An Unnatural Life

No Other Name

2012-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

This Jesus is the stone despised by you builders, who has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

The last two days I attended the Louisiana Baptist Convention's annual Evangelism Conference. It was a Baptist meeting held on the campus of a Baptist college, filled with Baptists. And, in spite of this being the bicentennial year of Baptist work in our state, Baptist was not the name lifted high. There was much talk about what God is doing among Baptists in our state. There was much promotion of the Baptist Convention's vision of spiritual awakening in the state this year. Yet, Baptist was not the thread that ran through every presentation. The thread was scarlet, not Baptist. The name was Jesus.

What name do you value above all others? Are you a nonconformist, nondenominational, Pentecostal, Baptist, Catholic, Republican, Democrat, Calvinist, Arminian, Reformed, Christian, or just spiritual?

There's nothing wrong with a name. There is everything wrong in thinking that any other name other than the name will save. Today I am thankful that being a Baptist in Louisiana means lifting up the name of the one and only name that matters . . . Jesus.

Keep It Simple Stupid

2012-01-16T13:45:00.000-08:00

The term, "Keep It Simple, Stupid!" originated with an engineering team that has developed some of the most complex flying machines known to man. Lockeed Martin's Skunk Works has given us the U2, SR-71 Blackbird, F-117 Stealth Fighter/Bomber, and the new F-35 Strike Fighter. Those machines to not accomplish what they accomplish because they are simple. Yet, their creation required thousands of simple solutions.

We think that if life is complex, it is significant. We believe that if we can fill our lives with ideas, facts, events, and knowledge, we will have great and significant lives. One of our greatest thinkers knew that simplicity was the solution to complexity, so he, Albert Einstein, wrote, "Out of complexity, find simplicity." One of our most beautiful composers discovered the same, and so Chopin wrote, "Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art."

Why then do we continue to worship busyness and complexity? Why do we look down on people and churches with empty schedules?  Why are we thrilled by complex doctrine?  I, a pastor, have never heard, "We are so glad to be here. Things are so simple." It is always, "Wow, it's great that you have so much going on."

Simplicity, you see, requires humility. Humility is the enemy of the human ego, and we are all ego-maniacs at heart. All we like sheep have gone astray, thinking our way was better than His way.  The original ego-maniac, Satan, knows this. He has always wanted to be greater than himself, even greater than God. So, I believe he has become adept at making life complex, even influencing the human mind so that we think that the more complex our doctrine, the more spiritual we have become; the busier we are, the more important. The Apostle Paul wrote, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ." (2Cor.11:3)

God in unfathomable, and yet, in Christ, He has made Himself knowable. He is infinitely more complex than any human mind will ever comprehend, and yet His kingdom is populated with little children. And, the only way to be part of it is by humbly coming to Him as a child and believing the simplest of truths.

Life is not simple, but the answer is not in discovering its complexicty. To live life as it was intended, we need only to walk in it with the Creator, by faith in His Son, hearing His voice and following Him as Adam and Eve did before they listened to the ego-maniac, Satan.

God's goal is not a shallow life or shallow faith, but complexity does not equal depth. The key to life is in knowing the infinitely complex Creator of the Universe personally. Don't be stupid like Satan. Keep it simple. Make knowing Christ the beginning and end of your quest.

I Think Joseph Smith Did See An Angel & That Mitt Romney Believes That, Too

2012-01-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

I just finished some study on angels and demons and that brings me to Mitt Romney and the founder of his faith, Joseph Smith. Romney is a Mormon. Mormon was the name of an angelic prophet, the father of the alleged angel Moroni. Moroni told Joseph Smith where the buried golden plates were that contained the restored truth of God. Joseph Smith believed the angel, wrote a book, founded a religion.

I don't think Joseph Smith made it up. I think he was deceived, believing what angels told him. Only, these angels were not the ones who stayed in Heaven, but the ones who were kicked out. We call them demons.

The Bible says it is possible for demons, appearing as angels, to speak to men and deceive them. Note 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, "For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself is disguised as an angel of light." And, while Paul may have been engaging in hyperbole, he still wrote "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!" (Gal.1:8)

Why do I believe the Book of Mormon is false? Well, because it's founder, if that was the angel Moroni, was false. He said he was an angel and the son of Mormon. Jesus said angels can't have babies. They don't marry. There are no children born in Heaven. Angels don't become men and men don't become angels. Mormons teach we marry here, die, go to the Celestial Kingdom and have spirit babies and populate our own world one day, becoming a god.. This conflicts directly with the teachings of Jesus, who said, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to take part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. For they cannot die anymore, because they are like the angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection." (Luke 20:34-36)

So, how in the world did Joseph Smith come up with this, and how is it that otherwise sane, rational, and even brilliant people like Mitt Romney believe all this? Satan is an angel of light, and he's good at what he does, and someone is always willing to believe. Even presidential candidates.

Praying When My Pond Is Full, But The Lake Is Low

2012-01-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

It's been dry, really dry. It's been so dry back out in my home country of West Texas that all the fish have got ticks. It's even been dry here in Louisiana, so dry some Baptists have been sprinkling and some Methodists have gone to spittin'. So, we've been praying for rain, and God has answered.

My pond was almost dry, but it's been full for two months. It's raining now. Why I haven't heard a request for rain since Thanksgiving. Course, the lake is still low. Toledo Bend, 20 miles from here, is one of the largest man-made lakes in the country. While it's been coming up a little, it's still dangerously low. But, what do I care. I don't live on the lake. I don't fish from a boat on the lake. I don't get my water from the lake.

My family is fed. My bills are paid. My marriage is stable. My children are saved. My friends were at church yesterday. And, my pond is full. Why do I need to pray? That's the way we are, isn't it. As long as our pond is full and our bills are paid, the heat is off and so is the urgency to pray.

Right now, thousands of Louisiana Baptists are praying for spiritual awakening in our state. Tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands are praying for awakening across our nation. And, right now, many, many more are not praying. What about you? Are you satisfied when God is not?

Avoid Friendly Fire - Fight The Right Enemy With The Right Weapon

2012-01-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Late last year US forces near the Afghan-Pakistan border came under from a ridge line above them. Flares were dropped from an F-15 and an AC-130 gunship that should have made Pakistani Military aware these were Americans. Yet, they continued to fire. Before US forces could defend themselves, they were assured that there were no Pakistani Military personnel in the area. Apparently both thought they were fighting the enemy, when, in reality, they were fighting an ally. The result was 24 Pakistanis dead, damaged relations with an ally in the war against Al Queda.

Now hear this. "Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens." (Eph.6:12) That means that no matter what you hear from your husband, your wife, your children, your boss, your friend, or anyone else in the world, they are not the source of the battle . . . they are not really your enemy.

So, listen to this, "This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything to take your stand." (Eph.6:13) You must be spiritually prepared to fight a different battle with a different enemy. That means you must be "strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil." (Eph.6:10-11). I know it sounds sort of hocus-pocus, super-spiritual, or mystical. Yet, God is the only one who has a clear line of sight of the whole battlefield, and this is what He says.

You fight this battle primarily with the Word and with Prayer by taking up "the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word. Pray(ing) at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request," (Eph. 6:17-18) Remember, this is important, "For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds." (2 Cor. 10:3-4) The only way to win is to fight the real enemy in the real battle with the right weapons.

Who are you fighting today? How are you trying to win?

Avoid friendly fire. Fight the right enemy with the right weapons.

Dehumanizing The Dying

2011-12-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

I just scrolled through a pictorial of famous people who have died in 2011. There were many I recognized - Harry Morgan from MASH, Andy Rooney the sardonic commentator, singer Amy Winehouse, and Elizabeth Taylor were among them. As I read their cause of death, I wondered what they looked like in the last months . . . how unrecognizable they might have been to the public because of the illnesses they suffered.

I met Judy (not her real name) about three years ago. She was a hospice patient, and I her hospice chaplain. Several months after her death, I happened upon the program they produced for her memorial service. Her picture was on the front, but I did not recognize her. I thought I did not know the woman pictured until I opened the folded piece of paper and recognized her from the names and information from her family. I had only known her when she was sick.

I wonder if there is not a tendency for us to think that when people are sick, gaunt from cancer, swollen from liver failure, emaciated from some long-term lung disease . . . I wonder if there is not a tendency for us to treat them, or at the least think of them as less than the people they are?

The Bible tells us that by the time Jesus was crucified, he had been beaten so badly that he no longer appeared human. Yet, He was still fully Himself, fully God and fully man. It is so easy for us to accept what our eyes tell us, and not look beyond. The next time you see someone in a hospital bed, or in a nursing home, or some chemotherapy patient suffering from the poison of their medicine, remember that the illness has not diminished who they are. They are still a human being who God loved with the life of His Son.

If I Dishonor Man

2011-12-27T05:23:00.000-08:00

As I finished reading a chapter on the Discipline of Friendship in a book by R. Kent Hughes, I began to think about building cabinets. The job God provided for me to get through my under-graduate work was building cabinets to furnish the university.

A few years ago, I took my family to my college campus for a home-coming weekend. My wife and I gave our children the grand tour. We led them to the dorms we lived in, the concrete bench where I stole my first kiss from their mother, and dozens of other places that were important to us. And, everywhere I went on that campus, I was proud to show them the work that I and the young men in my shop had completed. I was proud that so much of it was still there more than two decades later.

Many of the cabinets were my creation. I had measured, designed, and built them from rough lumber, boxes of wood screws, bottles of wood glue and gallons of finish. Cabinet making was a joy to me. Unlike working with people, where the work is never done, cabinet-making brought with it a great sense of accomplishment. A part of me was in each piece. So, if you insulted my work, in a way you insulted me.

When God made man, He made us in His image. He did not put a part of Himself in us, for He was and is always complete and whole in Himself, but He apparently took great joy in our creation. He said that we were good. Now, there is no doubt to any sane and rational mind that we are no longer the good things He created. We know that sin has marred us. Yet, we are still His creation, not unlike a fine, hand-made oak desk whose mirror polished top has been scratched deeply by a thoughtless act.

One day Jesus described the worth of people to God when He said, "But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don't be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Mt.10:30-31) So, I wonder how He feels when we, through our words and our actions, dishonor His highest creation . . . man.

French philospher, Blaise Pascal, wrote, "I set this down as a fact, that if all men knew what each other said of the other, there would not be four friends in all the world."

