearly every week. Once this past Sunday ended, it signaled the end of the summer season and the ramping up of the fall season with back to school and all that comes with it. Other days of rest will be needed. The rest refuels us to be even more productive. LET'S GO!

I Heard Her Last Heartbeat

 God called a dear sister in Christ home today. A fantastic wife, mother, follower of Jesus, and talented singer. With her husband and kids, they travelled all over the United States leading people in worship. She battled cancer and after months of treatment and excruciating pain, she slowly drifted into heaven while her husband lay beside her in the bed listening to her heart beat head on her chest. 

Of course there are the same old questions why. Why did God take such a useful person in the advancement of His kingdom? Why did God call her her home to Him leaving a grieving husband and devastated children? Why did God not answer prayers for her physical healing, even though we know she is healed now? 

I hurt for her husband. A gifted musician, song writer, and worship leader. His world is wrecked. Those are his words. I know he is not the first widower in the history of the world. It still does not make it any easier. Somehow all the church cliches and Bible verses ring a little hollow in his grief. I know God is near to those who broken hearted and saves those crushed in spirit. [Ps 34:18] I know God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. [Rom 8:28]. I know that in Jesus we have peace, but in the world we have tribulation. We are to take courage because Jesus has overcome the world. [Jn 16:33] I know precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. [Ps 116:15] None of truths take away that a middle aged wife and mother is tragically taken from her husband and children. I know she would not return if she had the chance. It still does take away the vice grip of grief. 

All of those things are emphatically and eternally true. It still does not take the pain away from a devoted husband losing his best friend and spouse. I hurt for him and the children. Outside his home, life goes on. People hustle and bustle in frenzied activities of back to school, work, start of football, volleyball, band, and cross country practices. Inside his home are rivers of tears. There is anger and shock that suddenly she is gone forever. No more gentle kisses, hugs, morning breakfasts, movie nights, date nights, or casual conversations. Those things are just memories to cherish. 

I feel both guilty and grateful that I still have Brenda to go home to tomorrow evening. I still have the chance to tell her I'm madly in love with her. Still love to spend time with her doing just about anything. I still get to chase and serve God with her by my side. I kissed her goodbye near the curb of our front yard yesterday morning. Those are blessings my brother will never enjoy again with is deceased bride. It reminds me not to take Brenda for granted. 

I know God will sustain this devastated man of God in his grief. God will help him keep living one day at a time. God will help him write new songs and guide him to be able to sing them authentically. My brother has some very hard days ahead of him. He is in the weeping for a night. I pray God usher him into the joy that comes in the morning. [Ps 30:5]

Rejoice in Suffering

 Col 1:24 exhorts us to rejoice in suffering. To put that another way, it means to be glad in hardship, pain, and distress? Who does that? Isn't the natural reaction more like getting bitter, angry, doubtful of God's love? We feel like we are owed smooth sailing and a trouble free existence. That is a facade. 

Just this week, I had a conversation with a man very concerned about his aging wife's health. Several things have kept her down for months. A storm blew a tree over on power lines and impacted electricity and water for another man. He told me a recent storm took down seven trees. He has piled them up as high as 15' high to be burned at the right time. Another guy and his wife were spending time in Colorado. Their granddaughter checked on their house in Texas and discovered it was flooded. Ruined every room in the downstairs section. He and his wife have lived in a hotel room for the past 21 days as the insurance company drags their feet getting the home restored. His last words to me on the phone were, "We still trust the Lord. We are taking it one day at a time." I received a text today about a worship leader and his wife I have served with at youth camps in the past. The wife has cancer and hospice has been called in for her. The prognosis is not good. The husband and children are wrecked. 

How could we callously tell any of these people they need to rejoice in suffering? That is not what they want to hear in these moments of crisis. Sometimes, maybe even most times, we don't need to say anything to suffering people. Maybe we should just show up and be there for them to listen, hug, and pray. 

Like a burr in our britches, the admonition to rejoice in suffering is still there. Paul says the same thing in Phil 4:4 that we should rejoice always. The truth is our flesh does not feel like rejoicing when our worlds are crumbling around us. When the chronic pain does not subside night or day making comfort and ease illusions. When eyes sting from the salt flowing in continuous tears and are blinded to even the faintest hope, there probably will not be much rejoicing in suffering. 

People suffer. It is a cruel hard fact. All people suffer. This is a truth we cannot ignore. People without God to help or lean on for support turn to toxic ways of coping. This only makes things worse. Christians suffer. Horribly suffer just like others. The difference is that God helps through the hard stuff. It does not always turn out like we want. Like one lady told me recently, life is not a bed a roses and she feels like she's in a briar patch. Tough times do not last forever. Weeping does indeed last for the night, but joy can also come in the morning. [Ps 30:5] What do Christians do in the suffering. We keep breathing. We keep praying. We keep trusting.  We keep casting our burdens on God. We keep persevering one day and one moment at a time. 

You can rejoice in suffering for these reasons. Life on planet earth is not as good as it gets. Eternity in Heaven for the redeemed sinners is beyond imagination. You never know who might be inspired watching you navigate your own sufferings. Others may be inspired to not give up on God. They may keep pressing in close to God because of your example. Times of suffering help us not take times of blessing for granted. 

