Sometimes "Me" Just Sits and Thinks

Can I be honest? Today has been one of those days when basically it would be accurate to say that I personally lived out a "seemingly silly" slogan I recently read on a t-shirt:

Sometimes "me" just sits and thinks.
And sometimes "me" just sits.

I have also learned that sometimes what appears to be "wasting time" is not "wasted time".

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

How Beautiful The Ugly Cross!

A few years ago I preached a season of campmeeting messages in North Carolina. One of the worship leaders, a young man of God named Jason (who sings like David Crowder) was moved to write some new music following a message I preached titled "In the Cross".

Yes, it was about a year later, while I was speaking at a Carolina Pastors' Gathering on Oak Island, North Carolina when Jason greeted me and humbly gave me a homemade music CD. It was then and there that I learned he had written a new song after the inspiration of that campmeeting message.

Jason's new song warmed my heart and the title has beautifully burned its way into my soul: How Beautiful The Ugly Cross.

Lord, I thank you today that The Beauty of Your Holiness has been extended to me. Talk about Beauty for ashes! I am humbled beyond words.... Yes, I am speechless because of the fulfillment I have found at the foot of the cross -- Your Holy Cross. How Beautiful the Ugly Cross. Thanks Jesus and thanks Jason.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

The Stress Line

As our family entered our favorite seaside village for summer vacation, seven words in big letters on a roadside banner gave us immediate permission to finally exhale:

Relax: You're South of the Stress Line.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Gratfeul

A New Song of Beautiful Joy

For the one who belongs exclusively to God, yes for the saint, suffering is not merely something to escape but something to be entered into so that a new song of beautiful joy might be born and sung for the glory of the Lord.

A new song of beautiful joy always requires the blessing of bountiful rain storms. Lord, give me wings to rise above the storms of suffering with singing. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

The suffering You sent was good for me... Psalm 119:71 (NLT)

Sing a new song to the LORD!
Sing His praises from the ends of the earth!
Sing, all you who sail the seas,
all you who live in distant coastlands.
-- Isaiah 42:10 (NLT)

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Keeping in Touch

I've tried to instill in my grown children that one of their daddy's life-values is "Keeping in Touch". As they get older and have lives of their own, certainly I do not wish to cramp their style, however, just hearing from them through whatever form of communication they choose means the world to me.

As I was thinking on these things today, I sensed my Father God saying that "Keeping in Touch" is one of His life-values, too. And how do I know if I am "Keeping in Touch" with Him or not? My prayer life is the leading indicator.

So, as I thought of my grown kids "Keeping in Touch" with me, their earthly daddy, I found myself praying that we as His children (yes, their daddy, as well as my son and my daughter) would all be especially passionate about "Keeping in Touch" with our Heavenly Daddy Father God.

"Keeping in Touch" was surely initially Father God's idea. After all He gave us these three words in His Holy Love Letter: Pray without ceasing. -- 1 Thess. 5:17 (NKJV). Sounds an awful lot like "Keeping in Touch" to me. And "Keeping in Touch" must mean the world to Him, too. (Simply read John 3:16-17 for proof of that.)

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Do Not Be Uneasy.

These words from Psalm 1 and verses 1-3 (MSG) have been watering my soul today:
How well God must like you—
you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don’t slink along Dead-End Road,
you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.
Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.

After saturating in these promises, I sense this invitation being extended to me: Do not be uneasy. The Lord is tending to Your soul. His hidden rivers of holy revival are on the way.

And this old hymn is the soundtrack of my soul right now:
All that thrills my soul is Jesus.
He is more than life to me.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Perfect Love is Powerful

...perfect love expels all fear. 1 John 4:18 (NLT)

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

My God. My Savior. My Lord. My Life.

My God, I know I desperately need You to be My Savior, and I know You desperately desire to be My Lord. So, I want you to know that I am Exclusively Yours. Yes, You are My God, My Savior and My Lord. You are more than part of my life and more than #1 in my life. You are My Life!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

To The Ground. In the Gap. Into Thy Closet.

Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. -- 1 Kings 18:42 (NIV)

I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. --Ezekiel 22:30 (NIV)

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. -- Matthew 6:6 (KJV)

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Empty Hammocks

When was the last time you saw someone actually resting in a hammock? I often take note that too many resting places are empty.

My family gave me a new hammock as my birthday and Father's Day gift this year. If my count is right, I think it's my fourth hammock. I wish I could say I wore all of the previous hammocks out by resting in them, but the truth be told, I may have worn one hammock out resting in it, while the others just plain dry-rotted.

Anyway, next time you see an empty resting place, give yourself permission to occupy it for a while. Take time to exhale.

Come unto Me and I will give you rest.
(Words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28.)

Thank You, Jesus, for being my Resting Place. I want to be a resting place for You, too.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

The Holy Breath of God

The Holy Spirit is the Holy Breath of God within our lives. Without the Holy Spirit living within us, we are spiritually dead. Christianity is but a lifeless corpse apart from God the Holy Spirit.

