Memories Forgotten

 Many things have expiration dates. Like milk. I learned this lesson the hard way. I never concerned myself  with expiration dates on milk cartons. Not until the day I got a swig of sour milk. Totally disgusting. Made my stomach turn. I check the expiration date now and even smell before I pour. Several times the milk has soured BEFORE the expiration date. You will notice on labels, "Best used by this date." This is true for all sorts of things. 

People have expiration dates too. As sad as it is, people die. They expire. What is even sadder, is that many people get forgotten over time. People who once made significant contributions to society. So let's do a brief history test. I will name three people. See if you recall their achievements WITHOUT USING YOUR PHONE! 

Here we go. Edith Wilson. Earnest Lawrence. Lewis Latimer. 

How did you do? Did you get all of them? Two? One? 

Edith Wilson was the second wife and First Lady for President Woodrow Wilson. Earnest Lawrence was a physicist who made significant contributions to the creation of the atom bomb. He did not get the same recognition as Robert Oppenheimer who was better at delivering memorable quotes. Last but not least, Lewis Latimer was hired by Alexander Graham Bell to draft the patent for the telephone. Latimer was so efficient he got the patent turned in just hours before a competitor turned one in. He was hired for a competing company against Thomas Edison working with the light bulb. He perfected the light bulb to burn for days and not just hours. Eventually Edison hired Latimer to come work for him, and he put electric lights in the cities of Philadelphia, New York, and Montreal. 

Most people have forgotten all three of these people. I confess that I never even heard of Edith Wilson or Earnest Lawrence. I had at least heard the name Lewis Latimer but could have not told anything he did. 

Our contributions can be quickly forgotten soon after we expire. We are reminded of this truth in [Ecclesiastes 9:5] It is that much more important that we do things that will matter in eternity. Things that will last beyond us. Through technology I hope to leave some preaching and teaching that lasts long after I am gone. Through books and these blogs I hope to leave a legacy to pass onto others long after my life expires. Life is fleeting. 

It makes me stop and think that maybe I should enjoy the simple things in life more instead of constantly striving to achieve. One day all my body of work will be forgotten. Should Jesus tarry, there could come a day when nobody will remain alive who ever knew me. It keeps me grounded and humble. 

The one comforting thought in all of this is that God remembers. God does not forget His children. God does not forget what things we did for Him that will be rewarded in eternity. May we invest our lives in what really makes an eternal difference and not strive for things that will perish. 

How Do You Describe God

 There are many ways we could describe God. We could say He is loving, merciful, gracious, kind, patient, and mighty. We could also say He is just, a righteous judge, a champion warrior, a defender of the oppressed and an executioner for those who do not know Christ as Savior. All of those would be true. I have something else in mind. Something that probably would not make the top ten descriptions on your list. Maybe not even the top 20. 

God is mysterious. I mean He is difficult to understand, impossible at certain times, and impossible to understand at other times. Many times we are baffled by Him and His ways. We think He is going to act in a certain prescribed way and He does something completely different. We believe He will come through at a certain time on a certain date, and God shows up late by our standards but always on time by His standards. 

He mysteriously heals one person while leaving another to suffer until Heaven. He provides for one need but leaves others to live in lack. He offers the good news to many while some have never heard. He opens doors we thought He would shut and shuts doors we thought He would open. 

God is mysterious. He works in mysterious ways. William Cowper wrote a song titled God Moves In A Mysterious Way a few centuries ago. Providentially Cowper suffered with incurable depression nearly all his adult life, and tried to commit suicide on more than one occasion. He never found lasting relief this side of eternity. Yet, he wrote some beautiful poems and songs that still touch the souls of suffering people. 

We love to ask God our why questions. I personally think those do not offend God. but He is not obligated to answer them. Many times we would not understand anyway. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours. We would never understand even if He did pull back the curtain and allow us to see what He is  doing. One of the great things about Heaven is it will all make sense. 

Down here there is a lot more trusting. A lot more faith required. A lot more belief even when we cannot see the outcome. It is daily trusting and hoping when all things around look confusing. God is many times mysterious. I could describe Him in many other ways and deservedly so. Today I am thinking about His mysterious nature. Even in the mystery He is still faithful. Mysteriously faithful. [Is 55:8-9]

Coming Wrath

 Sin is offensive to God. Never mistake the fact that God hates sin to mean that God hates sinners. Just read [Rom 3:22] and [Rom 6:23] to see otherwise. God loved sinners enough to send Jesus to make atonement for people's sin. [Rom 5:8] Don't miss this truth. God's love is beyond description. There is a limit to His love. Should a person spurn His love and offer of forgiveness and repeated help in salvation rejecting the sacrifice of Jesus there is only one fate certain. WRATH! 