I'm not suggesting that you get in the middle of troubles and do a fake hallelujah hootenany. Your rejoicing can be silent alone in prayer. You can trust God's purpose. You can choose joy instead of bitterness. That is exactly what a widow did while her husband suffered with a terminal illness and also did after he died and still does to this day. She chose and still chooses joy. They were married in excess of 50 years. God's word would not command us to do something impossible to pull off. Through Jesus who strengthens us, we can choose to rejoice instead of complaining. Not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it is possible with God's strength and focus on His purposes. 

Lake Baptism Day

 Hundreds of hours of prayer. Secured permits. Vision casting. More prayer. VBS, children camp, Bible club, and Summers Last Blast. Gospel messages preached on Sundays. All leading up to over two dozen people who were saved or have been saved, but never followed through with baptism. All leading up today. The day scheduled for the Lake Meredith baptisms. Our youngest candidate who got all this rolling is a young 5th grade girl named Lauren. She trusted Christ as her Savior back at the beginning of summer. She wanted to be baptized in the lake. She agreed to wait so that several of her friends were also saved this summer can join her. She waited up to the last person talking to me last week just to remind me she only had to wait one more week. She will be the first to be baptized today.

Our oldest candidate for baptism is 85. She is scared of large bodies of water, but feels compelled to overcome her fear and be baptized today. There are other adults and students who will join her.

People have reported they have many coming to worship today. Extra chairs have been set out. Following our morning service, where I will one more time make an evangelistic push, we will all travel to the lake. We will start baptizing at 1:30. How many? I don't know. I know it will be largest number of baptisms I have been a part of in one service. I fully expect others to be saved today and to join in the celebration.

They will line up at 1:30 and one other guy and myself will start the joyous celebration. One after the other. People want to know how many. I do not have a number. We will just keep baptizing the next one until there are no others. We will ask each one before plunging them into the water about their salvation experience.

I pray for many more to be added to that number today. Dozens more. To glorify God and demonstrate what God can do in answer to fervent prayer. It will be a day to remember. When all is said and done, we are not finished. There are still thousands of lost souls in this community and county. May we work prayerfully and boldly to see God reach as many of them as possible. May He be pleased to rescue the perishing and the baptismal waters in local churches constantly be stirred with new converts professing their faith through baptism. The harvest is plentiful. May the Lord send out more workers in the fields of lost souls to lovingly lead them to salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do It Again

 Do it again Lord. This was a prayer heard offered by one person who remained behind after the funeral of William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army. After the crowds left for the cemetery, one person remained behind on their knees at the altar pleading with God to raise up someone to take William Booth's place. The Salvation is still going proof that God answered that prayer.

I find myself praying the same thing again. Praying that God would do it again. Last night He saved two more students. He saved one on the previous night and two others on the night before that. Several others came to declare, though they were saved, they never followed through on baptism. This Sunday we are traveling to Lake Meredith after our morning worship service to baptize several. We set a goal for 50 earlier this summer. So far we are short of that goal, but there are multiple candidates to be baptized. I have lost count. I told the church I will just keep baptizing the next one until there are no more. Someone else can keep count. I ask God to save many in the Sunday morning worship service. I ask God to even save some at the lake who wonder what all the commotion is about.

Enthusiasm is high as we watch God work. Make no mistake about it. It is God doing the work. He is using students to reach their friends, our children minister to reach children, and adults to reach adults. I am humbled to witness it. It is a movement of God. I plead for Him to keep doing it again and again.

Yet, I have the audacity to ask the Lord to do it again. To keep saving people. To keep drawing people to the Lord Jesus Christ. I keep asking the Lord to do it again in sending revival that sweeps through every church in town and all across the town spreading to other communities. I ask God to do it again in similar fashion to what we saw Him do in FBC Seminole 15 years ago in a revival move where 37 people were saved and the meetings lasted three weeks. Do it again Lord. Do it again.

We ask for more. We ask for more churches to be set ablaze by the fire of the Holy Spirit. We ask for more repentance among the people of God unclogging the hose of His power. We ask for more dedication of fervent prayer. We ask for more people to be rescued from eternal damnation and transferred into the glorious kingdom of God. We ask for more than just a trickle of God's power poured out. We ask for a torrential downpour of His presence and power like some of the rain showers we have seen this summer. In summary, we just ask God to do it again.

How Do I Describe

 How do I describe what happened last night? I can tell you thirty students showed up when we had not seen over six all summer. I can tell you they were energized in recreation. I can inform you they were enthralled in worship. Several singing with lifted hands, others eyes closed lost in praise of the King of Kings. I can tell you two teenagers were gloriously saved and others rededicated their lives. I can report our adults served with every ounce of their being putting their souls into the labor of love. I can tell you Eric was anointed as I have often experienced in our working together for thirty years. It was like a night at youth camp.

What I cannot describe is the heaviness of the Spirit of God at work last night. I can't describe the multiple little acts of kindness unnoticed by most, but noticed by Brenda and I. This is a special place and a special group of people. We see evidence of God working. We ask and trust Him for more.

I can report the spiritual warfare is intensifying on multiple fronts. I can report that fervent prayers have been lifted with fasting. I can tell you that we are engaged in the war of winning as many student's souls as possible. I can write to you this has been building all summer toward this coming Sunday where we celebrate baptisms at Lake Meredith after our morning worship service. We have asked God for 50 .

