Mortify the Flesh

 Christians have two natures. We all have the sin nature. The bible refers to this nature as the flesh. It is our human nature. That nature that is opposed to God and His laws. It is the nature that is drawn to sin. That carnal nature wants to sin. On the other hand, we have the spirit nature. This is the part in us that wants to obey and honor God. This is the nature that resists sin. 

We need to mortify the flesh. The word mortify means to subdue and deny self. You can only mortify the flesh by resisting, saying no, and refusing to give into temptations. Temptations of the enemy are enticing. You could have said no to sin 1,000 times in a row, but the flesh is relentless and can trip you up on the 1001st times. Mortifying the flesh means crucifying the flesh. Read Galatians 2:20. Paul said he had been crucified with Christ. He was not talking in the literal sense. Symbolically and spiritually Paul advocated crucifying the flesh. That means dying to the flesh. I promise our flesh will not give up a single bit without a life and death struggle. Go ahead and test this. Choose an area of your flesh you want to crucify. Pay close attention how that area of your life will refuse to surrender to the cross of Christ. 

If I decided I wanted to physically crucify my body, and grabbed hammer and nails I would not be able to complete the task. I could painfully get the nail in my feet and in one hand. What about the other hand? How could I nail the other hand to the cross if I already had a hand nailed? Somebody would have to do it for me. In the same way, you can't just decide to mortify the flesh, or put another way, to crucify the flesh. God has to do that in us. He has to mortify that carnal nature. It will resist, rebel, and refuse to submit. It is a supernatural work of God to mortify the flesh. THE FLESH NEVER GIVES UP. 

Mortifying the flesh is not a one time decision. It is a daily decision. Maybe even an hourly one. You have to choose the path of surrender to God. He makes the spirit nature more dominant and subdues the sin nature. As long as we live in these bodies, we are going to fight against the sin nature. It is not impossible to overcome. It is just impossible to overcome in our ability. 

Mortifying the flesh is not pleasant. It is painful. To say no to things your flesh wants to say yest to is excruciatingly difficult. You will be going against every natural desire, craving, yearning, and longing to do evil. Even some natural things that not bad. Try fasting from food. Try abstaining from television or social media. Try sleeping less so you can pray more. You will find yourself in a war. When the flesh is mortified, the battles are easier. You say yes to God and no to sin. It is that simple, when we mortify the flesh repeatedly. 

The Old is Better

Theologian J.C. Ryle once wrote, "In matters of theology, the old is better." He wrote that in 1864. It is in the lengthy introduction to a book written in 1655 titled, The Christian in Complete Armon, by William Gurnall. That book is a massive volume of 656 pages. I am only 1/6 of the way through it. The context of Ryle's statement came from reading contemporary theology books of his day. He thought they were shallow in comparison to the older theology books. 

Gurnall took 656 pages to write about 18 verses. I recently read a contemporary book by a best selling author who took 238 pages to write about hundreds of scriptures. This is true of many contemporary books. Those who trod the ancient paths in past centuries seemed to have a depth with God and greater insights into His word than modern sojourners. 

Life was different in the 1600s. There were fewer distractions. People took more time to read, reflect, pray, and study the Bible. My shelves of numerous books are a mixture of old and new writers. For the most part, the books that stir me the most, and by the way are the hardest to read, are older books written in past centuries. 

Few people have the inclination or the discipline to plow through a 656 page book. I assure you it is not speed reading. It is slow meditative reading if you hope to get anything out of it. Some of my spiritual heroes have recommended this book. I slowly plow through one page after another, needing to come up for air often to breathe common air. Gurnall wrote at a spiritual altitude than I have ever climbed. It is a mind bending read. That is good. It is good to be stretched. Good to be challenged. Good to think deeply. 

I am sure many will debate Ryle's statement that the old is better when it comes to theology books. I tend to agree with him. I recall something John Piper once wrote, "Raking is easy, but all you get is leaves. Digging is harder, but sometimes you find gold." Reading old books can sure slow the pace when you set a goal of a number of books to read during the year. I'm readjusting that goal. It is not about the quantity of books read, but rather more about the quality of books read. Gurnall's book has survived 375 years. I recently picked up a book at a bookstore for $1 written in 2025. I don't think they will reprint that book for the next 375 years should Jesus tarry. 

I think we have become intellectually lazy, especially with the introduction of artificial intelligence. It is so much easier and convenient to let this technology think for us. We had better beware lest we be deceived by false information. It is good to think. Reading an old and challenging book does for the mind what a vigorous workout does for the body. Maybe along the way we will be inspired with deep thoughts and wrestle with complex truths. Okay Mr. Ryle. I take up the challenge to see if the old is better.  

Ministry Marriage

 There is a special bond when God creates a ministry marriage between a pastor and a flock. It is a bond that defies description. It is unique. It is spiritual in nature and mutually beneficial. When God puts it together, it's one of the sweetest things on this earth. The love flows both ways. Prayers are exchanged. Service is given. Sometimes sacrifices are made. 

A man commented to me at the football game Friday night that if preaching did not work out for me I should consider law enforcement because I have a commanding presence. I replied, "I have the greatest job in the world." Getting to be a pastor was not a choice. It was a calling from God. It still is a calling from God and that currently roots Brenda and I in Fritch, TX. The calling is more than preaching. It is also shepherding people. Caring for them. Nurturing them. Loving them. Protecting them. 

There are many pastors who just use people in the church to their advantage. On the other hand, there are mean spirited churches who gobble preachers up and spit them out leaving lots of hurt in the aftermath. Neither of these is healthy. When God weds a pastor and a church together it is like a marriage. There is commitment. There is love. There is also honor and respect. 

I never planned to move to so many different churches. With one exception, I believe I have followed God's leadership in leaving and going. One time I got it wrong and paid a high price for it. I am now serving the eighth church as pastor in our ministry. We have kept in contact with people from several of those churches along the way. Just last week I talked with dear friends from FBC Paradise and Brenda and I attended a banquet celebrating the 120 year anniversary of FBC Seminole on Saturday. We shook hands and hugged necks with multiple people there we love and cherish. 

The following morning we were back at FSBC Fritch where I taught and preached. We loved on the people here and enjoyed a fellowship meal with them after church. Later that night, Brenda and I sat at a table with another couple for a prayer meeting that we do not always get to spend time with. People make ministry special. It is the bond between a pastor and the congregation that unites in harmony. We have loving, generous, hard working, and thoughtful people in this church. They sacrifice. They bless. They encourage. They show gratitude. It is an honor to serve here. 

I have often wondered what it would be like to serve a church for decades. I have not been afforded that opportunity. I can only imagine the bond deepens over time. The love grows. The mutual respect increases. Shared experiences create closeness. Sorrows endured together make the bond stronger. A ministry marriage should endure. Pastors should not look for greener pastures. Churches should not constantly run the preacher out of town. The desire of my heart has always been to stay at one church for decades. 

I remember well when God made it clear that we were to leave our beloved FBC Paradise people. My last Sunday I could barely preach from weeping. I never thought we would leave those people. When I said God made me, I am not exaggerating. We had a lifetime of work to do there. FBC Seminole embraced us right from the start. We experienced moves of God with those people unlike we ever saw before or since. Leaving Spring Creek was hard. Some were upset and others even mad. Brenda told someone that we preached about following and obeying God and we had to live out what we preached. I did not pursue First Southern Baptist Fritch. I did not send them a resume. Someone sent it without my knowledge. They came after me. God had His sovereign hands all over it. 

God taught me a valuable lesson early in my ministry. I was in college and served a church outside Atlanta, GA as a summer youth intern. I felt deeply in love with those students. On my last day we had a big youth event scheduled. Later that night I was to hop a plane back for the DFW airport. I cried through the evening as my time to leave approached. I contemplated rearranging all my plans and transferring to a different college so I could stay with that youth group. God whispered something in my soul something I've never forgotten, "I love them more you do and will take care of them." That does not mean the bond ends. 

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

 The word ashamed defined means embarrassed because of a person's actions or association. Surely there has been a time when the actions of someone you were associated with embarrassed you and made you feel ashamed to even be near them. The reasons may vary but feeling ashamed can be common. When our third son, Tucker, was around five or six, we went to the grocery store. We made the guys hold our hands walking in parking lots when they were little. Tucker instinctively reached for my hand. That was not unusual. What weirded me out was when he interlocked fingers. He was old enough that it did not feel natural. I did not make a scene, but was ashamed to be seen interlocking fingers with my son walking into the store. 

That is not the thought on my mind. In fact, it is just the opposite. It is not feeling ashamed. Specifically not being ashamed of the gospel. Not being embarrassed to be associated with the Lord Jesus Christ. Not embarrassed by His death on a cross. Not ashamed of the resurrection. Not ashamed of the whole message, and what that means for people in society. You could categorize people in hundreds of different ways. I will only to do so with two. Lost. Saved. 

Let me address lost people first. People are born sinners. It is our natural inclination to sin. Sin comes easily for all of us. We all do it. The Bible confirms this fact in Rom 3:10-11 and Rom 3:23. I don't think that news is a revelation to anyone. We've done wrong and we know it. Here is the part people don't always have straight in their mind. There are consequences to sin. Not just consequences in our lives. There are eternal consequences. Rom 6:23 informs us that the wages of sin is death. Eternal separation from God. Judgement in hell. 

Here is a fact. None of us can do away with or undo our sins. It is like a criminal record stacked against us. Picture Satan as the prosecuting attorney bringing up every wrong we've done. God is the judge. We were helpless. I only stated half of Rom 6:23. The last half informs us the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus took the punishment for sin each of us rightly deserved. To repent of our wrongdoings and embrace God's gift through Jesus of eternal life is what we call salvation. Jesus is our defense attorney. Only He paid the penalty for our guilt. We are justified because He took our punishment. 

I am not ashamed of that message. There is nothing embarrassing about it. Jesus performed a heroic act. People act ashamed of it though. The word gospel literally means "good news." It refers to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That is the greatest news in the world and the greatest news that was ever personally shared with me. That message changed my life when Jesus saved me. It is a message I am eager to share with others. 

Paul writes in Romans 1:16 that the gospel message is the power of God to everyone who believes. God empowers that message when it is shared and when it is believed. God transforms lives through that message. There is power in it. Miraculous might you could say. That is also something I am not ashamed to be associated with.

Consider the fact that few Christians share this message with lost people. Some are afraid to do so. Others feel they do not know enough to do so. A few are ashamed of the message because it is not popular in culture and they do not want to be rejected. Christians have been persecuted through the ages. Many have been tortured and killed for their unashamed association with the gospel message. Why would any Christian be ashamed of that message? That message is the hope for the world. It is the hope for every abuser, addict, adulterer, agnostic, and atheist. Jesus is the hope of the world. That is nothing to be ashamed of. Count me and many others I associate with as the Fellowship of the Unashamed. May we stand strong and proclaim that good news until our last breath. 

Preparation for Revival

 I have been a student of revival since the mid 1980s. I have shelves lined with books about revival. I have other shelves on the topic of prayer. Those two things gripped my heart as a college student and with rare exception have continued to do so for over 40 years. It continues to do so today. 

I recently asked God what I needed to do to personally prepare for revival and to lead His church to prepare for revival. The answers are not new. They are laid out plainly in scripture. It is a matter whether we are willing to obey and put forth the effort. I have said this numerous times over the past several decades. When most people ask God to send revival, they have no idea what they are asking. REAL REVIVAL IS COSTLY. 

First, it will cost genuine repentance. We are more prone to generic repentant prayer. Real repentance gets specific. It hurts. It leads to brokenness as God reveals the true condition of our hearts before Him. He demands a change of mind and a change of direction. Back in 2010, we were preparing for revival in FBC Seminole. In a time of repentance and confession of sin, I was convicted about some DVD movies we had at the house. There was offensive language in some of those movies that did not honor God. I did not even tell my family, but I went home when they were out of the house and gathered those movies and threw them away. Sometimes repentance will lead to a change of doubtful habits you are engaged in. It might also include the way you use your time.

 It takes courage to sit before the Lord and to pray Ps 139:23-24. Search me, O God and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. God sees our heart whether we pray this or not. The point is not for God to discover what is in our hearts, but for Him to reveal those things to us so we can repent and return to Him. Many people want no part of that. 

It is not surprise that to prepare for revival we must pray. Statistics show that most people pray an average of three minutes a day. Not thirteen or thirty. THREE! That kind of dedication to prayer will never move God to send revival. People say they believe in prayer, but when they pray it is not very long according to research and those prayers sound more like a Christmas wish list. The kind of prayer that moves God to send revival is an all in affair. You lose track of time. You are blood earnest in your petitions. The amount of time required in personal and group prayer is irrelevant if you truly want to see God move in supernatural ways. People will attend Bible studies, worship services, concerts and conferences. Plan a prayer meeting and attendance will dwindle. I have seen it in every church I have served. Many churches do not even have prayer meetings because they know people will not show up. 

Another common element of preparation for revival includes forgiving others and restoring broken relationships. I received a text earlier today telling me about a person who says she will never attend this church again because she was offended by the actions of another lady. A concerned member asked in the text what can we do? Matt 18:15-17 spells out what to do about broken relationships. When I relayed the fact that those two need to talk, I promptly received a replay that the offended woman is unwilling to do  this. That is why so many have broken relationships. We would rather talk to others about our offenses rather than to the one who offended us. When God sends real revival, people get right with one another. Relationships are restored. Past offenses are forgiven. 

Maybe because of these three life altering changes in behavior some are unwilling to do may describe why we do not experience revival often. People are unwilling to make these necessary changes. Which demonstrates to God we are not serious about wanting Him to send revival. We are content to live without it. All the while, the church becomes more apathetic and powerless in a dark culture that needs a sweeping move of God. May God move us to personally prepare for His outpouring. 

Don't Fear

Take a look around. Pay attention to the news. Read social media. Read newspapers. What emotions do those elicit? Do you come away with peace, joy, and hope? Do you walk away fearful, depressed, and anxious? There are plenty of things that can produce fear all around us. Last night I drove out to the lake to reflect. I parked on a cliff overlooking Lake Meredith. The wind blew briskly. I saw the waters swirling below. Instead of peace I was reminded that several people have drowned in that lake this summer. Fear of the water snaked into my thoughts. 

We can fear droughts and floods. We can succumb to fear with a doctor's report, the economy, and retirement. We can fear for our families. We are tempted to fear the moral decline of the nation. We can fear upcoming elections and the end times. 

Isaiah 41:10 is good medicine to overcome fear. Right off the bat we are told not to fear. In light of some of the things listed above, fear seems the natural response. God does not tell us not to fear without reason. He says not to fear because He is with us. That is like working with a personal protector. Before things ever get to us they must first get through Him. Even when tragedies happen, He is there. He does not abandon us. He is sufficient to meet us where we are. If He is with us we have hope. 

Therefore, we do not have to be dismayed. To lose heart. God walks with us to get through the tough stuff. He strengthens us to endure through it. He promises to do that and to help us. Helping might look like just helping you breathe as you feel the weight of the world crashing on you. Helping may be comforting you in those nights of weeping when sleep evades. Helping may be unexpected provision to help you make it through the financial crisis. Helping may be causing faith to float again so you can pray. Helping may be consoling your broken heart. Helping may just be Him holding you and listening as you vent. 

He also upholds us. He sustains us. When our lives are crumbling, He is our support. He holds us with His righteous right hand. The root word of righteous is right. He upholds us with His right hand. His hand that is incapable of doing wrong. Our belief in that will be tested. There are times when our lives don't make sense. When our circumstances will test everything we believe about God. He is right in what He does. That is hard to believe when you stand beside your deceased loved one. It is hard to believe when you get laid off or when you have a repair bill you don't have money to pay. Trust me I have been there. I have learned that if I trust God long enough He always proves that He is faithful. 

I am right hand dominant. That means might right arm is a little stronger than my left arm. God promises to hold us with His right hand. Biblically the right hand symbolized power. God promises to hold us up with His powerful and strong right hand. He will not fail. His strength is never compromised. No matter how heavy the load or massive the burden, He can still support us. 

For all of those reasons, we do not have to give into fear. We can choose to stand in faith taking God at is word with verses like Isaiah 41:10. There are many others for you to discover to help you in your battle to fight fear. I hope this helps you to fight for faith and against fear. 

Take a Stand

 It was not supposed to be a heroic act that would start a movement. It was just one small act that turned into a giant groundswell of courage. Rosa took a seat at the front of the bus. The law required black passengers to give up the front seats to white passengers and go to the back of the bus. She refused to do so. She was arrested and black supporters initiated a one day boycott of riding buses. When she was found guilty, the boycott lasted 381 days until segregation on the buses was ruled to be unconstitutional. Rosa Parks is famous for taking a stand even though she was seated. When once asked why she did it, she simply replied, "I was tired."