May we who are members of the body of Christ no longer dishonor, with word or deed, any man . . . for each is a creation of God.

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - Compassion vs. Popeye's Chicken

2011-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my wife and I bought two chicken strip dinners from Popeye's chicken. The total . . . $17.71. One mediocre meal for two people. Do the math. If we do that once a week, it's about $70 a month. You can eat Popeye's once a week, or you could provide support for two children so that they could live to adulthood and have the opportunity to come to know Jesus Christ.

What began in 1952 as a Christian Orphanage ministry in Korea has become Compassion International is a ministry which, in response to the Great Commission, exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty with the goal of enabling them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

To really understand what a $38 monthly gift can mean, you should read more about Violet, a young Maasai girl in Kenya. Click on her name and read her story. Then you decide for yourself what makes a bigger difference - a few meals of friend chicken or sponsoring a child.

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - The Local Church

2011-12-18T05:06:00.000-08:00

One of the first preacher friends I had served in a small rural church near my hometown in West Central Texas. We were both young, both excited about God and God's people. I have lost track of him over the years, but not long ago I was back in the area of his old church.

I stopped and went into a convenience store to get some coffee and began to read the notices on the wall. I saw about a music show and was drawn to it because of my associate pastor's interest in those kinds of events. I then noticed that the show was being held in the community center. Underneath it said, "Previously The First " " Church."

That thriving, loving body of believers was no more, and it took less than two decades for it to happen.

What would happen to the Foreign Missions if the local church died? What would happen to Samaritan's Purse, local feeding and clothing ministries, and a myriad of other ministries if the local church in America was no more? What would happen in your community if your church closed its doors?

If my child was sick, in need of care, and you had what it would take to make him well, I would shamelessly pursue you until you helped me cure my child. I am the pastor of a local church, and I can think of no higher calling than to serve this portion of the Body of Christ. I am a shameless advocate for my church and the local church. You will give everywhere else this Christmas season, but if your church dies from lack of servants or resources, the mission will be weakened.

Give to your local church this Christmas season. It does more than you will ever know.

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - Gideons International

2011-12-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

My first dorm director at college had this strange story about a time he found a Bible in an old house. He had been house sitting for a wealthy friend of his who was away in Europe on an extended vacation. He was an addict and an alcoholic and had drank everything they had and taken every pill he could find.

He was broke, didn't know where to buy drugs, and was desperate for a fix. As he shuffled through a bedside table, be found a book. It was a Gideon's Bible. Apparently, the owners had stolen it from a hotel. Well, he threw it on the ground and kept digging for drugs. Hours later, something drew him to the book. He picked it up, read the Gospel, and gave his life to Jesus Christ. He no longer needed drugs.

Testimonies like that are numerous because for years Gideons International has been putting copies of the Scripture all over the world. They do this by donation, alot of it by their own hands.

Our church is filled with Gideons. They are some of the most faithful men I know, and I have come to respect this ministry because of these men. And, your really can't print a Bible any cheaper than they can or get it around the world any better than they can. While they receive donations, they pay their own way.

The money goes for Bibles, not for them. try because of these men. I see them give sacrificially to our church, to other ministries, and to the Gideons ministry. You really can't print a Bible much cheaper than these men and women can, and you can't get it around the world much better than they do. And, they do all of this on their own penny.

You could spend $25 for a gift card for your Sunday School teacher, or you could give $25 to Gideons to buy 5 Bibles in their honor. I teach Sunday School. I'd much rather you give the money to Gideons.

Click on this link to find out more: Gideons International

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - Give A Chicken

2011-12-15T16:48:00.001-08:00

$14 will buy a dozen chicks that can save a family and change a village, or a Chihuaha a Christmas sweater. Which gift do you want to give this Christmas?

Samaritan's Purse is one ministry that is effectively reaching people with the love and Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are the people who do the Christmas Shoeboxes, but that's not all they are about. Buy some chickens this year and they will make sure someone gets them in Jesus' name.

Click on this link to find out more: Samaritan's Purse

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - Burger King Or Uganda Baptist Seminary

2011-12-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

Our government is spending millions to station our special forces in Uganda to help the government there capture Joseph Kony and try to bring an end to the kidnapping of children by the Lord's Resistance Army. Millions of dollars are spent by the UN every year to try to bring food, medical, and government aid to try to stabilize this region of the world.

A small seminary, right in the middle of it all is operating on a budget that most families in the US would find difficult to live on. The men and women who go there are trained to take the Gospel of Peace into all those countries where none of us could go. They are loving, feeding, preaching, and caring for tens of thousands of lost souls.

In the past 5 years, over 100,000 people have come to believe as a result of the preaching of the Gospel by students of Uganda Baptist Seminary, Jinja, Uganda, on the shores of Lake Victoria in Central Africa. Students come from Congo, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and other central African nations. They learn the word and they carry it back with them to their homes. They have established hundreds of churches, preached to hundreds of thousands.

And, get this, it costs each student only $35 per term to do it. Where could you go to seminary for $35 a term? Now, put that in perspective. According to the US government, the average Ugandan makes $3 per day. A year of education would cost a Ugandan nearly two-month's wages. For you . . . well, you could barely buy your family of four a meal at Burger King for $35.

I have been to the campus, met with the professors and students. I have seen the fruit of their labor, the lost souls who now know Jesus. Go to Burger King or give to UBS. Find out how you can help. Check out their website at Uganda Baptist Seminary.

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - The Women's Resource Center

2011-12-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

What if, this Christmas, rather than giving a baby a toy you helped give a baby life?

What if, this Christmas, rather than making someone happy for a few moments with a present, you helped give someone hope for a lifetime and for eternity?

When hope is lost, lives are at stake. That's what an abortion is. It is the inability to see hope in the future because of an unwanted pregnancy.

It's easy to be against abortion, knowing how much Jesus loves unborn children. It's hard to be for life. Becky Stewart, the staff and volunteers at the Women's Resource Center in Natchitoches are doing the hard stuff, because they love Jesus, unborn children, their mothers and fathers, and their families.

They have served over 365 clients this year on a shoestring budget. They walk with women from decision to birth and beyond. It's not just a "don't have an abortion" ministry. It is a loving, caring, supporting center that is doing what no one else is in huge portion of Central Louisiana touched by no other ministry like this.

Find out how you can be part of doing something for those Jesus loves greatly by reading their latest newsletter at Womens Resource Center, Natchitoches, LA

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - Chris & Denise Williams

2011-12-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Chris and Denise Williams are headed to Honduras, via a year in language school in Costa Rico. Denise is a pharmacist and will be a very important part of the work in a mission hospital there. Chris drills and services water wells and God will put his skills to work there to keep things running. They will be working with Baptist Medical And Dental Missions International. It's not a support agency. It's a covering agency that maintains their financial accountability and provides a structure through which mission work in country can be coordinated. This means that Chris and Denise will be living by faith. This means that they will live day-to-day as God provides through people like you. Lots of people think they are crazy. But, let me ask you, do you think that an investment in eternity is crazy?

The first time I went to Honduras with BMDMI, I preached in a tent outside the clinic. After preaching the gospel for the first time, I gave an invitation for people to follow Christ. Over 70 people stood. One of the first was an 80 or 90 year old man with tears in his eyes. The field is open, God is moving, Chris and Denise are going, and it is worth the investment.

Find out more about BMDMI in Honduras and give a Christmas gift that will make a difference. Support Chris and Denise Williams by clicking on the link: BMDMI Make sure that when you give online, you make note that it's for Chris and Denise in the comment box.

Christmas Gifts That Make A Difference - George & Geraldine Smith

2011-12-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

George and Geraldine Smith are grandparents who have answered the call of Christ to become International Mission Board missionaries, preaching the gospel in Uganda. Their work in dozens of villages, on the islands of Lake Victoria, in jails, clinics, and all around Uganda has helped African pastors and Christians reach thousands for Christ.

They are my friends and I want you to give them a Christmas gift. I want you to give a gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering so that they, and thousands of other missionaries can continue doing what they do.

Southern Baptist Churches collect the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the sole purpose of supporting international missions. Every penny of the offering goes to the International Mission Board’s overseas budget, thus supporting our missionaries and their work.

If you are a member of a Southern Baptist Church, give to this offering through your church. If not, you can give online at this link: Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.

If you don't like giving online, send your check to Calvary Baptist Church, 105 Peterson, Many, LA 71449. Note on the check either George & Geraldine or IMB and our church will make sure it becomes part of reaching the goal of $175 million to love the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don't give another meaningless Christmas gift that will be thrown away or put in a garage sale this Spring. Give a gift that makes an eternal difference.

Christianity Needs To Lose It's Copyright

2011-12-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

Today it is a classic, but it was not always so. Frank Capra's movie, It's A Wonderful Life, almost sunk his career. When the film was first released in 1946 it needed to make $6.8 million to be profitable. it barely exceeded $3.8 million. It was nominated for several awards, but won none. That, by anyone's standard, if a flop. So, how is it that we all know the line, "every time a bell rings, and angel gets its wings"?

Well, because of a clerical error, the film's copyright expired in 1974. That made it public domain, and a free movie for TV networks to show at Christmas. So, what was once a flop is now a classic. And the movie has been named the greatest feel-good movie of all time.

There were only 120 founding members of the church, the 120 disciples in the upper room. Yet, within 70 years the number had grown to around 1 million. How did that happen? It didn't happen because Christianity remained a Jewish religion. It happened because Jesus removed its copyright.

Paul put it this way, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith." (Rom.1:1-17)

We need to lose the copyright on the gospel. It is not a Baptist gospel. It is not a Catholic gospel. It is not a Pentecostal gospel. It is not a Mormon gospel. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, most of us get that, agreeing with the basic premise of that statement, but it needs to become more personal.

You see many, if not most, of us are very satisfied if our family is saved. We are happy that we have a church family and that our preacher preaches the gospel. So, we are not motivated to share the gospel with anyone else. We are happy for the preacher to do so, happy to give to missions offerings, and happy for a few zealous souls to go and preach the gospel. We are also quite happy that "all" of our friends are saved. So, then we sit back and enjoy our copyright royalties.

If you have copyrighted the gospel personally, corporately, or denominationally, you are flirting with preaching, by your inaction and exclusivity, a gospel which is no gospel at all.

Let's lose the copyright this Christmas and watch the gospel explode again.