Wrath can be defined as extreme anger. The Bible is filled with stories about the love, compassion, mercy, and grace of God. To be honest, there are also stories where God poured out wrath. God is very patient, but He does get angry. He does store up that anger to be poured out in wrath against people who reject Him repeatedly and refuse to obey His laws. 

In the past God has poured out His wrath against individuals like Pharoah in Exodus and against nations like Egypt, Moab and Philistines. His wrath was poured out once on the entire planet and human race in Genesis 6 with a flood. God takes holiness seriously. He also takes sin seriously. Serious enough that He sacrificed His Son to redeem people. 

A holy God has to deal with sin. He would not be just if He turned a blind eye and let people do whatever they wanted. He warned in His word that people are held accountable for their actions. [Heb 9:27] Sin must be punished. That is justice. Even in justice God offers mercy. None of us could ever have lived up to the standards set forth by the Old Testament law. We needed mercy. God had to satisfy His just nature and punish sin while also demonstrating His love and compassion. Jesus satisfied the justice of God by dying for sins. He substituted for us taking what we deserved and offering forgiveness that we did not deserve. [II Cor 5:21]

No matter how many warnings God offered in the past and is still offering today, there are many who ignore and brazenly bull their neck and stubbornly do whatever they want. For such people I write again that wrath is coming. I plead with you to wake up and turn your life over to Jesus pleading for His mercy and forgiveness. For any who do not listen, there will be a pay day someday. A day when God calls people to account and passes the sentence of condemnation in His wrath. I don't want to see people get caught up in the coming wrath. [Col 3:5-6]

The Silence of God

 There are times when God speaks as loud as thunder. There are times when He speaks in a still small voice. There are other times when He is silent. It is these silent periods that trouble us so much. Let me say this up front and emphatically. Never interpret the silence of God for His absence. 

For over 400 years the Israelites endured Egyptian slavery. One generation after another cried out for God to deliver them. God was silent. He did not explain what He was doing. He did not offer words of comfort and hope that are recorded in scripture. There was the promise given to Abraham in [Gen 15:1-6]. The promise that his descendants, which would become the nation of Israel, would be more numerous than the stars. 

400 years is a long time to wait. It is a long time to cry out to God for help and yet the help did not come. It is very long time to ask God what He was doing and why the continued delay and prolonged bondage. God did not answer. He remained silent. That does not mean that He was not working. 

Read [Ex 1:1-7]. Especially focus on verse seven. When Jacob's descendants came to Egypt under Joseph's protection there were 70 people in all. Look at verse seven. They were fruitful. They multiplied. They increased greatly. They became mighty and the land was filled with them. So much so that it frightened the new Pharaoh because he could see them growing in numbers. 

God kept His promise, and they did not even recognize it. All they focused on was their misery from the bondage. They could not see that God was growing a nation. I wonder if we do the same thing. When God is silent, and circumstances are not what we wished they were, do we interpret that to mean that He does not care and is not working? I know I have certainly done that in the past. I still do it from time to time presently. 

For several days I have not received any fresh word from God in my devotions. I read His word, use a devotion book, and sit still before Him. He remains silent. I know from experience that He is still working when I do not hear Him. I don't know what He is doing. At times it is very confusing. I still believe He is working His purposes just like He did with Israel. 

Let me encourage you again not to interpret God's silence as His absence. He cares. He is working in ways we cannot see. Behind the scenes He is orchestrating circumstances to accomplish His will. We may have to wait a while for His will to come to fruition. In the meantime, I encourage all of us to quit focusing on His silence and what we do not see Him doing. Look closer right under our noses to see what He is doing. Sometimes His plans can be accomplished in a matter of moments like choosing the disciples. Other times His plans might take centuries to unfold. His silence does not mean He does not care, nor does it mean that He is not active. It really comes down to trust even in the silence. 

Vomit

 Vomit is not a pleasant sight or smell. Some people gag and their stomach turns at the sight or sound of vomit. It can be described in phrases like blowing chunks, puke, or gergertate. 

In Rev 3:15-16 Jesus chastises the church at Laodicea for not being cold or hot, but for being lukewarm. He said He would spit such people out of His mouth. A better way to put it is that He will vomit such people out of His mouth. Lukewarm people may Him nauseatedly sick to His stomach. 

This is sad because churches are filled with lukewarm members. Many lukewarm preachers fill the pulpits Sunday after Sunday. Lukewarm worship leaders lead singing. Lukewarm teachers instruct small groups. Tepid followers of Jesus sit apathetically listening to ice cold sermons delivered professionally but not passionately by lukewarm pastors in some cases. 

When I consider all that we do as Christians in our gatherings, and that much of it sickens Jesus, it is a sobering thought. Sad. Repentance is in order. That is the exact message Jesus gave to the Laodicea church. It is a message needed for the church age today. 