Sometimes you have to take a stand. When our oldest son, Taylor, played peewee football, the coach asked if anyone could not practice on Wednesday nights. I raised my hand among the parents and was the only one to do so. There were many other Christian parents associated with that team. Not one of them took a stand for reserving Wednesday night for church activities. The coach chose other days for practices. 

 I have seen this same thing over and over again with other parents. Schools schedule practices and other events on Wednesdays. Last year some football games were scheduled on Wednesday. What do Christian parents do? They bow down to the wishes of the school. If Christian parents took a stand and refused their child participating, the message would be heard loud and clear. If half or most of the teams or students did not show up, but supported their local church activities, those school events would be rescheduled. 

Eric Liddell was a preacher and track star. He made the Olympic team for England. He later discovered they scheduled his race on Sunday. He refused to run. Even when bullied by his coaches and other Olympic officials he refused to compromise his convictions. He ended up running the 400 instead of the 100 which was his specialized event. God honored his stand and he won the gold medal in the 400. 

Parents have to take a stand with their children. They have to draw boundaries about what is acceptable and not acceptable. This will not make parents popular with their children or even with other parents. God entrusted the raising of your children to you teaching them wrong from right and what godliness looks like. Brenda and I had to say no to a lot of things for our sons. Like movies, cartoons, certain kinds of music, or even spending the night in certain homes. We also made church a non negotiable. Even to this day when our adult sons come to visit, we communicate Bible study and worship attendance are required. 

All through the book of Acts we read about Paul taking a stand for Jesus in community after community. Many times his message was not well received. He was run out of more than one town. Once he was stoned and dragged out of the city left for dead. Incredulously he survived. He went and preached in a nearby town and days later returned to the same town that stoned him fearlessly preaching the same message. He was often beaten. He was arrested. He still took his stand. 

So did Richard Wurmbrand. He was a Romanian pastor arrested and tortured for his stand for Jesus. He was severely beaten in prison by the guards. Sometimes just for praying at night. Once when a soldier who beat him often asked what he could possibly pray about so often to incur the beatings, Wurmbrand replied meekly, "I am praying for you." He nearly died in prison. When he got out, he wrote a book titled, Tortured for Christ. God used that book to strengthen Christians in persecuted countries all over the world to keep taking a stand. 

Please take heed. If you take a stand, especially one for Jesus, be prepared to suffer. This dark world hates the Light of the World. For thousands of years dark forces have tried to silence the message about the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ. Many have died for taking a stand. Many are tortured, arrested, and exiled from their families because of their saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The day very well may come in the United States when the same thing will happen to followers of Jesus. Will we take a stand when that time comes?

Tragedy

 In the natural order of things, children are supposed to bury their parents. Parents age. Their bodies grow frail. While it is never easy, children know their parents will not live forever. I recall the last day Brenda and I saw her mother in the hospital along with her two sisters. I knew she would not live long. We were scheduled to move the next day to Fritch. Her mom gathered us all around the bed and told us she was ready to go. She died the next day while we packed the moving trucks. While it was hard, it was not unexpected. 

It is not natural for a parent to bury a child. It happens. It is tragic. I heard of two such incidents. A pastor and his wife are grieving the unexpected death of their adult daughter. She died in the hospital early Sunday morning. Another family is grieving the death of their son who died in a car accident. He was a sophomore in high school. Both tragedies. 

Many questions surface on such occasions. One of the most common is why. I got some wise insight into this one day from a widow. She was a young widow with three little boys the same ages as our four sons. In fact, several of them became friends over the years. Her husband was a fireman. He was on his way home after his shift and tragically died in a car wreck. It was unexpected. 

One day the widow's mother in law vented and cried out to her daughter in law, "Why? Why did this have to happen to us? Why did we have lose a son, husband, and father?" This wise beyond her years widow replied, "Why not us? We are not any more special than anyone else that tragedy should not come to us?"

People suffer in this world. People experience pain, sorrow, and tragedy. It is not fair. This world is not fair. Evil exists. Pain permeates. Suffering suffocates. Tragedies trample. It is part of the curse of living in a sinful fallen world. Bad things happen to good people. There are even times when good things happen to bad people. Job was a righteous man and he suffered immeasurably. See Job chapter one. In one day he lost everything but his wife and his health. In chapter two he even lost his health. 

We are shocked when tragedies happen. We should also be shocked when they don't happen. The protection of God is taken for granted. Consider the millions of germs and multitudes of diseases that float around. It is amazing that we are not all sick and dying. Think of all the vehicles traveling up and down the roads. It is amazing that we make trips and our vehicles or approaching vehicles do not malfunction causing us to crash. We take God's daily protection for granted for years and then quickly blame Him when tragedy comes like what happened on 9-11. 

It is a wonder that God protects us at all. Nations have turned from Him, rebelled, revolted, and rushed off to offend Him in multiple ways. We try to shove Him out of every fabric of society. We legalize things He calls offensive and wicked. We embrace immorality, the occult, and mock Him and His word. He is still patient with us. He still loves us. That does not mean that tragedies won't happen. They do. Sometimes they are far away like an earthquake, tsunami, or hurricane. We don't feel the impact because it is so far away. Sometimes tragedy hits much closer to home. Like the Panhandle of Texas in 2024 when wild fires ravaged ranch land and communities. Estimates are that in Fritch, hundreds of homes were destroyed. It was tragic in loss of cattle, property, and even a few loss of lives. 

The older I get the more I learn that tragedy is part of life. Some may go through life and not experience any. Others may suffer multiple tragedies in one family. I can't answer all the why questions in a way that will satisfy hurting people. I can point people to the hope of heaven for people who believe in Jesus for salvation. I can love people through the pain. I can preach, teach, and write truth that offers a glimmer of hope through the tears. One of the greatest truths is that God is near to those who are broken in heart and He also saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18-19. I also find hope in Psalm 46:1. I am reminded what Jesus said in John 16:33. Hopefully these words help us get through the hard times.

Chasing God

 Several decades ago I came across two books that ignited a passion in me. The first book, The Pursuit of God, written by A.W. Tozer ignited a fire in me to know God. To be more specific it was one chapter and one verse that captured my heart and mind. Ps 63:8 in the King James Version is written, "My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy right hand upholdeth me." That phrase followeth hard grabbed me and has not let me go for decades. It is that verse I named this blog after. Follow hard. Since that day, I've followed hard after God. Not to know about Him. I'm chasing to know Him. To get closer. To get a more intimate view. 

The second book is titled, The God Chasers, by Tommy Tenney. The whole book is about the pursuit of knowing God. That book also ignited a passion in me that still burns to this day. I chase God day after day. There is more of Him to know. There is more to discover. There is more to learn. There is more to experience. 

Why do some people settle for the crumbs of knowing about God when we can taste and feast on knowing Him. To pursue and chase God will require a reorienting of priorities and passions. Ps 16:11 informs us there is fullness of joy in God's presence. People fall for the lie that there is fullness of joy in possessions. Our souls crave a closer communion with God. That craving can only be satisfied by Him. Nothing else will satisfy. 

Chasing God means pressing in closer to Him in devotions rather than going through religious routines. It means setting aside more time seeking Him and maybe less time in front of the television. It means reading the Bible more like a love letter than a history book. It means making our highest ambition seeking Him relentlessly rather than seeking earthly things. 

Let me ask you. How many God chasers do you personally knows. A dozen? Less? Are you one of them? Nobody is going to chase God for you. It is your decision. Nobody is going to set aside time for you to chase Him. You have to intentionally carve time in your schedule to do that. My wife has not been an early morning person until the past decade. She gets up way before the sun to chase God in Bible reading and prayer. She is exhausted at the end of the day, but she will sacrifice sleep to chase God each morning. That is just one of the things I love about her. She challenges me to chase God harder. Maybe this little post will ignite something in your like Tozer and Tenney did in me to chase God. 

The Prayer Room

About 100 steps down the hall from the side door of my office sits the prayer room. The ornate wooden door going into that room is something beautiful to behold with deep engravings. Step inside the room and you see a hand made kneeling bench with a tiny table behind it where a church directory and Bible are located. To the left there is a table with a prayer log and prayer requests cards. Nestled in the corner is a chair, night stand and lamp. There is a heater for the winter months. 

Since coming to this church in April of 2025, I have spent many hours in that prayer room. I can go in and lock the world out. Lock out all distractions. Lock out everything that would keep me from communing with God. Nobody knows when I am in there except when I tell the secretary. In that prayer room, I find peace of mind. I unload heavy burdens. I wage war against the spiritual forces of darkness. I ask and secure financing for ministry projects. I pray for revival. I also listen a lot. 