The Necessary Pre-existing Condition

2011-12-07T06:20:00.001-08:00

Pre-existing Condition . . . a term of fear and loathing for people, and a term of endearment for insurance companies. Have one, and they don't have to cover it. Cancer, back trouble, diabetes, etc., etc., the list goes on and on? Better hope you don't need treatment for it in the next year or you will be out of luck. There's no salvation in Blue Cross and there is no protection from Blue Shield if you have one of these.

The exact opposite is true with God. There is one condition you must have, or you will not be covered by the Cross of Calvary. One that, if absent, will forever disqualify you for protection from His Shield. Try adding anything to your life religiously, work hard at conquering your sin and your failures without it, and you will find yourself frustrated, skeptical and cynical about it all.

Before you can add anything to your life, before you can supplement, grow, change, you must have faith in the One and Only Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord. Apart from faith in Christ alone, no one is covered. Unless faith in Christ alone is present, this passage is powerless. "For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great an precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your FAITH. . ." (2Pet.1:3-5a)

If your life has been one failed attempt at a new life after another, if you have forever spun your tires in the mud of religious effort and found yourself more and more skeptical of the possibility of real change, then perhaps you simply have been putting your faith in the wrong person.

Spiritual Vitamins

2011-12-06T07:36:00.001-08:00

God gave Mike Singletary incredible natural ability, but natural ability is not enough. Singletary didn't become "Iron Mike" and one of the greatest linebackers the NFL has ever known by being naturally gifted. He became that by becoming one of the most disciplined professional football players the sport has ever known. Mike fed his natural talent with tremendous discipline. His biography revealed that he watched hours of opposition game films for opposing teams. Sometimes he would run a single play back and forth 50 times to learn what each player would do. As a result, it often seemed that Singletary would make a play before the opposition even knew what happened.

Some people think that grace means you don't have to try. Grace means you can now succeed if you try. I'm not talking about salvation. I'm talking about sanctification and victory in this life and reward in the next. James says says that faith without works is dead. Peter puts it this way, "useless and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2Pet.1:8)

God has given you "everything required for life and godliness, through he knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness." (2Pet.1:3) You don't have any natural ability to be a Christian, but you now have the supernatural ability of the Holy Spirit who resides in you.

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For IF these qualities are yours and are increasing they will keep you from being useless and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2Pet.1:5-8)

Have you taken your spiritual vitamins today?

Bring It

2011-12-05T06:08:00.001-08:00

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Peter said that we had to make every effort to supplement our faith. I did a little study on the words Peter used. The word for effort carries with it the idea of "haste," as in "make haste." The probable root of that word is the word translated "foot," so there is the real sense of urgency and action. And the word Peter uses for "make" means, in its basic form, to "bring something." So, while I don't intend to re-interpret Scripture, I do believe that I could say that Peter is saying to us, "Ok, bring it," as in, "bring it on," as in "you can't wait one day. Get on this, now!"

The world is very much like an ocean, filled with currents that are intent on dragging us away from a life that brings God glory. So, it is impossible to drift into Christian maturity. Unless you "bring it" right now, you will be drifting, meaning you will be investing in uselessness and fruitlessness.

"Ok, tomorrow morning, I'll begin." Delayed obedience is nothing more than disobedience. Bring yourself to the Word of God, to Prayer, to His presence, and begin today to supplement your faith with goodness and virtue. Boldly begin today to live a virtuous life.

For All The Spouses Of Those With Alzheimers

2011-12-03T06:44:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago in prayer meeting, I asked, "What do you fear the most?" As the people gathered voiced their fears, several said, "That I, or my spouse, would have Alzheimer's." The only real answer to any fear is the greater fear of the Lord. When we fear Him, we love Him, and we come to understand that He loves us. We also come to depend upon Him, not out of desperation, but out of hope. What I mean is this. There are some fears we can rationalize away. Some we cannot. Even in the face of our greatest fears and challenges, Christ is sufficient. I want to share the testimony of one who proved that He is. I read his story in Disciplines Of A Godly Man, by R. Kent Hughes.  Robertson McQuilkin, the president of Columbia Bible College, loved his wife, Muriel, who had Alzheimer's. Here is part of his resignation letter, given to the college in March of 1990. May I be such a man, who believes so in Christ.

   My dear wife, Muriel, has been in failing mental health for about eight years. So far I have been able to carry both her ever-growing needs and my leadership responsibilities at CBC. But recently it has become apparent that Muriel is contented most of the time she is with me and almost none of the time I am away from her. It is not just "discontent." She is filled with fear - even terror - that she has lost me and always goes in search of me when I leave home. Then she may be full of anger when she cannot get to me. So it is clear to me that she needs me now, full-time.
   Perhaps it would help you to understand if I shared with you what I shared at the time of the announcement of my resignation in chapel. The decision was made, in a way, 42 years ago when I promised to care for Muriel "in sickness and in health . . . till death do us part." So, as I told the students and faculty, as a man of my word, integrity has something to do with it. But so does fairness. She has cared for me fully and sacrificially all these years; if I cared for her for the next 40 years I would not be out of debt.
   Duty, however, can be grim and stoic. But there is more; I love Muriel. She is a delight to me - her childlike dependence and confidence in me, her warm love, occasional flashes of that wit I used to relish so, her happy spirit and tough resilience in the face of her continual distressing frustration. I do not have to care for her, I get to! It is a high honor to care for so wonderful a person.

Don't Get Mad, Get Glad: Prayer That Overcomes Opposition

2011-11-30T06:41:00.001-08:00

How does the advertizing slogan for trash bags fit in with prayer? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you. Follow closely.

Peter and John heal a man in Jesus' name. That gathers a crowd in the temple, the seat of the religion that crucified Jesus. What do they preach? That Jesus, who these people crucified, is the Christ. The religious leaders have them arrested. Did that stop the gospel? No. After their arrest, "many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000." (Acts4:4)

The crucifiers of Jesus haul them into court to give an answer, and, crazy Christians that they are, they preach that Jesus is the Christ in the courtroom. If you are arrested for using drugs, smoking a joint in the courtroom will not get you a speedy release. The judges, awestruck by their boldness, had no idea what to do, "So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus." (Acts 4:18)

Peter and John once again hurt their case by saying, "Whether it right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:19-21) In most courts, that would get you thrown in jail faster than you can say hallelujah. Not on this day. The crucifiers of Christ "threatened them further", but couldn't figure out how to hold them because everyone knew that the lame man had been healed in Jesus' name.

Now, are you following?

The first thing Peter and John do is go to church. And the first thing they do in church is tell the whole story. And the first thing the church does is give praise to God. Nobody got a lawyer, nobody cussed the Sanhedrin, nobody whined, nobody complained, nobody complained about the lost people and the culture. They praised God and asked . . . now, get this . . . they asked for even more boldness so they could go back out, preach the same gospel, and get arrested again.

And, don't miss this, God responded, because "When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness." (Acts 4:31)

Every time Jesus is preached people make a choice. Sometimes the people we want to believe the most turn away in unbelief. Sometimes children we have raised in church decide they are going to rebel. Sometimes friends go cold while we go hot. Sometimes, however, 5,000 believe.

Whatever happens, don't get mad, get glad. Rejoice that you have been part of proclaiming Jesus, and ask Him for more boldness to preach Jesus and love people - even those who reject Him.

The only time you should get worried is when no one is choosing. For, when no one is choosing, no one is preaching Jesus as the Christ.

I Caught 81 Fish Tonight

2011-11-28T20:40:00.001-08:00

About two months ago I mentioned that I was planning a fishing trip. Well, tonight I took it. I had a great time. In just a few hours I caught 81 fish. Actually, I caught the same 9 fish 9 times. And, I never had to leave the comfort of my study in my house. I went fishing in my aquarium. The fish are a little worn out, but I had a great time. It took little effort, and required only a small amount of time.

Revival services were good tonight, and it was so good to see people from other churches there. So, don't take what I'm about to say in the wrong way. We want God to use this meeting for His glory, and that includes touching other churches, but . . . having lots of church people in church and considering that a victory is alot like fishing in your own aquarium.

So, pray like crazy today for lost people to be in our meetings. Then, invite lost and unchurched people like crazy. Not all of the people you invite will come, but virtually none of the people you don't invite will come.

Ask every person you see tomorrow to come to the meeting tomorrow night. Sure it's risky. It's like taking a fishing trip down a treacherous river, but it's exciting and the payoff is eternal.

Monday Is For Missing Pieces

2011-11-28T08:00:00.001-08:00

Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees. In other words, we are so focused on the small things that we are missing the big picture. There are times, though, when the most important thing is seeing the single tree rather than the forest. Jesus said, "What do you think? If a man has 100 sheep and one of them goes astray, won't he leave the 99 on the hillside and go and sarch for the stray?" (Mt.18:12)

I rejoice that 5 souls were added to the kingdom yesterday at our church. I am also keenly aware of the missing pieces - members who have not been here in more than a month, others running from God (and so from these revival meetings), sinners who need to know a loving Savior, Pharisees who need to be delivered from religions pride, etc., etc.

Monday is a day to pray for the missing pieces. Monday is a day for you to go find them and bring them home.

Pray that Hearts Would Be Receptive to the Gospel

2011-11-26T04:00:00.001-08:00

Day 40 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up. . . This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the Word of God. The seed that fell along the path are thsoe who have heard and then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the seed on the rock are those who, when they hear, welcome the word with joy. Having no root, these believe for awhile and depart in a time of testing. As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit. But the seed in the good ground - these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, bear fruit. (Luke8:5,11-15)

Seed that falls on hard ground doesn't grow. Ask god to soften and prepare the hearts of the people onyour list so that they will be receptive to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Invite the people on your list to the meetings.

Pray the Lost Would Be Set Free To Believe

2011-11-26T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 39 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. Then they may come to their senses and escape the Devil's trap, having been captured by him to do his will. . . For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. (2Tim.2:25-26; 2Cor.10:3-4)

Scripture says that those who are lost are bound in darkness. Our prayers are more than just requests, they are a plea for God to do battle, releasing the lost from the bondage of sin, self, and unbelief.

Pray that the lost on your prayer list would be released to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Invite the people on your list to the revival meetings.

Pray That the Eyes of the Lost Will Be Opened

2011-11-25T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 38 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. . . But the unbeleiver does not welcome what comes from god's Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. . . But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to thsoe who are perishing. In their case, teh god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (Rom.3:11; 1Cor.2:14; 2 Cor.4:3-4)

We are all dead in our sins until Christ makes us alive. A dead man sees nothing. God must give us eyes to see and ears to hear. Pray that God would remove the blinding of Satan from the eyes of those on your prayer list, and ears to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pray for Open Doors to the Lost

2011-11-24T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 37 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Colossians 4:2-4
² Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. ³ At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah —for which I am in prison — ⁴ so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak.

