God Bless America

 No doubt you have heard that the United States is celebrating 250 years of our nationhood. That is a great accomplishment. This nation has endured and survived a lot during those 250 years. A revolutionary war to win our independence. A civil war. Two world wars. Other wars helping other nations. Multiple wars on terror. An attack on Pearl Harbor and on the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon. We survived a great depression, multiple down turns in the economy, the assassination of presidents, and other influential leaders. 

In comparison to other countries, we are but a toddler. China has existed for 5,000 years and the ancient roots of Israel goes back 3,000 years. We are still wet behind the ears as a nation. Even the Roman Empire lasted 2,779 years. I contemplated all this and then I considered the fall of the Roman Empire. What contributed to their fall?

Rome faced economic crisis largely related to financing continuous wars which drained the treasury. Our Secretary of War just asked congress for $80 billion to finance the Iran War. Couple that with the billions spent on the Ukraine War and actions taken in Venezuela and Cuba, and you wonder if we are not headed down the same path. Rome also had an instable government ripe with corruption. They had 20 different emperors over the span of 75 years. Some were assassinated. Others were weak. Those emperors reigned on average 3.75 years. You see the presidential election cycles of the past nine years. Our own government is filled with fraud and corruption. Rome also faced division as the empire was too large to govern efficiently. The United States is divided politically, racially, philosophically, and morally in ways I've never seen before. There was also morale decay rampant in Rome just like in the United States. Enemies invaded Rome helping to bring it down. We have tens of millions in this country illegally who have not been vetted. Some came here will ill motives. America must return to God. 

I love our country, but I'm concerned. We have turned so far from God. The vast majority seem unwilling and uninterested in repentance. Without God's protection and help we are a doomed nation. We may celebrate 250 years, but I find it hard to believe that 250 years from now America will celebrate 500. It most likely is a mute point. The Second Coming of Jesus is imminent in my belief. 

I am sure we will hear the songs God Bless America and God Bless the USA many times over the next week. How can God bless a nation that has forsaken Him. A nation that has allowed the murder of millions of babies through abortions. Sanctioned homosexual marriage. Allow murders and rapist to go free after committing these horrible crimes. How can God bless a nation that allows children to be mutilated in transgendered surgeries, grooms little ones in libraries with sexually deviant people, allows children to be sex trafficked and the guilty not to be held accountable to walk free to continue their pedophilia activities. This nation bows in worship to the gods of sex, sports, and satanic influenced entertainment. We are heading toward a collision of judgment with God. He did not spare His covenant people Israel. I do not believe He will spare us after all He done for us. I cannot sing God bless America. I do hope and pray God will have mercy on us and that His kindness will lead us to repentance as a nation before it is too late. 

Who Has the Most Followers

The World Cup is in full swing. It is the largest sporting event in the world. Like one commentator put it, it is like 78 Super Bowls back to back to back. I was wondering who had the most followers on social media. Cristiano Ronaldo has 666 million followers on Instagram. I'm not making that up. Coming in second is Lionel Messi with 508 million followers. That is a lot of followers. I don't really know what a social media influencer is, but I would think both of these guys qualify. Both men are devout Roman Catholics who give God the glory for their soccer talents and successes. Messi has a tattoo of Jesus on his thigh wearing a crown of thorns. Ronaldo says he attends church each week. 

That got me to wondering. How many followers does Jesus have today? 2.4 billion. Now I am not saying they are all devout followers. Some only follow in word and not in actions. There is no doubt about it. The Lord Jesus Christ is the most influential historical figure who ever lived without equal. He influences literature, the arts, entertainment, music, education, and on and on. There are over 4 million churches world wide. The Bible has sold over 6 billion copies and holds the Guinness Book World Record for the best selling book of all time. Jesus Christ is more than a social media influencer. He is a history influencer. A world influencer. He influences billions of individuals on a daily basis. 

I wish that could be said for all of His followers. Mixed in the multitudes are a host of apathetic, hypocritical, legalistic, power hungry, and insincere people who identify as Christians. There are more holy, loving, compassionate, gracious, and followers of Jesus The faithful pastors get marred when a minority number of pastors fail in morale disgrace. That is not true of every pastor. Not even the majority of them. The few give the rest a bad reputation. The same for the unfaithful followers of Jesus who disgrace the faithful followers. When the people of God are devoted to prayer, remain on mission, and all in following they too influence people and communities around them. May our families of faith be a part of that bunch. Groups who influence those around us in good and wholesome ways. Like a man told me once, "May the church leave deep footprints in the sand." That is exactly what happened in the book of Acts. Read [Acts 17:6] May we turn our world upside down. 

Shredded

 Have you ever seen a paper shredder? You take your documents you do not want anyone to see or recover, and you put them through the shredding machine. Out on the other side comes dozens of tiny strips of paper. That is a great when it comes to shredding documents. Picture the same outcome only this time it is a person's heart. Not shredded with a machine. Shredded with words. 

The hearts of many people get shredded by sharp-tongue verbal vigilantes. They rip hearts apart with brutal and careless words. People are wounded by machete like words that pierce, cut, and dice the heart and the soul. Sometimes this happens by the very people who claim to love the ones they wound. 

Social media can add insult to injury. People pile on with hateful, insensitive, and cruel words they typically do not have the courage to speak to a person's face. They shred more than hearts. They can shred the psyche, the dignity, and self worth of others created in the image of God. Nobody is perfect. We all have our faults. Therefore, none of us have the right to verbally assassinate other people destroying them in the process. 

I see this in the eyes of students. They get hammered at home as well as at school in some cases. Many of the students I visit with are defeated because of the horrible things said to them or about them. It is sad. Beautiful young lives created in the image of God get shredded by adults and students alike. No wonder so many battle mental health issues. They feel like they have no worth because some are devalued by parents and peers. If they could only shut out all that noise and hear the heart of a loving Heavenly Father who created them. Here are some of the things God's word says about them taken from [Ps 139:13-16]. Our bodies, personalities, and intellect were intricately woven together with the precision of a loving Creator. God creates people with intelligent design. No two of us are alike. Each a unique and wonderful design of His wonderful imagination. God skillfully crafted us. We were not hastily or absent mindedly thrown together. Before we were ever born God saw us and knew us. More than that, He ordained the days set out for us before we ever took our first breath outside the womb. He saw this day when wounded souls would read this. 

God values His creation. So much so He sacrificed the death of His beloved Son Jesus to purchase our forgiveness and salvation. [John 3:16] God proved that love by sending Jesus to die while we were still sinners. [Romans 5:8] It is true none of us are perfect. It is also true that we are loved and valued by our God. He is also near to those who are brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. [Psalm 34:18-19]. If people shred us, it is God who binds our wounded hearts back together. His opinion should matter more than all the shredders of this earth. We have wroth to Him. 

Dear wounded one. Go to your Father and let Him love you back to health. Let Him warm you in His compassion. Let Him soothe the wounds until they are whole again. He does not shred. He loves, consoles, restores, and rebuilds. 

Increase My Faith

There is a picture of a map hanging on my wall with these words inscribed, "Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders." I need increased faith for my life's journey, ministry, and to pursue God ordained dreams for the future. Increased faith is not increased intellectualism. It is more than knowledge. Increased faith is not increased wishing. It is more than wishing for things to come true. 

Increased faith is growing belief, it is trusting in the tough times, and it is taking God at His word. Increased faith is refusing to be daunted by challenging circumstances. It is believing what God says over what our eyes tell us. To increase faith we must endure some trials along the way. We must learn in the laboratory of life that God is faithful. We stand in trust because we are grounded in truth. God does not lie. He does what He says He will do. 

If I want God to increase my faith, I invite Him to stretch my faith way beyond where I am comfortable. To lead me to impossible situations where I'm challenged to trust Him for improbable outcomes. To behold His miraculous intervention. That is when He gets the most glory. Like Moses at the Red Sea. Like Israel in the wilderness crying out for water and it flowing out of a rock. Like David fearlessly facing down a giant with a sling and stones. Like Elijah digging a trench and pouring water on the sacrifice and trusting God to send the fire. Like Jesus telling people to remove the stone from the tomb for his dead friend Lazarus. 

Increased steps of faith often happen on the wrong side of logic. Increased faith steps are often irrational. That should not deter me. Naysayers will try to sow doubt. Satan will spread fear. Increased faith overcomes those tactics. Increased faith looks at mountains as molehills. Increased faith stands firm when others flee in cowardice. I want to live with increased faith no matter how steep the price required to get it. The amazing adventures that follow will glorify our God and that is the reason I exist. 

What Do You Miss Most

I had the privilege of ministering to one of our widows this morning. She is a treasure. A rare jewel of a person aging alone without her spouse, but she is not a bitter lady. She is classy. She is delightful, interesting, and joyful. I promised her months ago I would come see her. Today was the day. We sat at her dining room table and visited for an  hour and a half. 