Jesus discussed the topic of a prayer room in Matt 6:5-7. In verse six, He calls the prayer room the inner room. He reminds us that the Father sees and hears what is done once we shut the door to the prayer room. Those times are so sacred people cannot really talk about them. The Father sees what is done in secret and will reward you. Sometimes those rewards are internal and invisible to the watching world. Other times, those rewards are displayed outwardly for the watching world to see.  

Consider all the things that have been by products of what is done in the prayer closet. Astounding answers could fill up the pages of multiple books filling up a library. Victories have been won. Addictions have been broken. People have been saved. Revivals were sparked. Spiritual awakenings swept nations. Droughts have ended. Prodigals have returned. Marriages have been healed. Diseased bodies have been restored. Broken hearts have been mended. I could on and on. 

God still listens and answers prayers made in all kinds of places. I love prayer rooms. FBC Seminole had a prayer room I frequented often. Spring Creek Baptist Church had a prayer room I visited often to pray and many times just to listen. I already described our prayer room here. I have a home office where I pray as well as praying in my office here on our church campus. That is the highlight of my days. Nothing I do on any day is more important than time spent in prayer. 

To develop a prayer life you must become comfortable with two things. First, you must get comfortable being alone. My friends over the years called my time in prayer "solitude pie." We ministered at youth camps and suddenly I told them I had to go be alone. Prayer is cultivated in seclusion. I'm not suggesting there is no place for corporate prayer. There certainly are times when we need to gather with others to pray. There must also be times when we seclude ourselves to be shut up alone with God.

Another thing you will need is silence. For awhile it drove me crazy that someone put a clock on the wall right next to where I pray in our prayer room. The noise of the second hand ticking distracted me. Thankfully someone relocated that clock to the far wall where I do not notice the noise. There are times when I play instrumental music while I'm praying. Most of the time I pray engulfed with silence. In a noisy world, I crave the silence. I meet God in the silence and solitude. Silence and solitude are foreign to many caught up in the rat race of life. 

For those always on the go let me ask a question. How is your soul? What is the condition of our soul? I'm not asking about your involvement in a local congregation. I am not asking about your ministries. I'm asking about the spiritual health of your soul. Are you dry? Are you empty? Are you overflowing with living water? Are you experiencing the abundant life Jesus offers. John 10:10 Can I challenge you to reorient yourself to the prayer room to commune with your Creator. If you don't have one create one. Nobody else may notice, but He will and will reward you. 

Taking God at His Word

 Scholars estimate that their are around 7,000 promises of God in the Bible. Some do not relate to us. They were intended for God's chosen covenant people Israel. They were specified for that context. That does not exclude the fact that there are many promises that are intended for us today. Many people talk themselves out of believing what God promised. 

As a child, if my mother or grandparents promised to take us the park or to the lake, I took them at their word. Being persistent in nature, I am sure that I wore them out all day asking when we were going. If they made a promise to do something, I believed what they said and expected them to follow through. It is no different with God. 

Take for instance Psalm 37:4. That is a promise with a condition. If we do our part, we are to believe that God will do His part. I have prayed and stood on this promise many times. I have also seen God come through with this promise on multiple occasions. Here is another one. I John 5:14-15. The promise is that God will answer our prayers if we pray according to the will of God. Keeping that in mind, Jesus made another bold promise in John 14:14 when He said, "If you ask Me anything in My name I will do it." ANYTHING!

Are we willing to take God at His word. I ask Him for 100 baptisms annually. I ask Him for revival that consumes our church and the whole Panhandle of Texas. I ask for the opportunity to come along side churches that are about to die and partner with them to see them revitalized and thrive once again. I believe God to continually remove all debt so that Brenda and I will have greater ability to give to the kingdom. I ask for disciples who go and make other disciples. I ask for transformation for the community of Fritch and others as well. I ask for a national spiritual awakening before Jesus returns. I ask the Lord to break down strongholds and to push back the darkness over the land. I ask for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit of God in ways we have not seen before. I ask God to speak to me clearly. I ask Him for greater anointing to preach, teach, and to write. I ask for His glory to spread. 

I think those things are definitely in the will of God. Why would I not expect God to keep His word. Most of the above listed things are kingdom minded first. Most of them are not self centered. I know it is the will of God to save people. I can ask boldly in faith for God to keep His promise that we will constantly see people saved and their lives changed. I take God at His word about that. 

We had a powerful service today. The worship was phenomenal. Multiple people came forward for prayer. His word was powerful. Over lunch with some church members, multiple people kept talking about how great the service was today. I agreed with them with one exception. NOBODY GOT SAVED TODAY! That would have made it a great service. I know God wants people to be saved. So I ask for it constantly. I take Him at His word to do it. 

Let's pray hard. Let's pray big. Let's believe for more. Exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. Eph 3:20 Let's take God at His word. I choose to believe what Jesus said in John 15:7 that if we abide in Him and His word abides in us He will do what we ask. I want to spend my remaining days taking God at His word. 

Tough

 The word tough is defined as strong enough to endure adverse conditions. Tough is an admirable quality and advertisers seize on this. You may remember some of these toys listed as tough from your childhood. Tonka trucks. These trucks are made of steel and built for rough handling since 1946. LEGOS also fall in this category. Also included in this list, are Matchbox cars. They are made of die cast metal and have a reputation for durability. 

There are also tough people. I was surprised to learn of a couple of the toughest guys who ever lived. They proved it April 6, 1893 in New Orleans, LA. They started a boxing match. Rounds for a boxing match are three minutes. When I was kid fights were 15 rounds at the professional level. Now they are a maximum of 12 rounds for safety reasons. Andy Bowen and Jack Burke fought well past 15 rounds. They pummeled each other past twenty rounds. Even fifty rounds. The fight lasted for 7 hours and 19 min. They were in the 110th round! The referee stopped the fight declaring a draw because all parties were exhausted. That is tough. 

Not tough like Jesus. Jesus hung on the cross about six hours. Before that He endured a severe beating from Roman soldiers. The physical suffering alone was tough. He volunteered to do this. He  made the tough decision to go to the cross. Not only that, He took the sin of the world upon Himself taking our punishment so He could offer us forgiveness and the righteousness of God in return. That is tough. 

There is a football team outside of Ft. Worth, TX in the little community of Paradise. The Paradise Panthers, where all of four sons played, have a unique motto this year. "Jesus Tough." My oldest son, who still lives in the area, heard a radio interview from some of the players and cheerleaders. One of them said, "We want to be tough like Jesus because He made the tough decision to go to the cross." WOW! 

Are we tough enough to make the hard decisions? To do the right thing when doing the wrong thing would be more convenient. To make the tough decision to raise our kids right when others give into letting them do wrong. To work hard on the job when our body and mind are exhausted. To make the tough decisions to show up for worship when you are pressured by others to skip. Life is filled with tough decisions. 

When life gets tough I hope we will remember that Jesus made the tough decision to endure the cross and to do so with joy according to Hebrews 12:2. He can help us get through tough stuff and make tough decisions too. 

Taking Toxic Thoughts Captive

 Mental health is a real thing no matter what skeptics think. As of April of 2026, 59 million people were diagnosed with mental health issues. This covers a wide range of degrees of mental health issues. There are days when many feel blue, melancholy, or depressed. They may not even be able to identify the reasons. It can come on suddenly like a thunderstorm. In those seasons, hope fades, things look gloomier, and people tend to isolate themselves from others. 

Medical experts call these thoughts toxic thoughts. Those thoughts release chemical reactions in the body that are harmful. Studies have shown that thoughts are like branches on trees. When toxic thoughts release their chemicals the branches become thick and blotted. For further research on this you can look up Dr. Stryden from South Africa. 

God gives us a path to mental health in II Cor 10:3-5. Let me say up front that a part of mental health is fighting evil spiritual forces that plant toxic thoughts in our mind. Thoughts like shame, condemnation, poor self-esteem, anxiety, that God has forsaken you, that God does not love you, and that God will never forgive you to just name a few. 

Verse three reminds us that even though we live in the flesh in earthly bodies, we are in a war that is not earthly. We cannot fight this spiritual battles with flesh like our intellect, reason, and education. This war is spiritual and must be fought in a spiritual way.  The next verse states that the weapons we must use are not of the flesh. That is why self-help talks are powerless in this spiritual war. 

I was riding my Peloton in a spin class recently when the lady leading the class offered some of this self-talk. She told us to remember, "I have. I can. I will." Those words are powerless against hoards of demonic spirits released to wreak havoc on the minds of millions of people. We need something more. 

There is good news. We do have weapons that are divinely power for the DESTRUCTION OF FORTRESSES. What are these weapons? Prayer. The Bible. We fight back when we pray, even in those times when don't feel like praying. Who do you think doesn't want us to pray? Satan and demons. That is why we must pray all the more. We must do more than casually read the Bible. We need to use the Bible in our prayers. I love to pray scripture. To stand on it and believe it. That is when God destroys spiritual fortresses our enemy builds. 

Verse five tells us we are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God. Satan is identified as a liar. He is called the father of lies. Anything he plants in our minds through his minions is a lie. It is a lie that God does not love you. He settled that forever sending Jesus to the cross to die for your sins. The cross is the receipt as proof that He loves you. Rom 5:8 It is another lie to believe there is no hope. With God there is always hope. Heb 11:1 Another lie is that God can't forgive you for the bad you have done. Read Ps 103:12, Rom 8:1, and I John 1:9

The last part of that verse instructs us to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ. Have you ever experienced your thoughts running wild out of control? Imagine your thoughts being like horses. Something stampedes the horses and you have to chase them down, turn them around and lead them back to the corral. You have to do the same thing with your thoughts. Evil spirits will plant toxic thoughts in your mind. You can let them run wild out of control. You can take them captive the moment you think them and submit them to obedience in Christ. With His help we can take those wild thoughts captive and corral them. 

We may not be able to control every thought that enters our mind. Through prayer and with the sword of scripture we can fight back. In doing so, I am sure it will improve mental health. That is something we can all benefit from as we take toxic thoughts captive. 

From Pines to Panhandle

 The ways of God are exhilarating, adventurous, and mysterious. I grew up over ten hours from where Brenda and I currently reside in Fritch, TX. Most people have never heard of Fritch, a small town about 40 miles north of Amarillo. We boast a population of some 1,800 people. I visited with our mayor today who wore jeans and boots. I sat last night with many others watching our volleyball team win a match from a bigger school in Amarillo. I serve a loving flock. 

God has the ability to lead, guide, and steer our lives in ways we could never foresee. I grew up in the midsized town of Lufkin, TX. That was a far different world than the Panhandle. I grew up with the abundance of rain. Grass was green. Trees were tall. Wind was minimal. Humidity was high. Thunderstorms were frequent. We swam in rising creeks during the rain. We built forts in the woods. 

Through many twists and turns Jesus got hold of me as a teenager. He took over control of my life. I never saw myself ever becoming a preacher. I had my sights on becoming a journalist. God steered my path to Howard Payne University to get a Bible degree. I met some very important people there. Brenda, whom I married. Eric Adcock, who served as the best man in my wedding and has stood by my side all these years later. Jase Waller, whom I served with at FBC Seminole and others. 

Fast forward 37 years. Now I serve the First Southern Baptist Church in Fritch, TX. How did God get Brenda and I here? Let me state that it all started with one conversation over lunch at Firehouse Subs. Can God really speak to a person at Firehouse Subs?  That conversation got me to praying. Soon after, scriptures were brought to me through my own Bible reading, reading books, and other circumstances. God had my attention. I told Brenda in 2023 that I thought God was getting ready to move us. Two yeas passed and nothing happened. 

One morning I received an email from the pastor search committee of this church. I did not send my resume to them. For a long time, I did not know how they even got it. I later found out a retired pastor friend sent it without informing me. There was a phone interview. It is well know around here now that the last thing I said in the phone interview was, "Don't ever contact me again unless you are convinced I am God's man for you." 

They honored my request. I did not hear anything from them for five months. I received an email requesting that we come interview in person. The rest is history. Here I am sitting in my office reliving all of that. We have lived in Fritch for 15 months. We have served the church for 16 months. We commuted for a month until we could purchase a house. 

Now we live in the Panhandle. We endure more windy days than not, violent storms with hale, wild fires, snow storms, and droughts. In the summer, the wind blows feeling like a blow dryer turned on you. The winter winds cut right through necessitating me purchasing a heavy coat. In the winter months, we keep an emergency kit in the vehicles including water, food, and blankets. It is a far different world up here. A world I love. I will always be an east Texas boy who loves the Pine trees. Trees are sporadic in these parts. I am a transplant Panhandle man now. I'm learning the toughness and resilience of Panhandle people. They are survivors. 

God used scripture, people, and circumstances to navigate me from my hometown all the way up to the top of Texas. He doesn't always show us the whole course at one time. According to Ps 119:105, His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. This came home to me a few years ago. I preached a youth camp in NM up in the mountains. The path back to my cabin went next to a mountain stream and across a bridge over a pond. The first night I had no flash light. I stumbled and tripped my way back to the cabin. It is a wonder I stayed dry. I stumped my feet on rocks and roots. The rest of the week I kept a flashlight with me. That light gave just enough illumination for the next few steps. That is the way with God's guidance. Obeying God one day at a time and one step at a time, He got me from the Pine trees to the Panhandle. He can lead you too by His word. 

The Fragrance of Worship

 There is a story found in Luke 7:35-50 about a dinner party Jesus was invited to attend. What is interesting is that a Pharisee invited Jesus. Jesus often rebuked the Pharisees. He even called them hypocrites repeatedly in Matthew 23. Pharisees were obsessed with being viewed as ceremonially clean at all times. They were religious fanatics about it. They were legalistic. They wanted power and demanded the common people to live in ways they did not live themselves. 

Jesus accepted the invitation. Somebody else heard about this dinner party. A woman labeled as a sinner. She was anything but clean. Tradition says she was a harlot. Everything about her lifestyle was unclean. She was defiled, morally dirty, and desperate for change. I am sure she had a reputation. She is what eighteenth century historians called a "company keeper" in the days of Jonathan Edwards. This woman crashed the party. Imagine the awkward silence when she came into the room. 

I am sure the Pharisee was mortified. Everything that immoral woman touched in his home became unclean. She upset everything. The Pharisee looked at her with condemnation. 

The woman brought a bottle of very expensive perfume. Some say it cost a year worth of wages to purchase. I can't help but wonder if she used the perfume to cover the shame and misery of her sins. If she could not be treated like high society, at least she could smell like it. Perfume is a curious item to bring to a dinner party. She poured out the perfume on the feet of Jesus mixed with tears. The perfume was symbolic of sacrifice and emptying herself. The tears were a sign of her broken heart. She offered no words. Just this simple act of love. The fragrance of worship overwhelmed the room. She did not care what anyone thought except Jesus. 

The Pharisee began judging Jesus for allowing this immoral woman to touch Him. Jesus read his mind and told a parable about two people who owed money. One more and the other less. Jesus asked which one was more appreciative. The Pharisee correctly answered the one who was forgiven more. 

Then Jesus dropped the hammer. He called out the Pharisee for not washing His feet when He arrived. He praised the sinful woman for doing so. Then He spoke these profound words. "The who has been forgiven much loves much. The one who has been forgiven little loves little." Luke 7:47 Jesus also said that her sins which were many were forgiven. She was cleansed in that moment. No longer condemned. She was saved by faith. 

All the while the fragrance of the perfume permeated the air. Her faith, courage, and desperation to pour such extremely valuable perfume to get right with Jesus saved her. She believed Jesus could love her, accept her, and transform her. He can do the same for anyone reading this. If you look closely enough at some of those Sunday morning church goers who look all cleaned up on the outside now, you might be surprised what they used to be like before Jesus transformed them also. Those are the ones who love much because they have been forgiven much. You can experience that too. One act of faith could lead to your own fragrance of worship encounter. 

Three Little Words

 Can three little words change your life? After all, it is just three words. I'll go even further than that. Can three little one syllable words change your life? They certainly did for me when a brown haired and brown eyed beauty at Howard Payne University said three words to me. What words? I love you. Those three little words changed my world in a way I could never have dreamed. She still says that to me three and half decades later after we said, "I do."

On the other hand, people hear the opposite three words, "I hate you." Those words damage the soul. Some never recover and spiral out of control into toxic choices trying to hide the pain. Spouses, siblings, parents, friends, coworkers, and even rivals have shouted these words. They cut deeply like a sword. The wounds may not be visible, but they are still real. 

It got me to thinking about some of the three word sayings of Jesus. How about this little command. Love one another. If people followed that teaching of Jesus around the world imagine the impact. If Christians and Muslims loved one another. If opposing political parties loved one another what more could be accomplished. If people loved one another in the work place, it would be a more pleasant environment. 