I heard a person involved on the worship team of a church say recently how people sit stone faced on Sundays refusing to sing. That does not sound like something Jesus smiles on. He wants His people to love Him first and foremost. He wants His people to passionately seek Him. He wants His people to live with fire in their hearts and a burning in their souls. A fire that cannot be quenched by circumstances or persecution. 

Relentless

 Satan is relentless. He doesn't take naps or days off. He is constantly opposing God, stealing what is not his, killing, and destroying. [Jn 10:10] It can wear down a person's resolve. The constant attacks. The constant temptations people give into that hurt others as well as themselves. He connives in his ways through demon attacks into people's minds. He can destroy the psyche of a person causing them to die from self-inflicted wounds. 

No soldier in active service comes out unscathed. We all have a few war wounds. It is a war that we are in. The enemy relentlessly attacks us personally, our families, friends, churches, schools, communities and even countries. We must remain on vigilant alert. He works in stealth. Coming as a thief. He blindsides people. He knows from experience just where people are most vulnerable to temptation. 

While the enemy works tirelessly to destroy the church sleeps. Christians watch as the enemy pillages and plunders society right before our eyes. Little is done to oppose him. We gather in our holy huddles for  more religious gatherings that do not make much difference.  It doesn't seem much changes. We are told to resist him. [James 4:7-8]. To withstand his wicked schemes. [Eph 6:10-12].

We must resolve to be relentless in our service to God. There are two things that are like dropping nuclear bombs on the kingdom of darkness. Two things that make a huge difference. Prayer and evangelism. It is interesting these are two things the church does not excel in doing. It makes perfect sense that the devil does not want churches praying or evangelizing. We are kept busy with less important things. Things that really do not have lasting eternal value. Prayer and evangelism make a huge difference. 

In 2025 let us resolve to be more faithful in prayer and sharing the love of Jesus with people we come in contact with. May we be just as relentless in these ministries as the devil is in attacking Christians and deceiving people into hell. 

The Coming Storm

 A winter storm is coming to North Central Texas later tonight. People are in a tizzy over it. Grocery store shelves are empty. People are in a panic. They are glued to their televisions to stay updated. Forecasters are advising people not to drive unless absolutely necessary. Dangerous accumulations are possible. You can't say we haven't been warned. We most certainly have been. 

That is not the coming storm I have on my mind this afternoon. I'm thinking of another soon coming storm. The one that the return of Jesus and rapture of the church will initiate. It is a seven-year period referred to as the Great Tribulation. Seven years of the pounding judgments of God pummeling planet Earth. The judgments will escalate in greater intensity as the tribulation period goes along. 

What will happen? Mass casualties. Depletion of drinking water and food supplies. Intensifying heat from the sun. Periods of prolonged darkness. Crippling attacks from locust-like creatures sent by God to inflict suffering on non-believers. The rise of the Anti-Christ. He will oppose God completely and institute a one world government, one world economy, and one world religion. He will demand that people worship Him. Christians who hold to their faith will be executed. 

The world will descend into chaos and debauchery. The masses will feign over the Beast also known as the Anti-Christ. Tribulation saints will be hunted down and killed. I cannot even describe the incredible suffering coming with this storm. The date is already fixed for the return of Jesus and the rapture of the church. Nobody knows the date but God the Father alone. [Matt 24:36] 

Jesus predicted that we would know the season of His return. He did not give us a date. It certainly appears we are living in the last days. It is easy to forget about that amidst all the concerns of modern society. The Gospels serve as an action weather alert warning of a coming stone. The storm cannot be altered. The course is set. Things are already set in motion. The clock is ticking toward a climatic finale. It is wait and see now. 

I hope you are ready. That you have made spiritual preparations. Trusting Jesus as your personal Savior is tantamount. Cheap religious substitutes will not suffice. Only a real salvation relationship with Jesus will include you in the rapture. This is not only vital for you but also for all you love. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus. [Jn 14:6] The storm is coming. Don't get caught unaware. Jesus warned people to be alert for we will not know the hour that He comes. [Matt 24:42]

Please Speak

 I Samuel 3 is a favorite passage of mine. In that chapter the boy Samuel hears a voice calling for him. He thinks it is the priest and mentor calling for him. Samuel throws back the covers and makes his way to Eli the priest. Eli informs him that he did not call. The same thing happens a second time and then a third time. 

At this point Eli discerned that maybe God was speaking to Samuel. Eli told Samuel if he heard the voice again to respond saying, "Speak LORD for your servant is listening." [I Sam 3:9]. He did and God spoke to the lad. It was a harsh prophetic word about Eli and his sons. 

I read that passage this morning. I immediately set aside time to listen. I failed to discern His voice because I could not get my mind to be still. It raced from one random topic to the next. Very frustrating that even though I was in a quiet place in total isolation I could not slow my mind to focus on listening. 

