Burning Embers

 I've spent the vast majority of the last two days editing the new book Shake the City: A Revival Story. Part of that task included blogs written during the days of those revival meetings back in August of 2010. I did not remember many of the stories in those blogs. Something began stirring in me as I read those accounts of what God did back then. The revival embers buried deep in my soul started burning again. 

God put a burden and passion in me for revival going back to college. I got introduced to revival preacher and author Leonard Ravenhill's writings. His classic book, Why Revival Tarries, lit a fire in me. Through Ravenhill's books I was introduced to other revival authors. A few of us students met early in the morning before classes to pray for revival. As the years passed, I bought everything I could find on the subject of revival. I immersed myself in the study of revival. When I heard about genuine revival breaking out in places, I often drove there to attend the services hoping to catch a little of the fire and bring it home with me. 

On three occasions I experienced revival. Once in a church I pastored in East Texas. The second time happened on the Angelina College campus in Lufkin, TX. The other time is the subject of my new book on revival about 23 days of revival meetings at the First Baptist Church of Seminole, TX. That only whetted my appetite for more of God moving like that. 

I felt prompted three different times to lead churches and communities to seek God for similar moves. Each time I was disappointed with the preparation and the end result. After the last time, something died in me. I could not even bring myself to say the word revival for close to two years. I did not pray about it. Nor could I read about revival. I closed that painful door in my life. It felt dead. 

In time, I slowly healed. Editing that new book and reading stories that happened 16 years ago I discovered something. That revival burden and passion was not dead. The embers still burned. God blew His breath across those embers fanning them into a full fledge flame. I asked God this morning what I needed to do to prepare First Southern in Fritch, TX to experience such a move of God. 

I have said this many times before and I emphatically say it again. Revival is costly! More than you can know. It will tax you spiritually, physically, and emotionally. You will be called to pray like you never have before. The spiritual warfare will be intense. The preparation will require devotion and perseverance. God calls people to be all in on revival. When God does move in revival fashion, it can shake your life and shake a whole community. People will be called to repent of sin. Sinners will be called to salvation. Apathetic will be called into full devotion to the Lord. The gospel will be proclaimed by preachers and church members alike. The baptism waters will be continually stirred as new believers celebrate their profession of faith. The religious people will oppose revival. You may be criticized. You will be misunderstood. O, the glory of what God does in revival is worth the cost. I am willing to pay that high cost again if He will just come and not hold back His power in our midst. 

May the Lord blow His breath across dying embers igniting old flames that spread in revival. I want to devote my remaining years to the pursuit of God for revival in the Panhandle of Texas and the community of Fritch to be more specific. May those embers burn brighter, hotter, and longer until that day comes. 

Just Say the Word

 There is a story in Matthew 8 about a centurion who had a sick servant. The soldier came to Jesus imploring for help for his servant. Jesus offered to come with the centurion to help the servant. The servant protested saying in Matt 8:8, "Lord I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word and my servant will be healed." 

We all need that kind of just say the word faith. Think about it. God did not work at creation. He just spoke the word of creation. Whatever He spoke came into existence. Wrap your mind around that. God was not taxed. He did not exert enormous energy. He just spoke creation into existence. That same power flowed through Jesus. He could just speak what He desired done and it would happen. 

Do you need Jesus to speak into your circumstances. Maybe your world is chaotic. You need Jesus to speak, "Peace, be still," like He did in Mark 4:39. Perhaps you need Jesus to speak provision into your situation like He did in in Mark 6:41 when he blessed and thanked God for the loaves and fish feeding thousands. Maybe shame and guilt cover you and are eating your soul alive in condemnation. Do you need to hear Jesus say, "I do not condemn you, now go your way and sin no more." John 8:11. Maybe you are staring immovable mountains in your way. Hear Jesus say, "Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Mark 11:22-23 Maybe you are so weary and burdened you do not feel you can take it another day. Let Him just say the word to put hope and faith back into your heart. "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

There is more power and authority in a spoken word from God the Father and Jesus the Son than we possibly imagine. If we spent more time applying His words to our situations, I am confident we would live with more peace. I am also confident we would live with more confidence that God will come through in His time and in His way. There are no impossible situations with Him. 