Jesus gave an invitation with the words, "Come to Me." An invitation you do not have to earn. You do not bribe, cheat, or deceive to get this invitation. It is extended to all of us. An invitation not based on merit. It is totally based on the good pleasure of the Lord to invite us to Him. He desires us more than we desire Him. 

On another occasion, Jesus said to a grieving father, "Don't be afraid." He followed that up with only two words, "Only Believe." These words were spoken to a father who had just learned his daughter died. The words of Jesus were prophetic because He brought the girl back to life again. 

One day a very influential man came to Jesus asking for help for his sick son. The father pleaded with Jesus to come before his son died. He believed Jesus could help. He wanted to take Jesus back to his home in order to get his son help. Jesus had something else in mind when He spoke three little words, "Your son lives." At that very moment the boy's fever broke and he recovered. The father learned of this later and believed along with all who were in his house. 

Three little words. What might those words be for you today? I forgive you. I love you. I am willing. I accept you. I redeem you. Ask and receive. Do you believe? Nothing is impossible. There's no condemnation. There is power in the spoken words of the Savior. Even if they are just three little words. I don't know what you need to hear today, but I am confident the Lord can speak those words to you. Words of hope, peace, strength, faith, and comfort. Words of grace, mercy, acceptance, power, and perseverance. Whatever He speaks over you I implore you to believe it like the man in John 4:46-53. Three little words can change your life. 

Problems and Pain

 Everybody has problems. They come in different shapes and sizes. They vary in degrees of severity. Some are just minor irritations. Others are mountain like in scope. Impossible to dismiss and way too massive to shove to the side. Chances are you are facing problems even as you read this. Problems you have not told anyone. Problems you cannot solve without divine intervention. 

Everybody faces pain from time to time. From scraped knees to scary diagnosis like cancer. People suffer various forms of pain. No amount of money can keep pain away at arms length. Pain penetrates when people we love die. Especially when it is prematurely. Brenda and I ate at one of our favorite restaurants a few days ago. We talked with the owner who took a leave of absence for a couple of weeks. We asked about this and turns out her mother recently died. Brenda instantly connected with as her mother died a little over a year ago. None of us are exempt from pain. 

When you put problems and pain together, God followers have opportunity to grow in faith. It is in the problems and the pain that we are forced to trust God and in doing so our faith is stretched. This stretching actually grows our faith to believe God for more. We cling to Him and His word to get us through the tough stuff. We cling to assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

We are told in Ps 34:18 that God is near to the brokenhearted. He saves those who are crushed in spirit. Are you one of those today? Have the problems and pain worn you down? God is still near to you even if it doesn't feel that way. Are your problems weighing you down and sucking the life from you? Cast all your cares on God and He will sustain you. Ps 55:22 Do you weep nightly in despair. Find comfort in Ps 30:5 which reminds us that weeping may last for a night, but that joy comes in the morning. Sometimes that joy in the morning may seem like a long way off. It will come if we persevere and keep trusting. 

Problems and pain are really opportunities to behold the faithfulness of God over and over again. Those are not pleasant seasons. Some of you are waiting on God and wonder why He delays. I cannot give you a satisfactory answer to that question. All I can do is testify when I have waited on God long enough and trusted Him, He comes through. Sometimes at the last possible moment. Often in ways I never expected. Now when facing problems and pain I am able to look back and be reminded of all the times God helped in the past. 

A verse I have clung to for decades is Ps 46:1. God is our refuge. A safe place to retreat and find shelter when the problems and pain get the best of us. He is also our strength. When we don't think we can take anymore, press on through another day, pray another prayer, or take any more pain, God helps us. Helps us through the next minute. Helps us through the next hour and the next day. He is also our very present help in trouble. I love that verse. Maybe God will use it to help you through your problems and your pain. 

Doing Your Best

 I confess I was not a good student in high school. I was never into math and science. I did enjoy English and history more. I calculated during my senior year that I did not have to pass my math class in order to graduate. I passed it during football season so I would be eligible to play. After that, I did not try. I don't think you understand. I did not turn in homework assignments. When our teacher passed out tests, I wrote my name on them and turned them back in completely blank. From late November to May, I should have had a zero on my report card. I think she put a 40 I am sure more to protect her. What would it look like if a teacher gave out a zero on a report card. That was what I deserved. 

I used that class to do homework in other classes, study for tests in other classes, and to read. One day I was reading a football magazine. The teacher walked by and commented, "I hope you are better at that than you are in this class." I replied, "I am." She could not motivate me. Once I learned I could graduate without passing that class, I was no longer motivated. Nothing the teacher did or said motivated me. I was the man in our home. My mother did not comment on my grades in high school. There was nobody else to do so. I am ashamed of this now. I should have tried harder. 

I was a very young Christian at that time. Nobody had ever taught me that God wants our best. I had never heard of Col 3:17 or Col 3:23. I would not learn those truths until my second stint at seminary. Even in college I did just enough to get by. I tried. Thankfully I only had one math class. The classes interested me more. I had to pass classes to be eligible to play football. I did not do my best except on a few assignments that interested me. 

I hated seminary. I never felt I fit in with a bunch of preacher boys wearing ties or bow ties. I was bored in classes with the exception of two professors. I was put on academic probation after my first semester and was suspended after my second semester. I did not do my best. I wanted to get on with ministry. God had several things He needed to teach me before He would trust me with people to lead. 

I got married in this time and God opened doors to serve several small churches. Seminary was out of mind. I can't say for sure when it happened. One day I read those verses in Colossians and was convicted that God wants our best in whatever we do. We are to work heartily as unto the Lord and not men. Col 3:23. We are to do everything in the name of the Lord. Col 3:17. 

As the years passed, it really bothered me that I started seminary but never finished. I followed the counsel of my pastor from my hometown who told me about a distance learning Seminary. You moved along at your own pace in your studies, the professors sent the assignments to you. I listened to lectures on cassette tapes. It took a while. Little by little I did the course work for each class. In 2014 I graduated with a Masters degree. I made the best grades I ever made in school because I tried my best. I fought pride but not putting that degree on the wall in my office. It sits in a box along with my college degree and ordination certificate. 

God wants our best whatever we do. School. Work. Sports. Band. Volunteer work. Not doing our best for people dishonors God. Look around. Do you see people always trying their best? Customer service is lacking in many places. Employees cut corners glued to their phones instead of the work they are supposed to do. Some employees give minimal effort just to earn a pay check. Unfortunately, many students do what I did. 

Brenda and I certainly did not let that attitude fly around our house raising four sons. We did not demand perfection. We did challenge our sons to give their best. If their best was a C in a class so be it. If they were capable of earning an A that is what we expected. Parents fail children here when they demand perfection. None of us are good at everything. 

I don't know your role in life. I challenge you to give your best in whatever you do. Do it as an act of worship. Do it for the Lord even if nobody else notices. He sees. I think He is pleased when we try our best. Even if we are surrounded by people who give less than their best. You heard the old saying, "If it's worth doing it's worth doing right." Let us be people committed to doing our best. 

The Walking Wounded

 Family is supposed to be a safe place. A place where love flows and where support is found. These things are true in many families. It is a wonderful thing for a child to grow up in a family where they know they are loved in words and actions. It a confidence builder to be a part of a family where you are supported when you succeed and even when you fail. 

Tragically there are some families that are dysfunctional. Children get wounded in these families. They are not only unloved, and in some cases unwanted, they are also wounded. The wounds are sometimes physical. At other times the wounds are psychological. Messages of worthlessness are imprinted on the mind. Wounds they carry through life into adulthood believing they are not good enough, they are failures, losers, garbage, and have no purpose. Sometimes the wounds are sexual damaging young girls and boys for life. 

We have a society filled with walking wounded. Because of poor self esteem and poor choices, these wounded fall into cycles of making the same mistakes over and over again. Their lives become a series of additional wounds and in some cases they repeat the patterns of wounding they experienced. The cycle of wounding is passes from generation to the next. 

On my paternal side of the family, wounding was generational. A cousin told me once every single female she knew in our family had been sexually abused by a family member. Multiple boys and girls were physically beaten. The Edwards name is not held in honor in that community. It is disgraced several generations over. 