She and her husband were married for 63 years. I have not even reached the age of 63. He died in 2019. I asked her at one point what she missed about him the most. Her answer surprised me. She replied misty eyed, "I miss his touch." She lives alone. She is faithful in attendance among a group of other widows in our church. I often stop by their class on Sunday mornings to visit. Those ladies are important to me. Very important. 

As I thought about daily routines, it became apparent to me that she probably never gets physical touch from her class. I've never seen the ladies in her class hug one another. Does she ever get a hug? A pat on the back? Do people shake her hand?  Then I thought about my own life. Brenda and I usually kiss in the mornings and at night before going to sleep. We hug nearly everyday. There are others in the church who refuse to shake hands preferring hugs instead. I shake hands with multiple people during the week. Physical touch is built into rhythms of life. 

The saintly senior lady I visited today does not have that. While she did not say so, I imagine her missing holding hands with her husband. Periodically Brenda and I hold hands during the night. Something this precious lady does not get to experience. She does not enjoy the soft tender peck on the cheek or a quick kiss just to say I love you without words. She does not get any tender strokes on her cheeks nor does she get enjoy a quick hug. She lives a touch free life for the most part. 

Multiple times she choked back tears as we visited about her late husband. He was an interesting gentleman. I wish I could have met him.  63 years is a long time to share life with someone and then that person to be snatched away. 63 years of little day to day touches. A shoulder rub. An Eskimo kiss. Walking arm in arm. 

I left that visit with two take aways. First,  I want to make the most of the moments I have with Brenda. I know those times will not last forever. Either the Lord will take one of us home first, or Jesus will rapture us. The second take away is I need to remember how meaningful a handshake, a pat on the back or a hug might mean to someone who never gets any physical touch. I know this is a sticky topic in this day and time. There is such a thing as inappropriate touching. I certainly want to steer clear of that. On the other hand, God might use me and you to be the hands of Jesus to minister through simple human touch to other hurting and lonely people. Something as simple as human touch is something many of us take for granted everyday. May this be a reminder to keep watch for those who could use a little Jesus with skin on..

The Intruder

 Our financial secretary walked into my office today with surprising news. She informed me we had an intruder came into the main secretary's office. Somehow a bird got in there. We contemplated different plans on how to get the bird out. We settled on turning off all the lights in the officer and opening the door for the bird to find its way outside. It was our first and less intrusive option. We hoped it would work. 

I thought for a moment what if we went in trying to coax the bird to go through open doors. That did not seem like a fail proof plan. We probably would have scared the bird and got it even more disoriented to its surroundings. In our attempts to help, we most likely would have only made things worse causing the bird to panic. 

I thought for a moment if I was only a bird or at least could speak bird chirping so it would know we only wanted to help. I could have communicated that we just wanted to help the bird find freedom again. My inability to communicate with the bird only complicated matters. We depended on the bird's natural instincts to find the way of freedom. 

God tried repeatedly to communicate with humanity through history. He set up the law to reveal His righteous standards. 613 of them to be exact. No human could ever live up to that. People failed over and over again. God seemed so far removed. Too remote to relate to finite human beings. God sent help in the form of Jesus taking on humanity while remaining fully God at the same time. People can relate with Jesus. He was also tempted like us and yet without sin. His sacrificial death was the price redemption required. His resurrection sealed the deal. Jesus ate, slept, worked, sweat, and on at least one occasion even cried. He was born as a baby, though He existed before creation. He also died. He experienced pain and suffering. He understands us. 

God took the ultimate step to communicate His love to humanity. Jn 3:16 sums it up for us. God on His own initiative, sent His only Son, Jesus, because He loves us. Any person who believes in Him will not perish but be gifted with everlasting life. What a deal. It is too good to pass up, and yet many do pass it up over and over again until it is too late. Even though God proved His love. See Romans 5:8-9. Jesus shows us the way to the Father. There is no other way except through Jesus. John 14:6. Thank you Jesus for showing us the way. 

The Lifeguard

 Lifeguards are trained aquatic professionals who oversee swimming areas like pools, waterparks, oceans, and lakes. They are in the prevention business of keeping swimmers safe. They are constantly scanning swimmers to see if anyone gets into trouble and if so the lifeguard springs into action. A good lifeguard is always on high alert when on duty. They search for distressed swimmers and do not wait to be invited to help when they spot trouble. 