Jesus was impressed with the faith of the centurion. He commented that He had not found such great faith in all Israel. What about today? Does He look at us and is He astonished with our great trust in Him. Is He moved when we believe Him to just say the word? I hope we will grow in faith to pray just say the word prayers and to listen to His words for our troubled souls. He will make a difference in and for us. 

He Is All You Need

 No matter what you are facing, no matter how confusing your circumstances, no matter how your heart has been ripped apart the Lord Jesus is all you need. When you cannot navigate your way out of the storms of life, Jesus is your lighthouse to guide you safely home. When you feel abused and abandoned by those you trusted, Jesus will still be faithful. When you feel alone, He promised to never leave or forsake you. He is an anchor that holds in the harshest of times. 

When you give into a pet sin, He is all you need to find pardon and freedom again. He is all you need to rid yourself of the guilt that paralyzes you. His grace is sufficient. Even when you are not faithful, He will be faithful. He is all you need to heal a sin infested soul. He is there when your love for Him grows cold with the assurance that His love never wanes. 

When life is pressing you down, He is all you need to cast your cares onto Him. He will sustain you. He will be there in those long darks nights of weeping to remind you joy will come again in the morning. He will walk with you through the tribulations. He will strengthen when your strength is exhausted. He will comfort your grieving soul. He will fill your empty soul with hope and faith to keep going when you feel like giving up. He is all you need. When the cupboard is bare and the refrigerator empty, He is all you need reminding you He fed the Israelites with miracle manna for 40 years. He can be trusted to take care of you too. 

There is no mountain too big for Him to move. There is no financial need so massive He cannot meet. There are no ailments He cannot heal. There are no mental health challenges He cannot bring peace to quieten. There are no broken hearts He cannot mend. There are no relational conflicts He cannot restore. He is all you need. 

Do Not Be Worried

 There are plenty of things to get worried about if a person chose to do so. The rising price of fuel, groceries, insurance, vehicles, and materials. Reading the paper or watching the evening news can leave a person feeling hopeless. No matter who is in office politically things do not seem to get better. We are living in hard times. This is nothing compared to the Great Depression and what many predict will be a similar fate when the economic bubble finally bursts. 

The natural thing to do is to worry. To mull things over and over in our mind. To fret and fear about worst case scenarios. Contrast that with what Jesus said in Matt 6:25. Do not be worried. That means do not be anxious or concerned. That is the exact opposite of what our natural tendency to do is. When we worry it may feel like we are doing something productive. That is a fallacy. We are only creating more stress in our lives and building up more doubts. 

Jesus uses two examples reminding us of His faithfulness in Matt 6:26-30. He reminds us that even though the birds do not plant nor harvest in barns, but He still feeds them. My front and back yards get covered with birds eating insects out of the grass. I could go out holding a sign for the birds stating they are trespassing on private property. There is no such thing to a bird. Jesus also relates the splendid color of flowers in the field to remind us that He will also clothe us. 

There is not a single need you have or will ever have that our Heavenly Father does not already know. His storehouse is amply supplied. You, nor your loved ones, will ever have a need that He will not be able to meet with provision. He knows before you even ask. God owns everything. Ps 24:1, Ps 50:10 He is aware and He has the provision to meet it. 

I think most people worry about finances a lot. Many people face the challenge of earning too little and owing too much. People get themselves into messes trying to live above their means. They become enslaved to debt and mounting interest rates and payments. The Lord can even have grace on bad financial choices when people repent and honor God with their money. 

Jesus calls people who worry people of little faith. This must be reversed as His people become strong in faith and do not give into worry. He can rescue His own who cry out for help. No matter how bleak things look He can step in and save the day. Just like Mighty Mouse the cartoon figure, Jesus can step in saying, "Here I am to save the day!" Therefore, do not worry. 

The Last Word

 For centuries God sent prophet after prophet to warn His people about judgment if they did not turn from their evil ways. Most ignored the warnings. Most pressed on in profligate lifestyles. Holiness was not taken seriously. Hypocrisy abounded. Religion became a sham. Finally, God had enough. He sent one last prophet, and after His final message through Malachi, God went silent. 