There is hope for the walking wounded. Jesus extends the invitation for all who are weary and heavy laden to com to Him to find rest. Matt 11:28 Jesus is a safe place to turn to for help and healing from the wounds. Nobody can love us like Jesus. Nobody can restore and renew a person like Jesus. People search in vain with many things trying to find healing. Alcohol does not do it. Neither does drugs or multiple sexual exploits. Each only deepen the wounds and leave a person feeling more hopeless. Read about the prostitute who poured perfume on Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. She found healing. Luke 7:36-47 Read about the woman caught in the act of Adultery. John 8:1-11 Read about the leper Jesus healed. Matt 8:1-3 You can check out the story of the demoniac who had a legion of demons but Jesus delivered him Mark 5:1-20

Jesus said in John 10:10 that the thief, otherwise known as the devil, only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan does a good job of those three things. Jesus offered a contrast. He said He came to give life more abundantly. Life to the fullest. The best life. He did not say He came to make people rich and famous. He did not say He came to give people all they ever dreamed of getting. He said He came to give abundant life. 

Abundant life for the walking wounded includes deep healing. It includes forgiving those who did the wounding so a person is not trapped in bitterness. It means connecting people to their purpose. It also means guiding their paths. According to Rom 1:2, just like Paul, each of us was set apart by God for the gospel. Your testimony matters. People can benefit from journey to spiritual, emotional and mental health. 

Earlier this evening, I received a text from a lady thanking me for a recent message. She confessed to being wounded earlier in life. She does not talk about it because she wonders who would ever listen to her. I told her to tell her story. She never knows what God may do when she does.

 I tell my story. I was physically and sexually abused as a child. I AM NOT A VICTIM. I was one of the walking wounded. Jesus has been healing me for the past four decades. Through Him I AM A VICTOR. I want other walking wounded to experience the same healing and wholeness that He gave me and many others. 

More Faith Steps

 We tend to get comfortable. We like security. Most people go out of their way to avoid risks. When I read scripture I see God leading people to do just the opposite. God called Abram to leave his home to go to an unknow destination God would reveal at a later time. [Gen 12:1] God called Moses to leave the life of shepherding sheep to become a deliverer for God's people leading them out of slavery. [Ex 3:1-12] God called the disciples to leave their fishing profession and families behind to follow Him. [Mark 1:16-18] 

Nothing about those calls was comfortable or safe. Each assignment required steps of faith. Each required God's help to complete the assignment for the tasks were bigger than their abilities. In each case, God intervened in powerful and dramatic ways. 

It appears to me that a great many Christ followers prefer to play it safe. They prefer the route of least resistance and with the most predictable outcome. Let's be honest. The church is filled with people who have small faith and a risk adverse mentality. Go ahead. Read [II Cor 5:7] and [Heb 11:6]. What do those verses call us to do? 

I just took three faith steps in the past ten minutes. I am not at liberty to tell you the nature of those steps at this time. Suffice it to say it required getting uncomfortable and taking some risk. Only God knows how it will turn out. Sometimes faith steps feel scary. That is only when our focus is not on God, His call, and His promises. I recently wrote about living to prove God hears and answers prayers. He is giving me the opportunity to prove that again. 

I'm not an advocate for foolish risk for risk sake. You will not find me strapped onto a bungy cord jumping off a high platform. I have no interest in sky diving. Nor am I interested in diving into shark infested waters. I look like a supersized extra value meal. 

I know God calls people to take faith steps that don't make any logical sense to onlookers. He has called me to take those steps many times and the naysayers criticized them every time. I've been forced to lean on God over and over again. I had no one else. Either God would come through or we would fail. There were some times we failed. Maybe I did not discern the call of God those times correctly. There have been more times when God came through. When He put the puzzle together. When He connected the dots. When He sent the right provision at the right time. Those happened after the faith steps. We want God to do the miracles first and then we will step out. God did not cut off the waters of the Jordan at flood stage until the priest set their foot in the water first. [Joshua 3:1-17] Miracles happen after faith steps. 

Do we really trust God? Do we really believe He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do? Sooner or later we'll all be tested. God will call us to something that stretches us and makes us uncomfortable. It might even look a little risky. By faith we will obey or disobey because of doubt. The choice is ours and there are consequences for either decision. It just might be time to take some more faith steps. 

The Dream Giver and the Dream Maker

 God planted a dream in me as a child to write. That dream has only grown over the past five decades. A couple of decades ago, I was introduced to the world of blogging. I realize most people today prefer podcasts. God called me to write and that is what I do. On this site alone, God has inspired over 1,600 hundred posts. This site has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people. 

Just a few short years ago, these blogs were only visited by less than a dozen people per day. I begged God for the day to come when this site would be visited by thousands of people a day from all over the world. God set that dream and inspired that prayer. He also made the dream come true. I can't explain it any other way but God. Now there are thousands of people who read these blogs daily all over the world. It is humbling and I give all glory to God. I'm thankful that He not only gives dreams, but He also makes those dreams come true. 

I pray these days for God to get two books I finished this year into print. I have been turned down by multiple traditional publishers. I am looking into self publishing. I believe that the same God who called and inspired me to write both books is the same God who will put them into print when and however He wants. My job is to write what He gives me. His job is to make them available to people. 

He planted the dream in me to write books long before I was even saved or called to preach. My primary goal in writing is to glorify God and to help people. In the same way He expanded the reach of these blogs, I ask Him to expand the reach of these books. To get them into the hands of tens of thousands of people all over the world. God can make that dream come true. 

I have not been inspired by God to write another book at this point. I wait on Him to birth books in me. When that happens, I will once again sit at this computer and put letters, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters on the printed page. I leave it up to Him what He does with them. Until then I keep writing these posts. 

I hope to leave a legacy in my writings. Things that point people to God, the Bible, prayer, faith, and hope. In my pastoral ministry, I can only be in one place at a time. When I die, my earthly ministry does not die with me through these blogs and the books God calls me to write. Many times I wonder if the writings make any difference for people. I hope they do. Writing was a dream God put in my heart as a child. He has only fanned the flame hotter into my adulthood. He gets to determines to the level that dream is realized. 

It's not about me. It's not about my name. It's not about my talent. It is all about Him. I adopt the attitude of the John the Baptist in John 3:30. He must increase and I must decrease. He is to be exalted while I am demoted. He is to be praised while my name gets forgotten. He is to be made a big deal of daily. I'm to be made a less deal of  daily. I do not seek fame or fortune. I seek to be His vessel. I sit in faith knowing that the God who gives the dream is also the God who makes the dream come true. 

Legacy

What kind of legacy will you leave behind. I sat with a 96 year old man earlier this week. I listened with fascination as he told me about his career and how 47 years ago he started a company. The company is still going run by a family member. He recounted tragedies he endured like the death of his parents, wife, and daughter. He talked about financially lean times when he first started his business. Times when they ate a lot of beans because that was about all they could afford. He talked about work ethic. When he was 92, he loaded up in his truck and drove through the night to pick up a load of equipment to be delivered the next day. He got loaded close to midnight and drove back to his business arriving around 5:00 a.m. to unload the truck for a salesman to go make the delivery. Then he stayed awake and worked through the day without any sleep. 

He has seen so many changes over his life. He knows that he will not be around forever. He thinks Jesus will return soon. He loves His family and his church. He has been a member of our church multiple decades. He has seen the church go through hard times and good times and stuck through it all. 

I could not help but ask him a question. "When you die, what do you want people to say about you and remember about you?" I had no idea what he would say. I did not expect the humble answer he gave. He replied, "I want to be remembered as a good man who tried to do right." What a legacy this man will leave behind for family and friends. He has walked with Jesus longer than I have been alive. 

Legacy is defined as something transmitted or received from an ancestor or predecessor. What legacy did my family leave behind? My maternal grandmother loved to read. If she was not working around the house, or even when she cooked, there was a book nearby. She took me to get my first library card and often took me to a local bookstore to buy books. I fell in love with the Hardy Boys mystery books. She left a legacy in me for reading. I just finished a biography a few moments ago before I started writing. 

My maternal grandfather left a legacy of sports and competitiveness. He played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track in high school. He played semi-pro baseball. He taught me to catch and throw a baseball and football. He and I watched football and baseball games many times in his room. He took me to my first high school football game. I regret that he never saw me play a high school or college football game. He died of Leukemia before I on varsity. I wept and wept when he died. He was more a father to me than a grandfather. I still miss him all these decades later. He never met Brenda or our four sons. He never saw me get saved and baptized. He did know God called me to preach. He was not there to give advice to navigate high school, college, marriage, and parenthood. He did leave me a legacy of determination, resolve, and not giving up. He taught me to work for what I wanted. 

Now that I'm officially classified as a senior adult, I think about legacy. What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind. Very simple. A legacy of faith. What do I mean? I want to pass on my faith to as many people as possible before I die. Whether it be children, students, adults, future family, and those God puts in my path. I want to constantly point people to Jesus. I want to see many saved. 