I come into tonight with great expectations. Believing for more students to come and to meet Jesus as their Savior. What an honor and privilege to get to point them to the One who died to justify them our Lord Jesus. [Rom 5:8-9] Justification is not a doctrine most would preach to students. It is where God impressed me last night. God gripped their hearts. He captured their attention. He drew them to Himself. What might He do tonight?

Accountability For Sin

 What happened to accountability for sin and your actions in local body of believers? One of the least favorite things I've had to do over the past three decades of pastoral ministry is to confront people about sin. There are those who are quick to point out Matt 7:1-5 about not judging others and taking the log out of your own eye before looking to take the splinter out of someone else's eye.

It is true we must first look at our own lives and deal with our personal sin. That does not mean that we are not supposed to hold one another accountable for sin. Our same Bibles contains passages like Gal 6:7-8 where God is not mocked. He holds people accountable for their sin. We also read James 5:19-20 where if fellow believers see someone straying from the truth, we are to turn them back. By doing so we may save that person from death, and cover a multitude of potential sins that could be committed if the sinner did not repent.

It grieves me that so many have lost the fear of the Lord. There are so few consequences for sin these days there seems to be no deterrent. People argue in theological circles about what constitutes sinful behavior. Morality lines have been redrawn. If God calls it sin in the Bible then it is still sin!

My eyes fell on Heb 10:31 today. "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." The word terrifying means a fearful, terrible and frightening thing to fall into the hands of the living God who sees and knows everything. Sinners will never pull a fast one on God. Sinners who appear to have gotten away with great evil in their lives will have to contend with God in death. His judgment will be just, swift, and fierce for those who never received salvation through Jesus.

Make no mistake. There is also a judgment for believers. One where we will be judged on our works after salvation. A judgment about our faithfulness. There is accountability with God. There should also be accountability among believers. I have both been called out by trusted Christian brothers and sisters and had to call others out.

This does not happen frequently in many body of believers. People sin openly and church people just turn a blind eye to it, or worse they justify and defend the sin. The church is dirty and defiled. We need a cleansing from God and to be awakened once again to fear Him. This is not a popular message in days of hyper grace where anything goes. It is a needed message that I will shy away from declaring.

The Beautiful Sound of Intercession

 I taught on Sunday night, and then we did what we do each week. We break into small prayer huddles across the sanctuary and pour out our souls in fervent petitions. The group I prayed in had only three people with Brenda, our son Tucker, and me. We finished before some of the other groups. It was then that I heard a beautiful sound. One that captured my heart and was soothing to my ears.

The sound was men and women fervently praying out loud. The sound filled the sanctuary. Some people may have thought all those people praying out loud at the same time might have sounded chaotic. I thought it sounded beautiful. People praying for God to save souls and usher in days of revival. It sounded more beautiful than the praise and worship that morning. The echoed chorus of intercession.

I wonder how it sounded to God. Did is please Him? Did it bless His ears to hear His people humble themselves and ask for His help? Did it sound beautiful to God? Only He knows the answers to those questions. I know it sounded beautiful to me.

It makes me wonder what if all the community churches were doing the same thing beseeching God to send revival and spiritual awakening to their communities. What if enough churches did that across the nation. What might God do in response. I yearn to see it.

Brenda and I live in a small community in the Panhandle these days. We keep pointing people in the church and other pastors to create a prayer culture. One that permeates the different congregations as well as the whole community. Maybe one day you will hear about the Panhandle Outpouring. Until that day comes, there is much more praying to be done and many more prayer meetings to be held. May the beautiful sound of the people of God interceding multiply across the land.

Practicing Prayer

 There are no instant prayer warriors. To really learn to pray effectively and become one of God's prayer warrior takes time spent with Him in prayer. The temptation is to read about prayer, do prayer focused Bible studies and to even listen to messages about prayer. Those are all well and good. If you really want to grow in prayer, YOU HAVE TO PRAY! There are no shortcuts or substitutes.

I've devoted 40 years of my life learning about, preaching and teaching about, and writing about prayer. None of that is a substitute for actually praying. The joy I have shared with the Father and the Son is impossible to put into words. Countless hours spent alone shut up with God pouring out my heart. Untold hours spent doing nothing more than listening for His still small voice. It is the most important thing I ever do on any given day. The abounding answers could make a book.

Make no mistake about it. I have to fight for that time. Distractions abound. Something is always clamoring for my attention. Sometimes I have to leave the crowd when the noise become so loud it drowns out the voice of the Holy Spirit. I have a get away in the church I frequent to seek and listen to the Lord. No matter how much time I've devoted to prayer I feel little more than a novice, and know there is so much more to learn and experience. So I keep practicing prayer.

In [Matt 6:5-7] twice Jesus used the phrase, "When you pray." He always expected His followers would spend time alone with Him in their inner room, prayer closet, or secret place to pray. Jesus withdrew from the company of people to keep company with His Father. [Mark 1:35] We must follow His example. This is a lifetime commitment. The rewards of faithful praying will echo in eternity.

Firm Foundation

 We live in a world of tragedy and heartaches continually. It is part of the sin curse on this planet. It does not mean that our hearts do not break, and we do each face our own pain and paths of sorrows. Where do people turn to cope? Unbelievers turn to vain philosophies and sin. Sin can turn into addiction. They end up worse off than when they first began trying to cope.