Jesus is like a lifeguard. Constantly scanning society and ready to rescue distressed and dispirited people who get themselves into trouble. I was in trouble as a teenager. I was an angry teenager, the by products of physical and sexual abuse as a child. I wanted to be a good person, but down deep in my heart I was not good. My private life was a trainwreck. I dabbled in things that were destroying me. I was drowning in sin. Jesus saved me. He rescued me from the sewage of sin that pulled me under. 

He is always on search and rescue missions with people all over the world. I am forever grateful on a Thursday night in October of 1983, when He came after me throwing the life preservers of grace, mercy, and salvation. There is a popular song where some of the lyrics identify Jesus as our rescue story. He certainly is mine. I am also eternally thankful that He did not give up on me. He could have walked away from me thousands of times. He persevered. His love persisted. His grace prevailed. 

In a few minutes, we will invite little children to our VBS. I want Jesus to rescue them like He did for me. To save them from the sin and shame I endured as a child and teenager. I want Him to save those drowning in dysfunctional homes like I survived. I want Him to do more than rescue children. I want Him also to rescue moms and dads transforming whole families. That's what Jesus does because like a lifeguard, He is always scanning and searching for those who need a rescue story. 

God Is Not Done

 God is not done working on us. We have need for improvement. For some He firmly takes a chisel and hammers off some rough edges. For others He takes a chainsaw to make massive cuts. All of it because He isn't done with us yet. He is completing His good work in us according to [Phil 1:6]

Have you ever left a project incomplete? We start things with great enthusiasm and then the tasks gets too hard or we become too bored. God is not like that. He finishes what He starts. He invests in each person whom He saves. He paid a high price for our redemption in the death of Jesus. After that, He will work on us to make us more like Jesus until our earthly journey ends. What a wonderful promise. 

When we sin and fail, He does not give up on us. When we rebel against the loving pressure from His hands to mold us, He does not throw on the trash heap. Lovingly, skillfully, and patiently He applies pressure where it is needed, He squeezes sometimes painfully to get us to conform to His intelligent design. What He begins He finishes. 

This is good news if you feel like you are failing in serving Him. You may sin. You may grow stiff in your resistance against His designs. You may even try and run away and make so many bad decisions your life feels like a disaster. He does not give up. He is persistent in His desire to conform us to Jesus. His grace is sufficient to forgive our sins. His wisdom is greater than thinking we know what is best. His love compels Him to chase us down when we try to flee from Him like Jonah did. 

Sometimes His hands are heavy to break us and shape us. Other times, His hands are gentle graciously grinding and filing areas that need attention. He is dedicated to us and doing His good work in us to the very end of our lives. When we fail Him we often feel condemned. Those feelings do not come from our Father. He said that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. [Rom 8:1] He is forgiving. [Ps 103:12] [I Jn 1:9] 

We need to keep ourselves in the Father's hands. When we walk closely with Him, we will begin to reflect Him in our actions and attitudes. We also must remain yielded to Him. We must remain soft and moldable in His hands. To resist Him is to grow harder. When that happens, He has to break us to make us pliable again. He is not demanding perfection of us, because none can be perfect except Jesus. He does want us to remain in His hands and to remain soft and pliable. If we do this for our lifetimes, we will be more and more like Jesus. His finished work in us will happen when we die and get to heaven. Then He will finish what He started in us. I can't wait to see the finished product of you. 

Life is Fragile

Every once in awhile we get awakened to the fact that life is fragile. We are often lulled to sleep by the rhythms of life much like ocean waves methodically pounding the seashore. We get used to our routines. We busy ourselves each day with tasks of vocation and recreation. Until those routines get interrupted by the sudden reminder that life is fragile. People die all the time. Celebrities die. Paupers die. People in our communities die. So do people we are close to like family and friends. 

James puts it this way in his epistle, "Yet you do not know what  your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and vanishes away." [James 4:14] 

The point is not to focus on the fact that we all have an expiration date. The point is to live today making the most of the time we have at the present moment instead getting ready to live in the future when the time is right. We make plans for the future that might never come true because we may not live that long. I read the story about a lady who never used her China dishes for fear of breaking them. She died prematurely without using them. Not long after the funeral, the father brought out the China plates for supper one night. We make plans for vacations, retirement, home improvement projects, and lifestyle changes. Some do not live long enough to enjoy those things. 