God did not send a fresh word. He did not encourage the people. He sent no further warnings. Prayer became a one-sided conversation. Just a prolonged period of deafening silence. It lasted 400 years. God knew He was shutting down communication for four centuries. God was angry. Angry enough to allow His people to wallow in their own misery for centuries with no word of hope except the last thing He said through Malachi. Here it is. "Behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I might not come and smite the land with a curse." [Mal 4:5-6]

God muzzled His own voice to His chosen people. That does not mean that He did left them without hope. The hope that He would send Elijah to them. Elijah was taken up to heaven without death in a chariot of fire. God spoke a prophecy through Malachi 400 years in the making about a future prophet. He prophesied the coming of John the Baptist. God would not remain silent forever. He told His people another prophet would be sent. They would wait a long time for that prophecy to come true. Many would live and die before John the Baptist came on the scene. God promised through His last word that He would not be silent forever. 

That encourages me. I have gone through seasons when God seemed silent. It did not matter how hard or how long I prayed. I read the Bible ferociously during some of the silent seasons and still God remained silent. I even prayed scriptures like Jer 29:13 and Jer 33:3. Nothing I did persuaded God to speak. That is until He was ready. When He was ready, He spoke clearly. 

On my recent prayer and writing retreat, I had two agendas. I wanted to write the Shake the City: A Revival Story book and to hear from God. I finished the book by Tuesday. That left me two whole days to pray, read scripture, read other books, and wait for God to speak. Wednesday came and went from early morning to evening without a fresh word from God. The same thing happened on Thursday. I felt frustrated. I prayed and read scripture on Thursday evening until I could barely keep my eyes open. I went to bed thinking I might not get any word from the Lord. 

Friday morning I woke up early. I had a 30 minute window to pray before I had to pack, load the vehicle, shower and leave. Fifteen minutes passed with nothing. I wanted to give up, but I persevered until the last minute. That is when God chose to speak. A very personal word of direction and promise for the future. It is too personal to share here. It was not long. Maybe 30 seconds worth. It was enough. I left the retreat elated. 

You may be enduring a season of God's silence. Might I just say God has not spoken His last words. He speaks in various ways like the Bible, Holy Spirit, circumstances, and even through other people. Keep pressing into God and pressing on with Him. He may be silent for a season, but in His time He will communicate with you. He did with the Israelites. It took 400 years, but the prophet John the Baptist predicted the coming of Messiah. Well worth the wait. God speaking to me at the last minute on my retreat was well worth the wait. I trust that He will speak what you need exactly when you need it. He has not spoken the last word. 

Surrendered

 Surrender means to yield control to someone. In Matt 4:18-20, Jesus walked up on some guys fishing. They threw and then hauled their fishing nets back to the boat. It was hard work and did not always end in a guaranteed pay day. Fishing was what they knew. What they were comfortable doing. 

The first words Jesus said to these guys fishing was not hello or even can I have your attention please. Confidently Jesus said, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." Consider the phrase follow Me. Jesus did not indicate where He would lead them. He just said, "Follow Me." He demands the same thing of us. Will you surrender your plans and follow Jesus? He might lead you to a destination or a vocation. He might also lead you to one person or a group of persons. 

Amazingly those guys surrendered everything and left their nets to follow Jesus. What an adventure they had. They saw miracles and they heard Jesus teach daily. They witnessed Him loving some of the most unlovable people. They watched Him extend grace and mercy to people who deserved to be condemned. Those fishermen learned and became world leaders, but it all started when they surrendered. 

You are challenged today to surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ just like those guys did. Imagine what Jesus could do in YOU and through YOU if YOU chose to surrender to following Him. He wants you to become available to Him. He will do what is necessary to equip you to do what He calls you to do. You stand at a crossroads. You will either choose the path of surrender yielding control to Him or you will hang on to control refusing to yield. Surrendering means He gets to lead you wherever and whenever He wants. That might sound scary. It really means stepping into your purpose. Those guys though fishing was their purpose. Jesus had a higher calling for them. So does He for YOU too. 

1. Read Matt 4:18-20. 
2. Consider the reason those guys were willing to leave their fishing nets to follow Jesus. 
3. Describe what surrendering your life to Jesus for this summer might look like. 
4. Spend some time praying about surrendering your life to follow Jesus. 

Shake the City: A Revival Story

 While I was away on my annual prayer and writing retreat, I wrote another book that has rattled in my spirit for several years. I've preached and testified on many occasions about the revival that happened in Seminole, TX back in 2010. I've wanted to write a book about that revival to preserve what God did in print. That is what God helped me to do last week. 