Followers of Jesus turn to Him and to the word of God to find comfort, strength, and a shelter in the difficult times. [Ps 46:1] The people of God build our lives on the solid rock foundation of His word. [Matt 7:24-29] The same storms of life slam against us as well. The only difference is that our foundation remains steady, while those who build on shifting sands crumble.

What is the foundation you build your life on hoping it to remain solid in the storms. Finances. Riches are shifting sand. So is success. It can all crumble quickly. So can fitness and health. So can relationships. So can popularity. It all can be wiped out in no time.

Jesus remains. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. [Heb 13:8] His word remains forever. [Ps 119:160] Those who love that word will have great peace. [Ps 119:165] Keep clinging to Jesus and His word as the birth pangs continue since our redemption draws closer.

Faithful in Service

 I just finished reading about John Wesley. A zealous evangelist, tireless worker, and tremendous administrator. He is credited with founding the Methodist denomination. Wesley spent much time in prayer. He preached a salvation by grace available to the masses. The common people without pedigree were welcomed to attend his meetings. 

This did not set well with the religious establishment of the day. He was banned from preaching in any of those pulpits. He started preaching outside drawing crowds of thousands as early as 5:00 a.m. He often preached three times a day. He traveled by horseback and did not consider retirement when he reached his seventieth or eightieth decades. He worked at winning souls and organizing the growing Methodist denomination in his day. Even back then Methodism spread far beyond England to other nations like Scotland, Ireland, and the American Colonies. 

When he was 86 years old, he did a nine week preaching tour across Ireland. He preached 100 sermons in 60 different towns and villages on that tour. No slowing down for this warrior for Christ. Six of those sermons he preached outdoors. No retirement for this flaming soul devoted to God. 

In February of the following year, at 87 he preached to a large crowd outdoors calling people to repent. A couple of weeks later he preached at a chapel in London and then preached at a friend's house the following day. Suddenly his health began to fail. His eyesight dimmed. His strength faded. He died not long afterward. 

Wesley rode on horseback over 250,000 miles preaching. To better understand the magnitude of that, it is the equivalent of circling the globe ten times. It is estimated that he averaged traveling on top of a horse around 5,000 miles per year. He preached over 40,000 times. That averages out to over a sermon a day if you include his childhood years. The average is higher if you take into account he probably did not start preaching until he was 20 something. He published more than 5,000 sermons, books, and pamphlets. This man was faithful in his devotion and service to God. 

None of us can be John Wesley. I have good news. Nobody is supposed to be. God had a unique calling and purpose for Wesley just like He has for each of us. We are called to be faithful where He planted us and doing what He purposed for us to do. Faithful service is what God desires from all of us. 

90 Plus and Going Strong

 I did some pastoral visiting yesterday to a couple of unique ladies. One is 94. She still teaches a class on Sunday mornings. She survived the death of her husband at 40 years old leaving her a widow to raise their three children. Much later one of her sons was murdered. She still radiates the joy of Jesus. Even though she lives alone, she does not feel lonely. It is her ongoing communion with the Lord Jesus Christ that keeps her from being lonely.

I visited another lady who is 93. She still mows her two and half acre place. She told me recently about weed eating her ditch. She is filled with life and energy. I felt like I was talking to a woman at least twenty years younger. She lost her husband seven years ago. She is not overwhelmed with grief, but filled with the joy of the Lord.

I never would have guessed either of these two ladies are in their nineties. They certainly do not act that way. They are vibrant. Active. Tough. Survivors. They inspire me. I am a youngster compared to them. Just because we age does not mean we are useless. God can still use us in our twilight years. We can still maintain joy no matter how old we are. We can still be of service. We can still be active and still keep living the abundant life.

Earlier in the week, I met with a man who is 94. His mind is still sharp. He battles health issues, but I did not detect bitterness or a sour disposition. His wife of 71 years died five years ago. He misses her, but he is not without hope. He trusted Jesus as his Savior at the age of 12. He knows what awaits him in eternity. He is resolved to cling to his faith all the way home to heaven.

I am thankful for the opportunity I had to visit with each of them. Very inspiring. We do not have to grow old and sour. We can still find joy in living even after facing sorrows, trials, and tribulations. May we be like those three in their nineties.

24+24 Equals 100

 I know. You did the math and I got it wrong. I would agree with you if I was talking about a simple addition problem. I am not talking about math. I'm thinking of people. 12 men and 12 women equals 24. I am also thinking about 24 hours in a day. That is the number of people who committed to an ongoing 24 hour prayer vigil every day of the week and then each day of the month. They started this prayer effort August 27, 1727 in Germany. 

They prayed faithfully. They did not do it to draw attention to themselves. One man and one woman were designated to pray for an hour for the entire 24 hours. Those prayers did not last a week or even a few months. They continued this prayer focus for a solid year. They did not stop. Not all the way into the second year. Believe it or not that 100 number stands for the continuous prayer meeting among that group of believers. Obviously some of the original members died and were replaced with a fresh group of prayer warriors. Continuous prayer for 100 years. That is simply mind boggling to me. 

Today, we have trouble getting people to pray for 20-30 minutes much less an hour. Many who do that are not disciplined enough to do it consistently. I read this story about the Moravians 100 year prayer meeting this morning. I was convicted and humbled. I'm not saying I'm out to start a prayer meeting lasting for 100 years. I do not want to be devoted to prayers like that group was. 