You should have already told the people on your prayer list about our revival meetings. You should have already invited them. Yet, when you did, you may have felt like the door was closed.

Pray today that God would open a door of opportunity for you to share with them again and to invite them to the revival meetings.

Pray for Laborers to Reach the Lost

2011-11-23T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 36 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Matthew 9:36-38
³⁶ When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

Jesus was clear that prayer and evangelism work together. When He looked on the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless.

Pray for God to send someone to the lost people on your prayer list.

Pray that he will send you.

Pray Our Leaders will Preach the Word

2011-11-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 35 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

2 Timothy 4:1-5
¹ Before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, I solemnly charge you: ² proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. ⁴ They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. ⁵ But as for you, keep a clear head about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

No one wants to be unpopular. Doctors don't like telling patients about their diseases. Dentists don't like telling people about rotten teeth. Church leaders don't enjoy preaching to people they love about their sin and their needs, yet revival only comes when the truth is preached and received.

Prayfor our leaders, that they will boldly proclaim the whole counsel of the Wordof God.

Pray for Leaders to Be Faithful to Their Calling

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 34 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Titus 1:5-9
⁵ The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town: ⁶ someone who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion. ⁷ For an overseer, as God's manager, must be blameless, not arrogant, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, ⁸ but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, ⁹ holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

Thereare many things that pull against the leaders of our church, that vie for theirattention. Yet, they are given the awesome and sometimes and overwhelming task of takingcare of God’s people as an undershepherd, a steward of God’s most preciouspossessions – His children. They must befaithful to God when it pleases man and when it does not. Ultimately, they will not answer to thepopularity of those who serve, but to the God who has placed them as servantsin His body.

Praythat our leaders would be faithful to God above all others.

Pray for Leadership to Be United

2011-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 33 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Matthew 12:22-25
²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak was brought to Him. He healed him, so that the man could both speak and see. ²³ And all the crowds were astounded and said, "Perhaps this is the Son of David!" ²⁴ When the Pharisees heard this, they said, "The man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons." ²⁵ Knowing their thoughts, He told them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is headed for destruction, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.

Thechurch is a spiritual organism. It hasleaders who are all different, just as each member is different, with differenthearts and callings. Yet, they are all called to serve one church. Even Bro. Bill Britt, the Evangelist who iscoming, has been given a special appointment to serve our church during thisweek of revival. Satan would love todivide and conquer our church through our leadership. Useyour prayer list and pray that the leaders of our church would be united byseeking the Lord’s agenda and the Lord’s heart for our church, especiallyduring this time of revival.

Pray That Our Leaders Will Be Intercessors

2011-11-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 32 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Ezekiel 22:30
³⁰ I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one.

Eachman in leadership has a family, a job, and other responsibilities. They should be in prayer for those areas oftheir lives. Yet, each of these men iscalled to serve this church. Pray theywill take their responsibility seriously, that they would be earnest in prayerfor the people of this church.

Pray for our pastor & elders
Pray for our deacons
Pray for our evangelist, Bill Britt

Prayer for Leaders to Live Holy Lives

2011-11-18T03:43:00.000-08:00

40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Psalm 24:3-6
³ Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?
Who may stand in His holy place?
⁴ The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who has not set his mind on what is false,
and who has not sworn deceitfully.
⁵ He will receive blessing from the LORD,
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Onlythe blood of Jesus can wash our sins away, but we must walk in the purity Hehas provided. We must choose to obey His commands. God uses all things for His glory, but He will not fill a filthyvessel. He will, however, cleanse it. Use your prayer list and pray for our leaders, that they will repentand turn from any sin in their lives, that they will be the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Pray for our pastors & elders
Pray for our deacons
Pray for our evangelist, Bill Britt

Prayer for Leadership To Depend on God

2011-11-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

40 Days of Prayer for Revival

2 Chronicles 16:7-9
At that time, Hanani the seer came to King Asa of Judah and said to him, 'Because you depended on the king of Aram and have not depended on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a vast army with many chariots and horsemen? When you depeneded on Yahwey, He handed them over to you. For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His. You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.

Nochurch will rise far above its leadership. While God is greater than a pastor, the elders, deacons, and others wholead, He will not often take a church farther than its leaders are willing togo.

Asawas king of Judah, but he put his trust in a foreign country’s power to protecthis nation. In essence, he had put histrust in another god. God is not lookingfor people who trust in the world. He is looking for men who will trust in Himalone. Read the passage below and praythat our leaders will be men who are loyal to God, putting their trust in Hispower alone.

Pray for our pastors & elders
Pray for our deacons
Pray for our evangelist, Bill Britt

Prayer for Leaders to Dwell With God

2011-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Day 30 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

There is no substitute for God's Word or for spending time with God in His Word. Leaders wither without God and His Word. Read the Psalm below and pray that the leaders of our church will be men who are planted firmly by the river of living water.

Psalm 1
¹ How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path of sinners, or join a group of mockers! ² Instead, his delight is in the LORD's instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. ³ He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. ⁴ The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. ⁵ Therefore the wicked will not survive the judgment, and sinners will not be in the community of the righteous. ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.

Our pastors & elders
Our deacons
Our evangelist, Bill Britt

Praying for the Return of the Reviver

2011-11-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Day 28 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

"Therefore, repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" Acts 3:19

There is no revival without God, and sometimes it seems that He will not return to us. Yet, He promises that if we will return to Him, He will return to us. We return to Him by repentance. Repentance is having a change of heart that results in a change of direction. It is admitting that our way is not His way, and seeking His way. Repentance is not just being sorry for sin, but turning from sin to the Savior.

Make Psalm 85:4-7 the cry of your heart.

Return to us, God of our salvation, and abandon Your displeasure with us. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger for all generations? Will You not revive us again so that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your faithful love, Lord, and give us Your salvation.

Pray for Restoration

2011-11-14T06:20:00.001-08:00

Day 27 of 40 Days of Prayer for Revival

Webought and old piece of furniture one time and stripped it down. It wasbeautiful underneath all the filth, but it still had to be refinished. Our lives are like that. God strips off thesin and stains, but He is not done until we are refinished. That is what restoration is. Psalm 80 is a prayer of restoration. Try praying through it as we seek God's complete work of revival in us.

Psalm 80

¹ Listen, Shepherd of Israel, who guides Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned [on] the cherubim, rise up ² at the head of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. Rally Your power and come to save us. ³ Restore us, God; look [on us] with favor, and we will be saved. ⁴ LORD God of Hosts, how long will You be angry with Your people's prayers? ⁵ You fed them the bread of tears and gave them a full measure of tears to drink. ⁶ You set us at strife with our neighbors; our enemies make fun of us. ⁷ Restore us, God of Hosts; look [on us] with favor, and we will be saved. ⁸ You uprooted a vine from Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it. ⁹ You cleared [a place] for it; it took root and filled the land. ¹⁰ The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches. ¹¹ It sent out sprouts toward the Sea and shoots toward the River. ¹² Why have You broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its fruit? ¹³ The boar from the forest gnaws at it, and creatures of the field feed on it. ¹⁴ Return, God of Hosts. Look down from heaven and see; take care of this vine, ¹⁵ the root Your right hand has planted, the shoot that You made strong for Yourself. ¹⁶ It was cut down and burned up; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. ¹⁷ Let Your hand be with the man at Your right hand, with the son of man You have made strong for Yourself. ¹⁸ Then we will not turn away from You; revive us, and we will call on Your name. ¹⁹ Restore us, LORD God of Hosts; look [on us] with favor, and we will be saved.

God Is Greater

2011-11-10T06:35:00.000-08:00

Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shield and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin bearing regular shield and drawing the bow. All these were brave warriors. Then Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and 300 chariots. They came as far as Mareshah. So Asa marched out against him and lined up in battle formation int eh Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: "LORD, there is no one besides You to help the might and those without strength. Help us, LORD our God, for we depend on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal hinder You." So the LORD routed the Cushites before Asa and before Judah, and the Cushites fled. 2 Chronicles 14:8-12

No matter what sin we have committed, no matter what habit has enslaved us, no matter what evil is aligned against us, our God is greater. A huge army had aligned itself against Israel and they were about to be crushed, but Asa believed God was greater than the enemy. In desperation and fear he cried out in faith to God for salvation.

Prayer for Revival - Day 23
Pray, believing that God is greater than your enemies.

Awaken Us To Our Need

2011-11-09T06:36:00.000-08:00

Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord. Samuel told them, "If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to the LORD, and worship only Him. Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines." So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths and only worshiped the LORD. Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf." When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the LORD'S presence. They fasted that day, and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah. ~ 1 Samuel 7:2-6

The people of God had lost the presence of God, the ark, for many years. Even once it was brought back to them, they were unaware of their need for God for two solid decades.

Praying for Revival - Day 22
Pray that God will awaken us to our need for Him.

Revive And Do Not Destroy

2011-11-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

When the LORD sent you from Kadesh-barnea, He said, 'Go up and possess the land I have given you'; you rebelled against the command for the LORD your GOD. You did not believe or obey Him. You have been rebelling against the LORD ever since I have known you. I fell down in the presence of the LORD 40 days and 40 nights because the LORD had threatened to destroy you. I prayed to the LORD: 'Lord God, do not annihilate Your people, Your inheritance, whom You redeemed through Your greatness and brought out of Egypt with a strong hand. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Disregard this people's stubbornness, and their wickedness and sin. Otherwise, those in the land You brought us from will say, 'Because the LORD wasn't able to bring them into the land He had promised them, and because He hated them, He brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.' But they are Your people, Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your great power and outstretched arm. ~ Deuterenomy 9:18-29

Prayer For Revival - Day 21
Pray that God would revive and not destroy.

Deliver Us For Your Glory

2011-11-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

But Moses replied to the Lord, “The Egyptians will hear about it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from them. They will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people, how You, Lord, are seen face to face, how Your cloud stands over them, and how You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. If You kill this people with a single blow, the nations that have heard of Your fame will declare, ‘Since the Lord wasn’t able to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ “So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as You have spoken: The Lord is slow to anger and rich in faithful love, forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion. But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children to the third and fourth generation. Please pardon the wrongdoing of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your faithful love, just as You have forgiven them from Egypt until now.” ~ Numbers 14:13-19

Prayer for Revival - Day 20
Pray that God would deliver us for His glory.