Something dawned on me today. Samuel did not initiate the encounter. God did. God spoke to Samuel. He came to Samuel. He reached out to the young man.  He had something to communicate to the young soon to be prophet. God prompted the whole encounter. With that I relaxed. I contented myself knowing that when God has something to reveal to me and when the time is right, He will speak. My task is to live with a listening attitude at all times. 

When I look back over the past when God wanted to speak something to me, He revealed it clearly. I have written many times that the most prominent and consistent way God speaks to me is through His word. I have multiple passages highlighted and underlined in my Bible representing a significant God encounter. There is [Matt 16:24] I prayed over at a prayer garden in Glenrose, TX where I promised God I would go anywhere, to do anything, at anytime. There are [Matt 9:36] and [Rom 12:1] God used to call me to FBC Seminole as pastor.  There are [Luke 18:28-30] and [Ps 37:4] God used to lead us in purchasing our first home by faith. There is [I Thess 5:24] God spoke when I held my first "Shake the City Crusade" in Hudson, TX and I was having second doubts. God used [Deut 1:8,21] when He called Brenda and I to FBC Paradise. In recent days God has used [Is 6:8] and [Acts 16:9-10]. Not sure what those verses mean just yet, but I trust God will clarify in His good time. Most of these blogs are born out of my times with the LORD each morning. 

I love the fact that God speaks to us. Sometimes He speaks words of comfort and consolation. There are times we need Him to chastise us. There are words given for direction. There are also words shared for hope and expectancy for the future. God speaks about all sorts of things. I have learned that God speaks in many ways. 

Brenda and I were driving back home the other day when we were stopped at the signal near Chic-Fil-A. In the lane next to us was a tractor trailer with the big words written on the back door, "ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME." I could hardly believe my eyes. Many years ago, He spoke to me through a song titled "I Will Trust You" by Dennis Jernigan. Another time He spoke to me through a recorded message about faith by Bruce Wilkerson that I count as one of the most impactful messages of my life. There are other times when His speaking is like a soft impression in my mind. On a few occasions I believe He has even spoken to me in dreams. 

He is creative in the ways He speaks. That is not the most important thing to me. The fact that He does speak is the important thing. He delights to communicate with His children. I hope we long to listen. Listening should be a top priority in our prayer times. We can easily rush through prayer so quickly that we neglect to take the time to listen. His voice is the sweetest voice I know. 

May we pray Samuel's prayer repeatedly throughout our lives. Speak LORD for your servants are listening. 

A Definition of Prayer

 There are many synonyms for prayer. Petitions. Supplications. Requests. Intercessions. Prayer is when a person asks God for His divine intervention and help in a situation. That is not the definition I had in mind today for prayer. That is just one I made up. I found a far simpler one in the Bible. So simple everyone can easily remember it. It comes in the form of an illustration. 

Hannah is not a prominent figure in the Bible. She plays a small role. She does set an example of what genuine prayer looks like. In the account about her in [I Samuel 1:1-28] we read her story. She was married to a man name Elkanah. Unfortunately, he had another wife also named Peninah. Peninah had children but Hannah remained barren. This brought untold misery to Hannah. 

Yearly they traveled to Shiloh to offer sacrifices and worship. Elkanah gave Hannah twice what he gave his other wife to offer the LORD. The priest watched Hannah pray and supposed she was drunk because of the way she was acting. He confronted Hannah. In her defense Hannah gives the best definition of prayer I've read anywhere. 

She answered Eli, "No my Lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD." [I Sam 1:15]

Praying is pouring our souls out to God. Think about pouring liquid out of a container and you get an idea what pouring our souls before God will look like. Hannah carried a burden of being childless. This is what she poured out before the Lord. All the pain of disappointment, all the desire, all the desperation in such anguish Eli actually thought she was intoxicated. 

I'm sure some reading this are carrying your own burdens, and you are also oppressed in spirit. Pouring your soul out may not look very dignified. In her deep distress Hannah wept bitterly. Not a pretty picture. I am sure uncomfortable to watch. Hannah did not care what others thought about her actions. She poured out everything inside her offering it to the LORD. 

A couple of decades ago Brenda and I were in a very rough stretch of ministry. The church we served was declining. The offerings were so small no stead salary could be offered. We were both discouraged. I was invited to teach at a youth camp of several hundred students. One night during the worship service I felt so distressed and oppressed in spirit I could not hold it in. I got on my face and did what Hannah did. I poured out my soul before the LORD. It did not take long before the tears started flowing. Not to gross you out, but soon the snot started running out of nose. A puddle of tears and mucus formed on the spot where I prostrated myself. It was clearly visible to others as they walked by. One godly woman commented what a beautiful sight it was. Not physically but spiritually. That puddle represented a significant prayer encounter with the LORD. 