Leaving a legacy of faith means leaving a legacy of prayer. If people could talk about all the prayers God answered for me, all the supernatural ways God intervened in my life, all the impossible things God did in answer to prayer, and it could inspire them to pray and to believe God for great things, that would be a legacy I'd like to leave. What about you? What kind of legacy are you leaving for those who will be left behind? Live your life in such a way to make that legacy come true that will pass down.   

God Hears and Answers

 I sat at a round table with a few other preachers months ago at a conference. The leader had us go through an exercise to discover our calling and purpose. We started with a long list of things we felt true of each of us. We narrowed down our lists to a few things. At the end, they challenged us to narrow down our calling to just two words. 

I did not take long to identify the two reasons I believe God put me on this earth. The first was to preach. I never feel more alive than when I'm proclaiming His truth. He put great passion in me to do that. 

The second calling is the point of this post. Prayer. I believe God put me on this earth to not just to pray. To pray in such a way that it proves that God hears and answers prayers. To pray for impossible things. To believe God for things others doubt will ever happen. To pray audacious prayers that leave people awed and inspired when God answers knowing that no man could ever make those things happen. 

My life has profoundly been impacted by George Muller. He housed and cared for 10,000 orphans over a period of several decades through prayer. He never asked anyone for money at anytime. Through prayer asking God for provision, he built multiple orphan houses, fed the orphans three meals a day, provided clothing for all of them, and maintained the daily expenses of running multiple orphan houses at the same time. God heard his prayers. God answered his prayers in dramatic fashion. Sometimes with just a little provision at one time. Other times, the money came in large amounts. 

Muller lived his life as an experiment showing that God hears and answers prayers. He was surrounded by doubters. At times his wife doubted. Even his best friend doubted. Muller continued to prayerfully believe God for provision to care for precious little souls who were parentless. Over and over again God came through. There were tests. Multitudes of them. Sometimes the trials were stretched daily months on end. Other times the trials came in shut doors to purchase property to build. Each time He prayed through to the answer and glorified God over and over again. His faith grew with those trials. 

Brenda and I adopted that attitude decades ago. We do not ask people for money. We pray about our needs. I have been tested. We served one church with no guaranteed salary. We set out a basket if people wanted to give to support us personally. There were weeks when the basket was empty. Others times just a few dollars and others times hundreds of dollars. God heard and gave us what we needed during that season. On more than one occasion, I've had wealthy people ask me what I need. They offered their help. Each time I refused to share our needs no matter how dire they might have been. God knows our needs. I assure you my prayers are big. I pray to the same God Muller prayed to all those years ago. I'm not believing for anything as noble as taking care of orphans. I do have a heart to give God glory through His answers like Muller. 

One of the reasons God put me on this earth is to demonstrate that a person walking by faith can prove that God hears and answers prayers. This has proven very practical for Brenda and I. Let me recount just a few things God has done without our asking any person for help. God has provided down payment money on houses. God has provided furniture. God has supplied appliances. God has provided groceries, gas, and finances for day to day expenses. God has given us twelve different vehicles with no debt. In one season, He provided five vehicles without one penny of debt in a span of 30 days. We are still driving some of those vehicles to this day. Twice God has called people to pay our mortgage payments for extended periods. Again, we never asked anyone to help us. We prayed. God heard and answered. 

We prayed and God answered in other ways too. Like sending real revival to FBC Seminole back in the summer of 2010 that lasted for three weeks. We have seen numerous people saved over the decades. We  rejoiced to see many baptisms. We saw churches grow in answer to prayer. God has provided funds to publish multiple books. I anticipate He will do the same things in the future. 

If I could have people say one thing about me after I'm gone, I would want it to be to say, "Look what  God can do in and through a man who really believed nothing was impossible to God." What He has done for Brenda and I He can do for you. What He will do for us in the future is also available to you. How can I say that. Two verses. Heb 11:1 and Heb 11:6. Our God still hears and answers prayers. 

Looking Back

I know that Paul wrote for us to forget what lies behind and press on to things that lie ahead. I can't help but to take a moment and reflect on where I've been. I'm closer to 60 than 50. Inside my mind I feel like a young man. Looking in the mirror tells me a different story. Thinning hair, achy joints, and eye glasses all indications that this mortal body is aging. 

I recall growing up in east Texas where towering pine trees are in abundance. I've grown to appreciate those tall trees. I hated them as a child. Anybody who has ever had to rake pine straw knows what I'm talking about. I spent many an hour raking pine straw off the roof and off the grass. I grew up riding bikes, playing in the woods, having sleepovers, and playing whatever ball was in season with other neighborhood boys. We didn't need organizations or fancy uniforms. We got up a game as soon as we got out of school. 

I took those games seriously and played for blood. I was and to some extent still am fiercely competitive. I hated to lose at anything. My fourth grade teacher named me "Bull Frog." She said one look at me after P.E. told her whether my team won or lost. When I lost she said I swelled up like a bull frog. Life seemed simpler. We thought punishment was being kept from going outside to play. Now days you can't hardly get kids out from in front of a screen of some sort watching or playing a game. 

We didn't go to church much. I liked it when we did. I had a great aunt who attended a Methodist church. She was always trying to get us to come. For some reason she took a shine to me. She often got me to pray publicly in the worship services. I don't recall the old Kelty's Methodist Church being a large congregation. They did help form a foundation of some basic Bible stories. Next, we attended the First Nazarene Church in downtown Lufkin, TX before they relocated. We didn't attend frequently, but I did go to a children's camp with them. I even won a trophy for memorizing the most verses that week. It did not mean I was in right standing with God. 

Football was my life. I read football books. Started lifting weights at 12 years old and have not stopped all these years later. I played imaginary football games in my backyard setting up obstacles and treating the pine trees as defenders to avoid. My dream was to play in college. I knew I would have to work for it. I was not blessed with height. God did give me strength. I worked feverishly at getting stronger to make my way to the starting line up for the Lufkin Panther football team. I wore the purple and gold with pride. It meant something to me back then. 

To improve my chances at playing in college I pushed my body. I skipped lunch after my senior football season ended and went to the weight room to get in extra work. I climbed the fence at the football stadium so I could run bleachers. I ran in the hottest part of the days. I pushed my body until the muscles burned from the stress. 

My whole life changed one Thursday night in October of 1983. I have written about it and talked about it numerous times. I will not go into great detail. I sat in Abe Martin football stadium when a man shared the gospel with me. It was during the junior varsity football game that I asked Jesus to save me. He did and my life has not been the same. 

A friend from church told me about Howard Payne University and their football team. My youth minister set up a visit and I was offered a football scholarship. God had much bigger plans that I knew. It was after I graduated high school that God called me to preach at a youth camp. I did not even know Howard Payne had a Bible department. I did not learn that until I was standing in line to register for classes  as a freshman and overheard two students talking about Bible classes. I connected the dots and enrolled as a Bible major. 

Two years later I met a brown haired brown eyes beauty. One date later and I knew I met the woman I wanted to marry. Brenda loved Jesus. Her heart was even more beautiful than her physical features. She is one of the greatest followers of Jesus I have ever met. Brenda said yes to become my wife on June 29, 1991 at the FBC Hurst, TX. That was 35 years ago and we are still madly in love. God has blessed us with four sons and one daughter in law. 

I never dreamed God's path for me in ministry would take so many twists and turns. I have served as a youth minister, evangelist, church planter, and a pastor. We have moved more than I ever thought we would. In the early days I chased success. It led to a lot of heartache. In latter years, I have learned to chase God and let the results fall where they fall. We have met and loved so many wonderful people over the years. We have seen moves of God that humbled us and left us awed. We have also endured some heartaches and ministerial failures. Our faith has been tested and proved. 

Now we find ourselves living in the Texas Panhandle. Sometimes it is hard to believe we live here. The church we serve has grown moderately. The people have embraced us. Brenda and I both work hard. We start our days early and usually go to bed early. We try to give our hearts to the congregation and community. We hope and pray this is the last stop until we get to heaven. We have much to believe God for ahead. 

It is good to look back at all the ways God has worked. It is also good to have God ordained dreams to pursue for the future. There is much work to do in this community. We dedicate our lives to serving our Lord Jesus and this flock. I am honored that I get to share this life with Brenda. Next to Jesus saving me, SHE IS THE BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME FOLLOWED BY OUR FOUR SONS. I can't say life has turned out like I thought as a child. I can say God has been faithful and for that I give Him thanks.