I Need To Vent

2011-11-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

I need to vent. I know that I'm supposed to be writing devotionals that will help my readers prepare for revival, but I am getting fed up. Let me tell you why. A little over two weeks ago, we started praying for revival and thing started happening. This is nothing new. Any time a person or a church begin to press into God, to pray in earnest for God to be God in their midst, things start happening. Satan gets busy, but God also begins to work. His Holy Spirit works through His Word and begins to boil off the impurities in our hearts. Our flesh rarely dies quietly.

Stuff has been happening, and I am getting fed up with God. Actually I am getting fed up with His Word, with His Presence, with His incredible love, spirit, and sovereign faithfulness. Kind of caught you off guard, huh? You thought I was about to spew.

Well, I want to spew. I want to spew praise. Here are a few of the "why's." On a day when I felt utterly unworthy, when I was so into my self, God used me to lead a lost man to the cross and now I have a new brother. Then I witnessed God working courage and love as some sisters in Christ navigated the difficult waters of correcting another. I saw a flesh explosion tamed by His Spirit. I saw Him sustain a family through the death of a child. And, there are at least another dozen ways I have recognized His hand in and around my life in the last two weeks.. And, I know that all I see is paltry compared to all He is and all He is doing.

So, let me spew . . . My God is Long-Suffering and Merciful, My God is Mighty To Save even the rankest of sinners, My God is Faithful in love even as He corrects, My God is the Lifter and Sustainers of our hearts, My God is God and There Is No Other, and I want to continue to be fed up with Him, His Word, and His Spirit.

Tonight is not over, and if tomorrow comes, I will walk out into the same world. The lost and dying are plentiful, the flesh is pervasive, despair and unbelief are on every corner, Satan is active, and I am the chief of sinners . . . but God is God and There Is No Other and I know Him because His Son has revealed Him to me in an act of incredible grace and mercy . . . and tomorrow He will reveal His glory again. May I see it and rejoice.

Pray for Holy Hatred

2011-11-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

Cheer as the Roman whip falls bruising, cutting, and tearing. Serve refreshments to the soldiers who drive the condemned up the hill. Thrill as nails are driven into hands and feet. Cast side bets as the soldiers throw dice for bloody garments. Set up a lawn chair, pour a drink, sit back and watch the drama unfold as they lift him up, as his mother weeps, as he cries out. Complain that it was over too soon when his head drops for the last time.

"He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities, punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds." (Isa.53:5) How could anyone cheer, nourish, thrill, participate in, and be entertained by the things that did this to Jesus? Well, they could love their sin.

We forget that our sin did this to Him. Sin and the flesh are seductive. We believe we can cheer Jesus and sin at the same time. How quickly we forget, and how easily we are deceived. Rather than love our sin, it must become detestable to us as David wrote, Don't I hate those who hate You, and detest those who rebel against You? (Ps.139:21)
Pray for a holy hatred of your sin.

Pray For The Fear Of The Lord

2011-11-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

WhenIsaiah had a vision of God as He is, high and lifted up, his response was,“Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and live amonga people of unclean lips, because my eyes have seen the King the Lord ofHosts.” (Isaiah 6:5) Would you comfort Isaiah, rebuke him for being afraidof God, because that is what he expressed? He expressed the fear of theLord – a holy, awesome respect for God as He is. Often teachers say thatthe fear of the Lord is simply a holy respect for Him. Isaiah did not reactwith simple respect. He cried out. Yet, his cry was not the fear that Godwould destroy him. His cry was in agony over just how sinful, how unholy hewas, even though he was the chosen prophet of God. Have you become so familiarwith the notion of God that you have lost the fear of the Lord? Withoutthat fear you will not be loyal to him, you will not know him. You will know alesser god rather than the one seated on a high and lofty throne, whose robefills the temple, and whose glory fills the whole earth. (Isaiah 6) Praythat you and our church will fear the Lord?

28 Days - The Passion Test

2011-11-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

Daniel prayed, Listen, my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion. Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for Your own sake, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name. (Daniel 9:18-19)

When we repent of compassionless hearts, our eyes, once blinded by self, are opened to the ravages of sin all around us. Our ears, once deafened to the cries of the wounded and bleeding, will hear the cries of the needy. God will come and sweep away the self-righteousness of our hearts like Jesus swept the money-changers and animal sellers out of the temple courts.

Formulas like "now I lay me down to sleep," "bless the gift and the giver," and "God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food" become completely insufficient to express what is in our hearts.

Once our hearts are filled with the compassion of Christ, our prayers will be filled with passion for Christ. We no longer pray silently. We cry out to God. We no longer wait to get the prayer list on Wednesday night, we find we do not have time to pray for the multitude of people on the list that is written by God on our hearts. We no longer wait to pray, because we simply cannot wait to pray.

Daniel is one of the poster children for passionate prayer. Take the Daniel test. Do you pray like this?

28 Days - Prayer for a Broken Heart

2011-10-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

Day 1 - 28 Days of Prayer for Revival

So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of Heaven. (Nehemiah (1:4), when heard of the condition of his people who had been left behind after the captivity, and of the broken down walls of Jerusalem)

They watched and did nothing . . . as the man lay bleeding, as the old woman was robbed, as the child was beaten.

These stories used to shock, drive us to outrage. Now they are so commonplace that we have grown numb.

God's heart is not numb and He has witnessed every outrage, and every sin. His heart does not grow cold or hardened. Every sin, of yours and mine, is still an offense against His holy heart . . . every death of a sinner a cause for mourning . . . every new birth of a saint a cause for great rejoicing in Heaven.

Fast and pray that God would break your heart of stone and replace it with His compassionate heart.

What if we just sang?

2011-10-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth; make a loud noise and rejoice, and sing praise." Psalm 98:4

After a particularly quiet worship service, I was frustrated that people were not singing. I know that's the realm of the Worship Pastor, but I guess I was carrying the cross for him that day.

I him-hawed around about it with someone after services, but finally my ire got the best of me and I asked, "Why is it that so many people don't sing? Do you sing when we sing?" "Awe, I can't sing. You don't want to hear me sing," was the response. "Well," I quipped, "God does." Now, I know that ain't real nice, but it is real.

What if we just sang . . . no matter what the song, no matter what the style, no matter what our natural ability, no matter how we felt? What if we decided His glory was more important than our comfort, and what if we finally recognized that true comfort and joy are found only when He is glorified?

What if we didn't trust in the government, but . . .

2011-10-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

We don't trust the government. Either we're Republican and don't trust Democrats, or Democrat and don't trust Republicans, or independents and don't have faith in any of the above. When did we become deceived into believing that government was the solution? When did we become worshippers of Washington, D.C., or Baton Rouge, or Austin? Isn't that what we are when we put the hope for our lives in the actions of a government? Am I over the top with saying that we worship government? Well, if we're looking for government to fix us, or fix our problems, or meet our needs, it sounds a whole lot like worship.

What if we didn't trust the government, but rather put our trust and worship in the name of Lord our God? What if our pride was not national, state, or regional, but rather in being citizens of the eternal Kingdom? Well, here's what if . . .

"Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses, but we take pride in the name of Yahweh our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! May He answer us on the day that we call."

Psalm 20:7-9

What if you really believed God answered prayer?

2011-10-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

"Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

Prayerlessness is a profession of faith.

For some it is a profession of atheism, "There is no God, so why pray." For others agnosticism, "Who knows if there is a God, so why pray." Then there are those who profess their own spiritual laziness or presumptiveness of God, "God's gonna take care of me anyway." Prayerlessness can even be a profession of self-centered busy-ness, "I'm so busy I don't have time to pray."

Well, God exists, so farewell atheism and agnosticism. And, He only rewards those who draw near to Him, so persumptiveness and laziness must hit the road. Scripture seems to reveal that He is fairly unimpressed with our inability to get done what He has ordained within the 24 hour day that He created, so . . . well, so much for "I'm too busy to pray."

What if you really believed God answered prayer?

What if we really loved Jesus?

2011-10-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

"The one who has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal Myself to him. . . If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

~ Jesus, John 14:21, 23

What If We Led The Horse To Water?

2011-10-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of thieves." ~ Matt. 21:12-13

You can lead a horse to water. You cannot make him drink. Yet, if he is your horse, you will lead him to water. Father, you can't make your wife or children pray, but you will lead them to pray, right? Pastor, you can't make your people pray, but you are going to lead them to pray . . . aren't you?

God expects leaders to lead, and in the church and the home that's you. Paul wrote Timothy, "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting," (1Tim.2:8)

Note that Jesus didn't make people pray. He removed hindrances to prayer. If you, Pastor and Dad, try to make them pray, you may get words, but you won't get prayer. Prayer is not the mouthing of words, but the conversation of a heart communing with God.

Pastor, put down the whip. You are not to Lord your authority over God's people. Dad, put down the whip. Lead your wife and your children. Do not drive them. Drive out the wrong priorities, not the horse. Love and lead. Yet, you must lead. You must remove the money-changers and animal vendors that so dominate your time that your church and family cannot pray. Remember that the things Jesus removed from the Temple were essential parts of their religious lives. They were good, they just weren't best. They had taken priority over prayer. So, we're not talking about removing wickedness, but removing good things that have become more important than prayer.

Now, before you start turning over tables at church or at home, you had better get your own house in order. If your church or your home are a den if thieves, you are probably the chief crook. Deal with your own priorities and your own prayerlessness first. Then you will be able to lead your church and your family from a position of communion with God. He is the only one who can set the priorities in His family or yours, and you need to know Him before you lead them.

What if we read the Bible just a little each day?

2011-10-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

"The Spirit is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn't help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some among you who don't believe."

~ Jesus, John 6:63-64a, after many marginal followers deserted him

If you buy the Bible on CD, not one of the dramatized versions but just the Bible, you could sit and listen to it being read in about 76 hours. If you've ever listened to a Bible on CD or MP3, you know that the people who read are not reading fast. They read slowly and precisely, so that the listener can hear. I know this is complicated, but let's do the math.

One-half hour of reading a day = the entire Bible in less than 6 months.

One-quarter hour of reading a day = the entire Bible in less than a year.

Let's go for broke. If you read the Bible an hour a day, you could easily read it through 4 times in a year. Of course, who would want to do that?

It's not complicated. It's just that we don't do it.

Since the words Jesus spoke to us are spirit and they are life, what if we read the Bible just a little each day, every day? What would life be like if we did?

What if we never, ever . . .

2011-10-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

"He one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth." ~ Proverbs 20:19

What if we never, ever listened to gossip again?

Two things would happen.

First, we would stop contributing to the sin of the gossip. Gossips can only gossip if someone listens to their gossip.

Second, it would eliminate almost all temptation for us to gossip, since, by refusing to listen to gossip we would no longer have much to gossip about.

What if we stopped worrying . . .

2011-10-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
~ Mark 16:15-16

What if we all stopped worrying about the fruit and just focused on planting the seed? What if we stopped worrying about whether we lost a friend, and instead worried that our friends were lost? What if we stopped worrying about whether we'd botch the attempt, and instead trusted that if we know how to get saved we know how to tell someone else how to get saved.

Well, if we are going to do that, we have to stop being afraid of the opinions of all people. That, after all, is the main reason we don't share the gospel. And, to do that, we'd have to start believing that we are already approved by God, by the grace of God which we received from the Son of God, when we first put our faith in God through Jesus.

What if we all stopped worrying about it and just made sharing the gospel part of the conversation of our life, and part of every conversation in life?

What If Men Prayed?

2011-10-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument. (1 Timothy 2:8 - HCSB)

According to William Bennett, author of The Book Of Man: Readings On The Path To Manhood, 18 to 34 year old men spend more time playing video games than 12 to 17 year old boys.

What if men prayed?

What If

2011-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:00

When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I can do this?" ~ Matt. 9:28

What if you purchased a piece of property on which to build a farm? In the middle of the acreage was a huge lake. You saw it as an endless supply of water for your crops and cattle. However, halfway through the summer, the lake is dry. You never knew it was only a foot deep.

Sometimes Jesus answers our questions with questions. He often does this to help us discover the depth of our own faith. Jesus is never satisfied with shallow followers, and no follower of Jesus will be satisfied with that kind of Christianity.

He wants us to know the depth of our relationship wtih HIm. So, Jesus questions, forcing us to face the reality of our own hearts. I want to use His method for the next several blogs. What if you read them?

The Execution Of Troy Davis

2011-09-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

Troy Davis is dead, executed for murder. There were nine witnesses whose testimonies helped to convict him. Seven of the nine either recanted or changed their testimonies adding doubt to his conviction. Many claim that the system failed this man. I do not know. I do know that seven of the nine witnesses failed him. Yet, they were not the first to change their testimony.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, "You aren't one of His disciples too, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not!" (Jn.18:25)

Davis, whether guilty of murder or not, was not innocent. Neither am I. Neither are you. All of us are guilty in the eyes of God, all having denied Him. We have all made a conscious decision to disbelieve. We have all made a conscious decision to go our own way rather than God's. So, we are all guilty. And, in God's court, the penalty is death.

Yet, God loves us more than we will ever know, to the point of sacrificing the only innocent Son ever born to die for all the guilty sons and daughters ever born. How many times have you played the part of Peter, denying Him? Still, by His grace and mercy, your testimony can change. Peter's did. He who had denied Him three times would live a life of nearly constant witness. So can you.

Worth Mentioning

2011-09-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a "professional" pastor, but I am still a little anxious sharing the gospel one on one. Why? Well, it's risky sharing the gospel. It will either be rejected or accepted, period. And, risking rejection is never fun, but it is exciting. It's not risky talking about faith, religion or spirituality. Everyone talks about those at some point. It is, however, risky talking about the exclusive gospel of Jesus Christ.

That tells us something. It tells us it's worth sharing. Think about it. Everyone has an opinion about religion. That's why it's safe to talk about things like spirituality and faith. They're just opinions, and opinions are no risk to people or to Satan. So, opinions are not opposed. Jesus, however, is no opinion. He is a person who is God. and who made an exclusive claim to access to God. "No one comes to the Father except through me." (Jn.14:6) That is a threat to the opinions of mortal men and to the pride of Satan.

My testimony is my testimony, and almost anyone will listen to it. However, the gospel is the dividing line for all humanity. Yet, it is a risk worth taking. The gospel of Jesus Christ is really the only thing we have worth mentioning. Almost all other conversation on this planet will be worth little if anything in eternity, but every conversation surrounding the gospel will have eternal consequences.

Why Men Don't Pray & Why They Should

2011-09-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

“Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” 1 Timothy 2:8

It is no secret that most prayer meetings are attended by few, and that the majority of the few are women. Why don’t men pray together?

We are experts at opening and closing prayers. We open and close each worship service in prayer. When we gather for Men’s Prayer Breakfast, we do the same. We pray, eat, share a few words, and then close in prayer. Most Pastors Prayer Breakfasts are the same. Whether pastor or not, we are good at lifting coffee cups, biscuits and gravy to our lips together.

We are good at shaking hands together, working together, fishing together, hunting together, and swinging various forms of clubs and bats together. We are animated with our hands as we “jaw” together, discuss and debate together, and even when we come to blows together. Using our hands is a manly thing. Why is it, then, that it is not a manly thing to lift holy hands to a holy God in prayer together? I think it is simple. It appears that we don’t see prayer as effective. Our actions say that we believe we get far more done when we are working than when we are praying.

Hudson Taylor wrote, “When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.” If we believed the Apostle Paul and Hudson Taylor, we would quickly become experts at lifting our hands together in prayer. If we recognized the ability of God to do what we can never do, you could not keep us apart. And, when we were together, you could not keep us from prayer.

An Opinion: The Arab Spring, Democracy & Religion

2011-09-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

We should understand the desire to throw off a dictator. This was the reason for our own nation's birth, though King George did nothing to the colonies that men like Qaddafi or Mubarak did to their people. Yet, the form of democracy that is replacing those rulers is nothing like Europe's or our form of government.

It is clear that the Arab Spring states are quickly becoming Islamic states, democracies controlled by Islam as surely as that which took over after the Shah of Iran was overthrown. While those dictators restrained their hatred of Israel, these new governments are open with it. Israeli leaders have made it clear that they are quickly becoming a besieged nation. And the hatred of American is increasing.

Why then is our government continuing to sing the praises of these "democratic revolutions?"

I think there are two reasons. First, our current leaders do not see any tie between the Judeo-Christi9an ethic and democracy. Most of us who are rooted in this ethic see democracy as inseparable from it. Leaders praising the Arab Spring do not. It does not matter to them if democracy is influenced by religion, as long as that religion is not Christianity in America. It is fine for radical Islamists to overthrow their governments and vote in an Imam, but it is against all the precepts of democracy for a people to allow their Christian faith to influence their politics in this nation. The double standard is glaring.

Second, I believe that our current leaders are perfectly fine with the concept of continual revolution. Many leaders in the White House and the Houses of Government were mentored by revolutionaries like Frank Marshal Davis, Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, and Bernadine Dohrn all who have espoused the overthrow of our own government at some point.

Despots are immoral, but what replaces them is often even more dangerous. Iran is proof of that. This is not your grandmother's America, and Washington, DC is so far from where we live that it might as well require a passport to cross the Potomac.

Partner or Slave

2011-08-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Rom. 14:8)

Have you ever heard anyone say, "We're going to do great things for God" or to say "We are partnering with God to accomplish His will"? It is true that we are the body of Christ. So, in essence, we are His hands and His feet, but how we live that out is so important. A partner has two things; (1) some measure of control in the business, and (2) some measure of risk and accountability for its success. Is that why God saved us? To have control and be responsible for the success of His kingdom? Leonard Ravenhill wrote, "God does not want partnership with us, but ownership of us." The Bible says we belong to the Lord. That is not a partnership. That is a Lordship.

While the notion of God owning us riles our egos, I ask you just to think about it for a moment. As His possession, purchased by the blood of Christ, you no longer have to struggle for self-worth. You are His prized possession. You are no longer responsible to have a life plan that results in success. You now have a life plan to follow that guarantees eternal success. You no longer have any risk. Even if everything you do in life according to His plan appears to fail, He guarantees you an inheritance. You no longer have to develop yourself personally, but rather, as you submit to Him, as you abide in the One who now owns you, He guarantees you will produce fruit. (Rom. 7:4) You no longer have to worry about the opinions of men, because the owner of the universe has claimed you as His own. (1 Cor. 7:23)

Why Do We Despise Discipline?

2011-08-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives. ~ Deut. 31:6 & Ps. 118:6 quoted in Hebrews 12:5-6

If you are God's child, you will be disciplined. He will teach you, correct you, and rebuke you because He loves you. Your heart will grieve with the Holy Spirit's grief when you fail your Father. If you have brothers and sisters who are worth their salt, they will discipline you as Paul wrote, "Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you won't be tempted also." (Gal. 6:1) And, if you are part of a healthy church, and you refuse to heed His Spirit and His individual children, the entire body of your church will pray and strive to call you back as Jesus taught, "If he pays no attention to them, tell the church. But if he doesn't pay attention even to the church, let him be like an unbeliever and a tax collector to you." (Matt. 18:17)

All of this is to deliver us from a sinful lifestyle that will surely end in our disgrace and, from the onset, brings no glory to Christ. Why, then, if we love God, do we despise the thought of discipline? Why is it that we find the discipline of the Lord so incompatible with the love of the Lord?

It is because we do not believe in the unconditionality of His love for His children. If we truly believed that His love for us was categorical, we would have no trouble with discipline - no matter how or through whom He chose to deliver it. We would also never balk at being His instrument of correction, because we would begin to love our sinning brother or sister with a deeper love than we thought possible. A problem with discipline reveals a lack of faith in the depth, breadth, and unconditionality of God's love for His own.

Sand In Our Hair - Part 1

2011-08-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking who he may devour. ~ 1 Peter 5:8

S. Michael Craven, president of The Center For Christ & The Culture, recently wrote, "I do not think it too strong or sensational to say that we are witnessing the collapse of Western civilization. Across the Western world, the fruits of apostasy and secularism are manifesting themselves in overwhelmingly destructive ways." (You can read his Christian Post article here.)

The last four decades have seen a tremendous and monumental shift away from God's way of living. We who follow Christ have countered. We have made political attempts to "retake" everything from our local school boards to the White House. We have attempted to "pray in" a new great awakening that would transform our world. In the past decade or so, we have attempted to infiltrate the antichrist society with pseudo-christian-social programs. We have even partnered with the government through faith-based initiatives.