The retreat was not living in luxury. No television. No radio. No internet. There was lots of praying, reading and writing. I can't believe how God brought the book together. It is divided into three sections. The first is about how God moved us to Seminole and where the vision for the revival began. That section leads up to the first revival meeting. The second section includes the nightly blogs I wrote after each service. They are my first hand accounts of what God did while it was fresh on my mind. The final section is the 40 Day devotional material I wrote for FBC Seminole in preparation for the revival. 

My hope is that God will use this book to encourage people to believe God for revival and offer some hope. Maybe God will use that book as a catalyst for revival in multiple other places. The book is far from going to print. At this point all I have is a rough draft. The hard work of proofing is the next step. Next, we will shop it to publishers. There is a lot of work still to do before this book will ever get into the hands of readers. 

Writing that book was a labor of love. It brought back so many fond memories of wonderful people and a profound move of God. I recalled incidents I had long ago forgotten. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane. You can help by praying for an open door with a publisher to get this book into print. 

I am already praying about what book God wants me to write next. He has something in mind and I will wait until He reveals it to me and inspires it to be written. I pray for anointing to capture His heart onto the printed page communicating His truth. 

Storm Approaching

 Yesterday afternoon we started getting reports that a severe storm was approaching. One of our families from the church drove through it and sent out warnings that it was headed our way. The local weatherman kept breaking in the program we watched to give additional warnings. We could see on the radar where the storm was and where it was tracking next. 

I walked outside to look at the sky. Sure enough the clouds turned dark. I saw neighbors out looking at the sky as well. The winds howled and suddenly the temperatures dropped dramatically. The signs gave every indication the storm would be a big one. I prayed for protection for our family, property, and for others before going back inside. 

There is a much more severe storm coming in the future. That storm will be the worst in history. It will not last for hours or days. The storm is the Great Tribulation and it will last for seven years. The storm will come in the last days. Days that appear to be at hand. Days where the full fury of God will be unleashed on planet earth and those who rejected His repeated offers of love and mercy. In a series of pounding judgments increasing in severity, a good portion of the world's population will be wiped out in cataclysmic events. 

God has warned of this coming storm through the Bible, preachers, prophets, and signs in the sky. Most refuse to heed the warning. They will ignore the warnings until it is too late. They will find themselves in the middle of a storm they cannot escape nor find shelter. The only shelter is a relationship with Jesus Christ through faith believing for salvation. [John 14:6] It is the only refuge from this perilous storm to come. 

Mockers mock such warnings as this one and scoffers scoff. They refuse to heed these attempts to save their lives from impending peril. Fools say there is no God. Others look to history and refute that many have warned before and nothing happened. They fail to see that we are on time clock ticking down to the end. Every second we inch closer to the end. The approaching storm ripe with the fully fury of God draws closer. God's delay is His compassion to keep giving people chances to heed the warnings. [II Pet 3:3-10]

People take precautions when a severe storm is approaching. We did last night. Others did as well. Why do so many not take the predictions of a far worse storm that will doom them to eternal condemnation seriously? They are lulled to sleep by a godless society who espouse these storm warnings as unreliable or fictitious. Mark it down readers. No matter where you live, no matter your connections, no matter your economic status, and no matter how prepared you think you are, if you have not put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for pardon of your sins and the purchase of your salvation, YOU ARE DOOMED until you have done so. Nothing else and no one else can save you from that coming storm. You have been warned. 

The Journey Home

 Friday morning I got up with a 500 mile journey home in front of me after an annual prayer retreat. I had an early breakfast and then got into the Armada turned left on my route back home. It was one of those tasks that you have to wrap your mind around and gut it out. I can't say I looked forward to the destination but I sure looked forward to getting home. My route included Hwy 287 all the way to DFW with a short detour on I-35 through the thick of metroplex traffic with road construction. Then back to 287 all the way to Claude, TX with a right onto FM 207 to Borger and then a connection with Hwy 136 back to Fritch. 

The first let went smooth through Corsicana and onto Waxahachie. Past Waxahachie the traffic thickened. Moving into Mansfield the traffic got heavier. My first real text of the day was just ahead in Arlington and tons of road construction. Tight turns, boxed in lanes, and navigating new detours made that leg of the journey a challenge. All in all, I persevered and made it into Fort Worth proper. More heavy traffic as usual to get to the other side. I had to grip the wheel a little tighter and be on much higher alert. A little nerve wracking. 