Prayer can be defined as pouring your soul before the LORD. Now the question is do you pray like that? Do you mouth religious phrases and repetitions or do you pour your soul into it. Hannah got what she asked God for in a son named Samuel. Samuel grew up to be a great prophet in Israel. Samuel did not come without some importunate travailing. Many times, the answers to prayer are delayed until great anguish is expended in prayer. Perhaps you will also get your requests if you pray with an emptied soul and not a mouth of religious verbiage. May His answers glorify His magnificent name. 

Choose This Day

 I have not forgotten from all the Lord delivered me. My family was dysfunctional. On my father's side there was incest, sexual abuse, physical abuse, rape, alcoholism, adultery, and suicide. On my mother's side there was alcoholism, sexual abuse, abortion, and cover ups. I was surrounded by the sewage of sin. I had no hope of escape. No hope until the day Jesus reached down and lifted me from the filth and brought me into the faith. 

When I write that Jesus rescued me in October of 1983 when I heard the gospel, I don't think many of you can understand. I knew my life was heading for destruction. Sure, I was driven through football to go to college, and I had other career goals. I think all of that would have been derailed by my depravity. Sin would have wrecked my life just like I saw it wreck so many in my family. I have a brother still battling alcoholism. Others are still caught in sexual immorality. 

Jesus did more than just rescue me. He gave me a whole new life. Everything changed that October night in 1983 when I was introduced to Jesus. I owe Jesus my wonderful wife of 33 years, four sons who have brought more joy to me than I can put into words, a clear calling and purpose in pastoral and preaching ministries, and a wealth of friendships I would never had without Jesus. I owe Him everything. 

These are the thoughts that rattle around in my mind when I consider where I could have ended up in the ash heaps of broken dreams, bitterness, sin, and debauchery. When I read [Joshua 24:15] I am reminded of where I came from. Why would I not daily choose to serve Jesus unashamedly? Jesus is the head of this home. Bible verses are on nearly every wall in the house. Stacked next to me to my left on this desk in the house are multiple copies of the Bible. Stacked behind my computer are several books on topics like the church, prayer, living Christlike, when God doesn't make sense, navigating change in ministry, and many others. 

I choose Jesus today. I pray for the passionate pursuit to choose Jesus every day. Day in and day out. To choose Him and to guide my family to choose Him. While I live, I want to constantly point other people to Him like the dozens of lost people who attended a funeral I recently preached. While I live, I want my life to be about Jesus. That is my only purpose for existing. When I die that will be gain to me. [Phil 1:21]. 

I choose Jesus today and hopefully every day. I am well aware Satan prowls like a lion waiting to devour. [I Pet 5:8]. I am also aware that sin is crouching at the door. [Gen 4:7] My flesh is still my greatest battle. [Gal 5:17] I pray for God to crucify that flesh, so Jesus lives through me. [Gal 2:20] I choose Jesus because of what He has done for me. I only wish I could do more for Him. Not in repayment but as an act gratitude and worship. 

Working to Retire

 I read two passages in the Bible that convince me God never meant for us to retire. In [Joshua 13:1] God told Joshua, even though he was old and advanced in years, that there was still much of the land that had not been possessed. I interpret that to mean God still had work for Joshua to do in his old age. 

In [Joshua 14:10-12] Caleb wants to undertake the difficult assignment of taking an inhabited mountain though he was 85 years old. He boasts that he was as strong at 85 as he was when he was 40. He did not use his old age as an excuse to take it easy and shrink away from challenges. 

These passages hit home with me today. At 58 society tells me that I am nearing the age of retirement. I do not even accept mail from the AARP. I throw it in the trash. I have no intentions of joining that group because I never plan to retire. I love my work. I love the solitary hours spent in prayer and study of scripture. I love the delivery of those messages. I love to shepherd the flock. I love the relational bonding that takes place between a pastor and a flock. I love to write. I love to cast vision and lead people toward the accomplishment of goals. I certainly love seeing people saved and celebrating that new birth at baptism. 

I got curious this morning where the whole idea of retirement originated. I was surprised to learn it dates back to 1935 in response to the Great Depression and the fact that Germany instituted people retiring at the age of 65. The idea of retirement was part of the Social Security Act of 1935. 

Things have evolved now where people can elect to take early retirement at 62. This fascinated when I considered the average life span for people in America is 77. What do people do with 15 years at the end of their lives? Some have positioned themselves financially to be able to travel. Others take up golf. Groups enjoy an active social scene with other seniors. Sadly, some survive their waning years alone, anxious, and afraid. There are some who devote themselves to volunteer work in retirement. 