None of it has done any good, at least not statistically. As Craven points out, "In my lifetime I have seen the rapid demise of the family. For the first time in American history, nonmarried households now outnumber married households (52 percent vs. 48 percent respectively). Today, only one-fifth of American households represent “traditional families-married couples with children” (New York Times, “Married Couples Are No Longer a Majority, Census Finds,” May 28, 2011). Out-of-wedlock birthrates in the US have reached 40 percent following a similar trend throughout Western European countries, some of which are as high as 66 percent (New York Times)."

We have not been idle. We have pulled our heads up out of the sand long enough to pray sometimes, to act occasionally, to politic in season. But, all-in-all, we have simply played a perpetual game of "Ain't It Awful" while Rome has smoldered. We see the fruits of anarchy in Europe and honestly think it will never come here. I recently discussed the riots in England with a physician, expressing my concern that we would soon see the same thing here. The highly trained, politically and socially conservative doctor said, "That will never happen here."

So much sand in our hair.

What About Him?

2011-08-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

When Peter saw him (John) he said to Jesus, "Lord - what about him?" "If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you? As for you, follow Me." ~ John 21:21-22

A diversion is a common tactical strategy used in warfare. Blow up a building on the other side of the compound you are attacking and you draw the enemy to that location. The hope is that the diversion will draw the enemy away from you, decreasing their strength and increasing the chances of your success.

Diversions are useless in real life, but they are still common. And, no matter what is painted on plaques or posted on facebook, a true Christian friend doesn't love your sinfulness. They love you enough to speak the truth to you about your sin, whether you blow up at them in a diversion or not. Hopefully they don't do it because they think they are superior to you. Hopefully they do it out of genuine concern. Yet, their motivation is not the issue. The truth is the truth, even when spoken with something less than an attitude of humility and love.

So when a true Christian friend addresses your sin, do you divert? Do you say, "Well, who do you think you are? You're just a sinner, too." No repentant person ever says such words. The person who is broken over his or her sin does not divert. The person who loves God and whose sin has been revealed repents in humility. He never says, "What about him?"

How Do You Know What God Wants You To Do?

2011-08-03T03:56:00.000-07:00

The following is an excerpt from page 195 of the Experiencing God Workbook by Henry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King.

God will never give you an assignment He will not enable you to complete. That is what a spiritual gift is - a supernatural empowering to accomplish the assignment God gives you. Don't focus on your talents, abilities, and interests in determining God's will. I have heard many people say, "I would really like to do that; therefore, it must be God's will." That kind of response is self-centered. Instead, become God-centered. When God is Lord, your response should be something like this: "Lord, I will do anything Your kingdom requires of me. Wherever You want me to go, I'll go. Whatever the circumstances, I'm willing to follow. If you want me to meet a need through my life, I am Your servant, and I will do whatever is required.

What Can I Do To Help My Church Grow To Be More Like Christ?

2011-08-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

How is it then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, a teaching, a revelation, another language, or an interpretation. All things must be done for edification. (1 Cor. 14:26)

Jesus continually baffled people with His service. He really messed up his closest friends the night he got up from the table, dressed Himself like a slave, and began to wash their feet. He made two things clear that night. First, He came, not to be served but to serve. Second, those who intend to follow Him will do exactly the same thing.

Someone painted the sign so we could know where the church is. Someone labelled the parking lot with signs so we could find the building (which someone built years ago). Someone stands at the door greeting us with God's love. Before that, someone swept away last weeks refuse, unlocked the doors, turned on the lights and air conditioning, plugged in the coffee pot, printed bulletins, arranged chairs in classrooms, cooked a men's breakfast, etc., etc., etc. All of this done as an act of service to serve someone. Someone sent out cards to out-of-fellowship brothers and sisters encouraging them to get back in. Someone visited the guests from last week, finding out their needs, praying, informing, witnessing. Someone prepared a hands-on Bible lesson for kids while another prepared an in-depth study for adults. Someone practiced the piano, the bass, and the guitar so they could play on tune. Someone else sang the songs again and again so they could lead us on Sunday morning. Someone took food in care of a family who had suffered a loss. Someone moved a single mother from one apartment to the next. Someone opened their home to a home group, while another spent time Sunday afternoon praying about how to lead that group that evening. Someone else taught children on Wednesday night, while another organized a special women's event. Another group regularly comes and fixes things at the church, while another group regularly goes and fixes things in the homes of the elderly in the church. A group comes and prays each Monday, another each Wednesday. Someone else likes telling people how to be saved. Someone studied the Word in order to preach it to us in corporate worship. The list goes on and on and one.

What Can I Do To Support This Church?

2011-08-01T04:42:00.000-07:00

After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us. Acts 16:14

Few knew her name. She sat in the center section of our church, on the left hand side as you look toward the platform. Her most prominent feature was the small bun on the top of her head, gray hair combed back and knotted there. She was a widow, poor, small, still, quiet, and, by all human measure, insignificant.

I would not remember her except for a chance meeting. I was at the church getting ready for some youth function. I heard a noise in the kitchen and knew no one was supposed to be there. I looked around the corner and she was washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen. She smiled when she saw me, but said nothing. I asked the pastor about her. He told me to say nothing to anyone. That's the way she wanted it. She had asked for a key so that she could walk the two blocks from her house to the church and clean the kitchen. She wanted no one to know.

This small, old, poor, insignificant widow was a vital part of that portion of the body of Christ. Her acts of service, unknown to all but a few, directly blessed many.

Relief Is A Poor Substitute

2011-07-19T07:38:00.000-07:00

Then Jesus said, "Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? Didn't any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He told him, "Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well." Luke 17:17-19

There was water in the ditch yesterday. It has rained, and we thank and praise God for it. I was so excited for the rain, and also for the possibility that the burn ban would be lifted. I have piles of trees and trash lumber from the building of our home that need to be burned. But, the burn ban is still on. It's irritating. It feels wet outside today. There is still water in the ditch, it's overcast, the grass is green, the rain has brought much needed relief, but still I can't burn.

10 lepers cried out to Jesus for healing, and he healed them all. What an incredible relief. Leprosy had ostracized them from every healthy person in their lives for as many years as they had had the disease. Most of them would die early because of it. In a sudden downpour of grace and mercy, they were healed. They could go home. They could go back to work. They could live.

But, for nine of them it wasn't really life. They were relieved, incredibly, but only one really lived that day. The one who returned to Jesus, fell at His feet, and worshiped was the only one who was truly delivered that day. He was the only one saved.

How many times do we settle for relief? How many times does God give it, and we never turn back to Him for the reality of eternal and abundant life?

Two New Bible Translations To Avoid

2011-07-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

You are on a business trip to a land where you don’t speak the language, so you hire a translator to help you in your important negotiations. Unfortunately, the translator you hire is not faithful to your intentions. He decides what he thinks the people need to hear, and he changes the meanings of your words. He knows exactly how to translate what you are speaking, but makes his own decision to substitute words that mean something else. How would you feel?

For 500 years scholars have worked to translate the original Hebrew and Greek of the Bible into the language of the people. Until recently, the goal of translators was to be faithful to the original meaning of the words God laid down in the text of the Bible. Over the last several decades, many translators have become more concerned about the culture and what they think people need to hear. They have intentionally changed the meaning of God’s Word to fit their assumptions and their agenda. How do you think God feels about that?

Two new Bible translations that have done this are the 2011 New International Version (2011 NIV) and the Common English Translation (CET). Avoid these translations if you want an accurate translation that reflects the original meaning of God’s Word. Following are several translations that are printed in modern English that remain true to God’s original intent.

Holman Christian Standard Bible - HCSB

New American Standard Bible - NASB
English Standard Version - ESV
New International Version - NIV
(original 1984 or earlier version)

Either Enough Or Not

2011-07-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. For in it God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith." (Rom. 1:16-17)

I was already about to blow a gasket. Three minutes! The store was closing in three minutes. Now! Now is when I needed to be at my currently-being-built house to install some additional 2 x 4's before all light disappeared. Now is also when I had to get it done because a sheet rock crew was coming to finish early in the morning. And, let me add this, I am absolutely not a framer. I can build you a cabinet, but you don't want me any closer to your rough carpentry than you want me near your plumbing. But, that's another story.

I just want to say that whoever had stocked the isle with nails had done an incredible job. I have never seen so many different nails in so many different sizes in so many different finishes in so many different quantities. Did I mention that I needed these nails now. So, I selected a box, after almost losing it. TOO MANY CHOICES, when all I needed was something with which I could hold some lumber together.

I am not naive. I do not believe that all we have to do is stand on a soapbox and preach the Bible, but I do believe this. There are too many people who think they have the answer, and it is enough to make any church leader blow a gasket.

I thought we were past the worship style issue. Apparently it is still alive and well. Add to it Calvin and Arminius, one service vs. two, home groups or Sunday School, no Sunday night or extra Sunday night, bible or literature, topical or verse-by-verse, church planting vs. revitalization, beer or no-beer, emergent vs. emerging vs. whatever, simple church vs. whatever, Holy Ghost vs. Holy Spirit, once-saved-always-saved vs. who knows. Everyone has an answer.

Well, so does God, and today I choose to believe that praying and preaching His Gospel, the Bible, is still more effective than any method. Call me crazy. Maybe I'm just struggling with early onset pre-senile dementia (meaning I just can't handle much mentally), but I believe that preaching the Word is still what is needed to change lives. Love 'em and preach the Word. It's either enough or not.

30DOPFM - Day 30 - An Honor To His Father

2011-06-30T05:58:00.000-07:00

I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with that glory I had with You before the world existed. ~ Jesus praying at the Last Supper, John 17:4-5

Pray that the men in your life would live obediently in such a way that their lives would give glory to their Father in Heaven.

30DOPFM - Day 29 - Worthy Of Respect

2011-06-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. (Titus 2:2)

It is a mistake to assume that being an old Christian man is the same thing as a mature Christian man. Pray that the men in your life would age gracefully by abiding in Christ so that they may be filled with His Spirit and bring forth the fruit of self-control, sensibility, soundness and patience; so that they may be men worthy of respect because of their actions more than because of their age.

30DOPFM - Day 28 - Blameless

2011-06-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

For an overseer, as God's manager, must be blameless, not arrogant, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, (Titus 1:7)

Pray that the men in your life would pay attention to the things they should not do as much as to the things they should do so that they may be found blameless in the sight of the Lord.