Finally got through the congested DFW area. Then, it was just a long jaunt to Wichita Falls which is a mid sized town. The only concern is making sure you are in the left two lanes to take the Amarillo exit and not the exit leading to Oklahoma. After that, it was just small town after small town, multiple road construction zones, a couple of road side rest area pit stops and a refueling stop. It was perseverance. 

Over eight hours after I started, I pulled up to 411 Coronado St, Fritch, TX. It was a long journey, but I made it back home. 

That reminds me that we are all on a journey home. Many of us as followers of Jesus are on a journey home to Heaven. That is our ultimate destination. It may not be easy to get there. The only ticket for entrance is trusting the Lord Jesus for salvation. There will be detours, bumps in the road, and a few delays along the way. God never said the journey home would be easy. The reward at the end will be worth it. 

My reward upon returning home was to behold my brown eyed brunette beauty of the past 35 years. I also was blessed to see our oldest son and his wife along with Tucker. It was well worth the 500 mile endurance test. Not nearly as rewarding as when we get to see Jesus and enter into an eternal home where roads are paved with gold and the only light is the majestic glory of God. 

No matter what our journeys on earth entail ,a moment with the Lord will be worth it. A million times worth it. Every trial, every set back, every test, every triumph, every tribulation, and every sorrow will be worth it. I thank God that the end of our journeys will be home. An eternal home. We have to persevere to get there. There is an end to our journey. One day followers of Jesus will get home. 

Retreat

 

 

The word retreat has several meanings. It can mean to withdraw from a dangerous situation. It can also mean a period of withdrawal for prayer, meditation, and study. The latter is how I choose to use the word for this article.

I got up early this morning to begin a 500-mile pilgrimage to a two-bedroom house I affectionately call my “Prayer Cabin, nestled in deep East Texas. If you follow Hwy 287 south you could easily drive right past this place. The prayer cabin is not visible from the road. It is located about a mile down a dirt driveway and oversees a 90-acre private lake. There are rolling hills of pasture on the far side of the lake across from the cabin. A Pine Tree thicket is deeply rooted to the left including a gently flowing stream. To the right sits the large log cabin house where the owner and his family stay when they frequent this place. The lake also winds around a bend to the right going back nearly to the highway, but invisible from the road.

God has blessed me with the opportunity to come to this place of retreat at least once a year for the past 34 years to pray, write, seek God, and read. This place used to be very rustic. A flood damaged the whole place, so it had to be renovated. Everything is new here, but none of that is why I retreat here. This is holy ground for me. I’ve had profound encounters with God in this place. God has inspired and enabled me to write several books in this secluded sanctuary. There is no television. No internet. Nothing to entertain me or to look at it another way, nothing to distract me.

I brought a few clothes, some books, my computer, and journal. The only sound I hear is the tapping of these keys and the whirling of a ceiling fan. It is completely isolated except for my host who manages this place and he gives me plenty of space. Why go through the trouble to leave Brenda, the flock I shepherd, incur the expense of gas to get here and the toll on my body to make the drive?

My soul craves time alone with God. The kind of time when I can spend long sustained seasons in His presence. I crave time to think and write things that stir within me. I desire to slow down, rest and be renewed before the busy summer ministry season begins. Time devoted to spiritually recharging. Time to sleep if my body needs recuperating as well.

Retreat is what my weary and worn soul craves. Brenda and I hit the ground running hard a little over a year ago in Fritch, TX. She recently retreated with some high school friends. Now it is my turn. God is here. This is sacred dirt. He has graciously met me in many profound encounters over the past several decades. I prayed before I got here that this one would be best retreat yet. Seven people surrounded me last night after the service laying hands on me and praying for my time away. I know all too well how time flies here. I want to make the most of it. Signing off from the prayer cabin at 5:46 p.m.

Finished

 I've carried a dream in my heart since I was twelve years old. I wanted to be an author. I cannot explain where it came from or exactly when it started. I always loved to write. Creative writing assignments in school excited me. I wished for more of them. While other students groaned in complaints, I eagerly grabbed my pen and furiously dreamed up stories writing with passion. Other than playing professional football, and God calling me to preach, the only thing I dreamed of doing was writing. 