Can you imagine what that type of focused and consistent prayer might do for churches, communities, and  the country? Fractured families could be healed. Those stuck in addiction could be set free. Peace could reign in troubled communities. Sexual abuse could be stopped. In summary, it would transform society. May we pray in our little corner of the world asking God to do something mighty among us. 

Surprised by Grace

 I was up and had a plan to get to the office early. I got ready and had Brenda do a mobile order for a Wendy's sausage biscuit. It was to be ready when I got there. On the drive I got immersed in the radio. One of the on air personalities teased listeners with something he wanted to talk about after the next song. I was intrigued as I announced my mobile order at the drive through. 

I got my food and headed back to Fritch. The guy talked about Buckees. Who doesn't love Buckees. You can find clean restrooms, snacks galore, real food, and even do some shopping of all sorts of things. He talked about how much time a person can spend in Buckees. He commented about spending so much time there that his coffee got cold and he asked to refill it with hot coffee. I was mesmerized by the conversation until I saw a familiar sight that snapped my attention. 

Coming in the opposite way down Highway 136 toward Borger was a motorcycle police officer with his red and blue lights flashing. My heart sunk when he turned around and I realized he was coming after me. The speed limit stays 55 mph for a good way outside of town. I was guilty. I immediately pulled off on the shoulder and started getting things in order to give the officer. He informed me I was speeding. I had no excuse. I handed him my driver's license only it was not my license. It was my debit card. He joked that I probably grabbed that one by habit. I reached back in and gave him my license. He looked everything over and I prepared for the worst. Instead of justice he offered grace and said he would give me a warning. I certainly did not deserve it. I did not speed intentionally, but I did exceed the speed limit. I deserved a citation, but he gave me grace. 

I thanked God and asked if the officer had a church home. He did. He asked me to slow down. I did. Then I reflected on the incident and thought about the grace of Jesus to forgive sins. My stack of sins before Jesus was great. I did not deserve forgiveness. I deserved condemnation. I picture it like this. I sat in the courtroom of God and my list of trespasses were listed. God listened intently and prepared to bring the hammer of judgment on me. That is when Jesus stepped up and told the Father that by faith I trusted Him to forgive me. Jesus paid the debt for my sin on the cross. I deserved judgment but He extended grace. Surprised by grace is an understatement. I have never gotten over it. Grace is such a wonderful gift. 

None of us deserves grace. It is not something we earn. It is the compassion and love of God to extend surprising grace to us. Ps 103:12 says that God casts our transgressions from Him as far as the east is from the west. If He had said as far as the north from the south that would mean there was a definite fixed point where forgiveness stopped. There is a North Pole and a South Pole. There is no end to east and west. It is surprising grace. Like John Newton wrote hundreds of years ago, it is Amazing Grace. Offered to those who believe Jesus and ask Him for it. May all be surprised by this gift of grace. Oh by the way, slow down too. 

Spread His Fame

 I am amazed often reading about the popularity of Jesus when He walked on this earth. In a day without cell phones, cameras, or social media His popularity spread rapidly as people flocked to hear Him teach. People brought their sick and demon possessed family and friends to Him for help. I question how people heard about Him or even where He ministered, as He did not stay in one place very long. He went to villages and cities. People had to talk about Him. News spread through word of mouth. 

He had compassion for the lowest segments of society. He helped lepers, forgave adulterers, healed the lame and blind. News spread far and wide. Crowds surrounded Him seeking help and comfort. They sensed He loved them. He cared for them and was moved by their needs. He extended love and grace when religious leaders only offered judgment and condemnation. 

Jesus still loves. His arms are open to people who have made a trainwreck out of their lives. He is patient with people who struggle to find freedom from addiction. He loves people others look past and shun. He is kind, merciful, and loving. He forgives the immoral. He welcomes the broken and bruised. Sometimes His followers do not reflect that same attitude. Many do. 

Let Jesus start moving in a community and transforming lives. People will talk about it. Let Him reclaim some of the hardest sinners and redeem them. People will talk. Small town gossip is faster than track teams. God's people should give the community something to talk about. Something positive. Spreading the fame of Jesus from family member to family member, friend to friend, and neighbor to neighbor. This is good news. 

 I read today where Jesus is the most famous historical figure in history. The Library of Congress has over 19,000 titles in which Jesus is the subject. That is by far the most of any person in history. His influence goes into artworld, spills over into the movie industry, music industry and spreads all over the world from small remote villages to massive metropolitan areas. 

In 1966 Beatles band member John Lennon made a remark in an interview that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. It is true the Beatles are the best selling band of all time. Their fame cannot compete with the Lord Jesus Christ. His fame goes back thousands of years and will go forward in the future. Let's do our part to spread His fame right where we are planted. 

The Angels Are Rejoicing

 Ten were saved at VBS. One more was saved Sunday morning at the end of our worship service. There is a story behind the one this morning. I'd like to share it with you. 

In my prayers this morning, I sensed that someone who would attend the worship service later was faking it. They knew they were not truly converted even though they went through the perfunctory motions as a child. I prayed asking God to remind me of this during the message if it was really from Him. 