30DOPFM - Day 27 - Expect God's Greater Reward

2011-06-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

Therefore don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5

Pray that the men in your life will expect and spend their lives for the eternal reward that God will give each one who faithfully serves Him, as His word says, "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him." (Heb.11:6)

30DOPFM - Day 26 - Lead Courageously

2011-06-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

It is of little importance that I should be evaluated by you or by a human court. In fact, I don't even evaluate myself. For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. 1 Corinthians 4:3-4

Pray that the men in your life will lead courageously, not with arrogance nor with a proud and unteachable heart, but with their hearts set toward pleasing God regardless of the opinions of men.

30DOPFM - Day 25 - Accept Responsibility

2011-06-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument. 1 Timothy 2:8

Pray that the men in your life would reject spiritual passivity by accepting spiritual responsibility for their own relationship with God, by actively leading their childern and wives, and by actively serving with other men in the church and in the world.

30DOPFM - Day 24 - Reject Passivity

2011-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

When King David heard about all these things, he was furious. 2 Samuel 13:21

David's son, Amnon, had a beautiful half-sister, Tamar. When he tried to assault her, she begged him to marry her instead, which was alllowed in those days. He did not, raping her and then treating her with contempt. When David, their father found out, all he did was become angry. Pray that the men in your life will reject passivity.

30DOPFM - Day 23 - Who Take Their Lumps

2011-06-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the Lord's house, and worshiped. 2 Samuel 12:20a

David's sin resulted in the death of the son he conceived with another man's wife. He had pled with the Lord to save the child, but when the child died he did what is revealed in the verse above. Pray that the men in your life will be given the fortitude to take their lumps, get up and go on with God rather than wallowing in the mire of their failures.

30DOPFM - Day 22 - Quick To Repent

2011-06-22T03:25:00.000-07:00

David responded to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Then Nathan replied to David, "The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die." 2 Samuel 12:13

Sometimes we think that those who are sorry because they were caught in their sin are not truly repentant. That is not necessaruly true. When King David's secret sin was made public by the prophet, he quickly repented. Pray that God will create hearts in the men in your life that are quick to repent when convicted or even when caught committing sin, so that they may live and thrive in Christ and not die in sin.

30DOPFM - Day 21 - Location, Location, Location

2011-06-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing - a very beautiful woman. 2 Samuel 11:2

There was nothing wrong with where David was. It was a cool place to spend a hot night, but this harmless place led to David's greatest sin. Pray that the men in your life will be aware of their location, that they will not put themselves in seemingly harmless situations that can led to great temptation, that they will desire to avoid rather than entertain temptation.

30DOPFM - Day 20 - The Safety Of Duty

2011-06-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1

David's place was with his men. His choice to shirk his duty led to great temptation that had tragic consequences in his life. Pray that the men in your life will recognize the joy of fulfilling their duty, that God would strengthen them to do the right thing at the right time, that they would experience the joy of faithful, daily obedience.

30DOPFM - Day 19 - Their Father's Sons

2011-06-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. John 14:10b

Pray for men to be their Heavenly Father's Sons, to make their relationship as a loving son of the Father their highest priority so that they may live a life that shows Him to others. Pray that they will fill their minds and hearts with the words of the Bible so that their minds will be renewed and the words they speak will reflect God's Word.

30DOPFM - Day 18 - Worthy Of His Calling

2011-06-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

And in view of this, we always pray for you that our God will consider you worthy of His calling, and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by Him, according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Pray that men will desire to be worthy of God's calling, that they will recognize that God is able to do the work in their hearts and lives necessary to fulfill all their good desires to be faithful, that He is able even when they are not, and that they will give all their heart, mind, soul and strength to pursuing His calling.

30DOPFM - Day 17 - Confidence In God's Vindication

2011-06-17T04:44:00.000-07:00

It is a clear evidence of God's righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God's kingdom, for which you also are suffering, since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to reward with the rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don't know God and on those who don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-8

Pray that men will take courage and gain confidence in the sure judgment of the Lord on all who oppose Him and who oppose them as they live for Him, so that they will persevere, so that they will not give into a self-pity or complaining about their sufferings, and so that they will glorify God by enduring all trials with praise.

30DOPFM - Day 16 - Perseverance

2011-06-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

Therefore, we ourselves boast about you among God's churches; about your endurance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you endure. 2 Thessalonians 1:4

Pray that men will abide in Christ, His Word, and His Church, empowered to endure all persecutions and troubles by faith in Christ so that their lives are a living boast to the God who has saved them.

30DOPFM - Day 15 - Increasing Love

2011-06-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

We must always thank God for you, brothers,

which is fitting, since your faith is flourishing,

and the love of every one of you for one

another is increasing.

2 Thessalonians 1:3

Pray that men will experience increasing love for God and for one another in this world that works to drain our love with busy-ness, selfishness, and sin.

30DOPFM - Day 14 - Desire Holiness

2011-06-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance but, as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 1 Peter 1:14-15

Pray that men would prove their friendship with God by desiring holiness as well as salvation, a holy life as well as an eternal life.

30DOPFM - Day 13 - Enjoy God's Friendship

2011-06-13T03:19:00.000-07:00

I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn't know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. John 15:15

Pray that men would rejoice in their friendship with God through Christ, that they would find increasing confidence in Christ as they feed on His Word, which He has made known to them simply because they have trusted in His Son, Jesus Christ.

30DOPFM - Day 12 - Joyful Obedience

2011-06-12T13:25:00.000-07:00

You are My friends

if you do what I command you.

John 15:14

Pray that men will no longer believe the lies that selfishness and self-determination are the paths to true happiness, but will believe in the Word of God and find the true joy of obeying Christ's commands. Pray they would prove to be God's friends.

30DOPFM - Day 11 - Trust In God's Friendship

2011-06-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

No one has greater love than this,

that someone would lay down

his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Pray that men will trust in God's desire to be their friend, so that they will begin to serve Him from a heart of love rather than from a desire to perform for an "impossible to please" father. Pray they will understand that there is nothing they can do to make God love them more than He already does.

30DOPFM - Day 10 - A Friend Of God

2011-06-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" "Who are You, Lord?" he said. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," He replied.

Acts 9:4-5

Saul was a man of character, integrity, and the Bible. He was doing everything he could to please God, but was still wrong. His effort, rather than making him a friend of God, made him an enemy of God. Only those who come to God by faith in Christ alone can be His friends. Pray God will show men whether their faith is in their effort or in the effort of Christ on the Cross. Pray that God will save men who believe they are impressing God with their supposed goodness, so that they may be a true friend of God by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

30DOPFM - Day 9 - A Friend Closer Than A Brother

2011-06-09T04:29:00.000-07:00

When David had finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan committed himself to David, and loved him as much as he loved himself. 1 Samuel 18:1

A great part of David's success was his true friend, Jonathan. Pray for God to give each man at least one friend closer than a brother, who loves him as he loves himself, and that each man would be that kind of friend to at least one other.

30DOPFM - Day 8 - Free To Be Silent

2011-06-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and night, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense.

Job 2:13

Job's friends were at their best when they simply sat with their broken friend. When they began to offer their opinions about his situation, they failed to be the kind of friends he needed and that God wanted them to be. Pray that men will be set free any compulsion to fix their friends when those friends are broken, that God would grant them discernment so that they would know when to just "be there."

30DOPFM - Day 7 - The Courage To Run Away

2011-06-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

She grabbed him by his garment and said, 'Sleep with me!' But leaving his garment in her hand, he escaped and ran outside. Genesis 29:13

Pray for men to have the courage to run away from temptation and the humility to recognize that fleeing from the things that tempt us is often the wisest and most courageous thing to do.

30DOPFM - Day 6 - Leaders In Sexual Purity

2011-06-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief so that he who has committed this act might be removed from among you... Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast permeates the whole batch of dough? Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch since you are unleavened.

1 Corinthians 5:2, 6-7

Pray that men will lead in sexual purity in the church, not like the men in Corinth who condoned sexual sin in a brother and even boasted about their acceptance of it. Pray that men will lovingly confront their brothers in Christ who are practicing sexual sin; that we will become a band of brothers that are pure and holy unto the Lord.

30DOPFM - Day 5 - Sexual Purity

2011-06-05T04:17:00.000-07:00

It is widely reported that there is sexual immorality among you,

1 Corinthians 5:1

Pray that men will be sexually pure; that they would make a covenant with their eyes as Job did, not to look upon another in lust. Pray that they will remove avenues of sexual temptation from their homes and their lives. Pray they would adopt a zero tolerance policy in their lives regarding lust, pornography or any image that invokes lust, masturbation, homosexuality, or any other sexual sin.

30DOPFM - Day 4 - Spiritual Fathers

2011-06-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children. For you can have 10,000 instructors in Christ, but you can't have many fathers. Now I have fathered you in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me.

1 Corinthians 4:14-16

Pray for men to take up the calling of spiritual fatherhood by sharing the gospel, teaching their own children, discipling younger men, and living as examples. Pray for men to find true spiritual fathers, whose desire is that others follow Christ rather than simply building a personal following.

30DOPFM - Day 3 - Humility

2011-06-03T04:10:00.000-07:00

No one should deceive himself, if anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he can become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness" - and again, "The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are futile." So no one should boast in men, for all things are yours:

1 Corinthians 3:18-21

Pray that men will be aware of any pride and arrogance, and would humble themselves before God. That they would make the gospel of Jesus Christ and His teachings their priority, even though the way of the Lord is foolish to the world. Pray they would be willing to be fools for Christ.

30DOPFM - Day 2 - Their Work

2011-06-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become obvious, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one's work.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13

Pray for God to reveal to men how they are building their lives, whether they are building for eternity or just for this age. Pray that God's glory and his values, revealed in His Word, will be their values . . . their building blocks in every relationship - personally with God, at home with their families, at work, at church, and in their friendships.

30 Days Of Prayer For Men - Day 1 - Their Foundation

2011-06-01T04:44:00.000-07:00

For no other foundation

can anyone lay than that which is laid,

which is Jesus Christ.

1 Cor. 3:11

Pray for men . . .

that God would reveal the foundation upon which they are building their lives, whether it is built upon Jesus Christ and His Word, or any other foundation
that God would shake any other foundation in the lives of men other than that build upon His Son
that God would strengthen men to courageously build their lives on Jesus Christ and His Word