I celebrate today finishing the rough draft of another book. I titled the book, Only Believe: The Power of a Transformational Jesus Touch. I poured my soul into that book. The book touches on Jesus stories from the Gospels. It is a book of hope and written to encourage faith in people. We are nowhere near ready to go to print. I just finished the rough draft. Now the work starts. Proofing, editing, eventually shopping it to publishers, choosing page layouts, front and back cover designs, and after all that we go to print. The work does not stop after that. Then the book has to be marketed. Hopefully people will purchase copies and be helped by it. 

Today, I celebrate finishing a project close to a year in the making. There were set backs along the way with constant demands on my time. One set back nearly brought the whole project to a devastating end before it was finished. Back in late 2025, I wrote feverishly to finish the book before the end of the year. I was nearly 75% complete, when after a writing session suddenly I lost everything on the computer. Nothing was saved. I had saved the work each step of the way. Then it was gone. There was some glitch in the computer that erased months and months of work. 

I cannot even begin to describe the way I felt. Sick to my stomach. I could not believe it happened. Shock. Devastated. Crushed. Grieved. These feelings touch the surface. I do not have the words to describe the depth of those emotions. I wanted to cry, but no tears formed. I barely functioned for days. A technology expert looked at my computer and was able to recover a portion of the book. I still lost at least one third of what I wrote. The church got me a new computer and the remaining part of my book was saved on a thumb drive and downloaded onto the computer. That incomplete manuscript sat dormant for five months. I could not bring myself to go back to write on it again. I wrote blogs and articles for our newsletter. I just couldn't bring myself to work on that book. That is until three days ago. 

It started with a question from someone about whether I had done any more work on the book. I went to the file and opened it for the first times in months. The cursor blinked at the end of the recovered portion and I asked God to inspire and help me finish the book. Three days later I typed the last word of the last sentence and put down the last period. Finished. God enabled me to finish the project He initiated me to start in the first place. Now to devote my time to more blogs and my next book to be titled, Shake The City: A Revival Story. This is a book about a 23-day revival that broke out in the First Baptist Church in Seminole, TX where I served as pastor. I leave next week for a prayer/writing retreat to begin that work. 

There is a sense of contentment that comes with finishing anything. Many people start projects and do not complete them. When God calls us to start something, there should be an obligation to obey to completion or God releases us. We can all look around to see books we started reading but never finished or home projects that started with great gusto only to fizzle out with frenzied schedules. Quitting can become a habit. So can finishing. So, go ahead and finish the project you started. Resurrect that dream you gave up on too early. Let us finish for the glory of God. [Gal 6:9]

Insignificant

 Millions of people feel insignificant. What about you? Insignificance means to be too small to make any impact. It means being so unimportant that nobody listens. It means having minor worth so that there is little to no influence on those around you. How many reading this feel like you qualify on all those fronts? You feel small in this world. I spoke to a cleaning lady for an organization a few years ago. While I worked there I made a point to notice her and speak to her each day. She was very quiet and went about her job dutifully never drawing attention to herself One day she made a statement I have not forgotten. She commented, "I am just one of the invisible people around here." She saw herself as just a cleaning lady. I saw her as a person who did her job well without complaining. She had significance in the eyes of God and those who took time to notice her. She was not invisible even if she felt that way. 

Perhaps some of you feel invisible. You do not have a high profile or respected vocation. You get overlooked. You feel unimportant. You feel insignificant. If that is you, I have some good news from you. We have to go all the way back to the book of I Samuel. Let me set the context. Israel's first king Saul disobeyed God, and God determined to remove him from the throne and chose another king. In I Samuel 16, the prophet Samuel goes to Bethlehem to trust God to reveal who would be the next king. 

God instructed Samuel to go to Jesse's house. Jesse brought in his sons. Strong strapping men. From oldest to the youngest each son was presented to Samuel. Eliab stood before Samuel and Samuel thought, "Surely this is the Lord's anointed." God spoke, "God does not look the way man looks. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks at the heart." I Sam 16:7 One by one each of Jesse's sons stood before Samuel and God rejected each of them. Samuel inquired if Jesse had any other sons. Jesse indicated he had the youngest who was out looking after the sheep. 

There is only two ways to interpret this. Either David was not summoned with is brothers because it was too inconvenient to call him from the fields and to leave the sheep unattended. Another interpretation is that David seemed so insignificant to his father that he did not bother to call him believing the other seven sons were seen as more important to Jesse. I lean toward the second view. 

David was the youngest. The runt of the litter. He was probably picked on by his older brothers. He had the job of watching the sheep. Maybe his brothers did the same job too, but we do not read that. The brothers ridiculed him in chapter 17 asking about his few sheep. David is described as ruddy meaning red, with beautiful eyes, and handsome in appearance. He walked into the room unsuspecting that his entire life was about to change. His destiny was not be a shepherd for life. God had a bigger destiny. To rule as a king.  When David stood before Samuel, God spoke, "Arise and anoint for this is he." I Sam 16:12 God handpicked David to be the next king. There would be training before he would sit on the throne through tribulation. God chose David. A son and brother everyone else overlooked. Everyone but God. 

I Cor 1:26-29 reminds us that when God is looking for people to go on mission for Him, God chooses the weak, the foolish, and the despised to shame those who are wise, strong, and noble. Put another way, God chooses insignificant people to do very significant things for Him. That is great news. You may feel overlooked by everyone, but God sees you and just might choose you to do something very significant for His glory. People who get passed over in junior high and high school might be the ones who accomplish great things for God. God sees invisible people. He sees those whom others view as insignificant. God chooses and uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. God sees you. You hold great value to Him. Wait on Him and surrender to Him. Make yourself available to Him. He might chose your seeming insignificance to do something very significant just like He did with David. 

Sin Will Cost You

 The battle against sin is as old as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Since then, every person who trod this planet, with the exception of the Lord Jesus Christ, has sinned. Sin stains the pages of scripture. Sin makes headline news everyday. Sin is the topic of gossip when another person fails morally.  Educated and uneducated alike struggle with sin. Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Church Christ, Assemblies of God and non denominationals all struggle with sin. Preachers and pew sitters all face the same temptations to rebel against God. 

Sometimes sin is fun. That is the reason people do it. Just because it is fun does not make it right or a healthy choice. Sin will cost you. Sin will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay. One decision to eat forbidden fruit in the garden has cost humanity for thousands of years. The tempter will always be ready to entice people to choose sin over choosing submission to God's way. Sometimes people get away with transgressing without suffering immediate consequences. There will be a day of reckoning. A day when God calls people into account. There are other times when people pay the price for practicing sin. 

The ultimate consequence is eternal damnation to hell. Any person without a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer eternally when they die or at the glorious appearing of Jesus and the rapture. Those left behind will endure great tribulation. If they never turn to Jesus, they will discover the cost of sin to be horrific. People who die without ever repenting of sin, turning to Jesus as their Redeemer, and trusting Him to be saved will find the high cost of sin a terrible trade for the temporary pleasure they enjoyed. Eternity is a long long time to be wrong. 

There are other costs as well. The addict probably did not think one sip, one toke, one shot, or one pill would lead to a life of slavery to substance abuse. The sexually deviant did not think one moment of passion could turn into an unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease. One click on the computer or the phone can lead to bondage to debauchery. Even to criminal activity. 

The cost of sin included Jesus dying on the cross. I thank God that the grace He offers through His substitutionary death is greater than sin. He forgives sin. Read Ps 103:12 and I Jn 1:9 for a reminder. His grace is greater than the cost of our sin. He is willing to forgive. Praise Him for pardoning people. That does not mean that there might not be consequences. Gal 6:7-8 God will forgive the adulterer, but that does not mean that the spouse will. The act of adultery could cost a person their marriage. God will forgive the embezzler. That does not mean that charges will not be filed and incarceration follow. God will forgive the abusive parents, but that does not mean the children will stay in the home. 

Sin will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay. It can also lead you further than you ever wanted to go. Addiction, abuse, theft, rape, murder, abortion, lying and so much more. We best stay prayed up and keep our head on a swivel so that when temptation comes, when sin is crouching at the door ready to pounce on us, Gen 4:7, we must trust that God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness II Pet 1:3 and a way of escape I Cor 10:13. Jesus also has the power set slaves free from sin. Praise God His grace is greater than sin.