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.