Monthly Archives: March 2019

It is never too late, until it is. Repent and believe.

Matthew 10:27 “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.

Yesterday we went to my cousins funeral, a celebration of life so tragically taken at age 43 in a plane crash a couple of weeks ago. Nobody knows how to process these events, but they alter life’s courses for all who were close to those lost when tragedy strikes. My own was altered about 20 years ago when I lost one of my best friends in a car wreck; it broke something of my strong-willed hard self, God humbled me greatly with it. Yesterday there was one thing that stood above all to everyone who witnessed it. Her brother, led by God, went to the podium and spoke to everyones need for God. He told me that he had not planned to speak, but God would not let him sit still. God laid on his heart the urgency for everyone there to hear their need for God, of how they are not guaranteed tomorrow, of how they are assured of eternity somewhere, and they are never too old or young to believe. His heartfelt plea was clearer than the two pastors who conducted the service, because God had commanded that he speak, and he was obedient in doing so. Because of that tragedy, and his obedience, God will bring good from this incredible loss, God will tug on the softened hard hearts, God will humble the most prideful, God will till the softened soil and produce heavenly fruit; more will enter the kingdom of God through this tragedy and bold gospel proclamations.

I have told those closest to me there has been an urgency in my spirt of the need to proclaim the gospel; the call of repentance, the breaking down of religion to the religious lost. I am the greatest sinner, still struggling daily today with my own battles; who am I to proclaim anything about repentance……..I understand repentance, the cleansing act that leads to salvation and restores communion with God. I had a prideful testimony that lead to brokenness and humble pleas for forgiveness. Are you stuck in pride, no need for God? 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Are you prideful in your religion because you go to church every Sunday, yet never seek or share your God the other six days a week? Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Are you prideful because you feel as though you really are not that bad of a person, and good people go to heaven anyway? Proverbs 16:8 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Is your understanding that all gods are the same, that all paths lead to god, and all the good people will end up in paradise together? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. I told my parents for years, I would get right with God on my timing, I wanted to live life and settle down when it suited me. It was not until much later in life, when tragedy struck, did I realize the depth of my ignorance. Job 12:9 Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, 10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? Repent and believe about your pride, your religion, your ignorance today, right now, before it is too late. The call of the gospel is urgent, the time is now, and by the grace of God may you all repent and believe that you are lost without him forever. May your testimony be one of boldness to all that He has prepared to hear, may you proclaim it from the rooftops, or to at least that person you see every day beside you. It is never too late, until it is.

How could I do that?

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,

“Yea God, how am I supposed to do that?” Any of us that have heard that scripture, have asked that question. Anyone who hears that passage thinks to themselves, how could I get anything else done if I was praying all the time. We picture in our minds bowed heads and praying hands struggling with what to say for a lengthy time with God. Many of us struggle with prayer period, we are intimidated at the thought of it, much less how to do it “right.” If we are intimidated on the proper form, how in the world could we be asked to do it all the time? There is both good and bad in these feelings; let me explain. The bad in the doubt is Satan at work. He is the author of all doubt, the polar-opposite of faith, and in this doubt he keeps you from praying at all. Satan does not fear your good life, your knowledge of scripture, nor any level of pride in religion you possess. He knows in all of that is pride, pride is the root of all sin, and God will not use your pride for any kingdom work. However, the humble heart that pleas with God brings the power of God to defeat Satan! Satan fears prayer from the weakest soul, because that person understands how much they need God, and has the faith for God to do what they can’t. Satan fears prayer on every level, and can you imagine the level he fears the person who prays more than meal blessings and the lay me down to sleep prayers?

I always struggle with how much to reveal of my personal life here, but I never want to appear lofty, or having it all together either. The level of my struggles is greater than even the closest to me know; I keep my biggest ones to myself, as not to be a burden to others. Getting older sucks, and I feel as though I am stressed out beyond my ability, and of course this effects the mental and physical sides of me…..I am no different from whatever you are facing right now. I meet so many people struggling every day. I see God open doors for me to pray with many of you, and I consider it a humble honor to be able to lift you up to God. I have approached God in prayer for myself and others on seemingly endless topics, many times not even knowing how to pray, but still trying. Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. There are great similarities in that passage of Philippians, and the context of this passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Comparing scripture with scripture is how you study the Bible and grow your faith. Both of these passages speak to trusting God in the details of your life. Sovereignty is God’s power and control played out every day, and your trusting it is your faith. The theme of 1 Thessalonians is one of hope.

Expounding “praying without ceasing” is a personal account with you and God. There are not directions in the Bible of how, no right or wrong, but to put it simply, it is a matter of the Spirit inside of you. Whether or not you realize it, you are being prayed for without ceasing. The Holy Spirit constantly tries to help you through this life, communicating with a Holy God the details of your life. Every second you can pause to plea to God what is on your heart, is a prayer without ceasing. God doesn’t need your bowed head and praying hands to hear your hearts desire for him today.

We just don’t understand…..

Psalm 107:19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.

We just can’t understand….why bad things happen to good people. I lost my cousin in a plane crash two days ago. The shock is still gripping the family, every emotion running it’s course, and the pain will never leave those closest to Heather, and I have been told no pain is greater than loosing a child. I have friends that have lost children to sickness, and dirt bike crashes. Our oldest son is named after one of my close friends killed in a car crash on the way home from a night out we spent together, the tire we changed together killed him. Very few of us go very long in this life without a sudden tragedy striking in our circle. The inrush of pain combined with anger many times makes us question God. Those outside of the faith many times question how we can believe in a God who does this (he doesn’t do it). Many of us in the faith struggle with it when things like this strike so close to home. We just can’t understand……

God does not do evil, there is no evil in him; he is holy and pure and good at the core of his being. You must remember that when tragedy strikes, because Satan will try to convince you otherwise. Satan is evil, his tactics are evil, and when God permits these things that Satan does, we just can’t understand…… The book of Job is God’s lesson to us about the “why and how” answer to this question. We are granted an insight to a spiritual war, and heavenly dialogue, and the reason God allowed all the bad things to happen to Job. We also see the blessings on the other side of the tragedies. God uses the book of Job to encourage us to trust Him. 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. God’s ways are so much higher than our limited minds can comprehend. He operates without the limitations of time, which we cannot fathom, therefore seeing the results the same as the present. Isaiah 55:8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

We don’t want to grasp the level that sin has on us and this world. We don’t want to admit how much we need God. We want to be successful by all the worldly standards, and yet not focus primarily on the next life. We must understand this life is temporary, the next one is eternal. We must understand the urgency of the gospel, the need to proclaim it to all Christ has prepared to hear. We never know when our last breath will be, the last time we will tell someone we love them, but we must be assured of seeing them in Heaven. The joy that that knowledge brings, surpasses the pain of such tragedies, and helps us to understand Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. We don’t understand why bad things happen to good people, but we can be assured those good people are with Jesus right now, and they understand their faith in Him got them there. We have all of eternity to worship the One who decided how.