I know a couple who moved to Honduras to do missions work after retiring. I know of a retired pastor who still preaches every Sunday as an interim pastor at 90. My pastor, in my hometown, retired from my home church where he served for 34 years. He began interim pastoral work. A church wanted him to stay and at 80 he still shepherds the flock. I heard the story yesterday of a pastor in Odessa who has served his congregation for 60 years and he is 80. David Jeremiah is 83 and still going strong writing books and preaching. Chuck Swindoll is 90 and has retired from pastoral ministry, but he still heads up Insight For Living. John MacArthur is 85 and still going. 

God never intended for us to squander the last dozen or more years of our lives playing. There is much Kingdom of God work to do. Souls to be saved. People to disciple. Missions work to be pioneered. Churches to plant. Ministries within the local church where to serve. 

I am not even considering retirement at 58. Like Caleb, I still think I have some fuel in the tank. I pray that God will invigorate me with power to be more effective in the last years of my ministry than in all the previous years. I asked God for physical and mental health to keep shepherding the flock faithfully. I hope to see 65 come and go without blinking an eye. If the time comes when I am no longer physically or mentally able to shepherd a church and my sons put me in a retirement home, I plan on taking over the preaching duties in that facility. I hope to keep expounding the word of God and helping people until God calls me home. 

I love my work. Some people work to retire. My retirement will be heaven. Until then, there are still things to be done. May God strengthen me to do my part in my little corner of the world for a long time to come. 

Sun Stand Still

 I am a fan of bold praying. I believe in a big God who can and is willing to do big things in response to big bold praying. I see that displayed in both scripture and history. I have also experienced it in my own life and ministry. 

Joshua prayed a big bold prayer in [Joshua 10:12-13] that God answered in big fashion. Let me set the backdrop. Israel was in the middle of possessing the promised land. They saw God deliver Jericho and Ai into their hands. Word got out among the surrounding nations. Several kings united to come against Israel at one time. God helped Israel defeat these nations with the sword and in another dramatic fashion. He cast down large hail stones on the enemy troops. Scripture reports that more died from the hail stones than the sword. 

 This is when Joshua prayed a bold prayer. "Sun stand still." I honestly do not know which impresses me most. The fact that Joshua even entertained such a thought is bewildering to me. That had never happened before. How did it even enter his mind to ask for such a far fetched thing like that? It was totally irrational. Maybe God birthed the thought in Joshua's imagination. Who prays for the sun to stand still so the battle can be won? To even utter such a prayer seems outlandish. Not outlandish is God planted the seed of the thought in Joshua. God does that. Plants seeds in our imagination of things to believe Him for. 

The other impressive thing is that Joshua had faith to believe that God would answer. Think about this. Joshua actually asked and believed that God would alter the natural course of the earth's orbit around the sun. He asked God for something supernatural. He didn't just ask for it, he also believed for it. 

God answered. the Bible informs us in [Joshua 10:13] that the sun did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. Are you kidding me. Joshua offers up this shot in the dark prayer for God to do something that had never been done before. He asks in childlike faith. GOD ANSWERS! We learn in verse 14 there had never been a day before like that day or since that day. 

What is your big bold sun stand still prayer? I have my list. I will only share one of them. A couple of months ago Brenda started asking God for the ability to give a certain person $2,000. I joined her in that prayer. In subsequent weeks the list of those we felt impressed to give money to increased. At present we are boldly praying for the opportunity to give away $10,000 to seven different people. We have never been in a financial position to do that. That is a sun stand still prayer for us. 

A few weeks ago that prayer changed for me. It was born out of my time with the Lord. I prayed through a prayer promise one morning and then I changed the prayer from asking God for $10,000 to give away to asking God for the ability to give away...$1,000,000 before we die. Talk about a sun stand still prayer. I told Brenda to start keeping account of how much we give away from this day forward. We started with an anonymous $150 gift to a person in need. 

I am not motivated by money. Money has never been the determining factor where we have served God. We go where He leads and trust Him to meet our needs. He has done that faithfully for decades. I find myself praying a bold sun stand still prayer these days. I started asking God to build wealth for Brenda and I to be given away. I am not asking God for riches to pad our pockets to live luxuriously. I want the greater opportunity to give to Kingdom causes in a way beyond our natural ability. We want more money to give away more money rather than to finance our selfish wants. 

I know I know. Some of you will read this and think I am crazy. I agree. Crazy like Joshua. Crazy enough to entertain the thought and to muster up mustard seed faith to believe nothing is impossible with God. [Matt 17:20] A mustard seed is very tiny. Surely God can build that kind of faith in me to believe Him for the opportunity to financially support Kingdom of God causes that we have never been able to do in the past. That is my sun stand still prayer. What is yours?

Great

 We celebrate great achievements in society. Right now, the college football playoffs are happening to crown the great champion team of this season. Greatness is celebrated in literary achievements, entertainment industry, business success, and in military leadership. 

Some people seem born with greatness. Albert Einstein, the Wright brothers, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, John Wayne, Donald Trump, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr and Theodore Roosevelt. The same can be said for Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Katherine Hepburn, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, Martha Stewart, Dianne Sawyers and Simone Biles. 

Some people work hard for greatness like Tom Brady and Katie Ledecky. Others were born with a talent level far above others around them. Carl Lewis could run faster and jump further in his day. Jesse Ownes could run faster and jump further in his day. Loretta Lynn could sing better than most and so could Aretha Franklin. 

None of those things are what I am chewing on today. I'm thinking about being great for God. Before I go any further, I am not talking about seeking great things personally. My meditation is on living so surrendered to God and filled with faith that God does great things through otherwise average people. I believe this is Biblical. Read [I Cor 1:26-29]. In this passage we learn that God chooses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise. He also chooses the weak vessels to shame the strong ones. God does this so that nobody can boast before Him. 

Sandi Patti and Amy Grant have great voices. Those voices are gifts from God placed on ordinary people. God used uneducated people like D.L. Moody and Vance Havner to do great things. He did the same thing through Jackie Pullinger and Lottie Moon. God has never looked at ability first when choosing servants for select assignments. God looks for availability. He chose Abraham and Sarah. He chose Joseph and Mary. Just available servants. He wants to choose you too. 

Great can be defined as considerably above normal. How many people are really born great. Most of us are born pretty average. God can work great things that are above average through us. Great can also mean remarkable in magnitude. How do you explain people like Billy Graham, Greg Laurie, Amy Carmichael, or Fanny Crosby. All of these were normal average believers who have been used in extraordinary ways. God chose them for special assignments. Great really has nothing to do with the size of the assignment. It has everything to do with being used by God to accomplish His purposes where He chooses to plant you. 

All of us have the potential to do outstanding things for God. George Muller fed and housed orphans by faith. Susannah Wesley trained a house full of children to make a difference for God. Evan Roberts prayed in the coal mines and sparked a revival that swept his nation and spread around the world. Beth Moore has written life changing Bible studies that have impacted millions of women. 

God chooses our assignment. After that we must fully surrender to Him and allow Him to work great things where we are. To be a great mom, a great teacher, a great attorney, a great coach, a great businesswoman, a great law enforcement officer, a great solider, a great physician, a great salesman, a great construction worker, or a great farmer. God help all of us to be great at something. To leave a legacy and leave a great impact. 

If you consider yourself ordinary and average, you are the very candidate God is looking for. You don't have to be born with great intellect, great talent, or great abilities. You serve a great God who can do great things through people yielded to Him. God may define and measure greatness in different terms than we do. You may not be the most accomplished or the richest, but you can still be great in your devotion and service to God. At the Judgment Seat of Christ [I Cor 3:10-15] that kind of greatness will stand up to the fire. May we live to be great and do great things through God who enables us. All for His glory. [Matt 5:16]

The Fate of 36

 Secret sin is nothing new. Recent headlines report scandalous sin in churches and religious organizations. Shameful deeds done in secret have been exposed publicly. The reproach brought on Christianity is incalculable. Once highly respected ministers have been publicly humiliated as their private sins became public. 

This is nothing new. You can go all the way back to Genesis 3 and 4 and see the origins of secret sins. Fast forward several hundred years to the book of Joshua. [Joshua 7:19-21]. When God commanded that Joshua lead Israel to defeat Jericho He gave strict orders not to take any contraband. One man violated that command secretly. Nobody knew. 

Achan stole a cloak, some silver and a bar of gold weighing about a pound and a half. He snuck those things into his tent and hid them. Nobody knew. NOBODY BUT GOD! He saw all of it. Joshua was not aware nor any of the fighting men. We are not even sure if Ache's family knew about his disobedience. 

When it came time to attack the smaller city of Ai, the Israeli troops were confident. So confident they convinced Joshua to only send a small fighting force. They expected God to help and therefore, to win another victory. They were defeated causing them to retreat. Not before 36 men lost their lives. All because of the secret sin of one man. 

Don't be fooled. Some argue that their own private choices are not hurting anyone but themselves. That is a lie. Secret sins impact a lot of other people. 36 men died because of the secret sin of one man. That impacted their families as well as the whole army when they suffered defeat because of the selfish sinful choices of one covetous man. Secret sins of pastors hurt the pastor's family, the victim's family, the congregations they serve, and others who may have benefited from the pastor's ministry. The secret sins of spouses hurt the other spouse as well as the children and extended family. 