Sure enough I was reminded during an evangelistic point. When I finished the message nobody responded. We wrapped it all up with a closing song. I walked to the back as I customarily do to greet people as they exit, and a nineteen year old girl met me in the back. She told me she did not think she was really saved. We walked to a quieter place across the hall and she said she faked her salvation as a child to please her grandparents who raised her. She wanted to repent and get saved right then. She asked Jesus to make her become a true a child of God. 

I was exuberant as we went back into the sanctuary right and the congregation ended the closing song. I got everyone's attention and told the good news. It was powerful. Lots of shouts. None louder than the angels in heaven. Luke 15:7 records there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 righteous who need no repentance. If the angels rejoice over sinners repenting then we should also. 

Our enthusiasm should be unbridled as we watch God gloriously save lost people. The grace of God is powerful enough to reach the hardest heart and to transform the most untamable person. I think it is easy to lose sight of that in the midst of our religious activity. We run around to keep the program going instead of praying for God to do the work. He is able to do far more than we can. He can do more in days than we can do in decades. 

I rejoice even more because I know other sinners repented and experienced the grace of God through Jesus today as well. All over the world people turned to Jesus for salvation. The angels must be perpetually in a party state as sinners all over the globe get saved through faith in Jesus. Jesus is in the business of snatching people from the gates of hell and transferring them into the kingdom of light. We should rejoice with the angels. 

Firmly Rooted

 Brenda and I just moved into a home in Fritch. A massive tree sits in the front yard. The root system is impressive. They are large and surround the tree. Too large to safely navigate around them with my mower. The circumference of the tree suggests it has stood longer than I have been alive. The canopy of branches provides lots of shade and nesting places for the birds. 

The storms in the Panhandle are unlike anything I have ever seen. A native of deep east Texas, we rarely saw storms as violent as we have witnessed here in the past nine weeks. I thought about that tree and all the storms it has survived. Hurricane force winds. Hale stones that have pummeled it numerous times. Blazing hot summer droughts and blizzards in the winter. That tree has survived a great deal. No matter what weather came it endured.

One of the keys to the tree's longevity is the deep roots. When the winds howl, the roots anchor the tree. In drought the roots find water down deep. If the tree had a more shallow root system, it could be toppled in the storms like so many other shallow rooted ones. This tree is a survivor. 

It makes me think about people. There are people who have firmly rooted themselves in the Bible and God. They have endured different kinds of storms. Like financial crisis, wars, stock market crashes, disease, droughts, wild fires, death of loved ones and divorce. Because those roots were so deep and they built their life on a solid foundation, they were able to persevere through pestilence, pandemics, and physician's diagnosis. They pressed on. The winds and storms of life rushed against them, but they kept standing because they were firmly rooted. They built their lives on a solid foundation. 

Many others who built their  lives on popularity, power, and the endless pursuit of pleasure were toppled by storms. Their mental health crumbled like sandcastles on the beach. Their shallow roots did not hold fast in the tough times. They were storm tossed, battered, and bruised by life. They suffered much from the storms and limp along in life. They do not stand firm because they were not firmly rooted in solid ground. 

I will often look at that grand tree in my front yard and be reminded I must be firmly rooted in solid soil. If I am to survive the storms of life like that old tree, I better set my roots deep in the soil of God and His word. I hope you will do the same. We all need a solid foundation on which to build our lives. [Matthew 7:24-29]

Calm the Chaos

 Brenda and I have spent the last eight weeks in chaos. It really came to fruition last Tuesday night. When we moved to Fritch, we actually stayed in Claude in an efficiency apartment. For eight weeks we have driven back and forth. Our belongings were scattered all over town in different trailers and storage areas. One of the things I missed most was my books. Those books have become like treasured friends. They were locked in a cargo trailer as we waited to find a home. We closed on a house this past Monday.

That behind us it was time to unload my books which were behind other boxes that waited to be unloaded to our house. Tuesday we unloaded close to 60 boxes of books in my office. There were boxes waist high in every available space. We barely had enough room to walk in and out on a narrow path between boxes. It was total chaos. I sat down at my desk on Wednesday morning in the chaos and let out a sigh. I could not function in it. I could not focus in such a chaotic environment. I needed some order. I resolved what had to be done. Books had to be shelved and boxes removed. It was a huge undertaking, but had to be done. 

That chaos cannot compare to those who suffered severe hale storm damage in recent storms. I heard reports in places like Allison where the hales stones went completely through roofs. One person reported a four inch stone went completely through the roof into the garage and through the window of a parked car inside. Broken windows and damaged roofs were everywhere. Cars were totaled. That is chaos on a whole different level. Local areas were also severely impacted. 

There are other people battling severe health problems like our friend from Seminole who was involved in a severe car wreck. His back was nearly snapped into and he barely survived. He spent weeks in ICU and is learning how to do everything again from walking, eating, and trying to return to normalcy. His family has been by his side each day. This is chaos on a whole different level. 

There is also the chaos of death. The grief and strain are suffocating to some. It is hard to move forward. People get stuck in their grief. You can see it in the eyes of widows and widowers who had to learn to live without their spouse for decades. The initial days after someone dies are chaotic with funeral arrangements and getting all the affairs in order. This is hard for survivors. 

In Mark 4:35-41 the disciples found themselves in chaos in the middle of a storm on boat. They were panicked, but Jesus slept soundly in the stern. They asked Jesus if He even cared if they were about to perish. Jesus got up and spoke to the storm, "Peace be still." He brought calm to their chaos. 

Maybe you need Jesus to do that for you too. To bring calm to your chaos. Maybe it's just peace of mind trying to raise young children and keep up with chaotic schedules. Maybe it's trying to endure an especially grueling time at work. Perhaps it is just trying to make it through the next task and the next day. I pray for each of you that Jesus will speak calm to your chaos. To give you a little peace of mind and a lot of hope for better days ahead. He is faithful. I have found Him very trustworthy for the past four decades of my life. I pray He calms your storm and brings peace to your chaos. 

50 in Lake Meredith

 I am quick to ask God for big things. The bigger the ask and answer the more glory He gets. I am well aware of the need to pray in His will according to [I Jn 5:14-15]. What is more in God's will than people getting saved. That is what God wills. [II Pet 3:9] That is why Jesus has not returned yet. God wants more people to get saved. 

Earlier today I recalled a story when I traveled to Cuba for an evangelistic mission trip. On the plane I asked God to save 50 souls. On the last night I was to be in the country God saved several. The sum total for the week was 37. I was both elated and dejected at the same time. I asked God for 50. 37 trusted Christ for salvation. That was tremendous. On the way back to my lodging my interpreter asked if I would come to her English class the next morning and preach one more time. I gladly accepted. 

I preached her in her class and asked those who prayed to receive Jesus for salvation to raise their hands. I started counting. When I counted the last one in the classroom it totaled 49. I could not believe it. We were so close. Of course I rejoiced over the 49. The teacher got my attention and directed me to look out the door. A woman walked by on the sidewalk and heard me preaching. She stopped to listen and was standing there with her hand raised. Hallelujah she made 50. 

Recalling that story I asked God for 50 souls to be saved this summer and baptized in Lake Meredith. We already have the first one, a young girl who was saved a couple of weeks ago. We have VBS and children camp coming up. At the end of the summer we will hold a youth outreach event. Between now and then I am asking for God to save 49 more and that we will get to celebrate their new birth in a large lake baptism. Hence 50 in Lake Meredith. Nothing is impossible with God and it is His will to save lost people. May it happen for His glory. 

The God of Wonders

 Every so often God does something so wonderful that leaves you a little awestruck. Many times those moments come when you least expect it. When God reaches down and heaven kisses the earth just to remind us He is there and that He can do anything He pleases. Those are moments to capture with snapshots in the heart. 

I had one of those moments today. The details are not important. The important thing is that God showed up in a way I did not expect and moved in a way far beyond anything I imagined. I was stunned and humbled at the power of God. Awestruck. I was left with a more profound appreciation for His power. 

I watched Him change something that I did not anticipate. I prepared myself for a totally different outcome. That is when He showed up in a way I will not soon forget. It was a beautiful moment. A moment of glory. A moment deeply imprinted on my mind. 

In our run of the mill lives we do not often see God on full display. We get lost in the mundane day to day affairs like work, paying bills, cleaning house, mowing the yard, and day to day necessary chores. Then God breaks up the routine and does something extraordinary. He flexes His divine muscle to do things we consider improbable if not impossible. He must chuckle when we behold His faithfulness on full display. We may be left speechless until we find someone to testify to about what God did. That is what I did today. I had to tell someone what God did. 

He truly is a God of wonders. Just consider creation. A million little miracles are all around us. Think of the billions of prayers that go up everyday. He listens. He knows how to connect the right answer with the right prayer. Nothing is hard for Him. Our most difficult challenges are not challenging to Him at all. There is more power in His spoken word than all the other powers of the world combined. He can certainly do wonders fore us. I saw it again today. I expect I will see others in the future. I trust you will too. 

Air Cover

 Sometimes in military campaigns arial assaults will bombard enemy targets below to prepare the way for ground forces to advance successfully. Strategic targets are taken out to make a path of least resistance for marching troops. Air cover is critically important to minimize casualties of a nation's own troops while maximizing the effectiveness of taking enemy ground. 

It dawned on me while I drove to the office this morning that prayer is providing air cover for people we care about. We may pray for aging parents, spouses, children, grandchildren, and friends. While those we love are going through various trials, we may be in a different part of town, in another city, or remotely removed in a different state, but we can still prayerfully cover them. 

This thought both comforts and challenges me. I am comforted knowing there are people who pray for me consistently. It is a joyous reminder that I am not in the fight of faith alone. There are people giving spiritual air cover to soften the enemy's hold that prevents me from gaining new ground. My great aunt and great uncle were two of those people. They prayed for me diligently until both died. There have been others. Very close friends and people in different churches we served. They covered the Edwards family in prayer in critical moments. 

I am also challenged that I must provide spiritual air cover for the people I care about. Like my wife. Like our four sons I covered this morning. Like the friend leading a youth camp this week. That also includes the flock I shepherd. Interceding for others is a high and noble calling. It is also a privilege to stand in the gap for people going through various circumstances. 

It might just be possible that somebody somewhere is praying for you today. In all the trials or triumphs that you are going through someone out there may be giving air cover for you. Describe how that makes you feel. Is it consoling, encouraging, or humbling. It reminds me that I am not in the battle of life alone. Nobody prays for me more than my wife Brenda. She is a tremendous woman of prayer for our family. She rises each morning between 3:30 and 4:30 to seek the Lord and pray. I am so thankful for her. 