People have clothes they refuse to wear in fear of messing them up. None of us knows what tomorrow holds. What good will those clothes do for us once we are gone? Let's live life to the fullest extent we can while we have today. We may make plans for the future, but we should hold in the back of our minds that life is fragile. Life is like a vapor. Here for a moment and then it vanishes. 

The funeral business is booming. Funeral homes gross between $700,000 and $1.5 million a year. The average cost of a funeral is around $8,000. The average person will attend around 40 funerals in their life time. Horrible things steal people away we love and admire. Cancer. Heart disease. Alzheimer's. Tragedies. 

I once preached a funeral for an elderly man I did not know. The family was not affiliated with a church and gave no indication they believed in Jesus or the gospel message. They just needed a preacher. Sitting to my right from where I preached was a twenty something year old son. He sat with his head down. Ten days later I stood before that same family preaching that young man's funeral who died of a drug overdose. Life is fragile. It can end for any of us without warning. 

Two things are important to keep in my mind. Each of us need to be ready to stand before God in judgment. We are reminded in [Heb 9:27] after death comes judgment. We are also reminded in [Heb 10:31] that it is terrifying to face the living God. Terrifying if a person has not trusted Jesus as their Savior. The other thing we should recall is to make the most out of our allotment of days. Don't waste our lives on things that have no eternal significance. Make the most out of the time you have left because life is fragile.     

We Must Not Mind a Little Suffering

 Followers of Jesus are not insulated from suffering. They suffer just like the rest of people do. If a person thought when they dedicated themselves to Jesus that they would not never suffer again, they would be wrong. Christians suffer. Godly people suffer. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself suffered. It was the 18th century pastor, Charles Simeon, who once said, "Brothers, we must not mind a little suffering." 

Simeon was appointed pastor of a church filled with congregants who did not want him. They did all they could to make him so miserable he would quit. They locked the doors to the pews so that when people came to hear Simeon preach they were forced to stand. He moved chairs in the aisles and found them thrown out in the church lawn one day. Undeterred, Simeon kept preaching to those standing for, get ready for it, 12 long years. Parishioners refused to talk to him or associate with him publicly. They thought they could force him to quit. He persevered in the suffering remaining in that same church over 40 years. 

Simeon also comforted suffering people by telling them, if they were trying to get their heads through a hedge of thorns, that once they could see the view on the other side they would not mind the pricking of the thorns so much. His point is that if we can get and keep our minds wrapped around heaven we shall not mind the sufferings so much until we get there. 

One of the hardest thing for suffering people to do is to get their mind off the suffering. Those living in constant chronic pain find it difficult to endure, if all they ever do is think about the excruciating pain. The lonely person will only feel more alone, if all they dwell on is on being alone. Those with physical impairments, like some soldiers endure after war, will fight severe mental battles like PTSD because of what they experienced. Couple that will being disabled can send such people spiraling out of control. Searching for relief they try to ease the pain in toxic things. 

Simeon dealt with his suffering by keeping his eyes on Jesus and the hope of heaven. That is also what many African American slaves did in their sufferings. They sang their way through the sufferings. In suffering seasons we have to find a safe, secure, and solid place to set our minds. Paul exhorted us to set our minds on things above and not on the things of this earth.[Col 3:2]  It is hard to comprehend it, but everything on planet earth is temporary. Relationships. Health. Work. Even money. Even pain and suffering. They will not last forever for the child of God. 

We must not mind a little suffering, if on the other side of it we have eternal life with no more pain, no more tears, and joys everlasting. [Rev 21:4] We might suffer on our journey to get there. When I'm exercising, I have to use mind tricks to get through some of the workouts. On the bike, I have to remind myself I only to make it a few more miles or a few more minutes and I will get a break. When I am on the row machine, I remind myself I have to endure for a few more meters before I get a break. Or when pushing weights, and the muscles burn like they are on fire, I remind myself that I just have to push out a few more reps to get rest. 

So too in life. We endure painful seasons knowing they don't last forever. The pain and suffering will either go away as God brings needed relief in this life, or the relief will come for believers in Jesus in eternity. A personal relationship with Jesus, where a person repents of sin and trusts Him for forgiveness, is the only door to this eternal life. 

Unfortunately, for every person who refuse to believe on Jesus, a miserable life of suffering and pain will be intensified in eternal damnation with agony and torment beyond what can be imagined lasting forever. I hope you will turn to Jesus before it is too late. 

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.