There are consequences for sin. God will not be mocked. [Gal 6:7-8] We reap what we sow. If we so deeds to the flesh we reap destruction. It is so sad to see people fall because of secret sin. These secret sins are getting exposed on the larger ministry platforms right and left lately. Sexual abuse, adultery, corruption, deceit, and financial improprieties are rampant. 

The sin of coveting in Achan's life was so shortsighted. He did not even get to enjoy what he stole. God brought the sin to public knowledge and it cost Achan and his family their lives. Justice was harsh in the Old Testament and swift. It was meant to be a reminder to the rest of the nation to obey God. 

Sadly, many people appear to get away with shameful secrets these days. I assure you it is only an illusion. God knows all. There will be a day of accounting. God will make things right in the end. Justice will be served. I hope we all take sin more seriously. I hope we all are determined to walk in holiness. [I Pet 1:15-16] To prayerfully not surrender to secret sin. May we fall so in love with God that it causes us to hate sin just like He does. 

Capacity to Love

 Read Deuteronomy 6:5 for yourself. A challenge is issued here in the Old Testament that Jesus refers back to in Matt 22:37. It is really simple. Simple to understand. More difficult to obey. 

Love the LORD your God. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was He chose this one. Love the LORD your God. He went further. The challenge is to love God with all our heart. Every part of it. We are not supposed to love anyone or anything more than God. This command is broken all the time. People love family more than God. People love pets more than they love for God. People have greater affection for adulterous relations than for God. People can even treasure possessions and money more than they love and treasure God. Let's be honest. People love their favorite sports teams more than God. Do you see the zeal for the winning team and the heartbreak for the losing fans?

What does loving God with all your heart look like? It means that a person will have more affection for God than any other person. That includes parents, siblings, spouse, children, grandparents, and friends. Let that sink in. Take an honest look. Do you love any person more than you love God. You will find the answer partly in looking at whom you think about the most, want to spend the most time with, enjoy the most, and are the most fond of. NOBODY is supposed to get more of our affections than GOD, YAHWEH, JEHOVAH, ELOHIM. 

I prayed this morning for God to enlarge my capacity to love Him more. I know there is more room. There are opportunities to love Him more. One of those things is to learn more of Him. That is the way I learned to love Brenda. I spent time getting to know her. The more I learned about her the more I loved her. Now after 33 years of marriage, I know her more and love her infinitely more than I did when I married her on June 29, 1991. 

It stands to reason if we are ever going to love God more, we must spend time with Him learning more about Him and more of Him. In those God encounters we grow in our capacity to love Him more. 

Let me illustrate. On the night before our second son Tanner was born, I had a little private moment with our oldest son Taylor. Taylor was staying the night with my mother so Brenda and I could get up early to be at the hospital the next morning. Taylor was on our bed while I knelt on the floor next to him. I prayed silently, "God, how can I ever love another child as much as I love my son? It does not seem possible that I can ever love another child the way I love Taylor." 

Maybe I am the only parent who has ever prayed something like that. What I did not know then but do now, is that God creates and carves out new capacities to love. The moment I held Tanner in my arms instantaneously there was love every bit as equal as the love I have for his older brother. That has not changed. God created additional capacities for brothers Tucker and Turner as well. 

If God can do that for human relationships I am convinced He can also do that with our relationship with Him. To love God not just with all our hearts. Also, to love Him with all of our soul, mind and strength. I am resolved to love Him more in 2025 than I did in 2024. I trust He will enlarge my capacity to love Him. Will you do the same?

Possess

 Possess is an action word. It means to take ownership. To seize something. As the brand spanking new year unfolds, the word I am focusing on for the year is possess. To prayerfully possess everything God is putting out there for my family and the church I serve. 

Possession is not a passive wait and see what happens attitude. It is an aggressive approach to life and ministry. There are things to possess for my family. Things to possess for the Kingdom of God. There are a bunch of unknowns going into the next 365 days. We do not even know if we will make the entire year. Jesus could return and rapture His church. Should He tarry there are things dangling out there just within reach if we pray boldly, obey God promptly, and refuse to be intimidated by the odds. 

Possess is a mindset. It is an attitude. Possessing requires faith and action. It requires bold praying, prompt obeying, and fearless faith not intimidated by impossible odds. Too often believers take a sit back and see what happens mentality. They live life in neutral instead of drive. They stand still idling their faith but never pressing the accelerator. Louie Giglio who is a pastor and author once said, "If you make one mistake let it be that you ask God for too much instead of not enough." I LOVE THAT! That is the way to live daily. 

There are family members to be claimed for Jesus. There are prodigals to be reclaimed for the Lord. There are revivals to plead for in the nation. There are people in bondage who need to be delivered. There are missions work to be undertaken. There are steps of faith to be taken resulting in mighty acts of God. Possess. That is my word for the year. What is yours? Seek God for a word to set the tone for you spiritually throughout the year.