If you think long enough I am sure somebody will come to mind that could use your prayers. I exhort you to set aside a little time and lift them to the Lord. Maybe go one step further and send them a text, email, or note that lets them know that you are praying for them. It might just inspire them to keep going even though their journey is difficult. You may never know what your air cover accomplishes, but it will not be done in vain. 

Connection

 People connect when they associate with one another or are linked together. Each day we have multiple opportunities to connect with others. Some people choose not to connect. This could be for various reasons. Some have been severely wounded by people they once trusted. Others have been abused physically or psychologically and they simply do not trust people.

We were created to connect with people. This should happen within the context of family. I connect with Brenda and our four sons on a deeper level than I connect with other people. We also connect with extended family, friends, people we worship with, and others in the community. 

Nobody connected with people better than Jesus. He connected with people from all walks of life. Rich and poor, moral and immoral, wounded and broken, shunned and shamed, religious and irreligious. Jesus looked past the external appearance and loved people where they were. He still does. He sees past what others see. Skin color, piercings, tattoos, colored hair, body shapes, and clothing styles. Jesus even connects with people who have checkered pasts they are not proud of and try to hide. Jesus made connecting with people a high priority when He walked this earth. He still connects with people through activities like prayer, Bible reading, and worship. 

Sadly, some churches lose sight of Jesus' example. Christians often judge people outside their holy huddles whom Jesus loves and desires to form connection. Religious people often get hung up on traditions of men and miss out on the main mission of connecting people who are disconnected. Connecting with people starts with caring. Caring leads to compassion. Compassion often leads to connection. This may take time. 

 Jesus walked slowly through the crowds. He was often inconvenienced by the sick, demon possessed, outcasts, and immoral people. He made time for them. He listened. He felt compassion for them. He loved them and helped them. We are mandated to do the same. 

Christians are supposed to do the same things. We are told not to judge. [Matt 7:1-5], to forgive [Matt 18:21-22], and to love [John 13:34-35]. If we did a better job of doing those things I suspect houses of worship would be more crowded. Churches would be filled with people of varied pasts, races, and cultures. Connection would Jesus can bring transformation to individuals, families, and even communities. 

One day I was talking to the janitor of my home church who was also the worship pastor at another church. He did what he called street ministry. He and his church went into the slums to talk to people about Jesus. They encountered gang members, drug addicts, alcoholics, pimps and prostitutes. I can't forget how he started weeping and said, "Those people want to connect with Jesus, but they can't get to Him because they stumble over church people who get in the way." 

O God help us. May that not be true of the Christians in Hutchinson county. May Christians go the extra mile to connect with people. To love the unlovely. To go after the forgotten and neglected. To seek sinners and welcome them rather than shun them. I remind each of us, at one time, we were the sinners Jesus connected with and brought into the fold. We must extend the same kindness to those who need to be connected with the Savior. 

Make It With Love

 Brenda and I ventured out and tried a little off the beaten path cafe where the reviews were favorable. We walked into the small modestly decorated, but clean cafe. We were the only customers. An elderly man with a friendly face greeted us and showed us to our seats. We both ordered breakfast burritos. We chatted over bacon, egg, potato and cheese burritos. They were fantastic. I would tell you the name of the place, but I do not remember it myself. 

I struck up a conversation with the elderly man when we paid. I introduced myself and Brenda and he told us his name was Daniel. Earlier he gave us two options for salsa for our meals. One was definitely hotter than the other. He asked which I used and I told them both. He looked surprised and over my shoulder asking did you drink all your water. We both chuckled because I drank my water and part of Brenda's. He is the owner with this wife of that establishment. 

He said something that stuck with me. He reported how when he first got married his wife asked how he liked his eggs cooked. He told her it did not matter to him as long as she cooked them with love. He told us they cook their food for the customers with love. Those burritos are so good I woke up today thinking about them. It is because they were cooked with love. 

What if we adopted Daniel's attitude about our work? What if we did everything on our jobs with love? The Bible exhorts us to do that in Colossians 3:23. We are to do our work heartily as unto the Lord and not men. We are to sweep floors with love giving our best effort. If we mow the lawn, we should put our whole heart into it with love to please the Lord. If we are students, we should study and do our work with love giving our absolute best. If we wait on customers at a store or wait tables, we should do it with love. If we teach, coach, nurse, wait tables, weld, ranch, or farm we should do our work with love. 

When our four sons were little Brenda assigned me breakfast duties. I came up with some creative concoctions. My favorite was hot dog alaespecial. Chopped up hot dogs in scrambled eggs. We rotated between pancakes, breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, pigs in a blanket, biscuits, sausage, and eggs. They often asked me why it tasted so good. I told them it was because I cooked it with love. Just like Daniel and his wife. 

What if people really put love into their work. No matter if it is a prestigious job or a lowly one. Work would be done more joyfully, energetically, and with more excellence. People act like they should give minimal effort if the pay is minimal. We are challenged to give our best. To treat work like an offering of worship to the Lord. He sees when others do not notice. I noticed Daniel yesterday, even though his cafe is small, and serves few customers. He does his work heartily with love and for that reason we will eat their again soon. May we all follow Daniel's example and do our work with love.