Come, Holy Spirit, I need Thee.
Come, Sweet Spirit, I pray.
Come in Thy strength and Thy power.
Come in Thine own gentle way.

Come, Holy Spirit. Regenerate us. Sanctify us. Be the Holy Breath of Holy God within our eternal souls. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

1 John 3:24b (NLT) -- And we know He lives in us because the Holy Spirit lives in us.

My ministry partner, Joseph, sent these lyrics to me recently:

Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew,
that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,
until with Thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly Thine,
till all this earthly part of me glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die,
but live with Thee the perfect life of Thine eternity.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

My Fervent 3-Part Holy Prayer

Lord, I pray this fervent 3-part Holy Prayer today and day-by-day:

(1) Intensify my Holy Hunger for You. (Mt. 5:6)
(2) Glorify Your Holy Name in me. (Rev. 15:4)
(3) Multiply Your Holy Church for Eternity. (Mt. 16:18)
In the name of Jesus. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Who Am I?

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks: Who do you say that I am? The last two words of His question offer us one right answer: Indeed, He is I AM!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Last Laugh

Lord, when You have the last laugh over the devil and the powers of darkness, I want to be laughing with You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Right Relationship With God

Jesus spoke these riveting words in Matthew 5:6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Lord, please intensify my hunger for You and Your Holiness and make my thirst more desperate for You and Your Maximum Righteousness in my life. If I know my heart, I am hungry and thirsty for a right relationship with You, my Holy God. In my life, Lord, be glorified, be magnified, be satisfied today and day-by-day. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Your Desires For My Life

Lord, help me to never be disillusioned by Your desires for my life, but to always be delighted in Your desires for my life. I offer my life for Your glory. Yes, in my life, Lord, be glorified, be magnified, be satisfied for forever and today. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

He Inhabits Our Praise

The Lord inhabits -- lives within, clothes Himself with -- the praise of His people.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

God Gives The Holy Spirit By Faith

Acts 15:8-9 (NLT) -- (8) God, who knows people’s hearts, confirmed that He accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He gave Him to us. (9) He made no distinction between us (the Jews) and them, for He also cleansed their hearts through faith.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Possessed

Judges 6:34 in two translations:
Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon.
Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself in Gideon.

In other words, when the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself in Gideon, it was a foretaste of our inheritance following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of the glorified Christ. Yes, a pre-Pentecost, Old Testament foretaste of the post-Pentecost, New Testament reality for all of us who belong to the Lord -- Colossians 1:27: Christ in you, the hope of glory.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Apart

Lord, help me to know that apart from Your touch, all comes apart.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

The Jesus Lamp: Nazareth Village

In the town of Nazareth there is a small village experience dedicated to the hometown life of Jesus. When you exit the pilgrimage site, each person receives a piece of pottery called the Jesus Lamp. It is a replica of the lamp Jesus once used for light during his time on planet earth. It's a sacred little gift.

Last year, Dusty, a young man who journeyed with us on our yearly pilgrimage to the Holy Land was really moved by the Nazareth Village experience. So much so, that he inspired all in our group to give a donation so we could buy a brick and support the efforts of the pilgrimage site. On the brick Dusty had just four, one-syllable words engraved: BE LIGHT! GO SHINE!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Hands of Kindness

On the Mount of Beatitudes Jesus delivered His Sermon on the Mount. It's recorded in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. He spent the night before praying on the top of the mountain then preached the next day on the flat plain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. In His sermon Jesus said: Blessed are the merciful... Yes, blessed are the kind...

On our Holy Land Pilgrimage we read aloud from Matthew 5, yes from The Beatitudes of our Lord's Kingdom. Indeed the Beatitudes are the attitudes of those who belong to Him. After our reading time, Dara fashioned a cross from some of the straw on the mountainside. How the Lord must've been moved to receive such a personal expression of love from one of his daughters! With hands of kindness, Dara then offered the straw cross to her pastor on Christ's behalf. What an attitude of gratitude. Humbling. Touching. Blessed.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Day of Double Rededication

My wife and I experienced a delightful day of double rededication in Cana of Galilee and The Jordan River on Monday, May 31, 2010. Yes, with seven other couples we renewed our wedding vows as man and wife at the sacred site where Jesus attended the wedding feast of his friends some 2,000 years ago. While he was present he turned ordinary water into extraordinary wine. 2010 is the year of our 30th wedding anniversary. Rededicating our lives to one another in Cana during this special year was an amazing moment for both of us.

Next we boarded the tour bus and traveled to the Jordan River. Once we arrived we, along with about 25 others, we rededicated our vows to our Lord by being baptized together in the same waters where our Lord was emersed by his cousin, John the Baptist. Words are not adequate to explain the overwhelming joy that was ours when we came out of the River with renewed vows, yes shouting to the whole world: We are Exclusively God's.

Lord, we thank you for a day of double rededication. We are humbled, speechless, and grateful. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful